I love me some handhelds, and have a Switch, PS Portal, Steam Deck, ROG Ally and a zillion other smaller ones. So I'm all in but there is a bit of a problem with the direction for Sony and big AAA players. There is always going to be a contention between performance and battery life/size in a handheld world. At the moment, Sony's big thing is to champion top tier graphics and push for devs to support PS5 Pro etc. This will then be the opposite side - also making devs support a lower grade system. Unless they just go for a PS4 era device. So I think its cool and I'd be down but is it too late after going for the top end performance piece of the pie?
I think you are either in or out. For me, unlike the PS4 Pro, I'm out because of price - the difference is too high for me. I personally don't count on developers putting significant effort into PS5 Pro versions when they have to support PC, handhelds, Series S and X and now a Pro. I think only first party games will see the real benefit.
However, if you are a massive PS5 user and have the tv and gear then go for it. In this round, for me, it's not worth it at the price but I don't think Sony are guilty of anything then offering a niche product to a niche audience.
Torn on this - agree on all comments questioning about how achievable it actually is and how it could possibly work. Also, some elements of online gaming is going to be very unfair - so much of gaming is online these days to a certain extent.
At the same time, with two kids now in the digital world, I can attest to the impact online use has to kids these days. Even with a lot of supervision, they get bombarded with all sorts and gaming is no exception - most of the biggest games have predatory monetary systems. Even with supervised time, I've spotted big differences in moods when they are regularly spending time online etc.
Which is a long winded way of saying I agree that social media can have negative impacts on kids but I have no idea what should be done about it.
My thoughts are that this is a combination of issues that has nothing to do with the quality of the game.
Firstly, it is a sequel to a cult hit, but arguably a cult hit that never quite hit the mainstream and was also developed at a time when games cost a lot less than Alan Wake 2. So such a lavish game had to go that bit further.
Secondly, it is, in my mind, one of the first AAA full price console games not to release physically. Now, whilst digital does make up a large percentage, there is still a player base that prefers physical and you also lose presence on online stores like Amazon and shop fronts. It is not in their interest to market your release. Releasing it NOW in physical at full price misses the release window and the media blitz that comes with a new releases.
Lastly, Epic man - c'mon. People are not ditching their Steam libraries for Epic exclusive games since PC gamers are notoriously good at waiting for games. Just look at the sales for PS4/PS5 games on PC.
So out the bat you have a niche legacy sequel, that ditches a percentage of purchasers with a lack of physical and PC Platform preference.
I'm torn. I find the practice so shady and anti-consumer that I'd never support it. But then there are people that are willing to do it so maybe the publishers are stupid not to do it? I can't help but feel that it will just help nudge game prices higher and higher.
This gen, I've moved more and more to PC gaming because of the price. I rarely buy any PS games at launch anymore because it a) too risky and b)I refuse to pay $70 for a game that will, in most cases, drop back to $50 in a mere matter of months. Often with more content and better support.
Got one and use it a lot. My use case is not always having access to the main tv. This works perfectly and other than a large screen, the experience feels like a PS5 rather than using a phone controller or tablet (or another android device like the G Cloud that I was using before).
Ignore all the 'woke' commentators. No one would give a hoot if the games were delivering on quality. The issue with Ubisoft is that they have gained a reputation for delivering the same experiences at a high price points with forced monetization. No one is excited for Shadows because everyone feels they have already played that game multiple times. No one was excited for Star Wars Outlaws because a), that brand is tarnished, and b) it seemed like just another Ubisoft game. Or they go for insipid attempts at live service models such as Xdefiant or Skull and Bones. I loved Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown but again, one can't expect a Metroidvania platformer to do AC sales.
@Octane You speak the true true. I am down for a sequel and new protagonist but open world bloat plagued Forbidden West and hope they don't fall into the same mistake.
@Orange_Juice 100% agree. Typically it takes until entry 2 or 3 for a franchise to hit its stride. So many examples - Uncharted - successful game but 2 was a massive seller . Assassin’s Creed, again innovative and successful game but with 2 it became a franchise. I think Sony have forgotten that - they had too many first franchise successes like TLOU, Horizon etc that all games have to hit that big. Days Gone was not a failure but was begging for a sequel as player base of the first game had gone big.
The problem is that Sony are forgetting the lessons of both Ubisoft and Microsoft. You need to diversify your portfolio or risk stagnation. Ubisoft shareprice had dropped considerably because they have largely become stuck at releasing the same games over and over. In the Xbox One era, MS were also accused of just releasing Forza or Gears games and offering nothing new.
At the same time, Sony took risks and introduced a LOT of new IP during the PS4 era which was a big gamble but paid off.
If Sony are doubling down on franchises that are popular right now, and have sold well, then they are going down the same path.
This is the problem that most fans have - why remaster games that are perfectly playable or have even had updates for PS5 already when there is a huge backlog of titles that could expand players? Well as the article states, because today they seem them as the money makers. That is always going to be fleeting without new experiences to take them further. Also, they are making the Disney mistake - IP's age like fine wine. If you trot out a new Star Wars IP every other week people get bored. Starve people of it, then resurrect and you have big hits.
It's kind of a sad reminder of the state and problems with the AAA game industry that the quickest way to get titles out with top draw graphics is to remaster 7 yr old games that are still playable even now.
Whilst its not really a big deal to me personally, I still don't get the reason for it. Firstly, everyone that has played it is more than likely to have played it on PC or PS4/5 already. It's been cheap or given away multiple times across platforms. It was also a good looker of a game even on PS4 so that improvements will be the sort that will be for enthusiasts only.
