maybe kojima's next game will be entirely built with AI assets... as part of a social experiment to gage how and if people interact with it. then he will pull another switcharoo on the world and slowly unravel his true intent to the player. actually, i can totally see him designing it in such a way where the player actively destroys the AI assets in the game world in order to replace them with the "real", human made assets, created by the player community at large... the player must "earn" the "real" game world in a sense. i think that would be a weird and interesting path for kojima to explore... and could prove to be cathartic to the player for obvious reasons.
are they lying about the character deisgns being from toriyama? they are missing that special sauce. that dinosaur/lizard guy especially doesn't belong... and the protagonost is just a generic face with big hair which could have been spit out by an AI machine. well, if people want to play yet another iteration of this franchise, that's cool... but i feel like i got my fill having completed 8 and 11 already. they are all the same game at their core.
possibly the last project from media molecule if this game isn't a hit according to sony's expectations. by comparison, bluepoint only had a single blunder and were shuttered so to say media molecule is on "thin ice" is an understatement. wish them the best.
better graphics aren't going to make a game like rocket league better or more fun to play. publishers need to do more to get people excited than half-assed graphical enhancements.
@PuppetMaster the success of helldivers is completely offset by ther failures though.... probably by 10X in revenue losses if i had to guess considering the scale of concord and last of us 2 online alone. so if we are judging the genre of live service on the whole, it is a failure. also worth noting that helldivers wasn't developed by sony so they technically don't have a single live service hit that was developed in-house which is even more concerning. as for the numerous cancelled projects, they were in development for years in many cases before being dropped which would be significant losses for sony. i believe that sony would need 2-3 additional hits to endure for YEARS before they turn a profit in the area of live service.
yup, we will have to wait and see how their latest projects pan out, but the optics are very bleak considering their track record.
Destruction All-Stars - Failed
Concord - Failed
Last of Us 2 Factions – Cancelled
Payback (from Bungie) – Cancelled
Spider-Man: The Great Web – Cancelled
Twisted Metal – Cancelled
New IP from Bend Studio - Cancelled
New IP from London Studio – Cancelled
New IP from Deviation Games – Cancelled
God of War from Bluepoint - Cancelled
Marathon - Remains to be seen
the best thing that can happen to Fairgame$ is to get cancelled if we are being honest about it. it is in sony's best interest financially and will benefit the brand in not having to look weak, misguided and foolish all over again with a premature end of service announcement like concord. all the negativity and chaos sony's live service push has generated is well deserved and necessary for the growth of playstation (i.e. to not repeat the same mistakes again in the future).
you gave it a decent shot, but live service just didn't work out. it was a complete failure. time to move on and do what you do best. a company that rejects its core strengths at the expense of greed and market trends does not deserve success and will destroy itself in the long run. sony, make the right choice and pivot while you still can. the ps5 era was a disgrace, but that doesn't mean the ps6 has to be
nothing is coming back other than a ps1 or ps2 classic release and a remaster if you're lucky... which can easily be played on legacy hardware anyways. sony shut down japan studio because thier games didn't sell well, remember? why on earth would sony create a new entry for any of their franchises? this speculation makes no sense as it pertains to studio japan titles in particular
with how cutthroat sony was with bluepoint, fans of housmarque should be very, very concerned right now. if the studio gets another project, i truly wonder where they go from here.
he couldn't turn down all that saudi cash! in most cases, when prominent industry leaders leave their home to startup a new studio, it ends in a dumpster fire. this will likely be no different.
@psmr that's a good point. i guess we shouldn't underestimate the influence memorable, iconic characters and classic zombies can have on a franchise... of which dead space has neither. dead space 2 in particular was a hell of a game — but when you strip away the fun, cheesy, lighthearted tone from the resident evil games, you are left with an overly serious, cold, bleak, sterile setting that might simply be too much for the mainstream to handle. i wouldn't want dead space any other way, but i understand now that true survival horror has a much smaller market than i'd like to believe. resident evil is anything but survival horror nowadays, both tonally and mechanically, and that is precisely why it has persevered and sells tens of millions of copies per entry.
glad the players voted for uncharted 2 as the best entry. 4 was great as well, but did feel a bit bloated and the final scenario was somewhat underwhelming. graphically, though, uncharted 4 may still be the greatest achievement in modern gaming as far as art direction, set pieces and sheer scope is concerned. even last of us 2 does not match it.
@Oram77 true. but even if there is a premium on the ps6, the fact i (and others like me) never invested in a ps5 makes the higher price more tolerable. there is the hope that tech pricing will get back to normal in 3-5 years, though, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens on that front. i hope sony cuts corners with design and aethetics if it means a cheaper price point — just give me a matte black or grey box, no curves or weird shenanigans and i'll be more than happy!
i don't see anything wrong with the critique that the game plays itself without consequence. it is a bit weird that there isn't a fail state of any kind during that sequence. also, why do the button promts disappear after a certain point? is that a bug?
i agree that the sequence would be much more interesting if there was a fail state — it doesn't need to be challenging, but if you miss say 5 button promts in a row you fail the sequence (which is pretty standard with QTE's is it not?). also, giving the player a couple choices (paths) with what elements they interact with during the sequence would go a long way to making the experience feel a lot more special to the player.
i think the game looks great if you are looking for a narrative driven experience like "life is strange", but i also understand where the criticism is coming from. as someone who was interested in playing this game, i will admit that seeing the sequence play itself was disappointing on some level. both, praise and criticism, is totally valid with every game in existence, so why are people upset here?
