The Wednesday letters page asks if sales have gone down since the £70 price hike, as one reader doubts PS5 owners will like Sea Of Thieves.
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Closed world gaming
Interesting to see the rumour about the new Ghost Recon going back to be a more linear game, instead of the open world last one. It made me wonder whether open world games have peaked and they’re going to start to go the way of the first person shooter: only used in a few very specific, and popular, games and not anywhere else.
I think there may be a few reasons for this, beyond publishers just thinking people are getting a bit tired of them. One obvious one is that they must be much more expensive to make then a linear game, even a semi-open world game like God Of War. They also encourage bloat, which must take ages to make, so if games are costing too much I assume that open world games must be the most expensive type of single-player game.
But there’s also the fact that they tend to make a lot of games seem very similar, more so than they would otherwise, and that Zelda and Elden Ring have done them so well I think it’s pretty obvious that other games are having trouble living up to those examples.
I’m not saying they’re going anywhere quickly but I feel they’re on the way out and we’ll see less than you might think in the next generation.
Cranston
Three’s a crowd
I find the idea of Rise Of The Rōnin quite interesting but it really does sound too similar to Ghost Of Tsushima to catch on with most people, especially as the graphics are not as good – even though Rise Of The Rōnin is the one that’s next gen only.
It’s unfortunate but these are the sort of basic facts people are looking at when thinking about spending £70 on a video game. I’m not even sure the Assassin’s Creed game is going to do as well as usual, especially as Ghost Of Tsushima is so similar to an older Assassin’s Creed game already. Although I admit the appeal of the series has been lost on me for a while now, so maybe I’m wrong on that.
I’d be more interested in something more story led, maybe a new adaptation of Shōgun based on the new Disney+ series, which is excellent. It’s the sort of thing Telltale Games would’ve made back in the day, but unfortunately those days are over.
Royston
Old masters
I can’t tell you how much I would love to see a Sega Vs. Capcom game, with all of their many properties going up against each other. I know it’s probably not going to be that – it’ll just be some boring DLC or something – but a man can dream. I loved Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 in particular for all the weird and wild Capcom characters, many of which I’d never heard of, causing me to go and find out what they were about.
I’d love to see a Sega Vs. Capcom fighter go equally obscure for both companies and really lay into it in terms of showing off how old they are, how many games they’ve got, and how… Japanese they are.
As Western publishers make a mess of the whole industry, and Japanese companies just sit back and carry on like normal, I’d love to see a game that celebrates what two of the very best publishers have done for the industry over the last several decades.
Onibee
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Sea of Bones
PlayStation gamers tend to favour single-player games. So, I’m not sure how much long-term success Sea Of Thieves will have on PlayStation 5. It’s a game that demands to be played with friends to get the most from it. As a co-op experience, it can be a lot of fun. It isn’t quite the game I wanted it to be. With less simplistic combat and more meaningful progression Sea Of Thieves could have been something very special. Instead, it’s a fun time-waster with friends.
If I was to envisage a pirate themed game, there would be much more focus upon the sea monsters. Maybe a more mythological theme, which abandons the stylised graphics. Think God Of War at sea, in a Jason and the Argonauts type adventure. A game which is just as strong as a single-player experience.
I initially hoped Skull And Bones would scratch that itch, for a more serious pirate themed game. Only for Ubisoft to inexplicably leave out the best parts of Black Flag. Sea Of Thieves is definitely the superior pirate themed game. Which, despite its simplicity, can actually be quite immersive once you have a full crew. I do feel the game requires a sequel to truly evolve. Maybe some success on PlayStation 5 (and Switch 2) will help fund a sequel?
That being the case, a sequel has to be multiformat from the outset. I appreciate there’s this narrative all Xbox games are going multiformat. I don’t think that’s quite the case, but Sea Of Thieves is a great example of a game which should be multiformat. Just the same as Helldivers 2 would benefit from being everywhere.
Anon
GC: The biggest games on PlayStation 5 are Fortnite, GTA Online, EA Sports FC, Call Of Duty, and, most recently, Helldivers 2. PlayStation owners don’t like single-player games any more or less than anyone else.
Top secret
So Naughty Dog gave up working on their live service game (The Last Of Us Online) and so did Insomniac with this Spider-Man: The Great Web game. How many others have given up? Was Bluepoint making one? Housemarque? Bend? Is that why we’ve heard nothing from them for so long?
