Ben-DutkaChristmas is getting closer…got all your shopping done? 😉
PlayStation fans know what patience is
The AAA exclusives aren't here yet for PlayStation 4 but Sony isn't wrong when they say "the best is yet to come."
PlayStation consoles have historically improved drastically during their lifespans. This has been true since the original PlayStation console; developers have always needed time to grasp the new hardware, and that's why we saw the defining games later on in the life-cycles of the PS1, PS2 and PS3. The only caveat with the PS4 is that it's supposed to be a very developer-friendly machine, as opposed to the previous three systems. That could be cause for concern, as could the PS4's recent loss to the Xbox One in November.
Of course, Microsoft dropped the price and offered plenty of great holiday bundles, and I'm sure Sunset Overdrive and that Halo: Master Chief Collection helped a lot, too. And really, we just need to wait. Once the next-level PS4 exclusives show up – and I'm still convinced they will – I don't think Microsoft has much of a chance. As for whether or not consumers choose the PS4 because of better multiplatform experiences, that seems highly unlikely to me. In my experience, most people have no clue about that stuff; only core gamers do, and they tend to take a lot more factors into account, anyway.
PlayStation thrives on evolutionary exclusives, plain and simple.
CD Projekt Red only gets away with these delays because they're well-liked
So, as you've probably heard by now, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been pushed back to May. The developers need those extra 12 weeks, as they recently explained . But here's the thing: They're only getting an obliging attitude from gamers because CD Projekt Red has a good reputation. They're giving away all the game's DLC for free and of course, if you give anything away, you're already in a consumer's good graces. On top of which, they have a history of interacting with the fans on a routine basis; i.e., getting feedback, reacting to suggestions and criticism, etc.
Okay. Let's say Ubisoft had promised, as CD Projekt Red did a few months ago, that a new upcoming game would "never again be delayed." Then they turned around and did what the Wild Hunt team did and knocked it back another three months. Do you really think the reaction would've been the same? And let's not forget that despite everyone freaking out over Assassin's Creed Unity , Ubisoft has been responding to it on a daily basis . Those who were paying attention saw constant updates and by the way, the fourth patch for that game is due out Monday and the game hasn't even been out for a month. Admittedly, Ubisoft shouldn't have released the game with those bugs, and I understand that.
But it's difficult to find fault with how they've dealt with it since. And yet, had Ubisoft done this exact same thing – or another equally disliked developer right now – they would've burned at the stake for doing what CD Projekt Red did. I just want everyone to acknowledge this.
Personal gaming update
I really appreciate what Telltale Games offers this industry, I really do. Finally , a developer that understands the importance of a great story! The first episodes for Game of Thrones and Tales From the Borderlands were great, and I definitely recommend both to the respective fans. On the other hand, I have difficult recommending Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed even to die-hard lovers of Japanese culture. It's just a little too bizarre and…well, beyond adolescent in its premise.
Still playing Unity ; the game is just stupid huge. I think I've been playing for probably 25 hours or so and I'm only 1/3 done according to the progress tracker. This is precisely why I don't care about delays for Batman: Arkham Knight (June) and the aforementioned Wild Hunt . These massive titles require a lot of time, damnit.
I dont think Xone outselling the PS4 is anything to worry about. I equate it to most people already having a PS4, and maybe people are getting both consoles now. The price drop is sure to be a factor in there as well, but honestly I think a lot of people have a PS4 at this point and the ones who don't are waiting for the software still.
I personally would have been totally fine with Unity being delayed. The reason is wasn't was for business reasons, they hyped it up enough for it to see and they need to see those numbers that quarterly earning period.
I think some people would have been mad sure, but I think a lot of people are actually okay with delays as long as the game doesn't become vaporware.
I will agree with you though, I think everyone is being cool with CDprojekt because well they are one of the best devs out there. They make quality games that are DRM free and they give you free dlc.
PGU
I played the Deadly premonition PSplus game and man is that a weird game. I actually am enjoying it a lot but its not really a polished game. Still really fun and weird.
Going to start a new playthrough in NEIR once I finish Enslaved which I only just started playing a week ago 😛 Oh and I finished Valkyria Chronicles again and can I just say, can we please get a PS4 Valkyria Chronicles game? Seriously such a well made game and I don't even really like strategy RPGS.
