Alright N4G, let's all take a quick step back from the front lines of confrontation, and a side step to view the big picture.
As many of you remember, at the beginning of this console generation, whether you were a Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo Fanboy, as we awaited the new consoles, and thereafter, the smack talk, blind loyalties, and gamers cannibalizing ourselves hit a fever pitch. As time went on, N4G kind of became one of the central 'battle grounds' for such things.
Now we all know that as humans, a provocative article title can be intriguing. We all know that a provocative post in a thread can be tantalizing. And we all know that just about everyone at the least has moments when they are certain beyond certain that they are correct, in spite of the fact that they are mistaken.
Take all of those circumstances, mix them together, add a new and upcoming console generation, and what do we get? The same atmosphere as before, reaching new heights of absurdity since it stands on the proverbial shoulders of the one before it.
I personally realized this a while back, but even so, lately, I continually find myself at odds with people intent on talking bad about Nintendo. This in spite of the fact that I own a PS3, and a 360, in addition to my Nintendo products. And I've 'defended' each of them here at N4G when I see the cannibalism thing going on. I just love games.
But at my core, I admit that I'm a bit of a Nintendo fanboy. I mean I have a Pokemon avatar, and wear it proudly ya know?
The Wii U is at the center of this latest controversy in large because of three major things that most everything else stems from as far as I see it:
1. Some gamers are EXTREMELY frustrated with Nintendo, and are at or near their breaking point with the company due to choices that fly in the face of what these gamers want.
2. Some gamers believe that Nintendo can do no wrong, and like their counterpart fanboys of other consoles, 'preach the gospel' every chance they get.
3. Some gamers just hate Nintendo and/or are so loyal to another company that they cannot believe that Nintendo can do any right. Nor do they want them too.
Think about it. This is the opening salvo. When Sony or MS announce their next respective consoles, the intensity will ratchet up - and that intensity is already too high. Don't you think?
When people view gaming in a poor light, it is in general because lack of respect for the medium, and a negative attitude about gamers. Because of the extent to which the above shenanigans go on, even developers and publishers are irritated with N4G type gamers.
I consider myself a gamer because I not only own hundreds of games, and most consoles ever created, I play all kinds of games. I don't even watch T.V. much at all anymore. If my T.V. is on, it's to play games. And there are so many of us like that, who see gaming as a legitimate primary source of electronic entertainment. Unlike most people, we see no difference between watching 3 hours of t.v. or movies, and 3 hours of gaming.
We love talking about our favorite games and consoles, why we're excited about an upcoming game, what happened when we were on such and such part of such and such game, etc.
And yet for some reason, our love of talking bad about games and consoles that aren't our favorites, talking bad about people who are excited about games that we are not excited about, and being dismissive and inflammatory toward others who want to talk about the things that they like sometimes trumps our love.
Do we really want another, even bigger console generation of b.s. 'wars', and 'alliances', making other gamers miserable, and attempting to 'sink' games that we personally don't want? Again, I go back to the cannibalism analogy. Just because my foot isn't a hand, doesn't mean that my foot isn't important. It doesn't mean that I don't need it. It doesn't mean that whatever happens to my foot will not in some way affect my hand.
There will always be SOME element of the negative things I spoke of here at N4G. There will always be times when even if we try not to involve ourselves in such things, we'll slip up. But we have a chance here near the beginning of this next generation to nip a lot of this in the bud, and be civil.
I know, I know. The next generation doesn't start until (insert favorite company here) releases their new console... ;P
Nagoshi Studio’s YouTube channel with the Gang of Dragon trailers appears to have been removed following reports that NetEase will stop funding.
Dear team,
Xbox has always been different.
We started with a simple idea. Games should bring people together through shared experiences. That led to the first Xbox in 2001, Xbox Live in 2002, and new ways to connect, from friends lists and achievements to parties and play across devices. Today, Xbox reaches over 500 million players around the world, with some of the most important franchises in entertainment.
re-evaluating exclusivity 💀
PS players will need to go back to pretending to dislike Xbox games
Or meaning since it’s doing so good they might just do everything day 1.
They didnt say re-evaluating their multiplatform approach.
🤣🤣🤣 Xbox is so dead. I know you scared🤣🫵ӿ 97;
Even when the topic is strictly Xbox he can't stop talking about PlayStation. Xbox has basically become the hate of PlayStation... and not much else.
This whole mess is the result of bad decisions and strategy from those who have "the vision" inside the company.
Hurt over video games 🤣🤣
Lmao we all grew and got jobs but apparently you stayed home broke 🤣🤣.
Man I love loyal dogs like you. MS kicked Spit and slapped you around but you still come back on all 4s.
Good little boy 🤣🤣
My only question is what games are PlayStation gamers gonna play now? They don’t really come out with new games anymore. I’m looking forward to wolverine, but after that then what?
Lmao
There’s no way after everything it’s going back, the damage is done
What you are seeing now is the new management telling what the core fanbase (aka…you) want to hear so they are pumped full of hope and are more likely to invest in the next Xbox console
When Phil took over after the awful Xbox One reveal he did the same thing, he told people what they wanted to hear for damage control.
