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Not unusual to have several composers collaborate on a game but I haven't heard of any game that has taken this approach deliberately. Should be really interesting to hear the different styles and character motifs potentially collide and blend with each other assuming the narrative does also.

Still not the best selling game off all time, no matter how much you link it to a flawed Push Square article!

I was a bit weary eyed and ready for sleep when it was broadcast live and I proper lost it with those 3 big announcements, it was too much, I nearly teared up during the FF7 'trailer'. Yet 3 yrs later and it feels like, for me, that the legacy of that 'legendary' presser is of annoyance as we are still waiting on 2 of them, although to be fair relatively little fault can be put on Sony for that. Didn't we also first see HZD announced?

Was bored of the game format halfway through FC3, fair to say i'll be giving this a wide berth, even on a sale.

All about Ni No Kuni II for this weekend and the foreseeable future. It's actually the first game i've brought since XC2 was released in December despite being tempted by MHW, and a couple of the remasters/ports, decided to work on my backlog instead. Hugely enjoying it so far.

Think it was more of a problem in the first few years of the PS4 as we weren't getting the quality brand new content that we have over the last few years alongside the relative amount of remasters. However most remasters are farmed out to smaller companies anyway so it has no real impact on the larger publisher who can focus on the new stuff.
There's so many people who didn't own a previous machine be it 360, PS3, Wii U, or from earlier gens, that there is, and should, always be a place for remasters for the console brand flippers to experience.

Given that no digital can really skew these weekly sales charts who knows how well/bad something really did. Interesting to see the difference, for physical at least, on AOT2 is not that much between PS4/Switch, especially given the install bases.
Really looked like MHW would overtake Splatoon 2 physical sales a few weeks ago, looks unlikely now, although i'd be surprised if S2 did anywhere near the digital numbers of MHW, which, pardon the pun, were monstrous.

Was tempted by the Switch version on/around release but couldn't justify the price, felt like a max £20 game for me at the time. Despite the fair amount of support post-release from Konami I can't see me being tempted unless it went to a stupid price.

It does amaze me sometimes when I hear comments about Bloodborne/Dark Souls games being too hard (clearly they've never played Battletoads, Hellfire or Ghouls 'n Ghosts). Sure you die a few times but in the process you are learning the game and the enemy move sets, and it never feels unfair when you do bite the dust, it's always a mistake or being impatient.
As Sammy rightly says you need to find your groove in game and it does require a little playtime but nothing ridiculous. The game is so good (easily my no.1 PS4 and right up there as my fave game ever) it really deserves at least a couple hours of your time to at least find out if you really like it or not, not 5 minutes!

@Hapuc probably using those waste of time figures from vgchartz, pretty sure according to them it was sat at 4.5m just before Christmas. Amazing 1st year numbers for a new ip. Judging from the sequel bait ending Horizon 2 was always intended barring terrible numbers so no problem on that account.

To be fair to Kingdom Come: Deliverance seems to have been sold out most places all week.

@Grim-Tuesday nice, I literally just picked up Persona 5 last week so i'm hopeful it lives up to the excellent stuff i've heard. Bloodborne is easily my No.1 PS4 game and deffo right up there in my all time faves.
Without going too in depth on Zelda no other game has given me the same sense of wonder, discovery and enjoyment. It's like being the ultimate flàneur at times. As an antithesis to some of your mentioned dislikes, I conversely loved the weapon break, and the dynamic rain and weather systems, as it made me think outside the 'open world' box in terms of combat and traversing the 'wild'. The physics engine and enviroment when combined with the 3 core powers is majestic, surprising and never gets boring, as through experimentation I am constantly doing, and seeing, new things, even a year later. Plenty of games have given me freedom but compared to BOTW in so many aspects it was like being in chains.

@Grim-Tuesday I might give an in depth explanation later if you want when i've got more time, but for now because it's the best game i've ever played.

@Grim-Tuesday that's opinions for you, i'm leaning towards it being my fave Zelda game and probably my no.1 game of all time.

Pretty much spot on with the winners, though for the life of me I can't understand NieR not being nominated more, especially in the music category. HZD is an interesting one as it's an excellent game that does everything to a high level, deserving recognition, but without much in the way of innovation. As such it just doesn't elevate those high levels above other games that have engineered certain aspects that touch better.

Really looking forward to this, loved the 1st one. Delays are always disappointing but new release date was good timing for me due to the 'gaming must have' back-up last year as opposed to so far this year and in the next few months.

A touch liberal with the rounding up of the MHW numbers aren't we Mr Ramsey . Still, those MHW digital sales make a mockery of any potential analysis we readers try to make from the physical numbers. It was surmised by myself, and others, that sales were quite a % down on 3DS numbers yet they were about par, or maybe better, when both figures were combined.
These charts are getting less relevant by the month, and without digital sales they almost fall victim to being labelled 'fake news'.

@FullbringIchigo switch is just shy of 15m up to Dec 31st, xbox haven't released figures for ages so estimates are all we have and those put it around 35m.

