Do you ever feel like the thing you love is constantly under scrutiny, or people have such an irrational opinion over something that should be optimistic? An opinion that makes you scratch your head? Maybe it is just me, but I have noticed that negativity in Video Games has become such a “popular thing”. For example, people seem to be mad about women protagonists in games; some games die unorganically because a group of people decided they wanted it to; and even people who are not even playing the games themselves will just have an opinion. I think it is wonderful to have an opinion, I am sitting here writing mine, but I think the negativity has gotten out of hand and become normalized due to everyone having an outlet online.

I knew that to discuss this broad idea in detail and really hone in on what it actually meant, I needed to talk to someone who would understand negativity in the video game space on a different level. Maybe someone who has experienced the space’s negative aspects and has seen THE negativity evolve over time. That someone is Colin Moriarty.

If you don’t know who he is, Colin worked at IGN for around 13 years, hosted one of the best PlayStation podcasts out there (Beyond!), co-founded Kinda Funny, and now runs his own company, Last Stand Media. So—with a few clicks, a bit of luck—I got to sit down with Colin to talk about what’s going on in the gaming industry right now.

Deyton:
So, I feel like you are the type of person that would have a really good finger on the pulse for like the current negativity in gaming and how you’ve kind of seen it stretch over your career.

Um, like through IGN, Kinda funny and stuff like that, and you know, at last stand.

Um, I feel like I started to notice the negativity get like really bad online when I don’t know if you remember, but Spider-Man 2 versus Baldur’s Gate 3, uh, with the game of the year.

Colin:

So 2023.

Deyton:

Yeah. At the game of the year or the game awards, and people were like Spider-Man 2 has to win, and they were super against Baldur’s Gate 3 winning, and I’m like again I’m not a Baldur’s Gate 3 type of person, but it’s a better game in my opinion, right so.

Yeah, I mean, Spider-Man 2 is definitely not a game of the year.

Right I I loved it, but I wouldn’t call it game of the year.

Right, right, and I just started to notice there was like, are people even playing these games, and it was just like these people have so much discourse and they have so many things, and they’re not even playing the games.

So I think you know you see it with Intergalactic 2, and that game’s not even out. You saw it with Concord and Ghost of Yotei and a little bit of Marathon, right?

These people just like hate on the games.

So I kind of just I mean what is your read on that right now? Does that make sense how I preface?

Colin:
Yeah, it makes sense.

I don’t know. I’ve thought a lot about it too because I think it’s it’s interesting.

Like I’ve been in the industry for 24 years. I’ve been playing games since the late 80s.

Um, and I was a messageboard kid, you know.

How old how old are you?

Deyton:
I’m 26.

Colin:
Okay. So, you’re not old enough to

Deyton:
Yeah. Yeah.

Colin:
Like for the dial-up era of like

Deyton:
Like, I’m not old enough to be on Usenet, for instance. No, I don’t know if you know what that is.

Colin:
Usenet is like the pre-worldwide web internet from the 80s, and people would like, and um, it would be like you know something group whatever, and there would just be these forums.

I bring all this up because like I feel like the negativity was always there. just never had a microphone.

So like we would complain about everything.

I remember, you know, I was on GameFax from what 98 to 2004 or something.

And uh people hated everything.

Like I always talk about, um, I loved Wind Waker at the time. I was a big GameCube fan.

And uh everyone used to call it Cellda, right?

And like, and cda, and make fun of it, and like, hate on it.

Just that no one had to go and seek it. It’s the difference.

And that’s why I asked how old you were, because I was like, it’s the difference between what I think I grew up in, like the pre-9/11.

My wife and I were just talking about this like you used to go on the internet you would like go on a computer you would often have to dial in so you’d be using your phone line someone else would need to use your phone line you’d have 15 minutes you check in you do what you can you get an a message you answer email you go away people had computer rooms.

And you know, and it was just now we’re always on the internet.

We don’t know how to talk without expressing ourselves more publicly and vocally.

And so I really just feel like Occam’s razor says that the gamer hasn’t changed, just the conduit by which we communicate has changed.

Deyton:
Yeah, I think that I’ve kind of noticed that too.

