Kienda

@nomither6 your comment to me didn’t seem so angry, but clearly you’re up for debate/arguments based on your other comments alongside that.

Anyways, sorry for offending you, but let’s be realistic here. Xbox has not destroyed everything they have touched. And Activision-Blizzard hasn’t always been garbage, but right now both companies need to do some work. But A-B’s problems are far and away more of an issue to the industry as a whole.

Also I don’t understand how you were allowed to mention other franchises Xbox has “killed”, but when I mention another product of Activision-Blizzard to demonstrate why they need reform, we now have to bring it back to Overwatch 2 and can’t mention other games? Anyways…

I’m a massive fan of Activision-Blizzard, particularly the Blizzard side of it. I’ve literally played all their games since the Rock n’ Roll Racing on the Mega Drive. But since they were acquired by Activision, it has mostly been down hill apart from Overwatch.

My concern for what is happening with Overwatch 2 is because of their handling of other franchises just as your concern for Xbox is the handling of some of theirs.

I should point out that Xbox haven’t killed every franchise, Forza, Psychonauts and Flight Simulator were top notch games last year and Halo Infinite wasn’t terrible (but yes it could have been better).

In Overwatch 2 they are looking to make it free to play, pay for characters and adding other battle pass and loot box items. Why? Money. That’s all. And that’s very Activision.

Xbox isn’t perfect but they pride themselves on trying to be good guys in the gaming industry. They want to work with other companies, even rivals. Phil wants his company to be free from sexual misconduct. All of these things are positives. They also try to be fair with their pricing. Rarely do they have micro transactions in their games and Game Pass is insanely good value.

That’s what my “get a grip” comment was about. There is a massive difference between these companies in the way they operate. Activision-Blizzard is part of a big problem that exploits customers for profit in a way that few others do. The fact someone can spend $10,000 in a game is already wrong. The fact they can get one shot by someone who paid more is absolute garbage. And Activision-Blizzard designed it that way. It’s beyond abysmal. Xbox producing some lower quality versions of past games pales in comparison to that.

TL:DR - Activision-Blizzard has a problem with its treatment of its workforce and its negative impact on the industry caused by greed and dodgy business practices that far outweigh anything Xbox is doing.

@nomither6 okay, I know this is the internet but let’s not be so over dramatic and angry.

Activision-Blizzard has issues that are far more damaging to the industry as a whole. From the frat-boy/sexual misconduct allegations to the fact someone can spend $10,000 in Diablo mobile and get one shot killed by someone who spent $100,000.

You think that’s worse than 343i not including split-screen multiplayer in Halo?

Get a grip, man.

Also, why do you not care about Banjo?

Another one leaves.

I know this may be unpopular on here, but if Xbox acquires them, I hope they clean up shop and stop the rot.

I don’t like leaks or leakers and I think it’s best for the civilised gaming world to simply ignore them.

It can ruin games, demoralise developers and what do we really gain from it? Nothing.

We are just giving leaking scumbags the attention they crave.

@Would_you_kindly sing it!

When I was a kid I used to put the Sonic R game disc in the PC and play it while I did my homework. Good times.

It’s a bit too American teen punk band for me, it’s not terrible though.

Sonic R on the Saturn still has the best music in the Sonic universe, but I’m hoping this game can deliver like Sonic Adventure did on the Dreamcast.

I still love SEGA, damn it! Please be descent Sonic Frontiers!

@Would_you_kindly 100% - 343i are a joke and Microsoft shouldn’t have let that happen.

By the way, just because I called out what I see as a scummy practice from Square Enix and Sony doesn’t mean I favour others.

The Final Fantasy series is my favourite in gaming. And that’s why I call these things out. I love their games and want them to go to everyone. So I will say when Square Enix and Sony, the two companies that introduced me to my favourite game, are the ones that let me down.

@alexjs36 you are accusing someone of lying when none of us know the truth.

Final Fantasy 7: Remake was marketed as a “timed exclusive” but that hasn’t made it to Xbox yet.

In my opinion both Square Enix and Sony are ***holes for stringing the Xbox gamers along like that. They also screwed over the PS4 gamers who funded that game by making the DLC exclusive to PS5 and PC.

Denying FF7:R to Xbox was to force people to buy a PS4. Denying DLC to PS4 was to force people to upgrade to PS5 or buy again on PC.

Both of these were scummy practices by Square Enix AND Sony.

I don’t see how FF16 is coming to Xbox if FF7:R hasn’t yet. And I don’t see how it is “lying for someone to assume FF16’s “timed exclusivity” actually isn’t that at all.

Based on previous business practices, it is currently best judgement to see FF16 as a PlayStation exclusive.

