Monday, 30 November 2020

Games Inbox: PS5 eBay bargains, Crash Bandicoot nostalgia, and Forza Motorsport doubts

Games Inbox: PS5 eBay bargains, Crash Bandicoot nostalgia, and Forza Motorsport doubts
PS5 ebay prices
How much would you pay? (pic: eBay)

The Tuesday Inbox wishes Sony would fully embrace backwards compatibility, as one reader hopes for a Metal Gear Solid remake from Bluepoint.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk


Weak bargain
Like everyone else, I’ve been pretty appalled by what’s going on with the pre-orders and lack of stock with the new consoles. Everything has been a shambles really, especially from Sony’s side and starting with the insane way they started pre-orders without telling anyone and gave zero chance for most people to get one.

Now all the stock seems to have gone to these disgusting scalpers and they seem confident they’ll get everything else that comes out too. And are Sony going to do anything about it? Not as far as I can tell. I don’t think they’ve even commented on it.

I went to eBay to see how much the PlayStation 5 was going for and the cheapest I could find, outside of getting lucky in an auction, is a buy it now for £750. There were actually quite a few of these, so it’s fairly tempting. It’s £300 more, over half the real price again, but I’m seriously considering it.

I can afford it, I guess, but I just feel like I’m being sucked along with the hype and if I only hung on a bit I’d get it for the normal price next year. But I admit I’m weak.
Commodus


Nobody cares
If Phil Spencer is talking about some sort of coupon system for buying consoles then why doesn’t he, you know, actually do it? We’re four weeks from Christmas now and scalper groups are buying up all the stock of the new consoles and ruining every Christmas Day but their own. If Microsoft are going to do something they need to do it now.

I’d say Sony as well but they don’t even seem to be pretending to care. No sign from them that they even realise that there’s a problem, let alone that they’re going to do anything about.

Strictly speaking they’ve got their money. It doesn’t matter to them if a million buy one console each or one person buys a million, but surely they’ve got to care how all this looks? I think it’s pretty obvious I’m not going to be able to get a new console this year and if this drags on too far into next year I think I might be another person that’s going to be looking at getting a gaming PC instead.
Tully


Five generations
I know it’s unofficial and probably very buggy but the fact that people have got PlayStation 2 games working on Xbox Series X already just shows how easy it would’ve been for Sony if they had actually wanted to do it. I know they have some on PlayStation Now but their approach is so half-hearted and uncaring.

I really don’t know why as they would have a major advantage over Microsoft if they did it properly because not only have they been in the busines longer – so have more games – but their first party games are much more beloved. Okay, don’t include PlayStation 5, copying Game Pass is another issue, but why not include all PlayStation 1, 2, and 3 games? I just don’t see what possible reason there could be not to do it.

Having access to every PlayStation game, or at least every major one, means a hell of a lot more than every Xbox game and yet Sony are just ignoring the opportunity. I hope they don’t end up regretting it.
Kitsune


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Slow progress
So it sounds like that Forza Motorsport ‘trailer’ was just some quick pre-rendered job they knocked up to pretend they were working on it, right? Why am I not surprised.

The more we learn about Microsoft’s next gen plans, at least in terms of the games, the more it begins to sound like they’ve all been sleeping on the job. It’s been three years since the last Forza Motorsport and the only thing the team – who is dedicated to that series and makes nothing else, not even Forza Horizon – has managed to do is a 40 second CGI trailer?

I mean, literally what were they doing? Either they’ve been taking the world’s longest tea break or someone at Microsoft needs to get some time and motion studies done ASAP.
Bisco


Real nostalgia
As a counter to the reader trying to write-off Nintendo games as being successful purely thanks to nostalgia I would offer Crash Bandicoot 4 up as an example of what it looks like when people are buying games only for a hit of nostalgia.

