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Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Why I'm taking a week off work for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch
A reader explains exactly how they're going to spend the next seven days, and it seems to involve a lot of Switch 2 games and Summer Game Fest. It's over eight years since the launch of the original Nintendo Switch and it seems like both yesterday and half a lifetime ago. I absolutely agree with suggestions that it's the best console ever made, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase and all the many games I've bought for it. All the previews of Switch 2 have been very positive, but I don't need to read them; I'm completely happy to take a risk on getting it day one, and I've already planned the days off. I'm actually a little gutted I can't go to any of the midnight launches. I'm very glad to hear they're still going but by the time I knew about them I'd already pre-ordered from Nintendo. So I'll be stuck at home on Thursday, desperately hoping for the postie to ring the doorbell. He'll be bringing the console with the Mario Kart World bundle and I'll also be buying Welcome Tour, Split Fiction, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Civilization 7, and upgrades for the two Zelda games and Super Mario Party Jamboree. (I'm not rich, I've just been saving and haven't bought a new game yet this year.) I've seen it said that the Switch 2 launch line-up is not that good, and I will agree I had expected more in the way of exclusives, both first and third party, but I think we have to remember this is June and, hardware launch or not, that's not exactly prime video game-buying time. In fact, it's the opposite. Still, I think you'll agree that little lot should keep me busy for a while, which is why I booked the whole week off to play it. Which is not quite as crazy as it sounds. The console comes out on Thursday and then on Friday it's Summer Game Fest, which starts late at night, so I'd rather not come home knackered from work to stay up to watch that. Sunday is the Xbox summer showcase – which I'm not super interested in but could have some Switch 2 news – and, well… with luck the weather will be nice so I thought, sod it, I'll just take a full week off, or at least to Wednesday. That gives me enough time to play my new console, to watch and recover from the showcases, and to still have some quality time with the missus. It'll be a week of full-on video game indulgence, and I can't wait. In an increasingly bleak world, I find the thought of doing nothing but wasting my time with video games very appealing. We all know Mario Kart World is going to be amazing but as well as that I can play through Cyberpunk 2077 and its DLC, try out the mouse controls for Civilization 7, and play co-op with my wife on Split Fiction – which I've been purposefully holding back on till now. Plus, I get to play remastered versions of the two best Zelda games and a bunch of fun new party games for Super Mario Party, that also use the GameChat camera, which I'm also buying. It's a lot at once, I agree, but I feel I'm worth it and for once I do have time to play it all. As for what I'm hoping for from the showcases. Well, mostly I'd like there to be a Nintendo Direct, which there seems a reasonable chance of but which, at least as I'm writing this, they haven't announced yet. Obviously, I'd like there to be a secret Nintendo game for Christmas, ideally a 3D Mario, but I really don't think that's very likely. I do imagine they'll have some kind of small extra though and maybe a tease of what's to come next year. More Trending I do still have my PlayStation 5, so I guess I'd be interested in anything that announced for that, especially Resident Evil 9 or Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, but at the moment I'm all about the Switch 2. I hope it lives up to the legacy of its predecessor but at the moment I have no reason to think it won't and all the time in the world to find out! By reader Onibee The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: This week was low-key the worst in modern video game history – Reader's Feature MORE: Star Wars Battlefront 3 needs to have these new features - Reader's Feature MORE: 5 reasons why I'm not buying a Nintendo Switch 2 this year - Reader's Feature
Metro
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
GTA 6 delay is to give Rockstar 'no limitations' as Take-Two commits to new date
Take-Two Interactive has tried to explain the delay of GTA 6, as it implies a Switch 2 port is out of the question. While the delay of GTA 6 to May 26 next year wasn't exactly surprising, if you're familiar with Rockstar's history, it has still had a sizeable impact on the industry at large. According to reports, the announcement has sparked panic at rival publishers, as they try to avoid the game's release date, but also worry about another potential delay beyond May 2026. Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two, has now commented on the prospect of that happening, as it attempts to provide some reassurance. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed the game's delay in an interview with IGN, where it was described as a necessary move to allow GTA 6 to fulfil its 'creative vision with no limitations'. 'As we get closer to completion of a title that's seeking perfection, the needs or lack thereof, for continued polish become clear,' Zelnick said. 'In this case there was an opportunity with a small amount of incremental time, we thought, to make sure Rockstar Games achieves its creative vision with no limitations. And I supported of course that approach.' Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier claimed the delay to next year 'seemed inevitable', due to a mix of 'too much work, not enough time, and what appears to be a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch'. As for whether Zelnick is confident GTA 6 will hit this new release date, he added: 'I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we've been very good about reaching it.' While this comment suggests GTA 6 will not be pushed back again, Zelnick doesn't rule it out entirely. Rockstar is no stranger to delaying games multiple times either, as seen with Red Dead Redemption 2, so there's still a chance this could happen with GTA 6. There's also the fact that Zelnick repeatedly insisted that GTA 6 wasn't going to be delayed at all… until it was. When it comes to things like that, his primary concern is placating investors, so his comments should be taken with a pinch of salt. Zelnick further addressed the game's delay during Take-Two's Q4 2025 earnings call, where he confirmed that GTA 6 began development 'in earnest' in 2020. 