truerbluer

I think it's become all the more apparent that Shuhei Yoshida saw the writing on the wall of where PlayStation is heading and bailed at the perfect moment keeping his pride in check.

Doesn't it just fill you with confidence that the future of this company is in the hands of the man who greenlit then subsequently cancelled all this live service slop, wasting years of studio development?

• TLOU online cancelled
• Spider-Man online cancelled
• Twisted Metal online cancelled
• God of War online cancelled
• London Studio shut down
• Concord killed in 2 weeks
• Media Molecule's Dreams a failure
• Deviation Games shut down

I don't see Bend surviving for much longer, they're coming up to 6 years without any releases.

I had been vocal for years against Sony diluting the prestige of their 1st party by porting their most desired games to PC but after 4 years and 90% of all 1st party games already ported with no signs of relenting I simply don't care anymore. All it's done is help solidify my decision to stop buying PlayStation consoles now that it's clear this initiative brought zero benefits to console owners.

If consoles are no longer to be made, which company or companies get to set the baseline hardware for which games should be developed on?

If the only gaming hardware was PCs, would devs now target low-end specs to maximise sales in developing countries and make ugly looking games or go for cutting edge visuals where only 1% of the market with capable hardware can play and never be able to make a profit from? Either way it would be complete chaos without the minimum base standard that consoles provide and everyone would be worse off without them.

If you're adamant on making low budget games you don't get to command high/standard budget prices. It's as simple as that.

This looks like it was a VR game that's been repurposed to work as a flat screen game. The camera movement and stretchy arms just look too odd for a game that was supposedly never intended for VR.

@get2sammyb I'm referring to the game sales on PS5 not the console itself. People will just wait for the game to release on their platform/ecosystem of choice and Sony won't make back their investment on the PS5 release now that the IP ownership info is public knowledge and people know for sure DS2 will not be exclusive.

So let's get this straight:

Sony hands Kojima the proprietary Decima engine with no strings attached.
Provides the tech and stage for extensive state of the art motion capture.
Foots the bill of all the expensive Hollywood actors salaries that Kojima insists on having.

Then proceeds to just sell the IP to Kojima, who's now free to release the game on Xbox or any other platform for that matter (Switch 2?), where Sony makes no money in return because they don't publish those versions.

So if Kojima owns the IP I fully expect DS2 to launch multiplatform or at the very least no more than a year after the PS5. This release pattern has become so obvious now that the maximum sales of DS2 on PS5 will suffer because of it.

Another great 4D chess move by Hermen Hulst!

@Nei You're right Stellar Blade is missing, I got the list off Wikipedia but it seems it was removed off the PS5-only list because of the PC port being announced.

PC waiting for ports is kind of a moot point when PS5 will also be waiting for Xbox ports.

Here is a list of current games that are exclusive on PS5 (excluding PS VR2):

• Astro Bot
• Astro's Playroom (Pack-in Demo)
• Demon's Souls (Remake)
• Destruction AllStars
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Neptunia reVerse (Remake)
• Quantum Error
• R-Type Final 3 Evolved
• Rise of the Rōnin
• Stellar Blade
• Silent Hill: The Short Message (Free)

For someone who hasn't bought a PS5 do you seriously think the above list makes it compelling enough to get one now, 4 years on and at practically the same price as launch? Everything else on the platform can be played either on PS4 or PC at much higher fidelity along with Xbox titles from day one.

What is it with Arrowhead and their unprofessional and outspoken community managers?

It wasn't too long ago that their community manager was encouraging the review bombing on Steam to send Sony a message about the PSN login requirement and now they're trying to bait the audience to push for an Xbox port and again make Sony look like the bad guys for withholding it. If I were Sony I would re-examine the relationship with Arrowhead for future games.

NHL Hitz 20-03 continues to reign supreme, 22 years on.

@Neither_scene If PS5 Pro is Sony's attempt to retain the enthusiast gamer, they're doing a poor job with it. I mean what kind of message are they sending when they showcase games like Spider-Man 2 with the implication that PS5 Pro is the best place to play... for about 2 months until the PC version releases and wipes the floor with the PS5 Pro with options of infinite resolution scaling, unlocked frame rates, ultra-wide support, freedom to use any controller and the far superior and mature DLSS technology that will never be available on PS5 Pro.

I agree that casuals make up the majority of the console audience but the casuals always follow the enthusiast gamers. If it wasn't true how can you explain the massive sales difference between PlayStation and Xbox when they both have the exact same libraries that appeal to casuals (Fortnite, FC, Madden, NBA 2K, CoD, GTA etc. with cross-play multiplayer too). The only reason PlayStation currently dominates is because Nintendo is yet to release their 9th gen console and Xbox has been self-imploding due to the consequences of their horrendous decisions.

@MrPeanutbutterz I've seen quite a few comments on the official PS blog post and Reddit proclaiming either that PS5 will be their last console or they're moving to PC asap because they're feeling huge buyer's remorse with their PS5 purchase and no longer see the value in owning one; very few exclusives, higher cost for the same games cheaper/DRM free on PC, online fees with cross-play enabled etc.

