40°

GameFocus Podcast: November Edition

Call the optometrist because this time we are discussing how much resolution you need to enjoy your game. Also covered: what does Brenden have against the Master Chief, what are the holiday’s looking like for the consoles, and is Evolve all that it is cracking up to be? Finally, Donkey Kong Country, Gears of War, Left 4 Dead and Sunset Overdrive are all examined at length.

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130°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

ChasterMies17d ago

Some of these low paid video game “news” writers weren’t born before 2007.

just_looken17d ago

Here here

Those that were around before 2000's i am sure are like me that think we entered a world of non readers or those that follow without question.

I can not wait to see fallout 3 a goty game even though it was about water with non content until you add the dlc/updates then you got the performance/crashing

CrimsonWing6917d ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker17d ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo17d ago (Edited 17d ago )

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing6917d ago (Edited 17d ago )

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos17d ago (Edited 17d ago )

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

Gameseeker_Frampt17d ago

Just about every year in the 7th generation was great and something we most likely won't experience again.

2009 for example had Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Halo 3: ODST, Killzone 2, Borderlands, Bayonetta, and Demon's Souls to name a few.

just_looken17d ago

It still amazes me we got over 7 rockstar games ps2/ps3 but 3 for the ps3/ps4/ps5

Dragon age 1-3 and mass effect 1-3 in 7ish years what a generation.

240°

Fable – What the Heck is Going On?

Announced in 2020, Playground Games' open-world action RPG has seen sporadic updates and departures but still no release date.

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gamingbolt.com
PhillyDonJawn22d ago

I expect it to be released by 2026

Sonic188122d ago (Edited 22d ago )

I expect it to release by the time the next Xbox releases. Can that be 2026? Sure

DOMination-22d ago

You could say the same for any number of games that were stupidly announced during pre-production. Elder Scrolls 6 & Perfect Dark are current examples, Blade is another recent one and in the past Mass Effect Andromeda and Cyberpunk 2077 come to mind.

I don't think this game is in any trouble. For a start, Playground Games are one of the few under MS Studios that actually have a track record of delivering on time and with quality. We got a trailer last year and I'd fully expect there to be something more substantial at the next showcase in the summer.

No dramas here - just another victim of Microsoft's incompetence. They simply had to announce several games way too early because they had nothing else to talk about.

Michiel198922d ago

how are they a victim when they are clearly being given enough time? They haven't set any release date, haven't had to show any trailers, how is that being a victim? You even say yourself that you think it's not in trouble.

MrBaskerville22d ago (Edited 22d ago )

TESVI was mostly announced to stop people from asking. Like how they gave us a roadmap of first Starfield, then TES then Fallout. So people keep asking whether they'll do another one or not.

But Fable and Perfect Dark was defineately too early.

RNTody22d ago

The same thing that happens to any project when you announce it far too early. Perfect Dark, Fable, The Elder Scrolls 6, Star Wars KOTOR Remake...you actually have to, I don't know, make the game?

I'm fairly confident this game will see the light of day, as Playground have released 5 Forza games of quality and on schedule. Think it was just revealed too early.

Charlieboy33321d ago

The only issue I see is that, as you mentioned, they have only done Forza games. An RPG is completely different requiring completely different facets.

Whole new different open world....not just tracks. Character designs and animations, dialogue, combat systems, quest systems, equipment and inventory managment....the list is very long and none of it falls under their previous experience.

Even with assistance from other studios I believe they are still far off from delivering a complete version of this game.

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320°

10 Years Later, Sunset Overdrive Still Remains A Beloved Xbox Exclusive

Does it still hold up in 2024?

We've still got a few months to go, but October marks the 10-year anniversary of this Insomniac Games title, with the developer having since moved on to work on the Marvel's Spider-Man games for PlayStation. It was assumed that Sunset Overdrive might make its way to other platforms eventually, but that hasn't happened as of yet.

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purexbox.com
Christopher37d ago

So beloved that it sold so well that there's a sequel and Insomniac never had the opportunity to go back to Sony to develop games exclusively for Sony.

RaidenBlack37d ago

ngl, I was low-key expecting Sunset Overdrive to migrate to PS as well along with Hi-Fi Rush and SoT

Christopher37d ago

I think that would require Insomniac going back to work on it to port it over, probably why that's not happening.

RaidenBlack37d ago

Didn't Sony help with SoT port?

