I'm pretty sure that most of those reading those are well aware of Activison CEO Robert Kotick's recent comments revolving around threats of Activision pulling support for both the PS3 and PSP if Sony does not lower the price of the PS3 soon.. so I won't go into great lengths to account for how much of a shameless tool Kotick is, as it should be blatantly obvious by this point. But what I will say is this.. Developer heads like Kotick.. the fools that agree with how he is conducting himself.. and the way Activison conducts business with their annual milk fest of their once respected franchises personifies EVERYTHING that is wrong with today's game industry.

The only thing I found more amusing than Kotick's little hissy fit about the lower attachment rate of his company's games on the PS3 as compared to the 360, was the utterly ridiculous reasons some used to "defend" his childish threats. For example:

"He is just trying to help out us gamers by using his position to pressure Sony into lowering their prices" OH REALLY? How the hell does a CEO whining about how another company should run their business so "he" can sell more of his products have ANYTHING to do with helping out the average gamer? Another thing.. X360 fanboys who tolerate this bullsh*t are no better "or" smarter than the mistress of a cheating husband who thinks that the cheater wouldn't do the exact same thing to them if the tables were turned. I personally would not support this nonsense if it was direct at ANY of the three major console developers.. this kind of arrogance needs to stamped out of the industry before it poisons it beyond saving.

"He is the CEO of the largest 3rd party game developer right now and knows how to run his business" REALLY? Because you know what? His current tactics tell me he needs his f'n head examined. Anyways, I don't know were the hell people saying that are from.. but here in America the current economic landscape is LITTERED with failing/failed companies that alot of people have made the mistake in believing that their upper managment knew how to properly run the company beyond fulfilling their own selfish desires. Things change people.. and stupid decisions hasten that inevitability. These CEO's are "human" and not higher life forms last I checked.. and even the mighty will fall once arrogance, ineptitude, and public opinion turns against them.. ask the once "biggest and baddest company in their market" General Motors.

"Activision is just trying to conduct smart business, Sony NEEDS to cave to the demand of a lower price for the PS3" WOW.. there is so much mind numbing ignorant bullcrap behind those statements I've seen made by plenty of people it would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. So.. the CEO conducting himself like that in such a public manor is "good" for business? Making both his company and himself appear asbullies that lobby threats against companies they do business with is a smart idea? Whining about how its too hard and expensive to develop for the PS3 combined with crying about why there is not as many morons on Sony's console that buy their annualy recycled bullsh*t games like there is on the 360 is a savvy business move as they THREATEN TO STOP SUPPORTING A USER BASE OF 22 MILLION? Activision thinks its a good idea to throw stones in their glass house built up on overpriced and unreliable music games & peripherals, refusing to make all these iterations of their Guitar Hero games as DLC and instead as full priced titles, and cleaning out any franchise that couldn't be "exploited every year"(in their words) after the Blizzard merger? Yeah.. whatever these people say.

Thank God for industry that I am not in charge of Sony.. for I would personally walk up to the Activision HQ and post a bulletin on the front door detailing exactly how many ways they can go f*** themselves.. seriously. The PS3.. as with any other system that has come out.. should and will inevitably see a lower price tag. But trust me when I say that as gamers.. this is not a way we want it to happen. Gaming should not be socialism.. there should be options for all ages, interests, and income levels without every game platform being pressured to "fall in line" with the other guys. The PS3 should not be artificially lowered because there are too many cry babies throwing a tantrum over why they cant afford it.. just as as the Wii shouldn't have it's casual appeal and features gutted to satisfy the urges of "mature" gamers.

The time will come that Sony will indeed find that it "needs" to lower the price of the PS3 at any of its future price points.. but it will be at moments that are good for both the health of its company and user base.. not at the whims of some CEO trying to line his pockets with more money while using the absolute least amount of creativity and professionalism to acquire it. Right now they should stick to their current strategy of "build the games, and they will come".. not some desperate panic strategy of succumbing to any and all pressure despite what common sense is saying. At the end of the day Sony is NOT ripping offgamers because even though "software" value of each system is subjective.. current "hardware" value is not. Bottomline.. despite paying more.. the PS3 is without question the best "hardware" value despite whatever ramblings its oppenents can come with.

