Games Inbox: FIFA 22 upgrade rip-off, Warzone cross-play cheaters, and Persona 6 on PS5

FIFA 22 – has EA gone too far? (pic: EA)

The Wednesday Inbox discusses the benefits of owning two current gen consoles, as one reader looks forward to Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Careful calculations
Not surprised to see everyone angry at having to pay extra for the FIFA 22 next gen upgrade, although I’d bet the cost of an Ultimate Edition (so a lot of money) that almost everyone is still going to end up buying it anyway. Which is of course why EA does it, having no doubt calculated that the money lost from people turning away is more than made up for by people paying the extra amount.

It’s all deeply cynical stuff and as far as I’m concerned, a carefully calculated rip-off. Apart from anything we shouldn’t have to pay for FIFA anyway. EA admit they make more money from microtransactions than the game itself, so make the game free. Personally, I find it an affront that any paid-for game has microtransactions, let alone to the degree FIFA does. If they want microtransactions make the game free, they can’t have both.

EA doesn’t care what I think though. They don’t care what anyone thinks unless it’s in enough numbers to affect their bottom line and I’m sure they’ll be in the clear on this, as they are with everything else.
Det

The Legend of Friday
Am I the only person looking forward to the re-release of Zelda: Skyward Sword on the Switch? I haven’t played it for a fair few years but I remember loving it back in the day, faults and all (yes, I do remember how annoying the item message pop-up is). The game has some of the best dungeons and boss fights of any of the Zelda’s as far as I am concerned, and that in itself is reason enough to buy again.

On another point why do Nintendo always put in place a review curfew? I could understand if the game is going to be bad and the developers know it, but surely getting out an early good review creates a buzz around the game and encourages people to buy it. Not sure if all developers put in place such a curfew or if this is just Nintendo’s rules.
Scott (Halifax)

GC: Every game, from every publisher, has an embargo. If anything, Nintendo ones tend to be further out from release than most.

Allardian memories
Am I the only one that doesn’t believe a word Phil Spencer says? And I say that as an Xbox Series X owner. I’m pretty sure if someone asked him if he was going to buy a developer on the moon and make a Brute Force sequel he would have said that yes to that as well.

I bought the Xbox Series X because it was more powerful, for multiformat games, and because of Game Pass (and the high cost of PlayStation 5 exclusives) and on both those counts I’m very satisfied. But I just don’t see that Spencer has done anything special in the 10 years or so he’s been in charge now.

Yes, Game Pass is great value for money but that’s not because of Spencer, it’s because of Microsoft’s bank account. And it’s not as if he personally designed the Xbox Series X, he just told someone to make it super powerful (which, admittedly, is doing better than the last guy. He just comes across as a used car salesman at best to me. I miss J Allard.
Benson

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Not on the list
The system requirements for Windows 11 on PC is baffling. I just cannot believe that Microsoft have actually gone and done something like this. Microsoft has come out and stated that we will need Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and Secure Boot to be able to run Windows 11. This isn’t the worst part for gamers though, as if you do not have a supported CPU you won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11.

This raises many questions for me, as why on earth are specific CPUs supported on Microsoft’s list when many PC users will not want to buy new hardware when there isn’t anything wrong with what they have. Gamers have spent good money on systems that are not that old and to be told that they can’t upgrade to Windows 11 because they don’t have a specific CPU or any of the above-mentioned requirements just feels like this could force people to buy new hardware or PCs they don’t really need.

Thankfully this is an early build of Windows 11 but the fact this has been discovered as a requirement and someone has had to find a work around leads me to wonder if Microsoft will eventually realise these requirements are a bit silly and will expand its compatibility list of CPUs and will consider giving people an option to boot without the need for Trusted Platform Module 2.0 or Secure Boot as an additional option.

I guess we will have to wait and see what happens, but it feels like Microsoft might have shot themselves in the foot with this and gamers won’t take very kindly to the limited support Windows 11 has for other generations of CPUs and PCs that are only a few years old. Let’s hope the final release will offer gamers support for their hardware.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

GC: Microsoft has already amended the requirements a couple of times already, so hopefully they’ll do so again.

Cross it out
Just seen your bit on Warzone cross-play and cheaters. I knew this would happen, I never wanted cross-play in the first place. I wouldn’t mind console cross-play but not PC and now it’s came back to bite them. It don’t matter what developers do with PC players they will always get back on and cheat, they should do an option for Xbox and PlayStation only but they won’t and never will.

