I don't think I saw commercials for...any of those games. Maybe Sonic X Shadow and Two Point Museum. I wanna say I've seen Crossworlds ads, but can't actually recall them. Definitely saw plenty of Mario Kart World ads, though.
Shinobi had zero fanfare, even on most gaming sites. Yakuza has too many releases; they all kinda blend together for anyone besides hardcore fans. Atlus stuff is still niche, despite Persona 5. Two Point is similarly niche. And Sonic, despite being one of the biggest franchises in the world, really doesn't pull in the sales one would expect.
It's honestly an uphill battle for SEGA, and quality isn't why.
Wow, the rumors were right. Fantastic. I love getting a gimped PSP port of a fighting game instead of Ratchet and Clank for, what, a 3rd time now? Even just any PS2 Tekken would've been appreciated.
Oh well. I really don't want to jump on the PS+ hate wagon. I only care because I like buying Premium games a la carte. But, damn, Premium is pretty pathetic.
@JustMyOpinion The thing I dislike about this opinion is that there's no reason to see Palworld as an evolution of Pokemon's formula. Palworld is a completely different game, and most Pokemon fans would be alienated if the franchise was suddenly an ARK-like.
You should be looking at Pokemon's compatriot JRPGs to see how the series could've grew. I mean, honestly, outside of production values, I don't really think there's been much movement in the genre that's advanced well beyond Pokemon. I think the seamless open-world Arceus, gen9, and Z-A experimented with is probably the bit of contemporary design most wanted in the series. But Pokemon is experimenting and innovating in that regard, just much slower than we'd all like.
@Bunchesopuppies Fun idea. Although it doesn't fundamentally change the 'monster capture' formula, so it's really just a cute gimmick.
Sounds like it could've been a great way for PETA for explore advocacy when they were making games. Your idea actually has thematic nuance, though, so maybe not the best fit for their team of 'bang you over the head with the message' developers.
@Toot1st Not terribly relevant to anything I said. I wasn't really condemning Palworld's obvious Pokemon ripping, so there's no need to get defensive.
Although I've never heard anyone accuse Pokemon of ripping Digimon designs before. Certainly later-gen Pokemon share more general design sentiment with ornate Digimon than the original 151, but I don't know of any Pokemon that look like direct copies of specific Digimon. What are some examples?
@KoopaTheGamer It's not as though it's technically impossible to do just that.
If this anti-trust really gained traction, console manufacturers would essentially all be forced to make their own Helix. Whether that be mass updating contemporary hardware to run PCOSes, or building a proprietary OS that can run Steam and the like. I guess they wouldn't be required to make their marketplace available on PCs or release their games on other launchers. So, hypothetically, you'd get a PS5 with all the exclusives it currently has (like, 3!) as well as full access to Steam. Which... actually sounds completely pro-consumer.
This is interesting, because all digital delivery services are kinda monopolistic vertical integration. If Disney can't own movie theaters that have exclusive access to their content and charge anything, why is Disney+ okay?
As mentioned in the article, Steam is the same thing, as is the eShop and Xbox Marketplace. Although they do compete with each other, in a sense. I guess the issue is a PS5 can only access the PS Store,etc.
I love how many people uncritically watch FOX News after they lost a defamation case with one of their main defenses being, 'we're entertainment, not news.' And how everyone Googled tariffs after the fact.
Land of the FREEEEEEEEEEE*.
Anyway, yeah, I think rage baiting influencers desperate for content just got a bunch of people hyper focused on concurrent numbers. I've been checking out the Marathon sub-reddit since its launch to try to get a better idea of what people think of the game. It's kinda sad how much of it is posts about concurrent numbers or posts about how much someone hates the posts about concurrent numbers.
@Sulleymonster I said it was financially sound. Although I'm not fully understanding now: so you sold a Switch, Switch 2, and 12 games, and got enough money, sans £40, to buy a PS5 Pro, disc drive, a 48" OLED, and a AAA game? So you got around £1500 for all your Switch stuff? This really isn't important, but I'm confused how you actually made that much.
Anyway, I dunno. I don't really care to explain the worth of the Switch 2 or its library; it was never my point that it was objectively worthwhile. If you loved the Switch, it seems inconsistent to dislike the Switch 2 for not being able to run Cyberpunk at PS5 comparable performance. If Air Riders, Bananza, Zelda whatever, Fire Emblem,etc. aren't serious game announcements...I dunno, maybe don't buy a Nintendo console. You also say you were expecting exciting announcements BEFORE its launch, didn't see any, and still bought the thing.
This. Is what. I'm saying.
Don't really see the problem with the food analogy... Or how it shows I struggle with subjectivity and individual motivations. Maybe someone's thinking, 'well, I don't like tacos, but maybe THIS is the time I do,' and decide to give it another chance. That's fair enough. If they act surprised they don't like these tacos, barely even try it before deciding they don't like them, and ask for a refund because they don't feel responsible for their decision, that's where I start questioning them. This is also for a very low commitment single dinner. I would expect a lot more scrutiny from a buyer before spending hundreds on an electronic that's supposed to last for years.
