Will Xbox regret getting involved with Activision? (pic: Microsoft)
The Tuesday letters page worries that Microsoft’s buyout of Activision is starting to backfire, as another reader compares Horizon to toast.
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Expensive distraction
I’m pretty sure I can’t be the only one getting sick and tired of Phil Spencer complaining about Sony and the Activision Blizzard deal. Not because I’m bored of hearing about it but because the more he realises that it might not go through the more whiny and entitled he’s starting to sound. Like a little rich kid who’s never been told no before and is outraged that anyone would dare.
Spencer’s arguments are clearly ridiculous – he was immediately called out on the Deathloop/Ghostwire: Tokyo one – and he just can’t seem to see why scooping up companies on a whim is not good for anyone. Activision Blizzard employs almost 10,000 people, so just imagine how many are going to get made redundant as a result of the buyout.
Sony can’t make Xbox seems small, Microsoft are a massively bigger company than Sony. All they can do is beat them in terms of quality games, which they repeatedly do because they actually grew their studios up from scratch, instead of buying them off the shelf.
Call Of Duty sells a lot, sure, but it’s still not going to be winning any awards (it literally didn’t last week). Microsoft want to compete with Sony but if they’re going to do that they’ve probably already got the studios they need. Activision is becoming a dangerous distraction and the longer their eye is off the ball the more of a gift it is to Sony.
Jono
No comment
I hadn’t really thought much about the tech site ‘conspiracy’ until the Reader’s Feature at the weekend and I have to say that I found myself agreeing with a lot of it. It’s not that they’re wrong to criticise Switch games, it’s the fact that they’re overstating problems that they seems to largely ignore on other formats. Suggesting that a game like the (award-winning) Bayonetta 3 is not worth playing for some people is just asinine.
They’ve got plenty of excuses they can give but why is that when reviews appear for the next gen version of The Witcher 3 there’s no mention of it on Eurogamer or Digital Foundry? They didn’t mention anything about bugs in their preview and now they haven’t got a review at all.
I think a double standard is becoming clear here: attack the low-hanging fruit but keep quiet about the stuff that’s supposed to be state-of-the-art but actually isn’t. Digital Foundry complained about a ‘litany of bugs’ in Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, which were not obvious to me or many other players, and yet apparently they have nothing to say about The Witcher 3, of all things, not only not learning from the mistakes of Cyberpunk 2077 but repeating them in almost the exact same circumstances. And even bringing back bugs that had previously been patched out! Something is very fishy here.
Carlton
Gaming day
I’ve not been able to game much recently as I’ve been so busy with work (this time of year is a killer) but I had Sunday to myself so thought I’d have a gaming day. Gave Pentiment a go, though I wasn’t sure it would be for me… I was dead wrong. Literally played it all day. The writing is absolutely fantastic and considering the games presentation, I was surprised how engrossing the game is. (I’ve still not finished it, but I had to go to bed sometime.)
Does Pentiment feel slightly odd, in that it obviously doesn’t feel AAA at all, but it has a polish and quality that makes it not feel like an Indie game either… it’s really hard to describe. Or am I just seeing something that isn’t there? But anyway, good job Obsidian. I think they may have been Xbox’s best purchase.
Jay
GC: Pentiment has an indie attitude but Obsidian is a highly experienced developer, so that makes a big difference. You’re right that they’re probably Microsoft’s best developer.
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Everything everywhere all at once
With regards to Monday’s letter likening Horizon to a slice of toast with no butter I’d argue it’s the other way with that thing. It’s more like a slice of toast with every single toast topping slapped on top of it but with no regards to how it all ends up tasting.
All the items on there should definitely be applied to a delicious slice of warm, crisped up sourdough at some point but to put them all on there at once is just madness and shows absolutely no restraint. Butter, jam, Marmite, peanut butter, cheese (both toasted and cold sliced), lemon curd, avocado, baked beans, bit of soup, eggs three ways, oh don’t forget the honey! In their attempt to provide something for everyone the developers appear to have forgotten how these things might taste together or how we might even go about taking a mouthful.
Tomorrow I’ll be doing God Of War as omelette fillings and GoT as the stuff you find in the random drawer you keep meaning to sort out.
Matt
GC: That’s a pretty good analogy, not just for Horizon but for a lot of current big budget games. You’ve lost us at GoT, though? Unless you mean Game Of Thrones.
The wrong lessons
Wow, Forspoken sounds pretty terrible, eh? I’ve rarely seen GC give such a negative preview and then the producer comes out and says that people shouldn’t be down on the demo because it’s actually nothing like the game?! Well why make or release it then? What’s the point of a demo that’s nothing like the game.
