Ben-DutkaNext week is the first expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and a few weeks after that is Assassin's Creed Syndicate , so I'm happy.
Sometimes Sony, I just don't understand you
I've made it plain many times: When it comes to first-party productions, dedicated PlayStation studios are several steps ahead of everyone else. Many of the greatest games I've played in the past 15 years have been exclusive to a PlayStation platform.
On top of which, they remain the only company that seems to want to push the envelope, that doesn't mind trying new things in the face of potential failure. There's a reason you don't see games like Heavy Rain and Until Dawn on other platforms. But it's almost as if Sony says one minute, "yes, we're going to take the chance on 'interactive drama' and try and be a bit more cerebral," and then the next minute, they go quiet. Failure to properly market first-party exclusives has always confused me and it confuses me even more when they've already put a ton of faith into the creation of that project. Then they turn around and say they're "surprised" at the success of Supermassive's solid game and thanks to the positive reception, maybe now they'll start advertising it for the holidays.
I suppose one could argue that Sony doesn't want to waste the advertising dollars on a risky project. Okay, but would it not stand to reason that more ad dollars would result in more sales and wider interest? Wouldn't it behoove you to support the project you've been supporting, right up until the launch and beyond? Sure, they're admitting they have to work harder at bringing exclusives to PS4 but all I've got to say is they had better market a game like Horizon: Zero Dawn . Seriously.
Yes, I will pay more for discs if it comes to that
At the present time, I can't imagine a reason to pay for a digital copy of a game as opposed to a physical copy, as they're almost always the exact same price. The only bonus I can see is "pre-loading" but really, I've got something of a life and I can't conceive of a time when I'd desperately need to play a game at 12:01 a.m. on launch day. And as I have a collection, I want to add to my collection. However, I think we all know that eventually digital media will take the reins and disc-based gaming will begin its inevitable decline. Now, GameStop boss Paul Raines believes there will always be a place for discs , citing the fact that CDs still exist. However, Microsoft's Robbie Bach thinks the next round of consoles won't support physical media . I'm not sure I believe that; if it's true, I'll be annoyed, to say the least.
If it's not true, and they keep discs but charge more – as they probably should – I'm fine with that. I will indeed pay more for something real; yes, I will. Something that doesn't need to be transferred as a file if my system breaks or I buy an upgraded system, something that won't die if the hard drive bites the dust. And I really don't think I'm the only one.
Personal gaming update
NBA 2K16 is an example of a good idea gone bad. Spike Lee writing a storyline for a basketball game makes sense but when that story offers very little in the way of freedom, and is both boring and predictable, the entire MyCareer mode lags big time. The good news is that MyTeam is excellent and the core gameplay is pretty darn good. Even so, I really don't have much interest in sports sims, so I'm done with this one. Unfortunately, I do have to move on to NBA Live 16 , which doesn't sound like a promising prospect, considering how awful NBA Live 14 was. I just want to see a sequel to Super Mega Baseball ; that's what I want.
Lastly, let me say that I have no problem whatsoever with the confirmed microtransactions in Assassin's Creed Syndicate . Just about all AAA releases have them these days, anyway. And provided they really are "100 percent optional," I don't care. The only thing I care about is if they learned their lesson after last year; do not make Syndicate a game that relies on three or four different types of "connectivity" just so I can get extra equipment and items. They eventually ditched the idea of attaching in-game treasure chests to that ridiculous Companion App for Unity , so I'm assuming they won't make the same mistake twice.
Sony hasn't been able to predict much of their success this gen. They also recently stated they didn't expect to sell so many PS4's so Drive Club didn't get as much support as it should have early on. I believe they also didn't expect Bloodborne's success either.
Seeing that Sony has a drought of their own games this holiday tells me they tapped themselves out in other areas around leading up to the system launch time. It takes 2-3 years to make a game. The gap is probably there because at the time, 2-3 years ago, some projects just didn't get green lighted for not being in the budget.
Hopefully all of Sony's recent PS4 success has placed many other unannounced games into the production pipeline.
PGU: Been enjoying MGSV this week. I made it to Africa. The events leading up to there were quite awesome. It was nice getting a meaty cutscene. Every time I feel like I got the game 'figured' out it does something cool to change it up some.
I've also been making solid progress on my game engine. I can now actually load OBJ models and display and transform them. No materials or normals are being calculated yet but I was super happy just to get it to where it's at this week. Next up is perspective implementation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnqfSfV5G0
Here's a link to the game engine progress I've made. I also modeled the woman.
Wow, that looks promising Temjin.
Glad you're enjoying it Temji. The game really is a gem. I haven't owned a game this massive in a long time. I'm about 76% complete. Almost done with all development projects and started building a second FOB. I still have mission 49 and 50 to complete as well as a number of side ops. Once I've completed all of these tasks I'll be going back to get S ranks. So far….275 hours of playtime. Hahaha
And somehow even after all this I hold out hope that we'll see some additional story DLC.
