Facebook Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 499

Why AEW Fight Forever Couldn’t Succeed?

Story Highlights
  • AEW Fight Forever was one of the most anticipated wrestling video games.
  • It was believed to tackle the WWE 2K franchise with its new gameplay style and unique approach.
  • Sadly, due to its continued delayed release, lack of content, and unconsidered reports from the players, the game couldn’t succeed as much as it could have.

Ever since All Elite Wrestling (AEW) came into existence, the company has been demanded to make a full-fledged wrestling video game. AEW also showed interest in making a wrestling game to provide fresh air to its gaming fans. But since the release of AEW Fight Forever, most fans and I have been disappointed.

Delayed Release Ruined The Game’s Momentum

The game has a couple of issues that the fans didn’t expect to be there since the developers were trying to learn from the previous games and provide the best possible experience to the fans. The first and foremost issue was the game’s release. It’s hard to believe that the game was announced in November 2020 and was released after 3 years in June 2023.

The delayed release contributed to the game’s downfall by ruining the momentum of excitement from the side of the fans and letting go of a great window of opportunity to tackle WWE’s 2K wrestling video game series.

AEW Fight Forever
Game Cover (Image By Nintendo.com)

AEW Fight Forever’s initial release plan was set for 2021, a year when no WWE game was released for the first time in a long time, thanks to the disasters of WWE 2K20 and WWE Battlegrounds.

Some copyright and rating issues delayed the release of AEW Fight Forever. Finally, when the game was released in 2023, WWE lured the fans in with their recently released game, WWE 2K23. This game had almost all the issues fixed from the previous games, a completely revamped engine, and tons of new features.

This somewhat decreased the buyers for AEW Fight Forever, as WWE 2K23 provided the breath of fresh air the fans were looking for in AEW’s first-ever game.

Not Enough Content To Make The Game Playable For Longer Period

Despite having a tough competitor, AEW Fight Forever still had many fans waiting for its release. But those remaining fans weren’t pleased with what the game offered. After the release, many people, including me, complained about the lack of content.

There aren’t enough match types. By that, I mean that you aren’t given many options within the match stipulations, such as the ladder match being limited to one-on-one. Moreover, the other particular match types, like falls count anywhere match, exploding barbed wire death match, and lights out match, are also limited to one-on-one, which is a considerable downgrade.

AEW Fight Forever Match Types
Match Types (Image By YT/Smacktalks)

Multiplayer match types in the exhibition mode, like tag team, 3-way, and 4-way matches, are only available under normal match conditions. It wasn’t a difficult job to at least add the lights-out option for these matches.

These special stipulation matches had some unique things like never-before-seen weapons and breakable LED screen stages, but that’s about it in the one-on-one mode. Once you play these memorable one-on-one matches, you are only left with customary stipulation matches on the multiplayer side.

Some Special Match Types That Couldn’t Leave A Lasting Impression

There are a few more multiplayer match types, though, such as the casino battle royal (like a traditional Royal Rumble match), stadium stampede, and mini-games.

Due to the new gameplay style, casino battle royals can be fun. But if we compare it side by side with what the WWE game of the time was offering in this match type, I would say there isn’t anything special AEW Fight Forever does here. The stadium stampede match, however, is unique as it has never been done in a wrestling game before.

This mode is a Fortnite-type battle royal match. You have to wander around a stadium with several weapons, special abilities, and vehicles you can use to your advantage and damage your opponents.

AEW Fight Forever Stadium Stampede
Stadium Stampede (Image By YT/Smacktalks)

The last player standing is the winner, just like the traditional battle royal matches we see in Fortnite. It’s an online match type; most players are bots, which ruins the quality of this match type. As for the mini-games, they may look fun to play at first, but most of them are pointless and get boring pretty fast.

A game released in 2023, and its competitor is the world’s biggest wrestling video game development company, should have provided more content. Moreover, these concerns haven’t been considered even a year after the game’s release, which suggests that this might be how AEW Fight Forever will be known in the history books.

