Ben-DutkaGetting over a cold. I rarely get sick so it's annoying. 😉
Reflecting on PS4's top-dog news
Yeah, we knew PlayStation 4 had sold 18.5 million units since its launch, but now the result is official:
It's the fastest-selling PlayStation console in history . That's pretty impressive. But there a few things to consider. Firstly, generational fatigue during the last era was a very real thing, so nobody should be surprised that a ton of gamers leaped at a new machine. There's virtually no reason to hang onto the old systems, which is in contrast to previous generations. Secondly, let's not forget that the industry wasn't anywhere near as big as it was during the PS2 days. That many more consumers inevitably means higher sales.
Lastly, I think we have to consider the effect 2012 had on PS4's launch. It was just such a positive year of hype for Sony; it was a complete demolition of the competition, really. Microsoft's reputation at the time of the Xbox One's launch was shot , due to a number of reasons that showed just how little MS thought of gamers. Yeah, remember those recanted and reversed policies? Anyway, like I said, it's impressive, but I don't think we should be too surprised.
Good on ya, Naughty Dog
There's nothing that bugs me more than all these frame rate and resolution arguments. It's just so effing boring .
If the game runs great and looks great, who cares ? That's why I respect Naughty Dog for basically shrugging off the 60fps question concerning Uncharted 4: A Thief's End . They simply replied that they'll shoot for 60 but they care far more about how the game performs , which is perfectly sensible. Have we forgotten that in the past Uncharted games have run at 30fps and they ended up being some of the best titles ever created?
I have infinite faith in that developer as they have yet to let me down. That says a lot as I've been around for a while. I've no doubt they'll make the right decisions concerning the technical performance and stability of the new entry.
Personal gaming update
I've put aside Assassin's Creed Unity to play some smaller, yet super fun, games. This includes Super Mega Baseball (closing in on Lv. 30 and playing on Ego of 40) and Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition on Vita. That game is just so loaded with old-school goodness that it's tough to explain. Can't figure out why it's not more technically sound, though.
As for the recent Unity unpleasantness , I refer everyone to my final comment on that page. The idea that I did this for hits is absurd (oh yay, two days of good traffic; now I'm set for life) and those with a brain see that there's no upside for me. I did that for all the gamers out there. Although sometimes I wonder why I remain so loyal to such a community when critics and journalists everywhere got zero respect from that community. Well, whatever.
In hindsight it just seems miraculous that Sony did so well with PS4 last year. And yes, the XO rep leading up to launch and during it was just terrible. MS made the mistake of forcing their core to make room for the average TV watching consumer who knows games only as far as motion controls (Ryse yay), sports games, and CoD.
They were telling core gamers straight to their face that they need the Kinect and the Kinect is inseparable blah blah. Pathetic. I may not always like what Sony does but MS is just horrible at most of what they do.
I trust ND will make the best choices for Uncharted.
PGU: Got my reserve for DOA5 LR in. I felt a bit leery this time about it. For one, I've been playing it for a long time and I'm about ready to play another fighter. And for another, I feel like DOA has been going overboard with it's sexiness. Yah, I know. It's always been a part of DOA but right now it just feels too excessive for my liking. It seems any news, maybe this is Dualshockers fault, is totally focused on huge boobs and bathing suits. Yes. Sexy is a part of EVERY major fighting game not just DOA. Check SF's Poison and Elena. Check torpedo breasted Taki or Ivy.
The thing is, I believe the reason DOA has gone overboard with this is in direct result of their DLC costume model. Busty babes likely not only sell a lot more but they serve as a perfect DLC clothing horse to cash in on the perv market. If anyone remembers, DOA5 initially made string bikinis something difficult to unlock on even see. Now it's everywhere. So to make a long story short. It feels uncomfortable when I want to play a favorite fighter but have to be concerned a lot about what my family is having to see. It's not that I play excessive violent games or mature games in front of them, but any parent knows it's almost unavoidable to have some level of exposure even unintentional. So basically I wish there was a 'tame' mode I could set the game in. sorta like how games let you turn off the blood…. hmmm maybe I should write Tecmo a letter. Thanks for hearing about my DOA rant.
anyway, I have been playing TLoU. It's really incredible. When the guy and his little son died I could've shed a tear…. but I didn't let myself =)
Last edited by Temjin001 on 1/17/2015 10:44:08 PM
wow what a rant! I think they are going overboard too, the boobs now aren't natural they flow like water or something. It looks weird. But I'm mad we don't get all costumes in the PS4 version cuz I am a perv.
thanks =) There's still a stack of costumes you can get with it though, even if it's not all of them. I think it's sorta lame that the new girl appears to be an amalgamation character. You know? a Weapon Master from SC or Dural from VF style character that is a Frankenstein of many other character's abilities cobbled into one.
