killthenet Posted September 20 Share Posted September 20 What on earth did they spend that extra $200 million on since early 2023? The marketing didn't seem that extensive, seems like it was just a money pit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted September 20 Share Posted September 20 (edited) 39 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: As per Last Stand Media founder Colin Moriarty, Concord had a budget of about $400 million, with “most” of it being spent by Sony, making it the biggest ever first-party PlayStation release in terms of budget. In comparison, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 had budget of $315 million, while The Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon Forbidden West both had $200 million budgets each. Moriarty claimed on a recent episode of the Sacred Symbols podcast that he was told about the same by a developer who worked on the game. Allegedly, by the time Concord entered the alpha stage of development, which was in early 2023, about $200 million had already been spent on the game. The game was, however, in “a laughable shape” at this point (around the time it was announced in May last year), with work not having been done on major elements of the game like onboarding and monetization. Significant work also had to be outsourced to external studios. To get the game to an acceptable level of quality, Sony decided to spend another $200 million on it at this point. Moriarty goes on to claim that the total figure of $400 million also does not include the money that it cost for Sony to acquire Concord developer Firewalk Studios, which happened in April last year. I don't really have reason to doubt Colin - I'm not even really sure what his stance on PlayStation trying to lean on GAAS is having not watched that much of him, but I can imagine he's not a huge fan - but I'm struggling to see where that money went if it was indeed $400m which got blown on Concord. At the same time, there were reports a few months after it released I remember about Halo Infinite costing Xbox hundreds of millions of dollars AFTER Staten came in to fix it, so that comment about $200m at the time of a pre-alpha and then potentially spending just as much to fix it might track? An astronomical amount of money and, if there's any truth to it, and I didn't comment on it yesterday but meant to; this: 20 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: It's not looking good for the Concord team. Shouldn't really be where the buck stops. I actually think it's really unfair that Firewalk staff are the only ones seemingly on the chopping block here. If PlayStation truly spent $400m on a failure of that size then heads should be rolling all over the shop, and not only at Firewalk. Because I also don't think it's fair or accurate to just pin this all on Jim Ryan. It's really interesting that it points out that there were basically a bunch of "yes men", because one of the first reaction posts I saw to the news that Concord would be getting taken out of stores (digital and physical), I think it was by someone in IT or a similar industry, was that the only way that a project of this size could possibly flop to such an extent is if honest feedback isn't provided at multiple key points, almost to the point of insanity, which would only compound its issues to an insane degree. They mention "toxic positivity" and that lines up for me. Everything that post thought might be the case seems to match up and it makes complete sense to me. So much of it looked outdated at a glance, and I'm not commenting on the actual quality of the game because by all accounts it seemed like the people who played it had a great time, but come on – how has anyone looked at Concord and thought that a Guardians of the Galaxy meets Overwatch-looking game isn't nearly a decade late? It's not our decision to make as consumers outside of voting with our wallets after it is released, but if that's the vibe that we get from a game in its first showing or two - which is all you get outside of a major overhaul or a very slow, No Man's Sky type of turnaround - how are the developers, and much more importantly, the producers, not noticing that? And how and why is it being positioned to be the next big thing when it so obviously wasn't going to be? I've said it before but the lack of detail we have about the cost of making a video game blows my mind; sales figures (even if only units sold) and budgets should really be shared to whatever reasonable degree that they can be, I think not doing so creates this grey area of success and failure and everything in-between which makes it impossible for anyone not deeply entrenched in the industry's finances specifically to know what's actually going on. In turn, I think it creates a really unfair and toxic expectation that because no-one else puts out their figures, certain companies don't need to either. It makes sense, on paper, why some games are starting to cost so much, but that lack of openness around the conversation of making a game and what it entails is, ultimately, I think a contributor - albeit a very small one, but one nonetheless - to how