Tag: Culture - Page 3
News PS5, PS4 Playtime Website Encounters Turbulence As Sony Bans Accounts
Data disruption
Brilliant independent PlayStation playtime website PS-Timetracker has encountered turbulence, as Sony has banned all of its associated accounts. Members could voluntarily send a friend request to a PSN user in order to have their gameplay sessions logged by the website, but Sony nuked all of the associated usernames earlier this...
News Such Is Sony's Secrecy, Fans Hope New PlayStation Banners Mean Impending News
They probably don't
It’s been almost a year since the last major PlayStation press conference, and the company’s communication has come in waves over the past few months. There’ll be periods where we get plenty of updates from the organisation; there’ll also be periods where the firm disappears into the shadows, and leaves us with very...
News This Portable PS2 Is the Handheld of Our Dreams
Play, beyond
Yeah, the Nintendo Switch is cool and all, but have you ever played a portable PlayStation 2? Probably not, because Sony never actually made one, and while both the PS Vita and PSP had plenty of PS2 ports on them – well, they couldn’t play GTA: San Andreas, could they? This hobby project named the PS2 Eclipse by GingerofOz can,...
Soapbox I Don't Understand Service Games That Don't Add Trophies
Retention prevention
I just can’t understand it, readers: if you’re designing a game that’s built around player retention, why wouldn’t you add new Trophies to it? I suppose the easy answer is thus: Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone are two of the biggest games in the world and don’t actually have any gongs to unlock, but it still blows...
News Police Raid Ukraine Warehouse Filled with 3,800 PS4 Consoles
It was a FIFA Ultimate Team bot farm
The police in Ukraine have raided a warehouse filled with 3,800 PlayStation 4 consoles, which it originally believed to be a cryptocurrency mining farm. It turns out, the undercover operation was instead grinding FIFA Ultimate Team, and selling accounts loaded with virtual currency and rare player cards. The...
News With the Steam Deck Announced, This Is What a Next-Gen PSP Could Be
Alternate universe
Sony is, quite clearly, done with the handheld market. While there’s no question Nintendo has enjoyed enormous success with its hybrid hardware Nintendo Switch, the previous portable PlayStation failed to capture the imagination of gamers – even if the PS Vita is considered something of a cult classic these days. But...
Random Sony Plasters PS5 All Over American Game Show Jeopardy
Gamer's delight
Sony’s bought out a quiz category in US game show Jeopardy, resulting in some amusing PlayStation 5-themed questions. The category, labelled ‘Gamer’s Delight’, starts out innocently enough with a question about Astro’s Playroom, but quickly descends into marketing hell, with the manufacturer eager to slip in key buzzwords...
News England Forward Marcus Rashford Rewards 9-Year-Old with PS5 for Charity Work
"We are kind because it's the right thing to do"
England international and Manchester United forward Dr Marcus Rashford MBE has rewarded a 9-year-old with a PlayStation 5 for his charity work. Inspired by the footballer’s campaign to tackle child food poverty, Jacob from St Helens in Merseyside, started raising money for Fare Share by running and...
News Wholesome Ghost of Tsushima Reaction Video Goes Viral
🥺
You all remember the moment: Ghost of Tsushima’s title card is iconic. But one streamer’s reaction to the opening has gone viral almost a year after release: LordBalvin’s bobbing head and tearful eyes perhaps speak for all of us – there’s no question Sucker Punch knocked this one out of the park. We’ve included the video below,...
News Final Fantasy XIV Players Hold Brilliant In-Game Vigil Following Death of Berserk Creator
Dark Knights line the streets
The Final Fantasy XIV community has been known to organise some impressive gatherings for real-world causes, and this latest show of support is no different. Following the sad passing of Berserk creator, author, and artist Kentaro Miura, players have taken to the virtual streets in order to pay their respects. As...
Leaves behind an immense legacy
It's a sad day for dark fantasy, as word of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura's passing at age 54 has been made public. For those who don't know, Berserk is one of the most successful manga properties of all time, and has been in publication since 1989. Its influence on popular culture — especially video games — has...
News Yakuza: Like a Dragon Cosplay Performance Is Impressively Accurate
I'm walkin' here
Hugely talented cosplayer Enyen has recently been making waves with a very impressive adaptation of Yakuza: Like a Dragon — and we just had to write about it. Enyen's Twitter posts have been going viral over the past few days, with the cosplayer taking to the streets as protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. With the help of fellow...
