A replay of one of Gamesthirst’s most popular articles:

You’ve heard the talk haven’t you? About how Sony will not allow Microsoft to release its next generation console before they do, and so, with the fear of losing its user base pounding incessantly at the thoughts of its executives, Sony will leave the PS3 behind and delve head first into the eighth and last generation of gaming consoles.

This won’t happen.

If Sony has learned one thing about gamers, is that they’re suckers for new “toys”. Doesn’t really matter what year they release a console, as long as the price is right, and the PlayStation logo is on there, it’ll sell like hot cakes. And now, with the advent of PSN, Sony’s base will most likely stay faithful to its service until the next PlayStation home console comes along.

Even one of Sony’s main bosses uttered this very thing.

Sony’s Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida:

“Naturally, in my opinion, Microsoft will make the first move. Or, because Nintendo’s approach was not to upgrade much on its basic hardware – Wii doesn’t even support HD resolution – so they might be the first to move,” Yoshida told industry Magazine, Develop, when asked why Sony hadn’t discussed the PS4 publicly as yet.

“Probably we should watch these companies, in my opinion. Because PS3 was later than Xbox, and is more powerful, so it has a longer lifespan.”

And I agree with him fully. Microsoft and Nintendo are most likely planning a 2012 release for the their next generation consoles, and for them, I think it’s right timing. Think about it: Although Nintendo launched around the same time with Sony, the Wii is basically a GameCube with Motion Control technology; the legendary company badly needs an upgraded system. And so it’s a veritable venture to release one soon, all the while boosting revenues and shareholder confidence.

Microsoft, too, must be eying 2012 seriously for many reasons. Although Redmond only recently released the Xbox 360 Slim, it knows, without doubt, that the days of its controversial console is coming to an end. Evidently, the PS3 is beginning to embarrass the Xbox 360. Especially technically, where the PS3′s raw power is beginning to outstrip by far, even the best efforts of developers who make exclusive games for Microsoft’s console.

Also, when 2012 arrives, it will be eight years since the Xbox 360 first came on the market. That’s well beyond the time period console makers release their next gen systems. Remember, Sony launched the PS2 in 2000 and six years later, the PS3 came on the scene. It would not only be a bad marketing move if Microsoft doesn’t release its new console in the next year and a half, it would also seriously damage the Xbox 360′s image. Why? Well, considering the PS3′s ahead of the Xbox 360 technically, it would literally render Microsoft’s console “old gen” by that time. Perhaps you’re aware that it’s already showing, therefore things will only go down hill rapidly in the coming years.

So Sony will be the only company left in the seventh generation of consoles.

For a while.

Suddenly, without warning, 2014 comes crashing in on the gaming world like a massive truck that just lost all bearings. The driver pumps hard, looking for brakes, hoping to stop. He finds none. All that’s left is a gaming world bewildered, awestruck, dumbfounded and amazed.

Sony just crashed everyone’s party. For a while there, Nintendo and Microsoft were hoping against hope that the company from the land of the rising sun would just quit gaming and allow the two to play chess. Stay away, Sony. Not so.

PS4′s now on the scene. Priced right, more future proof than any other on the market. Sexy. Millions starts disappearing off store shelves, etailers like amazon can’t keep up. Even the monster that is Walmart can’t keep the console in stuck.

But why’s it selling out so fast? For one, Sony learned an almost crippling lesson back in the PS3′s gloomy days. The console was priced at over $650 at launch, a turnoff for many gamers who then set their sights on Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which, by the way, managed to outsell Sony’s PS3 before its younger brother would step in: Xbox 720.

The other reason was the many PS3 exclusive titles that launched with the system.

Killzone 4:

Killzone is one of the most recognizable titles on the PlayStation, and in gaming for that matter. After Sony unleashed the third installment on the PS3, the giant allowed Guerrilla Games, Killzone’s developer, to go after new ventures. And so the prospect of the next Killzone launching on PS3 faded. Time ran out but it benefited the PS4.

As soon as the game’s fans heard the news, they couldn’t resist. “Where is the nearest GameStop?” Zack asked, he’d already made his decision.

Resistance 4:

By the time Resistance 3 came out, it was already late 2011. Its developer, Insomniac Games, had recently signed a deal with EA Partners affording them to do multiplatform games. Sony knew when that happened they’d have to wait longer for Resistance installments. Part four would not see a PS3 release.

It did, however, release on the PS4 at launch, and again, just like the killzone fans, Resistance supporters bought the console for their beloved franchise.

