February 18th 2025.
Hey readers,
I just read an interesting article on the latest video game tie-in and it looks like it's going to take a while before it's released. But while we wait, let's take a look at some other gaming news. The Tuesday letters page has some great discussions going on about the oldest online games that are still up and running. One reader even asked for suggestions on how Saros could improve over the popular game Returnal. If you want to join in on the conversation, you can email us your thoughts at the given email address.
Speaking of gaming, have you seen Microsoft's line-up for this year? They have a lot of games coming out and most of them seem pretty promising. However, I can't help but feel that they won't be big sellers on both PlayStation and Xbox. It's not because of the quantity or quality of the games, but rather the lack of impact they may have. Beyond the Activision fiasco, the biggest titles Microsoft has are Halo, Gears Of War, Forza, and Bethesda role-players. However, it's been observed that Halo and Gears have lost their charm over the years and aren't drawing as much attention as they used to. Additionally, Microsoft hasn't been consistent with releasing new Forza games like they used to. But in my opinion, their biggest mistake has been how they've handled Bethesda's role-playing games. I understand that they wanted to try something new with Starfield, but it's going to be almost 20 years between Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls 6. That's just insane! And to top it off, we won't be seeing Fallout 5 for a long time as well. It almost seems like they should have given the job to someone else rather than waiting for Bethesda to get around to it. By the time the game is released, the Amazon show based on the series will probably be old news. And to be honest, I don't see Fallout 5 coming out before 2030 at the earliest. That's just crazy to think about.
Moving on to another topic, I came across an interesting discussion about live service games. I personally have no interest in Rainbow Six Siege, but it's mind-blowing to think that a game can potentially last for 20 years or more without needing a sequel. It makes me wonder how long other popular live service games like Fortnite will last. I remember it had a dip in popularity a few years ago, but after they played the nostalgia card, it seemed to come back stronger than ever. Will Fortnite outlast Rainbow Six Siege? I wouldn't be surprised if it did. In fact, it could even outlast us all! There doesn't seem to be any reason for it to stop or restart, and I'm not sure what new technology could make them think otherwise.
Oh, and did you know that people are still playing Ultima Online, a game that's 28 years old? And that's nothing compared to the original MUD, which has been going for a whopping 47 years! Talk about some long-lasting games.
Now, let's talk about something that has been making headlines recently – the rumored Switch 2. I've heard some people discussing the possibility of it being priced at a staggering £30,000! But the real question is, will it be worth it? I highly doubt it. And trying to sell it to peripheral makers just to get an idea of the size of the case? That's not a very successful get rich quick plan, if you ask me. But all this talk about new hardware has me excited for what's to come. With the second trailer for GTA 6 potentially dropping anytime now, and the full reveal of the Switch 2 in April, I have a feeling it's going to be an exciting year for gamers. We'll have a lot to discuss and maybe even argue about, but I can't wait to see what's in store.
Moving on to a different game franchise, I haven't seen many people discussing it here, but can we talk about Civilization 7? I was really looking forward to it, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointment. Sure, its Metacritic score may not look that bad, but the user score is just 3.7, and the Steam score is at a depressingly low 'Mixed.' All the complaints seem to be the same – not enough features, too many bugs, and the game ending abruptly in the 20th century, leaving us with no choice but to buy the remaining content as DLC. How did places like The Guardian give it a 10/10 rating? I'm guessing they just assumed that Civilization would always deliver top-notch games, but this one is definitely not up to par. Maybe they can fix it with patches, but that's not the point. They've had almost a decade to prepare for this sequel, and it still feels like it's a year away from being in a state it should've been released in. It's just awful.
Before I wrap up, I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind for a while. I find it interesting that Xbox is one of the few companies that hasn't jumped on the live service trend. I wish Phil Spencer or someone from Xbox would talk about their decision and explain why they haven't followed suit. It's one thing to do interviews, but when all we get are buzzwords and half-truths, it's hard to see the point. As someone who's in charge of Xbox, I would be looking to take advantage of Sony's mistakes by doing the opposite of what they're doing. And it seems like a no-brainer to me that if fans are upset with Sony's lack of communication, Xbox should be more open and transparent about their direction. Maybe that's what Phil is trying to do, but when there's no substance to his words, it's almost more annoying than if they said nothing at all. But, let's see how things pan out. With the second trailer of GTA 6 and the full reveal of the Switch 2 just around the corner, it's definitely going to be an exciting year for gamers. Let's just hope Nintendo doesn't mess it up!
It looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer for the release of the video game tie-in. But in the meantime, let's check out what's going on in the gaming world. In the Tuesday letters page, a reader has sparked an interesting discussion about the oldest online games that are still going strong. They're also curious about what changes Saros should bring to their game Returnal. If you have any thoughts on this, feel free to join in the conversation by emailing us at the provided email address.
Speaking of games, have you seen Microsoft's lineup for this year? They have a lot of titles coming out and they all look pretty good. However, it's unlikely that any of them will be huge sellers on both PlayStation and Xbox. This isn't due to lack of quantity or quality, but rather the impact they make. Sure, Microsoft has some big names like Halo, Gears Of War, Forza, and Bethesda's role-playing games, but even those have lost their appeal over the years. It's interesting to note that Microsoft hasn't released a new Forza game in a while, despite the success of the franchise. But the biggest mistake they've made is with Bethesda's role-playing games. While it's great that they took a chance with Starfield, it's going to be almost two decades between that and the next Elder Scrolls game. And we won't even see Fallout 5 until after that! It would've been better to hand off the project to another team rather than waiting for Bethesda to get around to it. By the time the game is released, the Amazon show that it's supposed to support will be old news. In fact, it seems unlikely that Fallout 5 will be out before 2030. That's a long wait for fans.
Now, let's talk about live service games. Rainbow Six Siege has been going strong for over 20 years, which is quite impressive. It makes me wonder how long other popular live service games will last. Fortnite dipped in popularity for a while, but ever since they played the nostalgia card, it's become bigger than ever. Will it outlast Rainbow Six Siege? Maybe even last for 25 years or more? It's hard to say, but it's safe to say that Fortnite could potentially last forever. In fact, there are still people playing Ultima Online, a game that's been around for 28 years. And the original MUD? It's been going for 47 years!
On a different note, if you're willing to pay £30,000 for a Switch 2, then I don't know what to say. And trying to sell it to peripheral makers so they know what size case to make? That doesn't seem like a very successful get rich quick plan. But it's clear that people are eager for new hardware and a break from the current dominance of Sony and the failure of Xbox. Nintendo will probably manage to mess up this opportunity somehow, but it's still an exciting time for gamers. We're eagerly waiting for the second GTA 6 trailer and the full reveal of the Switch 2 in April. There will be plenty to talk about and argue about, but it's all part of the fun.
Moving on to another topic, let's talk about Civilization 7. It hasn't been discussed much here, but I have to say, I'm disappointed with how it turned out. Despite its decent Metacritic score, the user score is only 3.7 and the Steam score is "Mixed". Many players have the same complaints: too few features, too many bugs, and the game just ends abruptly in the 20th century, forcing players to buy DLC to continue. It's baffling how places like The Guardian gave the game a perfect 10/10 score. They probably assumed that Civilization would always be good, but unfortunately, this one falls short. Maybe it can be improved with patches, but the fact that it's been almost a decade since the last game and it still feels unfinished is unacceptable.
Lastly, I wish Phil Spencer or someone from Xbox would explain why they haven't jumped on the live service trend like other companies. It's interesting that they've chosen to go a different route, but they've never really addressed it and that's frustrating. Spencer gives many interviews, but it's all just vague buzz words and half-truths. If I were in charge of Xbox, I would take advantage of Sony's weaknesses by doing the opposite of what they're doing. Instead of trying to copy them, it's easier to identify their weaknesses and offer something different. And if fans are upset with Sony's lack of communication, then Xbox should be open and transparent about their decisions, especially if they know that their direction might not sit well with everyone. Perhaps this is what Spencer is trying to do, but without any substance to back it up, it's just as annoying as saying nothing at all. On a positive note, at least we know that Double Fine hasn't been shut down.
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