RoomWithaMoose

@ZeesGaming94 Sure, that's possible. But I'm genuinely asking: Can someone articulate what's so great about the game?

I know the story is great — I don't doubt that. But every appraisal I see of the game is along the lines of, "The story will stick with you. Also, look pretty, sound pretty, and, though I won't elaborate upon what actually makes its combat good, it's so fun to press the buttons! Also, it's a relatively small AA game — and that's cool."

I'm really not trying to say it's not good. But I understand what makes Blue Prince praiseworthy despite having not played it. And I can articulate what's really good about DK Bananza. But E33 feels like it just has this 'trust me, bro' status.

Where's the "E33 everything" button? Still only played about an hour of the game myself. So I don't really get the fascination, but it is nice to see the industry rally behind an admiration for something for once.

Hell, at the risk of sounding like a reductive arse, what exactly does make French Mario & Luigi w/ a good story so special? The only praise I really see articulated is: OST good, story powerful, art looks nice, and you press buttons during turn-based combat. Is there more to this? Genius level design? Combat that can rival the greatest TB-RPGs of all time (removed from its active attribute)? Medium defining interactive storytelling?

@MrPeanutbutterz In the context of his review, this statement came after detailing a long indulgence into the genre of cyberpunk in preparation for the game. Where he eventually expressed his thought to interview the author of Necromancer — the father of the genre — for his review of 2077, and even attempted to contact him. Then he elaborates how, after contacting him, and while playing the game, he had an epiphany about how silly of a request that would be. Because 2077, despite how much it might object, is an entry in a relatively young and arguably juvenile art form. It is something a legacy, well-renowned author probably wouldn't care to talk about or think about. Because, "Video games are stupid, and Cyberpunk 2077 is a stupid video game."

Personally, I interpret that as saying, 'Video games have yet to attain high-art status, and 2077 is far from the height of the medium's artistry.' Which is a perfect critique of a shooter video game that tries to be 'mature' and philosophical, but makes missteps. It's not an indictment of the game, rather an honest examination of its limitations apropos its ambitions.

As for Rogers' style and opinions, his 'signature' is literally "I was born stupid, but will not die hungry," and he frequently calls himself and his scripts stupid. Even expressing how much amusement he gets out of certain lines merely for how moronic they sound. So...I dunno, good job to anyone who read his work as occasionally stupid. That was kinda the intention. He doesn't really try to be this uber-sophisticated, always right, know it all. So, to me, anyone who criticizes him as though he does just outs that they don't really engage with his work and are probably just offended over some petty disagreement they've had with him. Even in this specific case, his review of 2077 was actually fairly positive a decent amount of the time. His opinion of it is a lot more complex than I've alluded to; I just picked out a specific line he wrote that always stuck out to me.

@4fold What nudity did they censor? I haven't played the game recently, but I'm pretty sure it's still tits galore in Night City.

Was not at all impressed when I tried it years ago (after the PS5 update). I doubt my thoughts will have changed much now, and I don't plan on giving it a try until I can play it at a state comparable to max PC settings (although, I might just say "f*** it" and buy the S2 version if I ever see it on a really good deal).

I always thought Tim Rogers had the most perfect, biting critique of it, though, "Video games are stupid, and Cyberpunk 2077 is a stupid video game."

@Nep-Nep-Freak Not even R* is claiming this had anything to do with downsizing or redundancy.

@VenomUK This isn't the first time CoD's done this, actually. This has nothing to do with Microsoft.

*Reads 115 hours played
"Seems kinda excessive..."
*See others' hour count
"...I guess I'm all right."

Though I'm sure I have 200-300 hours on Switch/Switch 2, 50 or so on Xbox, and about a dozen on Steam. Still, I dunno how some of y'all do it. Even if I had more time for gaming, I just don't like playing more than a few hours a day, a few days a week.

@4fold @get2sammyb People who say any contemporary gaming hardware has no games are talking out of their ass. People who question the volume and expedience of Sony's direct support just expect better from an industry veteran currently more successful than they've ever been.

@Oram77 I dunno. I think contemporary gamers are way too obsessed with bugs, glitches, performance, and general blemishes in polish.

