Same, got the platinum for the first game, really enjoyed it. Ended up turning off the weird public domain music and playing Spotify in the background - worked like a charm.
Now that's certainly a... trailer. A man fondling his beat up derby car like a long lost lover while making allusions to domestic violence and how he won't lose his temper again. Definitely, uh, creative.
Not seeing the need for a remake/remaster of a PS4 game (even though I really like Until Dawn). It's a little too recent for the remake treatment, especially considering you can just play the PS4 version of Until Dawn on PS5.
It felt strange for The Last of Us, it feels even weirder for this game. Only PS4 game I would like to see a re-release for is Bloodborne.
Wait this is the same guy that misplaced a flashdrive full of porn in his office or something... Also does magic tricks at children's birthday parties I believe. I'm not saying he's a serial killer, but I'm not NOT saying that either.
Yeah, I'm sure the game will be game of the year material as long as they keep all that Gen Z humor in there that was such a hit in Borderlands 3.
You ain't wrong, PS3 collecting is getting a bit pricy. I know people don't like the constant re-releases, but it brings old games back into the conversation and it's a good option for most people who don't have these older systems.
Plus, always the possibility we get a physical release on modern systems.
Investors - both of the institutional and speculator varieties - are complete and utter morons with no knowledge of how anything really works in the industry and are the fundamental cause of pretty much every gross practice going on today. They know ROIs, market caps, and share prices, but they generally have close to zero intimate knowledge of what they are investing in beyond the standard financial stats. Bunch of idiot geese flocking from one thing to the next.
And these people call the shots. The decisions that Sony, Microsoft, etc. make are geared more towards these people than the consumers. God help us.
All these years later, I'm still in denial about the Vita situation. I have two I still use currently. There is a pattern emerging regarding their support (or lack thereof) for anything that isn't their flagship hardware.
To be honest, I'm not too psyched about their implementation of the Dualsense controller in general. Astrobot was amazing, everything that came after - even first party stuff - ranged from meh to okay in comparison as far as utilization of haptic feedback.
I hate to be negative about nearly everything but yeah, I am just not impressed with virtually anything Sony has done the last four years.
PS5 OS still is still extremely lacking, meaningful social features have been pared back or eliminated entirely (RIP Playstation Home), VR2 was dead on arrival, the Dualsense controllers' longevity and build quality is the worst of any gen so far, the first party games are good but samey and not as many as in years past, and on top of it all Sony as a company has become quiet and reclusive in its communication with the fans, like a weird hermit.
The sole shining point for me has been third party games and indies.
I guess I am just getting old and cranky? I dunno, I'm good as long as I can still collect physical on older platforms and if nothing else, PS5 has a strong built-in library of PS4 titles. I'm literally playing PS1 right now more than PS5 if that tells you anything. And having a blast with it!
Yup I picked up the Edge controller as well. It really boggles the mind how much money I've given this company...
Honestly had no idea there were stock issues with the replacement sticks. I'll have to pick a few up then in anticipation of the inevitable stick drift issues.
Of all the "limited release" type companies, like Limited Run Games, Special Reserve Games, and Super Rare Games I liked Humble Bundle the best as a company.
Thanks for providing a physical release of Signalis so that game can be preserved in the future. Will miss them for sure.
Hear, hear. I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and consider PC next gen and join the other Sony and Microsoft expats. It will be a much higher entry cost, and I'll have to figure out how to build one and what's what with the hardware (shouldn't be too hard). But could be a fun challenge in itself.
I do like the ease of use that a console provides, but even that is fading with day one updates.
And since you mentioned it, I'm really upset about the VR2 as well. 600 bucks for that just so they could abandon the early adopters pretty much right out of the gate. I think that was my last day one purchase of a Sony product. I'll have to look into the Quest.
After that and the VITA, I'm started to look at Sony as almost like Google, launching and then pretty much immediately abandoning hardware and software when it isn't an instant hit. I guess companies like Sony don't think beyond the next quarterly profit report when they make decisions like that. Deters future purchases, hurts the brand overall. I feel there is no Sony seal of quality anymore.
Hey don't dog on the Advance SP, that backlight changed the whole game.
I get hardware upgrades are generally iterative and incremental but I want to see something a lot more substantial for my money than 120FPS or little graphical upgrades here and there that you wouldn't be able to spot outside of a Digital Foundry analysis video.
Consoles unlike PC are these self-contained boxes and can't be freely upgraded, so there is generally this expectation of a "big" leap in the console world. Well, that's how it used to be. But yeah, smartphones exist.
I've heard that phone argument made before but was always kind of odd because phones are sort of all in one personal assistant devices that everyone more or less needs in modern society. That's where people want to have a lot of options in a device, based on their very different needs for work and life.
I tell ya what though, if they can establish a smartphone model with consoles and people buy into that, they will be rolling in the dough.
I'm not paying 600+ dollars for 120FPS or slightly higher resolution. And as an early adopter on all their stuff since PS2 with a lot of discretionary income that I can and will spend on my favorite hobby, I'm the bullseye of who they are targeting with this. And I don't want it. And to take it a step further, I'm even slightly insulted at the prospect.
The days I bought Sony products on goodwill ended this generation after the conclusion of the Jim Ryan era and all the attendant horsesh*t that has gone on during. They lost me. And, if I am the proto-typical consumer they are targeting with this - which I strongly suspect I am - they lost a lot of their "hardcore" crowd (I hate that term) this gen, who would normally go in for something like this.
I could believe it's just a way to reinvigorate their brand or stay relevant, despite being wholly pointless in terms of actual hardware. But I'm assuming they want to make money on this venture. And I don't think they will do too well.
Reason being, they have alienated me with every decision they have made the last 4 years to appeal to the Fortnight / Madden / Call of Duty crowd. Because there was more money in that for them. And they did make a killing. By closing Japan Studio and Pixel Opus and many other decisions I found pretty damn deplorable, all for the pursuit of a target market that wasn't me.
Fast forward a couple years, now they want to turn around and sell me whatever this is, an item tailor designed for the hardcore crowd, for me. But they can't justify it in terms of value. Just expect us to forget they sidelined us for the easy money, until it's time to remember we exist so we can open our wallets. Get lost, Sony.