@AgentMantis but what if you feel like you only missed out on sony's worst console generation in its history? that's not really missing out on much, is it? in fact, it might have been wise to skip ps5 entirely and put that investment towards the ps6 which will be fully backwards compatible.
sony, if you care to subsidize my ps5 purchase, i might consider it. however, i will not subsidize the console FOR YOU with your latest price hikes. get the hell out of here with your begging. it is unprofessional
people here are greatly underestimating FOMO and what some gamers are willing to spend on entertainment. many games could get away with the $80 price tag for a particular demographic. why? because once it is standardized, if you want to be there day 1, you will have no other choice. if you are THAT type of person and lack will power, you will gladly pay the premium just to be part of the conversation. i would guess that at least 25% of potential customers for high profile games would pay $80 without flinching and that is more than enough for the publisher to earn most of its budget back.
keep in mind that in canada, games have been over $100 (with tax for a while now). i.e. donkey kong bananza is CAD$113; resident evil requiem on ps5 is CAD$102; several switch 2 re-releases are priced at CAD$130!!! they are selling just fine. so... yea, expect the price hike to hit by the time the ps6 releases... the US is a spoiled marketplace that has yet to feel the pinch due to the rigged american dollar, but the rest of the world had already been paying absurd prices for software for the past 5 years if not longer.
apparently 70% of steam users are running pc's weaker than a base ps5. that means the vast majority of gamers on steam aren't even potential customers for sony's games. since sony is a publisher that is always pushing the graphical limits, it was inevitable that this would be a hurdle to overcome, especially now as pc hardware prices are out of reach for many. so... there are a lot of angles here besides sony's pc ports being a couple years old. in either case, this was a failed experiment and should be shut down if sony values its brand.
it's odd that valve has gotten a free pass for pulling this same stunt for a decade now? while steam offers an "offline" mode, it does require an internet connection after a certain amount of time to validate the game license. not sure if its 30 days or varies on the software...
sony has been so terrible the past 5 years that this 30 day verification bs really doesn't surprise me. for every good thing sony has done this gen, there are 5 bad things. they could shut down insomniac tomorrow and i wouldn't flinch — their decision making has been that bad.
i gave up on the idealist vision of what the gaming industry should be and totally expect anti-consumer initiatives to happen now every step of the way. suffice to say, this 30 day internet DRM is wrong, but not something i can get overly invested in on an emotional level. sony has already broken me down
so it's back to its intended price due to falling subscriber numbers as people flee xbox... not really a price drop then regardless of how microsoft wants to spin it. the lower game pass price tag does make ps plus even worse in terms of its value, though, so sony should do the same.
@PuppetMaster cherry picking two mediocre games that didn't receive much of a budget or fair chance at success doesn't prove anything. most people don't even know those games exist which tends to happen when a publisher puts out a game to die with very little marketing. exoprimal in particular looks like a product that was designed for the shareholders as a live service requirement to shut them up. if capcom puts it's A team on a new IP, i'm sure they would deliver. i.e. a new survival horror franchise.... or even a new traditional JRPG franchise in the spirit of breath of fire. heck, even a breath of fire reboot i would be OK with since the franchise has been dormant since 2002 (bof 6 mobile slop doesn't count).
if capcom is as great as people claim, then why is it so terrified to try something new? they are running out of resident evil games to remake afterall. then what? pragmata is capcom's first real attempt at a new, big budget franchise in...2 decades? the game comes across as a bit niche, but looks to be a success so there is no reason to stop there.
people choose to forget that capcom dropped the ball with dogma 2 and mh wilds. the steam reviews are very divisive and critical of both games for various reasons, including lack of content, poor gameplay mechanics and performance issues (also present on console).
let's not act like capcom has a perfect track record like some people claim. they really don't. they also play it too safe with remakes and sequels. pragmata, however, is a breath of fresh air being a new IP so credit is due there. some people would like to see more experimentation and fresh ideas from capcom.
at this point, ND has earned its reputation for creating great games. sony should just leave them alone for 8 years and accept whatever they are given — chances are, it will be a great product in the end. the internal deadlines sony gives them likely results in more anxiety and stress for the team... and crunch.
that said, i'm not going to sit here and defend excessive crunch culture as if it is necessary like some people on here. that is just fanboy culture and a deflection of the issue. some crunch is part of the creative process, no doubt, but don't normalize it because that will only make it that much more pervasive within the walls of ND and industry as a whole.
that's cool. take two can afford whatever ransom is demanded of them. but whatever happens, more leaked footage of this breached-to-hell game won't impact its sales in the slightest. gta is a franchise that people play more for the gameplay than the story anyways.
let's see how broken mgs4 is going to be at launch... technically, this is likely one of the most challenging ports in history since it was optimized so heavily with the ps3 in mind. outside of the uncharted trilogy, last of us and perhaps gta v, there are very few games that would pose such a challenge to the dev team in porting over.
seeing how poorly done the first master collection was at launch, i would expect no different here... except with the caveat that we could see more severe problems that never get ironed out. people have short memories and always assume the best for some reason....
the rumours surrounding a metal gear movie is almost as laughable as the akira live action adaptation... i mean, it's been decades of speculation and writers/directors attached/leaving, production falling apart. christ... i think the world is trying to tell you hollywood suits that this movie isn't meant to exist. how many more signs do you need?
@LordOfTurnips i'm a retro gamer at heart so you are lecturing the wrong person. atlus itself has set a precedent of remaking and remastering its legacy titles, so your empty words comment is really out of place. but by all means, carry on your crusade telling people they are entitled because they hold atlus to a higher standard and think they should finally do something with the earlier persona games — two of the most requested remakes of their legacy by the way. your comment makes no sense.
another tease huh. there's no end to it. persona 2 deserves a true remake just like p3 and p4. anything less will be an insult. i've been holding off playing the game for over a decade because there hasn't been an optimal way to play it... the psp remaster is the best option, but with the possibility of a remake looming, best to wait it out at this point.
