@PALversusNTSC rayman origins/legends are incredible games, but it's been over 10 years since they got released... the franchise had been dead for a while anyways with no signs of a comeback. michel ancel (creator of rayman) has since left the company and that didn't help either
@MrPeanutbutterz these days, yes. it essentially stopped with the ps3 era, but even ps4 received multiple colour varients including black (base), white, camo and gold. other colour varients were game specific.
that said, the ps2 had an amazing selection (taken from wikipedia):
"Several variations in color were produced in different quantities and regions, including ceramic white, light yellow, metallic blue (aqua), metallic silver, navy (star blue), opaque blue (astral blue), opaque black (midnight black), pearl white, sakura purple, satin gold, satin silver, snow white, super red, transparent blue (ocean blue), and also Limited Edition color Pink, which was distributed in some regions such as Oceania, and parts of Asia"
it's sad those days are behind us now. instead of selecting a colour you like, you are expected to pay an additional premium on top of an already overpriced console.
can't sony at least give us the most basic choice: white or black SKU out of the box? no excuses for that.
now we know why sony opted for such a plain/generic colour for the base model and has not created any additional SKUs for people to choose from 4 years into the cycle.
@naruball it's hard to say how people would react to it today. one thing is for certain, though; afro samurai was never marketed as anything more than over the top fictional entertainment. ubisoft shot themselves in the foot by focusing too much on its own idea of "historical accuracy" on a subject that is widely debated and uncertain. afro samurai also had the benefit of appearing long before the culture of "DEI" politics, and as such, would not be subjected to the same level of criticism and skepticism (as to why it exists in the first place).
@Nepp67 james is the best in the bunch. but i really don't like the look of angela (looks incredibly generic and bland) and maria (missing that "it" factor) in the remake.
well, the problem began when ubisoft marketed the game as being "historically accurate/based on true events" simply because there is so much controversy and unknowns about the actual events that occured. no matter how you approach it, there are going to be major liberties taken with such an adaptation. as such, ubisoft should have taken a step back and not made those claims.
anyone remember the afro samurai anime/games from 15 years ago? well, nobody seemed to have a problem with that franchise. it featured a black samurai out for revenge. it was treated as fiction and escapism. perhaps people were more open minded back then? ubisoft easily could have gone the same route with its own game but it has pigeonholed itself with the whole "historical accuracy" slant that the creed series is known to have. all videogames that slap such a label should be taken with a big grain of salt.
personally, i couldn't care less about the politics surrounding yasuke. i would play the game knowing damn well not to take it seriously in the first place (if i was a big creed fan that is). who plays creed games looking for histoical accuracy? i don't much care for the creed series as it has long since been run into the ground and exploited as much as any game franchise can be. with ubisoft on the verge of collapse and bankruptcy, it doesn't look like this franchise will be around much longer anyways... or at the least, go on a long hiatus while the company is acquired, restructred, etc. so, for the creed fans out there, instead of complaining, might as well "enjoy" the game for what it is because it might be the last one for a very long time
it's true, but let's not forget that in japan, you cannot show a decapitations of any kind in video games. resident evil 7 was censored as were many other japanese games including shadows of the damned, etc. they have their own problems in that regard.
well, that is a fool's errand. sony (today) pressuring its own studio to support its TVs (15 years into the future) is idiotic. to be frank, i don't think 8k will ever be a thing with widespread adoption... other than TVs larger than 80" (which less than 3% of the population has the space for... then, finding someone with the space, money and desire to get one is slim pickings). even 4k adoption is stuggling due to diminishing returns in noticeable fidelity to the average person. stop wasting money sony! seems to be the only thing you are good at of late.
nomura is a legend. i think the storytelling in the kh games is incomprehensible and pedestrian at the same time, but nomura's character designs are among the best and most influential in gaming history. his work peaked with ff 10, but what a cereer. his definition of "a few years" in referring to retirement could mean another decade in the trenches, so i wouldn't read too much into that. whatever the case may be, giving cloud and sora closure would be a good sendoff to nomura's career. but what i really want to see is a reboot of a lesser known franchise — i'm talking about parasite eve, of course!
begs the question why sony couldn't just create a standard GREY ps5 without resorting to FOMO tactics to get one? just make a grey cover for crying out loud. it is the most aesthetically pleasing colour for a console and always has been.
at any rate, these will be sold out instantly. unless you know how to program bots or use AI to make the purchase within seconds of the listing going live, good luck
majority of these will be scalped on ebay for $5000 a pop (referring to the ps5 pro models).
most of those characters are re-skins of eachother and will play similarily, right? i find it hard to believe that they would code 182 unique move sets. unless, of course, the command list is incredibly basic and each character is mitigated to a few punch, kick and fireball commands, without a combo system. regardless, impressive roster which likely has never been done before on this scale.
@MikeOrator OK? if you don't see a problem with a 63% increase over the base ps5 (disc) version, all the power to you. but i gave you plenty of reasons why people are critical of sony over this. believe it and don't be surprised
also, most of the games you listed were first party. the takewaway was that 3rd party releases got sloppier as time went on for the base ps4 and that is expected to occur again on the base ps5.
@NEStalgia absolutely right about that. the era of optimization and devs putting in the effort is long over for the console space (outside of 1st party output mostly). that was one of the prime benefits of being a console gamer for decades. after the first half of the ps4 era, something changed. it's now all about bruteforceing to the finish line.
@carlos82 yea, that's brutal. i haven't looked into the japanese price, but considering the base unit continues to increase in japan 4 years on, it might be pretty bad there too.