They made a choice. Alienate the hardcore crowd for easy dollars. It was a very conscious decision they made too, not something a Fortune 500 company just stumbles into. They gotta live with that choice, can't have it both ways. Not buying until first party titles that truly push the system release. So probably never. They won't recoup their R&D and marketing costs on this.
God willing, they get the message and reform themselves for the next generation.
The argument goes something along the lines of the hardware is not even close to being pushed, it's poor optimisation from the devs. Because they develop for the lowest common denominator and scale up. Meaning the PS4 is still the lead console they are developing for, then clumsily scaled up to the PS5. Hardly anything was natively developed for the PS5 besides hilariously enough a handful of launch games that are still the graphical pinnacle of the entire library. To this day, nothing is graphically superior or more technically impressive than two launch games, Ratchet and Clank and the Demon's Souls remake, in my humble opinion. Wow.
I don't have the technical knowledge to make the above argument. All I can say is when I see framerate drops on PS5 on an indie game like Cult of the Lamb that should be able to run on an old cellphone, I tend to believe it.
First party games historically were the titles that pushed the system to its limits, usually we saw that around mid-gen. This time, not so much.
Release some games that push the current console first, then I'll consider spending hundreds of dollars / euros on... whatever this is.
This is DOA for me. If they had stopped cross gen releases about two years earlier I could see it as a maybe, but only just. But they were greedy and wanted to dip into that sweet, sweet PS4 install base way longer than the normal window, devaluing the newer machine. Now they want their cake and to eat it too, by releasing this. Sony cannot have it both ways. A pro console is viable whenever they can make a case for it. What is this gonna do? 120 FPS isn't worth $600+ for me... And I've been a day one adopter for PS stuff for a long time now. I'm the target market here, and I'm not buying.
Absolute, 100% no and I'm insulted at the level of greed on display even considering this is a entity that is greedy by definition.
I'd wager this is gonna do even worse numbers than the PS4 Pro did. I bought that for its 4K capabilities, which was overdue at the time, but I felt even that was negligible overall.
Can I be Mr. Negative Internet Person # 53850 and just point out that Bioware, as it exists today, is no longer Bioware. Pretty much all the staff who worked on Inquisition or prior DA games are long gone.
I guess I just mention it because I loved the series. Very near and dear to my heart. And I am approaching this game with a heavy dose of skepticism. Gotta wait and see but I'm feeling a bit pessimistic about this project overall based on their most recent output. Just can't get hyped about this and every tidbit I come across doesn't inspire.
But more on topic, I'm not so fussed about this particular decision. While Bioware has a legacy of player choice RPGs (most notably Mass Effect's very simplistic good-evil dialogue trees), to be honest that was always superficial and you were more or less locked into a pretty set narrative. As people came to find out with Mass Effect 3's wildly controversial ending which finally tore away the illusion of player choice they had built up in 1 and 2 to reveal a pretty set outcome.
I never saw Bioware games as create-your-own adventure type RPGs despite them angling so many of their games that way in marketing. And that's alright. They had an interesting story to tell and rich lore to back it up.
Yessir. The only crayons in my box are the RED, WHITE, and BLUE. Frankly, just don't got no use for none of them other colors.
Happy Fourth everyone. For those of you across the pond who don't know, today is a holy day when we celebrate the imperial system of measurement, manifest destiny, and monster trucks the only way the Lord intended - by blowing stuff up in our backyards.
It's color, not colour, and that's important because we fought a damn war over that. Everyone thinks it was about taxes on tea. But that's fake news, we don't even know what tea is, nor do we have any idea why people would drink distilled leaf juice.
I gotta say I'm really not a fan of the constant drastic balance patches that completely upend the experience every month or so. I dropped out after they constantly nerfed any weapon or piece of equipment which became a popular choice.
It's a PVE game, let it be unbalanced - as long as it's fun.
I get the pachinko jokes are outdated, but Konami still remains a shadow of its former self in the games biz.
The MGS Master Collection was a barebones, lazy port cash grab, the Silent Hill projects thus far have all been absolute duds, and I don't agree with assigning Bloober Team the remake duties for SH2 (assigning Silent Hill to a western team is a mistake they have made over, and over, and over again in the past). Oh, and Contra Hard Corps was awful. Castlevania remains in cryostasis outside of basic ports and cameos in other games.
I am not encouraged by the fact they are keeping the old voice work for MGS3 for Delta, as all those voice actors are still very active and would be willing to re-record them. Everything they do reeks of laziness and cutting corners.
The sole shining point for them has been Contra: Operation Galuga, a smaller title. I honestly can't think of anything else.
This is just an echo of the original complaint and debates when Elden Ring first came out. It was the first Soulsborne game to reach the larger mass market, and people who weren't used to it started complaining about the difficulty. Opinion pieces and counter-opinion articles about difficulty sliders were flying left and right for a solid 6 months.
My take is, if you don't like bitter drinks, don't drink coffee. Go drink some orange juice. If you don't like hard games, that's valid, but don't play Soulsborne games.
By the way, Elden Ring is (by far) the easiest and most accessible in the series. I can't imagine what these people complaining would think about the original Fromsoft King's Field games. They would absolutely lose their minds.
I'm sorry, I don't understand what you are trying to to say here.
I wouldn't call this game crap, nor would its quality as a game be intrinsically less in the future, regardless of how many games release per day. Again, sorry if I missed your point.
I'd agree a Blu-Ray is overkill for a 400 MB game (could fit on a PS1 CD), but this is definitely a game that should be preserved in a physical edition for when storefronts cease to exist in 5, 10, 15, 20 or however many years.
Regardless of how disappointed I am in this generation in general, I can't deny indies are better than ever and have kept me invested. Pick up this game!
I think there's two distinct things going on here, where I can both agree and disagree with you in principle at the same time.
For one, we have never had more choice, if you look at the industry as a whole (AAA, AA, and indies), good games are still releasing in nearly every genre of you look beyond purely AAA blockbusters. I can't recall ever having more access to this much at once. And there's still a lot of creativity - again, you just have to look beyond AAA.
