The Thursday letters page sees readers expressing doubt over the PlayStation 6's 2027 release, while another imagines a world where Nintendo bought Sonic the Hedgehog. The Games Inbox is a collection of readers' letters, comments, and opinions.
Next gen rodeo
One reader, Focus Expert, says they are at that part in the console cycle where meaningless numbers are compared to decide which console is more 'powerful'. They note that even if teraflops were a proper way of measuring power, nothing matters but how the console is used. They argue that nobody but Microsoft developers will prioritise the next gen Xbox, so everyone will optimise games for the PlayStation 6, just as they have the last two generations.
The reader points out that the Xbox Series X is, on paper, more powerful than the PlayStation 5, but no game has proven that. They expect the same with Project Helix. They also mention that the Switch 2 is not powerful on paper, but Zelda: Ocarina Of Time footage and Cyberpunk 2077 running well on it show it's the developer, not the console, that makes the difference.
Focus Expert concludes they are not going to buy a PlayStation 6 next year or any time soon, and they do not really believe it is coming out then. They say all the evidence suggests it is, but it's not needed and the component crisis will make it much too expensive. They believe it will be delayed until at least 2028, and if they are wrong, Sony are even dumber than they think.
The third way
Another reader, TGN Professor, suggests Fire Emblem needs a third setting between casual and permadeath modes. They feel casual is too safe with little consequence, while permadeath leads to save scumming and worrying about getting stuck with a limited team. They propose fallen troops being injured and unable to be selected for a certain amount of time, then losing a level or two when they recover.
GameCentral's GC responds: "That seems a good idea, and not dissimilar to how Star Wars Zero Company works."
Xbox generation
Reader Bobwallett says they are an Xbox supporter by default, picking it as their new gen console because it was more aesthetically pleasing than the PlayStation 5. They note the sacking of people isn't great, but Sony's hands aren't the cleanest either. They stuck with Xbox despite the Xbox One's poor load speeds, and are glad the Xbox Series X is backwards compatible as most of their games are from that generation and can be got fairly cheap.
Bobwallett has had every Sony device except the PlayStation 5, and while it's not likely to get purchased, they don't think the PlayStation 6 will come to them either. They hope to update their PC with a pre-owned 4070 or higher.
The next step
Reader Tim says from the first announcement of Xbox layoffs they suspected a lot of people outside the studios would lose their jobs, as Microsoft said they wanted to drastically reduce the number of layers to mostly just have people who make the games. After Tuesday's announcement, they think once Fable, Gears Of War: E-Day, and Clockwork Revolution have released, their studios will move to Activision and Bethesda, or one or two might close, and the whole management/publishing layer of Xbox Game Studios will be gone.
Tim has not bought into the idea that Microsoft is going to exit the games industry, but notes Activision Blizzard and Bethesda are still separate legal entities to Microsoft, leaving them in a position where the companies can quite easily be spun out into independent companies with ownership transferred directly to shareholders.
Bad guess
Reader David is critical of Sony's cashback offer, saying it will mostly be on cheap games over five years old and the money earned will only be available to spend on some games. They call it greed, saying Sony is a company that tries to own the whole console market, has tight T&Cs, mocks its customers, and takes pounds and gives back pennies.
GC responds: "The games confirmed so far are all 2026 titles: The Blood Of Dawnwalker, Halloween, Star Wars Zero Company, and Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2."
Super Sonic bros
Reader freeway 77 found an article about Sonic being potentially axed by Sega before the success of the films interesting. They wonder how important the character remodelling seems in hindsight, noting the director of the first movie pushed its release back a few months because of the backlash over the hideous looking Sonic. They say that was definitely the right decision and the director likely got pushback from people higher up.
They also speculate if Sega had written Sonic off, what the likelihood would have been of someone like Microsoft trying to buy the rights, especially as they were about to release the Xbox Series X/S. They would like to think Nintendo would want to buy him, as it seems a better fit with their other franchises. They are thankful things worked out, saying not only did we get great movies, but many gamers don't remember a time when Sonic wasn't relevant.
GC responds: "That's an interesting thought; Nintendo does seem the most obvious suitor."
Death Adder goes forth
Reader Sven mentions the Golden Axe cartoon, which they haven't seen mentioned on these pages before. It doesn't look top tier but seems positioned as a comedy, which looks quite fun and worth a look. They regret not having and not intending to subscribe to Paramount+. GC responds: "That was our feeling too."
Name change
Reader Marc reads between the lines on the shuffling at Xbox, seeing how consolidation plays into rumours of future hardware plans. They note a drip of news that Project Helix is just a 'PC in a box', which seems legit given Microsoft's moves around official emulation of older console titles on PC, the ROG Ally X, and disc-to-digital conversion. If the new Xbox is a living room PC, à la Steam Machine, emptying its officially branded publishing arm into Activision and Bethesda would suggest the Xbox name is being put out to pasture.
Marc suggests future games will be sold on various store fronts across the PC space as Activision or Bethesda releases, same with ports to Switch 2 or PlayStation 5/6. They wonder about the odds of Project Helix being branded under Microsoft's Surface line, a Surface TV high end box designed to be a full living room Co-pilot AI driven entertainment hub, fulfilling the Xbox One launch dream. They say Microsoft probably doesn't want the market thinking it's just the next iteration of its failed games console when the next generation rolls around. They could reserve the Xbox name for what Game Pass would become, so buying an Xbox is just buying access to your digital library and Game Pass for Surface TV or other PC based systems. Marc concludes thinking of Xbox as a competitor to Sony and Nintendo in the console wars has been old-fashioned thinking for a while, and we're heading into a much changed gaming landscape where that stuff is irrelevant.
Inbox also-rans
Reader ANON suggests id Software could have made a truly great Halo game. Reader Gorf says the Gears Of War: E-Day developers are toast the second the game comes out, noting Wikipedia says that's 200 people right there.
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. Readers can also submit their own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or the Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
