Has gaming jumped the shark in terms of prices? (pic: Metro.co.uk)
The Wednesday letters page considers the current state of video game side quests, as one reader wonders what the next Lego game will be.
PLEASE NOTE: We’re currently preparing our content for over Christmas and the New Year, which will include several Reader’s Features. So if you have an idea for an article, on any gaming related subject you like, now would be a great time to submit it, at the email address below.
To join in with the discussions yourself email [email protected]
No choice
It was obvious even before this $70 Microsoft announcement, but video games are just too damn expensive. They’re also too long, so is it me but is there not an obvious solution here? Half the price and half the length and I think games would not only be more affordable but probably end up telling better stories too.
There’s no story that can last 60+ hours and expect to be good and games have been proving that for decades. I can’t think of a single reason for them to be so long, assuming the price is lowered. Especially as it’s relatively easy to make endgame style content as filler, after you’ve beaten it.
It doesn’t take an economics genius to realise that people haven’t got a lot of spare cash at the moment. People are seeing their pay checks worth less and less and yet video game prices are going up and up. I love gaming and all but if it’s a choice between that and putting the heating on/eating well… that’s not a choice at all.
Casbo
Ring out
Oh, so that Elden Ring free update was a bit of a shock, right? As far as I understand this could mean two things: that the paid-for DLC has nothing to do with PvP and that there simply is no paid-for DLC. I’d like to think the second one isn’t likely but I really don’t see that we have any evidence to go on, one way or the other.
The best indicator to me is just how much space is missing on the Elden Ring map. It looks like it would be so easy to drop in another third or so of game world right in the middle and I always assumed that would be the case, right from the start. But who knows for sure. I’m definitely hoping for an announcement at The Game Awards, but I wouldn’t say I was expecting it.
Loogie
Ultimate crossover
Now that Lego Star Wars is coming to Game Pass it’s a bit surprising we haven’t heard about the next game. I know there was some question of whether Warner Bros. would be able to keep the licence but I hope so, as I thought the latest game was definitely the best. It probably helps that it was Star Wars but there was so much love for the franchise in that game, it was fun just on that basis.
The obvious picks for the next game are more superheroes or Harry Potter but I’d love to see a DC vs. Marvel game. There was some talk about a fighting game like that, from NetherRealm, but that never seemed very believable. A Lego game wouldn’t have to take things quite so seriously though and I think it’s the only chance for a new team-up, short of Disney buying Warner… which weirdly is no longer outside of the realms of possibility.
Benson
PS: Are there any rumours at the moment, GC, as to what the next game could be?
GC: The only reliable rumour at the moment is a football game made with 2K, but obviously that’s not the sort of thing you’re thinking of.
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
Back to the beginning
The Tomb Raider series is now 26 years old and I am wondering, despite there being reboots, if we will ever get lucky and see a Collector’s Edition of the original Tomb Raider games from the original PlayStation console.
What I’d like to see happen is for the PlayStation 1 Tomb Raider games to be given 4K HDR10 ports onto the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X into a Collector’s edition for fans to enjoy the originals in 4K HDR quality. Tomb Raiders 1, 2, 3 would be included, along with other Tomb Raider games released as a future digital download at a later date.
The newer generation of gamers would be able to enjoy these classics, as well as existing Tomb Raider fans. It would also ensure the originals are not forgotten about in the future and that the next generation can enjoy these classics that made the Tomb Raider franchise what it is today.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)
Varying rewards
I haven’t played The Callisto Protocol, but I did play Dead Space 1 and 2, neither of which I found scary. I guess horror is subjective (though, many people seem to consider jump scares scary rather than startling, I could write on that subject for a while).
I’ve travelled a fair bit for work this year, and I found some interesting things about Microsoft Rewards (which I know some people use to get Games Pass renewals):
1) Rewards availability is based on where you are, not what region your account is set to, so you may need a VPN if you travel (not having a VPN broke my 100 day streak).
2) In Hungary and Greece, rewards are disabled completely.
3) In Spain, the Xbox app (which also generates points) is disabled, but the website works.