I just don't get why you wouldnt remaster classic titles that people are screaming for - like, obvs, Bloodborne. That has a huge cult following, 10 yr anniversary is coming up and PC gamers would all buy it day one.
I get it - the components will cost more etc. but at the same time... you have to look at what makes consoles a go to for so many gamers (even people who consider themselves fairly into it). At the real price of £800 with disc and stand for most people, that's gaming PC territory and you are pretty close to a rig that can hit 60 FPS and defo 1440p gaming. PC gives you access to multiple services and storefronts with actual price competition.
I upgraded from PS4 to Pro a few months after the Pro launch because with the cost difference, I could sell my PS4 and it only cost like £150 to upgrade (or something similar) and it was totally worth it for me. Uncharted 4 had just come out, as had Horizon, Spiderman was scheduled and so was God of War. It was peak PS4 era.
What are we being offered? New AAA games at £70 +, an uneven release pipeline for first party games. and an £800 machine that just hits what many PC's have been able to do for some time.
Sure, I get it that this is niche premium device but there was no announcement of price drops for base models and console gaming is getting more expensive.
I felt the same way about PSVR2 - looked great but was priced as a standalone console, not an accessory.
I think a lot are missing that this has nothing to do with Until Dawn. With an imminent release date, they are probably close to done on a lot of aspects. The issue is that independent studios have to pitch their games or tender for work from publishers. If they are unable to secure enough work for their team ahead of their work running out, they can't keep paying them.
We are seeing that right now, across the industry, purse strings are tightening. A lot of independent studios just cant get projects off the ground because no one will fund their work or even outsource work right now. Until Dawn may be amazing but they need new projects to keep a team running at full capacity.
All i want is the ability to switch HDR off via the Portal. Its a pain to have to go onto the PS5 with a controller, change it and then back again when I switch between the two. Otherwise the colours are off. It was really noticeable on FF7 Rebirth. Other than that, love my Portal. Gets a lot of use!
I can't deal with certain difficulties, especially if it feels like difficulty for difficulty sakes. I loved Elden Ring but I felt it had mechanics to get around the difficulty via exploration and leveling. At the same time, I could not master the timing in Sekiro due to the parrying etc. I find difficulty can be an accessibility thing for me - I'm getting old and even with unlimited time, I'm not sure I can manage some high difficulty levels where timing has to be frame perfect.
I think the handheld market is getting bigger and I think the idea is cool and all but... just playing PS4 games sounds neat but people are going to want to play more modern titles. Not necessarily PS5 AAA but indies or newer games. My Steam Deck and ROG ally can play Shadow of the Erdtree or a lot of current gen games acceptably.
I really think these huge dev cycles are killing first party releases for Sony. Naughty Dog released 4 major AAA games for PS3 over 7 years, (not including DLC) and released 2 in the PS4 era. At this rate we may not get 1 title this generation.
It is a similar story for all the major first party studios that work on traditionally single player games for Sony. So they either need to expand or shorten turnaround times to hit the same PS4 release cycle which I just see as being possible. Troubling times.
@OldGamer999 Pricing here in the UK is still very high for a lot of peoples pockets. You would normally expect a £200-300 price range at this point in the lifecycle. Publishers are also still supporting PS4 with major releases, such as COD and Fifa.
If console prices drop and coincides with a move to PS5 gen only, I think sales will increase dramatically.
It's also gotta be that these are hugely budgeted games for what amounts to a typically niche product in a busy marketplace. I really liked FFXVI and I am enjoying Rebirth but there is so much bloat and unnecessary mechanics in those games. They feel like solid 20 hour games stretched huge. I think ultimately they need to scale back budgets and scopes if they want to be more profitable.
Having this argument elsewhere with friends but ultimately, subscription services has two inherent flaws... it treats content as something that has no inherent value and it needs constant growth to be profitable. No streaming service on any content type has managed to be truly profitable and it has affected the value of the product.
Example given, I wanted to play Prince of Persia Lost Crown soon after launch. I could have paid the RRP of about £50 or spend £15 for 1 months of Ubisoft + and play on PC and/or Xbox. So that's what I did. The only difference is that I don't own the game but.. with digital content, do I even own it anyway?
The same will be true with Hellblade 2. Really looking forward to that game. I bought the original week 1 but now I could sign up and play on Xbox or PC and with a game likely to be sub 20 hours, can easily complete in a months sub.
Take Hi Fi Rush as a main one here. This game was released suddenly, got great reviews, great buzz and would probably, under normal publishing multiplatform have been a pretty modest hit. But on gamepass? Who knows. People won't buy a sub just to play this sort of game.
I think there are a lot of key issues with this release. Alan Wake originally was successful but is still a relatively niche franchise and felt like you needed to have the history of the series to get into it. Secondly, no Steam and Physical release hurt sales but more than that, it hurt visibility. Seeing it on shop fronts like Amazon or Steam makes it a big deal and gives more chance of the zeitgeist. Lastly, and related to this, marketing was poor.
Interesting though a little frustrating as I beat it and the main complaint I had was sidequests and some QOL things around them and glad they are better but... I'm not going to go back to it to find out!
I mean, all for the enthusiasts and everything getting more power if they want. It isn't going to affect me personally. I would say that studios are being asked now to spread their dev efforts really thin. PC, PC handhelds, Series S, Series X, PS5 and now Pro (potentially Switch 2 depending on power). I just don't think we'll see much in the way of support to really justify it as yet. So I still think that for those early adopters, I don't see what they are going to get that other gamers wont unless it is really supported by devs.
This generation just hasn't really had much to push it forward and there are major issues in the industry like game budgets, dev time etc.
