They are delaying for the right reason and let's be honest - for early adopters, you are going to be buying what you are going to be buying really. What this will really effect is the media attention and the 'who won' the launch kind of thing which does have an affect but let's not forget, this could take some time.
Everyone seems to forget that launch titles are always thin on the ground. When I got my PS4 in early 2015 I can remember complaints that there weren't enough good games coming out for PS4 etc.
This is a blow to Microsoft but not as much of a blow of releasing a launch title that wasn't ready for consumption.
@Taylorzombie Just a joke about the hoo ha that the detractors of said game about being about woke activism. Don't google it though... massive rabbit hole of conspiracy etc.
@Caliburn08 Yeah. I completely get why it is attractive to publishers because you only need to code for one console for x amount of time which lessens pressure and you are getting a safety cushion in case of poor sales. It always makes sense to have some guaranteed cash for a launch.
Tomb Raider has been cross platform since launch but it really annoyed me as it was a direct story sequel to the reboot which wsan't available on all platforms for a year.
To be honest, I have been confused about Microsoft's marketing message on things for some time now.
We dont like timed exclusives. We have lots of exclusives. Now we have lots of timed exclusives. We won't force you to upgrade but most of the exclusive say Series X only and the official statement that Kotaku is stating is that it is up to the Dev to support XB1 for the next 2 years - even some titles that used to say XB1 (Everwild I think) now state XB Series X.
I think this is damaging to MS - I know where I am with PS5. I buy it, I get games designed for it by Sony and other developers.
As for timed exclusives - Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo... I don't like the practice for 2 reasons. One, it doesn't engender brand loyalty, I'll just wait if I can't play on the system I want and two, I feel it damages the hype and anticipation for a big launch. Rise of the Tomb Raider on PS4 wasn't exciting because the game was out there when it launched on PS4.
@Col_McCafferty Agreed and also, if you want to be cynical, third person allows for better customization of characters etc. In RPG's etc, this is actually a really big part of the experience (admittedly, now preyed upon by some game makers).
I think there are advantages to FPS and vice versa but it depends on the story you are trying to tell. I think FPS can be more immersive and immediate (though I am lucky and not affected by any motion issues). However, as you say, Third person isn't a genre. Bloodborne is in no way the same type of game as The Last of US Pt 2 for example - completely different genres.
This is just all the woke activists buying more than one copy.
Seriously though, the march to digital is undeniable. When large first party games rack up that many millions of digital sales it shows something. I wonder how much Covid 19 has helped to change the purchasing of games?
@ShogunRok I understand the criticism but at the same time, not particularly fair. I mean, Killzone Shadow Fall, Wipeout, GT, Drive Club, Resogun, Matterfall etc.
Probably more the issue is that a lot of the most successful games of this gen have been third person titles but you could argue that has been true of many of the major AAA games this gen. On the XB1 side, Gears 4 and 5, Recore, Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive. Cross gen, the Assasin's Creed games, Control, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro, RE2, RE3, DMC 5, The Division, Jedi Fallen Order.
I just think that third person titles have become the FPS of the previous generation. Maybe it is a tired design but let's face it... it is industry wide. It also happens that Sony First party releases are some of the best examples of the genre.
In theory I don't mind paying a little bit more but I don't want to pay that and STILL have the consequences of paid content via micro transations etc. to deal with.
To be honest, of all the Sony first party games, this was one that I had the least interest in. That said, saw the hype, bought it and I have been staying up late to play it. It is a very generic open world game mechanically but it is done so well and the combat so good, it just makes me want to explore. The way you can find things encourages exploration rather than stick everything on the map with a pin.
I know a few female streamers and they get some horrendous abuse and bizarre hassle from people online. The intentions of this game may well have been positive - it’s execution may also have been good but the marketing and even game name was very poor.
It was marketed as ‘here is a young buxom female streamer, be in control of what she does and doesn’t see’. At a time when so much abuse is surfacing in the industry, the reveal was tone deaf.
