MrGawain

This generation we learned ‘Play has no limits’ isn’t true. Time, Money, Human perception of super definition, lack of desire for more of the same and our Patience has limited what and how we play.

Next Gen all of gaming has to keep to attainable goals and shift from ‘more is better’.

I’ve never been tempted to buy an XBox, they don’t have the sort of games I like on their platform.

But then Playstation doesn’t either any more.

I think there is something to be said when a lot of these games are loosely ‘Open World’, and yet we’re forced to play through a narrative that for a lot of time feels more like a film than a video game. It’s very hard to make a character flawed or misguided when the player is controlling them, but has no choice in their actions for the cut scenes.

I’ve never been worried if Mario or Sonic are sadistic monsters, because there isn’t that depth of story colouring my interpretation.

Although I’m not a big Pachter fan, I would argue all 3 companies look a little lost at how to continue with their success. Nintendo seems to be aping some of the worst PS/XB practises and losing their family gaming identity, Microsoft are both moving away from hardware with their streaming service at the same time releasing a handheld and commiting to make another Gen of XBox, and Sony seem to care about having the most powerful box and a lack of must have games to play on it.

I don’t think it would take much for another company to come along with an easier accessible system or service with some fun, cheaper games that appeal to the generation coming up and steal away a big market share from these 3 lumbering dinosaurs.

My PS5 has pretty much been a streaming box for the past 6 months, and I don’t see it being much else next year. I don’t know how Sony manages to make almost everything in their SOP’s look so similar- hack and slash bad guys in a darkly lit space. The whole point of a showcase is to show the variety of games coming.

In my opinion Wolverine looks uninspired and held together with a bunch of QTE’s like Spider-Man 2 was.

I think quite a lot of base PS5 users are already feeling short changed, I know I am. There are definitely less exciting games than the PS4 had, and I would expect paying mid Gen for an upgraded console that has little benefit doesn’t make it any better.

Not to mention the recent PS6 talk.

I’m of the opinion that game prices have been inflated to squeeze day one customers, but companies expect most sales to happen when the prices are reduced after the first month-6 weeks. Most games drop to old RRP’s within that time frame these days, even Nintendo games.

I wonder if console prices were raised just so when the prices went back to where they were people would think they were getting a deal?

Logically for a developer who is putting their game on a subscription service it makes sense to make low budget games where people play hours on end (think candy crush or Roblox or an online shooter), than a $300m 3D sandbox narrative game people play for 25 hours once. This will influence what games the industry will lean towards.

They have a customer base willing to buy a $70 game every year and invest in microtransactions with FIFA and Madden. That extra $10 could easily scare off 10-30% of their customers, or make them question if they need the new version every year.

When PlayStation axed most of its Japanese studios it doomed the PS5 into being a one trick pony. It’s not just because of the visual look of Japanese games (although that adds some colour compared to the drab washed out western offerings), but it took away all the innovation and variety we had to choose from like Parappa, Ape Escape, Gravity Rush, and The Last Guardian. Now all that’s left is either Sandboxes with parental issues or shooters with live services.

Clone/reskin characters could take up a lot of spaces. US Agent, Miles Morales, War Machine… pretty much every classic hero has a replacement or a mirror image villain.

My TV is about 14 years old, and it’s stopped supporting the apps that came with it, so the PS5 is handy to watch streaming through.

Now if Sony could make a consistent stream of varied games for the thing, it would be a worthwhile purchase!

I have motion sickness issues, even with FPS games on the TV so VR isn’t for me. My only passing time with it was LABO VR, which was a short experience that was impressive and allowed me to take the headset away from my face, but was not going to replace TV gaming an RPG for me.

I think that’s the real thing about VR; it’s an experience, not a full time way to game or watch Telly.

@AhmadSumadi I own a PS5 and frankly I find very little on it I want to play on a TV, let alone on a Bus. These long narrative sandbox games that Sony focuses on are making them a one trick pony. There are more flavours to gaming than Sad Dad stories and finding beacons to open up a map. I think they’re ignoring a large customer base who want fun instead of drama.

As a Switch and Switch 2 owner, I’m dubious if narrative games with long cutscenes and lengthy fetch quests work on a handheld device where you only have a short time to play. But at least Nintendo are using these sorts of 3rd party games to add variety to their offering.

