Video Game Wars (part 2)

Video game wars have changed. They're no longer merely about consoles, ideologies, or regions. They're an endless series of digital battles, fought by developers and machines. War, and its consumption of life, has become a well-funded machine. War has changed. ID tagged gamers use virtual weapons, use  microtransaction-purchased gear. Adderall/caffeine inside their bodies enhance and regulate their abilities. Attention control. Advertising control. Mental control. Gaming control. Everything is monitored, and kept under control. War has changed. The age of console wars has become the age of control. All in the name of averting catastrophe from games of mass destruction. And he who controls the gaming industry, controls history. War has changed. When the gaming world is under total control, war... becomes routine.

All credit goes to Old/Solid Snake's original opening lines in Metal Gear Solid 4, which comment on how war in the future is fully controlled by an AI network. Originally released in 2008, Metal Gear Solid 4 provides a bleak outlook on the year 2014. 

2020 in real life seems a lot worse. 

That's why we should look back and remember the good ol' days when video game graphics were substantially worse and console wars were still a thing.

Generation 6: Enter Microsoft, Sony Wins Again - PS2 vs. Gamecube vs. Xbox

157.68 million sales for the PlayStation 2. No other home console has even come close, though the PS4 and Switch may have a shot at breaking the record. Maybe.

Why was the PS2 so successful? Well, it had a DVD player, and DVDs, the precursor to Blu-Ray discs, were the most commonly used disc-based media format for movies and video games at the time. Everyone wanted, everyone needed, a DVD player. And it just so happened that the PS2 could play DVDs. 

Then there is PS2's amazing library of games, which built on the original PlayStation's massive success. Devil May Cry and God of War made its debut on the PS2. You had Grand Theft Auto III, San Andreas, and Vice City, Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper,  Ratchet and Clank, Hitman, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy X, Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus... so many amazing games that made Nintendo's lunchbox, the Gamecube, look like a silly toy. 

The PS2 was also backwards compatible, allowing it to play PlayStation One games. Truly, you needed no other machine if you wanted to play video games and watch movies. Unless you wanted to play Nintendo games.

GameCube still had Smash Bros. Melee, Metroid Prime, and two amazing Zelda games: Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. The GameBoy Advance also performed very well.

Of course, Microsoft entered the fray when it launched the original Xbox. For a new console that only found success in the western market, the Xbox had a respectable debut, so long as we ignore its first ginormous and unwieldy controller. 

Microsoft had Halo, the quintessential first-person shooter that remains the Xbox's flagship title. Then there was Fable, Knights of the Old Republic, and Elder Scrolls Morrowind. And I absolutely love Ninja Gaiden Black.

The GameCube and Xbox sold 22 and 24 million units respectively. The PS2 utterly destroyed them. Its game library was much more robust, and it could play DVDs without the need for additional software. The PS2 easily won this war.

Generation 7: Sony's Hubris, Microsoft's Red Ring of Death, and Nintendo Wants to "Play" - Xbox 360 vs. PS3 vs. Wii

The generation of HD graphics and motion controls. God damn motion controls.

E3 2006. An event that will forever live in infamy. The PS3 would have a launch price of $500 and $600 for the 20 and 60 GB models respectively. That's a very expensive machine. 

If you watch this video, you will understand why E3 2006 and the PS3 launch was the greatest mistake that Sony ever made:

Risks were taken, but rewards were not reaped (but still much respect for Kaz Hirai). Giant enemy crabs were not present in Feudal Japan. 2006-2009 were unfortunate years for Sony.

I do not need to spend time to discuss the Wii, as I already have in sufficient depth in previous posts. Nintendo's marketing was very effective; the quote "We would like to play" began every Wii commercial. Clever. They targeted the casual audience. Smart. Everyone wanted a Wii at one point to play tennis, and it was always sold out from 2006 to 2009. It had a few great titles, but its graphics sucked and motion controls were idiotically stupid. Doesn't matter though - Nintendo still made tons of money. Now over 100 million Wiis are collecting dust in closets and attics across the world.

Performance and value wise, the Xbox 360 may have been the best overall console of this generation, had it not been for the dreaded red ring of death. To recap, more than half of owners of the original Xbox 360 model (54% according to a Game Informer survey) one day saw their beloved machine's power indicator ring give off a menacing, unceasing red light. 

Due to a design defect prevalent in the original Xbox 360 models, this red ring signified a console's death. Microsoft offered repair services, but many individuals experienced the same problem on multiple occasions. The entire mess cost Microsoft over a billion dollars. That's a lot of money.

