@theheadofabroom Its a lot more nuanced than that; but I dont want to give any spoilers (the family bit is literally the opening scene of the first game), I highly recommend a play-through of the original trilogy.
@theheadofabroom The whole reason that Kratos acts the way he does, and says the things he says (especially towards his son), are because of the events that led up to the 2018 game (the original trilogy). Not understanding what he did (from being tricked into slaughtering his wife and kid) to killing and entire pantheon of gods for revenge. You don't get quite the intended impact from the story (or how powerful he actually was). That doesn't mean you cant enjoy it; it is a new story arc, but experiencing the character growth of Kratos just makes it a much better journey.
I see a decent amount that tried the 2018 game and didn't like it. I wonder how many of them went in blind, vs those that played the original trilogy? 2018 is not nearly as good of a game without the history and backstory from the previous games. You can play it without, and some have and still enjoyed it, but I would recommend at least watching a recap.
@Rob_230 Was it a mistake? How much money did they make on sales and micro transactions (A) vs the cost to make the game (B)? If A >= B; then from their perspective, it wasn't a mistake. Even if A < B; as long as most live service games they produce are profitable; then they can absorb a few that weren't. Remember a gamers definition of a failure, and a for-profit companies definition can vary quite a bit.
@Ooccoo_Jr A live service game doesn't have to be good (by review, or player opinion), they just have to make enough money (in aggregate) that it was worth trying.
Don't get me wrong, I am not defending live service games, I will never play these types of games; but keep in mind that their definition of failure (A < B) is different from ours.
@ah41 Sony Didn't "remove" folders from the PS5, that feature never existed. The OS for the PS5 is not port of the PS4 OS.
I understand the sentiment, that it was a feature that existed in a previous console made by Sony; so why isn't it a feature that exists on this console (and I agree, I enjoyed folders) but you have to understand that the PS4 had an average attachment rate of 9.6 games. That means that the average player owned less than 10 games over the life of the console. The average player doesn't have any use for folders (as they likely won't have more than a handful of games installed at any one time).
What I am trying to say is that the reason these features didn't exist at launch is that when allocating resources and deciding which features get implemented now, and which have to wait, they have to focus on features that will benefit the average player before they can put many resources into the features that only a relatively small handful will make real use of.
With all of that said; I am disappointed in the terrible UI design on the PS5; from trophies, to folders, it seems like they just didn't put in much effort.
@NEStalgia You may be right, and you make some good points.
The problem is that the features they have outlined are not cheap if done right, and if they make sacrifices and cut corners to get that price down, they may lose both the casual and enthusiast.
@xDD90x I don't honestly know if I would want the PSVR2 if it was priced in that range. You get what you pay for and I am not really interested in another Quest 2 quality headset. That's the only thing they could make if they priced it at $399. While there is nothing wrong with the Quest 2, a premium headset it is not; and that's what Sony needs to deliver with the PSVR2. Keep in mind that the rumors (from claimed inside sources) about the "Quest Pro" (which would put the specs more inline with the PSVR2) has it priced between $800-$1000. Even considering selling at a loss, and not having to include a mobile phone inside of the headset; I don't think Sony could get the price that low without some serious sacrifices.
@xDD90x I think the difference is that you see the Quest 2 as competition for the PSVR2 and that just isn't the case; no more than the Switch is competition for a gaming PC. They are products that can serve similar functions; but are targeting vastly different markets (and can easily co-exist in the same household with the same consumer).
Instead, the PSVR2 will be competing with the native PCVR systems such as the Valve Index, and the Pimax. While a lot of Quest 2 owners do hook up their headsets to a PC (and its pretty awesome that this feature exists), the experience is very subpar compared to a native headset.
@xDD90x I don't think they can match the Quest 2 price point easily; the tech in the PSVR2 is considerably more advanced and more expensive than that in the Quest 2.
@PlayStationGamer3919 There is no way thats its $299 and I would be incredibly surprised if they were to get it down to $399. I think $599 will be the price point.
Keep in mind that the tech for the original PSVR was not very high end compared to the competition at the time, and they still had to sell it for $499. This time around the tech is industry leading and at best they will be able to match the PSVR price; more realistically they will top it by $100.
@sanderson72 @UltimateOtaku91 @Voltan etc....
If you have friends or family with a PS5, you can sign in to your account on that and unlock the PS Collection. Once unlocked on a PS5 the whole collection is available to play on the PS4. My point being that while "its only available to PS5 users" is technically correct, its incredibly easy to get around that limitation.
Its more nuanced than that. Not only is there a lot of benefit of consolidating all of those consoles (3-5 generations, all with one device); but playing games on the PS3 or even PS4 to some degree is frustratingly slow (UI-wise) when you are used to how snappy the PS5 is. There is also the additional (potential) benefit of higher resolutions, and better frame rates.
Now is that worth it to Sony? Probably not. Games make the vast majority of their money within the first few months of release; and slow to a trickle after that. Years (or decades) later, the number of sales for a game even if it were available and playable is a drop in the bucket. (And, of course, if they allowed original discs, they wouldn't get any money from that)
The most they could hope for is the non-tangible worth of making your fans happy.
@Snake_V5
There were a few reasons, and that was certainly one of them, but a quote from Ray Maguire (Sony UK) on why they removed it:
"lots of people think that backwards compatibility is high on the agenda and yet few really use it"
Various studies during that era, and my own personal experience agree with that sentiment. I feel that the eighth and ninth generation is different though, and think that more people would make use of the features. Enough to make the R&D time worth it? I hope so.
