Tag: PlayStation

Grandia HD Collection all set for release on Xbox on March 26, 2024

Grandia HD Collection all set for release on Xbox on March 26, 2024

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Finally, an old wish of mine came true as GungHo Online Entertainment America, Inc. (GOEA) officially announced that the Grandia HD Collection – which contains the classic Japanese role-playing game Grandia and its sequel Grandia II – will be released on Xbox consoles on March 26, 2024. For the newcomers reading this, the said collection of the two Grandia RPGs was previously released for the Nintendo Switch and on PC in 2019. Grandia HD Collection has been listed on the Xbox store.

This surprise development is definitely much more exciting and better than Team Xbox’s releasing four Xbox-original games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. For your excitement and enlightenment, watch the latest Grandia HD Collection announcement and trailer below…

To understand what the collection contains, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement by GOEA. Some parts in boldface…

The GRANDIA HD Collection features two genre-defining role-playing games: GRANDIA and GRANDIA II. These games send players on epic adventures with protagonists Justin and Ryudo, respectively, to explore the worlds of GRANDIA and protect them from the forces of evil.

Two Nostalgic Stories: Fans can follow both iconic journeys in the world of GRANDIA with various upgrades once more. Discover what lies beyond the End of the World with the young adventurer Justin in GRANDIA and, eons later, protect the world from eternal darkness with mercenary Ryudo in GRANDIA II.

Modernized Visuals: This version of GRANDIA and GRANDIA II includes enhanced UI, sprites, and texture art that brings the iconic look of the retro classics to contemporary standards, including widescreen support and visually enhanced original cinematics.

A battle from Grandia.
This is what a battle looks like in Grandia II which had fully polygonal graphics.

Classic Old-School Combat: The GRANDIA series features classic RPG combat, with physical attacks and elemental spells in a battle system that combines real-time and turn-based mechanics. The addition of Hard Mode gives players a memorable challenge as they explore the world of GRANDIA II.

Language Support: The GRANDIA HD Collection includes Japanese and English audio options, as well as language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified and traditional).

I am really delighted that Grandia HD Collection is coming to Xbox (note: made for the Xbox One console which is fully compatible with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles) as I played and enjoyed the original Grandia game on PlayStation way back in 1999.

I do remember Grandia having a very imaginative fantasy world with a story cleverly structured to take players from one location to another to visit new places, meet new characters or tribes of people, and engage in quests. Playing that game was a whole lot of fun because developer Game Arts (the same team behind the Lunar RPGs) crafted a battle system that is highly playable and addicting. As I played Grandia, I saw the playable characters really develop not just with their personalities but also their battle and magic abilities.

Not only that, the music written by Noriyuki Iwadare was great to listen as I played. I also love the artistic approach applied on Grandia which had 2D sprites for the characters and monsters, nicely textured 3D polygonal environments, and very imaginative artworks (including those in animated cutscenes).

Grandia had characters and monsters in 2D sprite forms, as well as detailed textures on the 3D polygonal environment.

Of course, the many quests gradually built-up the tension of the main plot which turned out to be a grand event. Game Arts knew how to execute handsome pay-offs in relation to the build-up that preceded them. That being said, Grandia’s conclusion was really memorable to see.

If there is anything I hope to see within the Grandia HD Collection, it would be improvements on the English translation and the voice acting of the characters because the PlayStation version of Grandia that I played was lackluster with those mentioned elements. Clearly Sony Computer Entertainment (the publisher of Grandia on PlayStation) did not aim high with quality for the game’s American release.

As for Grandia II, I never got to play it as I never had a Sega Dreamcast nor a PlayStation 2 (PS2) console. I do remember some Dreamcast gamers expressing fondness and high enjoyment of the game and there were even a few who enjoyed it more than its predecessor. That being said, Grandia II’s inclusion in the Grandia HD Collection is an added incentive for me to purchase the collection for my Xbox Series X.

A mini-game in Grandia II. The sequel went all-in with 3D polygons which made it a big showcase of art and graphics on the Sega Dreamcast. The PlayStation 2 version of this game reportedly had inferior graphics.

Watch out for Grandia HD Collection on Xbox consoles on March 26, 2024. For more information, click https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/grandia-hd-collection/9n4nlqhx6j18

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Team Xbox should focus more on their fans and make more Xbox-exclusive games with the long-term in mind

Team Xbox should focus more on their fans and make more Xbox-exclusive games with the long-term in mind

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In recent times, Team Xbox and their studios officially confirmed that the Xbox-original (read: previously Xbox-exclusive) games Pentiment, Hi-Fi RUSH, Grounded and Sea of Thieves are heading to consoles of Sony and Nintendo. This is the result of what was discussed during the podcast (note: “the four games”) that had top Xbox officials updating people about their business plan and current direction. In case you missed that, watch the podcast right below…

To make things clear for the newcomers reading this, Team Xbox itself has already been publishing games on non-Xbox platforms for several years now. I’m talking about established titles like Minecraft and, in very recent times, the many games of Bethesda. By adding the newly acquired Activision-Blizzard into the Xbox family of companies, you can see Team Xbox’s publishing side has grown even bigger and the business impact should be felt over the next few years.

That being said, I should state that Phil Spencer and his Xbox team leaders should NOT neglect Xbox fans even as the business is moving towards multi-platform publishing and the “console-less” future in the 2030s.

In relation to what Spencer said during the podcast, the single-player games his team heavily invested in such as Starfield, Forza Motorsport (2023), Forza Horizon 5, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are still exclusive on Xbox consoles plus Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (the popular subscription service itself will not be made available on non-Xbox platforms anytime soon).

