1) Sony really does have more system exclusives, and their good games too. 2) MS really could do the same. They just haven't with the studios they already own. 3) I don't see MS messing with CoD. It's a cash cow and is almost certainly more profitable to keep it that way instead of trying to leverage it as an exclusive. 4) The comments about harmful precedent and string of acquisitions, etc. are on the strawman side. That's just standard business stuff.
Really, I see this all as a signal that the gaming industry is moving into a 2nd maturity growth stage, or maybe a 3rd depending on how count things. Gaming has always been a balance between making great games and making profitable games. The very same thing can be said of the movie industry; which is the very reason we get so many remakes. This is why we've seen such a growth of the indie developer, and that's a very good thing. The movie industry also has its indie studios, but the products are not nearly as accepted by the public as we see in gaming. There are the exceptions to this, sure.
Should this merger be allowed? I think so. But, there should be some sticking points, like MS isn't allowed to buy another game dev studio for x years. Must make x commitment on the existing IPs. These kinds of things. There are probably other requirements that should be added.
I haven't liked the direction they've taken the IP in after the split. The graphics have been a major turn off. But, more to the point, Stardew Valley really challenged the genre, and there hasn't been a game to really reach that same bar. That's what they need to focus on more than anything. If they can't at least match the bar, then they better make a game that pays heavy homage to past works with a ton of QoL enhancements. I don't think I'd want to play anything else. Or, I guess go in like a Rune Factory direction? But, I don't think that's Natsume.
I'm watching this trailer, and the only thing I can see are the CGA default color scheme-like colors. Too funny because I was just watching this video about Super CGA too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNsK_F4JlG4
Putting the cyan aside for a sec, this looks like they wanted to merge twin-stick with Hades. That's an interesting combination. But, for me it's hard to get past how it kinda looks like CGA graphic "style" graphics. LOL
This argument again? I'd love for a plaintiff's attorney to prove that game developers/publishers specifically design their games to be "addictive." If I were the judge, I'd ask for a very, very clear definition of addictive vs fun, and criteria to know how to evaluate a game to be "fun" but not "addictive" at the same time. Because, winning the case I would think would require the court to provide a method or criteria on how the developer should ensure their game is merely legally "fun" and not criminally "addictive" per the ruling. Defense attorney would push HARD for an objective measure to be established to prevent future cases - which never happens because these things are usually thrown out or settled out of court.
Kefka's Domain was the first game OST set I'd ever bought. I've listen to it countless times. The music was just so good. I think Laughing Mad is still one of my all time fav soundtracks.
I tried replaying the game the first time it rereleased on mobile a few years back. I'd forgotten more than enough about the game that it was almost like playing it again for the first time. I tried really hard not to use a guide at all, just like the first time I played it on the SNES. Unfortunately I missed a key item to form the ultimate team. D'oh. I debated for a while if I would remember to come back when I get the airship or should I start over and use a guide so I could 100% my ultimate team in one-go. This is the hard part of Adulting. Never enough time to just get lost in a game any more like when you were a kid.
Felt way more Cyber Shadow vibe than Ninja Gaiden. I assume the NG influence means it's going to be more on the unforgiving end of the difficulty spectrum.
WHOA. I didn't know about Drill Dozer, but it's a totally 100% ape of the anime Gurren Lagann. The GBA game design of the character is very close to GL. The gameplay I see here in Pepper Grinder is very reminiscent of how GL starts before the main character finds the mech.
All of that has me intrigued about the game mechanics. Going to have to keep an eye on the reviews for this. Might have to find that old GBA game too.
I really enjoyed it, but it hasn't stuck with me as much as SoR4 has. I think probably because they are different approaches. TMNT is clearly a home version of an arcade game; whereas SoR4 is a console game. They play pretty much like that. That's fine. They server different parts of the market. I hope we see more of both IP.
Bad ports have been true of any target platform. Tons of examples where a console game was ported to the PC and even with highend hardware it ran like crap. Going to a lower spec device is even harder. It's a function of how well the porting team understands the target platform, have the experience with that hardware and how much support they have from the original team to make good choices on how to fit on the target platform.