@Deoxyr1bose Spartacus (or the PS+ premium tiers) and PS3 emulation are not the same thing. In fact, even when you do play a PS3 game on PSNow (or the new PS+), its actually streaming from real hardware, not emulation.
@GADG3Tx87 If emulation was working, via a subscription; what happens when the system is no longer supported by Sony? Can you still play those PS3 games on your PS5? A feature with an expiration date isn't what a lot of people are asking for.
@KilloWertz A loud voice on the internet doesn't actually translate into much. Sony removed PS2 backward compatibility from the PS3 models because "Its a feature that everyone asked for and no-one used". I can attest to that first hand, as I made sure to buy a launch PS3 so I would have backward compatibility, and after a couple hours of FFXII, I never touched that feature again.
@RoomWithaMoose There are a LOT of upcoming headsets. Some major headsets like Vajro and Pimax 12k, as well as the new Meta Quest (Cambria) and an unannounced-but-revealed-in-patents wireless Valve Index successor just to name a few.
@Medic_Alert
It's not just a new control scheme. It's far more complex than that. Not outside of the realm of a developer updating their game with a platform specific patch (that's not backwards compatibility, it's a port) but impossible to be done at a system level.
There are features and functionality that many games (including many hits) use on PSVR that do not have analogous features on PSVR2 (mostly involving using the camera, or custom calibration via the camera), so there is no way to map these at a system level. Sony could provide backward compatibility for the handful of titles that stay within certain lines; this will exclude many (most?) titles, including a lot of hits; but having a very limited backwards compatibility is just a confusing consumer message and worse than no backwards compatibility at all.
What this means is that it's not up to Sony, it's up to each developer to put in the effort port their titles over. Which I really hope they do; but with such a small customer base, I am not sure they will. Maybe Sony could provide some incentive for them to do so.
@Medic_Alert There will not be any backward compatibility. The technologies are just too different. The best we can hope for is that there are "upgrade patches" (like we have for some PS4 to PS5 titles) for the major titles.
@kyleforrester87 For me, an online requirement automatically makes it a 0/10. It can be the absolute most flawless and perfect game imaginable in every other aspect but if it has online DRM, none of that matters.
@EVIL-C As a few others have mentioned, there were a handful on Sony's platforms, even going back as far as the PS2+PC+X360 with cross play on FFXI. It has (historically) been Microsoft that was against cross play (which was the reason FFXIV was indefinitely postponed for Microsoft consoles).
My working theory is that the platform holder that is on top (as far as number of players online) doesn't want cross-play because they want to lock you in to the platform your friends are playing on; however the platform holder that has fewer online players wants cross-play to prevent this. During the PS3 era, it was Sony on bottom and Microsoft on top; and in PS4 era it flipped. This mirrors each platform holders stance on cross-play.
Cross-play isn't easy to implement (even on engines with it built in); but I think its a necessity for any online multiplayer game since it expands the player pool and gives the game a much longer shelf-life.
I was originally waiting to play this until it came out on the current generation of consoles. I wasn't expecting that to be a digital only release though; so now I wait for the physical retail release, which probably won't happen until we get a Deluxe edition.
I have always been interested in this series; but never got around to playing it. With that I would prefer a remaster so I get something closer to the original experience; but this will do as well.
@KundaliniRising333 @nookie_egg I more-or-less agree. The generation so far is...meh; and the focus on cross generation games is a gut punch. That being said, I am not sure that HZ:FW is being held back much by this (though I think its an outlier).
I understand why they don't want to double down this generation. The ongoing hardware shortages are making it difficult to get enough systems out to tip the balance away from the PS4. It doesn't make it suck any less though.
@PhhhCough
When I pull the game off my shelf does it say PS4 or PS5 on the top? Or more specifically, if I place the disc in a system thats not online, do I get a PS4 game or PS5 game installed? Thats a bit tongue-in-cheek; but hopefully it clarifies a bit.
The list is big; but not that impressive yet. I voted on the ones I played. A handful of 8's and 7's mostly.
I don't personally consider a PS4 game with a PS5 patch to be a PS5 game anymore than I consider playing a PS4 game via backward compatibility on the PS5 to be a PS5 game. I wonder how big this list would be if we filtered out those?
@RubyCarbuncle My comment was specific to games that I have played and I skipped CP2077.
In HZ:FW I have experienced getting stuck in the game world (a lot), having enemies teleport across the screen when killed (a lot), having NPCS that I am supposed to follow, run back and forth in front of me, having enemies get stuck in alert mode and staring off into space indefinitely even if I shoot them (I have seen entire rebel camps in this state!), having blocks that I am supposed to move, be stuck in the environment, having enemies I am supposed to kill fail to spawn, having quests and locations fail to update on the map (even when they are completed!), having quest triggers (like moving Alva to the console) fail, etc...
I can't honestly recall another game that I have experienced so many bugs in. It genuinely surprised me as I tend to fall in to the other camp where I don't experience the bugs that most do.
I want to be clear that I love the game, even with all of its warts and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it; but whoa is it buggy.
@Yorgen The game is certainly buggy (the most buggy game I have played in recent memory), including bugs that can permanently prevent progression on side-content, so I would highly recommend keeping a couple backup saves just in case; but the bugs don't (usually) distract enough from the gameplay to warrant waiting to play the game.
Its also one of the more enjoyable games I have played recently, so on balance, to me, the bugs are worth the experience.
