@Clyde_Radcliffe The leaked photos in the tweet show black joy-cons, which we certainly haven't had from Nintendo before. As I've advised someone else here, you can freely ignore the headline picture as it's an original joy-con, so clearly very misleading.
@Bydlak You know the first picture is of the old joy-con, right, because the side profile in the new pictures doesn't exactly confirm this? (Although based on previous leaks, no traditional D-Pad seems pretty likely now)
This truly warms the heart, ha! It's good to know we're all in this one together for the time being. Nintendo's feathers never seem to be particularly ruffled these days when it comes to announcements.
I'm sure they'll be ready to make a big splash when 'Switch 2' is 100% ready for take-off, my guess for what it's worth being early February. Look forward to the next one, lads!
It seems all but certain that President Furukawa's mention of 'software' refers to both physical and digital Switch purchases at this point. He would have had to make it very clear if this were not the case.
After all, historically, Nintendo have rarely made such pronouncements without significant forethought and consultation. I expect they will clarify this further in the coming days, as it appears a lot of people are asking the same questions.
The physical version is still perfectly playable from what I've discovered. I mean I can't help but get the impression people are overreacting a little here.
The worst that may happen if you just have the cart with zero updates? In one rare scenario, you'll have to reset your console after a softlock in TR1 and start from your last save.
However, the majority of people will never encounter this and if you have the updates backed up on a Micro SD or two, you should have nothing to worry about.
Remember, bugs like these were often found on the cartridge/disc back in the day, so this isn't anything new.
Seems pretty cut and dry that it's not coming to Switch, otherwise why not just announce it here and make a second announcement once the new console was confirmed?
As it stands, Nintendo is beginning to make things increasingly awkward for developers and publishers looking to announce new games. The sooner this thing is announced, the sooner the whole industry can take a deep breath and finally acknowledge the next generation.
Raye's a phenomenal singer, anyone interested in blues or jazz should check out her cover of Nina Simoneâs âFeeling Goodâ on YT, she has an incredible vocal range. Her Saturday Night Live performances have been mightily impressive too.
@macaron35 Nintendo's main source of income has always been their software, which is still selling remarkably well right now by all accounts, so I doubt they'll be too concerned.
They of course promised an announcement before the end of March at the latest. With games like Echoes of Wisdom having only recently been released and likely to sell well this holiday and others like Metroid Prime 4 still on the horizon, it seems perfectly reasonable to expect a smooth transition from Switch to 'Switch 2' at this point.
@electrolite77 Youâve used phrases like âtheir hardware division is all but finished right nowâ and âcataclysmic failureâ which are just not right. Overall sales are what matters.."
So we're just going to ignore all the recent sales figures and pretend their hardware is selling just fine right now? The current userbase will fast become irrelevant if nobody buys any more Xboxes. That may well sound like hyperbole to you but surely you can acknowledge this sales trend needs to be reversed at some point if they're to continue designing and manufacturing consoles long-term.
Hardware exists as one part of a wider business. Theres a lot of GP subscribers on their Consoles. Further, they donât even need to get to 58 million or be anywhere close to 360-era âdominanceâ for it to be worthwhile.
You seem to think that I believe their whole business model is failing when I don't and have never stated this, my primary concern was for the future of Xbox home console hardware and a healthier, more competitive home console market. If Xbox pivot to solely focusing on PC Game Pass, handhelds, cloud based gaming services etc and leave home consoles behind in a couple of generations, that will clearly no longer be possible.
As for the 'last push for 360-like dominance remark?' Of course they don't need to dominate the market to be deemed successful, that was never my point but it doesn't mean it's not their ambition, however unlikely we may deem it today. However, getting back to sales figures comparable to two years ago and offering a greater level of competition to Playstation would be a solid start and reduce the chances of a monopolistic marketplace going forward.
Nobody knows whether there will be much of a Console market after the next generation but they wonât be going anywhere soon.
Of course they'll still be here for the next generation (As I already acknowledged with my 10th gen remark, along with my inclusion of Sarah Bond's quote about soon to be announced next generation hardware) However, whether they'll choose to leave home consoles behind beyond this period will all depend on sales figures improving on the last 18 months which, whatever you choose to believe, have been extremely poor by all accounts.
Those of us wishing to see home consoles stick around should be allowed to acknowledge this and hope for better, especially with the state of the current gaming industry being what it is.
It can only help the price of entry to the medium if Xbox improves its worldwide sales, especially at a time when Sony is only increasing hardware, software and service prices. We shouldn't ignore the clear correlation between these price rises and Xbox ceding market ground to them in the last couple of years.
In summation, I sincerely wish Xbox every success in the years ahead because us gamers and indeed the whole industry needs more competition in 2024 and beyond if it's to remain sustainable and attractive for future generations.
@electrolite77 Microsoft sold 58 million Xbox one systems and the Series systems are selling at a similar though slightly lower rate. That is not by any stretch of the most fevered imagination cataclysmic.
My comment had little to do with overall sales. It was referring to sales outside of the US for the last two systems, which have continued to decline in countries like the UK, Japan, Australia and mainland Europe, where sales decreased by 47% in February. The overall trend, as well as this year's worldwide sales figures are the major concerns, not necessarily last generation's overall sales figures taken in isolation.
A quote from The Standard in August sums up the situation very well: "On July 30, the company posted its earnings â and they made for worrying reading. The numbers revealed sales of hardware (that is, consoles and kit) were down 42 per cent, an even steeper drop than the 31 per cent decline reported in the previous quarter."
However, even if we look at this generation as a whole, Xbox are more than 7.5m consoles short of where they were at this point with the Xbox One in 2017 and that's with the Series S as a cheaper alternative. Sales peaked in early 2022, so I will be pleasantly surprised if this trend can be significantly turned around before the end of this generation.
Of course, these sales will be largely irrelevant if overall gaming revenues continue to increase, as was the case when they acquired Activision Blizzard. In August, these revenues were reported to have increased by 44% (It would have been 3%), which at least bodes well for the immediate future of the Xbox ecosystem.