There are also more Xbox-exclusive titles that have yet to be released such as Towerborne, South of Midnight, Clockwork Revolution, The Outer Worlds 2, the Fable reboot plus the very delayed ones such as Perfect Dark and Everwild.

While it is true that those are a lot of Xbox-exclusive games that fans and other gamers (who are seeking fun and unique games to play that are NOT available on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles) can look forward to over the next few years, I still say that Team Xbox should invest more to make even more exclusive games and become more aggressive.

In the previous Xbox console generations, there were these exclusive games that had “Only on Xbox” placed on the front covers of their respective boxes. Check out the games below…

The start of something great!
Way back in 2002, this was the exclusive adventure and platform game to enjoy on the original Xbox console! It was flawed but still had fun.
If you are a long-time Xbox fan, were you able to buy this for your Xbox 360 console?
This exclusive game on Xbox 360 is a classic shooter to enjoy!

And, yes, there was a time when Team Xbox invested a lot to make exclusive sports video games under their Xbox Sports Network (XSN) franchise. Even the Top Spin game series actually started on the original Xbox console under the XSN label.

During the weeks leading to the launch of the original Xbox console in late 2001, I played NFL Fever 2002 on an Xbox kiosk. This was Microsoft’s exclusive NFL video game.
An exclusive racing game on the original Xbox that is rarely talked about. This game received many positive reviews at the time of its release.
The exclusive NBA basketball of Team Xbox from 2002.
It is absolutely true that Top Spin started as an Xbox-exclusive tennis video game made to entertain gamers on the console while also serving as a suitable competitor against Sega’s Virtua Tennis and Nintendo’s Mario Tennis.

Indeed, “Only on Xbox” in the old days had a very strong meaning – something fun and unique (if not special) was prepared for gamers and the only platform to play was on the Xbox console!

Going to the present leadership of Team Xbox, they seriously need to refocus on the exclusive games and confirm their dedication to all Xbox fans as well as the gamers seeking something fun and special to play on Xbox consoles or on Windows PC. A lot of people spent so much money to buy an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or a new PC for their entertainment needs and having more exclusive games will add even more value into the ecosystem of Microsoft.

I really wish to see Phil Spencer and his team move aggressively to produce even more Xbox-exclusive games not just for this current console generation but also for the next generation and even further. Perhaps Team Xbox should explore making exclusive sports video games (note: challenging 2K and Visual Concepts’ dominance on NBA video games could do good for the gamers and the industry) or make games on genres they have been ignoring.

Whether Team Xbox utilizes its own game studios or make deals with independent studios through their Xbox Game Studios Publishing, making more exclusive games is crucial and when it is well executed, Xbox fans and other gamers will benefit. Seriously, the shift to releasing Xbox-original games to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles should not be the main goal because it clearly does NOT justify betraying Xbox fans around the world.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 4

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 4

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Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and retro gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will examine print ads from the 1990s that caught my attention and I will explain why they are worth look back at. In retrospect, the 1990s was a decade of serious changes in the world of electronic gaming as the industry saw the shift of graphics from 2D sprites and flat backgrounds to 3D polygons, the shift from cartridges to CDs for software distribution, and more.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for game details and images.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Castlevania: Bloodlines print ad

Creepy looking but not horrific. The simplistic approach turned out to be effective on making Sega Genesis gamers excited for this Castlevania release.

During the early stage of the so-called 16-bit console wars, Konami’s Castelvania series made the huge next-generation leap with Super Castlevania IV on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) which gave gamers loads of fun challenges along with technological improvements that added to the gameplay. Being a prolific multiplatform game maker, Konami knew it could not abandon its fans who own the 16-bit console of Sega and this led them to making a unique Castlevania experience with the Sega Genesis in mind – Castlevania: Bloodlines.

The above print ad of Castlevania: Bloodlines was very eye-catching as it showed a photographic presentation of the grave of the Belmont family (note: Simon Belmont is arguably the most known hero of the series) backed with a detailed text description as well as screenshots that showed exactly what Castlevania fans expected with gameplay and presentation. While the visual style of the ad had a subtle approach to horror, it succeeded in informing the public that another fun-filled Castlevania experience was coming. The game went on to be a hit among gamers and critics.

2.  The Granstream Saga print ad

THQ really tried hard to sell The Granstream Saga in North America at a time when a lot more Japanese RPGs started coming into the market.

Back in the late 1990s, there was a slew of Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) that got released on the PlayStation console in North America arguably because of the massive sales success of Final Fantasy VII in 1997. In 1998, THQ (note: then a newcomer in video gaming) made the daring move to release The Granstream Saga in North America and it was part of the company’s plan of releasing more RPGs. With regards to the 1998 print ad, THQ marketing team wisely emphasized the fact that the game launched at #1 in Japan (published by Sony) although, strangely, the rest of the short descriptive text did not emphasize the fact that the game was one of the first fully polygonal RPGs ever released. The ad had one image of an animated cut scene while there were two gameplay images. When I first saw the print ad, I became interested with The Granstream Saga as I was fond of both RPGs and anime. I never got to play it due to a lack of time and money back then.

3. NBA Action 98 print ad

Do you find this print ad funny or disturbing or both?

