With the next generation of gaming coming into exsistence in just over a month and a half now I find myself not purchasing games for the 360, I've even held off on GTA hoping for something spectacular on the Xbox One/PS4. After researching certain things about next gen releases there seems to be justification in my holdout as some of the next gen games will run on completely different engines than the current gen models. It seemed obvious after I read it but I thought that the games would be fairly similar? Now I have to conitinue my holdout until November to see if my concerns are correct of just another conufusing piece in the transfer of generations. 

My second thought is about the ongoing debate of the processing power of the next generation consoles. I've read a couple articles about it and some things really stuck out to me. 

1. The PS4 has undisputed processing power which could possibly double the Xbox One. 

2. That processing power is great but if the software developers don't use it, the extra juice in the PS4 will become irrelevant. 

3. I've also heard that the Xbox One will have something of a turbo charger for its processor which will boost it up closer to the PS4. If this is true then I have two issues, will the turbo charger cook the processor like it does to so many car engines or will the processor have the guts to handle that extra boost. 

4. And of course if theres no turbo charger at all, will the Xbox One handle the multi platform games that were developed for PS4 first. 

All in all I believe that the consoles will be about as similar as they are now, sure PS3 has more power in its black monolith but if the 360 can run a Gears Of War without issue then what does all that extra power really matter.

I'm leaning to the Xbox One this year because gaming is really about the games not all that computer interior junk, if Micorsoft has better gaming partnerships (Spoiler: they do) then why would I buy a console which put out 3-4 really good exclusives with its last go. 

Following up with the subject line, this years E3 was one of the best I've been a part of since I began following the conference back around 2006. Of course this wasn't entirely by surprise with Sony and Microsoft flexing the muscle on their new toys essentially trying to sway fans in one direction or the other.

As most experts have said, Sony won E3 this year based on overall presentation. I agree but it was not the landslide win that most people are hyping it up to be. No PS4 exclusives blew my mind and theres that ever looming company that goes by the name Epic Games who sure do like pumping out beauties for the Xbox. Microsoft has a different approach to their new console and rather than making in solely abut the games they are advertising it as a full fledged home entertainment system. Personally, this intrigued me because I love the newer innovations that were introduced to the Xbox 360 in its later stage. Things like live sports, a partnership with UFC and my personal favourite Xbox Smartglass all made the 360 a better overall experence than the PS3. I'm mostly interested in how Smartglass will work with the Xbox One because as cool as the idea was and is, there wasnt much use for it outside of the dashboard/browser. If Microsoft can implement smartglass into their games for the Xbox One (all signs point to them doing it) they could have a distinct advantage over PS4 in how the game is actually played.

I haven't seen enough of either console to make a decision on which one I will purchase but based on E3 I'm leaning to the PS4 with a split decision. 

To finish off this blog I'll crank out a Top 5 Games I'm Stoked For After e3 2013

1. The Division

2. Assasins Creed 4

3. EA Sports Titles

4. Elder Scrolls Online

5. Watch Dogs

Cheers

I'm sure that this blog has been posted over and over again on various accounts, mine will be no different as I had a god given day off work yesterday and took the opportunity to watch the live conference for the Xbox One reveal. Of course we had not known what the name was going to be prior to the conference with ideas such as the Xbox 720, Durango and others being thrown around. Personally, I like the Xbox One title that Microsoft has given its newest toy, its not following the Playstation numerical system which is too predictable and dull with the PS4. I'm sure they will both be solid consoles but Microsoft clearly got more creative with the names. 

The main standout for me at this conference/ reveal was how the sports games looked so early in development. Sports games tend not to be a huge thing for everybody but they are a big part of gaming for me, and the way FIFA and Madden games both looked blew my mind. I'm definitely 100% stoked about the release of these ones to see a finished product. 

Another big moment for the conference was the first look at the newest Call Of Duty, subtitled "Ghosts." Activision and Infinity Ward are gearing up to put up another release into the Modern Shooter franchise and the reveal of this particular game left me with many questions. The showcase of the game sounded more like a sales pitch than an explantion of what is going to be different with the Activision representative talking about various things involved in the game which have already been done on the current generation consoles. Interactive multiplayer maps and events was said to change the way the game was played and my first response was "Gears of War did that already." Now Call of Duty may do it to a different extent but I'm curious to see if that is the only new innovation to what is becomming a stale multiplayer. I have many issues with Call of Duty's multiplayer since Modern Warfare 3 but the biggest one is that Call of Duty takes multiplayer too seriously like so many of its players. In the end its a game, a game is meant to be fun, playing Black Ops 2 is not fun to me anymore because I feel like theres no room for fun. It's strict gun vs. gun and running around. My personal favourite Call Of Duty (Modern Warfare 2) had so many elements from noob toobing, to the best sniping in the series and always made for a fun experience no matter what the game type. Now with more recent ones I feel like if I mess up a movement I'm killed instantly.