Latest Updates

How Repetitive Missions Can Ruin The Fun In A Game

Story Highlights
  • Repetitive missions in video games can cause players to lose interest, as doing the same task repeatedly wears them out.
  • GTA 4 didn’t succeed as it could have because of the lack of mission variety.
  • Other franchise games, like GTA San Andreas and GTA 5, had more mission variety and were more successful than GTA 4, proving this fact.

Whether linear or open-world, missions in video games are one of the deciding factors for their success; they play a massive role in keeping the player engaged throughout the game and keeping the game relevant for an extended period. Often, missions in a game get repetitive, dulling the game’s enjoyment.

How Repetitive Missions Ruin The Fun In GTA 4

Games like GTA 4 can be an example of how repetitive missions can ruin the fun in video games. The game has excellent ragdoll animations, car physics, and shooting. Some even call its car physics better than GTA 5’s.

However, despite all those key elements that can make a game fun, the lack of variety of missions negatively impacts the game. Most of the missions involve shooting different targets or gangs.

Some are based on chasing the target, but they are mostly shooting. The shooting mechanics are decent and add so much fun to the gameplay, but when it’s the only thing you do in most missions, that gets boring.

GTA 4 Mission
A Mission In GTA 4 (Image By GTA 4.net)

Yeah, the missions vary in raid style; in one mission, you would raid an enemy warehouse, and in another, you would raid an industrial area. However, there’s not much difference between raiding and shooting regarding missions.

Moreover, besides the repetitiveness I found so annoying, one more prominent issue in the missions in GTA 4 is that you must drive long distances on almost every mission. If your car accidentally flips over, you will have to start over.

Also, if you mistakenly hit a police car just slightly, their wanted level will increase, and they will start chasing you, which is another headache you must take care of in the middle of the mission. No matter how fun these missions can be, having to do the same thing repeatedly will wear off your excitement level for the game at some point.

Mission Variety Can Effect A Game’s Success

GTA San Andreas had more mission variety than GTA 4, which was released around four years earlier. It had some of the most unique missions in the Grand Theft Auto series, especially that train mission with Big Smoke.

There’s no doubt that GTA San Andreas was successful due to the new features it introduced to the series, vehicle variety, fun gameplay mechanics, and a decent story. Still, I don’t think placing “Mission variety” on this list would be wrong.

Train Mission In GTA San Andreas
Train Mission In GTA San Andreas (Image By Sportskeeda)

It’s always a good idea to add missions that require the user to do different tasks than before, as it keeps the gameplay fresh. The development team behind San Andreas understood this well and gave us one of the best games in the series. 

How GTA 5’s Mission Variety Helped It Thrive

There’s also another example to prove that mission variety significantly impacts a game: GTA 5’s success over GTA 4. There are mixed opinions about GTA 5 being a better game than GTA 4, but everyone can agree that GTA 5’s missions are more fun to play.

Right from the start, the prologue, you dive straight into action. As the game progresses, you will get to play dozens of exciting missions that highly differ from each other and provide a unique experience every time.

Plane Mission In GTA 5
Plane Mission In GTA 5

The game has fast and slow-paced missions, but 90% of them keep you wanting more. This is something that is highly missing from GTA 4, which is one of the reasons why GTA 5 got more successful.

This proves that no matter how fun the gameplay mechanics are, the game will start to feel monotonous if there’s no mission variety. This is even more applicable to open-world games. However, depending on the genre, it may not be accurate for every game. Still, it can somewhat ruin a game’s fun element. 

Latest Updates

GTA 6 Reportedly Delayed To 2026; PC Version Arrives 18 Months Later

Story Highlight
  • According to a report, GTA 6 has been pushed to 2026.
  • Rockstar seemingly wanted to launch a perfect version of the game, so the delay was necessary.
  • The PC port is supposed to launch up to 18 months after the official console release.