Listen.. I dont give a sh*t that some of you dont use Blu-Ray or any of the other PS3 features for it DOES NOT change the fact that the price of the PS3 is fair for what it is offering.. case closed.. any objection to that fact is far too ignorant to get into right now for I will not waste any more time going into detail as why that it is a fact based on realistic and unbiased information. If critics of the PS3 pricing are so insistent on pushing the "selling $100 for $50 as a desperate act for attention" mentality on companies like Sony they should go out and run their own companies into the ground instead of constantly complaining.

Mark my words.. 5 years from now the EXACT same people complaining about how the price of the PS3 needs to be lowered to such prices so quickly will be the same people whining about how bland and feature crippled the next-gen systems will be.. and they will have no one to blame but them and their wallets combined with hypocritical companies like Activision. The average consumer has spoken right now.. price>quality.. most consumers want maximum features for a minimum price and are far too ignorant to accept paying fair market value. They wanted cheaper systems and they WILL get them.. but to their dismay these new systems will be cheaper in "every" sense. And companies like Activision who on one hand already complain about reaching the 360's graphical ceiling while then turning around and complaining about the prices of more expensive and capable hardware like the PS3 will also find out that they cannot have it both ways as well. Either way.. hope they have fun wallowing in the subpar future of gaming they created for themselves.

Anyways, the fact that this is a complete bluff by Activision is not lost upon me.. because like I said, despite being smaller than the other two system as of right now 22 million users is not something that is easily ignored regardles of how difficult it is to develop for the platform. If Activison wants to freely abandon them.. then by all means they should go ahead and do so.. God forbid me or anyone else tell "them" how to run their business. Next time maybe Kotick should considerdoing a little homework before he runs his mouth again.. because complaining that particular way about the attatchment rates of his companies game on two systems with very different demographics is rather obtuse.

With the 360.. he is making American games for an "American" console.. that obviously has most of its user base heavily into western gaming and are FAR more susceptible to Activision's type of marketing. The PS3 on the other hand.. has a far more diverse user base. I mean.. how many Call of Duty games featuring the murder of Japanese soldiers do you see being sold in Asian countries? How many Guitar Hero games primarily featuring American musicdo you see being sold in other regions of the world that doesn't give a crap? Right now Activision has made their software catalogue far too small in scope.. something the older, more mature and diverse user base of the PS3 rarely has patience for.

Anyways.. IMO Activision would be wise not to rush into typecasting themselves completely.. the tides of the gaming industry do indeed change rather quickly. Thanks to shedding so many IP's after the merger they are primarily left with franchises like Call of Duty and GH that not only are primarily trend games, but some of which were not of any relevance to the industry until the very "end" of the last generation.. that in itself should show some perspective in how fast important franchises can rise and fall. They can't honestly believe they can maintain the 2-3 per year pace of their GH franchise can they? They can't expect Call of Duty to tower over an extraordinarily deep and increasingly diluted FPS genre right? Because to be honest.. looking at a list of games besides their known milking cows I am very underwhelmed to say the least. At the end of the day.. maybe it would be best if companies took less time pointing fingers when sales are slow in certain areas and spent more time working on the reasons why "they" couldnt get this titles to sell. Maybe the industry wouldnt be halfway into the arrogant, hypocritical, and "creativity" depleted cesspool its sinking into right now.

Ever since Valve announced at the 2009 E3 that a sequel to it's 2008 multiplayer focused X360/PC hit "Left 4 Dead" would see store shelves only a year after the first title's release a growing number of L4D fans have begun voicing their displeasure over the developer trying to get fans to "purchase" another game so soon as well as what they percieve as "broken promises" relating to previous statements made by Valve that they would continue to add on to the original title. Predictably though.. there has been an equal amount of backlash towards the gamers participating in these petitions.. with various game site/show flapping heads and even other fellow gamers blasting the L4D fanbase for not only being "whiners", but also as being the prime example of how much the modern gamer's ego and supposed sense of entitlement have grown out of whack. Click here for perhaps the most prominant example of the growing list of petitions circulating the internet.. they also outline the reasoning for their stance.