Xbox president Sarah Bond's announcement in February also offered much needed reassurance for at least the immediate future of their hardware business: "Thereâs some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that weâre going to share this holiday. Weâre also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What weâre really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation". So there'll clearly be a system of some description to release for the next generation but beyond that there still lies a lot of uncertainty.
Their position in the market as a hardware manufacturer will no doubt continue to come under question due to the disappointing sales we've seen since mid-2022. Hopefully however, these rumours can be put to bed with this announcement and they can get people highly anticipated for what's to come, as I don't believe they can be 100% sure of what their future looks like in this space until they significantly turn hardware sales around.
2/2 Regarding Tango, Tango had plans for Hi-Fi Rush 2, so they asked Microsoft if they could keep that IP and Microsoft agreed and only kept the other IPs, The Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo. They also kept the studio alive until a new buyer came. It's also worth mentioning that the founder and the main producers of Tango, including Mikami's successor, had left the studio before Microsoft decided to transfer its ownership.
No one is disputing the reasons for dropping Tango Gameworks, although of course clarity is always welcome. It doesnât disprove the fact that the Xbox gaming division is porting an increasing amount of its previously exclusive titles to other consoles, which was the primary reason for even mentioning Hi-Fi Rush in the previous post.
The specifics will vary for every release but the broad truth remains. As a console manufacturer, theyâre becoming less and less relevant, primarily because they have fewer exclusives. Now of course that is largely by design but it wasn't always the case. They're in the early stages of transition and this process is likely to continue for several more years.
As they continue to pivot their business model, I donât see them continuing to pursue console production beyond the 10th generation, as their future intentions have become increasingly clear. Subscriptions first, publishing second and hardware manufacturing a very distant, almost irrelevant third. It seems likely their hardware division will cease for good if current trends continue into the next generation. Now that may well suit Microsoft if this new model is successful but it certainly doesnât make it any less true.
1/2 @Banjo- I disagree. On top of backwards compatibility that you did not mention as a reason to own an Xbox, the value of Xbox is a combination of the good things about PC and console, literally having free PC ports with the console version and free console remasters since Xbox One X.
I think we both know the free PC ports thing is just a gimmick that few people take up, either because they don't have a serviceable PC or, as is more likely, they're more than happy just playing the game on the platform they purchased it from, with no reason to play through it again on a computer.
Even the fact you bring this up demonstrates a certain desperation on your part to justify owning your preferred platform. The remasters are a nice extra but thatâs rarely a deciding factor for consumers when choosing a new console, certainly not more than the exclusive games currently available for the system.
Financially, the only thing that matters to Microsoft (and the others) is the revenue, which is very high thanks to their premium subscription and software sales. They earn around $8B yearly just with subscriptions and they spend around $1B yearly just on third-party deals for Game Pass (revealed by Spencer in an interview). These figures don't even include software sales."
We're talking strictly hardware here, which outside of the US, has been a cataclysmic failure for more than a decade now with continually declining sales. However, even Game Pass take up is going backwards at this point, with Microsoft being forced to increase the price by 25% whilst the quality of the games remains the same, thereby making it a less attractive product for consumers.
The number of consoles sold is not important anymore, hence why Sony is making Windows ports. Nintendo was extremely lucky with the success of Switch (after Wii U) and their projects are relatively cheap, let alone full-priced Wii U ports, so they don't need to worry about hardware or software sales like the other two, because of their expenses and revenue.
No company, not even Microsoft, exports goods to other countries with the intention of seeing them being returned. Their Xbox hardware hasnât been successful or profitable outside of the US in the last two generations. Do you seriously believe they throw money away on designing and supporting a console and all the infrastructure that comes with that just to see it fail? Yes, they are clearly pivoting to a subscription and publisher model but even on this front, theyâve had many setbacks, with take up of Game Pass flatlining since the pandemic and the publishers they have paid extortionate amounts for producing commercial failures such as Redfall or nothing whatsoever in many cases. The legal battle to win Activision Blizzard was certainly more costly and protracted than they ever expected as well.
@Toastmaster 1) Microsoft funded a big chunk of Cuphead's development, so it was still big news when the game came to a Nintendo platform. This was never a certainty. It was one less reason to buy an Xbox for those who wanted the game and owned another platform.
2) Microsoft is giving up more and more of its exclusives in order to justify their investments, no doubt in part due to their hardware continuing to flounder. I'll concede that the very biggest titles have yet to be ported but it's worth acknowledging that over the past year there has been a massive shift in their stance regarding ports, with Sea of Thieves perhaps being the biggest of games to make the transition and therefore most surprising.
Tango Gameworks was only closed by Microsoft in June, three months after the Playstation port in March, so this later buyout by Krafton is irrelevant to the point I was making. At the time of release, it was a Microsoft owned property and therefore very much their decision to try to earn back more of their investment by porting to PS5.
@Maubari Most of their valued exclusives, excluding Halo Infinite have already made the transition to Playstation and Nintendo. Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves (PS only), Grounded, Ori, Cuphead etc.
The move away from exclusive software began nearly a decade ago (2015) with the Xbox PC App, day and date PC ports and Game Pass, well before they began releasing on PS5/Switch.
I have a strong suspicion Xbox's next gen console will be their last push for 360-like dominance, before they continue to focus on their expensive acquisitions and rolling out said software to as many mediums as possible.
Because let's face it, their hardware division is all but finished right now due to what most of us would agree were two incredibly disappointing generations. Yet what makes matters worse is the majority of the damage done to the Xbox brand was so obviously self inflicted.
Giving away their exclusives to Game Pass and other consoles effectively killed the Xbox hardware as a viable proposition. If you have PC, PS5 and Switch in 2024 then you're missing nothing and surely have zero reason to invest in an Xbox console.
Microsoft Gaming today only proves the old adage that you reap what you sow, with the neglect of beloved IPs like Banjo Kazooie offering further proof if it were needed of their long held yet seemingly impossible to shake off incompetence as a gaming division.
It would be great to believe they could provide some competition to Sony in 2025 and beyond as it is most sorely needed right now and I suppose with new hardware in a few years comes renewed hope. With so many newly acquired IPs at their fingertips and PS5 struggling for exclusives, I'd like to believe things can only get better from here.
