The very act of threading the needle between artistic expression and money hungry financiers is an exercise of immense creativity in and of itself! But, though lacking nuance, I get Layden’s point.
I’ll be picking up my copy today but won’t be starting it until Monday. I consider the original an offbeat, horror masterpiece. So very excited for this!
I imagine this was no easy task for Bloober so huge congrats to the team! Cannot wait to dive in myself! One of those special games I plan to crawl through, absorbing every second.
I don’t know about the technical side of things but the way they’ve lit the remastered Aloy in this comparison is much, much more aesthetically pleasing.
Oddly enough, Ubisoft (Montpellier) delivered one of the best games I’ve played this year in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. I’d like to see more games like that!
Games should be properly optimized for their target hardware. This should really go without saying and it’s disappointing that sub par performance in performance mode is so prevalent. It’s why I end up playing a lot of titles in fidelity mode. RotR’s performance mode was a mixed bag. It would often be buttery smooth and then tank at times you wouldn’t think it should. It didn’t bother me often enough to play in fidelity but it’s not right and an upgrade shouldn’t be the go-to solution. Here we are though. I actually think the game is quite beautiful, in which I snapped some of my favourite photos in a game ever. Really solid game and I’m glad it’s found its audience.
Not caring about the difference and not seeing the difference are two completely different things. I can’t speak for 8k but the jump between 1080p and 4k is massive to my eyes.
@Mintie Yeah, it’s hard not to let the imagination run wild on what Bluepoint’s cooking up. For me, I’m most curious to know what Barlog and company have been beavering away on. Who can tell exactly what Sony’s PR strategy is these days, and had this been billed as a big showcase, I’d have likely been unmoved but as a State of Play, I thought there was some pretty cool stuff in there!
What I find most interesting about this soundtrack is the way it persistently carries its motifs throughout, creating a real sense of oneness and connectedness in line with the game’s most prevalent themes.
@XscapingReality Yeah, that makes sense. I find it a lot messier than Remake so I get where you’re coming from. For me, it’s the environmental variety and focus on the characters that make Rebirth sing. I could do without Chadley’s data collection and the clunky mini-game padding but it’s just so awesome being able to explore the world beyond Midgar within a modern presentation.
Playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Astro Bot. I’m enjoying Rebirth a lot more than Remake overall, even if I think Remake did some things better. Astro Bot is just pure gaming gold. Happy gaming!
@XscapingReality Queens Blood is fantastic, isn’t it? It’s amazing just how much a well executed mini game like this really adds to the world. More so than, say, stealthing around Chocobos! Hope you continue to enjoy it, game seems huge.
Marketing costs, hours of motion captured story bits, outsourcing…all very expensive. IF this report is true, I don’t see Hulst having an extended future in his current position, and that’s without knowing how much Factions cost Sony either.
I’m currently playing through Rebirth. I am by no means a pixel counter but it’s plain to see that performance mode really does tank the image quality. It’s a bit bizarre to be playing a sequel on more powerful hardware that doesn’t, at the very least, match the visual bar set by its predecessor.
Big proponent of physical media here. When are we going to stop the alarmist rhetoric and collectively realize that this approach not only saves us money in the long run but also gives security to the growing niche market we support? I’m all for this approach.
@Dodoo And that’s a completely fair assessment. I’m disappointed as well. Of course I am, I’d love to order one tomorrow. My comment was directed towards the general hysteria - which I find very difficult to empathize with in a world in which over a quarter of the population can’t access clean drinking water - not any one person’s legitimate reasoning as to why they can’t justify the purchase. As for me, I’m going to see what I can scrape together over the next few months without altering the budget 😄
For fun, I ran the launch prices of PlayStation’s console lineup through an inflation calculator. These numbers($US) are not definitive and are only meant to provide a rough idea of where PS5 Pro lands on the spectrum.
@naruball Guess I better not mention to those worried about the price of a PS6 that, assuming it releases in 4 years, they only have to start putting away about $25/month now to completely alleviate their worries.
