Julius Posted July 9 Posted July 9 (edited) No, I'm not having a stroke, nor am I trying to summon Cthulhu. Somehow we have already passed the halfway mark for 2024, and in the world of gaming, this means that most of the big summer gaming presentations have taken place, so outside of potential shadowdrops and some very short announcement-to-launch periods, the bulk of games set to be put on our radar in the latter half of this year are already somewhat known quantities. Outside of particular event and game threads, though, it can be difficult to keep an eye on what our fellow N-E members are looking forward to...or thinking of staying away from. Feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you'd like, but I implore you to try to help drive some discussion about the games being discussed, whether it is one you listed or a game someone else mentioned! Inspired by the Easy Allies Podcast's quarterly segment of Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudels, which aims to highlight games in the coming quarter which they're looking forward to and other games they think people should perhaps consider pumping the hype brakes on, I wanted to provide a bit of a check-in after the events of the last few weeks to see what those games would look like for N-E. Now, we're N-Europe and not N-America, and I haven't tried Toaster Strudels before but I remember trying Pop Tarts when I was a kid and they kinda sucked, so, turning our focus to European cuisine, I came up with the following names and definitions for categories I'd like us each to try listing one game for, releasing (or currently aiming to release) in the second half of 2024. However! You can never have too many stroopwafels, their positive vibes or buttery, soft-yet-firm texture or cinnamon, caramel flav–...ahem, so after your initial post listing one game for each category, feel free to continue to come back and list as many stroopwafels as you like in further posts, so long as it is still an upcoming title for the second half of 2024 – the more potential hidden gems we can uncover and share awareness of the better, I say! Stroopwafel Quote A buttery caramel syrup waffle-looking cookie from the Netherlands, stroopwafels are one of my favourite sweet treats - and yet they never seem to quite get the attention I think they deserve. The definition of your gaming stroopwafel would be a game which you think deserves more attention than it is getting, whether it be a AAA offering which is being hard done by or is being overshadowed, or an indie which risks going completely under the radar. Surströmming Quote A fermented herring delicacy canned and served in Sweden (they don't just do furniture and meatballs, you know), surströmming is known for its unappetising appearance and incredibly overwhelming pungence - somewhere between rotten fish and a powerful stinky cheese. (...okay, so maybe they should just stick to the furniture and meatballs) The definition of your gaming surströmming would be a game which has a certain stink or funk to it and that others should perhaps be a bit wary of - be it a hunch that the devs or publisher are trying to pull wool over our eyes in some way, a poor gameplay or perhaps even technically distressing showcase, or asome other innate sense that something about the game just seems...off, and you want to make a bit of a stink about it to warn your gaming peers. Or maybe you think they're telling a big old porky and there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that the game releases this year. Soufflé Quote Hailing from France, soufflés are light and puffy cake dishes which come in all shapes, sizes, and flavours - savoury, sweet; big, small, and smaller yet at a high-end restaurant; cheese, chocolate, smoked, sometimes they even come with meat! - but, I'll be honest, I've never been done wrong by a soufflé. In fact, I think regardless of flavour, I've enjoyed every soufflé I've ever eaten! This means that the definition of your gaming soufflé would be a game which, regardless of genre or care for review scores, there's something about what we've seen from it so far which has you hooked in and certain you'll be left completely satisfied by the game, regardless of the end product. Feel free to do your own research into which games are coming out in the second half of the year, but for some quick and dirty resources... Wikipedia - 2024 in Video Games Polygon - All the new video games launching in 2024 GameSpot - 2024 Upcoming Games Release Schedule GameRant - 2024 Video Game Release Date Calendar Polygon - Summer Game Fest 2024 hub (includes pages which break down each major event further) ReadWrite - All the major announcements from Summer Game Fest 2024 PCGamer - The biggest announcements and trailers from the 2024 gaming showcases So, N-E, I turn it over to you: what are your gaming stroopwafels, surströmmings and soufflés of the second half of 2024? It might also be nice to list the release date or window for any games you mention to help others keep an eye on them, too! Edited July 9 by Julius 3 3
drahkon Posted July 9 Posted July 9 First of all: Amazing post! Will contribute later. Secondly: I read "Surströmming", I post this video: Makes me laugh every single time 1