I suppose another reason I'm bothered is that DOA5 U has become pretty dang soft with online activity as of late. It's become hard to find a match. I know I play at a time that isn't prime time for fighters but it's the only real time I've got. While I can hop over to Street Fighter IV and have 6 straight matches at this time but DOA is a ghost town. And the matches I do get have horrible connection.
I'm sure DOA LR will give the series a shot in the arm for a few more months. I suppose I can count on that.
… And with my TLOU comment. I meant his little brother not his son. Henry and Sam. So yea ima dork in case you were wondering. Now I just gotta get Joal to take his little sister Ellie to find the fireflies.
…..
Kidding
lol, i saw that one coming. Total Walking Dead TV spoiler school, same with the woman early on.
Because you respect the community is the reason must of us keep coming back to PSXE.
Keep it up Ben
PSXE4LIFE
Haha he respect the community, thats funny he is alway in some way, shape, or form disrespecting someone on here!
Bullsh**. Those who are simply civil are never disrespected. Those who disrespect me and this site are absolutely disrespected back.
Disagree = disrespect. Really.
"disagree = disrespect"
It's incredible to me anyone could actually think that.
Read the book, "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team". Recommend that to anyone that is ever.. well… a professional, really.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/18/2015 8:27:26 AM
Its not bullsh** everytime someone disagrees with you, they are stupid or they need to read a book because they have no logic haha i mean really man. You always disrespect kid just because he never shares the same opinion as you.as for me i just dont respect you or anything that you do on here, and your reviews please dont get me started, your post on ACU just proved my point as to why i dont take any of your reveiws seriously.
^You don't make an extraordinary number of connections with information, do you?
Was i speaking to you underdog?, i think not so hush up. Your really in love with ben on account of you always being the first to defend him!!!
Read this book, "Choose Your Own Adventure #71: I Am A Space Vampire" Um, no reason. I just find it a fun little book my nephew loves.
I'm being very hyperbolic here. Of course, Ben doesn't react like that. I've seen him have very sensible debates. Ive enjoyed reading them over the past six years.. But sometimes I have to wonder. His actions in the ACU post were repulsive. He actually believes his tacit admission is absolvment and therefore he is beyond criticism. If someone told him he was great, he gives thanks as if he deservd it, instead of taking it with a grain of humility because he did what we expext him to TWO MONTHS LATER. And of course, if you dared to disagree….well just read above. He expected total and complete adulation.
In reality it goes far beyond a mere review in November. The man has weekly updated readers on his playthrough of the game , boasting hours upwards of 40 plus and continually doing nothing but espouse it. Even up until a lottle over two weeks ago he nominated the game for nearly every award category inluding Action Adventure of the year and Game of the Year. Now he claims there was a pervasive problem with the game. Why didn't he see this earlier then? I may not agree with him but I've always respected is ability to give honest in depth reviews. I voiced these sentiments in the Evil Within review and the review in question. Now, he's relegated himself to a second rate hack rushing to meet a deadline instead of honesty. It could change but for a while I wont be reading the reviews of this site. And this is as honest as I can be, thumbs downs, hatespeech, and ridicule be damned.
Big Boss, you should respect anyone who sits down and does his job honestly whether you agree with it or not. There are real critics out there who don't take things seriously and have no honesty like Jim Sterling, take it out on him and begone if you don't like it here.
Countless people have disagreed with me countless times. That includes everyone from World to Underdog to every last one of our giveaway winners to anyone who can be considered valuable member of the community. The fact that there are a grand total of two or three individuals who seem to think they're bashed on for "disagreeing" should be able to figure it out: I'm disrespecting them because they haven't the slightest idea how to disagree without acting like complete asses.
"Now, he's relegated himself to a second rate hack rushing to meet a deadline instead of honesty. It could change but for a while I wont be reading the reviews of this site. And this is as honest as I can be, thumbs downs, hatespeech, and ridicule be damned."
Yeah, you're just SO innocent, Kid. This is your idea of disagreeing? That right there is your problem; that's not disagreement; it's a personal attack. I'm a "second-rate hack" and I rushed a deadline? I didn't rush anything. I took my many years of experience doing this – something you've never done, genius of gaming – and approached the review as I've approached every other review. I have NEVER published a review if I thought it was a rushed product. People around here know this. People I've worked with dating back to 1999 and the original GameWeb know this. You know jack sh**. You're just another gamer with a massive superiority complex who knows more than everyone else. You already called yourself a "genius" in gaming. You know less than my grandmother about this hobby, as far as I can tell.