Also, I think it is shameful that Square Enix continue to keep Xbox gamers in the dark.

I’m saying this as a multi platform gamer with a preference to Sony. We should be able to set back from our fanboyism and see it from the bigger picture of what is good and bad for the industry.

@naruball @Pat_trick let me help you both out with a simple, yet long winded explanation.

There are haters who are pouring fuel on the fire to spark outrage from those who were unimpressed but on the fence. They are also actively trying to damage Naughty Dog’s reputation and the games legacy.

There are critics who do not see the validity of the remaster and would prefer Naughty Dog working on new projects and may be vocally against the game, but don’t hate it. (These are the guys likely being offended for wrongly being called haters)

There are neutrals who don’t really care either way but may be discouraged from purchasing the game due to the haters propaganda.

There are fans who are impressed with the remaster but can’t justify it or think it’s over priced.

There are fans who love the changes and will invest in the game again and support what Naughty Dog are doing.

There are also fans who are fired up because of haters who keep s***ing all over their beloved franchise and the developers and thus add more fuel to the fire because the trolls and haters love that reaction and want to stoke the flames.

And both all of those categories get bundled together in the epic war between fans and haters.

Conclusion: It’s all wasted energy that could be spent doing something good instead but no one will realise that because they enjoy the drama.

I think we can all appreciate that this is one of the best narrative games to ever be released. The story, the world building, the performances the characters put in we’re all phenomenal.

To improve upon that and make it better to play will only increase the level of immersion and the enjoyment of the game. Also it will ensure this story will have a longer lifespan into the future.

I wouldn’t say it needed to remake. The original would still have stood on its own. But improving this game isn’t a bad thing. I’m not sure it needed all the hate.

This could actually be amazing.

Obviously Horizon Zero Dawn has a lot of beauty and wonder and action and drama, but I also hope they can capture some of that unique feeling of loss and mystery that surrounded the ‘Old World’ that the game provided.

When playing the game I got a load of vibes of Planet of the Apes (the TV series) which I watched as a kid and stories like that where they find things from the ‘old world’ and to them it’s a mystery and to the viewer it is our world which is now lost to them and it really piqued my enjoyment of the game.

So I hope they can capture that feeing of aloneness and discovering what was lost on top of all the other elements that make the games so amazing.

@Th3solution @GreatAuk okay, I get what you’re saying. Sony’s cut was less from the US than the UK. But that doesn’t mean that Americans paid more than Brits or Europeans.

I think this 10% talking point is being thrown out there when it isn’t accurate. It only works if you compare the dollar to pound price without exchange rates.

Again, I have to emphasise, Sony simply did this move to increase profits in several regions while they try to remain competitive in another.

Us fighting about who has been hard done by the longest is like the politicians getting different groups to fight each other to distract from them making bad decisions that affect us all.

That’s all I’m trying to say.

@GreatAuk you are wrong.

You paid $440 for a digital PS5 in 2020 including tax.

On 12 November 2020, the date the PS5 release the $ to £ rate was 1.3129.

That means the UK price of £359.99 was $472.63 at that time.

That means you paid more than $30 LESS than someone in Europe even after paying tax.

The price may have changed in our favour due to exchange rates, but now they are increasing our price so we are again paying more.

@GreatAuk @Cutmastavictory I understand that prices vary by country. There is a reason iPhones are cheaper in America than they are in Europe, for example.

However, Sony sold this to people as if it is a “global” crisis that “affects all of us” and yet we aren’t all affected the same, so yes I will take issue with that.

They can justify anything with stats and graphs but that isn’t the issue here. This is bad PR and graphs or even facts can never outpace feeling and emotion of the public.

They didn’t have to make this decision. They chose to. And the simple reason they are doing it to stay competitive in the US while they know the price hike will be more acceptable in other regions where their brand is stronger.

It’s an own goal and we should rightly speak out against the bad practices of a brand we love. Because greed has damaged it. Additionally, we the customers lose out because we pay more just to give shareholders more money. And I’m aghast that people keep defending multi-billion-dollar businessmen instead of us working class people who always get the short end of the stick.

Greed.

That’s the reason.

They claimed the increase was because of the “global” crisis in order to sell it to people but excluded the one region that they know they need to remain competitive against Xbox in.

If we are all really in this together then we should all share equally in paying for it.

Giving favouritism to people differently based on where they live really isn’t a good look.

@MaccaMUFC I almost bought one today also but here’s the thing.

I had to sell my PS5 in January due to financial issues earlier this year so reverted back to a PS4. I’m now financially back on my feet and was nearing buying a PS5, but right now I won’t.