Julius Posted July 9 Author Posted July 9 Alright, I've been having a tough time deliberating over my stroopwafel (so many games I would like to highlight, especially on the indie side - and so after this first post I think I'll make sure to highlight some further games which might be flying under the radar a bit) and surströmming over the last week while I've been thinking about this thread, but think I've finally wrapped my head around it. Without further ado... My Stroopwafel - Arco | 2024 Quote Three tales forged in bloodshed, laced with magic, and united by revenge. Enter the breathtakingly beautiful world of Arco, a unique tactical action game where your decisions shape the story. Journey through lush forests, sweeping plains, and scorching deserts as you guide four unlikely heroes in their vendetta against the Red Company. Battle warriors of different nations, fend off greedy colonizers, and slay monstrous creatures as you voyage across this enchanted land. Change your fate, one move at a time. Currently slated for a release on PC by the end of the year, with further plans for a release on consoles in the future, Arco just seems to be tickling a lot of my own curiosities when it comes to games, being a bit of a hybrid of point-and-click, turn-based combat (in a pretty different and unique way), with a strong emphasis on story and seeing different perspectives and the impact of early industrialisation. I think it's fascinating. Seems like one of those games which will release on PC, initially go under the radar when it probably deserves more attention than it gets (hence: stroopwafel), and then, either towards the end of this year or maybe sometime in 2025, will be featured in an Indie World Showcase and get much more attention. I also just can't think of many games which match the particular look and vibe of its initial reveal from the end of last summer. There was even a gameplay trailer release earlier this year with some more footage, but still no news on an actual release date as of yet: It's definitely one I'll be keeping a firm eye on. My Surströmming - Black Myth: Wukong | 20th August Black Myth: Wukong is a game I've been following for close to four years now and has looked great in every trailer released, and is finally due for release next month, and yeah, there's just something off to me about this game. Now, this isn't just down to IGN's previous exposé about reports of rampant sexism and misogyny within the team, Game Science (the game's developer) apparently refusing to be extorted by SweetBaby inc., or even the news which came out last month about the game having a physical release which would not include a physical disc but a code. All of these, for me, are at the very least reasons to question what's going on with this game, and IGN's exposé has since been called into question, for instance, and Luke Stephens (see here) and the comments section of his video do a pretty good job of making viewers have reasonable doubt over that original exposé. On the other hand, the lack of a physical disc in a physical release is horrendous for the environment and for game preservation, and is something I seriously hope is reconsidered in the future. On top of all this, though, and to focus more on the actual content and potential quality of the game, while we have seen some gameplay videos for the game - arguably more than we do for most big games released these days, as it seems like they've been fairly transparent with each video they've released - they've been almost entirely focused on boss fights, with very little attention given to what the gameplay, level design, and vibe are like outside of these boss arenas. Maybe they're up to snuff, but it's really difficult to see that from what they've released so far. More than that, too, is that this is Game Science's first big game, having only worked on mobile games in the past, and this game hasn't had a public beta or decided to seek out public feedback in the way that, say, many Western devs contruct their games through Early Access releases on PC do, or how Square Enix releases demos seeking feedback for so many of their smaller titles these days. Maybe it's a route they weren't really aware of, or maybe they just wanted to come out with a bang, but I have no idea how this game is going to run on consoles at launch. So, yeah. There's just a massive stink about this game, so much noise around it with so much yet so little shown, and it feels impossible for me to put the finger on one particular reason for that being the case. I don't think we get a much clearer picture until the game releases on August 20th. My Soufflé - Astro Bot | 6th September Astro's Playroom made the Top 5 of my favourite games released in 2020, and looking back at that list now, with a bit of reshuffling, might even make Top 3. And it was a free pack-in tech demo which lasted only a handful of hours. Astro Bot is easily the single game that I'm most excited for in the second half of this year. It hits a corner of the market which PlayStation no longer seems interested in, pays