That looks better than expected. The campaign goal is kind of small. I hope there are no blockers to get it completed. Although, the trailer makes it look like they are already pretty far along.
This almost lost me on Gameloft, and I assumed it would be stuffed with IAP. But, maybe not? "With procedurally selected random events where players’ choices affect their party and future game events, there’s always a new adventure on the horizon every time you play." So, it's still subject to the RNG god. Whew. No point in playing if your whole party isn't going to get wiped out constantly from dysentery every. single. game. LOL
BUUUUT, wow, that price is pretty high. Hopefully they have some better checks so RNG isn't going to kill you on the whim.
Totally fine with licensed music to fade away from video games. I get the appeal, but I'm starting to lean more on the preservation side, and licenses make that so much more difficult. I really appreciate well crafted game OST stuff though. Look no further than nuDOOMs' soundtracks for examples. Lots of large scale games have some awesome stuff too. Even some of the indie games have had some real gems. I'll take that stuff over licensed stuff any day, no matter how popular the song is/was.
I like the concept here. I wish there was a bit more visual polish though. The video looks like it's early access footage before they applied all the tuned shaders. I'll still keep an eye on it since this is the kind of game my girls would love.
Moreover, I LOVE that they decided to do a spinoff to do the Action RPG genre instead of doing what FF did and turn their back on old school turn based combat. There is no reason the two can't both find room in the IP. I'm not a huge action rpg fan, but this looks like it should be accessible. The FF system didn't really click with me.
Imagine what Eric Barone could do with a farming sim game if he had this kind of resources at his disposal. Honestly, he'd probably struggle given how he likes to do most of the work himself. But, it's fun to consider how he might push the genre into new directions while having a AAA level of polish.
ooooh, maybe even just an HD-2D visual on top of his art style. THAT could be interesting and still keep with his design approach. Would you re-buy SDV if it was HD-2D? hmmm
I do miss magazines and guides. There's always that tactile of paper too. But, all of the info is redundant from gamefaqs and other similar sites. If you're in it for the pure nostalgia aspect, sure, and this does look good too. Even like Bradygames and Prima have given up. There are some CE stuff that still gets published, but that's about it. I really enjoyed the book for Horizon Forbidden West. Beautifully done.
This will be a very interesting battle to watch. Nintendo is rather famous for protecting its IP. But, fighting this fight in China is going to be a very steep hill to climb and likely an expensive one. But, I see how it could be a fight worth winning even at great expense. It would set a legal precedence in China about IP rights. If they can get actual legal protection, that's a HUGE win.
While I'm eager to see the game completed, I'm totally fine with him taking his time. SDV was master craft quality. I can wait for that magic to strike again.
I've wondered for a long time if a single -party-member style RPG would work today. There are so few of them. Most games have gone the other direction to create large pools of characters to build your team with. While the variety can be nice, it also leads to heavy min/max problems and building a perfect team. The art and animation here look appealing. The story is likely very much standard trope stuff. That's fine. As long as the combat has something to offer. I didn't get to try the demo on Steam, so hopefully the reviews will be aligned with the final game.
This doesn't add much to the solutions that are already in the market. When I saw this, the FlipGrip came to mind. That one mostly does what I need expect it has one drawback I overlooked in that it has to slide over the volume button. Otherwise it works well. I've been tempting to get a dock and put it on my monitor for tate mode.
I thought I would dig this, but oddly the changing scale on the sprites really bugs me. Like, they couldn't solve some level design and visibility things, so they decided some levels would just be a different scale. That comes off as jarring in the video. The general idea sounds interesting, but I think I'll wait to see what reviews say about this. That scale change is just not doing it for me.
I guess I still don't get what the gameplay is going to be for this. I never saw an article or video about it. I assume it's a monster collecting game, so kinda like Pokemon? It's not a CCG, right? I know it's not their usual RPG stuff.
