Could The Switch 2 Fail?…No, Probably Not.

Posted by Karl Weller on April 10, 2025
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So the Switch 2. A console that I lauded as being the easiest win Nintendo could ever have. With the potential to be impervious to criticism. All Nintendo needed to do was summarize the hardware, demonstrate it’s capabilities as a true successor to a resoundingly successful console. Display all of their upcoming first party software that demonstrates the consoles superior graphics, and provide joy cons that are drift resistant. Announce a fair price, release date, and a slew of games to accompany the release and let the community salivate over another impending launch. A very simple remit, I’m sure you’ll agree. But one blatantly ignored by everyone at Nintendo. What’s curious is that on the surface it seemed rather positive. The Switch “Deux” does exactly what you’d expect a Switch successor to do. Bigger and better in every conceivable way. Like I said, Nintendo didn’t really have to do much. There was simply no reason to innovate, just tweak. Perhaps that’s a problem. Maybe it’s too safe. But considering the failure of the Wii U, you can hardly blame Nintendo for being cautious. What is more telling is their rather dooplitious business strategy.

The price of the Switch 2 doesn’t surprise me. It’s expensive, sure. But honestly roughly the same price point that many predicted, given inflation. What floored me was the cost of the games. “Mario Kart World”, the sole reason anyone would purchase a Switch 2 on day of release, is shaping up to cost around £75! That is a significant increase that could potentially have devastating consequences not just for this new console, but for the industry as a whole. This increase could prompt other developers to initiate their own price hikes. But it’s not just the cost, but Nintendo’s propagation of digital media too. Though there are still physical games available, the cartridges won’t always contain the game, but rather a key to download the game. This is a practice I’d expect from the likes of Sony or Microsoft at the height of their powers. Not Nintendo.

Though the dissent and consternation from the community is palpable, the Switch 2 is simply too big to fail. There will be enough loyal adopters that will relish the exclusivity of owning the next big Nintendo console to justify the inflated cost of these products. But it’s how casual gamers respond to the new price hikes that will determine the Switch 2’s longevity. This is certainly a black eye for Nintendo, whatever happens.

What do you think about the Switch 2? Do you think the Switch 2 could fail? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

The Only Thing That Really Scares Me.

Posted by Karl Weller on April 3, 2025
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It’s difficult not to worry about every little thing. As you get older, the natural immunity to these trifling anxieties begins to test your immunizations. I am not someone naturally predisposed to agonize over the trivial matters that seem to be at the forefront of some people’s minds. My partner for instance, is very much concerned with how others perceive her. She doesn’t necessarily go out of her way to impress or even placate the opinions of others, but it certainly rankles her pride if others aren’t perceptive of her qualities. Personally, the thoughts and opinions of others are about as important to me as your political affiliations. I couldn’t be more laid back if I were asleep. Moments of stress or anxiety, though rare, are usually imposed by others attempting to burden me with their issues. Having kids does instill an empathetic fear for their safety though. Really the only fear I feel is on their behalf. A furtive, vicarious fear!

As I lurch into the twilight years of my 30’s, my dwindling youth sifting through my ageing, callous fingers like sand in an hourglass, I find that I’m even less inclined to care about the woes of the world. Despite the media’s obsessive propagating of turmoil and the impending apocalypse that will inevitably ensue when a particular political figure is in power, I find I’m less engaged. My only concern is how this effects my family. What I feel, other ambivalence, is something akin to resentment. Mostly for my own absent ambition to achieve anything beyond mediocrity, but also a resent that I will never accumulate enough wealth to retire at an age where I am both physically and mentally fit enough to enjoy it. Moreover, I will probably never have the security to retire at all! The fear that I have is that these kind of tribulations only escalate, and that as bad as things are now, they could get a whole lot worse. And the thought that my daughter, someone rich in spirit, whimsy and even ambition, is going to have these pillars of her personality toppled by society is utterly devastating to me. Her struggles are what scare me!

“PowerWash Simulator 2” Is Squirting Out In 2025

Posted by Karl Weller on March 20, 2025
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As a cynical, disgruntled, possibly demented gamer, clinging to my 30’s like cat to the curtains, there are few things in this life that provide me with genuine childlike joy. A beautiful, sun drenched weekend. Discovering the last chocolate digestive in a tin full of malted milks. Watching an infant run full pelt into a lamppost. So satisfying. But getting excited about new games is an even more sparse occurrence. Yet the announcement of a sequel to the most based, dad game ever made in “Powerwash Simulator” is genuinely exciting. I’ve already discussed the euphoric satisfaction I get from cleaning the various households, skateparks, aquariums, lunar modules and indeed ancient temples, etched with arcane hieroglyphics and murals that depict some kind of prophetic Power Washing Deity! But the prolific diversity that the developers have presented through the levels is one of the series most defining attributes.

Aside from the projects featured in the main game, some which take minutes, whereas others may require hours of intense yet soothing work, the way they have expanded this curiously grubby world with both free and paid DLC is simply magnificent! From “Tomb Raider” to the newly released “Wallace & Gromit” DLC, everything they add is both compelling and genius. For example the “Back To The Future” DLC allows you to cleanse the DeLorean, the cinema featuring Jaws 19 and the clock tower. All heavily nostalgic as well as rewarding to clean. But that creative fervor doesn’t stop with the paid DLC either. Their free Christmas updates, whereby you douse Santa’s suspiciously grimey workshop or clean the detritus in an ice rink. There are so many different surfaces that elicit this odd sort of dopamine kick from cleaning. Even the frustration you elicit from that one veiled spot of dirt that you simply cannot find, isn’t enough to dampen the pleasure you get from gaining 100% completion.

