120°

Pokemon Scarlet And Violet’s Tech Problems Are On Game Freak, Not The Switch

Game Freak is to blame for how bad Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are performing, even if Nintendo should upgrade the Switch soon too.

-Foxtrot534d ago

Sad thing is because people blindly buy these games resulting in the sales being huge for them launch wise, they will never change.

I just find it hilarious most of these big gaming sites are generously giving it a 7 or 8 when the technical issues are pretty in your face obvious among other things. Imagine if other exclusives from Microsoft or Sony did this, they'd be ripped apart limb by limb

PhillyDillyDee533d ago

I agree with your point about blindly buying a product but this is pokemon. Fans will buy it because there isnt (much) competition.

Interestingly, the metacritic reviews place gen 9 at 77 and gen 8 at 80. So to me it means they did a lot right this time and the only thing keeping the game out of a 90 or above average is the abysmal performance.

I think Gen 8 averaged 80 because it was a decent bump from the handheld games but did nothing to change the formula.

I do hope they spend the next few months ironing out performance. Time will tell though.

luckytrouble533d ago

Had a stream going on the side last night and the streamer was doing fights in these big outside arenas. The game was regularly dropping to maybe 10 FPS if I'm being generous. Really choppy even in the battles at that point. It was inexcusably bad and unfortunately you're bang on about the fact that these games will be blindly bought regardless. Even the biggest critics of Pokemon have already dropped their $60 just so they have something fresh to complain about.

This is absolutely something that is happening at all though because this is Pokemon and Nintendo. Even if people don't want to admit it, any performance based article will find people critiquing Sony or Microsoft for having the inferior system because one game version runs at 57 FPS while the other runs at 60 FPS. I've never understood why it's just accepted that some Switch games get to run so insanely badly by comparison.

H9533d ago

I am wondering why it took so long for people to realize this, Game Freak are some of the laziest devs in the Industry and because of the money they have no intention to change, what makes it more absurd is people blaming the switch, if Monster Hunter Rise and Xenoblade were mostly stable then there's absolutely no reason for this not to be, it's just laziness

execution17533d ago

Idk if they're lazy... it's just that they might be too much on their plate buy releasing too many games in a short amount of time

Stanjara533d ago

Wrong. They are pumping way more pokemon games than they can handle.
Probably crunched to death.

For such a huge Nintendo IP, I'm baffled that Nintendo didn't provide these guys with some technical team from their first party devs or hire them a third party support.

--Onilink--533d ago

Because Gamefreak is not a Nintendo developer, they are actually equal partners with Nintendo and Creatures in The Pokemon Company.
Nintendo doesn’t have a direct say on how Gamefreak operates and wouldn’t necessarily just “lend” some of their teams in the same way that internal teams do.

Now, given how Gamefreak operates in one of the most strict release schedules in the industry, its clear that the best approach would be to (significantly) increase in size, but as to why they haven’t done that, its basically a guess at this point unless we ever get some better insight into TPC operations

H9532d ago

Why do you think they were capable of doing so many all the time, it's because of how identical these games have been, reusing everything, anything new comes out broken, their laziness is the source of it all

FinalFantasyFanatic533d ago

Maybe Nintendo should devote some extra resources and help Game Freak out a little more, considering Pokemon games are big system sellers for them. That and Game Freak are clearly struggling since development jumped to the Switch.

--Onilink--533d ago

I doubt its that simple. All 3 of them have equal share in The Pokemon Company with each one having a very specific role.
Gamefreak is the one handling game development while the other 2 handle other stuff. So Nintendo probably cant just step in in that regard without some changes in how they all operate

Good-Smurf533d ago (Edited 533d ago )

On Latest DF Direct Weekly John Linneman didn't hold back criticising the game's poor performance and basic buggy graphics even calling it a game technically came from 2001.
Shocking that this still happened to one of the most popular and profitable IP ever and it better be since they appear to spent peanuts on R&D of their 3D games.
Seeing stuff like Monster Hunter Stories 2, I think Capcom would do far better on Pokemon 3D games than Game Freak themselves.

lellkay532d ago (Edited 532d ago )

The game is garbage and Nintendo and Gamefreak should not be able to repeatedly get away way it.