Also, this generation was marked by an obsession with motion controls. No, Nintendo was not the only one forcing motion controls down our throats. Microsoft had Kinect, and Sony had PlayStation Move. No one uses Wiimotes and Nunchuks, Kinect, or PlayStation move controllers anymore. Motion controls were not just a fad; they were an abomination to the gaming industry. They made games worse. Having just finished playing Super Mario Galaxy again recently, I am reminded of this fact. 

However, this generation was also a renaissance for the video games industry. Video games truly became mainstream, and practically everyone had at least one or several of these consoles. Even if the PS3 never recovered from its terrible launch, the release of the PS3 Slim with its reduced price helped save Sony.

In terms of units sold, the Wii ranks first at 101.63 million, and the PS3 and Xbox 360 are nearly tied at 87.4 million and 86 million. These are all very impressive numbers.

In the end, everyone turned out a winner in their own right. But I imagine that the Xbox 360 owners who suffered from the red ring of death didn't feel like winners. Nor did Wii owners who flailed their arms around or injured themselves or others trying to play Skyward Sword or some other Wii game with stupidly idiotic motion controls. And we had to endure some extremely mind-numbingly stupid and disappointing E3 presentations during these years.

Nevertheless, the competition was truly healthy, and gamers will always fondly recall this generation and the countless amazing titles it provided. 

On the Wii, we had Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Zelda Skyward Sword (Twilight Princess is a GameCube game, you fools), Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Return to Dreamland, Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, Monster Hunter Tri, and an amazing Virtual Console library.

The PS3 had Uncharted 1-3, Metal Gear Solid 4, God of War III, and the Last of Us, whereas the Xbox 360 had the Gears of War trilogy and Halo (duh). I can't forget to mention the stellar third-party titles released on both PS3 and Xbox 360 that are among the best of all time: Mass Effect trilogy, Batman Arkham Asylum and City, Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Portal 1 and 2, Red Dead Redemption, and Dark Souls. Too bad the Wii didn't get these games because its graphical capabilities were too weak and its motion controls sucked ass.

Generation 8: We Are Gamers - PS4 vs. Xbox One vs Switch

Thus began the second era of modern gaming. Of course, "modern" is always a relative term. Ten or twenty years from now, who is to say how much further video games will evolve? 

Technically, this generation isn't over. It's not over yet, not yet, as Liquid Snake is known to say. 

You know what else is stupid, besides motion controls?

Microsoft first announcing that the Xbox One would require a constant online connection, that people could not allow their friends to borrow their games, and that the console would sell for $500. It came bundled with Kinect, too. Essentially, Microsoft wanted to do everything they could to become the undisputed loser of this generation. And they succeeded. 50 million Xbox Ones sold is respectable nonetheless, but when the Switch has already sold over 61 million units after having only been out for three years, and the PS4 is standing at over 112 million units and rising... it sucks to be Microsoft in this generation.

However, Microsoft still has billions and billions more dollars than Sony and Nintendo do. So no worries?

The PS4 is by far my preferred console of choice. The quality and quantity of the PS4's first-party games make me feel absolutely spoiled. After finishing Final Fantasy VII Remake and Ghost of Tsushima this year, I'm so happy that I have my PS4. Even if Sony botched the PS3 launch, it certainly learned from its mistakes and recaptured its former glory.

Sony announced the PS4's launch price of $399 and automatically won the war for this generation. It was very reminiscent of how the original PlayStation killed the Sega Saturn. But Microsoft isn't dead; it has far too much money. 

Nintendo had an unusual life cycle for its consoles for this generation. Or rather, the lifespans of the PS3 and Xbox 360 were so long, that Nintendo felt the pressure to release a new console in 2012.

The Wii U was an absolute failure, as much as I "liked" it. But more on that later. Now even Nintendo pretends that the Wii U never existed, with most of its games being re-released on the Switch.

The Switch.

You know what the Switch is: a hybrid handheld and home console. You have one, or you want one.

This could be Nintendo's greatest console ever. It continues to sell like crazy. Since everyone has been stuck at home due to the pandemic, millions of people have jumped on the Animal Crossing bandwagon. Bums.

Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, Smash Ultimate, Octopath Traveler, Fire Emblem Three Houses...

But the PS4 has Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Persona 5...

It's hard to say which console I love more... only because I need a Nintendo console to play Zelda. 

Gaming only keeps getting better.

