Xbox Series S Outsold The PlayStation 5 In Japan Last Week

Although this is down to stock issues (only 3rd time) Microsoft needs to capatilise on sonys price increase and maybe then they can close the gap

But even then, playstation and xbox combined only sold 20% of what Nintendo's sales was. I think at the moment the only reason to own a ps5/series in Japan is for the jrpgs that don't go the switch, hence why Sony is a couple million in front of xbox in Japan as they have a few jrpgs that xbox don't, so for me if xbox want to sell the same figures as playstation then they need their exclusive jrpgs. Clearly Japan don't care for western games.

@Kaloudz Awesome idea with the red vent, you should definitely get in contact with Greeny (Aaron Greenberg) over at xbox marketing, he loves that stuff.

I think this is one of the reasons the new smaller PS5 with detachable disc drive etc is rumoured to release next year.
The Japanese like things small and cute, neat and tidy and the series s fits this and makes it an appealing purchase, of course there are some other reasons.
But the PS5 is one dam eyesore of a console, probably the worst of all the consoles ever which I’ve owned and I have owned them all.

@Dezzy70 I'd disagree, the original fat ps3 is more of an eye sore than the ps5. The ps5 design is pretty modern, it's just too tall

@UltimateOtaku91
The good ole fat PS3, it’s close for me but prefer it over the PS5 for the time of release.
The PS5 is just an awkward console in away, I mean once set up it’s done and finished.
But the silly little stand thing.
Opening it up to expand the memory.
Just daft design things that don’t sit well with me from a customer friendly design point of view.

@UltimateOtaku91
I'd have to side with Dezzy on that one. The PS5 looks like a giant router. I actually prefer the discreet simplicity of the Series X and really liked the compact size of Series S when I had it.

@UltimateOtaku91
Another small design/operation annoyance is the need to register the controller using the usb lead and also for controller updates.
It should all be done without a wire.
It’s just not a well thought out customer usage designed console at all.

This is fantastic news!
Xbox just need to find a way to keep the momentum going in this region.
I love my Series S.
Shouldn't it be in 3rd place according to those sales figures or is that misprint?

In a market where PS5 is even struggling, Xbox is still way behind that in terms of overall sales. Small gains though, it’s good that they haven’t completely given up on that market. Those switch numbers are mind blowing. Nothing comes close.

@Swirly
Thought I was the only one. My PS5 was definitely noisier than when I bought a year ago. Series X is whisper quiet. I did sell my PS5 a few days ago so that's not my concern anymore.

@Swirly
Opening any electronic device is never good and definitely not customer friendly.
I’m ok I have built PCs in the past.
Yes the Xbox memory should have more manufacturers allowed to lower the price.

As for the noise that one goes to my series x
A far better made console and whisper quiet compared to the PS5.

@gollumb82
Wow sold my digital PS5 yesterday.
Was quieter standing vertical but horizontal you could hear it. Bad design.
Anyway it’s gone now to another home.

The PS5 as it is right now is a terribly designed piece of hardware. This is especially apparent when sitting next to the brilliant Series X.
Surely Sony is cooking up a sexy compact slim version.

@Dezzy70
You did? Guess your confidence in Xbox is a bit higher now 😉 I had a digital one, too. Standing horizontal and still was becoming noisier and noisier with time. Still have my Vita and PS3 slim for classics, though.

@Swirly
Forza Horizon 5 in its full potential is a master class.
Looking forward to Redfall, playing Deathloop at the moment.

@gollumb82
Just went for it so I’m all Series X and GP now.
Also got the new elite 2 core controller.

Not any easy decision, but feeling really good about it now.

@Swirly
If you're even considering it, I'd say go for it. You'll get more for the PS5 than you're probably expecting (I sold mine for more than my initial asking price) and that plus Series S will be enough to buy Series X plus Game Pass for at least a year I think.
@Dezzy70
No way. I'm actually looking for an Elite v2 or an alternative (SCUF) 🙂 Feeling good about Xbox as well. It's kinda nice being able to play FEAR2 and Forza Horizon 5 on the same console with quick resume, auto HDR and in 60 fps. By the way, is your Xbox ID tag the same? Kind feel like I should send you a friend request 😉

@gollumb82
DEZZYWHU

Quick resume is a very good feature for me, I do like swapping in and out of games and being exactly where I left off.
The new elite V2 Core is good, not had a single problem with it so far.
I like the thumb stick tension high, so it works well for me.

@Dezzy70 That's surprising since you always seem to be complaining about it, well, about Microsoft and Series S. But you made the right choice. In spite of what some people think, I got my PS4 before the Xbox One but I preferred the Xbox One, the Elite model which is basically the launch model with a hybrid drive. Xbox One had a weaker GPU, was bigger and had a power brick but the built quality and silent performance was perfect for long sessions. The Elite controller is so much better than the PS4 controller, too. I played more on Xbox One than on PS4. More games and more time. And my PS4 sounds like a jet engine. The controller is dead. I need a new one or an adapter to use the Elite Series 2 controller. But still, I wouldn't replay Sony's "masterpieces" but Wipeout Omega Collection.

This generation, it's obvious that Series X is technically and officially the best console. The overclocked yet weaker, bigger, noisier and ugly PS5 can't hold a candle to Series X. However, it's interesting how Series S is performing so well in some countries, not just in Japan where Xbox was almost dead last generation but also in developing countries. Series S is a good idea and I think it won't hold Series X games back because Xbox consoles are Windows consoles and Xbox games are Windows games, including Steam games that run on Windows OS. Basically, all the new games come to PC as well and that don't hold them back.

What is truth is that there aren't many current-gen games but this generation is slow for Microsoft and Sony. Even Switch that launched last generation, what new AAA games does it have?

I have a Switch and still don't understand Nintendo's massive success. The best-selling Switch games are old Wii U ports, too. The best-selling Switch game is Mario Kart 8 (2014). Switch is a complete success in Japan. Is it because it's kind of a handheld?

@gollumb82 I didn't read the whole thread last night but I saw people concerned about the quality of the Elite Series 2 (core) controller. I own the black version and it's the best controller I've used. Even if you get a faulty one like that guy pressing the front buttons, you can get a replacement or use the guarantee if something happens in a few months.

@Dezzy70
Invite sent 🙂 Oh and I've just bought the Elite Core as well.
@Banjo-
I had an Elite v2 for a spell but bought it used and it quickly developed stick drift. Otherwise it was the best controller I've had, including Dual Sense (which is overrated, by the way and the battery life is laughable).
As for my doubts about the Elite Core, I'm hoping that buying one brand new will at least give me more of a chance to use it myself before anything goes wrong or plenty of time to use the warranty service. It did fix the stick drift with my Elite v2 back in the day, but it came back within 4-5 months of the repair so I sold it.
Btw Banjo, really like your posts here and agree with most of the stuff you write. Wouldn't mind adding you as a friend as well 😉 if your ID is the same that is
As for Switch- it just shows that gameplay trumps graphics. Well, that and Mario 😁 I have a Switch too and my daughter uses it mostly, but I like to play games on it and the handheld/docked option is really great.

Outside of Xbox sales execs does anyone really care about this stuff?

Who sells the most plastic boxes doesn't do anything for me personally.

To me all I see info like this used for is to bash other folks over the head with just because they made different choices for their gaming. It all seems pretty pointless to me.

