I wish it would let me post a link without getting my comment thrown out. There is a website which tracks all delisted games in each region. In my region (US) it's up to 403 delisted games, whether that's big AA-AAA titles or smaller download only stuff. The number increases every time I check it and keeps going up.
Some noteworthy games which were delisted in 2024 are Battlefield 3 / 4 / Hardline and LittleBigPlanet 3. Not anything I'm personally interested in, but still.
I guess my point is while they kept the PS3 servers running, they are culling the games library. And the games disappear almost always with no warning. Some being download only games never released physically, which are now just lost forever (Soul Calibur II HD, The Simpsons Arcade, Afterburner Climax). And in rarer and disappointing cases, delisting physically released games that are still trapped on PS3 / 360 consoles. There are a surprising amount of games marooned on PS3 which have never been ported forward. I guess Battlefield 3 just joined that list, I wasn't even aware until I looked it up to respond to this. It's a real shame.
I guess I'm getting off topic but yeah, they have been slowly shutting everything down it seems. Not sure what the Asia / UK / Japanese stores look like on that front but assume it's similar. Silver lining is if you previously bought the games you can still download them from your library, for the time being.
That is a strictly online only game that has since been executed by the Sony Gods. My PS2 copy of Final Fantasy XI isn't seeing much play time either now that you mention it.
I mean with extreme cases like Cyberpunk 2077, garbage is right. But like in the good old PS1 and PS2 days, we used to play around the glitches and usually wasn't that big a deal. You got what you got on the disc.
The completely unplayable games like Cyberpunk are actually pretty few and far between. You are getting a rougher version - sometimes a little rougher, sometimes a lot, but it's something is what I'm saying.
I'd just point to what's happening to PS3 games on PSN for anyone paying attention. They are still routinely delisting PS3 games on there, as in taking them off the store. Have been for quite awhile. The price of physical copies of said game then shoots through the roof because there is no alternate way to play it outside of jailbreaking, etc.
It's up to personal taste at the end of the day. I'm sure the Gen Z Fortnite crowd isn't really too concerned about if it's playable in 10-20 years. They'll be playing the next big thing. But me, I like old games. I think they are cool and fun, warts and all.
You get the full game on the disc in almost all cases. Sure a pre-patched version, but a playable version nonetheless.
With digital, servers go out (like out permanently I mean), you can play nothing. With physical, you get at least an "early" version of the game. Which would you prefer? Something or... nothing? The choice seems so simple to me. Resell value, tradeable w/ friends, often cheaper depending on when you buy.
But yes, your copy of Black Ops 6 is a glorified drink coaster. Also worth mentioning some limited run companies are releasing versions of games with all patches and DLC on disc.
As far as I'm aware, the doomsday CMOS clock battery issue is still alive and well on the PS4. Meaning, if your CMOS battery in your PS4 dies after the servers stop running, you can't play even physical games I believe.
It's been awhile since I read about it, and the same issue has been patched on PS3 I believe, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong about this. But something to be aware of, because the CMOS clock batteries do need to be replaced every 5-10 years.
Edit: Nevermind, the PS4 issue was patched, I actually have it backwards. The PS3 still needs a one time server authentication after replacing the CMOS battery. Which is even more concerning considering I feel like the PS3 server days are numbered.
I play RPGs to 100% completion. I also work a lot. So months is pretty common for me.
Just platinumed Final Fantasy Rebirth playing off and on for the last year. As another commenter mentioned, don't go for the platinum on this one. The epitome of a PS3 era trophy list, from back in the days when getting trophies was HARD. Blows Dark Souls out of the water in terms of difficulty.
I actually avoid or limit how many open world type games, especially RPGs, I play for this exact reason. Witcher 3 100% took me 3 full years at around 350 hours.
I also avoid certain franchises, like the Persona series, that exist only to torture completionists.
I'll get to Veilguard eventually, just have a huge backlog. It sucks they went with a young adults Disney tone for the new game, because Dragon Age lore might be the most interesting of any series, ever, to me. And part of the allure is just how extremely brutally dark it was. Like cosmic horror levels of death and destruction.
Just a lot of missed opportunities. Tevinter Imperium sections of the game aren't fleshed out, the Blight enemies look like Scooby Doo villains now, the dialogue writing is mediocre to outright awful depending on who you ask. Also homogenizing and simplifying the RPG elements isn't cool with me. Can't directly control your teammates. Lack of party control didn't sit right with me for FFXV and it doesn't for this game either. It all screams they were trying to appeal to a younger audience and forgot the original fans, from the ground up.
I'll still play it eventually to see what they did with the lore but I'm not rushing to go buy it. Or maybe I'll just replay Origins.
PlayStation players subsidizing GamePass. Not to get all console war-y about it but PlayStation customers still actually pay for their games. I was looking at the Xbox physical game sales and it's virtually non-existent at this point.
It's a win-win for everyone, both Xbox and PlayStation customers. PlayStation players get more choice and Microsoft gets another revenue stream to keep GamePass solvent so they can keep their digital rental service going for people that go for that. I don't see an obvious downside.
I guess the only big one is I still believe exclusives establish your brand and draw people in to your ecosystem, and this might work against that. But I guess the common wisdom is exclusives don't matter anymore, it's all about services now, if you listen to the MSoft executives. And when have they ever been wrong?
The players don't like him. Now the shareholders don't like him either. He had his chance and bet it all big on live service. It was a gamble I'm sure he was aware, turns out he bet red and it came up black. This man lost the company an ungodly amount of money.
Whether he is a net benefit or liability for the company over his entire career is a question for the philosophers. I'm surprised he wasn't let go. And by let go, I mean given a golden parachute to comfortably land a CEO spot at some mid tier tech company, Don Matrick style.
