With the likes of Leslie Benzies, Dan Houser, Lazlow etc.,gone from Rockstar,(for better for worse given most helped create the GTA Online monster),I rather suspect Dan's departure in particular may have been a pivot to making GTA VI like Diablo IV...ie: no single player offline campaign & be online only with a heavy push towards forced co-op situations if you want to afford anything!😕 The days of Vice City & San Andreas & hitting up taxi mission,or paramedics etc for quick cash or collecting idols & having a ready made stash of ammo to top up feel like a lifetime ago!
Yes well by the time you add the "Switch release" tax & possibly need to factor in the Rockstar intern contractors needing to do the post release patches like for GTA Trilogy remastered "definitive edition",the price rip-off makes perfect sense!🤔😂 After all this is the same Strauss Zelnik that insisted the GTA Trilogy had a minor hiccup at launch but was perfectly fine after the initial patch update on that disaster & Rockstar claiming to have no idea that it was in such a state & had been "below expectations for such a beloved franchise"....,so beloved Take-two farmed it off to Grove Street Games!🙄
Whilst I like to think that long suffering veteran Rockstar fans would wait for reviews &actual in-game gameplay footage after GTA Trilogy remastered,I can imagine there's going to be a big enough PS & Switch user base desperate enough at finally seeing it available they'll buy it no matter what!😕 Given the U.S. $50 will likely translate somewhere closer to $80-$90 in my neck of the woods yeah I'll wait for reviews,patches & a decent sale wherein Take-two will still be raking a profit!
The sad thing is,being a ps4 port, assuming we see an eventual PS6,that PS users won't be back where they started if it only had PS5 compatibility!
Its a shame how back in the ps2 era you had various Rockstar studios that could separately do projects like GTA LCS/VCS,Bully,The Warriors etc., but nowadays to feed the mtx live service beast that'll be GTA VI/GTA Online 2.0 (which I suspect will be like Diablo IV & be online for all play modes),all their studios seem to handle one game at a time now.
Although I only ever played the ps3 port, I seem to recall hearing the 360 was considered the better version visually back in the day in terms of textures/draw distance etc. Given the ps4 & Switch gpu's would be an upgrade over those in the 360/ps3,wonder if these ports will be based off that version or the ps3's?🤔
The bigger concern is the port has once again been offloaded to a third party Double Eleven whose credits apparently included Crackdown 3, & most concerning Fallout 76! 😕 The other factor is the state of the old source code & how much time they've had given the GTA "definitive edition remaster" was seemingly pushed out by Take-two despite their knowing it was a mess & tried to spin to the contrary!
@Rob_230 @ShogunRok Well,saw via twitter & couple of other sites the port is being handled by "Double Eleven" apparently whose other credentials include the likes of Minecraft Dungeons & 😬😵 Fallout 76!!😱 Yeah,that bodes well!😂😔
Dear Take-two & Rockstar, Whomever you've shovelled this port off too,please don't Grand Theft Auto "Definitive edition remaster " it like Grove Street Games did!🤞🙏
Sincerely yours,
Players who remember when Rockstar cared about single player games.
@deathaxe Came as quite the shock getting my first pc built in 10yrs (& adding to it since),, the dreadful state of the GPU market!
Had little alternative in both availability & prices to get a rtx 3060 12gb card,being near $600 dolkary roos my neck of the woods...& yet this year the "value" mid range options have either been the older clearance AMD cards or the rip-off rtx 4070 , get a PC they say,its soo cheap!🤯😂
Nevermind Microsoft wanting to strongarm you into making an account just to boot up the PC!😑 So is Baldur's Gate 3 still turn based like the Divinity Original Sin series?🤔
Let's hope they stay true to their word about "independence",if they were on Microsoft's shopping list,as can remember Ninja Theory saying similar things after Hellblsde!🙄
Given Diablo has likely seen its last PS release, & the hoarding of Western rpg publishers & devs exclusively onto XB/PC, there's definitely fewer options for playstation players!
@MaikonCSGarcia Yes,they originally were on PS3/360,but Fall of Cybertron (sadly don't think War for Cybertron got one),did get a basic,no frills port onto PS4. So it would be possible in theory with a licence to release...but given Microsoft's looming takeover,any possibilities of re-release or even releasing the old gen versions onto those territories that have PS Premium streaming (only Deluxe in my neck of the woods),would be unlikely given Phil Spencer's recent track record.
Given the fountain of misinformation Ms Lulu has been as Bobby Kotick's mouthpiece throughout the antitrust proceedings I'd check for storms if she said the weather was sunny outside!😂 Still,all this has been rather moot in its only suddenly gained attention as a push for gamepass fodder rather than restoring it as the multiformat release that it actually was!🙄
Recall it did get a perfunctory port on ps4 but as was typical Activision given a high price point & never saw a deep discount before being delisted in the first place!
Picked up a couple of games in the first half of the sale...did see Dark Pictures Anthology Devil in Me was 50% off,but when I looked back at PS Prices on the previous entries noted they'd been a bit more budget friendly so might reluctantly hold off. 🤔 Bit like Wonderboy Anniversary Collection is definitely on my wishlist but at full price $70AU will need a deeper discount that 30%.... Cotton Fantasy looks wallet friendly enough though.
@Rob_230 Feel like the biggest issue with Dreams is it might’ve had vastly expanded creative tools over the likes of the Little Big Planet games,but lost the "fun" factor of LBP 1 & 2,which had a great,fun single or co-op campaign alongside its add-ons both in paid dlc content & the free community content created levels & mini games! A lost opportunity not to bring them & even LBP karting & add the mod nation style track creator & there was guaranteed engagement!
Hmm,even with a positive review still a bit undecided on this one!🤔 The rogue lite elements don't hurt,albeit also featured in the past in the likes of Scott Pilgrim & River City Girls which arguably had better art styles to them!
Its better than was it Double Dragon IV(?), which from memory never even saw an EU/Down Under PSN release,but weirdly went for a NES art style!🤔 This reminds me of that flash/mobile Wonder Boy Returns which looked horrid when lined up against Wonder Boy Dragon's Trap & Monster Boy Cursed Kingdom!
Possibly a wishlist & wait vs a wishlist & pounce on an opportune discount for the likes of TMNT Shredders Revenge or the Cowabunga Collection much like Wonderboy Anniversary Collection! When I've got the likes of Scott Pilgrim remaster, Castle Crashers Remastered, Streets of Rage 4 & Final Vendetta & River City Girls, just to name a few on my digital pile of shame this isn't quite a instabuy as much as I'd like it to be!
Dreams will be a great pick up for those prepared to put the time into it...still makes me wish there'd been a port of LBP 1 or 2,as there'd been some lovely user made content for them or LBP Karting!
Had Death's Door as a wishlisted item,so nice to see a single player indie title show up,much like Rogue's Legacy or Broforce were!
I'd like to indulge a try of 2k golf,though like most modern sports titles they seem so full of live service mtx bloatware that i don't fancy the download size or space needed!🤯😅
@Nem Must admit haven't checked out the PayPal option,but worth considering if that's the case!🤞🤔...haven't gotten a ps plus extension since it went digital sale exclusive...been annoyed at other store fronts that do the same thing, (looking at you Norton's!). Handy to hear other's psn tips,thanks!
@Nem Whilst I haven't had to yet,if you want (for example),to buy additional PS Plus on one of its rare PSN discounts,you have to have a credit/ debit card linked to your account.
Found that even before the tiered revamp,as I ended up picking up a couple of ps plus subs from brick & mortar stores before they removed them from sale! Something to do with needing enough credit for auto renewal services as Anti virus/Security suites,VPN's etc.,do similar thing!😕 But not even popping up some sort of confirmation/warning is the sort of thing that sadly seems predictable from a publisher that has Bobby Kotick as a CEO!🙄
@Martsmall Since your clearly a "humour" guy,tell me why Bobby Kotick was perfectly okay with doing marketing deals for timed exclusive dlc content with BOTH Sony & before them Microsoft (back in the 360 era & obviously unwilling to match Sony's subsequent offer prior to the PS4 launch)?
Or given as Activision being one of the largest Third party AAA publishers could've easily produced COD themselves but clearly Kotick saw little return for the effort? None of the streaming services you mentioned are in the same level to compete with Microsoft's Azure servers so no that isn't what you call competition but nice try!😂
As for "Jim Ryan squandered getting more games". Except Phil Spencer never offered a ten year deal on all Activision games,everything including COD would've stopped by 2027.
This is the same Phil Spencer that publicly was claiming Zenimax Bethesda games future releases would be a game by game basis, but cancelled multiplatform releases once the buyout went through & point blank refused to discuss an expanded deal on publishing them alongside the Activision ones...but he's your poster boy for "competition",from a parent company that likes to maintain its monopoly in every other part of its business,including Windows & services?