The remakes were huge hits but the brand new sequel was a flash in the pan, despite apparently being just as good. Clearly people were only buying the games they’ve already played for nostalgic reasons and weren’t interested in the sequel because (as I’ve always maintained) Crash Bandicoot isn’t a particularly good game.

This is not how things work with Nintendo. I don’t even know if that many people would say they particular like Mario and co. They’re not the attraction, the games are, and having the same characters is just a branding thing more than anything. Unlike with Crash Bandicoot where it’s almost the only reason to play.
Peeps


Possibly maybe
While I don’t generally don’t pay much attention to rumours until there’s some sort of confirmation this one seems too good to ignore and if true would make a nice positive end to 2020. It seems the fella that dropped the God Of War: Ragnarök rumour (so quite believable) is stating that the PlayStation 5 is getting a remake of Metal Gear Solid and the previously cancelled Silent Hills (P.T.).

Both are apparently slated for next year, with Bluepoint having been working on Metal Gear Solid for three years alongside Demon’s Souls and Hideo Kojima coming to an agreement with Konami to finish the Silent Hills he started before the less than amicable split.

Never did I think that we’d see P.T. after Konami tried to wipe it off every system they could but it goes to show that money does talk and no doubt Sony had a hand in it.

Bluepoint’s ever growing pedigree could make Metal Gear Solid something really special and not forgetting that they done the HD remaster collection on PlayStation 3/4 so it’s a world very familiar to them.

These two along with Horizon Forbidden West could make this time next year something to look forward to indeed.
Mr.Saveloy

GC: Variations of that Silent Hill rumour have been going round for months now, as has talk of Bluepoint working on a Metal Gear Solid remake – as well as Castlevania and half a dozen other games. Usually, going this long without any kind of evidence is a bad sign but perhaps we’ll find out something concrete at The Game Awards next week.


Good excuse
I would love to go to Japan to see the Nintendo theme park. I can’t see it happening this year, partially for the obvious reasons, but it does make me want to commit to going their eventually, as I’ve always wanted to.

I’m sure that must seem silly to some people but to me it seems the perfect catalyst to do a whole bunch of other things there too. Much more than going to the Olympics would do.
Rooky


Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here


Cheap GAAS
The Marvel’s Avengers game has received a lot of criticism for its games as a service aspirations. Well, I saw it on the Xbox store at half price so I thought I would give it a shot for the campaign alone, as I’m not interested in a rinse and repeat grind. To my surprise I think the campaign is really good, and I’m invested in the story and its characters. There’s some next gen performance upgrades too, which with the high production values look stunning.

I read there were a number of technical issues at launch, so I’m so glad I waited for the improvements and saved myself some money in the process. I’m not always so patient, and the negativity surrounding the game was definitely a factor.

It’s such a shame they taken the games as a service route, because with a more substantial campaign, without the multiplayer grind encroaching, it would’ve been a far greater success. I actually think the relative failure of Avengers is a good thing, because we may get the game fans want next time. Good single-player games can still have an extended life with story DLC further down the line.

Publishers need to realise that gamers only have so much time on their hands for a Fortnite, Warzone or a Destiny. So if they can’t better those games they desperately want to be, why bother? (Looking at you Anthem!) Hopefully the failures will serve as a warning, and developers can just concentrate on making good games instead of chasing the latest fad.
Anon


Inbox also-rans
I’m going to make a prediction and say that Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be good but not as good as The Witcher 3 and viewed as a mild disappointment. I base this on nothing but my gut feeling. I’m willing to be 10 internet points that I’m right though.
Cookie

Surprised to not see Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War in the Black Friday deals, I thought it did worse than usual? I guess even a sub-par Call Of Duty is still bigger than anything else around but there definitely small discounts on Modern Warfare last year. I think Black Friday is losing its magic.
Pete


This week’s Hot Topic
The topic for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Stone Cold Steve Austin, who asks if you could go back and play one game again, without any prior knowledge, what would it be?