I mean, I’m glad that you kind of have. I mean, you’ve been around for so long, so you’ve kind of seen it, you know, how the hate has evolved, I guess.

And it’s hard to know, like, where it originally comes from because it’s so easy.

And I have it written down too, and it’s kind of what I’ve been studying a little bit: the question is, is the problem the combination of coverage and that everyone has a platform?

And I think I think this goes into a lot of things, right?

Um, like, political, like anything, is that we’re all on Twitter and social media.

And so I think it’s so much easier to blast that.

But I’m curious though, like what you’ve talked about on Sacred, and so many things about like Ghost of Yotei.

People hate that it’s a woman or intergalactic.

Um, I mean, was it always like that, or do you think it’s like incel culture?

Like I, I just don’t understand it cuz it’s like you need to get your hands on the controller and play the game, and then you can have any opinion you want.

It just bothers me that these people don’t even want to interact with the product itself, right?

Colin:
Yeah. I think that’s probably true.

I mean, like I often think back to the representation of women and like minority characters in games and movies and TV shows and like again maybe it’s just being a product of the 80s and the ‘90s, but I felt like no one really cared.

Like everyone knew Samus was a girl, you know, or a woman.

In Metroid and Super Metroid, they make it, and in Metroid 2, they make it even more obvious.

And you know, we had characters that people really loved like Barrett in Final Fantasy 7, although that game’s not even really 30 years old.

Just like a lot of different things.

I think about like Ripley in Alien and um all you know, Leia and Lando in Star Wars.

Like, I don’t think I always fantasy, sci-fi, like all that kind of stuff always felt kind of like it gathered together people that were different.

Um, both fundamentally and you know figuratively, I guess.

So politically, but also by skin color or gender.

I feel like there has been a little bit of a rubber banding effect on what we were actually just talking about on one of the shows, about like uh women in in like as protagonists in a say a Sony game.

It actually is getting weird now.

Um, and I think that, you know, like I don’t mind, especially when you think about Naughty Dog doing Intergalactic.

It’s like, well, they’ve really never had a female lead.

I mean, obviously, Ellie is the female lead, but like that game was really about Joel.

They really shared the spotlight.

You have to go back, you know, like Crash is obviously male.

Jack and Daxter are males.

Uncharted Drake’s male.

Um, so it’s like, okay, that’s cool.

Same thing with um Ghost to a degree.

I mean, infamous First Light had a female protagonist, but like, you know, Sly is obviously a guy.

And um, but taken all together, I think people are being like, “Okay, well, maybe maybe some of these decisions are actually being made.

I don’t want to say for like political reasons, but more about like representation.”

Like shrewd, we’re going to net more of an audience by doing something like this.

Like, I think they’ll do whatever it takes to sell games.

And I think that a lot of them just think that that’s what it takes.

Um, but I also think that this representation has kind of always been there.

I mean, people make fun of Lord of the Rings, so like a book from the 50s, right?

Like, people make fun of that.

There’s no women in it.

And it’s true.

Like, there really aren’t any, not like there was a couple of women, like people put together the movie scenes or whatever.

But yeah, none of the protagonists at all.ah.

And it’s like, okay, maybe it’s like a boy trip.

Maybe it’s like a little unrealistic, whatever.Um, but I do believe that, generally speaking, things haven’t really changed from the representation front.

It’s as you’re saying, I think people are interpreting it differently through different lenses, and that’s a complicated social issue that really hasn’t, I don’t think, been studied by scholars too deeply.

As far as I can tell, I think it’s a real combination of factors that get people to this point.

But I think one of the things you touched on is really important, which is that a lot of the people who are talking about games don’t play games.

And I know that people, it’s inherently corny to be like show me your trophies or like prove to me, but it’s like no show, like you can say what you want about me, but I just like to tell you what you can. I play all my games on PlayStation. You can go look.

And if I got you know, I beat dozens of games a year, and I feel like that’s the thing my wife and I talk about, is like I feel like it’s important I’m always playing games.

It kind of sucks sometimes, but it’s like I got to be credible, you know.

