Oh. Well Then.

Not too terribly long, I got all bent out of shape over Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, since it was reported that the PS4/XBone versions were going to be digital-only and that's kind of a bad thing.  For reasons that I went into with a lot of words that ended up boiling down to "The Gaming world just isn't ready for this nigh-evangelised 'Digital Future' but more importantly I'm most definitely not ready for it, goddamnit" because I really really want to play every single MGS game ever always.  All of that remains true, of course, because Internet Infrastructure has not magically become better in the weeks since, nor is it showing any signs of magically coming to ultimate power any time soon either.  Unfortunately and fortunately.  (Since even if Infrastructure got better, I'd probably still be fucking stuck)

Good news has come out for everyone, however, as not only does Ground Zeroes have a release date for North America, but it has pricing and release details that are a bit different than previously reported for good ol' Europe.  First off, the game comes out March 18th, 2014 across PS3 and 4, the 360 and the XBone.  PC players...get to keep waiting for REVENGEANCE, I assume.  (Please buy it when it comes out.)  Much like Europe, there's a bit of a price variance not only between current and last gen platforms, but physical and digital as well.  The PS3 and 360 versions retail at $30 for Physical and $20 Digital which is pretty much what I figured would happen in that it's exactly the same as the European price, except they switched denomination markers.  Sorry Europe!

The good bit comes in, however, when you see that, yes, the Digital Versions for the PS4 and XBone versions of Ground Zeroes are $30 for some reason, but there are actual physical versions of the game as well which will retail for $40, a full $20 more for a prettier version of the game on a disk instead of a digital PS3 purchase.  In another complete 180 from previous reportings, there's apparently going to be something extra in the Physical versions, though if that's just the Next-Gen ones, I don't even know.  Regardless, there's going to be a box with a PS4 disk in it that has Ground Zeroes on it that I am going to one day stare at and debate whether or not I should purchase it.  On the one hand, I'm very, very glad that it's going to be something I -can- buy and play, but on the other hand, it's a prologue that could be shorter than the Tanker section of MGS2, and it's $40 when a digital version of the PS3 version is half that for reasons, and while I -want- to play it in stunning visuals with the Dualshock 4 and all that, I'll need to convince myself a little more.  Also, I'll be concerned about a package deal for Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain whenever that ends up coming out.  (Likely around a year later, I'm guessing)

Still, it's good to know that I have the option if I decided to go that route because I likely will because I have no will-power.  Though I have to wonder what the extra bit in the cases is going to be, because I highly doubt it's going to be the Exclusive DLCs mentioned for both systems.  The Deja Vu mission for Playstation and the Jamais Vu DLC for XBox both look great, even though I swing more towards the Jamais Vu one because REVENGEANCE, and it kills me to think that I -won't- get to play it.  It's...not the same as more REVENGEANCE, of course, but it's close.  At least Konami is still acknowledging the game and hopefully the hopes of a sequel will end up panning out, because I will buy the absolute fuck out of it.  On the other hand, more 'exclusive' DLC for the Boxed versions on top of platform-exclusive DLC?  That's...that's going a bit crazy with it.  Though we are not exactly surprised, I should think.

crazy conspiracy theory, "David Hayter Voicepack DLC" - it'll never happen, but goddamnit if we're not all hoping

Xi3 Piston is a Steambox, Also Ridiculous

The 'Steambox' has been a thing that we've heard about time and time again, but always in sort of vague terms and ideas, never really anything concrete.  Despite -a- Steambox (not 'the', which is an important distinction) being more or less firmly announced and priced and such, that....has not changed much surprisingly.  It's kind of astounding, really, the nebulous nature with which this whole idea has been approached, and it sort of makes sense on the Valve side of things, since they always kind of play things close to the vest, but for anyone else?  They really just don't have the clout or the weight behind them to just toss out a few things, slap a pricetag on it and expect the masses to roll in.  To do so is, honestly, kind of arrogant and foolish.

I say all that because, of course, it is pretty much what Xi3 has more or less done here.  The "Piston" modular computer that has been leveraged as a Steambox through a partnership with Valve has been sort of semi-announced for a little while now, but was put up for pre-order yesterday...for $999.  I would do the whole "US DOLLARS" thing, but let's face it, you already did that in your head when you read it and this is just making you do it again.  Possibly a third time since the first two times were just you making sure you read correctly.  You did.  For $1,000, you can have a tiny little computer meant specifically to interface with Steam and Big Picture Mode so you can run your Steam library through your TV in a way that is, presumably, comfortable.  It should look glorious too.  Well....maybe.