@Porco I thought the game looked decent enough for a preview and the concept intrigues me; so I am certainly one of those people that are excited for it, as @naruball said. I don't remember hearing about all of this hate towards it though; at most a low rumble about its visuals that I didn't pay much attention to. Maybe I just don't travel in the same circles, but I am hopeful that it turns out to be an enjoyable title.
@naruball Your snarky reply aside; I am not coming at this from the perspective of an engineer-that-knows-all, nor have I indicated such or mentioned my field until you asked. I am coming at this from the perspective of common sense. This applies to any project, in any field, from anyone.
When game delays were a rare occurrence it was easy to give them the benefit of the doubt; but they have become so common (even before the pandemic) that they (major publishers and studios) no longer deserve that doubt. All I hear when I read delays anymore is that those in charge pushed an arbitrary deadline on the engineering team that they were not able to realistically hit; and they had to backpedal on that deadline.
To be clear, I am looking forward to this game and I want the developers to have as much time as they need to make the game they want. What I would prefer is for publishers to stop giving dates that they are not going to hit; and if that means we get vague timeframes until they are more confident, I am happy with that.
To be clear, the "we" I refer to in my statement is management (or publishers, etc...) not the engineers/designers themselves. The machine, not the cogs.
If you tell me it's going to take a month to do a project, and it takes two, thats understandable; if this is your first time. If you have years of experience to draw on, and an entire industry to look at, and you still tell me it's going to take a month; when it takes two you are either incompetent, or dishonest.
@JB_Whiting HZ:FW and GT7 as so different that the player overlap between the two is likely small enough that there is no worry about cannibalizing from one or the other franchise.
When I read about a delay, I don't read: "We want to make the game the best it can be." what I read is: "We are incompetent and have no idea what we are doing." Seriously just take what time you need and stop giving arbitrary dates that no one actually believes any-more. Make the game the best it can be by not shoving an arbitrary timeline in front of the team developing it.
@sanderson72 An SSD in the PS4 and PS4 Pro doesn't have that much of an impact on load times. If most of the time is spent seeking, you will see a boost (loading a lot of small files for example); but for games that spend the majority of the load time loading large files its the system bandwidth that is the bottleneck not the drive.
I have seen some conflicting accounts about how much of a boost is gained though.
I see a lot of people talk about how they have encountered few or no bugs; but for me this has been one of the buggiest games I have played in recent memory.
Enemies constantly get stuck in alert mode and get stuck facing one direction (no matter what you do around them),
Aloy gets stuck in the world a lot.
I have had quests where some of the machines for "kill all machines" just didn't spawn in, taking multiple reloads and retries before the quest could be complete.
I have had push blocks get permanently stuck in the game world.
I have had NPCs that say "Follow me" and then proceed to run back and forth in a 10 foot line for about 30 seconds.
I get very regular visual glitches like enemies teleporting across the screen when killed,
There are a lot more; but those are off the top of my head (oddly except the Alva one, I haven't encountered any of the bugs listed here). With all that said I love the game and would still recommend it warts and all.
@ApostateMage Even with all of the bugs I have encountered this is the number one issue I have with the game. I include in this the incessant chatter that the NPC Allies repeat over and over. For example when trying to get Alva to that console and not realizing its bugged out, every few seconds hearing Alva tell you to take her to the console got so annoying that I had to mute the game for awhile.
@__jamiie I started Horizon Zero Dawn when it came out and got bored of it after a few hours; came back a year or so later, and pushed ahead and it's one of the best games I have played.
The mechanics are fun, but the story is where it shines. Learning about Zero Dawn; and having all of the pieces start to fall into place towards the end, and the twist and turns along the way. I highly suggest revisiting it.
@djlard D2 can be played offline; but requires you to go online to "check-in" once every 30 days. Its not as terrible as an always online requirement; but its just as much of a paper weight when the servers are turned off.
@djlard You mean the same mistake Blizzard made with the Diablo 2 remaster? (Yeah, it has an online check-in requirement as well).
I don't buy games that have an online requirement because they will become paperweights when those servers are no longer supported. If I want a paper weight I will get rock from outside.
@trev666 Let me know how that PS3 game streaming goes when Sony turns off their PS3 streaming services.
That was obviously tongue in cheek; but a streaming solution, no matter how great, will always depend on others to maintain it and pay its maintenance costs; and once those costs out weigh the return, they will be gone. That's a long winded way of saying a streaming only solution is a non-starter.
@Fyz306903 There has been zero factual information to black up the idea that the PS5 is incapable of reading CDs. Sony likely sourced off the shelf parts for their Ultra HD BluRay drives (as they, and other console manufactures have for their drives throughout history) and it would make less sense for them to intentionally remove the functionality; than to leave it. (Just because the system software refuses to read a CD, doesn't mean that the hardware is incapable)
@TheRedComet I seen a lot of people post on here that the PS5 cannot read CD's; but I have yet to see a single person offer any proof that this is actually true. There is a difference between "it doesn't" (the software/drivers reject it) and "it is incapable of" (the hardware cannot physically do it) and I have a feeling that people are confusing the former with the latter.
The name of your game is the first opportunity to show potential customers your creativity. If you fail at that; I don't have much hope for the rest of your game.
As much as I love Metriodvania style games, I will pass on this one.
@Jaz007
I don't think it's viable for many titles that use their own calibration. I could think of hacks or tricks that you could potentially use on a per-title basis; but nothing that could work at a general level.