Um, and I think that a lot of people that are not credible are talking about games they don’t play that are not for them.

And Highguard is actually the best example of that, where I keep saying Highguard would have failed and it would have died, but it would have failed differently, and it would have died differently if things weren’t quite what they were.

You could see it in the reviews and they said that themselves that like because the inmates run the asylum on Steam to a degree, people can just download the free-to-play game, play it for 2 hours, which is 12 minutes, leave a review.

And they said themselves like people that played the game for under an hour didn’t like it.

People that played the game for more than two hours did like it.

End of Interview for the article. You can check out the whole interview here!

“Negativity” is an extremely complex discussion because it really cannot be defined in today’s spaces. The sentence Colin said that has sat with me the most is “I feel like the negativity was always there. just never had a microphone.” That might possibly be true. Maybe I am just getting old. I don’t think there is any way to “fix” the issue; the only way to help is to discuss it and I will continue to do that with a microphone!

It is November 21st, 2005, at 11 pm, and you’re waiting in a line that feels like it’s never going to end. You are excited, though, more than excited, you are on top of the moon in fact. It’s because you are about to get your hands on the newest Xbox. The Xbox 360. In the next two hours, you will be in the frigid snow 20 miles from Moscow or breaking into a large corporation called dataDyne. Or maybe you chose from the other 16 launch titles.

The point is, the Xbox 360 was one of the best consoles we have ever seen. It was generational and made one of the best leaps we have ever seen in gaming. It brought 3D graphics to a new place, indie games thrived on Xbox Live Arcade, and it quite literally raised me. Long nights playing Call of Duty Search and Destroy with the boys, getting lost in the world of Oblivion, or even messing around in Forge in Halo Reach with friends I haven’t talked to in years. This was the best time for Xbox as a company.

We have seen the downfall of Xbox for the last few years, though. Xbox has a subscription that no one could afford (not anymore, subscription prices are going down). Multi-platform exclusives are the normal and so many projects have been canceled. There hasn’t been a reason for players to stay on Xbox anymore, especially with all the Xbox exclusives on PlayStation, and you can even play PlayStation’s exclusives on Sony’s console. It has been rumored that Project Helix (Xbox’s new console) will include Steam. Steam is PC’s biggest video game storefront, and where the majority of gamers play their PC titles. My biggest concern has been the new Xbox having Steam and costing as much as a PC, so why not just build a PC? I understand Xbox wanted Players to feel like they have the freedom to “play anywhere,” but if I can play anywhere, why would I choose Xbox? It feels like the company has lost its identity.

Yesterday, Matt Booty (Chief Content Officer at Xbox) and Asha Sharma, Xbox’s new Chief, posted an article on Xbox Wire titled “We are Xbox”. In that article, they discuss how there is a lot of work to do at the company. Xbox wants to focus on offering flexible pricing, “Deliver Project Helix to lead in performance and play your console and PC games”, “Grow and extend an enduring portfolio of franchises players love”, “Make Xbox the best place for developers and creators to build and grow”. Those quotes are from their article; they are the most important. If you want to see the whole thing, you can see it here. By the end of the article, Xbox also announced that they will be rebranding from the name they have been using, “Microsoft Gaming,” to “We are Xbox,” also changing their logo. I think the use of ‘We’ is the most important here. It seems like Asha really wants to build a bridge between the community and developers. It is also very important to mention that Game Pass’s price was lowered earlier this week from $29.99 to $22.99, but at the cost of Call of Duty not coming to the subscription service day one. This was most likely because Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s sales were the poorest they have ever been for the popular franchise.

So, what does all this really mean for a gamer? Well, that is a great question. If everything Matt and Sasha say is true, it could be a massive step in the right direction. It also makes me morbidly curious if the direction of Project Helix is changing internally, though. If Xbox wants to focus on the Developer and Community, why would you put your competitor on your own console? That, of course, is Steam. It seems like Xbox wants to focus on exclusives and IPs again, too, which could be wonderful. They need to rebuild an identity. Xbox is building a home in a metaphorical hole they have built themselves. So, I guess it is better to build a home in a shallow hole than a deep hole.

