What are you playing?

[Ap2000]

Valve announced "Steam family sharing":
<a href="http://store.steampowered.com/sharing/" ... haring/</a>
 
This sounds pretty interesting, if done right.
The closed beta is starting next week, so we'll see if it's similar to what MS wanted to do with the None.

[Melon]

Too lazy to quote, but RE: VLR
-Many branches are not available until you either bad end or character end the other routes. In some cases, you will get a To Be Continued ending, that will become available once you finish the other branches. Pretty much the right side branch should be played after completing the left side. Not that it spoils, but you'll hit a roadblock pretty early on that will force you to the other branches.
- I wish I could play that game again for the first time. It's one of my top gaming experiences of my life.
-You'll see how it connects to 999 in a certain character's end, but also note, if you get a gold folder for each puzzle you get additional scenes at the end.
-DAT MINDFUCK ENDING It was like 45 minutes of constant HOLYSHIT
 
I finished Sweet Fuse By Your Side:
It's listed as an otome game, but I think the romance aspect of it is rather weak and not something apparent until the last two chapters of the story. Like Hakuoki was, I think it's more of a visual novel with light romance that happens to feature a female perspective rather than male. Honestly, there's a bigger focus on romance in your average superhero film.


Overall I think it's a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon. It's not the greatest VN, but for the most part it is enjoyable. Note that it's a straight VN, so there is no gameplay problem solving even though you have "trap rooms" like in 999 or VLR. The only real thing I think people would hold against it is that it's not... VN enough to feel like  a true VN because it's very short.
 
So you play as Kenji Inafune's niece Saki Inafune. Kenji made a sweet video game theme park and on its opening day it's taken over by a pig terrorist and it's up to you and your companions to survive his game and get out alive with the hostages (and maybe grab yourself a nice husbando by the end)
 
The first three chapters are where you get your taste of the men and decide which route you want to be locked on by chapter 4 (based on your affection meter). I will note that Saki going ballistic (she gets mad several times throughout the game and you get a choice to blow your top or restrain yourself, which is quite refreshing compared to the doormat leads nearly all otome games have\) on the characters was great because you got a couple of Phoenix Wright "GAH!" sprites out of it. Each dude has his own perspective and "special" side to the story, which helps fill in the mystery of why it happened. There's six regular, along with one mystery/secret character. So here's my review of the husbandos and their respective story arcs:
 
Wakasa - the shota of the group. I did not want to play his arc at all. But I read up on the game, and it was recommended to do his storyline first to sort of "keep the mystery of the game alive" so I went through it.
BORING PUSSY ASS BITCH CHARACTER
Okay, so if you get off on being a mother figure or taking care of whiny ass babies this guy is for you. He's a member of Shounen Jidai Junior (hahahaha okay that is funny) and his story arc is about how he lacks courage to do anything and he sucks as a performer because smiling or some shit. He's annoying and since Watarashi features heavy in his storyline, I found myself going "Man Watarashi is badass! I wish I was on his arc." the entire time. I forgot how he ties into the grand scheme of things, but I don't give a shit to remember, so I'll say that you can skip him entirely and the game will not suffer for it. Oh, I forgot to add, he is so lame that there's a part where you're in a haunted hospital and the MC is all "I'm scared" and you get a quick CG with the highest affection dude saying something like "Don't be scared" and on Wakasa's route he's the scared one and the MC is the one that comforts him. LAME.
 
Meoshi - The shy character. I was dreading doing his too, but again, he was recommended second, so I did his next, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There are a couple of moments where the story is cute and even though he's a weakling, he still tries hard and doesn't whine like Wakasa did. His role in the grand scheme of things doesn't really matter to the storyline much, so he could be skipped too, but he's not as bad as Wakasa was, so if watching a hikkomori gamer grow out of his shell sounds cute to you, go for it. I also think of the "final challenges" he got the hardest one, though it's not like you actually play through it, but he got the raw end of the deal imo. It was also funny watching Wakasa act like a little bitch because the "idol" lost the girl to the "gamer freak".
 
Mitarashi - Ah yes, the best husbando. He's a host with the rebel personality, meaning that he gets shit done and is mad fierce when needed. He was fun to go through because his personality was more active in the storyline, so instead of whining and playing along to Pig Terrorist's whims, it was more "fuck the police let's rock this shit". He doesn't really play a huge role in the overall mystery though, so the fun of his storyline is more of watching his macho bravado than anything else. Since I like the macho bravado "A true man is ____!" archetypes, I had fun playing though his storyline despite him reinforcing the "Men love women who resemble their mothers" stereotype.
 