CEOs are by their nature bold decision makers and risk takers (and frequently display psychopathic tendencies, but I digress). It turns out the risk always materializes over a long enough timeline.
With this decision I feel the Jim Ryan era of PlayStation, which I disliked for so many different reasons, is finally well and truly over.
One little thought I'd add is games back then - even the best selling ones - didn't move the numbers they do today. 5 million units for a triple A game was an amazing success in the Baldur's Gate 2 days. Now, it's a common sales target for AAA titles.
Bigger market (although it has since stagnated) could explain the increasing sales expectations. 1.5 million today for an around 10-year dev cycle AAA household brand name like Dragon Age with I'm sure an insane marketing budget probably isn't what they were hoping for.
It's alright though, EA will make the money back easily with ultimate team card pack microtransactions.
Haven't played Veilguard yet, and FIFA can suck it.
The writing was on the wall. I think most people with any real familiarity with this industry knew. If the publisher is quiet about sales, it is usually underperforming. If the publisher says no DLC planned, that's not a good sign either. They announced that right near release. Why? Because they have the preorder numbers.They already knew.
The metadata and extrapolations you can make from third party websites like psnprofiles were pretty accurate for both Veilguard and Concord it turns out. It seems they can't really hide the sales numbers as well as they used to.
It kills me that everyone was pushing 'Veilguard is the best selling single player release on Steam' articles. Those were so transparently misleading as to be virtually false, as EA just began releasing their games on Steam.
I don't have a bone to pick with Bioware or this game. But video game journalism needs to step it up and stop doing this weird circle the wagon thing every time a game lands itself in the culture war debate. It discredits everyone.
And then you consider the (unsubstantiated but highly plausible) claims of access journalism EA engaged in when it released. Picking and choosing who to send codes to, I think they knew this game was gonna make the wrong kind of headlines. They had to know. Surely it was pegged as review bomb material from a mile away by anyone at EA who has been paying attention the last couple years. It lends credence to the selective distribution of review codes thing for me. It certainly tracks.
And all it took was one random YouTuber (SkillUp) to blow the lid off. What a world. If I want serious impressions of a game now, I go to YouTube and... that's not something I ever thought I'd say.
The one thing I'd say to temper this all is Dragon Age games tend to have a long sales tail, and I'd wager it doubles this number in the next 5-10 years. So don't sign Bioware's death warrant just yet. I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did but there is hope is all I'm saying.
Multiply the market cap by 10 in five years huh? Forget about a thousand percent, if you can guarantee six percent increases in profit year over year, they will pay you tens of millions of dollars. Go apply!
Somebody please step into the console space to replace Microsoft and kick Sony's ever-loving teeth in for the neverending parade of errors and bad management this generation.
It's a race to the bottom for those two companies.
Probably the worst news I've heard this gen from Sony.
Why was BluePoint working on a live service title?! That's about as far off from their previous output as it gets.
They bailed on a MGS1 remake, a Bloodborne sequel, or any other IP... for a live service game. Let's get some exec heads rolling for this. BluePoint is a legendary developer, this is straight up disgraceful.
What a wasted generation. F grade Sony, your worst gen yet by far. Hulst, just leave.
Wow, 30 years. Makes you think. Been using PlayStation as my primary console since 1995.
Who would have thought the little gray "toy" with the funny shapes on its controller would be carrying the entire company today and have the left the legacy it did.
The memories playing with friends and family, some of whom aren't around anymore, that's for life. Really an amazing thing.
All that said, the real 30th anniversary for us in the West is next year 😆
Tenchu, Echo Night, Kuon, King's Field, Armored Core, Forever Kingdom, Eternal Ring... They've done a lot outside the Souls genre. Lot of stuff they could work on from the old AgeTec days.
You certainly won't be disappointed. No Man's Sky is a solid choice. Some other recommendations:
Horizon: Call of the Mountain (Honestly, this comes off as sort of a tech demo for the VR2, but it's a damn good tech demo and has decent gameplay and a solidly lengthy campaign. It's a solid one to start with because it utilizes the eye tracking and head vibration functions in clever ways.
Beat Sabre (Super addictive / immersive rhythm game, falls into the easy to pick up, tough to master category. Best rhythm game since Guitar Hero for my money.)
Pistol Whip (A more stylized, if slightly more shallow rhythm experience where you shoot guns at enemies to the rhythm of the music).
Gran Turismo 7 (Base game is of course solid, I consider VR to change the experience so significantly it should be considered a different game. It's a sim racer of course, so your mileage may vary with this one - pun intended).
Thumper (The devs call this a 'rhythm violence' game, and I think that sums it up well. Good for VR beginners as it's not as bad motion sickness wise. My personal favorite VR game of all time.)
The games below are great but I'd approach with caution if you are new to VR as you might develop motion sickness:
Pavlov (Online competitive team based shooter than priorities realism. You haven't played a FPS until you've had to manually pull back the charging handle between each mag reload. This shines in multiplayer so avoid if you prefer single player).
Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners 2 (Ultimate "immersive" action game. Really, really fun. First game is also available - I'd probably start there.)
Resident Evil 8 Village / RE 4
Remake (The pinnacle of VR horror, which is one category that VR excels in.)
For those on the fence about VR2, that's a pretty solid price. It's an amazing experience that you just can't capture in videos.
The library is limited right now, but there are some straight up bangers too. GT7 and Resident Evil in VR is a whole different game. Pistol Whip, Beat Sabre, and Synth Riders are safe, solid standbys that double as decent cardio. Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners 2 is amazing. Horizon VR demonstrates the tech phenomenally well. Pavlov is an online shooter with hyper realistic team based multiplayer which is also next level.
I feel like we are just like a bunch of old people arguing with each other in a virtual nursing home at this point. And I'm here for that. It's what it's all about really.