Imagine you could wipe your mind of any knowledge of playing the game in question, which one would you pick and why? Is it simply your favourite game or is there something about it – perhaps a surprising plot twist or a general lack of replayability – that makes you wish you could experience it anew?

Would you worry that there’s a danger you wouldn’t actually like it as much the second time, perhaps because your tastes have changed or video games in general have advanced too much in the meantime?

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk


The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE : Games Inbox: Buying a PS5 this year, Cyberpunk 2077 concerns, and Call Of Duty Black Ops: Cold War bugs

MORE : Weekend Hot Topic, part 2: Best thing about the next gen

MORE : Weekend Hot Topic, part 1: Best thing about the next gen

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Forza Horizon 5 coming 2021 claims Microsoft insider

Forza Horizon 4 - only on Xbox
Where could the open world racing series go next? (Pic: Playground Games)

A new mainline Forza game has already been confirmed, but we could be seeing another Forza Horizon arrive as soon as next year.

Earlier this year, Microsoft confirmed that a new Forza Motorsport game is in development for the Xbox Series X/S.

But while that game has no release window at the moment, it sounds like a new entry in the Forza Horizon spin-off series is also in the works and may launch before it.

It’s only been two years since Forza Horizon 4 was released and, according to GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb, a sequel will be out in 2021.

‘We saw Forza Motorsport get teased a few months ago. I think we might get the next Forza Horizon game first and I think that might be coming this coming year,’ Grubb said while appearing on an episode of The Xbox Empire podcast (around the 1:25:14 mark).

‘They’re in a weird situation where for some reason Playground says it does seem like they may be ready to go first. I think I know the setting, but I’m going to let them announce it.’

Usually, the Motorsport and Horizon games alternate every year, but if Grubb is accurate, this would mean players will get two Horizon games in a row before the next mainline Motorsport.

Grubb’s statement can’t be taken as an official confirmation, but he has proven to be a credible source of info in the past.

If he’s accurate though it does call into question exactly how far along the new Forza Motorsport actually is, and how indicative the trailer is of work done so far.

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Black Friday shoots FIFA 21 back to UK no. 1 – Games charts 28 November

Black Friday shoots FIFA 21 back to UK no. 1 – Games charts 28 November
FIFA 21 box
Black Friday’s biggest game (pic: EA)

There are no new entries in the new UK top 10 and with sales down 20%, Black Friday has had less impact than usual.

Thanks to widespread discounts on Black Friday, the UK number one is once again FIFA 21 – although the infamous retail event saw overall physical sales drop by 20% on last year.

Given many retailers started deals earlier than last year, and there were almost no console bundles for Xbox or PlayStation, a direct comparison is not really possible – especially given that most high street shops were shut because of the coronavirus.

Even so, more than 1 million boxed games were sold last week, 38% of which were Nintendo Switch titles. That represents a 9% increase over last year, despite a lack of any big name new releases this autumn.

UK all formats retail chart – 28 November

1 (2) FIFA 21 (PS4/XO/NS)
2 (1) Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (PS4/XO/PS5/XSX)
3 (8) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NS)
4 (9) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS)
5 (4) Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (PS4/XO/PS5)
6 (3) Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5/PS4)
7 (12) Marvel’s Avengers (PS4/XO)
8 (10) Minecraft (NS)
9 (11) Super Mario 3D All-Stars (NS)
10(15) Just Dance 2021 (NS/PS4/XO/PS5)

Ukie Games Charts©, compiled by GfK

Japanese console chart – 22 November

1 (-) Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa No Teiban! (NS)
2 (-) Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity (NS)
3 (4) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NS)
4 (6) Ring Fit Adventure (NS)
5 (-) Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle (NS)
6 (1) Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (PS4)
7 (5) Pikmin 3 Deluxe (NS)
8 (15) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS)
9 (24) Super Mario Party (NS)
10(14) Pokémon Sword/Shield (NS)

(C)2020 Enterbrain, Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. all formats chart – October