As many probably might have already guessed.. I personally sit on the fence in regards to this issue as I am unable to completely agree with either side of the debate. On one hand.. the collective ego and perspective of many modern gamers have indeed become distorted beyond were they should be.. and more often than not have become increasingly unreasonable in what they expect out of devs and game platforms. As I have stated previously the growth of the industry has seen a growth in negative trends among gamers primarily revolving around instances were many of them seem to desire a maximum amount of features and games while paying paying the absolute minimum. Also, like many of those opposing these petitions have already alluded to, gaming is a business, at the end of the day developers are making games to "make money". But as with most other things in life, there is far more to this situation that may initially be perceived.

My other thoughts revolve around my belief that besides how annoying this "whining"(or whatever else one may call it) may often be.. it should not be cast aside as an irrelevant cause. Let's face it.. EVERY industry needs it's various forms of quality control.. and while making money may be the first rule of business.. "customer satisfaction" is the first rule of conducting "good" business. Developers should not subject themselves to the whims of every gamer, but they SHOULD take some notice if this amount of its fanbase feels alienated and lied to. Bottomline.. whether the haters of these petitions like it or not.. they NEED them around to support quality control efforts. Keeping these developers in check and doing everything neccessary to come to reasonable halfway points is indeed important for keeping the industry going in the right direction.

A similar debate has been raging among the Halo crowd concerning Halo 3 ODST.. an originally announced 3-5 hour expansion to Halo 3 that was just recently announced at a full $60 price point. Fanboys have cried foul towards the backlash involving its price and that people shouldnt bash the game as it might "possibly be longer".. I have already argued that the backlash is more than deserved due to it being rather odd that Microsoft and Bungie has found time to announce pricepoints, collector edtions, and even store exclusive content.. but have NOT found the time to address comments they themselves have made about the possible short length of the game. Regardless.. the arguments usually ends with a "If your not a fan.. whats it to you anyways? Just dont buy it." Listen.. even if there is anyone reading that has never heard of Left 4 Dead or Halo let alone like them or play them.. the principal arguments of L4D 2/Halo3 ODST debates should be taken into consideration. IMO it would not be wise to avert your gaze simply because one may feel that it has nothing to do with what "they" play..the fact of the matter is that negative devlopers trends need to be addressed before they spread like a plague.

Anyways, even though I personally feel that releasing a second L4D is a questionable and greedy business move that risks fracturing the community and watering down the franchise.. I in no way feel that they should concede and sell a product at a reduced price(or even free like some have clamored for)or dissect it into DLC if they feel they have sinked enough time and money into it to justify full price. Hopefully the risk is worth the reward for Valve.. because at best the game may expand both the scope and fanbase of the series.. but at worst it may indeed alienate its fans and plant seeds of doubt that are extremely difficult to undo.. not to mention also running the risk of instilling hesitation within potential buyers in regards to them questioning whether or not a game in the series is worth an immediate purchase due to a newer version probably popping along sooner than later anyways(check the Guitar hero and Rock band franchises..). At the end of the day though.. the quality of the game at release and its sales will be the judge.

The 2009 E3 has succeeded in generating excitement for the future of industry, but that excitement goes hand in hand with an equal amount of uncertainty. It seems for every instance each of the big three actually seemed to get it right.. there were and equal amount of instances were predictability, hypocrisy, and an overall lack of proper focus on actual "games" that weighed down their overall success. Regardless, despite the varying grading scales many gamers have been attempting to use amidst efforts of judging which company had the better showing.. most bipartisan observers should agree that despite some rough patches all three major conferences were not too bad.. no one particular conference stood out as being significantly worse or better than another, but thats not to say that each conference did not have it's own theme. Looking back.. I believe the story of this E3 reflects how each conference seemed to follow three different points of focus.. the past, present, and future.

"Click here for appearance on Gamespot's Community post-E3 report."

The Past - Nintendo : Being the current sales leader Nintendo came into E3 with the least to prove.. which was evident in not only the initial part of their own conference(which consisted of endless sales numbers and business strategy droning), but also with Sony and Microsoft blatant efforts toward making the art of ripping off Nintendo's Wii market strategy the theme of the event. While some may recall my complaints of the other two platforms focusing too much on their third party titles at times.. this was the complete opposite for Nintendo as they insisted in not only dwelling in the numbers of the past couple years, but also in sticking with the same old heavy handed 1st party software strategy. Honestly, even though Nintendo isn't exactly desperate to make a splash at this particular time.. I was rather disappointed that they would not use this E3 as an opportunity to show that their Wii software catalog consisted of more than Mario and a mound of shovelware.