I hope the game devs are able to present this game.
Up next Crunch: The Game. Pretend to be a studio lead who creates a toxic culture and gives people ptsd.
Meh - to be honest, happy with PS Plus this gen and I don't play online. As others have said, I shop around and pay yearly.
I think Xbox will scrap the current version of Live. Ultimate subscriberes will also get Xbox Cloud which is their version of Stadia which will tie into a digital library etc.
Ghosts is one of those games that was not on my radar but my twitter feed (and here) is awash with great gifs and images and I ended up using some ebay money to get a copy this weekend.
I think it is insane that this generation Sony has launched multiple new IP's and one offs. Knack, Nioh, The Order, Until Dawn, HZD, Days Gone, Ghosts, Astrobot Rescue, Bloodborne, Detroit, Death Stranding, Spiderman, The Last Guardian, Farpoint, Blood and Truth...
Great review - this is out on Apple Arcade so I will give this a go I think. I've seen some user reviews saying it was too simple or repetetive but I dont think that sounds like the case.
Wow Ubisoft are really listening to what people want. Seriously the market cannot support multiple live service games and they have failed with Divison 2 and Ghost Recond: Breakwind to make the money they were expecting or wanting.
Now maybe the project was failing and maybe this will be better than what was going to be released but how many of these games can they manage to support at any one time. Secondly, as @Octane said, there is a game that does something very similar and that has struggled.
Taking a step back, there has always been a complaint, largely from PC players, that exclusivity limits people to being able to play all titles on their platform of choice. I get that, it would be great as a consumer to be able to do so.
However, in my opinion, this generation has proven that first party content from the likes of Sony and Nintendo is essential to the game industry because third party AAA publishers rarely fund the type of games that first parties make because their business model is different. I mean would Activision or Ubisoft have sunk the kind of money into games like Breath of the Wild, God of War or The Last Of Us - expansive single player games, with no MP or monetization options? Of course not.
First party games are designed to attract different player bases to your system and create an element of brand loyalty, which yes, is about locking people to their eco system to get more money. At the same time, the benefit is it means it has fuelled some truly unique games.
Phil Spencer's interview is baffling - MS is still paying for timed or console exclusives or promoting major third party games on Gamepass so that isn't true. They are investing in acquiring game studios which will clearly make console exclusive titles. So that isn't true.
Everyone knows that most publishers target two generations at the start of a new one to make sure they can cover their investment because the amount of early adopters is lower than the previous install base. It isn't about player choice. Ultimately, however all publishers will want to push next gen and games after 1-2 years will only be possible on new gen tech.
I get that PC gamers can run on lower end hardware and that developers provide for them but at a certain point, that also stops or the experience is so degraded it makes it pointless. In fact, one could argue that PC gamers are held back because majority of users don't all have high end systems that can run.
Oh boy - so basically release dates and a new Far Cry game? I really wish Ubisoft would flex its muscles and try new things. They created a whole host of subgenres then stopped and kept pushing them out.
Yes but it is a different scenario. The PC market has competition - users can go to alternate store fronts or buy steam codes elsewhere. Therefore there is more natural competition. Sony has no competition if you have a Sony device.
@AdamNovice Of course mate and I think that it is totally fine to have a genuine critique of the game and I think ND must have known that their direction would ruffle a few feathers in terms of fan reception. Indeed, I am slightly convinced that Sony's review embargo was specifically designed to limit that fallout.
@AdamNovice I'd argue that the two are separate points. I don't think Naughty Dog brought it on themselves because regardless of whatever they chose to do, no one should get abuse and hate for releasing a game.
I agree that there is a question to be answered by ND's response to valid critique but that is very different to a lot of the online hate. I am also worried that the visuals and innovation on the game came at a human cost via crunch but again. However, that doesn't mean that abuse should be given.