Gamer Phil Spencer: "Bringing more games to more players!" Also Gamer Phil: But not Crash,or Spyro future Diablo's,or Starcraft/Warcraft,,or Tony Hawk, or GUN,or Elder Scrolls,or Starfield,or anything else we've bought,mwhaha! 🙄 Sure Jan!😂
Am I surprised,no. But like so many things that were unearthed in the trial,its the devil in the detail when it comes to legalese wishy-washy double Dutch from Phil "Gamer" Spencer. Note under oath he refused to give the same commitment to other long established IP's like Diablo,Crash etc.
"But Jim Ryan squandered the chance by fighting the acquisition!". Did he,by wanting to asking for a more encompassing deal to include Zenimax Bethesda games that were in fact planned for PS but immediately cancelled by Phil Spencer?(despite his public PR rhetoric of "game by game" basis & "we're not about pulling games on other platforms").🙄 Much like that Square Enix/Sega etc.,are all on their "shopping list",for buyouts with the stated intent on making them exclusive,its as far removed from "enabling more competition" as you can get!😑
Sadly the inaction against breaking up Microsoft back in the 90's,or indeed the rise of them, Google, Facebook,Amazon,Disney etc.,in the age of megacorps by weakened regulatory authorities unwilling to challenge their armies of lawyers have led to these situations.😑
Bobby Kotick & the rest of his cronies get their golden parachutes more's the pity! But having gotten away with this,make no mistake they'll stop there,& besides Square/Sega,or behemotths like Take-two,won't be next.🤔😔
Sadly a 2.3+trillion monopoly parent company Microsoft is gonna to continue to pull more third party AAA IP's off future Playstation releases & yet insist permanent exclusivity is somehow less evil than timed exclusives & "pro gamer"!!
@Arnna As much as YouTube can feel like going down the rabbit hole at times,seen a couple of interesting ones well researched about LRG & its business model.
Moreso have a buddy that ordered through them & no longer does. I was tempted to order Deathwish Enforcers,but kept believing I'd save buying it digitally only to subsequently find it confined to the US PSN Store,& it's out of the devs hands as LRG are the publisher!
Back to LRG,my buddy told me shipping to Down under,(where we both live),is near the amount of the individual game you order....moreso they push insurance & extra "protective" packing as extras over the base high postal rates. Their twitter & other places have several stories of games going MIA & their response especially if not insured lacklustre to ignoring them.
Not to mention games arriving with the disc loose & thus having been potentially scratched during postage,or the case damaged etc. Factors that led me not to ordering Deathwish Enforcers & seemingly would need to setup a U.S. Account which I'm a touch wary about.
Not directly published but I believe funded by them was the Night Trap Anniversary port only again available on US but not EU/AU PSN afaik.
In short they control the distribution chain & create a fear of missing out model to drive paying their inflated shipping which may or may not reach you!🙄 Not exactly living up to their "we love indies & preservation!",mantra!😕
@AgentMantis Alundra would be lovely,albeit again LRG's digital release record outside of its native US PSN region has been lousy!😕
Would've settled for Alundra to come to the PS Classics Deluxe/Premium range given Sony seem uninterested or unwilling to pursue a PS2 emulation on ps5! Sadly noted Alundra was quietly deleted off the EU/AU PS3 PSN store where it was published by Psygnosis so not sure where its IP rights belong to! 🤔
Once again expect a deluge of anti FTC propaganda from Microsoft,Activision Blizzard & their army of bot XB accounts & media friendly journos...I would hope they actually got an objective court of judges who's children DON'T work for either Microsoft or Activision Blizzard, or have shares in them or other conflicts of interests but in light of "gifts" bestowed by billionaires to US Supreme Court judges regularly hearing cases involving said billionaire companies,it seems like the average U.S. Judge these days have an interesting interpretation of "conflict of interest"!🙄 And Microsoft certainly have a long reach just looking at US Congress reps repeating the Microsoft narratives of a "Sony Monopoly" & "why is the FTC blocking a "Murican" company vs a Japanese one?"🙄 All that spin despite us literally hearing in their own documents the shopping list of more AAA's like Sega & Square Enix to push permanent exclusion from PS platforms,"Gamer" Phil Spencer cancelling PS games the moment the Zenimax ink dried despite his public rhetoric & even Gamepass contracts demanding exclusivity to its service & not appearing on ps plus thereafter!
It would be laughable if a multi trillion monopoly hadn't already hoodwinked so many they're interested in "increasing competition" when they're very actions condradict their words!
@get2sammyb @LiamCroft I'd be wary of LRG's claim of a digital release. Deathwish Enforcers (a Sunset Riders inspired indie shmup but set in the 80's),was released on the U.S. PSN store back in April & remains unavailable in other PSN Store regions to this day. Despite a promise on a preview LRG livestream by the now departed co-founder,nothing has been done to widen it U.S. only release. Though only physically published by them,similar thing with Night Trap Anniversary Edition getting a U.S. only digital release afaik.
Might get some better luck if Push Square asks them,but they completely ignore social media posts asking about Deathwish Enforcers.
They claim to support the "litte indies" with limited physical runs of a couple thousand copies & overpriced international shipping,but only digitally published Deathwish Enforcers to the U.S. psn region thus limiting its subsequent sales?
Pretty strange way to "support" small indie devs?!🤔
As he mentioned in his post about being involved in Crash 3,not quite a founding father, but obviously an absolute veteran if not founding father....jury still out regarding Neil Druckman given contrasting storyline directions of his games with Bruce Straley vs being sole lead.
At present the multiplayer only TLOU spinoff possibly stuck in design purgatory & not expecting a Jak & Daxter game anytime soon, which leaves the rumoured TLOU 3 as the main project. Let's hope ND continue their success & not just off nostalgia for their older games after the Activision buyout fallout,its going to be needed.
@Martsmall "Tin foil hat"...says the troll who only ever pops up to fly the pro Microsoft Gamer Phil flag in every post judging from your post history!
You push the narrative of Sony buying developers & "blocking" games that Microsoft extensively pushed the narrative of as the poor uncompetitive 2.3 trillion indie company.😷😂 And yet as unearthed during trial, Phil Spencer "we're not about taking games away from other platforms",immediately went about & cancelled multiformat Zenimax Bethesda releases the moment the ink dried!
You somehow assert buying individual developers is worse than entire long established 3rd party AAA publishers & IP's going exclusive? Especially from a monopoly like they enjoy elsewhere? Probably missed you that Microsoft got fined for privacy breaches regarding children's Microsoft account by the FTC,(albeit pocket money fine for them). The same Microsoft that tries to strongarm you into a Microsoft account just to login to Windows or install it?
Microsoft projects exactly the narrative its been pushing. But keep cheering on the multi trillion monopoly thats phasing out buying MS Office, controls the Windows Market,Azure/Cloud, & A.I.,what could go wrong?!😂
What has gone largely unreported,especially by the pro xbot twitter cheer squad is the Judge's son works for Microsoft. This was disclosed by her pre-trial,but she justified not recusing herself on the tenuous basis "he didn't work in the gaming division". Doesn't really matter if he did or didn't,the fact that her son's career could be impacted with a negative decision,(keeping in mind this is the same Microsoft that jettisoned thousands of jobs last year),should've been grounds enough. She limited the FTC's line of questioning more than once like if IP's like Diablo would go exclusive.
Not shocked by the decision, but like the U.S Supreme Court's increasingly politicised decisions their system seems riddled with conflicts of interests. 🙄🤔 Am I surprised,no. Do I think Microsoft will continue their buying spree of 3rd party AAA's purely to keep them off Playstation,sadly yes. The Xbots will be cheering this right through to when they find they can only subscribe to their games, rather than buy them. A sad day for gaming.
@KaijuKaiser Let's just say based on his egomaniacal 2am Wyle.E.Coyote "super genius" moments which currently seems to be skipping bills to Google & whilst excuse making & limiting accessibility for the once standard "free" accounts whilst spamming with ads & bots I wouldn't set foot near one of his rockets!🤯 Though would be happy if he took one to Mars!😂
Much like Facebook,Google,Amazon & Microsoft right now in its FTC "battle" wherein the Judge's son works for Microsoft,big corporations being in the control of so few is as much of the problem these days!😕
I'm not that surprised corporations like Sony are eager to setup Plan B's on places like this "Threads"...whether i can be bothered setting up FB/Insta etc.,is another matter...all of a sudden some of my old forum hangouts like EAB suddenly look a tad less crazy!!🤪😂
Once again,the company that keeps repeating the narrative ad nauseum that Sony is the sole console bully exercising a monopoly via timed & other exclusives,whilst literally spending billions buying up AAA multiplatform Publishers & IP's & only via court documents proves behind closed doors it has a hit list of more Third Party AAA publishers & IP's it wants to take off the competition & make exclusive to the Microsoft ecosystem!🙄
Geez projecting much exercising your monopoly & buy up the major as many of the 3rd party players as you can get away with Microsoft?!
Looks hopefully at Jungle Book & Aladdin add on pack to the OG Disney Collection Lion King & Aladdin...& still no discount since launch!😔 I'm sure I've seen the newer complete bundle on sale but swear this dlc will never get one!
