Readers Feature

[HandsomeDead]

I dunno what to say about this, it's just a scenario they made up in their head (a rebelling Naughty Dog made me lol).  Sony's commitment to multiplayer has been pretty half-hearted to the point the only potentially big in-house project was cancelled and the others have been support at arms length.

 

I think we've talked a lot about the problems with Sony and going all in on time consuming AAAA games and why they don't have a lot to show for themselves.  Probably doesn't need repeated.

[one-armed dwarf]

It's sort of a variation of the same letter that's been printed a few times. Sony's whole thing is very expensive single player games, the pivot into GAAS was a mistake (except for Helldivers, tho that's fallen off really hard after the steam linking shit). But I don't think Concord's failure is going to translate into anything other than help encourage an inevitable brain drain of talent out of this industry into more stable, boring professions

 

There's definitely being some gamer brain stuff out there thinking that this is a great victory. Not just the GG2 assholes but others who think this is a message to Sony. It ain't, they probably saw this coming tbh and just priced it in cause that's how GAAS is

[Maryokutai]

I don't know if they ever confirmed this but I think it's widely assumed that the pivot towards GAAS happened because they realised only doing 300m narrative games would become unsustainable in the long run. If you have a Fortnite blowing money in your CEOs pockets while Druckman sits in a cave for six years thinking about how to torture his characters, then that's a decent business model. But now that one part of the solution has failed (Concord) doesn't mean going back to the problem is the right idea.

 

If anything I think a success of Astro Bot will be significantly more important than the failure of Concord. If Astro does well, that might show them that there's profitability in versatility. It's Nintendo's entire model after all – if they only made BotW type games they'd probably not doing quite as well either.

 

Edit: I just realise I was simply repeating the consensus in my first paragraph, feel free to ignore.

[one-armed dwarf]

I'm not that excited by Astro Bot, all the product placement in such a cutesy game makes it feel like corporate brainwashing to me or something. But that aside I hope it does well for the reason mentioned above because I would really like to see more games by them that standout like Astro Bot does

[mfnick]

I’m glad it failed just because I’m sick of the trend chasing GAAS games. 
 

Trend chasing when it takes 8 years to make is fucking stupid and deserves to be punished. 

 

Sony are in a weird place at the minute. Problem is, like has been said their USP is extremely high budget games with extremely long dev times meaning it’ll take them a long time to turn the ship. If that’s even what they end up doing anyway. 

 

 

[Nag]

‘A new PlayStation Portable would be so much better than a PS6’

 

 

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A reader is excited by rumours of Sony planning to make a new PlayStation Portable and argues that handhelds are the future of the industry.

 

I expect in the coming months, especially once we get into next year, we’ll be hearing a lot about the next gen Xbox and the PlayStation 6. I keep forgetting that Microsoft has actually announced their new hardware, even if they haven’t said anything about it, but then their messaging hasn’t exactly been clear lately.

 

The rumours have it that the new Xbox is a portable or hybrid console, inspired by the Switch and Steam Deck. That certainly doesn’t seem much of a stretch, as Phil Spencer has been hinting about it constantly, so the only real question is whether there’ll be other models as well.

 

I don’t think anything substantial has been rumoured about the PlayStation 6 yet but what has excited me much more than the thought of yet another big plastic box under the TV is the rumour that Sony is making a new portable, following the unexpected success of the PlayStation Portal.

 

I would love if this were true. I’ve always enjoyed portable consoles, for both the convenience and freedom and also the fact that they tend to encourage games that you can pick up and play more easily, without having to settle in for a five hour long grind just to make any progress.

 

If the rumours are true, I don’t know if Sony would be thinking of a traditional portable or a hybrid but I can’t imagine it’d be a separate format. Not even Nintendo does that anymore, so whatever it is must be able to run at least PlayStation 4 games natively. Which I think sounds like a very exciting thing.

 

I think one of the big problems that Sony, and Microsoft, have got into recently is that everything has to be a 200+ hour epic with photorealistic graphics and all the trimmings. But we all know those aren’t necessarily the best or most popular games.

 

We live in a world where Minecraft is the most popular game ever and Balatro is the best game of the year. Heck, even GTA 5 is basically a PlayStation 3 game.

 

What a new portable PlayStation would do is not only make gaming more convenient, but it would allow smaller developers, especially Japanese ones, to make lower budget AA games without it looking bad on the big screen.

 

This is something Nintendo has benefited from all generation and yet I don’t think Microsoft and Sony even recognise it as something they’re missing out on. Indie games are great but there’s a much wider range between that and a AAA game than they seem to realise.