GTA 6 is easily the most-anticipated title of this decade. Since its 2025 release was announced, fans have patiently waited for more news. However, bad news could be on the way, as a new report suggests that GTA 6 has been delayed to early/mid-2026.

Why it matters: Fans have been worried about GTA 6 because of optimization issues despite Take-Two reiterating the 2025 release. Despite the earlier 2025 target, it seems that the company still wants more time for this release.

GTA 6 Delayed To 2026
GTA 6 Report via Liam on Twitter

According to journalist billsyliamgta on Twitter, Rockstar developers have been informed that the fall 2025 target has been pushed to an early/mid-2026 window to meet the company’s aim of achieving perfection.

Also, the PC port is expected to launch 12 to 18 months later. The journalist states that this information comes from two different sources, making it more legitimate than the average rumor.

It’s important to note that this is not the first time a 2026 launch has been discussed for GTA 6. Looking at past reports, a delay looks more and more believable with each passing month.

After the unfortunate Cyberpunk 2077 release, Rockstar must have learned that launching unfinished games is no small deal. Therefore, the team may be trying to avoid a similar scenario with this delay.

GTA 6 Lucia and Jason
The PC port will arrive by 2027 if GTA 6 launches in 2026.

Another reason for the delay could be the arrival of new hardware. Xbox may launch its new console by 2026, and the PS5 Pro will be out by then. Still, the challenge to optimize for the weaker Xbox Series S will persist.

Latest Updates

Nonetheless, it would be best to take this report with a grain of salt. There has been no official word from Rockstar yet, but fans can expect more details as the months go by. A new trailer for GTA 6 is also expected before the end of 2024.

How WWE 2K20 Almost Destroyed The Franchise

Wwe 2k20

Story Highlights
  • WWE 2K20 was the lowest point of the franchise due to the game’s unplayability.
  • Due to tons of glitches and unstable behavior of the game, fans started demanding for a refund.
  • Despite a huge loss, 2K made a great comeback by introducing a revamped engine and play style for the next game in the series, which saved the franchise.

The WWE 2K franchise was introduced in 2013, with the first game being WWE 2K14. The franchise started pretty well, with its first game improving gameplay over the previous WWE game while introducing some new cool features. The franchise faced some ups and downs as the years passed, but nothing was as wrong as the 9th installment, WWE 2K20.

Everything Wrong with WWE 2K20

The infamous WWE 2K20 is one of the worst wrestling games in history. The hype before the game was released was real because of the success of WWE 2K19, which fixed almost every issue the previous games had and was also fun in gameplay.

This good momentum from 2K had everyone believing in them; therefore, many players pre-ordered the game, but they all got the disappointment of a lifetime. Right from its release day, the game had every issue known in video games.

Character models were tearing apart, ring ropes tangled, and weapons randomly flew around. You could not possibly have a match because you didn’t even know where your character was going on the screen, as they were usually stuck under the ring.

WWE 2K20
A Glitch In WWE 2K20 (Image By eTeknix)

Moreover, the game had stability issues as well. It would crash now and then. So, if your game worked decently for a match by any miracle, it would randomly shut down, and all of your progress would be lost.

The only good thing I liked about this game was it’s hilarious. I have never seen this many stupid glitches in any other video game, but at least it made me at some points, so that’s a plus.

Reason Why WWE 2K20 Had So Many Issues

WWE 2K20 is exceptionally glitchy and unplayable because Yuke’s, the development team for the previous WWE 2K games, left before the development of 2K20, and the transition from Yuke’s to the new development team affected the development process.

That said, 2K could at least have delayed the release date for the game to fix these significant issues. The game was so challenging on them financially that the sales weren’t as good as targeted. Most of the players started demanding a refund for the game.

Tweet For WWE 2K20
Tweet For A Refund (Image By Inverse)

Fortunately for the fans, they got their money back, but these refunds negatively impacted 2K. Thankfully, WWE 2K19 was still on sale in the digital stores, and the online servers for the game were also active, so the players still had something to play. 