@wildcat_kickz As someone that doesn't really care if Marathon succeeds or fails, I get the frustration. From a practical standpoint, it is actually quite cruel to wish that upon any project. While I was similarly apathetic about the recent Highguard, the wider internet's fascination with seeing it crash and burn was just weird. As is its fascination with Marathon failing, and Concord, and Disney, and just about any entertainment.
With that said, I do think there's a place for fair, good faith analysis. Not that it isn't a waste of everyone's time, but life is mostly a matter of wasting time until you run out of it. And, from that angle, I think it's fine to use any and all available data points to reach some assumption. The internet would do well to learn what 'causation/correlation' means, though. I tried making this point in regards to both Blops7 and Assassin's Creed Shadows, but basically all analysis on our end is egregiously misinformed. People should be aware of that.
@themightyant Well see, you're getting as much value out of the Switch 2 as you expected to. That's the exact foresight I'd expect of anyone buying a console.
I appreciate everyone isn't going to play a Switch as much as me, and that's fine. But if someone has acute buyer's remorse from an objectively well-supported and well-made console, I reckon that's a them problem. They don't have to like every console, but if they have little reason to buy a console just to turn around and say they have little reason to own said console — I mean, yeah. They should've seen that coming. This is amplified in the case of Sulley, who spent a week with one before deciding it wasn't for them — I guess based solely on Mario Kart and Welcome Tour (?).
I imagine it's potentially illegal for them to do so. As in, Valve, Microsoft, or gamers could sue them, and they'd have no legal precedent to defend themselves.
@cainhurst94 Shrugs I reckon that if no incoming or prospective Switch 2 games caught your eye besides Bananza, and you didn't care about any of the Switch 2 upgrades, you shouldn't have bought one. It's fine if you did — I don't really care if you regret your purchase or not. But I would call the purchase foolhardy.
I play my Switch 2 more often than my PS5 or Xbox. In fact, I'm really only playing my Xbox a couple times a month. I don't think that reflects poorly upon my Xbox; I'm just more actively playing my PlayStation/Nintendo collections, and prefer their user experience. But I would not imply from my anecdotal playing habits that there's anything wrong with the Xbox. It's a great console, and I'm not surprised people might play exclusively and extensively on it.
@Sulleymonster If you think all Nintendo franchises have lost their magic, and only recently enjoyed Metroid Dread, why did you think the Switch 2 was a wise purchase? Why would 1 week be enough time with the Switch 2 to decide it has nothing to offer you? This is what I'm saying. If someone went to a restaurant and ordered a dish they historically didn't like, took one bite, and asked for a refund, I'd call that a pretty stupid decision.
If you didn't have a PS5 previously, then — as I said — it's fair enough to sell off all your Nintendo stuff to get one. Even more so if you only want one console. But regardless, I've seen a lot of people say they sold the Switch 2 in a week. I legitimately think it was stupid of them to buy it in the first place, in that scenario. That's not even a Switch 2 thing; I would say the exact same thing if they sold a PS5 or Xbox a week after buying one. You can call me an a**hole, and insist I should adopt a 'spend and let spend' mentality. But there are countless examples of people making needless purchases, and I think ridiculous examples are worthy of ridicule.
@cragis0001 Palworld used it's Pokemon-esque designs as a marketing crutch. It got the game attention; the game itself then garnered subsequent success.
I doubt Pokemon being available elsewhere would've done much to deter its success. Especially since it really doesn't play anything like Pokemon. It seems to me like gamers that don't like Pokemon, would never play modern Pokemon, and/or don't even understand what Pokemon is are the ones saying Pal supplements it. Which is to say: there's not actually much overlap in the playerbases. Just weird, internet feuding incepted by knockoff character designs.
Alleging this Palworld knockoff is a matter of availability seems especially egregious seeing as Palworld is available everywhere besides Switch, wherein Pokemon is available. So this specific game really isn't about availability whatsoever. You can disagree about my Pokemon/Palworld playerbase assertion up there, but the availability angle isn't applicable at all to Pikepals, or whatever this game is called.
@twitchtvpat Time will tell. I don't believe we have actual confirmation that Steam will be supported, just "Xbox and PC games." Which could very oppressively just mean "Xbox on PC games," not even including every game available on Xbox One/Series. Which would suck, and I would lose all interest in the thing if that were the case.
But it would also behoove Micro to make a compelling bit of kit. And since its whole presumable gimmick would be, "plays all your Xbox, Steam, EGS,etc. games, all in one place," I'm going to assume maximum compatibility is their end goal.
@PuppetMaster Considering the alternative is buying an $800-$2000 PC, and one wouldn't even get the majority of Xbox games, I reckon it's fairly worthwhile. I also could just not pay for GamePass, like I already don't — especially considering I probably own 300-400 games between Xbox and Steam/EGS/itch.io already.
@JayJ Given all the rumors that turned out to be right on the money, the rumor that Microsoft will make online play freely available on this seems all but confirmed. It really wouldn't make sense otherwise, since I'd assume any game launched on Steam wouldn't need a sub for online play, making it clunkily incongruous for the XboxOS to need the sub. Unless the OS layer requires a GamePass sub for all games from all OSes/launchers to work online. But that would be a pretty stupid decision on Micro's part.
