My Dream Games: Grand Theft Auto McReary Diaries

The following games I have awesome ideas at helping in development will be listed here.

Grand Theft Auto: McReary Diaries
This would be an expansion pack/semi-sequal to Grand Theft Auto V the same way Grand Theft Auto Vice City and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas were to Grand Theft Auto III. McReary Diaries would use the same engine as Grand Theft Auto V and be for 8th generation consoles(PC, Steambox, Wii U, Playstation 4, Xbox 720, Project Shield). The movements, graphics, and existing content would still remain intact.

However, there will be additions to this including new weapons, cars, abilities, and new locations. Not only would it be set in Los Santos as it was in Grand Theft Auto V but San Fierro, Las Venturas and surrounding countrysides such as Badlands, Tierra Robada, and Bone County will be available to unlock as you progress through the story. Plus, there would be an ability to purchase property and customize cribs.

The story would be that Packie McReary left Liberty City for San Andreas in 2009 and has just learned his older brother Gerald has escaped from Alderney State Prison and fled to Los Santos to start a new life. Packie also meets his 18 year old niece(Gerald's daughter from a previous marriage) named Sarah who meets her father and paternal uncle for the first time in nearly 11 years. This game you would be able to play ALL three of these McRearys. It would take place in 2015 San Andreas and at first include all of Los Santos featured in Grand Theft Auto V, then advance to new counties and cities. Packie, Gerald, and Sara begin new lives together as head council of the McReary Mafia of San Andreas. All three will be playable and will have some missions separately and together.

Mission structure would follow suit of Grand Theft Auto V and though I can't give out too many predictions given GTA V hasn't been released yet I can say that missions would be centered in a Godfather style theme such as rackets, crime family story missions, fighting rival gangs, and doing other side activities to make money. Players should be able to purchase properties as any playable character and be able to store and customize vehicles. The McReary Mob would start off at Packie's Apartment and then advance to a mansion on Rockford Hills, next to GTA V protagonist Michael's Mansion. This mansion would be the McReary Mob headquarters with more properties being available to purchase. As you advance to other areas outside of Los Santos area, you will receive another default hideout and ability to purchase more property.

I don't want to reveal any spoilers though because it would make this game too predictable and less fun but the story cycle would start in Los Santos and surrounding areas with eventually moving to San Fierro area, then Las Venturas area, and back again with the possiblity of Los Puentos(San Diego) being added as DLC. Adding a parody of the Baja peninsula would be great for content as it could be called Baja Sandreas. Tierra Robada could be the northernmost part of San Andreas and be a parody of far Northern California and far Southern Oregon. Bone County would be like Sierra Nevada and deserts in western Nevada. Red, Flint, and Whetstone would be somewhere between San Joaquin Valley, San Bernardino, Napa Valley, central Pacific California, and Silicon Valley. I would want to use Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas as cities while using Red County, Flint County, Whetstone, Tierra Robada, and Bone County as non urban areas with smaller cities and towns.

Grand Theft Auto V's Los Santos is going to be bigger than environments of Grand Theft Auto's IV and San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption combined. Imagine what a McReary Diaries environment would be like given more cities and areas were included. Real interstates will be used in Grand Theft Auto V and could also be used for transportation. Los Angeles is large by area but San Francisco and Las Vegas aren't as large though. If i'm going to make San Andreas as a whole, I would need to focus on real geography in making environments as to make Los Santos stay to the Southwest, San Fierro to the Pacific North, and Las Venturas to the Southeast. First though, where would I place my mid areas of Red County, Flint County, Whetstone, Tierra Robada, and Bone County. In Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Red, Flint, and Whetstone were countrysides between Los Santos and San Fierro. Red County was North of Los Santos and South of Las Venturas, Flint County was West of Los Santos and East of San Fierro, and Whetstone was South of San Fierro. Tierra Robada and Bone County were desert lands between San Fierro and Las Venturas. Tierra Robada did have a bayside town to it in emulating Marin County(which is North of San Francisco) while being North and East of San Fierro. Bone County was more like desert Nevada and Arizona being East of Las Venturas.

Grand Theft Auto V also uses real highways now. Interstate 5 and Highway 101 for examples could connect Los Santos and San Fierro. Interstates 10 and 15 would connect Los Santos to Las Venturas with there being a fork somewhere along Interstate 10 connecting it with 15. 10 and 15 would connect through a T-Shape and a Four Leaf Clover like shape. For the record, Interstate 5 does not directly connect to San Francisco but Highway 101 does. Interstate 80 starts at US 101 and I could make it stop when it intersects Highway 95. Highway 95 would go from there to Las Venturas and connect to Interstate 15. Interstate 5 would connect with interstate 80 and in GTA games I would make interstate 5 go further north and end with Interstate 101 ending and having a smaller highway connect both Highway 101 and Interstate 5 in order to make some Bayside town along U.S. 101.

Red County would be between Los Santos and Las Venturas, representing San Joaquin Valley by being the host county of Interstate 5 and 15. Red County would resemble Kern Valley near San Bernardino. Flint County would be midway near San Joaquin Valley to the Pacific Coast and would host middle of Interstate 5 and Highway 101. Whetstone would be North of Flint County while being Northwest of Red County and resemble Silicon Valley and Napa Valley. Tierra Robada will be North and East of San Fierro and include North Interstate 5 and highway 101 with a merging road between these two highways. Interstate 80 will begin in Tierra Robada and end up being Highway 95 in Bone County. Tierra Robada will be like farther North California and Sierra Nevada connecting Northeast Whetstone. I might switch up Flint County and Whetstone though. However, I want to make GTA V era's San Andreas bigger than any open world before it. Other cities such as San Bernardino, Sacramento, Reno, and Santa Cruz would exist but have different names and be considered smaller cities wheres GTA San Andreas towns Angel Pine, Fort Carson, El Quebrados, Las Barrancas, Las Payasadas, Las Brujas ghost town, Palomino Creek, Blueberry, Montgomery and Dillimore would remain small towns. Angel Pine would be located in Whetstone; Palamino Creek, Dillmore, Montgomery, and Blueberry would be located in Red County; Bayside, El Quebrados, Las Barrancas in Tierra Robada; Fort Carson, Las Payasadas in Bone County. Some of this is subject to change however since I haven't seen the final map of Grand Theft Auto V's Los Santos. The major cities would have to resemble their parodied counterparts just as Liberty City did with New York City in Grand Theft Auto V and now Los Santos with Los Angeles in Grand Theft Auto V.

I've also heard Grand Theft Auto V will have "Crew" options for multiplayers via Rockstar's Social Club. Gameplay features should be construed to give players more freedom and side missions such as the vigilante, taxi, and ambulance missions of Grand theft Auto III. McReary Diaries would run as owning your own gang and including racketeering abilities to raise revenue and weaken rival gangs. Dating should also be included but each character will have a different set of available dates. Niko Bellic had Michelle, Kate McReary, Carmen Ortiz, Kiki Jenkins, and Alex Chilton. Luis Fernandez Lopez had several more girlfriends. Packie and Gerry will have their own different girlfirends that the player can date when character is selected but Sara will have boyfriends since she is a female. Lots more side missions such as drug deals, gang warfare, racing, trucker, and other side quests will be available and top those of Saints Row, giving the player the longest experience in any video game. Idea here is to include all the awesome activities from ALL Grand Theft Auto games starting with III.

Transportation is enhanced in Grand Theft Auto V with not only cool vehicles like cars, bikes, boats, and helicopters but airplanes and submarines. Airports in McReary diaries would be construed to fly from one major city to another since the open world of GTA V era San Andreas will feel mindblowingly big. Taxis, Buses, Limousines, Trains, Monorails, Ferries, and now High Speed Rails will be able to take your player to other locations without having to move them yourself. It would be almost instantaneous. Grand Theft Auto V will have the most mindblowing choices of transportation and McReary diaries with numerous highways will also give you a roadtrip feel that you kind of feel in truck simulation games like 18 Wheels of Steel American Long Haul.

Characters should include new ones and ones from Grand Theft Auto IV, TLAD, TBoGT, and Grand Theft Auto V. The protagonists include two from IV and one new one. All three of these playable protagonists will be related. Other characters could include ones from Grand Theft Auto V such as Michael, Trevor Phillips, Franklin, Ron, Brad, Amanda, Jimmy, and Tracy. Some could have a minor role and others could be in an alliance with you. Maureen McReary could make some appearences as she is the mother of Packie and Gerry and the paternal grandmother of Sara. Could Niko Bellic also make some appearence? What about Anna Faustin moving to Las Venturas as a Go-Go Girl to make more money and live more luxuriously? Maybe I could add that Illyana Faustin died under mysterious circumstances and Anna left for Las Venturas. Could I also add Luis Fernando Lopez and Tony Prince as casino owners in Las Venturas? Could Gracie Ancelotti have moved closer to Luis and Gay Tony or even married Luis? The two other living McRearys Maureen and Francis stay in Liberty City as Derrick and Kate are deceased during and after the events of Grand Theft Auto IV. I can't say much here because I want to be more familiar with Grand Theft Auto V's story and gameplay.

