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.
with all the financial loses sony is about to take on its live service games over the next 12-36 months or so, as well as the possibily of the ps5 pro releasing, sony is bound to drop the price of the base ps5 to something a little more reasonable for those holding out. now is NOT the time to buy a ps5 when a true price drop is immenent. not to mention, the software library is still lacking as we continue to wait for the system sellers... maybe in year 5 and 6 they will emerge? sure, next to the switch, the ps5 hardware has 4X the value and is more justifiable at the price point... that said, the switch has a FAR superior library to the ps5 currently as far as console exclusives are concerned so it is strange trying to rationalize the hardware from sony and nintendo. suffice to say, i don't like the price points of either of them and the cost of 1st party nintendo games (never dropping below $55CAD) is a true barrier to entry
@Flaming_Kaiser my thoughts exactly. to make matters worse, some physical "complete" editions never got released in the west. take ps4 resident evil 4 (remake) gold edition as an example. it was only released in europe and japan... if i choose to import the game, i will not be able to obtain the dlc via code (due to it being region locked) unless i create/use a european or japanese account. so there are more nagatives to this beyond the content not being available on the disc itself. not sure why capcom often limits physical releases to particular territories if they truly believe in supporting physical media.
well, it's a nice gresture. but realistically, capcom has no say in the matter come next generation of consoles. if sony wants to pull out of physical media, it can and will.
i'm not going to let capcom off so easily, though. ever since resident evil 8 gold edition, they have NOT been including the DLC on the disc and instead opted for download codes. capcom really isn't into this idea of physical media as much as they will have us believe. a number of their games also did not get physical releases in the west (for playstation platforms), including various phoenix wright games, ghost trick etc, and would require an import from japan.
so, whatever... one thing i do agree with is the impact that physical collector's editions will have on the market, if they are suddenly stripped away. i have no doubt that is a lucritive revenue stream for many publishers. that being the case, sony is going to have to deal and negotiate with the publishers when it comes to its distribution methods for the ps6 because going digital-only could (in theory) break the industry in ways that we have yet to realize.
as some people have already pointed out, ps6 will likely only have one model, digital-only, with an option to buy an optical drive seperately in order to preserve backwards compatibility for ps4/ps5 physical releases. then, if we are lucky, sony will allow publishers to do a limited physical print run for ps6 games in various cases. i do not expect all publishers to do this (in order to save on costs), nor would i be surprised if physical releases are very limited, expensive and hard to obtain. the future of physical media looks bleak to be sure. people should collect physical games for ps5 as if it is the last of its kind because it very well could be.
that's ok. don't need it. cancel it. developers need to get back into the habit of optmizing their games, rather than brute forcing their way through the process (which by the way, still results in sloppy games with performance issues, no matter how much power you have at your disposal).
@CielloArc pretty much every new release is technically digital though (even if you own the game physically). i'm against a digital future but we are already there with physical media due to all the mandatory updates and patches which can be in the dozens of GB's in size. if people don't have access to decent internet, they can't be part of modern day AAA gaming as it stands. that really sucks but my point is, physical media has already lost a lot of its value. the ps2 was the last era where physical media was the real deal and it has steadily gotten worse and worse. sure, the idea of ownership is stronger with physical media, but being at the mercy of mandatory updates really kills the idea of fully owning anything.
i think it might happen with the ps6 to be honest. as the publisher and console manufacturer, why put it off another 10 years if you don't have to? other than the initial PR hit, people will have no choice anyways. i feel like if sony and microsoft both agree to go that route, it will happen earlier than the ps7. of course, with the ps6, sony will likely offer an optical drive for backwards compatibility with physical ps4 and ps5 games but will no longer support physical media with new releases.
that said, this could create drama with the 3rd party publishers as many of them likely do well with physical collector's editions. taking away that option from publishers could hurt them financially and there could be resistance to this change from within the content creators, let alone the general gaming community at large. but one thing is for certain, physical media will cease to exist within the next 10 years or so. if not, i'll be rather surprised.