Everyone seems excited about this rebrand, but I think the only thing we can do is wait and see if we really are Xbox.

Indie games have gained popularity in the last 10 years, in the way that Stanleys have taken the world by storm, making water cool now. Weird comparison? Probably. My point is that indie games are probably just as popular, if not more, than AAA video games now. Stardew Valley has sold over 50 million copies at the time of writing, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won game of the year last year, and is technically an indie game, even though I sort of disagree. With all of that nonsense and boring statistics out of the way, two different indie games have hit the market this weekend, and this is why you should check out both before hopping into Capcom’s AAA Pragamata!

Replaced

I want to start off talking about the cyberpunk action-adventure titled Replaced, which is the one I have spent the most time with. Replaced was first revealed on June 13th, 2021, at the Bethesda Xbox showcase (Rest in peace, E3, you are dearly missed here) and is developed by Sad Cat Studios. The title faced a few delays due to the Russo-Ukrainian war, even making the developer relocate their studio, but the game is finally out.

Replaced initially impressed the audience and me with its shockingly beautiful pixel graphics and Blade Runner aesthetics. After spending about 8 hours with it, it is so much more than just a beautiful world, and my god, it is one beautiful video game.

Replaced puts you in the shoes of an artificial intelligence named R.E.A.C.H., stuck inside its creator, Warren Marsh. The more you continue this 2.5D adventure, the more you find out about Marsh and the world’s mysterious corporations. The adventure takes you to the likes of sewers, back alleys, rooftops, and even arcades. Sad Cat Studios has you platforming and figuring out many clever but not too hard puzzles most of the time. A lot of these platforming sections are reminiscent of games like Limbo and Inside, but they also reminded me of Uncharted.

The combat here is fed to the player in sections. I mean, sections you cannot fight outside of these fighting sections. The combat is simple at first, but it has mechanics and tactics pressed on as you progress. Fighting is clearly and openly inspired by the combat in Batman: Arkham. You have a counter pop above someone’s head, and you press Y or triangle. You will get a gun and a pickaxe to break the enemies’ guard as well. Some of these fights get pretty tough, so make sure to really digest the mechanics that the developers really want you to fully interact with. I think the mechanics mesh pretty well for the most part, but when the buttons stop working, it can get frustrating. I am sure a patch is coming! The only thing regarding combat is that I really wish a skill tree were here. I know the point isn’t to be a purely combat-focused adventure, but this game sometimes screams upgrades.

The game’s strongest attribute, though, is its world and characters. It is alive, especially paired with the music composed by Igor Gritsay. Sad Cats Studios clearly cared the most about the world here, and it shows.

You can find Replaced on Windows (where I am playing) and Xbox Series X|S! I will have a full review up soon as I hit credits.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire

Mouse Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a rubberhose-style first-person shooter like…. well, there is no other, other than cuphead. Developed by Fumi Games. The game has you play as Jack Pepper, a mouse private detective voiced by the one and only Troy Baker. It is clearly inspired by classic cartoons from the 1930’s and noir films from the 1940’s. I am only 2 hours into the game, but I have adored everything it has thrown at me so far.

The story is somewhat simple, opening with a mysterious murder in Mouseberg. Yes, that’s right, Mouseberg is the name you read. It has style, beautiful animations, serviceable combat, and great voice acting. It is also chock full of cheese references, and man, I am here for some dad jokes. Fumi Games has done such a Gouda job… okay sorry.

The animations have been the one thing that has impressed me the most so far. Everything that you see that is 2d is hand-drawn. It is extremely refreshing to see something like this because it oozes passion. I mentioned on X that Mouse: P.I. For Hire reminds me of something we would’ve gotten in the early 2000’s on the PS2, in terms of its vision. It takes risks that aren’t typically taken nowadays. I sort of feel like this is where games are headed, given how expensive it is to make video games nowadays. Combat is sufficient. I am only 2 hours in, so I expect it will be fleshed out to clarify what is going on here.

Overall, both of these games make me happy to see on the market and have made me realize why I love video games yet again. I want to talk about these two games that are definitely getting their flowers, and I want to remind people to play both before Pragamta! You can expect to see actual reviews of both of these games here.

