If a company as old as Sega could get hoodwinked by Gearbox over Alien Colonial Marines, then IO Interactive shouldn't feel that bad,(& there are other publishers long gone back in the 8bit & 16bit era who scrambled on last minute rewrites from scratch when they suddenly found out a game was in such dev hell it needed "something" to ship out)!
That said,it should serve as a cautionary tale to keep an eye on how things are progressing before rolling out the marketing machine.
@Yiro998 Be careful what you wish for! Yes,I do own a PC,nothing flash by today's standards with i5 Intel, (before they became their current basket case),& rtx 3060 combo...have aspirations to do another build someday but between Windows 11 SSD potentially killing updates, Nvidia & AMD gpu price gouging duopoly, & hoping your latest Asrock, Asus or insert name manufacturer hasn't pulled something dodgy on the latest motherboard releases that might fry a CPU it's a continual roulette spin getting something that doesn't cost a small fortune or bites you trying to upgrade a CPU or similar later!
Shrinkflation definitely isn't something I had on my 2025 console bingo card,even moreso when digital players need all the storage they can scrape!
@Ludacritz All that's missing is Hermen appointing the likes of departed Pete Parsons or another ex-Bungie or even ex-Guerilla favourite to take over!π Might be mistaken but fairly sure this is one of Hulst's pet projects from Jim Ryan appointing him as Worldwide Studios head & their haphazard throw live service game ideas at the dartboard & come up with a Sony Fortnite/ Overwatch. I still think to Shuhei Yoshida's half joking he mightβve pushed back on some of Jim's pitches as a more seasoned & experienced head. Unfortunately I suspect Hermen moved other similar older producers on from Worldwide Studios & got some of his old ex-guerilla colleagues into Worldwide Studios who similarly wouldn't push back against their old Guerilla Games boss in greenlight8ng so many now cancelled projects.
Guessing Sony is looking to diversify their PS6 options with territories that are more noted for their portable gaming probably having more of the hybrid model vs markets that do well with the traditional console. Whilst it doesn't help the perception of how much next gen hardware is actually pushed with "new" games, they're unlikely to ignore the PS5 base of 80+million in the shorter term much as the PS4 ended up with more cross gen than initially expected.
@get2sammyb Having issues (Down Under), with the PS5 PSN Store not actually showing the Playstation Indies sale. Can see it on the PS4 PSN ,(Though obviously not any PS5 Only games),but the only way to see any from this deal on PS5 is going to "All Deals".π Very strange!
Is anyone else (esp. Down Under),having any issues seeing the "Playstation Indies" sale on PS5? Could view it on PS4,(though onv.,not PS5 only titles),but wasn't visible on PS5 during the Gamescom promotion nor this one?π€
Seems like the only way is to select "All deals" which is cumbersome given different finishing dates etc. Very odd!π
@Medic_alert π€£π Bravo,you win the internet today! Yes, a simplified procedure is long overdue but without at least matching competing storefronts is hardly going to win over customers....will only be useful possibly for at launch bugfests ala Fallout 76 or Cyberpunk etc.
@LogicStrikesAgain Whilst I can't recall exact timings & names,just recall snippets/mentions of veteran departures & then of the occasional ex-guerilla person moving from there to join Hulst,& feeling like it was more like concentrating his powerbase with like minded colleagues. Though Shuhei Yoshida made light of his shift by Jim Ryan to revive their Indies initiative, still think of his quote he mightβve pushed back a bit on some of Ryan's ideas as telling...would he have been so keen on Bungie? Can't help but doubt it!
@Get2sammyb Can only assume Herman still has his position after throwing so many others onto the proverbial train tracks,by fast talking Hiroki Totoki on this "multimedia" big game strategy!π As others have noted,unlike Hulst's obsession with creating a first party fortnite, hits can come from small ideas that evolve/grow on their own....& even the likes of AAA IP's like Uncharted,or The Last of Us,(keeping in mind Bruce Straley is the forgotten half of it's creation),creations during a difficult phase for Playstation first & second parties wrestling with the Playstation 3's technology & certainly not worried if their game was adaptable to movie spin-offs!π
Looking for some multiplayer mix in the Playstation offerings was fine. But one only has to look at the mass cancellations, lay-offs, closures or "repivots", to see an executive out of his depth. Sadly with the departure of so many notable management whether the likes of Shawn Layden,Shu Yoshida, or even ND or Insomniac etc.,in recent years you wonder who can help Playstation find their creative mojo again.π
Maybe when Hermen got annoited by the clueless Jim Ryan as his captain's pick Worldwide Studios head,(& embarking on their massive live service spree including buying Bungie's "expertise"),maybe moving on reportedly veteran Playstation producers & replacing them with ex-guerilla game colleagues that wouldn't disagree with their old studio boss was among the many mistakes & bad calls Hulst has made.
For all the previous "creative freedom", Sony first parties used to state they enjoyed, one can only speculate on some of the senior r"etirements" or departures with the mandates to create IP's with multiplayer only, or heavy emphasis on from devs experienced in single player games.
Likewise, in the rare interviews I'd recalled from Hulst, never heard him mention some of Playstation's historical IP's ala Jak & Daxter,Sly Raccoon, Little Big Planet, Resistance, Motorstorm & others unlike Shuhei Yoshida, or Shawn Layden would.
His prattling on of ways to expand IP's to other mediums rather smacks of Xbox's disastrous Xbox One "TV,TV,TV!",launch.
Unfortunately, the legacy of Jim Ryan & Herman Hulst's mismanagement has seen the upper echelon of Sony group executives weilding a far tighter financial reign on Playstation operations & it feels like the "suits" rather than management with knowledge of & appreciation of their gaming fanbase that are calling the shots now.
Given Hulst was hyping up Concord prior to release & was taking advice from the likes of Bungie Execs suggest it's his failings to surround himself with objective management rather than people wanting to keep an out of his depth boss happy that was the real failing.
@wiiware @CP2 Yep,if there's one talent Hermen Hulst clearly has is being a fast talker to Investor calls & Hiroki Totoki ("It was all Jim's fault,I was just following his orders!").ππ If memory serves,(& obviously the prequel), Helldivers II started development before Hulst's reign of chaos. Guessing it possibly had a more AA level funding too,albeit I'm sure the dev studio these days enjoy top support to keep them on board as the guardians of one of Playstation's few hits in the multiplayer sphere this generation.
Another executive getting a golden parachute payout. Have seen some worthwhile YouTube videos which mentioned between his & a fellow ex-Microsoft's ascension as Bungie execs several of the veterans actually responsible for their earlier Halo hits were moved on or "retired",prior to the original Destiny.
Unfortunately, the rather clueless Jim Ryan & newly annoited Hermen Hulst as his captain's pick to takeover Worldwide Studios from Shuhei Yoshida (& Shawn Layden as U.S. Studios head prior to that),& enact a massive live service push within Playstation fell for Bungie's "expertise" hook,line & sinker!π
We've heard Shuhei mention the factions TLOU spin off played well,(albeit ND weren't Rockstar sized to continue big content updates ala GTAO & juggle new single player projects). But other projects within Playstation quietly cancelled or not given a green light.
Long time veteran Playstation studios producers quietly departed for ex-Guerilla colleagues who worked under Hulst taking their place. New studio start-ups included the likes of recently departed Bungie talent to fund the likes of Concord & Bungie & Hulst were absolutely convinced they had their Fortnite style mega hit...which bombed like Tunguska!
Add to it flopped Destiny releases & further Bungie lay-offs to compensate & boost flagging kpi's to try avoid Sony contractual takeover & you get the present mess that has represented Worldwide Studios output under Hermen Hulst's mismanagement.
Jim Ryan quietly announces his "retirement" en route to mass Playstation Studios lay-offs & closures,& the decidedly non-gaming now Sony group chairman Hiroki Totoki taking the reigns of Playstation long enough to note the sea of red spending by Ryan & Hulst on Bungie & flops like Concord & clearly demanded changes.
How Hermen Hulst has retained his job during a decidedly messy tenure & listening to the departing Bungie's head "expertise",on live service games is still something I'm puzzled at!π€π
@Bettyswollocks Bioshock Infinite being part of that "elite" circle of games like Watchdogs etc., with vertical slice demo's promising so much extra you couldn't help but wonder if you'd stumbled into an alternate Mandela/ Berestain Bear alternate timeline!π€―π
The reality sadly if they were waiting on Ken Levine to stop dreaming up new mechanics & ideas,they'd be still probably very aiming for a ps5 or ps6 release window!
Judging from the last we'd heard anything on his latest game,they'll probably need this director's help to pull "something" together for that too by the time he gets whatever Bioshock 4 ends up as. π
Given 2K's parent company Take-two were happy enough to dish out Grand Theft Auto Trilogy "definitive edition" in its infamous shambolic state,(Sorry! To quote Strauss Zoellick just a bug or two!ππ€―),one wonders what shape this must be in to fail Take-two's low bar!π±π
Pachter is pretty clueless on the musical chairs of of Playstation senior management sequence...though I do agree the losses of the likes of Shawn Layden & Shuhei Yoshida have been very much felt by gamers as they communicated with them & were passionate about gaming.
