@TrollOfWar I agree with you about PCs being more flexible and customizable than consoles but I think ‘plug and play’ is a big part of the appeal of consoles.
I think that classic 'plug and play' benefit for consoles is gone (unless you game on Switch 1 or Evercade). You need to connect your console to the internet, you need have an account, you need to install games you purchase on discs, many modern games don't fit on a disc so they often need to be downloaded from the internet, you need to download system updates, game updates and controller updates. You need a subscription to play online and store your save games in the cloud. Some games let you choose between "quality" and "performance" mode. You need to disassemble your PS5's cover plate and choose the right SSD it you want to expand the storage. Consoles have been slowly becoming more PC-like over the last 10 years.
That is why so many rival storefronts have had problems getting traction against Steam though all offer free access and some hand out free games periodically.
I think it's a benefit for PC players if they have several storefronts to choose from where they buy their games.
Another big part of the appeal of consoles is the subsidized hardware. While consoles are pricier than ever and thats bad, the problem is the skyrocketing price of computer components.
Yes, initial costs are higher for gaming PCs than for consoles in many western countries.
But PCs are cheaper in countries like China, Brazil, India. And with Steam's regional pricing games on PC are much cheaper than on the PlayStation store in regions like Argentina and Turkey.
Many people buy a PC for work, school and gaming, so in those cases PC gaming is the cheaper option.
@TrollOfWar you would say that already released Accessibility controller is not patented by Sony? And anyone can make such copy-cat design? I doubt that.
I believe Sony also has a patent on the PlayStation Access adaptive controller.
Accessibility peripherals are usually already quite expensive, which is making them often unaffordable for people who are already struggling to get a job. If no name hardware manufacturers could create cheaper copy-cat products then yes I am totally for it, because the option for cheaper accessibility peripherals is more important than the profit margin of large corporations.
Nnnnnope, absolutely dumb idea. There is no better feeling than smashing those buttons or aiming with the analag sticks - that cannot be replaced. It would feel like emulating on a phone.
Maybe Sony is aiming to capture that Gen Z audience who grew up playing on smartphones and has no clue how a controller with actual buttons works. 😄
This is a fairly weak patent. Mobile games and streaming services like Xcloud had this feature for several years on touchscreens. Apple MacBooks used to have a customizable touchscreen bar above the keyboard and there are several programmable touchscreen keyboards. I wouldn't call the idea something Sony invented.
Regarding customizable controller layouts, Turtle Beach (Stealth Pivot Wireless) and Thrustmaster (ESwap Pro) already have a controller which allows you to do that.
Also, as the article is describing this as an "accessibility needs" feature, I personally think it's wrong to lock accessibility features behind a patent unless they plan to make it available for free for any hardware manufacturer.
@DKG-85 PC is more flexible and customizable than a console. It offers a lot of freedoms where consoles are very restricted.
You have the option of multiple digital store fronts from where you can buy games (or even get them for free) like Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Microsoft Store, Itch.io, etc.
There is no fee for online gaming and cloud saves on PC.
You can customize game settings for graphics to fit your needs and use mods to add more. For example, someone created a VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077. If you only have a PS5 and PSVR2, you cannot play that.
As already mentioned above you can connect any controller (Xbox, DualSense, Steam Controller, third-party) to a PC. It's also well known, that mouse and keyboard are more effective in strategy games, shooters (where aiming is quicker and more precise) and MMO RPGs (where you need multiple shortcuts and a keyboard if you want to quickly type a message).
Physical media is not what it used to be: If you for example have The Crew, Anthem or Concord on a physical disc, you wont be able to play them. The more games require an online connection the less future proof they are. Also it's becoming a trend where only a small part of the game is included on the disc and everything else is downloaded from the internet. This is due to the growing size of games and the limits of blu-ray discs. You also see similar problems with the Nintendo Switch 2 key cards.
People treat PC like it's some kind of complex platform, but with time and patience you learn that it's fairly easy and PC gaming has been becoming easier over the last decade with automated updates and games auto-detecting your hardware.
@Naughtyottsel92 I guess it's obvious that most people don't want to have to buy 2 expensive consoles which have similar specs and capabilities, play 90% of the same games, with the only big difference being the "exclusives".
That's why people would prefer to be able to play all games on the console of their choice.
I believe the bigger story here is, that PC has 80% compared to PS5 40%. Less than half of the developers are interested in developing games for consoles. The Steam Deck also has 40% despite having sold less than PS5.
Around 15 years ago PC gaming was deemed "dead", now it's the future of gaming. No surprise Microsoft is moving their Xbox business to PC.
So why didn’t Sony wait for the release of Marathon, with a campaign featuring that game? Or GTA6?
Maybe because production and operational costs are rising, but the PS5 playerbase isn't growing faster than the PS4 generation.
The main problem is that in past console generations the prices would decrease over time, making them more affordable. This generation they are going up.
@Questionable_Duck Maybe because Xbox developers are now allowed to freely express their intentions of releasing their games on PlayStation and they want to promote those legacy Xbox franchises to players who are unfamiliar with them
There are probably also PlayStation developers who would like to release their games on Xbox (like Insomniac or Housemarque who previously released games on Xbox) but most likely Sony doesn't allow such statements.