Stuff like this I liken to Star Wars The Last Jedi. I seriously disliked that film as a Star Wars fan. My response was that I haven't watched it again and didn't bother with Rise of Skywalker. I didn't go online, do petitions to retcon it, abuse actors, writers, directors because I didn't like it.
I mean here is the thing - regardless of legitimate critique of the game, the vitriol and online hate is just disgusting and completely unncessary. This is a game that even if terrible, just needs a sensible, didn't like it response.
The game is a very good game. I think, and I am only something like 16 hours in, that is has a few problems but never for a second would I spread online hate or even dismiss based on pre-conceptions.
I'd argue as well that ND's reaction to legitimate critique has been handled badly and I don't think the story embargo was a good practice. However we need to not confuse the two - they are separate points.
All this vitriol just means companies will want to play it safer in future.
A nice game and reminiscent of a time when smaller scale but engrossing games could take a risk. It wasn't industry changing but it told an engrossing story in an interesting setting with some solid gameplay.
@get2sammyb Most likely, though I also wonder if there are just those type of games that people don't want to buy but do want to try - Destiny 2 being a good example, how many people played the first few hours then gave up but would never have bought it?
As opposed to say, Bloodborne, that was pretty much in fans collections already.
I am not a racing fan but I know how passionate these are. I don't see why you wouldn't make these configurable. A full sim for people that want it and a mode where you can add it if not.
I dislike Rowling's comments and general however I don't believe that this should affect what amounts to a piece of fiction set within that universe by a very different team.
Going to probably get this day 1 though it will be queued behind TLOU2. I played the demo at EGX and just loved it and really want to give this a good go. An 8-10 hour campaign is more than I was expecting to be honest.
I mean what is he going to say? Ultimately, it is the games. If they come out with some spectacular first party style games at launch, great. Competition is such an important thing but from an exclusive perspective they really suffered last gen. I think Sony dominated the marketing message last gen and I feel that going forward as well.
Depends very much on the game and genre but for where there is a campaign or story, I have played very few games this generation that truly justified going over the 20-30 hour mark. That isn't to say there aren't any but my sweet spot is about the 15-20 hour mark. This means I can normally enjoy the game fully and complete it in a couple of weeks maybe. Playing an 80 hour game means I don't play much else for potentially weeks and months and that is a big investment and has to really keep my interest.
I don't equate length with value and I personally agree. For story driven narrative games, such as those that Sony specialises in, I think 15 hours is fine for the price. I also think that too many games have filler in them - even in good games. Assassin's Creed Odyseey was a very good game but the amount of really good content was far less than all the busy work. I also feel that some games, like Odyssey use size as a financial opportunity - escape the grind by spending more.
Always exceptions to the rule. The Witcher 3 was huge and the content pretty solid across the board. But I get his point - if it takes 4-5 yrs to make every game and you aren't charging more, you are more likely to look to alternate financial models.
I'd like to see more games of the size of say, A Plague Tale: Innocence. Solid 12-15 hour game that tells a compelling story at a good launch price point.
Comments 3,651
Re: Reaction: The Spotlight Is Now on PS5's Launch Lineup
They are delaying for the right reason and let's be honest - for early adopters, you are going to be buying what you are going to be buying really. What this will really effect is the media attention and the 'who won' the launch kind of thing which does have an affect but let's not forget, this could take some time.
Everyone seems to forget that launch titles are always thin on the ground. When I got my PS4 in early 2015 I can remember complaints that there weren't enough good games coming out for PS4 etc.
This is a blow to Microsoft but not as much of a blow of releasing a launch title that wasn't ready for consumption.
Re: Random: This Guy Takes His Ghost of Tsushima Standoffs Seriously
@JohnnyShoulder Will add it to my twitter account while I reflect on all those restraining orders...
Re: Random: This Guy Takes His Ghost of Tsushima Standoffs Seriously
Think this is great. I might try it tonight. Semi clothed. For... reasons.