This is the last confirmation we need that Helix is not intended to be a competitive home console, and will simply be a niche PC with access to a proprietary marketplace. And I think...that's very cool. I just fall into the exact niche that would care about this thing, and, assuming Microsoft understands that and doesn't expect Helix to sell anywhere near as much as the PS5 or Switch/2, I reckon this thing will be a modest success.
Its direct competition is the Steam Machine and, ya know, just PCs in general. But since I've never liked gaming on PCs, and the Xbox Marketplace access makes this infinitely more attractive to me than the Steam Machine, Helix very easily edges out the competition. Again, that's just my niche; I doubt many people feel the same way.
If they can integrate PC launchers into a console-like OS, and make a SteamOS adjacent OS that doesn't run as s*** as Windows, I'm completely sold. If it is literally just a pre-built PC with exclusive access — if even — to an Xbox Series OS, theeeen...probably skip it. If it can't offer anything a PC already does, there's no point to it even existing.
@PuppetMaster I mean, technically, if it can run Steam, you'll be able to play a TON of games on the thing that you can't on PlayStation. And if it's compatible with the full Xbox Series| library, including back-compat, there's a bunch of games there that aren't available on PC.
They might not be true exclusives, but it will have a vast library of games not available on PS5 or Switch 2.
@Sulleymonster If you didn't have a PS5 prior to buying a Pro, that's reasonable. If you sold your Switch and 12 games just to upgrade from a base PS5 to a Pro, I question your gaming decisions.
Never mind buying a Switch 2 at launch just to sell it a week later. I guess you made a pretty penny, so that was a sound financial decision. But, as a gaming decision, seems premature and time-wastey.
@Balaam_ Feels like 2 very different situations. If anything, I'm guessing PS5 owners who have been open to upgrading to a Pro are the ones buying these.
Requiem is a 'system-seller' in a very literal sense. Requiem got people to buy the Pro. However, I wouldn't say it's serving the same purpose at all as, say, buying into an entirely new console due to a game solely available on said console. So Requiem's applicability to the conversation about console exclusivity is nebulous at best.
EDIT: Also, given that R* have never 'Pro enhanced' Grand Theft Auto 5 or Red Dead 2, I wouldn't count on 6 bucking that trend.
@wildcat_kickz I think the big missing element is we don't know why EA started layoffs. If it wasn't the direct result of BF6's ongoing profitability as a live-service, then yeah, there's no reason to relate this to Marathon.
If it IS the direct result, then there's more questions to ask. How much did BF6 cost? How much did Marathon cost? How many employees can both reasonably sustain? How many were they supposed to sustain? These questions keep the comparison from being 1:1, for sure. However, we can still look at this, assuming causation, and question if the numbers we're seeing for Marathon are really good enough.
Of course, that's still with the caveat that Steam concurrents ARE NOT the entire picture. At most, they might be indicative of general adoption. But I wouldn't be surprised to learn, in the case of BF, PC players started dropping it, but Xbox/PS players haven't seen nearly as large loss rates. And, for Marathon, it's very possible Xbox gamers nostalgic for Halo or PlayStation gamers invested in PS Studios' portfolio are significantly more interested in the game than the already pretty Arc-obsessed PC audience.
I do personally, however, strongly doubt console players are compensating for PC's ostensible lack of interest. And the Steam concurrents alone don't paint a great picture. But it is still too early to tell anything, really. And not a great use of anyone's time.
@GirlVersusGame Yeah, this game is a much more blatant ripoff of Palworld than Palworld is of Pokemon. Really, despite the discourse, Palworld is nothing like Pokemon aside from catching cute monsters. Palworld is a survival/craft game. Pokemon is a turn-based RPG where your party is made up of 'mons you catch.
No shame in playing Palworld. It's a tad creatively bankrupt (not just because of the Pokemon comparisons), but seems like a fine game for what it is. If you wanted to try Pokemon, keep in mind it's nothing alike. I'd suggest getting the recent FireRed/LeafGreen ports on your Switch for an introduction to the series. Those are Gameboy Advance era remakes of the original games. Still hold up quite well, and there's not much new Pokemon games do well that wasn't in the OG. Arguably, the best Pokemon game on the Switch is Pokemon Legends: Arceus, so that could be another good one to start with. But really, all Pokemon games are incredibly similar and equally approachable. Some are better than others, and there's some esoteric gimmicks throughout the franchise, but you can really just buy any one to get a good feel for the series.
@cragis0001 This game it supposed to be coming to the Switch, as well. Where there's not a Zelda/Pokemon vacuum. It's also much more Palworld than Pokemon, which decidedly is available on PS5, Xbox & PC.
This has nothing to do with availability and everything to do with leeching off of successful properties.
@GirlVersusGame This is a different game. It isn't Palworld, or a spinoff. It's an "original" game that apes Pokemon designs worse than Palworld, apparently has BotW/TotK style survival elements (sounds more like Palworld style survival elements, to me. Or Minecraft), has a Link costume, and took Palworld's 'Pokemon with guns' gimmick.
I think we only see that one Pokepalgimon wield a gun, though. So maybe it's just a specific Chinpokomon that has a gun, and it only has a pronounced presence in the marketing to evoke Palworld. For only non-duplicitous reasons, I'm sure.
@Yor-sama I loved Battlefield 1. Despite the hype, 6 seemed like a significant step down in every way besides gunplay. To be fair, I did only play the beta, but I reckon that was still highly reflective of the final project.
