May 17th 2024.
Will the follow-up be more or less successful? That seems to be the question on everyone's mind as Activision recently announced the creation of a secret new studio. The Friday letters page has been buzzing with confusion about this news, with one reader even seeking advice on the Steam Deck vs. ROG Ally. If you want to join in on the discussion, you can email us your thoughts at the given email address.
I, for one, am particularly concerned about the upcoming Switch 2. With all the elements aligning for its success – the potential for running third party games, Xbox and PlayStation facing their own struggles, and Nintendo's knack for captivating players who aren't fans of live service games – it's hard not to get excited. But at the same time, I can't shake off the feeling that Nintendo might somehow mess it up.
After all, doing the obvious and logical thing is not something we've come to expect from Nintendo. They have a track record of surprising us, for better or for worse. How many times have we been left baffled by their decisions, only to be proven wrong later? If the success of Switch 2 depends on Nintendo following a predictable path, then I fear they may be doomed. But then again, they might just do something crazy and achieve massive success with it.
All of this uncertainty makes me both nervous and intrigued. One thing's for sure though, I have more confidence in Nintendo's future compared to Xbox or PlayStation. And I'm optimistic that they'll release a new game within the next year that I'll actually enjoy.
Moving on to a lighter note, I'd like to share my thoughts on a game I recently tried out called Animal Well. After seeing your glowing review and finding out it was available for free on PS Plus, I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised by its minimalistic design, great soundtrack, moody graphics, and entertaining puzzles. But the best part was definitely seeing the cat face image. It reminded me of the Japanese cult classic horror movie House, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a good scare. Just make sure to stay sober while watching it!
Speaking of unexpected surprises, the news about Activision's new studio is probably one of the strangest things I've heard in the gaming world. Given the current state of things, it's hard to imagine Bobby Kotick setting up a studio in Poland to work on single-player story games. But then again, it's also hard to believe that Microsoft had a hand in this, considering they only acquired Activision last year. Whatever the case may be, I'm definitely intrigued and eagerly waiting to see what they have in store for us. Although, I'm also preparing myself for a possible letdown.
Having said that, if the studio was set up three years ago, it's possible that they were jumping on the bandwagon of single-player story games, which were popular among publishers at the time. But it still seems a bit bizarre to me.
Now, let's turn our attention to Ubisoft and their upcoming game Assassin's Creed Shadows. I can't help but feel that they deliberately chose the main characters to stir up some controversy. Of course, this doesn't justify any criticism towards the game based on the characters' appearance. But it's clear that Ubisoft knows exactly what they're doing.
As for the game itself, even the pre-rendered trailer didn't look as impressive as Ghost of Tsushima. And I highly doubt the combat will be as good as Rise of the Rōnin. The demand for an Assassin's Creed game set in Japan has been around for years, but I fear that it's too late now. There are already better alternatives, either made by Japanese companies or with significant help from them. Just by watching the trailer, you can get a sense of how the game will play and it already seems outdated and unnecessary.
On the topic of names, I sincerely hope that Nintendo goes with the obvious choice for their next console – Switch 2. It may not be the most creative name, but it's straightforward and avoids the confusion that the Wii U caused. Speaking from personal experience, almost everyone I knew had a Wii but had no idea what a Wii U was. Some even thought it was an accessory for the original Wii. And I fear that even a name like Super Switch could lead to similar confusion this time around.
Finally, let's touch upon the recent news of Ubisoft laying off 1,700 employees. It's terrible and my heart goes out to those affected. It's also disheartening to see that innovation is no longer a priority for them. It's all about live service games or open world games and nothing else. We should be grateful that at least their open world games tend to be single-player, as I fear this may become a rarity in the future, even with other publishers like Sony.
Assassin's Creed Shadows looks decent, as much as we can tell from a pre-rendered trailer. But I can't say I'm particularly excited about another game in the series, or Far Cry for that matter. Ubisoft needs to take some risks and come up with new franchises. I understand the potential risks, but relying on stagnant games can also be dangerous. Nothing lasts forever, and the thought of Far Cry 12 or Assassin's Creed 34 just doesn't sit right with me. At some point, fresh blood is needed. Although, I do acknowledge that now may not be the best time for it, given the current circumstances.
Do you think the follow-up will be more successful or less successful? The Friday letters page is abuzz with confusion about Activision's new secret studio. One reader even seeks advice on whether to choose Steam Deck or ROG Ally. If you want to join in on the discussions, send an email to the address provided. It's too easy!
