@GMaster7 leadership westernized the platform over the last generation. Japan doesn’t care about much for these narrative driven “dad and kid struggling with life” games, neither do I for that matter. They want JRPGs, good mechanics, more creativity. They don’t want live services and western action games. When Sony stopped being a primarily Japanese firm the country shunned it. Current leadership is basically trying to repair the rift.
@Broosh unfortunately this only applies to the console version. The PC versions are full of people wanting to play but not being able to due to the performance issues. The console version still has some issues, mainly shimmering from the RE engine’s own AA solutions but the PC version is just abysmal. BL4 and Oblivion still have issues but Wilds somehow takes the cake.
@redapt their full statement says that they couldn’t pump enough content into this update due to having their hands full fixing the performance, so they hope the fifth bounty pack will remedy that. They’re also adding takedowns next year (the raid style activities from 3 that they insisted wouldn’t return). They’re in damage control right now, just speak with your wallets by not purchasing the game. I had no doubt the devs are passionate people who went against deadlines but good grief, I’ve just started refusing to buy any games on UE5 until DF does a video. Expedition 33 and Arc Raiders are evidence it can be optimized well, big studios are just getting complacent.
Important to remember that Randy has been silent for once and Zelnick has implied that heads will roll if the game doesn’t get fixed. It’s not a good look.
If you have a cat, play Stray. They developed the game to keep it interactive with cats so it’s both a cute and relaxed platformer and a cat toy. The studio is wonderful.
I’ve been openly critical of Sony, but I don’t care what this individual’s feedback is in general. Her brand is floundering and running into constant problems, so her take on what works and what doesn’t means nothing. That’s like Bethesda claiming that BG3 was unrealistic and not a good model because it did better than Starfield.
Good business decisions make money, bad decisions lose money. Never thought I’d use the argument of “git gud” but well, here we are.
@Ainu20 I’m not trying to attack the brand or fans at all, just trying to voice concerns about the current direction of it. But if you want that number, it’s 48 for ps4 exclusives and 18 for ps5. That also includes yet to be released titles like Saros.
@DennisReynolds There are 1048 games on ps5 including cross gen, live services and dead games I.e. Concord. There are 3551 on ps4 including cross gen, live services and dead games.
If this is a false narrative, then I worry for everyone.
@DennisReynolds it’s not a false narrative, it’s an accurate assessment that isn’t only being peddled by one group. Development cycles have ballooned as have costs, and given the live service push yes there are less titles. Compare a list of ps4 exclusives and “big releases” to the ps5 generation and this is very clear.
The issue with Sony competing is that they act like they aren’t competing. They’ve been saying for years they don’t see Nintendo as a competitor, and if they’re really going the dockable console route (if the leaks are accurate) then that really says otherwise. Now that Yotei is out, PlayStation has virtually no major releases until next year (barring of course battlefield, call of duty etc).
Despite generally being bitter towards the brand as of late, I don’t blame them for lack of titles but I do hold them to the coals for focusing so intensely on buzzwords and graphical fidelity that the product and ecosystem is significantly weaker than it previously was. Extremely strong, just not where it once was.
@KingPev buying less? Im just gaming less. I realized I couldn’t justify the cost of multiple consoles and sold my Pro, cancelled my WoW subscription, etc. there’s not enough time or money for all of this stuff, and with prices going up consistently I just can’t do it anymore. One game a month if that now. You’re not alone here, many people share similar feelings. It’s not that the games themselves are always bad, the return on investment just isn’t as substantial as it once was.
The hardest part? We grow up, we have more standards and that means less indulgence.
@Ricky-Spanish based on the poll it sounds like there won’t be another one. Honestly I’m tired of this attitude from devs. Enough man, make a good game and be proud of it. This just sounds like he’s angry he has to do this and is just like “you better make it worth my time.”
@Nem Pachter throws tantrums whenever he loses money and his target is presumably chosen based on who he blames for his loss. His name is always followed by the equivalent of an old man screaming at birds.
I sold my ps5 pro and now only use my switch 2 and PC. That being said, my decision had more to do with being annoyed by the lack of return I felt I was getting as I mainly play JRPGs and the only game of interest in the next year is Yotei (which I can wait for, plenty going on). I absolutely feel this generation has been a major disappointment with bad optimization being a big part of that.
That being said, Pachter is a loud nuisance. Sony is doing fine. Anti consumer? Sure, all companies are. Mismanagement? They’re cleaning up after their own Don Mattrick esque figure. Give them time, that’s years of messiness that needs managing. It’s been a year and a half. It’ll take a few more. Direct to tv? I hadn’t heard this since google stadia marketing and Netflix doubling down on their non existent gaming division. Leave it be, man.
