Comments 200

Re: Fortnite's About to Make a Fortune by Flogging Freakin' Footwear

nocdaes

Sometimes I feel sad being the gatekeeper to what my kids can and cannot play, but then I get these reminders that actually I am right and my kids should absolutely be the ones in school that play a rich variety of games from past and present and not all the utter rubbish that their peers are seemingly hooked on: Fortnite. Minecraft. Roblox.

Re: Roblox's Parental Protections Changing in Wake of 'Paedophile Hellscape' Report

nocdaes

@LifeGirl I disagree. Roblox is specifically for the kids with the parents that don't pay attention.

That's their entire business model. Ripping off the children whose parents are looking the other way. All the while not caring, at all, about the child's welfare - Roblox have no duty of care whatsoever.

It's a scummy business that preys on children. That's a cast iron fact.

So blame parents all you like... it's entirely irrelevant. Roblox would not exist if parents paid attention to it.

Re: Video: 2025 Is Shaping Up to Be PS5's Best Year Yet

nocdaes

GTA 6, DooM and Indiana Jones... next year is almost too much. It's genuinely a shame we didn't get some of these in 2024 as there won't be room for all of them next year - I fear AC and probably Indie in particular will suffer from a packed release slate.

Re: Opinion: The Price of Playing PS5 Games Day One Is Getting Higher and Higher

nocdaes

I'm fine with £60 and I'd be fine with £70 too. Everything else costs more, why wouldn't video games? At least you're still getting what you pay for with videogames.

Everything else out there seems to me we pay more AND we get less at the same time.

Besides, youth of today don't seem to realise how much certain SNES and N64 games used to cost. Not to mention all the Japan imports we "had" to do!

Moaning over £60 and £70... if you really want to know expensive games, try collecting retro! Trust me, the new stuff is cheap.

Re: Bickering Begins Over PS5 Pro's Inability to Sell Out

nocdaes

This is such a nonsense debate. Sorry, but it's true. The PS5 Pro has not sold out and that is absolutely 100% bad news for Sony.

Anyone arguing otherwise needs to lift their head up and take a good look around at the state of the games industry and the wider economy - UK or US, same story.

There is a 0% chance Sony made loads of Pro consoles to exceed demand... that's nonsense!

Is it a disaster? No, of course not. Is it bad? Yes, it's a negative thing that will have a negative impact.

GTA6 and a £100 price cut will quickly resolve any problems. If you are price sensitive OR, maybe just don't feel the software is there to justify the Pro(!) then just wait for GTA6. You know it makes sense...!

Re: In the UK, PS5 Pro Has Already Completely Sold Out

nocdaes

@Teknix314 It'll come down to personal preference. One thing I think people are way too quick to dismiss though, is the fact that there is a large group of older gamers that have a different outlook with their finances. Pro exists for this very audience. Pro isn't here for people to deliberate over graphics and performance... it's for the late 30s/early 40s year old that has the money and simply wants to play GTA "the best way".

Sony know this. Analogue know this too. Microsoft are too focused on younger audiences and Nintendo made good progress (Handheld play to fit gaming in) but stalled in the past few years with their insistence on "crap" software decisions.

Re: In the UK, PS5 Pro Has Already Completely Sold Out

nocdaes

Without knowing how many were available, it's impossible to know whether this is remarkable or not!

I'll be tempted to pick one up whenever GTA6 drops... but honestly, until that moment, is there a single game I'd be excited to play on it?

Normally you'd think... ooh Gran Turismo! Or you'd think Final Fantasy! Not really relevant this time is it?

I'm still waiting for the impressive PS5 games... nevermind Pro!!

Re: Days Gone Director Roasts 'Small Game' Astro Bot PS5 for Deacon St John Cameo

nocdaes

Just to be crystal clear.... if it was his character, then Sony would have had to come to him for permission to use it.

So it's not his character. He made it? He thought it up? He came up with it? Doesn't mean diddly squat mate. You don't own it. You therefore have zero say on it.

Maybe pay a bit more attention to your contract in future? Or.... oh wait... you mean you took the fat pay cheque and signed it all away. Ahhh I see.

Makes the complaints here even more cringe doesn't it?

