April 5th 2024.
Have you heard anything about a sequel to Ghost Of Tsushima? I was reading the Friday letters page and someone was worried about the gaming habits of modern gamers. They compared Helldivers 2 to Earth Defence Force and it got me thinking. If only they could combine the two games, it would be the ultimate version of Earth Defence Force. Imagine swapping out the galaxy for cities and areas around the world, using the same bugs and robots, but with more interesting weaponry and different character types like in Helldivers.
But speaking of sequels, I have a question. When are they going to announce anything real? I have a feeling that the new Astro Bot game is just going to be Astro's Playroom 2 and used as a way to demo the PS5 Pro. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the original Astro's Playroom, but it was only two hours long and didn't feel like a full game. I can't imagine launching a new console without any major games. And with so few third party games coming out this winter, I'm not sure what they could attach it to.
I know they have a bunch of live service games and are working on sequels like Ghost Of Tsushima 2, but why won't they announce them? It feels like we've been asking this question for years now and I have little faith that there will be any substantial announcements next month. Time is money, and as the recent Newzoo report on gaming showed, live service games are bringing in the most revenue. It's a crowded market, but new games are still combining for more revenue than traditional games.
But what I found most interesting in the report was the average monthly users. It seems pretty obvious that games with an end, like Alan Wake, would have lower numbers since people stop playing after completing it. But Nintendo seems to be an exception, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder having a higher average number of monthly users than Minecraft. I think it's because the game has a much higher total number of users.
Speaking of total number of users, it's baffling to me that the Switch has sold 140 million while everything else has sold less. And with many PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series owners also owning the previous consoles, the total number of active console players is put at 625 million. That means each device has an average of three users, which makes me wonder why local multiplayer isn't more popular on Xbox and PlayStation. But at least the report showed that gamers are still buying just as many games, even if they're not playing for as long.
Moving on to another topic, did you see the results of that Bafta poll? I found it puzzling. While I can understand Lara Croft being number one, given her popularity in the 90s, some of the other choices seem like a result of recency bias. Like Sackboy and Agent 47 being in the top five, even though they haven't had a mainline game this decade. It makes me wonder if the poll was asking the right question or if a bunch of people got together to purposely give us this strange mix of characters.
But let's end on a positive note. I wanted to recommend a game to you guys called Minishoot' Adventures. I had never heard of it until yesterday, but after seeing some rave reviews, I downloaded it and couldn't put it down. It's a cross between old school Zelda and twin-stick shooter, and it looks and sounds fantastic. It's one of those perfectly formed indie games that just feels right the moment you start playing it. It may have flown under the radar for some, but I think it deserves more attention.
And speaking of games that deserve more attention, I wish they would remake Global Defence Force. No "story" like the sequels have had, no voice acting, just a modern clean-up of one of my guilty pleasures. I miss the old days of Earth Defence Force and I can't wait for the release of Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 later this year. As for video game TV shows and movies, I've noticed that the shows have been mostly hits, while the movies tend to disappoint. Take the recent Super Mario animated movie, for example. It worked because it stayed true to the familiar world of the game franchise. Unlike the 90s Mario movie with Bob Hoskins, which was the complete opposite and definitely not what the gamers or average movie-goers wanted to see on the big screen.
Have you guys heard about the Ghost of Tsushima sequel? I was really looking forward to it, but it seems like there's been no news about it. This got me thinking about the current state of gaming and the concerns raised in the Friday letters page. One reader even compared Helldivers 2 to Earth Defence Force. If you want to join in on the discussions, just send an email to the address listed below.
One of the recurring questions in the gaming community is about the release of new titles. I, for one, am worried that the upcoming Astro Bot game will just be a rehash of Astro's Playroom and used as a way to showcase the PS5 Pro. While I enjoyed the original, it was only a two-hour game and didn't feel like a complete experience. So when can we expect any real announcements? And will there be enough major games to support the launch of a new console? With the lack of third-party games this winter, it's hard to imagine what titles they could attach to the console.
We know that there are already several live-service games in the works, as well as highly anticipated sequels like Ghost of Tsushima 2. So why haven't they been officially announced yet? It feels like we've been asking this question for years, and I have little faith that there will be any substantial reveals next month.
I recently came across the Newzoo report on gaming, and I found it quite interesting. It gave some insight into the usually secretive gaming industry. However, the section on average monthly users seemed a bit pointless to me. Sure, I played Mario Kart more months last year than Alan Wake, but does that really matter? It's no surprise that games with a definitive end rank lower on this list, as players tend to stop playing once they finish the game.
I did find it surprising, though, that Nintendo seems to be an exception to this trend. Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which was only released for three months last year, has a higher average number of monthly users than Minecraft. My guess is that this is because of the game's overall higher number of users.
I was also baffled by the total number of players. With the Switch selling 140 million units and other consoles selling significantly less, it's estimated that there are 625 million active console players. If we do the math, that means each console has an average of three users, which makes me wonder why local multiplayer isn't more popular on Xbox and PlayStation.
But the most crucial aspect for publishers is revenue. According to the report, 59% of new game revenue is from live-service games. This shows that even with a crowded market, new games still generate more revenue than traditional ones. It's worth noting that this also includes Sony's MLB: The Show, which is released on all consoles and accounts for 2.2% of new game revenue.
The one positive thing I took away from this report is that gamers are still buying just as many games. While they may not spend as much time playing each game, the total number of games purchased has remained the same.
Now, let's talk about that Bafta poll. The results were quite puzzling, to say the least. I would argue that the most recognizable video game characters for the average person would be Mario, Sonic, Pikachu, and maybe Pac-Man. But then again, this wasn't a poll of the general public; it was a survey of 4,000 random...I'm not sure what to call them...Bafta fans? While I can understand Lara Croft being number one, given her popularity in the 90s, some of these choices seem to reflect a recent bias, especially with the inclusion of characters from the recent Tomb Raider remaster and Baldur's Gate 3. But even that argument falls apart when you consider that characters like Sackboy and Agent 47 made it to the top five, despite not having a mainline game this decade. I can only assume that either the participants were trying to be funny, or the question was not clear enough.
Anyway, on to a different topic. I wanted to recommend a game that I recently discovered called Minishoot' Adventures. It's a fantastic cross between old-school Zelda and a twin-stick shooter. The gameplay, graphics, and sound are all top-notch, and I couldn't put it down once I started playing it. I feel like it flew under the radar for many players, so I thought it could use a bit more attention.
Speaking of games, I've been playing Helldivers 2, and it got me thinking about how it could be the perfect version of Earth Defence Force. Just imagine swapping out the galaxy for various cities and areas around the world, and you've got yourself an epic game. They already have the bugs and robots, and Helldivers has a more diverse selection of weapons and characters compared to Earth Defence Force. I would love to see a combination of these two games or even a remake of Global Defence Force without all the added story elements and voice acting, just like the good old days.
Lastly, I want to talk about gaming adaptations for TV and film. In my opinion, the recent TV shows based on video games have been mostly successful and far better than what a film adaptation could have been. I feel like movies tend to disappoint both gamers and the average moviegoer. However, the animated Super Mario movie was a hit because it stayed true to the familiar world of the game franchise. On the other hand, the 90s live-action Mario movie was a complete disaster.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to email your comments to the address listed below. And as always, keep gaming!
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