As was said yesterday, if Nintendo can announce Lego sets a year before they’re out then surely we can get some sort of indication from Sony as to what on Earth they’re doing? They haven’t even said who their new boss is yet. Surely they know, so why is that being kept a secret? Why is anything a secret? These aren’t secret military plans; they’re what video game is coming out next!
Cushy
Infinite schism
The Halo franchise, once dubbed the killer app for the Xbox by fans and critics alike, has one of the most passionate followings in gaming. Many fan projects have spawned from its influence, notably the original PC and Mac game Installation 01 by indie developer Soon Studios or Cursed Halo by modder InfernoPlus.
Those with even a layman’s knowledge of gaming have likely at least heard of Halo. In the years since the departure of Halo’s original developer, Bungie, in 2010, its fanbase has grown divided between those who prefer the older Bungie era, and those who prefer the newer 343 Industries era. Early disagreements often centred around alterations to the gameplay and narrative direction.
However, with the release of the franchise’s latest entry, 2021’s controversial Halo Infinite, this division has lost any semblance of civility, infesting countless comment sections with ad homonyms and, in extreme cases, threats of violence. With the excellent modding tools offered with the PC release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo Infinite’s powerful map and game mode editors, and the vast creativity within Halo’s community, Halo’s potential for growth is seemingly endless.
Yet an inexcusably toxic online sphere not only pushes existing fans away, but also discourages newcomers from pursuing their newfound interest further. The Halo community is in dire need of re-evaluation, otherwise it will continue to slowly cannibalise not only itself, but the Halo franchise as a whole.
Alexander
Successful hike
I suppose you can’t answer this, but has the amount of games sold gone up or down since the increase to £70?
Digital has muddied the waters and some companies don’t announce sales unless it’s a high number but I wonder what difference it has made.
Bobwallett
GC: That’s impossible to say, since there is no consistent data to compare, as not all publishers report their results. Sony, EA, Activision, and Take-Two were amongst the first to adopt the price point though and their recent financial results have all been positive.
New old releases
I know GameCentral and its readers have said the release schedules are a bit sparse this year but for me this is not true, although I am looking forward to re-releases, remasters, remakes, and games being released for the first time on physical.
I have just received a Kickstarter email from Night Dive Studios to say that they will be releasing System Shock remake on physical on console in May, including PlayStation 5 (which I plan to pick up). I have just emailed Night Dive to ask if there will be a physical release of Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster for PlayStation 5 (another for the list to pick up).
Grandia 1 and 2 Collection will be available to pre-order on physical for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Limited Run Games on Friday 15h March. I played one of the games on Dreamcast or PlayStation 2 back in the day but can’t remember which, as it was so long ago, so that is another for the list!
In May, Sea of Stars is being released by Iam8Bit (tick off another one), it’s only £32.95 on Amazon for pre-order, which is not much more than the digital price on PSN when it is not on sale. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD on the Nintendo Store comes with a very cool diorama, a Luigi statue with vacuum cleaner, a themed mug of said game and a HD smartphone ring of a ghost dog from the game, so I have pre-ordered that for June.
Broken Sword Reforged is doing amazing on Kickstarter currently, so I won’t be surprised if it gets to £400,000 in its funding, another to the list (check) and finally Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door which I never got to play on GameCube but heard so many good things about the game over the years, so pre-ordered that too (ShopTo). It’s a lot cheaper than the GameCube original, which goes for £50 to £100 on eBay. So lots to look forward to, for me personally.
Andrew J.
Currently playing: Moss 2 (PSVR2)
GC: We get what you’re saying but not one of those games is actually new, which does speak to the point you’re trying to counter.
Inbox also-rans
I just watched a preview for Madison VR on the PlayStation VR2 and was wondering if GC might cover it? It’s not a cheapo yawn-some tech demo and genuinely looks pretty damn scary (judging by the gentleman staining his finest whites as he played it). Thinks it’s due before the end of the month.
Wonk
GC: It doesn’t seem to have a date yet, but we’ll keep an eye out for it.
I’m not really sure how much sympathy I’ve got for Payday 3 when the be all and end all of its new ideas was putting a different number at the end of its name.
Sterling
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MORE : Games Inbox: Is Sea Of Thieves worth playing, Mario Kart 9 theories, and Ghost Recon reboot
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