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WWE As A Gaming Franchise(Part 2)

So lets continue on a venture we started in Part 1 of this analytical blog series of WWE as a gaming franchise.If you haven't read Blog 1,please do so right away.

Okay,so I was simply overwhelmed by the response I got for my Blog 1.I came across gamers all the way from hardcore-WWE fans to people in their early 30s who had once been big-time fans of WWE.Most of these once-been-hardcore-fans  had outgrown WWE and yes,many even claimed the storylines were getting lamer every Monday.

So lets once again come back to our timeline(Not that lame WCW vs. RAW timeline of WWE 13) but to where we left last time.


WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 was a game changer in more than one way.Arcade-like features were done away with and the game launched for the PS2 and the PSP.However,it was the very last WWE game that would be launched exclusively for the Sony consoles.The game had matches like Buried Alive and Casket Match which are no longer their.And yes,I still remember the Eddie Guerrero controversy that surrounded the game.So yes,it was a game changer in ways more than one and the success followed.It sold quite well and got reviews ranging from 8.5-9.6 in leading game websites.


And then came along WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 and it has been by far the funniest game I've played till date.I still remember the countless hours me and my cousin spent laughing our ummm........behinds off to some of the glitches.For example,a chair shot was called a Stone Cold Stunner by the commentators.Sometimes,commentators said about superstars that weren't even participating in the match.I also remember good old Tony Chimel introducing superstars in Lilian Garcia's voice.Seriously,it was big-time fun.But jokes aside,the game also got good reviews(though,comparatively bad) and sold decently well.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 came featuring ECW and promised good gameplay mechanics and graphics(like always) but couldn't quite deliver.It received mixed to negative reviews with most calling it a recycled version of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007.


While all these games released,there was something in the gameplay that felt quite missing.While writing my last blog,I realized it was fluidity in matches which I think that WWE games are a far way from delivering even now.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 was yet another milestone for the franchise.It introduced Road-To-WresteMania which I've always liked more than the Attitude Era jazz.The gameplay now had things like cooperative play.Another reason why I liked the game was for the various new superstars it featured.For the first time,DX featured in the cover of the game.By the time this game came to the market,reviewers were continuously accusing the franchises gameplay of becoming stale with every installment.Websites like IGN and GameSpot criticized the franchise by applauding the graphics but calling the gameplay recycled and stale.What felt missing to all the gamers were considerable improvements to the installments.Things like Road-To-WrestleMania did come,but weren't executed to their full potential.This,in turn,led to a continuous fall in game sales.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 hit store shelves on 20th October 2009 and was the first game to be available as an iPhone App.This game also introduced custom storylines which everyone knew would find a way into the franchise sooner or later.The game was a success and finally broke out through the downfall.Video Gamer called the game an 'ultimate wrestling gamers sandbox.'

The next year saw the final installment in the WWE Raw vs. Smackdown series.This was WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011.This game has been one of my favourites despite the fact that it did not score a good aggregate score on websites like Metacritic.The best thing about this game were better gameplay dynamics.Tables now broke depending on the impact and fallen ladders could break or fall on ropes.In the word's true meaning,the franchise delivered yet another game-changer after 5 years of repetitive installments.


 Despite opening to good reviews,Ive always hated WWE 12 mostly because it couldn't quite deliver on the expectations I had set after WWE Raw vs. Smackdown 2011.Plus,despite boasting so much about a major improvement in graphics,there weren't any so-called major(emphasis) improvements.Neither did it live up to its slogan,'Bigger,Badder,Better.'


I've never come to like WWE 13 despite all the positive reception and hype mostly because now I've really started to look back at the starting years of the franchise as the 'Golden Period' of it.Plus,I really got pissed off with the the fact that WWE did not approve of THQs decision to have CM Punk as the cover superstar which is completely lame.So what would you have liked instead WWE?Your good old John Cena which all of us are sick and tired of?Come on WWE,you have to CHANGE!!!!


But yes,we expect future installments to add something to the franchise rather than take something away from it.That's the exact reason none of us liked Hitman:Absolution.It was a good game but it didnt give us the same old feel and that kills the whole fun of playing a sequel.We really want to see things like Casket Match and Panties and Bra match come back.