Deadly Premonition, as unpolished and gamey and utterly weirdly unique as it is, just gets better and better as you continue the investigation and the town and characters start to make a home in your brain. I found myself just following (stalking) Emily, watching her go home after work, sit down and watch TV. Everybody in that town has their own little life.
We need more weirdness like that, sadly I think their next project D4 is going to Xbox One.
I wanted to give Deadly Premonition (don't think I'm mature enough to call it DP without giggling yet) a shot. You and World are solidifying this. Thanks!
lol, I played a bunch of Akiba's trip today. It's a great otaku culture simulator with tons of custom goodies and wonderful in-jokes. You just have to be able to look past the typical problems underfunded Japanese games have in favor of the cultural fun. It's concept over execution that makes it worth playing.
Played Dragon Age too, something FINALLY happened in the story so that's good.
For Christmas I'm getting Sherlock Holmes Crimes and Punishments, Atelier Escha: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky, aaaand an import of Oneechanbara.
I'm happy with my PS4 right now. Games like Inquisition, Unity, Drive Club, and TLoU Remaster have my hands more than full. I look forward to DOA5 LR, Order 1886, and Batman during the first half of 2015. Not sure if I'll have much more time to play additional games. And in case I do have more time, we will be getting a Wii U in about 2 months. At that point I'll probably try out Bayonetta 2 too if things happen to get dry, or I get anxious.
I'm not worried about PS4's success. Whether or not MS stays underdog or pulls ahead it doesn't really matter to me. If I'm fed with great games I'll be happy.
PGU:
Been playing Unity. I'm about 9% through it, I think.
The architectural scale and fantastic lighting implementation is quite impressive. There's also the massive crowds populating the field. I'd say that's the one notable thing that really holds Infamous SS back from competing with it from a technical standpoint. Sure, Infamous has great image quality and comparably scaled buildings but it just doesn't have the same level of life to populate the cities.
I do prefer the combat system so far in this new AC. The animation and flow feels more solid. The controls sometimes feel like they don't always respond the way I want. I don't know if it's me or if it's because stealth action implementations have detailed controls so I could be fumbling myself. Furthermore, take that genre and blend it with a platformer then you've got a game that does expect a lot from the player and their inputs. That's what AC is.
Right now it has a ways to go before it can compete with Black Flag. That game was just so refreshing and fun. I'm sorta feeling the AC-fatigue while playing Unity. Yes, it's embodied in a next-gen presentation, something Black Flag doesn't compete with, but it does feel very familiar. Why? Because it's yet ANOTHER Assassin's Creed game. Please. Ubi. Take a year off. I really like this franchise but too much of a good thing does sometimes feel like a bad thing.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 12/13/2014 10:39:44 PM
Bayonetta 2 is freakin awesome. So much action and it never skips a beat. I hope Nintendo and Platinum make a third one.
Bayonetta last gen was quite the unique and memorable experience. I look forward to the dual-set on Wii U.
AC Unity update: I'm actually further than I thought. I'm 25% through the single player mission stuff and 13% total sync.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 12/14/2014 12:43:43 AM
If you liked the first you'll like the second for sure. I liked the first one but felt it was unbalanced and the camera was too far away from her. They seemed to have balanced 2 nicely and added an option to move the camera closer to her which was nice.
I'm intrigued by your enthusiasm for Unity. It's gonna have to be a bargain bin title for me though. I rarely finish an AC game. I still haven't finished Black Flag.
It certainly makes the wait for AAA PS4 titles feel less like a wait when you have another machine to play games on. Still having a blast with Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros. Bought a couple of Amiibo for Smash Bros too. Pretty interesting to have an AI fighter that learns and adapts to your play style.
Kinda feels like I bought a PS4 for Ground Zeroes and remakes. Ground Zeroes was worth it I think. Just bought GTA5 but haven't had any real time to dig in. Hard to play that kind of game when you have a wife and kids. Never cared for GTA but I figured I'd give this one a shot given how amazing the world looks and runs on the PS4. It will probably take me a long time to complete that game but I'll get there eventually.
