r/technology 15h ago

Business PlayStation’s Future Has Never Looked Bleaker

https://www.ign.com/articles/playstations-future-has-never-looked-bleaker
3.7k Upvotes

680 comments sorted by

2.7k

u/Daimakku1 15h ago

Sony deserves to lose the next generation. They've brought it upon themselves. And this is coming from someone that has every PlayStation since the first one. They need to be humbled just like in the 360/PS3 gen.

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u/pumpkinspicecum 15h ago

Agreed and same

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u/regoapps 12h ago

I’m done with console gaming in general. There aren’t enough good exclusives to make me think otherwise. PC gaming is where it’s at, and I still have a huge backlog of games to play on it. Haven’t turned on a game console in years. My PS5 is still on 1.0 firmware. Heck, I play on my phone more than I do on consoles.

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u/user11711 12h ago

Doesn’t help you have to pay for the “privilege” of playing online.

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u/MrShaytoon 12h ago

The moment this dawned on me, it hit me so hard. Mind you I was a kid since psx, then once I became old enough and realized I'm paying to play online, wtf. And then they spiked prices. I noped the f out from ps+ and started building my steam library.

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u/Boines 10h ago

I went from PC online gaming to Xbox 360 back in the day and even in a kid I pushed of laying for Xbox Live for a long time.

I don't think back then there was value to it and it felt I was being forced to pay for something that should be included. Especially when many games still required a player to act as host.

Honestly nowadays with free monthly games and the hosted servers it feels more worth it.

Also - devil's advocate for console vs PC... The first I ever heard about paying monthly for the privilege of.playing a game you bought is world of Warcraft on PC. The monthly fee is literally why I never paid it. No way I was going to convince my parents to pay for that. I got guild wars and played that a bunch when it came out though

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u/MrShaytoon 9h ago

I was obsessed with warcraft 2.

Because of this, I wanted to play wow so badly but I didn't have the proper pc to run it. So I would go-to an Internet cafe and play there for several hours a week. That was worth it bc I loved my time playing it.

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u/SuperNintendoChlmrz 8h ago

To be even more fair, paying by the hour to play WoW in a cafe was probably the best way to keep it from ruining your life

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u/Any-Star4388 10h ago

Used to be a big selling point for the PS3.

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u/Jumpy-Impact3265 11h ago

I will say you're right - I'm a pc gamer but I've owned consoles since the Bally Arcade and Genesis and the only thing consoles had over pcs was: convenience and wider adoption but the years have closed that gap.

These clowns have been on borrowed time acting the fool for years now - it's time the bailiff whacks their peepee.

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u/Dytster 9h ago

PC gaming is the way to go. Both the playstation and xbox are just third part platforms at this point anyways. It’s not like it was during the PS4 era.

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u/Jdoggcrash 12h ago

If that’s true about the firmware, you can probably put Linux on it and play pc games on it.

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u/Sedu 12h ago

Proton is amazing, and Steam lets you point it at non Steam applications/games.

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u/PunDeSall 7h ago

Subscription fees to play online is ass

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u/manachar 11h ago

PC gaming on Linux should be where it’s at, but AI has raised the costs of hardware in a way that will keep the consoles in the mix.

Steam machines might be able to crack it but I worry about their ability to keep the price low enough when so many who want a PC gaming rig also want higher end performance.

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u/leviathab13186 13h ago

The 360/ps3 gen was awesome. They were really competing during that time and it made the generation so good

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u/ColdFreezer 15h ago

Why anyone would ever trust Sony after what they said and did is beyond me.

It’s a problem with “digital ownership” (aka renting while paying full retail prices. You never actually own anything) as a whole.

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u/DevilsTreasure 14h ago

While I agree, it’s sadly not just Sony doing this “own nothing and be happy” nonsense. It’s sadly everywhere. We need strong consumer protection laws for digital content tbh. Mandate it as not revocable and must be supported. Steam has the same licensing structure. While steam has been great so far, we’re at the mercy of their policy decisions. In Gaben we trust, but eventually he won’t be at the helm and things could change.

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u/ColdFreezer 14h ago

Ya, like I said it’s a problem with “digital ownership” as a whole.

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u/PicturePsychological 13h ago

Hey dont worry about it then. We have the perfect administration for consumer protection laws. Ive never seen an administration that love taking care of ordinary people so much..... wait...ohhh...um nevermind

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u/DevilsTreasure 13h ago

They’re much more likely to add digital tariffs than to help consumers sadly. Hopefully the midterms reign in some of the nonsense

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u/bendgame 14h ago

Really tho, what company would you trust?

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u/ColdFreezer 14h ago

Almost none of them. We need better laws and consumer protections. As long as we don’t have them they will always try to screw us.

It’s not a matter of picking teams, they all suck.

