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[ReBurn]

Flawless explanation. The Playstation division has literally nothing to fear, there's no other high performance box in the market right now able to play absolutely all games other than PS5, when you get this entrenched with your value proposition it's hard to ever see it taken away from you.

It's a flawed explanation. The fact that they have been so successful is not a guarantee that they will continue to be successful. A great deal of that success is the result of third parties being successful and if companies like EA and Ubisoft experience a sharp decline in sales it could turn disastrous. Sony couldn't run the PlayStation business as it runs today without third party revenue carrying most of the financial burden. Thats an insecure position that Sony is keenly aware of.

That said, the business is currently healthy and PlayStation is the de facto place to play a lot of the biggest console games. That gives them buffer to get first party revenue back on track, which they said that they are working to do. Albeit by reducing focus on the box and increasing focus on content.

 

[yurinka]

I agree. But those were shit games even without the woke crap. We are talking ND gameplay.

I don't know about Dustborn or Dragon Age because I havent played them, but games like Concord, Destruction All Stars or Forspoken did many things right and some cases at the top level, weren't crap.

With way more appealing character designs and stories they would have worked way better and wouldn't have received most of the shit they got. They all also had stuff to improve in the gameplay side but IMO were less important issues.

I think in characters where playable characters are very important, like in hero shooters, fighting games or narrative focused games it is key to make very cool characters, way more than it seems. Specially when the game monetization depends in a big way on people buying these characters individually or skin for them.

As an example, in Street Fighter the most played characters are the good looking, balanced/intermediate/average regarding speed or lenght or physical appearance guys (like Ryu, Ken, etc) plus the hot chicks. And the best selling skins are bikinis for the hot chicks. The ugly weirdos are the less played ones and the ones for who the people buy less stuff.

Meaning, they better stop putting androginous weirdos as Marathon characters and put instead more attractive, appealing and cool femenine -clearly- females and badass jacked/fit/gigachad -clearly- males, with at least half of them being white-ish.

 

[Xbox 360 slim]

This board is really iconera 2.0

 

[Fess]

I have a dang good PC so I'm having a hard time justifying my PS5 Pro at this rate. I could just wait for the ports on PC really. I was certain there would be a showcase this year that would give me an idea of what the PS5 roadmap looks like for the next couple of years, but that, once again, never happened. Funny that I've been having the same arguments about this shit for what.....three years now? That's the primary reason I don't argue with folks about it any more. If others are happy with PS5 then more power to them. Opinions.

It's opinions yeah, but if you like Sony's first party games of the past then it's understandable, there isn't much out there right now.

Saros should be awesome though, I loved Returnal. Just do the same thing and give me unlimited save rooms and metroidvania backtracking and gear based progression and it'll be a 11/10!
And Intergalactic, annoying main character perhaps but I love sci-fi and I could endure "Sarah disliked that!" so I'm pretty sure I can handle it, should be spectacular.

But that's 2026, or later we'll see. And as you say if you have a PC you could wait for ports, will just get a game with all the post-release patches in place.

Essentially took Microsoft 5 years to get things going so it hasn't been better elsewhere at least. Guess it's an industry problem. Too long dev times. Too few games in development.

 

[Unfortunatecookie]

They're currently being outsold by the Switch 2, and their platform decisions (i.e., going multi-platform) are going to erode their entire hardware business.

Extremely weak leadership at PlayStation.

 

[Det]

If I had a dollar for every single time Sony gaf used Astro bot to defend their ps5 purchase I'd be a rich man

I agree that PS isn't for me - this generation has been beyond pathetic. This is coming from someone who owned ps1-4 too.

you all are a special breed. Your refusal to confront reality is almost admirable

For a guy who argues like a flat-Earther, you're incredibly arrogant and overbearing.

Astrobot is a GOTY, a high score, and a declared success by the game's creator. That's a relevant argument; your opinion isn't.

That's consensus. Your opinion about the game isn't.

Just as the Earth is round, a scientific consensus, Astrobot is a very relevant game because it's a consensus of criticism and awards.

Paraphrasing, to define who you are: The internet gave a voice to idiots (I'm sure you know who said that, since you call yourself intellectual elite, and I'm sure that vaccines aren't a matter of "faith," but of science).