Jim Ryan ushered in the "beancounter/kpi" middle management including appointing Hermen Hulst whom in turn seemingly surrounded himself with ex-guerilla or bungie talent,(keeping in mind a number of Bungie talent responsible for their earlier Halo hits had left or were moved on by the ex-microsoft management that took control prior to Destiny) as his creative group & advising Jim Ryan.
Unfortunately,after their expensive misfires, you then had the decidedly non-gaming Sony group head Totoki now looking over their shoulders & demanding making up for lost revenue from the Playstation cash cow,.
How Hulst still retains his role is beyond me, but you can't help but wonder another Concord like flop is directly related to his being incognito outside of shareholder meetings which is ironic considering how prolific his predecessors were.
Whilst RE2 & RE3 are welcome additions (& live up to the classics label), that they've come far later than GOG getting all three RE Classic titles, & Dino Crisis & Breath of Fire IV,shows far more vigour on GOG's behalf than Sony has done. You don't see Sony put up a dreamlist request site to make votes/submissions on.
Likewise,still far too few third party participants,which goes back to whom in third party relations or PS Plus services is supposedly chasing content for the service?
Just feels like when you're waiting for dinner at a restaurant soo long it makes the garlic bread or bread roll feel like the best darn thing you ever had! Given the price increases we should be getting more than crumbs!
Much as I'd speculated in the Helldivers 2 Xbox thread the other day...no thanks to Jim Ryan & his Worldwide Studios "captain's pick" Hermen Hulst's questionable acquisition of Bungie & choices of pushing Concord & other multiple live service games,only to cancel a bunch after the Concord disaster & Jim's "retirement".
Remember when now Sony Group CEO Hiroki Totoki in his interim Playstation CEO role talked about Playstation needed to make games more efficiently? That wasn't just about cutting staff or replacing them all with A.I. (We hope!). Hermen Hulst probably still only has his job on the promise he'll find Playstation's COD, GTA Online,Fortnite first party pot of gold.... To which someone like Totoki an executive who makes Jim Ryan look like a Hardcore gamer,probably then insisted if Sony's going big on live service development why keep it Playstation walled Gardens?
Unfortunately for PS Gamers, the days of gaming centric execs like Shawn Layden, Shuhei Yoshida etc, feel like they're getting more distant by the day...the "player engagement", bean counters are seemingly running rule over creative choices now.π
@get2sammyb That last bit of the article almost has me imagining a Sony engineer being on the phone to some Indian or Philippines call centre telling them to unplug the modem cable,& turn off the modem & wait a minute before rebooting it!ππ
Back on topic. Remember when the lousy hacker(s) brought down Litle Big Planet, Sony was pretty quiet on the communication front before declaring it too hard (reads too expensive to update an old ps3 game),& finally admit it was permanently shut down?
Just suggesting never underestimate a bean counter mentality as much as its likely hopefully just a maintenance issue.
"It was all Sony"....very true,I'm sure...as I'm also sure after Jim Ryan/Hermen Hulst blew 3 billion plus on a Bungie minus the veterans behind its earlier hits,& other short sighted choices like Concord, led Sony Group executive asking Playstation execs "if you're making live service games costing millions,why aren't you putting them on multiple platforms?", sort of pressure,I suspect!π
Unfortunately for PS Owners, the bean counters are well & truly calling the shots now.
So where has the lawsuir actually been filed then? Just curious if this is in Tencent's "home stadium",of a China State Court or in a US or Japan court wherein Sony would presumably have more IP lawyers? π€ Guessing the main reason Sony's taking this step (& risking relations with the Behemoth that is Tencent, not that I'm any fan of their widespread reach),is Tencent would possibly be publishing this on Steam/Epic,or Xbox etc., where Sony would be battling DCMA claims on multiple store fronts?
I'm sure there's some clever people out there who can tell me all the wonderful things A.I. can do to help our society....but I'm also reminded of a term taught by my computer teacher in late high school (secondary school as I believe its called in some regions of the world)....GIGO=Garbage In Garbage Out.
Despite the passage of time, one look at AI on social media platforms & some of the slop on PSN,Steam etc.,which is an insult to the creative indies out there & I can't help but think of how much GIGO I see around the place these days!πππ
Not 100% sure as hadn't bought the First & Second Samurai compilation I've rarely seen pop up on PSN sales...but pretty sure on GOG Store where they also sell them, user reviews have mentioned they're using SNES ports of them rather than the Amiga originals.
Can only speculate,but given the current legal mess that represents Amiga rights ownership (not to be confused with the in progress Commodore situation),sadly rarely see Amiga versions of any retro releases,which is a great shame.
Hope it's okay to post the question here mods, but after redeeming Diablo IV without issue on PS Plus, I've noticed it's effectively unavailable to purchase anymore in the PS Store!π
Only see the expansions & mtx currencies advertised. Was under the impression they offered a separate PS Plus version to avoid the issue these days! Does this mean one needs a separate account or have to get in touch with PS Support to buy it on a later sale?π€
Apologies for going a bit off topic...but after redeeming Diablo IV without issue on PS Plus, I've noticed it's effectively unavailable to purchase anymore in the PS Store!π Only see the expansions & mtx currencies advertised. I thought they offered a separate PS Plus version to avoid these issues now! Does this mean one needs a separate account or have to get in touch with PS Support to buy it on a later sale?π€
As per other posts here,I agree its less likely to be any dig at the devs & far more a tongue in cheek dig at Activision & in particular Bobby Kotick's incredible knack at running multiple franchises into the ground,& then throwing said devs onto the train tracks or gutted into being a COD support studio.
The irony is,there's reports going around the the Microsoft lay-offs are seemingly impacting smaller studios that either had games funded by them,or doing support work in larger projects having their funding/work pulled too & Iron Galaxy is among those named. A rumour for now, but guess we'll see in time if any future closures possibly happen.π
@get2sammyb Might be mistaken,but before the God of War reboot on PS4 wasn't there a rumour that Santa Monica were working on some sort of sci-fi game that was ultimately cancelled?π€ Might be a means for a project to be "new" & old if maybe rebooting whatever that was? Keeping in mind The Last Guardian was in purgatory until the PS4 saw them retool it from PS3 & Until Dawn from its PS Move origins into what it eventuated as on PS4. Just a thought!
Whilst GTA IV didn't grab me in the same way as the classic era Trilogy or RDR 1,would still be a welcome addition. Still bugs me how RDR & in theory this port (Wonder if Double Eleven are handling it again?),lack a native ps5 version!
I see the GTA Trilogy "definitive edition" rarely on shelves these days,but obviously it lacks the ps5 upgrade,so you're stuck with the higher priced version on PSN.
Whilst we enjoy ps4 backwards compatibility (with a few exceptions),on PS5,Mark Cerny has explained in chats like with Digital Foundry, that it requires engineering within the APU setup. In theory,staying with AMD should retain the fixes for a PS6, but all you need is a short sighted bean counter executive declare its too expensive a production cost & drop it as a feature!
Just a bit weird if they don't release a native version,even if unenhanced!
Wonder if like GTA Vice City & SA,if it'll feature a reduced track list? They removed a bunch of songs in a ps3 update when licences expired years ago,didn't they? Cos we all know Take-two Strauss Zelnick is the living Scrooge McDuck! π
I'm loathe to suggest more tiers when we're already 3-4...but given the multiple price hikes in regions like mine Down Under,(unlike the U.S.),& ZERO PS Plus Essential subscription sales for existing subscribers, I'd potentially be open to a cheaper Essential subscription that still gives PSN sale bonus discounts & drop the "free" games entirely. Or keep the current model but stop the cheapskate nonsense of upgrade only "sales" on subs. Its just pure greed only certain regions continually get hikes effectively subsidising others.
PS Deluxe was allegedly a stop gap for those territories that didn't have PS Now, but never seen any expansion of it & given the price of Deluxe here, Premium would be too expensive even if they bothered with it.
Totally agree with @get2Sammyb an expansion of the PS Classics with better engagement of wishlisting with fans, AND chasing third party PS1,PS2 etc., titles would be preferred. And IF PS3 emulation is still in the too hard basket (& to be fair, RPCS3 needs a PC with decent grunt to get the best out of it), then expand or get a Bluepoint like studio to handle stuff like Resistance, LBP, Motorstorm, Infamous, LBP Karting, even Rain,ICO etc, onto current gen. You don't have to do full blown 4k remakes, but its a way to test the waters & if players like them, then you have opportunities to follow up. More worthwhile than the next cancelled Fortnite wannabe from Hermen Hulst!
@Nakatomi_Uk Well its on GOG Store at least! Not sure why Breath of Fire 3 was't added too! Whether that leads to an eventual PSN/ Classics release time will tell!π€ Just feel like the wishlisting feature at GOG feels way more visible than how things could be done for Playstation old school gamers!
