Well, there we have it folks. Honest Hick confirms that Xbox has NO games*
*in VR
For the record, there are enough PS users to fill a planet that are critical towards decisions that Sony has made in terms of live service push. It was at least 10 games and three studios too much and tied up development and ressources which has resulted in a lot of devs getting paid for absolute zero returns.
Summer Games Fest just happened, and sadly the public execution of Haven didn't happen. Maybe we can get a blog post next month about how the studio was nuked from orbit. Everything about it is so ludicrous. The Project Hearts or secret alpha-thing and the slinking exit of J. Ray are proof that this is basically a scam-project as I've always said.
That's good - Sony produced an entertaining slate of news, and people took a look at it. This could incentivize Sony to strive for excellence when putting together a state of Play.
It will be interesting to compare it to Summer Games and Microsoft's. Or even the State of Unreal. I just looked up the state of Unreal and the Witcher 4 showcase might be the most impressive graphical demonstration I've ever seen!
I voted it as a top tier and excellent State of Play.
I do that because it had so much going for it. Great reveals, lots of quirky, fun games, peripherals, banger additions to Premium, updates for fan favorites, VR announcements. You'd have to be a no-name troll to come on here and act unimpressed😂
First Light was a definite highlight for me.
I especially think it is great due to the onslaught of games to be presented in Summer Games Fest, Microsoft show, and all the individual showcases from studios, publishers or individual games.
To be able to present an awesome slate of games, peripherals and additions to service is impressive in light of how the SOPs have suffered from a loss of prestige. A huge leap in the right direction.
Yeah! Agree on the absurdity of missing games! It is like Microsoft and Playstation switched destinies.
Hermen Hulst, Connie Booth and Jim Ryan should be held accountable for not only gutting many studios but putting in their place vapourware factories like Haven, Bend and Firewalk Studio.
The games they do release are great, though. I really enjoyed Ragnarok and have reserved titles like Forbidden West (which I keep pushing away instead of playing) and Spider-Man 2.
Playstation are nearing the status of Steam - a preferred storefront and console for playing 1st, 2nd and 3rd-party stuff.
I think that my PS5 Pro, Portal and PSVR2 will last me for a very long time (4+ more years at least. I could also see a future where hardware upgrades are more or less irrelevant to getting a great performance and fidelity), unless I sell them for close to what I paid for them. In my case, I can probably squeeze out even more than what I paid for the PS5 Pro.
Well, it is just one month's offering and coupled with the extra library I can play through all of Destiny 2's story. I will try and speed run it.
I caved in and subscribed to Premium and I am completely flabbergasted by the wealth of content. I feel like I am at a buffet. I went to the soon-to-expire pile and settled on trying Monster Hunter Rise (my niece and daughter watched for 15 minutes) and when I get home, I'll try Kajak VR as the first VR experience on PS5 Pro. I am ready to be offered a chill experience. It is nice that Sony makes it easy to tell what you need to play first before it goes away from the service(s).
I am confused - why can't I access my Sony Pictures Movie sub as part of the premium package on my Portal and why can't I 'STREAM' games on the Portal? I thought you could actually do WITHOUT a console if you subbed the Premium tier? But maybe it is because I try to stream from the console and I should access the Portal UI?
Had a lot of fun this weekend wrapping up seemingly endless activities, dlc and side quests in Dying Light 2 - a game utterly transformed since my first playthrough of a barebone experience. The Pro mode is well made and compared to any one graphical setting is vastly superior. The game is so fun, but I think I should rest it before completing the main quests in DLC and story.
I have decided to buy discounted Premium and try out the highest wrung tier of subscription gaming on PlayStation for a whole year. There's a bunch of games across all three tiers I'd like to try and as a Destiny fan I should finally play through 4-5 years of story dlc landing on the service.
My prediction is that within a year Expedition, Indiana Jones and The Rebellion RPG will all have come to the service.
I might also buy Spider Man 2 as I have an itch for the pinnacle of single player gaming: Sony 1st party studio gaming! But I should really finish BG3 and take up my run of KCD II as I have criminally left them tittering towards the jaws of backlog oblivion😂
Hah! I forgot about streaming and online access. I will splurge and get it. Thank you for the push over the edge. I read that you had developed some games once, and I was like: 'So cool'!
I am also abstaining from dipping into offers for digital games as they are simply not enticing save for Spider-Man 2. I am tempted after playing Ragnarok which was AMAZING. There's something about Playstation♥️
Actually, I think PS Plus Premium is even better value than bargain hunting on Steam, if you can live with someone else choosing your range of selection (which also happens as not EVERY game is discounted on steam ALL the time and at prices you find appealing).
A classic catalogue + trials + films + 390+ extra games library + access to previously claimed essential games + 12 months of added content is actually great value no matter how you look at it.
I think it might just be marketing, but Days of Play has historically been about giving away games as fan service. Remember Corona! They gave away free games back then. But it is marketing, however early they planned it and I personally feel it is working!
I am genuinely tempted to try a year of PS Plus Premium. It isn't even the games in the classics catalogue, but the fact that it is only a couple of dollars extra (see what I did there) on top of the fee for the middle tier.
There's maybe 5 games I would try right now, but the many-hour Trials and films are quite tempting. Plus there's five games or so on there I would at least try. And there will be 12 months of extra content coming in.
On top of that... 384 games currently, and about 20 I would play, and on top of that... 12 months of additions.
On top of that... 12 rounds of essential tier-games offering as well as access to my previously claimed games.
But it would mean I won't be buying new games, because I tend to limit myself to playing what I already have on offer.
I think PS Plus discounted 33 per cent is CRAZY good value.
Any one else jumping on the most expensive tier for the first time?
Chaste Sony is obscenely perverse when it comes to paying out salaries for w@#$_& and live service ghouls. But allow one dirty mod!? They'd rather die.