With all of that out of the way, the PC porting seemed to be going… okay for Sony, with Nixxes Software helping the porting. It was clear that the earlier titles sold much better, such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, and God of War. I have spent a lot of time with all of these titles on a PC that is more than capable of playing them at Max graphics and an unlocked frame rate, and it is wonderful. A lot of PlayStation’s exclusives have the best fidelity in the industry and I wanna see as much as I can of it. These titles seemed to have sold better than the others simply because the idea that PlayStation had games on PC, finally.

It was reported on March 4th by Jason Schreier (reliable video games Journalist) that “Sony Group Corp. no longer plans to release its big PlayStation 5 games on PC”. The public had heard rumors of this idea earlier in the week, but this pretty much confirmed them. Schreier is a very famous and reliable journalist with his hands deep inside the industry, as I previously mentioned. In the article, he also states that “Online games such as Marathon and Marvel Tokon will still be released across multiple platforms, but single-player titles such as last year’s samurai hit Ghost of Yotei and the upcoming action game Saros will remain exclusive to PlayStation 5”. Sony keeping the live service games on PC makes immense sense because you need and want as many players interacting with that ecosystem at all times.

What do I think?

Now, I think this information can be shocking and not shocking simultaneously. It is simply shocking because you would believe that the extra money that Sony is spending to port these games is worth it. These games sell well enough to make a profit, but if they are not selling as well as they originally did, I can understand the hesitation and frustration. It is also rare that most gamers are going to buy two copies of the game, like me, one on PlayStation and one on PC. I am a weirdo and want to max out these games graphically, especially when replaying. I am curious what this means for Nixxes Software, though. They are the ones helping port these games to PC. I assume they will help develop games, but we will see. The Blupoint closure makes me morbidly curious about how things are going to shake out here. It is also extremely important to mention that these games can be played on the next Xbox, which is pretty much a PC and will run Steam. Steam is the storefront that hosts these PlayStation titles. Would it look good for your competitor to be able to play your games? Probably not, but what is PlayStation losing by selling them? Their personality? Maybe. I personally don’t think this plays a massive role in PlayStation stepping back from ports, but it might play a tiny role. Some people theorize that this is why Sony is pulling back.

Ultimately, I believe that PlayStation going back to console-only games is a good thing. Does it make me sad that I cannot max out the next God of War or Saros? Yes, sort of. But I am a sucker for exclusivity and love it. I think it is what gives these consoles an identity, and it is what has been lost in the current generation. Xbox has veered way off course and has no identity anymore. In my opinion, this is a massive step forward for PlayStation that many do not seem to be looking at. I am excited that the only place you can play Wolverine will be on a PS5. So, what does this really mean? It means it is a step forward for Sony, possibly restoring their personality.

Resident Evil was released on March 22nd, 1996, making this franchise almost 30 years old. My first experience with the franchise was Resident Evil 5 when I was around 10 years old. I was exposed to the franchise through 2 guys who worked at a local diner, and they told my mom I would “like it”. To her surprise, when I booted it up on my Xbox 360, it was very gory, action-packed, and not appropriate for any 10-year-old. She luckily let me continue the walk through a Bioterristic-infested Africa, and it has been history ever since. Thanks, Mom, you rock. Since then, I have explored the rest of the franchise, even diving into the handheld titles. Yes, I think Revelations 1 is awesome!

After Resident Evil 6 in 2012, people knew Capcom had veered off course. The game was full of action, but that was it, only action. The horror survival, which is what makes the franchise so popular, was lost. The game was cluttered with a menu that didn’t make much sense, and the player couldn’t even combine the famous herbs; instead, they had to combine herbs to make “tablets”. After a long wait and a dormant period on the series, it wasn’t until January 24th, 2017, that a little game called Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was released. Resident Evil 7 was met with critical praise for returning to the formula, and the franchise was finally back to its horror roots.

If you are curious about why Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil 7 are important in this story, it’s because Resident Evil Requiem combines both games and creates something masterful.