You wouldn't think that Nintendo admitted to their desire to give the "Wii" a kickstart in sales based on the very different handling of it and the DS. I mean.. I'll admit that despite my annoyance with the DSi.. Nintendo should be given credit for its proactive approach towards expanding the scope and capabilities of their handheld platform. The same cannot be said at all with the Wii.. besides the motion sensor plus(an unfortunate patch job of unfulfilled promise with the Wii's motion sensor functionality).. ideas for how to expand the Wii's scope have seemingly stalled. To further expose the discrepancy between the efforts focused on the Wii and DS.. Nintendo had a pretty solid lineup of titles for the DS this year, while the Wii was yet again relegated to the fate of needing rehashed 1st party franchises as a crutch.

Obviously the biggest announcement for the Wii software wise was Super Mario Galaxy 2. I was partially correct on my belief surrounding a possible SMG2 announcement this year, because despite the fact about being incorrect in believing that it would be announced at all.. it still is not the title Nintendo planned on releasing later "this year"(which happens to be a Wii version of New Super Mario Brothers). Anyways, I'm both pleased and concerned about this announcement.. happy because I was a huge fan of the previous entry.. concerned due to how soon Nintendo is already trying to push a sequel.

The other big stories are a Team Ninja developed Metroid title(which seems very promising).. and Nintendo stating that 2010 is the a hopeful target for the next Legend of Zelda. As far as the Zelda announcement is concerned, as much as I am hoping for a new one as soon as possible.. the announcement seemed like a rushed attempt at trying to pad their lacking E3. Because let's face it.. this is really the first target date mentioned by Nintendo.. and any Zelda fan already knows that you can safely tack on another 2 years to the original target date.

Anyways, like I have already mentioned.. Nintendo seems to be riding on the past to carry through the next year with the Wii, which is like I said.. rather disappointing. Yes.. SMG 2 and Metroid: The Other M(ugh.. what a stupid name) were exciting announcements.. but the Wii's main software show this year revolved around 1st party titles that will not even be out anytime soon, another first party title with new developers, some new system colors, a patch work hardware "upgrade" and fricken rehashed "DS" game for the Wii. Good stuff at times.. but I expected more.. I suppose I have only myself to blame for expecting anything different though.

The Present - Sony : After several years of primarily dwelling in future projects.. Sony has finally come around to to be active in the present tense as well. Despite great games on all platform fronts, thanks to recently released exclusives like Killzone 2 and Infamous to go along with a well rounded selection of available 1st and 3rd party titles for both the PS3 and PSP that this is the first year that I firmly believe that Sony has had(and will to continue to have) the strongest software lineup.. and its about damn time.

In all honesty.. it was put up or shut up time for Sony.. and I think that so far they are answering the call. Despite some mixed reactions I had to some portions of their conference and overall strategy.. their growing software selection speaks for itself and has proved to be Sony's strong point heading into the future(and they didn't have to rely on ripping off the other guy's exclusives to pad their numbers..). God of War III, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, and Gran Turismo 5? Hell yeah. Adding another motion sensor gimmick to the market and the PSP "Go"? Umm.. maybe..

When SCEA President Jack Tretton prodded out the two douche bags(and the hideously unfinished design of the Sony wand) to screw around with Sony's latest attempt at ripping off the Wii I cringed.. I could barely continue to look at the damn screen out of sheer disappointment over something I thought Sony was beyond at this point. Listen.. Project Natal and even Sony's Eyetoy Plus(or whatever the hell they'll call it) has potential, but someone needs to pass the memo to these company execs that cheap crappy motion sensor gimmicks IS NOT the only to innovate in gaming. Like I said.. even Sony's Eyetoy plus presentation had some cool looking tech demos, but especially after Microsoft showing their intentions towards attempting to beat Nintendo at their own game I really hoped Sony would have thrown a curveball and tried taking innovation in a much needed( and far less traveled) change of direction.