Christopher37d ago

I think only in so far as they support every piece of software heading their way? They have that team who specializes in helping people port games, not just SoT, and then the one team that takes PS5 games and ports them to PC (that's their full time job essentially). But that team, the former mentioned one, doesn't do all the work, just help out with how to best do things. So, that team wouldn't port a whole game like Sunset Overdrive.

RaidenBlack37d ago

Ok I thought you meant Insomniac reluctant/Sony not permitting them to go back and work on Overdrive. Hence I added the participation from Sony's side.
But yea, In actuality its Insomniac not having spare dev time to get involved in the port work, atm.

Christopher37d ago

*** But yea, In actuality its Insomniac not having spare dev time to get involved in the port work, atm. ***

Definitely this. They're working on two major IPs as it is and Sony forced them to layoff some people at the end of last year as well. So, likely not capable of sparing the time because resources are being fully utilized.

badz14937d ago (Edited 37d ago )

There was an article awhile back talking about the situation with SSoD. Insomniac does own the IP and Sony now owns it after they bought Insomniac but the publishing right for SSoD is owned by MS - at least the 1st game still is. MS has to sell the publishing rights like they did with the first Mass Effect game to EA after EA bought Bioware before Sony can do anything with the IP.

Einhander197236d ago

Nobody cares about Sunset Overdrive, except all the xbox fanboys who didn't buy it but like to come into articles about the game and try to act like it's somehow Sony's fault for whatever reason.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 36d ago
darthv7237d ago

there was supposed to be a sequel. IG had it all planned but MS said no. And Sony wont greenlight a sequel if they cant get the first one away from MS. Plus... IG has other projects they moved on to anyways so...... yeah.

fr0sty37d ago

Well, with the recent change in policy towards exclusivity, I imagine Sony could get MS to port it over.

Zeref37d ago

Because a game needs to sell 10 million copies for it to be considered beloved 😂

Christopher37d ago

I mean, it's also not a highly rated game, not even in Insomniac's top ten or even top ten on Xbox that year. With this logic, any game can be beloved and so throwing around the word beloved means absolutely nothing. Doesn't have to sell or have great critical reception, just a handful of people need to love it.

Hofstaderman37d ago

You guys are so starved for games you reminiscing about a decade old game made by a now Sony studio. Of course it never sold 10 million, the vast majority of people bought a PS4.

LucasRuinedChildhood37d ago

A game not played by many can still be beloved by those who played it, yeah.

Only making a profit of $567 after 10 years shows that it was not as beloved as it should have been though. That's really bad.

As much as people complain about AAA games not being unique or having fun ideas or bringing in new IP, a lot of gamers don't show up for them. Even less people seem to have played Hi-Fi Rush.

romulus2336d ago

What's it considered if it just sells 1.8 million copies like it did?.

FinalFantasyFanatic36d ago

It was okay when I played it on PC, idk if I'd consider it one of the more beloved games of that generation.

Zeref36d ago

@Christopher

8s and 9s is not highly rated, okay buddy 😂

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 36d ago
MontyeKristo37d ago

I mean, it sounds like you're just hating on the game - but, I loved it. It was one of my favorite games of it's time and that generation. Replayability could have been better, but I still managed to play it several times. I would have greatly appreciated a sequel and definitely would have been in line to pick it up..

Things happen.

Christopher37d ago (Edited 37d ago )

***I mean, it sounds like you're just hating on the game***

No, that's all the people who refused to accept that this game was beloved and never even bought it. I, on the other hand, bought, played it, thought it was 'okay' and moved on.

Now, what hate did you see in my post other than listing the fact that it's not as beloved as the few who liked it? This and Days Gone get way more love in online discussions than they do in sales and support, I find. Both are okay games, not much more. But for some **unknown** reason, people prop them up often as more than they are.

Profchaos37d ago (Edited 37d ago )

It's in noabs land unfortunately as Microsoft own the publishing rights to sunset overdrives original game while insomniac own the IP.

So Microsoft would have to be onboard with publishing this game on PlayStation systems with the understanding the would not profit from any subsequent games in the franchise unlike the games they are currently releasing on ps5 to get players into their franchises this would be a small cash injection build a fanbase around a game they no longer own then nothing.

ChasterMies36d ago

I really don’t get the love for Sunset Overdrive. It’s one of the few games I bought, played a few hours, gave up, and never returned.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 36d ago
isarai37d ago

Not beloved enough for Xbox owners to buy it apparently, Xbox was the worst possible audience for that game.

