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Ben’s Week In Review: July 13

I hate the heat. Summer needs to go away.

The PS4 hasn't exploded in Japan, but I'm not surprised

To be honest, I was more surprised when the PS4 sold 370,000 units out of the gate in Japan. From the start, I believed the new PlayStation would be the least popular Sony platform in Japan's history.

Sony says it's due to a combination of factors and of course, they're right. First and foremost, while the Japanese gaming culture has indeed changed – see Watch Dogs near the top of the region's charts , for example – it hasn't changed that much. Just about all the other games on that sales list were distinctly Japanese, and most of them don't sell anywhere else. So, without a lot of Japanese games on the PS4, I can see why it's not exactly blowing up.

Furthermore, the streaming services aspect is indeed a factor. Too many people in this country take streaming for granted, and just assume that it's common everywhere else. Well, even in the uber-technologically advanced country of Japan, streaming hasn't become the be-all and end-all of entertainment delivery. I think there are several reasons why the Wii U is staging a comeback in that territory, and why the PS4 is a little slow to get going.

An Uncharted Remastered? Sure, I'll take that

I know it's currently hip to hate anything with "Remastered" in the title, but I wouldn't say "no" to a beautifully Remastered edition of the original Uncharted: Drake's Fortune . Sony has hinted at the possibility and I'd love to see it. In fact, I'd love to see all three Uncharted titles released in one awesome, comprehensive collection that is perfect for newcomers and hardcore fans alike. Those who haven't enjoyed the series previously can get the entire franchise all in one shot (with all the DLC and extra goodies thrown in), and the die-hard followers receive a definitive collection.

To release something like that a few months before Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is probably a darn good idea. It would increase excitement and interest in the new installment, and it would fixate the media spotlight on the franchise. Of course, I'd rather see new IPs as opposed to improved versions of older games, but that doesn't mean my collection idea is a bad one. 😉

Personal gaming update

Yes, I'm aware I'm supposed to be finishing Grand Theft Auto V but I keep going through Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance ; I've finished it once, now I'm going through it on hard to get even stronger, and I'll probably finish up with the Extreme difficulty. It's just so much fun to play; I can't really explain it. And besides, I've got time. As I don't have any interest in any game that releases before October, I can afford a little trip down memory lane. I did really like Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition , though, and I highly recommend it to anyone who missed out the first time around.

My girlfriend is currently playing Sniper Elite III ; it appeals to her meticulous, calculating personality. She also likes to shoot stuff. 😉 I'll have the review ready this week; it's a pretty solid game, and well worth the money if you're a sniper fanatic at heart.

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Rachet_JC_FTW
Rachet_JC_FTW
10 years ago

sounds gud well girls like to shoot stuff thats new i haven't heard that before. i know theres girls who like games but sniper elite 3 is a new one.

happy gaming


Last edited by Rachet_JC_FTW on 7/12/2014 10:26:48 PM

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

There are a lot of incredible Japanese PS3 and Vita games coming out lately and soon so there's really no reason for them to get the PS4 before a price drop unless they are technophiles, who must be the people that caused that initial bump.

I'm opening up the floodgates on remasters over at the other Sunday article 🙂

I'm playing Wolfenstein, which didn't wow me at first but now it grew all over me. It's an incredible campaign, best since Resistance 2 & 3, and I love it. Could use more crazy guns tho.

Also aimed to finish Final Fantasy X-2, but it's like not letting me. I'm stronger than I've ever been but the guardian to Vegnagun is f*cking impossible. I know I've beat him with weaker characters so I wonder if this international version is actually harder. Seriously, what can I do with an enemy who cheats and has 140,000 hit points?

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn review coming soon. I'll say now fans of Gundam should take note.

Solid Fantasy
Solid Fantasy
10 years ago

Yeah, the id tech 5 engine was practically designed for awesome weapons.

