Art_Vandelay

@GoodOlDubs It was struck by a 5% interest rate in the 10-year US bonds. This threshold is sure to make a sizeable damage in any enterprise around the globe, large or small, and Sony is not imune to that. They're simply taking necessary precautions.

Expect some big whale to appear floating around somewhere soon.

@Beerheadgamer82 I guess media pundits in particular like to play out that intelectual superiority, so they usually applaud the "clean" and "unintrusive" nature of the Series X's design.

I'm a designer myself, and I think the original PS5 Digital Edition's design is marvelous, especially in the horizontal position. It's both wild and balanced, and it hovers beautifully over my cabinet's shelf. I also love the b&w contrast and the matte finish of the plates. Genius stuff, really.

Now, the new slim... I don't know what they were thinking, especially with the horrendous disc version. That drive bulge is so disproportional and the peg... jesus.

@gaston Same here. The only downside of getting a PSVR2 headset is that I realized how stagnated and uninteresting flat games have become.

See, I've been gaming since the late 80's. And even though that feeling of "been there, done that" has been percolating for many years now, I kept gaming because it's my passion (plus a bit of inertia).

But after experiencing GT7, RE8 or Tetris Effect on PSVR2, I kinda can't go back to flat. For one, I was super excited for Spider-Man 2. Well, it's here now, and I just can't justify the $70. I'd rather spend it on that sweet Moss bundle deal + Synapse + Crossfire Sierra Squad. I'm fine playing Spider-Man 2 down the line when it eventually gets to PS+ Extra.

Not gonna happen anytime soon. The level at which interest rates are worldwide makes large acquisitions a very bad move from a financial perspective.

Just observe how this kind of deal hasn't happened over the last several months. Microsoft ABK was negotiated 18 months ago and Tencent is crumbling down.

The consolidation wave has passed until the next one comes, but it'll take a couple years at least.

@RachaelWest Thanks for reaching out. I'll be definitely getting this one, as it scratches a very nostalgic itch. I still remember how big of a deal the original was back in 1993.

@cburg Let's be fair. There's just no comparison here.

Man, GT7 is such a tour de force. It was released like 18 months ago and still manages to figure in the top 20.

And it's well deserved. GT7 on PSVR2 with a good set of wheel and pedals is the single most incredible experience one can have in console gaming today.

I know this is about Spider-Man 2 but man, I gotta shout out Tetris Effect on PSVR2. Not only is it my most played game on PSVR2; it is my most played game in 2023 period.

Tetris Effect on PSVR2 is really one of those gaming experiences that go beyond the traditional idea of what a videogame can entail. Only people that have experienced it can have a full grasp of what I'm trying to convey here. It's a must play.

@Northern_munkey "Vinyl is making a big come back amongst the audiophile community which is a huge one."

Mate, the term "audiophile" is the textbook definition of niche. But hey, there's no need to get so defensive. I, for one, love VR, which is still considered a niche even though there are tens of millions of users. Quest 2 alone is estimated to have sold over 20 million units.

He's right. Physical media won't go away, but Blu-rays will become as niche and rare as LP records and cassette tapes.

Whether one likes it or not, there's no fighting this wave.

So, there's the disc drive model and an "adorably all digital" option. 😑

"Ask anyone that has a PSVR2 and they’ll likely tell you that the tech is great, but the library is lacking."

Oh man, c'mon. I can't believe this narrative sticks even among the Push Square's crew. I mean, if you own the original PSVR, a Quest 2 and you have a PC that can handle VR, maybe (maybe) you're disappointed with a library of launch-year exclusives that "only" has the likes of Horizon, GT7, RE8, RE4, Switchback and Firewall. But even then, you'd be a bit of a moron, because this is by far the best launch lineup of any VR platform.

Recent events seem to point to the fact that the live service games bubble is finally bursting. I'd bet only a few of those 10 such games in development at Sony will see the light of day.