respect to so many IPs of yesteryear, is cute and effusively charming, the music is going to slap, it's going to use the DualSense in ways no-one has even bothered to attempt since launch, and I guarantee that at the end of the year it's going to make multiple GOTY shortlists both here and elsewhere. It could very well be the best platformer of the year just based on the potential upgrades they've made from Playroom, which was already incredibly tight and fun - in fact, I'd be willing to put money on it being the best platformer of this year. I'd still like word on some potential speedrun levels, but other than that, everything else Team Asobi have said about it since its announcement - the crazy number of levels, plans for updates, and so on - just seems to be ringing incredibly true for myself and so many others. They also just seem to be having a blast with the Easter Egg hunts they've got going on in Astro's Playroom leading up to launch. I simply can't wait. Bring it on, I say 3
Dcubed Posted July 9 Posted July 9 (edited) The Nintendo side is obviously pretty exciting, we’ve got a pretty hype lineup coming our way this year… But I will probably hold out on playing most of it until Switch 2 comes out at this point now. We’re so close to it now that I can hold out for the new hardware, so that I can play these games with a much better gameplay experience with much better resolution & framerate, as well as a better controller that actually works properly without the wireless signal constantly crapping out, or with d-pads that don’t work properly. And yes, I am fully expecting a formal unveiling event in September/October, in place of the usual September Nintendo Direct, with a release early next year with Metroid Prime 4 crossgen being the big launch title. Outside Nintendo? Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is the No 1 thing I’m looking forward to. Have waited around 13 years to play AAI2 and I’m gonna enjoy the crap out of it! Shantae Advance is another big one for me (20 year wait for that one!), but I get the feeling that this one is gonna slip into 2025… Likewise, same with The Plucky Squire and Mina The Hollower. I’m fully expecting both of them to slip into 2025. Clock Tower Rewind might still be this year? But again, wouldn’t be surprised if it slips into 2025… Otherwise? I’ll get Astro Bot if it comes out on PC (probably not for a couple of years I’d imagine), and there’s a few smaller scale releases like the Marvel VS Capcom collection, but nothing else really big. That’s about it for me. There’s very little outside of Nintendo and Capcom coming out this year that really interests me. Edited July 9 by Dcubed 1
Jonnas Posted July 10 Posted July 10 I love the concept behind the thread. I personally would've picked something other than a soufflé (I'm more of a Pastel de Nata guy myself, natch), but it's lovely. The thing is that I don't think I've played a single game from 2024, and that's likely to stay true for the foreseeable future. Regardless, here are my picks: The Soufflé Starting with the hardest category! There are a lot of upcoming games that would easily qualify as a Soufflé, but as I must pick only one: I mean, it's a brand new 2D Zelda game with an interesting new gimmick, and where we finally get to play with Zelda herself as a protagonist. I don't love the fact that this looks like the LttP overworld again, but other than that, the vibes are overwhelmingly positive. The Surströmming I don't usually like to be negative about upcoming releases, l like to believe every game I dislike has an audience, and that every flawed game can become unique fun under the right light... But the wariness pops up from time to time. I understand this is a very specific game for a specific fandom. A 3D arena fighter that feels more like a sandbox to go wild with some of the most obscure DB characters and scenarios. I understand nobody's expecting this game to get great review scores or anything... but I fear that this game might not even be good enough to do what it's supposed to do. If local multiplayer really is limited only to the one white featureless stage, that's actually dreadful. Furthermore, DLC and excessive monetisation out of a "sandbox"-style game like this feels inevitable. And when pessimism sets in, everything I see about the game feels like style over substance. The Stroopwafel So, I left this one for last, because... while looking through that wikipedia list of upcoming releases, I came across one that I didn't even know existed, despite it looking like it was made for me. It was apparently first revealed a couple of weeks ago too, that's how under the radar it is. Yeah, a remake of the obscure 1994 title, Little Big Adventure. It's clearly being made by people who respect the source material (that island looks almost exactly like it does in LBA 2!), and I'm really excited to see what comes of this. Maybe it's not even going to be out in 2024, I don't care, I just want more people to know about it, and that makes it the perfect Stroopwafel. Speaking of which... 9 hours ago, Julius said: A buttery caramel syrup waffle-looking cookie from the Netherlands, stroopwafels are one of my favourite sweet treats - and yet they never seem to quite get the attention I think they deserve. So, there's a popular variant of this cookie in Portugal, a long-time staple of local supermarkets. Its name? BELGIANS The Dutch haven't made a fuss yet... 2 1 1
