July 14th 2023.
It looks like Microsoft’s dreams are coming true with their recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard. After the deal is finalized, Microsoft is sure to make a show of carrying through on their promises, which could mean lots of Activision Blizzard games on Nintendo Switch, though I can’t imagine what they could have on the current model. It’s likely that once the Switch 2 is announced, it will be flooded with Activision Blizzard games. This might be a good thing for Switch owners, so maybe something good will come out of all this mess after all.
The reality of the situation is almost too crazy to believe. Microsoft winning their court case was always a coin toss, and Sony’s live service games are so strange it’s surreal. It’s like a fantasy for an Xbox executive to think that the only way to become number one is to buy Activision Blizzard and Sony have to be really stupid. And that’s exactly what’s happened. Sony has gone from a style of game with an 80% success rate to one with only a 1% success rate for most other companies.
Another interesting revelation is that the Final Fantasy name was actually a suggestion from Fighting Fantasy. It’s amazing to think of the influence Fighting Fantasy has had on Japanese developers, with Hidetaka Miyazaki from Dark Souls being a fan as well. It’s a reminder that the whole JRPG genre was originally a riff on Western games before they added their own spin.
I was surprised to learn about Limited Run Games recently announcing some projects like a lost Shantae game, Tomba!, and Clock Tower. It’s great for game preservation, even if some of the Jurassic Park games don’t stand the test of time. And I’m not sure why anyone is excited about Gex, as I don’t know anyone that cares about the game.
I’m curious to see if Call Of Duty will ever do a Gulf War game. I think it’s fair game if TV and movies can cover it, and I think Call Of Duty games are better at their stories than a lot of people give them credit for. It could be good.
Finally, I’m not sure if Microsoft really knows about Nintendo’s future plans or if they’re just guessing. It would be interesting to see Nintendo release a Switch Pro instead of a full Switch 2, as the current Switch is still selling okay. This could be a way for Nintendo to ensure new hardware is still affordable before a fully-fledged Switch 2.
The Friday letters page has been very active lately, with readers discussing the recent Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft. There is a lot of speculation around what this will mean for the future of gaming, with many expecting the company to make a big show of carrying through on their promises. Most seem to agree that this will mean a lot of Activision Blizzard games coming to the Switch soon, especially when the Switch 2 is released.
One reader, Prometheus, believes that the acquisition might actually work out well for Switch owners, as it could mean they get access to a lot of great games. Others are more concerned about what this means for Sony, who have been rather quiet over the last year or so. With Microsoft's win, and Sony's focus on live service games and VR, it has been a bit of a dream come true for Xbox fanboys.
Another reader, Campbell, raised the interesting question of why Square Enix never revealed that the name of Final Fantasy was inspired by the Fighting Fantasy series. It's easy to forget that the JRPG genre is actually based on Western style games, such as Wizadry and Ultima, with Japanese developers putting their own spin on them.
Finally, Benson was discussing the recent announcements by Limited Run Games when they mentioned the lost Shantae game, Tomba!, and Clock Tower. While some of the Jurassic Park games may not stand up to scrutiny today, Benson was keen to point out the importance of game preservation. Pascal9 then moved the discussion to the possibility of a Call Of Duty game based in the Gulf War, suggesting that if TV and movies can cover it, then it's fair game for games as well.
Finally, Scrapdog raised the possibility of Nintendo releasing a Switch Pro instead of a full Switch 2. This could be a stop-gap measure to ensure new hardware is still affordable, and still have more powerful capabilities but without being a completely new system. It's definitely an interesting concept that many Switch owners will be watching with interest.
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