It's a testament to this year's quality of games when you got people claiming a certain game was snubbed from Game of the Year. Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, and Final Fantasy XVI being the ones mentioned the most. As much as I enjoyed Hogwarts Legacy, I'd go with Alan Wake II.
I'm in my 30's and most of the in-game currencies back then were on PC with those virtual online games like Habbo and whatever Nexon published that I remember wanting to get in-game currencies for them. In addition to having games on my consoles. It sounds natural for kids to want that since it appears instantly and they're not really thinking about whether they'd always have it to cherish.
The thing is, kids still want games. Just the ease of obtaining them is greater than beforehand on top of the popularity of those specific live service titles. As a kid in the 90s, sure I could ask for as many games as possible from my parents but I would be lucky to get 1 out of them all on the list. Only for my birthday and Christmas, that's it. No more games in between until I got my own money in my teens. But it was fine because then I could go to Blockbuster and rent what I really wanted to play the most anytime. There's little reason to ask for a physical game when they practically have Blockbuster at home via PS+ or Gamepass if they're not into Nintendo.
It's incredibly generous that the classic games previously owned on PS3 are free to download on PS5 when Sony could've double charged easily. I had the Jet Moto games claimed for free over a decade on the PS3.
@Bionic-Spencer I concur. It's unfortunate that when they made trophy support mandatory for the added PS2 games on PS4, no other developer wanted to contribute to the short pile. Should also add the OG Crash Bandicoot games to the list.
If you're stuck on the PS4, there's not as much reason to upgrade to PS5... until about this year when the good new games came out. Since I got my PS5 day one, I've been happy, getting the better version of games.
It is one the best, no question. In it's own lane, can't really compare this title other than the prequel. I prefer narrative driven and it exceeded the narrative of 2018's.
It's easy to dismiss the notion of Live service titles since we've had a number of public failures. But looking at how long Fornite, Roblox, Genshin Impact have survived and profited... imagine the profits of a whole decade of support. Which sounds economically smart as long as 1 out of 12 live service titles hit. Pretty much how Square Enix is using FFXIV to fund their other projects since outside of FF, their new IPs tank.
@Ainu20 If you can remember last year in 2022 when we barely had updates on God of War Ragnarok to the point of rumors and many comments forming of it being delayed into the new year. But it ended up releasing with little to no promo until the last minute. That's just one example on how Sony this gen have chosen the "keep under wraps" until its ready like Nintendo. Guerilla has a new IP in the works alongside the Horizon Zero Dawn multiplayer game.
Excellent. Japanese history gets touched on numerous times in media (and will continue to do so) but Yasuke's story will bring out another side of history not covered often. Especially with how there were hundreds of Africans in Japan around that time. I do hope they do Yasuke justice without repeating the Connor situation from AC3.
Since I finally got onto BlueSky there's increasingly less reasons to be on Twitter these days. This is probably to prevent people from bypassing the inevitable Subscription fee Musk is planning to add on Twitter/X by making posts through the PlayStation if your account's already linked.
This is a weird spin some are taking. The PS5 slim is smaller but not THAT small and works about the same inside.... I would hope it'd work the same, that usually means they built it fine unlike how the PS3 and PS4 original models were overtime.
The price understandably is the only issue, it's basically a replacement but for newer consumers. Only counter for that is every other game console and games in the market are staying expensive. Yet Sony's getting the sole blame for it.
@UnlimitedSevens Eh, the thing about the Konami/Kojima situation was also dirty on Konami's end. Kojima wanted to venture outside the Metal Gear franchise for the longest time but always was tied to the series knowing full well Konami wouldn't treat the series in the most faithful way, which turned out to be true. Plus the death threats. There's only so much creativity you can juice out of a franchise that MGSV seems very fitting to one burnt out and giving the minimum whilst making the best of it. I'm biased on that front since I consider MGSV one of the weaker titles without considering the voice actor change.
Kojima was expected to work on Silent Hills which would've brought a much needed revival to the series after its numerous failure of games in the franchise. With the demo of P.T lauded as the inspiration of RE7 which in a way, is the reason Capcom's faith was restored after their own numerous negative receptions in games at the time. I do agree though that Kojima's ego is significantly boosted from his association with western celebrities. He never really liked David Hayter and I believe he always wanted Sutherland for the english voice actor since the beginning. But the actor wasn't on board at the time. Even with that fact, it's still dirty the way Hayter was essentially ghosted without a proper warning.
As for Death Stranding, Kojima was right about the audience not getting it. The type of game Death Stranding was didn't fit within this generation of gaming. It would've been perfect in the PS2 gen with the types of games coming out then. It came out around the generation of Overwatch and Fortnite players with newer gamers likely knowledge of Kojima is he worked on MGSV and the most recent Metal Gear game to compare it to is Rising. It was already dismissed as a "walking simulator" because of that.
If anything, like Metal Gear, the game shines on the boss fights more so than the exploration and discovery factor. And coincidentally, this game was the perfect thing to play during the COVID lockdown with the unknown Kojima magic of being too accurate on the future of the world like in MGS2. I did ramble on there but overall, Kojima wasn't the only one at fault there.
@MeerkatSimples In theory, given the success of Fortnite Sony wants their own success of a live service game. The money earned from a successful live service would help fund their other divisions and other plans they may have. If there was one game that had the biggest chance of success it would've been The Last of Us' with the recent positive reception of the show and game's success prior to it being shelved.
@sanderson72 True, there's something in the code where it won't play the game discs. I do believe the PS4 actually has a PS1 emulator as well that just takes jailbreaking it for one to use it. But it is very poor as others have reported Silent Hill for example was extremely buggy when tested on. This is what the 2019 MediEvil Remaster used to run the PAL ps1 title included in the disc.
