240°

Why From Software chose Activision to publish Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

"When From Software knocks on your door and says 'hey, we wanna make a game,' you have only one answer right?"

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gamesindustry.biz
Relientk772482d ago

Game looks great you can tell it used to be Tenchu, especially by the grappling hook. Hopefully their next game is a full-on new Tenchu game.

DarXyde2481d ago

Sadly, this is Activision we're talking about. I'm supposing that, if we did get a new Tenchu, it would be more like that disaster Tenchu Z than a real follow up to Fatal Shadows.

NapalmSanctuary2481d ago

I would prefer something that would qualify as a true follow up to Tenchu 2. Nothing after it neither maintained its contribution to the series or built on it like it should have. If they do make a new one, development should be given to Acquire.

DarXyde2481d ago

NapalmSanctuary,

The only point that I'm trying to make is that if they made a Tenchu, Activision would likely choose to go the Tenchu Z route because, as a multiplayer game, it is far easier to monetize and Activision would love that.

I have fond memories of Wrath of Heaven, though the first two are better games. We agree on this. I only use Fatal Shadows as a point of reference because it was the last traditional Tenchu game.

Lord_Sloth2481d ago

I'm confused as to why you would label Tenchu Z as a disaster and not the absolutely horrible Tenchu 4... Z was fun and plenty enjoyable.

Spurg2482d ago

"We know how to take big games to market. We know how to publish and market these games in the Western market, and in the eastern side... so using these resources helps to get the game in as many hands as possible and that's what we're here to do for these guys."

They wanted their franchises to be more popular and I think Activision was the right choice.

UltraNova2481d ago (Edited 2481d ago )

How much more exposure do they need after claiming(rightfully so) an entire genre for themselves (soulslike) while we are at a point whete anyone wanting to describe a hard game they would most probably make a Soulsborne reference?

2481d ago
xX-oldboy-Xx2481d ago

People that buy a game because it says 'Activision' on the box are not the target audience for a FROM SOFTWARE game. It's a strange pairing that's for sure.

UltraNova2481d ago (Edited 2481d ago )

Ok guys lets get somethings straight here. Act is by far the bigger publisher with far more marketing cash and reach than NamcoB could ever hope for. They can and most probably will reach more eyes and ears than the former. So in that sense FS made a good choice.

But Act is not your friendly, non-service, monetized game neighbor. In other words they are good at marketing huge MP games and making a shit ton money off them for years.

With that in mind Shekiro is a strictly SP game. What gives? What's Acti's angle here? Are they into SP games now? Better yet what's FS's angle? Will the game have some MT or monetisation feature?

Yes they do publish the occasional SP game, like the Crash remaster but thats an established hugely requested, no risk move.

The reason I cant get this deal is that knowing Activision's history they could have struck some kind of a deal with FS that spans years (see Bungie) so will FS turn to MP games now? What does that mean for the genre, we all came to love(Soulsborne)?

Maybe I'm leaning way to much on this, who knows but history never lies.

Mystogan2481d ago

Remember when bungie said Activision was the right decision?

Baza2481d ago

Very true. Activision is better than EA though!

Mystogan2481d ago

They're really not, Activision is just as dirty as EA ,i'd say maybe even more so, they just seem to get away with It.

raWfodog2481d ago

I think it more a case of not wanting to put all of your eggs (or IPs in this case) in one basket. On both companies parts. FS wanted to expand away from Asia/Japanese publishers and Activision wanted to round out their portfolio of published games.

Seraphim2481d ago

It's always nice to see new IPs & Sekiro looks like another phenomenal game. Although I still hope that someday they stick with that Tenchu concept and capitalize on what the original such an incredible game and instant classic.

SoulWarrior2481d ago

The game looks amazing but I'm still slightly sceptical of Activions involvement, hopefully it won't stuck with an expensive season pass, have microtransactions or any tacked on MP mode.

AK912481d ago

Money and quite honestly I don't care if this is the case, I just want a good video game.

Show all comments (20)
70°

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 devs praise games like Space Marine 2 for "lowering the barrier"

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 developers discuss the huge success of Space Marine 2 and its effect on the series as a whole.