Resident Evil Requiem combines a horrific atmosphere and action into one experience that kept me on my herb-filled toes for about 9 hours. Capcom has finally found a way to combine the two elements that make the franchise so special: horror and action. Resident Evil Requiem is the prettiest game in the franchise and possibly this generation, with some characters even looking real.

Story

Resident Evil Requiem focuses on a new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. Grace is the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, who is a protagonist in Resident Evil Outbreak (2003) and Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 (2004). Don’t worry, you didn’t have to play those games for Requiem to make sense, though. Grace is an FBI agent who is trying to unravel her mother’s murder, which will take the player to extremely unusual heights, and trust me, they do. Grace is wonderful here and is extremely believable as a character. Most of the time in games, it is hard for me to connect with a virtual character. Here, it is effortless because she is genuinely fascinating. She is constantly terrified because she has never seen this world before, unlike the player. The story also features fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy back in the role as a playable character, which is exciting because I love Leon. His story is fully explored, tapping into what makes him so great and pulling on story strings that you wouldn’t expect. I do wish Capcom wasn’t scared to really explore more of what he’s been up to between games, but maybe next time. The narrative also makes some very awesome callbacks to old and new Resident Evil games!

Gameplay

Gameplay is Requiem’s strongest attribute. The gameplay consists of Grace Ashcroft and Leon. You switch between the two with completely different types and perspectives of gameplay. Grace is more akin to the horror you would expect from the franchise. Her gameplay is slow, methodical, and terrifying. The game also recommends you play her sequences in first person and Leon’s in third. Her earlier sequences are the most scared I have ever been in a game. Was I playing in the dark once the clock hit midnight because I was pretty excited to hop in as soon as possible? maybe. I don’t think most games are scary, but this one got to me. This is a sign that Grace’s gameplay is extremely affective! I played earlier on in first person but switched to third person as the game went on because I love third-person Resident Evil. I plan on doing a first-person playthrough soon!

Now, Leon’s gameplay is where this game hugs me and reminds me why I love video games. Leon has a massive inventory, many guns, and the coolest roundhouse kick you have ever seen. His gameplay is fast and rambunctious, gory as all get out, and his gunplay is clean. The game knows what it is doing because it throws you a lot more enemies than Grace would face off against. It is also funny fighting an enemy that Grace takes a while to fight, and Leon can take it with one mag. I thought I would get whiplash switching between the two, but you eventually adjust and start to really appreciate how the story is handled with both.

Overall, Resident Evil Requiem is the best Resident Evil experience so far. Requiem gives you the best of both worlds, which made me appreciate it even more. Full of memorable characters that left me wanting more. It is a cinematic treat that spews cheesiness in the best way possible. I love Requiem and cannot wait to revisit it countless times. So thanks to the two guys at that diner for recommending it to my mom. I hope you both got to kick some ass as Grace and Leon!

While I was walking through Ancient Greece one late night last week, I looked around, and a massive urge of nostalgia shot through me. My hands were gripped to a controller with the sacred symbols: X, O, Triangle, and my personal favorite, the square. A realization of sorts that I haven’t had in a while playing a video game. I was playing God of War (2005) because of the recently shadow dropped, Sons of Sparta. God of War (2005) is full of love, spirit, and it is beautifully handcrafted. You can tell everyone involved, cared. I have always loved PlayStation, but not just the brand; I am fascinated by its history. The history runs deep. To the iconic franchises, Nintendo is the one that is responsible for the PlayStation 1, the bizarre acquisitions and so many studio closures during the PlayStation 5 generation.

On February 19th, I picked up my phone and read a notification with the shocking words “Sony is shutting down Bluepoint Games.” Now, if you’re asking yourself, “Who or what in the hell is a Bluepoint Games?” Let me tell you. Bluepoint Games is a very important studio that PlayStation acquired on September 30th, 2021. Bluepoint Games is most notable for developing the remake of Demon Souls (2020), a PlayStation 5 launch title, which is still one of the best experiences you can have on a PS5. They also developed the remake of Shadow of the Colossus (2018) and helped restore ole Nathan Drake in the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection. Hell, Bluepoint Games even helped make Titanfall on Xbox 360, one of the best first-person shooters we have had in the past 20 years. Now, if you couldn’t tell by this point, Bluepoint Games is most famous for restoring or remaking old games. They take what is old and bring it forward for modern audiences.

