Thoughts About Xbox One's "Special" Price

On Wednesday, January 14th, Microsoft announced that beginning last Friday, the Xbox One will be available at a "special price" of $349. This "promotion" comes less than two weeks after the price of the console returned to $399. For the uninitiated, Microsoft dropped the price of the Xbox One to $349 during the holidays. They were clear in stating this was temporary and would end on January 3rd.

There was speculation during the holiday season about whether this would actually end. Along with many others, I surely thought the price change would stick. Then we changed our calendars and realized we were wrong. The holiday price drop could've just been to entice buyers to pick up an Xbox One during the increased shopping season. It also could've been a move in the ongoing "console war" with the PlayStation 4 and Wii U. A war in which Microsoft has not been faring so well. It'd be hard for even them to deny how rough the Xbox One launched. Gamers knew it. Game journalists knew it. And you better believe Sony and Nintendo knew it. Sony's clearly had a strong lead since the PS4 hit shelves. And even before that, if you take into account those early pre-orders. And despite Nintendo's odd place and marketing decisions, you can't discount the Wii U and their handhelds (in all their variations).

As expected, this move led to strong holiday sales and Microsoft made up some ground in what's hopefully a long race. So one has to wonder why they would have even considered reverting to $399. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that a lower price would contribute to more console sales and more dollars thus making up for previous losses. My degrees aren't in sales, so this is all an outsider's perspective.

Currently, you should be able to find the standard Xbox One and two bundles in stores and online. There's the Assassin's Creed: Unity bundle which also includes Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. The other includes the Master Chief Collection. It should be noted the Assassin's Creed bundle includes tokens for digital copies of those games. That's likely more relevant for people, such as myself, who enjoy having physical copies to add to their shelves.

As stated, it's still unknown whether this will be the permanent price for the Xbox One or if there will be an expiration date. I would bet it's the permanent price going forward. So what do you think about Microsoft's newest "promotion?" If you've been considering picking up an Xbox One, is this price change the nudge you needed to do so? Sound off in the comments.

Toy Tease: NECA Toys' Devil May Cry ULTIMATE DANTE

While my Twitter timelines were blowing up with the usual internet shenanigans, a tweet from NECA Toys immediately caught my eye. From Capcom's hit action video games series Devil May Cry comes Dante. Take a look at the series' protagonist below, gloriously clad in red.

From NECA's website:

Seven years in the making, this long-awaited action figure is the definitive version of the original Dante, the one who started it all.

The half-demon demon hunter from Devil May Cry stands nearly 7″ tall, with over 35 points of articulation. Dante is extra-detailed, down to his trademark trench coat, which features a dynamic, wind-shaped sculpt. The figure is loaded with accessories, including Ebony and Ivory pistols with removable muzzle bursts, Dante’s sword Alastor, shotgun, and interchangeable hands.

Comes in deluxe window box packaging with opening flap that recreates the look of the original video game box. Limited edition — one production run only!

No denying it, Dante looks slick. For collectors and/or gamers only familiar with the recent entry in the series, DmC: Devil May Cry, Dante's look might throw you off. This is Dante's original look for the first four games in the series. Complete with that cool sword. As a sword lover, you can expect to see pictures of him in my display wielding it in full badass mode. Also, being such a fan of the color blue, I'm curious how he'd look with a royal blue coat of paint with the same style of paint wash.

NECA Toys is known for their high quality collectibles and this one looks to keep that trend going. NECA is no stranger to video games. Over the years, they've consistently (to our bank accounts' displeasure) provided collectors with representations of some of video games' finest characters under their Player Select banner. Some of those have been delivered in full ongoing lines, such as the amazing Gears of War series, or singular figures, e.g. Raziel from Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver.

According to their site, we can except Dante to be available in March. For more images of the legendary demon hunter and information on the toy maker, head over to NECA Toys.

What do you think of Dante? Is there a place for him in your collection? Sound off below.

TOY TEASE: NECA Toys' NES Classic Video Game Appearance Predator

NECA Toys will be adding the original Predator to their Classic Video Game Appearance series. This version of the classic Jungle Hunter Predator is based on the 1989 NES video game. The Predator will be the fourth figure to get this treatment following other iconic characters Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm St.) and RoboCop. Below is an image of what we can expect.

NECA’s Jungle Hunter Predator (1989 Video Game Appearance) is a fully articulated 8-inch tall figure with extendable wrist blades, removable backpack, and over 20 points of articulation. The Predator is painted in shades of blue with black and a hint of cel shading.

This figure comes in special window box packaging with opening flap to re-create the look and feel of the classic 1989 video game packaging.

In my last video, I mentioned how much of a fan I am of NECA Toys, especially their Predator figures. This one will certainly have a place in my collection. They also released an updated visual guide for the Predator line. Check it out below.

Come May, the hunter becomes the hunted as collectors stalk toy jungles in search of this limited run item. For updates, visit NECA Toys.

Is the Call of Duty Going Straight to Voicemail?

As gamers, likely numbered in the millions, gather online to shred each other in a stream of gunfire in Call of Duty: Ghosts, the reviews fall a few rounds short of a full mag. We all know reviews are opinions of fellow gamers, so they're expected to fall within a range. The annualized Call of Duty franchise maintains a unique place in the industry because of its perception. If you visit the comments on any Call of Duty article on IGN, you know what I mean. That sentiment can be found on other sites as well including GameTrailers and GameSpot.