Even in this game's case, the only glitches detailed in this review are simple restart or reboot fixes that I would describe as obnoxiously inconvenient at most (although, I didn't feel the summary's use of "frequent" was reflected in the review's text, so maybe there's more to it). I'm currently playing the System Shock 2 remake, and occasionally collision scenery just infinitely falls into the ground. Do I think that notably affects my experience negatively? Not really. So I wouldn't say the game's worse for it, or anything.

@PuppetMaster It wasn't an advisable statement. But it wasn't dumb.

@PuppetMaster She really just said that if China staged a military attack on Taiwan, it would definitionally constitute a "survival-threatening situation" (essentially an existential threat to Japan caused by an attack on one of its allies), and would thereby justify the mobilization of their self-defense forces.

Which is tactless, sure, but I wouldn't call it dumb. Really just saying it how it is. Anyway, I'm sure the ongoing geopolitical strife between Japan and China will fizzle out like usual and keep from interfering with business. Feels like applicable politicians are trying to avoid making things worse; they just don't want to back down and immediately pacify the tension by conceding.

@PuppetMaster You realize this is the equivalent of saying that because Doom: The Dark Ages and Alan Wake 2 didn't sell well in the US, that market must not be interested in shooters?

And, again, a Japanese-coded game will not necessarily appeal to the Japanese market. I'm not saying make Gravity Rush 3. I'm saying make something that succeeds in Japan.

@SeaDaVie I don't really see what Ghost of Tsushima's mild success has to do with what I said.

As an aside, that estimate included the PS4 release and PS5 Director's Cut, both physically and digitally, over the course of 3 years. The majority of Japanese sales numbers are limited to physical sales as tracked by Famitsu. In which regard, Tsushima only charted in the yearly top 100 in 2020. It hit shy of half a million that year — physically only. Why I think this is all relevant is two-fold: first, that is a fairly successful Japanese launch, but was during the PS4 days. You would often see popular PS-only/mostly series like Resident Evil and Final Fantasy charting well above their PS5 counterparts back then. Again, makes you think this is a PS5 issue. Be really interesting to see how Yotei faired this year. Secondly, it's hard to really say Tsushima was this phenomenal hit given aforementioned factors. Get those digital sales in there, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it be eclipsed by other PS4/5 games that only seemed modestly successful according to Famitsu charts.

More pertinent, though, I'd say there's a big misunderstanding from both fans who want more Japanese representation from Sony and Sony fans who justify the company abandoning the market. Just because a game is made in Japan, takes place in Japan, or generally feels 'Japanese,' that doesn't mean it appeals to Japan. I love Gravity Rush, but it doesn't feel particularly crafted to appeal to Japanese sentiments. The Last Guardian even less so. They are Japanese games, yes, but that doesn't mean they are for Japan. So when I say Sony should try to sway the market, that doesn't mean I think they need to make Gravity Rush 3 (they should just make Gravity Rush 3 because I personally want it). They should make a game Japan cares about. They should make several games Japan cares about. And, like, really market them, invest a lot into their success, and try to turn them into their Japanese liaisons.

There's way more the market responds to than anime gacha games. Nintendo alone is sufficient proof of that. And the few PS5 titles that manage to be successful despite being on the PS5 in Japan show there's demand. I mean, 2D platformer Mario Wonder sold 2 million in a year. A board game, train conductor...thing was one of the best selling games of the last 2 years. Minecraft is still regularly successful. It doesn't have to be a gacha game to be successful there. Being on the Switch does help, though... I mean, they could always just do that. Why not throw Astro Bot and Rachet on the Switch and see what happens?

@bossuche9 Regardless of which era of management is to blame for PlayStation's contemporary woes in Japan, that doesn't mean modern management is validated in ignoring the entire market.

I'd argue that if one flop closes down an entire studio at any major publisher, that major publisher should reevaluate its business structure. Even one as seemingly mismanaged as Microsoft isn't closing down Double Fine because of Keeper. They also didn't close down Ninja Theory because of Bleeding Edge. This isn't so much a Sony problem as it is a modern entertainment problem, but companies should be able to afford a flop here and there. That's the only way you're going to create hits in the first place.

And, if home consoles were successful in Japan in the past, that means the market is still there. Even looking at the Switch's success, we're just assuming people are buying it for the portability. That's despite the worst selling Switch model being the cheap, exclusively-portable version. It's very possible that, like in other regions, a great deal of Switch owners still use it as a home console a lot of the time. Which would mean this proposed stagnation of home consoles in Japan is foolhardy.

