November 20th 2024.
As a fellow PlayStation 5 owner, I must say that I am not a fan of the idea of Sony acquiring FromSoftware. It is concerning to see the gaming industry being dominated by only a handful of large corporations, who are quick to lay off employees just to maintain their own executive bonuses. From Sony's perspective, I fail to see the benefits of buying out FromSoftware. While Elden Ring has been a successful game, I'm not convinced that it alone is enough to drive console sales. In fact, I would argue that Bloodborne, which is arguably a better game, did not have the same impact on sales.
It seems that Sony's main goal is to prevent Microsoft from acquiring FromSoftware. However, it is disheartening to see the state of the gaming industry where companies are constantly being bought out. I wouldn't be surprised if we hear news of Ubisoft being acquired by someone, given the hints we've already received.
If Sony does acquire FromSoftware, I fear that they will restrict them to producing only Soulslike games and prevent them from pursuing smaller projects like Armored Core and Déraciné. It's also likely that they will shut down smaller developers like Spike Chunsoft, as we have seen with Sony closing their own Japanese studio. It's a sad reality, but I wouldn't bet against it happening.
Moving on to a different topic, I must say that I have my doubts about the Fable reboot. The fact that they have hired ex-CD Project Red employees for combat is concerning, as that was never their strong suit. But beyond that, I question the need for a new Fable game at all. The previous entries in the series were not exceptional, so what are they really continuing here?
Fable 2 may have been the best one, but I couldn't help but notice that they wasted talented British actors and comedians in a game that was never truly funny. Even with John Cleese as a permanent character, they failed to give him any decent lines. I hope that they won't make the same mistake with Richard Ayoade and others, but based on what we've seen so far, I'm not optimistic.
I agree that the game needs a strong trailer and showcase, but we've seen with Starfield how misleading those can be. Instead, I'm putting my faith in the developers knowing what they are doing and creating a game that is nothing like its predecessors.
On a different note, I find it strange that the 'This is an Xbox' adverts don't include the two most obvious gaming platforms: PlayStation 5 and Switch. Of course, Microsoft would face legal consequences if they used a picture of a PlayStation with 'This is an Xbox' above it, but isn't that the message they are trying to convey? That the hardware doesn't matter, it's the gaming experience that counts.
But they can't openly say that, and that's where the problem lies. Do people really say 'This is an Xbox' when playing Call of Duty on their PlayStation? I doubt it. By that logic, you might as well say 'This is an EA box' when playing EA Sports FC. Considering how many people exclusively play that game, it would make more sense.
It's becoming increasingly clear that Xbox is just a publishing label, and Microsoft is struggling to transition out of it successfully.
On a different topic, I was planning on getting my son a Steam Deck for Christmas, but I don't know much about it. After doing some research, I've come across numerous articles claiming that the Asus ROG Ally is a better option in many ways. I was hoping to find a review on GameCentral, but it seems you haven't done one. However, it was mentioned positively in the Inbox multiple times. I would love to hear the thoughts of the GameCentral community on which one is better.
And finally, I must express my frustration with Microsoft's claims that cloud gaming is the future. Today, they released Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and I have been stuck at 97% after a 330MB pre-load for over an hour. This is just the game trying to connect to the servers, and if they can't handle that, how can they handle streaming the entire game? It seems like they are living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.
For those wondering about the lack of reviews, Microsoft only sent out review copies on Tuesday, stating that it was due to the online services and the Day One patch update. It's a shame that we have to wait longer to see if it was worth the wait.
And on a final note, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available for a whopping £199.99 for the ultimate version. In a world where we buy digital content that we never truly own, that's a lot of money to spend.
I was browsing through the Wednesday letters page and stumbled upon a discussion about the Fable reboot. It seems like readers are not convinced about the necessity of a reboot, and some are even frustrated with the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 downloads. If you want to join in on the conversation, you can email Soulbourn Station.
As a PlayStation 5 owner, I personally don't like the idea of Sony buying FromSoftware. In my opinion, it's not ideal for every game company to be owned by only a handful of giant corporations. These corporations often make decisions that result in mass layoffs, just to keep their executives' bonuses at a high level.
Moreover, I fail to see the benefit from Sony's perspective. Elden Ring is the only game that has been a huge success for FromSoftware, but I'm not convinced it's a system seller. Bloodborne, on the other hand, is arguably a better game but it didn't drive sales for the PlayStation. It seems like Sony is only trying to keep FromSoftware out of Microsoft's grasp. It's disheartening to see this trend in the gaming industry. I wouldn't be surprised if we hear news about Ubisoft being bought by someone in the near future, especially after the hints we've been getting.
If Sony acquires FromSoftware, I have a feeling they will only focus on churning out Soulslike games and put a stop to smaller projects like Armored Core and Déraciné. I also wouldn't be surprised if they shut down smaller developers like Spike Chunsoft. Sony has already closed down its own Japanese studio, so it wouldn't be a shock if they do it again.
Moving on to a different topic, I have mixed feelings about the Fable reboot. I'm not entirely convinced that it's necessary, and I have some negative vibes about it. Why would they hire ex-CD Project Red employees for combat? That's not their strong suit. But overall, I'm skeptical about the need for a new Fable game. The previous ones were not great, so what are we really continuing here?
Fable 2 was the best one, but even then, I felt like it didn't utilize the amazing British actors and comedians it had. The game was never actually funny, even with John Cleese as a permanent butler character. I hope they don't waste talents like Richard Ayoade in the same way. However, based on what we've seen so far, I'm not optimistic.
I think it's silly that the 'This is an Xbox' adverts only showcase two formats, ignoring PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Of course, Microsoft would get sued if they had a picture of a PlayStation with 'This is an Xbox' written above it. But that's the whole point they're trying to get across, right? It doesn't matter what hardware you're using, it's the gaming experience that counts. Unfortunately, they can't say that publicly, and it's becoming a problem for them. I doubt anyone says 'This is an Xbox' when they're playing Call of Duty on their PlayStation. It doesn't make sense. By that logic, you might as well say 'This is an EA box' when playing EA Sports FC, since that's all some people play.
It's apparent that Xbox is now just a publishing label, and Microsoft is not transitioning out of it smoothly. I'm not sure what their plan is.
On a different note, I was planning to get my son a Steam Deck for Christmas, but I'm not well-versed in this area. I've read articles that suggest the Asus ROG Ally is a better option in many ways. I came to GameCentral looking for a review, but unfortunately, I couldn't find one. It was mentioned positively in the Inbox multiple times though. I would love to hear the thoughts of other GameCentral community members on which one is the better choice.
Speaking of games, Microsoft claims that cloud gaming is the future. However, the recent release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on the Xbox has caused some issues. The game is having trouble connecting to the servers due to the high number of users trying to access it. If the infrastructure can't handle a simple game connection, how will it handle streaming the entire game? I think Microsoft is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Lastly, let's talk about the price of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The top version costs a whopping £199.99, and it's only a 330MB pre-load. I've been waiting for an hour, and it's still stuck at 97%. In a world where people buy digital games and never actually own them, this is a considerable amount of money.
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