Eric Ellenberg

Jon-san*

Happy new year everyone!

All the best to a speedy recovery, Christina. Keep us posted.

The renaming of the streaming service from Apple TV+ to just Apple TV has to be a primer for rebranding the next-gen device to Apple Home or some such.

One can hope.

Follow @wario64.bsky.social and repost for a chance to win 1 of 5 Steam codes for Once Upon a Katamari courtesy of @gamesplanet.bsky.social. Giveaway closes on Oct 27th, 6:30 PM PT

Game is $32.97 on Gamesplanet w/ code KATAMARI buff.ly/j4qOsMG

But maybe that's just the trajectory we've been on. In the pursuit of ever more realism, the hardware required to keep pushing the boundaries is now too expensive for a broad market. So, either take a bigger loss on hardware, or move the hardware burden to the datacenter and license the access.

On the software side. Shift Xbox Game Studios into a fully multi-platform game publisher. Position Xbox Cloud (content access) and Game Pass (content) for the broad market.

I see the business sense in it, I do. It's just boring.

After Releasing a $1,000 Handheld, Microsoft Has Said Its Next-Gen Xbox Console 'Is Going to Be a Very Premium, Very High-End Curated Experience' - IGN Microsoft is keeping its next-gen Xbox console plans under wraps, but it has suggested it will be ultra premium hardware.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Xbox Series successor retail for $1999 or more. Go for the highly-optimized gaming PC angle. Xbox hardware becomes more like Surface hardware is for Windows.

Notable quote: "to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming." www.ign.com/articles/aft...

So they're remaking Halo 1. Again. Okay.

And they're bringing it to PlayStation this time. Okay.

They may have a new "very premium" console in the works, but the writing is on the wall now. The console hardware + software exclusives model is dead to them.

I hope Grezzo is working on this. With the next 3D Zelda a ways off most likely, it’d be great to have remakes of these games à la Link’s Awakening to tide us over.

Halo 3 - First Announcement Trailer [HD] - E3 2006 YouTube video by HaloBaseLegend

Metroid is its own thing, but I want it to be more cinematic. I want a Metroid trailer that feels like this.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Ez...

I can't help but compare MP4's trailers to Halo trailers. Metroid has the super-hero high-tech protagonist, expansive universe, history and mystery. But it doesn't go for the blockbuster grandeur, the sensational score, the epic set pieces like Halo does. And I think we all want Metroid to go there.

The new Games app is even more evidence to me that Apple needs an “Apple TV Arcade” model in a refreshed lineup. Apple TV for streaming, home hub; Apple TV Arcade for gaming.

The key would be bundling a controller with the Arcade.

Sync game saves with iPhone and you have mobile/portable covered.

“Grenades are undeniably dangerous, yes; but they’re also very juggle-able.”

Great article that speaks truth to AI’s fictions. Thank you.

Here, here to a new Star Fox.

I also shared in the skepticism of the DS and didn’t get one until they released the DSi. It was a clunky looking toy in comparison. But as always, time and again, Nintendo delivered on the fun. Elite Beat Agents in particular was so good.

Donkey Kong Bananza. It’s good, folks. Really, really, really dang good.

We sail tonight for ap-southeast-1.

For me, it's Wall-E by a mile. Then, The Incredibles, followed by Toy Story.

On the Twilight Princess point: it depends on whether Nintendo sees it as fundamentally a GameCube or Wii title. I had it for both back in the day, and preferred the GameCube version because I liked the controller better.

Best game shopping / price tracking site out there. My weekly email digest from Deku this morning had the subject: "This week: 71318 new deals" to give an idea of the scale they cover.

Thank you, @dekudeals.com for all the hard work and care you put into the site!

All around, Switch 2 is a triumph. Yes, it’s more of the same conceptually, but the original Switch was so good they didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Everything about Switch 2 feels like it fixes the Switch’s shortcomings.

Looking forward to diving back into the upgraded Zelda games, too!

My first hour of Mario Kart World was a ton of fun—lots of thoughtful touches everywhere. I’m looking forward to digging into it.

I was very pleasantly surprised with how much quicker the system is. The eShop, Switch Online app, all snappy. Load times on Animal Crossing were noticeably reduced.

Nintendo also rocked the launch. Huge demand, but multiple stores had stock available. My preorder from Target gets here today (which a friend has already spoken for.) I had also preordered a GameCube controller from Nintendo, and it was delivered yesterday afternoon. No shortages is great.

Good news, Bluesky fam: I got my Switch 2 on launch day yesterday! Costco for the win.

First impressions: the hardware feels premium. Control sticks on the Joy-Cons are smooth as silk. Buttons have the right amount of clicky and spongy. The screen looks amazing.

Nintendo rocked this hardware.

I only knew of it through magazines, and even then it seemed like something only rich kids could even dream of.

I never knew anyone who had one either.

When thinking back to the N64 (my favorite of that era), my mind reels at the fact that Windows 95 (you know, the one that first had the start menu?) was a mere 1 year old when Mario was running around in 3D on a $200 home console. Bonkers! I vividly remember the awe it struck in me.

Follow @wario64.bsky.social and repost for a chance to win 1 of 10 NA eShop codes (Switch) for Star Wars: Grand Collection (9 games total) courtesy of @aspyr.com. Giveaway ends on May 18th, 6PM PT

Store page: www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...

Thanks for the tip! I’ll look into this as I’ve been wanting to eradicate my X usage too.