@Boxmonkey devils advocate, but this is also the first time a price hike is justified given Trump’s decision to tariff copper. It’s just worse because Sony has been repeatedly raising prices throughout the generation so the sentiment is unsympathetic.
@Porco which is a shame because PlayStation generally has been the ideal choice for convenience from the couch. It’s weird to see them complacent, but then again Sony has never been humble when they’re in a strong position. It’s not like the console or brand is hurting but their weakness is in being stubborn and frustratingly slow to adapt to consumer spending. While it’s good to try new things, given how long games take to make it’s just a bad idea to chase trends since by the time a product releases that trend may be dead and buried.
I want the Song to be a strong firm when it comes to playstation because when they’re doing good (when it comes to sentiment, profits are a different ballgame) they’re generally the best around. Been a while since I’ve felt that way though.
@Porco they’re doing this because they know they don’t have the games to sell the console on. That’s the problem, long development pipelines and ballooning budgets. Combined with chasing dying trends and a lack of innovation, you’re looking at a company not focused on making money so much as saving money. I have no intention of buying a ps6 at launch, and am reluctant to buy any games for the ps5 pro given how uncertain I am about the ecosystem itself. Why invest further in something that will be pricing people out worse than they are now, and not justifying the cost over quality?
I’ve talked to a lot of people about this and they feel similarly. Perhaps not as harshly as I do, but they’re holding back purchases because they don’t trust the brand nor the console itself.
@Rich33 the problem is that refunds as they stand (barring cyberpunk situations) are legitimately a courtesy. As in, Sony is paying you out of their pocket. The developer does not get hurt at all unless a refund is processed through them, which obviously they’re opposed to. I received a flat refusal, warning of an account ban if I continue to refund faulty products and being informed of this when I attempted to refund Tainted Grail which is publicly outed as a bait and switch. There’s a limit to what Sony can do in this sense, and with so many games releasing broken it’s not feasible to keep paying off customers for bad developers. Platform holders such as PlayStation really aren’t thrilled either, but they don’t choose how a game releases. The ire needs to be directed at developers, nowhere else.
The solution is what many of us are currently doing: voting with our wallets. I’m not paying a developers wages. The analogy I like to use is food. If I go to a restaurant and the food is terrible but the staff are extremely kind, will I go back? Absolutely not. I’m glad they’re nice, and it’s appreciated but that’s not why I went. It’s the same with gaming. I want your job as a developer to be easier, to be rewarded with good pay and standards. But I am not obligated to buy a product that I don’t like or I feel is poorly made.
@HonestHick my pro is basically a one grand blue ray player at this point. Not because I don’t want to play it but because I’ve played through my current library to death and upcoming games are either a question mark due to UE5 or so mysterious I have no idea whether I want to buy it or wait for a deep discount (lost soul aside, I’ve more questions than answers). It’s definitely the last PlayStation console I buy, at least at launch.
Save for Ghost of Yotei, their engine is exceptional and their games are well, amazing.
@Simu001 yep I was going to buy titanic scion until I realized it ran on UE5. Borderlands 4 I can imagine will run fine due to the reputation of the studio but I’m still wary, and want to see reviews before pulling the trigger on that too. The engine is just a red flag, and has no reason to be.
@wilky2988 that’s a developer level decision. Long before the Pro even came out I was very open about developers being the ones who will make or break the image of the console. There is a point of no return when developers no longer have the trust of consumers, and we’re rapidly approaching that point. People forget that the developers job is to make a good product that maximizes profit, the consumers job is to determine whether that product is good enough to justify that profit. Less consumers are supporting shoddy products so we’re seeing more studios struggling. This one will presumably sell millions simply because of the IP, but I can’t say for sure if the the reception from consumers will be glowing.
@WhoderMan well said. I refuse to buy games from this studio not because of some blanket “the game is bad” statement (it’s not bad, it’s great apparently) but because the value of money exponentially increases as you get older and life changes. If I have a ps5 pro, I expect games that run on it to be optimized and justify the investment. I’m also very photosensitive so I absolutely notice poor scaling, and running from a low resolution like it does and up scaling to 4K looks awful to me. Evidently to most people it looks fine!
Has issues, virtuos is a very spotty dev but it’s clear many people like it. So let them enjoy it.
@headmold they haven’t done good ports. They’ve done ports that function but they are very very rarely optimized or even have accurate control schemes. The dark souls remastered switch port removed audio (no backstab sound, I kid not), the Japanese control scheme that cannot be remapped due to the game overriding system level remapping and some models lacking textures entirely. Their CEO had the gall to do an interview explaining “how to properly optimize games” which was bizarre.
