January 28th 2025.
It's inevitable that Halo will make its way onto the Switch 2 in due time. The recent letters page on Tuesday was taken aback by the news that the PS5 is outselling the Xbox Series X by a significant margin. One reader even inquired about the first State of Play event for the year. If you want to chime in on the discussion, feel free to send an email to the provided address.
Let's talk about some upcoming games. I know that Phil Spencer can sometimes spout nonsense, but his plans for Xbox exclusives are crystal clear. They are working on bringing everything to other platforms, including the PlayStation 5 and beyond. However, they want to make sure that their first releases, such as Halo or Gears of War, are major events and not just quick remasters of old games. At least, that's what I think would be the sensible approach, although I can't say for certain what they have in store.
I have a feeling that Gears of War: E-Day will be available on multiple platforms, especially since it's a prequel. As for Halo, they might wait for the highly anticipated new game or for the rumored remake of Combat Evolved. It's possible that both E-Day and the new Halo were specifically designed to introduce these franchises to players who aren't familiar with Xbox. And let's not forget about Starfield. Maybe they'll wait until all the DLC is out and then release a deluxe edition or something along those lines.
It's sad to see the decline of Xbox, but as long as they continue to produce quality games, they will never truly be gone. On another note, it's going to be quite a sight to see Halo and Forza on the Switch 2. But hey, if Microsoft is on board with the idea, who's to say Nintendo would object? I do wonder what other agreements they have in the works. We already know that they have been trying to get Game Pass on the Switch 2, especially now that Xbox consoles are becoming less relevant. But how will they convince Nintendo to go along with it?
It can't be as simple as throwing money at them. Perhaps Microsoft will offer free streaming services for their own games as a trade-off. After all, Nintendo will need to use someone else's technology for that, and allowing Game Pass might be a small price to pay for access. We've seen stranger things happen in the gaming industry in recent years, so it wouldn't be too surprising if Game Pass on Switch 2 becomes a reality.
Speaking of gaming partnerships, has anyone else noticed how much Ninja Gaiden 4 resembles Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance? Sure, they're both Platinum games, but it seems like they're intentionally drawing from the latter, with the sword combat and camera mechanics. Personally, I prefer Metal Gear Rising over the old Ninja Gaiden games, so I don't mind this at all. But I do hope that Ninja Gaiden 4 is a success, as Platinum may be in trouble if it doesn't do well. With Microsoft backing the game, I expect it to get a fair share of marketing, but we'll have to wait and see.
Now, on to some sad news. It seems like we may never see another Dead Space game after the remake failed to meet EA's expectations. What a shame, especially since the team behind it seemed to understand the original game and did a fantastic job with the remake. When it outsold The Callisto Protocol, I thought for sure that it had secured a future for the franchise. But apparently, that wasn't enough. It's frustrating to think that someone at EA didn't do their research before giving the green light for the project. I can't help but wonder if they were expecting a breakout hit, but let's be real, survival horror games that aren't called Resident Evil haven't been massively successful since the 90s.
It's crazy to think that Mass Effect 2 is now 15 years old. It definitely makes me feel old, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it was even older. It's an incredible game that was made during a time when developers could create massive, epic games in a relatively short time without breaking the bank. Only three years passed between the first and second Mass Effect, and just two years between the second and third. But now, game development times have doubled, if not more, and publishers refuse to slow down. This puts Mass Effect 4 in a difficult position, especially after the underwhelming performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. My gut feeling is that it may never see the light of day. And if it does, it'll likely be a close call with significant budget cuts. The problem is, to remake a game like Mass Effect 2 with today's graphics and expectations, it takes much more time and resources, and that's before trying to add something new to the mix. Mass Effect was a big game, but even that may not be enough in today's all-or-nothing market. Only time will tell.
Human-like Rewrite:
I can't help but feel that it won't be long until we see Halo gracing the screens of the new Switch 2. The latest letters page on Tuesday seemed quite taken aback by the fact that the PS5 is outselling the Xbox Series X by such a significant margin. One reader even inquired about when the first State of Play for this year will take place. If you want to weigh in on these discussions, you can email us at [insert email here].
