Messages

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Modern Video Games / Re: Sony shuts down Bluepoint

« on: February 21, 2026, 11:08:36 am »

Now more than ever, development studios owned directly by these major industry leaders such as Sony and Microsoft are treated as nothing more than commodities. Shareholders expect increased profits with every passing quarter now, and they're more than willing to let go seasoned developers if those expectations aren't met—even when it's brought on by poor management themselves. All of this only reinforces that corporations aren't your friend or should be revered in any sort of way. They neither care for their workers nor the consumer.

To some degree, I think that consumers are becoming aware of this issue, but those who do are still very much the minority. Of course, this issue goes far beyond the video games industry. Consumers have a lot more power as a collective entity than they often fail to realize, but maybe in time the majority will realize that.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Developer/Publisher Requests

« on: February 20, 2026, 05:10:23 pm »

Confirmed on February 14, Developer field requests cannot be fulfilled due to an ongoing bug that's since been reported and is waiting to be corrected. I have updated pending Developer field requests with yellow text; when the bug is fixed, they will be submitted as usual. I was hoping that the issue would be resolved by now but it hasn't, so this is a public post to let it be known that requests weren't being ignored.

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General / Re: What studio acquisitions do you predict we could see this year and why?

« on: February 19, 2026, 04:12:50 pm »

This is as good as any place to report this: after acquiring Bluepoint Games in 2021, Sony is closing the studio. Bluepoint Games is most recently known for the remakes of Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls, although their successful history with Sony remakes dates back further. This comes after having been assigned to develop an unannounced and now-canceled God of War live-service game.

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Modern Video Games / Re: Report: PS6 2029 | Switch 2 price increase soon?

« on: February 18, 2026, 11:34:30 am »

Also, I'm fairly certain PS6 will not allow the use of physical media.

I seriously doubt that. However, I can easily envision the PlayStation 6 opting out of a dedicated, built-in disc drive altogether for all models and instead have that be an optional attachment, which is already practiced and set as precedent.

Most game sold on the PS5 are bought digitally, same with the XBOX.

I'm reminded of this post. While I don't disagree with the reality that there are more digital sales than physical sales, I do question how genuine the numbers being reported by third-party news presented as easy-to-read headlines and bullet point lists are and what the actual differences in earnings between digital and physical sales may be.

I don't see how a console coming out in 2029 would even offer the means to play games physically.

I'm not sure what you mean by this exactly.

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Modern Video Games / Re: Report: PS6 2029 | Switch 2 price increase soon?

« on: February 18, 2026, 10:24:12 am »

Most developers don't even use the PlayStation 5 to its full advantage. 2029 seems too soon.

Also, I'm fairly certain PS6 will not allow the use of physical media.

I seriously doubt that. However, I can easily envision the PlayStation 6 opting out of a dedicated, built-in disc drive altogether for all models and instead have that be an optional attachment, which is already practiced and set as precedent.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: February 14, 2026, 10:41:33 am »

08. Gnog || PlayStation 4 || 02.09.2026



I'm not exactly sure how I came across developers KO_OP, but I suspect I only became aware of them and their game Gnog during its development as Double Fine Productions was attached to this project as its publisher. Six years ago, I began playing this game but for some reason didn't play for long and never went back to it. So, I started a new save file.

Interestingly, Gnog is a puzzle game that doesn't explain anything at all really. Not conventionally, anyway. It's comprised of nine single-screen stages that shouldn't take overly to solve for first-time players, though obviously that's situational. While the goal for each puzzle largely remains the same—to delve inside the one center object or environment on screen which acts as the stage itself to figure out just how it operates so that the one big button can finally be pushed—they all feel varied. Inside these objects, one puzzle divided into a series of tasks presents itself full of knobs and dials and levers needing to be rotated, pushed, and pulled.