He does have those Vectrex credentials though, that's heavy. That's like the Vietnam vet telling war stories, you have to respect it (I reserve the right to make this joke as a veteran).
I can't compete, I came in at the Sega Genesis. A peasant among royalty. He's got a point though. I mean Fortnight? Really? What's wrong with these kids.
I miss arguing about this stuff on GameFAQs forums back in the 90s.
Oh good, I was hoping the AOL reference wouldnt't be lost on you.
You perfectly summarized how I feel. I'm pushing 40 so I'm a bit behind you. But getting lectured by people who weren't even alive when the first Matrix movie came out and who think Y2K is a Korean pop band is wild. You love to see it.
So interesting to see the ebb and flow of things over time in this industry. Hey you think people argued back then whether the Atari 5200 was worth the upgrade price over the Atari 2600? 😆 Because, adjusted for inflation that thing was $882 in today's money. You know they went at it like cats and dogs in the playground over the few extra pixels, they just didn't have internet yet.
I guess my thing is, the more things change - and they have changed so much - the more they stay the same. We are still doing the same crap today we were doing in the '80s. And the '90s. And so on. That's interesting in a cosmic kind of way.
But I digress. Just random thoughts. Back on point, I like that PushSquare's audience seems to be older. Because there's more respect and awareness of repeating trends. And better discussion to be had.
But I'm with you, these kids need to go learn a thing or two. Wouldn't know the difference between a PS1 and a George Foreman grill. And just forget about Atari era stuff. Calecovision and Vectrex? Might as well be speaking a different language.
Big MK fan here since playing the first on Sega Genesis. Never missed an entry, but this didn't feel "essential" for me and I passed on it. I was even there day one for the crapfest that was MK4 and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe so yeah you know I got some baggage with this series.
Here's the thing for me: there's a lot of content (kontent?) in these games and I just got fatigued. Couple that with the DLC fighters don't seem to fit the MK mold, an emphasis on microtransactions, and a pretty phoned-in alternate reality spin that takes the punch out of any and all story consequences (Yes, I actually play these games for the story, God help me 😆).
The internal hardcore MK community is brutal on this game for extreme balance issues and the lackluster adventure mode. There is an unusually narrow meta of I believe three characters to be competitive online for anyone who isn't superbly skilled enough to play the others. Which is the main issue I see among the uber-faithful MK fans. I think this game - as compared to MK9, MKX, and MKXI - has a serious longevity problem on its hands and people are bailing quick.
Further, for the people not fussed with balance issues or who don't play online, I think the story has been spinning it's wheels too long on alternate timeline / time travel quasi reboot storylines and the extra characters and overall character design absolutely do not grab me.
I believe a hefty amount moved on for Tekken 8, as I did.
Ah thanks. Yeah it's weird. Everyone's got an opinion and is just dying to share them, even while acknowledging opinions are inherently worthless. I'm guilty of that for sure. Though sometimes it does spark some pretty decent discussion and I learn something.
I was bad mouthing the Pro the other day and someone mentioned it enhances PSVR2 games. I had no idea and it made me rethink my position. Ultimately landed at the same conclusion to be honest, but I had a moment for a second there I won't lie. I like getting schooled by other people who love this hobby just as much as I do, and interesting things can happen among all these weird and seemingly useless debates. I'm an optimist, what can I say.
Yeah I don't like it either, mainly because I'm pulling 60-70 hour weeks partially as a result of the culture. During the week, I have 3 hours of personal time each day. The rest is work and sleep. That is the American way.
Helps I like my job somewhat but overall there is a crushing emphasis on working your butt off here accompanied by a certain elitist ideal that other countries are lazy.
There's a joke I heard recently, kinda sums it up. Something like: '30 hour work week in Denmark sounds nice, but those guys aren't gonna split the atom anytime soon.' most Americans who heard that joke would ask what the heck a Denmark is. American nationalism is closely tied to the belief (whether accurate or not) we will work harder, longer, and better than your country. And therefore we are "higher quality" people and by extension our nation is the best. It's a lot of ego and pride. Lowest common denominator posturing.
For the record, I don't believe that belief is borne out in reality on the whole. Lot of lazy people here, for sure. In fact, I think we have MORE people opting out here because they don't like the idea of working their life away for a retirement they may or may not even live to see. So more homeless, more mental health issues, more people unfairly taking advantage of the welfare system. All groups that are essentially cheating the working class by unduly being a burden to society, simply because they couldn't handle it in the end or decided to opt out for whatever reason. And in so doing, making it even harder on the shrinking segment of our society that actually works for a loving in a vicious cycle. And honestly, I don't blame them.
I guess it could be worse. We could be Japan or, heaven forbid, China. Now talk about an unhealthy relationship with work.
Thanks for the awesome detailed reply. I'm gonna be doing some research and keeping an eye on any VR2 boosts. It's probably the only thing that would push me over the edge on picking up a Pro.
Nice! Thanks for the detailed response. I'm really waiting to see what level of boost the VR2 gets from the Pro. I guess it will come down to the devs and isn't native then.
Hey I don't make the rules, okay! A person comments, I guess sometimes people respond. Sometimes a lot of people, apparently. I think that's how it worked since the AOL days but I'm willing to be corrected on that.
And if you don't like the comment, remember: it was provided free of charge and there is a strict no refunds policy in place.
Cheers mate, and enjoy your Pro. It's all in good fun.
Gran Turismo 7 was also the standout VR2 release and still is. This Thanksgiving, Sony should tell Polyphony Digital how grateful they are to have them around. PS5 Pro + VR2 + Driving wheel setup = Profit? For the low price of around $1700 in hardware and dedicating your entire living room to a driving simulator, you too can have the ultimate GT7 experience.
