Playstation 5 Console Discussion

[Julius]

1 hour ago, drahkon said:

"Console gaming is dead"  
It's really cool to see that all three big-players keep defying this narrative, which to be honest is a thing of the past. 

Console gaming has been healthy for quite a long time now and I'm pretty sure it'll stay that way for at least 5-10 years. My biggest fear, however, is the transition to a digital only and eventually completely subscription based gaming world. Call me old fashioned but I still prefer ownership. 
Having said that, my digital library is quite large so...I'm part of the problem  

Yeah, for sure, the irony of gaming coming back bigger and stronger than ever for the one generation I personally heard about it potentially going away non-stop (and this as someone who at the time wasn't really following game news) is hilarious to me. 

I think a big part of PlayStation's - and the industry's - resounding success in recent years also lies with the revitalisation of Japanese development after what happened the generation before with HD development, and I think it's two-fold: big third party Japanese publishers like Square Enix and Capcom have seen a resurgence in recent years I feel as they have not only adjusted to developing on modern platforms but have made genuinely great games as a result, but also the average consumer being more open to new and weird experiences, which I think many Japanese games can offer (for better and worse). 

I think it might have something to do with the globalisation of things we've seen over the last 5 - 10 years as the reach of the internet and social media has spread, such as with anime (I mean, just look at how great the Demon Slayer film is doing!), and I think we've started seeing a similar thing for international films in recent years, strengthened by things like Parasite's critical success last year. I'm not saying these things weren't big before, but to me, it feels like the general audience is more willing to take risks and try new things, accepting that a good film or game is a good film or game, and that it doesn't matter where it came from or just how "different" it is. And it's easier than ever before to get a recommendation too. 

 

On the topic of digital and physical media, when it comes to games, I tend to split between the two. If there's a big release, whether it be a remaster, remake, or a brand new game, I go with physical because it's often a little bit cheaper at launch than digital (and generally this is the case for already released games unless a game is on sale digitally too).

However, if it's an indie or effectively a straight port - especially if I need to go out of my way to find a physical version - then I stick with digital. Same goes for games I tend to hop in and out of, like FIFA, or anything I play online with friends, as there are times where we have longer sessions and hop between games. Especially if it's a port of a game which would cost a small fortune physically (ahem, Suikoden). 

But the PS3 and Vita stores nearly going away the other week has certainly reinforced the need for physical for me, and makes me want to go through this summer and pick up everything I want from those stores anyway (pain as it is now that the web store is no longer there). 

1 hour ago, Happenstance said:

I'm trying to focus more on enjoying an experience at the time as in the past I've left way too many games in a pile to play later that barely get touched.

It's funny you mention that, because I actually seem to have the opposite issue.

Maybe it's down to the lack of folders/organisation options on the PS5 (and Switch, if I'm remembering right?), but when I buy digital games, they get absolutely buried. Even for free games like the monthly PS+ games and the PS+ Collection, I add them to my library and unless it's something I want to play in the moment, it's effectively lost to the aether once it's no longer in that row of games greeting you when you start the console up. 

I remember last year not too long before lockdowns started, I definitely felt like I wasn't getting the most out of some games, as my mind was already trailing to the next. I'm no @Hero-of-Time when it comes to getting through games at a decent clip (are any of us? ), but I got through more games last year than I ever have before, even with some long breaks thrown in when I wasn't feeling like gaming or was on one of my anime marathons. What helped me massively was getting a better idea of roughly how many hours I had to invest in each game to at least complete its main story (and if I enjoy it I can always stick with it for longer, which has happened a lot!) from HowLongToBeat. I had a label maker lying around, so I stuck these times on all of my games, and then I pick around 10 which are really picking my fancy and set them aside in a pile separate from my other games. Like so:

Knowing that I probably play games for 2-3 hours on weekdays and 4-5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays (sometimes more, sometimes less), it made it easier for me to break down how long I'd be spending with each game, and then it just became a question of what I was in the mood for out of those. Once I get near the end of a pile I'll either clear it or add a few more if my mind has changed a little on what I want to play at the time, I just add a few more to the pile from the other games (I haven't been in the mood for a JRPG lately for instance, so action-oriented games have been getting played and replaced by others, but I do feel that pang for them starting to set in). For instance, from the above, I've been saving Squadrons for a weekend where I'm in a Star Wars mood (I played it at launch but was ill so it's been on that pile for a while now as I'll probably need to start over), and I know I could probably complete Sunshine or Galaxy during the week, maybe throw in a weekend too if I'm in a mood for hunting everything down. 