I'm sure this is in no way indicative of the kinda pressures Bungie is under right now.
Well, this either shows how unsustainable live-service can be, or EA is making room for everything to be AI. Or they want operation costs to look more attractive to incoming buyers.
Palworld can't really say anything. Nintendo might send something about the obvious dollar store Link or Pickemon, but I think they mostly ignore stuff that isn't blatant copyright infringement unless it becomes popular.
I know people like to assume Nintendo is this litigious monster, but when so much art so obviously takes direct "inspiration" from their work, it kinda makes sense how uneven, spiteful, or neglectful they can be about this stuff.
I saw a lot of people bring up Xbox's "Deals for You" in the last article as a means to justify this. But I don't see how selective sales is ethically comparable to selective price gouging.
I love what Sons of Sparta represents. But that does not mean I'm obliged to rabidly run out and buy what looks like an entirely unremarkable game as soon as possible. I'll still get it at some point, but it's just not selling me enough to be a priority.
Make more stuff like Sons. But also, make better games.
@UnlimitedSevens I did buy N. Sane Trilogy and Crash 4 on PlayStation despite preferring playing platformers on the Switch. And I only really prefer playing platformers on the Switch because Nintendo's exclusives made me associate the genre with them. So you're definitely onto something.
I suppose it must be appreciated that having a closed-ecosystem console with games not available anywhere else absolutely builds brands. Even if having God of War and The Last of Us on Steam might not affect current sales much, it does dilute the cohesion of the PlayStation brand. Were Pokemon available on other consoles, it rapidly becomes less of a Nintendo franchise and more just a franchise. And, similarly, if Nintendo doesn't have this definitive, controlled window into their games and ecosystem, they become less a gaming giant and more just another game studio. Especially for young gamers that haven't been introduced to these brands yet.
After all, Steam is not a household name like PlayStation and Nintendo are, despite being one of the biggest names for those in the know. Maybe because it really doesn't have huge, head-turning exclusives and is often reductively thought of as a thing you can put onto PCs.
This is a really good point you've made that does have me rethinking some stuff.
@lazarus11 I was responding to you calling Xbox games "quite generic" and "[not much of] a loss," while saying "ps single player games are in a different league."
I've no idea what point you think I was trying to make.
Comments 1,517
Re: 'Whatever We Say, People Won't Believe Us': Crimson Desert Dev Promises Full PS5 Tech Breakdown for Launch
Somewhat bewildering that the industry discourse has been reduced to, "big game is big — GOTY," and, "all that matters is big game run well."
Re: SEGA's PS5 Games Get Good Reviews, So Why Aren't You Buying Them?
@Questionable_Duck I think the majority of SEGA's market is on Steam and Switch. So yeah, probably not having many sales cannibalized by GamePass.
Re: SEGA's PS5 Games Get Good Reviews, So Why Aren't You Buying Them?
I don't think I saw commercials for...any of those games. Maybe Sonic X Shadow and Two Point Museum. I wanna say I've seen Crossworlds ads, but can't actually recall them. Definitely saw plenty of Mario Kart World ads, though.
Shinobi had zero fanfare, even on most gaming sites. Yakuza has too many releases; they all kinda blend together for anyone besides hardcore fans. Atlus stuff is still niche, despite Persona 5. Two Point is similarly niche. And Sonic, despite being one of the biggest franchises in the world, really doesn't pull in the sales one would expect.
It's honestly an uphill battle for SEGA, and quality isn't why.
Re: 8 PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for March 2026 Announced
Wow, the rumors were right. Fantastic. I love getting a gimped PSP port of a fighting game instead of Ratchet and Clank for, what, a 3rd time now? Even just any PS2 Tekken would've been appreciated.
Oh well. I really don't want to jump on the PS+ hate wagon. I only care because I like buying Premium games a la carte. But, damn, Premium is pretty pathetic.
Re: 'We Couldn't Have Done It Without You': Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Is No Longer the Only Viral PS5 Copycat in Town
@JustMyOpinion The thing I dislike about this opinion is that there's no reason to see Palworld as an evolution of Pokemon's formula. Palworld is a completely different game, and most Pokemon fans would be alienated if the franchise was suddenly an ARK-like.
You should be looking at Pokemon's compatriot JRPGs to see how the series could've grew. I mean, honestly, outside of production values, I don't really think there's been much movement in the genre that's advanced well beyond Pokemon. I think the seamless open-world Arceus, gen9, and Z-A experimented with is probably the bit of contemporary design most wanted in the series. But Pokemon is experimenting and innovating in that regard, just much slower than we'd all like.
Re: 'We Couldn't Have Done It Without You': Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Is No Longer the Only Viral PS5 Copycat in Town
@Bunchesopuppies Fun idea. Although it doesn't fundamentally change the 'monster capture' formula, so it's really just a cute gimmick.
Sounds like it could've been a great way for PETA for explore advocacy when they were making games. Your idea actually has thematic nuance, though, so maybe not the best fit for their team of 'bang you over the head with the message' developers.
Re: 'We Couldn't Have Done It Without You': Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Is No Longer the Only Viral PS5 Copycat in Town
@Toot1st Not terribly relevant to anything I said. I wasn't really condemning Palworld's obvious Pokemon ripping, so there's no need to get defensive.