@MikeOrator in canada, the price difference between the base ps5 (disc) and the pro ps5 (disc) is $460CAD (taking tax into consideration). that is a 63% increase versus the base model which is quite absurd all things considered. in europe, the optics are even worse. looking at this from an americancentric point of view is a little less damning due to the way currency works... with no price drop in sight on the base unit 4 years and counting, this situation couldn't possibly get any worse. people have good reason to be bitter. they will continue to voice their opinions and (hopefully) vote with their wallets so that sony course corrects.
there is also concern that the base model will become neglected (more likely with third party titles) in the same way the base ps4 was (i.e. poor optimization and lazy ports etc). so even those who aren't interested in the ps5 pro may be paying the price. this works out poorly for 90% of the install base, while the other 10% feels good about their shiny new toy.
@Yousef- the sequel, forbidden west, only sold about 1/3 of zero dawn's 24m copies. if that isn't damning for sony, i don't know what is. the IP is certainly in trouble and i wouldn't be surprised to learn that the lego game was designed with the sole intent of boosting awareness of the IP so that the third mainline entry doesn't fail to meet sales expectations again.
not a bad upgrade there. but keep in mind, most ps5 games/pro upgrades will not get this level of treatment as they will primarily be reserved to first party/sony published/timed exclusives only, with the odd multiplatform game. which means... just a handful of games in the grand scheme of things.
@NEStalgia yea, i'm not sure when or why keighley became that face of the entire gaming industry and the "voice of reason"? . it's odd to me that he would even get into the ring and defend this. we could just as easily create a chart of those console prices at their mid-life and end-life cycle to make a point. i think that would be eye opening to many people.
they were selling "psone" consoles for $49USD MRSP in 2002! with inflation, that is just $79USD! the console had a price reduction of 83% at end of life which boggles the mind. while i'm not expecting anything even remotely similar with modern gaming consoles, i sure as hell expected to see the ps5 with a $50-100 reduction by now.
the one thing we can say with certainty is: with the exception of the switch and the current gen consoles, every other console in history received a price cut (sometimes multiple) within a year or two of being on the market. that's just how it works with outdated tech and efficiencies on the production line. people are enabling sony to get away with this is what is most shocking to me.
and yes, you are absolutely right that sony underpriced the original ps1 considering the era and how advanced the technology was for the time. it appears that all the market leaders no longer want to subsidize or pass on the savings (from manufacturing/part efficiencies) to the customer like they used to. not sure why because more players in the ecosystem would net sony even higher margins in the grand scheme of things. i have a hunch that sony would still be in the green even with a price reduction of $100-125USD on the base ps5 slim.
@themightyant not only that. all those consoles keighley listed got significant price drops a few years into their life cycle...meanwhile the ps5... well, you know the rest...
@LifeGirl nice damage control by keighley. i haven't double checked those numbers... but even if true, those consoles had NUMEROUS MSRP price drops within a few years of release. the slim lines in particular got even cheaper. we will likely not get a single price drop on the ps5. where is the logic in buying into that argument about launch prices?
this is all so cringe inducing. most gamers either don't care about this stuff or are unaware of it at all. they will not be swayed in any way. those who want the pro have already made up their minds about it... those who don't have done the same. trying to convince people to be stupid with their money is counterproductive. sony will sell less than 10m units of the pro — they did the math already. if they feel like that is a worthwhile to their bottom line, then so be it. that said, it is sad that many games will be poorly optimized on the base ps5 now that the pro exists (many games were already poor long before the pro as well), particularly from 3rd party developers. that is what people should be upset about more than anything.
well, i think people will vote with their wallet on this one. sony is not getting its R&D investment back on the pro model and will take a major loss on it.
it feels like this entire console cycle is me saying that things cannot possiblly get any worse... and yet they do. sony has yet to deliver a compelling reason to own a base ps5 yet after 4 years.... they won't sell more than 10m of the pros at this price point if the ps4 pro data is anything to go by. console gaming is in a real bad place right now. it is more concerned with the tech arms race of the PC space than making actual games worth a damn. only nintendo will continue to do what matters most i suppose. with the exception of a handful of ps5 targeted games this entire cycle, there really isn't enough there to justify the buy-in.
best to avoid the ps5 altogether and see how the ps6 turns out. if it is fully backwards compatible with ps4/5, has a disc drive, reasonable price and sony goes back to basics of making good games at a reaosnable clip, then i'll bite. until then, 30 years of retro gaming is waiting for me
what can you say? WOW. that is an advance wars clone if i have ever seen one. a single pixel in the wrong place and you will have nintendo knocking at your door
@NEStalgia it was in production in some form since the wii u era? i did not know that! jim certainly had a big part to play, but the rest of sony HQ likely supported and encouraged this vision along with him which explains the departure of layden all too clearly.
my hope is they hit the ground hard and make it clear to their shareholders that this strategy is simply not going to work out for them and proceed to make internal changes to rectify this nightmare. if they want to dedicate 20% of their budget to a handful of service games for the sake of their shareholders, fine. but at least select those properties accordingly (gran turismo has been a service for a long time now and is doing well for them. a twisted metal GaaS project would likely have done reasonably well as well. a socom revival could have potential in this space. if they are going to take the risk, might as well go with an established IP that can generate some fanfare, instead of a generic (new) IP that looks like a side story out of guardians of the galaxy.
i would estimate that 50% of their gaming budget is currently (or was) tied up in service games — most of which are on the verge of failing if they haven't already. last of us factions and concord alone likely cost sony $500m? fairgame$ is destined to follow the same course as concord, and we haven't even considered all the (unannounced) service games behind the scenes that were cancelled a year ago (apparently 6 were canned, including the last of us). so are we talking about looses over $1b? probably.
anyways, better that they fail now than later. i hope the ps6 will be a clean slate for them and we can move on from this era of playstation.
