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It’s really unfortunate that the first industry truly under attack by AI is the arts. You know… the thing that makes us human.

@Northern_munkey So if I haven’t finished the gold licenses by now I should just not go back 🤣

@Specky IP law is my passion 🤣. I just told my brother the other day we got the most boring dystopian future... its not Mad Max where we are all fighting for our lives... its not Bladerunner where we have cool future tech... its just algorithms training everyone to think a certain way and no one owning anything or learning anything for themselves. Its just a world of targeted ads.

@8bit4Life RDR2 open world has still yet to be matched for me. Any game that can have the story telling of that game just while traversing the world would be an immediate purchase.

I was one of the few that put a lot of time into this game at launch. Even then I loved the feeling of just touching down on a random planet and exploring. I think, after so many years of updates, it's time to finally go back and get the platinum.

@Uromastryx same that’s the only time I partake

@LowDefAl Interesting, my instinct would not be to break up the gameplay by stopping to take pictures. Also, I think releasing photomode later is done on purpose to get another news cycle about the game and drive additional sales, but I am sure it depends on the game.

@Neither_scene vinyl has made a huge comeback 🤣

There are so many cybertrucks in my city and they are… something…

@rjejr There is an easy mode?

@AccessibleDaydream I mostly agree but I wouldn’t consider photo mode a necessary feature at all. Most people never interact with photo mode and it’s not essential to the game. Although I’m sure many will argue this game is the exception for reasons.

@Specky Again, I am not arguing with the sentiment, but licenses have existed since before electricity existed and have always operated in the same way. You buy a ticket to a sporting event, it is a license to access the event until it ends, or until they tell you to leave. You ask a friend to use their pond to go fishing, you have a license to be on the property that the friend can then revoke.

It's actually very applicable to a software license if you follow the history of the law developing around contracts. In D.P. Tech. Corp. v. Sherwood Tool, Inc. in 1990 a court held that all software is a good, not a service. Goods contracts are highly preferential to corporations while service contracts are not. However, the law could not predict the developing nature of software and contracts in 1990 compared to how we understand them now. I would argue most software licenses are more of a service than a good, but a lot of IP lawyers would argue the opposite and for good reason. Realistically, its going to take another decade to balance out.

Regardless, buying something, either a good or a service, is not an ownership interest in that thing in a lot of situations. I do think there is room for "right to access" reform for when you purchase software in a license, but I also see a lot of issues that would cause with bad actors.

EDIT: Just to follow up as someone who has written, reviewed, edited, and wrote a whole 26-page article on Terms of Services, a huge amount of what is in those is just to protect the issuer of the terms from things the user has done to them and other corporations in the past, some of which is really heinous. You would not believe the crimes that have been committed on the PSN network.

@Troubbble I understand. Generally, when a corporate movement (or political or social movement) begins in any form, the push is really hard in that direction, it is corrected by the market, and it evens out. Since the U.S. is such a huge driving force in this industry, and DEI and affirmative action are quickly becoming a thing of the past due to the Supreme Court, much of the things you object to will be disappearing in the near future.

On a personal note, I am totally okay with how things have been going because diversity, equity, and inclusion have, up until very recently, not existed as a matter of law. Discriminatory racially restrictive covenants were only outlawed in 1968 in the U.S., and their effect is still seen today. It takes a looooong time to correct injustice through the law, so it just makes sense to me that people take it into their own hands when it comes to their businesses and their art.

Currently, I think the biggest issue in the acceptance from part of the population of DEI in art and movies (cough Star Wars cough) is that rather than telling diverse stories through the creation of new characters and IP they are relying on old stories and changing fundamental aspects of them. At the same time, new IP is incredibly risky right now, and certain ethnic backgrounds absolutely dominated media when popular IP were created, so I am not sure there is a "good" way to make things better.

In the case of this game, I don't see the issue. The character existed, has been a part of many Japanese media stories in a similar way he is here, and honestly, no one even knows the story of this game yet. The most important thing is that people of differing opinions can just talk things out, and understand each other even if they leave the conversation not agreeing!

@Specky while I agree with the sentiment that digital ownership through licensing restricts traditional property rights… this is a false equivalency. The use of licensing for purchases is not the same thing that makes piracy illegal. I know piracy is popular among the gaming community but it is still theft. Licensing isn’t theft. It’s a trade off between traditional property rights and convenience which favors the creator.

@WhiteRabbit Once again, "enthusiast" discourse has completely missed the plot. I wonder how well Assassin's Creed usually sells in Japan... the true irony will be when Shadows is the biggest selling Creed game in Japan all time.

@Troubbble But people have always put their ideologies into artwork and media. As a consumer, you can just choose not to partake, or as a creative, you can choose to make your own with your own ideologies. This isn't a new trend, it has always been the case. The earliest example of the top of my head is someone like Caravaggio in the 1500s, who painted religious paintings with an ulterior motive of undercutting the message (while also dueling people in the streets with swords and chilling with prostitutes all day). If a majority of game developers want to tell such stories that's their right and consumers have the right not to purchase. As of right now, there have been successful stories on both sides of when consumers purchased or rejected the product. Regardless, this is nothing new but its being treated like some wild conspiracy.

