This is the direction the big companies are looking to move in. This is the direction Microsoft is banking on, too. Even if you like one service more, the end result may be the same. It’s a matter of time before we see subscription exclusives.
GamePass subscribers are the pre-orderers and mtx consumers of yesteryear, normalizing the industry to practices harmful to general consumers.
It’s sad that this type of comment can be and is often spun as “antisemitism”
To believe this is uncommon sentiment would be naive
Yeah there was a little bit of that in the original WW2 games: CoD 1-3 and the expansion games and console exclusives.
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
Now, it’s kind of the point. But I don’t know if it was my mouse or what but I found the controls to be too poorly implemented with how difficult of a game it already is. Sometimes, the hammer would basically glitch out or would apply way more pressure relative to my movements and fling me back down to the button. It served as an element of frustration that I think goes against the design goals. I’ve seen speed runs that make me think it could have been my hardware, but I’ll never know. Actually, remembering, I think I switched to a different mouse eventually that was better but still not great.
I also just didn’t really ever buy into the premise. I know it’s an ode to B games, but the piling of random assets is not what I would consider good design even if they serve the purpose of what the game is going for. There are plenty of difficult video games that are about perseverance but still put in the effort in level design, mechanics, controls, etc.
Tbh, I found it an interesting enough experiment with failed execution. I don’t understand people who hold it up as one of the better “art” games in the medium.
I don’t necessarily disagree. The Indie scene is definitely filling that role. Journey was maybe not the best example, as that’s really a true Indie in scope whereas Ico was really in that AA area or even AAA for 2001 when it came to a lot of the graphical and animation tech being developed.
I guess I’m just looking for something to fill the Team Ico / GenDesign hole. Games that are a little more artistically minded but have the financial backing to still push boundaries in environmental design, fidelity, animation, score, etc. Whereas most Indies are much more limited in budget, scope, graphics, etc.
I understand their push for live service and how important multiplayer is for these companies, despite those games not appealing to me personally. But what brought me to PlayStation was their library and ecosystem, and while I enjoy most of the modern titles, I’m seeing more homogenization nowadays compared to earlier eras IMO.
Their “tentpole” franchises are still very successful. My hope is that if they do find success in Live Services, that they can use that success combined with the success of their “blockbuster” games to feel comfortable taking more risks on projects that maybe don’t need to be $200 million efforts like The Last of Us Part 2.
I understand their desire for live services, but I would hope they would also look into smaller scale, experimental AA quality games.
I’m not sure the PlayStation of today would publish something like Ico or Journey.
I like the third person, cinematic, action games for the most part, but variety is the spice of life and all that.
No I think this is worse. It’s not a deal. These are all first party studios now essentially, through nothing but the purchasing power of a trillion dollar company. They will and can be as locked as Microsoft prefers.
There were 360 deals before PS4/PS5 deals. There were Xbox One deals even during Sony dominance, like Tomb Raider. Sony is just one player, but the others are not angels.
Nothing here stops those deals from continuing.
What has happened is that the second or third largest third party publisher’s studios and “IP” now belong to a first party publisher.
And I predict more acquisitions, and thus consolidation, will come from Sony.
They already have cut benefits and raised prices. I expect more price raises in the coming years
Grandmas, young people. Most people are notoriously far from financially savvy. Many overpay or fail to track their subscriptions.. If you didn’t know at least one person paying for a subscription they didn’t actually use in the last month I would be surprised.
You have to keep up with your gaming habits long term to keep up with the subscription costs, basically never replay anything (especially not long RPGs that can take you months to finish), not waste subscription time playing non-GamePass games, or remember to cancel. And Microsoft, like most subscription services, are banking on people maintaining subscriptions they aren’t fully using.
No subscription deal is ever a good financial decision long term and companies know that. Most people keep their subscriptions running and will end up paying more long term.
That’s not even getting into the “ownership” vs renting aspect.
Capital wins again. If only the FTC didn’t sit on its ass for the last 40 years, maybe such market consolidation wouldn’t be allowed and normalized.
Also shout-out to this comm. The Beehaw community seems delighted. You can sometimes really tell which instances skew toward leftists vs liberals
Or they could nurture growing studios and develop new IP under their own management?
I’m very happy that these agencies are blocking this acquisition. I had no faith they would.
There’s nothing good about the fourth largest video game publisher (third for first parties) acquiring the sixth largest (third for third parties). We need more variety, not more consolidation.
IMO? Keep playing ME. It’s worth it.
Were you playing at a soldier class? If so, then maybe try a Vanguard or Adept as the biotic powers are more fun than shooting. Vanguard is especially fun in 2 and 3.
I’m very skeptical of AI/generated content vs designed content. I could see its utility if used sparingly, but I worry about a future where companies decide to throw out their writers for AI to save some money, leading to shallow experiences and interactions.
Lol.