I almost feel like I need to apologize when I make the following statement,

PS3's 2007 was perhaps the most disappointing year for a console I have experienced since 1995's Panasonic 3do letdown.

I cannot imagine a launch PS3 owner not feeling the least bit burned. Ever gaming generation I get my hands on every console because I don't want to be limited by what I can play because of the logo in the games upper corner. I am a gamer, I don't care what consoles it's on as long as I get to play it.

Also it should be noted that when it comes to multiplatform games there is a method to the madness as to which console I buy it one:

A) The version released first (If all versions are released at the same time or a day or so apart)

B) The version that functions better IE Controls, Graphics etc

C) If all things are equal the version that costs less (IE the one in a bundle see COD4 AC bundle for 360)

With that said the big PS3 titles for me in 2007 were:

Lair, Heavenly Sword Warhawk, Uncharted, and Unreal Tournament.

While not bad, not nearly anywhere near the expectations that I had hoped they would bring, and where are all the RPG's that made me love my PS2 so?

With that said, as I look forward I see hope

1) Haze (January 15th)

Was really looking forward to this last year, but with COD4 and Halo 3 I am not surprised that it was pushed back. I can only hope that this game has a solid of a storyline as I hope it does

2) LittleBigPlanet (Q1 2008 )

Innovative? I hope so!

3) SingStar (May 18th 2008 )

One of the few games that my girlfriend will actually play on the PS3. The concept to be able to download songs to your HD through the network seems interesting.

4) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Q2 2008 )

NEVER, has a game in my life time had so much pressure to be amazing. This game has the means to change PS3's rather dry fortunes in a single day. With rumors of Konami requiring a million units sold on the first day in order to maintain PS3 exclusivity the pressure is on. Make no mistake this is the flagship PS3 game for 2008 I fully expect for it to be stellar.

5) White Knight Story (PS3) (TBA 2008 )

RPG's are why I loved my PS2, and this stands to be the first in a potentially long line of great titles to come

6) Killzone 2 (PS3) (TBA 2008 )

I will not hype this game, but I am looking forward into the year wondering if it will finally deliver gameplay to match its very ambitious storyline

7) Final Fantasy? (TBA)

It's looking like an early 2009 title, that would be a darn shame.

8 ) Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

When?? I am not big on racing but Forza really opened to door for me a little and Forza 2 threw open that door, GT is the granddaddy of them all so lets see what the final product will look like.

As I sat back the other day trying to gauge if 2007 met all the hype that was cast upon it and quickly realized that I never bothered with my annual hype list for 2007 so I wanted to get an early start and go console by console with the games that I have high expectations for that are either slated or rumored for 2008

Wii:

1) Endless Ocean (Slated January 21st)

It's a really interest concept, and on a console that is rather unique in the gaming sphere a game like this could go very well or go very wrong. Perhaps the term game isn't even fair for a title such as this. I have heard about it for more then six months and it will be interesting to see what it looks like when its out.

2) Super Smash Bros. Brawl (February 10th)

One of the greatest disappointments of 2007 was that I was not able to enjoy Smash online, but with Nintendo generally releasing a Mario, a Zelda and a Metroid within its first year or so I can see why they wanted to push this back.

3) Obscure: The Aftermath (Q1 2008 )

Yeah I know its also on PS2 which means it will be graphically meh at best but with that said its been far to long since a true survival horror in the mold of Silent Hill or Clock Tower has come along on a console and this may just be the cure to that problem.

4) Mario Kart Wii (Q1 2008 )

While I may have been one of the few people who owned a GC broadband adapter and two copies of Mario Kart for Gamecube in the end it was well worth being able to play Kart in massive multiplayer glory, I don't care if Kart Wii scores a 1.0 I will be there day one to get my hands on it

5) Samba de Amigo (Q2 2008 )

Loved the original on Dreamcast, am sure I will love the second one on Wii.

6) Okami (Q3 2008 )

One of the last great surprises of the PS2 will find its way over to the Wii in 2008.