Gaming is supposed to be fun not trying to make other folks feel bad because they have a different plastic box next to their TV.

@gollumb82 Thank you! I appreciate it 😁.

I think that my enjoyment of Switch is affected by the facts that I have a Wii U and that recent Nintendo's entries aren't as good as older titles, in my opinion. Mario is a good example.

The original Elite controller that I got with the Xbox One Elite bundle broke recently after many years of enjoyment. No drift but one broken bumper and the rubber of some thumbsticks. Let us know about your Elite Series 2 purchase! I love it so far.

If your Xbox name is the same, I think that I just added you 👍🏻. Otherwise, let me know your Xbox gamertag.

@Banjo-
My gamertag is gollumb82, just like here. I didn't get your invite so give me yours and maybe this'll help 🙂
@uptownsoul
How much??!! I got $500 and thought that was nuts. For an almost two-year-old console and a digital one at that.

@BBB Hello oh holy righteous one…does getting games ‘do anything’ for you? More sales equals more investment which equals more games. ✌️

Also, I can’t stand the whole compartmentalising something to such a basic degrees as to proclaim these things are nothing more than ‘plastic boxes’ for people. It’s incredibly short sighted, and frankly lazy. Fanboys exist fundamentally for a reason beyond the product.

So we are talking about sales charts again lol. Obviously stock low for PS this week and phil was handing out coupons to make the console essentially free at TGS obviously they are gonna move some units this week

@gollumb82
Cool will have a look at invite in little while.
Yes got the elite core yesterday, so far perfect.

@gollumb82 Okay try this ... and let me know.

@Banjo-
Ok, so I got it then 🙂 expected it to be Banjo-related 😉 cheers!

Look, the PS crowd is here to enlighten us once again. It's only because of stock circumstances, not because the Series S is ideal for the Japanese market and because a lot of Japanese games are coming to Xbox. They also say that it's because Microsoft is giving Series S consoles for free when it's a 5,000 yen coupon ($35) 🤣. No matter what you do, Microsoft, you'll always be a loser for the PS crowd, even when you're a winner.

@SinfulDestroyer Is an odd argument assuming people are so stupid they’ll buy into a platform they’ve zero interest in just because they can’t get a ps5…when the vast majority of games are still cross generation… hell, the vast majority of Japanese games coming to the Xbox have been on PlayStation consoles for generations already.

@Dr_Luigi yep, I’d recommend anyone lay the extra and get a series x. I think the s has 500gb?…which you’ll probably get 400gb or less to play with. That’s really nothing. And the additional cost to expand that…like you say, may as well get a series x and get so much more. Funnily enough I’ve still not even tested the disc drive in my series x and I’ve had it for coming up to a year now.

If peoples budgets only stretch to a series s right now, I’d advise they stick with the Xbox one (assuming they’re already on Xbox) and just cloud stream till the big games actually come out. As, other than quality of life features like faster loading times and quick resume etc, nobody is really missing out on not having any of the ‘next gen’ consoles right now…there’s really nothing on them that stands out as ‘next gen’. There’s no real “wow this could not be done before” moments…or anything you’d get your mates round to show off the power of these machines. Nearly all games are still on previous gen.

@SinfulDestroyer playstation is 3rd in japan? For one week which has happened 3 times in two years lol

Its pretty obvious looking at all the other 100 weeks where sony has sold more that this is down to stock issues, if xbox sell more for many weeks in a row then you can say its down to demand, you can't just have one odd week and say xbox is now wanted more.

@Banjo-
Yes the series x is the superior console on many levels with the PS5 and the user features and customer friendly design.

As for the Switch I had a fantastic time with it in the early days. BOTW, Mario Odyssey, Arms, Luigi Mansion, MK8.

But for my they stopped producing those top end AAA in house titles that I like a while ago.

I can’t believe in house they have only produced one big NEW AAA platform game, Mario Odyssey.
So the Switch had been dead to me for a long while now.
Not sure what their in house teams do as they only develop for one console now, not Home and handheld like before.

As for sales they are not that great when you consider Nintendo sold a lot more if you combined home console and handheld, when they had both.

@Dezzy70 That's right, Nintendo only have a console now so they're covering both home and handheld markets at the same time. Sales aren't that impressive considering that. Very few new "AAA"/"AA" games on Switch, indeed. Compared to any other previous generation, the library is very lacklustre.

I also agree about Quick Resume. While not every game supports it correctly, it's a huge time saver. I love skipping the logos and warning screens.

@Kaloudz

Yep, Series S looks cute (and your red dot version idea is a good one).

When the X was first unveiled, I thought "wow, that looks incredibly boring".... however, I actually love how it disappears into my media unit instead of being a bit of an eyesore.

I appreciate that PS made an effort with their design to do something that stands out and is desirable... but the reality of having that thing during in my living room... just NO!
Sort of thing I would have loved in my bedroom as a teenager... but doesn't suit a middle aged man's living room 😆

@antstephenson It would have looked awesome next to a gigantic Buzz Lightyear figure 😁.

@Banjo-
Nintendo may have not totally satisfied me with the Switch but they doing well considering.

Quick resume is great, jumping from FH5 to Deathloop at the minute.

@Kaloudz
Yeah, not a fan of PS5 aesthetic... Too big, too router-ish for me.
But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, so I'm happy if other people are liking it.
I had the Xbox 360... Loved it as a machine, but not so much the looks... always thought it looked like a Dell optiplex PC of the time... https://images.app.goo.gl/6SV3Ptq8zBQz17iS9
TBH, I can't really think of a console I've admired for its looks.... the OG playstation looked kinda cool for the time I suppose.

Very good sales for a brand that was basically non exsistent in JP only 2 years ago. The Playstation is known in more recent times for badly designing the base model then coming up with a smaller and more user friendly version after about 3 years. I haven't got a PS5 yet but I shall wait until they make a slimmer version without those huge interchanable sides and an easier way to expand storage (hopefully plug in like xbox)

@Kaloudz Ha ha I can imagine. The Toy Story films are great, though. I've seen the PS5 and it's bigger that I imagined. It's gigantic and the asymmetrical design and flaps/wings make it look even taller. Perhaps, the PS5 is designed to finally be able to take off, following PS4's attempts.

Of course it outsold the PS5. Best value by far. And smart consumers recognize this. I hear constantly how Sony is #1. Unfortunately, I usually hear that from Sony. To me, the one with the most money wins. Microsoft clearly wins.

I made sure to get a Series X AND a Series S on launch day so I'm set for years. I actually use both of them pretty equally, depending what TV I'm playing on. They are both great and that Series S is ridiculously small. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern.

@Swirly if your Playstation has become loud then it needs a clean. After the first 20 seconds or so of the disc spinning my PS5 is silent. Clean it every 6 month or so but it’s always pretty much spotless inside.

@Romans12 Playstation makes far more money than Xbox!! You’re comparing Microsoft to Playstation!! Totally pointless comparison. Playstation is the highest earner in the video game industry by a long, long way. I think Xbox is 4th!

@antstephenson i have the black plates on my PS5 an i think it looks great! My Series X is ok but that’s it, ok. Looks like a huge piece of Lego. I have both machine stood vertical.

