truerbluer

Today I learned that Hermen Hulst is not a founder of Guerrilla Games nor is he a creative or game developer of any kind. He entered the games industry by working as a consultant who went on to replace the founding managing director of Guerrilla.

I remember when he became co-CEO people were happy that finally a game developer who understood what gamers want was now leading PlayStation like how Satoru Iwata ran Nintendo, but it turns out he's not actually a game developer. I think many presumed he was because he was always the one being interviewed and presenting when Guerrilla were showing off their games.

This may possibly explain why he's been scouting these awful acquisitions like Firewalk and Haven, because he's simply going by his business instincts, not game quality.

Hermen Hulst is PlayStation's Phil Spencer. He's done nothing to earn the co-CEO position and has (and continues to) inflict damage to the PlayStation brand; the GaaS pivot, going multiplatform, PS+ price hikes, greenlighting completely unnecessary remasters/remakes instead of new and exciting projects that showcase why anyone would want a PS5.

At least Jim Ryan earned his place as CEO from his long tenure making PlayStation the dominant brand in Europe.

Hermen Hulst is accountable for this and he's running the brand to the ground with baffling moves like this.

I think it's safe to make the assumption that PS6 will be entirely cross-gen titles with PS5 because there's no way they can price the base PS6 the same as a PS5 Pro or lower unless it's like a decade away from release.

Here's a better translation:

"We're not worried about console players moving to PC because we know our customers are complete morons and can't operate PCs. We'll continue our efforts to extract as much money from console players as possible; charging them more for the exact same games we price cheaper on PC and forcing them to subscribe to PS+ for the privilege to play online that our PC players can do for free and continue locking cloud saves behind this service. We're also in process of normalising day 1 releases of non-live service games across both console and PC starting with Until Dawn and Lego Horizon. We don't anticipate losing many console players because we have an army of fanboys at our disposal who care more about the company making money than the console they use and will regurgitate why going day 1 on PC is actually a good thing for everyone and how it helps us make more money to invest into bigger games, despite all evidence to the contrary from the past 4 years."

I'm not even sold on the regular PS5 let alone a PS5 Pro.

I remember this song being used in KFC commercials here in the UK in the early 2000s

I think this is clearly the frontrunner for game of the year now and it doesn't look like there's anything upcoming that has a chance of dethroning it. PS5 desperately needed this, now they need to reveal the big games 1st party is working on alongside the Pro and 2024 can be saved.

@Tecinthebrain It was actually current co-CEO Hermen Hulst who did that:

https://x.com/hermenhulst/status/1385233214076329987

I don't think we're going to get a new Devil May Cry for a long time now (if at all) unless Capcom farms it out like they did with DmC, and we all know how bad that went.

As long as these exact same games continue to be significantly cheaper on Steam with all the "bells and whistles" unavailable to consoles I will never accept the £70 asking price for compromised console versions.

I think it's likely that the Pro model won't have a disc drive in order to make the selling price more attractive but there will probably be an option to buy it separately, just like the current Digital Slim model. It would be suicidal if that isn't the case but with current Sony you never know...

"Well, basically, I just copied the console we have now. Then, I added some fins to lower wind resistance. And this racing stripe here I feel is pretty sharp."

It's funny how he immediately shut down any chance of PS VR2 support in that interview but remained coy about the chance of a PC port.

Now PC fanboys have the perfect soundbite to spread as evidence that a PC version is being considered and they've basically been given permission to be vocal about it. I'm sure it's convinced plenty of people to "just wait for the PC version" even if it never materialises, so good job kneecapping your PS5 sales!

This game is being relentlessly mocked on every PC gaming subreddit: r/pcgaming r/pcmasterrace r/steam etc.

If this game was PS5 only at least the optics could have been somewhat saved and at worst it would have just been a Starhawk or Destruction All-Stars level of failure because at least the PS5 player numbers would have been obfuscated. But the transparency of Steam's numbers has done far more damage to the game and is actively discouraging anyone from even giving it a chance. Even if the gameplay is as solid as people claim, the game being seen as "dead" can never be shaken off thanks to Steam numbers.

If Sony were to release a new dedicated handheld it almost certainly can't be a unique device like the PSP and Vita was. It's simply unfeasible in this climate for both 1st and 3rd parties to add yet another device to support making games for and it'll barely be supported much like how PS VR2 has been.

The most sensible solution would be to just release a portable PS4 but even that has its own complications. For example, people with physical libraries would be locked out because obviously a portable device has no way to read Blu-Ray discs. This move is also a double-edge sword of prolonging the life of the PS4, so we'll continue to get cross-gen releases in perpetuity if you want this device actually supported with new releases. In the end is it really worth the effort?

The same fate awaits Fairgame$ when it releases, it's become all too predictable now.