The release interval on these is far longer than I expected. I hope this 2nd wave is better than the 1st. I didn't think the tracks were as bad as some of the reviews, but they weren't great either. If this wave is also lackluster, then it's evident this is meant to be just a cash grab and not a true continuation of the current game. I think we're all assuming they're putting the A team on MK9 instead.
Geeez enough with the updates to Tour. How about the next set of tracks for MK8? Or at least a date when they'll be out. I knew they were going to trickle out, but the lack of any details is deafening.
Looks like this has been out on Steam already. But, Steam shows it as early access. Reviews say no updates since Nov 2019. News post on their home site says it's left EA on Steam in Nov. That makes sense why no updates (no bug fixes?), but they didn't remove it from EA status on Steam. So, take it all with a grain of salt that the dev may have pushed for the money and may not be paying attention to updates for bugs and such.
Comments 523
Re: 75% Of Public Comments On Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Were Positive
1) Sony really does have more system exclusives, and their good games too.
2) MS really could do the same. They just haven't with the studios they already own.
3) I don't see MS messing with CoD. It's a cash cow and is almost certainly more profitable to keep it that way instead of trying to leverage it as an exclusive.
4) The comments about harmful precedent and string of acquisitions, etc. are on the strawman side. That's just standard business stuff.
Really, I see this all as a signal that the gaming industry is moving into a 2nd maturity growth stage, or maybe a 3rd depending on how count things. Gaming has always been a balance between making great games and making profitable games. The very same thing can be said of the movie industry; which is the very reason we get so many remakes. This is why we've seen such a growth of the indie developer, and that's a very good thing. The movie industry also has its indie studios, but the products are not nearly as accepted by the public as we see in gaming. There are the exceptions to this, sure.
Should this merger be allowed? I think so. But, there should be some sticking points, like MS isn't allowed to buy another game dev studio for x years. Must make x commitment on the existing IPs. These kinds of things. There are probably other requirements that should be added.
Re: Stardew Valley Creator's Next Game, Haunted Chocolatier, Is "Still Gonna Be A While"
Take your time. Do it right. We can wait.
Re: Random: Fan Turns Their Switch Dock Into A Sinnoh Region Pokémon Center
It's not Pokemon theme, but Martina is incredibly talented.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSZCZ7zcn9E
Re: Harvest Moon: The Winds Of Anthos Is The Next Game In The Farm Sim Spin-Off Series
I haven't liked the direction they've taken the IP in after the split. The graphics have been a major turn off. But, more to the point, Stardew Valley really challenged the genre, and there hasn't been a game to really reach that same bar. That's what they need to focus on more than anything. If they can't at least match the bar, then they better make a game that pays heavy homage to past works with a ton of QoL enhancements. I don't think I'd want to play anything else. Or, I guess go in like a Rune Factory direction? But, I don't think that's Natsume.
Re: Lone Ruin Casts A Spell With Stunning Twin-Stick Roguelike Action In January
I'm watching this trailer, and the only thing I can see are the CGA default color scheme-like colors. Too funny because I was just watching this video about Super CGA too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNsK_F4JlG4
Putting the cyan aside for a sec, this looks like they wanted to merge twin-stick with Hades. That's an interesting combination. But, for me it's hard to get past how it kinda looks like CGA graphic "style" graphics. LOL
Re: Class-Action Lawsuit Claims Epic Games Knowingly Made Fortnite "Very, Very Addictive"
This argument again? I'd love for a plaintiff's attorney to prove that game developers/publishers specifically design their games to be "addictive." If I were the judge, I'd ask for a very, very clear definition of addictive vs fun, and criteria to know how to evaluate a game to be "fun" but not "addictive" at the same time. Because, winning the case I would think would require the court to provide a method or criteria on how the developer should ensure their game is merely legally "fun" and not criminally "addictive" per the ruling. Defense attorney would push HARD for an objective measure to be established to prevent future cases - which never happens because these things are usually thrown out or settled out of court.
Re: Anniversary: Super Famicom Favourite 'Final Fantasy V' Is 30 Years Old
Kefka's Domain was the first game OST set I'd ever bought. I've listen to it countless times. The music was just so good. I think Laughing Mad is still one of my all time fav soundtracks.