Urabe - BORING CHARACTER. Okay, I'll be honest - I played through his up until I found out how he fit in the overall mystery. Once I found that out, he went all yandere and I was all "NOPE I AIN'T GOING THROUGH ANOTHER WAKASA" so I had it on skip all and I let it sit there and picked whatever choice to get through it. His character design was freaky, his voice was freaky, he got all weird possessive creepy, and did I mention he's creepy? I'm kinda upset his last scene got the time skip with the older Saki as the last CG since I liked his second least (Wakasa yuuuuuuuuckkkk) So I would skip his storyline too. His "revelation" is pretty important, but it is mentioned in the other storylines so no biggie.
 
Shidou - Finally, I get to play another character I wanted to play! I found his arc pretty fun too. I guess he would fall under the "uptight one track mind clueless" archetype.
(Paraphrased) Highlight #1: Trying to flirt with Saki "Your face is so...round! Can I touch it?"
(Paraphrased) Highlight #2: Stuck in horror hospital with "heart monitors" that signal game over when they go too high "We're not the only ones in this maze. That scream was Towa (Wakasa). Imagine him screaming and running from that zombie. I know that sounds mean, but it's a funny image isn't it?" (Saki response: *snicker*)
Anyway, I enjoyed his storyline. You actually get the major revelations from Wakasa, Urabe, Mitarashi, and Meoshi in addition to his own in this storyline, so for those wanting to do a "speed" run, you could skip those arcs and go straight to his and miss none of the overall mystery/storyline. The actual romance in this storyline is downplayed until the very end, but it's still cute and his ending was the most doramatiku imo (We even got a new sound sample for her angry moment). He also got the best one liners from the other characters in his story arc too. But anyway, not much romance, gives away most of the plot, sounds good for our normal gamers to me.
 
 
Shirabe - The oldest of the bunch, and the most scruffy/adorable looking one. He had some great jabs in the other story arcs, so I hoped his arc would rank high on the humor meter, but sadly, it did not. It was a little weird because he has a daughter, and the end romance is all "She's going to be the Mother figure" and I'm like, "Girlfriend is only 18 and still in high school!" (Yes, I had no problem with the other older man relationships, but being a Mom is a litttttlllllllllllle more major than just dating an older dude imo) To make things worse, their time skip was only 3 months after the incident where it's implied that she's going to be the new Mom. Come on, three months? At least give us a year or two, sheesh. :| I'm disappointed that soured me on them, because the guy is one of my favorite characters in the game. Oh,  you learn the most information from his arc out of the regular cast, but you don't get much cast interaction doing his route like you do in Shidou's so I'd still recommend doing Shidou too.
 
Mikami - Oooh the secret character! It's easy to figure out who he is by process of elimination. Anyway, his is messed up but you finally find out the whole truth of everything. His ending is messed up too, and Saki's choice is a little.... smh. So you kinda have to play through his to learn the final bits of truth, but his arc is messed up, for realz, and Saki goes from being loveable to being an idiot. YOU ARE DUMB GIRLFRIEND, REAL DUMB.
 
 
 
Finaru Husbando Rankingu:
Mitarashi=Shidou>Meoshi>Shirabe>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Mikami>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Fuck those other bitches
 
The only ones needed to play for the entire story - Shirabe + Mikami

[neshcom]

^ I got Sweet Fuse a week ago or so and I ended up ignoring it for ZEVLR. My first run was Meoshi (my little hikki cutie-pie) and I'm doing Mitarashi now. Someone online had a recommended completion order with Meoshi/Wakasa/Mitarashi as the first ones and then work your way to Shirabe to unfold the plot. How much different is the late plot between branches? I played Meoshi's and the dropping of the daily challenges seemed really tough to pull off for everyone.

[Melon]

The only one who still does the daily challenges in their storyline is Shidou. The others go off on alternate paths and do their own challenges, usually a duo with MC. In the case of Mikami, you don't do a challenge at all after the first three.  As far as plots go towards the end, the end goal of Mitarashi/Wakasa/Urabe/Meoshi was to find out their "secret" and help them get over their insecurities. In Shidou and Shirabe's storyline, they are actively seeking the "truth" so their end goal is more or less to find out who Pigstein is. Personally I wouldn't play Urabe or Wakasa's storylines unless you want to. 
 
The order I posted them in was the recommended order I followed
 
I forgot to mention, but I enjoyed the little bromance Mitarashi and Shidou had going on too haha.