Even if the PS3 discs were recognized on PS4, the system itself wouldn't be able to handle running a PS3 game at its best. If anything the PS5 would be optimal. Supposedly there is an emulator in the works since PS3 titles are currently being streamed off PS3 servers so there's more incentive to have it supported.
@Member_the_game If we do the numbers game, PlayStation is winning on backwards compatiblity front when talking digitally. Since they have rebrought PS1 titles and PSP games in additional to PS2 and PS3 (stream-exclusive though) with PS4's large library and PS5. It's unfortunately not as straight-forward as it was with the early launch additions of PS3 having PS1 and PS2 disc compatibility. And previously the PS2 read PS1 discs. Currently, you need a functioning PS3 from 2006 + PS5 to get the full gaming experience (for as long as the PSN store is running on PS3).
Whilst Xbox's backwards compatibility praise is merely a quarter of Xbox 360 titles and less than a dozen original Xbox games. But given the ability to put the disc of the most popular titles inside this reputation is amplified. I believe another reason they're being crowned the "King of Backwards Compatibility" is due to the disappointment of Xbox One, a passionate team worked on increasing their library with reading older game discs. Which became the saving grace at a time when the PS4 launched with no backwards compatiblity. To play your full library, you just need the Xbox Series X, but perhaps also your 360 for some of the other titles not on the list and for sure an original Xbox for the exclusive underated gems that weren't already on PS2/Gamecube at the time.
It's a shame they made the conscious choice to not include a PS1, 2, or 3 laser in the PS5 to read discs and at least have them recognized. The next best thing is if they get a PS3 emulator running so there's no more need for the PSN store running on PS3 and Vita now. But given the new push for developers to bring back their PS1 generation games with trophies (or not) as an incentive to rebuy them the likelihood of original compatiblity is grim.
I think it's fine, given the pre-alpha footage displayed and looking at the full 4k resolution images. Only criticism I can see is on the image of the bridge the lack of yellow/green hues from beforehand gives off a different vibe, but that's a nitpick from having replayed MGS3 countless times.
@__jamiie You're right, though the hardcore base is still as strong as ever just more mainstream and easy to see it bleed everywhere than previously. This is a PlayStation blog, some don't want to see Xbox references in general. It is a reminder of Xbox doing behind-the-door deals (yes, Sony does this too but location is on brand).
Add in the fact that the game series has been well known on PlayStation and is among the many games that brought it to its current success that some take the Xbox only logos as "stealing". Just as the Tomb Raider franchise experienced with Rise of the Tomb Raider. It's just a sad climate of the world these days.
@Arnna That's how the real world works. When determining to purchase items as a bundle or individually, you determine the amount of items with the overall price. Buying the Master Collection nabs you two extra titles versus buying MGS1 $20 (which now includes MG1, 2, VR Missions, and Integral) and MGS2 & 3 separately $20. That's on brand with other PS2 games that were ported to PS4. As for personal value, that's a different matter since you did originally bring up the monetary value in your beginning comment. You're free to continue being upset over the collection though since it's reading more personal than monetary now.
@KundaliniRising333 Schills? Interesting term. I concur that this release is far from perfect. Most of the genuine outrage I see is geared towards the PC Steam releases which have more concerning issues than console versions. As for the console versions MGS1 and 2 seem to be the only ones with some issues currently (sound and some visual effects) that can easily remedied in a patch. This not an excuse, but a mere correction to stamp out the exaggerated claims. MGS3 however, I haven't noticed any glaring issues on the same level. Some speedrunners claim this is the best modern re-release of the game.
Overall, this Master Collection was doomed to be nitpicked to the core with all the clickbait headlines across the web setting it up for harsh criticism "Kojima is not featured in the credits" "Games will be in 720p", "A new disclaimer has been added", "Metal Gear Solid Master Collection will be in 30 frames". But this isn't new, it's just funny how quick people are ready to trash it when it's been one of the most demanded games to be ported to modern systems.
@Arnna Hmm.. nothing done to improve them? Well, the HD Collection never included MGS1. The two NES titles (MG1 & Snakes Revenge) were never re-released before. The MSX versions of MG1 & 2 previously were only accessible in MGS3 (leading to people unaware of this when buying the original collection) and are now accessible on their own. MGS1 Integral which had bonus features but was only in Japan is now playable. Visual and technical Bugs that were in the HD Collection have been fixed. Trophies were added to MG1, 2, and MGS. New trophies were added to MGS2 & 3. You can customize your save file in MGS1 Integral for the Mantis section. New disc swap animation and option to switch between different regions is expected. Oh, you can actually pause cutscenes now (albeit, there's a delay but a new feature nonetheless).
And with some basic math, 7 games released for $60 breaks down to $8-9 each, cheaper than Square Enix's individual "ancient" games were when they were re-released. You're free to not want the collection, not everyone needs to play these. Dismissing the work already done and its new features when they've been proven isn't helping your case.
If only we had the man butt warning for Tekken 4 and Metal Gear Solid 2 over here back then, haha. Good to know man butt is still offensive enough for warning status.
@practicein2021 The only issue you would have playing MGS is no different to those playing Dark Souls or any new game for the first time. If you're really into the game, story, and lore (which is still gripping today) you'll learn to adapt and be just fine. It's the bosses that really matter since it has an arcadey feel with learning the strategy and running with it. But that's the thing with the series, the bosses are the determining factor of whether you stick with the game.
I play MGS1 yearly among many other modern titles and it is probably one of the simplest controls especially compared to the Gamecube remake (why they made you have to press 2 buttons instead of 1 to the enter codec in Twin Snakes I don't know). The only archaic thing being the keycards you have to manually select each door. When you go into a 1998 game expecting the standards of a new game released in 2023, you're gonna be disappointed.