The overall premise here is the Irish Mob in San Andreas led by Packie McReary must go to the top of the chain to conquer Los Santos and Packie is joined by Gerry and Sara McReary. San Andreas should not be made to be able to circumnavigate the area by boat as San Andreas in real life is south central to north central California and west to southeast Nevada.

PES 2013 review

PES 2013 for Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, PS2, and 3DS.

This game is a soccer game that resembles PES very well and includes so many leagues and teams your head will spin. A big plus here is how it gives feel to a real soccer game. Controls for this game work very well and there are many different options for single and multiplayer modes as well as teams and soccer players. This game in my opinion is much like a sports simulator and a soccer game. This game feels and plays like soccer matches you'd watch on TV. Rules of soccer play the same and I saw no glitches.

Graphics are kind and music and sounds are catchy. However, it's best if you have a HD screen so you can see the match better. The players look so tiny unless you have a big TV. What gives?

Lasting appeal really isn't as high as if it were played on 8th generation consoles like the Wii Ubut high enough to get players playing.

Anyway, what kind of rating does PES 2013 get? Gameplay: 95, Graphics: 80, Events: 90, Lasting Appeal: 78. Overal Rating gets an 86/100.

Aspi Media: My Dream Gaming Business

Aspi Media is just a concept for now but I have great ideas for video games and I'm already making ideas for the Ninth Generation of gaming. However, there are some ideas of mine that would be amazing for Grand Theft Auto V standalone expansion packs and a Saints Row spin-off. Plus, making some apps of classic games from PS1 and PS2 for Playstation Mobile platform. How about a Grand Theft Auto style Need For Speed game which involves an undercover cop infiltrating an illegal street racing gang.

Aspi Media would be a game development company that could form a partnership with publishers or other major game developers like Electronic Arts and Activision. Also need development tools so I can develop my gaming ideas such as developer kits for certain consoles. I also must keep in mind how much data will be required and how much detail to put into. I will need to hire some assistance to develop these games such as graphics and gameplay specialists. First, I should learn how game development business works. If you don't know how it works, how can you possibly know how to do the job right? Knowing how stuff works is only the first major step.

Second thing is to decipher what your business will be. If you choose to develop games for iOS and Android systems, then development won't be a problem. Decide which platforms you want to develop for and what kinds of games you want to develop before you start developing. Another idea is making deal with a publishing company first before developing. This way if Microsoft Studios or Sony Computer Entertainment for examples were publishing your games, then it would be exclusive to their home console with examples ranging from Gran Turismo for Playstation series, Crash Bandicoot for Playstation, Project Gotham Racing for Xbox series, and Twisted Metal for Playstation series. The mentioned games were published by companies with home consoles of their own. Nintendo published games almost never see ports outside Nintendo consoles. Decide which platforms to develop your games on and then start developing since publishers don't want to feel overburdened with unplanned developments in ports.

What games will you want to develop? Bioshock Infinite took several years to develop and comparing how it's evolved from it's September 2010 graphics on it's first gameplay video to March 26, 2013 release, it evolved after hard work of development to make it as badass as possible. Bubsy 3D looked like crap and as if it wasn't finished because it was rushed too soon. Bioshock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V however will be the most badass games of 2013! Unlike Bioshock Infinite, no word on a PC version of Grand Theft Auto V. I do think however that Grand Theft Auto V era will be the 8th generation era of Grand Theft Auto series. Also make sure games are competitive with their markets. Bioshock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V belong on eighth generation consoles due to their high detail and difference in graphics from previous titles. Need For Speed Most Wanted 2012 has a Wii U version and it was rated the highest one, surpassing Playstation 3(which will be succeeded by Playstation 4).

Choose whar gameplay, graphics, sounds, story, content, and music you want in your game. Ensure environments make splendid reflection like Bioshock Infinite. Although my ideas for games are already taken by other companies, I wish to contribute to these in making a Grand Theft Auto V era semi-sequal/expansion pack, a GTA style Need For Speed Undercover, a Saints Row spin-off, a new remake for Vigilante 8, etc. Keep in mind these belong to their respectable owners but my intention is to get permission to help with these if I can and after I know how game development works.

I should find what my strengths and weaknesses are. My strengths here are finding great ideas for games and blueprinting how to make them awesome. What I need is to create a team of developers skilled in certain areas of development and work together as a team plus give them credit for their roles. I could be my own game designer like Ken Levine(creator of System Shock 2 and Bioshock series). I've learned through one short video how Bioshock Infinite's Elizabeth was created to be the most real AI ever.

Explore all potential. Ken Levine expressed interest in a Wii U version of Bioshock Infinite to take advantage of Wii U Gamepad abilities but Levine stated it's "really a discussion that the business people have and see if it makes sense for Nintendo, if it makes sense for Take Two". The Wii U also has more superior graphics than previous generation consoles. Plus, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk could be used for a Wii U version as a choice if possible since PS3 version is supporting PS Move peripherals. Plus, it would be nice to see PS4 and Xbox 720 versions as well with PS4 version being compatible with PS Move. Bioshock Infinite on my Alienware Gaming PC looks maxed out in graphics compared to the console versions which will only render less quality. This means Bioshock Infinite truly is an 8th generation game as well as 7th just by judging from it's graphics and potential. Same goes for Grand Theft Auto V which needs PC, Wii U, Playstation 4, and Xbox 720 versions as well. Think of how much more awesome graphics would be.

In another blog I will explain what kinds of games I had in mind.

Saints Row 2 review

The incredible 2008 sequal to the 2006 Saints Row was for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows platforms. Prologue of the sequal is the Third Street Saints under Protagonist take over Stilwater. From one fateful September 2006 yacht bombing on Alderman Hughes yacht by Julius Little to the then future year of 2011, the leader(Protagonist) is in a coma at the prison hospital. Character customization also includes female traits as well. In the Stilwater Prison infirmary, a young inmate named Carlos Mendoza meets the Saints leader and together they escape from prison. The Saints leader finds out the Third Street Saints has been dissolved by the Ronin, Sons of Samedi, and Brotherhood who now rule Stilwater. The Protagonist goes to Tee N Aye for a drink and finds out Johnny Gat is being held at the Courthouse for sentencing. The Protagonist and Gat escape and start to re-organize the Third Street Saints. The Protagonist recruits not only Carlos Mendoza but newcomers Pierce and Shaundi as well. Dex and Julius are gone, other preivous homies either retired, died, or were jailed, and Troy became chief of police after previous Police Chief Monroe's death. With all that hard work in a short time, The Third Street Saints rise from the ashes and are ready to quash the three rival gangs to extinction.

Gameplay involves much of the previous Saints Row with some new activities. This time, activities are six levels long and have two of each variant, each having their rewards with the exception of Demolition Derby which has only one variant. Stilwater has been improved from ghetto styles to futuristic themes thanks to Ultor Corporation. Stilwater has also been expanded 45% in just 5 years. Mission structure is the same as the previous Saints Row with three different stories for each gang. Routines are the same and what was awesome about this game's gameplay was it expanded and made better in everyway from Saints Row. Car and character customizations have been expanded and convienence has been expanded. Not only that but gang customization is here such as theme of gang members and cars with ability to customize cribs, though it's not as expansive as car and Protagonist customizations. You have the ability to purchase more cribs and clothing options become more expanded as well. Saints Row 2 feels better than Grand Theft Auto IV. Weapons have become more expanded as well. Saints Row 2 truly has more superior gameplay than Saints Row in everyway. Diversions, collections, and more to explore in this wonder of a game!

Graphics and sounds are decent and the feel is consistent. Stilwater looks amazing and designs feel great! However, I feel that character designs look smaller than Saints Row. Though it does look more cartoonish and water color like, environments and display feel real enough to give you pleasure. You feel more in control in Saints Row 2 than you did in Saints Row. Admiring the characters in this game and you can really feel the impact of drama the cutscenes have to offer. The story mode and much is awesomer and more Badass than it's predecessor.

Ratings include Gameplay rating of 9.7, Graphics rating of 8.7, Story of 9, and Lasting Appeal of 9.7. Overall combined rating of 9.3/10.

Saints Row review

Released as an Xbox 360 only game in August 2006, Saints Row brings back memories of the Third Street Saints humble beginnings as a vigilante gang rivaling three competing gangs throughout Stilwater.