God of War 4:

Many had thought that God of War 4 would come to life on PS3, it did not. Apparently they’d forgotten how long it took Santa Monica to release the last: four years.

Did Sony strategically planned the game’s PS4 release? It was hardly a tough question to answer. Of course they did. God of War is a system seller; God of War III had once again proven that point, and Sony wasn’t about to mess up the tradition.

When the game landed a month later on the PS4, you could hardly find the console anywhere. It had proven to be the best hardware sales boost Sony had ever received from a game.

In the end, not Microsoft, nor was it Nintendo who won the eighth generation of consoles install base battle. Sony’s planning had proven successful. They didn’t follow the other two companies down the tempting path, it was their destiny not Sony’s. And although the media was once again spelling the hardware giant’s doom, Sony never budged. It was already accustomed to the judgments. Instead, a game plan formulated by the company’s top executives, developers, and fans alike, was followed precisely. No wavering, not even when it looked tough.

And so it was in the eighth generation of consoles.

For ExclusivesMostly, one of Games Thirst faithful users.

It has always seemed weird to me how something so seemingly unisex as gaming is dominated by such a degree by one sex. Sure girls play videogames as well (maybe more than you think), and the number of girl gamers is increasing, but they are still the minority.

The most obvious reason for this is that video games are made by men, and therefore for men. Sit through the credits of any game and you are likely to see a long list of male names, with only the occasional female. And when you look at what games are most popular, Call Of Duty, Killzone or Halo, it might seem that there isn’t really a place for girls in gaming. But is that really true? I know several girls that love playing such games. And while the top of the charts are usually reserved for such titles, there is still plenty of variety for players who are after something other than shooters.

(The demographic of a recent Gamesthirst video)

But as I said earlier, things do seem to be changing. With gaming on Facebook and more recently smart phones, girls without any previous interest in gaming are spending hours playing Farmville or Angry Birds. So while the majority of girls wouldn’t go out and buy a Playstation to spend a night on killzone 3, they would spend hours playing on their I-phones. Some hardcore gamers may look down there noses at these casual games, regarding them as mere gimmicks. But I believe that they are brilliant starting blocks for virgin gamers to get into the world of gaming. Once people have finished these simple yet addictive games, they will start looking for something with a bit more of a challenge and more depth.

Although while this sudden surge in popularity for casual games may be behind the more recent increase in girl gamers, it doesn’t explain why men were already playing. I personally believe that is more to do with our culture rather than the games themselves. “Girls are given babydolls and told to go take care of it. We are raised to nurture and be sensitive, feminine. Boys are given a toy gun and told to go shoot stuff.” (Alyssa McCoy, girl gamer). This culture could be seen to be a bad thing, as it may be stopping huge amounts of girls from getting into gaming from a younger age. But surely if this is the reason that so many more men play video games compared to woman, it is a better reason than, games simply don’t appeal to women. Culture is always changing, and changing fast. The future seems bright for girl gamers.

When folks talk of the PS3 and Xbox 360, they always equate the success of the latter as being mostly in the United States Of America. But is that true? Because many have argued that although Microsoft holds a handy lead in said continent, the Xbox 360 is being dominated by PS3 in all other markets, hence making the console more popular because, worldwide, it sells more.

Not true.

The use of logic tells you that for the ps3 to outsell the xbox 360 for 3 consecutive years, it would’ve needed to beat the adversary in ANY of these 3 possible scenarios. First one is ( A: 2006>2007>2008), ( B: 2007>2008>2009) or ( C: 2008>2009>2010). We know that 2010 is not over yet but let’s try and think it is (doesn’t make any real difference). Because even if we counted the 1st half of 2010 as an entire year, it still wouldn’t add up to 3 years.

The answer you will get is (D. None of the Previous Choices). For this claim to be proven wrong, the only thing the xbox 360 needs to do is to have won any single year in any of this scenarios. This claim was conceived using data from VGchartz, so using the same source, let’s see the truth behind it.

As you can see in these sales charts by the same source, the PlayStation 3 hasn’t even outsold the 360 for 2 straight years,even less 3. The PS3 has outsold the xbox 360 only 1 year since it was released and currently leads 2010 but with a lead of less that 1 million consoles, it’s still anyone’s game.

And the battle rages on. An exciting one too.

You’re a cheapskate and you know it. Everything’s always way too expensive for you, doesn’t matter how good a deal the item you’re eying is. You drive the cheapest car, you cringe when you have to pay for your girlfriend’s dinner. Why she sticks around no one knows, and as for you, Shurfine products are your default when doing grocery shopping.