The best we can hope for is that it might be that we get limited compatibility (only games that don't have their own calibration tool) and allow for the other developers to update their games with PSVR2 patches.
I would love to be wrong though; so, Sony, please do your magic.
@munstre Not really something in their control. There are various prototype technologies to attempt to trick your body; but those are nowhere near ready.
@redapt Its a Day 1 buy for me if its backwards compatible, its a no-buy if its not. That being said, I don't see how they could make it backwards compatible if uses inside-out tracking; because a lot of games have built in calibration wizards that are pretty specific outside-in with a sensor/camera in front of you. I hope they manage it though.
@TheRedComet Oh, I am sure its fixable (and for all I know it might be fixed already) its just one more reason why having a choice is better than not having one. (Sony could make that choice more obvious though)
@TheRedComet Its all over the place, watch the Digital Foundry video for more info; but here is a quick reference (at the time of the video) the frame rates look something like:
@TheRedComet There are quite a few. FFXIV is the biggest one that comes to mind that I play (Watch Digital Foundry's analysis, even they recommend playing the PS4 version on PS5)
I could do with worse performance. I am not a hardcore performance gamer, but with separate trophy lists? That's unacceptable.
@TheRedComet @Max_the_German It sounds simple; but its a lot more complex of an issue than that, and I very much appreciate given the choice of version; rather than going with the "best".
Three MAJOR reasons why. The first is Trophies. Trophies for the PS4 version of a game are (usually/almost always) separate from the PS5 version of the same game; meaning if I was in the middle of playing a game on the PS4 and moved over to the PS5, I would no longer be working on the same trophy list if it just used the PS5 version.
The second is: As with Trophies; but sometimes, the save-game isn't even compatible between versions, so good-luck picking up where you left off.
The third is: the newest version of a game (PS5 version) can often underperform the previous version of the same game (PS4 Pro version) running on the PS5.
The point is: there is no clear "best" version for all situations.
To be clear: Microsoft does this as well. Some games have shared Achievement lists and save games, and some games split them (its a crap shoot)
@MakersMark iam8bit (a limited run company) is making a physical copy (pre-orders went live a month or so ago); but these are still a couple months out from shipping.
For me, personally, I follow companies like iam8bit and LRG for this reason and have pre-ordered it; but your average gamer does not and will likely miss out on these limited runs (in fact its already sold out, unless you want the $250 deluxe edition) and will likely never be printed again.
Edit:
Interestingly, iam8bit no longer lists the PS4 version (deluxe or standard) on their site and you can indeed find it at classic retailers, available now. I already have a pre-order in for iam8bit; so I will just wait until mine ships; but its great to see that its available via classic retailers as well. Maybe we will see an up-tick in players with this change.
@HMazzy111 My guess is the lack of a physical release is a major contributing factor. I know personally this was on my list to keep an eye on since it was announced; but without a physical copy it was a no-buy. Thankfully iam8bit made a limited physical run.
@kingbreww I would agree, in theory; however the problem with that perspective is that "trying something else" involves mostly failed attempts at riding whatever gaming fad is currently in-vogue.
I would much rather a game that inspired many beloved games; that didn't reach the heights it could because of the era it was made in, or politics of the time, get another chance.
@NEStalgia Actually their naming is intentional. Combined they spell S3XY (Sexy). Model 3 was supposed to be Model E but Ford sued, so they changed it to a 3)
Comments 1,538
Re: Poll: Did You Buy God of War Ragnarok?
@theheadofabroom
Its a lot more nuanced than that; but I dont want to give any spoilers (the family bit is literally the opening scene of the first game), I highly recommend a play-through of the original trilogy.
Re: Poll: Did You Buy God of War Ragnarok?
@theheadofabroom
The whole reason that Kratos acts the way he does, and says the things he says (especially towards his son), are because of the events that led up to the 2018 game (the original trilogy). Not understanding what he did (from being tricked into slaughtering his wife and kid) to killing and entire pantheon of gods for revenge. You don't get quite the intended impact from the story (or how powerful he actually was). That doesn't mean you cant enjoy it; it is a new story arc, but experiencing the character growth of Kratos just makes it a much better journey.
Re: Poll: Did You Buy God of War Ragnarok?
I see a decent amount that tried the 2018 game and didn't like it. I wonder how many of them went in blind, vs those that played the original trilogy? 2018 is not nearly as good of a game without the history and backstory from the previous games. You can play it without, and some have and still enjoyed it, but I would recommend at least watching a recap.
Re: Final Fantasy 16 Release Date Reveal Planned for This Year
@Greger22 I think FF15 definitely had its charm, it was no FF7R though. As for FF16, this will be the first FF game that I pass on.
Re: Square Enix Sends Babylon's Fall to the Grave in February 2023
@Rob_230 Was it a mistake? How much money did they make on sales and micro transactions (A) vs the cost to make the game (B)? If A >= B; then from their perspective, it wasn't a mistake. Even if A < B; as long as most live service games they produce are profitable; then they can absorb a few that weren't. Remember a gamers definition of a failure, and a for-profit companies definition can vary quite a bit.
@Ooccoo_Jr A live service game doesn't have to be good (by review, or player opinion), they just have to make enough money (in aggregate) that it was worth trying.
Don't get me wrong, I am not defending live service games, I will never play these types of games; but keep in mind that their definition of failure (A < B) is different from ours.
Re: Latest PS5 Firmware Available Now, Adds Folders, 1440p Support, Much More
@ah41 Sony Didn't "remove" folders from the PS5, that feature never existed. The OS for the PS5 is not port of the PS4 OS.
