Ganepark32

Yeah, thats the link I found not long ago but thanks, I was having a nightmare going round GAMEs website to find the actual console page not their register your interest or Destination Xbox pages. Now in a queue to get through to checkout with All Access. Just over half an hour now to see if I can grab one. As much as I'd rather have a PS5 at launch, this is the more approachable way for me to move up to next gen with things happening at home (some renovations needed and the missus is needing time off work, she works in social care so these last few months have been a nightmare for her with the pandemic). Not that I'm not excited to jump into next gen with the Series X if my order goes through. Gamepass definitely helps but then so does a new Hitman on the horizon and I'd love to play that on a console that isn't a launch model (both my Xbox One and PS4 are launch models and I'd like to play Cyberpunk on hardware thats not going to cry or sound like a jet running it).

GAME is proving a nightmare for getting to the actual console pages. Don't think they've even put them up. Every time I click on the Xbox Seriez X/S banner or search them, I'm taken to their register your interest page. Going through All Access has put me in a queue to check out an order but the only thing on their All Access page is the Xbox One S. No idea what's going on especially as I was ready to go at 8 and was logged in. Doubt it'll happen now Edit: Scratch that. They've bothered to out the pages up for them. Currently in a 42 minute queue to see if I can get one. At least I'm logged in (saved my login yesterday for doing it) so that should cur down on time with not having to input details at checkout for All Access.

US retail pre-orders at Gamestop going to be gone in less than 5 minutes: I imagine that'll be mirrored in stores here in the UK. Hopefully there will be more stock for online pre-orders otherwise tomorrow will be utter chaos for those trying to get one. Microsoft haven't talked about number of units that they'll have available but this makes me think its going to be a small allocation for launch. Not great, and potentially less stock than the PS5, but hopefully there is just more and this is simply a sign that they'd rather people order online given the on going pandemic. If not, I doubt there'll be as many angry as there were for the PS5 pre-orders but I imagine people won't be happy.

From what I gather, Sony's gaming division is one of the biggest contributors to their bottom line but yeah, as you say, they haven't got the cash to splash around like Microsoft clearly have. I'd still say that acquisitions of Bluepoint and perhaps Housemarque will happen, at least I'm 100% expecting the former to become part of PlayStation Studios and given the freedom to do either remakes or new IPs as they like (Bluepoint had talked previous that after their next title, which we now know is the Demon Souls remake, that they would move to a new IP). Sony has preferred to work closely with studios in the past, such as with Insomniac for instance. I wonder of they'll perhaps favour that sort of deal going forward instead and should there be good reciprocity between both parties, then down the line a deal for acquisition will happen. But as you say, I'm not sure they'll buy out a whole publisher as Microsoft have done. Like you, it does leave a sour taste in my mouth also and thats with me potentially pre-ordering a Series X tomorrow. Bethesda Studios titles, Elder Scrolls and Fallout, as well as those of ID are big third party titles that have sold extremely well on PS4 this generation. I'm not just lamenting the loss to the Sony side but generally, consolidation of a major third party publisher with one of the biggest consumer electronics companies in the world with the highest (or second highest, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple seem to keep leapfrogging one another) market value means that while there's easier access through Gamepass and XCloud at a reduced cost to the consumer (which I'll circle back to as there will be a cost to this in particular with this acquisition and EA Play coming to Gamepass), it actually narrows the scope of consumer who will attach to these games now as Microsoft will lag behind Sony this generation. The announcement of this and the release of the cheapest "next gen" console in the Series S is definitely a point to grab market share and close the gap and if Starfield, Elder Scrolls, Doom and Fallout don't release outside of PC and Xbox then that's likely to push some sales but could invariably hurt Microsoft's status in the industry from those on other platforms. Sure the buy in is low for Xbox but losing big third party IPs and having them consolidated and exclusive to one home console platform might be more damaging in gamers' mindsets. The big thing I see is that going forward, Gamepass is definitely going to have to go up on price. People will point to it already happening on PC, though that was just an introductory offer, but I've already said how I think the price will increase in the next 12 months. I think thay timeframe has now shifted up. EA Play and Zenimax Media's IPs being on board will have been extremely costly ($7.5 Billion for Zenimax alone, EA Play will have cost several million and will no doubt be a continuous fee Microsoft are fronting to keep those games on the service). As such, I can see Gamepass increasing within 6 months now. It'll still be the cheapest way to play, but thats going to slowly keep increasing as the years go on and these types of deals keep happening.

