Comments 132

Re: Disc Rot Already Afflicts Your Physical Game Collection

Ultimapunch

From this article: "the Blu-ray discs PS5 games are printed on have the shortest life expectancy and are only estimated to last around 20 years under ideal conditions."

From the actual source article this one cites: "Ern Bieman, a digital preservationist with the Canadian Conservation Institute, told me that commercially produced Blu-rays—if they’re undamaged and stored correctly—should last at least 20 years. “They could certainly last longer, but you wouldn’t want to bank on it,” Bieman said. “Discs, whether they are optical discs or any other kind of media, are degrading from the day you get them.”

I think there's quite a difference between saying "around 20 years" and "at least 20 years."

Re: Disc Rot Already Afflicts Your Physical Game Collection

Ultimapunch

Meh. I literally have some books from the 1910's that have held together. And Sega Genesis carts that are over 40 years old. I'm not worried about disc rot. Discs are made of plastic that will be on this planet long after humans are gone. And discs will last a lot longer than their reported lifespan if you take good care of them. As for the physical vs digital debate. I prefer both being available. It gives the consumers choice. And we don't get much of that these days.

Re: Horizon Dev Promises It Isn't Trying to Replace Aloy Actress with AI

Ultimapunch

@Ralizah I disagree. I think the actual market for AI created works is probably going to be incredibly small to nonexistent. People like Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift. People like Kazuo Ishiguro. People like Robert Eggers. People like Hideo Kojima. People like things created by other people. People want that human connection. That's why names are so important in the world of art. I don't think anyone seriously wants art to be humanless.

Re: Horizon Dev Promises It Isn't Trying to Replace Aloy Actress with AI

Ultimapunch

@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare I think you're right. A lot of the pro AI folks probably are really young and don't yet realize that the industry doesn't have their best interests at heart. Us older folks have all learned that eventually. With charging for online play. Day one DLC. Microtransactions. Loot boxes. We've lived through so many "advancements" in tech that have made the industry worse. So we know AI is going to be just another one. I think a lot of younger folks don't yet realize that advancements in technology don't necessarily make games more enjoyable.

Re: Intergalactic PS5 Game All About Faith, Religion, and 'Being Lonely'

Ultimapunch

@Bionic-Spencer The Last of Us II got rave reviews. Sold over 10 million copies. And won a ton of awards. That sounds like universal love to me. I personally don't think developers should take into account the vocal minority who hate something when everyone else loved it. Also there isn't a single narrative in human history that is appealing to everyone. And usually the ones that are most universally loved are also hated fiercely by someone (usually the people who don't like the thematic message. Like how racists didn't like To Kill a Mockingbird). And I have no idea why you think a Naughty Dog game should be about player choice. Literally none of their games going all the way back to Crash Bandicoot in 1996 were about player choice. Not every game needs to be.

Re: Sony's AI Leak Reveals a Creepy Sci-Fi Future PS5 Gamers Don’t Necessarily Want

Ultimapunch

I won't ever spend money on a video game that uses an AI program like this. I'd much prefer a creative developer actually think about what they want an NPC to say and why they want an NPC to say it. Any game that outsources creativity to an AI program is a game not worth a single penny. And I'm honestly shocked and disappointed how many gamers don't think that they deserve better than AI slop.

Re: Mailbox: Sony's Live Service Stupidity, Ghost of Yotei's Appeal, and the Magic of Open World RPGs

Ultimapunch

Sony should just make video games and then sell the video games. It's why all their consoles did better than the competition. PS1 beat N64. PS2 beat Gamecube and Xbox. PS3 outsold 360. PS4 clobbered the Xbone. All because they made games and then sold games. I don't know why on Earth they thought shifting their entire philosophy after almost 30 years of success was a good idea.

Re: Upcoming PS5 Games for March and April 2025

Ultimapunch

Stoked for Split Fiction. A Way Out was fantastic. And It Takes Two was even better. Hazelight is one of the best devs right now, they continue to get better, and they're the only ones trying to do genuinely new and unique things with co-op games.