2K tried to fix the reported issues over time via several updates, but the updates took time, and they still didn’t initially provide the fans with what they wanted from the game. Moreover, the damage was already done due to the game’s first impressions.

How 2K Made A Comeback After This Disaster

After WWE 2K20’s failure concluded, there were rumors that WWE would give their wrestling games contract to another company. This meant it was over for 2K, and in the worst way possible. However, 2K didn’t let things go that easily and negotiated a deal with the company. After these disasterful events, 2K had to devise a different approach to win the fans back, and they did.

They went on a year without releasing a fully-fledged WWE game, which is the first time in WWE history since the late 90s. This was an intelligent decision that 2K made and was for the greater good, as during this time, they got to focus on completely rebuilding a new engine for the next game in the franchise.

With the release of WWE 2K22, 2K made a successful comeback. The game had a mix of arcade and simulation gameplay, improved controls, and many new features like blocking and dodging, which made it so much fun.

WWE 2K22
WWE 2K22 (Image By WCCFTech)

Some things were still missing from the game, but overall, it was far better than the disappointing game we got in WWE 2K20.

2K proved that they were still the right people for the job, and ever since the revamped engine, the franchise has become more vital than ever. Later, they fixed 2K20, and it’s a pretty stable game now.

Latest Updates

Over 50% of PlayStation’s Live Service Projects Either Failed Or Were Canceled

Story Highlight
  • PlayStation’s live-service push has been far from smooth so far.
  • Games like Concord have failed, while The Last of Us Multiplayer, Twisted Metal, and more have been canceled.
  • Out of the nearly 15 major projects, over half can be considered failures.

PlayStation’s live-service plans kicked off a few years ago, resulting in major releases like Helldivers 2 earlier this year. However, it would not be wrong to say that the gaming giant’s ambitions have been far from successful.

Looking at the list of games released and announced by PlayStation, it’s clear that Helldivers 2 is the exception rather than the norm. In fact, more than 50% of the live-service projects have either failed or been canceled altogether.

Why it matters: PlayStation likely spent millions of dollars on each of these projects. Concord alone had a budget of over $100 million, so these failures could prove to be huge setbacks for the business in the long run.

Sony PlayStation
PlayStation’s Transition Toward Games As A Service Has Not Been Very Smooth

The following list shows PlayStation’s biggest live service projects over the last few years.

  • MLB The Show – Succeeded
  • Helldivers 2 – Succeeded
  • Foamstars – Failed
  • Destruction All-Stars – Failed
  • Concord – Failed
  • Last of Us 2 Multiplayer – Canceled
  • Payback From Bungie – Canceled
  • Twisted Metal – Canceled
  • New IP From Deviation Games – Canceled
  • New IP From London Studio – Canceled
  • Spider-Man: The Great Web – Canceled
  • Marathon
  • Fairgame$
  • New IP From Bend Studio
  • Horizon multiplayer
  • Horizon MMO

Most of these projects are still in development or have been canceled. Looking at the list, six major games have been canceled so far. Among these, Spider-Man: The Great Web made the most sense since it was canceled very early on.

Naughty Dog’s live-service ambitions were thwarted quite late into development, while the entirety of London Studio went down recently. Another team impacted by layoffs was Deviation Games, leading to yet another canceled project.

Leaks also suggest that Twisted Metal is no longer in the works. Similarly, Bungie’s Destiny spin-off Payback seems to have been canceled early in development. In terms of the launched games, both Concord and Destruction All-Stars have failed after release.

Foamstars, while technically not a PlayStation first-party release, was marketed and released as a console PlayStation exclusive. Following a lukewarm reception, Square Enix has gone free-to-play with this title.

This means that 9 of the 16 games have been failures.

Bungie Marathon Game
Sony Purchased Bungie For Its Live Service Expertise A Few Years Ago

Looking at the next projects, Bungie’s Marathon is reportedly in trouble. Fairgame$ also looks like it could follow in Concord’s footsteps, but PlayStation still has time to make changes after facing challenges navigating the live-service landscape.

The titles from Guerrilla Games and Bend Studio are more or less a mystery for the time being.

Latest Updates

Anyhow, it’s clear that PlayStation’s live-service plans have not worked out too well. Perhaps it was for the best that the gaming giant recently decided to scale back its ambitions. It now plans to launch six major titles by 2026.

Ryzen 5 7600X3D Delivers Impressive Gaming Performance, Surpassing 9700X

Story Highlight
  • The Ryzen 5 7600X3D outperforms the Ryzen 7 9700X and 9 7900X3D in gaming but is about 9% slower than the 7 7800X3D.
  • It is currently only available at specific retailers like Microcenter and Mindfactory.
  • At $300, it may not offer the best value compared to the Core i5 14600K and 13600K, which offer better performance and productivity.

With the Ryzen 5 7600X3D being listed on German retailer Mindfactory.de, European hardware reviewers have started testing the new Zen 4 3D V-Cache variant. One of the first of these reviewers is PCGH, and their findings regarding raw gaming performance are quite excellent.

Why it matters: Ryzen 5 7600X3D shows yet again why the 3D V-Cache chips are so great since the CPU can outpace the new Ryzen 9000 series in gaming.

Benchmarks
Image Via PC Games Hardware

When it comes to gaming, the Ryzen 5 7600X3D performs really well. In fact, it outperforms the 8-core Ryzen 7 9700X in benchmarks, scoring 6% better than the average across all of the titles in PCGH’s test suite.

Additionally, the Ryzen 5 7600X3D performs roughly 9% slower than the current top processor, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It also outperforms the more expensive Ryzen 9 7900X3D by 4% and the last-generation 5800X3D CPU by 7%.

The only major drawback to this beast at this point is availability. The new 3D V-Cache processor from AMD is currently only exclusive to Microcenter and Mindfactory.

However, considering the price-to-performance ratio, the 7600X3D’s $300 price tag isn’t the best, given that CPUs like the Core i5 14600K and 13600K offer higher gaming performance and are noticeably more productive.

Latest Updates

The success of AMD’s new addition to the Zen 4 lineup will rely on how widely AMD launches the 7600X3D and how much it ends up retailing for in the market. That being said, it delivers the best FPS per watt, consuming only 48 to 55 watts when gaming or other workloads.

However, being a last-generation chip, the Ryzen 5 7600X3D makes the current Ryzen 5 9600X look like a bad investment. The Ryzen 7600X3D, on average, was able to beat its Zen 5 rival by up to 14% while only costing $20 more. 

PlayStation Has Yet To Beat Xbox’s Highest Rated Game On Metacritic

Story Highlight
  • Xbox released Halo: Combat Evolved over 2 decades ago.
  • The game received a pretty positive reception, with a 97 score on Metacritic. 
  • PlayStation has still haven’t released a game with a better score than the highest-rated Xbox title. 

PlayStation has made some of the best games ever since its debut. The gaming giant has proven to be favourable to the fandom due to the plethora of unique single-player games it has released. 

Recently, it released Astro Bot, which received a score of 94 on Metacritic, making it one of the highest-rated titles of 2024. The game is a solid GOTY Contender as it rivals Mario’s popularity. That said, PlayStation still hasn’t managed to beat the highest-rated Xbox game on Metacritic. 

Why it matters: Halo: Combat Evolved was released in 2001, and it received a score of 97 on Metacritic, standing right next to the likes of RDR2. 

Halo Combat Evolved Score
Halo: Combat Evolved Score On Metacritic Is Pretty High | Image Via Metacritic

PlayStation has released a lot of high-quality titles, but unfortunately, there is one that is only in the top 20 best-rated games of all time on Metacritic. The most notable release from this giant is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

This game still has one of the best intros and is definitely worth a try. However, it falls behind Halo: Combat Evolved by just one score. There are a couple of other Xbox games, like Half-Life 2 and BioShock, with a score of 96 each. 

It is pretty surprising and fascinating that a game released more than 2 decades ago still holds a better score than all of the next-gen games. Don’t get us wrong, there have been many great games lately, and we are glad to have experienced them. 

However, Xbox has set the bar pretty high, and it might be hard for PlayStation to surpass it. It couldn’t even do that with the game being compared with Mario, so fans are pretty sceptical now.

It is also worth noting that while Xbox has created such games in the past, the gaming giant hasn’t been able to match the quality lately. However, the games announced in the previous showcase have managed to create a buzz in the industry, and fans are hoping for more great titles. 

Latest Updates

Some notable upcoming releases are Fable, Indiana Jones, Stalker 2, and Doom: The Dark Ages. PlayStation also seems to be focusing a lot on gaming next year, so let’s see what they have in store for us.

Square Enix Reportedly Plans To Bring All Final Fantasy Games To Xbox

Story Highlight
  • Square Enix recently released Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox, further strengthening its relationship with Xbox.
  • An insider states that the gaming giant is considering its options and may release all Final Fantasy games on Xbox, including the current remake trilogy.
  • Previous rumors have also suggested that Final Fantasy 16 will be announced for Xbox at Tokyo Game Show.

Square Enix is one of the biggest gaming publishers because of beloved IPs like Final Fantasy. However, most of its recent games have been exclusive to PlayStation, leaving fans on Xbox and other platforms wanting more.

Recently, Final Fantasy 16 was confirmed for PC, and Final Fantasy 14 arrived on Xbox, indicating a bigger third-party push from Square Enix. According to a reliable insider, even more Final Fantasy entries are planned for Xbox.

Why it matters: This JRPG series began as a PlayStation-centric franchise, but it saw multiple releases on Microsoft’s console during the Xbox 360 era. Therefore, a huge audience still exists on this platform for Square Enix to capitalize on.

Final Fantasy 14 was released on Xbox in October and was very successful. At the same time, Square Enix has been struggling with sales for its newer games, so the publisher is considering all its options.

According to reports from insider Jez Corden, the studio’s plans could lead to all Final Fantasy entries heading to Xbox. This would include the beloved Pixel remasters, the latest mainline release from last year, and the ongoing remake trilogy.

I’ve heard the whole slate’s on the docket.

-Jez Corden

In particular, Final Fantasy 16 may be announced very soon. The insider expects an announcement or some type of reveal at the Tokyo Game Show, even though he does not have exact details yet.

It’s important to note that this is not the first time reports have pointed to an Xbox release for Final Fantasy 16. Jez Corden also suggests that PlayStation does not have exclusivity locked down for the whole remake trilogy.

Final Fantasy 16 Square Enix
Final Fantasy 16 Will Soon Be Available On PC

These reports come as no surprise since Square Enix intends to double down on Xbox releases. As such, the studio is expected to rely on exclusivity less and less in the future.

Latest Updates

With the Tokyo Game Show just two weeks away, fans won’t have to wait too long for a potential announcement. The incredibly popular JRPG franchise could finally return to Xbox in all its glory, making it an exciting time to be a fan of JRPGs in Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem.

Concord Character Designs Flawed Due To Committee Interference, Says Dev

Story Highlight
  • Concord saw heavy criticism for its character designs from day one.
  • According to a developer, a committee interfered in the character-designing process, negatively impacting the game.
  • This may be one reason the final game turned out to be so bland.

Like Suicide Squad and Skull and Bones, Concord has become yet another example of the risks associated with live-service gaming. The game’s launch was a disaster, and it didn’t take long for Sony to completely pull the plug.

Fans were skeptical of Concord from the beginning, criticizing its bland gameplay and $40 price tag. Many also pointed to the unappealing character designs, and a developer has recently addressed these designs.

Following the hero shooter’s failure, a Firewalk artist has asserted that a specific committee at the studio heavily influenced the character designs.

Why it matters: Many believed Concord went too far in trying to be diverse and appeal to all types of people. It also clearly took inspiration from Guardians of the Galaxy but failed to realize what made Marvel’s designs so great.

Previously, the likes of David Jaffe criticized this hero shooter’s character designs. Some have even argued that Firewalk tried to push an LGTBQ agenda on purpose, leading to the eventual demise of Concord.

In response to this criticism, Amanda Aiefer, who has now locked her Twitter profile, revealed that much of the art team’s decision-making was influenced by a committee at Firewalk. She implies that this committee pushed the team to make changes that were never intended to be there.

While Amanda Aiefer did not say much directly, the artist believes higher-ups failed to listen to the art team’s feedback. Ultimately, this may have been the reason behind the disastrous final results.

Artists at Firewalk are now concerned about potentially losing their jobs. This is an alarming situation and raises doubts about Firewalk’s upper management. As is usually the case, executives and senior management will probably be fine and blame the average artist for this failure.

Concord Featured 2
Concord tried to hard to be a hero shooter for everyone

Unfortunately, Concord is beyond saving now. Firewalk developers worked hard on the project, and many are still proud of their accomplishments. It’s a shame, then, that senior management failed to consider the consequences of their interference in the development process.

Latest Updates

This type of interference is precisely why many are against companies like Sweet Baby Inc. Gaming is at its best when developers are given absolute freedom to realize their vision, and outside meddling can often harm the overall vision.

Starfield Returns As Xbox Top-Seller Amid Shattered Space DLC Hype

Story Highlight
  • The Starfield premium edition upgrade deal has now become the top-paid purchase on Xbox.
  • The sudden burst in sales likely happened because Bethesda revealed new DLC details.
  • The Shattered Space DLC will feature over 50 new locations, new enemies, and more.

The latest Bethesda AAA venture, Starfield, is showing prominent signs of a huge comeback. Despite many murmurs in the industry regarding its failure and low daily player count, the space-faring RPG has started seeing a huge spike in activity.

Many users in the industry are eyeing Starfield again since Bethesda has revealed many new details about its upcoming Shattered Space DLC. Following the recent reveals, its premium edition upgrade has become the current top-paid deal on Xbox.

Why it matters: The unexpected sales increase in the Starfield premium edition upgrade suggests that a large chunk of the community has still not given up on the RPG.

Starfield
Starfield can be a fun open-world experience if you look past some quirks,

As spotted by Twitter user HazzadorGamin, many players are flocking to buy the premium edition upgrade on the Xbox store, pushing it to the top of Xbox’s paid items. They are preparing to get the best out of the RPG as the DLC release draws near.

Bethesda has recently confirmed that Shattered Space will feature over 50 new locations across Va’ruun’kai, new organic—and admittedly gross—grenades, new enemies, and much more. All these confirmations have only reignited the players’ interest in the game.

The current reception regarding the upcoming expansion is quite positive despite many users in the community patiently waiting for reviews instead of pre-ordering it ahead of time.

Starfield
Starfield ought to get more players as the new Shattered Space DLC releases this month.

It’s worth noting that more Starfield players are expected to grab the premium edition upgrade as the DLC drops on September 30. So, we can also expect a massive boost in sales from users who did not buy the RPG before due to missing features and other criticisms.

Latest Updates

While a No Man’s Sky level of comeback seems highly unlikely in this scenario, Starfield could see a huge resurgence if Bethesda plays its cards right after the Shattered Space DLC.

PlayStation Wants To Focus On Various Game Genres Moving Forward

Story Highlight
  • PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst has said that making games in different genres is important.
  • The CEO celebrated the success of Astro Bot and admitted how significant the family games market is.
  • According to Hulst, Astro has become synonymous with the PlayStation brand and continues its single-player legacy.

These last few weeks have been a mixed bag for PlayStation and Sony, to say the least. Concord, the company’s big-budget live-service offering, fell flat on release and was taken offline two weeks after launch, with Sony offering refunds to all players.