Polyphony always going along with Sony's crazy ideas.
Definitely did the VITA dirty. All because of the stupid proprietary memory cards that cost up to $100 each. Yeesh.
Sony abandoned the VITA, they abandoned the VR2 (so far). Their implementation of 3D tech in the PS3 era was hamstrung, lousy, and undersupported. Sixaxis, Move, EyeToy and PS Camera implementation was also shockingly bad. The PS2 HDD attachment to play online games was appalling in how it was supported. The PS4 Pro is debatable only because it delivered on its promise of HDR and semi-4k, but the actual Pro modes in supported games were lacking and pretty rarely implemented (Oooh, more foliage in Monster Hunter World).
So far their only wins outside of home consoles in my book are the original VR and the PSP.
I will take a wait and see approach as they have burnt through my trust at this point. If they release something, I'm waiting 2 years this time. No more day one purchases of hardware from me.
Way different markets, way different products, way different value proposition. PS5 Pro provides negligible (to me) graphical boosts that you would need to compare side by side to see, is my general understanding. For 700 friggin dollars USD, plus tax, sans disc drive. That's a no from me, dawg.
A handheld is a whole different ball game and the value of it is enormous to some. And those same people that see and like the value proposition would not consider the Portal a legit handheld device in any way shape or form or a proper successor to, say, the VITA. It's simply a streaming companion device. And according to many, it doesn't even do that well.
Me personally? I'd pay a ludicrous amount for the - right - device, but at the same time I am intensely distrustful of Sony's handheld products after the VITA was unceremoniously taken behind the woodshed and shot like a rabid dog. I would wait several years to see whether Sony pulls support as they have a habit of doing with anything besides their flagship home consoles. We are seeing that happen again right now with the VR2. Sony have a bit of a Google thing going on with their hardware where the have a tendency to drop support quick (outside of the big home consoles).
TLDR: 1.) Handheld doesn't target the same market as the Pro exactly, 2.) I would pay enormous sums for a competent device but wouldn't buy a Pro to save a puppy's life, and 3.) I don't trust Sony's track record in the handheld category, so waiting is advisable in any case.
A lot of words to say different people just want different things.
Comments 841
Re: Embattled US Retailer Trolls Customers for Picking Digital During PSN Outage on PS5, PS4
@PuppetMaster
I wish it would let me post a link without getting my comment thrown out. There is a website which tracks all delisted games in each region. In my region (US) it's up to 403 delisted games, whether that's big AA-AAA titles or smaller download only stuff. The number increases every time I check it and keeps going up.
Some noteworthy games which were delisted in 2024 are Battlefield 3 / 4 / Hardline and LittleBigPlanet 3. Not anything I'm personally interested in, but still.
I guess my point is while they kept the PS3 servers running, they are culling the games library. And the games disappear almost always with no warning. Some being download only games never released physically, which are now just lost forever (Soul Calibur II HD, The Simpsons Arcade, Afterburner Climax). And in rarer and disappointing cases, delisting physically released games that are still trapped on PS3 / 360 consoles. There are a surprising amount of games marooned on PS3 which have never been ported forward. I guess Battlefield 3 just joined that list, I wasn't even aware until I looked it up to respond to this. It's a real shame.
I guess I'm getting off topic but yeah, they have been slowly shutting everything down it seems. Not sure what the Asia / UK / Japanese stores look like on that front but assume it's similar. Silver lining is if you previously bought the games you can still download them from your library, for the time being.
Re: Embattled US Retailer Trolls Customers for Picking Digital During PSN Outage on PS5, PS4
@ATaco
That is a strictly online only game that has since been executed by the Sony Gods. My PS2 copy of Final Fantasy XI isn't seeing much play time either now that you mention it.
Re: Embattled US Retailer Trolls Customers for Picking Digital During PSN Outage on PS5, PS4
@Cornpop76
I mean with extreme cases like Cyberpunk 2077, garbage is right. But like in the good old PS1 and PS2 days, we used to play around the glitches and usually wasn't that big a deal. You got what you got on the disc.
The completely unplayable games like Cyberpunk are actually pretty few and far between. You are getting a rougher version - sometimes a little rougher, sometimes a lot, but it's something is what I'm saying.
I'd just point to what's happening to PS3 games on PSN for anyone paying attention. They are still routinely delisting PS3 games on there, as in taking them off the store. Have been for quite awhile. The price of physical copies of said game then shoots through the roof because there is no alternate way to play it outside of jailbreaking, etc.
It's up to personal taste at the end of the day. I'm sure the Gen Z Fortnite crowd isn't really too concerned about if it's playable in 10-20 years. They'll be playing the next big thing. But me, I like old games. I think they are cool and fun, warts and all.
Re: Embattled US Retailer Trolls Customers for Picking Digital During PSN Outage on PS5, PS4
You get the full game on the disc in almost all cases. Sure a pre-patched version, but a playable version nonetheless.
With digital, servers go out (like out permanently I mean), you can play nothing. With physical, you get at least an "early" version of the game. Which would you prefer? Something or... nothing? The choice seems so simple to me. Resell value, tradeable w/ friends, often cheaper depending on when you buy.
But yes, your copy of Black Ops 6 is a glorified drink coaster. Also worth mentioning some limited run companies are releasing versions of games with all patches and DLC on disc.
Re: PSN Downtime Raises Fresh Questions About PS5's Future Functionality
@Shepherd_Tallon
Thanks for the correction! I think I had it backwards, it's the PS3 that still has this issue right? Or was that fixed too? That would be good news.
Re: PSN Downtime Raises Fresh Questions About PS5's Future Functionality
As far as I'm aware, the doomsday CMOS clock battery issue is still alive and well on the PS4. Meaning, if your CMOS battery in your PS4 dies after the servers stop running, you can't play even physical games I believe.