Love seeing other's posts on games they'd like to see added!! Good stuff!
@get2sammyb With the "retirement" of Shuhei Yoshida,truly felt like the last well recognised "face" of Playstation execs went with him.π
Certainly never see the faceless PSN services heads that post on the PS Blog bother interacting. And Hermen Hulst really represents how remote Sony gaming execs have become.π
The biggest problem i find the the PS Classics program is the lack of transparency....outside of a discord with Impicit Conversions,there's no public face or area within Sony where the public can make requests/vote. GOG Store has a very public area to vote/wishlist request now, & I note they got the entire Resident Evil classic trilogy,Dino Crisis & even Breath of Fire IV ahead of PSN,as an example.
Whilst there can always be licensing issues, would love to see EA stuff like the SSX Series, NFS Underground 1 & 2, Theme Park/Hospital,, Capcom's Maximo series, the PS2 era Splinter Cells, PS1 stuff like Alundra, Adventures of Lomax, Colony Wars series, Ratchet & Clank & dare say there's plenty of others people here could nominate!
Nominations are no guarantee,but it can help engage interest there's a market for their back catalogues. Much less Sony's PS3 Walled games get ports like Uncharted 1-3 did early days onto ps4. π€
For those saying Sony should buy/hire Romero's studio,its sadly not that straightforward...anything related to this cancelled IP,source code etc.,would undoubtedly remain in Microsoft's hands.
They would literally be starting all over from scratch to develop something into a vertical slice demo & pitch to greenlight, & only then they start tooling up with a larger team.
Given Hermen Hulst's recent track record with finding his first party fortnite wannabe, with first party Sony studios, wouldn't hold my breath!π
Makes me wonder how the technically independent but were working on something Xbox related Toys for Bob are faring in all of this?π€
@OldGamer999 Think you can infer how long its been both Sony or MS have had an Nvidia GPU in their consoles,that neither enjoyed the experience.
One only has to look in the PC world where EVGA talked about the draconian methods Nvidia uses,or Gamers Nexus & Hardware Unboxed on how glass jawed & petty Nvidia can be if you don't use their P.R. guff & only "report"/promote them positively rather than the rip off merchants they've become.
That it seems little coincidence that AMD have been content to just play the margins game in the GPU market the last couple or so generations (whilst happy to hammer Intel on the CPU side),but with a flush of funds from both Sony & Microsoft on next gen console APU's & tech they can use on their GPU's they're suddenly talking up big advances. π
@get2sammyb Apart from the previous heads of Naughty Dog having retired/left prior to Druckman's elevation,still can't help but wonder what Naughty Dog's output would look like if the likes of Amy Hennig &/or Bruce Strayley (who is very much the forgotten half of Uncharted 2 & the original TLOU),were still there?
Much like Jim Ryan's captains call promoting Hermen Hulst to Worldwide Studios head, they started looking into a multi forked "Multimedia" verse of TV,TV,TV,& movie spin offs of IP's, but rather than tap into expertise of Sony Pictures management they could've drafted, it's been arguably a distraction of Druckman,Hulst etc., who should've been focused on the in-house projects?
Or at the very least, if ND still had the likes of Hennig, Strayley etc.,instead of burnouts & possibly backroom corporate politics Naughty Dog could've spared Druckman's pursuits elsewhere with other equally qualified senior heads still there.
Much like Hermen Hulst's miraculous executive gymnastics of compelling or green lighting Sony Worldwide Studios games on the basis of their live services & being the next Formite but possibly being more like Concord & throwing everyone else onto proverbial the train tracks.
Likewise "Gamer" Phil Spencer has his well rehearsed emails & pet puppy dog sighs of "its been a really tough day",posts whilst he & the rest of the upper M$ execs including Satya, Sarah & him still somehow get their yearly efficiency bonuses!π
Much like the Activision Blizzard buyout was promoted as some wonderful creative nirvana away from the executive greed of Bobby Kotick, things in the corporate gaming world largely remain unchanged regardless who's in charge,with executives being largely immune so long as they have minion studios to blame.
On the Playstation side of things,with Hulst's inferred favourites & favouritism towards green lighting projects aligned with the live services & trying to crack his Fortnite/COD/GTA Online style megabit ever since the Jim Ryan era, I remain concerned for the likes of Sony Bend, MM,Bluepoint etc.,becoming the next Japan Studio/UK Liverpool like casualties.π
AAA Games design is hard to not only come up with something new & engaging,(or not botch up a reboot of an older classic). But likewise if for example,when upper execs influence studios moving away from having made previously single player titles & then tell them their next game needs to be multiplayer online which forces older creatives out,& the new projects fall flat,it's a tad rich for all of the failure to be lumped solely on the dev?
Would need to google Kpop much less whomever this young lady is supposedly being the "face" of Playstation!π
Still hate the real issue being with the retirement of Shuhei Yoshida, most current upper management of Playstation seem to avoid the gaming public like the plague! Whether the PS Blog, or to the likes of Wired or that interview the other week with the vice President of PSN services....let's see them on the likes of Push Square & questions from the plebs than putting out P.R. puff pieces!
Shu was/is popular where he actually played games & knew his stuff polar opposite of someone like Hermen Hulst!
As others have already said...ever since the creation of the current "tiers" system,PS Plus has felt like a rip off. As opposed to when existing Essential subscribers could stack/ buy subs on sale from bricks & mortar retail, Sony now only offers a discount to upgrade a current subscription & then expect to charge full price thereafter.
Add to that multiple price hikes in the regions, (especially outside of the U.S.),& broken promises,feel little incentive to upgrade or keep current subscription going. PS Premium was little more than combining the old,limited PS Now streaming & has never been expanded beyond a few select regions.
That then left the hybrid PS Deluxe crumbs for the rest of us,but most of the releases have been obscure & some questionable "classics" like so-so Disney titles with rare exceptions. Additional Capcom PS1 classics like RE 2& 3, Dino Crisis etc.,came at a trickle,& the addition of other AAA third party titles have been non existant/abysmal. Indeed even Sony first party potential back catalogue like Ratchet & Clank, God of War,Colony Wars, Alundra, even Discworld possibly all MIA too. Would rather have seen some PS3 ported games to PS4 like they did with Uncharted & TLOU early days.
Cloud saves or PS Plus discounts are the main uses,with a mixed bag on the freebies some good months others not...with the added removal of PS Stars (& it was removing subs earning points anyway),it really does give the impression how tone deaf current management are.
I take it Tom obviously must lead such a sheltered life he hasn't seen Forza Horizon, Gears of War,Age of Empires/Mythology, & other Xbox titles appear on PS5 before now?!ππ
The only small critique/point of concern is based on ps5 physical prices I've seen locally ($100AU),I'm a tad concerned of its longevity vs price....BUT, I do (as a retro C64/Amiga & others veteran),agree this has AAA production values & a clear love of the movie.
This is the sort of game Ocean (who did make home computer versions of T2, much as they'd done Batman,Robocop & numerous other movies BITD),could've only dreamed of doing. Looked more like an arcade game of the era!
Much like a Wonderboy Dragon's Trap, or Monster Boy & the Cursed Kingdom, or the upcoming Shinobi, will definitely get it when I can afford it,hopefully the gameplay of Dark Fate matches every bit of its looks...but Bitmap Bureau have pulled off some good stuff like Xeno Crisis etc.,so feel optimistic.
For all the millions (& billions in Bungies cade), that the Jim Ryan & Hermen Hulst (as his captains pick taking over Worldwide Studios), spent creating start-up studios, pushing others like Bluepoint (after their great effort remaking Demon Souls),into doing live service God of War universe rubbish,& acquing PC & Mobile dev studios, then unleashing the train wreck Concord & Hulst cancelling as many projects & studios,it exposes how massively ignorant their management has been.
Neither bothered investing in expanding either Bluepoint or setting up an internal studio or more that could've potentially worked on porting its PS3 Classics onto modern formats & test the waters of some like Motorstorm, Resistance, or even LBP & their online portions could have an audience for something more like a reboot or sequel.π
Likewise if the so-called "Vice President of services",Nick Maguire might like to descend from the Sony Ivory towers to explain what happened to Sony's initial promises of expanding PS Premium/streaming to other territories?
Or if as reputed to be based on ageing PS3 "Blades" servers, & unable, why then such a poorly managed PS Classics library of PS1, PS2 content? For every rare RE 1,waited an age to see Re 2 & 3,or Dino Crisis etc., when they already came to the likes of GOG Store! There's numerous AAA retro game or former "platnium" classics from EA,Ubisoft,& still Capcom & others that could be pursued & added to the classics library.
GOG now actively promote a Wishlist request site...I wonder if Mr Maguire even interacts with players like Shuhei Yoshida did!! Sony have jacked up the PS Plus prices in multiple regions in the last couple of years & yet players have seen little in the way of so called expanded content,Mr Maguire. π
Somehow,I rather suspect that with the middle management changeovers initiated by Jim Ryan & followed along by his successors, with their obsession on live service games, PSVR 2 support rapidly evaporated.