Would I love an RDR 1 port? Yep...but given Take-two's utter disdain for their single player back catalogue after the GTA Trilogy remastered "definitive edition",I'd fear another Grove Street Games & some A.I. Bots type effort!🙄
Not to mention the rumours that either some source code was lost or the game is held together by spaghetti code/sticky tape! Whilst one would treat these things with a grain of salt,part of the Leslie Benzies suit mentioned being brought in on RDR's troubled development & cracked the whips to get it into a shippable condition,so who knows. 🤔
Microsoft: Pay it no mind,old strategy,its a joke!!
Also Microsoft Xbox since 2019,spent 7.5 billion on Zenimax Bethesda & immediately cancelled all PS5 versions not under contract,& keeps referring solely to COD in sketchy "ten year deals",with Activision Blizzard...not to mention seemingly having a shopping list of multiple others like Sega, Io Interactive etc.🙄
@Rob_230 Yeah,been catching up on that news about IO Interactive being a part of their "shopping list"...& seemingly their "Project Dragon" rpg project has also been unearthed in those same court documents as an XB/PC exclusive!😕
The same Phil Spencer who claimed a possible timed exclusive deal on Starfield justified their 7.5 billion Zenimax buyout & making it a permanent exclusive for XB/PC,seems to be doing a heck of a lot in tying up most western AAA RPG's & devs almost entirely under permanent Xbox exclusivity! 😕🙄
But try & bring it up on socials away from here,(or much like i did Octopath Traveller even here!),& all you'll see is is countless bot accounts post "BUT FF7 remastered & FF16!!"
@Rob_230 Sadly I doubt Activision would mark the last buyout target if Microsoft get their way. Gamepass & Xcloud are but part of the strategy.
Its just as much about controlling/removing third party IP's from the PS ecosystem...Xbox is being bankrolled by their 2.3 trillion parent company & know Sony cannot match their ability to use their dominance in other areas of their business to flex their monopoly into buying up 3rd party AAA publishers.
Those cheering it,may not feel the same way a few years from now when needing a one-stop Microsoft account & renting/streaming games via subscription rather than buying them!😕
"Gamer" Phil Spencer as usual projects the narrative that Sony timed exclusives are anti-gamer whilst simultaneously spending Dad's credit card buying up all the Third Party IP's & publishers he can & keep them off the competition!🙄😑
About the only means that'd slow down such purchases is I'd once read the Japanese government have supposedly tighter foreign ownership rules but Microsoft have shown much like Bobby Kotick that splash enough $$ around & its magical what can be allowed these days!
As mentioned in the Starfield thread,that "Gamer" Phil Spencer is acting in the same prerehearsed wishy washy double speak spin like he did prior to the Zenimax Bethesda buyout under oath is no surprise.
What is a concern is the presiding judge overruled the line of questioning from the FTC when it tried to press Phil Spencer on previously 3rd party games away from COD published by Activision continuing to get PS versions like Diablo...it would've presented the perfect opportunity to highlight his public statements like "game by game basis",or "we're not about taking games away from other players/platforms" bs & contrasting his actions in cancelling PS versions of Redfall,Starfield etc.
As it is,even his "under oath I say there will be a PS version...a PS5 version of COD"..note he didn't guarantee how many future versions,nor anything beyond current gen,or indeed beyond the current deal Sony has with Activision...you need to sift through Gamer Phil's legal bs spin to note what he doesn't say just like when they were waiting for the Zenimax buyout ink to dry!
There is zero chance of Elder Scrolls getting a PS port. Gamer Phil loves to portray the persona of pro gamer but Microsoft's history of flexing its money & strong arm tactics in every other area of operation be it Windows,Office,Azure,A.I etc speaks for itself.
This is merely a continuation of the social media & games media campaigns via friendly Xbox Microsoft sources over the past year that Sony TIMED exclusives are somehow permanent & anti gamer evil whilst poor little 2.3 trillion Microsoft Xbox buying out entire AAA 3rd party multiplatform publishers & cancelling planned PS versions across the board & making them exclusives is pro-gamer & more competitive!🙄
You would in a normal world wonder how such a ridiculous defence could hold up in court. Unfortunately have read of concerning comments where when pressed on say future iterations of Diablo continues to get PS versions,the judge overruled the line of what was a perfectly valid point to highlight Microsoft's anticompetitive intentions & remove it & other multiplatform IP's from Playstation permanently!🤯
It is truly a bizzaro world where somehow Sony's timed exclusives are pushed as anti-gamer but Xbox continually not only gets away with anticompetitive actions like buying Zenimax & now likely Activision Blizzard,but still actively engage in timed exclusives ala Stalker 2 or for Gamepass indies just as much as they insinuate about Sony (as do Ninty),but only Sony seem to get flak for it 😕
@__jamiie Back to the tried & true "get a life" insults almost as much as "your soo childish!" against any negative comments on Microsoft! And yet,YOU have had far more posts in this thread attacking any negative posters than me! 😉
Your own projecting on fanboying megacorps by continually trolling others negative comments on Microsoft make it so easy to expose your hypocrisy,so thanks for that!😋 Must've owned a ZX Spectrum or CPC or something & never got over the school yard taunts from C64 owners!😁 😂
Given all YOUR posts in this thread,rather seems like you're the angry kid that needs to "go outside" or maybe play your gamepass games or post a bit more on Pure Xbox! Save YOURSELF & take your own advice...again!😋
@__jamiie ". I don't give my undying loyalty to any particular multi-billion dollar company. If my comments seem biased against PlayStation to you, that probably means your Sony worship is a little excessive."
Oh ,back to the personal commentaries like you do anyone who speaks negatively of Microsoft/Xbox,are we?
1) Thread: "Sorry but the drama over Xbox's buyout of Activision isn't over yet"" You: "The CMA made the wrong decision based on the wrong thing. Cloud gaming is a pathetic reason to block the deal. If the EU and FTC approve the deal then it leaves the CMA looking very stupid indeed." 2) PS5's remote play portable will reportedly launch in November" You: "This is the Wii U gamepad but 11 years late!" 3) Thread "Microsoft welcomes FTC injunction on Activision Blizzard buyout" You: What a very childish comment! (To Intr1n5ic's reply to someone else mentioning Starfield "Save them from the majesty of 30fps. "Brought to you by the world's most powerful console") 4) Thread "Re Starfield,Redfall exclusivity powerful evidence against Xbox's Activision buyout" You: Once again there are some truly pathetic and childish comments on here.
"I hope the deal goes through and then Microsoft and the studios fail!"
"I'd love it if this forced Microsoft to release Starfield on PlayStation!"
"I hope that the deal gets blocked but Sony get to keep all their exclusives!"
Some people seriously need to grow the **** up. 5) In this very thread...@Euno brings up Phil Spencer's "It's not our goal to take games away from players" You troll "we believe in generations"
Just like when I brought up the FTC fining Microsoft $20 million (chump change for them), for multiple privacy breaches with children's Xbox microsoft accounts, all you could come up with was petty insults!
Funny how you keep clinging to your "I own all 3 systems" defence to cover your continual snarking at most things Sony game or hardware related (In your own previous comments on multiple threads),or trolling anyone that dares speak ill of Microsoft! And yet apparently anyone who games on a playstation & discussing gaming topics on a Playstation centric website is inferior to YOUR opinion & can be instantly dismissed as a Sony worshipper!
You can like Xbox/Switch games, but it's laughable you claim other's of fanboying,when your very own posts show a clear bias of your own & trolling others when they dare oppose your views...projecting much?
Btw,have a PC too,but unlike you, been around long enough to have seen petulant Microsoft in the 90's make previous threats vs antitrust authorities getting in their way much as they are now. But hey, don't let history & facts over Microsoft's monopolistic behaviour everywhere else they've been spoil your rose tinted glasses viewpoint of them!
I'm assuming Microsoft's lawyers & corporates taking the witness box are carrying kittens & puppy dogs whilst playing sad songs testifying!😂
Of course "Gamer" Phil Spencer already had a pre-rehersal academy award performance with his infamous Kinda Funny Games appearance & his claims that "Starfield won't get people to sell their ps5's!", comments after the Redfall fiasco!🙄
They keep pointing to their lower console sales whilst ignoring their domination in the Windows PC market,their drive in that sector to push needing a Microsoft account just to login to your PC & switch off their data tracking preferences. (The same account used for Xbox & the MS Store)
Likewise it also ignores their ambitions to expand Gamepass & Xcloud streaming across PC & as many platforms as possible. All conveniently backed up by Microsoft's massive presence in the Azure market already!
The "we're the poor little indie 2.3 trillion dollar monopoly & need to buy all these AAA publishers & IP's as permanent exclusives to compete!" P.R. sob story would be laughable if not for the fact that so many places like the EU have fallen for it & their "ten year deals".