For the second point, I'd say being here since day one on the first PlayStation, back when people didn't know what to even make of that weird gray 'toy' that played CDs, I have never had less confidence in Sony's vision or business. And I don't mean the financials, I think they are doing alright there. I don't feel their financial health is really relevant to my main concerns.
But you are right, it's not a horrible year overall for "exclusives", but this is a mid-gen year. They should be firing on all cylinders and have picked up the pace around this point in past gens. Not the case this time around. That list would impress me for a launch lineup, not where we should be at today. Also, Sony's business culture has appeared to have changed substantially, with a naked focus on monetization over creativity and this has been compounded by an overall very strange and withdrawn communication style with the community.
The Sony of today I would simply describe as odd and almost hostile. I mean, I get this corporation has never been our friend, but it's kind of like watching an old buddy who was lively and fun slowly descend into depression and become a recluse. Kinda sad honestly. Just feels different, and overall I think their output is serviceable but objectively sucks compared to previous gens, for my money. The weirdness started with the PS5 being announced in a Wired article, which I thought was absolutely insane and out of character - and it progressed from there, getting worse.
I'm optimistic about the industry as a whole. Feels vibrant and full of possibility. Conversely, I am just about ready to write Sony (and most AAA publishers) off completely. They are not the same as they used to be. I personally hate the term "consumer friendly" and feel it gets overused. But yes, Sony personally feels unfriendly to me as a customer and they are not meeting my expectations at this time. I hope this changes.
Hey not to be pedantic but those 'old school' IPs you listed are all extremely recent in Sony's history. And by recent I mean just about brand new.
Twisted Metal, Aquanauts Holiday, Jersey Devil, Tiny Tank, Omega Boost, Ape Escape, Medievil, Carnage Heart... these are just a few of the largely forgotten, weird and cool titles on which the PlayStation legacy was built and grown - truly "old school" PlayStation.
God of War, Ghosts of Tsushima, Horizon etc. aren't bad games by an means, but the above franchises are the ones I would like to see return. Or the spirit of these titles at least. Which I'd argue the new games don't really capture all that well, being AAA blockbusters, which is fundamentally a far cry from how they did stuff back then.
The tough thing for us people that have been around a minute is realizing a person playing games today probably can't remember IPs from just ten years ago, let alone 30, because they weren't even born yet. Yeah, we are old.
I've been an early adopter since the PS1. Spent megatons of money on Playstation in the intervening years. I've looked at the last 4 years of releases and services like a job interview, with Sony as the candidate. Will I buy the PS6 day one? Is the PS5 Pro worth it?
Based on their new direction and performance, it's an absolute, resounding 'No' from me on all fronts. That's a first for me.
Time moves on, priorities change. The same for companies and people. I guess all I can say is I hope the Fortnite money was worth it. Probably in 10 to 20 years they'll pivot again and desperately try to claw their hardcore market back after realizing what they've done. It's the endless cycle of things.
Honestly? I think I'm just old. Outside of one or two games, the whole thing was bland and uninteresting. And that's been a recurring trend for me. The PS1 Sony felt cool and new and delivered droves of interesting titles, in nearly every conceivable genre. People forget this but PS1 games were janky and experimental, but they had soul and the fun factor in droves. Feels like the games out Sony these days - when they come out at all - are these made-by-committee, by-the-numbers situations.
But the PS1 days are well behind us now. I really can't complain too much. While I've never felt more alienated from and disappointed with Sony in roughly 25 years of being a frequent customer, third party games still have the magic. We are still spoilt for choice, you just have to move away from Sony first party stuff. The indie scene is on fire and scratches that PS1 itch.
I'd sure like to continue being a customer of Sony games and products, but they seemed to be eyeing greener pastures. And... that's probably smart business.
I mean, that would be an alright for a launch lineup. We are mid-gen. Seems like historically the first party gates are opened around this point and we get the genre-defining stuff, the platform flexes it's muscles, and the console breaks into a full sprint. Instead of revving up, feels like Sony is hitting the brakes.
I didn't think it was an awful showcase. Not good either, mind you, as I wasn't impressed in the slightest. It's cool though, I wasn't expecting much so I can't be upset.
Maybe this gen is just gonna take a little longer to find it's footing and we just have to accept that.
This is put more eloquently that I could've said it!
I've had some limited interactions with jobs (like construction) that were constrained by production bottlenecks in complicated, multi-phase projects. I suspect you are right it's a managerial issue, and the bottlenecks of game development are not being anticipated or planned for properly, causing progress to slow to a crawl here and there. This is just my guess though, I'm no game dev.
The solution was normally to have multiple teams working on separate aspects of the project in tandem and move them around as needed when the bottlenecks popped up, but communication breaks down or one team finishes ahead or behind. The goal changes, the timeline is moved up, it just becomes a mess. That's why this should all be mapped out in advance and have a production manager keep people on task and on time. When the company structure gets too big though, you start getting meetings about having another meeting to discuss something that needs to be approved by x person. And it just becomes a nightmare and the bureaucracy takes away the ability of the manager to keep people on assignment, and removes the mobility and adaptability needed to navigate unexpected production problems.
Let's just say, it's not a job I'd want or personally feel I could do any better in myself in these behemoth dev companies. I just blow smoke in comment sections just as a form of therapy.
Another entry in the stealth genre wouldn't go unappreciated. Only one still around outside of indies is the Hitman franchise, of all things. I'd have lost a bet between on that one.
I'm sure - because most companies are taking massive time on these AAA projects - there is of course something to it. More complex, bigger, something like that. A few are more efficient with things, like Capcom and Insomniac so it's not every single one, but most.
But I swear video game development is becoming like the construction industry with the delays and inflated project times. It's really hard to get excited about anything when about 1/12 of your life elapses between each release.
All we can do is joke I guess. Or find something else to do with our precious time. Like maybe a trip to the Sistine Chapel.
Well I just gotta take the L on this. But 4 years though right? That's what I get for going from my own memory and not pre-Googling that. Ninja Turtles ruined me... Well, at least I didn't say Donatello.
What in John Lennon's name is BluePoint up to? Nearly 4 years and not a peep. In fact, you could say that about half these studios.
