Games Inbox: Why is the PlayStation 6 coming out so soon?

The Tuesday letters page thinks Xbox needs a management regime change, as one reader asks what happened to Sony’s Fairgame$.

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What’s the rush?
It still seems crazy to me that anyone is contemplating a PlayStation 6 this soon. What exactly is it going to do that’s better? Make human faces appear even more realistic but still not quite there? I see absolutely no reason for there to be a new generation if the only difference is going to be 20% better graphics.

We’ve not had nearly enough time to take advantage of the PlayStation 5 to its full extent and nobody wants to spend all that money again, especially with the PS5 Pro apparently being released this year.

Why is this happening? Even if the PlayStation 6 rumours aren’t true Microsoft has already announced its next gen Xbox, so presumably that’s not more than two years away. I’ve never owned a Nintendo console but even I’m beginning to think they’re the only ones with common sense in this business.

A new Switch I can absolutely see the need for, a new Xbox or PlayStation? Not at all. Maybe I’ll end up giving Nintendo my money after all, especially if it has good third party support.
Bentley

Little grey man
I’d feel bad about saying this if he wasn’t a multi-millionaire exec in the process of destroying the games industry, but I just don’t understand why Phil Spencer still has a job. Satya Nadella clearly doesn’t know anything about video games but surely he’s a competent businessman and he can see that nothing Spencer does ever works out?

He’s been in charge of Xbox for a decade and despite always seeming to say the right things everything always gets his worse, to the point where they’ve all but run themselves out of the hardware business.

I don’t trust any of his cronies either. The whole of Xbox needs new management. Not someone that wants to be your gaming pal, and played Destiny once but didn’t like it, but a boring accountant who’s just good at business.

Sounds like it would stifle creativity? Well, that’s the kind of person Nintendo has in charge and since Phil is the opposite to that it makes it seem even more like what we need.
Wotan

Loose connection
It makes me laugh how little Nintendo cares about canon or even storytelling in general in Zelda. I’m surprised they even acknowledged the whole timeline thing, as they’re clearly happy to retcon it whenever they feel like it, with no regrets.

I have to say though, that even though I agree with that attitude, my one complaint for Tears Of The Kingdom would be that it really doesn’t seem like a sequel to Breath Of The Wild, even though it’s supposed to be.

Nobody seems to recognise Link, there’s very little reference to what happened previously, and other than reusing the same map there’s basically no connection. There’s so little connecting tissue it comes across as a bit weird and distracting.
Tacle

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Risky business
Given that quite a few industry insiders have now pointed to employee wages being the main driver of increased game development costs, the scale of the issue facing developers is clear. How do they make great games, in less time and with fewer people, and have them turn a profit when gaming market growth has stagnated and existing gamers continue to reject an increase in the price of games (even what I’d consider fairly sensible ones, i.e. Sony’s approach)?

I think we know what will happen: less risks taken, only make what’s guaranteed to sell, etc., etc. People like Nintendo will probably be fine, as pretty much every major game is guaranteed to sell 10+ million, but generally I think convincing people (including those young ne’er-do-wells who’d chat to their friends on Bebo) of the value of games in a period of prolonged economic downturn is the biggest challenge right now. Godspeed.
Magnumstache
PS: Finished Bioshock Remastered on Steam Deck. Phenomenal game, don’t think there’s a modern equivalent? Crashing issue was due to Performance Overlay on Deck, ran perfectly with that off (but at what frame rate people?).

Second chances
To be brutally honest I think Rocksteady should feel lucky that they’re only losing staff and aren’t being shut down entirely. $200 million in the red is a huge amount of money when thousands are being laid off for no good reason.

I just hope that whatever their new game is, Warner has the sense to ensure it’s a single-player game that plays to their strengths. Suicide Squad was an absolute disaster on every level and the quicker it’s forgotten the better, including in terms of its story connections to Arkham.

I’m surprised to hear the VR game is so good but to be honest that’s not great news for Rocksteady, if Warner realises that other people can make those games just as good as them.
Rocky

Pro tips
I must admit, I’m struggling to see the benefit of a new generation of consoles, or even Pro versions that focus on power. Basically:

The diminishing returns on increased performance have meant that more console owners have stuck with their existing consoles. This proportion will only increase with a new generation, splitting demographics still further and making console development harder.
The increased fidelity is part of the current issue with AAA games taking longer and costing more. Doubling down on the problem by upping the power seems like a real bad idea.
There’s not much profit in console sales (for Sony and Microsoft), at least as I understand it. I can see why Microsoft might want to try to hit ‘reset’ though.

I could see new Pro versions of current consoles being smaller, quieter, more environmentally friendly, more mobile or cheaper to develop for (somehow? No idea if there’s a realistic way of doing that?) but beyond that it’s hard to see how more powerful consoles are a good idea for anyone right now.
Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID)
PS: I hear Tactical Breach Wizards is excellent – and a very GC style of game. Any chance of a review?

GC: We do have a copy in but haven’t had a chance to play it yet, it wasn’t a very advantageous time for them to release it. We’ll see if we can come back to it later.

Had your Phil
A very fair article on Phil Spencer. GC appear slightly more forgiving than Xbox fans right now. ‘You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.’

That line from Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight perfectly sums up Phil Spencer. He did well to convince Microsoft to continue with Xbox. But I feel it’s time for him to go. Once you lose trust of the fans, it’s game over.
Si

Business attitude
RE: Focus. I’m old enough to remember Nintendo’s business practices which enabled Sony to capture the attention of developers at the time when their joint venture with Nintendo fell apart, and led to the birth of the PlayStation.

They were no doubt very interested in making money and to take developers for everything they could, to ensure they made good profits.

However, we have seen enough from Nintendo to see that they share that Japanese business mentality in both the negative and positive ways.

They are perfectionists, they demand a lot from employees, and they look to dominate a market and make as much money as possible through their success.

However, they also look after their employees, they take great pride in what they do as a business, and that’s provide great quality products and look to be creative and push boundaries gameplay-wise.

If you have ever looked into the philosophy of Toyota and their vehicles, it’s really fascinating.

Whereas most Western car companies attempt to sell you a luxury brand car based on lifestyle aspirations, they look to sell you a car on basis that you’re buying a car that’s almost infallible.

They look to refine their vehicles to within almost a zero failure rate.

Naturally that’s impossible, but that’s their aim.

You buy a Toyota for the luxury of their dedication to their craft.

Similarly with Nintendo, you can’t question their dedication to the art of making great games, even if they want to make money along the way. They are a business after all.
Kiran

Inbox also-rans
I don’t want to be ageist, but isn’t Tony Hawk getting on a bit? Surely he wouldn’t be the main character in a new game?
Ractop

What was the name of that other live service game Sony teased, alongside Concord? It seemed to involve bank heists I think? Concord may not change their mind on anything but if that’s a flop as well it might. Does it have a release date?
Danson

GC: That was Fairgame$ but it has no release date or year.

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The small print
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