Interestingly, the only issue I’ve noticed so far on the PS5; occasional rapid flickering of dialogue text for a couple of moments, is the one fix not outlined in this patch.
As one of those 80s/90s gamers, I wholeheartedly agree.
Never has there been a greater bang for my buck in gaming than the era we've lived through from the 2010s through present day.
We can get warm and fuzzy about when we began gaming, I can enjoy those games now the moment I turn off the PS5, but there's no comparison at all in almost virtually every aspect.
I think a lot of it comes down to perceived entitlement. Many want the premium item immediately, but will only be happy if it’s somehow at a junk food price.
Just like every other consumer good, you either think it’s worth the asking price and buy it or you hold off until it reaches your personal sweet spot.
We’ve never had so many options across the board in terms of selection, sales/discounts, different versions, competition among platforms. It’s easier than ever to wait for that perfect price point because it comes extremely fast.
I’m in the small minority that doesn’t mind the price increase at all. I understand why it’s unpopular and of course we all want to pay as little as possible. Also understand I’m looking through the lens of US pricing and sales.
That being said, games drop in price and go on deep discounts quicker than they ever have.
Unless I feel like I can’t live without it for the moment, like Demon’s Souls, Cyberpunk, FFVII remake, and a few others this year, I rarely buy on day one because by the time I get around to playing the average game, it’s going to be 50-60% off and that’s within 6 months.
I’m very interested in Returnal. I’m interested in more games than I’m not usually, so I’m waiting more to having too many options rather than the price putting me off.
Since starting gaming at the end of the NES era and beginning of SNES/GEN and making my own purchases since the PS1/N64, I just can’t get worked up about the prices of games.
Even with the price increase, $70 in 2020 is still less than the $70-$80 I was paying for certain titles on the N64 from 1996-2000. Most games were $60 and you were not going to be able to buy them for $20-$30 within 4-6 months of launch like we see so commonly these days. Look at Watch Dogs. Can’t you already buy that game for like $40 in the digital store and it’s been out like a month?
I can see why someone who started gaming in 2013 sees the $70 game as something to knee jerk at and uprise against, but when you remember that price and sometimes even more 20-25 years ago as a tween, it’s not much to blink an eye at.
And that’s just my personal take, not intended to thumb my nose at anyone or come off as oblivious to everyone’s unique financial personal situation nor the simple fact that you can still find $70 to be too steep regardless.
I don’t disagree with Cerny saying this because I don’t think they’re lying when they say they have the data to prove that 825 was what they felt they could get away with. The problem is it’s simply not enough for a small subsection of gamers and it isn’t sitting well with them.
I have many external HDDs. I loaded up my 5TB with most of my PS4 games before I got my PS5. The issues the system is having with external storage made me experiment.
I learned that I don’t need more than the 825 GB SSD. I have Demon’s Souls, Miles Morales, Astro and Bugsnax on it for PS5 titles and a handful of PS4 titles which include The Last of Us 2 and Destiny chewing up almost 140 GB and I still have 187 GB presently free.
With my internet connection and unlimited data cap, it’s far quicker and easier for me to just download everything I want to play directly on the system storage and in the case of PS4 games, they’re going to perform better running off the SSD compared to an external HDD.
Even if I were not to preload Cyberpunk, it would take me only 20 minutes to download 100 GB. That’s nothing.
So the point is, he’s not wrong.
But not everyone has high speed uncapped internet available.
I’ve usually bought or played them by the time they show up on PS+. Doesn’t bother me at all because I buy the membership for $30 specifically for the discounts and online play. Anything else is just an added bonus for me.
We’re all in different situations and approach our gaming differently, but I can never get worked up about what PS+, Gold, GamePass, etc are offering because they’re curated services.
I would rather buy and play the games I want to play, instead of moaning about lackluster choices every month.
My PS5 has crashed multiple times and it’s always been when I’ve had an external HDD plugged in. Somewhat surprising to me that Sony hasn’t fixed this yet since we’re 3 weeks past launch.
Spot on. These are challenging, but not impossible games. They’re basically NES games at their core and for many modern gamers, this play style is no longer hardwired into them or they never experienced a game without constant checkpoints and tutorials.
I’m a rabid diehard Souls/Bloodborne fan, but I think any gamer can complete these with patience and learning from your mistakes.
@deathaxe Everything you say will likely come to to be, but in the end, none of these prices for games bother me at all.
Even without discounts, no taxes on digital, and the new gen price hike, I’m still paying less for games and getting more out of them than the average one during the SNES/N64 days. $70-$90 US for many games 25-30 years ago is far less than whatever is being charged these days.
Of course that’s a whole other topic.
I can see why physical still remains attractive, but I made the switch because anyone can see where it’s headed. It won’t be long before collecting physical games is just as niche as collecting VHS/DVD/even Blu-ray (I used to have thousands of films physically, then converted them all to files). I’m only getting older and amassing physical collections like that has lost its appeal for numerous reasons over the years.
Very happy with my digital PS5.
