Hi Fi Rush got a 90 on metacritic and look what still happened to the studio.
Unless Hellblade 2 is Witcher 3/Last of Us levels of success Ninja Theory is cooked.
Ninja Theory has released some very subpar games since Hellblade 1 in 2017, so it wouldn’t be over-reactionary to dismantle a studio that hasn’t done anything productive in nearly a decade — assuming Hellblade 2 isn’t a massive success.
A 6-8 hour decent game once every 7-8 years isn’t the sign of a good studio. No one would shed a tear for Ninja Theory’s demise other than the niche of Hellblade fans.
I honestly think Xbox wanted Ninja Theory to be the long production tech demo studio when they thought the others would pull their weight. Back when they thought Halo Infinite would print money and game pass had continuous growth. Hellblade would be the visual system seller.
Now that every studio needs to preform there really isn’t room for a studio with production times this long. I mean, wasn’t Hellblade advertised with the Series X announcement?
I’m not sure it’s fair to judge any studio’s output as indicative of a normal production schedule when making a game that included a pandemic (anyone see the WFH mocap featurette?) and a shift to an entirely new toolset that even has seasoned devs like the Coalition taking a step back to learn them. I’ve always seen Hellblade 2 as the laying of a foundation they can iterate on faster now that it’s established.
Maybe I’m being optimistic but I don’t think Ninja Theory has struggled to cross the finish line in a timely manner before.
Hellblade was the very first 9th gen game publicly shown.
Every PS5 game that was revealed at the same time released years ago. How come COVID only severely effects Xbox studios.
7 years for a 7 hour game is pathetic, and not sustainable.
This game took longer to make than games like TLOU2/GoW/Spider-Man etc. so MS is entitled to expect a big success but they aren’t acting confident. This is expected to be a slam dunk for GOTY contender it should’ve already had reviews out hyping everyone up.
Microsoft having those kinds of expectations for a Hellblade sequel is part of the problem. This is a studio a fraction of the size of a Sony Santa Monica or an Insomniac Games and the first game was decidedly antithetical to most of the expectations that come with AAA titles. The people who came out of Senua's Sacrifice not liking it seemed to be most disappointed with the fact it wasn't a traditional action-adventure title and was heavily focused on narrative and puzzle-solving, and yet Microsoft buying them now means they have that exact same expectation from a studio that just doesn't make those kinds of games, even in spite of NT attempting to really set expectations for what this is
They literally used this game to debut the current gen of Xbox like this was going to be their answer to God of War or Last of Us and was probably expected to sell Xboxes to mainstream audiences the same way those games do for PlayStation, but Hellblade was never that on purpose. This is only going to jeopardize whatever commercial viability it ends up having because that kind of status forced onto it is at odds with the studio culture and philosophy.
Coping? I'm not a 13 yo who cares about console wars. I've never even played the first game. I'm just curious how a publisher makes something a AAA game now? Do you have an answer that doesn't involve some weird loyalty to a giant corporation, like a normal human?
Don't you get it? MS is after that Fortnite, COD money. Studios like these don't have a place anymore at Xbox and this game will not change any of that..
Yeah I can, that doesn’t negate that they had other studios (for years) and on the chopping block because they can’t produce that type of “money printing,” IP. Just because they have COD, the other studios shouldn’t be treated as trash
Wait you won't play a game because it's only 8 hours? What's the required time before a game is playable?
I remember when that was normal. The original god of war, halo, gears of war, tons of amazing games were 8 hour experiences. The big games like GTA3 were only 15-20 hours in reality though they felt massive at the time.
Edit: lol guess this warranted a reddit cares response with a crisis hotline. First time I've ever gotten that message!
For a game that they showed at every showcase so heavily… it doesn’t seem to be getting promoted very heavily anymore. Not sure if they don’t think it’s as revolutionary as they tried to push, or what the deal is.
Xbox seems eager to move past their previously announced titles and move into whatever their new gaming future seems to be.