I'll leave my Call of Duty complaints for another day, because the Xbox One will probably make Ghosts look fantastic. I'm thrilled about the next generation of gaming and can't wait for a release date.

Remember to follow me on twitter @Matt705 and add my gamertag XIX Switchblade.

Cheers.  

This blog is more of a question for the online Call of Duty players because I would rather not put out another 60 bucks on Black Ops 2 if there is a large group of players still on Modern Warfare 3.

Currently we are plugging away on Modern Warfare 2 but games and players are becomming incresingly scarce. My main question is, do people still play Modern Warfare 3? I would love a response to this because currently I can lock up a copy of Modern Warfare 3 for around 10 dollars on ebay and I am seriously considering it if the online community is still strong and thriving. If not I assume my next best option would be Black Ops 2. If anybody has an opinion on this slight dilemma I am having feel free to drop a comment and add my gamertag XIX SwitchBlade to get drunk and play some games with of course Modern Warfare 2 being my go to at the moment.

Cheers.

2012 has been a hell of a year, if you're reading this let me congratulate you on surviving the end of the world on December 21st, I'm sure the world will end again next year. Also if you're reading this, you have an interest in my most wanted games of 2013. The list will include both games that are already released and unreleased titles that look disturbingly good from the 2013 released lineup. That's my schpeel for the day, so enjoy the list you beauties.

1.Far Cry 3-hands down this is my most anticipated game to purchase and and play for a month straight. I'll be the first to critisize Far Cry 2 and it's flaws but overall the game had a solid base idea and alot of good ideas. From what I hear Far Cry 3 has taken what Far Cry 2 did well and built it into the Island setting, while it fixed many of the frustrating aspects that took the fun out of Far Cry 2. The graphics are gorgeous looking and the story looks fantastic, everything taken into account Far Cry3 gets my number 1 spot.

2.Crysis 3- Another game I have been following since the second installment, Crysis 3 looks like it going to be a graphical juggernaut and a possible game of the year contender.Crysis 2 was damn near perfect graphically but the story was the weak point which pushed some players away from the game. If Crysis 3 produces a killer story with its always breathtaking graphics it will be a guarantee nomination for game if the year.

3.Fifa 13-A game that physically angers me because I haven't played it yet, looks amazing, probably the best in the series and features everything you want in a Fifa title. Nothing really draws me too this game besides the fact I didn't have Fifa 12 and I love the beautiful game.I'll be putting many hours into this game. Come on Chelsea!

4.Grand Theft Auto5- Any gamer has always been excited about the next GTA release and with Grand Theft Auto 5 the buzz is just as big, there's always big surprises implemented into the game but the game sticks to the traditional Grand Theft Auto formula,the story is always a huge draw and the graphics in Grand Theft Auto 4 exceeded expectations so I can't wait to see what Grand Theft Auto 5 has in store.

5.Bioshock Infinite-Last game on the list for now is Bioshock Infinite. The entire Bioshock series has been nothing short of magical, and judging by the first 5 minutes I saw of this game, Bioshock Infinite looks equally unique and magical. The voice acting sounds solid and the location and story both look beautiful.

That's it for my most wanted of 2013, I'll probably add to it at some point with strictly 2013 releases rather than a half and half. Whatever, everyone have a party for New Years and crush a couple pints.

Cheers.

I've recently been going at my collection of games that have what I consider pretty decent online modes. Playing the majority of Call of Duty's, Gears of War basically every sports game I could find an opponent on and a couple random titles like Splinter Cell and Dark Sector. Based on things such as overall balance, the playability and the variety of games I cranked through these games for a couple weeks.

Everything taken into consideration based on my personal experiences I had to give the honor of my favourite online experience to Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Narrowly beating out Gears of War 3, Modern Warfare 2 still has available games because it is considered by some the last great Call Of Duty title. Black Ops felt slower and more difficult to do different things to enjoy the game.