1 (-) FIFA 21 (XO/PS4/NS/PC)
2 (3) Madden NFL 21 (XO/PS4/PC)
3 (-) Watch Dogs: Legion (XO/PS4/PC)
4 (-) NHL 21 (XO/PS4)
5 (-) Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (NS)
6 (2) Super Mario 3D All-Stars (NS)*
7 (8) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NS)*
8 (9) Star Wars: Squadrons (XO/PS4/PC)
9 (6) Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (XO/PS4/PC)
10(11)Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (XO/PS4)

*does not include digital sales

Note: U.S. charts are organised by revenue, not unit sales

The NPD Group/NPD Funworld

GameCentral Top 10 – 2020

1. The Last Of Us Part 2 (PS4)
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NS)
3. Ori And The Will Of The Wisps (XO/PC)
4. Nioh 2 (PS4)
5. Final Fantasy 7 Remake (PS4)
6. Half-Life: Alyx (PCVR)
7. Doom Eternal (XO/PS4/PC)
8. Streets Of Rage 4 (XO/PS4/NS/PC)
9. XCOM: Chimera Squad (PC)
10. Paper Beast (PSVR)

The chart above lists our best reviewed titles of 2020, as of the end of June, but as usual does not include remasters, expansions, re-releases, compilations, games not yet released in the UK, or versions of games previously released on other formats.

GameCentral Top 20 – 2019

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (XO/PS4/PC)
2. Astral Chain (NS)
3. Baba Is You (NS/PC)
4. Apex Legends (XO/PS4/PC)
5. Total War: Three Kingdoms (PC)
6. Wreckfest (XO/PS4/PC)
7. Devil May Cry 5 (XO/PS4/PC)
8. The Outer Worlds (XO/PS4/PC)
9. Sunless Skies (PC)
10. John Wick Hex (PC)
11. Metro Exodus (XO/PS4/PC)
12. Football Manager 2020 (PC/Stadia)
13. Outer Wilds (XO/PS4/PC)
14. Samurai Shodown (XO/PS4/PC)
15. Devotion (PC)
16. Untitled Goose Game (XO/PS4/NS/PC)
17. Luigi’s Mansion 3 (NS)
18. Control (XO/PS4/PC)
19. Asgard’s Wrath (PC)
20. Knights And Bikes (PS4/PC)

The chart above lists our best reviewed titles of 2019 but as usual does not include remakes, remasters, expansions, re-releases, compilations, games not yet released in the UK, or versions of games previously released on other formats.

Readers’ Top 20 – 2019

1. Resident Evil 2 (XO/PS4/PC)
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (XO/PS4/PC)
3. Devil May Cry 5 (XO/PS4/PC)
4. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (XO/PS4/PC)
5. The Outer Worlds (XO/PS4/PC)
6. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (XO/PS4/PC)
7. Luigi’s Mansion 3 (NS)
8. Wreckfest (XO/PS4/PC)
9. Outer Wilds (XO/PS4/PC)
10. Control (XO/PS4/PC)
11. Borderlands 3 (XO/PS4/PC)
12. Death Stranding (PS4)
13. Apex Legends (XO/PS4/PC)
14. Untitled Goose Game (XO/PS4/NS/PC)
15. Gears 5 (XO/PC)
16. Metro Exodus (XO/PS4/PC)
17. A Plague Tale: Innocence (XO/PS4/PC)
18. Kingdom Hearts 3 (XO/PS4)
19. Blood & Truth (PSVR)
20. Pokémon Sword/Shield (NS)

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MORE : Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War earns first UK no. 1 – Games charts 21 November

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Mysterious Crash Bandicoot 4 Easter egg sparks PvP spin-off theory

Crash Bandicoot 4 It's About Time
People have already made jokes about it looking a bit like the Firefox logo (pic: ResetEra)

What appears to be a new logo for something has been discovered in Crash Bandicoot 4 and some fans think they already know what it’s for.