I'm just gonna put it out there, Da Vinci painted the Sistine Chapel in four years. With a damn paintbrush, on pulleys. These lengthy release cycles are not cool. What even is that, two games per gen, per studio? What is going on around here?
It's amazing seeing an EOD technician from the UK, considering our profession originated in WWII and that knowledge was essentially passed down to us from what the UK learned during the Blitz. You guys were the originals! I was in the 420th Fighter Squadron.
I imagine the work is more or less the same. Thanks to our gun culture, we have that extra wrinkle, but the vast majority of it is just wading through people's problems on their worst days. I've only been shot at once in LE, and the guy missed (drunk). I'm always much more concerned about knives.
Anyways, congratulations on your well earned retirement!
Well that is an impressive resume. Yes, some industries - law enforcement in particular - pay no heed to your time or work-life balance.
I enjoyed reading your comment. I was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician for the US Air Force in the 2010s, after that I became a police officer. I have about 7 years in the profession at this point. I can back up everything you say, including the unexpected 16-24 hour shifts being fairly frequent. I just worked a 16-hour shift the other day due to calls piling in (I just work patrol, nothing special). Throw in specialty position on-call duties, like SWAT, K-9, dive team, hostage negotiator, death investigator, and you can kiss your personal life goodbye.
While I understand working insane hours is not exclusive to law enforcement, I believe about 95% of people, especially those working 9-5 jobs, have no conception of how many man hours first responders and not only expected, but required, to work. There is a reason about 80% of LEOs die before 60 due to general health issues. The issue is compounded by the fact that, here in the US, there is a work-your-butt off culture across the board anyways. If you aren't putting 50 hours in a week or more, you aren't really working or you are lazy.
I thought I'd never meet anyone who outworked me before LE. Oh how naive I was. I'm just average by that standard. The culture is you just work until the job is done, and nothing else matters.
Wow I didn't expect anyone to bring up Vigilante 8 on a PushSquare article today. That's a deep cut right there. Good game. In fact, I think I'd rather play that game than most of what releases today.
Ninja Theory were always on point with their story telling but gotta say, after playing Heavenly Blade, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and the first Hellblade - and enjoying them for what they were I might add - their games do lack depth in the gameplay department. Odyssey might be the exception there, I actually really enjoyed that one.
I honestly think the first Hellblade game was too high concept for me. Like there was something really good there that I just couldn't appreciate properly. The mental health angle was never that profound for me because while it was new at the time in games, it's well-trodden ground in books and movies. Sometimes I forget reviewers are different people and they find novelty in things that to me seem iterative, and on the inverse I'm blown away by things sometimes that others don't seem to care for.
Can't be too fussed about graphics in this day and age. I think I have a good read on what this game is from reviews and my past experiences with their games, but I don't want to discount it either as I haven't played it yet myself.
Comments 685
Re: Wreckfest 2 Plots a Crash Course with PS5
@KundaliniRising333
Oh c'mon, what other game can you race a couch!? I guess you didn't go in for the outhouse toilet DLC car. And no not making that up.
Re: Wreckfest 2 Plots a Crash Course with PS5
@TurboTom
Same, got the platinum for the first game, really enjoyed it. Ended up turning off the weird public domain music and playing Spotify in the background - worked like a charm.
Re: Wreckfest 2 Plots a Crash Course with PS5
Now that's certainly a... trailer. A man fondling his beat up derby car like a long lost lover while making allusions to domestic violence and how he won't lose his temper again. Definitely, uh, creative.
Re: BioWare Reveals Release Window for Dragon Age: The Veilguard Release Date Announcement
@KillerBoy
Bioware is long gone. Don't imagine too many of the old guard stuck around for the post-Anthem era of Bioware.
Re: Another Wave of Concord PS5, PC Character Trailers Has Arrived
Look like Fortnight skins you'd get out of a Doritos bag or something.
Re: Until Dawn PS5, PC Remake Is Still on Its Way as Age Rating Surfaces
Not seeing the need for a remake/remaster of a PS4 game (even though I really like Until Dawn). It's a little too recent for the remake treatment, especially considering you can just play the PS4 version of Until Dawn on PS5.
It felt strange for The Last of Us, it feels even weirder for this game. Only PS4 game I would like to see a re-release for is Bloodborne.
Re: Randy Pitchford Says Fans Will Be 'Very, Very Happy' with Next Borderlands Game
Wait this is the same guy that misplaced a flashdrive full of porn in his office or something... Also does magic tricks at children's birthday parties I believe. I'm not saying he's a serial killer, but I'm not NOT saying that either.
Yeah, I'm sure the game will be game of the year material as long as they keep all that Gen Z humor in there that was such a hit in Borderlands 3.
Re: Shadows of the Damned Remaster Out This Halloween, Only £20 / $25
@homelesscretin
You ain't wrong, PS3 collecting is getting a bit pricy. I know people don't like the constant re-releases, but it brings old games back into the conversation and it's a good option for most people who don't have these older systems.
Plus, always the possibility we get a physical release on modern systems.
Re: Shadows of the Damned Remaster Out This Halloween, Only £20 / $25
Gonna be a good Halloween for horror games between this, Silent Hill 2, and the physical release of Alan Wake 2.
Nothing beats playing horror games during the spooky season.
Re: Capcom Endures Some Truly Incredible Monster Hunter Wilds Investor Questions
Investors - both of the institutional and speculator varieties - are complete and utter morons with no knowledge of how anything really works in the industry and are the fundamental cause of pretty much every gross practice going on today. They know ROIs, market caps, and share prices, but they generally have close to zero intimate knowledge of what they are investing in beyond the standard financial stats. Bunch of idiot geese flocking from one thing to the next.
And these people call the shots. The decisions that Sony, Microsoft, etc. make are geared more towards these people than the consumers. God help us.
Re: PS5 Pro Is Seemingly Starting to Appear in Source Code
@NEStalgia
All these years later, I'm still in denial about the Vita situation. I have two I still use currently. There is a pattern emerging regarding their support (or lack thereof) for anything that isn't their flagship hardware.