So that's about 0.4~5 million (ish) behind MH4 opening sales in Japan, but given the worldwide sales, and i'm assuming higher price point on PS4 compared to 3DS, the 'slight' calculated gamble has massively paid off. Timed the move spot on in my opinion as everybody knows 3DS is in the twilight of it's life.

Anyone who has not experienced this masterpiece on previous systems is in for a majestic gaming treat, love this game. Wish that Men in Black device was real so I could play this for this 'first' time again. The OST by Kow Otani is one of my all time faves, have they kept it exactly the same @get2sammyb?

Surely Capcom will be happy with these numbers, I'm sure it cost plenty more on dev. & marketing worldwide than the 3DS iterations, but it seems to have paid off, which is great news (though I thought RE7 did well yet they were moaning about those numbers). Do you know what the X1/PS split was, seen very little from XB while Sony really pushed it with plenty of ads/special edition PS4 etc?

Most of the noms fair enough, a few here and there I would argue for/against, but Nier Automata not in original music makes as much sense as a penguin in a microwave!

It's a funny old set of results when you look look at software vs hardware, i'm sure with off chart sales and digital it's plenty more but those figures have hardware/software at a ratio of 3 to 1.

Just over 90,000 units is pretty tidy for a console that's nearly four in Japan. Is that purely holiday related or has there been a boost in prep for MHW with special editions? I assume they release when the game released but that special Pro edition released a few weeks ago didn't it.

Hopefully 2018 doesn't suffer from 'after the lord mayor's show' syndrome given 2017 was such a stunning year. To be honest though wouldn't mind only a few must have games for a little while to catch up what i've bought but yet to play. Sony got no need to worry about the Switch unless they indeed to have another crack at mobile/handheld as both compliment each other beautifully, although my gaming ratio has been 75/25 in favour of NSW. The only thing I would suggest is to make sure they distance themselves from the controversy that surrounded games like Destiny 2/SWBF 2 etc that some people I know have tarred them with, I suspect given how heavily they market them as almost their own.

It has been a wonderful year for gaming in general and PS4 has been a massive part of that. The previous couple of years I have been underwhelmed by the content on offer and found plenty of time to hammer my back catalogue. This year I haven't had time to breathe between all the quality releases to the point where I bought several games, like HZD, Nier etc, and still haven't found time to touch them yet! The range and variety on PS4 has hugely impressed me this year where I can't see how anyone can really moan that a certain genre hasn't been represented with real quality, in some cases several times over.

Ah that's why the sudden jump in Pro sales, and it was only for a demo, Japan really does love it's MH. Just imagine the numbers for what must be an inevitable edition for the full release. MHW numbers will be fascinating given it's home has been on the 3DS for a number of years.

SWBF2 dropped out of the charts I see.

Super impressive beta, i've often extolled the virtues of MH to my lad but he's never been interested in the recent 3DS games, he never tried it because of the graphics! But he and several of his friends haven't stopped playing MHW (hardly found time for myself) and now all desperately want the full game.

Enjoyed this year a lot more than the one I watched the other year, the orchestra was excellent, reveals ranged for me from 'oh my' with Bayo 3, suprise with Zelda dlc, gloriously bonkers and genius in equal measure with Death Stranding and delicious intrigue via From Software (Bloodborne is still my fave PS4 game and one of my faves overall so here's hoping), and nice recognition for various individuals. It's still a rough gem but it's getting more polished every year and as it seems to attract important figures of the likes of Kojima, Aonuma etc to attend and reveal it feels like it will only become more relevant in the coming years.

@Derpie1 pretty insane really that's still the case, makes you wonder how many they could shift every week and if anyone is giving up and getting something else.

@Derpie1 from what I gather Switch has been low supply every week in Japan, always hearing how quickly it sells out, still holding raffles to just buy one etc. Mentioned a few times how steady the performance of PS4 is in Japan which is impressive in it's own right in light of Switch. Will be interesting to see the coming weeks numbers.

@3Above Whoa there pickle, I never once said Nintendo are 'saving gaming' or PS4 is popular now because of Switch and wasn't before, I am merely curious as most involved within the gaming community speculated PS4 peak year would have been last year yet it has increased year on year again. My point is of course speculation, but clearly Switch has brought a shed load of positivity to gaming retail and the gaming industry as a whole and whether that has translated into convincing people, families etc into gaming for the first time or back into gaming be it through Switch, PS4, PSVR etc. It of course could be a natural curve for Sony and the Switch release had and has no bearing on their approach across the board this year, I also however know a few people who brought a Switch earlier this year having not brought a console since the Wii and another not at all and having had a taste of that also brought a PS4 recently having never owned a Playstation. Based on my admittedly small microcosm regarding console sales I think it is a valid question to wonder if Switch has helped boost sales of other consoles or my personal experience is completely isolated and has no bearing as @Not_Ghost2501426 suggests is the case in his circles.

