@get2sammyb No, but it sets its own prices. Plus, you know, reports it spends the GDP of a whole country for a game which includes all of the money Sony spends on advertising like it does.
Look, it's fared Sony very well as PlayStation absolutely dominates the premium console market thanks to advertising the way it does. But there is no doubt that Sony spends A LOT of money to release games - and part of that is painting trains with PlayStation ads.
Maybe if Sony culled back spending, it wouldn't be trying to chase the Live Service Dragon so hard.
I love Sony's marketing machine, but I'd rather Sony work to lower operating costs so that we aren't paying $80 per game next generation simply because the advertising department loves to make a giant spectacle over everything.
It sounds like it's a bit of a mess on PC. Apparently, not only does the game require a PSN account, it requires an Epic Games account that also happens to link to your PSN account (if launching from Steam).
So, yeah, double whammy there!
NOTE: It isn't stated in the Steam description that Epic Games account is required, but some have noted that upon loading the game, it attempts to download or run Epic Games Store. Sounds like someone messed up and published the Epic Game Store version to Steam.
One reviewer said that they were trying to just create a PSN account to play with their kid and ran into issues.
Apparently, the game doesn't let you mix & match controller styles, either - so both players have to have controllers for multi-player.
Also, it's just not a great reviewed game all together. Most negative reviews are saying that all the fun from the TT Games LEGO titles just isn't there for LEGO Horizon.
@colonelkilgore I do wonder how many people actually do it, though.
I did. I certainly feel like I made the right decision for myself. I am happy with my purchase. But, it wasn't cheap.
Who knows, maybe come next generation I will have realized I made a huge mistake. Or it could be the best decision I ever made.
And, yes, I still have my PS5 because Sony still has yet to fully commit to PC. I don't mind waiting for games, I don't suffer from FOMO, but I will keep my PS5 around just in case.
@colonelkilgore I just don't see that happening, though.
People aren't jumping ship from Xbox to PC because Microsoft went Day 1 with PC. People are more jumping to PlayStation because Microsoft is releasing games on PlayStation because a console is cheaper and more convenient.
Some might because they get the best of both worlds on PC. But most won't due to price.
Like I said, people aren't going to buy a PC just because it plays PlayStation games.
@colonelkilgore I never said releasing Day 1 on PC would solve all of Sony's problems, just that it would improve its PC performance (especially if it took away PSN from PC all together).
Sony wanted to expand its market to PC to help get more profit. But, with PSN requirement on PC, it's limiting its range to locations where PSN exists - that could lead to cannibalization of the PlayStation market.
Countries where PSN doesn't exist are forced to work around the rules (either by jumping through hopes to get a PSN account or piracy). So even if Sony only gets 70% of the value of a game on Steam, it's better than 0% in countries can't legally buy the game. So, ditch the requirement and let Steam do its thing - the game isn't going anywhere.
Doing things Day 1 means shared advertising for a new game. As it is now, Sony simply releases a game on PC and doesn't even bother to advertise it. Doing it 1 - 2 years down the road doesn't exactly build hype - it's a game lost in time and PC feels like an after through (because it essentially still is to Sony).
So, in my eyes, it couldn't necessarily hurt to do both to actually expand a userbase rather than tailor to an existing userbase.
Console sales are stagnating. The amount of people actually jumping ship to PC isn't anything that will hurt. There are some, but, just like how people aren't jumping to Microsoft's camp because Microsoft owns COD, people aren't going to suddenly switch to a $1500+ PC just to have a super-powered PlayStation.
Those looking to move to PC from consoles are going to do it for a broader range reason than playing PS5 games on it.
Sorry, I didn't mean to say that I don't care because it won't affect me. I guess looking back it does seem that way. I just meant that it's going to be a long way off in a joking way.
I don't want anyone to "dominate" - ever.
Heck I got a PC to get out of the console arena because I don't like where it's heading: with Xbox essentially becoming a "board room" brand and Sony having such a ridiculous market share, I worry console gaming is going to be a nickel & dime game on its customers.
The only one of the Big Three who I feel has the right balance is Nintendo because it has essentially gone without equal in its own lane with the Switch, but still never felt ripped people off or felt like its quality slipped simply because it had no direct competition for the time.
Too much power for anyone is a bad thing. I love gaming and I never want to see it be controlled by a single entity.
There is a reason I am tough on Sony - I don't want them being the be all end all in gaming. I hate when people are port begging for Gears of War on PS5 because I can bet that if someone on the Xbox side said the same thing about God of War, they would say "Buy a PlayStation if you want PlayStation games".
Sony's domination isn't healthy - I don't care if this is a fan site for Sony. It's dangerous!
@colonelkilgore I don't think Microsoft will dominate the industry. I think the ABK acquisition had pretty much killed Microsoft's chances of ever making a large purchase ever again. It is going to pretty much be stuck where it is for the foreseeable future.
Sony's grip is too strong in the console market at this point as well. Much like Apple.
Sony could become stronger in the PC space if it stopped being stubborn about PSN sign-ins for single-player games (yes, I know it's a trivial thing to execute, but it's still a sticking point with PC gamers).
Also, if Sony did Day 1 on PC, it would help (again, sans PSN requirement for single-player games) as the hype isn't lost over time.
@11001100110zero I would honestly think buying a game outright would hold better value if you can't get through games in a timely manner as one $70 game is equivalent to 4.6 months of Game Pass.
If it's taking you 6 months to finish something, then you're wasting money on Game Pass.
@get2sammyb It's valid points. Call of Duty hasn't moved the needle for Game Pass. Perhaps this has prompted this new advertising push to add Game Pass to a broader new market and see what happens - because it doesn't appear to be growing on console or PC.
Clearly Xbox Division is generating money and Microsoft is satisfied. If it's because sales on other platforms are offsetting Game Pass, then it's enough to satisfy someone to continue down the Game Pass road.
