8bit4Life

I feel that we are about to see another round of layoffs. It’s not fun to watch, but the industry is heading for a big correction. A constant flow of massive titles is not good because it waters down the experience as a whole. Too much of a good thing for too few paying customers, which means that the company will have less opportunity to make a profit. I am at the point where I may see a game that looks incredible, but I am so buried in other titles that I may never get around to it.

@NEStalgia well said. I thought nearly the same thing, but you put it more concisely than I would have.

I believe that this historical character came to Japan with Italian jesuit priests. He impressed the locals with his strength.

I’m fine with either name. This team has been making great games, so it doesn’t matter. My love for Final Fantasy 16 definitely owes some to playing Final Fantasy 14 since A Realm Reborn beta more than a decade ago. Yoshi P isn’t known for the brooding protagonist of Final Fantasy stories gone by, and I appreciate that.

These non-stop sales condition people to wait before buying anything. I will pay full price if I really want to play something, but generally I will hold off because I know that it will be greatly discounted a few months down the line, along with plenty of bug patches.

I found both of these titles to be excellent, and I enjoyed 16 more than Rebirth for many reasons, including Clive is simply a much better protagonist than Cloud.

Making these games available to a wider audience will likely be more beneficial to the company than any exclusivity deal would.

I’m not necessarily longing for new games. There is such a backlog that I am working through. That said, a new Ghost of Tsushima would be a purchase for sure. As an owner of all the consoles, I’m just starting to use Game Pass on the Series X, and finishing up on Jedi Survivor (amazing game) and then Starfield once the big 40fps/60fps patch drops.

So Sony, take your time and make some bangers.

Games leaving the service are a big reason that I downgraded from the higher tier of PlayStation Plus. I like how Essentials lets you play games that you claim indefinitely as long as you are a subscriber. Granted, I already own most of the good ones that ever hit the list and rarely download any of the others, which is why I just unsubscribed entirely since I am not a multiplayer gamer, other than FFXIV.

This makes sense to me. Locking expensive AAA games to one platform seems unwise, even if that publisher pays a hefty exclusivity deal. Is it enough to cover lost sales from other platforms?

This would likely cost more in development up front, as the teams would need to make the games work everywhere, whereas launching on PlayStation alone limits working on IO, user interface, so on.

The whole premise of Suicide Squad bothered me from the start. Most people don’t want to see the good guys die.

All of the games mentioned above will probably run better on PS5 than Xbox.

This isn’t meant as fanboy rhetoric, as I own a PS5 and Series X. The less-powerful PS5 usually just has fewer bugs and seems better-optimized. I’m currently playing Star Wars: Jedi Survivor on Game Pass. It’s an incredible game, but the whole time I have been thinking that if I buy it, it will be on PS5.

I don’t enjoy FPS games, which is why I don’t intend to renew my Game Pass subscription after it runs out. For people who love those games, Game Pass is an all you can eat buffet, and if a favorite menu item is leaving the restaurant, or never arrives after being promised, many patrons will go elsewhere.

I just need to finish Starfield after the big patch this month, then the Xbox Series X will be used as a very good media player.

As someone who has tried all the PS Plus tiers, and currently have Game Pass Ultimate through my purchase plan with my Xbox Series X for 24 months, I am of the opinion that the more expensive plans are generally not worth the money. I personally don’t care about most of the games offered, or I already own them in the case of PlayStation. PlayStation Plus Essentials is all that most people need.

I thought the ending was handled as well as it could have been. Had they decided to spare Aerith entirely, more people would have probably been mad, as odd as that seems.

The multiverse style of timelines is not my favorite style of storytelling because it feels like it cheapens the narrative.

@Yorozayu yes, this was probably one of the most challenging single player boss battles I’ve beaten. At least in modern gaming. The NES had some difficult ones.

I’ve enjoyed FF16 tremendously. The only trophy I have yet to achieve is for completing the Kairos Gate, which I only dabbled in once.

As a player who has been there since Final Fantasy 1 on the NES (10 years old), I have experienced a lot of different gameplay styles in the franchise. 2D turn-based, the move to 3D, 15’s open world, and MMOs.

Because I’m not stuck on a preconceived idea of what a “real Final Fantasy” game is, I have had a great time with FF16’s unique approach. Honestly, I think FF16 is one of the best in the franchise for the protagonist, music, and main quest.

To me, and probably a lot of other people, a product’s name or title is very important. I never picked up the first Alan Wake because it’s called Alan Wake. It sounds like an accountant simulator game.

Same might be said for FF7 Rebirth’s lack of blockbuster sales. The name doesn’t really clarify what it is in the same way that FF7 Remake did.

Don’t even get me started on WiiU.

I have never been drawn to the Fallout series. My era of enjoying Bethesda games began with Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, followed by Skyrim. Easily more than 1,000 hours between them. Still trying to enjoy Starfield whenever I get back around to it.

It seems that some people are itching to see something to get mad about.

After watching several YouTube videos, I realized that there is a market for this particular type of outrage.

I would not say that it’s all misplaced anger, but now people get upset over the slightest hint of something that may be censored. My particular preference is to keep the ladies attractive, but they don’t need to be practically naked for my gaming enjoyment.

I enjoyed the demo. This is a game that I will probably pick up at some point, but I am not in a hurry.

It feels nice getting trophies that .3% of players have. I still need the one that is .1% of players, which is Complete Kairos Gate

@mrbone I was happy to try something new with FF16’s combat and came away loving the experience. This from a guy who grew up starting with the original on NES. Then you add my favorite protagonist in the series and it’s a great game for me.