Almost as much as their equating the Bungie buyout as "equal" to Microsoft's buyouts of Zenimax Bethesda & now Activision Blizzard. They will hardly stop with Activision assuming they outlawyer the FTC in the courts.🙄
@__jamiie "What a pathetic fanboy comment. You really need to grow up." Says the person who thus far in this thread alone made THIRTEEN comments usually in defence of all things Microsoft!🙄😂
And that's before anyone clicking on your profile past comments finds similar insults at anyone that dare's post anything anti-Microsoft/XB narrative! Maybe YOU should take a bit of your own advice! 😋😉
Microsoft lawyers to FTC/EU & CMA & social media campaign last several months... "Sony pays $$ to keep games off Rent(Game)Pass/XB!!😱😬
Also Microsoft: Right,cancel any ps5 versions of Indy,Elder Scrolls VI,Starfield,Redwall,& any other ones the rest of Zenimax were working on! Bethesda: Um,we had a Disney contract that was multiplatform!🤔🤯 Microsoft/Gamer Phil Spencer: Pay 'em extra, & that'll fix it!! Mwhahaha!!
Funny how despite his corporate friendly "Gaming for all!" public persona,time & again Microsoft have been guilty of projecting & engaging in the very behaviour they like to label their biggest direct competition of doing!!🙄😂
@arsmolinarc Not to mention the usually pro XB Peter Hines of Bethesda PR was super positive about Bethesda taking advantage of the Dualsense tech which they had pre launch dev kits & its uses for stuff like firing a bow for Elder Scrolls! Wish the "But we offered 10 year deals for COD!", defence were shown up for the PR Stunt it is. None of the streaming platforms are in direct competition with Microsoft's offerings & if some leaks are to be believed the revenue goes entirely back to M$!🙄 As for Ninty,Activision/Bobby Kotick thought so little of the Switch market for COD revenue they haven't bothered with one since the Wii U!🙄
Who's to say post buyout like Zenimax,they retool a future update/expansion of Diablo IV into a separate Reaper of Souls type release & use it as an excuse to go PC/XB exclusive?
Snake oil "Gamer" Phil has talked a lot about "gaming for all",but the reality is they are using the corporate credit card to continually take previously 3rd party AAA publishers,& IP's off Playstation not continue on...then have the audacity to claim they're a poor struggling 2.3 trillion dollar indie who hasn't got a monopoly in Windows,Office,Azure,A.I & other areas & couldn't possibly compete against big bad monopoly Sony without COD....whilst also claiming Sony could easily make their own COD but 69 billion says they're incapable of doing the same!🙄
Whilst Mr Maguire's patting himself on the back for PS Premium,there's a few caveats I would like to add about the service...
1) Playstation promised at launch that the Premium/PS Now streaming would be expanded to more territories,whilst PS Deluxe in non streaming regions would see an expanding library of psp,PS1 & PS2 Classics get added monthly. The Premium regional expansions have been few & far between,so still a Deluxe region here.
2) There has been zero "new" PS2 Classic additions since the original PS2 Classics on PS4 program. Most of those PS2 Classics are listed on PSN as having compatibility issues when running on PS5. PS5 at least should have little problem running a very solid PS2 emulation. To not have the library of the biggest selling PS console available for purchase/subscription digitally seems bizarre.🤔
3) PSP/PS1 game library additions have again been few & far between. The third party support in particular has been rather disappointing. Just to rattle off examples,Alundra, Blood Omen Legacy of Kain,(& the others in the series),Dino Crisis 1 & 2,RE 2 & 3, Tomba,Adventures of Lomax, Colony Wars series, Theme Park,nevermind the countless RPG's!
It feels premature to be extolling the promises of being able to add streaming ps5 game purchases when you still haven't fulfilled expanding the Premium regional roll-out,nevermind the lack of additional Deluxe "Classics" library!
PS Extra is a solid enough,especially if you're the type of player who only has a casual indie gaming interest or would prefer to try before you buy them.
But the Deluxe/Premium tier has a lot of room for improvement!😕
In theory expanding the ability to play your library sounds great. Wherein my expectations are tempered is Playstation promised on launch that the newly rejigged PS Premium would be soon expanded to more territories in the coming months,& in the meantime PS Deluxe would see an expanding library of psp,PS1 & PS2 Classics.
One year on & the expansion of territories carrying Premium/PS Now streaming has been few & far between,(Deluxe Territory here,still).
There has been zero "new" PS2 Classics added since the launch of Deluxe/Premium since the original PS2 Classics on PS4 range was discontinued. Most of those games are listed as having compatibility issues on PS5 in their PSN Store listings. That the library of the biggest selling console remains unavailable on PS5 which should be able to run a very solid emulation seems bizarre. 🤔
The PSP & PS1 additions have been few & far between. In particular the third party game support seems poor. Just to rattle off a few examples, where's the likes of Alundra, Blood Omen Legacy of Kain,(& the others in the series), Dino Crisis 1&2, RE 2 & 3 Classic,Tomba,Adventures of Lomax, Colony Wars,nevermind the RPG's!
At a time when XB is spending up the corporate credit card to permanently paywall IP's behind Gamepass,its a missed opportunity to get legacy game libraries opened up & give incentive subscribe or invest in those ecosystems.😕
Extra tier seems solid enough. Prefer to buy my indies over just subbing them...but the Deluxe/ Premium tiers need improvements.
Was disappointed after the fun original to have seen this continually release everywhere else but PS! 😑 Still,better late than never! Never dared took on the "new game+" versions of the bosses, had enough hassles trying to survive the originals! 😱😅
Whilst the lack of any hoped for Dino Crisis remake is probably a disappointment, its a shame that there hasn't been at least an attempt to bring Dino Crisis 1 & 2 to the PS Classics range!😕
Still,as a fan of the Ace Attorney series,I'm equally shocked & happy to find most of them being available on ps4/5 gens. At this rate think what, maybe only the Miles Edgeworth ones (& the sequel was never officially translated),won't have been ported?
Likewise Ghost Trick was never widely available my neck ofvtge woods,so like the Sherlock Holmes inspired Ace Attorney game,it'll be a new experience to give it a go! So maybe a bit of a let down for AAA releases, but great if you're a fan of the Ace Attorney games!👍
Agree with other's sentiments that on one hand you have a parent company that resurrected the THQ label amongst assembling a range of IP's but has somehow had a bunch of underwhelming releases to show for it.
Highly anticipated remastets like Kingdoms of Amalur instead became "meh",ditto Red Faction series,& didn't they release that Saints Row reboot that seemingly lost its over the top edge & the Darksiders series was one of theirs too?🤔 Again,says a lot for games that had their fans in the ps3/360 eras but mostly been known for being mostly low grade ports or bland reboots!
Unfortunately in a day & age of consolidation i fear either IP sales to lord knows who to try make a quick buck back,& ruin it like Disney does or they reduce teams to smaller sizes & take the Take-two Grove Street Gajes approach to remasters & let A.i. bots spew out something akin to GTA "definitive edition remaster" quality!😕 Tomb Raider might be safe,but not so good forcany Legacy of Kain revival!
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Re: GTA 6 Release Window Seemingly Narrowed Down to Fiscal Year 2024
With the likes of Leslie Benzies, Dan Houser, Lazlow etc.,gone from Rockstar,(for better for worse given most helped create the GTA Online monster),I rather suspect Dan's departure in particular may have been a pivot to making GTA VI like Diablo IV...ie: no single player offline campaign & be online only with a heavy push towards forced co-op situations if you want to afford anything!😕
The days of Vice City & San Andreas & hitting up taxi mission,or paramedics etc for quick cash or collecting idols & having a ready made stash of ammo to top up feel like a lifetime ago!
Re: $50 for Red Dead Redemption PS4 Port 'Commercially Accurate', Says Publisher Take-Two
Yes well by the time you add the "Switch release" tax & possibly need to factor in the Rockstar intern contractors needing to do the post release patches like for GTA Trilogy remastered "definitive edition",the price rip-off makes perfect sense!🤔😂
After all this is the same Strauss Zelnik that insisted the GTA Trilogy had a minor hiccup at launch but was perfectly fine after the initial patch update on that disaster & Rockstar claiming to have no idea that it was in such a state & had been "below expectations for such a beloved franchise"....,so beloved Take-two farmed it off to Grove Street Games!🙄
Re: Poll: Will You Be Buying Red Dead Redemption on PS4?
Whilst I like to think that long suffering veteran Rockstar fans would wait for reviews &actual in-game gameplay footage after GTA Trilogy remastered,I can imagine there's going to be a big enough PS & Switch user base desperate enough at finally seeing it available they'll buy it no matter what!😕
Given the U.S. $50 will likely translate somewhere closer to $80-$90 in my neck of the woods yeah I'll wait for reviews,patches & a decent sale wherein Take-two will still be raking a profit!
The sad thing is,being a ps4 port, assuming we see an eventual PS6,that PS users won't be back where they started if it only had PS5 compatibility!
Its a shame how back in the ps2 era you had various Rockstar studios that could separately do projects like GTA LCS/VCS,Bully,The Warriors etc., but nowadays to feed the mtx live service beast that'll be GTA VI/GTA Online 2.0 (which I suspect will be like Diablo IV & be online for all play modes),all their studios seem to handle one game at a time now.