Xbox spent a huge chunk of change on the ABK acquisition and put a huge target on its back. I just don't see any kind of loss being acceptable at this point.
Maybe Game Pass fails. Maybe it doesn't. At the end of the day, the new Call of Duty has been a success no matter where it sold the most. I'll continue to milk Game Pass as long as I have access to it.
Microsoft has to do something different at this point. It can't continue to just be the same as PlayStation. People are locked into Sony's ecosystem. Congrats to Sony for making that happen.
Clearly just being another console that does the same thing that Sony does isn't working because people are going to choose Sony.
If that means Microsoft goes full-on third-party publisher who happens to make a console (and project hardware manufacturing and sales expectations as such) or does something radical and moves Xbox to something like an Xbox OS that is essentially Windows for Gaming and licenses the brand to other manufacturers to use to make hardware, then so be it.
Much like Nintendo paved its own lane, Microsoft needs to as well.
@colonelkilgore I am more interested in the game of Chess that Microsoft is playing, than anything else. It's certainly has some interesting strategies.
I just don't get why people chest thump that COD sold more on PlayStation console than an Xbox console. And I tell them that Microsoft is happy either way, they get salty.
If or when Game Pass becomes unstainable for Microsoft, it will drop it. Plain and simple. IN the mean time, people get games they want on PlayStation and people can choose Game Pass if they have Xbox/PC. Why is that such a bad thing?!
If Microsoft is happy with the results, then it succeeded.
@Boxmonkey Microsoft's big "brain play" is making money. It does very well at making money. If something doesn't pan out, it will shift strategy so it does.
Microsoft already knows it can't get Game Pass on PlayStation or Switch because both Sony and Nintendo have to them no already when it tried.
So...sales it is!
Guess what, whether you like it or not, Nintendo and Sony are playing an Xbox game - making it...in PR terms...an "Xbox". Congratulations on owning a XPlayBoxStation!
@Boxmonkey Game Pass isn't. Sales on other platforms will.
Believe me, Microsoft's coffers thank you for your dedication.
When people stop thinking about a single plastic box as Xbox, then this all makes more sense. The writing has been on the wall for a little while now - even before the "This is an Xbox" ad campaign.
Does PS5 have the weird lighting issue where the game almost looks like a flash of lightning just randomly happens?
If not, the PC version does, and I hope that's covered under the last bullet-point in these patch notes. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is a blemish in an otherwise great experience (barring periodic traversal stutter).
@dskatter Don't worry, that $20 upgrade fee will be entirely justifiable because it will have 3D Audio 2.0 and even more sensitive adaptive trigger - oh and the game will have a new Commentary option when you play the game - plus it will really, really, really run a 4K/60fps this time.
It will retail for $80 - but it's such an understandable and amazing way for Sony to bring in new fans of the series and train new developers.
@PurvisP Running 1440p in DLSS Quality Mode got me in the 80s (+- 10fps) when out and about.
Getting to the first city dropped the FPS down into the lower 50s at times but sticks around 60-ish - CPU usage shot up to like 60% at one point!
Lowering down to DLSS Balanced keeps the majority of City traversal above 60 - only occasionally dipping under 60.
Not exactly sure what is causing those noticeable dips when getting to a town. Nanite buildings + crowd logic? That's the only thing I can think.
Otherwise, after about an hour of playtime, no real issues or bugs to speak of. A little stutter here and there, but not egregious for a UE5 open-world title.
@PurvisP I take a pretty “plug and play” approach myself.
I turn on the Nvidia performance monitor, crank settings to max and start with DLSS Quality and if I see 60+ for most of the first 30 ish minutes, I don’t touch a thing and turn the monitor off.
If I hover in the low 50s, I drop DLSS to Balanced and if it’s 60+, I turn off the monitor again.
@OldGamer999 Probably because you are playing a version that's been patched a couple of times (one within the past 24 hours) where the reviews are based on pre-patched code.
This is the reason Eurogamer has withheld scoring as well as PureXbox.
Unfortunately for review scores, it seems like the game wasn't ready for review, but is ready at release.
@Xbox_Dashboard I still have a 60GB back compat PS3 in the basement. Probably the best 100% legal way to play the old games aside from having the original hardware.
@Xbox_Dashboard If you have a laptop or any machine that runs Windows that's at least like...oh...20 years old...you can get the original game from GOG.com for $7 (and it goes on sale fairly often, too).
Just an option if Sony does lock it behind a Premium paywall.
@breakneck When I saw that it was Overwatch, I was completely shocked - I am sure I probably thought the same thing back then, too (but I forgot the winners of years past, so I am shocked again).
If Uncharted lost to anyone on the list that year, Overwatch wasn't the one I would have picked:
Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
Doom – id Software
Inside – Playdead
Titanfall 2 – Respawn Entertainment
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End – Naughty Dog
For those curious about winners for years where Sony didn't win, here is the list:
2015: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 2016: Overwatch 2017: The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild 2019: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice 2021: It Takes Two 2022: Elden Ring 2023: Baldur's Gate 3
Still, congrats to Sony on having that many nominations! There is no doubt there is something special about Sony first-party games. They are my second favorite console exclusives losing out to Nintendo.
I guess that’s the thing, I only use my PC for gaming - and web browsing as it’s kind of hard to not use the internet these days.
I was like your friends when I was into PC gaming back in the late 90s and early 2000s - constantly chasing Ultra settings/maximum FPS. It’s the reason I went console-only because I was spending so much time and money chasing to have “the best”.
I think being a console gamer for so long made me simply appreciate just playing the game. My PC is almost exactly like yours - but I am using 4070 Super. It certainly outclasses a console, but I am a realist in that it will probably be more “on par” with next-gen.
I’m okay with that. I just want to play the game - I don’t care that games like Silent Hill 2 Remake or Alan Wake 2 don’t run at 165fps to match my monitor refresh - it’s a VRR display anyways.
And modern games on PC are much more convenient for that plug and play experience than early 2000s.