Actually taken aback by that news. Absolutely huge. I can completely see how some say its bad for the consumer (Skyrim alone is one of the best selling games of the last decade never mind the pull that the Elder Scrolls IP has) but from Microsoft's position, this is them firmly showing they know they need strong first party titles and if they can't do it in house, bring in people who can (dubious quality of the last Fallout games and Elder Scrolls Blades aside). The list of IP they've just gained with this is insane. Hell, even the studios like Arkane, Tango and Machinegun Games. Its the biggest acquisition I've known of in gaming in my time being around and I doubt there'll quite be anything that big going forward for some time. I am curious if the big IPs like Fallout and Elder Scrolls will still see multi-platform releases, on the PS5 and Switch for instance. Given the popularity of those franchises, it would be bad business sense not to and leave all that potential PS5 player money on the table. If anything, I'm just happy the likes of Arkane will be able to keep doing the work they're doing as I'm a huge Dan of their games. Always worried they'd go under with Dishonored and Prey underperforming. As has been said, this being announced before pre-orders is no coincidence. This is a hype point to push people to put down their money. Whether it works is another thing but damn, huge play by Microsoft. Sony is in the market for other studios too. You have to wonder if this'll push them to make their moves on studios they were considering. Microsoft still clearly have their eyes on studios like Asobo and Dontnod, but I'd be curious to know if Sony will now make their moves here, although sadly Remedy will be off the table for some time until their Epic 2 game deal runs out but Bungie is still on the table after Microsoft walked away (at least according to rumours).

I've seen Klarna being offered on Shopto for buying games as it's given me the option in the past but I'd never do it as it seems like an unnecessary way to pay for a game. Totally understand for higher priced items but do agree its crazy to offer it for individual smaller priced items. I was a bit in two minds about putting in a pre-order because of the Klarna thing but having checked my credit score on Experian (haven't done it in a while so was interested anyway to see where I was, 925) and learning a bit more about it has put me a bit more at ease for putting one in. As I say, I wouldn't do it for smaller things like individual games and I could pay for a Series X out of pocket straight up but with already paying for Gamepass and now knowing that there'll be some work to do to my flat in the coming weeks, spreading the cost out does minimise any risk financially to me for being short money wise into the holidays. I'll easily make the payments so there's no issue of me defaulting on payments. Its now to see whether I'll manage to get one on Tuesday morning. I suspect that GAME's website will get hammered because of the All Access deal so best I can hope for is be logged in to my account early morning and hope for the best. I am curious as to when we'll hear about these other games that Microsoft have in the works that they didn't show during their last showcase. I know they have a TGS showcase but I doubt we'll see any such games there from their first party studios. Weird for them to talk it up at the end of their last showcase but have yet to do anything with it. Do also wonder if they'll choose to focus on the Series S for the Japanese market. A more affordable console in a market where they struggle against a higher priced PS5. Xbox Ones were being sold as bluray players to shift them but wonder if a cheaper model, even without the generational leap, will make some slight headway if they can get Japanese developers on board. Just a thought that crossed my mind the other day.

