Gamer Blorge review of the year – Part Two: April to June
2008 has been a big year for gaming and consequently a big year here on Gamer Blorge. As we approach the end of this year and the start of 2009, let’s take a look back at the stories, opinions, and debates that dominated 2008.
Here is Part Two of the Gamer Blorge review, covering April to June 2008. The rest of the year will follow in further articles before the New Year.
April
April was dominated by the release of one game, a multi-format crime caper classic that is regarded as either the best game or one of the best games of 2008 was released. But even before Grand Theft Auto IV was released on April 29, the debate over its sales figures and impact were being discussed.
The sales battle began a week before the release of GTA IV, with owners of both the PS3 and Xbox 360 talking up their version of the game over their rival’s. Then the reviews started rolling in, and the majority of them thought the Playstation 3 version was slightly superior. Meanwhile, the game gave Jack Thompson a new opportunity to attack video gaming as a hobby.
Meanwhile, the UK boss of the Xbox 360 finally apologized for the dreaded Red Ring of Death. A debate began over the benefits of using Wii Fit over a real gym. And the results of our latest poll showed that readers thought the PS3 would be the console to dominate 2008. Hmm, that didn’t quite work out then did it.
May
May started with the news that GTA IV had sold over six million copies in its first week on sale. Which just shows how huge a franchise the Grand Theft Auto one is, despite the quality or otherwise of the games. Meanwhile, Sony claimed it would win the console war, even if it took 10 years to do so.
May also saw Aaron Greenberg, Director of Product Management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, criticize Sony heavily. I thought the tone was slightly unnecessary and unprofessional. Triston then did a “Greenberg” but directed his bile at Gamestop. The responses varied compared to whether the commenters were employees or not.
The end of the month saw the Wii overtake the Xbox 360 as the biggest selling console in the world. It was a long time coming. And despite Metal Gear Solid 4 still being a fortnight away from release, the first reviews rolled in, some of which weren’t very positive.
June
June began with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, a game now regarded by most as the finest of this generation. While news of the PS3 XMB and Trophies, the Xbox 360 Avatars, and the Wii Remote cloning rumors lead me to ask if originality is dead.
While still enjoying this generation, talk of the next began, with the Xbox 720, or whatever it gets called in the end, being favorite as first out the gate. But will it be geared towards casual gaming? Probably if current trends are anything to go on.
Playstation Home, still 6 months away from a general beta release, was the talk of the town once again with a healthy debate over its merits. While our next poll results brought the month to an end with the view that the PS3 had the strongest line-up of games in 2008. Maybe, maybe not.
Look out for parts three and four between now and the end of the year. And feel free to comment with your favorite moments on Gamer Blorge over the past 12 months.
Read Part One here.
Related Posts:
10 Responses to “Gamer Blorge review of the year – Part Two: April to June”
Leave a Reply:
You must be logged in to post a comment. Don't have an account? Register today!
December 28th, 2008
Aaron Greenberg is a troll.
A lot like kev in that respect then.
December 28th, 2008
well… I can understand when the Japanese reps of Sony mouth off… their ads suck why shouldnt their PR department??
I expect more from Microsoft reps…
December 29th, 2008
He actually seemed pretty tactful considering he was just stating facts, but the truth hurts, especially when it is put bluntly.
I imagine it would get upsetting when expected to compete with oft-delayed promises instead of real world performance.
Unfortunately, for some reason, the first sentence of the response was left out:
“I know a lot of folks enjoy watching the console wars and we would never underestimate our competition.”
and then went on to state:
“Didn’t Sony promise all of this last year including Home as well?”
it is still in Beta, and the promise still hasn’t been fulfilled.
“Then three years ago at E3 they showed what PS3 games would supposedly look like with the Killzone 2 video, that we are now learning will ship four years later. That means that we will have shipped Gears of War and Gears of War 2 before they can even get Killzone out the door.”
it still has yet to ship next year.
“Where are the achievements?”
another promise for 2009.
“The friends list integration across all games?”
not sure about this one…
“Where are all the other products using and networking with their CELL chip?”
anybody know that answer?
“How come Blu-ray did not result in better games?”
Maybe Metal Gear Solid, but does a lot of 1080p CGI and the extra graphics boost really make it all that better? Or is it gameplay that could have been reproduced on 360? I imagine the latter, either way it still came out after the interview, so his point was valid at the time.
“What happened with Sixaxis”
dead
“Where is the complete 1080p game library we were promised?”