Gameplay is a lot like Grand Theft Auto which include use of firearms and melee weapons. Activities across Stilwater can be complete for more rewards such as special cars, homies, clothing, abilities, and weapons. Vehicle & weapon selections are great and controls feel lighter than Grand Theft Auto. What Saints Row has that Grand Theft Auto doesn't is character customization in which you can fully customize everything in appearence of your character. It can only be done with male gender however. You can also easily store and customize vehicles, which is something you couldn't do in Grand Theft Auto. Activities range from insurance fraud, mayhem, snatch, drug dealing, etc. Some activities can get repetitive with most having 8 levels each in three different gang controlled territories. However, activities range in between average levels depending on how they play. The player starts out with a small low income Loft in Mission Beach, Saints Row but you can gain three more cribs after completing the story of the crib that belonged to the rival gang leader. Examples would include Lopez Mansion after destroying Los Carnales, King's Penthouse after destroying the Vice Kings, and Price's Mansion after destroying the Westside Rollerz.

Story revolves around your custome created protagonist walking down the streets of Stilwater when he is caught in a gun battle with three major gangs(Westside Rollerz, Vice Kings, and Los Carnales) but is saved by Julius Little, leader of the newly formed Third Street Saints. Little and Troy recruit The Protagonist to clear out Saints Row from rival gangs. Members of the Third Street Saints would include Leader Julius Little, Dex Jackson, Johnny Gat, Troy, Protagonist, and Lin. The Third Street Saints would fight three rival gangs being Los Carnales, Vice Kings, and Westside Rollerz. After the first Saints missions plus Los Carnales stronghold in Saints Row territory, you can conquer these gangs in any order of your choice, as these gangs have their own stories. These stories are actually great. Nearly every mission has you conquering a neighborhood previously held by the rival gang and all strongholds result in neighborhood conquest.

Graphics, Theme, and Sounds fit magically with the game as you feel immersed in a sort of comic book like hip hop world in a Great Lakes city in Michigan. Saints Row made itself a great series! Physics of this game feel lightweight and so much that you feel you have more control over movement.

Saints Row Gameplay is rated 8.9, Graphics is rated 9, and lasting appeal is 8.5. Overall rating for this Xbox 360 exclusive game is an 8.8/10.

Nick Jr. Team Umizoom and Dora's Fantastic Flight/ Moshi Monsters Moshlings Theme Park

First; Nick Jr. Team Umizoomi and Dora's Fantastic Flight is for Nintendo DS and it is geared for toddlers. Story here is Team Umizoomi and Team Dora must go hunting for parts to their magical zepplin on an adventure through four different stock environments. Though this game has absolutely no lasting appeal to hardcore gamers or even any substantial appeal to casual gamers, this game is very consistent with the Early Childhood Bloc. Gameplay takes advantage of the stylus and features toddler style gameplay. It teaches the basics and is as easy as ABCs. Environments and design are well done too but environments are just stock. Can't you come up with a better name than Grassy Greenlands? C'mon. Great adventure for the little ones below age 5 though.

Moshi Monsters Moshlings Theme Park for handheld consoles. This is a very casual game and has numerous theme park or carnival themed games which take advantage of DS touchscreen including numerous mini-games that can be unlocked overtime in the Play mode. This game has you rebuilding the them park by unlocking new themes, playing mini games, and experiencing monsterific rides. What this game has going for it is a very casual tone that could actually have a great amount of lasting appeal to it. Design and display are great with great decorations. Moshi Monsters look cute and delightful. Not much to say about this very casual game but there is more than average content here.

Google console ideas: from start

Google has been inovating in numerous technologies, has their own smartphone/tablet market and now has their own PC software. How would Google be interested in making an android based home console? Could it rival the Xbox series? Given the android gaming market, Google has a shot at a more broad appeal for gamers such as making a home console for the TV that caters to both casual and hardcore gamers.

What should Google's home console be called? I would call it Chromeplay. Google Play would be enhanced to include a Steam-like gaming market to stream games to the android based console. Google Play already has a library of games but they're meant to be played on android apps. Looking at iOS and Android games impresses me with console like graphics. iOS and Android games are low in cost making development costs lower with digital downloads. Chromeplay's size comes into play when you consider Ouya. If Chromeplay is to be geared towards both casual and hardcore gamers it's size must be big enough to accommodate the hardcore gamers but cheap enough for casual-hardcore gamer hybrids as well

Controls and gameplay should reflect both casual and hardcore gaming. Examples would include Wikipad design for a Google controller which is combining an android tablet and a controller combined while including motion sensing technology and cameras like Playstation Eye. What Google could also include is virtual reality like the Occulus Rift since Google also made the privacy killing and now banned Google Glasses. The controller could be called Googlepad. Seperate motion sensing controllers or Kinect style functions are ideal so as to compete above Xbox series. Chromeplay controller inputs could be like having Wii U Gamepad, Microsoft Kinect, Wii Remote, and Playstation Move controllers combined with some Wii U Pro Controller style controllers available. 

Google Chromeplay would most likely as I predict it will be for Ninth Generation sometime in 2019. Games would be downloaded via Google Play, like you would download apps. Chromeplay would be somewhere between Apple iPlay and iGamac.

Make Grand Theft Auto for PC, Wii U, Playstation 4, Xbox 720 and Steambox

Grand theft Auto V will release on September 17 for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Although at least having it for PS3 is better than not having it at all it really should have a PC version at the very least and at least attempt for more consoles. If that were to be a reality, it would most likely be the PC version seeing a release few months after Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 with Wii U, Playstation 4, and Xbox 720 following after. Steambox version would be made around the same time or somewhat after the PC version release depending on Grand Theft Auto V's arrival to Steam.

How could versions between 7th generation(Xbox 360, PS3) vs. 8th generation(Wii U, PS4, Xbox 720, Steambox, Project Shield) differ in terms of extras and quality?

GTA V is rumored to be Rockstar's biggest game yet so I expect multiple discs will be needed for Xbox 360 and could even need two discs for PS3 version due to data issue. PS3 version of GTA V would be better than Xbox 360 due to PS3 use of blu-ray discs which have more space than DVDs plus quality could fare better due to more advanced hardware. PS3 would also be better if GTA V were to be digitally downloaded to the PS3 hard drive as PS3 consoles have been able to hold more space than competitors. I've heard Bioshock Infinite's Xbox 360 version had lower resolutions than PC and PS3 versions. Xbox 360 seems to be aging faster than Playstation 3 and Wii has already been succeeded by Wii U. The Wii U brings better picture than Xbox 360, only contributing towards Xbox 360's near retirement. PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii however won't be ready to retire for at least another three years but Playstation 3 could end up outlasting Xbox 306 and Wii. Resolutions and qualities could be lower than gaming PC versions.

PC, Wii U, Playstation 4, Xbox 720, Steambox, and Project Shield will remove data issues from GTA V(possibly except Wii U) and render better graphics and faster resolutions while enhancing gameplay thanks to new 8th generation gaming features. tablets/smartphones are being used to enhance gameplay and play as second screens. Nintendo Wii U Gamepad is a built in controller and tablet combined with touchscreen playability like any other tablet only it's merely a new style controller. Sony Playstation 4 will be able to use tablets and smartphones like second screens dubbed Playstation App with Playstation Vita being able to be used for most games as a controller. Wikipad design could be helpful as it combines convenient controller buttons and analog sticks with tablets. Playstation 4's Dualshock 4 controller has a touchpad on it but could it be used as a second screen? Probably not. Microsoft hasn't revealed Xbox 720 yet but for Xbox 360 it has Xbox Smart Glass which uses smartphones and tablets like second screens. Hopefully, Xbox 720 will have more gameplay features to it than meets the eye. Seeing the PS4 presentation online I saw how much graphics have been improved to the max with more photo realistic textures and polygons. Recent games can be compared differently to 2007 ones in terms of polygons and graphics. GDDR5 is the highest memory part for graphics and PS4 has 8GB RAM. AMD Radeon GPU is making gaming more advanced and with gaming PCs you can compare resolutions and graphics. tablet/smartphones could be used as dashboards or HUDs. Watch Dogs involves use of smartphone to manipulate electrics and using the Wii U Gamepad, Playstation App, and Xbox Smart Glass for 8th generation consoles you can feel the gameplay. I wonder how Grand Theft Auto V would feel like if it used Xbox 720's presumed illumiroom feature?

Question brought here is what DLC will come for which systems? DLC will take up more hard drive space and some DLC may not be available for all versions. DLC could include new stuff and even include entire state of San Andreas. though it could be released as an expansion pack. BTW, it would be nice to see an expansion pack or semi-sequal to Grand Theft Auto V such as new protagonists and stories with the entire San Andreas included. The expansion pack would use the same engine, gameplay, controls, and graphics as Grand Theft Auto V just like Vice City and San Andreas did after Grand Theft Auto III. Look at Episodes of Liberty City! Grand Theft Auto V's expansion packs or semi-sequals will be for 8th generation consoles(Wii U, PS4, Xbox 720, Steambox). Rockstar games has touted ideas of including Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas into one game for Grand Theft Auto VI! That would be an awesome concept but lots of data required and GTA VI would most likely be a Ninth Generation game.

