I’m thinking Prime 4 will be Nintendo’s standout cross Gen game. It’ll release on the current Gen Switch and the Switch 2 will have an enhanced version for it at launch. They have a short history with these things
2017: BOTW for Wii U and Switch 2006: Twilight Princess for Wii and GameCube (although in that case the GameCube version is the definitive version of the game; no Wiimote forced on you)
I’m thinking it’ll be the same with Prime 4. Except the difference this time will be more pronounced visually.
Halo’s control scheme made older shooter controls on console obsolete in 2001. Every FPS since has used variants on the original Halo’s control scheme because it works for controllers better than anything before it.
Goldeneye was a masterpiece of its time. Me and my buddies sunk our childhood into it. But the game’s controls, by modern standards, are terrible. First time I played Halo on a demo Xbox in 2001 was a revelation. Every console fps scheme before it was made obsolete.
I want a rerelease with modern controls and a good framerate. That’s all the game needs.
8 years is way too long. No game should take that long to finish no matter it’s scope.
I do think four years is the sweet spot, though. Games that take three to four years to finish tend to be the best games on the market. Any longer than that and I start to feel like there’s Duke Nukem Forever going on. Any shorter and it feels like Battlefield 2042.
That was on the PC side. Self publishing was a lot easier on PC because the method of delivery, Floppy and later BBS and the internet, were orders of magnitudes cheaper than console.
Nintendo required that you order a minimum number of cartridges for your games (usually 15 through 30,000 copies) and you assumed all the risk if the game flopped. Sega was only slightly less oppressive, and even though Sony was seen as a benevolent savior for console developers, the truth is they were only viewed that way because Nintendo and Sega were so awful to work with when it came to manufacturing. They all had high licensing rates. 3DO was the only company that attempted to emulate the PC scene, with extremely low royalty rates and you could source your media (CD-ROM) from any manufacturer. And we see what happened there.
Ultimately, consoles and PCs took drastically different paths to where they are today. Consoles, especially the cartridge systems, were extremely expensive to publish on. So only big dogs could apply. And it stayed that way until the creation of digital store fronts. But those store fronts are dominated by their platform holders who, while not being as bad as Sega/Nintendo/Sony in the pre internet days, still demand high royalties as a percentage of sales.
I’m gonna try to pick up a Series S at some point. I’ve given up on starting my PC build; the prices are just all over the place on everything.
Only reason I wanna go for the S is because it’ll be my secondary console, where I will exclusively use Gamepass. I don’t need 4K/60 for that. 1080P/60 fits my needs fine, since it’ll be in my bedroom with a 1080P screen.
It’s still a bit of a nightmare in the US to get either of them.
I’ve had my PS5 since launch. Glad I got it then. I have yet to see one in a store in my area of the country. Saw one Series X at a GameStop on Black Friday. Well saw it in the sense that a guy was paying for it.
Unfortunately no Xbox and no PC right now. I had considered getting a Series S this year, but money was tight this winter. Putting off until next year. Maybe we will get a price drop on it if I’m lucky. Or a Gamepass bundle card.
Unfortunately I’m not playing the Switch this weekend. I’m playing Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut on my PS5. And getting a few Fortnite challenges done since I decided to skip Call of Duty and Battlefield entirely this year (Vanguard sucks and 2042 is a broken mess).
I do plan on getting back on the Switch next week. I have a calendar system set up. So I play certain single player games on different days of the week.
It’s one of those few games that feels just as fresh and unique today as it did back during its release. It’s expertly crafted, the story is fantastic, the characters are endearing and you grow to care about them as the adventure goes on, and it comes from a time when Square actually injected good humor into its games. The game manages to be both a serious tale about averting the end of the world while keeping the player upbeat with powerful messages of hope and genuinely funny jokes and situations.
The gameplay is superb, the best implementation of the ATB system by far. The mini games aren’t a chore to play. And it’s difficulty balance is just right; challenging enough to make you refight difficult bosses you didn’t prepare while not forcing you to grind until the end of time.
The desire to interconnect everything, the goal of a true “internet of things,” is being proven to be fragile.
There’s no reason a refrigerator should be computerized. It’s a refrigerator. It’s job is to keep thing cool. Not instant order crap off of Amazon.
My best friend is dead set on getting one. And I don’t understand the appeal. I want the simplest refrigerator possible, which is what I bought. And my refrigerator has more internal space than the one he wants, and yet it costs literally 25% of that one he wants.
But his comeback is “I can watch YouTube on it.” And I’m like “dude, why the hell would you want to watch YouTube on a refrigerator?”
The only good thing about NSO Genesis is that there isn’t nearly as much input lag as there is on the Sega Genesis Collection. My buddy paid for it so I played a few N64 and Sega titles on his Switch.
That collection has a great selection of games, but the input lag is really, really bad. The only games I play on it are the RPGs.
