DeathlySW

@Blaze215 downgraded to essential in February and regret nothing. Not missing out on a thing, Sony is just putzing about with the cash grab tiers. Unless you never buy games on release it’s not worth it.
That being said, Stray Blade is actually quite fun.

Still more tangible and more legitimate than phantom blade zero.

@NEStalgia it’s basically a PlayStation linear narrative game stretched out to the point it’s been drawn and quartered. Ragnarok did this exceptionally well because every inch had meaning and purpose. Spiderman 2 is just vacant. The first one was good but outstayed its welcome, second was better story wise but its world felt bland and uninteresting. It sold very well but for all intents and purposes is a flop. Interest has petered out and stores don’t want copies on their shelves. Smaller scale would have done it a lot of good.

At risk of getting obliterated, Helldivers 2 is also a much much better game in terms of time investment. Spiderman 2 is probably the most barren and empty world PlayStation consoles have seen in a while. Outside of the npc and vehicle density, there’s very little of meaning to do and the campaign is so short it’s frustrating to do side content knowing how after twenty or thirty minutes of slinging around you’ve run out of stuff to do.

@Kingy I’m munching my metaphorical popcorn. This guy cannot handle a wrecked career and reputation, dude has to make sure he gets proper credit for being a massive POS.

Bet he’ll enjoy another sentence for slander. This guy is just one big idiot.

@AverageGamer Microsoft gets a lot of hate but they are a business and want to perform well. Of all the industries to cut corners in, the gaming industry has to be one of the most damaging to do so in. Especially in recent years, where gamers (myself included) are tired of busted ports and cheap servers, poor optimization etc.

If the Xbox is doing as poorly as it seems, it’s good to see them taking this situation seriously. Also sea of thieves is a great, chill and fun game. Will be transferring my account over without a doubt.

@trev666 yep, especially so for a linear action game like this. Day one purchase to a “whenever new game plus releases” purchase for me, devs need to pick up on this kind of thing if they really want to maximize sales. Never a good thing to say “we don’t have this at launch”. I made the mistake of buying Spiderman 2 at launch, felt like I wasted 100 bucks and sold my copy. Got a free copy, sold that too. New game plus released and I still have no desire to go back.

@Czar_Khastik that game changed my life. I got a tattoo saying “precious” with Gary busey below it as a result. Couldn’t be more proud.

@ErrantRob I already got my copy but haven’t touched it due to dragons dogma 2. I know I’ll enjoy it when I do, but yeah it does look pretty derivative. A fun time but nothing truly unique

@Axelay71 I run a 4K 65” tv, so 1080 doesn’t look the greatest but I can always use the reality creation setting to make it a little more crisp. If a game runs like molasses I can’t do anything about it, not even vrr can save it. Dragons Dogma 2 has big frame issues but it’s a remarkably stable and great looking game so I can live with it. Granblue Fantasy Relink performance mod is 1080 with minimal upscaling but still looks fine and runs at a very crisp 60 fps with nearly no drops. Developers need to understand that visuals affect sales marginally, performance affects sales majorly. Focus on ensuring your game runs well and the rest can be figured out in time. Wild Hearts is a perfect example of failure on both fronts. Lots of visual issues and performed was horrific, patches fixed the little and the game failed as a result. It was an amazing game that, if given more TLC, would have been a hit.

@Axelay71 there’s less and less people demanding that now and more people just wanting their 90 dose purchase (Canadian here) to be worth their money. If a game is falling apart at the seams due to poor optimization there’s no one to blame but the developers and publishers. I want my games to run well, that’s it! I don’t care if you’re rolling 1080p at 40 fps, but when games come out that struggle to run 1080p at 30? That’s when I think the layoffs are justified and there are people won’t aren’t worth keeping on payroll.

That went from a must buy for me to an “I don’t care”. Tired of developers being allowed to be lazy. Don’t get me wrong layoffs suck, but as harsh as it is, if you release games in a horrible state (beyond just frame rate issues, that’s forgivable) then maybe you aren’t cut out for this line of work.

As a consumer, I’m tired of the “development is hard” argument when games do poorly as a result of poor optimization. I hear the same complaint from retail workers whose only job is to talk to customers and place orders. There’s always someone better than you.

I’d rather microtransactions than launches like cyberpunk, waiting two years for only a fraction of the promised content and the game to be playable. Controversial take perhaps, but do your job and whatever money you make is earned.

@R_Ryder fine by me. Don’t have an issue with the firm, more so certain individuals that work there who are behaving unprofessionally. Pretty standard for most companies now, always a couple bad eggs making the whole firm look bad.

