Comments 419

Re: Canada Joins UK, US in Questioning Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Buyout

BacklogBrad

We've heard that the FTC and CMA had extensive discussions before CMA changed course and decided to block. Wouldn't be surprised if the FTC pressured Canada as well.

In the end it's basically just a testimony for the hearing, doesn't pose any real threat to the deal. Canada is essentially saying we had/have concerns but it wasn't enough for Canada to take action on.

Re: PlayStation Showcase Completely Divided Fan Opinion

BacklogBrad

They should have clarified that the main focus was 3rd party. I went into it thinking a lot of 1st party ps5 and psvr2 would be the focus with a few 3rd party. In that sense it was a huge flop.

I'm also not sure if Sony has a handle on how live service games are played. It's not really possible to dip your toe in them or shuffle between so many. People tend to play the crap out of it or don't play it at all. It seems like they are asking their audience to pick one of the dozen or so that are coming and none of them will end up working because there are too many.

Re: Spider-Man 2 PS5 Release Date, Pre-Order Details Coming Soon

BacklogBrad

@Tharsman I hope it makes 2023 too but it seems unlikely that they would take the L on their big showcase just to give the date shortly after. If they have other plans like a separate spiderman showcase why not say that? I can only guess that they do not have a date yet and if they can't nail down a firm date 4-5 months out I worry it might slip. The marketing window is closing fast for a fall date.

It could easily still make it but I'm much less confident than I was 2 days ago.

Re: Final Fantasy Could Ditch Numbers for Future Instalments

BacklogBrad

They should have done it a long time ago. If they want to do like a trilogy or a continued story then numbering them would be fine. 16 numbered games over nearly 40 years is too many especially with little to no continuation between them.

Final fantasy 14 being an MMO definitely should not have been a numbered entry.

Re: Microsoft's $69 Billion Activision Deal Approved by the EU Commission

BacklogBrad

@Beerheadgamer82 you can't just create a studio and have it spit out iconic IP immediately. You're talking close to a decade or more to get up and running and make their first big AAA game. Then they need to build a following through marketing, word of mouth, etc. There is no guarantee that even 20 years from now they will ever have created a meaningful IP that becomes popular. So yes spending billions on already established studios/publishers is the best way for xbox to be more competitive.

Re: Soapbox: PS Plus Might Be Gaming's Best Subscription Service Now

BacklogBrad

I'd still give it to gamepass by a decent margin. Native downloads to PC, streaming to my phone or anything with a browser is pretty handy. Steam deck with xcloud is great. Plus the shear number of day 1 games that I don't have to pay for is nice.

It's kind of shocking how quickly you can load the same save you were playing natively on series x to pc, cloud/mobile, series s, xb1, etc.

Re: Soapbox: PSVR2 Already Feels Like It's on Course for Failure

BacklogBrad

I don't plan on buying one unless things change drastically.

For as much as I loved astro bot rescue mission, a sequel would not motivate me to spend $620 to play it. I would rather the sequel just be a normal ps5 game. Maybe I am just not that into vr but most games feel shovelwareish where they are just quick 3-4 hour gimmicks. Horizon call of the mountain and the popular kayak game seem to fit that bill perfectly from what ive seen. My favorite psvr1 experience might have been skyrim and even then it didnt seem to enhance the experience but just provided a gimmicky excuse to replay one of my favorite games.

I also feel burned that all those games I bought for psvr1 are not available in any capacity. The thought of building a new library seems like a foolish thing to do especially now that it seems like Sony might jump ship on this thing at any time.