Ashley Posted July 10 Posted July 10 5 hours ago, Jonnas said: The Dutch haven't made a fuss yet... Would you? 2
Hero-of-Time Posted July 10 Posted July 10 Stroopwafel I was so happy when this was announced to be finally coming to consoles. JRPG fans who played it on Apple Arcade were saying what an amazing experience it was and I was gutted it was stuck on that platform. Not anymore. Hopefully it will get more attention now that it is on more platforms. Mistwalker games have a habit of being amazing but often get overlooked. Both Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey were two of the finest JRPGs that generation had to offer, and I will always favour The Last Story over Xenoblade Chronicles. If this game follows the pedigree of those games, we are in for a treat. The year of the stupid amount of JRPG release continues. 😛 Surströmming Sorry, Julius. Yeah, I as much as I want to believe this will be amazing, I'm just not seeing it at the moment. Previews for the game were pretty rough, with many saying it was a cheap/worse version of the Uncharted games. So far, it just seems really bland and generic. I'll be keeping an eye on it when it release to see how it fares but at the moment I'm very meh about it. Soufflé Yeah, it was always going to be this. It's great to see Sony leaning into this genre a little more and also making the game a VR free experience. The Astro Bot game that used the PS4's VR setup was a mind blowing experience but many missed out on it. The free Astro Bot game on the PS5 gave a glimpse of what the team could achieve when creating a standard game and this looks to turn everything up to 11. Many who have played the preview section of the game are already hailing it as a GOTY contender. Considering how good the other games were, I'm honestly not surprised. I look forward to trying to find all of the PlayStation characters hiding around the levels, just like they were in the other game. 2 1
drahkon Posted July 10 Posted July 10 (edited) I'm gonna do three separate posts, as I have to think about the other two a bit more, so...deal with it 20 hours ago, Julius said: stroopwafels are one of my favourite sweet treats - and yet they never seem to quite get the attention I think they deserve. I live very close to the border with the Netherlands (and Belgium, for that matter ) and Stroopwafels definitely get attention here. It's always great to have them readily available. I can only eat one, though, and then I have to take a break for a week. They're pretty intense Stroopwafel Maybe a loose fit, because it does get talked about quite a bit but I feel it needs to be talked about more. The first one is incredible and might even surpass Diablo 2 for me (probably not, because of nostalgia ). The sequel seems to take it up a notch. Cannot freaking wait! Edited July 10 by drahkon 1
darksnowman Posted July 10 Posted July 10 Deserves more attention: Reynatis Wool pulled over eyes: Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Certain will be left satisfied by: Ys X Whatever your view, no one's going hungry. 1
Julius Posted July 10 Author Posted July 10 ...but which games are your stroopwafel, surströmming and soufflé @Dcubed? 11 hours ago, Jonnas said: I personally would've picked something other than a soufflé (I'm more of a Pastel de Nata guy myself, natch), but it's lovely. Full transparency: I landed on stroopwafel and surströmming first because their definitions just seem to fit so naturally into this...and then I just wanted a third 'S' for some alliteration I do love a good soufflé, though, and it's true I've yet to have a bad one! But yeah I'm a fraud and if I could think of a different dish which started with 'S' and fit the definition I might've gone with that instead As for Pastel de Nata, obviously it's not quite the same but it is our closest analogue in the UK I guess – when I was younger the egginess of an egg custard tart just wasn't appealing to me at all, and I haven't actually got back around to trying it again, I'd probably love it these days with how much I love other custard-based treats. Hmm... 11 hours ago, Jonnas said: The thing is that I don't think I've played a single game from 2024 Think I'm in the same boat – outside of DLC and a couple of remasters, I don't think I've finished a whole new game released in 2024. Welp. Think I've got some catching up to do! Lovely picks @Jonnas, especially a fan of your surströmming (while we've had a bunch of trailers for Sparking Zero I hadn't really been processing much of it, the potential that it has to disappoint based on what you've said definitely makes it a worthy candidate) and stroopwafel – I'm going to need to add Twinsen's Quest to the list and keep an eye on it, because it had completely passed me by too and looks super charming! 