@UltimateOtaku91 Japan has been increasingly caring about western games, but they're choosy and sometimes unpredictable. For Honor was really big in japan at launch (of course it features a Japanese setting.) I'm betting Assassin's Creed Japan would be big. Forza set in Japan would actually make it pretty huge there....enough to move some Xboxes. Basically, whatever it is, set it in japan and they'll take interest.

But Skyrim is also pretty huge there, as is Minecraft. Eiji Aonuma had the team playing Skyrim and it influenced BotW, and sales are generally pretty great there. IDK if Starfield will be as big, I'm guessing it won't.

It's ironic that Microsoft who can't sell consoles in the country, owns two of the few western games to make it big in Japan.

I don't think PS3 phat was so ugly. I actually still have mine out near the PS5.....the PS3 is sleek and curvy, although it's covered in dust always because gloss plastic.... It doesn't stick out awkwardly nearly as much as the PS5 towering near it. Particularly disc models. It's really elegant on PS3 phat, recessed into the front lip, and curving back and away from it. PS5 it looks like it's melting off the side.

@sjbsixpack
Yep, I agree the PS5 looks so much better in black.
I still prefer the Series X design personally, but the PS5 in black looks a bit more tasteful than the standard white version (especially in a media unit with a bunch of other black boxes!).

@Kaloudz Wait until you have the conversation about 8-Tracks lol

@BartoxAbrasiveness I like that naming. PS3 Super Slim would be "Recycled Milk Bottle." Gamecube obviously "Lunchbox",

@gollumb82 Wait, weren't you all-in on Xbox, then disgruntled and switched and went all-in on PS5.....and now you've sold the PS5....did I miss something?

@NEStalgia
Someone's been paying attention! Yes, that is correct. This is my midlife crisis. At least I didn't buy a sports car 😜 Seriously, though, Xbox is my main platform of choice going forward, but I kept a Vita and PS3 for the classics I like to play. Also, you can see why I have a lot in common with Dezzy 😉

@gollumb82 LOL yeah, between you and Dezzy my head keeps spinning. At least the Push fanboys can be consistent so you know where they stand. You two oscillate between XB and PS fanboyism on a bi-annual basis

Dezzy drove me crazy for half a year with rotating Horizon avatars for different Horizons (HFW/FH5) every time MS or PS would have a better showcase LOL.

Let me know when you're an all-in PS fanboy again and we can argue about Xbox having no games

@Kaloudz LOL you get bonus points for actually just having another name for them rather than the blank stares of the Saint's Row generation wondering why the music player has no volume buttons

"Lucy in the sky with"
ka-thunk
....
ka-clink
....
plin-clack
"diamonds..."

LOL. Nobody has any clue what we're talking about. But they're missing out. (Seriously, though 8-traks are older than cassette tapes but better sound quality than tapes or CD (but with a messier noise floor.) They got the short end of the historical stick....it was a better bridge from vinyl than what we had until HD digital

@sjbsixpack I'm comparing what matters. Money. Microsoft is a trillion dollar company whose competition is Apple, Google, Amazon, etc. Sony is far from a trillion dollar company. That's why Microsoft purchased Activision for $69 billion and Sony purchased Bungie for $3 billion. This is why Microsoft ultimately doesn't care what "place" they are in as far as video games. It's about MONEY! And Sony just doesn't have it, when compared to Microsoft, as an overall company. Video games is such as small part of Microsoft. Good Lord, educate yourself. This is the real world, not the video game world.

@NEStalgia
I like to see myself as platform-agnostic 😉 I play on whichever platform suits me the most and it's gravitating towards Xbox this gen. I promise to be a little more consistent though 🙃

@gollumb82 Says the Xbox->Playstation->Xbox fanboy with the Nintendo avatar lol

@Kaloudz lol, I miss payphones. Not because I miss the creepy, dirty phones, but because I miss the effect it had on society of having to plan and coordinate. Things happened at set times and people scheduled to interact at a certain place and time and people were generally organized around each other. People thought out what they were doing rather than acting on every impulse that jumps into their head

@NEStalgia
That avatar is just symbolic of my gaming past haha. Remember where you came from and all that. Now that you've mentioned it I will change it to FH5 😛 Oh and for the record I was a PC gamer between 2012 and 2016.

This is incredible news. To be honest, I'm more of a Microsoft guy right now.

@gollumb82
Just added you as friend on Xbox

@Dezzy70
Thanks mate 🙂 Also, it seems NEStalgia is seeing double because of us haha.

@sjbsixpack then why is Sony paying so much attention to someone far below them? 🤔 doesn’t make sense 🤷🏻‍♂️

Lot of PlayStation trash on this thread. I wonder why? Oh I know! They gotta come to the rescue of Sony who got outsold in Japan.

Eh I wouldn’t read to much into this well the “beating PlayStation” part the “MS did promotion and sold more units” is a good sign on a lot of levels. Stock issues didn’t help any of the three players but even if there weee as many Xboxes as PlayStations; Nintendo will dwarf them. I mean Splatoon 3 sold 3.4 million copies at launch in Japan. So yeah. Buy the promotion and momentum is good l.

@BartoxAbrasiveness it’s kind of … cute. People act like either company does well in Japan. Well actually MS does… Japanese Switch Minecraft sales are fantastic. (And people wonder why Ori is on Switch).You know details.

But yeah nothing comes close to Switch dominance there. Again I’m glad of the positive momentum Xbox has right now, and I don’t want disregard it. But perspective is important.

@NEStalgia
It’s such a crazy gaming world 😂

@mousieone That avatar... Love it! 😁

@Romans12 how can you compare Microsoft with Sony??? They’re a completely different company. Not in competition one bit! Sony make TV’s an movies, Microsoft make PC software. There are billions of PC owners in the world. 95% of them have Microsoft software. If ya comparing Playstation and Xbox Playstation is way ahead!! This is an Xbox site, not a Microsoft site! Microsoft are better than Sony at making PC related stuff, Sony are better at video games.

@Kingleo31 of coarse it does! Xbox is Playstation biggest competition. Both keep up to date with each other. I have both machines an both are quality but it’s simply a fact PS make far more money. More sales an more subscribers to PS+.

@sjbsixpack PlayStation + been around for longer to get those numbers. And you Sony fanboys always say Xbox got no games so how is that competition? You ponies never do make any sense when y’all talk.

@NEStalgia thank

Where are you on the game?

Bye bye ho

@Kingleo31 you’re makin no sense. Xbox has games, they’re just old and when a new exclusive has dropped in the past it’s usually a re iteration of an old game. Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 5, Halo 6, Halo 7……. 🥱 🥱
You’re clearly showing typical fanboy trait getting all upset when someone speaks facts. Like i said, i have both machines an play both but PS5 is the better console simply because PS exclusives are the best games. Won GOTY about 6 times in last 10 years, sales of 20-30+ million!! Series console has been out 2 years an we’ve had 2 exclusives and Flight Sim which is a PC game. Even on PC PS exclusives outsell Xbox exclusives. This is a fact.

@mousieone hahaha 🤣

I'm not actually too far due to my obsessive addiction dedication to Splatoon. I've done first floor Nexus for all 3, but not all of the aion directives for them. I'm cleaning up the club requests and flemmas request before he-heading to the next real dungeon. Low level quests that seem out of place after doing the matrix first floors.