[al kusanagi]

And Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs shoots straight to the top of most disappointing sequels...

[neshcom]

Holy shit. The ending of VLR. You keep thinking it's done and they just keep upping the ante. Things got really complicated there at the end, but I'm really excited for the next game. If it has anywhere near the mindfuck of Sigma being old Sigma the whole time!, or just the general intricacy of the plot, it will be my game of forever.


GTAV is Tuesday! I'm still debating taking Wednesday off or not. Anyone else getting it? We need to set up a crew for some online havoc when the online mode comes out next month.

[Ap2000]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="neshcom" data-cid="162909" data-time="1379189172">GTAV is Tuesday! I'm still debating taking Wednesday off or not. Anyone else getting it? We need to set up a crew for some online havoc when the online mode comes out next month.</blockquote>
I'm going to wait for the PC version.
Eventhough it's going to be tough to hold out until 2014, I still have a lot of other stuff to play (my PS3 and PC are bursting, but Ni no kuni is occupying all of my gaming time).

[al kusanagi]

Not bothering with any of the upcoming games like GTA5 and Arkham Origins yet since I know they'll be PS4 versions rolling out by the end of the year.

[aine]

Oh boy, seems that <a href="http://orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker/">Cookie Clicker</a> went viral in Japan on 2ch. Hilarity ensues.

<a href="http://www.pixiv.net/search.php?word=Co ... ag_full</a>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM_Uhcb ... hcbbIZM</a>

I quit playing after getting all but 2 achievement but lasted only 2 days because of new update.

[Melon]

I went through a quick run of Ghost Trick yesterday. I love that game. :) So unappreciated, but it's a fun and entertaining puzzle game. Plus the ending is the bees knees!
 
I finally started playing FFXIV. I adore it! The soundtrack, the locales, the different races and classes, it all reminds me of old school FF before Nomura belts n' buckles(tm) took over!
 
I'm horrible at names, but I made a set of Egyptian God characters - Isis, Horus, and Bastet Sol, along with one named Mint and another I forgot on Balmung's server. I think I'll stick with Bastet because it's the starting class I had the most fun with. I know you can switch classes after level 10, but it was a chore to do the others...

[neshcom]

GTA V is pretty good. I got about 5 or 6 hours in yesterday and I'm hooked. There are a few not-so-great things, though. The voice acting ranges from really good to mediocre, and whether that's a product of the writing or vocal talent is up in the air. The graphics are really nice and the use of post-processing feels good, but even on the disc version of the game, I'm getting some mild pop-in. Apparently, people with disc-less versions (PSN's digital download or the 360 disc install) are having worse pop-in because the game actually uses both the bandwidth from streaming the installed data and the disc drive, leaving those with only one bandwidth channel a little screwed. Some of the lighting is weird, especially in interiors. The first monologue scene suffers from this especially. The camera cuts aren't synced [rp[erly with the faked lighting changes and they give the first impression of the game a very flat, fake feel. I've only noticed it in that scene, but it was a bad first impression. Driving is improved and Franklin's special ability is such a powerful tool. The gunplay is alright, but I can't see that damn aiming dot at all. The missions feel more crafted, even the small things.
I'll probably have more impressions later, but my early feeling is that GTA V is much, much more of the same, but with color this time.

[neshcom]

In the first of three big announcements from Valve this week, SteamOS was unveiled. It will be a free Linux (redundant lol) operating system solely focused on Steam and "living room" gaming. Valve has already made deals with AAA developers to publish to the platform starting in 2014. To address the obvious Linux-has-no-games argument, SteamOS will also have game streaming, letting the SteamOS terminal play Windows-/Mac-compatible games over your local connections (a method proved very workable by a number of remote play devices like the Shield and the Playstation 3). There are also plans to introduce unnamed streaming video and music services. Valve says the move to the OS level offers better graphical performance and input latency and that an open hardware platform will provide faster hardware iterations "in the living room." 
 
SteamOS is the first step in Valve entering the console market and leveraging existing PC hardware advantages over Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Like the Steambox (which is expected to be detailed this week), Valve doesn't need to target PC enthusiasts; they're positioned to take the core console gamer. Steam sales are great, but $3 for Arkham City is only appealing to people with more-expensive-than-a-console PCs. Valve will release a hardware solution (Steambox/Piston) with OEM openness (a la Android), drive hardware prices down at a loss, and turn PC/Mac/Linux desk gaming into a secondary position from the living room experience. The Steambox/Piston will ship with HDMI out for TVs, but also DVI and audio for monitors and speakers. Windows and its back catalogue are the enemy at Valve right now.
 