To be honest, I'm not too psyched about their implementation of the Dualsense controller in general. Astrobot was amazing, everything that came after - even first party stuff - ranged from meh to okay in comparison as far as utilization of haptic feedback.
I hate to be negative about nearly everything but yeah, I am just not impressed with virtually anything Sony has done the last four years.
PS5 OS still is still extremely lacking, meaningful social features have been pared back or eliminated entirely (RIP Playstation Home), VR2 was dead on arrival, the Dualsense controllers' longevity and build quality is the worst of any gen so far, the first party games are good but samey and not as many as in years past, and on top of it all Sony as a company has become quiet and reclusive in its communication with the fans, like a weird hermit.
The sole shining point for me has been third party games and indies.
I guess I am just getting old and cranky? I dunno, I'm good as long as I can still collect physical on older platforms and if nothing else, PS5 has a strong built-in library of PS4 titles. I'm literally playing PS1 right now more than PS5 if that tells you anything. And having a blast with it!
Re: PS5 Pro Is Seemingly Starting to Appear in Source Code
@NEStalgia
Yup I picked up the Edge controller as well. It really boggles the mind how much money I've given this company...
Honestly had no idea there were stock issues with the replacement sticks. I'll have to pick a few up then in anticipation of the inevitable stick drift issues.
Re: The Humble Games Team Has Reportedly Been Laid Off
Of all the "limited release" type companies, like Limited Run Games, Special Reserve Games, and Super Rare Games I liked Humble Bundle the best as a company.
Thanks for providing a physical release of Signalis so that game can be preserved in the future. Will miss them for sure.
Re: PS5 Pro Is Seemingly Starting to Appear in Source Code
@NEStalgia
Hear, hear. I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and consider PC next gen and join the other Sony and Microsoft expats. It will be a much higher entry cost, and I'll have to figure out how to build one and what's what with the hardware (shouldn't be too hard). But could be a fun challenge in itself.
I do like the ease of use that a console provides, but even that is fading with day one updates.
And since you mentioned it, I'm really upset about the VR2 as well. 600 bucks for that just so they could abandon the early adopters pretty much right out of the gate. I think that was my last day one purchase of a Sony product. I'll have to look into the Quest.
After that and the VITA, I'm started to look at Sony as almost like Google, launching and then pretty much immediately abandoning hardware and software when it isn't an instant hit. I guess companies like Sony don't think beyond the next quarterly profit report when they make decisions like that. Deters future purchases, hurts the brand overall. I feel there is no Sony seal of quality anymore.
Re: PS5 Pro Is Seemingly Starting to Appear in Source Code
@GymratAmarillo
Hey don't dog on the Advance SP, that backlight changed the whole game.
I get hardware upgrades are generally iterative and incremental but I want to see something a lot more substantial for my money than 120FPS or little graphical upgrades here and there that you wouldn't be able to spot outside of a Digital Foundry analysis video.
Consoles unlike PC are these self-contained boxes and can't be freely upgraded, so there is generally this expectation of a "big" leap in the console world. Well, that's how it used to be. But yeah, smartphones exist.
I've heard that phone argument made before but was always kind of odd because phones are sort of all in one personal assistant devices that everyone more or less needs in modern society. That's where people want to have a lot of options in a device, based on their very different needs for work and life.
I tell ya what though, if they can establish a smartphone model with consoles and people buy into that, they will be rolling in the dough.
Re: PS5 Pro Is Seemingly Starting to Appear in Source Code
@NEStalgia
I'm not paying 600+ dollars for 120FPS or slightly higher resolution. And as an early adopter on all their stuff since PS2 with a lot of discretionary income that I can and will spend on my favorite hobby, I'm the bullseye of who they are targeting with this. And I don't want it. And to take it a step further, I'm even slightly insulted at the prospect.
The days I bought Sony products on goodwill ended this generation after the conclusion of the Jim Ryan era and all the attendant horsesh*t that has gone on during. They lost me. And, if I am the proto-typical consumer they are targeting with this - which I strongly suspect I am - they lost a lot of their "hardcore" crowd (I hate that term) this gen, who would normally go in for something like this.
I could believe it's just a way to reinvigorate their brand or stay relevant, despite being wholly pointless in terms of actual hardware. But I'm assuming they want to make money on this venture. And I don't think they will do too well.
Reason being, they have alienated me with every decision they have made the last 4 years to appeal to the Fortnight / Madden / Call of Duty crowd. Because there was more money in that for them. And they did make a killing. By closing Japan Studio and Pixel Opus and many other decisions I found pretty damn deplorable, all for the pursuit of a target market that wasn't me.
Fast forward a couple years, now they want to turn around and sell me whatever this is, an item tailor designed for the hardcore crowd, for me. But they can't justify it in terms of value. Just expect us to forget they sidelined us for the easy money, until it's time to remember we exist so we can open our wallets. Get lost, Sony.
They made a choice. Alienate the hardcore crowd for easy dollars. It was a very conscious decision they made too, not something a Fortune 500 company just stumbles into. They gotta live with that choice, can't have it both ways. Not buying until first party titles that truly push the system release. So probably never. They won't recoup their R&D and marketing costs on this.
God willing, they get the message and reform themselves for the next generation.
Re: PS5 Pro Is Seemingly Starting to Appear in Source Code
@LowDefAl
The argument goes something along the lines of the hardware is not even close to being pushed, it's poor optimisation from the devs. Because they develop for the lowest common denominator and scale up. Meaning the PS4 is still the lead console they are developing for, then clumsily scaled up to the PS5. Hardly anything was natively developed for the PS5 besides hilariously enough a handful of launch games that are still the graphical pinnacle of the entire library. To this day, nothing is graphically superior or more technically impressive than two launch games, Ratchet and Clank and the Demon's Souls remake, in my humble opinion. Wow.
I don't have the technical knowledge to make the above argument. All I can say is when I see framerate drops on PS5 on an indie game like Cult of the Lamb that should be able to run on an old cellphone, I tend to believe it.
First party games historically were the titles that pushed the system to its limits, usually we saw that around mid-gen. This time, not so much.
Re: PS5 Pro Is Seemingly Starting to Appear in Source Code
No, no, no, no, and no.