If you somehow managed to collect everything in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, you’ve already seen that secret ending which appears to tease a sequel.

However, another teaser of some kind has now been discovered and it’s much easier to miss.

First shared on Reddit, if you spin the TV at the beginning of the very first level, it will cycle through the logos of previous games before landing on a new, never-before-seen logo, which doesn’t appear unless you’ve achieved 106% completion.

It looks like a Wumpa Fruit (an iconic collectible from throughout the series) surrounded by orange and blue markings that form a circle.

Given that there’s nothing in the game itself that the logo seems to be referring to, fans have come to the conclusion that it’s a hint towards a future game.

One popular theory is that it’s for a PvP game, like League Of Legends. Aside from the two markings possibly representing two competing teams, a supposed leak back in March claimed that a Crash Bandicoot PvP game was in development.

That same leak accurately stated that Activision was remastering Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (though it turned out to be two remasters), so it’s not completely implausible.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is available now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

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Xbox Series X is now backwards compatible with the PS2

PlayStation 2 console
Xbox does what Sony don’t (pic: Sony)

A new piece of emulation software can run PS2 games on the new Xbox consoles, but it’s still in development and may not be entirely legal.

One of the key features of the Xbox Series X/S is its backwards compatibility, which lets the console play practically any game that ran on the Xbox One and earlier Xbox formats.

But now it’s been discovered that, through emulation software, Xbox owners can also play PlayStation 2 games.

As detailed in a video by Modern Vintage Gamer, a PlayStation 2 emulator from RetroArch (which specialises in free, cross-platform emulators) can run on the console, through some tinkering with the Developer Mode.

Developer Mode was also available on the Xbox One and lets you use the console to develop your own software.

The video shows footage of a variety of PlayStation 2 games being played on an Xbox Series S, including the original God Of War, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Shadow Of The Colossus, all of which appear to run very smoothly for the most part.

However, it’s not perfect. The video notes that there are occasional bugs and stability issues when running these games and, because the emulator is limited to only 2GB, it can’t run particularly large games.

Though it may be tempting to test this out for yourself (especially since this means the Xbox Series X/S could theoretically play games from other consoles, like the GameCube or PlayStation Portable), running emulation software more than likely violates Microsoft’s terms and agreements.

A PlayStation 5 patent spotted in July suggests that Sony intends on expanding the console’s backwards compatibility via a cloud-based system.

It would essentially be its own emulator, capable of playing games from the PlayStation 1, 2, and 3, but there has been no official statement from Sony.

For now, the PlayStation 5 can only play the majority of PlayStation 4 games, with some gaining additional benefits like improved frame rates.

The Xbox Series X and S is available now.

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MORE : Xbox Series X available now in the UK for £750, as scalpers threaten to buy all PS5 stock

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Bizarre Pokémon trading card ban lifted by illusionist Uri Geller

Kadabra
He’s coming home (Pic: Game Freak)

The pokémon Kadabra has been absent from the card game for 20 years after a lawsuit filed by Uri Geller.

Pokémon is no stranger to controversy. The recent Sword and Shield games angered fans by not including every pokémon and, back in the 90s, the anime became infamous after an episode gave children seizures.

But perhaps one of the strangest is when illusionist Uri Geller requested that Nintendo remove the pokémon Kadabra from the series’ trading card game.

Since the early 2000s, this single pokémon has not appeared on any official Pokémon cards, but it looks like that will now change as Geller has chosen to lift the ban.

In an email sent to TheGamer, Geller reveals that he has received countless requests to let Kadabra back into the card game.

‘Due to the tremendous volume of emails I am still getting begging me to allow Nintendo to bring back Kadabra/Yungeller, I sent […] a letter to the chairman of Nintendo giving them permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide.’

He adds that his letter has been picked up by two Nintendo representatives, but the company has yet to comment.

