E3 2018

Mickeroo

Yeah would have to agree. They really need to pull something out of the hat this year. Doesn't really matter if xbl is better than psn as a service or the hardware is more powerful if there's nothing to play on it.

Penn

I agree. I said it before last year's E3; I want a reason to buy an Xbox One X. It looks like a truly fantastic console. I want the same thing this E3 that I wanted from last year's E3. Show me a reason to buy an XB1X. Show me games which will take full advantage of the console rather than just multiplatform games which will look slightly better than on PS4Pro, or timed exclusives. Show me proper XB1 exclusives. Show me their new equivalents to God of War, Uncharted, Horizon, The Last of Us etc.

As great as the multiplatform games may look on the XB1X, I just know it's not going to be enough to drag me away from the Pro, because the bump in framerate and graphics for games I can already get on the Pro isn't worth the price of the XB1X.

It's why exclusives are so important. They give people who already own a PS4 a proper reason and urge to buy an Xbox, and vice versa. Everyone has their preference for their main console, but exclusives drive sales of consoles as secondary consoles, and Microsoft simply aren't giving people the quality and quantity of exclusives to do that.

I know Phil Spencer has been making strides about getting new exclusives, but I think if they don't start coming soon, with some needing to be announced and due for release in 2019, it'll be too late for this gen and they'll be at a huge disadvantage for the next gen.

Retr0gamer

I actually don't mind the lack of exclusives on Xbox. Since their exclusives are all coming to PC it means I don't have to pay 400 for a new console.

The unfortunate thing is that Sony really are just coasting with the lack of competition and getting very complacent. The PS4 finally has enough exclusives where the system is worth the entry fee but we are now 5 years into the consoles life cycle, the twilight years of the system, and it's been far and away the weakest of the Playstation brand in what it offers compared to the competition.

I'm kind of hoping this E3 that the Sony Japan studios are tasked with creating smaller, more original games for the system to broaden it's appeal. Sony's exclusives have been good but they don't deviate from the standard triple A template the way Sony Japan Studio's games traditionally would.

Zero-Cool

If this is true and a Rocksteady Superman game is announced during Microsoft's E3 bit, then the Rocksteady Superman thread should be reopened ASAP!

Apparently the title hints to a team up between Superman and batman.

Ha, imagine if it was true and was exclusive to Xbox!

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/06/06/rocksteady-superman-possibly-leaked-via-marketing-materials/

Penn

Zero-Cool wrote: »

If this is true and a Rocksteady Superman game is announced during Microsoft's E3 bit, then the Rocksteady Superman thread should be reopened ASAP!

Apparently the title hints to a team up between Superman and batman.

Ha, imagine if it was true and was exclusive to Xbox!

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/06/06/rocksteady-superman-possibly-leaked-via-marketing-materials/

That would definitely make me buy an Xbox One X

Sonics2k

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

I feel its a make or break year for microsoft tbh. They've been making all the right moves, game pass, play anywhere, accessibility controllers, the most powerful home console, yet it still seems that they're struggling to really make back any ground at all on the competitors.The ripples of the launch of the XB1 5 years ago are still being felt IMO, it was a devastating misstep from a company that was on top of the world.
Despite having all the above going for them, and being the console where third party games look best, The emphasis is now being placed on the lack of genuine 'must have' exclusives. I've had all of the xboxes through the years, and while I'm happy enough to play another Halo / gears or forza, there's nothing new and fresh in the Vein of Nier: Automata, Ni-oh, Yakuza, Bloodborne etc.

I remember not long before the XB1 launch I was actually quite excited to see what they'd pull out, even if I do hate their controller style.

I'm very much a PC gamer but I've always had a soft spot for Microsoft's hardware and was really looking forward to what they'd release.

Then the launch happened and it was just all so much fluff, nonsense about watching NFL on it and a load of other nonsense.

They basically announced their own doom before releasing the damn thing, and they've been struggling ever since.

Benzino

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The unfortunate thing is that Sony really are just coasting with the lack of competition and getting very complacent. The PS4 finally has enough exclusives where the system is worth the entry fee but we are now 5 years into the consoles life cycle, the twilight years of the system, and it's been far and away the weakest of the Playstation brand in what it offers compared to the competition.

I don't think complacency has anything to do with it, games are just more difficult and riskier to make, with players expectations always increasing.

CastorTroy

Zero-Cool wrote: »

If this is true and a Rocksteady Superman game is announced during Microsoft's E3 bit, then the Rocksteady Superman thread should be reopened ASAP!

Apparently the title hints to a team up between Superman and batman.

Ha, imagine if it was true and was exclusive to Xbox!

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/06/06/rocksteady-superman-possibly-leaked-via-marketing-materials/

Wait until we find out that Superman controls like the Batmobile from Arkham Knight

ERG89

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I actually don't mind the lack of exclusives on Xbox. Since their exclusives are all coming to PC it means I don't have to pay 400 for a new console.