4) In USA and UK everything works.
Hopefully that information is useful to someone.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays one and all.
Joseph Dowland
God Of War Gaiden
I’ve just finished God Of War Ragnarök and I was very impressed. I get the complaints about the story being a bit meandering but I still liked it overall. The side quests are properly better than a lot of main quests and that helped to keep my interest, because there was always a lot to find. I especially liked the one about freeing the giant whale thing.
I do feel that the quality of side quests has improved greatly in recent years and I put this down primarily to The Witcher 3, which I really think raised the bar. I think it’s pretty obvious that Sony in particular has been taking notes on that one, as Horizon Forbidden West is another one where the side quests are really good and there’s an even bigger contrast between them and the main story thread.
Makes me wonder if they could make a game that doesn’t have a main story but is just a collection of random events. Like a short story collection but in video game form. It sounds like a cool idea, to me, that could work but sadly too expensive to take a risk on, outside of indie games.
Bluto
Space for improvement
On the theory that it only make sense to remake things that had flaws, thereby making them better than they were originally, wouldn’t it have been better to remake Dead Space 3? A co-op sci-fi horror still seems like a good idea to me, it just needs to be done better.
Plus, they could do something about the ending and set things up properly for a sequel. They’ll never do it, of course, because who wants a remake of a bad game. But it would be the best thing for the franchise, rather than just the first one with better graphics.
Iron Pete
Tipping point
The news that Xbox shall be selling their fist party games at the full price of £70 from next year is hopefully going to be the turning point for Game Pass.
The developers of these first party Xbox games have spent the last few years pouring all their hard work and dedication into making stunning looking games that players can enjoy for hours at a time. However, when this hard work is over will the developers be rewarded?
Absolutely not! Instead they will receive a slap to the face when the games launch, day one, on Game Pass.
Players will not be keen to pay full price for a game when they can spend £1 on a trial each month and continue to do so with the £1 trial loophole for Game Pass.
When these games fail to make the sales figures of Sony’s first party games, or indeed the profits to make future games a possibility, I hope developers start to rebel against day one Game Pass releases. I don’t understand why the developers are happily making a game they know is going to be put on a subscription service to make a fraction of the profit? And if the game is an Xbox exclusive, the loss of player bases from other rivals?
Developers deserve more respect from players than is shown to them by paying £1 a month to a play a game that has taken years to make. Where does the income come from to make more games?
Yes, Microsoft has an endless bucket of cash to throw at buying up the studios and developers but where does that leave us? Xbox doesn’t have a strong reputation with first party releases, and this will undoubtedly affect the quality of the games released.
Game Pass will be the downfall of AAA games, especially with day one releases when full price games are snubbed. Instead, it should be used to bring new players or new life to a game sometime after its release. Our developers deserve better.
Anon
GC: You’re implying that developers get royalties for their games, which unless they’re self-publishing they generally do not.
Inbox also-rans
Does anyone remember the game Auto Modellista from Capcom? It was a serious racing game that was entirely cel-shaded. It was actually pretty good too, at least it went full cartoon, unlike the cowardly Need For Speed game.
Stepper
It doesn’t seem to have got any mentions anywhere, as far as I can see, but just to let you know there is now a third expansion for Back 4 Blood, for those that like their Left 4 Dead clone to be as close as possible to the original.
Damien
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Cranston and asks what is your favourite and least favourite entry in a long running franchise?
There are plenty of video game series that have been running for 25 years or more, some with dozens of sequels, but which do you think is the best and which is the worst? Try to keep your suggestions to mainline sequels, but other than that you can pick any games from any era or format.
Does a sequel need to have a lot of new ideas to be successful and how much can it differ from the original game before it loses its identity? What advice would you give for the next sequel in whatever franchise you’ve picked?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
The small print
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MORE : Games Inbox: The Callisto Protocol reader review, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor hopes, and NieR 3
MORE : Weekend Hot Topic: The Game Awards 2022 hopes and predictions
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The Wednesday letters page considers the current state of video game side quests, as one reader wonders what the next Lego game will be.
