Throughout the past couple of weeks, my Twitter feed has been filled with memes, screenshots, and discussions about a Halo InfiniteBrute named Craig.
Despite putting on a great showcase that revealed just how impressive Game Pass will be going into the next-generation of consoles, Halo Infinite's graphics have dominated the discourse.
The overwhelming feeling, at least according to stats coming from the UK, suggests gamers prefer the PlayStation 5. Now was the perfect time for PlayStation to solidify their position at the top of console gaming with a new State of Play. Instead, I fear they may have shot themselves in the foot.
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A State of Play about the PS4?
Ghost of Tsushimais a fantastic game. Since its release in mid-July, it has been heralded as the perfect send-off to the PS4-era of gaming.
Yet, here we are, just over two weeks later, preparing for a PS4-focused event. Just as we were driving into the next-gen of gaming, this announcement has slammed on the breaks.
Of course, many of these games will release on next-gen consoles, or at the very least be backwards compatible with the PS5, meaning the console would be totally absent from the event.
For me, the upcoming State of Play feels a lot like a Community Shield. Sure, it's built up as this exciting footballing event, but everyone watching is just waiting for the Premier League to start.
While it'll be nice to see updates for games like Crash Bandicoot: It's About Timeand Bugsnax, the majority of PlayStation fans, will be sat dreaming of Miles Morales swinging through a winter New York City.
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A missed chance by PlayStation
Earlier this summer, especially after the first PS5 event in June, it felt like nothing could stop the PlayStation 5 hype train. However, much like a Northern Rail train at rush-hour, the hype train has been delayed, at least for now.
The Summer of Gaming has, in the absence of anything Nintendo-related, become solely about the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. As one event ends, attention quickly turns to how the other company will respond like it's some corporate disstrack.
PlayStation remains the firm favourite of gamers eager for a next-gen gaming experience, but one mis-step can be catastrophic for a gaming company.
The saving grace for PlayStation is that they have tempered expectations beforehand. Stating that we'll see no new PS5 news may slightly damage the viewership and excitement for the console temporarily, but remaining sufficiently vague as to tease new PS5 information, only to focus on PS4 and PSVR titles would have been a blunder the size of the Ouya.
The question is, will PlayStation fans tune in expecting more? Nintendo's classic twist of "Oh, and one last thing" has shifted gamers expectations for Direct-style game events. This leads to fantastic moments like that of the Super SmashBros Ultimate reveal but also, unfortunately, anger at events like the recent Nintendo Direct Mini.
Sony's reveal of Horizon: Forbidden Westat the last PlayStation event certainly created a memorable reveal event but, in this age of a constant need for knowledge about upcoming games, I fear the PS4 State of Play will leave PlayStation fans wanting more.
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