@StitchJones Because it's easy for small indie studios to take a game engine like Unreal or CryEngine, which offer robust lighting by default, combined with some high resolution assets and texture packs from some 3D asset store, while facial animation requires expensive motion capture equipment which not many studios can afford.
@IronCrow86 It would be nice for players on Xbox, if PlayStation would release more of their 1st party games on Xbox, but of course many people in the PlayStation fanbse wouldn't want that. The more people can enjoy good games on their favorite devices the better for everyone.
Unfortunately some people are still stuck in the "console war" mentalities where they think that Xbox is directly competing with PlayStation.
I got the 2020 Sony TV model X950H, after owning an LG OLED TV which got burn-in (during a 2 year period) and LG customer service was horrible. I like the Sony TV and I would have chosen the brand again for a future TV, but now I'm not sure if TCL can keep up the same production quality.
I'm genuinely curious. Are people actually interested in this game? I haven't heard any hype for this game, and I'm on this website every day.
The many players on this website mostly care for single player games, not multiplayer live-services, so Marathon will not meet their taste. They would rather prefer if Bungie and Sony would spend the time and money on developing some cinematic single player shooter.
While the initial reveal trailer of Marathon had some big hype due to the strong art style, some of the closed betas were met with skepticism. I played one of those closed betas last year, I enjoyed it but I would probably only buy it if my friends would play it as well.
@Dogbreath I agree with what you are saying now. I'm also baffled how some people "preorder" digital games, as if there is a risk of not being able to download the game otherwise, and buy unnecessarily overpriced Deluxe editions with no meaningful additional content.
It's really hard to define the "correct" price of a game. It will be always compared on lenght, visuals, features, quality to other games. Publishers think the price should reflect the time and money which was spent on creating the game.
Tomb Raider is multiple generations behind Uncharted 4. It has been dated and degraded by time.
I know, I wanted to use a strong contrast. I think everyone has their expectations to how prices should drop, but there's no defined rule. It's common knowledge that Nintendo games hardly drop in price, and some PlayStation games (Marvel's Spide-Man, Days Gone) keep their initial price over many years (excluding special discounts).
Unlike a car, there is no wear and tear. Actually games get better over time due to patches.
Imagine a car that at one year old was still in showroom condition, zero miles, but the engine had grown more powerful and the seats had changed from textile to leather.
The comparison between games and cars doesn't quite work, as in case of games (similar to books and movies) selling a duplicate of the work is much cheaper than when you sell a duplicate of a physical car.
People don't consume a car. Cars are more expensive than games so people buy or lease a car and hope to use it for 3+ years. Cars are necessary means of transportation in our society and the manufacturing of a car is expensive.
Games are basically created/developed once (except live-services) and sold as cheap copies. They are meant to be played/consumed. Once you finished a game, you are thinking about playing something else (probably a new game). So if a game doesn't attract new buyers (due to newer games being more popular) with it's original price, then the price of that game can be easily lowered, as copies are inexpensive.
Imagine if Tomb Raider (1996) had the same price as Uncharted 4.
I think this reduction in price is more about lower than expected initial sales numbers of Avowed across PC and Xbox with the standard price, and seeing the success of games like Clair Obscur, Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2 with a lower price.
Other games like Halo Infinite, Indiana Jones, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, Deathloop, Sea of Thieves are listed at their original release prices (except during time limited special discounts).
@Oram77 I’d be interested to see if any Xbox-derived games will enter PS+, it might not be contractually possible. But fingers crossed!
There were already cases of Microsoft-owned games like Psychonauts 2, Minecraft Dungeons, Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo being available on PS Plus Essentials or Extra, so everything is possible.
for the love of gaming please stop announcing your games so flipp'n early. It doesn't help anyone, and only puts even more pressure on the dev team to crunch and get the game out as soon as possible
I think it's not an easy decision when to announce a game and several factors can delay the planned timeline.
Sometimes from the platform's perspective it makes sense to reveal early projects to generate hype for a future game (like Zelda on GameCube, FF7 Remake on PS3, Metroid Prime 4 on Switch, Starfield, Hellblade 2, Halo Infinite and Fable on Xbox). Many people will buy a console just on that promise of a game. It keeps interest in the platform up.
Often times the projects might be impacted by mismanagement, key roles leaving the project, studios changing or external events like the pandemic.
In this case I think it's rather the first case where the PlayStation playerbase is craving to see what Naughty Dog's next game is. They released 2 games and a standalone expansion during the PS4 generation, but nothing noteworthy this generation.
@TrollOfWar but then Sony would be devaluing its product to the point that Xbox has now been. There is literally no point in buying Xbox’s anymore when you can get the games anywhere
Well, I guess, if Sony cares more about the perceived PlayStation brand value, then it's better for Sony to bleed money on keeping the Naughty Dog studio alive for several years without any major output, and hopefully their next game is successful enough to secure the studio's future.
Japan felt out of love with Sony's offerings ever since 1) Japan Studio was shuttered and 2) the Vita was stabbed in the back.
They're going to need another handheld "Monster Hunter" moment to gain any traction again.
I remember reading an article that Japan never really perceived Sony as a gaming brand on the same level as Nintendo and Sega. Sony has always been known to be a hardware brand in Japan.
