Comments 149

Re: Supply Constrained PS5 Sold Almost 1 Million Units in Japan in 2021

MB81

I live in Japan and in my opinion Switch just suits the Japanese market more. Most households don’t have more than one TV, an extra small portable if any. Switch is much more convenient for kids to play by themselves and on the main TV when possible. Switch is also good for daily train commutes which a lot of city dwellers make.
Then there is the love affair with Nintendo. There was a huge poll on TV recently about the greatest games of all time (Breath of the Wild is number one). It was filled with Nintendo staples, as well as JRPGs. Japanese love tradition, and these games will continue to sell well no matter what the quality was - Momotarou Dentetsu a perfect example.
Finally Switch has been marketed really well to the casual crowd.

Re: George R. R. Martin Thinks Elden Ring Looks 'Incredible'

MB81

@WallyWest he also has the problem where he is now struggling with so many spinning plates (characters, stories). I read before that he doesn’t write with a detailed outline in advance. He writes the events and imagines how his characters will react to them. After he introduced a load of new characters in the 4th book (I think it was), there are just too many threads to knit together.

Re: Gran Turismo 7 Behind the Scenes Video Is Just Kaz on a Stool

MB81

@eagletrippin hopefully the dynamic weather in GT7 will raise the level a bit, definitely feels missing from GT Sport.
I really like the circuit challenges. You get a video and description of the best way to approach each corner in a section with a time challenge. So good for learning tracks the proper way.

Re: Gran Turismo 7 Behind the Scenes Video Is Just Kaz on a Stool

MB81

@eagletrippin I feel the exact opposite - I found FM7’s modes, online and offline, so bland and repetitive. Online is almost unplayable with all the rammers. Hopefully that’ll be fixed for the next version. Offline I’ve learned so much about driving since playing GT Sport - there’s nothing like the drivers school or the circuit challenges in Forza. There are just identical races on different tracks.

I also felt the handling is a lot better in GT Sport. Driving aids are a lot less intrusive on GT Sport too.

Re: Hands On: FIFA 22 Feels Like Real Football for Once

MB81

Great news about crossing. I’ve played about 100 games on FIFA 21 online (thanks EA Play), and I’ve literally only faced 2 players who put crosses in. Everyone dribbles from out wide! Maybe it’s just their preference as I’ve scored plenty from crosses, but hopefully it creates more variety.

Re: There's Not a Single PS5, PS4 Game in the Japanese Sales Charts

MB81

@ThomasHL I think this is so true. New PlayStation games are ALWAYS sold at full price, until they have a PlayStation Hits version. Seriously, you go into an electronics store and they have games 5 years old at full price. Used prices are getting a lot cheaper, and digital purchases get the same discount we get in the west.
Switch games on the other hand rarely get a sizeable digital discount, are near retail price for used, so it makes sense to just buy them new at retail price.

Re: There's Not a Single PS5, PS4 Game in the Japanese Sales Charts

MB81

There’s a completely different culture for gaming in Japan. It’s far less common for adults (25+) to play console games in Japan. And that includes Switch too. Almost every kid and teenager in Japan has a Switch, which is where these sales figures are coming from.
Adults do game, but as some other commentators said, that is largely mobile. You ride the subway or trains around Tokyo and you won’t see many adults playing Switch but a hell of a lot playing smartphone games.
As others have said too, there hasn’t been any big releases recently though. PS5s are still so hard to come by too - I’ve been trying literally every time there is stock for 6 months - no luck.

Re: PES Renamed eFootball, Confirmed to Be Free-to-Play

MB81

Pretty sad about the name change. For those of us of a certain age, the Pro Evo name is something legendary, so many good times playing The Master League, or offline tournaments with a load of mates.
I’m sure it’ll have some kind of Master League mode but its absence from the roadmap is worrying.
Also did you see there is cross-play not only between consoles and PC but ... (gulp) mobile too. How on earth could that nonsense work.
Incidentally, in Japan, every teenager or young guy plays PES mobile, not the console or PC version. So few youngsters are interested in PlayStation or Xbox, the gaming market is so weird in Japan.

Re: PS5 'Comfortably' Console Market Leader in UK

MB81

That's great that it's selling so well and getting easier to get hold of in the UK.
In Japan, not so much. Been trying to get one for the last 6 months. Sold out in a minutes whenever it gets stock on websites, and most places sell by lottery. Stop neglecting Japan Sony!

Re: Battlefield 2042 Doesn't Have a Single Player Campaign on PS5, PS4

MB81

@RyanLosesAgain I'm also wondering if 128 players is actually a good thing. One of the things I love about Battlefield is that your small squad can make a big difference to the tide of battle. You can sneak in and capture a flag behind enemy lines which can have a domino effect.
I wonder if those moments are possible or less frequent with so many players everywhere.

Re: Battlefield 2042 Doesn't Have a Single Player Campaign on PS5, PS4

MB81

Big Battlefield fan here. A lot of my friends who play Battlefield never touch the single player. We come here for the huge multiplayer battles!
As for value for money, I always think these kind of online games, if you end up enjoying them provide excellent value for money. Sunk hundreds of hours into Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1.