News PlayStation Gear Merch Store Finally Returns to the EU
Includes Horizon Forbidden West apparel
It only took the PlayStation Gear online merchandise store just over a year to make its triumphant return to the UK and select European territories. Who knows why it was out of action for so long, but today the store is back up and running and accepting orders for a variety of PlayStation-themed products as...
News Ratchet & Clank Fans Think They've Figured Out the Female Lombax's Name
Feeling rosy
Who is she? That’s the question Clank asks in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s first trailer, but we still don’t really have an answer. Well, we know that she is on the game’s cover and that she will probably be playable – but just who is that female Lombax at the centre of the upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive’s marketing...
News Lady Dimitrescu Designer Shocked by Social Media's Thirst for Resident Evil Village Villain
A tall tale
Lady Dimitrescu, the towering 9’6” vampire villain from Resident Evil Village, has cast a shadow over social media since fans realised she’s, well, really tall. It’s probably the best marketing publisher Capcom could ever have hoped for – but did it predict such an, ahem, thirsty response? According to art director Tomonori...
News Can't Find PS5 Stock? Play All Night in a New 7-Eleven Store
This is what we've come to
Want to play a PlayStation 5 but can’t find stock? Dozens of different US brands are pulling together to give Dallas County residents the “night out of a lifetime” – inside an unopened 7-Eleven Evolution Store! The event – hosted by crocked Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott for some reason – will see you...
News The Evolution of Agent 47's Face Makes for Nightmare Fuel
Egg head
Here’s a new assassination opportunity for Agent 47: he just needs to show his targets the evolution of his face. A new Reddit meme shows how the sneaky skinhead’s design has evolved over the course of the Hitman franchise, spanning the PC-only Hitman: Codename 47 all the way through to the brand new Hitman 3. Just look at those bushy
News This PS1 Era Bloodborne Demake Is the Real Deal
We'd play that for a dollar
Bloodborne may yet get a full PlayStation 5 remaster – at least, that’s what we’ve predicted – but who fancies a PS1 demake? Talented indie developer Lilith Walther is working on exactly that, and she’s been sharing footage of the old-school revamp on her Twitter account: Unlike many of these PS1 inspired...
Soapbox I Can't Keep Up with Service Games
Let it go
The way we play games is changing – or, at least, the way I play games is changing. Historically, I’ve always been a one-and-done player; from my collection of favourites, it’s only really the Shenmue saga that I’ve revisited multiple times. And, strangely, GUN – I’ve beaten the PlayStation 2 Western at least half-a-dozen times...
Reaction How Does It Keep Going Wrong for Big Game Launches?
Beware the hype train
Well. This is a fine mess CD Projekt RED has found itself in over Cyberpunk 2077. We went from enormous levels of hype to outright damage control in just over a week. After that initial announcement 8 years ago and many delays, the long-awaited RPG finally arrived on 10th December but, put bluntly, the PS4 version has been...
News Where to Buy PS5 Search Query Beats Out Toilet Paper, Face Masks on Google
Home essentials
It’s been a bonkers year, which means people have been searching for some strange things in 2020 – even more so than usual. And that’s reinforced by the fact that “where to buy toilet paper” and “where to buy face masks” were among the most repeated queries over the past 12 months – “where to buy hand sanitizer”...
News Gangs Are Raiding Lorries to Steal PS5 Stock
Of course they are
Okay, things have officially gone gaga on the PS5 stock front. The stolen Amazon UK orders were already bonkers enough – with some customers receiving alternative items they didn’t order like cat food – but now there’s a full-scale criminal operation underway, as British newspaper The Times report
News Xbox Series X|S Runs PS2 Games Better Than PS5
A sad reality
PlayStation 5 can, in fact, play a handful of PlayStation 2 titles – but only ones that were ported to the PlayStation 4, like Jak & Daxter and Grand Theft Auto 3. Bizarrely, the Xbox Series X|S can play retro PlayStation titles much better – at least, until the inevitable batch of cease and desist letters get posted out...
News eBay Users Are Trying to Flog Photographs of the PS5
Picture this
We’ve already covered in detail the seedy story of scalpers who’ve been working overtime to secure PS5 stock, but how about this new low? eBay has issued a warning to sellers trying to flog photographs of the next-gen format. People are actually bidding on these listings for serious sums of money, not realising they’re effectively...
News ASMR YouTubers Have Discovered the DualSense
It was only a matter of time
Whether you watch it for relaxation purposes or find it a bit weird, there’s no doubt that ASMR is big business on YouTube right now. And it was only a matter of time before some content creators discovered the DualSense controller and its plethora of sounds. This video in particular, by ASMatt R, is interesting...