If that sort of tactility comes across as early child development play, that's because that's how Gnog was designed to be. With that said, this is a game that greatly encourages play to progress through its puzzles, and it's effectively achieved with a tone that's both silly and simultaneously mesmerizing alongside its demonstration of light-up colors and playful sing-song sounds. Throughout the stage, there are visual (and sometimes audio) cues to help the player understand what's being requested to progress. Sometimes you may know what to do, but the means to accomplish it, or the order for what needs to be done exactly isn't quite understood yet. So, you'll inevitably go through a series of actions seeking to understand how these elements correspond to another. I'm curious just how capable very young players may be were they to play this game, as I was stumped on a small number of short segments for some time.

As single-screen puzzles, they may come across as simple at first but are unexpectedly expansive. Though, in some way, there are two screens to inspect—two sides to the same puzzle, anyway. By this, I mean that players will be required to navigate between the front and back of these 3D objects as they rotate 180°. Of course, there are instances where this design is subverted in novel ways, such as a housing development that's interconnected. The capability to inspect the puzzle's sides by using the joystick is also sometimes necessary, and it acts as another way to demonstrate how the stages themselves are like physical puzzles we would hold in our hands. While the stages themselves are often some an environment such as a home or a laboratory, they're also sometimes non-living things such as a submarine or a log. No matter what the stage is presented to be, though, their true nature is a monstrous face suspended in air that, in time, reveals itself as some vessel for the things within them.

While much of the game is without formal instruction, problems needing to be solved have clear goals. For instance, one beginning stage involves a submariner collecting treasures and artifacts whereas another is a mother bird feeding her chicks. How to go about this, as previously mentioned, is usually not straightforward, though. So when a puzzle is fully solved, the sense of accomplishment is felt and reinforced by the stage itself as it comes to life and celebrates with you by dancing and singing in its strange way. It's not wrong to describe stages as mundane, but what happens in them is often unexpected or presented in an abstract, cartoon-ish way and are always creative. Gnog's presentation is bolstered with VR functionality that I did begin using, but I quickly reverted to standard mode play as there are finer details needing to observe that I simply couldn't see as my headset wouldn't focus.

In some ways, Gnog is difficult to discuss to anyone who's not experienced it because of its abstracted presentation. But something that I think most people can relate to is real-world play and kinetic thought, and KO_OP's implementation of it toward video game design is both novel and successful. Gnog is a short game to play, so by its quick end I was left wanting to experience more.

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Modern Video Games / Re: State of Play | February 12, 2026 thoughts?

« on: February 13, 2026, 07:27:06 pm »

I'm seldom the target audience for these kinds of presentations, and this one proved no different. Only one game that hasn't been shown before caught my interested.

Silent Hill: Townfall
Townfall seeks to be different yet familiar, and what's been shown demonstrates that. The use of a first-person perspective isn't just a play preference but is fully realized through gameplay mechanics such as the sneak and peek systems, which altogether come together to provide a more rewarding sense of horror. The Scottish setting that's a dreary harbor town is attention-grabbing and is different enough to set it apart from the town of Silent Hill while still sharing similarities. From what's shown, there also seems to be a small but effective emphasis on analog tech that seems to elevate the series in some regards. Between this and the two other full-game Silent Hill experiences released in recent years, Townfall shows the most promise to me.

But I'll mention some brief thoughts on a few select titles shown too:

Control Resonant
I haven't played Control, but this sequel entry is looking to be a lot different, and I don't know if that's good or bad. From a gameplay perspective, it looks quite generic aside from its gravity gimmick.

Kena: Scars of Kosmora
While I've played and enjoyed the first title Kena: Bridge of Spirits, I can't say that it was a game that needed a sequel. This looks perfectly fine on its own, but the trailer doesn't demonstrate anything new in its gameplay besides the AI animal companion.

Project Mindless
This looks like a generic Asia-inspired action-RPG, but the protagonist is a chicken man. It's based off of the popular Korean novel series "The Bird That Drinks Tears." So as a game, the choice of a chicken man isn't random—but the choice of a chicken man for a book series certainly is.

Rev Noir
A RPG being developed by Konami themselves in the modern era? That's surprising.

Yakoh Shinobi Ops
This looks fun for a group, but it's not my kind of game. I hope this does well.