Grand Theft Auto V is a HUGE game and is in need of new console ports. It would seem ridiculous not to include GTA V on 8th generation consoles since looking at BOTH GTA IV and V, you can see GTA V's graphics are more advanced than GTA IV. My prediction is GTA V would get it's highest rating on the Playstation 4 and Steambox simultaneously. President of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime wants to see a Wii U port of Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar is looking into this but not confirmed as of now.

Anyway, Grand Theft Auto V will see a release date of September 17, 2013 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 with next generation and PC ports coming just a few months after.

Future of video game consoles

The 7th generation of video gaming included three major consoles(Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii) and one Lesser known one(Zeebo). The 8th generation will include four new competitors(Valve Steambox, Nvidia Project Shield, Boxer8 Ouya, and Playjam Gamestick). Five will be major competitors(Nintendo Wii U, Sony Playstation 4, Microsoft Xbox 720, Valve Steambox, and Nvidia Project Shield) while two will be minor(Boxer 8 Ouya and Playjam Gamestick). However all new competitors have cloud/android based consoles wheres veterans Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft retain the present structure of home consoles as of the 2010's.

The newest entries marks a milestone in video gaming the same way as the fifth generation. Arguing Steambox, Ouya, Project Shield, and Gamestick aren't 8th generation consoles is like saying Phillips CD-I wasn't a 4th generation console. However, consoles should be judged based on mass market just like the 5th generation. The 5th generation classifies consoles by mass market status including major, minor, and non-mass. The 6th however had only four major ones compared to 15 total for fifth generation. The 7th would have roughly 5-7 total with there being three major, two minor, and other non-mass ones.

However, the future of video gaming includes cloud computing out normalizing disc drive consoles like the 32-64 bit era did when Sony Playstation outsold it's competitors. Sony Computer Entertainment acquired Gaikai in August of 2012 and Playstation 4 will be taking advantage of that. I wonder if Playstation 5 will be run like Steambox considering Valve and Sony both have cloud computing digital download programs Steam and Gaikai respectively. Gaikai could rise as the Steam of Playstation series. Future Playstations could be like cloud computers instead of disc drives where games would be downloaded more or less the same way as Steam. Sony already has android based software called Playstation Mobile which plays some past Playstation series titles and some others on your smartphone/tablet or Playstation Vita. Likely by the next generation, Sony will be ready to make Playstation 5 an android/Steambox based cloud computer home console.

Microsoft and Nintendo have the least involvement in android technology though Microsoft has Windows Phone and Windows Tablets. Nintendo however has no involvement with androids and judging on past game consoles, everyone of them since Nintendo 64 has lagged behind most or all competitors on technology. N64 was the last game console to use cartridges instead of discs like Playstation. Nintendo Gamecube and Wii both has tech weaknesses compared to competitors Sony and Microsoft. Although the Wii U has more competitive hardware, it will still be one of the weakest home consoles compared to competitors Sony, Microsoft, Valve, and Nvidia while being able to outrank only Boxer8 and Playjam. Microsoft does have a vast PC market and also has Windows and android software built into Windows Phones and Tablets. However, Microsoft doesn't seem to have much of a plan for expanding into the android market like Sony. Wonder what Xbox 720's successor will be like?

Development costs have been an issue in developing games. The reason Playstation was so successful was because developers could develop more to their games as discs had more power and space compared to cartridges the Nintendo 64 used. With the sixth and seventh generations, you couldn't see much of a difference with the exception of some Wii games vs. PS3 and Xbox 360 ports. With the fifth generation, you could notice the difference between a PS port and an N64 port, noticing Playstation ports have more advancement to them due to more data space while Nintendo 64 ports had less due to less data space. It actually cost less to develop a PS game than an N64 game. Development costs will lower with digital download technology while having security with Steam, OnLive, and Gaikai account based cloud computing. Sony considered making Playstation 4 digital download only but decided against it due to slower internet speeds in developing countries. If Ouya and Steambox become major success, Sony could make Playstation 5 Linux based.

Linux technology has changed computers since 1991 and hasn't gotten much attention since few to ten years ago. Steam is one such program to make Linux more recognized as the former is a digital download software developed by Valve for PC and Mac computers while extending to iOS, Android, and even Playstation 3 in some cases. Keep in mind that while Linux is a company of it's own, it also has a technology in computers after it, inspiring the touchscreen androids of our time. With Steambox, Project Shield, Ouya, and Gamestick coming to the console market, Linux must be given credit for inspiring androids and cloud computing.

If Apple, Google, and Amazon were to join the console wars in the ninth generation, it could see some of the most advanced technology in game consoles to date, discarding the discs used by veteran companies. In fact the fifth generation had only two cartridge based game consoles(Atari Jaguar, Nintendo 64) and both were veteran companies. It's quite possible for there to be a record for most major mass market consoles in the Ninth Generation should Apple, Google, Amazon, Sony, Microsoft, Valve, Nvidia, and Nintendo have consoles released. As for Boxer8 and Playjam however I can't really say much about successors to Ouya and Gamestick respectively since they haven't been released yet.

Based on history of video gaming, Sony will change media type from disc to cloud(Gaikai) with Playstation 5 the same way Sega did with Saturn and Dreamcast. Microsoft and Nintendo probably won't get on the same boat as their other anticipated competitors Sony, Valve, Nvidia, Apple, Google, and Amazon. Nintendo is the most successful gaming company in history but along with Microsoft is likely to have the last disc based consoles that are of traditional format now. All these major companies I've mentioned have their own digital download services with the exception of Nvidia. Nintendo however remains the only major company in the console wars to not have any Linux technology in their products. Microsoft however doesn't seem to be into any Linux technology in their gaming consoles considering Microsoft could make OnLive part of future Xbox consoles the same way Sony is trying to do so with Gaikai. Gaming PCs are expensive now but in the future their costs will be lowered much enough so that PC hardware could be made into many home consoles. Size will be reduced and performence will be better. When Xbox 360 came out, systems failed somewhat often with the red ring of fire.

Developers will find it easier to develop games for digital downloads since the limit on data will be how much hard drive space it will occupy. Xbox 360 games of enormous size such as La Noire require multiple discs but with a high end gaming PC and Steam you just need some hard drive space of the game's size. Bioshock Infinite will require 20GB hard drive space. Grand theft Auto V is intended to be larger than Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption, and Grand theft Auto San Andreas combined. Sadly enough, GTA V is only confirmed for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and BOTH versions could have more than one disc. Playstation 3 discs are blu-ray so PS3 is for those larger games but gaming PCs as of now have the best system specifications. Although Wii U has more advanced graphics than it's predecessor generation consoles(Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii), it has already been outmatched by Playstation 4, Xbox 720, Steambox, and Project Shield.

Could Xbox 720 be the hardcore Wii U? Xbox 720 could have enhanced gaming features such as Kinect 2.0, illumiroom, and PC hardware.

The Croods Prehistoric Party review

Handheld: For Nintendo DS and 3DS Croods Prehistoric Party is a party game consisting of 30 Croods themed mini games. Mini games by the way play really good. Mini games included have variety in gameplay and up to four players can play with several Croods characters to choose from. What's also great about this game is controls and how functional they are. Graphics have great 3D effect to them and designs look great for Nintendo handheld consoles for DS and 3DS. I do however think AI players are too easy in some mini games and looks kind of tiny. Other hand here is it also feels like a platformer some of the times and you gain prehistoric points from finishing 1st-3rd in mini games which can be used to unlock new mini games. Lasting appeal however is short and though it's handheld, it is merely 30 mini-games but not like numerous other games of it's kind.

Home: For Nintendo Wii and Wii U, this game has not only the 30 mini games included with this game but a board game in which four players can play in and the objective being to get to the finish first. There are some spaces that you can either gain or lose shells, play one of three selected mini games for more shells, or ones that could set you back. There are also some nik-naks to collect for an advantage in the board game. Controls and gameplay are very decent and it gives that feel for a platforming game as well only it's actually a party game with 30 mini games and a board game of several different stock but well detailed environments such as Desert and Jungle. You'll have to earn prehistoric points in order to advance or unlock new mini games or board game environments. Both the Wii and Wii U versions play the same but the Wii U seperates itself with more crisp graphics and ability for one player to use the Wii U Gamepad. Can AI be too easy at times? Sometimes but not as much. Lasting appeal for this game is more on the home consoles than the handheld ones because of the board game mode which is called trailblazer. Another hunter/gatherer mode can be unlocked after completing the trailblazer mode.

Both versions do resemble the Croods with voice acting being included in the home consoles versions while the handheld versions lack voice acting. Both have good music though.