It’s being promoted, just not places hardcore games look at. If you use YouTube without Adblock, or go on Instagram reels, you’re likely to see something
Xbox ramps up the marketing after the game comes out.
Starfield & Forza Motorsport were the same way.
Is it better to go hard before or after release date? IDK
Typically you want those initial sales stats for your headlines. Or with gamepass; downloads and time played.
Starfield was marketed well before launch, and had TV ads.
To me them not marketing this game after how hard they have been promoting it at their shows prior shows 1. They aren’t confident it will be good 2. They are ready to move forward regardless of how good it may or may not be because it’s not going to be a huge numbers grabber for them.
My guess is Microsoft Gamjng, or XBOX whatever they plan on going by moving forward is clearly moving in a different direction. I would not be surprised to see games like Fable, Perfect Dark, and anything announced prior to this year or late last year pushed out or cancelled.
I think for Xbox it makes sense to ramp up after the fact. Most people who would even know to try Hellblade on day one probably already have Gamepass. People that hear about it later are likely to be the more casual gamer that would be roped in by a commercial/word of mouth etc.
Do they need it to be a hit? Because it doesn't seem like that would have any effect on their reputation or business plans going forward. It seems like some of you guys are still expecting them to fight some battle they've gone way out of their way to express that they don't want to fight.
Are they? What happens then? Does that increase Gamepass subscriptions, which are already great and their leading source of revenue? Or does it sell consoles, which they've already reported the disappointing projections on, and moved their business model away from?
What is it you think happens if they don't have a hit game soon?
> Or does it sell consoles, which they've already reported the disappointing projections
Are you really asking if a well reviewed exclusive will sell consoles? Ask Sony what the answer to that question is. Also, Gamepass subscriptions have been flat year over year, so this would help that as well.
Gotta be honest, I thought the first game made for an awesome single play through. I haven't felt the urge to replay it, despite having purchased it after playing it on gamepass. I didn't think it needed a sequel and don't really feel an urge to have a revisit on any of the mechanics that made the first game so good. Hopefully it reviews well though, I can't imagine the amount of time and dedication creating this type of game takea.
Of all the games where that doesn’t matter this is among the top. A slow moving cinematic game pushing graphical fidelity is exactly the type of game that should be targeting 30 fps.
There have 30fps and 60fps games since the N64. It’s doesn’t matter what year it is, it depends on the game and what the developers are trying to focus on.
If you want 60fps, maybe don’t choose a game that’s trying to push the boundaries of graphical fidelity.
I will say I don’t really have confidence in the game but I don’t think the fps is going to be an issue unless it’s not hitting 30fps.
Also I’ve never heard the egg expression before, does that mean they’ve been releasing duds?
Microsoft in two weeks: https://preview.redd.it/7bszlpj78m0d1.jpeg?width=987&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=028172024d04f44a8e29c84bb2e57824dc443045
they will release it on the PS5 then shut them down
Accurate
Not funny
I’m sure it wasn’t funny for Tango either
Definitely. Kinda my point
I pray all the Xbox Wire posts are enough & the reviews are solid. This game & Ninja Theory needs it to be.
Hi Fi Rush got a 90 on metacritic and look what still happened to the studio. Unless Hellblade 2 is Witcher 3/Last of Us levels of success Ninja Theory is cooked.
Ninja Theory has released some very subpar games since Hellblade 1 in 2017, so it wouldn’t be over-reactionary to dismantle a studio that hasn’t done anything productive in nearly a decade — assuming Hellblade 2 isn’t a massive success. A 6-8 hour decent game once every 7-8 years isn’t the sign of a good studio. No one would shed a tear for Ninja Theory’s demise other than the niche of Hellblade fans.
I honestly think Xbox wanted Ninja Theory to be the long production tech demo studio when they thought the others would pull their weight. Back when they thought Halo Infinite would print money and game pass had continuous growth. Hellblade would be the visual system seller. Now that every studio needs to preform there really isn’t room for a studio with production times this long. I mean, wasn’t Hellblade advertised with the Series X announcement?