It’s crazy people are getting suckered into this again.
FWIW..... wasn't the new management speaking to the other staff.... not so much us (regular folk)?
And you'll now go back to again thinking exclusives suddenly matter, that multiplatform is no longer the future, or that revenue from multiplatforms doesn't matter, like all you flop flopping xbox grifters lol.
The whole post just sounds like the previous phil corpo slop talk to me, whole thing reads like a nothing burger lol.
“re-evaluating exclusivity”
She also said this.
“The model that got us here won’t be the one that takes us forward.”
I don't know if they have a model anymore it's flipped so many times since the xbox one reveal
There's a bunch just like him but that's what happens when some rely on dreams, hope and wishful thinking. lol
"pretending"? Bro gears hasnt broke 1mil on ps5, and starfield hasn't passed 200k, Hellblade 2 was even stated to be a financial disappointment in sales on its own console, let alone ps5. Im not saying people don't like them, but they certainly aren't setting the community on fire, Forza may be different tho
Xbawx is ''re-evaluating exclusivity''... Translation: After throwing all sort of crap to the wall to see if something sticks but clearly nothing worked, we, including our lord ''in charge'' Phil came to the conclusion that exclusives indeed do matter so please forget if we ever said otherwise.
Yup, I feel it in my gut, next gen belongs to xbox, PS6 is cooked...
Someone can’t sleep after those 5 million forza games PURCHASED by PlayStation owners🤣 🧌 💥
Well with the decreased price of gamespass even with cod off it there is no way it is profitable given the cost of making their 1st party games (not if you actually include that cost in gamespass costs which they typically dont but should) they will just make a loss without the sales on
If they go back to exclusive games it at least shows that they are finally getting it. They would be turning down immediate money for something that will potentially workout in the long term.
Only issue is they've already opened Pandora's box. A lot of their base has moved to PC or jumped to PS. So will be a long road to get back on track.
We have been saying this from day one exclusives are a must if you are going to be selling hardware look at Nintendo and Sony before Jim Ryan. That's the proven formula. You had some that were deluded and blinded by loyalty accepting that multiplat was the future and that MS was merely getting ahead of where the industry was headed, but at least they can finally see the light and agree with what everyone has been saying for a decade+
True, blame it on the rabid fanboys. MS can do no wrong and spinner this multiplatform move. While the actual fans moved on.
I feel like with the new Xbox coming they are hoping to bring back those old fans and then if it goes well. Bring back exclusives.
If the new console is performing like series x and one. Naw they staying multiplatform.
Actual fans dont move on... they can add to their hobby while waiting for the next new release. If you believe what you typed then I guess PS fans moved on too.... you know, since its been a Sahara for 1st party games this gen.
Funny world where Sony is pro consumer and Xbox is not? At least according to what you loyalists have been saying all this time 🤭
@itveds For how many years have you been doing this sad stuff? For how many years have you been creating fake accounts to troll? For how many years have you always been cl vnn
Pathetic incels with nothing better to do than argue over a box... Because they don't have any good games to play on theirs, obviously. If your precious box is so special, why don't you shut the fuck up and go play it?
I think it's too late, xbox sales were diving even before ABK, they got even worse since then even long before the full multiplatform push. I'd be surprised if they even went back to timed exclusivity at this point, Helix is basically a PC and is going to be expensive, they already struggle to sell cheaper xbox consoles, it will be low volume and they'll have a very small 'console' base to sell to, which has already been conditioned to just play via gamepass anyway.
I don't see them removing PC from the equation. Considering MS has a heavy enough investment in the PC market, it would be foolish to abandon them. I could see them taking away games from PlayStation or ensuring they are timed exclusives at the very least. Say what you will but if Call of Duty ends up becoming a timed exclusive to Xbox machines, that would hurt PlayStation, don't pretend like those games don't sell millions.
They would lose out on a lot of CoD sales tho. Doesn't PS make up most of the sales?
Their lifeline of solely the Xbox consoles is dry. Good-Great games on a 1st party scale can't be made at a loss so willingly - sent to the Xbox to only sell limited copies.
They invested billions scooping up studios and need to start making returns.
Sucks that nearly every company is publicly traded and have to be so shareholder biased but that's how it is.
Their words are strong but it'll take time to see what their actions accomplish. Lowering the cost of Game Pass and taking CoD off of it was a good clear start.
More like, allot of their base just played game pass. So now they need to encourage them to start buying again.
Despite all of that, it's clear that Microsoft's Xbox division is broken beyond repair.
PlayStation is currently draining money on flop after flop. It's Sony that needs to re-evaluate their strategy
Wonder how much money was lost on perfect dark, hellbalde 2, 300 million lost revenue
by putting cod on gamepass. The recent Jason schrier news that Xbox has cancelled dozens of projects, spent 70 billion just to see Xbox sales further collapse and gamepass see little growth.
The fact is this has been PlayStation's most profitable generation and they are making loads of money and selling plenty of consoles and games. While MS won't give you any sales figures or profit numbers for Xbox, says it all really.
It isnt. But I dont think they mean in 'games', rather, footprint.
They own the OS but as far as gaming is concerned, Steam dominate. I imagine the VAST majority of people who use the Xbox app/launcher are PC gamepass subs. No ones buying their 3rd party PC games through Xbox PC.
Insider Gaming writes: "Marathon was one of the best-selling video games in March 2026 in the United States. On Wednesday, Circna released the best-selling games of the month, and it featured six new releases along with two games returning to the top 20 after previously falling out."
Is it April fools day again?
The game is dead.
EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”
well it's not on Switch / Switch 2.. so their number would be zero.
The game had a decent launch however the userbase numbers are dwindling on Steam.
“ Is it April fools day again?
The game is dead.
EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”
Does it hurt you to hear a SONY game was BEST selling ?
You gotta let go of those OBCURED feelings 🤷🏿
I mean the only reason MLB was the best selling title was because it was multi-platform. Likewise with Marathon. Will ring true for MS games. Only Nintendo titles are truly flexing their muscles when they chart as they are only to be found there.
It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol
Does Phil also live there?
It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol
Does Phil also live there?
I’m sorry did you wrote something smart ?
Or are you trying to to be funny because you failed at both
Now kid run to mommy legs the grown ups are talking.
Don’t bother writing anything I will not respond to a bratty child like you
Yeah sure, yet the player count is no where near what they want for a AAA game with so much money behind it
Why people are trying to spin this game like it’s done overly amazing is baffling to me.
It won’t even be a blip on peoples radars by the end of the year .
You must me typically wrong cuz those Steam chart numbers (AKA where the game sold the MOST) is less than what Hunt has, and Hunt didn't cost $500 million to make lol
Yeah, I took a look at your comment history and there's a recurring theme. I'll leave it at that but don't think you're foolin' anyone.
OT: Zealots on all sides make things tiresome but let's be honest here. A large part of the current mess surrounding the Wii U is of Nintendos' making. They could end a massive amount of speculation, BS and smear by simply providing the specs to the public.
Unless of course there's a reason they don't want the specs known. In which case what right do they have do demand trust from anyone? Let's face it. After they used the same strategy for marketing the Wii do you really blame "core" gamers for being cynical?
Now I don't have exact WiiU specs and don't believe everything on the interwebz but one thing's for sure. The WiiU will be striped down and its' specs posted within seventy-two hours of release.
I'm waiting till I see specs and test an actual unit for myself before I decide. I bought a Wii at launch and regretted it. I think I've earned the right to take a wait and see approach. Don't you?
Those who say one company can do no wrong are the worse kind of fanboys. In my attempts to spread awareness of big issues like region locking, I've been attacked by several of these Nintendo fanboys who try to downplay this issue, even had one person say that a feature that the other systems had for years would magically eliminate this issue for the WiiU. The funny thing is that when I, and all the real gamers who ask for quality polices from game companies win this fight, those who try to downplay or even deny the issue will benefit like the rest of us, and yet they will never thank the people who made things like region free gaming on a Nintendo home console a reality.
Not to say they don't exist for other two systems either, My point is that it these kind of gamers that except stagnation over progression, never asking companies meet our expectations, and giving them no reason to exceed them.
Break the locks.
Think about something else, too: this is the internet.
You see, the internet, in of itself, has conceived something else equally as frightening and very annoying: the trolls. It's one thing when you have one or two people that you can easily ignore, and the rest act like adults.
Thing is, though, you have some sites in which everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, says something just to see who they can catch in the web of endless trolling, and tries to push the envelope, seeing what they can get away with. And it's VERY hard to ignore a large group of people who do this on one site (seriously, how many people on one site can you put on an ignore list before you see that you're ignoring pretty much the entire site?). It gets to a point where we beg for authority on said sites to have better control over who posts and of the rules of the site.
Sad thing is, there are trolls who KNOW what they are doing, and they know how to get you to respond to them. We try so damn hard to ignore them, but there are trolls who know that by posing as someone who is legit about the views they post, but adds that one one-liner that gets someone to say something to them. That's all it takes. Or they insert that one personal attack.
I've seen it happen on this site, and for very malicious reasons. I've seen a few people make personal attacks that were JUST within the rules of the site (so bad that you HAVE to respond), and then someone responds with no other alternative than to cross the line. Why? To see the latter get banned from the site because the former cannot find any real way to counter the person opinions. The best way is to get them to do something that makes them unable to post said opinions.
This is all while they insist you either let them get away with whatever the hell they want, or you're infringing on their rights, with no in between.
All of this is because of anonymity. They know that no one will really know WHO they are in real life, so that apparently gives them the pass to do WHAT they want, WHEN they want, HOW they want, and to WHO they want. How are you going to stop them?
IP banning? There are ways to circumvent that.
Account banning? How many accounts have they made? You're also underestimating how DEDICATED some of these people are (how many trolls have we had here? How many different dupe accounts have each of them had? For how long now have we tried to get rid of them?).
Real names? You get into privacy issues, and risk that debate flaring up in a heartbeat.
Then you add how derogatory the fanboy term has become and the many reasons WHY, and you have a recipe for complete disaster.