@LikelySatan that's interesting. What difficulty are you on? Playing on easy can do that, but medium and hard do require far more positional movement and party member switching.
Just curious as that majorly impacts how much of the combat you'll engage with. Also Xenoblade is more about preplanning encounters too, like switching Gems, accessories and the correct Job/Blade depending what game you're playing.
@MidnightDragonDX they also tried to buy Sega. This was when they were trying to enter the market in the late 90s/early 00s. I mean Microsoft prefers buying successful companies in emerging markets (like Skype and Nokia as an examples) rather than build in it was the steep investment costs and risks of failure. So it makes sense.
@Ryu_Niiyama with how friendly Microsoft and Nintendo are with each other, I would not be surprised if Microsoft already have dev kits for the next Switch. So odds are ports would be rather easy to make if the communication between the two remains warm.
@IronMan30 pretty much agree. They don't seem to understand the industry they're commenting on and making decisions for... Sounds like government bureaucracy to me.
@Cashews I think what they meant was more this closer to old-school expansions like StarCraft Brood War, Balder's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal, Fallout 3: Brotherhood of Steel and Dragon Age Origins: Awakening. Which I think it fits more comfortably in that category with other expansions like Blood and Wine (Witcher 3), Death of the Outsider (Dishonoured 2)... But that could be because our expectations of DLC are pretty low to the ground.
@Chaotic_Neutral I'm okay with that provided the quality is good. What makes the Mario movie great is how it pays huge tribute to all eras of the plumber and just being a fun movie. If we get a film like this for Zelda, Kirby or even obscure stuff (by Nintendo standards) like Punch-Out or F-Zero I'm more than happy.
As for other game publishers... Well after the okay Mortal Kombat reboot, the abomination that was the live action Monster Hunter... I'm inclined to think the Mario movie, the surprisingly solid Sonic films and The Last of Us TV series will be more outliers than indications of where the industry is heading.
@fenlix @Emmerichcoal @Ryu_Niiyama thanks everyone! Really disappointed as I loved the two Untold games on 3DS... I prefer them over the regular choose your own adventure protagonists of the other games... Will still gives this a go, but I have Labyrinth of Galleria to keep me busy till I get these later.
@Luckey there is the legalistic right then there is the moralistic right. I think you can make the argument of Nintendo being in the legal right as modifying their software tends to bypass DRM and Nintendo's proprietary software. But, in the moral sense it gets rather grey as these mods do not harm Nintendo directly and while we can argue it promotes the use of emulators (and by proxy piracy as most people are not equipped to rip their own ROMs) or even hacked Switches. However, morally modding is not a net bad for a video game. Mass Effect has been supported by mods for years despite EA not releasing a toolset and it has kept the trilogy fresh for over a decade. Same with Skyrim, Fallout 3 and New Vegas. Skyrim in particular benefits a ton from mods on PC to the point Bethesda made agreements with Microsoft and Sony to allow mods on their platforms. Even complete recreations of Oblivion for Skyrim while not actively supported by Bethesda boosts sales of both games.
So you see how this issue is not black and white and how an argument can be made that morally Nintendo is not 100% clean here even if legally they are. We have to create a clear distinction when discussing these two different ideas.
@Switch_Pro as someone who has worked on mods, I'm pro-mods! They're amazing in that they add longevity to a game (without mods Skyrim, Fallout 3 and New Vegas would be in the dustbin of history with other 7th gen titles). I know Nintendo is sensitive to mods and it is their right to be as the IP holder to decide if they will allow mods or not, but I do think being restrictive of them is rather petty. But, considering these tend to be used on emulators and hacked Switches I think that is the bigger issue for Nintendo than mods themselves.
I think mods are overall a good for most video games.
@Tasuki bro they have a reason, breach of contact:
"Grounds for Termination
Generally, employees employed on an “at-will” basis may be terminated, with or without cause or grounds, provided it is not for an illegal reason, notably discrimination on grounds of a category protected by law or protected “whistleblowing” activity (reporting certain employer activity where the employee reasonably believes that the information he or she provided relates to potential violations of specific laws).
The employment contracts of executives and other highly-skilled individual often incorporate a “just cause termination” clause, mandating that the employee may only be terminated for “cause” and lists the permissible grounds. In such cases, the grounds for a “just cause” termination are negotiated by the parties on a case-by-case basis."
So unless Mike had a clause in his contract that mandated "just cause" they can terminate him whenever if he was in a "at-will" basis. However, leaking sensitive vendor information "maliciously" on the internet breaching either an NDA or confidentiality clause is grounds for termination. He could had gotten a written warning, but when you upset the client then that may not apply. If GameStop caught him that's one thing, but when the client does all bets are off and to avoid potential lawsuits or loss of contracts with the client the employee will lose their job for the sake of everyone else.
We don't have to like it, but Mike was terminated with cause. And @Ryu_Niiyama is right when you're "at will" employment in some US States you can be terminated for sneezing wrong in front of a manager. Provided the reason is not illegal like being based on race, gender, special need, or being a whistleblower (though if you suspect those are reasons for a potential termination find a different job, contact HR or your local government organization pertaining to your needs), but outside of that... you're kinda extra boned when you're at fault, like in this scenario unless you can find a crazy law or loophole in your contract.
@Xiovanni While we agree on most things there are a few points I'd like to add. Gamestop is not nearly as powerful as they were in the 00s, I would say they are now no more powerful than local mom-and-pop shops. Amazon, Wallmart, even Bestbuy all have far more reach to gamers than a dedicated game store nowadays. And, Gamestop has become more like a Hot Topic that sells games, as most of their shelves contain merch from anime, manga, model kits, and plushes and t-shirts galore. If Nintendo wanted to the put the screw to them they can do so without restricting games, they could lower the amount of Mario, Kirby and Pokemon merch going to them which would probably hurt Gamestops bottom-line far worse than not getting TotK (especially considering the smash hit the Mario Movie is).
Though, I do generally agree with most of the other things you've stated in your posts on the topic. Cheers.
@Herna Have you ever worked in a proper corporation? If this is shocking then I have doubts. I've seen people fired for less due to upsetting the client. In this case the dude deserved the sacking for not putting any safeguards in place. Never leak something with stuff linked to your geolocation that is just a Darwin award. And what proper conduct? The employee did not display any. So, I have to side against the corporation? You have not even cited what law they even breached.
