The 2024 Events Thread – La Li Lu Le Lo and Behold, E3 is Dead

[Julius]

Welcome one, welcome all, Happy New Year and welcome to the official The 2024 Eve–

–oh, sorry, I'm being told I need to wrap it up 

Ah well, you know the drill by now! Here's the general events thread for the year of 2024! 

And announcements season is starting up nice and early this year on New Year's Day, with the first event to be announced this year: Summer Game Fest returns in June!

Because Keighley ain't wasting a darn-tootin' second of 2024 without you knowing he's cooking a show scheduled around 5½ months from now 

[Hero-of-Time]

Yeah, dude seems eager to get the word out. So sad that E3 died for this. At least 3 big 3 do their own thing.

I'm pretty excited to see what Nintendo have to offer, not only with their next console but also the final wave of Switch games. As for Sony and Microsoft...not really fussed to be honest.

[Dcubed]

Same energy

Geoff is such a cunt.  Hope he gets told to Please Wrap It Up himself this year.

[Julius]

On 1/1/2024 at 8:24 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

Yeah, dude seems eager to get the word out. So sad that E3 died for this. At least 3 big 3 do their own thing.

With E3 officially dead I have a feeling Corporate Keighley is about to truly be unleashed. Going to be really interesting to see how SGF and the TGAs shake out this year. 

On 1/1/2024 at 8:24 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

I'm pretty excited to see what Nintendo have to offer, not only with their next console but also the final wave of Switch games.

Same! Though I do hope that they get around to dropping news on their new console sooner rather than later - sometime between March and May, to launch roughly 6 months later in that September to November window. Because it's been so long and because we didn't get a Pro, I'm already starting to get fairly sick and tired of the clickbait news articles popping up  

Very excited for the final round of games, too (while Switch is their main platform, anyways), and I'm curious to see if it sees third parties just start dumping what they can onto the system, especially games from their own legacy catalogues (AHEM, Chrono Trigger, S-E, come onnnnnnnn). 

Any particular hopes for the final wave of Switch games? I know other games from the series are in line to be remade first, but given the attention they've started giving some of their GameCube titles in the latter half of the Switch's life (Sunshine in 3D All-Stars, Metroid Prime Remastered, the upcoming Paper Mario TTYD remake, and the neverending reports we've been hearing for years on Wind Waker/Twilight Princess re-releases) I'd love to see Path of Radiance be remade PURELY because the retro market is dumb and I've wanted to play it ever since I started maining Ike in Smash Bros. Brawl 

On 1/1/2024 at 8:24 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

As for Sony and Microsoft...not really fussed to be honest.

While I'm sure I'll be excited when a new State of Play or PlayStation Showcase gets announced, I'm kind of there with you? 

The recent Insomniac leaks kind of killed some of my PlayStation hype going into this year, to be honest – obviously it's not their fault, but just things like Insomniac looking to size down despite their stupid levels of success, and seeing how many attempts at making GaaS games internally (and publicly) have flopped for them and then still being keen to do so...and no hint of info on the next Astro game in the leaks?! They've been leaning on third-party pretty hard this gen up to this point, and it feels like more of the same approach is on the way 

I genuinely don't think there's anything Xbox can do to make me pick up their console this gen, besides a huge price slash to the Series X so that I can play some of their legacy titles and have a system dedicated to their past, like the older Forza titles and finally playing through the Halo games. I'm sure there would be some hype for announcements like a new Banjo-Kazooie, Evil Within 3, or the next Halo, but Starfield only being a moderate success commercially and critically really felt like the toll of the death knell for them this generation – it felt like their one chance to really turn around the general perspective on their first party content, and I think they absolutely blew it. 

[Hero-of-Time]

11 minutes ago, Julius said:

Any particular hopes for the final wave of Switch games?

Not really. I'm pretty happy with what's on the cards so far (Peach game, TTYD, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD) so anything else is a bonus. Usually when a Nintendo console reaches the end of its life a Kirby game arrives on the scene but the Switch has seen so many of them I'm not sure it's on the cards.

14 minutes ago, Julius said:

I genuinely don't think there's anything Xbox can do to make me pick up their console this gen, besides a huge price slash to the Series X so that I can play some of their legacy titles and have a system dedicated to their past, like the older Forza titles and finally playing through the Halo games. I'm sure there would be some hype for announcements like a new Banjo-Kazooie, Evil Within 3, or the next Halo, but Starfield only being a moderate success commercially and critically really felt like the toll of the death knell for them this generation – it felt like their one chance to really turn around the general perspective on their first party content, and I think they absolutely blew it. 