I also don’t play multi-player games, so I don’t have to deal with cheaters.
Maybe I will regret my decision in 5 years, or maybe I made the best decision to get out of consoles.
But, I certainly understand your gripes and I hope the PS5 Pro and PS6 (should you stick with it) are everything you hoped they would be! It’s not a bad choice at all, just not the choice for me anymore.
I don't envy smaller games competing with juggernauts. It is tough to compete with games made by huge studios.
Slitterhead is good, but it's not without fault. I haven't exactly meshed well with the combat - having to fight multiple enemies at a time proves difficult for me for some reason.
But I like its originality and play it in small chunks. Plus, the story has me intrigued so far.
You can tell it was on a tight budget, but overall I haven't really encountered bugs. It's polished for what it is. I play on PC and get like 130-140fps at Max Settings at 1440p - so this isn't exactly pushing hardware, either. I hope consoles are able to lock at 60fps.
I think there is room for these kinds of games and I don't necessarily think actual sales numbers are a sole indicator of success. If the developer only sells 50K, but due to lower budget, actually makes a profit, I would call that a success.
When compared to something like COD or Monster Hunter, 50K sales is a flop.
The thing is, these smaller titles are going to cater to the absolute hardcore of gamers - which is significantly smaller than the total projected userbase.
As such, keeping budgets to cater to that is imperative to a studios growth.
I took a 12 year hiatus from PC games because I found myself tinkering more with settings than I did playing games. I moved to console for the simplicity.
I don't like where the console space is headed with Microsoft seemingly throwing in the towel and Sony essentially going "unchecked". Nintendo are in their own lane at the moment and seem to have found a perfect balance being in that lane.
Yes, I paid about $2K when all was said and done, but I don't regret it one bit! I think I am not only covered for this generation, but next generation as well.
PC gaming has never been so easy and I have been enjoying games so much more now than I ever have back in the day.
If you basically just want to play the game, most modern games have console quality settings as their defaults. Some auto-detect your system settings and adjust accordingly and can even be higher than console settings.
Plus, if you decided to go with an Nvidia GPU, Nvidia provides its own optimized settings based on your hardware that you can just click a button to Optimize (or even have it Auto-optimize everything if you want) and you never have to look at the settings menu in a game ever.
I'd argue that most PC players who are spending a bunch of time tweaking their games are trying to get their games to run in FPS that match the native refresh rate of their monitors (for context, mine is 165Hz).
But if you just want to shoot for 60fps, then that's pretty achievable with most modern games without touching a single setting.
Most games for the PS4/X1 era and below can pretty much run at Max settings and well above 60fps on a modern PC.
It also depends on whether you turn RT on or off. If you absolutely couldn't care one lick about real-time RT, then basically any game past or present will run above 60fps at above console quality settings.
But, I would caveat that you'd need at least an Nvidia 4070 if you care about doing that at 4K. I honestly see more detail in my 1440p monitor than I do my 4K TV - so 4K really isn't necessary in my opinion.
@Vault_Mcfly My PS5 is for exclusives only...though...that could change going forward depending on how much Sony changes its PC strategy to be even more aggressive - then it could be "adios PS5" like I did with my Series X.
The only console I would own at that point is a Switch.
Here's my take about ray tracing as I am sure a lot of people scratch their heads on why anyone even bothers with it when it has such a performance cost:
Developers are really good at "faking" realistic lighting that RT sometimes doesn't look any better than rasterized lighting. RT isn't necessarily about looking better, it's about having realistic behavior of light.
Again, it's something the gaming industry has had years of practice to "fake" because it was never available.
Why bother, then?
Development efficiency. With real-time RT, artists can just plant a light and the GPU handles the rest. It's like the "Plug and Play" of lighting. If you are 100% real-time RT, there is no hand-crafting of shadows, reflections, etc., it all "just works".
The Pro is a perfect example - developers are having an incredibly quick turn around on adding in new RT options. It is essentially like flipping a switch (I am sure there is some tweaking required, but certainly not like having to hand-craft an entire new lighting model).
As scenes and geometry get more complex, it's getting harder and harder to "fake" that lighting! Any missed shadows or light bounces can make an image look flat or out-of-place. Real-time RT solves that problem because it calculates everything for the artists.
The problem is that it feels like only Nvidia is actively trying to progress the technology and it's taking forever to reduce the overhead in order for real-time RT to become an industry standard. And since there is such a small amount of competition in that arena, it's also quite expensive.
I equate it to when real-time 3D rendering first game around. Granted real-time 3D had an actual impact on the types of games being created, whereas real-time RT is cosmetic. But, at a time, 3D rendering looked awful compared to sprites and ran even worse than 2D games. There were plenty of companies trying to progress 3D rendering costs and improve framerates.
We need that for real-time RT if we ever want to get all the benefits at such a seemingly small cost. I am sure lighting artists would be grateful!
@get2sammyb I'd say it's a W for Microsoft regardless. Microsoft gets the sales across platforms. It gets MTX money across platforms. And even if it isn't driving Game Pass subscriptions up (though I seem to remember someone at somewhere saying there was a boost to Game Pass thanks to COD), it will help maintain the high-tier Game Pass subscriptions - so there is money there.
Bottom line: Microsoft is doing fine with the money-making department. It's not a multi-trillion dollar company for nothing.
The problem with Microsoft is that Xbox became a "Board Room" brand - in that the soul of the platform was removed once Xbox became too big and the gaze of big-daddy corporate became fixed in its direction.
I would be pretty cool if the physical copy of the game came with a QR code that links to instructions on how to build each of the monsters in the game as well as the list of Bricks required for each build (just like how all sets have a Brick sheet in case you need to order replacements).
Sure, it would probably cost more than having LEGO come out with an official set, but for those with disposable incomes, it would be nice to order all the bricks individually from LEGO's official store based on official checklists.
