Paul Smith / ポール・スミス

A blog about games and whatever else dribbles from my brain cavity to my fingertips

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RGG Studio Head Talks Tupac's Controversial Stranger Than Heaven Inclusion

Masayoshi Yokoyama discusses his efforts to remain respectful to the legendary rapper's legacy.

I don't have a dog in this race but, just in my own opinion, I don't find this to be crossing any lines. I am not usually a fan of films using computer imagery to bring characters back to life on screen. But, after this Tupac announcement I might be changing my mind. It was something Snoop said on stage for just a brief moment. I don't have time to find the exact quote but, to me, it sounded like part of the reason why he agreed to this was that he wanted to keep Tupac's spirit alive. I like that. I really haven't thought about Tupac in years. I have listened to a few of his songs because of movies, video games, or other commercial reasons but I honestly haven't purposefully gone out there and engaged with Tupac's music in years. I am sure there are a lot of other people out there like me. I love Tupac and I love seeing old interviews with him. He was such a smart man and it sucks that he was killed in his prime. I agree that this addition to Stanger Than Heaven will renew people's interest in Tupac and bring some attention back to his music. I don't have much to say about the fight between his likeness rights holder and his catalog holder. Those kinds of fights happen whenever a rich person dies. It sucks but it's also human. I think the other thing I'm okay with is that his likeness will be used as a character so I'm not as turned off by the idea because nobody is putting words into Tupac's, the man, mouth. It seems much closer to a comedian doing an impression of a dead person. We don't get angry when people act like W.C. Fields or Elvis. Why should this bother us? Like I said, my feelings on this aren't fully formed yet and I don't think yours should be either. I still feel grossed out when this happens in movies. So, why am I good with this? Is it only because I agree Tupac's legacy should be kept alive? I'm not sure but I'll continue thinking about it because the entertainment industry is going to keep doing stuff like this whether we like it or not.

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おつかれさまです。好きに取って下さい。どうぞ！！

“Thanks for working hard. Take what you’d like.”

This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in awhile.

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I suck at doing anything artistic but I am so proud of having done this. It’s almost exactly how I wanted it to look.

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Listen/purchase: Texas, Hold Me by my point of you, at first, at first

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PlayStation Users Report New Online License Checks For Digital Games

The problem appears to be affecting both PS4 and PS5 games purchased after March 2026.

I've seen a lot of misinformation out there about this new policy over the last couple of days. So, I'm going to save my consternation until we are better able to understand how this will affect most users.

Anything that will take digital rights from players is bad in my opinion especially when players are purchasing the products. We are creeping closer to a day when the rights holders will be offering their products exclusively through a Netflix style portal and there will be no misunderstanding who actually owns the rights to these games.

Until that happens, we are going to see a lot of these micro aggressions from publishers to test the water on what they can get away with.

I still own my PS3. Actually, I own two PS3s now. Last year, my original PS3 started to go out on me. I would love to get someone to look at it but I just didn't want to spend time doing that instead I opted to purchase a used PS3 and just fill it back up with all of my PS3 purchases. It was an arduous task that still isn't finished but I feel much more comfortable having the downloads of those games on a hard drive because all too soon Sony is going to once again review the feasibility of keeping PS3 and PS Vita stores online and they will shut those stores down. At least with those games, I should be able to continue to enjoy them as long as my PS3 is still able to boot up.

On the other hand with this update to the PS5 and PS4, Sony have all but made those downloaded games trash once there isn't a server to check in with. In 10 years, those consoles will effectively be door stops. Unless of course your friendly neighborhood archivists will have found a workaround for that problem and we can all sleep a little bit easier knowing that there are people working on these kinds of DRM challenges.

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Someone accidentally leaked Star Wars: Galactic Racer's release date on Steam

It looks like Star Wars: Galactic Racer will release on 6th October, 2026.

The thing that every Star Wars fan has wanted for years is finally coming to fruition it seems. Ever since George Lucas came back and started messing with the formula, fans have been begging for something new, something different from their favorite galaxy far, far away.

I have heard so many people asking for Star Wars to move away from jedi and to tell less sci-fi based stories but more stories from other genres that touch upon the galaxy we all know and love.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer seems to be just that if we are to believe the pitch from the game's developers.

With the Empire gone and the galaxy rebuilding, The Galactic League is formed: an underground, unsanctioned circuit where syndicates bankroll chaos and champions are forged. No Force. No prophecy. Just skill, strategy, and the will to rise.

This sounds great to me. First, I loved Episode 1 Racer and I'd love another racing game in the Star Wars universe. It would be hard to shit the bed on that one.

Second, this game is described as a "runs-based, high-stakes reinvention of racing born in the lawless Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy." I think that sounds like a good way to approach a racing game based on a property like Star Wars. I hope Fuse Games is able to make this part of the game fun and engaging for players.

