May 2nd 2024.
Why is there so much talk about replacements already? It's strange how this year has been a constant stream of bad news for the gaming industry. It seems to have come out of nowhere. Last year, everything was normal until December, and then suddenly, everything changed. Sony and Microsoft were not making enough money, everything was going multi-format, and it was all about live service games. Console sales were down, and the next generation was already on its way.
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X/S were released in 2020, but the pandemic caused stock shortages and game cancellations. Things improved over time, but the first two years of this generation felt more like six months under normal circumstances. So technically, the current generation has only been around for two years, and now there's already talk about a new one coming in 2026, with a possible PS5 Pro release this year. It's all quite crazy. As much as Xbox is known for cutting and running on a generation, this seems beyond ridiculous. Plus, who has an extra £500 lying around for a new console right now?
Looking at the sales figures, it's clear why Xbox may want to hit the reset button. They are still not outselling the Nintendo Switch, even in the US. But even the PlayStation 5 is declining faster than expected, possibly due to the lack of new games and silence from Sony over the last two years. Let's face it, new exclusives are what get people excited about consoles, and without them, the whole concept begins to lose its appeal.
This mismanagement, and the fact that PlayStation doesn't even have a full-time manager anymore, is making a mess of console gaming. It's no wonder that Helldivers 2 is doing better on PC than on PlayStation 5. This success may be tempting Sony to release all games on PC on the same day as consoles. While this may not affect me directly, it does raise the question of what the point of consoles is if games are available on PC. I don't want to play games on a PC. I don't want to deal with upgrades, compatibility issues, and all the other headaches that come with PC gaming. But it seems like I may not have a choice for much longer.
It appears that the last days of console gaming are upon us, and the people who should've prevented it are only making it happen faster. It's a shame that the Switch 2 and GTA 6 won't be released this year. With sales bottoming out and a lack of new games, the hype for gaming in 2025 will need to be restored. I don't know how we got into this situation, but as usual, it's the ordinary developers who will pay for it.
The announcement of a Batman VR game was a surprise. It makes me wonder when Warner Bros. gave it the green light. It must have been at least two or three years ago, assuming VR games take less time to make. Did they know Suicide Squad was going to flop, or were they expecting it to be a success and a launching pad for more Batman games? Based on the trailer, the game doesn't seem to have anything in common with Suicide Squad. It looks more like the regular Arkham games. The way Warner Bros. has handled all of this is quite bizarre. If there was a new Batman game, would it continue the Arkham story? It all seems very odd.
I have a bad feeling about the upcoming Zelda movie. While the director may be a decent guy, attempting a live-action film just doesn't make sense. It should have been CGI, with a Japanese director to match the tone and style of the games. Now we'll likely see Link constantly making Marvel-style jokes and Zelda acting as a love interest. And let's not forget the inevitable illogical puzzle-solving scene. Who knows, maybe Navi or Tingle will be the whacky comedy sidekick? It's a strange decision, but I wouldn't be surprised.
It's amusing how some people are trying to frame the argument over Stellar Blade as a fight against censorship. If this is the worst case of censorship in the world, then we're doing pretty well. However, it's a shame that the game's portrayal of women muddies the waters. The combat is fantastic, but the way the women are depicted is embarrassing. It's the kind of game I would've thought was cool when I was 14, but now it just feels uncomfortable. When my girlfriend walks in and sees it, it's like being caught reading a dirty magazine. The lack of humor in the game is also concerning. EVE is not sexy; she's cold and robotic. It's just strange. It's almost as if someone made a mod and dropped EVE into the game out of nowhere.
Have you noticed how quickly the gaming community has started talking about replacements? It's like we blinked and suddenly there's all this talk about the future of the industry. The Thursday letters page even expressed concern about the lack of excitement for the rest of 2024. One reader even admitted feeling embarrassed while playing Stellar Blade. If you want to join in on the discussion, you can email us at [email address].
I can't help but feel like this year has been a whirlwind of bad news for the gaming industry. It's almost as if it came out of nowhere. Everything was normal last year, but then BAM! Suddenly, Sony and Microsoft aren't making enough money, everything is going multi-format, live services are taking over, console sales are down, and we're already talking about the next generation.
Sure, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X/S came out in 2020, but that was during a global pandemic. Stock was low, games were being cancelled left and right. It got better over time, but let's be real, the first two years of this generation don't even feel like six months under normal circumstances.
So technically, the current generation has only been going for about two years, and we're already talking about a new one in 2026? And on top of that, there are rumors of a PS5 Pro releasing this year? It all seems a bit excessive. I mean, I don't know about you, but I certainly don't have an extra £500 laying around for a new console right now, even if I wanted one.
Just take a look at the sales figures, and it's no wonder Xbox is itching to hit the reset button again. They're still struggling to outsell the Switch, even in the US. And the PlayStation 5 is also declining faster than expected, probably due to their lack of new games and communication over the past two years. Let's be real, new exclusives are what gets people excited about consoles. When you don't have that, it's hard to justify the whole concept.
It's really just a case of mismanagement. I mean, PlayStation doesn't even have a full-time manager anymore. It's a mess, and it's making the future of console gaming look uncertain.
Did you hear about Helldivers 2 doing better on PC than on PlayStation 5? It's like Sony's worst nightmare come true. And now, they're considering releasing all games on PC on day one. I mean, I'm not personally affected by it, but it does make you question the purpose of consoles. I'm sure there are people at Sony HQ wondering why bother with consoles when they're not even sold at a profit. The only thing keeping them going is probably the licensing fees from third-party publishers.
I have no interest in playing games on a PC. The constant upgrades, compatibility issues, and worrying about RAM just doesn't appeal to me. Not to mention the performance issues, cheaters, and viruses. But it seems like I might not have a choice for much longer.
With all of this going on, it feels like the end of console gaming is near. And as always, the ones who could have prevented it are the ones making it happen faster.
On a lighter note, did you see the news about the Batman VR game? Talk about unexpected. I wonder when Warner Bros. gave that the green light. It must have been at least two or three years ago if it's coming out this year. I wonder if they already knew that Suicide Squad was going to be a flop, or if they were expecting it to be a huge success and a launching pad for more Batman games. Based on the trailer, it looks like it has nothing to do with Suicide Squad and just follows the regular Arkham games.
The way Warner Bros. is handling all of this is just bizarre. Does that mean if there's a new Batman game, it will continue the Arkham story? It's all very confusing.
I have a bad feeling about that Zelda movie. The director seems like a nice guy, but trying to make a live-action film just doesn't make sense. It should have been CGI, with a Japanese director to capture the tone and style of the games. Instead, we'll probably have Link making Marvel-style jokes every few minutes and Zelda acting as a love interest. And let's not forget the illogical puzzles that somehow work. I wonder if Navi or Tingle will end up as the wacky sidekick? Maybe both.
And can we talk about the strange decisions being made in the gaming community lately? The whole debate over Stellar Blade and censorship is just ridiculous. If that's the worst case of censorship we can find, I'd say we're doing pretty well. But it's a shame that the game has to be marred by its portrayal of women. I'm playing it now, and the combat is top-notch, but all of the female characters and their appearances are just cringe-worthy. It's like something I would have thought was cool when I was 14, but now it's just embarrassing. Whenever my girlfriend walks in, I feel like I've been caught reading a dirty magazine. I mean, I'm just playing it for the combat, right?
And let's not forget the lack of humor in the game. EVE is not sexy, she's cold and robotic, and it's just weird. As another reader pointed out, it's like someone just dropped her into the game out of nowhere. It's all just a mess, and it's a shame that the ones who will suffer for it are the ordinary developers.
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