Microsoft has released its latest earnings report, and included in the document is an update on how the Xbox division is doing. Overall, Xbox revenue is way up thanks to contributions from Activision Blizzard, but hardware sales are down massively. And that’s not exclusive to Xbox, either, as PlayStation recently missed sales...
Thing is, Sony aren’t even putting out that many bangers. Certainly not by the standards of last generation.
But that’s the problem. Last generation was pivotal for the switch from physical media to digital, which means that anyone buying a new system is going to buy an updated version of their last gen system. Which was a PS4, because Microsoft completely fucked it last generation. Even with this gen’s disappointing games, baffling lack of focus, poor messaging, and bizarre management decisions, they’d probably be in a much stronger position if they’d made a product that people actually wanted to buy last generation, because more folks would already be invested in the ecosystem.
The problem you’ve got is that the two lists that you’re looking at are ones with concrete release dates, and we’re currently in the period of the year where the release dates are the hardest to come by. Basically everyone’s either just started their fiscal Q1 and so have a completely clear slate, or like Microsoft have just started their Fiscal Q4 which means all they’ve got left on the slate are the delayed stragglers.
More like grabbing a bargain; When Embracer bought Saber it cost them more than $500 million. They sold it to Beacon (who are basically just a bunch of investors and one of the Saber founders) for just under $250 million, and are now stacking up extras from the Embracer spending spree while they still can.
On a similar note, who do we reckon is buying Gearbox? My money is on Take 2, because who would be stupid enough to buy Gearbox (Embracer aside) when the Borderlands publishing rights are permanently in 2K’s hands?
To be fair, Gearbox was always a pretty crap deal for whoever was buying it because 2K owns the publishing rights to Borderlands in perpetuity. It would not surprise me if they end up under 2K, and that they end up costing 2K a lot less than they cost Embracer.
The problem with Watch Dogs Legion is that all of the player characters are all procedurally generated, so while there’s plenty of plot, it’s pretty threadbare as a story.
Apologies that this is not a pure gaming question, but I’d really like to hear people’s opinion on the Borderlands movie trailer and especially from people who have played the games. That’s why I’m asking here, I hope that’s ok.
Which means that the game disappearing from storefronts is one of the better case scenarios. It’s entirely possible that they’ll patch out the licenced songs from the soundtrack from every digital copy of the game.
In a bad-vibes moment, they’re denying a huge outlet like IGN a review code. No matter what I think of IGN in particular (nothing good tbh), that’s not something I can find a real explanation for other than “We made DC’s Gollum and want to avoid bad press as long as we can”.
It’s Rocksteady, so it’ll be higher than 40s. Heck, it’s almost impossible to get a score lower than 40 on metacritic…
Mid 60s I’m guessing, perhaps as high as 69 if reviewers are feeling generous. The kind of score which would be absolutely fine if it were a cheap and cheerful B-game made by a scrappy team of underfunded devs, but which is an absolute embarrassment when applied to a multi million dollar tentpole. The kind of score that implies ‘meh’.
I would suspect that the real draw to working with Starfleet for non-federation personnel isn’t any concept of wages, but a comprehensive benefits package. Presumably Starfleet membership confers some level of personal federation membership, possibly for both you and your immediate family, which may mean that you get to move your loved ones to a mostly-utopic federation world.
I started watching the Netflix original “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off”. I already had high expectations for it, but they were far exceeded. The animation is truly amazing, think if Spider-Verse was 2D. Not to mention the characters, writing, and music. I’m only partway through the third episode, but I’m already waiting for a...
I’ve been watching the various Star Trek shows for a while now, and while not finished I saw most of them, I believe. And I cannot shake off the feeling that the messages given by these shows, especially (and almost exclusively) recent ones are pushing horrible morals that most people seem to not care about....
Yep. The show was written by humans, humans are flawed, therefore the show is flawed. It’s constantly undone by an unholy mix of things that seemed okay at the time, things that were written to try and correct the things that previously seemed okay at the time (but which made things worse), the personal flaws of the creators seeping into their works, and a pile of crappy tropes that TV can’t help but lean on. It’s weird that you think this is something that isn’t a consideration of the show ‘anymore’; this all goes back all the way to the 60s. Original Trek is occasionally misogynistic crap, and once went so far as to describe Nazism as the most efficient form of government. TNG had episodes that were straight up racist, and characters that are accidentally written as creeps. This is a problem the show has always had, and sometimes you just have to deal with that to get to the good stuff.