Its such a good game. I've put more time into it than Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection and loving getting to grips with it. Very simple to get in to but the nuance is so deep with a lot of combinations of both weapons with randomised boons from the gods from Olympia. Think I've only done 10 runs so far but managed to get through to the third area. Consistently getting through Tartarus easily, had a few scares here and there with Meg the Fury but managed to beat her on my second or third run with the Shield weapon and a boon from Ares that let me stack Doom. The jump in difficulty after clearing Tartarus the first time to being in Asphrodel was huge. Didn't last long in there on my first run in there because of all the enemies that drop/throw bombs and all of the fire. Nailed it the second time though and got to the boss without too much bother. Said boss fight was absolutely chaos playing it on a Lite. Maybe a tiny amount of slow down but that fight was so frantic but so good. I've pretty much exclusively been using the Shield outside of the very first run. The knock back that you can get as well as deflecter buffs really does help in the melee. Add to that you can get boons to buff your shield bash massively (we're talking up to 500 damage against armour when you do hit the attack on the flash). Great weapon and it has meant that my runs through Tartarus at the start are down to single digit minutes now. Its all about finding that right combo of boons to get you through. The first couple of runs its about getting your head around what symbol refers to which god and boons you want to prioritise with your weapon of choice. Doom does take some time to set in on enemies but its always proved helpful to me, especially with a few buffs to its level. I did get a boon from Poseidon that had my dash result in a wave flood at the end point of each dash so it meant being aggressive on the offense and closing space between me and the enemies was beneficial. Similarly with your cast. If you get some boons that buff your attacks against enemies who are holding your cast, that can get your through mobs really quickly. As I say, its simple to pick up but the amount of depth there is huge. Can't wait to play more as its just so well designed and plays extremely well. Thats before mentioning how god damn good the presentation is. Its continued Pyre's visual style with the character art as well as on the expanded narrative, which is great so far as well, and the music is once again superb. Darren Korb hasn't made a bad soundtrack for any of Supergiant Games titles, and they've never made a bad game in my eyes. I've said several times that I'm a huge mark for their games but this really is a special game. Its the culmination of all their previous titles tied together perfectly. So happy to see it being reviewed so well and to see so many players enjoying it on Switch after it was released (it managing to be the second best selling game on the eShop is crazy considering both Bastion and Transistor have only ever been there because of heavy discounts on the Switch). So yeah, everyone play this. I'm not a huge fan of roguelikes but this even grabbed me and I can't get enough of it.

They'll sell through their initial allocation of consoles at launch, I think that can be guaranteed eapecially with the Series S and its price. The All Access plan also helps make it more accessible for people so I'd expect a heavy pick up on that front. The ratio of full sales to All Access ones will be very interesting. Its post launch and beyond Christmas into the new year that I suspect they might start to struggle to sell units. That price is attractive but I do expect we'll start seeing less and less sales going forward unless they've got the games to fill that early part of next year. They don't, I think we can all guarantee they don't have anything first party to counter say Ratchet and Clank in the launch window beyond their launch first party titles which are ports of PC games (Gears Tactics and Microsoft Flight Simulator) and going forward through next year, unless they've got stuff hidden away they haven't announced or some projects are further forward, Sony will walk away by miles with the PS5 and the lineul of games they have coming next year. As I say, it'll be interesting to look at how the sales of the Xboxes differ and what the breakdown will be of full sales to All Access is. After that, I don't think there'll be much point comparing them to PS5 sales as they'll just rocket off and never be caught even if Microsoft start to being stronger first party titles (they might close the gap a bit but I would expect a similar sale ratio of 2+:1 PS5s to Xboxes even with the cheaper unit). Thanks @Cube for that bit on how Klarna works. I wasn't sure how they'd go about doing a credit check at point of sale for a pre-order especially with a high volume of pre-orders coming in. Wasn't sure if they'd do the equivalent of a Vodafone "credit check" where its simply them clicking a button, going "hmm" for about 2 seconds and then going yep you're good to go. Did also note that someone on another forum said if you pre-ordered on the All Access plan and then cancelled that it would negatively impact your credit score. Any truth in that? I suppose it would work in the same way if you outright cancelled a phone contract that you ordered with a new handset before you received it and how that would impact your credit score. It wouldn't be an issue for me if I did go ahead with it as my score is good, always make payments on bills and such and never go into my overdraft (haven't since about 2014 when I'd moved out for the first time) and I know I'd meet all the payments going forward without any issue but wanted a bit of clarity on that in the event things came up post pre-order and I had to bail on it prior to actually receiving the console or making the first payment. As I've said, I buy either the PS5 or Xbox Series X outright at launch but with everything going on and the possibility of needing to do some renovation work at home, the monthly plan would allow me a less stressful way to manage paying for it.