The first time I saw Sega’s print ad of NBA Action 98 (a polygonal NBA basketball video game for the Sega Saturn), it caught my attention quickly mainly because of the concept of the imagery showing a really tall guy leaving the place after getting stretched to be tall (as emphasized by an adult operating a machine to stretch another kid’s body to get taller) as a kid from outside looks on. While it looked hilarious at first, the photographic imagery also had an unintentional dark tone as the adult operating the machine looked like he was torturing the kid. This print ad was really eye-catching in a rather disturbing fashion to me, so much so I did not have any interest left to check out the advertised game. The small size of the screenshots and the hard-to-read descriptive text did not help at all. In my view, this was a marketing misfire by Sega.

4. Flashback: The Quest for Identity print ad

This was indeed an eye-catching print ad.

Back in the 1990s, the CD-ROM was cutting edge technology in the world of computing and CDs (compact discs) helped game companies have their game content as well as multimedia files (example: full motion videos or animated scenes) released together conveniently. In the middle of the decade, a version of the game Flashback: The Quest for Identity (note: a game with computer-generated animation scenes previously released on PC) was released in cartridge format for the Sega Genesis as well as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). This was a big deal back in the days of the so-called 16-bit console war and the above print ad clearly emphasized it with the description “The First CD-ROM Game in a Cartridge!” The advertisers also assured consumers that the in-game 24 frames-per-second frame rate, the Hollywood-inspired high-quality visuals and related gameplay elements were intact for consoles. When I saw this particular ad, I became convinced to buy the game for my SNES (read my retro review by clicking here). To see how Flashback looks like on Sega Genesis, watch this.

5. Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean print ad

To make things clear, Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean is not based on any anime property. It was the 3rd game of its series and the first and only one to be released in English.

There is no denying the fact that Working Designs (closed since 2005) contributed a lot to console gaming by localizing and releasing several Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) in America at a time when such games were not yet popular. Apart from the Lunar RPGs and Dragon Force, the company brought Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean to the Sega Saturn console in America and they had a very eye-catching print ad promoting it. Like their ads for Lunar RPGs, the Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean print ad had a dominating anime-style artwork that highlighted the fantasy concept and characters, plus screenshots and in-game animated (note: not anime but detailed pixel artworks) sequences that were meant to attract RPG enthusiasts and gamers looking for the next-generation console gaming experiences. It should be noted that Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean was actually the 3rd game of its franchise that started in Japan, and it was the first and only Albert Odyssey game to ever be released in English. To this day, Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean still has not been re-released nor remastered for other consoles and original Sega Saturn copies of the game are very expensive to acquire. That being said, this particular print ad is a lively reminder of Albert Odyssey’s only Western release.

6. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis print ad

Capcom efficiently showed the new monster Nemesis, screenshots of the game and the return of Jill Valentine in this 1999 print ad.

After the release of the best-selling and acclaimed Resident Evil 2, Capcom approved the production of several Resident Evil projects that include sequels and spin-offs. Along the way, Sony announced in 1999 that the PlayStation 2 console will come out in 2000 and this had an impact on Capcom’s RE projects as many of them were being developed for the aging PlayStation (PS1) console. Before the PS2 announcement, Capcom had a PS1 RE game project with its story set on a cruise ship. That project was abandoned following the PS2 announcement and because Capcom did not want to leave its fans to wait too long for another Resident Evil adventure on PS1, they reviewed their list of proposed spin-off games and went ahead making Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Japanese title: Biohazard 3: Last Escape) for a late 1999 release while the PS1 console was still in good demand.  

In the above 1999 print ad, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was shown with 3 screenshots assuring RE fans that the game has the tried-and-tested design of polygonal characters/monsters moving within pre-rendered environments, the action, the horror and adventure elements of the previous games. More notably, the new monster Nemesis had the biggest image and he rightfully became the main antagonist until the very end.

Lastly, the RE3 print ad featured the return of Jill Valentine (one of the protagonists of the first Resident Evil) and this time she had a clear sexualized look wearing a tube top and a mini-skirt. As I mentioned in my RE3 retro game review, I believe that the sexualized look of Jill was done by the game developers who were most likely influenced by the sexy appeal and iconography of the character Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series of games. Like Lara Croft, Jill is sexy and capable of fighting with guns and other weapons. Whatever the intention of Capcom and the development behind the game, the print ad (which even had wrongful details about the timing of the story) clearly worked on getting RE fans and gamers’ attention as Resident Evil 3: Nemesis sold more than 3 million copies on PS1.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Team Xbox sets the record straight with business update podcast, Starfield and new Indiana Jones game are still Xbox-exclusive

Team Xbox sets the record straight with business update podcast, Starfield and new Indiana Jones game are still Xbox-exclusive

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Wow. That was a wild ride. For several days, Xbox fans were disturbed by persistent rumors and so-called news reports that Microsoft will end its Xbox console business and go all-in with releasing multiple games (including Xbox-exclusives) on platforms outside of the Xbox ecosystem (meaning consoles like PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch). A lot felt that Microsoft would go the way Sega did when it quit the console business and became a multiplatform publisher.

And then there were nonsensical and wild social media posts like the one below…

Fortunately, Team Xbox had its Business Update podcast on February 15, 2024 with top executives like Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty answering key questions and made notable clarifications about the future of Xbox. Watch the podcast of Team Xbox below…

In relation to the above video, you can read Team Xbox’s official article online.

Xbox fans can rest assured that contrary to rush of “Xbox to end and spread its games to other consoles” news and rumors by content creators, vloggers, bloggers and the so-called journalists, Team Xbox went straight to the point that the Xbox console business will remain, there will still be Xbox-exclusive games, Xbox Game Pass service will remain within the Xbox ecosystem (you should stop dreaming about Game Pass on Nintendo and Sony consoles), Activision Blizzard games are about to be released for XGP subscribers to enjoy, and there are simply four Xbox games that will be released on platforms outside of the Xbox ecosystem.