News Streamer Beats Demon's Souls PS5 Without Taking a Single Hit
So the world might be mended
Completing a normal run of Demon's Souls is tricky enough, but what about beating the whole thing without taking a single hit? That's what Twitch streamer The_Happy_Hob managed over the weekend in front of thousands upon thousands of viewers. Hob, as he's more commonly known, had previously spent stream after stream...
News PlayStation Fans So Desperate for PS5 Stock They Brought Their Beds to GameStop
Camped for 24 hours outside store
A fresh batch of PS5 stock was promised in-store at GameStop this Black Friday, and a couple of PlayStation fans were so desperate to get their hands on the next-gen console, they brought their beds and slept outside their local store for 24 hours. ABC reporter Eugene Daniel stumbled upon the desperate gamers, who...
News People Are Now Livestreaming Their Attempts to Secure PS5 Stock
Of course they are
We suppose it was going to happen eventually in this social media world: fans are now livestreaming their attempts to secure PS5 stock. Imagine our surprise when YouTube recommended us a video earlier today of one gamer named Poy refreshing the
News This 48-Storey Building Bears a Striking Resemblance to PS5
Taipei skyscraper looks familiar
Many have noted that past PlayStation consoles appear to have been inspired by famous architectures. Both the Parks Tower in Osaka and the John Hancock Tower in Boston have been nicknamed the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 buildings respectively. Since Sony first released the appearance of the PlayStation 5,...
News Spider-Man Fan Recreates Into the Spider-Verse Scene in Miles Morales PS5
Leap of faith
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales includes an incredible Into the Spider-Verse suit that not only allows you to dress like the movie protagonist – but it’s also animated like him, too. (Incidentally, you can find all Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales suits and how to unlock them through the link.) An addition
Weirdness There Are a Surprising Number of PS5 Marriage Proposals Taking Place
More reasons to celebrate
When’s the best time to pop the question? Maybe at Christmas, with the pigs in blankets? New Year is always special, right? Or how about the Valentine’s Day cliché? According to Reddit, the PlayStation 5 launch represents the perfect opportunity to get engaged, as there are a significant number of couples celebrating...
News Sony Hosts Spectacular Light Show at Headquarters to Celebrate PS5 Launch
Illuminating
Update: Sony's released a short of the flashy light show currently on display at its San Mateo headquarters. You can watch that below: Wonder what the electricity bill for all of this looks like? Original Story: Sony has prepared a spectacular light show at its headquarters to mark the launch of the PlayStation 5 in the United...
News Fans Are Having Fun with PS5 Control Centre Mock-Ups
U (and) I, always
PlayStation 5’s new Control Centre is shaping up to be one of the console’s most iconic features. If you missed the platform holder’s user experience presentation last week, this overlay allows you to browse cards relating to your game. You can then use these icons to launch directly into levels, track your progress, and much...
News This Fan-Made Spider-Man PS5 Could Pass for the Real Thing
Miles better
As far as fan-made renders go, they don’t get much more professional than this. Giuseppe Spinelli – who made a bit of a name for himself earlier in the year coming up with some incredible PlayStation 5 hardware renders – has dreamed up a hypothetical Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales console, and his promotional trailer is so...
News For the Price of One PS5 Game, You Could Get All These Top Titles from the PS Store
Cheap as chips
Game prices are increasing with the PlayStation 5, but this hobby is simultaneously more affordable than it’s ever been. Sony’s done a great job driving costs down on the PlayStation Store all generation, and you can pick up some killer deals assuming you’re willing to wait. To illustrate just how much value you can get...
News NBA 2K21 Community Rocked by Modded PS4 Controllers
Mean green machine
NBA 2K21’s controversial new shot aiming mechanic was supposed to increase the skill gap of the wildly popular basketball simulation, but wily players appear to have figured out a workaround to ensure they hit coveted green shots every single time: modded DualShock 4 controllers. A round of videos shared online show how some...
News PlayStation Girl Pokes Fun at PS5 Pre-Order Scramble
Sell out
Securing a PS5 pre-order has proved particularly problematic for some gamers, and PlayStation Girl is here to illustrate the struggle. In the embedded comedy sketch, the personified next-gen platform flaunts all of her new features, while her predecessor is forced to sit and watch. Unfortunately, actually obtaining the new console turns out...