5 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: JRPG fans who played it on Apple Arcade were saying what an amazing experience it was and I was gutted it was stuck on that platform. Not anymore. 5 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: Surströmming Sorry, Julius. Yeah, I as much as I want to believe this will be amazing, I'm just not seeing it at the moment. Previews for the game were pretty rough, with many saying it was a cheap/worse version of the Uncharted games. So far, it just seems really bland and generic. I'll be keeping an eye on it when it release to see how it fares but at the moment I'm very meh about it. No word of a lie, this was one of the games I was thinking about as also having as my surströmming, so - unfortunately - I totally get it some of those previews were absolutely scathing! And while I generally go into Star Wars projects trying to not expect/hope for more than a 7/10, I'm honestly at this point praying this can scrape by as a 6/10 for me personally. So long as it isn't completely broken, the story is somewhat interesting and the music/sound quality is there, all won't be lost. It's a weird one too in that it has a clearly defined premise, I've watched all the trailers, and...I'm struggling to recall what the moment-to-moment gameplay even looks like. The brief shots that come to mind when thinking of this game are scaling a random cliff in an Uncharted style like you mention but without those Naughty Dog production values; a brief shot of space combat; her running out of a cantina with her axolotl dog guy in tow. Excellent pick for a surströmming I think. Totally pre-ordered the Gold Edition and booked that week off, mind you 1 hour ago, drahkon said: I live very close to the border with the Netherlands (and Belgium, for that matter ) and Stroopwafels definitely get attention here. It's always great to have them readily available. I can only eat one, though, and then I have to take a break for a week. They're pretty intense 1 hour ago, drahkon said: Stroopwafel Maybe a loose fit, because it does get talked about quite a bit but I feel it needs to be talked about more. Definitely fits in my eyes. I've been thinking about where I'd like to jump in with more classic western RPGs once the dust has fully settled on my time with Baldur's Gate III and during my research the Path of Exile games (which I totally never confuse with Pillars of Eternity because of the shared acronym) have kept coming up, but it's crazy the number of times I've seen a trailer or seen someone react to the trailer in a showcase and thought it was already released or was just more DLC for Path of Exile until the title hit. I do think you're right and it's being lost in the shuffle a bit – I wonder if it's simply down to how it's turning up at a bunch of events which don't feel super connected, or if the game hasn't done enough to differ itself from the original at a glance for people like me who haven't played it? 30 minutes ago, darksnowman said: Wool pulled over eyes: Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition ARGH I HATE THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT As I was scrolling down to read your post I saw this bit in my periphery and it just clicked. The online is probably not going to be great and yeah, I don't think the conversation around it is going to last terribly long. 3
darksnowman Posted July 10 Posted July 10 1 hour ago, Julius said: ...but which games are your stroopwafel, surströmming and soufflé @Dcubed? Skimming the GameSpot list, I was going to be cheeky and do one game per phrase in the category descriptions. I'm sure Mario Party will be bang average, but say what you want about it, it's a known quantity and a sound purchase for those who are into it. Arranger caught my eye in the Direct it appeared in... I think it'd be cool if Funko Fusion is a surprise package... I'd like to be reasonably positive about Epic Mickey but I'm not so sure how it'll end up... early murmurings suggest SCHiM and Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus could be style over substance... and we're spiralling beyond just naming three. Be glad I knocked it on the head when I decided I don't know enough about Fantasy Life i to place it with any confidence—same would go for Zelda and M&L:B, actually. Stuck to what I know with the two I've tried plus one I'm genuinely iffy about. Fantasian and DQ speak for themselves. 1 hour ago, Julius said: Full transparency: I landed on stroopwafel and surströmming first because their definitions just seem to fit so naturally into this...and then I just wanted a third 'S' for some alliteration I do love a good soufflé, though, and it's true I've yet to have a bad one! But yeah I'm a fraud and if I could think of a different dish which started with 'S' and fit the definition I might've gone with that instead Full transparency on my part is I only clicked into the thread to report it as advertising spam. If not for the bolded descriptions I was .gif-ing back out to leave you boys to it. 1 hour ago, Julius said: ARGH I HATE THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT As I was scrolling down to read your post I saw this bit in my periphery and it just clicked. The online is probably not going to be great and yeah, I don't think the conversation around it is going to last terribly long. I'm sure it'll have its fanatics. I just have a feeling if you take a step back from the NEStalgia and assess it on what it offers as a whole, it'll be another lacking Nintendo game. 1
Nicktendo Posted July 10 Posted July 10 (edited) Stroopwafel: for me, it's absolutely Agent 64. A Goldeneye/PD-inspired FPS that is currently coming to Steam, but not confirmed for other platforms just yet. I don't care how much it is nonchalantly borrowing from those games, whether it be taking people out while they're on the pisser or the Severnaya-esque snow level, they are doing everything right for me right now. Loved the demo and cannot wait to play more. Surströmming: no doubt should be Hollow Knight: Silksong. I'm not convinced that this game is still even being worked on. Very sad situation. I'm tired of waiting now. Here's the most recent trailer. It's from 2022, but for all we know, the developers may already be dead. Soufflé: it has to be the most recent Mario & Luigi game, Brothership. I've not played a single game from this series, but the Nintendo Direct trailer positively charmed me. I was expecting a ton of remakes in that Direct, so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm in love with the fact the cutscenes seem to take inspiration from the 90s TV show with Captain Lou Albano. At the very top of my pre-Switch 2 wishlist. Edited July 10 by Nicktendo 2 2
bob Posted July 11 Posted July 11 I think I'd definitely pick Stroopwafel over the Surströmming. Don't see the appeal of eating rotten fish at all. Never had soufflé, but isn't it just a mousse? Not sure, but can't see it being better than a nice stroopwafel. 1
Ike Posted July 11 Posted July 11 On 7/10/2024 at 1:12 AM, Jonnas said: I don't usually like to be negative about upcoming releases, l like to believe every game I dislike has an audience, and that every flawed game can become unique fun under the right light... But the wariness pops up from time to time. I understand this is a very specific game for a specific fandom. A 3D arena fighter that feels more like a sandbox to go wild with some of the most obscure DB characters and scenarios. I understand nobody's expecting this game to get great review scores or anything... but I fear that this game might not even be good enough to do what it's supposed to do. If local multiplayer really is limited only to the one white featureless stage, that's actually dreadful. Furthermore, DLC and excessive monetisation out of a "sandbox"-style game like this feels inevitable. And when pessimism sets in, everything I see about the game feels like style over substance. Agree with you on this. I'm honestly surprised it's got so much hype around it, but I was never that much a fan of that gameplay style. They've said the characters aren't balanced so you're probably going to run into the same set of characters online. Xenoverse 2 (which is pretty much the same gameplay wise) and Kakarrot are still getting DLC up too recently so most likely this will get DLC for a long time. The Ultimate Edition is £95 already. Mind you, it good look very good graphically and my finger has hovered over the preorder button more than once, it but ended up talking my myself out of it. Thankfully there's enough coming out in October for my wallet to say no and possibly wait for a sale. Edit: Oh, also had Stroopwafel today. It was good. 3
WackerJr Posted September 19 Posted September 19 I realise that we’re now midway through September and some of the games I’d have originally chosen have already been released, but the topic was too good not to get involved in! Stroopwafel: Monument Valley 3. The original games were so clever and excellent mobile games. The game looks very similar to the others and I don’t know if developers Ustwo can create some more original puzzles or come up with new mechanics, but they seem to be taking their time developing it as the five years since number 2 doesn’t jump out as being a rush job! Surströmming: Epic Mickey Rebrushed has already been mentioned, but I agree. I recall being excited by the concept of the original, but then it came out and was a real disappointment for both me and my wife. Graphically it was dark and dull, and the gameplay just became a bit laborious. Interviews with Warren Spector suggested Disney forced them to tone down the decision making process of Mickey acting good or evil. I loved the history lesson and bringing Oswald back, but I was desperate for a better experience. The remake sounds like it will look better, but they’ve a lot to do to update the gameplay to improve this, and with the short time between announcement and release I, sadly, can’t see that happening. Soufflé: This was going to Astro Bot and the reviews suggest it would’ve been justified. I can’t wait to get this. Since it’s already out though, I can’t resist the lure of a new Zelda game and while I’m on the fence with the open-ended style of solving puzzles, I’ve learned to trust the Zelda team. Hopefully they’ll do the Princess proud! 3
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