ButteredCrumpet

@Rich33 I will just cut in to point out (and I strongly recommend you watch the footage on YouTube to view this in action), the Spider-Man games have a very uninspired element to all of how they handled the "open-world".

Partly due to the fact that's clearly not their bag, and partly also down to the fact that the speed at which someone is whizzing by most of the time, crowds don't need to look all that great.

Now compare that to GTA footage, and the behavioural patterns, animations, the sheer volume, all of the city genuinely feels alive. There's moments it almost slips into looking close to real life (if just a tad stylised).

Walk up to anyone on the streets in a Spider-Man game as they're dumb as dirt, say nothing unique after about one or two interactions, all shout the same thing as you swing past, bump into one another, walk no better animation wise than Sims 4 characters and even have many duplicates.

Genuinely, I say this with all the respect in the world, but look at the footage on YouTube in full, and whilst from a technical standpoint I would be here all day explaining the differences, Insomniac just got completely trampled as far as any attempt at a believable open world, or liveable world I should say.

All of the things that subconsciously you or I look for in a human interaction, that give us that odd uncanny valley feeling if not there, well they are here in this GTA, and very jarringly not in Insomniac games.

It feels like an actual simulation, not a game trying to echo what the streets may look like with inferior hardware.

Now, do I think it would have been amazing to pull that off at 60FPS? Yes. But, we all know it's coming with the next generation/PC's.

No one from a Sony studio has anything I am aware of even in the works that pushes even the PS6 as far as sheer density of a simulation like this. So this is a very big deal industry wise.

But, I completely get your issue with the frame rate, and I do think that's a great shame and genuinely as you know already from me, I have no argument there.

@wildcat_kickz That's correct! The CPU handles a lot more than I think average gamer realises, as in people mainly off this site for instance. A CPU doesn't need to just "run the game", it's also keeping some aspects of itself operational just for the OS, then there's being asked for data, asking for data, and literally thousands of other tasks being done before it even gets to actually processing things asked by the GPU to render a frame.

As we all know, it's like the General Manager of the ecosystem. However, this is more closely aligned with it now needed to be the Regional Manager. You're expecting micro management on a grand scale way beyond what is normally expected of a CPU from that generation.

PS6 (from what I am aware of from the Dev Kit, training, talks, working on a game for it etc), is doing what a PS5 sort of does, which is speed up this entire talking to other "bits of hardware" bit. That and massively compressing textures, which is a lot like Substance materials, using Substance Designer in a way, but on a hardware level.

That's the promising part, all of this CPU bound calculations stuff we hear as consumers is being moved off the CPU where possible, which massively speeds up frame times for equivalent draws. However, that is for the future of course.

Anyway, yes, the memory available to the GPU, and the relatively slow speeds of it compared to what this engine would find ideal, along with the CPU computations that can actually be feasibly done are being absolutely pushed to the limits.

I mean look at the hair simulations, that alone is beyond what most of Sony First Party has been able to achieve in-engine and with the absolute best knowledge of the system.

The character rigging, along with the lighting and hair, even the clothes, I mean the cloth simulation is insane for user definable scenes. You see wrinkles on suits and t-shirts all with real time polygon deformation. And high res deformation too, so we are talking very high polygonal models baked down into constantly changing sets of form.

These simulations are all running in real time, what many animation teams haven't even put into cinematics that they've pre-rendered a few years ago, Rockstar North is pulling out of the back in real-time.

I mean even say a character you don't see a mile down the road, it's got to have an entire run-time for its codebase that's prepared to not only be running, but update you the gamer within milliseconds of its actions.

So it's entire crowd simulations, on top of soft/rigid body simulations, milliseconds of time to update you of a behaviour, clothing, walking patterns, traffic, lighting, textures and blah blah.

Honestly, they've managed to make a game that proves there's excitement for PS6, because if they are pulling this off on PS5 base hardware, they need to seriously be honoured just as much as Naughty Dog were during PS3/PS4 generation.

The sheer simulation is ridiculous, when you compared it to what say Spider-Man offers, it's not only offering far more detail from a texture point of view, it's offering higher poly counts on assets, far higher rigging points on body and face, way more detailed soft/rigid body simulations.

Honestly, they're doing things most of the industry doesn't even know how to implement into a corridor shooter. It's James Cameron levels of inventive awe technology wise.

@8th_Observer '...probably find multiple arguments here ...'

And therein lies the problem as to why instead of people like you and I talking about the amazing features they're using and how they're utilising them ... we're stuck going "Yeah, that's nice mate, can't talk about it though due to people wanting to argue, so just stick to that's nice isn't it?'