I don't have a problem with the new design just no reason to buy another one. My disc PS5 from launch still works and has black plates so I'm happy with my current one.
@NeThZOR The article was also posted in the very early morning hours for North America. I'm mainly interested in playing Tekken 6 and Soul Calibur with this new update.
I finished FFXVI a few days ago (mixed feelings but slightly on positive side overall). Now finally going through Sea of Stars which has been nothing short of fun. Doubt I'll finish it before the Metal Gear Master Collection releases but I'm enjoying it until then.
@LifeGirl Not as inconvenient as those without internet access or the potential of access to the digital title being removed in the future. Digital titles main convenience is not needing to find the disc to play it. It's important to always have a physical copy as a cheaper option to play and most importantly for backup.
@saffeqwe Most of the games that had voice acting I experienced pronounced it as the "letter X" in tutorials which stuck in my head from there on. The ps1 Harry Potter game was the only game I recall ever saying "press the cross button". I still just see it as the letter X even if it's incorrect.
On topic though, this pronunciation of Cait Sith is far less controversial than the Aeris/Aerith debate once was in the past.
@Loamy Seems like people wanted a Sony version of the Steam Deck from the type of hate I see with this. Oh and the design. But at least it's not tied to a mobile service like PS Vita was.
@Kidfried Yeah, it's weird. So many irrational opinions going on for one to truly think one company is the fault for it all when there's other factors we're not aware of or have forgotten. They don't want to release a subpar product. Naughty Dog already had issues day one with the PC version of The Last of Us: Part 1. Not to mention a number of people still moaning about Part II. So I doubt they'd be willing to give gamers another chance to crack on the quality of the Live Service.
Another factor could also be they want this to be out alongside Season 2 of The Last of Us show which is also on halt due to the writer's strike. Rather than show too much of something that may not ever come to fruition it's better to shelve it and try again later and use the resource for something even better.
@Sequel Three games in total are planned. FF7 Remake + Intergrade DLC were 2 discs, FF7 Rebirth is also 2 discs. If you're patient enough to wait another few years to have the complete experience it'll likely be 6 discs total going by this pattern.
I'm excited for this game. FF7 Remake had a great mix of the ATB and action-based that kept the original FF experience but for the current gen. Can't wait to experience an open world view in FF again.
@LiamCroft Kratos' expression in the image is a perfect reaction to the lack of sympathy and empathy in the comments.
It's more concerning than disappointing reading the lack of guilt for it.
This is great. I have a physical copy of Callisto Protocol wrapped still (thanks to my 2023 backlog). Now I don't have to unwrap it in order to play it finally.
@SonOfPSXDave Just a friendly correction here, since there's disinformation going around surrounding the new disclaimer. You're free to stick with the original games, otherwise.
The master collection is about the same version as what was on the HD Collection. The 6 missing FMV (which were generic scientists walking doing work, some war footage) across the three main games, that was due to license expiring. The developers attempted to restore them and the clips were no longer available to renew. So for legal reasons they couldn't re-add them. So instead, have other footage reused again. The Psycho Mantis fight not having the memory card reading feature as it had been removed on the PC version. They have corrected a number of bugs and issues from the HD Collection (one example: the delay when you answer a codec call) No other gameplay or such was removed. The only censorship that took place was already done prior to the original release around the events of 9/11 in 2001.
But, yes, the original PS2 versions of MGS2: Substance + Document of MGS2, and MGS3: Subsistence have the most content. The cancelled demo in MGS3 Subsistence, Ape Escape mode. And the infamous Skateboarding mode were removed for the HD Collection so there's less incentive to restore them outside the hardcore series fans. However, the Master Collection will include MGS: Integral, which has even more features that were available only in the Japan's ps1 release until now.
@__jamiie Indeed. I bet if Konami weren't so preoccupied with those pachinko machines we would've had another HD Collection early in the PS4 era. Before the licenses on some of the FMVs had expired.
@LifeGirl I believe everyone's mentioned the typical reason with PS3 emulation. I would also add that the resources on having MGS4 re-released wasn't a high enough priority. Konami were invested in MGSV, plus the fall out of Kojima. Konami were more focused on pachinko machines and were expecting MGS Survive to be the cash grab and when that failed well.... the demand for MGS4 was there but the company did not care at the time. Heck, MGS4 was discovered to originally be developed for the Xbox 360 but development halted because of the disc limitations and Kojima was very into the capabilities of the Cell processor. If the 360 was on HD-DVD discs instead of DVDs, then the Xbox system more than likely would've had MGS4 upscaled to 4k today. But here we are.
@__jamiie It's not the difficulty, but rather if the resources and money spent are worth remaking it. PS2 games were remade on PS3 to compensate the removal of PS2 compatibility. Bluepoint was able to remake them but they had to do it from the ground up with the original game by its side. Same thing happened with certain titles like Assassin's Creed Black Flag having a free upgrade program if you had the PS3 version.
Your examples work because Naughty Dog are first party and therefore have first dibs on PS4's structure. And they already have the original source code. However, I would not say Uncharted 1, 2, 3 were straight ports. Uncharted 1 was remade and for the better. That game was difficult on PS3 and the removal of sixaxis made it more replayable on PS4. Uncharted 2 somehow gained a higher learning curve with the enemies being more aware. So Normal difficulty feels like how Hard felt on PS3 and vice versa. As for Last of Us, the timeline speaks for itself. Came out 2013, only months before PS4. The PS4 version was inevitable.
@SonOfPSXDave Sounds like you missed out on Tekken 5, 6, and Tag Tournament 2. Those games definitely had some of the best CGI & wacky endings + were packed fully of in-game custom content. Nothing like playing Jun holding a bottle while decked as a golden angel kicking butt.