@dark_knightmare2 i don't know what fans are thinking, but critically speaking, double exposure and reuinion are the lowest rated entires in the series. metacritic isn't everything, but we can't act like those reviews don't exist.
at this point, it sounds like another dead franchise to me. the first life is strange game from don't nod was great. i also enjoyed before the storm prequel from deck nine — proving that the latter developer had a grasp on what made the first entry so good. but it seems like deck nine has since lost its way with two middling entries in a row which is a shame. often times, less is more. might have been for the best to end the story sooner.
with how bad things have been with playstation lately, sony should consider a "sorry" program similar to the "welcome back" program back in 2011 after the psn outage. give people 3 free games to make up for their stupidity and price hikes over the past 5 years. that would be a nice gesture.
well, since ps6 sales will be flat and software will be cross gen with ps5 for like, 5+ years, then it has a shot to surpass the ps4 in total sales. the context around the sales of the ps4 and ps5 is very apples to oranges though... most people know which is the superior platform, regardless of the ps5 sales numbers.
@Vyse_the_Legend the ps5 cost more than the ps4 pro so naturally the ps6 will cost more than the ps5 pro. that is the only way this is going to go unless the ps6 has weaker specs than what we already have with the ps5 which wouldn't make sense. that doesn't mean the ps6 will cost $1000 because there could be a price drop on the ps5 pro at some point — i wouldn't hold my breath though.
it's a shame people don't realize that the rationale to increase prices on hardware is in large part to subsidize sony's own idiotic missteps this console generation. all the losses it has taken on cancelled projects and studio closures must be immense and they are trying to steal that money back from average customers. don't fall for the trap and bail sony out for its own stupidity! the increased RAM prices is only part of the story here and doesn't justify eveything that is going on.
@Vyse_the_Legend are you suggesting that the performance output of the ps6 will be worse than the ps5 pro? that really doesn't make sense when talking about a new console generation. also, the ps5 pro was barely a performance step up from the base ps5 to be clear. i don't think it is possible to release a ps6 that exceeds the ps5 pro specs, while also maintaining a cheaper price point in the current environment.
all that could change in 24-36 months of course, but people seem to be confident about the damn thing releasing next year
@IntrepidWombat your comparison only illustrates how absurd the rate of inflation currently is relatively to the ps1 era. it makes the argument stronger against the $1000 console price point, not for it, since the value (purchasing power) of our money has decreased significantly. not sure if that was your intention or not, but it sounds like you were trying to justify the current console pricing as something not to be concerned about.
why would sony release ps6 in the middle of this mess? i don't understand why people are still sticking to 2027 release date. that would make it the worst launch in sony history since there is relatively no interest in new hardware, regardless of price!
if the ps5 pro is already $900, how can sony release the ps6 at a cheaper price point? wouldn't that give the impression that ps5 pro is BETTER than the ps6!!!? talk about a marketing blunder of epic proportions.
if anything, it would make much more sense to put out the handheld device within the next year or two and sit on the ps6 until it makes viable sense... be it 2 years or 5 years, it really doesn't matter at this point. sony can cancel or postpone its contracts with AMD — perhaps with a penalty of some kind — but let's not act like there is no way out for sony.
a decent computer can do 10X what a ps5 can (gaming, productivity and work related tasks etc) at only 3X the price. i wonder which device offers the better value? sony knows that there will be more people jumping ship from its platform to pc than ever before in the coming years since console gaming is becoming a luxury. this is probably why sony is going to take back its IP and hold it hostage on playstation consoles. i am in favour of console exclusives in principle, but not if it means you have to fork out $1000 for said console. the model just breaks down at that point and doesn't benefit anybody.
if sony thinks a handful of exclusive and noteworthy 1st party games (no more than 5-10 games in all honesty) will be enough to keep people on its platform next console cycle, regardless of the cost of entry, they are in for a big surprise. outside of the most hardcore fans with plenty of income in hand, they are going to lose a sizable portion of the user base. or, people will just stick with their ps5s and refuse to upgrade...
please stop with the damage control. it sounds very silly and disingenuous.
yes, there is a sensible solution. sony eats whatever cost increases that may be present, likely still turns a profit on the hardware (less than before, so be it) and encourages more hardware sales which in turn results in more revenue generated from software sales. is that really so hard to understand? let's not act like there is no other choice here but to keep increasing the pricing by a ridiculous sum... especially when part of this decision is directly linked to subsidizing the japanese market.
otherwise... higher hardware prices = lower hardware sales = smaller potential user base = reduced revenue from software. sony will lose more money with this strategy in the long run. i.e. they are shooting themselves in the foot....again and are only concerned with the short-term gains.
i'm glad this move will sabotage the ps5 sales. when we look back at this crappy console 25 years from now, there won't be too many people claiming its sony's "best" console (since it won't get even close to the ps4's total sales at this rate). thank god for that, because anyone with a brain knows this is sony's worst console generation ever... i've been calling it what it is for years now. sure, some of that is the result of external forces and bad luck, but MOST of it is due to mismanagement and complacency. these new price hikes are just the cherry on top for what has been a mess since day one. i don't see how things can get any worse for this console generation outside of sony shutting down even more studios and doing another price hike in a few months!
sony wants us to subsidize for the japanese market. that makes this extra scummy. no, how about sony subsidizes the console for ALL of its players like it used to? in exchange, it grows its userbase and generates massive amounts of revenue from software sales that far exceeds the losses on the hardware. this model worked for decades so why change it now? oh, because sony got comfortable, greedy and cocky again... well, that means the only way the ps6 succeeds is if the launch is an absolute failure and sony has no choice but to do a u-turn. i hope that is how it all plays out. we deserve better.
@Netret0120 imagine living in canada. US$800 amounts to over CA$1100 + 143 (tax) here in canada. sony will absolutely need to do territory pricing like they did in japan if they want to maintain a decent userbase. europe is in the same boat since the world's markets are all based on the rigged american dollar.