Obviously, I don't have this option with digital, which is why I think I have a big problem getting to some older games at the moment: it's just not taking up the mindshare that my physical pile of games are. A lot of the Nintendo games I know I want to play on the NES and SNES apps just slip to the back of my mind, though when I remember to get around to one of them, I get through a few of the digital games on my Switch, which is always nice! 

[Sheikah]

6 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Oh, I wasn't suggesting that the pandemic caused a higher demand, more that the pandemic caused supply constraints. Basically, I would have loved to have seen how things would have played out had there been stock available on the shelves.

The PS4 to PS5 situation mirrors that of the PS3 to PS4 transition. The consoles get supported right until the end and that gives consumers confidence when buying their next machine.

Yeah, would definitely have been interesting. That said, I'm sure the pandemic did cause even higher demand as well; if you look at Animal Crossing New Horizons for instance (which released right at the start of the first lockdown) that has done some crazy numbers relative to previous entries. With the pandemic people have been jumping on things that you can do at home.

[Hero-of-Time]

@Julius I also tend to check HLTB in order to see how much time I'll need to spend on a game. Trophy guides that give the time to a platinum are also helpful in organizing what I tackle next.

I quite like the system you've made for yourself. Having a set plan to clear certain games always works well for me. 

I'm a bit like you when it comes to trying to keep your digital games in mind. Funnily enough, just the other weekend I downloaded every indie game on my PS4 that I need finish and then put them in their own folder on the dashboard. I've been able to clear a few by playing them in between my disc based games. Having them ready and waiting in their own little folder has certainly helped.

[Julius]

2 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

@Julius I also tend to check HLTB in order to see how much time I'll need to spend on a game. Trophy guides that give the time to a platinum are also helpful in organizing what I tackle next.

Yeah, I think it's an excellent tool! I definitely look up trophy guides ahead of playing some games or towards the end of others I've really enjoyed too, it's a great reference point, and helps to make a decision on what I do want to chase and what I won't (the latter turned out to be pretty much every Yakuza game up until 6 ). 

Quote

I quite like the system you've made for yourself. Having a set plan to clear certain games always works well for me. 

Thanks! Yeah, I find it works well, then I just keep the case of the game I'm playing next to the system for when I finish it, and like Huber from Easy Allies, my favourite thing after completing a game is then deleting it from the console after (on the PlayStation consoles at least). Got to get that additional dopamine kick  plus taking the labels off too is always fun, got to feed that lizard brain! 

Only issue is the Switch cases being so damn tiny. I shouldn't complain, because it's great for the environment, but even on my smallest text option for my label maker, I have to trim it down a bit and it still finds a way to brush on things and peel off, like with my Sunshine label 

Quote

I'm a bit like you when it comes to trying to keep your digital games in mind. Funnily enough, just the other weekend I downloaded every indie game on my PS4 that I need finish and then put them in their own folder on the dashboard. I've been able to clear a few by playing them in between my disc based games. Having them ready and waiting in their own little folder has certainly helped.

Yeah, folders are definitely one of the things I miss most from the PS4 so far. I'm sure they'll come eventually (...right?) but until then, I've got a good few games I own digitally that I'll just forget I own (the ports of the Resident Evil games for instance, or Symphony of the Night). In a sense I personally find the PS+ free games and PS+ Collection counterproductive in a weird way, just because it means it's more games to put space between me and the other digital games I own. 

I think I'm going to start collecting first party titles (and some exclusives) physically in particular too, so even though I could have owned Ratchet & Clank three times digitally if I'm remembering right (free on PS+, PS+ Collection and then as part of the Play at Home initiative) that copy of Ratchet & Clank arrived today after I hunted down a non-PS Hits version. 

