The Friday letters page tries to guess the price of GTA 6, as another reader sings the praises of 007 First Light. Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
First chance
So now we know when GTA 6 is going to go on pre-order and the non-stop ads and stories are going to start properly. I’m looking forward to the game but not the whole circus around it. Normally I’d say nobody needs to be convinced to buy a game like GTA 6, but the truth is there are no games like GTA 6, and maybe never will be again. People the likes of which might be reading this already have their opinion made, but there are going to be a lot of people who right now don’t even know GTA 6 exists. But once they get wind of the ‘biggest entertainment release of all-time’ they’re going to get very interested. But they’re going to need that hype and advertising to get there. And then they’re going to start to get caught up in it all, beginning with when these pre-orders go up, which Is something you’re going to hear about everywhere. My question though is what’s the point in pre-ordering? I remember doing it for GTA 4 because that was sold out everywhere on launch day but even by the time of GTA 5 times had changed and now most people are just going to download it. But what do you get from pre-ordering a download? They’re not going to run out of stock and the only bonus you ever get is some kind of cosmetic you never use for more than five minutes. It’s more a badge of honour, something to brag about and say you’re loyal to GTA and got it as soon as you could. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. I don’t like the concept and while it makes little difference with something like GTA 6 I really don’t like how publishers are always trying to get you to pay for something before you even know what it’s like.
Grackle
Name your price
I don’t think GTA 6 is going to be more than £70. I just don’t think there’s any need. Right now, practically everyone has an interest in the game, even if it’s only curiosity to see what it’s like or enjoy the graphics. But you up the price, even by a little bit, and suddenly those people that weren’t super keen but were going to give it a go start to change their mind. The sensible option, in my mind, is £70 for the standard version and then £100+ for the deluxe versions and all that. If they can find something interesting to actually put in those, they can charge whatever they like for them and plenty of people will buy them, more than they would for any other game. But the keep the standard version… standard and you don’t upset anyone and bring in the not so committed. I guess we’ll see.
Carver5
Turning the tanker
I’m not sure I see why getting Call Of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 onto PlayStation 5 was such a priority. Like you said, you’d think Activision would want to forget the series for a while, given how badly last year’s game went down. It makes me wonder whether the next game, in 2028, is going to be Black Ops 8. We all know how long it takes to make a new game nowadays, so if they’d started that one before Black Ops 7 had become so hated there’s not much they can do now except ride it out. If I were them, I’d change the name and take out anything that tied it to previous games, but who knows how much work that is. I’m going to be very interested to see how this year’s game goes and what the fallout from that is.
Orion
The right heads
I feel a bit off speculating when so many people’s jobs are on the line, but I can’t help wondering what’s going to happen to Bethesda during these mass Xbox layoffs. Not Bethesda as a whole but the developers. Their output has been rock bottom ever since Fallout 4 and when they did finally manage to get something out the door, with Starfield, it was not the success that was expected. Sharma has already complained that The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games need to come out more quickly and while I don’t think she’s ever actually criticised Bethesda themselves you’ve got to assume she’s probably not happy with them. But what does she do? Does she cut the staff? That’s not going to get anything made quicker. Does she get rid of Todd Howard? Most of the problems are probably his fault, as the big boss, but when do execs ever pay for their mistakes – plus he was involved in the TV series. I really don’t know what she’ll do but if heads roll I hope they’re the ones that actually caused this mess, and not just the poor grunts that will be blamed for it.
Camis
Dear Super Play
I know this letter is 35 odd years late but I played the Mega Drive version of Ghouls ‘N Ghosts on Nintendo Switch Online the other day and all I can say is the difference between this and the SNES version is vast, to say the least. The SNES entry is far superior, not just graphically but in terms of sound as well. Sorry, but getting one up on Mega Drive owners was the ultimate kick for me back in the day, until I was (fairly, I guess) labelled a bit of a hypocrite after purchasing a Sega Saturn due to the N64 being delayed!
Arteta6Legend
Death of the high street
That morsel of Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order news made me think back to buying earlier instalments of the game in actual bricks and mortar game shops in the distant past. It was always fun buying up a physical copy of any highly anticipated game and taking it home on the day of release, but for me picking up the latest Grand Theft Auto was the pinnacle of the launch day experience. I was never eager enough to queue outside a game shop late at night/early in the morning, but I distinctly recall the Vice City and San Andreas launch days, and seeing all of the physical copies stacked up high behind the till and ready to go. I don’t know if any supermarkets around my local area will have physical copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 when it finally launches. I expect some of the bigger superstores might. I do think we’ve lost something these days since it’s no longer imperative to visit a shop on the day of a big game’s release. I guess delivery by post or downloading a new game is so convenient, to most people visiting an actual store on launch day would seem like a retrograde step.
Michael Veal (@msv858)
Pro power
RE: Steiner. I’ve got a PS5 Pro and I must be honest, they really are good. The graphics are fantastic. Is it worth upgrading from the standard PlayStation 5? 24th of December I’d of said no, but the missus bought me one four Xmas and I love it. I really do like the bigger SSD at 2TB, so not having to delete games every so often. PSSR 2.0, what more could a gamer want? If GTA 6 is better on the PS5 Pro, which I’ve got a feeling that it will be, judging by the other games I’ve now played on it, I’d upgrade now. Yes, it’s a lot of money but boy it’s a lot of power.
David
Bond is back
007 First Light is hands down the best James Bond game I’ve played since GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64. It possesses a similarly maverick spirit that I can’t get enough of. First Light replicates everything I love about Ian Flemming’s iconic creation, from the classical signature style of its impetuous yet inherently charming and sharp-witted protagonist, innovative gadgets, and memorable social engineering cinematic moments, to the high octane action and fantastically grounded sense of place and storytelling. IO Interactive should be commended for the exemplary work they’ve done reinvigorating and modernising the debonair and deadly character of the world’s most famous fictional secret agent here. Bond’s origin story is delivered with cinematic verve and a reassured confidence. The way the tutorial/training sequences is made to both instruct and immerse the player in Bond’s prodigious talents is inspired. First Light is just consistently surprising and delighting me even 12 hours in. Some of the set pieces truly set the bar for similar cinematic heavy games, like the Uncharteds. Definitely a strong contender for my game of the year so far. So glad this game has already ended up an unmitigated hit, man!
GG
GC: It’s a great game, but the best James Bond title since GoldenEye 007 is an extremely mild compliment.
Inbox also-rans
I think the oddest thing about that Final Fantasy 14 business is the idea that Japanese people optionally pay a part of their taxes to their local area or just a completely random one? If it works for them.
Bagaron
I love that the GTA 5 civil servant story didn’t actually have anything to do with GTA. They were using it to see what ordinary people were like, regardless of the game. Unbelievable.
Mossman
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