November 27th 2023.
Would Xbox be better off without the console? This is a question that has been on many gamers' minds, as the rumours of the PS5 Pro have been coming thick and fast for over a year, while there has been little to no sign of a mid-gen Xbox Series X. It has led to some speculating that Microsoft may end up going third-party, something which was once seen as a humiliation.
However, it could be the logical and sensible path for Microsoft to take. Many of their titles are already multiformat, such as Minecraft and Call of Duty, and Microsoft could have made more money with Starfield if it had been released on the PS5 as well. Furthermore, they wouldn't have to waste money on hardware research and development.
The weekend's Reader's Features covered the success of this generation, citing Sony and Microsoft as the custodians of the console industry. Unfortunately, for them they have done a terrible job leading by example. Sony have no first party games scheduled, while Microsoft have failed to increase their console sales despite spending more money than god on them. On the other hand, Nintendo have been trucking on with outdated but highly innovative hardware and classic after classic game.
Speaking of classic games, this Monday's letter page is discussing classic 16-bit video games, and one reader has even suggested Disney to make a Monkey Island film. While Disney don't own Sam and Max, they could encourage Lucasfilm Games to make more original titles like they used to, instead of just more Star Wars games.
Finally, the release date for GTA 6 is fast approaching. The supposed 'early December' release date has been narrowed down to the 15th, however it is likely to be released at The Game Awards as it is too weird to have two events just days apart. In three weeks we will know for certain what GTA 6 looks like and what it's all about.
It's clear that this generation has been a success, and we can thank publishers and developers for this rather than Sony or Microsoft. It seems like this generation may be drawing to a close, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the console industry.
Would Xbox be better off without the console? This is a question that has been on the minds of many gamers as speculation around the mid-gen Xbox Series X has been growing. With the PS5 Pro rumors coming thick and fast for a year or more, there has been no sign of a potential mid-gen Xbox Series X, leaving many to wonder what this means for Microsoft's attitude towards hardware and the idea of them going third party.
At one point, this would have been seen as a sign of humiliation for a company like Nintendo, but if Microsoft were to go third party, it could be the most logical and sensible move. They already have a number of popular titles that are available on multiple platforms, such as Minecraft and Call Of Duty, and if those games were to come to the PlayStation 5 and Switch as a default, they'd likely make more money from increased sales and not having to invest in hardware R&D.
This brings us to the weekend Reader's Features, which discussed the idea that this generation of consoles has been a bit of a failure. While it is true that there have been plenty of good games, it's not really due to Sony or Microsoft. As custodians of the console industry, they have done a terrible job of leading by example and haven't done anything to truly make this generation unique.
Meanwhile, Nintendo are just trucking on with their outdated but highly innovative hardware and classic games. At this point, other publishers must be questioning if Sony and Microsoft deserve a cut of game sales, as they haven't really done anything to deserve it.
The one thing that everyone is looking forward to is the release of GTA 6. We don't know when exactly it will be released, but most people seem to think it will be at The Game Awards. Either way, it's now only three weeks until we know what GTA 6 looks like and what it's all about.
The Monday letters page continues to reminisce over classic 16-bit video games, as one reader wants Disney to make a Monkey Island film. As Disney have had a number of box office disasters this year, could this be the push they need to try and adapt more video games into movies? Why license other video games when they already own a bunch?
Finally, I bought a Nintendo Switch OLED in the Black Friday deals and I'm looking forward to playing Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. I've also got three months of Nintendo Switch Online, which is like PS Plus, but I was wondering if there were any games you would recommend? I'm more of an N64 gamer, but I like classic games.
It's been an interesting discussion, and it's been great to read the thoughts of other readers. This Hot Topic has certainly made me want to play some of the old classics again!
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