And considering how rapidly digital sales has grown year over year, I think nearly everyone will make the switch, even those grumbling now about quitting gaming if they can never have a physical disc to buy again.
If one is remotely savvy when it comes to the digital world, no one is paying more for digital versus physical at launch. It’s a wash at best, even when considering people snagging the physical copy of Cyberpunk off Amazon for $50.
Reputable and reliable sites like Raise sell PSN credit usually between 10-15% off. It’s not unusual for me to get my credit for 20% off.
Combine those savings with paying no tax in my state for digital purchases, if I feel the need to get a game on its launch, I’m paying no more than $60 game ($63-$65 depending on your state’s tax).
Or in the new generation, $60 versus $73-$76.
Been 100% digital on consoles for at least the past 7 years. It is a myth that digital gaming isn’t extremely cheap.
It all comes down to preference, but sooner or later, the only choice one will have is to go digital or give up gaming. Best to come to terms with it because it’s been a long time coming.
Hey, I know this is a year and a half after the fact, but your comment about this game really resonates with me.
I picked it up around Christmas last year and I only put in a couple of hours before putting it down until a week or so ago. I’m playing on Survival Mode and I’ve really fallen in love with this and your description of it really nails what I’m feeling.
Running around and finding these abandoned shacks and houses and filling the blanks to the backstory of the inhabitants is something I love in games.
Makes me happy to see others appreciate those same types of things and so many reviews with a number thrown at the end consistently fail to mention these things, only concerned with finishing a game as quickly as possible because of a deadline they’re on.
I understand the game is a long time coming, but how can one be a greedy parasite during the year of COVID? This game likely would have been out a month ago during normal times. The lack of patience has been pretty disturbing.
Comments 65
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Update 1.04 Available to Download Now, Here Are the Patch Notes
Interestingly, the only issue I’ve noticed so far on the PS5; occasional rapid flickering of dialogue text for a couple of moments, is the one fix not outlined in this patch.
Re: Soapbox: PS5 Pricing Is Setting Releases Like Returnal Up to Fail
@Coltaine22
As one of those 80s/90s gamers, I wholeheartedly agree.
Never has there been a greater bang for my buck in gaming than the era we've lived through from the 2010s through present day.
We can get warm and fuzzy about when we began gaming, I can enjoy those games now the moment I turn off the PS5, but there's no comparison at all in almost virtually every aspect.
Re: Soapbox: PS5 Pricing Is Setting Releases Like Returnal Up to Fail
@Robinsad
Fair points.
What do you think about the drastic difference in the amount of people working on the average game now versus then?
Re: Soapbox: PS5 Pricing Is Setting Releases Like Returnal Up to Fail
@God_of_Nowt
Really good post.
I think a lot of it comes down to perceived entitlement. Many want the premium item immediately, but will only be happy if it’s somehow at a junk food price.
Just like every other consumer good, you either think it’s worth the asking price and buy it or you hold off until it reaches your personal sweet spot.
We’ve never had so many options across the board in terms of selection, sales/discounts, different versions, competition among platforms. It’s easier than ever to wait for that perfect price point because it comes extremely fast.
Re: Soapbox: PS5 Pricing Is Setting Releases Like Returnal Up to Fail
I’m in the small minority that doesn’t mind the price increase at all. I understand why it’s unpopular and of course we all want to pay as little as possible. Also understand I’m looking through the lens of US pricing and sales.
That being said, games drop in price and go on deep discounts quicker than they ever have.
Unless I feel like I can’t live without it for the moment, like Demon’s Souls, Cyberpunk, FFVII remake, and a few others this year, I rarely buy on day one because by the time I get around to playing the average game, it’s going to be 50-60% off and that’s within 6 months.
I’m very interested in Returnal. I’m interested in more games than I’m not usually, so I’m waiting more to having too many options rather than the price putting me off.
Since starting gaming at the end of the NES era and beginning of SNES/GEN and making my own purchases since the PS1/N64, I just can’t get worked up about the prices of games.
Even with the price increase, $70 in 2020 is still less than the $70-$80 I was paying for certain titles on the N64 from 1996-2000. Most games were $60 and you were not going to be able to buy them for $20-$30 within 4-6 months of launch like we see so commonly these days. Look at Watch Dogs. Can’t you already buy that game for like $40 in the digital store and it’s been out like a month?
I can see why someone who started gaming in 2013 sees the $70 game as something to knee jerk at and uprise against, but when you remember that price and sometimes even more 20-25 years ago as a tween, it’s not much to blink an eye at.
And that’s just my personal take, not intended to thumb my nose at anyone or come off as oblivious to everyone’s unique financial personal situation nor the simple fact that you can still find $70 to be too steep regardless.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Is a Massive 102GB Download on PS4
@NEStalgia
I don’t disagree with Cerny saying this because I don’t think they’re lying when they say they have the data to prove that 825 was what they felt they could get away with. The problem is it’s simply not enough for a small subsection of gamers and it isn’t sitting well with them.
I have many external HDDs. I loaded up my 5TB with most of my PS4 games before I got my PS5. The issues the system is having with external storage made me experiment.
