Should cross-platform multiplayer be a thing for every game? (Debate)

Just five or so years ago, you would never see a multiplayer game that is capable to be played across various game consoles/PC. Now we have just a handful of games where this is implemented included Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Fortnite and Rocket League. There has always been an argument on whether all online games should be cross-platform or not. Some are against it, while others really like the idea. I would say I am more in between, so in this post I will address the reasons for being "for" and "against" the idea. To begin with, I am for the idea because with cross-platform you are able to play with your friends online that are on different consoles. This is pretty beneficiary if you are a big fan of one console and your friend likes another console a lot more, thus with cross-platform you are not forced to conform to using a console that you are not a huge fan of. Another reason I am for it is because it allows a games online player base to be much greater, which in turn results in quicker matchmaking. On the contrary, you could say that having a bigger player base allows PC players to be added into the mix. PC players in particular are referred to have a huge advantage over console players, so this addition can actually punish console players overall. One more reason for having cross-platform available everywhere is that it will basically eliminate companies like Microsoft and Sony from trying to steal fan base and in turn lower the concept of "console wars". Console wars have been going on for a while now and it is basically supporters of each console going after each other supporting their system and their system only. If online games were able to be played with everybody across different consoles rather then in their own ecosystem, then people would view each others consoles as more equal. That being said, the opposition would point out that having "console wars" allows video game developers to make as much money as possible, which they believe to be a great thing. Without a console war, there would be no competition they'd say. All in all, I feel like both sides have valid arguments but I think it would be best to stick with only have some really popular games as cross-platform.

What if Sony and Microsoft merged to create a new console? (Hypothetical)

I am well aware that this is super impractical, but I thought it would be fun to speculate on this nonetheless. Imagine if Sony and Microsoft were to team together and make a console that could contain the knowledge and best of the Xbox platform and Sony platform. At hindsight, I think that the console would turn out to be a disaster. I don't think anything would be totally agreed upon between both companies. So, the design would look freaky and awkward by trying to appeal to both companies visual departments and the controller, online experience and system software would most likely also be convoluted because both companies wouldn't be able to implement exactly what they want. Their ideas just wouldn't clash with the other companies ideas. Overall, I think the console would be a mess and be pretty poorly optimized. I also think this console would be absurdly expensive. One of the main things that keeps console prices and accessories reasonable is a "price war". For instance, Sony completely undercut Microsoft when they released their Xbox One in 2013. The Xbox One originally sold for $500, while the PlayStation 4 took the initiative and sold for $400, which resulted in higher sales for an about equal console. Without this "price war" being a thing the companies can sell their console for practically any price because people only have one choice. Potentially the only good thing I can see coming from this is that users would get the best of both worlds for their selection of games. 

Best of Video Game One-Stop Reader - June 2020 (Sneeze)

June 2020 has definitely been a pretty cool one, as I embarked on creating a gaming blog. 

 

As to be expected, for Video Game One-Stop Reader it has been a slow start regarding page and posts views with only a handful of people reading my content,  but soon enough we should grow into something quite special. 

 

I spent a few minutes sifting through the posts and articles I published throughout the month of June. I also spent some time reflecting on which content I believed to be the most useful and viewed. Here I have compiled this list for the best of Video Game One-Stop Reader. 

 

 

I sincerely hope you like this recap of this first month of content for June 2020. 

Month of June:

13 posts and 7 pillar articles – I got off to a hot start for my first month of blog content. Among this content, I strived to deliver both informational and opinionated content in order to create a more diverse blog. Here, I provide for you a list of posts and articles that I believe are the most worth checking out and generated the highest amount of traffic.

 

Most Content Rich/Useful

è Personal top five ideas for gaming blog content  - This post offers up advice for what type of content you should be creating in order to attract the most traffic and in turn earn the highest amount of revenue. Ideal for beginner bloggers and enthusiasts.

è How to write a video game review –  This post delivers steps a person should take if they want to create a professional and concise game review that is bound to gain attention. Ideal for hobbyists that like to voice their opinion and help others make a decision.

è PlayStation 5 general breakdown(what is known so far) – This post is meant to be a one-stop reader for up to date PlayStation 5 news. There is a lot of hype built up around this console, so everybody is searching for the latest information. Ideal for console enthusiasts.

è How to pick the right console for you – This article is extremely useful to check out if you are typically on the fence on buying one console over the other. Choosing the right option can be tricky so this will help you a lot by providing step-by-step guidelines.

è How to solve common PlayStation 4 problems – This article goes over some common problems with the PS4 and what you should do to solve them. If you are currently having a problem or know someone that does then this will be extremely useful.

 

 

Most Viewed

è How to pick the right console for you  (12 views)

è Recommended pro gaming products (16 views)

è PlayStation 5 general breakdown (what is known so far) (4 views)

è How to solve common PlayStation 4 problems (10 views)

è ABOUT ME (40 views)

PC Gaming Vs Console Gaming

This particular comparison weights heavily on a lot of people. There has always been an ongoing debate on which one is better, but I am going to go with the most neutral approach and say it depends on what you prefer. I personally built my own desktop "gaming computer" and also have been playing console games for many years, so I feel like I have a decent understanding on the pros and cons of both.