I have that same issue with Contra Hard Corps. The US version is a nightmare to play. The game was balanced around having 3 hits before death. For the US version they gave you one hit. It’s beatable but it’s a complete slog to get through because of that.
I’ll stick with the Contra collection since it has the JP version available.
Back in the early 00s, when you bought an Xbox you bought Halo. It was not only because it was a great game, but you just seemed pressured by some sixth sense to do so.
Same thing with MK8. Even though I’m probably the only Switch owner who doesn’t have it.
Each PlayStation has had declining hardware and software sales in Japan since the high point of the PS2. Consoles have consistently gotten weaker and weaker there relative to handhelds, which have consistently grown over that same time frame.
I agree that hardware shortages are a serious issue with PS5 worldwide. I’m lucky I was able to get on launch day. I’m not sure how crazy demand is in Europe, but over here in the states it’s completely out of control.
1. Yes they do. But Sony’s strength lies in its highly cinematic AAA titles. They are the best in the world at it. But those games never dominate Japanese charts. But the type of hardware makes a difference. Each PlayStation console since the PS2 has had a decline in sales in Japan over its predecessor. I believe one key reason is that portability is key for the Japanese market. You can’t pack your PS5 on a train to a workday that last 12-14 hours or more. They work longer hours on average than anyone else in the world.
2. I’ve never said Nintendo should compete with Sony. I think Nintendo is genius for creating the market they did with the Switch. It has cross age, cross sex, and cross gamer appeal like no other console ever has. The PS5 and Series X are aimed strictly at hardcore console gamers. They don’t have a lot of appeal outside of that market. The Switch appeals to everyone by doing everything well enough to satisfy the market. It’s the perfect secondary system for hardcore gamers (like myself), it’s perfect for women (who have always loved handhelds), it’s perfect for kids (thanks to many of its games; you don’t see many AAA games that appeal to both kids and adults on other platforms), and it’s perfect for the gamer who travels a lot (thanks to portability).
3. The Vita did ok in Japan. Imagine a home console that had the same fundamental flaws as they Vita had? It wouldn’t have even cracked a million units. The Vita outsold the Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and the GameCube in Japan. All three were considered successes in Japan despite relatively low world wide sales overall.
Because Sony has internally recognized the truth that Microsoft still denies.
If your system isn’t portable, you aren’t going to do hot in Japan. That’s the cold hard truth. And I think Sony is going to abandon Japan for the most part. They’ll still sell consoles and games, but they are going to actively give up on competing with Nintendo. It doesn’t make sense anymore to try and sell home consoles there. Eventually Microsoft will get that lesson through their heads as well.
Nintendo owns Japan. It has since the Nintendo DS. Because Nintendo builds the world’s best handheld systems and games. No one else can compete with that. Sony tried twice and despite some success, they still couldn’t touch Nintendo.
It’s going to happen regardless of what Sony does.
Too many people are ignoring the elephant in the room. Japanese lifestyle and culture. Portable gaming dominates Japan. It has for twenty years now.
Nintendo offers Japanese gamers the perfect platform for their lifestyles and home sizes and gaming tastes. Sony’s hardware doesn’t fit that mold at all.
Sony lost Japan to Nintendo during the PS3 years, when the DS took a dump on everything else (including Nintendo’s own Wii). The PSP, while no DS, sold crazy well on its own there. Because it was portable. Even the Vita was a success in Japan. I think out of the 18 million units sold more than 12 million were sold just in Japan. A system that flopped hard everywhere else did ok in the Japanese market.
I don’t see PS5 sales or lack thereof in Japan as an issue. The PS5 (nor the Xboxes) weren’t designed for that market. If they were they’d be primarily portables.
Sony’s 1st party studios makes fantastic games. Just as many as Nintendo in fact. During the PS4 generation Sony’s 1st parties released one objectively mediocre game. The Order 1886. Everything else was either really good or off the charts fantastic.
The one key difference (and it’s a big one) is that Sony’s best internal efforts are directed at Western customers, specifically North America and mainland Europe. They don’t cater to Japanese players much anymore, who have drastically different tastes than Americans, Canadians, or Europeans.
Nintendo’s secret sauce is that their 1st party franchises have cross ocean appeal. Zelda is just as popular in Europe as it is in the United States and Japan. Same with Mario. The only Nintendo franchise I would argue is fairly regional is Metroid, which has always been aimed at Western gamers and has sold most here. It always flopped in Japan.
Sony doesn’t have that level of cross appeal with its franchises. Which is fine. Being an American gamer, Sony’s line-up fits me fine. I love Nintendo as well. Both companies make great memorable games.
It’s just that the hard truth is that as much as they deny it, Sony doesn’t really target Japanese gamers anymore with their exclusives. And honestly, that’s fine. Nintendo has the advantage of so many of its franchises having worldwide appeal since the 80s. Sony doesn’t have that; their franchises are far more recent and were built with western gamers in mind.
