Game News 2.0

johnny_ultimate

At the end of the day, Nvidia is still a corporation and won’t turn down the opportunity to make money - that they’re working with Nintendo suggests they’re not going to ignore the console market.

AMD is hungrier though and it’s a more essential element of their business, so I’m sure they’ll ruthlessly compete for the contracts. But given Nvidia’s tech is so far ahead, it’s the most suitable option for any console manufacturer who really wants to go big with their next machine. But given the backwards compatibility compromises, it’s a big jump.

sniper_samurai

And then there's the rumours that Intel are trying to muscle in and get a console gpu deal.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121774875#Comment_121774875

It would be a good thing for Intel. It seems like their hardware has been excellent but the lack of experience meant it took a while for their drivers got to an acceptable level. A console deal would give them experience, revenue and the possibility to target the high end of the GPU market instead of the low to mid that they have been targetting.

PixelPlayer

nVidia will have a department for this and that department needs to maximise profits and prove its existence is worthwhile to the greater company. No deal is too small because there will always be someone or a team of someone's to whom a deal really matters.

PixelPlayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121774238#Comment_121774238

The game is a great match for haptic feedback too.

PixelPlayer

For those who think it's only 4 games.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/16/24074729/microsoft-phil-spencer-xbox-everywhere-memo

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121775472#Comment_121775472

It doesn't quite work that way. NVidia have a finite number of slots on tmsc's lines and only so many resources they can dedicate. If they can use those resources for way more profitable ventures than console chips, that's where the resources are going. Their server chips are making so much bank and have so much orders that I don't see how a console Apu deal is the better choice for them as it will come at the cost of supply of their real money makers.

CatInABox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121775642#Comment_121775642

Yes, the fabs are the money printing bottleneck here.

recyclops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121775578#Comment_121775578

If I was a playstation owner I would be dying for Xbox/ Insomnia whoever to get sunset overdrive over to the console, a ridiculously underrated game that probably is better than alot of open world games out there.

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121775578#Comment_121775578

Or will be more than 4. But every screens an Xbox is odd. Simply because the Playstation is not a screen. Neither is the switch.

Being able to play on my TV or phone via streaming makes than screen an Xbox.

Playing hifi rush on my Playstation doesn't make my Playstation an Xbox, or the screen.

How they talk about a unified experience doesn't fit in either.

If hifi rush had micro transactions on Playstation it would be psn currencies. Not tied to Xbox ecosystem.

Every screen is an Xbox is not different to the messaging they've had for ages.

PixelPlayer

https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/companies/arid-41332687.html

The bad news continues. Sorry to anyone affected.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121775909#Comment_121775909

Is there going to be a change to allow other stores be loaded into console, e.g. Microsoft store on playstation and vice versa? Would be possible given the EU are forcing Apple to do it.

CatInABox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121776171#Comment_121776171

Highly unlikely at the moment. There's a huge difference between Sony/MS and Apple, in that consoles are loss leading products, with the money being made up through sales of games. That may change over the lifetime of the console, but not never to a significant extent.

Apple, on the other hand, makes vast amounts of money on every phone that they sell.

J. Marston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121776045#Comment_121776045

136 jobs gone from 200-ish, they're gutting the place. Very shítty news.

Article says they're refusing to communicate with their union too, just to add a cúnt-ish cherry on top.

Varik

EU only applying that to what it calls "Gatekeepers", they kept it vague at the start but have since designated who is one. It's set companies and set tech areas those companies operate.

Microsoft is on the list through Windows, browsers were part of it which included bing but browsers were removed. Samsung were also there but take out as while their company is big their browser isn't. Sony could have been included here but weren't but that doesn't matter now as browsers aren't included.

Nintendo is too small to be included at all by market cap, and games or their stores aren't included either.

Zero-Cool

The last remaining writer of Disco Elysium was let go and went scorched earth on the management at the studio.

https://twitter.com/Okami13_/status/1758501305033642209?t=Z1kEEsmdem-TXQ_eTGGLmQ&s=19

pixelburp

God you'd wonder why people work in that industry in the first place, the manner they're just treated as a norm.

PixelPlayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121777087#Comment_121777087

You really have to wonder what why the industry is so toxic. Is it something to do with too many artistic minds not mixing well?

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121777242#Comment_121777242

I think it's just an industry akin to the early days of Hollywood: lots of creative people making classics across seemingly open horizons ... but also an utterly new industry without an ounce of collective action or legislation to curb the studios' naked greed and casual indifference to its "talent". The stories you'd read would curl your toes, change often happening born from tragedy and disgraceful behaviour.

The difference though is the games industry arrives at a time when late stage capitalism and the broad erosion of Union power has ensured the options available to people are much lesser than the early 20th century. Plus a lot of change in Hollywood was born from physical abuse and death - similar is hard with white collar work where the physical and mental effects are less obvious and pronounced.

johnny_ultimate

ZA/UM’s implosion is more of a unique failure, as that’s really a case of political / artistic idealism and capitalism crashing in the most dramatic, catastrophic way possible. Yes, the industry is a **** show, but that shitshow is a particularly messy one. That we got one masterpiece out of it all feels like a miracle, in hindsight.