@LogicStrikesAgain @Whately86 As of right now, if one were to buy a game on Steam from 2K Sports, Ubisoft, Blizzard, Rockstar, and some EA and Activision games, they all require logging into their respective launchers upon booting of the game.
Interestingly enough, it is all Western publishers that require them.
I don't think any major Japanese publishers require launchers with an account. Capcom doesn't require one. Square Enix doesn't (well, except Final Fantasy 14, but that makes sense). Bandai Namco doesn't, either. Neither does Konami.
Microsoft doesn't require any log-in for single player games.
So, yes, there is precedent for launchers on PC, but I also think there is "launcher fatigue" on PC.
I know I have the following installed on my computer:
Steam GOG Galaxy Epic Games Store Amazon Prime Games EA Play Battle.NET Ubisoft Connect
I use Steam the most.
Second-most used app is Epic Game Store to play Alan Wake II, and a bunch of free games Epic has been handing out over the years (as well as free games through Prime Gaming).
I sometimes use GOG Galaxy for Cyberpunk and The Witcher series (and some old games I happen to own as well as freebies that I got both from GOG.com itself and through Prime Gaming).
I loaded the Amazon Prime Games launcher once. I loaded the Ubisoft Connect launcher once or twice. I loaded Battle.NET a handful of times. I don't even really use EA Play at all.
I prefer to use as little apps as I can - and I don't load all these apps up at boot.
@LogicStrikesAgain I would think selling games since Sony actually makes money from that. Creating a PSN account doesn't cost a dime from the consumer - yet seems to be costing sales for Sony.
I guess some bean counter somewhere feels like ecosystem is the better option since Sony isn't budging on the issues at the moment.
@LogicStrikesAgain Steam lets developers do what it pleases in terms of how it wants to handle games and lets the free market decide for itself how things play out.
It's not in Steam's interest to police who adds what launcher and authentication to their games. That's on player choice to decide what's right for them.
Steam makes it very clear what is required to play said game to allow people to make an informed choice.
I don't think anyone is arguing whether Sony is allowed or not allowed to do with its own games.
What people are saying is that players are voicing their concerns with Sony and voting with their wallets and, yet, Sony continues to double down regardless of that.
So, if more news comes out that Sony games aren't doing well, there is no mystery why. Sony does nothing about it.
I feel bad for Nixxes.
They do a great job with their ports, but it's all starting to be in vain. Will that studio go on the chopping block if Sony's PC ambitions die due to Sony telling its consumers what they want rather than listening to what they want (or don't want)?
Comments 2,584
Re: Sony Is Going All Out for PlayStation's 30th Anniversary in the UK
@get2sammyb No, but it sets its own prices. Plus, you know, reports it spends the GDP of a whole country for a game which includes all of the money Sony spends on advertising like it does.
Look, it's fared Sony very well as PlayStation absolutely dominates the premium console market thanks to advertising the way it does. But there is no doubt that Sony spends A LOT of money to release games - and part of that is painting trains with PlayStation ads.
Maybe if Sony culled back spending, it wouldn't be trying to chase the Live Service Dragon so hard.
Re: Sony Is Going All Out for PlayStation's 30th Anniversary in the UK
I love Sony's marketing machine, but I'd rather Sony work to lower operating costs so that we aren't paying $80 per game next generation simply because the advertising department loves to make a giant spectacle over everything.
Re: Sony's Latest First-Party Release Is Struggling to Do Concord Numbers on PC
It sounds like it's a bit of a mess on PC. Apparently, not only does the game require a PSN account, it requires an Epic Games account that also happens to link to your PSN account (if launching from Steam).
So, yeah, double whammy there!
NOTE: It isn't stated in the Steam description that Epic Games account is required, but some have noted that upon loading the game, it attempts to download or run Epic Games Store. Sounds like someone messed up and published the Epic Game Store version to Steam.
One reviewer said that they were trying to just create a PSN account to play with their kid and ran into issues.
Apparently, the game doesn't let you mix & match controller styles, either - so both players have to have controllers for multi-player.
Also, it's just not a great reviewed game all together. Most negative reviews are saying that all the fun from the TT Games LEGO titles just isn't there for LEGO Horizon.
Re: PlayStation Preservation Expert Has Safely Stored Over Half a Petabyte of Sony's Gaming History
You know what else Sony can do with that 500TB of preserved game data?
Make them all available to play.
Re: Poll: Rate Your Favourite PS1 Games
Castlevania Symphony of the Night is hands down the greatest PS1 game of all time in my book.
I bought it on PS1 (sold it sadly), PS3 (via PS Store), Xbox 360 (despite being a stripped down version), and PS4. I also have it via emulation on PC.
It's my absolute "go to" comfort game.
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@colonelkilgore I do wonder how many people actually do it, though.
I did. I certainly feel like I made the right decision for myself. I am happy with my purchase. But, it wasn't cheap.
Who knows, maybe come next generation I will have realized I made a huge mistake. Or it could be the best decision I ever made.
And, yes, I still have my PS5 because Sony still has yet to fully commit to PC. I don't mind waiting for games, I don't suffer from FOMO, but I will keep my PS5 around just in case.
Thanks for the civil back and forth! Cheers! 🥃
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@colonelkilgore I just don't see that happening, though.
People aren't jumping ship from Xbox to PC because Microsoft went Day 1 with PC. People are more jumping to PlayStation because Microsoft is releasing games on PlayStation because a console is cheaper and more convenient.
Some might because they get the best of both worlds on PC. But most won't due to price.
Like I said, people aren't going to buy a PC just because it plays PlayStation games.
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@colonelkilgore I never said releasing Day 1 on PC would solve all of Sony's problems, just that it would improve its PC performance (especially if it took away PSN from PC all together).
Sony wanted to expand its market to PC to help get more profit. But, with PSN requirement on PC, it's limiting its range to locations where PSN exists - that could lead to cannibalization of the PlayStation market.
