Cliff Notes – Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops:
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Backlog Management: Many gamers struggle with extensive backlogs, often feeling overwhelmed by the number of games waiting to be played, especially after significant life changes like retirement.
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Generational Critique: The current gaming generation, particularly the PS5, has faced criticism for minimal graphical improvements, with some developers acknowledging the limitations while highlighting features like the DualSense controller.
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AI and Sequels Debate: Hideo Kojima’s comments on AI’s role in game development have sparked controversy, especially given his history of creating sequels, leading to questions about the value of innovation versus established franchises.
Games Inbox: The best way to deal with a video game backlog
How many do you have waiting to be played? (Amazon)
The Thursday letters page is intrigued by the Astro Bot director’s defence of the PS5 generation, as a reader is unimpressed by Hideo Kojima’s views on AI and sequels.
Yearly target
Like Simundo I have hundreds of games in the backlog. I have been lucky enough to have all major home consoles and handhelds (except Xbox Series X) since 1994, and I have lots of games for many of them. I was lucky (silly) enough to be able to purchase the majority of these on launch day, so I want to get my money’s worth.
However, as I was working full time until 2020, I only had enough time to play a fraction. It’s been a joy to start making progress through the games since I retired earlier this year. I do like to complete a game 100% or as close as I can manage. But progress is slow as many games are extensive.
With my slow progress in mind, I was listening to a recently recommended podcast and one of the podcaster’s took me by surprise when they stated that they have ‘rolled credits on more than one hundred games every single year since 2020’. I found this comment astonishing.
I would be lucky to finish tens of games per year. Am I useless at games? I know I’m not as good as I once was, but the comparison to the podcaster is surprising. Should I hang up my controllers? Hopefully I never will as I still truly love gaming.
I would love to know your rate of completion, can you advise?
Expert, exclusive gaming analysis
Right, I had better get back to it.
Ed
Fast talking
Interesting to see the Astro Bot guy actually tackle the complaints about this generation head-on. That must be the first straight answer we’ve got from someone at Sony in the last five years. He basically admits that the graphics have barely improved at all, which is obviously true, but suggesting it was all worth it for DualSense and fast loading is just silly.
Apart from anything, almost no games (except his) make proper use of the DualSense and even a lot of games don’t have particularly fast loading, if they’re not properly optimised.
This generation has been a complete non-starter, although I admit I’m not sure whether they should try to start again or drag it out and try to do better.
Cranston
Public admission
It doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see that Microsoft has already admitted the next gen Xbox is going to be ultra expensive and basically just a PC, exactly as the rumours said. (To be honest, I can’t remember a single rumour about Xbox that didn’t turn out to be true – that place leaks like a sieve).
That’s as good as giving up on consoles as far as I’m concerned. Even if they get some kind of emulation going, it’s not a console, first of all, and the whole point of consoles is that they’re relatively cheap and they all have exactly the same specs. This doesn’t sound like it’ll do either, you’ll just be paying over the odds on a similarly specced PC because it has an Xbox badge on the case.
Kimble
Do as I say, not as I do
The more I think of Hideo Kojma’s comments about AI the more hilariously hypocritical they seem. The dude has just released a sequel, where one of the specific complaints was that it was too similar to the last one, and now he’s saying you should just give over all sequels for AI to make?
So which one out of Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, 4, 5, Portable Ops, Peace Walker, and all the rest should’ve been made by AI, Mr Kojima? Or let me guess, your games don’t count because they’re super innovative and special, unlike everyone else’s sequels.
This is such a ridiculous thing for someone to say, who’s been making games for nearly 40 years and yet has only worked on like six different franchises the entire time. If you want to use AI then fine, go ahead, but talking about sequels as if they’re disposable trash, when that’s all you ever make, is pretty rich.
Benson
Double decker
Many bits have been mentioned around having Nintendo DS emulation on Switch 2.
One obvious for me is using Switch 2 game share and another Switch (either 1 or 2) for the second screen.
They could even release an overpriced addon like for Virtual Boy thing to clip two Switches together. Make a massive DS.
Inbox magic? Cos I would totally buy it.
Si-Zero
GC: That was the rumour from a few weeks ago, which suggested having two physical screens, as one of three possible options for emulating the DS.