 

The PlayStation 5 has been such a disappointing console on so many levels, but the lack of games recently is masking some of them, such as the lack of new IP and the failure to tackle rising game costs.

 

All of this would be easier with a portable console, and it would also mean that the machine itself was exciting again. The PlayStation 5 is such an ugly slab of plastic, and its graphics aren’t noticeably better than the previous one, but a portable console coming next would be such a welcome change of pace, for me at least.

 

If Sony hasn’t learned by this point, that graphics are way down the list of priorities for most people then I don’t know what hope there is for them. I think it’s very clear that portable gaming is the future of the industry and if the rumours are true then PlayStation will be a big part of that.

 

By reader Paulie

 

[HandsomeDead]

I think Sony would have a hard time pivoting to a handheld.  They're structured in a way that makes the PS5 the main place to play their games.  It makes sense MS might do a portable because I think they'll pretty much pivot to making games for Windows the main platform and have the Xbox be Steamdeck like devices.  I suppose Sony could do the same but I think it won't be as unified.  I doubt they'll make a portable that is it's own SKU like the last ones.  There'd be even less Sony produced games than even the Vita.

[Maf]

I can’t see them making a handheld, but then I never thought they would have made the portal. 
 

Don’t think they’d make a portable and a Pro machine. Just seems like 2 very different directions 

[DANGERMAN]

I've come round to the idea of the Portal. Not for the price it is, but being able to continue playing in different rooms, or even (ideally) carry on what I was playing on the TV to the handheld. I've been spoilt by Steam Deck and Switch. That combined with a proper console would be great 

 

I wonder if the Portal stops Sony from doing that though, they might feel they have that base covered, even if it's nothing close to what it should be (for the price) 

 

Fwiw I'd be fine with this generation lasted for ages and we got handhelds instead. I certainly don't think we're getting a big leap in quality in the next 3 years

 

I do think a PlayStation handheld would be really expensive 

[Nag]

‘This has been the worst video game console generation ever‘

 

 

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A Reader’s Feature argues that the current generation is the worst there’s ever been and that Microsoft and Sony are neglecting their duties.

We’re close now. For all I know, as I write this, the Nintendo Switch 2 may already have been announced. If it hasn’t then hopefully we’re only a few weeks away from it happening. I know you can’t predict Nintendo, yadda yadda yadda, but at the very maximum we’re six months away from a reveal and probably much, much less.

 

And oh boy is it needed. Sony and Microsoft are so useless and out of touch it’d be funny if it wasn’t so sad. Especially as both now seem to be fully in next gen mode and all they’re thinking about is their new consoles, and not the fact that their current ones are a disaster area.

 

Oh, your console sales are falling? I wonder why that might be! Everyone else in the world seems to know but apparently not Microsoft and Sony. Apparently to them the idea of releasing good new games is something that has never occurred to them, so instead we get Redfall and Concord.

 

Things started off fine this generation. Xbox seemed to understand the mistakes they’d made with the Xbox One and Sony had a great line-up of PlayStation 5 games. A few too many cross-gen games maybe, but not all of them were like that and the exclusives they did have – Demon’s Souls, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal – were all great.

 

Then the number of new games started to slow to a trickle and most of the ones we did get were still cross-gen. It still wasn’t a disaster though, until Microsoft started flashing its cash and Sony decided that single-player games – the exact reason the PlayStation 4 had been so successful – were the exact opposite of what they were going to make from now on.

 

After that, sales mysteriously* started falling for both of them and, at the same time, they both suddenly decided, all of a sudden, that games were too expensive now and so their big plan to cope with this was… to not make any more games anymore. Or at least that seems to be Sony’s plan.

 

They’ve both been terrible this gen but at least Microsoft has got the excuse that they’ve never been on top. Sony should know better than this though, they should be the old masters that no longer make schoolboy errors, but instead they’re acting like clueless idiots.

 

The worst thing is there’s no end in sight. Xbox has some decent games out this Christmas but it’s obvious none of them are going to sell, which means their future is now tied to Call Of Duty and being multiformat. They’ve got a next gen console coming out but what’s the point? Do they really think it’s going to buck the trend of constantly declining sales?

 

Sony’s situation is even worse, because they still seem to be in the denial phase. Concord has been a massive failure and we still don’t know what they’re going to do about it or live service games in general. We know about nothing they have coming out from now on (the only rumour is of a Days Gone remaster – thrilling!) and yet they’re already talking about the PlayStation 6!

 

I really can’t take seriously anyone that says this isn’t the worst generation ever. Yes, there are still good games being made but no thanks to Sony or Microsoft. Good games have always been around but in the SNES or the PS1 or the Xbox 360 era you didn’t have both companies acting like clueless buffoons and threatening the stability of the entire industry.