Re: Poll: Are You Playing Star Wars Outlaws?

nocdaes

I was interested in this, but then I quickly realised it isn't really what I'm looking for. Not being funny, but even the Disney + star wars content that creates new characters is very average, so not really sure how Ubisoft expects to be able to pull it off? And from what I've seen, they absolutely have not pulled it off. The World looks good, but that isn't enough. This is Star Wars... there are 100s of amazing characters already... why are Ubisoft reinventing the wheel here?

Also, side note - but it's 2024 and they are still trying to sell me outfits as dlc. Seriously? Can the games industry get itself some sodding credibility? Do you know what message I hear when I see an email from the publisher pushing dlc clothing at me? It's that the game isn't any good and we're desperate to make as much money as we possibly can because we're worried it isn't going to be enough. Good luck ubisoft.

Re: Feature: The 10 Best PS5 Games of 2024 So Far

nocdaes

@DaniPooo no, not average. Bang average. That's even worse than average!

As someone who grew up with the original FF7, my expectation level for the remake was for, at the very least, the originals charm, originality and creativity to be not only respected but fully utilised and realised.

What they created is at best a complete waste of my time.

I despair when I compare the pure thrill and satisfaction of leveling up materia in the original FF7 compared to... what is it I'm doing in the remake exactly? Seems to play itself... oh and I "find" a shrine and it "levels up" my summon materia... which wasn't spectacularly hidden in the game world but literally handed to me by Chadley... who himself is the most irritating character in videogame history. Who has more dialogue than any of the actual characters! Who just won't go away!! Only beaten by a certain Star Wars Episode 1 character for most irritating in entertainment history!

Again. Waste of my time.

Oh I can't wait to see how they ruin Knights of the Round...

Soulless. Lifeless. As if it was created by people that hadn't played FF7 before.

Oh, and I knew this from the very moment you couldn't go down the Pinball machine lift in 7 Heaven. That was the moment I knew. This remake project was flawed versus what I wanted.

Seriously. Who at Square Enix decided NOT to go down the Pinball machine lift?! It's literally the most absurd decision. It let me know in an instant that this wasn't being done right.

And sure enough... the game is missing all sorts of "moments".

Now the soundtrack... that is spot on. Amazing, lovingly restored classic FF7 tracks mixed with fantastic new music that fits the game perfectly. Although... where is Barret's Theme?! Third game maybe? OK, I'll wait and see...

It looks pretty good too. I know some people complained about it, but I thought it realised the game world quite well.

Good sound. Good visuals. A shame the senior leadership team messed up everything else. And we should be angry about it, too. We'll be in our 70s or 80s before we see any sort of fresh attempt at making the perfect FF7.

Re: EA Sports FC 25 Kicks Off in September on PS5, PS4

nocdaes

When EA announced the change from FIFA to FC I genuinely had high hopes we might finally get an EA dev team trying to create the next evolution of football games.

But no.

It's still the same algorithm based drivel from the 16 bit era - albeit much prettier on the eye, and much more complex algorithms (but NOT that complex).

Will we ever get a new football game?

Remember the NEW Mario Bros games? Imagine if Nintendo released one every year. The exact same game. Over and over and over and over again. How do the EA devs even sleep at night producing the same rubbish content over and over again? It's embarrassing. The fact it sells so well... it's this vicious cycle of utter drivel.

When do we get a new football game? PS6? PS7? 8?! Because this is still pre-PS1 levels of creativity we are playing here... it's Mega Drive quality underneath the flashy bodywork.

Re: FC 25 Reveal Is This Week, Jude Bellingham's on the Cover

nocdaes

Yes, cannot wait to see what tweaks they make to the algorithm.

When will we actually see a real football game on a game console? It's 2024 and we are literally playing the same crappy algorithms from the first football games - just looking prettier.

As if people play this rubbish professionally... although I guess it's no different to a fighting game. Press the buttons in the exact right order for the same results everytime.

Re: Over 1,600 Must-Play PS5, PS4 Games Discounted on PS Store

nocdaes

"Over 1600 must-play". Just think about that statement for a minute.

If you played nothing else but these, it would take you 5 years to spend a day (8 hours) with each game.

Surely it's your job to narrow down the extreme amount to a more manageable "must-play" list?! 1600 is lunacy!

Re: Across Its Vaunted IP, Capcom Fans Crave Dino Crisis Above All Else

nocdaes

I'm all for a new Dino Crisis game.