Yeah! Considering I will eventually sell my PS5 Pro(or keep for a decade!) for maybe 700-800 U$D because it costs in my country the equivalent to 913 USD it means I will actually break even on owning consoles since 2015. Effectively, I will only have paid for subscriptions and digital libraries of games. If I wasn't dumb, I'd have bought a disc drive and borrow/resale games to also effectively break even on that.
The PSVR 1+2 is another story. Gave away the first one to my nephews and the other set is still in my TV furniture drawer begging me to use them. I think they are slowly losing about 50 per cent of their value. I have to play the waiting game for it to go out of stock and be rare enough to suddenly retain or exceed their original price for entry.
I just spoke with the one purchasing my PS5 and we both regret getting rid of old systems. Like my Sega with cartridges. Or my first Playstation 1, 2, 3. I only have the original PS4 left to use for my daughter's needs.
I will say that getting a PS5 digital edition on launch day has been worth it for me. Recently, I've been as frugal as I possibly could be, but having a digital one isn't that purse pinching to begin with. I've bought several games full price and that really shows on the list of receipts.
But! I could have just sold my digital for 125-50 per cent during the days of scarcity and then picked up a disk edition as my country allows you to simply borrow (a select few and big) PS5 games for free at the local library.
GamePass needs PlayStation to fund its ridiculously generous selection of new and old games - but right now the Xbox Series X + GP has been the ultimate bargain for two years and running. But both companies need you on an essential tier for online gaming, which means a lot of gamers have gotten access to many, many games that are worth more than the subscription. They just only have access when subbed, that's the trade off.
If you really care about your gaming, you'd do well to invest in a PS5 Pro. All my testing shows that the game's run better, look better and can handle the game worlds much better than its little brother.
I have traded in my PS4 Pro (5 years ago), my PS5 (1 day ago) and was able to snag a PS 5 pro HEAVILY discounted due to it being a demo model for a supplier. All in all, that influx of good money earned from selling outdated consoles have contributed in making gaming an inexpensive and yet state of the art experience that PC gamers can only dream of and will have to pay 2000 dollars to truly achieve.
I hope they announce the public execution of everyone involved in the thieving Haven hive. I'm talking french guillotine and off with the head of Antoinette.
Also, I want Sony to go full pervert and reveal a game where you can press X to bonk. Alix Wilting Regan, the voice behind Alt in Cyberpunk, should voice the main male gaze. The story should be quite lengthy as that would require her to do voice recordings in pitch black room w/ skeleton crew for several days in total. I dunno, there's just something about this intelligent and talented and very beautiful voice worker having to do hamster squeaks for days that picks at my funny bones.
I'd love for Sony to present more Dead or Alive-service games.They've dedicated half of their entire armada to this fruitless, bankrupt and massively stupid endeavour and I don't think they're near ready to stop screwing that up, however chaste that company may be otherwise. If only droves of fans, there from the beginning, had audibly warned them on TouchCircle. All of this would've been avoided.
Cyberpunk is such an amazing game. I have completed it twice and started a third and final path-playthrough and really enjoyed my time with Night City.
You reported earlier that the leak was precipitated by suggestive lore present in Night City already and well-substantiated theory-crafting by the community. This leak doesn't ruin anything for me - it only fuels intelligent theorizing by an engaged audience waiting for the next installment. I saw something similar with how the hype and conversation surrounding the Harry Potter books kept the audience engaged.
You're right Not even the used market can beat those prices where I'm from. There's a difference between US market and my Scandinavian/European market, but I just managed, today, to sell a 5-year-old system for 414 dollars further bringing down the cost of my already heavily discounted PS5 Pro upgrade.
This narrative was cultured in both companies, studios and games media in 'a rising tide' mentality. Now, it seems that one simply dwarfs the other to the point where one walled garden has completely bled into the other, whilst loyalists still enjoy massive benefits to their streaming product.
We'll remember your feet dragging, when you come on here to sing M$' praises in the future as they reserve their games exclusively to a gaming service that treats every streamable device as an Xbox.
You should be delighted that Xbox in the meantime gets to tap into the sales of an ecosystem that has fostered and cultured the thought of actually buying games.
One of the people behind the great Middle earth games and his team are axed without them releasing anything.
And yet Haven STILL exists! Despite it obviously being a way to extract money to Jade Raymond and people of her I'll from Stadia, Ubisoft and Canada. They even put in the dollar sign in their silly name.
Project hearts underwent to massive disappointment from the pre-alpha testers. And yet PR Sony takes a hit from the bong and praises their work. I guess it is true what they say in the Iron Islands: "What Is Dead May Never Die"
I don't like any of the offers. It'd be cheaper for me to buy a disc drive for the pro and lend PS5 games via the library for free.
I am not to keen on subbing for a longer time either. By subbing two month I covered 4 good months, and my backlog improved when taking the sweet ass deal on PS5 pro, which I nearly got for half price.
Am still trying to sell my launch digital edition, nobody is willing to pay a lot for the privilege of owning an OG PS5 launch rarity. I am tempted to hold on to it. If the grey ones in limited stock are valuable, so should the OG limited stock be.
37 million viewers per episode? Oh.. I guess people like it, then. Which means a season 3 and 4 will happen. The parade of Neil Druckman shall go on unperturbed and he's going to keep getting to make games. People will buy those games, in large numbers.
My consumption ended with TLOU 2, and that's fine. It was still an object of curiosity for me to see how a more passive audience reacted to the shock and awe story that together with the reception became too polarizing. This is it for me. As my interest wanes, I will bow out and let the good people of Earth enjoy their jam and I mine in the future.
Was searching around the web for the 2025-era reception for Dying Light 2. I really like my second playthrough on PS5 Pro. What an experience! It plays so well, and reminds me, finally, of Dying Light 1 (which is a big praise). The graphics are truly amazing. Everything I disliked in my first meagre playthrough has been improved upon.
