Tag: Opinion
Opinion The Price of Playing PS5 Games Day One Is Getting Higher and Higher
And no one's really talking about it
There was condemnation of the industry’s decision to transition to $70 new releases at the start of the PS5 generation. For many, this price point breaks a psychological barrier, with software simply too expensive to be justified. Some have argued that cartridge-based software in the 90s was more costly,...
Opinion Why 2023 Will Be PS5's Biggest and Best Year Yet
A sleeping giant awakes
Let’s not beat around the bush: PlayStation has been weird recently. While it’s not the end of the world – the Japanese giant’s still found impressive success in unprecedented circumstances – it’s clear that the aftermath of the pandemic has rocked the PS5’s first few years. Games like God of War Ragnarok, which...
Opinion Maligned PlayStation Chief Jim Ryan Is Silencing His Critics
Pipe down
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan is not a pantomime villain, but that’s what he’s been portrayed to be. The executive – guilty of toeing the company line on cross-play, for example – has long been the butt of enthusiast gamers’ jokes. His biggest slip-up? An off-the-cuff remark about the original PSone Gran Turismo playable next to the...
Opinion Is PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Coming to the PS4?
We consider the facts
So then, is PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds coming to the PlayStation 4? Once again, we find ourselves having to work through some corporate double-speak in order to get to the truth – and yes, before someone says it, we’re fully aware that Microsoft is not the only console manufacturer willing to twist the meaning of the...
Opinion Has Sony Really Fallen Out of Love with Indie Games?
A question of optics
Ever since PlayStation Europe chief Jim Ryan’s unfortunate choice of words on indie games, there’s been a spate of hot takes about how Sony’s abandoned the scene. It’s taken us at Push Square Towers by surprise, seeing as only a few months ago we were writing articles arguing against PlayStation Store curation. Y’see,...
Opinion Why Sony Won't Support Cross-Console Play
At least not while it's got the largest install base
Minecraft brings people together, and with a future update, it will bring consoles together. Mojang announced during Microsoft’s E3 2017 press conference last night that it’s unifying the block buster across a variety of platforms: Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and even phones. The update means...
Opinion Why Sony Is Zagging While the Industry Zigs
A different direction
Third-party publishers are bullish: service games are the future. All of the big games makers are at it: Activision's got Destiny, Call of Duty, and – via its subsidiary Blizzard – Overwatch; EA's got FIFA Ultimate Team among others; Ubisoft's been kept busy with The Division, The Crew, Rainbow Six: Siege, and countless...
Opinion Which PlayStation VR Launch Games Should You Buy?
RIGS? DriveClub? Batman!
PlayStation VR has a gigantic launch lineup, and you're probably wondering which titles to buy right about now. While we still haven't sampled everything – the selection really is that big – we have played a pretty large selection, so we feel like we're pretty well placed to point you in the right direction. But which...
Opinion Why the Heck Is Sony Making a PS4 Slim?
The not-so little question
So, the PlayStation 4 Slim is real, and Digital Foundry made a video to prove it. Then lawyers got involved, and the hastily recorded clip got removed – you know how it goes. Still, this has all happened rather fast, hasn't it? If you'd have asked us on Sunday morning whether Sony would make a more compact PS4 console,...
Opinion Three Basic Firmware Features That Would Make PS4 Way Better
Overnight improvements
PlayStation 4 firmware update v3.50 launched this week and it's pretty good. Among the oft-requested features, the all-new system software includes the ability to appear offline and enable
Opinion Firewatch's Paltry Five Trophies Prove That the System Needs Fixing
Platinum problems
Let's get one thing straight: Trophies are the least important thing when it comes to appraising a game. We'd recommend an amazing title even if it had no pots, because the act of actually playing a release is more important than the system-wide meta-game that surrounds it. Having said that, Trophies are an essential part of the...
Opinion We're So Sick of Saving the Bloody World
Holding out for a hero
Hands up if you've got a headache from saving the world yet again? Yeah, us too. One pet peeve that's had Push Square Towers irritatedly animated over the past few weeks is the fact that every single video game in existence seems to feel the need to go big. Well, we're tired of preventing the apocalypse, and we'd like to see...
Opinion PS4 Firmware Update 3.00 Is One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Making a mess
Sony often gets criticised for being slow to update its console in comparison to the competition, but the reality is that the PlayStation 4 launched in a much better place than people give it credit for. There are obvious tweaks that still need to be made to the user interface to improve it – folders, friends notifications, and so...
