Console War Coverage Resumed

We're finally back after an undesired three month vacation from VSM articles. This month we'll cover more than usual in the console war (six weeks). Also due to some changes from my usual sources of information, our sales info will now cover from the second week of sales two months ago through the second week of the previous month. Still one month's worth, but two weeks behind current sales totals. My apologies for these changes. Now let's resume our war story...

November 30th - December 6th
PS4: 642,190
XBox One: 504,995
Wii U: 193,613

PS3: 107,603
XBox 360: 100,415
Wii: 16,714

Vita: 70,160

This week saw the PS4 leading the sales by over 130,000 units sold, while the Wii U trailed behind the second place XBox One by over 310,000.
PS3 outsells the 360 by just over 7,000, and the Wii by over 90,000.

December 7th - 13th
PS4: 674,992
XBox One: 462,343
Wii U: 245,378

PS3: 107,603
XBox 360: 100,415
Wii: 16,714

Vita: 79,677

The PS4 outsells the XBox One by approximately 214,000 this week, and the Wii U trails second by just under 200,000.
The PS3 leads the previous gen systems by just over 7,200 (360), and 90,000 (Wii).

December 14th - 20th
PS4: 710,056
XBox One: 550,487
Wii U: 299,926

PS3: 151,297
XBox 360: 159,461
Wii: 19,916

Vita: 101,911

PS4 takes first again by nearly 160,000, and the Wii U trails The XBox One by around 250,000.
The 360 passes the PS3 by just over 8,000 this week, and the Wii by 140,000.

December 21st - 27th
PS4: 729,010
XBox One: 532,272
Wii U: 303,307

PS3: 157,201
XBox 360: 138,459
Wii: 18,972

Vita: 113,429

The PS4 leads the way this week, taking first by more than 190,000, and the XBox One outsells the Wii U by nearly 230,000.
The PS3 takes the lead in last gen sales back this week by just under 20,000, and tops the Wii by nearly 140,000.

December 28th - January 3rd
PS4: 420,708
XBox One: 232,734
Wii U: 138,945

PS3: 110,972
XBox 360: 61,275
Wii: 10,124

Vita: 96,187

PS4 takes it once again, this time by nearly 200,000, and the Wii U still trails, this round by just over 90,000.
Ps3 runs away with last gen sales this week by an amazing 39,000, and passes the Wii by just over 100,000.

January 4th - 10th

PS4: 174,135
XBox One: 121,862
Wii U: 55,323

PS3: 51,508
XBox 360: 27,941
Wii: 4,689

Vita: 44,249

The PS4 finishes up first in the last week of our coverage this month by over 50,000, and the Wii U takes third, trailing the XBox One by nearly 60,000.
The PS3 takes first in last gen sales by roughly 34,000, and beats the Wii by nearly 50,000.

And so we have the PS4 winning out on sales for the six week period of November 30th - January 10th, claiming roughly 47.9% of new-gen console sales, while the XBox One claimed around 34.3%, and the Wii U ended up with about 17.6%.

To offer one final comparison, the PS4 sold approximately 946, 398 more units than did the XBox One, and XBox One sold about 1,168,201 more units than did the Wii U. And finally, the Vita moved around 505,613 units.
Total Console (Console. Thus handheld systems are not included) sales: 6,992,222.


Upcoming PS3 Games

NOTE: This month's edition will not include any game trailers. My apologies for this. I will endeavor to make up for this next month.

Krinkle Krusher : So do you want the good news or the bad news first? Well I insincerely hope that you want the good news first because I'll have to write and post this article before you can read the question and answer. So the good news is that the Ancient Tree has finally bore fruit again after several fruitless centuries! The bad news is that adorable, vicious little creatures known as Krinkles begin appearing on the exact same day that the tree begins bearing fruit, the Krinkles came back and now wish to eat you out of house and home...no seriously, they want to eat you, your house, and everyone's home.

Filling the role of a magical wizard glove you must now use your powers to cast elemental spells to destroy the invading Krinkles before they can destroy your kingdom.

My thoughts : With plenty action defense gameplay, this one should appeal to many of the more casual gamers out there, though some of the more hardcore gamers among us might enjoy certain aspects of it. I definitely see this one appealing more to the casual crowd than anything. All in all, it's probably a decent game for killing time once in a while, but I doubt if it's much more than that. I've certainly been wrong before though.

Krinkle Krusher is set to release on February 1st.
Developer: Ilusis Interactive Graphics
Publisher:Ilusis Interactive Graphics
Genre: Action Defense

Game Of Thrones: Episode 2 : The game that's based on the television series, that's based on the books... Yeah. Made by TellTale games, it plays pretty much identically to the Walking Dead games. If you like those kinds of games, you're in luck because this one is headed your way soon.