I learned that I don’t need more than the 825 GB SSD. I have Demon’s Souls, Miles Morales, Astro and Bugsnax on it for PS5 titles and a handful of PS4 titles which include The Last of Us 2 and Destiny chewing up almost 140 GB and I still have 187 GB presently free.
With my internet connection and unlimited data cap, it’s far quicker and easier for me to just download everything I want to play directly on the system storage and in the case of PS4 games, they’re going to perform better running off the SSD compared to an external HDD.
Even if I were not to preload Cyberpunk, it would take me only 20 minutes to download 100 GB. That’s nothing.
So the point is, he’s not wrong.
But not everyone has high speed uncapped internet available.
Re: Feature: Best PS5, PS4 Music of November 2020
Astro’s Playroom hands down for me.
SSD Speedway is everything.
Re: Poll: Do You Actually Play Your PS Plus Games?
I’ve usually bought or played them by the time they show up on PS+. Doesn’t bother me at all because I buy the membership for $30 specifically for the discounts and online play. Anything else is just an added bonus for me.
We’re all in different situations and approach our gaming differently, but I can never get worked up about what PS+, Gold, GamePass, etc are offering because they’re curated services.
I would rather buy and play the games I want to play, instead of moaning about lackluster choices every month.
Re: Spider-Man: Miles Morales Crashing Not a Risk to Your PS5, Dev Clarifies
My PS5 has crashed multiple times and it’s always been when I’ve had an external HDD plugged in. Somewhat surprising to me that Sony hasn’t fixed this yet since we’re 3 weeks past launch.
Re: Soapbox: Demon's Souls' Difficulty Shouldn't Deter You from Playing PS5's Best Game
Spot on. These are challenging, but not impossible games. They’re basically NES games at their core and for many modern gamers, this play style is no longer hardwired into them or they never experienced a game without constant checkpoints and tutorials.
I’m a rabid diehard Souls/Bloodborne fan, but I think any gamer can complete these with patience and learning from your mistakes.
Re: Soapbox: PS5 Is Pushing Me Ever Closer to All-Digital
@deathaxe Everything you say will likely come to to be, but in the end, none of these prices for games bother me at all.
Even without discounts, no taxes on digital, and the new gen price hike, I’m still paying less for games and getting more out of them than the average one during the SNES/N64 days. $70-$90 US for many games 25-30 years ago is far less than whatever is being charged these days.
Of course that’s a whole other topic.
I can see why physical still remains attractive, but I made the switch because anyone can see where it’s headed. It won’t be long before collecting physical games is just as niche as collecting VHS/DVD/even Blu-ray (I used to have thousands of films physically, then converted them all to files). I’m only getting older and amassing physical collections like that has lost its appeal for numerous reasons over the years.
Very happy with my digital PS5.
And considering how rapidly digital sales has grown year over year, I think nearly everyone will make the switch, even those grumbling now about quitting gaming if they can never have a physical disc to buy again.
Re: Soapbox: PS5 Is Pushing Me Ever Closer to All-Digital
@Mpquikster
If one is remotely savvy when it comes to the digital world, no one is paying more for digital versus physical at launch. It’s a wash at best, even when considering people snagging the physical copy of Cyberpunk off Amazon for $50.
Reputable and reliable sites like Raise sell PSN credit usually between 10-15% off. It’s not unusual for me to get my credit for 20% off.
Combine those savings with paying no tax in my state for digital purchases, if I feel the need to get a game on its launch, I’m paying no more than $60 game ($63-$65 depending on your state’s tax).
Or in the new generation, $60 versus $73-$76.
Been 100% digital on consoles for at least the past 7 years. It is a myth that digital gaming isn’t extremely cheap.
It all comes down to preference, but sooner or later, the only choice one will have is to go digital or give up gaming. Best to come to terms with it because it’s been a long time coming.
Re: Shadow Complex Remastered Is Now Fully Playable via PS5 Backwards Compatibility
So happy to see this is BC. It was the one game I was truly gutted about not being there on that original list.
Now on to Joe’s Diner!
Re: Soapbox: Days Gone Is the Biggest 180 I've Ever Done on a Video Game
@grbolivar
Hey, I know this is a year and a half after the fact, but your comment about this game really resonates with me.
I picked it up around Christmas last year and I only put in a couple of hours before putting it down until a week or so ago. I’m playing on Survival Mode and I’ve really fallen in love with this and your description of it really nails what I’m feeling.
Running around and finding these abandoned shacks and houses and filling the blanks to the backstory of the inhabitants is something I love in games.
Makes me happy to see others appreciate those same types of things and so many reviews with a number thrown at the end consistently fail to mention these things, only concerned with finishing a game as quickly as possible because of a deadline they’re on.
Re: Cyberpunk 2077 Dev 'Not Comfortable, but Confident' in December Release Date
I understand the game is a long time coming, but how can one be a greedy parasite during the year of COVID? This game likely would have been out a month ago during normal times. The lack of patience has been pretty disturbing.