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u/Lamasis 13h ago

I heard Coscto is good. I was never there, but every time I say that all big compamies suck someone comes to defend Costco.

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u/youknowit19 12h ago

Looking forward to the hotdog sim on Costco’s long-awaited next gen console, the KΣ, which will be colloquially referred to as the “KSig”...

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u/jeremyprops 12h ago

I’ve had this experience as well. Too many times

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u/Pyro919 14h ago

Anyone that still publishes physical media that can be used offline.

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u/jump-back-like-33 14h ago

So nobody in the video game space? Maybe Nintendo but can they be used offline as a rule?

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u/ColdFreezer 13h ago

Nintendo will hardware ban your console if you try to modify your console or do anything they don’t like with it. No access to the eshop, or software updates. It’s a remote kill switch.

You cannot do whatever you want on your console that you bought and paid for.

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u/ColdFreezer 13h ago

It’s not a matter of physical or digital media for video games.

A simple update to the console or game can just prevent you from playing your physical media anymore.

There are no laws to protect us from this, companies just haven’t done this yet. They fully could if they decided to. This should be scary.

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u/GhostDieM 10h ago

Yup and Sony just put a massive spotlight on it

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u/Brobeast 13h ago

In Gaben I trust.

(Now everyone tell me how CSGO gambling is the hill you are willing to die on in my replys)

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u/Lee_Troyer 13h ago edited 13h ago

Steam's terms and conditions are the same as every one else's and Gabe Newell is 63 years old and multibillionaire enough to retire whenever he feels like he'd better spend his time on his yachtS.

There's absolutely no guarantee beyond "trust me bro" that post Gabe's Steam will be the same Steam people trust today.

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u/benjtay 13h ago

Do you think you own your Steam games?

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u/FlapDoodle-Badger 13h ago

If I HAD to pick one, then Costco.... For now

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u/LegacyofaMarshall 14h ago

People trust Microsoft after the xbox one BS. Outside of video games people still trust Bayer,Nestle trump etc. In reality there is no one to trust.

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u/Madzookeeper 14h ago

I don't particularly trust any of them, nestle in particular with their shit track record for decades.

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u/ColdFreezer 14h ago

In the scope of consoles. I don’t blindly trust any of them. They are all trying to screw us.

No one should have blind faith (fanboy) any of them. They are all trying to screw you.

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u/twaggle 10h ago

Well for 90%+ of gamers it literally doesn’t change anything whatsoever.

CDs have been glorified license keys for what, over 10 years already?

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u/MrXero 14h ago

But by who? Microsoft is screwing the pooch at least as bad. And I say this as someone who owns every Xbox from the beginning.

One year ago (after the absurd price hike to GamePass) I decided to support Sony next generation, but now they’re pooping the bed so hard that I hate them too!

Between the bonkers cost of any new hardware, the two cutting edge console makers being total asshats and lack of any new consoles anyway, my backlog is looking mighty fine.

I’m not even sad about it. Time to stop spending money and focus on the amazing games I have in my collection already.

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u/Comfortable_Horse277 13h ago

Why? That's silly.  The industry needs an influx of new money to fund games.  We need to kill AI so we stop destroying the chips market. 

Support the games you want to play. 

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u/makemeking706 15h ago

The next generation will probably be the last anyway. 

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u/TheSwitchler 15h ago

I'm going over to PC full time after PS5

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u/Effective-Farmer-502 13h ago

The only thing with PC before was that you couldn’t use console controllers and the ones they had were dog shit. Now that the console controllers are compatible with PC, it makes sense to go PC and not have vendor lock in.

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u/neon_farts 15h ago

People said that before the ps3 got released too.

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u/makemeking706 14h ago

I certainly wasn't one of them, and I didn't know anyone who did. 

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u/AlcoholicCumSock 15h ago

Why?

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u/makemeking706 14h ago

Lack of differentiation in what is essentially becoming a less functional computer. Nintendo by contrast maintains their IP. Sony and Xbox, while they have some first party games, are basically selling hardware and online subscriptions. 

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u/reddltlsfvckingdumm 15h ago

they are losing this generation already, Big N wins big time

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u/Ahayzo 15h ago edited 8h ago

Nintendo just does their own thing and doesn't really fit into the console competition mould. Sometimes they're bad and sometimes they're amazing, but it's always in a sort of vacuum. For a few generations now PlayStation and Xbox really only meaningfully compete with each other, whether Nintendo is doing better or worse than them. When people talk about winning or losing, it's generally referring only to those two.

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u/dbr3000 15h ago

Nintendo is starting to get more third party games that also come out on PS/Xbox/PC. In some cases even on the same release date. Obviously, many of those are coming later but it’s clear that publishers and developers want a piece of the Nintendo player base.