@Jaz007 oh, absolutely. i was praying for such a feature when ps5 launched. a basic 1080p upscale with some performance quality of life improvements would be amazing to see. at this stage of the game, though, seems very unlikely. maybe on ps6? i'm less interested in a trickle of releases from a curated list and much prefer the physical media route (or both)...
@Splat the pc release of binary domain is fine. ps3 emulation would be more valuable when it comes to the exclusive titles still trapped on there, such as mgs 4, various armored core games, etc.
even if it turns out to be true, if the ps1/ps2 re-releases (on ps5) are any indication, we would be drip fed the odd release or two every several months and it would be yet another disappointment. has everyone thrown away their ps3's and need to resort to such shameful practices? stop throwing away your old gaming hardware, guys!
@Cloud39472 i did say that there were high hopes ff16 would break the spell (of mixed reactions)... but it has clearly failed on that front. for the record, i don't think 100% audience approval is possible with this franchise either, but certainly ff9 and ff10 were (genereally) very well regarded among the community so we don't need to go as far back as ff7. also, i still believe that ff16 is more divisive than ff8 and ff12 (people have warmed up to them over the years) which says a lot.
as for the metacritic score and adequatley grading a game based on a few numbers... the big media outlets don't always get it right. clearly. are we really going to defend how great ff15 is because it too received an 80% rating on metacritic? i sure hope not, because that game is downright terrible in almost every category that matters for a jrpg and final fantasy game in particular. i couldn't even bring myself to complete it despite beating every mainline entry in the series since ff6 prior to that. funny thing, though, is that ff15 sold very well relative to the negativity around it which cannot be said for ff16. it is on its way to being the worst selling mainline entry of the past 25 years.
s-e has not mentioned sales numbers since the game launched a year ago. this level of silence is telling and speaks to the general disappointment of the game. even once it gets released to pc, it is going to struggle to hit the top 10 in sales for a mainline final fantasy game. it is well known at this point that final fantasy 16 failed to meet its sales targets so let's not kid ourselves that it is setting the world on fire. there are various factors why that is, but obviously the negative and/or mixed reception of the game has something to do with it.
@PuppetMaster i noticed that as well. the poll results may give the franchise some life. i'm not interested in remasters of the old games as they emulate perfectly well but i understand that is the likely route things will go in before a proper sequel is or isn't greenlit based on sales and interest etc. however, it is also possible that a breath of fire legacy collection could go on to sell poorly and the franchise never gets proper sequel or reboot that it deserves. i was surprised that capcom released the onimusha remaster and didn't bother to remaster the rest of the series. were the sales so poor that they couldn't justify it? who knows... but if there is a genre in capcom's slate that is missing, it is certainly a good old fashioned turn-based jrpg. i feel like they have gone above and beyond anyone's expectations as far as their financial success over the past 10 years, so it is time they took a few "risks" and stopped playing it so safe with the sequels and remakes (kumitsi-gami being the only exception i can think of).
@Cloud39472 the takeaway here is: this game is incredibly divisive — perhaps even more so than ff8 and ff12. if that doesnt raise concerns for the future of the franchise, then i don't know what to say. i have been gauging the interest and response to this game for the past year and the results are always the same — very mixed with a skew towards the disappointment side of things. a final fantasy release used to be a celebration of which the entire community would be all in on and that is simply not the case anymore. there was a lot of hope that ff16 might break the spell but clearly it has not gone to plan. this is not about me or you validating our opinions, it is more about understanding what went wrong. i can assure you that s-e is not happy with the results, critically nor sales wise, so there is no reason to act as if everyone who is critical of the game is wrong and vise versa.
it's a weird looking game which might fly under the radar. a bit baffling that capcom is willing to take a financial hit on something (non-mainstream) like this and at the same time, ignore the breath of fire series as long as it has.
based on these comments, i can see why the game sold poorly and failed to meet expectations. if core FF fans are generally not feeling good about it then it never stood a chance. i believe this will not go unnoticed and s-e will be taking the next mainline entry in a more traditional direction.
embracer has to be the most misguided and out of touch publisher out there, right? thousands of layoffs, 7 studios closed and 30-ish games cancelled recently and this publisher is going all in on an unproven business model and reliance on AI? if you are mismanaged to such an extent and don't know how to put out a finished product of decent quality, AI is not going to help you get there.