My Thoughts : In a nutshell, my opinion is simply "pass". The idea of visual novels just don't appeal too much to me, though oddly I do enjoy text based games like this. My main reason for disliking these games is usually that they're absolutely brimming with the saltiest language you'll ever hear, and quite frankly that ruins them for me. Also because they don't have much variety, they lose my interest after a bit. However if these two things aren't an issue for you, then this game could be just what you're looking for.

Game Of Thrones: Episode 2 is set to release on February 4th.
Developer: TellTale Games
Publisher: TellTale Games
Rated M (Intense Language, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence)

Unmechanical Extended Edition : Familiar with the 2012 title "Unmechanical"? Neither am I, but lo and behold, the extended edition is heading our way shortly. Whether you missed it the first time around, enjoyed it so much that you're super hyped to play the extended version with it's new levels, characters, and additional storyline reveals, or you just find the idea of a game about a small helicopter...thing flying around in a mechanical labrynth solving odd little puzzles to be incredibly intriguing, then rejoice! Unmechanical Extended Edition is finally here!... Almost!

Unmechanical Extended Edition is set to release on PS3 and PS4 on February 10th.

Developer: Teotl Studios
Publisher: Grip Games
Genre: Puzzle
Price: $9.99

Dead Or Alive 5: Last Round : The newest installment in the DoA series, Last Round features new MMA techniques, enhanced graphics caturing small details even down to the characters' sweat, and interactive levels that change along with the fight and play into the battle system itself, Dead Or Alive 5: Last Round is almost certain to please fans of the series.

My thoughts : While I won't be touching this one, I do find the new improvements to be quite impressive indeed. It's always nice to see a long running series make such significant changes even to it's core gameplay, and wile that'll be sure to upset some long time fans, it's a change for the better most likely, as it keeps the games from growing stale as so many favorites have. As they say, being dragged to death is a terrible way to go, and it's good to see a company refusing to drag their series' features to death like so many have.

Dead Or Alive 5: Final Round is set to release on February 17th.
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Tecmo
Genre: Fighting
Rated M (Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence)
Price: $39.99

DragonBall Xenoverse : All of your favorite villans are back and they all want a piece of Goku. In DragonBall Xenoverse you'll face off against them utilizing new and improved gameplay mechanics to defeat them once again.

DragonBall Xenoverse is scheduled for a release date of February 24th.
Developer: Dimps
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Genre: Fighting
Rated T (Cartoon Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes)
Price: $49.99

Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 1: It's Resident Evil returning to it's roots with the kind of gameplay that made the name Resident Evil famous in the first place, or at least that's what we're being told. We shall see soon.

My thoughts : I'm on the fence about any game using "Episode" in the title. While it can indeed be a legitimate way of working in a good story and extending great gameplay, it can also be used to offer the customer half of the game they would have normally received. Assuming the former is the case here, this one should be a good game. Time will tell.

Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 1 is scheduled for release on February 24th.
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Survival Horror
Rated M (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language)
Price: $5.99

Under Night: In-Birth Exe:Late: A revision of the arcade title released a few years ago, Under Night: In-Birth Exe:Late features several new updates enhancing and balancing gameplay, and added characters.

Under Night: In-Birth Exe:Late is set to release on February 24th.
Developer: French-Bread
Publisher:Aksys Games
Genre: Fighting
Rated T (Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence)
Price: $49.99


Upcoming PS4 Games

Unmechanical Extended Edition : See Unmechanical Extended under Upcoming PS3 Games.

Game Of Thrones: Episode 2 : See Game Of Thrones: Episode 2 under Upcoming PS3 games.

Evolve : Four hunters, one monster, and a vicious planet full of death traps just waiting to be walked into. What is it? Evolve, a game with a heavy focus on multiplayer shooter action. You saw a hundred commercials for it during last year's E3, and now you finally get the chance to play it, assuming you weren't so annoyed by the commercials that you decided you never wanted to see the game again much like many of us did.

My thoughts : Well well, look who changed their mind about XBox exclusivity over the past seven months. I'm trying so hard not to fanboy gloat here, as that would just be in poor taste, but it's very difficult to refrain since this was the only XBox title I saw last year that I really felt would hit the PlayStation sales significantly, or was even worth a look as far as my personal tastes were concerned. And now to see them backtrack after forcing us to sit through so many commercials for Evolve that the show's hosts actually started commenting about how they were talking about nothing but it beat sitting through another commercial for Evolve, all of which ending with "Only on XBox One"...It makes me want to fanboy gloat so badly...Bite your tongue, Eirinn...