The thing I was saying before, about not really having many details to work off of, well, this is where that comes in.  We know how much the thing -costs-, but we don't know what's inside of it which is kind of the important thing, especially with a computer.  Especially if you're looking to pre-order a computer for some reason.  (The reason right now would be to knock $100 off the still-ridiculous price)  Yet, all that we readily know is that the standard model comes with a 128 Gig Solid State Drive (versus a traditional Hard Drive), 8 Gigs of RAM (that I assume is standard RAM, and not the flashy, awesome kind in the PS4) and a 3.2 Ghz Quad Core processor which -sounds- impressive if nothing else (since it probably isn't).  I don't really know what those things -mean-, per se, but I am told that it's not very impressive.  Combine that with the complete lack of Video Card disclosure, which I know -is- important for gaming, and the fact that if you want more storage space, 256 Gig and 512 Gig models are available for $1,339 and $1,749 respectively, and 'wary' is an understatement for what we should be feeling here.

Those are really all the specs we know about, or at least, the specs -I- could find.  The partnership link above had a little blurb about the specs, but it's a little suspect.

As we envision our new X7A Modular Computer, we see it powered by a new Quad-Core 64-bit, x86-based processor running at up to 3.2GHz, integrated with up to 384 graphics shader cores, and 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and able to handle graphics-rich computer games like Crysis 2 with ease. The X7A Modular Computer will also run 3 high-definition monitors simultaneously, has four USB 3.0/2.0 ports, four eSATAp ports, four USB 2.0 ports, a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, and up to 1TB of super fast solid-state storage inside the chassis, making it perfect for gamers and power users alike. And yet the X7A Modular Computer will be housed in a chassis about the size of a softball (4.27x3.65x3.65-inches) and run on a mere 40Watts of electricity or less. We expect the X7A Modular Computer to begin shipping in early 2013 with a price starting at under $1,000. All within a chassis you can hold in the palm of your hand!

For one, that blurb is for the X7A Computer which is, apparently, a separate product.  I think.  The official Xi3 website is just a mess of rhetoric that doesn't really go into a whole lot of details about anything.  But the products area still lists an X7A where the pre-order page is for, specifically, the Piston PISTON Console.  As we have established, actually no model that they're selling offers 'up to' 1TB of SSD space (Not even like a super-premium $2,499 model) and the rest of that is things that they don't bother to tell anyone anywhere else.  I mean, perhaps I'm just calling dirty pool because of that, but without a spec-sheet anywhere I can't help -but- to do that.  Besides, as I said, my 'people who know computers' don't seem very impressed with what -is- definite, so I'm not quite sure what else could be inside of the PISTON to make it a 'powerhouse' that warrants that $999 pricetag.

The unfortunate thing about all this is that, as stated, this is -a- Steambox which I'm sure is already being depicted as the Steambox in some media outlets out there.  That's surely going to cause quite a bit of confusion since the official Valve Steambox is not even in a "public prototype" phase.  A lot of the draw of the concept is that it's something that will be easy to get into and be an alternative for folks that don't necessarily have computer know-how (like myself), but if there's going to be this kind of premium associated with it, then I (and others) will just continue to steer clear.  It puts Valve on an even more precarious position now since this $999 figure is out there for a device -like- the one they're making and even if Valve comes out with something that's decidedly more reasonable, cost-wise, this will still exist and thus be compared to it.  "Why is this so much more expensive if it does the same thing?" and the like.  From the proliferation of Apple products compared to cheaper, more sensible things that do the same thing, people don't really understand the whole concept of "cost versus value".

At the same time, it's hard to tell when the 'official' Steambox will even be out, and who knows what the market and climate will look like then.  It won't accommodate another $999 Steambox, assuredly, but I would think that something from Valve wouldn't come at that much of a premium.  But in terms of confidence and attitude, what with Xi3's efforts already out there, it could be a rough sell for those who don't voraciously serve the Newell.  I hope to have -something- in the form of a laptop that will play games by the time this will come out, at any rate, so either Steambox probably won't appeal to me, but it's always something to take a look out for, certainly.

Bonus Post - Playstation Vita Official NA Pricing!

The image above was the lovely one greeting those who happened across the Playstation Blog today, or specifically this article which puts an end to the speculation and whatnot about what Vita things are going to cost.  As with anything and everything anywhere ever, they're bound to make some people happy and some people less so, but that's just how it is.  You will be pleased to know that the Memory sticks and indeed, some of the other accessories are priced much less than previously rumored (even after the update of lesser prices being possible), though some will still argue that they're too high-priced yet.  Regardless, it's a rather moot point on anyone's concept of why the Vita should support other memory formats and comparing prices because, well, it doesn't.  Kind of sucks for some people, but that's just how it is, so either deal with it or move on.  Sony aren't the first ones to charge more for proprietary things, nor will they be the last.