They’re a massive studio, which is why it’s so confusing that this seems to be an ethics issue as opposed to a specific set of devs. I just don’t buy their games anymore, unreliable.
@nessisonett you have no idea. YouTube has been actively promoting and showing AI ads that deepfake our prime minister (Mark Carney) to peddle the “get 5k a month working from home” scams. It’s absurd.
Wasn’t this supposed to come out last year and has been mum since? If it isn’t cancelled, please cancel it. Move the devs to other projects that aren’t doomed and stop this foolishness. Everyone loves Rare but the common sentiment regarding Everwilds is that if you have three years with nothing to show, kill it. Granted they had that eating up resources for almost ten years, but the notion is the same.
Fairgames is a waste of resources, waste of talent and a surefire flop with how things are.
@Cakefish I was genuinely shocked at how clean Lies of P was at launch. What a massive achievement. Granted their studio gets constant bonuses for good performance , pay raises and gifts. Shows what happens when your employees feel secure in their jobs and know their hard work matters right?
@KundaliniRising333 it had a few glitches but they were mostly amusing. Falling through the map, the already cranky blacksmith repeating a line endlessly, etc.
I do disagree about FsR though, the issue seems to stem from some other issues with UE5. I’m not a developer, and don’t know a lot of the specifics but from what I’ve heard from devs the engine itself has trouble balancing workloads between GPU and CPU, and often ignores ram for some reason. Perhaps I’m incorrect in my understanding, but plenty of games run older upscaling tech to great success. DK bananza is a good example, as it’s running such an old version of fsr1 that it may as well be primordial. Yet it runs fine.
@Rambo-kind I found the opposite. I’m one of the few who finds Elden ring, despite having nearly 1000 hours in it, to be lacklustre in terms of innovation. It’sa jack of all trades, master of none scenario. Lords of the fallen felt like a jack of some trades, master of few instead. I view that as a good thing, and I’ve gotten plenty of hours of enjoyment from it.
I feel like Elden ring hit me differently due to the fact that fromsoft has been rocking about that formula for decades, and Hexworks only just took a swing at it. Maybe that’s it for me, a feeling of passion and fresh blood in a dried sea.
Daemon X Machina is the only 100% day one buy for me. Life is expensive. That being said BL4, Lost Soul Aside and WoW: Midnight are all gonna be great without a doubt.
@TruestoryYep most games are horrifically over budget. That combined with longer development cycles to push graphical fidelity or whatever it is will contribute to a lack of games. Wasted effort on live service stuff no one wants? Yeah that goes without saying.
Be happy PlayStation survived, we lost our Don Mattrick last year. It’ll take a while to recover.
My preference is simple: buy a game and own it. No mandatory internet for single player (not always possible…yet), decent quality narrative with great gameplay. If a game doesn’t have that? Don’t buy it, use your wallet to decline its existence. If it does? Buy it, ensure more get made.
Not complicated, just don’t buy games that aren’t good and buy games that are.
When the game launched I felt it had the potential to exceed Elden Ring’s popularity. Key word here is potential, and while I don’t see the sequel as doing that either I do see it as being a massive step in the right direction and potentially one of 2026’s biggest releases. If CI and Hexworks continue on their path, they’re bound to strike diamonds. Lots of goodwill, here’s to hoping they don’t CDPR it.
Diablo IV is far from the worst game ever released, it’s a good game marred by major identity issues. That being said, Rod has been a problematic presence for a number of reasons but chief among these is acting like the one Bethesda designer (forget his name, the guy who threw a fit on Twitter and gaslit people for not liking Starfield) and slamming competitors, or making sarcastic comments when someone speaks poorly of recent update for his games. He acts like a manchild, and we need less of that and more people who let the product speak.
I wish him well on his future endeavours, but perhaps some time to himself is best for now. He doesn’t have the best optics right now, never really has but also wasn’t as insufferable as he’s been in the last couple years.
@get2sammyb his comment translates to “Sony just needs to be blunt and say the console is a waste if exclusives are dead.” Too many need exclusives or walled gardens to justify their choice of device.
I'm shocked by Tao's bluntness, honestly. While this entire situation is a mess, it's extremely uncommon to the point of being surprising for a CFO to be so transparent in their responses. There was no corporate speak here, just a very real analysis of the situation. Yeah, I don't see this ever coming out. Based off of her comments, I don't think Tao has faith it will either.
