Comments 2,932

Re: New PS5 Firmware Update Adds Full Discord Calls and More

Paranoimia

I was using Discord via the app when 2 friends and I were playing Battlefield, as one of them was on PC. But he got a PS5 last week, so now it's irrelevant.

Good to know for possible future use, but it's functionality that really should have been there from the start. But that's been a common trait with a lot of PS5 firmware features, hasn't it? A half-arsed initial implementation, followed by an upgrade months or years later; what was it, 3 years before we could check for software updates from the Game Library screen?

Re: Concord PS5, PC Will Reportedly Require a PSN Account to Play

Paranoimia

Not interested in the game, but I don't get the apparent revulsion to having to create a PSN account. Are they perhaps the die-hard Xbots/Microsoft/PCMR fans who really dislike Sony?

I've had to create multiple accounts I didn't really want with various companies over the years, either to be able to play a game at all or simply to get the best out of it. EA, Rockstar, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Krafton, others I can't recall off the top of my head, and no doubt still more I've completely forgotten about. It's nothing more than a minor irritation, yet from the reactions of some, you'd think they were having to agree to the sacrifice of their first born child.

One of the more frequent reasons I see is security, referring to the PSN hack. Okay, and...? Pretty much every gaming company has been hacked in recent years, yet there's never been such resistance or outrage at needing to create accounts on those.

Take a deep breath, give your head a wobble, and get tf over it. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Sony's State of Play for May 2024?

Paranoimia

I voted poor.

I didn't bother watching live, but caught up with it this morning. Pretty "meh" for me, except for the one game I'm interested in... AstroBot.

Despite a few corkers, PS5 has been the most disappointing PlayStation generation for me in terms of games. I feel that if I was still on my PS4 Pro, I wouldn't really be missing out on much except the loading speed.

Honestly, Sony... skip the PS5 Pro, focus on pushing some first party games out quickly, and save the hardware goodies for PS6 so that we can actually feel the improvement... because from PS4 Pro to PS5, the experience is... lacking.

Yes, I am aware that this is just my opinion and that others may feel differently.

Re: A Lot of PS4 Owners Have Yet to Upgrade to PS5

Paranoimia

I was a year late getting my PS5 as I couldn't get one at launch. I wasn't overly fussed. Now I've had one for a while and, to be honest, I wouldn't be disappointed if I hadn't got one.

Lack of new first-party titles has certainly been a factor as far as I'm concerned, along with too much focus on remastering titles that really didn't need it.

But also, in my personal opinion, the PS4 Pro has been a huge factor, in a negative way. Loading times aside, PS5 doesn't feel like that big a leap from the PS4 Pro. I also don't feel that PS5 has been pushed far enough or consistently enough to warrant a PS5 Pro (something I read recently that many devs also feel), and I'd much rather Sony scrapped it and focused on a powerhouse PS6 in a few more years... something with enough of a leap to make it feel absolutely unmissable. I fear a PS5 Pro will similarly eat into the wow-factor of PS6, leaving many feeling underwhelmed, as it seems many do with PS5.

Re: Sony Increasingly Focused on PS5 Playtime Alongside Hardware Sales

Paranoimia

My gameplay hours have fallen off a cliff. 910 hours in 2022, 149 in 2023, hardly any so far this year.

There are reasons for that... my mum has been quite ill, and I'm her full-time carer... but even before that, my gameplay was dwindling. Apart from co-op, I'm not interested in online games, and Sony have been woefully deficient in their single-player offerings so far on PS5.

Re: Review Bombers Were Even Attacking Other Games Made by Helldivers 2 Dev

Paranoimia

Welcome to the PCMR... the PC Moron Race. (And yes, before anyone objects... I also game on PC.)

Imagine being that petty over creating an account... something which shouldn't have been any surprise, because the game's Steam page told you it would be necessary. If you didn't read or didn't see it, that's on you, and maybe Steam for not making it more obvious.

Now, I get that some people won't be able to do so easily because PSN isn't available in their region, but let's not forget the fact that lots of people have been creating PSN accounts for regions other than their actual location for many years, sometimes for things as trivial as a free avatar image; it is possible to work around it. Many people have accounts for Europe, the US, and Japan.

The rest of the people are just being petty and idiotic. I've had to create numerous accounts over the years on services I don't otherwise use, whether it's been a requirement or just optional to get the most out of games. I have accounts with EA, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Rockstar, Krafton... probably more I can't even remember... none of which I use regularly, and none of which serve any significant purpose beyond the one game they were created for.

Grow a pair, get over it, move on.

Re: $70 Games Are Just a Phase, Believes Saber Interactive CEO

Paranoimia

"Funnily enough, Saber Interactive itself is planning on launching Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 at $70, but Karch says this is being done to avoid concerns of a lower price point indicating it's a worse game."

Uh-huh. Riiiiigggghhhttt. Heard it all now. Of course, you could price it at $50 and - if it's any good - it might sell twice as many, giving you more profit. But no, take the short-sighted view and charge as much as you feel you can get away with.

