Gaming Industry

Firstly, we all know those outraged with PlayStation for the PS5 Pro pricing need to realise that there is power in competition. If PlayStation fans want Xbox games and they’re more popular than everyone realises. Then ultimately, it’s up to us as fans to vote with our wallets accordingly if there is a better product out there as a console.

Sure, Xbox has a lot of work ahead of them to ‘win back’ fans where they were most favourable in the Xbox 360 era. But in regards to real competition, that can only happen if two factors happen. One being, players forgive Xbox for their Xbox One era policies and realize these were a testament of what things were to come anyway. Secondly, Microsoft needs to sort itself out. Stop tripping over their laces and bring back a console that resembles the greatness of the Xbox 360 era by providing real competition.

This is where we are right now. It’s really down to Xbox to create a product that represents the best of a generation of what was one of the biggest gaming periods in Xbox history. If they can do that they might have a chance. As players that might mean we might have to change our mindsets and welcome the fully digital and Xbox Game Pass model. Because that means success to Xbox. If we want competition, maybe habits have to change to reflect the growing attitudes in the gaming industry if we don’t want Sony to have it all their own way. As much as we want to fight it. It’s invertible and with everything considered, it might be due time we started to bite the bullet and embrace the future.

With time now passed since the PS5 Pro was revealed. I believe that what we’re seeing now could be the norm. At least, that’s my fear. Gaming is a hobby, and as a hobby it’s an expensive one at that with components that are getting exponentially more expensive.

With those considerations in mind, the price is probably the price you pay these days considering the outrage online. I won’t however be one of those people who supports normalizing it as a standard in the gaming industry. I mean, in console realms it just goes against the very core purpose of what the console was made for in the first place.

PC Gaming is probably going to get a lot more fans, I believe. I am also going to make somewhat of a prediction. I think the next Xbox is going to play to it’s PC-like strengths. What do I mean by that? I think we’re going to see for the first time Xbox consoles being able to be upgraded just like a PC. I could foresee them actually making online free at the point of use. I also believe Game Pass, if Microsoft focus on the big heavy hitting games could make a comeback with a ‘value’ pre-set.

After all, competition is needed. It’s essential, and it doesn’t matter where it’s coming from. When you have the market-leading gaming company in Sony trying to see what they can get away with. Obviously, it’s unprecedented in the history of the gaming industry. The only point in the history of gaming where prices were as exceptionally this high, is of course, the PS3 era. Everyone would of seen the memes and the bad press Sony got back then. There is no question that prices for this hobby are going to increase, but when you factor in this is just a mid-gen upgrade with limited differences on offer. It is a little crazy.

It fits only one purpose. That purpose is those fans who want all the bells and whistles that were promised at start of the generation. And of course, Sony has every right to charge any amount they want people to pay for it. However, the optics are bad, very bad, especially when you factor in the limited games this generation from Sony and the removal of a disc-drive as standard.

Sony has completely mis-read the room and now it’s up to Nintendo to take advantage of that and support physical media and backwards compatibility. Sure, they may be a generation behind in graphical fidelity, but it’s about the games, it’s always been about that and Nintendo haven’t yet gone chasing after live-service crap or forgotten what makes them so great in the gaming industry. That’s why I think the Nintendo Switch 2 will absolutely do very well. If it plays within that same territory.

Make no mistake, one thing that Sony will not be able to do next generation with the PS6 is keep the previous generation running alongside it. The majority of fans will expect Sony and whoever to drop that a lot more quickly, I believe if they’re going to start taking the piss with prices in retrospect. You’ll still have a decent window that serves the PS5 Pro. But honestly, it’s looking likely that next generation if Sony are going to set these sorts of prices. They’re going to have to start the generation from scratch a lot more quickly and bring out the games in droves to satisfy their fans appetites for handing such a huge chunk of change over.