Interesting if true. While there will undoubtedly be less people clamouring for the new Xbox consoles on Tuesday than there were for PS5 these last 2 days, people are rightly worried that specific times will play right into the hands of scalpers, especially when it comes to stock of the Series S. Whereas we had a rough idea of the number of hardware Sony is bringing to market by the end of the year, there's no indication as to how many units Microsoft will have which could also cause some issue. Probably doesn't affect many here but for those few that are looking to pre-order, looks like you might want to have multiple retailer options set to go for 8am BST/9am CEST to make sure you get a pre-order in. Though remember that if you're going for All Access, its only through Smyths and GAME. I'm still trying to decide if I want to grab a pre-order for the Series X to replace my One as its the launch model of the One so its getting a little long in the tooth. I'm already paying for Gamepass Ultimate and the media/streaming app options have work out better on the Xbox this gen because my partner uses it to watch stuff on ITV and we're able to beam from the Fite.tv app for things as well without needing to use the Internet browser. Probably end up putting in an order but suspect I'll need to be quick online for the All Access which I suspect isn't going to be the quickest to set up unless they do that later once they've confirmed orders/just before release when you've been allocated a unit.

My copy arrived this lunchtime so I've had a chance to play all three for a bit in my Lite and I think shockingly, Sunshine is probably the only one I'll end up putting significant time into. 64 just seems to feel so dated now in terms of controls and that camera is really grating. I love the game but I just don't know if I can be bothered jumping back into the restricted a control scheme. I'll jump in again and try playing more to see if it clicks in my head but it didn't really take hold in the hour I tried. It really could do with a proper remaster as that would be phenomenal with the right team and effort. Galaxy I have issues with because of needing to use the touch screen for star bit collection and aiming of them. The Lite is smaller than the standard Switch for handheld play but having to stop what you're doing in game to drag your finger across the screen just isn't intuitive because of the nature of the gameplay. Similarly, I don't remember the camera changes being so extreme as the are here. Maybe its the smaller screen I'm playing on but its really jarring having it whip round as you go around a planetoid and then there are issues with the directional controls keeping up as I've had issues where I'm pressing forward to follow through on a move round a planetoid and Mario has just spun round in a circle or gone off in a completely different direction. All a bit odd and disappointing as Galaxy was the one I was looking forward to replaying the most. Sunshine plays great though. The lack of adaptive triggers took a little to get used to but I got my head round it quickly and really enjoyed my hour in it so far. I enjoyed Sunshine back in the day anyway so its nice to revisit it all these years later. It also looks really nice on the Lite screen. I know these impressions will run contrary to most and that in the cases of both 64 and Galaxy a bit more time might help acclimatise to them, but I am somewhat disappointed with the collection and really do think a bit more effort on Nintendo's part should have been made. We'll see how I get on but with Hades on the go and me wanting to get Kentucky Route Zero finished, I may find more of my time elsewhere sadly.

Genuinely sad news for the industry and for Ubisoft as they lost one of their true creatives. He created Rayman all those years ago, along with the Rabbids years later, and created one of my all time favourite games in Beyond Good and Evil. He was always a humble and sincere man. I think my resounding memories of him will be getting to see him re-announce Beyond Good and Evil 2 at E3 and the emotion of that (regardless of what you think of the game and where its gone, it was a genuinely great moment for a man who has been trying for near enough a decade to make it happen) and also the time when he and Miyamoto met and the latter expressed how he didn't like what he'd done with the original Beyond Good and Evil while Ancel remarked the same about Legend of Zelda (I believe it was around the time of Wind Waker). He may have a smaller legacy than some but like Miyamoto and Warren Spector, he'll be remembered for the games he created which were genuinely great (I haven't even mentioned Rayman Legends which is a god tier 2D platformer). Such a shame that Ubisoft messed him around so much with both BG&E and the Rayman license. The way they handled the launch Rayman Legends on the WiiU, delaying it to come alongside versions for the other consoles even though it was finished and ready to release, cancelling multiple subsequent Rayman project because he wanted to have creative control (he did create the character after all). Still, he goes off to work in something the world needs right now in wildlife conservation so good luck to him. Will genuinely miss seeing and hearing from him on the Space Monkey streams and at conferences.