Release some games that push the current console first, then I'll consider spending hundreds of dollars / euros on... whatever this is.
This is DOA for me. If they had stopped cross gen releases about two years earlier I could see it as a maybe, but only just. But they were greedy and wanted to dip into that sweet, sweet PS4 install base way longer than the normal window, devaluing the newer machine. Now they want their cake and to eat it too, by releasing this. Sony cannot have it both ways. A pro console is viable whenever they can make a case for it. What is this gonna do? 120 FPS isn't worth $600+ for me... And I've been a day one adopter for PS stuff for a long time now. I'm the target market here, and I'm not buying.
Absolute, 100% no and I'm insulted at the level of greed on display even considering this is a entity that is greedy by definition.
I'd wager this is gonna do even worse numbers than the PS4 Pro did. I bought that for its 4K capabilities, which was overdue at the time, but I felt even that was negligible overall.
Re: Random: Former Beetroot Farmer Currently Senior CDPR Dev on The Witcher Sequel
One day you are farming beetroots in Australia, the next you are a senior dev for a famous Polish game company. Life sure throws some curve balls huh?
Re: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Not the 'Right Game' for 'Nasty' Blood Magic
Can I be Mr. Negative Internet Person # 53850 and just point out that Bioware, as it exists today, is no longer Bioware. Pretty much all the staff who worked on Inquisition or prior DA games are long gone.
I guess I just mention it because I loved the series. Very near and dear to my heart. And I am approaching this game with a heavy dose of skepticism. Gotta wait and see but I'm feeling a bit pessimistic about this project overall based on their most recent output. Just can't get hyped about this and every tidbit I come across doesn't inspire.
But more on topic, I'm not so fussed about this particular decision. While Bioware has a legacy of player choice RPGs (most notably Mass Effect's very simplistic good-evil dialogue trees), to be honest that was always superficial and you were more or less locked into a pretty set narrative. As people came to find out with Mass Effect 3's wildly controversial ending which finally tore away the illusion of player choice they had built up in 1 and 2 to reveal a pretty set outcome.
I never saw Bioware games as create-your-own adventure type RPGs despite them angling so many of their games that way in marketing. And that's alright. They had an interesting story to tell and rich lore to back it up.
Re: CDPR Says Boston-Based Dev Studio Will Make Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel More Authentically American
@NEStalgia
Hey now, having everything we use come from China is a proud American tradition. Proud I tells ya.
Re: CDPR Says Boston-Based Dev Studio Will Make Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel More Authentically American
@nomither6
Yessir. The only crayons in my box are the RED, WHITE, and BLUE. Frankly, just don't got no use for none of them other colors.
Happy Fourth everyone. For those of you across the pond who don't know, today is a holy day when we celebrate the imperial system of measurement, manifest destiny, and monster trucks the only way the Lord intended - by blowing stuff up in our backyards.
Re: CDPR Says Boston-Based Dev Studio Will Make Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel More Authentically American
It's color, not colour, and that's important because we fought a damn war over that. Everyone thinks it was about taxes on tea. But that's fake news, we don't even know what tea is, nor do we have any idea why people would drink distilled leaf juice.
In conclusion... America.
Re: The Obligatory Helldivers 2 Isn't As Popular As It Was Headlines Have Started to Emerge
I gotta say I'm really not a fan of the constant drastic balance patches that completely upend the experience every month or so. I dropped out after they constantly nerfed any weapon or piece of equipment which became a popular choice.
It's a PVE game, let it be unbalanced - as long as it's fun.
Re: Konami Producer Would 'Like Nothing Better Than to Work with Hideo Kojima Again'
@Orpheus79V
I get the pachinko jokes are outdated, but Konami still remains a shadow of its former self in the games biz.
The MGS Master Collection was a barebones, lazy port cash grab, the Silent Hill projects thus far have all been absolute duds, and I don't agree with assigning Bloober Team the remake duties for SH2 (assigning Silent Hill to a western team is a mistake they have made over, and over, and over again in the past). Oh, and Contra Hard Corps was awful. Castlevania remains in cryostasis outside of basic ports and cameos in other games.
I am not encouraged by the fact they are keeping the old voice work for MGS3 for Delta, as all those voice actors are still very active and would be willing to re-record them. Everything they do reeks of laziness and cutting corners.
The sole shining point for them has been Contra: Operation Galuga, a smaller title. I honestly can't think of anything else.
Re: Konami Producer Would 'Like Nothing Better Than to Work with Hideo Kojima Again'
Big fan of Hideo's older games. MGS is my favorite game of all time. Kojima as a person though, I am not a fan of.
I could honestly do without him after how he treated David Hayter.
Re: FromSoftware Boss Uses Every Elden Ring Advantage: 'I Absolutely Suck at Video Games'
@Perturbator
Two sides of the same awful, entitled coin.
Re: Dataminer Tips Terminator T-1000, Conan the Barbarian DLC for Mortal Kombat 1
I"ve been waiting for a little mustard and ketchup on my MK sandwich since MKX.
Re: Broken, Battered Elden Ring Players Review Bomb Shadow of the Erdtree for Being Too Hard
This is just an echo of the original complaint and debates when Elden Ring first came out. It was the first Soulsborne game to reach the larger mass market, and people who weren't used to it started complaining about the difficulty. Opinion pieces and counter-opinion articles about difficulty sliders were flying left and right for a solid 6 months.
My take is, if you don't like bitter drinks, don't drink coffee. Go drink some orange juice. If you don't like hard games, that's valid, but don't play Soulsborne games.
By the way, Elden Ring is (by far) the easiest and most accessible in the series. I can't imagine what these people complaining would think about the original Fromsoft King's Field games. They would absolutely lose their minds.
Re: Embracer Claims Newly Adopted AI Policy Will 'Massively Enhance Game Development'
Sounds like a bunch of buzzwords the investor class will love.
Pretty sure this company makes all its business decisions with a magic 8 ball.
Re: Play Texas Hold 'Em with Balatro's Physical Edition on PS5, PS4
@Frmknst
I'm sorry, I don't understand what you are trying to to say here.
I wouldn't call this game crap, nor would its quality as a game be intrinsically less in the future, regardless of how many games release per day. Again, sorry if I missed your point.
