A gaming console used to be such a simple concept.  If you wanted to play games in your house, you bought a game console, and voila, games in your living room.  Sure, you probably watched shows and movies on the same television, but you had bunny ears, a VCR, a cable box, or your neighbor’s cable line to do that with.  With the current generation, across all platforms, the gaming console as we know it has now merged with media delivery, and the result is that we have machines that can stream Netflix, ESPN, and even a selection of our cable offerings directly through our gaming consoles. Sure, there’s a convenience factor in play here, since having everything done from one box makes it easier to switch between content, but from a gaming perspective, is this a good thing?  It helped me come up with this week’s question:

Do you prefer to have your gaming console and media entertainment delivery separate?

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All gamers make time to enjoy other forms of entertainment; you can’t watch a TV show while being engrossed in a game (well, I suppose you COULD, but you wouldn’t be paying full attention to something).  I think some integration is good (I’m still waiting for a game to use Pandora as its radio station, so that you don’t have to be limited in the music selection of your game), and I’m all for combining social networking aspects to your gaming (leveraging Facebook to find people interested in playing games you like, for example), but there is a trade-off. The gaming console becoming the entertainment console means that my family now uses the machine more. This is great, until I need to wait for my family to finish watching their shows before I can use my Xbox.  Fortunately, for now the shows on my Xbox can be viewed on other TVs, but as this becomes a more integrated experience, what happens when all of my cable boxes are replaced by a single Xbox, streaming its content around to the TVs?  If I have to wait to play, I don’t know if that’s going to be a good thing.  Sure, right now this is largely hypothetical, but the entertainment console is already in our living rooms, no matter what we use.  The question is, are you ready to give up your gaming time for it?

View previous ASQ: Holiday Console Sales - View next ASQ: Physical Or Digital Game Copies

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation.  Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

We’ve gotten a good ride out of this generation of consoles.  While some may argue we’re just now hitting the stride for these systems, many (myself included) are looking ahead to what might be possible out of the next hardware offerings from the Big 3.  We’ve seen what Nintendo proposes with the Wii U, as well as some murmurings about Xbox 720 specs.  Folks are also talking more about when these systems, along with the PlayStation 4, might find their way to market (late 2012 for Wii U, and anytime between 2012-2015 for the other two).  But do we really NEED a new system right now?  Folks backing the Wii probably could do with an upgrade, but as I play Skyrim on my first generation Xbox 360, I am amazed at what can be pumped out of these systems (and on one disc, no less).  It got me thinking:

Are you satisfied with the current generation of consoles (to the point that you’re not itching for the next generation just yet)?

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While I’m all about getting the newest toy, I have to say that there is so much I still need to do with my current one, that I don’t know if I’m ready for the next generation.  And as Microsoft continues to add to the features of the existing system (Hello FiOS), I find myself looking less and less towards the future, and more at what I have in front of me.  Will I grab a new console on day 1?  Surely.  Am I scouring the internet trying to gobble up details of these new systems right now? Nope.  I’m content with what I have right now, and don’t mind waiting a little while for the next thing to come along.

What do you think? What system are you using, and are you ready to move on? Let us know in the comments below!

View previous ASQ: The Best Current Gen Console | View next ASQ: Holiday Console Sales

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation.  Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

As was mentioned here on Platform Nation, the Xbox 360 is getting a Dashboard Update!  Now, there are some gamers out there that already have this update, and some of the things I’m hearing are: slick looking, fast, and beacons are a really neat (and useful) feature.  I didn’t have too much of a problem with the old layout, but I’m always up for a fresh look.  The Metro UI is certainly pleasing to the eye, and will go great with my Windows Phone, so I’m in. Take a moment to look through the list of changes (hello cloud saves), and then answer the question below:

What do you think of the proposed changes coming to your Xbox 360 Dashboard?

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I think there are enough substantial changes in this update to warrant a “Love it” out of me. Adding functionality with no additional charges is always a good thing, and I think I will be much more connected with the people on my friends list, thanks to the beacons giving me a heads up when people are playing the games I like.  Now if we could just get the friend’s list cap to increase over 100….

What do you think? Vote above, and let us know what your favorite upcoming feature is below.