@Ajbr8687 the worst part for me is that after playing the ps5 since launch, suddenly the Dualsense (and the edge, I tried) are causing tendinitis. Ceasing play results in the pain vanishing, and I still play PC and switch regularly. So not playing as much is both getting older and having responsibilities, but also health related as no form of entertainment is worth that level of discomfort.
@themightyant that’s why no matter my view of the industry or what is trending, I love this hobby. If I don’t like a game, a thousand other people will. If I like a game, a thousand other people won’t. There’s something for everyone, it’s just not all brand new releases.
@Ajbr8687 that last part is the most crucial. I haven’t been really thrilled with most first party offerings or felt like the price point reflects the value. So I do other things, hiking, cooking, etc.
There are many valid criticisms but expecting them all to be answered and addressed in one swoop is absurd. Studios are made up of human beings who make the products we enjoy. If we don’t enjoy them, best to look at ourselves.
@themightyant I meant as a ps5 exclusive, that’s my main issue with the platform at present. Though I feel like whatever the hell they did with the recent system update makes everything look much sharper and less choppy. Not really sure if they increased hdmi bandwidth finally or not.
Generally speaking, it’s a good generation but not transformative in the way platform holders want. You can only push graphical fidelity so far, need to offer more than just a shiny coat of paint.
@BleedingDreamer I played it on game pass when it first released, as I started this gen with both series x and ps5. But man, it was fudgy. I didn’t have performance issues like some did, but I definitely found it weirdly stiff and lacking a feeling of refinement. Glad you enjoy it though, and I’m glad the game is still playable unlike our dear old Concord.
@ShogunRok I’m hopeful this is the case. It’s a great engine, but the optimization of it reminds me of Tecmo Koei’s katana engine. For every strength, there’s several drawbacks.
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Re: Japanese PS5 Sales Slump as New Model Hype Begins to Die Off
@GMaster7 leadership westernized the platform over the last generation. Japan doesn’t care about much for these narrative driven “dad and kid struggling with life” games, neither do I for that matter. They want JRPGs, good mechanics, more creativity. They don’t want live services and western action games. When Sony stopped being a primarily Japanese firm the country shunned it. Current leadership is basically trying to repair the rift.
Re: 'The Fans' Voices Gave Us Power': Monster Hunter Wilds Dev Admits to Difficulties After Awards Show Win
@Broosh unfortunately this only applies to the console version. The PC versions are full of people wanting to play but not being able to due to the performance issues. The console version still has some issues, mainly shimmering from the RE engine’s own AA solutions but the PC version is just abysmal. BL4 and Oblivion still have issues but Wilds somehow takes the cake.
Re: Borderlands 4 Offers First Bounty Pack DLC for Free, Out Now on PS5
@redapt their full statement says that they couldn’t pump enough content into this update due to having their hands full fixing the performance, so they hope the fifth bounty pack will remedy that. They’re also adding takedowns next year (the raid style activities from 3 that they insisted wouldn’t return). They’re in damage control right now, just speak with your wallets by not purchasing the game. I had no doubt the devs are passionate people who went against deadlines but good grief, I’ve just started refusing to buy any games on UE5 until DF does a video. Expedition 33 and Arc Raiders are evidence it can be optimized well, big studios are just getting complacent.
Important to remember that Randy has been silent for once and Zelnick has implied that heads will roll if the game doesn’t get fixed. It’s not a good look.
Re: PS Plus Essential Subscribers Bemoan 'Crap Selection' in Latest Update
If you have a cat, play Stray. They developed the game to keep it interactive with cats so it’s both a cute and relaxed platformer and a cat toy. The studio is wonderful.
Re: New EA Partnership Will 'Reimagine How Games Are Made' with AI
Lens flair? It is time to call the prodigal son home. Wilson B Pontiss, answer the call!
Re: Xbox Boss Believes Sony's Strategy of Console Exclusives Is 'Antiquated'
I’ve been openly critical of Sony, but I don’t care what this individual’s feedback is in general. Her brand is floundering and running into constant problems, so her take on what works and what doesn’t means nothing. That’s like Bethesda claiming that BG3 was unrealistic and not a good model because it did better than Starfield.
Good business decisions make money, bad decisions lose money. Never thought I’d use the argument of “git gud” but well, here we are.
Re: PS6 May Go Uncontested as Rumours of Next-Gen Xbox Cancellation Force Microsoft to Comment
@Ainu20 I’m not trying to attack the brand or fans at all, just trying to voice concerns about the current direction of it. But if you want that number, it’s 48 for ps4 exclusives and 18 for ps5. That also includes yet to be released titles like Saros.