I do believe a considerable amount of hardcore and enthusiast gamers will be migrating to PC by the end of the generation, if they haven't already.

@MrPeanutbutterz You're probably right but I'm only speaking for myself when I say I did exactly that. I re-bought everything I wanted on Steam sales and cdkeys and sold off the bulk of my PS4 collection and have no desire to buy another PlayStation unless they give me a real incentive, like actual exclusives.

PlayStation is now only half a step ahead of Xbox from being another completely redundant platform. Nintendo is well positioned to completely dominate the market with their next console, and all they had to do was maintain the status quo.

A marginal improvement over the past few but still sub-par for how far into the generation we are.

@SlipperyFish https://x.com/tomwarren/status/1795966798942158935

In Hermen Hulst's own words:

"We have high hopes that we're actually able to bring new players into PlayStation at large but into PlayStation platforms specifically".

@naruball My point is this PC initiative hasn't convinced anyone that was on the fence to get a PS5. Those who haven't left a negative review are more than happy that Sony is spoon-feeding them all their exclusives and continue to have no reason to get a PS5 because they get to play these games on PC on their own terms. And those who have left negative reviews due to PSN accounts obviously were never going to get a PS5 in the first place.

If the goal of these PC ports was to try and convert PC players into PS5 owners it's conclusively proven to be a failure. These PC players refuse to create a free PSN account, why would they ever entertain the idea of buying a platform that requires one at a system level?

You can bet from now on every Sony game released on PC will be review bombed to hell and PC gamers will relish every moment of it until Sony caves into their demands.

This entire initiative has alienated the most loyal console supporters who now feel like second class citizens on their own platform and are stuck with objectively more expensive, inferior versions of games restricted by online paywalls.

Today I learned that Hermen Hulst is not a founder of Guerrilla Games nor is he a creative or game developer of any kind. He entered the games industry by working as a consultant who went on to replace the founding managing director of Guerrilla.

I remember when he became co-CEO people were happy that finally a game developer who understood what gamers want was now leading PlayStation like how Satoru Iwata ran Nintendo, but it turns out he's not actually a game developer. I think many presumed he was because he was always the one being interviewed and presenting when Guerrilla were showing off their games.

This may possibly explain why he's been scouting these awful acquisitions like Firewalk and Haven, because he's simply going by his business instincts, not game quality.

Hermen Hulst is PlayStation's Phil Spencer. He's done nothing to earn the co-CEO position and has (and continues to) inflict damage to the PlayStation brand; the GaaS pivot, going multiplatform, PS+ price hikes, greenlighting completely unnecessary remasters/remakes instead of new and exciting projects that showcase why anyone would want a PS5.

At least Jim Ryan earned his place as CEO from his long tenure making PlayStation the dominant brand in Europe.

Hermen Hulst is accountable for this and he's running the brand to the ground with baffling moves like this.

I think it's safe to make the assumption that PS6 will be entirely cross-gen titles with PS5 because there's no way they can price the base PS6 the same as a PS5 Pro or lower unless it's like a decade away from release.

Here's a better translation:

"We're not worried about console players moving to PC because we know our customers are complete morons and can't operate PCs. We'll continue our efforts to extract as much money from console players as possible; charging them more for the exact same games we price cheaper on PC and forcing them to subscribe to PS+ for the privilege to play online that our PC players can do for free and continue locking cloud saves behind this service. We're also in process of normalising day 1 releases of non-live service games across both console and PC starting with Until Dawn and Lego Horizon. We don't anticipate losing many console players because we have an army of fanboys at our disposal who care more about the company making money than the console they use and will regurgitate why going day 1 on PC is actually a good thing for everyone and how it helps us make more money to invest into bigger games, despite all evidence to the contrary from the past 4 years."

I'm not even sold on the regular PS5 let alone a PS5 Pro.

I remember this song being used in KFC commercials here in the UK in the early 2000s

I think this is clearly the frontrunner for game of the year now and it doesn't look like there's anything upcoming that has a chance of dethroning it. PS5 desperately needed this, now they need to reveal the big games 1st party is working on alongside the Pro and 2024 can be saved.

@Tecinthebrain It was actually current co-CEO Hermen Hulst who did that:

https://x.com/hermenhulst/status/1385233214076329987

I don't think we're going to get a new Devil May Cry for a long time now (if at all) unless Capcom farms it out like they did with DmC, and we all know how bad that went.

As long as these exact same games continue to be significantly cheaper on Steam with all the "bells and whistles" unavailable to consoles I will never accept the £70 asking price for compromised console versions.

I think it's likely that the Pro model won't have a disc drive in order to make the selling price more attractive but there will probably be an option to buy it separately, just like the current Digital Slim model. It would be suicidal if that isn't the case but with current Sony you never know...

"Well, basically, I just copied the console we have now. Then, I added some fins to lower wind resistance. And this racing stripe here I feel is pretty sharp."

It's funny how he immediately shut down any chance of PS VR2 support in that interview but remained coy about the chance of a PC port.

