Final Fantasy 3 - When Magic Disappeared Forever

Ages ago, evil beings created powerful creatures called Espers, and unleashed them against each other. The resulting battles left their world a smoldering rubble. Legend has it, the Espers destroyed themselves and most of humanity. Magic disappeared forever.

Centuries have passed and a rational world now exists with Espers living only in myths, until one frozen solid since the ancient wars is unearthed. Suddenly, there are reports of magical attacks on civilians. Imperial Commandos launch raids using magic powered MagiTek weapons. Magic is obviously alive and the world is in danger again. Who or what is behind the rediscovery and redeployment of this legendary power? What chaotic plans exists that will wreak havoc on this orderly world?

Final Fantasy III is one of what many consider to be the classics for RPG genre games. Released as Final Fantasy III for the SNES in 1994, it is actually the 6th installment of the immensely popular Final Fantasy series produced by Squaresoft. The game takes place about 1000 years following the ending of a great war called "The War of the Magi" which removed magic from the face of the world.

It is a typical turn based RPG with the player having control of over 15 playable characters each one with his or her own strengths and weaknesses and different fighting styles and stories to tell. The main character is a young half-human, half-Esper girl whom is trying to find her place in a world torn asunder by war. The main villain in the story is one of the most colorful villains in the Final Fantasy series, a rather funny clown named Kefka.

Joining forces with him are a few other military style villains with lesser roles and even a few NPCs who get involved. There are many plot twists that include cut scenes involving characters that allow the player to have a "real-time" feel with the story. The characters have "expressions" that while being very basic, convey the general theme of each scene to the player. In my opinion, this game is perfect for the player who wants to see some of the best the SNES had to offer in terms of RPGs.

Gameplay:

As far as games for the SNES go, there are only 1 or 2 other games as engrossing as Final Fantasy III. All of the elements that make the other games in the series enjoyable are here. The player can rename all of the characters in the game including the ever present summons (called Espers in FFIII).

There are a multitude of side quests in the game that vary in difficulty from easy to difficult in terms of time and involvement to complete, and the level of commitment necessary to complete the game can vary between 25 hours. To just finish the core storyline of the game, can be up to 100 hours give or take. This is if you want to obtain what is called a "complete" gaming experience meaning gathering all of the most powerful weapons, armor, and magic, and also leveling characters up to maximum levels.

The only reason the game is not getting a 10 rating in this department is the fact that while leveling characters is not a problem in the beginning and middle of the game, once a character reaches the higher levels (above 60) it becomes a very time consuming, tedious process to level up the character sometimes taking hours upon hours to raise a character just one level. This I would say is the main common problem with RPGs of this era. But, if you do not mind that sort of monotony, this game is for you.

The characters in Final Fantasy 3 offer a host of clever individual attacks. Each character has his or her own special talents and the player can choose to utilize each character's talents or can just ignore them. An essential part of each Final Fantasy is magic, and this game is no exception. There are a multitude of magics available to the player to use, each one learned from equipping certain Espers.

The longer an Esper is equipped, the more magic is obtained from the Esper and once the learning curve for the Esper reaches 100%, all of the magic available from that Esper is learned. Some magic is able to be learned from two to four Espers, while other magic may only be learned from one specific Esper. This makes Esper use a conscionable thought process. The player must plan their use of Espers in order to learn the needed spells.

Graphics:

Again, I am comparing this to other SNES games. This game is 2-D. Plain and simple. It features a 3/4 overhead view 90% of the time and also features an overworld which has since been all but removed from most RPGs. The graphics were considered state of the art in 1994 when this game was released. There are rich color textures and some very good use of the Mode-7 graphics capabilities of the SNES in both scaling and rotation which are show cased especially when the characters use the airship for transportation.