It's been awhile since I read about it, and the same issue has been patched on PS3 I believe, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong about this. But something to be aware of, because the CMOS clock batteries do need to be replaced every 5-10 years.
Edit: Nevermind, the PS4 issue was patched, I actually have it backwards. The PS3 still needs a one time server authentication after replacing the CMOS battery. Which is even more concerning considering I feel like the PS3 server days are numbered.
Re: Wonder Woman Game in Turmoil, Is Still 'Years Away from Release', New Report Claims
Are these the people that trademarked the "Nemesis System"? I'll pass.
Re: Rocksteady Lining Up New Single Player Batman Game After Suicide Squad Disaster, It's Claimed
The Rocksteady ship has sailed for me. WB corrupts everything it touches.
Re: Poll: How Long Does It Take You to Beat a Big RPG?
I play RPGs to 100% completion. I also work a lot. So months is pretty common for me.
Just platinumed Final Fantasy Rebirth playing off and on for the last year. As another commenter mentioned, don't go for the platinum on this one. The epitome of a PS3 era trophy list, from back in the days when getting trophies was HARD. Blows Dark Souls out of the water in terms of difficulty.
I actually avoid or limit how many open world type games, especially RPGs, I play for this exact reason. Witcher 3 100% took me 3 full years at around 350 hours.
I also avoid certain franchises, like the Persona series, that exist only to torture completionists.
Re: Browse a Colossal Library of Classic US Video Game Magazines Now
So cool. They have 130 issues of PSM magazine. I know what I'm doing tonight.
Re: BioWare Downsizing as It Focuses on Next Mass Effect, Some Staff Moved to Other EA Teams
I'll get to Veilguard eventually, just have a huge backlog. It sucks they went with a young adults Disney tone for the new game, because Dragon Age lore might be the most interesting of any series, ever, to me. And part of the allure is just how extremely brutally dark it was. Like cosmic horror levels of death and destruction.
Just a lot of missed opportunities. Tevinter Imperium sections of the game aren't fleshed out, the Blight enemies look like Scooby Doo villains now, the dialogue writing is mediocre to outright awful depending on who you ask. Also homogenizing and simplifying the RPG elements isn't cool with me. Can't directly control your teammates. Lack of party control didn't sit right with me for FFXV and it doesn't for this game either. It all screams they were trying to appeal to a younger audience and forgot the original fans, from the ground up.
I'll still play it eventually to see what they did with the lore but I'm not rushing to go buy it. Or maybe I'll just replay Origins.
Re: Xbox Was December's Biggest Publisher, and 64% of Its Sales Were on PS5, PS4
PlayStation players subsidizing GamePass. Not to get all console war-y about it but PlayStation customers still actually pay for their games. I was looking at the Xbox physical game sales and it's virtually non-existent at this point.
It's a win-win for everyone, both Xbox and PlayStation customers. PlayStation players get more choice and Microsoft gets another revenue stream to keep GamePass solvent so they can keep their digital rental service going for people that go for that. I don't see an obvious downside.
I guess the only big one is I still believe exclusives establish your brand and draw people in to your ecosystem, and this might work against that. But I guess the common wisdom is exclusives don't matter anymore, it's all about services now, if you listen to the MSoft executives. And when have they ever been wrong?
Re: Sony's Stocks Fly As Market Responds to New Corporate Hierarchy
The players don't like him. Now the shareholders don't like him either. He had his chance and bet it all big on live service. It was a gamble I'm sure he was aware, turns out he bet red and it came up black. This man lost the company an ungodly amount of money.
Whether he is a net benefit or liability for the company over his entire career is a question for the philosophers. I'm surprised he wasn't let go. And by let go, I mean given a golden parachute to comfortably land a CEO spot at some mid tier tech company, Don Matrick style.
CEOs are by their nature bold decision makers and risk takers (and frequently display psychopathic tendencies, but I digress). It turns out the risk always materializes over a long enough timeline.
With this decision I feel the Jim Ryan era of PlayStation, which I disliked for so many different reasons, is finally well and truly over.
Re: Former Rockstar Animator Doubtful GTA 6 Will Run at 60fps on PS5
Former animator at Rockstar.
Okay.
Re: Silent Hill 2 Has Been Massively Successful on PS5, PC
Really an amazing remake. Bloober really outdid themselves.
Re: Hermen Hulst No Longer PlayStation Co-CEO, Still in Charge of First-Party
So a demotion for Hulst and a (sort of) promotion for Nishino, and the CFO moves up.
Good. I imagine Hulst is feeling grateful to just keep his employment there. Cleaning house.
Re: Dragon Age: The Veilguard, FC 25 Underperform, Force EA to Lower Financial Forecast
@Wiceheid
I'll check out Jade Empire.
One little thought I'd add is games back then - even the best selling ones - didn't move the numbers they do today. 5 million units for a triple A game was an amazing success in the Baldur's Gate 2 days. Now, it's a common sales target for AAA titles.
Bigger market (although it has since stagnated) could explain the increasing sales expectations. 1.5 million today for an around 10-year dev cycle AAA household brand name like Dragon Age with I'm sure an insane marketing budget probably isn't what they were hoping for.
It's alright though, EA will make the money back easily with ultimate team card pack microtransactions.
Re: Dragon Age: The Veilguard, FC 25 Underperform, Force EA to Lower Financial Forecast
Haven't played Veilguard yet, and FIFA can suck it.
The writing was on the wall. I think most people with any real familiarity with this industry knew. If the publisher is quiet about sales, it is usually underperforming. If the publisher says no DLC planned, that's not a good sign either. They announced that right near release. Why? Because they have the preorder numbers.They already knew.