I understand the sentiment, that it was a feature that existed in a previous console made by Sony; so why isn't it a feature that exists on this console (and I agree, I enjoyed folders) but you have to understand that the PS4 had an average attachment rate of 9.6 games. That means that the average player owned less than 10 games over the life of the console. The average player doesn't have any use for folders (as they likely won't have more than a handful of games installed at any one time).
What I am trying to say is that the reason these features didn't exist at launch is that when allocating resources and deciding which features get implemented now, and which have to wait, they have to focus on features that will benefit the average player before they can put many resources into the features that only a relatively small handful will make real use of.
With all of that said; I am disappointed in the terrible UI design on the PS5; from trophies, to folders, it seems like they just didn't put in much effort.
Re: Reaction: Meta Quest 2's Price Hike Will Have PSVR2 Relieved or Rubbing Its Hands
@NEStalgia You may be right, and you make some good points.
The problem is that the features they have outlined are not cheap if done right, and if they make sacrifices and cut corners to get that price down, they may lose both the casual and enthusiast.
Re: Reaction: Meta Quest 2's Price Hike Will Have PSVR2 Relieved or Rubbing Its Hands
@xDD90x I don't honestly know if I would want the PSVR2 if it was priced in that range. You get what you pay for and I am not really interested in another Quest 2 quality headset. That's the only thing they could make if they priced it at $399. While there is nothing wrong with the Quest 2, a premium headset it is not; and that's what Sony needs to deliver with the PSVR2. Keep in mind that the rumors (from claimed inside sources) about the "Quest Pro" (which would put the specs more inline with the PSVR2) has it priced between $800-$1000. Even considering selling at a loss, and not having to include a mobile phone inside of the headset; I don't think Sony could get the price that low without some serious sacrifices.
As you said though, we will have to wait and see.
Re: Reaction: Meta Quest 2's Price Hike Will Have PSVR2 Relieved or Rubbing Its Hands
@xDD90x I think the difference is that you see the Quest 2 as competition for the PSVR2 and that just isn't the case; no more than the Switch is competition for a gaming PC. They are products that can serve similar functions; but are targeting vastly different markets (and can easily co-exist in the same household with the same consumer).
Instead, the PSVR2 will be competing with the native PCVR systems such as the Valve Index, and the Pimax. While a lot of Quest 2 owners do hook up their headsets to a PC (and its pretty awesome that this feature exists), the experience is very subpar compared to a native headset.
Re: Reaction: Meta Quest 2's Price Hike Will Have PSVR2 Relieved or Rubbing Its Hands
@xDD90x I don't think they can match the Quest 2 price point easily; the tech in the PSVR2 is considerably more advanced and more expensive than that in the Quest 2.
@PlayStationGamer3919 There is no way thats its $299 and I would be incredibly surprised if they were to get it down to $399. I think $599 will be the price point.
Keep in mind that the tech for the original PSVR was not very high end compared to the competition at the time, and they still had to sell it for $499. This time around the tech is industry leading and at best they will be able to match the PSVR price; more realistically they will top it by $100.
Re: Rumour: PS Plus Games for June 2022 Might Have Leaked
@sanderson72 @UltimateOtaku91 @Voltan etc....
If you have friends or family with a PS5, you can sign in to your account on that and unlock the PS Collection. Once unlocked on a PS5 the whole collection is available to play on the PS4. My point being that while "its only available to PS5 users" is technically correct, its incredibly easy to get around that limitation.
Re: PS3 Emulation Allegedly in Production for PS5
@Mezzer
Its more nuanced than that. Not only is there a lot of benefit of consolidating all of those consoles (3-5 generations, all with one device); but playing games on the PS3 or even PS4 to some degree is frustratingly slow (UI-wise) when you are used to how snappy the PS5 is. There is also the additional (potential) benefit of higher resolutions, and better frame rates.
Now is that worth it to Sony? Probably not. Games make the vast majority of their money within the first few months of release; and slow to a trickle after that. Years (or decades) later, the number of sales for a game even if it were available and playable is a drop in the bucket. (And, of course, if they allowed original discs, they wouldn't get any money from that)
The most they could hope for is the non-tangible worth of making your fans happy.
Re: PS3 Emulation Allegedly in Production for PS5
@Snake_V5
There were a few reasons, and that was certainly one of them, but a quote from Ray Maguire (Sony UK) on why they removed it:
"lots of people think that backwards compatibility is high on the agenda and yet few really use it"
Various studies during that era, and my own personal experience agree with that sentiment. I feel that the eighth and ninth generation is different though, and think that more people would make use of the features. Enough to make the R&D time worth it? I hope so.
Re: PS3 Emulation Allegedly in Production for PS5
@Deoxyr1bose Spartacus (or the PS+ premium tiers) and PS3 emulation are not the same thing. In fact, even when you do play a PS3 game on PSNow (or the new PS+), its actually streaming from real hardware, not emulation.
@GADG3Tx87 If emulation was working, via a subscription; what happens when the system is no longer supported by Sony? Can you still play those PS3 games on your PS5? A feature with an expiration date isn't what a lot of people are asking for.
@KilloWertz A loud voice on the internet doesn't actually translate into much. Sony removed PS2 backward compatibility from the PS3 models because "Its a feature that everyone asked for and no-one used". I can attest to that first hand, as I made sure to buy a launch PS3 so I would have backward compatibility, and after a couple hours of FFXII, I never touched that feature again.