What the f*** is this?

That's a bad sign, already.

@Veritas7Ax I mean, yeah. But also, live shows are very difficult to coordinate, and time constraints as well as sponsorship prerequisites are incredibly important to adhere to.

It's like, most of TGA's biggest problems are likely the result of a limited budget. If money wasn't an issue, I'm sure event planners would love to allot every winner a solid 5-10 minutes to speak.

Generally, I feel like people are way too harsh on The Game Awards. I mean, yes, all awards shows are stupid, and TGA in particular is extremely cringey and hard to watch.

But it all feels like it came from a place of passion. A sincere desire to legitimize gaming with respect to its entertainment brethren. And it...kinda, mostly accomplishes that. At the very least, in 10 years they've put together a show with about as much pomp and circumstance as the Grammys and/or whatever the f*** the others are called. And that's an impressive accomplishment in and of itself.

Now, would I care to watch at all if not for the trailers? God no.

@bossuche9 I mean, 'trying' would be putting out a handheld. Or putting together some new IP that actually appeal to the market. Like, you're right that 3rd-party games have historically been what sell on PlayStation in Japan. But why doesn't Sony have an ongoing JRPG series, then? Or their own Resident Evil? Is it really so hard to compete with Mario Kart and Animal Crossing that it doesn't even warrant an effort? Even just looking at their older titles for IP they can revitalize and direct towards the Japanese market. PaRappa was pretty successful, why not try a new one? And I will die on the hill that Ape Escape had WAY more franchise potential than it achieved. They've literally been in this market for 30 years; you'd think they'd have more to show for it.

It's not like the Japanese market is impossibly impenetrable. Especially when Sony already has a s***ton of brand recognition there. While their ongoing neglect has resulted in Nintendo owning so much of the market that they likely will never be 1:1 with them, I'm certain they can do better than they're currently doing. S***, just get some kawaii characters and attempt something that isn't pseudo-realistic and overtly masculine. It's really not that hard. And Astro Bot not single-handedly catapulting their Japanese business to Nintendo levels does not mean it's a senseless endeavor.

@PuppetMaster @Coffeeglitch Concerning Japanese game sale trends, I don't really think either of you are quite on the pulse.

PuppetMaster is absolutely right that they don't just want "JRPGs, good mechanics, more creativity." While JRPGs still tend to be modestly popular, Dragon Quest and a few of Nintendo's are really the only ones blowing up their charts. And 'good mechanics' and 'more creativity' are pretty nebulous attributes. The former is so nebulous, I'm not even going to try quantifying it (the majority of video games released today have 'good mechanics' to some extent). As for the latter, pretty much all their top selling games are from established IP with conservative applications of originality. But even then, 'creativity' and 'originality' are not synonyms. Is Splatoon 3 creative because it's gushing with artistic expression, despite basically being Splatoon 1.8? You'd really have to be more specific there.

I think what's happening is you're confusing the types of games you associate with Japanese gaming with the games Japan actually buys and responds to. They are not an entire culture of — for lack of a better term — weebs. There's casuals there. Plenty that don't like anime. Plenty more that are reverse-weebs (Japan-born, west-obsessed). The only real consistent thing in their charts is that they love Nintendo.

As for PuppetMaster, I mostly agree with the sentiment of your comment. Although, I do think some of your points only make sense as a response to Coffeeglitch and aren't very fair on their own. For instance, FFXVI and FF7Rebirth were the 12th and 9th best selling games of their respective years (according to Famitsu, which does exclude digital sales). I wouldn't say that constitutes 'not giving a damn' about Final Fantasy and JRPGs in general. Especially when you see Rebirth sold 50% more than the PS5 version of DQIIIHD-2D. Of course, the Switch version sold just shy of a million. But that kinda makes you think these trends are more a PS5 problem rather than a not-DQ problem. It's hard to say if that's a software or just a hardware problem, but it does seem like Sony doesn't even try to put out stuff for their native fans these days.

@PuppetMaster @Oram77 @bossuche9
I'm not sure if all or some of you are being sarcastic, but I wouldn't say putting out a region exclusive console with a cheaper price point is a legitimate effort in any sense of the word.

