Microsoft Tears Down Multiplayer Walls

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Microsoft is tearing down the Xbox Live! wall and allowing other networks — including PC and other game consoles — to play with their player base.

I cannot imagine this being an initiative if the Xbox One was in a dominant position. Nevertheless, the end result is that games like Rocket League will have access to larger pools of players. This technically isn’t the first time that we’ve seen cross-network multiplayer but it is the first time we’re seeing it outside of an MMORPG.

Unfortunately without a game specific account, it’s not going to be possible for players of Rocket League on the PlayStation 4 to pair with players on Xbox One. In Rocket League’s case, this will enable an Xbox One party to go up against a PlayStation 4 party.

Baby steps.

With this initiative in place, I can see a game like Battlefield 5 with EA’s Origin ID allowing cross platform parties. I can see a future where Ubisoft leverages their uPlay ID to allow the agents on different networks to pair up as well. We’ll see how this will all shake up in the not so distant future.

Next-Generation F.A.Q

question-blockI thought it would be a good idea to answer some of the hot topic questions people have been raising after the PlayStation 4 reveal. Many of these questions aren’t new and I’ve shared my opinions on some of them already but it would be a good idea to consolidate it all in one post.

 

1. How much would you pay for a PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox?

$499.99 CAD. I’ve paid over $599.99 CAD for a PlayStation 3 because I saw value with the backward compatibility but that was then. I don’t regret it per se but I don’t want to pay that much for a console again.

2. What is your stance on backwards compatibility?

Nice to have but not essential. I wouldn’t mind having the a premium version of a console with the old hardware chips included but if it means we can have more complex next generation systems at a lower cost, I am willing to give it up.

3. Would you pay $69.99 for next generation games?

No I wouldn’t but I also wouldn’t switch platforms or stop gaming because of that price point. All it means is that I will be further behind the curve while I wait for the price to drop to a number I’m willing to pay.Canadians already paid that price early in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 days so that price point isn’t completely foreign to us.

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LTTP: Journey

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journey-logo

LTTP or ‘late to the party’ pieces are opportunities for me to catch up and write about games I missed out on the first time around. They may contain spoilers.

Very few games require a one sitting completion. If you do not have two to three hours to spare, I wouldn’t bother starting thatgamecompany’s Journey. I firmly believe it’s an experience that needs to be completed in one sitting. The emotional ride wouldn’t be complete without the transition from one feeling to the next.

Calm, subdued & bored

Journey started like flOw and Flower; calm and quiet. There wasn’t much to do but there was a lot to see. It wasn’t a bright field full of flowers and grass though. It was a desert and I spent a fair bit of it watching my avatar’s little feet wade through the sands.

The avatar I was controlling was beautifully designed. It was simple yet expressive enough to convey struggles through the sand and flightlessness through the air.

I knew it was a slow start and if I chose to, I could have let it stay a lonely trek through the desert but I was getting bored, so I began to seek out landmarks. Ruins of a large monuments and structures were strewn throughout the desert but it was all lifeless. Pieces of cloth fluttering in the wind were the most animated objects in the world.

Boredom was creeping in.

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LTTP: PixelJunk Shooter 2

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pixeljunk-shooter-2-logo

LTTP or ‘late to the party’ pieces are opportunities for me to catch up and write about games I missed out on the first time around. They may contain spoilers.

I thought PixelJunk Shooter was a slow starter. Q-Games spent a bit too much time easing into the liquid physics gameplay. It didn’t really get going until the third world which was unfortunate because there were only three worlds in the first instalment.

PixelJunk Shooter 2 continued the tale of the little spaceship after it was swallowed by the giant monster at the end of the first game. It also continued bringing out liquid puzzles without any of the hand holding of the original. Q-Games were free to go wild with new types of substances and powers across a completely new set of worlds.

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