So, yeah we won't see eye to eye on this because its very clear cut. As I've stated if this was because of a private conversation, or he took even the most basic of safeguards this wouldn't have happened. This is a case of don't be stupid... stupid. I think the firing was a bit of an overreaction, but the guy did violate Gamestop's policy and NDAs with a client so a terminated is pretty standard practice. Can't be upset with the corporations on this one as this is soft hands compared to the legal crap they could had put him through (and other companies have done much, and I mean much worse).
As for the Discord conversation I've not commented on that because I really don't want to. That is a very stupid thing too to leak and I understand Nintendo's perspective, but I also am not a fan of a company subpoenaing private information from another. That is a different kettle of fish and one, that is too complicated for me to personally have over text without having to write a three page essay on the topic.
@Herna Odds are Nintendo's legal team did a reverse image search through Google and just found the oldest post with the unmodified file. If you post something publicly you can't complain about your privacy. If the guy kept the photos on his phone and showed some buddies in person odds are they won't have gotten caught with their hands in the cookie jar. This isn't nonchalant behavior this is a realist. If this guy got fired for a private conversation with their mom and Nintendo bugged their apartment we can have that discussion of company overreach. This however, as I've stated multiple times is a very clear cut case of don't leak something so stupid and you won't get fired for stupid reasons.
@Herna well good news this person does not live in the EU. So unless you can cite the American law breached then this is a pointless hypothetical discussion.
@Herna I left my old job years ago and I'm still under NDA as one contract I worked on involved people's lives. While this is not comparable, if I leaked what I know I'd be facing far worse than the unemployment line. Don't feed me this garbage, while this is beans in comparison the person still violated company policy and the trust of a partner. This is as shut closed a case of valid termination even if Nintendo was minimally involved. This is a common practice that clients will get employees terminated if they breach contract. I've seen it and had to carry out the marching orders personally.
@Herna if you honestly think a client does not periodically scan through the social media of a partner's employees for leaks or violations of contracts you're a bit naive. It sounds gross and while I'm not a fan of Nintendo doing it there is a reason they do it. The more sensitive the information you're dealing with the heavier the scrutiny is. That is why your employer will normally say "don't post about your job on social media."
Not defending a "multi-billion corporation" when I say don't play stupid games if you don't want stupid prizes. There was no reason to leak this outside of internet bragging rights. If you're going to do something like this at least cover your tracks. As for Nintendo, while this might sound petty most companies would do the same. Don't go breaking NDAs over something so thick if you want to keep your job just that simple.
@GrailUK exactly! Next time you sign a contract with a company check to see if an NDA is in there. Though it's still very dumb to break one like this as it's really not worth it for something like this.
@Vil I think the word you're looking for is liable. Aka the company cannot protect you from a lawsuit if you broke an NDA. Companies will shield you from most things related to a client unless you really screwed the pooch. Breaking an NDA is one of those things and so you're now the liable party.
@GrailUK most companies have NDAs written into their contract when dealing with material related to clients. Odds are they signed one and if they didn't then the company they work for should have agreements in place with the client and they're in a lot of legal trouble. Either way Nintendo has every right to be pissed even if your pro leaks or anti leaks.
PS unless your NDA is with a government organization breaking them is not illegal. They do however make you liable to a lawsuit or being blacklisted in the industry... Rule of thumb is unless the company you work for is doing something illegal or extremely corrupt breaking an NDA is never a good idea especially over just leaking stuff in a video game.
@sketchturner and the 2.1 number is for the bare minimum to maintain population. The number you actually want is 2.5 as people can die young in accidents or crime related activities. So you actually want higher than the bare minimum to sustain population.
As for Russia... Well the current war is not helping their population recover as there already was a massive gap in age demographics due to WW2 and the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fallout from that (aka the 1990s sucked for Russia). As for China the one child policy kinda put theirs in a unavoidable tailspin. As for the rest of the West... Well we're pretty boned for other reasons... Japan is extra screwed as I think their median age is one of the oldest in the world (along with Germany and Hong Kong). This is a major world issue and we're doomed for a major economic crisis in 20 years... Millennials cannot catch a break with those.
Some of the comments here are really confusing. A positive birth rate and immigration are both good for countries. I'd you don't want kids that's fine, but in general even if you don't want kids you need others to have kids to continue the human race and to keep our economy from completely collapsing. And immigration is good because it can help an aging population and help develop the culture of the country their immigrating to. Overall both are good to promote...
@ComfyAko I think the only ones not on a Nintendo console is RE5, RE6, RE8 and Remake 2-4. But I'm sure that will change on the Switch 2 as Capcom loves RE ports.
@Ryu_Niiyama I think you're right. I don't know why as Nier Automata is a certified success... Maybe they burned that PS4/PC/Xbox good will with Babylon's Fall? I think Nintendo fans generally eat their stuff up even if it sells only a million units (Astral Chain is getting a sequel). Feels like Platinum should just bite down on their pride and just because Nintendo 2nd party... It's more or less what they have been doing and does provide more creative freedom without the shady practices they get stuck with from other publishers.
@NinjaWaddleDee That is the point of why they do it. It is called set rotation and is commonly used in TCG tournaments. It is far easier to balance a game when you have a set quantity of possible combinations and helps limit power creep. Pokemon should had implemented this a while ago, but it is not a bad thing and is actually probably good for the long-term health of the games.
@DTFaux yeah. I don't get it either. I can't wait for Home compatibility, but there are logical reasons why they don't implement it day one. It allows people to play the game as they intended and keeps the competitive scene organic and for people to discover new Pokemon.
The Pokemon cycle continues. Honestly it is was okay. Pokemon is more than just the games so the fact that everything was touched upon was to be expected. The re-release of the Set 1 card series is nice, the Pokemon Go/Sleep functionality is cool, and even Masters EX announcement was nice. As for Scarlet and Violet that was what I was mostly expecting, we did not get Kalos, but a micro-region is nice world building and Paradox legendries being confirmed is rather awesome!
As for people expecting new spin-off games, or gen 1/gen 2 coming to Switch Online... well... it can still happen. Is this the worst direct ever? Not really. Is it amazing?: Not really either. Nor did it have to. This was a pretty mild Pokémon direct telling us what to expect generally from the year. That and I think we should be happy Gamefreak is focusing on the DLC for the next year rather than Let's Go Johto or a new Legends game...
