[Megathread] PlayStation 5

[Aliven]

I mean...it's how a lot of independent studios operate. And a lot of studios under publishers. A single miss can shutter, or completely gut a studio.

Games are really expensive to make and each one is a huge individual risk. That's why most bigger companies play it pretty safe and why publishers can absorb misses from one studio/miss by spreading that risk out across multiple products. Dev's like Moon don't have that luxury since they're fairly small and run pretty lean, even with their huge previous successes.

Didnt they make 2 successfull games? If they want to fund everything into one basket that is exactly bad managing. They already have hit, they not some random indie studio.

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They don't have MS cutting them a check for the game like they did with the Ori games so what about this surprises you? A small game dev self funding an ambitious project it doesn't get any more make or break than that.

Nothing suprises me, just saying if you fund everything into one project, after estabilishing name for itself with not one, but two games, regarded as one of the best in the genre then, well. Bad management.

[Edge-]

Didnt they make 2 successfull games? If they want to fund everything into one basket that is exactly bad managing. They already have hit, they not some random indie studio.

Yes, they made two successful games but that doesn't mean they're set for life or anything. They're spending big on a big, ambitious game. As noted, for independent studios - especially smaller ones - any individual title can make or break that studio. Especially if the studio is going big on it.

That's less "bad management" and more "this is the way the industry works, unfortunately". Same with film/TV and other entertainment mediums.

[Aliven]

Yes, they made two successful games but that doesn't mean they're set for life or anything. They're spending big on a big, ambitious game. As noted, for independent studios - especially smaller ones - any individual title can make or break that studio. Especially if the studio is going big on it.

That's less "bad management" and more "this is the way the industry works, unfortunately". Same with film/TV and other entertainment mediums.

Can they not have back up plan? because things can happen even outside their skill and control. I get that new studios and teams need to make the big waves but they already did. Ori games are praised as one of the best platformers/metroidvanias ever made, and definitely with best art direction.

Making ambitious project, even grand one is not the same as not having any plan B, other than bankcrupcy and dissolve. This is the management choice of course but this is also a bad management. Either right know, or along the way so they are in a position with make or break it.

EDIT: but it is propably just a PR stunt done to generate interest, hype, clicks, whatever. Especially with pubclicly claiming to "going for" poe and diablo franchise. Wonder if poe/diablo killer will work like wow killers.

[Edge-]

Can they not have back up plan? because things can happen even outside their skill and control. I get that new studios and teams need to make the big waves but they already did. Ori games are praised as one of the best platformers/metroidvanias ever made, and definitely with best art direction.

Making ambitious project, even grand one is not the same as not having any plan B, other than bankcrupcy and dissolve. This is the management choice of course but this is also a bad management. Either right know, or along the way so they are in a position with make or break it.

EDIT: but it is propably just a PR stunt done to generate interest, hype, clicks, whatever. Especially with pubclicly claiming to "going for" poe and diablo franchise. Wonder if poe/diablo killer will work like wow killers.

Sure. But the point being that they're knowingly taking this risk because it's the only way they can achieve what they want. That's like, art in a nutshell. A lot of people taking risks that can make or break them all the time, even commercialized art products like games.

Just because Ori sold very well and built a huge amount of credibility for the studio doesn't mean that they're sitting pretty for the rest of their lives. I'm sure they could if they wanted to and just make a bunch of safe games, none of which ever being super impressive or noteworthy any longer but also none of them risking much for the studio. Plenty of studios do that and it's fine.

Again, this is how it works in independent development. There's no publisher safety net. There's no "We'll absorb you into another studio." This is how it works for almost every small/mid-sized independent studio, and even some of the larger studios where even a single miss can result in losing a lot of your staff. Again, because games are super fucking expensive, and recouping development costs + turning a tidy profit doesn't mean you've funded your next game. It means you've paid off stakeholders, likely given your staff a bonus, and then figuring out what other expenses the money may need to cover and how to best utilize it to begin work on the next project as you seek out additional funding via loans/investment etc.

