Art_Vandelay

"Larian's latest is a game that can utterly consume your life for days, weeks, months, even years".

And that is why I'm in love with VR at the moment.

To each, their own, I guess.

Here is the part of the calculus that people don't realize: the very same users that churn from the service are the users that will buy more games through the traditional means.

The money Sony potentially loses when a user drops from PS+ is the money they'll get anyway when that user buys a new game at launch.

Subscription services are great for companies from the recurring revenue perspective, but it's not a win-win scenario. Especially in videogames.

@Cashews "I'd bet your eternal soul Meta and Sony have lost many many millions[...]".

In business, this is called an investment. VR has been growing steadily over the last 10 years and will eventually get to the mainstream. Admittedly, we're still a couple of steps short techwise, but we're getting there. And the companies with a head start will naturally benefit.

Meanwhile, PSVR2 has reinvigorated my passion for games. The downside is that it has opened my eyes to how creatively stagnated flat-screen gaming has been over the last several years.

There was always something about the aesthetic of the latest Saints Row that was an immediate turn-off for me.

I hope other studios take notice and avoid this sort of look that don't appeal to a larger audience.

"33 per cent of you said that you’ll be ditching PS Plus entirely" - 2023.

"If Sony decides to charge for multiplayer, I'll be switching to PC when next gen arrives" - 2013.

And we know how disastrous the PS4 generation went for Sony.

@Hoodie718 This is great news. Not only because PSVR2 gets a bonus killer app, but because it demonstrates how powerful foveated rendering really is.

@XboxTheBestBox I feel I really shouldn't have to state the obvious, but here we go: it's nefarious to leverage financial advantage and employ anticompetitive tactics in order to create a monopoly.

@cburg Then why don't I have a problem with Nintendo?

Because they simply do their thing, which is essentially making high quality games.

A healthy games industry should have a few platform holders competing, and that's exactly why I have a problem with Microsoft's strategy. Because it's "spend them out of business" predatory. And you know that.

Sony is not winning because their strategy is to destroy competitors. They're winning because Microsoft is a productivity software company first and foremost, who don't seem to be able to put out good games with consistency. So they use their financial might to buy creativity and enforce an unsustainable business model in a search for monopoly.

This game was an event in itself back in the day. O love the fact that VR now provides a medium where developers and creatives can really push boundaries, as traditional gaming has stagnated over time.

@XboxTheBestBox 2%, you say. What do you estimate the percentage will be in 10 or 20 years?

Don't be so short sighted. Microsoft is playing the long game here.

Physical to digital to streaming. That's the obvious path. It doesn't matter if it takes 100 years. Corporations think in decades. And that's why this Ubisoft deal is as naive as the 10-year COD Sony deal.

Microsoft is totally doing the winner takes all move, mobile gaming included. And it won't be the first time they employ this nefarious strategy.

I see dark times ahead in gaming. We're happily following the train wreck that's been Hollywood and rock music.

I'm not a fan of puzzlers, but Humanity is fantastic. And like Tetris Effect, it's elevated to a whole new level in VR.

@4kgk2 Yeah, truly well deserved. GT7 in VR with proper wheel and pedals is a dream come true.

I've driven a Ferrari 458 on a closed track in Vegas and the aforementioned combo comes eerily close to the real thing.

If Premium keeps adding VR demos, I'll definitely consider upgrading from Extra.

As I build my VR legs, I still can't quite put my finger on what causes me motion sickness. I can play Call of the Mountain or RE Village for like an hour no problem but, say, Song in the Smoke or Tales from the Galaxy's Edge hit me pretty much instantly.

The vibes I get from this image are the exact same as when those pictures of the horrendous PS5 dev kit leaked and people reacted as if the console would look anything like that. "Look, there's even a 'V' in there, so it must be the final design.".

@Trousersnake Yeah, Crossfire Sierra Squad looks like the Call of Duty that I actually want to play.

I've never been a fan of FPS because of the disconnect between my actions and the gameplay. I've always felt like I was controlling a camera, not a character, never really feeling I was immersed.

Now, in VR... damn, shooting stuff just feels so satisfying.

@RIGGOR_MORTIS Yeah, and even if the game was free, you don't actually get the car. It's just an in-game rendition of that model, so you can only drive it within the confines of GT7. The nerve.

@gbanas92 Now, here's an idea: trailers for VR games.

In VR.

I know, it's a long shot, with many inherent challenges. And it doesn't solve the issue of bringing new people in. But it's worth considering.

I mean, there might have been attempts at that that I'm not aware of, but the point stands.

@WaveBoy Exactly. One interesting thing that I've recently figured out is the reverse effect of trailers. I explain.

Trailers of flat-screen games almost always make the game look better than it actually is, whereas it's the exact opposite with VR.

Just last week, I was debating with myself which game to pick up from the recent PS Store sale. I had had my eyes on Zombieland for a while, but I was totally turned off by the trailers. I wondered how that underwhelming looking game could be any good, but I'm glad I took the risk and pulled the trigger. That game is crazy fun and it actually looks surprisingly cool inside the headset.

And that is actually one of VR's greatest barriers, right? It's a hard thing to market.