Plus,most of the hindrance is being caused by the fact that WWE has simply refused to change.WWE 2K14 was supposed to start an entire new era for the franchise and what to they do?They make 'The Rock' as the cover superstar.The same person that was the cover superstar in the starting installments of the franchise.It sets the wrong example.It's almost like taking a step back.

Why not make someone else have the spotlight?I,for one,would loved to have seen Dolph Ziggler as the cover superstar.He has the looks,the talent and the attitude.So why not?


I don't know where the game franchise is heading,though I'm sure the brand is still as good as ever.I've still not come across anything in the boasting list of WWE 2K14 that appeals to me.I've started hating the franchise,I really have.WWE really needs to work something magical out and things need to change.How long will people continue to buy games with minor improvements,3-4 superstars more and stale gameplay?If major changes don't find their way in the upcoming installments,you can take it from me that another downfall would be underway.And this time,it would be much more damaging.I don't know where the franchise is headed,but the way things look right now,Id cast my vote for an uDraw sequel rather than buy yet another dull WWE game.


WWE As A Gaming Franchise(Part 1)

The WWE franchise has been like all other franchises that we come across regularly.Its seen numerous ups as well as downs.But there is one thing that has been clear from the starting,WWE always had plenty of brand value as a gaming franchise.That is exactly what made THQ acquire a license from WWE to make their games in 2000.The potential was never worrying,but the questions regarding the execution were there from the very beginning.


WWF SmackDown started it all in the year 2000 and the sales figures speak louder than words.The game became an instant bestseller in UK and sold well throughout the globe.WWF Smackdown 2:Know Your Role continued the success adding a whole lot of new features including Create Your Superstar and more intense storylines.

With time,THQ also started publishing games on multiple platforms rather than just sticking with PlayStation.And without a single doubt,the success followed.


The legacy continued on the PlayStation 2 with WWF Smackdown:Just Bring It.This game became an instant bestseller too selling more than 400,000 copies in North America alone.

Then came the lawsuit which our beloved brand(intended sarcasm) lost leading to a change in the name from WWF to WWE.The campaign Get The F Out really helped WWE establish itself as a youth-oriented brand.WWE Smackdown:Shut Your Mouth was not only an instant success like all other games,but it also brought with itself several new game mechanics that we now consider for granted in a WWE game nowdays.The soundtrack of this game also got highly appreciated by most people.New game mechanics like grappling and submission helped the game to differentiate itself from its predecessors while establishing a foundation to future WWE games.This was also the first game which did not feature Dwayne Johnson(The Rock) as the cover superstar.


Then in the latter part of 2003,WWE Smackdown:Here Comes The Pain came and like all others,became a bestseller.It featured Brock Lesnar as the cover superstar.This game was praised for everything from better combat mechanics to a better visual engine.It also won 2 Spike Video Game Awards.One for the best sports game of the year and the other for being the best fighting game of the year.While websites like IGN continued to appreciate what the WWE gaming franchise was developing into,1UP severely criticized these WWE games calling them good,but accusing them of not being able to bring the same quality back to the table for which it was known.


In 2005,WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw came out with much hype featuring Vince McMahon as the cover superstar.Above everything else,it bragged of being superior to the previous installments due to its superior graphics and voice-overs in Season Mode.However,it did not sell too well and wasnt even able to sell well among its core buyers in the market.

But what neither us nor THQ knew was the turn that the franchise was going to take.Be it for the good or bad.The franchise was destined to never be the same again.We shall have a look at this rather unexpected turn and shift in gravity that started with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 in the next part of this two-part blog series.


Next time,we shall evaluate the turn that the franchise took,the change that the developer(THQ) itself took,the present state of the franchise and what lies in the future for it with 2K Games acquiring WWE franchise rights.

Hope all of you liked the blog and stay tuned for Part 2 in this in-depth analysis of the WWE franchise.

Eventful Plans For The Next 30 Days

Well I must admit that I was very happy with the positive response I got for my first Awesome-User-Blogs inclusive blog.I mean,getting almost 135 comments really got me into thinking and wondering what more could I do.And thats what the next 30 days are going to be all about.You'll be witnessing things on Gamespot like never before.So let me give you an insight on how I plan to achieve that.