@KundaliniRising333 aye, that’s another factor. The increase in price without increase in overall quality is hurting sales. This is not going to work long term, unless there’s more punishment for poor optimization.

@DennisReynolds I genuinely do not put any value in these sales charts anymore. Include digital sales as well or consider your reporting useless. I’ve genuinely no idea how this isn’t a thing by now.

@SgtTruth exactly my sentiment. New hardware isn’t needed, but new software that is only able to run on a Pro model? Sure, I’m down. The studios that are getting shuttered are mostly studios pumping out rubbish, layoffs are hitting everyone. At the end of the day, as a consumer, I will put my money where I get the most benefit. If that harms developers, that’s not my problem. This statement sounds like a fear that if hardware and software upgrades make developers less necessary for optimization then jobs will be lost. But I dunno, I think if a game runs like garbage then some jobs weren’t needed.

Then make some games that take advantage of the software and don’t run like a constipated dog. Seriously, developer integrity is down the tubes. If a hardware improvement, such as the proprietary upscaling, means I don’t have to trust your empty promises then I’m ok with that. If that means less pay, job security and stuff for you? Make better products.

@Czar_Khastik please! I’ll do anything! Take the precious! Just let my life not lose 10 hours!

Planning on it and have my copy already. Dragons Dogma is too busy stealing my time though.

@Dragoon1994 same thing as the steam deck. Don’t get me wrong, both are nice but I’m tired of the private storefront sales. Way too complicated and costly for the consumer to get it anywhere outside of where the company is based.

Virtuos? Hard pass then, that studio has a terrible track record. Hopefully they’ve learned a lot, but it’s rough to hear this.

@gymratAmarillo worth mentioning that bungie is also frequently considered the industry’s “problem spouse”. Always getting into new arrangements with companies, making a mess and then playing victim. About time they were forced to grow up.

@Jay767 sounds like even their devs are hoping for this. Current management is nuts.

@Th3solution yep, any interest I had in marathon is gone now. Especially since this is change really seems to feel like one brought on by a desperation to get the game out, instead of one for creative reasons.

@gymratAmarillo that supposed leaked email indicates Sony is extremely angry with bungie management, and unless I’m missing further context it sounds like they’re more than willing to pursue legal action. Every time bungie gets bought by a bigger company they self sabotage and then leave. It sounds more and more like Sony will be the one to wipe them out, or at least the completely unhinged and incompetent managers. Developers at bungie have for years been open about management being a mess, and laying off devs to “recoup” their losses due to bad decisions.

@nomither6 coop games like this are my jam. Interestingly I don’t feel the need to play, just the occasional desire to do so. They designed the game in a way that doesn’t punish you for not playing, but still rewards your investment. Live services should follow this model, let people make their own progress at their own pace and they’ll enjoy your product more.

Arrowheads slogan is true. Even Miyazaki had once stated as much, and I’ve said the same for years. By trying to be an attractive product to everyone, you effectively diminish quality to an unsalvageable extent. Arrowhead knew what they wanted to make, then released it. They just happened to make a game that many many people respect and love. Passion sells.

@spcspc aye, rebirth is great but the last boss really made me go “time to take a break to relax and be in the best head space for dragons dogma”. Helldivers is getting the break treatment too, but dang i love it. It’s just a fun game. While people can be kinda obnoxious, the game is what all games should be: fun. Arrowhead understand this and they also know how to appreciate success, and their diligence with ironing out issues speaks volumes. Well deserved.

Perhaps I’m not informed, but can someone with knowledge clarify why exactly we don’t calculate sales of both physical and digital across the board? I feel like with so much digital content these days, there’s no reason to not count it everywhere.

@BamBamBaklava89 yup, couldn’t agree more. Essential has better offerings, which is confusing honestly. Ditched premium for it, and have no complaints.

Great month for people who haven’t played any of the games provided. Not sure how many that is, but hey, enjoy them if you got them.

@Sergo if they get lazier they’ll get shut down which is fine by me. Either that or parent companies will be forced to properly upgrade their proprietary engines. Koei Tecmo’s Katana engine and Bethesda’s Creation engine are both dumpster fires, and small revamps are making their inherent flaws worse.

@MomsSpaghetti marketing should be “imagine if every game were an exclusive.” But yeah, this sounds like a huge deal. Only question is whether it will be console side or dev side. The latter would make it pointless, but if the console has more or less of an overlay then it would mean we wouldn’t have to rely on devs to care. Some of the most fun games this generation gameplay wise have been marred by performance problems and it’s not exclusive to PlayStation. Devs in general are struggling to optimize their software.