Never say never but I can't see me ever jumping back into their ecosystem. I hate the scummy business practices they performed over this past generation which has essentially forced the other 2 into subscription models. Not to mention them buying up companies left and right in order to find success and feed GamePass. Like, I can understand snapping up talent when you first enter the console market in order to make some kind of headway but Microsoft have been in the industry as a console maker longer than what Sega were and yet they are still unable to release decent games. They seem so ridiculously corporate now that it's not even funny. Which leads on to this...

18 minutes ago, Julius said:

 

The recent Insomniac leaks kind of killed some of my PlayStation hype going into this year, to be honest – obviously it's not their fault, but just things like Insomniac looking to size down despite their stupid levels of success, and seeing how many attempts at making GaaS games internally (and publicly) have flopped for them and then still being keen to do so...and no hint of info on the next Astro game in the leaks?! They've been leaning on third-party pretty hard this gen up to this point, and it feels like more of the same approach is on the way 

This is how I feel Sony are going. Their leadership in recent years seems to have stifled creativity in favour of safe options. Don't get me wrong, I love a strong narrative driven game but when all of them are open world and very similar in formula, they all get a bit stale and leaves me yearning for something a little different and more outside the box. Astrobot was a breath of fresh air on PSVR (good to see that PSVR2 is still getting supported well ) and the built in PS5 game was and is amazing. It's stuff like this that I want to see more of. There's a reason many are clamouring for a return of things like Jak and Daxter or Sly Raccoon, because these titles are bright, colourful and easy to pick up and play, rather than needing a 30-40 hour time investment that requires you to follow a narrative for that length of time.

I look back at the PS3/PSP era and there were a crazy amount of games that Sony made or helped with that were bite sized, fun and very creative. With things like the PSN store, there is no excuse not to create smaller, downloadable games that mimic these types of experiences. 

The success of the PS4 had a lot to do with the 3rd party support and that continues with the PS5. However, if the Switch 2 is able to at least match the PS4 is terms of performance then we could see a big shift happening in the future, especially if the Switch 2 sells as well as the original model. A lot of gamers tend to buy 3rd party offerings on other devices over the Switch due to performance but if the next console bridges this gap enough so that it's no longer an issue, then why would you not invest in a game that can be played on a portable screen and a TV? 

There's obviously a lot of speculation in my post but if things play out in a way where I'm not happy with the way Sony are going to end up, then I have no issues jumping ship. You're talking to someone who racked up over 200k in achievement gamerscore on the Xbox ecosystem and left it all behind quite easily. I have no issue leaving my trophies and PlayStation history behind if Sony no longer appeals to me or meets my needs.

[Dcubed]

You can't have the end of a Nintendo console's life until you get a last minute Kirby game; so that's pretty much set in stone at this point

Edited January 3 by Dcubed

[Ashley]

4 hours ago, Julius said:

Because it's been so long and because we didn't get a Pro, I'm already starting to get fairly sick and tired of the clickbait news articles popping up 

I've just thought of an amazing April Fools article that will probably equally make people laugh and piss them off...

[Julius]

Jeff Grubb is saying that a Nintendo Direct is due in February, and that a PlayStation State of Play is due in the next few weeks:

Quote

This [Developer_Direct] is the first one of these events we're getting from these companies in 2024. It is the one I heard that was coming up the fastest but you can always count on a Nintendo Direct in February. It is almost certainly going to happen in February, again. That leaves the question about a State of Play. There is a State of Play coming. There's a State of Play coming. When exactly? Not sure, but I'd expect it in the new few weeks. State of Plays are always weird man. You always get the sense that these are just contractual obligations. They (Playstation) just told a company that they'd give them free marketing so they fill a need and have to do it. So, they could be disappointing.

Curious what the game is that PlayStation are willing to give them free marketing, and that Grubb figures they'll build a State of Play for; got to imagine that's going to be something pretty big. 

Anyways, didn't think it was worth splitting this rumour into two separate threads, so I guess this is a nice middle ground 

[Dcubed]

I mean... a Nintendo Direct in February isn't really a difficult guess when they've consistently been having one every February for the past 6 years

[Julius]

34 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

I mean... a Nintendo Direct in February isn't really a difficult guess when they've consistently been having one every February for the past 6 years

I was thinking the same  unless I'm mistaken, I'm also pretty sure we've had a State of Play in either Feb or March every year since they started up in 2019, except perhaps 2020 - for obvious reasons? So yeah, both seem pretty safe bets! 

I do wonder about the length and content of the next Direct a bit, especially what a "one more thing" would look like, just because it'd likely be too soon for a Switch 2 announcement/blowout/whatever. Curious to see how Nintendo go about their business this year, they're nothing if unpredictable normally, but with something like this? They could be complete wildcards. 