It's really addictive though. Personally, much more than smtv. I just couldn't get into v at all

@gollumb82 lol great, now I'll never recognize you in comments without the avatar

@NEStalgia
I never asked for this! You did 😁 I also updated my profile info to help you keep up with which platform I'm currently on 😜 Max is just a character I really like and relate to (in terms of sarcasm and dark humour) and it's a nod to Remedy which is one if my favourite devs.

That list makes no sense as it sold nearly triple the Switch Lite sales surely it should be number 3? Anyway we’ll done Microsoft, taking more share from the market SONY has stuck its fingers up at.

@sjbsixpack If no one replies to you it’s because they all have you on their ignore list. Your post is amusing though.

@SplooshDmg
No worries 🙂 If anything NES only made my resolve stronger. Also, I realised that my profile is terribly outdated so I'd say only good came out of it.

@SplooshDmg @Kingleo31 he’s a sore loser. Can’t let Microsoft outsell PlayStation without coming to their defense. So pathetic.

2DS is still on sale in Japan? I thought it was discontinued?

@SplooshDmg
I know he is, but thanks for standing up for me 😉 In my case, however, the truth is that I have been a Playstation guy since 2016 and have enjoyed their PS3/4/5 games to the point I got honestly bored of them. I'm not tied to any platform as I mostly look for new gaming experiences. Even tried PSVR and it's not for me (motion sickness). I considered switching back to PC gaming but it's way too expensive and inconvenient (I know it's subjective). There's something strangely soothing about just switching the console on and being in-game within 3 seconds (quick resume rocks!). I get the appeal of PC gaming though- one platform to rule them all. Especially with Sony exclusives making their way to PC finally.

@S1ayeR74 replies to me sayin no one replies!! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️😂😂😂😂

@Kingleo31 wat’s a pfp???

@SplooshDmg
So you see where I'm coming from. As for gaming and where it's going I'm starting to think my next gaming stop will not be a console but cloud gaming with Xbox/Microsoft and or a gaming PC. Thanks to GPU I really believe in cloud gaming as I've really found the experience positive, save for a few instances like racing games where stable 60 fps is mandatory.

@gollumb82 Console is better in my opinion because it's easier, Series X is awesome value and Quick Resume rocks, as you said. By not having a PS5 or a gaming PC I might not be able to play future Sony's games but, honestly, I don't miss them either.

@gollumb82 I liked the dk one tbh

Wait... You can relate to a cop turned mass murderer and mob associate bent on self destructive revenge? Backs away slowly

@Banjo- yes its because its portable. They spend most there lives on the move. They actually sleep on the subway in there stools at meetings ect. Point is portabily is a big selling point outside of the games.

@SplooshDmg @Banjo-
I think Phil said they're going to offer a choice: cloud or console, so I think everybody should be happy. I see the advantages of having a console. I love my Series X and always said it's a much better console in terms of design, cooling and features than the PS5.
However, I can see Phil/MS having a change of heart. Consoles are really expensive to make and they might just go all-in on cloud gaming. We'll see.
@NEStalgia
I wouldn't expect a different opinion from someone from the big N camp 😜 As for Max, anyone could be him. To quote the Joker: Madness is like gravity. All it takes is a little push 😁

I must defend Ubisoft's recent output as well as Crystal Dynamics because they have made some of the most enjoyable games recently, from a technical and gameplay point of view. I'm thinking of the Tomb Raider games and Immortals Fenyx Rising. Capcom has been very consistent over the years and has always been one of my favourite developers. Square Enix is often criticised but I enjoy most of their games. There are also things I didn't expect to love like Dead Labs' State of Decay 2 and the Gears of War games (except 5). Just some examples of games I think that are better than the interactive films I've been playing on PS4 last generation.

@Fragslayer That's right and Nintendo's handhelds have always been successful. It's just that I have many issues with Switch, issues I didn't have with older handhelds. I think that it's that it attempts to do things it barely does, the small buttons and the video on the Lite is kind of blurry. Not to mention the lack of games that appeal to me that I don't have on Wii U already. Probably just Luigi's Mansion 3 and Xenoblade 2 and 3. There's Super Mario Odyssey that is the most boring Mario 3D game, in my opinion. But yes, it's crazily successful in Japan.

@gollumb82 I hope that they will still make consoles. In spite of having fibre, the ping and lag are still noticeable here. Cloud is one of Microsoft's strengths, though. Game Pass and Cloud are both really interesting and a big part of the future. I just hope for Series X2 to come along!

@SplooshDmg the reconnecting thing has always been there, or at least it has since I started using it over a year ago before it was even out of beta.

It does somehow need cloud quick resume though. That's the one thing keeping it from being a switch killer for the masses.

@SplooshDmg Lol you're really going to know the end before I do..... That's depressing. I need to gift you nso so you can join splat fest and divert you from Xenoblade

Yeah, the storage capacity for quick resume on cloud would be seriously expensive, but it's one of those transcendental features that I think would totally transform the way people engage with cloud gaming and increase engagement.

@sjbsixpack he was basically saying your profile picture the two kids in it are ugly.

Which I find absolutely disgusting if true and I have reported him, to get to a point to start attacking people personally is just not right.

@SplooshDmg IDK, Splatoon has "sploosh" written all over it. Literally.

Technically the quick resume wouldn't have to be full ssd speeds to work on cloud, but also at that scale the storage is a huge SAN array, so it doesnt have to actually use nvme performance individual drives to meet or exceed the same RA speed or throughout.

Still expensive but that mitigates it. I do still think it's an essential feature at some point to really sell the convenience of the cloud.

@SplooshDmg Btw, yeah I was teasing @gollumb82 but his case is uniquely funny because at xbsx launch he was all in and gung go for xsx, and then after a while I saw he got the PS5, was down on ms, and was totally all committed to going full pony go sony go! So when I saw here he sold the PS5 in a short time and is fully committed to going all xbot I just had to burst out laughing

@NEStalgia ahh yeah Splatoon I’m surprised you even have time for us. What with your busy schedule coming up.

@NEStalgia
Yeah, what @SplooshDmg said 🙂 It's ok, even my friends look at me in disbelief or laugh at me for all these changes of heart, but now is the first time I actually feel good about my choice of platform. Guess I have to credit @Dezzy70 (and SplooshDmg as well). Sony dropped the ball on so many things this gen that I'm done with them. My XSX plus Switch will be more than enough. I also managed to talk my pal into switching my Vita for his Razer Kishi as I actually will have way more use for it now 😉

@SplooshDmg
I'm glad you found your preferred option 🙂 As for my indecisiveness, part of the reason is that for the first time in my life I can afford all three major platforms and I kind of wanted to see what it's like to have them all. Let me tell you, it isn't fun. Money is one thing, time to play all those games is another. That and the fatigue with Sony's bs and game format led me to abandon it. If and when The Last of Us 3 and/or Uncharted 5 see the light of day I might consider buying a cheap used PS5 just to play those but honestly I'm hoping Sony comes up with its own cloud service (no, streaming just PS3 games doesn't count) so I can just stream them without buying the console.

@SplooshDmg I still haven't played campaign Splatoon 3. I played a few stages and it feels same old, but I did hear they mixed it up with Deep Cut battles. But I still think you'll be surprised with just how fast mp plays It'll start slow though. That's why I don't understand why I suck at souls and mh. I always want to say it's because I just don't have the reflexes the kids have. But then there's Splatoon which is probably the fastest game around other than Thumper and you need eyes in back of your head and cat reflexes...