As far as actual graphic renderings are concerned, the game is 2-D, so if you are expecting to see walking, talking, fully rendered 3-D you are out of luck. In scenes where the graphics are made to be inflated or close up, they become pixilated the larger they become. These problems aside, the graphics for its day, when compared to other games out at the time, were considered to be very quite advanced.

Sound Quality:

Here's where the game shines. The score is enormous! Created by the world-renowned Nobuo Uematsu, there are at least 100 different songs in the game (including renditions of the main theme) and also includes a scene with one of the earliest examples of voiced "singing" in video games. The songs feature 128 note polyphony and a beautifully detailed musical story. Because the game's dialogue is text based, the music allows the player to get involved on a more emotional level with this game and the characters than many other games out at the time.

There is a great combination of deep bass, singing strings, and synthesized keyboards to keep the listener enthralled and engaged throughout the game. There are very few songs that last less than five minutes without repeating so the player never really gets the boring monotonous feeling that usually accompanies games from the SNES.

Replay Value:

There are very few games that can be left to sit for years on a shelf and then picked up and played again with the same level of commitment and enjoyment as Final Fantasy III. The game is just as much fun the every other time through as it was the first time through. As a matter of fact, with all of the side quests and obtainable items, weapons, armor, and magic, the game could possibly be one of the hardest RPG's created for the SNES to obtain a "perfect" or 100 percent complete game. There are always ways to expand the difficulty of the game and make each play through a unique experience.

Concept:

Not exactly the most cutting edge in gaming, this game has the very familiar "fight the monsters and gain levels before fighting the final boss and saving the world" theme. While the Action RPG gamer will find this game very repetitive, the fan of the Turn Based style RPG gamer will love it.

Having a female as the main character in the game is a concept that was not used very much prior to Final Fantasy III. This seemed to be a risky idea but Square pulled it off flawlessly. Also, with all of the other characters in the game, the stories unfold rather nicely for each character. This adds to the depth of the game as well as the entertainment concept.

Overall:

If you are a fan of the Final Fantasy series, a collector of vintage games, or a person who is interested in getting involved in the series but is worried about the complexity of the newer Final Fantasy titles, this game is for you. Final Fantasy III is great for the "old-school" player and the "newbie" alike. It has a great story, great sound, and WILL take over your life for a few days if you let it. The characters are original, have many different abilities to use, and have emotions that make playing this game really great.

The NPCs seem to have more of an impact in this game as opposed to most and the main characters are some of the most imaginative I've ever come across. The towns are sprawling, the graphics are engaging, and the sound is rich and vibrant. The story unfolds well, and from the opening scene, most players are hooked. The enemies are varied and numerous and the bosses difficult while not being impossible. I highly recommend this game to anyone who owns a SNES.

 

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Dark Souls III - Should You Play It?

First, I've got the Platinum on both Scholar of the First Sin and Dark Souls 3. Okay, that last part is a lie. I still need Master of Miracles for Dark Souls 3 (grinding out the Concord Kepts from the Silver Knights in Anor Londo... ) But still, I've been through both games more times than I can count.

So how hard is it? Average. Dark Souls has this reputation for being difficult, but I don't think it is. Yes, enemies hit hard. But so do you.

There are no "bullet sponges" here. They hit you for half your health bar? Guess what, you can hit them back for almost the same. You'll die a lot, and unlike many other games, there isn't an overly generous checkpoint system.

But know this: My kid (with some SunBro assistance from me) beat Dark Souls 2 -including DLC - when he was 11. He just finished Dark Souls 3 last weekend. He's 13.

That said, after hundreds of hours poured into Dark Souls 3, here is my brief review.

Lets start with the negative stuff first:

The Poise system is badly designed (there is, last I checked, a belief among the community that the Poise system in fact doesn't function at all. There is supposedly code in the game that would allow for a functional Poise system, but it was removed or 'switched off' before release. The developers, to my knowledge deny this, which is fine. But then it means they handled the mechanic really, really poorly.)

"It's working as intended." Then you intended it to work badly...