Yep, I would have to agree. It's why I didn't go into a diatribe about it yesterday on here, there's a lot to say about the technology and how they're implementing it across their engine.

Good on them, they truly have proven themselves as a studio with some serious talent behind them in ways I don't think I ever truly realised myself.

As far as what they've pulled off, no other studio has ever done with the PS5 to date. There will be a lot of my friends at Sony studios very eager to speak to some of them haha.

And of course, look forward to seeing 60FPS on a future device (including PC) for those that need/want/desire/prefer it.

Not quite sure it’ll be day one in a literal sense, as anything could be taking place work, life and game wise.

However, it seems to have exceeded my expectations and provides far more if close to what I saw, than what CDPR claimed and spent the last few years kissing backside trying to apologise on.

So more life sim aspects (I do love Shenmue after all), graphically, density and wealth of what’s on offer … I’ll be there soon after release, yes.

More of a I’ll prioritise it when it’s out, but still have a life.

I won’t bore people with a lengthy explanation and analysis of what I thought from a developer standpoint.

Just know, what they’re doing on a PS5 from this generation is next to God tier astounding.

To get this in the last few years of a consoles lifecycle is such a beautiful swan song of a tech demo.

Anyway, after that, instant buy on what they’ve done being highly in need of encouragement and support.

I had a few developer mates around for some food and drinks for a little watch party event, it got a round of applause from us haha.

Rockstar is one to watch at the end of the PS6 generation, that’ll be for sure.

Astounding. Bravo. Chefs Kiss!

Absolutely can not wait for this one, looks really promising!

Missus says she would like to plop it on the Netflix later this evening when the time comes, so seeing as she has a Netflix account I guess that’s what will be taking place this evening at ours haha.

Either way I wanted to make sure to catch it later on YouTube, so if I’m busy at the time it’s officially on Netflix I’ll just catch it later.

Looking forward to just sitting down and seeing it in action from a technical point of view.

@ShadowRJ Completely agreed, but it’ll be interesting to see if the developers can keep up a yearly release schedule, still innovate and still not get absolutely blown away by the competition that releases every few years instead.

Silent Hill has an awful lot of potential, but then if you look at films like Paranormal Acitivty, Insidious, Conjuring, Purge, Evil Dead, Halloween, Scream, Childs Play even Poltergeist etc.

One thing they all have in common is the more they try to explore the lore and general world they’ve built the more it fractures the fans and causes rifts in the fanbase.

So I hope Silent Hill proves me wrong, I really do, as it’s one of my most loved concepts from a video game franchise, along with Resident Evil.

But where you and I see the potential in the world building and stories and what you can do with it. If it’s still just a woman/man/child walking slowly through a town with fog and a scary atmosphere, after 5 more releases and 5 more years that may get a bit stale.

Having potential doesn’t equate to it being utilised. Every time Call of Duty tries to implement something new it’s divisive, so I wouldn’t want to be the developers behind Silent Hill in 10 years from now.

Because if all they have is a town that’s dimly lit, creepy and a random Asian girl pops up or a bloke with a pyramid head every so often, that’s going to get crapped on quick.

There’s always the danger of too much of a good thing. The reason people crap on yearly releases is if enough hasn’t changed for them to feel it seems worthy of money.

£70 a year for Silent Hill yearly and no physical releases seems like a fine line to walk along.

I so desperately want them to pull it off though.

Wow, a new Silent Hill each year would be a treat to the senses.

If of course they do a Call of Duty and separate all internal studios correctly to keep the cadence that could be brilliant!

However, the complaints that land for Call of Duty will no doubt still apply to this. Where give it a few years and people will be calling for originality and for it to “go back to its roots”.

I wish them the best, and I’ll no doubt buy them and support them, but a yearly cadence is usually very difficult to maintain for any development studio.

Do I mind them trying and therefore providing me with more Silent Hill? Absolutely not! Haha.

@EvilBear Does she acknowledge that one of the factors causing massive obstacles for mainstream gaming is the parent company her division is owned by?

And that, right there, is all that needs to be said about whatever nonsense the next Xbox “leader” gushes out next to the masses.

I guess they want to find out how long you can implement a disease and sell the cure.

I will no doubt pick this up if it goes on sale at any point in the first 12 months or so, if I have the self control. Can never say no to a great racing game, it’s one of my frivolous choices!

I guess the game will be out when it’s out and when it’s out it’ll be known it’s out, but if it doesn’t come to be out it won’t be out, but at least it was at some point thought to be coming out.

Consumer credit has existed for years, between credit cards, loans, store credit and now of course Klarna and so on. As of course we all know.

