@get2sammyb I'd say it's a W for Microsoft regardless. Microsoft gets the sales across platforms. It gets MTX money across platforms. And even if it isn't driving Game Pass subscriptions up (though I seem to remember someone at somewhere saying there was a boost to Game Pass thanks to COD), it will help maintain the high-tier Game Pass subscriptions - so there is money there.
Bottom line: Microsoft is doing fine with the money-making department. It's not a multi-trillion dollar company for nothing.
The problem with Microsoft is that Xbox became a "Board Room" brand - in that the soul of the platform was removed once Xbox became too big and the gaze of big-daddy corporate became fixed in its direction.
I would be pretty cool if the physical copy of the game came with a QR code that links to instructions on how to build each of the monsters in the game as well as the list of Bricks required for each build (just like how all sets have a Brick sheet in case you need to order replacements).
Sure, it would probably cost more than having LEGO come out with an official set, but for those with disposable incomes, it would be nice to order all the bricks individually from LEGO's official store based on official checklists.
@LogicStrikesAgain @Whately86 As of right now, if one were to buy a game on Steam from 2K Sports, Ubisoft, Blizzard, Rockstar, and some EA and Activision games, they all require logging into their respective launchers upon booting of the game.
Interestingly enough, it is all Western publishers that require them.
I don't think any major Japanese publishers require launchers with an account. Capcom doesn't require one. Square Enix doesn't (well, except Final Fantasy 14, but that makes sense). Bandai Namco doesn't, either. Neither does Konami.
Microsoft doesn't require any log-in for single player games.
So, yes, there is precedent for launchers on PC, but I also think there is "launcher fatigue" on PC.
I know I have the following installed on my computer:
Steam GOG Galaxy Epic Games Store Amazon Prime Games EA Play Battle.NET Ubisoft Connect
I use Steam the most.
Second-most used app is Epic Game Store to play Alan Wake II, and a bunch of free games Epic has been handing out over the years (as well as free games through Prime Gaming).
I sometimes use GOG Galaxy for Cyberpunk and The Witcher series (and some old games I happen to own as well as freebies that I got both from GOG.com itself and through Prime Gaming).
I loaded the Amazon Prime Games launcher once. I loaded the Ubisoft Connect launcher once or twice. I loaded Battle.NET a handful of times. I don't even really use EA Play at all.
I prefer to use as little apps as I can - and I don't load all these apps up at boot.
@LogicStrikesAgain I would think selling games since Sony actually makes money from that. Creating a PSN account doesn't cost a dime from the consumer - yet seems to be costing sales for Sony.
I guess some bean counter somewhere feels like ecosystem is the better option since Sony isn't budging on the issues at the moment.
@LogicStrikesAgain Steam lets developers do what it pleases in terms of how it wants to handle games and lets the free market decide for itself how things play out.
It's not in Steam's interest to police who adds what launcher and authentication to their games. That's on player choice to decide what's right for them.
Steam makes it very clear what is required to play said game to allow people to make an informed choice.
I don't think anyone is arguing whether Sony is allowed or not allowed to do with its own games.
What people are saying is that players are voicing their concerns with Sony and voting with their wallets and, yet, Sony continues to double down regardless of that.
So, if more news comes out that Sony games aren't doing well, there is no mystery why. Sony does nothing about it.
I feel bad for Nixxes.
They do a great job with their ports, but it's all starting to be in vain. Will that studio go on the chopping block if Sony's PC ambitions die due to Sony telling its consumers what they want rather than listening to what they want (or don't want)?
@dskatter "we want to track your playtime so we can show our shareholders that we are having growth in PSN accounts so that they are satisfied".
There, I fixed it for you.
@LogicStrikesAgain Sorry, I wasn't meaning for you to actually have answers. Truly baffling to say they "learned" but won't change. It really does feel like Sony forgot what it's like to have actual pushback.
@LogicStrikesAgain Odd strategy to disregard the voice of the people you are trying to sell to - especially if you want to grow a Live Service business that will need a player base.
If a company isn't listening to the players, why should they continue to support that company?
I remember when people were losing their minds because there was a bug in the first re-release of the original DOOM where the Bethesda account launcher couldn't be skipped and forced people to sign-in. It was rectified very quickly.
This is the same thing except Sony doing it! Provide the option, and let it be skipped.
@get2sammyb "Just don't give Sony your money if you don't want to login to PSN. It's not hard."
And that's exactly what PC players are doing as PushSquare posts articles about how the novelty of Sony games on PC is wearing off due to low sales.
Move to the comments section and people call Sony's push to PC a mistake and how they shouldn't even bother because people aren't buying the games anymore.
We tell people to vote with their wallets and then criticize them for voting with their wallets.
It's very simple Sony:
PSN for live service as people are connecting to your servers.
No PSN for single-player games because no one on PC cares about your Trophies or your PSN success line chart you report to shareholders.
Do that and perhaps people will believe you've "Learned a lot" from PC players.
@ChrisDeku "You understand that if Sony hadn’t backed this game it would still have existed and been published in the same state and everyone at the studio would still lose their jobs right?"
Would it? Or perhaps another publisher would have tested the game earlier - like Sony admitted it failed to do - and actually made course corrections where necessary.
@themightyant No, all I am saying is that saying "Sony will be fine" is tone deaf after a bunch of people lost their jobs and became "lessons learned" for Sony.