What is Poise, and why does it matter?

Every time you hit an enemy, you have a chance, depending on their Poise and your weapon, to interrupt their movement (preventing them from dodging, running, rolling, and most importantly - attacking.)

This is called staggering. The movement is interrupted and they get hit. A staggered enemy is a helpless enemy. A dead enemy.

This system applies to you as well as the enemies in game.

How Poise used to work: In past Dark Souls games you could wear armor that would raise your poise, making it more difficult to stagger you and disrupt your attacks.

How it works now: It doesn't. Any enemy can interrupt most any attack with any weapon you use.

At first that might not seem so bad, until you get to the second mistake of Dark Souls 3 - and possibly my biggest complaint with the game.

Absolutely every enemy attacks faster than you can (and has longer reach), no matter what weapon you are using. They have a greatsword the size of a house? The can initiate an attack with that faster than you can stab with a dagger. Their dagger? Will hit you while your greatsword whiffs the air in front of their face.

So, if you're the kind of player that likes to trade hits with enemies... you will ALWAYS be staggered.

Your only option now is to dodge out of the way of everything, all the time. And that's fine. If that's the playstyle you want to choose. People have been doing it that way since Demon Souls. But there was always a choice.

I like to be a fast-rolling ninja. But there are also times when I get sick and tired of this game's crap and want to throw on some heavy armor, pull out a flaming ultra greatsword, and go to town!

In the past, you could choose heavy armor, and a greatsword, and exchange hits with an enemy. Yes it would hurt you, but you would hurt them more. An entirely viable playstyle that no longer works.

And fine. That's how this game is supposedly designed. But the claim that Dark Souls has such a deep combat system? I don't think that's true with this installment.

For a game that is in large part based on combat... That's a pretty big step back.

One more complaint:

The covenant system. This is no big deal if you're not a trophy hunter. It's entirely possible to play the game the entire way through and enjoy it without ever messing with the majority of covenants.

But if you're after the Platinum trophy? Get ready to grind. A lot. Because while the multiplayer system has been improved over games of the past, there's still a couple broken covenants that will require either a LOT of sitting around waiting to be summoned, or grinding. Expect an average of 6 hours killing the same enemies over and over and over and over and over and over...

(I'm looking at YOU Blades of the Darkmoon... )

OK, so what's good?

Pretty much everything else.

The environments are beautiful, and fun to explore. I can't think of a single area where I arrived and went "UGH. This again." (In the first Dark Souls, I found pretty much everything after Sen's Fortress to be cheap and tedious.)

The weapons and armor, everything really, looks amazing.

There is plenty of enemy variation, and they make sense for the environments in which they are found.

Multiplayer is always open to opinion. I think it's fairly balanced if you play smart. Others will disagree. If you're a whiner and don't like being outnumbered when you invade, you won't be thrilled with how Dark Souls 3 handles things.

Matchmaking is much improved. You can co-op with your friends easily this time around thanks to password matchmaking.

Finally, one of my favorite improvements: For the first time ever, all armor sets are useful! You no longer need to upgrade them. And they are ALL functional. The majority of weapons are viable as well.

The developers have given you an incredible armory to choose from, and it all works. Even the poorer weapons are adequate for handling in game enemies.

Bottom line: Is it fun? Yes. Is it frustrating? Somewhat often. Is it worth buying? Yes. Are there other games like it that are better? No.

Do I harbor resentment towards the developers? A bit!

If I were to score it, I'd start with a 10 for all the amazing things this game gets right. Then I'd take away 3 points for the broken combat and settle around a 7. Yes, this game has a whole lot going for it. But you're gonna have to put up with some unnecessary (in my opinion) frustration to enjoy it.

Fix the Poise guys!

Thanks for reading! I love/hate the Souls series like nothing else.