7) Wii Fit (WII) (TBA)

All signs are pointing to a 2008 release the question is of course if and when? While much like endless ocean this is not really a "game" but something that may be entertaining and actually good for you, also the Wii Board could have endless uses moving forward.

Zelda TP scored sub 9.0 for the Wii,

Outrage from the unwashed masses in System Wars filled up nearly every forum posting and most blogs for the next two weeks, now here we are nearly a year later and I was asked if I thought that Gamespot was too harsh on Zelda looking back, and the simple answer is no.

I was there on Wii launch day just like many others and ran home with my copy of Zelda and Red Steel and dug right into the game and made my way into the depths of Hyrule.

It was set aside within a few weeks in favor of countless Wii-Sports battles and then I simply bought the Gamecube version and cut through it within a week.

Metroid Prime 3 scored a shocking 8.5 for the Wii,

And again the outrage filled the forums, in hindsight what do I think?

Metroid Prime 3 was one of the few games that actually got me to sit there and go through the "motions" of the Wii-Mote to actually play the game till the credits rolled, as I have said in the past the Wii-Mote is a cool concept but one that I simply have little interest in when I just want to crash on the sofa on a boring Saturday with a bag of Cheetoos and play for a few hours. Metroid Prime was the notable exception.

Was the 8.5 overly harsh? Well lets put this into perspective. Bioshock released a week earlier is a similar Genre scored a 9.0.

Was Metroid Prime on the same level as Bioshock, In my opinion it was not. It was a great game but Bioshock was exceptional so given the new scoring system was Metroid Prime "screwed" out of a 9.0? No it was simply release two weeks too late.

The reality is that what Nintendo is offering me is not different, its simply a new spin on the same.

While Metroid looked "next gen" that was really it, it looked next gen and had a different control interface but did not even really offer me a cool new aspect to the general gaming set-up of the series. At least in Metroid Prime 2 I got the whole light world/dark world aspect, with Metroid Prime I basically got the same game that blew my mind around this time five years ago but simply graphically improved and with a new control set-up.

Now we are faced with the Super Mario Galaxy situation, There is a lot of fear that GS will "Super Mario Sunshine" the game by scoring it with a 8.0 or an 8.5. Although I think people are failing to see the issue with Mario Sunshine. For starters what did Sunshine offer you in terms of "something different" from Mario 64? (The last console Mario prior to Sunshine)

In my opinion, not a heck of a lot except for the actions that Mario was enjoying (Cleaning Crap Up Vs. Flying Around Doing Mario Stuff) and it enjoyed a next gen graphic facelift which is expected when going from one generation to another.

From what I am seeing of Galaxy in terms of previews, reviews and trailers is that it seems to offer the same sort of upgrade that Mario 64 offered over Super Mario World.

If that is the case I don't think it has much to worry about in terms of being "flopped" but the issue with Previews and Reviews is that you never really know what the person writting said tidbit is looking for in terms of the game.

If Galaxy ends up being nothing more then Mario Sunshine with a next gen facelift and an interesting control set-up then by all means 8.0 it, but if Nintendo has opted to make this title innovative and different then by all means let the 9.5's pour.

A Game should never be judged on the "front end" because more often then not we are overwealmed by the glitz and the glam that we tend to ignore its staying power.

The bottomline is there is a reason why Mario 64 still sells for more then Mario Sunshine on eBay and abroad, and why many of us still play the Mario's of generations past while Sunshine sits on the gaming wall.

Maybe I should ask what's wrong with gamers today. I can fully understand brand loyalty, I recall in the third grade there was the debate at recess about what was better, the Sega Master System or the NES?

Although today it's almost to a level of religion. While the outrage of the R&C review within the system wars forum prompted me to ask the question it hardly was what inspired it.

As I thumb through reviews on various websites and within magazines there is one thing I am seeing more and more of and that is phrases like revolutionary graphics and tight controls and I am hearing less and less of It's to short, It's to easy The story hinders the game

Perhaps it's just me, but I consider a review a tool to aid a consumer who is looking to purchase the game, not written to aid someone who is looking to rent the game.