TBF, it sadly reflected a repeat of not only what affected the PSP & Vita,but even the handheld gaming Behemoth Nintendo ultimately found supporting both their 3DS juggernaut & the failed Wii U stretched their first parties too much & played its part with the Switch becoming a reality.
The other parts of the article of costs etc., all quite true. But present day Sony is very much concerned with chasing live service goldmines, (Though in Hermen Hulst's case, missing the point that for every Helldivers II, COD, Fortnite, GTA online, etc.,you also have Minecraft ,Roblox...& other sandboxes that aren't all FPS ....Remember the likes of LBP had a myriad of dlc paid & community driven).
If the rumours are true about the new handheld possibly being made around being like a Playstation "lite" Steam Deck equivalent running your PS5/6 games via lower settings could be a means to avoid tying up resources. Mark Cerny has led a hardware design culture of wanting to make things more developer friendly. As always,time will tell.
@PuppetMaster Sorry,was typing my initial post out & about,(including spelling errors ugh!). Have no beef with PS5 & indeed most AAA's dropping PS4...It was more in reference to PS Plus dropping PS4 games,but no real indication on that meaning extra PS5 Essential tier "freebies". Given there's no guarantee how far off the PS6 & it's possible handheld spin off it's much like the penny pinching approach to not chasing the top tier genuine PS Classics (or even ex platinum),PS1,PS2 games to add on PS Plus.
Can't believe? Oh I can believe it alright!π I mean,okay,seriously...after the late,& expensive arrival of the PS3,you saw Sony remove chips in the PAL launch model (reducing backwards compatibility),to the slim revisions etc.,& an internal vow never to sell consoles at a loss going forward,even if only for small margins.
But unlike early PS4 gen "consumer friendly" Sony,where remasters like Uncharted, or The Last of Us,or even the Ratchet & Clank reboot were at more mid range pricing (to make up for no upgrade path on the ps4 remasters), the Jim Ryan & Herman Hulst PS5 era has been the opposite.
Titles like TLOU with no Factions mode,(on the promise of "we have something better coming trust us!!"),get the same new game price point...Until Dawn is farmed out (admittedly with certain ex SuperMassive devs),& given the GTA Trilogy rush job with no upgrade path,& practically seems to blow any chance now of getting a follow up.
After the severe blowback on trying to close the legacy PSN Stores,Jim & co., come up with the PS Plus tiers with limited countries getting PS3 game Streaming & the promise of PS1, PS2,& PSP Classics....wherein we've seen mostly obscure titles,or limited third party involvement & weird definition of "classics".
With the intention to drop PS4 game inclusions by next year,PS Stars rewards being shuttered for "we have concepts of a replacement, sometime!"π, no longer offering PS plus Essential discounts for existing subscribers to name a few of thei current management practices,its little wonder despite Hermen Hulsts continued misfires the balance sheets are still holding up!
Divisive game & deliberately designed to be. Personally find the Disney & Hollywood style story trope to bring back a popular character only to make them "broken", just overdone,.
Just my opinion,but think its too easy to forget the other half of Uncharted 2,4 & TLOU 1 appeal was the presence of Bruce Straley & his departure from Naughty Dog was a real loss.
@Get2SammyB Welcome to the Hermen Hulst reign of Worldwide Studios wherein he greenlighted buying Bungie for billions, loving their "expertise" so much he let other Bungie staff be spun off to waste millions on likes of Concord etc.,(& buy those startups as separate entities too despite having zero track record of success), splurge on mobile devs & PC devs, but couldn't fund some specialist dev studios (or waste Bluepoint on a live service God of War themed title reportedly),to handle classic IP's or say port some PS3 era first party titles to modern day gens?!
Maybe if he wasn't so besotted with playing favourites amongst Worldwide Studios, TV show spin offs & creating/finding his first party Fortnite pot of gold at the expense of ignoring a back catalogue of classic IP's they wouldn't be suffering the mismanagement they largely have this generation.
It mightβve started under Jim Ryan appointing Hulst as his yes man,but how Hulst has remained is unfathomable. Shawn Layden or Shuhei Yoshida whom knew their PS Gaming history from obscure to major titles is a trait completely lacking in Hulst.
Ubisoft: After the underwhelming reaction to the nameless,cheap porting house we shovelled this off to last time,we learned our lesson & we chose someone well known in the retrogame porting scene....presenting Grove Street Games & their A.I. dev bot army to handle this with the TLC they're famed for!πππ±
Maybe the first protip Hermen Hulst should've taken is not surrounding himself with ex Guerilla Games colleagues into senior Worldwide Studios roles whom just agreed with whatever their boss liked?
Even moreso, not only pushing the Bungie buyout but taking their Microsoft era upper management (whom forced out several Bungie veterans by the time of Destiny), "expertise" on live service games so to heart he not only let them run rule over other in development projects but greenlighted select Bungie staff into new start up studios that led to disasters like Concord! π
Obviously,one needs to remember Jim Ryan's insistence on a new yes man as Worldwide Studios head to push Shuheo Yoshida sideways (& less likely to push back). But how Hulst has managed to retain his role in light of throwing so many others onto the train tracks under his reign is a puzzle.π
The "younger" folk here whether talking about Witcher 4 &/or in game footage, or recently GTA VI,or controversies like Cyberpunk 2077, Watchdogs, or even going back to Killzone 2 on PS3!!
Not a new issue by any stretch...ask your parents if they bought a C64/Spectrum/ Amstrad or even ST/Amiga & the box (esp. Arcade conversions), would be lucky to feature at least one screenshot or more of what you were buying!π€―π¬π
If publishers think they can get away with tech demo's selling future gen visuals with vague promises of "scaling" today's gens they will, even after PR disasters ala Cyberpunk.
Always go with a degree of caution especially with longer term projects & see what the day one bugs are going to be acceptable or wait!
Even PC Master race owners are finding these days Nvidia or AMD like to build rip-off "budget" 8gb GPU's that struggle to run the latest games,despite hyping them up with the same ray tracing tech as their ridiculously priced "midrange" or higher end versions.
Comments 1,652
Re: MindsEye Flopped So Badly That Its Publisher Is Questioning If It Should Publish Games Ever Again
If a company as old as Sega could get hoodwinked by Gearbox over Alien Colonial Marines, then IO Interactive shouldn't feel that bad,(& there are other publishers long gone back in the 8bit & 16bit era who scrambled on last minute rewrites from scratch when they suddenly found out a game was in such dev hell it needed "something" to ship out)!
That said,it should serve as a cautionary tale to keep an eye on how things are progressing before rolling out the marketing machine.
Re: Rumour: To Avoid Even More PS5 Price Increases, Digital Edition to Get Reduced SSD Space
@Yiro998 Be careful what you wish for! Yes,I do own a PC,nothing flash by today's standards with i5 Intel, (before they became their current basket case),& rtx 3060 combo...have aspirations to do another build someday but between Windows 11 SSD potentially killing updates, Nvidia & AMD gpu price gouging duopoly, & hoping your latest Asrock, Asus or insert name manufacturer hasn't pulled something dodgy on the latest motherboard releases that might fry a CPU it's a continual roulette spin getting something that doesn't cost a small fortune or bites you trying to upgrade a CPU or similar later!
Shrinkflation definitely isn't something I had on my 2025 console bingo card,even moreso when digital players need all the storage they can scrape!
Re: Sony's Troubled Live Service Game Fairgames Just Can't Catch a Break
@Ludacritz All that's missing is Hermen appointing the likes of departed Pete Parsons or another ex-Bungie or even ex-Guerilla favourite to take over!π
Might be mistaken but fairly sure this is one of Hulst's pet projects from Jim Ryan appointing him as Worldwide Studios head & their haphazard throw live service game ideas at the dartboard & come up with a Sony Fortnite/ Overwatch.
I still think to Shuhei Yoshida's half joking he mightβve pushed back on some of Jim's pitches as a more seasoned & experienced head. Unfortunately I suspect Hermen moved other similar older producers on from Worldwide Studios & got some of his old ex-guerilla colleagues into Worldwide Studios who similarly wouldn't push back against their old Guerilla Games boss in greenlight8ng so many now cancelled projects.
Re: Rumour: PS6 Handheld Device Can Be Docked Like Nintendo Switch 2
Guessing Sony is looking to diversify their PS6 options with territories that are more noted for their portable gaming probably having more of the hybrid model vs markets that do well with the traditional console.
Whilst it doesn't help the perception of how much next gen hardware is actually pushed with "new" games, they're unlikely to ignore the PS5 base of 80+million in the shorter term much as the PS4 ended up with more cross gen than initially expected.