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5 Video Games You Should Play Before You Die

Why: The Halo series is one of a kind. It brought friends together to blast one another in an epic space combat. Halo 3 is perhaps the best of the series when it came to the glorified multiplayer, with a dramatic storyline with absolutely no shortage of opera music cues and a hardy character customization. Many titles still try and replicate what Halo did and it just can't be matched.
4.) Minecraft (2011)
Why: Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time, so you would have to be living under a rock as a gamer to have never come across it. You get to create your own world basically and do whatever you want. If you think it, then you can create it. The nice thing about Minecraft is it is offered on almost every platform, including smartphones. This game is good for letting your mind wander and become an artist.
3.) Super Mario 64 (1996)
Why: Mario is one of the most known titles, but anyone can tell you this might be the best game in the franchise. The game is not like any of its predecessors because this was the first 3D platform game in the series. It is a bigger world than the ones before and the additional moves and jumps Mario can do makes the game fast-paced and more exciting. There are a total of 120 stars and the game has a ton of replay value. Mario platformers are still being made today and none of them still cannot come close to how good this game was.
2.) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Why: Everyone has their favorite Zelda game, but Ocarina of Time encompasses the best features from the glorified series. There is a huge world that you have the freedom to explore, a magnificent score, and a truly remarkable origin story. The dungeons are not too challenging, but intricate enough to not get too mad when you can't figure a puzzle out.
1.) Pokémon X and Y (2013)
Why: Whether you are a kid or an adult, with this franchise that never seemed to matter. Pokémon revolutionized what it meant to make characters like Pikachu come alive. They modernized the handheld multiplayer gaming and made it what it is today. X and Y is one of the newer titles, which is great because the game never stops using the old characters the adults grew up on.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9699903

 5.) Halo 3 (2007)
Why: The Halo series is one of a kind. It brought friends together to blast one another in an epic space combat. Halo 3 is perhaps the best of the series when it came to the glorified multiplayer, with a dramatic storyline with absolutely no shortage of opera music cues and a hardy character customization. Many titles still try and replicate what Halo did and it just can't be matched.

4.) Minecraft (2011)
Why: Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time, so you would have to be living under a rock as a gamer to have never come across it. You get to create your own world basically and do whatever you want. If you think it, then you can create it. The nice thing about Minecraft is it is offered on almost every platform, including smartphones. This game is good for letting your mind wander and become an artist.

3.) Super Mario 64 (1996)
Why: Mario is one of the most known titles, but anyone can tell you this might be the best game in the franchise. The game is not like any of its predecessors because this was the first 3D platform game in the series. It is a bigger world than the ones before and the additional moves and jumps Mario can do makes the game fast-paced and more exciting. There are a total of 120 stars and the game has a ton of replay value. Mario platformers are still being made today and none of them still cannot come close to how good this game was.

2.) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Why: Everyone has their favorite Zelda game, but Ocarina of Time encompasses the best features from the glorified series. There is a huge world that you have the freedom to explore, a magnificent score, and a truly remarkable origin story. The dungeons are not too challenging, but intricate enough to not get too mad when you can't figure a puzzle out.

1.) Pokémon X and Y (2013)
Why: Whether you are a kid or an adult, with this franchise that never seemed to matter. Pokémon revolutionized what it meant to make characters like Pikachu come alive. They modernized the handheld multiplayer gaming and made it what it is today. X and Y is one of the newer titles, which is great because the game never stops using the old characters the adults grew up on.

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‘Keanu Effect’ Fuels Gamer Hype, But CD Projekt Investors Are More Cautious

While Poland’s biggest computer-game maker is “very happy” with advance orders for its long-awaited blockbuster, investors are more cautious about what is already among the most expensive entertainment-industry stocks.

Two days after actor Keanu Reeves featured in a Los Angeles announcement of the release date

 for CD Project SA’s Cyberpunk 2077, interest from gamers is outpacing that seen in 2015 for the company’s Witcher 3 global hit, deputy Chief Executive Officer Marcin Iwinski said in an interview. Traders are less breathless in their enthusiasm, with CD Project dropping 4.4% in Warsaw Wednesday, erasing gains that followed Reeves’ star turn in L.A.