While a lot of people speculate that Hi-fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Pentiment and Grounded will be the Xbox games that will be released on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, no titles have been confirmed and no specific non-Xbox platform was revealed. That being said, Starfield, Forza Motorsport (2023), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are still Xbox-exclusive.

“So we made the decision that we’re going to take four games to the other consoles. Just four games, not a change to our kind of fundamental exclusive strategy. We’re making these decisions for some specific reasons. We make every decision, really, with the long-term health of Xbox in mind,” Xbox chief Phil Spencer said. “And long-term health of Xbox means growing a platform, our games performing, building the best platform for creators, reaching as many players as we can.”

The way I look at Spencer’s words, it seems Team Xbox has been looking for ways to not only build up the Xbox ecosystem but also reach out to millions of players who own non-Xbox consoles by releasing a limited number of Xbox-original games that could sell and bring in much-needed revenue. The fact is the cost of making games, marketing them, distributing them and other business expenses just keep going up. As to why a heavily structured single-player game like Starfield is not coming to PlayStation 5, it seems to me that porting that massive game will be labor intensive, very time consuming and expensive to do. This means that other Xbox-original games like Sea of Thieves (obviously made with multiplayer in mind) and Pentiment (a simpler production) make more sensible and more doable releases on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. That is, if Sony and Nintendo themselves will accept such games into their respective platforms (read: protection of their first party games and their own game studios).  

As Spencer himself said, they seriously took feedback from the Xbox community. I’m glad that their team listens because there are a lot of long-time Xbox fans and physical product owners that they cannot just abandon. I myself sent tweets to Team Xbox (click here, here, here, here and here) reminding them of their legacy of investing big on Xbox-exclusive games through the console generations. I even reached out to other Xbox fans online to make themselves heard by Team Xbox.

A lot of gamers bought the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S for Xbox-exclusive games and the big value of XGP’s service. In my view, Team Xbox itself is convinced that Xbox-exclusive games – especially the big-budget productions – are essential on maintaining fan loyalty as well as standing out in the highly competitive market of video games. In connection with having multiple Xbox game studios to produce exclusive games, I want to see Team Xbox remain competitive with Sony and Nintendo on console hardware, games and quality of gaming services. I want to see Phil Spencer and his team secure even more deals with the independent game developers on making more exclusive games. It would also be nice to see Xbox get into joint productions with the publishers in Japan like Square Enix, Capcom and From Software.

I just finished Final Fantasy IX (digital copy) on my Xbox Series X console. It was my 2nd time to complete the game. I previously completed it on PlayStation way back in 2000.

For now, Xbox is here to say, their console business will remain (even Sarah Bond promised a significant leap with the next-generation). To have a clear view of their plans, click https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/02/15/xbox-promise-bring-more-games-to-more-players/

As for this year, Xbox fans should watch out for exclusives coming out such as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II on May 21 plus Avowed and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle later. Don’t forget the announced Xbox showcase this June.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Eiyuden Chronicle and Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama passed away

Eiyuden Chronicle and Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama passed away

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Once the anticipated Japanese role-playing game (Japanese RPG) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes finally comes out on April 23, 2024, the absence of the main creator will be felt by many players as the Japan-based Rabbit & Bear Studio announced very recently that its head Yoshitaka Murayama passed away on February 6. For the newcomers reading this, Murayama is also the creator of the Suikoden RPG series of Konami where he used to work at. For my previous blog posts of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, click here, here, here and here).

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the official announcement by Rabbit & Bear Studios. Some parts in boldface…

Hello everyone,

It’s with a heavy heart and deep sadness we must inform you that the scenario writer and head of Rabbit& Bear Studios, Yoshitaka Murayama, has passed away on February 6th due to complications with an ongoing illness.

Murayama first began this journey of the creation of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes in 2020

through the support of his very loving fans on Kickstarter. Throughout the three-plus-year-development of the game, it was always the passion from his fans that continued to drive his creative vision and motivate him to put his all into the project.

His hard work on Eiyuden Chronicle as scenario writer was finished but as his co-workers and friends, it saddens us to know that he won’t get to see the reactions from his fans.

However, even with those feelings we need to accept the reality that he is no longer with us and continue to push his dream forward by releasing Eiyuden Chronicle to the world.

We want to maintain his legacy and vision with this game and know that he would have wanted the rich world he has created with Eiyuden Chronicle to live on.

His family sincerely appreciates your prayers and support but asks for privacy and that no flowers, mail, or other offerings be sent.

We will have more information on organizational changes to Rabbit & Bear as well as changes to some of the Kickstarter rewards in the near future.

So there you have it. The developer behind Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes made it clear that they will not give up with fulfilling the dream of the late Murayama and there is no stopping the launch of the game (which was supposed to have been released in 2023).

More on the previous works of the late Murayama, I played Suikoden and Suikoden II (read my retro review by clicking here) on the PlayStation console in the 1990s and I had enjoyable times with them. For me, Suikoden II was the not only the best Suikoden RPG of the 1990s but also one of the best RPGs on any platform during the decade. It’s just too bad that the 1999 North American launch of Suikoden II was overshadowed by another company’s JRPG on PlayStation that same year. Considering the many Japanese RPGs that were released on PlayStation in 1999, Suikoden II was the most enjoyable one I played.

Even during his days as a young man working for Konami in the 1990s, Murayama had a very unique vision for digital role-playing and adventuring, as well as fantasy storytelling.