1.)First of all, Im going to be starting something called a 'Publishing Company Comparison' blog.I've already tried that with EA vs. Ubisoft but I barely received recognition for the blog that time since it was published during my initial stages on Gamespot.So basically,it's going to be a two-part blog and with a definite conclusion unlike other comparison blogs that leave you with something like - 'If you want X then Y is surely better.But if youre looking for A than surely B is better.'You can take it from me that in the two blogs I'll be assessing everything from the past,present to the future even criticizing various decisions.The following are the comparisons that I'm willing to do.Please choose one of the below and post it in the comments section.The one with the highest votes will be undertaken.The poll closes on 14th June.


Options ---

-EA vs. Activision

-2K vs. Activison

-Activision vs. Ubisoft

-2K vs. EA

-Square Enix vs. 2K

-Sega vs. Konami

2.)I've something very exciting planned for Gamespot.It is a new initiative called GSBC.Sadly,all I can provide you with right now are the initials.I've been putting a lot of work into it so none of you will be dissapointed by it.Secondly,if anyone of you can guess what the full form of GSBC is,your vote in the 'Publishing Company Comparison' poll will equal to five votes of other people.Not only that,you'll be playing a big role on how the GSBC initiative rolls out.But that's only to the person who can guess the full form first.So yes,keep guessing and you might as well crack it.


3.)Last of all,I'd like to tell all of you how excited I am with the E3 approaching.I've something real special planned for E3 too.I'll be giving you all random tasks or blog-posting-jobs related to the E3.Whoever I feel has participated most actively             will get something real special.I'll be posting more about this later.But don't expect too much since it is the first giveaway I'll be undertaking.But yes,you can take it from me that the level of interactivity will be brilliant.So yes,do participate in it when I provide the necessary details.

So that's it guys.Hope I've just made the month of June and the first 10 days of July exciting enough for you.I don't know  how things turn out,but this is my first try at doing something completely new.Something that's never been done on Gamespot before.Looking forward to interacting with you more in the coming days.Cheers!


JRPGs,Nintendo And The Gaming Industry

It is common knowledge that for a game-developing company to survive in the gaming industry, it needs various things going in its favor. It needs everything from financial backing to good titles and a decent fan following for it to work. But the sad thing is that being present in the gaming industry is far from actually being successful in it. So the question is, what apart from great minds does a company in the gaming industry need for success?


The thing that sets a game-developing company on the path to success is without a single doubt, uniqueness.

Thats the exact same reason why saying the word assassin brings to your mind Ubisoft's two most famous franchises, Assassin's Creed and to some, Prince of Persia. What comes to your mind when I say a good sandbox game? Yes indeed, the Rockstar's and Rockstar North's various creations the most prominent of which is the GTA franchise. When I talk about the simulation and racing genre, youll most probably think about Electronic Art's Sims and the Need For Speed franchise respectively. Why does the word Atari always bring back feelings of nostalgia for some? It was because for some, Atari was their childhood friend. The legacy of Atari will always remain because quite a large portion of our gaming community once believed that nothing could beat the feeling of playing on their Atari console while sipping some good hot cocoa and being all coiled up in a blanket. You know why I'm mentioning all this? It's because each of these companies have done something in the gaming industry that is still unmatchable and worth chatting over at a local diner. I'm mentioning them because they each have done something in their sphere that each and every one of us know about or have themselves witnessed.

Simulation was never so fun

Now lets talk about the Asian gaming industry which flourished in the 1980s and 1990s but has been deteriorating in popularity ever since.

You must be familiar with the term JPRGs which is an abbreviation for Japanese role-playing games. Quite recently, the JRPG Ni No Kuni: Wrath of The White Witch has been grabbing the attention of gamers worldwide. But like all other gaming industries, JPRG also has a history to it.

Role playing games were very popular in North America and Europe in the 1970s with titles like Dungeons and Dragons, RuneQuest and Champions. The American gaming industry was exposed to the JRPGs in the 1980s and with titles like Wizardry RPG, Blue Forest Story and Sword World RPG, the success of JRPGs in North America was inevitable. The JRPGs not only did well in North America and Europe, but also well in their own Japanese market. JRPGs continued to flourish in the 1990s but the 21st century with itself brought the end of the golden era for the JRPGs.