I tried replaying the game the first time it rereleased on mobile a few years back. I'd forgotten more than enough about the game that it was almost like playing it again for the first time. I tried really hard not to use a guide at all, just like the first time I played it on the SNES. Unfortunately I missed a key item to form the ultimate team. D'oh. I debated for a while if I would remember to come back when I get the airship or should I start over and use a guide so I could 100% my ultimate team in one-go. This is the hard part of Adulting. Never enough time to just get lost in a game any more like when you were a kid.
Re: No Gravity Games Is Handing Out 12 Free Switch Games This Month (North America)
There's a reason most of us haven't heard of these games.
Re: Ninja Gaiden Inspired 'Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider' Launches Next Month
Felt way more Cyber Shadow vibe than Ninja Gaiden. I assume the NG influence means it's going to be more on the unforgiving end of the difficulty spectrum.
Re: 'The Garden Path' Is A Cosy Real-Time Gardening Game Designed For Short Sessions
@KateGray Exactly.
Re: 'The Garden Path' Is A Cosy Real-Time Gardening Game Designed For Short Sessions
What? No PSL? Hard pass.
Re: Players Believe Pokémon Scarlet And Violet's Battle Stadium Is Rigged
Speaking of random number generators:
https://youtu.be/7CKfSpxWDrI?t=143
Re: All Aboard! 'Railbound' Pulls Into The Switch eShop This December
@Bunkerneath I thought the same thing.
Re: Pepper Grinder Is The Unofficial Drill Dozer Sequel We've Been Dreaming Of
WHOA. I didn't know about Drill Dozer, but it's a totally 100% ape of the anime Gurren Lagann. The GBA game design of the character is very close to GL. The gameplay I see here in Pepper Grinder is very reminiscent of how GL starts before the main character finds the mech.
All of that has me intrigued about the game mechanics. Going to have to keep an eye on the reviews for this. Might have to find that old GBA game too.
Re: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Has Been Updated, Here Are The Patch Notes
I really enjoyed it, but it hasn't stuck with me as much as SoR4 has. I think probably because they are different approaches. TMNT is clearly a home version of an arcade game; whereas SoR4 is a console game. They play pretty much like that. That's fine. They server different parts of the market. I hope we see more of both IP.
Re: Sonic Frontiers' New 'Showdown' Trailer Is Just The Thing To Get You Hyped
Calling it now, the sequel will be a Sonic Souls-style game. <weep>
Re: Deals: My Nintendo Store US Releases Preview Of Black Friday Offers, With Switch Bundles, Games And More (US)
Need more discounts on 1st party digital. Would love to get my kids Mario Party, but not physical where the cart will get lost before New Years.
Re: Video: New Switch Hardware Won't Stop Bad Ports
Bad ports have been true of any target platform. Tons of examples where a console game was ported to the PC and even with highend hardware it ran like crap. Going to a lower spec device is even harder. It's a function of how well the porting team understands the target platform, have the experience with that hardware and how much support they have from the original team to make good choices on how to fit on the target platform.
Re: This Gorgeous GBA-Style RPG Is Heavily Inspired By Mega Man Battle Network
That looks better than expected. The campaign goal is kind of small. I hope there are no blockers to get it completed. Although, the trailer makes it look like they are already pretty far along.
Re: Modern Revival Of 'The Oregon Trail' Is Heading To The Switch Very Soon
This almost lost me on Gameloft, and I assumed it would be stuffed with IAP. But, maybe not? "With procedurally selected random events where players’ choices affect their party and future game events, there’s always a new adventure on the horizon every time you play." So, it's still subject to the RNG god. Whew. No point in playing if your whole party isn't going to get wiped out constantly from dysentery every. single. game. LOL
BUUUUT, wow, that price is pretty high. Hopefully they have some better checks so RNG isn't going to kill you on the whim.
Re: Talking Point: Is The Golden Age Of Licensed Music In Games Over?
