The Monday letters page in Games Inbox sees readers discussing the possibility of Call Of Duty becoming free-to-play, the enduring appeal of Kingdom Hearts, hopes for a FIFA 2K28, and the latest leaks surrounding The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel.
Call Of Duty's Free-to-Play Future
Reader Keister noted that Activision "almost gave the whole game away free with that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta," suggesting that free-to-play is the "inevitable end game" for the series. Keister recalled that in the 2010s, Call Of Duty was praised for having relatively few microtransactions and offering good value for money. However, now "the Call Of Duty name is not what it was and nobody talks about value anymore, just the fact that it's the same old thing every year."
Keister believes that when this becomes the majority opinion, the game will finally go free. They argue that Call Of Duty would "fare pretty well against Fortnite and the like, because Call Of Duty is a good shooter," but the surrounding elements have been "getting worse and worse every time."
Kingdom Hearts and FIFA Rivalry
Another reader, Noisegun, expressed skepticism about Kingdom Hearts, despite a friend's enthusiasm. They described the gameplay as "really bad" in the ones they've played, with combat that "barely feels like an action role-player" and platforming that is "awful." They doubt Kingdom Hearts 4 will change their mind, concluding that "that's just how fans like it."
Reader Pr0metheus hopes 2K is developing a FIFA competitor, stating it is "well beyond time we should have got a proper EA Sports FC rival." They note that 2K's recent hires hint at such a project, but acknowledge the risk of cancellation due to high costs. If it happens, they imagine it would be similar to NBA 2K but for football, and they see it as a potential source of competition in the gaming market, especially with Xbox's current struggles.
Pokémon Spin-Off Success and Marvel Curse
Limpton praised Pokémon Pokopia's success, noting that "word of mouth and reviews" matter more than marketing. They recalled that most Pokémon spin-offs over the past 30 years are forgettable, but "all it takes is one good game" to revitalize interest. They cited Pokémon Pinball and Minecraft with Pokémon as examples of seemingly "dumb, lazy ideas" that turned out great.
Ashton Marley discussed the "Marvel curse" in gaming, observing that only Insomniac's Spider-Man games have been hits, and even then, Spider-Man must be the main character. They were surprised that The Avengers game didn't sell well despite name recognition, suggesting that gamers may not be as interested in superhero games as movies suggest. They proposed giving licences to indie developers to explore more obscure characters.
The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel and Industry Trends
Reader Zeiss commented on The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel's reveal, criticizing the trend of "complete non-events" in game reveals. They miss the days of short teasers followed by full reveals with gameplay footage. They predict that the next news about Sentinel will likely come from leaks or accidental reveals, rather than official announcements.
Rankore agreed that Rockstar's Netflix-style preview for GTA 6 could become a common trend, but hopes it will help obscure games get noticed rather than just blockbuster titles like Call Of Duty and FIFA.
In other letters, G4RBO mentioned a Phillips gaming accessory, though the reference was unclear. PjDonnelli recommended a third-party stand for horizontal PlayStation 5 placement, criticizing Sony's included stand. Cafe Eden praised The Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel as a "pretty cool name" but remained skeptical about the game's quality.