Admit it: you’re really a cheap good for nothing. The problem is, you love videogames, and that’s an industry where products are sold for ridiculously high prices. A new title will set you back $60, something you just can’t fathom, that’s why your PS3 was stolen from your brother, and the few games you have for the console are borrowed.

Dude, get up and get a life. Nothing comes easy nowadays, have you ever looked into how much it costs developers to make games? Tens of millions of dollars my friend. It cost Rockstar about $70 million to develop Red Dead Redemption, what, you thought they would just give it away for free” (Shakes head from left to right with disgust)

I can’t do much on your behalf, however if you’re looking for some PS3 exclusive titles, I think I’ll be able to point you in the right direction, where you can buy them for dirt cheap. It’s the best I can do.

Find them below:

#1 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots – $17.99

Buy them all through here. That’s enough games to quench your thirst for at least half a year.

“No man knows the day nor the hour when the Lord will come,” the bible reads. “Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,” it continues. This means at any moment, in a twinkling of an eye, you could die.

It may be an accident, natural cause, or ever sudden death, we all must be aware that death could be just around the bend. There’s life after death, too. We’ll leave that for another day.

But let’s do a hypothetical here, what if you knew tomorrow would be your last day, think you’d have the time to play games? I know I’d think of doing many things before even considering a quick game fix. Here’s how it would work for me.

First, I’d go to, or call everyone I know that I might have had a quarrel with, and ask for their forgiveness – even if I wasn’t at fault. Getting things right with everybody would be top priority. Then, I’d start praying my heart out asking God to please spare my soul and give me a chance. I’d make sure I leave a Will, setting in order my belongings, and who should get what when I’m gone.

Some may think it’s a joke, by when you know that in the next few hours, your life on earth will be no more, things change.

Now that I’ve prayed, asked for forgiveness, and set all my belongings in order, my next stop would be my favorite restaurant to have a last meal. I’ll order me some Mahi Mahi (fish), with white rice, vegetables and some provisions, mix in a little All Caribbean salad dressing also.

By then, all my time would be almost gone, so It’d log on to PSN, purchase Metal Gear Solid (the PSone title), and have at it.

It’s my favorite series of all time.

Gaming, it’s grand. It’s the best thing that has ever happened to a lonely kid with no friends to hang with, and the guy with many friends to play with. Overtime, it’s become one of the biggest industries in entertainment, and with yearly gains and by-monthly innovations, things could only go up from here.

There are many parts that come together affording this engine to run smooth, mind you. But arguably the most important part of the engine are the game developers. Without them, there would be no gaming experience at all. Many times the media place its focus on the big three and forget the reasons why they’re profitable.

You’re anticipating Gears of War 3 not from Microsoft, but from Epic Games. inFamous 2 is coming your way in 2011 because the guys and gals at Sucker Punch forged it. Halo is the biggest Xbox 360 franchise because of the few people at Bungie who dared to dream big, and we would’ve never known Ratchet And Clank, Spyro the Dragon or Resistance without Insomniac Games.

This article, however, is not about the games these developers make, but rather, the way they treat their employees. You see, although your game might be the best in its class, although it might sell millions of units, although gamers may enjoy it to the core, it’s really nothing if you treat your employees like dirt. We’ve heard many stories concerning game development studios treating there people like slaves, but not much is heard on how good some workers have it at certain studios.

That’s until now. Over the years, the good folks at Insomniac Games have made it priority, above everything else, that all its employees be treated with utmost respect and dignity. Not only that but in every segment, the company has gone above and beyond to make sure that everyone’s happy:

1. The studio has received 11 awards since 2004, naming it amongst one of the best places to work.

10. Last but not least, they’re company that’s environmentally friendly, and with all the talk about global warming in the airwaves, you’ll at least feel better you work for a company who’s concerned about the environment.

Life goes on when the game stops folks. Insomniac has learned that. Every developer, and even publishers out there should follow the studio’s lead. Besides, the more your treat people like royalty, the better quality and quantity work you get. Now, the studio has gone multiplatform by signing a deal with EA Partners that forces them to expand the horizon. And although it becomes more difficult to execute protocols when more people are involved, knowing Insomniac Games, and their boss Ted Price, I’m sure the great tradition will continue.

And this is why Insomniac Games are the best Game Developer in the gaming industry: Not for its games, but because of its rich, positive and exciting culture. I Hope you guys are taking notes.