Re: 35+ PS5, PS4 Games to Buy in PS Store's PlayStation Indies Sale (North America/Europe)
@get2sammyb Having issues (Down Under), with the PS5 PSN Store not actually showing the Playstation Indies sale. Can see it on the PS4 PSN ,(Though obviously not any PS5 Only games),but the only way to see any from this deal on PS5 is going to "All Deals".π
Very strange!
Re: 64+ PS5, PS4 Games to Buy in PS Store's Ready Set Play Sale
Is anyone else (esp. Down Under),having any issues seeing the "Playstation Indies" sale on PS5? Could view it on PS4,(though onv.,not PS5 only titles),but wasn't visible on PS5 during the Gamescom promotion nor this one?π€
Seems like the only way is to select "All deals" which is cumbersome given different finishing dates etc. Very odd!π
Re: Sony's Convoluted PS Store Refund Process Has Finally Been Streamlined
@Medic_alert π€£π Bravo,you win the internet today!
Yes, a simplified procedure is long overdue but without at least matching competing storefronts is hardly going to win over customers....will only be useful possibly for at launch bugfests ala Fallout 76 or Cyberpunk etc.
Re: 'The Number of Live Service Games Is Not Important': PS5 Boss Gives Rare Insight into Strategy
@LogicStrikesAgain Whilst I can't recall exact timings & names,just recall snippets/mentions of veteran departures & then of the occasional ex-guerilla person moving from there to join Hulst,& feeling like it was more like concentrating his powerbase with like minded colleagues. Though Shuhei Yoshida made light of his shift by Jim Ryan to revive their Indies initiative, still think of his quote he mightβve pushed back a bit on some of Ryan's ideas as telling...would he have been so keen on Bungie? Can't help but doubt it!
@Get2sammyb Can only assume Herman still has his position after throwing so many others onto the proverbial train tracks,by fast talking Hiroki Totoki on this "multimedia" big game strategy!π
As others have noted,unlike Hulst's obsession with creating a first party fortnite, hits can come from small ideas that evolve/grow on their own....& even the likes of AAA IP's like Uncharted,or The Last of Us,(keeping in mind Bruce Straley is the forgotten half of it's creation),creations during a difficult phase for Playstation first & second parties wrestling with the Playstation 3's technology & certainly not worried if their game was adaptable to movie spin-offs!π
Looking for some multiplayer mix in the Playstation offerings was fine. But one only has to look at the mass cancellations, lay-offs, closures or "repivots", to see an executive out of his depth. Sadly with the departure of so many notable management whether the likes of Shawn Layden,Shu Yoshida, or even ND or Insomniac etc.,in recent years you wonder who can help Playstation find their creative mojo again.π
Re: 'The Number of Live Service Games Is Not Important': PS5 Boss Gives Rare Insight into Strategy
Maybe when Hermen got annoited by the clueless Jim Ryan as his captain's pick Worldwide Studios head,(& embarking on their massive live service spree including buying Bungie's "expertise"),maybe moving on reportedly veteran Playstation producers & replacing them with ex-guerilla game colleagues that wouldn't disagree with their old studio boss was among the many mistakes & bad calls Hulst has made.
For all the previous "creative freedom", Sony first parties used to state they enjoyed, one can only speculate on some of the senior r"etirements" or departures with the mandates to create IP's with multiplayer only, or heavy emphasis on from devs experienced in single player games.
Likewise, in the rare interviews I'd recalled from Hulst, never heard him mention some of Playstation's historical IP's ala Jak & Daxter,Sly Raccoon, Little Big Planet, Resistance, Motorstorm & others unlike Shuhei Yoshida, or Shawn Layden would.
His prattling on of ways to expand IP's to other mediums rather smacks of Xbox's disastrous Xbox One "TV,TV,TV!",launch.
Unfortunately, the legacy of Jim Ryan & Herman Hulst's mismanagement has seen the upper echelon of Sony group executives weilding a far tighter financial reign on Playstation operations & it feels like the "suits" rather than management with knowledge of & appreciation of their gaming fanbase that are calling the shots now.
Given Hulst was hyping up Concord prior to release & was taking advice from the likes of Bungie Execs suggest it's his failings to surround himself with objective management rather than people wanting to keep an out of his depth boss happy that was the real failing.
Re: Bungie Boss Pete Parsons Departs as Sony Starts to Take Control of Flagging Dev
@wiiware @CP2 Yep,if there's one talent Hermen Hulst clearly has is being a fast talker to Investor calls & Hiroki Totoki ("It was all Jim's fault,I was just following his orders!").ππ
If memory serves,(& obviously the prequel), Helldivers II started development before Hulst's reign of chaos. Guessing it possibly had a more AA level funding too,albeit I'm sure the dev studio these days enjoy top support to keep them on board as the guardians of one of Playstation's few hits in the multiplayer sphere this generation.
Re: Bungie Boss Pete Parsons Departs as Sony Starts to Take Control of Flagging Dev
Another executive getting a golden parachute payout. Have seen some worthwhile YouTube videos which mentioned between his & a fellow ex-Microsoft's ascension as Bungie execs several of the veterans actually responsible for their earlier Halo hits were moved on or "retired",prior to the original Destiny.
Unfortunately, the rather clueless Jim Ryan & newly annoited Hermen Hulst as his captain's pick to takeover Worldwide Studios from Shuhei Yoshida (& Shawn Layden as U.S. Studios head prior to that),& enact a massive live service push within Playstation fell for Bungie's "expertise" hook,line & sinker!π
We've heard Shuhei mention the factions TLOU spin off played well,(albeit ND weren't Rockstar sized to continue big content updates ala GTAO & juggle new single player projects). But other projects within Playstation quietly cancelled or not given a green light.
Long time veteran Playstation studios producers quietly departed for ex-Guerilla colleagues who worked under Hulst taking their place. New studio start-ups included the likes of recently departed Bungie talent to fund the likes of Concord & Bungie & Hulst were absolutely convinced they had their Fortnite style mega hit...which bombed like Tunguska!
Add to it flopped Destiny releases & further Bungie lay-offs to compensate & boost flagging kpi's to try avoid Sony contractual takeover & you get the present mess that has represented Worldwide Studios output under Hermen Hulst's mismanagement.
Jim Ryan quietly announces his "retirement" en route to mass Playstation Studios lay-offs & closures,& the decidedly non-gaming now Sony group chairman Hiroki Totoki taking the reigns of Playstation long enough to note the sea of red spending by Ryan & Hulst on Bungie & flops like Concord & clearly demanded changes.
How Hermen Hulst has retained his job during a decidedly messy tenure & listening to the departing Bungie's head "expertise",on live service games is still something I'm puzzled at!π€π
Re: BioShock Infinite Executive Returns to Rescue BioShock 4 from Dev Hell
@Bettyswollocks Bioshock Infinite being part of that "elite" circle of games like Watchdogs etc., with vertical slice demo's promising so much extra you couldn't help but wonder if you'd stumbled into an alternate Mandela/ Berestain Bear alternate timeline!π€―π
The reality sadly if they were waiting on Ken Levine to stop dreaming up new mechanics & ideas,they'd be still probably very aiming for a ps5 or ps6 release window!
Judging from the last we'd heard anything on his latest game,they'll probably need this director's help to pull "something" together for that too by the time he gets whatever Bioshock 4 ends up as. π
Re: BioShock Infinite Executive Returns to Rescue BioShock 4 from Dev Hell
Given 2K's parent company Take-two were happy enough to dish out Grand Theft Auto Trilogy "definitive edition" in its infamous shambolic state,(Sorry! To quote Strauss Zoellick just a bug or two!ππ€―),one wonders what shape this must be in to fail Take-two's low bar!π±π
Re: 'They Don't Know What They're Doing': Analyst Sticks the Boot in Sony's 'Clueless' Management
Pachter is pretty clueless on the musical chairs of of Playstation senior management sequence...though I do agree the losses of the likes of Shawn Layden & Shuhei Yoshida have been very much felt by gamers as they communicated with them & were passionate about gaming.
Jim Ryan ushered in the "beancounter/kpi" middle management including appointing Hermen Hulst whom in turn seemingly surrounded himself with ex-guerilla or bungie talent,(keeping in mind a number of Bungie talent responsible for their earlier Halo hits had left or were moved on by the ex-microsoft management that took control prior to Destiny) as his creative group & advising Jim Ryan.
Unfortunately,after their expensive misfires, you then had the decidedly non-gaming Sony group head Totoki now looking over their shoulders & demanding making up for lost revenue from the Playstation cash cow,.
How Hulst still retains his role is beyond me, but you can't help but wonder another Concord like flop is directly related to his being incognito outside of shareholder meetings which is ironic considering how prolific his predecessors were.
Re: These 11+ PS5, PS4, and PS Plus Games Are Coming Out Next Week (18th-24th August)
Whilst RE2 & RE3 are welcome additions (& live up to the classics label), that they've come far later than GOG getting all three RE Classic titles, & Dino Crisis & Breath of Fire IV,shows far more vigour on GOG's behalf than Sony has done. You don't see Sony put up a dreamlist request site to make votes/submissions on.
