Nate The Hate

Nintendo held a Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase & announced brand new games for the Switch platform -- including Monster Hunter Rise. We share our thoughts on the show & discuss Nintendo's recent statements about using "cutting edge" technology for future Nintendo hardware. 

Furthermore, we examine the emulator used in Super Mario 3D All-Stars & how it could be applied to other Nintendo 64 and GameCube games for HD eShop releases. Could we see Nintendo use this emulator further to provide Switch owners access to a greater range of legacy software beyond the Nintendo Switch Online service? We discuss.

Sony officially dated & priced the PlayStation 5 at $399 for PS5 Digital Edition & $499 for PS5 Disc Edition for release on November 12 in North America. Launching alongside Sony's new hardware will be Demon's Souls and a few other Sony published titles, but there's a catch -- Spider-Man: Miles Morales is also releasing for PS4 this holiday season. Despite claims that such a release would not happen, Sony has plans for several more cross-gen games & it includes a major 2021 release. Did Sony lie and deceive with their early PS5 marketing? Or was this just a case of normal business?

Furthermore, we learn that Sony will price PS5 software as high as $69.99. How will this impact consumer buying habits? We discuss this and more.

Sony is hosting the next PlayStation 5 Showcase this week & they are expected to introduce us to the PS5's price & launch date. We discuss the potential pricing Sony may target with the PS5 and it may surprise you for several reasons. Furthermore, we predict the launch day and launch lineup of PS5 software, evaluate the launch window (opening few months) and how it compares to Microsoft and the Series X.

Beyond announced software, we predict and share our expectations as to what new software Sony may announce at the Showcase and how they may surprise with a new third-party exclusive and, perhaps, a hype inducing first-party announcement to excite fans.

Nintendo have announced their big holiday 2020 release & it took many by surprise. It may not be The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, but it is the next best thing -- a prequel to Breath of the Wild but presented in the style of a Hyrule Warriors game. Taking place 100 years before the events of the first Breath of the Wild, players will assume control Link, Zelda, and the Guardians as you battle the army of Ganon. Does the release of the prequel give us hints as to when we can expect to see Breath of the Wild 2? Will Nintendo use Age of Calamity to heighten our interests in Breath of the Wild 2's story?  

With the holiday title now known, what does this mean for Nintendo Direct presentations in 2020? There is now little need for a General Direct, but Mini and Partner Showcases remain pivotal for marketing upcoming third-party software. Will we see more of these showings in 2020? If so, how can Nintendo improve the quality of the shows & excite fans with Directs that lack first-party software?

We discuss all this and more.

The Nintendo Direct presentation of August has aired & it was another installment to the Partner Showcase brand of Directs. Are these the only Direct-style presentation we'll see in 2020? We discuss how Nintendo may approach the remainder of 2020 in terms of how they handle announcing & dating first-party software. This year has proven the games industry is as fluid as ever and nothing is certain.

It's the final week of August & the Nintendo community is ready for what's to come. Expectation is high. Excitement has the fans shiver in anticipation. The next Nintendo Direct is near, but will it be what fans hope or is Nintendo going to throw a curveball & catch everyone off-guard? 

A tale old as time is the story of the impending Nintendo Switch Pro. Reports & rumors of this fabled hardware have circulated for many moons; but in 2021 the timing is right for a Switch revision. If Nintendo is to launch a new Switch model in early 2021, what can we expect from it in terms of performance and what software does Nintendo release to launch the new model?

We discuss this and more.

It's been a while since Nintendo hosted an Indie World presentation, but they have confirmed such an event is taking place tomorrow & we are here to share our predictions for the event. Last year's Indie World played host to the announcement of Microsoft's Ori & the Blind Forest for the Nintendo Switch. Could we see a repeat take place this year with Microsoft announcing Ori & the Will of the Wisps for the Switch? Furthermore, many indie titles are need of updates; of which include: Hollow Knight: Silksong, Cuphead Delicious Last Course, Sports Story, Pixel Junk Eden 2, and many more. 

We discuss what we think may be announced during the Indie World presentation & it sounds like it'll be a fun show.

The month of August will play a pivotal role in Nintendo's Switch software 2020 release planning. To be blunt: it's now or never for Nintendo. Speculation, rumor, and our information suggests that Nintendo has at least one event/presentation set for the month of August - with the high potential for a second, and Nintendo has to detail their 2020 lineup and give fans an idea of what the company is planning for the future. 

Beyond Nintendo, Microsoft is encountering their own communication nightmare, as Halo Infinite for the Xbox Series X & Xbox One family of hardware is now delayed into 2021. Is this delay a major concern or just a significant fall for Microsoft and the Xbox Series X launch momentum?

