SpecialEffect GameBlast Begins Today

SpecialEffect is an organisation determined to help those with physical disabilities engage with the world of video games through assistive technologies. Using eye-control and modified joypads, the Oxfordshire based charity has been running since 2007 and works to bring the virtual world to those who previously had no way of accessing it. Nowadays video games and their cultures make up for a lot of kids' experiences of growing up. From playground conversation to exercising abilities in problem solving, perseverance, and creativity, gaming contributes heavily to childhood development. It's not surprising, therefore, that a large number of SpecialEffect's clients are children who, through the organisation's work, have been able to experience the joys of technology alongside their peers; boosting integration and general self-esteem.

This weekend, SpecialEffect is hosting the GameBlast 15 live stream event - a fundraising venture that sees a 24 hour Runescape marathon Friday-Saturday and GameBlast Live (a Children in Need type livestream from the London headquarters with gaming figures, playthroughs of new game content, and giveaways) on Saturday. GAME has also got on board, running a series of fundraising events as well as hosting a 24 hour "gaming spectacular" that will take place Friday at 6 GMT.

Through something as simple and seemingly peripheral as video games, SpecialEffect is transforming the happiness of people living in the UK with physical difficulties. With dozens of testimonies highlighting the organisation's obvious determination and tenacity in their aims, it's hard to ignore this literally game-changing work.

So far they've raised £19141.53, so head over to the GameBlast site to donate.

New Releases Lineup

2015 has kicked off with an explosion of new and exciting content to take over lives and destroy productivity. From survival horror to dark comedy, stealth to strategy, battling through hell with Johnny Gat to conquering the Goo in the distant, technologically advanced future. Whatever you're looking for, at the moment, there's something for every one.

If You're On A Budget: Resident Evil Revelations 2 

It can be tough on the bank keeping up with the ever-inflating prices of new releases, but thankfully more and more games are jumping aboard the episodic format to help out the old PS Store wallet. Though, strictly speaking, Resi Revelations 2 is not a new release, the first episode is due out on the 24th February in North America, and the 25th for us in Europe, so not that long a wait. After playing Revelations on 3DS a couple of years ago, i'm desperately excited for the sequel. The abandoned ship setting is perfect for that up close claustrophobia we have all come to love to hate, and the wide range of tasks presented maintained for excellently fresh gameplay. Hopefully the sequel follows suit, but in my experience, if you love Resi it's likely you won't be disappointed, and the episodic gameplay allows small exchanges of pocket money for some high standard play. 

If You're Reminiscing: Grim Fandango, Resident Evil  

Two remastered classics have hit the line-up recently; Resident Evil, and Grim Fandango. Grim Fandango, a forgotten classic from LucasArts, is a darkly comic adventure game which has certainly stood the test of time. Play as Manny Calavera, who is working to pay off a number of debts over a four year period while working as a travel agent in the afterlife. From the depths of 1998, Double Fine Productions have dug up this treasure and brought it to the mainstream where no doubt its complex story, infuriatingly tricky challenges, and upbeat soundtrack will feel right at home. It's also got a developer commentary which I got really excited about - see my last post for the evidence.

Resident Evil is perhaps, less of a nuanced gameplay experience. The 1996 survival horror has been through the remastering machine and come out an almost-perfectly polished modern experience (save for some minute glitching) promising all the terror and nightmares that came with the original, in a beautifully renovated setting.

If You're Looking For New IP: Grey Goo  

Grey Goo was finally released in January after being pushed back from autumn last year. In this real time strategy game, a group of humans and their lovable alien buddies called the Beta attempt to conquer the Goo far far in the future. Goo, nanobots that consume their enemies in order to create new factions, with a large amount of strategic tactic developing, and confusion over who is on who's side. Needless to say, things get pretty muddled in the game, but the 15 campaign missions of complex story and large range of skills to develop (though you can only really master them and then forget them due to the movement between factions that happens every 5 missions) help you through. Grey Goo has just been released on PC and is going for £30. 

If You Want A Laugh: Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell  

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell is a short and sweet stand alone in the Saints Row series. Playing as Johnny Gat as you battle your way through hell, coming across some hilariously portrayed historical figures as well as previous characters from the series. Overall it feels and plays like a self-conscious giggle at the series itself and is certain to provide some lightly dark entertainment with all the fireworks you've come to expect from the previous games. 

