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Disney, Amazon and Apple in line to buy EA claim rumours

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Everyone has a price (pic: EA) EA may end up being the next big video game acquisition, although one potential deal with NBCUniversal already seems to have fallen through. In a few years’ time the video games industry will probably look very different to the way it does today, with the consolidation that began with Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda likely to end with all of today’s big name publishers either being acquired or merging with even larger companies. Together with Activision Blizzard , Electronic Arts are regarded as the biggest third party publisher in the West but they’re still minnows compared to the likes of Apple, Amazon , Disney , and NBCUniversal, all of which are supposedly interested in either acquiring or merging with EA. The sudden bidding war isn’t a result of those companies trying to follow Microsoft’s lead though, but because EA is ‘pursuing a sale’ and approaching them. Especially after the announcement of the Activision Blizzard acquisition (which
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Games Inbox: The best PS2 game, PS Plus Premium launch, and Fallout 4 fan mods

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Ico – a PS2 classic (pic: Sony) The Monday letters wonders what happens if Call Of Duty is no longer a big seller, as one reader recommends Dead Space 2. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk No remake necessary I don’t think any reasonable person can deny that Sony are being weird about the way they’re handling the PS Plus switchover, and I can’t suggest any obvious reason why. (Although the weekend feature suggestion that the heading of Sony marketing is an Xbox double agent did make me laugh.) Hopefully this will all blow over once the service is launched though, and we can get onto the important business of arguing about which of the games are best. Since Sony hasn’t said anything about PlayStation 2 games yet I’m particularly curious to see what people think are the best games on history’s most successful console. I think in many cases they haven’t aged much better than PS1 games, so whether they’re still playable today is a big factor i
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Dead Space is a terrible game and I’m really looking forward to the remake – Reader’s Feature

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Dead Space – room for improvement (pic: EA) A reader plays Dead Space for the first time and explains why, despite not liking it, he’s still really excited to see the remake. I would consider myself to be quite a fan of survival horror and I’m very encouraged by the recent round of announcements, which includes Silent Hill, Alan Wake 2, Resident Evil 4 remake, Slitterhead, and The Callisto Protocol. I’m totally expecting to be disappointed, especially after the last time there was a survival horror ‘renaissance’ (I loved you Alien Isolation!) but if we get at least some great horror games out of it then that’s all that matters. Like anyone, I can’t play everything but when news of the Dead Space remake came up I decided to give the original a go, since for some reason I’d never played it. I’m not really sure why either. Maybe I was just busy at the time, short on cash, or was put off by EA being the publisher. Probably a bit of each but it was over a decade ago, so I don’t real
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Why Sifu is game of the year material – Reader’s Feature

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Sifu – not your typical fighter (pic: Sloclap) A reader offers their review of Sifu and explains how they forgave the difficulty and poor storytelling for it to become a new favourite. I know how Keanu Reeves felt now. When Tank plugs him into the Matrix for a day of combat training, it seemed to shock then thrill. ‘Do you want some more?’ Tank asks. ‘Hell yes,’ Neo answers. Such is the journey I have taken by playing Sifu. First shock (it’s quite hard!) then the thrills, and finally learning the game so well. I may as well see the code of the Matrix itself, just as Neo did when he fulfilled his destiny and became The One. Cower before me pathetic, puny polygons, for I know kung fu. But… let’s rewind a little. GC’s lukewarm review was almost enough to put me off. I am a fan of hard games but being criticised for occasional unfairness, and piling atop a sky-high difficulty with some roguelite elements and a weird upgrade tree? Eww. Luckily one of the pros was an excellent combat
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PS Plus Premium is a complete shambles before it’s even started – Reader’s Feature

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Is PlayStation selling itself short? (pic: Sony) A reader is confused by Sony’s promotion of the revamped PS Plus and worries they’re not taking the Game Pass equivalent seriously. No matter whether you’re a PlayStation or Xbox fan I think everyone would accept that Sony has a baseline of competence that is worthy of respect. They’ve been in the games business for a long time and whether you agree with their decisions or not they usually make them according to a predictable, internal logic. So what on earth is going on with the revamp of PS Plus ? The revamp (which doesn’t really have an overall name, making it difficult to talk about in general – mistake number one for Sony’s marketing) was talked about for months before the official announcement, with everyone describing it as the PlayStation equivalent to Game Pass, which it essentially is. Although, really, it’s PlayStation Extra, the middle of the three tiers that’s the most like Game Pass because while PS Plus Platinum is
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Battle passes have ruined multiplayer gaming for me – Reader’s Feature

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Have battle passes become too important? (pic: Epic Games) A reader complains about the increasing prevalence of battle passes in online games and how playing a game for fun is no longer enough. I’m sure there are lots of different reasons that people play video games, but I think for the majority it’s to relax. Or if not relax exactly then to do something that is completely unconnected to the real world: explored a strange virtual location, battle with friends in wars where no one is hurt, or solve a good puzzle or experience an engrossing story. Games can be difficult and challenging (hello Elden Ring!) but the one thing they shouldn’t feel like is hard work… which is why I don’t get battle passes. Actually, one of the things that’s great about Elden Ring is that it doesn’t require level grinding, as many role-playing games do. It is beneficial to grind – that is, purposefully fight mid-level enemies that are no real threat in order to get experience points – but it’s never rea
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Weekend Hot Topic: The longest wait for a new video game

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Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 – it’ll probably be worth the wait (pic: Nintendo) Readers discuss the longest they’ve ever waited for a video game to be released, including the mammoth waits for Shenmue 3 and Persona 5. The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Tony T. and was inspired by the recent delay of Starfield, as well as many others this year. So we asked what’s the most disappointed you’ve been with a game delay and how did you feel when it eventually arrived? Given how common delays are in the games industry everyone had a story to tell, but in general most people were happy to wait as long as the end result was worth it, which in most cases it was. Worth the wait I think Nintendo has cornered the market on enormous waits for games, that are constantly delayed but always turn out to be worth it in the end. It’s got to the point to where if a game doesn’t take ages, and isn’t delayed for years, then I’d get suspicious. Not that that has ever happened,
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