I’ve always imagined Knuckles as a black guy ever since I was a kid playing Sonic 3. He has that classic no nonsense street vibe about his character, but he can also be a real chill dude when it’s not a crisis. SA1 really hit that even further with his theme song, his general characterization, and voice.
In Japan no. The home console user base there is a fraction of the size it was 20 years ago.
That’s why the comparisons dooming PS5 and Xbox aren’t applicable to Japan. Consoles bowed out to handhelds there in the 7th generation.
And it’s mainly cultural. The Japanese work longer hours than westerners. As an American, we work longer hours than most Europeans but the Japanese take a dump on us in regards to hours per week worked.
Handhelds fit their life styles. They have awesome public transport; so much so that you can live in the countryside and take a train into a city an hour away and be on time. You’re working an average of ten hours per day versus eight for Americans, less than that for Europeans. The Switch fits the Japanese lifestyle perfectly since you can take long rides on public transport. That’s when they game the most.
There’s a few rom hacks of Zelda II that really improve the game.
On its on merits, Zelda II is a collection of fantastic ideas executed poorly. It’s not so much the difficulty itself, it’s how unfair it is. Which is a criticism I level at a lot of NES games in their original incarnations.
The rom hacks fix most of its balancing issues and it’s a really, really good game at its core.
Sony is still king of the United States. They define the industry here.
Nintendo is extremely successful. Especially with portable centric gamers (I mean there are no other choices besides gaming laptops and those things are portable only in the sense that you can move them from one table to another before you throw your back out), as a secondary console for hardcore (like myself), and they are stupidly popular with American women.
But with the hardcore crowd, Sony is still king. With PC second and Microsoft dragging third in terms of their influence on the industry.
If not for the supply constraint, I guarantee PS5 would be at 20 million in the US alone right now. The demand is stupid.
Truth is, the Switch dominates because handhelds dominate Japan and have done so since the 7th generation broke out. Sony hit its high in Japan with the PS2 and every PlayStation since has fallen farther and farther behind in the land of the rising sun.
The Switch is made for the Japanese gamer. They work longer hours than westerners and are more likely to use public transport for long commutes to work. Can’t pack your PS5 on a train with you, but you can with the Switch. Their homes, especially their living rooms, are dramatically smaller than European or American housing. The Switch takes up very little space on a tv stand. Plus Japanese consumers have always had an obsession with compact gaming hardware.
That’s why Sony has transitioned to mostly focusing on Western gamers. Microsoft is still attempting to get some movement going over there but I don’t understand why they waste their time and resources. The 360 was designed specifically to appeal to Japanese gamers and it flopped right out of the gate.
Nintendo owns Japan now. And will continue to do so for a long time.
Fighting Games: Must be a locked 60FPS with no frame pacing issues or rate drops. At all times. This is due to the nature of combos and links. Especially links. It must be 100% right all of the time.
Shooters: Must be 60fps, but small drops here and there are tolerable. Must have smooth frame pacing.
2D Platformers: This isn’t even a question. 60FPS. No frame pacing problems.
3D Platformers: preferably 60fps. But I can go with 30. As long as it’s stable with good frame pacing.
JRPGs aka turn based or tactical turn based: 30 is fine.
Decision based story games: I actually like smooth 24fps for those. Makes them feel like movies.
I never owned one. I’m not a fan of motion controls.
I got a 360 that year and stuck with that through four red rings. In early 2010 I traded a freshly delivered 360 from Microsoft for a lightly used slim PS3.
The Switch is the first Nintendo console I have owned since the DS Lite.
Utilizing glitches isn’t cheating. Cheating a speed run is classified as utilizing mechanics and tools outside of the game’s code to complete the run. For example, using a GameShark/Genie, or manipulating the video recording.
A “glitch” is a flaw with the game code. It’s perfectly legitimate because that glitch is contained solely within the game code. No outside methods are used.
Another thing, most glitched runs have extremely punishing execution. There’s a number of glitches in common games that are nearly impossible to activate consistently.
VIII is a great game. I had the original PS2 release with the FFXII demo disc included.
Compared to XI, it’s significantly more difficult. At least the PS2 version was. The early game difficulty isn’t bad, but it goes up twenty times after the half way point.
Unreal games can look good if the art style is strong. Final Fantasy VII remake is a beautiful game built in Unreal and it avoids that “wet” look entirely.
I’ve played through both multiple times and love both.
I think Trigger is the better of the two. For the longest time I preferred Cross, but I replayed Trigger two years ago and I feel like my original judgement was wrong. Trigger is the better game overall.
Mainly because Trigger stands completely on its own merit. Trigger has a masterfully crafted story that is explained entirely during the adventure.
Cross’s story is good. Very good. But if you haven’t played Trigger then a lot of it’s nuance is lost on the player. People who say Cross isn’t a sequel are wrong in my opinion. You have to play Trigger to really understand what Cross was going for in its story.