To be clear, all versions have all the mini-games. Differences include graphics for one as handheld versions have more grainy graphics but not bad ones while home consoles have smoother edges. However, the Wii U version has more crisp graphics that are better to look at than the Wii. 3DS has better graphics than DS due to 3D effects of the former. Controls for home console are mostly used by the Wii Remote alone while the Wii U version can have one player using the Wii U gamepad while other players use the Wii Remote. Going between versions and depending on what system you have, I suggest you select the Wii U version for home console should you have a Wii U but if you lack a Wii U console, then select the Wii version. For handheld version select the 3DS version unless you lack one.

Let's give this game a 87/100 rating.

Apple console ideas: From Start

Apple is a major competitor to Microsoft and now Google in PC software. Microsoft debuted it's Xbox series in 2001 with Apple and Google having smartphones and tablets play games.

Apple has a lot of great technology software including Mac OS X, Apple TV, and iOS mobile systems. What if these could be merged along with new game console software? What could Apple accomplish in terms of a home console?

Overview here would be Apple having not one but TWO home consoles simultaneously on console markets in order to target both console and PC gamers. The ordinary console would be called iPlay and the PC console would be called iGamac. iPlay would be the smaller, cheaper, and more casual compared to the more powerful, more expensive, and more hardcore iGamac.

iPlay would be roughly the same size as Apple TV, be low in cost like a home console, be a lot like Xbox series, have less hardware technology than iGamac counterpart, run more like iOS and Airplay, and be digital download using Apple stores. iPlay would be long the lines of a traditional home console but be iOS based with new home console software counterpart. iPlay would be made inspired by Xbox 360 and Wii U.

iGamac would be more powerful as a Mac computer, be larger in size like a Mac Book mini, more expensive, run more like a Mac OS X and Airplay, be a lot like Steambox series, and be digital download as well. iGamac is my kind of concept for competing with Valve. iGamac would be a competitor to Valve Steambox series. I say series since I'm talking about reserving iPlay and iGamac for Ninth Generation. IGamac inspiration will come from Mac OS X and Steambox.

Costs come into view as gaming PCs are expensive and the very first PC style console Valve Steambox is going to cost $999-$1750 so I propose Apple in an effort to compete with Valve and keep an ordinary console market like Nintendo, Playstation, and Xbox consoles at the same time release two different consoles simultaneously. I believe Apple can make a PC style console since it made Mac OS X computers and will have lots of experience in doing so while catering to iOS players in making a home console like the iOS but as compact as Apple TV. Mac players could use a Steambox and that's where Apple competes.

Hardware question comes to play with what size and specifications will these two Apple consoles come to. iPlay will be more casual and ordinary in nature only requiring digital downloading the same way you do for apps and run on a new Apple home console version of iOS. Both iPlay and iGamac presumably will be able to install App Store content only as Apple does not allow any non-Apple software to be used for Apple products. iGamac will most likely be larger than the iPlay. iPlay size will resemble Apple TV and iOS wheres iGamac will resemble Mac OS X. Question of memory and graphics for these systems is undecided since I predict they will have to wait until Ninth Generation in 2018 but iGamac will be more powerful as a Mac than iPlay.

Software for both iPlay and iGamac will most likely use Apple Software only as Apple has a near zero tolerance policy of having Apple software only for Apple products. The question of indie games comes to mind as iPlay will most likely be for casual gamers while iGamac will be geared towards hardcore gamers. iPlay will most likely resemble Ouya while iGamac will resemble Steambox. Apple would have to make a new software operating system for game consoles but being inspired by iOS and Mac OS X systems.

Games would be done through digital downloads with iPlay having most games similar to the ones that can be played on Ouya and Wii U with more room for hardcore games. iGamac would have many hardcore games at higher definitions with PC/Mac level performence. Highly rated games such as Need For Speed Most Wanted 2012, Grand theft Auto 5, Bioshock Infinite, Saints Row IV, DriveClub, Infamous Second Son, Assassins Creed IV, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Watch Dogs, Lego City Undercover, and Disney Infinity could easily be made as inspirations for games to be made for late 8th Generation-9th Generation consoles like iGamac while iPlay could be able to do nearly all of these but be the Wii U/Xbox 360/Ouya of the Ninth Generation coming in 2018. iPlay would be more tuned for indie and casual games such as ones that were usually made for the Wii. Some games could be played cross platform while others are ported to just one of the Apple consoles. Cross Platform play would be similar to PS3-PS Vita relationship of games where you could cross platform play certain games having both versions and being certified for such use. Apple could do the same thing for certain certified iPlay/iGamac games. Cross platform play could be made more possible should Apple use cloud based technology in accounts and digital downloads(like Steam and OnLive). Games have already been developed for iOS and Androids so taking iOS, Apple TV, and Mac OS X are a great idea.

Controls could resemble tablets but include button functionalities like the Wikipad has. Airplay can play iOS games on Apple TV with controls working the same way as it would for iOS. You can use certain gamepads for iOS and Android systems which is what should be made. Wikipad not only is a gaming tablet but has a built in controller which is what the design should be based on for iPlay and iGamac controls. Controls for both systems will be the same. What should be accomplished is using motion sensing technology like Microsoft Kinect, Playstation Move, and Wii Remote by making the iPlay/iGamac gamepads a lot like the Wii U Gamepad in terms of touchscreen controls and moving of the gamepad with response. Another twist that most Wii U games don't have is having an active dashboard such as the inside of a car you're racing in a racing game or an aircraft in a fighting game. Not only that but have the opportunity to have some of those functions be touchscreen ones as some Wii U games require.

Making iPlay in between Ouya and Wii U is critical in order to make costs low enough to cater to casual and some hardcore gamers since Ouya can play OnLive games which include many hardcore titles while Wii U is more competitive than the Wii was for hardcore gamers. iGamac will feature more advanced features such as multimedia capabilities. iGamac could function a lot like Apple TV and OS X without compromise. Games have been developed for Mac computers so Apple should have some experience here and make iGamac lot like a Mac computer that is primarily for gaming. Apple will finally make Valve's nightmare come true. Modding could be available for iGamac. who knows. iGamac could transform home consoles to PC quality at lower costs in the future.

Input would most likely be HDMI as analog outputs are becoming obsolete and video display is nearing 720p-1080p.

Overall, this is just overview of what iPlay and iGamac would be like, taking inspirations from Nintendo Wii U, Apple Mac OS X, and Microsoft Xbox 720.

Apple, Google, and Amazon console ideas

We've seen Valve, Nvidia, and two other lesser known companies(Boxer8 and Playjam) join in console wars to compete against Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. But what about Apple, Google, and Amazon? How could game consoles made primarily by them be a reality. Apple, Google, and Amazon have operating systems of their own for smartphones, tablets, and computers. Apple has iOS for smartphones/tablets and Mac OS for Computers. Google has Nexus for smartphones/tablets and Chrome for computers dubbed Chromebook. Amazon has Kindle Fire for tablets.

First question here is what media format will these consoles be? Valve, Nvidia, Boxer8, and Playjam all have digital downloading for media, leaving out any disc drives. I assume Apple, Google, and Amazon will have digital downloading only. Download streaming services here most likely will include Google Play, iTunes, OnLive, Steam, Gaikai, Playstation Mobile, and Amazon Appstore.

Second question is will what gameplay lines will they follow. Apple is the strongest, Google midway, and Amazon the weakest. Valve state's it's most serious competition will be from Apple.

Apple could use this weakness of Valve to create a Mac style game console that is digital download using Apple software while making hardware as powerful as a Mac OS. Combining Apple products would be a great idea for making an awesome PC/Mac style gaming console inspired by Apple TV, Mac, and iOS systems. Of course, Apple could simply release two variants of their new console with one being ordinary and the other being Mac based calling them iPlay and iGamac respectively. This way gamers could choose between being economical by having a gaming console that is not expensive yet works just well enough to play games like on a regular console; and luxury Mac which is for PC/Mac gamers that want ultra high performance that can reach Steambox standards with enhanced graphics and definition yet don't mind spending more money than regular console gamers. If Apple goes with this, it will be the second(after Atari's 2600-5200 consoles in second generation) gaming company to offer more than one home console for the same gaming generation. Apple will be catering to both ordinary and PC gamers going with the two console plan of mine, giving gamers a choice between a low cost iOS console vs. a higher cost Mac OS console. Apple should also enhance iTunes to make it like Cloud Computing Game Streamers like Steam, OnLive, and Gaikai for examples. This way Apple can be more competitive than Valve while offering options in type of console(which will both be digital downloads). Plus, controls could be more integrated between an Xbox 360 controller and a tablet(like the Wii U Gamepad and Wikipad).

