Astro Bot is a extremely good online game and an awesome purpose to personal a PS5. Its colourful visuals, myriad gaming references, and glorious platforming have already made it one in every of 2024’s finest video games. However there’s one thing else I really like about Astro Bot: It solely has one launch date.
Yesterday, I purchased Astro Bot on my PS5 in order that I might obtain it and play it over the weekend. I used to be relieved to seek out that whereas there are two variations of the sport, each choices have the identical launch date of September 6. When later that day somebody requested me when does Astro Bot come out, I might reply merely: Tomorrow. That’s turn out to be much less and fewer widespread as extra and extra publishers lock their video games behind early entry taxes.
In 2024, a minimum of 20 completely different video video games—together with Area Marine 2, Murderer’s Creed Shadows, and Madden 25—have or will launch with completely different launch dates relying on how a lot cash you’re keen to spend. Shopping for a online game was already an advanced mess, with pre-order bonuses, numerous editions, and timed exclusivity home windows. Now, when speaking about new video games, I additionally need to suppose “Wait, is that this out for everybody or simply individuals who pre-ordered some fancy $100 version?”
No less than one recreation, Check Drive Limitless: Photo voltaic Crown, has even made issues extra irritating by providing two completely different early entry choices. Pay a bit extra and you may play the sport two days forward of launch. Pay much more and you may play 7 days earlier than launch. When you’re quiet, you possibly can actually hear a grasping writer someplace counting cash, Photo voltaic Crown’s nonsense, and pondering “Possibly we are able to provide three tiers of early entry!”
So that every one makes me wish to declare simply how joyful I’m that Astro Bot has one launch date. It’s bizarre that in 2024 having a single launch date is one thing worthy of reward, but right here we’re. The online game business has turn out to be so hooked on “quantity go up” and infinite progress {that a} single launch date (you know the way issues have labored for decade) is turning into a rarity and one thing value celebrating
And look, in six months, none of this may matter. The video games will all be playable and their early entry durations shall be a distant reminiscence. (One more reason to not pay additional for this shit.) However it does imply that for many video games, the primary week or so after launch has turn out to be a bizarre dance on-line as individuals attempt to speak about one thing which may not be out for everybody.
Astro Bot will get to sidestep all of this by not being forcing avid gamers to pay a ransom payment to play a completed recreation a number of days earlier than others. How good and simply another reason to like Sony’s new PS5 platformer.
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