If I had pc hardware like yours, I might not want the xb either

@mousieone lol, yeah.... It's kinda like that really. I was hyped and disappointed when 3 launched. I'm one hand is the only online game I'll play since quake 1. On the other hand, it's too consuming and interferes with all other games. Idk why it's addictive but it is

@gollumb82
Trust me it has taken me ages this generation to settle down. It has been a different and strange new generation compared to others.
Me coming from the older style change of generations have struggled. But I’m there now and feeling content and happy.
My job involves change and evolution, which I absolutely love, but it seemed harder to take from a hobby gamer point this new generation.
Anyway glad we are all there now and enjoying.
My GPU, which funny enough are my dads initials, doesn’t now run out until March 2025.

@Dezzy70
Agree with you on all points and as much as I love the backwards compatibility my XSX gives me, I'd like for the devs to shift their focus to current gen now. Can't wait to be floored by FM8 and Hellblade 2.

@SplooshDmg
I get you. It's more or less the same with VR. Sony only allows their own goggles to be used, as opposed to PC. Money is obviously the reason and I agree that having a choice in this day and age is crucial. I bought an Elite Series 2 Core controller and love it. Not to bash the regular Xbox controller but the Elite is just that.
Another Sony bs is the new console design where they basically tell you that the disc drive is an expensive option. I'm all for digital games but at the beginning of this gen they clearly said disc drives were here to stay. Then Jimbo talked to their accountants and backtracked on yet another thing. One of the reasons I quit on Sony, too.

@SplooshDmg
Well, I'm in the all-digital camp. Have been for a few years now, but I understand why others prefer physical games. I'd say both options you mentioned make sense for Sony. The pandemic high gaming companies and platform holders were riding is over and Sony seems to be upset with the fall in profits. As for MS, Series S has been a success story and allowed many less affluent gamers or those who like its compact size to play their games on newer hardware. Makes me wonder if there'll be a mid-gen upgrade (Xbox Series XL, PS5 PRO) or if due to the economic downturn we will be able to ride it out with the current hardware (like X360/PS3 era).

@Dezzy70 I agree the Series S is small and sleek the PS5 is a huge horrible looking thing

@SplooshDmg
Those are exactly my thoughts. Why would Nintendo think about a Switch Pro if the regular one is flying off the shelves? Besides, Nintendo consoles have never been about graphical fidelity so they are good for the next 2-3 years still I think.
I happen to think the same about the mid-gen upgrade. We are still nowhere near 4K/60 being the standard and in these troubled times game devs should focus more on content rather than hitting that threshold. It's part of the reason people misunderstand what the actual purpose of Series S is. I'm currently replaying FEAR 2 and I don't know if my Series X enhances the game in any way but it still looks and plays great. Lower graphical fidelity might also help make cloud gaming more viable as an actual way to play and enjoy games.
As for PS5 Lite, no way Jimbo will go that route. I'm not even sure a slim model is in the cards right now if they are streamlining the PS5 production process.

@Swirly sell the S and save for an X. Why deny yourself of an entire ecosystem?

@SplooshDmg
I don't know if this applies to all games. I remember reading that only Series X can run Red Dead Redemption in its One X glory (and it does look amazing). As for graphics and fps I usually go for 60 fps, especially in racing and sports games. That said, I played CP2077 at launch on XSX in dynamic 1800p and 30 fps and had no problem with 30 fps. Slower paced games are perfectly playable in 30 fps. Control, on the other hand, seemed really sluggish in 4K/30 with rtx on (I have to add that I'm not a fan of rtx, but I imagine on a PC that can actually run it well it might be nice).
On a sidenote, I loved all my 3 playthroughs of CP2077 and think it looks great on XSX and PS5 (PS5 version being inferior due to noticably smaller city population in the game).
Series S will be fine one way or another, but I'd argue it's way too early for the devs to use its specs as an excuse for failing to make 60 fps a possibility in their games.
Edit: how about we move this discussion to the Xbox app. It seems that we have hijacked the comments section 😜

@SplooshDmg
Oops! Seems I've interrupted your game here 😁 Ok, let's keep it here. The admins seem to be very understanding. I hope @NEStalgia doesn't mind me doing his job haha.
As for rtx, that was also my impression and I agree it is a resource hog and often not worth the performance hit.
RTX 3080ti is a monster. No wonder you tend to stick to your PC more than consoles.

@SplooshDmg
I can tell it's all just a bit of innocent fun so no worries 😉 I do have to say I have no idea what DLSS, FSR or any of the terms you use mean. Guess my brain is so consolised at this point that I stopped caring for much else. However, I distinctly remember what it's like to play a PC game with 15 fps. I think that's the way I played Unreal back in 1998 on my Pentium 166 Mhz 😁

@NEStalgia yeah well my friend is the same way. I don’t expect to truly interact with her until Persona 5 Royal release gains this time for her Switch. Of course not sure interact is a good word. But when Pokémon comes out wel’ll both be busy.

@SplooshDmg Online is, always has been and always will be Shakey, it's part of the experience. The problem is it ain't cod. There are no servers. It's just p2p. And na shares a "region" with SA and Oceania.... Because noa is their distribution. Also iirc Indonesia, Malaysia etc that are distributed by noa and not Asia Nintendo or ncl (jp). Yes it's bad, it's Nintendo.... But the game is too fun to care other than periodic table quitting. Japan gets its own region since 2 because of course.

An Xbox is a mid range low cost subsidized pc basically. Always has been though 360 is an anomaly. So that's kinda expected I think.

@SplooshDmg
Thanks for taking the time to explain this in layman's terms 🙂

@SplooshDmg did someone say Date? I suddenly feel like we should be taking about Date.

It depends on your skill level really. My lobbies tend to be higher end lobbies and I get connection issues and matches ending regularly but not extreme (otoh teleporting enemies and dying before enemies attack is another thing.)

But I've heard noob lobbies have a lot worse problem with it. I'm guessing that players that suck because they suck and players that suck because their Internet sucks end up in the suck pool together in matchmaking.

@SplooshDmg Can you tell me more? I'm unfamiliar with this oft mentioned title available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, the best value in gaming.

That guys exaggerating. I mean yeah it's always an issue. It can be frustrating. But that's how Splatoon has been for 8 years and plenty have played it addictively and competitively for 8 years. I'm sure if you're a cod baby it's earth shattering, bit those of us that lived through quake on 56k modems have nothing to fear

Rofl I didn't expect that. Only half hour left though!

@SplooshDmg yeah the fest is super Japanese in every way and unapologetically so. The regular stuff is more rock and varied. But I love the the fest of a huge idol concert. And the choreography is shockingly intricate.

Lol. When it's not fest there's a lot more modes. Turf war is genetic. Salmon run is coop. Anarchy rotates every few hours between tower control, clam blitz, rain maker and splat zones. And with tons of weapons that all play differently there's an absurd amount of content. I hate online games yet this one is pure addiction

@SplooshDmg THAT'S IT!