I am done with this conversation.
I think Sony should have done better for Firewalk. You all don't. We'll agree to disagree.
Yay Sony has 65 million sales of PS5!
Peace and love to you both and thanks for the back-and-forth. 👍
@ChrisDeku I don't think you are really paying attention to what I am saying.
Yes, the game was in development and Sony saw what Firewalk was doing and though it was great.
Someone at Sony saw everything Firewalk was doing during development and thought it was great.
Someone at Sony continued to go full steam ahead with everyting Firewalk was doing despite what people were saying about it when it was revealed because they thought it was going to be great.
The game didn't land and it was canned after 2 weeks because it didn't make millions at launch.
Firewalk gets closed.
Sony then comes out and says "You know, maybe we should have tested this earlier."
Tell me how someone at Sony doesn't get canned for that?!
Then to just nonchalantly comment that Sony will do just fine taking the risk because it can make money back?! At what cost?! How many jobs will Sony continue to have on a chopping block chasing the live service holy grail?!
@ChrisDeku No less bizarre than absolving Sony in any wrongdoing that lead to the closure of said studio.
They are both at fault in some way, but Sony just gets to make PR statements that they should have done better for the game, while the actual developers have to update their LinkedIn profiles.
I said it once before - it's like a Captain firing the deckhands because the ship ran aground, despite the Captain being at the wheel.
So if the Horizon multiplayer game flops after spending millions, is Guerilla going to get shut down?
On topic: Congrats to Sony on the sales accomplishment.
But Sony took the gamble. Sony lost. So as punishment to the people who made the game, they dropped them.
Sony then has a nice boost to profit.
Go Sony! Let's all applaud Sony for making massive money off the backs of others when it was Sony who made the decision to buy the company to begin with.
Sony obviously saw something in Firewalk to buy them. Firewalk delivered a technically polished product - it's just that it didn't resonate with people. Sony even admitted mistakes it made with Firewalk - so, in that sense it was Sony who failed Firewalk, not the other way around (but Firewalk gets punished for it).
So glad that the closure of entire studio made for a wonderful "Lessons learned" corporate document for the future. Go team!
@ChrisDeku So glad Sony was able to recoup its financial losses - tell that to the people who lost their jobs thanks to Sony's push for live service. I am sure their loss of stability rolled right off the company's back, too.
This goes for any company who takes a risk chasing trends at the cost of jobs when it doesn't pan out.
I mean, yes, there are anomalies that can show up, but you pretty much would need to take direct capture, stop footage, zoom in 400% on a blade of grass and compare it with the native version at exactly the same time to actually notice that a blade of grass as slightly more break-up in motion than the native resolution.
@Titntin I guess I overlooked the fact that it's a HFR Mode that isn't available on 60Hz displays. That's actually kind of an odd choice, indeed.
Perhaps console makers should look into what Nvidia does with VSync. For those not in the know, it has a "Fast" Vsync option that lets the game run as fast as the game can run, it just drops the frames your display can't handle so you don't get screen tearing - but get all the game response benefits of the higher FPS.
So for something like this, a 60Hz TV can run a game at 80fps, you just don't see it - but the game responds as if it's running at 80fps. Like a reverse Frame Gen - lol!
While the TFLOP doesn't mean anything like it used to, it's still a loose gauge of raw performance. With the PS5 Pro being 16 TFLOPS means a PS6 will probably be like 32 TLFOP and my Nvidia 4070 Super is 35 TFLOPs.
Plus, it already has AI technologies like DLSS, Frame Generation, and Ray Reconstruction. All similar technologies that will probably be added to a PS6 (but obviously not Nvidia's variant).
My AMD 7800X3D and 32GB of RAM will also be more than fine.
Bottom line: Not only am I covered through the rest of this generation, I will be covered through next generation as well.
I will probably need to lower settings for "next-gen" games as I only have 12GB of VRAM (and I am sure 16GB of VRAM will be the ideal target), but I don't predict absolutely needing to upgrade components until the generation after next. I don't run games at 4K anyways, which helps a lot on keeping VRAM levels lower.
@ChimpMasta I remember when you needed a super powerful GPU just to use AA because it was incredibly expensive - FXAA and TAA didn't exist, then though. Even at 1024 x 768 resolution you couldn't use AA unless you had the right hardware.
Unless Capcom is doing some significant optimization to CPU load - which will also bleed over to all platforms - I wouldn't expect 60fps in cities on PS5 Pro.
Even people with 7800X3D CPUs have their framerates drop down to 60 and below when running around cities - but reported framerates in the 100s when outside of cities (GPU dependent, of course).
People need to understand that Bloodborne will run the exact same way even on PS6 because the game needs modification to remove the uneven frame times and boost to 60fps.
Sony doesn’t have the “luxury” of using a DirectX layer to trick the game to 60fps.
Okay PSSR could sharpen the image, but performance requires more effort. Simply throwing more processing cycles isn’t the solution.
I think it’s a symptom of the FromSoftware engine, because when Microsoft got Dark Souls 3 to use FPS Boost on Series X|S it actually needed FromSoftware to change something to the Xbox version for it to work correctly (as it never got an X1X patch).
@DonkeyFantasy The PSN requirement for single player games is one sticking point. Especially when the original PC release didn’t have any PSN requirement and was available to more countries.
The $10 upgrade fee also doesn’t help - especially with the PC version being considerably newer than the PS4 release.