Sammy has pointed out in the comments, methods such as those I describe above have actually been available to many with a good/great/excellent credit rating even throughout the entire lifecycle of this generation, and long before it if using other credit options of course.

So, whilst I have no doubt Microsoft will push a similar plan to what they have this generation regarding credit, I'm not entirely sure that differs at all from what already exists.

Game stores, Microsoft Store and many others offered the Xbox + GamePass monthly subscription/payment option all this generation after all.

I guess I'm just a bit confused why this is a talking point, given that credit exists for the Xbox S/X now, therefore ... wouldn't we assume unless the entire credit lending industry falls flat the same would apply no matter the pricing structure of the next consoles?

People get lots of frivilous items on credit, most of the consumer credit industry is backed by such lending:

Orders of fast fashion costing hundreds, phones (I rock an iPhone 12, nothing above it is needed ... just wanted), furniture, TV's, PC's, I mean the list goes on.

There's plenty of things people don't need but they pay through the backside for each year. Look at where companies like Klarna are mainly supported and sponsored, they're usually found with companies I can't personally imagine getting credit for purchases from ... yet people do.

Yes, next generation will be expensive, luckily not as expensive as filming Next Generation, but hopefully a damn site better than watching it.

EDIT: I guess the ultimate question here is would people at large pay for frivolous expensive items on credit ... walk into any designer handbag store and count how many credit cards you see. For a ... bag.

@Dumptruckdacat Oh, absolutely, it seems we are totally on the same page. I have hope things will change for those in development, it’s why I work on an independent contracted basis now.

Granted, I am very lucky and feel blessed/worked my backside off to get to this position.

And I’d only go back to a major conglomerate if it were Sony, I’ve been quite vocal about that here, which often gets mistaken for “bootlicking” or “being a shill”.

However, in my experience Sony studios have treated me some of the best, along with my colleagues, but I did indeed opt to leave after a dispute about upper management.

Once Hulst leaves I’ll likely jump back. For now I’m happy to monetise my knowledge of the Sony Dev Kits and ecosystem for my own gain instead of just for a random bloke in a suit that doesn’t care to learn my name.

You are very right though, I think if done correctly, speaking out from those in the industry and those consuming it in some way will only serve to benefit it.

Now if we could only teach people that speaking out and harassment are two entirely different things haha.

But anyway, I better leave it there as to not hijack the thread for those that haven’t already added me to an ignore list 😂

Lovely chatting to you!

MLB The Show 26 may be given a try, it’s another sport where a bloke hits a ball and cheers when it moves, so I’ll try to fit in a bit with my bloke energy and download it.

After seeing Banana Ball online, that’s the game I want! 😂

Already own the others, but happy to give this baseball malarkey a good ol’ college try!

I take it it’s like Wii Sports but without the intuitive inputs, or maybe it’ll allow me to fashion a stick and some duct tape to my Dualsense and get that vibe going!

Who knows?! But I’ll find out once I download it!

Microsoft announces it’s making discs redundant, and giving people a digital license people claim they don’t want.

This is a step in the right direction, though still unsure how it shall be received at large.

All I know is Sony was discussing this concept internally a few years ago, but no idea how it would be implemented.

I did find it interesting at the time I first heard it from Sony that they’d be looking into it though.

I’m glad the Xbox brand has beat them to it, as it’ll give them a good baseline to figure out what the public perception would be.

Since hearing of it a couple of times though, there was no further noise about it. So the plan likely either got paused to figure out industry directions and public sentiment, or got axed.

So yes, this could be the start of all companies having a “plan” and not just one. The transition from physical and digital to all digital is something all these industry leaders have been planning for years.

One thing that none of them would have likely expected is how much people care. So I look forward to seeing what takes place next.

@Dumptruckdacat I’d say most of the developers working in Scotland (that has some pretty fantastic laws regarding workers rights), are pretty happy with their jobs currently.

I’d let developers at Rockstar North speak for themselves, the fact they’re not jumping on the internet begging for their lives, unlike people falsely imprisoned and executed means by default it’s a first world problem.

Us developers need a whole bunch of changes to take place within the industry, but the biggest change that would be of great benefit is those online not picking us apart more than suits and management do.

I’ve never known treatment and hate of developers like myself to be anywhere near as bad in an air conditioned, pretty well paid (with lots of benefits), office, than those I’ve received from strangers online.

The worst boss I’ve ever had, yep, still not remotely close to the things I’ve had said to me by strangers.

So, from all the treatment I’ve received in my career, online comments have still been the worst by far. Even in person receiving threats getting to a parked car just due to a game being delayed. That was interesting.