So yes, this game is coming to the PS4 this month, and I personally am quite excited about it, despite it's extremely unbalanced gameplay as of last year's Evolve tournaments (hopefully that's been fixed). This title has a lot of promise and offers plenty of action that should hold you and four friends cativated for hours on end. Too bad they thought the game was missing something "It's just so full of promise, but something's missing...what is it? Oh I know! Let's add a lot of swearing! Ah, now it's fun!". Why do developers seem think we need swearing in serious games? And why not include language filters? It was being done in the days of the N64/PSX, so we know they can do it on today's high powered consoles. Do they just choose not to, because no one has ever been bothered by hearing the "F word" seventy-five times in the first half hour of a game? In the words of a very cool Irishman "Who's ever said "This game was good, but it would have been much beter if it'd had a lot of cussing in it?". Can I do that? Quote myself? I don't even know...[/rant]

Evolve is set to release on the 10th of this month.
Developer:Turtle Rock Studios
Publisher: 2K Games
Rating M (Blood, Strong Language, Violence)
Price: $59.99

Dead Or Alive 5: Last Round : See Dead Or Alive 5: Last Round under Upcoming PS3 Games.

Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 1 : See Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 1 under Upcoming PS3 Games.

The Order: 1886 : Play as a member of an elite order of knights who fight together against a threat to humanity known as "Half-breeds" (a devolved race of humanity that looks more zombie than human) and rewrite history. Try to squelch the rebellion that threatens to undermine your work, kill all of the half human beasts and save the day (I guess), all while sitting in the comfort of your own living room. What could be better? Well, maybe if they throw in a free powdered wig...but maybe I'm asking too much.

The Order: 1886 is set to release on the 20th.
Developer: Ready At Dawn Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Rated M
Price: $59.99

Krinkle Krusher : See Krinkle Krusher under Upcoming PS3 Games.

DragonBall Xenoverse : See DragonBall Xenoverse under Upcoming PS3 Games.

Upcoming Vita Games

Spongebob Heropants : Do you have dreams? Have you ever wished those dreams would come true? Well Songebob is in exactly that situation. All of his dreams are coming true! Unfortunately for our hero (Though "Hero" is far from a fitting term to use in reference to Songebob), that isn't such a good thing. Now our favorite sponge and his friends must work together to get things back to normal, or at least as normal as they usually are around Bikini Bottom.

Spongebob Heropants is set to release on the 3rd of this month.

Reel Fishing: Master's Challenge : Revisiting a fishing lodge from your childhood, your goal in Reel Fishing: Master's Challenge is to complete all of the challenges set forth by your dad.

Reel Fishing: Master's Challenge is scheduled for release on the 3rd.

Kick And Fennick : awakening in a strange world, you are soon greeted by a robot named Fennick. Upon discovering Fennick has a broken battery, you and he set out on a journey to the Core Tower to find him a new one. Along the way you will face all manner of platforming challenges and defeat foes throughout forty-five levels of colorful action.

My thoughts : This actually looks like a decent game, and for the right price I'd be willing to buy it myself. It looks to be the most promising Vita game I found listed for this month, so it definitely earns my pick for Vita this February.

Kick And Fennick is set to release on the 4th.

Krinkle Krusher : See Krinkle Krusher under Upcoming PS3 Games.


Top PlayStation Games of 2014

Well it's finally here: 2015, the year most of us who are into the new generation of game systems have been waiting for. And while it's widely believed that this will be the best year in video games in a long time (and many would argue that it could be the best year ever), it cannot be denied that last year saw some very memorable titles. So while we wait for this year's releases to begin bringing the new generation of consoles and handhelds into their prime, why don't we take a look back at just what 2014 brought us?

Best games*
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor: Shadow of Mordor brought us what was quite probably the best gameplay in any LoTR title to date, and included ground breaking features that --to my knowledge-- had never been used in any game before it. This title likely pushed the new systems' power further than any game to date has, and gave us a true glimpse of just what this generation of console gaming could be like if the developers tried to bring us the best content they were capable of. Here's to hoping more developers cash in on some of the system functionality that this title used in the near future.

Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare: I can't stress how much I love spoofs in gaming, and this game just that. Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't catch the rip of the name from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, or some of the various mode names in-game. Yeah, PvZ is a game that takes gaming and fun seriously while not actually being serious in it's delivery.