PlayStation became popular in Japan because of the games from other publishers like Square Enix, Capcom, Namco, Konami, Atlus, with many games being exclusive to PlayStation hardware. Nowadays those publishers are releasing on multiple platforms including PC and Switch/2.
Sony might need to acquire one of thr big Japanese game publisher if they want to be more relevant in Japan, but the question is what business value would such an acquisition bring them?
Without having been to Japan myself, I guess PlayStation currently doesn't offer what Japanese players want and need.
Some of them play games on PC, smartphones and Nintendo Switch/2. Their basic gaming needs are covered, as they can play smaller games on mobile/handheld out of home, and PC at home. I remember some articles about Japanese players asking for FF16 to release on PC. A PS5 would be just an expensive purchase for most of them, only to play a few exclusive titles. But even those exclusive, won't have the same attraction as in previous generations if those games are aimed at a western audience and the Japanese players are invested in endless live-service games.
Would be interesting though to see how a PlayStation handheld would do in Japan.
@TrollOfWar or Xbox gamers could just get a PS.. 🤣
That's the thing, those on Xbox or Nintendo, maybe if they wanted, they already could have gotten a PS5, but they are happy with the systems which they already have.
Now, from Sony/PlayStation's business prespective: They have this big, expensive game studio, located in Santa Monica, California, which apart from a few remasters hasn't released anything new in the past 5 years and will not release anything for the next 1.5 years. So, with nothing new to sell to the current PlayStation and PC playerbase, the easiest approach would be to make their old games available on platforms, where they weren't before, if the studio needs to be profitable and generate revenue.
Maybe they can make some quick money by releasing some of their older games like Uncharted and The Last of Us on Switch 2 and Xbox. That would help to take some pressure off from the Sony management. 😉
Hopefully Starfield arrives soon on PlayStation, so more people can play it.
Also I hope they can improve the loadings and space exploration part. I understand that their game engine has its limits, but a game set in space needs to have satisfying travel and exploration mechanics.
Kepler Interactive published Expedition 33. Other games which they published are Tchia, Sifu, Pacific Drive, Scorn, Ultros. Some of those games are considered "indie". It's similar to Annapurna Interactive which usually also publishes "indie" games, where the developers might not have the means to self-publish.
The PS5 and PC title will launch with a price tag of $39.99 / €39.99 / £34.99, which the developer assures will entitle all players to "a roadmap of free updates as the year progresses".
What do you mean by that? Pretty much all 3rd party games sell better on PlayStation due to the larger install base
The context was about "Battlefield 6 compared to Call of Duty Black Ops 7". Battlefield 6 most likely sold better on Xbox than Call of Duty Black Ops 7.
But in general terms (which is what I was talking about), I think Sony are less interested in paying 3rd parties for exclusivity these days (after the self implosion of Xbox).
Well, Sony/PlayStation still need 3rd party exclusives to promote the PS5 console, no matter what Xbox does, as the output from their internal studios has been somewhat low in recent years. There are still many people buying a new PS5 based on the games which get promoted via the exclusivity deals.
I am starting to wonder whether in cases like this there is an actual 'deal' in place with Sony, or if it is self imposed to try to generate more sales.
I don't think it makes sense for the developers to self-impose an "exclusivity". What would they gain from that? Just saying it's "exclusives to PlayStation for 12 months" doesn't generate more sales. There are many examples like Forspoken, Final Fantasy 16, Babylon's Fall, Godfall, Lost Souls Aside where the PS5 exclusivity didn't result in a bigger success. Plus Sony wouldn't be needed to disclose that the game is exclusive for 12 months. The developers could have just said that they have no plans for other platforms.
They have a deal. Even marketing the game costs a lot of money which the developers are most likely happy to get funded by Sony/PlayStation.
Also, if the game becomes a big success, it would make sense to expand to other platforms like Xbox and Nintendo. A self-imposed exclusivity would unnecessarily limit them. If the developers decide to change plans and release on other consoles sooner, would Sony be able to sue them, even if the exclusivity is self-imposed? Could Sony be sued due to false advertising, as some might prefer to buy the game on a different console and were lead to believe that the game is exclusive to 12 months?
If the devs are having difficulties scaling it down to Series S, and particularly Switch 2, coupled with potential low sales on Xbox, its perfectly plausible that they are the ones imposing console exclusivity (and will work on Series S / S2 if even possible in the meantime) - in order to try and drive higher sales / coverage on PS5.
Based on Digital Foundry's hands-on preview from Gamescom 2025, Phantom Blade Zero (unlike Black Myth: Wukong) doesn't use Unreal Engine 5's Lumen and Nanite to save on resources and offer a smooth performance. The game could definitely run on an Xbox Series S if the developers wanted it. Wuchnag: Fallen Feathers is another similar UE5 game, which released on all platforms and runs fairly well Xbox Series S.
Or, maybe this is an 'old' deal with Sony - but it doesn't seem as likely that Sony would have 'inked' a recent deal for this game for just console exclusivity (maybe if said deal kept it off PC too, I could see a point).
Apparently, according to Wikipedia, the game has been in development since 2017, so Sony/PlayStation definitely had enough time to strike a deal with the developers.
Perhaps they wanted the exclusivity to have the Sony marketing behind it. People pay attention when Sony markets games.
