Vertere

@naruball But, you do need to catch them all.

Are there any technical reasons like server loads? Seems a bit arbitrary.

@For-Kier I would agree with you if this was the development scope from the outset. Marathon has been far better designed in terms of not nearly being as resource heavy to update and maintain. It isn’t like Destiny in that there are brand new story missions, mechanics and activities etc. Destiny requires an immense amount of resources. You start completely redesigning the game that’s a lot of studio resources tied up for a game that then needs to be updated in a completely different way. Marathon is already pigeonholed as a niche game. I truly think it’s better to leave the scope of the game as it basically is and let all the Destiny devs work on something new.

@MasterChiefWiggum You’re right. They shouldn’t try to turn Marathon into Destiny. You’ll end up with the same issues Destiny’s PvP had. Better another Destiny in some form than try to shoehorn a compromised form of it into Marathon.

@CheesyOatcake I’m genuinely fascinated to know how much time you put into Marathon. I too put an unhealthy amount of time into the crucible but honestly that was more due to enjoying Destiny in general than the quality of Destiny’s PvP. I feel like from your description we’ve been playing different games. Shallow and a VR test bed? I’ve found Marathon to be much more technically accomplished PvP experience. Far more depth to aspects like team composition, better ttk, balance to overall playing options. Basic technical improvements like the audio design is far more polished and dedicated servers with excellent tick rates feels so much better.

It’s painful in hindsight to know all the funds wasted on Sony’s live service debacle could have been allocated to a D3.
Bungie is such a talented studio that has been very poorly managed. This isn’t completely on Sony who in all fairness gave Bungie autonomy and the capital required to continue.
I understand why Bungie on some level was reluctant to commit to a D3. People forget the outcry and anger when D2 was announced under Activision. It’s sad watching what has happened to the studio. Marathon is such a polished and quality game that has been caught up in an unfortunate situation.

The Destiny IP is so rich and genuinely interesting that it deserves to continue in some form. Hopefully Sony is prepared to take a gamble on it.

Queensblood was amazing. Mini games were fine but nothing like the quality or fun of the Manderville gold saucer. I love it if they imported triple triad to the casino.

Exclusive are fine, healthy even but this really is a debacle of corporate strategy and communication. Xbox has 360’d itself this generation. The new leadership is there to shake things up, we get it, but all of this appears superficial and reactive. It’s slightly worrying that Asha Sharma has decided to tread this path. Short term own goals aren’t inspiring confidence for next generation.

@SMJ It’s that she appears to be reactive not proactive with these decisions.

At this point, new leadership sounds as clueless as the last leadership. Playing to the gallery worked well for Spencer and Bond.

@Banjo- We don’t actually know if Helix is multi-storefront, the prevailing assumption is it may offer this functionality. If this is indeed the case, the obvious solution would be to restrict first party releases to the Xbox / Microsoft Helix / PC storefront. They may not be able or willing to ignore Steam so potentially offering aggressive incentives, discounts and sales on first party titles within its own ecosystem.

@themightyant The messaging on exclusivity has been dreadful but leaving options open, hopefully without alienating Xbox or PS customers is probably the best solution. They need to sell Gamepass subscriptions so some exclusivity will help, I don’t think it’s realistically expected to shift hardware. The gap now between Xbox and PS5 hardware unit sales is too significant to ignore even for Microsoft. I would assume next generation with Helix is a phase where Xbox figures out how to transition Xbox completely into a services company with a revamped Microsoft PC / Helix store and an migrated Xbox back catalog library for existing users. I think going forward exclusivity will be used primarily to market GP, symbolic and probably transient in nature.

The main problem is and Xbox can’t solve this. Buy a PS6 / PC and a Switch and play everything. They are saying console exclusive but it’s not, it’s on PC and probably the Steam Machine unless they forgo Steam now entirely.

We are at saturation point, there really are too many games chasing too few players. September this year is ridiculous. On the upside there is something for everyone and hopefully the quality bar and value for players is lifted by all this competition. However squabbling over where something is shown when everything is coming to the PS5 seems a moot point. There so few games that meaningfully shift hardware from marketing and GTA6 wasn’t even shown. The real story is when PS5 or PC like with GTA6 is skipped.

@Propaperpusher Wait what? You seriously think live service game developers or games are lazy? Do you know any developers? a single one, maybe ask exactly how much work is involved in making one. Also please try Marathon, you may hate the genre that’s fine, just try a couple of hours but really take an objective look and listen to the art design, audio and gameplay. They also use a proprietary in house engine.

Also Sony aren’t responsible for Bungie pursuing Marathon, this project along with a few others were in development prior to acquisition. Sony did spin off a project called Gummy Bears into a new Studio called LFG.

@Leinad7 Come on like Nintendo or Xbox had launch line ups that were incredibly innovative this generation. PC has no launch products, closest we’ve got is Valve and they aren’t exactly churning them out. I’m not sure the categorisation of “Sony out of ideas” is entirely fair when stacked against its peers. It’s industry wide and there is a reason why we’re seeing the predicable. Games like Saros whilst excellent don’t shift units. Intergalactic will be a huge production but will never have the hardware shifting ability of Spiderman irrespective of how good it is.