Valve faces a number of hurdles in the next two years. Getting games built for SteamOS/Linux will be paramount and could be their biggest expense. The companies making the largest games are already developing on 7 separate platforms right now (PS3, PS4, 360, X1, Wii U, PC, Mac) and Valve, by sticking with Linux, is betting they can cannibalize their PC market enough to replace Windows (maybe Mac too), not become #8. This puts both the Linux/new console disadvantages on top of the PC disadvantages. On the Linux/new console side, you have to show you can deliver on games and services. Every major franchise needs to hit SteamOS by 2015 and adoption from small studios (or indie/PC developers) needs to blossom. On the PC side, Steam needs to attack the price:hardware ratio and the consumer technical hurdles of both software experiences and hardware upgrade. Valve is also succumbing themselves to nearly every piece of hardware that's been on the market in the past 10 years and making sure consumers understand where they stand graphics-wise. There's also a long-standing issue with OEMs: they love to make shitty, cheap devices. Look at any number of cheap Android tablets, motherboard designed laptops spat out every year, or almost the entire netbook ecosystem. SteamOS will be free to all OEMs, but Valve stands to cheapen their brand with flat-out bad devices. You also need a very big asterisk to sell gamers that a Steambox/Piston is backwards compatible if the only BC solution is owning another PC and relying on its existing specs. Hell, it's going to be a non-starter for people who have gaming PCs because they know it will likely be cheaper to buy an HDMI cord and 360 controller and sit it next to their TV. If you're a PC gamer, how valuable is remote play on new hardware when you can get a 50' HDMI cord for $5? This just goes back to Valve needing to secure big titles, but in this case, exclusivity/domination leading to insignificance of the Windows platform, a big nut to crack.
 
And yet, there is no better time for Valve to attack every Goliath than there is today. Consoles, in a bid to be attractive on price, are arriving significantly below the upper limit of PC hardware. Cheap Android TV devices are floundering. Games are being developed for x86 architectures, offering easier porting to and from PCs (I presume). Gamers are ready for more digital-centric ecosystems with the rise of mobile/tablet gaming. Small developers are flocking to Steam every week. If Valve's other announcements this week turn out an attractive system with valuable services on day one, it is not, in this faux-commentator's eyes, impossible to think Valve could co-opt PC gaming into a fourth big console.
 
The next Valve announcement is set for this Wednesday at 1pET.

[Ap2000]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="neshcom" data-cid="163565" data-time="1379962472">The next Valve announcement is set for this Wednesday at 1pET.</blockquote>
Half-Life 3 pls.

[Vikitty]

So if I wanted to buy a PS3, what size of memory is recommended?

[Ap2000]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Valerie" data-cid="163705" data-time="1380072369">So if I wanted to buy a PS3, what size of memory is recommended?</blockquote>
You mean the internal hard drive ?
I think North America has a 250GB and 500GB version, so I'd say the 250GB is the better choice. Unless you want some 30+ games installed all the time and have a lot of audio and video you want to permanently put on the system, 500GB isn't needed.

In Europe there's a 12GB (SSD) version, which I bought and just put a 320GB HDD in. That was ~30€ cheaper than buying the 500GB version and the storage suffices.

The 250GB bundle seems like a good deal to me:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/PS3-12GB-System-P ... +3+slim</a>
PS+ for one year alone costs 50€/$.

[Ap2000]

[quote="Ap2000"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="neshcom" data-cid="163565" data-time="1379962472">
The next Valve announcement is set for this Wednesday at 1pET.
</blockquote>


Half-Life 3 pls.
 
[/quote]
 

It's the most bizarre controller I've ever seen that did not come from MadCatz:
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamController/

[al kusanagi]

Looks like Valve is trying to prove that they can do everything better than Microsoft this year. Including failing spectacularly.

[rallyleo]

You guys.
I just played and finished Bioshock: Infinite.
 
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
 
My mind has been savagely sodomized due to that ending. 

[Ap2000]

It makes you think the ending is ingenious and complex, but be aware, the more you think about it, the more unfleshed out it will probably seem.
We had a few posts about BS:I in here, you might want to check them out.

[Sabaku Ika]

I just started Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, which is quite fun, though I still haven't fully figured it out, let alone gotten good at it. And sadly, a Western release was announced for 2014 between the time I ordered it and the time it arrived.
If anyone else has it, I will happily fight them and probably lose to them online. It not, I'd recommend waiting until you can get it in English. 