@nocdaes i thought the same thing. not sure there are even 1600 "must-play games" in the history of gaming (from the 80s through 2024).... maybe 1000 at best? surely that is a sensationalized headline when discussing ps4 and ps5 specifically
@AverageGamer highly doubt that. apple was doing all it could to get its new arcade service off the ground and it needed a few "big name" titles behind it. they gave sakaguchi a good offer that he couldn't refuse (paid for the entirety of the development i believe). but that doesn't mean there wouldn't be other suiters had the apple opportunity not happened. regardless, it doesn't change the fact that apple arcade was a bad fit for the game and the vast majority of those interested wanted to play it on a console.
@armondo36 agreed. although it is a bit late to begin worrying as their fate over the next 5 years has already been sealed. but i would also argue that ratchet and clank became less interesting during the ps3 era and yet they kept cranking those out too (along with resistence). hopefully they will move on from everything and take on some new IP in the ps6 era.
suda51 and gunn were not involved with this remaster and suda in particular seemed to be disgruntled about it. 16 lisensed tracks have been removed. judging by this uneventful and uninspired trailer, it looks like it is going to be a cheap cash grab with the bare minimum amount of work to get it out the door. the original on ps3 was great but a bit rough around the edges — the remaster deserved a lot better (such as a few new areas and expanded maps etc).
@TheArt possibly, but all of us have different tolerance levels. i generally stay in the dark outside of the first gameplay reveal and it has led to more enjoyable experiences for me personally. i have all the confidence in the world that this is going to be a great game coming from the former persona team and don't need to be sold on it any further.
the recent lackluster mgs collection wasn't enough to dissuade people from pre-ordering future "konami" games, huh? been playing mgs series since 1998 but not a chance i give "konami" (in 2024) a dollar until they earn it. to buy a "konami" game on good faith is one of the most foolish things one can do in the current gaming landscape. but i suppose some people have more money than they know what to do with or lack any self control.
@MFTWrecks true. it is a miracle they haven't completely folded at this point. take a look at their stock price. they were at 102EUR per share in 2018. they are currently sitting at 22EUR per share — an 80% dip in just 6 years. i think it is a matter of time before they are acquired. they have some potentially valuable IP but need better management structure and to forgoe their rushed development cycles. they would be better off with just one or two creed games per console cycle for example so that they can implement meaningful changes between releases. it's pretty sad that the company is so incompetent that they can't even figure out how to go about the prince of persia remaster/remake. as for beyond good and evil 2, it might take the prize from duke nukem forever as longest development hell cycle in gaming history.
what is sony's goal with its "classics" release schedule? 4 years in and less than 100 titles to show for it across ps1/ps2/psp. i mean, this is beyond a slow trickle. the ps1/ps2/psp had well over 6000 NTSC releases but currently we are sitting at just 1% of the library on ps4/ps5. ps3 had about 300 ps1 classics alone (not including ps2 and psp games). at this point in time, a conservative number would be 500 classics minimum. seeing people excited about the bread crumbs we are getting is baffling. i would consider re-purchasing some games if sony cared, but as it stands, the only way around this is via "other methods". i.e. NEVER throw away legacy hardware. emulation has come a long way as well. ps1 games run perfectly fine. ps2 could be better but it is getting there.
agreed. they are overdoing it and turning the marketing into information overload. who do they think they are? s-e? (the lead-up to final fantasy xv was mind numbing).
@MFTWrecks what bangers are you referring to? they have been releasing games from the same old, stale franchises for the past 10 years. creed series, rabbids, far cry, just dance and whatever tom clancy related. rinse and repeat. the only breath of fresh air was rayman origins/legends and a few other ubi art games which feels like eons ago now. most of their new IP failed (such as immortals fenyx rising and starlink) so they had to return to the well. the only time ubi was decent was during the ps2 era with the prince of persia trilogy and the original splinter cell games but that was nearly 20 years ago. once they became complacent due to the early success of assassin's creed series, they stopped making games from passion and adopted the assembly line mentality.
might be a better life is strange game if there are actual narrative driven choices here. hard to say without an ounce of gameplay. annapurna rarely disappoints with its published selections.