I'm sure they'll be catchable on their own in the DLC, but I'm now curious if they're unveiling them now because the Legendary Trios this generation will be a Paradox Trio of previous generations... interesting.
@Doctor-Moo You basically hit the nail on the head as to why I don't care much for physical media for modern systems. While Xbox has been big on keeping games available, and updates online for older games... eventually these files will be taken down. So, I'm okay enjoying the games as they come and just understand that when I show my kids how cool Mass Effect, Skyrim, Gears of War or Dragon Age was... I might just not be able to. This industry kind of sucks in that regard, but most industries are moving in that direction too, not just video games.
Publishers just don't care unless it means more sales. If the money men deem the broken game will make the same, if not more money then if they delay the game... they'll push it out.
@Doctor-Moo @Yosher sometimes it is a case that the publisher does not care. I remember an interview with former Silent Hill producer Tomm Hulett who stated that he had to playtest Silent Hill HD Collection while his wife was in the hospital because Konami was flipping out over the bad press the game was getting. He went over his notes while playing Silent Hill 2 and realized they were the exact same notes he had before he took the time off. Turns out Konami didn't listen to him at all and pushed the game out the door even though he knew the game had tons of bugs still and acted surprised by the bad press even though he said the game was not ready. Sometimes producers just don't care no matter how much QA is done they have to fill their release calendar.
EDIT: Not saying this is nearly as bad as Silent Hill HD Collection. This is clearly a competent remaster of the PS2 game, but it is still not acceptable to release a half baked remaster like this which is nearly identical to the PS3 version 10 years ago. This is just a cash grab, compared to a full blown incompetent nightmare of Sillent Hill HD. The remark was more about the peak behind the curtain when it comes to projects like these.
@RupeeClock One of the reasons Nintendo remasters tend to be of a higher quality than other publishers is for this very reason. We can complain about Nintendo (and there is a lot to complain about), but their meticulous practice of backing up everything is insane! Companies like Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, Namco and Konami never saw the benefit of archiving their work to that level and it is noticeable in their remasters. Nintendo remasters even the "lazy ones" are of just a different quality level than their competitors (Prime Remaster, Return to Dreamland, Skyward Sword, you name one and they are still very competently done if not exceptional).
The loss of the original assets, source code has made a lot of publishers reliant on work they did 10 years ago (in some case longer) to re-release games today. The Final Fantasy VII re-releases is a perfect example as it is based on the work done for the PC version in the 1990s by Eidos. Similar situation here where the Tales of Symphonia Remaster is based on the PS3 remaster for the PS2 version of the game.
That is also why we see so many re-releases running on a modified emulator rather than a true built from the ground-up remaster like the Kingdom Hearts 1 remaster. They're expensive to do a decompile and rebuilt port! As you have to now decompile the original game, figure out how the code worked and try to replicate that perfectly! It is very intensive work requiring teams that have knowledge in the subject. I think that is the better way of doing things, but, it is far cheaper to just plug the ROM/ISO into an emulator and just call it a day... Which while not lazy (making an emulator is not easy), it is for sure the cheap way out that puts the blame on the developers who are given close to no support by the publishers to do it properly the first time.
A) If it's a port they need to have the source code and original assets. If so it's easy to do and cost effective! If they don't (i.e. most publishers not named Nintendo) then they have to decompile the game or rip the assets off the retail disc. Then they have to upscale the textures or redraw them and that gets expensive quick.
B) The other way is through emulation. It's cheaper and does not require the source files. But, the emulator needs to be custom and then we're talking more dev time as you can't just shove every game into any kind of emulator. And now they need to decide if they're capping the frame rate. As some games brake if they're being played above the original fps so now it gets messy. So that requires more play testing to find the brakes then they probably are allotted by the publisher.
Overall it is just hard to do and no matter which route they choose most fans will be displeased.
@Purgatorium not sure about performance with an emulator (PSOne emulation is not one I do often), but the quantity of life improvements make this the way to play the game. You can fast forward gameplay on the overworld and combat. This mean you can get through backtracking and battles far quicker than the original. PSOne JRPGs are notorious for slow combat due to the desire to bombard the player with long magic/summoning cutscenes and just running poorly due to the PSOne just not being able to push those kinds of polys at above 10fps. This was a feature in the original too, but you only got it in NG+, so having access to it on a standard playthrough is a godsend during the game.
I'd say the Remaster stomps emulation for that feature alone!!! Makes playing through the game that much more enjoyable due to how backtrack heavy the game is.
@MarioLazor it's a bit harder than you think. Sometimes taking a game coded to be 30fps and forcing it to 60fps can cause oddities in the code. For example because FFIX is running over 20fps some of the timing in the mini games are way more difficult now because the timing is off. So they have to hard lock some of these games at 30fps even though they can run at 60 and even 120fps.
Still a masterpiece today! Played through the game last year when I went down with COVID and it was like reliving an old story that has never left me! Just a marvelous game! Glad they are releasing performance improvements as some of those frame stutters and dips are inexcusable for a PSOne game on Switch.
@Serialsid Ummm... but, what about the people working there? It seems by all accounts it will be better for the people working there under Microsoft than the constant harassment they got under former leadership. This is good for the little guys at the publishing house.
@Kilroy Star Fox Zero was some of the best multiplayer fun on the Wii U. The asymmetric multiplayer function of someone being the pilot while the other the gunner was a fantastic idea (and will probably never be possible again with the death of the gamepad). I never felt so much like I was reliving the escape from the Death Star from "A New Hope" more than playing that game! Even compared to other Star Wars games!
SUPER FUN MULTIPLAYER! Though for single player content... it was a bit hard to wrap my head around. I think the more simple flying and shooting of 64 is hard to top.
@GrailUK LOL! I almost guarantee we will get more! Goldeneye being a major tip of the cap! I expect at least Banjo Tooie and Perfect Dark; maybe Diddy Kong Racing too.
@Serialsid That is fear mongering. And Microsoft is already struggling buying Activision Blizzard, do you honestly think they can buy Ubisoft and EA? Okay bro. And Gamepass is good for a lot of budget gamers in an era where game prices have gone up. You can save money by getting Gamepass Ultimate and enjoy Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbone and XSX/S games on your single console and if you end-up liking the game you can buy it at a discount through Gamepass of up to 20%. And it is nice for PC gamers as well as we can try a game on Gamepass before buying it on Steam. Sony is even doing a Gamepass model. How is that a bad thing? I've been pro Nintendo doing a Gamepass as well as I like Expansion Pass, but having new Nintendo games on the service as well would be great for me personally.