'Rockstar expects to release GTA 6 on May 26, 2026, which is in our fiscal year 2027,' Zelnick said. 'I believe affording Rockstar additional time for such a groundbreaking project is a worthy investment. 'The ambition and complexity of GTA 6 is greater than any previous Rockstar title, and the team is poised to release another astonishing entertainment experience that will exceed players' expectations.' In a Q&A with investors, Zelnick was asked about the publisher's support of the Nintendo Switch 2, where he outlined how the company will bring titles to the console on a 'case-by-case basis'. 'We're launching four titles with Nintendo Switch 2 [Civilization 7, Borderlands 4, NBA 2K26, and WWE 2K25], and that's I think a bigger array of releases than we've ever offered before with a new Nintendo platform,' Zelnick said. Historically, being a third party in the Nintendo business has been a bit challenging. I think Nintendo has been very forthcoming in addressing that. And we're stepping up too, because we have great optimism for the platform. More Trending 'In terms of what we would bring to any platform, we address it on a case-by-case basis, we obviously want to be where the consumers are. But we would not necessarily bring every title to every platform. There are also great catalogue opportunities as well.' While the technical requirements of GTA 6 (based on the trailers, at least) seem to rule out any potential Switch 2 port, the last sentence suggests we could see past games in the series on the console – maybe even the rumoured remaster of GTA 4. Elsewhere in the earnings report, Take-Two announced GTA 5 has sold over 215 million copies, a five million increase from February this year. Meanwhile, Red Dead Redemption 2 sold three million copies within the past three months, bringing its lifetime sales to 74 million. Considering GTA 5 came out over a decade ago in 2013, it's astonishing that it's still selling millions of copies all these years later. Coupled with Take-Two's strong release slate for the rest of this year, it's perhaps understandable why Take-Two is in no rush to get GTA 6 out the door. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 will overtake PS5 as 'primary partner' for third party games predict analysts MORE: Games Inbox: Who is the best third party video game publisher? MORE: The worst video game ever made is coming to PS5, Switch and Xbox this month
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Nintendo Switch 2 is already impressing developers who say they're "extremely happy" with the new console's power, comparing it to a "mid-tier PC"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Following the recent Nintendo Switch 2 news, fans have been itching to learn how well the new console from Nintendo truly performs – and according to third-party developers, they've got nothing to worry about as the Switch 2 is a handheld powerhouse. Speaking in a recent interview with Game File, executive Civilization 7 producer Dennis Shirk confirms as much, revealing that working alongside Nintendo to port Firaxis Games' strategy behemoth has been an "easy" experience. "Their [software development kit] is great, the customer support, their developer support, developer relations is great," says the lead, also admitting that Firaxis is "extremely happy" with the Switch 2's horsepower. "We were able to make this look like a mid-tier PC, because it's got enough power," as Shirk puts it. "They knew they wanted Civ on that platform, because it's such a great showcase for the mouse," he explains, referring to Nintendo. "And it pairs up so well with our existing PC audience, because we have crossplay." The Switch 2 edition of Civilization 7 has been in the works since October and will drop with the new console when it releases on June 5 – it's definitely one of the most exciting upcoming Switch 2 games on the horizon. It's not the only impressive port underway for Nintendo's upcoming system, either. Other studios, including Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software, have been working to port their games to the Switch 2 for around a year now. "We originally started with our Switch version," says senior Avalanche producer Jimmie Nelson, describing what devs did to ensure a "higher quality product" would come out of the new Hogwarts Legacy port. "We got very good results really quickly," he details, "but we felt like we could make a higher quality product if we brought in a lot of the high-res assets [and] raised the resolution, textures, lighting, world streaming." The Switch 2 port of Hogwarts Legacy will arrive when the console does on June 5, much like Civilization 7. Excited fans can look forward to Switch 2 pre-orders this week worldwide (except for the United States, where they've been delayed).The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to J.K. Rowling's public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Here is our explainer on the Hogwarts Legacy controversy.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PC Gamer magazine's new issue is on sale now: inZOI