@BAMozzy going back to the ps4, it had a chunky price drop in Canada from 479 to 328, later 279. PS4 pro then launched at 499. Id imagine a similar tactic here, albeit with a less substantial price drop. I’d estimate we’d be looking at 699 to 729 CaD for the pro. Nothing to scoff at, but I’d say it’s more likely than not.

@MrMagic the upscaling tech is the big sell here. It means PlayStation is willing to invest in things to make developer failures (or inabilities) a non issue. Given how many games struggle to maintain decent frame rates or resolutions, this could be a massive step forward.

@3Above I’ve no idea why Disney doesn’t can their contract, it’s horrendous PR. Remake is apparently not dead but if Aspyr touches it I’ll pass. Studio used to be decent but lately they just ruin a lot and make minimal effort.

@Andy22385 after hearing about it pre release I was put off. Then at a certain point in the game it’s forced on you, and oh god I’m so glad it was. Genuinely an amazing time, super fun and relaxing. Love it.

Downgraded to essential when my premium sub lapsed in February. Was planning to upgrade to extra if dead island 2 came but alas, buncha rubbish. The problem with ps plus tiers is that they routinely add games that have been pretty much either beaten by people that have been day one owners of ps5, or are ports of ps4 games that again have been beaten. Either that or they don’t appeal, which makes it very low value. To each their own, glad some folks are getting enjoyment but it’s amusing how the more expensive tiers are effectively punishments for the most dedicated users.

@dskatter this was my takeaway. Fes was also sold separately if I recall correctly. If they were asking 90 dollars then yeah, outrage deserved. But I dunno, sounds like it’s just another anger train to me. Could be avoided by announcing it as 39.99 without other dlc or expansion pass. Then it’s just an expansion.

@Happymoogle with how much variety there is, I couldn’t even truly enjoy playing past the first few hours knowing that I won’t be able to experience it with my character as much as I want. Waiting two years to get the game to what it should have been only to be told, hey, replay ability hasn’t changed much. I’ve got other things to play, and life calls as well.

One step closer to a day one purchase for me, then. Is the combat less floaty than nioh or wolong?

Honestly I’d completely support Xbox being just a subscription platform that doesn’t have a separate ecosystem. For Microsoft this would likely be more profitable than it would to keep chugging away at console sales, or lack thereof. As a PlayStation user, every time I’ve tried to give Xbox a shot I’m mortified by the poor hdr implementation, choppy dashboard and overall confusing feature list. Competition is good, and it would still exist if gamepass was everywhere since Sony, Nintendo and co would still need to ensure their own offerings are good enough to compete with people who already have tons to play.

@JeongersGaming just speculation, but it’s possible they were waiting to see if the base game did well. If it flopped, they can rerelease it next year for the same price with the extra content. If it did well, which obviously it did, then they can sell the dlc as addon content. For what it’s worth, it’s better than p5r which not only made you buy the game again, but also didn’t carry over progress because it was a ‘new’ game. A great one, don’t get me wrong, but genuinely messed up practices mar an otherwise stellar product.

If it was slated to release next year I’d say fine, makes sense. But mere months after the release? And sold only with extra cosmetics? I call BS.

A lot of creators die, but this is to me like Stan Lee passing. There is massive void left by Toriyama.

@dskatter never cared much for this type of thing but I don’t condone this level of censorship. The guy is a piece of human garbage, don’t get me wrong. But I feel like with such a severe and frankly in your face degree of blurring, modifying footage etc the game may as well have been delayed. Pretty absurd.

Still, guy should have gotten lost years ago. As someone who has buddies that dig wrestling when I don’t, they’re always surprised when he comes back. He’s notoriously problematic and I’m genuinely surprised they allowed him to stick around. The recent allegations are horrific, but it’s not his first rodeo with being called out for being a wretch.

No release date means I don’t even care to bother with the fps/gameplay debate. It’s what, the fourth or fifth time this game has been shown? Still, looks like a ps plus title or a discount one. Can’t tell what the overall gameplay loop is aside from “dark and gritty fights.”

This is why news is not worth a cent, the paywalled sites are just as prone to inaccuracies and botched reporting as the other free stuff. I love seeing this from those outlets though, because it does cause embarrassment.

Just to clarify, news itself is invaluable but having to pay for it doesn’t make it better or more reliable.