The fact they claim this is a global crisis issue but haven’t increased the USA price really bugged me to the point where I won’t be swayed into panic buying. When I buy it I want it on my terms and for the price I think is acceptable.

I’ve waited this long. I can wait a bit longer.

Anyways, I really hope you enjoy it because it’s a great console and thanks for the tip off for those who want one before the price increase.

People defending this greedy position really are quite deluded.

This is a multi-billion-dollar corporation whose only aim is to please their share holders and make more profits. It’s not about the crisis, it’s about making money.

I’m betting they regret not releasing this for £600-£700 at the start as they’d have been able to get way more money that instead went to scalpers.

In my opinion, this has nothing to do with the global crisis (which is affecting us little people far more than the mega corpse). It’s about getting more money out of us.

It’s just greed. That’s all it is. There isn’t a magic formula or a new thing Sony is doing. They just want more money and know they can get it because of supply and demand. There mistake was not doing it sooner. Because now we are all suffering from higher prices on everything and so it hurts just that bit more for us to take.

4/15 and all my correct answers were guesses.

You would never know I’ve owned every PlayStation and played through hundreds of games with how badly I do on these quizzes.

I haven’t seen the movie, but the trailer alone grates on me.

The impression I get is it is just Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland playing the characters of Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland.

They don’t exude Nathan Drake and Sully to me and so that put me off seeing it.

I will check it out when it comes to UK Netflix though.

@HammerKirby3 it’s because bundles are the only option right now in the UK, almost exclusively.

It is not consumer friendly and I will not accept that it is.

The console is £450, even the cheapest £500 versions that come with Horizon Zero Dawn are forcing an extra 10% onto the price and the person buying may not want that game and therefore is forced to spend more than they want because of forced bundles.

GAME are bundling t-shirts, headphones and other cheap, non-resellable junk and increasing the price by 30-40%. It is just a garbage business practice that is anti consumer.

If these bundles were available alongside the base £450 model, I would (and always have) accepted it. In fact my PS4 was a bundle deal that was amazing value. But forcing bundles as the only option because they know they will sell due to supply/demand is just as greedy as scalpers (imho).

The PS5 bundles with Horizon Forbidden West are already a bad business practice in my opinion.

Personally, I will never again buy anything from GAME since at Christmas time they would bundle useless junk into their PS5 bundles and bump the price up to £650+ because they added a t-shirt and some headphones and some games and so on. And they still do it now. Screw them.

A lot of us live on tight budgets. I had to sell my PS5 due to money issues we had as a family (which are now largely resolved) but I haven’t bought a new PS5 yet as can’t find one at RRP.

If they raised the price after the profits they have enjoyed its just a slap in the face to those of us who are supporting them but on a tight budget.

Just like the internet outrage over the leaks before they were debunked by Naughty Dog I feel like this was always going to be the end game for this but most people didn’t realise.

I’m not going to buy the remake. I already bought it on PS3 and PS4, but I do feel more people should get to experience what I believe is one of the best games ever made (in terms of story, narrative, setting, character performances etc) and so I’m happy for PC players and I think it actually makes sense to have a remake and then release it on PC instead of just releasing one of the older versions.

When people wasting thousands of hours watching cat videos first started I imagine scientists thought it would be a phase we would grow out of over time.

This just took humanity backwards (or possible forwards) by two decades.

We will never escape cat videos, because we don’t want to!

@nessisonett @ApostateMage agreed.

I was one of those people that never gave any mind to women’s football until I saw the Euros.

It’s clear that the level of play isn’t as high as the top teams, but the competition itself is just as entertaining.

With more coverage they will get more revenue and investment and things can only improve with that. And it’s great that my daughter can watch football with me with female role models.

Why still Mbappe though?

It’s good to have a female player. But they should also give other male players the spotlight.

Having only played the PS2 Star Ocean I haven’t been scarred by more recent entries in the series. So I’m going into this game fresh faced and doe eyed.

I’m convinced it’s going to be magical!

Social media has a tendency to amplify toxic opinions and the behaviour of some people is shameful.

I still believe most people are good and rational beings and for all our sanity we should just pay less attention to internet outrage.

Unfortunately, the media and corporations literally change their entire ethos and opinions around a minority of internet trolls.

Okay, riding through burning forest actually sounds fun.

The overfishing one though? At this point it just sounds like a forced lesson like when teachers try and make a boring subject fun at school.

I’ll need to see it before I judge.

Spread the word! Let the pros get their optimal rewards and lose in the first round… It might mean I reach round 2 for a change!

People can defend Sony all they want but they have to understand that, no matter whose fault it is, the supply issues will affect their business.

Personally, I know three people who have given up getting a PS5, instead bought Xbox Series X and two won’t go back to PlayStation. Why? Because missing out and waiting sucks.