Re: Game Devs More Excited for PSVR2 Than Any Other Headset
@RoomWithaMoose There are a LOT of upcoming headsets. Some major headsets like Vajro and Pimax 12k, as well as the new Meta Quest (Cambria) and an unannounced-but-revealed-in-patents wireless Valve Index successor just to name a few.
Re: PSVR2 Is Playable at GDC and Is Already Blowing Minds
@Medic_Alert
It's not just a new control scheme. It's far more complex than that. Not outside of the realm of a developer updating their game with a platform specific patch (that's not backwards compatibility, it's a port) but impossible to be done at a system level.
There are features and functionality that many games (including many hits) use on PSVR that do not have analogous features on PSVR2 (mostly involving using the camera, or custom calibration via the camera), so there is no way to map these at a system level. Sony could provide backward compatibility for the handful of titles that stay within certain lines; this will exclude many (most?) titles, including a lot of hits; but having a very limited backwards compatibility is just a confusing consumer message and worse than no backwards compatibility at all.
What this means is that it's not up to Sony, it's up to each developer to put in the effort port their titles over. Which I really hope they do; but with such a small customer base, I am not sure they will. Maybe Sony could provide some incentive for them to do so.
Re: PSVR2 Is Playable at GDC and Is Already Blowing Minds
@Medic_Alert
There will not be any backward compatibility. The technologies are just too different. The best we can hope for is that there are "upgrade patches" (like we have for some PS4 to PS5 titles) for the major titles.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Gran Turismo 7?
@kyleforrester87 For me, an online requirement automatically makes it a 0/10. It can be the absolute most flawless and perfect game imaginable in every other aspect but if it has online DRM, none of that matters.
Re: Full Crossplay Support for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Confirmed
@EVIL-C As a few others have mentioned, there were a handful on Sony's platforms, even going back as far as the PS2+PC+X360 with cross play on FFXI. It has (historically) been Microsoft that was against cross play (which was the reason FFXIV was indefinitely postponed for Microsoft consoles).
My working theory is that the platform holder that is on top (as far as number of players online) doesn't want cross-play because they want to lock you in to the platform your friends are playing on; however the platform holder that has fewer online players wants cross-play to prevent this. During the PS3 era, it was Sony on bottom and Microsoft on top; and in PS4 era it flipped. This mirrors each platform holders stance on cross-play.
Cross-play isn't easy to implement (even on engines with it built in); but I think its a necessity for any online multiplayer game since it expands the player pool and gives the game a much longer shelf-life.
Re: This Weekend Is Your Last Chance to Try Cyberpunk 2077 for Free on PS5
I was originally waiting to play this until it came out on the current generation of consoles. I wasn't expecting that to be a digital only release though; so now I wait for the physical retail release, which probably won't happen until we get a Deluxe edition.
Re: Dead Space PS5 Remake Drifts Towards Early 2023 Release Window
I have always been interested in this series; but never got around to playing it. With that I would prefer a remaster so I get something closer to the original experience; but this will do as well.
Re: Poll: We Want You to Rate Your Favourite PS5 Games
@KundaliniRising333 @nookie_egg I more-or-less agree. The generation so far is...meh; and the focus on cross generation games is a gut punch. That being said, I am not sure that HZ:FW is being held back much by this (though I think its an outlier).
I understand why they don't want to double down this generation. The ongoing hardware shortages are making it difficult to get enough systems out to tip the balance away from the PS4. It doesn't make it suck any less though.
Re: Poll: We Want You to Rate Your Favourite PS5 Games
@PhhhCough
When I pull the game off my shelf does it say PS4 or PS5 on the top? Or more specifically, if I place the disc in a system thats not online, do I get a PS4 game or PS5 game installed? Thats a bit tongue-in-cheek; but hopefully it clarifies a bit.
Re: Poll: We Want You to Rate Your Favourite PS5 Games
The list is big; but not that impressive yet. I voted on the ones I played. A handful of 8's and 7's mostly.
I don't personally consider a PS4 game with a PS5 patch to be a PS5 game anymore than I consider playing a PS4 game via backward compatibility on the PS5 to be a PS5 game. I wonder how big this list would be if we filtered out those?
Re: Horizon Forbidden West Update 1.07 Is Available Now, Here Are the Patch Notes
@RubyCarbuncle My comment was specific to games that I have played and I skipped CP2077.
In HZ:FW I have experienced getting stuck in the game world (a lot), having enemies teleport across the screen when killed (a lot), having NPCS that I am supposed to follow, run back and forth in front of me, having enemies get stuck in alert mode and staring off into space indefinitely even if I shoot them (I have seen entire rebel camps in this state!), having blocks that I am supposed to move, be stuck in the environment, having enemies I am supposed to kill fail to spawn, having quests and locations fail to update on the map (even when they are completed!), having quest triggers (like moving Alva to the console) fail, etc...
I can't honestly recall another game that I have experienced so many bugs in. It genuinely surprised me as I tend to fall in to the other camp where I don't experience the bugs that most do.
I want to be clear that I love the game, even with all of its warts and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it; but whoa is it buggy.
Re: Horizon Forbidden West Update 1.07 Is Available Now, Here Are the Patch Notes
@Yorgen The game is certainly buggy (the most buggy game I have played in recent memory), including bugs that can permanently prevent progression on side-content, so I would highly recommend keeping a couple backup saves just in case; but the bugs don't (usually) distract enough from the gameplay to warrant waiting to play the game.