@get2sammyb @jvecc I regularly see them at Targets. I wanna say I've seen them around for... probably about two years now. But I don't really pay them much attention, so that timing might be off.

@Summer235
"of you think."
Periods go inside of quotation marks, not outside.

It's always asinine to call out someone's grammar online. Even more so if yours isn't pristine.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say the US is the equivalent of a 3rd-world country, it's undeniable that the quality of living for many, MANY Americans is well below the standard people would associate with a 1st-world country.

@CP2 "Virtually every terrorist act across the world is committed by Muslims."

citation needed

@CP2 Really don't feel like SeaDaVie ever explicitly condoned arresting someone for nonviolent speech over the internet. Honestly, I would call that a gross misconstruing of everything they said.

And assuming you're talking about Cvantez's response to my comment, wherein he states simply walking in America is unsafe for all but those of a certain complexion, I'd call it a bit of an exaggeration, but not entirely incorrect. Once you hear that Native Americans have been detained by ICE and held in captivity until their tribe could prove their origins, it's really hard to deny simply being a certain spectrum of skin colors is enough for this current government to mistreat you.

15 MINUTE UPDATE:
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Ya know, Battlefield 6 was in the #1 spot for one week. Black Ops 6 was in the #1 spot for 4 weeks, until EA Sports FC 25 came in above it. That's despite FC25 coming out several weeks before Black Ops 6 and consistently coming in at #2 after it launched — for 4 weeks, at least. Modern Warfare III was in the #1 spot for 1 week, before Hogwarts Legacy inexplicably shot up to #1 from #8. Then FC24 randomly shot up to #1 from #3 the week afterwards.

...Ya know, these 15 minutes of research has yielded an interesting pattern: even though FC comes out months prior, it always seems to shoot to the top of the UK weeklys at the end of November. I'm a filthy American, so I don't know what might be causing that uptick.

But, um — clears throat — between that pattern, seeing FC and CoD flip-flop #1 through the years, and seeing MASSIVE success Battlefield 6 and 2-year-ago CoD appear equally successful to MASSIVE failure Black Ops 7 when solely looking at these weeklys, I'm inclined to believe this isn't an accurate interpretation of these charts.

EDIT: Hold up, hold up. Maybe I'm stupid for this. I realized the charts I was looking through were GfK, not GSD. Having just learned that I frequently see the latter charts on PS and the former elsewhere, and mentally mix 'em together because I don't really care. The problem being that only GSD counts digital sales — aside from select, non-participating companies (I noticed Mario Kart World kept showing up in the other charts I was looking at despite being absent here). So I'm going to do 15 more minutes of research and see if the patterns I'd noticed hold when incorporating digital sales. See you in 15 minutes, non-existent people reading this!

Cooooooooooool, I guess...

This old, bitter moose's takeaways:

• Audiences are still concerningly obsessed with crossovers
• Consumers are still concerningly duped by 'limited' things
• Surfing onto the map honestly sounds neat
• IP concerningly remains the greatest commodity of all
• We need to stop the "Absolute Cinema" meme already
• Is Fortnite doing a Christmas thing, or not? I like Christmas
• I'm sad I didn't watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles this TG
• I've made better cranberry sauce before
• You know, McDonalds had cranberry dip for their nuggets once
• Wait, what am I talking about?
• Rice pudding is better than you think, okay
• That 'fortnite' isn't applicable to Fortnite's BR still bothers me
• Is Marty planning a Godzilla Minus 0 in that pic?
• Millennial anti-comedy is better than zoomer irony
• What's up with 'unironically'? There are already words for that
• I DON'T NEED MY MEDICATION!
• My body aches
• If no one showed up to a Fortnite event, would it still happen?
• How long can I keep this up
• I'm tired, so not very long
• You guys know Metroid's out in, like, 4 days?
• I still remember playing the first Prime. C-c-c-crazy
• C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER
• Anyone remember Metalocalypse?
• Or The Critic? That was a good one...
• Wait! The Critic had a major crossover with The Simpsons!
• That means we can circle back on topic
• Although, they made the Critic yellow in The Simpsons, weirdly
• ...No, wait. Can't get distracted now
• Whyyyy...is...Homer big, now?
• Is big Homer fighting with Godzilla actually 'good'?
• This is really more like Ready Player One than Avengers
• Ignoring the Marvel characters
• I.e., my snobby side wants to poo-poo on it
• But, ya know, whatever
• What's the point in spoiling other peoples' fun, anyway?
• Man, I miss when The Simpsons used to be good
• Man...I miss when everything used to be better
• Everything sucks now — including this celebration of tired IP!
• Heh, heh, I'm back, baby!
• I WILL NOT TAKE MY MEDICATION!
• Is this what the kids call, "crashing out"?