Although I've never heard anyone accuse Pokemon of ripping Digimon designs before. Certainly later-gen Pokemon share more general design sentiment with ornate Digimon than the original 151, but I don't know of any Pokemon that look like direct copies of specific Digimon. What are some examples?
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@cainhurst94 I mean. I'm not trying to convince anyone the Switch 2 is the greatest console ever and nobody can criticize it.
Re: As PS6 Delay Rumours Swirl, Fans Debate Ray Tracing's Worth
Ray-tracing is cool.
Is it a necessity? No.
Should it be a driving factor in development, marketing, and compute budget? Probably not.
Re: Review in Progress: Marathon (PS5) - Bungie's Extraction Shooter Is Brilliant, and It Only Gets Better
@beltmenot Welcome to the internet.
...
...
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...HAVE A LOOK AROUND.
Re: PS5 Players Could Get Compensation as Sony Slammed for Monopolistic Practices in UK Court
@KoopaTheGamer It's not as though it's technically impossible to do just that.
If this anti-trust really gained traction, console manufacturers would essentially all be forced to make their own Helix. Whether that be mass updating contemporary hardware to run PCOSes, or building a proprietary OS that can run Steam and the like. I guess they wouldn't be required to make their marketplace available on PCs or release their games on other launchers. So, hypothetically, you'd get a PS5 with all the exclusives it currently has (like, 3!) as well as full access to Steam. Which... actually sounds completely pro-consumer.
Re: PS5 Players Could Get Compensation as Sony Slammed for Monopolistic Practices in UK Court
This is interesting, because all digital delivery services are kinda monopolistic vertical integration. If Disney can't own movie theaters that have exclusive access to their content and charge anything, why is Disney+ okay?
As mentioned in the article, Steam is the same thing, as is the eShop and Xbox Marketplace. Although they do compete with each other, in a sense. I guess the issue is a PS5 can only access the PS Store,etc.
Re: Record Breaking Battlefield 6 Sales Not Enough to Prevent Layoffs
@wildcat_kickz GOD BLESS AMERICA, BROTHER!!!
I love how many people uncritically watch FOX News after they lost a defamation case with one of their main defenses being, 'we're entertainment, not news.' And how everyone Googled tariffs after the fact.
Land of the FREEEEEEEEEEE*.
Anyway, yeah, I think rage baiting influencers desperate for content just got a bunch of people hyper focused on concurrent numbers. I've been checking out the Marathon sub-reddit since its launch to try to get a better idea of what people think of the game. It's kinda sad how much of it is posts about concurrent numbers or posts about how much someone hates the posts about concurrent numbers.
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@Sulleymonster I said it was financially sound. Although I'm not fully understanding now: so you sold a Switch, Switch 2, and 12 games, and got enough money, sans £40, to buy a PS5 Pro, disc drive, a 48" OLED, and a AAA game? So you got around £1500 for all your Switch stuff? This really isn't important, but I'm confused how you actually made that much.
Anyway, I dunno. I don't really care to explain the worth of the Switch 2 or its library; it was never my point that it was objectively worthwhile. If you loved the Switch, it seems inconsistent to dislike the Switch 2 for not being able to run Cyberpunk at PS5 comparable performance. If Air Riders, Bananza, Zelda whatever, Fire Emblem,etc. aren't serious game announcements...I dunno, maybe don't buy a Nintendo console. You also say you were expecting exciting announcements BEFORE its launch, didn't see any, and still bought the thing.
This. Is what. I'm saying.
Don't really see the problem with the food analogy... Or how it shows I struggle with subjectivity and individual motivations. Maybe someone's thinking, 'well, I don't like tacos, but maybe THIS is the time I do,' and decide to give it another chance. That's fair enough. If they act surprised they don't like these tacos, barely even try it before deciding they don't like them, and ask for a refund because they don't feel responsible for their decision, that's where I start questioning them. This is also for a very low commitment single dinner. I would expect a lot more scrutiny from a buyer before spending hundreds on an electronic that's supposed to last for years.
Re: Record Breaking Battlefield 6 Sales Not Enough to Prevent Layoffs
@wildcat_kickz As someone that doesn't really care if Marathon succeeds or fails, I get the frustration. From a practical standpoint, it is actually quite cruel to wish that upon any project. While I was similarly apathetic about the recent Highguard, the wider internet's fascination with seeing it crash and burn was just weird. As is its fascination with Marathon failing, and Concord, and Disney, and just about any entertainment.
With that said, I do think there's a place for fair, good faith analysis. Not that it isn't a waste of everyone's time, but life is mostly a matter of wasting time until you run out of it. And, from that angle, I think it's fine to use any and all available data points to reach some assumption. The internet would do well to learn what 'causation/correlation' means, though. I tried making this point in regards to both Blops7 and Assassin's Creed Shadows, but basically all analysis on our end is egregiously misinformed. People should be aware of that.
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@themightyant I like Beyond more than the internet, but it's likewise the most 'whelming' game I think I've ever played.
Re: 7 PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for March 2026 Leaked Early
Why do we keep getting PSP fighting games for Premium? Do they even have local multiplayer?