Take-Two and RockStar do need to implement change, no one is brushing off their actions, in fact the only thing I was calling to stop is what you agreed with me on being a false equivalency.

False equivalence won’t help to support us as developers, won’t don’t need the help of commenters online comparing war crimes to a few in an office in Scotland not having a union.

We need people to buy what stands for the good in the world, and not buy what doesn’t. That’s it. Anything else is just noise.

So yes, I completely agree, workers rights globally need to change in all industries, but it would be disingenuous for me to moan about my life as a developer, from a co-worker/management standpoint.

No matter how badly myself or friends are treated, it pales in comparison to workers in the diamond industry, precious metals, Amazon warehouses, factories and so forth.

A game developer not being able to join a union is so low on the pyramid of issues we should be discussing globally. I don’t know of any developer that would claim otherwise.

So yes, I agree, it’s not a non-issue, but the easiest way to impact the bad in the industry is to stop funding it. That’s it. Nothing else needed.

@species Haha, thank you! I just completely understand why a Russian lady coming here doesn’t want to feel victimised, I really do.

But then I don’t want to come here as a developer and feel victimised from the literal hate for us as a collective either.

I think people really need to just remember these are video games, and any attempt to gain an equivalence between a studio not liking unionisation and charging a hefty price, versus a country (its leaders not all of its people) known for crimes against humanity are a tad different on a moral and ethical level.

Carry on speaking sense my friend. I wish no one ill will, but I wish we could all collectively take a step back and view the world with a wider lens.

@species I love how you’ve got people in the comments saying they don’t care for the humans at Rockstar, at the very least don’t care if they witness “hurt”. Which is of course lumping emotions towards a video game and directing it at all the staff who don’t make decisions regarding the marketing, financials and so forth.

Yet the moment you mention quite literally Russia, a country needing to be tempered into not aggressing world wars, committing war crimes and acting genocidal, you have people wanting to put out it’s not all Russians fault, which you of course know anyway.

If it’s not all Russians fault, it’s not all developers fault. If it’s a Putin problem, then it’s the leaders of Rockstar/Take Two at fault.

I’m so tired of people jumping to the defence of countries destroying lives, and yet a video game gets a delay, or the price, or the marketing and people call for vile things towards the developers.

It’s okay to say on a public forum you don’t care who gets hurt out of a development team of a video game, yet the moment you mention a troublesome country, you’re the one that gets picked apart.

Crazy times! I’m sorry you have to deal with the common sense bashing. Maybe when people are enlisted they’ll be able to put this energy into something worth fighting for, because a video game shouldn’t ever garner this much conflict.

And to Rockstar, release it when you release it. Release a trailer on Netflix that has 6 hours exclusivity and release it on any platform you wish.

I shall buy it when I get around to it if it feels like my thing. No drama.

Maybe next time let’s pull up the comments saying they don’t care if developers get hurt, over a video game, and call them out. Rather than a guy making a very balanced assessment of Russia.

I mean surely if a comment is allowed to state they don’t care if an entire gaming studio hurts in some way (they didn’t define physically, mentally etc), then surely it’s fine to say Russia is a troublesome pain from a geopolitical standpoint.

Can we all just collectively get a grip? Thanks.

@Rezium Haha, no you’re funny, you should stay! Shame you don’t like my longer format writing though, I guess it’s the nature of the beast with social media changing peoples expectations of what a conversation is.

Anyway, have a good one and hope you find a platform that treats you the way you feel sync’s well with you.

I’m down for more from PixelJunk! I’ll have to keep my eye out!

@Rezium My permanent blackout starts in 2028. There will simply be nothing to buy at that point.

Now will that include a permanent blackout of you interacting with a Sony based fan site?

Just asking so I can prepare for the onslaught of people who will take a personal action in their lives and no doubt want to remind strangers daily of it.

You know, sort of like that person who gives up smoking or drinking, my God do they not let you forget.

So yeah, let me know so I can prepare to add you to my spreadsheet. I’ve called it 🔔 ends, but it’s a working title of course.

@NathanUC I very much agree with everything you wrote!

My apologies, in the sea of comments and uproar I didn’t come across your comments.

I’m glad you’re on a PC ecosystem, it definitely suits a more open and fair mindset to games and the choice of competition influenced pricing.

Like you, despite my sometimes dragging other ecosystems down a notch or two, as I do with all (yet people seem to never see my criticisms of Sony unless weaponising it against me when it suits), I actually want all to succeed.

As a developer, the more places people get to game, the better, and as a consumer and fan the more places to potentially bounce to the better. Competition breeds innovation as they say!