Next on the list is Captain Toad. 🙂 then next year I'm gonna be broke. Starfox, Yoshi's Woolly World, Zelda Wii U, The Order, MGS5, Uncharted 4….and those are just the ones I can name off the top of my head.
Definitely play this GTA on your own time. It's by far the worst as far as all of the above goes. I actually cringe when listening to Lamar talk and he's a big part of Franklin missions so he's got a large roll in other words. It makes me wonder why KZ got a bad rep for language when this game does what it does despite the context… it's overboard.
However it's typical GTA so of you have fun with the past games you'll enjoy this one. Online is cool to but the load times are atrocious.
Well Lamar and Franklin's interactions remind me of movies like Boys in the Hood and Menace to Society. I agree its overboard but sounds more authentic than KZ. Perhaps that's why it gets a pass. I actually like GTA5's main characters a lot more than those two annoying a holes that lead GTA4. The people I really can't stand so far are Michael's family. They're very obnoxious but I think that's what they were going for. Haha
Last edited by Jawknee on 12/14/2014 12:38:55 AM
Everything actually mellows out a little bit as the game goes on thankfully. I don't know why buy this is the first game I've ever been put off by the language. And it's not that I'm opposed to cursing, I have a terrible mouth myself, it's got more with dropping 10 F bombs in one statement that could have been 5 words without them.
Michaels family continues to get worse… his reactions to them later are quite amusing.
The Halo MCC still isn't working right. How the hell can a game have a 21gb patch and still not work? Least the single player stuff works well enough, I think.
I thought about it and I've come to the conclusion that the only reason Unity's problems caused the reactions it did because every Ubisoft game this year was underwhelming, boring, broken or bad. Far Cry 4 is great because its a carbon copy and paste of Far Cry 3 with slightly improved gameplay, some new gameplay features, and a worse story. Yeah I wasn't expecting TLOU in terms of story, but FC4 isn't much in terms of memorability.
Played Dark Souls 2 and Evil Within all week when I had the chance. I did play Ghost Recon Future Soldier yesterday and realized how freaking awesome that game is. Also seriously glad that I didn't do all the celestial weapons yet in FFX HD because having to do them again on the PS4 would have caused me to not do them.
21gb patch? That shouldn't be allowed. Sounds like poor quality control.
The 20 gb launch patch for Halo MCC was a chunk of the MP they could not fit on disc.
Check out the dynamic impact animations for SFV. Fantastic.
http://i.imgur.com/63fepTR.gif
Parity is the name of this gen. Neither Sony nor MS will have a definitive edge this gen in terms of exclusives. I see it being pretty much like last gen with sales ending pretty comparable. The price cut for the X1 helped, but beneath that is the fact that people WANT the system. If price was the sole factor, the Dreamcast would have steamrolled the PS2. As we draw further and further away from the initial reveal (nearly two years ago and some still harp on it) and graphical parity beomes more the norm (Fact: games now that have vastly superior graphical quality then that of the initial launch titles run with less of a graphical disparity.) the mindshare will even out, despite the worthless and archaic (Seriously,they were relevant before the advent of Twitter, Youtube, and internet connected consoles. Besides being places for debates and arguments that go nowhere, what are they good for?) gaming media's attempt to completely disparage one company on a constant basis.
PGU: Captain Toad Treasue Tracker for the most part. I love it. In an industry dominated by 'sameness', I always hold games like this in high regard. It's not quite Wonderful 101(favorite game this gen and, in my opinion, the very best game Platinum has ever done), but it is definitely a gem.
Going back through Sunset Overdrive and it's definitely my favorite game this year. Has all the Insomniac charm that I've been a huge fan of over the years and you can tell they put everything they had into making this a unique, fantastic experience. Saddens me that dopes would rather by the same Halo and GTA again than buy it. The game deserves SO much better. Maybe if the franchise comes to PS4 it can be appreciated by many more. Actually, I'm certain of it.
Talking with some friends and we came to the conclusion that there were a lot of underrated and underappreciated games this year. My list is Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Deception 4, Thief, The Evil Within, Sunset Overdrive, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
PGU:
The Talos Principle and Geometry Wars 3.
I guess Talos is the biggest headline of them, being a fantastic puzzle wrapped up in philosophy(!). Some reviewers call this the best puzzler since Portal 2. I am inclined to agree.