Of course playing Modern Warfare 2 games with one of my good friends and a group of random guys who were looking for a game may have swung my vote the online game is solid regardless. Some of my personal favourite things to do include:

1. Noob Toobing

2. Tactical Knife Running

3. Sniping

4. Anything with a silencer

I found sniping to be more difficult in Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3 while it comes naturally on the larger maps in Modern Warfare 2. Knife kills are hands down more effective in Modern Warfare 2 with the tactical knife being an amazingly fun way to frusturate your opposition. Our Noob Toob exploits are not because we think theyre cool, but because people cannot stand being killed by them. There is nothing more entertaining than ruining an opposition kill streak with a beautiful toob shot. Anything with a silencer is my personal preference, I dont like my movement to be seen on the radar and I find silenced weapons are not as disadvantaged as they are in other games.

Dont get me wrong, I love playing Gears of War online, it is so unique and entertaining the gameplay will never get old. I think Modern Warfare 2 got the swing vote with the variety it offers to players. Crazy combonations in the loadout with weapons, attachments and perks where Gears of War is pretty much set on the weapons and loadouts. Any other games I played such as Splinter Cell and Dark Sector were borderline impossible to find games in and although they are two of my favourites campaign wise the online factor just isnt there.

Finally if anybody is looking to play Modern Warfare 2 with some guys who take it as a game and nothing too serious add my gamertag XIX Switchblade and we'll run a few games with me and the lads I play with regularily.

Cheers.

A new Sam Fisher? After 10 years might be a stretch of the imagination for UbiSoft. If there is a story behind this sudden voice change to make Sam sound 20 years younger then I would be interested in that being implemented into the games story somehow to give fans such as myself a background and make the transition to a new voice easier to grasp.

Based on the trailer for Splinter Cell: Blacklist the transition for me personally will be a tough one. Sam now lacks the anger and the kind of grizzled veteren voice that all Splinter Cell fans have come to know and love. I plan on giving Blacklist a chance though because although voice acting plays a huge part in the game story, the actual story itself looks really good and action packed.

If anyone doesnt give the game a chance they were never true Splinter Cell fans, but I do understand the frusturation because I have been on the Michael Ironside bandwagon since day one. But since Conviction was such a strong installment I will most definitely be picking up Blacklist when it drops early in 2013.

Cheers.

Well, its been a week or so of plugging away on Summoners Rift in some 5v5 strategy/rpg mayham. I have to admit I had my doubts about the game, even deleted it at one point but the more you learn the more the game makes sense and becomes really really fun. I started off using Ashe as a safe ranged pick, I've currently moved on to Anivia who is extremely powerful with the abilities she possesses but is a very hard champion to use right off the hop. I've had some minor success with Anivia, probably more than some people could say but I am considering moving on to a more tanky champion like Garen or Master Yi just to supplement my kill count. If anyone has any tips or decent tank experiences they have had with a certain champion dont be afraid to let me know and search NiftyMitten in the game to add me.

Theres been a few things in the work lately, and the idea of a YouTube channel has birthed. We cant guarentee that it will be all gaming because of the other tomfoolery that goes on around here but gaming will be the primary focus because of its popularity. A couple series ideas should make this a challenging but eventually semi popular idea. A couple of wordsmiths and a car fanatic can only work in our favour. If anybody actually reads this and wants to send us some game suggestions that would be good. We'll definitely keep you posted on happenings around the neighborhood.

Cheers.

Recently my neighbor told me that he had been playing this game called League Of Legends, stating that it was free to download and play gave my interest a kick in the pants. I've been playing the game for 3 days now and am completely hooked. It runs almost flawlessly on my old run down laptop and although it would be much easier with a mouse to navigate the battles, the touchpad is still functional and doesnt take away from the fun.

I am currently playing as Ashe who seems to work well for things like crowd control and tank support. I think the next champion I plan to unlock is Anivia because 1. he looks badass and 2. his abilities seem to fit my play style from what I can see. As with any new game, I am not a fantastic kill machine and I don't expect to be while using the low defense Ashe. Regardless if anybody reading this has any tips to help me play the game better I'd be happy to hear them and try them out.

Also, I dont know if theres an add option in the game but if there is throw me an add, my summoner name is NiftyMitten. I look forward to continue posting on this game and keep everyone updated on my progress and character builds.

Cheers.