Hades is bloody brilliant. Its a Supergiant Games game so that was never not going to be the case but as someone who doesn't normally go for roguelikes, this is fantastic. A perfect blend of everything they've done uo till now with the Bastion style action combat/weaponry, Transistor style combos and Pyre's excellent visual and narrative design. So happy to also see its selling well on the eShop. Its well worth a try out. So the short of the massage is that Hades rules, everyone should play it.

Got Hades downloading now. The game always had good reviews from players in early access but the reviews coming put now have got me extremely excited to play. I'm not a huge roguelike fan but having gotten into Undermine recently, I have high hopes this'll hit home especially with it being from Supergiant Games who haven't put a step wrong with any of their releases as far as I'm concerned. I know everyone will be more interested in Mondter Hunter Rise and Stories 2 but Hades and Ori and the Will of the Wisps are definitely ones to keep an eye on and certainly worth your time going by reviews for the former and my experience with the latter. Even the trailer is great. Darren Korb once again working magic with the soundtrack. Easily one of my favourite composers in the games industry (the soundtrack to Transistor is superb and the work they did with that generated track telling your tale in Pyre was so good). Super Mario 3D All Stars is going to have to wait tomorrow, and thats partly because I'm not keen on how they've handled controls in Galaxy (touch screen use for Switch Lite/Handheld to collect star bits could easily have been automated dependent on where the camera was looking as that's going to be a right pain even if you can ignore them) but also because Hades.

Nice to see that more people will get a chance to play Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Yeah it had performance issues on the standard Xbox One but from the sounds of it, Moon Studios have managed to get it running well. Whether that remains to be seen when gamers get their hands on it is another thing but something people should definitely check out because its such a fantastic game. Easily one of the best this year. Also really nice to see Hades get a shadow drop. That'll do me nicely thank you very much. Can't leave a Supergiant Games game unbought so that's my evening sorted. Can't wait to get stuck in.