Countries where PSN doesn't exist are forced to work around the rules (either by jumping through hopes to get a PSN account or piracy). So even if Sony only gets 70% of the value of a game on Steam, it's better than 0% in countries can't legally buy the game. So, ditch the requirement and let Steam do its thing - the game isn't going anywhere.
Doing things Day 1 means shared advertising for a new game. As it is now, Sony simply releases a game on PC and doesn't even bother to advertise it. Doing it 1 - 2 years down the road doesn't exactly build hype - it's a game lost in time and PC feels like an after through (because it essentially still is to Sony).
So, in my eyes, it couldn't necessarily hurt to do both to actually expand a userbase rather than tailor to an existing userbase.
Console sales are stagnating. The amount of people actually jumping ship to PC isn't anything that will hurt. There are some, but, just like how people aren't jumping to Microsoft's camp because Microsoft owns COD, people aren't going to suddenly switch to a $1500+ PC just to have a super-powered PlayStation.
Those looking to move to PC from consoles are going to do it for a broader range reason than playing PS5 games on it.
Sorry, I didn't mean to say that I don't care because it won't affect me. I guess looking back it does seem that way. I just meant that it's going to be a long way off in a joking way.
I don't want anyone to "dominate" - ever.
Heck I got a PC to get out of the console arena because I don't like where it's heading: with Xbox essentially becoming a "board room" brand and Sony having such a ridiculous market share, I worry console gaming is going to be a nickel & dime game on its customers.
The only one of the Big Three who I feel has the right balance is Nintendo because it has essentially gone without equal in its own lane with the Switch, but still never felt ripped people off or felt like its quality slipped simply because it had no direct competition for the time.
Too much power for anyone is a bad thing. I love gaming and I never want to see it be controlled by a single entity.
There is a reason I am tough on Sony - I don't want them being the be all end all in gaming. I hate when people are port begging for Gears of War on PS5 because I can bet that if someone on the Xbox side said the same thing about God of War, they would say "Buy a PlayStation if you want PlayStation games".
Sony's domination isn't healthy - I don't care if this is a fan site for Sony. It's dangerous!
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@colonelkilgore So by the time I am too old to game. Lol!
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@colonelkilgore I don't think Microsoft will dominate the industry. I think the ABK acquisition had pretty much killed Microsoft's chances of ever making a large purchase ever again. It is going to pretty much be stuck where it is for the foreseeable future.
Sony's grip is too strong in the console market at this point as well. Much like Apple.
Sony could become stronger in the PC space if it stopped being stubborn about PSN sign-ins for single-player games (yes, I know it's a trivial thing to execute, but it's still a sticking point with PC gamers).
Also, if Sony did Day 1 on PC, it would help (again, sans PSN requirement for single-player games) as the hype isn't lost over time.
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@11001100110zero I would honestly think buying a game outright would hold better value if you can't get through games in a timely manner as one $70 game is equivalent to 4.6 months of Game Pass.
If it's taking you 6 months to finish something, then you're wasting money on Game Pass.
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@get2sammyb It's valid points. Call of Duty hasn't moved the needle for Game Pass. Perhaps this has prompted this new advertising push to add Game Pass to a broader new market and see what happens - because it doesn't appear to be growing on console or PC.
Clearly Xbox Division is generating money and Microsoft is satisfied. If it's because sales on other platforms are offsetting Game Pass, then it's enough to satisfy someone to continue down the Game Pass road.
Xbox spent a huge chunk of change on the ABK acquisition and put a huge target on its back. I just don't see any kind of loss being acceptable at this point.
Maybe Game Pass fails. Maybe it doesn't. At the end of the day, the new Call of Duty has been a success no matter where it sold the most. I'll continue to milk Game Pass as long as I have access to it.
Microsoft has to do something different at this point. It can't continue to just be the same as PlayStation. People are locked into Sony's ecosystem. Congrats to Sony for making that happen.
Clearly just being another console that does the same thing that Sony does isn't working because people are going to choose Sony.
If that means Microsoft goes full-on third-party publisher who happens to make a console (and project hardware manufacturing and sales expectations as such) or does something radical and moves Xbox to something like an Xbox OS that is essentially Windows for Gaming and licenses the brand to other manufacturers to use to make hardware, then so be it.
Much like Nintendo paved its own lane, Microsoft needs to as well.
@colonelkilgore I am more interested in the game of Chess that Microsoft is playing, than anything else. It's certainly has some interesting strategies.
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@colonelkilgore I'll take it!
I just don't get why people chest thump that COD sold more on PlayStation console than an Xbox console. And I tell them that Microsoft is happy either way, they get salty.
If or when Game Pass becomes unstainable for Microsoft, it will drop it. Plain and simple. IN the mean time, people get games they want on PlayStation and people can choose Game Pass if they have Xbox/PC. Why is that such a bad thing?!
If Microsoft is happy with the results, then it succeeded.
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@Boxmonkey Microsoft's big "brain play" is making money. It does very well at making money. If something doesn't pan out, it will shift strategy so it does.
Microsoft already knows it can't get Game Pass on PlayStation or Switch because both Sony and Nintendo have to them no already when it tried.
So...sales it is!
Guess what, whether you like it or not, Nintendo and Sony are playing an Xbox game - making it...in PR terms...an "Xbox". Congratulations on owning a XPlayBoxStation!
Re: Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
@Boxmonkey Game Pass isn't. Sales on other platforms will.
Believe me, Microsoft's coffers thank you for your dedication.
When people stop thinking about a single plastic box as Xbox, then this all makes more sense. The writing has been on the wall for a little while now - even before the "This is an Xbox" ad campaign.
Re: Silent Hill 2 Patch 1.06 Fails to Fix PS5 Pro Problems
Does PS5 have the weird lighting issue where the game almost looks like a flash of lightning just randomly happens?
If not, the PC version does, and I hope that's covered under the last bullet-point in these patch notes. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is a blemish in an otherwise great experience (barring periodic traversal stutter).