Feels more like the IP that this game has very obviously borrowing from is getting an official blessing from Konami!
LOL!
It's a great game - I absolutely love it. I was just shocked how much it seemed to get away with without catching some kind of flak from Konami.
The whole game felt like an original idea for the Castlevania IP but got rejected so the developers changed a few sprites and character names to be...not quite Castlevania related.
I am just glad they were able to get the "real deal" into the game. It's a brilliant title!
I mean...any game is a gamble. It's not that the game was a technical mess or completely unpolished. I mean, even PushSquare gave it a good score. It just failed to attract players.
It seems like the developer had the talent to create a technically competent product.
I feel the onus is on Sony for certain business decisions made that lead to the failure.
The whole thing feels like "development via boardroom" and the developer got thrown under the bus for decisions outside the developer's control.
Not making free-to-play out of the gate feels like a Sony decision to get cash up front as well as a way to try to boost PS+ numbers (since it would be required to play it by not being free to play).
PC gamers sure as heck didn't get onboard and online play is free for them.
It all feels like firing the deckhands for running aground despite the fact the captain was steering the ship.
Heck, people even said before the game released why they had no interest in the title and Sony refused to try to change course.
Now, in Sony's defense, it may have been beyond the point of no return by then, but there was still warning that the game might not hit the target prior to release.
Perhaps I would keep the doors open and turn it into a support studio or something to help reduce inflating development times.
I just feel like the developer wasn't given a fair shake.
@wildcat_kickz @Northern_munkey It's not me making these claims.
I am simply interpreting the possible grounds for why the CWA is making this claim.
There is plenty of evidence to support the contrary. Evidence that will more than likely shut this whole thing down.
However, if the CWA has strong evidence to support their claim that its more nefarious than what the PR lets on, then I think it should absolutely be brought to the forefront.
@wildcat_kickz I am sure Naughty Dog spent a considerable amount of time and money on Factions 2 only to turn around and cancel it because the studio didn't want to turn the studio into a GaaS studio and, yet, their doors are still open.
@Titntin I provided possibilities of their angle. Whether it holds weight is not for any of us to decide.
It wasn't completely without rational thought.
My guess is that their angle is that Sony dangled a multi-platform carrot and then took it away when things didn't go Sony's way and therefore eliminating platform choice (and jobs) and somehow forcing people back to Sony's platform - thereby increasing its market share in the console space by continuing to force people into it.
Sony has plenty of evidence to the contrary as Nixxes is still operating and doing a great job with PC ports (other than a weird control bug in the map screen in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, the game has been solid for me on PC). Also, Sony will have its first Switch game ever with LEGO Horizon. Plus, MLB The Show was forced to go multi-platform.
Not necessarily. Microsoft was sued by gamers after the ABK merger. It was settled out of court.
While it was seemingly non-sensical, perhaps they would have provided a better argument about the ABK merger than the FTC came up with.
But I am sure the "settlement" was simply that Microsoft wouldn't bury the gamers in millions of dollars in legal fees if they dropped the case.
Yes, right now it sounds dumb. Even I don't understand how closing a studio increases monopoly. But I welcome the challenge to Sony - even if it's a losing situation for the challenger.
My point wasn't to defend CWA. It's a criticism that any time Sony is challenged, people here dismiss it immediately, but will actively support challenging the competition.
Sony needs to be challenged from every angle. Just like Microsoft needs to be challenged. Just like Nintendo needs to be challenged.
We have no idea what supporting evidence there is to point to a monopoly by studio closure.
I guess because those were studios working outside of PlayStation platform but then were closed - which means that consumers on other platforms are now forced to get PlayStations for Sony games?? Who knows?
Why it matters now when Sony's entire business model has been like that (as has Nintendo's - and as has Microsoft's until recently) is anyone's guess.
Maybe because Sony opened the door and then closed it immediately after it didn't "win" due to competition?? Again, I don't know.
It's probably total nonsense. But, I support its right to challenge! Maybe there is something there we don't see that can get presented in court that points to wrong-doing.
Maybe they are seeing how Apple has been getting challenged (and losing) and is being forced out of its exclusivity so they are going after Sony since Microsoft is pulling down its wall. Maybe Nintendo will be next.
PC players don't like what Sony is doing with PC releases and are focal about it, they are called whiners and say Sony should just ignore PC.
CWA challenges Sony and you all dismiss it and call it a non-argument.
It's okay when Microsoft gets challenged, but not Sony.
And yes, Microsoft got heavily challenged for the ABK acquisition, the fact that it became more about what's best for Sony and Call of Duty rather than providing how it might actually hurt consumers paved the way for Microsoft winning against the FTC.
Perhaps if the FTC didn't look like it was siding with a single company, things might have been different.
The CMA actually did something positive and forced Microsoft to make changes.
Eventually, this whole "walled garden" approach will go away. I am sure even Nintendo will one day have to put its games on other platforms. It's just a matter of time.
It's already happening in the mobile space with Apple. It will come to consoles, too!
Even if this ends up getting thrown out for lack of evidence or because it's a non-issue, there is nothing wrong with challenging Sony on it. And any company should be challenged!
@DennisReynolds I was here to say something similar.
It’s fine if Sony wants to make a live service game as long as it’s a live service game that has Sony’s special sauce - not some carbon copy of another successful formula - people already have that.