Library? Not. Maybe next year.
“If Blu-ray as they said would be such a catalyst to PS3 console sales, then why have PS3 sales over the past couple months not seen any lift since the format victory?”
still less than sales than the 360.
Looks like video store, rumble, and 1 Blu-Ray game that was arguably better because of the format were the only things they managed to execute this year, after the interview.
“The reality is that Xbox 360 is leading this generation with a larger installed base, more than 2xs the games library, the most exclusives along with the leading online service and community. While we have not yet announced all of our plans for the full year, I am confident that we will extend our lead over the PS3 in 2008.”
Over the entire interview he stated facts. Fans got upset. Now he is labeled as “unprofessional” and a “troll”.
Look, I want Sony to succeed to increase competition and quality, but the bottom line is most of the promises made by Sony have been delayed again until at least next year, sixaxis never panned out, and some may be delayed further or never see the light of day.
And you know what, Sony will still do fine enough in sales to survive this generation, perhaps even outlasting 360 to eventually outsell it. Just don’t crucify a guy for telling the truth.
December 30th, 2008
Carl, I agree.
He is telling the truth, minus the sheep clothing. Sony did make a lot of promises.
Though at least Sony is now trying to rectify the issue with enticing games from its own studios that are (finally) coming next year.
I too want MS and Nintendo to do well; it does increase competition.
My problem is more the attitude of Microsoft. This kind of vitriolic flaming from Greenberg, and coupled with Ballmers’ “unqualified success” remark, does little to reassure me that a console monopoly would be in our interest.
If a console that had a 33% failure rate, and had one of the largest extended warranty periods in consumer electronics history can be called an “unqualified success” by a CEO, I think we all need to cautious.
December 30th, 2008
Microsoft has paid for it’s mistake of the RROD problem in spades and has rectified the issue with not only the extended warranty for existing customers, but the Jasper as well for new ones.
I myself had my 360 go down after “only” just under 3 continuous years of gaming on it (I got mine on launch). I got the console back in 2 weeks free of shipping with 2 Months of Gold comp’d, and am happy.
As far as the attitude of Microsoft, it could improve, as could Sony’s, and they both have made efforts to rectify their respective console’s issues. Sony has plenty of studios, and that’s fine. What matters to me is that the console itself delivers on games, whether they are third party or first party. Both companies have accomplished this to date.
On Greenberg and only this interview for this article (I don’t really follow these things):
How is it “vitriolic flaming” when he was asked in an interview about how Microsoft should compete with stuff that Sony hasn’t even brought out yet? I mean seriously, considering this interview alone, he kept it professional and accurate in direct response to the specific question he was given.
Ballmer’s I did not read. If anybody has a console monopoly right now though, it is Nintendo.
Please provide the link to the original Ballmer interview if you can, so we can have the terms for this discussion.
December 30th, 2008
“vitriolic flaming”, granted, my blinkered fanboy eyes there…
Steve’s quote:
http://windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrott/article/articleid/100469/ballmer-xbox-360-an-unqualified-success.html
December 30th, 2008
BTW, the original interview seems to be “no longer unavailable” on Mercury News.
But a quick Google search shows he definitely said it.
December 31st, 2008
I’ve learned quite a bit about taking things out of context from the original interviews from Greenberg’s alone… I don’t think I’ll go there.
In remaining tactful, I can only say that Ballmer certainly has a colorful character… and some very memorable moments where he got emotional in front of the media. The guy is not reserved when it comes to expressing that emotion in regards to his company or it’s products… and I think some would say, “He’s been drinking the Kool-Aid”.
I would think it is safe to say that the Sony CEO is much more reserved, and when dealing with large corporations it is always wise to “be cautious”.
December 31st, 2008
“June began with the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, a game now regarded by most ..”
really…? since ps3 owners are in the vaaaast minority, i’d say reality just shot holes in your “most” belief (again). not to mention the awards given to games haven’t been very kind to mgs4. maybe you meant “most” in your neighborhood….
even ps3 owners aren’t saying mgs4 is finest….
December 31st, 2008
i’m glad ms is dishing it out for a change.
tired of sony fanboys outnumbering everyone else 10:1 and flaming anyone for buying any other console. karma sucks.
maybe if sony hadn’t start the flame war before the xbox even launched, they wouldn’t be so humiliated right now. sorry, they have it coming.
yes, facts do hurt. hate anyone you want at ms…it doesn’t change the facts.