@Maubari I’m not sure they are digging themselves in a hole. I really think most people who are going to buy this game are completely unaware of the conversation around it. I agree though I hate that large corporations sit on IP like Rayman and just do nothing with it.

@nessisonett I have pretty much taken the stance that everything online is fake or posted for an ulterior motive 🤣 especially everything on Twitter. I know large video game companies have taken to being really responsive to fans and the online community, but I think if they ignored them completely it would barely effect profits.

@HamKnight you’re in the wrong “everyone hates Ubisoft for things they give other developers a pass for” article.

@IntrepidWombat Ghost of Tsushima is extremely inaccurate in many ways. No one cared because people like Sucker Punch. People are complaining now because Ubisoft is easy to hate on.

@Cherip-the-Ripper I mean I played Fortnite for like 20 minutes six years ago and immediately knew I didn’t like it and never went back. It also convinced me to never try another game like it 🤣 sometimes when you know you know

There is no doubt in my mind this game will be absolutely huge. The trailer was completely off-putting for me though. Big emphasis on social media videos etc., which I don't partake in and I just find annoying. I didn't get any of the social media references throughout the trailer. I recognize I am in the extreme minority here, but I have no interest in this game. For me, Rockstar absolutely peaked with RDR2. Controls were a little clunky, but I got lost in that world and story. GTAVI looks like its going to parody a ton of things and I won't get the references so whats the point.

@MightElf-69 SEO? Those games have a huge audience so articles about them must drive clicks. I agree with the sentiment of many others in that I skip all those articles because they just arnt for me, which is fine, but PushSquare has some great reads when they go in depth on soapbox articles, etc. and I do wish that content was more regular.

@LowDefAl I agree they have a captive audience, but are we all not captive to something? I always pay extra to sit close at a concert I want to see, when realistically I can save $100 and get the same show twenty feet away. I understand your point but its hard when you are judging perceived value. People have been waiting ten years for this game, and in the U.S. people make a huge deal out of just going to a game, it's like a mini-World Cup every Saturday during the season. I guess I just understand that if this is one of a couple games you are going to buy all year and you get to play it early you don't mind paying more whether its logical or not. Shoot I used to waste my time lining up to get a game at midnight at GameStop and play it for like an hour before bed, definitely would have been more logical to pick it up in the morning.

Also, no worries about the tone of the first comment I totally get it, I just don't want PushSquare comments to become IGN comments 🤣 because that will be the end of me coming here

@LowDefAl Honestly I don't play sports games, or even really watch sports, but I am sure plenty of die-hard football fans feel the same about anime games or fortnite etc. Just a really weird statement for you to make. I have no idea why people play certain games but calling an entire fanbase idiots just has no place in an enthusiast website that is for many types of enthusiasts. All it does is turn the comments section into the lowest common denominator of discourse.

Wasn't the last NCAA game $59.99? That's $81.85 in buying power in 2024. So it's really $20 more for early access than the game was in 2014. And if you wait to buy on release, its roughly the same price as it was in 2014. I don't think gaming is actually more expensive now than it was then. Especially not all time. Madden on SNES was $59.99 in 1996, or $122.07 now. Plus, the existence of sales and second hand market being much larger than back then it seems that gaming as a hobby is cheaper now than when I started playing games. It was also such a gamble back then because you had no way to really see gameplay.

@KillerBoy But if that was the point of the story then mission accomplished right?

@Maubari I really hope you are right! Don't get me wrong, there are tons of games to play, but the current trend is decimating the sales of the games I like to play which is not good for me in the future. This is just a selfish take of course.

@MrMagic major culture shift in gaming over the last ten years. People would rather buy a $20 Fortnite skin every six months than a new game. It’s really interesting, but not great for me because I like the big single player experiences that are currently struggling to even justify their existence.

@N1ghtW1ng The U.S. is huge. I have driven across the country and back multiple times and it’s absolutely massive just getting from one side of Texas to another reminds me why there is no real ‘national identity.’ It’s just too dang big 🤣

@ATaco hilarious take but yea, every character creator I just make a better version of myself so I understand that 🤣

@HonestHick I think SOCOM is the right choice. Resistance never had a huge audience and, if I remember correctly, several titles sold under a million copies. Also, SOCOM is just a bigger name with more recognition. It’s the obvious choice rather than making a new hero shooter.

Tagging with what people have said here, Factions would have likely hooked a significant audience. The first multiplayer was a huge success that people still actively play. Expanding on that idea when TLOU has more eyes on it than ever seems like a great plan. I can’t help but think the reasons given for it’s cancellation are not the actual reasons it was cancelled.

@Knave21 While I agree it has been a crutch for Star Wars media, it makes sense here as Tatooine is outside imperial control for the most part and the presence of the Hutt and other crime syndicates makes it a natural place for an outlaw to be.