Why I Want To Play Grim Fandango Remastered (and it's nothing to do with the game)

Grim Fandango has always been in my peripherals. Not because i've always known it existed, but rather because i've seen the art everywhere but never really bothered to check out where it originated from. This was changed with the Remastered version that has just been released for PS4, Vita and PC. While the dark comedy noir-ish vibes are intensely appealing, it's not the storyline, gameplay, or the chance to play a cult classic remastered for a better system that's really enticing me. It's the developer commentary.

The game allows you to take a moment and listen to the developers talk through their work, as well as crack up at parts they remember creating, sharing anecdotes and making for what I believe to be a much richer gameplay experience. Sadly not many games offer their developers this indulgence, with just a handful of releases such as Half-Life 2, Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box compilation, and Lara Croft Tomb Raider Anniversary edition taking the time to implement this feature.

I enjoy the backstories, the mistakes, the in-jokes, and i'm sure so would many other players. There's a lot more to a game than the amount of time a developer spent on the project (and usually that comes under fire for making the players wait), and it's rarely seen in the video game industry. Especially with big games, players often forget the sometimes deeply personal experience that is developing and creating a video game and it's often tricky to bear in mind that every boss battle, puzzle, and gunfight came from literally nothing - a blank space on a computer screen. The journey from that blank screen to a polished, interactive, immersive experience is often unjustly ignored and I for one would love to hear the developer's stories behind their decisions. It just seems strange to me that for an industry so focussed on the creative decisions of a group of people, there is so much ignorance of the work that actually goes into those creative decisions.

To be able to hear the developers talk you through their creative decisions, the efforts they placed into the smallest effects (the number of punches a peripheral npc makes in a gym scene is the subject of one piece of Grim Fandango commentary), and the stories behind their efforts can only intensify your enthusiasm for the experience as a whole, especially in-game where you can actually experience there and then for yourself.

Telltale's Game of Thrones Gets Release Date... and it's soon

The release date for Telltale's new episodic Game of Thrones series has been released following two exciting trailers thrown at the web last month. PC and PS4 will see the new game on 2nd December, whereas X-Box fans will be a day behind on the 3rd. December 4th will see the game to ios and PS3 players are waiting until the 9th to get their digital hands on it.

The game will explore the story of House Forrester and is twinned with HBO, meaning more potential for series cross-overs and a higher likelihood of faithful voice acting. The allegiances between House Forrester and the Starks will allow the game to explore some of the well-known story elements of the already-instated series, including characters, settings and politics. I just hope Telltale makes the most of its decision-based dynamic seen in Walking Dead and creates a game that relies on its tactics as much as its sword, truly adhering to what we've come to love about Game of Thrones.

For more information, head to the Telltale Game of Thrones website and in the mean-time, enjoy entertaining the idea of these possibilities:

Link's New Master Cycle... and a bit of a character crossover digression

Nintendo have just revealed that the 'Master Cycle' is to accompany Link in his escapades in the first Mario Kart 8 add-on content pack and it looks pretty impressive - Link, as always, means serious business. It's a shame they haven't made the full step and just straight up added Epona to his vehicle list, but you never know. This got me thinking about character crossovers - there's something about the reunion with your favourite protagonist in another setting that's bizarrely entertaining. Oh! Look - there's that classic Nintendo character i've seen dozens of times before in a classic Nintendo game i've been playing for years! Brilliant, how do they come up with this stuff?! It's like seeing a teacher outside school - strangely unnerving at first but after a while you feel like you need to tell everyone you see that you just saw Mr Smith walking past Subway with a Boots bag and how exhilarating the experience was for you.

Going from seeing Link battling his way through the dark forces of evil under the guiding light of a distant hope to hurling bananas at Baby Peach in an attempt to just get second place on Rainbow Road has been challenging to get my head around. It feels like this is what Link does on his day off - well that's what I like to think anyway.

Maybe we should start thinking outside the box on this one. Perhaps Bowser should take up a tenancy in Animal Crossing for a while, or if you're really hopeful perhaps a Jak and Daxter / Crash Bandicoot crossover - but that might be a tad optimistic given that neither title has really been active since 2004. I don't think a Princess Peach appearance on GTA would really do much for Nintendo's image however...

Surgeon Simulator 2014 PS4 Release Imminent!!

It's Wednesday 13th August next week, and that means it's the release date of the PS4 console port of Surgeon Simulator in a special 'Anniversary Edition'. Why is this exciting? Partly because Surgeon Simulator has been used as an appropriate form of anger management since its PC release in 2013 but also because this PS4 version will include all the best features of the Steam  and iPad versions. Not only that, but in this surge of Surgeon Simulator madness, the game will also be coming to Android on the 14th.