Google is marked now as the third to have their own PC software. Chrome is the software for computers that Google uses. Google uses Nexus for it's smartphones and tablets which are also known as androids. Google also has a streaming service rivaling iTunes dubbed Google Play. Could Google do what Nintendon't? With all the Google technology out there, Google could enhance it's gameplay to the max and even enhance gameplay for it's time. Nintendo was the very first with it's Wii to have motion sensing as a major control scheme. Google could be the first to go Occulus Rift on gaming, thereby adapting virtual reality to playability, something that failed with Virtual Boy of the mid 1990's. My anticipation here would be Google console being digital download using it's Chrome and Nexus android systems together in making Google Chromeplay. Could Google also have games made for it's Chrome computers just like Microsoft Windows? If so, it would probably be digital download through Google Play and Steam. However, it won't be for another few years or so or probably not possible if graphics are not made for gaming. Controls for Google could be tablet like with the same button functionalities like Wikipad and biometric data. Chromeplay should it see it's debute probably won't be released in the 8th generation of gaming. I believe Google can do what Nintendon't.

Amazon also has tablet software dubbed Kindle Fire which is not just about e-books but also downloads android games and music. If Amazon were to make a console, it would be like Project Shield and Ouya combined. Amazon's console could be called Kindle Fire Play. If Amazon were to have a home console, it should be alot like PSOne in design only lighter by having a flip screen, an HDMI port, and a controller port to the system(like the Gamestick as well). Or just have it look like the Wikipad instead. However, it should be up to Amazon to decide such. Amazon would most likely emulate Project Shield in design.

I don't expect there to be consoles of these in 8th generation but I expect the 9th generation will begin in 2018 which gives 5 years to make these ideas reality. All but one present console manufacturer has some kinds of android based tablet/smartphone/mobile device software and the exception to this is Nintendo. The Nintendo 64 was the last home console to be cartridge based. However all console manufacturers have consoles with the ability of digital downloading software.

I Anticipate that either the 8th or 9th generation will be the last one to have disc based consoles before advancing to digital downloading and cloud computing. Sony already has cloud computing program called Gaikai and Playstation Mobile. I anticipate future Playstations will be cloud computer based ones. Microsoft is also hiring former OnLive employees so a Microsoft purchase of OnLive just like Sony Computer Entertainment's purchase of Gaikai would be ideal. OnLive would be better run should Microsoft purchase it(in my opinion). If all major companies(Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Valve, Nvidia) release successors to their 8th generation consoles, there will be 8 major competitors adding Apple, google, and Amazon to the console wars if my prediction comes true, making 9 major consoles in the 9th generation.

Why Ouya, Steambox, and Project Shield deserve same console status as Wii U, Playstation 4, and Xbox 720

Once I tried editing the History of video games(eighth generation) by adding Ouya on the comparison charts next to Nintendo Wii U but was edited out. Plus, I also posted a link to eighth generation consoles on Ouya page of Wikipedia but it was edited out. Seriously? Plus, Microsoft does not consider Valve's Steambox to be a major competitor. You kidding me with that? Valve is just confident Steambox will be more superior to Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. Nvidia revealed Project Shield this Winter. This is a powerful android based handheld console able to stream games from PC, can play on the TV using an HDMI cable, and play's like Xbox 360 controller.

Ouya is an android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS console that will cost only $99(just 1/11 of Basic Steambox). It will only have digital downloads but will use OnLive as the main cloud computing service for games as well as Ouya software. For example, La Noire, Saints Row 2-3, Crazy Taxi, Mafia II, Driver San Francisco, and many more with as many as over 300 titles. Twitch TV is also available as it is video game broadcasting and chat community allowing players to watch in game footage live and recorded gameplay footage via it's online video gaming platform. Sony Playstation 4 will have it's own similar option called "Share". Ouya will require all games being available for Ouya to be Free-To-Play in someway with examples ranging from demos, DLC, season passes, online features, etc. This would explain why Ouya chose OnLive as it's main clud computing service since OnLive has the most Free-To-Play aspects ranging from demos to rentals. The Difference between Ouya and Zeebo is Ouya will change the outcome of gaming consoles just like Steambox and Project Shield are planning on doing. Ouya is just not from one of those major companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony for examples. Ouya will be one of the cheapest major consoles in video gaming history should it get the recoignition it deserves. Ouya plays like it's competitors but is smaller than them in size.

Gamestick is another Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS console which is the size of a flash drive, will be $79, and like Ouya is made by a lesser known company(PlayJam). Why should Gamestick be considered an 8th generation console? Gamestick will have the same media type as Ouya but will be a flash drive that sticks into any HDMI port, making it playable on the TV. What games will Gamestick be able to play? Memory specs are identical to Ouya(1GB Memory, 8GB Hard Drive) but has a different graphics provider. I Don't Know much about Gamestick's game's exactly as of now. I do think for sure that Gamestick will play the same kind of games played on smartphones/tablets.

Project Shield made by Nvidia is a handheld/home console that was revealed this Winter. Project Shield would be the most superior handheld console to date, making Gameboy look like a mini antique. This will be the first handheld console aside from smartphones/tablets to be more powerful than one of it's same generation(ex. Wii U, Ouya, Gamestick). Project Shield, Ouya, and Gamestick are android consoles rivaling traditional ones Wii U, Playstation 4, and Xbox 720 with Steambox being in PC gaming catagory. Project Shield will be able to play PC games as well as having Steam and Google Play for downloading games. Android consoles are the future and are just as important as Playstation was in the mid 1990's. Nvidia is a major graphics producer and it has lots of money. Project Shield will be able to play some of the same games you would play for PC(Steam) and Androids(Google Play). Project Shield is a gaming android and micro gaming PC packed into one handheld size. that's saying alot! Wi-Fi connection is satisfactory here. Project Shield is the works merging PC and Android gaming thanks to steam and Google Play's software support. Project Shield is like a micro Steambox packed to be a gaming only android.

Steambox is a PC style game console which I presume will be digital download only using Steam Software. Not only is Steam streaming games and using accounts for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS systems, but it will also have its own home console. Price however ranges between $999-$1750 depending on which of the three models(128GB, 256GB, 512GB) you choose. Pre-orders are being taken and Xi3 will make the Steambox hardware and I presume it will be the same size and even final hardware like Piston made by Xi3. Valve will take full responsibility for planning and layout of software and some hardware specifications while Xi3 will be manufacturing the Pistons for Steambox. Xi3 is Valve's partner in the console wars and while Valve is the brains, Xi3 is the braun and together this duo will make a super console capable of playing most of the games found on current consoles or PCs. The four H's of this power machine include Hard Core Gaming, High-Performance Computing, Home Theater and Media, and Home Automation Count. So compact in size yet so much more powerful than the Three Disc based console manufacturers(Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft). Could Steambox be the Playstation of the 2010's-2020's? Already more powerful than Playstation 4. Or is it? Anyway, this is a digital download gaming and home theater combined, paving way for future of media with easy conversion of software.

The 8th generation can be compared to the 5th generation in the following ways: The 5th generation had 13 mass market consoles but only five gained major status(3DO, Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn, Playstation, and Nintendo 64). If Wii U, Ouya, Gamestick, Playstation 4, Xbox 720, Project Shield and Steambox are counted as home consoles the 8th generation will have between 5-7 mass market consoles with at least five being major ones. The 5th generation made a big leap forward from cartridges to CD-ROM discs as three of the big five(3DO, Saturn, Playstation) compared to the other two which stayed on cartridges(Jaguar, N64). Playstation however was the only one of these to make a major difference in the media type of consoles as it sold over 102 million copies total in it's lifespan. Nintendo 64 only sold around 32 million with Saturn selling just 10 million; The 8th generation would have four digital download consoles(Ouya, Gamestick, Project Shield, Steambox) and three disc based ones(Wii U, Playstation 4, Xbox 720). Due to Steambox's high price and being the highest of all consoles, it will have more difficulties in being as successful as the Playstation was. However, Steambox will be the most powerful console of the 8th generation pack. Pricing differences are different between generations as 5th generation cartridge based consoles cost less than the disc based ones with Nintendo 64 and Atari Jaguar being $199.99 and $249.99 at launch respectively(making them the cheapest major consoles) compared to Playstation price tag of $299.99 but not as expensive as the not so commercially successful Sega Saturn and 3DO price tags of $399.99 and $700 respectively. The price line from lowest to highest for 8th generation will be Gamestick($79), Ouya($99), Project Shield(est.$169-$249), Wii U($299-$349), Xbox 720($350-$400), Playstation 4($400-$450), Steambox($999-$1750). The cheapest consoles are the android based ones with the disc ones midway and PC style consoles being the most expensive. The low cost will make android based consoles more appealing just like CD based ones were for developing games and data.

Android/digital download consoles have numerous advantages comparing in a smaller/lighter size than current disc consoles plus less cost unless you had a PC style one like Steambox. The problems of having discs will be erased with Ouya, Gamestick, Project Shield, and Steambox. Project Shield and Steambox will be game changers for video gaming just like Playstation was. You can however digitally download games for regular consoles which started on a major scale with the Xbox 360 and expanded to Playstation 3 and Wii. Unlike disc drive consoles, android/digital download consoles are lighter and easier to download games to with the security you need in account based cloud computing so games don't get lost along with the lost or destroyed console. Plus, transfering games has never been so easy. Did you know that if you logged onto your Steam account from one computer to another, you can also played the games saved from your previous computer. Memory storage such as saved games is included inside the Steam app. Steambox in my opinion will be a lot like the Playstation in terms of historical contribution despite being the most expensive but worth the money.