I think in terms of this generation with the PS5 the fans have seen the failure in that. That’s why the majority are not impressed with PS5 Pro. Not just the pricing, but because it’s still being held back in some way in people’s minds. Of course, Pro patches might be limited games-wise as well. There was a reason for a PS4 Pro. And yet, there is still a reason for a PS5 Pro. But only for the most niche customer.

The next generation, if the price matches this level again. You might find people putting off consoles or even finding other ways to play games by going to PC. That’s the danger, Nintendo will never have to worry, but it’s something others might have to think about. How much are your fans worth to you? Because in this industry, too many bad decisions can change the whole dynamic.

 

 

 

With the messy Concord situation out of the way. Our focus is on the wonderful Astro Bot that’s coming out in a few days time. This game looks absolutely awesome and it seems to be a game that’s a throwback to some of the platforming wonders of yesteryear. It also, and I say this as an absolute compliment looks like Nintendo would of made it. Just because this is normally their remit. So it’s great to see Astro Bot getting the attention it deserves and what better way than dismissing all live-service games than by supporting it in just two days time.

We’ve been starved of platformer magic from Sony for some time. Nintendo have always had that covered so it’s absolutely awesome to see PlayStation get back to that. You know, if Astro Bot is successful ‘it will be’ then it really tells Sony that we will always support high quality single-player games and they don’t necessary have to be in the same expenditure bracket as say a God of War.

Creatively, this is what Sony needs to do more of. Bringing back Killzone and Infamous would just be another way to win back the fans. But ultimately, more platformers like this offer the nostalgia needed to really engage fans.

We all knew where this live-service shenanigans was going to go with Sony. With the exception of Helldivers 2 which started off well and then dived. The latest casualty? Concord. After just two weeks out there. This game is finished. Sony have decided to refund everyone and for that small minority that bought a physical copy. I imagine your all running to CEX right now to get rid of it.

This is not just a stumble, it’s a catastrophe that has major implications on the good record that Sony is known for. Sure, many of the diehards will sweep it under the carpet but we have to accept that this live-service crap is not working across the industry. Forcing it on people to capitalize on increasing your profit is just a lousy way of doing business. I am obviously talking about chasing the Fortnite gravy-train.

In this industry, as it gotten so bad that Sony has forgotten what has made it the successful gaming corporation it is today? Obviously, when the bigwigs were signing off on this. The money trees were just lighting up. But there was always going to be a knock back on all of this. It’s also happening at WB Games where Rocksteady have suffered with layoffs. It’s obviously a game of risk in any situation of business. But this one has clearly not paid off.

So where does Sony go from here? Well, it’ll be damage control now. But eventually, this will blow over and they’ll get back on track refocusing on what they’re best known for. We already know, that they’re trying to turn this ship around with what is coming in 2025. But also, there is a real consideration that has to be made as well. I think we’re going to see AA gaming make a comeback. Not everything has to be AAA, and ultimately, the cost of games is increasing for Sony because of the way they make their games.

The big thing that will reduce costs will be AI. But that again, it’s something that’s going to effect every voice actor or writer out there. Publishers are going to try every way possible to offset their costs of producing the games. If they cannot, then just wait till GTA VI hits when the ultimate game price increase comes just because Rockstar can.

Something along the line will have to give for Sony. Especially after putting so much resources into this. I mean they bought a whole company in Bungie for a over-priced amount to then just incorporate them further into the company. If that isn’t a sign that Sony knows it’s messed up and paid over the odds and made some pretty bad decisions in the last few years. Then, I don’t know what is.

At the same time though, there is no need to panic, businesses make and get decisions wrong all the time. I still think Sony has everything under control. Obviously, there will be questions asked on all those that signed off on this, but ultimately, 2025 looks like it could be a return to form and it’ll appease fans if they get what they want which is single-player games.