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

For a guy who argues like a flat-Earther, you're incredibly arrogant and overbearing.

Astrobot is a GOTY, a high score, and a declared success by the game's creator. That's a relevant argument; your opinion isn't.

That's consensus. Your opinion about the game isn't.

Just as the Earth is round, a scientific consensus, Astrobot is a very relevant game because it's a consensus of criticism and awards.

Paraphrasing, to define who you are: The internet gave a voice to idiots (I'm sure you know who said that, since you call yourself intellectual elite, and I'm sure that vaccines aren't a matter of "faith," but of science).

My whole point is that desperate Sony fanboys need to cling to Astro Bot as everything else tumbles and collapses around them when it comes to Sony—it's their last shiny thing to hold up while ignoring the bigger problems. I'm not even criticizing Astro bot in this thread.

Your post continues to prove my point btw

And fucking lol and making parallels to flat earth and vaccines. It's just video games dude, chill

 

[Topher]

It's opinions yeah, but if you like Sony's first party games of the past then it's understandable, there isn't much out there right now.

Saros should be awesome though, I loved Returnal. Just do the same thing and give me unlimited save rooms and metroidvania backtracking and gear based progression and it'll be a 11/10!
And Intergalactic, annoying main character perhaps but I love sci-fi and I could endure "Sarah disliked that!" so I'm pretty sure I can handle it, should be spectacular.

But that's 2026, or later we'll see. And as you say if you have a PC you could wait for ports, will just get a game will all the post-release patches in place.

Essentially took Microsoft 5 years to get things going so it hasn't been better elsewhere at least. Guess it's an industry problem. Too long dev times. Too few games in development.

Returnal wasn't my thing, but lots of folks love it. I'm a big Naughty Dog fan so Intergalactic is a big one for me. If I knew for certain that was coming in 2026 then I'd definitely hold out.

Yeah....Microsoft is cranking out the titles. Some better than others, but the quantity is there. This gen, Sony spent their money mostly on live service (Bungie, Firewalk, Haven), ports (Nixxes) and remakes/remasters (Bluepoint). Housemarque is the only one that really brings the single players folks expect from PlayStation. So it isn't just about dev times. It is the mindset of those running PlayStation. Again....my opinion.

 

[bitbydeath]

I think most can admit the lull in first party for the past two years, but if we're talking the future then their studios will be back to releasing games again very soon, similar to what occurred with the PS3.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

I think most can admit the lull in first party for the past two years

Yes, most can acknowledge this has been a very weak generation for them compared to past gens

The problem is that the people who refuse to accept this tend to be loud

 

[Topher]

This board is really iconera 2.0

 

[RodriGames40]

It's a flawed explanation. The fact that they have been so successful is not a guarantee that they will continue to be successful. A great deal of that success is the result of third parties being successful and if companies like EA and Ubisoft experience a sharp decline in sales it could turn disastrous. Sony couldn't run the PlayStation business as it runs today without third party revenue carrying most of the financial burden. Thats an insecure position that Sony is keenly aware of.

That said, the business is currently healthy and PlayStation is the de facto place to play a lot of the biggest console games. That gives them buffer to get first party revenue back on track, which they said that they are working to do. Albeit by reducing focus on the box and increasing focus on content.

They will remain successful as long as they remain the defacto platform, it's as simple as it gets really. There is only one game industry and they are essentially the gateway to access it, this isn't changing anytime soon even deep into PS6, anyone can tell you that and deduct the rest.

 

[MacReady13]

I'm over Playstation to be honest. Really disappointed in their 1st party output since the PS4 days to be honest. They don't really seem to wanna take risks anymore. Even the games they are investing in that aren't 1st party really don't seem to change the game anymore. I miss the Playstation that took risks like Wipeout, PaRappa the Rapper, Sly Racoon and not the Playstation that thinks Marvel is the way forward. The only recent game that took that chance was Returnal (and it's still one of the best current gen games around). But I need to see more of that. Seems like spending massive money means the risk to release weird games just isn't around much anymore...