It won't be as difficult to part with the £8.99 or $12.99 required to purchase the game as it will be to pass even the first few levels without some hefty lawsuits (how is it even possible to be that clumsy AND shakey at the same time?).

Bossa Studios initially developed the game in a 48 hours period for the 2013 Global Game Jam, continuing afterwards for a further 48 days in order to create the terrifying ordeal we now call a game. After releasing a version designed for iPad with more features, the new PS4 console port will apparently include a previously unrevealed mode.

New Details About Last Of Us Movie

New details have emerged concerning the production and development of a film adaptation of best-selling game The Last Of Us. Neil Druckmann, the producer of the original game and now the lucky screenwriter for the film has revealed that the story will focus more on the relationship between Joel and Ellie in an effort to condense 15 hours worth of gameplay into a 2 hour film. Which is actually quite a challenge considering the sheer amount of plot depth that The Last Of Us has to offer as well as the fact that whatever poor Druckmann does with the film, it's going to be difficult to please the people who want to explore more of the universe of The Last Of Us as well as those who simply want to enjoy seeing their beloved characters and plot

come to life. Perhaps this is why so many video games simply do not cut it as films - they can either step away from the actual gameplay themselves and simply use the marketable title and the expected themes to propel themselves, or they can become a remake of the actual game itself and risk boring players who have been through it several times, got the collectables and won the trophies.

It seems like this film is in good hands though, with Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) also at the helm of production and with Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) being heavily considered for the role of Ellie. The risk lies in the players' love for the game and the difficulty of recreating the feeling of experiencing something ground-breaking for the first time simply because of the fact that it is no longer ground-breaking.

It seems however, that Druckmann (who has pretty much been given complete creative control by Naughty Dog) is not simply remaking the game into a film - he's focussing on different aspects of the storyline and the universe of The Last Of Us in an attempt to please everyone's oh so high expectations. He's got a challenge ahead of him though - he's got power over one of the biggest topics in the video game industry at the moment and the expectations of so many fans resting on all his decisions, so as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man taught us - with great power comes great responsibility. (Well it was actually Stan Lee but they said it in the Sam Raimi film and that would fit my point a lot better...).

It seems Druckmann knows what he's
up against.

What You Need To Know About The Sims 4

I know i'm dangerously addicted to The Sims, in fact it's not uncommon for me to create elaborate backstories that often involve countless family trees and creepily detailed memoirs for each one of my poor subjects. Yet, when the first ripples of The Sims 4 rumours began to bob towards the shores of my attention way back when in May 2013 I understood that I probably wouldn't get my hands on the software for at least five years after its release. My reasoning behind this was born out of experience as it was only last year that I managed to gather the disposable income required for The Sims 3, some 4 years after its release in 2009. My reasoning behind this was also painfully correct, as The Sims 4 has been tagged with a £70 pre-order price that is desperately out of my student reach.

I can still revel in the new features of the game however and that is just what I have done with my new-found post-exam freedom. It's certain that The Sims 4 has a lot to offer us, even if all of these new features just contribute subtly to create a game that's more realistic and therefore more immersible than ever.

We've had several exhaustive lists of all the different features of The Sims 4 but what do these features actually mean for overall gameplay? Well, reader, I give you your long awaited answer...

Create-A-Sim 
- This life-creating workshop has been given a make-over in itself with new controls that include the ability to physically drag and mould physical characteristics of Sims. Not only does this unlock a world of potential creativity but also means, sadly for those who have always struggled to make Sims that look anything like individuals in the real world <cough>, there is absolutely no excuse for Sim-you to look nothing like real-you.

Sim Individuality 
- A big focus of The Sims 4 is on the uniqueness of your individual Sims - each individual has their own set of characteristics and emotions that come out in more realistic expressions of body language and interaction with objects and people with the general physicality of Sims becoming much more life-like.

Fluidity  
- In general, socialising is a lot more streamlined alongside other activities and behaviours. This is primarily brought in through the use of the multi-tasking tool presented in the game which acts to create more fluid, less blocky gameplay. No longer will you have to hang up the phone before starting dinner, or have a lovely conversation with a friend while your mother stands still next to them staring at you in silence (but if that's how your Mum rolls i'm not judging) because now all those things can happen all at once - integrating interactions in such a way that makes gameplay look a lot more practical.
- Not only are interactions a lot more streamlined, but general movement now works on a 360° axis meaning your characters aren't going to get stuck in that obviously non-manoeuvrable space between the dining table and the wall.