Now the PSP Go.. lol.. I'll admit that when I first learned that the leaked pics and specs were in fact legit I.. well.. didn't take it too well . But after taking a step back and analyzing the new PSP iteration's potential as well as Sony's intended business strategy.. I calmed down a bit.. but that's not to say that I am completely satisfied "yet".

Although not resource friendly.. they are intent on keeping the PSP 3000 and PSP Go on the market at the same time.. so I am glad that gamers still have the choice between a physical storage method and a digital one. Seeing as how this is "not" the PSP2 I now realize that the absence of a second thumbstick is not so bad.. since none of the games being made would even utilize it as the PSP Go plays current gen PSP games. Also, $249.99 for a sleak 16gb gaming handheld is reasonable.. seeing how a 16gb iPod Touch is $300. Those were some of the details that I am now fine with, but there there is still one sticking point that I feel is CRUCIAL to potential success for both versions of the PSP.. as now there is no mention of store bought UMD's being able to be backed up and played on the PSP Go.

Sony has been doing a surprising number of things right with the PSP recently and placed a larger than expected emphasis on the PSP platform besides the Go. They secured numerous third party titles like Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, Resident Evil, Soul Calibur(w/ Kratos as a playable character), and Dissida: Final Fantasy to go along with PSP versions of major 1st party franchises like Little Big Planet and Gran Turismo. They have already touted Skype, a browser, the exciting ability to download and play PS1 hits like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, & Resident Evil(among many others) as well as PSN access through the PSP.. and are thankfully working towards expanding accessibility of PSN through the PC with such examples like the PSP Go Media Manager that will allow gamers to buy digital distributed copies of future PSP games through their home computer. My question is this.. with Sony building up so much accessibility in other areas would they build a wall between UMD and digital purchases? Why make customers have to choose? I strongly feel that being able to still have the option of purchasing the physical copy of a game and getting a digital copy along with it would go along way towards the success of the PSP.

The Future - Microsoft : Like Sony.. this E3 reflected a change in tactics for Microsoft. Usually M$ has always been the one pushing the "here and now" strategy(which coincidentally is usually the safest approach), but now has a shift towards hyping future projects. Like I have alluded to before.. although Microsoft has some good titles on the way.. their presentation this year primarily focused on a couple hijacked exclusives(more of a sign of the times than anything M$ has done IMO) and hyped tech demos of far off peripherals.

This year's E3 has potentially turned the tables in quite a few instances. Natal shows immense potential "but" also the first true potential vulnerability for Microsoft this generation. Anyone ever notice why Nintendo and (primarily)Sony have been the biggest targets for criticism the last several years? It's because "they" are the ones they have been taking the big chances while M$ has usually played it safe.. hell, M$'s last major gamble was entering the market at all back in 2001.

Look at the pre-E3 XBOX360 as an example.. M$ rushed it onto the market in 2005 to get a grace period over the other two platforms.. they price their consoles in between the expected price ranges of the Wii and PS3.. they stick with industry standard DVD.. and they primarily focused on backing games in the safest of all genres, the shooter. While Nintendo was planning to simplify things on top off adding an unproven motion sensor approach amidst desperate attempts at reviving their dying company.. and with Sony yet again fighting a battle on multiple fronts with backing a new and unproven HD disc format as well as testing the depths of how much technology the modern gamer desired in their consoles(among many other examples).. Microsoft stuck with the status quo.

All that changes now.. this isn't Sony or Nintendo being put under hype's microscope.. it's Microsoft that will feel the pressure post E3 hysteria to live up to fan expectations. There is also a very likely possibility that Project Natal will land well after both Nintendo's Motion Plus AND Sony's Eyetoy Plus. Not to mention they will be attempting to counter a Nintendo Wii that has its motion sensor technology built in and included in its original pricetag(with all of its games compatible with it) with a "peripheral" that not only still needs announced titles that are compatible with it.. but also needs its price compounded on top of the "console's" price. To further complicate matters.. Natal's much heralded "Milo" demo is from Lionhead studios and Peter Molyneux.. who while I respect for his enthusiasm and ambition.. is known for creating good games that only live up to a fraction of its hype.

