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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Is 2021 Sony's Worst Year, First Party Wise, in the past decade?

JackHandy on 03 September 2021
twintail said:
Eagle367 said:

But if you had a PS4, what's the reason to get a PS5? I wouldn't call that solid under any standard unless your standards are so low that anything is amazing to you and nothing is just fine. I don't see any reason for a PS4 owner to get a PS5 this year. I do see good reason for someone who didn't buy PS4 to get it though. That to me is not a solid year. PA5 doesn't even have that one big game like switch had Zelda:BotW and Xbox series will finally get Halo. The Wii U had a better first year and the better 14-15 initial months. This is just marketing selling the PS5, not the games. 

I think what you're posing is valid: PS4 owners don't appear to have many reasons to upgrade to a PS5 as of now. 

But I also think that this is missing very clear signs we are seeing atm:

1) The PS5 is outselling the PS4 in the same time period, and this is with Sony being unable to produce the quantities they want.

2) PS5/ PS4 sales split heavily in favour of the PS5 in initial weeks. 

Just because you don't personally see a reason to get a PS5, doesn't mean that many others don't either. Thinking that others have some arbitrary lower standard than you is just insulting. There are many reasons to own a PS5 now: that much is obvious to anyone. But of course, reasons differ per person. For many, the likes of Ratchet and Returnal are good enough; the improved versions of multiplat games are good enough; the user experience is good enough. 

Since PS5 is selling so well, this will probably mean very little. But I've been gaming for longer than a lot of forum members have been alive (not a brag; just trying to prove the following point), and this is the first generation since I started buying them that I haven't cared about upgrading. I bought the PS2 within a couple months of launch, the PS3 a couple months of launch, the PS4 at launch, the Gamecube at launch, Wii within a few months of launch, Xbox 360 at launch, Gameboy Advance at launch, PSP at launch, DS within a few months of launch and the Switch at launch. I am a launch kind of person. Always have been.

So why does the PS5 and Xbox 4 not appeal to me right now? Don't you think there must be something to all this if someone like me is all of a sudden going to go meh when two new console's launch? I don't think this is all a product of someone's bias. I think there really are legitimate reasons for why a certain proportion of gamers haven't felt compelled to buy these new consoles yet. I could get into my personal reasons, but I don't think it matters. I just wanted to add my two cents in, because I feel like there really is something amiss with this gen-- at least so far. Maybe that will change as we go forward. I hope it does.



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JackHandy on 03 September 2021
Kyuu said:
JackHandy said:

Since PS5 is selling so well, this will probably mean very little. But I've been gaming for longer than a lot of forum members have been alive (not a brag; just trying to prove the following point), and this is the first generation since I started buying them that I haven't cared about upgrading. I bought the PS2 within a couple months of launch, the PS3 a couple months of launch, the PS4 at launch, the Gamecube at launch, Wii within a few months of launch, Xbox 360 at launch, Gameboy Advance at launch, PSP at launch, DS within a few months of launch and the Switch at launch. I am a launch kind of person. Always have been.

So why does the PS5 and Xbox 4 not appeal to me right now? Don't you think there must be something to all this if someone like me is all of a sudden going to go meh when two new console's launch? I don't think this is all a product of someone's bias. I think there really are legitimate reasons for why a certain proportion of gamers haven't felt compelled to buy these new consoles yet. I could get into my personal reasons, but I don't think it matters. I just wanted to add my two cents in, because I feel like there really is something amiss with this gen-- at least so far. Maybe that will change as we go forward. I hope it does.

I've been gaming since 1992 at the age of 5. My first system was an MSX home computer. I've never got any system barring the PSP (which I bought for the mindblowing hardware as opposed to software) close to launch, and yet PS5 was the first console that I intended to buy at launch (for Demon's Souls, Astro's Playroom, and backwards compatibility) but couldn't due to shortages and high demand. That's just subjective preference. There is no objective truth to PS5 being "worse" than any previous console. It's definitely better than what PS4 was during its first year in almost every aspect except maybe the quantity of nextgen-only software.

Though admittedly, my initial thirst has now faded due to the entire industry leaning more to crossgen than I would have liked them to. I got myself a decent PC recently... I hope it'll keep me pleased until the slim model, or a midgen upgrade, or a FromSoftware exclusive is launched.

I think you nailed it with the cross-gen issue. That's probably the main reason why I haven't thought about upgrading yet. Most of, if not all, the games I'd be interested in are playable on the system(s) I already have. Yeah, they won't run as well. I know that. But for the current asking price of these new systems, I'm just not willing to fork over that much dough for something like that.

Also, the generation leap graphically was--in my opinion--the smallest in my lifetime, and like I said, I've been doing this since the stone age lol. When you grow up like me, seeing general leaps like SNES to N64 and PS1 to PS2... the current crop of consoles are a hard sell. 

I think once these guys stop making cross-gen titles, you'll see a lot of these problems go away. Because even if the games are only marginally more advanced tech-wise, buying a new console will be the only way to play them. And how many of us are just going to quit gaming? Not many.