@Johnnycide I don't know exactly how you'd define "failure", but for me and the hundreds of thousands out there who own a PSVR2, it's a massive success.

I'm drowning in incredible titles here, and I haven't had this much fun with videogames since the early nineties.

VR just makes everything so much more compelling that I'm worried I won't be able to enjoy flat-screen games ever again. I initially attributed that to the wow factor being new to VR and all, but it's been almost 6 months and my love for the medium just keeps growing.

Sure, I've played a couple flat-screen games in the meantime but, you know, they fall flat.

@Total_Weirdo You mean first-party support? Honestly, I wouldn't wait. Third-party support has been amazing. I'm drowning in games like I never have before.

I know this hasn't been the feeling outside of the VR bubble, but I guarantee you there are more than enough great VR games to keep you entertained for years already. With many more coming.

The games media coverage of PSVR2 has been appalling. Push Square is certainly better than most, but I would follow Youtube channels such as Without Parole to really get the vibe.

And to be fair, Sony has been a little too quiet on the marketing front, but support hasn't been bad at all. Horizon and GT7 are no joke, and Sony has been funding many VR versions and ports such as Resident Evil (8 and 4).

Take the plunge, dude. The water temperature is just perfect.

I've just had the time of my gaming life yesterday with this game. I bought a PSVR2 at launch but, being new to VR, I had to grow my VR legs before being able to handle Gran Turismo.

Well, the time has finally come. And man oh man.. This is what I've been dreaming of since my Atari 2600 days.

Fun anecdote: today, I was driving IRL and I kept having flashes of memory from my yesterday's GT7 session, as if I had actually raced. VR is so cool.

@Flaming_Kaiser Oh, I totally agree. All of my gaming time has been spent on PSVR2 since February, which feels oddly similar to the whole Dreams saga. It's niche and radically different from everything else, and Sony is still willing to support it. For now, at least.

I just hope Sony learns from the mistakes they made with Dreams, because at the end of the day, it's business. If the product doesn't perform in the market, it eventually gets axed. There's no way around that, apart from a very idealistic and unrealistic view of the world.

@TrickyDicky99 Exactly. The point being the hardware is worth it even though there are relatively few current-gen exclusives. Which isn't to say that games designed with the newer hardware as a baseline aren't going to be even better.

Man, the whole Dreams saga makes absolutely no sense:

1) The "game" is revealed along with the PS4, and nobody can understand what it is.
2) It then takes like a decade to come out.
3) A paid beta program happens right before launch.
4) The game is a commercial flop from the start, but MM and Sony keep supporting it for years.
5) It is one of the very few Sony IPs that never comes out on PC, where it actually had a real chance to flourish.
6) MM finally announces its end of service.
7) Then one of the main features that could give it a real push is announced: the ability to export creations.
8) And then the other thing that could actually save it happens: "free" with PS+.
9) And finally, the seemingly best creation from MM themselves comes out of nowhere.

Really, what is going on?

Edit: look, I'm not bashing on the game here. I actually think it is amazing, but it fell victim to one the worst cases of bad decision after bad decision in Sony's history. PS3-era included

@TrickyDicky99 "2,500 games . . of which 2,475 are PS4 games"
... of which 2,450 run way better on the newer hardware.

The core gameplay is awesome, so they're definitely on the right track to turn a good game into a great game.

"Further, Capcom looks to continue expanding sales with the upcoming release of Resident Evil 4 VR Mode, free downloadable content compatible with PlayStation VR2."

He's right, I know at least one additional copy will be sold as soon as the PSVR2 mode drops.

This game is awesome. I just don't get why reviewers downplayed the VR mode. Most described it as "not adding much to the flat-screen mode", which I totally disagree.

VR adds a much welcome sense of depth and makes navigating the environments easier by virtue of allowing the user to change camera position by simply moving their head.

But most importantly, VR automatically makes everything much, much more awesome. Instead of peering through a 65" 2D window, I'm in there. It hit me the other day, when I was admiring the massive face made out of those tiny people in the central hub, and I had to take out de headset. Geez Luise, how underwhelming was the sight of that same head on my TV. Seriously.

@get2sammyb I beg to differ.

The monetization model has a direct influence on the dynamics of a game. It's not about being single or multiplayer. It's about telling a compelling story with a beginning and an end. That is the traditional model we all know and love.

Live service implies continuity by definition, and that brings along all sorts of really bad inherent characteristics: games become jobs, because they now require max engagement to generate the need or desire to spend the extra money.

These trend chasing shenanigans almost never end well in the gaming business. Games take too long to develop. By the time the game is out, the trend is over.

I worry that Sony seems to be making a very disproportional bet on the live service thing. They claim that the traditional single player experiences will not be negatively impacted, but the latest showcase tells a very different story.

It reeks of "TV, TV, TV" Xbox, or motion controls, or Sony's own recent mobile initiative.

"The District Court’s ruling makes crystal clear that this acquisition is good for both competition and consumers".

Who the hell is stupid enough to buy this crap? So, Microsoft is willing to spend the biggest amount of money ever spent by any tech company to benefit the competition and consumers? WTF?