Let's talk about upcoming games. Now, I know Phil Spencer has a tendency to say some questionable things, but I truly believe he couldn't be any clearer about his plans for Xbox exclusives. The team is working on bringing everything over, but they're waiting for the right time to release these games on the PlayStation 5 and other platforms. They want the next Halo or Gears Of War installment to be a huge event, not just a simple remaster of an old game. At least, that's what makes sense to me. Of course, I can't say for sure what they have in store. However, I do have a feeling that games like Gears Of War: E-Day will be available on multiple platforms, especially since it's a prequel. As for Halo, they might have to wait for the new game they teased or possibly release the rumored remake of Combat Evolved. I wouldn't be surprised if both of these games were specifically designed to introduce non-Xbox players to these popular franchises.
Speaking of new releases, I have a hunch that Microsoft is going to try to collaborate with Nintendo in more ways than one. We already know they're eager to get Game Pass on the Switch 2, especially now that the Xbox consoles have become somewhat irrelevant. But how will they go about convincing Nintendo to join forces in this new reality? It can't just be a matter of throwing money at them, right? Maybe they'll offer to provide free streaming services for their own games, as Nintendo will have to rely on someone else for that technology. Allowing Game Pass on the Switch 2 might be a small price to pay for access. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this actually happened. We've seen stranger things occur in the gaming world in recent years.
Now, onto Sony and their plans for the new year. Has anyone else noticed that there's still no sign of when their first State of Play will take place? They seem to be even more secretive than last year, which is saying something. I remember last year they released a montage trailer in early January that revealed a few things, but we haven't seen anything like that yet. We know for a fact that they have Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei to showcase this year, and let's not forget about the mysterious Wolverine game. So, they definitely have a lot more to talk about compared to the beginning of last year. But I don't see any change in their approach. My theory is that they've struck a marketing deal for GTA 6 and now they can't be bothered with anything else.
On a different note, is anyone else getting Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance vibes from the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 4? I mean, it's not a problem for me as I actually preferred that game to the previous Ninja Gaiden titles. But it does seem like they're intentionally referencing it with the sword combat and camera work. It does look a bit odd next to the new Ninja Gaiden 2 remaster. If you didn't know their names, you wouldn't think they were from the same franchise. Hopefully, this game will be a success for Platinum, as they've been struggling lately. I have a feeling that Microsoft will heavily promote Ninja Gaiden 4, so maybe that will help its sales.
Now, onto a topic that's been on my mind for a while. Will we ever get another Dead Space game? It's a shame that the remake didn't do as well as EA wanted. As a fan, I thought it was a fantastic remake and the team clearly understood the original and its essence. When it outsold The Callisto Protocol, I thought for sure that it would secure a future for the series. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I really don't understand what EA was expecting. Sure, it would have been great if it was a huge hit, but let's be real, the original game wasn't a massive success and no survival horror game has been since the 90s, unless it's called Resident Evil. It seems like someone didn't do their research before giving the green light for the game.
Lastly, let's talk about how old Mass Effect 2 is now. It's been 15 years and it's making me feel ancient. But at the same time, if someone told me it was even older, I wouldn't doubt them. It's not only an amazing game, but it also comes from a time when developers could make massive, epic games in a relatively short amount of time without breaking the bank. It only took three years between the first and second game, and just two years between the second and third. Nowadays, it takes double that amount of time, at least. I believe the Xbox 360 era was the sweet spot for game development in terms of balancing graphics quality and time needed to create the game. The PlayStation 4 was also sustainable, but that was the absolute limit. And now, we're seeing the consequences of surpassing that limit and publishers refusing to slow down. This puts Mass Effect 4 in a tough spot, especially after the failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If I had to guess, I'd say it's never coming out. And if it does, it'll be a close call and will most likely have to make severe budget cuts. The problem is, to remake a game like Mass Effect 2 with the graphics quality people expect today, it takes a lot more resources. And that's not even considering the additional new features they plan to add. Mass Effect was a pretty big game, but that's not enough anymore. It's all or nothing, and more often than not, it's nothing.
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