The Friday letters page of GameCentral is abuzz with reader opinions on PlayStation's mascot problem, the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy 2, potential GTA 6 online fees, and the perceived failure of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Readers also weigh in on Lego game development times and Warner Bros.' gaming strategy.
PlayStation's Mascot Conundrum
Reader Kaliban notes that Sony has realized it lacks major characters that resonate with the general public. They argue that Sony should have addressed this earlier and never understood why the company passed on acquiring both Lara Croft and Crash Bandicoot. For Kaliban, these two are the unofficial mascots of the PlayStation 1 era, and nothing since has replaced them. "If you were going strictly by PlayStation 5 games I guess you'd say it was probably Kratos and Aloy, but I don't feel they're particularly interesting or iconic," they wrote. Kaliban added that while Kratos might be iconic, he's not the kind of character you'd see on a six-year-old's T-shirt, and neither are Ratchet & Clank or Astro Bot. "So for me if I think PlayStation I still think Lara Croft. I hope the remake next year is a hit."
GameCentral responded that acquiring Crash Bandicoot was never easy, as it came in a job lot with Blizzard and went to Microsoft during the Activision acquisition.
Hogwarts Legacy 2: Setting and Timeline Predictions
Reader Scuz expressed excitement over the confirmation of Hogwarts Legacy 2, hoping to see it at The Game Awards in December. They speculated on the setting, suggesting a modern-day game might conflict with Harry Potter's story. "Maybe the answer would be to set it just a few years before Harry gets there. So it can be basically modern day and then once the game is over, he turns up for his first year," Scuz wrote. They also wondered if skipping ahead to the 1950s or 1990s might be necessary to avoid the World War elements from Fantastic Beasts.
GTA 6 Pricing: Online Fees Could Be a Dealbreaker
Reader David, who purchased the higher-priced GTA 6, expressed concern about potential additional costs for online play. "If they think I'm paying £90 for the game and then charging me for the online bit they can whistle," David wrote. They feared that if Rockstar charges for online, other developers like Call Of Duty would follow suit, leading to a trend of double-charging. David concluded, "I know there isn't any news on it but I've got a feeling they're going to be charging for the online bit, as the saying goes: more money, more money, more money."
Lego Games: Development Times Stretch to Four Years
Reader Wotan observed that Lego games have shifted from annual releases to one every four years, reflecting industry-wide trends. "What used to be throwaway games, where you didn't even care they were so buggy, have turned into big event triple-A games," they noted. Wotan pointed out that a decade ago, Lego games were cheap quickly, but the new Lego Batman hasn't seen major price cuts. They lamented that if a child starts playing at age five, they might only get one more Lego game as a kid before becoming a teenager.
Reader Fisto commented on Sony's investment in creating beloved characters, citing the £47 million R&D for Hello Kitty. They argued that small-scale, unexpected creations like Hello Kitty contrast with Sony's corporate approach. Fisto suggested Sony should focus on family-friendly games, as they did in the PS1 and PS2 eras, but criticized characters like Ratchet & Clank and Astro Bot as "designed by committee" and lacking distinctiveness.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Preview Positive
Reader Karl discussed the positive previews for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, which he felt Nintendo needs given mixed reactions to Splatoon Riders and the N64 remakes. He speculated that Nintendo's odd game choices stem from long development times and adapting to a console as powerful as the Xbox Series S. Karl noted that games like Fortune's Weave and Splatoon Raiders might reuse assets from Switch 1 titles, but that doesn't explain the absence of Animal Crossing. He concluded, "Who knows what goes on in Nintendo's boardrooms, but I think the point here is that as weird as some decisions are they often don't go the way you think."
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Predicted to Underperform
Reader Jono predicted that Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will be a bomb or at least underperform, continuing the "Marvel curse" where non-Spider-Man games flop. They questioned how well Wolverine will do, noting it's 18-rated and linear, with abilities that may not translate well to video games. Jono suggested Sony might have been better off making a Spider-Gwen game.
Warner Bros.' Four Pillars: Mixed Results
Reader Winston analyzed Warner Bros.' gaming strategy, noting that while Harry Potter is a success with Hogwarts Legacy 2, Mortal Kombat's last game flopped, DC Comics has had no major games in a decade, and Game Of Thrones has never had a console game. They criticized the lack of output, asking, "How hard is it to say: 'Make some games for us.'" GameCentral reminded readers that Suicide Squad was also a failure, though perhaps best forgotten.
Other readers expressed interest in a Lego Superman game and excitement over Warhorse Studios' Lord of the Rings game, though they acknowledged it might be a long wait.