Hardware changed, consoles changed and so did the preference of most of the gamers. Action and adventure became the new preference. With this, the JRPGs silently got sidelined in the North American gaming industry and that continues to be the state of JRPGs even today.

The 21st century had for obvious reasons more competition in the gaming market. The centre of gravity for many Asian game developing companies changed to North America and Europe which had a wider audience. Companies that continued to have a stronghold in Asia either went bankrupt very soon like Atari or continue to this day be criticized like Nintendo. If we all think about it, all the companies in the game industry that have a stronghold in Asia have been portrayed really badly through social media. A company like Nintendo which has a legacy of its own has been shoved aside by the critics in the Sony Vs, Microsoft battle only because most of Nintendo's loyal customers continue to this day be in Asia.

The >Wii U fever is here to stay

Even if Nintendo brings decent hardware to the market it gets badly criticized for things like not bringing good titles to the market like Nintendo Wii U. Sony PS Vita was launched before the Nintendo Wii U and doesnt have good titles too but it hasn't been criticized as much as the Nintendo Wii U.

Facts are never wrong. We are not only seeing Asian companies go bankrupt and critics continuously criticizing companies in the gaming industry that have a stronghold in Asia but also the negativity that surrounds the Asian gaming industry is unbearable.

If we aren't to save the Asian market right now, we might as well lose everything that the Asian gaming market has to offer. I can't even think of living without playing one JRPG every month or two. I know damn too well that neither of the hotshots like EA, Ubisoft, 2K Games or Rockstar can ever create a magical world like we have seen in the JRPGs. We must act swiftly my dear friends, if we want to ever see the Asian gaming market show us its full potential.

Time to Compare

Im not just saying this because Im an Indian and need to see the Asian gaming industry again flourish like the 1980s but because I still remember the bitter-sweet frustration which came to me from getting stuck in the fifth stage of Gear Antique and almost pulling each and every hair out of my head until I crossed it.

Pokemon:My Childhood Buddy


I still remember the day I began my journey into the vast universe of Pokémon. I was 9 and had just got my first handheld console: the Nintendo DS. My main reason for the purchase of the DS was Mario, but a year after being exposed to Pokémon,I realized that my favourite game franchise had changed. After spending a year with Mario,I finally bought my first Pokémon game,the platinum enhanced-version of Pokémon: Diamond And Pearl.I didn't realize at the time that with the purchase,things would never be the same again.

I had completed the game with great pleasure and there was no looking back.My 2007 and 2008 holiday season went exploring countless other Pokémon games.I didn't just play Pokémon,I lived Pokémon.

I spread the Pokémon fever throughout my school.I remember atleast five of my classmates buying a Nintendo DS after getting the fever.We used to talk about Pokémon throughout recess.But that was only the beggining.Very soon,one of my classmate showed all of us a trading card game of Pokémon.Next thing we knew,everyone spent their recess and between-class time(some even within-class time.Don't stare at me like that!!!) playing the trading card game.Even though the trading cards were eventually banned in the school,the fever wasn't destined to stop just yet.

Along the way,my Pokémon game-collection kept growing.Titles found their way from my wishlist to my game-collection quicker than they do nowdays(how good we are at crying our way to a purchase when we are young). Titles like Pokémon Dash,Pokémon Ranger,Pokémon Ranger:Shadows of Almia,Pokémon Emerald and Pokémon Trozei kept my love for Pokémon intact.

Pokemon Ranger:Shadows of Almia

The Pokémon fever just kept growing.I also spent a lot of money satisfying my merchandise needs.I had countless Pokémon t-shirts and wristbands.

In 2010, I bought my PS3.With it,I dedicated less time on Pokémon games and more on other gaming titles like Call of Duty.By this time,I had also started dedicating a lot of time on playing tournaments with my Counter Strike 1.6 clan.

I left Counter Strike 1.6 only a year later and bought myself the Nintendo 3DS with hope of switching my major attention to the various exclusive-franchises that Nintendo had to offer including my forgotten friend Pokémon.