I did NOT nominate Unity for "nearly every award category;" that's a ridiculous exaggeration, and it only won ONE award, which was a minor one for acting. Saying what I'm playing on a weekly basis is not "espousing." This is you living in your own little ego-fueled world where everyone has to be "promoting" something in everything they say. I'm simply talking about what I've been playing. I've been doing it for far longer than you've been coming around, that's for damn sure. And maybe you didn't notice, but just about everyone else here appreciated what I did with the retraction. And why is that?
I retracted that review at no small expense to myself. I did it for the sake of the consumer. You saw it as an opportunity to smash me and this site. Case and point, done and done.
The only thing you're good for is "hate speech," as far as I'm concerned. This "second-rate hack" has been insulted by your petty ego trips and ignorance for the last time; you get me? Get out, stay out, nobody will miss you, blah blah blah. The next time I see a disrespectful post from you, I'm just deleting your account. I'm tired of your blatant hypocrisy and quite frankly, I've wasted far too much time dealing with you.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 1/18/2015 5:03:34 PM
Less than your grandmother? Man, I wish my grammy was that awesome. We only get to talk about how much she worries about other races of people. She thinks videogames are for dummies. Nutty old broad.
Ben, you did nominate Unity for nearly every relevant category. Should have been more specific here. I said this and the updates where you didn't give sterile info but talked of your enjoyment, to wonder when did everything become apparent, when the stuff is apparent from the moment you began to explore the game. At least for me it was. My parents were (and I guess, still are in ways.) political activists, man. Kinda instilled in me from a young age to dissent and question authority. Not saying you purposefully held back, just want to know why it took 50 hours.
I'm not innocent here. I wasn't nice at all about the second rate hack part. I'm sorry for that. Should have deleted that part. But everything I said, I stand by. I'll state my issues straight up, with no sugar coating. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don't. Sucks because this is the only Playstation site I've ever liked. Rather we alway agreed because it's awesome here. Funny community, diverse and cool people. But, man, i feel I have the right to voice my opinion. You're not always going to like it, but that's how it should be. Your position here almost begs to have an open mind and thick skin. So, I can assure you that eventually, I will make a comment that you may take as disrespect, even if it wasn't intended, and I too don't want to waste time trying to explain my way out of it. You want to delete me now and get it over with? Ok.
I'm not in love with Ben, but have you seen the vids he used to do here? If I was, I could hardly be criticized honestly!
Hubba hubba!
As for whether or not you were talking to me, sorry… but you're posting on a public forum. People are going to respond. You'll just have to get over the fact that other people may call you out on being silly before the person you meant to insult sees it.
@Kid
I wasn't trying to be insulting about the book recommendation. It's honestly a good read. I've recommended it to two nfp boards and my own team, and they've all ready it and used as a guide when running meetings. Before that, my dad made it mandatory for the doctors he supervises, and he's had great success. (He specializes in emergency department reform.)
It doesn't even really matter what industry you're in or even if you volunteer. It's a solid book for anyone that might ever be a part of a team. I was reminded of it because it deals regularly with disagreements. Heck… it's even available on iTunes as an audio book.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/18/2015 9:05:35 PM
Kid: I didn't read any of that and I won't be reading anything else you write. Chances are, you'll be gone in a week because you couldn't create a problem, and that's what you signed up to do, as everyone knows.
And if I see a complaint, if I hear that you're being a disruption, the account will be immediately deleted and the IP will be banned. If I hear nothing of the sort, by all means, stick around. But I won't be dealing with you again.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 1/18/2015 9:19:32 PM
"It takes two to tango", as they say. And if you took things just a *little* less personal, Ben, these kind of discussions – who let's face it pops up at a quite regular basis here – would be fewer and further between, and less heated.
But at the same time: This *has* become a part of the identity of this site too. One becomes used to it, and although they can be a bit tiresome it would not have been the same without them.
So… yeah. 🙂
Beamboom, maybe you should start over and read from the beginning from pavlovic on down. Where did Ben do anything other than get insulted? That sh*t is getting old. It's similar to what some of you did to The Highlander. The Highlander made some good points about the PS4 and everybody treated him like some uneducated bafoon, when he happens to be very intelligent.
I didn't see two doing the tango. I see one insulting and his cheerleader joining in with pom-poms flying around.
I miss The Highlander a lot. I saw Kos Mos and I knew I was in for a quality read.
@tes37: This issue here is much, much longer than this single thread. It started a good while ago, and the comments here are just a culimination on what has been going on across several articles. A consequence, if you will.