“Eiyuden Chronicle is really (an) evolution of my many design experiences. The many games I’ve made have helped create the foundation for this title. Since I draw my experience from previous games I’ve worked on, of course you will see a little bit of those elements in Eiyuden Chronicle,” Murayama said in response to a question that mentioned Eiyuden Chronicle and Suikoden titles.

With Murayama gone, the spotlight on the April 2024 launch of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be more crucial than before. I myself will be playing the RPG on my Xbox Series X console as soon as it launches. To get yourselves oriented with the said JRPG, watch the videos below (the last one shows Murayama and his fellow creators as special guests at an event in Taipei)…

Watch out for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP) on April 23, 2024. For more about the JRPG, visit https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/eiyuden-chronicle

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 2

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 2

carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will examine print ads from the 1980s and 1990s that caught my attention and I will explain why these are worth look back at.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. Back in the old days, many gamers trusted the print media a lot for information and images about games.

With those details laid down, here is the latest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Popeye multiplatform print ad

A fine example of promoting the Popeye video game on multiple platforms visually.

During the early 1980s, an arcade game based on Popeye was released and it became a hit with gamers who lined up and inserted coins to play. That game, which had three stages, was eventually ported by Parker Brothers to multiple platforms of Atari, ColecoVision, Intellivision, T.I. and Commodore.

The print ad you see above is a classic display of how one particular game appeared as a multiplatform release. The screenshots showed different versions of the Popeye game on multiple Atari platforms plus the others. See how different the game looks on each platform? The level of visual details and elements varied from one another as each machine had different specs that Parker Brothers had to adjust to. This is a fine example of promoting one game for different machines for those who love video games.  

2.  Kool-Aid Man Video Game print ad

I never got to play this Kool-Aid Man video game.

Remember Kool-Aid? For the newcomers reading this, Kool-Aid was a very popular product line of flavored juice drinks sold in powdered form. I myself used to mix Kool-Aid with ice-cold water and enjoyed drinking it. In 1954, a promotion of Kool-Aid with a touch of entertainment happened by highlighting the character Kool-Aid Man (famously known as the walking and talking pitcher filled with Kool-Aid juice). In later years, the Kool-Aid Man was often shown breaking through walls saying the line “Oh yeah!”.

The Kool-Aid Man gained tremendous attention as a pop culture figure in the 1980s when a new series of advertisements and promotions happened branching into video games and even comic books. The above print ad was a clever move to promote Kool-Aid as a drink as well as a video game for the Intellivision and the Atari 2600 consoles. Even if you were not too fond of video games in the 1980s, the Kool-Aid game ad would still make you think about the drink. Clever and entertaining!  

3. Zombies Ate My Neighbors game print ad

I saw the 2-page ad many times in comic books and video game magazines.

Going into the 1990s, Konami’s print ad of the video game Zombies Ate My Neighbors (for Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis) appeared a lot in the comic books I read when I was much younger. Having seen lots of horror movies – including zombie flicks – the ad easily caught my attention not because of the screenshots but because of the visual style used. For one thing, there was this 1950s America-inspired imagery on the photo of the scared woman with three zombies slowly approaching her. As for the game itself, there were plenty of small-sized screenshots that had lots of interesting details and pixel art (note: 3D polygons in video games were not yet common back then) which gave me a clear idea that it was a humor and horror-laced 2D adventure. Not only that, the text descriptions combined with the fake quotes added zest into the presentation. After having examined all the details carefully, I really felt like Zombies Ate My Neighbors would be a fun-filled game to play on the SNES.

4. Lunar: The Silver Star print ad

With anime artwork used, it was easy to have the impression that the original Lunar game was based on an existing anime series or movie.

In the early 1990s, Game Arts developed and released the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Lunar: The Silver Star on the Mega CD platform in Japan which in some ways was also a technological breakthrough – the game came with full motion video (for short videos), animated images, and CD-quality sound (that really made the soundtrack lively to listen to). After achieving critical and commercial success in Japan, the game was picked-up by Working Designs to be localized and released in the North American market for the Sega CD (the American counterpart of the Mega CD) platform. In promoting the game for American Sega CD owners as well as American gamers in general, a print ad highlighting anime images with five screenshots and only a few words was published on both comic books and magazines.

Even though Lunar: The Silver Star’s core concept was never described in the ad, the anime imagery was still eye-catching and the chosen screenshots gave viewers a preview of the gameplay and the animated images. That being said, it was no surprise that gamers who happened to be a bit interested in anime noticed the print ad. At the same time, the ad gave some gamers the impression that Lunar was a game based on an existing anime franchise. This approach on game advertising was daring and it happened at a time when Japanese RPGs had a limited audience among gamers in North America.

5. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete print ad

In the 2nd half of the 1990s, a remake of Lunar: The Silver Star was released in Japan titled Lunar: Silver Star Story for Sega Saturn (1996), Sony PlayStation (1998) and Windows PC (1998). While it still maintained the 2D visuals for presentation, gameplay and exploration, the remake had smooth anime sequences, new artworks, better sound effects and music. Working Designs pounced on the opportunity to localize the game in America for PlayStation and released it in 1999 with the title Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. Not only did Working Designs work hard on localizing the game (the English dubbing and singing of the game’s songs were meticulously done), they released it with a very lavish packaging with the dedicated fans and collectors in mind.

By looking at the above print ad that magazines published, Working Designs highlighted the positive feedback quotes from EGM, Gamers’ Republic, PSM and Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine to convince gamers Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete is a great game. While the screenshots showed what kind of eye candy gamers could expect, Working Designs made sure that they would know that the lavish package includes 4 discs (2 game discs, 1 music CD and 1 CD that had video documentary of the making of Lunar), a full-color map in the form of a cloth, and a hardbound art book and instruction manual.