What defines a home console? Definition in my words means any hardware that is primarily for gaming and is meant to played on the TV. Ouya, Gamestick, and Steambox are primarily for gaming and are to be played on the TV. Project Shield is in between a handheld and home console which could revolutionize the size of home consoles and make their ordinary form handheld physically but home console playable as Project Shield can be played on the TV using an HDMI port. Plus, Ouya is one of those open consoles which any developer could make games for provided they have Free-To-Play content. With the 8th generation, nearly every console will have a game changing role in how media and gameplay are put into play.

As the 5th generation went, the 6th generation featured the Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo Gamecube which were all disc based though PS2 and Xbox were DVD-ROM with Dreamcast then Xbox becoming the first home consoles to feature online multiplayer. The 7th generation introduced updating software which was first commonly used for Xbox 360 with it's competitors Playstation 3 and Wii having the same things. The 8th generation of gaming will include biometric controls, touchscreens, HDMI, and android based systems.

What about Apple, Google, and Amazon? Don't they have awesome operating systems of their own? It would be nice to see an Apple, Google, and Amazon home consoles using their operating systems. They would use the android based systems with Apple using iOS, Google using Chrome, and Amazon using Kindle Fire, making improvements for home console hardware. They don't even need to manufacture these themselves but just follow Steambox's lead. However, I'm not counting on these being a reality for 8th generation but for it's next one(9th generation). These can use cloud computing and maybe Apple will initiate a new service for video games dubbed iGames.

Lego City Undercover review

For the Wii U, this Wii U exclusive crime busting game follows the story of Chase McCain, a rookie turned undercover cop whose main mission is to capture Rex Fury, an escaped criminal mastermind who is terrorizing Lego City in this crimewave.

Gameplay consists of open world play where you can freely explore Lego City when not in middle of mission. Cars can be driven like normally and there are several dozen of them around the city. You can also smash stuff to collect blocks for building vehicles at ports later on and collect nuts to revitalize your character(Chase McCain) health. There are no guns in this game but Chase instead knocks down criminals then handcuffs them, making them disappear shortly afterwards(presumably to jail). The Wii U Gamepad is the only controller you will need in this game since it acts like a special tablet computer & makes you feel like it's reality. Using it as an HUD, GPS, Skype-style phone, print scanner, & criminal tracker. Though it's coloring looks like it's somewhat in negative, it's still great to play on. The gamepad works like a tablet/smartphone in game. The tablet Chase uses looks like a Wii U Gamepad/Apple Tablet without button controls. Chase also uses various disguises which have different abilities such as officer uniform using grappling hook and robber using a crowbar and safecracker. Blue/White Legos indicate that Chase can climb onto places unreachable otherwise. Collect enough blocks and can unlock call in stations to create new vehicles. Super bricks can be found to give you enourmous amount of building blocks(which is like a currency for enabling call in stations which can be found all over the map).You can purchased cars and disguises you've unlocked at the Lego City Police Station desks where you use your Lego nuts to purchase them. What's great about this game is mass variety and more of what you expect from a Lego video game.

Story is Chase returns from overseas to Lego City & finds out Rex Fury has escape & that his love interest Natalie is still in witness protection(as she is a witness set to testify against Rex Fury). The Mayor tells Chase that Rex Fury is at large somewhere in the city & has escaped from Albatrose Island prison. Chase is tasked with catching criminals while his final goal will be to capture Rex Fury & ensure Natalie makes it through safely. His former partner Officer Dunby is now chief of police. Chase has a first mate officer named Frank Honey, who has a crush on Ellie Phillips, the police scretary.

Graphics and environments look amazing for a Lego game as it looks like major effort was put into it. No wonder it was delayed passed it's anticipated Holiday 2012 release to March 18, 2013. This is the most creative and most hard at work Lego game ever made as it manages to combine real city life with Lego building architecture. It has the feel of something real with Lego architecture made into it. Buildings and structures are made almost perfectly. Graphics if you noticed look crisp, detail you wouldn't be able to render with previous generation consoles.

Overall, this game is an awesome Grand Theft Auto clone without Mature rated content since in this game there's no blood and gore like in Grand Theft Auto IV and Saints Row The Third. This game is rated Everyone 10+. A Great Grand Theft Auto open world type game with New Super Mario Bros U style platforming and content.

Gripes I have here are the lack of multiplayer, long loading times, and some stiff camera angle movements.

Rating for this game: Gameplay=8.9, Graphics=9, Story=8.9, Lasting Appeal=8.7. Overal combined rating is 8.9/10

8th Generation Console Wars

The 7th generation is still in effect with all three major competitors Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3, & Nintendo Wii still in production for at least three to four more years with the 6th generation meeting it's final retirement of Sony Playstation 2 on January 4, 2013. The 8th generation is ready to take the stage over the aging 7th generation.

The 8th generation is not only just between Nintendo, Sony, & Microsoft but Valve, Boxer8, & Nvidia will join the ranks for 8th generation console wars. The 8th generation features a leap in controls such as touchscreen controls(example is Wii U Gamepad) & more crisp graphics. Though four have been revealed as of now, there will be six consoles in this console war. Nvidia's Project Shield is however a handheld console physically but is as practical as a gaming PC.

Here's a list of consoles in order of release or predicted release dates:

Nintendo
Wii U
Released on November 18(NA), November 30(AUS, EU), & December 8(JP) 2012. Looking at the Wii U I was amazed at how awesome it was for it's advanced graphics, feasibility, enhanced gameplay with the touchscreen Wii U Gamepad, & overall design. Comparing Wii U to Xbox 360, Wii, & Playstation 3, Wii U outmatches all three in everything with the exception of storage capacity, losing to Playstation 3 & some versions of Xbox 360. While the Wii U is more competitive than Playstation 3 & Xbox 360 & certainly it's own predecessor the Wii, Wii U will certainly have heavier competition, facing a more powerful Playstation 4, Xbox 720, Project Shield, & Steambox while at the same time beating Ouya. Wii U can be compared in similarities as the Sega Dreamcast of it's time. Both Wii U & Dreamcast ports of games had better graphics than their previous generation counterparts. This is not to say that Wii U will face an early retirement like Dreamcast did. Wii U is just as capable & even more so than Xbox 360 & Playstation 3 of rendering state of art graphics, being easy for developing hardcore games like the ones played on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, & Microsoft Windows, & easier features such as downloading updates & scrolling through Nintendo eShop. The Wii U is backwards compatable with Wii optical discs but has it's own Wii menu right inside the Wii U menu. Wii games can only play Wii peripherals such as Wii remote, classic controller, balance board, etc. However, depending on games playing Wii U is compatable with ALL Wii peripherals. Pro Controller is an Xbox 360 style controller for the Wii U & though it is used less in games than Wii remote, it still is made for the type of games usually played on Xbox 360 style systems like Call of Duty Black Ops II. A major improvement from the Wii to Wii U is that the latter can render the same or better versions of the games ported to it than Xbox 360 & Playstation 3. For example, Call of Duty Black Ops II, Assassins Creed III, Sonic & All Stars Racing, Need For Speed Most Wanted 2012, FIFA 13 to name some examples. These are not just some watered down versions that they would be like if they were for the Wii but even better ones with a crisp difference in graphics, enhanced gameplay, & a fresh start for anyone who is into state of art technology in gaming like I am. However, I expect Wii U will tremble behind competitors in technology but the Wii U will remain special in it's own ways while being something the Wii wasn't. I heard Watch Dogs & Assassin Creed's IV will have Wii U ports. More features include Nintendo TVii, Miiverse, Wii U Chat, internet browser, Nintendo eShop, & Miimaker.

Boxer8
Ouya
To be released June 2013 on retail. Ouya is a digital download Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system console as small as a shrunken Nintendo Gamecube. Ouya is one of those lesser known consoles but is as important as Wii U. Ouya will be the smallest or second smallest console in 8th generation but will be as competitive as competitors thanks to it's connection with OnLive gaming service. Ouya does have it's own software & has less GB than Wii U. However, Ouya can play the same kind of games played on an Xbox 360 thanks to OnLive which plays games like Saints Row The Third, Crazy Taxi, Driver San Francisco, Sleeping Dogs, etc. Over 300 OnLive titles to choose from! What disappoints me is how Ouya is not being treated with the same type of recognition as Wii U such as not having a slot in the 8th generation comparison table on Wikipedia. It does however have a link to it on the bottom of the page with 8th generation consoles bar catagory. Ouya requires some free to play elements in games such as demos, rentals(like OnLive), DLC, or other. Ouya will cost a cheap $99.