Tekken 7 however was hella stripped, I stopped playing it after getting the trophies. I think the problem was they focused too much on the story and promoting the Kazama/Mishima lineage, the other characters lost their charm and uniqueness. The fact that they're bringing back Beach Ball in Tekken 8... perhaps there's hope.
I wasn't expecting my Level 50 and maxed out materia to carry over after hearing the future titles will be PS5 exclusive. It'd be game-breaking easy for sure like it was playing New Game+ in FFXV.
On the plus side, I hadn't 100% Intermissions DLC like I did for FF7 Remake and worried I'd miss out on a bonus for not doing so. Good to see you just only need to have a save file for the summons.
@Shad361 You asked why Ghost of Tsushima was able to outsell FF7 Remake and I provided a general observation. Ghost of Tsushima appeals to a wider audience compared to FF series as a JRPG which has a more closed audience. And it looks like you also provided another reason, Persona also filling in the JRPG genre. Different genres, different audiences.
If you want to change the topic to how FF7 was so successful, that's an easy one. 26 years ago, the gaming viewpoint was different, it stood out among other games with a gripping story to market that was able to push Nintendo gamers who played FF to PlayStation. It took 8 years for the original FF7 to reach nearly 10 million sales worldwide. For FF7 Remake to take 3 years to reach 7 million, that's not so bad.
@Shad361 Different genres appeal to different audiences. There are a sizeable amount of people turned off by JRPGs no matter how much of a household name FF7 is. Also combined with new gamers who question whether to start FF with 7 and not 1.
Final Fantasy XV
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
FInal Fantasy IX
Each within the 200-300 hours range.
The Uncharted one surprised me the most since, I don't own that collection at all... Unless they're combining Uncharted 4 & Lost Legacy's (games which I havent touched since 2018) playtime which would make more sense.
@Rob3008 There's Paralives as one of the leading competitors that's being worked on currently. It looks promising from the videos and screenshots I've seen.
Not surprised with this change in Sims 5. The quality of expansions and stuff packs degraded overtime in the series. With Sims 4, which was originally developed as an online-only Adults only life stage before backlash had them scrambling to add other life stages over the years. I've been a fan of the series since 2002 with Sims 1, and Sims 2 era was definitely the golden age with their multiple versions and even The Urbz (which is a time capsule of 2000s culture and nostalgia now). But the unfortunate situation is no other series has come close to the life simulation so The Sims will always be supported by name alone in spite of quality which is only saved by PC modders.
@NinjaNicky Man, I was just thinking about how Habbo (which is surprisingly still around today) was like in its hay day in the early 00's. Habbo was originally targeted for older teens and adults but I was definitely on there at 11 or 12 until my mid-teens and was "lucky" to experience mostly scams than predatory behavior. Roblox seems to have a similar vibe with the microtransactions and mini games within its own universe that attracts younger audiences.
@Kienda In addition to E3's closed viewings, Sony stopped appearing because of the timeslots they would be fit into didn't work in their favor. So it became mainly Microsoft or Nintendo showing up. Once the 2020 lockdowns happened, companies realized having their own showcases like Nintendo Direct was far cheaper. Without Nintendo and Microsoft present, there's little reason to have in person events outside of Comic Cons now when you can view the same stuff online.
Well, this forces me to pay monthly instead of yearly now. Those new emulators better be up and ready to go to excuse this increase in price for Premium tier.
Comments 548
Re: The Game Awards' Big Popularity Contest Is Underway
It's a testament to this year's quality of games when you got people claiming a certain game was snubbed from Game of the Year. Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, and Final Fantasy XVI being the ones mentioned the most. As much as I enjoyed Hogwarts Legacy, I'd go with Alan Wake II.
Re: Reaction: You Really Shouldn't Be Surprised Kids Want PS5, PS4 Game Currencies for Xmas
I'm in my 30's and most of the in-game currencies back then were on PC with those virtual online games like Habbo and whatever Nexon published that I remember wanting to get in-game currencies for them. In addition to having games on my consoles. It sounds natural for kids to want that since it appears instantly and they're not really thinking about whether they'd always have it to cherish.
Re: US Children Want Subscriptions and Currencies for Christmas, Not Games
The thing is, kids still want games. Just the ease of obtaining them is greater than beforehand on top of the popularity of those specific live service titles. As a kid in the 90s, sure I could ask for as many games as possible from my parents but I would be lucky to get 1 out of them all on the list. Only for my birthday and Christmas, that's it. No more games in between until I got my own money in my teens. But it was fine because then I could go to Blockbuster and rent what I really wanted to play the most anytime. There's little reason to ask for a physical game when they practically have Blockbuster at home via PS+ or Gamepass if they're not into Nintendo.
Re: PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for November 2023 Available Now on PS5, PS4
It's incredibly generous that the classic games previously owned on PS3 are free to download on PS5 when Sony could've double charged easily. I had the Jet Moto games claimed for free over a decade on the PS3.
Re: Talking Point: Like Japanese Games? Early 2024 Is Going to Destroy You
Imagine owning a Japanese console and having no love for Japanese developed games. Tekken 8 and FF7:Rebirth are on my list to nab.
Re: The Last of Us 2 PS5 Remaster Announced, Has a Brand New Survival Mode, $10 Upgrade Path
Bright side. Now they'll only have to work on the PC version and then they can continue full focus on their Factions / new IP game.
Re: More Classic PS Plus Premium Games Look to Have Leaked Early
@Bionic-Spencer I concur. It's unfortunate that when they made trophy support mandatory for the added PS2 games on PS4, no other developer wanted to contribute to the short pile. Should also add the OG Crash Bandicoot games to the list.
Re: Talking Point: As PS5 Turns 3, How Are You Feeling About It?