PHENOMENON -- Season 1 -- Pictured: Uri Geller -- Photo by: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank
Geller believed that Nintendo based Kadabra on himself without crediting him (Credits: NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

But why did Geller have the pokémon banned in the first place? It’s because he felt that Kadabra was blatantly based on him, being a Psychic type who is seen holding a spoon, a reference to Geller’s own spoon-bending trick.

What’s more, Kadabra’s Japanese name Yungeller appears to be a corruption of Geller’s name. Although it is more commonly transliterated as Yungerer.

Since Nintendo never approached him concerning Kadabra’s creation, Geller sued the company in 2000 and requested that Kadabra no longer appear on the cards.

Nintendo has honoured his request since, though the lawsuit didn’t prevent Kadabra from continuing to appear in the video games.

Whether Geller’s lawsuit was justified or not, this is still good news for players of the card game and fans of Kadabra.

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Super Nintendo World theme park opens in Japan this spring

Super Nintendo World theme park opens in Japan this spring

Its original opening was delayed by the coronavirus, but the Nintendo theme park is opening soon and getting a new Donkey Kong area.

It has been a long time coming but Super Nintendo World is finally getting ready to open to the public, even if few people are likely to be in a position to take a trip to Japan this February.

That’s when it’s now due to open though, which means it will be ready well in time for the Tokyo Olympics, which were also postponed last year.

To be precise, the park will open on February 4, which considering the Olympics don’t have a new date yet does seem rather optimistic. Although judging by the new video above it looks great.

Super Nintendo World is actually just a part of the existing Universal Studios Japan and a relatively small section at that – although they certainly seem to have packed a lot in.

There’s Princess Peach’s castle, Bowser’s castle, a mountain area filled with yoshis, and a Mario Kart ride, all of which look super authentic and as if Nintendo and Universal have, ‘spared no expense’.

There’s already a new section being planned too, themed around Donkey Kong – something that first hinted at over a year ago.

A version of Super Nintendo World is also planned for the Universal Orlando Resort, although that’s also been delayed by the coronavirus and was never expected to be completed this year.

There are also plans to add a Nintendo section to Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Hollywood in L.A., but that’s even further in the future.

Currently there are no Universal Studios parks outside of the US and Asia, although there are plans to build one in Moscow and another in Beijing.

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PS5 Amazon customer receives toilet paper and fan heater, not console

PS5 Amazon delivery
Meanwhile, some poor bloke who needs to use the loo and is really cold has been gifted a PS5 (Credits: Caters News Agency)

After a couple of delays, one unlucky gamer admits to being angry and disappointed that he hadn’t received the PS5 he managed to pre-order.

Managing to secure a PlayStation 5 pre-order was difficult enough, but several unlucky customers still never received their consoles in the end.

Not only have some deliveries suffered from delays, but a number of people who ordered via Amazon were given completely different items like cat food instead.

And it appears the Amazon saga continues, as one PlayStation 5 buyer has revealed that they never got their console either.

Robert Russell, a 24-year old from Corby, Northamptonshire, told Caters News Agency that he was ‘buzzing with excitement’ when he managed to grab a PlayStation 5 pre-order after waiting at his laptop for two hours for them to go live on November 19, the day of release.

His delivery didn’t arrive until November 22, though, and when he opened the box he found, not the new console he had paid £450 for, but a packet of kitchen roll, two packets of toilet roll, two packets of A4 paper, and a small fan heater.

‘When I lifted the lid and saw what was inside the box, I was speechless, but my parents just started laughing. I really didn’t think it was funny, I was swearing a lot,’ said Russell.

‘I was in complete shock; I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had been sent kitchen roll, toilet roll, a fan heater and A4 paper instead of my PlayStation. I was so angry. … The worst thing about it was that it was so neatly packed into the box and weighed the same as the PlayStation.’

PlayStation 5 Amazon delivery
Russell will now have to wait until stock becomes available again (Credits: Caters News Agency)

Russell’s order had already been delayed twice. After he was told it wouldn’t arrive until November 21 he asked his mum to take it in for him, since he wasn’t available that day.