To add to what @Will said, Shuhei Yoshida is now in charge of that area and last year went on a large trip around smaller indie dev studios, talking to them about what they could do to help with getting them on board and signing up some in exclusivity deals just as Sony have been doing more generally with bigger third party developers (like with Arkane with Deathloop). I can't remember exact names for studios but I distinctly remember seeing a picture of Yoshida with Mike Bithell of Bithell Games (presumably which led to John Wick Hex releasing on PS4) but there was plenty of that last year. So I think we'll see more of that in the coming weeks and in the months to come post launch also. We've seen a tiny slice of that with the June Showcase so there's definitely some stuff in the works beyond Kena, Pathless, that Jett game by the guys behind Superbrothers and the few others in that showcase. I wouldn't be surprised if one of fhe studios they've talked to indie wise would be Team Cherry. Getting Hollow Knight Silksong on the PS5 as close to the PC and Switch release would be high up on their list because of the critical and commercial success of the original and just how big of a game the sequel is likely to be. On the subject of PS5 games getting PS4 releases, there's nothing wrong with it and I don't think it really detracts from their message. Miles Morales is being built on the engine of the PS4 game so its a no brainer, especially with how well that original sold. Not putting it on PS4 would be cutting off your nose to spite your face level of idiocy so it's just plain good business sense when there's likely to be a shortage of PS5s around launch and into next year so why not pick up some of those who haven't been able to upgrade their hardware with no games. Sackboy and Horizon are interesting cases similarly make good business sense to release cross gen. Sackboy, while being a launch title, probably won't sell as well as both Miles Morales nor Demon Souls. From that perspective alone, similarly with Miles Morales, putting it out on PS4 gives those gamers a new experience to play this holiday season but also helps to recoup cost of development that might not otherwise have been achieved by launching exclusively on PS5. Even if it got 9s and 10s in reviews, people's attention will be to the two other games I mentioned, especially with how long Sackboy/LittleBigPlanet has rested this generation after the release of the third game which wasn't as well received. Horizon Forbidden West will be running on a modified version of the Decima engine so scalability is already (IIRC, Guerrilla Games have already talked up how scalable that engine is). First and foremost it'll be being developed as a PS5 title but everything will be done such that it can be scaled for PS4 play. That doesn't mean it won't take advantage of the hardware of the PS5. On the contrary, I expect it'll make use of the various new technologies to put out a gorgeous game. Its more that they'll making a slightly scaled back version for the PS4 which won't have the benefits of the new hardware. No gimping of the PS5 version or anything like that, just spreading the joy. Maybe they're expecting slower uptake for rhe hardware beyond the end of the fiscal year (a reasonable assumption for all new hardware this year as early buyers will have been set in stone for a ages for pick up, the wider audience might take a bit longer with the higher price of console and game into the second half of next year) as a result of the pandemic so again, putting it out on existing hardware is a solid business plan as people don't have to upgrade to play it but there will be benefits if you do. I don't expect it to be quite how Microsoft are doing their initially wave of games for their Xbox consoles. The announcement of the PS Plus Collection adds another thread to that possibility of maybe expecting a slightly slower uptake beyond the current fiscal year due to financial constraints on consumers resulting from the pandemic and possibly because they can't meet demand for the hardware. This is a great addition that gives those who maybe haven't spread themselves as wide on the PS4 something new to play that they might not have already played at no extra cost while also acting as a great way to combat backwards compat issues for those purchasing the digital console. Its lineup is also primarily first party and third party AAA games so it has a slight uptick over Gamepass which will likely focus more on smaller/intermediate size titles as publishers push harder for a bigger chunk of change from Microsoft to get their games on the service (I expect we'll see a not unsubstantial increase in the cost of Gamepass in the next 12 months). Anyway, I've had to shown so much restraint from sticking in a pre-order. I had it sitting there on Amazon for the digital but didn't pull the trigger as although I really, really want to upgrade out of the gate, I can't knowingly do that currently without knowing what my financial status will be like closer to November and whether there'll be any further lockdown effects and such. But God damn it was hard not to put that pre-order in. Trying not to cave when they go live with Argos tomorrow morning.

Yeah, sold out on Amazon. I was on at 9am and refreshing but the console just wasn't coming up and by the time it did, it just redirected to the home page. Not the best from Amazon there as that caused a bit of a clusterfuck going by Twitter. Weird that the digital didn't go up though. Wonder if they're separating out the pre-orders so as to not overload their system.

Posting the gameplay trailer from last night's showcase: It looks fantastic. The speed and the style of the gameplay is right up my street. Love how you're able to manipulate things somewhat to bring targets together in the world, could make for some interesting gameplay moments. Arkane haven't put a foot wrong this generation and this seems to be a continuation and amalgamation of their work so I'm all for it. Excited to play it when it comes out next year.