___________
___________
10 years ago

i hate the cold winter needs to go away!
give me a 40 degree day over a 10 degree day any day of the week!
winds really getting annoying too you cant do f*cking anything!
i normally go for a walk during my hour lunch break but havent been able to even do that lately, walking against the winds really annoying and too cold.
bloody palm trees in the city today my god i was starting to think we were going to have palm tree pizza when i was at crinitis having lunch today!
is this sydney, or chicargo!?

its quite obvious why the ps4 is not doing so well in its home country.
firstly people are not happy that they were the last ones to receive the ps4 especially when the ps4 was designed and made there, and JP is always first to receive it.
secondly theres so few JP titles so of course its not going to be very popular.
once MGSV, KHIII, FFXV,deep down, bloodborne, ect, ect, release then it will pick up.

id love to see a HD remake of the original uncharted.
that was by far the best one, actually made you feel like a true archaeologist and treasure hunter, not some hollywood toy.
but that said id much rather see ND working on new games.
so unless $ony has a third party team to shake it off to, then no thank you!

Killa Tequilla
Killa Tequilla
10 years ago

This is 'Merica. Use Fahrenheit degrees.

Jk

Killa Tequilla
Killa Tequilla
10 years ago

This is 'Merica. Use Fahrenheit degrees.

Jk

Underdog15
Underdog15
10 years ago

10 degrees…. equals winter? lol

40 sounds awful.

I could tell you what that is in Fahrenheit, for the American friends, but I'd rather really help you by teaching you the formula.

F = 9/5*C +32.


Last edited by Underdog15 on 7/14/2014 10:25:21 AM

Dukemz_UK
Dukemz_UK
10 years ago

@Ben: Your girlfriend likes shooting virtual men in the nads? I'd watch out for that one. 🙂
Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance is one of my all time favourite PS2 games. I've got good memories playing that one in co-op mode.

Solid Fantasy
Solid Fantasy
10 years ago

Sniper Elite 3 looks alright, but with the whole time constraint thing/plague, well you know.

PGU: Tried to resist the urge to carry on with the Dawnguard on Skyrim. It's on my labtop so if I can play it anywhere I should wait till I'm not within in range of the PS3/4. But I just can't get into Wrath of the White Witch. Not sure why, might be the battle system. If it was even closer to Crisis Core it would be fine, but this one really doesn't suit me.

Then I realized with Borderlands 2 on the Vita and Skyrim being pretty much endless there's no reason to hold off. There will be plenty of PS4 exclusives down the road to steer me away from my laptop.

Thomas was Alone is great, after that it's onto another playthrough of Golden Abyss.

matt99
matt99
10 years ago

I am loving Sniper Elite 3, those killcams are so gruesomely awesome. And on top of that it's actually a really good game.

Corvo
Corvo
10 years ago

This week has been alright. Feels good to sometimes just sit back and relax.

Played Dragons Dogma quite a bit and it reminded me why I like it much more than Skyrim. I bought Dyad and Malicious. Malicious is unexpectedly awesome. Its kinda like Shadow of the Colossus so fans of that game should totally shell out 99 cents if they have it and try out Malicious. Dyad is… Interesting. I'll have to play more of it to have a real opinion on it. Oh, I also played some DOA5u. My top 3 have conquered Legendary difficulty. Oh, I've also dug into Metal Gear Rising. Probably the best button masher I've ever played, ever. I didn't give it a fair chance when it released because of MGS4 and I regret that. Super awesome and could easily, in my opinion, fit right into the MGS universe.

This next week is probably going to be survival horror week. I started playing Silent Hill 3 "HD" and its re-awoken that desire of gameplay for me. Definitely going through Fatal Frame 3, it being my favorite of that series than replaying Silent Hill 2 and 3 again. Going through the newest Siren game. Resident Evil 3 sounds good right about now as well. I might play Bioshock infinite and attempt 1999 mode. I've heard horror stories about that difficulty so it could count as survival horror.

SASSYGIRL82
SASSYGIRL82
10 years ago

Minna will make ps4s sell in Japan period