Re: UK Sales Charts: Ghost of Tsushima Retains First Place in Slow PS4 Week
@Scoobijohn Dude - Spoilers man!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 334
Got to be Ghost if Tsushima of course. Out nearly 17 hours in since last Sunday which is huge for me so you might say I am addicted.
Re: The Last of Us 2 Sets a New Record with 2.8 Million Digital Sales in June
@Taylorzombie Just a joke about the hoo ha that the detractors of said game about being about woke activism. Don't google it though... massive rabbit hole of conspiracy etc.
Re: Xbox Sure Did Announce a Lot of Timed Exclusives This Week
@Caliburn08 Yeah. I completely get why it is attractive to publishers because you only need to code for one console for x amount of time which lessens pressure and you are getting a safety cushion in case of poor sales. It always makes sense to have some guaranteed cash for a launch.
Tomb Raider has been cross platform since launch but it really annoyed me as it was a direct story sequel to the reboot which wsan't available on all platforms for a year.
Re: The Last of Us 2 Sets a New Record with 2.8 Million Digital Sales in June
@Flaming_Kaiser That is a great gif!
Re: Xbox Sure Did Announce a Lot of Timed Exclusives This Week
To be honest, I have been confused about Microsoft's marketing message on things for some time now.
We dont like timed exclusives. We have lots of exclusives. Now we have lots of timed exclusives. We won't force you to upgrade but most of the exclusive say Series X only and the official statement that Kotaku is stating is that it is up to the Dev to support XB1 for the next 2 years - even some titles that used to say XB1 (Everwild I think) now state XB Series X.
I think this is damaging to MS - I know where I am with PS5. I buy it, I get games designed for it by Sony and other developers.
As for timed exclusives - Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo... I don't like the practice for 2 reasons. One, it doesn't engender brand loyalty, I'll just wait if I can't play on the system I want and two, I feel it damages the hype and anticipation for a big launch. Rise of the Tomb Raider on PS4 wasn't exciting because the game was out there when it launched on PS4.
Re: Viral Social Media Montage Showcases PS4's Impressive Generation
@Col_McCafferty Agreed and also, if you want to be cynical, third person allows for better customization of characters etc. In RPG's etc, this is actually a really big part of the experience (admittedly, now preyed upon by some game makers).
I think there are advantages to FPS and vice versa but it depends on the story you are trying to tell. I think FPS can be more immersive and immediate (though I am lucky and not affected by any motion issues). However, as you say, Third person isn't a genre. Bloodborne is in no way the same type of game as The Last of US Pt 2 for example - completely different genres.
Re: The Last of Us 2 Sets a New Record with 2.8 Million Digital Sales in June
This is just all the woke activists buying more than one copy.
Seriously though, the march to digital is undeniable. When large first party games rack up that many millions of digital sales it shows something. I wonder how much Covid 19 has helped to change the purchasing of games?
Re: Viral Social Media Montage Showcases PS4's Impressive Generation
@ShogunRok I understand the criticism but at the same time, not particularly fair. I mean, Killzone Shadow Fall, Wipeout, GT, Drive Club, Resogun, Matterfall etc.
Probably more the issue is that a lot of the most successful games of this gen have been third person titles but you could argue that has been true of many of the major AAA games this gen. On the XB1 side, Gears 4 and 5, Recore, Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive. Cross gen, the Assasin's Creed games, Control, Dark Souls 3, Sekiro, RE2, RE3, DMC 5, The Division, Jedi Fallen Order.
I just think that third person titles have become the FPS of the previous generation. Maybe it is a tired design but let's face it... it is industry wide. It also happens that Sony First party releases are some of the best examples of the genre.
Re: PS5 Games Published by Ubisoft Won't Cost More for Now
In theory I don't mind paying a little bit more but I don't want to pay that and STILL have the consequences of paid content via micro transations etc. to deal with.
Re: Ubisoft's Next Digital Showcase Dated for September
Ah engagement... the most important metric.
I hope they clean up shop first. Their earnings call today sounded ‘interesting’.