Realism 
- A running theme through all of Maxis' adjustments is a higher element of realism throughout the game - it's what all these developments have led to. Having different clothes and decorations evoke different emotions and behaviours from Sims is a leap of pure genius in the way of the authenticity and coupled with longer lasting effects of traumatic incidents - divorce, death, alien abduction etc. - creates more well-rounded, engaging and independent Sims. Segregating relationship types between Sims has also taken a leap in terms of realism with a distinction made between feelings of romance and friendship making for some pretty interesting dimensions of gameplay.

A Word About Realism 
- I must admit, however, that this is where Maxis confuse me somewhat. While I appreciate that The Sims has always thrived on a balance between the painfully realistic and the nonsensical absurd I feel that with these new developments so obviously aimed at bringing more realism to the game it feels strange to have bizarre new features of gameplay such as Sims laughing themselves to death, keeping a spare rocket ship in the back garden or resorting to voodoo dolls to fulfil their wishes. To begin with I was concerned that Rachel Franklin's intent to make the game more realistic would be undercut by these new fantastical elements of the game that are considered cartoonish. However, it has since occurred to me that this is how The Sims works, and a higher level of authenticity in the game might serve these outlandish dis-realities well - creating more vivid and emotional stories based around these bizarre happenings and expressing a higher level of what can only be described as how-would-I-react-ness that will definitely be fun to play around with. 

Overall i'm trying (and failing) not to get too excited about The Sims 4 as I know the price-tag is far from my tiny reach but give it five years or so and expect to see a pretty awesome review ;) 

Click to go to Sims Globe for a comprehensive list of
all new Sims 4 developments and features 

2DS: Questions Answered 21 Days Before Release

Ninty's released word of the 2DS. I know, I had to double take too. It soon dawned on me though that this is in fact a smart move on Nintendo's part. A realistically affordable slight downgrade to keep consumers up to date with new releases in a way that displays Nintendo's developing ability while keeping us lot in the know. The 2DS is set to hit shops just in time for the early Christmas market on 12th October, and its press releases have left me with a few questions. 

Size Matters. 

We all know that size matters, really. So when images were first released of the 2DS i was left reeling confused by the actual size of the device. However, after reading up on the subject it seems that the console fits nicely in the hand (as nice as a brick could fit), the synthetic touch of the surface making for light, easy gripping ability. However, perhaps the top screen isn't all it could be, seems a bit constricting which could make for more vibrant gameplay but i think might just get on my nerves. 

3D Games 2D Screen 

The console is designed to allow more people to play games designed for the prestigious 3D system. So, how will 3D games play on a 2D screen? Will it be the same as simply adjusting the 3D function on the 3DS system itself or will there be some kind of drawback in this department? I heard that inside, the 2DS is identical to its 3D cousin so will that make for better gameplay, or is the screen different? I'm afraid this is one section of questions that we'll have to wait until October for. 

Design Issues 

For me, I feel that the brick-like appearance of the handheld will not do Nintendo any favours. It looks like a child's toy replica of a 3DS bought for a destructive 2 year old to salivate over and crayola up. Controls are high up on the system which apparently helps the gameplay side of things but would just irritate me. I feel like it would be too... tall? For optimal gameplay? You need both your hands to hold it up comfortable so how are you going to (comfortably) touch screen? 

To be honest, if i had no 3DS I would probably save up that extra couple of pounds and buy a second hand 3DS. The 3D effect is what sold the console to me in the first place and I feel like the design of the 2DS would be too restricting and downright infuriating. But that's before i've even laid eyes on it in person, before i've even seen it in a shop so who knows, maybe Nintendo will prove me wrong. 

Final Verdict: A great move for Nintendo, including everyone in their new software introductions but maybe it's a little late now seeing as the 3DS has been out 2 years now. In terms of design though, i'm yet to be convinced. 

Follow me on Twitter: @MusingsTwit 

Desperate Times for Wii U as Sales Plummet

For me, the Wii U is a strange being. I neither really desperately need it in my life nor can i firmly decide that i shouldn't buy one. The reviews aren't great. The entire Wii brand in general hasn't received much critical success, being overshadowed by its younger and flashier predecessors, the Wii is like the chubby kid in the playground with his finger stuck up his nose - cute for all of 5 minutes but then boring and kind of sticky. I have always been a heavily, slightly creepily, loyal fan of Nintendo but there comes a point in every fandom when you realise that your long esteemed heroes are, in fact, not super-human. They have weaknesses and they make mistakes. Bringing the Wii U out as a separate console was a mistake.