Generation 9 Into the Future - Xbox Series X/S vs. PS5 vs. Switch

The video game wars continue, but no longer are they fought simply through hardware. Console exclusives still remain powerful weapons, and Sony and Nintendo have always flexed their IPs to ensure that gamers felt the absolute need to buy their consoles. However, Microsoft just announced that it has purchased Bethesda, the publisher of Elder Scrolls, Fall Out, Doom, and Wolfenstein, for $7.5 billion dollars. Like I said before, Microsoft has a lot of money. 

When it comes to online gaming services, Xbox has always been the winner. Xbox Live launched on the original Xbox, and since then Sony and Nintendo attempted to copy Microsoft by offering their own online subscription services. Now it has become mandatory to be subscribed to Xbox Live, Playstation Plus, and/or Switch Online to play most console games online. As we all know, Nintendo has always been an incompetent bungler when it comes to online services. 

Looking to solidify its dominance in the online subscription battlefront, Microsoft cares less about the number of consoles they sell and moreso about the number of new subscribers to Xbox Game Pass they can gain. And by god is Xbox Game Pass an amazing deal. $10-$15 a month and over 100 games, including new releases. Add that to their xCloud streaming service, and Microsoft is well-positioned to dominate, or at least perform well, this next generation. Though I've somehow managed to forgo buying an Xbox 360 and Xbox One up until now, I'm highly tempted to eventually purchase an Xbox Series S and subscribe to Xbox Game Pass just so I can add dozens of games to my already excessive backlog of hundreds. But seriously, Microsoft, please come up with better names for your consoles. 

Xbox and Xbox 360 < These names are OK.

Xbox One < Huh?

Xbox One S and Xbox One X < What?

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S < ...

And now that Microsoft owns Bethesda, we can anticipate what will happen next...

Bugs!!!!!!!! Massive single-player role-playing games that everyone loves but are buggy as hell at launch! Fall Out 76 will make a come back and piss off even more people! Skyrim will never stop being re-released!!! And yeah, Skyrim, Fall Out, and Doom are still in my backlog... still... 

... 

Metroid Prime 4 and The Breath of the Wild sequel are on the horizon, or at least in the distant future.

The announcement of God of War Ragnarok means I won't be able to delay purchasing a PS5 for very long.

Pre-orders for the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S have been a complete shit show thanks to scalpers and bots. I'm glad that I'm okay with not having either console at launch.

I look forward to the future.

Now that I've finished chronicling (though it was more commentary than chronicle) the video game wars, there are still some final topics I would like to briefly cover. I may discuss them more thoroughly in future posts.

PC Master Race

Honestly, though I myself am not a PC gamer, I have to admit that gaming on the PC is simply just better than gaming on consoles. The performance on a well-built PC will always surpass any home console. The level of customization and mods one can apply, and the fact that games often go on sale for such cheap prices on Steam, make PC gaming a true paradise. But Sony's and Nintendo's exclusives keep me tied to their respective consoles. 

The ability to update your hardware and graphics card without having to purchase an entirely new machine is enticing. And for PC gamers, there is increasing access to traditionally console-exclusive titles such as Octopath Traveler, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Persona 4 Golden. The past, present, and future of gaming has truly always been with PC.

Pre-orders of Nvidia's new RTX graphics cards were also a complete shit show, again thanks to scalpers and bots. And these cards already make the PS5 and Xbox Series X seem outdated.

Nintendo Always Wins with Handhelds

Sony did a decent job with the PSP. I enjoyed playing Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, Final Fantasy Tactics War of the Lions, and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep on my PSP very much.

But the Vita? Hahah. Check below for console failures.

The fact that no other non-Nintendo handheld system is really worth mentioning (unless you like the Sega Game Gear and the six AA batteries it required) further attests to the fact that Nintendo always wins when it comes to handheld consoles. 

The Gameboy, including the Pocket and Color variations, had Pokemon. 118.69 million units sold. 

The Gameboy Advance was basically a portable Super Nintendo with far worse sound. So many great games on the GBA, including many re-releases. 81.51 million units sold.

The Nintendo DS. Before everyone wanted a smartphone, they wanted a DS. The second-best selling console of all time at 154. 9 million units sold. Touch screen controls weren't as stupid as motion controls. And of course, the DS had a lot of Pokemon games.

The 3DS. Nintendo recently announced that the 3DS and 2DS have been discontinued. They had a good run. Stereoscopic 3D technology was always stupid, though. $250 for a handheld was stupid. Nintendo messed up the 3DS's launch with the hefty price tag and sparse lineup of games. Like the PS3, the 3DS later made an amazing comeback as its game library (Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Smash Bros, Zelda Link Between Worlds, and Fire Emblem Awakening, Fates, and Echoes to name a few) continued to grow. 75.77 million units is not bad, considering the 3DS's terrible launch.

