Cliff Notes – What should be the PS6 launch game?
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Potential for Horizon Sequel: Speculation suggests that a new Horizon title could be reserved for the PlayStation 6 launch, given the franchise’s strong graphics and broad appeal.
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Astro Bot’s Likely Return: A new full-length Astro Bot game is anticipated as a launch title, following the success of Playroom on the PS5.
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Animal Crossing Update Implications: The recent announcement of a major update for Animal Crossing on Switch 1 raises questions about the timeline for a new game, potentially delaying future releases for at least two years.
Horizon Forbidden West – there’s been no word on a sequel yet (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Friday letters page is surprised and confused by Animal Crossing on Switch 2, as a reader is in disbelief that Bloodborne still doesn’t have a remaster.
Launch picks
If the PlayStation 6 is coming out in 2027 then let’s have a more interesting discussion than the hardware and ask the serious question: what is going to be its launch games? The PlayStation 5 had a pretty good line-up, with Demon’s Souls, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure so I wonder what they might do for the next one?
I think Astro Bot is almost guaranteed. They had Playroom free for the PlayStation 5 but my guess it they’ll make a new full-length game for launch. But what about the big triple-A blockbuster? I’m going to guess that they’re holding back the next Horizon for that.
It would make sense as there hasn’t been a new one for a while, it always has good graphics, and it has pretty wide appeal. If they want to try and mirror the PlayStation 5’s success they could also do a half-sequel based on Wolverine. Maybe something starring X-23, as an equivalent of Miles Morales.
Xane
The other next big thing
So, that Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch 2 Edition annoucement was very… surprising. I think the assumption from most people was that a new Animal Crossing was a priority for Nintendo and was going to be one of next year’s big games. I definitely would’ve put money on that happening.
But now what does this mean? Especially as it’s not just a remaster but a fairly major update that you can also use on Switch 1. To me, that implies no new game for at least two years. I don’t know if that maybe means an unexpected delay, that they’re covering for, but I wouldn’t have thought so, as it doesn’t sound like the update is something that could’ve been done quickly.
Expert, exclusive gaming analysis
Of course, the big question now is if Animal Crossing isn’t the next big thing then what is? Here’s hoping it’s a brand new IP and not, as it probably is, Pikmin 5.
Tablet
Striking while the iron is cold
Nice review of Virtua Fighter, but I have to agree that I also worry that Sega has left things too late in terms of reviving its old Mega Drive era franchises. Anyone that had that console as kid is now in their 40s at a minimum and any young gamers is very unlikely to want to have anything to do with any of those games – they’re just too old fashioned.
Games like Jet Set Radio were never really any good and if you take the nostalgia away I don’t think there’s going to be any kind of an audience. I was going to say they should’ve started all this 10 years ago but they should never have stopped making them.
Taking a detour to make boring PC strategy games for two decades is so weird, but it was so long ago now that most gamers just think that’s what Sega do. But I remember the good old days.
Prom0
Nothing is going on
I don’t want to point out the obvious but I still can’t believe that Bloodborne has not had a PlayStation 5 update, a remaster, a remake, or any kind of recognition from Sony or FromSoftware. What is going on?!
Its 10th anniversary was in March and I don’t think anything was said or done. If it was it can’t have been anything more than a tweet.
For me this is probably the best video game ever made and I would say its easily From’s best game, even though most of their others are very good. I know nobody knows what’s going on but it is so strange I just can’t begin to guess what’s going on.
The only explanation that makes sense is that Sony and From hate each other’s guts but Sony has shares in From, that they bought after Bloodborne came out! So what is going on?
Terry Gold
Out of practice
Since I completed Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2, I needs some comfort food gaming, so got Mortal Kombat Kollection to reminisce.
Oh my god, it is far from comfort food. I used to think I was good at it, can clock the arcade on 10p. Now I get totally, and literally, killed.
I forgot just how unforgiving it is. And at some point in ~20 years I feel like I have got absolutely rubbish at it.