Sounds like a good thing, but careful what you wish for. One would think Sony would go back to its bread and butter, but these trends have a way of being replaced by even worse ones. Think AI and cloud.

@maybemaybemaybe It sure is. I don't think it was an official public statement, but rather a twitter response or something along those lines.

But come to think about it, there's really no other possible way to get out of that. They clearly stated, "if you go into battle with your PS VR2 as your flight helmet, you'll feel the rush of combat across the entire game experience, too".

Right there, on the friggin' PlayStation blog post.

@maybemaybemaybe Sorry if the irony got lost in translation, but that explanation was actually employed by one of the developers. I think I saw it in Without Parole's discord.

I totally agree, this is a ***** show.

@maybemaybemaybe "you’ll feel the rush of combat across the entire game experience".
Oh, they have explained. You know you can play the rest of the game on a virtual screen inside your PSVR2, right? Right?

@CaptD Yeah, that is the dream. AC7 is amazing. I hope they rushed Project Wingman because they heard something about AC8 through the grapevines.

@AdamNovice I had the exact same thought. VR is perfect for games that excel in environment crafting.

Man, that Shaun Layden's candid interview from after he left Sony... can we call it "the Layden's prophecy" yet?

I'll be sitting here, watching the keyboard warriors shout "I support the strike, got get 'em!" today, so that tomorrow they can come back to the comments section and whine that Jim Ryan sucks 'cause PlayStation hasn't released a single AAA game this year.

They're always ready to virtue signal, but never willing to pay the price.

@GamingFan4Lyf Gsus man, you're so far behind that it's pointless to argue.

@GamingFan4Lyf C'mon, mate! What you're saying is the textbook definition of "short sighted". You've got to put the pieces together. Have you already forgot the "spend Sony out of business" quote?

Game Pass is a cancer that is rotting the very foundation of the games industry, and these latest leaks clearly indicate that this is by design.

Sorry if this comes out a little harsh, but your comment sounds straight out the "frog in the pan" analogy.

@WizzNL Well, Microsoft has touted 6 million players, so you do the math...

Most of the mainstream media and gamers have a weird distaste for VR, but many of the PS5 innovations were clearly driven by PSVR2. Namely, haptic feedback and 3D audio, as they complement VR nicely by adding extra layers of immersion.

@number1024 Exactly right, but not only that.

Remember when every other day we would see a developer praising the glory of Game Pass? And Xbox shills would go "see? It's great for everyone!". Sure, everyone is happy when all bellies are full.

Then, growth flattened way earlier than Microsoft expected, and praises became whispers of checks getting smaller. And prices were raised while deals were removed.

Microsoft adopted a model that makes games cheaper to consumers at the same time when development costs were skyrocketing. There's no free lunch.

And now, they see the whole thing not working, and what do they do? They double down and make the biggest acquisition in games history.

And suddenly, Unity wants their piece of the pie. Sure, they handled it catastrophically bad, but people need to look at it from a wider perspective: it's the canary in the coal mine.

At the end of the day, the buck has to stop somewhere. Development costs have been rising steadily over the last few decades, while companies with deep pockets in different spheres of the gaming industry have been subsidizing prices in all manner of ways to gain market share.

I can't speak on the matter at hand specifically, but the writing has been on the wall. It's not realistic to expect tools, games, and so on to remain free or subsidized forever. Yes, I'm looking right at you now, Microsoft. You too, Epic.

What becomes increasingly clear though, is that the gaming industry is not in a healthy state right now.

"Larian's latest is a game that can utterly consume your life for days, weeks, months, even years".

And that is why I'm in love with VR at the moment.

To each, their own, I guess.

Here is the part of the calculus that people don't realize: the very same users that churn from the service are the users that will buy more games through the traditional means.

The money Sony potentially loses when a user drops from PS+ is the money they'll get anyway when that user buys a new game at launch.

Subscription services are great for companies from the recurring revenue perspective, but it's not a win-win scenario. Especially in videogames.