The delivery never turned up but Russell received a message saying that an attempt was made. Russell contacted Amazon and it assured him the console would arrive the next day.

Thankfully, Russell was able to get a refund from Amazon, but it doesn’t change the fact that he still doesn’t have a PlayStation 5.

‘I am glad and very relieved that they have offered me a refund, but that still doesn’t really help me because I now can’t get a PlayStation. They’re sold out everywhere and they won’t be restocked until later next year.

‘So, I am still missing out. I don’t want a refund; I just want a PlayStation 5. I am gutted and I still can’t believe what I had received instead of my PlayStation.’

Sony has actually promised to restock the console one more time before Christmas, although a scalper group has threatened to buy up all the stock as soon as it becomes available.

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MORE : Amazon investigate after customers receive bags of rice instead of PS5

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Xbox Series X available now in the UK for £750, as scalpers threaten to buy all PS5 stock

Xbox Series X available now in the UK for £750, as scalpers threaten to buy all PS5 stock
Xbox Series X eBay listing
Compared to some mark-ups that’s almost a bargain (pic: eBay)

UK scalper group CrepChiefNotify claims to have over a thousand Xbox Series X consoles to sell at inflated prices, as it also targets PS5.

The Xbox Series X and S launched four weeks ago now, but they still aren’t easily available anywhere in the world and are seeing similar mark-ups to the PlayStation 5 on places like eBay.

Although it seems many of those listings may have ties to UK scalper group CrepChiefNotify, who recently boasted of having 3,500 PlayStation 5s to sell and now claim to have over a thousand Xbox Series X.

There’s no suggestion that they’re up to anything illegal though, since all they’re doing is using software bots to buy stock from regular retailers before anyone else gets a chance – which is irritating but not against the law.

CrepChiefNotify, which started off by selling rare trainers, charges a subscription fee and encourages a network of thousands of members to buy consoles at their normal price and then resell them for a greatly inflated amount.

The organisation recently boasted that its members have managed to obtain 1,000+ Xbox Series X consoles from an unnamed UK retailer, thought to be Very.

They’ve also commented on Sony’s promise to get more PlayStation 5 consoles in stock before Christmas, implying that they’ll attempt to buy up a large proportion of those as well.

‘We are going to be banking ££££s over the next few weeks. From PS4s to sneakers. Our group is going to cop them all’, reads one statement on the group’s Facebook page.

Many gamers have been furious with their actions, and those of scalpers in general, but the group has defended their actions by saying that many in their community have been furloughed or made redundant by the pandemic.

‘These people have managed to cover their bills, put food on the table and supply Christmas presents to their children’, claimed a statement on Facebook.

‘It may be unfortunate that a child won’t wake up to a PS5 this Christmas, but another child may have woken up to nothing. We have no regrets.⁠’

Although it’s not clear whether it’s connected with CrepChiefNotify, the top listing on eBay at the moment, from a seller named evergameuk, claims to have ‘over 10’ consoles available for £749.99 and has already sold 212.

Officially the Xbox Series X is supposed to be £449, so that’s a major increase – although there have been far more expensive offers over the last few weeks.

Even so the seller has been subject to several angry comments, with eBay user bricks117 complaining that, ‘People who buy stock like this at the RRP and then try to cheat people by making some easy money are scum.’

‘They are not clever businessmen, they are preying on those who truly want the products, honest hardworking people who may have been at work when this product launched will now not be able to afford to buy this for their loved ones this Christmas. Shame on everyone reselling this at a higher price.’

Microsoft and Sony have both acknowledged the wider problem with scalpers, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer hinting that they may try to institute some kind of pre-payment system.

Nothing seems likely to change before Christmas though, where the choice will be to either pay over the odds or take your chances when the next wave of stock arrives at normal retailers (and is promptly snapped up by scalpers’ bots).