Sony
Playstation 4
Playstation 4 is said to be the most advanced console revealed to date. Memory is said to be 8GB GDDR5, the highest possible of any computer, mostly found in gaming PCs such as Alienware. Raedon AMD graphics will be included here & graphics for this system are said to be the most advanced to date. The controller is Dualshock 4, which features a touchscreen & a share button to record game footage from your controller. This makes the PS4 have more advanced features than Xbox Live for 360. Over dozen titles have been announced for this system with more to come. The titles I'm eying right now for PS4 are Driveclub & Watch Dogs. More display & control features include Playstation Apps allowing for tablets/smartphones to be played as second screens, Playstation Vita for Sony's Remote Play, Playstation Move, & Playstation 4 Eye camera which has more advanced camera angle views & is between Kinect & Move functionalities. It's like having Kinect but with convienent button functionalities not found in Kinect games. Gaikai will be used as a claud streaming service for this console as well as sometime later on being able to stream Playstation, Playstation 2, & Playstation 3 titles. Loading times are virtually non existent thanks to technology which loads the momentarily unnecessary content while you play what is necessarily in front of you. I have never heard of that before. Unsure how Playstation 4 will rank but I do know that it has already defeated Nintendo Wii U & Ouya but has yet to beat Xbox 720, Steambox, & Project Shield.

Microsoft
Xbox 720
Yet to be revealed, possibly on April 26. This will be Microsoft's third generation in the Xbox series, making this the third currently longest running home console manufacturer to date, just behind Nintendo & Sony(even considering fact that 7th generation was just between these three). Playstation 4 is ready to outmatch Xbox 360 but Microsoft has opportunity to make Xbox 720 better than Playstation 4. Examples include specs of 8GB of RAM which is what PS4 has, DDR5, built in Kinect, illumiroom, USB 3.0, HDMI, three times more processing power than Xbox 360, etc. Xbox 720 will be on competition with Playstation 4. I've been reading Xbox 720 has been searched more than PS4 overall but will Xbox 720 become the master of 8th generation gaming? What else is better is for the controller of this to be revealed. Xbox 720 will be revealed April 26 in my opinion & will be released same time as Playstation 4. Nobody wants to be behind here & Sony & Microsoft are behind Nintendo for now.

Nvidia
Project Shield
Revealed January 7, 2013 as a handheld/home console. Well, Project Shield has the physical appearence of a portable Android attached to an Xbox 360 controller while being as capable as a gaming PC. Nvidia graphics & PC capabilities, this will blow 3DS & Vita to shame. Project Shield can stream Steam & Google Play games onto it from PC or android devices or simply download these from their services directly to the device. I'm unsure whether some Steam/Google Play games will have their own ports to distinguish between certain PC games as there's a difference between Grand Theft Auto III vs. Grand Theft Auto IV in sense of achievements & control structures. However, Shield runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. It has a flip over touchscreen & an HDMI port to play on a TV screen plus easy Wi-Fi connections. Project Shield is like having as handheld that acts like a gaming PC but is the size of a handheld.

Valve
Steambox
Valve is not afraid of Nintendo, Sony, & Microsoft. Valve will soon enough start testing & revealing it's PC style Steambox console. It will act like a gaming pc, be lighter than a Wii U, & will be ready for testing in 3-4 months. This PC console will be convienent like a home console but perform like a gaming PC. Valve's Steambox will compete mainly with Wii U, Playstation 4, Xbox 720, Ouya, & Project Shield. Media format here will most likely be digital downloads & use the Steam software. For example, you might have to have a Steam account & download games from Steam in order to play them on Steambox. It's Linux based & Microsoft Windows is optional. Xi3 will be making the Pistons for Steambox. Microsoft is saying Steambox is not a home console but I say Steambox is beyond traditional home consoles while at the same time feeling like a home console but acting like a PC. Steambox will have many things Xbox 720, Playstation 4, & Wii U wont such as ability of modding content like you can on PC. PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV you can somewhat easily mod content for this game but requires some programs first. Gaming PCs are the most advanced of gaming lines compared to home consoles like Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, & even Wii U. Though PS4 will be more advanced than most gaming PCs available, PCs are steps ahead of current home consoles available now. If Valve's Steambox becomes a market success, it predicts itself to be the top of the chain, infantizing Nintendo, Sony, & Microsoft for their inferiority compared to Valve's PC superiorness! Though Valve has no worries from competition of Nintendo, Sony, & Microsoft, Valve does worry about competition from Apple. Since Microsoft makes it's own PC software, making a future Xbox like a PC with Windows on it should be considered. Plus, Google has it's own PC software dubbed Chrome, citing Google Chromebook.

Apps for March 5, 2013

Monsters inc. storybook follows the movie of the same name but is more like a short story form than a movie. It does have a few scenes from the movie in a few of the pages. Visual effects for this along with sounds are authentic. Reminding you to also click on scare power tanks to collect monster trading cards to play the mini game with the objective of avoiding obstacles(children's toys) & scaring the simulation child once reached. Audiofor this game is great as it actually copied the voice acting from the movie for some lines. This storybook for tablets showed the most important parts of the story & avoided details to keep it short. Character designs are done well.

Digi...Blasters is a live action interactive story which has to do with sums. A story about a cute rocker girl & two alien friends on their quest to sign up for battle of the bands. However, they must blast astroids to get to sign up in very short time. It's not much really & more is unlocked through subscription. Although this is supposed to be live action, I really like how that girl looks. She looks sweet for her type. However, the live action display looks like standard definition. Also, the segments will continue to play automatically over & over until you flip down the upper dashboard & click the right arrow to move to the activity.

 Sophia The First Story Book by Disney Digital Books. What can you say about this heartwarming story about a young girl whose beautiful mother marries a handsome king & Sophie must adapt to being a princess. Sophia is met with warm kindness but problems arise when she encounters magic she can't handle. This story has great Disney feel to it & visuals are great. Sounds make into the story book well & the story overall while not the one with an antagonist meeting traditional fate is still one that deserves praise for storytelling.

500 Hats of Batholemew Giddon by Dr. Seuss. This Dr. Seuss book comes to apps for narration & this story revolves around a boy who when taking off one hat, another one appears. The king is infuriated by this & seeks wise help from those who can help take off the boy's hat. Narration seems to not only be great in itself, but in narrating different voices. This app looks a lot like the ones you'd find in any traditional book.

Apps for Week of March 4, 2013

iPoe Vol 1  is written by Edgar Allen Poe. He lived from 1809-1848 & this particular story was written in 1842. Visuals look amazing & stories are spectacular. You can clearly see while reading of Poe's romanticistic novel stories. Sounds & music feel like the story & reading to me will never be the same of simply imagining what music the book comes with because the music is in the page you're reading! Detail put into this working title!

Presidents vs. Aliens is a simple game where you answer a multiple choice trivia question about U.S. Presidents, then slide the image coin of the correct president on the ipad. The objective is to knock down aliens on the screen by sliding president coin towards the aliens. Levels vary on difficulty & amount of aliens varies as well. For every three consecutive correct answers, you get a random power up. Backgrounds include landmarks of Washington D.C. You unlock a new president for every level completed which will unlock two new mini games depending on amount of presidents unlocked. A fun game to play despite being as simple as the ones found in the arcade during the 1980's & 90's. Only this time it's for a high tech app. So awesome is the simple gameplay here & display of presidential portraits in fine color either vintage for early presidents or modern for recent ones. I'm thinking of an idea for a Total Drama mini game based on this.

Captain Underpants finally came to app/android devices & is read in high quality by narrator. visual displays look great & reading is wonderful here as well with several mini games involved which are average to positive. Reading on the internet in front of computer or tablet is better for me than reading a traditional hardcopy book. The difference in visuals between the book & app is identical but the app has narration without having to align the reading to a tape recording. However, I felt the mini game controls were not feasible since you may find yourself struggling between tilting the tablet in a maze while trying to avoid mishaps when screen flips over.

MLB 13 The Show

Made for Sony Computer Entertainment consoles Playstation 3 & Playstation Vita. This is a baseball game & a great one I have to say. MLB looks authentic as ever in this great series as it looks to me from the start of it that:

Gameplay plays like baseball with mint condition controls, variety of features & gameplay options such as choosing rosters, selecting teams & baseball clothes, & seeing real rendered players from MLB. Far better than Nicktoons MLB! You can clearly see the more responsive controls when pitching & swinging as well as players running onto the field. It plays normally & is fun to watch if you love baseball. However, I get the feeling AI is just too easy & more of a challenge would be a great endeavor.

Graphics & Sounds look & sound authentic. Nothing I would change about the HD crisp graphics, which are identical in PS3 & PS Vita versions with Vita having more crisp. Announcers sound like MLB baseball announcers. Players look real & are real by the way. So real it's unreal.

Cross-play between PS3 & PS Vita using cloud computing gives you ability to play this on both PS3 & PS Vita. Saving between these two is possible.

Rating for this game is 8.7 out of 10