But yes, anyway, I genuinely just thought you were wondering if it was going to take place about game sales externally from PSN. 😂

@NathanUC Sony did used to provide some games (of a digital nature) at various stores.

They then backtracked due to various reasons, such as people marching to those physical stores typically didn’t then go on to buy a digital copy of a game. They’d just buy physical. Otherwise they could have stayed home and saved some money in petrol, parking etc.

However, now digital is going to be the only option, as @Rich33 has stated, it is indeed the case Sony have already announced games will be sold off PSN through various other channels.

It gives more of a presence for them, satisfies the odd one or two and then also keeps them from having more lawsuits regarding monopolies.

Though of course, one could also argue if you don’t like their monopolistic viewpoints you could just, you know, not buy their products.

Which then sort of makes it less of a monopoly and more of an end result of being the winning platform between Xbox/PlayStation.

If I don’t like my water company, I don’t, I can’t just buy water elsewhere, but with gaming we all can can’t we?

So I know it sounds silly, but if we aren’t happy, and also aren’t willing to do anything more than moan online about it, maybe just switch to a platform we prefer!

You could say, after finding a publisher they’ve only gone and … clutched it!

Looking forward to this, I’m a sucker for racing games, just driving around with the pixels passing through my luscious hair*

*I’m bald, but I like to imagine I’m not when driving a performance car.

I’ll always be the guy that started my career at Studio Liverpool at heart.

Give me more Wipeout stale universe, please, without my needing to financially front it all myself! 😂

Anyway, good for this lot, I’ll be picking it up upon release!

@ShogunRok

Love it, keep it cutting, Xbox clearly are.

What an absolute b*stard of a fine individual.

Gosh, they do like to change their minds a lot at Xbox.

I will fully admit Sony has been terribly cack handed at informing anyone of anything (same goes for working for them to an extent).

Yet Xbox and by extension the only reason they’re still in business, Microsoft, seem intent on not being intent on anything.

At this point, I’ll take no information over information that changes so frequently one requires a spreadsheet just to keep up.

Ha, spreadsheet, Microsoft even has that market cornered too don’t they. Create problem, solve problem I guess.

I would rather punch myself in the crotch than work for them again, with a landmine.

But reading these updates of their trajectory, I can’t help but wonder if they’re aiming to look like the kid who took up a drug habit at Oxford or not.

They have the smarts, but they also have lived off daddies money for far too long and clearly don’t know how to live alone.

Let me know when Xbox decides everything is an Xbox again. It won’t be long.

I have never played a Witcher game, yes I know, I know, boo me.

However, would it be wise for me to play the others prior to this release, or just jump on the love train once this is out?

I’m just not sure if the story actually matters all that much, historically that is.

Anyway, if anyone could suggest whether they think it matters or not, let me know. I would search it on the net, but then search engines tend to be about as much use as a wax banana nowadays.

@GamingGod Bahaha, yeah you’re in and around Staffs like me, so check out the LilaConnect website in the search engine of choice when it comes time to switch etc. Worth a gander!

It’s symmetrical too, so that’s 2.5 up and down, meaning with a Plex server I could literally provide multiple family members access to backups of content all over the world and not even notice it impacting anything while gaming etc.

Or, just share it with a neighbour and split the bill, it’s what a few in my street have done haha.

But yeah, it’s awesome, love the Portal, and just remember to not ever do as I did. Which was to take a route of Ethernet cable down to the bottom of the garden, and leave my wife to hold it.

She picked up a call on her mobile and dropped the cable in the pond. Tested and buggered, so had to redo the entire run again from the house.

Haha. Life, it throws some crazy stuff out sometimes!

@Rich33 Ah, that old chestnut of it ain’t piracy if buying isn’t ownership.

See, I hear of things like this, from PC piracy, other entertainment media being pirated, to jailbreaking and of course other forms of stealing.

It’s always justified by saying they’re on a crusade against the “man” so to speak, forging down paths we don’t dare.

See, this is the thing not many seem to ponder at large (that you indeed have), we can’t all have that as a solution.

If we all steal cars because we find them too expensive, laws that restrict people’s behaviour around cars, their security and the car industry itself flops.

If we all pirate TV shows, films, music, the entire industry puts up yet more defensive barriers against it, impacting honest buyers, and then ultimately the entire industries would cease to exist.

If we all pirated games and used jailbroken consoles, the entire console industry after fighting against it and restricting honest buyers ceases to exist.

If we all steal food, then prices go up, increased security measures that hinder and worry honest buyers get brought in, then ultimately the entire food industry fails.