Battlefield 6 destroying COD this year is a good example. I know casual gamers who got BF6 through marketing alone.
Maybe because Battlefield 6 is generally a better game than Call of Duty Black Ops 7. It also sold better on Xbox than COD, it's unrelated to any Sony marketing deals.
@get2sammyb That's the funny thing, people still think that Xbox is competing with PlayStation in the console business. But as Microsoft signed the deal on the Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition, that was the point where Microsoft executives put a lot more focus on Xbox and started shifting their gaming strategy. Those "just 4 games" was only the first step. That "spending PlayStation out of business" was just a mad email by Matt Booty from 2019, I don't think it was a general strategy pursued by the Xbox leadership, otherwise they wouldn't have honored the Sony contracts with Bethesda and allowed Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo to stay PlayStation exclusive.
Since Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014, Microsoft has emphasized working with companies and technologies with which Microsoft also competes, including Apple, Salesforce, IBM, Dropbox and Sony. They also closely embrace Linux.
Xbox being now a close business partner for PlayStation reflects Microsoft's broader strategy under Nadella.
Whatever is true, Activision and Microsoft should really rethink the franchise, as Black Ops 7 wasn't that good. It is a game designed by committee with no clear focus.
We're past the pandemic where people were spending more time gaming and with things getting more expensive, the players are spending less money in-game and they demand better quality for their money. So the question is, how can Activision reduce the production costs qnd improve the offering while still keeping the franchise "relevant"?
Personally I would suggest to split the multiplayer and single-player offering and release new campaigns every 2 years. Reduce the team sizes and allow them to be more autonomous. But even that suggestions has it's flaws as some people only buy the games when it's a full package (campaign, multiplayer, zombies mode, etc.). But it's not my job to solve Activision's problems. 😄
I still don't understand why they aren't including the multiplayer.... I know people will point at Infinite as the reason, but we all know this MP would pop off way more.
The problem is that just remastering Halo 1's multiplayer wouldn't hold up well to today's standards. According to reports Halo Studios is working on a new stand-alone multiplayer Halo game, which maybe isn't that far in development to have it release at the same time as the Halo 1 campaign.
I think Halo Infinite's multiplayer should have released on PlayStation long ago, but I guess that is unlikely now that the studio has winded down the development support on that game.
@GamingGod
Was Halo mp particularly decent or something?. Being on PS since the 90s I can’t say I ever tried it
Halo's multiplayer kind of modernized and established competitive multiplayer on consoles long before Call of Duty was a thing. People used to have local network parties with multiple consoles because the Halo games were so much fun. "Blood Gulch" was a standout map as it was large enough to allowed both vehicular and on-foot combat. Battlefield 1942 was another game of such a scale, but it released a year later and was PC exclusive.
Halo 2 was one of the first online competitive shooters on Xbox and it introduced an engaging multiplayer leveling progression which is still found in multiplayer games nowadays.
The Halo games were similar milestone for console FPS games like GoldenEye 007 on N64 was.
I finished (and uninstalled) Black Ops 7 a few days ago. Functionally it's not bad, but there are so many stupid and conflicting game design decisions. No wonder it sold poorly where you have better alternatives like Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders.
The campaign's plot is just a long drig trip, with many references to previous Black Ops games. The campaign gameplay is supposed to be an online coop experience, but it jumps around between linear levels, the open world map and awkward boss fights. The thing is, the number of enemies scales based on the number of players, so the game is actually easier if you're playing alone. I also hate this RPG trend where enemies and your weapons have a level and enemies are bullet sponges. I don't know, maybe something similar to Ghost Recon Wildlands would have been more fitting for the campaign.
The multiplayer is typical Call of Duty with twitch reactions and sweaty players. It's good mindless fun, works well enough. But I was surprised to already encounter a cheater in my second match giving perfect headshots from behind walls. Luckily other matches weren't so bad. But I guess I would rather play something else like Halo Infinite or Titanfall 2 instead.
I played a round of zombies. It's fine if you have friends to play it with.
All in all Black Ops 7 feels like an unfocused mess. It tries to do too many things at the same time. It also has such a confusing, messy navigation menu, as if it's stiched together from different games. It feels like the game is desperately fighting to stop you having fun.
Comments 347
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@Carnage
I think that classic 'plug and play' benefit for consoles is gone (unless you game on Switch 1 or Evercade). You need to connect your console to the internet, you need have an account, you need to install games you purchase on discs, many modern games don't fit on a disc so they often need to be downloaded from the internet, you need to download system updates, game updates and controller updates. You need a subscription to play online and store your save games in the cloud. Some games let you choose between "quality" and "performance" mode. You need to disassemble your PS5's cover plate and choose the right SSD it you want to expand the storage. Consoles have been slowly becoming more PC-like over the last 10 years.
I think it's a benefit for PC players if they have several storefronts to choose from where they buy their games.
Yes, initial costs are higher for gaming PCs than for consoles in many western countries.
But PCs are cheaper in countries like China, Brazil, India. And with Steam's regional pricing games on PC are much cheaper than on the PlayStation store in regions like Argentina and Turkey.
Many people buy a PC for work, school and gaming, so in those cases PC gaming is the cheaper option.