Yeah there is zero chance I will ever play a video game with voice chat. Ever. So this one is perfect. I tend to play more turf war then most westerners. Japan is all about turf war and splat zones. The west loves TC and RM... Basically KotH and CTF. Personally I'm aligned with the Japanese style. I miss splat 1 where we played with Japan and the lobbies were mostly Japanese. They play differently. They booyah more. They build little comeraderies without voice. They were fun. The lag sucked but they were fun. I'm

Ranked/Anarchy is about winning though. Play the objective, noob!

But yeah it's the only game where sometimes losing has you grinning because it was a fun loss.

@mousieone lol if we didn't have addiction issues we wouldn't be gamers

@SplooshDmg neurodivergent either sounds like somebody that should be on a watch list or a major character in Detroit

@SplooshDmg Nobody's not interested in Xenoblade as far as I'm aware, so that's not a problem. Well, outside of that dude at Kotaku who reviewed 2 and panned it because he doesn't like that type of game. But nobody does like Kotaku so it all irons out.

Yep, rollers are melee. Well, really brushes are melee, rollers have a bit of range, but it's a short range, some later rollers have some serious range on the vertical flick though. Carbon is true melee, it has no range, and can't 1hko roll. Noobs roll At higher levels, rollers shouldn't really roll that much, they focus on the flicks. Rolling is for last resorts, surprise attacks, and covering turf, particularly on some rollers that don't cover turf well with flicks (Carbon, Flingza.) Dyamo's should basically never roll, they're far too slow and ink consuming to roll.

@SplooshDmg I mean, with Kotaku you expect it, but that has got to be the worst game review I've ever seen. It was this caustic scathing review of XC2 and the general summary reason was "I didn't like 1 either." Like... that's basically the same as me giving Resident Evil a 2/10 because "I hate horror games and never liked this series." You just stop paying attention to a publication that even publishes that. Not that anyone should pay attention to that publication ever.

I remember a Splatoon Direct back in the WiiU days with Bill Trinen and the Treehouse staff split into competitive teams telling everyone to git gud. I miss those days at Nintendo.

LOL yeah, Splatoon is one of those cute and cuddly simple games that has a learning curve that's extreme. I've been woomying for 8 years on and off. Even when I THOUGHT I understood the game years ago, I'm now learning I did not. There's whole tiers of understanding. It's so Japanese. There's this patient mastry to the art that takes a lifetime of dedication.

LOL yeah you can always tell the Splatoon noobs coming from other shooters. SJ to center and keep getting splatted over and over. Everyone going solo in their own corners and dying. It can't be avoided too much, but it's a Japanese game and to win consistently you need to think Japanese. You're not a lone hero, you're just a member of the group. Japanese play as groups, even without chat, and it's meant for them. The best competitive players have learned teamwork (though the competitive players use voice chat, booo!), though with a more aggressive western style. (I remember japanese twitterers complaining "why are Westerners so aggressive?" with the first game. That's why they have their own server now. )

Of course SOME of us are perennially cursed by the matchmaker. I do tend to be a heavy splatter, and I somehow get stuck with the kids that can't splat. I'll end many many matches in defeat as the only one on the team with a positive k/d. After that you start trying too hard to carry the teams and then you get sloppy.

This is so fitting though. You derailed my entire planned gaming schedule by tuning me into AI Som in the Spring. Now I return the favor with Splatoon.

@SplooshDmg You mean you can stop in 5? "Just...one...more...round" (for 5 hours) hasn't kicked in yet?

Yeah. I've made the mistake in the past of making Splatoon "social" and playing with groups. On one hand it's super fun because it's a really different experience playing private battles and with known groups rather than randos. OTOH it's exactly as you say, the coordinating with other people thing just because disruptive and stressful. And that's without real chat. No matter how fun the group there's this "I have to play now because so and so is going to play now" that keeps you fixed to it and not playing on your own schedule and it's this viscious loop of enjoying playing with known quantities and also hating being on somebody's schedule. I do miss the groups a little. That's the most social thing I've ever done and it was too stressful.

@SplooshDmg By "group" I meant "Forum group" LOL, I definitely relate all the way around 100%!

It definitely was fun playing among known quantities, and educational to playing better. But yeah, scheduling, spending half an hour debating what modes and maps to play and "let's wait for so and so they said they would play" and realizing you've lost a half and hour game time just posting about nothing and waiting around. Miss the crew sort of, but I'm kind of forcing myself not to do it because once you get sucked in you then feel obligated and it's stressful and time wasting.

@SplooshDmg I was horrified when they point telephones in gaming. To me, online gaming meant quake and diablo. You frantically type while playing. It never occurred to me that voice telephones could even be a thing. The first time I found out it even existed I think was when I got a 360 and Halo 3 and I'm like OMG people DO that?!?! I never touched a multiplayer game again I hate phones for normal use, why do I want to be on the phone while having fun like a teenage girl? So in came Splatoon with no built in voice at all and all was right in the world. Plus gyro aiming.

And even without voice, scheduling around people just drives me nuts. Like, I want to stop now, then do something else then come back to it at an ungodly hour, but that doesn't work when scheduling.

@SplooshDmg Yeah, I'll never understand gaming as a "hangout." Back in our day it didn't work that way. Kids now grew up with it but it's strange and different and I don't like it. I wouldn't care in general but it's changed gaming itself. It's one of those things where someone else getting their way of life destroys your way of life therefore you need to destroy their way of life to preserve yours....which is basically the whole culture in a nutshell today.

Gyro is everything. Splatoon is, IIRC, the only console FPS without aim assist. That's a MASSIVE advantage to it, because Nintendo and not XB, ironically, has the only console shooter that plays like a PC shooter. I literally can't play a console FPS without gyros anymore after Splatoon. It's why Deathloop has to be on PS5 for me. And why Doom/Quake will be worse on Xbox despite being first party. It NEEDS gyro, and the one and only thing I'm still bummed about Series consoles with is the lack of gyros in the new controllers. I can't believe they didn't add it this time. Especially as the shooter console, by 360 reputation (and now id ownership.)

@SplooshDmg Wiimotes were terrible because the pointer was an infrared pointer, not a gyro, and the gyros in stock wiimotes were just 2 axis gyros which are useless without a third axis. They SHOULD have launched with a third axis, but were too cheap, and then sold that later as the Motion Plus, then made it a requirement for Skyward Sword, but didn't produce enough of them, and then wondered why nobody bought Skyward Sword.

MS has no excuse though. They made a new controller. Their competitors have had gyros for 2 generations. Bethesda even makes games for gryros. How did they not have gyros in the Series controller?!

The only thing bad about the Pro Controller is the D-pad. It's inexplicable that Microsoft bested Nintendo on D-pad quality, when Nintendo invented the D-pad.

WiiU actually had the best gyro. It was exotic and expensive. It used a rare earth magnet for geomagnetic centering. You didn't need to keep "re-centering" the gyro, it was always centered to Earth's poles, perfectly. WiiU was awesome and very underappreciated.

@NEStalgia I feel like I need to post more TMS music because you two are past the point of no return.