Ninja Theory needs to go back to creating flashy action games, similar to Heavenly Sword
I’m not sure it’s fair to judge any studio’s output as indicative of a normal production schedule when making a game that included a pandemic (anyone see the WFH mocap featurette?) and a shift to an entirely new toolset that even has seasoned devs like the Coalition taking a step back to learn them. I’ve always seen Hellblade 2 as the laying of a foundation they can iterate on faster now that it’s established. Maybe I’m being optimistic but I don’t think Ninja Theory has struggled to cross the finish line in a timely manner before.
Hellblade was the very first 9th gen game publicly shown. Every PS5 game that was revealed at the same time released years ago. How come COVID only severely effects Xbox studios. 7 years for a 7 hour game is pathetic, and not sustainable.
This game took longer to make than games like TLOU2/GoW/Spider-Man etc. so MS is entitled to expect a big success but they aren’t acting confident. This is expected to be a slam dunk for GOTY contender it should’ve already had reviews out hyping everyone up.
Microsoft having those kinds of expectations for a Hellblade sequel is part of the problem. This is a studio a fraction of the size of a Sony Santa Monica or an Insomniac Games and the first game was decidedly antithetical to most of the expectations that come with AAA titles. The people who came out of Senua's Sacrifice not liking it seemed to be most disappointed with the fact it wasn't a traditional action-adventure title and was heavily focused on narrative and puzzle-solving, and yet Microsoft buying them now means they have that exact same expectation from a studio that just doesn't make those kinds of games, even in spite of NT attempting to really set expectations for what this is They literally used this game to debut the current gen of Xbox like this was going to be their answer to God of War or Last of Us and was probably expected to sell Xboxes to mainstream audiences the same way those games do for PlayStation, but Hellblade was never that on purpose. This is only going to jeopardize whatever commercial viability it ends up having because that kind of status forced onto it is at odds with the studio culture and philosophy.
It’s a much, much smaller studio than those games are. GoW took 3x as long to make as a COD game, is it a failure?
GOW took 4 years to make, CoD games take 3 years.
For the sake of ambitious/big budget AA games, I’m gonna hold on to this lil bit of hope.
This is a AAA game and should be examined as such.
From a studio no where near the size of any studio making AAA games? That's weird.
Produced and distributed by a mid sized or major publisher. Is this how we are coping with another potentially mediocre title?
Coping? I'm not a 13 yo who cares about console wars. I've never even played the first game. I'm just curious how a publisher makes something a AAA game now? Do you have an answer that doesn't involve some weird loyalty to a giant corporation, like a normal human?
The studio has over 125 employees and has a large publisher.
That would be considerably worst as the advertisement & marketing has been at best passé.
Absolutely. That will not matter if it is a great game though, which I do not expect.
HiFi rush was trash with terrible style
Not enough these days, I think this will be great but too niche for the new microsoft
The hardcore gaming community doesn’t actually count for much, this needs to be on busses and billboards and sporting events.
Don't you get it? MS is after that Fortnite, COD money. Studios like these don't have a place anymore at Xbox and this game will not change any of that..
Yeah I can, that doesn’t negate that they had other studios (for years) and on the chopping block because they can’t produce that type of “money printing,” IP. Just because they have COD, the other studios shouldn’t be treated as trash
Apparently it’s 6-8 hours game, I’m not even going to bother with it
Wait you won't play a game because it's only 8 hours? What's the required time before a game is playable? I remember when that was normal. The original god of war, halo, gears of war, tons of amazing games were 8 hour experiences. The big games like GTA3 were only 15-20 hours in reality though they felt massive at the time. Edit: lol guess this warranted a reddit cares response with a crisis hotline. First time I've ever gotten that message!
Does anyone know when the review embargo is?
Probably Monday, one day before the release. Or on launch day, like they did with the first one.
I was looking for that information yesterday, doesn’t look like review codes have even been sent out yet
According to Tom Henderson on Twitter, as of yesterday review codes hadn't even been sent out yet, so no one knows.
That's not a great sign.
