Comments 512

Re: 'We Were Forced to Change': Sony CEO Outlines Shift to Entertainment, and Says PS5 Must Be the Best Place to Play

MrGawain

You have to feel sorry for the guy, because games and films and TV shows take so long to develop now. You can’t just say ‘We need an Uncharted or another Astrobot game for Christmas or next year’, what you have to sell was what the guy 5-7 years ago greenlit (and hopefully hasn’t been cancelled since then). The changes this guy makes won’t be felt until the next decade.

The market is moving so fast now, and it feels that the industry is stuck in its ways worrying just about big triple A games that are being sent out to die because they are no longer in fashion and too expensive in any way you can think. So many 3rd party games and studios are being cancelled so Sony can’t just expect to prop up the lack of 1st party.

GTA6 SHOULD do well, but there is no guarantee it will do as well as people expect, especially in this climate.

Re: Poll: Do You Think PS5 Can Outsell PS4 with Its New Price Point?

MrGawain

There are core PS4 owners that have moved on because they’ve had kids, grown out of gaming, can’t afford the PS5 or are just uninspired by this gens games. I sort of wish I hadn’t bothered myself.

The question is are there really enough new young gamers attracted to these games at this price for a console to replace them?

Re: PS5 Price Increases Start, Live Now at Some Retailers

MrGawain

I will be curious to see if there is a mad rush to buy PS5s when GTA6 comes out. I’m wondering if some of that GTA5 base has moved on or is happy to stick with 5.

95m PS5s sold, 35m XBX’s sold- let’s say that’s 110m modern console owners some owning both consoles. Probably less.

GTA5 sold 225m copies. Is half the install base going to wait for it on PC, or is this a big warning sign for triple A developers?

Re: Iconic Devs Say the Industry Feels 'Crashier' Now Than the Actual Video Game Crash of the 80s

MrGawain

A lot of companies have shifted their business plans to low effort and high profit. Concerts, sports, theme parks, casinos, high end manufacturers like furniture, tech and musical instruments, video games- they don't care about lowering their prices to appeal to the mass market, the want the few rich whales to spend above common sense. This is scooping out the middle ground of production.

Its baseball where only bases loaded home runs matter.

Re: 'Onwards to More Graphics Breakthroughs': PS6 Architect Mark Cerny Shares a Staged Exchange with AMD Bigwig

MrGawain

Currently there are so many games and hardware companies that are doubling down on the idea that all of their customers want more powerful, more expensive consoles and graphics cards, but I think it’s pretty obvious younger gamers couldn’t care less, and a large percentage of gamers that invested in the current generation are questioning if the extra power has been beneficial in the games we’ve actually got. I know I and my friends and family are all questioning if the PS5 has been worth it at the moment.

Re: Sony Considering PS6 Delay to 2028 or Even 2029, New Report Says

MrGawain

Seeing how happy the community is for the delay, I wonder how well the rumoured Next Xbox will do in 2027? You would think releasing on its own would give it a larger audience, but you would also guess the games will be held back by having to release on the PS5 as well. Plus it will stick out like a sore thumb if it releases at over a grand.

Re: Ubisoft May Have Put Watch Dogs Down for Good

MrGawain

Ubisoft have always had the problem of their games feeling samey to their other titles. It’s sad for the people losing their jobs, but Watchdogs was just another Assassin’s Creed clone. Ubisoft made the biggest mistake that infinite exponential growth exists and people would keep buying no matter what they put out.

Re: PS5 Enjoys a Decent November in the UK, Even Excluding Black Friday

MrGawain

Sony are treading water at the moment. They’ve committed to this console, the triple A system that now takes 6+ years to produce this quality of game, and have very little in unknown games to spark the business. Wolverine and GTA6 are the things that could sell some more consoles, but beyond that if you don’t have a PS5, I doubt much will push you to buy one.

The real story is does Sony keep pushing power on the next console, or cap it and be price (and development) conscious on the PS6?

Re: Talking Point: Does PS5 Have a Sequel Problem?