@SplooshDmg Wiiu failed for many reasons. The poor messaging/wii peripheral thing. The fact that techy tablets had just become a thing making it's own tablet severely antiquated. The fact that even Nintendo didn't really have ideas for using the second screen. The fact that right after it dropped PS4 and Xbone we're announced and the whole industry dropped ppc support with ea badmouthing it industry wide. The complicated gpgpu development (ironically now similar to the current consoles), just losing momentum with PS4 and xbone hype. A games drought at the start. The fact that it was a successor to a console that most gamers abandoned and the market of wii itself moved to phones. So many reasons. But honestly it was a really good console and got way more use than my PS4 for years. (I didn't get xbone until 1x)

But that Splatoon was special. And it had TMS. Right Mousie?

@SplooshDmg Good jpop at that! They actually hired Avex to manage and produce their fictional characters as actual signed talent. It's pretty amazing actually. Did I mention I imported the soundtrack and actually listen to it? Because I did...

An atlus rpg, avex produced pop... The best version of Tiki. What else could you ask for other than singing cephalopods?

@SplooshDmg lol

Actually theyre all singing cephalopods. They actually created an entire in game music scene, the stock music is different bands in the inkling world complete with album art and back stories and everything. One of the new bands (Front Row) is supposed to be 3 members of the original main band (Squid Squad) in a new band. The lead is almost definitely probably not supposed to be Billy Armstrong. Seriously.

The Nintendo guys are also obsessed about things . Some of the tracks playing are Marina and Pearl from 2 (you met them in the campaign I think). And they're not just synth singers, they're real VAs processed. There's videos of Callie and Marie recording sessions. I've seen a concert video of Keity.Pop (Callie va)..... And she's basically Callie IRL . Fun fact, Marie's real name is Mari...... Totally coincidental though, the Japanese names aren't Callie and Marie, it's something like Aori and Hotaru, the species of squid they are but also common names.

Yes I know too much about this. I blame Nogomi.

@SplooshDmg Yeah, they have different "bands" with different sounds. The whole thing is kind of themed after a 90's battle of the bands, and the devs are a bunch of 90's nerds.

I agree though, the Splatfest music is always the best, and it's supposed to be special. The first game it was all Callie & Marie (Squid Sisters) doing covers of the other band's songs you normally hear. The second game it was special Marina & Pearl (Off the Hook) tracks, and this one it's all Deep Cut.

Hard not to just grin with 1's Splatfest and Callie & Marie doing covers of all the normal songs. 2....it worked....but Pearl is best taken in small doses. This one the fest music is definitely impressive though.

@SplooshDmg LOL. Yes. yes it is.

Seriously a lot of that comes from the official site, the old Iwata Asks segments, and just generally being around the game since E3 pre-launch hype of the first game which was, what, 2013? For the old guard this game is older than Overwatch. I remember when Overwatch launched and gutted the Splatoon player population. But also the devs are eccentric and obsessed with the weird details in this stuff. If you haven't seen Nogomi in the lab coat for the "squid research center reports" you're really missing out. I think.......I think he actually lives in Inkopolis in his mind....

@SplooshDmg Popular opinion is probably that 2 was the weakest of the 3, but I think it depends how high a tolerance/preference one has for anime tropes, and the "lighter" overall feel of the game. 1 and 3 are a bit more "serious" (and 3 is kinda flat out depressing.) It definitely feels different than 2, though. Trying to "blast" through the main stories is an issue with 3. It doesn't have that linear driving narrative quite as focused as 1 and 2. It borrows from the Bethesda toolbox, and a lot of the world is just living in the world doing the side missions. Side missions matter more here both for the rewards, and because much of the feel of the game is just about living in their world and a slower pace. Obviously narrative does pick up at spots but it's definitely a more "open world" design where you're supposed to not really just press through the story like it's a Sony game

I don't find it THAT big a slowdown from 2 (arguably I found 2 a narrative slowdown from 1) but it's been years since I've played 2 so that's a big difference in perception. Then again, it couldn't hold my interest against Splatoon for long But I have a feeling where I left it off things go upside down. I get the sense the first 2/3 of the game are about coming to terms with a dreary, hopeless, depressing world in the ruins of the old games (Seeing Uraya with a hole through it is pretty depressing on its own....) in a world that exists for nothing but death. I'm assuming the last third goes nuts. Because it can't not. But...Splatoon....please hold, your narrative is important to us and will be processed at our earliest convenience.

@SplooshDmg I kind of get what you're saying. I think if I just came off 2 maybe I'd have a different take on 3. It's very "dry" and "serious" next to the whimsy 2 ,despite how serous that is at times as well. I'm also not a fan of the red consuls. IDK who came up with that Power Rangers holdout getup, and their concept gets tiring. I'll say the villains do become more interesting later for sure, though. That's part of the moment where I left off where everything comes to a head.

2 is really strong on the characterization and the world. I'd say 1 is weak on characterization but strong on world. 3 focuses more on a THEME than either. I think, to quote the souls crowd "looooooorrrreee" is the story focus in 3. The more you know about 1 and 2 the more the environment tells the story in 3. At least until that turning point. I'm so curious what happens after the turning point, because I left it in an "IDKWTF is going on" moment. But....the turf won't ink itself. And I kinda don't feel like harshing my Splatoon mellow by returning to the massively depressing story spot I was in in XC3

Eunie's still the queen of snark though.....gotta give her props for one of the most fun characters in the series, she makes Mythra look meek.

@SplooshDmg Yeah, I also dislike Taion. And I hate how Rikku is just "no-pon." I think that's localization reacting to how universally reviled the Nopon are in the West, especially after Tora. Manana keeps the spirit, but I think Japanese Riku is much more Nopon. Japan loves the Nopon...not the Westerners.

Given the theme, do we know Noah isn't a Family Dollar knock-off of Shulk? Not a spoiler, I honestly don't know, but it's a thought I've had multiple times in the game...

Everyone is under 10 years old. They're SUPPOSED to be one dimensional....they're manufactured for the sole purpose of being one dimensional. That's the point

Don't worry....it'll connect you to the characters in ways that makes AI Som look like a Kirby game. It wants to hurt you.

@SplooshDmg basically the west revolted over pervy tora, hooker -dressed pyra/mythra, poppi, others, etc. I'm sure NoA asked monolith to tone down the Japanese ness of it for better reception in global audiences etc etc. Heck, Nintendo already had to put out a statement about Shivers gender because somehow the Internet made up stuff. The Twitter mobs of the West wield more global power than than NATO.

@SplooshDmg Difficult video games do not violate the clauses of the Western Citizen of the World Handbook. Robots in maid costumes do. We do not tolerate such degenerate material in our culturally refined western media. MileyTwerking.jpg

@SplooshDmg That's it, it's the conflicting indecisiveness of whatever the culture is. I'd rather we just pick a side and stick with it. If we're going Amish, then let's just go Amish and be done with it. I'm cool with that. I love candle light and fresh, quality meat. If we're going full hedonism then let's just do it. Though I'd prefer Amish, because fresh, quality meat.

But the back and forth is impossible to follow, and never makes sense. Pyra dresses like a hooker = bad. GTA you kill actual hookers = best game number one! censors approve! Atelier = bad. Dua Lipa = kid friendly modern music!.....she basically dresses like Pyra.