I am not in favour of putting the original game into the new RE engine. Dino Crisis, or Puzzle Crisis as it should be known, is NOT a fun game to revisit. It needs significant work to make it even remotely appealing today. Nostalgia will shift units. Reviews will hate it. New players will pass on it.

We need new Dino Crisis.

Re: Some PlayStation Fans Are Losing Their Minds Over LEGO Horizon Being on Switch

nocdaes

I think it's reasonable for people to be annoyed about this. Horizon is one of the big success stories for Sony in recent years. It's one of the franchises that helped shift PS5 hardware. It genuinely looks like a bit of a betrayal.

And that's coming from someone that hasn't played any Horizon games, doesn't play any LEGO games and owns both a Switch and a PS5!

Re: PSVR2's PC Adapter Available on 7th August, Costs $60

nocdaes

When you consider these things likely cost a couple of quid to make, and the fact Sony's support has been so poor for PSVR2... I honestly find it a bit shocking they are selling these for so much. I think they should sell them at cost as a good will gesture!

Re: Mini Review: Horizon Chase 2 (PS5) - Around the World in 80 Revs

nocdaes

@LordOfTurnips Normally I would warmly agree with this statement, but unfortunately Horizon Chase 2 is really not worth picking up. The first game was brilliant- real Top Gear on the SNES vibes, particularly the soundtrack.

This second game is just poor by comparison. They've not built on the first game at all. Honestly seems to me that the dev didn't enjoy making this game one bit. The first game, and the Senna DLC were crafted from love- you can see it.

This second game... no love there at all. Feels like they were forced to do it. So I'd recommend waiting for PS+.

7/10 is generous. Seriously. This and Sports Story were the biggest let-downs last year. Sad times.

Re: A Lot of PS4 Owners Have Yet to Upgrade to PS5

nocdaes

@DennisReynolds Yep, it actually suggests the issue isn't the games (although GTA6 absolutely will have a huge impact).

The worry is that Xbox sales are way lower too... so either people are content with just a Switch or the industry has lost a lot of players.

Re: Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Fail to Meet Expectations on PS5

nocdaes

1. FF7 Rebirth wasn't good enough. That one is pretty simple. SE should have spoken to fans more and done more research because they clearly didn't and it shows. They did their own thing, and failed in almost every area.

FF16 is more complex I think, although I personally still stand by the fact SE have ruined the series with their crappy gameplay mechanics.

1. PS5 launch was a disaster and there is still knock on effects from it to this day.
2. There isn't enough top tier quality "I cannot miss this" games to drive install base. Games sell games. They are all "played that before, oh it looks marginally nicer, meh I'll pass". There are exceptions, but too few.
3. The whole industry is weaker with Microsoft struggling. Nintendo doesn't fill the void. Yes it sounds weird, but it's true - even with Sony exclusive games. A healthy market is one with competitors all working together to build value in the market. Microsoft's drop off has definitely impacted Sony - they have not mopped up the difference, not even close.

Re: PS5 Fans Mostly Happy with Sony's Third-Party Deals, But PlayStation Studios Need to Step Up

nocdaes

Not really sure this data is very useful? I mean, I'm happy with my PS5 because it was all about FF7 Remake for me.

So on paper, I'm happy.

But am I satisfied with Sony's output? Not at all. I don't think 3rd party has stole the show either. It's reflected in the fact I'm spending more money right now on frigging Game Gear games than I am PS5 games. Money on the table that Sony, apparently, don't want. OK, fine by me.

Re: Sony Sings PS Portal's Praises with Accolades Trailer

nocdaes

I love my Portal but the fact Sony didn't back it (low stock, low functionality, low build quality, low features) has alarm bells sounding in my head for their future hardware.

I can't think of any logical reason why they wouldn't go all-in on a handheld in 2023. Do Sony not have a research department? Do Sony not see the success of Switch? Do the Sony Exec's, shareholders and funders kids' not all own a Switch?

There's being cautious and then there's being incompetent.

Then you throw into the mix PS VR... over budget, overstock, lack of demand. You honestly wouldn't believe it if you hadn't seen it for yourself. How on earth do Sony operate this way?

(Side note: and how are Microsoft STILL so far behind even despite this?!)