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@themightyant Well see, you're getting as much value out of the Switch 2 as you expected to. That's the exact foresight I'd expect of anyone buying a console.
I appreciate everyone isn't going to play a Switch as much as me, and that's fine. But if someone has acute buyer's remorse from an objectively well-supported and well-made console, I reckon that's a them problem. They don't have to like every console, but if they have little reason to buy a console just to turn around and say they have little reason to own said console — I mean, yeah. They should've seen that coming. This is amplified in the case of Sulley, who spent a week with one before deciding it wasn't for them — I guess based solely on Mario Kart and Welcome Tour (?).
Re: Hypothetically, Could Sony Stop Its PS5 Ports from Running on Xbox Helix?
@ButterySmooth30FPS Sony: 'They're playing with my toys, and I don't like it!'
Re: Hypothetically, Could Sony Stop Its PS5 Ports from Running on Xbox Helix?
I imagine it's potentially illegal for them to do so. As in, Valve, Microsoft, or gamers could sue them, and they'd have no legal precedent to defend themselves.
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@cainhurst94 Shrugs I reckon that if no incoming or prospective Switch 2 games caught your eye besides Bananza, and you didn't care about any of the Switch 2 upgrades, you shouldn't have bought one. It's fine if you did — I don't really care if you regret your purchase or not. But I would call the purchase foolhardy.
I play my Switch 2 more often than my PS5 or Xbox. In fact, I'm really only playing my Xbox a couple times a month. I don't think that reflects poorly upon my Xbox; I'm just more actively playing my PlayStation/Nintendo collections, and prefer their user experience. But I would not imply from my anecdotal playing habits that there's anything wrong with the Xbox. It's a great console, and I'm not surprised people might play exclusively and extensively on it.
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@Sulleymonster If you think all Nintendo franchises have lost their magic, and only recently enjoyed Metroid Dread, why did you think the Switch 2 was a wise purchase? Why would 1 week be enough time with the Switch 2 to decide it has nothing to offer you? This is what I'm saying. If someone went to a restaurant and ordered a dish they historically didn't like, took one bite, and asked for a refund, I'd call that a pretty stupid decision.
If you didn't have a PS5 previously, then — as I said — it's fair enough to sell off all your Nintendo stuff to get one. Even more so if you only want one console. But regardless, I've seen a lot of people say they sold the Switch 2 in a week. I legitimately think it was stupid of them to buy it in the first place, in that scenario. That's not even a Switch 2 thing; I would say the exact same thing if they sold a PS5 or Xbox a week after buying one. You can call me an a**hole, and insist I should adopt a 'spend and let spend' mentality. But there are countless examples of people making needless purchases, and I think ridiculous examples are worthy of ridicule.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
@cragis0001 Well, I said a lot more than Palworld is available on everywhere but the Switch.
To quickly reiterate, I'm saying Pokemon's absence outside of the Switch is incidental to Palworld's existence and success.
Re: Sony Rated the Best Big Game Company to Work for in Japan, Beating Nintendo, Capcom, More
I wonder how many actual developers are at SIE Japan versus Nintendo of Japan.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
@cragis0001 Palworld used it's Pokemon-esque designs as a marketing crutch. It got the game attention; the game itself then garnered subsequent success.
I doubt Pokemon being available elsewhere would've done much to deter its success. Especially since it really doesn't play anything like Pokemon. It seems to me like gamers that don't like Pokemon, would never play modern Pokemon, and/or don't even understand what Pokemon is are the ones saying Pal supplements it. Which is to say: there's not actually much overlap in the playerbases. Just weird, internet feuding incepted by knockoff character designs.
Alleging this Palworld knockoff is a matter of availability seems especially egregious seeing as Palworld is available everywhere besides Switch, wherein Pokemon is available. So this specific game really isn't about availability whatsoever. You can disagree about my Pokemon/Palworld playerbase assertion up there, but the availability angle isn't applicable at all to Pikepals, or whatever this game is called.
Re: 'Exclusives Are Absolutely Not Happening': Xbox Helix Will Share Library with PS6
@twitchtvpat Time will tell. I don't believe we have actual confirmation that Steam will be supported, just "Xbox and PC games." Which could very oppressively just mean "Xbox on PC games," not even including every game available on Xbox One/Series. Which would suck, and I would lose all interest in the thing if that were the case.
But it would also behoove Micro to make a compelling bit of kit. And since its whole presumable gimmick would be, "plays all your Xbox, Steam, EGS,etc. games, all in one place," I'm going to assume maximum compatibility is their end goal.
Re: 'Exclusives Are Absolutely Not Happening': Xbox Helix Will Share Library with PS6
@PuppetMaster Considering the alternative is buying an $800-$2000 PC, and one wouldn't even get the majority of Xbox games, I reckon it's fairly worthwhile. I also could just not pay for GamePass, like I already don't — especially considering I probably own 300-400 games between Xbox and Steam/EGS/itch.io already.
@JayJ Given all the rumors that turned out to be right on the money, the rumor that Microsoft will make online play freely available on this seems all but confirmed. It really wouldn't make sense otherwise, since I'd assume any game launched on Steam wouldn't need a sub for online play, making it clunkily incongruous for the XboxOS to need the sub. Unless the OS layer requires a GamePass sub for all games from all OSes/launchers to work online. But that would be a pretty stupid decision on Micro's part.