Not worth the wait
RE: Backlog and Harvester being 30 years old. Harvester was made available digitally on Steam and GOG in 2014. I bought it last year in a sale for £1.19. I’ve not owned it waiting to play for 30 years, that would be something. Especially as a factory sealed boxed version of the game, is asking for a thousand dollars on eBay.
I bought my first, and probably only, gaming PC in 2018. That’s when I first started buying some games for PC. GOG has been great for legitimately accessing some of the best or curious PC games I’ve not played.
90s PC gaming really interests me, as it was pretty different to console games of the time and was fairly unobtainable for me. Had to visit friends to play PC or Amiga games in the 90’s.
The games are often just the original release being emulated in DOSBox or whatever, so it has that charm or roughness of games released way back when.
It’s why I’m loving Nightdive’s work on that era of PC gaming. Remakes or remasters are my preferred way to play old games. Also looking forward to finally getting around to playing the Super Mario Galaxy games with the remasters. The first game is nearly 20 years old now.
Also worth remembering, when understandably recoiling at paying 70 smackers RRP for a game day one, you can buy and play games whenever you want.
Simundo
GC: Harvester is justifiably infamous for its sex and violence but it’s really not a very good game. The 90s was certainly a golden age for PC gaming though, with scores of innovative exclusives from major publishers – something you never see today.
Exclusive T-shirt
That Nintendo pop-up store sounds like it’s got a lot of fun stuff, but I don’t think I can put up with the inevitable queues. I do hope they set up a permanent store though, because I have visited the New York one and not only does it have a lot of cool merch it’s kind of a central point for fans, with little displays of rare objects and events like watching a Nintendo Direct (I believe, I just know that from watching reaction videos on YouTube).
Having all that in the UK would be really neat and I’m not sure I really understand what the downside would be from Nintendo’s point of view. They might even get around to printing a T-shirt with the word ‘London’ on it too.
Boogie
Inevitable upgrade
I see people are discussing the PlayStation 5 and are looking towards the future. Namely the PlayStation 6 and if it is indeed, possibly, launching in either 2027 or 2028. I’d say that it’s definitely a possibility by the time 2027 arrives. It will have been a seven-plus year run for the PlayStation 5 and I’d say that’s on par with the PlayStation 4’s run, from 2013 to 2020.
Personally, I’d say I’ve no regrets over upgrading five years ago. The time was right and the pandemic wasn’t exactly making each day easy, or memorable. It was essentially a blight on each moment. That being said, I’d be lying if I said the lack of exclusivity has basically made it a much more difficult sell, for many consumers.
With the aggressive focus on live service titles and the development time between first party games it has been a rather lacking generation. As opposed to the PlayStation 4, the PlayStation 5 has been rather disappointing in a few aspects. So, I understand the hesitance for a few to upgrade.
That’s not to say that there hasn’t been some fantastic exclusives. Returnal is a favourite for many and for GC; Astro Bot lived up to the expectations; Demon’s Souls remake as a launch title truly reinvigorated the concept of remaking a Souls title and perfected the formula. I’ve also began my playthrough of Ghost Of Yōtei and I’ve got Death Stranding 2 waiting in the wings. So it’s a mix of both sides of the coin.
I can’t say what the PlayStation 6 will have in store for us consumers. We haven’t even seen any prototype or sketches yet. So, it’s a mystery to each player and for myself. I’ve said it before, I’ll be there day one, no matter what the end product looks like. I just hope it’s a time period in which, by then, Sony have learnt to do better, not be sorry. Yes, that was a God Of War reference.
Shahzaib Sadiq
PS: Currently playing Ghost Of Yōtei, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, and Ninja Gaiden 4.
Inbox also-rans
Gotta be honest, I think you got the score perfect on Jurassic World Evolution 3. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good but something is missing from it, maybe a big DLC is on the way which will fix it, but must be honest, I’m loving it.
David
GC: 8/10 is a very high score? Although it’s one which Jurassic World Evolution 3 only just got, as we nearly gave it a 7/10, like the last one.
I am consistently shocked at how popular Borderlands is. If you like it then don’t let me stop you, but the whole franchise seemed tired 13 years ago.
Rollo
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