I, for one, can't stop worrying about the highly anticipated Switch 2. Everything seems to be falling into place for it to surpass the success of its predecessor, the Switch. With its potential to run third party games and the current state of disarray for Xbox and PlayStation, it's hard not to get excited. And for those who aren't fans of live service games, Nintendo is sure to have something to pique your interest. So why do I have this nagging feeling that Nintendo will somehow mess it up?
It's just not in Nintendo's nature to do the obvious and logical thing. I can't imagine them following through with all the things I just mentioned in the way we expect them to. Let's be real, when has Nintendo ever done what we expect? Whether it's for better or for worse, they always seem to surprise us with their decisions. How many times have we been left scratching our heads, only to later realize that they were actually right and we were wrong?
If the success of the Switch 2 depends on Nintendo playing it safe and sticking to the expected route, then I fear for its future. But then again, Nintendo has a knack for defying expectations and achieving great success. So who knows, maybe they'll do something crazy and end up hitting it out of the park. I'm only half-joking when I say this, but I'm also loving the unpredictability of it all. No matter what we think will happen, Nintendo will most likely prove us wrong. And I have to say, I have more faith in Nintendo's future than I do in Xbox or PlayStation. I'm also confident that they'll release a new game that I'll actually enjoy within the next year.
I recently tried out Animal Well, which was free on PS Plus, after reading a glowing review. It's a wonderfully minimalistic game with a great score, moody graphics, and entertaining puzzles. But the best part? Seeing the cat face image in the game. It's almost as if the developers watched the Japanese cult classic horror movie House and thought, "Yep, that cat deserves a cameo." I highly recommend both the game and the movie to anyone. Although, it might be best to stay sober while watching the movie.
That news about Activision starting a new studio is one of the most bizarre things I've heard in gaming in a while. And let's be real, this year has been full of crazy news. I can't wrap my head around the idea of Bobby Kotick setting up a new developer in Poland to work on single-player story games. But at the same time, I can't see how it could be attributed to Microsoft, as they only acquired Activision last autumn and the deal was made rather quickly. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing it, but it's literally the last thing I would've expected. I'm now extremely curious to see what this new studio will produce, but I'm also setting myself up for potential disappointment.
Assuming the studio was established about three years ago, it makes sense that they would focus on single-player story games since that was the trend at the time. Even EA jumped on the bandwagon. But it still seems a bit odd to me.
In response to the email section where readers can share their thoughts and opinions, I have to say that I believe Ubisoft purposely chose the main characters for Assassin's Creed Shadows to stir up controversy. Not that there's any excuse for criticizing the game based on the character's gender, but Ubisoft is well aware of the reactions they would receive.
As for the game itself, even the pre-rendered trailer didn't impress me as much as Ghost Of Tsushima. And I highly doubt the combat will be as good as Rise Of The Rōnin. Fans have been clamoring for an Assassin's Creed game set in Japan for years now, but I think it's too late. There are already better alternatives out there, either made by Japanese companies or with significant involvement from them. Just from watching the trailer, you can already predict how the game will play and it seems outdated and unnecessary.
I hope that Nintendo decides to keep it simple and name their new console Switch 2. It may not be the most imaginative name, but at least everyone will understand what it is. We all remember the confusion surrounding the Wii U, and I fear that even a name like Super Switch could lead to similar confusion. I'm the gamer in my family and even I had friends who owned a Wii but had no idea what a Wii U was. Some even thought it was an accessory for the original Wii.
I was wondering why we hadn't heard anything about Ubisoft laying off employees, and now we find out that they did it quietly. It's terrible news and my heart goes out to the developers affected. 1,700 people is an alarming number. It's clear that innovation is no longer a priority for Ubisoft. It's all about live service games and open world games, nothing else. And while we should be grateful that their open world games are generally single-player, I have a feeling that this will become a rarity with other publishers in the future, possibly even Sony.
Assassin's Creed Shadows looks decent, as far as you can tell from a pre-rendered trailer. But I can't say that I'm particularly excited for another game in the series. The same goes for Far Cry. Ubisoft needs to take some risks and create new franchises. I understand the risks involved, but relying on stagnant games is just as dangerous. Nothing lasts forever, and I can't imagine Far Cry 12 or Assassin's Creed 34 being a possibility. At some point, new blood is needed. However, I do acknowledge that now may not be the best time for it, considering the current state of things.
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