IMO, the central theme of Cross is an exploration of the consequences of Crono and gang’s time travel. One thing about Trigger’s story is that causality events only impacted the primary timeline according to the way it is portrayed. That isn’t how it would work. Every single different decision and event altered would have created a different universe where future events would unfold in unpredictable ways.
That’s what Cross was trying really hard to get across to gamers. It was exploring the unrecognized consequences of time manipulation.
The issue with Cross is that for most of the game, this isn’t really conveyed to the player. It ends up as three huge information dumps. First when the player reaches Chronopolis, where it is hinted at by several monitors and just the design of Chronopolis itself, since it closely resembles Trigger’s 2300AD assuming Lavos is defeated in 1999. Secondly, the majority is dumped on the player by Balthasar in a hilariously long cutscene with a mountain of text to read. Then finally by FATE itself, when it destroys the Prometheus circuit (aka Robo).
I feel like they should have spread this information across the entire game, rather than dumping it all on the player in three specific points.
Not that it really matters though. If the player hasn’t played Trigger, all of that is lost on the player completely.
Comments 461
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Lining Up A Huge Year Of Gaming In 2022
@IronDaughter
I’m thinking Prime 4 will be Nintendo’s standout cross Gen game. It’ll release on the current Gen Switch and the Switch 2 will have an enhanced version for it at launch. They have a short history with these things
2017: BOTW for Wii U and Switch
2006: Twilight Princess for Wii and GameCube (although in that case the GameCube version is the definitive version of the game; no Wiimote forced on you)
I’m thinking it’ll be the same with Prime 4. Except the difference this time will be more pronounced visually.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Lining Up A Huge Year Of Gaming In 2022
It’s a fantastic line up.
Between the Switch’s pure excellence and the PS5’s stellar line up, I won’t be bored this year.
I’m so ready for Horizon Forbidden West and Advance Wars 1&2 it’s not even funny.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Is Getting A Digital Release On Xbox
@BulbasaurusRex
Dual analog is fine when combined with aim assist.
It’s not as precise, but it works fine. It isn’t obsolete. Modern aim assist has done a lot to alleviate the remaining issues.
Re: Square Enix Shows Off Triangle Strategy's Switch Box Art Illustration
@Funneefox
What did he say? I can’t find anything on it.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Is Getting A Digital Release On Xbox
@sketchturner
Controls? That’s the main issue with the game.
Halo’s control scheme made older shooter controls on console obsolete in 2001. Every FPS since has used variants on the original Halo’s control scheme because it works for controllers better than anything before it.
Goldeneye was a masterpiece of its time. Me and my buddies sunk our childhood into it. But the game’s controls, by modern standards, are terrible. First time I played Halo on a demo Xbox in 2001 was a revelation. Every console fps scheme before it was made obsolete.
I want a rerelease with modern controls and a good framerate. That’s all the game needs.
Re: Sonic Frontiers Was Originally Planned For A 2021 Release, But Sega Wanted To "Brush Up The Quality"
@OnlyItsMeReid
8 years is way too long. No game should take that long to finish no matter it’s scope.
I do think four years is the sweet spot, though. Games that take three to four years to finish tend to be the best games on the market. Any longer than that and I start to feel like there’s Duke Nukem Forever going on. Any shorter and it feels like Battlefield 2042.
Re: Sonic Frontiers Was Originally Planned For A 2021 Release, But Sega Wanted To "Brush Up The Quality"
@HedgehogEngine
Sonic 06 was pretty unplayable on PS3. That’s the version I played. It was terrible.
From what I was understand, the 360 release was better.
Re: Best Of 2021: The Term 'Indie' Is Losing Meaning, But Maybe That's A Positive Sign
@Gwynbleidd @Anti-Matter
That was on the PC side. Self publishing was a lot easier on PC because the method of delivery, Floppy and later BBS and the internet, were orders of magnitudes cheaper than console.
Nintendo required that you order a minimum number of cartridges for your games (usually 15 through 30,000 copies) and you assumed all the risk if the game flopped. Sega was only slightly less oppressive, and even though Sony was seen as a benevolent savior for console developers, the truth is they were only viewed that way because Nintendo and Sega were so awful to work with when it came to manufacturing. They all had high licensing rates. 3DO was the only company that attempted to emulate the PC scene, with extremely low royalty rates and you could source your media (CD-ROM) from any manufacturer. And we see what happened there.
Ultimately, consoles and PCs took drastically different paths to where they are today. Consoles, especially the cartridge systems, were extremely expensive to publish on. So only big dogs could apply. And it stayed that way until the creation of digital store fronts. But those store fronts are dominated by their platform holders who, while not being as bad as Sega/Nintendo/Sony in the pre internet days, still demand high royalties as a percentage of sales.
Re: Nintendo's eShop Experienced Outages Over Christmas (Again)
@johnvboy
I’m gonna try to pick up a Series S at some point. I’ve given up on starting my PC build; the prices are just all over the place on everything.