Oh, and even if Sony NOW go all-in on a handheld... well a round of applause for ripping off your core audience with the Portal in the meantime? It's bonkers. Seriously, is it any wonder the industry is struggling right now?

We, the consumers, have done our bit. We buy the expensive hardware, we buy more games than we can even play. What has the industry achieved in the past 5 years or so?

And yes, Nintendo are a success story of sorts... but they're a decade behind and benefit from the previous Sony/Microsoft groundwork - in a hardware sense anyway.

Re: Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 Adds New Exclusive Car to PS5, PS4 Racer

nocdaes

@bighal yes, it is my opinion but it's hardly an extreme view is it? It boils down to the fact GT made a terrible first impression and is still paying the price to this very day. Plenty dived back in and found a better game waiting for them, but for me, I say abandon this already and get the next one right from the start.

Re: Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 Adds New Exclusive Car to PS5, PS4 Racer

nocdaes

@Kidfunkadelic83 I'm not saying there isn't something there for some - clearly you got more out of it than I did - but the content isn't good enough. Those menu books are bite size and actually, when you consider how simple they are, they dry up very quickly too.

The game's an absolute disaster in my eyes. I do look back fondly on the first race at Monza - that was great - but too much of the rest of the game isn't good enough. And that's before we even get into the car buying and microtransactions.

Clearly some have enjoyed it. Plenty more have long since abandoned - and that's my point really. Maybe there is enough content in the game now? Extra driving tests is news to me incidentally(!) - but why wasn't it there before? Not good enough.

Re: Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.46 Adds New Exclusive Car to PS5, PS4 Racer

nocdaes

Yes, I know it's free so how could I possibly moan about it?! But here goes anyway... I've played the game, I found it lacking content and frankly these bitesize updates are 1. Nowhere near good enough and 2. Nowhere near soon enough.

The game isn't even installed on my PS5 anymore... and as tempting as doing that download again is...

They need to move on. Stack this dev time onto the next game already, and make sure you do a good job this time.

Re: Ubisoft Responds to Star Wars Outlaws Exclusive Jabba the Hutt Boondoggle

nocdaes

I think this really sums up this generation of gaming perfectly.

Do we want a decent Star Wars game or not? If this IS a decent Star Wars game... then why would we not want to pay a fair price for it?

Or is the issue simply that no-one believes Ubisoft has made a decent Star Wars game?

I'd happily pay twice the price for half the games if every one of those games exceeded my expectations. But alas, PS5 era is, bar a few exceptions, the generation of massive let downs and frankly crap games. Even Spiderman that everyone got so excited about ended up playing exactly like the previous game.

Re: $70 Games Are Just a Phase, Believes Saber Interactive CEO

nocdaes

Higher priced games is fine with me IF the quality is there. The problem is we've seen prices jump up but the games haven't improved. Studios are just using it to cover existing costs to maintain profits.

I don't agree with that and that is not sustainable. PS5 is by far the most underwhelming console generation there has ever been. Thank god we had Switch and Steam Deck to distract us from the shortcomings of the home consoles.

(And don't think I'm just hitting on Sony. Xbox are just so far behind it's not worth mentioning them.)

GTA 6 is pretty much it now. I don't think they'll charge higher for the game though. They'll milk the online again. Joy.

Re: PS Portal Is Proving Everyone's Predictions Wrong

nocdaes

Nope, people were just baffled about the lack of features. And I still am.

Switch has been around long enough for the blueprint to be copied... Sony elected for this silly halfway house product like they thought there was a risk?

Meanwhile... they go full on with overproduction of PSVR2. Honestly, I know we're PS fan boys on here but how many mistakes will the Sony board continue to make before we see some changes? It's embarrassing at this point.

Incidentally, the only people surprised are those without children!! Anyone from the 80s will know full well why a portable pick up and play device is going to be seen as a god send. And Sony have massively underestimated the impact on software sales from the generation that simply can't play as frequently.

Portal, unsurprisingly since Switch has done it for nearly a decade, finds the gaps in time to fit play in. I've played my PS5 at least 10 times as much since Portal released, and I'm not alone!

Yet, Sony back the PSVR2 horse...? It's poor from Sony. Anyone, and I mean anyone, would know which of those two horses should be given the resources. Utterly ridiculous!