The morning Inbox discusses the difference between a good and bad exclusive, as one reader thinks a Strange Things game is a bad idea.
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PLEASE NOTE: GameCentral are currently away at a press event and so there will be no evening Inbox today. Normal service will resume tomorrow.
Complete set
With all this talk of cross-play at the moment it made me wonder how many people have only one current gen console? I assume for fairly core gamers its common to have two or three by this point in the generation, even if more casual gamers only have one. Myself, I started off with an Xbox One and after regretting that shortly after bought a PlayStation 4 early the next year. I wasnt planning to buy a Switch but when I saw all the good reviews for the games I treated myself to it last Christmas.
Is that relatively normal would you say? I see a lot of people interested in getting an Xbox One at the moment and I assume thats because they got a PlayStation 4 first of all, then maybe used up their spare money on a Switch, and are now looking to complete the set as consoles get cheaper towards the end of the generation.
Cross-play makes you realise how silly it is to have multiple formats, because all games should be available to all people, but if we did only have one format you just know that that company would totally take advantage with anti-consumer practices. Competition is the only thing that keeps companies honest but its also what keeps us gamers apart!
Terry Gold
Good exclusives and bad exclusives
Just wanted to comment on a few points that have been raised by GC and readers recently, revolving around the idea of console exclusive. I agree that this gen in particular has proven that exclusives do matter, with Microsofts abandonment of them sharply contrasting to Nintendo and Sonys success. The important point in GCs Forza Horizon 4 review was not so much that they matter because theyre a killer app but just because they increase the visibility and mindshare of the console. Even if you dont want God Of War or Spider-Man you know theyre there and theyre really good and only Sony has them.
Thats important I think because it implies the console is getting lots of unique games and even if the current ones dont appeal you can probably expect others will come along later that do. Same with Nintendo. I doubt the Switch would have done even half as well without Zelda: Breath Of The Wild at launch and all those 10/10s.
But on the other hand I think that timed exclusives are just a waste of time for everyone. I blame them for ruining all the momentum for the Tomb Raider reboot series and even PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds to a degree. Timed exclusives are just a waste of time and money and I cant think of one time when they were justified or helped the game in question. Exclusive DLC is just as bad, except as was pointed out its always rubbish. But thats hardly an excuse is it?
Cranston
Thin end of the wedge
I too wonder why Sony would suddenly decide to allow cross-play in Fortnite, given nothing has change at their end or in the market in general. And much as Id like to imagine it was fan petitions and the like I dont really remember that much outrage about it, not compared to some of the things gamers manage to get themselves riled up about.
Im all for it, of course, even though I dont play Fortnite, but if Sony thinks this is just a rare slackening of their rules, only to be repeated for a few other, so far unnamed games, I dont really see that being true. The genie is out of the bottle now and now that people can see cross-play can be done without any problem theyre going to demand it in all games.
I dont quite understand what this open beta is for either. Are Sony implying that cross-play is in someway difficult or that Sonys servers are faster than everyone elses? Because neither of those things are true as far as I see it.
Grover
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Separate lives
Looking at the Apple store and Google Play it seems Disney will let all manner of tin pot developers make games with Marvel characters. Therefore, even if Sony do license their own exclusive games Id bet that the licence would let Disney do the same to Microsoft if they wish to make totally different Marvel games of their own.
Thats the other thing that strikes me as strange about Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite, people say that Capcom were restricted in the characters they could use but in lots of mobile Marvel games you get all sorts of
characters such as X-Men members fighting The Punisher, if they can do it why wouldnt Capcom?
dsb
GC: Mobile and console/PC licensing works completely separately, with different rules and different companies. You see the same thing with Star Wars and other properties.
Perfect mix
Am I the only that doesnt even see how a Stranger Things game would even work? Either as a Telltale game or anything else? Theres almost no action and you cant be in any real danger of killing any of the characters because you know theyve got to be in the show.
Id much rather see something like James Bond turned into that type of game, because at least it has some action but a lot of the appeal is talking. The problem is that games just tend to have only action and that doesnt really recreate what people like about the films. We forget that most action in movies is only a few minutes long at most and its really hard to make a game out of just that.
Telltale always tried with their QTEs but they just werent very good at it. The best mix I think is probably BioWare, with the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games allowing you to talk to people and have decent gameplay. Not coincidentally they also did one of the few decent licensed games with Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic…
Pascal
Recent best
I never seem to hear people talk about Destiny 2 much in the Inbox but I would just like to say that I am really enjoying it since Forsaken has come out. I know its easy to laugh at Bungie making the same mistakes over and over again, but they also make the same successes, as it were, and the magical third expansion has once again transformed my enjoyment of the game.
Everything seems new and fun and exciting again. I actually care about collecting loot and the story campaign was pretty good. Probably the best Bungie has done since Halo 3. The best thing though is Gambit, which I am seriously addicted to (in a good way).
Honestly, its a really clever mode: original but still familiar, and involved but not overly complex. I really like the mixture of PvE and PvP and wish more games would mix things up like that. Its been out for a few weeks now and Im still loving it, so I think its got some legs too.
Bungle
Virtual cowboy
Since Rockstar seem to be emphasising doing everything proper in Red Dead Redemption II, with the slow walking and not speeding things up in travel, I wonder if theyre planning to do a VR version of the game? They already have a first person mode so would it really be that much harder to make it work in VR?
I can imagine the action probably would be too much to handle but Id love to just roam around the game world on horseback in VR, maybe as some sort of separate mode where you wont get attacked by animals or other people? Id like to hope theyve at least considered.
Purple Ranger
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Exclusive access
After the electrifying emergence that Castlevanias Richard Belmont was going to join the illustrious ranks of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate youd think Konami would attempt to capitalise on this opportunity by releasing the recently revealed Symphony Of The Night/Rondo Of Blood combo for the Switch as well as the PlayStation 4. I find the decision to go the (modern) console exclusivity route in this case really bizarre.
When will these publishers realise that Nintendos supremely versatile device is an economically and ergonomically viable format for these retro offerings. Im pretty sure Sonic Mania sold best on the Switch and suspect the upcoming Sega Mega Drive Collection will too sell better.
Personally, Im holding off getting the Shenmue remasters and the aforementioned Konami classics for a few months just in case the respective publishers see sense to port them to the Switch. Afterall, Okami is a perfect example of patience being rewarded.
Galvanized Gamer
PS: Inbox magic time for all the wishes above to come true, plus the imminent killer7 remaster heading to Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
GC: As we mentioned, Sony themselves is helping with the remaster and its possible its a new line of such games – they just chose Castlevania first because they wanted to get it out in time for the new Netflix series.
Inbox also-rans
Am I stupid to buy an Xbox One S now? Is a UK version of All Access going to be announced anytime soon?
Shaun75
GC: Theres been no sign of it so far.
Nice review of Forza Horizon 4, almost makes me wish I had an Xbox One. Luckily I can just get it on PC and continue to ignore the console wars!
Deimos
This weeks Hot Topic
The subject for this weekends Inbox follows the annoucement of the PlayStation Classic mini console and asks what games you think should be included?
The console will contain 20 games, but only five have been confirmed so far: Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash!, R4 Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild ARMs. So we want to know what you think the other 15 should be?
You dont have to write in with 15 suggestions, just the ones you feel most passionate about. And please dont just write a list of games – we want to know why you think they should be included and what they mean to you and gaming history in general.
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
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