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/4/2015 12:18:41 PM
Awesome Senpai! I would refine that into a new idea Fallout type game. Wouldn't even need good graphics to sell on PSN.
Thank you! Doing this engine is a pleasure.
Yea, Jawknee, MGSV is awesome stuff. It's pretty incredible how far the game play has come since MGS4.
Snake also controls much better as he feels more natural. Doing stuff like going prone, flipping over and aiming your gun is seamless now. Doing complex things like that in MGS4 required more work.
Yea, the controls and certain tasks in MGS4 felt more mechanical I guess compared to MGS5.
The gameplay is awesome sauce. I haven't spent this much time on a single game in a very long time and the reason is the gameplay is just so good.
Physical discs dont bother me anymore i buy the odd 1 or 2, its just so easy to download off ps store if you got good internet speed.
Had to restart MGSV again as i seemed to oc deleted my save file, only a couple of hours in, done a few main missions and about 5 side ops, really like this game tho.
I agree,i also prefer Physical games way more than digital….Also when i look at the pricing [talking about new games/console] in the ps store,they cost about €15 more than physical games that i order on the net[delivered by mail day 1]
PGU:i'm playing Never Alone,what a beautifull game AND fun to play[But short,i bought it cheap],finisht the main story and now i'm playing the dlc…it's not only beautifull,it's also a great puzzle game,a real gem!
Last edited by slow and smart on 10/4/2015 3:18:54 AM
Currently, physical discs make more financial sense:
You can almost always get physical discs cheaper than the digital download on the day the game is released. If you're lucky, you receive the game 1 day early. On the downside, u have to spend time shopping around online to get the best pre-order deal. And sometimes discs don't arrive on time.
Also discs tend to go on sale earlier than the digital version.
If u don't want to add a game disc to your collection you can always sell it on and invest the money towards the next game.
(No gold stars for calling me Captain Obvious)
Last edited by Dukemz_UK on 10/4/2015 11:19:01 AM
Until Dawn could have made a bigger landing if I ran the ad department. Sony is almost as backward as Square Enix inside the building but thankfully it doesn't touch the software.
I'm still playing it and very happy I get to play God in sabotaging these relationships 🙂
I'm actually transitioning to being a digital gamer due to ease of not getting off my ass to pluck something from my library. I'd still get special games and editions with the disc though.
Still stuck in Witcher so I see no path forward to enjoy it. Sticking with Arisen 3.
Disgaea 5 review coming on OnlySP tonight. Talos Principle next.
"something that won't die if the hard drive bites the dust"
Nothing is lost if the hard drive bites the dust – regardless if the game is installed from disk or net. If the disk bites the dust however… Then you're screwed.
The problem with digital distribution, particularly on consoles, is that it opens up for monopoly practises. It's only one marketplace, one distributor. So I'm more worried that the prices will go *up* when physical drives are gone.
We all know how far behind the sales are on PSN – by the time a full priced game hits the sales it's already been at 50% retail price on physical media for months – even years.
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/4/2015 2:39:26 PM
True. It takes advantage of folks, but those flash sales have saved me some moneys where I wouldn't have even bought those games. I love those even if it means they made money off my "near the register" buying practices.
I wouldn't worry about monopolies, Beam, since publishers still have to compete with each other within that same marketplace. Steam has a monopoly on digital distribution on PC and yet you get the best deals in all of gaming on Steam. That's because Valve doesn't set the prices, determine who participates in sales and with which games, or how steeply things are discounted. The publishers do all that.
There's no reason for it to be any different on consoles.
I think Valve just sits around smoking weed all day.
At this point they can do that and still make infinity money.
Would be nice if they, like, started making games again, though, since they've made some of the all time greatest things ever.
Yeah there's this series called Half-Life that a few people would like to see another entry for.
And Portal, and Team Fortress, and Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike.
Valve is a very special company. I don't see the same from Microsoft or Sony.
I don't know what the terms and conditions are for entering the PSN market, but I would not be surprised if it is quite different from Steam.
Also, Steam do after all have *some* competition, plus the *risk* of a competitor arriving. Sony and MS have total, unrivalled control over their marketplace. There are no competitive incentives to keep the prices low.
But yeah, the publishers do of course play a central role here too. But so far my experience with PSN has been pretty bad when it comes to pricing, and it's yet to be proven that this will change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnqfSfV5G0
Here's a link to the game engine progress I've made. I also modeled the woman.
Valve is a very special company. I don't see the same from Microsoft or Sony.
I don't know what the terms and conditions are for entering the PSN market, but I would not be surprised if it is quite different from Steam.
Also, Steam do after all have *some* competition, plus the *risk* of a competitor arriving. Sony and MS have total, unrivalled control over their marketplace. There are no competitive incentives to keep the prices low.
But yeah, the publishers do of course play a central role here too. But so far my experience with PSN has been pretty bad when it comes to pricing, and it's yet to be proven that this will change.
True. It takes advantage of folks, but those flash sales have saved me some moneys where I wouldn't have even bought those games. I love those even if it means they made money off my "near the register" buying practices.