I see Shopto is down. People absolutely hammering their site to get in a pre-order though I don't think they've officially opened them yet, unless that's happened this morning. They were doing the Register Your Interest thing for 1p but that was prefaced with the caveat that it isn't a pre-order so curious if they've kept that as the actual pre-order or whether there'll be some unhappy people later when they find out that its not. Hopefully its the former because the fallout would be horrendous for Shopto and for gamers looking to get the console (though with getting a DDoS screen going on Shopto, I think there'll be a lot that don't get a console for launch anyway). Had a quick look last night and again this morning but think I'll refrain from trying to get a pre-order in (which is painful let me tell you as I really want one to replace my PS4 and just because I'm ready for next gen) because I can't say for certain I'll be able to pick on up. If that changes, I'll hopefully be able to grab one on launch day with a click and collect at my local Argos in Sainsbury's (seems like a reasonable bet that if I log in at midnight on launch day I might have a chance to get one). Hopefully those that have their orders in manage to get their's for launch day, got my fingers crossed for y'all. I'm hoping I won't be too long behind. The lineup of Sony titles for launch is pretty good. Not mind blowing but there's a good spread of titles there to give something for everyone at launch and then when you factor in that 2021 seems to be stacked for their first party lineup (Ratchet and Clank, God of War 2, Horizon 2, Gran Turismo), its going to potentially be a hell of a first year for the PS5. Does make you wonder just what else they have cooking first party wise. The Last of Us Part 2 Factions multiplayer must be coming as their big online multiplayer title early next year. Then there's whatever Sony Bend are doing, Sony San Diego (they were rumoured to be working on the next Uncharted IIRC), they have a studio in San Mateo don't they as well and then any other workings with Pixelopus and such. Really going to be interesting looking ahead to what they've all got cooking. Man, actually excited now there's a date out there for the console. Even if I'm not there at launch, knowing that a new generation is on the horizon and that it'll bring new games is always a exciting feeling but after how much I've played this gen across all platforms (I'm sure that my PS4 digital library is at about 300 games without PS Plus games included), I'm ready to see what comes next and that's still with the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 coming this year (and Ghostrunner and Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla).

Was a decent enough showcase but it didn't really wow me like their previous one in June. The announcement of the rumoured Final Fantasy XVI will no doubt please many but I actually didn't think it looked great, at least environmentally and stylistically but then I'm not really a fan so its clearly not for me. Deathloop continues to look incredible and is still the game I'm most excited to play on a PS5 in the launch qindow. Did expect more games though, and at least more new announcements. The Harry Potter game finally surfaced (and the missus is happy at that) but beyond that and FF16, there wasn't much new that I dug. Still, matching the Series X price was a must for them (and they'll be taking a hit on the standard model and an even bigger hit on the digital) and glad to see they've done that. The new PS Plus collection is a good idea provided its not at any extra cost (IIRC, they said it wasn't), especially out of the gate for the digital console owners as they have access to a lot of backwards compat games that they would lose buy not having a disc drive. Not a fan of the split launch dates but it is what it is. Presume launch titles will be announced in the coming weeks but odd that Miles Morales still had Holiday 2020 and not at launch in its trailer. Wonder if it'll hit at launch or if it'll be a December title as I imagine they're running tight on getting it out the door in time. Not expecting to grab a pre-order online as they'll be gone within seconds so if I am able to grab one, it'll come down to being able to walk into somewhere like Argos and grab one there and then. I'll have to see.

Given that the rumour is that its due in late October, EA are running out of time to announce the thing. Not that it matters as they could shadow drop the thing and it would likely sell gangbusters. More so if they don't screw around with the inclusion of the DLC. It's unlikely for it to be shown/announced at TGS and although the initial rumour said no Switch version, if its coming to Switch tomorrows Partner Showcase would be the perfect place to show it off. I'm not getting my hopes up (especially for the DLC to be included. I think EA will sell the trilogy at full price and charge extra for the DLC cause they're money grubbing) but as someone who would absolutely love to play through a modernised Mass Effect 1, I sincerely hope it gets announced tomorrow.

Curious how they'll structure this showcase. Presuming that they're announcing the release date and price here and not in a blog/twitter post, you'd imagine they would come out of the gate and announce it first and then focus on the games. I see it as they'll be shining more light on games coming in the launch window/at launch with some stuff coming further down the line (such as say the heavily rumoured Final Fantasty XVI) so getting date out first would let them structure the show in such a way. Hell, they may even kick it off with say Spiderman Miles Morales and put a launch date for that at the end of the trailer and use that to launch into a quick overview of the launch date of the PS5 and the price. That to me seems like the best way to go about it but there's still this niggling feeling that they won't announce the date/price here and will do a blog/twitter post to simply focus on the games. As I say, they don't need to spend much time on it, just stick up the date, the price and when pre-orders start and that would get it over with quickly. Looking forward to the show though. I'm somewhat resigning myself to not getting a PS5 this year as I don't want to stretch my finances with everything that's happening at the moment but there's still the chance that I'll possibly grab one if I can and so I'm looking forward to seeing more of what's going to be coming at launch and early in the life cycle of the console. Hopefully see some more of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and some more of the indies they've been creating deals for behind the scenes (there'll probably be a lot of launch exclusive announcement or titles through this). Not expecting Horizon or God of War 2, though I don't think they need to show more of the former or even do anything for the latter as people know it'll come when it comes. How long of a section do we all think Godfall will be given? Another 5 minute segment? hopefully they won't spend too long on it and just give the date and possibly announce it as a PS Plus launch title or something along those lines (I just don't like the look of the game. Really don't need another GaaS title). Looking forward to it though. Shame we won't see more of Kena or Deathloop but I can live with that, given them the space to breathe next year.