Fully agree on this sentiment. When the PS4 Pro came in, first party releases and big titles were in full flow (as well as PSVR just launching) plus it helped with the new generation of TV's that had started to gain traction. I got persuaded when I saw HZD running at a Sony pop up booth on a PS4 Pro. Then we had God of War, Spiderman, lots of other big titles to come along. I feel it has only really been major first party titles that have pushed the PS5 to its limits and dev cycles make them fewer and farther between. Sure the hardware will be awesome and probably the best place to experience some of the games but... I was an early Ps4 Pro adopter and I'm not fazed by this.
This is the central problem with MTX like these. We don't know what came first, the game design or the MTX idea. I.e. is the game creating an issue to make MTX appealing or is the MTX trying to break the games design?
If a MTX saves time in game then it suggests to me that the content is not worth the time to do it otherwise why have an MTX to save time?
The shadyness of releasing details at launch suggests that the former to be honest.
@ROTTIEMAN16 Only if you assume that I meant total number of games available on the platform when I said support. I meant support in exclusivity on games that I cannot get on any other platform and the amount of attention and marketing PSVR got from Sony.
In the first year, there was a bunch of experiences you could only get on PSVR. PSVR Worlds, Playroom, Farpoint, Resi 7, RIGS, Everybody's Golf, Bound, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood plus a lot of games that launched FIRST on PSVR to later be ported to PC VR or Quest. Sony did a lot of marketing for it over the first 2 years, different bundles and showed games that were upcoming or in the pipeline.
I could be wrong but as someone who enjoys VR and PlayStation, I feel the marketing and general investment in exclusive titles is lacking.
I sort of want to jump in but the cost is too high for me and the support is far worse than PSVR was at this point in its life. Plus, I feel that the Quest has cornered this market now.
@Mince that's fair - and I'll be honest, I never think of their sub service because of its price and lack of content for me personally but its by far a cheaper way of getting into a game like S&B!
I don't understand... it's a AAAA game? Ubisoft said as much?
But seriously, the only way in my mind to get a good player base for this would have been to launch at a lower, AA price point to entice players and try and make money on future DLC. No one is going to risk $70 on a live service game with so so reviews - not when Ubi are known for price drops.
@AshDavies Completely - a lot of trickle down money. If you take FIFA (or whatever EA calls it now), so much of that went to FIFA as an organisation, then to players and teams and agents etc. for likeness rights etc. Then all the online stores that took a cut... Ban it and EA and Activision Blizzard etc. fold overnight.
@AshDavies Really good point. I'd also suggest that a lot of this cheap capital coincided with the Micro Transaction boom where profits shot up due to selling stuff that was cheap to produce and massively popular. For example GTA Online, FIFA etc. So it seemed like a great investment opportunity. Until it stalled.
@LifeGirl Completely right. I got a PS5 at launch because I love my tech etc. However I regularly play with two friends online who still use PS4 because the games they tend to play are MP based and don't need a PS5 to run and will be supported for a good long time. The install base for last gen is too large for many publishers to ignore and is still probably their biggest revenue generator. That and stock issues and so one means previous gen support and cross compatibility has made it less relevant to buy a new gen.
This is a good article and really hammers home the central issue - shareholders expect continued growth but market saturation is probably hit now. There is no one else to sell to. In China, the Govt is clamping down on gaming time with younger age groups. Where is there to expand to?
The chances are that everyone who wants a console or device has one. Older gen models are still largely supported for the games that a lot of people play (Minecraft, Fortnite etc.). Plus the recent gen change is incremental at best. The Switch offered something new at launch but PS5 and XBX/S offers an upgrade on graphics that, ironically, cost too much to make.
The quality of games coming out now is largely phenomenal by and large. So in my opinion, gaming is healthy and is still a huge industry but it isn't a growing industry, at least not as a lot of investors thought in the pandemic and at the eve of the new console gen.
That leaves publishers trying to work out how to get the next huge hit and they look at brands like Fortnite and Minecraft etc. and want a piece of that pie because one of those hits guarantees years of revenue and growth. The issue is that these brands are too firmly entrenched and it won't be until there is a new innovation that these get knocked off the perch which won't be until someone experiments. It won't be a big publisher that builds the next Fortnite because they are too risk averse.
So as always, its doom and gloom, not because people aren't buying games or because games are overall too expensive to make. Its because they can't guarantee huge growth levels. So the market will temporarily contract (painfully) and probably rebound in a few years. In which most of the big publishers will go on another hiring spree.
The thing that annoys me is that budget and scope are controlled by Sony. I think that as a publisher, Sony should fund smaller budgeted games and promote them to promote the brand. A big part of any first party output is to attract gamers to the brand in the hope they spend more on your hardware and digital store.
The PS4 generation was amazing because there was a little for everyone. Great indie support, creative titles, oddities and curios like Gravity Rush, Dreams, Resogun, Bloodborne, Bound, Everybody's Golf, Concrete Genie, Deracine, Farpoint, Wipeout Omega Collection.
They padded out the library and brought a diverse group of players to the generation. I know they didn't make as much money but doesnt mean they didn't do something for Sony as a brand. If they are moving to only worrying about content that is high risk, high reward then they are lessening interest in different niches of the gaming world.
On one hand, my favourite aspect of the series is the combat and could work in a Monster Hunter sort of online coop game with good content. We don't have much detail on what the game is.
Still this is a time of risky strategies and Sony must be looking at the market and (hopefully) rethinking their live service strategy. Helldivers has done well but you can't sustain too many of these releases.
There is one element missing here and this is the point of shareholders and continued growth. The key reason for mass layoffs in a lot of multinationals is to artificially show an instant reduction in costs and thus show better profit projections.
