How can they be gamers if they’re smiling?

The Morning Inbox is more worried about Shenmue III’s release date than anything else, as one reader plans a trip to Plaza Capcom.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

 



Not for you

I see a lot of people across the Internet (but thankfully less so the Inbox) are already complaining about the Switch Lite, but none of the complaints really seem to make any sense. Yes, it doesn’t have as many features as the original but that’s because it’s cheaper. If it had the same features it wouldn’t be as cheap. It would also be the same thing.

I get it, people are upset that it’s not a revision aimed specifically at them. It’s clearly aimed at kids and causals, both of which are likely to be drawn to the Switch by Pokémon Sword/Shield this Christmas.

I often the think the reason gamers always seem to be so bitter and angry all the time is that they can’t accept that not all video game products are aimed at them. Sometimes companies aren’t targeting you, they’re trying to sell their wares to someone else. That probably means that the thing wouldn’t be of any interest to you anyway, although I think even that fact is what gets them angry sometimes.
Ashton Marley

 



Switch Heavy

The Switch Lite was rumoured for some time, I get it – it’s a great way for Nintendo to renew interest in the console, reduce the price and for it to still remain profitable. But, as others have observed, they seemed to have sacrificed a lot of the existing model’s appeal. Aren’t we supposed to huddle round a screen (that stands up) and play Mario Kart with each other? Isn’t it neither a handheld nor a conventional TV-based console?

I have thought about getting one for a while but what I actually want is one that’s a bit bigger (large tablet screen size please), and certainly still with the option to switch to TV. Does GC know if there’s an HDMI-out on the new model (I sincerely doubt it)? Why can’t it throw to a second screen via Bluetooth? Is it also the case that you can’t use a traditional controller with the Switch Lite?

Far from being on the brink of buying one, I’m now fairly certain that I’ll stick with my PlayStation 4.

Colours and D-pad are nice though.
Owen Pile

GC: It has no HDMI-out but it is compatible with all existing Switch controllers. It’s a cheaper model, that purposefully sacrifices features for price. The original is still available.

 



Growing family

I think the new Switch model looks great. It’s a perfect way for Nintendo to continue their handheld dominance. The Switch is an expensive bit of kit, so a cheaper model alongside the original has to be a good thing. Most of the games will work fine for it and if the kiddies/users want the full fat experience they can get the original, or hopefully the new pimped version (which must surely be on the way too).

I liked the way the reveal talked about the Lite joining the Switch ‘family’. Hopefully one day that family will include a new base model with a few more bells and whistles for the technically minded among us.
AWB-78 (PSN ID)

 

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

 



Not an annoucement

Okay… so that Lord of the Rings game annoucement was weird. Let me break it down and make sure I got it right though. Amazon are making a TV show set in the Second Age that costs $1 billion. Someone else was making a MMO set in the Second Age, so they teamed up with Amazon to co-develop it. But then they changed it so the game has a different setting to the show and there’s no connection between the two at all. And instead they change it to the setting of the movies, which already has an MMO anyway. Did I miss anything?

Oh, and they ‘announced’ the game without saying what it’s called, when it’s out, saying anything about it, or showing so much as a bit of concept art. That sounds more like the opposite of an annoucement to me, a non-annoucement.

I know it’s just companies being companies but I feel the end result of the whole story was simply that everyone involved lost a few brain cells. Also, doesn’t the fact that they’ve already got a Lord of the Rings MMO and it didn’t do that great kind of hint that it’s not the sort of Lord of the Rings game people want? I would’ve much preferred something in the vein of Skyrim.
Sisko

GC: It certainly was an odd one.

 



The next step

How can a Switch Lite be a Switch when it doesn’t actually ‘switch’ any longer? There is no dual functionality. Obviously they couldn’t abandon the Switch name, but it contradicts the main selling point of Switch.

I understand the reasoning behind downsizing, but at least having the capability to connect to a docking station/TV (even if not included) should have been an option. It seems like a misstep to me. What next, a more powerful Switch that only plays on a TV?
Anon

 



Bad timing

I think it’s unfortunate that Shenmue III’s release date has been put back to November, as if this particular franchise hasn’t struggled enough to be noticed in its 20 year history, it now finds itself releasing within the same month as not only one of the most recognised franchises in the world, in Star Wars, but also potentially the biggest entry of one of the most popular video game series in existence: Pokémon.

Not to mention fresh competition from an eagerly anticipated game by Hideo Kojima, his first major title since leaving Konami, and then we have the launch of Google Stadia which will no doubt be arriving at Well-Over Station via the Hype Train, making more noise than The Flying Scotsman with a new lick of paint driven by Dr. Emmett Brown after he’s had his greatest epiphany and one too many Red Bulls.

Shenmue I & II may not be the best games ever made, not by any stretch of the imagination, but if Shenmue III fails to make any kind of impact on its release – that some of us believe its legacy deserves – we can all look out of the window and know that the ‘strange weather that day’ isn’t to blame. And as if real life was imitating art, the few of us that remember the snow and remain fond of it will realise, it just wasn’t meant to be.
Bad Edit

 



Spring games rush

As someone that is a great fan of They Are Billions on the PC I’d like to highly recommend it to any console gamers that might not be sure it’s their thing. It’s a really original take on the real-time strategy concept and makes the zombie hordes in Days Gone look like a minor get-together.

It also made me realise that we really don’t have much of a summer games drought going on this year. There’s interesting stuff coming out every week (even if in this case I’ve played it) and I’d like to hope that’s not a coincidence but companies finally realising that maybe it’s not a good idea if everything comes out on the same day.

And then I looked at the spring release schedules. Oh well…
Dipto

 

Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here

 



Trip planner

I think my life become imperceptibly happier when I found out that there’s somewhere called Plaza Capcom in Tokyo. Pity that’s the only play where you can play the new Resident Evil VR game but now I know an extra place to put on my to do list when I visit Tokyo for the Olympics.

It really is a shame that all the major publishers have given up on VR so quickly, after many of them doing good work early on. Not just Capcom with Resident Evil 7 but also EA with the Star Wars game and even Activision with their Call Of Duty mini-game.

The reader the other day was right, the PlayStation VR has a great line-up of games but it’s almost all down to the hard graft of indie developers. I hope they get enough money out of it because games like Ghost Giant and Moss are just fantastic. Sony are the only ones that have really stuck with it, but even then I’m kind of sad we haven’t heard anything about Astro Bot 2 yet.
Gaston

 



Inbox also-rans

Torchlight is free on PC from today on Epic Store.
Andrew J.

Is there a review embargo for Fire Emblem: Three Houses? I know the game is still a couple of weeks away but I was hoping reviews would be out before release so I can make an informed decision on a purchase.
LoRd SiNn

GC: There’s always an embargo for everything.

 



This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Hatton, who asks what video game do you most regret playing?

What game do you feel ended up being a waste of your time, regardless of how much you paid for it in the first place? Did you stop straight away and how often do you usually give a game before you give up on it?

Was the problem that you didn’t enjoy the gameplay or story, or was it too difficult or time consuming? Did you still finish the game and if not how often do you end up giving up on a video game before beating it – or at least spending a substantial amount of time on it?

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

 

The small print
New Inbox updates appear twice daily, every weekday morning and afternoon. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word 4Player viewer features at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.