The metadata and extrapolations you can make from third party websites like psnprofiles were pretty accurate for both Veilguard and Concord it turns out. It seems they can't really hide the sales numbers as well as they used to.
It kills me that everyone was pushing 'Veilguard is the best selling single player release on Steam' articles. Those were so transparently misleading as to be virtually false, as EA just began releasing their games on Steam.
I don't have a bone to pick with Bioware or this game. But video game journalism needs to step it up and stop doing this weird circle the wagon thing every time a game lands itself in the culture war debate. It discredits everyone.
And then you consider the (unsubstantiated but highly plausible) claims of access journalism EA engaged in when it released. Picking and choosing who to send codes to, I think they knew this game was gonna make the wrong kind of headlines. They had to know. Surely it was pegged as review bomb material from a mile away by anyone at EA who has been paying attention the last couple years. It lends credence to the selective distribution of review codes thing for me. It certainly tracks.
And all it took was one random YouTuber (SkillUp) to blow the lid off. What a world. If I want serious impressions of a game now, I go to YouTube and... that's not something I ever thought I'd say.
The one thing I'd say to temper this all is Dragon Age games tend to have a long sales tail, and I'd wager it doubles this number in the next 5-10 years. So don't sign Bioware's death warrant just yet. I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did but there is hope is all I'm saying.
Re: Shuhei Yoshida on PSVR2: 'I'm Sorry'
@JAMes-BroWWWn
Multiply the market cap by 10 in five years huh? Forget about a thousand percent, if you can guarantee six percent increases in profit year over year, they will pay you tens of millions of dollars. Go apply!
Re: Switch 2 Reveal Indirectly Adds Credence to Halo PS5 Rumours
Halo on a Sony console was not something I thought I'd see in my lifetime.
Re: Conan the Barbarian Slices Heads Off in Mortal Kombat 1 Next Week
Warner Bros bout to implement it's new Kredit Kard microtransaction feature.
Re: Reaction: Sony's Live Service Push Has Been a Disaster of Utterly Insane Proportions
Somebody please step into the console space to replace Microsoft and kick Sony's ever-loving teeth in for the neverending parade of errors and bad management this generation.
It's a race to the bottom for those two companies.
Re: Reaction: Sony's Live Service Push Has Been a Disaster of Utterly Insane Proportions
"...having now spent the best part of an entire console generation pissing away time, money, and effort on chasing down a delusional dream."
Well written. Hear, hear. Sony has gone entirely off the rails.
Re: Sony Cancels Bluepoint, Bend Studio PS5 Games, One Being a Live-Service God of War Title
Probably the worst news I've heard this gen from Sony.
Why was BluePoint working on a live service title?! That's about as far off from their previous output as it gets.
They bailed on a MGS1 remake, a Bloodborne sequel, or any other IP... for a live service game. Let's get some exec heads rolling for this. BluePoint is a legendary developer, this is straight up disgraceful.
What a wasted generation. F grade Sony, your worst gen yet by far. Hulst, just leave.
Re: Freedom Wars Remastered (PS5) - PS Vita Classic Offers a Compelling Alternative to Monster Hunter
Didn't have this game releasing on my 2025 bingo card.
Re: PlayStation Lights Up Las Vegas Sphere as It Rounds Out 30th Anniversary Celebrations
Wow, 30 years. Makes you think. Been using PlayStation as my primary console since 1995.
Who would have thought the little gray "toy" with the funny shapes on its controller would be carrying the entire company today and have the left the legacy it did.
The memories playing with friends and family, some of whom aren't around anymore, that's for life. Really an amazing thing.
All that said, the real 30th anniversary for us in the West is next year 😆
Re: PS5, PS4 Users Over-Represented in 2024 Pornhub Console Traffic Share
They should include a Pornhub membership in Premium. Just smart business.
Re: Sony Confirms Interest in Buying FromSoftware Parent Company Kadokawa
Bloodborne remaster - then a remaster of the remaster five years later - confirmed.
Re: Sony Acquisition Target FromSoftware Has Multiple Projects in Production
Tenchu, Echo Night, Kuon, King's Field, Armored Core, Forever Kingdom, Eternal Ring... They've done a lot outside the Souls genre. Lot of stuff they could work on from the old AgeTec days.
Re: Black Friday 2024: Best Deals on PS5 Consoles, Games, Controllers, SSDs, and More
@knowles2
Perfect, next year there will be a bigger library and probably more frequent discounts on the games.
Re: Black Friday 2024: Best Deals on PS5 Consoles, Games, Controllers, SSDs, and More
@MichaelNau
You certainly won't be disappointed. No Man's Sky is a solid choice. Some other recommendations:
Horizon: Call of the Mountain (Honestly, this comes off as sort of a tech demo for the VR2, but it's a damn good tech demo and has decent gameplay and a solidly lengthy campaign. It's a solid one to start with because it utilizes the eye tracking and head vibration functions in clever ways.
Beat Sabre (Super addictive / immersive rhythm game, falls into the easy to pick up, tough to master category. Best rhythm game since Guitar Hero for my money.)
Pistol Whip (A more stylized, if slightly more shallow rhythm experience where you shoot guns at enemies to the rhythm of the music).
Gran Turismo 7 (Base game is of course solid, I consider VR to change the experience so significantly it should be considered a different game. It's a sim racer of course, so your mileage may vary with this one - pun intended).
Thumper (The devs call this a 'rhythm violence' game, and I think that sums it up well. Good for VR beginners as it's not as bad motion sickness wise. My personal favorite VR game of all time.)
The games below are great but I'd approach with caution if you are new to VR as you might develop motion sickness:
Pavlov (Online competitive team based shooter than priorities realism. You haven't played a FPS until you've had to manually pull back the charging handle between each mag reload. This shines in multiplayer so avoid if you prefer single player).
Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners 2 (Ultimate "immersive" action game. Really, really fun. First game is also available - I'd probably start there.)
Resident Evil 8 Village / RE 4
Remake (The pinnacle of VR horror, which is one category that VR excels in.)
Honorable Mentions: Moss, Moss 2, Synth Riders, Red Matter 2, Tetris Effect, Synapse.
Re: Black Friday 2024: Best Deals on PS5 Consoles, Games, Controllers, SSDs, and More
@knowles2
Get yourself a VR2 as an early birthday present. If only so you can play GT7 in VR, which feels like a whole different game.
Re: Black Friday 2024: Best Deals on PS5 Consoles, Games, Controllers, SSDs, and More
For those on the fence about VR2, that's a pretty solid price. It's an amazing experience that you just can't capture in videos.
The library is limited right now, but there are some straight up bangers too. GT7 and Resident Evil in VR is a whole different game. Pistol Whip, Beat Sabre, and Synth Riders are safe, solid standbys that double as decent cardio. Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners 2 is amazing. Horizon VR demonstrates the tech phenomenally well. Pavlov is an online shooter with hyper realistic team based multiplayer which is also next level.
This is the best time to get into VR.
Re: Poll: Rate Your Favourite PS1 Games
@Andee
Right on! Yeah I picked up two of those 8bitdo receivers (plugged into my PS1 right now). Game changers for sure - good rec 👍
Re: Terminally Ill Fan Flown to Gearbox to Play Borderlands 4 Early
Kinda puts all our first world problems in perspective.
Re: PS5 Fans Willing to Pay a Pretty Penny for a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation
@KaiBrunnenG @Northern_munkey
I feel like we are just like a bunch of old people arguing with each other in a virtual nursing home at this point. And I'm here for that. It's what it's all about really.
He does have those Vectrex credentials though, that's heavy. That's like the Vietnam vet telling war stories, you have to respect it (I reserve the right to make this joke as a veteran).
I can't compete, I came in at the Sega Genesis. A peasant among royalty. He's got a point though. I mean Fortnight? Really? What's wrong with these kids.
I miss arguing about this stuff on GameFAQs forums back in the 90s.
Re: PS5 Fans Willing to Pay a Pretty Penny for a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation
@Northern_munkey
Oh good, I was hoping the AOL reference wouldnt't be lost on you.
You perfectly summarized how I feel. I'm pushing 40 so I'm a bit behind you. But getting lectured by people who weren't even alive when the first Matrix movie came out and who think Y2K is a Korean pop band is wild. You love to see it.
So interesting to see the ebb and flow of things over time in this industry. Hey you think people argued back then whether the Atari 5200 was worth the upgrade price over the Atari 2600? 😆 Because, adjusted for inflation that thing was $882 in today's money. You know they went at it like cats and dogs in the playground over the few extra pixels, they just didn't have internet yet.
I guess my thing is, the more things change - and they have changed so much - the more they stay the same. We are still doing the same crap today we were doing in the '80s. And the '90s. And so on. That's interesting in a cosmic kind of way.
But I digress. Just random thoughts. Back on point, I like that PushSquare's audience seems to be older. Because there's more respect and awareness of repeating trends. And better discussion to be had.
But I'm with you, these kids need to go learn a thing or two. Wouldn't know the difference between a PS1 and a George Foreman grill. And just forget about Atari era stuff. Calecovision and Vectrex? Might as well be speaking a different language.
Get off my lawn!
Re: Rumour: Mortal Kombat 1's Future DLC Cancelled After Poor Sales of Khaos Reigns
Big MK fan here since playing the first on Sega Genesis. Never missed an entry, but this didn't feel "essential" for me and I passed on it. I was even there day one for the crapfest that was MK4 and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe so yeah you know I got some baggage with this series.
Here's the thing for me: there's a lot of content (kontent?) in these games and I just got fatigued. Couple that with the DLC fighters don't seem to fit the MK mold, an emphasis on microtransactions, and a pretty phoned-in alternate reality spin that takes the punch out of any and all story consequences (Yes, I actually play these games for the story, God help me 😆).
The internal hardcore MK community is brutal on this game for extreme balance issues and the lackluster adventure mode. There is an unusually narrow meta of I believe three characters to be competitive online for anyone who isn't superbly skilled enough to play the others. Which is the main issue I see among the uber-faithful MK fans. I think this game - as compared to MK9, MKX, and MKXI - has a serious longevity problem on its hands and people are bailing quick.
Further, for the people not fussed with balance issues or who don't play online, I think the story has been spinning it's wheels too long on alternate timeline / time travel quasi reboot storylines and the extra characters and overall character design absolutely do not grab me.
I believe a hefty amount moved on for Tekken 8, as I did.
Re: PS5 Fans Willing to Pay a Pretty Penny for a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation
@Northern_munkey
Ah thanks. Yeah it's weird. Everyone's got an opinion and is just dying to share them, even while acknowledging opinions are inherently worthless. I'm guilty of that for sure. Though sometimes it does spark some pretty decent discussion and I learn something.
I was bad mouthing the Pro the other day and someone mentioned it enhances PSVR2 games. I had no idea and it made me rethink my position. Ultimately landed at the same conclusion to be honest, but I had a moment for a second there I won't lie. I like getting schooled by other people who love this hobby just as much as I do, and interesting things can happen among all these weird and seemingly useless debates. I'm an optimist, what can I say.
Re: DOOM, Elder Scrolls, Fallout Devs Strike in Protest of Parent Company, Microsoft
@Flaming_Kaiser
Yeah I don't like it either, mainly because I'm pulling 60-70 hour weeks partially as a result of the culture. During the week, I have 3 hours of personal time each day. The rest is work and sleep. That is the American way.
