themightyant

I do feel for the developer. 11 years of development, many of them as a solo effort before linking with Sony, and then average reviews and promptly forgotten. To spend over a decade of your life doing something for it be glossed over in a heartbeat.

@ButterySmooth30FPS Finding the fun in something rather than finding the faults is a great skill. Enjoy.

This has become an absolute must for me in these games. I've played them before but I don't have the time, or will, to fight the same enemies endlessly. It is neither a challenge nor fun, I just want to streamline the story with a little fighting.

@Ainu20 I don't think whether anyone "can keep up" with releases is a very useful metric though. Do we expect to complete movies, or music, books or TV? Why games? It makes no sense. Just accept you can't play/watch/listen to everything. This is normal.

...To be fair I constantly say I can't keep up with releases

re: the industry contracting: I have said similar in the past, that gaming is too big, too many games and too many studios failing and for THAT reason perhaps the industry should contract overall.

But that's not quite what I meant, I meant if the audience in future does shrink this isn't good for gaming long term, we gamers lose out.

I generally prefer the authentic courses. But choice is good, and sometimes you want to play something zany, I like the option for this.

@Ainu20 I don’t know what the solution is. I agree I don’t want that future either, but if we don’t pull in younger players then gaming will start to shrink, that is not good for our industry either.

This is a far bigger issue than just gaming though. I believe the impact of short form endless scrolling content like TikTok and YouTube reels will negatively affect many creative industries. It’s not going to happen overnight, it will be a slow burn problem, but 10 years from now I am worried about where a lot of creative industries will stand.

@Balaam_ that’s not quite accurate. It’s based off studies, especially in the young, about what they spend their time and money on. Gaming is shrinking in both metrics, and as things like TikTok, and YouTube take up more time, gaming loses out.

Similarly their money is more likely to be spent on clothes, food etc. While entertainment is still a large line item, the percentage spent on gaming is dropping. Circana, Wall Steet Journal, Games Indusrty.biz have reported on this in the US and there have been reports based on ONS data in the UK.

I think a lot of people are being short sighted here. Time is our most precious commodity and it’s being eaten up by other things including, but not limited to TikTok, YouTube, mobile phone apps etc. they are ALL competing for our limited time.

This is made worse because, as many recent studies show, under modern western lifestyles we have less free time than we did a few decades ago . That time is precious and all these companies and media are vying for our attention.

Almost everyone who comments here is an avid gamer who will likely prioritise gaming, but we are the minority, this is a HUGE issue for the future of gaming, and other hobbies like reading, especially in the youth. The percentage of time they watch YouTube or spend on TikTok is rapidly increasing. It’s concerning.

I was quite excited for Stray, even though i've played it, but the other two are a complete FLUB. Still I have plenty to play.

On the one hand Q2 sales are disappointing.

On the other it's sold over 10 million copies already. Hardly a failure.

@Meowmixes98 Lots of reasons. Ryu Hyabusa's story has been told, tell a new one. His power is already off the charts, are you going to nerf him again at the beginning of each game? To have entirely new moveset's and gameplay ideas.

This is absolutely the next logical step allowing any games you have purchased to cloud stream too. Even better if they opened it up to other devices like phones in future.

@rjejr thank you, that makes a LOT more sense. I re-read the article but it was unclear and slightly misleading, when it says 14,000 “across the whole company” the company they just mentioned was Amazon Game Studios. And the only quotes they give relate to games.

@Northern_munkey @HonestHick absolutely this is a known thing that PLENTY of people have said not just Xbox or Playstation. Which is why I said it was facts in my first comment. It’s sad that TikTok and other endlessly scrolling media is taking over peoples attention and is a much larger problem for gaming than the other platforms.

I’m not sure what I’m more surprised by: that they are laying off an eye watering 14,000 employees or that their game division has anything like that number. What of note have they released? Lost Ark? Crucible? New World? The Grand Tour?

Nah i'll play it on Game Pass, but it's a strong get for PlayStation.

Strangely it doesn't feel odd to me having the Xbox mascot on PlayStation, unlike when Sonic appeared on Nintendo the first time, as we've seen this coming for a long time now.

@Oram77 November 2027, which is the likely date based on PS4, & PS5 (plus PS4 Pro & PS5 Pro) is years away, 2 years and a few days away, the math does math. Where's the problem?