DonFerrari on 03 September 2021
JackHandy said:
DonFerrari said:

I could go the same bizarre route as him and say it will be impossible for PS5 or any other console to pass the first year of PS2 in Brazil, because we could say it launched here like on year 5 of the console so the full library already existed =p.

It's not really bizarre. The only region the PS2 launched in before October of 2000 was Japan. So for literally everyone else in the world (Australia, US, Europe etc.), the aforementioned games did come out first year. And by first year, I'm talking less than a calendar year.

Either way, today's industry is no where near what it use to be. Hell, there was a time when we got three main GTA titles in a span of four years. Think about that one for a second. If GTA6 launches in 2023, enough time will have passed between sequels to have equaled the same amount of time between the US launches of the SNES, N64 and Gamecube.

lol

Not really, the console launches when it launches, if it takes a year to have the console in other regions (and nope, the world isn`t only Europe, USA and Australia) obviously there will be more games, but you can`t call them launch games because they aren`t. You are just trying to drill a very faulty point.

Actually 2 very lousy points. Your list had only 2 Sony games (the rest were from other studios) using up to 24 months of PS2 to compare to a 10 months of PS5 Sony released only.

And if you want to talk about the industry, well during NES time it was quite normal for big games to be developed in 3 to 6 months, now it takes 3 to 5 years on average. So really you are just making a big ruckus for nothing.



duduspace11 "Well, since we are estimating costs, Pokemon Red/Blue did cost Nintendo about $50m to make back in 1996"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=8808363

Mr Puggsly: "Hehe, I said good profit. You said big profit. Frankly, not losing money is what I meant by good. Don't get hung up on semantics"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9008994

Azzanation: "PS5 wouldn't sold out at launch without scalpers."

Conina on 03 September 2021
JackHandy said:
Kyuu said:

Though admittedly, my initial thirst has now faded due to the entire industry leaning more to crossgen than I would have liked them to. I got myself a decent PC recently... I hope it'll keep me pleased until the slim model, or a midgen upgrade, or a FromSoftware exclusive is launched.

I think you nailed it with the cross-gen issue. That's probably the main reason why I haven't thought about upgrading yet. Most of, if not all, the games I'd be interested in are playable on the system(s) I already have. Yeah, they won't run as well. I know that. But for the current asking price of these new systems, I'm just not willing to fork over that much dough for something like that.

Also, the generation leap graphically was--in my opinion--the smallest in my lifetime, and like I said, I've been doing this since the stone age lol. When you grow up like me, seeing general leaps like SNES to N64 and PS1 to PS2... the current crop of consoles are a hard sell. 

I think once these guys stop making cross-gen titles, you'll see a lot of these problems go away. Because even if the games are only marginally more advanced tech-wise, buying a new console will be the only way to play them. And how many of us are just going to quit gaming? Not many.

Sure, most games were or are also released on PS4. So far I have only a few PS5 exclusives: Astro‘s Playroom (60 fps) + Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart (RT + 60 fps/120 Hz) and the PS+ game "Destruction AllStars".

But sooner or later I'd need the PS5 anyways for further PS5-exclusives. So why wait years just to save around 100 bucks in a hardware price drop and play the inferior versions on PS4 (Pro) until then instead of the improved versions? 60 fps instead of 30 fps is a game changer for me... the improved games run sooo much smoother!

And the potential $100 hardware savings for waiting a few years aren't worth it for PS+ subscribers (IMHO).

I already got this PS5 content with PS+:

  • Astro‘s Playroom (free game)
  • A Plague Tale (PS5 version)
  • Bugsnax (PS5 version)
  • Control: Ultimate Edition (PS5 version, good port but I prefer my PC version)
  • Dead by Daylight (PS5 version)
  • Destiny 2 (PS5 version)
  • Destruction AllStars (PS5 version)
  • Hunter's Arena: Legends (PS5 version)
  • Maneater (PS5 version)
  • Maquette (PS5 version)
  • Oddworld: SoulStorm (PS5 version)
  • Operation: Tango (PS5 version)
  • Worms Rumble (PS5 version)
  • Wreckfest (PS5 version)
  • Days Gone (PS4 version with PS5 enhancements, 60 fps)
  • God of War 2018 (PS4 version with PS5 enhancements, 60 fps)
  • Ratchet & Clank 2016 (PS4 version with PS5 enhancements, 60 fps)

And the rest of the PS+ collection, PS5 needed to claim them:

  • Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4 version)
  • Battlefield 1 (PS4 version)
  • Bloodborne (PS4 version)
  • Call of Duty Black Ops 3: Zombie Chronicles Edition
  • Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (PS4 version)
  • Detroit Become Human (PS4 version)
  • Fallout 4 (PS4 version)
  • Final Fantasy 15 (PS4 version)
  • Infamous: Second Son (PS4 version)
  • Monster Hunter: World (PS4 version)
  • Mortal Kombat X (PS4 version)
  • Persona 5 (PS4 version)
  • Resident Evil 7: BioHazard (PS4 version)
  • The Last Guardian (PS4 version)
  • The Last of Us Remastered (PS4 version)
  • Uncharted 4 (PS4 version)
  • Until Dawn (PS4 version)

Other PS5 versions (or PS4 games with PS5 enhancements) I'm enjoying right now:

  • Marvels Spider-Man Remastered (RT + 60 fps)
  • Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales (RT + 60 fps)
  • Sackboy's Big Adventure (60 fps)
  • The Last of Us 2 (60 fps, free upgrade)
  • Horizon: Zero Dawn (60 fps, free upgrade)
  • Dreams (much better performance on demanding user levels)

I was going to "double dip" on Days Gone + Horizon: Zero Dawn with the PC versions, but thanks to the free PS4->PS5 upgrades, I don't have to.