I bet Factions 2 would have been a huge hit as it sounded like something that was actually different!
If ND didn’t want to turn its studio into a live service factory, Sony could have handed off the development labor to another studio with a small team at ND being used for decison making.
@get2sammyb @Shinnok789 Native 4K is such a waste of resources with AI-based reconstruction available - even people with the most powerful hardware still use reconstruction to 4K because the performance gains for the perceived exact same visual result makes native resolution pointless.
What good is having choice when PSSR gets to the point where reconstructed 4K looks identical to native 4K?
Not saying Sony can do much about it this generation since only the Pro has PSSR and games still need to target the base PS5. But on a PS6, there is zero reason for developers have a native 4K 30/reconstructed 4K 60 choice as they can simply target 60 using the highest graphical settings possible for the hardware and then use PSSR to reach that 4K image.
@Mikey856 I hope by 4K, you mean "4K" that comes from PSSR as the base PS5 can't even run 4K at 30fp.
I am not knocking upscaling, by the way, just making sure your expectations are in check.
I do wonder how prevalent 120 mode will be on PS5 Pro.
My guess it won't be used for that and will mostly just provide better image quality at 60fps. Perhaps some current 120 titles will get PSSR support, but I don't see a 120 Modes exclusive to PS5 Pro being a thing.
@sanderson72 @Darkashura Probably a two-fold thing.
1) It brings it in line with the experience when playing on an Xbox Series X (which doesn't have a "native" version but is enhanced via the more robust backwards compatibility capabilities)
I swear you PlayStation fans want nothing more than for everyone to simply play on PlayStation the way you all complain about how other people prefer to play their games.
Neither one is wrong.
PC people are well aware that consoles are cheaper and considerably more convenient.
Some people choose PC because maybe they are just simply tired of being locked into a single console ecosystem and letting that single ecosystem dictate everything that comes with it. Perhaps they are tired of paying for online multiplayer. Perhaps they just simply want better control of their gaming experience at the cost of convenience. Perhaps they want the high-end experience for the cost. There can be a million reasons why people are choosing to switch.
I am just happy the game is doing very well across the board. It honestly shouldn't matter where the most was sold as long as it sold well!
Comments 2,590
Re: Black Ops 6 Drives Monthly PS5 Sales Growth in the UK, 75% of Players Purchase on PlayStation
@get2sammyb I'd say it's a W for Microsoft regardless. Microsoft gets the sales across platforms. It gets MTX money across platforms. And even if it isn't driving Game Pass subscriptions up (though I seem to remember someone at somewhere saying there was a boost to Game Pass thanks to COD), it will help maintain the high-tier Game Pass subscriptions - so there is money there.
Bottom line: Microsoft is doing fine with the money-making department. It's not a multi-trillion dollar company for nothing.
The problem with Microsoft is that Xbox became a "Board Room" brand - in that the soul of the platform was removed once Xbox became too big and the gaze of big-daddy corporate became fixed in its direction.
Re: Someone's Definitely Gonna Rebuild PS5's LEGO Horizon Adventures in Real Life
I would be pretty cool if the physical copy of the game came with a QR code that links to instructions on how to build each of the monsters in the game as well as the list of Bricks required for each build (just like how all sets have a Brick sheet in case you need to order replacements).
Sure, it would probably cost more than having LEGO come out with an official set, but for those with disposable incomes, it would be nice to order all the bricks individually from LEGO's official store based on official checklists.
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@Bez87 Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered kicks you out of the game if you don't log in.
Everything before God of War Ragnarök doesn't require a PSN log-in (it was either optional or login didn't exist at all).
Ghost of Tsushima has an optional log-in to use PlayStation overlay (which makes sense), but it is required to play Legends (also makes sense).
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@LogicStrikesAgain @Whately86 As of right now, if one were to buy a game on Steam from 2K Sports, Ubisoft, Blizzard, Rockstar, and some EA and Activision games, they all require logging into their respective launchers upon booting of the game.
Interestingly enough, it is all Western publishers that require them.
I don't think any major Japanese publishers require launchers with an account. Capcom doesn't require one. Square Enix doesn't (well, except Final Fantasy 14, but that makes sense). Bandai Namco doesn't, either. Neither does Konami.
Microsoft doesn't require any log-in for single player games.
So, yes, there is precedent for launchers on PC, but I also think there is "launcher fatigue" on PC.
I know I have the following installed on my computer:
Steam
GOG Galaxy
Epic Games Store
Amazon Prime Games
EA Play
Battle.NET
Ubisoft Connect
I use Steam the most.
Second-most used app is Epic Game Store to play Alan Wake II, and a bunch of free games Epic has been handing out over the years (as well as free games through Prime Gaming).
I sometimes use GOG Galaxy for Cyberpunk and The Witcher series (and some old games I happen to own as well as freebies that I got both from GOG.com itself and through Prime Gaming).
I loaded the Amazon Prime Games launcher once.
I loaded the Ubisoft Connect launcher once or twice.
I loaded Battle.NET a handful of times.
I don't even really use EA Play at all.
I prefer to use as little apps as I can - and I don't load all these apps up at boot.
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@LogicStrikesAgain I would think selling games since Sony actually makes money from that. Creating a PSN account doesn't cost a dime from the consumer - yet seems to be costing sales for Sony.