However, it will most likely take an incredible effort from Microsoft and an almighty shift in consumer mindsets to turn this rapidly sinking ship around.
@obijuankanoobie A good number of Rare games on N64 had native widescreen support, including this one. The others were Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Mickey's Speedway, Donkey Kong 64 and Jet Force Gemini.
@Borderlineland High framerates are essential for esports titles like these, when you're essentially forced to make split second decisions throughout every game, whether that be a defence splitting pass or first time shot etc.
It's not that different from FPS games in that respect, in that it can turn what may be an extremely frustrating 30fps experience into something very enjoyable, assuming this happens to be your genre.. which I accept in your case it almost certainly isn't.
@WheresWaveRace When asked about the nature of the new system during an earnings call in May, Furukawa stated that "Switch next model is the appropriate way to describe it". Make of that what you will but it certainly sounds like an advanced iteration rather than something completely new to me.
@FirstEmperor Agreed, there was no way Nintendo would betray it's promise to Switch users like that, just as they didn't betray Wii U owners with Breath of the Wild.
They may make some crazy decisions historically but it's incredibly rare for them to go back on a promise to fans like that. It's one of the many reasons I've stuck with them all these years.
@Ulysses Yep, no point releasing the same game twice with some features taken away when it'll look more or less the same. Wait for the next generation and get fans even more excited about the new features it can bring.
There's probably more than enough ports on Switch anyway. It makes sense to save a few for the next system whilst bringing something refreshing like Echoes of Wisdom to widen the IP's appeal. It's a win-win in my book!
Looks incredible! So many innovative and unique gameplay elements to look forward to! Guess they're saving TP + WW for a 4K Switch 2 release in a few years. Makes a lot of sense, honestly..
@-wc- "what would pique my interest personally is a game centered around English Football where you form a new Club and work your way up to Premier League, drafting and trading players as you go."
You can literally do that in EAFC 24. Create a club with your own uniquely designed kits, choose a stadium from one already in the game with a few editable options and transfer players each season. Start from League two (fourth division) and work your way up. It's not quite as customisable as I'd like but it's in there.
@InTree I'm not sure they do generally speaking, they just love football/soccer and this is the only game with all the licenses to make it seem like an authentic experience.
The end of the season is also the most exciting time for many, particularly with Euro 2024 on the horizon and the game is currently very cheap, so it's naturally going to do very well right now.
Personally, I'm still not expecting a release until the next console given the obvious performance concerns but I expect this may push Microsoft or Nintendo to clarify things sooner rather than later.
@KingMike Oh I was a big fan of the larger carts back in the day, they had some strong advantages that get overlooked, not least durability but it did seem a nonsensical argument in this case unless you were firmly against the idea of a portable console.
Personally, I'm very happy with these small game cards if the only alternative is digital. I guess us Nintendo fans just have to be grateful for small mercies at this point, as much as things could be better.
If the price of these cards continues to fall come the next generation then just maybe we will see more games on the card, not less when it comes to third party ports.
The price of storage such as MicroSD cards continues to fall quite dramatically year on year, so it's far from an impossibility. What's more of an issue is the very nature of these companies and their desire for more and more profit and growth, at the cost of giving consumers a desirable and worthwhile product.
@Axecon I guess we'll see about TOTK in early May when Nintendo publish their financials for the last quarter. It's already one of the top nine selling games on Switch with 20m units sold, so not too shabby when all's said and done.
@NoLife If they were bigger, they'd likely cost more to make not less, as they'd still have to use the same boards internally, just with more plastic on the outside, much like the Western NES carts mentioned in the article. It would also mean the Switch would likely be bigger to accommodate them, undermining its portable nature.
Fully agree with those saying 2004. It felt like a year when 3D games were finally living up to their full potential, with the hardware beginning to match the vision of the developers and creative teams behind some of our favourite franchises. Here are my top picks from that incredible year:
1. Half Life 2 2. Metal Gear Solid 3 3. Doom 3 4. Halo 2 5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door 6. GTA: San Andreas 7. Far Cry 8. The Sims 2 9. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes 10.Pikmin 2 11.Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II 12.Unreal Tournament 2004 13.Hitman: Contracts 14.The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap 15.World of Warcraft 16.Burnout 3: Takedown 17.Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 18.Red Dead Revolver 19.Monster Hunter 20.Gran Turismo 4 21.Viewtiful Joe 2 22.Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow 23.The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures 24.Rome: Total War 25.Dragon Quest VIII 26.Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 27.Metroid: Zero Mission 28.Onimusha 3: Demon Siege 29.Mario Vs Donkey Kong 30.Ninja Gaiden
The 1970's and 80's were clearly great for innovation, with costs and development times being so much less than today, allowing companies to take greater risks. So many new franchises were born which are still around today.
Personally however, there are very few games from that era that I could dedicate any serious time to in 2024, at least in their original form. So much evolution has taken place in the intervening years that has made modern games so much more fun and accessible, so those rose tinted glasses have to be pretty powerful if you're to find any great joy in these titles today.
Honourable mentions though have to go to 1998, for Ocarina of Time, Resident Evil 2, Half-Life, Banjo Kazooie, F-Zero X and Metal Gear Solid, amongst so many others and 2017 for Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, Super Mario Odyssey, Cuphead, Nier: Automata, What Remains of Edith Finch, Hellblade, Persona 5, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and of course, the release of everyone's favourite hybrid console
Having lived through all of these years, it's a very tough call to make but 2004 just about takes the cake IMHO!
@Olliemar28 Just a small error. You state "Final Fantasy fever has seemingly gripped Switch owners to bring Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - Twin Pack back into the top ten."
I thoroughly enjoyed the Kit & Krysta Llamasoft video uploaded on Youtube today, documenting what goes on behind the scenes at the studio before a big release. It was surprisingly insightful & fun.
It reminded me I must pick up a physical copy of Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection, as that is one awesome time machine, clearly made by people with a huge passion for that era of gaming.
@KayFiOS If the next console releases in March 2025, there only needs to be a crossover period of two years for Nintendo's prediction of a 10 year lifespan to hold true.
