Jaxx420

@K1LLEGAL more likely to be due to an online element. If they are delaying review code on games due to PS5 announcements then Nadella really has lost his way. I cant see that being it.

If I'm being honest. I am more nostalgic for the launch of the original Xbox.

The disruptor.

Sega had more or less cast themselves out with disastrous marketing on the Dreamcast. Sony was killing it with PS2. Nintendo was gearing things up with GameCube. All set for a 2 console gamefest.

In swoops Xbox.

Hardware ahead of it's time. Well tuned online gaming service. All the a Listers drafted in for the marketing push. Demo machines in gaming stores that had massive queues on a weekend to sample it.

That's the one I remember most. This article almost lists what I hated most about the Series X launch. Rather than the pezazz of the original it was just a bunch of execs spinning hype for me. Much prefer when the original came in.

@Fiendish-Beaver I second this. When (whether some like it whether they don't) the Playstation brand is that strong and their install base so high. If you are Microsoft why not put the games on there offset costs and more than likely make a massive profit in the process.

Console Wars are long dead and have been since the early 2000s tbh. All about what drives profit now. With certain games they may already have offset spend so putting them on another platform almost printing money at that stage.

@BacklogBrad sad thing is I'd argue keeping up yearly releases is only a good idea if the quality can still be maintained pumping them out annually. But reality is it makes that much money I doubt it'd come into the equation. EA certainly don't care with FIFA lol

@Banjo- Yeah on the main menu just gives the option to switch between Sonic and Shadow campaigns.

I have this preordered so let's see but I am worried this could go either way. Be really good or ridiculously bad and there won't be a happy medium.

@Banjo- Censoring aside though. The added Shadow campaign is awesome and worth a go from what I have played of it so far.

It's gonna be one of those isn't it. If you have played Generations to death previously it'll be hard to justify the upgrade I guess. I had a gift card to use so didn't drop cash on it but I am enjoying the Shadow content immensely.

@NEStalgia them reorder buttons what was it they called them Amazon Dash? Disaster of an idea that was.

Reviews will always be subjective. I actually like that a reviewer isn't tempted to go against the grain and gives their honest view on something even if it's not what people may want to hear about their favourite game.

@NEStalgia GTA is on another level in that respect though. I can't really think of another IP that would come close to hitting the sort of numbers they generate.

My opinion and I stress opinion before I get jumped as it appears very heated in here right now 😂

I think it's a simple Sony put resources in and aided development so it released quicker. So subsequently through a contract or otherwise came to PS first.

If I am right then like a lot in this thread agree that Sony and GS staying silent on the issue does not help.

Similarly though if it is the case then MS publicly saying it's otherwise is really bad PR.

Ubisoft are about to suffer the same fate with Xdefiant. Live service games are such a gamble for every one that can take off (Palword a good example) Another like Concord can tank massively and quickly.

Why I'm hoping Astro Bot will be a hit, not just for Playstation but enough to prove there is still a market for the classic old school single player experiences a lot of gamers still go for.

Blockbuster experience is a bit of a loose term though, hard to define.

@yohn777 the way you have outlined it I think the special case here could be the developer setting the price ironically.

More often than not publishers will finance a lot of development costs in agreement for taking massive cuts of the sale profit and subsequent royalties. In those situations they'll want to drive that by setting the RRP and DLC pricing.

Like the increase of game pricing from 59.99 to 69.99. so much uproar and who has been coming out and trying to sell the increase to us as being a consequence of rising costs? The publishers.

I will say my original post was opinion however if you have a link that shows I'm barking up the wrong tree I'll correct myself and go back to my little corner lol.

On the hollibobs in Menorca right now but it's pre installed for when I get back. Loved Everybody's gone to the rapture so am sure I will enjoy this.

If and a big if, if it is 2025 you'll be talking Fall 2025 at the earliest I think.

Those slating the studio for the physical pricing etc. Anger misdirected. The publisher will be setting that nonsense. Given who the publisher is, it is not a surprise.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the Dev has very much involvement in setting the RRP. So I don't think Remedy are the issue there.