Re: PS6 May Go Uncontested as Rumours of Next-Gen Xbox Cancellation Force Microsoft to Comment
@DennisReynolds There are 1048 games on ps5 including cross gen, live services and dead games I.e. Concord. There are 3551 on ps4 including cross gen, live services and dead games.
If this is a false narrative, then I worry for everyone.
Re: PS6 May Go Uncontested as Rumours of Next-Gen Xbox Cancellation Force Microsoft to Comment
@DennisReynolds it’s not a false narrative, it’s an accurate assessment that isn’t only being peddled by one group. Development cycles have ballooned as have costs, and given the live service push yes there are less titles. Compare a list of ps4 exclusives and “big releases” to the ps5 generation and this is very clear.
Re: PS6 May Go Uncontested as Rumours of Next-Gen Xbox Cancellation Spiral
The issue with Sony competing is that they act like they aren’t competing. They’ve been saying for years they don’t see Nintendo as a competitor, and if they’re really going the dockable console route (if the leaks are accurate) then that really says otherwise. Now that Yotei is out, PlayStation has virtually no major releases until next year (barring of course battlefield, call of duty etc).
Despite generally being bitter towards the brand as of late, I don’t blame them for lack of titles but I do hold them to the coals for focusing so intensely on buzzwords and graphical fidelity that the product and ecosystem is significantly weaker than it previously was. Extremely strong, just not where it once was.
Re: 'If This Doesn't Sell, There Won't Be a Next One': Dynasty Warriors 3 Remake Producer Asks for Support
@KingPev buying less? Im just gaming less. I realized I couldn’t justify the cost of multiple consoles and sold my Pro, cancelled my WoW subscription, etc. there’s not enough time or money for all of this stuff, and with prices going up consistently I just can’t do it anymore. One game a month if that now. You’re not alone here, many people share similar feelings. It’s not that the games themselves are always bad, the return on investment just isn’t as substantial as it once was.
The hardest part? We grow up, we have more standards and that means less indulgence.
Re: 'If This Doesn't Sell, There Won't Be a Next One': Dynasty Warriors 3 Remake Producer Asks for Support
@springer17 that’s a good point. There are plenty of games that would be welcomed with open arms if they were remade. Why this one?
Re: 'If This Doesn't Sell, There Won't Be a Next One': Dynasty Warriors 3 Remake Producer Asks for Support
@Ricky-Spanish based on the poll it sounds like there won’t be another one. Honestly I’m tired of this attitude from devs. Enough man, make a good game and be proud of it. This just sounds like he’s angry he has to do this and is just like “you better make it worth my time.”
Re: Sony Is a 'Terrible Company' That's 'Blowing It in the Games Business', Says Michael Pachter
@Nem Pachter throws tantrums whenever he loses money and his target is presumably chosen based on who he blames for his loss. His name is always followed by the equivalent of an old man screaming at birds.
Re: Sony Is a 'Terrible Company' That's 'Blowing It in the Games Business', Says Michael Pachter
I sold my ps5 pro and now only use my switch 2 and PC. That being said, my decision had more to do with being annoyed by the lack of return I felt I was getting as I mainly play JRPGs and the only game of interest in the next year is Yotei (which I can wait for, plenty going on). I absolutely feel this generation has been a major disappointment with bad optimization being a big part of that.
That being said, Pachter is a loud nuisance. Sony is doing fine. Anti consumer? Sure, all companies are. Mismanagement? They’re cleaning up after their own Don Mattrick esque figure. Give them time, that’s years of messiness that needs managing. It’s been a year and a half. It’ll take a few more. Direct to tv? I hadn’t heard this since google stadia marketing and Netflix doubling down on their non existent gaming division. Leave it be, man.
Re: Jul 2025 USA Sales: PS5 Hardware Tumbles 47% Year-Over-Year in Tough Month
@Boxmonkey devils advocate, but this is also the first time a price hike is justified given Trump’s decision to tariff copper. It’s just worse because Sony has been repeatedly raising prices throughout the generation so the sentiment is unsympathetic.
Re: Jul 2025 USA Sales: PS5 Hardware Tumbles 47% Year-Over-Year in Tough Month
@Porco which is a shame because PlayStation generally has been the ideal choice for convenience from the couch. It’s weird to see them complacent, but then again Sony has never been humble when they’re in a strong position. It’s not like the console or brand is hurting but their weakness is in being stubborn and frustratingly slow to adapt to consumer spending. While it’s good to try new things, given how long games take to make it’s just a bad idea to chase trends since by the time a product releases that trend may be dead and buried.