Re: Red Dead Redemption PS4 Announcement Gets Slaughtered by Fans
Although I only ever played the ps3 port, I seem to recall hearing the 360 was considered the better version visually back in the day in terms of textures/draw distance etc. Given the ps4 & Switch gpu's would be an upgrade over those in the 360/ps3,wonder if these ports will be based off that version or the ps3's?🤔
The bigger concern is the port has once again been offloaded to a third party Double Eleven whose credits apparently included Crackdown 3, & most concerning Fallout 76! 😕
The other factor is the state of the old source code & how much time they've had given the GTA "definitive edition remaster" was seemingly pushed out by Take-two despite their knowing it was a mess & tried to spin to the contrary!
Re: Red Dead Redemption Out on PS4 This Month, Not a Remaster
@Rob_230 @ShogunRok Well,saw via twitter & couple of other sites the port is being handled by "Double Eleven" apparently whose other credentials include the likes of Minecraft Dungeons & 😬😵 Fallout 76!!😱
Yeah,that bodes well!😂😔
Re: Red Dead Redemption Out on PS4 This Month, Not a Remaster
Dear Take-two & Rockstar, Whomever you've shovelled this port off too,please don't Grand Theft Auto "Definitive edition remaster " it like Grove Street Games did!🤞🙏
Sincerely yours,
Players who remember when Rockstar cared about single player games.
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Dev Larian Studios Has No Interest in Being Acquired
@deathaxe Came as quite the shock getting my first pc built in 10yrs (& adding to it since),, the dreadful state of the GPU market!
Had little alternative in both availability & prices to get a rtx 3060 12gb card,being near $600 dolkary roos my neck of the woods...& yet this year the "value" mid range options have either been the older clearance AMD cards or the rip-off rtx 4070 , get a PC they say,its soo cheap!🤯😂
Nevermind Microsoft wanting to strongarm you into making an account just to boot up the PC!😑
So is Baldur's Gate 3 still turn based like the Divinity Original Sin series?🤔
Re: Baldur's Gate 3 Dev Larian Studios Has No Interest in Being Acquired
Let's hope they stay true to their word about "independence",if they were on Microsoft's shopping list,as can remember Ninja Theory saying similar things after Hellblsde!🙄
Given Diablo has likely seen its last PS release, & the hoarding of Western rpg publishers & devs exclusively onto XB/PC, there's definitely fewer options for playstation players!
Re: Don't Worry, Activision Totally Has the Source Code for Those Awesome PS3 Transformers Games
@MaikonCSGarcia Yes,they originally were on PS3/360,but Fall of Cybertron (sadly don't think War for Cybertron got one),did get a basic,no frills port onto PS4.
So it would be possible in theory with a licence to release...but given Microsoft's looming takeover,any possibilities of re-release or even releasing the old gen versions onto those territories that have PS Premium streaming (only Deluxe in my neck of the woods),would be unlikely given Phil Spencer's recent track record.
Re: Don't Worry, Activision Totally Has the Source Code for Those Awesome PS3 Transformers Games
Given the fountain of misinformation Ms Lulu has been as Bobby Kotick's mouthpiece throughout the antitrust proceedings I'd check for storms if she said the weather was sunny outside!😂
Still,all this has been rather moot in its only suddenly gained attention as a push for gamepass fodder rather than restoring it as the multiformat release that it actually was!🙄
Recall it did get a perfunctory port on ps4 but as was typical Activision given a high price point & never saw a deep discount before being delisted in the first place!
Re: PS5, PS4's Sizzling Summer Sale Adds Over 2,000 Discounts
Picked up a couple of games in the first half of the sale...did see Dark Pictures Anthology Devil in Me was 50% off,but when I looked back at PS Prices on the previous entries noted they'd been a bit more budget friendly so might reluctantly hold off. 🤔
Bit like Wonderboy Anniversary Collection is definitely on my wishlist but at full price $70AU will need a deeper discount that 30%.... Cotton Fantasy looks wallet friendly enough though.
Re: Natsume's NES Classic Shadow of the Ninja Will Return on PS5, PS4 Next Year
Have to wait for an opportune sale discount on Pocky & Rocky reshined but quite the sucker for retro games being done right,so fingers crossed!
Re: Dreams Live Service Ending as Media Molecule Couldn't Find a 'Sustainable Path'
@Rob_230 Feel like the biggest issue with Dreams is it might’ve had vastly expanded creative tools over the likes of the Little Big Planet games,but lost the "fun" factor of LBP 1 & 2,which had a great,fun single or co-op campaign alongside its add-ons both in paid dlc content & the free community content created levels & mini games!
A lost opportunity not to bring them & even LBP karting & add the mod nation style track creator & there was guaranteed engagement!
Re: Mini Review: Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons (PS5) - A Roguelite Answer to Repetitive Beat-'Em-Ups
Hmm,even with a positive review still a bit undecided on this one!🤔 The rogue lite elements don't hurt,albeit also featured in the past in the likes of Scott Pilgrim & River City Girls which arguably had better art styles to them!
Its better than was it Double Dragon IV(?), which from memory never even saw an EU/Down Under PSN release,but weirdly went for a NES art style!🤔 This reminds me of that flash/mobile Wonder Boy Returns which looked horrid when lined up against Wonder Boy Dragon's Trap & Monster Boy Cursed Kingdom!
Possibly a wishlist & wait vs a wishlist & pounce on an opportune discount for the likes of TMNT Shredders Revenge or the Cowabunga Collection much like Wonderboy Anniversary Collection! When I've got the likes of Scott Pilgrim remaster, Castle Crashers Remastered, Streets of Rage 4 & Final Vendetta & River City Girls, just to name a few on my digital pile of shame this isn't quite a instabuy as much as I'd like it to be!
Re: PS Plus Essential Games for August 2023 Announced
Dreams will be a great pick up for those prepared to put the time into it...still makes me wish there'd been a port of LBP 1 or 2,as there'd been some lovely user made content for them or LBP Karting!
Had Death's Door as a wishlisted item,so nice to see a single player indie title show up,much like Rogue's Legacy or Broforce were!
I'd like to indulge a try of 2k golf,though like most modern sports titles they seem so full of live service mtx bloatware that i don't fancy the download size or space needed!🤯😅
Re: Blizzard Accused of Malicious Design as Diablo 4 Players Accidentally Activate Premium Battle Pass
@Nem Must admit haven't checked out the PayPal option,but worth considering if that's the case!🤞🤔...haven't gotten a ps plus extension since it went digital sale exclusive...been annoyed at other store fronts that do the same thing, (looking at you Norton's!). Handy to hear other's psn tips,thanks!
Re: Blizzard Accused of Malicious Design as Diablo 4 Players Accidentally Activate Premium Battle Pass
@Nem Whilst I haven't had to yet,if you want (for example),to buy additional PS Plus on one of its rare PSN discounts,you have to have a credit/ debit card linked to your account.
Found that even before the tiered revamp,as I ended up picking up a couple of ps plus subs from brick & mortar stores before they removed them from sale! Something to do with needing enough credit for auto renewal services as Anti virus/Security suites,VPN's etc.,do similar thing!😕
But not even popping up some sort of confirmation/warning is the sort of thing that sadly seems predictable from a publisher that has Bobby Kotick as a CEO!🙄
Re: PS4 Version of Snarky Xbox Shooter High on Life Found Loitering in PlayStation Backend
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Re: Microsoft Extends Deadline of $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Acquisition
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Re: Microsoft Extends Deadline of $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Acquisition
@Martsmall Since your clearly a "humour" guy,tell me why Bobby Kotick was perfectly okay with doing marketing deals for timed exclusive dlc content with BOTH Sony & before them Microsoft (back in the 360 era & obviously unwilling to match Sony's subsequent offer prior to the PS4 launch)?
Or given as Activision being one of the largest Third party AAA publishers could've easily produced COD themselves but clearly Kotick saw little return for the effort? None of the streaming services you mentioned are in the same level to compete with Microsoft's Azure servers so no that isn't what you call competition but nice try!😂
As for "Jim Ryan squandered getting more games". Except Phil Spencer never offered a ten year deal on all Activision games,everything including COD would've stopped by 2027.
This is the same Phil Spencer that publicly was claiming Zenimax Bethesda games future releases would be a game by game basis, but cancelled multiplatform releases once the buyout went through & point blank refused to discuss an expanded deal on publishing them alongside the Activision ones...but he's your poster boy for "competition",from a parent company that likes to maintain its monopoly in every other part of its business,including Windows & services?
But cheer on the monopoly megacorp,yay!😂
Re: Microsoft Extends Deadline of $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Acquisition
Gamer Phil Spencer: "Bringing more games to more players!"
Also Gamer Phil: But not Crash,or Spyro future Diablo's,or Starcraft/Warcraft,,or Tony Hawk, or GUN,or Elder Scrolls,or Starfield,or anything else we've bought,mwhaha! 🙄
Sure Jan!😂
Re: Sony and Microsoft Sign a 'Binding Agreement' to Keep Call of Duty on PlayStation
Am I surprised,no. But like so many things that were unearthed in the trial,its the devil in the detail when it comes to legalese wishy-washy double Dutch from Phil "Gamer" Spencer. Note under oath he refused to give the same commitment to other long established IP's like Diablo,Crash etc.