Expect and demand better.

The reviews on websites have been so disingenious with their reviews as well. If any Sony or MS game had even a few of these issues they would get absolutely dragged for it.

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240°

My Trust in Xbox is on Shaky Ground Right Now

The Outerhaven writes: With multiple gaming studios, including Tango Gameworks, closing, the editor-in-chief of The Outerhaven shares his thoughts on the matter.

Read Full Story >>
theouterhaven.net
rlow16h ago(Edited 6h ago)

Honestly I was looking back and at the launch of the Xbox 1. With Don Matrick at the helm I was disappointed but therevwas something else. That fighting spirit of Xbox at its inception was lost. They stopped innovating, I lost excitement on what the next big new surprise was, because their weren’t any. Not like Halo 2 and Gears launch. You couldn’t really brag about it anymore.
So here we are and corporate MS has ruined what was a beautiful renegade project.

shadowhaxor4h ago

For everything that Xbox did, I was hopeful it would turn stuff around. Game Pass was a start, and the release of its upcoming titles was a nice way to return. I mean, I'm not going to say it was perfect, just like I wouldn't say PlayStation is perfect. Neither company is, but when Xbox goes and does this, it makes zero sense. The message of Xbox's plan had already had me frustrated, but I was like, "Maybe they'll fix this mess."

Now... yeah. Not so confident anymore.

Aphrodia4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

That's how you know this is clickbait garbage. If you write about games for a living and didn't know Microsoft is a cancer on the industry until now than you are awful at your job.

XiNatsuDragnel6h ago

Xbox will destroy Activision too and Bethesda will be gone too lol

Chocoburger5h ago(Edited 5h ago)

"Right now"?
But not 11 years ago with the disastrous Xbox One reveal which they NEVER recovered from?
Man are you slow on the uptake.

shadowhaxor4h ago

No, Xbox never recovered, but Game Pass (which you're a fool if you deny the success of it), Xbox Cloud, the acquisitions, the reboot of Perfect Dark (which seems to be in the gutter now), the success of Forza Horizon, Sea of Thieves, and yes, Hi-Fi Rush (FFS).

Denying any sort of improvement only goes to show you don't pay any attention to the entire picture.

Crows904h ago

I think you missed the part where these things were spread years apart. Theres no consistency

ApocalypseShadow3h ago(Edited 3h ago)

Bullshit.

Perfect Dark IP was purchased along with many other games like Halo, Gears, etc. Perfect Dark needs help with Crystal Dynamics just to finish the game. That's pathetic. HiFi Rush was purchased and was probably already coming to PlayStation before the purchase.

If Game Pass was a success, these developers wouldn't be closing their doors. We told gamers it isn't profitable. It does make revenue. But revenue isn't profit. It hasn't changed Microsoft's position in the industry or increased hardware sales. If it did, they would be shouting from the rooftops like their arrogant asses always do.

Anyone can have a cloud service. And Sony's is more successful. It took buying major publishers just to increase their spreadsheet. But Xbox continues to fail even then. By having to place games on their competitors platform while still trying to compete. You don't see Nintendo putting their games on Xbox. And Sony was only forced because they don't own the MLB license. Which was forced behind the scenes by Microsoft to take away Sony's successful game and throw it on game pass to use it against gamers buying it on PlayStation. How is the acquisitions a success if they have to close companies they just bought and make many developers jobless? Are you serious? Unless you call it a success by taking away games from other platforms that made those developers more money. That's ridiculous.

Sea of Thieves took years to fix. How is that a success that you have an unfinished game for years that needs fixing? Games should be complete at launch. Just like Halo was an incomplete game that needed fixing. Forza Horizon is a good game but even that game hasn't improved Microsoft's standing at all.

Denying all that shows that you're not paying attention.