[Ap2000]

Only 156 days left !

 

das2preorder.jpg

 
This is the first time I buy a CE.

[Wapiko]

Started KOA: Reckoning tonight! It's one of the currently free PS+ games. I kind of just downloaded it for the hell of it (because it was free) and I don't know if I planned on playing it, but I'm glad I randomly decided to start. I've only got a couple of hours logged so far but I'm loving it. It reminds me of a slight mix of Fable and Skyrim. 

[Kimmy]

Got Pokémon Y and my friend got X and we've been in my room for like 6 hours straight playing them...

[Ap2000]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Wapiko" data-cid="164999" data-time="1381632765">Started KOA: Reckoning tonight! It's one of the currently free PS+ games. I kind of just downloaded it for the hell of it (because it was free) and I don't know if I planned on playing it, but I'm glad I randomly decided to start. I've only got a couple of hours logged so far but I'm loving it. It reminds me of a slight mix of Fable and Skyrim.</blockquote>

I'd suggest playing Dragon's Dogma - Dark Arisen, it's the reason why I resubbed for three months (it's still 25€ retail here). A pretty great RPG.
It has a few minor faults, like the camera being too close when you have your sword sheathed. But overall it's really fascinating and has some very unique features, like being able to summon other players' pawns (characters they created). The fighting system is damn awesome and just plain cool when you fight something like a giant griffin.

Also bought Völgarr recently, which is very tough. Very very very difficult. However, except for the 2nd world boss maybe, it's never unfair. It really makes you learn the movement and come up with strategies on how to best progress through levels. There's a lot of whining from casuals that bought the game for the wrong reason on it's Steam board ("it's unfair, shitty checkpoints" etc.).

Risen 2 is a pretty solid classical western RPG by the games that made Risen 1 and Gothic 1-3. If you love those games, you will at least like Risen 2. It still has very good flair and a mediocre fighting system, so I'm not sure why critics panned it in comparison to their earlier games. Maybe because eventhough the setting is different, it's still the same game with the same highs and lows.

BF4 beta doesn't work for me. Gives me a port error, eventhough BF3 works perfectly. Just another reason not to buy this full-price addon... Maybe when I see it somewhere for ~10€.

The more I hear and see of Dark Souls II (I try to keep it limited to technical gameplay details, not watching trailers), the more it seems to shape up to become the perfect game for me. I haven't been this hyped for a game since Ocarina of Time and that turned out to become my most favourite game of all time.

Also bought RE:Revelations today, since it's just 10€ during the Capcom Steam sale right now.

[al kusanagi]

Episode One of The Wolf Among Us. Because Fables is awesome and Bigby is a badass. Since it's a bit of a prequel, you don't need to have read the comics, but being familiar with them helps.

[Vikitty]

Counting down the days until Dual Destines :3333

[neshcom]

Wowowowow. Watch_Dogs and The Crew, two of Ubisoft's big next-generation games have been delayed. Watchdogs is now slated for Spring 2014 and early 2014's The Crew is being pushed to Fall 2014. Watchdogs was about a month out from release, so the sudden delay is...sudden! Ubisoft is claiming the delays are necessary to polish the games. Previously, Ubisoft has stated they only want to work on games that can be franchises, so making sure debut titles are high quality enough to warrant sequels is dire. Ubisoft, in their statement, stated they were unsure what would happen with retailers and customers regarding both official and unofficial Watchdogs bundles. Sony is reportedly working to maintain with retailers and customers ought to be reached by sellers in the coming days.
 
To go into extreme editorial mode, the Watchdogs delay makes some sense on paper, but the timing is god-awful. With AC4 also set to release this fall, Ubisoft had the challenge of marketing two big franchises (one new, one fighting to prove it's still worth anything). Add to that, GTAV became the biggest thing since sliced bread and, with the awfully quick turnaround on service outages, GTA Online is poised to capture a lot of gamer time. Watchdogs still isn't in a clear spot. Infamous Second Son is a big title gamers are waiting for and it fits in the same open-world city environment Watchdogs shares. With both launching in similar timeframes, console shipment ought to pick up (specifically for PS4 in this instance), but this is a very real "PREORDER CANCELLED" situation for some people. Hopefully, the extra time will be spent bringing the game's visuals back up. The past two E3 showings of Watchdogs were really spectacular, but every showing since has had worse and worse graphics. On a slightly different note, Ubisoft seems to have completely left Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo (sort of) in the dark. The game is still set to release on their platforms and was part of a large push (with Sony in particular) for next-gen systems. This delay will certainly affect preorder numbers and could be the biggest ding to new console sales this year. 