I am even more liking the story now. Meeting the doctor broke my heart this time as I actually learned about the GRE this time around. I am currently finishing up activities before starting the prologue. Still need to finish the DLC too.
First off, Bella Ramsey can really act and she ought to be beloved alone for her role in GoT. People wrote her off way before the show even started, and that affects the reception.
Side note: Why don't you take a hike with the judging of other people? You must be wevy big and wevy strong to curse at people online🤓
It is so boring and lame to hear the thought police roll in and police people's honest thoughts and reactions.
I kept letting Abby die throughout the entire game. I hated playing as that traitor. Just the fact that she goes through with her assassination after she's saved by the target is absolutely despicable.
Interestingly, she has SO MANY different death animations. I let her die in almost every scene and every situation. I played her like the indie game Baby Steps😂
Nah, most people severely disliked Abby. Obviously there's enough people to cover all sorts of viewpoints. But many wanted Ellie to kill off the terrible excuse of a character. Which spoiler alert (seriously, stop reading right now)
never happens as she stupidly stays her hand, and even worse doesn't put a bullet right in the center of the cross.
The viewpoint that Ellie shouldn't take off on the first revenge trip is as new as this episode.... like... Ellie is, in game, a sneaky and meticulous murder machine. She learned to trek from the best people possible. People who'd smuggle anything under the noses of city guards armed to the teeth.
If anything, Abby's decade long grudge on Joel is baffling. So, your murderous father was shut down in trying to operate a little girl to death and you don't let that go? Instead you are able to assemble a team of nobodies willing to trek across states to kill someone after scouting for him for years?
But yeah okay, Ellie shouldn't go. I guess that position was vacant.
If they just remove digital collectibles then a loyalty system is kind of a no-brainer.
With GamePass basically being free due to a combination of stacking, loyalty schemes, subscription cancelling and discounts, and the fact that it simply has more new games and all of the games from Xbox Studios, Playstation can't afford to piss their customers in the mouth anymore. They ***** up with live servicing. They butchered their own creative studios, and smashed the walled-off garden to let Xbox waltz in and capture the audience. Why shouldn't we just stream GamePass from a TV and let Sony fail themselves to death. So reward your customers, Sony. It ain't that hard.
Even though Jim Ryan is ultimately the one in charge, people who know much better than me are pointing at Hermen Hulst as the incompetent man who couldn't discern a death trap from a gold mine. It got me googling and this article is absolutely proof of Hermen Hulst needs to find new employment elsewhere. He was totally duped by Raymond's charm as well. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jade-raymond-and-hermen-hulst-on-why-sony-is-buying-haven
Yeah, I was just having a laugh being absurd. Didn't try and sell the podcast itself, at least not very well. But for listeners it might have some hidden subtext. Listen. They are good at talking. Sacred Symbols is free, so no paywall. But if you want to listen to an entire exposay that Colin does on the side, you have to pay 2-5 dollars at Pa(y)treon.
Also, I am old enough to call anyone a toddler with SOME confidence😂
Reading the ENORMOUS level of appreciation for Expedition 33 week after week and how it belongs in people's all time top 3 is otherworldly and strange. Congrats to all the gamers and the developers.
Am replaying Dying Light 2 and enjoying that to a degree that KCD II is happy to hold Techland's beer.
I found a little secret and as an original backer of the game it is fun to find a developer's room complete with a Thank You-letter and secret weapon.
In KCD 2, I am still rambling around the large city and marveling at the sights. I am in no rush, as this is basically my game of the generation.
The loud minority (who comes online to complain) and trophy hunters.
I was around for the MP of The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 and they were fun experiences if shortlived compared to the longevity of successful live service games.
It is a gated community with insider-access to the people that excite or shock the gaming world. It also has free-to-listen podcasts on every console and retro stuff. And a checks notes a discord channel if for some reason you're a little toddler that still uses that.
It features the legendary Dustin Firman (Yes, THAT Dustin Firman) and Chris (Oh-my-God-You've-been-Raygunned) Maldonado and a third guy, can't remember if he has a name even.
That's like... at least 13 good reasons, but hey... whose counting?
Jim Ryan must have really believed in Jade Raymond and Haven.
Before Jimbo set fail, sorry sail, to the strategy of Live Service-games, a studio had to prove their pedigree by releasing a few games before getting taken on by Sony. And we know that many studios were closed to give way to studios like Haven to be funded by Sony.
She had carefully orchestrated her image and career. It has resulted in her being handed the keys to several kingdoms which she in turn has managed. Truly, she couldn't have done it without gaming media outlets giving her 10-13 years of perfect media coverage, and having been in the biggest corporations working as a developer no less in her early days.
In my country, we have a fairy tale (her story is a fairy tale) about an emperor who wanted only the finest of things and a live a life of luxury for all to see the power, status and benevolence of himself, the emperor. So, one day a merchant offered him to create the finest silk robes that the world had ever seen. Only, the merchant didn't really create the robes, but rather convinced the emperor and, in turn, his subjects that the robes were so fine and elegant that the naked eye couldn't discern it. And so, on one parade an innocent boy cried out, "my lord, he is naked".
The good thing about modern gaming is that 7/10 games from say 2017-2021 have been updated for many years, often with DLC, and modern consoles have caught up in terms of technical prowess making the game's effectively better and bigger.
Dying Light 2 is another example of a game that I enjoy even more on my second playthrough. There's almost too much content which can dilute the overall quality and difficulty, but speed running around the city on a Pro is just plain fun as it should be!
OTHER - Fixed an animation conflict that could cause Deacon to launch into the air for long distances. - Damn, that was my preferred way of traveling due to my trigger finger being to weak to trigger the bike's movement.
I am hopeful that they will make a smart, consumer-friendly alternative. What I'd like is a more simplified reward system that gives you a little cash back for purchasing digital games. Also, they should keep some form of reward for playing certain games or doing certain activities. The rest can be cut.
