Demented Rants

Recently, Sony announced that there are roughly 20 million registered Playstation Network accounts, which is about 3 million more than that registered for xBox Live.

Really? Well, I mean, it makes sense, since the xBox live network is being calculated solely on xBox 360 accounts, and the playstation network is an all encompassing set of numbers for both Playstation 3 and PSP.

I’m pretty sure that means that yes, Playstation may be doing better on raw signups, but does that necessarily mean their networks are better?

Here’s just a couple of differences of the pros vs both networks:

PSN pros:

* Free
* Utilized for both PSP and PS3

XBL pros:

* Exclusive downloadable content for games that AREN’T xBox exclusive games
* Exclusive demos for games that AREN’T xBox exclusive games
* Netflix integration

Yes, xBox live costs money, but with that money they are able to negotiate exclusive DLC, along with other major points of content interest such as the netflix deal.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather pay a whole $50 a year for something that will get used on a daily, or semi daily basis; has excellent uptime; offers unique content, than get a ps3 where I personally don’t know of a single game that is exclusive that I would enjoy enough to justify paying $400 for a console.

As any good gamer from the past 15 years can tell you, gaming has come a very long way. It has gone from 8bit to nigh realistic graphics, explosive render times, and the ability to play with people across the planet without having to pay long distance charges.

Unfortunately, game companies seem to have lost sight of the idea of a convincing storyline. Don’t get me wrong, I love my games that are built more for multiplayer than solo, but that doesn’t mean I want EVERY game to be like that.

I remember the first time I beat Final Fantasy 7. It took around 40 hours of game play just to do the main storyline. Now, mind you, at least 10 of that was beautiful cutscenes, but none the less it was amazing. In-depth story, as convoluted and contorted as a conch shell, with murder and love mixed with a bit of whimsy and fun. It was one of a kind, unfortunately.

Since then, developers have seemed to dwindle to 13 hour (max) single player stories that really aren’t more advanced than a run of the mill children’s book. There’s no twists or turns, no hooks, nothing to really keep you going except for that achievement you get to display on your gamer profile that proves nothing more than you had finish the game so it doesn’t look incomplete.

Every bit of budget is spent on graphics, which is fine and dandy, but when you look back at the fact that some of the biggest selling games of all time had top of the line graphics for their time period and could STILL work in a fantastic work of literary art, it saddens me.

And I won’t even get STARTED on what’s wrong w/ the phrase “Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game“, except for the fact that there’s no role being played. You are hacking and slashing your way across the map just to make sure you are level 50 before your buddy in your 4th period English Class.

We need new blood, or really old blood, in the gaming industry now. Everyone seems to think that going to DeVry or any other college that teaches you video games, will somehow make you the most awesome developer ever. Problem is, they teach you how to make the same exact game that the class an hour earlier was taught. Everything is cookie cutter. There’s no innovation. But, why should someone be innovative when people are buying up the same crap with a different title and skin?