So why did I pick PvZ: Garden Warfare for one of the best games of 2014? Because it did exactly what I've been saying for a while now that games need to get back to doing: bringing us unrealistic, light hearted fun. Yes, we all (well, most of us anyway) enjoy a good serious game once in a while, but let us not forget that games were made as a way of having fun and enjoying things that could never happen in real life. Their very basis was in fantasy, and yet we seem to be chasing more and more realistic game concepts in the industry. As the saying goes, Stick with what brought you here. And what did bring us here exactly? Titles like Super Mario Bros. that had plumbers fighting walking mushroom-like creatures (Goombas), turtles (Koopas), turtles throwing hammers (Hammer Bros.), and most of all a giant dragon/turtle hybrid (Bowser) in order to save a bunch of mushroom headed people (Toads) and a Princess called Toadstool.
Or a blue hedgehog who fought an evil scientist to resuce wild animals and inevitably the world.
And let's not forget the many other silly themed games such as Battle Toads, Toejam & Earl, Earthworm Jim, Banjo-Kazooie, and so may more. So while serious titles have their place, we need to remember that silly games still have their place, and still need to be released to allow gaming to live up to it's legacy.

Rayman Legends : I haven't seen a game praised this much in a long time, and from everything I've seen, Rayman Legends deserves every bit of the credit it got.

Legends makes it onto my list because it was not only a great, quality game released early in the lifespan of a new system, but also because it revives something that we've began losing touch with too much: platformers. I'm thrilled to see the number of platformers that we have already in this generation, and I fully expect to see some more this year, and great ones at that.


I could list more good looking games, and certainly many that grossed extremely well, but I digress. This is an overview, not an exhaustive list after all. Suffice to say that while we have not yet seen the PlayStation 4 used to it's fullest ability (or anywhere near it), we have seen some really good games for it, the PS3, and the Vita in the past year. The wait for great new gen games is over, and we have so many more to look forward to this year.

I have no current PlayStation systems as of the writing of this article, so my opinions are subject to change. These selections are based on what I've seen via live and archived streams, YouTube Videos, and reviews.

Games To Look For In 2015, Part 1

Now that we've been good little boys and girls and been thankful for what we have already, let's be good little fans and look forward to what Sony is dangling in front of us with that "2015" release date stamped on it. Oh the contradictions...

NOTE: These are games I expect to see top the sales charts and cause a bit of a splash in the gaming community, not games that I am suggesting will (or will not) be good and/or worth buying.

Evolve : While I expect people to be disappointed in Evolve given what I see in it now that my excitement has died down, I do think Evolve will sell extremely well initially. Look for this one to top the charts for a bit. As for how good it will actually be, that's a question of debate for now.

The Not-So-Great Eirinn's Prediction : Evolve will be well received, but despite intense sales initially, and a sustained fanbase, it'll fail to live up to the expectations of the people. Over-hyping kills, folks. It'll be given good reviews in general, but the criticism will soon follow.


Battlefield Hardline : After the demo we saw at last year's E3, look for this one to sell quite well for the first few weeks. If the game can be delivered the way it should be (not broken), it should stand up fairly well, and in the end receive mostly positive reviews.

That Eirinn dude's predictions again : I fully expect this one to live up to what anxious gamers want it to be. After the last Battlefield fiasco (made by a different company, mind you), don't look for this one to be rushed. The series has a hard hit to recover from, and a broken game just wouldn't be the best thing for it right now. With that in mind, the developers I'm sure will do what they can to ensure a good quality title.


The Order: 1886 : This one will almost certainly ride the top ten charts for a good three or four weeks.

More talking by me : I don't expect this one to be nearly as expectation shattering as everyone else seems to, and while I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy the game, I don't expect it to be good enough to list as a must-buy for the year.I think it'll do fine though.


Bloodborne : Bloodborne is another title that has received some hype as of late, and while it won't likely get the immediate sales that Evolve or The Order will, it should definitely be in the top ten for a little while.


The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt : Hype has been more subtle for this one than for most of the games listed here, but don't think that means That it won't be a big hit. Expect to see The Witcher 3 among the best sellers of it's release month.

Methinks... : The Witcher 3 will definitely do well for itself initially, and given what we've seen, I think it's gameplay will sustain it's sales well for a bit. And while I don't see it being in the top ten best selling games on Sony systems for the year, I do fully expect to see it make a splash.


Batman: Arkham Knight : Step aside everyone, Batman: Arkham Knight is headed straight for the top of the chart this summer. If this one can even get out of the gate without any hiccups, it'll easily top the charts.

More me...yay : I have no doubts at all that this one will be gracing the top five game sales on it's release week easily, and barring any competition from a game listed here, I see nothing holding it back from an easy number one for at least a full week. Look for not only a chart topper, but a crowd pleaser with Arkham Knight.


Well that's it for part one of games to look for in 2015. Next time we'll cover the second half of 2015, so be looking for more info around then.


Closing Up Shop
That does it for this month's edition of the VSM. Next month we'll see more content, including:

-A brand new sub-article
-The return of Video trailers for upcoming games*
-Detailed Software Sales for new-gen systems
and more!

Until then, Keep on Gaming, and Keep it Sony.

Content is subject to change depending on availability