It is a problem with the concept of constant growth. In the pandemic, gaming got record investment because people were spending loads on it. So now any drop in revenue and profitability is seen as a major problem for shareholders and layoffs then follow. The article is right, Sony is not unprofitable. In fact if they laid no one off right now they are not losing money. But it makes investors nervous so best to chop people now and worry about consequences later.
There is a real conundrum at the heart of AAA gaming- better graphics and larger games are needed to fuel software generations and hardware purchases. What is the point of a PS5 Pro or new GPU cards or whatever if games can't take advantage of that? At the same time the cost to wow is higher than ever. Consumers aren't that fussed with these incremental upgrades so the games have to speak for themselves.
I got one this last weekend after about 4-5 weeks of keeping an eye on stock levels (not second hand or scalper based).
I like it for what it is - I am one of those specific use cases where the TV my PS5 is connected to is shared and I often want to play when someone is watching something I have the PS5 connected to the router so signal is good. I used to play on the Logitech G cloud but it wasn't as good as playing with a Dual sense.
So I'm playing DLC for FF7 Remake and played some Spiderman 2 and it works well. I wish it could do more but I bought it for what it does and it does it well. Controls are good, screen is good, latency for me is good.
As a day 1 adopter of the PSVR1, I couldn't justify the cost of the PSVR2. When the PSVR1 launched it was the cheapest mass consumption VR headset. It had some technical limitations compared to the big PC equivalents but it was a full VR headset.
Fast forward to the last year and PC and AAA VR games are very thin on the ground. The Quest range is affordable and can play PC and standalone untethered games. Then the PSVR2 comes out with impressive tech but still needs a PS5 and costs more than the base PS5 console does. Without heavy software expenditure, it's just not that attractive to consumers.
SO my prediction is that PSVR2 will get PC compatibility and backwards compatibility to soften the blow to early adopters, maybe 1 or 2 more big exclusives then just the normal ports of Quest titles for the rest of its life.
I think they are gonna struggle since again, stock issues in the first 2 years and a lack of meaningful price drops have meant that the PS5 doesnt feel like its in the same place as the PS4 was when the Pro dropped. When I picked up the Pro, PSVR had just released, there was HZD and several other big first party titles on the horizon. What titles are going to take advantage of it?
It's all rubbish really. In supporting the argument, yes any live service game does better if available to all. As to the point, who does it benefit? Sony. It benefits Sony as they are still working in the exclusivity world and its a strategic direction that MS have only just piveted.
I think this needs to be a longer Gen for two reasons - 1) The console was not readily available for a good 2 years for the average consumer. Thus for a lot of people, this last year is probably when they got their console at full price with minimal reductions.
2) Game dev cycles are so long that they are now close to exceeding console cycles. If we ignore remasters, Naughty Dog put out what, 5 + titles in the PS3, 4 on PS4 and we are now halfway through the gen and they have released... 0? More than likely we may only get one title. Similar for Sucker Punch, 3 titles on PS3, 3 on PS4 and so far on PS5... 0?
Comments 3,635
Re: Suicide Squad Season 4, Deathstroke Fail to Move the Needle Much
It is currently retailing for £2.75 on sites like Fanatical. So er yeah, it isn't going well.
Re: Naughty Dog Casts Troy Baker to Star in Untitled Next PS5 Game
Meh - if he's right for the role, then he's right for the role. Joel was a superbly nuanced character.
Re: PS5 Handheld Device in the Works at Sony, New Report Claims
I love me some handhelds, and have a Switch, PS Portal, Steam Deck, ROG Ally and a zillion other smaller ones. So I'm all in but there is a bit of a problem with the direction for Sony and big AAA players. There is always going to be a contention between performance and battery life/size in a handheld world. At the moment, Sony's big thing is to champion top tier graphics and push for devs to support PS5 Pro etc. This will then be the opposite side - also making devs support a lower grade system. Unless they just go for a PS4 era device. So I think its cool and I'd be down but is it too late after going for the top end performance piece of the pie?
Re: Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp
They are all as bad as each other. So many Ip's now locked behind hardware or subs services by a handful of businesses.
Re: Review: PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade
I think you are either in or out. For me, unlike the PS4 Pro, I'm out because of price - the difference is too high for me. I personally don't count on developers putting significant effort into PS5 Pro versions when they have to support PC, handhelds, Series S and X and now a Pro. I think only first party games will see the real benefit.
However, if you are a massive PS5 user and have the tv and gear then go for it. In this round, for me, it's not worth it at the price but I don't think Sony are guilty of anything then offering a niche product to a niche audience.
Re: Australia's Planned Social Media Ban to Include PSN
Torn on this - agree on all comments questioning about how achievable it actually is and how it could possibly work. Also, some elements of online gaming is going to be very unfair - so much of gaming is online these days to a certain extent.
At the same time, with two kids now in the digital world, I can attest to the impact online use has to kids these days. Even with a lot of supervision, they get bombarded with all sorts and gaming is no exception - most of the biggest games have predatory monetary systems. Even with supervised time, I've spotted big differences in moods when they are regularly spending time online etc.
Which is a long winded way of saying I agree that social media can have negative impacts on kids but I have no idea what should be done about it.
Re: Alan Wake 2 Trapped in Financial Dark Place, 'Most' Development, Marketing Costs Recouped
My thoughts are that this is a combination of issues that has nothing to do with the quality of the game.
Firstly, it is a sequel to a cult hit, but arguably a cult hit that never quite hit the mainstream and was also developed at a time when games cost a lot less than Alan Wake 2. So such a lavish game had to go that bit further.