Re: The Last of Us 2 PS5 Pro Is Yet Another Version of a Great Game
@dskatter Don't worry, that $20 upgrade fee will be entirely justifiable because it will have 3D Audio 2.0 and even more sensitive adaptive trigger - oh and the game will have a new Commentary option when you play the game - plus it will really, really, really run a 4K/60fps this time.
It will retail for $80 - but it's such an understandable and amazing way for Sony to bring in new fans of the series and train new developers.
Re: The Last of Us 2 PS5 Pro Is Yet Another Version of a Great Game
@dskatter You must have access to PlayStation's secret playbook. You watch...PS6 will have a bunch of $10 PS5 Remaster upgrades, too!
Re: The Story of Shenmue Is Far from Over, Says ININ
Great! I hope other platforms will be able to find some sailors, too!
IYKYK
Re: STALKER 2's Technical Troubles Likely Fixed by the Time It Comes to PS5
@PurvisP Running 1440p in DLSS Quality Mode got me in the 80s (+- 10fps) when out and about.
Getting to the first city dropped the FPS down into the lower 50s at times but sticks around 60-ish - CPU usage shot up to like 60% at one point!
Lowering down to DLSS Balanced keeps the majority of City traversal above 60 - only occasionally dipping under 60.
Not exactly sure what is causing those noticeable dips when getting to a town. Nanite buildings + crowd logic? That's the only thing I can think.
Otherwise, after about an hour of playtime, no real issues or bugs to speak of. A little stutter here and there, but not egregious for a UE5 open-world title.
Re: Shenmue 3 Publishing Rights Passed to ININ on Fifth Anniversary
@Nem @Matroska Wasn’t Yakuza born from the work that was done for the canceled Shenmue Online?
Heck, Shenmue started out as a Virtua Fighter spin-off adventure.
Re: STALKER 2's Technical Troubles Likely Fixed by the Time It Comes to PS5
@PurvisP I take a pretty “plug and play” approach myself.
I turn on the Nvidia performance monitor, crank settings to max and start with DLSS Quality and if I see 60+ for most of the first 30 ish minutes, I don’t touch a thing and turn the monitor off.
If I hover in the low 50s, I drop DLSS to Balanced and if it’s 60+, I turn off the monitor again.
That’s my “tweaking” and I am okay with it!
Re: STALKER 2's Technical Troubles Likely Fixed by the Time It Comes to PS5
@PurvisP What resolution and DLSS setting were you running?
I will be giving this a whirl a little later on 4070 Super (also 12GB), Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32 GB RAM on a 1440p monitor.
Re: Shenmue 3 Publishing Rights Passed to ININ on Fifth Anniversary
Hopefully this story ends before I’m too old to play games.
Shenmue III was building up for an epic showdown only to leave the player hanging and wanting more!
Bring on Shenmue 4!
Re: STALKER 2's Technical Troubles Likely Fixed by the Time It Comes to PS5
@OldGamer999 Probably because you are playing a version that's been patched a couple of times (one within the past 24 hours) where the reviews are based on pre-patched code.
This is the reason Eurogamer has withheld scoring as well as PureXbox.
Unfortunately for review scores, it seems like the game wasn't ready for review, but is ready at release.
Re: Stellar Blade's Eve Will Attack You if You Act Inappropriately in New PS5 DLC
Been a while since I played the game, but wasn't the Stellar Blade version of Wastelands similar to City Ruins from Automata?
Re: Here's a Taste of Soul Reaver's Remastered Gameplay on PS5, PS4
The voice actors for this game are in another game from that era that could use a remaster:
Sword of Berserk: Guts' Rage.
Just saying.
Still mulling over if I want to pre-order this one for the 10% off.
Re: There Is a God! Legacy of Kain PS5 Pre-Orders Are Exceeding Expectations
@Xbox_Dashboard I still have a 60GB back compat PS3 in the basement. Probably the best 100% legal way to play the old games aside from having the original hardware.
Re: There Is a God! Legacy of Kain PS5 Pre-Orders Are Exceeding Expectations
@Xbox_Dashboard If you have a laptop or any machine that runs Windows that's at least like...oh...20 years old...you can get the original game from GOG.com for $7 (and it goes on sale fairly often, too).
Just an option if Sony does lock it behind a Premium paywall.
Re: There Is a God! Legacy of Kain PS5 Pre-Orders Are Exceeding Expectations
So glad this is getting well-received. Hopefully this sends a message that people want more of this series!
Re: Sony's Had a First-Party PS5, PS4 Game Nominated for Game of the Year Ten Times in a Row
@breakneck When I saw that it was Overwatch, I was completely shocked - I am sure I probably thought the same thing back then, too (but I forgot the winners of years past, so I am shocked again).
If Uncharted lost to anyone on the list that year, Overwatch wasn't the one I would have picked:
Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
Doom – id Software
Inside – Playdead
Titanfall 2 – Respawn Entertainment
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End – Naughty Dog
Re: Sony's Had a First-Party PS5, PS4 Game Nominated for Game of the Year Ten Times in a Row
For those curious about winners for years where Sony didn't win, here is the list:
2015: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2016: Overwatch
2017: The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild
2019: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
2021: It Takes Two
2022: Elden Ring
2023: Baldur's Gate 3
Still, congrats to Sony on having that many nominations! There is no doubt there is something special about Sony first-party games. They are my second favorite console exclusives losing out to Nintendo.
Re: Disgruntled PS5 Pro Owners Campaign to Disable Support After Slew of Shoddy Patches
@LindyG I have been gaming since about ‘86 - lol!
I guess that’s the thing, I only use my PC for gaming - and web browsing as it’s kind of hard to not use the internet these days.
I was like your friends when I was into PC gaming back in the late 90s and early 2000s - constantly chasing Ultra settings/maximum FPS. It’s the reason I went console-only because I was spending so much time and money chasing to have “the best”.