@PuppetMaster "Finding enough time to just play and finished one game would be hard if you have 9-5 workshift every week."

Just try having a kid! I've probably played a 5th of the games I normally do this year with a baby — now toddler — in the mix.

It doesn't help that he likes grabbing any electronic I'm using...

@Gunbeld You're quite the cool dude.

See you then, when we continue not being personally invested in which console sells better.

@Rich33 I appreciate how you're applying solid reasoning to this analysis and bringing up more interesting perspectives.

We all seem to be in agreement that the comparison offered by the article isn't terribly effective. I'm not sure why that agreement has spawned such bitter arguments...

@Member_the_game No problem, man.

I hope their individual condescension at my expense was just a last ditch effort to save face after realizing they completely misconstrued your point. I can only hope...

@Gunbeld I dunno man. If you think that was anger, you really aren't good at gleaming emotions from written word. I just wrote long comments; I didn't do so out of impassioned rage, or anything. I just have a tendency to over write. And you cranking the condescension up to 11 really just makes you seem like an arse.

At no point did I express distress at the idea of the PS5 outperforming the Switch 2. At one point, I literally said I expect the PS5 to outsell the Switch 2 next year. You're arguing with a figment of your imagination.

@Gunbeld @naruball Well, this was more inane and pointless than I thought it was going to be.

Something-something, zombie franchise is like a zombie itself, or something.

Wit.

@Gunbeld Defensive definitely isn't the right word for whatever the hell I am.

You didn't start your back-and-forth with Member by mildly noting how interesting it was that the PS5 managed to outsell the Switch 2 in any capacity. He said 12 months of sales data wasn't comparable to 6 months of sales data. Then you said, "So what's your excuse for the PS5 outselling it in October?"

That doesn't sound defensive to you? Like you're trying to prove something about the PS5's success relative to the Switch 2's? Why even point out it's "the last 2 months in a row"? Based on everything I've said, why would I care? If you're not trying to say the PS5 is the bestest console ever and more successful than the Switch 2, why point this out?

If I sound worked up, it's because this is the most pointless debate I've seen in a while. I'm not even disagreeing with anything you're saying. I'm just saying — over and over again — that what you're saying isn't relevant to what Member said.

And your last paragraph is just completely misunderstanding me. I'd be more offended if I hadn't already presumptuously assumed your motivations, as well. I can't speak for Member, but I clicked on this article because I was curious what the sales numbers were. I didn't expect this "edging" to hinge on incompatible sales data. I think it should be quite evident that the incompatibility is was bothers me. And I really only engaged in the comments because I thought your response to Member was, frankly, obnoxious.

And no, I don't agree that the PS5 selling more than the Switch 2 in a region that has historically preferred PlayStation to Nintendo is pretty interesting. I'd find it pretty interesting if the PS5 inexplicably outsold the Switch 2 in Japan. I'd find it interesting if the Switch 2 remained the highest selling console every month in every major region. This, though? This is normal. I'd be very surprised if the Switch 2 outsells the PS5 in the UK next year. Unless Sony drops the ball and Nintendo has a few Animal Crossing-level releases at the ready.

@naruball Heh. I should've taken scottXedgar's advice too. Welp, since I'm stubborn, I'll just self-destructively stay put.

Everyone here understands the October thing. It just isn't relevant. What does the PS5 selling more than the Switch 2 in October prove? Which of Member's points does it disprove?

And yes, you two sound threatened. Maybe insecure is the better word for it. No one was questioning the success of the PS5 or saying the Switch 2 is more successful. Someone was just pointing out how senseless it was to compare 12 months of sales to 6 months of sales. I think that's fairly reasonable. And yet you both want to focus on the specific month in which the PS5 outsold the Switch 2. And I can only assume that's because you need the PS5 to be more successful so your "team" that be victorious.

