The Thursday letters page is not impressed by Xbox’s portable plans, as one reader agrees an Alex Garland Elden Ring movie could work.
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Bigger than everything
Is GTA 6 really the most anticipated game ever? I don’t feel that way. I haven’t felt anything for GTA since I pre-ordered San Andreas. I was really hyped for that. Since then, I’ve been pretty let down by the series. Maybe in the future Rockstar will remake their older games, properly in the new engine.
I guess we don’t know anything apart from it looks OK. Not the mind-blowing graphics some people are spouting about.
I hope they’ve redone the movement controls and shooting mechanics. These haven’t changed since GTA 3 for goodness sake.
As for the fact it has cost so many hundreds of millions, what do you expect when they’re basically making a Bad Boys interactive film?
Bobwallett
GC: Trailer 2 got 475 million views in just 24 hours; it’s easily the most anticipated media release of all time, never mind just games.
Expensive logo
I really don’t know what Microsoft is hoping to achieve with either this newly leaked handheld or their next gen one. We already know that these PC portables don’t sell that well, so why do they think theirs is going to be any different? Because it has an Xbox logo on it? If things were that simple the Xbox Series X/S wouldn’t be in the state it is.
The only thing that would make sense to me is if it was a portable streaming device, which I’m sure it will be able to do, but the thing that’s out this year just looks like a ROG Ally with a different paint job, and those things are very expensive.
And the next gen device is going to have the biggest leap in technology ever, from one generation to a next? Not only do I not believe that for a second but if it does that’s not going to be cheap either. Or they’re talking about AI and it’ll be janky rubbish that doesn’t even work properly. None of that sounds like a good idea to me.
Paulie
Berenstein universe
Oh hey, did you hear the amazing news? Sony just announced a brand new single-player game. A new IP that looks to be going back to their PlayStation 4 golden age, with an intense narrative, deep characters, and a lush open world to explore. I cannot wait, finally my purchase of a PlayStation 5 will be redeemed.
Hang on, no. My mistake. They’ve announced a new studio called teamLFG that is made of people that have worked on nothing but live service junk. I just don’t know what’s going on anymore. Why does Sony hate making video games so much.
Ladel
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Not right now
I’ve got an alternative take on that EA price annoucement: ‘We wish we could increase the prices right now but our next two games are a bit dicey, so we can’t really take the risk. Rest assured, as soon as we’re convinced that people will once again buy our games no matter how bad they are, we’ll start charging £80 for them.’
You watch, the second EA Sports FC gets back up to speed or Battlefield is a big hit they’ll suddenly need to increase the prices because of the cost of making games or some other trumped up nonsense, even though they didn’t need to this time, when they had to be more careful.
The idea that any publisher will miss the opportunity to increase prices when others are doing it is laughable. Ironically, at the end of all this, Nintendo will probably end up being the cheapest again.
Gadfly
Grand Theft Everything
GTA 6 is going to make so much money it’s scary. I do think that the Reader’s Feature at the weekend had a good point, in that it’s going to be so massive it’s just going to strangle all interest in everything else for potentially years.
GTA 5 is still in the top 10 for all formats and it’s getting on for 15 years old. Just imagine how popular GTA 6 is going to be. It’s not that it’ll just white out a few months either side of it. If people are already only playing a small number of old games all the time they could be on GTA 6, and nothing else, for the next 15 years.
Penfold
Wait and see
Interesting idea on what upcoming Switch 2 models we’ll see. The problem with a Switch 2 Lite is that the reason the Switch 2 is bigger than the original in the first place probably wasn’t a design choice, it’s down to the demand for extra space inside the thing for the jump forward in technology… especially the thermals.
An OLED model is definitely a given, maybe with a marginally larger screen by cutting the bezels down like they did for the original. Also, with the cost of the console I can definitely see a TV-only version for a cheaper entry level device, which would be a new front for Nintendo. Dropping the portable hardware would save some cash in the manufacturing, especially now they’ve got a console that doesn’t produce graphics that look like a blurry/jaggy mess on large 4K TVs.
As for pre-order, I’ll wait for the OLED one a few years down the road… given how far away a new Zelda likely is and that a new 3D Mario is still MIA I want Nintendo to prove they are ready to keep churning out the goods following this generational jump.
There is also the question of third party support, multiformat titles will be noticeably inferior to PlayStation 5 so this thing will need more Monster Hunter Rises and Astral Chains to be seen as anything more than a first party machine. The Duskblood’s could be a good start and Nintendo should be commissioning many more second and third party exclusive titles via its vast money pile. The rumoured Final Fantasy 9 Remake being Switch 2 first would be enticing. Again it’ll take time, years even.
I guess my current (large) Switch backlog and Metroid Prime 4 will keep me sweet for a while yet.
Marc
Impossible mission
I have to say that the idea of Alex Garland making an Elden Ring movie is one of the least worst ideas I could think of, if they have to do it. They shouldn’t, because a movie doesn’t make sense given the way the story is, but if they have to this is probably the best way.
Either they ruin everything by explaining exactly what’s going on or they annoy and confuse ordinary punters by not explaining anything. Maybe there’s a sweet spot in the middle there, but I dunno. But if anyone can find it, Alex Garland probably could.
Pinky
PS: Really looking forward to 28 Years Later.
Coming soon
Anticipation is at a fever pitch, especially with the excellent trailer and beautiful screenshots of Grand Theft Auto 6 that released on Tuesday. Since there’s also a fair few excellent titles releasing through 2025 and beyond I’d like to take this time to list my 10 most anticipated titles.
10. The Outer Worlds 2 – an anticipated sequel and the continuation of the joy that is Spacer’s Choice.
9. Doom: The Dark Ages – a medieval setting and the most ambitious scope in the history of the franchise? Day one on Xbox Game Pass.
8. Fable – another Game Pass title. I’m optimistic for a reawakening of a dormant fantasy IP, but cautiously wary. Peter Molyneux ruined this franchise once.
7. The Duskbloods – FromSoftware. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. A Switch 2 exclusive. Sign me up).
6. Crimson Desert – it looks stunning, and I will be pre-ordering this title. Exquisitely ambitious. Can’t wait for this one.
5. Exodus – taking inspiration from Mass Effect. It certainly looks to be living up to the legacy. Ambitious in scope. I look forward to learning more.
4. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – a new beginning for Naughty Dog. Spoken as a fan, I’m glad to see a new development that isn’t another retread of The Last Of Us.
3. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach – Kojima returns to the world of parcel delivery services and I am beyond ready. Bonus points to Higgs and his new look.
2. Ghost of Yōtei – Ghost Of Tsushima is one of my favourite games. I am deeply over the moon to see Atsu’s story unfold
1. Grand Theft Auto 6 – Never have I ever anticipated a title as much as I have this one. The first trailer blew me away. The second one has rocked my expectations. I will lose myself to this game and I will adore every second of it. I’m the most excited, happy, in love, and deeply drawn that I have ever been. I can’t wait for the privilege of playing this masterpiece.
Shahzaib Sadiq
Inbox also-rans
Just saw a prediction that console prices (and I assume PC components) in the US could rise by 69% if tariffs go into full effect. All I can say is that the video games industry was nice while it lasted.
Johnson
This story made me laugh, it’s Capcom selling actual herb tea as ‘power-ups’ from Resident Evil. Strangely it seems you can’t mix them though, which seems a missed opportunity.
Tacle
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