Now two years seems pretty reasonable to me when you consider the PS4 (A console with a similar install base) only recently ceased production, despite the release of the PS5 over three years ago. The last first party game was God of War: Ragnorak in November 2022, almost exactly two years after the PS5 launch.
The big third party titles like Call of Duty continue to get releases on the system, so it seems reasonable to believe the Switch will also continue to sell and remain relevant for the next few years, particularly given the huge number of players actively using the console in 2024.
Can't help but believe Link's Awakening should be a little higher placed here, certainly in the top 40. It has bags of charm and some nicely refined gameplay mechanics, with a fun story to boot.
Seems like the community devalue it due to it being a remake and having a few technical issues but it would be in my personal top twenty, for sure.
@dcstud Given Nintendo largely rely on their unique IP like Mario and Zelda to sell consoles, I doubt they'll be too concerned about the power of any hypothetical Xbox handheld.
Their hardware specifications have been very conservative since the Wii days, so I see no reason why the next generation will be any different in this regard.
I still don't understand why they didn't attempt to quell the rumours last week. Simply stating that Xbox is here to stay and has no long-term plans to go multiplatform would have really helped to put people's minds at ease.
I still find it a little bizarre that digital bundle console sales count in these physical charts, as is the case with Switch Sports this week, but here we are.
The slim always seemed likely to do well in Japan, though I expect this is just a blip. Nintendo will no doubt be back on top again once the holiday season really kicks into gear.
I completed the game in June, having put in 130 largely enjoyable hrs.
I still rate the core of the game highly. The new dungeons, caves and final boss fights were genuinely fun. The additional items and enemy variety only increased the world's vibrancy. I mean, those first 20-30 hrs were very special indeed..
However, much of the side content felt like a 90's collectathon, it adding so little to the games overall enjoyment or story. The recycled world may have offered greater variety in the Sky and depths but fundamentally, Hyrule was left largely unchanged. This only served to diminish its replay value after so many of us were curious to see its altered state.
I mean let's be honest, topping the genre defining experience of BOTW was never really on the cards. However, that doesn't stop TOTK from being an incredible title in its own right, albeit with some obvious caveats. You can't beat perfection but you can certainly expand upon and refine a great idea and, to all intents and purposes, Nintendo achieved that.
@BingleyBongley @FredsBodyDouble @CR0J0 @Andy_Witmyer @OctoAmbush It's actually a British book series that was imported around the world. 'Where's Wally?' and his various pseudonyms were created by English illustrator Martin Handford in 1986. The books were given different names depending on the region of publication.
Where are the other options? 95hrs in with 90 shrines and just the Spirit Temple and Ganondorf to go. Then I'll be done. And wow, what a ride!
Those saying they've played 200hrs and it was a huge slog, well.. more fool them. This game was designed with lots of extra side content that no one forced you to complete but man, are they are a nice bonus if you choose to come back to the game later.
The depths, sky islands and side quests all fit into this category to a large degree whilst also playing a significant role in the main story.
If people are too blind to see that investing too much time into something won't diminish the experience, then that's on them.
I for one had a blast! It's not difficult to see why the game took so long to develop, given the programming required to seamlessly join up the three layers of the world whilst also creating a very complex Ascend ability that needs to be implemented consistently across the entire map.
Huge respect has to go to Nintendo for this alone! Now, once my 100 hrs with the game is almost over, I'll be excited to see what they have up their sleeves for us going forward.
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Re: Rumour: New 'Switch 2' Photos Show Off A Very Legit-Looking Joy-Con
@Clyde_Radcliffe The leaked photos in the tweet show black joy-cons, which we certainly haven't had from Nintendo before. As I've advised someone else here, you can freely ignore the headline picture as it's an original joy-con, so clearly very misleading.
Re: Rumour: New 'Switch 2' Photos Show Off A Very Legit-Looking Joy-Con
@Bydlak Yes, it's a little misleading. Seems like one or two others above made the same assumption, so you're not alone.
Re: Rumour: New 'Switch 2' Photos Show Off A Very Legit-Looking Joy-Con
@Bydlak You know the first picture is of the old joy-con, right, because the side profile in the new pictures doesn't exactly confirm this? (Although based on previous leaks, no traditional D-Pad seems pretty likely now)
Re: Rumour: New 'Switch 2' Photos Show Off A Very Legit-Looking Joy-Con
So these are the parts of the retail unit that have now been supposedly leaked:
At this point, it looks like we're going to own this console before Nintendo even announces it! đ
Re: Feature: Biggest Nintendo Gaming Anniversaries Of 2025
Looking forward to Mario's 40th in September, with hopefully something special on the horizon. A Galaxy 2 remaster would be very nice.
Re: Accessory Maker Genki To Discuss 'Switch 2' Info And Products At CES 2025
"Happy to discuss any Switch 2 info we may have as well as the stuff we're making for it."
I'm sure Nintendo will be at least equally happy.. to see you in court! đ
Re: Video: Let's Discuss The Big Question: What The Heck Is Happening At Nintendo Right Now?
This truly warms the heart, ha! It's good to know we're all in this one together for the time being. Nintendo's feathers never seem to be particularly ruffled these days when it comes to announcements.
I'm sure they'll be ready to make a big splash when 'Switch 2' is 100% ready for take-off, my guess for what it's worth being early February. Look forward to the next one, lads!
Re: It's Official, 'Switch 2' Will Be Backwards Compatible
It seems all but certain that President Furukawa's mention of 'software' refers to both physical and digital Switch purchases at this point. He would have had to make it very clear if this were not the case.
After all, historically, Nintendo have rarely made such pronouncements without significant forethought and consultation. I expect they will clarify this further in the coming days, as it appears a lot of people are asking the same questions.
Re: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Update 4 Now Available, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
The physical version is still perfectly playable from what I've discovered. I mean I can't help but get the impression people are overreacting a little here.
The worst that may happen if you just have the cart with zero updates? In one rare scenario, you'll have to reset your console after a softlock in TR1 and start from your last save.
However, the majority of people will never encounter this and if you have the updates backed up on a Micro SD or two, you should have nothing to worry about.
Remember, bugs like these were often found on the cartridge/disc back in the day, so this isn't anything new.