Only reason I wanna go for the S is because it’ll be my secondary console, where I will exclusively use Gamepass. I don’t need 4K/60 for that. 1080P/60 fits my needs fine, since it’ll be in my bedroom with a 1080P screen.
Re: Nintendo's eShop Experienced Outages Over Christmas (Again)
@johnvboy
It’s still a bit of a nightmare in the US to get either of them.
I’ve had my PS5 since launch. Glad I got it then. I have yet to see one in a store in my area of the country. Saw one Series X at a GameStop on Black Friday. Well saw it in the sense that a guy was paying for it.
Re: Nintendo's eShop Experienced Outages Over Christmas (Again)
It was fine when I checked it yesterday. But it was early dawn in the morning.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 25th Holiday Special)
@TheRenegade908
I really want to play Halo Infinite.
Unfortunately no Xbox and no PC right now. I had considered getting a Series S this year, but money was tight this winter. Putting off until next year. Maybe we will get a price drop on it if I’m lucky. Or a Gamepass bundle card.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 25th Holiday Special)
Unfortunately I’m not playing the Switch this weekend. I’m playing Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut on my PS5. And getting a few Fortnite challenges done since I decided to skip Call of Duty and Battlefield entirely this year (Vanguard sucks and 2042 is a broken mess).
I do plan on getting back on the Switch next week. I have a calendar system set up. So I play certain single player games on different days of the week.
Re: Video: The Best RPG Ever Made Still Isn't On Switch
It’s definitely my favorite JRPG of all time.
It’s one of those few games that feels just as fresh and unique today as it did back during its release. It’s expertly crafted, the story is fantastic, the characters are endearing and you grow to care about them as the adventure goes on, and it comes from a time when Square actually injected good humor into its games. The game manages to be both a serious tale about averting the end of the world while keeping the player upbeat with powerful messages of hope and genuinely funny jokes and situations.
The gameplay is superb, the best implementation of the ATB system by far. The mini games aren’t a chore to play. And it’s difficulty balance is just right; challenging enough to make you refight difficult bosses you didn’t prepare while not forcing you to grind until the end of time.
Re: Global Chip Shortages And Supply Issues To Continue Into 2023, Says Intel Boss
@ROBLOGNICK
I actually agree with this.
The desire to interconnect everything, the goal of a true “internet of things,” is being proven to be fragile.
There’s no reason a refrigerator should be computerized. It’s a refrigerator. It’s job is to keep thing cool. Not instant order crap off of Amazon.
My best friend is dead set on getting one. And I don’t understand the appeal. I want the simplest refrigerator possible, which is what I bought. And my refrigerator has more internal space than the one he wants, and yet it costs literally 25% of that one he wants.
But his comeback is “I can watch YouTube on it.” And I’m like “dude, why the hell would you want to watch YouTube on a refrigerator?”
Re: Global Chip Shortages And Supply Issues To Continue Into 2023, Says Intel Boss
@link3710
And then maybe we can find 3080s at MSRP.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Switch Year In Review - Our Stats And Most Played Games
@somnambulance
My PS5 time will embarrass me.
“You have sunk 500 hours into the sweat fest known as Call of Duty Cold War.”
Re: Nintendo Advises New Switch Owners To Complete Setup Before Christmas
@AmplifyMJ
I fully agree.
This isn’t the PlayStation 2 where you just plugged it up and put a disc in the tray.
All of the modern consoles require set up. It’s fairly simple even for non tech people, but it does consume time.
Re: Five Sega Genesis Games Have Been Added To Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack
@Funneefox
The only good thing about NSO Genesis is that there isn’t nearly as much input lag as there is on the Sega Genesis Collection. My buddy paid for it so I played a few N64 and Sega titles on his Switch.
That collection has a great selection of games, but the input lag is really, really bad. The only games I play on it are the RPGs.
Re: Five Sega Genesis Games Have Been Added To Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack
@Lony85
The arcade version is a great game.
The Genesis version is ok.
Re: Five Sega Genesis Games Have Been Added To Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack
@Funneefox
I have that same issue with Contra Hard Corps. The US version is a nightmare to play. The game was balanced around having 3 hits before death. For the US version they gave you one hit. It’s beatable but it’s a complete slog to get through because of that.
I’ll stick with the Contra collection since it has the JP version available.
Re: UK Charts: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Still Leads For Switch In Another Positive Week
MK8D has that Halo 1 effect.
Back in the early 00s, when you bought an Xbox you bought Halo. It was not only because it was a great game, but you just seemed pressured by some sixth sense to do so.
Same thing with MK8. Even though I’m probably the only Switch owner who doesn’t have it.
Re: Japanese Charts: Nintendo Switch And Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Continue To Dominate
@iLikeUrAttitude
Each PlayStation has had declining hardware and software sales in Japan since the high point of the PS2. Consoles have consistently gotten weaker and weaker there relative to handhelds, which have consistently grown over that same time frame.
