cuttlefishjones

Though everyone is calmmering about the price of a premium electronics gadget being too high without stopping to think about why, beyond the repetitve greed argument.

It looks like it's not really stopping people from looking like they are going to buy it, if the sudden unavailability of the external blu-ray drive is anything to go by.

That thing is out of stock everywhere all of a sudden.

@PerpetualBoredom - I know right.If only the Ally or Legion used SteamOS they wouldn't be so hobbled!

I'll be buying one, I've just ordered the external drive and a additional 4TB SSD in preparation.

Gaming is my hobby of choice. I have a fairly high end PC (5900x, 6900XT) but I prefer the ease of use of consoles, though I do like both my Rog Ally and Legion Go (more than my Steamdeck) - just a shame they're crippled by Windows.

As a hobby it's an expensive one for sure but, at the end of the day, 700 quid for a premium electronic gadget of any kind is to be expected given the state of the world right now. Besides it's going to cost you 3x as much to get an equivalent PC experience and even then you would be missing a stack of features like the XDNA hardware and RDNA4 level RT units.

I'm quite interested in seeing what they do to improve the PSVR2 experience with the Pro, I'm liking it on the standard PS5 but anyting that can improve the image quality will be a blessing.

Price is a little steep but compares favorably against getting the same performance from a PC.

I'll be pre-ordering one and putting my regular PS5 out pasture with the PS4, 3, 2, and 1. I'm collecting anyway!

What would be really cool is if this was just the first point in an unholy triangle of games to come to PSVR2, the other two being Resistance and Killzone... Come on Sony!

I'm playing, but on PC though, and it's as if Warframe, Destiny, Anthem, and Outriders were chucked into a blender and the resultant mix was First Descendant.

It's like the best bits of all of them and so far I am have a complete blast. Great modding system, good graphics, and responsive, very acrobatic, gameplay.

I'll be getting on my PS5 as it seems like a perfect for the Portal. I haven't tried it yet on my Steamdeck, Rog Ally, or Legion Go but I'm betting the portal will be a better experience.

I got one when they came out and I use it more often than my actual PS5.

Give me Warframe in a persistant universe ala Star Citizen, chuck in a dash of RPGing and exploration, mix in a bit of mos eisely cateen action and maybe a smattering of Alien xenomorphic horror and I'm sold

Rumour is that Tango tied their devs bonuses to the success of the game. MS took one look at how successful it had become, realised that the Devs were going to get rewarded for their hardwork, and they'd miss out on that extra cash, so they killed the studio as that was cheaper than paying bonuses...

I've been having a blast with it so far. The ony downsides are some of the voice acting is pure anime cheese and that one song that plays on loop during missions kind of grates after a while.

Eves choice of clothing is also suspicious, not exactly hard wearing combat ready I mean facing off against a acid spitting, flesh slicing, befanged behemoth wearing just a swimsuit and a bunny tail doesn't seem like a recipe for success!

But the combat is satisfying, the visuals are top notch, and the overall gameplay loop is interesting enough to keep going. It's fun which is something that seems to be a rare commodity in games these days.

Kidneys already on ebay.

They can keep Starfailed. I've got it on PC and it isn't worth the effort really. NMS walks all over it. The next Elder Scrolls for sure though unless Bethesda screw it up like they did with Starfailed. Time to move your games out of the 90's guys!

Halo maybe, that's the only reason I ever bought XBOX, up until Halo Reach that is. After that it was just a cash grab and the games sucked.

Gears of War would be a good fit, especially as Sony has, short sightedly, given up on both Killzone and Resistance.

The Sensua games are OK, the first one is interesting but I never really got the vibe from it and I don't think I completed it.

I'm still using my PS3 for Resistance and Killzone sessions. Even the PS2 and PS1 get booted up every now and then just to make sure they still work and to listen to their boot up sounds!

I've already moved on to a 4TB WD Black a while back, even the 2TB I originally put in there wasn't cutting it anymore. That's now living as complete overkill on a PI 4

The whole tech industry is undergoing a hard reset right now. Not just the gaming segment. Tens of thousands of positions removed across the board.
Sony (900) is just following in the wake of Microsoft (1900) and shedding jobs to increase leaness.
Normally the upside of this would be that in a couple of months the dust woud have settled and hires would begin again. But with the increasing sophistication of AI that hire triangle is going to get a lot smaller (think most experienced at the top moving down to junior roles at the bottom).
It might be time to consider re-training. I, for example, have taken a keen interest in Rutabagas. Lifecycle and propogation.

It's definitely more Farcry 3 or Primal in playstyle which is to say it poses different sets of challenges than 4,5,6 do. But at heart it's still a Farcry game with big blue cat aliens. I'm a few hours in now and it's been fun so far, some elements are challenging and I dislike the way the enemy can see you way before you can see them. Even in the dark and with fog :/ But other than that everything's been as you'd expect.