Re: Despite Flagging Physical Software Sales, PS5's Retail Presence Is Still Strong in Japan

Paranoimia

I am astounded that people are still shifting towards digital, given recent events with games disappearing from digital storefronts, and people losing access to TV shows etc. due to "licensing issues".

I continue to buy everything (games, music, movies) on physical media whenever possible. Not only do you actually have a product which can't be taken away, but when it comes to games, it's usually notably cheaper.

It's also been asked in the past why digital versions cost the same (or more) than physical versions when there's no physical media, case, distribution costs etc., and an explanation I've often read is that they don't want to undercut their bricks and mortar retail partners. That always gave an impression that costs would come down if they didn't need to worry about that.

However, as @MattBoothDev said above, we should all hope that the physical market remains strong, because if it disappears, digital prices won't go down, they'll go up... because when digital is the only source, they'll have us all over a barrel, and will charge whatever they like. If you buy everything digital, you're shooting everyone in the foot, including yourself.

Re: Poll: How Much Do You Care About 60fps on PS5?

Paranoimia

Don't care at all. As long as it's smooth and consistent, it doesn't spoil my enjoyment of a game in the slightest.

I'd rather have a locked 30fps than something that varies between 40 and 60 when it gets busy. I game on both console and PC, and I just don't get the snobbery around something so trivial.

In fact, when it comes to PC, I think online competitive games should have locked frame rates, so that nobody gets an advantage based on better hardware. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Re: Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for April 2024?

Paranoimia

For my particular tastes, the selection has been dire for the better part of a year now.

I've not been playing online much either, so if it weren't for the fact that I bought a few years worth of subs a while back, I'd have let PS Plus lapse a while ago.

It's a shame you can't pause restart your sub when you're not making use of it.

Re: Sony Allegedly Pausing PSVR2 Production Due to Surplus of Unsold Stock

Paranoimia

Time to let it go, Sony. Just like 3D, it's an old fad that people try to revive every so often, but the excitement soon wears off, it doesn't sell, support dries up, and it's unceremoniously dumped. The tech improves, but at the end of the day, it's just not something that enough people want. They should have left it after the original sold worse than the Vita.

Re: Rumour: PS5 Pro Is Up to Three Times Faster Than PS5 as Specs Surface

Paranoimia

I already felt that PS5 wasn't that big a jump over the PS4 Pro in many respects. And again, this - if true - will seriously dampen the impact of PS6 when it arrives.

They need to knock these "Pro" versions on the head and save the improvements for the full generational updates. There's no competition for the PS5 as it is, so no need to improve it halfway through it's life cycle. It's like yet another recent game remaster... nobody asked for it, and nobody needs it.

Re: Upcoming PS5 Games for March and April 2024

Paranoimia

You missed one... Reveil, out tomorrow. Saw an ad for it yesterday, seems to be some kind of circus-based horror game, perhaps of the often cruelly titled "walking simulator" type game. Haven't really looked into it yet.

Re: Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for March 2024?

Paranoimia

Been a while since I was interested in anything they offered on Plus. Months now, maybe a year or more... can't actually remember the last thing I took from the monthly games. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Personal circumstances mean I'm unable to play online at the moment, so if I wasn't already paid up for the next couple of years, I wouldn't currently be subscribed, even if that would cost me access to my previous Plus games.

Re: Sony Predicts Slide in PS5 Sales with No Major Existing IPs Planned Before March 2025

Paranoimia

It's disappointing, but I pretty much predicted this lull as we approached the end of the PS4 lifecycle, because all their "big" first party studios had released our were about to release their latest games. That's why I wasn't that fussed when I couldn't get one at launch and waited almost a year before bothering.

That being said, it seems strange to hear you referring to the PS5 entering "the latter stages of its lifecycle", because it doesn't really feel like the PS5 had achieved much so far. It's a great piece of hardware, certainly, but as far as games are concerned, it's been quite a disappointment for me personally. It seems to me that there's been precious little that's made it break a sweat, and generationally speaking, I've found it all pretty underwhelming so far.

This was echoed in my gaming stats for last year; in 2022, I had 900+ hours on PS5, and several more on PC/Steam... for 2023, that was down to just 140-something on PS5. Last year was very disappointing for me on PlayStation.

Re: Poll: What's Your Most Anticipated PS5 Game of 2024?

Paranoimia

If that's a list of everything currently known for 2024, then... nothing.

I just bought Planet of Lana on Steam. I'm interested in Pacific Drive, but I wouldn't say I was "highly anticipating" it. Same with TLOU2 Remastered... love the game(s), but it feels like yet another unnecessary remaster and a money-grab from ND, regardless of what new modes they put in it... would rather they got on with something completely new, or Uncharted 5.

Other than that... probably Helldivers 2 if its co-op is any good, as me and a couple of mates should enjoy it.

Man, it really has been a poor few years for new games... in my personal opinion. I'm not sorry I bought my PS5, but if I was still stuck with only my PS4 Pro, I wouldn't be too disappointed. And the speculation around the PS5 Pro is ridiculous - why release an upgrade to a system that has hardly been pushed to it's limits yet? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Re: Players Reporting PSN Account Bans in Seemingly Widespread Issue

Paranoimia

That issue with removing the shows/films purchased should be against the law. People paid in good faith. Licencing issues are between Sony and whichever other companies are concerned, and the customer should not be left out of pocket as a result. I don't care what the EULA says, it should be illegal under law.

If they're going to remove access to items people have purchased, they should be legally required to refund them in full. Whoever pays for that, these multi-billion dollar companies can decide amongst themselves... but it should never be the customer. One would hope that an incident like this, with this amount of items involved, would see some change in the law.

Re: Guide: PS Portal FAQ - All Your Questions Answered

Paranoimia

I wasn't interested in this, but a recent and unfortunate change in family circumstances means I might well pick one up.

The only thing that really bugs me is that you need an internet connection even if you're right next to your PS5. This really should be able to connect directly to the PS5 WiFi if you're within range, to give the maximum reduction in any lag.

Re: Twitter Wants to Dramatically Improve PS5, PS4's Integration

Paranoimia

I didn't use the integration much, but it was handy for sharing the occasional screenshot or video clip if something funny or unexpected happened in a game. I did have it set up to post platinum trophies as well.

I'll miss the convenience as using the app is more clunky. I hope they come to some agreement to keep it, but I won't lose any sleep if they don't.

As for X/Twitter itself, I still use it, but less than I did... mostly because they blocked 3rd- party apps on mobiles and started charging for TweetDeck on desktop. I don't like the official app or website because of the way they keep messing with your feed and showing you what the algorithm thinks you'd like to see.

Re: PS5's Twitter Integration Now Offline

Paranoimia

I used it occasionally and it was handy, but it's not something I'll miss.

Most amusing thing is that I said this might happen when they started charging for the API, and was told it didn't use the API and I didn't know what I was talking about. Yet... here we are. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Re: Poll: Are You Playing Marvel's Spider-Man 2?

Paranoimia

Nope. Not really interested. I bought the original in a sale long after it released, and enjoyed it for a while but it became quite repetitive.

I got Miles Morales with my PS5 in July 2021, and installed it but have yet to play it. I love the Spider-Man movies, but have never really been interested in superhero games. Maybe in a year or so when it's cheap, and if I've played Miles Morales by then, I'll consider it.

I'm sure it's a great game, but if you're not really into the genre, it doesn't really matter. Personally, I'd much rather have had Days Gone 2.

Re: Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for September 2023?

Paranoimia

Not interested in MMO games. Never been interested in Saints Row.

I bought GenZ on Steam a few months ago, and even several years after launch, it's a buggy mess... and apparently the console versions are worse than PC.

A couple of friends and I bought GenZ for the co-op, but we had to give up playing it... after several hours of gameplay (so too late to refund), it started crashing consistently in one area of the map, and then enemies stopped appearing for me as the host, and I just had to watch my buddies apparently shooting at nothing, over and over. No enemies to kill means no loot and no progression. When I looked into it for a solution, I discovered via the official forums that this is a known bug that's been there since launch and has no solution. So we gave up on it.

It's okay as a single player game, but not as much fun, and many of the missions still bug out.

With the recent news of price increases with no obvious improvements to the service in terms of features, they're going to have to start doing much better on these monthly games. I rarely take any of the games (usually between 4 and 6 a year), so I basically only use it for the online play and cloud storage - and £60 a year isn't worth it. I'm actually paid up for Essential until September 2026, so by the time I next need to renew it's likely to be even higher... probably £70 or £80.

Re: PS Plus Essential, Extra, Premium Price Increases Announced by Sony

Paranoimia

Didn't it only go up a little while ago? 🤔

With no new or improved features announced, it seems difficult to justify. I hope they are least going to make an effort to improve the quality of the games offered each month. They've got Generation Zero next month, a game which I bought a while back on Steam and is a buggy mess... even moreso on consoles, as far as I'm aware.

I stuck with Essential when they added the other tiers, and added 2 years to mine in June during the sale, so I'm good until September 2026. I'm scared to think how much it will cost then, and will probably let it lapse.

At this point, I wish they'd consider a budget level for just online play and cloud saves at, say, £20 per year. I only really bother with it for online play, and even that is rare; the 'free' games I rarely take and can easily do without.

I've been okay with the price increases to this point, because it still gave me value for money. This will tip it past my personal line in the sand, though.

Re: Poll: Are You Sold on PlayStation Portal?

Paranoimia

Aside from the price, the biggest sticking point for me is that they say it requires an internet connection.

If I want to play a single player game on the sofa while someone else is watching TV, it should connect directly to the console, either via a direct WiFi link or through the router. No internet should be required.

Re: You Can Play The Crew Motorfest for Free in Trial Period at Launch on PS5, PS4

Paranoimia

@captainsandman Enough for me to dislike the obnoxious "dudebro" presentation, to dislike the handling model, to tweak the steering controls because the defaults were very sluggish, and to decide the handling model generally sucked.

I switched it to the most realistic handling straight off the bat, but the handling reminded me of some rally game I bought on the PS1 - instead of steering properly, the cars rotate around a central pivot point, and I've never got on with that way of doing things.

I might give this another go when the freebie time is available, just to see if things have improved - after all, that's what a beta is for - but I certainly won't be pre-ordering.