JunkTalk Episode 003 - E3 Sony, Microsoft, BE3 Announcements

BUDGET! - XBOX ONE

"Budget!" is the section of this site dedicated to planning your purchases. Let's face it, most of us don't have unlimited budgets and whether its your parents or your significant other - sometimes they take some convincing to "green-light" the endeavor. We calculate the total cost, lay out some suggestions and point out things to avoid. You'll come away with a clear understanding of how much your purchase will cost you and how to get the best value at check-out.

It's the ONE, I want ONE, Gimme ONE, XBOX ONE! Let's break it all down - here's the Necessities:

• XBOX ONE Hardware - ($499.99) - Duh.
• XBOX LIVE Subscription - ($59.99) - The original pioneer in the console online-gaming space, this service is the life-blood of the XBOX ONE and as we mentioned - you won't be able to take advantage of most of your hardware's capabilities without it. 
• XBOX ONE Play & Charge Kit - ($24.99) - The new Impulse triggers won't save you from battery drain and unfortunately you'll be swapping AA batteries with a vengeance if you don't pick this bad boy up! Trust me, you'll thank me later.
• XBOX ONE Game - ($59.99) - Several known franchises are launching along side the console including : Call of Duty®: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Assassin's Creed® IV: Black Flag (Shark-Assassin).

To recap, the above gets you the console, Kinect Camera, one headset, one controller, one game and access to online-play. Now, you gotta ask yourself: am I going to play with anyone else locally (in the same room)? If the answer is "No", then you're fine but if you answered "Yes" - an Extra XBOX ONE controller will be necessary, which brings us to our ancillary purchases.

Here's our Extras:

• Extra XBOX ONE Controller - ($59.99) - So you can play with someone else. (OR yourself)

• Extra XBOX ONE Play & Charge Kit - ($24.99) - Because batteries suck.

Adding it all up for the Necessities:

($499.99) + ($59.99) + ($24.99) + ($59.99) = ($644.96) * Sales Tax 10% (estimate) = $709.46

Adding it all up for ALL OF THE ABOVE:

($499.99) + ($59.99) + ($24.99) + ($59.99) + ($59.99) + ($24.99) = ($729.94) * Sales Tax 10% (estimate) = $802.93

Ready, Set, BUDGET!

@techandjunk

First-Person Shooters - I suck

First-person shooters are by and far, the most popular genre of video-game today. Call of Duty, Halo, Battlefield - the list goes on. But here's the thing - I suck. Not like "oh my god, which way is up" but more like "I have no idea who just shot me". I have a good time though, and I really enjoy playing FPS' with my friends. That said, we've been doing the same dog and pony show for a while now. 2007 was the year the original "Modern Warfare" erupted from the Call of Duty franchise and it has since dominated the scene, overtaking even Halo in player mindshare. It's mainstream, it's fun but I'm bored.

I didn't realize how bored I was though, until I saw Titanfall. It was my own groundhog day scenario - playing the same thing, iteration after iteration with no concise thought as to my own malaise and distaste for the genre. And then Titanfall. For the uninformed, Titanfall is a new FPS game developed by Respawn Entertainment. These are the guys that did the original Modern Warfare and it's sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, before a schism with their parent company Activision lead to a studio exodus that would then become the foundation for Respawn Entertainment under new publisher, Electronic Arts (EA).  They bottled lightning once and from the looks of it, they've done it again.

Jeeez...

The video speaks for itself. What it comes down to is that it looks fun. So fun, that even someone who sucks could have a good time. It takes everything that made the post-Modern Warfare, Call of Duty titles amazing and ratchets it up to eleven.

Multiplayer is the focus rather than having a jaundiced single-player addition. You're not just moving fast - you're free running off walls. And then you add mechs into the equation and you've got gold. The "Titans" offer a whole new dimension to the FPS formula. Rather than slow and rigid mech-suits ala Aliens, you're getting something more akin to Avatar mechs.

Inspiration?

What's funny about this whole thing is that, initially, this game is coming out for the Microsoft ecosystem  (Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC),  which recently I have been less enthused with. So, my ETA to play this game is most likely longer than most. But from what I've seen, it'll be worth the wait because I believe Titanfall will be the disrupter that pushes the genre out of Modern Warfare's shadow. Regardless, the last thing I'll feel playing Titanfall is boredom. (All hail the new King!)

Check out www.titanfall.com for more info!

PlayStation 4 versus XBOX ONE - Day One versus Someday

Are you ready for the next generation of game consoles? That is the question of the season here as we're less than two months away from the release of the PS4 and Xbox One. The PlayStation 4 in particular is of note because if you've followed the media coverage over the last 10 months - this launch is posed to go off like fireworks. Sony is projecting sales of 5 million units before the end of 2013 (I'm assuming FY13), which is faster than either Sony or Microsoft's previous launch numbers from the preceding console generation. They've had great media treatment but more importantly they've enamored the hardcore gamers.

Pretty straightforward.

In recent months, and more visibly in the past few weeks - allegations have come out claiming hardware superiority in favor of Sony's PlayStation 4 versus Microsoft's Xbox One. Citing unnamed developers - several sites have reported that the PlayStation 4 is faster by "up to 50%"over the Xbox One. Regardless if this is true or not - the prevailing narrative is that, in some way, Sony's hardware is better than Microsoft's alternative. Response to the Xbox One's bundled Kinect camera has been tepid and these persistent remarks of inferior hardware (however slight), have exacerbated the price differences between the two. Oh you didn't catch that? The Xbox One will be $100 more expensive at retail. The price difference has perhaps caused some, to scrutinize more deeply what each platform has to offer. In particular this has led many to take a harder look at Microsoft's recent DRM debacle and subsequent reversal as well as what it really is they're offering. Both consoles will require their own form of a subscription service to play games online and to extrapolate what those experiences will be, let's look at the current hardware and services to perhaps give us a preview of what's to come.

A glimpse into the future?

Currently Xbox LIVE on the Xbox 360 costs at retail, $60 per year (cheaper online) and allows use of online gaming and streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, etc. In other words, everything other than single-player games or offline multiplayer games are behind some sort of paywall. And that's not to say that what's behind that paywall is free either. For example, to be able to use Netflix on your Xbox 360, you must pay for the Netflix and Xbox Live subscriptions - two fees for one service. Conversely, on the PlayStation 3 - online gaming is free and use of apps such as Netflix and Hulu Plus are unblemished by this pay structure. Sony's current subscription service (PlayStation PLUS), costs at retail, $50 per year and grants access to exclusive discounts and free games monthly for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The caveat is that you must be a member in good-standing (still paying for the service) to access your "Instant Game Collection" but once you download any free title - it's tied to your account regardless if you decide to opt out of your membership and re-establish it later on. You don't lose anything.

Few things have changed structurally for the next generation. The Xbox One offering is nearly identical to its predecessor's - nearly everything is behind a paywall. Similarly, the PlayStation 4 offering is identical to the PlayStation 3 albeit online play is behind a paywall. They now both offer the same services (subscription-based online play, access to third-party apps, game DVR), yet Microsoft's are behind a paywall and beyond online play - Sony's are not. (Sony also consistently offers critically well-received games monthly, for free as part of their service.) Doesn't this seem like starkly contrasting approaches? And would anyone be looking as closely if they were more similarly priced?

As it stands, the PlayStation 4 is a supreme value at $399, with a lower cost of ownership and an overabundance of perks. Personally, I will inevitably own both (how could I not?), but at least at launch and until Microsoft reduces their cost of ownership and retail price - I will be thoroughly enjoying the PlayStation 4.

What will you be getting at launch? Post in the comments below or on twitter @techandjunk