Looks great. Love to see veteran devs uniting on smaller projects. More of this!

I’ll believe it when I see it, but it would be a smart play by Microsoft. They can’t really have a PC/console hybrid and charge for online without looking silly when it’s free on pc.

That said remembering how bad Sony’s online service was when it was free, it’s possibly better to pay! You get what you pay for.

Cool game, but already played it on extra. That said quite a nice add to the permanent library. Enjoy it.

Smart move. Their studios aren't what they were and all their worth is tied up in IP they don't own.

@Martsmall indeed. It’s why all the platforms holders, not just Xbox, are prioritising engagement.

Facts. Sadly TikTok, YouTube and other doom scrolling content is eating up more and more of people’s time, especially the younger generation. It’s a real problem for gaming.

@Silenos 💯

@Shigurui thanks mate.

For others: 3 other older codes for 170 jades + extras you may have already used, or not…

• CREATIONNYMPH
• FAREWELL
• IFYOUAREREADINGTHIS

@Silenos i feel the complete opposite there are so many extra modes and end game content that it just eats up too much time. Add to that the ridiculously over written story that always drags out a 30 minute plot line to 4 hours with very little engaging gameplay and it’s just a massive time waster overall.

There are absolutely great moments, else I wouldn’t have played on and off for 2 years but less is more to me, but they want to keep users logging in every day, wasting time.

Not saying you are wrong btw, just interesting how two people can have wildly different perspectives.

@Medic_alert I agree it's a problem, at the very least the original PS5 modes should be included, so that we can just have the natural performance lift in games from better hardware. i.e. smoother framerates and higher resolutions if DRS is being used.

But the number of games with problems is small versus the number of releases, but of course they get a disproportionate amount of press. While I am all for holding devs to account, it also gives a highly unrealistic balance of how widespread the issue is. The fact is the VAST majority of games perform better.

Again value is subjective, that's a separate and individual call.

@TrollOfWar in the short term the ABK deal has turned out better for PS players with multiplatform games. Sure.

But what about long term? If Microsoft are not competing as a console platform; if they are going ‘very premium’ according to the head of Xbox; if they are raising prices to hit 30% profit margins… then what do you think Sony will do unopposed?

Personally I think we will ALL lose from the ABK deal and others like EA, Ubisoft etc.

@Medic_alert I can see what you are saying… but let’s be honest how many games perform the same or even worse on the pro? It’s literally a handful, whereas everything else, hundreds of games, run better many significantly so.

While it is disappointing that any game appears worse or has little upgrade I also think this is vastly overstated as there are far more reports when it performs poorly than if it performs as expected.

But value is subjective and if you don’t think it was a worthwhile investment fair enough. Personally having got a deal and after selling my PS5 it cost around £350 net with a drive. I’m happy enough with that.

LOOKS stunning, love the artistry, but I want to see better feeling gameplay that some of the other games.

@Dodoo 3D has been around before at movies, motion controls had been around before with Sega VR (1991) and Sega Activator (1993) - a ring on the floor that detected movement, or was meant to if it worked reliably... it was WAY ahead of it's time - it was just Nintendo popularised it and briefly made it successful. But fads are still fads, these were short lived endeavours.

Err… 3D with Virtual Boy and 3DS, Motion Controls with Wii, Fitness devices wirh Ring Fit and WiiFit, VR with Labo etc etc.

Nintendo frequently jump on the short-lived craze that quickly fade from popularity. AKA fads.

But I agree they like to forge a separate path. Where I’d disagree is they often don’t know what they are doing and just throw enough ideas at the wall that some stick. But I hope it keeps working for them.

@Dogbreath in addition to preset settings, pre/compiled shaders etc, don’t forget “play anywhere”. Buying on the Xbox store not Steam, GoG etc. will allow you to pick up and play your game on other systems including on their handheld or other devices via cloud.

I imagine Xbox will try and incentivise buying on their store with lots of additional conveniences.

At least that is how I would play it.

@MrGawain Most attachment ratio figures are ALWAYS a bit bogus in that platform holders don't usually release these statistics. Moreover what does it include. Does a Free game count as a unit purchased? What about games downloaded from a subscriptions service. Sales aren't everything.

