Topic: Sony taking ‘L’s’

Interesting discussion points here. I think most of my thoughts have been articulated competently by others already, but I’ll chime in. Agree that the “L’s” being taken are probably mostly PR flubs and poor reaction to what Microsoft is doing. Well, maybe not poor reaction, but a poor communication of their response to the MS model that is growing in popularity.

With regard to my personal gaming preferences, it’s a time issue and a backlog issue. Sony hasn’t lost any ground with my devotion and my plans for continued future commitment. I can’t imagine getting a SeriesX or a GamePass subscription at this point (perhaps my mind changes later on). My personal situation is geared toward needing to focus on my favorite games and the few I’m most excited about, rather than exploration of a huge GamePass library. I can barely keep up with the PS+ offerings in addition to my purchases. I just added another handful of backlog games when I bought a PS5, due to my instant access to the PS Plus Collection now (hello RE7, Days Gone, Crash -N- Sane Trilogy, and Monster Hunter World...). I do like this idea of a “greatest hits” type of collection of 10-15 games and maybe rotate those around a couple times a year.

If I had access to PS Now or GamePass, then would I try out some games I wouldn’t have otherwise? Sure, but I do that now with PS+. The only issue that creates slight jealousy is that of new releases going to GP. If Returnal, Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, and Ratchet & Clank were going to be on PS Now day 1, I probably would subscribe. But I’m happy to just buy them when I want to play them. I have a feeling if those types of games were on the service day 1, then we might quickly see a watering down of AAA quality output. I’m not sure though.

But I can definitely see the value of GamePass for gamers with more free time and less discretionary funds. It’s great for that crowd. By no means am I made of money, but I’m willing to pay a little more because time is money too, and is really my most precious commodity.

Overall, I think the competition is healthy for Sony, but I also don’t want them to over-react and start shutting down studios that can’t produce big sellers, or that don’t fit their creative strategy. I don’t want them to just copy every aspect of the Microsoft model, because we need both options, I believe. And also the Nintendo option. We need that one too.

Days Gone director denied that he left for reasons stated in Schreier's piece and says DG2 was in development. Schreier insists he knows better 🤷‍♂️
https://gamingroute.com/days-gone-director-says-that-the-sequ...

@Voltan I dunno, Schreier does tend to be right most of the time. I’m not sure he would have made that big a deal unless he was 100% sure about his sources.

I'm just shrugging because I don't know what to think about it (I still think the whole thing is blown out of proportion though)

I've just bought a Series S, not because I think Sony are going in the wrong direction, it's because it was cheap and currently available. I honestly think this Sony slipping thing is a drastic overreaction by people.

@Th3solution agree with most of that tbh.

@Voltan @ApostateMage Yup, I definitely think there is an overreaction by the media filtering through to the gaming community. I think another question is how ‘intentional’ is the overreaction and its consequences?

Sony is losing the battle this gen. They are becoming their ps3 arrogant cocky selves and will eventually become a useless hardware system in the near future. I mean cbombs on modern consoles, no bc support, removing social features on their ecosystem, porting exclusives onto pc without giving an incentive on their own platform, raising the prices for games? I mean cmon, they should be embarrassed from what they are doing and I’m honestly disappointed. They’ve even became more sensitive to where they monitor party chats now. This will eventually backfire on them when they realize the short term profit isn’t getting them nowhere.

@estroliftin They don’t monitor party chats. If you report somebody then you can include a voice clip in the exact same way that you can include a text message you’ve received thats abusive etc.

“Sony is losing the battle this gen.”

@estroliftin drunk the cool-aid huh? 😎

Facts @TheFrenchiestFry

@colonelkilgore watch and see man. Don’t be surprised once those sales go to a complete 180 and they’ll wonder why nobody is buying a ps5. As long as Jim Ramsey is the office, I have no hope for this generation for Playstation.

@Kidfried I disagree.

Microsoft based their entire SX marketing campaign on power and performance being so far superior to any other console and PS5 is equalling or outperforming it.

The PS5 continues to dominate sales and demand.

DualSense is a revelation, which only highlights how disappointing the SX controller is.

PS5 is absolutely dismantling SX in terms of launch lineup, new exclusives, and upcoming games.