Speaking of artistic idealism and capitalism, very interesting to see the sales figures for Alan Wake 2 - just over 1.3 million copies in the immediate launch period. A success by Remedy’s standards though yet to turn a profit. It’s intriguing to me to see how one of the few studios (along with Kojima Productions) doing really idiosyncratic things on a AAA scale is faring. Of course this game was funded by Epic, so not sure what the financials are like long term. And for sure PC sales are being left on the table without a Steam release, but at least more understandable here when Epic funded the bloody thing. But still, just goes to show that all the critical praise and awards only gets you so far.

https://www.eurogamer.net/alan-wake-2-fastest-selling-remedy-game-but-yet-to-turn-a-profit

Retr0gamer

https://www.eurogamer.net/nintendo-switch-2-release-date-now-q1-2025-report

Is normally say take with a pinch of salt but Nintendo UK is notoriously leaky to Eurogamer and they seem very confident in this.

Makes a lot of sense considering the stupidly good Xmas quarter they had.

CatInABox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121778894#Comment_121778894

Yes, they're in no hurry. Why move on from the gravy train?

PixelPlayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121778665#Comment_121778665

Its a masterclass, but I understand how it is not for everyone. On the flip side I am currently playing Horizon Zero Dawn which hits the spot for most people (ironically probably not the same people who appreciate AW2). It's the opposite in that it maximizes sales.but doesn't necessarily allow for a great game.

People boycotting a PC game because it is not on steam is incomprehensible to me. I see people using the excuse that they don't want lots of launchers on their PC. It's a ridiculous excuse, I don't believe that someone with the skills and knowledge to install, configure and play video games does not know how to turn off auto startup in a launcher. The other reason is they want their library in one place. Again I do not believe these people are incapable of using 3rd party, cross launcher libraries such as Playnite. Honestly, the only real explanation is that it is another example of toxicity in the iindustry.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121778922#Comment_121778922

I think Nintendo needs something like 15m more unit sales for it to be the best selling console of all time.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121779011#Comment_121779011

I’d agree that it’s pretty silly to ignore a game you want to play because it’s on a specific launcher, but the problem with no Steam launch is you lose the discoverability that you get there. Many people just use Steam as their hub, and things like the homepage direct them towards interesting new games (or games with a robust advertising budget).

That’s why Epic has to pay for exclusivity, because they know they have to effectively fund the loss of sales. Alan Wake 2 is an extreme version of that where they funded the actual game’s production.

CatInABox

It's somewhat interesting looking at the state of the markets reaction to Sony's recent financials, and how, despite being in a clear lead against MS, they're struggling a fair bit too. Seems that analysts were mostly okish with Sony revising sales targets as they thought they were too aggressive anyway, but are far more concerned at their profit margin. Really seems like the cost of AAA games is now a serious impediment/concern.

Hopefully they see what Helldivers, a clear AA game, is doing, and take the right lessons from it (i.e. good, fun games will sell, rather than microtransactions sell games).

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/19/sony-gaming-margin-questioned-after-ps5-sales-cut-sparks-stock-plunge.html

Grumpypants

They tend to write those headlines in a way to make it sound way worse than it is. In most people's mind 10 billion wiped out is huge.

But in reality the share price just came back down to around the level it was before at the start of January when it jumped and added over 10 billion to the value, and it's still up over the last 52 weeks.

Sell the rumour (when it goes up), buy the news (when it comes down).

Retr0gamer

https://www.gematsu.com/2024/02/shin-megami-tensei-v-vengeance-rated-in-korea

Looks like the SMTV complete edition that was rumoured in the NVIDIA leak is on the way.

Apparently this release will be multiplatform.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787172#Comment_121787172

There is a growing sense that the current AAA model isn’t sustainable. Naughty Dog produced four games during the PS3 era, three on the PS4, and might only get through one on the PS5. And one would assume that one game will be exponentially more expensive than Uncharted 2 was.

Only Insomniac seems to make games at pace, and they’re still incredibly expensive to produce. Games are more demanding to make these days: that’s unavoidable. But the balance is too precarious atm.

As well as smaller releases like Helldivers and Returnal (which PS really needs just to have some variety beyond the AAA blockbusters), the Miles Morales model seems like a smart one - use existing assets, engines etc… to create smaller, cheaper sequels in between big marquee ones. From what I’ve read Miles Morales sold well and was quite profitable due to its more modest cost - seems like a few ‘safe bets’ along those lines from smaller teams would help keep a more reliable pace of first party releases. That doesn’t mean losing quality, an annual release cycle or anything like that, but just avoiding the escalating risks of chasing bigger, more lavish games as the only path forward for studios.

RedXIV

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121788055#Comment_121788055

I know you don't mean it, but it's hard not to think of ubisoft's assassin's creed series in your last paragraph there, comparable to the miles morales game