And based on all reports of what happened in Activision Blizzard under Bobby Kotick, Microsoft owning the company will be great for the employees there who will have collective bargaining rights and the ability to unionize. That and a Sony dominated dedicated home console space is not healthy for the industry either. The best competitive era for both was with the 360 and PS3 where the consumers were generally the winner.
@Serialsid Yeah I remember the stunts Sony pulled with the PS3. It was the same nonsense they did with the PS2. Make a console so hard to develop for that it restricts developers being able to make games on other platforms. That and this whole recent stunt of paying off devs from releasing games on Xbox or PC is a rather antiquated and anti-consumer practice... cough Final Fantasy XVI cough.
I'm all for funding development of games that would had never happened otherwise. Bayonetta 2&3 as examples, Nintendo saved that franchise and so gets to have them as exclusives. Or even buying developers like Nintendo did with Monolith Soft, Next Level Games, or even Sony did with Naughty Dog and ironically Bungie. Paying off a dev to just withhold games... I'm less inclined to support that. Microsoft has actually negotiated with unions to develop a path for unionization at Activision Blizzard... that is an overall good for the industry and good for the employees at Activision Blizzard compared to if they don't buy them.
@Selim Except like Minecraft, Microsoft has no incentive to do it. They want to push Gamepass not Xbox consoles as the former is more profitable. Keeping CoD off PS5s is a short term gain as it will push Xbox Series sales, but they will be losing about a 2/3rds of the potential market. I love the Switch, but I doubt Switch/Switch 2 will replace that massive PlayStation market for CoD. Why do you think Microsoft wants to sign a 10-year agreement with Sony like they did Nintendo? It has nothing to do with the PS5 or XSX/S sales, it has everything to do with what comes next. That I think is what Sony is worried about...
CoD on Gamepass is what Microsoft wants as that will push Gamepass subscriptions on Xbox and PC. That is where the real future money is made.
@Judal27 Microsoft has been pretty good at giving their audience a lot to look forward to. Redfall is just a week away, Starfield is not that far away either same with Hellblade 2, and they have a Fable and Perfect Dark reboots on the horizon to hype-up hardcore fans. Microsoft's biggest issue has been:
A) a lack of quality 3rd party support. Either by design by Sony or just not being top dog a lot of great 3rd party games have come to Xbox after the hype has dried up or just not at all (Final Fantasy VII Remake being the most famous).
B) A lot of their quality 1st party titles are day and date with PC. This does mean that people are less likely to double-dip on a PC port later like Playstation games so less incentive to own a Xbox Series console.
C) A real lack of customer goodwill. The launch of the Xbone killed a lot of their core fanbase goodwill and basically handed the crown to PlayStation (we like to look at total sales and say the Xbox 360 was 3rd play that gen, but the Xbox 360 was hardcore gaming for most of that generation. That reveal event just ripped apart 7-years of hard work). Despite Gamepass, despite Rareware IPs being treated with respect, despite them keeping Minecraft multiplat, despite their cooperation with Nintendo they are still seen as the big bad of the industry. That is a hard image to fix.
I think Microsoft's cooperation with Nintendo is good for the industry. It gives their small IPs like Ori visibility, they share Banjo, they're bringing COD to the Switch (more likely Switch 2) something Activision has not done. But, Microsoft has been very good at rewarding Xbox owners and PC players which is their core fanbase. And if they keep Bethesda titles flowing on Switch (no reason they won't) and start pushing Activision titles on it like CoD? Even Nintendo players will become Xbox fans. It is the long game Microsoft is playing as the end of the console era is coming.
EDIT: And I'm not saying there won't be a PlayStation 6 or a new Xbox in 3-5 years. But, the generation after that I can see "high-end consoles" start to become not the main way to play. It is already happening where PC gaming is starting to become the main way younger teens are playing games like Minecraft, Fortnite and other popular titles. It is starting to already happen.
My personal wish list: Scarlet and Violet DLC announcement (please return to Kalos DLC), Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Gen 1-3 come to Switch Online with Home support. After that I will just think it is gravy.
Comments 2,307
Re: Review: Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed - A Stunning Denouement, Utterly Essential
@LikelySatan that's interesting. What difficulty are you on? Playing on easy can do that, but medium and hard do require far more positional movement and party member switching.
Just curious as that majorly impacts how much of the combat you'll engage with. Also Xenoblade is more about preplanning encounters too, like switching Gems, accessories and the correct Job/Blade depending what game you're playing.
Re: Nintendo Switch Is Not "Technically Capable" Of Running Call Of Duty Games, Says CMA
@MidnightDragonDX they also tried to buy Sega. This was when they were trying to enter the market in the late 90s/early 00s. I mean Microsoft prefers buying successful companies in emerging markets (like Skype and Nokia as an examples) rather than build in it was the steep investment costs and risks of failure. So it makes sense.
Re: Nintendo Switch Is Not "Technically Capable" Of Running Call Of Duty Games, Says CMA
@Ryu_Niiyama with how friendly Microsoft and Nintendo are with each other, I would not be surprised if Microsoft already have dev kits for the next Switch. So odds are ports would be rather easy to make if the communication between the two remains warm.
Re: Nintendo Switch Is Not "Technically Capable" Of Running Call Of Duty Games, Says CMA
@IronMan30 pretty much agree. They don't seem to understand the industry they're commenting on and making decisions for... Sounds like government bureaucracy to me.
Re: Soapbox: Torna - The Golden Country Is One Of The Best DLCs Of All Time
@Cashews I think what they meant was more this closer to old-school expansions like StarCraft Brood War, Balder's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal, Fallout 3: Brotherhood of Steel and Dragon Age Origins: Awakening. Which I think it fits more comfortably in that category with other expansions like Blood and Wine (Witcher 3), Death of the Outsider (Dishonoured 2)... But that could be because our expectations of DLC are pretty low to the ground.
Re: Mario Movie Expected To Surpass $1 Billion At The Global Box Office
@Chaotic_Neutral I'm okay with that provided the quality is good. What makes the Mario movie great is how it pays huge tribute to all eras of the plumber and just being a fun movie. If we get a film like this for Zelda, Kirby or even obscure stuff (by Nintendo standards) like Punch-Out or F-Zero I'm more than happy.