I've just put in a couple of hours and while, yes, it is totally FarCry but with big blue cat aliens, it also drop dead gorgeous and so explorable. And that is the thing I like in Farcry and AC:(origin:odessey:valhalla); being able to explore a huge and novel world.
I think it is more like Farcry 2-3Primal than 4-5-6. It has that feel but that might just be jungle induced. But so far I'm enjoying it.

It's a real shame to see Free Radical end up like this, broken, forgotten, and soon to be just a wiki entry. It was Timesplitters 2 that convinced me to buy a PS2! And I guess I was one of the few who actually enjoyed Haze on the PS3 - once you got over the jank and slightyl dodgy storyline it was a decently fun shooter.

I hated the first game when I bought it but then I persevered and it really grew on me. The epic battles with Manitcores, horny Ogres, and Cyclop's were just amazing for the time. And venturing out in the dark was a nerve tingling experience that always rewarded. And the pawn system rocked as well. Looking forward to this, hopefully they won't have messed around with the core premise too much and this is an evolution of the first game and not some hot mess of trying to meet everyones expectations instead.

@Michael10293978
Not sure what you're talking about I have a pair of WM-1000XM5 buds (very nice they are too) and it would be nice if they worked with the portal. Instead I'll have to buy a pair of the Pulse Explore buds instead whch just seems a little overkill to me. I suppose I could use the Arctis 9 headset I have for my PC but, too be honest, I much prefer buds to over ear headsets.

@tinCAT-zero

WH's I could use the jack plug but I have the WM (Buds) there is no way other than blue tooth to connect those.

I got mine today and so far so good. No problems playing any games in and around the house. The screen is very vibrant which helps and the speakers are fine given their size. The only annoying thing is the lack of blue tooth. Why can't I just use my wm-1000mx5's and not have to buy yet another set of headphones...

With the exception of Starfailed, which I'm surprised even got nominated for anything other than most boring game of the year, all those are quality titles but it's a little sad to not see The Invincible get a mention anywhere.

I pre-ordered one, just to add to my ever expanding collection of gaming devices (I added an VCS 2600, Gamecube, and OG PS2 last week). With this and my Steamdeck I think I've finally got mobile gaming covered.

Given the downward death spiral that all the studios purchased by Microsoft have entered, especially in terms of quality of released games e.g. Halo, Redfall etc. It's probable that this will be the last time we see a COD that even apporaches this level of quality.

Until someone in Xbox actually figures out what games are and how they are different to spreadsheet entries and that player retention times are better serves by making games interesting and fun rather than filling them with empty spaces and long loading screen, looking at you Starfailed, Xbox studio games will always be 2nd rate. But I guess making games that are good takes money and time and that looks bad for your bottom line.

I guess Starfailed winning anything was more of a sympathy vote than actually based on any real achievement.

But good on Larian and Baldurs Gate, that game and studio deserve everything they get, and a whole load more too.

@cburg - Why? I understand that comparing Starfield to its contemporaries is deemed as unfair by some, and, let's face it there is no comparison. Starfield doesn't even compare to Skyrim or Fallout. They are both better games. More modern ones leave it even further behind.

But why would it make you laugh? Other than the fact that they are so much better it makes the comparison absurd? And if you believe they are not, then what is it that Starfield brings to the table that makes it better in any way? Interested to know, as I haven't found anything yet in ~40 hours of playing that does.

@AdamNovice - Having put a fair few hours in on PC I can say, sad as it is, Playstation owners aren't actually missing out on anything. There are better alternatives on that platform already.

I bought Starfield on Steam, and now have a small amount of buyers remorse

It has all the trappings of a Bethesda game and, if you compare it to Skyrim or Fallout, it is slightly better in some respects. But it has none of the excitement or sense of wonder that you got with Skyrim and none of fun that Fallout had.

It's, basically, a bit boring to be honest. Compare it to contemporary games like NMS, BG3, or Horizon and it falls so far short of the bar it's almost painful to see. There is nothing about it that screams next gen etc. I get a feeling this will be forgetten about a lot faster than Skyrim et al. Or if it is remembered it'll be for when Bethesda lots its mojo. And I wonder how much of that has to do with Microsoft?

Amazing sales figures for the PS5. Shows how much pent up demmand there was that, luckily, the scalper weren't really able to tap into.

On the future of this market though that is uncertain. Microsoft are playing their usual game, when they can't compete they starve their competition and then mop up the remains. It's obvious they want to move the market to a cloud based license only model where you only have access to games if you can pay your subscription. And that they want to be the cloud vendor who controls all this.

Well that's all those Devs down the toilet then.Once they've realised they're just going to beocme part of a bland churn machine I guess they'll be jumping ship. After all games require creativity, inventivness, and a sense of fun, things M$ can't buy but it can crush under the sheer weight of it corporate blandness.

@Mitsui - I doubt they will ever show those numbers. Especially if there are a lot of PS5 players. That would be saying 'Look, this is how many players and sales we are going to lose when we are no longer truly multiplatform'

And Diablo 5 won't be on Playstation - wonder if they'll ever share how many sales are on PS4 and PS5.

Guaranteed they won't if it's significant.