Now, whether my mind changes when my bookcase is filled completely I'm not sure, but I could also just get another one. Or move to a bigger place. But for now, especially with how films come and go on streaming services too, think my physical collection will only continue to grow. 

Not a hoarder I swear 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Julius

[bob]

On 28/04/2021 at 11:51 AM, Julius said:

Yeah, for sure, the irony of gaming coming back bigger and stronger than ever for the one generation I personally heard about it potentially going away non-stop (and this as someone who at the time wasn't really following game news) is hilarious to me. 

I think a big part of PlayStation's - and the industry's - resounding success in recent years also lies with the revitalisation of Japanese development after what happened the generation before with HD development, and I think it's two-fold: big third party Japanese publishers like Square Enix and Capcom have seen a resurgence in recent years I feel as they have not only adjusted to developing on modern platforms but have made genuinely great games as a result, but also the average consumer being more open to new and weird experiences, which I think many Japanese games can offer (for better and worse). 

I think it might have something to do with the globalisation of things we've seen over the last 5 - 10 years as the reach of the internet and social media has spread, such as with anime (I mean, just look at how great the Demon Slayer film is doing!), and I think we've started seeing a similar thing for international films in recent years, strengthened by things like Parasite's critical success last year. I'm not saying these things weren't big before, but to me, it feels like the general audience is more willing to take risks and try new things, accepting that a good film or game is a good film or game, and that it doesn't matter where it came from or just how "different" it is. And it's easier than ever before to get a recommendation too. 

 

On the topic of digital and physical media, when it comes to games, I tend to split between the two. If there's a big release, whether it be a remaster, remake, or a brand new game, I go with physical because it's often a little bit cheaper at launch than digital (and generally this is the case for already released games unless a game is on sale digitally too).

However, if it's an indie or effectively a straight port - especially if I need to go out of my way to find a physical version - then I stick with digital. Same goes for games I tend to hop in and out of, like FIFA, or anything I play online with friends, as there are times where we have longer sessions and hop between games. Especially if it's a port of a game which would cost a small fortune physically (ahem, Suikoden). 

But the PS3 and Vita stores nearly going away the other week has certainly reinforced the need for physical for me, and makes me want to go through this summer and pick up everything I want from those stores anyway (pain as it is now that the web store is no longer there). 

It's funny you mention that, because I actually seem to have the opposite issue.

Maybe it's down to the lack of folders/organisation options on the PS5 (and Switch, if I'm remembering right?), but when I buy digital games, they get absolutely buried. Even for free games like the monthly PS+ games and the PS+ Collection, I add them to my library and unless it's something I want to play in the moment, it's effectively lost to the aether once it's no longer in that row of games greeting you when you start the console up. 

I remember last year not too long before lockdowns started, I definitely felt like I wasn't getting the most out of some games, as my mind was already trailing to the next. I'm no @Hero-of-Time when it comes to getting through games at a decent clip (are any of us? ), but I got through more games last year than I ever have before, even with some long breaks thrown in when I wasn't feeling like gaming or was on one of my anime marathons. What helped me massively was getting a better idea of roughly how many hours I had to invest in each game to at least complete its main story (and if I enjoy it I can always stick with it for longer, which has happened a lot!) from HowLongToBeat. I had a label maker lying around, so I stuck these times on all of my games, and then I pick around 10 which are really picking my fancy and set them aside in a pile separate from my other games. Like so:

Knowing that I probably play games for 2-3 hours on weekdays and 4-5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays (sometimes more, sometimes less), it made it easier for me to break down how long I'd be spending with each game, and then it just became a question of what I was in the mood for out of those. Once I get near the end of a pile I'll either clear it or add a few more if my mind has changed a little on what I want to play at the time, I just add a few more to the pile from the other games (I haven't been in the mood for a JRPG lately for instance, so action-oriented games have been getting played and replaced by others, but I do feel that pang for them starting to set in). For instance, from the above, I've been saving Squadrons for a weekend where I'm in a Star Wars mood (I played it at launch but was ill so it's been on that pile for a while now as I'll probably need to start over), and I know I could probably complete Sunshine or Galaxy during the week, maybe throw in a weekend too if I'm in a mood for hunting everything down. 