PC Gaming: 

Pros 

• Can potentially play any game in 4K resolution with 60 FPS (Frames per second) and above 
• Upgrade-able hardware, you aren't stuck having to buy a completely new computer for a better experience. Just swap out the part.
• Games are extremely affordable; most games are around $20-$40  
• Free multiplayer game-play; You do not have to pay a yearly subscription fee in order to play an online game with other people
• Game modifications, you are capable of downloading tweaks to a game in order to change up the way it plays

Cons 

• Can be extremely expensive to purchase or build a capable "gaming computer", cost ranges from $600 to over $2,000 dollars depending on what performance you want 
• Many games only allow mouse and keyboard for a controller, to some this isn't a con but to people who are transitioning from console to PC it can be difficult to adjust. 
• Somewhat poor game compatibility, many games that are on the PC are ported from their console counterparts, so you may see a lot of game crashing and computer freeze ups. 

Console Gaming: 

Pros:  

• Relatively cheap, The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 go for around $300 
• Superb game compatibility, since developers only have to create coding and an engine for a specific console, then games will be better optimized .
• Very little troubleshooting, it's a game console at heart, so generally you will not run into issues with games not running properly 
• More online players, since consoles are relatively cheap compared to computers more people choose to play games on them which can make finding people to play with quicker. 

Cons:

• Virtually no upgradeability, if you want stronger performance there aren't any other options besides to convert to PC gaming or wait for new generation of consoles 
• Locked to 4K resolution and 30 FPS ( as of now) 
• Games are pricey, all new games will cost you at least $60 
• Have to pay for online access, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both charge a $60 yearly subscription to play with other people. 

As you can see, there are definitely strengths and weaknesses for each platform of gaming. Generally, I think it is entirely up to the individual which one they prefer more, but this comparison should offer a bit of information for you to pick the right choice. 

        

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (Informational)

If you haven't heard the news about the new "Crash Bandicoot" game that is going to be releasing on October 2nd, 2020, then I guess you found exciting information. If you do not know what the game "Crash Bandicoot" is about i'll explain... hence the name you play as a mutant barred Bandicoot named 'Crash' that journeys across fictitious islands called "Wumpa Islands" His life is full of exploring for the most part, except when he has to defend himself against the main antagonist ' Doctor Neo Cortex'. Cortex wants Crash dead because he is a failed experiment that he created. In each game, Crash must defeat Cortex to prevent him from world domination. Created by the developer Naughty Dog then later produced by Beenox, this game was legitimately my childhood. The first iteration of the game was released back in 1996 and it most likely was the one of the first video games I ever played. I have so many memories of this game and am absolutely thrilled that It is coming back after a twenty year hiatus. This new game will pick up direct where the original trilogy left off, so I will definitely have to refresh my memory before I pick this one up. What is pretty interesting is that the game will feature offline multiplayer for 2-4 players. No information regarding this has been released, but I am intrigued to see how it will pan out. This game will be releasing on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $60, and personally I think every dollar will be worth it just for the pure nostalgia. 

Marvel's Iron Man VR Demo Review

This demo was such a thrill to play, who in their right mind wouldn't like to be Iron Man flying through the skies and shooting projectiles out of their hands. The Demo only consists of about twenty minutes of game play including an introductory mission to teach you the basics of virtual reality along with a full-fledged first mission of the game. Right when I entered into the introductory mission I knew that this game will be amazing once it releases. The tutorials go through how to shoot projectiles, use the power thrusters to move and how to change the direction you are facing. The one thing that stands out as really advanced compared to other VR games I've played is you are able to turn fully around without experiencing many tracking issues which is pretty neat. On to the first mission, there was definitely a lot of "this is insane" moments. Basically, you begin as Tony Stark, joined with his accomplice Pepper on an airplane in route to his home base in Malibu. The plane gets shot at and bursts into flames by enemies that are using Tony's old combat drones. Tony has to escape the plane and rescue pepper (who is the pilot)  before the plane crashes and burns to the ground. Overall, for a virtual reality game I thought the graphics were among the best I have ever seen and just the rush of adrenaline I got while trying to dodge enemy projectiles, whilst firing back at them was probably the coolest VR experience I have had. 

Overall, I give this demo a 10/10. Between it's amazing graphics, really good camera tracking, and immersiveness and just for the fact that you are playing as one of the greatest superheroes of all time, this ranks as one of the top VR games on my list. If this is indicative at all on how the full game will be, it should be one for the books. 

My Story Of Success (Inspirational)

Success comes in a lot of different ways, for gaming it comes with somehow finding a way to make a sustainable income on something that you love doing. This dream can definitely become a reality if you are ready to put in the work that is required. Personally, I had a little bit of success about four years ago when I decided to create a gaming YouTube channel. At first, like for many it was just something I thought would be cool doing and really did not expect to gain any "subscribers" or have any people watching my videos. And at first it was definitely demoralizing, I was making two videos every other day and was only getting 5 views at most. It was like this for at least 4-5 months, then one of the videos I posted struck gold. I got over 3,000 views on a video over a two week time span and 10,000 views in two months. Although this doesn't seem like much compared to the more established channels getting over 100,000 in one day; to me it was extremely motivating and my first mark of achievement. I continued to produce content for another 5-6 months, bringing in around 75 subscribers over that time period and it felt great. No, It definitely wasn't a million dollar channel by any means, but just seeing the 3-5 comments on my videos made me feel appreciated for my creations and glad I stuck with creating content when things were slow. Unfortunately, once I started to gain some traction I was entering my junior year of High School and just didn't have the time to keep producing videos, but it was definitely something I would have liked to continue. 

The reason I bring this story up is just to show that you should never be discouraged to try something different because you fear failure. Sure, I didn't continue with my YouTube channel,  but to me the happiness I got out of creating videos for viewers was success to me nonetheless. If you have the drive and passion, go for it and see that you may be able to accomplish more then you thought at first. Success may not come in boat loads, but you will definitely be glad that you took the time to explore an avenue that you thought was pointless at first, whether it be gaming related or not.