View previous ASQ: Skyrim - View Next ASQ: The Best Current Gen Console

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation.  Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

It seems that Xbox 360 owners of Battlefield 3 may have been having their fair share of issues.  Between server connection problems, complaints of poor textures (even with the Texture pack installed), and reported campaign freezing, this game may be suffering from some “rush to market” issues in an attempt to get a jump on sales ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.  In my unofficial Twitter observations, I’ve seen the largest outcry coming from 360 owners, and several have stated that the stores they purchased them from would be accepting returns due to the volume of calls they have been receiving.  This certainly is not the publicity that EA needs as they try to go toe-to-toe with Activision’s big release, and it begged the question:

Should high profile games be delayed if there are known issues that would be left unresolved at launch?

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EA is claiming that unprecedented demand is what is causing the issues, and while I could buy that excuse for the connectivity issues (Call of Duty has experienced similar issues around their previous launches), it does not explain the other issues involving poor textures and game freezes that have been reported by Xbox 360 players.  I can understand why the decision was made to stick with the release date: releasing after Call of Duty would have likely hurt sales, and there is a mentality that bugs can be fixed through patches (not to mention the millions of dollars in marketing that would be invalidated with a release date change).  I’m of the opinion that you only get one chance to make a first impression, and people who were new to the series (myself included) are either shying away from a purchase, or are frustrated with having purchased the game.  But if an extra million copies were sold by releasing early (arbitrary number), that makes it hard to argue for delaying release over a few bugs.

What do you think? Have you experienced any issues? Vote above, and comment below!

View previous ASQ: Call Of Duty Or Battlefield 3? – View next ASQ: Skyrim

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation. Most weeks on Monday, I’ll ask a question on Twitter at #PNASQ. Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

Hardcore mode, also called Survival mode, is a game variant that was most recently implemented in Fallout: New Vegas as a way of making the game more realistic.  You were forced to eat, drink and sleep in order to avoid penalties (up to and including death), along with other rule variances that made the game more difficult.  I personally love a game that puts in an additional challenge, and find that long duration role playing games stand to benefit the most from such tweaks.  It was my hope that the newest game from Bethesda, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, would include such a mode, but alas it seems this is not be.  So while my question was initially going to be focused on Skyrim, I’ll open it up to cover the mode in general:

Do you prefer playing a game in Normal mode or Hardcore mode?

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Obviously, there aren’t many games to choose from in thinking about your response to the question, but consider your answer for those games that you have played.  If you haven’t played any, which do you think you’d prefer? Scrounging for food and water and balancing inventory, or just playing through the story and enjoying the game without being weighed down by the micro-management of Hardcore mode?  As I stated above, if I have the choice, I’ll play Hardcore mode, but as you’ll see from the two folks who responded on Twitter (when asked about whether they would want to play a Hardcore mode in Skyrim), I seem to be in the minority.

@Tanglebonitis - Nope. Normal for me.

and with an eloquent response,  @Steve519 – no.

That’s what they think. What do you think? Vote above, and comment below!

View previous ASQ: Gear Of War 3 Week 1 Sales — View next ASQ: Call Of Duty Or Battlefield?

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation. Each week on Monday, I’ll ask a question on Twitter at #PNASQ. Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time is back for a second season. It’s kinda like Chappelle’s Show, especially with the new season adding more stand-up bits. While Dave Chappelle covered Grand Theft Auto in his run, Swardson covers the dangers of Xbox Live smacktalk. In fact, he’s introduced the Xbox Live Smack Transporter.

When an opponent starts to relentless taunt you, the Smack Transporter will kick in. The Transporter will teleport any player to their opponent, giving them one minute to respond in person. This may, in Nick’s case, include beating up your dad, hooking up with your sister and/or mom, and pouring lemonade all over your head. The episode is online, and the segment is in the last part of the episode. Additionally, the show is rated for adults, so keep that in mind when looking up the clip.

Would you like to confront your Xbox Live assailants in person?

Call it what you want, Players Edition, Collector’s Edition, Hardened Edition: some big profile games get the special treatment, with special packaging, bonus materials, and a higher price tag.  You can check this list to see if your favorite game was a collector’s edition at one point. With some upcoming AAA titles featuring some rather robust Special Edition bundles, including Modern Warfare 3 and Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, it got me thinking about why people buy these special editions.