The unfortunate thing is that Sony really are just coasting with the lack of competition and getting very complacent. The PS4 finally has enough exclusives where the system is worth the entry fee but we are now 5 years into the consoles life cycle, the twilight years of the system, and it's been far and away the weakest of the Playstation brand in what it offers compared to the competition.

I'm kind of hoping this E3 that the Sony Japan studios are tasked with creating smaller, more original games for the system to broaden it's appeal. Sony's exclusives have been good but they don't deviate from the standard triple A template the way Sony Japan Studio's games traditionally would.

How are they complacent?
They are making games that take longer to create now, releasing as many exclusives as Microsoft or Nintendo & have 4 big titles to show at E3, only one of them is a sequel. They got the last guardian out when most gave up on the idea of it & made a sequel to Gravity Rush even though nobody bought the first.

mcgooch

Benzino wrote: »

I don't think complacency has anything to do with it, games are just more difficult and riskier to make, with players expectations always increasing.

If anyone's been complacent this console gen it's been Microsoft. Sony have done what they've always done and their runaway success this gen is wholly deserved.

Microsoft have only recently made significant attempts to steady the ship and while they should be commended for their efforts (XB1X is a great machine) it's too little too late. A lack of exclusive games and new IP is the biggest mistake they've made since the disastrous XB1 reveal 5 years ago. Unless they right this wrong soon they will continue to struggle until their inevitable withdrawal from console gaming entirely.

EoinMcLovin

Just Cause 4 has been leaked on Steam

Billy86

CastorTroy wrote: »

Wait until we find out that Superman controls like the Batmobile from Arkham Knight

That game must have been patched up really well (eventually) because I only got around to it last year and had no issues with the batmobile or frame rates (outside of the blimp sequence which was fairly short) throughout on PC (I5 6600K, 16GB RAM AND GTX 970 so a reasonably hi spec computer to be fair). Some parts like the Mad Hatters storybook sequence were also wonderfully inventive and highly memorable.

I thought it was bloody fantastic, though I've not got on to Origins as I'm worried the issues there were far less performance related and more to do with the game itself.

Billy86

EoinMcLovin wrote: »

Just Cause 4 has been leaked on Steam

Hopefully they shake it up a bit, I thought I would love that game (JC 3) but found myself bored to tears extremely quickly. Though maybe it just was one of those games that's not nearly as groundbreaking in 2017 as it was on release?

maximoose

Billy86 wrote: »

Hopefully they shake it up a bit, I thought I would love that game (JC 3) but found myself bored to tears extremely quickly. Though maybe it just was one of those games that's not nearly as groundbreaking in 2017 as it was on release?

Set in 1980s Sweden where robots have taken over.

I've never played a Just Cause game, I just know them as the games with funny physics

Rory28

maximoose wrote: »

Set in 1980s Sweden where robots have taken over.

I've never played a Just Cause game, I just know them as the games with funny physics

You can grapple hook people to cows which you then hook the cow to a plane and then finally hook the plane to a wind turbine then watch a horror show of a merry go round. I enjoyed it immensely

EoinHef

ERG89 wrote: »

How are they complacent?
They are making games that take longer to create now, releasing as many exclusives as Microsoft or Nintendo & have 4 big titles to show at E3, only one of them is a sequel. They got the last guardian out when most gave up on the idea of it & made a sequel to Gravity Rush even though nobody bought the first.

Answer is they arent,some people will just complain no matter what.

They should just stick to playing their Atari Jaguars since its the only console that had a good library in their opinion.

Venom

maximoose wrote: »

Set in 1980s Sweden where robots have taken over.

I've never played a Just Cause game, I just know them as the games with funny physics

Generation Zero is the game set in 1980's Sweden not Just Cause 4. GZ looks to be a 4 player co-op open world game at this point.

Mr Crispy

Avalanche have been busy - JC4, Generation Zero, and Rage 2!

Penn

Billy86 wrote: »

That game must have been patched up really well (eventually) because I only got around to it last year and had no issues with the batmobile or frame rates (outside of the blimp sequence which was fairly short) throughout on PC (I5 6600K, 16GB RAM AND GTX 970 so a reasonably hi spec computer to be fair). Some parts like the Mad Hatters storybook sequence were also wonderfully inventive and highly memorable.

I thought it was bloody fantastic, though I've not got on to Origins as I'm worried the issues there were far less performance related and more to do with the game itself.

The Batmobile controls on console were horrific. All it took was one little change in the settings to swap two buttons and it improved it drastically. How it wasn't the default setting is beyond me.

As for how it ran, it ran great on console but it definitely took them a while to get the PC version right. Arkham Origins was just a sh*tshow in terms of performance on both console and PC if I remember right.

kunst nugget

Penn wrote: »

The Batmobile controls on console were horrific. All it took was one little change in the settings to swap two buttons and it improved it drastically. How it wasn't the default setting is beyond me.