Considering the dynamism of the Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete print ad and the game’s packaging, I can only speculate that Working Designs had to do it aggressively because the gaming landscape changed dramatically as 3D polygonal graphics became the standard while lots of other Japanese RPGs from different publishers were released in 1999 (including the sequels Suikoden II and Final Fantasy VIII) and many of them had more elaborate game designs and visual presentations. Eventually market forces and unfortunate business events led Working Designs to closing down permanently in 2005.

6. Star Wars: Jedi Arena print ad

Remember when Luke Skywalker tested his lightsaber skills with the floating Seeker in the 1977 movie?

Back in the early 1980s, Parker Brothers was very active releasing games on the Atari 2600 console which my family had. At that same time, Star Wars was very popular (and without the wokeness and identity politics garbage of Kathleen Kennedy and woke Disney) and any new game based on the sci-fi franchise was something to be excited for. In the above print ad of Star Wars: Jedi Arena, an artwork showing the iconic her Luke Skywalker testing his lightsaber skills with the floating Seeker ball was displayed and located between Luke’s legs is a monitor showing the screenshot of the game. Looking at the text description, Parker Brothers creatively focused on the aspect of the Jedi way of using the lightsaber interacting with the Seeker ball. Having played the game myself, I can say the ad was creative and pretty much captured the core concept of the game.  

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 13

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 13

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Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 The precise differences between Christianity and Islam, Lord Jesus and Muhammad, and the Holy Bible and the Quran explained – The YouTube channel HolyLandSite is a favorite of mine as it has published a lot of very credible and detailed explanatory videos about the Holy Land in Israel, Christianity, the Jews and how everything is connected with the Holy Bible (the Word of God). In the recent video they published recently, the precise differences between Christianity and Islam, between Lord Jesus and Muhammad, and between the Holy Bible and the Quran are explained in detail by Pastor Todd. I strongly recommend watching the video below…

#2 The deep hatred of the Palestinians towards Israel explained – There is no doubt that hatred, violence and murder are core values that the Palestinians have been oriented with while living under very evil leaders (murderer/terrorist Yasser Arafat is just one of them). To date, there are very few Palestinians who overcame their evil orientation and pushed back against their evil leaders to become good people. In the video below, YouTuber Oren explains in detail why so many Palestinians grew up with hate and live by hate towards Israel and its people. Lastly, I should state once again that the Palestinians are a displaced people, are NOT natives of the land of Israel and they caused trouble when they occupied Jordan and Kuwait.

#3 Remembering the past video game company Working Designs – It has been almost twenty years since American game company Working Designs closed down and ended their business. For the newcomers reading this, Working Designs is best known for localizing several video games from different Japanese companies for the North American market and among their best known releases were Lunar: The Silver Star Story, Lunar: Eternal Blue, Dragon Force and Magic Knight Rayearth. Their business history is very interesting to examine and for your viewing pleasure, posted below is one video about Working Designs’ legacy and another video about their games released across different platforms.

#4 Man of Steel video reviews, analysis, trivia and reaction videos – The cinematic universe of DC Comics superheroes that started in 2013’s Man of Steel is officially over and the newest film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom won’t match its predecessor’s massive commercial success. Unofficially referred to as the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), the past cinematic universe of Warner Bros. had a very inconsistent record of commercial and critical results. That being said, it is high time to go all the way back to the very beginning with Man of Steel (starring Henry Cavill as Superman) through a series of varied videos I found for you to watch.

#5 DeepStar Six videos – Believe it or not, way back in 1989 there was not one, not two, but three movies that had underwater settings. One of them was DeepStar Six which was directed by original Friday The 13th movie director Sean S. Cunningham and, for some reason, was released in cinemas here in the Philippines with the title “Alien from the Deep.” While it grossed less than Leviathan and was made for a fraction of the budget of James Cameron’s The Abyss, DeepStar Six still has a long-lasting following and different kinds of videos about it were made. You can watch what I found below…

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King is now a reality

Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King is now a reality

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Ever since it was first announced, the stakeholders behind the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal worth almost $70 billion went through lots of hurdles that include opposition by Sony’s PlayStation division, a trial with America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a rejection by the United Kingdom’s regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The obstacles are over as the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal recently closed and already the Activision side of the business has officially started integrating into Microsoft. This deal is many times larger than the Xbox-Bethesda acquisition of a few years ago. Watch the related video by Team Xbox below…

Xbox chief Phil Spencer issued a statement related to the newly closed deal. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from his statement published through Xbox.com. Some parts in boldface…

We love gaming. We play games, create games, and know first-hand how much gaming means to all of us as individuals and collectively, as a community. And today, we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and their teams to Xbox. They are the publishers of some of the most played and most beloved franchises in gaming history across console, PC and mobile. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for players around the world.

I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it was late nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the entire family in the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from experiences their studios have created. It is incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox.

As one team, we’ll learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people. We’ll do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome, and is centered on our ongoing commitment of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in everything we do at Xbox – from our team to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a wider gaming community.

Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favorite games to more places so more players can join in, and we’ll engage with and delight players in new, innovative ways in the places they love to play including mobile, cloud streaming and more.

Players have always been at the center of everything we do. And as we grow, we’ll continue to keep players at the heart of it all. We’ll continue to listen to your feedback, build a community where you can be yourself, where developers can do their best work, and continue to make really fun games. As promised, we will also continue to make more games available in more places – and that begins now by enabling cloud streaming providers and players to stream Activision Blizzard games in the European Economic Area, a commitment made to the European Commission. Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll share more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and we are too.