Its also one of the more enjoyable games I have played recently, so on balance, to me, the bugs are worth the experience.
Re: Forspoken Delayed from May to October 2022 on PS5
@Porco I thought the game looked decent enough for a preview and the concept intrigues me; so I am certainly one of those people that are excited for it, as @naruball said. I don't remember hearing about all of this hate towards it though; at most a low rumble about its visuals that I didn't pay much attention to. Maybe I just don't travel in the same circles, but I am hopeful that it turns out to be an enjoyable title.
Re: Forspoken Delayed from May to October 2022 on PS5
@naruball Your snarky reply aside; I am not coming at this from the perspective of an engineer-that-knows-all, nor have I indicated such or mentioned my field until you asked. I am coming at this from the perspective of common sense. This applies to any project, in any field, from anyone.
When game delays were a rare occurrence it was easy to give them the benefit of the doubt; but they have become so common (even before the pandemic) that they (major publishers and studios) no longer deserve that doubt. All I hear when I read delays anymore is that those in charge pushed an arbitrary deadline on the engineering team that they were not able to realistically hit; and they had to backpedal on that deadline.
To be clear, I am looking forward to this game and I want the developers to have as much time as they need to make the game they want. What I would prefer is for publishers to stop giving dates that they are not going to hit; and if that means we get vague timeframes until they are more confident, I am happy with that.
Re: Forspoken Delayed from May to October 2022 on PS5
@naruball I am a software engineer.
To be clear, the "we" I refer to in my statement is management (or publishers, etc...) not the engineers/designers themselves. The machine, not the cogs.
If you tell me it's going to take a month to do a project, and it takes two, thats understandable; if this is your first time. If you have years of experience to draw on, and an entire industry to look at, and you still tell me it's going to take a month; when it takes two you are either incompetent, or dishonest.
Re: Forspoken Delayed from May to October 2022 on PS5
@JB_Whiting HZ:FW and GT7 as so different that the player overlap between the two is likely small enough that there is no worry about cannibalizing from one or the other franchise.
When I read about a delay, I don't read: "We want to make the game the best it can be." what I read is: "We are incompetent and have no idea what we are doing." Seriously just take what time you need and stop giving arbitrary dates that no one actually believes any-more. Make the game the best it can be by not shoving an arbitrary timeline in front of the team developing it.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Load Times are Dramatically Different Between PS5 and PS4
@sanderson72 An SSD in the PS4 and PS4 Pro doesn't have that much of an impact on load times. If most of the time is spent seeking, you will see a boost (loading a lot of small files for example); but for games that spend the majority of the load time loading large files its the system bandwidth that is the bottleneck not the drive.
I have seen some conflicting accounts about how much of a boost is gained though.
Re: Horizon Forbidden West Update 1.06 Available Now, Here Are the Patch Notes
I see a lot of people talk about how they have encountered few or no bugs; but for me this has been one of the buggiest games I have played in recent memory.
Enemies constantly get stuck in alert mode and get stuck facing one direction (no matter what you do around them),
Aloy gets stuck in the world a lot.
I have had quests where some of the machines for "kill all machines" just didn't spawn in, taking multiple reloads and retries before the quest could be complete.
I have had push blocks get permanently stuck in the game world.
I have had NPCs that say "Follow me" and then proceed to run back and forth in a 10 foot line for about 30 seconds.
I get very regular visual glitches like enemies teleporting across the screen when killed,
There are a lot more; but those are off the top of my head (oddly except the Alva one, I haven't encountered any of the bugs listed here). With all that said I love the game and would still recommend it warts and all.
@ApostateMage Even with all of the bugs I have encountered this is the number one issue I have with the game. I include in this the incessant chatter that the NPC Allies repeat over and over. For example when trying to get Alva to that console and not realizing its bugged out, every few seconds hearing Alva tell you to take her to the console got so annoying that I had to mute the game for awhile.
Re: Poll: Did You Buy Horizon Forbidden West?
@__jamiie I started Horizon Zero Dawn when it came out and got bored of it after a few hours; came back a year or so later, and pushed ahead and it's one of the best games I have played.
The mechanics are fun, but the story is where it shines. Learning about Zero Dawn; and having all of the pieces start to fall into place towards the end, and the twist and turns along the way. I highly suggest revisiting it.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Will Require an Online Connection on PS5, PS4 to Prevent Cheating
@djlard D2 can be played offline; but requires you to go online to "check-in" once every 30 days. Its not as terrible as an always online requirement; but its just as much of a paper weight when the servers are turned off.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Will Require an Online Connection on PS5, PS4 to Prevent Cheating
@djlard You mean the same mistake Blizzard made with the Diablo 2 remaster? (Yeah, it has an online check-in requirement as well).
I don't buy games that have an online requirement because they will become paperweights when those servers are no longer supported. If I want a paper weight I will get rock from outside.
Re: PS3 Games Spotted on PS5 Store, Fuelling PS Plus Rumours - But It's Nothing New
@trev666 Let me know how that PS3 game streaming goes when Sony turns off their PS3 streaming services.
That was obviously tongue in cheek; but a streaming solution, no matter how great, will always depend on others to maintain it and pay its maintenance costs; and once those costs out weigh the return, they will be gone. That's a long winded way of saying a streaming only solution is a non-starter.