I can’t say the game ever looked good but this sounds like it’s dead on arrival. A shame as I’m sure everyone will take the wrong lessons from its inevitable failure and there’ll be no more black or female main characters again for a while. Although I have to admit, the last thing I want from a fantasy role-player is someone running around dropping a f-bomb every few minutes.
Gordon Bennett
Public video game testers
Digital Foundry getting into the weeds of game analysis isn’t for everyone, but to suggest their work is unwanted or even unnecessary is extremely unfair. Digital Foundry has been very complimentary of Nintendo Switch in the past, they’re merely reporting on facts. How much stock you put into their observations will vary, but it’s obvious when a game doesn’t perform as it should. In the worst cases of performance issues, Digital Foundry should be commended – often being the driving force behind fixes being implemented by the developer.
To me, Digital Foundry are no different from the game testers who are employed to identify bugs. It’s just another layer of scrutiny on a more public level.
The Nintendo Switch is getting long in the tooth now. It’s a system where its ingenuity always trumped its technical prowess. When we live in a world where the Xbox Series S is being accused of holding the generation back, I find it a bit rich some of these same people are up in arms when the technical deficiencies of the Switch are being reported.
A successor to the Switch is due. Not because of Digital Foundry, because the hardware is restricting ambition. Gameplay will always be king, but if some technical critique can assist these games to be the best they can be, I’m all for it. Those who aren’t interested in that kind of thing, then don’t be, criticism of your favourite console should never be taken personally.
Anon
Christmas present
Hope everyone has a nice Christmas and new year and enjoy lots of gaming. Just to let you know the other Bayonetta amiibo 61 is in stock currently on Nintendo’s site.
I did write in months ago about the other Bayonetta amiibo 62 was in stock. So if you bought that then, you can get 61 to complete the set now. Also, the new Splatoon triple pack is in stock since 1st December
on Nintendo Store UK.
Andrew J.
Currently playing: Stray (collecting Trophies!)
GC: We can indeed, thanks very much for the tip.
Tarnished ‘N Demigods
In 1985 I visited my local pool and spotted a new addition to the row of arcade cabinets.
This newest title was Ghosts ‘N Goblins from Capcom, otherwise known as Makaimura, which translates to Demon World Village.
Everything about this title, the difficulty, the graphics, and the amazing audio had me hooked from the first time I played it.
Easily recognisable and often quoted to this day, as one of the most difficult games of all time, I still play it regularly.
For those who have never played, you play as a knight that can be killed in just one or two hits.
The gameplay involves the player defeating undead creatures, ogres, dragons, and other monsters. On your journey you can collect new weapons and armour to assist you in what at times seems an impossible and daunting task, at some stage you will find you character playing in just his underpants in environments ranging from lava filled bridges to frozen areas!
If you have the skills, the patience, and, most importantly, the 10 pence pieces you may find that you defeat the final boss to only be sent back to the start to play again and earn the true ending.
As I sit typing this roughly 37 years later, I have just achieved platinum on Elden Ring.
A game where you play as a knight using different weapons and shields with multiple endings, that is widely regarded as an extremely difficult title where your character can again be played in just their underpants and again involves plenty of ladders!
My point? Not much to be honest! Just that with all this 30fps and 60fps, this console is better than that console/PC, please just remember during this festive period, when hopefully some will be getting a new game or console, don’t forget to just enjoy it!
Wishing GameCentral and all your readers a very merry Christmas and happy new year!
Jowbullman (PSN ID) Add me!
Inbox also-rans
So Microsoft are trying to convince the world that Call Of Duty isn’t that big of a deal and then it goes and beats Elden Ring to become one of the 10 biggest sellers of all time? Yeah, I don’t think that really adds up.
Grotbags
Microsoft are like that mate that owes you money and always promises he’ll pay you back the next time he sees you. How many years now have they been promising to announce all their games ‘soon’. I look forward to playing Fable on the Xbox Series Z (actually, I’ll probably just buy a PlayStation 6).
Pency
This week’s Hot Topic
As the year comes to an end, for this weekend’s Inbox we want to know what you thought of 2022 in gaming?
The pandemic might be over, but it still casts a long shadow over the games industry, with release schedules and preview events still adversely affected. But what did you think of 2022 overall? What did you think of the standard and volume of games and what were you favourites?
What did you consider were the major trends in terms of gameplay and the industry at large? And which news stories do you feel will go on to become most important for the future of gaming?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
The small print
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The Tuesday letters page worries that Microsoft’s buyout of Activision is starting to backfire, as another reader compares Horizon to toast.Â