 

[Xbox 360 slim]

I'm over Playstation to be honest. Really disappointed in their 1st party output since the PS4 days to be honest. They don't really seem to wanna take risks anymore. Even the games they are investing in that aren't 1st party really don't seem to change the game anymore. I miss the Playstation that took risks like Wipeout, PaRappa the Rapper, Sly Racoon and not the Playstation that thinks Marvel is the way forward. The only recent game that took that chance was Returnal (and it's still one of the best current gen games around). But I need to see more of that. Seems like spending massive money means the risk to release weird games just isn't around much anymore...

Ratchet and clank rift apart was dope at least

 

[kaizenkko]

I mostly agree.
Sony has benefited greatly from Xbox continuously fucking up because they are basically the default home console now. Releasing their games on PC hasn't cannibalized their sales because, unlike what the GAF bubble thinks, the main appeal of the system isn't first party exclusives but the fact it's a relatively cheap box that plays the vast majority of big releases, requires minimum tinkering and is well optimized to be used on your TV with just a controller out of the box.
The Sony and Nintendo strategies are quite different in that way, because a Switch without Nintendo games is basically worthless but a ps5 without Sony games would probably still be compelling to many people who just want to play COD, Fortnite, FIFA/Madden, GTA, Battlefield, Assassins Creed, Wukong, etc.

I just think this strategy might be risky in the long run because it depends on the status quo of the industry staying the same, which it might, but it might also change in unexpected ways, in which case having the main appeal of your platform depending on third party software isn't ideal. In that way I think the Nintendo approach is a bit safer as a long term plan, because the success of their platform doesn't depend on them being the cheap/easy place to play third party games.

Sony's advantage isn't just having a device that's easy to use and relatively cheap. Their real edge is that the PlayStation brand is huge—really huge. People buy a PlayStation for the same reason they buy an iPhone: it's a device that's already cemented in people's minds as the video game console.

The fact that Sony numbers its consoles as PS1, PS2, PS3, etc., also gives them a marketing edge. Anyone choosing between a PS5 and a PS6 will immediately know the PS6 is the newer, better one. It's simple, practical, and that's how products should be. You can bet thousands of people have already been confused about the difference between a Series S and a Series X.

Five years ago, at the start of this generation, people said Microsoft had a powerful play with the Series S + Game Pass combo, since it would be the perfect console for people who only play COD, FIFA, GTA V, and so on. And the theory does make sense—on paper. But in practice, it works differently.

Most people here have no idea how the market actually works.

 

[Fess]

Returnal wasn't my thing, but lots of folks love it. I'm a big Naughty Dog fan so Intergalactic is a big one for me. If I knew for certain that was coming in 2026 then I'd definitely hold out.

Yeah....Microsoft is cranking out the titles. Some better than others, but the quantity is there. This gen, Sony spent their money mostly on live service (Bungie, Firewalk, Haven), ports (Nixxes) and remakes/remasters (Bluepoint). Housemarque is the only one that really brings the single players folks expect from PlayStation. So it isn't just about dev times. It is the mindset of those running PlayStation. Again....my opinion.

Returnal using the cloud save cheat so you had one save file was pure fire!

You should give it another go. It's so close to a 3rd person Metroid that there are mods on PC replacing Selene with Samus, in all her suit variations! lol
Just a bummer you can't do a character swap during cut scenes, otherwise I would mod out the title screen too so it says Metroid Returnal.

Regarding Microsoft, yeah they've been on fire basically since last autumn, so roughly a year. I must've played nearly 10 big games since then.
Maybe MS wanted the games out before the initial GTA release date?
And Sony thought they would be fine with just GTA? Then GTA got delayed and here we are?

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Returnal using the cloud save cheat so you had one save file was pure fire!

You should give it another go. It's so close to a 3rd person Metroid that there are mods on PC replacing Selene with Samus, in all her suit variations! lol
Just a bummer you can't do a character swap during cut scenes, otherwise I would mod out the title screen too so it says Metroid Returnal.

Regarding Microsoft, yeah they've been on fire basically since last autumn, so roughly a year. I must've played nearly 10 big games since then.
Maybe MS wanted the games out before the initial GTA release date?
And Sony thought they would be fine with just GTA? Then GTA got delayed and here we are?

