Entertainment
Games Inbox: Xbox Series X before PS5, FIFA 21 without loot boxes, and GTA 6 announcement
The Monday Inbox is still unsure what to think about Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda, as another reader admits to not liking Resident Evil 4.
To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
Difficult decision
As many of Nintendo’s games are exclusive and of such exceptional quality, it’s an easy decision for me which console I purchase with each new generation. The more difficult decision is whether, for the breadth of coverage, to purchase either Sony or Microsoft’s latest offering to complement it. With a higher number of quality exclusives, the PlayStation 4 was the obvious choice in the previous generation.
However, aside from the fact that it’s almost impossible at the moment to get hold of a PlayStation 5 where I live, I now find myself torn. For me, £70 for a AAA title is a bit of a deal breaker. The other complication with buying a PlayStation 5 is the pathetic amount of storage space. These are good reasons for holding off buying a PlayStation 5 for at least a couple of years, by which time many of those games will be heavily discounted and a new model with more storage space may by then be available.
As the last Microsoft console I owned was the Xbox 360, there are quite a few titles available on Game Pass I’d like to play. For example, Halo Wars 2 and multiformat titles I didn’t get around to playing on the PlayStation 4. Given how cheap a subscription to Game Pass is and the wealth of content on it – albeit middling for the most part – I’m tempted, therefore, to go with Microsoft as a stopgap and delaying the purchase of a PlayStation 5 until a Pro version is released, whenever that is. By which time there’ll be a ton of AAA content at affordable prices available to download.
But there’s a further complication. I really don’t like the long-term implications of where Microsoft are going with Game Pass, especially, as seems likely, they purchase more and more developers to make games exclusively for them. With no apparent backlash to their approach, there seems little point, however, in boycotting their console.
For me, as I imagine it is with most gamers who read this site, the choice of console is determined by the games I like to play rather than the brand or console specs. For the aforementioned reasons, though, the issue is now more complicated. I won’t be purchasing a PlayStation 5 anytime soon but I’m still undecided whether, in the meantime, to fork out for an Xbox Series X.
Unfortunately, the future it seems is Microsoft’s for the taking.
Ciara
Consoles are so last gen
I’ve just read Royston’s Reader’s Feature and their interesting take on Xbox and Bethesda, meaning that PlayStation are doomed. PlayStation doesn’t need a Game Pass or an xCloud or even the Bethesda games.
The reason Microsoft have put themselves in this position is because they have been totally embarrassed by Sony every generation. Before we get into the fanboy arguments look at the figures:
- Xbox: 24m sold vs. PlayStation 2 selling 155 million
- Xbox 360 at 83 million vs. PlayStation 3 87 million
- Then Xbox One 48 million vs. PlayStation 4 115 million sold
This gen is already 2:1 in favour of Sony and only getting bigger. Sony has forced Microsoft into a position of taking a massive gamble on giving away games on a subscription model and that future is far from guaranteed.
Gaming has always, and will always, be about which company can produce the best games. Nintendo doesn’t need to change. Sony also doesn’t need to change. Both company’s can make the ps6,7 and 8 and the switch 2,3 and 4 is still be absolutely fine as long as they both have incredible first party games exclusive to the console.
If Microsoft doesn’t keep massively growing its sub numbers it all falls apart. Yes it’s great they now have Bethesda games exclusive but that’s only added 5-10AAA studios the company needs to support, all with huge outgoings with only game pass subs to prop it up. The recent performance of all of the Bethesda games have been average to good. There’s nothing list of the quality of an uncharted of god of war.
There’s no doubt it’s a massive risk and only time will tell how it will work out but Even if they are successful it still doesn’t change or even affect Sony or Nintendo’s plans moving forward. Just because Microsoft get a win with game pass doesn’t affect the other two in the slightest.
Jellybelly100
GC: Microsoft won’t have to sell any consoles to be successful, if Game Pass and xCloud continue to increase in popularity.
Early morning check
Just a follow up to my email I sent on Thursday 11th March about the trouble I was having getting a PlayStation 5 since launch, and especially my problems getting one from Argos. Well, it’s now Friday 12th March and I finally managed to get one. Yes, you guessed it, from Argos.
I checked at 3.30 am, as they usually put them up for sale around 3am, and managed to get one delivered four hours later at 7.30 am. Which is pretty remarkable. So thanks Argos, all is forgiven. For anyone wanting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X I would get the app Hot Stock, where you can set up alerts if you are wanting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X and they will alert you to anyone getting stock in, which they did for me at Argos. Now for some happy gaming.
David Clixby
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
Nul points
Do you know how FIFA 21 Ultimate Team works in Belgium? I know they still earn coins from playing but by Jove you’re going to need to play an awful amount of games to get enough coins to open enough packs, especially the decent packs or even work the transfer market. Does this mean every player in Belgium is going to be at a huge disadvantage?
