crispy4000

Fable: The Journey 2 - Even More Horsepower

It's a little surprising Microsoft pulled it together as well as they did. Last we heard, they were nearing 40 million consoles sold as of March 2018. That's pretty respectable considering all the flack they caught before launch and the $500 price tag. Especially before the X, a lot was riding on their own games. Exclusives matter for a lot more if the hardware is weaker/overpriced. Microsoft also needed to prove they didn't need Bungie and Epic's help. But I suppose they did well enough? Meanwhile, the Wii U flopped resolutely (13.5 mil) with arguably a better set of exclusives. All goes to show that it's better for people to be pissed off than indifferent to your hardware. One is a lot easier to undo.

Movies and TV don't have microtransactions. That alone puts games in a different category. There's many more ways publishers can abuse the system. They've tried to without subscriptions/streaming services, they'll do it with them. There's even be greater incentive to go fishing for whales.

Sounds like it's a return to form, but with a few polarizing changes to the board design (10-coin stars, less star stealing). Hopefully Nintendo gives this one some post launch support.

Quite ironic given their approaches with ReCore, Scalebound, Fable Legends, Phantom Dust, etc, this gen. They haven't been consistent with how they treat troubled projects. Every one of them seemed mismanaged in a different way.

I'm wary of the future of games subscription services, streaming or not. My biggest fears about the 'utopia' we might be headed to: 1) Big publishers will protect their new releases by introducing a myriad of competing premium subscriptions (ie: EA Access Premiere), or premium-cable style add-ons to existing services. 2) Season Passes may not be included in these subscriptions. Spending that money on a game you can't play without a subscription is some MMO-level shit. 3) We'll still be paying access fees like XBL Gold, PSN Plus, etc. 'Free' game additions to those services will get (even) worse. 4) Gaming will feel like more of a chore if you try to hop and skip around subscriptions. Gotta get your money out of EA's library before you move to Activision's subscription next. 5) Game design will gravitate even more around micro-transactions and 'games as a service' ideology. It'll be all about fueling addictions to keep subscriptions and transactions rolling. 6) In the long term: price hikes. New games are roughly twice the price of new movies. I think publishers will lean in on that when justifying rates. 7) Used games industry might take a hit as people buy less physical games to focus on subscriptions. Not just Gamestop, but eBay, etc. 8) Mid-sized publishers without a ton of clout would struggle to adapt. Worst case scenario could be a Bandai Namco or Sega equivalent leaving the industry. The issues associated with streaming services are almost besides the point, IMO. I wouldn't expect everything on that list to happen. But it's some concerns.

Metroid Prime died for this. ... jk. I wonder if there's any future for this as a franchise. Now that it's on Steam, I'll pick it up at some point.

Usually it's in all caps.

More like: as if the IGN Vestible, Gamespot System Wars, and 4chan aren't enough . . .

Only true Bubble Bobble fans know.

Final Fantasy is pseudo-orchestral. I wonder what this author would think about the uproar over the DQXI soundtrack.

It's back, but they've excluded it from the promo. Ughhh

So where the hell is Spiderman on Target's website? I'd want to pre-order Smash Ultimate and get that, but it doesn't seem possible.

Those are personal projections. Probably not indicative of the market itself. The title is fine, not retail poison by any means. And even if Zombie Fatigue was a real thing, not just a theory, Capcom Vancouver and Telltale left some holes open for others to fill.

They were giving away free t-shirts to anyone who beat the horde.

I agree, but I'd say the same about most big budget retail games these days. Days Gone won't reinvent the wheel. It'll be an open world game. Perhaps with a slightly more linear narrative thread, or larger focus on dynamic events / AI routines outside of towns. But still, an open world game. The horde is a pretty strong distinguishing factor though, IMO. It's a horror fantasy that hasn't been done justice yet in an open world setting. The numbers are as big as they should be to pull it off. They say they can spawn it anywhere, have it chase you clear across the map, and claim you can lure it into attacking other enemy AI en masse. I honestly don't think the game has to be all that great to sell, so long as it nails that aspect. They deserve major props if this isn't smoke & mirrors. Or to be shunned if it is.

Was funny seeing people jump to conclusions but it is Nintendo's fault for not getting the message right in the first place.

Feb 22nd is a brutal release day, but Days Gone's viewer metrics have been very strong. It's tailored to hit a mainstream audience. Should do fine. Crackdown 3 is the game that really needs to move.

Larger stage presentation: Japanese journalist taking on the horde:

Saving that for Smash to see if the netcode still sucks.

Don't forget DLSS. Essentially a superior form of checkerboarding that is better at faking 4k, with none of the artifacts. Issue is, no games use it yet.

... So 50 hours in, I just reached a big turning point. It's ironic how much this game functions like another JRPG classic. But I really liked the twist there too, so I can't complain. Getting ready for the good times to continue!

Should be out this weekend.