We’ve already seen the reports about Stalker that’s dropping this month on Gamepass. It’s running at 25FPS. At least, that was stated at first before it was backtracked on. Honesty is key here and the developers are being more than honest. However, the Series S continues to be a major problem for Xbox even though it’s the console that’s most sold to fans.

I don’t see how next-gen, Microsoft makes the same mistake. I mean with the talk from Sarah Bond that the next-generation console from Xbox is going to be graphically the best we’ve ever seen. Ultimately, there has to be some credence to that statement. I also think going into the next-generation Microsoft will want to try and win-back fans. How the hell they do that, with most games going to PlayStation? I don’t know, but if anything, all we know right now is that games that are expected to come to PlayStation are going to be there from the likes of Bethesda. If Halo starts dropping on there then that’s another story entirely.

If Microsoft just truly cares about user numbers, then next-gen they might even consider taking a loss on hardware to get people back playing on Xbox. Of course, there is a push for cloud gaming coming from the Redmond firm. But truly, and honestly, do you think that that’s going to be the only way anybody plays games or the popular way? I don’t believe so. I actually think that there is a lot that Xbox can do to turn things around. One of them is making Xbox Online free. So there are plenty of cards that Microsoft has left on it’s deck. The other is making their console considerably cheaper and having a one spec console that fulfils the requirements of every gamer out there.

Game Pass might get pricier, but for the most part, you don’t raise those prices without considerably making the product better either. There is obviously a number of ways they could go and do that. Dropping games in to Game Pass can still be very big for Xbox. The more numbers that end up going over or using the platform in anyway is going to go up as well. That means that the handheld is going to be huge for them with Game Pass baked into the experience.

So yeah, plenty of stuff to think about here. Xbox are still very much part of the next-generation discussion. Even if, most players have decided PlayStation might be their only destination in the years ahead. Things can change very quickly in this industry and it takes one popular decision to really set the tone. We’ve seen that in years gone by.

I expect a premium experience from Xbox next-generation at the best value. I think if anything, the Series S could work to Microsoft’s strengths if they look at it that way. Especially when you consider the price rises we’ve been seeing with competitors. Flip the industry on it’s head and play to your strengths. If Microsoft are smart, they might just do that.

 

There has been a lot of talk about handhelds. So what do we know? Well, we know that Xbox will be releasing a handheld. So there’s that, but what about Sony’s stance? Well, it’s peaked up a lot after the success of the PS Portal. We were one of the first to tell you that the surge in popularity would witness potential changes in stance. But with Xbox now in the ascendency to release something and the Nintendo Switch 2 news imminent. Sony has had to take a look at the situation and not lose sight of the fact of the position they are in.

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You know, it’s pretty telling that the hype around Gamescom is alluding to the games coming to PlayStation from Xbox. Nobody can say that a large proportion of Sony fans do not enjoy those games. After all, the majority are buying these games as well.

So let’s cut the bullshit, and just say that we all like playing games and that, universally, the platform wars are coming ever closer to an end. People might not like that, but it’s true. Just look around the industry and tell me that we’re not seeing these things transpire in front of our very eyes. Cloud gaming is also something that makes things more universally accessible.

Although, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea out there. There is a vast proportion of you who are using it. Look at the huge success that the PS Portal has had. But getting back to the point, I think this Gamescom is all about what’s coming over from Xbox to PlayStation. Not all of it, because there will be surprises. But the interesting thing is going to be for players on PlayStation, just what they get, and there’ll be many who will be sizing up just how serious Microsoft is about it.

Because, after all, if the next generation is heading towards playing everything on PlayStation and it being only a two horse race in the sense of competition in hardware. Then that’s a big deal, no matter how we look at it. These are the sorts of situations where people evaluate their future hardware purchases. Not for the super fans, but for those who just wish to play everything in one place.

One thing it does say, is that Microsoft is pretty much done with servicing it’s fans in the way they want them to. They are done with the fan wars and this sort of platform cross-over has been something that has been forced from within the company. You don’t make seismic acquisitions without people voicing their concerns and money talks. That’s why Bethesda and Activision will always be a huge part of the gaming community.