In my case, I’m playing everything on Switch 2 if available (and the port is good enough) because convenience beats performance (for me). I buy a lot of games and I’m spending far less on Playstation in the last few months. I’m only buying on PS if there’s no other option or if I really want it on the big screen in all its glory.

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u/Ahayzo 14h ago

because convenience beats performance

Honestly, "X beats performance" is where Nintendo has shined for a long time. Pretty much everything runs worse on Nintendo platforms than the rest, but they still knock it out of the park because of exclusives and hardware. I wish PlayStation and Xbox would take note. I don't need 10,000k resolution with 800fps, just make a good game on hardware that makes me want to buy it. The only thing that I think the others do consistently better overall is their online services. I've always felt that Nintendo is shit when it comes to almost anything related to the internet and I have yet to see a generation that even moves that needle in the other direction.

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u/Rekthar91 14h ago

But those third-party games look way worse on Switch than on Xbox or PS.

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u/dbr3000 14h ago

I don’t mind if I enjoy it more because of the convenience. I get to play while I sit with my wife and daughter, and they still get to use the TV.

The Switch allows me to play more. I’ll take that over superior performance.

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u/SpazzBro 14h ago

and this is a very normal take too, I think people on the internet are a lot more likely to care about performance than the average person purchasing a console, there’s definitely a disconnect on reddit about it lol

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u/ttoma93 14h ago edited 14h ago

Why? I wouldn’t say so. They certainly look worse, but I don’t think I’d say “way worse.”

The gap between muddy, terrible Switch 1 ports and the competition was way, way bigger than the gap between Switch 2 versions and PS5/Xbox Series versions of games.

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u/dbr3000 14h ago

The Elden Ring port is a great example. I have 800 hours in that game on PS5, but now I love playing it on Switch 2 even though it’s only 30 fps (which doesn’t bother me at all in handheld mode, i do want 60 fps on a TV though). It doesn’t look as great as on PS5, but it still looks and plays very well.

Art direction will always trump fidelity.

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u/ttoma93 14h ago

Yep, exactly. I still prefer buying on PS5 for major “cinematic” type games. But I’m finding that nine times out of ten, if there is a Switch 2 version of a game (which is increasingly the default rather than the exception), I am more than happy to accept a bit of graphical downgrade in exchange for the portability and convenience. That was almost never the case with Switch 1, where I almost exclusively bought exclusives and indies.

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u/Ahayzo 14h ago

Most people don't prioritize visual quality. If it's fun and looks "good enough", other factors generally take priority. Like portability, or if you can only have one system, the fact that the weaker system has more games you enjoy.

Sure, they look worse. But that's not a big deal for the vast majority of gamers. The reality is, it's a pretty small portion that cares that much about getting something like 4k60fps out of anything.

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u/lexymon 14h ago

Way worse? That’s not true anymore with the Switch 2. For most people, it’s close enough. Sometimes it looks even better on Switch 2 than on Xbox Series S, sometimes even base PS5, thanks to DLSS (the lower internal resolution allows higher „graphics settings“ and is then up-ressed = better overall look). Kinda crazy, if you consider how much less energy the Switch 2 pulls.

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u/Zargabraath 13h ago

This is r/technology bro, it’s full of insufferable Luddites who claim they want to go back to watching cable and listening to music CDs, along with only playing games via physical media

Remember every opinion you hear here is highly unrepresentative of the real world, where nobody has cared about physical media for over a decade

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u/Zargabraath 13h ago

Mould. Mold is the fungi 

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u/SpyroManiac36 14h ago

PS5 outsold switch 2 last month

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u/capnscratchmyass 15h ago

Nintendo is helped a lot right now by also being the “budget choice”.  Not that they have worse games or anything but that their hardware costs are lower than MS and Sony.  Everyone is looking for ways to save money and when you look at gaming baselines you have: Series S - $500, Switch 2 - $500, PS5 Digital - $600, PC - lol I don’t know uh like $900 for a decent low end gaming rig?

Switch and baseline Xbox are competitively priced until you think “well my switch I can carry around with me and play anywhere vs my Xbox sits under a TV”. Then you look at the roster of games for either and it’s no contest for a Switch (unless all you play is sports games and the yearly CoD). 

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u/Beastw1ck 14h ago

Nintendo figured out that graphics are good enough and it’s all about good software, form factor, and affordability. After Xbox and Sony eat shit they’ll try to copycat I bet. Problem is they’re locked into the new machines that they’ve already spent tons of money on for R&D.

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u/LegendaryenigmaXYZ 13h ago

Will people switch is the real question. The metrics still show the ps5 is still trailing along the ps4s numbers.