Re: Play Texas Hold 'Em with Balatro's Physical Edition on PS5, PS4
@DennisReynolds
I'd agree a Blu-Ray is overkill for a 400 MB game (could fit on a PS1 CD), but this is definitely a game that should be preserved in a physical edition for when storefronts cease to exist in 5, 10, 15, 20 or however many years.
Re: Play Texas Hold 'Em with Balatro's Physical Edition on PS5, PS4
Regardless of how disappointed I am in this generation in general, I can't deny indies are better than ever and have kept me invested. Pick up this game!
Re: Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Says DOOM Franchise Is Something That 'Everyone Deserves to Play'
Of all the games which changed hands in the acquisition, the only game that hurt a bit to lose was the Doom franchise. Eternal was amazing.
Glad to hear it will be available to all of us.
Re: Horror Hit Alan Wake 2 Is Getting a Retail PS5 Release Because You Wouldn't Shut Up About It
Bout time. Bit pricy, but a promise is a promise. Will get it day one. See Remedy, easiest 80 bucks you ever made.
Re: It's 'A Truly Exciting Time' for PlayStation as New Sony CEOs Take Control
@add286
I think there's two distinct things going on here, where I can both agree and disagree with you in principle at the same time.
For one, we have never had more choice, if you look at the industry as a whole (AAA, AA, and indies), good games are still releasing in nearly every genre of you look beyond purely AAA blockbusters. I can't recall ever having more access to this much at once. And there's still a lot of creativity - again, you just have to look beyond AAA.
For the second point, I'd say being here since day one on the first PlayStation, back when people didn't know what to even make of that weird gray 'toy' that played CDs, I have never had less confidence in Sony's vision or business. And I don't mean the financials, I think they are doing alright there. I don't feel their financial health is really relevant to my main concerns.
But you are right, it's not a horrible year overall for "exclusives", but this is a mid-gen year. They should be firing on all cylinders and have picked up the pace around this point in past gens. Not the case this time around. That list would impress me for a launch lineup, not where we should be at today. Also, Sony's business culture has appeared to have changed substantially, with a naked focus on monetization over creativity and this has been compounded by an overall very strange and withdrawn communication style with the community.
The Sony of today I would simply describe as odd and almost hostile. I mean, I get this corporation has never been our friend, but it's kind of like watching an old buddy who was lively and fun slowly descend into depression and become a recluse. Kinda sad honestly. Just feels different, and overall I think their output is serviceable but objectively sucks compared to previous gens, for my money. The weirdness started with the PS5 being announced in a Wired article, which I thought was absolutely insane and out of character - and it progressed from there, getting worse.
I'm optimistic about the industry as a whole. Feels vibrant and full of possibility. Conversely, I am just about ready to write Sony (and most AAA publishers) off completely. They are not the same as they used to be. I personally hate the term "consumer friendly" and feel it gets overused. But yes, Sony personally feels unfriendly to me as a customer and they are not meeting my expectations at this time. I hope this changes.
Re: It's 'A Truly Exciting Time' for PlayStation as New Sony CEOs Take Control
@OldGamer999
Hey not to be pedantic but those 'old school' IPs you listed are all extremely recent in Sony's history. And by recent I mean just about brand new.
Twisted Metal, Aquanauts Holiday, Jersey Devil, Tiny Tank, Omega Boost, Ape Escape, Medievil, Carnage Heart... these are just a few of the largely forgotten, weird and cool titles on which the PlayStation legacy was built and grown - truly "old school" PlayStation.
God of War, Ghosts of Tsushima, Horizon etc. aren't bad games by an means, but the above franchises are the ones I would like to see return. Or the spirit of these titles at least. Which I'd argue the new games don't really capture all that well, being AAA blockbusters, which is fundamentally a far cry from how they did stuff back then.
The tough thing for us people that have been around a minute is realizing a person playing games today probably can't remember IPs from just ten years ago, let alone 30, because they weren't even born yet. Yeah, we are old.
Re: Reaction: PS5 Livestreams Are No Longer Speaking to the Fans Who Built the Brand
I've been an early adopter since the PS1. Spent megatons of money on Playstation in the intervening years. I've looked at the last 4 years of releases and services like a job interview, with Sony as the candidate. Will I buy the PS6 day one? Is the PS5 Pro worth it?
Based on their new direction and performance, it's an absolute, resounding 'No' from me on all fronts. That's a first for me.
Time moves on, priorities change. The same for companies and people. I guess all I can say is I hope the Fortnite money was worth it. Probably in 10 to 20 years they'll pivot again and desperately try to claw their hardcore market back after realizing what they've done. It's the endless cycle of things.
Re: Reaction: PS5 Livestreams Are No Longer Speaking to the Fans Who Built the Brand
Honestly? I think I'm just old. Outside of one or two games, the whole thing was bland and uninteresting. And that's been a recurring trend for me. The PS1 Sony felt cool and new and delivered droves of interesting titles, in nearly every conceivable genre. People forget this but PS1 games were janky and experimental, but they had soul and the fun factor in droves. Feels like the games out Sony these days - when they come out at all - are these made-by-committee, by-the-numbers situations.
But the PS1 days are well behind us now. I really can't complain too much. While I've never felt more alienated from and disappointed with Sony in roughly 25 years of being a frequent customer, third party games still have the magic. We are still spoilt for choice, you just have to move away from Sony first party stuff. The indie scene is on fire and scratches that PS1 itch.
I'd sure like to continue being a customer of Sony games and products, but they seemed to be eyeing greener pastures. And... that's probably smart business.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Sony's State of Play for May 2024?
@AdamNovice
I mean, that would be an alright for a launch lineup. We are mid-gen. Seems like historically the first party gates are opened around this point and we get the genre-defining stuff, the platform flexes it's muscles, and the console breaks into a full sprint. Instead of revving up, feels like Sony is hitting the brakes.
I didn't think it was an awful showcase. Not good either, mind you, as I wasn't impressed in the slightest. It's cool though, I wasn't expecting much so I can't be upset.
Maybe this gen is just gonna take a little longer to find it's footing and we just have to accept that.