Re: New PlayStation Patent Could Let You Put Controller Buttons Where You Want
@REALAIS
I believe Sony also has a patent on the PlayStation Access adaptive controller.
My point is that, despite all the negativity EA gets, they at least make their accessibility pantents free to use for everyone else.
See: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ea-makes-eight-new-accessibility-patents-free-to-all
Accessibility peripherals are usually already quite expensive, which is making them often unaffordable for people who are already struggling to get a job. If no name hardware manufacturers could create cheaper copy-cat products then yes I am totally for it, because the option for cheaper accessibility peripherals is more important than the profit margin of large corporations.
Re: New PlayStation Patent Could Let You Put Controller Buttons Where You Want
@BloodyBlact
Maybe Sony is aiming to capture that Gen Z audience who grew up playing on smartphones and has no clue how a controller with actual buttons works. 😄
Re: New PlayStation Patent Could Let You Put Controller Buttons Where You Want
This is a fairly weak patent. Mobile games and streaming services like Xcloud had this feature for several years on touchscreens. Apple MacBooks used to have a customizable touchscreen bar above the keyboard and there are several programmable touchscreen keyboards. I wouldn't call the idea something Sony invented.
Regarding customizable controller layouts, Turtle Beach (Stealth Pivot Wireless) and Thrustmaster (ESwap Pro) already have a controller which allows you to do that.
Also, as the article is describing this as an "accessibility needs" feature, I personally think it's wrong to lock accessibility features behind a patent unless they plan to make it available for free for any hardware manufacturer.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@DKG-85 PC is more flexible and customizable than a console. It offers a lot of freedoms where consoles are very restricted.
People treat PC like it's some kind of complex platform, but with time and patience you learn that it's fairly easy and PC gaming has been becoming easier over the last decade with automated updates and games auto-detecting your hardware.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 618
Sea of Thieves
Cathedral on Evercade
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@Naughtyottsel92 I guess it's obvious that most people don't want to have to buy 2 expensive consoles which have similar specs and capabilities, play 90% of the same games, with the only big difference being the "exclusives".
That's why people would prefer to be able to play all games on the console of their choice.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@Naughtyottsel92
Maybe some people would like to play games on their preferred device of choice.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
I believe the bigger story here is, that PC has 80% compared to PS5 40%. Less than half of the developers are interested in developing games for consoles. The Steam Deck also has 40% despite having sold less than PS5.
Around 15 years ago PC gaming was deemed "dead", now it's the future of gaming. No surprise Microsoft is moving their Xbox business to PC.
Re: Sony's Sending Messages to PS4 Players Encouraging Them to Upgrade to PS5
@Max_the_German
Maybe because production and operational costs are rising, but the PS5 playerbase isn't growing faster than the PS4 generation.
The main problem is that in past console generations the prices would decrease over time, making them more affordable. This generation they are going up.
Re: 'How Can We Bring Our Games to the Largest Audience Possible?': Playground Explains Fable PS5 Release
@Questionable_Duck Maybe because Xbox developers are now allowed to freely express their intentions of releasing their games on PlayStation and they want to promote those legacy Xbox franchises to players who are unfamiliar with them
There are probably also PlayStation developers who would like to release their games on Xbox (like Insomniac or Housemarque who previously released games on Xbox) but most likely Sony doesn't allow such statements.
Re: Captivating Historical Italian Adventure Becomes PS5 Console Exclusive to 'Deliver the Best Experience'
@StitchJones Because it's easy for small indie studios to take a game engine like Unreal or CryEngine, which offer robust lighting by default, combined with some high resolution assets and texture packs from some 3D asset store, while facial animation requires expensive motion capture equipment which not many studios can afford.
Re: 'We Want to Honour the Halo Legacy on PlayStation': Xbox on Halo's PS5 Remake
@IronCrow86 It would be nice for players on Xbox, if PlayStation would release more of their 1st party games on Xbox, but of course many people in the PlayStation fanbse wouldn't want that. The more people can enjoy good games on their favorite devices the better for everyone.
Unfortunately some people are still stuck in the "console war" mentalities where they think that Xbox is directly competing with PlayStation.
Re: The End of an Era: Sony Spins Off Iconic Television Business
I got the 2020 Sony TV model X950H, after owning an LG OLED TV which got burn-in (during a 2 year period) and LG customer service was horrible. I like the Sony TV and I would have chosen the brand again for a future TV, but now I'm not sure if TCL can keep up the same production quality.
Re: 'Could You Tell at the Time?': Ex-Producer Defends BioWare's Decision to Make ANTHEM
The comment on the original VGC article from someone who claims to have worked at EA at the time has a different opinion than what Darrah thinks https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-bioware-exec-hits-out-at-suggestions-that-it-should-never-have-made-anthem-in-the-first-place/#comment-96116
Re: GTA 6 Dev Rockstar North Cordoned Off After Reported Explosion
I remember passing the Rockstar office 6 years ago on a city trip to Edinburgh.
Re: Marathon's PS5 Release Date Looks Like It's Leaked
@B_Lindz
The many players on this website mostly care for single player games, not multiplayer live-services, so Marathon will not meet their taste. They would rather prefer if Bungie and Sony would spend the time and money on developing some cinematic single player shooter.