Sony shutting down Bluepoint Games is an interesting decision, especially since the company was acquired by PlayStation in 2021. Bluepoint was most recently working on a God Of War live service game, but it was announced that the project was shutting down last year in January, alongside what Bend Studios was working on as well. Sony has been focused on live service games for the past few years. Live service games are typically games monetized with microtransactions and continuous updates. The model is what Fortnite and Roblox use most famously. Now, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with wanting your own live service games sometimes. A lot of people think PlayStation should not focus on live service games at all. At the end of the day, PlayStation is a business, and it has to make money. Why would PlayStation not want their own Fortnite or Roblox? It would be a continuous flow of unlimited money. I just believe they haven’t been going at it the correct way. They have been trying to do it with multiple projects, including the biggest flop PlayStation probably has ever had, Concord.

Concord was PlayStation’s first real big push toward the live service model, on purpose anyway. Concord was released on August 23rd, 2024, and was met with extremely middling reviews, if that. The game wasn’t bad; it was just uninspired. I spent a lot of time with it, and you could tell that the systems worked. The game was fine, functional, but it was ultimately just dull. I want it to be known that it is a hard feat to develop a game in the first place. It was revealed later on that PlayStation had spent $400 million on Concord. Former Games Journalist, Colin Moriarty, said, “I spoke extensively with someone who worked on Concord, and it’s so much worse than you think. It was internally referred to as “The Future of PlayStation” with Star Wars-like potential, and a dev culture of “toxic positivity” halted any negative feedback.” FireWalk, the studio behind Concord, was closed down that following October.

I bring up Concord because I think it is a massive magnifying glass into the internals of what is going on in PlayStation. It begs the question too: What are you thinking? PlayStation scoops up a developer, puts them on a project for x amount of years then closes them down once things aren’t going their way. Bluepoint’s live service God of War game being shut down was a result of Concord’s failure, of course, but they ultimately met their demise.

PlayStation currently has multiple live service projects in development. Those titles are Bungie’s Marathon, Horizon Hunters Gathering, and Fairgames’ unnamed project internally known as Project Hearts. Bungie’s Marathon will most likely be okay and do fine. It is launching on Xbox and PC as well, and people will show up for it. I am not worried when it comes to Bungie. Project Hearts has been played internally and has received awful feedback, including the director “leaving”. What worries me is Horizon Hunters Gathering. Horizon Hunters Gathering is a multiplayer version of the Horizon series. The Horizon series has you play as a Character Aloy in a post apocalyptic world where you hunt metal Dinosaurs. I could go into greater detail about the franchise, but I think it is irrelevant in this story. What is funny, though, is that this series has always been begging for a multiplayer component in my opinion.

Horizon Hunters Gathering was officially revealed a few weeks ago with gameplay alongside it, and it looks good. I don’t think it looks overwhelmingly amazing or is going to change the industry for the better; it looks fun. The other side of this coin, though, is that no one asked for it. No one also asked for a God of War live service game that Bluepoint was working on. I personally don’t have a problem with every game released nowadays, but a lot of people do. A lot of people work a 9-to-5 and are focused on what they can spend their precious time playing after coming home after a long day. Time is a currency in this market, and I don’t think PlayStation is thinking about that. I am sure they discuss it, but are they really?

PlayStation revealed at TGS that the PS5 generation was the “most successful generation to date”. “We think that PlayStation is not only the hardware, not only the games, but the overall experience.” While I have adored my PlayStation 5, it is hard to believe it is the overall experience anymore. With constant closures resulting in hundreds of people losing their jobs, games never seeing the light of day, it just feels like PlayStation has lost its personality. That is most likely on purpose because that is the direction the company has been headed in for the past few years since the PS5 launch. I really do miss the days when PlayStation cared about the games they were releasing. The company was weird and proud. PlayStation is extremely lucky with how the industry has shaped out. I just hope one day I can go for another walk in Ancient Greece and smile while I press the sacred symbols that mean so much to me.

Subscribe now