As for other game publishers... Well after the okay Mortal Kombat reboot, the abomination that was the live action Monster Hunter... I'm inclined to think the Mario movie, the surprisingly solid Sonic films and The Last of Us TV series will be more outliers than indications of where the industry is heading.
Re: Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection Is Looking Slick In New Gameplay Trailer
@fenlix @Emmerichcoal @Ryu_Niiyama thanks everyone! Really disappointed as I loved the two Untold games on 3DS... I prefer them over the regular choose your own adventure protagonists of the other games... Will still gives this a go, but I have Labyrinth of Galleria to keep me busy till I get these later.
Re: Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection Is Looking Slick In New Gameplay Trailer
Any idea if these will contain the "untold" versions of 1&2? I would love to get them if they did, but not going to rush out if they don't.
Re: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Multiplayer Mod YouTube Videos Are Getting Copyright Strikes
@Luckey there is the legalistic right then there is the moralistic right. I think you can make the argument of Nintendo being in the legal right as modifying their software tends to bypass DRM and Nintendo's proprietary software. But, in the moral sense it gets rather grey as these mods do not harm Nintendo directly and while we can argue it promotes the use of emulators (and by proxy piracy as most people are not equipped to rip their own ROMs) or even hacked Switches. However, morally modding is not a net bad for a video game. Mass Effect has been supported by mods for years despite EA not releasing a toolset and it has kept the trilogy fresh for over a decade. Same with Skyrim, Fallout 3 and New Vegas. Skyrim in particular benefits a ton from mods on PC to the point Bethesda made agreements with Microsoft and Sony to allow mods on their platforms. Even complete recreations of Oblivion for Skyrim while not actively supported by Bethesda boosts sales of both games.
So you see how this issue is not black and white and how an argument can be made that morally Nintendo is not 100% clean here even if legally they are. We have to create a clear distinction when discussing these two different ideas.
Re: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Multiplayer Mod YouTube Videos Are Getting Copyright Strikes
@Switch_Pro as someone who has worked on mods, I'm pro-mods! They're amazing in that they add longevity to a game (without mods Skyrim, Fallout 3 and New Vegas would be in the dustbin of history with other 7th gen titles). I know Nintendo is sensitive to mods and it is their right to be as the IP holder to decide if they will allow mods or not, but I do think being restrictive of them is rather petty. But, considering these tend to be used on emulators and hacked Switches I think that is the bigger issue for Nintendo than mods themselves.
I think mods are overall a good for most video games.
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
@Tasuki bro they have a reason, breach of contact:
"Grounds for Termination
Generally, employees employed on an “at-will” basis may be terminated, with or without cause or grounds, provided it is not for an illegal reason, notably discrimination on grounds of a category protected by law or protected “whistleblowing” activity (reporting certain employer activity where the employee reasonably believes that the information he or she provided relates to potential violations of specific laws).
The employment contracts of executives and other highly-skilled individual often incorporate a “just cause termination” clause, mandating that the employee may only be terminated for “cause” and lists the permissible grounds. In such cases, the grounds for a “just cause” termination are negotiated by the parties on a case-by-case basis."
Source: https://leglobal.law/countries/usa/employment-law/employment-law-overview-usa/07-termination-of-employment-contracts/
So unless Mike had a clause in his contract that mandated "just cause" they can terminate him whenever if he was in a "at-will" basis. However, leaking sensitive vendor information "maliciously" on the internet breaching either an NDA or confidentiality clause is grounds for termination. He could had gotten a written warning, but when you upset the client then that may not apply. If GameStop caught him that's one thing, but when the client does all bets are off and to avoid potential lawsuits or loss of contracts with the client the employee will lose their job for the sake of everyone else.
We don't have to like it, but Mike was terminated with cause. And @Ryu_Niiyama is right when you're "at will" employment in some US States you can be terminated for sneezing wrong in front of a manager. Provided the reason is not illegal like being based on race, gender, special need, or being a whistleblower (though if you suspect those are reasons for a potential termination find a different job, contact HR or your local government organization pertaining to your needs), but outside of that... you're kinda extra boned when you're at fault, like in this scenario unless you can find a crazy law or loophole in your contract.
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
@Xiovanni While we agree on most things there are a few points I'd like to add. Gamestop is not nearly as powerful as they were in the 00s, I would say they are now no more powerful than local mom-and-pop shops. Amazon, Wallmart, even Bestbuy all have far more reach to gamers than a dedicated game store nowadays. And, Gamestop has become more like a Hot Topic that sells games, as most of their shelves contain merch from anime, manga, model kits, and plushes and t-shirts galore. If Nintendo wanted to the put the screw to them they can do so without restricting games, they could lower the amount of Mario, Kirby and Pokemon merch going to them which would probably hurt Gamestops bottom-line far worse than not getting TotK (especially considering the smash hit the Mario Movie is).
Though, I do generally agree with most of the other things you've stated in your posts on the topic. Cheers.
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
@Herna Have you ever worked in a proper corporation? If this is shocking then I have doubts. I've seen people fired for less due to upsetting the client. In this case the dude deserved the sacking for not putting any safeguards in place. Never leak something with stuff linked to your geolocation that is just a Darwin award. And what proper conduct? The employee did not display any. So, I have to side against the corporation? You have not even cited what law they even breached.
So, yeah we won't see eye to eye on this because its very clear cut. As I've stated if this was because of a private conversation, or he took even the most basic of safeguards this wouldn't have happened. This is a case of don't be stupid... stupid. I think the firing was a bit of an overreaction, but the guy did violate Gamestop's policy and NDAs with a client so a terminated is pretty standard practice. Can't be upset with the corporations on this one as this is soft hands compared to the legal crap they could had put him through (and other companies have done much, and I mean much worse).
As for the Discord conversation I've not commented on that because I really don't want to. That is a very stupid thing too to leak and I understand Nintendo's perspective, but I also am not a fan of a company subpoenaing private information from another. That is a different kettle of fish and one, that is too complicated for me to personally have over text without having to write a three page essay on the topic.
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
@Herna Odds are Nintendo's legal team did a reverse image search through Google and just found the oldest post with the unmodified file. If you post something publicly you can't complain about your privacy. If the guy kept the photos on his phone and showed some buddies in person odds are they won't have gotten caught with their hands in the cookie jar. This isn't nonchalant behavior this is a realist. If this guy got fired for a private conversation with their mom and Nintendo bugged their apartment we can have that discussion of company overreach. This however, as I've stated multiple times is a very clear cut case of don't leak something so stupid and you won't get fired for stupid reasons.