The folks at Fuse Games are giving fans exactly what they have been asking for. Now, let's see if the fans show up for Fuse Games.

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Microsoft Gaming is now just Xbox, as new leaders promise big changes

Microsoft Gaming is dead, long live Xbox?

I think new leadership at Xbox is a good thing overall. Like many people in the gaming community, I liked Phil Spencer. While growing the Xbox brand in through Minecraft, Game Pass, and moving Xbox titles to other platforms to try and increase the reach of Xbox as a developer and as a brand, he also became the figurehead of a company that was razing the industry at Xbox and there were times when Xbox seemed to be mired in the old, plodding machine that is the Microsoft Corporation because it was unable to craft the consoles back-end into something more agile and user friendly.

I think there are ways where AI will help developers improve their ability to make games quickly. I think there are also a lot of ethical mines that those companies will need to dance around to appease audiences...for now. This leadership team seems equipped to help meet those goals.

The gaming public gets up-in-arms about a lot of things and people are constantly boycotting things for millions of valid reasons but those movements don't usually pick up enough steam to slow down huge machines like Microsoft. Take for example the current boycott of Microsoft for it's complicity in the genocide in Israel by the Zionist regime. It doesn't seem to be making a blip on the profit sheets for Microsoft. So, when this leadership change happened, there was a lot of anger aimed at this new focus from Xbox leadership. I am cautiously optimistic.

While I am interested in the future of Xbox, it's hard to feel much of anything from this article. The majority of the quotes are C-suite PR talk that read like motivational posters. They say things without saying much.

They acknowledged that users are frustrated. So, they at least know there is frustration and they know that frustration is partially linked to prices, PC ports, and console features and usability.

They acknowledged, "The model that got us here won’t be the one that takes us forward."

I would like to see if the Xbox in 3 years or 5 years feels any different that it does right now. It's still going to be a faceless monolithic company but will we see the changes that they are promising in that time.

One of the biggest factors that they want to address and I'm actually excited to see how they do so is affordability.

While Booty and Sharma don't offer much in the way of new insight into the next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, they asserted that the next era for Xbox "will be built to be affordable, personal, and open." With gaming consoles, computer components, and literally everything else getting more expensive, affordability is sure to be a key factor in the next Xbox.

It was announced that the new console would be much more expensive than the current generation hardware. Their handheld device was also more expensive than the current generations hardware. So, the only thing they could be talking about is making it easier to play Xbox and/or Game Pass more easily on cloud based hardware; TVs, current consoles, web browsers, etc.

So, while much of this news is coated in a chalky, unpalatable coating of PR speak, we can glean some bits of information to be excited about as current or former Xbox fans. (And the whole point of this was to let us know that we are Xbox fans not Microsoft Gaming fans. Honestly who gives a fuck 🤷‍♂ besides the two people making the announcement.)

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New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Discusses Next Gen Console Codenamed Project Helix

We now know the codename of the next Xbox.

The video game industry is still reeling from the announcement of Phil Spenser and Sarah Bond's ejection from Xbox. In hindsight, I don't think those of us who follow the industry are that shocked by the decision.

It is equally as unsurprising that Microsoft chose Asha Sharma to lead Xbox into the future. Like most companies, Microsoft has been adding Copilot and any other AI project that have brewing into everything they have their name stamped on.

The Game Informer article reports:

Although Sharma has no prior experience working in video games, she stated in an email to employees that she intends to “understand what makes this work and protect it.” She has also responded to fears of AI integration in future Xbox games (stemming from her former position) by saying, “Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us.”

She said this to her employees, whose friends and coworkers have been fired en masse over the last few years, to calm the fears of the Luddites among them who haven't quite drunk their portion of the Kool-aid.

I don't think that her statement would have calmed me either. Much like when Trump was elected president (either time), he wasn't able to say anything to assuage many Americans fears that things would end up exactly how they have - especially since he isn't exactly a statesman and more just a pile of breathing conservative word vomit.

I have some hope that Sharma is able to bring her AI expertise into things like streamlining the game production pipeline or to make streaming game content easier (e.g. Microsoft Flight Simulator and Game Pass streaming).

I'd don't mind them using AI in ways that make mundane tasks easier for game production staff. I don't want to see AI writing game scripts, even if it's only barks. I don't want to see AI making art but I don't have any problem with it taking that art that has been made and making it easier to populate the game environments with those assets.

I have hope but it's only slightly more hope that I have that Trump will do anything that doesn't serve himself.

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New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Discusses Next Gen Console Codenamed Project Helix

We now know the codename of the next Xbox.

The next Xbox is going to play Xbox and PC games. Does anybody out there see this and think that the next Xbox is going to be a Steam Deck.

