Batman, monsters, and lots of digital bullets... its game time!

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Deluxe Edition

Batman swoops in on the Wii U, Steam, PS3 & Xbox 360, and I think it's cool that they didn't simply leave it on handhelds alone.

In the deluxe edition (heading our way in April 2014 for around $19.99), I hope that there are some noticeable improvements and features added in... and maybe (just maybe) the Wii U version will be given justice as far as the gamepad is concerned.

Off screen play would make perfect sense, and an additional mode for multiplayer would be pretty cool giving us the option of playing with Batman, Robin, and Catwoman in a beat-em-up mode. There are plenty of mini games in other Batman games... so it wouldn't hurt to have this potentially awesome extra.

Goodbye to FPS games for a valid reason? Hmmm....

FPS games on a console that requires a monthly fee to play online are nothing new (even though I don't approve), but a fellow gamer (Jeff P.) expressed why he is giving up on it (at least on consoles that require a monthly fee).

The reason he is giving up on it, is because he doesn't have the money to play online anymore (some may say "well if you're broke then don't", but you shouldn't have to anyway... whether you have the money or not), but he doesn't want to pay money for it anymore either (which is fair). He didn't feel that it really made much of any sense to continue buying the games if he couldn't enjoy the part of the game that he enjoys the most (which is online multiplayer).

There are options to enjoy first person shooters without paying to play online and completely ditching your enjoyment:

• The Wii U doesn't require you to pay to play shooters online... and is actually the last of the big 3 to maintain this. The only downside is that it doesn't get a lot of love from many developers that produce FPS games (even though developers need to provide complete games worth being bought in the first place).
  
  Call of Duty: Ghost & Black Ops 2 are available options on the console... that shouldn't be slept on if you like these games and... since the Wii U just turn a year old a few months ago, we still have plenty of time for more titles, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the crap out of the current options either.

• The PC doesn't require you to pay to play shooters online... and gives you various free options for FPS games that don't require any money at all. The downside to that is an under powered PC unable to play these types of games properly, so an upgrade may be in order if not a new system, and some of the shooters are full of people that ruin the experience by hacking to gain an unfair advantage (i.e. I've encountered a number of hackers while playing Nexon's Combat Arms).

• The PS3 has a number of shooters you can enjoy online, and some of those are free to play. So this may be the strongest option for those looking for shooters to play online free. The downside isn't bad, but it's still a downside... just keep in mind that the support won't be there for an extended period of time... since the console has been out for quite awhile. (The PS4 gives you access to F2P games without a paygate, but it may not be much F2P shooter action.)
  
• There are even other options to enjoy shooters online, like Onlive. Onlive allows you to just go in and game without downloads, mandatory online fees, and no need to use your PC hardware to make the games function properly.
  
  Beyond using Onlive through your PC, you have the option of buying the micro-console that's around the same price as the Ouya (or less), and you can even game through TVs with the Onlive app, and mobile devices like Android tablets (which would make great use of that Onlive bluetooth controller if you end up with one). What's cool about Onlive is that you also have the option of spectating games if you don't feel like gaming yourself. So if you don't have one of the other consoles already, you could literally download the Onlive platform and try out a lot of the games for free to see how you like it (you aren't forced to only enjoy one platform, game... unlimited).
  
  The downside is a lack of new shooters on Onlive, but they have some multiplayer shooters (the biggest to date has been Homefront), and they are working on delivering new games... in a way that may not be expected by a lot of gamers. We can't exactly speak on what they're doing just yet to bring those games, but they are working on something... which hopefully includes some exclusive titles as well.
  
  Note: This is a streaming online-only platform with no discs, so there really isn't that security there when it comes to keeping a game that you've paid full price for... they should be a lot lower in price, and the older games they release on the platform should be released at an affordable fair price.

There are advocates out there for companies trying to restrict gamers, saying its where the industry is headed (as mentioned to a Nin-Dem this week), BUT sales are dropping across the board... and I thought it would be great to mention someone that was planning on ditching FPS games. Sounds like "The Industry" (at least those doing so) are headed for a brick wall... with the possibility of crashing! So seek solutions and push for them... seriously (you can be fond of a company and disapprove of certain things just to make sure that they remain the company you are fond of), or you may end up talking about these companies in past tense.

Speaking of PC... if there are any Battlefield fans in the house, EA has a 50% off sale on Battlefield 4, 3, and other games available on Origin. I would say that there are other deals you can get on other sites for BF4, but this is the cheapest option at this time if you like Origin (but BF3 is much cheaper elsewhere).

I know there is Titanfall headed for Origin, and other yadda's beyond the Wii U & PS4, but there is also Evolve headed for the PC also (sometime later this year)... if you're seeking another game to play online without a paygate.

I will say... "Do a lot of research on this game though, because Evolve doesn't feel like a full fledged title" worth the $60 price tag.

The overall game  is essentially a 4 vs 1 multiplayer (from what I see)... which seems like it may be fun for a bit, but... it just doesn't seem as if it would hold interest for long. I hope that it comes packed with a lot of stuff that we don't know about at this time, making $60 a fair release price. I will say though, that if it doesn't... then the price is a ripoff and it needs to be lowered to around $20 to $25 ($30 at the most) because one objective is not enough. 

I don't want to burst bubbles, but games need to be priced right or the purchase cannot be justified in my eyes. I usually wait until a game reaches I am comfortable paying for it, but some of those games happen to be new releases and games that I've pre-ordered also... it just boils down to what I deem worthy for my hard earned money.

Speaking of FPS games, it may sound a little off... but Steel Diver: Sub Wars is also an FPS (on the 3DS). It may be a little slower in pace, but considering the fact that there is a free version that allows you to enjoy the full online multiplayer at no charge... it's worth trying out if you have the handheld. I think Nintendo made a really (really) smart move by allowing there to be a free version. Granted the free version doesn't have the full 1st player campaign, and you don't have all the options someone else may have online (like a variety of subs)... but the ability to play online also benefits those players that own the premium version. You don't want to go online and have few people to play with, so I think this was really smart. 

Anyway, hope this helps those looking for ways to game without a paygate. Btw, maybe I made an impact... maybe not, but J.P. got a Wii U today with COD: Ghost.