Comments 3,101

Re: 'This Is Unsustainable Madness': Modern Video Game Budgets Are Out of Control

Rich33

True AAA games should increase in price to £80, and not go on sale so quickly after launch.

There hasn't been an increase since 2020, and if you increased for inflation it would probably push above £80.

If you took game prices from 25yrs ago and adjusted for inflation we would probably be looking at over £100 by now.

However, Devs also need to stop the 'release broken and maybe fix later' mentality.
A true AAA game costing £80 should not have any framerate issues or bugs that should have been spotted and resolved during QA cycles.

Re: Despite PS5 Hits, Sony Sinks to 21st in Metacritic's Publisher Rankings

Rich33

Sony 1st party games are, with the exception of MP/LS games, the games I generally get most excited for.
Most are genuine classics that I have replayed more than only a handful of other titles, and their technical ability and care are second to none by a fair margin.

If I were to list games I thought were true classics this gen, it would include a number of Sony titles, Hogwarts Legacy, Lies of P, and maybe RE Requiem (with a couple of other RE titles close).

Re: PS5 Players Seemingly Skip Marathon as Sales Estimates Look Very Weak

Rich33

@LogicStrikesAgain
I agree, and I think Sony will find it very hard to launch a (successful) MP / Live service game for a good while now, no matter how good it is. Some will want them to fail, so they never consider a similar push again.

I just also think there is more to this one as well, including highly divisive (not bad, but divisive) art style, adverts etc, and maybe (I am no expert here) not really targeting an audience well.

Re: PS5 Players Seemingly Skip Marathon as Sales Estimates Look Very Weak

Rich33

@LogicStrikesAgain
I'm going to largely agree with you in that I believe Sony's Live Service push, and all the subsequent push back against it, has and will seriously affect Sony's ability to release a popular Multiplayer game. (Though saying this HD2 has been a success story and Sony were heavily linked to it).

I also see this market being increasingly hard to break into with people intent to sit on their favourites, mainly because of huge time (/money) investment. I'm not even sure the MP / Live service bubble isn't bursting a little after the news we hear about Fortnite.

Now I am not the target audience - strictly Single player, mostly story based, games only.

However, I have seen a few adverts for this game, and they absolutely made me cringe.
They sounded like they were desperately trying to attract teenagers - though I have never heard teenagers talk like that! - who, in my experience are least likely to want to switch games.
I also found the art direction a major put off.

I'm not the sort of person to normally decide upon a game to buy based on a few adverts (in fact I usually go the other way looking at both reviews, further preview info for new IPs, and Technical Analysis), but if this was my game type, it would have been a very hard sell to me.

Re: Dev Pledges to Make Crimson Desert 'Even More Enjoyable' as It Sells Over 3 Million Copies in First Week

Rich33

@Pat_trick
I think when it comes to this game it goes much deeper than just a control system, which I think its fair to say is a bit half baked until a fix arrives.

More and more it appears to be the case that the devs tried to hide the condition of the base PS5 performance mode - which DF and others have very clearly found to be unacceptable from both a framerate and visual standpoint. I have seen the visuals / framerate graphs, and I would class it as worse than even they say it is.
Some people, myself included, CANNOT now play games at less than 60fps.

In regards to this though, I don't personally care from a self centred point of view - I own a Pro, and it was found to be perfectly fine on Pro, and that was before the PSSR2 upgrade that now makes it look vastly better too (some Pre launch footage was PSSR1).

But the way it appears the devs went about this is not good, becoming indignant whenever they were questioned, yet not then showing footage. I believe I read/heard they actually sent a Pro to DF with it already installed (or similar) so they couldn't test it on base PS5.
Then only releasing PC version for review, with PS5 versions only available on launch - a practice I find to be red flag at best, and scummy on most occasions.

Whatever way you feel about it, they have also been found to have left generative AI in as well - they should not have done this without full disclosure as some people have a real genuine objection to it.

On top of this we get a myriad of other issues like the aforementioned unintuitive controls, bugs regarding 120hz modes that should have been easily spotted, and even persistent crash bugs, which signal that this game was released before it was ready and that QA was lacking (I understand that some of this has been patched already).

I think people are becoming fed up of the 'release now, and maybe fix later' mindset, and this game has attracted a widespread venting - because 1) it was clearly overhyped, and 2) whether true or not, it certainly APPEARS to people that they were hiding that base PS5 performance mode.