Microsoft absolutely gets that, and that’s why we’re seeing the drive for Xbox to be more of a major publisher. On the face of it, they can be more successful as a major publisher than they are now with hardware. So while many might absolutely hate the idea, it’s not like Xbox has ever had a choice in this, really, but they’re making Xbox accessible anywhere. That’s more important to them and to reaching everyone than it ever has been. It’s pretty much intertwined with company policy.

That’s not to say that Microsoft aren’t going to release hardware and that hardware is going to be degraded in any way. It’s just a situation Xbox is in now where they see all options and all doors open to them, and that’s the best way forward for them today and for the future of their business.

But yeah, Gamescom is going to be interesting from an Xbox point of view. Just how serious are they and what will come on over to PlayStation? We’ll find out soon enough!

 

I don’t want to sound like a broken record. But PlayStation has had to change course a little bit this past year or so with everything going on. But hear me out, because this is going to be music to your ears. The very people who worked with Sony, none other than the developers of Stellar Blade, are saying single-player games are what gamers prefer, and so their focus will be on that.

On the face of it, in this industry, what is popular with fans should be no secret. If gaming companies listened to their fans, then nine times out of ten, you are likely to be in a successful period, no matter if it’s Sony, Nintendo, or whoever. Has Sony kind of lost their way, sure? Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not. Sony is in a very unique position because they’re the strongest gaming brand, and gamers have a lot of faith in their ability to deliver great single-player content. Faith isn’t being delivered as much on the Xbox front as more games are seemingly heading to the PlayStation.

Nonetheless, no company can get it right 100% of the time. If they could, they’d be nailing every generation. This generation, that hasn’t been the case with the decline in hardware, but still engagement by any metric is something companies also care for, but my point is that now we have third-parties within Sony coming out and saying. You know what? We kind of like the success we’re having and the popularity of single-player games on this platform. Then, with that, there is absolutely no doubt that the big companies, like Sony, will take that at face value and commit to working on those very terms.

So basically, I think it’s safe to say that we’re going to see a full turnaround and a commitment to single-player games from here on in. And you know what? That’s great news, especially when, in this industry, the margins are so thin and there are countless studios getting shut down. If anything, if you are successful in making a game, that should pay off not just for the studios but for the developers as well. They should be safe in the knowledge that big corporate decisions don’t jeopardize the integrity of the gaming industry.

I really hope that this is just the start of the turnaround and that we see WB Games do Rocksteady justice again. Because it was never the developer’s failure. It’s corporate, and as soon as you realize that and are informed on the average gamers habits. The better is will be for business in general.

All the talk is about the next generation of consoles from PlayStation and Xbox, respectively. This generation hasn’t delivered for many players out there. But that hasn’t stopped Sony from planning for a big 2025. Just as we have said, they would. We all know that with console sales stagnating and the need to push new technology onto us, the future lies not with PS5 Pro but with an entirely new generation. Even if GTA VI sells the Pro as everyone expects it to.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 now in the frame for release in Q2 of 2025. It’s going to be one hell of a year for everyone who is playing on the PlayStation and Nintendo side. Do not, however, discount what Xbox has coming because they’re ramping up their own studios and are committing to deadlines on games now. That’s just a fact of reality.

But getting back to all things Sony, we know that Jim Ryan has absolutely failed this generation with his focus on live service games. Bungie being in the shape it is in now is a real testament to that. The failure has set Sony back. We even have The Last of Us developers telling Sony they aren’t happy about the multi-player and the time wasted on its development. So the failures have stacked up this generation for Sony. However, it’s something they’re going to learn from and are swiftly in the process of correcting under the new leadership.