[al kusanagi]

Yeah, I'm seriously considering cancelling since Watch Dogs was the reason I wanted a day one console.

[Ap2000]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="neshcom" data-cid="165122" data-time="1381859814">
Hopefully, the extra time will be spent bringing the game's visuals back up. The past two E3 showings of Watchdogs were really spectacular, but every showing since has had worse and worse graphics. On a slightly different note, Ubisoft seems to have completely left Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo (sort of) in the dark. The game is still set to release on their platforms and was part of a large push (with Sony in particular) for next-gen systems. This delay will certainly affect preorder numbers and could be the biggest ding to new console sales this year.
</blockquote>

That's because the first gameplay was all played on the PC or "PCs equalling the PS4 power", as Sony put it (this happens with every new console launch, so I'm not picking out PS4 as being the only console where this happened).

Later on, they released actual PS4/None gameplay and the game's only running at 30fps on them and they're not even sure about the resolution yet.
And then there's DICE saying BF4 will run at 60fps... but only in 720p, or maybe slightly above it.
 
I think a lot of people will be disappointed by how the new consoles won't be matching the expectations in terms of graphical power (especially with multiplatform titles), at least at launch.
 
There have also been some PS4 "red line of death" reports this week, but apparently they're only fakes.

[neshcom]

(quoting for new page)
[quote="neshcom"]
Wowowowow. Watch_Dogs and The Crew, two of Ubisoft's big next-generation games have been delayed. Watchdogs is now slated for Spring 2014 and early 2014's The Crew is being pushed to Fall 2014. Watchdogs was about a month out from release, so the sudden delay is...sudden! Ubisoft is claiming the delays are necessary to polish the games. Previously, Ubisoft has stated they only want to work on games that can be franchises, so making sure debut titles are high quality enough to warrant sequels is dire. Ubisoft, in their statement, stated they were unsure what would happen with retailers and customers regarding both official and unofficial Watchdogs bundles. Sony is reportedly working to maintain with retailers and customers ought to be reached by sellers in the coming days.
 
To go into extreme editorial mode, the Watchdogs delay makes some sense on paper, but the timing is god-awful. With AC4 also set to release this fall, Ubisoft had the challenge of marketing two big franchises (one new, one fighting to prove it's still worth anything). Add to that, GTAV became the biggest thing since sliced bread and, with the awfully quick turnaround on service outages, GTA Online is poised to capture a lot of gamer time. Watchdogs still isn't in a clear spot. Infamous Second Son is a big title gamers are waiting for and it fits in the same open-world city environment Watchdogs shares. With both launching in similar timeframes, console shipment ought to pick up (specifically for PS4 in this instance), but this is a very real "PREORDER CANCELLED" situation for some people. Hopefully, the extra time will be spent bringing the game's visuals back up. The past two E3 showings of Watchdogs were really spectacular, but every showing since has had worse and worse graphics. On a slightly different note, Ubisoft seems to have completely left Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo (sort of) in the dark. The game is still set to release on their platforms and was part of a large push (with Sony in particular) for next-gen systems. This delay will certainly affect preorder numbers and could be the biggest ding to new console sales this year. 
[/quote]
 
Thinking more on this, this feels like another Rayman Legends case from Ubisoft (Rayman Legends on Wii U was delayed 6 months despite being completely done so it could be ported). If either Microsoft or Sony knew the game was not up to snuff, they would have thrown studios of workers at Ubisoft to keep it a launch title. We've seen both companies do just that for games that aren't up to snuff, but with the abruptness of this announcement, Ubisoft almost seems content to not be ready in time.
 
To add to the conversation, in an earnings call today, Ubisoft reduced their year-end forecast by $560 million dollars because of the delay and noted that sales of the newest Splinter Cell and Rayman Legends both came in below their forecasts. They are still forecasting AC4 to sell 10M units in a year.
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Ap2000">There have also been some PS4 "red line of death" reports this week, but apparently they're only fakes.</blockquote>
 
Yeah, I saw those too. Apparently, in Spain, a demo unit PS4 overheated and shut down. Shu Yoshida on Twitter simply said "not true" when asked if "the red line of death on the PS4" was true, but whether that means the incident didn't happen or if the normally blue LED doesn't ever turn red is unclear. Both the PS4 and One will automatically shut down if they get too hot (like almost all modern tech today).