@NieR_Dark yup, i think it is in fact the first console generation where this has happened. prior to this, the switch was the first console that maintained its MSRP and never dropped in price for its entire 8 year run which was also bonkers. but obviously, the ps5 situation is far worse.
i'll say it again... with the ps6 just around the corner, it makes no sense to invest in a ps5 right now. even if you are like me and still having a blast on the base ps4, it's best to wait it out another year or two and just get the ps6 at this point — if sony gives you a reason to that is. i doubt there will be much of a difference price wise between the ps5 and ps6 either because sony is already nearing its max threshold with the absurd pricing that we have been witness to. no matter how good their marketing is, they won't be able to go beyond $750 for a base console and expect to sell any
also, its funny some people keep scapegoating the market conditions and hardware shortages for sony's stupidity and price gouging. keeping the prices firm would only mean sony makes slightly less PROFIT for themselves... a small price to pay to keep the sales steady and bring people into their ecosystem where they will exploit them on the software side anyways. but no, sony wants to maintain its profit levels exactly as they are above all else. even if it means destroying its brand and all the good will it has left, which to be honest, is already in low supply. this is no different than what the greediest companies on earth do: microsoft, epic games, EA etc.
keep going sony, you are doing great! honestly, i cannot wait for sony to find itself in a really bad place again, like it did in the early days of the ps3. i want to see playstation hit rock bottom so that the executives are on their knees begging for forgiveness and doing everything in their power to win back its fans of yesterday. the cauky suits have lost their way and need to be humbled again.
i'll say it again... with the ps6 just around the corner, it makes no sense to invest in a ps5 right now. even if you are like me and still having a blast on the base ps4, it's best to wait it out another year or two and just get the ps6 at this point — if sony gives you a reason to that is. i doubt there will be much of a difference price wise between the ps5 and ps6 either because sony is already nearing its max threshold with the absurd pricing that we have been witness to. no matter how good their advertisting is, they won't be able to go beyond $1000 for a base console and expect to sell any
also, i find it funny that some people keep defending the market conditions and hardware shortages for sony's stupidity and price gouging. keeping the prices firm would only mean sony makes slightly less PROFIT for themselves... a small price to pay to keep the sales steady and bring people into their ecosystem where they will exploit them on the software side anyways. but no, sony wants to maintain its profit levels exactly as they are above all else. even if it means destroying its brand and all the good will it has left, which to be honest, is already in low supply.
keep going sony, you are doing great! honestly, i cannot wait for sony to find itself in a really bad place again, like it did in the early days of the ps3. i want to see playstation hit rock bottom so that the executives are on their knees begging for forgiveness and doing everything in their power to win back its fans of yesterday. the cauky suits have lost their way and need to be humbled again.
a korean mmo masquerading as the next big single player RPG — they sure fooled a lot of people. who knew the base ps5 version would be broken?
what i don't understand is why the publisher decided to launch this game simultaneously on all platforms when they clearly don't know what they are doing and needed more time? putting out the pc release (early access) first and then launching the console versions 12 months later would be the only sane thing to do... even then, the mmo trappings wouldn't satifsy most console gamers expecting a traditional single player experience, but at least the performance issues wouldn't be so prevelant.
@NonbinaryStarr the only reason it is even mentioned on this site is because it is a ps console exclusive (also on pc of course). outside of that, nobody even knew this existed.
Comments 2,898
Re: 'Have Fun in the Festering Slop Pit': Hideo Kojima Underfire for Generative AI Short
maybe kojima's next game will be entirely built with AI assets... as part of a social experiment to gage how and if people interact with it. then he will pull another switcharoo on the world and slowly unravel his true intent to the player. actually, i can totally see him designing it in such a way where the player actively destroys the AI assets in the game world in order to replace them with the "real", human made assets, created by the player community at large... the player must "earn" the "real" game world in a sense. i think that would be a weird and interesting path for kojima to explore... and could prove to be cathartic to the player for obvious reasons.
Re: Dragon Quest 12 Renamed and Re-Revealed After Development Restart, First Gameplay Shown
are they lying about the character deisgns being from toriyama? they are missing that special sauce. that dinosaur/lizard guy especially doesn't belong... and the protagonost is just a generic face with big hair which could have been spit out by an AI machine. well, if people want to play yet another iteration of this franchise, that's cool... but i feel like i got my fill having completed 8 and 11 already. they are all the same game at their core.
Re: LittleBigPlanet Dev's Next PS5 Game Could Have Open World Aspects
possibly the last project from media molecule if this game isn't a hit according to sony's expectations. by comparison, bluepoint only had a single blunder and were shuttered so to say media molecule is on "thin ice" is an understatement. wish them the best.
Re: Is This Our First Glimpse of PS6? Rocket League for Unreal Engine 6 Surprise Teased
better graphics aren't going to make a game like rocket league better or more fun to play. publishers need to do more to get people excited than half-assed graphical enhancements.
Re: Talking Point: Sony, Don't Re-Reveal Fairgames at the Next State of Play
@PuppetMaster the success of helldivers is completely offset by ther failures though.... probably by 10X in revenue losses if i had to guess considering the scale of concord and last of us 2 online alone. so if we are judging the genre of live service on the whole, it is a failure. also worth noting that helldivers wasn't developed by sony so they technically don't have a single live service hit that was developed in-house which is even more concerning. as for the numerous cancelled projects, they were in development for years in many cases before being dropped which would be significant losses for sony. i believe that sony would need 2-3 additional hits to endure for YEARS before they turn a profit in the area of live service.
yup, we will have to wait and see how their latest projects pan out, but the optics are very bleak considering their track record.