 

By reader Tembor

*it’s not a mystery at all!

 

[Metroid66]

I spent the first two years of this gen playing (and greatly enjoying) all the Xbox games I'd missed out on over the years being mainly a Sony/Nintendo guy. I also discovered the AC RPGs and spent countless hours on them. I remember thinking this was a great generation, but of course I was just catching up.

 

Yeah, it's been weirdly shite.

[DANGERMAN]

I think Tembor needs to grow up a bit 

 

Nintendo's output this generation has been ports, sequels, and many, many remasters. They're as guilty as any of the platform holders of not being interesting. 

 

I've said before I don't really care that games have been cross gen, and I won't when the same happens next-gen. 

 

I also don't think you can say the good games this generation are no thanks to Sony. Spiderman, God of War, Horizon, Astrobot, you're talking about some of the games of their respective years. Microsoft might be about to kick off a run of good games with Doom, Indiana Jones and Gears 

[Maf]

I’ve really liked this generation. I think the reason I’ve enjoyed it is there’s been so much free stuff between subscription services and give aways. Not only has gaming been relatively cheap but there’s been such variety as well. Shit, Fall Guys is one of my favourite games this gen and it’s a battle royale platformer I didn’t spend a penny on 
 

I see this sentiment a lot actually about how bad this gen has been. If looking at purely Playstation and Xbox first party output then sure. But there’s so much more than that going on. 

[Metroid66]

Yeah, I suppose yous are right. I personally have never really wanted for something to play. I've just reconvened with ff7 rebirth and I have Spiderman 2 teed up for when I get back from a trip abroad this week.

 

 

[DANGERMAN]

3 minutes ago, Metroid66 said:

Yeah, I suppose yous are right. I personally have never really wanted for something to play. I've just reconvened with ff7 rebirth and I have Spiderman 2 teed up for when I get back from a trip abroad this week.

 

 

Tbh, same. The likes of Vampire Survivors and Balatro have covered any gaps. I've still got Alan Wake 2 and Infinite Wealth to play this year, plus a few others. There's still more games than most of us could play 

[Maryokutai]

I think I would, so far, agree that it's the worst generation but the handy thing about that wording is that it doesn't say it's bad, which it isn't. At least not universally. I think first party output and third-party triple As have never been less exciting that they are currently, but on the other hand, the rise of double A productions and indie games with a bit more oomph to them than just being Shovel Knight lookalikes gives this gen an appealing aspect outside the stuff that's dominating headlines.

 

And as always with questions like these, I still believe the growing older part and subjective perception plays a big role as well. The pioneering aspects of the PS1/N64 generation have completely overshadowed the individual quality of some of these releases for example. It was a more exciting and important generation, but we weren't playing better games then, as much as I like and fondly remember them.

[Nag]

I'd kind've agree that this gen just hasn't felt like it's gotten started... not helped by the fact that the Series X for all intents and purposes feels just like the One X when you switch it on and the amount of cross gen games on both consoles.

 

But also I've got to admit the amount of doom mongering and conversations hanging on framerates and resolution options in regards to games rather than the games themselves is seriously starting to affect my enjoyment of gaming nowadays... I find it a little exhausting to be honest.

[one-armed dwarf]

It's less resolution than it is image quality, older gens of games could look a lot cleaner than this. Apparently it's cause TAA is so embedded in how images get resolved now

 

It's been a pretty disappointing generation on the console side but to look at it from a different perspective maybe, the success of the Steam Deck is one of the coolest things for a number of reasons. It feels like it's democratised PC gaming in certain ways, opened minds to the idea that it's not just about chasing the high end and there's this huge legacy of older titles out there. It's a great boon for Linux as a gaming platform as well. 

 

I also think despite it being pretty fallow at times, mobile VR has been a great advancement and HL Alyx via Quest 2 is probably the most 'next gen' experience I've had. 

[Nag]

I think I'm just a little bit bored of being told that everything looks shit nowadays apparently... go and play on a Spectrum 48k and then come back and tell me games look awful. 

 

I'm not aiming this at anyone on here either, just to be clear.👍

[shinymcshine]

Yep, there's often fundamental issues with pacing, storytelling and broken or repetitive gameplay, rather than a bit of clipping or fog.

 

If you think of the number of indie games that have new & innovative ideas, but theme their game with 'retro' graphics to avoid the necessity to throw money at a shiny aesthetic (and conversely those AAA games who throw money at the shiny aesthetic but omit the innovation...)