Re: PS3 Games Spotted on PS5 Store, Fuelling PS Plus Rumours - But It's Nothing New
@Fyz306903 There has been zero factual information to black up the idea that the PS5 is incapable of reading CDs. Sony likely sourced off the shelf parts for their Ultra HD BluRay drives (as they, and other console manufactures have for their drives throughout history) and it would make less sense for them to intentionally remove the functionality; than to leave it. (Just because the system software refuses to read a CD, doesn't mean that the hardware is incapable)
Re: Updated PlayStation Patent Has Fans in Backwards Compatibility Frenzy, But It's a Reach
@TheRedComet I seen a lot of people post on here that the PS5 cannot read CD's; but I have yet to see a single person offer any proof that this is actually true. There is a difference between "it doesn't" (the software/drivers reject it) and "it is incapable of" (the hardware cannot physically do it) and I have a feeling that people are confusing the former with the latter.
Re: Soapbox: Don't Let F.I.S.T. Pass You By
The name of your game is the first opportunity to show potential customers your creativity. If you fail at that; I don't have much hope for the rest of your game.
As much as I love Metriodvania style games, I will pass on this one.
Re: Manufacturing Tittle-Tattle Tips PSVR 2 to Enter Production Soon
@Jaz007
I don't think it's viable for many titles that use their own calibration. I could think of hacks or tricks that you could potentially use on a per-title basis; but nothing that could work at a general level.
The best we can hope for is that it might be that we get limited compatibility (only games that don't have their own calibration tool) and allow for the other developers to update their games with PSVR2 patches.
I would love to be wrong though; so, Sony, please do your magic.
Re: Manufacturing Tittle-Tattle Tips PSVR 2 to Enter Production Soon
@munstre Not really something in their control. There are various prototype technologies to attempt to trick your body; but those are nowhere near ready.
@redapt Its a Day 1 buy for me if its backwards compatible, its a no-buy if its not. That being said, I don't see how they could make it backwards compatible if uses inside-out tracking; because a lot of games have built in calibration wizards that are pretty specific outside-in with a sensor/camera in front of you. I hope they manage it though.
Re: Game of the Year: #2 - Returnal
Returnal was pretty decent but overall 2021 was pretty lackluster so it doesn't really mean much. I hope for a better 2022.
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet Oh, I am sure its fixable (and for all I know it might be fixed already) its just one more reason why having a choice is better than not having one. (Sony could make that choice more obvious though)
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet
Its all over the place, watch the Digital Foundry video for more info; but here is a quick reference (at the time of the video) the frame rates look something like:
PS4 [Pro] (on PS5)
Quality: Normal, 60 FPS @ 1080p
Quality: High, ~55-60 FPS @ 1440p
PS5 Native
~45-60 FPS @ 1080p
~30-60 FPS @ 1440p
~45 FPS @ 2160p
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet There are quite a few. FFXIV is the biggest one that comes to mind that I play (Watch Digital Foundry's analysis, even they recommend playing the PS4 version on PS5)
I could do with worse performance. I am not a hardcore performance gamer, but with separate trophy lists? That's unacceptable.
Re: Sony's Backwards PS4 to PS5 Upgrade System Is Still Causing Headaches
@TheRedComet @Max_the_German It sounds simple; but its a lot more complex of an issue than that, and I very much appreciate given the choice of version; rather than going with the "best".
Three MAJOR reasons why. The first is Trophies. Trophies for the PS4 version of a game are (usually/almost always) separate from the PS5 version of the same game; meaning if I was in the middle of playing a game on the PS4 and moved over to the PS5, I would no longer be working on the same trophy list if it just used the PS5 version.
The second is: As with Trophies; but sometimes, the save-game isn't even compatible between versions, so good-luck picking up where you left off.
The third is: the newest version of a game (PS5 version) can often underperform the previous version of the same game (PS4 Pro version) running on the PS5.
The point is: there is no clear "best" version for all situations.
To be clear: Microsoft does this as well. Some games have shared Achievement lists and save games, and some games split them (its a crap shoot)
Re: Game of the Year: #9 - Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
@MakersMark iam8bit (a limited run company) is making a physical copy (pre-orders went live a month or so ago); but these are still a couple months out from shipping.
For me, personally, I follow companies like iam8bit and LRG for this reason and have pre-ordered it; but your average gamer does not and will likely miss out on these limited runs (in fact its already sold out, unless you want the $250 deluxe edition) and will likely never be printed again.
Edit:
Interestingly, iam8bit no longer lists the PS4 version (deluxe or standard) on their site and you can indeed find it at classic retailers, available now. I already have a pre-order in for iam8bit; so I will just wait until mine ships; but its great to see that its available via classic retailers as well. Maybe we will see an up-tick in players with this change.
Re: Game of the Year: #9 - Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
@HMazzy111 My guess is the lack of a physical release is a major contributing factor. I know personally this was on my list to keep an eye on since it was announced; but without a physical copy it was a no-buy. Thankfully iam8bit made a limited physical run.
Re: System Shock Remake Is Still Happening, Coming to PS5, PS4 in 2022
@kingbreww I would agree, in theory; however the problem with that perspective is that "trying something else" involves mostly failed attempts at riding whatever gaming fad is currently in-vogue.
I would much rather a game that inspired many beloved games; that didn't reach the heights it could because of the era it was made in, or politics of the time, get another chance.
Re: Random: Play Sonic at Electric Speeds When Original Game Comes to All Tesla Vehicles
@NEStalgia Actually their naming is intentional.
Combined they spell S3XY (Sexy). Model 3 was supposed to be Model E but Ford sued, so they changed it to a 3)