Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Playstation 5: Thread 01

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Originally posted by Neon Ignition View Post



    Looking more like PS5 has full B/C even if Sony hasn't tested all the games.



    And I'd agree, Series X definitely won't flop though I'd say the more accurate term is likely to be 'significantly underperform'.
    Underperform against what metric exactly? You can't just measure in consoles sold because MS is building an ecosystem that is cross hardware. I mean, you could use that to compare but it wouldn't tell the whole story...

    Honestly I think we will see similar numbers to this generation but with game pass / xcloud rolling out proper and MS supporting PC more it could mean a bigger install base for Xbox users not actual console owners.

    Comment


      Originally posted by hudson View Post
      Anyone going with the digital only console?
      Even being 100% digital now I don't think I could validate owning a console missing the option to play media on disc.

      I guess it really depends on how much cheaper it is in comparison... Just £50 cheaper I think you'd be stupid to get the digital version just purely on resale value.

      Comment


        Rumours state £100 difference. I want the drive too, even though I too am mostly digital.

        Comment


          Originally posted by nonny View Post
          Even being 100% digital now I don't think I could validate owning a console missing the option to play media on disc.

          I guess it really depends on how much cheaper it is in comparison... Just £50 cheaper I think you'd be stupid to get the digital version just purely on resale value.
          That's true. I'd say 99% of the stuff I play is digital, but if having a disk drive is an extra £50, I'll get one with the drive.

          Comment


            Originally posted by hudson View Post
            Rumours state £100 difference. I want the drive too, even though I too am mostly digital.
            £100 would be a surprise to me...they’d be taking a chunky hit on that. I know they stand to make more from a digital-only owner long term, but still. The cost price of a UHD optical drive has got to be a few pounds at most.

            Comment


              Yeah I think £100 or more it's a serious proposition but again consider resale value. It's probably worth paying it over the life of the console

              Comment


                If it was £100, Sony could kind of cunningly manipulate the digital only future dream more hastily.

                Comment


                  It wont be £100 difference.

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by hudson View Post
                    Anyone going with the digital only console?
                    Yup, I am. Sold pretty much all of my PS4 physical.games and bought the digital equivalents in a recent sale (actually made profit!).

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by nonny View Post
                      Underperform against what metric exactly? You can't just measure in consoles sold because MS is building an ecosystem that is cross hardware. I mean, you could use that to compare but it wouldn't tell the whole story...

                      Honestly I think we will see similar numbers to this generation but with game pass / xcloud rolling out proper and MS supporting PC more it could mean a bigger install base for Xbox users not actual console owners.
                      I'd be willing to say by any metric to be honest. I'm ready to be surprised if Series X doesn't end up being another retraction of the Xbox hardware market which will affect their base user numbers and ability to push Game Pass even if it's their primary focus.

                      In terms of the ecosystem, they are building one but at the same time kind of aren't. It's still primarily Xbox console based and has had limited reach on PC largely because there's no real demand or need for such a service on the platform no matter how cheap it is. The move to use xCloud and get it onto phones, tablets etc will help numbers but I fully suspect there will be a quick limit in that area too because it's supplying an experience that that market doesn't really skew toward.

                      For me, MS is going into next-gen with three silver bullets and the question is whether they misfire on any of them:

                      -The most powerful console: They have it but I fully suspect they've already blown that advantage and it will never be taken as seriously as it should be against PS5 again by the masses.

                      -Expanding their portfolio: The one with the biggest question on it as much rests on the quality and appeal of what the new studios come out with. They're still burning off old projects at the moment hence the lack of impact. I'm really hopeful that Ninja Theory will deliver hard for them as well as Obsidian. As much as they're likeable I think someone at MS was drunk when they signed the pay cheque for Double Fine though.

                      -Game Pass: Successful, yes. Profitable, absolutely. I really think they're hanging too much on this though. Both Sony and Nintendo are destroying MS despite Game Pass's value (which has slowed dramatically in uptake also), that's not counting how many people are literally buying MS's games on Steam as a preference to using Game Pass which is insane. I think it's an amazing service that forms part of the Xbox ecosystem but I think the idea that it will be something that takes them away from Sony/Nintendo will prove to be the same path that ended up skewering Amazon, Google etc

                      Comment


                        All good points but still I think it's based on using old comparisons to pass judgement on what success looks like for them.

                        Sony and Nintendo are shifting serious hardware numbers but you also point out PC players are buying MS games on Steam over Game Pass... And area where MS are clearly ahead and I doubt it matters to MS whether the PC gaming base buys the game on Steam or prefers game pass. To me that's the same choices console players have with game pass right now... Choice is good, MS gets something whichever you choose. I mean, MS has 3 of the top 4 Steam games last week... Besides game pass.

                        Nintendo of course will never venture into the PC space but interestingly with Horizon Zero Dawn just releasing Sony may follow and diversify. It makes sense given how PC like these platforms are now.

                        I'll agree the studios have to deliver for MS. I think places like Rare and Playground Games working on new projects can only be good. I'm really curious to see what the Initiative are up to as well, plus Ninja Theory are solid. Double Fine I see as more niche or a big indie.

                        So MS will undoubtedly sell less consoles than either Sony or Nintendo this round. I doubt it'll be a disaster though. The hardware is solid, powerful and backward compatible which is good for anyone looking to pick up a second machine and didn't play last gens Xbox titles... Pricing it right will be key.

                        I guess I'm seeing it from someone in the ecosystem looking out rather than someone outside looking in.

                        I'm potentially buying a PS5 as well once they offer a colour other than white and some first party games start trickling out (I think the launch window for both is pretty boring) but I'll mostly be buying it to pick up older PS4 classics cheap to play in better BC modes.

                        I see the Xbox options as similar for those not in the ecosystem but in that situation they can play just titles on PC, or cloud via game pass, or buy some on Steam but if they buy the console they can play 4 generations of xbox games digitally or physically guaranteed in the best way possible.

                        Comment


                          I think MS with use 3 figures to determine 'success'.

                          1: The total sales of the SeriesX
                          2: The uptake of Game Pass and it features
                          3: Total Xbox exclusive games sold on all formats.

                          They'll use this as the combined income of the 'Xbox Division'. On this front it'll be a success.

                          Comment


                            Which is what makes me the most curious about PSNow. It costs not much different than Game Pass, has multiple generations of PS games to stream and you can download multiple PS4 games on it. In principle it's been running much longer than Game Pass and isn't hugely different and yet Sony is incredibly passive about it and so is the userbase. The Xbox software line up across past generations isn't a massive selling point (if it were they'd be doing much better) but it feels hard to believe that cheap trials and two AAA new releases a year is solely responsible for the huge gulf in sub numbers.

                            Comment


                              Comparing PSNow to Game Pass is a bit unfair.

                              Games hit game pass day one. So you literally don't have to buy games and can just complete them as part of your subscription.

                              PSNow would be something to consider if Sony did this but most big titles don't arrive on it until they've had their run at retail and even then they don't stay on the service for long.

                              So yeah they are essentially the same, but offer completely different things in terms of actual content

                              Comment


                                I think that's it though, the new titles thing is the biggest distinction these days between the two services and given how rarely MS releases a major title it wouldn't be hard to Sony to offer a comparative set up even if the biggest games didn't arrive on day one and yet they don't utilise it the same. Just seems odd as MS has clearly shown Sony should be able to at least multiply the subscriber base for it easily by 10x or more.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X