While the initial reveal trailer of Marathon had some big hype due to the strong art style, some of the closed betas were met with skepticism. I played one of those closed betas last year, I enjoyed it but I would probably only buy it if my friends would play it as well.
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
@Dogbreath I agree with what you are saying now. I'm also baffled how some people "preorder" digital games, as if there is a risk of not being able to download the game otherwise, and buy unnecessarily overpriced Deluxe editions with no meaningful additional content.
It's really hard to define the "correct" price of a game. It will be always compared on lenght, visuals, features, quality to other games. Publishers think the price should reflect the time and money which was spent on creating the game.
I know, I wanted to use a strong contrast. I think everyone has their expectations to how prices should drop, but there's no defined rule. It's common knowledge that Nintendo games hardly drop in price, and some PlayStation games (Marvel's Spide-Man, Days Gone) keep their initial price over many years (excluding special discounts).
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
@Dogbreath
The comparison between games and cars doesn't quite work, as in case of games (similar to books and movies) selling a duplicate of the work is much cheaper than when you sell a duplicate of a physical car.
People don't consume a car. Cars are more expensive than games so people buy or lease a car and hope to use it for 3+ years. Cars are necessary means of transportation in our society and the manufacturing of a car is expensive.
Games are basically created/developed once (except live-services) and sold as cheap copies. They are meant to be played/consumed. Once you finished a game, you are thinking about playing something else (probably a new game). So if a game doesn't attract new buyers (due to newer games being more popular) with it's original price, then the price of that game can be easily lowered, as copies are inexpensive.
Imagine if Tomb Raider (1996) had the same price as Uncharted 4.
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
I think this reduction in price is more about lower than expected initial sales numbers of Avowed across PC and Xbox with the standard price, and seeing the success of games like Clair Obscur, Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2 with a lower price.
Other games like Halo Infinite, Indiana Jones, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, Deathloop, Sea of Thieves are listed at their original release prices (except during time limited special discounts).
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
@Hyena_socks
There were already cases of Microsoft-owned games like Psychonauts 2, Minecraft Dungeons, Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo being available on PS Plus Essentials or Extra, so everything is possible.
Re: Sony Needs to Move Mountains to Get Samson: A Tyndalston Story on PS5
The main character looks like 2007 Sam Fisher from the early Splinter Cell Conviction videos.
Re: The Witcher 3 Really Could Be Getting a New Expansion on PS5 in 2026
Might finally give me the reason to start playing the game.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 614
Tomb Raider 2, Final Fight and Alwa's Awakening on Evercade.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 613
NORCO
Tomb Raider 2
1944: The Loop Master
And maybe Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 612
@Cvantez i haven't finished NORCO yet, I'm just in act 2, but it's truly a unique experience. It reminds me a lot of Kentucky Route Zero.
Re: 'Sony's Never Experienced This Phenomenon Before': PS5 Smash Hit Gran Turismo 7 Getting Stronger Over Time
Great game. I bet it would find additional success on PC as well.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 612
Mega Man
NORCO
Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra
Earthworm Jim 2
Re: Naughty Dog Forces Crunch to Get PS5 Exclusive Intergalactic 'Back on Track' for Mid 2027 Release
@MARl0
I think it's not an easy decision when to announce a game and several factors can delay the planned timeline.
Sometimes from the platform's perspective it makes sense to reveal early projects to generate hype for a future game (like Zelda on GameCube, FF7 Remake on PS3, Metroid Prime 4 on Switch, Starfield, Hellblade 2, Halo Infinite and Fable on Xbox). Many people will buy a console just on that promise of a game. It keeps interest in the platform up.
Often times the projects might be impacted by mismanagement, key roles leaving the project, studios changing or external events like the pandemic.
In this case I think it's rather the first case where the PlayStation playerbase is craving to see what Naughty Dog's next game is. They released 2 games and a standalone expansion during the PS4 generation, but nothing noteworthy this generation.
Re: Naughty Dog Forces Crunch to Get PS5 Exclusive Intergalactic 'Back on Track' for Mid 2027 Release
@GamingGod
Well, I guess, if Sony cares more about the perceived PlayStation brand value, then it's better for Sony to bleed money on keeping the Naughty Dog studio alive for several years without any major output, and hopefully their next game is successful enough to secure the studio's future.
Re: Japan's New Language Locked PS5 Hasn't Made a Massive Difference to the Format's Domestic Fortunes
@sanderson72
I remember reading an article that Japan never really perceived Sony as a gaming brand on the same level as Nintendo and Sega. Sony has always been known to be a hardware brand in Japan.
PlayStation became popular in Japan because of the games from other publishers like Square Enix, Capcom, Namco, Konami, Atlus, with many games being exclusive to PlayStation hardware. Nowadays those publishers are releasing on multiple platforms including PC and Switch/2.
Sony might need to acquire one of thr big Japanese game publisher if they want to be more relevant in Japan, but the question is what business value would such an acquisition bring them?
Re: Japan's New Language Locked PS5 Hasn't Made a Massive Difference to the Format's Domestic Fortunes
Without having been to Japan myself, I guess PlayStation currently doesn't offer what Japanese players want and need.