So, as Wii U prices plummet and Asda gives up trying to stock it all let's take a look at why the most recent offspring of the Nintendo world perhaps isn't living up to its parents' expectations. The Wii U has failed because of the 3 areas it would have to succeed in to be any kind of contender in today's rapidly evolving technology market.

Console 
The console hardware itself is not up to scratch. The single touch controls are practically prehistoric when compared with Apple's daily dual touch releases and this gives the whole gaming experience a fairly heavy, clunky feeling which is reflected in the actual feel of the console and its slow, small internal hardrive. There's a camera on the front of the handheld though... great. We can take a low quality photo of ourselves using this instead of the HD high resolution camera that all devices come loaded with now, double chins an' all.

Marketing 
The Wii U was a marketing flop. Strangely constructed adverts and a bizarrely quiet run up to its release left consumers baffled over what the actual piece of plastic was. It took real research to find out about this console before its release, research which casual gamers wouldn't have bothered to complete and more importantly shouldn't have bothered to complete in this day and age when information is at its most available. Many consumers ended up believing that the handheld was just an add-on for the existing Wii that every family had in their home. It's no surprise then, that its sales have been abysmally low, superseded by the PS Vita within months.

3rd Party Support
No-one can do it on their own, which is why Nintendo's lack of 3rd party support is the final nail in the heavy coffin of the Wii U. It began with the ludicrous lack of new content available, Nintendo re-released ports from PS3 and X-box during the Wii U's release. Sales suffer from Nintendo's inability to attract and maintain 3rd party content and both developer and consumer are stuck in a spiral of publishers and sales figures. The Wii U isn't selling because there isn't enough 3rd party content, yet in a Catch 22 situation, 3rd party publishers are worried about these sales figures and therefore not bothering to develop for the dying console. You would think then, that Nintendo would happily accept the faith of a developer however small in bringing the Wii U back from the dead but no, they turned their backs on Japanese indie developers... interesting move Nintendo... interesting move...

It's sorely disappointing that Nintendo couldn't pull it out the bag for the Wii U. Miyamoto complains that there wasn't enough hardware development time which hindered the development of content as well which would suggest reason behind the Wii U's continuing failure. Whatever the cause, the console just isn't flashy enough to survive in the evolving digital technology market and will always be the little chubby kid in the playground. Hopefully that chubby kid will grow up to be respected for his chubbiness, in the same way the Wii U may just be valued for its simplicity and virtual console capabilities but who knows.

RetroN 5

Hyperkin's E3 stand this year was dominated by the RetroN 5 - a console that differs from the rest of the E3 lot in that it looks to the past of gaming rather than the flashy, 3D, super-fast models of tomorrow. The RetroN 5 is a collaboration of Nintendo’s greats (bar the obvious choice of the N64 – what up wit dat?) all on one system which has basically been created to upgrade them to a modern television. The RetroN 5 incorporates Mega Drive, Super Famicon, Super Nintendo, Famicon and NES cartridges as well as a Gameboy Advance slot and is so far set for release this summer. I have a few problems though. Starting with the lack of N64, possibly the first console that comes to mind when the words ‘Retro Nintendo’ are uttered. Why, then is it not featured? It’s not like there isn’t a market for it (the reasoning behind the lack of Sega’s Master System) so perhaps there’s some other reason for the giant hole in the heart of the RetroN 5. My other problem is the upgrading to HD – these games are just meant to be played on a shit TV. 

I might be purchasing one of these if the price is right – but I’m not a retro game collector, so it might be worth more to someone who already has these cartridges stashed away in a cupboard. Saying that, however, the point has already been raised that this may boost the accessibility of retro gaming – the individual consoles and games would cost a bomb on their own.

In short, it’s a handy little system if you are already a collector – or you are seriously considering getting into retro gaming with a list of possible and favourite games to purchase. It is likely that this system will cost a whole lot less than all the individual consoles bought separately so it could be something to get into. A little ancient conundrum that we all have to face. 

Too Much Mario?