Secondly, it is, in my mind, one of the first AAA full price console games not to release physically. Now, whilst digital does make up a large percentage, there is still a player base that prefers physical and you also lose presence on online stores like Amazon and shop fronts. It is not in their interest to market your release. Releasing it NOW in physical at full price misses the release window and the media blitz that comes with a new releases.
Lastly, Epic man - c'mon. People are not ditching their Steam libraries for Epic exclusive games since PC gamers are notoriously good at waiting for games. Just look at the sales for PS4/PS5 games on PC.
So out the bat you have a niche legacy sequel, that ditches a percentage of purchasers with a lack of physical and PC Platform preference.
Re: Opinion: The Price of Playing PS5 Games Day One Is Getting Higher and Higher
I'm torn. I find the practice so shady and anti-consumer that I'd never support it. But then there are people that are willing to do it so maybe the publishers are stupid not to do it? I can't help but feel that it will just help nudge game prices higher and higher.
This gen, I've moved more and more to PC gaming because of the price. I rarely buy any PS games at launch anymore because it a) too risky and b)I refuse to pay $70 for a game that will, in most cases, drop back to $50 in a mere matter of months. Often with more content and better support.
Re: One Year On, Plucky PS Portal's Sales Remain Strong
Got one and use it a lot. My use case is not always having access to the main tv. This works perfectly and other than a large screen, the experience feels like a PS5 rather than using a phone controller or tablet (or another android device like the G Cloud that I was using before).
It's not a console - it's an accessory.
Re: Ubisoft Board Orders Internal Investigation and Review into Company's Financial Woes
Ignore all the 'woke' commentators. No one would give a hoot if the games were delivering on quality. The issue with Ubisoft is that they have gained a reputation for delivering the same experiences at a high price points with forced monetization. No one is excited for Shadows because everyone feels they have already played that game multiple times. No one was excited for Star Wars Outlaws because a), that brand is tarnished, and b) it seemed like just another Ubisoft game. Or they go for insipid attempts at live service models such as Xdefiant or Skull and Bones. I loved Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown but again, one can't expect a Metroidvania platformer to do AC sales.
Re: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered PS5 Is Official, Out 31st October with $10 PS4 to PS5 Upgrade
but can i get the PC version upgrade for a tenner?
Re: Ghost of Yotei Is the Ghost of Tsushima Sequel We Needed, Slashing to PS5 in 2025
@Octane You speak the true true. I am down for a sequel and new protagonist but open world bloat plagued Forbidden West and hope they don't fall into the same mistake.
Re: Reaction: Why There Are So Many Unnecessary PS5 Remasters for Games That Don't Need Them
@Orange_Juice 100% agree. Typically it takes until entry 2 or 3 for a franchise to hit its stride. So many examples - Uncharted - successful game but 2 was a massive seller . Assassin’s Creed, again innovative and successful game but with 2 it became a franchise. I think Sony have forgotten that - they had too many first franchise successes like TLOU, Horizon etc that all games have to hit that big. Days Gone was not a failure but was begging for a sequel as player base of the first game had gone big.
Re: Reaction: Why There Are So Many Unnecessary PS5 Remasters for Games That Don't Need Them
The problem is that Sony are forgetting the lessons of both Ubisoft and Microsoft. You need to diversify your portfolio or risk stagnation. Ubisoft shareprice had dropped considerably because they have largely become stuck at releasing the same games over and over. In the Xbox One era, MS were also accused of just releasing Forza or Gears games and offering nothing new.
At the same time, Sony took risks and introduced a LOT of new IP during the PS4 era which was a big gamble but paid off.
If Sony are doubling down on franchises that are popular right now, and have sold well, then they are going down the same path.
This is the problem that most fans have - why remaster games that are perfectly playable or have even had updates for PS5 already when there is a huge backlog of titles that could expand players? Well as the article states, because today they seem them as the money makers. That is always going to be fleeting without new experiences to take them further. Also, they are making the Disney mistake - IP's age like fine wine. If you trot out a new Star Wars IP every other week people get bored. Starve people of it, then resurrect and you have big hits.
Re: Horizon Zero Dawn's PS5, PC Remaster Is Very Much the Real Deal
It's kind of a sad reminder of the state and problems with the AAA game industry that the quickest way to get titles out with top draw graphics is to remaster 7 yr old games that are still playable even now.
Whilst its not really a big deal to me personally, I still don't get the reason for it. Firstly, everyone that has played it is more than likely to have played it on PC or PS4/5 already. It's been cheap or given away multiple times across platforms. It was also a good looker of a game even on PS4 so that improvements will be the sort that will be for enthusiasts only.
I just don't get why you wouldnt remaster classic titles that people are screaming for - like, obvs, Bloodborne. That has a huge cult following, 10 yr anniversary is coming up and PC gamers would all buy it day one.
Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Pro Way Too Expensive?
I get it - the components will cost more etc. but at the same time... you have to look at what makes consoles a go to for so many gamers (even people who consider themselves fairly into it). At the real price of £800 with disc and stand for most people, that's gaming PC territory and you are pretty close to a rig that can hit 60 FPS and defo 1440p gaming. PC gives you access to multiple services and storefronts with actual price competition.
I upgraded from PS4 to Pro a few months after the Pro launch because with the cost difference, I could sell my PS4 and it only cost like £150 to upgrade (or something similar) and it was totally worth it for me. Uncharted 4 had just come out, as had Horizon, Spiderman was scheduled and so was God of War. It was peak PS4 era.
What are we being offered? New AAA games at £70 +, an uneven release pipeline for first party games. and an £800 machine that just hits what many PC's have been able to do for some time.