This latest scandal at EA could see more governments banning these microtransactions, so we might all have to play this way soon.
DirtyStopOut
GC: As we understand it, the Belgian version has had FIFA Points removed. However, we’d imagine it’d be very easy for anyone there to import a copy from a neighbouring country or trick their console into thinking they’re not in Belgium.
Two more heroes
Just seen that Limited Run Games are releasing No More Heroes 1 and 2 on Switch, if any GameCentral readers are fans like me and would like to get a copy of the game or the collector’s version. I really enjoyed 1 and 2 on Wii originally and I really hope No More Heroes 3 is as good as the first two.
If No More Heroes 3 reviews well I will get it day one. I was disappointed with the reviews of Travis Strikes Again so I didn’t bother with that one, unfortunately. Here is the link for No More Heroes 1 standard edition at Limited Run Games and No More Heroes 2.
Andrew J.
Just completed: Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
First answer
I have to say I’ve always been confused by this insistence so many gamers have, that Microsoft are sure to make most of Bethesda’s future games multiformat. It’s not the way this sort of deal has gone in the past (do Naughty Dog or Insomniac release games on Xbox?) and beyond that it just seems kind of pointless.
If Microsoft had done absolutely nothing, the vast majority of Bethesda games would still have come to Xbox and PC, so little gain there. If they wanted the games on Game Pass, surely that could have been arranged for significantly less than the $7.5 billion they spent – see the recent deal with EA for EA Play. The only reason to spend so much money is to give their console some high-profile exclusives to encourage people to buy it.
TGN Professor
GC: Nobody thought that, until Microsoft themselves started to imply it… then last week suddenly changed their story back to what everyone assumed in the first place.
Another one
So I was wracking my brains thinking about classic games I couldn’t get in to and couldn’t think of any. Then, reading the Hot Topic, someone mentioned it, the game that was highly praised but just really didn’t float my boat.
Ghostman, you are not the only one! I did not find Resident Evil 4 enjoyable and gave up on it for exactly the same reasons you did. I tried, I really did, but why waste gaming time on something I’m not enjoying?
Interesting to see the amount of people who can’t get into the open worlds of The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher 3. I’m the total opposite, these are my go-to games. I’ve sunk well over 200 hours into Oblivion, same with Skyrim (each took me years) and I think The Witcher 3 was 180 hours. The only things with more hours on my Steam account are racing sims.
Still, different strokes for different folks and all that! Live long and prosper!
TheDudeAbides
Short and sweet
I have struggled to get into quite a few games in recent years. Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption 2, Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Tomb Raider trilogy. I just don’t get on with a lot of modern games as they all seem to want to be massive open world games with hunting and crafting and the like.
I start out enjoying them but then get bored of these games after about 20 -30 hours and end up just not finishing them. I do appreciate that they are good games, but I just prefer a shorter 10-12 hour game that I can get through to completion.
I also love almost all Mario games but found Odyssey a bit boring after a while, just running around looking for moons got boring compared to the usual individual levels which I feel allows for more creativity in the level design, if a bit more linear. I did play through to the credits but didn’t bother going back to collect more moons.
There are a few games that I have put a lot of hours into. I really enjoyed Far Cry 3 and didn’t get bored with the hunting and crafting in that game for some reason that I can’t pinpoint. I was just having fun and kept playing. Other games I put a lot of hours into are Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario Maker 2.
I now mostly just play retro and indie games as I prefer old style games where you just start the game and get into the action such as The Messenger, Shovel Knight, Cyber-Shadow, Celeste and some of the levels on Super Mario Maker 2 are class, if a little too hard for me – which has led to me watching a few YouTube players play these amazing levels.
I never used to like watching people play games but now enjoy watching Super Mario Maker 2 videos almost every day, as they play through some great levels that I could never get through.
Mcfly1888
Inbox also-rans
I wonder how Rockstar would even announce GTA 6, nowadays? Especially given pandemic and not having journos see it. How did Red Dead Redemption 2 get announced?
Baker
GC: As we recall it was a couple of tweets teasing the game, then a tweet announcing it and a trailer that was released a few days later.
I don’t understand why Nintendo make amiibo so hard to get hold of. They keep making new ones but by the time I get around to picking them up they’re always out of stock and £50 on eBay. What’s the point?
Gorf
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was inspired by reader Newton, and asks what’s your favourite beginning to a video game?
What game do you think makes the best first impression, regardless of what follows? Assuming the beginning means anything with the first hour (although it can be a much smaller section within that time) what game do you feel starts off the best?
What is it about its opening that works so well? Is it the presentation, the story hooks, or simply the gameplay? How important is a good beginning and which good games do you feel start poorly?
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk
The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
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MORE : Weekend Hot Topic, part 1: Games you couldn’t get into
MORE : Weekend Hot Topic, part 2: Games you couldn’t get into
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