@SplooshDmg What we call "console wars" is really not about consoles at all. It's a prevailing human thinking pattern in modern times as the brain is rewired by the internet and "social" connection. The human brain is not designed to be connected to all of human consciousness at once but that's what we've done. Brains do not think autonomously anymore, they validate all thoughts through the internet censor/filter, and their view is shaped by the collective view and majority consensus. But that means everyone endlessly seeks validation of a view, and/or seeks to validate themselves through conforming to an apparent consensus view. People seem disturbingly able to shift their own viewpoint with absolute devotion on a dime to whatever the new consensus is, and people will warp their thinking around whatever gets them acceptance among the current consensus. It's considered mandatory to be a part of consensus, and those outside average or consensus are effectively handicapped if not outcast. And yet there's no ACTUAL consensus, so consensus becomes whatever group screams loudest to have the primary message across mixed media, and it's made society effectively unable to function.

It's disturbing on many levels. But the immediate result is what we see with this kind of thing. The "counter-culture" or "cultural revolution" is now multiple directions at once, drawing arbitrary lines based on inconsistent reasoning between what's acceptable or normal. Japan is pervy, yet I feel like I should cover my own eyes when shown most modern music concerts form the West....while Japanese idols are in long flowing gowns that hide everything, anime is lewd, yet all the kids walk past Victoria's Secret in the malls (where you still have malls, which is nowhere) with 6x14 lithographs of erotica wrapping all sides of the store. Pyra is "overdressed" compared to the ACTUAL airbrushed models wearing literally next to nothing because they're specifically advertising their underwear in more than suggestive poses plastered on every TV commercial break and shopping mall corridor. But nobody notices this. It's not about right or wrong, good or bad, it's about proving your loyalty to the object of the consensus group for acceptance. And the consensus group changes based on venue, time period, and budget.

I think Japan's culture is objectively ethically superior. There's really no way around that. Major disaster? No looting. Here, the looting starts before the disaster. Corporate malfeasance? Rare, and massively condemned when it happens, here we celebrate it as superior cunning. Individual ethics, I always mention the umbrella rentals....just take one from the store, and they rarely ever go missing, people bring them back. Here ,people would grab the box and sell them on ebay. The fact that you can trust the honor system for random strangers to borrow anything and return it, whereas here, if it's not bolted to the floor, expect it to be gone. The core ethics of the core population isn't even comparable. We have none. They have tremendous amounts.

Of course they had those ethics beaten into them over centuries of shogunate brutality. Act out of line, lose a head. Eventually acting in-line became the default, and it's all the better for it. Sometimes I think a few centuries of noble but dictatorial and brutal rule would do wonders for Western society like it did for Japan. Japan also emraces the views of wisened elders. The West adopted youth revolution as a norm, where every 18 years we just delete society and replace it with a new one in the image of what the new kids want it to be leading to unending chaos, where kids literally rule the realm according to their half-baked inexperienced view of things. Then the next batch of kids deletes theirs with a new one. And everyone is obsolete by 30.

Japan's WORK culture though.....is seriously dysfunctional. So is ours. But we're the two most dysfunctional work cultures on earth other than Chinese sweat shops.

Why not wear the Miku tie? I mean you're in accounting, sex sells....I don't see the problem? Sega knows how to make bank from their imaginary working girls. Clip a Sega-Sammy stock ticker to the tie and you're set! It's not otaku, it's biznis!

@SplooshDmg That's just it. It started with the idea of "women's lib" and ending the idea of women being destined to be housewives. Ok, cool, that shouldn't be an assigned role from birth. But.....instead of changing it so that one isn't assigned that role from birth based on gender, we changed it so that no one does that role AT ALL, so the very concept of "family" became replaced with "productive laborers with offspring." Labor is the purpose of life, offspring is a biological biproduct, and businesses will raise them for profit, and government will raise them as a group the rest of the time. Mostly kids just raise themselves with guidance from instagram and other kids with no real family concept, because families don't exist. Workers with offspring exist.

The only thing I don't understand is how it has not collapsed yet. I keep waiting for it to, but instead of collapsing it just keeps morphing into even lower depths of ruin that I did not previously know existed. It's not a society, it's not a culture, it's a weird marketplace where people are traded for output and status, but it's not quite slavery because there are also no owners. It's like, being a self-employed slave where you manage your own enslavement? But what I really don't get is "the majority" seems...totally fine with this....

Actually....it feels quite like a flame clock.... which is probably the point....

@SplooshDmg Wow, that's really disappointing. For an XC game to drop the ball on story, let alone the story that's set as the finale of the entire Klaus trilogy (after the story DLC next December.) I really don't know how they could have done that after the solid run they've had.

It's almost like the XCX team made it. Maybe they did? There's a lot of design similarities in some ways between the games.

(If you're not a WiiU owner, XCX was a spinoff game that was more of a "true" open world MMO singl player game with a paper thin story at best that was all about the gameplay and a central hub city....kind of the "XC dungeon crawler" game of the franchise. It wasn't a narrative adventure in anyway and focused on the (unbelievably expensive) Dolls (or in the West, "Skells") or in reality "Gundam suits."

The story was supposedly unrelated to XC and totally separate but they kind of retconned that, IMO, with "New L.A." and the events that led to crash landing on the new planet tying in well with "The land of Morytha" and the events there.

@SplooshDmg wow. I left it at the big depressing scene and thought it was going to build to something interesting starting then.... Apparently not...... That... Sucks 😔

I did fast mass effect 3 Star Child vibes at that point....I didn't think it would really rival that... Lol on the Kojima swap 😂. Especially where Mobius is concerned.

Well..... Now I have less incentive to stop splatting and return to it so there's that

I really don't get how xc could drop the ball so hard

@SplooshDmg the only thing I can think is that Nintendo rushed out out to get it before switch 2, but that still doesn't explain the bad story. I never imagined an xc game could actually not have a great story. It seems like the FF curse has caught up to monolith.

Maybe it's the AAA curse. It now has a pretty open world and no story. WTF has happened to the JRPG industry? RGG and atlus are the only ones that remember how to do it. But how is story of all things the bad part of an xc game? There has to be some story about this... Or dev apology.

@SplooshDmg "dark and depressing enough to appeal to westerners who only know how to consume sadness"

In a lot of ways exactly this...I don't understand it. When did that happen to the west? I've basically detached from all Western media other than Christmas specials. I don't get the appeal of nearly any Western content. The last movie I saw was return of the king and that's probably the last movie I'll ever bother seeing. That's "modern" to me. Anything newer I don't understand at all.

To be fair, xc1 was already dark and sad. Xc2 was a weird direction change to anime that nobody really asked for and the audience was split in opinion. This seems to be an attempt to go back to the feel of xc1, but without a good twisting story.

People will defend anything new and Nintendo or Sony no better what because neither of them fail ever.

I agree on side story assuming it didn't suddenly have a twist coming soon like I'd expected. 1 and 2 being separate stories made sense. This should have bridged them but it sounds like it really doesn't which really sucks.

Nintendo should merge with Sony. They seem to be going the same direction of western western western, money money money. Everyone wants to be Xbox but nobody buys Xbox lol.

@SplooshDmg I really wonder what happened? Actual creator's vision just sucks? The key staff was borrowed to rush BotW2 so this is all they had to work with? Game was rushed to get it out before Switch 2 (Why is the DLC a year and a half later?), Working on a new Switch 2 XC game in parallel so this one got the short straw? It's just strange to end a trilogy that's been going since the Wii, detour to a spinoff, come back to a sequel, and then 4 years later come out with a new sequel that's filler? It's weird .