Re: 'Exclusives Are Absolutely Not Happening': Xbox Helix Will Share Library with PS6
@Bob_Tempura Personally, I'm really hoping a Helix/Steam Frame combo is viable. Together, they might make up the exact VR setup I've been waiting for.
Re: 'Exclusives Are Absolutely Not Happening': Xbox Helix Will Share Library with PS6
This is the last confirmation we need that Helix is not intended to be a competitive home console, and will simply be a niche PC with access to a proprietary marketplace. And I think...that's very cool. I just fall into the exact niche that would care about this thing, and, assuming Microsoft understands that and doesn't expect Helix to sell anywhere near as much as the PS5 or Switch/2, I reckon this thing will be a modest success.
Its direct competition is the Steam Machine and, ya know, just PCs in general. But since I've never liked gaming on PCs, and the Xbox Marketplace access makes this infinitely more attractive to me than the Steam Machine, Helix very easily edges out the competition. Again, that's just my niche; I doubt many people feel the same way.
If they can integrate PC launchers into a console-like OS, and make a SteamOS adjacent OS that doesn't run as s*** as Windows, I'm completely sold. If it is literally just a pre-built PC with exclusive access — if even — to an Xbox Series OS, theeeen...probably skip it. If it can't offer anything a PC already does, there's no point to it even existing.
Re: 'Exclusives Are Absolutely Not Happening': Xbox Helix Will Share Library with PS6
@PuppetMaster I mean, technically, if it can run Steam, you'll be able to play a TON of games on the thing that you can't on PlayStation. And if it's compatible with the full Xbox Series| library, including back-compat, there's a bunch of games there that aren't available on PC.
They might not be true exclusives, but it will have a vast library of games not available on PS5 or Switch 2.
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@Sulleymonster If you didn't have a PS5 prior to buying a Pro, that's reasonable. If you sold your Switch and 12 games just to upgrade from a base PS5 to a Pro, I question your gaming decisions.
Never mind buying a Switch 2 at launch just to sell it a week later. I guess you made a pretty penny, so that was a sound financial decision. But, as a gaming decision, seems premature and time-wastey.
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
@Balaam_ Feels like 2 very different situations. If anything, I'm guessing PS5 owners who have been open to upgrading to a Pro are the ones buying these.
Requiem is a 'system-seller' in a very literal sense. Requiem got people to buy the Pro. However, I wouldn't say it's serving the same purpose at all as, say, buying into an entirely new console due to a game solely available on said console. So Requiem's applicability to the conversation about console exclusivity is nebulous at best.
EDIT: Also, given that R* have never 'Pro enhanced' Grand Theft Auto 5 or Red Dead 2, I wouldn't count on 6 bucking that trend.
Re: PS5 Pro Sales Explode on the Back of PSSR 2 Hype, System Sells Out in Some Stores
Damn, it costs $750 now? Can't really take the dismissal of Helix's price too seriously when a $750 marginal refresh is apparently selling out...
Re: Record Breaking Battlefield 6 Sales Not Enough to Prevent Layoffs
@wildcat_kickz I think the big missing element is we don't know why EA started layoffs. If it wasn't the direct result of BF6's ongoing profitability as a live-service, then yeah, there's no reason to relate this to Marathon.
If it IS the direct result, then there's more questions to ask. How much did BF6 cost? How much did Marathon cost? How many employees can both reasonably sustain? How many were they supposed to sustain? These questions keep the comparison from being 1:1, for sure. However, we can still look at this, assuming causation, and question if the numbers we're seeing for Marathon are really good enough.
Of course, that's still with the caveat that Steam concurrents ARE NOT the entire picture. At most, they might be indicative of general adoption. But I wouldn't be surprised to learn, in the case of BF, PC players started dropping it, but Xbox/PS players haven't seen nearly as large loss rates. And, for Marathon, it's very possible Xbox gamers nostalgic for Halo or PlayStation gamers invested in PS Studios' portfolio are significantly more interested in the game than the already pretty Arc-obsessed PC audience.
I do personally, however, strongly doubt console players are compensating for PC's ostensible lack of interest. And the Steam concurrents alone don't paint a great picture. But it is still too early to tell anything, really. And not a great use of anyone's time.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
@GirlVersusGame Yeah, this game is a much more blatant ripoff of Palworld than Palworld is of Pokemon. Really, despite the discourse, Palworld is nothing like Pokemon aside from catching cute monsters. Palworld is a survival/craft game. Pokemon is a turn-based RPG where your party is made up of 'mons you catch.
No shame in playing Palworld. It's a tad creatively bankrupt (not just because of the Pokemon comparisons), but seems like a fine game for what it is. If you wanted to try Pokemon, keep in mind it's nothing alike. I'd suggest getting the recent FireRed/LeafGreen ports on your Switch for an introduction to the series. Those are Gameboy Advance era remakes of the original games. Still hold up quite well, and there's not much new Pokemon games do well that wasn't in the OG. Arguably, the best Pokemon game on the Switch is Pokemon Legends: Arceus, so that could be another good one to start with. But really, all Pokemon games are incredibly similar and equally approachable. Some are better than others, and there's some esoteric gimmicks throughout the franchise, but you can really just buy any one to get a good feel for the series.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
@cragis0001 This game it supposed to be coming to the Switch, as well. Where there's not a Zelda/Pokemon vacuum. It's also much more Palworld than Pokemon, which decidedly is available on PS5, Xbox & PC.