Another family I know had the money for PS5 when it first came out, but couldn’t get one. Since then finances have been tighter and they don’t see a need to upgrade anymore. They are still PS gamers but sticking with a PS4.

There are lots of different scenarios and reasons for customers to either be frustrated or to jump ship.

Heck, I’m one of those frustrated people and it has affected my view of things. I’ve got an Xbox Series X with 3 years Game Pass prepaid. I wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t so hard to get a PS5 and so easy to get an Xbox. It’s now my go to for Third Parties, especially as the backwards compatibility is better on Xbox. While PlayStation is my favourite brand, I’m only giving them money for first party titles now.

The bottom line is that the stock issues have affected sales and will have a long term affect on Sony’s business.

Thanks for the reminder that Pandemonium exists. I only ever had the demo disc for it and always wanted to own it.

6/15 for me, and yes I got the Pandemonium question wrong. Hehe

I think this isn’t far gone from other online games.

MMORPGs like WoW replace the whole game whenever a new expansion comes out. Fortnite’s original island and all previous variants aren’t available anymore etc.

I think the difference is this game has a 2 on the end of it that it just seems odd.

@Kiryu-Chan whoops, yes she was.

That’s a shame because THPS3 was my jam. I think I have the soundtrack burned into my memory forever with how much I played that game.

You know… if what we have seen so far is just the World Map (Open Zone), but that in addition to this zone, the game includes lots of “actual” levels that are unique and varied.

Then this game could actually be good.

@Milktastrophe there are at least 20 of them, from FF7, 8, 9 and 10.

For example, in the first Kingdom Hearts, the main character lives on an island with characters from Final Fantasy 10 (Tidus, Waka, and Selphie)

As you progress the story in the series you meet Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Sephiroth, Squall, Cid and many others.

These are all interlinked with Disney characters and worlds and of course the original Kingdom Hearts characters.

Many fans always thought it was Disney meets Final Fantasy.

While the Disney and Kingdom Hearts characters were always at the forefront, the Final Fantasy characters were always present. From the very beginning they were there.

To abandon them completely does a disservice to the fans as it changes the feeling of the franchise so I hope they rectify it.

We know Kingdom Hearts is not Final Fantasy, it is its own thing. But they were always a big part. It seems the creators forgot that while the fans didn’t.

Why did they call it Autumn Guys, anyway?

As far as I can see there is nothing autumnal about them…

(Sorry)

Hey Push Square, how about not putting the entire leak, including the title, in the headline?!

Some of us still like to be surprised by official announcements.

Thank you Push Square for not spreading the leak.

I want to wait for Capcom’s official announcements.

The same goes for every other leak. I don’t want to know until it’s official. There is a reason they hold information back.

People just need to be patient.

I’m getting heavy Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis vibes from this.

A decent State of Play.

Not a fan of horror, and one of those new games looked extremely gruesome (which probably means it looked amazing to others who are less wimpy than me).

FF16 looked spectacular - the detail on those summons was sublime. And I’m actually quite interested in Street Fighter 6 (is it just me or did they change the logo?)

Can we just appreciate that the Summons look absolutely freakin’ awesome!

This is what my child mine pictured when I used Summons in the PS1 era of games.

I’m okay with this.

I kinda like the big gaming announcements being spread throughout the year.

That’s just quackers.

I watched Liverpool lose the Champions League final then came on here and got 6/15 to add insult to injury.

Not my night I guess.

For anyone wondering how Microsoft deals with this.

I bought 3 years of Xbox Live Gold at a heavy discount.

I paid £1 to upgrade all 3 years to Game Pass Ultimate.

Sony needs to wake up.

I’m a big fan of the rewind feature and the save anywhere.

As an adult with limited time, I like that I don’t need to keep tracking back and replaying levels because of a mistimed jump or needed to stop playing half way through a level.

While I loved the challenge of games when I was younger, I sure do like easy mode nowadays.

@Flaming_Kaiser I don’t think there will ever be a time when Sony and Microsoft don’t save their best for themselves (unless one stops making consoles).

I was meaning more with some of their acquisitions that always released games multi platform but now will be owned by them. Kind of like how MLB The Show is made by Sony but is on Game Pass. I think we will see a few more owned by the other releasing multi platform.

I was just saying how it will mess with the fanboys minds but also hopefully break down barriers for better cross play. There are still a lot of games that don’t have the option and it helps everyone if more cross platform games have it.

I don’t know how the console warriors are going to cope when we have multiple cross-platform games owned by Microsoft and Sony on the others’ console.

I think it’s healthy to have good relationships and cooperation. Cross play is a massive bonus being able to play with friends from all sides.