But as a realist, I have to say they showed their hand in removing the option to cash out a 1000 point for a small amount of store credit. It came back, but that was probably because of someone or something forcing their hand to uphold their promises.
They had hoped that people would spend points on these digital products, presumably.
I had fun with Returnal. Or rather, Returnal had fun with me. I couldn't get past the first boss for the life of me. I wasn't really progressing. And then I went to a monolith in the start of the game and pressed on the button to host other players.
As you might imagine, this is where it gets interesting. My level was 11 or something - a player that had 99 joined me. A speedrunning GOD that defied the rules of the game. He took me, without dying once, ALL the way to a level where you jump these moving platforms and battle a thingamajig. All the way through I would be downed against bosses, and he would absolutely melt them and sometimes revive me only for me to be shut down by the game absolutely unfairly like it would cheat to kill me. Occasionally, he would quip: "I might die, the game doesn't like it when you progress this fast".
I have never seen anything like it - and I've raided aplenty in the old Destiny of yore.
My favorite game from Bethesda is most definitely Fallout 4.
But I chose Skyrim as the next game they ought to remaster. I have the game for my refrigerator and I would definitely upgrade to a next-gen fridge to enjoy the Real engine 5-remake.
Yeah - these summer months are going to bleed the service until those dreary autumn and winter months. There's a certain ebb and flow to PS Plus. We had some good months and now comes a smaller drought where you could hit up that 'ole log of yours.
I already have 100 hours in My GOTY KCD II but when I got to Kuttenberg, I creamed my pants and just fell off the game again because of me wanting to try every game possible to see how it looks and performs on the strongest console in the universe (have it echo when reading with your inner voice).
The latest is Dying Light 2. Many thought it was soooo bad when it launched, myself included. I finished it without any enjoyment, but now after several years and 1.5 console generations it is an entirely altered beast. Still some problems with the way combat handles where I think it is too basic, but everything is padded out. And the lift in visuals make it a great experience that feels fresh. Don't count out Polish companies. Give it time. I shelled out way too much I thought but now everyone are reaping the benefits of them being funded by those who believed their marketing.
For me a clear 10/10 awesome experience that belongs somewhere up high in my top 10 games ever. Maybe it even takes 1st place. That game had everything! The DLC is also some of the best DLC ever!
I'm surprised that so many are finding the combat the object of criticism. Makes me fear that CDPR might dumb down combat to cater to the lowest denominators out there. Don't do that, CDPR!
Good people of Earth, the Pro upgrade is SO worth it. That world is even more fully realised and more beautiful with a little more graphical prowess under the hood. It is so peaceful to stroll through the woods and lands of this game - minus the bitter battles and funny exchanges that always pop up during your travels. I came by a hunter's lodge which also doubled as a smokehouse and the smoke was coming out of the windows of that house and it was hard to describe how awesome the game looks from the perspective of heat and smoke particles alone. I have missed my GOTY. I know Expedition 33 is good, but even though I've yet to try it there can be no one else but KCD!
Comments 1,317
Re: Reaction: Sony Finally Understands the Assignment with One of the Best State of Plays of the PS5 Era
@HonestHick
So, Xbox has no (VR) games, you say?
Well, there we have it folks. Honest Hick confirms that Xbox has NO games*
*in VR
For the record, there are enough PS users to fill a planet that are critical towards decisions that Sony has made in terms of live service push. It was at least 10 games and three studios too much and tied up development and ressources which has resulted in a lot of devs getting paid for absolute zero returns.
Summer Games Fest just happened, and sadly the public execution of Haven didn't happen. Maybe we can get a blog post next month about how the studio was nuked from orbit. Everything about it is so ludicrous. The Project Hearts or secret alpha-thing and the slinking exit of J. Ray are proof that this is basically a scam-project as I've always said.
Re: Reaction: Sony Finally Understands the Assignment with One of the Best State of Plays of the PS5 Era
@HonestHick
Where are the Xbox VR games?
Re: PS5's Brilliant New State of Play Breaks Records for Sony
That's good - Sony produced an entertaining slate of news, and people took a look at it. This could incentivize Sony to strive for excellence when putting together a state of Play.
It will be interesting to compare it to Summer Games and Microsoft's. Or even the State of Unreal. I just looked up the state of Unreal and the Witcher 4 showcase might be the most impressive graphical demonstration I've ever seen!
Re: Poll: How Would You Rate State of Play for June 2025?
I voted it as a top tier and excellent State of Play.
I do that because it had so much going for it. Great reveals, lots of quirky, fun games, peripherals, banger additions to Premium, updates for fan favorites, VR announcements. You'd have to be a no-name troll to come on here and act unimpressed😂
First Light was a definite highlight for me.
I especially think it is great due to the onslaught of games to be presented in Summer Games Fest, Microsoft show, and all the individual showcases from studios, publishers or individual games.
To be able to present an awesome slate of games, peripherals and additions to service is impressive in light of how the SOPs have suffered from a loss of prestige. A huge leap in the right direction.
Re: State of Play Confirmed for 4th June, 40+ Minutes of PS5 Games
@Propaperpusher
Yeah! Agree on the absurdity of missing games! It is like Microsoft and Playstation switched destinies.
Hermen Hulst, Connie Booth and Jim Ryan should be held accountable for not only gutting many studios but putting in their place vapourware factories like Haven, Bend and Firewalk Studio.
The games they do release are great, though. I really enjoyed Ragnarok and have reserved titles like Forbidden West (which I keep pushing away instead of playing) and Spider-Man 2.
Playstation are nearing the status of Steam - a preferred storefront and console for playing 1st, 2nd and 3rd-party stuff.
I think that my PS5 Pro, Portal and PSVR2 will last me for a very long time (4+ more years at least. I could also see a future where hardware upgrades are more or less irrelevant to getting a great performance and fidelity), unless I sell them for close to what I paid for them. In my case, I can probably squeeze out even more than what I paid for the PS5 Pro.
