Ben's Week In Review: May 29

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First of all, sorry for not getting this up last night; I've been busy this weekend.

I have NO idea what I want out of the PlayStation 4

I'm plenty satisfied with the PS3 for now, so when I heard Sony was looking into the next piece of hardware, I realized I had zero expectations. That isn't because I don't care and it isn't because I have a lack of faith in Sony. It's because at this point in the industry, I can't be certain of the technological direction... There are particular elements of this hobby that have become quite popular in the last five years or so, and that includes multiplayer, digital distribution, and motion sensing. However, I'm really not a gigantic fan of any of that (save some great little unique adventures on the PSN), and if the advancements in the PS4 tend to focus on these aspects, it won't affect me much.

Of course, you can expect better graphics and all that but even then, my anticipation has sort of stalled. I find myself looking at some of the games today with a fair amount of awe; i.e., "man, what could possibly be next?" I mean, I know I'll say that when I see Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. I guess I'm just not as psyched for the next generation as I thought I would be; various changes in the gaming landscape haven't gripped me enough.

Square Enix listened to its fans? ...I bet not

I don't know how much of that preview is accurate and the translation might be a little off in some places, but there's only one statement that has me questioning: that bit about Square Enix "getting the message" sent by fans after Final Fantasy XIII released. Thing is, I just don't believe that. I think this is a company that has been completely out of touch with their fans this entire generation. And I'm sorry, but that's the reason they're in such dire financial straits right now (tragedies and earthquakes aside). They continue to mess with established franchises in a ridiculous attempt to cater to Western gamers and it has not worked. From Front Mission Evolved (yeah, the strategy fans that loved the series wanted action-based 'rolling eyes') to FF, the former RPG kings have been ignoring the fans.

They've been trying to assess the shifting climate and market, which every company needs to do, of course. But I still firmly believe that had they stuck to their guns, they wouldn't be posting giant losses all the time. And call me old-fashioned, but I just refuse to believe a faithful FFVII remake wouldn't help. In fact, I'm starting to think that such a project is the only thing that could save them right now.

Personal gaming update

I'm trying to savor the last part of L.A. Noire and besides, I should have both Alice: Madness Returns and inFamous 2 this week at some point, so my focus has to change for a while. I can't wait for Sucker Punch's sequel (as you might've guessed) but I really want to finish L.A. Noire before completely immersing myself. As for Alice, I have high hopes, and I have one more headline to post from writer/creator R.J. Berg. I also plan to talk to Dr. Bartholow this week; he's the one who conducted that game study.

Lastly, in just a few weeks time, we should be able to announce something pretty huge...yes, it's what we've been teasing for a while...the PSN ordeal pushed us back and I would apologize if it had been our fault. But it wasn't; we all know where the fault lies for that mess.