I guess some bean counter somewhere feels like ecosystem is the better option since Sony isn't budging on the issues at the moment.
🤷♂️
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@LogicStrikesAgain Steam lets developers do what it pleases in terms of how it wants to handle games and lets the free market decide for itself how things play out.
It's not in Steam's interest to police who adds what launcher and authentication to their games. That's on player choice to decide what's right for them.
Steam makes it very clear what is required to play said game to allow people to make an informed choice.
I don't think anyone is arguing whether Sony is allowed or not allowed to do with its own games.
What people are saying is that players are voicing their concerns with Sony and voting with their wallets and, yet, Sony continues to double down regardless of that.
So, if more news comes out that Sony games aren't doing well, there is no mystery why. Sony does nothing about it.
I feel bad for Nixxes.
They do a great job with their ports, but it's all starting to be in vain. Will that studio go on the chopping block if Sony's PC ambitions die due to Sony telling its consumers what they want rather than listening to what they want (or don't want)?
Again, not looking for an actual answer.
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@dskatter "we want to track your playtime so we can show our shareholders that we are having growth in PSN accounts so that they are satisfied".
There, I fixed it for you.
@LogicStrikesAgain Sorry, I wasn't meaning for you to actually have answers. Truly baffling to say they "learned" but won't change. It really does feel like Sony forgot what it's like to have actual pushback.
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@LogicStrikesAgain Odd strategy to disregard the voice of the people you are trying to sell to - especially if you want to grow a Live Service business that will need a player base.
If a company isn't listening to the players, why should they continue to support that company?
I remember when people were losing their minds because there was a bug in the first re-release of the original DOOM where the Bethesda account launcher couldn't be skipped and forced people to sign-in. It was rectified very quickly.
This is the same thing except Sony doing it! Provide the option, and let it be skipped.
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@get2sammyb "Just don't give Sony your money if you don't want to login to PSN. It's not hard."
And that's exactly what PC players are doing as PushSquare posts articles about how the novelty of Sony games on PC is wearing off due to low sales.
Move to the comments section and people call Sony's push to PC a mistake and how they shouldn't even bother because people aren't buying the games anymore.
We tell people to vote with their wallets and then criticize them for voting with their wallets.
It's very simple Sony:
Do that and perhaps people will believe you've "Learned a lot" from PC players.
Re: Sony Ships 65.5 Million PS5 Consoles, in Line with PS4
@ChrisDeku "You understand that if Sony hadn’t backed this game it would still have existed and been published in the same state and everyone at the studio would still lose their jobs right?"
Would it? Or perhaps another publisher would have tested the game earlier - like Sony admitted it failed to do - and actually made course corrections where necessary.
@themightyant No, all I am saying is that saying "Sony will be fine" is tone deaf after a bunch of people lost their jobs and became "lessons learned" for Sony.
I am done with this conversation.
I think Sony should have done better for Firewalk. You all don't. We'll agree to disagree.
Yay Sony has 65 million sales of PS5!
Peace and love to you both and thanks for the back-and-forth. 👍
Re: Sony Ships 65.5 Million PS5 Consoles, in Line with PS4
@ChrisDeku I don't think you are really paying attention to what I am saying.
Yes, the game was in development and Sony saw what Firewalk was doing and though it was great.
Someone at Sony saw everything Firewalk was doing during development and thought it was great.
Someone at Sony continued to go full steam ahead with everyting Firewalk was doing despite what people were saying about it when it was revealed because they thought it was going to be great.
The game didn't land and it was canned after 2 weeks because it didn't make millions at launch.
Firewalk gets closed.
Sony then comes out and says "You know, maybe we should have tested this earlier."
Tell me how someone at Sony doesn't get canned for that?!
Then to just nonchalantly comment that Sony will do just fine taking the risk because it can make money back?! At what cost?! How many jobs will Sony continue to have on a chopping block chasing the live service holy grail?!
Re: Sony Ships 65.5 Million PS5 Consoles, in Line with PS4
@ChrisDeku But according to you, it's all good because Sony recouped its losses so it was worth the risk.
Re: Sony Ships 65.5 Million PS5 Consoles, in Line with PS4
@ChrisDeku No less bizarre than absolving Sony in any wrongdoing that lead to the closure of said studio.
They are both at fault in some way, but Sony just gets to make PR statements that they should have done better for the game, while the actual developers have to update their LinkedIn profiles.
I said it once before - it's like a Captain firing the deckhands because the ship ran aground, despite the Captain being at the wheel.
So if the Horizon multiplayer game flops after spending millions, is Guerilla going to get shut down?
On topic: Congrats to Sony on the sales accomplishment.
Re: Sony Ships 65.5 Million PS5 Consoles, in Line with PS4
@themightyant I am fully aware of the history.
But Sony took the gamble. Sony lost. So as punishment to the people who made the game, they dropped them.
Sony then has a nice boost to profit.
Go Sony! Let's all applaud Sony for making massive money off the backs of others when it was Sony who made the decision to buy the company to begin with.
Sony obviously saw something in Firewalk to buy them. Firewalk delivered a technically polished product - it's just that it didn't resonate with people. Sony even admitted mistakes it made with Firewalk - so, in that sense it was Sony who failed Firewalk, not the other way around (but Firewalk gets punished for it).
So glad that the closure of entire studio made for a wonderful "Lessons learned" corporate document for the future. Go team!