Why should a game where the end consumer who buys the title for 59.99 get the same value out of a game as someone who rents it for a weekend for 5.99?

And if that is the case, should their not be someone who makes this point very clear? I would imagine that will make a difference for the average consumer?

While I will be the first to admit that I have a gaming addiction and will buy games regardless, I would imagine there are many folks who sparsely buy games and if they are buying games rarely where should they go to determine what game is a good value for the money?

When I first played Bioshock I was in a near state of shock that Gamespot had the audacity to give this game ONLY a 9.0, it was revolutionary and stunning yet after 20 hours it was over, there was little more for me to do and little more for me to get out of it, while the other guys were scoring this game in the high 9's. Was Bioshock worthy of a 9.5 or higher? In hindsight no, it simply does not have the staying power. It was perhaps the most stunning game I have seen visually so far this generation with a great storyline but for a consumer who does not buy games almost every second day would I consider this title to be something I would keep coming back to and enjoying for months? No.

Heavenly Sword was another example of responsible reviewing, another game that raised the bar in terms of visuals for that genre of game that was less then ten hours long.

Why is Gamespot one of the few places speaking to that fact?

The problem with gaming now is that developers are getting away with games that are all sizzle and no steak. We keep seeing more and more games that look awesome and play great but have no soul.

To Short, To Easy, No Story, when did these things stop being factors in reviews? When did these things stop mattering?

While right now Sony's PS3 is the villain in this situation because they are the ones who are most guilty recently, the reality is this is a trend that is growing on all consoles and being enabled by nearly all review sites and magazines.

How does a game like Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction score in the mid to high 9's elsewhere when it is: A single player game, that is easy (this comes from many reviews one went as far as to say that his nine year old son picked up the game with ease) that can be completed in a few hours?

What the heck happened to standards? The game looks great, super. The game plays great, stellar. Does no one care that you have a game that is being marketed to teens and an older audience is simple enough for some folks below ten in play with ease?

There needs to be some responsibility to the consumer, and the reality is that it seems Gamespot is one of the few that are actually still writing for the intended audience, rather then solely to attract console loyalists with scores that hardly factor in the whole story.

So I caved. Over the weekend even though I have been so tired of FPS after FPS I opted to get my hands on Resistance as I was finally worn down by PS3 user after PS3 user telling me how amazing it is, and how it is a tragedy if someone owns a PS3 and does not own this game.

I have to admit that the story and concept behind the game are interesting and it does offer more story then your standard FPS but at the risk of sounding sour, it's not revolutionary, nor is it really raising the bar on the genre.

It came off as Saints Row. Perhaps that is an odd comparison but I have played the GTA games for years and when Saints Row came out I really enjoyed it but aside from a face lift what did it truly offer the GTA fan that GTA did not? It was simply a new take on a proven and established formula.

This is what I thought of Resistance, a new take on a proven and established formula.

It's normally after comments such as this where I would be called a fanboy but I think as we near the one year mark of the PS3 it's a fair time to start asking questions of Sony.

While I understand that this generation is young and there are not many gamers that are yet Manticores, Even if I include Oblivion and Ninja Gaiden Sigma as games that I myself played months or years earlier on 360 or Xbox the PS3 Library is hardly enough to sustain a gamer for the year its been on the market.

I keep being told that it's coming and when it gets here it hardly ends up living up to the expectation that was vaulted upon it. Then I am told to wait again for the next big title which is months away.

I keep thinking back to last generation and the Nintendo Gamecube. Months on end I would curse the console for having a small library and keeping me waiting, I would then move onto an Xbox or PS2 title while the Gamecube gathered dust but then out of nowhere a stellar title would come out of the woodwork and making having a Gamecube worth it, till that game was completed and the dust gathered till the next game.

Gamecube was not a bad system, it was simply an inconsistent system. It became the perfect supplement to any gamer, a console that sat beside another console and allowed for the owner to have the Gamecube when it was needed but not rely on it as the primary means of entertainment.