Opinion Sony's Not Solely to Blame for PS Vita's Demise
Direct your anger elsewhere
Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida suggested this weekend that Sony won't make another handheld. Asked about the PlayStation Vita at EGX 2015, he said that the "climate" for dedicated portable platforms is not healthy right now because of the dominance of mobile gaming. This made a lot of people angry, with many...
Opinion What the Hell Is Everybody's Gone to the Rapture About?
Theories, suggestions, and themes
You could argue that the "game" portion of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is trying to piece it all together. The Chinese Room's latest so-called walking simulator is not especially mechanically dense, restricting much of its action to the DualShock 4's two analogue sticks and a single button. This is a title...
Feature The Seven Deadly Sins of Game Design
You should know better
Frustration is an emotion that none of us want to feel, especially when we're playing video games. The problem is, of course, that frustration is always lurking just around the corner, unless you're like the gaming equivalent of the most meditative monk in the world – in which case, we salute your patience and understanding...
Opinion How Reviews Can Colour a Game's Reception
Good and bad
There's a growing sentiment among the gaming press that sites like this one are an outdated concept. Apparently, people no longer want to read a considered critique of a game – they'd rather watch a playthrough on YouTube or Twitch, with some commentary from a popular personality. It's something that's constantly on this author's...
Opinion Why You Shouldn't Write Off PS4 Racer DriveClub
Back on track
In many ways, Evolution Studios got lucky. DriveClub's launch was an unmitigated disaster, but the developer was able to quietly solve many of the title's issues while a much bigger storm gathered around games like Assassin's Creed Unity. Once that had cleared, the Runcorn-based developer responded with a rain cloud of its own, and...
Opinion Why Sony Will Drop the PS4's Price if Necessary
Loss leader
Sony is not in the best of shape. It’s a fact that gamers appear to be fixated on, as the firm shuffles from one red number to the next. With a flagging television business and an increasingly irrelevant cellphone arm, the PlayStation 4 is one of the few products in the Japanese giant
Opinion How PS4 Streaming Will Help SingStar Hit the High Notes Again
Sony's social secret is on song
Yesterday’s unexpected SingStar announcement baffled us at first, but after having an entire evening to think about the latest PlayStation 4 entry, we’re starting to come around to the idea. With its next-gen system thus far, Sony has really tapped into the brilliance of broadcasting – and while
Opinion Could SHAREfactory on PS4 Become a Bit of a Cash Cow?
The cost of creativity
When the reports regarding an overhauled video editing suite for the PlayStation 4 first dropped, we weren’t expecting it to offer much. You’re already able to add titles to video clips on the Xbox One, and so we were anticipating something similar on Sony’s next-gen machine. However, when rumours relating to the...
Opinion EA Found Its Call of Duty Killer, and Committed a Titanic Mistake
Bracing for a fall
To say that EA is obsessed with Call of Duty would be an understatement. The publisher has been desperately trying to pick off Activision’s multiformat cash cow ever since Infinity Ward – a studio originally made up of Medal of Honor veterans, we hasten to add – changed the entire first-person arena one poorly balanced perk...
Opinion Sony Has Executed Impeccably on PS4's Gamer-Centric Approach
This is for the players
Sony couldn’t have been more in tune with gamers’ demands this year if it invited the entire population of the NeoGAF forums to participate in its daily meetings regarding the PlayStation 4. Ever since it teased the system at the tail-end of January, the Japanese giant has launch
Opinion Why Sony's Smart to Ship PS4 Accessories So Early
Window shopping
“The next generation doesn’t start until we say it does.” This classic quote from former Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai shortly before the PlayStation 3’s launch summarised the platform holder’s corporate attitude in 2006. Riding high off the sensationa
News Grand Theft Auto Online's Character Creator Is Clever, But Very Clunky
Parent trap
The best and worst thing about Rockstar's games is that they’re different. As noted in our review, Grand Theft Auto V is an exceptional adventure, with the kind of attention to detail that you simply wouldn’t find in any other release. However, it’s also letdown – no matter how slightly – by the fact that it’s a bit of a pain...
Opinion Isn't It Time That We Put a Stop to Grand Theft Auto Online-Esque Debacles?
Teething troubles
Grand Theft Auto Online is broken. It’s hardly the most startling revelation of the year, as anyone with a lick of common sense predicted that Rockstar’s servers would crash faster than a towed penthouse the moment that the hotly anticipated multiplayer component launched. But with this kind of issue becoming more and more...