Re: Sony Ships 65.5 Million PS5 Consoles, in Line with PS4
@ChrisDeku So glad Sony was able to recoup its financial losses - tell that to the people who lost their jobs thanks to Sony's push for live service. I am sure their loss of stability rolled right off the company's back, too.
This goes for any company who takes a risk chasing trends at the cost of jobs when it doesn't pan out.
Re: Stellar Blade a 'Gigantic Leap' on PS5 Pro, PSSR Better Than Native 4K Option
@mountain_spider Yup.
I mean, yes, there are anomalies that can show up, but you pretty much would need to take direct capture, stop footage, zoom in 400% on a blade of grass and compare it with the native version at exactly the same time to actually notice that a blade of grass as slightly more break-up in motion than the native resolution.
@Titntin I guess I overlooked the fact that it's a HFR Mode that isn't available on 60Hz displays. That's actually kind of an odd choice, indeed.
Perhaps console makers should look into what Nvidia does with VSync. For those not in the know, it has a "Fast" Vsync option that lets the game run as fast as the game can run, it just drops the frames your display can't handle so you don't get screen tearing - but get all the game response benefits of the higher FPS.
So for something like this, a 60Hz TV can run a game at 80fps, you just don't see it - but the game responds as if it's running at 80fps. Like a reverse Frame Gen - lol!
Re: Random: Super Smash Bros Maker Masahiro Sakurai Says He Bought a PS5 Pro Today
@get2sammyb Agreed! That is why I disciplined myself to playing one game at a time until I finished it.
Honestly, it takes forever to get through everything.
I am STILL getting through my Christmas haul from last year.
Granted, things like FF7 Rebirth, Astro Bot, and Silent Hill 2, and Hellblade 2 "got in the way", but I only bought like 3 new games this year.
Re: Random: Super Smash Bros Maker Masahiro Sakurai Says He Bought a PS5 Pro Today
@Deadlyblack As one should - well, at least the "wide array of games" part (I understand not everyone can afford multiple consoles).
Re: Stellar Blade a 'Gigantic Leap' on PS5 Pro, PSSR Better Than Native 4K Option
If it looks better than native 4K at 80fps, why even bother with a native 4K at 50fps?
I guess for those who can actually spot the extremely hard to notice graphical glitches that come with using these techniques?
Re: Round Up: PS5 Pro Reviews Love New Tech and Its Glimpse of PS6 Potential
I am so happy I got the PC I did.
While the TFLOP doesn't mean anything like it used to, it's still a loose gauge of raw performance. With the PS5 Pro being 16 TFLOPS means a PS6 will probably be like 32 TLFOP and my Nvidia 4070 Super is 35 TFLOPs.
Plus, it already has AI technologies like DLSS, Frame Generation, and Ray Reconstruction. All similar technologies that will probably be added to a PS6 (but obviously not Nvidia's variant).
My AMD 7800X3D and 32GB of RAM will also be more than fine.
Bottom line: Not only am I covered through the rest of this generation, I will be covered through next generation as well.
I will probably need to lower settings for "next-gen" games as I only have 12GB of VRAM (and I am sure 16GB of VRAM will be the ideal target), but I don't predict absolutely needing to upgrade components until the generation after next. I don't run games at 4K anyways, which helps a lot on keeping VRAM levels lower.
Re: What Is PSSR for PS5 Pro?
@ChimpMasta I remember when you needed a super powerful GPU just to use AA because it was incredibly expensive - FXAA and TAA didn't exist, then though. Even at 1024 x 768 resolution you couldn't use AA unless you had the right hardware.
Re: What Is PSSR for PS5 Pro?
Another benefit of AI-based super-sampling is that it doubles as a form of anti-aliasing - eliminating the need to use TAA (which softens the image).
Re: Dragon's Dogma 2 Set to Run Significantly Better on PS5 Pro, Early Footage Reveals
Unless Capcom is doing some significant optimization to CPU load - which will also bleed over to all platforms - I wouldn't expect 60fps in cities on PS5 Pro.
Even people with 7800X3D CPUs have their framerates drop down to 60 and below when running around cities - but reported framerates in the 100s when outside of cities (GPU dependent, of course).
Re: Bloodborne PS5 Pro Comparison Appears As Consumers Receive Console Early
People need to understand that Bloodborne will run the exact same way even on PS6 because the game needs modification to remove the uneven frame times and boost to 60fps.
Sony doesn’t have the “luxury” of using a DirectX layer to trick the game to 60fps.
Okay PSSR could sharpen the image, but performance requires more effort. Simply throwing more processing cycles isn’t the solution.
I think it’s a symptom of the FromSoftware engine, because when Microsoft got Dark Souls 3 to use FPS Boost on Series X|S it actually needed FromSoftware to change something to the Xbox version for it to work correctly (as it never got an X1X patch).
Re: More People Are Playing the Original Horizon Zero Dawn Than Its Remaster on PC
@DonkeyFantasy The PSN requirement for single player games is one sticking point. Especially when the original PC release didn’t have any PSN requirement and was available to more countries.
The $10 upgrade fee also doesn’t help - especially with the PC version being considerably newer than the PS4 release.
Re: More People Are Playing the Original Horizon Zero Dawn Than Its Remaster on PC
The thing is, PC players are telling Sony exactly what is wrong with the release, but Sony doesn’t care.
Maybe start listening to the audience you are trying to sell to?
