The Monday letters page is concerned about what would happen if Ubisoft went under, as a reader worries about Mario Kart 9.
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First anniversary
I don’t want to seem impatient but are we ever going to get another trailer for GTA 6? It seems so long since the first one that it’ll be like starting the hype from scratch with the next one. I know… it’s GTA 6, it doesn’t need any hype, but there’s kind of been nothing to talk about or speculate about ever since it came out, because it didn’t really tell you that much.
I know everyone’s looking forward to the Switch 2 reveal but for me I want to see GTA 6 Trailer 2. The first one was released on December 3, so I don’t know if they’re going to go for exactly a year later? I’m not sure what the benefit of that would be but I really hope we see something before the end of the year.
I realise I’m being silly but with so much bad news around at the moment I’d like to concentrate on something positive. Even if that seems an odd way to describe a game as cynical as GTA.
Haggar
New blood
It sounds to me like Ubisoft isn’t really going to be Ubisoft anymore if these rumours about using Tencent money to go private are true. I know some people will cheering this on but as one reader has already pointed out that’ll be another major publisher down the drain. Then we’ll only be left with EA and Take-Two.
I feel this industry desperately needs new blood. Instead of buying up companies and swapping them around even bigger companies I’d like to see some new publishers established. New developers seem to pop up quite regularly but not publishers.
Ubisoft are French but there’s no other large publishers from anywhere other than the US, Japan, and China (kind of? They don’t seem to actually publish much outside their home country). I think this is a real shame and if new ones were established it would help to get more games made from other countries too.
Castor
The grey pound
A very interesting Reader’s Feature about how publishers target kids and teenagers more than they do adults. I found the report about most people preferring single-player games to be interesting as well and it shows that all these companies are interested in is targeting the most profitable games and the age group most likely to spend money on it.
I don’t like it but I’m not even sure publishers can even really be criticised for that. They’re not charities, they’re businesses. So what do you expect them to do?
I do wonder what happens though, with an aging population and kids apparently not liking console games as much as they used. Will the grey pound become more important over the next few decades and we’ll start getting more single-player games because of that?
Tacle
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Retro cinema
I hope this is not off-topic for a gaming website: Jason Bradbury from The Gadget Show on Channel 5 is making a comedy film about retro gamers fighting AI with the movie magic of the ‘80s and ‘90s in it. He has written the film with a stand-up comedian friend (Mark Felgate) and they are trying to raise the money for it on Kickstarter.
As a longtime fan of The Gadget Show I have backed it for a physical copy and my name in the credits. The film is called Ctrl AI Delete and they are trying to raise £50,000. They currently are at £21,000. If you would like to take a look or possibly even back it which would be great here is the link for the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.
I posted a message on the comments saying, ‘Good luck. Just backed for a physical copy’ and I got a reply from Jason saying: ‘That’s so cool of you! Many thanks. Jason’. Which was quite cool!
Andrew J.
Return performance
Like many, I had doubts that Bloober Team could pull off the Silent Hill 2 Remake and it sounds like a must buy. I had to read your review twice thinking I missed it, but the biggest omission was the audio and mention of the series’ longtime composer, Akira Yamaoka.
How does the new soundtrack compare to the original?
Anon
GC: Akira Yamaoka is still the composer. Although they’re rerecorded, most of the tracks are the same – so, obviously, very good.
Racing online
I wouldn’t say I’m worried about the next Mario Kart, but playing Nintendo Switch Sports for the first time this week has got me thinking of what direction Mario Kart could go in.
Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort really defined the Wii generation, as the console that everyone in the family would play together. Wii Party’s been a thing for a while.
With Switch Sports I knew the game has less sports in it, what I wasn’t expecting was playing with random online people to now be the primary game mode. Like Mario Kart, progression is essentially the more you play the more stuff you get to customise your character, instead of cars though you get outfits and different equipment.
But beyond a single outfit in each sport for achieving a target (like 200 points in bowling) and a rookie outfit for playing each sport 15 times it’s all restricted to the online part of the game, with a loot box approach (no money involved). Not only that but it’s all on an individual player basis, so when you finally unlock that shiny new tennis racket, while you can use it in local split screen, it’s still only you that can access it.
I get that Nintendo want to push people to subscribe to online, but one of the things that makes Nintendo Nintendo are those strong split-screen family games. So I hate the thought that the next Mario Kart could end up the same way, and if it could happen to the game that started Wii party’s I guess it could happen to anything.
Tim
Apples vs. oranges
I read your excellent article about the Nintendo Switch having the most games of any console. It reminds me of this infographic.
It’s only a few months old, the main changes would be Final Fantasy 16 dropping out (it released on PC) and Astro Bot coming in to Gold Tier on the PlayStation side, while Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom joins Gold Tier on the Nintendo side.
Thanks for writing your article and supporting yourself with statistics.
David
GC: Nintendo’s business model is very different to PlayStation and Xbox, so comparing their games like this doesn’t seem very useful.
Redemption arc
So, I’ve just taken the liberty of pre-ordering Silent Hill 2 remake and I am absolutely confounded. I’ve just given Konami my money and bought a Bloober Team game. Why? Because they’ve finally done something right. Only took about 10 years. Considering the last time they got something right it vanished in a whisper of smoke and, yes, I’m talking about P.T.
Ever since then, we’ve gotten the worst Metal Gear Solid instalment, Kojima booted out of the company, pachinko machines, and the downfall of Pro Evolution Soccer. Silent Hill Ascension and The Short Message disappointed us and I can’t seem to fathom how on earth Konami has begun to redeem themselves. A gorgeous looking Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and today the most risky, dangerous, and worrisome remake of their greatest horror achievement.
Somehow, Bloober Team have pulled it off and paid a wonderful tribute to the 2001 masterpiece. I’ve hated Konami for 10 years. Because they took Silent Hills away from me and eliminated the legacy of Metal Gear Solid. Phantom Pain was horrendous, because it decided to become an open world slog. It went the way of Ubisoft, yet instead of countless markers, towers, and synchronisation viewpoints it featured no such thing and opted for outposts, barren deserts, and an unfinished story.
I doubted Konami, ever since they announced the remake of Silent Hill 2. Why wouldn’t I? Why trust a company that booted out Kojima and spent the last decade monopolising gambling machines, allowed their flagship franchises to gather dust and veered away from what made them a household name? Because I hope and I wish this is their redemption arc.
I’ve ordered from Amazon and I was lucky enough to get £15 off the retail price. But this is such a twist in the tale. I never thought I’d ever buy a Konami game again after Phantom Pain and today I’m finally excited for a new release. Congratulations Konami. You’ve done well. Now keep doing what’s right and make Metal Gear Solid Delta a remake to be proud of.
Shahzaib Sadiq
Inbox also-rans
Add me as another person whose whole family have ended up enjoying Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom. My daughter loves it and not because she plays a girl but just because it’s fun to mess around with all the different monsters.
Len
Why has Sony all of a sudden started going on about Until Dawn? I haven’t thought about that game in years and now we’ve got a remake and a sequel rumour? Will you be reviewing the new version?
Zeiss
GC: It’s probably because they’re making a movie based on it, for some reason. We’ll try and get a review done but Sony didn’t send out copies until the day before launch.
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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.
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MORE : Games Inbox: The best retro video game console, Starfield on PS5, and Mario Kart 9 on Switch 2
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