@get2sammyb

Exactly. And now they have nothing else to follow up the success of it. I very much doubt many under 16 year old are going to be playing either Death Stranding 2 or Ghost Of Yotei.

The fact Sony has stopped caring about family gaming just shows how thick as a brick the company is. A diverse profile makes you stronger in the long run.

The Switch 2 looks great on a big telly, but the reality is the next generation of gamers aren’t as fussed with graphical fidelity. That’s why they’re playing Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft of phones, tablets, Switch 1’s, laptops and base PS4’s.

Sony has dug themselves into a hole of aiming for more power that costs more money and resources. Every so often they say they’re aware the spiralling costs have diminishing returns, and then carry on what they’re doing.

At this point average looking product available to buy is far more profitable than cancelled jaw dropping triple AAA game that you spent 7 years developing.

Wouldn’t making games that appeal to younger people be a better idea?

I’m sorry but Horizon is devoid of any fun or joy whatsoever. Aside from watching soulless Aloy getting eating by robot dinosaurs.

I would say there were more games that looked fun instead of trying to win a visuals contest, and that’s what I want from the games I play these days- fun.

I’m not surprised kids are playing this on the PS5, because there’s so little else new aimed at a younger audience.

PS5 is really marketed to 18-50 year old men.

“We could cut our budget by $50m, or we could spend it on tech that enables us to have girls running around in their bra and pants in our studio.”

The price of the thing was never the problem, the problem the PS5 has is the selection and variety of games hasn’t really improved for a more casual gamer. I’ve been disappointed Sony has become so narrow minded in what games people want, and I do regret buying the PS5 for the little use I’ve got out the thing.

If you love playing games lie God Of War, Horizon, and The Last Of Us then more power to you, but the chances are you bought a PS5 early on.

I’m of the opinion you need a big game, 2 more reveals, 5 solid 3rd party games, a bunch of indies and some odd updates to make a worthwhile Direct-style presentation everyone is happy with. If you don’t have that then it feels like a bit of a round up of all the dregs.

With game releases few and far between for the past few years, I wonder if they can produce State of Play that feels worthwhile?

More 1st party games than last year, but for me personally this year is worse than the last with very little variety, humour or colour.

All the very expensive eggs in a very uncertain basket.

I think Xbox pretty much giving up with exclusives has given Playstation a bump this generation. I bought a PS5 because I assumed it would have the sort of games I like that the PS4 did, but this has been a very lacklustre generation. I doubt I would buy a PS6 if this is the way console gaming is going.

In general all tech is suffering from one thing lacking- the audience. Our eyes and ears aren’t strong enough to appreciate advancements, our lives are too dull to take advantage of all the extra QOL features, and our wallets are too empty to afford the things.

The whole point of turn based combat is it’s more about strategy than twitch button pressing. I love games like Suikoden, and I love games like Bayonetta but they are deeply different experiences. What Square did to Final Fantasy would be akin to making Mario a first person shooter.

The question is can you put the toothpaste back in the tube? I’m not sure you can.

More playground bickering from both sides of the gaming world.

I think Nintendo are trying to market the Switch 2 as a power rival to disillusioned Playstation fans at the expense of their own customer base.

I think Playstation 5 still doesn’t have much of a library of games for Sony to crow about.

Frankly I’m quite sick of console gaming at the moment as companies aren’t listening to their current fans.

The biggest complaint I have about the PS5 and Xbox is they were designed for core gamers, and seem to ignore casuals and families for the most part. Nintendo seem to be aping this business model with the Switch 2, and there’s a feeling the console is powerful so the developers can make the games what they want to, not to provide what the majority of Nintendo’s fans have grown accustomed to buying. This goes against Nintendo’s ‘Blue Ocean’ strategy they’ve stuck by since the Wii. Do you really need to see Mario’s overalls in 4K?

I wonder if a new generation of kids are being priced out of console gaming, and will just stick with their iPads and PC’s.

I’ve had a lot of concerts cancelled 8 months after buying the tickets. If the venue is undersold, they just pull the plug now.

You can tell it’s a hard market to be in when there has been news Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, and AC/DC have all had trouble selling tickets.

This is not a good look for PlayStation when they’re supposed to at full stride in the generation, and soon to be competing against the Switch 2.

Yeah, we get games are hard and expensive to make, but the whole point of buying a games console is to give us new stuff to play, otherwise what was the point of moving on from the PS4?