Re: Yooka-Replaylee Remaster Officially Confirmed For 'Nintendo Platforms'
Seems pretty cut and dry that it's not coming to Switch, otherwise why not just announce it here and make a second announcement once the new console was confirmed?
As it stands, Nintendo is beginning to make things increasingly awkward for developers and publishers looking to announce new games. The sooner this thing is announced, the sooner the whole industry can take a deep breath and finally acknowledge the next generation.
Re: Nintendo UK's Latest Switch Advert Shows Just How Little We Know About Pop Music
Raye's a phenomenal singer, anyone interested in blues or jazz should check out her cover of Nina Simoneâs âFeeling Goodâ on YT, she has an incredible vocal range. Her Saturday Night Live performances have been mightily impressive too.
Re: Anniversary: 8 Years Since Nintendo Unveiled Switch, The World Awaits The Next Reveal
@macaron35 Nintendo's main source of income has always been their software, which is still selling remarkably well right now by all accounts, so I doubt they'll be too concerned.
They of course promised an announcement before the end of March at the latest. With games like Echoes of Wisdom having only recently been released and likely to sell well this holiday and others like Metroid Prime 4 still on the horizon, it seems perfectly reasonable to expect a smooth transition from Switch to 'Switch 2' at this point.
Re: Xbox Studio Rare Excited About The Return Of Banjo-Tooie Next Week
@electrolite77 Youâve used phrases like âtheir hardware division is all but finished right nowâ and âcataclysmic failureâ which are just not right. Overall sales are what matters.."
So we're just going to ignore all the recent sales figures and pretend their hardware is selling just fine right now? The current userbase will fast become irrelevant if nobody buys any more Xboxes. That may well sound like hyperbole to you but surely you can acknowledge this sales trend needs to be reversed at some point if they're to continue designing and manufacturing consoles long-term.
Hardware exists as one part of a wider business. Theres a lot of GP subscribers on their Consoles. Further, they donât even need to get to 58 million or be anywhere close to 360-era âdominanceâ for it to be worthwhile.
You seem to think that I believe their whole business model is failing when I don't and have never stated this, my primary concern was for the future of Xbox home console hardware and a healthier, more competitive home console market. If Xbox pivot to solely focusing on PC Game Pass, handhelds, cloud based gaming services etc and leave home consoles behind in a couple of generations, that will clearly no longer be possible.
As for the 'last push for 360-like dominance remark?' Of course they don't need to dominate the market to be deemed successful, that was never my point but it doesn't mean it's not their ambition, however unlikely we may deem it today. However, getting back to sales figures comparable to two years ago and offering a greater level of competition to Playstation would be a solid start and reduce the chances of a monopolistic marketplace going forward.
Nobody knows whether there will be much of a Console market after the next generation but they wonât be going anywhere soon.
Of course they'll still be here for the next generation (As I already acknowledged with my 10th gen remark, along with my inclusion of Sarah Bond's quote about soon to be announced next generation hardware) However, whether they'll choose to leave home consoles behind beyond this period will all depend on sales figures improving on the last 18 months which, whatever you choose to believe, have been extremely poor by all accounts.
Those of us wishing to see home consoles stick around should be allowed to acknowledge this and hope for better, especially with the state of the current gaming industry being what it is.
It can only help the price of entry to the medium if Xbox improves its worldwide sales, especially at a time when Sony is only increasing hardware, software and service prices. We shouldn't ignore the clear correlation between these price rises and Xbox ceding market ground to them in the last couple of years.
In summation, I sincerely wish Xbox every success in the years ahead because us gamers and indeed the whole industry needs more competition in 2024 and beyond if it's to remain sustainable and attractive for future generations.
Re: Xbox Studio Rare Excited About The Return Of Banjo-Tooie Next Week
@electrolite77 Microsoft sold 58 million Xbox one systems and the Series systems are selling at a similar though slightly lower rate. That is not by any stretch of the most fevered imagination cataclysmic.
My comment had little to do with overall sales. It was referring to sales outside of the US for the last two systems, which have continued to decline in countries like the UK, Japan, Australia and mainland Europe, where sales decreased by 47% in February. The overall trend, as well as this year's worldwide sales figures are the major concerns, not necessarily last generation's overall sales figures taken in isolation.
A quote from The Standard in August sums up the situation very well: "On July 30, the company posted its earnings â and they made for worrying reading. The numbers revealed sales of hardware (that is, consoles and kit) were down 42 per cent, an even steeper drop than the 31 per cent decline reported in the previous quarter."
However, even if we look at this generation as a whole, Xbox are more than 7.5m consoles short of where they were at this point with the Xbox One in 2017 and that's with the Series S as a cheaper alternative. Sales peaked in early 2022, so I will be pleasantly surprised if this trend can be significantly turned around before the end of this generation.
Of course, these sales will be largely irrelevant if overall gaming revenues continue to increase, as was the case when they acquired Activision Blizzard. In August, these revenues were reported to have increased by 44% (It would have been 3%), which at least bodes well for the immediate future of the Xbox ecosystem.
Xbox president Sarah Bond's announcement in February also offered much needed reassurance for at least the immediate future of their hardware business: "Thereâs some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that weâre going to share this holiday. Weâre also invested in the next-generation roadmap. What weâre really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation". So there'll clearly be a system of some description to release for the next generation but beyond that there still lies a lot of uncertainty.
Their position in the market as a hardware manufacturer will no doubt continue to come under question due to the disappointing sales we've seen since mid-2022. Hopefully however, these rumours can be put to bed with this announcement and they can get people highly anticipated for what's to come, as I don't believe they can be 100% sure of what their future looks like in this space until they significantly turn hardware sales around.
Re: Xbox Studio Rare Excited About The Return Of Banjo-Tooie Next Week
2/2
Regarding Tango, Tango had plans for Hi-Fi Rush 2, so they asked Microsoft if they could keep that IP and Microsoft agreed and only kept the other IPs, The Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo. They also kept the studio alive until a new buyer came. It's also worth mentioning that the founder and the main producers of Tango, including Mikami's successor, had left the studio before Microsoft decided to transfer its ownership.