IGN reviews tend to stand out because they're radically different from other reviews in terms of scoring. It's become a humorous among their followers. This is especially true for the Call of Duty series. The site's readers often expect them to rate each entry with a score in the mid-9 to 10 range. IGN gave Ghosts an "8" and called it "great." They added the comment "old dog, new tricks" to go along with the introduction of sidekick German Shepherd, Riley. Over at Destructoid, the reviewer called it mediocre, scored it a "5" and labeled it "old dog, old tricks."

Here are scores from some other sites:
Game Informer: 8/10
Giant Bomb: 3/5
GameSpot: 8/10
GameTrailers: 7/10
OXM: 8/10
Polygon: 6.5/10

By themselves, the scores aren't all bad. Some of them are decent in fact. What's important to note is the decrease across the board from previous entries. While many players use the scores as a guide, I find the review content to be the most informative. A common theme running through these reviews details how Ghosts doesn't bring anything new to the genre. This isn't (just) about highlighting the flaws in the yearly series such as "dynamic events" which are actually just scripted sequences, lackluster narratives or the technical deficiencies. No, this is more about the perception from the gaming community. I enjoy the campaigns for their fast-paced, intense shoot-outs and playing with a group of friends online is always a fun experience, so I'll play it to find out for myself.

There seem to be two big camps: those who play and love it and the people who don't and see it as a yearly re-hash. A portion of the latter is comprised of people who gave up on the series for the lack of innovation. It seems some of the gaming sites are just now acknowledging this and it's reflected in the reviews. Is it as simple as Ghosts just being inferior to previous games? Or has fatigue spread to the gaming media? I'm looking forward to early December when it's been in rotation for a couple weeks and Xbox One owners have it to see how people feel about it then.

Could this be the point where it changes? Until the numbers come in, it's too early to tell. Knowing how much of an entertainment monster Call of Duty has become, it's going to SELL. There certainly isn't anything wrong with high sells. The issue comes from the lack of pressure to make any changes to the formula.

What do you think about the reviews? Did you pick it up or plan to? What are your thoughts on the series overall? Let me know below.

NYCC 2013 Post-Con Report

We're a week removed from New York Comic Con 2013 and being my first trip to the Big Apple, I must say: ReedPOP put on a great show for everyone. I'm no convention rookie, but even I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. I was caught between trying to cover events, seeing stuff as a fan and just taking in what NYCC had to offer. As I've said before, comic conventions are a sensory overload of awesome. Four days full of comic book, cosplayers, toys, video games and everything else to have the fangirls and fanboys geeked out.

Speaking of the people, oh my, was there a crowd. Reports came in about the attendance rivaling that of San Diego Comic Con. Seeing it all four days, I don't think that's an exaggeration. Having been to both, I do prefer the layout of NYCC as opposed to SDCC. The new RFID chips in the badges seemed to have worked to cut down or cut out completely the counterfeit badge issues they've had in the past. Attendees had to activate their badges and "tap in" and "tap out" upon entering and exiting the convention grounds.

As for programming, it may sound cliche, but there was something for everyone. Take it from me, NYCC is a monster. I was there the entire show and only missed a few hours, but I still don't think I saw everything there was to see. There were panels on comic books, toys, movies, television shows, anime, etc.

The biggest highlight for me was the premier of Rebuild of Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo. I've been waiting a few years for it and it did not disappoint. Plus I walked away with an Evangelion poster.

The comic books are the best part of a convention to me, so the guest list is a big draw. ReedPOP didn't skimp on the talent. Among the creators in attendance were: Stan Lee, Jim Steranko, Marjorie Lee, Clayton Henry, Adam Kubert, Andy Kubert, Amy Reeder, John Romita Jr., and Sara Pichelli. That's just a small portion of the people at the show as guests or in artist alley.

Artist Alley was traffic heavy as expected. There were people arranging commissions, getting books signed by their favorite creators and just interacting with talented individuals. I hope the crowds meant everyone with a table really got to interact with fans and of course had a profitable weekend.

Most of the major publishers, including Marvel, Image and BOOM!, had a presence on the show floor. DC Comics was notably absent, which is odd considering this is Superman's 75th anniversary. There were huge displays showing off some of the great books from each company. Also, the publishers had many books available for purchase. This did not include Marvel. In my experience Marvel and DC have never done this.

For more photos from the show, visit the following links: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Overall, it was a fun show. As big as SDCC is, the focus on comic books has been somewhat lost. For the big comic book convention experience, New York Comic Con is the show for you. I think I may add it to my schedule for next year. I expect big things in New York come 2014 considering it's the Ghostbusters' 30th Anniversary.

NYCC 2013 Day 4 Photos

New York Comic Con 2013 was full of awesome comic announcements and cool costumes. On Sunday, the last day of the show, I hit the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles booth to check out their display of vintage figures. All the adult TMNT fans will likely drool upon seeing these. Also I met Mr. G.I. Joe himself, Larry Hama.

Kicking off the last round of photos are my two programs from the show signed by tons of creators including: Alex Maleev, Amanda Conner, Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Charles Soule, Clay Mann, Clayton Henry, Cliff Chiang, David Marquez, David Petersen, Dustin Nguyen, Edgar Delgado, Emilio Lopez, Harold Edge, Humberto Ramos, Jamal Igle, Jim Cheung, Jim McCann, Jim Steranko, Jonathan Hickman, Jorge Molina, Keron Grant, Khary Rhandolph, Kieron Gillen, Lamin Martin, Larry Hama, Mahmud Asrar, Marc Laming, Marcio Takara, Marjorie Liu, Mark Brooks, Mark Morales, Matteo Scalera, Michael Walsh, Mico Suayan, Mike Choi, Nick Dragotta, Olivier Coipel, Rafael Albuquerque, Robert Atkins, Roc Upchurch, Sara Pichelli, Steve Howard and Trevor McCarthy.