I want the Song to be a strong firm when it comes to playstation because when they’re doing good (when it comes to sentiment, profits are a different ballgame) they’re generally the best around. Been a while since I’ve felt that way though.
Re: Jul 2025 USA Sales: PS5 Hardware Tumbles 47% Year-Over-Year in Tough Month
@Porco they’re doing this because they know they don’t have the games to sell the console on. That’s the problem, long development pipelines and ballooning budgets. Combined with chasing dying trends and a lack of innovation, you’re looking at a company not focused on making money so much as saving money. I have no intention of buying a ps6 at launch, and am reluctant to buy any games for the ps5 pro given how uncertain I am about the ecosystem itself. Why invest further in something that will be pricing people out worse than they are now, and not justifying the cost over quality?
I’ve talked to a lot of people about this and they feel similarly. Perhaps not as harshly as I do, but they’re holding back purchases because they don’t trust the brand nor the console itself.
Re: Jul 2025 USA Sales: PS5 Hardware Tumbles 47% Year-Over-Year in Tough Month
B-b-but Hulst said unending growth! Why? Why!?
Cancer folks, cancer.
Re: Early Lost Soul Aside PS5 Reviews Axed as 'Comprehensive' Day One Patch Is Announced
After my last slew of experiences with botched releases or games just not living up to hype, I opted to wait for reviews. Well, easy pass then.
Not the fault of this studio specifically, but let the industry impede its own progress.
Re: 'The Number of Live Service Games Is Not Important': PS5 Boss Gives Rare Insight into Strategy
The only thing with unending growth is Cancer.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta's Dismal PS5 Pro Support Could Use a Rethink
@Rich33 the problem is that refunds as they stand (barring cyberpunk situations) are legitimately a courtesy. As in, Sony is paying you out of their pocket. The developer does not get hurt at all unless a refund is processed through them, which obviously they’re opposed to. I received a flat refusal, warning of an account ban if I continue to refund faulty products and being informed of this when I attempted to refund Tainted Grail which is publicly outed as a bait and switch. There’s a limit to what Sony can do in this sense, and with so many games releasing broken it’s not feasible to keep paying off customers for bad developers. Platform holders such as PlayStation really aren’t thrilled either, but they don’t choose how a game releases. The ire needs to be directed at developers, nowhere else.
The solution is what many of us are currently doing: voting with our wallets. I’m not paying a developers wages. The analogy I like to use is food. If I go to a restaurant and the food is terrible but the staff are extremely kind, will I go back? Absolutely not. I’m glad they’re nice, and it’s appreciated but that’s not why I went. It’s the same with gaming. I want your job as a developer to be easier, to be rewarded with good pay and standards. But I am not obligated to buy a product that I don’t like or I feel is poorly made.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta's Dismal PS5 Pro Support Could Use a Rethink
@HonestHick my pro is basically a one grand blue ray player at this point. Not because I don’t want to play it but because I’ve played through my current library to death and upcoming games are either a question mark due to UE5 or so mysterious I have no idea whether I want to buy it or wait for a deep discount (lost soul aside, I’ve more questions than answers). It’s definitely the last PlayStation console I buy, at least at launch.
Save for Ghost of Yotei, their engine is exceptional and their games are well, amazing.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta's Dismal PS5 Pro Support Could Use a Rethink
@Simu001 yep I was going to buy titanic scion until I realized it ran on UE5. Borderlands 4 I can imagine will run fine due to the reputation of the studio but I’m still wary, and want to see reviews before pulling the trigger on that too. The engine is just a red flag, and has no reason to be.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta's Dismal PS5 Pro Support Could Use a Rethink
@wilky2988 that’s a developer level decision. Long before the Pro even came out I was very open about developers being the ones who will make or break the image of the console. There is a point of no return when developers no longer have the trust of consumers, and we’re rapidly approaching that point. People forget that the developers job is to make a good product that maximizes profit, the consumers job is to determine whether that product is good enough to justify that profit. Less consumers are supporting shoddy products so we’re seeing more studios struggling. This one will presumably sell millions simply because of the IP, but I can’t say for sure if the the reception from consumers will be glowing.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta's Dismal PS5 Pro Support Could Use a Rethink
@WhoderMan well said. I refuse to buy games from this studio not because of some blanket “the game is bad” statement (it’s not bad, it’s great apparently) but because the value of money exponentially increases as you get older and life changes. If I have a ps5 pro, I expect games that run on it to be optimized and justify the investment. I’m also very photosensitive so I absolutely notice poor scaling, and running from a low resolution like it does and up scaling to 4K looks awful to me. Evidently to most people it looks fine!