Obviously, I don't have this option with digital, which is why I think I have a big problem getting to some older games at the moment: it's just not taking up the mindshare that my physical pile of games are. A lot of the Nintendo games I know I want to play on the NES and SNES apps just slip to the back of my mind, though when I remember to get around to one of them, I get through a few of the digital games on my Switch, which is always nice! 

I don't know why, but the fact that you've included the 0.5 in some of these times is hilarious to me. Oops, no, can't start that game, it's 30 hours and 30 minutes long.

[Rummy]

On 28/04/2021 at 9:31 AM, Ronnie said:

Sold 0.2 million more than the PS4, totally insane! 

MOD NOTE(warning: its a bit long)

Ok so. I have things going on at the moment but I saw this, I was informed of this, and I have let this play out a bit.

It is a fact many in this community is tired of Ronnie. It is a fact by old rules he would have and should have been banned a long time ago from these forums.

 

Traditionally(and this was before my time and I'll be honest SINCE my time I have had an issue with it) moderation has been somewhat opaque to the community at large - which is not a way I deal with conflict resolution(don't @ me literally I used to be paid to do a job which involved more conflict and resolution than most of the folks here can imagine - because of that I have always moderated confidently and stand by all my actions, trying to keep them transparent and thus questionable). I moderate transparently if and where I can.

 

I was planning to ban Ronnie for 3 months from this specific thread because of the highlighted post and his exceptional record of previous. However I am currently acting without consulting anybody else of the mod/admin but in my own capacity as a moderator of these forums. This may cause me an issue later - again though I will be transparent.

 

I haven't moderated much since forum upgrades etc. and Invision is rather different to what I used to know. I AM going to discuss this with the moderation team to double check whether I can do thread bans and if so I will go with my original plan of banning Ronnie from this thread for 6 months - it will not be the forumwide ban but this specific thread. This is not a promise nor a guarantee - it is an intention but I will see how my discussions go.

 

However it seems thread bans are not inherent in Invision I think it needs a plugin and I don't think we have it but I could be wrong(ie a permission on backend I don't have). Regardless I am tired of the toxic effect Ronnie has on this forum, and it was clearly expressed by members within this thread for a comment and this is added upon all previous by him in my consideration. I have thought upon this for a few days now.

 

As of immediate effect, because it is what I think is my only available option without consulting with others and waiting and ultimately letting no action take place - I am banning Ronnie from the entirety of the forums now for 2 weeks. People seem to think they can act with impunity and troll and not apologise and just ignore things when they have. Ronnie, for reasons beyong my understanding, has been given leniency I have never seen before on these forums with anyone ever. As far as I am concerned when we banned Wii Ronnie should have been banned also - and Ronnie has passed the criteria that Wii based that resulted in his ban.

 

I won't get into back end politics, but I'm taking this action NOW and will be consulting with the mod team immediately afterwards regarding it. It may cost me modship or even my membership of this community - but the latter part is mine and I share it with every single other member here. As a member and not a mod I am tired of it being toxic because of one person(and this is consistently evidenced, and no shock to anybody). As a mod I have wanted said toxic element removed for years but I do not enact unilateral justice in terms of permanent bans usually as I think it is an extreme/last resort.

 

Today I decide to act. Nobody has for years - but we all know the elephant in the room. I will not enact the permaban without the consultation of other moderators and admins - but as of now Ronnie is restricted form posting any content on these forums for 2 weeks from today at my sole decision.

For anyone wishing to discuss this topic - as I said I will enact justice publicly so I encourage the discusssions on my visitor wall. For those who wish to discuss privately, I can be PM'd in confidence and will respect this confidence. As I have always said - discussion around this moderation decision is NOT to be continued in this thread where it will derail. If the options of posting on my visitor wall or PMing me seem insufficient for the community I can explore this further later.

