Changing culture, one gamerscore at a time.

Who's the real top dog? Come to think of it, do we care?

Quite a fair bit being announced, denied and argued about today in the news, it would seem. First and foremost would be the various reports that Sony created the processor chip used by the Xbox 360. It would seem Sony created it first, but Microsoft beat them to manufacture, and as a result dominate the PS3 sales figures by around a million at the last count. Sucks to be Sony really, but at this point it’s all just nitpicking, I see the PS3 being just as possible over the next few months, at least by the end of the year, anyway. LittleBigPlanet PS3 packages were flying off the shelves in every HMV and GAME I was in over the Christmas Holidays, and I can’t really see titles like Bioshock and its Challenge Rooms, MGS4 and various other PS3 exclusives doing their sales figures much damage. If only the controller didn’t feel like it was designed by a blind person with two four-inch-thick fingers. Those shoulder buttons are horrendous.

Speaking of items flying off the shelves, Lego Harry Potter was firmly denied today, which is a relief, as that would have been tragically boring. I’m still rooting for Lego Online: Rise of the Sticklebricks to the point where I’m tempted to actually email them some ideas. I’m that excitable when it comes to a Lego MMORPG. Imagine how simple it would be to create mods and custom houses and people and… my God.

Left 4 Dead is getting some DLC in a little while, which is fantastic but it worries me it’s so soon. Though, cleverly, it’s not soon enough that people complain en masse that it should have been in the release code, but it may be that they’ll do this one and then take a year or more to even touch another. That said, with the game being the runaway success that it is, I don’t see this lack of content happening. However; it’s all well and good they’re treating the Xbox lot to some L4D DLC, but where the hell are all the updates for TF2 the PC crowd have had? Not to mention Half Life 2: Episode Three?! I just want some bloody narrative-based closure, guys, it’s not much to ask. Get a move on.

With everyone from myself to Peter Molyneux himself seeing 2009 as a bit of a desert when it comes to new IP releases, even sequels, it seems Capcom already have a few aces in the hole as they revealed the first bit of their year’s schedule today. Street Fighter IV is a sure-fire winner, as is Resident Evil 5. I’m worried that the many, many reports of Bionic Commando‘s control system being far too weird and unintuitive may damage the game’s release, but I’ll judge for myself. Too many nights relaxing in front of Spiderman 2 years after its initial release make me want to swing through a city again, even if it’s a little tatty.

It’s a nice first day back, full of controversy, release news and New Year commentary from the pros and figureheads, and it’ll be interesting to see if any titles are moved forward to take advantage of the huge gap in decent releases this coming summer.