However, Team Asobi’s Astro Bot has taken the world by storm, garnering universal praise and becoming the new front-runner for Game of the Year 2024. In celebration of this success, PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst has emphasized the importance of family entertainment and different genres in the PlayStation ecosystem.

Why it matters: Variety is important for any gaming company to succeed, and PlayStation has been struggling recently by focusing too much on a few specific gaming genres. Hence, the CEO’s acknowledgment of the importance of fun platformers is a big deal.

Astro Bot
Astro Bot Proves How Important Fun Family Titles Are For The Industry

Hulst recently talked about Astro Bot on the PlayStation Podcast with Nicolas Doucet, saying that the fun adventure from Team Asobi puts a smile on his face. The CEO went on to say that the family market is very important, and PlayStation will focus on it even more from now on.

He also outlined how significant it was for the company to not stick to one genre but develop games in many different ones. Hermen Hulst told Doucet that Astro has become very important to the brand, especially because of the pre-install PS5 title.

As per the CEO, the character is now synonymous with PlayStation and has been embraced by the fans.

It is massively important that PlayStation Studios develop games in various genres. I think the family market is very important for us to focus on.

-Hermen Hulst

Astro Bot
The Reception Of Astro Bot Shows How Fans Are Clamoring For Platformers

During the interview, Hulst praised Team Asobi, saying the small team has made a big adventure title that celebrates PlayStation’s history while continuing its legacy of great games.

So far, Astro Bot has been engulfed with praise from all over the gaming world, making it one of the highest-rated releases in recent memory. Let’s hope the commercial performance of this lovable platformer is also as good so we can see more of Astro in the future.

Spider-Man 2 PC Port Expected Soon As Sony Takes Down Leaked Builds

Story Highlight
  • Spider-Man 2 has been out for almost a year.
  • The game was leaked on PC last year, and Sony has started to take these builds down nearly eight months after the leaks ran rampant.
  • An insider suggests that this is indicative of the official PC port’s incoming announcement.

Spider-Man 2 was among the most significant releases last year, selling over 10 million units just four months after its launch. Like other first-party titles, this PlayStation release is expected to arrive on PC after enjoying much success on the PS5.

While a recent leak suggested that Spider-Man 2 would be released for PC by 2025, it seems Sony is moving faster than anticipated. Recent evidence has even suggested that an announcement could come later this month.

Why it matters: Insomniac’s first Spider-Man release was a huge deal for PlayStation’s push into the PC gaming market. The gaming giant will hope to find similar success with the sequel.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Is Insomniac’s Highest-Rated Release

One of the most reliable insiders in the industry, Shpeshal_Nick, previously noted that PlayStation would announce Spider-Man 2 for PC soon.

He recently elaborated on this statement and shared another tweet reporting Sony’s action against leaked PC builds of the game. For context, Spider-Man 2 became fully playable on PC after a large Insomniac hack led to files leaking all over the internet.

Sony had not done much about these leaks, but eight months later, the gaming giant is finally pursuing legal action. Nick believes this is a sign that the PC port is finally on the way since Sony would not randomly decide to take action so long after the initial leaks.

This was why I’m pretty sure we’re seeing the PC port at the State of Play.

-Nick Baker

A PlayStation event is already rumored for September, so an announcement could be made in just a matter of weeks. Going by PlayStation’s typical release schedule, an announcement this month would mean a release window of early 2025 for the PC version.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 May Arrive On PC Before The End of 2024

Sony is also gearing up to announce the PS5 Pro. As such, the gaming giant could reveal enhancements for Spider-Man 2 on consoles alongside the PC port.

Latest Updates

Moreover, God of War Ragnarok’s PC release is right around the corner. An announcement for the next port could help create further excitement among PC gamers and keep them on the edge of their seats after they are done with Kratos’ latest adventure.

1...828384Page 499 of 84