Is PS3 becoming this generation's supplemental console?

Its too early to tell, but if we are having a similar conversation this time next year, will the comparison be fair then?

Often many of my friends and readers accuse me of being angry,

Pissed at Sony, Pissed at Nintendo, and Pissed at Microsoft for one reason or another.

Although for the first time since 360 launched I have to admit I am very pleased with the gaming market in general. While I will admit that I am greatly disappointed with Sony as aside from Warhawk which does have some limited appeal and Heavenly Sword which left me wondering why the credits rolled after nine hours have largely let me down this lead-up to the Holiday season. It almost seems like a second Christmas were they are generally content to surrender to MS and Nintendo and hope for a 2008 recovery.

With that said, normally when we get this flood of "Super Games" there are always some that just do not meet the level of expectation that you would hope they did. Thus far I am very impressed with Microsoft for delivering. Bioshock provided me with something I have not seen in an FPS for years, Story. Then I will admit that Blue Dragon was to fill my lust for an RPG on 360 and as much as I enjoyed it I truly did have a void left in my heart that needed to be filled with something else before Halo 3 came out. No Problem, out comes Two Worlds and Eternal Sonata within weeks of each other and actually makes 360's RPG library decent for the first time in Xbox history. Then of course Halo 3 was what it was a FPS taken to the next level graphically with a fairly sexy storyline. With Mass Effect coming and the apparent surprise that PGR4 may be I am very stoked leading up to the Holiday season.

Then I have Nintendo, as I often said last Gen Nintendo must have had a Corporate Creed that contained the phrase "To Frustrate and Annoy Cosmo to no end with inconsistence" You would get a stellar and unique title out of nowhere be thrilled that you owned a Gamecube and then deal with crickets for nine months to a years after that, then the cycle would start yet again.

This time, I am very pleased with the months leading to Christmas. Metroid Prime was what it was just as I expected. Now I am also slated to receive not only a new Mario game, but also a new Smash Bros.? Wow.

I will admit however I am concerned for what's next. Reggie is a master marketer and I we all have to keep that in mind but with all the "Franchises" out there by years end what is coming in 2008? Mario Kart I would imagine but then what? Nintendo is riding the crest of HUGE popularity by fixing the mistakes it made last gen early on, but I have to question if Nintendo has the means to keep this onslaught of games coming after this Christmas season? I mean what else is there?

I don't imagine another Zelda or Metroid is in the pipeline for a few years? And Mario is running out of sports to play.

But rather then focus on tomorrow lets look at today.

Has there ever been a better time to be a Manticore?

I think not.

It seems there is a lot of static between the Xbox and Nintendo loyalists about Halo 3's score when compared to that of Metroid and Zelda.

I have to admit, I feel for the Wii Loyalists as Metroid and Zelda were both excellent.

However I think the Wii in general should expect to suffer from this sort of reviewers curse for the rest of the generation, now its nothing against those who review games in general but a simple fact that the Wii in terms of its core hardware is nowhere near the level of its two rivals.

If a game like Bioshock which had my jaw around the floor because of the simply breathtaking visiuals is able to only score a "9" in terms of Graphics so to speak, how in the world is Metroid or Zelda suppose to compare to that?

The issue is that this generation there is no scale, all games are held to the same standard and that will always hurt Wii.

While Nintendo even admited if you want "horsepower" this is not the system for you, it leads to a much more interesting situation. Wii may revolutionize the "control" and "gameplay" aspects of the gaming, they will not have the means to revolutionize Graphics this generation, and I suspect that is why a game like Metroid which was very well done can score so much lower then a game such as Halo 3.

As much as I enjoyed Metroid, and it was perhaps the most "beautiful" Wii game I have played. When compared to the graphics games like Bioshock or Gears of War even Eternal Sonata its simply not on par and at the end of the day this is where I think going with the weakest graphic engine harmed Nintendo.

While I play for the whole game, there are many that do not.

