January 10th 2025.
Is there a new Mario Kart coming out this year? That's the question on everyone's mind as they eagerly await news from Nintendo. The Friday letters page is abuzz with confusion over Xbox's multiformat policy, with one reader expressing concern for the future of Assassin's Creed and Ubisoft. If you want to join in on the discussions, email us at the provided email address.
Let's make an educated guess about Nintendo's plans. The reveal for the Nintendo Switch 2 must be just around the corner, but we still don't know anything about the games that will accompany it. Not even a fake rumor has surfaced. It's frustrating, but if Nintendo was a normal company, we could probably make a decent guess at their lineup.
As GC has pointed out before, we're long overdue for Mario Kart 9 and it would make the perfect launch title. And let's not forget about Metroid Prime 4, which is expected to release for the original Switch this year. It only makes sense for it to also be a cross-gen release. With a popular sequel that appeals to casual gamers and a highly anticipated title for the hardcore crowd, it sounds like the perfect lineup. Maybe they'll even throw in a Zelda remaster or a smaller title to round it out.
Of course, trying to predict Nintendo's moves is like trying to predict the weather. They could surprise us all with something completely unexpected, like a sequel to Devil World. But if we're being sensible, I think this is the best guess we can make.
Speaking of contradictions, Microsoft's policies and decisions regarding exclusives are a bit confusing. It's great that they have another game to announce at their next Direct, but looking at their lineup for this one, their multiformat policy seems even more strange. We already knew that Doom: The Dark Ages would be available on multiple platforms, but for some reason, South of Midnight and Avowed are not. And those two games don't seem like they would be big sellers, so shouldn't Microsoft be trying to make their money back by making them multiformat?
It's almost like they've given up on that chance and are just focused on having highly rated exclusives on the Xbox. But wait, didn't they say they don't like exclusives? It's all very confusing and contradictory.
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of all the leaks and rumors surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2. It's not that I don't believe them, it's just that they seem too real to be fake. I think it would be best for Nintendo to put an end to all the uncertainty and make an official reveal. But then again, I admire their ability to stick to their original plan and not let anyone else dictate their actions. And let's be real, once they unveil the games and they look amazing, all of this will be forgotten.
I'm interested to hear about Xbox's new game, but I can't help but feel a bit concerned that Fable is not part of their lineup. They've said it won't be released until 2025, but I have a feeling it will be delayed even further. It's a shame because Fable could have been their iconic game, like Zelda or The Last of Us, that would sell their hardware. But it's just going to arrive too late. Microsoft made some wrong decisions and now it's too late to turn things around. It's unfortunate because competition is important, but time was not on their side and they missed their chance.
I've noticed in some reviews, GC lists a short runtime as a con, like with Antonblast. But with so many games having excessive playtime, some might see a short game as a positive. In fact, we recently had a feature where the author made the decision to skip games over 10 hours. I'm curious as to why you feel a short runtime is a con in a game like Antonblast. I'm guessing it's because you're balancing it with other factors, like cost.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the doomsters when it comes to Ubisoft. If their future depends on Assassin's Creed Shadows, I don't think they'll survive as an independent company. They have no one to blame but themselves for relying too much on aging franchises with similar gameplay. And they also failed to prepare for the high costs and long development times of games. Meanwhile, their focus on live service games hasn't been successful.
Is there a new Mario Kart game coming out this year? The Friday letters page seems to be even more confused than before when it comes to Xbox's multiformat policy. One reader is worried about the fate of Assassin's Creed and Ubisoft. If you want to join in on the discussion, send an email to the provided address.
Many people are speculating about the upcoming reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2. But despite all the anticipation, we still don't have any information about the games that will be available. Not even a fake rumor has surfaced. If only Nintendo was a more predictable company, it would be easier to make educated guesses.
As GC has mentioned before, it's about time for Mario Kart 9 to be released. It would make for a perfect launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2. At the same time, we know that Metroid Prime 4 for the original Switch is set to be released this year. It would make sense for it to also be available on the new console. These two highly anticipated games, one popular among casual players and the other among hardcore gamers, would make for a strong lineup. Perhaps there will also be a Zelda remaster and a couple of smaller titles, creating the perfect conditions for a successful launch.
Of course, it's impossible to predict what Nintendo will do. They might surprise us with unexpected choices, such as releasing a sequel to 1-2-3-Switch or Devil World. But if we're being sensible, the lineup mentioned above seems like the best guess we can make.
It's great to hear that Microsoft has another game to announce at their next Direct event. They have been releasing a steady stream of games lately, even though none of them have been major hits. However, looking at the lineup for this event, their multiformat policy seems even more confusing.
We already knew that Doom: The Dark Ages would be available on multiple platforms. But for some reason, South Of Midnight and Avowed won't be. This is strange because these two games are not likely to be big sellers. Shouldn't Microsoft make them available on multiple platforms in order to have a better chance of making a profit?
Or perhaps they have given up on making a profit and are simply interested in having highly rated exclusives on the Xbox. But wait, doesn't Microsoft claim to not like exclusives? This whole situation is full of contradictions and random decisions.
I've noticed that there have been many leaks about the Nintendo Switch 2, most of them from the recent CES event. I hope we don't have to deal with weeks more of these leaks. Not because they might not be true, but because they probably are. It's clear that Nintendo is keeping things quiet for now, but I think they should put an end to the uncertainty.
On the other hand, I admire the fact that Nintendo doesn't seem to care about what anyone else does or thinks. They are sticking to their original plan, and if the games they unveil are good, no one will care about the leaks. Once we get an official reveal, this period of constant leaks will be forgotten, even though it feels like it has been going on forever.
I'm interested to find out what Xbox's new game is, but I'm concerned that Fable won't be part of the lineup. They have said that it will be released in 2025, but without much confidence. There's a good chance that it will be delayed until next year. We've already waited so long, so it doesn't really matter. But I think these delays are part of what has led to Xbox's downfall as a hardware format.
First, they released a few duds like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and Starfield. Then, it took them too long to release any other games. I'm sure Microsoft is hoping that Fable will be their equivalent of Zelda or The Last Of Us, in terms of being a system-selling iconic game. But it's going to arrive too late. They put their bets on the wrong horses, and now it's too late. It's unfortunate because we need strong competition, but time was a factor and Microsoft has missed their chance.
I've noticed that in some of GC's reviews, they have listed a short runtime as a con. For example, with Antonblast. But with so many games being bloated and taking up a lot of time, a runtime of less than 10 hours is often seen as a positive. In fact, there was a recent feature where the author decided to skip games that took longer than 10 hours to complete.
I'm curious as to why GC considers a short runtime to be a con in a game like Antonblast. I'm guessing that it's not necessarily a con on its own, but that it's balanced with other factors like cost.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with those who are concerned about Ubisoft's future. If their success depends on Assassin's Creed Shadows, there's a good chance that they won't survive as an independent company by 2026. They have no one to blame but themselves for relying too heavily on aging franchises that all have similar gameplay.
They also failed to prepare for the rising costs and longer development times of games. At the same time, they focused on live service games that haven't worked out for them.
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