"But Jim Ryan squandered the chance by fighting the acquisition!". Did he,by wanting to asking for a more encompassing deal to include Zenimax Bethesda games that were in fact planned for PS but immediately cancelled by Phil Spencer?(despite his public PR rhetoric of "game by game" basis & "we're not about pulling games on other platforms").🙄
Much like that Square Enix/Sega etc.,are all on their "shopping list",for buyouts with the stated intent on making them exclusive,its as far removed from "enabling more competition" as you can get!😑
Sadly the inaction against breaking up Microsoft back in the 90's,or indeed the rise of them, Google, Facebook,Amazon,Disney etc.,in the age of megacorps by weakened regulatory authorities unwilling to challenge their armies of lawyers have led to these situations.😑
Bobby Kotick & the rest of his cronies get their golden parachutes more's the pity!
But having gotten away with this,make no mistake they'll stop there,& besides Square/Sega,or behemotths like Take-two,won't be next.🤔😔
Sadly a 2.3+trillion monopoly parent company Microsoft is gonna to continue to pull more third party AAA IP's off future Playstation releases & yet insist permanent exclusivity is somehow less evil than timed exclusives & "pro gamer"!!
Re: PS1 Platformer Tomba! Makes a Grand Return on PS5, PS4
@Arnna As much as YouTube can feel like going down the rabbit hole at times,seen a couple of interesting ones well researched about LRG & its business model.
Moreso have a buddy that ordered through them & no longer does. I was tempted to order Deathwish Enforcers,but kept believing I'd save buying it digitally only to subsequently find it confined to the US PSN Store,& it's out of the devs hands as LRG are the publisher!
Back to LRG,my buddy told me shipping to Down under,(where we both live),is near the amount of the individual game you order....moreso they push insurance & extra "protective" packing as extras over the base high postal rates. Their twitter & other places have several stories of games going MIA & their response especially if not insured lacklustre to ignoring them.
Not to mention games arriving with the disc loose & thus having been potentially scratched during postage,or the case damaged etc. Factors that led me not to ordering Deathwish Enforcers & seemingly would need to setup a U.S. Account which I'm a touch wary about.
Not directly published but I believe funded by them was the Night Trap Anniversary port only again available on US but not EU/AU PSN afaik.
In short they control the distribution chain & create a fear of missing out model to drive paying their inflated shipping which may or may not reach you!🙄
Not exactly living up to their "we love indies & preservation!",mantra!😕
Re: PS1 Platformer Tomba! Makes a Grand Return on PS5, PS4
@AgentMantis Alundra would be lovely,albeit again LRG's digital release record outside of its native US PSN region has been lousy!😕
Would've settled for Alundra to come to the PS Classics Deluxe/Premium range given Sony seem uninterested or unwilling to pursue a PS2 emulation on ps5!
Sadly noted Alundra was quietly deleted off the EU/AU PS3 PSN store where it was published by Psygnosis so not sure where its IP rights belong to! 🤔
Re: The FTC Officially Files an Appeal Against Microsoft-Activision Court Victory
Once again expect a deluge of anti FTC propaganda from Microsoft,Activision Blizzard & their army of bot XB accounts & media friendly journos...I would hope they actually got an objective court of judges who's children DON'T work for either Microsoft or Activision Blizzard, or have shares in them or other conflicts of interests but in light of "gifts" bestowed by billionaires to US Supreme Court judges regularly hearing cases involving said billionaire companies,it seems like the average U.S. Judge these days have an interesting interpretation of "conflict of interest"!🙄
And Microsoft certainly have a long reach just looking at US Congress reps repeating the Microsoft narratives of a "Sony Monopoly" & "why is the FTC blocking a "Murican" company vs a Japanese one?"🙄
All that spin despite us literally hearing in their own documents the shopping list of more AAA's like Sega & Square Enix to push permanent exclusion from PS platforms,"Gamer" Phil Spencer cancelling PS games the moment the Zenimax ink dried despite his public rhetoric & even Gamepass contracts demanding exclusivity to its service & not appearing on ps plus thereafter!
It would be laughable if a multi trillion monopoly hadn't already hoodwinked so many they're interested in "increasing competition" when they're very actions condradict their words!
Re: PS1 Platformer Tomba! Makes a Grand Return on PS5, PS4
@get2sammyb @LiamCroft I'd be wary of LRG's claim of a digital release. Deathwish Enforcers (a Sunset Riders inspired indie shmup but set in the 80's),was released on the U.S. PSN store back in April & remains unavailable in other PSN Store regions to this day.
Despite a promise on a preview LRG livestream by the now departed co-founder,nothing has been done to widen it U.S. only release. Though only physically published by them,similar thing with Night Trap Anniversary Edition getting a U.S. only digital release afaik.
Might get some better luck if Push Square asks them,but they completely ignore social media posts asking about Deathwish Enforcers.
They claim to support the "litte indies" with limited physical runs of a couple thousand copies & overpriced international shipping,but only digitally published Deathwish Enforcers to the U.S. psn region thus limiting its subsequent sales?
Pretty strange way to "support" small indie devs?!🤔
Re: Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (PS5) - Solid Sequel Feels Finely Tuned
Guess this will be Night School's PS swansong so if its roughly the quality of the original should be worthwhile to check out.🤔
Re: Naughty Dog Co-President Evan Wells Announces His Retirement
As he mentioned in his post about being involved in Crash 3,not quite a founding father, but obviously an absolute veteran if not founding father....jury still out regarding Neil Druckman given contrasting storyline directions of his games with Bruce Straley vs being sole lead.
At present the multiplayer only TLOU spinoff possibly stuck in design purgatory & not expecting a Jak & Daxter game anytime soon, which leaves the rumoured TLOU 3 as the main project. Let's hope ND continue their success & not just off nostalgia for their older games after the Activision buyout fallout,its going to be needed.
Re: Microsoft Beats US Regulator FTC in Activision Blizzard Buyout Battle
@Martsmall "Tin foil hat"...says the troll who only ever pops up to fly the pro Microsoft Gamer Phil flag in every post judging from your post history!
You push the narrative of Sony buying developers & "blocking" games that Microsoft extensively pushed the narrative of as the poor uncompetitive 2.3 trillion indie company.😷😂
And yet as unearthed during trial, Phil Spencer "we're not about taking games away from other platforms",immediately went about & cancelled multiformat Zenimax Bethesda releases the moment the ink dried!
You somehow assert buying individual developers is worse than entire long established 3rd party AAA publishers & IP's going exclusive? Especially from a monopoly like they enjoy elsewhere? Probably missed you that Microsoft got fined for privacy breaches regarding children's Microsoft account by the FTC,(albeit pocket money fine for them). The same Microsoft that tries to strongarm you into a Microsoft account just to login to Windows or install it?
Microsoft projects exactly the narrative its been pushing. But keep cheering on the multi trillion monopoly thats phasing out buying MS Office, controls the Windows Market,Azure/Cloud, & A.I.,what could go wrong?!😂
Re: Microsoft Beats US Regulator FTC in Activision Blizzard Buyout Battle
What has gone largely unreported,especially by the pro xbot twitter cheer squad is the Judge's son works for Microsoft. This was disclosed by her pre-trial,but she justified not recusing herself on the tenuous basis "he didn't work in the gaming division".
Doesn't really matter if he did or didn't,the fact that her son's career could be impacted with a negative decision,(keeping in mind this is the same Microsoft that jettisoned thousands of jobs last year),should've been grounds enough. She limited the FTC's line of questioning more than once like if IP's like Diablo would go exclusive.
Not shocked by the decision, but like the U.S Supreme Court's increasingly politicised decisions their system seems riddled with conflicts of interests. 🙄🤔
Am I surprised,no. Do I think Microsoft will continue their buying spree of 3rd party AAA's purely to keep them off Playstation,sadly yes. The Xbots will be cheering this right through to when they find they can only subscribe to their games, rather than buy them. A sad day for gaming.
Re: PlayStation and Other Gaming Titans Flock to Twitter Rival Threads
@KaijuKaiser Let's just say based on his egomaniacal 2am Wyle.E.Coyote "super genius" moments which currently seems to be skipping bills to Google & whilst excuse making & limiting accessibility for the once standard "free" accounts whilst spamming with ads & bots I wouldn't set foot near one of his rockets!🤯 Though would be happy if he took one to Mars!😂
Much like Facebook,Google,Amazon & Microsoft right now in its FTC "battle" wherein the Judge's son works for Microsoft,big corporations being in the control of so few is as much of the problem these days!😕
I'm not that surprised corporations like Sony are eager to setup Plan B's on places like this "Threads"...whether i can be bothered setting up FB/Insta etc.,is another matter...all of a sudden some of my old forum hangouts like EAB suddenly look a tad less crazy!!🤪😂
Re: Microsoft Planned to Conquer Japan with Square Enix Buyout, Eye-Opening Documents Reveal
Once again,the company that keeps repeating the narrative ad nauseum that Sony is the sole console bully exercising a monopoly via timed & other exclusives,whilst literally spending billions buying up AAA multiplatform Publishers & IP's & only via court documents proves behind closed doors it has a hit list of more Third Party AAA publishers & IP's it wants to take off the competition & make exclusive to the Microsoft ecosystem!🙄
Geez projecting much exercising your monopoly & buy up the major as many of the 3rd party players as you can get away with Microsoft?!
