@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare I’m not sure what you mean by “aged up.” Ellie is 19 during the majority of TLOU2, and Bella was 19/20 during production. The discourse around how Bella looks hasn’t just been focused on age, and I’m sure you’re well aware of that.

My point is, I’d rather see well-formed opinions or productive initiative over superficial vitriol. At a certain point, people complaining about Bella’s casting need to realize what they have no control or influence over. There’s a point where passing criticism becomes little more than whining and attention-seeking.

I stand by what I said. I’m proposing one of many more productive options that doesn’t require anyone being critical to change their opinion.

I think it's time for gamers to understand this show isn't being made solely for us to compare it to the source material. It's an adaptation for a much larger audience. If you don't like it because it doesn't look the way you feel it should on a surface level, that's your issue to navigate. The games haven't gone anywhere... Play them again.

It's fine to disagree, but so many of the points online ring hollow and prove exactly why Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are at the helm. They have a vision and they're executing it the way they see fit. Season 1 was a resounding success as a result, and anticipation for Season 2 is already immense.

They have the authority to create how they see fit, and it's fine if you don't connect with it. However, if you feel such strong ownership of how the vision should have been realized, maybe you should put that energy into your own creative endeavors instead. Show us what you've got.

"It’s worth stressing at this point that, despite joining the English cast, Takanashi is based in Japan and therefore is not a member of any striking American unions."

Period. That distinction matters. Takanashi’s casting has nothing to do with the SAG-AFTRA strike—he’s based in Japan and isn’t part of any American union.

HoYoverse games aren’t union projects, and union actors who took roles in them did so at their own risk, knowing SAG-AFTRA typically forbids members from working on non-union jobs. While protecting VAs is important, expecting a global company to adhere to a US-centric framework—and blaming a non-union actor for taking a legal job—is misplaced outrage.

@Keyblade-Dan If studios only created what people “asked for,” we’d be in big trouble. No film can appeal to every single person, so unless the movie is poorly-reviewed AND performs poorly commercially, there’s really no problem.

@ATaco I understand why you might prefer a more neutral tone—and there are plenty of platforms out there for that—but I don’t see Push Square's comments as "political hot takes" so much as them taking issue with potentially counterproductive behaviors.

There are likely valid business reasons behind Sony’s decision to require PSN logins on PC, but the discourse often shifts toward vilification. Could they communicate those reasons better? Absolutely.

At the end of the day, the gaming space has become quite volatile. If players can use review bombing and harsh commentary to express dissatisfaction, it’s fair for Push Square to share their perspective as well. Feedback should go both ways, and I respect their choice to address these issues rather than pretend they don’t exist simply because they reflect the less glamorous side of the industry.

@ATaco In this particular case, it’s because Push Square has their own editorial voice and has never promised to be “neutral.” This is a blog providing a mix of news, commentary, and more about the extended world of PlayStation. Asking Push Square to not have an identity, or trying to change it to suit a specific point of view that is not their own, begs the question.

If someone believes their vision is superior to the current offering here, why not do it themself? At the very least, seek out an alternative platform that is more neutral to suit one’s tastes.

@ATaco Push Square has an editorial voice. They’re really under no obligation to present a neutral view. I’d encourage you to consider starting your own blog if you feel like you have a neutral angle that would appeal to more readers.

"This is a concept video created before development began." Oh, ok. Lol. I loved Virtua Fighter as a kid and have no reason to be skeptical, but this doesn't represent a product, just an idea of one.

Prior to owning a Portal, I would always shut my console down fully. However, that has shifted since getting one. The only time I shut down now is if inclement weather is likely to cause an outage. I'm tired of being scolded for not shutting down properly. 😂

@LifeGirl I see it’s now been updated to 300 words based on the feedback. However, Twitter’s limit was 140 characters rather than 140 words. It was quite a bit more limited. Still, 150 words wasn’t much so I’m glad they’ve expanded it.

I mean… Clive stripped down even more than this in FF XVI. 🤣

1. Sony’s post is 100% satire.
2. It’s not just Part II. It features scenes from Part I as well.

But hey… I’m getting a chuckle out of the replies that only read the headline and didn’t watch the video.

@BIG3 Honestly, a 3rd Person mode is precisely what I’m hoping for. 1st Person games just aren’t my thing, as much as I’ve tried to vibe with them. I already own Cyberpunk (since launch), but I’ve only ever played a handful of hours because of the perspective.

“In news that might at first sound like a parody…” I’m not really sure what would sound parody-like about hiring a VA they’ve worked with for multiple games now. Am I missing something? 🤔

I understand them wanting to celebrate/honor DLC, which can help drive the quality of DLC up across the industry. However, highlighting DLC content in its own major category seems more appropriate. Then again, DLC can enhance the experience of a game and have an impact beyond just the new story content. I see what they were going for on a number of fronts, but I’d still rather there be a new category introduced (Best DLC or Expansion).

As far as I’m concerned, we’re only in Phase 1 of the value proposition.

I bought Sea of Stars on sale a couple months back once I heard this DLC was coming, and boy am I glad I did. I’m about ready to dive in now it has reached its ultimate form. 🥳

Little Nightmares II is my game of choice this spooky season.

I feel like God of War would work better as a film franchise. I can’t even fathom the budget needed to adapt it meaningfully for TV. 🤑

Never know… could end up giving it new life as a TV series if the episode does well.

@Jrs1 Not in the least, and that wasn’t my intended implication. I’m all digital myself. I just don’t foresee Sony overlooking the population of early adopters who fall in the physical preferred category for an upgraded/pro model.