Comments 2,665
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.
Re: Deals: Sony Goes for the Jugular with Humongous PS5, PSVR2 Discounts in USA
with all the financial loses sony is about to take on its live service games over the next 12-36 months or so, as well as the possibily of the ps5 pro releasing, sony is bound to drop the price of the base ps5 to something a little more reasonable for those holding out. now is NOT the time to buy a ps5 when a true price drop is immenent. not to mention, the software library is still lacking as we continue to wait for the system sellers... maybe in year 5 and 6 they will emerge? sure, next to the switch, the ps5 hardware has 4X the value and is more justifiable at the price point... that said, the switch has a FAR superior library to the ps5 currently as far as console exclusives are concerned so it is strange trying to rationalize the hardware from sony and nintendo. suffice to say, i don't like the price points of either of them and the cost of 1st party nintendo games (never dropping below $55CAD) is a true barrier to entry
Re: Capcom Says It Won't Give Up on Physical Games, Despite Utter Domination of Digital Sales
@Flaming_Kaiser my thoughts exactly. to make matters worse, some physical "complete" editions never got released in the west. take ps4 resident evil 4 (remake) gold edition as an example. it was only released in europe and japan... if i choose to import the game, i will not be able to obtain the dlc via code (due to it being region locked) unless i create/use a european or japanese account. so there are more nagatives to this beyond the content not being available on the disc itself. not sure why capcom often limits physical releases to particular territories if they truly believe in supporting physical media.
Re: Capcom Says It Won't Give Up on Physical Games, Despite Utter Domination of Digital Sales
well, it's a nice gresture. but realistically, capcom has no say in the matter come next generation of consoles. if sony wants to pull out of physical media, it can and will.
i'm not going to let capcom off so easily, though. ever since resident evil 8 gold edition, they have NOT been including the DLC on the disc and instead opted for download codes. capcom really isn't into this idea of physical media as much as they will have us believe. a number of their games also did not get physical releases in the west (for playstation platforms), including various phoenix wright games, ghost trick etc, and would require an import from japan.
so, whatever... one thing i do agree with is the impact that physical collector's editions will have on the market, if they are suddenly stripped away. i have no doubt that is a lucritive revenue stream for many publishers. that being the case, sony is going to have to deal and negotiate with the publishers when it comes to its distribution methods for the ps6 because going digital-only could (in theory) break the industry in ways that we have yet to realize.
as some people have already pointed out, ps6 will likely only have one model, digital-only, with an option to buy an optical drive seperately in order to preserve backwards compatibility for ps4/ps5 physical releases. then, if we are lucky, sony will allow publishers to do a limited physical print run for ps6 games in various cases. i do not expect all publishers to do this (in order to save on costs), nor would i be surprised if physical releases are very limited, expensive and hard to obtain. the future of physical media looks bleak to be sure. people should collect physical games for ps5 as if it is the last of its kind because it very well could be.
Re: Doubt Cast Over PS5 Pro Actually Releasing This Year
that's ok. don't need it. cancel it. developers need to get back into the habit of optmizing their games, rather than brute forcing their way through the process (which by the way, still results in sloppy games with performance issues, no matter how much power you have at your disposal).
Re: Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Camo and Healing Systems Revealed
they have a lot to prove still. not getting excited until the reviews come in.
Re: PlayStation Likely to Go All-Digital By PS7, Analyst Predicts
@CielloArc pretty much every new release is technically digital though (even if you own the game physically). i'm against a digital future but we are already there with physical media due to all the mandatory updates and patches which can be in the dozens of GB's in size. if people don't have access to decent internet, they can't be part of modern day AAA gaming as it stands. that really sucks but my point is, physical media has already lost a lot of its value. the ps2 was the last era where physical media was the real deal and it has steadily gotten worse and worse. sure, the idea of ownership is stronger with physical media, but being at the mercy of mandatory updates really kills the idea of fully owning anything.
