Nick’s Game Diary Week of March 10, 2024

A weekly diary of the things I’m doing and digging.

March 13, 2024

Sorry for no journal last week. Things got away from me with my LA trip and all the planning that went into it. I am now back and feeling pretty refeshed if I’m being honest. Prior to leaving, even the smallest to-do list felt like it was getting my goat. Game reviews, scripts to read and write, this journal, recording a weekly podcast, day job duties, and being a good dad all seemed to be building up into this immovable mound, no matter how many things I got done. It felt like the classic “one step forward, two steps back” for awhile there. I don’t know what changed over the last few days, but a weight seems to have listed. That’s not to say I’m not still busy. At the time of writing this I still have two pending game reviews, some upcoming podcast interviews, and soime scripts to read, but it doesn’t seem as scary as it was last week. I’ll hold onto this feeling for now. You never know when that dread feeling will worm its way back in.

Oh boy, this Sweet Baby Inc. stuff is getting out of hand.

March 14, 2024

I think I’ve played 2024’s game of the year. I can’t say anything more than that. Just stay tuned for an upcoming review. And no, it’s not Kingpin: Reloaded.

March 15, 2024

Console mascots are dead. Unless you are a disproportionately shaped plumber who eats mushrooms and saves princesses, there are no console mascot opportunities for this generation. The same is true for the last generation as well. Name me a console mascot from the PS4/Xbox One era. You cannot. First party published games have been such a crapshoot in the last 10 years, that no major characters or IP entered the zeitgeist and became the face of either console.

Looking through past generations, we can easily pick out the mascots that left their marks.

PlayStation - Spyro and Crash Bandicoot fought for mascot dominance and showed that Sony could go toe-to-toe with Nintendo.

PlayStation 2 - Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and Sly Cooper all continued Sony’s push into platformers, but with a pinch of edge added into each one.

Xbox - Master Chief made a splash on Microsoft’ new console and showed that console shooters could be good.

PlayStation 3 - Adding more edge, Sony went the mature route with the likes of Resistance, Killzone, and God of War, but let us be honest, Nathan Drake of Uncharted fame was the mascot poster boy of this generation. Big action set pieces and movie-like quality became the centerpiece of Sony’s third outing.

Xbox 360 - Master Chief’s shadow extended over this generation as well, but he now found himself accompanied by Marcus Fenix of the Gears of War series. Third person action was in and so were PVE modes.

You look back further, and you can pick out more mascots. You look ahead…and there are not any. Well, that is not completely true. Do me a favor. Look through your gaming library on any of your given consoles. Did you look? Did you see anything that stood out? I am sure you have numerous games on whatever console you just swiped through. Console makers do not make mascots anymore because they do not need to. Players are the new mascots. I am not saying everyone that has played an Xbox Series is the mascot for that console. I am talking about the crazies who have made console ownership their whole identity. The folks who screamed the loudest about Xbox exclusives leaving their precious console, when rumors last month floated such ideas. Microsoft and Sony have lifted such crazies into the spotlight. Sure, they do not like all the death threats and nastiness that comes with these folks, but they love to point to loyal customers who have made a home out of their game box.

“But Nick, Nintendo…” Nintendo plays by their own rules. Sony and Microsoft tried to imitate the way Nintendo manages IP and have both done poorly. Twenty years from now we will all still be aware of Mario. Halo and Uncharted will just be distant memories of console generations past.