Helps I like my job somewhat but overall there is a crushing emphasis on working your butt off here accompanied by a certain elitist ideal that other countries are lazy.
There's a joke I heard recently, kinda sums it up. Something like: '30 hour work week in Denmark sounds nice, but those guys aren't gonna split the atom anytime soon.' most Americans who heard that joke would ask what the heck a Denmark is. American nationalism is closely tied to the belief (whether accurate or not) we will work harder, longer, and better than your country. And therefore we are "higher quality" people and by extension our nation is the best. It's a lot of ego and pride. Lowest common denominator posturing.
For the record, I don't believe that belief is borne out in reality on the whole. Lot of lazy people here, for sure. In fact, I think we have MORE people opting out here because they don't like the idea of working their life away for a retirement they may or may not even live to see. So more homeless, more mental health issues, more people unfairly taking advantage of the welfare system. All groups that are essentially cheating the working class by unduly being a burden to society, simply because they couldn't handle it in the end or decided to opt out for whatever reason. And in so doing, making it even harder on the shrinking segment of our society that actually works for a loving in a vicious cycle. And honestly, I don't blame them.
I guess it could be worse. We could be Japan or, heaven forbid, China. Now talk about an unhealthy relationship with work.
Re: Poll: Rate Your Favourite PS1 Games
@Andee
Oh dang, how could I miss Um Jammy Lammy. There really are too many good games on that system.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think of the PS5 Pro, Three Weeks Later?
@carlos82
Thanks for the awesome detailed reply. I'm gonna be doing some research and keeping an eye on any VR2 boosts. It's probably the only thing that would push me over the edge on picking up a Pro.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think of the PS5 Pro, Three Weeks Later?
@Sanquine
Nice! Thanks for the detailed response. I'm really waiting to see what level of boost the VR2 gets from the Pro. I guess it will come down to the devs and isn't native then.
Re: PS5 Fans Willing to Pay a Pretty Penny for a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation
@Northern_munkey
Hey I don't make the rules, okay! A person comments, I guess sometimes people respond. Sometimes a lot of people, apparently. I think that's how it worked since the AOL days but I'm willing to be corrected on that.
And if you don't like the comment, remember: it was provided free of charge and there is a strict no refunds policy in place.
Cheers mate, and enjoy your Pro. It's all in good fun.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Lauded as 'One of the Best PS5 Pro' Games Yet
@RobN
If anything will get me to pick up a Pro, it will be the VR2 implementation.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Lauded as 'One of the Best PS5 Pro' Games Yet
@Raffles
Polyphony always bailing Sony out by supporting their weird tech initiatives.
Re: Gran Turismo 7 Lauded as 'One of the Best PS5 Pro' Games Yet
Gran Turismo 7 was also the standout VR2 release and still is. This Thanksgiving, Sony should tell Polyphony Digital how grateful they are to have them around. PS5 Pro + VR2 + Driving wheel setup = Profit? For the low price of around $1700 in hardware and dedicating your entire living room to a driving simulator, you too can have the ultimate GT7 experience.
Polyphony always going along with Sony's crazy ideas.
I will say the VR2 gameplay in GT7 is phenomenal.
Re: PS5 Fans Willing to Pay a Pretty Penny for a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation
@Nem
I've been playing PlayStation since 1995. You better believe I keep score. Sony has a long rap sheet with me 😆
Re: PS5 Fans Willing to Pay a Pretty Penny for a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation
@Nem
Definitely did the VITA dirty. All because of the stupid proprietary memory cards that cost up to $100 each. Yeesh.
Sony abandoned the VITA, they abandoned the VR2 (so far). Their implementation of 3D tech in the PS3 era was hamstrung, lousy, and undersupported. Sixaxis, Move, EyeToy and PS Camera implementation was also shockingly bad. The PS2 HDD attachment to play online games was appalling in how it was supported. The PS4 Pro is debatable only because it delivered on its promise of HDR and semi-4k, but the actual Pro modes in supported games were lacking and pretty rarely implemented (Oooh, more foliage in Monster Hunter World).
So far their only wins outside of home consoles in my book are the original VR and the PSP.
I will take a wait and see approach as they have burnt through my trust at this point. If they release something, I'm waiting 2 years this time. No more day one purchases of hardware from me.
Re: PS5 Fans Willing to Pay a Pretty Penny for a Steam Deck-Like Portable PlayStation
@Northern_munkey
Way different markets, way different products, way different value proposition. PS5 Pro provides negligible (to me) graphical boosts that you would need to compare side by side to see, is my general understanding. For 700 friggin dollars USD, plus tax, sans disc drive. That's a no from me, dawg.
A handheld is a whole different ball game and the value of it is enormous to some. And those same people that see and like the value proposition would not consider the Portal a legit handheld device in any way shape or form or a proper successor to, say, the VITA. It's simply a streaming companion device. And according to many, it doesn't even do that well.
Me personally? I'd pay a ludicrous amount for the - right - device, but at the same time I am intensely distrustful of Sony's handheld products after the VITA was unceremoniously taken behind the woodshed and shot like a rabid dog. I would wait several years to see whether Sony pulls support as they have a habit of doing with anything besides their flagship home consoles. We are seeing that happen again right now with the VR2. Sony have a bit of a Google thing going on with their hardware where the have a tendency to drop support quick (outside of the big home consoles).
TLDR: 1.) Handheld doesn't target the same market as the Pro exactly, 2.) I would pay enormous sums for a competent device but wouldn't buy a Pro to save a puppy's life, and 3.) I don't trust Sony's track record in the handheld category, so waiting is advisable in any case.
A lot of words to say different people just want different things.