Pokemon On The 3DS

But it was not to be due to two reasons.First of all,I continued to devote most of my time with my PS3.Secondly,any attempts by me to continue on the Pokémon venture didn't give good results.I bought the Pokémon Rumble Blast and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:Gates To Infinity but I was unable to relate with my past Pokémon purchases.There were hundreds of new characters,there were changes in gameplay and playing a Pokémon game didn't feel the same.So I continued to devote time to my PS3 and I rarely bought and played a Pokémon game.

I tried to watch the TV series of Pokémon but I left that too after a month or two.I switched to other games and almost completely forgot about my childhood buddy.

So that's the tale of my childhood buddy.We occasionally meet nowdays since he's changed a lot since the school days.I really do miss the countless hours of gaming that I spent with Pokémon.All I'd want from the developers is to make the entire franchise more simpler.I'll be trying PokéPark 2:Wonders Beyond sometime this year.I do hope that we can be good friends again.Because the fact is,I never quite grew out of Pokémon.

Rebooting A Game Franchise

Devil May Cry

Maintaining a gaming franchise is a tricky thing for publishers.Publishers need to do an awful lot of thinking when establishing or evolving a gaming franchise.There are various aspects to think about when you are actually thinking about establishing a gaming franchise.Everything from a delightful concept to good graphics is necessary to actually hold a gaming franchise firm on the ground after it's release.More than anything,the 21st century brought competition in the game developing world unlike anything witnessed before.The gaming industry has evolved, and so have the games.

Assassin's Creed 3

Thats the exact same reason why saying the word assassin brings to your mind Ubisoft's two most famous franchises, Assassin's Creed and to some, Prince of Persia. What comes to your mind when I say a good sandbox game? Yes indeed, the Rockstar's and Rockstar North's various creations the most prominent of which is the GTA franchise. When I talk about the simulation and racing genre, you'll most probably think about Electronic Art's Sims and the Need For Speed franchise respectively. Why does the word JRPG always bring back feelings of nostalgia for some? It was because for some, JRPGs were their childhood friends. The legacy of JRPGs will always remain because quite a large portion of our gaming community once believed that nothing could beat the feeling of playing a JRPG while sipping some good hot cocoa and being all coiled up in a blanket. You know why I'm mentioning all this? It's because each of these games have done something in the gaming industry that is still unmatchable and worth chatting over at a local diner. I'm mentioning them because they each have done something in their sphere that each and every one of us know about or have themselves witnessed.But this isn't Alice's Wonderland, many other gaming franchises struggle for years with the sole intention of trying to make a positive impression of themselves on the gaming community's mind.

 That said,I'm not going to bore you with the same old Wikipedia facts about game rebooting.Let's try with a more realistic look at things.

So why does a game need a reboot at the very first place?The reasons I'm presenting you here are more realistic than almost anything you'll find on the internet on the subject.

1.)    When a game actually needs to modernize and rise above a previous thought-process related to it.A good example I can give you is of Capcom,the publisher of Devil May Cry.Now lets stop looking at the financial aspect of the Devil May Cry reboot and actually look at a reasonable reason for the reboot.

The Westernized Dante

My theory about the Devil May Cry reboot jazz is this- Capcom,being a Japanese game publishing company,realized that most of it's target audience lived in North America and Europe.The games were getting along just fine but what Capcom seriously needed was a shift in gravity.With a Devil May Cry reboot,Capcom basically changed it's stronghold from Asia to North America and Europe.To put it in a sentence, Capcom fulfilled it's basic purpose of a Devil May Cry reboot which was to westernize the game.Now that Capcom has the base made for a modern franchise,you can expect a lot more from Capcom in the coming days.

2.)    We often see changes in game developing studios and game publishing companies.Not all of the studios and companies have the same mentality and idealogy.All of them have different strategies towards succeeding in the gaming market.What you'll find more and more in the coming years is change in game developing and publishing studios.Since almost no two studios are like-minded while developing a game,you'll find that the game developing studios would rather like to start a gaming franchise back from scratch rather than keep milking it.We will definitely be seeing a lot more of this in the future and you might as well expect some similar announcements coming about one of the sold THQ properties in the near future.