@Cashews "I'd bet your eternal soul Meta and Sony have lost many many millions[...]".

In business, this is called an investment. VR has been growing steadily over the last 10 years and will eventually get to the mainstream. Admittedly, we're still a couple of steps short techwise, but we're getting there. And the companies with a head start will naturally benefit.

Meanwhile, PSVR2 has reinvigorated my passion for games. The downside is that it has opened my eyes to how creatively stagnated flat-screen gaming has been over the last several years.

There was always something about the aesthetic of the latest Saints Row that was an immediate turn-off for me.

I hope other studios take notice and avoid this sort of look that don't appeal to a larger audience.

"33 per cent of you said that you’ll be ditching PS Plus entirely" - 2023.

"If Sony decides to charge for multiplayer, I'll be switching to PC when next gen arrives" - 2013.

And we know how disastrous the PS4 generation went for Sony.

@Hoodie718 This is great news. Not only because PSVR2 gets a bonus killer app, but because it demonstrates how powerful foveated rendering really is.

@XboxTheBestBox I feel I really shouldn't have to state the obvious, but here we go: it's nefarious to leverage financial advantage and employ anticompetitive tactics in order to create a monopoly.

@cburg Then why don't I have a problem with Nintendo?

Because they simply do their thing, which is essentially making high quality games.

A healthy games industry should have a few platform holders competing, and that's exactly why I have a problem with Microsoft's strategy. Because it's "spend them out of business" predatory. And you know that.

Sony is not winning because their strategy is to destroy competitors. They're winning because Microsoft is a productivity software company first and foremost, who don't seem to be able to put out good games with consistency. So they use their financial might to buy creativity and enforce an unsustainable business model in a search for monopoly.

This game was an event in itself back in the day. O love the fact that VR now provides a medium where developers and creatives can really push boundaries, as traditional gaming has stagnated over time.

@XboxTheBestBox 2%, you say. What do you estimate the percentage will be in 10 or 20 years?

Don't be so short sighted. Microsoft is playing the long game here.

Physical to digital to streaming. That's the obvious path. It doesn't matter if it takes 100 years. Corporations think in decades. And that's why this Ubisoft deal is as naive as the 10-year COD Sony deal.

Microsoft is totally doing the winner takes all move, mobile gaming included. And it won't be the first time they employ this nefarious strategy.

I see dark times ahead in gaming. We're happily following the train wreck that's been Hollywood and rock music.

I'm not a fan of puzzlers, but Humanity is fantastic. And like Tetris Effect, it's elevated to a whole new level in VR.

@4kgk2 Yeah, truly well deserved. GT7 in VR with proper wheel and pedals is a dream come true.

I've driven a Ferrari 458 on a closed track in Vegas and the aforementioned combo comes eerily close to the real thing.

If Premium keeps adding VR demos, I'll definitely consider upgrading from Extra.

As I build my VR legs, I still can't quite put my finger on what causes me motion sickness. I can play Call of the Mountain or RE Village for like an hour no problem but, say, Song in the Smoke or Tales from the Galaxy's Edge hit me pretty much instantly.

The vibes I get from this image are the exact same as when those pictures of the horrendous PS5 dev kit leaked and people reacted as if the console would look anything like that. "Look, there's even a 'V' in there, so it must be the final design.".

@Trousersnake Yeah, Crossfire Sierra Squad looks like the Call of Duty that I actually want to play.

I've never been a fan of FPS because of the disconnect between my actions and the gameplay. I've always felt like I was controlling a camera, not a character, never really feeling I was immersed.

Now, in VR... damn, shooting stuff just feels so satisfying.

@RIGGOR_MORTIS Yeah, and even if the game was free, you don't actually get the car. It's just an in-game rendition of that model, so you can only drive it within the confines of GT7. The nerve.

@gbanas92 Now, here's an idea: trailers for VR games.

In VR.