For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win.

For their part, Activision Blizzard issued its own statement related to the biggest deal in video gaming with Microsoft. They are looking forward to the future of gaming with Team Xbox. Posted below is an excerpt from their statement with some parts in boldface…

It’s a big day for us at Activision Blizzard. For more than four decades, our players have inspired us to push the boundaries of imagination with iconic universes including Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, Overwatch, and Warcraft.

Today we begin a new chapter as we officially become a part of the Microsoft family, uniting with the amazing Xbox team and co-creating the future of gaming together.

In our earliest days we were a modest collective of designers who raided rivers, commanded choppers, and avoided pitfalls. Now as part of Xbox, we will continue our mission to deliver the world’s most epic interactive entertainment experiences to more people, more platforms, and across more worlds than ever before.

All of our history and success leading to this moment is because of you, our incredible gaming community.

Unsurprisingly, the approved Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal made tremendous waves through social media and through YouTube. Watch and learn from the videos below starting with an interview with Activision Blizzard’s Bobby Kotick (note: pay close attention to his words)…

The Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal is not just another multi-billion Dollar business breakthrough…it is a tremendous boost for the credibility of Xbox as a video gaming, PC gaming, cloud gaming and mobile gaming entity.

Not only will Team Xbox have access and control of Activision Blizzard’s multiple game franchises and properties, they will also inherit the many talents and game makers of ABK (Activision-Blizzard-King), inherit the proprietary technologies for making the games, and most notably inherit and do business with the hundreds of millions of Activision Blizzard King customers worldwide!

While it is made clear that Microsoft-controlled ABK will still release games on multiple platforms, the new owners can make the new and upcoming games Xbox-exclusive (meaning released only on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC plus cloud and mobile devices which collectively are more numerous than Nintendo and PlayStation consoles). For insights about potential Xbox-exclusive Activision Blizzard games, watch Colteastwood’s video below…

More on exclusivity that include games, DLC releases and other matters, it is clear that the pre-existing contracts between PlayStation and Activision will never be renewed (read: PlayStation is no longer the home of Call of Duty). PlayStation, whose leader Jim Ryan has been so arrogant and dishonest when opposing the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal, will have a lot to worry about on the gaming subscription side of business once Activision Blizzard games get added into the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service some time in 2024. As much as Team Xbox and Microsoft are benefiting from this mega deal, gamers across different platforms will eventually benefit as well in various ways. Expect new customer-oriented choices to be made through the games under Xbox’s banner.

As of this writing, Xbox fans are rejoicing over the closed Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal while PlayStation fanboys cannot help but agonize with anger and jealousy. All you have to do to see the PS fanboys’ anguish is search for them on social media over their collective negative reactions. The “Xbox has no games” zealots are looking and feeling bad nowadays. Indeed, things are working in Team Xbox’s favor and I personally cannot wait to see the benefits of the ABK deal get realized in my gaming experience. Also there is nothing like seeing ABK’s established franchises like Call of Duty, StarCraft, Warcraft and many others listed with Xbox’s own franchises such as Halo, Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls, Starfield, Fallout and others.

Personally, I look forward to playing Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot (a game property that started on PlayStation) other Activision titles on my Xbox Series X console through my Xbox Game Pass subscription in the near future.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes set for release on April 23, 2024 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes set for release on April 23, 2024 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

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Finally! It was announced that the anticipated Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will officially be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) on April 23, 2024.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement via the Eiyuden Chronicle website. Some parts in boldface…

Today we proudly announce the April 23, 2024 release date of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes! We are pleased to unveil a new key visual featuring the three main characters Nowa, Seign, and Marisa.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a JRPG from legendary game developers Yoshitaka Murayama’s (Suikoden I & II) and Junko Kawano (Suikoden I & IV) which takes the turn-based strategy game experience to the next level. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes features a finely crafted six-character battle system, meticulously created 2D sprites and 3D backgrounds, a riveting story with over 100 playable characters and engaging gameplay designed to bring players a modern take on classic JRPGs.

“We are thrilled to finally announce the release date of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes,” said Studio Lead Yoshitaka Murayama.

For the newcomers reading this, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an independently produced JRPG that involved key creators from the Suikoden game franchise which was previously announced for a vague 2023 release. The game developers needed more time to ensure a high quality RPG which explained the delay into 2024. This new JRPG is the 2nd Eiyuden Chronicle title to be released on Xbox. The first one was Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising.

A battle within the game.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a JRPG that I’ve been anticipating for more than two years now. I enjoyed the first two Suikoden RPGs on PlayStation 1 (note: read my Suikoden II retro review) and the upcoming game is very clearly inspired by them. Ironically, the remastered Suikoden and Suikoden II look like they won’t be released this year as Konami itself announced that more time is needed to ensure quality performance.

As I myself am pretty busy enjoying Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG Starfield on my Xbox Series X console, it seems to me that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes’ April 2024 release schedule feels just right. The more I play Starfield, the more I discovered more quests and activities which really deepened the fun. There is no telling how long I’ll keep on playing the sci-fi RPG. Apart from Starfield, Forza Motorsport (2023) is the other big-time Xbox-exclusive game to play starting October 10.  

Apart from completion and polishing, the publisher of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will have the major challenge of marketing the game to get JRPG fans and other gamers to buy it. The said game is bound for release on Xbox Game Pass which itself also has hundreds of video games – including RPGs – available for subscribers to play. It will take a solid effort to make Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes stand out in XGP.

