The Monday Inbox asks how anyone knows how much the Xbox Series X has sold, as one reader is upset at the death of E3.
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Wrong lessons
A real shame to hear that Gran Turismo 7 has not been much of a smash hit in the UK, according to the latest sales info. The UK is supposed to be one of its biggest markets, so it’s probably done even worse in the US. It’s not a literal flop but I can’t help fearing that it will be seen as that by Sony, since it’s clearly not going to make much difference to console sales or the PlayStation 5’s reputation.
It’s a shame on a number of levels, not least because I really like the game and think it’s the best one since the PlayStation 2 era. But there’s also the issue that it’s the only first party game made by a Japanese team, which is going to send all the wrong messages, and that they’re probably going to think they should make a Forza Horizon clone next – instead of carrying on with more serious simulations.
Sony need another big hitter to hype up and at the moment all they’ve got is God Of War Ragnarök, which still hasn’t got a release date. Now I worry that they’ll just go full speed into making live service games, which is a direction that really worries me.
Melvin
What a Pratt
Reading about the Nintendo theme park in America, I completely forgot that the Mario animated movie is supposed to be coming out this year and we still haven’t seen so much as a screenshot of it, let alone a trailer. That’s pretty weird for a movie isn’t it?
I’m not sure whether that means it’s going to be delayed or Nintendo are being Nintendo even when it comes to movies but it’s very odd. My hope is that they’ve realised that Chris Pratt is a terrible idea and they’ve recast/rewritten the film, but I imagine that’s unlikely.
It also makes me realise we haven’t had a Mario game for a while now, just Mario Party Superstars recently, which was only a remaster and not a platformer anyway. I wonder what Nintendo has up its sleeve…
Fischer
Never going back
I really hate that E3 is no longer a thing, even if Sony was trying to kill it long before Covid. Not only was it an exciting time of the year but you got so many previews and interviews out of it, especially form GC. Now most teams seem to give only one or two proper interviews per game and we never really learn anything.
If Covid went away tomorrow it’s pretty obvious that publishers prefer this lack of information and will never want to go back to the old ways when… people actually knew what to expect from games before having to pay for them.
The pandemic isn’t anyone’s fault but not trying to repair the damage it’s caused is, and just like that video games are lot less accountable to the public than they used to be.
Caspian
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Spam filter
I’ve been enjoying my time with Elden Ring so far. I’m generally not good at these types of games, but I think the open world approach, which allows me to come and go as I please and level up, etc., suits me well.
I watched the speedrun video and aside from the fact they are incredible, I noticed during the boss fights they were often taking big chunks of health out of the boss with each hit. Why is that? Is it a block/timing your next hit thing?
Also, sometimes when I spam my heavy hit followed by a couple of lights, my character performs a kind of finisher hit. Again, is this down to me timing my sequence of hits?
I managed to beat Goldrick recently but before anyone says you must be doing OK, I summoned NPC and player help, and was a tad lucky I feel.
Thanks for any tips.
r-s-w
GC: Without knowing the specific part of the video, they’re probably using guard counters, which you can perform by attacking straight after a successful block. The ‘lights’ reference sounds like a critical attack, achieved either because the enemy’s stance is broken or you landed a parry. Also, don’t spam anything in a From game, it’ll not only seldom work but it’s the reverse of the lesson the early game is trying to teach you.
Unofficial numbers
I read Saturday’s Reader’s Feature, and the writer stated that the PlayStation 5 has outsold the Xbox Series X/S by 2 to 1.
I have seen similar things said on social media and other articles online, but where has this statistic come from?
Microsoft don’t report their sales figures, so I can only assume that any reports on Xbox sales are an educated guess.
It was reported that Microsoft started manufacturing consoles after Sony started because the Xbox uses a slightly more advanced version of the RDNA 2 GPU. Based on this you can assume that more PlayStation consoles have been sold than Xbox Series because more will have been made but considering both consoles have been sold out everywhere since launch, I can’t believe that PlayStation has been outselling Xbox 2 to 1.
Unless I’m missing something?
T
GC: It’s a widely accepted estimate by various analysts. The most convincing proof that it’s roughly right is that Microsoft has never attempted to correct it, which they almost certainly would if it was suggested Sony was outselling the Xbox Series X/S by a greater margin.
Good catch-up
Having barely touched the PlayStation 4 generation, I recently got a PlayStation 5 at Xmas and have been clearing out a five-year backlog. I dismissed Horizon Zero Dawn when it came out but recently picked it up from the PS Store and all I can say, 100 hours later, is wow! I loved every moment of it and was instantly hooked.