I wouldn't worry about monopolies, Beam, since publishers still have to compete with each other within that same marketplace. Steam has a monopoly on digital distribution on PC and yet you get the best deals in all of gaming on Steam. That's because Valve doesn't set the prices, determine who participates in sales and with which games, or how steeply things are discounted. The publishers do all that.
There's no reason for it to be any different on consoles.
And Portal, and Team Fortress, and Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike.
Currently, physical discs make more financial sense:
You can almost always get physical discs cheaper than the digital download on the day the game is released. If you're lucky, you receive the game 1 day early. On the downside, u have to spend time shopping around online to get the best pre-order deal. And sometimes discs don't arrive on time.
Also discs tend to go on sale earlier than the digital version.
If u don't want to add a game disc to your collection you can always sell it on and invest the money towards the next game.
(No gold stars for calling me Captain Obvious)
Last edited by Dukemz_UK on 10/4/2015 11:19:01 AM
Sony hasn't been able to predict much of their success this gen. They also recently stated they didn't expect to sell so many PS4's so Drive Club didn't get as much support as it should have early on. I believe they also didn't expect Bloodborne's success either.
Seeing that Sony has a drought of their own games this holiday tells me they tapped themselves out in other areas around leading up to the system launch time. It takes 2-3 years to make a game. The gap is probably there because at the time, 2-3 years ago, some projects just didn't get green lighted for not being in the budget.
Hopefully all of Sony's recent PS4 success has placed many other unannounced games into the production pipeline.
PGU: Been enjoying MGSV this week. I made it to Africa. The events leading up to there were quite awesome. It was nice getting a meaty cutscene. Every time I feel like I got the game 'figured' out it does something cool to change it up some.
I've also been making solid progress on my game engine. I can now actually load OBJ models and display and transform them. No materials or normals are being calculated yet but I was super happy just to get it to where it's at this week. Next up is perspective implementation.
Yeah there's this series called Half-Life that a few people would like to see another entry for.
At this point they can do that and still make infinity money.
Would be nice if they, like, started making games again, though, since they've made some of the all time greatest things ever.
I think Valve just sits around smoking weed all day.
Wow, that looks promising Temjin.
Yea, the controls and certain tasks in MGS4 felt more mechanical I guess compared to MGS5.
The gameplay is awesome sauce. I haven't spent this much time on a single game in a very long time and the reason is the gameplay is just so good.
Thank you! Doing this engine is a pleasure.
Yea, Jawknee, MGSV is awesome stuff. It's pretty incredible how far the game play has come since MGS4.
Snake also controls much better as he feels more natural. Doing stuff like going prone, flipping over and aiming your gun is seamless now. Doing complex things like that in MGS4 required more work.
I agree,i also prefer Physical games way more than digital….Also when i look at the pricing [talking about new games/console] in the ps store,they cost about €15 more than physical games that i order on the net[delivered by mail day 1]
PGU:i'm playing Never Alone,what a beautifull game AND fun to play[But short,i bought it cheap],finisht the main story and now i'm playing the dlc…it's not only beautifull,it's also a great puzzle game,a real gem!
Last edited by slow and smart on 10/4/2015 3:18:54 AM
Awesome Senpai! I would refine that into a new idea Fallout type game. Wouldn't even need good graphics to sell on PSN.
Physical discs dont bother me anymore i buy the odd 1 or 2, its just so easy to download off ps store if you got good internet speed.
Had to restart MGSV again as i seemed to oc deleted my save file, only a couple of hours in, done a few main missions and about 5 side ops, really like this game tho.
Until Dawn could have made a bigger landing if I ran the ad department. Sony is almost as backward as Square Enix inside the building but thankfully it doesn't touch the software.
I'm still playing it and very happy I get to play God in sabotaging these relationships 🙂
I'm actually transitioning to being a digital gamer due to ease of not getting off my ass to pluck something from my library. I'd still get special games and editions with the disc though.
Still stuck in Witcher so I see no path forward to enjoy it. Sticking with Arisen 3.
Disgaea 5 review coming on OnlySP tonight. Talos Principle next.
Glad you're enjoying it Temji. The game really is a gem. I haven't owned a game this massive in a long time. I'm about 76% complete. Almost done with all development projects and started building a second FOB. I still have mission 49 and 50 to complete as well as a number of side ops. Once I've completed all of these tasks I'll be going back to get S ranks. So far….275 hours of playtime. Hahaha
And somehow even after all this I hold out hope that we'll see some additional story DLC.
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/4/2015 12:18:41 PM
"something that won't die if the hard drive bites the dust"
Nothing is lost if the hard drive bites the dust – regardless if the game is installed from disk or net. If the disk bites the dust however… Then you're screwed.
The problem with digital distribution, particularly on consoles, is that it opens up for monopoly practises. It's only one marketplace, one distributor. So I'm more worried that the prices will go *up* when physical drives are gone.
We all know how far behind the sales are on PSN – by the time a full priced game hits the sales it's already been at 50% retail price on physical media for months – even years.
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/4/2015 2:39:26 PM