Xbox are masters of projecting their problems as industry-wide problems. But the even sadder note is Sony continually following in the industry loser's footsteps instead of the clear winners (Nintendo) who've become the sole company that fully comprehends that having high quality exclusives makes your platform desirable, regardless of the power narrative as proven by the dismal sales of Xbox Series X.

It's events like these that make me question whether modern gaming is even for me these days when not even one game looked remotely appealing or interesting to me.

The PlayStation brand has become so watered down that it's just become the generic gaming box for casuals now. There's little to no compelling exclusives that makes the platform distinct or utilises all of its features. And what little exclusives that do appear have a pipeline straight to PC where the games get to be showcased unencumbered by the limitations of the PS5, which ironically harms the selling point of a supposed PS5 Pro when there's already a better version of the game playable on PC.

Was massively disappointed with Alan Wake 2. I went in expecting an improvement on the original game's formula but instead what I got was L.A. Noire lite for Saga's gameplay and boring trial and error environmental puzzles for Alan's gameplay.

From the previews I've watched it seems like this game is largely a boss rush game in the disguise of a souls-like. If true that would be disappointing but it makes sense given the higher fidelity visuals than usual, especially coming from a studio with no console game history which would explain the restricted game design.

Avon Barksdale: "What I tell you about playin' them ******' away games? Yeah. They saw your ghetto ass comin' from miles away, *****!"

Netherrealm is in a really tricky position with MK. If they want the game to be taken seriously within the FGC they need to completely overhaul the stiff gameplay... but then they risk losing the massive casual audience who've made it the highest selling fighting game franchise.

And I don't think it's purely due to Japanese game elitism because Killer Instinct was well regarded in the FGC, but that game had the inverse problem of being a complete sales flop largely due to the platform it was stuck on.

@ChrisDeku The mouse aiming alone is a huge advantage over the PS5 version, all the other advantages are just a bonus for those willing to pay for it.

You might remember Quake III: Arena on Dreamcast had PC cross-play and it was hilariously disastrous for Dreamcast players who would get destroyed trying to compete with a single analog stick.

Cross-play might be optional but it will probably be enabled by default and encouraged to be enabled, especially if the projected playerbase isn't going to be very high in the first place.

Cross-play with PC would be fine if the game was PvE but this is competitive PvP where PC players gain a significant advantage with precision mouse aiming, unlocked frame rates for quicker response times, and ultrawide resolutions allowing a greater field of view.

It's also practically guaranteed that PC players will start another revolt against the PSN account requirement and the sales will suffer because of it.

To add insult to injury, it's the PlayStation players who get screwed over the most; only console players have to subscribe to PS+ to even play the game, but also get to receive a worse experience in every measurable metric.

All this demonstrates to me is Sony has little interest in making PS5 a desirable platform to own when they're voluntarily going 3rd party. Designing 1st party games for PC and now Switch means the games will fundamentally be made for the lowest common denominator going forward, and the PS5 (in its 4th year) is still just a glorified PS4 Pro Pro.

This remake has no art direction at all. It looks like when you give student developers a task to recreate a game and they use nothing but pre-built engine assets and don't even bother to add any flavour to the work.

To all those saying it's a strategic move that could entice Switch owners to get a PS5 for the main series, wouldn't they be better off just going to PC instead? Both mainline games are already there and look and perform better than on PS5. And like 90% of the PS5 library is already on PC along with 100% of the Xbox library making it a no-brainer decision.

Okay, this gameplay footage looks much better than what was shown during the State of Play. The environments look good but not entirely sold on the combat and character models.

Horrendous, Astro Bot was the only thing that piqued my interest and Silent Hill 2 was laughably terrible.

This game reeks of "how do you do fellow kids" energy and is one of the main reasons why I have little confidence in a Hermen Hulst led PlayStation. This is the guy who pre-emptively bought this studio despite not having released any games to prove their worth.

I've accepted that this is going to be the new normal for Sony and fully believe day and date PC releases for single player games will happen soon, it's just a matter of when.

I can easily wait the 2 years for the PC ports and have absolutely no desire to ever own a PS5 anymore. The first party output is already so horrendous that by the time the newest PC ports arrive there'll probably be like 2-3 games only playable on PS5 at that given time.

I'm already in the process of selling off my physical PS4 collection and re-buying the games I want to keep on Steam. It's pretty much an impossible task for Sony to win me over to their platform now other than explicitly bringing back the "Only on PlayStation" label.

Nintendo consoles only from now on.

Now that we know that bullying is an effective strategy and Sony are willing to fold so easily, why can't PlayStation people do the same when it comes to the PS+ requirement for online and the £70/$70 price of 1st party games compared to the PC versions?

If Concord and Fairgame$ require a PSN account to play on PC they'll be dead on arrival. There's no going back after this fiasco, you've broken the illusion that it was ever needed in the first place, no way will people ever accept it now.

