Yantelope V2

Well, again, it's all a question of which makes you more money: retail distribution and 66 million people or complete control of all content released and a slice of the pie for every download to only 40 million people? Also, it doesn't hurt to cut $20-30 out of the cost of each unit shipped. That's significant. Also, also it doesn't hurt not paying Sony royalties for blu-ray drives. Also, also, also aren't you factoring more for what % of people will be online 3-5 years from now rather than right now?

MCV posts a lot of rumors that don't turn out to be true but there's this http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/exclusive-no-disc-drive-for-next-xbox/092534

30 picowatts is very very low. Not sure this will ever be useful. Interesting though.

The day I realized that Pokemon was never going to have the big full next gen game was a sad day for me too.

Looks like it's a 2K weekend on Steam so there's probably going to be a Civilization sale anyway...

Civ V has been so cheap so many times. I'm holding out for the complete edition though.

@TN, I understand what you're saying from a business side and I can't argue the profitability of it. Despite the 100million units (I'm assuming that's including every expansion ever sold too) you're still targeting sort of a niche demographic with it aren't you? I know it just comes down to I personally do not like the direction SimCity is going as it does not appeal to me personally but it still bugs me that making tons of money off 15% or whatever of gamers who are willing to buy $200 worth of sims gear makes it so that the other 85% of us gamers have to kind of deal with it. (You might have better % than me, I'm just shooting in the dark.)

Oh that's easy, play the SNES Simcity. Problem solved. @TN: Well, I guess I can't judge properly which has more content between COD and SIms3 but I suppose that's somewhat contingent upon just what's included in those expansion packs. I personally would rather scrap the system and move on to a wholly improved game every year or two rather than just tag on more assets or gimmicks to an existing game. edit: I wouldn't call each iteration of COD wholly improved though, I'm just thinking I'd rather have Simcity improve and grow deeper rather than expand outward.

well, for you sweaty palm guys just get a ventilated controller and begin holding your controllers the right way again.

No, the Analog controller came out April 25, 1997, one year after the N64 http://en.wikipedia....alog_Controller also found this: Look how much the numbs got elongated with the addition of the analog sticks. They shortened them a bit for the DS.

I've never even heard of holding a controller with your fingers and not palming it. I thought that was the whole point of the numbs was to put those in your palms. Sounds to me like gamers have adapted to the DS3 and not the other way around. I'd argue that almost makes my point that the DS3 is not ergonomic. That being said the thumbsticks are definitely just tacked onto the controller as a response to the N64's analog controller. You'll notice they actually elongated the numbs on the original dual analog controller when they added the sticks to try and make up for this. I actually have one of those original dual analog controllers with the concave tips and I much prefered it to the DS sticks. The controller died on me though I still have it as a collectors piece since they were kinda rare.

Yes, given that the SIms 3 and expansions can all be yours for the low price of $210 on sale I greatly fear that this game will be no different. Over saturation of DLC really repels me from wanting this as does Origin.

change the thread name to just SimCity now! or you could go SimCity (2013). I really hate when they name things the same name as the original. It's very annoying 10 years from now when you're trying to distinguish between the two.

Skills for what though? I don't play in arcades - they don't even exist anymore. So I'd just be shelling out a lot of cash to make setup for fighting games cumbersome and wipe out 20 years of existing training to make me suck again. I think before making claims like that, you should at least have some kind of argument to back it up. A controller so big it fills the hands, domed buttons, and offset sticks are not more ergonomic (maybe if I hooked my thumbs under the controller, used my fingers to press the buttons and had 2 thumbs on my right hand...) Also, how is the DS3 outdated? It fit my hands perfectly 14 years ago, they haven't changed shape, and it has exactly the same buttons as the 360 controller. If anything, the latter is outdated because it uses big old AAs and doesn't have a rotation sensor. Really, neither are because they're for current systems and they don't remove features (beyond removing black and white buttons on the 360.) If you play a game like DJ Max Portable, it'll become obvious why you'd want flatter, low-profile buttons and a controller you can float on your fingers without palming it. A bulky controller with tall buttons only hinders agility. Besides, by your logic, wouldn't all these "DS3 defenders" also reject the Wii, DS and Vita since they're far more radically different than just a chunky version of the DualShock? I've used controllers since the standard was a numpad and joystick with buttons on the sides; I just prefer the DualShocks because they're more comfortable and in my hands, more effective. The 360 controllers aren't unusable like "The Duke," but they are a bit behind for general use in my experience (bad d-pad, twitchy sticks, etc) The DS3 was never designed for thumbsticks. Originally it had no thumbsticks. The thumbsticks were a tacked on afterthought of the original PS controller and they're not in a great position because they were just an attempt to catch up to the N64. The Xbox has the thumbstick and buttons in the comfortable position because in most games those are what you need direct access to. The triggers hold your finger and they don't slide off as easily and the convex shape of the DS3 sticks is just silly. My tumb isn't concave. Even the grips are more comfortable than the DS3. The original PS grips were a bit harsh and narrow and they've become slightly softer and more round with each iteration of the DS but they're still not as comfortable or well shaped as the Xbox controller. You'll also notice that the thumbstick and buttons are almost equidistant as are the d-pad and thumbstick on the xbox controller making it comfortable to shift back and forth. The tumbsticks fit closer to your hands than the buttons and D-pad on the PS3 and it makes you have to shift your grip or pam the sticks if you're going back and forth. Anther non-ergonmic feature.

I think that muscle memory is why people think they like the DS3 when really the XBox 360 is more ergonomic (aside from the battery tumor). I have been playing on so many different systems I don't fell married to one so maybe that's why I don't mind going to new controllers but I do think habit is why there are so many DS3 defenders despite it being outdated.

Off topic slightly: I'm starting to get the impression that AC is going the drag it out and never actually end it route. By ACVI we're going to be saying "ENOUGH ALREDY!"

The only thing the DS3 has over the 360 is the d-pad is a little better (still not SNES good though). Other than that it's outdated and antiquated.

I'm even tired of New York as a setting, especially in movies. That's part of what I loved about RDR was the setting was so unique and pretty. I believe that ACIII looks like a unique and pretty look at America and I'm all for that.

I'll probably get suckered into getting one because I always end up getting every console because every console has at least one game that I have to play. I wonder if I can get a friend to sell me his WiiU for $100 like I did with the original Wii...

I get the impression from their description of updates that it involves the much bemoaned MS certification process for patches and such and it's already well known that you can't support 360 games with free content. See TF2.

That's how Ted Kennedy stayed in office forever...