I'm sure it will still connect to a TV like the Steam Deck or the Switch but I would be surprised if there isn't a focus on making the machine less beefy than we've expected from consoles and something that will be built for streaming.

Now, I'm not saying it's going to be a streaming machine alone but I think this thing is going to be the Wii U for consoles. This is going to be the in-between step where Microsoft doesn't have the balls, technology, or infrastructure to make an only streaming device make sense but I think they are going to be moving towards that more with this device.

We have seen the amazing things that Geforce Now is able to do with streaming content running locally on servers.

I, myself, have had a lot of luck with streaming Microsoft games on Game Pass. I play Balatro almost exclusively that way. I have also enjoyed Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Persona 3, and other games through Game Pass streaming.

It is the next step. Get used to it. Now, let's see if Project Helix is ready for it.

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Review: Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen (Switch) - Red-Hot Nostalgia In A So-So Wrapper

TPC used Remember! It’s super effective!

It turns out that I was right about these Switch ports of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. They didn't add much value to these releases so I won't be joining for the foreseeable future.

The changed include:

Fixing a glitch that made Psychic immune to Ghost

Sevii Islands - which include some Pokemon from other generations

A Trainer Tower on these islands that has difficult challenges

Birth and Naval Island which were only available during events in the first game

Also, trading is a local only affair which I can't understand. In this age where the internet is prevalent everywhere in our lives, why wasn't it added to this game to help facilitate trades?

For now, I will continue to play my rom versions of these games. I might dip into these Switch versions if they get down to $10 or so but I just can't see how this price is justified for what they added to these ports.

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Final Fantasy 11 locks down yet another server as overpopulation continues to hit Final Fantasy 14's predecessor, over two decades after its

Final Fantasy 11 continues to recruit new players more than two decades after its release, but server congestion issues are arising again.

It's heartwarming that Final Fantasy 11 is still around and kicking after all these years. Especially as America is setting fire to most of the world and burning it's own constitution in the process, I am glad to see so many people going back to a place that might feel welcome.

I've never played Final Fantasy 11 but I've always been interested from the periphery. I still longingly wish I had bought it with the hard disk for the PlayStation 2.

I hope this signals to whomever is still running servers for the game to keep things going for a little while longer.

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PlayStation is reportedly ditching its PC release strategy, and most first-party games will now be console exclusive

PlayStation is reportedly abandoning its strategy of bringing its first-party games to PC, with the company returning to console-only releas

Last year, former PlayStation exec Shuhei Yoshida shared his thoughts on bringing PlayStation-exclusive games to PC, saying the strategy was "almost like printing money", and had many advantages. It provided additional revenue to invest in other projects, he explained, and helped the company's franchises reach new audiences who do not own consoles – especially in regions where consoles are not as popular. This, he said, might convince them to purchase a PlayStation when a new entry in a series is released. It would appear Yoshida's position is no longer the predominant one within Sony.

I'm probably not as smart as some of the Sony executives who have made this decision but I'm sure that Shuhei Yoshida is.

I don't see how this makes sense. I understand that they want people to buy PlayStations but most of the people who were buying these PC versions of PlayStation games were never going to buy a PlayStation in the first place. So why not go back for more money?

Unless these games are selling so bad that they aren't even making up what it costs to port them to PC, I don't see why they don't continue putting out a focused number of these titles after the release on PlayStation to make more money and broaden their brand.

It is really hard for me to believe they aren't recouping their expenses on these because modern gaming architecture and PC architecture are very similar.

As I said, I'm not as smart as some of these executives but Yoshida is.

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Quick Dip ‘Tomb Raider’ SEGA Saturn

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Am I the only person who finds this beautiful?

People always say that Saturn games look like ass but I love the look of this. Now, I might hate to play a whole game like this but this gif looks gorgeous to me.

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So Long, Phil Spencer. You Will Not Be Missed

Spencer, retiring from Xbox next week, played a lot of games and oversaw the layoffs of even more people

I've gotten into the habit of tipping on articles that I like. I don't have enough money to subscribe to everything on the internet. I have one website, Nextlander, that I support on a monthly basis but I just can't afford to send money to everybody who needs money.

I wonder if more blogs or websites had a way to tip, could the enthusiast press have been saved?

I also believe that if more people posted receipts, as I've been doing, of themselves tipping then it might encourage more people to do so.

I love reading. I read everyday and I want to read about video games just as much as I want to read good sci-fi or fantasy or whatever.

I encourage you to tip your local blog or streamer or whatever because the difference between you having something fun to watch or read or not is probably more important to you than you think.

Also, for that streamer or writer, your tip might be the difference between them keeping up the thing you enjoy for a few more years or going out and getting a job at a local factory or some lifeless office where Janet brings the same lazy, tasteless potato salad to every office pot-luck.