Big Walk (PEAK 2) from Untitled Goose Game devs will be free day one for all PS Plus tiers.

I'm curious just how much Peak was inspired by Big Walk considering the latter's been in production since 2023 at the latest, whereas Peak was only developed as a game jam prototype one full year ago. "Peak 2" sounds disingenuous.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Southeast Asia territory Switch games

« on: February 13, 2026, 06:48:58 pm »

I have a few Switch (and Switch 2) cards from the "Southeast Asia" territory. I added a couple to the database in the past and I have a new one to add now (Mario Kart World), but technically, the site doesn't have a category for these.

It's not practical to have specific regional categories for every country or region based on how the database is designed, but there are precedents for how items which do not belong to any particular category should be categorized with the site's limitations. Below is that rule:

Games Released in a Country with No Country Specific Category
Games and products are released all over the world and we do not have individual sub-categories for every one. So sometimes an item is put into the closest relevant category, at least temporarily. Here are some examples:

Releases in Asian or African countries can vary depending on the release. In general, for an item released in a country that has no dedicated sub-category, use this priority:
1. [CN] China
2. [JP] Japan
3. [HK] Hong Kong

So, items 277603 and 277604 are correctly placed in the CN category. Also, I will point out that neither 277603 nor 277604 were updated from some other regional category to CN, which is evident from the History tab. Needless to say, you originally submitted both entries to Nintendo Switch [CN]. Lastly, if you have concerns over the platforms available within the database, you can ask about or request them in the Category/Platform Requests topic that's pinned.

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Modern Video Games / Re: State of Play | February 12, 2026 thoughts?

« on: February 11, 2026, 09:47:03 am »

-Silent Hill 1 remake trailer (maybe even a vague release date too?)

Set two hours after the State of Play begins, another Silent Hill showcase is scheduled to begin. It's mentioned that the focus of the event is on Silent Hill: Townfall, but there could easily be other franchise news presented. It's also possible that something is teased during the State of Play and then later expanded upon during the second event.

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General / Re: How much time has past since you've last played the gaming systems you own?

« on: February 10, 2026, 11:20:39 am »

Going through my consoles one-by-one has made me realize just how many I own.

PlayStation: ~20 years

Man, this one hurts to see. There are so, so many amazing games on the PS1. Maybe it stings a bit more since I've been on a bit of a PS1 kick this week. Hopefully the 20 years is because you play PS1 games on a PS2 or PS3.

The reason for the long time is most definitely because I play PlayStation games with a PlayStation 2. In recent months, I've played through the first three Resident Evil games that way, so it's not like I'm ignoring the platform's library altogether. Just from the games I already own, I still have a lot to play too.

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General / Re: How much time has past since you've last played the gaming systems you own?

« on: February 10, 2026, 09:37:07 am »

Going through my consoles one-by-one has made me realize just how many I own.

PlayStation: ~20 years
PlayStation 2 JP: 4 years
PlayStation 2 US: 5 months
PlayStation 3 (1): 1 year
PlayStation 3 (2): 1 year
PlayStation 4: 1 year
PlayStation 4 Pro: this week
PlayStation 5: this week
PlayStation Portable: 6 months
PlayStation Vita: 8 months

Nintendo 64 (1): 1 year
Nintendo 64 (2): ~15 years
Nintendo 64 (3): ~15 years
GameCube: 2 weeks
Wii JP: never
Wii US (1): this week
Wii US (2): ~5 years
Wii U: 7 years
Switch (1): 1 week
Switch (2): 1 month
Switch 2: 1 week
Game Boy Color (1): ~15 years, non-functioning
Game Boy Color (2): never, non-functioning
Game Boy Advance: 15 years, non-functioning
DS Lite: ~12 years
2DS: never, non-functioning
3DS: this week
3DS XL: ~5 years

Xbox: ~10 years
Xbox One: 3 years
Xbox One X: 8 months

Dreamcast: 9 months, non-functioning
Ouya: 1 year
Playdate: 6 months
Turbografx-16: 10 years