I do think the GTA delay hugely fucked them

Even more reason why I have zero interest in Sony: their biggest current draw is a game I have zero interest in

Meanwhile Nintendo just released dkb which is one of the best games I've ever played in my entire life

 

[PropellerEar]

This board is really iconera 2.0

 

[Fess]

I do think the GTA delay hugely fucked them

Even more reason why I have zero interest in Sony: their biggest current draw is a game I have zero interest in

Meanwhile Nintendo just released dkb which is one of the best games I've ever played in my entire life

Yeah GTA could honestly be the culprit. If Sony banked too much on it and told devs that they had another year for their games because everybody will just play GTA anyway so no point wasting a release in 2025.

And MS told their devs that they had to rush the releases so they were out first half of 2025. And now they're in the back waters with less game late 2025 instead.

I agree on DKB. It's mostly my youngest one that's playing it here at the moment but I think I'm at 400 or thereabout. It's quite amazing really that it's not breaking apart with all that freedom!

 

[jm89]

This board is really iconera 2.0

There's always xbox era if you need a hug.

 

[Xbox 360 slim]

There's always xbox era if you need a hug.

36 years old

 

[Dafegamer]

PlayStation is now the de facto home console

If you want a box that sits under the TV and runs GTA, EAFC, Madden, CoD, Elden Ring etc then you just go with PS5.

First party exclusives are important, but they're not as big a deal to the mass market as people here make out.

There's a reason they're the de facto home console for so many people. If they ditch that aspect people will drop, the same thing has happened already (PS2-->PS3)

 

[ByWatterson]

 

[ProtoByte]

I think the hate over intergalactic is a vocal minority. Most of which will get over it when they see more of the gameplay.

Sorry, no. Naughty Dog has done serious damage to themselves with TLOU Part 2. They've tripled down on the creative decisions they made there, and seem to have designed Intergalactic to message to anyone who had a problem with it that they're going to go even harder and there's nothing you can do about it.

You can check my post history btw - I don't have Druckmann or Part II Derangement Syndrome. I'm just calling it as I see it.

That said, even barring the blatant ragebait that reveal was, I just don't think it's going to come together to be a truthfully compelling project. It looks so uninspired.

 

[SamuraiEdge]

Playstation is a great console and earned its position and place as main high end HD gaming in the living room (along with Nintendo and its own position.

They just need to iron out having a good handful of games by their studios coming out each year (bias for single player games more).

At least xbox game studios will help fill in that void inbetween now on Playstation lol.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

PlayStation and Xbox have the opposite problem

PlayStation consoles are doing great, but PlayStation Studios is suffering.

Xbox consoles are dead, but Microsoft Gaming is doing great.

 

[Crayon]

I'm always puzzled at why they don't see valve as a competitor. Or at least potential competitor.

 

[realcool]

What's PlayStation's confidence in PlayStation?

 

[Cakeboxer]

This board is really iconera 2.0

More like 0.5. This is just the training camp, the true believers will one day ascend and be guided by the mods to the promised forum.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I'm always puzzled at why they don't see valve as a competitor. Or at least potential competitor.

There's a subset of people who weigh up console gaming or PC gaming before investing in a platform.

Console gamers tend not to like PC and vice versa.

 

[Crayon]

There's a subset of people who weigh up console gaming or PC gaming before investing in a platform.

Console gamers tend not to like PC and vice versa.

It doesn't always have to be like that, though. Valve made an integrated system that people seem to think feels different than a "normal" pc. And partners can use the os to produce things very similar. There's not much to stop any of those partners making a console like thing. Or valve themselves. Those may not sell playstation numbers but they don't have to. The cross-shopping between console and pc could get more widespread.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

It doesn't always have to be like that, though. Valve made an integrated system that people seem to think feels different than a "normal" pc. And partners can use the os to produce things very similar. There's not much to stop any of those partners making a console like thing. Or valve themselves. Those may not sell playstation numbers but they don't have to. The cross-shopping between console and pc could get more widespread.

Subsidised hardware and low upfront costs have always been one of the biggest appeals of console gaming.

The only console that didn't was 3DO where hardware partners didn't make a penny from game sales.

 

[Fess]

PlayStation and Xbox have the opposite problem

PlayStation consoles are doing great, but PlayStation Studios is suffering.

Xbox consoles are dead, but Microsoft Gaming is doing great.

Spot on yeah.

Microsoft still have it's issues with game cancellation but I guess they simply have so many dev teams now that they still get games out.