 

This is not to be discussed further in any currently existing threads ANYWHERE on the forum by ANYBODY. If I see or find such - your posts will be deleted. Keep it to MY visitor wall or my PMs. @Ronnie you can PM me, or as I suspect, again ignore me and run to others. I would suggest it is in your interest to actually cc me into ANY communications you have with others and I will likely see them later anyway - but your choices are yours. As are* the consquences of such choices. This ban is a consequence of your actions. I have sent you this exact same forum post in a PM - if you want to know the 'reason' its your obvious baiting and trolling.

 

EDIT:*i made a typo soz.

[Happenstance]

Woke up the other night to my PS5 turning on for what I assume was an update. If the PS4s used to sound like jet engines then this was at least a rocket taking it to space 😆 

[Julius]

Discord to be integrated into the PlayStation experience as of next year. From Jim Ryan's post on the SIE blog:

Quote

At PlayStation, we’re constantly looking for new ways to enable players around the world to connect with one another, form new friendships and communities, and share fun experiences and lasting memories. It’s in this spirit that we’re excited to announce a new partnership with Discord, the communication service popularized by gamers and used by more than 140 million people every month around the world.

Together, our teams are already hard at work connecting Discord with your social and gaming experience on PlayStation Network. Our goal is to bring the Discord and PlayStation experiences closer together on console and mobile starting early next year, allowing friends, groups, and communities to hang out, have fun, and communicate more easily while playing games together.

To bring these experiences to life for our players, Sony Interactive Entertainment has made a minority investment as part of Discord’s Series H round. From our very first conversation with co-founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, I was inspired by their lifelong love for gaming and our teams’ shared passion to help bring friends and communities together in new ways. Empowering players to create communities and enjoy shared gaming experiences is at the heart of what we do, so we are beyond excited to start this journey with one of the world’s most popular communication services.

Interesting stuff considering all of the rumours not too long ago about Microsoft looking to purchase Discord. Look forward to seeing how this ends up being integrated, at its best I think it's a strong next step towards cross-platform play becoming the norm, as this will further help gaming communities to flourish. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Julius

[Dcubed]

This just came out of the (now live!) Epic-Apple lawsuit...

This is pretty fucked up.  An 85% share of revenue required to avoid paying additional royalties because of enabling crossplay? Nah, that's really scummy!

No wonder we are still seeing developers refuse to enable Crossplay on Playstation platforms!

Edit:  More crossplay goodies being dragged out of the muck!

Edit 2:  This clause is exclusive to Sony; no other console platform holder has any sort of equivilent fee that they charge...

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Dcubed

[Julius]

1 minute ago, Dcubed said:

This just came out of the (now live!) Epic-Apple lawsuit...

This is pretty fucked up.  An 85% share of revenue required to avoid paying additional royalties because of enabling crossplay? Nah, that's really scummy!

No wonder we are still seeing developers refuse to enable Crossplay on Playstation platforms!

There was also the email exchange between Gio Corsi and Epic, where the latter basically (read: pretty directly) threatened PlayStation at the end of their email, that's worth mentioning. 

Didn't think there'd be too much interesting out of this case, but it's off to a start I really wasn't expecting.

How long before we get to the desperate Stadia emails? 

[Glen-i]

That really explains a lot about the lack of crossplay on PlayStation.

Sucks real hard!

[Dcubed]

Yeah, this is juicy stuff!

This behind the scenes strongarming on Epic's part also soft confirms my old theory about Epic forcing Nintendo to adopt UE4 for a first party title (Yoshi's Crafted World) in exchange for UE4 support on Switch.  I've ALWAYS suspected this (why else would Good Feel throw away their perfectly good internally developed HD engine that they used with Yoshi's Wooly World in favour of a worse performing UE4!?), and these emails show that this is EXACTLY the kind of bullying tactic that Epic employ with each platform holder.

Let's all pray and hope that they fall flat on their faces with this Apple-Epic lawsuit; we do NOT want these clowns dictating terms amongst the platform holders! They're way too powerful now and they need to brought down a peg or two.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Dcubed

[Glen-i]

1 hour ago, Dcubed said:

This behind the scenes strongarming also soft confirms my old theory about Epic forcing Nintendo to adopt UE4 for a first party title (Yoshi's Crafted World) in exchange for UE4 support on Switch.  