Also, portable consoles and console add-ons:
PlayStation Portal: 1 year
PlayStation VR: this week
Steam Deck: 3 months

And just because I know this information, below is roughly how long it's been for the few systems I own that I haven't completed a game (or played one for a considerable amount of time) since the beginning of 2024 and what that game is, in addition to miscellaneous platforms that aren't listed above:

Dreamcast: n/a | I haven't completed any game I own to this day.
Game Boy: Kirby's Dream Land 2 | August 23, 2012
Game Boy Advance: n/a | I haven't completed any game I own to this day.
Game Boy Color: Pokémon Pinball | ~2012
Mobile: Monument Valley | July 12, 2025
PC: Finding Father | January 31, 2026
Turbografx-16: Bonk's Revenge | ~the late-2000s?
Wii U: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD | March 15, 2016
Xbox: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition | October 1, 2022

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General / Re: How much time has past since you've last played the gaming systems you own?

« on: February 10, 2026, 09:11:55 am »

Interesting topic. Makes me consider busting out the ol' Genesis.

Do it!

I own a Vita too and have since about 2018, but funny enough I've never played it once. I have like 10 games for it too. It's on the block to sold soon for this reason.

You don't think it's worth trying out at least once before selling it?

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2026!!!

« on: February 07, 2026, 09:44:05 am »

5. Parappa The Rapper: Remastered [PS4]

I mentioned this in 2021 when I replayed through the three games in the series on original hardware, but I personally consider the spin-off entry Um Jammer Lammy to be the most successful.

Did Un Jammer Lammy improve on the accuracy over 1? Or is it the same trial and error?

The game has an arcade style as it's divided into narrative stages, similar to PaRappa the Rapper. Since they're both short experiences as most rhythm games are, there is some expectation that players may not clear a stage their first try. However, as a sequel, Um Jammer Lammy performs better in nearly every criteria that I can remember. Like I said before, I last played the game four years ago, but here are my thoughts from then if you're curious how I felt immediately after playing. Hopefully this is what you mean when asking about trial-and-error gameplay, as new players especially will have a difficult time progressing from one stage to the next. I almost always have such a hard time getting past "All Master's Rap" which is stage 5 that's about waiting in line to use the toilet.

I'll go on record now saying that I personally find PaRappa the Rapper 2 to be the weakest of the three games. It may perform better than the original title, but its stage design, narrative tone and sequencing, and even the music itself are all considerably weaker than what the first game so strongly established. Also, after reading more about the topic, your issues with input delay aren't even a port problem but instead a hardware problem. From what I've read, modern TVs make playing the game in any way a terrible experience.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Question regarding german SEGA Saturn releases

« on: February 06, 2026, 11:21:53 am »

Just like our database, Sega Retro is a site dependent on user-supplied submissions. With that said, for any data that's relevant to us that's tracked, there isn't any one single source that has all information. So feel free to submit a new entry for the item you're asking about. When submitting the entry, be sure to specify that a USK rating label is present on the packaging.

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Modern Video Games / Re: Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase 2.5.2026 thoughts?

« on: February 05, 2026, 06:24:21 pm »

Orbitals
After this latest trailer, I'm more understanding of what kind of game this is. While it's undoubtedly inspired by It Takes Two, that's not a bad thing. It looks like the game will be able to accomplish what it's set out to accomplish, and I'm pretty keen at this point to try it out. Hopefully some company publishes this physically.

Pragmata
I hope this does well, because the game seems to be doing something a bit more unique than standard third-person action combat. Also, I hope any success that it may earn is due to the game itself and not anything related to it being cute and funny.

Super Bomberman Collection
Rated E for Use of Tabacco

Tokyo Scramble
I'm quite confused by what sort of experience this game is trying to be. It demonstrates a horror atmosphere that's simultaneously contrasted by a lighthearted tone full of juvenile antics and commentary while a hopeful song plays as accompanying music. At the very least, I'm glad that the trailer specifies a "February 11, 2026 (PST)" release date, whatever that means.