I don't know, man... The whole thing smells reeeal fishy. Money talks...

@Shepherd_Tallon I remember that. And funnily enough, it aligns perfectly with another quote, but from the other side: when asked about Bethesda games' exclusivity, Phil Spencer said it would be available "wherever Game Pass exists", or something along those lines.

See, not on Xbox. On Game Pass.

Stranger Things have happened.

Here is the only way this could work: Microsoft gets out of the console business and Game Pass ends up on PlayStation (and every other remaining platform).

It may sound absurd now, but that is where we seem to be heading in my view. Either that, or one of the two platform holders will implode in the long run.

Oh, let's all flock to that social media platform where people who I don't agree with are censored. Yay!

@Trousersnake "VR IS the future of gaming".

It's hard to look decades into the future but, for now, VR is a future of gaming. Not the future. This nuance matters, because it's not a competition. VR should be seen as a great alternative to flat-screen gaming, a complementary way to play.

Since I got my PSVR2 in February, my gaming time has been like 80% VR, 20% flat-screen. I'm new to VR, so it's hard to say how this split will trend. But I can see VR eating the lion's share of my gaming for the foreseeable future.

I use a little trick with this game, since my space is quite limited: I stand on a memory foam pillow, which makes it very hard to move my feet.

This way, I'm sort of planted on the ground which leads me to rely on the sticks for lateral movement. I also never physically move front or backwards, since it's unnecessary afaik.

@Balosi Good point. It's a careless and serious mistake that could help changing the tides on this thing. Not necessarily in court, but public perception matters. It's a bit of a PR nightmare, at the very least.

@Tharsman "If that email is the only email that voices that opinion, I think its safe to say no one else agreed with the stance."

This email is not an exhibit, it's a slip up. Plain and simple. This is not the kind of remark you make in writing, regardless of it being discussed behind closed doors or even simply being implied. Which it totally is by Microsoft's past and present actions and behavior, not only but very much with Xbox.

If you don't think that pretty much everyone at Microsoft agrees with that statement, you have absolutely no grasp at corporate reality.

@Fiendish-Beaver "It is an email between two friends, where no caution was shown in their choice of words, as we all do in unguarded moments."

Bingo. What defines a person's true character is what they do when no one is looking. You take off your mask, we see your face. You drink a couple beers, you're more likely to tell the truth.

@themightyant "Do they think everyone is an idiot and believes every word they say?"

No, they think they can throw their weight around and bulldoze this acquisition. Just look at what's happening in the UK, where Microsoft has straight out threatened to pull their business out. It's sickening.

Not to mention the lobbying and god knows what else.

@Tharsman "Fast forward a few years, and both Sony and Xbox have spent way more than that in acquisitions."

Sony was obviously forced into this escalation game, but they know they can't compete. And that's exactly when market authorities such as the FTC must come in and tip the scales in order to guarantee fair play.

The ABK deal is nothing but a (massive) piece in the puzzle and cannot be looked at in isolation.

If that doesn't seal (or rather unseal) the deal, I don't know what will.

What Spencer means by "not understanding the platforms" is that he hopes to have Game Pass on PlayStation by the time TES6 releases.

Microsoft is a software and services company first and foremost. The hardware is a bump on the way, and the Xbox division would actually love to become just that: a software and services brand.

Sure, Sony would not allow GP on PlayStation as long as the Xbox console exists. But if Microsoft drops the machine, why wouldn't they?

@Neither_scene It's not about the exclusivity.

It's about ownership and control of the IP.

@Pat84 You probably need more contrast around you for the headset cameras to use as anchors. I think stuff with right angles work best. I've had issues especially with my floor and found that splattering cushions around helped quite a bit.

I wonder if the resurgence of GT7 has anything to do with the fact that PSVR2 has been available at retail stores.

The symbiotic relationship that some key games - Gran Turismo, Resident Evil - have with the headset is certainly an important reason that drove Sony to keep investing in VR. It strengthens and invigorates the whole ecosystem.

The actual problem with these events is the timing. Rigid dates and the yearly frequency simply don't work in an environment where development cycles usually take 5 or 6 years.

I wonder how many of those sales were driven by PSVR2.

RE Village is probably the de facto experience on the headset along with GT7. And I recall Capcom saying something like "most PSVR2 owners have played Village". Sure, a good number of those already owned the game, but I for one only picked it because of the VR support. And considering the headset is probably closing in to 1 million by now (600k in April followed by retail availability in May)... food for thought.

I see all these comparisons with TV streaming services, but the truth is that even those are plateauing. The difference is that the ceiling is much lower with games.

I'm cancelling my Netflix subscription for the first time in over a decade. I'm tired of throwaway movies and hit n' miss shows. Netflix is the definition of quantity over quality.

And that was my main concern with Game Pass when it was announced and heralded as the best value in gaming. Lo and behold, it's all getting clear now.

@NEStalgia To be fair, the closed ecosystem does have its advantages, especially for the layman. But the price to be paid is borderline ridiculous. I used a Mac for the few years I attended the University, and it was fine. But I went straight back to PC as soon as I was done with my degree and never looked back.