I don't know about most of the games on the list. The one game I do want to see and hear more about is Starfield, so I hope they have something compelling to show this year.
It's a smart move to make the movie a prequel to the games, as it should give them the creative freedom to tell a unique story using familiar characters. They've managed to capture the look of a younger Nathan Drake, at least. I'm not yet convinced that Wahlberg will make a good Sully.
Never a good sign when creative leads leave a project. I can see this game getting delayed even longer. I hope they can manage to iron out the issues, or this is in danger of being a sub-par sequel.
You know, it's kind of infuriating when game developers don't tell you WHY something won't work. Give us a crystal clear reason why PS4 saves won't work on PS5. Is it something to do with the coding of the game, or support of the new features which breaks compatibility, or what?
Or is it, as others have suggested, simply a way to obfuscate a cash-grab for upgrades?
Stop treating your player base like mushrooms and keeping everyone in the dark.
Hopefully their 3D audio system turns out to be good, and is well supported by third party development studios. Unfortunately, I probably won't notice, because I have significant hearing loss in one ear. :(
An all-digital console is just not worth it for me, for a few reasons.
Firstly, backwards compatibility. Half of my PS4 library is on disc, and I would want to replay those games on PS5. In addition, my son and I share our libraries, so he has bought some games I don't have, and vice versa.
Secondly, my movie collection is entirely on disc. I've never bought a digital movie and have no inclination to do so, nor do I intend to buy a separate device to play movies when a console can fit that dual-purpose. That's not to say I don't make use of some movie streaming services on occasion, particularly for new releases. However, many of the films in my library are simply not available either to buy or stream digitally, including films that may be in languages other than my native English. Limiting the choice of movies I can watch on a digital service just doesn't work for me.
Lastly, over the years I have gifted many games to family and friends, and in return received gifts of games. One of the key problems with the Playstation store is that it still does not directly support gifting of digital games to family and friends, which in my view is a problem. On the PC I can gift digital games via Steam or GOG. On Playstation, I can't, so I buy disc versions instead.
I'm fine with the platform holders not wasting millions of dollars on gimmick tech that might be a flash-in-the-pan, or only see use in some first party titles, and a smattering of third-party support.
In the article above you've acknowledged that a lot of these gimmicks either didn't land with the consumer, or fizzled out of popularity - or maybe found non-gaming applications in some other niche markets, like the Kinect and HoloLens. Well then, that's market forces at work, where the consumer decides what they're willing to invest their money and time in.
One of the key problems is that most game developers prefer making a standardised game to sell across multiple platforms, so they design for the lowest common denominator. That's why the touchpad on the Dualshock 4 simply became another button to press, because to incorporate it in a meaningful way into the gameplay would have meant redesigning some aspects of the game mechanics for just that platform. That incurs extra costs those developers/publishers obviously weren't willing to pay.
Motion controls like Kinect and Move etc., may have been popular for a while, but a number of games designed around that technology either didn't sell that well or received mixed reviews. In those terms, the consumer decides again what they're willing to buy. The original Wii was something of a fluke in that it resonated with a very wide consumer base of all age groups and ability, which led to significant sales. The same is true of the Switch, which offered the convenience of mobility and docking, which is not an insignificant innovation.
The increasing interest in VR highlights another technology the consumer is more willing to embrace, although again it is currently more of a niche market due to some of the issues like motion-sickness and the cost of entry. I'm surprised that Microsoft didn't announce something VR-related, tbh, because it would have given some third-party developers a second console platform on which to expand their audience.
Nevertheless, when all is said and done, I'll take those 'boring' iterative refinements that lead to a better gaming experience. Faster and consistent framerates and stability? Yes, please, because for the most part the current generation failed to deliver on that. You only have to watch some Digital Foundry videos to see how many games failed to meet and/or sustain their target framerate (even 30 fps). I don't care about the resolution. I don't care about having a swipe pad or a motion sensor in the controller to tilt it this way and that in a small number of games that support such a function. Just let me play games at a rock-steady 60fps, with as few bugs as possible. Is that too much to ask?
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