If you're stuck on the PS4, there's not as much reason to upgrade to PS5... until about this year when the good new games came out. Since I got my PS5 day one, I've been happy, getting the better version of games.
Re: Poll: Is God of War Ragnarok Still One of Sony's Best Games, One Year Later?
It is one the best, no question. In it's own lane, can't really compare this title other than the prequel. I prefer narrative driven and it exceeded the narrative of 2018's.
Re: Sony Delays Six Live Service PS5 Games, But Company Remains Committed to Model
It's easy to dismiss the notion of Live service titles since we've had a number of public failures. But looking at how long Fornite, Roblox, Genshin Impact have survived and profited... imagine the profits of a whole decade of support. Which sounds economically smart as long as 1 out of 12 live service titles hit. Pretty much how Square Enix is using FFXIV to fund their other projects since outside of FF, their new IPs tank.
@Ainu20 If you can remember last year in 2022 when we barely had updates on God of War Ragnarok to the point of rumors and many comments forming of it being delayed into the new year. But it ended up releasing with little to no promo until the last minute. That's just one example on how Sony this gen have chosen the "keep under wraps" until its ready like Nintendo. Guerilla has a new IP in the works alongside the Horizon Zero Dawn multiplayer game.
Re: Rumour: One of Assassin's Creed Red's Protagonists Is Based on African Samurai Yasuke
Excellent. Japanese history gets touched on numerous times in media (and will continue to do so) but Yasuke's story will bring out another side of history not covered often. Especially with how there were hundreds of Africans in Japan around that time. I do hope they do Yasuke justice without repeating the Connor situation from AC3.
Re: New Sony PS5 Advert Designed to Set Pulses Racing
Can't find anything valid to critique this trailer on. Very solid.
Re: Twitter Integration to Be Removed from PS5, PS4 Next Week
Since I finally got onto BlueSky there's increasingly less reasons to be on Twitter these days. This is probably to prevent people from bypassing the inevitable Subscription fee Musk is planning to add on Twitter/X by making posts through the PlayStation if your account's already linked.
Re: PS5 Slim 'Not That Much Smaller', According to This Teardown Video
This is a weird spin some are taking. The PS5 slim is smaller but not THAT small and works about the same inside.... I would hope it'd work the same, that usually means they built it fine unlike how the PS3 and PS4 original models were overtime.
The price understandably is the only issue, it's basically a replacement but for newer consumers. Only counter for that is every other game console and games in the market are staying expensive. Yet Sony's getting the sole blame for it.
Re: Tekken 8 Reveals Multiple Characters Joining Its Roster in Latest Trailer
Glad to see familiar faces return, I'm hoping Miguel makes a return and isn't pushed into DLC realm.
Re: Solid Snake Voice Actor David Hayter Fronts New Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Promo
@UnlimitedSevens Eh, the thing about the Konami/Kojima situation was also dirty on Konami's end. Kojima wanted to venture outside the Metal Gear franchise for the longest time but always was tied to the series knowing full well Konami wouldn't treat the series in the most faithful way, which turned out to be true. Plus the death threats. There's only so much creativity you can juice out of a franchise that MGSV seems very fitting to one burnt out and giving the minimum whilst making the best of it. I'm biased on that front since I consider MGSV one of the weaker titles without considering the voice actor change.
Kojima was expected to work on Silent Hills which would've brought a much needed revival to the series after its numerous failure of games in the franchise. With the demo of P.T lauded as the inspiration of RE7 which in a way, is the reason Capcom's faith was restored after their own numerous negative receptions in games at the time. I do agree though that Kojima's ego is significantly boosted from his association with western celebrities. He never really liked David Hayter and I believe he always wanted Sutherland for the english voice actor since the beginning. But the actor wasn't on board at the time. Even with that fact, it's still dirty the way Hayter was essentially ghosted without a proper warning.
As for Death Stranding, Kojima was right about the audience not getting it. The type of game Death Stranding was didn't fit within this generation of gaming. It would've been perfect in the PS2 gen with the types of games coming out then. It came out around the generation of Overwatch and Fortnite players with newer gamers likely knowledge of Kojima is he worked on MGSV and the most recent Metal Gear game to compare it to is Rising. It was already dismissed as a "walking simulator" because of that.
If anything, like Metal Gear, the game shines on the boss fights more so than the exploration and discovery factor. And coincidentally, this game was the perfect thing to play during the COVID lockdown with the unknown Kojima magic of being too accurate on the future of the world like in MGS2. I did ramble on there but overall, Kojima wasn't the only one at fault there.
Re: Solid Snake Voice Actor David Hayter Fronts New Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Promo
It's nice to see Hayter remain loyal to the series and fanbase despite the MGSV situation
Re: PS5 Live-Service Game Marathon Has Reportedly Been Delayed to 2025
@MeerkatSimples In theory, given the success of Fortnite Sony wants their own success of a live service game. The money earned from a successful live service would help fund their other divisions and other plans they may have. If there was one game that had the biggest chance of success it would've been The Last of Us' with the recent positive reception of the show and game's success prior to it being shelved.
Re: Former PlayStation Boss Shawn Layden Says It's 'Criminal' Industry Isn't Properly Preserving Games
@sanderson72 True, there's something in the code where it won't play the game discs. I do believe the PS4 actually has a PS1 emulator as well that just takes jailbreaking it for one to use it. But it is very poor as others have reported Silent Hill for example was extremely buggy when tested on. This is what the 2019 MediEvil Remaster used to run the PAL ps1 title included in the disc.
Even if the PS3 discs were recognized on PS4, the system itself wouldn't be able to handle running a PS3 game at its best. If anything the PS5 would be optimal. Supposedly there is an emulator in the works since PS3 titles are currently being streamed off PS3 servers so there's more incentive to have it supported.