Totally fine with licensed music to fade away from video games. I get the appeal, but I'm starting to lean more on the preservation side, and licenses make that so much more difficult. I really appreciate well crafted game OST stuff though. Look no further than nuDOOMs' soundtracks for examples. Lots of large scale games have some awesome stuff too. Even some of the indie games have had some real gems. I'll take that stuff over licensed stuff any day, no matter how popular the song is/was.
Re: Random: Valve's Latest Steam Deck Trailer Briefly Shows A Switch Emulator
Let's see.... do I want movie butter popcorn while I watch this unfold or maybe some kettle corn? Either way, this will be interesting to watch!
Re: Tunic Aesthetics And Ratchet & Clank Action Meet In 'Trifox', Out On Switch Next Month
This makes me want a Sly Cooper reboot so bad. Not quite the same game, but the opening had a similar story vibe.
Re: Review: Return To Monkey Island - An Impeccable Encore For An Adventure Gaming Icon
@ozwally If the licensing allows it, hopefully there will be an official trilogy bundle next holiday. Yes, I said trilogy.
Re: Wizorb Brings Fantasy-Style Breakout To Switch Next Month
I can't put my finger on it, but this has a strong Arkanoid vibe for me. Fantasy meets Arkanoid. I kinda dig it.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel - Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
One of the few times I actually think the Western design fits better.
Re: Chroma Squad Dev's Next Project Is A Magical Girl Turn-Based RPG
I like the concept here. I wish there was a bit more visual polish though. The video looks like it's early access footage before they applied all the tuned shaders. I'll still keep an eye on it since this is the kind of game my girls would love.
Re: Dragon Quest Manga's Video Game Adaptation Gets Simultaneous Global Release
Love the art direction here.
Moreover, I LOVE that they decided to do a spinoff to do the Action RPG genre instead of doing what FF did and turn their back on old school turn based combat. There is no reason the two can't both find room in the IP. I'm not a huge action rpg fan, but this looks like it should be accessible. The FF system didn't really click with me.
Re: You Can Now Download A Harvestella Demo From The Switch eShop
Imagine what Eric Barone could do with a farming sim game if he had this kind of resources at his disposal. Honestly, he'd probably struggle given how he likes to do most of the work himself. But, it's fun to consider how he might push the genre into new directions while having a AAA level of polish.
ooooh, maybe even just an HD-2D visual on top of his art style. THAT could be interesting and still keep with his design approach. Would you re-buy SDV if it was HD-2D? hmmm
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See At Tomorrow's Nintendo Direct Showcase?
@Tandy255 Fair point!
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See At Tomorrow's Nintendo Direct Showcase?
Surprised F Zero didn't get more love in the poll results.
Re: Random: If You Enjoyed 'Hand-Drawn Gaming Guides', This New Magazine Is Just For You
I do miss magazines and guides. There's always that tactile of paper too. But, all of the info is redundant from gamefaqs and other similar sites. If you're in it for the pure nostalgia aspect, sure, and this does look good too. Even like Bradygames and Prima have given up. There are some CE stuff that still gets published, but that's about it. I really enjoyed the book for Horizon Forbidden West. Beautifully done.
Re: The Pokémon Company Is Suing Chinese Publishers Over Copyright Infringment
This will be a very interesting battle to watch. Nintendo is rather famous for protecting its IP. But, fighting this fight in China is going to be a very steep hill to climb and likely an expensive one. But, I see how it could be a fight worth winning even at great expense. It would set a legal precedence in China about IP rights. If they can get actual legal protection, that's a HUGE win.
Re: Stardew Valley Creator Shares Another New Screenshot Of His Next Project
While I'm eager to see the game completed, I'm totally fine with him taking his time. SDV was master craft quality. I can wait for that magic to strike again.
Re: Turn-Based Cyberpunk RPG 'Jack Move' Will Boot Up On Switch Next Month
I've wondered for a long time if a single -party-member style RPG would work today. There are so few of them. Most games have gone the other direction to create large pools of characters to build your team with. While the variety can be nice, it also leads to heavy min/max problems and building a perfect team. The art and animation here look appealing. The story is likely very much standard trope stuff. That's fine. As long as the combat has something to offer. I didn't get to try the demo on Steam, so hopefully the reviews will be aligned with the final game.