I know, it's a long shot, with many inherent challenges. And it doesn't solve the issue of bringing new people in. But it's worth considering.

I mean, there might have been attempts at that that I'm not aware of, but the point stands.

@WaveBoy Exactly. One interesting thing that I've recently figured out is the reverse effect of trailers. I explain.

Trailers of flat-screen games almost always make the game look better than it actually is, whereas it's the exact opposite with VR.

Just last week, I was debating with myself which game to pick up from the recent PS Store sale. I had had my eyes on Zombieland for a while, but I was totally turned off by the trailers. I wondered how that underwhelming looking game could be any good, but I'm glad I took the risk and pulled the trigger. That game is crazy fun and it actually looks surprisingly cool inside the headset.

And that is actually one of VR's greatest barriers, right? It's a hard thing to market.

@Johnnycide I don't know exactly how you'd define "failure", but for me and the hundreds of thousands out there who own a PSVR2, it's a massive success.

I'm drowning in incredible titles here, and I haven't had this much fun with videogames since the early nineties.

VR just makes everything so much more compelling that I'm worried I won't be able to enjoy flat-screen games ever again. I initially attributed that to the wow factor being new to VR and all, but it's been almost 6 months and my love for the medium just keeps growing.

Sure, I've played a couple flat-screen games in the meantime but, you know, they fall flat.

@Total_Weirdo You mean first-party support? Honestly, I wouldn't wait. Third-party support has been amazing. I'm drowning in games like I never have before.

I know this hasn't been the feeling outside of the VR bubble, but I guarantee you there are more than enough great VR games to keep you entertained for years already. With many more coming.

The games media coverage of PSVR2 has been appalling. Push Square is certainly better than most, but I would follow Youtube channels such as Without Parole to really get the vibe.

And to be fair, Sony has been a little too quiet on the marketing front, but support hasn't been bad at all. Horizon and GT7 are no joke, and Sony has been funding many VR versions and ports such as Resident Evil (8 and 4).

Take the plunge, dude. The water temperature is just perfect.

I've just had the time of my gaming life yesterday with this game. I bought a PSVR2 at launch but, being new to VR, I had to grow my VR legs before being able to handle Gran Turismo.

Well, the time has finally come. And man oh man.. This is what I've been dreaming of since my Atari 2600 days.

Fun anecdote: today, I was driving IRL and I kept having flashes of memory from my yesterday's GT7 session, as if I had actually raced. VR is so cool.

@Flaming_Kaiser Oh, I totally agree. All of my gaming time has been spent on PSVR2 since February, which feels oddly similar to the whole Dreams saga. It's niche and radically different from everything else, and Sony is still willing to support it. For now, at least.

I just hope Sony learns from the mistakes they made with Dreams, because at the end of the day, it's business. If the product doesn't perform in the market, it eventually gets axed. There's no way around that, apart from a very idealistic and unrealistic view of the world.

@TrickyDicky99 Exactly. The point being the hardware is worth it even though there are relatively few current-gen exclusives. Which isn't to say that games designed with the newer hardware as a baseline aren't going to be even better.

Man, the whole Dreams saga makes absolutely no sense:

1) The "game" is revealed along with the PS4, and nobody can understand what it is.
2) It then takes like a decade to come out.
3) A paid beta program happens right before launch.
4) The game is a commercial flop from the start, but MM and Sony keep supporting it for years.
5) It is one of the very few Sony IPs that never comes out on PC, where it actually had a real chance to flourish.
6) MM finally announces its end of service.
7) Then one of the main features that could give it a real push is announced: the ability to export creations.
8) And then the other thing that could actually save it happens: "free" with PS+.
9) And finally, the seemingly best creation from MM themselves comes out of nowhere.

Really, what is going on?

Edit: look, I'm not bashing on the game here. I actually think it is amazing, but it fell victim to one the worst cases of bad decision after bad decision in Sony's history. PS3-era included