Interesting that they've announced this the day before rather than shadow dropping it. Could mean something big is on the way but given the past Partner Showcases, probably not. We know there's a bunch of games from EA that haven't been properly unveiled, like that Need for Speed remaster and Plants Versus Zombies, so I could see one or multiples of those being shown here. There was a Klonoa trademark recently hinting at that coming back in some way and I'd say the Switch is the perfect platform for it (could also lead in to a Smash Bros character announcement there as I've always suspected that Klonoa may be high up on a list of characters for bringing in from third party games). There's also Doom Eternal without a release date so this would be an opportune time to announce it. More interested to see if any of the big indie games that are without dates get a showing, like say Super Meat Boy Forever. I'm not even going to mention Silksong because at this point, I firmly believe it'll be a 2021 game. In all reality, it'll probably be nothing massive so thinking about it, those EA titles are probably a good shout for whats to come. I'd love to be proven wrong but as said, their past Partner Showcases have to been great.

So further to my post in the exercise thread, that muscle that I thought I'd pulled a week ago, yeah my GP thinks I've cracked a rib. Well done me. Had a callback appointment this morning with him as I had a rough day yesterday with it and its just becoming really difficult to go about simple things, like sleeping as its really uncomfortable no matter how I lie. Having to arrange blood tests to see whether my medication for my stomach issues has caused any issues with calcium absorption but could be 2 weeks before I get an appointment for that. If that comes back fine then we'll have to go from there and see whats what but given my GP's laissez-faire attitude to things, I'll probably just get told it was a stress fracture and thats it. He'll ignore that despite nearly 2 months of strength training that my shoulders, hips and knee joints seem worse and I have little strength in them. As bad as it would be to have blood tests come back saying there's low calcium, at least it would force my doctors hand in having to deal with what's been happening with my stomach for 2 and a half years at this point and see whether family liver issues might be at the root of it or whether there's an issue with my pancreas or gallbladder. So yeah, a fun couple of weeks ahead for me healing up. Will still try and get some aerobic exercise in. I've a pedal machine so I guess that'll be getting used heavily in the next few weeks to keep up with things, and I'll do basic resistance band and weight work but its going to be an uncomfortable couple of weeks but hopefully get some positive out of it if my doctor bothers to get to the bottom of the issue.

Curious to see whether the All Access plans are being offered online through GAME and Smyths or whether you have to go in store to do it. Suppose I'll have a nosey on the 22nd and see and if it is available, I'll probably just put in my order for the Series X. The PS5 would be my preferred platform choice but I don't think I can afford it at launch and I don't know if I'd be able to actually get hold of one. With All Access, I'm already paying for Gamepass Ultimate and I don't have a gaming PC so I can justify signing up as its not adding much more to my monthly outgoings as opposed to a full whack of £450 for the hardware (likewise for the PS5) when there'll likely be added costs to sorting things out for Christmas with not being able to meet up with family this year.

Ghostrunner finally has a release date: October 27th. It's a game I've been following for a while and having tried the demo they released on Steam through GeForce Now, I can safely say its awesome. It plays extremely well and looks fantastic. It could end up being a game that has a short run time but the mix of Mirror's Edge's parkour and Katana Zero's combat will certainly make it worth a playthrough, and maybe more to perfect routes through the levels. Can't wait to play it. At the very least if I'm not able to grab a PS5 at launch or this year in general, there'll be plenty of games to play on PS4 till then.