@KillerBoy I don’t think the main character in the last one was an Assassin either 🤣 I don’t think it matters. The series has a built in audience at this point. I do think it will sell less than the last two though.

@KillerBoy Has an Assassin’s Creed game ever flopped? I doubt this one will regardless. I have yet to play one myself but I think the last two were massive sellers.

@zhoont well those are the employees “winding down” (I believe the correct term is “winding up” in the U.S. but I’m sure it varies in other countries as it’s a legal term). So those four employees are there to settle all ongoing contractual affairs, sell equipment and real estate etc.

More free advertising for Shadows. I wonder why Ghost of Tsushima didn’t get attacked for all its historical inaccuracies.

@nessisonett I think the marvel-style ‘quip’ writing hits a lot of people in the same spot as sitcoms. It’s easy to digest, inoffensive, and you can follow it without dedicating too much attention. I can’t judge I have at least 100 terrible b sci fi movies from the 40s-60s that I know are bad and still enjoy🤣

@Oxy You keep bringing up "shame." I am not sure where you are getting that from in anything I am saying. I am aware Summer with Monika was marketed that way in the U.S. but almost all films from Sweden were even when their was no actual nudity. Regardless, I don't feel shame when I see nudity, but nudity for the sake of nudity is wasted on me. I get nothing from movies like "Faster Pussycat" because I don't care about the characters. I have yet to play a game where nudity added anything other than the opening scene in Alan Wake 2, where the use of nudity immediately drew me in because I wanted to know how this person got here and what happened and the presentation was brilliant. So far, games that add nudity (Witcher 3, BG3, Cyberpunk) have done it because it sells games, not because it makes the game more immersive or is crucial to the story. Its just boring to me.

Side note Summer with Monika is actually one of my favorite Bergman movies, probably number four of the 39 I have seen.

@Oxy Russ Meyer in the same sentence as Ingmar Bergman... one of the most thoughtful, precise, and purposeful directors of all time to argue this point is weird. Meyer's films were exploitative, that was their entire point. Inclusion of nudity in film for a purpose is far different. Can't compare something like Summer With Monika with GoT or Russ Meyer.

@Zenos How is that more likely than it just being a derivative game in a crowded space?

@UltimateOtaku91 Even then people are already dunking on the player count... the game sold 12M copies at $40 a pop and people are acting like its a failure.

@RobN This has actually been a concern of mine since the start of Gamepass, and why it isn't for me personally. Making the games cheaper to play, combined with the necessity of continual growth, is going to lower game quality significantly if it isn't subsidized by other revenue. Up until now (giving the quality of microsoft first party games the benefit of the doubt) microsoft has subsidized this cost as a loss leader. They are no longer willing to do so, so either the quality goes down, or they rely on more monetization to get those costs back. The subscription model just doesn't make sense to me for a few reasons. There are so many people who play COD and only COD and buy it every year. $70 to do so outside of Gamepass. $240 with Gamepass. "But they get access to other games." Doesn't matter if they are unlikely to play those games, or even if they only play one or two other games. Gamepass makes sense if you play a ton of games, but most people don't.

@breakneck 🤣 not a puritan but I turned off nudity in BG3 and cyberpunk… not really what I am playing games for. I also stopped GoT in season one because it felt like they just threw it in all the time and it served no purpose. Maybe I am a puritan…

@Titntin this is something I have been saying. Sure it’s nicer to pay less. But we already are paying less at $70 for a new game. Chrono Trigger launched at $89.99 in 1995. Star Wars Shadow of the Empire was $69.99 1996. Video games have not gotten more expensive, they have gotten cheaper. I don’t understand how people think their constant desire to pay less for a product won’t result in a lesser product.

@RobN It's important to remember that their major acquisitions didnt just total something like $80bn, but also incurred the cost of operation of said developers to release their games on a subscription service. Money going out to keep the gamepass operation alive far exceeds a normal publisher and will take a long time to even out.

@Psofo Well there is a good argument that you should care, not because of profits for the company, but for sustainability of the industry itself. If the industry is substantially devalued to meet the needs of a service backed by one company due to their ability to manipulate costs, the quality of the entire industry can suffer. Not saying you should care, thats up to you, but there is a really strong argument for caring. You do get what you pay for.

@Zeke68 not to mention that if you care about games and it’s a hobby for you, devaluation leads to drop in quality. Is it nice to play for cheaper? Yes, but the quality will drop to meet the price. I will never understand the argument that as a consumer we shouldn’t care about profitability of the corporation that makes what we consume. They are directly related.

The price increase is not really the issue for gamepass, it’s the messaging. “Day one with gamepass” now contains several asterisks and it’s a bad look for a subscription service. I still just don’t think a subscription makes sense for gaming. Games are not consumed in the same way as movies or music outside of a very small portion of the customer base. Will be very interesting to see how it works out over the next few years.

@Kidfunkadelic83 Habroxia and Habroxia 2 are both games in the genre with an achievable platinum as well. Genuinely great games.