What feature most appeals to you when purchasing a game’s Collector’s Edition?

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There’s a lot of options to choose from, so pick the one that typically most influences your decision to purchase these types of games (and yes, I know that influence can vary based on the game).  Me personally, I honestly can’t remember the last time I picked up a Collector’s Edition version of a game; I certainly have not done so with any current generation consoles.  I don’t really count Rock Band, since you need the instruments to play, but if I had to give a driving reason behind purchasing a collector’s edition, it would probably be for bonus major physical items.  It would take something major to upsell me to spend sometimes more than double the original cost of a game.  But that’s just me.

What do you think? Vote above, and comment below!

View previous ASQ: Gears of War Exclusivity (With Recap) — View next ASQ: Gear Of War 3 Week 1 Sales

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation. Each week on Monday, I’ll ask a question on Twitter at #PNASQ. Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

Was GameStop within their rights to remove OnLive coupons from copies of Deus Ex?

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Please note, I’m asking whether GameStop had the right to do it, not whether you think it’s right that they did.  I’m pretty sure many would agree that the decision was a poor one, giving GameStop a lot of negative press while pumping a ton of advertising to OnLive for free (and right before PAX Prime, where OnLive was giving away their MicroConsole for free to visitors of their booth).  I guess if I was being honest, I’d say GameStop had the right, as this coupon insertion by Square may have been a violation of the agreement between the two companies.  However, just because you have the right to do something doesn’t mean you should.  I think it was a terrible decision by GameStop to go about it the way they did, and I’ve made it known that I will no longer be a customer of GameStop as a result.

What do you think? Vote in the poll above about whether GameStop was within their rights, and tell us in the comments below whether or not you agree or disagree with their decision?

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation. Each week on Monday, I’ll ask a question on Twitter at #PNASQ. Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

Sony made quite a few announcements over the last few days, not the least of which is the announcement that the PlayStation 3′s price is being reduced to $249.  There has already been a significant sales boost on Amazon since the announcement, and I imagine this trend will continue at other retailers as well.  Since I don’t own a PS3 yet, and I know several others in the same boat, I decided this week’s question would be:

Is the PS3 now priced appropriately?

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It wasn’t too long ago that the PS3 launched with a ticket price of $499 (for a 20GB model – the current price is for a 160GB), so the price being cut in half over the course of 5 years is pretty remarkable, considering many feel the system is just now hitting its stride.  Still, Sony has had their share of struggles with the system (both in early sales, and recent security breaches) that has forced their hand in these price reductions.  So the question isn’t “Will you buy one at $250″ .. it’s whether you think the price of a 160 GB PS3 for $250 is appropriate. Too low? Too high? Just right? Vote above, and comment below.

Personally, I think this is probably a good price point for the system, considering what you get out the box.  That being said, I will probably wait until a sub-$200 pricetag, but if some nice bundles come up for the holidays, I may bite the bullet and snag it.

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation. Each week on Monday, I’ll ask a question on Twitter at #PNASQ. Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

Things have quieted down a bit lately, but it wasn’t that long ago that groups like Anonymous and LulzSec (among many others) were grabbing headlines for the big corporate and government site takedowns and personal information acquisition.  While the media blasts the group as being reckless and dangerous, there has been an almost resigned acceptance in a lot of the gaming community I follow and communicate with.  No one is happy to have their personal information in the wrong hands, but some might feel this is just hackers being hackers.  It begs the question:

Are you concerned with what the hacking community has been doing lately?

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Personally, having once dabbled in the craft, I see both sides.  I understand the rush that getting into and out of systems can provide, and coming across valuable information while you’re in is even better.  But I never took it to the next level and published that information.  I always saw that information as something of a reward for getting in; frankly, I never wanted to make it known that I was ever there.  So while I understand the motivations behind the act of hacking itself, I’m concerned with the direction some members of the community are taking.  I’m more concerned about the apathy among the online community at large.

Keep an eye out in #PNASQ on Monday when I’ll pose next week’s question. Want to sound off? Vote above, and comment below!

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation. Each week on Monday, I’ll ask a question on Twitter at #PNASQ. Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.