No one is disputing the reasons for dropping Tango Gameworks, although of course clarity is always welcome. It doesnât disprove the fact that the Xbox gaming division is porting an increasing amount of its previously exclusive titles to other consoles, which was the primary reason for even mentioning Hi-Fi Rush in the previous post.
The specifics will vary for every release but the broad truth remains. As a console manufacturer, theyâre becoming less and less relevant, primarily because they have fewer exclusives. Now of course that is largely by design but it wasn't always the case. They're in the early stages of transition and this process is likely to continue for several more years.
As they continue to pivot their business model, I donât see them continuing to pursue console production beyond the 10th generation, as their future intentions have become increasingly clear. Subscriptions first, publishing second and hardware manufacturing a very distant, almost irrelevant third. It seems likely their hardware division will cease for good if current trends continue into the next generation. Now that may well suit Microsoft if this new model is successful but it certainly doesnât make it any less true.
Re: Xbox Studio Rare Excited About The Return Of Banjo-Tooie Next Week
1/2 @Banjo- I disagree. On top of backwards compatibility that you did not mention as a reason to own an Xbox, the value of Xbox is a combination of the good things about PC and console, literally having free PC ports with the console version and free console remasters since Xbox One X.
I think we both know the free PC ports thing is just a gimmick that few people take up, either because they don't have a serviceable PC or, as is more likely, they're more than happy just playing the game on the platform they purchased it from, with no reason to play through it again on a computer.
Even the fact you bring this up demonstrates a certain desperation on your part to justify owning your preferred platform. The remasters are a nice extra but thatâs rarely a deciding factor for consumers when choosing a new console, certainly not more than the exclusive games currently available for the system.
Financially, the only thing that matters to Microsoft (and the others) is the revenue, which is very high thanks to their premium subscription and software sales. They earn around $8B yearly just with subscriptions and they spend around $1B yearly just on third-party deals for Game Pass (revealed by Spencer in an interview). These figures don't even include software sales."
We're talking strictly hardware here, which outside of the US, has been a cataclysmic failure for more than a decade now with continually declining sales. However, even Game Pass take up is going backwards at this point, with Microsoft being forced to increase the price by 25% whilst the quality of the games remains the same, thereby making it a less attractive product for consumers.
The number of consoles sold is not important anymore, hence why Sony is making Windows ports. Nintendo was extremely lucky with the success of Switch (after Wii U) and their projects are relatively cheap, let alone full-priced Wii U ports, so they don't need to worry about hardware or software sales like the other two, because of their expenses and revenue.
No company, not even Microsoft, exports goods to other countries with the intention of seeing them being returned. Their Xbox hardware hasnât been successful or profitable outside of the US in the last two generations. Do you seriously believe they throw money away on designing and supporting a console and all the infrastructure that comes with that just to see it fail? Yes, they are clearly pivoting to a subscription and publisher model but even on this front, theyâve had many setbacks, with take up of Game Pass flatlining since the pandemic and the publishers they have paid extortionate amounts for producing commercial failures such as Redfall or nothing whatsoever in many cases. The legal battle to win Activision Blizzard was certainly more costly and protracted than they ever expected as well.
Re: Xbox Studio Rare Excited About The Return Of Banjo-Tooie Next Week
@Toastmaster 1) Microsoft funded a big chunk of Cuphead's development, so it was still big news when the game came to a Nintendo platform. This was never a certainty. It was one less reason to buy an Xbox for those who wanted the game and owned another platform.
2) Microsoft is giving up more and more of its exclusives in order to justify their investments, no doubt in part due to their hardware continuing to flounder. I'll concede that the very biggest titles have yet to be ported but it's worth acknowledging that over the past year there has been a massive shift in their stance regarding ports, with Sea of Thieves perhaps being the biggest of games to make the transition and therefore most surprising.
Tango Gameworks was only closed by Microsoft in June, three months after the Playstation port in March, so this later buyout by Krafton is irrelevant to the point I was making. At the time of release, it was a Microsoft owned property and therefore very much their decision to try to earn back more of their investment by porting to PS5.
Re: Xbox Studio Rare Excited About The Return Of Banjo-Tooie Next Week
@Maubari Most of their valued exclusives, excluding Halo Infinite have already made the transition to Playstation and Nintendo. Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves (PS only), Grounded, Ori, Cuphead etc.
The move away from exclusive software began nearly a decade ago (2015) with the Xbox PC App, day and date PC ports and Game Pass, well before they began releasing on PS5/Switch.
I have a strong suspicion Xbox's next gen console will be their last push for 360-like dominance, before they continue to focus on their expensive acquisitions and rolling out said software to as many mediums as possible.
Because let's face it, their hardware division is all but finished right now due to what most of us would agree were two incredibly disappointing generations. Yet what makes matters worse is the majority of the damage done to the Xbox brand was so obviously self inflicted.
Giving away their exclusives to Game Pass and other consoles effectively killed the Xbox hardware as a viable proposition. If you have PC, PS5 and Switch in 2024 then you're missing nothing and surely have zero reason to invest in an Xbox console.
Microsoft Gaming today only proves the old adage that you reap what you sow, with the neglect of beloved IPs like Banjo Kazooie offering further proof if it were needed of their long held yet seemingly impossible to shake off incompetence as a gaming division.
It would be great to believe they could provide some competition to Sony in 2025 and beyond as it is most sorely needed right now and I suppose with new hardware in a few years comes renewed hope. With so many newly acquired IPs at their fingertips and PS5 struggling for exclusives, I'd like to believe things can only get better from here.
However, it will most likely take an incredible effort from Microsoft and an almighty shift in consumer mindsets to turn this rapidly sinking ship around.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's N64 Library Next Week
@obijuankanoobie A good number of Rare games on N64 had native widescreen support, including this one. The others were Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Mickey's Speedway, Donkey Kong 64 and Jet Force Gemini.
Re: Review: EA Sports FC 25 (Switch) - The New Best Football Game On Switch
@Borderlineland High framerates are essential for esports titles like these, when you're essentially forced to make split second decisions throughout every game, whether that be a defence splitting pass or first time shot etc.
