Grade the PS5 Conference

[Mnementh]

DonFerrari said:

Mnementh said:

Well, as many old gamers like me will say to you: we can spot the differences, but care a lot less about graphical advancement. Because we remember a lot of games that were hype for their graphics, but don't hold up too well today.

As an older gamer I always ask myself about the lasting value of a game. Will I still enjoy playing it 10-20 years down the line. That is why I have deep concerns about a game like Project Athios, which they failed to show me why it will be fun to play. On the other hand I am pretty sure, that Kena will be as fun to play in ten years as it is today.

That's why I don't care too much about the graphical downgrades of the Witcher on Switch. Because the game still retains what makes it great.

Sony had made a good presentation though, many games look like they can deliver, that includes Ratchet and Clank (I am not too much into these types of games and it looks too hectic for me, but it definitely feels like it will be fun for those who like these games) and Horizon (Sony's Zelda).

BTW: Many think Ratchet&Clank dimension moving is utilizing the SSD. I think the transition is too fast even for a good SSD. I think a lot of assets were preloaded into graphics RAM, which probably means PS5 has a lot of that.

I concern about the games I play today not that I will play it in 20 years, in 20 years I'll be playing other new games. And it may be your case but isn't of the bulk, because some have been saying they can't see difference, could be done on PS4 or that they are ok with PS2 graphics.

A good game is still a good game later. If it isn't good anymore later on, maybe it wasn't that great to begin with.

If we understand gaming as an art-form (and I do), then we should look for lasting value. Great paintings were still great even with photography coming along. The original Jurassic Park from Spielberg is still seen as the best of the series, even if it became more dated on technical merits. We can make the distinction between lasting value and flashy attention creating tricks in other art forms, why should we not apply the same to games?

That doesn't mean we should ignore technical progress. We use and appreciate technical progress in movies too for instance. But still we can decide if a movie has substance and the new technical possibilities are used well to improve the movie, or if that movie is only a flashy tech-demo.

EDIT: Luckily the presentation showed these sort of games, as I said before Kena, Ratchet&Clank and Horizon 2 seem to deliver on more meat than just flashy graphics, at least judging by what was presented through trailers.

Last edited by Mnementh - on 12 June 2020