Re: Ghost of Tsushima Sells Out in Japan, Sony Promises More Copies
To be honest, of all the Sony first party games, this was one that I had the least interest in. That said, saw the hype, bought it and I have been staying up late to play it. It is a very generic open world game mechanically but it is done so well and the combat so good, it just makes me want to explore. The way you can find things encourages exploration rather than stick everything on the map with a pin.
Re: Rumour: PS5 Demo Station Appears in UK Store, Rumours of Pre-Orders Intensify
Yeah for this one... I don’t need to hold the controller in public. I will take Geoff Keighley’s word for it on this one
Re: Gamer Girl Dev Removes Announcement Trailer and Marketing Following Backlash
@3MonthBeef Ha yeah but if it isn't in a game it doesn't count!!
Re: Gamer Girl Dev Removes Announcement Trailer and Marketing Following Backlash
I know a few female streamers and they get some horrendous abuse and bizarre hassle from people online. The intentions of this game may well have been positive - it’s execution may also have been good but the marketing and even game name was very poor.
It was marketed as ‘here is a young buxom female streamer, be in control of what she does and doesn’t see’. At a time when so much abuse is surfacing in the industry, the reveal was tone deaf.
I hope the game devs are able to present this game.
Up next Crunch: The Game. Pretend to be a studio lead who creates a toxic culture and gives people ptsd.
Re: PS5 Fans Are Pondering the Future of PS Plus
Meh - to be honest, happy with PS Plus this gen and I don't play online. As others have said, I shop around and pay yearly.
I think Xbox will scrap the current version of Live. Ultimate subscriberes will also get Xbox Cloud which is their version of Stadia which will tie into a digital library etc.
Re: UK Sales Charts: Ghost of Tsushima Is the Next PS4 Exclusive to Get Top Spot
Ghosts is one of those games that was not on my radar but my twitter feed (and here) is awash with great gifs and images and I ended up using some ebay money to get a copy this weekend.
I think it is insane that this generation Sony has launched multiple new IP's and one offs. Knack, Nioh, The Order, Until Dawn, HZD, Days Gone, Ghosts, Astrobot Rescue, Bloodborne, Detroit, Death Stranding, Spiderman, The Last Guardian, Farpoint, Blood and Truth...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 333
Would love to be playing Ghosts of Tsushima but I am not as I don’t have it.
Might play more Iron Man VR and pick up more Mirrors edge catalyst
Re: Creaks - Another Inventive and Stylish Puzzler From the Machinarium Team
Great review - this is out on Apple Arcade so I will give this a go I think. I've seen some user reviews saying it was too simple or repetetive but I dont think that sounds like the case.
Re: No Man's Sky: Desolation Update Adds New Playable Environments
I have No Mans Sky and played a few hours but I find the grindy mining too slow - loved the exploration and atmosphere and the soundtrack is awesome.
Re: Gamer Girl Is an FMV Game All About the Life of a Streamer
Ah I thought this was going to be a toxic simulator but turns out I have to make others be nice... boooo!
Re: Ghost of Tsushima - One of the Greatest Open World Games of the Generation
Would like this game but can’t afford it this week. Ah well!
Re: Skull & Bones Reportedly Rebooted Into an Ongoing 'Live' Game
Wow Ubisoft are really listening to what people want. Seriously the market cannot support multiple live service games and they have failed with Divison 2 and Ghost Recond: Breakwind to make the money they were expecting or wanting.
Now maybe the project was failing and maybe this will be better than what was going to be released but how many of these games can they manage to support at any one time. Secondly, as @Octane said, there is a game that does something very similar and that has struggled.
Re: Xbox Boss Implies PS5 Exclusives Are 'Counter to What Gaming Is About'
Taking a step back, there has always been a complaint, largely from PC players, that exclusivity limits people to being able to play all titles on their platform of choice. I get that, it would be great as a consumer to be able to do so.
