At the end of the day, Tami, it's all down to the wallet vote. Microsoft - as well as Sony and Nintendo - generally don't change their minds on bad policies until it hits them in the pocketbook, especially if a competitor is offering a better deal. I'm grateful for Sony and the PS4 in the coming generation... but this was only after Sony learned its own harsh lessons on arrogance in the current gen.
And this is why I don't take video game reviews seriously anymore. With folks like IGN around, who needed Roger Ebert? These reviewers today are as pathetic as the folks who were gushing over early 90's FMV "interactive movies" as the next step in gaming while dismissing the great console and PC action, adventure, and RPG games as garbage for children. Pathetic.
Look, I like the stories in some of my favorite video games, but not every game needs to have a story. In case IGN forgot, that isn't the point of video gaming.
Lunar and Lunar 2. Those are such charming RPGs.
Final Fantasy V is a game I've grown to appreciate more and more over the years. At first I was disappointed over the lack of splash and bravado in it compared to its 16-bit siblings, but it really is quite a subtle and elegant package. Also, I think the GBA version of FFV is the best version released in the US.
I'm looking forward to FFXV, but I'm not as down on recent Final Fantasy games as a lot of other people. My favorite Final Fantasy is VII. My second favorite Final Fantasy, however, is XII - a game I feel combines the best of old and new in the series and a game I would have been quite fine with being the template for the future of the FF series. That said, I'm also looking forward to the FFX HD collection.
I skipped the Xbox myself. It had little that appealed to me, especially in light of the offerings of the PS2 and the Gamecube, and its controllers were ass. I was interested in Panzer Dragoon Orta, Shenmue, Gunvalkyrie, and Ninja Gaiden Black.
Final Fantasy XV and Bayonetta 2 were my favorite games from E3. However, I am indeed excited about X, and expect to be moreso when Nintendo shows more of it. X looks like it's taking a lot of cues from Xenogears and I'm lovin' it.
NISA did a good job on SRPGs on PS2. My personal favorite is Sakura Wars: So Long My Love (made by the same people at Sega who made Valkyria Chronicles, and published by NISA in the US).
I'm like jgusw. The Punch-Out!! games on the NES and Wii were among my favorites on their respective consoles, but I didn't really care much for Super Punch-Out.
I'm kind of like you. I've been a PlayStation fan from the day I bought Final FantasyVII. That didn't stop me from buying a Gamecube the next generation, but I loved my PS1 and PS2.
The PS3, sadly, had too lackluster of a launch to justify its price, and in 2007, the 360 was a better value proposition for me, so I got one of those. But I mostly got it for stuff like Virtua Fighter 5 and Tales of Vesperia. I did try the online Halo, Gears, and Call of Duty 4 communities, but those games weren't and will never be my cup of tea. Also, the good stuff I liked dried up pretty quickly on 360 and started migrating over to PS3. When I saw Valkyria Chronicles, I wanted a PS3. The E74 error was the last straw for me and the Xbox line.
I got a PS3 with Valkyria Chronicles to go with it, and I've loved it. It's been a great system. And with Microsoft making the decision easy with the Xbox One's bullshit, I'll be going in PS4 all the way. I will still be playing my Wii U as well, of course. :)