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MORE : Microsoft admits some PS5 games run better than Xbox Series X – says it won’t last

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The best Cyber Monday 2020 deals: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for only £1

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Black Friday isn’t over just yet (Pic: Xbox)

The Black Friday deals have now become Cyber Monday bargains, with a new Cyberpunk 2077 PS4 bundle.

Black Friday may be over but Cyber Monday lives on, with many of the same deals carrying on and a number of new ones being added.

Base.com, in particular, has a dedicated Cyber Monday selection on games, as well as a PlayStation 4 bundle that comes with Cyberpunk 2077.

Some of its best offers are included below, but it’s worth checking out the full selection yourself.

And if you’re a new Xbox owner, Microsoft is offering one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to new subscribers for only £1.

If you’re interested, you’d best act quickly, as stocks are sure to run out sooner rather than later and the sales will officially end today.

As for PC owners, be sure to check out the sales still running on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Best Cyber Monday 2020 PS4 video game deals

Sony PlayStation 4 Slim Console Black (500GB) & Cyberpunk 2077 – £299.85
God Of War – £7.62
Titanfall 2 – £8.42
Doom Eternal with Steel Poster – £16.99
Wolfenstein: Youngblood Deluxe Edition – £8.99
Resident Evil 3 Remake – £18.85
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition – £12.85
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – £19.99
The Last Of Us Part 2 – £24.99
Yakuza Remastered Collection – £20.85
Grand Theft Auto 5 Premium Edition – £17.99
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Game Of The Year Edition – £19.99
Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition – £6.99
Death Stranding – £13.99
Red Dead Redemption 2 – £22.99
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – £17.19
Control – £14.99
Control Ultimate Edition – £24.99
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – £14.99
PlayStation Plus: 12 Month Membership – £37.49
PlayStation Now: 12 Month Membership – £37.49

Best Cyber Monday Xbox One video game deals

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-Month Subscription – £1 (only for new subscribers)
Control – £14.99
Control Ultimate Edition – £24.99
Titanfall 2 – £5.95
Doom Eternal – £15.85
Wolfenstein Alt History Collection – £19.99
Dishonored and Prey: The Arkane Collection – £16.99
Wolfenstein Youngblood Deluxe Edition – £8.99
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition – £12.85
Resident Evil 3 Remake – £18.85
The Sims 4 – £14.99
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag – £14.85
Grand Theft Auto 5 Premium Edition – £14.95
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – £19.99
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – £13.85
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – £17.19
Gears 5 – £7.99
Red Dead Redemption 2 – £22.99
Forza Horizon 4 – £13.99
Xbox Game Pass 3-month membership with Sea Of Thieves parrot DLC – £23.99

Best Cyber Monday 2020 Nintendo Switch console deals

Nintendo Switch Fortnite Special Edition – £279
Nintendo Switch Lite Build Your Own Bundle (includes free 64 GB memory card) – prices start at £199.99
Nintendo Switch Lite Animal Crossing: New Horizons + Nintendo Switch Online (3 Months) Bundle (includes free 64 GB memory card) – prices start at £239.99
Nintendo Switch Lite + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Minecraft – £229.99

Best Cyber Monday 2020 Nintendo Switch video game deals

Super Mario 3D All-Stars – £39.99
Final Fantasy 10 / 10-2 HD Remaster – £19.99
Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age – £19.99
The Wonderful 101 Remastered – £24
Minecraft – £19.85
Sonic Mania Plus – £21.85
Cadence of Hyrule – Crypt of the NecroDancer – £28.85
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition – £22.85
A.O.T. 2 – £27.49
Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack – £15.74
Doom – £24.99
God Eater 3 – £12.49
L.A. Noire – £22.49
Lego City Undercover – £14.99
Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 – £14.99
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – £24.99
Valkyria Chronicles 4 – £12.94
XCOM 2 Collection – £15.99
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus – £24.99
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes – £12.49

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, and follow us on Twitter.

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