@jrt87 you are probably right about that. i'm still content with my ps3 collection and have no reason to upgrade. had the new remaster been definitive and pushing 4k resolution, then maybe... but that was wishful thinking i suppose.
you can kiss two great sony published single player games goodbye at the expense of concord's existence. this is how we should be looking at this... it is also the reason so many people were upset at jimbo's strategy and why service games are generally despised in many gaming circles. all the hate was warranted and justifed as we see it coming full circle. concord is on the same level as suicide squad. there is nothing that can save it's fate. hundreds of millions of dollars squandered.
sony has another 3 or 4 service games to writeoff over the next 4 years. keep em coming... so long as a lesson is learned here, i won't flinch.
yea, it almost feels as if atlus is insecure about the game and was expecting more hype around it? it was never going to be a mainstream release by any stretch, but i have no doubt many of the core persona 5 fans will eat it up. the more casual demographic remains to be seen. it takes time to grow an IP. persona series had 30 years... atlus can't expect metaphor to match persona 5 sales right out of the gate.
people did not buy their ps5 for xbox games, so why do we suddenly care about this topic? whatever happens, happens i guess... there is absolutely no urgency for any of it.
microsoft is doing itself a favour by porting it to ps5, not the other way around. xbox and pc sales will not be enough to turn a profit. no need to thank xbox for this turn of events, rather, phil should be thanking the ps community for supporting xbox games and keeping the division on life support.
people can be swayed and convinced so easily these days. it is still too early to tell how well this game will review. when money is at stake, be skeptical until there is a consensus and don't allow the marketing machine to dictate your impressions of anything (i.e. pre-ordering anything these days is foolish).
someone wise once said: "they played us like a damn fiddle!"
sounds like some people expect AAA quality and polish from AA studios with 1/4 of the budget now? it would make more sense to temper expectations and understand who the developer is as well as the scope. as a lower budget game, they are doing good work here. it does look next gen and the deus ex vibes have me intrigued. the headline of the article is certainly overblown. the character model of the lead actress looks a bit stylized (i'm not a fan), but that is more of an art direction thing.
2027 was apparently the release date they were aiming for, so i wasn't expecting any news on this game for a long, long time anyways. it is premature to get concerned knowing the context. we'll start to get more news in 2025 or 2026 if i had to guess?
the battle systm was fantastic. the writing and characters were often lacking, but i still enjoyed my time with the first game in the trilogy (have yet to play the sequels). we absolutely do not need REMAKES of ps3 era games though... the graphics and fidelity are still impressive even to this day. REMASTER the trilogy in 4K/60 and it will be amazing.
resources should go to games that actually require a REMAKE due to their age such as parasite eve, xenogears, vagrant story etc. the idea of REMAKING hd era games is unfounded.
this is a tragic story of how the gaming community and press at large destroyed a great developer. easily one of the most unfairly judged games of the ps4 gen. yes, it was a short game and perhaps the "value" wasn't there at the full asking price, but otherwise a very solid IP that stands as one of the more memorable and impressive looking games on the ps4.
sony REALLY should have given ready at dawn one more crack at it. the foundation was in place for an incredible trilogy. even if the order didn't prove to be a huge seller (i've read that it sold in the ballpark of 2m copies), what were sony's expectations and as the publisher, shouldn't they share part of the blame? dismissing such a talented studio like that was unfounded after just one atempt at a AAA game (with many past accolades).
@NEStalgia at the time i wasn't even aware of gta 1 and 2... those games certainly had their fans. i even heard some purists complain that gta 3 had lost the spirit of the series and heavily disliked the idea of the franchise going full 3d (despite there being a top down view in gta 3 which nobody used)
as for houser, he was tied to the development of 6 for several years before he left (the game began development all the way back in 2014... he left in 2020, so plenty of time to leave his mark and establish a foundation for the story). but yea, game development is messy and his departure during the critical phase of development could certainly worsen the output. remains to be seen how it all turns out.
@rjejr interesting to gain the perspective of the younger crowd. if the 20 and under demographic have no interest in gta, that would be something (generally speaking, of course). the majority of sales will likey come from those in the 30s and 40s who grew up with gta, rather than those who have yet to be "initiated"... all that said, i think modern gamers are starving for something big and it won't surprise me if gta 6 smashes all the sales records on its release.
since the game has been in development exclusively for current gen hardware (with no pc port in sight — rockstar usually waits years to release the pc port), i think it will run great on ps5 and series x. but yea, series s is a big question mark. if we are to believe that 75% of series consoles sold were series s variants (as of 2022 according to reports with a decline afterwards) then it is safe to say that at least 10-15m series s consoles were sold. rockstar has a clear obligation to put the effort in with so many people being impacted there... despite this, it is anyone's guess how that all turns out
what else are they going to tell their shareholders? if they keep this up, many people will find less and less of a reason to own and delve deep into the platform. sony understands this, but they are certainly not going to tell their investors that they dropped the ball and this is the most underwhelminmg playstation cycle in its history
@NEStalgia @rjejr i can fully understand both of your sentiments there. the franchise has blown up to such an extent, that the hype and PR surrounding it will inevitably create unobtainable expectations for many people, especially for those who were never onboard with the experience and everything the games represent. when viewed without all that noise, however, they are just well made games that have continued to set a new bar with each entry.
as someone who was there day 1 with GTA 3 on ps2, it really did blow my mind what i was whitnessing. it wasn't the first open world, sandbox game to exist, but it was certainly the grandest and most immersive during this infancy stage of polygonal gaming. it set the new standard for the industry going forward with its writing and narrative as well (OK, no, metal gear solid and the numerous squaresoft games did, but gta was among the top). with each new entry, expectations grew as did the sales. what is most impressive about gta is that it somehow managed to exceed the lofty expectations and continued to outdo itself.
i wouldn't call myself a gta super fan, but i've enjoyed my time with them, outside of gta iv which i found to be borderline unplayable due to the terrible camera and aiming systems, not to mention sluggish performance (on ps3, it felt like it was running at 20 fps. i'm not a performance snob but it felt like sludge moving around in that world). but gta v was WOW! at the time of release — it really did push ps3 to its dead limits from a technical standpoint and the story/writing was certainly above average and memorable.
there is something unique about the property in how it can be so mainstream yet so unapologetic and unique in its vision. it is refreshing to see a major publisher put out a game that has zero interest in being politically correct or focus tested. they have a vision and they will stand by it no matter the outcome. it might not be for everyone, but with gta v reaching 200m copies sold, they are doing something unheard of in connecting with their audience.
btw, i am referring strictly to the single player games. i have never played gta online and have absolutely no intention of doing so. i agree with your viewpoint on it being a social media platform and casual space to screw around in. it remains to be seen if rockstar will even attempt to make a gta vi online or simply expand what already exists. it will be risky, whatever they decide to do on that front as we know it is too easy to break something that already works.
for $100CAD.. heck no. can't even change the ugly arial font on the ps4 version. this really should be priced at no more than $50CAD. s-e is abusing people with FOMO tactics here and it is very sad to see.