3.)    When you've basically made a cow out of your gaming franchise by milking it far more than you should have,you know its about time to start back from scratch again.After all,not every game relates its characters with something as stupid in creation as uDraw(Exactly!!!Im talking about the Animus).We've actually seen that rebooting a gaming franchise is the best thing to do after milking a franchise for too long.The Tomb Raider and Medal Of Honor reboots were proof that even the fanboys want to see a reboot if they realize that the gaming franchise has been milked more than enough.At the rate at which we are seeing game sequels,we can expect to see a lot more milking of gaming franchises until they are finally rebooted and spared of their surviving grace.

Tomb Raider

So that pretty much sums things up out here.The basic purpose of my article was to give you a more realistic inside into why a game is actually rebooted rather than filling your mind with more of the same trash and misconceptions about game rebooting.Being a big-time fan of a game is one thing,but actually realizing what's best for that gaming franchise is yet another thing altogether. 

Gamespot Chalk Talk

EA vs. Ubisoft

Electronic Arts(EA)Ubisoft





Article 1 / 2

This is 2013, developers and independent studios are investing billions of dollars in the gaming industry and the gamers have nothing short of options. Companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are continuously launching next generation consoles. Every month, we see game developing companies both go bankrupt as well as develop. It therefore is as clear and obvious as anything that the competition is as tight as it can get right now within the gaming industry. With no game developing company having a clear monopoly in the gaming market right now and gamers having hundreds of options to choose from even within a single genre, the market is bringing out the best out of all the game developing companies and studios.

Both EA (Electronic Arts) and Ubisoft have been old players in the gaming market competing not only with each other, but also with various other game developers. Even though it is very important to know that the gaming titles that these two companies publish are actually developed by various studios and not themselves by either EA or Ubisoft, we have never really had a proper EA vs. Ubisoft debate.

So lets get the debate going. Just to let all of you know, Id be more than pleased to hear your opinions and suggestions about this article. Do feel free to say anything about the article and I might as well include some of your comments in my Article 2.

You most probably have your favorite titles as well as a soft corner in your heart for some titles. Its all normal, youve most probably also found yourself defending your favorite titles in a heated argument on gamespot. First things first, pick the game publishing company you like better between the two, get some popcorn and read on.

Ubisoft was started by five brothers in 1986 in France while Electronic Arts was started in USA in 1982.Even though initially Ubisoft and EA made many deals, it was common knowledge that they were arch rivals. What followed was individual development that took place within both game publishing companies and the business plans for both companies indicate that business of both the companies took a good start.

Comparison of Games:

Let us start with the eSports and racing section.

Electronic Arts has titles here that include the NHL series that has become a decent gaming franchise in itself after 1991, the FIFA series since 1993 which is currently battling out with Pro Evolution Soccer for the title of the best soccer game franchise, the Need For Speed series which rightly earns the spot for the best racing game franchise without much denial, the NASCAR series that ended in 2009 and the NFL series which has also sold quite well.

the latest edition to the NFS franchise

Ubisoft is quite short of boasting rights here. We obviously know the F1 franchise which we have seen evolve around the years only for the better, we are also listing the Just Dance franchise right here too since the future might hold Just Dance in the eSports section seeing Kinect and the coming next generation consoles and finally the few football manager games that it released in the Play Station 1 era. We also saw a bit of Streetball and Action Soccer published by Ubisoft.

F1 Title for the PlayStation


It wouldnt need an expert to tell that Electronic Arts is the clear winner in the eSports section with continuing franchises the likes of NFS, FIFA and NFL. The only point of discussion could arise as F1 vs. NFS. Here again, Id say that NFS is the clear winner as it has 18 games in various platforms to it whereas F1 is an irregular franchise the last of which though, we have yet to see. Even though it would be easy to say that the 2001, 2006 F1 games improved highly upon their predecessors, the F1 gaming franchise might as well never be a part of the spotlight because of franchises the likes of NFS. NFS however has shown that it still, as a franchise, has a lot to offer to the gaming industry. Id love to know your opinion about the NFS vs. F1 franchise battle. Do post your opinions in the comment section below.

Educational, Puzzle, Card, Board Games:

Even though this genre might not appeal to you, there was decent competition about it pre-2000. Even though it would be hard to find even one publishing company today that has its major priority as this genre, we should still consider this genre as both the game publishing companies originated at a time where some felt that nothing could beat a good puzzle game on their pc or handheld console while sipping some good hot coffee.

