General Gaming News.

[FakeSympathy]

Sony never learns. For all the Horizon fans, expect a live service multiplayer game. Even though none of you clearly want this and I don't blame you.

Live Service Game Horizon Online Reportedly Guerrilla’s Next Project, Horizon 3 ‘Might Be a Ways Off’ - IGN

Horizon developer Guerrilla Games’ next project is the live service Horizon Online project, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier has said. Horizon 3 "might be a ways off."

www.ign.com

I have to wonder, what exactly about Horizon franchise that makes Sony obsessed with it? Granted milking of any franchise usually ends horribly, but why Horizon in particular?

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I have to wonder, what exactly about Horizon franchise that makes Sony obsessed with it? Granted milking of any franchise usually ends horribly, but why Horizon in particular?

Same thoughts. Perhaps it has sold a lot better than we think? Or if not sold, then maybe it's really hot on PlayStation Plus.

 

[Satinavian]

This cannot possibly still be true after Concord. Even Sony isn't that dumb... Unless their only learning from that failure was that "NEW live service games will die, but it will be totally different for established IPs!". At which point I would wordlessly gesture towards Suicide Squad.

Well, they did scale back their life service plans already in december last year. And of what was left, Concord already failed. They haven't started new ones since then. I guess it is just finishing the most promising projects already in the works and cutting all the rest while they think of other ideas.

And while many life service games fail we also have successful recent ones (Wuthering Waves, Honai Star Rail, Helldivers) and we also have massive costly single player flops ( Star Wars Outlaws, Forspoken, Gollum ) and it doesn't look good for the next AC either. It is not that easy to say that life-service-games fail and single player titles thrive. Sure, life service titles have it harder, but not that much harder that every executive is willing to can all attempts. The allure of possible striking life service gold once and getting a steady revenue stream for decades is just too strong.

I have to wonder, what exactly about Horizon franchise that makes Sony obsessed with it? Granted milking of any franchise usually ends horribly, but why Horizon in particular?

- 1 I wouldn't call two main series entries "milking it".
- 2 It was a good game and a new successful Sony IP. It looks like they use Aloy a lot for branding now. Aloy and Sonic are the characters most associated with Playstation. That is why we get collabs featuring her everywhere to establish her as instantly recognized brand mascot.


I really enjoyed both Horizon games when they finally got to PC. Would play more, but certainly not a grindy life service multiplayer one.

 

[bluegate]

I have to wonder, what exactly about Horizon franchise that makes Sony obsessed with it? Granted milking of any franchise usually ends horribly, but why Horizon in particular?

The first game sold somewhere around 24 millions units.

Narratively they still have a third game in the works.

So my guess is that they figure that there's a large audience out there for the series, best to tap into that audience now.

I don't see how a live service game would be fun though.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I have to wonder, what exactly about Horizon franchise that makes Sony obsessed with it? Granted milking of any franchise usually ends horribly, but why Horizon in particular?

Beyond being relatively popular/well known, it's a big world with lots of characters, big robots, and big weapons. Out of all the current IP's Sony has Horizon seems the "easiest" to craft a live-service around. If we're talking about live-service as a team shooter that is, because funnily enough Sony had a live-service game once that was quite popular and well regarded; Little Big Planet.

 

[Chimpzy]

Suck a big fat one, Nintendo.

Word is they, which I assume is Nintendo lawyers, showed up to the project lead's house and offered a deal.

I'm guessing that deal was "Shut it down, or we'll sue you into oblivion"

 

[Bedinsis]

I have to wonder, what exactly about Horizon franchise that makes Sony obsessed with it? Granted milking of any franchise usually ends horribly, but why Horizon in particular?

In addition to the other points raised: the developer, Guerrilla Games, has previously worked on multiplayer experiences in the form of their other flagship title Killzone. So they have the experience.

 

[FakeSympathy]

View attachment 11934

I'm sure this has nothing to do with Ghosts 2, or pulling out of the TGS2024 show.

EXCLUSIVE - Context Around the Assassin's Creed Shadows Delay

Exclusive context around the recent delay announcement of Assassin's Creed Shadows which will now launch February 14, 2025.

insider-gaming.com

More info on the delay. TL;DR:

• They saw how poorly SW Outlaws performed, and decided to put more time into development and make it available on steam
• Ubisoft realized they fucked up big time on historical accuracy, particularly with the buildings, letters, clothes, etc
• Yasuke IS NOT being removed, however they are downscaling his role in the gameplay
• Need more time to fix the bugs

 

[BrawlMan]

Yasuke IS NOT being removed, however they are downscaling his role in the gameplay

That one I disagree with. They can keep fifty fifty. I wouldn't have minded. They better not do that thing where they take out vital or certain missions and make them paid dlc later.