Don't know how many studios Sony own but I don't think it's as few as it seems when looking at the output. I don't understand it. Has everything moved to 2026? Year of GTA. Or are they ramping up for next gen launch titles?

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Spot on yeah.

Microsoft still have it's issues with game cancellation but I guess they simply have so many dev teams now that they still get games out.

Don't know how many studios Sony own but I don't think it's as few as it seems when looking at the output. I don't understand it. Has everything moved to 2026? Year of GTA. Or are they ramping up for next gen launch titles?

GAAS push (annd COVID) affected their pipeline, simple as.

The focus is back on single player again now, but we won't see a return to normal service until 2027/28

Don't expect many PS6 launch exclusives, and expect first party PS5 output until at least 2030.

 

[Fess]

The focus is back on single player again now, but we won't see a return to normal service until 2027/28

That's 2-3 years away… Where are you getting that info? I thought Saros and Intergalactic were planned for 2026? And Wolverine should be ready now going by Insomniac leaks. And Barlog at Sony Santa Monica has been cooking on something in parallell while someone else did Ragnarök iirc, must be 5+ years in by now.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

That's 2-3 years away… Where are you getting that info? I thought Saros and Intergalactic were planned for 2026? And Wolverine should be ready now going by Insomniac leaks. And Barlog at Sony Santa Monica has been cooking on something in parallell while someone else did Ragnarök iirc, must be 5+ years in by now.

I was talking in terms of more than 2 games a year

 

[Fess]

I was talking in terms of more than 2 games a year

Yeah okay that's true, I believe the official word was "At least one tentpole release per year".
Not enough!

 

[ecosse_011172]

PlayStation and Xbox have the opposite problem

PlayStation consoles are doing great, but PlayStation Studios is suffering.

Xbox consoles are dead, but Microsoft Gaming is doing great.

With constant cancellation and mass sackings, not sure I'd say they're doing great.

 

[Lunarorbit]

I feel like I've used a different machine than the author. Hand waving not having 1st party releases was when I knew the article was bullshit

 

[Astray]

The Sony and Nintendo strategies are quite different in that way, because a Switch without Nintendo games is basically worthless but a ps5 without Sony games would probably still be compelling to many people who just want to play COD, Fortnite, FIFA/Madden, GTA, Battlefield, Assassins Creed, Wukong, etc.

This.

Sony's biggest value unlock since they entered the console segment was giving 3rd parties the room and ability to really level up their offering and reach consumers. It's an area that Nintendo still struggles with imo.

I just think this strategy might be risky in the long run because it depends on the status quo of the industry staying the same, which it might, but it might also change in unexpected ways, in which case having the main appeal of your platform depending on third party software isn't ideal. In that way I think the Nintendo approach is a bit safer as a long term plan, because the success of their platform doesn't depend on them being the cheap/easy place to play third party games.

Each strategy has its own risks and rewards imo.

Nintendo is betting far more on itself and being able to keep innovating and creating must-have content. If the newer Marios or Zeldas stop being as compelling to have, they face a slump (which happened before, all Nintendo systems had exclusives with Mario on them, but not all of them are successes).

Sony is betting it can keep 3rd parties happy and consumers choosing to buy those 3rd parties' offerings on Playstation instead of say, Xbox or Nintendo (I'd say with Xbox's retreat from the console mass-market, and Nintendo's inability to cater to 3rd parties in the same way, they've probably set for at least another gen).

 

[Astray]

For a guy who argues like a flat-Earther, you're incredibly arrogant and overbearing.

Astrobot is a GOTY, a high score, and a declared success by the game's creator. That's a relevant argument; your opinion isn't.

That's consensus. Your opinion about the game isn't.

Just as the Earth is round, a scientific consensus, Astrobot is a very relevant game because it's a consensus of criticism and awards.

Paraphrasing, to define who you are: The internet gave a voice to idiots (I'm sure you know who said that, since you call yourself intellectual elite, and I'm sure that vaccines aren't a matter of "faith," but of science).

Don't feed the troll.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

This.

Sony's biggest value unlock since they entered the console segment was giving 3rd parties the room and ability to really level up their offering and reach consumers. It's an area that Nintendo still struggles with imo.


Each strategy has its own risks and rewards imo.