Re: Don't Worry, Sony's Most Recognisable Studios Are Still Focused on Single Player PS5 Games
@Th3solution
This is put more eloquently that I could've said it!
I've had some limited interactions with jobs (like construction) that were constrained by production bottlenecks in complicated, multi-phase projects. I suspect you are right it's a managerial issue, and the bottlenecks of game development are not being anticipated or planned for properly, causing progress to slow to a crawl here and there. This is just my guess though, I'm no game dev.
The solution was normally to have multiple teams working on separate aspects of the project in tandem and move them around as needed when the bottlenecks popped up, but communication breaks down or one team finishes ahead or behind. The goal changes, the timeline is moved up, it just becomes a mess. That's why this should all be mapped out in advance and have a production manager keep people on task and on time. When the company structure gets too big though, you start getting meetings about having another meeting to discuss something that needs to be approved by x person. And it just becomes a nightmare and the bureaucracy takes away the ability of the manager to keep people on assignment, and removes the mobility and adaptability needed to navigate unexpected production problems.
Let's just say, it's not a job I'd want or personally feel I could do any better in myself in these behemoth dev companies. I just blow smoke in comment sections just as a form of therapy.
Re: Don't Worry, Sony's Most Recognisable Studios Are Still Focused on Single Player PS5 Games
@Nem
Another entry in the stealth genre wouldn't go unappreciated. Only one still around outside of indies is the Hitman franchise, of all things. I'd have lost a bet between on that one.
RIP Metal Gear Solid. Ah, better times...
Re: Don't Worry, Sony's Most Recognisable Studios Are Still Focused on Single Player PS5 Games
@Th3solution
I'm sure - because most companies are taking massive time on these AAA projects - there is of course something to it. More complex, bigger, something like that. A few are more efficient with things, like Capcom and Insomniac so it's not every single one, but most.
But I swear video game development is becoming like the construction industry with the delays and inflated project times. It's really hard to get excited about anything when about 1/12 of your life elapses between each release.
All we can do is joke I guess. Or find something else to do with our precious time. Like maybe a trip to the Sistine Chapel.
Re: Don't Worry, Sony's Most Recognisable Studios Are Still Focused on Single Player PS5 Games
@PSme
Well I just gotta take the L on this. But 4 years though right? That's what I get for going from my own memory and not pre-Googling that. Ninja Turtles ruined me... Well, at least I didn't say Donatello.
Re: Don't Worry, Sony's Most Recognisable Studios Are Still Focused on Single Player PS5 Games
What in John Lennon's name is BluePoint up to? Nearly 4 years and not a peep. In fact, you could say that about half these studios.
I'm just gonna put it out there, Da Vinci painted the Sistine Chapel in four years. With a damn paintbrush, on pulleys. These lengthy release cycles are not cool. What even is that, two games per gen, per studio? What is going on around here?
I wanna talk to the manager lol.
Re: PS5 Is Sony's Most Profitable Console Generation to Date
Thank goodness, I was really stressed out about how this Fortune 500 company was gonna keep the lights on.
How are they generating that record operating income? By giving us what we want? Or just jacking up the prices? Something in between? You decide.
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Required Less Crunch Than Larian Studios' Previous RPGs
@Fiendish-Beaver
It's amazing seeing an EOD technician from the UK, considering our profession originated in WWII and that knowledge was essentially passed down to us from what the UK learned during the Blitz. You guys were the originals! I was in the 420th Fighter Squadron.
I imagine the work is more or less the same. Thanks to our gun culture, we have that extra wrinkle, but the vast majority of it is just wading through people's problems on their worst days. I've only been shot at once in LE, and the guy missed (drunk). I'm always much more concerned about knives.
Anyways, congratulations on your well earned retirement!
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Required Less Crunch Than Larian Studios' Previous RPGs
@Fiendish-Beaver
Well that is an impressive resume. Yes, some industries - law enforcement in particular - pay no heed to your time or work-life balance.
I enjoyed reading your comment. I was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician for the US Air Force in the 2010s, after that I became a police officer. I have about 7 years in the profession at this point. I can back up everything you say, including the unexpected 16-24 hour shifts being fairly frequent. I just worked a 16-hour shift the other day due to calls piling in (I just work patrol, nothing special). Throw in specialty position on-call duties, like SWAT, K-9, dive team, hostage negotiator, death investigator, and you can kiss your personal life goodbye.
While I understand working insane hours is not exclusive to law enforcement, I believe about 95% of people, especially those working 9-5 jobs, have no conception of how many man hours first responders and not only expected, but required, to work. There is a reason about 80% of LEOs die before 60 due to general health issues. The issue is compounded by the fact that, here in the US, there is a work-your-butt off culture across the board anyways. If you aren't putting 50 hours in a week or more, you aren't really working or you are lazy.
I thought I'd never meet anyone who outworked me before LE. Oh how naive I was. I'm just average by that standard. The culture is you just work until the job is done, and nothing else matters.
Re: Soapbox: Once a PS4 Console Exclusive, PS5 Players Are Missing a Visual Stunner in Hellblade 2
@Stale-Bread
Wow I didn't expect anyone to bring up Vigilante 8 on a PushSquare article today. That's a deep cut right there. Good game. In fact, I think I'd rather play that game than most of what releases today.
Re: Soapbox: Once a PS4 Console Exclusive, PS5 Players Are Missing a Visual Stunner in Hellblade 2
Ninja Theory were always on point with their story telling but gotta say, after playing Heavenly Blade, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and the first Hellblade - and enjoying them for what they were I might add - their games do lack depth in the gameplay department. Odyssey might be the exception there, I actually really enjoyed that one.
I honestly think the first Hellblade game was too high concept for me. Like there was something really good there that I just couldn't appreciate properly. The mental health angle was never that profound for me because while it was new at the time in games, it's well-trodden ground in books and movies. Sometimes I forget reviewers are different people and they find novelty in things that to me seem iterative, and on the inverse I'm blown away by things sometimes that others don't seem to care for.
Can't be too fussed about graphics in this day and age. I think I have a good read on what this game is from reviews and my past experiences with their games, but I don't want to discount it either as I haven't played it yet myself.