I agree that hardware shortages are a serious issue with PS5 worldwide. I’m lucky I was able to get on launch day. I’m not sure how crazy demand is in Europe, but over here in the states it’s completely out of control.
Re: Japanese Charts: Nintendo Switch And Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Continue To Dominate
@SwitchForce
1. Yes they do. But Sony’s strength lies in its highly cinematic AAA titles. They are the best in the world at it. But those games never dominate Japanese charts. But the type of hardware makes a difference. Each PlayStation console since the PS2 has had a decline in sales in Japan over its predecessor. I believe one key reason is that portability is key for the Japanese market. You can’t pack your PS5 on a train to a workday that last 12-14 hours or more. They work longer hours on average than anyone else in the world.
2. I’ve never said Nintendo should compete with Sony. I think Nintendo is genius for creating the market they did with the Switch. It has cross age, cross sex, and cross gamer appeal like no other console ever has. The PS5 and Series X are aimed strictly at hardcore console gamers. They don’t have a lot of appeal outside of that market. The Switch appeals to everyone by doing everything well enough to satisfy the market. It’s the perfect secondary system for hardcore gamers (like myself), it’s perfect for women (who have always loved handhelds), it’s perfect for kids (thanks to many of its games; you don’t see many AAA games that appeal to both kids and adults on other platforms), and it’s perfect for the gamer who travels a lot (thanks to portability).
3. The Vita did ok in Japan. Imagine a home console that had the same fundamental flaws as they Vita had? It wouldn’t have even cracked a million units. The Vita outsold the Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and the GameCube in Japan. All three were considered successes in Japan despite relatively low world wide sales overall.
Re: Japanese Charts: Nintendo Switch And Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Continue To Dominate
@KirbysAdventure
Because Sony has internally recognized the truth that Microsoft still denies.
If your system isn’t portable, you aren’t going to do hot in Japan. That’s the cold hard truth. And I think Sony is going to abandon Japan for the most part. They’ll still sell consoles and games, but they are going to actively give up on competing with Nintendo. It doesn’t make sense anymore to try and sell home consoles there. Eventually Microsoft will get that lesson through their heads as well.
Nintendo owns Japan. It has since the Nintendo DS. Because Nintendo builds the world’s best handheld systems and games. No one else can compete with that. Sony tried twice and despite some success, they still couldn’t touch Nintendo.
Re: Japanese Charts: Nintendo Switch And Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Continue To Dominate
@AmplifyMJ
It’s going to happen regardless of what Sony does.
Too many people are ignoring the elephant in the room. Japanese lifestyle and culture. Portable gaming dominates Japan. It has for twenty years now.
Nintendo offers Japanese gamers the perfect platform for their lifestyles and home sizes and gaming tastes. Sony’s hardware doesn’t fit that mold at all.
Sony lost Japan to Nintendo during the PS3 years, when the DS took a dump on everything else (including Nintendo’s own Wii). The PSP, while no DS, sold crazy well on its own there. Because it was portable. Even the Vita was a success in Japan. I think out of the 18 million units sold more than 12 million were sold just in Japan. A system that flopped hard everywhere else did ok in the Japanese market.
I don’t see PS5 sales or lack thereof in Japan as an issue. The PS5 (nor the Xboxes) weren’t designed for that market. If they were they’d be primarily portables.
Re: Japanese Charts: Nintendo Switch And Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Continue To Dominate
@mariopartyfan68
Sony’s 1st party studios makes fantastic games. Just as many as Nintendo in fact. During the PS4 generation Sony’s 1st parties released one objectively mediocre game. The Order 1886. Everything else was either really good or off the charts fantastic.
The one key difference (and it’s a big one) is that Sony’s best internal efforts are directed at Western customers, specifically North America and mainland Europe. They don’t cater to Japanese players much anymore, who have drastically different tastes than Americans, Canadians, or Europeans.
Nintendo’s secret sauce is that their 1st party franchises have cross ocean appeal. Zelda is just as popular in Europe as it is in the United States and Japan. Same with Mario. The only Nintendo franchise I would argue is fairly regional is Metroid, which has always been aimed at Western gamers and has sold most here. It always flopped in Japan.
Sony doesn’t have that level of cross appeal with its franchises. Which is fine. Being an American gamer, Sony’s line-up fits me fine. I love Nintendo as well. Both companies make great memorable games.
It’s just that the hard truth is that as much as they deny it, Sony doesn’t really target Japanese gamers anymore with their exclusives. And honestly, that’s fine. Nintendo has the advantage of so many of its franchises having worldwide appeal since the 80s. Sony doesn’t have that; their franchises are far more recent and were built with western gamers in mind.
Re: Rumour: Could Square Enix's Latest ROM Takedowns Mean The Return Of Chrono Trigger?
