November 16th 2023.
Is the games industry on the cusp of a sea change? Recently, readers wrote in to the Thursday letters page to express their excitement for Paper Mario's return to its role-playing roots and one reader's enjoyment of Yakuza spin-off, Judgment.
Turning point
When looking at the article about US sales in October, it's clear that there's a lot to talk about. It seems that the Spider-Man games, while decent, have done incredibly well - maybe too well. It's almost as if they've been copied from a dozen previous games, including those of Batman.
On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch is still selling incredibly well, despite the fact that it's already 6 years old. This is an odd situation for Nintendo to be in, as they obviously want to replace it with a newer model, yet the console is still so popular.
On the other hand, Microsoft's Xbox hasn't been as fortunate. Starfield and Forza Motorsport both failed to make an impact, and the Switch, a console that is 6 years old, is still outselling it. I'm sure that Microsoft is feeling the pressure.
To make matters worse, sales have dropped for all three consoles, by a significant margin. People may be holding off for Black Friday, but it's unlikely to be to this degree. I fear that a crash may be on its way, with many people no longer able to afford the expensive consoles, and streaming not yet being viable to replace them.
Positive judgement
Judgment is an incredible title in the Yakuza series and my favourite so far. I was hooked on the story, the characters, and the fight mechanics. The last chapter was one of my favourite endings of all time. I'm looking forward to Lost Judgment.
Fast forward
I think that the mediocre success of Starfield may lead to Bethesda spending less time on its DLC. People are much more interested in The Elder Scrolls 6, and I think it's a shame Starfield didn't do better. Hopefully, this won't lead to publishers avoiding new IPs.
Extra space
When buying a PlayStation 5, some people may think that the native SSD is the only option. However, there are plenty of compatible, official SSDs available, such as the Seagate FireCuda 530 Heatsink 1TB SSD. It's easy to install - all you need are a couple of screws and the PlayStation 5 will take you through the formatting process.
Don’t look up
Teardown looks like a great game, but I would struggle to adjust if the Y-axis isn't inverted. Fortunately, the PlayStation 5 has system levels settings, which you can select in Settings>Saved Data and Game/App Settings>Game Presets. The game has to support this feature though, so I'm not sure if Teardown does.
Absolutely wonderful
I bought Super Mario Bros. Wonder after reading your review, and I'm glad I did. Even above Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, this is my game of the year. Nintendo have advanced the 2D platform genre in a way I never expected. I take my hat off to them.
Is the games industry on the cusp of a sea change? The Thursday letters page certainly suggests that it is, as one reader enjoys the Yakuza spin-off Judgment and another looks forward to Paper Mario being a role-playing game again.
It is clear from the US sales data in October that the Switch is still immensely popular, even six years after its release. This is an odd situation to be in, as Nintendo must be thinking about when to launch a successor.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is struggling to gain traction. Starfield and Forza Motorsport failed to make an impact, and sales are down across all three consoles compared to last year. It's worrying, and it looks like the industry is in crisis. Streaming isn't quite ready to take over, and Sony pushing a PS5 Pro next year could be a recipe for disaster.
But amidst all this, one reader is able to still enjoy the games. Jaime has recently finished off Judgment and thinks it's his favourite Yakuza game. He enjoyed all the crazy side quests and characters, and thought the ending was one of his favourite sections.
Simon is also looking forward to Yakuza spin-off Like A Dragon Gaiden, and has ordered it from Play-Asia. Meanwhile, Obie wonders if the mediocre success of Starfield is going to shorten the length of time that Bethesda spends on its DLC.
Finally, Halfempty has found a reliable SSD for the PS5: the Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD. He suggests that heatsink models should be chosen, as it's an added hassle to source and attach a separate heatsink that fits into the PlayStation 5 expansion slot.
It's wonderful that, despite all the uncertainty in the gaming industry, readers are still able to enjoy the games. Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been named as the Game of the Year by one reader, and it's clear to see why. Nintendo have advanced the 2D platform genre in a way unlike anything else.
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