The evening Inbox continues to reminisce over the golden age of games mags, as one reader gets ready for next gen gaming in 8K.
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Retro value
Interested to read the article about what games have been included with the new PlayStation Classic. There are indeed just about enough classic games amongst them that would make it into any top 20 PlayStation 1 games list. There also look to be some fun games, that whilst certainly not classics, should entertain any potential purchaser. But there are undoubted fillers as well and, as also said in the article, notable omissions too.
Would the games tempt me to buy the console? Personally no and definitely not at £90, but that does not mean it isnt reasonable value. With the stupid cost of some old used PlayStation games now being sold on eBay, etc., which 10 years ago could be picked up for under £1 or less, it is actually now not overpriced.
A second-hand PS one, memory card, and two controllers typically costs from £20 up depending on condition. Add those 20 used games discs, if you can find them, and it would cost you more.
Malcolm Lawn
8K era
I wrote in last year with a similar letter to this, but at the time you pooh-poohed what I had to say about 8K. Now that it is a reality, do you think the next gen consoles will come 8K ready? Or will it be bringing out an upgraded console a bit later? This was my argument last year about mid-console upgrades, which is why I never invested in one or a 4K TV.
Anyone in the know, knew 8K was just around the corner. Though I do admit I am surprised its reached the UK this quickly. People are getting wise to these money-making ploys now, and I for one would not buy the next gen console when it comes out if it is not 8K ready. Why would I when an upgrade is inevitable?
captainbloodsnot (PSN ID)
GC: We honestly couldnt care less about 8K. Just for once wed like the killer app of the new generation to be really cool new games, not some tech gimmick that makes very little difference.
Final secret
I agree with the Readers Feature about video game leaks. It had gone beyond ridiculous!
Sadly, people will report on these things excessively regardless of how true they are just to get views on their YouTube channel.
Its very disappointing if the Smash Bros. character reveals have been spoiled. Hopefully the best reveal will be the game mode that is yet to be announced. Maybe Nintendo held this reveal back as its something revolutionary in the series? Or could it just be that they hadnt thought of anything worth showing?
Im still excited for the Nintendo Direct but will feel annoyed either way if the leaks were true or false.
FatysHenrys
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World of exploitation
Wow, the criticisms for Red Dead Redemption II accusing it of being too slow, with fast travel not being immediate – why are some gamers in such a rush? The game world is impossibly detailed with all manner of activities to distract and explore. And with such beautiful scenery, why on earth would you want to skip it? So you can get it finished and traded in then move onto the next game? This kind of mindset baffles me, Red Dead Redemption II is a game to be savoured. I wont be using the fast travel at all, exploration is what enriches the experience.
The only criticism I can find is the default controls which are very cumbersome. Theyre quite bad actually, I cranked up the look/aim sensitivity and disabled the aim assists (apart from on horseback) and it makes a huge difference. Also, the chap complaining that Arthur moves too slow, does he realise theres a run button? I also recommend setting run to toggle on.
Despite my enthusiasm, Im mindful of the controversy over Rockstars working conditions. Whilst deplorable if true, I can only say Im extremely appreciative of the sacrifices those involved have made, and can only hope the attention from the gaming media helps raise awareness. I dont take their efforts lightly, I would shake the hand of everyone involved if I could.
What theyve produced is absolutely incredible, with a level of detail we might not see again. Those who wish to boycott the game, I can see the justification, but Id feel a bit of a hypocrite if I was to make this exception. If I was to scrutinise my current attire, Im sure theres other, perhaps worse examples of worker exploitation. I can only hope shining a light on the situation will help instigate change.
Anon
Work pressure
RE: Rockstar working hours. Just to play devils advocate about this but I was watching a podcast over the weekend that spoke about it. The people speaking had worked in similar environments and were not surprised that stuff like this happened. They spoke about how many employees would voluntarily work ungodly amount of hours to further their careers within the company. Like, it is seen as a weakness to leave early or not sleep at the desk and put in 100-plus hours per week.