@Medic_alert it did appear at least from what I saw to have an objective compass marker on the top of the screen a ala FFVII Rebirth or 75% of the recent Assassin's Creed games etc. So I think it is open to an extent.

They killed it. I was hoping to see a little bit more of Fable considering it's out next year but I think that was own personal over expectation. I imagine they'll hold a direct earlier next year for those releases.

@somnambulance they'll have one eye on release date announcements for other third party big bitters and time them accordingly I think.

@DarkCvrle66 it's coming to PS5 day and date. But Game Pass sweetens the deal on this one for me I think.

@Sifi one would hope. Just the timing is off for me. He's normally raving about playing the next big Game Pass release but said nothing about Hellblade at all from what I can see, which is odd.

Question on my mind is with everything going on will the Showcase be the next time we hear from Phil?

He's been oddly quiet.

@NEStalgia I agree but it's making them money and a lot of it so sadly likely that won't change anytime soon as much as I'd like it to.

@Banjo- yeah they did neglect Banjo and Kameo I enjoyed that one too.

Doesn't help perhaps a lot of the original devs at Rare have gone. But I'd like to see a new one too.

Unsure if MS have any Devs well versed in platforming on their books besides Rare though that could do it.

Toys for Bob did a great job with Crash 4. I am sure they could do the same with Banjo if MS were mindful to outsource it.

@BacklogBrad second this. Also think AI would be helpful in open world games with a lot of NPCs. The Witcher is a good example. They could use AI to make them seem more individual rather than copy and paste jobs.

@Tecinthehead the premise of the games does revolve around an interactive cinematic experience though.

I don't think gameplay was an afterthought just not as much part of the equation as the other elements of it.

@Banjo- Sorry didn't the catch the edit there mate.

Absolutely they nailed platforming in the good old days. Really enjoyed Jak and Daxter too. Then they diversified. While I personally loved Uncharted and TLOU I think there is enough demand for them to go back to their roots a bit. Maybe under the new Sony leadership they'll get a chance to. Time will tell.

Obviously not through Crash but Id enjoy a new Jak and Daxter.

As for Crash I think Toys for Bob would do well making a new one if they get chance to now they have gone indie. The logo on their website screams Crash to me though.

@Banjo- Maybe my phrasing was bad but I could see an argument brewing and seems to happen a lot (although more on other sites tbh)

I get it cinematic games aren't for everyone. But as cinematic games go you'll enjoy both Hellblades I think especially if you enjoyed The Walking Dead this nails atmosphere and has more interaction than you would get with Telltale games.

@NEStalgia the Naughty Dog comparison is absolutely spot on there.

I also sometimes think a games length can affect a reviewers view of it which is a little sad. Not every game needs to be a 20+ hour slog to be enjoyed.

@LoquaciousB you get it as a free rag on UK buses. Quality of the journalism is going to match that haha.

@Banjo- Noticed you mentioned just starting to play the first one for the first time.

Playing via Headset is key to the experience too. The game centres around Senua and hearing voices and seeing the world in her mind. From an audio side playing via Headset is the best way to experience what she is seeing and hearing.

I think Dolby is best for it but either way you'll have a blast and a better one playing with headphones.

Oh dear, same sugar different day here. You've got PS users slagging it off as it's an Xbox exclusive. And Xbox users calling them out for it and in the same retort then proceeding to slag off PS exclusives.

Wonders never cease.

On topic. I think the criticism toward the game for being short or lacking in the gameplay and combat is harsh imo. The first Hellblade was a narrative experience and focused more on cinematics, audio and a real spotlight on mental health and was praised for it. I've played the new one for 3 hours or so at the mo and it replicates all of that and betters it.

I don't think Hellblade was ever about the combat and puzzle side of things and was more about the experience so for me I think it nails it.

Really good move especially for those like me who only dip into them for the campaign then never play it again.

One does wonder if it's true whether the GP price will have to go up and how that will be received by those who don't care for COD at all though.

I mean, they still have some big games coming but a lot won't be viewing that June Showcase now with the same appreciation for Xbox being about the gamers as much as they did.

Faired far better when it was Electronics Boutique. But times were different then.