The spin-off Sub Zero and Special Forces totally suck, but in a sort of funny way.
Si-Zero
Mission Complete
I love how Microsoft (and, for some reason, the White House) is describing the end of the console wars as something that Microsoft has organised out of the goodness of its heart, an achievement it has reached through its own skill and labour.
The reason the console wars are over is because Xbox failed. Even its most popular console came last in its generation and the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S have been complete flops, each worse than the other. Xbox has consistently ignored what any country other than the US wants and seems to have very little understanding of what makes PlayStation and Nintendo successful.
Xbox did some good things in its time, like introducing proper online and making indie games a thing. But those are things that would have happened whether Microsoft were involved or not, it’s just that they did them earlier than their rivals, who were dragging their feet at the time.
In terms of actual important innovations, I’m not sure Xbox ever did anything more significant than Achievements. Even their biggest games, in Halo and Gears Of War, were created by someone else, before Microsoft just bought them and took all the credit. Then those games lost everyone’s interested when the original developers upped sticks and left.
I’m not saying I’m glad that Xbox is dead as a console maker, because the one important thing it did do is keep Sony on their toes. But beyond that I don’t think anything of value would be lost from them leaving the games industry entirely – assuming they sell off their developers to someone else (or, even better, let them go independent.
Focus
A charmed life
Looking at those financial results for Xbox I can once again only wonder how it is that Phil Spencer still has his job. It seems that the more you’re paid the bigger the mistakes you’re allowed to make, without anyone doing anything about it.
The incredible thing is that even after making all their games multiformat the revenues for Xbox are still completely flat, nothing makes any difference. If Black Ops 7 is less than successful than usual this year, then Xbox are going to be in a lot of trouble next year. I really fear for Double Fine, especially.
Gobu
Eternal conflict
I find it absolutely ironic that the American GameStop has declared the console wars over. Before I get any backlash, the Xbox has always been my second console for years, after whatever Nintendo put out.
Go back to the early noughties, when Microsoft execs got Nintendo into a room and told them they will take care of the hardware side of things and Nintendo can make the games, while justifiably getting laughed out of the building, to the leaked Microsoft emails a couple of years ago that suggested Nintendo needed some persuasion to give up the console side of things, as Microsoft knew better than they ever did.
Fast forward to today and we have Microsoft selling every exclusive they have to their so-called competitors.
I’m not saying that’s a bad thing for PlayStation owners. PlayStation fans, you are in for a blast with Halo if you’ve never played it, I’m just saying it’s ironic.
If you want to play as a moustache laden plumber with blue overalls, you have to buy a Nintendo system.
The big N have saved up more than enough money to deal with any type of hostile takeover.
I’m not saying it will never happen, as you can never say never, but it’s going to be a long time before Mario is jumping around on a Sony PlayStation.
So for me, the console wars is most definitely still on, I find it ironic that Microsoft and Sony start holding hands and Nintendo is still treated as the plucky underdog despite most of their innovations towards the games industry being endlessly copied by their so called rivals who pretend they are not relevant.
I’m not entirely sure Apple may not throw their hat into the ring either, as processing power and graphics appear to be plateauing, adding another dimension to it and pushing Microsoft further out.
Competition is healthy and that’s the way it should be, these TV streaming services all have their own thing going for them these days and as a result it provides some good content. Gaming is a much pricier hobby than TV streaming but that’s our choice and we choose to invest in it.
I think it would be a sad day if you could buy a console and play every game from every system, as that’s when companies get greedy and decide to charge you what they like for it.
Long may the console wars continue.
freeway77
Inbox also-rans
Why Is YouTube trying to make itself as unpopular as possible with all these new rules and regulations? Of all the complaints that are put against it, I find it hard to believe that violent video game videos was anyone’s biggest worry.
Tolly
Am I dreaming ore was Arc Raiders not supposed to be free? I was going to give it a go this weekend but I’m not paying £30+ for something I might not like.
Lombard
GC: It was going to be free but then they changed their minds.
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