3.87 Stars on PlayStation Store is NOT particularly good either. I agree it's not the be all, and end all, but some people who have purchased this game at launch are clearly not happy.

Re: Dev Pledges to Make Crimson Desert 'Even More Enjoyable' as It Sells Over 3 Million Copies in First Week

Rich33

@Pat_trick
No idea if it's the case for this game, but it screws me up anytime a dev puts dodge on anything other than O Circle.

Too many years of being hardwired by many (many) games, and no matter how 'willing I am to absord' I will always hit Circle when I need to react.

Run on anything other than L3 is an annoyance too.

Devs know what normal control systems are in place - the very least they can do is offer the ability to remap controls if they stray from this.

Re: PS5 Pro's Acclaimed PSSR 2 Upscaler Runs Faster Than Its Predecessor

Rich33

I tested out a few games that run unlocked in 120hz mode with PSSR, and from a purely framerate point of view could see no tangible difference since the upgrade (I am able to see even quite small fps changes).

The massive plus here is that the image quality has taken a further big increase, without any negative affect, and that every game which uses PSSR has been upgraded overnight.

I was always happy with what the Pro could deliver, but we are now seeing reports of games running at 60fps and looking BETTER than base console quality modes at 30fps.

As we go through these final years of PS5, the Pro may well end up essential for those that enjoy good graphics and framerates on console.

Re: 'We Should Have Clearly Disclosed Our Use of AI': Crimson Desert Dev 'Sincerely Apologises' for Erroneously Including AI Art in PS5 Game

Rich33

Whatever you think about AI use like this (I really dislike it), this article just does not surprise me.

The lengths they went to to hide the poor base PS5 version (DF have outright said that they recommend not using the performance mode on base PS5, which is unforgivable in 2026). All whilst seemingly being upset that customers were questioning them for not showing it / making it available for analysis/review until launch.
I do not have any trust in a company that acts like this.

Re: Bizarre PlayStation PC Launcher Rumours Rubbished as Reporter Doubles Down on No More PS5 Ports

Rich33

@Praise_Furret @Max_the_German
Are you reading the same article I am?

@get2sammyb has clearly stated this PC launcher is a "weird rumour", and that "Seeing as there’s no credible source for this PC launcher speculation, while Schreier is one of the most dependable journalists in the business, we’re going to side with the latter here."

This article seems written to inform people not to trust the PC Launcher rumour if they should come across it - not everyone spends all day on Social media (I spend literally none), so if people hear about it (maybe elsewhere), they won't have a clue if it has any basis, or who is a good source.

I would also add that sites like PS can't just come out and say something is total rubbish or that someone always talks rubbish - they have to be more careful and voice opinion or counter arguments.

Re: Bizarre PlayStation PC Launcher Rumours Rubbished as Reporter Doubles Down on No More PS5 Ports

Rich33

Sony are looking to expand their market share - it only seems natural, now that Xbox is no longer competition, that they look at attracting PC gamers, and they can't do that whilst releasing software on PC.
Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't take this direction years ago - the whole foray into PC didn't exactly give them much in the way of revenue (comparatively), and caused them lots of issues anyway.

Re: 'Onwards to More Graphics Breakthroughs': PS6 Architect Mark Cerny Shares a Staged Exchange with AMD Bigwig

Rich33

@twitchtvpat
I was expecting PSSR2 to be a major jump - it had to be because PS6 is riding on it. But I wasn't expecting it to be as big a jump as it has been.
It will be very interesting to see just how far they can go in the next 2-3 yrs before PS6, assuming a 2028 launch now.

Certainly I think it has shaken up the industry somewhat, given the speed at which this collaboration has borne such results.

Whether you have/like Pro or not, we are now talking about image quality that is now better than base console quality modes, in performance modes on Pro, and that is a very good sign of things to come imo.

Re: PS5 Leads Resident Evil Requiem Sales as 'Consoles Are Dead' Chat Falls Flat

Rich33

@nomither6
Sorry, but thats what the info shared in this and other similar articles I've read suggests.

Plus, you only need see how often PC gamers post on articles here (a firmly PS centered site) or on PS5/Pro centered YouTube videos etc, putting down PS5 or (more often) PS5 Pro, all whilst singing the praises of PC (often without correctly considering PC's drawbacks such as price / system upkeep (time)), to know how threatened SOME PC gamers feel at the moment.