Re: Yes, More Korean Dating Games Are Coming to PS5
A day one PS Plus-game?
Blue Balls Prince.
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your PS5 Predictions for Summer Game Fest 2025?
Dreams:
Stuff I don't want to waste time hearing about
Re: Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for June 2025?
Well, it is just one month's offering and coupled with the extra library I can play through all of Destiny 2's story. I will try and speed run it.
I caved in and subscribed to Premium and I am completely flabbergasted by the wealth of content. I feel like I am at a buffet. I went to the soon-to-expire pile and settled on trying Monster Hunter Rise (my niece and daughter watched for 15 minutes) and when I get home, I'll try Kajak VR as the first VR experience on PS5 Pro. I am ready to be offered a chill experience. It is nice that Sony makes it easy to tell what you need to play first before it goes away from the service(s).
I am confused - why can't I access my Sony Pictures Movie sub as part of the premium package on my Portal and why can't I 'STREAM' games on the Portal? I thought you could actually do WITHOUT a console if you subbed the Premium tier? But maybe it is because I try to stream from the console and I should access the Portal UI?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 583
Had a lot of fun this weekend wrapping up seemingly endless activities, dlc and side quests in Dying Light 2 - a game utterly transformed since my first playthrough of a barebone experience. The Pro mode is well made and compared to any one graphical setting is vastly superior. The game is so fun, but I think I should rest it before completing the main quests in DLC and story.
I have decided to buy discounted Premium and try out the highest wrung tier of subscription gaming on PlayStation for a whole year. There's a bunch of games across all three tiers I'd like to try and as a Destiny fan I should finally play through 4-5 years of story dlc landing on the service.
My prediction is that within a year Expedition, Indiana Jones and The Rebellion RPG will all have come to the service.
I might also buy Spider Man 2 as I have an itch for the pinnacle of single player gaming: Sony 1st party studio gaming! But I should really finish BG3 and take up my run of KCD II as I have criminally left them tittering towards the jaws of backlog oblivion😂
Re: First Bonus PS Plus Extra Game from Days of Play Available Now on PS5
@Titntin
Thanks!
Hah! I forgot about streaming and online access. I will splurge and get it. Thank you for the push over the edge. I read that you had developed some games once, and I was like: 'So cool'!
Re: Days of Play 2025 - All the Best PS5, PS5 Pro, PS Plus, PS5 Game Deals
@16BitHero
Ahh yes, the elusive backlog. A mysterious and shifty creature that one. The legend goes that so far no gamer had ever caught up with their backlog.
Re: Days of Play 2025 - All the Best PS5, PS5 Pro, PS Plus, PS5 Game Deals
@16BitHero
I am also abstaining from dipping into offers for digital games as they are simply not enticing save for Spider-Man 2. I am tempted after playing Ragnarok which was AMAZING. There's something about Playstation♥️
Actually, I think PS Plus Premium is even better value than bargain hunting on Steam, if you can live with someone else choosing your range of selection (which also happens as not EVERY game is discounted on steam ALL the time and at prices you find appealing).
A classic catalogue + trials + films + 390+ extra games library + access to previously claimed essential games + 12 months of added content is actually great value no matter how you look at it.
I want to try or replay 20+ games on extra as is.
Re: First Bonus PS Plus Extra Game from Days of Play Available Now on PS5
I think it might just be marketing, but Days of Play has historically been about giving away games as fan service. Remember Corona! They gave away free games back then. But it is marketing, however early they planned it and I personally feel it is working!
I am genuinely tempted to try a year of PS Plus Premium. It isn't even the games in the classics catalogue, but the fact that it is only a couple of dollars extra (see what I did there) on top of the fee for the middle tier.
There's maybe 5 games I would try right now, but the many-hour Trials and films are quite tempting. Plus there's five games or so on there I would at least try. And there will be 12 months of extra content coming in.
On top of that... 384 games currently, and about 20 I would play, and on top of that... 12 months of additions.
On top of that... 12 rounds of essential tier-games offering as well as access to my previously claimed games.
But it would mean I won't be buying new games, because I tend to limit myself to playing what I already have on offer.
I think PS Plus discounted 33 per cent is CRAZY good value.
Any one else jumping on the most expensive tier for the first time?
Re: The Witcher 3 Final Patch Confirmed, Adds Mods on PS5
Chaste Sony is obscenely perverse when it comes to paying out salaries for w@#$_& and live service ghouls. But allow one dirty mod!? They'd rather die.
Re: PS5's Black Ops 6 Bundle Takes Us Full Circle After Xbox's Activision Buyout
@LogicStrikesAgain
Yeah! Considering I will eventually sell my PS5 Pro(or keep for a decade!) for maybe 700-800 U$D because it costs in my country the equivalent to 913 USD it means I will actually break even on owning consoles since 2015. Effectively, I will only have paid for subscriptions and digital libraries of games. If I wasn't dumb, I'd have bought a disc drive and borrow/resale games to also effectively break even on that.
The PSVR 1+2 is another story. Gave away the first one to my nephews and the other set is still in my TV furniture drawer begging me to use them. I think they are slowly losing about 50 per cent of their value. I have to play the waiting game for it to go out of stock and be rare enough to suddenly retain or exceed their original price for entry.
I just spoke with the one purchasing my PS5 and we both regret getting rid of old systems. Like my Sega with cartridges. Or my first Playstation 1, 2, 3. I only have the original PS4 left to use for my daughter's needs.
Re: Very Fittingly, Expedition 33 Has Sold 3.3 Million Copies in 33 Days
@TheDudeElDuderino
Oh, right! Yeah, yeah... The prequel!
(Still no!🤦)
Re: Reaction: There's Never Been a Better Time to Buy a PS5
@SBBuds
Great argument. It makes perfect sense.