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
@Herna well good news this person does not live in the EU. So unless you can cite the American law breached then this is a pointless hypothetical discussion.
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
@Herna I left my old job years ago and I'm still under NDA as one contract I worked on involved people's lives. While this is not comparable, if I leaked what I know I'd be facing far worse than the unemployment line. Don't feed me this garbage, while this is beans in comparison the person still violated company policy and the trust of a partner. This is as shut closed a case of valid termination even if Nintendo was minimally involved. This is a common practice that clients will get employees terminated if they breach contract. I've seen it and had to carry out the marching orders personally.
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
@Herna if you honestly think a client does not periodically scan through the social media of a partner's employees for leaks or violations of contracts you're a bit naive. It sounds gross and while I'm not a fan of Nintendo doing it there is a reason they do it. The more sensitive the information you're dealing with the heavier the scrutiny is. That is why your employer will normally say "don't post about your job on social media."
Re: GameStop Fires Employee For Leaking Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch
Not defending a "multi-billion corporation" when I say don't play stupid games if you don't want stupid prizes. There was no reason to leak this outside of internet bragging rights. If you're going to do something like this at least cover your tracks. As for Nintendo, while this might sound petty most companies would do the same. Don't go breaking NDAs over something so thick if you want to keep your job just that simple.
Re: Nintendo Wants Discord To Reveal Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Art Book Leaker
@GrailUK exactly! Next time you sign a contract with a company check to see if an NDA is in there. Though it's still very dumb to break one like this as it's really not worth it for something like this.
Re: Nintendo Wants Discord To Reveal Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Art Book Leaker
@Vil I think the word you're looking for is liable. Aka the company cannot protect you from a lawsuit if you broke an NDA. Companies will shield you from most things related to a client unless you really screwed the pooch. Breaking an NDA is one of those things and so you're now the liable party.
Re: Nintendo Wants Discord To Reveal Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Art Book Leaker
@GrailUK most companies have NDAs written into their contract when dealing with material related to clients. Odds are they signed one and if they didn't then the company they work for should have agreements in place with the client and they're in a lot of legal trouble. Either way Nintendo has every right to be pissed even if your pro leaks or anti leaks.
PS unless your NDA is with a government organization breaking them is not illegal. They do however make you liable to a lawsuit or being blacklisted in the industry... Rule of thumb is unless the company you work for is doing something illegal or extremely corrupt breaking an NDA is never a good idea especially over just leaking stuff in a video game.
Re: Random: Hideki Kamiya Thinks Bayonetta Origins Will Help People Make Babies
@sketchturner and the 2.1 number is for the bare minimum to maintain population. The number you actually want is 2.5 as people can die young in accidents or crime related activities. So you actually want higher than the bare minimum to sustain population.
As for Russia... Well the current war is not helping their population recover as there already was a massive gap in age demographics due to WW2 and the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fallout from that (aka the 1990s sucked for Russia). As for China the one child policy kinda put theirs in a unavoidable tailspin. As for the rest of the West... Well we're pretty boned for other reasons... Japan is extra screwed as I think their median age is one of the oldest in the world (along with Germany and Hong Kong). This is a major world issue and we're doomed for a major economic crisis in 20 years... Millennials cannot catch a break with those.
Re: Random: Hideki Kamiya Thinks Bayonetta Origins Will Help People Make Babies
Some of the comments here are really confusing. A positive birth rate and immigration are both good for countries. I'd you don't want kids that's fine, but in general even if you don't want kids you need others to have kids to continue the human race and to keep our economy from completely collapsing. And immigration is good because it can help an aging population and help develop the culture of the country their immigrating to. Overall both are good to promote...
Re: Random: Resident Evil 4 Animation Is Both Cute And Unsettling In Equal Measure
@ComfyAko I think the only ones not on a Nintendo console is RE5, RE6, RE8 and Remake 2-4. But I'm sure that will change on the Switch 2 as Capcom loves RE ports.
Re: Random: Resident Evil 4 Animation Is Both Cute And Unsettling In Equal Measure
@ComfyAko that and RE4 was also on GameCube and Wii. So RE4 is the most Nintendo related RE? 🤔
Re: Review: Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And The Lost Demon - A Placid Prequel For Platinum's Star
@Ryu_Niiyama I think you're right. I don't know why as Nier Automata is a certified success... Maybe they burned that PS4/PC/Xbox good will with Babylon's Fall? I think Nintendo fans generally eat their stuff up even if it sells only a million units (Astral Chain is getting a sequel). Feels like Platinum should just bite down on their pride and just because Nintendo 2nd party... It's more or less what they have been doing and does provide more creative freedom without the shady practices they get stuck with from other publishers.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Heroes: Trails To Azure - Crossbell's Conclusion Is A Cracking RPG
I wanna try the Trails series, but it feels like such a high barrier of entry ... I really have no idea where to start.
Re: This Is What The Pokémon Bank 3DS Shut Down Update Looks Like
@NinjaWaddleDee That is the point of why they do it. It is called set rotation and is commonly used in TCG tournaments. It is far easier to balance a game when you have a set quantity of possible combinations and helps limit power creep. Pokemon should had implemented this a while ago, but it is not a bad thing and is actually probably good for the long-term health of the games.
Here is a video explaining the benefits of set rotation for those curious https://youtu.be/JR2tVSC-sng
Re: Pokémon HOME Updated To Version 2.1.1, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@DTFaux yeah. I don't get it either. I can't wait for Home compatibility, but there are logical reasons why they don't implement it day one. It allows people to play the game as they intended and keeps the competitive scene organic and for people to discover new Pokemon.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think Of The February 2023 Pokémon Presents, Then?
The Pokemon cycle continues. Honestly it is was okay. Pokemon is more than just the games so the fact that everything was touched upon was to be expected. The re-release of the Set 1 card series is nice, the Pokemon Go/Sleep functionality is cool, and even Masters EX announcement was nice. As for Scarlet and Violet that was what I was mostly expecting, we did not get Kalos, but a micro-region is nice world building and Paradox legendries being confirmed is rather awesome!
