June 30th 2023.
The Elder Scrolls Online will stay on the PS5, and the Friday letters page discusses the Xbox vs. FTC court case. The case has been fascinating and depressing, as Microsoft and Sony have twisted the truth to their advantage. It's also made clear that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be an Xbox exclusive. People are understandably angry and feel that neither Sony nor Microsoft deserve their loyalty.
Everybody's doing it, it seems: Xbox and Sony are both paying for secret exclusives to keep games off the other's console. It's a gross display of contempt for their audience, as if we'd never find out the truth. Microsoft's attempts to pretend it doesn't like exclusives are particularly hard to swallow, given their long-standing history with them.
Money is the answer, apparently. Square Enix's deal with Sony for Final Fantasy 16 exclusivity is a mystery: did Sony pay them a cash sum or offer a marketing deal? What could Sony offer that Square Enix needed? It's hard to imagine that the game wouldn't have sold just as well if it had released on both platforms.
Rage, rage never changes: Ubisoft's decision to make the main character of Prince Of Persia: The Last Crown so unlikeable is another example of companies seemingly not learning from the past. It's a shame, as the game itself seems to be good.
Duckling hell: Placid Plastic Duck Simulator, where random plastic ducks materialise above a pool and float about is surprisingly relaxing and humorous. With a chill soundtrack it's like a big old screensaver - but with ducks.
Take your bets: It's hard to tell who will win the Microsoft court case, as it seems both sides have made incriminating bloopers. It's unlikely to be decided on the facts, but rather on how biased or engaged the jury or judge is. It's not healthy for a giant company to push around a much smaller one, but the company with the best lawyers is likely to win.
The Elder Scrolls Online is staying on the PlayStation 5, but with the ongoing Xbox vs. FTC court case, readers are wondering what kind of exclusivity deals are being made behind the curtain. Phil Spencer's statement that exclusivity deals for Bethesda games would be decided on a case-by-case basis was evidently untrue, and it's clear that Microsoft and Sony are both twisting the truth to suit their own ends.
Knowing that The Elder Scrolls 6 will most likely be an Xbox exclusive has left a sour taste in the mouths of gamers. It's no surprise that two giant corporations act like giant corporations, but the lies and deceit have become tiresome. Xbox and Sony have no respect for their audience, expecting blind loyalty regardless of what they say or do. Even Satya Nadella's attempts to feign interest in games such as Candy Crush and Call Of Duty come off as disingenuous.
This begs the question of why Final Fantasy 16 chose to be a Sony exclusive. Was there cash money involved, or a marketing deal? It's possible that Square Enix simply wanted to maximize their sales, but it's still strange that a company of their size and stature would limit their audience to one console.
GC has asked Ubisoft why Prince Of Persia: The Last Crown has such a terrible main character, but predictably, they have not answered. It's astonishing that after twenty years, game developers have not learned from their past mistakes, and continue to make the same blunders.
Finally, Placid Plastic Duck Simulator has been released, a game where you can just watch plastic ducks float around a pool. It's a surprisingly relaxing experience, and it's hilarious to name all the ducks. Perhaps a bath is just as relaxing, but if you're looking for something more entertaining, Placid Plastic Duck Simulator might just be the game for you.
As for the Microsoft court case, it's anyone's guess who will win. It's unlikely that fairness will be a factor, so it's likely that the company with the best lawyers will be the victor. But with the amount of evidence and incriminating bloopers that have been revealed, it's impossible to tell. What do you think, GC?
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