@AdamNovice I think the generic Asian art style is targeting just that market. I agree though, it does look like they just ran Horizon through some a.i filter and for all the grief Hunters Gathering gets the art style at least has its own design identity and looks crafted by human artists.

@Pat_trick I completely agree with you Xbox completely shat the bed this generation and certainly that’s beneficial for PlayStation. I don’t agree that live service sentiment has any bearing whatsoever on purchase decisions and sales. The average person deciding on buying a PS5 or Xbox at Xmas probably cares more about what’s available like a Spiderman or Wolverine than lamenting Concord.I just don’t think the average consumer cares about the live games narrative or even has clue how many first party games have been released. In fact unfortunately these days care more about if Roblox is on the platform.

@Pat_trick That’s not quite true. We can’t all have that short memories. Xbox absolutely botched the launch. How long did they take to deliver Halo, and in the end wasn’t worth the wait. Leaning into backwards compatibility at launch wasn’t exactly a system seller. PS5 at least gave people a reason to upgrade and had a few first party titles ready to go. I don’t think most consumers buy a Series X because Sony canceled The Last of Us multiplayer, they are buying a PS5 or Xbox for what is available, not what isn’t.

@11001100110zero Yeah but again there is a lot nuance left out of that equation. Sales in offical markets didn’t mean the grey market didn’t exist, so it’s not like Xbox’s weren’t for sale in Beijing, Dubai or elsewhere it wasn’t officially sold. The Xbox 360 absolutely crushed the PS3 in quite a few markets but it was an anomaly. Asia (ex Japan), Middle East, Eastern Europe and South America. That is a significant number of territories. There was a sizeable chunk of markets that flipped from PS2 to the 360 only because that generation games were predominantly pirated on DVD. Also there will be overlap in those markets people replacing the 360’s due to widespread hardware failures.

@Skinny-Pete Yeah I wasn’t even thinking of films. Just games, in China a new multiplatform game would cost a month’s salary for locals on PS3 and 360 a couple of bucks. You could pick up stacks of games for peanuts.

@Skinny-Pete Sorry, I mean the 360 was much more popular than the PS3 not because it was a cheap DVD player. It’s that the 360 utilised DVDs which were much more ubiquitous and cheaper than Blurays. You’re correct DVD/VCD players were ridiculous cheap, no one would buy a 360 as a DVD player. China alone probably accounted for 3-4% of Xbox 360 hardware sales. I imagine SE Asia, along with India and South America the situation was similar etc. So Xbox definitely got a hardware sales bump in a lot of territories that generation and it was in territories that piracy was rampant.

@Skinny-Pete There is also a detail that’s overlooked with the Xbox 360. Hardware sales globally for the 360 were massively disproportionate to software in quite a few large markets. The 360 was cheaper and DVDs far easier and cheaper to pirate than Blu-ray’s.

Can’t wait to jump in and see what’s new. Marathon is perhaps the best new multiplayer game I’ve played this year. It’s genuinely unfortunate it’s caught up in discourse that has nothing to do with the team making it. Free week is a great idea and hopefully people will give it a chance.

@Nei No you’re right. People need a reason to complain regardless of what reality is. Sony have been pretty good about introducing new IP even within its flagship studios. Not to mention all the smaller “Hero” financed projects and 2nd party games. Puts out Saros and the sales numbers explain why it’s leaving Santa Monic on GoW and Insomniac on Marvel. You can’t please people that are just looking to complain. Don’t like this GoW side story no problem, wait for the next mainline game. Don’t like the entire series direction, no worries we’re remaking the original Greek saga with original VA’s.

@Noone2025 The opposite really. They are pushing the release because they have something else. Along with everybody else. September is going to be ridiculous.

Paid early access is gross. It’s becoming more prevalent and widespread in the industry. I wish people didn’t reward publishers for this practice. I can understand deluxe editions giving in-game skins, bonus, additional music or some type of actual reward. Paying extra for absolutely nothing other than delaying the release for others is an industry practice that needs to cease.

May the purge continue. There is no value in having 15 jumping taco games in the new releases category each month.

@Elodin The Cube was definitely a fun DnD reference. My guess is the cube may become an interesting game mechanic.

I feel like the name is the issue for some, anything “God of War” immediately becomes a Kratos game which this game isn’t. Genuinely liked the high fantasy direction and the idea of a pantheon of mythologies is intriguing. Saying the series is gone / lost or Santa Monica have forgotten what a GoW game is a little ridiculous when they confirmed they are remaking the original Greek trilogy.

Jaffe can be amusing sometimes but the constant playing to the gallery can be tiring. He really threw his toys when he found out who was directing it. I always thought the originals were fine, bit one dimensional but enjoyable enough. 2018 was definitely a huge step up in quality for the franchise.

State of Play was great. Little disappointed Media Molecule and Asobi didn’t show up. Ikumi Nakamura’s new game was a standout and the new old Tomb Raider looked incredible. Insomniac and Santa Monica were excellent as always, although I still have hope they are working on something completely new.