Has issues, virtuos is a very spotty dev but it’s clear many people like it. So let them enjoy it.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta's Dismal PS5 Pro Support Could Use a Rethink
@headmold they haven’t done good ports. They’ve done ports that function but they are very very rarely optimized or even have accurate control schemes. The dark souls remastered switch port removed audio (no backstab sound, I kid not), the Japanese control scheme that cannot be remapped due to the game overriding system level remapping and some models lacking textures entirely. Their CEO had the gall to do an interview explaining “how to properly optimize games” which was bizarre.
They’re a massive studio, which is why it’s so confusing that this seems to be an ethics issue as opposed to a specific set of devs. I just don’t buy their games anymore, unreliable.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta's Dismal PS5 Pro Support Could Use a Rethink
This is normal for virtuous. They are not a good developer when it comes to optimization, by any stretch of the imagination.
Re: Shameful AI Ads Put the Spotlight on The First Descendant, Real-Life Likeness Stolen
@nessisonett you have no idea. YouTube has been actively promoting and showing AI ads that deepfake our prime minister (Mark Carney) to peddle the “get 5k a month working from home” scams. It’s absurd.
Re: Don't Believe the Speculation About PS5's Fairgames Getting Cancelled
Wasn’t this supposed to come out last year and has been mum since? If it isn’t cancelled, please cancel it. Move the devs to other projects that aren’t doomed and stop this foolishness. Everyone loves Rare but the common sentiment regarding Everwilds is that if you have three years with nothing to show, kill it. Granted they had that eating up resources for almost ten years, but the notion is the same.
Fairgames is a waste of resources, waste of talent and a surefire flop with how things are.
Re: Action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 Reveal Confirmed for Next Week
@Cakefish I was genuinely shocked at how clean Lies of P was at launch. What a massive achievement. Granted their studio gets constant bonuses for good performance , pay raises and gifts. Shows what happens when your employees feel secure in their jobs and know their hard work matters right?
Re: Action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 Reveal Confirmed for Next Week
@KundaliniRising333 it had a few glitches but they were mostly amusing. Falling through the map, the already cranky blacksmith repeating a line endlessly, etc.
I do disagree about FsR though, the issue seems to stem from some other issues with UE5. I’m not a developer, and don’t know a lot of the specifics but from what I’ve heard from devs the engine itself has trouble balancing workloads between GPU and CPU, and often ignores ram for some reason. Perhaps I’m incorrect in my understanding, but plenty of games run older upscaling tech to great success. DK bananza is a good example, as it’s running such an old version of fsr1 that it may as well be primordial. Yet it runs fine.
Re: Action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 Reveal Confirmed for Next Week
@Rambo-kind I found the opposite. I’m one of the few who finds Elden ring, despite having nearly 1000 hours in it, to be lacklustre in terms of innovation. It’sa jack of all trades, master of none scenario. Lords of the fallen felt like a jack of some trades, master of few instead. I view that as a good thing, and I’ve gotten plenty of hours of enjoyment from it.
I feel like Elden ring hit me differently due to the fact that fromsoft has been rocking about that formula for decades, and Hexworks only just took a swing at it. Maybe that’s it for me, a feeling of passion and fresh blood in a dried sea.
Re: When Is Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025?
@darylb24 Lords of the fallen 2 is welcome but outside of that I kinda feel burnt out. So many of them are copy paste with an aesthetic twist.
Re: When Is Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025?
Daemon X Machina is the only 100% day one buy for me. Life is expensive. That being said BL4, Lost Soul Aside and WoW: Midnight are all gonna be great without a doubt.
Re: Xbox Game Pass May Make Devs 'Wage Slaves', Says Ex-PlayStation Exec
@TruestoryYep most games are horrifically over budget. That combined with longer development cycles to push graphical fidelity or whatever it is will contribute to a lack of games. Wasted effort on live service stuff no one wants? Yeah that goes without saying.
Be happy PlayStation survived, we lost our Don Mattrick last year. It’ll take a while to recover.
Re: Xbox Game Pass May Make Devs 'Wage Slaves', Says Ex-PlayStation Exec
My preference is simple: buy a game and own it. No mandatory internet for single player (not always possible…yet), decent quality narrative with great gameplay. If a game doesn’t have that? Don’t buy it, use your wallet to decline its existence. If it does? Buy it, ensure more get made.
Not complicated, just don’t buy games that aren’t good and buy games that are.
Re: Action RPG Lords of the Fallen 2 Reveal Confirmed for Next Week
When the game launched I felt it had the potential to exceed Elden Ring’s popularity. Key word here is potential, and while I don’t see the sequel as doing that either I do see it as being a massive step in the right direction and potentially one of 2026’s biggest releases. If CI and Hexworks continue on their path, they’re bound to strike diamonds. Lots of goodwill, here’s to hoping they don’t CDPR it.