Watch out for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass on April 23, 2024. For more about the JRPG, visit https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/eiyuden-chronicle

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Starfield’s successful launch boosts Xbox Series X|S sales in the UK

Starfield’s successful launch boosts Xbox Series X|S sales in the UK

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Starfield, the epic sci-fi role-playing game (sci-fi RPG) from Bethesda Game Studios (Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout 4), tremendously boosted the sales of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (including the newer version) in the United Kingdom (UK) shortly after its very strong launch there, according to a report published by GamesIndustry.biz. Also available on Windows PC and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP), it is not surprising to see many gamers making decisions to buy the game brand new which helped it top the UK software sales chart. 

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GamesIndustry.biz report. Some parts in boldface…

The launch of Starfield and a new version of the Xbox Series S significantly boosted sales of Microsoft consoles.

GfK data reveals that Xbox Series S and X sales jumped 76% week-on-week for the seven days ending September 2nd.

GfK games boss Dorian Bloch says that the week is the biggest this year (so far) for Xbox Series S and X hardware sales in the UK. Meanwhile, the week ending September 9th is currently the second best week.

This was partially due to the launch of the new Xbox Series S 1TB edition, which accounted for 24% of all Xbox consoles sold during that week. The new version of Xbox Series S is roughly £50 more expensive than the standard Series S model.

Starfield is filled with a lot of quests, activities, exploration and sci-fi action that really engaged millions of people worldwide as I write this. The scope of the game is very immense.

But the jump in Xbox console sales was also due to the launch of Starfield. The Bethesda game officially launched on September 6th, but it was available on September 1st to those who were willing to pay for the Premium Edition. As a result, the standard Xbox Series X console posted a 46% increase in sales for the week ending September 2nd in the UK.

“It is currently the best week this year for Series X,” Bloch says. “And the following week [ending September 9th] is the fourth best for X. In-between is week one and week six, which were early year blips.”

Bloch says that the Xbox consoles overall had a decent showing for the week ending September 9th, with the new Series S 1TB model accounting for 20% of sales.

As mentioned earlier, Starfield is also a software sales success in the UK which GamesIndustry.biz also reported separately. Check out the excerpt below…

Starfield has topped the UK physical charts this week. GfK’s report showed that the space-action RPG sold more physical copies on Xbox than it did on PC.

Sarah Morgan is one of the key characters in Starfield. Interacting with her added a lot to the gameplay and engagement. Take note that Morgan is just one of the Constellation characters you will interact with.

Starfield’s premium upgrade (a box with a code that provided early access to the digital version) has fallen to No.34 after debuting at No.7 last week. This version experienced a 71% decrease in sales due to the game’s wider release on September 6.

The Xbox exclusive reached over six million players in two days, making it Bethesda’s biggest launch of all time.

As confirmed by the news above, the Xbox-exclusive Starfield succeeded big-time at retail in the UK and as Bethesda’s biggest launch of all-time (on a worldwide scale). Think deeply about those huge achievements that were realized without PlayStation at all. While lots of gamers in the UK spent a lot of money on the sci-fi RPG and Xbox Series consoles, there are also many Starfield players enjoying it on Xbox Game Pass. In fact, a lot of XGP subscribers paid for the early access to the game and that only showed how heavily anticipated Starfield really is as Bethesda’s newest intellectual property (IP). Apart from that, there is still a long way to go before the month of September 2023 ends.

The way the Xbox-exclusive game is succeeding as I write this, it is very likely that Starfield will grow into a franchise of in-depth RPGs in the years to come. Like Halo and the Forza Motorsport, Starfield will be an Xbox-exclusive franchise of games that fans and RPG-loving gamers can look forward to.

Even without PlayStation, Starfield became a massive success at launch in terms of software sales, Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and Xbox hardware sales.

On my part, I have been playing Starfield on my Xbox Series X for more than a week now and the more I played it, the more enjoyable and even intriguing the gameplay experience turned out to be. There is just so much to have fun with this sci-fi RPG and by now, I have gotten myself more oriented with the user interface and the functions laid out.

With regards to the shooting (specifically with on-foot activities), the precision and response here are comparable with those in Fallout 4. Flying spaceships and using the controls for flight and weapons are really good and responsive enough.

While I won’t be spoiling plot details here, I can say that the gameplay experience has been pretty varied when I do the main quests, side quests, activities and when I freely explore the many in-game environments from one planet to another across different star systems. Check out the images and their descriptions below…

There is nothing like spotting Ecliptic mercenaries marching together in the middle of nowhere followed by my character and companion taking them out by surprise. If you encounter a random situation like this, engage with it.
I love the high-level of visual details as well as the impressive physics Bethesda prepared for space battles.
After defeating several armed bad guys and some dangerous turrets at a very discreet location, I got myself a brand new space ship! I now have four space ships as of this writing!
There is nothing like being able to board an enemy space ship, defeating all the bad guys and taking the valuables (including the opportunity to claim the ship as your own if your pilot skill is high enough). Starfield allows such opportunities to happen during space ship battles. Don’t just focus on destroying the enemy ship entirely as you will miss out on the opportunity to board it.

Starfield is very enjoyable and I believe that it still has a lot more to offer. I finished several side quests and activities, and still there is a lot more to discover and engage with! Of all the Xbox-exclusive games released in this current console generation, Starfield is already the most engaging one I have been playing, even more so than Halo Infinite.

If you are eager to acquire a digital copy of Starfield, head on to https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/starfield. By the way, an update is now available. In ending this, posted below are Starfield-related videos for your enjoyment.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco