I am for free market capitalism (within reasonable limits). Companies can charge what they want, customers can choose to buy, that's how it should work. And there are compelling arguments about video game prices not keeping up with inflation.

My issue with a price hike is that extra money absolutely will not mitigate mass layoffs. And none of the extra money will go to workers, the money will b earmarked for executive salaries and bonuses along with dividends for shareholders.

I concur that the Switch 2 intro video was somewhat inert and even a bit morose.

But this goes to the lack of risk taking and aversion to anything truly new in the video game industry today. Nintendo doesn't want to rock the boat from its soon to be best selling console in its history so they showed redundant comforting familiar features along with a sequel to the highest unit game from the Switch.

Developing games and consoles has gotten way too expensive and this restrained intro to a "new" console is the natural result.

Hale is 100% correct. Not just voice actors but AI is an existential threat to all industries that does not require blue collar hands on work. There is nothing stopping game studios from using AI generated voice work instead of voice actors if it’s cheaper and more expedient.

Unfortunately AI is already unleashed and part of the inevitable future. I just wish a lot of these fat overpaid c-suite stooges could be replaced by AI along with regular line workers.

I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s pushed to 2026 to avoid GTA6. A lot of games will likely be pushed back a year to avoid that juggernaut.

Phil's an insincere phony empty suit corporate stooge and as much as I hate to do it, I tacitly agree with him.

Gaming should be a big tent thing and the only way to expand the addressable market is via less complex cheaper but very capable consoles. The S might be an albatross on the backs of developers but allowing them to release games only on the $500 box unnecessarily segments the userbase and leaves tons of gamers behind.

But this is not just magnanimity on Phil's part. The leaks last year from Microsoft's filings related to their acquisition of ABK revealed that over 75% of the userbase for Xbox gen 9 are S users so Microsoft cannot afford to leave them out in the cold.

Why do the studios keep doing this? Advertising the home release when the movie has barely debuted in theaters damages the box office take.

$45 for the steelbook is ludicrous.

I'm happy I shoplifted the regular 4K disk out Walmart then kicked the senior citizen greeter in the nuts when he tried to chase me down using his walker.

As we enter into 2025, the video game industry has gotten worse with each passing year and each new hardware generation.

I won’t go into specifics because a post containing all the details would inflate this comments section but other than a few outstanding games here and there, I just don’t see anything positive about video gaming’s present or future.

Lastly, instead of replacing line workers, I would love for someone to devise a proposal for generative AI to replace entire c-suites, not only in the video game industry but in corporate America writ large. I really do not see why we still need overweight seven and eight figure salary and perks greedy empty suits to be CEOs, CFO, CTOs, CIOs, et. al., when machines can easily, efficiently and cheaply replace them.

I was shocked at how classy, restrained and decent the show was this year. Sure there were still too many awards handed out via announcements instead of live but there were really no cringe viral moments and awardees who did show up actually got stage time for their speeches instead of hustled off in favor of D-list celebrities or screechy garage bands.

But it was patently obvious that Geoff couldn’t take a joke when Statler and Waldorf were hilariously roasting the Game Awards and Keighley himself.

The funniest part was the Astro Bot director doing his utmost to not mention “that company in Kyoto” that invented platformers without actually naming them like they’re Voldemort.

The most telling part is this game will get gen 8 ports. The publishers are scratching and clawing desperately to gen 8 because games ain't cheap to make, gen 9 has nowhere near the comparable install base as gen 8 at similar points of their lifetimes (because both Microsoft and Sony refuse to cut price), and they have to rely on gen 8 gamers to recoup their gigantic nine figure budgets.

Rumor is that Witcher 4 and other pending games will be ported to previous gen also. This bidness model is unsustainable.