I’m enjoying it and trying to get all of the trophies. Already platinum on the base and all of the first DLC trophies.This DLC is a great reason to jump back into my favorite game of last year.

I have played through FF16 twice and will not rule out a third go. This is the only PlayStation game that I have enjoyed enough to get the Platinum trophy, and so far all of the additional trophies for the first DLC.

I’m very excited to jump back into FF16. It was my favorite game of 2023, and I put it up with FF4 and FF6 as my favorites in the series. Clive is my favorite protagonist in all of Final Fantasy. I’m just about finished with FF7 Rebirth, so the DLC timing is perfect.

@belmont I’m so glad that I am not the only one who dislikes the mini games!

2 million seems low. I am enjoying Rebirth far more than Remake.

That said, the WOW factor of Remake is not here anymore. People were longing to see FF7 again before, and now that thrill has passed.

I may eventually try the game when it inevitably gets 75+ % off during a sale. It’s the best way to get Ubisoft games.

I love Dragon Quest, so this game needs to come out soon. It’s acting like Elder Scrolls VI, or the Witcher 4 right now.

I definitely prefer the 60 FPS option. It’s hard to go back to 30 FPS after experiencing the smoother game play. So I will always be in favor of 60 FPS with whatever technique they need to use to make it look presentable.

I am loving FF7 Rebirth, but quickly decided that I won’t bother with the Platinum Trophy, which I did get in FF16.

The reason is that I can’t bring myself to enjoy the mini games enough to even want to play them, especially Queen’s Blood.

The story and the combat are stellar, but I can do without the extra stuff. I’m glad that it’s there for people who enjoy it.

I played the demo a bit. Excellent graphics and controls. The only thing holding me back is my backlog. Still working on FF7 Rebirth, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 looks like my kind of time sink.

I have hundreds of hours poured into Cyberpunk 2077. I’ll probably play hundreds more before I am done. That game is on my all-time best list, along with Skyrim and others.

This sounds incredible. Audio is one of my favorite entertainment formats, as I consume podcasts and such in great quantities. This is an obvious purchase for me.

I hate to see studio failure, but it’s important for teaching lessons in the industry. People may be getting tired of live service games. Not entirely, as Hell Divers 2 shows, but this style of game may not be the future after all. Some companies hit it big, as we’ve seen with Genshin Impact and Fortnite, but lately they’ve not doing so hot. I just don’t want to see Sony give up on the big single player games while chasing live service gambles.

I’m one of those guys who loves single player story driven games. It’s why PS5 is my favorite place to play games, especially since I don’t own a gaming PC. Keep the blockbusters coming, Sony!

It’s always sad to hear about job losses. This move mirrors much of the greater tech industry in that the over-hiring during the pandemic, and then the following economic slowdown being experienced worldwide is leading to inevitable retraction. Companies have little choice but to slim down, make high selling products, and try to weather the current market downturn.

I’m looking forward to the DLC. FF16 is one of my favorites in the series, and I have every trophy available, which I’ve never done before as long as I have been a PlayStation player.

The Portal would be great to have if the television in my house was contended for. Seems like a solid option for certain households.

I have my PS5 in my bedroom with its own 42 inch OLED, so I’m not the intended audience, but I’m glad it exists for those who can benefit.

Now the people on the internet can stop being mad about teenage Tifa being more covered up in Rebirth than she was in Remake. Sounds to me like her dad told her to not walk around dressed like that. I’m a dad and I know how those conversations go.

I have had the most enjoyment with GT7 on my PSVR2. Games which require you to remain stationary and in a cockpit are ideal for VR. With that in mind, a mech piloting game in VR could be perfect.

I really enjoyed Suikoden 1 and 2 on the PlayStation 1 all those years ago. The story of war and collecting all the characters was excellent. I will definitely be playing this upcoming game. RIP, Murayama-San.

I would be happy with a 40fps quality mode like Horizon Forbidden West offers. Maybe aim for 1800p upscale to 4K.

My grocery bill this past week was $180, up from about $100 average just a few years ago. If everyone else is feeling the same squeeze, cuts to entertainment spending is inevitable. Inflation is terrible.

I don’t remember the last time I downloaded and played a PS Plus monthly game, but I always add them to my library. Foamstars has my attention, however.

PlayStation is where the money is. Makes sense for Microsoft to bring their games over to the paying customers. Sort of like how Apple’s App Store is where the paying customers are in the mobile scene.

This art style is quite good so far. I like the colors and character design. I could be wrong, but it seems like Eve was a bit bouncier in earlier reveals, and perhaps she was toned down a bit. This is a good thing, as I was never a fan of the super bouncy Dead or Alive style of many anime games from a decade or so ago. Eve looks pretty awesome.

I was one of the guys who bought an Xbox Series X for Starfield and a couple other exclusives. Other than that, I am mostly playing on PS5. This is good news because I don’t hate the Xbox, but I barely touch it. Better to have everything on my PlayStation.

As for the game itself, Starfield is not great, but it is not terrible either. Just a little disappointing and didn’t live up to expectations.

My nephew is the type to spend every dollar he comes across on FTP items and characters. Who knows how much birthday and Christmas money he has spent on Genshin Impact! I personally don’t play FTP, but have spent money on EverQuest, WoW, and FFXIV subscriptions over the years.

I’m on almost daily since around 2018 when I switched from being a PC-only bro to mostly a console casual when I got a PS4 Pro. It only solidified when I got a PS5 in February of 2021. Haven’t really felt the need to go back to PC since.