It's not that different from FPS games in that respect, in that it can turn what may be an extremely frustrating 30fps experience into something very enjoyable, assuming this happens to be your genre.. which I accept in your case it almost certainly isn't.
Re: Random: Someone 3D Printed The Rumoured 'Switch 2' Design
That new magnetic 'click' Switch animation was a nice touch.
Re: Rumour: Supposed 'Switch 2' Design Photos And Specs Surface Online
@WheresWaveRace When asked about the nature of the new system during an earnings call in May, Furukawa stated that "Switch next model is the appropriate way to describe it". Make of that what you will but it certainly sounds like an advanced iteration rather than something completely new to me.
Re: Nintendo Switch Online Gets Four New Additions Today, Including Zelda, Metroid, And Perfect Dark
So looking forward to Perfect Dark, having loved every second of it back in the day and then playing it again on 360.
The continued cooperation between Microsoft and Nintendo re. old IPs is clearly continuing to bear fruit.
Back to Datadyne we go!!
Re: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Confirmed For Switch, Launching 2025
@FirstEmperor Agreed, there was no way Nintendo would betray it's promise to Switch users like that, just as they didn't betray Wii U owners with Breath of the Wild.
They may make some crazy decisions historically but it's incredibly rare for them to go back on a promise to fans like that. It's one of the many reasons I've stuck with them all these years.
Re: New 2D Adventure 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom' Announced For This September
@Ulysses Yep, no point releasing the same game twice with some features taken away when it'll look more or less the same. Wait for the next generation and get fans even more excited about the new features it can bring.
There's probably more than enough ports on Switch anyway. It makes sense to save a few for the next system whilst bringing something refreshing like Echoes of Wisdom to widen the IP's appeal. It's a win-win in my book!
Re: New 2D Adventure 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom' Announced For This September
Looks incredible! So many innovative and unique gameplay elements to look forward to! Guess they're saving TP + WW for a 4K Switch 2 release in a few years. Makes a lot of sense, honestly..
Re: Rumour: 2K Secures License To FIFA And Will Develop The Next Game
@-wc- "what would pique my interest personally is a game centered around English Football where you form a new Club and work your way up to Premier League, drafting and trading players as you go."
You can literally do that in EAFC 24. Create a club with your own uniquely designed kits, choose a stadium from one already in the game with a few editable options and transfer players each season. Start from League two (fourth division) and work your way up. It's not quite as customisable as I'd like but it's in there.
Re: UK Charts: The Usual Suspects Pad Out A Quiet Week Ahead Of Paper Mario
@InTree I'm not sure they do generally speaking, they just love football/soccer and this is the only game with all the licenses to make it seem like an authentic experience.
The end of the season is also the most exciting time for many, particularly with Euro 2024 on the horizon and the game is currently very cheap, so it's naturally going to do very well right now.
Re: Ratings Board PEGI Lists Hi-Fi Rush For Nintendo Switch
This could mean anything at this point.
Personally, I'm still not expecting a release until the next console given the obvious performance concerns but I expect this may push Microsoft or Nintendo to clarify things sooner rather than later.
Re: Random: Here's What's Inside A Switch Cart
@KingMike Oh I was a big fan of the larger carts back in the day, they had some strong advantages that get overlooked, not least durability but it did seem a nonsensical argument in this case unless you were firmly against the idea of a portable console.
Personally, I'm very happy with these small game cards if the only alternative is digital. I guess us Nintendo fans just have to be grateful for small mercies at this point, as much as things could be better.
If the price of these cards continues to fall come the next generation then just maybe we will see more games on the card, not less when it comes to third party ports.
The price of storage such as MicroSD cards continues to fall quite dramatically year on year, so it's far from an impossibility. What's more of an issue is the very nature of these companies and their desire for more and more profit and growth, at the cost of giving consumers a desirable and worthwhile product.
Re: UK Charts: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Speeds Into Pole Position, Once Again
@Axecon I guess we'll see about TOTK in early May when Nintendo publish their financials for the last quarter. It's already one of the top nine selling games on Switch with 20m units sold, so not too shabby when all's said and done.
Re: Random: Here's What's Inside A Switch Cart
@NoLife If they were bigger, they'd likely cost more to make not less, as they'd still have to use the same boards internally, just with more plastic on the outside, much like the Western NES carts mentioned in the article. It would also mean the Switch would likely be bigger to accommodate them, undermining its portable nature.
Re: Random: Sakurai Talks About "The Most Incredible Year For The Game Industry"
Fully agree with those saying 2004. It felt like a year when 3D games were finally living up to their full potential, with the hardware beginning to match the vision of the developers and creative teams behind some of our favourite franchises. Here are my top picks from that incredible year:
1. Half Life 2
2. Metal Gear Solid 3
3. Doom 3
4. Halo 2
5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
6. GTA: San Andreas
7. Far Cry
8. The Sims 2
9. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes
10.Pikmin 2
11.Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II
12.Unreal Tournament 2004
13.Hitman: Contracts
14.The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
15.World of Warcraft
16.Burnout 3: Takedown
17.Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
18.Red Dead Revolver
19.Monster Hunter
20.Gran Turismo 4
21.Viewtiful Joe 2
22.Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
23.The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
24.Rome: Total War
25.Dragon Quest VIII
26.Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
27.Metroid: Zero Mission
28.Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
29.Mario Vs Donkey Kong
30.Ninja Gaiden
The 1970's and 80's were clearly great for innovation, with costs and development times being so much less than today, allowing companies to take greater risks. So many new franchises were born which are still around today.
Personally however, there are very few games from that era that I could dedicate any serious time to in 2024, at least in their original form. So much evolution has taken place in the intervening years that has made modern games so much more fun and accessible, so those rose tinted glasses have to be pretty powerful if you're to find any great joy in these titles today.
Honourable mentions though have to go to 1998, for Ocarina of Time, Resident Evil 2, Half-Life, Banjo Kazooie, F-Zero X and Metal Gear Solid, amongst so many others and 2017 for Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, Super Mario Odyssey, Cuphead, Nier: Automata, What Remains of Edith Finch, Hellblade, Persona 5, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and of course, the release of everyone's favourite hybrid console
Having lived through all of these years, it's a very tough call to make but 2004 just about takes the cake IMHO!