@Banjo- Same applies personally all as bad as each other. But this one created so much buzz if it's not what is circulating best thing would be to come out and shut any nonsense down.

They may still be deciding and finalising their move is probably the issue. But in a social media age the drama circulates so much quicker now.

It's also similar with Sony's lack of comms on first party and Nintendo not being forthcoming about future hardware plans. The biggest difference here is how much drama it has created in such a short space of time.

Agree with your original point there though. The issue isn't restricted to MS and shouldn't be.

@Banjo- Yeah been a load of drama over nothing. Can't help but think it could have been avoided if MS had shut it down from the get go rather than wait for a business update next week. Let it fester a bit too long.

They always said exclusives would be decided on a case by case basis. I don't get all the drama they are just following through on that.

Cross-gen again is a bit of a bummer. I think they could do so much more with it without that. Hopefully final year of it.

Probably has a marketing deal with Playstation. Sony buying Evo they will want marketing deals with all the major fighting game franchises now. This may be part of it.

Definitely wont be paying solely for timed exclusivity of a demo lol even they are not that stupid.

My guess is they have got the rights to the game and paid a pretty penny for it so they can decide where its distributed.

Makes sense and a clever move, MS can if they choose go to Sony and Nintendo and say how much are you willing to pay for a release or keep it Xbox only.

FTC are talking a lot of nonsense and should just give up at this point. Waste of time and resources.

At the same time I dont know how yet again another article related to the acquisition has triggered yet more plastic box tribalism and tit for tat. Is it not getting old yet?

It is a wild guess. But my guess is unless they have purchased the rights to use the license in games as Sony did with Spiderman. Then the decision on platforms lies with the license holder ie Disney and its TBC right now.

Similar how MLB the show has ended up on Xbox.

@OldGamer999 take the sales figures as a whole out of the equation. MS long term vision isnt about market share on hardware. Its about getting Game Pass on machines. Be it PC or other platforms.

Instead the more relevant metric here is of their total hardware sales how many were Series S. Which is around 74% I believe. I would be interested to see how many of those 74% use other platforms and got it as a second machine.

On that basis they definitely had the right idea.

@OldGamer999 the direction MS took was well intentioned though especially with economy issues. Allow gamers a more affordable way to tap into next gen experiences.

Us hardcores can talk about limitations but to the casual joe bloggs the Series S was a reach out to say come and play the best games and not have to drain the wallet.

MS had the right idea.

@Mephisto2869 If Larian can get the parity clause removed for Split Screen. GTA is that much of a money maker Rockstar will get it removed whenever they like.

As for how it would run 460p has got to be sarcasm surely? GTA V across multiple generations proved it was scalable. I would expect at least 1080p with some graphical sacrifices but nothing more. It was incredible that game came out on PS3/360 and still holds up today.

I get the Series S limitation issues but it wont be that bad lol.

@BeerIsAwesome second that.

While the regulators handled this whole saga about as badly as a chav on a night out. Their whole existence is to protect competition it isnt an "agenda against big tech" the point of their existence is to stop monopolies and who are most likely to try and gain a monopoly?....Big tech. And MS werent trying to pull this off to make gamers happy. Its to make money. And make it they will now.

But, ultimately ABK were looking to be bought out anyway and made the first move to be acquired. So the argument it was a monopoly move just fell flat on its backside.

Its essentially - if you want to play it alone. Its a fantastic game and you will have an absolute blast. If you want to play it with friends its a bit messy.

Some of the reviews knocking so much off just for a coop not working so well is a bit harsh. They have all acknowledged as a sonic game played alone its quality as always.

@AlexAtwell I do understand and know the concept. But I cant see MS going back and reviving a dead site. You seem heavily invested in it judging by previous comments. I have played on Royal Games before. Its unfortunate it shut down but it isnt coming back.

While I dont know what MS will and wont do, no one here outside of MS does. Can hazard a guess it will be what makes them money quickly and reviving Royal Games will not do that.

@JayJ I too would love to see a new Spyro but cant help but think dormant IPs will be an afterthought.

This buyout is all about the moneymakers ie mobile and CoD.

Look at Rare and how many dormant IPs they have that have barely been touched since they were acquired.