Expected really. Honestly as an optimist I've taken a pretty grim view to current gaming and the future direction the industry is heading. I have a PS5 (and thankfully all my old systems too), but I'm not filled with confidence as to what Sony is doing and is planning for the future. PC is such a surefire bet for multiplats and uncensored content(for me this matters). I feel so put off by modern gaming that instead of finishing games I've been playing or wrestling with my backlog I've been going old school where most of the raw passion is, when games were actually creative, artistic and most of all fun. Its incredible the diversity of game genres and styles across just about any old system including the failed ones.
My girl and I have only casually gamed lately when the mood catches us and its always something different. Beat 'em ups, schmups, platformers, rpgs, actual couch co-op games. Back when I could beat a game in a single sitting and then wanted to replay the damn thing. The love and care that went into the spritework and animations, which were handcrafted. But mainly we've taken to old movies, old and new anime/manga/doujins and art circles, and especially tabletop rpgs. Where our homebrew game is taking shape and isn't being wrecked by stupid ideologues and politics. I've spent more on the OSR scene than... well I haven't been convinced to spend a single cent for the past few months which is the only time since the last recession that I hadn't bought any games. Frankly very little has convinced me otherwise save for a few Japanese games. Really diggin' Nintendo though, they've still got it. For the most part. Okay I lied I still bought a few games for the Switch. And pc.
I know she and I are just a microscopic drop in the bucket compared to the world, but its disheartening for us to see them seemingly forget the appeal and value of what made the brand strong in the first place. The Nintendo head guy did an interview recently that showed that they not only realize that the big three have been leap-frogging each other each generation in terms of successes and failures, but that they understand and want to continue to grow their brand and characters without ruining the brand with one wrong move. They get it. I respect that. They get consumer allure and appeal. I feel Sony is painting themselves into a corner as a one trick pony. A slow one at that. That relies to much on third party support that may be tempted to focus elsewhere in the future do to certain policies. Us fans of Japanese games may start to congregate elsewhere where we're treated better, which may merely be a fraction of the market, but let us not forget that aside from old pc games some of the first collectors editions I recall were from groups like the rarified Working Designs. But I digress. I wish this guy and all the others who've left or will a brighter future.