Re: PlayStation Likely to Go All-Digital By PS7, Analyst Predicts
i think it might happen with the ps6 to be honest. as the publisher and console manufacturer, why put it off another 10 years if you don't have to? other than the initial PR hit, people will have no choice anyways. i feel like if sony and microsoft both agree to go that route, it will happen earlier than the ps7. of course, with the ps6, sony will likely offer an optical drive for backwards compatibility with physical ps4 and ps5 games but will no longer support physical media with new releases.
that said, this could create drama with the 3rd party publishers as many of them likely do well with physical collector's editions. taking away that option from publishers could hurt them financially and there could be resistance to this change from within the content creators, let alone the general gaming community at large. but one thing is for certain, physical media will cease to exist within the next 10 years or so. if not, i'll be rather surprised.
Re: Rumour: Sony's Still Working on PS3 Emulation for PS5
@Jaz007 oh, absolutely. i was praying for such a feature when ps5 launched. a basic 1080p upscale with some performance quality of life improvements would be amazing to see. at this stage of the game, though, seems very unlikely. maybe on ps6? i'm less interested in a trickle of releases from a curated list and much prefer the physical media route (or both)...
Re: Beyond Good & Evil 2 Is Still in Development, Ubisoft Assures
@NathanKang yup. it stole the crown from duke nukem forever.
Re: Rumour: Sony's Still Working on PS3 Emulation for PS5
@Splat the pc release of binary domain is fine. ps3 emulation would be more valuable when it comes to the exclusive titles still trapped on there, such as mgs 4, various armored core games, etc.
Re: Rumour: Sony's Still Working on PS3 Emulation for PS5
even if it turns out to be true, if the ps1/ps2 re-releases (on ps5) are any indication, we would be drip fed the odd release or two every several months and it would be yet another disappointment. has everyone thrown away their ps3's and need to resort to such shameful practices? stop throwing away your old gaming hardware, guys!
Re: Beyond Good & Evil 2 Is Still in Development, Ubisoft Assures
ubisoft's stock price is so bad, that it is heistant to announce the cancellation of the project 😂
Re: Poll: One Year Later, What Are Your Thoughts on Final Fantasy 16?
@Cloud39472 i did say that there were high hopes ff16 would break the spell (of mixed reactions)... but it has clearly failed on that front. for the record, i don't think 100% audience approval is possible with this franchise either, but certainly ff9 and ff10 were (genereally) very well regarded among the community so we don't need to go as far back as ff7. also, i still believe that ff16 is more divisive than ff8 and ff12 (people have warmed up to them over the years) which says a lot.
as for the metacritic score and adequatley grading a game based on a few numbers... the big media outlets don't always get it right. clearly. are we really going to defend how great ff15 is because it too received an 80% rating on metacritic? i sure hope not, because that game is downright terrible in almost every category that matters for a jrpg and final fantasy game in particular. i couldn't even bring myself to complete it despite beating every mainline entry in the series since ff6 prior to that. funny thing, though, is that ff15 sold very well relative to the negativity around it which cannot be said for ff16. it is on its way to being the worst selling mainline entry of the past 25 years.
s-e has not mentioned sales numbers since the game launched a year ago. this level of silence is telling and speaks to the general disappointment of the game. even once it gets released to pc, it is going to struggle to hit the top 10 in sales for a mainline final fantasy game. it is well known at this point that final fantasy 16 failed to meet its sales targets so let's not kid ourselves that it is setting the world on fire. there are various factors why that is, but obviously the negative and/or mixed reception of the game has something to do with it.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/05/final-fantasy-16-final-fantasy-7-rebirth-fail-to-meet-expectations-on-ps5
Re: Round Up: We're All Sleeping on Capcom's Kunitsu-Gami, as Super Positive Previews Drop
@PuppetMaster i noticed that as well. the poll results may give the franchise some life. i'm not interested in remasters of the old games as they emulate perfectly well but i understand that is the likely route things will go in before a proper sequel is or isn't greenlit based on sales and interest etc. however, it is also possible that a breath of fire legacy collection could go on to sell poorly and the franchise never gets proper sequel or reboot that it deserves. i was surprised that capcom released the onimusha remaster and didn't bother to remaster the rest of the series. were the sales so poor that they couldn't justify it? who knows... but if there is a genre in capcom's slate that is missing, it is certainly a good old fashioned turn-based jrpg. i feel like they have gone above and beyond anyone's expectations as far as their financial success over the past 10 years, so it is time they took a few "risks" and stopped playing it so safe with the sequels and remakes (kumitsi-gami being the only exception i can think of).
Re: Poll: One Year Later, What Are Your Thoughts on Final Fantasy 16?
@Cloud39472 the takeaway here is: this game is incredibly divisive — perhaps even more so than ff8 and ff12. if that doesnt raise concerns for the future of the franchise, then i don't know what to say. i have been gauging the interest and response to this game for the past year and the results are always the same — very mixed with a skew towards the disappointment side of things. a final fantasy release used to be a celebration of which the entire community would be all in on and that is simply not the case anymore. there was a lot of hope that ff16 might break the spell but clearly it has not gone to plan. this is not about me or you validating our opinions, it is more about understanding what went wrong. i can assure you that s-e is not happy with the results, critically nor sales wise, so there is no reason to act as if everyone who is critical of the game is wrong and vise versa.
Re: Round Up: We're All Sleeping on Capcom's Kunitsu-Gami, as Super Positive Previews Drop
it's a weird looking game which might fly under the radar. a bit baffling that capcom is willing to take a financial hit on something (non-mainstream) like this and at the same time, ignore the breath of fire series as long as it has.
Re: Poll: One Year Later, What Are Your Thoughts on Final Fantasy 16?
based on these comments, i can see why the game sold poorly and failed to meet expectations. if core FF fans are generally not feeling good about it then it never stood a chance. i believe this will not go unnoticed and s-e will be taking the next mainline entry in a more traditional direction.
Re: Embracer Claims Newly Adopted AI Policy Will 'Massively Enhance Game Development'
embracer has to be the most misguided and out of touch publisher out there, right? thousands of layoffs, 7 studios closed and 30-ish games cancelled recently and this publisher is going all in on an unproven business model and reliance on AI? if you are mismanaged to such an extent and don't know how to put out a finished product of decent quality, AI is not going to help you get there.
Re: Over 1,600 Must-Play PS5, PS4 Games Discounted on PS Store
@nocdaes i thought the same thing. not sure there are even 1600 "must-play games" in the history of gaming (from the 80s through 2024).... maybe 1000 at best? surely that is a sensationalized headline when discussing ps4 and ps5 specifically
Re: Final Fantasy Creator's Mobile RPG Fantasian Is Journeying to PS5, PS4 This Year
@AverageGamer highly doubt that. apple was doing all it could to get its new arcade service off the ground and it needed a few "big name" titles behind it. they gave sakaguchi a good offer that he couldn't refuse (paid for the entirety of the development i believe). but that doesn't mean there wouldn't be other suiters had the apple opportunity not happened. regardless, it doesn't change the fact that apple arcade was a bad fit for the game and the vast majority of those interested wanted to play it on a console.
Re: Final Fantasy Creator's Mobile RPG Fantasian Is Journeying to PS5, PS4 This Year
i swore that i would wait for the console release rather than play through the apple arcade version (which nobody wanted). we're finally here!
Re: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Brings Miles Edgeworth Spin-Offs to PS4
graphics upgrade look amazing. so many more games to catch up with in this series!
Re: Tango Gameworks Employees Treated to Pizza Party as Studio Officially Closes Doors
i bet mikami regrets selling to zenimax huh?
Re: Yet More Leaked Wolverine PS5 Gameplay Has Appeared Online
@armondo36 agreed. although it is a bit late to begin worrying as their fate over the next 5 years has already been sealed. but i would also argue that ratchet and clank became less interesting during the ps3 era and yet they kept cranking those out too (along with resistence). hopefully they will move on from everything and take on some new IP in the ps6 era.