I think being a console gamer for so long made me simply appreciate just playing the game. My PC is almost exactly like yours - but I am using 4070 Super. It certainly outclasses a console, but I am a realist in that it will probably be more “on par” with next-gen.
I’m okay with that. I just want to play the game - I don’t care that games like Silent Hill 2 Remake or Alan Wake 2 don’t run at 165fps to match my monitor refresh - it’s a VRR display anyways.
And modern games on PC are much more convenient for that plug and play experience than early 2000s.
I also don’t play multi-player games, so I don’t have to deal with cheaters.
Maybe I will regret my decision in 5 years, or maybe I made the best decision to get out of consoles.
But, I certainly understand your gripes and I hope the PS5 Pro and PS6 (should you stick with it) are everything you hoped they would be! It’s not a bad choice at all, just not the choice for me anymore.
Besides, I still have my base PS5 (just in case).
Re: Do You Really Want Devs to Make Lower Budget, More Original Games for PS5?
I don't envy smaller games competing with juggernauts. It is tough to compete with games made by huge studios.
Slitterhead is good, but it's not without fault. I haven't exactly meshed well with the combat - having to fight multiple enemies at a time proves difficult for me for some reason.
But I like its originality and play it in small chunks. Plus, the story has me intrigued so far.
You can tell it was on a tight budget, but overall I haven't really encountered bugs. It's polished for what it is. I play on PC and get like 130-140fps at Max Settings at 1440p - so this isn't exactly pushing hardware, either. I hope consoles are able to lock at 60fps.
I think there is room for these kinds of games and I don't necessarily think actual sales numbers are a sole indicator of success. If the developer only sells 50K, but due to lower budget, actually makes a profit, I would call that a success.
When compared to something like COD or Monster Hunter, 50K sales is a flop.
The thing is, these smaller titles are going to cater to the absolute hardcore of gamers - which is significantly smaller than the total projected userbase.
As such, keeping budgets to cater to that is imperative to a studios growth.
Re: Disgruntled PS5 Pro Owners Campaign to Disable Support After Slew of Shoddy Patches
@Member_the_game It's not as bad as you'd think.
I took a 12 year hiatus from PC games because I found myself tinkering more with settings than I did playing games. I moved to console for the simplicity.
I don't like where the console space is headed with Microsoft seemingly throwing in the towel and Sony essentially going "unchecked". Nintendo are in their own lane at the moment and seem to have found a perfect balance being in that lane.
Yes, I paid about $2K when all was said and done, but I don't regret it one bit! I think I am not only covered for this generation, but next generation as well.
PC gaming has never been so easy and I have been enjoying games so much more now than I ever have back in the day.
If you basically just want to play the game, most modern games have console quality settings as their defaults. Some auto-detect your system settings and adjust accordingly and can even be higher than console settings.
Plus, if you decided to go with an Nvidia GPU, Nvidia provides its own optimized settings based on your hardware that you can just click a button to Optimize (or even have it Auto-optimize everything if you want) and you never have to look at the settings menu in a game ever.
I'd argue that most PC players who are spending a bunch of time tweaking their games are trying to get their games to run in FPS that match the native refresh rate of their monitors (for context, mine is 165Hz).
But if you just want to shoot for 60fps, then that's pretty achievable with most modern games without touching a single setting.
Most games for the PS4/X1 era and below can pretty much run at Max settings and well above 60fps on a modern PC.
It also depends on whether you turn RT on or off. If you absolutely couldn't care one lick about real-time RT, then basically any game past or present will run above 60fps at above console quality settings.
But, I would caveat that you'd need at least an Nvidia 4070 if you care about doing that at 4K. I honestly see more detail in my 1440p monitor than I do my 4K TV - so 4K really isn't necessary in my opinion.
Re: Legacy of Kain Fans Will Be Feasting on PS5, PS4 These Coming Weeks
@Vault_Mcfly My PS5 is for exclusives only...though...that could change going forward depending on how much Sony changes its PC strategy to be even more aggressive - then it could be "adios PS5" like I did with my Series X.
The only console I would own at that point is a Switch.
Re: Legacy of Kain Fans Will Be Feasting on PS5, PS4 These Coming Weeks
I really want to get this series, but I can't decide if I want to buy them on Steam or GOG.
Re: Helldivers 2's Democratic Super Weapon Now Fully Operational
I have no idea what I just read, but I am inspired to get a giant tattoo on my chest with lots of guns and symbols of freedom and democracy! 😂
Re: Japan Sales Charts: PS5 Pro Gets Stronger Start Than PS4 Pro Despite Being Twice the Price
@Loamy It would be about as powerful as a PS2...but at least everyone would get one! 👍
Re: Japan Sales Charts: PS5 Pro Gets Stronger Start Than PS4 Pro Despite Being Twice the Price
Glad to see Slitterhead make it into the top 10.
It's pretty good - a little janky, but a great first outing for a brand new studio! I hope it is profitable so the studio can grow!
Congrats to Sony for a strong outing on the Pro in Japan.
Re: Stellar Blade's Anticipated PC Port Takes Flight Sometime in 2025
@Ralizah No idea.
Re: Stellar Blade's Anticipated PC Port Takes Flight Sometime in 2025
"and Shift Up expects to sell even more on PC"
This will only happen if it doesn't require a PSN log-in to play.
I may double dip after it goes on a super deep discount since I still have the PS5 version.
Re: Black Ops 6 Drives Monthly PS5 Sales Growth in the UK, 75% of Players Purchase on PlayStation
@get2sammyb “I'm still of the opinion Game Pass is simply not a viable business model without the enormous cheque book of Microsoft bankrolling it.”
Oh I agree. But I’ll certainly take advantage of the multi-trillion dollar company while I can!
I have GPU until at least July 2026.
I replaced my Series X with a PC, so if Microsoft wants to dismantle its console business, I won’t lose any sleep.