Gamepass will always be there, so if that's your argument then theoretically Xbox can never take L's no matter how bad their game lineup is. That just doesn't work. GP can't make up for everything. Xbox has been deficient in so many areas so far this new generation it's unbelievable to me how people act like Game Pass makes up for all of it. What happens when they actually start putting out some decent exclusives? Are they now the greatest company ever and they automatically win because with just Game Pass and nothing else they're still doing great according to you so if they actually have games they will be the greatest company ever. I mean PlayStation Plus is so far above Games with Gold and such a great service yet PlayStation gets no credit for it. But Game Pass just makes up for everything. Lying about power, a pathetic launch lineup and no exclusives, Games with Gold being laughable, no VR, the same controller, and losing in sales and demand as well as the fact that they don't have one upcoming exclusive with a release date. But they have Game Pass so they are doing great... God help us when they actually get some games I can't imagine the hype and PR. And on the same note God help us when Sony goes through a large lull in games.

So all it’s taken is a couple of weeks... a couple of weeks where Sony listened to the fans about not closing the PS3 and PSVita stores, Returnal getting into the hands of game journo’s and Ratchet & Clank’s latest trailer and already the media seems to have done an about turn... and Xbox fans have gone schtum!

Those three things basically answered all of the bogus allegations directed against them 1) Sony are arrogant and don’t listen to the fans - Sony listened and done an about turn.
2) Sony only support big blockbuster first party exclusives by the established ‘big’ first party teams and ‘experimental’, less ‘market-friendly’ projects will not get produced - even though there are embargoes, it’s clear from the little that the gaming press are able to say that Returnal... the first AAA opportunity for little Housemarque is an absolute revelation.
3) Games, particularly a ‘AA’ like Returnal shouldn’t cost £70 - the gaming press are already openly stating that Returnal is THE first next gen game of this new generation. It just could not be done previously. From the resolution to the frame rate, to the integration of the duel sense, to the use of the PS5’s 3D audio etc. etc.
4) Not as many nor as varied a selection of First Party games will be produced due to Jim Ryan’s new paradigm - MLB the Show 21 (yes Baseball dictated that it be produced as a multiplat but it’s still made by Sony), Returnal and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will release in as many months.
5) Sony doesn’t care about old games - Ratchet and Clank gets a nice 60fps boost in preparation for Rift Aparts release (and check out the Cerno’s reaction to the latest trailer on YouTube... objectively BLOWN AWAY and literally states “I gotta get myself a PS5!”)

Xbox exclusives will come... in time, they just have too many first party studios for them not to... but Sony been doing this and will continue to do this regardless of which way the media’s wind is blowing.

Just read this in NME, within their review of Returnal (which scored 5/5) and thought it an almost genius rebuttal... from a demonstrably objective publication too: "After rumours of PlayStation abandoning experimental games in favour of safe AAA blockbusters, this wonderfully weird release sticks out less like a sore thumb and more like a defiant middle finger."

@colonelkilgore Well said

@colonelkilgore I really hope NME’s game reviews aren’t like their music reviews 😂

@nessisonett all depends if within their music reviews, whether they talk about the multitudinal differences in connotations that can be both implied and construed by the various extremities of the human hand or not I guess. 😉

Pretty much yet people like you and I get labeled as the troll because we don't live and breath the brand that they love. I passed on the PS5 this gen and I hardly touch my XBL account. And since more and more exclusives are coming over to the PC I have little need to buy another box to play games on. On the topic of fanboyism that was something I did in the 90s when I was like 8. I am almost 40 now and see little need to cheerlead for a company that dose not care about me. Now if they paid me a monthly salary that covered my bills I'd say what ever tripe they told me to push their products.

they got real arrogant when the ps4 sold like crack. just like they got arrogant when the ps2 sold like crack.

So I consume a helluva lot of gaming podcasts/YouTube shows etc. Some good, some bad but they help pass the time while I'm busy at work... and it helps me to keep abreast of what's going on in gaming etc.

Well, just listened to the latest Broken Silicon with guest Colin Moriarty and it was a fantastic watch. First and foremost, it's incredibly objective and secondly both Tom and Colin bring very intelligent and interesting perspectives from the tech and gaming sides respectively.

For anyone interested how this (& future gens... if there are any) gen will pan out, what with the opposing ideologies of Microsoft (Gamepass) and Sony (Premium content... at a premium) I would whole heartedly suggest you watch. Obviously no answers are provided on that question... but great insight all the same:

Watch "XBOX Game Pass v PS5, MGS Remake, Journalism | Colin Moriarty, Sacred Symbols | Broken Silicon 107" on YouTube