I will say that getting a PS5 digital edition on launch day has been worth it for me. Recently, I've been as frugal as I possibly could be, but having a digital one isn't that purse pinching to begin with. I've bought several games full price and that really shows on the list of receipts.
But! I could have just sold my digital for 125-50 per cent during the days of scarcity and then picked up a disk edition as my country allows you to simply borrow (a select few and big) PS5 games for free at the local library.
GamePass needs PlayStation to fund its ridiculously generous selection of new and old games - but right now the Xbox Series X + GP has been the ultimate bargain for two years and running. But both companies need you on an essential tier for online gaming, which means a lot of gamers have gotten access to many, many games that are worth more than the subscription. They just only have access when subbed, that's the trade off.
If you really care about your gaming, you'd do well to invest in a PS5 Pro. All my testing shows that the game's run better, look better and can handle the game worlds much better than its little brother.
I have traded in my PS4 Pro (5 years ago), my PS5 (1 day ago) and was able to snag a PS 5 pro HEAVILY discounted due to it being a demo model for a supplier. All in all, that influx of good money earned from selling outdated consoles have contributed in making gaming an inexpensive and yet state of the art experience that PC gamers can only dream of and will have to pay 2000 dollars to truly achieve.
Re: PlayStation an Official Partner at Summer Game Fest
I hope they announce the public execution of everyone involved in the thieving Haven hive. I'm talking french guillotine and off with the head of Antoinette.
Also, I want Sony to go full pervert and reveal a game where you can press X to bonk. Alix Wilting Regan, the voice behind Alt in Cyberpunk, should voice the main male gaze. The story should be quite lengthy as that would require her to do voice recordings in pitch black room w/ skeleton crew for several days in total. I dunno, there's just something about this intelligent and talented and very beautiful voice worker having to do hamster squeaks for days that picks at my funny bones.
I'd love for Sony to present more Dead or Alive-service games.They've dedicated half of their entire armada to this fruitless, bankrupt and massively stupid endeavour and I don't think they're near ready to stop screwing that up, however chaste that company may be otherwise. If only droves of fans, there from the beginning, had audibly warned them on TouchCircle. All of this would've been avoided.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077's Highly Anticipated Sequel Has Entered Pre-Production
Cyberpunk is such an amazing game. I have completed it twice and started a third and final path-playthrough and really enjoyed my time with Night City.
You reported earlier that the leak was precipitated by suggestive lore present in Night City already and well-substantiated theory-crafting by the community. This leak doesn't ruin anything for me - it only fuels intelligent theorizing by an engaged audience waiting for the next installment. I saw something similar with how the hype and conversation surrounding the Harry Potter books kept the audience engaged.
Re: PS5's Black Ops 6 Bundle Takes Us Full Circle After Xbox's Activision Buyout
@LogicStrikesAgain
You're right Not even the used market can beat those prices where I'm from. There's a difference between US market and my Scandinavian/European market, but I just managed, today, to sell a 5-year-old system for 414 dollars further bringing down the cost of my already heavily discounted PS5 Pro upgrade.
Re: PS5's Black Ops 6 Bundle Takes Us Full Circle After Xbox's Activision Buyout
@cburg
This narrative was cultured in both companies, studios and games media in 'a rising tide' mentality. Now, it seems that one simply dwarfs the other to the point where one walled garden has completely bled into the other, whilst loyalists still enjoy massive benefits to their streaming product.
We'll remember your feet dragging, when you come on here to sing M$' praises in the future as they reserve their games exclusively to a gaming service that treats every streamable device as an Xbox.
You should be delighted that Xbox in the meantime gets to tap into the sales of an ecosystem that has fostered and cultured the thought of actually buying games.
Re: EA's Black Panther Game Cancelled, Studio Shut Down
One of the people behind the great Middle earth games and his team are axed without them releasing anything.
And yet Haven STILL exists! Despite it obviously being a way to extract money to Jade Raymond and people of her I'll from Stadia, Ubisoft and Canada. They even put in the dollar sign in their silly name.
Project hearts underwent to massive disappointment from the pre-alpha testers. And yet PR Sony takes a hit from the bong and praises their work. I guess it is true what they say in the Iron Islands: "What Is Dead May Never Die"
Re: PS Store Days of Play Sale Is Live Now with 1,300+ PS5, PS4 Game Discounts
If I hadn't picked up KCD2 at launch, I would now with a fat and juicy 20 per cent off and many patches later.
Superb game that I have 100 hours in already without finishing yet. Highly recommend it!
Re: It's Crazy How The Division 2 Is Still Getting Superb Support on PS4
I was tempted when scrolling my library to see how it performs on a Pro. And just fall into the loot-goblin trap...
Re: PS5 Days of Play Sales Live from 28th May, Call of Duty Bundle Revealed
I don't like any of the offers. It'd be cheaper for me to buy a disc drive for the pro and lend PS5 games via the library for free.
I am not to keen on subbing for a longer time either. By subbing two month I covered 4 good months, and my backlog improved when taking the sweet ass deal on PS5 pro, which I nearly got for half price.
Am still trying to sell my launch digital edition, nobody is willing to pay a lot for the privilege of owning an OG PS5 launch rarity. I am tempted to hold on to it. If the grey ones in limited stock are valuable, so should the OG limited stock be.
Re: Very Fittingly, Expedition 33 Has Sold 3.3 Million Copies in 33 Days
That's literally fate at play... Can't wait for expedition 34.
Re: HBO's The Last of Us Sees a Dramatic Decline in Season 2 Finale Viewers
@Logonogo
Thank you, kind masked-weazel. Cry not for me, as I slip into bliss eternal.
Re: HBO's The Last of Us Sees a Dramatic Decline in Season 2 Finale Viewers
37 million viewers per episode? Oh.. I guess people like it, then. Which means a season 3 and 4 will happen. The parade of Neil Druckman shall go on unperturbed and he's going to keep getting to make games. People will buy those games, in large numbers.