I love it 

[Dcubed]

I would think that a Switch 2 announcement would likely happen around start of April, at the beginning of the new financial year; and most likely we'll see the initial announcement come in the form of a generic PR email of sorts (will have only the most basic of details, like how it retains the hybrid form factor but has 4k support etc, but no photos of the device or its controllers yet).  This is what Nintendo typically do with new console reveals.

Full blowout reveal (including our first look at the physical console itself and its new controllers) won't happen until June, followed by a final showcase in September that shows off the launch titles proper.

Release in November 2024.

Quote

I do wonder about the length and content of the next Direct a bit, especially what a "one more thing" would look like, just because it'd likely be too soon for a Switch 2 announcement/blowout/whatever. Curious to see how Nintendo go about their business this year, they're nothing if unpredictable normally, but with something like this? They could be complete wildcards. 

I would think that the next Direct in February will give us our last batch of Switch titles.  Most likely just more HD remasters & remakes of GCN/Wii/3DS titles... plus one more original Kirby game (that's when you'll really know that we're coming to the end!)

Edited January 10 by Dcubed

[Julius]

HideoTube has returned after 7 years! 

Quote

The program includes more insights into the latest trailer for the recently announced DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, recently announced titles OD and PHYSINT (working title), the upcoming documentary HIDEO KOJIMA: CONNECTING WORLDS, and even the live-action film produced with
A24. This 50-minute special focuses on various topics recently announced by KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS
through discussion with Hideo Kojima and special guests, Risa Unai and Kenjiro Tsuda. 

Think I might check it out this weekend, but I'll see if anyone has the cliffnotes 

[CrowingJoe79]

E3 being dead does suck, but there will be some other event to replace it anyway. Plus, Sony always throws out a State of Play here and there to showcase an upcoming project.

You're still gonna get the scoop on the latest gaming updates, no matter where you are.

Edited February 12 by CrowingJoe79

[Julius]

Nacon have announced that their Connect event is returning 29th Feb:

Elsewhere, Indie Live Expo is set to return 25th May:

 

Edited February 19 by Julius

[Julius]

A 20th anniversary program for Monster Hunter is scheduled for 12th March at 11:00 GMT.

It will not feature any updates on Wilds. 

 

Edited March 1 by Julius

[Dcubed]

Maybe a HD remaster of MH4U? I remember that being rumoured some time ago…

[Glen-i]

1 hour ago, Dcubed said:

Maybe a HD remaster of MH4U? I remember that being rumoured some time ago…

Probably wouldn't include the Nintendo event stuff, so what's even the point?

[Hero-of-Time]

Summer Geoff Fest date announced.

 

 

[Julius]

Ubisoft Forward returns live to LA on 10th June:

Guess this is when we're waiting until for blowouts on Outlaws and that Japanese Assassin's Creed game. 

[Julius]

Thought I'd posted this, but the Triple-i Initiative (that's Triple-i as in "AAA, but indie" by the way) digital showcase is taking place at 18:00 BST later today, with 30+ announcements in a 45 minute show:

I'm just glad to see someone's using "triple-i" 

[Hero-of-Time]

Slay the Spire 2...as if @drahkon didn't have enough on his hands with Balatro.

[drahkon]

3 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Slay the Spire 2

Don't fuck with me, man. WHAT?

Edit: Nevermind

Edited April 10 by drahkon

[Julius]

These quick cuts leaving zero time between games is making taking notes am absolute nightmare

but otherwise 

THIS is how you come out swinging with your debut showcase. They aren't lingering on anything a second longer than is needed. 

PlayStation and Xbox (and most others), take notes from this when putting your shows together! 

[Julius]

Thought that was a really solid show with some great reveals, though the pacing was a bit too breakneck to endure the full 45 minutes. I think you can cap out at 25 minutes top going at that speed, but it's the first showcase I remember watching where the problem was it being too fast rather than far too slow. 

Some really fun transitions between games, though, like "only a few more rogue-lites (promise)" or my personal favourite: 

Also that time a game being introduced as "from the Never Alone community, a whole new story" turning out to just straight up be Never Alone 2 

Highlights of the show for me were Shadows of Doubt finally coming to consoles and WHAT THE CAR? just looks like good, dumb fun (also loved how obviously it was from the developers of WHAT THE GOLF? )

Hopefully they turn back up later this year, would love to see them turn up again this summer! 

Edited April 10 by Julius

[Hero-of-Time]

12 hours ago, Julius said:

Some really fun transitions between games, though, like "only a few more rogue-lites (promise)" 

I had a good chuckle at that one. The messages before the show started were also quite funny, with one popping up saying that they couldn't believe nothing had leaked.

Decent show but as always I'm wary just how many of these will turn out to be good. So many indie games look full of promise but end up falling at the finish line