Re: PS5 Goes for the Kill with Fortnite Console Bundle This Christmas
Doesn’t Sony do this every year?
Re: Interview: Metal Gear Would Be 'Too Much Pressure' for Vampire Survivors Maker
@get2sammyb Yup…there it is in black and white.
“Reading is FUN-damental.”
Hooked on Phonics clearly didn’t work for me. 🤣
Re: Interview: Metal Gear Would Be 'Too Much Pressure' for Vampire Survivors Maker
Can we really call this a "Crossover"?
Feels more like the IP that this game has very obviously borrowing from is getting an official blessing from Konami!
LOL!
It's a great game - I absolutely love it. I was just shocked how much it seemed to get away with without catching some kind of flak from Konami.
The whole game felt like an original idea for the Castlevania IP but got rejected so the developers changed a few sprites and character names to be...not quite Castlevania related.
I am just glad they were able to get the "real deal" into the game. It's a brilliant title!
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@Northern_munkey I don't know, actually.
I mean...any game is a gamble. It's not that the game was a technical mess or completely unpolished. I mean, even PushSquare gave it a good score. It just failed to attract players.
It seems like the developer had the talent to create a technically competent product.
I feel the onus is on Sony for certain business decisions made that lead to the failure.
The whole thing feels like "development via boardroom" and the developer got thrown under the bus for decisions outside the developer's control.
Not making free-to-play out of the gate feels like a Sony decision to get cash up front as well as a way to try to boost PS+ numbers (since it would be required to play it by not being free to play).
PC gamers sure as heck didn't get onboard and online play is free for them.
It all feels like firing the deckhands for running aground despite the fact the captain was steering the ship.
Heck, people even said before the game released why they had no interest in the title and Sony refused to try to change course.
Now, in Sony's defense, it may have been beyond the point of no return by then, but there was still warning that the game might not hit the target prior to release.
Perhaps I would keep the doors open and turn it into a support studio or something to help reduce inflating development times.
I just feel like the developer wasn't given a fair shake.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@wildcat_kickz @Northern_munkey It's not me making these claims.
I am simply interpreting the possible grounds for why the CWA is making this claim.
There is plenty of evidence to support the contrary. Evidence that will more than likely shut this whole thing down.
However, if the CWA has strong evidence to support their claim that its more nefarious than what the PR lets on, then I think it should absolutely be brought to the forefront.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@LogicStrikesAgain Who said anything about Microsoft buying them? I said nothing about Microsoft buying them.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@wildcat_kickz Maybe they could have if Sony didn't just can the whole studio for something the executives of Sony decided was a great idea.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@PuppetMaster Yup, you caught me.
I am leading the whole effort. I'll be a millionaire when this settles out of court!
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@wildcat_kickz I am sure Naughty Dog spent a considerable amount of time and money on Factions 2 only to turn around and cancel it because the studio didn't want to turn the studio into a GaaS studio and, yet, their doors are still open.
Re: Mini Review: Planet Coaster 2 (PS5) - Improved Sequel Offers a Ride Well Worth Taking
I really need to get one of these games. I have loved the genre since Theme Park in the old Bullfrog days.
Roller Coaster Tycoon will always have a special place in my heart, though.
Re: Crummy Classic Sports Games Compiled in Accolade Sports Collection on PS5, PS4
Good on Atari for contributing to game preservation.
That's about all I will say about this one.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@Titntin I provided possibilities of their angle. Whether it holds weight is not for any of us to decide.
It wasn't completely without rational thought.
My guess is that their angle is that Sony dangled a multi-platform carrot and then took it away when things didn't go Sony's way and therefore eliminating platform choice (and jobs) and somehow forcing people back to Sony's platform - thereby increasing its market share in the console space by continuing to force people into it.
Sony has plenty of evidence to the contrary as Nixxes is still operating and doing a great job with PC ports (other than a weird control bug in the map screen in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, the game has been solid for me on PC). Also, Sony will have its first Switch game ever with LEGO Horizon. Plus, MLB The Show was forced to go multi-platform.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@PsBoxSwitchOwner @LogicStrikesAgain
Not necessarily. Microsoft was sued by gamers after the ABK merger. It was settled out of court.
While it was seemingly non-sensical, perhaps they would have provided a better argument about the ABK merger than the FTC came up with.
But I am sure the "settlement" was simply that Microsoft wouldn't bury the gamers in millions of dollars in legal fees if they dropped the case.
Yes, right now it sounds dumb. Even I don't understand how closing a studio increases monopoly. But I welcome the challenge to Sony - even if it's a losing situation for the challenger.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
@Titntin And maybe it is.
My point wasn't to defend CWA. It's a criticism that any time Sony is challenged, people here dismiss it immediately, but will actively support challenging the competition.
Sony needs to be challenged from every angle. Just like Microsoft needs to be challenged. Just like Nintendo needs to be challenged.
We have no idea what supporting evidence there is to point to a monopoly by studio closure.
I guess because those were studios working outside of PlayStation platform but then were closed - which means that consumers on other platforms are now forced to get PlayStations for Sony games?? Who knows?
Why it matters now when Sony's entire business model has been like that (as has Nintendo's - and as has Microsoft's until recently) is anyone's guess.
Maybe because Sony opened the door and then closed it immediately after it didn't "win" due to competition?? Again, I don't know.