Can anyone really be that tired of Mario's chubby little rosy face? He's the happiest damn plumber in the world so why shouldn't Nintendo pick on its poster guy for its new releases? Charlie Scibetta, Nintendo of America senior director of corporate communications has defended Nintendo's new Mario E3 releases - Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8 and Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros saying that Nintendo is catering to a market calling for more Mario. He offers the idea that with each new Mario game comes new dynamics and gameplay of a brand new ip but with the lovably recognisable Mario main character.

Click for list of Nintendo Published Games 

Mario has always been Nintendo's poster boy. From the beginning, Nintendo was practically synonymous with Mario so it's surprising that the number of "Mario" titles in the past is fewer than I would imagine - just click the link for a comprehensive list of Nintendo published games.



It seems that Mario has been adopted by fans and developers alike as the favourite and there's nothing wrong with wanting to exploit a favourite if, like Charlie says, the games are all unique and new. Fans furrowing eyebrows at frequent Mario releases should question if they would be as dubious over a brand new Nintendo game with slightly different art for the main character.

The. Sims. 4

I have a separate Sims blog available for the reading times here http://simlifeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - it's a bit gay and really for my own sad little pleasure but if you're interested there it is.That's not the point of this post though, oh no. This post is to celebrate the BEAUTY that is the announcement made by EA yesterday. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have The Sims 4. EA has announced its release for 2014, and people, i'm excited. I tried to purchase The Sims 3 back in the olden days of 2009 and realised that my little IBM couldn't quite handle it - so with a new computer for uni i will be spending that crucial loan on all things Simlish. This is the start of a beautiful beginning people.

Layton vs. Ace Attorney

Hello again, it's been a while and i'd like to say that this last month I have been working night and day on the post you are about to witness, slaving over a laptop and typing until i 4get how 2 use proper englsh. However, dear friends, I have been enjoying a summer holiday away from AS levels and didn't... really... think to write... a ... blog. I'm sorry :'(.

So, I bring to you dear readers, my opinion concerning the recent news that a new 3D Layton vs Ace Attorney game is being developed as you read this very sentence. I thought this would be an apt opportunity to talk about dear old Layton, and Phoenix Wright (if he is the protagonist, they do like to change around a bit). I think that Layton would be one of my favourite characters in any video game ever produced. There's something organic about the presentation of the mild mannered Englishman that is rarely seen in video games, and is certainly one of the main USP's of the game. I haven't really played Ace Attorney, but the whole meeting of two games, as similar as they are in content, just doesn't sit right. I'd much rather become engrossed in the plotline of a typical Layton game, for example Curious Village, than have an Ace Attorney, Layton spin off in my 3DS. Since i first stumbled across the cross-over game, the concept has seemed alien and just plain wrong. I feel like a desperate mother watching her prodigal son Layton being led away by an older dodgy looking Phoenix Wright. It seems like the Ace Attorney series has tried to up it's own sales by affiliating itself with the humble but brilliant Professor Layton series. Then again, the other games have sold so they must be doing something right - but it's the principle of the thing...

Is Nintendo's innovation causing more harm than good?

So, with the Sony recently claiming that the new Wii U console is 'in its own generation', it's impossible not to think of Nintendo's many generations. Nintendo are not necessarily seen as the leaders of gaming technology by everyone - there are the X-boxers and the lovers of Sony. However, it can be noted that Nintendo have led many console developments. The Nintendo Wii was at the forefront of a brand new type of motion controlled console gaming, paving the technological roads for X-box kinect and the PS3. The 3DS is the first console to have fully functional 3D, with capacity for the manipulation of this asset in the form of a 3D adjuster. This is certainly the first that the gaming world has come into contact to which has been widely recognised as a leading innovation.
However, as we all know, I am a total Nintendo whore, and this information is not totally tainted with my totally biased views. It cannot be ignored that the Nintendo Wii is definitely the weakest of the motion controlled consoles. It's the least powerful, disregards many possible applications and uses of the motion feature in many games, and is not generally seen as what can only be described as a 'big boy's console', it's been designed for Nintendo's basic games (Nintendo Sport, Nintendo Party etc.) and it shows. Even though Nintendo paved the way for motion gaming, they have been left behind. So, can it be assumed that X-box and Sony are going to take 3D technology, and create a console better than the 3DS and, having learnt Nintendo's pricing mistakes, overtake the original 3D console with an even better platform. This is what we saw with the Nintendo Wii, and it looks like Sony are already eyeing up the Wii U technology, eager to participate in this new 'generation' of gaming.