News Tweet Allegedly Sent from PS5 Goes Viral
Starved for news
Sony’s retreated to its underground lair following last week’s mammoth PlayStation 5 reveal, which has left fans starved for news on the next-gen system once more. Fortunately, when the platform holder’s not willing to speak, the community is able to build its own hype – like this tweet which has gone viral this week...
News YouTuber Racks Up Millions of Views Unboxing Rare, Retro PlayStation Gear in ASMR
And the press kits are getting crazier
Whatever your opinion of ASMR, the cult Internet phenomenon that sees YouTubers talking in a hushed voice to trigger a sensory response, there can be no denying it’s big business. Some of the more popular content creators have millions upon millions of subscribers and earn thousands of dollars with each new...
Random This Pencil Art PS4 Is a Real Marvel
Comic book console
We’ve seen a lot of cool custom PlayStation 4 consoles over the years, but we may just have to hand the award to Shubhomoy Biswas for this stunning creation. The avid Spider-Man fan covered the top layer of his console with paper, and then proceeded to create an Into the Spider-Verse sketch on the top. He uses a variety of...
News Viral Social Media Montage Showcases PS4's Impressive Generation
Simply the best
We think it’s probably fair to say that the PlayStation 4 has played host to some pretty good games. Sony, in particular, has transformed its first-party portfolio into an unrivalled industry titan, and this social media montage celebrates that. Give it a watch, we’ll wait: Yeah, the video editing is obviously outstanding, but...
News Kaitlyn Dever Would 'Love' to Play Ellie in The Last of Us TV Adaptation
Huge fan of the game
HBO has partnered with PlayStation Productions and Naughty Dog to transform The Last of Us into a big budget TV series, and Unbelievable actress Kaitlyn Dever has admitted she’d “love” to play Ellie in the show. The actress is no stranger to Sony’s games, having previously portrayed Cassie Drake in Uncharted 4: A...
News Ghost of Tsushima PS5 Console Concept Is Sharper Than a Samurai Sword
Blades of chaos
These custom PlayStation 5 console designs are getting better, and this Ghost of Tsushima concept created by, er, XboxPope is more than a match for the recent God of War design. This one’s a little less ostentatious, using black and red colouring to associate it
Poll What Is Your Preferred Game Length?
Finding the sweet spot
What is your preferred game length? Obviously, it’s hard to pin a uniform number on this question as it depends on the context; RPGs generally take longer to complete than your average character action game, but at what point do you feel like you’re getting value for money? Do you like your titles to clock in with 50 hour...
News God of War PS5 Shows a Custom Design Concept for Next-Gen System
Fatherly love
The design of the PlayStation 5 has divided fans and critics alike, but there’s no doubt that the shape of Sony’s next-gen system is memorable. Some communities have taken to creating their own custom consoles, and this God of War makeover is one of the best we’ve seen thus far. It comes courtesy of a Spanish fan page, and has...
News This Is the Girl Dina Is Based on in The Last of Us 2
Cascina is Dina
Westworld actress Shannon Woodward is playing Dina in The Last of Us: Part II, but you may have noticed that the star doesn’t really look like her in-game counterpart. That’s because Naughty Dog actually face-scanned Cascina Caradonna for the character model, as revealed in the YouTube vlog embedded below. Get beyond...
Random Sony's PlayStation Studios Ident Actually Debuted Years Ago
Looks familiar
Sony’s created a new logo and ident to brand its first-party titles under the PlayStation Studios umbrella. The intro video in particular has become a source of much discussion, as many have pointed out its similarities to an Xbox ident introduced last year. But did you know that the Japanese giant actually introduced an alarmingly...
News Don't Believe Everything You Read About Naughty Dog Right Now
A lot of it is nonsense
It’s not been the best couple of months for Naughty Dog, has it? The developer was forced to delay The Last of Us: Part II due to the escalating coronavirus situation, and then moments before it stamped a new date on the anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive,
Random Kratos Becomes the Ultimate Duck Dad in God of War Tubbz Range
Quack back
Tubbz toys are a much more attractive alternative to Funko Pops, owing to the fact that they’re actually rubber ducks in costume. The range has been growing rapidly since its debut a few years ago, and now it’s adding one of PlayStation’s most popular properties to its catalogue: God of War. As part of the series’ second...
News GTA 6 Is Still in Early Development, and the Internet Hasn't Reacted Well
Trends on Twitter
Yesterday, Kotaku broke the news that since publishing its report on the working conditions at Rockstar Games during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, the situation has gotten a lot better. The studio is said to have a "healthier culture overall" and that it is "moving in the right direction". This was welcome news to hear,...