Re: Train Valley: Console Edition Update Adds Switch Touchscreen Support
@psyraven76 I've heard the first game has a little too much RNG that can make it feel really unfair and frustrating.
Re: Train Valley: Console Edition Update Adds Switch Touchscreen Support
Is this based on the first or second game?
Re: Introducing 'RoTATE' - A New Desktop Stand & Kickstarter Project For Switch
This doesn't add much to the solutions that are already in the market. When I saw this, the FlipGrip came to mind. That one mostly does what I need expect it has one drawback I overlooked in that it has to slide over the volume button. Otherwise it works well. I've been tempting to get a dock and put it on my monitor for tate mode.
Re: Blazing Chrome Devs Next Title Is A Thrilling Futuristic Tribute To Shinobi
I thought I would dig this, but oddly the changing scale on the sprites really bugs me. Like, they couldn't solve some level design and visibility things, so they decided some levels would just be a different scale. That comes off as jarring in the video. The general idea sounds interesting, but I think I'll wait to see what reviews say about this. That scale change is just not doing it for me.
Re: Oops! Nintendo Almost Leaked The Splatoon 3 Direct A Day Early
My kids were too young to get into 2, so this is good timing for them to take their first plunge. Looking forward to the details.
Re: Dragon Quest Treasures Screenshots And Bonuses Showcased As Pre-Orders Open
I guess I still don't get what the gameplay is going to be for this. I never saw an article or video about it. I assume it's a monster collecting game, so kinda like Pokemon? It's not a CCG, right? I know it's not their usual RPG stuff.
Re: PSA: Are Your Switch Games Disappearing? You May Have Too Many - But You Can Fix It
The post specifically mentioned "apps" so I assume he's dealing with homebrew stuff to hit that kind of number.
Regardless, it does show how Nintendo still puts some artificial limits on things for seemingly little reason.
Re: Stardew Valley Creator Shares A Brand New Screenshot Of His Next Project
Pretty much a day 1 purchase on multiple platforms for my entire family.
Re: Logitech And Tencent Games Are Working On A Cloud-Based Handheld Console
They totally lost me at Tencent. Lost some respect for Logitech too.
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass Wave 2 Confirmed For Next Week
The release interval on these is far longer than I expected. I hope this 2nd wave is better than the 1st. I didn't think the tracks were as bad as some of the reviews, but they weren't great either. If this wave is also lackluster, then it's evident this is meant to be just a cash grab and not a true continuation of the current game. I think we're all assuming they're putting the A team on MK9 instead.
Re: Xbox Remaster 'Toy Soldiers HD' Delayed For The Third Time On Switch
Played this on the Xbox 360. It was fun. Probably about time to give the game another shot. I never did try any of the DLC.
Re: Cruise Along The Ocean With Daisy In The Next Mario Kart Tour Update
Geeez enough with the updates to Tour. How about the next set of tracks for MK8? Or at least a date when they'll be out. I knew they were going to trickle out, but the lack of any details is deafening.
Re: Want To See D&D-Style Deck Builder 'Gordian Quest' On Switch? There's A Kickstarter Coming
Guess I'm burned out on deck building. I guess I'm in the mood for an old school turn-based ATB like RPG with the D&D license. That might be fun.
Re: Random: Someone's Built A Custom Mario Kart 8 Arcade Cabinet, And We Want One
Simulator chair? LOL That's not cheap.
Re: 'Robo Revenge Squad' Brings Robot Wars To Switch In August
Looks like this has been out on Steam already. But, Steam shows it as early access. Reviews say no updates since Nov 2019. News post on their home site says it's left EA on Steam in Nov. That makes sense why no updates (no bug fixes?), but they didn't remove it from EA status on Steam. So, take it all with a grain of salt that the dev may have pushed for the money and may not be paying attention to updates for bugs and such.