Gaming Weekly: PS4 Pro a hit and Ubisoft joins Netflix for show

gaming weekly ps4 pro a hit and ubisoft joins netflix for show 2016 images

Gaming Weekly: PS4 Pro a hit and Ubisoft joins Netflix for show 2016 images

Gaming Weekly (11/6-11/13): NES Classic Edition Tough to Find, PS4 Pro Releases

This week was a pretty cool one for some gamers—mainly those that bought a PS4 Pro—and a pretty awful one for other gamers—mainly those that couldn’t buy an NES Classic Edition!

If you’re one of the sad longtime Nintendo fans unable to purchase the NES Classic but unwilling to pay $200 for a unit on Ebay, I both feel for and respect you.

Pass the time by reviewing all this week’s gaming news!

nes nintendo classic 30 games

NES Classic Edition Releases to Low Availability, High Demand

Nintendo has done it again.

The giant gaming company has enacted an availability model similar to that of their Nintendo Wii, for the NES Classic Edition’s launch, causing countless customers to line up outside stores in the hope that they’ll receive one of just a few systems available there (several different locations have revealed they’ve literally received just three Classics!).

Other customers yet are being turned away, and even online shopping has only granted a small number of fans a system, as GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon, and most other retailers have sold out their initial batch of Classics and continued to promptly do so after more became available.

To be sure, resellers have swooped down upon fans anticipating the NES Classic Edition by listing the systems on Ebay at a massive markup. Although the unit only retails for $59.99, these opportunistic resellers have had no problem receiving over $200 each.

I’m not going to say anything bad about these reselling individuals, as they’re simply taking advantage of a supply-and-demand model, nor will I antagonize those paying more than three times retail to own the Classic. These latter persons must just want to play the system….badly.

As for Nintendo, selling this few units of a highly anticipated product does seem a bit misguided at first glance, but it’s important to remember that the NES Classic was always available for pre-order before its launch.

Furthermore, I think everyone can agree that it’d be incredibly interesting to see the thought process behind this business model—the exact conversations executives had, as well as the figures they crunched, and precisely how much more profit is accumulated using this model, as opposed to simply letting people buy the product as they please by upping availability.

If you weren’t able to purchase an NES Classic, don’t fret, and remember three very important things:

  1. You aren’t missing any new titles; good as they are, the included works released decades ago.
  2. The system will be available at a later point for a retail price.
  3. There are plenty of other awesome video games out now and releasing soon, for you to enjoy.

ps4 pro hit

PS4 Pro Releases to Acclaim, Seemingly Impressive Sales

The PS4 Pro, formerly codenamed “Neo,” hit store shelves this week, and is officially the most powerful console available to customers presently. The 4K-compatible, graphics-upscaling system has also made a big commercial splash, as a massive number of fans have ventured out to make the purchase (or so it seems; it’s far too early for sales numbers to become available).

I haven’t shied away from criticism of upgraded consoles in the past, as it’s not a trend I’m particularly fond of. Nevertheless, the movement is one which had garnered a significant amount of support from gaming fans, and truth be told, I’ll probably make the jump to the Scorpio and the Neo sometime myself.

But, can we all agree that it would have been much easier for everyone if Sony and Microsoft released the Neo and Scorpio models, respectively, in place of the “cutting-edge” vanilla PS4 and Xbox One units they launched three years ago? You can check it out for sales here.

fallout 4 ps4 mods coming

Fallout 4 Mods to Launch Sometime in November for PS4 Fans

Fallout 4’s PS4 players are very close to receiving the mods that owners of the title on other consoles have enjoyed for some time now.

After much back and forth deliberation, arguing, and general confusion between Bethesda and Sony, the Fallout 4 developer revealed in a Tweet this week that mod support will be added to the game by the end of November. This support, as is the case on the PC and Xbox One, will be free.

I own Fallout 4 on the PS4, and I’ve actually saved Nuka World, and several prior DLC installments, for when mods became available. I suspect many others have done the same, and more gamers yet have been eagerly anticipating the additions to the title.

Better late than never holds true, and it’ll be very exciting to toy around with these new features.

ubisoft joins netflix for assassins creed show

Ubisoft and Netflix Could Create a TV Show, Preliminary Conversations Reveal

Ubisoft and Netflix are in early discussions to create a television show for the latter’s popular digital-subscription service; it was revealed this week. No further details—including which franchise(s) this potential show(s) will be based upon—have emerged.

This information appears to be overwhelmingly positive at first glance, but upon further inspection, you may discover that it could be troublesome, for several reasons. Obviously, the core idea behind a potential agreement—Netflix pays Ubisoft to create a show, which in turn promotes the latter’s games—is solid.

However, it’s important to bear in mind that Ubisoft has already done a good job of wearing many fans down with frequent game releases, which are often accompanied by a relatively small amount of new content. To be sure, Assassins Creed sales numbers have slowly crept downward, prompting the company to take a break from releasing them.

Furthermore, it’s not a secret that quality, commercially successful video-game media is incredibly difficult to create. Reviews were largely negative for this year’s Ratchet and Clank film, and it also failed to earn back its twenty million dollar budget at the box office. Similarly, Warcraft received negative reviews and didn’t earn nearly as much money as was anticipated.

The point is, it’s not easy to take any video game franchise to the big or small screen and make money, attract positive reviews, and promote the series it’s based upon.

If the Ubisoft-Netflix deal goes through, I wish them luck. History indicates they’ll need it!

This week in gaming, as was stated initially, was rough for some fans and ultra-rewarding for others. Plenty of additional game releases are on the way, and there’s a lot for each gamer to look forward to in the coming months!

As usual, be sure to check-in at Movie TV Tech Geeks for all your gaming needs!