As for people expecting new spin-off games, or gen 1/gen 2 coming to Switch Online... well... it can still happen. Is this the worst direct ever? Not really. Is it amazing?: Not really either. Nor did it have to. This was a pretty mild Pokémon direct telling us what to expect generally from the year. That and I think we should be happy Gamefreak is focusing on the DLC for the next year rather than Let's Go Johto or a new Legends game...
Re: Latest Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Tera Raid Event Starts Today, Features New Paradox Pokémon
I'm sure they'll be catchable on their own in the DLC, but I'm now curious if they're unveiling them now because the Legendary Trios this generation will be a Paradox Trio of previous generations... interesting.
Re: Nintendo Uploads New Switch Online Overview Trailer, Game Boy Now Included
Now you're playing with portable power
Re: Bandai Namco Apologises For Tales Of Symphonia Remastered Issues On Switch
@Doctor-Moo You basically hit the nail on the head as to why I don't care much for physical media for modern systems. While Xbox has been big on keeping games available, and updates online for older games... eventually these files will be taken down. So, I'm okay enjoying the games as they come and just understand that when I show my kids how cool Mass Effect, Skyrim, Gears of War or Dragon Age was... I might just not be able to. This industry kind of sucks in that regard, but most industries are moving in that direction too, not just video games.
Publishers just don't care unless it means more sales. If the money men deem the broken game will make the same, if not more money then if they delay the game... they'll push it out.
Re: Bandai Namco Apologises For Tales Of Symphonia Remastered Issues On Switch
@Doctor-Moo @Yosher sometimes it is a case that the publisher does not care. I remember an interview with former Silent Hill producer Tomm Hulett who stated that he had to playtest Silent Hill HD Collection while his wife was in the hospital because Konami was flipping out over the bad press the game was getting. He went over his notes while playing Silent Hill 2 and realized they were the exact same notes he had before he took the time off. Turns out Konami didn't listen to him at all and pushed the game out the door even though he knew the game had tons of bugs still and acted surprised by the bad press even though he said the game was not ready. Sometimes producers just don't care no matter how much QA is done they have to fill their release calendar.
SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc4Ucmuzgn0
EDIT: Not saying this is nearly as bad as Silent Hill HD Collection. This is clearly a competent remaster of the PS2 game, but it is still not acceptable to release a half baked remaster like this which is nearly identical to the PS3 version 10 years ago. This is just a cash grab, compared to a full blown incompetent nightmare of Sillent Hill HD. The remark was more about the peak behind the curtain when it comes to projects like these.
Re: Bandai Namco Apologises For Tales Of Symphonia Remastered Issues On Switch
@RupeeClock One of the reasons Nintendo remasters tend to be of a higher quality than other publishers is for this very reason. We can complain about Nintendo (and there is a lot to complain about), but their meticulous practice of backing up everything is insane! Companies like Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, Namco and Konami never saw the benefit of archiving their work to that level and it is noticeable in their remasters. Nintendo remasters even the "lazy ones" are of just a different quality level than their competitors (Prime Remaster, Return to Dreamland, Skyward Sword, you name one and they are still very competently done if not exceptional).
The loss of the original assets, source code has made a lot of publishers reliant on work they did 10 years ago (in some case longer) to re-release games today. The Final Fantasy VII re-releases is a perfect example as it is based on the work done for the PC version in the 1990s by Eidos. Similar situation here where the Tales of Symphonia Remaster is based on the PS3 remaster for the PS2 version of the game.
That is also why we see so many re-releases running on a modified emulator rather than a true built from the ground-up remaster like the Kingdom Hearts 1 remaster. They're expensive to do a decompile and rebuilt port! As you have to now decompile the original game, figure out how the code worked and try to replicate that perfectly! It is very intensive work requiring teams that have knowledge in the subject. I think that is the better way of doing things, but, it is far cheaper to just plug the ROM/ISO into an emulator and just call it a day... Which while not lazy (making an emulator is not easy), it is for sure the cheap way out that puts the blame on the developers who are given close to no support by the publishers to do it properly the first time.
Re: Talking Point: Why Are So Many Remasters Sub-Par At Launch?
Because they're hard to do. In simple terms.
A) If it's a port they need to have the source code and original assets. If so it's easy to do and cost effective! If they don't (i.e. most publishers not named Nintendo) then they have to decompile the game or rip the assets off the retail disc. Then they have to upscale the textures or redraw them and that gets expensive quick.
B) The other way is through emulation. It's cheaper and does not require the source files. But, the emulator needs to be custom and then we're talking more dev time as you can't just shove every game into any kind of emulator. And now they need to decide if they're capping the frame rate. As some games brake if they're being played above the original fps so now it gets messy. So that requires more play testing to find the brakes then they probably are allotted by the publisher.
Overall it is just hard to do and no matter which route they choose most fans will be displeased.
Re: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Update Now Available, Here Are The Patch Notes
@Purgatorium not sure about performance with an emulator (PSOne emulation is not one I do often), but the quantity of life improvements make this the way to play the game. You can fast forward gameplay on the overworld and combat. This mean you can get through backtracking and battles far quicker than the original. PSOne JRPGs are notorious for slow combat due to the desire to bombard the player with long magic/summoning cutscenes and just running poorly due to the PSOne just not being able to push those kinds of polys at above 10fps. This was a feature in the original too, but you only got it in NG+, so having access to it on a standard playthrough is a godsend during the game.
I'd say the Remaster stomps emulation for that feature alone!!! Makes playing through the game that much more enjoyable due to how backtrack heavy the game is.
Re: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Update Now Available, Here Are The Patch Notes
@XandertheWise here is a How-To article by Google. If this does not work update your Chrome browser. Enjoy https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/173424?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
Re: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Update Now Available, Here Are The Patch Notes
@Serpenterror this is the kind of snark I approve of! Nice!
Re: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Update Now Available, Here Are The Patch Notes
@XandertheWise Chrome is hard coded to translate a page if it is in Google Translates database.
Re: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Update Now Available, Here Are The Patch Notes
@MarioLazor it's a bit harder than you think. Sometimes taking a game coded to be 30fps and forcing it to 60fps can cause oddities in the code. For example because FFIX is running over 20fps some of the timing in the mini games are way more difficult now because the timing is off. So they have to hard lock some of these games at 30fps even though they can run at 60 and even 120fps.