Destruction All-Stars - Failed
Concord - Failed
Last of Us 2 Factions – Cancelled
Payback (from Bungie) – Cancelled
Spider-Man: The Great Web – Cancelled
Twisted Metal – Cancelled
New IP from Bend Studio - Cancelled
New IP from London Studio – Cancelled
New IP from Deviation Games – Cancelled
God of War from Bluepoint - Cancelled
Marathon - Remains to be seen
Re: Talking Point: Sony, Don't Re-Reveal Fairgames at the Next State of Play
the best thing that can happen to Fairgame$ is to get cancelled if we are being honest about it. it is in sony's best interest financially and will benefit the brand in not having to look weak, misguided and foolish all over again with a premature end of service announcement like concord. all the negativity and chaos sony's live service push has generated is well deserved and necessary for the growth of playstation (i.e. to not repeat the same mistakes again in the future).
you gave it a decent shot, but live service just didn't work out. it was a complete failure. time to move on and do what you do best. a company that rejects its core strengths at the expense of greed and market trends does not deserve success and will destroy itself in the long run. sony, make the right choice and pivot while you still can. the ps5 era was a disgrace, but that doesn't mean the ps6 has to be
Re: 'There's Truth to It': Sony 'Considering' Bringing Back Your Fave Franchises on PS5
nothing is coming back other than a ps1 or ps2 classic release and a remaster if you're lucky... which can easily be played on legacy hardware anyways. sony shut down japan studio because thier games didn't sell well, remember? why on earth would sony create a new entry for any of their franchises? this speculation makes no sense as it pertains to studio japan titles in particular
Re: Saros PS5 Sales Estimates at 300k, Selling Slower Than Returnal on a Bigger Install Base
with how cutthroat sony was with bluepoint, fans of housmarque should be very, very concerned right now. if the studio gets another project, i truly wonder where they go from here.
Re: What a Twist! Ex-Tekken Boss Harada Opens New Studio Under Fatal Fury's SNK
he couldn't turn down all that saudi cash! in most cases, when prominent industry leaders leave their home to startup a new studio, it ends in a dumpster fire. this will likely be no different.
Re: 'The Numbers Just Aren't There': Don't Count on a Dead Space 4, Says Former Series Producer
@psmr that's a good point. i guess we shouldn't underestimate the influence memorable, iconic characters and classic zombies can have on a franchise... of which dead space has neither. dead space 2 in particular was a hell of a game — but when you strip away the fun, cheesy, lighthearted tone from the resident evil games, you are left with an overly serious, cold, bleak, sterile setting that might simply be too much for the mainstream to handle. i wouldn't want dead space any other way, but i understand now that true survival horror has a much smaller market than i'd like to believe. resident evil is anything but survival horror nowadays, both tonally and mechanically, and that is precisely why it has persevered and sells tens of millions of copies per entry.
Re: Horizon Hunters Gathering Closed Beta: Start Times, How to Play, and What's Included
yea, this will be the nail in the coffin for sony's future live-service endeveours. this game will go out on a whimper — unnoticed and lost to time.
Re: Poll: Uncharted 4 Turns 10 Years Old, But Is It the Series' Peak?
glad the players voted for uncharted 2 as the best entry. 4 was great as well, but did feel a bit bloated and the final scenario was somewhat underwhelming. graphically, though, uncharted 4 may still be the greatest achievement in modern gaming as far as art direction, set pieces and sheer scope is concerned. even last of us 2 does not match it.
Re: PlayStation Urges PS4 Players to Upgrade to PS5 for GTA 6
@Oram77 true. but even if there is a premium on the ps6, the fact i (and others like me) never invested in a ps5 makes the higher price more tolerable. there is the hope that tech pricing will get back to normal in 3-5 years, though, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens on that front. i hope sony cuts corners with design and aethetics if it means a cheaper price point — just give me a matte black or grey box, no curves or weird shenanigans and i'll be more than happy!
Re: Why Is Everyone Acting So Weird About PS5 Game Mixtape?
i don't see anything wrong with the critique that the game plays itself without consequence. it is a bit weird that there isn't a fail state of any kind during that sequence. also, why do the button promts disappear after a certain point? is that a bug?
i agree that the sequence would be much more interesting if there was a fail state — it doesn't need to be challenging, but if you miss say 5 button promts in a row you fail the sequence (which is pretty standard with QTE's is it not?). also, giving the player a couple choices (paths) with what elements they interact with during the sequence would go a long way to making the experience feel a lot more special to the player.
i think the game looks great if you are looking for a narrative driven experience like "life is strange", but i also understand where the criticism is coming from. as someone who was interested in playing this game, i will admit that seeing the sequence play itself was disappointing on some level. both, praise and criticism, is totally valid with every game in existence, so why are people upset here?
Re: PlayStation Urges PS4 Players to Upgrade to PS5 for GTA 6
@AgentMantis but what if you feel like you only missed out on sony's worst console generation in its history? that's not really missing out on much, is it? in fact, it might have been wise to skip ps5 entirely and put that investment towards the ps6 which will be fully backwards compatible.
Re: PlayStation Urges PS4 Players to Upgrade to PS5 for GTA 6
sony, if you care to subsidize my ps5 purchase, i might consider it. however, i will not subsidize the console FOR YOU with your latest price hikes. get the hell out of here with your begging. it is unprofessional
Re: USA Bank Wants You to Pay $80 for GTA 6 So Other Devs Can Charge More Too
people here are greatly underestimating FOMO and what some gamers are willing to spend on entertainment. many games could get away with the $80 price tag for a particular demographic. why? because once it is standardized, if you want to be there day 1, you will have no other choice. if you are THAT type of person and lack will power, you will gladly pay the premium just to be part of the conversation. i would guess that at least 25% of potential customers for high profile games would pay $80 without flinching and that is more than enough for the publisher to earn most of its budget back.
keep in mind that in canada, games have been over $100 (with tax for a while now). i.e. donkey kong bananza is CAD$113; resident evil requiem on ps5 is CAD$102; several switch 2 re-releases are priced at CAD$130!!! they are selling just fine. so... yea, expect the price hike to hit by the time the ps6 releases... the US is a spoiled marketplace that has yet to feel the pinch due to the rigged american dollar, but the rest of the world had already been paying absurd prices for software for the past 5 years if not longer.