Some of them play games on PC, smartphones and Nintendo Switch/2. Their basic gaming needs are covered, as they can play smaller games on mobile/handheld out of home, and PC at home. I remember some articles about Japanese players asking for FF16 to release on PC. A PS5 would be just an expensive purchase for most of them, only to play a few exclusive titles. But even those exclusive, won't have the same attraction as in previous generations if those games are aimed at a western audience and the Japanese players are invested in endless live-service games.
Would be interesting though to see how a PlayStation handheld would do in Japan.
Re: Naughty Dog Forces Crunch to Get PS5 Exclusive Intergalactic 'Back on Track' for Mid 2027 Release
@GamingGod
That's the thing, those on Xbox or Nintendo, maybe if they wanted, they already could have gotten a PS5, but they are happy with the systems which they already have.
Now, from Sony/PlayStation's business prespective: They have this big, expensive game studio, located in Santa Monica, California, which apart from a few remasters hasn't released anything new in the past 5 years and will not release anything for the next 1.5 years. So, with nothing new to sell to the current PlayStation and PC playerbase, the easiest approach would be to make their old games available on platforms, where they weren't before, if the studio needs to be profitable and generate revenue.
Re: Naughty Dog Forces Crunch to Get PS5 Exclusive Intergalactic 'Back on Track' for Mid 2027 Release
Maybe they can make some quick money by releasing some of their older games like Uncharted and The Last of Us on Switch 2 and Xbox. That would help to take some pressure off from the Sony management. 😉
Re: Starfield PS5 Announcement Imminent as Bethesda Shows Big Changes Behind-the-Scenes
Hopefully Starfield arrives soon on PlayStation, so more people can play it.
Also I hope they can improve the loadings and space exploration part. I understand that their game engine has its limits, but a game set in space needs to have satisfying travel and exploration mechanics.
Re: Talking Point: With Expedition 33 Winning Best Indie Game, What Does 'Indie' Mean to You?
@UltimateOtaku91
Expedition 33 apparently had a development budget of around $10 million, which is a fraction of what modern AAA games cost.
The core team at Sandfall was around 30 people, plus 8 Korean gameplay animators, dozens of people on localisation, QA, and voice production work, and then there are the 30-plus musicians that worked on the soundtrack. So probably around 100 people which is less than the 600 - 2000 people projects you find at PlayStation, Ubisoft, Microsoft, EA.
Kepler Interactive published Expedition 33. Other games which they published are Tchia, Sifu, Pacific Drive, Scorn, Ultros. Some of those games are considered "indie". It's similar to Annapurna Interactive which usually also publishes "indie" games, where the developers might not have the means to self-publish.
Re: Bungie's Marathon Locks In March 2026 Release Date on PS5, Priced at $40
@T-Bone09 Okay, I guess the article is inaccurate then.
Re: Bungie's Marathon Locks In March 2026 Release Date on PS5, Priced at $40
@T-Bone09 I'm wondering why Xbox is left out in the article, while PC is mentioned?
Re: Bungie's Marathon Locks In March 2026 Release Date on PS5, Priced at $40
Wait, did they cancel the Xbox release?
Re: PS5 Will Be the Only Console You Can Play Phantom Blade Zero for at Least 12 Months
@LogicStrikesAgain
It was already clear, that Phantom Blade Zero will be console exclusive to PS5, but this confirms for how long that will be the case: 12 months.
Re: PS5 Will Be the Only Console You Can Play Phantom Blade Zero for at Least 12 Months
@BarantisFiramuur
The context was about "Battlefield 6 compared to Call of Duty Black Ops 7". Battlefield 6 most likely sold better on Xbox than Call of Duty Black Ops 7.
Yes, games tend to sell better on PlayStation due to the larger install base. Curiously, based on the sales numbers from the first 5 days the PS5 and Xbox sales numbers were fairly close (PS5: 1.5 millio, Xbox: 1.2 million).
Re: PS5 Will Be the Only Console You Can Play Phantom Blade Zero for at Least 12 Months
@Rich33
Well, Sony/PlayStation still need 3rd party exclusives to promote the PS5 console, no matter what Xbox does, as the output from their internal studios has been somewhat low in recent years. There are still many people buying a new PS5 based on the games which get promoted via the exclusivity deals.
Re: PS5 Will Be the Only Console You Can Play Phantom Blade Zero for at Least 12 Months
@Rich33
I don't think it makes sense for the developers to self-impose an "exclusivity". What would they gain from that? Just saying it's "exclusives to PlayStation for 12 months" doesn't generate more sales. There are many examples like Forspoken, Final Fantasy 16, Babylon's Fall, Godfall, Lost Souls Aside where the PS5 exclusivity didn't result in a bigger success. Plus Sony wouldn't be needed to disclose that the game is exclusive for 12 months. The developers could have just said that they have no plans for other platforms.
They have a deal. Even marketing the game costs a lot of money which the developers are most likely happy to get funded by Sony/PlayStation.
Also, if the game becomes a big success, it would make sense to expand to other platforms like Xbox and Nintendo. A self-imposed exclusivity would unnecessarily limit them. If the developers decide to change plans and release on other consoles sooner, would Sony be able to sue them, even if the exclusivity is self-imposed? Could Sony be sued due to false advertising, as some might prefer to buy the game on a different console and were lead to believe that the game is exclusive to 12 months?