Likewise,still far too few third party participants,which goes back to whom in third party relations or PS Plus services is supposedly chasing content for the service?
Just feels like when you're waiting for dinner at a restaurant soo long it makes the garlic bread or bread roll feel like the best darn thing you ever had! Given the price increases we should be getting more than crumbs!
Re: A Quote from a Sony Exec Is Causing a Hubbub Among PS5 Fans Again
Much as I'd speculated in the Helldivers 2 Xbox thread the other day...no thanks to Jim Ryan & his Worldwide Studios "captain's pick" Hermen Hulst's questionable acquisition of Bungie & choices of pushing Concord & other multiple live service games,only to cancel a bunch after the Concord disaster & Jim's "retirement".
Remember when now Sony Group CEO Hiroki Totoki in his interim Playstation CEO role talked about Playstation needed to make games more efficiently? That wasn't just about cutting staff or replacing them all with A.I. (We hope!). Hermen Hulst probably still only has his job on the promise he'll find Playstation's COD, GTA Online,Fortnite first party pot of gold....
To which someone like Totoki an executive who makes Jim Ryan look like a Hardcore gamer,probably then insisted if Sony's going big on live service development why keep it Playstation walled Gardens?
Unfortunately for PS Gamers, the days of gaming centric execs like Shawn Layden, Shuhei Yoshida etc, feel like they're getting more distant by the day...the "player engagement", bean counters are seemingly running rule over creative choices now.π
Re: PS3's Store Has Been Broken for a Day, Forcing Fans to Fear the Worst
@get2sammyb That last bit of the article almost has me imagining a Sony engineer being on the phone to some Indian or Philippines call centre telling them to unplug the modem cable,& turn off the modem & wait a minute before rebooting it!ππ
Back on topic. Remember when the lousy hacker(s) brought down Litle Big Planet, Sony was pretty quiet on the communication front before declaring it too hard (reads too expensive to update an old ps3 game),& finally admit it was permanently shut down?
Just suggesting never underestimate a bean counter mentality as much as its likely hopefully just a maintenance issue.
Re: PlayStation the Driving Force Behind Xbox's Helldivers 2 Port
"It was all Sony"....very true,I'm sure...as I'm also sure after Jim Ryan/Hermen Hulst blew 3 billion plus on a Bungie minus the veterans behind its earlier hits,& other short sighted choices like Concord, led Sony Group executive asking Playstation execs "if you're making live service games costing millions,why aren't you putting them on multiple platforms?", sort of pressure,I suspect!π
Unfortunately for PS Owners, the bean counters are well & truly calling the shots now.
Re: Sony Sues Tencent Over 'Shameless' Horizon Copycat Coming to PS5
So where has the lawsuir actually been filed then? Just curious if this is in Tencent's "home stadium",of a China State Court or in a US or Japan court wherein Sony would presumably have more IP lawyers? π€
Guessing the main reason Sony's taking this step (& risking relations with the Behemoth that is Tencent, not that I'm any fan of their widespread reach),is Tencent would possibly be publishing this on Steam/Epic,or Xbox etc., where Sony would be battling DCMA claims on multiple store fronts?
Re: Worried About AI in Game Development? It's Here, and It's Only Getting Worse
I'm sure there's some clever people out there who can tell me all the wonderful things A.I. can do to help our society....but I'm also reminded of a term taught by my computer teacher in late high school (secondary school as I believe its called in some regions of the world)....GIGO=Garbage In Garbage Out.
Despite the passage of time, one look at AI on social media platforms & some of the slop on PSN,Steam etc.,which is an insult to the creative indies out there & I can't help but think of how much GIGO I see around the place these days!πππ
Re: Beat-'Em-Up Fans Won't Want to Miss This New PS5, PS4 Compilation
Not 100% sure as hadn't bought the First & Second Samurai compilation I've rarely seen pop up on PSN sales...but pretty sure on GOG Store where they also sell them, user reviews have mentioned they're using SNES ports of them rather than the Amiga originals.
Can only speculate,but given the current legal mess that represents Amiga rights ownership (not to be confused with the in progress Commodore situation),sadly rarely see Amiga versions of any retro releases,which is a great shame.
Re: July 2025's PS Plus Extra, Premium Games Available to Download Now
Hope it's okay to post the question here mods, but after redeeming Diablo IV without issue on PS Plus, I've noticed it's effectively unavailable to purchase anymore in the PS Store!π
Only see the expansions & mtx currencies advertised.
Was under the impression they offered a separate PS Plus version to avoid the issue these days!
Does this mean one needs a separate account or have to get in touch with PS Support to buy it on a later sale?π€
Re: 2,800+ PS5, PS4 Games Going Cheap in New PS Store Summer Sale
Apologies for going a bit off topic...but after redeeming Diablo IV without issue on PS Plus, I've noticed it's effectively unavailable to purchase anymore in the PS Store!π
Only see the expansions & mtx currencies advertised.
I thought they offered a separate PS Plus version to avoid these issues now! Does this mean one needs a separate account or have to get in touch with PS Support to buy it on a later sale?π€
Re: Tony Hawk's Latest Game Mistakenly Trashes Dead Activision IP
As per other posts here,I agree its less likely to be any dig at the devs & far more a tongue in cheek dig at Activision & in particular Bobby Kotick's incredible knack at running multiple franchises into the ground,& then throwing said devs onto the train tracks or gutted into being a COD support studio.
The irony is,there's reports going around the the Microsoft lay-offs are seemingly impacting smaller studios that either had games funded by them,or doing support work in larger projects having their funding/work pulled too & Iron Galaxy is among those named.
A rumour for now, but guess we'll see in time if any future closures possibly happen.π
Re: Cory Barlog Busy on Sony Santa Monica's 'Next Big Thing'
@get2sammyb Might be mistaken,but before the God of War reboot on PS4 wasn't there a rumour that Santa Monica were working on some sort of sci-fi game that was ultimately cancelled?π€
Might be a means for a project to be "new" & old if maybe rebooting whatever that was? Keeping in mind The Last Guardian was in purgatory until the PS4 saw them retool it from PS3 & Until Dawn from its PS Move origins into what it eventuated as on PS4. Just a thought!
Re: GTA 4 PS5, PS4 Port Rumours Continue to Pick Up Pace
Whilst GTA IV didn't grab me in the same way as the classic era Trilogy or RDR 1,would still be a welcome addition. Still bugs me how RDR & in theory this port (Wonder if Double Eleven are handling it again?),lack a native ps5 version!
I see the GTA Trilogy "definitive edition" rarely on shelves these days,but obviously it lacks the ps5 upgrade,so you're stuck with the higher priced version on PSN.
Whilst we enjoy ps4 backwards compatibility (with a few exceptions),on PS5,Mark Cerny has explained in chats like with Digital Foundry, that it requires engineering within the APU setup. In theory,staying with AMD should retain the fixes for a PS6, but all you need is a short sighted bean counter executive declare its too expensive a production cost & drop it as a feature!
Just a bit weird if they don't release a native version,even if unenhanced!
Wonder if like GTA Vice City & SA,if it'll feature a reduced track list? They removed a bunch of songs in a ps3 update when licences expired years ago,didn't they? Cos we all know Take-two Strauss Zelnick is the living Scrooge McDuck! π
Re: 'We're Just Getting Started': Sony Marks 15 Years of PS Plus with Future Pledge
I'm loathe to suggest more tiers when we're already 3-4...but given the multiple price hikes in regions like mine Down Under,(unlike the U.S.),& ZERO PS Plus Essential subscription sales for existing subscribers, I'd potentially be open to a cheaper Essential subscription that still gives PSN sale bonus discounts & drop the "free" games entirely. Or keep the current model but stop the cheapskate nonsense of upgrade only "sales" on subs. Its just pure greed only certain regions continually get hikes effectively subsidising others.
PS Deluxe was allegedly a stop gap for those territories that didn't have PS Now, but never seen any expansion of it & given the price of Deluxe here, Premium would be too expensive even if they bothered with it.
Totally agree with @get2Sammyb an expansion of the PS Classics with better engagement of wishlisting with fans, AND chasing third party PS1,PS2 etc., titles would be preferred. And IF PS3 emulation is still in the too hard basket (& to be fair, RPCS3 needs a PC with decent grunt to get the best out of it), then expand or get a Bluepoint like studio to handle stuff like Resistance, LBP, Motorstorm, Infamous, LBP Karting, even Rain,ICO etc, onto current gen. You don't have to do full blown 4k remakes, but its a way to test the waters & if players like them, then you have opportunities to follow up. More worthwhile than the next cancelled Fortnite wannabe from Hermen Hulst!
Re: Publishers Pitch Sony on Adding Retro Classics to PS Plus
@Nakatomi_Uk Well its on GOG Store at least! Not sure why Breath of Fire 3 was't added too! Whether that leads to an eventual PSN/ Classics release time will tell!π€ Just feel like the wishlisting feature at GOG feels way more visible than how things could be done for Playstation old school gamers!