@EarthboundBenjy
I agree with that from a gameplay perspective.
The DS version has a better translation though.
Re: Idris Elba Took Great Care Voicing Knuckles, Wanted Him To Be The "Best Version" Of The Character
@Enigk
I’m down for that.
Re: Idris Elba Took Great Care Voicing Knuckles, Wanted Him To Be The "Best Version" Of The Character
@Enigk
I’ve always imagined Knuckles as a black guy ever since I was a kid playing Sonic 3. He has that classic no nonsense street vibe about his character, but he can also be a real chill dude when it’s not a crisis. SA1 really hit that even further with his theme song, his general characterization, and voice.
Re: That Mysterious Voice In The Sonic Frontiers Trailer? Turns Out It's A Familiar Friend
@Savino
Hear this man!
Re: That Mysterious Voice In The Sonic Frontiers Trailer? Turns Out It's A Familiar Friend
I think I’d prefer this engine and game world used in a phantasy star online title.
Not Sonic.
Re: Masayuki Uemura, Creator Of The NES And SNES, Has Passed Away
We have lost an icon of the gaming industry. Rest in piece good sir.
Re: Japanese Charts: Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Stay Top, Big Brain Academy Lands In Top Three
@Ladasta
In Japan no. The home console user base there is a fraction of the size it was 20 years ago.
That’s why the comparisons dooming PS5 and Xbox aren’t applicable to Japan. Consoles bowed out to handhelds there in the 7th generation.
And it’s mainly cultural. The Japanese work longer hours than westerners. As an American, we work longer hours than most Europeans but the Japanese take a dump on us in regards to hours per week worked.
Handhelds fit their life styles. They have awesome public transport; so much so that you can live in the countryside and take a train into a city an hour away and be on time. You’re working an average of ten hours per day versus eight for Americans, less than that for Europeans. The Switch fits the Japanese lifestyle perfectly since you can take long rides on public transport. That’s when they game the most.
Re: Japanese Charts: Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Stay Top, Big Brain Academy Lands In Top Three
@Specter_of-the_OLED
This is Japan. Handhelds have dominated the charts since the PSP and DS era.
PS5s and Series X’s are in insatiable demand in the west, especially in the US.
Japan is a lost cause for home consoles. You can’t compare the Japanese market to the US or Euro market. Totally different buying preferences.
Re: A New Smash Bros. Would Need A Smaller Roster, Admits Sakurai
@Caryslan
I could see them doing a spin off similar to Power Stone.
There’s a series that needs a revival. That game engine was genius.
Re: Fortnite Chapter 3 Goes Live With A New Island, Spider-Man And More
This is the best season they’ve had so far; I’ve played it on and off since chapter 1 season 7.
I’m still trash at the game. But it’s the one game me and all my friends can play together.
Re: Nintendo Loses German Court Appeal Over Switch eShop Pre-Order Cancellations
@sixrings
I see what you did there and I approve.
Re: Poll: What's The Worst Legend Of Zelda Game?
@Purgatorium
There’s a few rom hacks of Zelda II that really improve the game.
On its on merits, Zelda II is a collection of fantastic ideas executed poorly. It’s not so much the difficulty itself, it’s how unfair it is. Which is a criticism I level at a lot of NES games in their original incarnations.
The rom hacks fix most of its balancing issues and it’s a really, really good game at its core.
Re: Japanese Charts: Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Stay Top, And They're Selling Faster Than Sword And Shield
@Specter_of-the_OLED
Sony is still king of the United States. They define the industry here.
Nintendo is extremely successful. Especially with portable centric gamers (I mean there are no other choices besides gaming laptops and those things are portable only in the sense that you can move them from one table to another before you throw your back out), as a secondary console for hardcore (like myself), and they are stupidly popular with American women.
But with the hardcore crowd, Sony is still king. With PC second and Microsoft dragging third in terms of their influence on the industry.
If not for the supply constraint, I guarantee PS5 would be at 20 million in the US alone right now. The demand is stupid.
Re: Japanese Charts: Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Stay Top, And They're Selling Faster Than Sword And Shield
@Anti-Matter
Anyone in Japan who wants a PS4 already has one.
Truth is, the Switch dominates because handhelds dominate Japan and have done so since the 7th generation broke out. Sony hit its high in Japan with the PS2 and every PlayStation since has fallen farther and farther behind in the land of the rising sun.
The Switch is made for the Japanese gamer. They work longer hours than westerners and are more likely to use public transport for long commutes to work. Can’t pack your PS5 on a train with you, but you can with the Switch. Their homes, especially their living rooms, are dramatically smaller than European or American housing. The Switch takes up very little space on a tv stand. Plus Japanese consumers have always had an obsession with compact gaming hardware.
That’s why Sony has transitioned to mostly focusing on Western gamers. Microsoft is still attempting to get some movement going over there but I don’t understand why they waste their time and resources. The 360 was designed specifically to appeal to Japanese gamers and it flopped right out of the gate.