Re: Poll: So, Do You Prefer Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Or Tears Of The Kingdom?
@Thumbsofsteel Age of Calamity đ
Re: UK Charts: Princess Peach: Showtime Can't Usurp EA From Its Throne
@Olliemar28 Just a small error. You state "Final Fantasy fever has seemingly gripped Switch owners to bring Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - Twin Pack back into the top ten."
It's at no. 28 đ
Re: Review: Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Switch) - A Dazzling Trip Into A (Gold) Master's Mind
I thoroughly enjoyed the Kit & Krysta Llamasoft video uploaded on Youtube today, documenting what goes on behind the scenes at the studio before a big release. It was surprisingly insightful & fun.
It reminded me I must pick up a physical copy of Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection, as that is one awesome time machine, clearly made by people with a huge passion for that era of gaming.
Re: Anniversary: Switch Turns Seven Today, With Over 11,000 Games On The eShop
@KayFiOS If the next console releases in March 2025, there only needs to be a crossover period of two years for Nintendo's prediction of a 10 year lifespan to hold true.
Now two years seems pretty reasonable to me when you consider the PS4 (A console with a similar install base) only recently ceased production, despite the release of the PS5 over three years ago. The last first party game was God of War: Ragnorak in November 2022, almost exactly two years after the PS5 launch.
The big third party titles like Call of Duty continue to get releases on the system, so it seems reasonable to believe the Switch will also continue to sell and remain relevant for the next few years, particularly given the huge number of players actively using the console in 2024.
Re: 50 Best Nintendo Switch Games To Play Right Now (2024)
Can't help but believe Link's Awakening should be a little higher placed here, certainly in the top 40. It has bags of charm and some nicely refined gameplay mechanics, with a fun story to boot.
Seems like the community devalue it due to it being a remake and having a few technical issues but it would be in my personal top twenty, for sure.
Re: Rumour: New Report From Nikkei Corroborates 'Switch 2' Delay Into 2025
@dcstud Given Nintendo largely rely on their unique IP like Mario and Zelda to sell consoles, I doubt they'll be too concerned about the power of any hypothetical Xbox handheld.
Their hardware specifications have been very conservative since the Wii days, so I see no reason why the next generation will be any different in this regard.
Re: Microsoft To Bring Four Xbox Exclusives To Other Consoles, But Won't Name Them
I still don't understand why they didn't attempt to quell the rumours last week. Simply stating that Xbox is here to stay and has no long-term plans to go multiplatform would have really helped to put people's minds at ease.
Re: Best Nintendo Remakes Of All Time, Ranked
@gcunit I believe the article a few days ago was just asking us to vote.
Re: UK Charts: EA Sports FC 24 Takes Gold As Mario Wonder Slips Into Third
I still find it a little bizarre that digital bundle console sales count in these physical charts, as is the case with Switch Sports this week, but here we are.
Re: Round Up: Everything Announced At The Game Awards 2023 - All Switch Game Reveals & Trailers
Guess I'll be sticking to PC next year by the looks of things, unless there's a big announcement imminent, of course.. đ¤
Re: Fortnite's New 'Big Bang' Event Features A Crossover With Eminem
Get ready to lose yourself in this game guys.. the rap God awaits! đ
Re: Review: The Walking Dead: Destinies (Switch) - One Of The Worst Games Of The Year
Surely it can't be worse than.. (Gulp!) ..The Last Hope?! đą
Re: Japanese Charts: Strong PlayStation Sales Can't Knock Mario Wonder From The Top Spot
The slim always seemed likely to do well in Japan, though I expect this is just a blip. Nintendo will no doubt be back on top again once the holiday season really kicks into gear.
Re: Soapbox: Six Months Later, Tears Of The Kingdom's Sense Of Wonder Is Still Unmatched
I completed the game in June, having put in 130 largely enjoyable hrs.
I still rate the core of the game highly. The new dungeons, caves and final boss fights were genuinely fun. The additional items and enemy variety only increased the world's vibrancy. I mean, those first 20-30 hrs were very special indeed..
However, much of the side content felt like a 90's collectathon, it adding so little to the games overall enjoyment or story. The recycled world may have offered greater variety in the Sky and depths but fundamentally, Hyrule was left largely unchanged. This only served to diminish its replay value after so many of us were curious to see its altered state.
I mean let's be honest, topping the genre defining experience of BOTW was never really on the cards. However, that doesn't stop TOTK from being an incredible title in its own right, albeit with some obvious caveats. You can't beat perfection but you can certainly expand upon and refine a great idea and, to all intents and purposes, Nintendo achieved that.
Re: How Well Do You Know The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
10/15 but not played in a few weeks after 'completing' the game, so surprisingly I don't feel too bad.
Re: Mini Review: Crime O'Clock - 'Where's Wally' With A Temporal Twist, Clever But Repetitive
@BingleyBongley @FredsBodyDouble @CR0J0 @Andy_Witmyer @OctoAmbush It's actually a British book series that was imported around the world. 'Where's Wally?' and his various pseudonyms were created by English illustrator Martin Handford in 1986. The books were given different names depending on the region of publication.
Re: Poll: Are You Still Playing Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Where are the other options? 95hrs in with 90 shrines and just the Spirit Temple and Ganondorf to go. Then I'll be done. And wow, what a ride!
Those saying they've played 200hrs and it was a huge slog, well.. more fool them. This game was designed with lots of extra side content that no one forced you to complete but man, are they are a nice bonus if you choose to come back to the game later.
The depths, sky islands and side quests all fit into this category to a large degree whilst also playing a significant role in the main story.
If people are too blind to see that investing too much time into something won't diminish the experience, then that's on them.
I for one had a blast! It's not difficult to see why the game took so long to develop, given the programming required to seamlessly join up the three layers of the world whilst also creating a very complex Ascend ability that needs to be implemented consistently across the entire map.
Huge respect has to go to Nintendo for this alone! Now, once my 100 hrs with the game is almost over, I'll be excited to see what they have up their sleeves for us going forward.
Roll on the direct!