Nate The Hate

Both Sony & Nintendo had a rough week in terms of news announcements -- as the Nintendo Switch gains support for a poor DRM solution; whereas Sony uses their brand strength to exploit their fans by raising the price of the PlayStation 5 in several markets across the world. We do a deep dive into the arrival of Denuvo for Switch & what it could mean for games & the consumer moving forward. We also discuss the reasoning behind Sony's price increase on the PS5 and what the consumer can do.

Communication is necessary if one intends to keep a relationship strong and built on trust. Nintendo, Sony & Microsoft could learn a lot from this basic principal when it comes time to discussion & share information about presentations & new game releases. 

We discuss whether or not the companies can improve their marketing messaging & how they could do so in a way they nets them favor with fans & not hurt their overall marketing delivery.

It's a new month and with it comes the inevitable: Nintendo Direct rumors & concerns as to whether or not a new Direct will come during the month or for the remainder of the calendar year. 

Microsoft & Bethesda will air their 2022 Showcase presentation & present a plethora of game announcements & gameplay trailers. We discuss our predictions for the show & why now may be a pivotal time for Microsoft to show what their first-party studio have been working on. Titles like Avowed, Forza, and more are in desperate need of an update. Will we see them?

Furthermore, will a new Banjo make a showing this year? The return of 1 vs 100? Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake coming to Xbox or GamePass? Could Bethedda revisit an old Elder Scrolls for a modern revival? We discuss.

Sony have announced a State of Play & in the 30-minute presentation that intend to show games from third-party partners and highlight some software for PSVR2. We share our predictions & what we expect to see from the show; some of which includes: a release date for God of War, a new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI, a teaser for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, and much, much more. 

Could Silent Hill finally happen? MVG shares his thoughts. We discuss.

Nintendo has actively been increasing the value of Nintendo Switch Online since last year with new additions to the Expansion Pack and DLC offerings; but a recent leak sheds further light on the direction will take the service in the coming months. Aside from corroborating previous reports of intent to bring Game Boy and Game Boy Color games to NSO, the leak provides the first public evidence of GBA support and more. We examine what the leak means and when we could see GBA come to NSO... if at all.

Sony's PlayStation Plus Premium service will soon launch, but is the service a competitor to GamePass or is it Nintendo Switch Online done right? We examine the service, its appeal, and discuss if PlayStation Plus Premium will be a successful venture for the company.

As Nintendo enters into their new fiscal year, they announced that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will not release in 2022, as originally promised. However, is this delay catastrophic to their release plans? And could the delay have been intentionally designed to have the title launch alongside a new Switch revision? 

The first Nintendo Direct of 2022 has aired & with it comes a substantial update to Nintendo's software lineup for 2022. Alongside surprising game reveals, Nintendo may have shed light on their future plans when it comes to Switch hardware. We discuss what this means & how it may influence Nintendo's immediate plans and future hardware direction.

The first Nintendo Direct of 2022 is upon us & we share with you our predictions of what we think & hope will show during the presentation. Will Nintendo set the world ablaze with a new Fire Emblem? Is it time for Metroid Prime? Could GoldenEye find its way to the Nintendo Switch Online Service? We discuss all this and more.

In spring 2022, Sony will introduce their answer to Microsoft's Game Pass service with their own service, which will merge PS Now and PS Plus into a single cohesive service. To entice users to upgrade, Sony will offer classic software spanning the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and PS3 -- though with some compromise. 

Furthermore, Sony will show their plans for VR with the introduction of PSVR2. When will it arrive & how much will it retail for? We discuss our expectations for PSVR2 and Sony's Game Pass competitor.

Sony's PS5 will start the calendar year of 2022 strong with major game releases in the opening months, and that momentum may last for the next twelve months & beyond. While Sony has detailed their first-party roadmap for 2022 fairly well, some surprises remain from first and third-party partners. We discuss what we expect to see announced & released in 2022 for the PS5 and, yes, the PS4.

The table is set for Nintendo to have one of their strongest years, in terms of first-party output. With Pokémon and Kirby setting the tone for Nintendo's 2022, gamers can & should expect big things from the Big N in 2022. While some anticipated releases may see delays, many expected and unexpected releases are planned to satisfy your gaming needs in the coming year. 

As 2021 comes to an end, we recap which areas Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo found success in, as well as failed in. Surprisingly, each company shared a number of successes, but they also shared failures. What do we grade each company and their yearly performance? We discuss.

The Game Awards are upon us once again & that means it is time to give our predictions on what Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony may have planned in terms of reveals during the show. Will we get a fresh look at Hellblade 2? Will Nintendo share a new trailer for Breath of the Wild 2? Will Sony secure Chrono Cross as a PS5 exclusive? And will Epic Games reveal a first look at Alan Wake 2? 

Furthermore, we share our thoughts on who could win some of the key categories, including the coveted: Game of the Year.

Nintendo has joined in to voice their displeasure with the situation at Activision Blizzard; but is an internal memo enough to put pressure on the company? Furthermore, both Nintendo & Sony have their own internal controversies that need to be addressed. We discuss this endemic corrupting the industry.

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Microsoft & the Xbox recently celebrated both the 20th anniversary of the Xbox-brand & the first birthday of the Xbox Series X/S coming to market. We discuss the first year of the Xbox & how Game Pass defined its opening months; but how Halo Infinite & Forza Horizon 5 deliver the next-gen experience we have been waiting for.

Furthermore, we discuss a serious issue concerning the issue & Microsoft has made a demand that the industry make a change to embrace change & make gaming a more accessible medium for future generations.

The Sony PlayStation 5 came to market one year ago & over the course of the year we have seen Sony make numerous moves -- like studio acquisitions, commitment to PC gaming, and software delays & exclusive releases. 

We discuss Sony's first year on market, whether the platform has delivered a "next-gen" experience & fulfilled the promise of new ways to play that the company touted in 2020. After 2021, what does Sony have planned? We discuss their next studio buy and direction for hardware and software in 2022 and beyond.

Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is now available & we share our thoughts on the new additions -- Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis -- and whether the emulation is up to par. Should fans upgrade their NSO subscription? We discuss.

Furthermore, a third-party Switch developer has expressed their thoughts concerning the need for more powerful Switch hardware. Their thought & reasoning may surprise & why we disagree with their conclusion.

Nintendo has priced & detailed the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack and the pricing has been a point of contention. While it may not show value in the immediate, the inclusion of Animal Crossing DLC may be an early indicator of their roadmap plans with the service moving forward.

Could Nintendo be positioning the Expansion Pack to provide users with "free" access to future Expansion DLC packs? We discuss how this may be an avenue of consideration & how Nintendo can use it to their benefit.