Former Sony Exec Shuhei Yoshida Says It's About Time For PlayStation to Reconsider Its Focus on Cutting-Edge Graphics

He is right, but its too little too late. Next gen machines, like Nvidia and AMD Graphics cards, will use a lot more AI features than just raw power increase. As a result, there wont be many cutbacks and precise engineering to create something cutting edge. Just create with having a PS5 in mind, the AI will do the rest.
 
Rocket league, Fortnite and fall guys, for example, all initially gained traction on ps4. All massive success on ps4 that eventually bleeded over to all the other platforms.

I feel like having only 3 examples in the last decade, all gaining traction at the same time on PC, has proven my point.
 
So what is politely saying is:
- Western gaming focused on graphics sucks
- Asian gaming focused on simple graphics and great gameplay is the best.

But what he really wanted to say is this:
- Current Sony AAA games suck and I hated worked there (well I was put to the archives) since 2020.
 
That's true, also since this gen Sony first party are not showing cutting edge graphics anymore. Chinese devs and lot of third party studios have the crown for the best graphics by a mile, so would be good for Sony start to releasing more games with shorter development time and bigger focus on gameplay mechanics.
 
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Shu spilling some truthbeans here. If they're really adamant on pushing these gargantuan budget games, then they need a parallel pipeline to deliver games that are developed under a shorter devcycle to supplement it. Y'know, like the one they once had in for example Japan studio until Hulst, or whoever, allegedly, pushed to have it shut down.

Playstation console fans don't really give this kind of games a chance, because Playstations doesn't really promote such games. Playstation and its fans mostly only care about visuals. Those players are on other platforms like Switch or Steam. Which is why you almost never heard of any organic successes like Lethal Company or Phasmophobia on Playstation.

(...)
Oh we're definitely here, you're just primarily exposed to the loudmouths from the fanbase who screech about extreme graphical fidelity all the time.
 
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That's true, also since this gen Sony first party are not showing cutting edge graphics anymore. Chinese devs and lot of third party studios have the crown for the best graphics by a mile, so would be good for Sony start to releasing more games with shorter development time and bigger focus on gameplay mechanics.

Fundamentally untrue.

Graphics have never been considered about visuals alone, but rather visuals x performance.

Games like Spider-Man 2 run at a locked 60 fps with room to spare. What games look better AND run better than Spider-Man 2?

For reasons people give games like BMW a pass for its bad performance and as a pretty linear game I wouldn't even say it stacks up well against God of War Ragnarok, which ALSO runs at 60 fps with room to spare.

The fact that many of Sony games were built up as cross gen titles says a lot that they can still stack up. Only in a post Spider-Man 2 world are we really getting sony exclusive PS5 games and obviously Astro Bot's mission wasn't to be cutting edge. So I'm not sure what you'd be comparing Chinese and 3rd party studios with.
 
I like him, but I disagree. Why do we even need new hardware then? Nothing progresses anymore, not even graphics

I think what he is actually saying is that they need to diversify more, which I would agree with. I don't think they can ignore pushing the graphics envelope, but I think games like Astro Bot prove there are other ways and by building more games like that, you can actually build a larger tent.

It's a shame astro bot didn't have a bigger ad campaign.
 
It might not be a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket (first cinematic third-person action games, now GAAS...). Let ND and SSM be ambitious—perhaps even Guerrilla if they manage to produce a good IP—but the strength of a portfolio lies in variety.
 
There's nothing wrong with their 5 year AAA bleeding edge graphics games. What they need is to invest in some studios that can make 2-3 year AA games to bridge the gap.

It'd be interesting to see how that plays out - I think AAA has got too expensive and bloated, but one look at people's reactions to things like Avowed should be all you need to know about how expectant and toxic gamers are.
 
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We had no idea how good we had it back in the PS2 days with almost yearly releases of big games (for the time). Now there's such long gaps between releases the IPs grow stale.

Everyone should take a page from Nintendo and dial back a little on expensive photo-realistic graphics. More Astrobot, less Last of Us.
 
Graphics have been "good enough" since the middle of last gen. Now they're often used to obfuscate mediocre design and boring gameplay.

Focus on performance if you still have to pursue the cutting edge.
 
The problem is that MOST MODERN GAMES DON'T EVEN HAVE GREAT GRAPHICS XD

Like, FFS, how many of the games released in the last 5 years, or announced recently - ACTUALLY LOOK like PS4 can't handle them??

We literally had TLOU1 Remake, which looks EXACTLY like TLOU2, but this one is a PS5-exclusive, for some reason!
 
I feel like having only 3 examples in the last decade, all gaining traction at the same time on PC, has proven my point.
Lmao. 2 of them literally became famous due to ps plus. They picked up on steam later on due to positivity from ps plus. Also, pretty sure there are more games besides those three, can name kena, stray, etc just on the top of my head.
 
honestly, I'm fine with shifting the focus from "bleeding edge" graphics to actual making the games run smooth and fun. I have both a PC and a PS5 Pro too so it's not like I don't like it. it's just I feel the graphics side of things are at a point of diminishing return and I would rather have them put more into the other parts of the game.
 
Well then, don't release a new console ever again.
10 TF is plenty enough to do any type of gameplay design you want. There's no reason to release a new console if you're not gonna add anything with it. PS5 forever then. Im not paying out a ransom to upgrade for nothing.
The idea that PlayStation existing as just a high-end x86 platform can compete with 4k Steam games and SD Switch games simultaneously isn't realistic.
Steam has >100,000 PC games and the Switch has >12,000 games.
PS4/5 has <8000 games and PS1 and PS2 platforms combined have >8,000 PS games.
The average AAA PS4/5 game takes 3-5 years to make and many of them end up in Steam's PC catalog under the exact same title.

PlayStation needs a way for studios to knock out AAA PSN exclusive games faster and cheaper than they can make games for PC or Switch.
The reality is that a new AAA PS2 game that takes 1-2 years to make can easily sell via PSN for the same price as a new AAA PS5 game that takes 3-5 years to make.
Studios being able to make 2 new PS2 games for less money in less time that it takes to make 1 PS5/PC game would guarantee a steady flow of new PS2 games.
The fact that PS5 already gets PC/Xbox/Switch ports means that PS could require 100% of new DualSense PS2 games to be PSN exclusives.
With brand new exclusives coming in the PS console HW could coast for an indefinite period of time without changing in a "New Golden Era of Gaming" focused on game sales.
Users buy new games instead of new HW, studios keep making new games and lots of new studios spring up.

PS needs to diversify its existing platform by bringing back PS2/1 HW disc BC and opening the DualSense PS2/1 platforms to developers.
As opposed to cutting corners on x86 game development studios could make quick loading AAA PS2 games that take full advantage of the DualSense controller.
Rebooting PS's Net Yaroze program would make it possible for individuals and small studios across the world to make DualSense PS1 games on shoestring budgets and sell them via PSN.
Net Yaroze paired with PSN would revolutionize independent game development and promote the formation of new game studios.
 
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