The way I see it, the site administrator has a very special responsibility. In my opinion the principle should be pretty clear:
Either ban someone from the site, or make an effort to change the atmosphere between you and the users. Either ban, or be constructive. Give people slack. Try to reason. Construct a good relation.
That means remaining calm, set an example, handle stuff without exploding in their face – and then *continue* exploding in their face.
Like I say: Either ban, or be constuctive.
As for Highlander, the story there was that *he* could not let *me* be. He started all that. He could not accept another guy with a reasonable techincal insight disagreeing with him, and totally lost his head. He attacked me with such vigor I started to seriously doubt his sanity. There was no end to it. And his claims were just… Well… Not rational at all.
All I did, was to be excited for Sonys moves for this new generation. I believed in them, and wanted to tell why. And, well… We know now how it went. The PS4 completely turned the market upside down.
Not that it would matter if I were wrong, but it's really was not me to blame for being excited about the new generation.
Last edited by Beamboom on 1/19/2015 1:47:46 PM
I've been here for a good while and well you sound like you're trying to bullsh*t me. I read all that stuff that went on. And if you think Ben should be someone's punching bag or behave in a manner that Beamboom sees fit, you're wrong. He's human, treat him like one.
Temjin posted a link to a developer document claiming the cpu in the PS4 was crap compared to the spu's in the PS3. The PS4's gpu is where most of the power is coming from. Highlander made more sense than you're letting on.
Tes, can we let it go? Not sure why you want to start something else here. And you are exaggerating very much by describing the EIC as a punching bag but, at the end of the day, this thing is beyond done.I rarely argue in my home so I now refuse to argue with another grown man over the internet about silliness. I'm keeping it gaming from now on. I think we all should.
@tes:
You don't get my point in regards to manage a community, so I'll just leave that be.
But I'm fine with shifting the discussion to the hardware. It's a good topic.
Hardware is only half the picture. The software that runs on it is the other half. There is a saying in the tech/dev circles that goes, "no system is better than the software that runs on it" and that is just so fundamentally correct.
The x86 architecture (and AMD64 derivative) is archaic, and there are today several better solutions to make an effective architecture, both in regards to performance and power consumption. Even Intel themselves have tried to get rid of the x86.
But it stays. Why? Because it is a very established technology with an unparallelled universe of tools and libraries that you just can't ignore.
Developers have from their very first baby steps into low-level programming learnt this architecture. It's familiar, therefore effective. The worlds best development environments are created for it, making the platform a stable and fast way to get the job done.
Shorter development time, fewer issues, more effective issue handling, a lot more competence in the market leads to much easier recruiting, less frustrations. These are arguments that are SO valuable, that it outweighs the advantages of a newer and more modern architecture.
So I've never said the x86 is a particularly good technology, from a hardware perspective. But I've argued for it based on what I say above – from a SOFTWARE perspective. I am a developer, my perspective on computers is extremely on the software side of things. In my opinion, a hardware manufacturers job is to deliver a solid workspace to the developers. That's my perspective. Software first.
Highlander was the exact opposite, his entire focus was solely on the hardware and completely ignored any other aspect. And that's the root of our disagreements.
A difference I was totally comfortable with, I saw it as nothing but an interesting basis for a discussion, but this was something he just could not handle. I am to this day puzzled by that fact.
I was a troll, a PC fanboy, an idiot and didn't understand sh*t. Just I wait and see.
Reality is: At the end of the day, unless you are going to sit there with a soldier iron and make hardware yourself and write code for it, you just want a console that works and software that runs well on it.
That's what we get with the PS4, and that's ALL due to the familiar architecture.
Last edited by Beamboom on 1/20/2015 4:42:18 AM
I'd be more inclined to agree with you, Beam, on the issue of the new "culture" here if it didn't happen to regularly include the same 3 or 4 people.
There are still tons of people here who make insightful, well thought out comments. The difference is that many people don't engage those comments anymore because it's more fun to get into the poo-flinging war.
I contribute in less meaningful ways these days because I lack the time I once had when I was childless and when I worked a job where part of my day would include supervising a computer lab where I could spend time writing here. Moving on up in the world is a great thing and all, but it does shift priorities, that's for sure.
I kinda wish I still had time to write user reviews, do research on discussion topics and report back here, and engage at length in discussion. On the other hand, I also still find conflict entertaining, so if I have smaller amounts of time to contribute, I like to get a good laugh out of the repetitious monsters that frequent these boards as of late.