He’s entitled to feel however he wants to feel about how the character he created is being used in his absence. It’s just unfortunate that he can’t share in the joy it seems to be bringing everyone else. His loss.
The only way I might buy into the author’s position is if Astro Bot was completely phoned in. By all accounts, it wasn’t. In fact, I’d argue that the game breathes new life into characters that would have otherwise remained lost to the uninitiated, and gives new relevancy to ones thought forgotten in the dust bin. All without mentioning the game itself is its own I.P. pushing the medium forward.
Cannot wait to start this, and share the excitement with our kids. Maybe this will get people in the mood to give Psychonauts 2 and Sackboy the love they so deserve!
Wow. Folks are really riding the wave of this flop (and what a flop, granted) but outside of Concord, Sony have released some excellent quality and well selling games this year, one of which is a live service title, that also holds the same price point. I’m not defending this poorly calculated risk, by the way. I just don’t think it’s Sony’s death knell either.
@Ilyn Exactly. Speaking on the most surface level, I could set up a gaming PC today but I don’t because I don’t want to. There are presumably many others out there in the same position.
This is an entirely speculative discussion that in reality will be determined by the market. I’d be rather curious to see how the market would react if someone hit the magic button tomorrow that made streaming any game from any device an actuality. That takes a lot of infrastructure and the world is very large. I speculate that consoles will be around for a long while yet.
Very bizarre series of events. The claim of a secret exclusivity deal doesn’t add up at all. Definitely need some official statements but then, why comment at all if it’s untrue?
Good article. I agree with the proposed correlation between Sony’s first party silence and the resulting impression that live service is all they’re working on. For the asking price, I think a campaign of some sort would have went a long way to giving players a more immediate sense of value. As for the question, this thing is unfortunately dead. I’ve seen bigger numbers show up to the local battle of the bands on a Tuesday night. Cut the losses and move on. And maybe start planning a heck of a showcase before the end of the year.
Don’t think I’ll play this again but seeing it here sure took me back to what was a particularly memorable stretch of gaming for me. This, Rogue Spear, Rollercoaster Tycoon, SWAT 3 and the evergreen StarCraft were pretty much 1999 for me.
@BlAcK_SwOrDsMaN Thanks for the tag! Probably my most anticipated release of the year at this point, I’m glad to hear it appears to be shaping up quite nicely. Will you be playing at release?
I have very conflicting thoughts on Alan Wake II and didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I’d hoped but whatever it takes to get a sequel to the brilliant Control, I’m all in. Remedy are a breath of fresh air.
After finishing the outstanding Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, I’ve made a start on Hi-Fi Rush, which is just wonderful thus far. I’ll also be looking to finally begin my Final Fantasy VII Rebirth journey. Happy gaming!
@OldGamer999 I think this is a huge chunk of context, good call. At least in direct comparison to the PS4, backwards compatibility and a cross gen release strategy have had to have played a major role in the transition to PS5.
Comments 1,358
Re: Ex-PlayStation Exec Shawn Layden Says There's Been a 'Collapse' in Gaming Creativity
The very act of threading the needle between artistic expression and money hungry financiers is an exercise of immense creativity in and of itself! But, though lacking nuance, I get Layden’s point.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Silent Hill 2?
Just started my play through. So far, so great!
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Silent Hill 2?
I’ll be picking up my copy today but won’t be starting it until Monday. I consider the original an offbeat, horror masterpiece. So very excited for this!
Re: Silent Hill 2 (PS5) - The Horror Great Remains So in This Excellent Remake
@aj21009 Won’t be a problem! It’s a self contained story and a fine entry to jump in.
Re: Silent Hill 2 (PS5) - The Horror Great Remains So in This Excellent Remake
I imagine this was no easy task for Bloober so huge congrats to the team! Cannot wait to dive in myself! One of those special games I plan to crawl through, absorbing every second.
Re: The Last of Us Season 2 Debuts in 2025, Here's Your First Look
This looks incredible. I think Part II’s story will benefit greatly from this format.
Re: All Eyes on Aloy (Again), as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Comparison Does the Rounds
I don’t know about the technical side of things but the way they’ve lit the remastered Aloy in this comparison is much, much more aesthetically pleasing.
Re: Ubisoft Board Orders Internal Investigation and Review into Company's Financial Woes
@Yousef- absolutely worth a try if you like the metroidvania style!
Re: Ubisoft Board Orders Internal Investigation and Review into Company's Financial Woes
Oddly enough, Ubisoft (Montpellier) delivered one of the best games I’ve played this year in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. I’d like to see more games like that!
Re: PS5's Ghost of Yotei Triggers Social Media, Ex-Sony Exec Says 'If You Don't Like It, Don't Buy It'
What isn’t a controversy these days? Anyway, it’s a very interesting direction and, if done right, could really add to Jin’s mythos as the Ghost.
Re: PS5 Pro Will Supposedly Fix Rise of the Ronin's Shoddy Frame Rate
Games should be properly optimized for their target hardware. This should really go without saying and it’s disappointing that sub par performance in performance mode is so prevalent. It’s why I end up playing a lot of titles in fidelity mode. RotR’s performance mode was a mixed bag. It would often be buttery smooth and then tank at times you wouldn’t think it should. It didn’t bother me often enough to play in fidelity but it’s not right and an upgrade shouldn’t be the go-to solution. Here we are though. I actually think the game is quite beautiful, in which I snapped some of my favourite photos in a game ever. Really solid game and I’m glad it’s found its audience.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Will Experiment with 8K, 60fps on PS5 Pro
Not caring about the difference and not seeing the difference are two completely different things. I can’t speak for 8k but the jump between 1080p and 4k is massive to my eyes.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Sony's State of Play for September 2024?
@Mintie Yeah, it’s hard not to let the imagination run wild on what Bluepoint’s cooking up. For me, I’m most curious to know what Barlog and company have been beavering away on. Who can tell exactly what Sony’s PR strategy is these days, and had this been billed as a big showcase, I’d have likely been unmoved but as a State of Play, I thought there was some pretty cool stuff in there!
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Sony's State of Play for September 2024?
I can’t imagine what more one would want from a State of Play. I voted Very Good.
Re: Superb Strategy RPG Unicorn Overlord Tops 1 Million Sales
One of the best of the year, no doubt.
Re: Final Fantasy 16's Outstanding Soundtrack Finally Available on Music Streaming Services
What I find most interesting about this soundtrack is the way it persistently carries its motifs throughout, creating a real sense of oneness and connectedness in line with the game’s most prevalent themes.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 547
@XscapingReality Yeah, that makes sense. I find it a lot messier than Remake so I get where you’re coming from. For me, it’s the environmental variety and focus on the characters that make Rebirth sing. I could do without Chadley’s data collection and the clunky mini-game padding but it’s just so awesome being able to explore the world beyond Midgar within a modern presentation.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 547
Playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Astro Bot. I’m enjoying Rebirth a lot more than Remake overall, even if I think Remake did some things better. Astro Bot is just pure gaming gold. Happy gaming!
@XscapingReality Queens Blood is fantastic, isn’t it? It’s amazing just how much a well executed mini game like this really adds to the world. More so than, say, stealthing around Chocobos! Hope you continue to enjoy it, game seems huge.
Re: Rumour: Concord Cost $400 Million, Sony Believed It Was the 'Future of PlayStation'
Marketing costs, hours of motion captured story bits, outsourcing…all very expensive. IF this report is true, I don’t see Hulst having an extended future in his current position, and that’s without knowing how much Factions cost Sony either.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Astro Bot?
When the only nitpick I can muster is the inability to adjust the audio settings, it’s safely a 10/10 game for me.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 'Hugely Improved' on PS5 Pro, a 'Night and Day' Difference
I’m currently playing through Rebirth. I am by no means a pixel counter but it’s plain to see that performance mode really does tank the image quality. It’s a bit bizarre to be playing a sequel on more powerful hardware that doesn’t, at the very least, match the visual bar set by its predecessor.
Re: Prospective PS5 Pro Buyers Cause Surge in Disc Drive Sales
Big proponent of physical media here. When are we going to stop the alarmist rhetoric and collectively realize that this approach not only saves us money in the long run but also gives security to the growing niche market we support? I’m all for this approach.
Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Pro Way Too Expensive?
@Dodoo And that’s a completely fair assessment. I’m disappointed as well. Of course I am, I’d love to order one tomorrow. My comment was directed towards the general hysteria - which I find very difficult to empathize with in a world in which over a quarter of the population can’t access clean drinking water - not any one person’s legitimate reasoning as to why they can’t justify the purchase. As for me, I’m going to see what I can scrape together over the next few months without altering the budget 😄
Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Pro Way Too Expensive?
For fun, I ran the launch prices of PlayStation’s console lineup through an inflation calculator. These numbers($US) are not definitive and are only meant to provide a rough idea of where PS5 Pro lands on the spectrum.
PS1 $299 = $617
PS2 $299 = $546
PS3 $599 = $934
PS4 $399 = $538
PS4 Pro $399 = $522
PS5 $499 = $606
PS5 Pro $699 + extras = $807
Yep, it’s expensive.
Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Pro Way Too Expensive?
@naruball Guess I better not mention to those worried about the price of a PS6 that, assuming it releases in 4 years, they only have to start putting away about $25/month now to completely alleviate their worries.
Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Pro Way Too Expensive?
The base PS5 is perfectly fine. The Pro is a luxury purchase that one can either afford or not. I don’t see what the big deal is.
Re: Poll: Are You Sold on PS5 Pro?
Looks pretty sweet to me! I plan on buying one, just likely not at launch. Need more time to get the funds together. Hopefully around February/March.
Re: Days Gone Director Roasts 'Small Game' Astro Bot PS5 for Deacon St John Cameo
He’s entitled to feel however he wants to feel about how the character he created is being used in his absence. It’s just unfortunate that he can’t share in the joy it seems to be bringing everyone else. His loss.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 545
Finally started my Final Fantasy VII Rebirth journey, and Astro Bot. Both are just superb thus far. Happy gaming!
Re: Astro Bot (PS5) - One of the Greatest PlayStation Platformers of All Time
@rusty82 Agreed! Pretty stoked to be getting another good one 😄
Re: Soapbox: Astro Bot PS5 Is Not a Graveyard, It's a Joyful Demonstration of Sony's Unique Ability to Reinvent Itself
The only way I might buy into the author’s position is if Astro Bot was completely phoned in. By all accounts, it wasn’t. In fact, I’d argue that the game breathes new life into characters that would have otherwise remained lost to the uninitiated, and gives new relevancy to ones thought forgotten in the dust bin. All without mentioning the game itself is its own I.P. pushing the medium forward.
Re: Astro Bot (PS5) - One of the Greatest PlayStation Platformers of All Time
Cannot wait to start this, and share the excitement with our kids. Maybe this will get people in the mood to give Psychonauts 2 and Sackboy the love they so deserve!
Re: Reaction: PlayStation Needs to Take a Long, Hard Look at Itself
Wow. Folks are really riding the wave of this flop (and what a flop, granted) but outside of Concord, Sony have released some excellent quality and well selling games this year, one of which is a live service title, that also holds the same price point. I’m not defending this poorly calculated risk, by the way. I just don’t think it’s Sony’s death knell either.
Re: Failing Manufacturers Are Pushing the Narrative That Consoles Are Dying, Says Ex-Xbox Exec
@Nem Agreed. Emphasis on ‘magic’ I suppose 😄
@Ilyn Exactly. Speaking on the most surface level, I could set up a gaming PC today but I don’t because I don’t want to. There are presumably many others out there in the same position.
Re: Failing Manufacturers Are Pushing the Narrative That Consoles Are Dying, Says Ex-Xbox Exec
This is an entirely speculative discussion that in reality will be determined by the market. I’d be rather curious to see how the market would react if someone hit the magic button tomorrow that made streaming any game from any device an actuality. That takes a lot of infrastructure and the world is very large. I speculate that consoles will be around for a long while yet.
Re: Dramatic Conflicts as Sony Accused of Signing Secret PS5 Exclusivity with Black Myth: Wukong
Very bizarre series of events. The claim of a secret exclusivity deal doesn’t add up at all. Definitely need some official statements but then, why comment at all if it’s untrue?
Re: Let the Astro Bot PS5 Launch Trailer Tide You Over Until Release
I’m also in the ‘show me no more’ boat. Not long to go, looks incredible!
Re: The Witcher 4 Close to Full Production, Next Cyberpunk Progressing as Planned
Pre production is a huge chunk of the process. This is great news!
Re: Gorgeous Narrative Adventure Neva Releases on PS5 in October
Very excited for this. Looks incredible.
Re: Talking Point: Can PS5, PC Shooter Concord Be Saved?
Good article. I agree with the proposed correlation between Sony’s first party silence and the resulting impression that live service is all they’re working on. For the asking price, I think a campaign of some sort would have went a long way to giving players a more immediate sense of value. As for the question, this thing is unfortunately dead. I’ve seen bigger numbers show up to the local battle of the bands on a Tuesday night. Cut the losses and move on. And maybe start planning a heck of a showcase before the end of the year.
Re: Incoming! Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition Rated for PS5, PS4
Don’t think I’ll play this again but seeing it here sure took me back to what was a particularly memorable stretch of gaming for me. This, Rogue Spear, Rollercoaster Tycoon, SWAT 3 and the evergreen StarCraft were pretty much 1999 for me.
Re: Composer Akira Yamaoka Remade All of the Music for Silent Hill 2 PS5
Such an inspiring soundtrack. This must have been real a journey for Yamaoka.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Has Sold an Astonishing 10 Million Copies in Three Days on PS5, PC
It’s worth noting these are digital sales as well. Very impressive launch!
Re: Preview: Silent Hill 2 PS5 Grows in the Right Ways for Anticipated Remake
@BlAcK_SwOrDsMaN Thanks for the tag! Probably my most anticipated release of the year at this point, I’m glad to hear it appears to be shaping up quite nicely. Will you be playing at release?
Re: Mini Review: The Mortuary Assistant (PS5) - Prep Bodies and Banish Demons in This Terrific Horror Title
@BlAcK_SwOrDsMaN Wasn’t on my radar at all but I’m certainly intrigued now. If I’m feeling adventurous, I may just go for it.
Re: Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks to Be 'Revived', Acquired By PUBG Publisher
I’ll be curious to see how this actually pans out but today…I celebrate 🥳
Re: Alan Wake 2 Still Hasn't Made Remedy Any Royalties, But Work Is Underway on Max Payne's PS5 Remakes
I have very conflicting thoughts on Alan Wake II and didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I’d hoped but whatever it takes to get a sequel to the brilliant Control, I’m all in. Remedy are a breath of fresh air.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 541
After finishing the outstanding Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, I’ve made a start on Hi-Fi Rush, which is just wonderful thus far. I’ll also be looking to finally begin my Final Fantasy VII Rebirth journey. Happy gaming!
Re: It Took PS5 Longer Than PS4 to Pass 4 Million Units Milestone in the UK, But There's Context
@OldGamer999 I think this is a huge chunk of context, good call. At least in direct comparison to the PS4, backwards compatibility and a cross gen release strategy have had to have played a major role in the transition to PS5.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 540
Finding myself with some more gaming time again 😄 so I’ve been enjoying Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Happy gaming!