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videogamer.com
Jingsing1d 23h ago

How about an official level editor for Boltgun?

60°

Glen Schofield: Dead Space Wouldn’t Be Greenlit Today—Publishers Are Afraid to Take Risks

Sector sat down with Glen Schofield—creator of Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol—during the Game Developers Session (GDS) in Prague to discuss the evolution of the game industry, the current challenges of AAA development, and why it's become so hard to get original ideas off the ground in today’s risk-averse environment.

1nsomniac2d ago

It’s easy enough to say that, but why? It feels weird to me when developers say this but common sense would tell you everything about the idea itself should work.

The idea of the concept seems like a winner at whichever angle you look at it so why would publishers not greenlight it?

… it’s almost as if the majority of publishers are massively incompetent at their jobs. But there’s no surprise to anyone there.

150°

WILD HEARTS S Q&A - 'Switch 2 Is Closer to the Series S Than PS4'

Wccftech interviewed Koei Tecmo about their upcoming game WILD HEARTS S, gathering their first thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 console.

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wccftech.com
Christopher4d ago

This new tech, in 2025, is more comparable to 2020 tech than 2013 tech.

*tip toes over that bar*

Also, why are all the comparisons to PS4 and not Xbox One?

Neonridr4d ago

PS4 is more powerful than the XB1, S2 is more powerful than both, so why not use the higher of the two?

Christopher4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Probably because people who owned an XBO and not a PS4 don't really know what it means. The assumption is that everyone is as knowledgeable as journalists or gaming news junkies. Gaming is mainstream, that means that mass majority of people don't know these specifics, only online talking points.

And the PS4 and XBO are the closest in power systems we've ever had, so this 'more powerful' is so small, it really isn't the big talking point people think it is.

RaidenBlack2d ago

I'd rather add, Xbox One X can be used as a good metric to gauge if a said system is more powerful than last gen.

VariantAEC2d ago

It's pretty clear that Switch 2 isn't more powerful than PS4 Pro. Is the base model PS4 being beaten? Well, Switch 2 is hardly ever actually being compared to the base model PS4, but seeing as how it's yet to outperform PS4 Pro in basically any other way than loading data into RAM in video comparisons. I have to assume the individual developer being interviewed has very little experience with PS4 and Xbox One.

OtterX3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Which is great for a handheld/hybrid! Some people still stick to Digital Foundry's PS4 comparison comment as gospel, back when they were just watching trailers and hadn't even had their hands on it yet.

With that said, this interview doesn't go into very much depth on this. I'd like to see more analysis, but so far I'm really impressed with the performance since I got mine on Friday. Truth be told, having a PS4 Pro level handheld is enough for me. Anything beyond is icing. I'm not looking to replace my PS5 or PC.

VariantAEC2d ago

In this case Digital Foundry is right. They didn't adequately explain or sound remotely confident when showing Switch 2's "visual" benefits in that HogLeg comparison was related to loading. Yes, sometimes two massive world segments can be connected by a smaller individual loading zone like how Jak 2 handled open world zones on PS2. There is a small room that in itself is it's own discrete loading zone that you wait inside as the next massive portion of the map loads in. Very common when going from Haven City to any part outside of the city owlr when descending into the sewers or entering the city from the outside or leaving the sewers. Anyway, the HogLeg skybridge loading zone is more detailed because Switch 2 could load in more varied textures. Models load pretty fast. It's probable that the decimated models that appear in the Switch 2 version were supposed to be visible on Xbox One and PS4 in that scene, which might be why they exist on Switch 2. Unfortunately, the same video showcased above shows PS4 Pro is basically ahead of Switch 2 in all other ways imaginable. Higher rendering resolutions with a sharper cleaner image, better effects quality, and a better distance all favor PS4 Pro. Both the Pro and Switch 2 seem to have a pretty solid 30FPS performance level.

MDTunkown3d ago

For how thin switch 2 is it’s impressive especially when it’s stronger than steam deck and cost less

Christopher3d ago

Steam Deck is cheaper at $399. Switch 2 also uses cheaper materials. See joycon drift still being an issue. You'll also save a ton more money on software alone with the Steam Deck.