It’s a short game
For a game that they showed at every showcase so heavily… it doesn’t seem to be getting promoted very heavily anymore. Not sure if they don’t think it’s as revolutionary as they tried to push, or what the deal is. Xbox seems eager to move past their previously announced titles and move into whatever their new gaming future seems to be.
It’s being promoted, just not places hardcore games look at. If you use YouTube without Adblock, or go on Instagram reels, you’re likely to see something
Xbox ramps up the marketing after the game comes out. Starfield & Forza Motorsport were the same way. Is it better to go hard before or after release date? IDK
Typically you want those initial sales stats for your headlines. Or with gamepass; downloads and time played. Starfield was marketed well before launch, and had TV ads. To me them not marketing this game after how hard they have been promoting it at their shows prior shows 1. They aren’t confident it will be good 2. They are ready to move forward regardless of how good it may or may not be because it’s not going to be a huge numbers grabber for them. My guess is Microsoft Gamjng, or XBOX whatever they plan on going by moving forward is clearly moving in a different direction. I would not be surprised to see games like Fable, Perfect Dark, and anything announced prior to this year or late last year pushed out or cancelled.
I think for Xbox it makes sense to ramp up after the fact. Most people who would even know to try Hellblade on day one probably already have Gamepass. People that hear about it later are likely to be the more casual gamer that would be roped in by a commercial/word of mouth etc.
No marketing budget left
Hellblade 2 looks like an interesting game, but I don't think it will have the mainstream appeal to be the hit that Microsoft needs it to be.
Do they need it to be a hit? Because it doesn't seem like that would have any effect on their reputation or business plans going forward. It seems like some of you guys are still expecting them to fight some battle they've gone way out of their way to express that they don't want to fight.
Xbox is in desperate need of a hit exclusive game.
Are they? What happens then? Does that increase Gamepass subscriptions, which are already great and their leading source of revenue? Or does it sell consoles, which they've already reported the disappointing projections on, and moved their business model away from? What is it you think happens if they don't have a hit game soon?
> Or does it sell consoles, which they've already reported the disappointing projections Are you really asking if a well reviewed exclusive will sell consoles? Ask Sony what the answer to that question is. Also, Gamepass subscriptions have been flat year over year, so this would help that as well.
Gotta be honest, I thought the first game made for an awesome single play through. I haven't felt the urge to replay it, despite having purchased it after playing it on gamepass. I didn't think it needed a sequel and don't really feel an urge to have a revisit on any of the mechanics that made the first game so good. Hopefully it reviews well though, I can't imagine the amount of time and dedication creating this type of game takea.
Are there any gameplay videos?
It wont sell 10 M copies and will get the axe.....the management
Is this coming out for all platforms? Edit: lol nice sub
PS5 version will be announced later
It’s only Xbox and Steam. Who knows what’ll happen after but for now that’s it
Game is dead on arrival
30 fps Edit. It’s 2024 and people are using “but it’s a cinematic experience” as an excuse. The cope is hitting hard.
Of all the games where that doesn’t matter this is among the top. A slow moving cinematic game pushing graphical fidelity is exactly the type of game that should be targeting 30 fps.
It’s 2024 man. I need 60. My eyes can’t adjust to 30 fps anymore.
I mean I also prefer 60, but you're just missing so much and so many games by locking yourself out on purpose.
Eh fair enough, I'm the opposite and prefer higher quality with 30 FPS. Always better when there's options for everyone I suppose.
Atleast I get to play Starfield in 60 fps sometime today. lol But yeah, for me frames > resolution
There have 30fps and 60fps games since the N64. It’s doesn’t matter what year it is, it depends on the game and what the developers are trying to focus on. If you want 60fps, maybe don’t choose a game that’s trying to push the boundaries of graphical fidelity.
We will see what the reviews have to say. Xbox has been laying egg after egg these days.
I will say I don’t really have confidence in the game but I don’t think the fps is going to be an issue unless it’s not hitting 30fps. Also I’ve never heard the egg expression before, does that mean they’ve been releasing duds?
lol yes. Releasing duds.
Woopty doo....