Crafted World being on Unreal Engine always felt bizarre.

Like, Nintendo constantly run things through their own methods, so to have this Yoshi game come out and be like "We're using Unreal" was really confusing for me, and then no other Ninty title follows suit?

Your theory makes a lot of sense.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Glen-i

[Julius]

Okay so for some reason the YouTube channel for The Game Awards is giving the live audio for the Epic Games vs. Apple courtroom case. 

Audio is muffled to all heck but this is hilarious 

[Dcubed]

6 minutes ago, Julius said:

Okay so for some reason the YouTube channel for The Game Awards is giving the live audio for the Epic Games vs. Apple courtroom case. 

Audio is muffled to all heck but this is hilarious 

Yeah, I've been listening to it on Youtube myself.  Apparantly some kid hacked the voice call and started playing stupid music through it at some point? (I missed that part though!)

[Glen-i]

Buh huh buhh buh buhhhh, faaa fa fa fa fa!

That audio quality is atrocious! I can't understand a word!

EDIT: Wait, really!? Someone hacked it? That's great! Guarantee that was because Epic riled up children to support them before this trial.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Glen-i

[Hero-of-Time]

33 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Yeah, this is juicy stuff!

This behind the scenes strongarming on Epic's part also soft confirms my old theory about Epic forcing Nintendo to adopt UE4 for a first party title (Yoshi's Crafted World) in exchange for UE4 support on Switch.  I've ALWAYS suspected this (why else would Good Feel throw away their perfectly good internally developed HD engine that they used with Yoshi's Wooly World in favour of a worse performing UE4!?), and these emails show that this is EXACTLY the kind of bullying tactic that Epic employ with each platform holder.

Let's all pray and hope that they fall flat on their faces with this Apple-Epic lawsuit; we do NOT want these clowns dictating terms amongst the platform holders! They're way too powerful now and they need to brought down a peg or two.

Yeah, that always seemed a bit strange.

Can’t say I’m surprised by what’s been going on behind closed doors with these companies. Makes you wonder what other shady deals have been made....

[Dcubed]

BTW, unrelated, but it looks like Discord have shacked up with Playstation after talks with Microsoft (regarding an aquisition) broke down...

https://www.sie.com/en/blog/announcing-playstations-new-partnership-with-discord/

Talk about a Shyamalan Twist!

Edit:  Ahh! Bugger it All @Julius! How the hell did I not see your earlier post!?

Edited May 3, 2021 by Dcubed

[Hero-of-Time]

1 minute ago, Dcubed said:

BTW, unrelated, but it looks like Discord have shacked up with Playstation after talks with Microsoft (regarding an aquisition) broke down...

https://www.sie.com/en/blog/announcing-playstations-new-partnership-with-discord/

Talk about a Shyamalan Twist!

Julius posted it about two hours ago. It’s above your Epic lawsuit post. 

[Ashley]

46 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Julius posted it about two hours ago. It’s above your Epic lawsuit post. 

Epic fail. 

[Jimbob]

Discord on PlayStation, it's been needed.  PlayStation ended their community channels on PS4, so this makes more sense after this new partnership now.

[Dcubed]

The full Sony Cross Platform Play Developer Contract has leaked!

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/268797572787732480/839038051752869888/DX-3582.pdf

Edited May 4, 2021 by Dcubed

[Julius]

PlayStation trademarked Sunset Overdrive just over a week ago. 

For anyone wondering what the deal is with ownership of the IP, as the first game was released on Xbox:

Interested to see how they traverse this, I imagine any hopes of a port would probably mean giving in to some kind of Xbox demand, which I can't see PlayStation doing to be honest. So maybe a sequel of sorts? 

[drahkon]

34 minutes ago, Julius said:

So maybe a sequel of sorts? 

I'd be surprised if we see anything other than Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank from Insomniac Games in the future

[Goron_3]

I know there's a separate thread available for this game (which I'll leave a more detailed post in) but given this thread gets more traffic, I just want to point out that I've completed Disco Elysium an it's one of the best games I've played in years, and absolutely one of the more unique titles I've come across. I can't stop thinking about it, which can only be a good thing.