My consumption ended with TLOU 2, and that's fine. It was still an object of curiosity for me to see how a more passive audience reacted to the shock and awe story that together with the reception became too polarizing. This is it for me. As my interest wanes, I will bow out and let the good people of Earth enjoy their jam and I mine in the future.
Re: PS5 Pro Gives Dying Light 2 Improved Graphics Modes, Better Resolutions
Was searching around the web for the 2025-era reception for Dying Light 2. I really like my second playthrough on PS5 Pro. What an experience! It plays so well, and reminds me, finally, of Dying Light 1 (which is a big praise). The graphics are truly amazing. Everything I disliked in my first meagre playthrough has been improved upon.
I am even more liking the story now. Meeting the doctor broke my heart this time as I actually learned about the GRE this time around. I am currently finishing up activities before starting the prologue. Still need to finish the DLC too.
Re: TV Show Review: The Last Of Us (HBO) Season 2 Episode 7 - Great Game Makes for Okay TV
@TheKurgan
First off, Bella Ramsey can really act and she ought to be beloved alone for her role in GoT. People wrote her off way before the show even started, and that affects the reception.
Side note: Why don't you take a hike with the judging of other people? You must be wevy big and wevy strong to curse at people online🤓
It is so boring and lame to hear the thought police roll in and police people's honest thoughts and reactions.
Re: TV Show Review: The Last Of Us (HBO) Season 2 Episode 7 - Great Game Makes for Okay TV
@KilloWertz
I kept letting Abby die throughout the entire game. I hated playing as that traitor. Just the fact that she goes through with her assassination after she's saved by the target is absolutely despicable.
Interestingly, she has SO MANY different death animations. I let her die in almost every scene and every situation. I played her like the indie game Baby Steps😂
Re: TV Show Review: The Last Of Us (HBO) Season 2 Episode 7 - Great Game Makes for Okay TV
@get2sammyb
Nah, most people severely disliked Abby. Obviously there's enough people to cover all sorts of viewpoints. But many wanted Ellie to kill off the terrible excuse of a character. Which spoiler alert (seriously, stop reading right now)
never happens as she stupidly stays her hand, and even worse doesn't put a bullet right in the center of the cross.
The viewpoint that Ellie shouldn't take off on the first revenge trip is as new as this episode.... like... Ellie is, in game, a sneaky and meticulous murder machine. She learned to trek from the best people possible. People who'd smuggle anything under the noses of city guards armed to the teeth.
If anything, Abby's decade long grudge on Joel is baffling. So, your murderous father was shut down in trying to operate a little girl to death and you don't let that go? Instead you are able to assemble a team of nobodies willing to trek across states to kill someone after scouting for him for years?
But yeah okay, Ellie shouldn't go. I guess that position was vacant.
Re: Poll: Do You Care About the Death of PS Stars?
@Almost_Ghostly
Since you don't really argue what your opinion is, I think it is safe to ignore you. See you never.
Re: Poll: Do You Care About the Death of PlayStation Stars?
If they just remove digital collectibles then a loyalty system is kind of a no-brainer.
With GamePass basically being free due to a combination of stacking, loyalty schemes, subscription cancelling and discounts, and the fact that it simply has more new games and all of the games from Xbox Studios, Playstation can't afford to piss their customers in the mouth anymore. They ***** up with live servicing. They butchered their own creative studios, and smashed the walled-off garden to let Xbox waltz in and capture the audience. Why shouldn't we just stream GamePass from a TV and let Sony fail themselves to death. So reward your customers, Sony. It ain't that hard.
Re: PS5, PC Live Service Fairgames Is a 'Super Clunky' Cross Between Fortnite and The Division
Even though Jim Ryan is ultimately the one in charge, people who know much better than me are pointing at Hermen Hulst as the incompetent man who couldn't discern a death trap from a gold mine. It got me googling and this article is absolutely proof of Hermen Hulst needs to find new employment elsewhere. He was totally duped by Raymond's charm as well. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/jade-raymond-and-hermen-hulst-on-why-sony-is-buying-haven
Re: PS5, PC Live Service Fairgames Is a 'Super Clunky' Cross Between Fortnite and The Division
@rjejr
Yeah, I was just having a laugh being absurd. Didn't try and sell the podcast itself, at least not very well. But for listeners it might have some hidden subtext. Listen. They are good at talking. Sacred Symbols is free, so no paywall. But if you want to listen to an entire exposay that Colin does on the side, you have to pay 2-5 dollars at Pa(y)treon.
Also, I am old enough to call anyone a toddler with SOME confidence😂
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 582
Reading the ENORMOUS level of appreciation for Expedition 33 week after week and how it belongs in people's all time top 3 is otherworldly and strange. Congrats to all the gamers and the developers.
Am replaying Dying Light 2 and enjoying that to a degree that KCD II is happy to hold Techland's beer.
I found a little secret and as an original backer of the game it is fun to find a developer's room complete with a Thank You-letter and secret weapon.
In KCD 2, I am still rambling around the large city and marveling at the sights. I am in no rush, as this is basically my game of the generation.
Re: PS5, PC Live Service Fairgames Is a 'Super Clunky' Cross Between Fortnite and The Division
@get2sammyb
The loud minority (who comes online to complain) and trophy hunters.
I was around for the MP of The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 and they were fun experiences if shortlived compared to the longevity of successful live service games.
Re: PS5, PC Live Service Fairgames Is a 'Super Clunky' Cross Between Fortnite and The Division
@rjejr
It is a gated community with insider-access to the people that excite or shock the gaming world. It also has free-to-listen podcasts on every console and retro stuff. And a checks notes a discord channel if for some reason you're a little toddler that still uses that.
It features the legendary Dustin Firman (Yes, THAT Dustin Firman) and Chris (Oh-my-God-You've-been-Raygunned) Maldonado and a third guy, can't remember if he has a name even.
That's like... at least 13 good reasons, but hey... whose counting?
