Nintendo Physical Games Are In Trouble? & Sony Faces A Surprising Delay | News Wave

Summary

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launched with a Metacritic score of 96 from 83 critic reviews. The host called the score impressive, noting that the original release scored 99 but had far fewer reviews.

Mass Effect N7 Day plans

N7 Day plans appear to be going ahead despite news that BioWare is effectively inactive:

• Dark Horse Direct teased a special announcement for November 6.
• YouTooz announced the final Mass Effect vinyl figure collection for November 7.
• Other planned N7 content, including a Battlefield crossover, had been removed.

The announcements discussed were about merchandise and collectibles, not a new game reveal.

GOG showcase

GOG announced its first showcase, scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern. The host highlighted GOG’s work restoring older PC games for modern systems and wondered whether the company might revive physical PC releases, perhaps using USB drives.

Nintendo physical-game supply

The report on Nintendo’s physical-game supply does not mean Switch games will immediately go all-digital.

• Macronix is phasing out ROM production, a business that has supplied chips for Switch 1 cartridges.
• The host said Switch 2 cartridge teardowns he had seen generally showed a different supplier, so the change appears more directly relevant to Switch 1.
• The broader concern is that demand from data centers may draw suppliers away from consumer products, potentially making physical game production harder or more limited.

Faye-centered Sony game delayed

A Sony first-party game centered on Faye was delayed from February 16 to May 20, 2027. Santa Monica Studio said it wants more time to finish and polish the game. The host viewed the three-month move as a quality-focused delay.

February’s announced lineup includes Metro 2039, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, Persona 4 Revival, and Fable.

Grand Theft Auto VI preorder estimates

Sensor Tower’s tracker estimated Grand Theft Auto VI sales at about $751 million net of returns, or 7.71 million units, as of November 3.

• The estimate included 5.74 million PlayStation units and 1.97 million Xbox units.
• The host suggested the figures indicate strong interest in the $100 edition.
• Rockstar says the physical retail version will contain a download code, not a disc. It includes the Vintage Vice City pack, and the code can be used for preload starting November 10. Retail shipping and pickup are expected to begin November 12.
• The host cited analyst expectations of 30–40 million copies sold in the first couple of months.

PlayStation Store Black Friday sale

The PlayStation Store’s Black Friday sale includes discounts on hundreds of games. Notable deals mentioned:

• Silent Hill f — $19.59
• Silent Hill 2 — also discounted; both Silent Hill games are available for about $40 total
• God of War Ragnarök — $29
• Trails in the Sky: First Chapter — $30
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — $39
• Astro Bot — $40
• Control Ultimate Edition — $6
• Unicorn Overlord — $15
• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut — $10

Other deals included Silent Hill: Townfall, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition, 007 First Light Deluxe Edition, Assassin’s Creed Shadows Digital Deluxe Edition, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Digital Deluxe Edition, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Deluxe Edition, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, and the Middle-earth: Shadow bundle.

Sixth-generation controller poll

In a viewer poll about sixth-generation controllers, the GameCube controller led with 45%, followed by PS2 at 33%, Xbox at 17%, and Dreamcast at 4%.

The host praised the GameCube controller’s continued use, especially for Super Smash Bros., and noted the PS2 controller’s broad, enduring design.

Sources and contributors featured

Sources and organizations: Metacritic; David Gibson; Taipei Times; Dark Horse Direct; YouTooz; GOG; Santa Monica Studio; Sensor Tower; Rockstar Games / Rockstar Support; PlayStation Store.

Commenter featured: Mr. JDub Channel and presenter: Spawn Wave