Re: Cult PS3 Classic Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP Returns on PS5 in September
suda51 and gunn were not involved with this remaster and suda in particular seemed to be disgruntled about it. 16 lisensed tracks have been removed. judging by this uneventful and uninspired trailer, it looks like it is going to be a cheap cash grab with the bare minimum amount of work to get it out the door. the original on ps3 was great but a bit rough around the edges — the remaster deserved a lot better (such as a few new areas and expanded maps etc).
Re: Yet Another Metaphor: ReFantazio Showcase Will Air Next Month, Focusing on Story
@TheArt possibly, but all of us have different tolerance levels. i generally stay in the dark outside of the first gameplay reveal and it has led to more enjoyable experiences for me personally. i have all the confidence in the world that this is going to be a great game coming from the former persona team and don't need to be sold on it any further.
Re: Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Physical Editions, Coveted Miniature Terrarium Revealed
the recent lackluster mgs collection wasn't enough to dissuade people from pre-ordering future "konami" games, huh? been playing mgs series since 1998 but not a chance i give "konami" (in 2024) a dollar until they earn it. to buy a "konami" game on good faith is one of the most foolish things one can do in the current gaming landscape. but i suppose some people have more money than they know what to do with or lack any self control.
Re: Round Up: What Was Announced at Ubisoft Forward 2024?
@MFTWrecks true. it is a miracle they haven't completely folded at this point. take a look at their stock price. they were at 102EUR per share in 2018. they are currently sitting at 22EUR per share — an 80% dip in just 6 years. i think it is a matter of time before they are acquired. they have some potentially valuable IP but need better management structure and to forgoe their rushed development cycles. they would be better off with just one or two creed games per console cycle for example so that they can implement meaningful changes between releases. it's pretty sad that the company is so incompetent that they can't even figure out how to go about the prince of persia remaster/remake. as for beyond good and evil 2, it might take the prize from duke nukem forever as longest development hell cycle in gaming history.
Re: Three New PS2 Games Now Available on PS5, PS4 with PS Plus Premium
what is sony's goal with its "classics" release schedule? 4 years in and less than 100 titles to show for it across ps1/ps2/psp. i mean, this is beyond a slow trickle. the ps1/ps2/psp had well over 6000 NTSC releases but currently we are sitting at just 1% of the library on ps4/ps5. ps3 had about 300 ps1 classics alone (not including ps2 and psp games). at this point in time, a conservative number would be 500 classics minimum. seeing people excited about the bread crumbs we are getting is baffling. i would consider re-purchasing some games if sony cared, but as it stands, the only way around this is via "other methods". i.e. NEVER throw away legacy hardware. emulation has come a long way as well. ps1 games run perfectly fine. ps2 could be better but it is getting there.
Re: Yet Another Metaphor: ReFantazio Showcase Will Air Next Month, Focusing on Story
agreed. they are overdoing it and turning the marketing into information overload. who do they think they are? s-e? (the lead-up to final fantasy xv was mind numbing).
Re: Round Up: What Was Announced at Ubisoft Forward 2024?
@MFTWrecks what bangers are you referring to? they have been releasing games from the same old, stale franchises for the past 10 years. creed series, rabbids, far cry, just dance and whatever tom clancy related. rinse and repeat. the only breath of fresh air was rayman origins/legends and a few other ubi art games which feels like eons ago now. most of their new IP failed (such as immortals fenyx rising and starlink) so they had to return to the well. the only time ubi was decent was during the ps2 era with the prince of persia trilogy and the original splinter cell games but that was nearly 20 years ago. once they became complacent due to the early success of assassin's creed series, they stopped making games from passion and adopted the assembly line mentality.
Re: Mixtape, the Promising Coming of Age Outing, Is Heading to PS5
might be a better life is strange game if there are actual narrative driven choices here. hard to say without an ounce of gameplay. annapurna rarely disappoints with its published selections.