@judgmentarrows I mean, that's a very different criticism than 'not understanding their appeal.' And I wouldn't at all say "conservative" is the right word to use there.

I'm not going to defend any of Nintendo's litigious acts against fan games and content. I will say, while they're arguably the most trigger happy, many other companies do the exact same things. Sony, for instance, just shot down that Concord revive attempt and killed Bloodborne Kart. Which isn't to say it's fine for Nintendo to do it 'cause Sony does it — nor vice versa. It just becomes very arbitrary to single out certain multi-million dollar companies for immoral actions when they all do immoral actions.

You kinda just have to accept all these companies suck, and either follow them regardless or move on.

@Gunbeld That's only "better" if you have an interest in proving the superiority of one console over the other. That was not the intent of Member.

@naruball His point was that it's a silly comparison. Gunbeld's point that the demand of the PS5 was observably higher than that of the Switch 2 in October isn't relevant to the 'silly' point.

I don't know why both of you are so threatened by the possibility of a 12-month-available Switch 2 outselling the PS5 in the UK during its launch year. That's an extremely specific hypothetical that doesn't inherently prove the superiority of either console. 12 months of sales data isn't compatible with 6 months of sales data. 1 month of sales data doesn't invalidate other months of sales data. Don't worry, the PS5 is still a successful console — no one is trying to take that away from it.

@Gunbeld Pretty sure his point was that it's a silly comparison given the circumstances. Not that the Switch 2 would definitely sell better if it was out all year.

Ergo, he probably doesn't care that the PS5 outsold the Switch 2 in the UK in October, and wouldn't attempt to 'excuse' it.

@judgmentarrows It's all about personal preference, my guy. I'm sure many prefer God of War and Horizon to Mario and Zelda. And that's fine.

Many others, myself included, think very few games compare to Nintendo's greatest. Many more yet just don't see good alternatives to the likes of Mario Kart, Super Smash, or Animal Crossing.

There's plenty worthwhile on the Switch and PlayStation alike. And the Xbox, for that matter. I'm very adamant that there's not really a bad console these days. Even the PlayDate is a fun little novelty well worth the purchase, in my opinion.

"Now, if you think Sony's output isn't that egregious because of the small size of most of the series they've put out sequels to...[proceeds to explain the circumstances which make Sony's output seem tired]."

"And Insomniac Spiderman, Ghost, Helldivers, Horizon, and GoW aren't big series with tons of sequels either...[proceeds to detail the amount of entries each series has as though that wasn't already addressed]."

You didn't address my point about Mario-esque reinvention.
You didn't address my point about "degrees of egregiousness."
You didn't address my point about contemporary Sony's lack of new IP — or really any of the points in LONG PARAGRAPH.
Completely ignored my statement: "Sequels are fine."
And seemingly thought my allusion to Microsoft was an accusation at Sony's expense, even though I prefaced it by saying, "To ease up on Sony."

I'm still very much inclined to think you didn't understand my arguments. Or you chose not to engage with them. My arguments weren't empty — that's ridiculous. And I called you a fanboy because you ostensibly feel the need to counter all criticism of Sony.

@DarianStarfrog Mmm, some exaggeration there. But mostly accurate.

Just was curious what your reasoning was.

@PuppetMaster Hmm, rude. Well, if you don't want to engage with my arguments, feel free to keep fanboying and ignore any arguments that might disrupt said fanboying.

@DarianStarfrog Out of morbid curiosity, why do you think Nintendo is the worst, most morally corrupt company in contemporary gaming?

@PuppetMaster And you apparently didn't try to understand what I was saying, or read through "LONG PARAGRAPH."

But I suppose I appreciate the needless Sony defending, nonetheless.

@SeaDaVie Just in time for Black Friday. Like this CoD sale.

@AhmadSumadi I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Ghost..., just that it isn't necessarily "Japanese."

@AhmadSumadi I mean, Ghosts... is Japanese in the same sense that Disney's Black Panther is African. It utilizes the culture of its setting, but was made with the sensibilities of the culture that made it.

It's not like Japan isn't aware of what games are and aren't made in Japan.