Re: These Numbers Explain Why Sony Is Stopping Porting PS5 Games to PC
apparently 70% of steam users are running pc's weaker than a base ps5. that means the vast majority of gamers on steam aren't even potential customers for sony's games. since sony is a publisher that is always pushing the graphical limits, it was inevitable that this would be a hurdle to overcome, especially now as pc hardware prices are out of reach for many. so... there are a lot of angles here besides sony's pc ports being a couple years old. in either case, this was a failed experiment and should be shut down if sony values its brand.
Re: PS5 Confirmed to Be Affected by Game Expiry Issue, Sony Support Sends Mixed Messages on DRM
it's odd that valve has gotten a free pass for pulling this same stunt for a decade now? while steam offers an "offline" mode, it does require an internet connection after a certain amount of time to validate the game license. not sure if its 30 days or varies on the software...
sony has been so terrible the past 5 years that this 30 day verification bs really doesn't surprise me. for every good thing sony has done this gen, there are 5 bad things. they could shut down insomniac tomorrow and i wouldn't flinch — their decision making has been that bad.
i gave up on the idealist vision of what the gaming industry should be and totally expect anti-consumer initiatives to happen now every step of the way. suffice to say, this 30 day internet DRM is wrong, but not something i can get overly invested in on an emotional level. sony has already broken me down
Re: PS Plus Value Called into Question as Xbox Slashes Game Pass Price
so it's back to its intended price due to falling subscriber numbers as people flee xbox... not really a price drop then regardless of how microsoft wants to spin it. the lower game pass price tag does make ps plus even worse in terms of its value, though, so sony should do the same.
Re: Capcom's Already the Year's Best PS5 Publisher, and It's Only April
@PuppetMaster cherry picking two mediocre games that didn't receive much of a budget or fair chance at success doesn't prove anything. most people don't even know those games exist which tends to happen when a publisher puts out a game to die with very little marketing. exoprimal in particular looks like a product that was designed for the shareholders as a live service requirement to shut them up. if capcom puts it's A team on a new IP, i'm sure they would deliver. i.e. a new survival horror franchise.... or even a new traditional JRPG franchise in the spirit of breath of fire. heck, even a breath of fire reboot i would be OK with since the franchise has been dormant since 2002 (bof 6 mobile slop doesn't count).
if capcom is as great as people claim, then why is it so terrified to try something new? they are running out of resident evil games to remake afterall. then what? pragmata is capcom's first real attempt at a new, big budget franchise in...2 decades? the game comes across as a bit niche, but looks to be a success so there is no reason to stop there.
Re: Capcom's Already the Year's Best PS5 Publisher, and It's Only April
people choose to forget that capcom dropped the ball with dogma 2 and mh wilds. the steam reviews are very divisive and critical of both games for various reasons, including lack of content, poor gameplay mechanics and performance issues (also present on console).
dragon's dogma 2: 69k+ positive / 43k+ negative
monster hunter wilds: 152k+ positive / 163k+ negative
sorry, but facts are facts.
let's not act like capcom has a perfect track record like some people claim. they really don't. they also play it too safe with remakes and sequels. pragmata, however, is a breath of fresh air being a new IP so credit is due there. some people would like to see more experimentation and fresh ideas from capcom.
Re: Naughty Dog Embraced Crunch Culture After The Last of Us, as It's 'What It Takes to Make Games at Our Level'
at this point, ND has earned its reputation for creating great games. sony should just leave them alone for 8 years and accept whatever they are given — chances are, it will be a great product in the end. the internal deadlines sony gives them likely results in more anxiety and stress for the team... and crunch.
that said, i'm not going to sit here and defend excessive crunch culture as if it is necessary like some people on here. that is just fanboy culture and a deflection of the issue. some crunch is part of the creative process, no doubt, but don't normalize it because that will only make it that much more pervasive within the walls of ND and industry as a whole.
Re: GTA 6 Dev Confirms Another Data Breach, Hackers Demand Ransom
that's cool. take two can afford whatever ransom is demanded of them. but whatever happens, more leaked footage of this breached-to-hell game won't impact its sales in the slightest. gta is a franchise that people play more for the gameplay than the story anyways.
Re: Stunning MGS4 Steelbook Confirmed for Master Collection Vol. 2
let's see how broken mgs4 is going to be at launch... technically, this is likely one of the most challenging ports in history since it was optimized so heavily with the ps3 in mind. outside of the uncharted trilogy, last of us and perhaps gta v, there are very few games that would pose such a challenge to the dev team in porting over.
seeing how poorly done the first master collection was at launch, i would expect no different here... except with the caveat that we could see more severe problems that never get ironed out. people have short memories and always assume the best for some reason....
Re: Another Attempt at a Metal Gear Solid Movie Is Being Made by Sony
the rumours surrounding a metal gear movie is almost as laughable as the akira live action adaptation... i mean, it's been decades of speculation and writers/directors attached/leaving, production falling apart. christ... i think the world is trying to tell you hollywood suits that this movie isn't meant to exist. how many more signs do you need?
Re: Rumour: Persona 1 and 2 Re-Release Hinted at by New Merchandise
@LordOfTurnips i'm a retro gamer at heart so you are lecturing the wrong person. atlus itself has set a precedent of remaking and remastering its legacy titles, so your empty words comment is really out of place. but by all means, carry on your crusade telling people they are entitled because they hold atlus to a higher standard and think they should finally do something with the earlier persona games — two of the most requested remakes of their legacy by the way. your comment makes no sense.