Chevalier3h ago

Success? They missed their own targets 3 years straight, stopped announcing numbers because they're so terrible and it's not profitable. Hence the closing 4 studios. There will be more consolidation too. Just watch the by the books garbage yearly releases too followed by more season passes and shorter games come out

Chocoburger2h ago

I have been paying attention for past 11 years. That's why I made my fully accurate above post.

You're the one who hasn't, thus you made that completely worthless post.

- I don't care about a rental service for mid-tier (or any tier) games.

- I don't care about streaming services, I play on actual hardware.

- What is Perfect Dark at this point? Its just a name trying to have an easy win with nostalgia. The original developers and talent has long been gone once MS bought Rare in 2001. ITS JUST A NAME, nothing more.

-Don't care about Forza Horizon.

- Don't care about Sea of Thieves.

- I am interested in Hi-Fi Rush, but MS killing off Tango has pissed me off, so I don't want to reward them for their B.S. and now its guaranteed that the hard working devs won't see any benefit from me supporting them.

MS has done squat over the past 11 years. Nothing but the embarrassing stink of failure. I know this because I have been paying attention.

StoneTitan48m ago

I never played hi-fi rush, even though I would have loved it from all I can see, but as it never came to playstation... Now it comes to playstation and I have no intention to buy it because they closed the developer and the money will only go to poor phil and his poor suits. Well I mean, what else is there to say.
Gamepass brought them into this position so you would be a fool to see it as a success lol

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 48m ago
Skuletor2h ago

Must be getting their news on Microsoft's Internet Explorer

notachance5h ago

I imagine smaller ABK studios like toys for bob and beenox are now feeling uncertain about their futures

LucasRuinedChildhood5h ago

Thankfully Toys for Bob managed to safely separate from Xbox and are independent now.

notachance5h ago

lol I don't know that, thanks for clarifying

TheColbertinator5h ago

Beenox has been in danger for years now with Activision. Microsoft may act more ruthlessly to them unfortunately.

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230°

Hi-fi Rush is too good a game to be shut down

It was announced today that Tango Gameworks, the studio behind Hi-Fi Rush, will be shut down, which casts doubt on the future of the game.

Read Full Story >>
videogamer.com
z2g14h ago

I’m sure the support and franchise will live on due to its success. They may even keep some ppl and roll them into other studios. There are layoffs across the map tho in the game/tech industries in general tho including Sony, Facebook and more. My personal family has been affected by them.

Lightning7714h ago

No excuses for MS. I guess Hi Fi didn't do as well as we all thought. So Much the for fun Little experiences that MS has been wanting games of all sizes. The thing is MS are so predictable this year they say "oh we want to prioritize bigger games." Next year they'll have more shut downs and say oh well these ballooning budgets of AAA blah, blah, blah. Even though a year prior they said they want more bigger games. When are gonna admit MS can't do or won't do gaming right? It's always waiting for this and that. String you along while destroying ppls jobs. Year in and year out.

Cacabunga10h ago(Edited 10h ago)

MS’ aren’t gamers they are businessmen.. they prefer a terrible game that sells and makes money to a great game with potential and can be used to grow a wider fanbase.. a bunch of crooks 🤮

TwoPicklesGood6h ago

Uhh Sony has laid more % of people off than MS…

notachance7h ago

this MS employee goes around every posts about MS studio closure and made deflecting comments in all of them lmao

Kaii13h ago

Yet MS made a company-wide profit of $22 billion.
In my eyes releasing this on gamepass was a double edged sword approach, received extremely well, but didn't hit w.e batshit insane sales target MS had In mind

jznrpg8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

Nothing will sell well when they have trained their fanbase to rely on GamePass. (There could be a unicorn every decade or something like that) The price has to go up a lot or more than likely they close a lot of studios to get upkeep way down and have few studios handle all of the IP and still raise gamepass price just not as much as necessary to keep those doors open for all of the devs that created the IPs MS now owns.

Plague-Doctor274h ago(Edited 4h ago)

The problem is it did seem to hit their targets

https://x.com/aarongreenber...