toxic the consumer side of gaming has become. The few figures we do get? We latch onto so hard, and it drives petty things like console wars to this day. Lack of information can easily breed misinformation. I'm not really sure what else to say. I'm gutted for the Firewalk guys, I hope anyone who potentially gets let go or has already looked to find new can find some security in their next job. I'm pretty concerned for the game's director, Ryan Ellis, I do think stepping down was an inevitability even in a hypothetical scenario where he wanted to stick around, but it gives a name to aim the outcry and failure at in a way which seems so unfair – I hope that he'll be okay and can make peace with how this all played out, because I can only imagine something like this could lead to some very dark places. I hope PlayStation learn the lessons they need to from this – I don't think it's necessarily just "drop GAAS", but ultimately consumers only have the capacity for one or two "lifestyle", GAAS games at most, so if you're going to look to enter that race, you need something better than solid; you need something truly GREAT. And I hope the wider industry learns a lot from this too. Hundreds of people losing their jobs should not be the norm, and this is a very extreme case where it seems to be a lot more than just the studio at fault. Going to be a very interesting next few months to see if more details continue to spill out about how all of this went down. Edited September 20 by Julius 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted September 20 Share Posted September 20 10 minutes ago, killthenet said: What on earth did they spend that extra $200 million on since early 2023? The marketing didn't seem that extensive, seems like it was just a money pit I mean, it could still be wrong but if it is true, then I'm as baffled as you are. They did make all those animated shorts and then there's it also featuring in that up and coming TV series. I'm not sure if that also is part of the estimated expenditure though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted Saturday at 10:41 PM Share Posted Saturday at 10:41 PM Finished another indie game this evening. What a great Metroidvania type game. Love me some NES aesthetics and this game scratches that itch nicely. You haven't got a massive array of items at your disposal but what you do have gets put to great use in order to make your way around the map. You can conjure up blocks so that you can jump to out of reach places and also summon bubbles to ride on. Both items can be upgraded so that the block will float on water and the bubble will no longer pop when you stand on it for so long. These two minor upgrades are enough to create some intense platforming sections. Trophies were fun to do. I had to do a speedrun of the game and beat it under 2 hours with less than 5 deaths. I then had to kill a boss out of sequence. This was quite tricky as I had to make my way through certain areas without my upgrades. My PS5 has fairly had some indie game love this year and this is another one that is well worth playing, especially as it cost me less than 2 quid. I'm finding more and more it's the lesser known indies that are the ones that I'm enjoying the most. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted Sunday at 07:24 PM Share Posted Sunday at 07:24 PM (edited) Billbil-kun has US pricing for the 30th anniversary PS5 Slim (Digital) and DualSense, with estimates on pricing in Europe and the UK. Quote So, the limited edition PS5 Slim (Digital Edition) console bundle will cost exactly 499.99 US dollars . It is estimated that the bundle will cost around 519.99 euros and 449.99 pounds sterling in Europe. As for the DualSense 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Wireless Controller , it will cost exactly $79.99 USD. The estimated price of this controller in Europe would be around €79.99 and GBP69.99. Nothing yet on the 30th anniversary Pro bundle, DualSense Edge, or Portal. Edited Sunday at 07:24 PM by Julius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drahkon Posted Monday at 06:10 AM Share Posted Monday at 06:10 AM I'm gonna buy this again, aren't I 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dufniall Posted Monday at 09:20 AM Share Posted Monday at 09:20 AM On 9/12/2024 at 8:34 PM, Hero-of-Time said: Finished Panzer Paladin this evening. [...] I'm sure someone on here played it on the Switch a while back. I wanna say it was @Dufniall. Yeah, I've played it on the Switch indeed! Had to dig it up, but found my 2021 Gaming Diary post: I remember enjoying it quite a lot, so it's a shame to read it probably didn't get a big player base. One of the risks of putting out a game these days with the flood of titles being released every week, especially if you're another 2D pixel action game. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drahkon Posted Monday at 01:30 PM Share Posted Monday at 01:30 PM And that's the delightful Dicey Dungeons done. Aside from occasional deaths caused by the inherent RNG of dice, it's a great game and highly recommended! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted Monday at 02:14 PM Share Posted Monday at 02:14 PM 42 minutes ago, drahkon said: Aside from occasional deaths caused by the inherent RNG of dice Should've rolled the dice better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted Tuesday at 01:15 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 01:15 PM (edited) Guess we'll wait until it's officially confirmed (watch it get announced tonight), but the recently rumoured/kinda leaked Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered has shown up on the PlayStation Store. Coming December 10th. Quote Celebrate Soul Reaver's 25th Anniversary. Experience the epic conflict of Kain and Raziel in original form or with remastered graphics. Included Game Titles Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 Experience the Legendary Narrative Centuries after your former master, Kain, betrays and executes you, you rise again and embark on a relentless quest for revenge. Wield the Powers of a Wraith. Slay your former vampire brethren with your claws, bolts of telekinetic energy, and the elemental Wraith Blade. Grow stronger by devouring the souls of your enemies. Shift Between Realms.The Elder God has granted you the ability to shift between the Spectral and Material Realms. Traverse the realms to solve puzzles, reveal new paths, and defeat your foes. There are a bunch of screenshots and even a trailer which have leaked, too. Apparently Aspyr are developing. Edited Tuesday at 01:17 PM by Julius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted Tuesday at 01:19 PM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 01:19 PM Soul Reaver Remastered!! Developed by Aspyr… … I’m so sorry Kain fans… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted Tuesday at 01:57 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 01:57 PM 36 minutes ago, Dcubed said: Soul Reaver Remastered!! Developed by Aspyr… … I’m so sorry Kain fans… To be fair, the recent Tomb Raider collection is fantastic. So happy with this finally being a thing. The first Soul Reaver game is something very special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted Tuesday at 02:12 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 02:12 PM I'm curious as to why they're skipping the Silicon Knights original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcubed Posted Tuesday at 02:20 PM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 02:20 PM (edited) 23 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: To be fair, the recent Tomb Raider collection is fantastic. So happy with this finally being a thing. The first Soul Reaver game is something very special. Aspyr didn’t make the TR Remastered collection, it was done by a group of fans hired by them, who previously worked on the Open Lara project… https://www.thegamer.com/tomb-raider-1-2-3-remastered-trilogy-lead-developer-modder-xproger-openlara/ Pray that this ends up being a similar situation here, because I would very much like to play modern re-releases of the LOK games that aren’t the complete disasterpieces that Aspyr are known for… Quote I'm curious ass to why they're skipping the Silicon Knights original. My guess is that the rights aren’t as clear cut with that game as with the LOK games (that and working with 2D sprites makes any sort of remaster effort much more difficult). My bigger question here is why isn’t LOK Defiance included in this collection? Edited Tuesday at 02:22 PM by Dcubed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted Tuesday at 02:32 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 02:32 PM 8 minutes ago, Dcubed said: Aspyr didn’t make the TR Remastered collection, it was done by a group of fans hired by them, who previously worked on the Open Lara project… https://www.thegamer.com/tomb-raider-1-2-3-remastered-trilogy-lead-developer-modder-xproger-openlara/ Interesting. I never knew that was the case. I still think they get more flak than they deserve. I've played a fair few of their games (Battlefront Collection, Episode 1 Podracer, Republic Commando, Jedi Knight II) and I never really had any issues with them. Yes, even Battlefront. Unless all of these were handled by other teams, I think they do an alright job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted Tuesday at 02:59 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 02:59 PM (edited) 42 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: I still think they get more flak than they deserve. I've played a fair few of their games (Battlefront Collection, Episode 1 Podracer, Republic Commando, Jedi Knight II) and I never really had any issues with them. Yes, even Battlefront. Unless all of these were handled by other teams, I think they do an alright job. While I agree, I think the missteps they make generally seem to be on the bigger titles they remaster, so it doesn't shock me that they end up getting a lot of flak, because they're just higher profile games and thus higher profile missteps I know you didn't come across them, but some of the issues that the Battlefront Collection shipped with were objectively unacceptable (such as losing progress), even more so because they seemed to steal a community mod (and one which had been improved upon already by its originator, at that). After that, some poor communication and pretty slow updates, as well as the price they charged for the Collection in the first place, I'm not surprised that they're given as much flak as they are. On the flip side, I played another of their remasters last month and it was perfectly fine. Republic Commando was perfectly fine too. It really is on a case-by-case basis with them, and I think they're just that incredibly hit or miss in a way that, on paper, a studio almost entirely focused on remasters really shouldn't be. If it's a matter of time to clean things up? Then, as is the case with every other title that is released needing more polish, it probably should've been kept in the oven a while longer. Hopefully this turns out good, anyways. I've been very close to picking up the original versions of these games a few times now, so hopefully this is priced well and I don't need to do that. Edited Tuesday at 03:15 PM by Julius 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted Tuesday at 11:16 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 11:16 PM Chroma Collection of controllers are plates announced during the State of Play: Quote Introducing the Chroma Collection iridescent PlayStation 5 accessories that shine, shimmer and shift colour from every angle. Choose from the chic Chroma Pearl, vivid Chroma Indigo or fresh Chroma Teal three mesmerizing colours for the DualSense wireless controller and matching PS5 console covers. Pre-orders for the Chroma Collection will begin on October 3, 2024, with Chroma Pearl and Chroma Indigo accessories launching on November 7, 2024, followed by the launch of Chroma Teal accessories starting on January 23, 2025. Damn, the Teal one is a while off @Ike! Kind of wild to announce these, have then up for pre-orders and have the first two colours all happen in a similar timeframe to the 30th anniversary collection announced just last week. We also got another PS5 Pro sizzle reel with some gameplay footage of some other games: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted Wednesday at 09:13 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 09:13 AM Aw kinda wish they hadn't announced it yet in that case. Guess they need time to meet demand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted Wednesday at 04:15 PM Share Posted Wednesday at 04:15 PM Reviews for this have been pretty good. Turn based RPG that seems to mix things like Persona and Stranger Things. *adds to wishlist* 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted 16 hours ago Share Posted 16 hours ago 30th anniversary DualSense secured via PS Direct going to wait a bit for my second one so that I've got one in box, not to sell on but just for my own little collection. Was really, really hard not to add the Edge to my basket but I resisted for now, but if it's to resolve the stick drift issue...does it need resolving if I have enough controllers on rotation? The Man City of DualSense ownership Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbob Posted 15 hours ago Share Posted 15 hours ago Hour or so wait in a queue, but i also managed to get myself a 30th Anniversary DualSense. Have noticed the usual scalpers trying their luck on eBay with some quite extraordinary pricing strategies. Boy, i hate scalpers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julius Posted 12 hours ago Share Posted 12 hours ago So, "SIREN" has shown up in some ratings over in Korea. Question is, what for? 22 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said: Reviews for this have been pretty good. Turn based RPG that seems to mix things like Persona and Stranger Things. *adds to wishlist* Been following the updates on this one for a while, and it really does look great. That thumbnail art which is all over the game's marketing completely betrays how great it looks in practice though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drahkon Posted 11 hours ago Share Posted 11 hours ago 37 minutes ago, Julius said: That thumbnail art which is all over the game's marketing completely betrays how great it looks in practice though Had a similar thought... Only saw the kids and that puppy and said to myself: "Oh, H-o-T, the ever addicted trophy hunter, is playing another Paw Patrol game again? Just for the Platinum?" Then I saw the other thingies in the thumbnail and thought: "He's lost his mind". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero-of-Time Posted 10 hours ago Share Posted 10 hours ago 57 minutes ago, drahkon said: Only saw the kids and that puppy and said to myself: "Oh, H-o-T, the ever addicted trophy hunter, is playing another Paw Patrol game again? Just for the Platinum?" Hey, those are some very sophisticated and well made games! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen-i Posted 10 hours ago Share Posted 10 hours ago 6 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Hey, those are some very sophisticated and well made games! Easy to get Platinums there, I assume? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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