They’re only bothered about money and as long as that happens they’re not fussed and you can go on about the thousands that have been banned, they just make a fresh account and carry on cheating. I can see why some developers aren’t doing cross-play and have no plans to. Why would they? It’s more trouble than it’s worth.
David
PS: GC, is there any dates for Jurassic World Evolution 2? I know it’s out this year but have you got any rough dates for it?

GC: Well, it’s definitely going to be the second half of the year…

Primary, secondary, tertiary
So someone wrote in to ask how everyone thought the PlayStation 5 was doing. As a primary Xbox Series X/S gamer I feel it’s doing brilliantly and I know one day (when it is actually possible) I’ll definitely have to pick one up.

From the best launch year for games Sony has ever had, the unique promise of immersion the DualSense brings, and the continuation of at least three epic games I want to follow, it really is just the price and availability that’s prevented a purchase.

My aim is to wait till there’s a price drop and there’s a good chunk of games at lower prices that I can just take my time with and avoid that high initial RRP.

I was wondering, for a Hot Topic, what each company would have to release/do to convince other gamers to be a two (three?) console gamer. Microsoft are going to be making it very easy to access their games via Game Pass in the next 18 months. If Starfield, Redfall, Halo, etc. prove to be bangers will any PlayStation primary players try them out, and how?

And for Xbox primaries will you, like me, buy a PlayStation 5 as soon as you’re sure all the PlayStation fans have got theirs?
DarKerR (gamertag)

Persona time
I was going to say it seems a bit early for Persona 6 but it’s been five years already? Wow, where does the time go? Persona gets more popular every time though so I’m definitely keen on seeing what the next one will look like and if it will make proper use of the PlayStation 5. Atlus always tend to work a generation behind but I’m hoping they’ll go full current gen for this one at least.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 was also looking good at the last Nintendo Direct so it’s a good time to be a find of the series at the moment. I even quite like Persona 5 Strikers, trashy as it was.
Doshin

More: Gaming

FIFA Xtreme
RE: ttfp saylow’s letter regarding FIFA 22 next gen upgrade paths.

I was little a dumbfounded by this letter, that suggested Microsoft’s free next gen upgrades on first party titles had embolden entitled gamers to expect not to pay for any next gen upgrades, and the negative reaction to EA’s FIFA 22 decisions on the next gen upgrade was a petulant one caused by these parties. Oh, and Eurogamer he threw under the bus for not liking it either.

Firstly, Microsoft aren’t the only high-profile publishers to offer free upgrades. CD Projekt Red will with Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. Metro Exodus just had a significant free next gen upgrade. Sony themselves have supplied nice free next gen upgrades for first party titles like God Of War, along with the paid for stuff. So why the letter singles out Microsoft and their free upgrades out as bad guys in this story is way off the mark for me.

If free is one extreme of the next gen upgrade saga, with maybe Death Standing’s Director’s Cut £10 next gen upgrade being a nice middle ground, EA’s decision to lock the next gen upgrade for PlayStation 4/ Xbox One behind a £30 more expensive Ultimate Edition is the other extreme of rinsing your customer base and seeing how far you can get away with it. This from a game that, thanks to microtransactions, made £1.1 billion from game sales from April 2020 to March 2021, according to a EA annual report.

The last two gens publishers could use remasters as a way of doubling dipping. Now they have to find new ways to generate cash from the same game and that’s through next gen upgrades. I expect a bit of variation in pricing from these, as varying amounts of work will be performed based on each title, but EA is massively extracting the urine with FIFA 22.
Simundo

Inbox also-rans
Any parent gamers recommend some games to help with reading and comprehension for a five-year-old? I remember in previous Inboxes Pokémon games being mentioned, does that still ring true?
Alek Kazam

GC: We’d say so. But most Nintendo games are a good bet, considering their use of subtitles.

Divinity 2. I recently re-installed it and am at the end of act 2. It’s a super in-depth game and it can be extremely convoluted but ultimately it’s a fantastic game but requires a lot of patience.
TommyFatFingers

This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Futterman, who asks what game are you must frustrated that you don’t enjoy?

Are there are any games or franchises that you’ve tried to play but you just couldn’t get into? What exactly was the issue, and did you try the game because it seemed like something you’d like, because it reviewed well, or for some other reason?

Did you try and force yourself to enjoy the game and how much time did you spend playing it? How often are your expectations of a new game confounded and do they usually turn out better or worse than you hoped?

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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.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

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