However, in my opinion, this generation has proven that first party content from the likes of Sony and Nintendo is essential to the game industry because third party AAA publishers rarely fund the type of games that first parties make because their business model is different. I mean would Activision or Ubisoft have sunk the kind of money into games like Breath of the Wild, God of War or The Last Of Us - expansive single player games, with no MP or monetization options? Of course not.
First party games are designed to attract different player bases to your system and create an element of brand loyalty, which yes, is about locking people to their eco system to get more money. At the same time, the benefit is it means it has fuelled some truly unique games.
Phil Spencer's interview is baffling - MS is still paying for timed or console exclusives or promoting major third party games on Gamepass so that isn't true. They are investing in acquiring game studios which will clearly make console exclusive titles. So that isn't true.
Everyone knows that most publishers target two generations at the start of a new one to make sure they can cover their investment because the amount of early adopters is lower than the previous install base. It isn't about player choice. Ultimately, however all publishers will want to push next gen and games after 1-2 years will only be possible on new gen tech.
I get that PC gamers can run on lower end hardware and that developers provide for them but at a certain point, that also stops or the experience is so degraded it makes it pointless. In fact, one could argue that PC gamers are held back because majority of users don't all have high end systems that can run.
The whole interview is baffling.
Re: Round Up: What Was Announced at Ubisoft Forward?
Oh boy - so basically release dates and a new Far Cry game? I really wish Ubisoft would flex its muscles and try new things. They created a whole host of subgenres then stopped and kept pushing them out.
Re: Talking Point: Is the PlayStation Store Starting to Rival Steam Sales?
Yes but it is a different scenario. The PC market has competition - users can go to alternate store fronts or buy steam codes elsewhere. Therefore there is more natural competition. Sony has no competition if you have a Sony device.
Re: Shadow Warrior 3 Looks Awesome But PS5, PS4 Versions Unconfirmed
You don't mess with Lo Wang.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 331
Well still TLOU2 for me but I am itching to get into Iron Man VR that I picked up today!
Re: The Last of Us 2 Director Discusses Online Vitriol
@zimbogamer Oh the humanity!
Re: PlayStation Store Multiplayer Days Sale Discounts PS4 Games to Play with Friends
YES !!!! Umbrella Corps is cheap. Can't wait to pick this up and play with [checks player base] myself...
Re: The Last of Us 2 Director Discusses Online Vitriol
@AdamNovice Of course mate and I think that it is totally fine to have a genuine critique of the game and I think ND must have known that their direction would ruffle a few feathers in terms of fan reception. Indeed, I am slightly convinced that Sony's review embargo was specifically designed to limit that fallout.
Re: The Last of Us 2 Director Discusses Online Vitriol
@johncalmc You are wrong - the dangers are worse than that. Lack of taking risks leads to Coldplay, Coldplay leads to Keane.
Re: The Last of Us 2 Director Discusses Online Vitriol
@AdamNovice I'd argue that the two are separate points. I don't think Naughty Dog brought it on themselves because regardless of whatever they chose to do, no one should get abuse and hate for releasing a game.
I agree that there is a question to be answered by ND's response to valid critique but that is very different to a lot of the online hate. I am also worried that the visuals and innovation on the game came at a human cost via crunch but again. However, that doesn't mean that abuse should be given.
Stuff like this I liken to Star Wars The Last Jedi. I seriously disliked that film as a Star Wars fan. My response was that I haven't watched it again and didn't bother with Rise of Skywalker. I didn't go online, do petitions to retcon it, abuse actors, writers, directors because I didn't like it.
EDIT - not stating that you support abuse at all!
Re: The Last of Us 2 Director Discusses Online Vitriol
I mean here is the thing - regardless of legitimate critique of the game, the vitriol and online hate is just disgusting and completely unncessary. This is a game that even if terrible, just needs a sensible, didn't like it response.
The game is a very good game. I think, and I am only something like 16 hours in, that is has a few problems but never for a second would I spread online hate or even dismiss based on pre-conceptions.