This isn't really a PR stunt either, a Twitter post isn't a "stunt". He's a notable industry figure who is openly discussing the very real risks that indie studios regularly face but don't spend a lot of time talking about. That's it.

[Tech614]

Nothing suprises me, just saying if you fund everything into one project, after estabilishing name for itself with not one, but two games, regarded as one of the best in the genre then, well. Bad management.

Except they had the full financial backing of a major publisher for both Ori games. They are making this game on their own. The Ori games where relatively low risk for them since Microsoft was eating the vast majority of the financial risk with them now they are trying to do it on their own with only a minor distribution/localization deal with private division.

[Glorious Leader]

Wait, fuckin what? They're making a fucking Asimov Foundation series game?

Yo, what the fuck. God damnit, I might have to get PSVR and a PS5 for that shit, I loved that series so bloody much.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jo...CAD-01-10abi2f

That's fucking retarded. They made a show as well. Those books are meant to be very cerebral not action packed.

[Edge-]

That's fucking retarded. They made a show as well. Those books are meant to be very cerebral not action packed.

Yeah, I'm not so hot on the whole "using a gun" bit, which looks like hot garbage. I hope it's way more boring and filled with people talking than the trailer implies.

[Mysterymask]

Well at least Street Fighter 6 still looks good. Cammy looks better than ever and I LOVE the anime movie callback move. Plus the Lily hype was absolutely worth it. RE4 remake is still gonna be good too.

[everydaygamer]

Got my PSVR2 today. Surprisingly comfortable when worn over my glasses, no issue there but I'll still get lens inserts once they are available. Thankfully my Arctis 7P headphones barely fit over the headset though they are tricky to get on. Only played Horizon so far but it is pretty fun, lots of climbing though. Looking forward to really digging into it over the weekend.

[Deus Mortis]

How is motion sickness with the new headset? It is one thing that stopped me from even trying psvr1, as I get it somewhat easily.

[everydaygamer]

How is motion sickness with the new headset? It is one thing that stopped me from even trying psvr1, as I get it somewhat easily.

None for me but I've used VR before. If you get motion sickness it's just a matter of getting used to it. Having a fan blowing in your face helps.

The important thing is to make full use of the comfort options and to take a break as soon as you start to feel sick.

If you keep at it you'll eventually stop getting motion sick.

[Zenfoldor]

Can they not have back up plan? because things can happen even outside their skill and control. I get that new studios and teams need to make the big waves but they already did. Ori games are praised as one of the best platformers/metroidvanias ever made, and definitely with best art direction.

Making ambitious project, even grand one is not the same as not having any plan B, other than bankcrupcy and dissolve. This is the management choice of course but this is also a bad management. Either right know, or along the way so they are in a position with make or break it.

EDIT: but it is propably just a PR stunt done to generate interest, hype, clicks, whatever. Especially with pubclicly claiming to "going for" poe and diablo franchise. Wonder if poe/diablo killer will work like wow killers.

Just gonna say that nobody cares about bad management as long as they deliver on the games. They have done so twice, and I believe they will do so a third time, and perhaps to an even greater degree. Ad or not. I just got a feeling.

[hellhamster]

The PSVR2 arrived on my doorstep without any announcement, and my funds still aren't withdrawn from PayPal. What the hell?

[Daedius]

The PSVR2 arrived on my doorstep without any announcement, and my funds still aren't withdrawn from PayPal. What the hell?

Free PSVR2 \●/

I've had duplicate deliveries off Amazon a few times being charged just for one.

[hellhamster]

So I played with it this weekend. Here are my thoughts.

Technology. I think it's safe to say that the specs are some of the most impressive in the market. The resolution is life-like, the eye tracking technology works perfectly, and the foveated rendering never made me feel cheated. The vistas you encounter on titles such as Horizon or Resident Evil are awe inspiring due to the amazing rendering.