Re: Former PlayStation Boss Shawn Layden Says It's 'Criminal' Industry Isn't Properly Preserving Games
@Member_the_game If we do the numbers game, PlayStation is winning on backwards compatiblity front when talking digitally. Since they have rebrought PS1 titles and PSP games in additional to PS2 and PS3 (stream-exclusive though) with PS4's large library and PS5. It's unfortunately not as straight-forward as it was with the early launch additions of PS3 having PS1 and PS2 disc compatibility. And previously the PS2 read PS1 discs. Currently, you need a functioning PS3 from 2006 + PS5 to get the full gaming experience (for as long as the PSN store is running on PS3).
Whilst Xbox's backwards compatibility praise is merely a quarter of Xbox 360 titles and less than a dozen original Xbox games. But given the ability to put the disc of the most popular titles inside this reputation is amplified. I believe another reason they're being crowned the "King of Backwards Compatibility" is due to the disappointment of Xbox One, a passionate team worked on increasing their library with reading older game discs. Which became the saving grace at a time when the PS4 launched with no backwards compatiblity. To play your full library, you just need the Xbox Series X, but perhaps also your 360 for some of the other titles not on the list and for sure an original Xbox for the exclusive underated gems that weren't already on PS2/Gamecube at the time.
It's a shame they made the conscious choice to not include a PS1, 2, or 3 laser in the PS5 to read discs and at least have them recognized. The next best thing is if they get a PS3 emulator running so there's no more need for the PSN store running on PS3 and Vita now. But given the new push for developers to bring back their PS1 generation games with trophies (or not) as an incentive to rebuy them the likelihood of original compatiblity is grim.
Re: Poll: Do You Like Metal Gear Solid Delta's New Graphical Style?
I think it's fine, given the pre-alpha footage displayed and looking at the full 4k resolution images. Only criticism I can see is on the image of the bridge the lack of yellow/green hues from beforehand gives off a different vibe, but that's a nitpick from having replayed MGS3 countless times.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Is Going to Look Unreal on PS5
@__jamiie You're right, though the hardcore base is still as strong as ever just more mainstream and easy to see it bleed everywhere than previously. This is a PlayStation blog, some don't want to see Xbox references in general. It is a reminder of Xbox doing behind-the-door deals (yes, Sony does this too but location is on brand).
Add in the fact that the game series has been well known on PlayStation and is among the many games that brought it to its current success that some take the Xbox only logos as "stealing". Just as the Tomb Raider franchise experienced with Rise of the Tomb Raider. It's just a sad climate of the world these days.
Re: Konami Aware of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Launch Issues, Fixes Incoming
@Arnna That's how the real world works. When determining to purchase items as a bundle or individually, you determine the amount of items with the overall price. Buying the Master Collection nabs you two extra titles versus buying MGS1 $20 (which now includes MG1, 2, VR Missions, and Integral) and MGS2 & 3 separately $20. That's on brand with other PS2 games that were ported to PS4. As for personal value, that's a different matter since you did originally bring up the monetary value in your beginning comment. You're free to continue being upset over the collection though since it's reading more personal than monetary now.
@KundaliniRising333 Schills? Interesting term. I concur that this release is far from perfect. Most of the genuine outrage I see is geared towards the PC Steam releases which have more concerning issues than console versions. As for the console versions MGS1 and 2 seem to be the only ones with some issues currently (sound and some visual effects) that can easily remedied in a patch. This not an excuse, but a mere correction to stamp out the exaggerated claims. MGS3 however, I haven't noticed any glaring issues on the same level. Some speedrunners claim this is the best modern re-release of the game.
Overall, this Master Collection was doomed to be nitpicked to the core with all the clickbait headlines across the web setting it up for harsh criticism "Kojima is not featured in the credits" "Games will be in 720p", "A new disclaimer has been added", "Metal Gear Solid Master Collection will be in 30 frames". But this isn't new, it's just funny how quick people are ready to trash it when it's been one of the most demanded games to be ported to modern systems.
Re: Konami Aware of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Launch Issues, Fixes Incoming
@Arnna Hmm.. nothing done to improve them? Well, the HD Collection never included MGS1. The two NES titles (MG1 & Snakes Revenge) were never re-released before. The MSX versions of MG1 & 2 previously were only accessible in MGS3 (leading to people unaware of this when buying the original collection) and are now accessible on their own. MGS1 Integral which had bonus features but was only in Japan is now playable. Visual and technical Bugs that were in the HD Collection have been fixed. Trophies were added to MG1, 2, and MGS. New trophies were added to MGS2 & 3. You can customize your save file in MGS1 Integral for the Mantis section. New disc swap animation and option to switch between different regions is expected. Oh, you can actually pause cutscenes now (albeit, there's a delay but a new feature nonetheless).
And with some basic math, 7 games released for $60 breaks down to $8-9 each, cheaper than Square Enix's individual "ancient" games were when they were re-released. You're free to not want the collection, not everyone needs to play these. Dismissing the work already done and its new features when they've been proven isn't helping your case.
Re: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's Mature Age Rating Description Is Hilarious
If only we had the man butt warning for Tekken 4 and Metal Gear Solid 2 over here back then, haha. Good to know man butt is still offensive enough for warning status.
Re: Metal Gear Solid's First-Ever Trophy List Has Been Revealed
@practicein2021 The only issue you would have playing MGS is no different to those playing Dark Souls or any new game for the first time. If you're really into the game, story, and lore (which is still gripping today) you'll learn to adapt and be just fine. It's the bosses that really matter since it has an arcadey feel with learning the strategy and running with it. But that's the thing with the series, the bosses are the determining factor of whether you stick with the game.
I play MGS1 yearly among many other modern titles and it is probably one of the simplest controls especially compared to the Gamecube remake (why they made you have to press 2 buttons instead of 1 to the enter codec in Twin Snakes I don't know). The only archaic thing being the keycards you have to manually select each door. When you go into a 1998 game expecting the standards of a new game released in 2023, you're gonna be disappointed.
Re: Poll: Will You Be Buying a PS5 'Slim'?
I don't have a problem with the new design just no reason to buy another one. My disc PS5 from launch still works and has black plates so I'm happy with my current one.
Re: 15 More PS5, PS4 Games Are Available Now on PS Plus Extra, Premium
@NeThZOR The article was also posted in the very early morning hours for North America. I'm mainly interested in playing Tekken 6 and Soul Calibur with this new update.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 498
I finished FFXVI a few days ago (mixed feelings but slightly on positive side overall). Now finally going through Sea of Stars which has been nothing short of fun. Doubt I'll finish it before the Metal Gear Master Collection releases but I'm enjoying it until then.
Re: Looks Like Horizon Forbidden West's Complete Edition Will Ship on Two PS5 Discs
@LifeGirl Not as inconvenient as those without internet access or the potential of access to the digital title being removed in the future. Digital titles main convenience is not needing to find the disc to play it. It's important to always have a physical copy as a cheaper option to play and most importantly for backup.
Re: Square Enix Answers Age-Old Question of How to Say Cait Sith in Final Fantasy 7
@saffeqwe Most of the games that had voice acting I experienced pronounced it as the "letter X" in tutorials which stuck in my head from there on. The ps1 Harry Potter game was the only game I recall ever saying "press the cross button". I still just see it as the letter X even if it's incorrect.
On topic though, this pronunciation of Cait Sith is far less controversial than the Aeris/Aerith debate once was in the past.
Re: Demand for PlayStation Portal Sky High in Japan, Pre-Orders Reportedly Sold Out
@Loamy Seems like people wanted a Sony version of the Steam Deck from the type of hate I see with this. Oh and the design. But at least it's not tied to a mobile service like PS Vita was.
Re: The Last of Us Multiplayer Game Is 'Basically on Ice' Right Now
@Kidfried Yeah, it's weird. So many irrational opinions going on for one to truly think one company is the fault for it all when there's other factors we're not aware of or have forgotten. They don't want to release a subpar product. Naughty Dog already had issues day one with the PC version of The Last of Us: Part 1. Not to mention a number of people still moaning about Part II. So I doubt they'd be willing to give gamers another chance to crack on the quality of the Live Service.
Another factor could also be they want this to be out alongside Season 2 of The Last of Us show which is also on halt due to the writer's strike. Rather than show too much of something that may not ever come to fruition it's better to shelve it and try again later and use the resource for something even better.
Re: Jim Ryan Retires as PlayStation Boss in March 2024
Guess we won't be seeing sunglasses and other memed Jimbo images in the headlines much longer. They were a delight to see.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's World Is Starting to Sound Absolutely Massive
@Sequel Three games in total are planned. FF7 Remake + Intergrade DLC were 2 discs, FF7 Rebirth is also 2 discs. If you're patient enough to wait another few years to have the complete experience it'll likely be 6 discs total going by this pattern.
I'm excited for this game. FF7 Remake had a great mix of the ATB and action-based that kept the original FF experience but for the current gen. Can't wait to experience an open world view in FF again.
Re: A Video Game Actors Strike Could Happen Following Union Vote for Action
@LiamCroft Kratos' expression in the image is a perfect reaction to the lack of sympathy and empathy in the comments.
It's more concerning than disappointing reading the lack of guilt for it.
Re: Rumour: PS Plus Essential Games for October Leaked
This is great. I have a physical copy of Callisto Protocol wrapped still (thanks to my 2023 backlog). Now I don't have to unwrap it in order to play it finally.
Re: No New The Last of Us Game or TV Show Announcements Tomorrow
@IslandLogic That frame of questioning makes it sound like they called dibs on the day and demanded everyone celebrate it with them or else.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Locked at 30fps in PS5, PS4 Master Collection
@SonOfPSXDave Just a friendly correction here, since there's disinformation going around surrounding the new disclaimer. You're free to stick with the original games, otherwise.
The master collection is about the same version as what was on the HD Collection. The 6 missing FMV (which were generic scientists walking doing work, some war footage) across the three main games, that was due to license expiring. The developers attempted to restore them and the clips were no longer available to renew. So for legal reasons they couldn't re-add them. So instead, have other footage reused again. The Psycho Mantis fight not having the memory card reading feature as it had been removed on the PC version. They have corrected a number of bugs and issues from the HD Collection (one example: the delay when you answer a codec call) No other gameplay or such was removed. The only censorship that took place was already done prior to the original release around the events of 9/11 in 2001.
But, yes, the original PS2 versions of MGS2: Substance + Document of MGS2, and MGS3: Subsistence have the most content. The cancelled demo in MGS3 Subsistence, Ape Escape mode. And the infamous Skateboarding mode were removed for the HD Collection so there's less incentive to restore them outside the hardcore series fans. However, the Master Collection will include MGS: Integral, which has even more features that were available only in the Japan's ps1 release until now.
Re: Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection PS4 Will Launch Alongside PS5 Version on 24th October
@__jamiie Indeed. I bet if Konami weren't so preoccupied with those pachinko machines we would've had another HD Collection early in the PS4 era. Before the licenses on some of the FMVs had expired.