Re: Hands On: Spider-Man 2 All in on Ray Tracing for PS5 Pro
Here's my take about ray tracing as I am sure a lot of people scratch their heads on why anyone even bothers with it when it has such a performance cost:
Developers are really good at "faking" realistic lighting that RT sometimes doesn't look any better than rasterized lighting. RT isn't necessarily about looking better, it's about having realistic behavior of light.
Again, it's something the gaming industry has had years of practice to "fake" because it was never available.
Why bother, then?
Development efficiency. With real-time RT, artists can just plant a light and the GPU handles the rest. It's like the "Plug and Play" of lighting. If you are 100% real-time RT, there is no hand-crafting of shadows, reflections, etc., it all "just works".
The Pro is a perfect example - developers are having an incredibly quick turn around on adding in new RT options. It is essentially like flipping a switch (I am sure there is some tweaking required, but certainly not like having to hand-craft an entire new lighting model).
As scenes and geometry get more complex, it's getting harder and harder to "fake" that lighting! Any missed shadows or light bounces can make an image look flat or out-of-place. Real-time RT solves that problem because it calculates everything for the artists.
The problem is that it feels like only Nvidia is actively trying to progress the technology and it's taking forever to reduce the overhead in order for real-time RT to become an industry standard. And since there is such a small amount of competition in that arena, it's also quite expensive.
I equate it to when real-time 3D rendering first game around. Granted real-time 3D had an actual impact on the types of games being created, whereas real-time RT is cosmetic. But, at a time, 3D rendering looked awful compared to sprites and ran even worse than 2D games. There were plenty of companies trying to progress 3D rendering costs and improve framerates.
We need that for real-time RT if we ever want to get all the benefits at such a seemingly small cost. I am sure lighting artists would be grateful!
Re: Black Ops 6 Drives Monthly PS5 Sales Growth in the UK, 75% of Players Purchase on PlayStation
@get2sammyb I'd say it's a W for Microsoft regardless. Microsoft gets the sales across platforms. It gets MTX money across platforms. And even if it isn't driving Game Pass subscriptions up (though I seem to remember someone at somewhere saying there was a boost to Game Pass thanks to COD), it will help maintain the high-tier Game Pass subscriptions - so there is money there.
Bottom line: Microsoft is doing fine with the money-making department. It's not a multi-trillion dollar company for nothing.
The problem with Microsoft is that Xbox became a "Board Room" brand - in that the soul of the platform was removed once Xbox became too big and the gaze of big-daddy corporate became fixed in its direction.
Re: Someone's Definitely Gonna Rebuild PS5's LEGO Horizon Adventures in Real Life
I would be pretty cool if the physical copy of the game came with a QR code that links to instructions on how to build each of the monsters in the game as well as the list of Bricks required for each build (just like how all sets have a Brick sheet in case you need to order replacements).
Sure, it would probably cost more than having LEGO come out with an official set, but for those with disposable incomes, it would be nice to order all the bricks individually from LEGO's official store based on official checklists.
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@Bez87 Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered kicks you out of the game if you don't log in.
Everything before God of War Ragnarök doesn't require a PSN log-in (it was either optional or login didn't exist at all).
Ghost of Tsushima has an optional log-in to use PlayStation overlay (which makes sense), but it is required to play Legends (also makes sense).
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@LogicStrikesAgain @Whately86 As of right now, if one were to buy a game on Steam from 2K Sports, Ubisoft, Blizzard, Rockstar, and some EA and Activision games, they all require logging into their respective launchers upon booting of the game.
Interestingly enough, it is all Western publishers that require them.
I don't think any major Japanese publishers require launchers with an account. Capcom doesn't require one. Square Enix doesn't (well, except Final Fantasy 14, but that makes sense). Bandai Namco doesn't, either. Neither does Konami.
Microsoft doesn't require any log-in for single player games.
So, yes, there is precedent for launchers on PC, but I also think there is "launcher fatigue" on PC.
I know I have the following installed on my computer:
Steam
GOG Galaxy
Epic Games Store
Amazon Prime Games
EA Play
Battle.NET
Ubisoft Connect
I use Steam the most.
Second-most used app is Epic Game Store to play Alan Wake II, and a bunch of free games Epic has been handing out over the years (as well as free games through Prime Gaming).
I sometimes use GOG Galaxy for Cyberpunk and The Witcher series (and some old games I happen to own as well as freebies that I got both from GOG.com itself and through Prime Gaming).
I loaded the Amazon Prime Games launcher once.
I loaded the Ubisoft Connect launcher once or twice.
I loaded Battle.NET a handful of times.
I don't even really use EA Play at all.
I prefer to use as little apps as I can - and I don't load all these apps up at boot.
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@LogicStrikesAgain I would think selling games since Sony actually makes money from that. Creating a PSN account doesn't cost a dime from the consumer - yet seems to be costing sales for Sony.
I guess some bean counter somewhere feels like ecosystem is the better option since Sony isn't budging on the issues at the moment.
🤷♂️
Re: Sony Boss Says It's 'Learned a Lot' from PC Player Pushback
@LogicStrikesAgain Steam lets developers do what it pleases in terms of how it wants to handle games and lets the free market decide for itself how things play out.
It's not in Steam's interest to police who adds what launcher and authentication to their games. That's on player choice to decide what's right for them.
Steam makes it very clear what is required to play said game to allow people to make an informed choice.
I don't think anyone is arguing whether Sony is allowed or not allowed to do with its own games.
What people are saying is that players are voicing their concerns with Sony and voting with their wallets and, yet, Sony continues to double down regardless of that.
So, if more news comes out that Sony games aren't doing well, there is no mystery why. Sony does nothing about it.
I feel bad for Nixxes.
They do a great job with their ports, but it's all starting to be in vain. Will that studio go on the chopping block if Sony's PC ambitions die due to Sony telling its consumers what they want rather than listening to what they want (or don't want)?
Again, not looking for an actual answer.