… financial justice.

Apparently the multiple Xbox 360’s, yearly subscription fees, 600 dollar Playstation 3 BluRay Player, equipment replacement costs are all fresh in the mind of EPIC VP Mark Rein.

In an interview you can freely read here at Eurogamer.net, Rein points out the the next generation of systems aren’t anywhere on the horizon.

And to that I can only say THANK GOD.

I mean the PS3 (thanks to the Xbox 360 fight pad) has suffered a tremendous drop in worth except being a BluRay Player and media center.

Outside of God of War 3 next year, the system may be in store for a monstrous drought. In 2008 after purchasing the PS3BRP I had the following logical thought process:

“So next year there should be Infamous, Uncharted 2, Ratchet and Clank, and God of War 3.”

The problem is now that Infamous has been played (and REVIEWED!), Uncharted 2 and Ratchet Clank have been dressed up for a fall release, and God of War 3 is slated to dislocate kneecaps in March, what is on the horizon?

Tough question.

The PS3BRP’s Nintendo 64-like game release rythym is a sign that Sony isn’t anywhere near its stride.

There’s no need for a PS4.

Unless its going to be 45 dollars.

Then I’m assuming the PS4 would just be an elaborate baseball cap…

Preemptive Note: I know most games are now available for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360. But if given the choice between a game on 360 running in 1080p, with superior graphics, and the installed friends list system that makes finding others to play with a snap and the game on PS3 in 720p, with choppy framerates and blurry textures its almost like having no second choice at all.

AND ..

Microsoft is not ready for another system either.

Very simply put.

Everything breaks.

The system shorts out. So do the video cards. The hard drives go sometimes. The disc drives also pass out. The controllers wear out. The headsets catch jungle diseases. There is a yearly charge for the online service. The XBLA games are now on average 11 dollars.

Microsoft can’t release a new system as much an Xbox 360 replacement kit for 75 dollars.

The amount of money spent per person on their Xbox 360 is much much higher than the original price concern, the 600 dollar PS3BRP.

Without purchasing any games at all. The Xbox 360 by now may have cost you somewhere around 750-800 dollars. Extra controllers are 60 dollars. Headsets. And possibly a replacement system itself. Xbox Live’s yearly charges. Microsoft points coming in bunches that require you to either go berserk and buy 65 dollars worth of points or constantly be spending 10 dollars to cover the difference since you’ll be 400 points short upon every XBLA release.

There is also the positive I don’t think everyone is fully aware of.

Graphically the 360 is hitting its stride. There are a multitude of graphically impressive games from different directions. I didn’t think the Maw would be so impressive. Nor did I think Ghostbusters would be anything special, only to be proven dead wrong. There are so many visually impressive games available, that there are two I respect but will never play, Street Fighter 4 and UFC. News of games being pushed back as to avoid Medal of Honor 12 in November brought relief to my ears. The Bigs is the best sports game I’ve ever played. BATMAN is shaping up well out of nowhere like Ghostbusters. The list goes on and on.

It’s been 3 years of this. Quality games coming out for a calendar year in a steady stream like a faucet.

So no need to break it by releasing the Xbox Whatever.

Preemptive Note #2: I know all of the games mentioned are coming out or are available for the PS3BRP. Please refer to Preemptive Note #1 for details.

-A.

I was thinking of purchasing a wrestling Pay Per View.

It was 30 dollars American.

Something gave me pause however.

As I am prone to do, I looked to see what is coming down the pike in terms of the major forms of entertainment (music, movies, games).

And I discovered there are an absolute ton of Xbox Live Arcade games coming.

Battlefield 1943 is already here and an absolute blast for 1200 points.

However, there is the matter of Shadow Complex, EPIC’s XBLA offering.

Or the remake of Turtles in Time.

Or Alien Breed Evolution.

Not to mention that Mark of the Wolves and King of Fighters ‘94 are sitting and idling in the marketplace.

So now I am seeing it may be prudent to purchase about 6000 Microsoft points for the future.

Just giving fair warning.

Between the now annual deluge of XBLA titles in August and BATMAN (which is so hotly anticipated I will capitalize every letter of the word BATMAN) it would be wise to set aside some dollars and cents.

-A.

P.S.

BATMAN.