This has nothing to do with availability and everything to do with leeching off of successful properties.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
@GirlVersusGame This is a different game. It isn't Palworld, or a spinoff. It's an "original" game that apes Pokemon designs worse than Palworld, apparently has BotW/TotK style survival elements (sounds more like Palworld style survival elements, to me. Or Minecraft), has a Link costume, and took Palworld's 'Pokemon with guns' gimmick.
I think we only see that one Pokepalgimon wield a gun, though. So maybe it's just a specific Chinpokomon that has a gun, and it only has a pronounced presence in the marketing to evoke Palworld. For only non-duplicitous reasons, I'm sure.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
@bleeflooflah This is unaffiliated with Pocketpair, and the court case is ongoing.
Also, it looks pretty s***. Maybe not a great idea to base your game purchases around spiting companies...
Re: Record Breaking Battlefield 6 Sales Not Enough to Prevent Layoffs
@Yor-sama I loved Battlefield 1. Despite the hype, 6 seemed like a significant step down in every way besides gunplay. To be fair, I did only play the beta, but I reckon that was still highly reflective of the final project.
Re: Record Breaking Battlefield 6 Sales Not Enough to Prevent Layoffs
I'm sure this is in no way indicative of the kinda pressures Bungie is under right now.
Well, this either shows how unsustainable live-service can be, or EA is making room for everything to be AI. Or they want operation costs to look more attractive to incoming buyers.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
@JPEGMakima I don't see what Charizard and 'Charinite' up there could possibly have in common.
Re: Pokémon Knock-Off Palworld Gets a Breath of the Wild-Inspired Copycat for PS5
Palworld can't really say anything. Nintendo might send something about the obvious dollar store Link or Pickemon, but I think they mostly ignore stuff that isn't blatant copyright infringement unless it becomes popular.
I know people like to assume Nintendo is this litigious monster, but when so much art so obviously takes direct "inspiration" from their work, it kinda makes sense how uneven, spiteful, or neglectful they can be about this stuff.
Re: 'This Should Be Illegal': PS5's Dynamic Pricing Roundly Criticised by Disgusted Sony Fans
I saw a lot of people bring up Xbox's "Deals for You" in the last article as a means to justify this. But I don't see how selective sales is ethically comparable to selective price gouging.
Re: 'Sony Finally Understands': Over 70% of PS5 Fans Agree with Decision to Scrap PC Ports
@Zeke68 Microsoft didn't invent online multiplayer. But they played a big role in making it popular. That's absolutely not untrue.
Also didn't include any games that were the result of them buying up studios.
Re: 'We're Discussing Ways to Improve': Marathon Dev Tweaking Monetisation and Difficulty as FPS Fails to Blow Up
@kmtrain83 You could say that, if you have a sardonic sense of humor.
Re: Opinion: God of War: Sons of Sparta Is the Smaller PS5 Game Fans Want, and I Hope We See More
I love what Sons of Sparta represents. But that does not mean I'm obliged to rabidly run out and buy what looks like an entirely unremarkable game as soon as possible. I'll still get it at some point, but it's just not selling me enough to be a priority.
Make more stuff like Sons. But also, make better games.
Re: 'Sony Finally Understands': Over 70% of PS5 Fans Agree with Decision to Scrap PC Ports
@UnlimitedSevens I did buy N. Sane Trilogy and Crash 4 on PlayStation despite preferring playing platformers on the Switch. And I only really prefer playing platformers on the Switch because Nintendo's exclusives made me associate the genre with them. So you're definitely onto something.
I suppose it must be appreciated that having a closed-ecosystem console with games not available anywhere else absolutely builds brands. Even if having God of War and The Last of Us on Steam might not affect current sales much, it does dilute the cohesion of the PlayStation brand. Were Pokemon available on other consoles, it rapidly becomes less of a Nintendo franchise and more just a franchise. And, similarly, if Nintendo doesn't have this definitive, controlled window into their games and ecosystem, they become less a gaming giant and more just another game studio. Especially for young gamers that haven't been introduced to these brands yet.
After all, Steam is not a household name like PlayStation and Nintendo are, despite being one of the biggest names for those in the know. Maybe because it really doesn't have huge, head-turning exclusives and is often reductively thought of as a thing you can put onto PCs.
This is a really good point you've made that does have me rethinking some stuff.
Re: 'Sony Finally Understands': Over 70% of PS5 Fans Agree with Decision to Scrap PC Ports
@lazarus11 Damn, it's worse than I thought.
Re: 'Sony Finally Understands': Over 70% of PS5 Fans Agree with Decision to Scrap PC Ports
@lazarus11 You're certainly one to talk...
Re: 'Sony Finally Understands': Over 70% of PS5 Fans Agree with Decision to Scrap PC Ports
@lazarus11 I was responding to you calling Xbox games "quite generic" and "[not much of] a loss," while saying "ps single player games are in a different league."
I've no idea what point you think I was trying to make.