@BecauseBecause

I tried cleaning them, but it seems to be underneath the plastic. They’re from 2006, and I remember buying all the sets on sale for about £8 each, so I’ve had my value for them. When enough go I’ll get the blu-ray box set.

I have a couple of Star Trek TNG discs that have gone a bit cloudy and freeze a bit, but that’s from a collection of over a thousand discs. Nothing lasts forever, but it still made sense to buy something once and enjoy for 30 years than trust you can find it on a digital store or streamer. Plus I have libraries of physical dvds, cds and games and have no desire to access them for a subscription when I already own them.

It’s inevitable Playstation is going all digital soon, but I’m seriously considering this Gen if the games they make are even for me anymore. The lack of competition in pricing games on a proprietary storefront is just another reason why I probably won’t bother with the PS6.

Suikoden was and is better than final fantasy seven- gameplay and story wise. And it did it before ff7. Then Suikoden 2 came along and improved on the formula.

It has on PlayStation because they stopped making them.

In the meantime Nintendo has cleaned up with quirky, fun, humorous, colourful, family friendly, local multiplayer, moments of escapism.

Sony could compete. They don’t want to.

Tech companies need something to make the previous generation outdated so you buy the new thing. Your television isn’t big enough, your tablet isn’t thin enough, your amp needs to be one louder, your phone can’t recommend a nearby vegan restaurant that allows pet gorillas.

At a certain point we as customers start to question the reason why it needs to be twice as special when it’s already doing a better job than we need. Capitalism collapses and anarchy reigns.

And the AA gaming scene was never seen again.

Looks at Nintendo Switch library….

The reality is neither the output of Sony or Microsoft interests me at the moment. The entirety of triple A gaming bores and depresses me with cliches, overused game mechanics, predatory business practises and gloomy presentation.

Hoping Nintendo can have something to cheer me up with the Switch 2.

Sony and their partners have released games for the PS5, but in reality I’ve only enjoyed Astrobot, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Eiyuden Chronicles as new games for the PS5 this generation. I enjoy fun, weird, bright games with a bit of humour in them.

The PS5 has not lived up to previous generations for variety and innovation, and that’s why I find myself dismayed about the state of the console. If they want people like me to keep playing on Sony platforms, they need to broaden their product variety.

It took them how long to figure out the PS5 was a one trick pony and wasn’t catering for a huge potential customer base in family gamers?

I question if offering more live services will sell any consoles however.

There are games on the PS5… I just don’t want to play most of them.

Sony have put all their eggs in one basket for this generation with a certain type of game and have lost the interest of so many other genre fans. Bland and not fun.

If it’s successful on the Switch 2, it will only be a matter of time until Sony and Microsoft have their version.

The biggest problem with the industry is people think we play games for the IP, and are willing to pay forever for access to those characters, but in reality we want a fun game above anything else.

Realistically after the PS5, I’ve already decided not to upgrade to a PS6, FF7 p3 o4 not.

I’m imagining a 4 on 4 live service where you have to watch 20 minutes of cutscenes about how sad all the characters feel every match.

Yeah, not my sort of thing.

I can understand Sony wanting a live service to compete against everyone else, but why would they release six around the same time to compete with each other? This is moronic business sense.

Sony (and Microsoft, Ubisoft, Square Enix and the rest) are caught in a culture that promotes ‘bigger is better’. The reality of this is narrative games with all the graphical trimmings are costing too much to make back budgets, so developers looked at live service as a way to make super graphic games where the customers pays non stop with the cost of the base game, subscriptions, dlc, and microtransactions.

The problem is they’re not listening to their customers. The majority of us don’t want live services, and a large portion of that don’t want to play online AT ALL.

So these games companies are going to have to figure out how to reduce costs instead of expecting us paying infinitely for something we have no interest in.

The graphics debate never meant much to me, and especially now with graphical fidelity heading down a bit of a cul-de-sac.

For me this year the winner between PS5 and NS2 will be the one with the most fun games to play, and PlayStation has been pretty poor up to now with a few exceptions. The question is will Nintendo have the sort of lineup they had for the original Switch?

Gamepass is aimed at a certain player who likes triple A shooting and fighting games. I personally think Microsoft has limited themselves with this model, both on gamepass and Xbox in general.

@Juanalf

I have played both. To say Astrobot is nothing like Mario Galaxy is very naive.