Last edited by Conina - on 03 September 2021

DonFerrari on 03 September 2021
Conina said:
JackHandy said:

I think you nailed it with the cross-gen issue. That's probably the main reason why I haven't thought about upgrading yet. Most of, if not all, the games I'd be interested in are playable on the system(s) I already have. Yeah, they won't run as well. I know that. But for the current asking price of these new systems, I'm just not willing to fork over that much dough for something like that.

Also, the generation leap graphically was--in my opinion--the smallest in my lifetime, and like I said, I've been doing this since the stone age lol. When you grow up like me, seeing general leaps like SNES to N64 and PS1 to PS2... the current crop of consoles are a hard sell. 

I think once these guys stop making cross-gen titles, you'll see a lot of these problems go away. Because even if the games are only marginally more advanced tech-wise, buying a new console will be the only way to play them. And how many of us are just going to quit gaming? Not many.

Sure, most games were or are also released on PS4. So far I have only a few PS5 exclusives: Astro‘s Playroom (60 fps) + Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart (RT + 60 fps/120 Hz) and the PS+ game "Destruction AllStars".

But sooner or later I'd need the PS5 anyways for further PS5-exclusives. So why wait years just to save around 100 bucks in a hardware price drop and play the inferior versions on PS4 (Pro) until then instead of the improved versions? 60 fps instead of 30 fps is a game changer for me... the improved games run sooo much smoother!

And the potential $100 hardware savings for waiting a few years aren't worth it for PS+ subscribers (IMHO).

I already got this PS5 content with PS+:

  • Astro‘s Playroom (free game)
  • A Plague Tale (PS5 version)
  • Bugsnax (PS5 version)
  • Control: Ultimate Edition (PS5 version, good port but I prefer my PC version)
  • Dead by Daylight (PS5 version)
  • Destiny 2 (PS5 version)
  • Destruction AllStars (PS5 version)
  • Hunter's Arena: Legends (PS5 version)
  • Maneater (PS5 version)
  • Maquette (PS5 version)
  • Oddworld: SoulStorm (PS5 version)
  • Operation: Tango (PS5 version)
  • Worms Rumble (PS5 version)
  • Wreckfest (PS5 version)
  • Days Gone (PS4 version with PS5 enhancements, 60 fps)
  • God of War 2018 (PS4 version with PS5 enhancements, 60 fps)
  • Ratchet & Clank 2016 (PS4 version with PS5 enhancements, 60 fps)

And the rest of the PS+ collection, PS5 needed to claim them:

  • Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4 version)
  • Battlefield 1 (PS4 version)
  • Bloodborne (PS4 version)
  • Call of Duty Black Ops 3: Zombie Chronicles Edition
  • Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (PS4 version)
  • Detroit Become Human (PS4 version)
  • Fallout 4 (PS4 version)
  • Final Fantasy 15 (PS4 version)
  • Infamous: Second Son (PS4 version)
  • Monster Hunter: World (PS4 version)
  • Mortal Kombat X (PS4 version)
  • Persona 5 (PS4 version)
  • Resident Evil 7: BioHazard (PS4 version)
  • The Last Guardian (PS4 version)
  • The Last of Us Remastered (PS4 version)
  • Uncharted 4 (PS4 version)
  • Until Dawn (PS4 version)

Other PS5 versions (or PS4 games with PS5 enhancements) I'm enjoying right now:

  • Marvels Spider-Man Remastered (RT + 60 fps)
  • Marvels Spider-Man: Miles Morales (RT + 60 fps)
  • Sackboy's Big Adventure (60 fps)
  • The Last of Us 2 (60 fps, free upgrade)
  • Horizon: Zero Dawn (60 fps, free upgrade)
  • Dreams (much better performance on demanding user levels)

I was going to "double dip" on Days Gone + Horizon: Zero Dawn with the PC versions, but thanks to the free PS4->PS5 upgrades, I don't have to.

Haven`t been able to buy PS5 yet. And on PS4 you can`t add to library the PS5 games (don`t remember if you can on the app), but on the browser I was able to add them.



duduspace11 "Well, since we are estimating costs, Pokemon Red/Blue did cost Nintendo about $50m to make back in 1996"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=8808363

Mr Puggsly: "Hehe, I said good profit. You said big profit. Frankly, not losing money is what I meant by good. Don't get hung up on semantics"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9008994

Azzanation: "PS5 wouldn't sold out at launch without scalpers."

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OneTime on 03 September 2021

To be fair, the development time of games is so long now, the PS5 library will start to take off when the PS6 is announced....



Oneeee-Chan!!! on 16 October 2021

The calm before the storm.