 

[CriticalGaming]

EXCLUSIVE - Context Around the Assassin's Creed Shadows Delay

Exclusive context around the recent delay announcement of Assassin's Creed Shadows which will now launch February 14, 2025.

insider-gaming.com

More info on the delay. TL;DR:

• They saw how poorly SW Outlaws performed, and decided to put more time into development and make it available on steam
• Ubisoft realized they fucked up big time on historical accuracy, particularly with the buildings, letters, clothes, etc
• Yasuke IS NOT being removed, however they are downscaling his role in the gameplay
• Need more time to fix the bugs

I saw a video about that but it was only based on rumors. But IIRC Japanese twitter was PISSED about Shadows, because of Yasuke was never a samurai and only give some swords as a token for other service or something along those lines. So they, rightfully, thought it was disrespectful for a game glorifying history.

Compare that to how they loved Ghosts because it was true to the experience of the time and honored the art form.

The AC devs are a bunch of dumb asses really, to ever think this was a good idea.

The video I saw also suggested that the Feb release date is tentative, and they expect to probably not release until the end of Q2 2025.

 

[CriticalGaming]

That one I disagree with. They can keep fifty fifty. I wouldn't have minded. They better not do that thing where they take out vital or certain missions and make them paid dlc later.

From what I heard, Yasuke was originally supposed to be Japanese in the game and they even had a Japanese character modeled and animated ready to roll, but some manager or whatever decided to make him black and change up his story to fit. Dunno how true that is, but it comes from the same people behind the report I saw above.

 

[BrawlMan]

From what I heard, Yasuke was originally supposed to be Japanese in the game and they even had a Japanese character modeled and animated ready to roll, but some manager or whatever decided to make him black and change up his story to fit. Dunno how true that is, but it comes from the same people behind the report I saw above.

I doubt that personally, considering how far they had Yasuke planned to begin with, with how Integrated he is in the story/narrative, and with him being already well known in history at this point.

saw a video about that but it was only based on rumors. But IIRC Japanese twitter was PISSED about Shadows, because of Yasuke was never a samurai and only give some swords as a token for other service or something along those lines. So they, rightfully, thought it was disrespectful for a game glorifying history.

The Japanese were fine at the beginning with it and didn't mind Yasuke specifically. They still don't overall, when it comes to him. What they are mad at were the cultural inaccuracies, using the wrong kanji symbols, cultural iconography from Chinese culture, or Japanese culture from the wrong era.

 

[CriticalGaming]

The Japanese were fine at the beginning with it and didn't mind Yasuke specifically. They still don't overall, when it comes to him. What they are mad at were the cultural inaccuracies, using the either wrong kanji symbols, cultural iconography from Chinese culture, or Japanese culture from the wrong era.

Oh and the collector's statue uses a broken shrine pillar from the shrine in Hiroshima that was destroyed in the atomic bomb. So they were mad that these idiots would dare use something so horrific in a toy, and also it had nothing to do with the time period.

 

[BrawlMan]

Oh and the collector's statue uses a broken shrine pillar from the shrine in Hiroshima that was destroyed in the atomic bomb. So they were mad that these idiots would dare use something so horrific in a toy, and also it had nothing to do with the time period.

That too.

 

[Gordon_4]

Oh and the collector's statue uses a broken shrine pillar from the shrine in Hiroshima that was destroyed in the atomic bomb. So they were mad that these idiots would dare use something so horrific in a toy, and also it had nothing to do with the time period.

I did not know an Ooof could come so large.

 

[BrawlMan]

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[Chimpzy]

Nintendo shuttering Switch emulator Ryujinx causing chilling effect. Notable Switch game modder is calling it quits.


Nintendo also seemingly specifically targeting YT channels that show their games being emulated

 

[Bob_McMillan]

"I wonder if Ubisoft just did a shitty job researching Japan, or if people are just way more knowledgeable about Japanese culture than most other cultures.

Mirage might not have made waves, but by all accounts people thought it was an amazing recreation of Baghdad."

I made this post first, then actually read the article. The author claims that the experts that Ubisoft hires to consult on historical matters were brought on later than usual into the development cycle. If true, that certainly explains a lot.

 

[BrawlMan]

"I wonder if Ubisoft just did a shitty job researching Japan,

Most definitely the first option.

I made this post first, then actually read the article. The author claims that the experts that Ubisoft hires to consult on historical matters were brought on later than usual into the development cycle. If true, that certainly explains a lot.

Yet Ubisoft was able to get ancient China right in one of the 2.5D spin-off games from the XBLA era. Ubisoft, or those at the top do not fucking care when it comes to Japan at least.

 

[BrawlMan]

Nintendo shuttering Switch emulator Ryujinx causing chilling effect. Notable Switch game modder is calling it quits.
View attachment 11969

Nintendo also seemingly specifically targeting YT channels that show their games being emulated
View attachment 11970

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