Re: Rumour: Persona 1 and 2 Re-Release Hinted at by New Merchandise
another tease huh. there's no end to it. persona 2 deserves a true remake just like p3 and p4. anything less will be an insult. i've been holding off playing the game for over a decade because there hasn't been an optimal way to play it... the psp remaster is the best option, but with the possibility of a remake looming, best to wait it out at this point.
Re: Life Is Strange: Reunion (PS5) - Twee Mystery Finale Falls Flat
@dark_knightmare2 i don't know what fans are thinking, but critically speaking, double exposure and reuinion are the lowest rated entires in the series. metacritic isn't everything, but we can't act like those reviews don't exist.
Re: Life Is Strange: Reunion (PS5) - Twee Mystery Finale Falls Flat
at this point, it sounds like another dead franchise to me. the first life is strange game from don't nod was great. i also enjoyed before the storm prequel from deck nine — proving that the latter developer had a grasp on what made the first entry so good. but it seems like deck nine has since lost its way with two middling entries in a row which is a shame. often times, less is more. might have been for the best to end the story sooner.
Re: 50% Off All PS Store Purchases with New Cash App Offer
with how bad things have been with playstation lately, sony should consider a "sorry" program similar to the "welcome back" program back in 2011 after the psn outage. give people 3 free games to make up for their stupidity and price hikes over the past 5 years. that would be a nice gesture.
Re: Poll: Do You Think PS5 Can Outsell PS4 with Its New Price Point?
well, since ps6 sales will be flat and software will be cross gen with ps5 for like, 5+ years, then it has a shot to surpass the ps4 in total sales. the context around the sales of the ps4 and ps5 is very apples to oranges though... most people know which is the superior platform, regardless of the ps5 sales numbers.
Re: PlayStation Studios' Mobile Push Seems Dead as Layoff Reports Continue
more wasted investments from sony... keep up the good work!
Re: It Never Ends: Eidos Montreal Confirms Mass Layoffs Including Veteran Studio Head
geez, i had forgotten that they were still open for business. how much time do they have left?
Re: PS6 Could Be Cheaper Than Expected, Despite $1,000 Concerns
@Vyse_the_Legend the ps5 cost more than the ps4 pro so naturally the ps6 will cost more than the ps5 pro. that is the only way this is going to go unless the ps6 has weaker specs than what we already have with the ps5 which wouldn't make sense. that doesn't mean the ps6 will cost $1000 because there could be a price drop on the ps5 pro at some point — i wouldn't hold my breath though.
Re: '$1,000+ Consoles Could Become the Norm': PS6's Price Touted to Touch Four Figures
it's a shame people don't realize that the rationale to increase prices on hardware is in large part to subsidize sony's own idiotic missteps this console generation. all the losses it has taken on cancelled projects and studio closures must be immense and they are trying to steal that money back from average customers. don't fall for the trap and bail sony out for its own stupidity! the increased RAM prices is only part of the story here and doesn't justify eveything that is going on.
Re: PS6 Could Be Cheaper Than Expected, Despite $1,000 Concerns
@Vyse_the_Legend are you suggesting that the performance output of the ps6 will be worse than the ps5 pro? that really doesn't make sense when talking about a new console generation. also, the ps5 pro was barely a performance step up from the base ps5 to be clear. i don't think it is possible to release a ps6 that exceeds the ps5 pro specs, while also maintaining a cheaper price point in the current environment.
all that could change in 24-36 months of course, but people seem to be confident about the damn thing releasing next year
Re: PS6 Could Be Cheaper Than Expected, Despite $1,000 Concerns
@IntrepidWombat your comparison only illustrates how absurd the rate of inflation currently is relatively to the ps1 era. it makes the argument stronger against the $1000 console price point, not for it, since the value (purchasing power) of our money has decreased significantly. not sure if that was your intention or not, but it sounds like you were trying to justify the current console pricing as something not to be concerned about.
Re: PS6 Could Be Cheaper Than Expected, Despite $1,000 Concerns
why would sony release ps6 in the middle of this mess? i don't understand why people are still sticking to 2027 release date. that would make it the worst launch in sony history since there is relatively no interest in new hardware, regardless of price!
if the ps5 pro is already $900, how can sony release the ps6 at a cheaper price point? wouldn't that give the impression that ps5 pro is BETTER than the ps6!!!? talk about a marketing blunder of epic proportions.
if anything, it would make much more sense to put out the handheld device within the next year or two and sit on the ps6 until it makes viable sense... be it 2 years or 5 years, it really doesn't matter at this point. sony can cancel or postpone its contracts with AMD — perhaps with a penalty of some kind — but let's not act like there is no way out for sony.
Re: '$1,000+ Consoles Could Become the Norm': PS6's Price Touted to Touch Four Figures
a decent computer can do 10X what a ps5 can (gaming, productivity and work related tasks etc) at only 3X the price. i wonder which device offers the better value? sony knows that there will be more people jumping ship from its platform to pc than ever before in the coming years since console gaming is becoming a luxury. this is probably why sony is going to take back its IP and hold it hostage on playstation consoles. i am in favour of console exclusives in principle, but not if it means you have to fork out $1000 for said console. the model just breaks down at that point and doesn't benefit anybody.
if sony thinks a handful of exclusive and noteworthy 1st party games (no more than 5-10 games in all honesty) will be enough to keep people on its platform next console cycle, regardless of the cost of entry, they are in for a big surprise. outside of the most hardcore fans with plenty of income in hand, they are going to lose a sizable portion of the user base. or, people will just stick with their ps5s and refuse to upgrade...
Re: PS5 Pricing Strategy Gives Flexibility for Deals if 'Things Surprisingly Get Better'
"There seems to be no sensible solution here..."
please stop with the damage control. it sounds very silly and disingenuous.
yes, there is a sensible solution. sony eats whatever cost increases that may be present, likely still turns a profit on the hardware (less than before, so be it) and encourages more hardware sales which in turn results in more revenue generated from software sales. is that really so hard to understand? let's not act like there is no other choice here but to keep increasing the pricing by a ridiculous sum... especially when part of this decision is directly linked to subsidizing the japanese market.
otherwise... higher hardware prices = lower hardware sales = smaller potential user base = reduced revenue from software. sony will lose more money with this strategy in the long run. i.e. they are shooting themselves in the foot....again and are only concerned with the short-term gains.