MrGawain

When you give everything and the kitchen sink in the original, where can you go? Spider-Man has all the powers and you can’t really give him a horse or car or a jet pack to advance the gameplay, and you can’t set it in the Sahara desert or Space. They painted themselves into a corner.

No excuse to not come up with more interesting ideas in the other games though!

Re: PS5 Sales Collapse in Japan as Sony Readies Overdue Rescue Plan

MrGawain

If you don’t like the sort of exclusive sand box narrative games Sony has- God of War, Horizon, Death Stranding, Spider-Man, Ghost Of Yotei, etc…

…How many reasons do you have to buy an expensive console? Playstation needs variety this generation has been lacking, and it’s deeply evident in the Japanese market.

Re: PlayStation CEO Pushed Through Cut-Price PS5 in Japan After Seeing System Slump Against Switch 2

MrGawain

Currently PlayStation isn’t a rounded business. Aside from Astrobot, Sackboy and (sort of) Ratchet and Clank there hasn’t been much fun, colourful family stuff to appeal to that audience which is a big part of Japanese gaming. I don’t think subsidising the console makes a damn bit of difference if you don’t have the games that this audience wants- just look at XBox in Japan.

They aren’t going to fix this overnight without investing in some studios to make these sort of games- and I question if they will do that?

Re: Poll: Does the Steam Machine Pose a Threat to PS5?

MrGawain

Aside from Nintendo there is a definite homogenisation of video games heading towards PC gaming. The home console will just be using the TV as a window into these platforms. We’re likely to see $1000 consoles next Gen, and gaming is going to become a little more niche. I’m guessing people will choose a single console based on where their friends play and where their libraries predominantly are.

Re: PS5 'In the Middle' of Its Lifecycle, Claims Sony

MrGawain

Nice to hear any company listening to its customers, let alone Sony.

Seeing the calls for cheaper, more sustainable titles with quicker turnarounds was already being discussed sometime in 2020, it wouldn’t have made sense to expect us to invest in a more expensive console with specs that inflated their problems even more.

Re: Talking Point: Is PS5 Really in Competition with TikTok?

MrGawain

I’m now closer to 50 than 40, and although I still game there is definitely more competition for my time.

When I look at my 20 something nephew, he wants games but is not willing to pay for them- especially PlayStation, because beyond Astrobot nothing has interested him. He spends money on holidays, concerts, the cinema, and theme parks because he gets to do that with his friends. I see him come online with his Switch and has over 1000 hours watching YouTube on it. He still plays a bit of FNAF and Minecraft, but not much else.

I definitely think Playstation is ignorant to younger gamers at the moment, making expensive, long winded story games that kids aren’t willing to invest their time and money in.

Re: PS6 Could Be Less Than Half the Price of Microsoft's 'Very Premium' Next-Gen Xbox

MrGawain

I think all three companies have lost a lot of good will with their fans recently:

  • Nintendo with prices, game key cards and some questions about the quality of some of the Switch 2 launch games.
  • Xbox with uncertainty of how they are selling their product (subscription/console/3rd party) and laying off thousands of workers.
  • Sony for pushing their hardware and prices when there is fewer interesting games this generation.

None of these companies can expect to grow or even keep all of their customers if they don’t address these problems.

Re: Sony Plans to Start Shooting Horizon Movie in 2026, with 2027 Release Planned

MrGawain

The idea of a film of a girl fighting robot dinosaurs is a perfect summer blockbuster, but things will have to change from the game. Aloy is more robotic than the metal T-Rex she fights, and that’s why she’s disliked by some fans. If we could just have some humour, or vulnerability, or anger from the character in the game, you could relate to her.

Re: Talking Point: PS6 In 2027 - How Do You Feel About Sony's Next-Gen Console?

MrGawain

Not just a slight on Sony, but modern gaming is less concerned on fun these days. It’s more concerned with making films that you wander through. Couple that with the cost, lack of games and push towards online really puts me off investing hundreds into a new PlayStation.

Hoping Nintendo has some fun Switch 2 games next year, because even they are falling foul to these criticisms.