Re: PS5 Leads Resident Evil Requiem Sales as 'Consoles Are Dead' Chat Falls Flat

Rich33

@JustinTimberlake
I know a couple of people who have switched from PC to console over the last year and a bit (specifically PS5 Pro), and 1 who is looking to now, because they are fed up of PC inherent problems.

1 of these had a base PS5 and a PC but did the majority of their gaming on PC, and instead of upgrading their PC bought a Pro.

I should also have added due to the widespread cheat use on PC as that was also a factor.

I have also spoken to users here who have done the same and moved from PC.

So yes, I know it happens.

Re: 'A Great Showcase for PSSR 2': PS5 Pro's New Upscaler Continues to Get Rave Reviews

Rich33

As each new analysis / review comes in it seems like PSSR2 is a real success story for the Pro and Sony (and I was already happy with the Pro).

I've tried out a few games now (ones which already had very good Pro enhancements) and I have been suitably impressed each time.

From the info I have seen (I don't own any of them), the small handful of games which had issues seem to have seen some significant improvements.

Even more impressive is that this is only the 2nd iteration, has been delivered fast for this type of improvement, and will automatically update games without dev intervention - all of the games I have tried except maybe 1 (and of course RER) have not had recent dev patches.

Re: 'This Is Finally Living Up to Its Promise': PS5 Pro Owners Thrilled with PSSR 2 Upgrade

Rich33

@Porco @Othatguy
I upgraded at launch, and put my base PS5 into a different room for occasional use there.

I have been very happy with the upgrade up to now, and there are even a few games I have bought over the last year or so which I definitely wouldn't have bought if I only had the base PS5 still, either due to framerate or image quality issues on base PS5 which are much better on Pro.
I have always been of the opinion that the PS5 Pro is a much better upgrade than the PS4 Pro was over PS4.

This additional upgrade just makes me even happier with my purchase.

Re: 'This Is Finally Living Up to Its Promise': PS5 Pro Owners Thrilled with PSSR 2 Upgrade

Rich33

A few tested:

Hogwarts Legacy - already a good Pro enhancement in the Performance mode, and good implementation of PSSR, this now looks even better. Generally sharper and considerarably more detailed, with lights / spell effects brighter. Rock, stone and wood textures / foliage all look better at higher distance.

Happily, its clear from this game that PSSR retains how good it performs during movement, which has been praised above DLSS in the past.

GoY - again, already technically excellent on Pro, this is now sharper and cleaner.

Nioh 3 - Previously not a good looking game, even on Pro (though significantly better framerate and better image than base). The image quality is FAR more stable and detailed, and is much cleaner and sharper than before. The glitch where the dynamic res changes too suddenly still remains but this is not a PSSR issue, just an annoyance.

I couldn't see any drop in framerate from before in any of the games I looked at, and where possible I always use uncapped 120hz mode.

Re: New PS5 Firmware Update with Anticipated PSSR 2 Toggle Available Now

Rich33

A few tested:

Hogwarts Legacy - already a good Pro enhancement in the Performance mode, and good implementation of PSSR, this now looks even better. Generally sharper and considerarably more detailed, with lights / spell effects brighter. Rock, stone and wood textures / foliage all look better at higher distance.

Happily, its clear from this game that PSSR retains how good it performs during movement, which has been praised above DLSS in the past.

GoY - again, already technically excellent on Pro, this is now sharper and cleaner.

Nioh 3 - Previously not a good looking game, even on Pro (though significantly better framerate and better image than base). The image quality is FAR more stable and detailed, and is much cleaner and sharper than before. The glitch where the dynamic res changes too suddenly still remains but this is not a PSSR issue, just an annoyance.

I couldn't see any drop in framerate from before in any of the games I looked at, and where possible I always use uncapped 120hz mode.

Re: New PS5 Firmware Update with Anticipated PSSR 2 Toggle Available Now

Rich33

@Krlozgod
Correct.
Improved framerates can be achieved by devs saving power by cutting back on workload - usually by reducing native resolution.

The resulting image quality can still be an improvement over what was there before, depending on how low they reduce the resolution pre upscale, and how good the upscaler is ie PSSR + Lower Res > Original upscaler + Higher Res.

The saved power will then allow for higher framerates once the cost of the upscaler has been accounted for.

Of course the Pro also, on top of the PSSR functionality, includes 1.7x GPU and a more modest boost to CPU as well.

Edit: just saw this had been responded to - I wrote my reply in 2 parts as I got distracted lol.