Give something to the things you enjoy.

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Two classic Pokémon games are finally coming to Switch

But we're still waiting for that Gen 5 remake...

I don't think an announcement has pissed me off as much as this one in a long time. I have been waiting for the old Pokemon games to be added to Nintendo's Nintendo Switch Online service for a while. I love playing these old Pokemon games. (I am more partial to the OG Game Boy versions but these are good too.)

But, instead of releasing them for the Nintendo Switch Online service they are being released for $19.99 EACH on the eShop.

I will say that $19.99 isn't a bad price for these games because they can cost well over that amount if you try to buy them on eBay or Mercari. Even in Japan loose copies of these games can be more than that price.

But, most of us have been playing these games for years on emulators so we have various ways to play them. I have been replaying Pokemon Yellow on my Ambernic for a few weeks now. I love it. It's the perfect grind game to grind away at while watching TV or YouTube.

I also have LeafGreen on my iPhone that I play through the Delta emulator with my awesome 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller. This is another fantastic way to play an old game in my opinion.

I own these games on their original hardware but playing them on these devices is just so much more convenient - especially with save states. Unless Game Freak has added some really cool features to these games. I think I'll have to just continue playing them where they are.

I'm sure that the profits between selling them piecemeal on the eShop or signing a contract with Nintendo to let them add them to their NSO service is vast. But, I would have hoped that Nintendo could make it work - even if it would have just been for the OG Game Boy versions.

I'll be interested to see what kind of features these games will have during the Pokemon Presents broadcast on February 27. I think that most of their potential buyers are going to be turned off if they come out saying that they have added nothing to these games besides wrapping them in an emulator and shoving them on the store.

I love Pokemon and I want Pokemon to keep making cool stuff but I'm worried that they might alienate their audience by having made this cash grab instead of taking the smaller payout for the insane amounts of goodwill they would have received for releasing these on NSO.

I'm sure I'll be playing these games in the coming months but the question is where will I be playing them.

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I’m Already Tired of ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Editions’, and Even New Mario Wonder Content Can’t Change That - IGN

The first-party Nintendo Switch 2 Editions have been wildly inconsistent across their price points, amount of new content, and quality of en

I'm excited for the new Super Mario Bros. Wonder content - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. I haven't played all of the different upgrade versions of Nintendo games that the author has but, for me, a more standard player of games. I don't find any fault with how Nintendo is doing things as it transitions players from one platform to another.

Let's get it out of the way by saying, "Yes! We all want everything to be free all the time." But, that isn't going to happen and it shouldn't. So, let's just squash the argument that everything should be freer or cheaper. It's nice to want things.

I understand some of the authors issues. Sure. Switch 2 owners should get the upgraded portions of the vanilla game that Nintendo has released. I don't disagree with him on this.

I don't think it's as big of a deal to the everyday user though. I think it's more of an argument for the forum boards or Discord servers where things kinds of arguments get the most traffic.

I didn't play Super Mario Party Jamboree but I can't believe that some tiny glitches that may have occurred on the original version are going to stop fans of the game from enjoying it on their brand new Switch 2. If they really are fans of the game, then picking up the new contents is going to be a given and they will have the bonus of the updated graphics too.

The author believes that the price of games like Super Mario Wonder should be lowered because they are old games and, by doing so, it will encourage more sales.

People who follow Nintendo know that they won't do this. I'm sure if they were going to start doing a Player's Choice or Nintendo Selects line, they would have done so on the Switch. I just don't think that Nintendo, or the industry, is in the position to indefinitely lower the price of games like this anymore. Sure, there will be sales but I just don't think the big three are going to be doing this kind of thing anymore.

Nintendo is in a very precarious position right now. The Japanese economy is in the toilet. The successor to one of the biggest selling game consoles in history is doing well but with so much competition out there it might not reach the zeitgeist that it's predecessor was able to enjoy. (Notwithstanding another pandemic happening concurrently with another Animal Crossing release.)

I don't have as much of an issue with how Nintendo is handling these re-releases. Actually, I'm excited that these games are getting a new lease on life with new content. I'm much more excited for the new games that they have coming, especially the new Mario Tennis Fever.

Nintendo is walking though a field of landmines right now but I trust them to do it skillfully while also making it fun.

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How to watch Blizzard's big Overwatch Spotlight

Blizzard is kicking off a new year of Overwatch 2 with a new vision for the future

I haven't played Overwatch in about a year or so but I think I'm ready to jump back in. I used to love Overwatch and played it nearly every day for a year or more. During the transition to Overwatch 2, I was turned off like a lot of other people.

I think I'll try and check out this news after the fact - I'm not staying up until three a.m. to watch it.

You might catch me on Overwatch this weekend if this piques my interest.