Re: Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection PS4 Will Launch Alongside PS5 Version on 24th October
@LifeGirl I believe everyone's mentioned the typical reason with PS3 emulation. I would also add that the resources on having MGS4 re-released wasn't a high enough priority. Konami were invested in MGSV, plus the fall out of Kojima. Konami were more focused on pachinko machines and were expecting MGS Survive to be the cash grab and when that failed well.... the demand for MGS4 was there but the company did not care at the time. Heck, MGS4 was discovered to originally be developed for the Xbox 360 but development halted because of the disc limitations and Kojima was very into the capabilities of the Cell processor. If the 360 was on HD-DVD discs instead of DVDs, then the Xbox system more than likely would've had MGS4 upscaled to 4k today. But here we are.
@__jamiie It's not the difficulty, but rather if the resources and money spent are worth remaking it. PS2 games were remade on PS3 to compensate the removal of PS2 compatibility. Bluepoint was able to remake them but they had to do it from the ground up with the original game by its side. Same thing happened with certain titles like Assassin's Creed Black Flag having a free upgrade program if you had the PS3 version.
Your examples work because Naughty Dog are first party and therefore have first dibs on PS4's structure. And they already have the original source code. However, I would not say Uncharted 1, 2, 3 were straight ports. Uncharted 1 was remade and for the better. That game was difficult on PS3 and the removal of sixaxis made it more replayable on PS4. Uncharted 2 somehow gained a higher learning curve with the enemies being more aware. So Normal difficulty feels like how Hard felt on PS3 and vice versa. As for Last of Us, the timeline speaks for itself. Came out 2013, only months before PS4. The PS4 version was inevitable.
Re: Huge Tekken 8 Showcase Has Story Mode Gameplay, Full Matches, and Much More
@SonOfPSXDave Sounds like you missed out on Tekken 5, 6, and Tag Tournament 2. Those games definitely had some of the best CGI & wacky endings + were packed fully of in-game custom content. Nothing like playing Jun holding a bottle while decked as a golden angel kicking butt.
Tekken 7 however was hella stripped, I stopped playing it after getting the trophies. I think the problem was they focused too much on the story and promoting the Kazama/Mishima lineage, the other characters lost their charm and uniqueness. The fact that they're bringing back Beach Ball in Tekken 8... perhaps there's hope.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Remake PS5, PS4 Save Data Gets You Bonus Rebirth Items
I wasn't expecting my Level 50 and maxed out materia to carry over after hearing the future titles will be PS5 exclusive. It'd be game-breaking easy for sure like it was playing New Game+ in FFXV.
On the plus side, I hadn't 100% Intermissions DLC like I did for FF7 Remake and worried I'd miss out on a bonus for not doing so. Good to see you just only need to have a save file for the summons.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Crosses the 7 Million Copies Sold Mark
@Shad361 You asked why Ghost of Tsushima was able to outsell FF7 Remake and I provided a general observation. Ghost of Tsushima appeals to a wider audience compared to FF series as a JRPG which has a more closed audience. And it looks like you also provided another reason, Persona also filling in the JRPG genre. Different genres, different audiences.
If you want to change the topic to how FF7 was so successful, that's an easy one. 26 years ago, the gaming viewpoint was different, it stood out among other games with a gripping story to market that was able to push Nintendo gamers who played FF to PlayStation. It took 8 years for the original FF7 to reach nearly 10 million sales worldwide. For FF7 Remake to take 3 years to reach 7 million, that's not so bad.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Crosses the 7 Million Copies Sold Mark
@Shad361 Different genres appeal to different audiences. There are a sizeable amount of people turned off by JRPGs no matter how much of a household name FF7 is. Also combined with new gamers who question whether to start FF with 7 and not 1.
Re: Secret PS5 Firmware Update Feature Spotlights Your Wall of Shame
Final Fantasy XV
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
FInal Fantasy IX
Each within the 200-300 hours range.
The Uncharted one surprised me the most since, I don't own that collection at all... Unless they're combining Uncharted 4 & Lost Legacy's (games which I havent touched since 2018) playtime which would make more sense.
Re: The Sims 5 Confirmed Free-to-Play, The Sims 4 to Receive Continued Support in Tandem
@Rob3008 There's Paralives as one of the leading competitors that's being worked on currently. It looks promising from the videos and screenshots I've seen.
Not surprised with this change in Sims 5. The quality of expansions and stuff packs degraded overtime in the series. With Sims 4, which was originally developed as an online-only Adults only life stage before backlash had them scrambling to add other life stages over the years. I've been a fan of the series since 2002 with Sims 1, and Sims 2 era was definitely the golden age with their multiple versions and even The Urbz (which is a time capsule of 2000s culture and nostalgia now). But the unfortunate situation is no other series has come close to the life simulation so The Sims will always be supported by name alone in spite of quality which is only saved by PC modders.
Re: Roblox Finally Comes to PS5, PS4 This October
@NinjaNicky Man, I was just thinking about how Habbo (which is surprisingly still around today) was like in its hay day in the early 00's. Habbo was originally targeted for older teens and adults but I was definitely on there at 11 or 12 until my mid-teens and was "lucky" to experience mostly scams than predatory behavior. Roblox seems to have a similar vibe with the microtransactions and mini games within its own universe that attracts younger audiences.
Re: Another Nail in E3's Coffin as Events Collaboration Falls Through
@Kienda In addition to E3's closed viewings, Sony stopped appearing because of the timeslots they would be fit into didn't work in their favor. So it became mainly Microsoft or Nintendo showing up. Once the 2020 lockdowns happened, companies realized having their own showcases like Nintendo Direct was far cheaper. Without Nintendo and Microsoft present, there's little reason to have in person events outside of Comic Cons now when you can view the same stuff online.
Re: Reaction: Has Sony Put Together the Worst PS Plus Month Ever?
Well, this forces me to pay monthly instead of yearly now. Those new emulators better be up and ready to go to excuse this increase in price for Premium tier.