Opinion Sony Must Refresh the PS4's Momentum at GamesCom
Scrapping for the spotlight
Ever since Jack Tretton and company dropped the microphone at E3 2013, quite a lot has changed about the impending next generation arms race. The advantages that the platform holder engineered for the PlayStation 4 –
Opinion The Problem with Knack, the PS4 Title That's Punching Above Its Weight
Monster problems
After somewhat slipping into irrelevancy throughout much of the PlayStation 3 era, Sony’s own Japan Studio is enjoying something of a renaissance at the minute. The first-party workshop – previously responsible for classics such as Ape Escape and Shadow of the Colossus – is
Opinion Next Xbox Development Woes Could Spell Trouble for the PS4
Modern warfare
Microsoft is supposedly struggling. According to reports coming out of Kotaku overnight, the platform holder is as much as six months behind on producing content for its next generation console. The site’s sources claim that the company recently canned a number of internally developed titles for its impending machine because they...
Reaction Ratchet & Clank's Movie Debut Could Breathe New Life into the Franchise
Galactic appeal
Ratchet & Clank hasn’t quite been the same since 2009’s outstanding A Crack in Time. While we applaud series creator Insomniac Games for experimenting with different approaches, both All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault struggled to live up to the admittedly lofty expectations set by the series’ sensational predecessors. With
Opinion Sony Must Manage the Transition to the PS4 Perfectly
Moving on
Sony’s commitment to the oft-discussed ten year life cycle is generally a positive thing. As a consumer, you can be fairly confident when you buy a new PlayStation product on launch day that it will be supported for a full decade at the very least. That’s reassuring – gaming is an expensive hobby, and no one wants to be lumbered with...
Opinion Microsoft's Always-Online Debacle Is Playing into the PS4's Hands
Xbox manufacturer is in a pickle
No publicity is bad publicity, or so the old adage goes – but Microsoft executives must find themselves staring into a window of brutal GIFs wondering what to do next. The press surrounding the company’s next generation platform has not been rosy for some time, but things escalated overnight when Adam Orth, the...
Reaction PlayStation 4 Catches Second Wind at GDC
Next generation platform pushed back into the spotlight
Sony’s decision to announce the PlayStation 4 early is looking smarter all of the time. While its competitors prompt ire from parts of the media and the development community for locking their next generation endeavours behind closed doors, the PlayStation manufacturer is currently strutting...
Reaction Practicality and Power Paves Positive Start for PS4
The importance of being earnest
Sony has changed. The ungainly arrogance of the Ken Kutaragi era was quashed within minutes of the humbled hardware manufacturer’s practical pageantry overnight, as recently appointed SCE president Andrew House and system architect Mark Cerny relayed the advantages of a developer-driven future. The irresponsible...
Opinion Why The Last Guardian Will Be a PlayStation 4 Game
Blooming great
While the PlayStation 3 has played host to its fair share of genre defining titles, it’s hard to shake the feeling that it’s still missing its most important release. The hotly anticipated Team ICO title The Last Guardian was officially announced almost four years ago, but despite receiving a release date in 2010, its troubled...
Opinion How LiveArea Could Be Enhanced for PlayStation 4
The circle of life
According to a wealth of recent rumours, the PlayStation 4 will be much more community driven than its predecessors. Trusted Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported earlier today that the console will “be furnished with the ability to exchange opinions amongst one's friends while playing games”. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal...
Opinion Warner Bros Is the Perfect Fit for Saints Row
Grand theft auto
As we type, various companies and venture capitalists are picking at the bones of fallen publisher THQ. The organisation’s assets are being auctioned off individually, meaning it’s entirely possible that the likes of Homefront, Red Faction, and
Feature Opinion: Quit Dallying And Put The PlayStation Vita On Store Shelves Already
Like many others, we came away from Sony's press conference grinning from ear-to-ear
Not only had Sony demonstrated a substantially more capable handheld platform than its peers, it also seemed to show a reasonable understanding of the current market-place. Handheld platforms need to both accompany the home-console experience, and differentiate from...
Feature Opinion: PlayStation Suite Is The Ace In Sony's Portable Strategy
PushSquare editor Sammy Barker follows up his original reaction to the NGP with discussion on why PlayStation Suite is the overlooked ace in Sony's portable gaming strategy
</em> I've had a few days to analyse the reaction to Sony's NGP announcement this week, and I've been overwhelmed by how much positivity I've read. People seem to get it...
Opinion Why Sony's Next Generation Portable Sounds Like The Perfect Device For Me
PushSquare editor Sammy Barker delivers his first reaction to Sony's new handheld announcement, the Next Generation Portable
I often feel like I'm the only person in the world not caught up in the iOS hype hurricane. I think Apple's devices are fantastic pieces of kit, but as gaming systems they don't come anywhere near meeting the kind of...