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This month PC Gamer delivers world-exclusive access to the stunning new The Sims rival, inZOI, which looks set to steal the life sim throne. For our authoritative cover feature, PC Gamer speaks directly with the game's director, Hyungjun Kim, about every facet of the game, from its comprehensive character creator, to its setting, characters, and story, through to its unique gameplay mechanics, such as an NPC character who is controlled by AI. Kim speaks eloquently about his game, the life sim genre, and the video game industry in general, bringing his trademark philosophical flair to the conversation. A must-read for any fan of the life sim genre, and especially those who have sunk hundreds of hours into The Sims over the last couple of decades. This issue also features another fantastic feature. As we review Sid Meier's Civilization 7 in this issue of the magazine, we thought there was no better time to take a look back at the Civilization series as a whole, starting with the landmark 1991 original release. Not only do we then proceed to showcase each game in the series in this feature, talking about what they delivered to gamers and how they evolved the initial Civ formula, but we also speak directly to a Firaxis Games veteran who has worked on many of the series' best games for the inside scoop on what it's like to make a Civilization game. For strategy fans this is an essential read. Then, in terms of previews, this issue sees PC Gamer deliver our hot take on Doom: The Dark Ages, the hyper-violent new entry in the long-running FPS series that sees the Doom Slayer fight through a medieval hellscape with big guns, a chainsaw shield and a trio of deadly hand-to-hand weapons. For gamers who found the acrobatic madness of Doom Eternal a little off-putting, The Dark Ages looks like a return to more of the original Doom reboot formula, with ground-based combat against hordes of demonic foes the name of the game. Oh, and there are rideable dragons and a giant mech to pilot, too. Hype! Then, over in reviews land, the PC Gamer reviews machine tackles epic turn-based strategy game, Sid Meier's Civilization 7, as well as Orks Must Die! Deathtrap, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, Eternal Strands, Sniper Elite: Resistance, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, along with other games, too. All that plus a group test of six new motherboards to consider building your next PC gaming rig around, a reinstall of the epic strategy game Total War: Warhammer III, the continuation of a hijinx-filled diary following undead hero Mister Fibula's misadventures in Divinity Original Sin II, a look at the fantastic new Half-Life 2 mod The Burton Equation, a passionate arguement for how villainesses make any game better, a detailed guide to thriving in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's medieval world, a tour of the very latest PC gaming experiences coming out of Japan, including Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Suikoden I & II Remaster, an update on everything new Hunt: Showdown 1896, a fresh dispatch from The Spy, a new case to be cracked for the PCG Investigator, Dick Ray-Tracing, and much more too. Enjoy the issue! Issue 407 is on shelves now and available on all your digital devices from the App Store and Zinio. You can also order directly from Magazines Direct or purchase a subscription to save yourself some cash, receive monthly deliveries, and get incredibly stylish subscriber-only covers. Enjoy the issue!
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Civilization 7's first in-game event postponed so Firaxis can 'prioritize quality-of-life improvements'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Civilization 7 had a rougher-than-expected launch, thanks largely to changes that made it, as we said in our 76% review, "the most streamlined and pared-back the series has been in a long time"—and not always in a good way. The backlash was strong enough that developer Firaxis committed to fixes and improvements before Civ 7 was even in full release, and in a "check-in" posted today it shared details on what players can look forward to over the next couple months. The 1.1.0 update is set to go live on March 4 and will make further adjustments and fixes to Civilization 7's UI, which Firaxis said in February was the studio's "top priority." A number of gameplay changes will also be made, including "significant changes to the Modern Age's Cultural Legacy Path and Victory," and AI leaders will be better able to complete Cultural Victories. The update will also see the first half of the Crossroads of the World Collection go live, adding the new leader Ada Lovelace, the new civs Great Britain (Modern Age) and Carthage (Antiquity Age), and the Natural Wonder Pack including four new Natural Wonders: Machapuchare, Mount Fuji, Vihren, and Vinicunca to the game. All of this unfortunately means that the first in-game event, "Natural Wonder Battle," which was set to go live with the update on March 4, has been postponed "to allow us more time to prioritize quality-of-life improvements for players worldwide." A new date for the event hasn't been set but Firaxis said it will share more information when it can. The 1.1.1 update is scheduled to follow on March 25, and will include further UI updates and other changes. "Ongoing improvements to the User Interface continues to be a top priority for the development team," Firaxis wrote. "The updates being introduced on March 25 are just one part of a much larger plan that aims to improve the UI over the next several months." Bigger changes are also in the works: New map sizes, resource types, support for teams in multiplayer, a "One More Turn" button that will let players continue past the end of the Modern Age, mod tools and Steam Workshop support, and—you guessed it—still more UI improvements. Firaxis said it's currently "scoping the work" required to get it all done, and while some could arrive as early as April, other promised features and changes will take longer: "As always in development, plans can change and we'll have more details to share here in the weeks and months ahead as plans solidify." To be clear, Civilization 7 isn't a bad game, but it is something of a letdown, at least at this stage. As PC Gamer's Tyler Wilde pointed out, our 76% review score marks it as a good and recommended game, but it's a far cry from the 93% scores we bestowed on Civilization 5 and Civ 6, marking them both as among the best of the best. A more pronounced ambivalence is visible on Steam: Civilization 7's user rating remains stubbornly "mixed" and has actually been in a very slight decline through most of February, and there are still more people playing Civilization 6 on Steam than Civ 7. So there's no cause for panic at this point, but there's definitely work to be done. Civilization 7 review: Our verdictCiv 7 performance analysis: How it runsCiv 7 victory guide: All win conditionsHow Civ 7 towns/cities work: Settlements guideCiv 7 age transitions guide: Everything that changesView Deal