What I can tell you accurately, from Sony's own financial documents, is that since Q3 2020 when PS5 released they have sold 1.3886 billion games as of Q1 2025. That is sales across all their platforms sold digitally on PSN or physically via retailers.

Now for some, admittedly pretty loose, conjecture. Assuming a higher proportion were on PS5, and that most PS5 owners were previously PS4 owners (so not counting them twice), that would put it above 10 units per console.

I'm amused every time this is announced seeing people say "I will never use this feature". Do they not understand this will be a future console, probably a handheld which would be amazing. Playing PS5 games natively on the go. Sign me up!!!

What a load of muppets. Boycotting a game because of the sex of the character. Losers... quite literally in this case.

@Wakkawipeout The PS5 Pro will be discontinued as soon as the PS6 comes out, just as the PS4 Pro was, as it won't fit into a price bracket.

My money would be on £599, but it's still 2+ years away a LOT can change in that time. I guess we will see in 2+ years, maybe i'm wrong.

@The_ghostmen Remedy is a Finnish studio, not Norwegian, so I suspect they didn't get government subsidies from Norway!

But it's not uncommon for governments to subsidise the arts, or industries like gaming, especially if it brings in jobs and reflects well on the nation. This is normal.

But Alan Wake 2 reportedly FINALLY started making a profit about a year ago. Since then they would have sold more and had the PS+ bag so they will have made a profit... just not very much.

@Ooccoo_Jr I was slightly joking with my comment.

But I sort of agree it can be hard to review a game like this I suppose it comes down to things like: Did you have fun? Were you engaged and not thinking about other things?

I tried it on a whim, almost as a joke as it was on Game Pass and put about 30-50 hours into PWS1 so I get it. It sucks you in.

"bigger, better" != 7/10.

@Oram77 @Ooccoo_Jr FYI "Selling like hot cakes" originated in the 1800s when hot pancakes were sold at church bake sales and disappeared before they even got cold. While we have a lot of other pastries now at the time they were an affordable delicious treat.

@Dogbreath I suspect Xbox will have some incentives to buy on their store e.g. an optimised console like experience, pre-compiled shaders, pre-optimised settings etc. that buying a Steam game might not have. At least initially.

I've said for a long time that I think the PS6 will be priced below PS5 Pro. But one other factor I didn't take into account (other than tariffs) is Xbox not being competitively priced. That MIGHT make Sony increase their prices a little.

But I still think there is the price you set for a premium device that will sell 10-20 million units like the PS5 Pro and there is a lower price you will set to sell 100+ million units.

I still think, despite these other factors, that PS6 will be cheaper than PS5 Pro.

Looking forward to this one. Love the Blue Dragon-like graphical update that also sticks closely to the original designs.

Hmm... one to keep an eye on... but not sure fishing as the main theme and activity is quite what i'm after. Either way thanks for the heads up.

Who could have seen Firebreak failing to make a dent coming...

(EDIT) While it is possible to get into the multiplayer space very few games actually succeed and the industry is littered with the corpses of games and studios that have tried. This always seemed like a low percentage play, especially poor decision making from Remedy who are always seemingly on the cusp of closure.

Not yet. I'm busy with the games i'm already playing and they want to play Keeper first. I like Ninja Gaiden buy I'm not a massive fan, the combat is fun for a while, but other than that it has a lot of flaws as a series.

They do want it back, but not necessarily in the way people think. They don't need it all from revenue within Xbox. Instead they bought ASSETS and these assets have added to their market value.

One of the reason they are (almost) a 4 trillion corporation is because they have Zenimax/Bethesda and ABK as part of them. They have already likely increased the value of their shares tens of billions from buying those companies.

@LazyDaisy Anyone that struggled to read the writing on the back of the controller will attest to this. I had to take a photo and zoom in and still it was unclear. It's a small QoL upgrade, but those who know will know.

@BeenGamingSince_83 They likely don't, this is just the install package which will be deleted after installation. As far as I am aware the OS install size hasn't changed and the amount of useable storage has also not changed this gen.

Why does it have to be either / or? That's a false dichotomy. You can have fun games that look like a dogs dinner and terribly playing games that look shiny and ray traced. But graphics do help sell immersion. You can have both.