Honestly, if the Steam Deck was released today, it likely would at least match the Switch 2 in areas where it outperforms the Steam Deck but still have more advantages. Main thing holding back the Deck is the cores and resolution, because it still has the better CPU and GPU otherwise.

Neonridr2d ago

@Christopher - I own one, no stick drift. My OG joycons never had drift either.

Steam Deck relies on FSR which is still inferior to DLSS. Not to mention that the S2 can push double the GPU performance in docked mode. Deck has more memory, which is nice.

I have both, but my S2 will be getting the lion-share of playtime in the near future. That being said, I can still appreciate being able to play my steam games on the go.

FinalFantasyFanatic2d ago

For me, the game sales/prices and flexibility of the Steam deck outweigh the cost of the system itself, but I'll probably get a Switch 2 anyway.

OMNlPOTENT3d ago

And the ps5 was comparable to a PC that could be built over 5 years before it came out lol, how do you think consoles stay affordable?

Christopher3d ago

You're actually proving my point even more.

badz1492d ago

@omnipotent

PS5 comparable to a PC built OVER 5 years before it came out? let's see...

the best mainstream PC combo back in 2015/2016 would be the i7 6700K ($350) + GTX 1080 ($600). Sorry, but that setup is never going to outperform the base PS5 in games, especially modern ones.

you done lying yet or still want to continue lying so your precious Switch 2 doesn't get hurt by facts anymore?

CosmicTurtle3d ago

It’s a tech article speaking about specs people who care about this will know. I did not own an XB1 but know it’s at a similar tech level as PS4. PS4 has a far greater sales footprint, it makes sense to use it.

ABizzel12d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Technologically it’s closer to the Series S….. Raster-wise it’s closer to a base PS4 which has been the point.

Why Switch 2 is better:
The much better CPU allows for higher FPS than the last gen Jaguar CPUs could ever produce.
The 12GB of RAM prevents the system from being bottlenecked in most modern games (even SS fails here)
The storage while not NVMe Gen4 speeds, is significantly faster than the HDD in last gen
It’s a RTX 3000 hybrid, and DLSS is a better upscaling solutions than all other consoles even PSSR currently, and significantly better than checkerboard rending.

This is where the PS4 & PS4 Pro comparisons come into play. Natively it can’t compete with the PS4 Pro, and really closer to the base PS4, but due to the better CPU, more RAM, faster storage, and DLSS it can upscale resolution, image quality, and performance to get close, match, or certain cases exceed the PS4 Pro, and rivals the Series S.

DLSS is really the saving force behind Switch 2 getting current gen ports to acceptable resolution quality, and NVIDIA and Nintendo did it at 10w, so kudos to them, because many of the AAA 3rd party games are and will continue to be native 540p - 720p upscaled through DLSS.

Also this game would benefit from DLSS.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 2d ago
Sonyslave33d ago

I notice it always ps4 or ps4 pro but never xbox one x which is more powetful then the ps4 pro.

MDTunkown3d ago

And it’s also in someways stronger than series S. Xbox one x is a special console that was never fully utilised and has 1,5 times more teraflops than series s.

badz1492d ago (Edited 2d ago )

but the Bulldozer CPU is much weaker and inefficient compared to Zen2 used in the Series S

Neonridr2d ago

the CPU's were those crappy Jaguar based chipsets though.

jznrpg2d ago

Because most people don’t care about Xbox

repsahj3d ago

This is an ugly port, they should improve it more instead of releasing it early.

gold_drake2d ago

sooo ...

what this is telling us, is that it comes down to the game and the devs optimization.

VariantAEC2d ago

There are already several games on Switch 2 coming up short in side-by-side comparisons. Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite, and HogLeg are just the first examples with the first game in this list only having better image quality due to DLSS and slightly more stable performance due to that lower resolution than last gen systems enabled by DLSS, but having simplified models at mid distances and fewer NPCs roaming around than on PS4 or Xbox One.