It’s difficult to express to someone that has never played “PowerWash Simulator”, just how much contentment you get from cleaning these absurdly dirty locations. I’m sure there is some deep psychological reasoning why this game provokes such a vehemence from what in reality would be considered a mundane task. One to be avoided. Personally I think it’s a more realistic interpretation of being a superhero. You arrive at a location or property, task with cleaning an insurmountable amount of dirt. Armed with just a Powerwash, hose extensions and accessories. An unlimited supply of water and moral duty, to rid this excursed filth from these facilities, with expert precision and poise. But also getting well paid to do so. “Thank you Powerwash Man/Women/disembodied hand/Alien?. You’re the greatest!”

I cannot wait for Powerwash Simulator 2!

Are Capcom The Most Reliable Game Developer?

Posted by Karl Weller on March 13, 2025
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Resident Evil is the game that all other Capcom games are measured. I mean Dino Crisis was essentially Resident Evil “with dinosaurs”. Onimusha was Resident Evil “with demons”. And Devil May Cry was originally intended to be a Resident Evil game, until it became Resident Evil, but with “different demons”. So you’d expect a company that diversifies its product with minimal conceptual alterations to struggle in retaining a player base that is not only fickle, but somewhat demented. This is of course a very sweeping statement, but one aimed at those that appear to savor the acrimony of a negatively reviewed game. And though Capcom has taken a few missteps with Resident Evil, they always seem to take note of the criticism. Analysing what went wrong. Whether it’s the sterility of the experience of Resident Evil 6, that allowed Capcom to maneuver back to its horror roots with the exemplary Resident Evil 7. Or pivot from the antiquated controls of Resident Evil 3 or “Code Veronica”, and reinvent the genre they helped popularize, with the beloved Resident Evil 4. And I think that’s why Capcom is the only reliable game developer left.

I think it’s important to note however that they remain the independent publisher they are. The last thing we need is Capcom being “acquired” by the likes of Sony or Microsoft. Consolidated into their militarized contingent of acquired IPs, that are ultimately butchered, monetized or left to rot. Capcom has always been the one impartial uniformity. Boasting success on almost any console they release for. Sure they develop the occasional exclusive for one console or another, but moreover these “exclusives” are usually timed. They understand the importance of diversifying their products to maximize player availability and as a result, greater consumer interest. They stick to their vision too. Whether it’s Resident Evil, Monster Hunter or Devil May Cry, there is always a clear direction, that may not always be original, but it is always engaging. And it’s not like they rush out sequels either. There are substantial sabbaticals between sequels. A lesson Ubisoft should have learned!

There are scant few developer’s I trust to release a game that isn’t broken, boring or motivated by some socially inflammatory agenda. Even a game as monumental as GTA, that has always been a reliable series for me, strikes a sense of uncertainty I’ve never experienced before. Capcom I, neigh, WE need you to continue on this path of autonomy that has allowed you to release games players want to play, and developer’s feel passionate about!

A Childhood Destroyed.

Posted by Karl Weller on March 6, 2025
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I’m someone that is at heart a sentimentalist. I’ve retained much of my childhood memorabilia over the years simply because they retain such sentimental value. There are boxes stocked with my old comic books, games, Lego, figures from various 90’s animation shows and, well really. I’ve even kept a hideous collage featuring some of Newcastle United’s most prolific players from the 90’s, presumably commissioned by Peter Sutcliffe and painted by a disturbed blind man. But because it was a gift from my Aunt, one of the world’s most perfect human beings, I couldn’t possibly part with it. My partner however is far more of a pragmatist. To her, it’s just stuff. And it is really. As much as I care about these items, I wouldn’t run into a burning building to retrieve them. However if on the way out I may grab a handful of figures, depending on the severity of the raging inferno. The point I’m failing to make is that my partner and myself deal with “clutter” in very different ways. Which has led to what I will refer to as “the incident”.

Now anyone vaguely familiar with my blog, which is precisely…none of you, let me first summarize a previous incident that relates to this new development. Last year our family home was subject to the occupation of a very much unwanted resident: Bed Bugs. For months these invasive little bloodsuckers caused persistent emotional, physical and financial distress. After several months, a great purge of furniture, carpets and even Christmas decorations, we were finally rid (fingers crossed) of these durable creatures. But in the process several items, secured in plastic containers were left outside. All at the mercy of the great British elements. I of course ensured that many of my old games were stored safely in the shed, alongside any other valuable possessions. What I didn’t realize is that not all of these assets were where I thought they were. So over the course of 6 months, savaged by rain, drizzle, flooding and snow, an innocuous box full of vintage Pokemon cards was eviscerated into mulch!

I don’t think I have been so upset, angry as well as confused, all in one composite emotion. These little rectangular pieces of cardboard were such a critical part of everyone’s adolesnce. You would trade with friends in school for the cards you needed, slowly acquiring every one from the set until you “caught em all” as it were. My best friend and I would regularly go to the our local proprietor of all things geeky and sad, purchase a booster pack each, hoping to discover the illusive Charizard shiny, which my friend eventually did. And I didn’t. A moment that still rankles me to this day. But overtime we built up an extensive collection of duplicates, all of which I kept safely stored, primed for the day when the value of these cards had increased to the point that I could sell them all and purchase my own private island, somewhere in the Mediterranean. Naturally the seemingly arbitrary inflation of these cards value hasn’t escalated to the point where I can notify work of my immenent retirement, but many of these cards could have fetched quite a hefty sum. Instead, they now reside in a dump somewhere, fertilizing the acrid earth of discarded beanie babies and ferbies. The only reasonable question now is how my partner could adequately reimburse me for her negligence. I’m thinking hobbling? Though perhaps under the circumstances, more severe measures may be necessary?