Now PC fanboys have the perfect soundbite to spread as evidence that a PC version is being considered and they've basically been given permission to be vocal about it. I'm sure it's convinced plenty of people to "just wait for the PC version" even if it never materialises, so good job kneecapping your PS5 sales!

This game is being relentlessly mocked on every PC gaming subreddit: r/pcgaming r/pcmasterrace r/steam etc.

If this game was PS5 only at least the optics could have been somewhat saved and at worst it would have just been a Starhawk or Destruction All-Stars level of failure because at least the PS5 player numbers would have been obfuscated. But the transparency of Steam's numbers has done far more damage to the game and is actively discouraging anyone from even giving it a chance. Even if the gameplay is as solid as people claim, the game being seen as "dead" can never be shaken off thanks to Steam numbers.

If Sony were to release a new dedicated handheld it almost certainly can't be a unique device like the PSP and Vita was. It's simply unfeasible in this climate for both 1st and 3rd parties to add yet another device to support making games for and it'll barely be supported much like how PS VR2 has been.

The most sensible solution would be to just release a portable PS4 but even that has its own complications. For example, people with physical libraries would be locked out because obviously a portable device has no way to read Blu-Ray discs. This move is also a double-edge sword of prolonging the life of the PS4, so we'll continue to get cross-gen releases in perpetuity if you want this device actually supported with new releases. In the end is it really worth the effort?

The same fate awaits Fairgame$ when it releases, it's become all too predictable now.

Xbox are masters of projecting their problems as industry-wide problems. But the even sadder note is Sony continually following in the industry loser's footsteps instead of the clear winners (Nintendo) who've become the sole company that fully comprehends that having high quality exclusives makes your platform desirable, regardless of the power narrative as proven by the dismal sales of Xbox Series X.

It's events like these that make me question whether modern gaming is even for me these days when not even one game looked remotely appealing or interesting to me.

The PlayStation brand has become so watered down that it's just become the generic gaming box for casuals now. There's little to no compelling exclusives that makes the platform distinct or utilises all of its features. And what little exclusives that do appear have a pipeline straight to PC where the games get to be showcased unencumbered by the limitations of the PS5, which ironically harms the selling point of a supposed PS5 Pro when there's already a better version of the game playable on PC.

Was massively disappointed with Alan Wake 2. I went in expecting an improvement on the original game's formula but instead what I got was L.A. Noire lite for Saga's gameplay and boring trial and error environmental puzzles for Alan's gameplay.

From the previews I've watched it seems like this game is largely a boss rush game in the disguise of a souls-like. If true that would be disappointing but it makes sense given the higher fidelity visuals than usual, especially coming from a studio with no console game history which would explain the restricted game design.

Avon Barksdale: "What I tell you about playin' them ******' away games? Yeah. They saw your ghetto ass comin' from miles away, *****!"

Netherrealm is in a really tricky position with MK. If they want the game to be taken seriously within the FGC they need to completely overhaul the stiff gameplay... but then they risk losing the massive casual audience who've made it the highest selling fighting game franchise.

And I don't think it's purely due to Japanese game elitism because Killer Instinct was well regarded in the FGC, but that game had the inverse problem of being a complete sales flop largely due to the platform it was stuck on.

@ChrisDeku The mouse aiming alone is a huge advantage over the PS5 version, all the other advantages are just a bonus for those willing to pay for it.

You might remember Quake III: Arena on Dreamcast had PC cross-play and it was hilariously disastrous for Dreamcast players who would get destroyed trying to compete with a single analog stick.

Cross-play might be optional but it will probably be enabled by default and encouraged to be enabled, especially if the projected playerbase isn't going to be very high in the first place.

Cross-play with PC would be fine if the game was PvE but this is competitive PvP where PC players gain a significant advantage with precision mouse aiming, unlocked frame rates for quicker response times, and ultrawide resolutions allowing a greater field of view.

It's also practically guaranteed that PC players will start another revolt against the PSN account requirement and the sales will suffer because of it.

To add insult to injury, it's the PlayStation players who get screwed over the most; only console players have to subscribe to PS+ to even play the game, but also get to receive a worse experience in every measurable metric.

All this demonstrates to me is Sony has little interest in making PS5 a desirable platform to own when they're voluntarily going 3rd party. Designing 1st party games for PC and now Switch means the games will fundamentally be made for the lowest common denominator going forward, and the PS5 (in its 4th year) is still just a glorified PS4 Pro Pro.

This remake has no art direction at all. It looks like when you give student developers a task to recreate a game and they use nothing but pre-built engine assets and don't even bother to add any flavour to the work.

To all those saying it's a strategic move that could entice Switch owners to get a PS5 for the main series, wouldn't they be better off just going to PC instead? Both mainline games are already there and look and perform better than on PS5. And like 90% of the PS5 library is already on PC along with 100% of the Xbox library making it a no-brainer decision.

Okay, this gameplay footage looks much better than what was shown during the State of Play. The environments look good but not entirely sold on the combat and character models.