Ultimately, if we all followed the mindset of the few, making it the actions of the many, there wouldn’t be a need to debate anything like what we have the luxury of debating, as it would all cease to exist.

Yes, industries can handle small amounts of all my examples, but if someone’s only solution to pricing issues in industries is to steal, say we all follow it, what then? Now industries we claim to all want so much we are willing to break or bend the law to obtain their products from, fail, that’s it, the end.

I don’t personally take offence to anyone stealing a food item they can’t afford, or pirating a copy of Lord of The Rings because they’re on Universal Credit and just want to bore their child to sleep.

However, the answer at large should always be let’s make things affordable. Cars shouldn’t cost what they do, food shouldn’t cost what it does, gaming shouldn’t be a niche hobby only a few get to experience, and TV shouldn’t cost £80 a month from Sky or Comcast or Virgin for all the channels and content.

I don’t even mind people jailbreaking and tinkering with their console, but when jailbreaking, or piracy/stealing is the answer, it means something has gone wrong with the system and it needs changing.

The piracy and jailbreaking advocates should be advocating for lawmakers, government, MP’s, etc to make changes. If we all put the energy I’ve seen on this site into sending letters, calling and turning up at doors … things would change.

It all boils down to do people want change for all? Or are they only concerned with finding easier routes to take in their own life?

Because if it’s all for one and one for all, we better stop pretending because someone said they’re switching their PS5 off, on X that anyone else will care.

Also, as usual, well said to all you wrote haha.

@Rich33

‘I’m not sure, but its possible that when you plug it back in to the Internet that Sony will be able to see what you have been doing whilst you have been offline’

Your statement is correct, connecting a PS5 to internet 3 years from now, after 3 years of no connection will indeed even then, inform servers of all activity linked to the serial number associated with the console.

Just wanted to confirm this, as some (not yourself), I’ve seen online seem to think a temporary blackout impacts the figures, but ultimately even if millions did it, it would only delay the reporting, not null and void it.

People need to think of it like painting a wall, leave me in a room with a few tins of paint you just gave me, turn the lights off on me and I in a mood throw that paint all across the walls.

Well, I’m in pitch black and in a mood, so you don’t know if I have or haven’t thrown the paint, the moment the light gets turned on the paint is where it has been the entire time. A record of my activity.

To most this doesn’t need spelling out, but there’s always an outlier or two.

@Neuromancer I don't have a couch, I have a Beanbag chair comrade.

Add that to a room surrounded by tech equipment and a few dim lights and you’re living the dream right there!

Make life Blade Runner, Fifth Element and The Matrix but with bean bag comfort.

@GamingGod Got Lila Connect myself, their 2.5gig package. Absolutely f-ing mental. Obviously devices nowadays still max out a lot at 1Gig, but now both our PS5’s can max out their connection downloading a game and still stream Portal or something.

The world we live in aye! Even went Manchester stayed in a hotel, nothing swanky, just for work for the week a while back, and it bloody worked a treat! Couldn’t believe it.

Honestly, I wish everyone could experience it on awesome net connections. Like you with Virgin Media, it’s such a treat!

@Shepherd_Tallon If some old stock and posters from the film industry or gaming industry take your fancy, I’ll make sure to keep my eye out for you too!

Sometimes I help with the cleanup on the odd film or two, more of a passion project than work as such, but yeah, I’ll keep my eye open for anything particularly exciting.

Most of the younger lads I know in the industry just throw it in a skip on site or bung it on eBay.

I have an entire room dedicated to what my friends call crap, but it’s blurays, CD’s, vinyl, posters and all that sort of stuff, even a laser disc, because yes I’m that stupid.

In the process of converting my garage to another “entertainment” room/cinema. So as I’m on the hunt for stuff anyway, I’ll let you know if I happen upon anything you might find of interest.

Don’t care for the money or whatever. I’ll just post it out to you as and when haha.

@GamingGod Portal streaming counts towards Sony’s figures for using their services. Which is fine of course, unless you don’t want it to. Enjoy gaming on the Portal it’s mint!

@Tr1ggsy Absolutely agreed! I don’t trust any platform in any form of media for entertainment. I am not really sure why someone would. I guess it’s “because it’s always been there it always will be” mentality.

But for me, after living through far too many console and PC debacles to remember, I’m in agreement with you. Trust no corporation, and any form of control you can have, keep it.

It’s like you mention older consoles, I see no reason why they can’t remain accessible game wise, the fact that they prepare for that not to be the case in their terms should worry people, but it never does until it’s too late.

The thing is, physical media has never been desirable from a publisher standpoint, it’s just historically been the only way to reliably get a game to people in times where the internet was in its infancy.