And now we have the Switch.

Give Me More Money - Epic Games vs. Apple and Google

This is a fascinating story that is still developing. Epic Games, owner of the Unreal Engine and Fortnite,  caused a ruckus a couple years ago when it launched its Epic Games Store to challenge Steam's monopoly. Now it is challenging Apple and Google in regards to 30% cut that developers have to provide to Apple and Google when selling their apps on the App Store and Google Play. Everything started when Epic Games updated Fortnite on these platforms with the option to purchase V-bucks at a 20% discount if users purchased the V-bucks directly from Epic. As a result, Apple and Google subsequently took down Fortnite from their stores. Apparently anticipating this response, Epic Games launched the pre-emptive strike when it sued Apple and Google for "antitrust and anticompetitive behavior."

The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple is particularly worthy of attention. Epic Games even made this video parody of 1984. Looks like they planned ahead.

 

Earlier this month, Apple counter-sued Epic Games, citing a breach of contract. There has been a lot of debate regarding access to the Unreal Engine, which many iOS developers rely on to create their games. Apple terminated Epic Games' developer account, seeking to force Epic Games to comply with Apple's App Store guidelines, with potential ramifications of hurting other developers who depend on Unreal Engine. Thankfully, a temporary restraining order against Apple has been filed to prevent developers from getting caught in the crossfire of litigation. Epic Games has even gotten Microsoft to provide its support. Alliances have been formed, and battle lines have been drawn. Things have already gotten pretty ugly. In the end, both companies primarily care about making more money for themselves. We'll see how this game plays out.

Pure Evil - The World vs. Tencent

Tencent made WeChat, and it sends people's private data and personal messages to the Chinese Communist Party upon request. 

Tencent owns a 40% stake in Epic Games, maker of Fortnite.

Tencent owns Riot Games, maker of League of Legends.

Tencent, in partnership with Nintendo, is making a League of Legends-style Pokemon game. Tencent also helps Nintendo sell Switches in China.

Tencent has partnerships with Activision and Bluehole to develop and market mobile versions of Call of Duty and PUBG in China. 

Every fact listed here is proof of Tencent's pure evil.  

Tencent is the enemy of the world. 

Their eventual and inevitable destruction is necessary to save and liberate the world of gaming, and the Chinese people as a whole, whose dependence on Tencent have fueled its profits, monopolies, and utter control over the Chinese masses.

Beloved Console Failures 

Virtual Boy: The biggest loser of them all, with only 770,000 units sold. The first console with stereoscopic 3D graphics, released 16 years before the 3DS. Red. Painful, bloody, red.

Atari 5200, Lynx, and Jaguar: Yes, Atari still made consoles up until 1993. No one cares, except some weird collectors. 

Nintendo 64DD: The Nintendo 64 was supposed to have a disc-drive add-on, just like how the PlayStation was originally supposed to be a disc-drive add-on for the Super Nintendo. Nintendo just never understood how to handle disc drives prior to the GameCube and Wii. 

Sega Saturn and Dreamcast: Sega's last consoles had some good games, and to this day many people still love the Saturn and Dreamcast. Unfortunately, their poor timing, low sales, and tragic fates ensured their demise. 

PS Vita: The console that was supposed to offer PS3 level experiences on a handheld device. Had Sony provided more support for the Vita, offered more games, and didn't force us to buy their overpriced proprietary memory cards, perhaps the Vita could have sold more than 15 million units. At least it's a decent console to play PS One games?

Wii U: The failure lies in the name. Many people didn't even know that it was an entirely new console, nor that it even existed. The Wii U had a great library of first-party titles, but most of them have since been re-released on the Switch, making the Wii U's obsolescence all the more absolute. At 13.56 million units sold, the Wii U was Nintendo's worst performing home console barring the Virtual Boy. Tis' unfortunate, since the Wii U did have some great games. 

Recently I hooked up my Wii U again to play Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. It's been 2 years since I last turned it on. I was astounded by how much space it takes up - the console's body, the external hard drive it's connected to, the size of the tablet controller, the console's power adapter with its giant grey brick, and the other power adapter to charge the tablet controller's measly battery life... 

At least all the flaws and failures of the Wii U predicated the ultimate success of the Switch. Learning from failure truly does lead to success.