Nintendo is betting far more on itself and being able to keep innovating and creating must-have content. If the newer Marios or Zeldas stop being as compelling to have, they face a slump (which happened before, all Nintendo systems had exclusives with Mario on them, but not all of them are successes).

Sony is betting it can keep 3rd parties happy and consumers choosing to buy those 3rd parties' offerings on Playstation instead of say, Xbox or Nintendo (I'd say with Xbox's retreat from the console mass-market, and Nintendo's inability to cater to 3rd parties in the same way, they've probably set for at least another gen).

Yup. Nintendo is in its own universe. No competing platform has this:

- Humongously successful first party games (with tons of sales at regular price too). Just about all of them sell great and get good reviews too
- Hybrid system
- Lowest cost of console hardware
- Family fun
- Every system has a new way of gameplay

This is enough to carve out a huge following onto itself. Nintendo systems arent known for power, third party games, online, or grittier kinds of games. Heck, they dont even get COD or GTA and many other popular third party games. EA is arguably the most spamming company ever releasing their games on anything that can turn on (even Nokia N-Gage games!). Even they dont bother making a lot of their EA games on Nintendo systems anymore despite Wii or switch selling 100M+ units. And if any third party does do them it often comes late or is a shitty downport. Doesnt matter. The typical Nintendo gamer isnt craving Elden Ring or COD. If they did that much, they'd choose a different platform.

PS, Xbox, PC all kind of intermix much more than Nintendo doing their own thing..

 

[Astray]

Yup. Nintendo is in its own universe. No competing platform has this:

- Humongously successful first party games (with tons of sales at regular price too). Just about all of them sell great and get good reviews too
- Hybrid system
- Lowest cost of console hardware
- Family fun
- Every system has a new way of gameplay

This is enough to carve out a huge following onto itself. Nintendo systems arent known for power, third party games, online, or grittier kinds of games. Heck, they dont even get COD or GTA and many other popular third party games. EA is arguably the most spamming company ever releasing their games on anything that can turn on (even Nokia N-Gage games!). Even they dont bother making a lot of their EA games on Nintendo systems anymore despite Wii or switch selling 100M+ units. And if any third party does do them it often comes late or is a shitty downport. Doesnt matter. The typical Nintendo gamer isnt craving Elden Ring or COD. If they did that much, they'd choose a different platform.

PS, Xbox, PC all kind of intermix much more than Nintendo doing their own thing..

Third parties generally can't rely on Nintendo precisely because every Nintendo system is primarily made for themselves first over all others. This gen there's a clear push towards growing online gaming on Switch 2 though, but I don't know if it will be successful or not.

The other thing we're all missing is these companies all have massive amounts of telemetry on usage habits etc, they know exactly what the 1st 3-5 games that get played by every single consumer when they boot up the box and can profile that consumer accordingly. And it's very evident to me that Sony has figured out that the core audience buys PS5s and boots up Fortnite and not say, Ghost of Tsushima. In this case, keeping Ghost of Tsushima exclusive only serves to make the franchise die (and stops them from making films/novels etc around it).

 

[bitbydeath]

With constant cancellation and mass sackings, not sure I'd say they're doing great.

MS aren't producing any GOTY titles either.
Sony will likely get two nominations for Death Stranding 2 and Ghosts of Yotei, and this is considered as a bad year for them.

 

[Elios83]

PlayStation and Xbox have the opposite problem

PlayStation consoles are doing great, but PlayStation Studios is suffering.

Xbox consoles are dead, but Microsoft Gaming is doing great.

Microsoft gaming doing great under which metric? Tons of cancelled projects, lots of mediocre or completely forgettable titles, never competing or even considered for GOTY.
They even botched the Oblivion remaster, they have the COD Macdonalds factory every year bought with 70 billions.

Sony definetly had their issues with a development pipeline hiccuped by a few failed gaas attempts but every year they release great games that are far more well received than Microsoft's and proceed to get nominated or even win GOTY like Astrobot last year, and this year they'll definetly get recognition for DS2 and Ghost of Yotei, what noteworthy new titles Microsoft has offered this year? The above mentioned remaster and a cookie cutter Doom game that wasn't even particularly well received?

 

[Fabieter]

We see us in five years.