Electronic Arts has never given priority to this genre simply because its earliest franchises were successful and added sequels continued to enjoy mostly the same success. Some of its franchises that can be included in this category include the inspirational (at that time) hit Pinball Construction Set, the innovative Archon franchise and Kasparov's Gambit.

The same does not, however, hold true for Ubisoft. Franchises in the action and adventure genre like Assassins Creed and Far Cry were not there from the start. Ubisoft put games like Bomberman, Fer et Flamme, Fred and Hexcite as well as several exciting compilations for several consoles at the time which worked exceptionally well for Ubisoft.


Even though most of Ubisofts titles werent as good as those of Electronic Arts pinball and Archon franchise, Ubisoft still gets the better of EA in this genre. First of all, EA never intensely marketed their games included in this category and their games stronghold remained in North America while the Ubisoft titles were well marketed and came out on most of the handheld consoles at the time and gained most of its support from the widespread users of Atari consoles. The only thing that made EA lose this title is poor marketing and not making any sequences to their more successful games in this genre. Id love to know your favorite game of this genre in the comment section below.

good old days with Hexcite

And that ladies and gentlemen wraps up our Article 1 of EA vs.Ubisoft and things still remain undecided with 1-1. Id love to know your thoughts on this article and Id want you to know that Article 2 will be coming out soon and it will be the decider in the debate. Id be interacting with you guys in the comment section as well.

Read Article 2 for the winner of the strategy game battle, the first and third person shooter battle, the simulation genre battle, the 'whats next for EA and Ubisoft' and the Final Verdict that will announce the winner in the debate.

Hope you like the article and stay updated for more. Article 2 coming out soon .

Why All Of Us Should Look Forward To The Upcoming SimCity

Well so this is the place where I ask or pursue all of you (or at least some) to look forward to the latest addition in the SimCity series.
Most of us are already familiar with the fact that the developers of SimCitys latest venture have developed the game against all odds and ends. They had a concept with them and without the expected support from its developers (Electronic Arts) they have completed it. For those of you who dont know, SimCity will be making its release on March 5 this year. As essential as it is to know the odds against the game, it is also important to know why the developers have boasted about the games gameplay for the past 3-6 months.

If we are to believe the developers, the latest addition to SimCity brings a lot of new things to the table. I have provided the link of the latest SimCity website right below the blog.
Supposedly, SimCity has really given us players a new aspect to look from at all the simulation and strategy games. The developers have specially focused on the interactions between the citizens of your city with each other and the impacts of the interaction can be heavily felt on the city (I look forward to this more than anything else). Not only this, we will see some decent improvement (as I feel) on the crime, unemployment and employment system within the game.
Buildings----- If, like me, youve also been a regular buyer of the SimCity games you might be familiar with the fact that the only thing we really care about when building anything are the resources we would acquire from it. As sad as it is, I really find a very narrow chance that the upcoming SimCity game would be any different. The graphics would be something very close to that of The Sims 3 and the real concentration would continue to be that of the input and output of the building. Multiplayer---- To be quite honest, playing multiplayer on any of the Sims game has really never appealed to anybody (I might as well exclude Justin Bieber). For once, that might as well be about to take a turnover. This time around, playing multiplayer will have massive effects on the game. You could help your friend (and vice-versa) to build big-time wonders in a city by sharing resources, police department and even a fire department. Not only this, your relations with your neighboring cities will also have an impact on your gameplay. You can be arch rivals with your neighboring cities or work together towards prosperity.
The game will also feature some challenges and other jazz which they currently are highly boasting about but I bet doesnt really generate much appeal. However, you can expect some improvement to that and some other stuff through the DLCs and expansion packs. Apart from this I am also looking forward to the CityLog and Global Market system in the game.

This is my take on the new SimCity game all set to release on March 5. According to me, the new SimCity will bring a lot of new things to the strategy and simulation genre. You have my thumbs up for buying the game. Apart from this, do comment below and Id be happy to know how you liked the article. Id also be more than pleased assist you as much as I can related to buying the game and Id also be more than happy to read your opinion on the latest SimCity venture.
Link to the SimCity Website: