At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered.
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The Mad Max game developed by Avalanche Studio released in 2015 turns 9 years old.
The title is massively underrated with great elements like combat, an expansive open world, and more.
Mad Max fell short of expectations at launch but is now considered a really good title.
There are some games that just flow under the radar of many gamers. One such game is the Mad Max game released in 2015, developed by Avalanche Studios. The game did almost everything good, however, it never got the attention it deserved.
Why it matters? Mad Max debuted to mixed reviews from critics and fans. 9 Years later, the game’s reviews have turned very positive, and it is now considered a very underrated project.
The Mad Max game has excellent melee and car combat
It does get a lot of love now, but that wasn’t the case at launch. The game sales were very disappointing, and its DLC was also scrapped. The developers blamed Warner Bros. for this because they forced them to launch the game besides Metal Gear Solid 5.
There are a lot of things that the Mad Max game does really well. Yes, it is an old game but it has been updated to run at the higher FPS using the FPS boost option. So, it runs 60 FPS on the Series S and even manages 120 FPS on the Xbox Series X.
Years later, the game is considered very underrated
The general feel and atmosphere of the game also still hold up. The huge open world with the car customizations are some epic elements of the game. Combined with the Arkham-style melee combat and car combat, the game feels excellent.
One could argue that the story isn’t the best, but it’s not that bad either. Except for the protagonist himself, there are no characters that notably stand out. The story only gets somewhat interesting towards the end but that’s about it.
Nonetheless, this a series we would like to make a comeback. The Mad Max universe has great potential and stories that can translate very well into a gaming universe. Recently, Mad Mx dev also showed interest in working with Hideo Kojima on a new game.
At Tech4Gamers, I proudly hold the role of a Hardware Reviewer. Here, I leverage my expertise to provide readers with in-depth insights into PC hardware, ensuring they have the information needed to make informed decisions.
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The iPad Pro’s tandem OLED implementation is still ahead of its competitors and is the ideal place to enjoy media.
Tandem OLED Windows laptop offers fine improvements in display quality, but still lags behind in some key areas.
Compared to traditional OLED, Tandem OLED aims to provide higher brightness with less power consumption.
Laptop and tablet displays have come a long way. Every year, we see improvements related to resolution, color accuracy, refresh rate, and brightness. One of the preferred types is the OLED, with which laptops and tablets can show crisp and accurate visuals.
However, OLED has its own limitations, for which there’s a new contender called “Tandem OLED” to overtake its shortcomings and might become the new standard.
Why This Display Over The Others
Let’s start with differentiating the traditional OLED from the rest. While displays like LED or LCDs have a backlight to light up the pixels on the screen, the OLED features such as backlight baked into each pixel to produce colors and light on its own. This allows the OLED displays to offer richer blacks and whites for far superior color accuracy and visuals. But the OLED isn’t perfect either, as it lags behind in terms of the sheer brightness of the display and its power draw.
Taskbar burn-in on OLED (Image credit: Reddit)
Panel types such as mini-LEDs offer more brightness while also being fairly competitive as far as image quality and color accuracy are concerned, and IPS ones focus more on efficiency. Moreover, both of them are cheaper solutions than tandem OLED, but the IPS panel doesn’t offer deeper blacks or accurate colors. This is where tandem OLED comes right in, which is said to have both of the qualities but also comes at a higher markup. So, what is it exactly? The simple and straight answer is slapping two OLED panels onto each other to make them work as one. What does it do?
Well, it claims to solve a lot of issues with the traditional OLED display, such as lower brightness, screen burn-in, and power draw. In this display, each panel has to light up less than the single traditional OLED panel. This allows the overall presentation to look much brighter and, most importantly, this way the chances of getting a screen burn-in are also greatly minimized.
Apple’s Take On Tandem OLED
As always, Apple does something from time to time that either gets them praise or straight-up backlash for their bold moves. This time around, I can only praise them for introducing the tandem OLED in their newest iPad Pro, which they are calling the Ultra Retina XDR. What’s great is the impressive level of brightness that Apple achieved with tandem OLED. As per their claims, the tandem OLED iPad Pro can go as high as 1600 nits in its HDR mode.
Apple iPad Pro M4 with Tandem OLED (Image credit: Mrwhosetheboss)
Even if we don’t fully trust Apple’s claim, we can estimate the brightness to be around 1400–1500 nits, which is still very intriguing. Additionally, Apple also claims the battery life to be the same as the iPad Pro with a mini-LED display. Which highlights the efficiency of the new display technology.
Dell’s Entry In The Tandem OLED Space
After Apple, Dell is the first one to follow in the footsteps of offering tandem OLED panels in their portable machines. The XPS 13 from Dell is the first laptop to feature a tandem OLED display. What’s kind of a let-down here is its peak brightness, even with the same tandem technology that Apple uses.
Dell XPS 13 with Tandem OLED (Image credit: Dell Laptop Gaming)
The Dell XPS 13 peaks at about 482 nits, it’s still more than a single-layered OLED display, but far from the likes of iPad Pro 2024. Upon contacting Dell, they stated that their focus is on making the display more efficient for now, so there are chances that they might shift that focus onto the brightness in future models.
True Successor Is Still Far Away
As of now, iPad Pro is still the clear winner in terms of offering a great and bright display. However, it wouldn’t be too long until Windows laptops catch up to the iPad Pro as Dell has already introduced a laptop with a tandem OLED display, others will follow the same road soon enough. Having such a display will unquestionably improve media consumption, and even games, if one of the future gaming laptops also launches with the same display.
At Tech4Gamers, I mainly cover new gaming news, leaks, and rumours. Aside from that, I love to write features about my favourite games while inserting my opinion about their different aspects.
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GTA 6 should be the culmination of Rockstar’s work on the franchise.
I think it needs to learn from past entries and bring back various iconic features.
Going to the gym, dual-wielding weapons, immersive dating, and more should return.
GTA San Andreas is my all-time favorite Grand Theft Auto entry due to its great story, gameplay, open world, and characters. One could argue that GTA 4 has a better story, but San Andreas is my personal favorite to this day.
Rockstar went all out with San Andreas and implemented many brilliant gameplay systems. Unfortunately, many of those mechanics haven’t returned in the modern era, so I think GTA 6 should finally bring them back.
Why it matters: It has been over a decade since a GTA title was released, so fans have insanely high expectations for next year.
Bring Back The Gym
The Gym In GTA San Andreas Was Fantastic
In my opinion, the best mechanics in GTA San Andreas had to do with fitness. You could alter CJ’s physique according to your preference, following a lifestyle based on your preference.
This was a lot of fun, as I often found myself working out or improving my boxing skills. This would also improve CJ’s overall stats. Going to the gym and doing different exercises would give the player more muscle and strength, which would help in fist fights.
After working out, you would hit harder with your fist or melee weapons. Doing cardio would help CJ build stamina and run for longer durations. Also, stamina could be improved through swimming, which was yet another great design choice from Rockstar.
CJ’s appearance could be altered by simply eating more. You would have to follow a certain diet to keep him in shape, as eating too much would make him fat and bloated. This would also impact the gameplay.
While GTA 5 had various attributes for the playable characters, the system was a lot more limited. In my opinion, GTA 6 should offer more in-depth customization and bring back San Andreas’ excellent gym mechanics. Fortunately, a leak did hint that weight gain and loss would return in 2025.
Dual Wielding Weapons
Weapon Dual-Wielding Has Been Missing From The Series For A While
I still remember dual-wielding weapons in GTA San Andreas since it was so fun. Initially, it’s easy to see that CJ can’t really shoot that well. However, the improvements become pretty clear as you practice and improve his aim.
I think GTA 6 must introduce weapon dual wielding since it would provide additional variety to GTA’s third-person shooting. Red Dead Redemption 2 already did this very well, so I see no reason why this mechanic should be left out of Rockstar’s next release.
In San Andreas, you can’t really dual-wield the weapons until you reach a certain level. So, I think GTA 6 should approach this mechanic in a similar manner. In the reveal trailer, we saw a blonde woman dual-wielding a hammer.
This probably doesn’t prove much, but I would like to be optimistic and hope this is a sign of a potential dual-wielding system.
Some Other Mechanics
Bringing Back Gang Wars To The Franchise Would Be Great
In order to make GTA 6 more immersive, I think the developer should bring back the dating from San Andreas. Back in the day, you would select different dates. While this was also in GTA 5, it wasn’t exactly the same. San Andreas, on the other hand, had more in-depth dating.
I would also love to see gang wars coming back. In GTA San Andreas, capturing territories along with your gang was extremely fun. It also enhanced the game’s overall story, but unfortunately, this feature never returned. In my opinion, the system would work even better today.
Other than that, I would like to see more violence in the upcoming blockbuster by Rockstar. I feel like violence has been toned down with each release, something I have found disappointing.
Also, there were different fighting moves you could teach CJ, so something similar would be a neat addition to break the monotony of Grand Theft Auto’s traditional gameplay loop. Finally, I would like to see different types of schools, such as driving and flying.
CJ could attend many different schools where you could improve your driving skills with different types of vehicles. While the flying school is available in GTA 5, Rockstar left out other vehicles with this entry.
I believe these additions would make GTA 6 even better. A former Rockstar developer has asked fans to lower their expectations, stating that Rockstar will probably release something similar to its last work on the series next year.
In my opinion, this doesn’t have to be true, and looking at past entries for inspiration could help GTA 6 avoid such criticisms.
At Tech4Gamers, I mainly cover new gaming news, leaks, and rumours. Aside from that, I love to write features about my favourite games while inserting my opinion about their different aspects.
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Thief is one of the few IPs that, despite being old, offers a great stealth experience.
This series took stealth gameplay to the next level thanks to a subtle and nuanced approach to mechanics.
A remake that uses the original game’s design philosophy could do wonders for stealth gaming today.
Many might think that Kojima was the one who introduced the stealth genre to gaming, but he wasn’t. Sega was the first one to release 005, an arcade game. This game wasn’t really revolutionary, which is why many people aren’t aware that Sega created this genre.
Later, Hideo Kojima introduced stealth in the Metal Gear series, becoming known as the father of the genre. Despite Kojima’s influence, this genre has remained quite niche. Even within the niche genre, one series that is often ignored is Thief.
Why it matters: All entries in the Theif series are enjoyable, but the first two games stand above most of the gaming industry’s work.
There are many unknown gems in the stealth genre. The Metal Gear Solid series is well-known among the fandom, but there are also others like the Hitman series, Assassin’s Creed series, and the Splinter Cell series.
The iconic Assassin’s Creed IP had basic but enjoyable stealth mechanics. Kojima is known for the Metal Gear Series, and his ability to portray stealth gameplay is incredible in its own right. Perhaps his influence is exactly why gems like Thief are often neglected by the fans.
The Thief games are so good that I would love for everyone to explore them. The whole series is currently available at a massive discount, so it is time to give it a try. Even if these titles are old, I am certain stealth enthusiasts will find the gameplay quite enjoyable.
Let’s break down exactly what the franchise does so well down below.
Thief Was Unparalleled In Its Design
Thief is One of The Best Stealth IPs You Can Play
One great thing about this series is that you are not a hero, a trained soldier, or an assassin. You are just a top-tier thief who prides himself on never being caught. You are basically an ordinary albeit very smart human being.
This adds a real sense of tension to the experience. Find yourself caught, and there’s no real easy way out. Thief doesn’t make you a killing machine, so being caught will, more often than not, result in death.
Moreover, the level design is equally compelling. The series doesn’t rely on markers and hand-holding to assist the player. Even the provided maps are often incomplete or outdated, adding to the story-telling.
Take, for instance, one level where Garret breaks into a mansion. As a master thief, he goes in with a well-put map to prepare for the mission. However, another mission sees Garret heading into a cave, so the map reflects this transition.
At this point, his map is haphazard and incomplete, leaving the player to explore and discover the cave for themself. Similarly, the gameplay was always a strong suit of the IP.
Garret’s arsenal complemented his status as an ordinary human, so his tools were almost always centered around avoiding conflict. Water arrows put out light sources, while moss arrows made footsteps quieter. The other tools worked in a similar way to add depth to the experience.
In many ways, Thief is still better than the modern stealth genre. It forces the player to engage with the level design, gameplay, and world in a way that hardly any games even try to do.
It’s a shame, then, that this series seems to have been forgotten about. Even the 2014 reboot seemed to ignore the best parts of the original titles, replacing their strengths with more streamlined gameplay found in most AAA releases.
Thief Needs A Remake
The Fantasy Steampunk Setting Was A Major Plus Point
I would love it if this franchise were to receive a remake. Thief has a special place in my heart and still blows me away, even in 2024. It stands out as one of the few works of art that were truly timeless.
In my opinion, a modern Thief reboot built on the foundations of the original games could do wonders for the stealth genre as a whole.
At a time when gaming has become easier than ever, and developers instantly resort to hand-holding players through an experience, this series would challenge the norms and traditions. Perhaps the gaming industry is not ready for such a departure from the tried-and-true formula just yet.
At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered.
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Black Myth: Wukong’s success has led to China ramping up game development.
They have greenlit over 117 video games in August.
Asian developers have really shown how modern AAA productions should be done.
Black Myth: Wukong has undoubtedly been the biggest success of the year. Developed by Game Science, based in China, the action RPG proves how good the Asian developers are. Capitalizing on the success, China has also ramped up its focus on the gaming industry.
Why it matters: This is an exciting announcement since Game Science’s success will encourage other studios in China. The unexplored talent from this region could produce even bigger successes in the coming years.
Fans Can Expect More Hits Like Black Myth: Wukong From China
According to a new report, China greenlit 117 video games in August, the most in 2024.
This is great considering how good Game Science’s work proved to be. The game broke multiple records, even becoming the title with the second-highest concurrent player count on Steam.
A couple of weeks after launch, the game is still the number one Steam top seller, averaging around 1.5 million concurrent players. On the other hand, games like Concord and Suicide Squad have recently failed just this year.
As such, it may be best for the gaming industry to look toward Game Science’s success and learn from it.
Asian Developers Are Leading By Example
South Korean studios are also going strong, with recent games like Stellar Blade, Lies of P, and more making a name for themselves. It’s clear that this part of the world is now leading by example. This is how all studios should approach development.
If China approves a lot of games that give us more hits, like Black Myth: Wukong, we are all for it. Some announced games like Project DT already seem to have a lot of potential, and we can’t wait to find out what else they have in store for us.
At Tech4Gamers, I mainly cover new gaming news, leaks, and rumours. Aside from that, I love to write features about my favourite games while inserting my opinion about their different aspects.
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Star Wars Outlaws has recently been released, and the criticism isn’t getting better.
The criticism forced Ubisoft to disable the comments section on a launch gameplay trailer.
It seems the studio is more interested in ignoring fan feedback instead of changing its approach.
Star Wars Outlaws has faced a lot of criticism before and after release. Hardly anyone is talking about the game, and that is seriously concerning for Ubisoft, given that it allocated the biggest budget for this game.
Many have also criticized combat mechanics. The criticism from fans is increasing daily, which seems to have become overwhelming for Ubisoft. Due to that, the gaming giant was forced to disable YouTube comments on the latest launch trailer.
Why it matters: Star Wars Outlaws is one of Ubisoft’s biggest video games, and its failure would hurt the publisher more than anyone would expect.
Ubisoft Turns off Comments On The Game’s Launch Trailer Due To Massive Hate
As you can see above, Ubisoft has disabled the comments section and likes on the launch gameplay trailer. This shows that the fandom and publisher don’t currently see eye to eye.
Star Wars Outlaws is being criticized for many reasons. One of them is that Ubisoft focuses too much on appealing to modern audiences, ignoring the feedback from those who have played its games since the early 2000s.
The other reasons range from technical problems to fundamental gameplay decisions. The game drops to as low as 720p to achieve 60FPS on modern consoles and takes over 20GB VRAM on PC at 4K resolution. Of course, this is going to frustrate the fandom.
Star Wars Outlaws Had A Lot of Potential, but Ubisoft Seems To Have Wasted It
On social media, many have also shared ridiculous bug clips that highlight poor facial animations and a lack of polish. However, acknowledging these problems would still be better than ignoring them like Ubisoft is doing.
Ubisoft has been facing criticism for a long time now, but it still refuses to listen to the fans who really matter. At this point, the publisher would be lucky if Star Wars Outlaws performed according to expectations.
Even the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows is said to be suffering from low pre-orders. This franchise typically sells millions each year, so this would be a historic downfall if the latest entry underperformed.
At Tech4Gamers.com, I cover the latest news and rumours in the gaming industry, from new game releases to hidden gems and video game leaks. Furthermore, I occasionally write tech articles about video game consoles, providing insights into the hardware and software that powers our gaming experiences.
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Ubisoft’s sales forecast for Star Wars Outlaws has been significantly lowered.
Analysts predict sales of only 5 million copies, down from 8 million.
The company hopes that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will compensate for any sales shortfall.
Ubisoft’s upcoming AAA title, Star Wars Outlaws, was supposed to be a big success.
However, the company’s latest sales forecast predicts a much tougher outcome. Ubisoft originally targeted $718 million in bookings for the second quarter, but the estimate has now been lowered to $553 million.
Why it matters: Analysts at Financial Times conclude that Ubisoft desperately needs Star Wars Outlaws to hit big. But the game’s non-existent hype paints a concerning picture for the French company.
Ubisoft is in a tough spot, and if its new releases don’t perform well, it could face serious financial consequences.
Analysts have lowered their expectations for Star Wars Outlaws, now forecasting sales of just 5 million copies this quarter, down from the earlier estimate of 8 million.
This gloomy forecast is troubling for Ubisoft, which has already been struggling with falling revenues and profits. Last year, the company saw a sharp 18.1% drop in total revenues and reported net losses of $546 million, compared to a $113 million profit the year before.
This situation about Ubisoft’s business strategy is concerning, particularly its focus on popular but crowded open-world and live-service game models. The success of Star Wars Outlaws is extremely important for Ubisoft, but early reviews indicate it might not be the big hit the company needs.
Although the game has received mostly positive feedback, critics have said it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It’s seen as “perfectly fine” but not exceptional, which might not be enough to turn things around for Ubisoft.
The reviews have been mixed, with critics finding it “alright” but not exceptional. | Image via Tech4Gamers
Ubisoft hopes that its upcoming game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, will compensate for any sales shortfall. However, there are already concerns about this new title, especially the controversy surrounding the samurai protagonist, Yasuke.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will need to sell at least 13.5 million copies to make up for the losses. Although Assassin’s Creed Valhalla sold 13 million copies, matching that success might be tough.
With Ubisoft’s annual revenue target of €2.46 billion now at risk, the company could face more setbacks if its new releases don’t meet expectations.
Ubisoft is in a tough spot, and if Star Wars Outlaws doesn’t perform well, it could seriously impact the company’s finances. If future games don’t improve the situation, Ubisoft might need to reconsider its strategy for developing its AAAA titles.
At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered.
Story Highlights
The Xbox boss has revealed that the company turned down the pitch to publish Bungie’s Destiny.
They skipped Bungie and eventually went towards Activision, owning the Call of Duty IP.
Spencer also commented on how he has passed on so many big games over the years.
The Destiny IP from Bungie, which is currently owned by Sony, could have gone a very different path. According to the Xbox boss, Microsoft was offered to publish the original Destiny, but they turned down the offer.
Why it matters: Destiny was among the most popular MMORPGs of its time and a commercial hit, especially on consoles. While Destiny 2 isn’t in the best of shape, the original could have been a huge hit.
The Xbox One Could Have Benefitted From Exclusives Like Destiny
Spencer also commented on other games Xbox passed on. Some of them eventually turned into big hits, so looking back, Microsoft’s decisions don’t look the best. Among these games are Guitar Hero, Genshin Impact, and even GTA 3.
Also, Microsoft was offered to publish a Marvel IP, so Spider-Man could have been another Xbox exclusive in an alternate reality. Perhaps this strong lineup could have even compensated for the Xbox One’s drawbacks.
I’m not a regrets kind of person, maybe that’s a fault of mine. But, I’ve passed on so many games.
– Phil Spencer
If Xbox had published Destiny, they would’ve probably acquired Bungie eventually. However, the gaming giant saw a very different path, with Sony acquiring Bungie later on.
Xbox is the owner of Activision, Blizzard, and King.
The Xbox boss says that they skipped the deal and focused on Activision, which they eventually acquired. If we think of it in the long run, the decision to skip Bungie over Acitivison was somewhat smart.
While Destiny still has a huge fan following, it doesn’t come close to the popularity of Call of Duty. Eventually, some of Spencer’s decisions turned into regrets, while others have been great for the company.
Considering the fact that the biggest chunk of Microsoft’s revenue came through Activision in 2024, this was a wise choice. However, Xbox may not have needed to focus on acquisitions so much had it built strong third-party exclusive partnerships just like Sony.
At Tech4Gamers, I contribute as a Senior News Reporter, combining my skills and gaming enthusiasm to keep our audience updated on the latest developments.
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Star Wars Outlaws was made playable for everyone yesterday, but it is already being review-bombed.
The negative reviews point to a bland open-world, repetitive gameplay, and poor facial animations.
This is the third game to face severe review bombings in the last two weeks.
Star Wars Outlaws launched last week to a decent reception from the critics. While most admitted that it wasn’t the biggest Star Wars success story, they saw the potential in Ubisoft’s vision.
Despite the reception, there was a clear lack of buzz around this release yesterday. Even with the publisher’s biggest marketing campaign, fans don’t seem too excited about Star Wars Outlaws. Looking at Metacritic, it seems the game is also being review-bombed.
Why it matters: This is the third major release to face review bombings over the last two weeks after Concord and Black Myth: Wukong.
At the time of writing, more than 50% of the overall reviews are negative. With more than 120 such reviews, the average user rating is down to just 4.6.
Looking at the reviews, users have pointed to the same criticisms as past Ubisoft games. A bland open world, outdated mechanics, and numerous bugs are a few common occurrences in all these reviews.
Moreover, it seems users have found the facial animations quite disappointing. Some have also pointed to repetition and rudimentary stealth as flaws that hold the game back from reaching its full potential.
Still, these elements don’t make the game a 0/10 or a 1/10, like most user scores on Metacritic would have you believe. To learn more about Star Wars Outlaws, we suggest reading our in-depth review.
Star Wars Outlaws Negative Reviews via Metacritic
With an overall negative sentiment toward Massive Entertainment’s take on Star Wars, it will be interesting to see how Star Wars Outlaws performs. Being a Ubisoft-style open-world experience, the game is almost guaranteed to be a hit.
However, it remains to be seen if it will meet the publisher’s high expectations. For those who find the concept appealing but may not necessarily want to spend $70 on a purchase, consider subscribing to Ubisoft’s subscription or waiting for additional discounts.
At Tech4Gamers, I contribute as a Senior News Reporter, combining my skills and gaming enthusiasm to keep our audience updated on the latest developments.
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Concord has failed as a major PlayStation launch, but it seems everyone is interested in standing up for it.
Instead of acknowledging its flaws, media outlets are rallying in support of the hero shooter.
This is the opposite of what happened with Redfall and Starfield, highlighting a big problem.
There’s no point beating around the bush. PlayStation’s Concord is a massive failure, perhaps the biggest a first-party team has produced in many years. You need only look at the Steam concurrent player counts for proof; the game is already on its last legs a week after release.
While player counts were never high, to begin with, I wouldn’t be shocked if this hero shooter soon began to consistently stay in double-digit figures on Steam. To nobody’s surprise, this failure has earned Firewalk and PlayStation a lot of criticism.
A bad game is, after all, just that and deserves criticism. However, it seems gaming journalists have a different energy this time around. Where Starfield and Redfall were lambasted for their failures and shamed publicly for their flaws, I’m seeing cries for sympathy in Concord’s case. In my opinion, this is a classic case of hypocrisy.
Why it matters: Objectivity is crucial to journalism, and it becomes a real problem when the industry begins to take obvious sides.
The Concord Apologists
Gaming Media Needs To Hold All Games To The Same Standards | Image via Twitter
First, let me set the record straight. I have nothing against Firewalk or any developers who worked on PlayStation’s hero shooter. For all my problems with the game, I don’t blame the developers or believe in unwarranted personal attacks.
I would hope that most journalists hold a similar opinion. It boggles my mind, then, that gaming media is approaching PlayStation’s failure with such a different angle. Consider this story for instance; it basically asks you to overlook Concord’s failure.
Before you accuse me of ignoring the nuance of this write-up, let me remind you that it comes from the same outlet that repeatedly reminded its audience about Starfield and Redfall’s failures.
Should Arkane Austin and Bethesda’s developers not be given the same benefit of the doubt? Why is the media so reluctant to call out Concord’s failure when it was parading reports of Redfall’s dwindling player counts?
It was all fun and games then, but the situation suddenly demands more nuance now? If this isn’t hypocrisy, I don’t know what is. I don’t mean to target a specific outlet or person; this is a broader problem that impacts everyone across the industry.
Look no further than this story from a different outlet that hopes you will give Concord another chance. Or this tweet that implies the game isn’t doing as bad as you might be led to believe. This analyst reports otherwise.
A Bad Game Is Still A Bad Game
2024 Has Seen More Than A Few Disappointments | Image via Twitter
As much as gaming media would have you believe, there is no secret behind Concord’s failure. The game is bland, uninspired, and about eight years too late to the hero shooter party.
It doesn’t help that Firewalk’s ambitions align with the free-to-play market, while PlayStation has slapped a $40 price tag on the hero shooter. Oh, and let’s not forget that this hero shooter has the same regional limitation on Steam that recent PlayStation games have been impacted by. (I still can’t play Helldivers 2 – thanks, Sony!)
The media can praise Firewalk’s work all it wants, but at the end of the day, the results paint a clearer picture of the situation. The same was true for the likes of Suicide Squad and Skull and Bones – I don’t remember anybody coming to their defense.
Keep The Same Energy
Redfall Saw So Much Criticism That Phil Spencer Had To Apologize For Its Failure Publicly
With how things currently are in the gaming industry, compassion is needed for all developers without exceptions. These professionals, often overworked and underpaid, spend countless hours contributing to a medium we all love.
I agree with the sentiment that audiences should not be so quick to dismiss a game or declare it dead.
However, no exceptions should be made in this regard. Whether it be Starfield, Redfall, Concord, or even Suicide Squad, it’s important to treat each game with an objective and fair perspective.
Currently serving as a News Reporter at Tech4Gamers, I have the privilege of combining my love for gaming with the art of storytelling. My role involves crafting engaging narratives that keep our audience abreast of the latest developments in the gaming world.
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The GTA series revolves around satirizing American culture, often mocking real-life social issues.
Past games have featured major celebrities, like Samuel L. Jackson in GTA San Andreas and Ray Liotta in GTA Vice City, contributing to their mainstream appeal.
With the release of GTA 6, the series is expected to include even more distinct and relevant celebrity cameos, reflecting the evolving digital landscape.
The GTA series revolves around American culture in a satirical manner, making fun of every social issue. This is pretty evident from GTA 6’s trailer, which recreates memes and events happening in real-life America.
As such, the game is heavily focused on pop culture and has influenced pop culture to some great extent. The series isn’t shy about taking shots at major celebrities and even featuring them.
Throughout 11 entries spanning four different decades, we’ve seen some real familiar faces or, in some cases, voices in the IP. Major Hollywood legends like Samuel L. Jackson as Officer Tenpenny in GTA San Andreas and Ray Liotta as Tommy Vercetti in GTA Vice City are just a few examples.
With each entry, the franchise delved further into mainstream pop culture, including missions replicating real-life incidents, pushing this element further. As such, GTA 5 included major celebrity cameos like Tyler, The Creator, Mos Def, and Lazlow Jones.
Although it has been over a decade since the release of GTA 5, and the digital landscape is changing, GTA 6’s cameos will probably be the best and most distinct in the series.
Why it matters: Take-Two has previously said Rockstar is aiming for perfection with GTA 6. The studio is also said to be doing never-before-seen things, so I expect the same approach to celebrity cameos.
Celebrities Should Cameo As Parody Characters
Ryder From GTA San Andreas Side By Side With N.W.A’s Eazy-E
GTA parodies pop culture and almost everything in real-life America, down to basic food and drink brands like Sprite being called Sprunk in GTA and KRAPEA instead of IKEA, adding another layer of humor to the game.
GTA San Andreas‘ Ryder also looks vaguely familiar to N.W.A’s legendary member Eazy-E, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were used as an inspiration for the character design. The other Grove Street member, Sweet, was based on Ice Cube, another N.W.A member.
For those who remember Lazlow, he was an annoying reporter who appeared in GTA 4’s DLCs and GTA 5; Lazlow’s character parodied Jeffrey Crawford “Lazlow” Jones, a developer who helped write scripts for multiple GTA titles and Red Dead Redemption.
Using real-life characters would go against every reason GTA was made in the first place. In my opinion, GTA should keep the tradition of parodying real-life characters. The latest GTA Online DLC, “The Contract,” featured legendary West Coast rapper and producer Dr. Dre.
His inclusion in the game didn’t feel that fitting, even though it worked quite well. Dr. Dre was also a member of the N.W.A., so his being the only original character was a bit strange.
Celebrity Cameos We Want To See In GTA 6
GTA 6 Features Lucia And Jason
As I’ve mentioned, the gap between GTA 5 and GTA 6, which is scheduled for a fall 2025 release, is the longest in the series yet. The world has changed a lot since then; the internet has become an even bigger part of our lives, we’ve gone through COVID-19, and the celebrity and streamer culture has increased substantially.
As such, I wouldn’t be surprised if GTA 6 featured more streamers than it does celebrities. Big YouTubers like Mr. Beast and streamers like Kai Cenat or iShowSpeed would be the obvious choices as NPCs in GTA 6. The game will even feature the Florida Joker and a famous Karen from a viral internet video.
While these two aren’t exactly celebrities, they show the kind of satire Rockstar will aim for. Still, I would want GTA 6 to feature Hollywood celebrities too. Snoop Dogg is long overdue for a cameo as a character or a parody. LeBron James, Kanye West, and Johnny Depp are also some celebrities I want to see in the game.
I can obviously picture some sort of political rivalry being featured in GTA 6, with Donald Trump going against Joe Biden or his friendship with Putin and Kim Jong Un. Elon Musk is also a no-brainer as an entrepreneur parody.
Rockstar might have to face legal complications before including such characters, so perhaps my expectations are a bit unrealistic. Anyhow, I’m still confident that the developer will knock it out of the park with the cameos this time.
At Tech4Gamers, I mainly cover new gaming news, leaks, and rumours. Aside from that, I love to write features about my favourite games while inserting my opinion about their different aspects.
Story Highlight
Leon Kennedy is the most beloved character in Resident Evil.
The character is very popular, so he would be a great choice to bring back for future games.
Rumors also hint that Resident Evil 9 will mark the return of Leon Kennedy.
As you progress through games, it isn’t uncommon to become emotionally attached to many characters. I can name many here, but the most notable ones include Jhonny Silverhand, Arthur Morgan, Geralt of Rivia, Leon Kennedy, and Joel.
Of course, there are many more, but if I were to name all the best characters, the list would go on endlessly. Among these, Leon is quite famous as one of Resident Evil’s most prominent leads.
Actually, he is my favourite character in the franchise, so I think he must return in future games.
Why it matters: Fans often hope to see popular characters return. When older protagonists are brought back after a long time, this can also lead to excitement for fans worldwide.
The Trend of Fan-Favorite Characters Returning
Heihachi Mishima Returned In Tekken 8
While fans don’t always see older favorites returning in new games, this has recently begun to change. The Witcher fans would love to see Geralt in the upcoming Witcher RPG from CDPR.
According to his voice actor, the White Wolf will indeed return, but he won’t be the main character. This is fair enough since no one protagonist should always be the center of attention.
Elsewhere, fans were disappointed when Heihachi Mishima was left out of Tekken 8. Lo and behold, Bandai Namco confirmed Heihachi Mishima’s addition to Tekken 8 as a DLC character last month, and this was exciting, even if it did not make much sense canonically.
In a similar manner, Leon Kennedy’s return to Resident Evil would create a lot of buzz. He doesn’t even have to be the lead since fans would be happy with a smaller role for this iconic Resident Evil protagonist.
If you are a Leon fan like me, you’ll be delighted to know that a report indicates he will indeed return alongside Jill Valentine. Personally, I like the Leon and Ada duo more, but things will be interesting with Jill around too.
Leon Kennedy Needs To Be In Resident Evil
Leon Kennedy Has Garnered A Massive Fandom Over The Years
Resident Evil games strongly focus on the main lead since these protagonists are often the most important aspects of the series. Capcom does a great job here, and I have no complaints about the cast in any of the Resident Evil games.
Whenever I play games with such a lead, I develop a close bond with them, which is inevitable. That is the case with Leon since he is my favourite lead in the whole series.
I am not saying he should be the main focus of every single game, but he should have some sort of presence. You can consider Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure as an example. Almost every season, a new Jojo is introduced, but the previous Jojo still plays an important role in the story.
That is what I mainly want with Leon. Of course, I would love to see him as a playable character, but that may not be possible. He wasn’t in the last two mainline entries at all, and his presence was missed a lot.
Playing those two games without him as the lead made me realize how much I like this character. Fortunately, Resident Evil 4 Remake was a treat for fans like me.
Leon Is The Best Character
Leon Kennedy Is Arguably The Best Character In The Series | Image By Tech4Gamers
I think I speak for most people when I say Leon Kennedy is the best character in the Resident Evil franchise. I agree that characters like Luis and Chris can steal the show, but at the the end of the day, everyone’s favorite cop remains at the top.
Resident Evil 9 doesn’t have a release date yet, as it seems to have been delayed. The game is expected to be coming in late 2025 or early 2026, but not much information is known about this entry. Still, some rumours do point out that it could be an open-world take on the survival horror genre.
I wouldn’t mind playing an open-world Resident Evil, but Capcom needs to do a solid job blending the genre with an open world. Also, if my favorite character could return in some capacity, that would make the experience even better.