Love seeing other's posts on games they'd like to see added!! Good stuff!
Re: Publishers Pitch Sony on Adding Retro Classics to PS Plus
@get2sammyb With the "retirement" of Shuhei Yoshida,truly felt like the last well recognised "face" of Playstation execs went with him.π
Certainly never see the faceless PSN services heads that post on the PS Blog bother interacting. And Hermen Hulst really represents how remote Sony gaming execs have become.π
Re: Publishers Pitch Sony on Adding Retro Classics to PS Plus
The biggest problem i find the the PS Classics program is the lack of transparency....outside of a discord with Impicit Conversions,there's no public face or area within Sony where the public can make requests/vote. GOG Store has a very public area to vote/wishlist request now, & I note they got the entire Resident Evil classic trilogy,Dino Crisis & even Breath of Fire IV ahead of PSN,as an example.
Whilst there can always be licensing issues, would love to see EA stuff like the SSX Series, NFS Underground 1 & 2, Theme Park/Hospital,, Capcom's Maximo series, the PS2 era Splinter Cells, PS1 stuff like Alundra, Adventures of Lomax, Colony Wars series, Ratchet & Clank & dare say there's plenty of others people here could nominate!
Nominations are no guarantee,but it can help engage interest there's a market for their back catalogues. Much less Sony's PS3 Walled games get ports like Uncharted 1-3 did early days onto ps4. π€
(Edited spelling errors)
Re: Romero Games Shuttered and Over 100 Staff Axed After Xbox Pulls Funding
For those saying Sony should buy/hire Romero's studio,its sadly not that straightforward...anything related to this cancelled IP,source code etc.,would undoubtedly remain in Microsoft's hands.
They would literally be starting all over from scratch to develop something into a vertical slice demo & pitch to greenlight, & only then they start tooling up with a larger team.
Given Hermen Hulst's recent track record with finding his first party fortnite wannabe, with first party Sony studios, wouldn't hold my breath!π
Makes me wonder how the technically independent but were working on something Xbox related Toys for Bob are faring in all of this?π€
Re: 'This Is About Moving the Industry Forward': PlayStation and AMD's Partnership Will Benefit All Gamers
@OldGamer999 Think you can infer how long its been both Sony or MS have had an Nvidia GPU in their consoles,that neither enjoyed the experience.
One only has to look in the PC world where EVGA talked about the draconian methods Nvidia uses,or Gamers Nexus & Hardware Unboxed on how glass jawed & petty Nvidia can be if you don't use their P.R. guff & only "report"/promote them positively rather than the rip off merchants they've become.
That it seems little coincidence that AMD have been content to just play the margins game in the GPU market the last couple or so generations (whilst happy to hammer Intel on the CPU side),but with a flush of funds from both Sony & Microsoft on next gen console APU's & tech they can use on their GPU's they're suddenly talking up big advances. π
Re: Neil Druckmann Focused on Naughty Dog Games, Steps Away from The Last of Us TV Show
@get2sammyb Apart from the previous heads of Naughty Dog having retired/left prior to Druckman's elevation,still can't help but wonder what Naughty Dog's output would look like if the likes of Amy Hennig &/or Bruce Strayley (who is very much the forgotten half of Uncharted 2 & the original TLOU),were still there?
Much like Jim Ryan's captains call promoting Hermen Hulst to Worldwide Studios head, they started looking into a multi forked "Multimedia" verse of TV,TV,TV,& movie spin offs of IP's, but rather than tap into expertise of Sony Pictures management they could've drafted, it's been arguably a distraction of Druckman,Hulst etc., who should've been focused on the in-house projects?
Or at the very least, if ND still had the likes of Hennig, Strayley etc.,instead of burnouts & possibly backroom corporate politics Naughty Dog could've spared Druckman's pursuits elsewhere with other equally qualified senior heads still there.
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer 'Not Retiring' After Dark Day of Cancellations and Job Cuts
Much like Hermen Hulst's miraculous executive gymnastics of compelling or green lighting Sony Worldwide Studios games on the basis of their live services & being the next Formite but possibly being more like Concord & throwing everyone else onto proverbial the train tracks.
Likewise "Gamer" Phil Spencer has his well rehearsed emails & pet puppy dog sighs of "its been a really tough day",posts whilst he & the rest of the upper M$ execs including Satya, Sarah & him still somehow get their yearly efficiency bonuses!π
Much like the Activision Blizzard buyout was promoted as some wonderful creative nirvana away from the executive greed of Bobby Kotick, things in the corporate gaming world largely remain unchanged regardless who's in charge,with executives being largely immune so long as they have minion studios to blame.
On the Playstation side of things,with Hulst's inferred favourites & favouritism towards green lighting projects aligned with the live services & trying to crack his Fortnite/COD/GTA Online style megabit ever since the Jim Ryan era, I remain concerned for the likes of Sony Bend, MM,Bluepoint etc.,becoming the next Japan Studio/UK Liverpool like casualties.π
AAA Games design is hard to not only come up with something new & engaging,(or not botch up a reboot of an older classic). But likewise if for example,when upper execs influence studios moving away from having made previously single player titles & then tell them their next game needs to be multiplayer online which forces older creatives out,& the new projects fall flat,it's a tad rich for all of the failure to be lumped solely on the dev?
Re: Ambitious, AAA PS5 Exclusive to Deliver Ground-Breaking Story and Atmosphere
Not holding my breath it'll be the Until Dawn sequel on the back of the rushed,half baked overpriced remake of the original.
.
Given the way Hermen Hulst's warped management as Worldwide Studios head is, he'd turn it into a Dead by Daylight/Friday the 13th spin off with suckers,(sorry players!), paying for faster non squeaky Nike's runners in 50 different skins,or camo gear to wear & hide in the forests as microtranactions live service!π±π€©
Re: Blackpink's Lisa Is the New Global Face of PlayStation
Would need to google Kpop much less whomever this young lady is supposedly being the "face" of Playstation!π
Still hate the real issue being with the retirement of Shuhei Yoshida, most current upper management of Playstation seem to avoid the gaming public like the plague! Whether the PS Blog, or to the likes of Wired or that interview the other week with the vice President of PSN services....let's see them on the likes of Push Square & questions from the plebs than putting out P.R. puff pieces!
Shu was/is popular where he actually played games & knew his stuff polar opposite of someone like Hermen Hulst!
Re: Poll: 15 Years of PS Plus - What Do You Think of Sony's Subscription Service?
As others have already said...ever since the creation of the current "tiers" system,PS Plus has felt like a rip off. As opposed to when existing Essential subscribers could stack/ buy subs on sale from bricks & mortar retail, Sony now only offers a discount to upgrade a current subscription & then expect to charge full price thereafter.
Add to that multiple price hikes in the regions, (especially outside of the U.S.),& broken promises,feel little incentive to upgrade or keep current subscription going. PS Premium was little more than combining the old,limited PS Now streaming & has never been expanded beyond a few select regions.
That then left the hybrid PS Deluxe crumbs for the rest of us,but most of the releases have been obscure & some questionable "classics" like so-so Disney titles with rare exceptions. Additional Capcom PS1 classics like RE 2& 3, Dino Crisis etc.,came at a trickle,& the addition of other AAA third party titles have been non existant/abysmal. Indeed even Sony first party potential back catalogue like Ratchet & Clank, God of War,Colony Wars, Alundra, even Discworld possibly all MIA too.
Would rather have seen some PS3 ported games to PS4 like they did with Uncharted & TLOU early days.
Cloud saves or PS Plus discounts are the main uses,with a mixed bag on the freebies some good months others not...with the added removal of PS Stars (& it was removing subs earning points anyway),it really does give the impression how tone deaf current management are.
Re: You Can Now Launch First-Party PlayStation Games Through the Xbox PC App
I take it Tom obviously must lead such a sheltered life he hasn't seen Forza Horizon, Gears of War,Age of Empires/Mythology, & other Xbox titles appear on PS5 before now?!ππ
Re: Terminator 2D: No Fate Looks Like a Long Lost Mega Drive Classic in New Gameplay Trailer
The only small critique/point of concern is based on ps5 physical prices I've seen locally ($100AU),I'm a tad concerned of its longevity vs price....BUT, I do (as a retro C64/Amiga & others veteran),agree this has AAA production values & a clear love of the movie.
This is the sort of game Ocean (who did make home computer versions of T2, much as they'd done Batman,Robocop & numerous other movies BITD),could've only dreamed of doing. Looked more like an arcade game of the era!
Much like a Wonderboy Dragon's Trap, or Monster Boy & the Cursed Kingdom, or the upcoming Shinobi, will definitely get it when I can afford it,hopefully the gameplay of Dark Fate matches every bit of its looks...but Bitmap Bureau have pulled off some good stuff like Xeno Crisis etc.,so feel optimistic.