Obscure_Observer37d ago

Sony couldn´t give a f* about Insomniac´s freedom of creativity, that´s why you don´t have a port for that game and will not be getting a sequel either!

That franchise wil probably never make a comback thanks to Sony´s greed for money, which have turned Insomniacs into a Marvel´s slave factory until 2030.

It´s sad, but it is what it is.

ApocalypseShadow37d ago (Edited 37d ago )

I didn't know that Ratchet and Clank were part of the Avengers of Marvel? Hidden in the ending credits of Guardians of the Galaxy or something? Captain Marvel?

Beyond the "cry me a river" of your comment that these Marvel games aren't on Xbox, it was Insomniac that was approached by Sony to work with Marvel to make a game. And let them decide what character they wanted to develop. They chose Spider-Man. Must be highly profitable for them. Wolverine is a profitable, recognizable character. And the X-Men definitely are a hot property that gamers would love as a story based videogame. Being that X-Men 97 brings back a popular Saturday morning cartoon and the introduction of the X-Men into the MCU movies coming up.

It was Microsoft's continued incompetence in cancelling the Marvel MMO game and turning down Marvel in making a super hero game as they were asked first.

Keep the tears flowing. It's not greed. It was smart business to say yes. And maybe Insomniac wants to make these games. And not a game that didn't sell well to an audience that doesn't buy games.

Christopher37d ago (Edited 37d ago )

Neither does Microsoft either, based on your own argument here. Microsoft denied the sequel, not Insomniac/Sony. There's also no sign that Microsoft is allowing a port. They control the next two games in the IP and any DLC or the like for the first. But, nothing.

What's sad is people trying to use this game to blame businesses for doing business things that they are both doing as some way to make them look worse. Microsoft wants to use Insomniac to make a good IP that sells their platform and Sony wants to use Insomniac to make a good IP that sells their platform. But, no, Sony bad!

Don't know why the truth that these companies are very much alike is so hard for people to accept.

romulus2336d ago

Your comment literally contradicts itself but troll statements typically do. If Sony is so greedy for money as you proclaim than wouldn't it behoove them to not only release the first game on their console but a sequel as well, as that would be a way for them to make profit and that's apparently their focus according to you? Speaking of profit and greed, I suppose Microsoft bought all those Developers and Publishers in hopes that they wouldn't make any money from it, right? Your ability to troll on this site with impunity is whats sad, but it is what it is.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 36d ago
PhillyDonJawn37d ago

I bought it, along with at least 1-2 million others.

PrinceOfAnger37d ago

Very fun game that need a sequel.

-Foxtrot37d ago

Insomniac: “We went with Microsoft because we want to own the IP so it’s ours”

Microsoft: *owns publishing rights preventing the studio to re-release the original game, make a remaster, remake, any DLC, massive expansions and multiple sequels on other platforms*

The logic is just…I never got it

Owning the IP was Insomniacs main defence when they announced they were making a game exclusively for MS and yet they’ve ended up “owning” an IP they can’t do anything with.

If they went with Sony like normal you might have seen a sequel by now.

Tacoboto37d ago

The winner of the Logic Cake has to be Bungie, though.

Wanted to be free from Halo and MS, so they buy themselves out, only to partner up with Activision, in the same timeframe as Activision ousting the heads of Infinity Ward, for a full decade with Destiny.

... And then things start falling apart in that relationship almost immediately, whodathought!

Christopher37d ago

Hey, when Sony offers to overpay you for your services and signs a contract that says they won't force you to do anything you don't want, who would say no? Such an overpriced purchase from Sony. Poor business, IMHO. But, honestly, I'm not a business person. But, still, I don't understand it.

darthv7237d ago

...and it seems this conundrum is also why the game cannot receive any sort of FPS boost patch for Series consoles. IG wont make it, and Ms can't get another team to do it without consent from IG. I liked it on XBO, but now I also have this on PC and I can tell ya... it definitely benefits from a 60fps frame rate.

badz14936d ago

been playing it at 1080p144fps on my modest pc. not the hardest game to max out and yeah this game definitely needs to be played at high fps considering all the actions

darthv7237d ago

Sadly this may never get the proper fps update it deserves on XB (or even PS) but I now play it on steam and it definitely feels better at 60fps than it did at 30. Its a fast paced game... you need that 60fps in this one.

babadivad37d ago

This game was so fun. Me and my brother put many hours into this one.

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