June 23rd 2023.
Starfield – Too Much Hype?
I'm starting to feel like I'm living in Crazytown with all the hype that's building up around Starfield. After one highly controlled look at the game, suddenly everyone's convinced it's going to be the greatest thing ever? Have they never played a Bethesda game before? We all know their games can have their share of bugs, terrible action, and worse dialogue.
That's not to say the games don't have any value. I enjoyed Fallout 3 and Skyrim just fine, but there are plenty of other developers that can do the same thing but a lot better. We've seen so little of Starfield, but from what we have seen, the dialogue and facial animation still seem pretty bad.
I'm not suggesting that Starfield is going to be bad, but let's gain some perspective here. Especially with the news that there are no ground vehicles, so you're just going to be wandering around these barren worlds on foot the whole time. Even with a jetpack, that sounds impractical or like the planets are designed so you don't need to go far. I'm not saying it's not going to be good, but I can't help but think that Bethesda is cashing hype cheques that the game won't be able to pay.
The Friday Letters Page
The Friday letters page is becoming more sympathetic to Sony’s Activision Blizzard arguments, as one reader looks forward to AEW: Fight Forever. I really do wonder how clued in the judge and whoever is in this Activision Blizzard legal battle really is because anyone that knows anything about gaming can see exactly what Microsoft is doing and it doesn't paint them in a good light.
I hate that the future of the games industry depends on whether the judge still calls things ‘computer games’ and takes everything at face value. It's disheartening to find out that New Zealand and Australia are dubious about the deal too. I'm not surprised to hear that the UK decision might get overturned after that visit by the Microsoft president to the chancellor though.
Nintendo Switch
After watching the June 2023 Nintendo Direct, I think it’s safe to say there’s still life left in the old Switch yet. I'm personally looking forward to Super Mario Bros. Wonder the most, with the Pokémon Violet/Scarlet DLC, Detective Pikachu Returns, and Super Mario RPG also getting a good look-in. I'm on the fence about the Metal Gear Collection and I might get the first Pikmin game to see what the fuss is all about. Oh, and I can't wait to find out more about the new Princess Peach game.
Game Pass Hack
To the reader asking about converting Xbox Live Gold into Game Pass Ultimate: yes, it still works. I bought 12 × 3 month Xbox Live Gold cards from cdkeys.com for £7, because that's the maximum Microsoft allows you to stack. Then I bought a one month code of Game Pass Ultimate from them for another £7 and it converts all three years of Xbox Live Gold into Game Pass Ultimate, so a total of £91 for three years’ worth.
It's already said that Game Pass is the best deal in gaming, so you really can't go wrong at that price. I'm sure Microsoft are losing money on Game Pass, especially while they are still allowing this hack to work, but who's going to turn that price down?
Currently Playing
Currently still playing Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. If there's a better game this decade, let alone this year, I can't wait to play it.
Starfield - Victim of Hype?
The gathering hype around Starfield is a bit overwhelming. After a single, highly controlled look at the game, everyone suddenly seems to think it's going to be the best thing since sliced bread. Granted, Bethesda has made some great games in the past, but they've also made some pretty bad ones. The dialogue in their games is often terrible, the action sub-par, and the facial animation often poor.
I'm not saying Starfield is going to be bad, but maybe it's time to take a step back and look at the game with a more level-headed approach. The news that there are no ground vehicles has me concerned. Are we just meant to wander around these barren worlds on foot the whole time? Even with a jetpack, that sounds impractical.
The Friday letters page is becoming more sympathetic to Sony’s Activision Blizzard arguments, as one reader looks forward to AEW: Fight Forever. I'm on the fence about it. I'm sure the judge and whoever is in this legal battle knows what's going on, but Microsoft's tactics aren't exactly painting them in a good light. It'll be interesting to see what the UK decision is after the visit from Microsoft's president to the chancellor.
Meanwhile, the June 2023 Nintendo Direct has gotten me excited for some of the upcoming Switch games. Super Mario Bros Wonder, Pokémon Violet/Scarlet DLC, Detective Pikachu Returns, and Super Mario RPG all look really interesting. Plus, I'm curious to find out more about the new Princess Peach game.
Finally, I have to give props to the reader who asked about converting Xbox Live Gold to Game Pass Ultimate. It turns out that you can still do it. I recently bought 12x3 month Xbox Live Gold cards for £7 from cdkeys.com and then bought a one month Game Pass Ultimate code for another £7. That was enough to convert all 3 years of Xbox Live Gold into Game Pass Ultimate, all for a total of £91. That's a pretty sweet deal.
So, while I'm still keeping my expectations in check, I'm looking forward to seeing what this year in gaming has in store. Currently playing Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - if there's a better game this decade, I can't wait to play it.
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