Re: Almost 500 PS5, PS4 DLC Packs Discounted on PS Store
Looks hopefully at Jungle Book & Aladdin add on pack to the OG Disney Collection Lion King & Aladdin...& still no discount since launch!😔
I'm sure I've seen the newer complete bundle on sale but swear this dlc will never get one!
Re: New Korean Rating for Red Dead Redemption Has Fans Hoping for a Remaster
Would I love an RDR 1 port? Yep...but given Take-two's utter disdain for their single player back catalogue after the GTA Trilogy remastered "definitive edition",I'd fear another Grove Street Games & some A.I. Bots type effort!🙄
Not to mention the rumours that either some source code was lost or the game is held together by spaghetti code/sticky tape! Whilst one would treat these things with a grain of salt,part of the Leslie Benzies suit mentioned being brought in on RDR's troubled development & cracked the whips to get it into a shippable condition,so who knows. 🤔
Re: Microsoft's Potential Game Plan in 2020: 'Spend Sony Out of Business'
Microsoft: Pay it no mind,old strategy,its a joke!!
Also Microsoft Xbox since 2019,spent 7.5 billion on Zenimax Bethesda & immediately cancelled all PS5 versions not under contract,& keeps referring solely to COD in sketchy "ten year deals",with Activision Blizzard...not to mention seemingly having a shopping list of multiple others like Sega, Io Interactive etc.🙄
Re: SEGA and Bungie Were On Microsoft's Shopping List in 2020, Xbox Emails Show
@Rob_230 Yeah,been catching up on that news about IO Interactive being a part of their "shopping list"...& seemingly their "Project Dragon" rpg project has also been unearthed in those same court documents as an XB/PC exclusive!😕
The same Phil Spencer who claimed a possible timed exclusive deal on Starfield justified their 7.5 billion Zenimax buyout & making it a permanent exclusive for XB/PC,seems to be doing a heck of a lot in tying up most western AAA RPG's & devs almost entirely under permanent Xbox exclusivity! 😕🙄
But try & bring it up on socials away from here,(or much like i did Octopath Traveller even here!),& all you'll see is is countless bot accounts post "BUT FF7 remastered & FF16!!"
Re: SEGA and Bungie Were On Microsoft's Shopping List in 2020, Xbox Emails Show
@Rob_230 Sadly I doubt Activision would mark the last buyout target if Microsoft get their way. Gamepass & Xcloud are but part of the strategy.
Its just as much about controlling/removing third party IP's from the PS ecosystem...Xbox is being bankrolled by their 2.3 trillion parent company & know Sony cannot match their ability to use their dominance in other areas of their business to flex their monopoly into buying up 3rd party AAA publishers.
Those cheering it,may not feel the same way a few years from now when needing a one-stop Microsoft account & renting/streaming games via subscription rather than buying them!😕
"Gamer" Phil Spencer as usual projects the narrative that Sony timed exclusives are anti-gamer whilst simultaneously spending Dad's credit card buying up all the Third Party IP's & publishers he can & keep them off the competition!🙄😑
About the only means that'd slow down such purchases is I'd once read the Japanese government have supposedly tighter foreign ownership rules but Microsoft have shown much like Bobby Kotick that splash enough $$ around & its magical what can be allowed these days!
Re: Xbox Boss Wishy-Washy on Whether The Elder Scrolls 6 Will Come to PS6, PS5
As mentioned in the Starfield thread,that "Gamer" Phil Spencer is acting in the same prerehearsed wishy washy double speak spin like he did prior to the Zenimax Bethesda buyout under oath is no surprise.
What is a concern is the presiding judge overruled the line of questioning from the FTC when it tried to press Phil Spencer on previously 3rd party games away from COD published by Activision continuing to get PS versions like Diablo...it would've presented the perfect opportunity to highlight his public statements like "game by game basis",or "we're not about taking games away from other players/platforms" bs & contrasting his actions in cancelling PS versions of Redfall,Starfield etc.
As it is,even his "under oath I say there will be a PS version...a PS5 version of COD"..note he didn't guarantee how many future versions,nor anything beyond current gen,or indeed beyond the current deal Sony has with Activision...you need to sift through Gamer Phil's legal bs spin to note what he doesn't say just like when they were waiting for the Zenimax buyout ink to dry!
There is zero chance of Elder Scrolls getting a PS port. Gamer Phil loves to portray the persona of pro gamer but Microsoft's history of flexing its money & strong arm tactics in every other area of operation be it Windows,Office,Azure,A.I etc speaks for itself.
Re: Xbox Insinuates It Bought Bethesda to Block Starfield PS5 Console Exclusivity
This is merely a continuation of the social media & games media campaigns via friendly Xbox Microsoft sources over the past year that Sony TIMED exclusives are somehow permanent & anti gamer evil whilst poor little 2.3 trillion Microsoft Xbox buying out entire AAA 3rd party multiplatform publishers & cancelling planned PS versions across the board & making them exclusives is pro-gamer & more competitive!🙄
You would in a normal world wonder how such a ridiculous defence could hold up in court. Unfortunately have read of concerning comments where when pressed on say future iterations of Diablo continues to get PS versions,the judge overruled the line of what was a perfectly valid point to highlight Microsoft's anticompetitive intentions & remove it & other multiplatform IP's from Playstation permanently!🤯
It is truly a bizzaro world where somehow Sony's timed exclusives are pushed as anti-gamer but Xbox continually not only gets away with anticompetitive actions like buying Zenimax & now likely Activision Blizzard,but still actively engage in timed exclusives ala Stalker 2 or for Gamepass indies just as much as they insinuate about Sony (as do Ninty),but only Sony seem to get flak for it 😕
Re: Indiana Jones Game Deal Amended to Exclude PS5, PS4
@__jamiie Back to the tried & true "get a life" insults almost as much as "your soo childish!" against any negative comments on Microsoft!
And yet,YOU have had far more posts in this thread attacking any negative posters than me! 😉
Your own projecting on fanboying megacorps by continually trolling others negative comments on Microsoft make it so easy to expose your hypocrisy,so thanks for that!😋
Must've owned a ZX Spectrum or CPC or something & never got over the school yard taunts from C64 owners!😁 😂
Given all YOUR posts in this thread,rather seems like you're the angry kid that needs to "go outside" or maybe play your gamepass games or post a bit more on Pure Xbox! Save YOURSELF & take your own advice...again!😋
Re: Indiana Jones Game Deal Amended to Exclude PS5, PS4
@__jamiie ". I don't give my undying loyalty to any particular multi-billion dollar company. If my comments seem biased against PlayStation to you, that probably means your Sony worship is a little excessive."
Oh ,back to the personal commentaries like you do anyone who speaks negatively of Microsoft/Xbox,are we?
1) Thread: "Sorry but the drama over Xbox's buyout of Activision isn't over yet""
You: "The CMA made the wrong decision based on the wrong thing. Cloud gaming is a pathetic reason to block the deal.
If the EU and FTC approve the deal then it leaves the CMA looking very stupid indeed."
2) PS5's remote play portable will reportedly launch in November"
You: "This is the Wii U gamepad but 11 years late!"
3) Thread "Microsoft welcomes FTC injunction on Activision Blizzard buyout"
You: What a very childish comment! (To Intr1n5ic's reply to someone else mentioning Starfield "Save them from the majesty of 30fps. "Brought to you by the world's most powerful console")
4) Thread "Re Starfield,Redfall exclusivity powerful evidence against Xbox's Activision buyout"
You: Once again there are some truly pathetic and childish comments on here.
"I hope the deal goes through and then Microsoft and the studios fail!"
"I'd love it if this forced Microsoft to release Starfield on PlayStation!"
"I hope that the deal gets blocked but Sony get to keep all their exclusives!"
Some people seriously need to grow the **** up.
5) In this very thread...@Euno brings up Phil Spencer's "It's not our goal to take games away from players"
You troll "we believe in generations"
Just like when I brought up the FTC fining Microsoft $20 million (chump change for them), for multiple privacy breaches with children's Xbox microsoft accounts, all you could come up with was petty insults!
Funny how you keep clinging to your "I own all 3 systems" defence to cover your continual snarking at most things Sony game or hardware related (In your own previous comments on multiple threads),or trolling anyone that dares speak ill of Microsoft!
And yet apparently anyone who games on a playstation & discussing gaming topics on a Playstation centric website is inferior to YOUR opinion & can be instantly dismissed as a Sony worshipper!
You can like Xbox/Switch games, but it's laughable you claim other's of fanboying,when your very own posts show a clear bias of your own & trolling others when they dare oppose your views...projecting much?
Btw,have a PC too,but unlike you, been around long enough to have seen petulant Microsoft in the 90's make previous threats vs antitrust authorities getting in their way much as they are now.