It’s literally just a method of delivery as far as the industry is concerned. Whilst I’m aware to many a gamer it goes deeper than that, what we have emotionally added to that method of delivery doesn’t change to the industry what it actually is.

I didn’t have tapes on my Amstrad or cartridges on my N64 because it was cheap or preferable, I had games provided to me like that because other than the military, internet at the time was much like a fart in the wind.

Now the internet is far more established in the countries this companies actually care about financially, funnily enough they want to move away from these methods of delivery.

Valve started it, but my God do they avoid a whole hell of a lot of heat just because their owner pretends to be at one with the community … whilst being an unrelatable guy with a yacht yet no treadmill.

You’re right though, even though you personally are under no illusion of not owning the content on those old methods of game delivery, you still can take advantage of the fact due to the methods use they can’t effectively remove them from your possession.

It’s why I’m massively into vinyl, CD’s, Bluray and so on, I don’t use streaming services for TV or film and I don’t use them for music.

I appreciate being able to say something I’ve spent my money on is mine to not copyright infringe, but mine to use as I wish for myself.

Gaming will be an interesting space once it’s all digital as in cloud based, and whilst my job in the industry is safe, I think other than the awe factor of some things that are possible, the wow factor and excitement of the industry at large is long gone.

We’ve all just grown up and realised the companies we were proud to say we have a connection to on the school yard, never cared about us at all. We all grew up knowing it, but to have it thrown in the face is rough.

No company cares the same for us as we care for their products, and no company will show at our funeral. So why waste time fretting over it.

As you’ve done, with retro gaming, find happiness and so little of this matters in the grand scheme of life. It matters now because we are told it matters, but just unplug the console, sell it, move on and find other things in life and none of it will matter.

@Random_play05 Absolutely, agreed!

Giving consumers choice, whereby it doesn’t impact a company negatively seems to be a tight rope for some corporations to walk upon.

Take second hand games, prop up many a company that couldn’t care less for us as consumers, any more so than Sony, and props up companies that couldn’t care for Sony anymore than many here do seemingly.

Yet works wonders keeping consumers of all affordability ranges in the system so to speak. So it’s both a net gain and loss.

Piracy is a concern for all platform holders, and so I think for now GoG will be the only one to push forward in that direction.

I do hope to see the betterment of rights for all consumers though, no matter where games are purchased.

There is a middle ground that I believe can be obtained with the right people leading the charge in these companies.

Sadly, in my experience the right people just haven’t been promoted to lead.

We shall see though, worst case scenario the entire world ditched Sony products and the earth continues to spin and we all get on with our lives entrusting other companies who care no more, but that have better PR.

Either way, if we can get to a place where companies aren’t giving PushSquare a reason to write something non-gameplay related I’ll be happy.

I suspect that week or month may be a long way off though.

@MrMeeeseeeks Oh I agree regarding price, I hope for different but know it’s unlikely. I don’t wish anything bad on others though, I just want all gamers to have what they want out of the hobby. That’s all.

I don’t personally have a code for Wolverine yet or I’d just give you one haha. Anyways, you have a good evening and hopefully we are both wrong, but I suspect it will be the case you’re right.

@Stale-Bread Very well said! Agreed on all fronts.

@MrMeeeseeeks Oh absolutely, it’s a pain in the backside. It boils down to many stores competing for the lowest figure and chasing £1-2 profit in some cases per title sold.

Works for us as consumers of course, but unfortunately ShopTo and Loaded don’t tend to be as willing (or able) to discount and compete for the lowest figure as much.

But, any discount is better than none in the case of digital. But if wanting the ultimate lower price, for now absolutely go with physical.

I would like to see better discounts in the future on digital games and credit after the 2028 move to digital only, but I’m aware that’s a pipe dream for the most part until proven otherwise.

Games need to be cheaper to produce, gamers need to be able to buy them more consistently cheaper and there needs to remain options for choice and competition.

How all that looks in the future, if there is a future that includes all of that is yet to be seen.

Ah well! Hope those you get Wolverine love it though!

@arto I can’t stand much of the behaviour of Sony or many others of late, even going back as far back as Valve.

You’re angry I’m reasonable, level headed and aren’t rising to bringing emotional arguments into things.

So you’re going at a cheap jibe about my working in the industry, big whoop!

I have openly criticised Sony and others for this sort of behaviour for years, far more eloquently than you I might add.

Look at my comment history, one of them relates to my stating (as an insult to Sony) that they are milking me dry as a consumer.

If you think a bloke working on texture mapping, 3D assets and data compression over the years benefits in any way via physical discs leaving the Sony platform you’re massively mistaken.