Re: Diablo Boss Leaves Blizzard After Heading the RPG Franchise for Five Years
Diablo IV is far from the worst game ever released, it’s a good game marred by major identity issues. That being said, Rod has been a problematic presence for a number of reasons but chief among these is acting like the one Bethesda designer (forget his name, the guy who threw a fit on Twitter and gaslit people for not liking Starfield) and slamming competitors, or making sarcastic comments when someone speaks poorly of recent update for his games. He acts like a manchild, and we need less of that and more people who let the product speak.
I wish him well on his future endeavours, but perhaps some time to himself is best for now. He doesn’t have the best optics right now, never really has but also wasn’t as insufferable as he’s been in the last couple years.
Re: Massive Atlus Survey Mentions Metaphor Sequel, Yet More Persona Spin-Offs
No to a souls like, no to modern remakes (dig up the old SMT titles or hell, remake Persona 1 and 2), no to dating sim? Why on earth?
I swear, this is definitely an Atlus slump. Not that the titles are bad, they aren’t. They’re just…predictable and kinda boring.
Re: A Quote from a Sony Exec Is Causing a Hubbub Among PS5 Fans Again
@get2sammyb his comment translates to “Sony just needs to be blunt and say the console is a waste if exclusives are dead.” Too many need exclusives or walled gardens to justify their choice of device.
Re: Sony Controlling More of Marathon Dev Bungie, Will Be Integrated into PS Studios
I'm shocked by Tao's bluntness, honestly. While this entire situation is a mess, it's extremely uncommon to the point of being surprising for a CFO to be so transparent in their responses. There was no corporate speak here, just a very real analysis of the situation. Yeah, I don't see this ever coming out. Based off of her comments, I don't think Tao has faith it will either.
Re: Sony's Horizon Franchise Has Sold a Wild 38 Million Units Worldwide
@Ajbr8687 the worst part for me is that after playing the ps5 since launch, suddenly the Dualsense (and the edge, I tried) are causing tendinitis. Ceasing play results in the pain vanishing, and I still play PC and switch regularly. So not playing as much is both getting older and having responsibilities, but also health related as no form of entertainment is worth that level of discomfort.
Grow old and adjust.
Re: Arc System Works Has Been Busy, Wilnas Joins Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising on PS5, PS4
Just uncap Relink’s frame rate and I’m happy.
Re: Sony's Horizon Franchise Has Sold a Wild 38 Million Units Worldwide
@themightyant that’s why no matter my view of the industry or what is trending, I love this hobby. If I don’t like a game, a thousand other people will. If I like a game, a thousand other people won’t. There’s something for everyone, it’s just not all brand new releases.
Re: Sony's Horizon Franchise Has Sold a Wild 38 Million Units Worldwide
@Ajbr8687 that last part is the most crucial. I haven’t been really thrilled with most first party offerings or felt like the price point reflects the value. So I do other things, hiking, cooking, etc.
There are many valid criticisms but expecting them all to be answered and addressed in one swoop is absurd. Studios are made up of human beings who make the products we enjoy. If we don’t enjoy them, best to look at ourselves.
Re: Sony's Horizon Franchise Has Sold a Wild 38 Million Units Worldwide
@themightyant I meant as a ps5 exclusive, that’s my main issue with the platform at present. Though I feel like whatever the hell they did with the recent system update makes everything look much sharper and less choppy. Not really sure if they increased hdmi bandwidth finally or not.
Generally speaking, it’s a good generation but not transformative in the way platform holders want. You can only push graphical fidelity so far, need to offer more than just a shiny coat of paint.
Re: Microsoft Reiterates It's the Top Publisher on PS5 in Earnings Call
@BleedingDreamer I played it on game pass when it first released, as I started this gen with both series x and ps5. But man, it was fudgy. I didn’t have performance issues like some did, but I definitely found it weirdly stiff and lacking a feeling of refinement. Glad you enjoy it though, and I’m glad the game is still playable unlike our dear old Concord.
Re: Microsoft Reiterates It's the Top Publisher on PS5 in Earnings Call
@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare a dead game for a game that’s better off dead. That is quite the pitch. I’m in.
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds' Struggling Sales Drag Capcom Stock Price Through the Mud
@ShogunRok I’m hopeful this is the case. It’s a great engine, but the optimization of it reminds me of Tecmo Koei’s katana engine. For every strength, there’s several drawbacks.