Below is Insomniac’s latest Full Moon Show, a new edition of Beyond the Game. In the vid, listen one of Insomniac’s lead designers, Drew Murray, talk about his humble beginnings and how Insomniac Games gave him a chance.

A GamesThirst Original.

Games are made to pass on great fun and entertainment. May this industry never forget that. Not some medium that tries to relive every aspect of life, because if that was the case, we’d lose the basis of why we play in the first place.

I know as an industry we try to move further along into realism, moving ever closer to making games on par with movies. That’s great. But I don’t think that we should emulate everything Hollywood does just to be deemed, in Roger Ebert’s eye, as a form of art.

Gaming is art. No doubt. In its own unique and entertaining way, even if it’s not a replica of Hollywood. Hollywood, many times, force people to drink things that they’re not comfortable drinking, and that phenomena is lead by a few people in high places. But those things, (most times demoralizing on society) are forced down on us so ofter that they eventually become the norm.

I remember when profanity was a no no in society. In fact not too long ago, such language in movies were taboo. But now it’s the norm because we’ve accepted it, without a revolt, thanks to Hollywood. Now it’s crazy, everything is acceptable. Everything. I won’t go there because that’s a whole new subject altogether.

So back to the matter at hand.

I don’t think there was anyone in the entire world who was anticipating Killzone 2 more than I was.

I had the game on day one, ready to have some fun taking out the Helghast. Just a few minutes in though, I was disappointed. It was so bad that I played the entire game without volume.

Profanity reeked in Killzone 2, but not only that, the dialogue was one of the poorest in gaming history. Guys cussed for no apparent reasons, team mates fought against each other, and although that would be quite understandable, (in war folks do that), the fights didn’t mesh-in with the overall plot not one bit.

If you lived in a house with people moving around in the living room and other places, the last thing you want coming from your games is a bunch of vulgarity – profanity.

Square-Enix did the same with Nier. The game is good, but the freaking dialogue is the worst. The profanity in that opening scene was totally uncalled for. And why? Because they’re trying to appeal to a more “western audience”? I personally find it an insult that they’d think we’re just a bunch of lawless, brainless, kids with no values.

Most Western gamers are 34 years and older. We grew up when respecting and greeting your neighbor was the right thing to do.

But Guerrilla Games listened, and in its upcoming tripple A shooter, Killzone 3, all profanity has been removed, abolished. Now they’ve gone that far and I’m happy, (many more like me are too), a day one buy. But they didn’t even have to go that route. A more simple solution would be to create an option that would allow gamers to disable the profanity. That would have worked just fine too.

But thanks for at least listening to the community Guerrilla, you’ll be rewarded with big sales.

Others must follow: EA’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was laden with indecent language, but what’s even worst, is that the first game had the option to disable them, and the second did not! Makes no sense to me.

Treyarch’s new CoD tittle is coming up, and we encourage them to do the same, the option.

Get a grip folks, the best selling titles of all time have no swearing in them….. You don’t need that. I applaud Infinity Ward for what they accomplished in Modern Warfare 2, a game that had only one F-Bomb – the last scene in Afghanistan.

So do it devs, you won’t lose. In fact you’ll gain more than you think.

Titles like Braid, Wipeout HD, Flower, Portal, Rez HD, Castle Crashers and Shadow Complex proved that downloadable titles are not just simplistic run-of-the-mill games to kill some time with, but a whole new genre full of quality and value. This year brings us a new contender, a brilliantly done and atmospheric platformer so astonishingly beautiful that feels taken out from an art book. The title won 2 Independent Games Festival awards and tells the story of a boy boy trying to find his sister in the hell edge called “Limbo”. The games’s visuals are entirely black & white with minimalist sound and impeccable art design. The world evokes a feeling of despair that limits your vision with a dark and fairly limited field of view.

Intuitive direction in the game is so good the it doesn’t need HUD system to guide the player or tell them what to do. The animation system is nothing short of amazing and very advanced for the genre. Limbo plays like your typical 2d sidescroller but it looks like nothing i’ve seen before, the tone is so unique and eerie that could make Tim Burton drop a tear of joy. More downloadable games will release in the course of the year but i’m confident that none of them will surpass the brilliance and beauty of Limbo.

Check out the new In-Game Teaser of Limbo

LIMBO: Available This Summer On XBLA

This collection announcement might be giving us a pretty obvious hint that Team Ico’s latest work is not remotely near of being released. It makes little to no sense to release The Last Guardian in 2010 and later release the remastered collection the year after. Sit tight because The Last Guardian might be touching your Playstation 3 after Q1 2011.