I mean please, by all means, explain to me how it benefits me in any way to have a consumer such as yourself having less choice.

I’ve already stated I agree with much of what you say. I’m a bit confused why you seem to think otherwise.

All you’re proving is the fact you can’t comprehend the words I’m using. As if you did, you’d realise I agree with you.

@MrMeeeseeeks Use Loaded or ShopTo for PSN credit, then you’ll get it for less than the front end PSN store price.

I work in the damn industry and don’t even buy direct from the PSN Store.

Codes delivered instantly to top up PSN account and provides a benefit much like going to a store like brick and mortar to buy a physical copy of the game.

Albeit with not all of the benefits of course. Anyway, if you want digital, buy wallet top ups.

@arto Oh I agree in many ways, and I am just happy you will no doubt find a great place to game no matter where and what that be in the future.

I in no way shape or form begrudge people playing anywhere they wish, I mean as I said on another thread a bit ago, I've been playing way more on my Switch 2 regularly compared to PS5.

Part of that is I am working at a studio on a PS6 title, which is more than enough Sony anything in many ways during work hours, and I have a lot of entertainment waiting for me catching up with Nintendo releases for the last few generations.

No matter where we game, and no matter how we game, I just want us to all remember, we're frustrated with the news of this, not needing to be irate with one another.

And of course, again you are correct, many of these terms and laws which relate to licensing have been the case for years, and so I haven't really been surprised by anything, just disappointing it has come to this.

This being, arguing online when we all want what's best for one another and gaming, this being companies living up to being exactly what you expect, and so on.

Just find that peace and happiness in gaming, and enjoy the snot out of it!

@Rich33 Haha, thank you. Yes, it does seem rather common place on here.

My wife pointed out it is like a lawyer defending a client, it doesn't mean they agree with the clients actions, it's all about playing devils advocate and building a case for and against.

Now in this case it's fairly simple to say there's not much reason to play devils advocate as such, so instead I just explain the terms and laws and set out what should therefore be the route we all take if caring to do so.

Yet oddly, it's the equivalent of my reporting on a killers actions in a newspaper, or Sammy reporting on this disc issue ... then claiming we agree with those actions just by reporting it. So it almost then becomes something people believe you then are saying not the stance of the company, instead of the very terms and laws we all abide by.

Every time you explain terms, laws or the way a company operates, you can guarantee people then start to put their emotional response in instead of one that forwards discussion.

I think I'm just not used to debating with people who keep bringing emotion into it.

@arto See, I see it this way, we don't need to inform one another of the benefits of the physical medium for which a license is distributed on, we all have grown up knowing those benefits.

What instead should be focused on, and companies such as Sony are betting on (and are currently correct) people not discussing and kicking up a storm about, are the similarities between digital and disc based distribution.

The one thing they have in common (legally of course), is that they are both just ways of distributing a license. The laws are the same, not what can be done due to free-markets, that is of course different. Essentially manipulation and market freedoms that haven't (until recently been stamped on in some way).

So, what we all really need is a more advanced and thought out approach to licensing for games. Like GoG for PC users has funnily enough thought of and created an entire sub-genre within the purchasing of games on PC.

Talking up the benefits of discs on PlayStation doesn't matter when they're going from 2028. The only thing that will matter regarding purchases moving forwards (if sticking to this brand of course), is that of digital ownership rights, and funnily enough the same rights (from a legal perspective) that apply to physical too.

People need to stop saying physical is better, or worse for that matter.

It needs to be about what needs to change regarding licensing.

Saying it's all about money, though correct, is correct for every company that is profit making. Otherwise they are a charity or very unsuccessful.

Moot points need to be avoided, as they just muddy the water and create reasons for points to be picked about.

All that needs to be the focus is that of licensing, if staying on a Sony platform, what needs to change. If not staying on the platform, then no need to concern oneself.

@arto Agreed, and it's also not discussing the laws and terms surrounding the license on the disc. But nevermind aye, clearly you don't care, which is fine!

There is no point telling someone who loves physical that;

A) Physical is great, yeah I know, I buy physical of many things.

B) Debating about how great discs are when from 2028 they won't be a choice on this platform.

Licensing laws and terms need to be discussed, if you'd rather discuss with someone repeatedly how great CEX is for holding physical, have at it. That won't help anyone post 2028.

This is brilliant, thanks for sharing all of this! Slightly peeved I didn't have the opportunity to send you some funds to bring back some fun stuff haha!

Very interesting notes about the ban lifting on the consoles being sold, along with the preference for foreign storefronts and consoles due to restrictions from the Chinese State.

Can't wait to visit in the next few years!