Star Wars Outlaws – game of the show? (Picture: Ubisoft)
The Wednesday letters page is suspicious about the FTC’s attempt to stop Activision Blizzard, as one reader thinks 30fps Starfield is fine.
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Renewed Force
So… Ubisoft won ‘E3’, who would’ve thought that?
Ubisoft have been under pressure to deliver financial results, after surely sinking fortunes into one misguided live service game after another, and so it’s refreshing and an absolute no-brainer to see them refocusing on more traditional single-player focused games.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws both look absolutely brilliant, with Star Wars Outlaws being a particular jaw dropper for current gen and even managing to out-Starfield the real Starfield.
I’m somehow also reminded of Beyond: Good & Evil; Ubisoft Massive have done the seemingly impossible with Outlaws in creating the perfect substitute for a real sequel in all but name.
Ian
Admiral Ackbar writes…
So wait, hang on. Just days after the Xbox Games Showcase the Federal Trade Commission chooses that exact moment to file an injunction against Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard? Apart from making it clear that it’s not just the CMA that’s against the deal (is the US also not open for business, Microsoft?) it actually seems to make the idea that the terrible PlayStation Showcase was a ‘trap’ seem kind of plausible.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe it, it sounds like conspiracy garbage, but… it’s much harder to disprove than I would’ve thought. The two biggest Western video game markets both think that the Activision Blizzard deal is bad for the industry and its consumers and I think that’s significant. I mean it’s kind of obvious that throwing that kind of money around, to buy the biggest publisher is not going to be healthy for anyone and now the whole circus is going to roll on for even longer.
Planer
Everyone likes Nintendo
For a not-E3 where most publishers didn’t even have their own event I think the last few days have actually been pretty exciting. Considering how much happened I have no idea why they didn’t just carry on and do E3, instead of creating this weird patchwork version with bits missing, but I’m guessing most publishers probably don’t get on that well, especially the big three.
Still, we got some big new game announcements and I’d say most of them looked pretty great. Plus, we got some good old fashion controversy too, with Microsoft stirring the pointing and making Sony look silly. Unless Sony is playing 4D chess and this is all part of their big masterplan.
I have no idea if that might be true but what I do know is that gaming is really exciting again: a bunch of big name games have come out and they’re great and now we’ve got the console manufacturers warring for our attention. Good!
Onibee
GC: Actually, there was a delegation of mid-level Nintendo execs standing right behind us in the queue to get into the Xbox Games Showcase. We saw them again later at Ubisoft Forward – where Phil Spencer and Geoff Keighley were also in the audience.
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Two options
I think I saw another reader suggest something similar before but for me my concern with Fable is how much Microsoft has convinced itself the original is a classic, because it’s not. They have a lot of franchise envy at Xbox, I’ve noticed, where they seem aware they haven’t got super nostalgic, long-running series like Zelda or God Of War and they try to pretend Gears Of War, or whatever is, rather than just trying to make something new.
The best approach for Fable would be to ditch everything except the humour and make a brand new game that doesn’t necessarily keep anything from the original. The bad approach is to feel the need to keep putting in references, including in terms of combat, and being held back by a series that was never any good to start with.
The problem with that trailer is that while it confirms they’re keeping the tone and humour you can’t tell anything about how it’ll actually play.
Trepsils
Against the tide
I never got on with the original Dragon’s Dogma, and am kind of surprised it’s coming back, but I find myself strangely interested in the idea of the sequel. The idea that it’s purposefully meant to be single-player but with AI co-op seems like a good idea to me and I’m glad they’ve leaned into it.
If there was one common trend at the various showcases I’d say that it showed that single-player games are back and as important as ever, with Microsoft clearly recognising that fact. The only one that seemed to be out of step with that idea is Sony, with all their live service games. You’d think it’d be the other way round but it seems like PlayStation has forgotten how it became so popular in the first place.
Focus
Xbox patroniser
I’ve watched the Starfield direct a few times now and I can’t recall being so hyped for a game. Not even 30fps can dull my hype. I’ve seen complaints the game is too big in scope. I don’t see that as a negative. Like Skyrim before it, I treat these type of games almost like a live service game. It’s more about the journey than reaching the finishing line. Even though several games showed well at Microsoft’s showcase, to say Starfield stole the show is an understatement.
Phil Spencer recently downplayed the prospect of Starfield being a system seller. Now we’ve seen it, his comments appear even more ridiculous. Whether it shifts more consoles, PCs, TVs or that handheld with the silly name I don’t think it matters to Microsoft.
The cope may be strong with certain Sony fans, but it’s not like there aren’t choices to play the game. I have sympathy for any gamer on a budget: not everyone can afford multiple consoles. But those gamers who deprive themselves out of some misguided loyalty, you also have my sympathy.
Anon
Mild enjoyment
I actually thought the new Avatar game looked pretty good. I’ve always wanted them to do a proper sci-fi Far Cry game but all we ever got was DLC spin-offs like Blood Dragon and Lost On Mars. I can’t say I care about Avatar either, even though I saw both movies and mildly enjoyed them, but the game’s action looked fun to me.
Maybe not all the stuff back at the villages but that attack on the mines and whatever looked really neat. I’ll keep my eye on that.
Korbie
Star Wars Division
RE: Star Wars Outlaws. I watched the trailer and the gameplay reveal and sadly I must say that I am disappointed. Not because either looked terrible, far (far away) from it in fact, but because I was hoping that the game was going to be a cross of Star Wars and The Division.
I mean that seemed awesome to me. However, unfortunately, what it seems to be is Star Wars/Splinter Cell cross which will no doubt be very good but not what I had new hope for.
Other musings are there didn’t really seem to be any looter shooter multiplayer type games, which are what I personally enjoy, but there did seem to be a resurgence in single-player games.
Ah well, let’s see what the other briefings bring, I know have a lot of hope pinned on Exoprimal!
WAYNEOS
PS: Sorry for shoehorning in a few references.
PPS: I’m not really sorry.
GC: That was the logical assumption, but the wheels seemed to come off The Division concept with the sequel and there may well not be any The Division 3, just the mobile spin-off. If you like looter shooters consider giving Diablo 4 a chance, it’s not a shooter but it is the whole origin of the looter aspect.
41st anniversary hope
I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by the Capcom showcase. I realise they’ve had a lot of games out recently and they’re only a relatively small publisher but I’m not really sure what the point was in having an event. They probably should’ve just not had one, like most others.
I don’t say because I’m angry at them but because they’re my favourite publisher and when you hear they have something like that you can’t help but be excited, which is always the double-edged sword with these sort of things.
Basically, the only new games we got were a Mega Man phone game and an Ace Attorney remaster collection. When I saw the 40th anniversary stuff, in particular, my mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of a new Ghosts ‘N Goblins, Bionic Commando, or Marvel Vs. Capcom. Of course that never happened but I do hope something like that is planned for the 40th, as surely that would be the prime time to unveil them.
But then you would’ve though the perfect time to announce that would’ve been Monday night, so I guess the timing is off.
Danson
Inbox also-rans
Is it just me or does Assassin’s Creed seem like a really bad fit for VR, with all that leaping around? I can’t imagine what was shown in that pre-rendered trailer working in real life. Splinter Cell seems like a much better fit with all the sneaking about and waiting.
Tolly
Glad to hear Microsoft has no plans for a more powerful Xbox. If Sony tries to push a PS5 Pro they’re going to look like even more of a villain. They really do seem to be making all the wrong decisions at the moment.
Jak394
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The Wednesday letters page is suspicious about the FTC’s attempt to stop Activision Blizzard, as one reader thinks 30fps Starfield is fine.