To that end, the several comments so far that almost presume or threaten the consequences of their dollar or support if no physical edition is released seem premature, particularly in light of this being a supposed leak and not an official announcement.

Premature and invalid are not the same, but the comments fall solely under the umbrella of speculation at this point.

This is why companies like to control their own narratives. Many people are too quick to get worked up over an absence of confirmation, often running with rumors and spreading misinformation or misdirection without any factual basis.

The premature fears of there being no disc drive are a bit silly. We’re reading about a leaked sneak peek of potential packaging for ONE version… What would Sony gain from forcing a sizable audience of early adopters who prefer physical media to digital only in the middle of a console generation? I’m fairly confident all this negative speculation is unnecessary, and I’m happy to be called an idiot if the fears turn out to be legitimate later on. Patience.

@ATaco That makes perfect sense!

@LiamCroft Understandable, though perhaps a less traditional approach (e.g. thoughts after 1-2 hours of play with the more substantial review still to follow OR arranging for a guest contributor) might have saved us from yet another “Where’s our review for _____” article? 🙃

It’s not the end of the world, but I know the team is as capable of creative solutions as we are of being patient. It’s a give and take.

@ATaco From the sound of it, this is player-elected, right? So anyone who’d like to maintain authenticity with their leaders and civilizations will still be able to.

Was Game of the Year mentioned in the headline just to add some pizazz? I don’t see how this stands a chance, no matter how much it might hit the nail on the head for its target audience. 🤔

I love how so many people judge remakes as if they're targeted solely at the original audience. A film adaptation is in the works as well. If this isn't for you, that's fine. Not for you ≠ unnecessary.

As much as I’d love to see some form of the game revived someday, I feel like it was the right call not to jump into the live service space. Naughty Dog’s strengths lie in balancing solid gameplay with compelling narratives and characters we love, hate, or love to hate.

I'm anticipating season 2 could end with the reveal of who Abby actually is. Seems like Catherine O'Hara's character may be some sort of therapist or psychologist residing in Jackson.

@WiiWareWave In a fictional and fantasy-oriented RPG like Jeanne d’Arc, where do you think the line between adherence to historical accuracy and creative liberty would best be drawn?

@SoulChimera How did you quote @DennisReynolds comment like that? Is there a resource for the formatting options for the commenting platform here? 🙏🏼

The vacuum probably sucks.

This isn’t great news, but I’m going to take HG’s comments at face value for the time being. They’re calling this a “restructuring.” Time will tell if it’s truly that, or if this is the beginning of the end for them.

I hope everyone who was laid off is able to land on their feet and find something new and energizing in the next phase of their careers.

@CGesange Of course. With the fantasy and tactical RPG elements, this isn’t meant to be a historically accurate retelling of events. Not even close. It’s more of a “what if?” scenario with a Joan of Arc theme.

I remember having a lot of fun with this on PSP, but it's been so long that I'm worried about ruining my fond memories if it hasn't aged well. Plus, the rest of the games in my backlog might protest. 😂

As much as I love speculation, this is the “Switch Pro” discourse all over again. “It hasn’t released yet,” even though its existence also hasn’t been confirmed.

“Do you think it exists? When will it release? Do we need one? Do you want one?” Copy, paste, post, repeat.

@I-Mace-I I wondered why the headline and article used quotes around "offline mode" when that was inaccurate. Kind of annoying. Thanks for the added insight!

How can you legally refer to something as an "offline mode" if it requires an internet connection?

@Anti-Matter I’m sorry you went through the trauma you did as a child. I’m also glad to hear you want to prevent the same for today’s young gamers.

What I’m not following is how or where any sort of traumatizing 18+ content is present or disguised in Astro Bot games. Where is the violation you speak of?

@Anti-Matter I don't think anyone needs to sift through your comments to figure out why you've chosen to "ban" Astro Bot. That's entirely your prerogative.

As a frequent and visible member of this community, it would be more beneficial to focus on engaging positively rather than pushing moralistic views and making random, often reductive, statements.

Incredible news! I’m purely speculating, but it must be time to ramp up work on TLOU Part III.

I imagine the forthcoming non-TLOU game might be less brutal or combat-heavy.

@BamBamBaklava89 Time to start saving up for a PS5, or get used to the collection of games already available for PS4.

Power comparisons between the PS4 and Switch aside (because your point is fair), both the PS5 and Switch are current flagship consoles for their respective companies.

PS4 had a great run, but its time as a mainstay in the business side of the industry is over. I’m sorry… 🤷🏽‍♂️

Calling this game “weird” in the headline is certainly an interesting choice. Not sure how I’d feel after reading that if I were on this dev team. The headline is perfectly fine without that.

I just can’t get into first-person games and I don’t really know why…

@Nei Your comment seems to be more about projecting your personal preferences and assumptions onto others. Just because games like Animal Crossing don’t appeal to you doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with those who enjoy them. Instead of making unfounded judgments, maybe consider sticking to discussions about the games you do enjoy.

It’s on my backlog but I intend to play it someday. I played through a bit of the intro a while back and I’m very much looking forward to diving back in once I’ve gotten through some other titles I’ve been sitting on.

I’ll take as many seasons as they’ll give me, as long as they don’t start trying to milk every angle they can with a bunch of spinoffs. I’m looking at you, TWD.

A lot of these seem like Nos. We shall see!

@awp69 Yeah. I see a lot of people bothered by the full price, but if they don’t have PS Plus I’m sure it’ll go on sale in other ways in the future (just like OTII does pretty regularly).