"We can sell up to 80% of the user's visual field without inducing seizures"

I really want to get PSVR2 - but I spent my money on a Beelink Mini-PC instead :/

But I still want to get it, I got the original PSVR which was fun but always made me feel slightly nauseous within a couple of minutes of playing. Especially Skyrim (I had to jump when I moved, the floating movement was really bad).

Also I really want to play call of the mountain

I bought two 4TB SN580x's, one for the PS5 to replace the 2TB I had originally, and one for my laptop. I'll stick the 2TB on a Pi4 (in a Sabrent enclosure) and use it to boot from.

@Fiendish-Beaver

Well for one thing once this has been approved then there is absolutely nothing stopping M$ from buying up all the studios and publishers it wants. There's nothing left that will cost more than the $69 billion they're spending on this (which is why i think they put the price so high) and now they will have set a precedence with this purchase.

And then:

This will just be a repeat of the practices they used in the 80's and early 90's to remove all competition from the OS and corporate space. They'll be undercutting Nintendo and Sony on cost soon until they are forced out of the market and then they will put their prices up. Their bean counters are just eyeing up another juicy market they can strip for profit.

Sony are bad enough from a corporate perspective, but at least they get games, they back the creative process. M$ are just terrible at games, they always have been and that will never change. The studios they buy will be crushed under red tape and deadlines and the games will suffer as a result e.g. Halo

And everything will be locked behind a games for hire scheme, can't afford your subscription anymore? All your games are inaccessible? Tough luck, you wanted this.

This is just one of those defining moments where we as species display, with great alacrity, our ability to walk, with eyes wide open, into the worst possible outcome. And 50% of us even cheer it on.

Adapting workflow to incorporate tools like this is the way to go; it's going to lead to way more immersive environments, NPCs that don't have to repeat the same old line everytime you encounter them. Proper converations going on that evolve over time with the events of the game. Even building a simplified LLM into the game engine so you can have actual converations with NPCs. And they can have conversations with each other. Can't wait to see how hysterically wrong that goes the first few times.

We're on the cusp of a new industrial revolution and embracing it is the sensible choice. Standing there complaining and throwing your sabots into the machines is only going to end the same way it did the first time. If you spend your time protesting and complaining, instead of learning and adapting, then you're going to get left behind and then you will have created a self fulfilling prophesy where all your fears come true.

I've been quite enjoying the freedom for exploring that you get with this. The dialogue is pretty dire though, and very repetitive. But the game is fun outside that and I'd definitely be up for some DLC.

I have tried a couple of times to pre-order but I just get a super informative 'Something went wrong' error message. That's as useful as saying 'water is wet'.
And as Sony are practically impossible to contact about such things it shall remain un-pre-ordered

Come on Roach!

Can't wait to have an excuse to play this again, for the nth time
The world never ceases to draw me in and I always feel a pang of sadness as sson as you get to Kaer Morhen as that means the journey is nearly over.

Looks.. nice. But the fact that the player just repeatedly died and the vid didn't show them acutally beating the boss puts me right off. It could just end up being a game that punishes you for playing and that would end up being frustrating and pointless.

I'd set aside 700 for this so I'm pleasantly surprised. Definately pre-ordering when available.

If only the game was as good as the anime. The world wold have been a happier place.

There is no part one and there is no part two. There is only The Last of Us. Which is one of the best games I have played since I first picked up controller. On my 2600

As with all things like this, he is only sorry about his catostrophic mistake because he got caught, and by his own hand -ouch-. Had this not happened he would have happily carried on feeding that dopamine addiction he has going. Which he won't be able to kick, no matter the impact this has.

He should have a ban on internet access, not just streaming stuff. And be forced to attend therapy for an addiction that has resulted in self harm

Same guy in charge of production as was in charge of Warfarme means it's going to be the same game with exactly the same issues and flaws that Warframe has. They could really do with getting some fresh faces, and ideas, involved instead of the same tired crew they have at the moment.

Sony (and all the rest) can resell, rerelease, repackage, re-issue whatever they want, whenever they want, in any shape or form they wish. And charge whatever they want for for it.
We either buy it or we don't. That's the only part of the process we are invloved in.
Arguments and diatribes like the one around this just tell us more about the nature of people, and their entitlement, than it does about Sony.
I'll buy this because I want it. If you don't want it don't buy it. It's not rocket science.

I bought on the premise that it would be more approachable than Demon Souls etc. Turned out that was a lie

I just found the game to be incredibly frustrating in a way that seemed to punish you for playing. Plus I couldn't get away from how bland and washed out the world was. It just had zero appeal from an exploring point of view, plus that would also end in death if you tried.

First game I have ever uninstalled on day one and sold on. Should be a trophy for that!

Cool advert but totally misrepresents the game.

Going by that it's colourful, fun to play, and easy to get into. Which is the total opposite of reality. Which is that it's drab, frustrating, and painfully obtuse.

Would have been better if it was filmed in sepia, everyone died immediately at the start of each scene, and after hours of the same thing it turned out to be an advert for dog food.