The “Keanu Reeves effect” and reaction from gamers to a trailer presented at Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox conference was “great,” Iwinski said. Analyst from Trigon, MBank and Jefferies also praised the game’s technical quality.

Collectors’ editions of Cyberpunk, which features Reeves as a key character, are already sold-out in some regions. Iwinski said the game, due to hit the shelves in April 2020, has drawn a stronger initial reaction than Witcher 3, a title that sold 1.5 million copies before it appeared in stores. The positive reception for Cyberpunk at the Los Angeles E3 exhibition came without a playable demo, an exception among the showcased games.

Even after the two-day retreat in CD Projekt’s shares, the stock is still trading near record levels and its valuation of 109 times this year’s expected earnings is unprecedented in the sector. The studio’s approach of focusing on one title at a time underscores the high stakes around Cyberpunk replicating the success of the Witcher series, which has racked up combined sales of more than 40 million copies.

Read more here about expectations around the Cyberpunk release

The studio, known for an approach of releasing games only once they are deemed ready, rather than setting out clear timelines for investors to mark in their diaries, has a record of testing the patience of traders -- and gamers. It twice delayed sales of Witcher 3, with the game’s eventual arrival spurring a more than eightfold gain in CD Projekt’s shares, including a 45% advance this year.

“A few of the earlier bulls who thought a mid- or late-2019 release was a possibility are now repricing their expectations,” Martin Cakl, an analyst at Patria Finance AS, said in an email. “When CD Projekt announced that there won’t be a playable demo at the E3, that should have been enough of a signal to most that the game is still far from release.”

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Playing Video Games With Consoles Vs Playing With Handheld Devices 

Video games always have been one of the greatest inventions in entertainment. But there are now a variety of ways we can enjoy it. From consoles to handheld devices there is just no way of stopping game developers to full fill those deepest desires of a gamer all over the world and in different ages. But what exactly is the difference in how we want to play those games, do we want something affordable or something more appealing. Some of those who play video games care much more about the graphics and some the game play. Let us start first where it all began:

The video games are first made from a PC or the personal computer, so the games where first available from floppy disks and can be copied from different computers. Then the consoles were invented which is a fixed device that allows the game to be viewed by connecting to a t.v. And played using a controller. Video games now come in cartridges as programs are stored in microchips.

Handheld video game players were also made that came from black and white then full color, video game companies also created their own version of handheld video game players requires cartridges for larger games. When compact discs were used, new consoles were made to make use of this new storage technology that can store a higher amount of data. Which means better graphics and sound, that made games more appealing and attractive with longer hours of game play.

These are just some of the few factors that affect the gamer both young and old:

Age

Older players tend to spend more time and money playing in consoles while really younger players prefer something more simple like playing in handheld devices like the Playstation portable or the Nintendo 3DS, since they have little hands and it is easy for them to operate.

Budget

Being affordable is also a factor, those who are wealthy care much more about the quality of the game, while those who are in a tight budget would get anything that they can play with to kill time or simply for amusement.

Portable

A handheld device allow you to play anywhere you want and anytime you want, it is also improving in game quality as technology develops. Consoles are only good to play at home or a gaming network, you can't basically take it anywhere with you.

It really depends on operation, time and budget. A gamer may also prefer both for those who are really addicted in playing video games wherever they want or whenever they have the opportunity.