@rjejr yea, i guess it will all depend on the extent of which hardware sales decline for the ps5. that said, i think sony is betting the farm on gta vi to correct the situation and keep things respectable for them... that is the one and only game that has the potential to course correct the entire industry all on its own. a $400USD ps5 digital edition packed in with a voucher of gta vi may be exactly what the doctor ordered
@rjejr the switch is certainly an anomaly — it may in fact be the first console in history to not receive an MSRP drop for its entire life cycle (7 years and counting). in an alternate world where the switch sold respectably instead of outstandingly, the switch oled would be priced closer to $230USD and the non-oled $180USD respectively at this point in time. nintento has been gouging people for the past 3 years but steady sales make this strategy viable nontheless. only now are we starting to see hardware sales stagnate and decline a bit so a price cut may be in the cards later this year. certainly once the switch 2 releases next year, the current switch models will receive a price cut, at which point sony could follow with a price cut of its own.
in any case, at present time, i agree that sony can't price the ps5 lower than the switch oled because it would look ridiculous to do so from a power/spec point of view... but a $400USD MSRP for the ps5 physical edition would certainly help make the ps5 platform more attractive for many, boost the rate of sales and benefit sony in the long-run. of course, i agree that the biggest hurdle is software and the ps5 continues to flounder in this critical area. unfortunately, i don't think the ps5 will ever earn a high perceived sense of "value" due to its high price point and lack of enticing software exclusive to the platform. that ship has sailed... at this point it feels like we are destined to receive another 6 single player 1st party (ps5) exclusive games at best (as well as a bunch of service games). that is, until said games hit the pc down the line...
ultimately, it appears that there are 3 factors hurting the ps5 then... price point, lack of ps5 exclusive software and a general sense of "value" to the consumer that is not being met. sony most definitely underestimated the importance of the perceived "value" that is gained with true software exclusivity. nintendo, on the other hand, understands this only too well.
to be fair, the fans did give it a chance with the initial reveal — the hype was through the roof in anticipation with years of rumours and speculation. the trailers have done this game no favours. the developers track record is not impressive, either. this damage control (before the game releases) comes across as desperate. if the game proves everyone wrong that would be great but the odds are stacked against it unless you are anticipating merely average results. one of the greatest horror games ever made deserves more than average results, though, and should be striving for greatness. anything less than universal praise and an 80+ metascore (not that review scores are everything but they are a good reference point, generally speaking) will be a grave disappointment.
it's great that the store is still active, of course, but considering how evolved the jailbreaking scene is for the ps3, it won't be much of a loss when the store closes for good as it is incredibly easy to open the floodgates. the community has done an amazing job to ensure that that entire software library is preserved on private servers. sony does not care about its legacy, so gaming enthusiasts have taken the initiative for them. same rule applies to the wii/wiiu/3ds shops as well.
Comments 2,697
Re: Tencent, Guillemot Family Reportedly Considering Ubisoft Buyout
@PALversusNTSC rayman origins/legends are incredible games, but it's been over 10 years since they got released... the franchise had been dead for a while anyways with no signs of a comeback. michel ancel (creator of rayman) has since left the company and that didn't help either
Re: PlayStation Begins Pre-Orders for PS5's Chroma Collection, Horizon Remastered, More
@MrPeanutbutterz these days, yes. it essentially stopped with the ps3 era, but even ps4 received multiple colour varients including black (base), white, camo and gold. other colour varients were game specific.
that said, the ps2 had an amazing selection (taken from wikipedia):
"Several variations in color were produced in different quantities and regions, including ceramic white, light yellow, metallic blue (aqua), metallic silver, navy (star blue), opaque blue (astral blue), opaque black (midnight black), pearl white, sakura purple, satin gold, satin silver, snow white, super red, transparent blue (ocean blue), and also Limited Edition color Pink, which was distributed in some regions such as Oceania, and parts of Asia"
it's sad those days are behind us now. instead of selecting a colour you like, you are expected to pay an additional premium on top of an already overpriced console.
can't sony at least give us the most basic choice: white or black SKU out of the box? no excuses for that.
Re: PlayStation Begins Pre-Orders for PS5's Chroma Collection, Horizon Remastered, More
now we know why sony opted for such a plain/generic colour for the base model and has not created any additional SKUs for people to choose from 4 years into the cycle.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Hasn't Removed Yasuke, But Dev Focused on Historical Accuracy
@naruball it's hard to say how people would react to it today. one thing is for certain, though; afro samurai was never marketed as anything more than over the top fictional entertainment. ubisoft shot themselves in the foot by focusing too much on its own idea of "historical accuracy" on a subject that is widely debated and uncertain. afro samurai also had the benefit of appearing long before the culture of "DEI" politics, and as such, would not be subjected to the same level of criticism and skepticism (as to why it exists in the first place).
Re: This Silent Hill 2 PS5 vs PS2 Comparison Will Blow Your Mind
@Nepp67 james is the best in the bunch. but i really don't like the look of angela (looks incredibly generic and bland) and maria (missing that "it" factor) in the remake.
Re: This Silent Hill 2 PS5 vs PS2 Comparison Will Blow Your Mind
the character designs of the lead characters looks pretty bad in the remake. that much is certain.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Hasn't Removed Yasuke, But Dev Focused on Historical Accuracy
well, the problem began when ubisoft marketed the game as being "historically accurate/based on true events" simply because there is so much controversy and unknowns about the actual events that occured. no matter how you approach it, there are going to be major liberties taken with such an adaptation. as such, ubisoft should have taken a step back and not made those claims.
anyone remember the afro samurai anime/games from 15 years ago? well, nobody seemed to have a problem with that franchise. it featured a black samurai out for revenge. it was treated as fiction and escapism. perhaps people were more open minded back then? ubisoft easily could have gone the same route with its own game but it has pigeonholed itself with the whole "historical accuracy" slant that the creed series is known to have. all videogames that slap such a label should be taken with a big grain of salt.
personally, i couldn't care less about the politics surrounding yasuke. i would play the game knowing damn well not to take it seriously in the first place (if i was a big creed fan that is). who plays creed games looking for histoical accuracy? i don't much care for the creed series as it has long since been run into the ground and exploited as much as any game franchise can be. with ubisoft on the verge of collapse and bankruptcy, it doesn't look like this franchise will be around much longer anyways... or at the least, go on a long hiatus while the company is acquired, restructred, etc. so, for the creed fans out there, instead of complaining, might as well "enjoy" the game for what it is because it might be the last one for a very long time
Re: Dragon Quest Veterans on Dealing with 'Ridiculous Country' USA Amid Censorship Row
it's true, but let's not forget that in japan, you cannot show a decapitations of any kind in video games. resident evil 7 was censored as were many other japanese games including shadows of the damned, etc. they have their own problems in that regard.
Re: PS5 Pro's 30th Anniversary Bundles Are Getting Flipped for $5,000
haha called it... that exact figure... $5000. can't say i'm surprised. FOMO is a disease.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Will Experiment with 8K, 60fps on PS5 Pro
well, that is a fool's errand. sony (today) pressuring its own studio to support its TVs (15 years into the future) is idiotic. to be frank, i don't think 8k will ever be a thing with widespread adoption... other than TVs larger than 80" (which less than 3% of the population has the space for... then, finding someone with the space, money and desire to get one is slim pickings). even 4k adoption is stuggling due to diminishing returns in noticeable fidelity to the average person. stop wasting money sony! seems to be the only thing you are good at of late.
Re: Rumour: Days Gone PS5 Remaster Speculation Starts to Spread
@Elitepatriot their next big game is likely to hit in the summer or fall of 2025. yes, it's going to be a while yet.
Re: Tetsuya Nomura Considers Retirement, and How to End Kingdom Hearts
nomura is a legend. i think the storytelling in the kh games is incomprehensible and pedestrian at the same time, but nomura's character designs are among the best and most influential in gaming history. his work peaked with ff 10, but what a cereer. his definition of "a few years" in referring to retirement could mean another decade in the trenches, so i wouldn't read too much into that. whatever the case may be, giving cloud and sora closure would be a good sendoff to nomura's career. but what i really want to see is a reboot of a lesser known franchise — i'm talking about parasite eve, of course!
Re: Rumour: Days Gone PS5 Remaster Speculation Starts to Spread
@Areus too late for that. the heads of the studio are gone. it is a dead IP in the same vein as the order: 1886. unfortunate, really.
Re: Jaw-Dropping 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro Console and Accessories Will Bankrupt You
begs the question why sony couldn't just create a standard GREY ps5 without resorting to FOMO tactics to get one? just make a grey cover for crying out loud. it is the most aesthetically pleasing colour for a console and always has been.
at any rate, these will be sold out instantly. unless you know how to program bots or use AI to make the purchase within seconds of the listing going live, good luck
majority of these will be scalped on ebay for $5000 a pop (referring to the ps5 pro models).
Re: Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Reveals Full 182 Character Roster Ahead of Next Month's PS5 Release
@Ludacritz ah, i see.
Re: Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Reveals Full 182 Character Roster Ahead of Next Month's PS5 Release
most of those characters are re-skins of eachother and will play similarily, right? i find it hard to believe that they would code 182 unique move sets. unless, of course, the command list is incredibly basic and each character is mitigated to a few punch, kick and fireball commands, without a combo system. regardless, impressive roster which likely has never been done before on this scale.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Huge PS5 Pro Enhancements Are a 'Vast Improvement'
@MikeOrator OK? if you don't see a problem with a 63% increase over the base ps5 (disc) version, all the power to you. but i gave you plenty of reasons why people are critical of sony over this. believe it and don't be surprised
also, most of the games you listed were first party. the takewaway was that 3rd party releases got sloppier as time went on for the base ps4 and that is expected to occur again on the base ps5.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Huge PS5 Pro Enhancements Are a 'Vast Improvement'
@NEStalgia absolutely right about that. the era of optimization and devs putting in the effort is long over for the console space (outside of 1st party output mostly). that was one of the prime benefits of being a console gamer for decades. after the first half of the ps4 era, something changed. it's now all about bruteforceing to the finish line.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Huge PS5 Pro Enhancements Are a 'Vast Improvement'
@carlos82 yea, that's brutal. i haven't looked into the japanese price, but considering the base unit continues to increase in japan 4 years on, it might be pretty bad there too.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Huge PS5 Pro Enhancements Are a 'Vast Improvement'
@MikeOrator in canada, the price difference between the base ps5 (disc) and the pro ps5 (disc) is $460CAD (taking tax into consideration). that is a 63% increase versus the base model which is quite absurd all things considered. in europe, the optics are even worse. looking at this from an americancentric point of view is a little less damning due to the way currency works... with no price drop in sight on the base unit 4 years and counting, this situation couldn't possibly get any worse. people have good reason to be bitter. they will continue to voice their opinions and (hopefully) vote with their wallets so that sony course corrects.
there is also concern that the base model will become neglected (more likely with third party titles) in the same way the base ps4 was (i.e. poor optimization and lazy ports etc). so even those who aren't interested in the ps5 pro may be paying the price. this works out poorly for 90% of the install base, while the other 10% feels good about their shiny new toy.
Re: Horizon Zero Dawn's PS5, PC Remaster Is Very Much the Real Deal
@Yousef- the sequel, forbidden west, only sold about 1/3 of zero dawn's 24m copies. if that isn't damning for sony, i don't know what is. the IP is certainly in trouble and i wouldn't be surprised to learn that the lego game was designed with the sole intent of boosting awareness of the IP so that the third mainline entry doesn't fail to meet sales expectations again.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Huge PS5 Pro Enhancements Are a 'Vast Improvement'
not a bad upgrade there. but keep in mind, most ps5 games/pro upgrades will not get this level of treatment as they will primarily be reserved to first party/sony published/timed exclusives only, with the odd multiplatform game. which means... just a handful of games in the grand scheme of things.
Re: PS6 Is Already Deep in Development, Backwards Compatibility of High Importance
@NEStalgia yea, i'm not sure when or why keighley became that face of the entire gaming industry and the "voice of reason"? . it's odd to me that he would even get into the ring and defend this. we could just as easily create a chart of those console prices at their mid-life and end-life cycle to make a point. i think that would be eye opening to many people.
they were selling "psone" consoles for $49USD MRSP in 2002! with inflation, that is just $79USD! the console had a price reduction of 83% at end of life which boggles the mind. while i'm not expecting anything even remotely similar with modern gaming consoles, i sure as hell expected to see the ps5 with a $50-100 reduction by now.
i found a neat wiki which documents all the price cuts of various consoles over history:
https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Price_cuts#PlayStation_1_price_cuts
the one thing we can say with certainty is: with the exception of the switch and the current gen consoles, every other console in history received a price cut (sometimes multiple) within a year or two of being on the market. that's just how it works with outdated tech and efficiencies on the production line. people are enabling sony to get away with this is what is most shocking to me.
and yes, you are absolutely right that sony underpriced the original ps1 considering the era and how advanced the technology was for the time. it appears that all the market leaders no longer want to subsidize or pass on the savings (from manufacturing/part efficiencies) to the customer like they used to. not sure why because more players in the ecosystem would net sony even higher margins in the grand scheme of things. i have a hunch that sony would still be in the green even with a price reduction of $100-125USD on the base ps5 slim.
Re: PS6 Is Already Deep in Development, Backwards Compatibility of High Importance
@themightyant not only that. all those consoles keighley listed got significant price drops a few years into their life cycle...meanwhile the ps5... well, you know the rest...
Re: PS6 Is Already Deep in Development, Backwards Compatibility of High Importance
@LifeGirl nice damage control by keighley. i haven't double checked those numbers... but even if true, those consoles had NUMEROUS MSRP price drops within a few years of release. the slim lines in particular got even cheaper. we will likely not get a single price drop on the ps5. where is the logic in buying into that argument about launch prices?
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 'Hugely Improved' on PS5 Pro, a 'Night and Day' Difference
this is all so cringe inducing. most gamers either don't care about this stuff or are unaware of it at all. they will not be swayed in any way. those who want the pro have already made up their minds about it... those who don't have done the same. trying to convince people to be stupid with their money is counterproductive. sony will sell less than 10m units of the pro — they did the math already. if they feel like that is a worthwhile to their bottom line, then so be it. that said, it is sad that many games will be poorly optimized on the base ps5 now that the pro exists (many games were already poor long before the pro as well), particularly from 3rd party developers. that is what people should be upset about more than anything.
Re: Don't Worry, You Can Add an Ultra HD Disc Drive to PS5 Pro
well, i think people will vote with their wallet on this one. sony is not getting its R&D investment back on the pro model and will take a major loss on it.
Re: PS5 Pro Announced, Costs $700 and Out in November
it feels like this entire console cycle is me saying that things cannot possiblly get any worse... and yet they do. sony has yet to deliver a compelling reason to own a base ps5 yet after 4 years.... they won't sell more than 10m of the pros at this price point if the ps4 pro data is anything to go by. console gaming is in a real bad place right now. it is more concerned with the tech arms race of the PC space than making actual games worth a damn. only nintendo will continue to do what matters most i suppose. with the exception of a handful of ps5 targeted games this entire cycle, there really isn't enough there to justify the buy-in.
best to avoid the ps5 altogether and see how the ps6 turns out. if it is fully backwards compatible with ps4/5, has a disc drive, reasonable price and sony goes back to basics of making good games at a reaosnable clip, then i'll bite. until then, 30 years of retro gaming is waiting for me
Re: Fill the Advance Wars-Shaped Hole in Your Heart with Warside on PS5, PS4
what can you say? WOW. that is an advance wars clone if i have ever seen one. a single pixel in the wrong place and you will have nintendo knocking at your door
it does look pretty good, though.
Re: Talking Point: Can PS5, PC Shooter Concord Be Saved?
@NEStalgia it was in production in some form since the wii u era? i did not know that! jim certainly had a big part to play, but the rest of sony HQ likely supported and encouraged this vision along with him which explains the departure of layden all too clearly.
my hope is they hit the ground hard and make it clear to their shareholders that this strategy is simply not going to work out for them and proceed to make internal changes to rectify this nightmare. if they want to dedicate 20% of their budget to a handful of service games for the sake of their shareholders, fine. but at least select those properties accordingly (gran turismo has been a service for a long time now and is doing well for them. a twisted metal GaaS project would likely have done reasonably well as well. a socom revival could have potential in this space. if they are going to take the risk, might as well go with an established IP that can generate some fanfare, instead of a generic (new) IP that looks like a side story out of guardians of the galaxy.
i would estimate that 50% of their gaming budget is currently (or was) tied up in service games — most of which are on the verge of failing if they haven't already. last of us factions and concord alone likely cost sony $500m? fairgame$ is destined to follow the same course as concord, and we haven't even considered all the (unannounced) service games behind the scenes that were cancelled a year ago (apparently 6 were canned, including the last of us). so are we talking about looses over $1b? probably.
anyways, better that they fail now than later. i hope the ps6 will be a clean slate for them and we can move on from this era of playstation.
Re: Konami 'Aware' That Metal Gear Solid 4 Is Still Stuck on PS3
@jrt87 you are probably right about that. i'm still content with my ps3 collection and have no reason to upgrade. had the new remaster been definitive and pushing 4k resolution, then maybe... but that was wishful thinking i suppose.
Re: Konami 'Aware' That Metal Gear Solid 4 Is Still Stuck on PS3
@jrt87 good point. some people are accustomed to being played like a fiddle.
Re: Talking Point: Can PS5, PC Shooter Concord Be Saved?
you can kiss two great sony published single player games goodbye at the expense of concord's existence. this is how we should be looking at this... it is also the reason so many people were upset at jimbo's strategy and why service games are generally despised in many gaming circles. all the hate was warranted and justifed as we see it coming full circle. concord is on the same level as suicide squad. there is nothing that can save it's fate. hundreds of millions of dollars squandered.
sony has another 3 or 4 service games to writeoff over the next 4 years. keep em coming... so long as a lesson is learned here, i won't flinch.
Re: Atlus, It's Time to Stop Spoiling Metaphor: ReFantazio
yea, it almost feels as if atlus is insecure about the game and was expecting more hype around it? it was never going to be a mainstream release by any stretch, but i have no doubt many of the core persona 5 fans will eat it up. the more casual demographic remains to be seen. it takes time to grow an IP. persona series had 30 years... atlus can't expect metaphor to match persona 5 sales right out of the gate.
Re: Reaction: It's Time for Xbox to Tell Us Which Games It's Bringing to PS5, and Which Games It Isn't
people did not buy their ps5 for xbox games, so why do we suddenly care about this topic? whatever happens, happens i guess... there is absolutely no urgency for any of it.
Re: Xbox's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Comes to PS5 in Spring 2025
microsoft is doing itself a favour by porting it to ps5, not the other way around. xbox and pc sales will not be enough to turn a profit. no need to thank xbox for this turn of events, rather, phil should be thanking the ps community for supporting xbox games and keeping the division on life support.
Re: Preview: Silent Hill 2 PS5 Grows in the Right Ways for Anticipated Remake
people can be swayed and convinced so easily these days. it is still too early to tell how well this game will review. when money is at stake, be skeptical until there is a consensus and don't allow the marketing machine to dictate your impressions of anything (i.e. pre-ordering anything these days is foolish).
someone wise once said: "they played us like a damn fiddle!"
Re: Never Has a Game Looked So Good Yet So Jank as PS5's Neo Berlin 2087
sounds like some people expect AAA quality and polish from AA studios with 1/4 of the budget now? it would make more sense to temper expectations and understand who the developer is as well as the scope. as a lower budget game, they are doing good work here. it does look next gen and the deus ex vibes have me intrigued. the headline of the article is certainly overblown. the character model of the lead actress looks a bit stylized (i'm not a fan), but that is more of an art direction thing.
Re: Quantic Dream's Troubled Star Wars Eclipse Just Lost Its Lead Writer
2027 was apparently the release date they were aiming for, so i wasn't expecting any news on this game for a long, long time anyways. it is premature to get concerned knowing the context. we'll start to get more news in 2025 or 2026 if i had to guess?
Re: Square Enix Has Got Fans Talking About a Final Fantasy 13 Remake, Not a Remaster
the battle systm was fantastic. the writing and characters were often lacking, but i still enjoyed my time with the first game in the trilogy (have yet to play the sequels). we absolutely do not need REMAKES of ps3 era games though... the graphics and fidelity are still impressive even to this day. REMASTER the trilogy in 4K/60 and it will be amazing.
resources should go to games that actually require a REMAKE due to their age such as parasite eve, xenogears, vagrant story etc. the idea of REMAKING hd era games is unfounded.
Re: The Order: 1886 Dev Ready at Dawn to Close After VR Stint
this is a tragic story of how the gaming community and press at large destroyed a great developer. easily one of the most unfairly judged games of the ps4 gen. yes, it was a short game and perhaps the "value" wasn't there at the full asking price, but otherwise a very solid IP that stands as one of the more memorable and impressive looking games on the ps4.
sony REALLY should have given ready at dawn one more crack at it. the foundation was in place for an incredible trilogy. even if the order didn't prove to be a huge seller (i've read that it sold in the ballpark of 2m copies), what were sony's expectations and as the publisher, shouldn't they share part of the blame? dismissing such a talented studio like that was unfounded after just one atempt at a AAA game (with many past accolades).
Re: Reaction: PS5 Needs a Price Cut
@NEStalgia at the time i wasn't even aware of gta 1 and 2... those games certainly had their fans. i even heard some purists complain that gta 3 had lost the spirit of the series and heavily disliked the idea of the franchise going full 3d (despite there being a top down view in gta 3 which nobody used)
as for houser, he was tied to the development of 6 for several years before he left (the game began development all the way back in 2014... he left in 2020, so plenty of time to leave his mark and establish a foundation for the story). but yea, game development is messy and his departure during the critical phase of development could certainly worsen the output. remains to be seen how it all turns out.
@rjejr interesting to gain the perspective of the younger crowd. if the 20 and under demographic have no interest in gta, that would be something (generally speaking, of course). the majority of sales will likey come from those in the 30s and 40s who grew up with gta, rather than those who have yet to be "initiated"... all that said, i think modern gamers are starving for something big and it won't surprise me if gta 6 smashes all the sales records on its release.
since the game has been in development exclusively for current gen hardware (with no pc port in sight — rockstar usually waits years to release the pc port), i think it will run great on ps5 and series x. but yea, series s is a big question mark. if we are to believe that 75% of series consoles sold were series s variants (as of 2022 according to reports with a decline afterwards) then it is safe to say that at least 10-15m series s consoles were sold. rockstar has a clear obligation to put the effort in with so many people being impacted there... despite this, it is anyone's guess how that all turns out
Re: PS5's Lack of Tentpole Exclusives Isn't Hurting Engagement, Says Sony
what else are they going to tell their shareholders? if they keep this up, many people will find less and less of a reason to own and delve deep into the platform. sony understands this, but they are certainly not going to tell their investors that they dropped the ball and this is the most underwhelminmg playstation cycle in its history
Re: Reaction: PS5 Needs a Price Cut
@NEStalgia @rjejr i can fully understand both of your sentiments there. the franchise has blown up to such an extent, that the hype and PR surrounding it will inevitably create unobtainable expectations for many people, especially for those who were never onboard with the experience and everything the games represent. when viewed without all that noise, however, they are just well made games that have continued to set a new bar with each entry.
as someone who was there day 1 with GTA 3 on ps2, it really did blow my mind what i was whitnessing. it wasn't the first open world, sandbox game to exist, but it was certainly the grandest and most immersive during this infancy stage of polygonal gaming. it set the new standard for the industry going forward with its writing and narrative as well (OK, no, metal gear solid and the numerous squaresoft games did, but gta was among the top). with each new entry, expectations grew as did the sales. what is most impressive about gta is that it somehow managed to exceed the lofty expectations and continued to outdo itself.
i wouldn't call myself a gta super fan, but i've enjoyed my time with them, outside of gta iv which i found to be borderline unplayable due to the terrible camera and aiming systems, not to mention sluggish performance (on ps3, it felt like it was running at 20 fps. i'm not a performance snob but it felt like sludge moving around in that world). but gta v was WOW! at the time of release — it really did push ps3 to its dead limits from a technical standpoint and the story/writing was certainly above average and memorable.
there is something unique about the property in how it can be so mainstream yet so unapologetic and unique in its vision. it is refreshing to see a major publisher put out a game that has zero interest in being politically correct or focus tested. they have a vision and they will stand by it no matter the outcome. it might not be for everyone, but with gta v reaching 200m copies sold, they are doing something unheard of in connecting with their audience.
btw, i am referring strictly to the single player games. i have never played gta online and have absolutely no intention of doing so. i agree with your viewpoint on it being a social media platform and casual space to screw around in. it remains to be seen if rockstar will even attempt to make a gta vi online or simply expand what already exists. it will be risky, whatever they decide to do on that front as we know it is too easy to break something that already works.
Re: Final Fantasy Pixel Collection Getting Physical Anniversary Reprint on PS4
for $100CAD.. heck no. can't even change the ugly arial font on the ps4 version. this really should be priced at no more than $50CAD. s-e is abusing people with FOMO tactics here and it is very sad to see.
Re: Reaction: PS5 Needs a Price Cut
@rjejr yea, i guess it will all depend on the extent of which hardware sales decline for the ps5. that said, i think sony is betting the farm on gta vi to correct the situation and keep things respectable for them... that is the one and only game that has the potential to course correct the entire industry all on its own. a $400USD ps5 digital edition packed in with a voucher of gta vi may be exactly what the doctor ordered
Re: Reaction: PS5 Needs a Price Cut
@rjejr the switch is certainly an anomaly — it may in fact be the first console in history to not receive an MSRP drop for its entire life cycle (7 years and counting). in an alternate world where the switch sold respectably instead of outstandingly, the switch oled would be priced closer to $230USD and the non-oled $180USD respectively at this point in time. nintento has been gouging people for the past 3 years but steady sales make this strategy viable nontheless. only now are we starting to see hardware sales stagnate and decline a bit so a price cut may be in the cards later this year. certainly once the switch 2 releases next year, the current switch models will receive a price cut, at which point sony could follow with a price cut of its own.
in any case, at present time, i agree that sony can't price the ps5 lower than the switch oled because it would look ridiculous to do so from a power/spec point of view... but a $400USD MSRP for the ps5 physical edition would certainly help make the ps5 platform more attractive for many, boost the rate of sales and benefit sony in the long-run. of course, i agree that the biggest hurdle is software and the ps5 continues to flounder in this critical area. unfortunately, i don't think the ps5 will ever earn a high perceived sense of "value" due to its high price point and lack of enticing software exclusive to the platform. that ship has sailed... at this point it feels like we are destined to receive another 6 single player 1st party (ps5) exclusive games at best (as well as a bunch of service games). that is, until said games hit the pc down the line...
ultimately, it appears that there are 3 factors hurting the ps5 then... price point, lack of ps5 exclusive software and a general sense of "value" to the consumer that is not being met. sony most definitely underestimated the importance of the perceived "value" that is gained with true software exclusivity. nintendo, on the other hand, understands this only too well.
Re: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Studio Really Will Try and Port the Game to PS4
still waiting on the ff 7: rebirth ps4 announcement
Re: Silent Hill 2 Remake Dev Asks Fans to Give It 'a Chance'
to be fair, the fans did give it a chance with the initial reveal — the hype was through the roof in anticipation with years of rumours and speculation. the trailers have done this game no favours. the developers track record is not impressive, either. this damage control (before the game releases) comes across as desperate. if the game proves everyone wrong that would be great but the odds are stacked against it unless you are anticipating merely average results. one of the greatest horror games ever made deserves more than average results, though, and should be striving for greatness. anything less than universal praise and an 80+ metascore (not that review scores are everything but they are a good reference point, generally speaking) will be a grave disappointment.
Re: Random: PS3 Is Now the Only Console from Its Era with a Functional Store
it's great that the store is still active, of course, but considering how evolved the jailbreaking scene is for the ps3, it won't be much of a loss when the store closes for good as it is incredibly easy to open the floodgates. the community has done an amazing job to ensure that that entire software library is preserved on private servers. sony does not care about its legacy, so gaming enthusiasts have taken the initiative for them. same rule applies to the wii/wiiu/3ds shops as well.