Quite clearly the Switch has given the industry a shot in the arm this year and as a consequence it feels like Sony has upped it's game in response this year. Rather than being rivals though and canabilising the others sales it seems that PS4, and PSVR to an extent, have benefitted to a point from the early Switch success of putting gaming front line and centre in major news for much of this year. It would be fascinating to know from a marketing side of things if Sony changed strategy/pricing etc as a result of the Switch in the last several months. Whatever has happened Sony gaming division have had a bloody good year regardless.

Insane Switch numbers and by all accounts still selling out across Japan, be very interesting to see how much of a bump, asuming there is one, PS4 gets in the coming weeks compared to it's constant numbers of recent months.

Insane numbers from GT, though I suppose very good priced PSVR bundles helped, must have been a lot of potential buyers waiting for a price drop i guess. I have to say publishers perhaps should be wary of such steep price drops so soon after release. It's a dangerous precedent to set and it's why I have never brought anything day 1 for my PS4 as there is nearly always a significant price drop a few months down the line but this feels like it's been a matter a weeks for some of these titles.

@BAMozzy completely agree with you, the point I was trying to convey was his working out that games are cheap relative to other entertainment is completely static ($300 total spend for 1 game is certainly not cheap) pricing and value is so fluid to every individual buyer. As a lot of people have mentioned there are games that have given me ridiculous value and others very much less so.
The flaw in his maths is that if you watch tv and don't like the show there is plenty other content to watch at no extra cost. Go the cinema see a crap film you've spent several pounds on it but maybe enjoyed the night as a whole because of who you have gone with. Spending £50ish on 1 game for yourself can therefore represent something of a value gamble and while you can trade in/sell a physical copy you can't digital ergo it's value to you can be extortionate if you happen to get burnt by a game.
Basically he can do one

I love how he uses maths to prove his point gaming is cheap compared to tv and cinema but uses a total spend on 1 game at $300 (being $20 per month microtransactions & $60 for base game) to come to that conclusion!

@Fight_Teza_Fight Oh come on you can't surmise that Nintendo gamers only buy Nintendo games based on sales of a year odd old port of a remastered port vs a version that was also bundled in a very good early black Friday deal. Surely a better metric is to compare recent multiple concurrent releases such as Sonic Forces, L.A Noire or Fifa 18. There also seems to be an assumption by some on these articles, and same on NLife for that matter, that the U.K is the centre of the universe when it comes to game sales, fail here you've failed, not to mention the growing irrelevance of charts that give no indication of digital.

Not so black and white as to say attitudes have/haven't changed. There has always been a desire to a certain degree for home console games on the go, Sony just got their attempts wrong, Nintendo imo have got it spot on for various reasons such as timing, incredible line up of 1st party games, ease of use and versitility. It's versitility and ease of use is the key for me and made Switch a day 1 purchase, and that is what has changed peoples attitudes who weren't fussed about gaming on the go, it all works beautifully and is super quick to do so in all it's forms. Let's not forget it's reveal didn't go down that well until people started seeing the thing in practice. It's that old thing about putting something out there people never knew they needed.

To be honest i've only put PS4 on to use Nowtv last month, all my gaming was on Switch last month. Might pick up ACO at some point if it gets heavily discounted but just lost interest in the series after previous efforts, got bored of Shadow of Mordor really quickly to bother with the sequel. Wolfenstein 2 sounds really good but as I can find so much more time to game on Switch I might wait and see how the port pans out.

I proper love this game, a wonderful gaming experience and happy that new players can enjoy it. Has the OST been untouched? Kow Otani's score is one of my all time faves. Very tempted but still playing major catch up this year so we'll see.

The original source says ' "all-time best-selling video game" ever in the US, based on revenue and units sold' so maybe that headline should be adjusted to reflect what they were actually saying.

Well if it's 85m it can't be the 'best selling game' ever, i'm pretty sure that Minecraft has done over 100m and Tetris is at a ridiculous higher amount. albeit a lot of mobile sales i'd wager. Even so it's a stupid amount of sales for a game to achieve and still going strong.

Quite a few things at play I imagine, small % digital for sure, saturation of big games recently must have an impact but for me I think it's been an incredible run of games released earlier this year on PS4 plus the Switch factor that has meant i'm still playing through/yet to play or yet to buy a whole heap of games that are now much cheaper that has pushed a lot of these full priced games right back on my games priority list.

Agree with a lot of the article. What concerns me the most, as stated, is it really feels like multiplayer will be lopsided to those who are willing to pay for it.

Unless I missed it, I never understood why Knack, or Gravity Rush for that matter, never hit PS Plus prior to both sequels releasing. Surely would have been a cost-effective marketing strategy to boosting sales.

Pretty much Snes games for me this weekend and the forseeable future!

GR2 no doubt suffered from it being one of them games just below the level of top wanted games, of which it has been a very good year continuously. I wanted it but always seemed to be something I wanted that bit more.

That's somewhat frustrating given the time-frame involved. Still intend to pick this game up at some point having enjoyed the first one, and when I do so no doubt it will be at a vastly reduced price so I can make my peace with a slightly reduced package. Still those who paid full price and dip in from time to time purely for the online component will be, and should feel aggrieved.

IX is a brilliant FF game but VI is the best closely followed by VII.