As for how it ran, it ran great on console but it definitely took them a while to get the PC version right. Arkham Origins was just a sh*tshow in terms of performance on both console and PC if I remember right.

I played Origins about a year after it came out on the PS3 and there were no real issues with the performance of it. I actually preferred Origins to City - I thought it was a tighter experience more akin to Asylum which I had really enjoyed but I'd found City a bit of sprawl.

Retr0gamer

Benzino wrote: »

I don't think complacency has anything to do with it, games are just more difficult and riskier to make, with players expectations always increasing.

ERG89 wrote: »

How are they complacent?
They are making games that take longer to create now, releasing as many exclusives as Microsoft or Nintendo & have 4 big titles to show at E3, only one of them is a sequel. They got the last guardian out when most gave up on the idea of it & made a sequel to Gravity Rush even though nobody bought the first.

mcgooch wrote: »

If anyone's been complacent this console gen it's been Microsoft. Sony have done what they've always done and their runaway success this gen is wholly deserved.

Microsoft have only recently made significant attempts to steady the ship and while they should be commended for their efforts (XB1X is a great machine) it's too little too late. A lack of exclusive games and new IP is the biggest mistake they've made since the disastrous XB1 reveal 5 years ago. Unless they right this wrong soon they will continue to struggle until their inevitable withdrawal from console gaming entirely.

Microsoft have been far from complacent. They have put a huge amount of effort into pushing the One X and their backwards compatibility program is excellent and is one area which would tempt me to get a One if the price was right.

The issue is not investing in exclusives which is where it really matters and they can't do that now, it takes too much time. What they do have are franchises which are feeling very 'last gen' like gears and halo.

They are making a big push but it's futile. Sony aren't going to be caught this gen. Sony just kind of not have to bother with the likes of a BC program to match MS or push for exclusives when Japanese third party studios are doing that for them.

Their push for VR is really the only area I've seen them take a risk and they are doing a pretty good job there. Looks it's getting plenty of support at E3 with a new headset.

I kind of get the feeling that the Microsoft games division is going to be seriously down graded following the One. The board of shareholders wants it gone and they aren't investing in new IP or projects like VR.

EoinMcLovin

Sony revealed a new game by DontNod and Bandai Namco called Twin Mirror

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi0JSn6E3lw

SeantheMan

Twitch was pretty funny about the graphics

Penn

EoinMcLovin wrote: »

Sony revealed a new game by DontNod and Bandai Namco called Twin Mirror

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi0JSn6E3lw

Man that looks pretty cool. Has piqued my interest anyway.

Zero-Cool

Speaking of, life is strange 2 should have some kind of a presence at e3, especially if they've announced a new game for 2019.

jcd5971

I don't think it's complacency really, AAA games now are a huge time and money investment. Mid tier games have almost been non existent this cycle, the only two I can think of are hellblade:senua and vampyr.

So with that level of risk they have to appeal to a mass appeal audience.

Realisticly the kind of games you want to play are in the minority interest category whether you'd like to admit it or not. Therefore I'd be highly doubtful of any announcements in that area.

Whilst I would agree with you that sony's games lately follow a type of AAA template, I personally would describe them as better than good.

Horizon zero dawn was great and God of war was one of the best games I've played in a very long time.

God of war was doubly impressive considering how brave it was, no battle royale tackiness, no multiplayer tacked on at last minute, no DLC to buy, no season passes, no micro transactions.
It showed that a good single player game can thrive even in today's market.

I hate exclusives in general though, but no doubt they shift systems.
I've been looking for a reason to get one x since release but can't justify buy g one for games I already have/can get on ps4.

gizmo

https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1005091916906713091

Well this is a bit interesting. Metal Wolf Chaos PC release perhaps?

Retr0gamer

Actually don't have any problems with the output of the western Sony studios. It's just I miss Sony Japan studios plugging the niche gap with experimental titles like Tokyo jungle and Parappa. I suppose they too have been locked up in large projects like GR2 and Last Guardian.

I always found it was these titles that set the PS consoles apart. They had games to appeal to everyone.

jcd5971

Retr0gamer wrote:

Actually don't have any problems with the output of the western Sony studios. It's just I miss Sony Japan studios plugging the niche gap with experimental titles like Tokyo jungle and Parappa. I suppose they too have been locked up in large projects like GR2 and Last Guardian.

Retr0gamer wrote:

I always found it was these titles that set the PS consoles apart. They had games to appeal to everyone.

Your not wrong, but if they released a title at that level today they would be pilloried.

The costs involved in what end up even mediocre modern games is huge.

Indie studios could maybe get away with it.

Retr0gamer

True. I just miss those titles. They were so unique. Even the indie space didn't have that kind of experimentation.

I still feel this generation is too focused on the core game demographic. Sony were so good at opening up its audience with previous consoles. Maybe we will see more of that at E3 as it's a good time now to aim for that.