The engagement levels on PlayStation have never been better. When you look at the output, it hasn’t been as bad as this generation has in the last two prior. Obviously, there have been some great games, but everyone was expecting a lot more. 2025 is the start of the work towards that and the heading towards a new chapter with PS6. With the new leadership in place, Sony aims to be more prepared and focus again on what matters to the core fanbase. Not only because the players demand it, but because they need to have a strong turnaround to compete with whatever Nintendo has cooking software wise. They also won’t want to let Xbox get too much of a head start, even if that brand has never been at it’s lowest popularity with some of its decisions lately. But it’s also great to see that sometimes great studios survive bad company decisions. Seeing Tango Gameworks come back from the dead is incredible.

The PS6 then, is a chance to reflect and bring a repurposed Sony back into what it does best. All the while, the industry, will look to their lead and take some of the positives and negatives out of this generation to ultimately do better next time.

The PS6 excites me because we’ll likely see the best of every new engine, including Unreal Engine 5 and more. But also, because I have a lot of confidence that the PlayStation brand is now under new leadership that actually knows what it’s fanbase wants. Having the PlayStation and Nintendo in that mindset should bring some interesting scenarios in the future to the entire industry.

 

We’re all aware that Microsoft have big plans for cloud gaming, I am a fan, I won’t dismiss it as I’ve always believed in technology and moving forward. It’s something they’re still very much behind in terms of the competition in terms of graphical fidelity and getting game ownership right. But also, Game Pass is the big focus as we also know now because Microsoft plans multiple tiers. Tiers that include solely cloud gaming, ad-based Game Pass and the family plan which is something Microsoft plan to keep their subscription cost down. Offering what they want us to believe is ‘value’ on their terms.

There is a problem with that, the very fact it’s on their terms and they’re the only ones in the conversation on this. You’re probably wondering, well what do you mean by that? Well, look. Over the course of the last few months with Xbox, it’s been either, good things like their magnificent showcase or them leading the room on things that don’t particularly matter to the average gamer. Sure, there has been an increase in cloud gaming usage, but Microsoft are nowhere near the competition when it comes to cloud gaming. If they want to lead with that, they’re going to have to do a lot more to improve what they’re offering.

With that, the improvements will come in time, going into the next generation I believe. But also, it’s all a bit of a mess. The communication from the team in green, that is, and it’s getting gamers on that side a bit ‘twitchy’. Twitchy in the sense, they don’t know what the future of Xbox is anymore. While also, being nervous about what all this cloud gaming stuff is that’s being rammed down their throats is going to mean for them and for the games they actually own.

Because cloud gaming, for all it’s benefits, playing everywhere, on any device, it’s not what gamers of our generation are used to. That in a sense, brings them cause for concern because of how cloud gaming and game ownership tend to be something that don’t all that well go together.

So it’s all going to be about messaging and how you bring that conversation forward to a new generation of players. If you cannot speak to the current generation in the way you want to. It’s about balance and finding out how to appease all parties and giving off the right narrative. That boils down to marketing. Which funnily enough, Xbox cannot seem to afford, but anyway, jokes aside. Xbox are finding it all quite difficult at the moment. They’re going to have to get that right as well, especially if they want any chance to stay in the conversation with people who have been loyal to the brand for many years.

It’s okay going after a new generation, but at least, stay in the conversation with those that are still very much dedicated to your brand. In that sense, it worries me because I think we’re going to see PlayStation and Nintendo really fire on all cylinders next generation. I think Microsoft has to get the messaging right for their next hardware or it could very much be their last. Whether they’re concerned about that I don’t know because cloud is now very important to them. Especially when in 2025 they’re going to be making 5 billion in Game Pass revenue from those price increases recently. If anything, an improvement in cloud gaming and playing pretty much anywhere might actually be worth more to them than their current console hardware owners. That is a problem in itself, if they don’t want to play the balancing role.

At the same time though, they’re going to have to be clear, otherwise Xbox could find a lot of players pulling away from them and looking for greener pastures.