Re: Feature: PS5 Price - Why Does It Cost So Much in 2026?
i'm glad this move will sabotage the ps5 sales. when we look back at this crappy console 25 years from now, there won't be too many people claiming its sony's "best" console (since it won't get even close to the ps4's total sales at this rate). thank god for that, because anyone with a brain knows this is sony's worst console generation ever... i've been calling it what it is for years now. sure, some of that is the result of external forces and bad luck, but MOST of it is due to mismanagement and complacency. these new price hikes are just the cherry on top for what has been a mess since day one. i don't see how things can get any worse for this console generation outside of sony shutting down even more studios and doing another price hike in a few months!
Re: Japan's Cheaper, Language Locked PS5 Shielded from Outrageous Price Increases
sony wants us to subsidize for the japanese market. that makes this extra scummy. no, how about sony subsidizes the console for ALL of its players like it used to? in exchange, it grows its userbase and generates massive amounts of revenue from software sales that far exceeds the losses on the hardware. this model worked for decades so why change it now? oh, because sony got comfortable, greedy and cocky again... well, that means the only way the ps6 succeeds is if the launch is an absolute failure and sony has no choice but to do a u-turn. i hope that is how it all plays out. we deserve better.
Re: Sony Announces Gigantic PS5 Price Increases, Effective from April 2026
@Netret0120 imagine living in canada. US$800 amounts to over CA$1100 + 143 (tax) here in canada. sony will absolutely need to do territory pricing like they did in japan if they want to maintain a decent userbase. europe is in the same boat since the world's markets are all based on the rigged american dollar.
Re: Sony Announces Gigantic PS5 Price Increases, Effective from April 2026
@NieR_Dark yup, i think it is in fact the first console generation where this has happened. prior to this, the switch was the first console that maintained its MSRP and never dropped in price for its entire 8 year run which was also bonkers. but obviously, the ps5 situation is far worse.
Re: Sony Announces Gigantic PS5 Price Increases, Effective from April 2026
i'll say it again... with the ps6 just around the corner, it makes no sense to invest in a ps5 right now. even if you are like me and still having a blast on the base ps4, it's best to wait it out another year or two and just get the ps6 at this point — if sony gives you a reason to that is. i doubt there will be much of a difference price wise between the ps5 and ps6 either because sony is already nearing its max threshold with the absurd pricing that we have been witness to. no matter how good their marketing is, they won't be able to go beyond $750 for a base console and expect to sell any
also, its funny some people keep scapegoating the market conditions and hardware shortages for sony's stupidity and price gouging. keeping the prices firm would only mean sony makes slightly less PROFIT for themselves... a small price to pay to keep the sales steady and bring people into their ecosystem where they will exploit them on the software side anyways. but no, sony wants to maintain its profit levels exactly as they are above all else. even if it means destroying its brand and all the good will it has left, which to be honest, is already in low supply. this is no different than what the greediest companies on earth do: microsoft, epic games, EA etc.
keep going sony, you are doing great! honestly, i cannot wait for sony to find itself in a really bad place again, like it did in the early days of the ps3. i want to see playstation hit rock bottom so that the executives are on their knees begging for forgiveness and doing everything in their power to win back its fans of yesterday. the cauky suits have lost their way and need to be humbled again.
Re: Rumour: Dramatic PS5 Price Increases Incoming, Potential Announcement Tomorrow
i'll say it again... with the ps6 just around the corner, it makes no sense to invest in a ps5 right now. even if you are like me and still having a blast on the base ps4, it's best to wait it out another year or two and just get the ps6 at this point — if sony gives you a reason to that is. i doubt there will be much of a difference price wise between the ps5 and ps6 either because sony is already nearing its max threshold with the absurd pricing that we have been witness to. no matter how good their advertisting is, they won't be able to go beyond $1000 for a base console and expect to sell any
also, i find it funny that some people keep defending the market conditions and hardware shortages for sony's stupidity and price gouging. keeping the prices firm would only mean sony makes slightly less PROFIT for themselves... a small price to pay to keep the sales steady and bring people into their ecosystem where they will exploit them on the software side anyways. but no, sony wants to maintain its profit levels exactly as they are above all else. even if it means destroying its brand and all the good will it has left, which to be honest, is already in low supply.
keep going sony, you are doing great! honestly, i cannot wait for sony to find itself in a really bad place again, like it did in the early days of the ps3. i want to see playstation hit rock bottom so that the executives are on their knees begging for forgiveness and doing everything in their power to win back its fans of yesterday. the cauky suits have lost their way and need to be humbled again.
Re: Crimson Desert (PS5) - A Generational Open World Buried in Early Access Cruft
a korean mmo masquerading as the next big single player RPG — they sure fooled a lot of people. who knew the base ps5 version would be broken?
what i don't understand is why the publisher decided to launch this game simultaneously on all platforms when they clearly don't know what they are doing and needed more time? putting out the pc release (early access) first and then launching the console versions 12 months later would be the only sane thing to do... even then, the mmo trappings wouldn't satifsy most console gamers expecting a traditional single player experience, but at least the performance issues wouldn't be so prevelant.
Re: Mini Review: 1348 Ex Voto (PS5) - An Intriguing But Disappointing PS5 Console Exclusive
@NonbinaryStarr the only reason it is even mentioned on this site is because it is a ps console exclusive (also on pc of course). outside of that, nobody even knew this existed.
Re: Jim Carrey Confirmed to Return for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in New Teaser Trailer
disappointing end to carrey's career