Re: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Update Now Available, Here Are The Patch Notes
Still a masterpiece today! Played through the game last year when I went down with COVID and it was like reliving an old story that has never left me! Just a marvelous game! Glad they are releasing performance improvements as some of those frame stutters and dips are inexcusable for a PSOne game on Switch.
Re: Microsoft's Commitment To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo Is Now Legally Binding
@Serialsid Ummm... but, what about the people working there? It seems by all accounts it will be better for the people working there under Microsoft than the constant harassment they got under former leadership. This is good for the little guys at the publishing house.
Re: Best Star Fox Games Of All Time
@Kilroy Star Fox Zero was some of the best multiplayer fun on the Wii U. The asymmetric multiplayer function of someone being the pilot while the other the gunner was a fantastic idea (and will probably never be possible again with the death of the gamepad). I never felt so much like I was reliving the escape from the Death Star from "A New Hope" more than playing that game! Even compared to other Star Wars games!
SUPER FUN MULTIPLAYER! Though for single player content... it was a bit hard to wrap my head around. I think the more simple flying and shooting of 64 is hard to top.
Re: Microsoft's Commitment To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo Is Now Legally Binding
@GrailUK LOL! I almost guarantee we will get more! Goldeneye being a major tip of the cap! I expect at least Banjo Tooie and Perfect Dark; maybe Diddy Kong Racing too.
Re: Microsoft's Commitment To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo Is Now Legally Binding
@Serialsid That is fear mongering. And Microsoft is already struggling buying Activision Blizzard, do you honestly think they can buy Ubisoft and EA? Okay bro. And Gamepass is good for a lot of budget gamers in an era where game prices have gone up. You can save money by getting Gamepass Ultimate and enjoy Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbone and XSX/S games on your single console and if you end-up liking the game you can buy it at a discount through Gamepass of up to 20%. And it is nice for PC gamers as well as we can try a game on Gamepass before buying it on Steam. Sony is even doing a Gamepass model. How is that a bad thing? I've been pro Nintendo doing a Gamepass as well as I like Expansion Pass, but having new Nintendo games on the service as well would be great for me personally.
And based on all reports of what happened in Activision Blizzard under Bobby Kotick, Microsoft owning the company will be great for the employees there who will have collective bargaining rights and the ability to unionize. That and a Sony dominated dedicated home console space is not healthy for the industry either. The best competitive era for both was with the 360 and PS3 where the consumers were generally the winner.
Re: Microsoft's Commitment To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo Is Now Legally Binding
@Serialsid Yeah I remember the stunts Sony pulled with the PS3. It was the same nonsense they did with the PS2. Make a console so hard to develop for that it restricts developers being able to make games on other platforms. That and this whole recent stunt of paying off devs from releasing games on Xbox or PC is a rather antiquated and anti-consumer practice... cough Final Fantasy XVI cough.
I'm all for funding development of games that would had never happened otherwise. Bayonetta 2&3 as examples, Nintendo saved that franchise and so gets to have them as exclusives. Or even buying developers like Nintendo did with Monolith Soft, Next Level Games, or even Sony did with Naughty Dog and ironically Bungie. Paying off a dev to just withhold games... I'm less inclined to support that. Microsoft has actually negotiated with unions to develop a path for unionization at Activision Blizzard... that is an overall good for the industry and good for the employees at Activision Blizzard compared to if they don't buy them.
SOURCE: https://gamerant.com/microsoft-acquisition-cwa-union-support-letter/
Re: Microsoft's Commitment To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo Is Now Legally Binding
@Selim Except like Minecraft, Microsoft has no incentive to do it. They want to push Gamepass not Xbox consoles as the former is more profitable. Keeping CoD off PS5s is a short term gain as it will push Xbox Series sales, but they will be losing about a 2/3rds of the potential market. I love the Switch, but I doubt Switch/Switch 2 will replace that massive PlayStation market for CoD. Why do you think Microsoft wants to sign a 10-year agreement with Sony like they did Nintendo? It has nothing to do with the PS5 or XSX/S sales, it has everything to do with what comes next. That I think is what Sony is worried about...
CoD on Gamepass is what Microsoft wants as that will push Gamepass subscriptions on Xbox and PC. That is where the real future money is made.
Re: Microsoft's Commitment To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo Is Now Legally Binding
@Judal27 Microsoft has been pretty good at giving their audience a lot to look forward to. Redfall is just a week away, Starfield is not that far away either same with Hellblade 2, and they have a Fable and Perfect Dark reboots on the horizon to hype-up hardcore fans. Microsoft's biggest issue has been:
A) a lack of quality 3rd party support. Either by design by Sony or just not being top dog a lot of great 3rd party games have come to Xbox after the hype has dried up or just not at all (Final Fantasy VII Remake being the most famous).
B) A lot of their quality 1st party titles are day and date with PC. This does mean that people are less likely to double-dip on a PC port later like Playstation games so less incentive to own a Xbox Series console.
C) A real lack of customer goodwill. The launch of the Xbone killed a lot of their core fanbase goodwill and basically handed the crown to PlayStation (we like to look at total sales and say the Xbox 360 was 3rd play that gen, but the Xbox 360 was hardcore gaming for most of that generation. That reveal event just ripped apart 7-years of hard work). Despite Gamepass, despite Rareware IPs being treated with respect, despite them keeping Minecraft multiplat, despite their cooperation with Nintendo they are still seen as the big bad of the industry. That is a hard image to fix.
I think Microsoft's cooperation with Nintendo is good for the industry. It gives their small IPs like Ori visibility, they share Banjo, they're bringing COD to the Switch (more likely Switch 2) something Activision has not done. But, Microsoft has been very good at rewarding Xbox owners and PC players which is their core fanbase. And if they keep Bethesda titles flowing on Switch (no reason they won't) and start pushing Activision titles on it like CoD? Even Nintendo players will become Xbox fans. It is the long game Microsoft is playing as the end of the console era is coming.
EDIT: And I'm not saying there won't be a PlayStation 6 or a new Xbox in 3-5 years. But, the generation after that I can see "high-end consoles" start to become not the main way to play. It is already happening where PC gaming is starting to become the main way younger teens are playing games like Minecraft, Fortnite and other popular titles. It is starting to already happen.
Re: 'Pokémon Presents' Showcase Announced For Next Week, 27th February 2023
My personal wish list: Scarlet and Violet DLC announcement (please return to Kalos DLC), Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Gen 1-3 come to Switch Online with Home support. After that I will just think it is gravy.