As for Highlander, I agree with tes that he was an insightful ol' coot, but I also agree with you about his personality conflicts. Always struck me as somewhat manic. He was definitely his own biggest enemy. There's no reason he should have thrown that tantrum and left. Had he stood his ground and kept his cool, he'd have been fine.
Two words for this weekend: Lollipop Chainsaw
The PSX community is a rare one. So the ability to correct yourself only further complements the site's atmosphere.
PGU: Still Rainbow Moon and Dishonered. I had to restart Dishonerd. Less kills and completely unscene this time.
Rainbow Moon is getting better and better. As much as I like these two games I'm anxious to finish them up so I can get back to all the other games I still have in my back log.
so the ps4 had a really good year well heres to it having another good yeah
and as for ND and unchartered 4 i hope it turns out well and they do what they think is best, cos as far as i'm concerned as long as it looks amazing and runs well then i don't really care what they do
and on a personal note i did a bit more rachet 2 got the box breaker wrench upgrade which was good and got 1 more platinum bolt skill point, before returning to watching fairy tail (up to e61)
happy gaming
It's also good to remember that people don't typically go out of their way to tell you how much they appreciate the time and effort you put into the site. (Except here, some people do say when they enjoyed a review, etc.)
But people definitely enjoy spouting anonymous crap I doubt they'd have the stones to do in person to someone that say, lifts a lot of weights. That's why you hear it so much, and it's why it feels like the industry doesn't respect. Some are still kids in adult bodies, no doubt, but there's plenty that appreciate the work reviewers do.
lot of lads about without stones these days.
I know the overwhelming majority of PSXE members appreciate it. That's a help. 🙂
Resistance: Retribution is on sale, its incredible with the Vita second stick. I couldn't deal with the aim assist on PSP.
Just sayin
I've gotten out of hand on this site before and I know some people don't like me, though the feeling is probably mutual. However, I disappear for a little while from time to time so as to not make this place miserable for the folks who have had enough of me.
There are some people in this thread who should try it out sometime.
Who doesn't like you? I know we've had conflicting ideas from time to time, but I think your contributions are definitely valued. I certainly enjoy you being here.
I think the PS3 era had a simple shortcoming for many people due to the replay value of what they owned. Personally, I didn't revisit many games. That excludes GT6. I'm constantly debating whether I should bend some tube stock and make a racing rig for my wheels and pedals,buy a cheap monitor, and do my GT6/iRacing a permanent staple of my hobby. Wishful dreaming for now, but might be something of a project for this year.
This generation seems to be completely corrupted by social media. From hacking, to fanboyism, and everything in between. It's ridiculous, really, and it's just getting worse. All of these spineless knuckleheads and their lonesome lives are the biggest whiners I've ever seen. They can't respect other's opinions, they're always perfect, and tear apart reviewers because they don't like what's being said.
Whatever. Get some fresh air and socialize… Physically engage in life, you miserable bastards! What a great civilization we have here. More humans on earth than ever before, yet minds don't work together. It's communities of individualism with these freaking unrealistic expectations.
Anyway, I've already thanked you for your ACU follow-up and would be more than happy to do so again. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I literally just started this game and the most striking aspect happens to be the revisions made to systems that were damn good throughout the series. Customization and side quests didn't need to be worked up with a fresh start. It needed to be revised to make all of it more personalized. It's far from it. I feel like I'm being bribed for money to unlocked memories. It's not engaging. I popped up on NEOGAF as my Google + sniffed out your article. Curious, I read through some of that zoo and dropped off comment. Talk about delusional expectations. You must platinum a game, apparently, before these communities allow a review to be legit. I'm glad that I don't do it for a living!
PGU: ACU isn't getting any easier to adapt to, but that only means that I'll probably spin up GTA5 sooner than I expected. Absolutely loving my DS3 paired with my Note3 for SNES and PSOne games. Secret of Mana and SotN are both quite a pleasure on the go! All this thanks to Sony's Xperia line of androids and the DS3 native support. Woo hoo!
Last edited by DemonNeno on 1/18/2015 7:15:38 PM
AC: Unity is still a good game. The sad part is, everything Ben said about it is true. That keeps it from being an awesome game. It's like Ubisoft made it all the way to the bathroom and still crapped their pants.
Haha, yeah, I'm playing it. I'm just annoyed that, this time around, there's no amount of practice that'll really ease up the Arno's magnetism to walls and such things. It's harder to get down than it is to go up! I wanted to get a hang of the controls before I started other games since it's hard for me to jump from one game to another if I'm not good with the controller. Just a personal problem, like the many other personal problems I've learnt to work with. 😛
Last edited by DemonNeno on 1/18/2015 8:06:25 PM