The summer generally speaking is often a dead zone for gaming. Sales are normally slower and most publishers don't want to release games they know will not sell. Usually I would find myself going back a ways and breaking into games on older consoles that I never had the opportunity to play or enjoying the "B" titles for the current consoles.

Last summer something odd happened, Games I actually wanted to play found their way onto store shelves in Summer. Saints Row and Dead Rising are the two that spring to mind and this summer The Darkness and Overlord come to mind.

Now of course the onslaught of stellar games comes forward and what really bothers me is yet again I find my PS3 with dust on it.

I was told at launch that Resistance would be the be all and end all of gaming, then it scored lower the Gears of War, then I was told to wait for the "better" version of Oblivion which was marginally better then the game I had played a year earlier and then of course Lair and Warhawk were the titles that would make owning a PS3 worth while, and here I am reading the first reviews that have both games in the high 5's to mid 6's.

While Bioshock which really is just an appetizer to me as I wait for Mass Effect and Halo 3 ends up scoring in the high 9's on IGN and a 9.0 on Gamespot.

What is Sony doing? Have they taken their user base for granted because it certainly feels that way.

Now I am being told that Killzone 2 will be the be all and end all of gaming, except I have already walked down this road with Sony and was disappointed.

There is little denying at this point that Wii is clearly the console of "The People" while Microsoft is quietly building a Library and becoming the console of "The Gamer"

Who would have thought?

My Love affair with the Wii has come to a close.

The difference between the end of my relationship with Nintendo this gen when compared to other gens is that my girlfriend still LOVES the Wii. A year ago someone made the comment on System Wars that Wii was going to become "A console that you leave in the closet and take out at parties just like a Karekoke machine or board game"

How true that statment is. At launch I picked up Zelda and Red Steel, both games combine have been played roughly 1/4 of the time that Wii Sports has been played on my Wii. The simple fact is that Zelda and games like it are just more annoying played with the Wii-mote, to such a point where I bought Zelda TP on Gamecube just so I could play for a few hours straight without having to swing the controller around to move my sword.

I am not saying Wii is a bad console, but its amazing how quickly I turned on it. It was almost overnight that I went right back to my 360 and it welcomed me with Crackdown and Lost Planet as a welcome home gift. 

Wii has really changed the way I play games, and I look at games. Games like Smooth Moves which if it was released in some variation for a regular console I never would have considered makes it to the top of my shopping list, games liek Tiger Woods golf which I never buy is also right up there for Wii, yet games that I love like Metroid are no where to be found because at the end of the day, I am just to set in my ways to swing the damn Wii-Mote around like a mace in midevil times just to get Link, Samus or whoever to do something that the "B" button used to do for me.  

The Wii really is not in my opinion part of this generation of video games, but rather the first generation in a new wave of games where functionality and interaction reign supreme over gameplay and graphics.  

After months of debating, "Next Gen" "Not Next Gen" Hardware this and software that, the battle officially starts tomorrow, and REALLY gets underway on Sunday.

It really is amazing how much your position changes in a few months, I will be the first to admit I was not all that sold on the Wii mainly because I was concerned about the amount of games out there for GC, and the potental lack there of for Wii.

Looking at the listings of games slated for the next year, I am stoked and really looking forward to my first attempt with the Wii-Mote.

As for PS3, what can say?
I have bought every console at launch since Saturn.

But now I sit here and look at a few factors.
The reality is the the PS3 will cost me about a grand after tax

Console
Two Games
Extra Controller
Etc.

But you would think the best part of this whole situation (picking the games) would not be the most painful part. I was sure Warhawk would be out for launch and now it isn't

Resistance which was suppose to be the FPS of the year, clearly seems to not be what was promised and outside of that there are a series of multiplatform games that I already bought for 360.

I have been called a "fanboy" and all the other such names for waiting this point, but simply said for a Manticore whats the point of the PS3 at this point?

If I get a Wii along with my 360 all I seem to be missing out on is Resistance? and I can wait for that.

Part of me wants to list my PS3 on eBay make off like a bandit and wait for more titles that appeal to me to be released.

Oh well,