Video games always have been one of the greatest inventions in entertainment. But there are now a variety of ways we can enjoy it. From consoles to handheld devices there is just no way of stopping game developers to full fill those deepest desires of a gamer all over the world and in different ages. But what exactly is the difference in how we want to play those games, do we want something affordable or something more appealing. Some of those who play video games care much more about the graphics and some the game play. Let us start first where it all began:
The video games are first made from a PC or the personal computer, so the games where first available from floppy disks and can be copied from different computers. Then the consoles were invented which is a fixed device that allows the game to be viewed by connecting to a t.v. And played using a controller. Video games now come in cartridges as programs are stored in microchips.
Handheld video game players were also made that came from black and white then full color, video game companies also created their own version of handheld video game players requires cartridges for larger games. When compact discs were used, new consoles were made to make use of this new storage technology that can store a higher amount of data. Which means better graphics and sound, that made games more appealing and attractive with longer hours of game play.
These are just some of the few factors that affect the gamer both young and old:
Age
Older players tend to spend more time and money playing in consoles while really younger players prefer something more simple like playing in handheld devices like the Playstation portable or the Nintendo 3DS, since they have little hands and it is easy for them to operate.
Budget
Being affordable is also a factor, those who are wealthy care much more about the quality of the game, while those who are in a tight budget would get anything that they can play with to kill time or simply for amusement.
Portable
A handheld device allow you to play anywhere you want and anytime you want, it is also improving in game quality as technology develops. Consoles are only good to play at home or a gaming network, you can't basically take it anywhere with you.
It really depends on operation, time and budget. A gamer may also prefer both for those who are really addicted in playing video games wherever they want or whenever they have the opportunity.

Visit The Online Store at http://www.veejaylao.wix.com/onlinestore where you can choose to purchase available products that I have worked on or designed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9572878

Video games always have been one of the greatest inventions in entertainment. But there are now a variety of ways we can enjoy it. From consoles to handheld devices there is just no way of stopping game developers to full fill those deepest desires of a gamer all over the world and in different ages. But what exactly is the difference in how we want to play those games, do we want something affordable or something more appealing. Some of those who play video games care much more about the graphics and some the game play. Let us start first where it all began:
The video games are first made from a PC or the personal computer, so the games where first available from floppy disks and can be copied from different computers. Then the consoles were invented which is a fixed device that allows the game to be viewed by connecting to a t.v. And played using a controller. Video games now come in cartridges as programs are stored in microchips.
Handheld video game players were also made that came from black and white then full color, video game companies also created their own version of handheld video game players requires cartridges for larger games. When compact discs were used, new consoles were made to make use of this new storage technology that can store a higher amount of data. Which means better graphics and sound, that made games more appealing and attractive with longer hours of game play.
These are just some of the few factors that affect the gamer both young and old:
Age
Older players tend to spend more time and money playing in consoles while really younger players prefer something more simple like playing in handheld devices like the Playstation portable or the Nintendo 3DS, since they have little hands and it is easy for them to operate.
Budget
Being affordable is also a factor, those who are wealthy care much more about the quality of the game, while those who are in a tight budget would get anything that they can play with to kill time or simply for amusement.
Portable
A handheld device allow you to play anywhere you want and anytime you want, it is also improving in game quality as technology develops. Consoles are only good to play at home or a gaming network, you can't basically take it anywhere with you.
It really depends on operation, time and budget. A gamer may also prefer both for those who are really addicted in playing video games wherever they want or whenever they have the opportunity.

Visit The Online Store at http://www.veejaylao.wix.com/onlinestore where you can choose to purchase available products that I have worked on or designed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9572878