Bottomline, UNTIL Natal can overcome the hurdles of being an overpriced "add-on" (and show it as being doable "before" XBOX720).. the limitations of the DVD(you cant honestly tell me that intensive Natal games can fit all of its sensor info, 48 in all, on standard DVDs).. the other limitation of the 360 not having the uniform hard drive standard.. and a majority of 360 games competently utilizing it(So far.. "only" Rare and Lionhead have announced projects).. Natal=Vaporware.

Anywways, with all that being said.. only time will tell how relevant Microsoft's future projects will be. Project Natal? They will need to "prove" its viability. Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm etc. being added to the 360's dashboard functionality? Thats great.. I'm all for all three systems expanding platform functionality.. but please add a browser to the 360 Microsoft.. even the DS has one for God's sake. Left 4 Dead 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Alan Wake, and Halo ODST/Reach? Definitely some quality games their.. but Microsoft firing off so many of its exclusives so soon is REALLY starting to show through. Annual bare bone versions of Left 4 Dead and a million and one Halo knockoffs without Master Chief may not do the trick as well as they might hope until the next Gears of War and Mass Effect can be rushed out.

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Top Game of E3 2009:

God of War III(PS3)

My Top 10 Games of E3 2009:

God of War III(PS3), The Last Guardian(PS3), Final Fantasy XIII(multi), Bioshock 2(multi), Uncharted 2(PS3), Assassin's Creed 2(multi), Metal Gear Solid Rising(multi), Super Mario Galaxy 2(Wii), Batman: Arkham Asylum(multi), Modern Warfare 2(multi)

Biggest Surprise:

No X360 version of Metal Gear Solid 4, instead MGS Rising going multiplatform

Biggest Disappointment:

Valve releasing a second Left 4 Dead before finally getting Half Life 2: Episode 3 out..

Favorite Conference:

Sony

Least Favorite Conference:

Ubisoft

Most Impressive In-Game Demo:

God of War III - Kratos vs. Helios

Most Surprising In-Game Demo:

Honestly, the 256 player battle in Mag(PS3)

Most Annoying E3 Related Complaint:

Gamers complaining about there not being a PS3 price drop

*I have heard this one ALOT.. and well.. it's getting really old. Listen.. there's nothing wrong with wanting the cheapest price possible for our consoles, but people have to have a better grasp as to why a system like the PS3 is more expensive than the 360 and Wii in the first place. I wish I could get a 60 inch 1080p TV for the same price as a 27 inch 720p TV.. hell.. I wish I could get everything handed to me for free, but that isn't going to happen now is it? Bottomline.. you get what you pay for. Yet again.. here's an example: A PS3 + a 320gb hard drive upgrade is about $470. A 120gb Elite 360 + the Wi-Fi add-on(that's standard on a PS3) is already at $500 and is still without any HD disc support.

What's the rush anyways? I think it's price is reasonable.. tech savvy customers know its better to pay a little more for a more reliable and capable machine anyways. Instead of lowering the price Sony should continue their plan and make the PS3 more appealing by upgrading its features and improving it's software catalogue. Sony shouldn't worry about dropping the price to just to appeal to the casual/juvenile demographic because it's hardware and games aren't even directed at those groups anyways(as for the others.. if they had the $300+ to spend on an XBOX360.. is it really "that" much of a stretch to the PS3 price range? The damn thing isn't $599 anymore). I mean.. it's like a car company rushing to make their new models more attractive to 12 year olds that are years away from even getting their license.

If people really want to complain.. tell Microsoft to offer more reasonably priced hard drive options(The largest 360 HDD is 120gb for $150, a 320GB laptop hard drive that is compatible with the PS3 is $70).. and people should complain about how slow the Wii is at expanding the scope of their library, because despite how much I may have spent on the PS3.. the $250 I spent on a Wii that is collecting dust was far costlier to me.

**EDIT on 6/5/09 - Thankfully there are plans underway from Sony to correct at least one of my problems concerning the PSP Go.. as they have already stated plans to release a UMD/PSPGo transfer process(click here). Possible costs, ease of use, and title availability remains to be seen.. but it is good to see that they are taking it seriously.