Nintendo owns Japan now. And will continue to do so for a long time.
Re: Talking Point: Great Game, Poor Performance - When Does A Bad Frame Rate Not Really Matter?
For me, it depends on genre.
Fighting Games: Must be a locked 60FPS with no frame pacing issues or rate drops. At all times. This is due to the nature of combos and links. Especially links. It must be 100% right all of the time.
Shooters: Must be 60fps, but small drops here and there are tolerable. Must have smooth frame pacing.
2D Platformers: This isn’t even a question. 60FPS. No frame pacing problems.
3D Platformers: preferably 60fps. But I can go with 30. As long as it’s stable with good frame pacing.
JRPGs aka turn based or tactical turn based: 30 is fine.
Decision based story games: I actually like smooth 24fps for those. Makes them feel like movies.
Re: Video: The Wii Turns 15 This Year, And Here Are Our Memories
I never owned one. I’m not a fan of motion controls.
I got a 360 that year and stuck with that through four red rings. In early 2010 I traded a freshly delivered 360 from Microsoft for a lightly used slim PS3.
The Switch is the first Nintendo console I have owned since the DS Lite.
Re: A Speedrunner Has Already Beat Pokémon Shining Pearl In Just 33 Minutes
@ChakraStomps
That would be classified as a Any% glitched run.
The community around popular games is very well developed and they agree as a coalition to create the categories.
Usually any% is the most popular and generally they run both glitched and glitchless runs.
Re: A Speedrunner Has Already Beat Pokémon Shining Pearl In Just 33 Minutes
@Dethmunk
Utilizing glitches isn’t cheating. Cheating a speed run is classified as utilizing mechanics and tools outside of the game’s code to complete the run. For example, using a GameShark/Genie, or manipulating the video recording.
A “glitch” is a flaw with the game code. It’s perfectly legitimate because that glitch is contained solely within the game code. No outside methods are used.
Another thing, most glitched runs have extremely punishing execution. There’s a number of glitches in common games that are nearly impossible to activate consistently.
Re: A Speedrunner Has Already Beat Pokémon Shining Pearl In Just 33 Minutes
@eaglebob345
I disagree. I love seeing games absolutely broken. Those are the speed runs I like.
Like Japan Version 1 of A Link to the Past reverse boss order. That’s one of my favorite categories on any game.
Re: A Speedrunner Has Already Beat Pokémon Shining Pearl In Just 33 Minutes
@SmartNickname
For real. He’s up there with Hotarubi, Mitch, and AndrewG.
Re: Gallery: Square Enix Shares New Screenshots Of Dragon Quest X Offline, Coming To Switch In 2022
@Not_Soos
VIII is a great game. I had the original PS2 release with the FFXII demo disc included.
Compared to XI, it’s significantly more difficult. At least the PS2 version was. The early game difficulty isn’t bad, but it goes up twenty times after the half way point.
Re: Random: Ever Wondered What Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Looks Like Without Cel-Shading?
@Bobb
Unreal games can look good if the art style is strong. Final Fantasy VII remake is a beautiful game built in Unreal and it avoids that “wet” look entirely.
Re: Rumour: Chrono Trigger Sequel Chrono Cross Might Be Getting A Remaster
@MeloMan
I’ve played through both multiple times and love both.
I think Trigger is the better of the two. For the longest time I preferred Cross, but I replayed Trigger two years ago and I feel like my original judgement was wrong. Trigger is the better game overall.
Mainly because Trigger stands completely on its own merit. Trigger has a masterfully crafted story that is explained entirely during the adventure.
Cross’s story is good. Very good. But if you haven’t played Trigger then a lot of it’s nuance is lost on the player. People who say Cross isn’t a sequel are wrong in my opinion. You have to play Trigger to really understand what Cross was going for in its story.
IMO, the central theme of Cross is an exploration of the consequences of Crono and gang’s time travel. One thing about Trigger’s story is that causality events only impacted the primary timeline according to the way it is portrayed. That isn’t how it would work. Every single different decision and event altered would have created a different universe where future events would unfold in unpredictable ways.
That’s what Cross was trying really hard to get across to gamers. It was exploring the unrecognized consequences of time manipulation.
The issue with Cross is that for most of the game, this isn’t really conveyed to the player. It ends up as three huge information dumps. First when the player reaches Chronopolis, where it is hinted at by several monitors and just the design of Chronopolis itself, since it closely resembles Trigger’s 2300AD assuming Lavos is defeated in 1999. Secondly, the majority is dumped on the player by Balthasar in a hilariously long cutscene with a mountain of text to read. Then finally by FATE itself, when it destroys the Prometheus circuit (aka Robo).
I feel like they should have spread this information across the entire game, rather than dumping it all on the player in three specific points.
Not that it really matters though. If the player hasn’t played Trigger, all of that is lost on the player completely.