Sure, I get it that this is niche premium device but there was no announcement of price drops for base models and console gaming is getting more expensive.
I felt the same way about PSVR2 - looked great but was priced as a standalone console, not an accessory.
Re: Layoffs Hit Ballistic Moon Ahead of Until Dawn PS5's October Release
I think a lot are missing that this has nothing to do with Until Dawn. With an imminent release date, they are probably close to done on a lot of aspects. The issue is that independent studios have to pitch their games or tender for work from publishers. If they are unable to secure enough work for their team ahead of their work running out, they can't keep paying them.
We are seeing that right now, across the industry, purse strings are tightening. A lot of independent studios just cant get projects off the ground because no one will fund their work or even outsource work right now. Until Dawn may be amazing but they need new projects to keep a team running at full capacity.
Re: PS Portal Update 3.0.1 Allows Connection to 5GHz Public WiFi, Here Are the Patch Notes
All i want is the ability to switch HDR off via the Portal. Its a pain to have to go onto the PS5 with a controller, change it and then back again when I switch between the two. Otherwise the colours are off. It was really noticeable on FF7 Rebirth. Other than that, love my Portal. Gets a lot of use!
Re: Poll: Can a Game's Brutal Difficulty Put You Off Playing It?
I can't deal with certain difficulties, especially if it feels like difficulty for difficulty sakes. I loved Elden Ring but I felt it had mechanics to get around the difficulty via exploration and leveling. At the same time, I could not master the timing in Sekiro due to the parrying etc. I find difficulty can be an accessibility thing for me - I'm getting old and even with unlimited time, I'm not sure I can manage some high difficulty levels where timing has to be frame perfect.
Re: Poll: Are You Hyped for Summer Game Fest 2024?
Nope - not really.
Re: PlayStation Fans Are Losing Their Heads Over an Iffy Portable PS4 Rumour
I think the handheld market is getting bigger and I think the idea is cool and all but... just playing PS4 games sounds neat but people are going to want to play more modern titles. Not necessarily PS5 AAA but indies or newer games. My Steam Deck and ROG ally can play Shadow of the Erdtree or a lot of current gen games acceptably.
Re: Reaction: PS5 Livestreams Are No Longer Speaking to the Fans Who Built the Brand
I really think these huge dev cycles are killing first party releases for Sony. Naughty Dog released 4 major AAA games for PS3 over 7 years, (not including DLC) and released 2 in the PS4 era. At this rate we may not get 1 title this generation.
It is a similar story for all the major first party studios that work on traditionally single player games for Sony. So they either need to expand or shorten turnaround times to hit the same PS4 release cycle which I just see as being possible. Troubling times.
Re: Indika (PS5) - A Bleak, Beautiful, Bewildering Rumination on Faith and Free Will
@johncalmc Nun Yukuza has me sold.
Re: Reaction: Why You Shouldn't Worry Too Much About PS5's Year-on-Year Decline
@OldGamer999 Pricing here in the UK is still very high for a lot of peoples pockets. You would normally expect a £200-300 price range at this point in the lifecycle. Publishers are also still supporting PS4 with major releases, such as COD and Fifa.
If console prices drop and coincides with a move to PS5 gen only, I think sales will increase dramatically.
Re: Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Fail to Meet Expectations on PS5
It's also gotta be that these are hugely budgeted games for what amounts to a typically niche product in a busy marketplace. I really liked FFXVI and I am enjoying Rebirth but there is so much bloat and unnecessary mechanics in those games. They feel like solid 20 hour games stretched huge. I think ultimately they need to scale back budgets and scopes if they want to be more profitable.
Re: Gaming Subs Like PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass Aren't Growing At All
Having this argument elsewhere with friends but ultimately, subscription services has two inherent flaws... it treats content as something that has no inherent value and it needs constant growth to be profitable. No streaming service on any content type has managed to be truly profitable and it has affected the value of the product.
Example given, I wanted to play Prince of Persia Lost Crown soon after launch. I could have paid the RRP of about £50 or spend £15 for 1 months of Ubisoft + and play on PC and/or Xbox. So that's what I did. The only difference is that I don't own the game but.. with digital content, do I even own it anyway?
The same will be true with Hellblade 2. Really looking forward to that game. I bought the original week 1 but now I could sign up and play on Xbox or PC and with a game likely to be sub 20 hours, can easily complete in a months sub.
Take Hi Fi Rush as a main one here. This game was released suddenly, got great reviews, great buzz and would probably, under normal publishing multiplatform have been a pretty modest hit. But on gamepass? Who knows. People won't buy a sub just to play this sort of game.
The whole strategy of Xbox is really a failure.
Re: Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, More Closed in Brutal Bethesda Restructure
I hate being right but here we go. Consolidation sucks and will always, always result in the carcass being picked clean.
Re: Alan Wake 2 Yet to Recoup Dev, Marketing Expenses as Tencent Raises Stake
I think there are a lot of key issues with this release. Alan Wake originally was successful but is still a relatively niche franchise and felt like you needed to have the history of the series to get into it. Secondly, no Steam and Physical release hurt sales but more than that, it hurt visibility. Seeing it on shop fronts like Amazon or Steam makes it a big deal and gives more chance of the zeitgeist. Lastly, and related to this, marketing was poor.
Re: Final Fantasy 16 Patch 1.31 Out Now on PS5, Brings Big Damage Buffs for Clive, Better Side Quests, and Much More
Interesting though a little frustrating as I beat it and the main complaint I had was sidequests and some QOL things around them and glad they are better but... I'm not going to go back to it to find out!