XiNatsuDragnel13h ago(Edited 13h ago)

Hifi is good but Microsoft dislikes risk I guess.

purple10112h ago

have all the people saying m$ buying all those companies, been proved correct yet,

they said more games, more choice, but ended up
less choice, less games, in reality... we were right

Crows908h ago

It sucks to be right sometimes. Love tango works games with evil within. Also huge fan of prey...if redfall had been a single player story driven title I bet your ass they could've done wonders with freaking vampires.

Asplundh9h ago

They developed the highest rated game Xbox has had as a exclusive in years and they shut them down? Doesn't make much sense.

jznrpg8h ago

Makes sense to me. They still have the IP the studios mean nothing to MS

EazyC26m ago

That just shows how backwards their philosophy is. Studios are the ones creating the magic, you can't just chop and change them on a dime.

TwoPicklesGood6h ago(Edited 6h ago)

It does when it was a nice Indy time that didn’t make money. Unlike you, they think as a business and if the studio made enough money it would have been safe. One of the biggest companies in the world knows not then you, me, or any other random no matter what you abt to believe.

Asplundh5h ago

"Unlike you, they think as a busines"

Yeah a very poorly ran business, the brand has been going down the toilet for over a decade. With all the dumb decision making, it's not suprising why they're going 3rd party.

Plague-Doctor274h ago(Edited 4h ago)

You can't give your games away for free and then shut down studios when they don't sell. Extremely idiotic thinking

Yui_Suzumiya4h ago

I'm pissed about this. I loved Tango Gameworks.

Show all comments (30)
320°

Arkane Studios Devs React To Arkane Austin Shutdown, Call It "Absolutely Terrible"

Developers at Arkane Studios are reacting to the announcement of the shutdown of Arkane Austin, calling it "absolutely terrible".

Read Full Story >>
twistedvoxel.com
XiNatsuDragnel14h ago

Of course it is this is why big companies gobbling other companies is bad.

Cacabunga11h ago

yes and this is what happens when you sign pact with the devil himself..

crazyCoconuts8h ago

There are textbook scenarios where it's good...
Microsoft is definitely not one of those scenarios

RhinoGamer8813h ago

I get it, but frankly, AA failed pretty badly on Redfall. The XBOX production team is also to blame (they are safe as usual) for releasing a game this hyped in a sorry state. There are lots of fail points on Redfall, but only Arkane bears the pain.

MrBaskerville13h ago

They were set up to fail by Zenimax and had been for a while. They should have done Prey 2, but instead were forced to do mp games.

-Foxtrot12h ago

Apparently even with Prey they wanted to name it something else, they didn't want to use the Prey name because it had nothing to do with it.

That alone put a lot of people off playing it out of support for the original.

MrBaskerville11h ago

@Foxtrot
Yeah, it was a mess, that whole business. Could probably also have done a killer Dishonored 3 if given the chance, right after Prey, when they had a top tier team.

darthv7211h ago

the game (at launch) certainly wasnt all that. the performance update later on made it better but Im glad I got the special edition controllers when I did. Those are nice.

crazyCoconuts8h ago

True. We don't know exactly who to blame for what, but end of the day you're not getting paid to put out crappy games.
I hope at least they kept the good people and moved them into other divisions

PapaBop13h ago

"Welcome to the Xbox family, graveyard is out back, what should we put on your epitaph?" Microsoft turning into this generation's EA, spend all those billions on Activision while closing studios they've run into the ground.

TheColbertinator1h ago

lmao forgot about that meme. Still pissed at EA for shutting down Westwood, Pandemic, Origin and Maxis. I will never forgive them for that.

Hofstaderman12h ago

Papa Satya wants his ROI. No free lunch.

rlow112h ago

Why I’m really disappointed in Xbox and MS at large. At the same time let’s not pretend that somehow this isn’t an industry issue. Theirs a graveyard behind every major publisher. The only company I haven’t seen canning people is Nintendo and let’s hope that trend continues.

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