Re: Sony Hasn't Given Up on Adding More PS3 Games to PS Plus Yet
For all the millions (& billions in Bungies cade), that the Jim Ryan & Hermen Hulst (as his captains pick taking over Worldwide Studios), spent creating start-up studios, pushing others like Bluepoint (after their great effort remaking Demon Souls),into doing live service God of War universe rubbish,& acquing PC & Mobile dev studios, then unleashing the train wreck Concord & Hulst cancelling as many projects & studios,it exposes how massively ignorant their management has been.
Neither bothered investing in expanding either Bluepoint or setting up an internal studio or more that could've potentially worked on porting its PS3 Classics onto modern formats & test the waters of some like Motorstorm, Resistance, or even LBP & their online portions could have an audience for something more like a reboot or sequel.π
Likewise if the so-called "Vice President of services",Nick Maguire might like to descend from the Sony Ivory towers to explain what happened to Sony's initial promises of expanding PS Premium/streaming to other territories?
Or if as reputed to be based on ageing PS3 "Blades" servers, & unable, why then such a poorly managed PS Classics library of PS1, PS2 content? For every rare RE 1,waited an age to see Re 2 & 3,or Dino Crisis etc., when they already came to the likes of GOG Store!
There's numerous AAA retro game or former "platnium" classics from EA,Ubisoft,& still Capcom & others that could be pursued & added to the classics library.
GOG now actively promote a Wishlist request site...I wonder if Mr Maguire even interacts with players like Shuhei Yoshida did!! Sony have jacked up the PS Plus prices in multiple regions in the last couple of years & yet players have seen little in the way of so called expanded content,Mr Maguire. π
Re: Talking Point: Is It Officially Game Over for PSVR2?
Somehow,I rather suspect that with the middle management changeovers initiated by Jim Ryan & followed along by his successors, with their obsession on live service games, PSVR 2 support rapidly evaporated.
TBF, it sadly reflected a repeat of not only what affected the PSP & Vita,but even the handheld gaming Behemoth Nintendo ultimately found supporting both their 3DS juggernaut & the failed Wii U stretched their first parties too much & played its part with the Switch becoming a reality.
The other parts of the article of costs etc., all quite true. But present day Sony is very much concerned with chasing live service goldmines, (Though in Hermen Hulst's case, missing the point that for every Helldivers II, COD, Fortnite, GTA online, etc.,you also have Minecraft ,Roblox...& other sandboxes that aren't all FPS ....Remember the likes of LBP had a myriad of dlc paid & community driven).
If the rumours are true about the new handheld possibly being made around being like a Playstation "lite" Steam Deck equivalent running your PS5/6 games via lower settings could be a means to avoid tying up resources. Mark Cerny has led a hardware design culture of wanting to make things more developer friendly. As always,time will tell.
Re: Fans Can't Believe PS5 Has Made More Profit Than All Previous PlayStations Combined
@PuppetMaster Sorry,was typing my initial post out & about,(including spelling errors ugh!). Have no beef with PS5 & indeed most AAA's dropping PS4...It was more in reference to PS Plus dropping PS4 games,but no real indication on that meaning extra PS5 Essential tier "freebies". Given there's no guarantee how far off the PS6 & it's possible handheld spin off it's much like the penny pinching approach to not chasing the top tier genuine PS Classics (or even ex platinum),PS1,PS2 games to add on PS Plus.
Re: Fans Can't Believe PS5 Has Made More Profit Than All Previous PlayStations Combined
Can't believe? Oh I can believe it alright!π I mean,okay,seriously...after the late,& expensive arrival of the PS3,you saw Sony remove chips in the PAL launch model (reducing backwards compatibility),to the slim revisions etc.,& an internal vow never to sell consoles at a loss going forward,even if only for small margins.
But unlike early PS4 gen "consumer friendly" Sony,where remasters like Uncharted, or The Last of Us,or even the Ratchet & Clank reboot were at more mid range pricing (to make up for no upgrade path on the ps4 remasters), the Jim Ryan & Herman Hulst PS5 era has been the opposite.
Titles like TLOU with no Factions mode,(on the promise of "we have something better coming trust us!!"),get the same new game price point...Until Dawn is farmed out (admittedly with certain ex SuperMassive devs),& given the GTA Trilogy rush job with no upgrade path,& practically seems to blow any chance now of getting a follow up.
After the severe blowback on trying to close the legacy PSN Stores,Jim & co., come up with the PS Plus tiers with limited countries getting PS3 game Streaming & the promise of PS1, PS2,& PSP Classics....wherein we've seen mostly obscure titles,or limited third party involvement & weird definition of "classics".
With the intention to drop PS4 game inclusions by next year,PS Stars rewards being shuttered for "we have concepts of a replacement, sometime!"π, no longer offering PS plus Essential discounts for existing subscribers to name a few of thei current management practices,its little wonder despite Hermen Hulsts continued misfires the balance sheets are still holding up!
Re: Poll: How Do You Feel About The Last of Us Part 2, 5 Years Later?
Divisive game & deliberately designed to be. Personally find the Disney & Hollywood style story trope to bring back a popular character only to make them "broken", just overdone,.
Just my opinion,but think its too easy to forget the other half of Uncharted 2,4 & TLOU 1 appeal was the presence of Bruce Straley & his departure from Naughty Dog was a real loss.
Re: Patapon Remains an All-Time PlayStation Classic in Licensed PS5 Port
@Get2SammyB Welcome to the Hermen Hulst reign of Worldwide Studios wherein he greenlighted buying Bungie for billions, loving their "expertise" so much he let other Bungie staff be spun off to waste millions on likes of Concord etc.,(& buy those startups as separate entities too despite having zero track record of success), splurge on mobile devs & PC devs, but couldn't fund some specialist dev studios (or waste Bluepoint on a live service God of War themed title reportedly),to handle classic IP's or say port some PS3 era first party titles to modern day gens?!
Maybe if he wasn't so besotted with playing favourites amongst Worldwide Studios, TV show spin offs & creating/finding his first party Fortnite pot of gold at the expense of ignoring a back catalogue of classic IP's they wouldn't be suffering the mismanagement they largely have this generation.
It mightβve started under Jim Ryan appointing Hulst as his yes man,but how Hulst has remained is unfathomable. Shawn Layden or Shuhei Yoshida whom knew their PS Gaming history from obscure to major titles is a trait completely lacking in Hulst.
Re: Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake Deep in Development by 'Team That Truly Cares'
Ubisoft: After the underwhelming reaction to the nameless,cheap porting house we shovelled this off to last time,we learned our lesson & we chose someone well known in the retrogame porting scene....presenting Grove Street Games & their A.I. dev bot army to handle this with the TLC they're famed for!πππ±
Re: 'We Won't Make the Same Mistakes Again': Sony Reflects on PS5's Catastrophic Concord
Maybe the first protip Hermen Hulst should've taken is not surrounding himself with ex Guerilla Games colleagues into senior Worldwide Studios roles whom just agreed with whatever their boss liked?
Even moreso, not only pushing the Bungie buyout but taking their Microsoft era upper management (whom forced out several Bungie
veterans by the time of Destiny), "expertise" on live service games so to heart he not only let them run rule over other in development projects but greenlighted select Bungie staff into new start up studios that led to disasters like Concord! π
Obviously,one needs to remember Jim Ryan's insistence on a new yes man as Worldwide Studios head to push Shuheo Yoshida sideways (& less likely to push back). But how Hulst has managed to retain his role in light of throwing so many others onto the train tracks under his reign is a puzzle.π
Re: Microsoft Windows Classic Backyard Baseball '97 Hits PS5 Today
Hope its easier to land a hit or get the CPU out than Hardball on C64!π Loved that game but it was merciless!
Re: Don't Expect The Witcher 4 to Look Like That Unreal Tech Demo When It Launches on PS5
The "younger" folk here whether talking about Witcher 4 &/or in game footage, or recently GTA VI,or controversies like Cyberpunk 2077, Watchdogs, or even going back to Killzone 2 on PS3!!
Not a new issue by any stretch...ask your parents if they bought a C64/Spectrum/ Amstrad or even ST/Amiga & the box (esp. Arcade conversions), would be lucky to feature at least one screenshot or more of what you were buying!π€―π¬π
If publishers think they can get away with tech demo's selling future gen visuals with vague promises of "scaling" today's gens they will, even after PR disasters ala Cyberpunk.
Always go with a degree of caution especially with longer term projects & see what the day one bugs are going to be acceptable or wait!
Even PC Master race owners are finding these days Nvidia or AMD like to build rip-off "budget" 8gb GPU's that struggle to run the latest games,despite hyping them up with the same ray tracing tech as their ridiculously priced "midrange" or higher end versions.
Re: Microtransactions Reach New Low in Call of Duty
Gotta pay not only for the Activision Blizzard buyout, the lawyers but also the Gamepass subs that mean less sales than they used to get i guess!!π
Don't worry,I'm sure Hermen Hulst is making notes whilst dreaming Marathon will be his live service game jackpot salvation!