Microsoft held their highly anticipated Xbox Games Showcase and the event has received a mixed reaction from fans. While some consider the event to be a disaster for Microsoft,  others have been able to see the long-term vision that the company has as it builds a foundation for a stronger tomorrow. Showcasing software like Halo Infinite, a new Fable, and Avowed, a new IP from Obsidian, Microsoft has a plethora of software on display; yet it felt like the show was missing something. 

We discuss our opinions of the show and what Microsoft offered. 

After a lengthy period of silence, Nintendo has awakened and begun to open the lines of communication with fans in the form of a Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase. This was the first Nintendo Direct-style presentation since late March, so expectation and hopes were high. For some, this new format delivered; while others are left wondering if Nintendo has abandoned 2020.

We discuss and share our reaction and thoughts to the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase and how Nintendo could use this new platform to their advantage. We also delve deep into Nintendo's marketing plans for 2020 and how they may approach announce and detail their software for not only the remainder of 2020, but for early 2021, as well.

A Nintendo Direct is expected to take place on Monday, July 20 and we want to share our predictions of what may happen during this rumored event. Nintendo has been silent for many months now and with no games dated for the remainder of 2020, it is time for them to communicate with fans... directly. 

Will we finally see the long-rumored 3D Mario Collection for the Nintendo Switch? Could Breath of the Wild 2 make an appearance? And what about Metroid? We discuss these titles and many others in our prediction discussion for the yet to be announced Direct.

Microsoft is going to host an Xbox Software Showcase on July 23 and finally give us a look at what Microsoft's internal first-party studios are making for the Xbox Series X. Microsoft's Phil Spencer is confident in what they have planned for the show, but will it be enough to counter & match what Sony showed us for the PS5 last month? Plus, Microsoft has a couple of major moves they could potentially announce at this event that could alter the gaming landscape in their favor. Cyberpunk 2077 on GamePass, anyone? Join us as we talk with Jeff Grubb and Rand Al Thor about Microsoft's Xbox Series X Software Showcase & learn what we know and what we expect from Microsoft's upcoming event.

What's the future hold for the Nintendo Direct program and will Nintendo surprise us with a big holiday game? Thus far, 2020 has been a strong year for the Nintendo Switch in terms of software and hardware performance; but that means little to the consumer. Switch owners are craving new software & Nintendo has been reluctant in sharing information about what they have planned for the remainder of the calendar year. We discuss if a July Direct could be in the cards for Nintendo and, if so, what it could reveal. Plus, we grade Nintendo's marketing strategy for the first half of 2020 and how they'll need to approach these final months aggressively to counter Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X.

Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 2 has now released & the reception to the game has been polarizing, to say the least. While divisive releases are nothing knew to the industry, the discourse surrounding The Last of Us Part 2 has been peculiar. While some have indulged in civil conversation to discuss their likes and dislikes, others have leapt to extreme measures, of which include a petition to have Naughty Dog recant the story of The Last of Part 2 and to create a new narrative that a select few feel would be more befitting of the game. We discuss if this is a realistic proposition or an example of gamer entitlement.


Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/natethehate/tip 

The pricing war between the PS5 and Xbox Series X is going to play a pivotal role in the success of both platforms, but the introduction of Xbox Series Lockhart and the PS5 Digital Edition presents a unique pricing situation that no generation before has witnessed. We discuss and evaluate which company has the advantage when it comes to pricing their next-gen hardware and give realistic pricing for PS5 and Xbox Series X. How important will Lockhart and PS5 Digital Edition factor into the pricing wars? We discuss this and more.

The PlayStation 5 has officially been revealed and Sony showcased a diverse library of software from first party and third party partners. With games like Demon's Souls and a digital-only PS5 now confirmed, it is clear that Sony is approaching their holiday 2020 launch with laser focus and are ready to challenge Microsoft for the next-gen crown. We discuss how Microsoft can respond to Sony and if Sony's recent wave of announcements has given them the edge of marketing momentum. Sony has shown the future of gaming and that future is now.

Sony is ready to introduce the world to the PlayStation 5 & we expect them to showcase a range of impressive titles. While we don't expect Sony to talk price or launch date at this event, we do anticipate an exciting PS5 software showcase, in which both first-party developers and third-party partners highlight their PS5 offerings. Will Silent Hill make a return on PS5? Will we finally see BluePoint's new game? We discuss this and more.

The Nintendo Switch has been the home to a few miraculous software ports, and those responsible for such achievements have now claimed they can port any PS4 and Xbox One game to Nintendo's hardware. Do these claims have merit or are they simply a marketing tool to incentivize developers to contract their studio for potential projects? We discuss if Switch could handle titles like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Resident Evil 3 Remake, and CD Projekt Red's CyberPunk 2077.

The year without an E3 is now underway. We talk with Venture Beat's Jeff Grubb about the Summer Game Fest and what we can expect from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft in terms of approach and new announcements. Will Sony show a lot at the PS5 reveal in June? Will Microsoft go heavy with major announcements in July? And what does Nintendo have to announce for the summer and second half of 2020? We discuss this and more.