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About the PS5 Pro?
I mean, all for the enthusiasts and everything getting more power if they want. It isn't going to affect me personally. I would say that studios are being asked now to spread their dev efforts really thin. PC, PC handhelds, Series S, Series X, PS5 and now Pro (potentially Switch 2 depending on power). I just don't think we'll see much in the way of support to really justify it as yet. So I still think that for those early adopters, I don't see what they are going to get that other gamers wont unless it is really supported by devs.
This generation just hasn't really had much to push it forward and there are major issues in the industry like game budgets, dev time etc.
Re: Devs Allegedly Pondering the Point of Sony's PS5 Pro Upgrade
Fully agree on this sentiment. When the PS4 Pro came in, first party releases and big titles were in full flow (as well as PSVR just launching) plus it helped with the new generation of TV's that had started to gain traction. I got persuaded when I saw HZD running at a Sony pop up booth on a PS4 Pro. Then we had God of War, Spiderman, lots of other big titles to come along. I feel it has only really been major first party titles that have pushed the PS5 to its limits and dev cycles make them fewer and farther between. Sure the hardware will be awesome and probably the best place to experience some of the games but... I was an early Ps4 Pro adopter and I'm not fazed by this.
Re: Dragon's Dogma 2 Slated for Adding Sinister PS5 Microtransactions at Launch
This is the central problem with MTX like these. We don't know what came first, the game design or the MTX idea. I.e. is the game creating an issue to make MTX appealing or is the MTX trying to break the games design?
If a MTX saves time in game then it suggests to me that the content is not worth the time to do it otherwise why have an MTX to save time?
The shadyness of releasing details at launch suggests that the former to be honest.
Re: Sony Allegedly Pausing PSVR2 Production Due to Surplus of Unsold Stock
@ROTTIEMAN16 Only if you assume that I meant total number of games available on the platform when I said support. I meant support in exclusivity on games that I cannot get on any other platform and the amount of attention and marketing PSVR got from Sony.
In the first year, there was a bunch of experiences you could only get on PSVR. PSVR Worlds, Playroom, Farpoint, Resi 7, RIGS, Everybody's Golf, Bound, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood plus a lot of games that launched FIRST on PSVR to later be ported to PC VR or Quest. Sony did a lot of marketing for it over the first 2 years, different bundles and showed games that were upcoming or in the pipeline.
I could be wrong but as someone who enjoys VR and PlayStation, I feel the marketing and general investment in exclusive titles is lacking.
Re: Sony Polls Players on Favourite Games That Aren't Bloodborne
Boooh.. Bloodborne FTW.
Re: Sony Allegedly Pausing PSVR2 Production Due to Surplus of Unsold Stock
I sort of want to jump in but the cost is too high for me and the support is far worse than PSVR was at this point in its life. Plus, I feel that the Quest has cornered this market now.
Re: Helldivers 2 Dev Pours Cold Water on PlayStation Acquisition Rumours
Ok ok - I'll buy them. Probably announce a remake of a fan favourite from the PS2 era. Then close them. Seems like a solid business model.
Re: Significant Discounts Suggest Ubisoft's PS5 Pirate Game Skull and Bones Is Already Struggling
@Mince that's fair - and I'll be honest, I never think of their sub service because of its price and lack of content for me personally but its by far a cheaper way of getting into a game like S&B!
Re: Significant Discounts Suggest Ubisoft's PS5 Pirate Game Skull and Bones Is Already Struggling
I don't understand... it's a AAAA game? Ubisoft said as much?
But seriously, the only way in my mind to get a good player base for this would have been to launch at a lower, AA price point to entice players and try and make money on future DLC. No one is going to risk $70 on a live service game with so so reviews - not when Ubi are known for price drops.
Re: Reaction: What Is Happening to the Video Games Industry and Why Are There So Many Layoffs?
@AshDavies Completely - a lot of trickle down money. If you take FIFA (or whatever EA calls it now), so much of that went to FIFA as an organisation, then to players and teams and agents etc. for likeness rights etc. Then all the online stores that took a cut... Ban it and EA and Activision Blizzard etc. fold overnight.
Re: Reaction: What Is Happening to the Video Games Industry and Why Are There So Many Layoffs?
@AshDavies Really good point. I'd also suggest that a lot of this cheap capital coincided with the Micro Transaction boom where profits shot up due to selling stuff that was cheap to produce and massively popular. For example GTA Online, FIFA etc. So it seemed like a great investment opportunity. Until it stalled.
Re: Reaction: What Is Happening to the Video Games Industry and Why Are There So Many Layoffs?
@LifeGirl Completely right. I got a PS5 at launch because I love my tech etc. However I regularly play with two friends online who still use PS4 because the games they tend to play are MP based and don't need a PS5 to run and will be supported for a good long time. The install base for last gen is too large for many publishers to ignore and is still probably their biggest revenue generator. That and stock issues and so one means previous gen support and cross compatibility has made it less relevant to buy a new gen.
Re: Reaction: What Is Happening to the Video Games Industry and Why Are There So Many Layoffs?
This is a good article and really hammers home the central issue - shareholders expect continued growth but market saturation is probably hit now. There is no one else to sell to. In China, the Govt is clamping down on gaming time with younger age groups. Where is there to expand to?
The chances are that everyone who wants a console or device has one. Older gen models are still largely supported for the games that a lot of people play (Minecraft, Fortnite etc.). Plus the recent gen change is incremental at best. The Switch offered something new at launch but PS5 and XBX/S offers an upgrade on graphics that, ironically, cost too much to make.