Based on Digital Foundry's hands-on preview from Gamescom 2025, Phantom Blade Zero (unlike Black Myth: Wukong) doesn't use Unreal Engine 5's Lumen and Nanite to save on resources and offer a smooth performance. The game could definitely run on an Xbox Series S if the developers wanted it. Wuchnag: Fallen Feathers is another similar UE5 game, which released on all platforms and runs fairly well Xbox Series S.
Apparently, according to Wikipedia, the game has been in development since 2017, so Sony/PlayStation definitely had enough time to strike a deal with the developers.
Re: PS5 Will Be the Only Console You Can Play Phantom Blade Zero for at Least 12 Months
@Netret0120
Maybe because Battlefield 6 is generally a better game than Call of Duty Black Ops 7. It also sold better on Xbox than COD, it's unrelated to any Sony marketing deals.
Re: PS5 Will Be the Only Console You Can Play Phantom Blade Zero for at Least 12 Months
No wonder Xbox is moving away from consoles towards PC. PC is getting all the big "console exclusives" (minus Nintendo games of course). 😄
Re: 'These Claims Are Not Accurate': Activision Denies Complete Call of Duty Rethink After Sluggish Black Ops 7 Sales
@get2sammyb That's the funny thing, people still think that Xbox is competing with PlayStation in the console business. But as Microsoft signed the deal on the Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition, that was the point where Microsoft executives put a lot more focus on Xbox and started shifting their gaming strategy. Those "just 4 games" was only the first step. That "spending PlayStation out of business" was just a mad email by Matt Booty from 2019, I don't think it was a general strategy pursued by the Xbox leadership, otherwise they wouldn't have honored the Sony contracts with Bethesda and allowed Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo to stay PlayStation exclusive.
Since Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014, Microsoft has emphasized working with companies and technologies with which Microsoft also competes, including Apple, Salesforce, IBM, Dropbox and Sony. They also closely embrace Linux.
Xbox being now a close business partner for PlayStation reflects Microsoft's broader strategy under Nadella.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 611
Prehistorik Man on Evercade and maybe NORCO.
Re: 'These Claims Are Not Accurate': Activision Denies Complete Call of Duty Rethink After Sluggish Black Ops 7 Sales
Whatever is true, Activision and Microsoft should really rethink the franchise, as Black Ops 7 wasn't that good. It is a game designed by committee with no clear focus.
We're past the pandemic where people were spending more time gaming and with things getting more expensive, the players are spending less money in-game and they demand better quality for their money. So the question is, how can Activision reduce the production costs qnd improve the offering while still keeping the franchise "relevant"?
Personally I would suggest to split the multiplayer and single-player offering and release new campaigns every 2 years. Reduce the team sizes and allow them to be more autonomous. But even that suggestions has it's flaws as some people only buy the games when it's a full package (campaign, multiplayer, zombies mode, etc.). But it's not my job to solve Activision's problems. 😄
Re: Sony Hypes Halo PS5 in Its Hot Games of 2026 Trailer
@Oram77
The problem is that just remastering Halo 1's multiplayer wouldn't hold up well to today's standards. According to reports Halo Studios is working on a new stand-alone multiplayer Halo game, which maybe isn't that far in development to have it release at the same time as the Halo 1 campaign.
I think Halo Infinite's multiplayer should have released on PlayStation long ago, but I guess that is unlikely now that the studio has winded down the development support on that game.
@GamingGod
Halo's multiplayer kind of modernized and established competitive multiplayer on consoles long before Call of Duty was a thing. People used to have local network parties with multiple consoles because the Halo games were so much fun. "Blood Gulch" was a standout map as it was large enough to allowed both vehicular and on-foot combat. Battlefield 1942 was another game of such a scale, but it released a year later and was PC exclusive.
Halo 2 was one of the first online competitive shooters on Xbox and it introduced an engaging multiplayer leveling progression which is still found in multiplayer games nowadays.
The Halo games were similar milestone for console FPS games like GoldenEye 007 on N64 was.
Re: 'The Franchise Has Not Met Your Expectations': Call of Duty Vows to Overdeliver After Black Ops 7 Misfire
I finished (and uninstalled) Black Ops 7 a few days ago. Functionally it's not bad, but there are so many stupid and conflicting game design decisions. No wonder it sold poorly where you have better alternatives like Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders.
The campaign's plot is just a long drig trip, with many references to previous Black Ops games. The campaign gameplay is supposed to be an online coop experience, but it jumps around between linear levels, the open world map and awkward boss fights. The thing is, the number of enemies scales based on the number of players, so the game is actually easier if you're playing alone. I also hate this RPG trend where enemies and your weapons have a level and enemies are bullet sponges. I don't know, maybe something similar to Ghost Recon Wildlands would have been more fitting for the campaign.
The multiplayer is typical Call of Duty with twitch reactions and sweaty players. It's good mindless fun, works well enough. But I was surprised to already encounter a cheater in my second match giving perfect headshots from behind walls. Luckily other matches weren't so bad. But I guess I would rather play something else like Halo Infinite or Titanfall 2 instead.
I played a round of zombies. It's fine if you have friends to play it with.
All in all Black Ops 7 feels like an unfocused mess. It tries to do too many things at the same time. It also has such a confusing, messy navigation menu, as if it's stiched together from different games. It feels like the game is desperately fighting to stop you having fun.