@Atreus97 I don’t think the theatre deal means anything. Sony owns the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas and the screening was free if you purchased food or drinks.

@Oram77 I think you’re right, just look at the new hires. Matthew Ball, Xbox’s Chief Strategy Officer is quoted as critical of exclusives, believing that a rigid "binary of exclusivity" limits growth. You have completely data driven and AI executives who are chasing user engagement primarily. It’s not like Phil didn’t try the traditional approach and that was before they had to account for $100b in spending. For Asha to reverse course would be a huge decision and she’d need the numbers to support it. Nothing’s impossible but for a growth orientated team the decision to remove sales platforms whilst Gamepass underperforms financially and being so far behind in hardware, it’s a big call.

The new Xboss is a Microsoft executive through and through. Policy and guidance will be data driven. Whatever the model dictates is where product will go. Asha has also inherited hardware with inertia towards a hybrid window / console platform so console exclusivity is extremely unlikely. Her only option is to backtrack on Switch / PlayStation releases which don’t exactly bode well for quarterly updates.

Such an amazing game. Can’t wait. Still feels wild it was a PS2 game.

It’s tough out there when websites are paying contributors tied to engagement metrics. It’s unfair on writers and contributors. The fact is we’ll end up with more articles like this.
Sony should show whatever they want at the State of Play. A singular game no matter how much baggage attached is going to decide the shows fate. Some people may feel watching a Fairgames trailer is a waste of a few minutes but frankly if you’ve ever sat through any SoP or any show I doubt very much every game is for you. The shows quality will be decided on what is shown overall. When did shows require pleasing one demographic of audience just to avoid the pitchforks.

The Final Shape was too effective conclusion to the light and dark saga. I doubt we’ll see as satisfying ending to a live service game for a long time. The money involved in launching and running games of this scale mean studios wouldn’t want to create a neat narrative tie off and natural jumping off point.

Ah the Breastplate of Argon…..

….why don’t you try it on now.

@KoopaTheGamer Definitely. I purchased it and the story is fine, soundtrack is great, but yes there really is very little gameplay. Feels like a PSN type of deal.

This definitely a case of paying for skin rather than a skin. It’s a digital towel for $10. You can buy an actual towel for that.

People that complain about this aspect of the story really are tiresome. It’s a couple of lines of text. I just can’t imagine getting that bent out over shape due over it. Gameplay is incredible, art is fantastic. Story is fine, does enough to support the gameplay.

@darylb24 Roblox lost over a billion dollars last year and has never reported an annual profit. The last COD performed terribly and had absolutely miserable sales figures. HD2 is for any publisher a complete commercial success, it’s certainly not in the same category as GTA Online or CS2 but very few games are. Of course Sony will fund more live service games in different genres, that’s what they do as a publisher. By your logic Rockstar should not develop Red Dead or bother with GTA6 because they already have a hugely successful game in GTA Online. Sony isn’t launching live service titles with completely unrealistic internal commercial targets and I doubt internal guidance for HD2 had projected numbers anywhere remotely near those mentioned targets. The point is games like GT7, HD2, MBL The Show are steady performers that are going to underwrite development of a few live service games / failures. Everyone knows you are going to have more titles failure than not, that’s the risk in funding live service games. Sony purchased Bungie which is the outlier in that the acquisition cost was unusually large for them, Bungie had a successful product and track record and it blew up in their faces. Sony are writing down the value each quarter. So purchasing an established studio that specialises in live service games isn’t a guarantee of future success either.

@darylb24 I think that’s what they thought they bought with the Bungie acquisition. It’s been a mixed bag for Sony. GT7 has done well, Helldivers 2 was a slightly unexpected but absolute smashing success selling 20+ million copies. Marathon is a great game but commercially it’s probably not hit the targets they hoped and then there is Concord and a bunch of unknowns like Fairgames and failed earlier stage projects. You only need one Helldivers to underwrite a bunch of high risk projects.

@darylb24 Firing Herman Hulst won’t change the direction of travel. There will always be some type of live service game in development now. Even Shuhei initially approved development of Concord. Live service is really just updated multiplayer focused games, it’s the industry’s top selling and most popular genre. Ignoring that is not a very sensible commercial strategy.

The trophy system always felt like a nice touch, a little extra on top for enjoying a game. I can’t imagine anything as meaningless as the trophy being the actual reward rather than the game experience.

@Dogbreath Returnal was certainly difficult in places. Apart from the lack of a pause or mid run save feature, what were the design choices that were so significantly opposed to ‘normal’ lifestyles? I don’t know if personally I equate difficulty with accessibility as you suggest with car seats. I always just thought Housemarque were trying to bring a certain type of arcade experience into their games.

Visually it looks fine, who the target audience is, quite another question entirely. Maybe it’s going out on Switch 2.

The headphones are interesting however the H9ii whilst an improvement in hardware quality, especially the microphone the connectivity with PS5 is atrocious. The original H9’s are far better in this regard. Interested to see where the H6 lands for PS5 users.

@Grackler Correction, they remade other people’s games. Which everyone seemed to complain about till the remake studio was shuttered.