The game released on the 19th September, Nominated games had to be released before the 29th September. Golden Joysticks voting was from the 3rd to the 20th October, and the premium DLC that made everyone angry was confirmed on the 24th and then released on the 27th. The timing could absolutely not have fallen more perfectly for MK1.
It’s not AI-based. Articles like this are generally repeatedly republished with extremely minimal editing every six months or so to keep them ‘fresh’ for the search engine optimisation.
Elim Garak, because how can you not love a patently duplicitous and yet still somehow generally benevolent smooth-talker who chews all the scenery and exudes the queerest energy simple tailor?
Especially when it released almost immediately after the new Harebrained Schemes game flopped. Paradox was absolutely not in a position to let a tentpole slip, re: investors.
Xbox Hardware Just Had Worst Sales Dropoff In Years - GameSpot (www.gamespot.com)
Microsoft has released its latest earnings report, and included in the document is an update on how the Xbox division is doing. Overall, Xbox revenue is way up thanks to contributions from Activision Blizzard, but hardware sales are down massively. And that’s not exclusive to Xbox, either, as PlayStation recently missed sales...
Feel like a weak year for games?
Seems like not a lot of stuff has come out this year, not sure if it’s just me or what....
‘Teen Titans’ Live-Action Movie a Go at DC Studios (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
Saber is actually rescuing more studios from Embracer than was announced - and that includes Metro dev 4A (www.vg247.com)
Nightdive's acclaimed System Shock remake heading to consoles in May (www.eurogamer.net)
Embracer Group sale of Borderlands studio Gearbox reportedly in "late stages" of finalisation (www.eurogamer.net)
These guys buy’em all up make shit games then sells off the company…
Looking for a game with a great story... Could it be Watch Dogs: Legion?
So two-part question here:...
Nintendo sues Switch emulator Yuzu for ‘facilitating piracy at a colossal scale’ (www.theverge.com)
Borderlands players - what is your opinion about the new movie trailer? (piped.kavin.rocks)
Apologies that this is not a pure gaming question, but I’d really like to hear people’s opinion on the Borderlands movie trailer and especially from people who have played the games. That’s why I’m asking here, I hope that’s ok.
Skull and Bones is a Refreshing RPG Adventure with a Surprising Survival Twist - Xbox Wire (news.xbox.com)
I am stupendously surprised that the game is awful.
New Survey Shows 500+ Studios Working On Live-Service Games (kotaku.com)
2K pulls Spec Ops: The Line from digital stores without warning (www.polygon.com)
Where's Our Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Review? (IGN denied review code) (www.ign.com)
In a bad-vibes moment, they’re denying a huge outlet like IGN a review code. No matter what I think of IGN in particular (nothing good tbh), that’s not something I can find a real explanation for other than “We made DC’s Gollum and want to avoid bad press as long as we can”.
The New Games Journalism, Same As The Old Games Journalism - Aftermath (aftermath.site)
How did money work on deep space 9?
Whenever there’s a storyline with quark, they talk about money/latinum....
The new Scott Pilgrim animated series on Netflix is AWESOME! Go check it out!
I started watching the Netflix original “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off”. I already had high expectations for it, but they were far exceeded. The animation is truly amazing, think if Spider-Verse was 2D. Not to mention the characters, writing, and music. I’m only partway through the third episode, but I’m already waiting for a...
The horrible morals of a show supposed to teach them
I’ve been watching the various Star Trek shows for a while now, and while not finished I saw most of them, I believe. And I cannot shake off the feeling that the messages given by these shows, especially (and almost exclusively) recent ones are pushing horrible morals that most people seem to not care about....
Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2023 winners (www.gamesradar.com)
The big winner is - not entirely unexpected I suppose - Baldur’s Gate 3, scoring 5 categories directly.
The best MMOs in 2023 - PCGamer (www.pcgamer.com)
Who's your favourite character?
And why
Cities: Skylines 2 dev says it won't release paid DLC until performance "fixed to our standards" (www.eurogamer.net)
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Lower Decks | 4x10 "Old Friends, New Planets"
LoglineTop Secret, again. Edit: well, this was certainly worth waiting for: Mariner faces her past in the season four finale....
Stop using Fandom (www.youtube.com)
Woke superheroes rule (sh.itjust.works)