The setup. All it takes is 5 minutes. You plug it in your PS5, and after a firmware update you get the setup wizard. All in all pretty simple, it tells you how to put it over your head, it scans the room and lets you set boundaries (if you cross those boundaries your game pauses and you get warnings if you get close). The headset itself is wired with a USB C connection, but due to its length it will never become a problem. Every time you turn it on, or opening a game, you can choose either standing or sitting, and you can readjust your space if you want.

The controls. The 2 wireless controllers for your hands have adaptive triggers, finger touch detectors so you can make gestures, haptic feedback, position tracking, motion sensor, the works. All in all, I'm extremely impressed by them. Their battery life is pretty meh though, it's worse than the Dualsense, but that's not a problem because you will be taking breaks due to the nature of VR. The charging is fast though. The motion tracking sensors are just top notch, every move you make in real life adheres perfectly ingame.

Comfort. I've never even looked in VR before, and it's safe to say that if you set it up well, you won't be having problems with headaches or eye strains. After an hour or two you will feel the need to take some rest though. Also, the soft plastic "fit" above the eyes can become grating for your skin on your crown after a while, so you will need to take it off after an hour or two to give your skin time to heal. That's still in line with the "take regular rests after prolonged usage". It's more than fine, but if I had to be critical about one thing, it would be this.

Game lineup. So far there are a few dozen VR titles and more on the way, but I think only a handful are truly worth it. Gran Turismo 7 is incredible but I lack a steering wheel and pedals to really immerse myself. Horizon is the prettiest of the lot, it is a thing of beauty, but the climbing sections are just putting me to sleep, just like in the regular game. Resident Evil Village is the one I've been absolutely hooked on, it's just fantastic. I also got No Man's Sky, I got the spaceship but I'm not a huge fan of crafting and its menu system, but it may grow on me. Drums Rock was an impulse buy which I regretted the second I hit pay, but it's actually a lot of fun. I'll eventually get Beat Saber, Superhot, Pistol Whip, Tetris Effect and Pavlov. You can also play non-VR games, you will see a big screen when you turn on the VR module, but the game itself will be in 2D.

Cross-platforming. Aaaaand here's the rub. Sony made sure this thing is used only for the PS5, which is understandable. So far, there is zero support for PC VR gaming. Yet. If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll grab a USB C PCI port for my pc to test some stuff out, but from what I've read it only works as a second monitor. It's a shame, I really wanted to try Outer Wilds through the VR mod or Alyx.

To summarise, the experience is incredible, the hardware and software score perfect marks, but the price tag, the yet relatively small lineup, and the lack of cross-platforming need to be seriously considered before buying it.

For Sony, this thing is a homerun.

[everydaygamer]

I gotta say I was never excited about Suicide Squad. Even after we got a good movie with them I can't say I care that much about any of them other than Harley. But I figured with this studio it would turn out pretty good.

What Happened? How is it, much like with DC movies, they managed to do exactly what Marvel did but somehow worse? Avengers had problems but at least each character had a unique move-set that fit those characters. They didn't just give Hulk a gun and have him jumping around shooting glowing weak points. I'm hoping this turns out well but I'm definitely not very optimistic.

The RE4 remake looks great and I'm happy that Luis is getting a bigger role as his death in RE4 was one of the most bizarre and abrupt ends for a character who was set up to be pretty important.

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Decided to try GT7 in VR. I'm not a big racing fan but I gotta admit it is alot of fun. It's hard to properly explain the experience but once the race started I immediately had a smile on my face.

I don't have a wheel but I might try the dual sense in Gyro mode. I have neither the space nor dedication to justify getting a racing wheel

[Zenfoldor]

I gotta say I was never excited about Suicide Squad. Even after we got a good movie with them I can't say I care that much about any of them other than Harley. But I figured with this studio it would turn out pretty good.

What Happened? How is it, much like with DC movies, they managed to do exactly what Marvel did but somehow worse? Avengers had problems but at least each character had a unique move-set that fit those characters. They didn't just give Hulk a gun and have him jumping around shooting glowing weak points. I'm hoping this turns out well but I'm definitely not very optimistic.

The RE4 remake looks great and I'm happy that Luis is getting a bigger role as his death in RE4 was one of the most bizarre and abrupt ends for a character who was set up to be pretty important.