Video games always have been one of the greatest inventions in entertainment. But there are now a variety of ways we can enjoy it. From consoles to handheld devices there is just no way of stopping game developers to full fill those deepest desires of a gamer all over the world and in different ages. But what exactly is the difference in how we want to play those games, do we want something affordable or something more appealing. Some of those who play video games care much more about the graphics and some the game play. Let us start first where it all began:
The video games are first made from a PC or the personal computer, so the games where first available from floppy disks and can be copied from different computers. Then the consoles were invented which is a fixed device that allows the game to be viewed by connecting to a t.v. And played using a controller. Video games now come in cartridges as programs are stored in microchips.
Handheld video game players were also made that came from black and white then full color, video game companies also created their own version of handheld video game players requires cartridges for larger games. When compact discs were used, new consoles were made to make use of this new storage technology that can store a higher amount of data. Which means better graphics and sound, that made games more appealing and attractive with longer hours of game play.
These are just some of the few factors that affect the gamer both young and old:
Age
Older players tend to spend more time and money playing in consoles while really younger players prefer something more simple like playing in handheld devices like the Playstation portable or the Nintendo 3DS, since they have little hands and it is easy for them to operate.
Budget
Being affordable is also a factor, those who are wealthy care much more about the quality of the game, while those who are in a tight budget would get anything that they can play with to kill time or simply for amusement.
Portable
A handheld device allow you to play anywhere you want and anytime you want, it is also improving in game quality as technology develops. Consoles are only good to play at home or a gaming network, you can't basically take it anywhere with you.
It really depends on operation, time and budget. A gamer may also prefer both for those who are really addicted in playing video games wherever they want or whenever they have the opportunity.

Visit The Online Store at http://www.veejaylao.wix.com/onlinestore where you can choose to purchase available products that I have worked on or designed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9572878

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Microsoft XCloud Game Service to Offer Free Streaming to Phones

New service, due in October, will also have cloud-based, console-free gaming option

 

Microsoft Corp. said a new service that will let users play video games from their Xbox consoles on their smartphones will be offered for free.
The service, which will be rolled out starting in October, is one part of the company’s new xCloud game-streaming strategy. The other piece will let gamers without access to a console play games using Microsoft’s cloud – the company will store and run the games, and deliver them to players over the internet – for a fee.
“It’s about the games you love, the games you already have, with the friends you already have, on the go wherever you want to be on the device you have,” Matt Booty, vice president of Xbox game studios, said in an interview from the E3 conference in Los Angeles. Booty declined to disclose the pricing of the second part of xCloud, except to say that it will be competitive with offerings from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, whose Stadia game-streaming service will go for $10 a month, and Ubisoft Entertainment SA, which unveiled a $15 monthly service.
In a press conference
ahead of the trade show on Sunday, Microsoft gave the first details on its next-generation console, code-named Project Scarlett. The company said the device will be four times more powerful than the current Xbox One X, thanks to an Advanced Micro Devices Inc. processor that allows speeds of 120 frames per second. Booty declined to comment on pricing for the upcoming console, which goes on sale in 2020, but said the company wants to create a premium product for gamers.
“It will absolutely be the most powerful, immersive console on the market,” he said.

 

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The Big Problem for All the New Gaming Platforms

Google and Apple were the first to unveil a “Netflix for video games,” but Microsoft has the big-name games.

Tech giants are piling into the $180 billion video game industry. On March 25, Apple Inc. announced a subscription service called Arcade that will let people play high-quality games through the internet instead of having to spend hundreds of dollars on a standalone console or more on a high-end gaming PC. For a monthly fee, users will get as many as 100 exclusive games. Arcade was unveiled just days after Google announced a similar service, Stadia. If so-called cloud gaming takes off, it could be the biggest change in the industry since Nintendo Co. made Mario and Luigi living room fixtures in the 1980s.

Google and Apple aren’t alone. Microsoft Corp. is also developing a service, which will be available to the public by yearend. Amazon.com Inc. has a similar product in the works, according to tech news site the Information. As with TV and music, the companies that run the internet see video gaming as a natural adjacency for their influence. Streaming games requires expensive data centers to process all the action and high-speed internet cables to move it around the world in real time. Those are things only the tech giants have. “Cloud gaming creates this moment in the industry where the multibillion-dollar companies like Google and Amazon have a chance to buy their way in,” says Joost van Dreunen, co-founder of industry analyst SuperData Research. “This is a high-stakes poker game, and not everyone gets a seat at the table.”

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