But hey, don't let history & facts over Microsoft's monopolistic behaviour everywhere else they've been spoil your rose tinted glasses viewpoint of them!
Re: "We've Lost the Console Wars," Says Trillion Dollar Underdog Xbox
I'm assuming Microsoft's lawyers & corporates taking the witness box are carrying kittens & puppy dogs whilst playing sad songs testifying!😂
Of course "Gamer" Phil Spencer already had a pre-rehersal academy award performance with his infamous Kinda Funny Games appearance & his claims that "Starfield won't get people to sell their ps5's!", comments after the Redfall fiasco!🙄
They keep pointing to their lower console sales whilst ignoring their domination in the Windows PC market,their drive in that sector to push needing a Microsoft account just to login to your PC & switch off their data tracking preferences. (The same account used for Xbox & the MS Store)
Likewise it also ignores their ambitions to expand Gamepass & Xcloud streaming across PC & as many platforms as possible. All conveniently backed up by Microsoft's massive presence in the Azure market already!
The "we're the poor little indie 2.3 trillion dollar monopoly & need to buy all these AAA publishers & IP's as permanent exclusives to compete!" P.R. sob story would be laughable if not for the fact that so many places like the EU have fallen for it & their "ten year deals".
Almost as much as their equating the Bungie buyout as "equal" to Microsoft's buyouts of Zenimax Bethesda & now Activision Blizzard. They will hardly stop with Activision assuming they outlawyer the FTC in the courts.🙄
Re: Indiana Jones Game Deal Amended to Exclude PS5, PS4
@__jamiie "What a pathetic fanboy comment. You really need to grow up."
Says the person who thus far in this thread alone made THIRTEEN comments usually in defence of all things Microsoft!🙄😂
And that's before anyone clicking on your profile past comments finds similar insults at anyone that dare's post anything anti-Microsoft/XB narrative!
Maybe YOU should take a bit of your own advice! 😋😉
Re: Indiana Jones Game Deal Amended to Exclude PS5, PS4
Microsoft lawyers to FTC/EU & CMA & social media campaign last several months... "Sony pays $$ to keep games off Rent(Game)Pass/XB!!😱😬
Also Microsoft: Right,cancel any ps5 versions of Indy,Elder Scrolls VI,Starfield,Redwall,& any other ones the rest of Zenimax were working on!
Bethesda: Um,we had a Disney contract that was multiplatform!🤔🤯
Microsoft/Gamer Phil Spencer: Pay 'em extra, & that'll fix it!! Mwhahaha!!
Funny how despite his corporate friendly "Gaming for all!" public persona,time & again Microsoft have been guilty of projecting & engaging in the very behaviour they like to label their biggest direct competition of doing!!🙄😂
Re: Starfield, Redfall Exclusivity 'Powerful Evidence' Against Xbox's Activision Buyout, Claims FTC
@arsmolinarc Not to mention the usually pro XB Peter Hines of Bethesda PR was super positive about Bethesda taking advantage of the Dualsense tech which they had pre launch dev kits & its uses for stuff like firing a bow for Elder Scrolls!
Wish the "But we offered 10 year deals for COD!", defence were shown up for the PR Stunt it is. None of the streaming platforms are in direct competition with Microsoft's offerings & if some leaks are to be believed the revenue goes entirely back to M$!🙄
As for Ninty,Activision/Bobby Kotick thought so little of the Switch market for COD revenue they haven't bothered with one since the Wii U!🙄
Who's to say post buyout like Zenimax,they retool a future update/expansion of Diablo IV into a separate Reaper of Souls type release & use it as an excuse to go PC/XB exclusive?
Snake oil "Gamer" Phil has talked a lot about "gaming for all",but the reality is they are using the corporate credit card to continually take previously 3rd party AAA publishers,& IP's off Playstation not continue on...then have the audacity to claim they're a poor struggling 2.3 trillion dollar indie who hasn't got a monopoly in Windows,Office,Azure,A.I & other areas & couldn't possibly compete against big bad monopoly Sony without COD....whilst also claiming Sony could easily make their own COD but 69 billion says they're incapable of doing the same!🙄
Re: PS Plus Premium Has a 'Bigger Share' of Subscribers than PS Plus Extra, Says Sony
Whilst Mr Maguire's patting himself on the back for PS Premium,there's a few caveats I would like to add about the service...
1) Playstation promised at launch that the Premium/PS Now streaming would be expanded to more territories,whilst PS Deluxe in non streaming regions would see an expanding library of psp,PS1 & PS2 Classics get added monthly. The Premium regional expansions have been few & far between,so still a Deluxe region here.
2) There has been zero "new" PS2 Classic additions since the original PS2 Classics on PS4 program. Most of those PS2 Classics are listed on PSN as having compatibility issues when running on PS5. PS5 at least should have little problem running a very solid PS2 emulation. To not have the library of the biggest selling PS console available for purchase/subscription digitally seems bizarre.🤔
3) PSP/PS1 game library additions have again been few & far between. The third party support in particular has been rather disappointing. Just to rattle off examples,Alundra, Blood Omen Legacy of Kain,(& the others in the series),Dino Crisis 1 & 2,RE 2 & 3, Tomba,Adventures of Lomax, Colony Wars series, Theme Park,nevermind the countless RPG's!
It feels premature to be extolling the promises of being able to add streaming ps5 game purchases when you still haven't fulfilled expanding the Premium regional roll-out,nevermind the lack of additional Deluxe "Classics" library!
PS Extra is a solid enough,especially if you're the type of player who only has a casual indie gaming interest or would prefer to try before you buy them.
But the Deluxe/Premium tier has a lot of room for improvement!😕
Re: PS Plus Premium Will Allow for PS5 Game Streaming in Future Update
In theory expanding the ability to play your library sounds great. Wherein my expectations are tempered is Playstation promised on launch that the newly rejigged PS Premium would be soon expanded to more territories in the coming months,& in the meantime PS Deluxe would see an expanding library of psp,PS1 & PS2 Classics.
One year on & the expansion of territories carrying Premium/PS Now streaming has been few & far between,(Deluxe Territory here,still).
There has been zero "new" PS2 Classics added since the launch of Deluxe/Premium since the original PS2 Classics on PS4 range was discontinued. Most of those games are listed as having compatibility issues on PS5 in their PSN Store listings. That the library of the biggest selling console remains unavailable on PS5 which should be able to run a very solid emulation seems bizarre. 🤔
The PSP & PS1 additions have been few & far between. In particular the third party game support seems poor. Just to rattle off a few examples, where's the likes of Alundra, Blood Omen Legacy of Kain,(& the others in the series), Dino Crisis 1&2, RE 2 & 3 Classic,Tomba,Adventures of Lomax, Colony Wars,nevermind the RPG's!
At a time when XB is spending up the corporate credit card to permanently paywall IP's behind Gamepass,its a missed opportunity to get legacy game libraries opened up & give incentive subscribe or invest in those ecosystems.😕
Extra tier seems solid enough. Prefer to buy my indies over just subbing them...but the Deluxe/ Premium tiers need improvements.
Re: Indie Hit Rogue Legacy 2 Is Finally Coming to PS5, PS4 Later This Month
Was disappointed after the fun original to have seen this continually release everywhere else but PS! 😑 Still,better late than never! Never dared took on the "new game+" versions of the bosses, had enough hassles trying to survive the originals! 😱😅
Re: Round Up: What Was Announced at Capcom Showcase 2023?
Whilst the lack of any hoped for Dino Crisis remake is probably a disappointment, its a shame that there hasn't been at least an attempt to bring Dino Crisis 1 & 2 to the PS Classics range!😕
Still,as a fan of the Ace Attorney series,I'm equally shocked & happy to find most of them being available on ps4/5 gens. At this rate think what, maybe only the Miles Edgeworth ones (& the sequel was never officially translated),won't have been ported?
Likewise Ghost Trick was never widely available my neck ofvtge woods,so like the Sherlock Holmes inspired Ace Attorney game,it'll be a new experience to give it a go!
So maybe a bit of a let down for AAA releases, but great if you're a fan of the Ace Attorney games!👍
Re: Layoffs, Closures, and Cancellations as Embracer Group Undergoes Huge Restructure
Agree with other's sentiments that on one hand you have a parent company that resurrected the THQ label amongst assembling a range of IP's but has somehow had a bunch of underwhelming releases to show for it.
Highly anticipated remastets like Kingdoms of Amalur instead became "meh",ditto Red Faction series,& didn't they release that Saints Row reboot that seemingly lost its over the top edge & the Darksiders series was one of theirs too?🤔
Again,says a lot for games that had their fans in the ps3/360 eras but mostly been known for being mostly low grade ports or bland reboots!
Unfortunately in a day & age of consolidation i fear either IP sales to lord knows who to try make a quick buck back,& ruin it like Disney does or they reduce teams to smaller sizes & take the Take-two Grove Street Gajes approach to remasters & let A.i. bots spew out something akin to GTA "definitive edition remaster" quality!😕
Tomb Raider might be safe,but not so good forcany Legacy of Kain revival!