Geometry Wars 3 is a classic arcade shoot'em'up, colourful and frantic and smooth. I'm not much for retro-gaming but these kinda games are a huge exception. Great stress reliever.
Both has received a metascore in the upper 80s and it's darn well deserved.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/14/2014 3:09:59 PM
a puzzler guy huh
Not generally, but the Portal games were great.
Talos Principle is not bringing anything new to the table like the portal gun, but is still quite unique and interesting – not just because of the puzzles but the story and setting too. And in that sense it's kinda in the same "puzzle-boat" as Portal while still being completely different (content/story wise).
It's like Xcom – I'm not a strategy guy either, but darn that game hit the right spot in me.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/14/2014 4:33:47 PM
I liked Portal very much,and this comes also to the ps4 yoohooo.
@slow:
Yes I believe both will come to all platforms. Geometry Wars alreay is I think? It's how it is today, with most stuff coming for all platforms. And I love that!
Now, if only cross-platform online gaming could also become the standard, I'd be one happy puppy!
Also, Talos is using a first person perspective. I love that too.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/15/2014 3:53:46 AM
I have avoided the claims by developers since I bought my PS4. Why do this to myself? Anticipation is much more satisfying when it's not drenched in drama. Didn't realize that can projekt red ever said that and will continue turning a blind eye. Hell, take another year IF that's what is necessary. I get nitpicking the first year, but it's not necessary from here on out. So much coming. Quality over accessibility for this guy!
PGU – Inquisitor! Dominate those rifts! I've finally utilized my skull candy headphones with the DS4. GREATEST INVENTION EVER! Seriously, I'm in love! Also, the woman can sleep well while I try to cyber bang broads. Shhh! Don't tell her! Seriously though, inquisition is fun. I wouldn't say it's as addictive as I hoped and the side Quests seem insanely redundant. I was a bit shocked that I can say the quests are LITERALLY redundant. "collect eggs" further research "collect eggs" someone else curious? "more eggs, damnit!" I'll need to figure out if this is beneficial and how so before I pay any attention to it. I received the 2nd patch pretty early in my Ventures and honestly? I don't notice a difference? Character still gets stuck between objects from time to time, but switching to someone else in my party frees me up. Seems there's a hiccup occurring that I don't remember in frame rate. Entering new areas freezes the game for a second or two. It's not skipping as when it frees up I'm in the exact same spot. Anyone else? This is in the single player campaign. Haven't touched multi-player at all. Last Sunday, I hadn't spent any time at the war table. That has changed and I really like the concept along with the execution. It pretty cool and seems so serious. I'm just like "when can we cyber bang, already?!"
My buddy shared a screenshot of a community board where an individual posted her thought about it being sexist that you can't get lesbian dialogue out of Lelianna. I'm all sorts of confused. In fact, I would be totally happy with this element being removed,although it's so much fun kidding about it.
PGU:
Just finished KH 1.5, all synthesis, bosses, all that.
Now I just have to get Curaga – cos I seriously forgot how to get that.
Properly ready for 2.5 now… TBC next year though.
I'm playing Kingdom Hearts 2.5 right now and it looks just as fantastic as KH1.5. If you havent already I really recommend playing Chain of Memories on 1.5 It s a true sequels set between 1 and 2 and if you dont play through it 2 will leave you utterly confused – that is of course if you haven't played the KH series before.
Yeah I played the flagships on PS2 and only one char in Birth By Sleep 😀
Looking forward to the rest very much.
I knew XBone was going to win that month, the price was fantastic! but well I'm not into their games so I don't care much about them and after see they didn't care about getting SFV look like MS doesn't want me to buy their console, they just aim at one kind of audience that I'm not part of it.
PGU: I'm surprised how much Shadow of Mordor bored me!! this it's my first next gen buyers remorse game, good that I just got it at 25 bucks, not saying it's a bad game but imo Castlevania LoS2 (a game not much people liked) it's several times a much better game.
Also playing Guilty Gear Xrd early because Gamestop didn't respect the release date xD, the game it's great the graphics are just… amazing I always dreamed of this level of 2D graphics and finally we got them 🙂