So I guess the moral of this is that bullying works.

This is irrefutable proof that PC players are given special treatment over console players and console players are simply told to kick rocks and accept the PS+ requirement and price hikes that PC players will never worry about.

Honestly if I was a PS5 owner I'd be insulted to remain on console after seeing first hand that the company whose product I've invested in continues to give me the inferior product and experience while simultaneously charging more and taking it for granted that I'd never leave. There is no equity here.

Seen some comments from Arrowhead devs throw Sony to the wolves by encouraging the review bombing to make their distaste heard.

It's now within the realm of possibility that Arrowhead buys the IP from Sony and breaks off, à la Destiny and Activision. This is the consequences of relying on 3rd party devs instead of your fully owned studios because there would be no backtalk from them.

It's fair to say Sony has pretty much brought a death sentence to both Concord and Fairgame$ on PC now.

In this day and age 3rd party deals don't really make much sense when everyone knows they're only temporary and will be ported to other platforms, made all the easier due to the shared similar architecture of all modern platforms. These 3rd parties have no obligation to remain locked to a single platform unless Sony wants to shell out exorbitant amounts of money, which would be better spent on bolstering 1st party studios instead.

I'd vastly prefer if Sony gave up all 3rd party exclusives if it meant all 1st party games remained permanently PlayStation exclusive. The only way I'm going to buy PlayStation consoles again is if Sony brings back the "Only on PlayStation" label and actually mean it this time.

This has been spreading like wildfire all over the internet. If Sony doesn't contain the situation soon it can spell disaster for all the upcoming live service games launching on PC. We all know how fickle PC gamers are.

Loved RE2 and RE4 remakes, hated RE7 and RE:Village. Not interested in RE9 If it's a continuation from Village and still primarily designed for first-person gameplay or a non-linear open world as rumours would suggest.

Already seeing a review bomb happening on Steam. This is the audience Sony is so desperate to get in bed with so enjoy the consequences of not unconditionally bending to their will.

@Moparhippy420 The fact that it's coming to PC has literally affected the state of the previously functional versions on consoles broken. This wouldn't have happened if the console versions were just left alone. And it's wasting more dev time fixing what was fine before instead of cracking on with a new game that's long overdue.

Is this one of those benefits that PC ports would bring to console players that I keep hearing about? Because almost 4 years in since launch I've yet to see anything fruitful from this PC push for console owners.

Nothing will ever top the Dreamcast version of Virtua Tennis. That game from 24 years ago is still evergreen in its gameplay to this day.

I wonder if they'll retroactively add trophies to all the other PC ports now.

Gotta say Sony has unwittingly(?) helped facilitate players transition to PC with ease: native DualSense support, cross-platform multiplayer, no PS+ requirement, cheaper games, freedom to use any controller, DLSS, mods and now Trophy support, so you don't have to give up your longstanding PSN ID and trophies when moving to PC.

All that's left is day 1 PC ports of single player games, which I predict will happen now that Totoki is in charge.

As a kid I never found the Driver tutorial that difficult, but I have to admit it was badly designed with no clear definition of what was required to fulfil the checklist. I later found out that many didn't understand what "slalom" meant and was the main cause for failing.

I've always hated how the UK games media always undeservedly propped up the Tomb Raider series when the rest of the world rightfully saw it as just an okay franchise at best, e.g. OPM UK gave all 5 PS1 games a 10/10 while games that actually deserved it like Symphony of the Night were brushed aside as "outdated 2D SNES game" according to them.

If people thought the way Jim Ryan ran things was bad, they're in for a rude awakening with this guy.

Totoki probably doesn't care at all about PlayStation's gaming heritage or placating the ever growing concerns of the hardcore fanbase. All he's going to do is whatever will drive up profits, consequences be damned.

I hope they find a full time replacement soon before the PlayStation brand becomes further diluted.

The PS5 Pro will be more worthless than the PS4 Pro was last gen. At least when the PS4 Pro launched it was the only platform that allowed 1st party games to be played at their highest fidelity and served its purpose of retaining players who were contemplating moving to PC.

Now that we know Sony intends to port everything to PC, the PS5 Pro loses its appeal significantly, especially to the audience that would ordinarily be eager to make the upgrade. Enthusiast and hardcore gamers will just wait for the inevitable PC ports now that they've become accustomed, leaving just casual gamers who are more than happy to stay with the cheaper base PS5 and couldn't care less about what a Pro model offers.

Can anyone provide an example of a successful creative who left a major studio to go independent and continued to make spiritual successors that were as good or better than their previous games?

Keiji Inafune: Mega Man > Mighty No. 9
Koji Igarashi: Castlevania: SOTN > Bloodstained: ROTN
Alex Ward: Burnout > Dangerous Driving
Glen Schofield: Dead Space > The Callisto Protocol

None of the above lived up to their legacies.