I'd argue as well that ND's reaction to legitimate critique has been handled badly and I don't think the story embargo was a good practice. However we need to not confuse the two - they are separate points.
All this vitriol just means companies will want to play it safer in future.
Re: A Plague Tale: Innocence Sells More Than One Million Copies Worldwide
A nice game and reminiscent of a time when smaller scale but engrossing games could take a risk. It wasn't industry changing but it told an engrossing story in an interesting setting with some solid gameplay.
Re: Site News: Yes, We're Playing Ghost of Tsushima
I am intrigued by this game and love the setting but another large open or semi open world third person game just seems tooooo long and huge for me.
Re: These Are the Five Most Redeemed PS Plus Games Ever
@get2sammyb Most likely, though I also wonder if there are just those type of games that people don't want to buy but do want to try - Destiny 2 being a good example, how many people played the first few hours then gave up but would never have bought it?
As opposed to say, Bloodborne, that was pretty much in fans collections already.
Re: These Are the Five Most Redeemed PS Plus Games Ever
Sonic Forces and Shadow of the Colossus? I really thought Bloodborne was going to be in there.
Re: Project CARS 3 Scraps Pitstops, Tyre Wear, and Fuel Usage, But Says It's Still a Simulator
I am not a racing fan but I know how passionate these are. I don't see why you wouldn't make these configurable. A full sim for people that want it and a mode where you can add it if not.
Re: PS5 Harry Potter RPG to Launch Late Next Year, Says New Report
I dislike Rowling's comments and general however I don't believe that this should affect what amounts to a piece of fiction set within that universe by a very different team.
Re: PS Plus July 2020 PS4 Games Announced
Ha ha I nearly bought Erica for £4 the other week and I didn't. HA HAHAHA for once I did right.
Though I did buy Rise of the Tomb Raider new at launch. Ahem.
Re: Marvel's Iron Man VR About 10 Hours Long, More New Details Revealed
Going to probably get this day 1 though it will be queued behind TLOU2. I played the demo at EGX and just loved it and really want to give this a good go. An 8-10 hour campaign is more than I was expecting to be honest.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 330
TLOU2 obviously. Only up to Day 2 but still enjoying if that is the right word.
Re: Xbox Boss Believes Microsoft Is in Very Good Position, Will Be Able to Demonstrate Hardware Advantages Over PS5
I mean what is he going to say? Ultimately, it is the games. If they come out with some spectacular first party style games at launch, great. Competition is such an important thing but from an exclusive perspective they really suffered last gen. I think Sony dominated the marketing message last gen and I feel that going forward as well.
Re: Poll: What Is Your Preferred Game Length?
Depends very much on the game and genre but for where there is a campaign or story, I have played very few games this generation that truly justified going over the 20-30 hour mark. That isn't to say there aren't any but my sweet spot is about the 15-20 hour mark. This means I can normally enjoy the game fully and complete it in a couple of weeks maybe. Playing an 80 hour game means I don't play much else for potentially weeks and months and that is a big investment and has to really keep my interest.
Re: Ex-PlayStation Boss Wants to See 15 Hour AAA Titles Return
I don't equate length with value and I personally agree. For story driven narrative games, such as those that Sony specialises in, I think 15 hours is fine for the price. I also think that too many games have filler in them - even in good games. Assassin's Creed Odyseey was a very good game but the amount of really good content was far less than all the busy work. I also feel that some games, like Odyssey use size as a financial opportunity - escape the grind by spending more.
Always exceptions to the rule. The Witcher 3 was huge and the content pretty solid across the board. But I get his point - if it takes 4-5 yrs to make every game and you aren't charging more, you are more likely to look to alternate financial models.
I'd like to see more games of the size of say, A Plague Tale: Innocence. Solid 12-15 hour game that tells a compelling story at a good launch price point.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 329
Obviously TLOU2 despite someone spoiling plot points on Twitter.