When something is great just say it’s great, and that’s exactly what critics from all across the spectrum have been saying: Red Dead Redemption is a masterpiece which will sit in the same room with other great accomplishments, the likes of Grand Theft Auto, Halo, God of War and Metal Gear Solid just to name a few.

I remember when details about this title began surfacing, people were skeptical as to whether Rockstar, the same come that produced Grand Theft Auto were able to pull off a successful open world, yet story-driven and intriguing title. Guess what? They did.

From the moment I saw some footage I was sold. In fact, I thought, why hadn’t developers ventured to the West? It would have been a bold move yes, but at the same time gamers, although not tired of the many genres that we’ve come to expect, are craving for something different from the overkilled FPS, and Hack-n-Slash settings. Apparently Rockstar took a risk, but somehow I believe that they knew they were heading into fresh territory, one ripe for exploration.

Today, the 18th day of May 2010, Red Dead Redemption is available now and analysts have predicted it will sell past 4 million in the first year. I predict it’ll do 6 million. What ever the final numbers are, there’s one thing we already know for sure. It’s more than a great game, Rockstar has created a masterpiece.

IGN said: “Red Dead Redemption is a must-play game. Rockstar has taken the Western to new heights and created one of the deepest, most fun, and most gorgeous games around. You can expect the occasional bug or visual hiccup, but you can also expect a fantastic game that offers the Western experience we’ve all been waiting for. Red Dead Redemption is a complete game in every sense — both the single player and multiplayer modes are excellent — and still manages to offer an attention to detail you rarely see from a game of this scope.”

GameInformer relayed: “To succeed where other Western games have failed, Red Dead Redemption deftly recreates a sandbox playground of a tumultuous historical period swept away by technological progress. The game perfectly captures the expansiveness of frontier life and the gritty gunplay of spaghetti westerns, rightfully earning its place alongside the great Western films and the best Rockstar games.”

Eurogamer uttered: “[Red Dead Redemption] is an exceptional Rockstar game, one that successfully re-clothes the Grand Theft Auto framework in an exciting, distinct and expertly realised scenario. But just how satisfying the formula remains after the exuberant destructiveness of Red Faction: Guerrilla, or the joyful, ad-hoc player stories born in the freedom of Just Cause 2′s playpen, is increasingly under scrutiny. And even within Rockstar’s own canon, there is little here for that smart young journalist to inform Liberty City about that it didn’t already know. A magnificent eight, then.”

Here’s 1up: “Anyway, Red Dead is a great game to climb into and just live for a while, and that’s everything I wanted. In fact, I’m actually feeling pretty annoyed that I’m not wandering around in there right now. Stupid videogame reviews. There are herds to save, outlaws to kneecap, frontier ladies to rescue, random strangers to tie up and drop off a cliff for no reason, and sunsets that need riding off into.”

And we here at Games Thirst couldn’t agree more. It’ll take you about 20hrs to get through this one, so you’ll have a whole ton of fun for a very, very long time. Don’t know about you, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is a given now.

And already, I’m excited. All that sub HD talk, and which version is superior is just fanboy rage. Leave me out of it.

There are games, and then there are GAMES. You know what I’m talking about. Some titles are hyped, released and then fade with the wind. Others come silently, (just like Red Dead Redemption) and suddenly explodes, leaving an everlasting impact on the gaming industry.

At this year’s E3, we know there will be the usual: Games we already know about will be announced, companies will talk up their potential, projections and “big ideas”. They’ll hire celebrities to make the offerings look fatter, and at the end of the day we’re left with a few semi-huge announcements but nothing that will leave us chanting, ‘wow, this was the best Expo ever!’

Gamers know better than publishers when it comes to what games should be created. But for some unknown reason the publishers just won’t listen. Take for instance Final Fantasy VII. How long has it been since we’ve been yelling our lungs off at Square-Enix for a remake of that game? For ages, countless years, but we haven’t seen or heard anything that would give us hope.

I’m sure if they would remake Final Fantasy VII, it would be the best selling installment in the franchise. Also, where’s my Syphon Filter? What happened to Onimusha? Where the hec is a true Donkey Kong Country and a bonafide Streets of Rage?

Publishers listen: If you want to wow us at this year’s E3, announce these ten Games:

Final Fantasy VII Remake – It would be the biggest announcement of the show.