Anyways, the blog post also lists the Twenty-Five(?!) Vita games that will be available on the North American Launch on February 22nd as well as ten other launch window titles from First and Third party developers.  Here's the bad(?) news, however, in that the price range of Vita games has officially been confirmed as $9.99-49.99, which may or may not be a surprise to you depending on your position.  I was under the impression that the highest end Vita games would be $39.99, but I guess it's just ten bucks and I doubt a lot of games will be at the highest pri-.....Well, I can hope that a lot of devs with put out their games at $30 or $40, but we'll see.  Though, enough prattling, here's the lists as a direct copy/paste from the Blog post linked above.

SCEA Launch Day Titles
Escape Plan (PSN Only)
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
Hustle Kings (PSN Only)
Little Deviants
ModNation Racers: Road Trip
Super StarDust Delta (PSN only)
UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss
wipEout 2048


Launch Window Titles
Gravity Rush
MLB 12 The Show
Reality Fighters
Unit 13

Third Party Publisher Launch Day Titles

Army Corps of Hell	Square Enix, Inc.
Asphalt Injection	Ubisoft, Inc.
BEN10 GALACTIC RACING	D3 Publisher of America
Blazblue: Continuum Shift EXTEND	Aksys Games Localization, Inc.
Dungeon Hunter Alliance	Ubisoft, Inc.
Dynasty Warriors Next	Tecmo Koei America Corporation
F1 2011	Codemasters
EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer	Electronic Arts, Inc.
Lumines Electronic Symphony	Ubisoft, Inc.
Michael Jackson The Experience	Ubisoft, Inc.
Plants vs. Zombies (PSN Only)	Sony Online Entertainment LLC
Rayman Origins	Ubisoft, Inc.
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen	Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Tales of Space: Mutant Blobs (PSN Only)	Drinkbox Studios
Touch My Katamari	Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3	Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition	Sega of America

Launch Window Titles

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7	Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. Inc.
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention	NIS America, Inc.
NINJA GAIDEN ∑ PLUS	Tecmo Koei America Corporation
Ridge Racer	Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Silent Hill Book of Memories	Konami Digital Ent. America, Inc.
Supremacy MMA: Unrestricted	505 Games

Worth mentioning are...quite a few things, really.  Dynasty Warriors NEXT, Disgaea 3:  Absence of Detention among a couple others can be considered officially announced for the West with this, I imagine, as I hadn't heard of any previous announcements saying as much.  Also with this, Escape Plan has officially been outed as a PSN only title which shouldn't surprise me in the least, but it does a bit.  I hope this has a positive effect on its length and overall quality, as it's generally the retail puzzle games that fall into the normal pitfalls I described the other day when I featured Escape Plan as one of the trailers that interested me and was on the official Playstation Youtube channel and was easy to get to.  Not that PSN-Exclusive is an indicator of anything, but it could suggest a smaller, more focused experience is what I was getting at.

Something else that's a bit surprising is the fact that Reality Fighters isn't actually making the launch but rather the launch window, meaning a month or two post-launch, meaning March or April.  This is only surprising because, well.....seeing Reality Fighters doesn't instill me with the feeling that it is a quality game that requires extra months of polish.  Not only that, but with AR and the Cameras being a thing for the Vita, you'd think they'd want that out right off as an example for people.  Regardless, that's a thing, I suppose, and perhaps it's not as bad as I anticipate, but we won't know til it's out.  Still, I'm sure there's other somewhat surprising things there, of which the fact that 35 games are going to be available for the system likely by the end of March if not more is one of them.

Anyways, I promised Accessory Prices, so here they are.

4 GB Memory Card	February 15, 2012	$19.99
8 GB Memory Card	February 15, 2012	$29.99
16 GB Memory Card	February 15, 2012	$59.99
32 GB Memory Card	February 15, 2012	$99.99
Starter Kit with Memory Card	February 15, 2012	$39.99
In-Ear Headset	February 15, 2012	$19.99
Carrying Case	February 15, 2012	$19.99
Travel Pouch	February 15, 2012	$19.99
Protective Film (2 pack)	February 15, 2012	$9.99
Card Case	February 15, 2012	$5.99
Cradle	February 15, 2012	$19.99
Portable Charger	Spring 2012	$49.99
AC Adaptor	February 15, 2012	$14.99
Car Adaptor	Spring 2012	$14.99
USB Cable	February 15, 2012	$14.99

I don't know why/how that transfered as a table but screw it, I'll take it.  Like I said, some of the accessories (at least the ones that are on both lists) have been priced less (unfortunately the Portable Charger is the same price; I wouldn't have minded a Ten-spot less on that) with the most notable examples being the Memory sticks, with all of them a good $10-20 less than we have been previously led to believe.  As such, the 8 Gig stick or even the 16 Gig stick are much more palatable price-wise which means you're in luck if you're worrying about having a lot of space for your games (and don't want to re-download things a lot).  All in all, I don't see anything too bad outside of maybe the USB Cable, but that's an extra one anyway, and what -doesn't- come with a USB cable anymore?  Lots of things, but you know what I was getting at.

February can't come fast enough still.