It's probably total nonsense. But, I support its right to challenge! Maybe there is something there we don't see that can get presented in court that points to wrong-doing.
Maybe they are seeing how Apple has been getting challenged (and losing) and is being forced out of its exclusivity so they are going after Sony since Microsoft is pulling down its wall. Maybe Nintendo will be next.
Re: Labour Union Blasts Sony for Looking to Further Monopoly with Studio Closures
Heaven forbid anyone challenges Sony.
PC players don't like what Sony is doing with PC releases and are focal about it, they are called whiners and say Sony should just ignore PC.
CWA challenges Sony and you all dismiss it and call it a non-argument.
It's okay when Microsoft gets challenged, but not Sony.
And yes, Microsoft got heavily challenged for the ABK acquisition, the fact that it became more about what's best for Sony and Call of Duty rather than providing how it might actually hurt consumers paved the way for Microsoft winning against the FTC.
Perhaps if the FTC didn't look like it was siding with a single company, things might have been different.
The CMA actually did something positive and forced Microsoft to make changes.
Eventually, this whole "walled garden" approach will go away. I am sure even Nintendo will one day have to put its games on other platforms. It's just a matter of time.
It's already happening in the mobile space with Apple. It will come to consoles, too!
Even if this ends up getting thrown out for lack of evidence or because it's a non-issue, there is nothing wrong with challenging Sony on it. And any company should be challenged!
Re: Showa American Story Reveals the Craziest PS5 Trailer of 2024
I have no idea what I just watched...but I want more.
Something this bonkers, I was expecting to see the Grasshopper Manufacture logo pop up.
Re: After a Tough Few Months, Sony Says It'll Keep Making PS5 Live Service Games
@DennisReynolds I was here to say something similar.
It’s fine if Sony wants to make a live service game as long as it’s a live service game that has Sony’s special sauce - not some carbon copy of another successful formula - people already have that.
I bet Factions 2 would have been a huge hit as it sounded like something that was actually different!
If ND didn’t want to turn its studio into a live service factory, Sony could have handed off the development labor to another studio with a small team at ND being used for decison making.
Re: Indiana Jones PS5 Dev Going Very Well, No Comment on PS5 Pro Just Yet
Really looking for to this! I will be playing on PC, though.
I thought I heard that any new game that comes out after the PS5 Pro releases will be required to support PS5 Pro in some way.
Re: Soulslike Lords of the Fallen Resurrects with 40% Higher Pixel Density on PS5 Pro
@get2sammyb @Shinnok789 Native 4K is such a waste of resources with AI-based reconstruction available - even people with the most powerful hardware still use reconstruction to 4K because the performance gains for the perceived exact same visual result makes native resolution pointless.
What good is having choice when PSSR gets to the point where reconstructed 4K looks identical to native 4K?
Not saying Sony can do much about it this generation since only the Pro has PSSR and games still need to target the base PS5. But on a PS6, there is zero reason for developers have a native 4K 30/reconstructed 4K 60 choice as they can simply target 60 using the highest graphical settings possible for the hardware and then use PSSR to reach that 4K image.
Re: PS5 Pro Patch Incoming for Helldivers 2
@Mikey856 I hope by 4K, you mean "4K" that comes from PSSR as the base PS5 can't even run 4K at 30fp.
I am not knocking upscaling, by the way, just making sure your expectations are in check.
I do wonder how prevalent 120 mode will be on PS5 Pro.
My guess it won't be used for that and will mostly just provide better image quality at 60fps. Perhaps some current 120 titles will get PSSR support, but I don't see a 120 Modes exclusive to PS5 Pro being a thing.
So far, though, Sony has been focusing on 60fps.
Time will tell.
Re: Minecraft's Native PS5 Port Is Now Available, Free Upgrade for PS4 Players
@sanderson72 @Darkashura Probably a two-fold thing.
1) It brings it in line with the experience when playing on an Xbox Series X (which doesn't have a "native" version but is enhanced via the more robust backwards compatibility capabilities)
2) Upgrading to latest SDKs on PlayStation.
Re: In Europe, 78% of Silent Hill 2 Copies Were Purchased on PS5
@PuppetMaster Thanks I will. And you enjoy yours! 👍
Solidarity!
Re: In Europe, 78% of Silent Hill 2 Copies Were Purchased on PS5
@PuppetMaster Fair enough...how about...fans of all platforms need to just stop telling other people what to do.
It's ridiculous.
But it seems much worse from this crowd lately ever since Sony decided to expand its market outside the revered plastic box.
Yep, your favorite console maker wants more money. Shocker!
Re: In Europe, 78% of Silent Hill 2 Copies Were Purchased on PS5
I got it on PC...for $54 from Green Man Gaming.
Great game!
I swear you PlayStation fans want nothing more than for everyone to simply play on PlayStation the way you all complain about how other people prefer to play their games.
Neither one is wrong.
PC people are well aware that consoles are cheaper and considerably more convenient.
Some people choose PC because maybe they are just simply tired of being locked into a single console ecosystem and letting that single ecosystem dictate everything that comes with it. Perhaps they are tired of paying for online multiplayer. Perhaps they just simply want better control of their gaming experience at the cost of convenience. Perhaps they want the high-end experience for the cost. There can be a million reasons why people are choosing to switch.
I am just happy the game is doing very well across the board. It honestly shouldn't matter where the most was sold as long as it sold well!