The quality of games coming out now is largely phenomenal by and large. So in my opinion, gaming is healthy and is still a huge industry but it isn't a growing industry, at least not as a lot of investors thought in the pandemic and at the eve of the new console gen.
That leaves publishers trying to work out how to get the next huge hit and they look at brands like Fortnite and Minecraft etc. and want a piece of that pie because one of those hits guarantees years of revenue and growth. The issue is that these brands are too firmly entrenched and it won't be until there is a new innovation that these get knocked off the perch which won't be until someone experiments. It won't be a big publisher that builds the next Fortnite because they are too risk averse.
So as always, its doom and gloom, not because people aren't buying games or because games are overall too expensive to make. Its because they can't guarantee huge growth levels. So the market will temporarily contract (painfully) and probably rebound in a few years. In which most of the big publishers will go on another hiring spree.
Re: Sony's London Studio, Media Molecule Were Reportedly 'Highest on the List' for Closure
The thing that annoys me is that budget and scope are controlled by Sony. I think that as a publisher, Sony should fund smaller budgeted games and promote them to promote the brand. A big part of any first party output is to attract gamers to the brand in the hope they spend more on your hardware and digital store.
The PS4 generation was amazing because there was a little for everyone. Great indie support, creative titles, oddities and curios like Gravity Rush, Dreams, Resogun, Bloodborne, Bound, Everybody's Golf, Concrete Genie, Deracine, Farpoint, Wipeout Omega Collection.
They padded out the library and brought a diverse group of players to the generation. I know they didn't make as much money but doesnt mean they didn't do something for Sony as a brand. If they are moving to only worrying about content that is high risk, high reward then they are lessening interest in different niches of the gaming world.
Re: Guerrilla's Online PS5 Horizon Game Survives Sony Cull
On one hand, my favourite aspect of the series is the combat and could work in a Monster Hunter sort of online coop game with good content. We don't have much detail on what the game is.
Still this is a time of risky strategies and Sony must be looking at the market and (hopefully) rethinking their live service strategy. Helldivers has done well but you can't sustain too many of these releases.
Re: Reaction: The Problem with PlayStation Right Now
There is one element missing here and this is the point of shareholders and continued growth. The key reason for mass layoffs in a lot of multinationals is to artificially show an instant reduction in costs and thus show better profit projections.
It is a problem with the concept of constant growth. In the pandemic, gaming got record investment because people were spending loads on it. So now any drop in revenue and profitability is seen as a major problem for shareholders and layoffs then follow. The article is right, Sony is not unprofitable. In fact if they laid no one off right now they are not losing money. But it makes investors nervous so best to chop people now and worry about consequences later.
There is a real conundrum at the heart of AAA gaming- better graphics and larger games are needed to fuel software generations and hardware purchases. What is the point of a PS5 Pro or new GPU cards or whatever if games can't take advantage of that? At the same time the cost to wow is higher than ever. Consumers aren't that fussed with these incremental upgrades so the games have to speak for themselves.
Re: PS Portal Proving More Popular Than Sony Expected
I got one this last weekend after about 4-5 weeks of keeping an eye on stock levels (not second hand or scalper based).
I like it for what it is - I am one of those specific use cases where the TV my PS5 is connected to is shared and I often want to play when someone is watching something I have the PS5 connected to the router so signal is good. I used to play on the Logitech G cloud but it wasn't as good as playing with a Dual sense.
So I'm playing DLC for FF7 Remake and played some Spiderman 2 and it works well. I wish it could do more but I bought it for what it does and it does it well. Controls are good, screen is good, latency for me is good.
Re: Video: One Year Later, Is PSVR2 Doing Enough?
As a day 1 adopter of the PSVR1, I couldn't justify the cost of the PSVR2. When the PSVR1 launched it was the cheapest mass consumption VR headset. It had some technical limitations compared to the big PC equivalents but it was a full VR headset.
Fast forward to the last year and PC and AAA VR games are very thin on the ground. The Quest range is affordable and can play PC and standalone untethered games. Then the PSVR2 comes out with impressive tech but still needs a PS5 and costs more than the base PS5 console does. Without heavy software expenditure, it's just not that attractive to consumers.
SO my prediction is that PSVR2 will get PC compatibility and backwards compatibility to soften the blow to early adopters, maybe 1 or 2 more big exclusives then just the normal ports of Quest titles for the rest of its life.
Re: Upgraded PS5 Pro Planning to Be the Best Place to Play GTA 6
I think they are gonna struggle since again, stock issues in the first 2 years and a lack of meaningful price drops have meant that the PS5 doesnt feel like its in the same place as the PS4 was when the Pro dropped. When I picked up the Pro, PSVR had just released, there was HZD and several other big first party titles on the horizon. What titles are going to take advantage of it?
Re: Xbox Fans Petitioning for Helldivers 2 to Launch on Xbox
It's all rubbish really. In supporting the argument, yes any live service game does better if available to all. As to the point, who does it benefit? Sony. It benefits Sony as they are still working in the exclusivity world and its a strategic direction that MS have only just piveted.
Re: PS5 Is Entering the 'Latter Half of Its Life Cycle', Says Sony
I think this needs to be a longer Gen for two reasons - 1) The console was not readily available for a good 2 years for the average consumer. Thus for a lot of people, this last year is probably when they got their console at full price with minimal reductions.
2) Game dev cycles are so long that they are now close to exceeding console cycles. If we ignore remasters, Naughty Dog put out what, 5 + titles in the PS3, 4 on PS4 and we are now halfway through the gen and they have released... 0? More than likely we may only get one title. Similar for Sucker Punch, 3 titles on PS3, 3 on PS4 and so far on PS5... 0?