Obviously, I dont agree with this type of practice but if you do this of your own accord then how can the company be held to account? You are contracted to a minimum/maximum number of hours and if you go against a manager that tries to send you home then surely you are responsible for those actions and any harm that comes to you? I mean no one was physically tied to a chair to work were they?
Bobwallett
PS: Pro three day weeks for all.
Second-hand solution
RE: Necros. I completely understand some of your points on last weekends Readers Feature that you wrote about for not wanting to buy the Red Dead Redemption II game brand new and you dont want to put any of your money directly into Rockstars pockets regarding their in-house working conditions.
So why dont you just go to somewhere like CeX and buy it second-hand so youll get the best of both worlds? Then you wont be giving Rockstar any of your money and you can also still play the game too.
JAH
Golden era
My fave gaming magazine as a teen in the mid 90s was C&VG. It was £1.50 and I bought it each month for a few years from my local newsagent. It was my gaming highlight as I didnt have much money for games and only bought a couple a year if they were brand new, or more if pre-owned.
Id pour over every word and picture, with my imagination running wild. I had a huge stack which I regrettably threw out when I got married and moved out, trying to grow up. Needless to say Ive regretted it ever since as it was easily a couple hundred issues and it was the golden era of gaming (for me) so Id love to have been able to nip back and look at the issues covering Final Fantasy VII, Super Mario 64, and Resident Evil 2, for example. Good times, and since it went under my favourite alternative has been GC.
Zederic
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Not guilty
I wrote in last week about cancelling a long term subscription to Edge, but Ill come back to that shortly.
During the early 90s I used to buy pretty much any gaming magazine I could get my hands on, from Mean Machines and C&VG, through GamesMaster. I even had my brother send me copies of Famitsu from Japan as they were months ahead and I was/am the proud owner of a – still in perfect order – Neo Geo. I personally couldnt speak, never mind read a word of Japanese at the time (Im fluent in both now) but the pictures and layout of the magazine was like nothing Id ever seen.
Games were scored out of 40 with four categories of 10 and 40/40 were the sole domain of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest. But it was eye opening to see the cultural difference between East and West game preferences.
This takes me to the now and the widespread influence and instant news from the Internet which is the main reason for the decline of magazines. A few have endured to this point and I believe at the last count up Edge was still rolling 150,000 a month which aint bad at all considering the non-subscription £6 cost. I said earlier that I cancelled my subscription to Edge due it becoming a very boring read over the last few years and to an extent I blame GC.
If you cant get the latest reviews or screenshots then base the magazine on informative and exciting interviews with designers, publishers or anyone thatll talk in general but keep it interesting. That being the difference in the GC editorial style: reviews Ill mostly agree with, excellent interviews that never kiss ass but are never scared to ask questions, amazing level-headed contributions by all to the Inbox and most importantly absolutely mutual respect between writer and reader.
Its just a matter of time before all paper magazines vanish for better or worse but as long as we have the Net and stick together, well have here!
Mr.Saveloy
Inbox also-rans
Nice to see NieR: Automata be deemed worthy of a crossover with SoulCalibur. To be honest this makes me much more likely to buy it than the guest slot for Geralt. Glory to mankind!
Uter
Thought Id share this picture of the only two magazines I have left from all those years ago: Total magazine issue 2, 1992 and Official PlayStation Magazine issue 1, 1995.
Zimulator
This weeks Hot Topic
Its Halloween this week, so the subject for this weekends Inbox is whats the scariest enemy youve ever had to deal with in a video game?
The enemies dont necessarily have to be from a horror game, just as long as theyve scared you – either now or when you were younger. What was it about them that made them so frightening and do you think they worked as the developer intended or was it a happy (or unhappy) accident?
What makes for truly scary enemies and whats the most important part of their design? Is it their visuals, sound, abilities, back story, or something else? Do you like playing scary games and will you be playing any this week?
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The small print
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