September 14th 2023.
Today's Thursday letters page has stirred up a lot of conversation as one reader admires A Boy And His Blob. But what will be unveiled today? Will it be something big or something small?
Can I just give some praise to Nintendo? They make great games and are the only ones actually putting out new games at a decent pace. They are the open and communicative one, while Sony and Microsoft refuse to properly engage with fans and the press. Nintendo also never has to hide behind slickly made trailers to get their games looking good. I doubt we’ll see the Switch 2 revealed this Thursday, but I imagine those rumours about a new Mario Vs. Donkey Kong and a F-Zero 99 game are probably true.
I'm not hoping for any big announcements this Thursday, but I do expect a lot of smaller reveals and shadow drops. Excitement, in other words, which has not been forthcoming at all from Sony this year. I hope they have a State of Play this year as well, but I’m not holding my breath. They are though, and if they don’t come up for breath soon, they risk doing themselves some serious damage.
In terms of the space exploration, No Man’s Sky is a much better game than Starfield. While Starfield seems to be trying to copy it, No Man’s Sky has so much more variety and depth. Maybe they’re not as realistic, but they’re definitely a lot more interesting to explore. Considering the budget and number of developers that Bethesda has, I’m not really sure how they managed to make a game that was so behind No Man’s Sky, especially in terms of the whole space-to-planet transition.
That news about Square Enix does not sound good either. If Sony really does want to buy them, then this is the perfect moment. Or maybe they already feel that the company is too far gone and not worth the trouble? Final Fantasy is still reasonably big, but I feel interest has been waning over the years. Square Enix need to prove they’re still a player and I don’t think even more Final Fantasy is the way.
AAA games on iPhone are never going to work if they charge full price for them. Nobody’s going to pay that, and yet if they are substantially cheaper then console and PC owners are going to have a riot. It’s kind of a moot point given how expensive the iPhone 15 Pro is but even so, it just seems like a publicity gimmick more than anything else.
Saying Bethesda haven’t done anything since 2011 was a sweeping statement based on my own opinion and not the best choice of words. Fallout 4 and 76 weren’t as good as 3, and the Microsoft buyout wouldn’t have happened in 2011/12 when Bethesda were at the height of their power. With the next Elder Scrolls seeing release in 2028, that will be 17 years between the last instalment.
It's going to be an exciting day with a lot of discussion and speculation. We'll have to wait and see what will be revealed on Thursday. But one thing is for sure, Nintendo rarely lets us down and lately that’s been true of more than just the games.
What will be unveiled today?
The anticipation is growing as we await the latest Nintendo Direct to arrive. According to the Thursday letters page, it doesn't look like AAA games on smartphones have much of a future. One reader was particularly excited to hear about A Boy And His Blob, and it's not hard to see why.
It must be said that Nintendo have been the most communicative and open during this generation, something that has been lacking from Sony and Microsoft. While the latter two companies have been weaving a web of lies, Nintendo have been showcasing their games, offering previews and allowing hands-on demos of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. It shows just how much the gaming world has changed when Nintendo are the ones who are engaging with fans and press.
The rumours that have been circulating about a new Mario Vs. Donkey Kong and F-Zero 99 games have been proven true, and it's great to see Nintendo still releasing low budget games as a surprise. Sony and Microsoft don't have anything similar up their sleeves, and it's a shame. Nintendo's name on the box is enough for me to know that the game will be good.
The Starfield rumours have been floating around for a while, and I have to say that No Man's Sky is a much better game in terms of space exploration. Bethesda have a lot of resources and money to work with, so it's a shame that their game seems to be so far behind No Man's Sky.
Finally, the news about Square Enix does not sound good at all. With a 30% drop in value and $2 billion, it's the perfect time for Sony to swoop in and buy them. But Final Fantasy is not as big as it used to be, and I'm not sure how much interest there is in Dragon Quest in the West. Square Enix needs to prove that they can stay relevant, and I'm not sure that more Final Fantasy is the way to do that.
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