The only other recent game that it compares to is Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (another 170 hourr jaunt). I have no idea what it is; as others have said it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it really lit a fire in my inner gamer. The story, the setting, even the characters, which most say are dull, all enthralled me. Not to mention the combat, 1,000 machine kills later still as satisfying as ever.
I followed up Horizon Zero Dawn with Guardians Of The Galaxy, which is probably one of the funniest games I’ve ever played. And God Of War which, again, was another phenomenal game and much superior to the previous entries.
I’ve just started Horizon Forbidden West and look forward to the 100 or so hours I’ll be putting in, after which I have Gran Turismo 7 and Elden Ring to look forward to. Currently also playing Persona 5 and Bloodborne, though if I don’t git gud I doubt Elden Ring will be unboxed.
PSN: Lal-miah26
PS: How different, combat-wise would you say Bloodborne is to Elden Ring, cos five hours in I still suck real bad at Bloodborne.
GC: All Souslborne games have similar combat, but Bloodborne’s is faster and more aggressive thanks to the lack of a shield and the Rally system. Before Elden Ring, it was generally regarded as the easiest From game, although not by much.
No regrets
I have been quite new to Souls games. I tried Dark Souls when it first came out, but it didn’t click with me – although I’ve always liked the setting and premise of them. I played the Demon’s Souls remake on PlayStation 5 and I’ve been hooked since.
I’ve since completed Dark Souls 1, 3, and Sekiro. Loved them all, so Elden Ring was high on my anticipation list. It did not disappoint me one bit. I loved every second of my time playing it. Today, two weeks after getting my hands on it and I’ve got the Platinum trophy. And now I’m sad that I’ve done it all. Not sure what game to play next, as no game I have or coming soon meets the high standards of Elden Ring.
Omen66 (gamertag and PSN ID)
GC: That is good going in just two weeks.
No pause, no surrender
RE: Elden Ring not having a pause. I read Diarmuid’s article and may have a better answer than git gud.
It’s my firm opinion that the reason Soulsborne games are released with very little catering is devs taking back the industry. When I say this I mean, from my perspective, devs are probably tired of listening to the constant nitpicking and complaining of their work. Think about it for a moment, how often do people make a big fuss over what they want or don’t want in a game, and the devs cave because they fear no one will buy the game.
With that said it ruins their vision, their dream, their creation. Now they’re left with something they barely recognise because the players have dictated the creation of the game to suit their desires. Honestly, I think Miyazaki got burnt out on it. So I think he took a stand.
‘No more caving! No more surrendering! I’m going to make a game so compelling people will want to play it no matter the obstacle. But they do it my way.’ Honestly gamers are shallow and fickle. I wouldn’t blame Miyazaki if that was his reasoning. Simply because listening to everyone’s wants and ‘needs’ like I’m Santa Claus would be exhausting to say the least. I wouldn’t want my work, that I poured the last several years into, to be altered because people can’t be happy with not getting everything they want.
Anyway, my opinion. Just how I’d see things from a production side.
Anon
GC: Miyazaki had only been in the games industry for four years before Demon’s Souls, when he was making Armored Core games – which we very much doubt attracted much attention from abusive fans.
Inbox also-rans
The last three days I’ve been playing Bowser’s Fury. It’s the most fun I have had with a Mario game in ages. It’s better than the full game it comes with.
Tony Welch
Maybe it’s just me but playing Elden Ring makes me miss Tenchu! I seem to be doing a lot of stealthing across rooftops and sneaking around… a new Tenchu is required I say.
Liam
GC: Are you familiar with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice? If not, it’s going to seem like Inbox magic when you play it.
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Simey, who asks what is the least favourite part of your favourite game?
Nothing is perfect, so what do you consider to the be the least perfect part of your favourite (or close to it) game? Is it just a minor irritation or something more significant? Is it something like a particular level or area that the game would have been better off without or perhaps a technical or control issue?
Did the issue get resolved in any subsequent sequels? How tolerant are you generally about flaws in otherwise good games, in terms of both playing them and considering them to be true classics?
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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
MORE : Weekend Hot Topic: Favourite video game universes
MORE : Games Inbox: Horizon Forbidden West as a bad game, best Oculus Quest 2 games, and PS5 ugliness
MORE : Games Inbox: Elden Ring too easy, happy MAR10 Day, and Gran Turismo 7 world map bug
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