Re: PS5, PC Live Service Fairgames Is a 'Super Clunky' Cross Between Fortnite and The Division
Jim Ryan must have really believed in Jade Raymond and Haven.
Before Jimbo set fail, sorry sail, to the strategy of Live Service-games, a studio had to prove their pedigree by releasing a few games before getting taken on by Sony. And we know that many studios were closed to give way to studios like Haven to be funded by Sony.
She had carefully orchestrated her image and career. It has resulted in her being handed the keys to several kingdoms which she in turn has managed. Truly, she couldn't have done it without gaming media outlets giving her 10-13 years of perfect media coverage, and having been in the biggest corporations working as a developer no less in her early days.
In my country, we have a fairy tale (her story is a fairy tale) about an emperor who wanted only the finest of things and a live a life of luxury for all to see the power, status and benevolence of himself, the emperor. So, one day a merchant offered him to create the finest silk robes that the world had ever seen. Only, the merchant didn't really create the robes, but rather convinced the emperor and, in turn, his subjects that the robes were so fine and elegant that the naked eye couldn't discern it. And so, on one parade an innocent boy cried out, "my lord, he is naked".
Re: Star Wars Battlefront 2 Massively on the Up as Fans Return in Droves
The good thing about modern gaming is that 7/10 games from say 2017-2021 have been updated for many years, often with DLC, and modern consoles have caught up in terms of technical prowess making the game's effectively better and bigger.
Dying Light 2 is another example of a game that I enjoy even more on my second playthrough. There's almost too much content which can dilute the overall quality and difficulty, but speed running around the city on a Pro is just plain fun as it should be!
Re: Days Gone Remastered Latest PS5 Update Available Now, Here Are All the Patch Notes
OTHER
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Fixed an animation conflict that could cause Deacon to launch into the air for long distances.
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Damn, that was my preferred way of traveling due to my trigger finger being to weak to trigger the bike's movement.
Re: PlayStation Stars Rewards Program Shutting Down, Sony Confirms
I am hopeful that they will make a smart, consumer-friendly alternative. What I'd like is a more simplified reward system that gives you a little cash back for purchasing digital games. Also, they should keep some form of reward for playing certain games or doing certain activities. The rest can be cut.
But as a realist, I have to say they showed their hand in removing the option to cash out a 1000 point for a small amount of store credit. It came back, but that was probably because of someone or something forcing their hand to uphold their promises.
They had hoped that people would spend points on these digital products, presumably.
Re: Returnal Dev Commits to 'Premium' PS5 Experiences as Sony Continues Live Service Push
I had fun with Returnal. Or rather, Returnal had fun with me. I couldn't get past the first boss for the life of me. I wasn't really progressing. And then I went to a monolith in the start of the game and pressed on the button to host other players.
As you might imagine, this is where it gets interesting. My level was 11 or something - a player that had 99 joined me. A speedrunning GOD that defied the rules of the game. He took me, without dying once, ALL the way to a level where you jump these moving platforms and battle a thingamajig. All the way through I would be downed against bosses, and he would absolutely melt them and sometimes revive me only for me to be shut down by the game absolutely unfairly like it would cheat to kill me. Occasionally, he would quip: "I might die, the game doesn't like it when you progress this fast".
I have never seen anything like it - and I've raided aplenty in the old Destiny of yore.
Re: Poll: Which Bethesda RPG Needs an Oblivion-Style Remaster Next?
My favorite game from Bethesda is most definitely Fallout 4.
But I chose Skyrim as the next game they ought to remaster. I have the game for my refrigerator and I would definitely upgrade to a next-gen fridge to enjoy the Real engine 5-remake.
Re: Another 6 PS Plus Extra Games Leave the Service in June
Yeah - these summer months are going to bleed the service until those dreary autumn and winter months. There's a certain ebb and flow to PS Plus. We had some good months and now comes a smaller drought where you could hit up that 'ole log of yours.
I already have 100 hours in My GOTY KCD II but when I got to Kuttenberg, I creamed my pants and just fell off the game again because of me wanting to try every game possible to see how it looks and performs on the strongest console in the universe (have it echo when reading with your inner voice).
The latest is Dying Light 2. Many thought it was soooo bad when it launched, myself included. I finished it without any enjoyment, but now after several years and 1.5 console generations it is an entirely altered beast. Still some problems with the way combat handles where I think it is too basic, but everything is padded out. And the lift in visuals make it a great experience that feels fresh. Don't count out Polish companies. Give it time. I shelled out way too much I thought but now everyone are reaping the benefits of them being funded by those who believed their marketing.
Re: Poll: 10 Years Later, What Are Your Thoughts on The Witcher 3?
Did you sneak in a poll to rig the system so that next time your top list are published you will find a different result? Yeah. You did😁
Re: Poll: 10 Years Later, What Are Your Thoughts on The Witcher 3?
For me a clear 10/10 awesome experience that belongs somewhere up high in my top 10 games ever. Maybe it even takes 1st place. That game had everything! The DLC is also some of the best DLC ever!
I'm surprised that so many are finding the combat the object of criticism. Makes me fear that CDPR might dumb down combat to cater to the lowest denominators out there. Don't do that, CDPR!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 581
Started experiencing KCD II on the Pro.
Good people of Earth, the Pro upgrade is SO worth it. That world is even more fully realised and more beautiful with a little more graphical prowess under the hood. It is so peaceful to stroll through the woods and lands of this game - minus the bitter battles and funny exchanges that always pop up during your travels. I came by a hunter's lodge which also doubled as a smokehouse and the smoke was coming out of the windows of that house and it was hard to describe how awesome the game looks from the perspective of heat and smoke particles alone. I have missed my GOTY. I know Expedition 33 is good, but even though I've yet to try it there can be no one else but KCD!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 581
The PS5 Pro has been put through the paces with Days Gone Remastered this Friday and Saturday belongs to KCD II. It has been a while, I must say.