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Decided to try GT7 in VR. I'm not a big racing fan but I gotta admit it is alot of fun. It's hard to properly explain the experience but once the race started I immediately had a smile on my face.

I don't have a wheel but I might try the dual sense in Gyro mode. I have neither the space nor dedication to justify getting a racing wheel

A slight tangent here. Suicide Squad/Peacemaker was good for the same reason some of the early Marvel movies were good, and the same reason the current marvel movies are bad.

Artisinal, unique, one-off content made from the heart with real motivation(like launching something huge) will always be better, richer, more inspiring than your formulaic revenue focused products.

James Gunn isn't a "crank em out for money" kind of director. He's an artist looking to make a mark with his work, not fill his time between getting paid. The work still matters to him(for now), and because of this, we are lucky.

So when he does something, it is usually good, because he cares and is talented, frankly.

No matter how strange these decisions surrounding DC sound to you or I now, there is little doubt they are being done with the end result being to create an artistic vision, and not simply to make as much money as possible.

Ironically, the artistic vision always starts the money train, and usually greed is what stops is, so round and round we go. Give it a decade and I think DC will be in a better spot. This is from someone who honestly did love the Snyderverse. I think Snyder loved this universe too, but I think he was hamstrung and I don't think he's quite as talented as Mr. Gunn either, but he's not bad. Just my opinion. There were some solid movies made during this time as well, like Joker.

The game is likely not part of that, as it by necessity was stated many, many years ago, and I expect mediocrity, but will wait on reviews. I'll always give rocksteady a chance as they have been responsible for some of my favorite games.

[Tech614]

https://twitter.com/LumiPro_EN/statu...49903385329665

If anyone was still unaware that Forspoken was a huge a flop Square is absorbing the studio into their other dev teams as of May 1st.

[Edge-]

https://twitter.com/LumiPro_EN/statu...49903385329665

If anyone was still coping that Forspoken wasn't a flop Square is absorbing the studio into their other dev teams as of May 1st.

This is just weird. Merging with Squeenix? Isn't it...owned by Squeenix to begin with? Are they going to the excitedly named "Business Division 3" or something?

Oh well, hope the game gets performance patched up a bit on PC (and maybe some of the visuals too). I'm still very much looking forward to this going on fairly deep discount and picking it up. Traversal looked like a lot of fun and the tidbits I've seen of the story and writing are absolutely just the right amount of fun/stupid to make it my jam.

I hope this is the last time Squeenix tries to force out a game built on the Luminous engine in some misguided attempt to recoup their investments.

[Tech614]

This is just weird. Merging with Squeenix? Isn't it...owned by Squeenix to begin with? Are they going to the excitedly named "Business Division 3" or something?

Oh well, hope the game gets performance patched up a bit on PC (and maybe some of the visuals too). I'm still very much looking forward to this going on fairly deep discount and picking it up. Traversal looked like a lot of fun and the tidbits I've seen of the story and writing are absolutely just the right amount of fun/stupid to make it my jam.

I hope this is the last time Squeenix tries to force out a game built on the Luminous engine in some misguided attempt to recoup their investments.

The studio is basically being closed and the devlopers moved between other current square enix ones because they need more resources for things like VII Remake 2, XVI and future projects. Judging by Yoshi P's comments on XVI only having a 6 month exclusive clause for PS5 but there is no way they can have a PC version optimized and ready in 6 months they really just need the man power to work on their larger IPs.

The wording is definitely weird and makes unaware people in the comments act like this is a promotion for them when it's really dissolving a dev studio and splitting their resources between the rest of the company. They're not going back to being BD2 cause square consolidated the 12 business divisions in 2020 now they just have CBU1(KH, FFVII Remake) CBU2(DQ, Nier, Team Asano) CBU3(MMOs and XVI) and CBU4(mana series and other really niche shit).

When Square consolidated the business divisions they made BD2 into a subsidiary in Luminous Productions and they're just killing it off entirely now because their game was a massive flop and their FF teams need more man power.