Re: 'This Looks Like an AI Generated Dating Profile Picture': Nvidia's Attempt to P*ss on PS5 Pro's Parade with DLSS 5 Backfires

Rich33

Regular AI upscaling is a fantastic way to seriously improve image quality. PSSR2 looks like the game changer it is being touted to be.

This DLSS5, at least from what is presented here, is what happens when the tech is taken far too far - it really does make the image look abhorrent to the original direction.

Once again with AI, people need to focus on SHOULD we, not CAN we!

Re: Resident Evil Requiem PS5 Flying Off Shelves, Now at 6 Million Sales

Rich33

@Oram77
I actually preferred the Leon sections, BUT it was good to get both in the same game.

I've often complained that certain sections of other RE games overstayed their welcome or went too far etc, but the blend in Requiem, and what it allowed them to do in terms of momentum, really helped this game shine imo.

I'm sure I read/heard that there is a RE2/3/4 style remake of 1 planned, but CV (and maybe even 5) are closer. It may of course have been wishful thinking portrayed as fact, but I don't know.

Re: As Warner Bros' Future Looks Uncertain, Gotham Knights Dev Reportedly Cuts More Staff

Rich33

I know its a different studio, but still part of WB Games - Hogwarts Legacy, one of the biggest selling SP games of modern times, got no DLC.

They could have easily released a large content DLC pack, which would have been comparatively cheap to make considering all the systems were there; plus even if they didn't want to do 'year 2', the main story ended with lots of time left in the school year (with only the house cup and side content to fill it).

Surely at least part of this team could have been used for this purpose, while Portkey work on a sequel.

Re: Resident Evil Requiem PS5 Flying Off Shelves, Now at 6 Million Sales

Rich33

Now on my 2nd playthrough, and these sales numbers are well deserved.

It wasn't perfect - a couple of the 'cameos' were almost throwaway, but unlike a lot of RE games I didn't think any area overstayed it's welcome, plus it really did add a lot of great ideas (particularly to Zombies / virus enemies).
I also thought it went back to RE roots with a lot of horror.

Pro enhancements were really excellent too - a real showpiece.

Re: PS5's Coolest Collection of Controllers and Console Covers Are Out Now

Rich33

I have no issue with the original designs / colours (in fact I much prefer them to the black boxes of past gens).
But, I do think it really odd that they don't cater for Pro with at least select covers - it may be a smaller % of the userbase (getting bigger after RE Requiem by all accounts), but it stands to reason that those who own the Pro may have more disposable income to spend on things like this - they are not cheap.

Re: First Crimson Desert PS5 Pro Analysis Calls It 'A Phenomenal Experience'

Rich33

@Hyena_socks
I would keep hold of your money until the base PS5 version has been analysed.
There are many games that have framerate issues on base PS5 but not Pro, or where Pro runs at significantly higher framerates.

RE4r / RE Village both struggle to keep 60fps in some areas - 4r triggered me feeling sick at times. On Pro they run around 90fps.
NG4 only runs at 60fps on base, but can go much higher on Pro.
DW Origins can drop below 60fps in its Performance mode on base, but manages 70-100fps in its Graphics mode on Pro.
And they are just some examples I can think of off the top of my head.

Re: Poll: Has PS5's Dynamic Pricing Debacle Changed Your Relationship with the PS Store at All?

Rich33

@SMJ
Shop around if physical, or wait until it's a price I'm willing to pay if digital - its not a big difference.
If its a game I really want, I buy at launch, if not then it's not important enough to waste sleep over and I will buy if/when I find the price acceptable.

Unless the max price changes (ie £70 - which I do not believe is in question), then this is just targeted deals.

I suppose it could be used to penalise those that ONLY buy on sale a few months after release. In order to try and persuade them to buy the games they really want closer to full price as the price will no longer drop that much, that early. I don't really have a problem with that as I buy full price or I can wait.

Re: Poll: Has PS5's Dynamic Pricing Debacle Changed Your Relationship with the PS Store at All?

Rich33

Not a good look for Sony, and a silly thing for them to do in all honesty.

That said, this isn't exactly different to other markets / sectors. I'm sure if I walked into a store and bought a game (or for example a car) on sale, it would cost different to if someone else walked into a different store (maybe even within the chain).

If they do it with launch prices, then I would have a problem, but sale prices - if the price is acceptable to me, I would buy, if not I wouldn't.