Ever since Judgment’s fate was put in doubt because of unforeseen circumstances around the lead character, it really irked me a lot, because that was a franchise I was getting into. Especially with the fact it was a narrative tale in English. The dispute with Takuya Kimura’s agency never fully went away, and while both games did eventually find their way to PC, we’ve never seen a third. A franchise left dormant rather than dead. I have always loved Sonic, so the chance to find another IP from Sega to get excited about is always something I am going to explore. As you do if you love video games.
Stranger Than Heaven is definitely on my radar, and that’s mostly because of it being on Game Pass. Would I pay full price? Probably not. And that’s the thing where Game Pass really leads. It gives every game an opportunity to find its audience. You simply cannot get that experience on any other platform. That’s unique to Xbox and the PC. When you have Asha Sharma, the new Xbox CEO, coming out saying that they need to explore new IP, I have been saying this for a few years now. If you cut yourself off from creating new experiences, you really limit yourself—and as PlayStation has found out in recent times, there is a sequel fatigue around how their games are going right now. That’s not to say there isn’t excitement or new titles being made. Sony tried that this generation, and even though they’re doing well, the mistakes that they have made must have stung a little.
Sony going back to its franchises is great. If anything, it can work in their favour, because you can still do new things with the franchises that have been placed on the shelf for a while. And there is mounting evidence they really are opening the door to those pitches again. But you don’t have to look to Sony to see how a revival can work. Look at what has been done with Fable. Xbox putting Playground Games on it, a studio with the pedigree and the patience to carry on the work of Lionhead—it’s all about the right fit.
It’s quite simple: I love new IP, and Stranger Than Heaven is one I am looking forward to from Sega. I think if both Xbox and PlayStation can strike the right balance going forward, they could certainly find themselves having a successful generation. We just have to ignore the absurdity of pricing—we all know where we stand when a Series X costs $799—and get back to what the gaming industry does best, which is creating and finding its rhythm in terms of how competition can really make a difference to make the industry better for gaming fans. That’s what we all want, right? Let’s put platform politics to one side and look past the hardware and how much it costs, just for one moment. If these platforms are going to be successful going into the next generation, they need to build off the back of what they’re doing this generation and learn from the mistakes of the past. If both Xbox and Sony can do that, then there is every chance we could see great things. It has to come back to the content though. Because as we’ve seen with Nintendo, sure, they’ve made their hardware stronger, but it’s always been about the games for them, and it’s the way that they’ve used their platform which is the reason why they’re in a better position than most.
Obviously, they’re going to need to find solutions for the hardware pricing. I do believe they have in terms of Xbox. I do not think the Series X will be going anywhere anytime soon. The fans’ feedback is always going to be there, and while it doesn’t set the direction, it’s a good way of finding out exactly if the platform is charting the right course. And you need to have that. You have to listen, and strike the right balance that really works with all the studios you work with. There is even a survey going out around exclusivity for more titles on Xbox. When Phil Spencer led it, it was about Game Pass and growth. Under Sharma, the tune has changed—the Game Pass strategy she inherited has been walked back, prices cut, Call of Duty pulled from day one. However, it’s not just about the acquisitions that you make—it’s how you utilise them. They’ve stepped on so many rakes in the past. Next generation, they really have to have a clear idea of where they’re taking the brand and how they can best work with their partners such as Sega. And after the year they’ve had with the layoffs and the studio closures, they have to prove they can still take a swing at something new.
If they do that, it could be an incredible generation, and with how Sony are responding to their own missteps, probably the most exciting one we’ve seen for a long time, where we potentially see a return to the levels of output of the PS4 generation. And if a game like Stranger Than Heaven can find the audience it deserves on the way through? Now wouldn’t that be nice.