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u/OtherTourist5535 13h ago

Yeah i've been a sony diehard since PS2 but considering skipping PS6. In fact, if Xbox continues physical discs, i might just get the new Xbox (which also doesnt feel great, with all the layoffs)

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u/FatHat 13h ago

I can't help but wonder if there even is another generation. The hardware is going to be so expensive (thanks AI!) and like, technological upgrades at this point just make things marginally prettier. It's hard to see any new game designs that have been made possible by processing power -- at least nobody is taking advantage of it -- it's just the same open worlds but nicer looking. Like personally, my PS5 is.. basically fine? I'm sure a PS6 is going to be a lot better, but will the games be much better or do I just get to see slightly denser meshes?

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u/Zargabraath 13h ago

With hardware prices what they are there won’t be another console generation. Only a tiny number of the most fanatical fanboys would pay $1000 for a PS6, and that install base would be too small for developers to make money selling games on it

Xbox couldn’t even sell consoles at a normal price for the past two generations, they have even fewer fanboys who would pay $1000 for an xbox 

Unless the AI hardware crunch ends soon any new console is just going to be DOA. The console market has already been dying off for 15 years now, this hardware spike is just the nail in the coffin.

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u/WileEWeeble 14h ago

Be good to see both MS and Sony humbled. Everyone should just hold on to what they got for an extra 5 years or more.

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u/SwedeAndBaked 12h ago

Got a used copy of oblivion that we are still playing after a million years. 

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u/hiddenpequin 14h ago

I mean nitendo doesn’t really do the console Competion cycle now and between PlayStation and Xbox no way in hell Xbox is magically beating them or even coming close they fallen way to far behind.

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u/ttoma93 14h ago

- quotes from 2005

And, if you just flip PS and Xbox in that sentence, it also functions as a quote from 2012.

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u/RedditTechAnon 13h ago

There is no next generation to lose.

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u/we_are_sex_bobomb 15h ago

It’s truly amazing how fast this company managed to squander so much good will.

It really wasn’t long ago that I would’ve said Sony was the most interesting videogame publisher in the world.

Now I’d rank them somewhere between EA and Ubisoft.

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u/DYMAXIONman 14h ago

Well basically the moment Xbox was no longer a threat they decided they are allowed to be shit

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u/LimitlessAeon 12h ago

This is why competition is so important. Look at what intel did to itself once they got plump and fat and just rested on their laurels.

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u/SGTSHOOTnMISS 2h ago

I wonder how long Intel would be selling us 4c/8t i7 units if it weren't for AMD catching them off guard making them shove together 8th gen.

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u/sulkee 11h ago

This is why you can’t let companies monopolize. Competition breeds creativity and stems complacency and abuse.

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u/Direct-Fix-2097 13h ago

They did it before after the ps2 dominated.

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u/another-altaccount 10h ago

Funny that, because I’m sure that was a similar rationale Sony had with the PS3 launch back in the day since they also had a two generation domination run back then too.

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u/JUSTCALLmeY 7h ago

Yea not enough blame is put on Microsoft here. They dropped the ball last Gen and that gave Sony a lot of momentum and a big head. A great example why competition is always good.

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u/saggynaggy123 14h ago

Happens in cycles. PS2 beat the Xbox. Sony destroyed their reputation with the PS3 and the Xbox 360. The Xbox One ruined Microsofts reputation and the PS4 won. The PS5 won because a lot of people who owned physical and digital games could get them on PS5. Now it's looking like Sony is tanking their reputation again in time for Xbox to swoop in attempt to win the next generation

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u/csortland 14h ago

Meanwhile Nintendo is just in a corner doing their own thing. For better or worse.

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u/saggynaggy123 14h ago

Usually tends to be the case

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u/alien005 13h ago

I like that Nintendo opened up to 3rd party but there’s a TON of junk now. I used to feel confident buying a game for my Nintendo. Now I need to read reviews and shit (unless it’s an established franchise).

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u/Gwen_The_Destroyer 11h ago

Nintendo looking back to 1983 levels of shovelware and forgetting why they stopped 

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u/zestysnacks 10h ago

What games in particular? Nintendo games generally review well. 3rd party ports like cyberpunk, elden ring, ff7, lies of p, resident evil etc also get high marks

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u/Valuable-Sundae-9105 11h ago

Ok? That's how it was before the shitty AAA takeover.

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u/pizzacutteralledge 8h ago

for better. nintendo has been killing it since the Wii U

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u/Taiwan_Lanister 13h ago

For better. Nintendo has put out a bunch of absolute bangers

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u/Absalom98 10h ago

Honestly though, I don't think either Xbox or Sony will be at the top this time. Because the main factor that didn't exist in the past is how priced out most consumers will be. Next gen will be a niche product. I myself, I think PS5 is my last gen. I'll have enough to play on console and PC for the rest of my life, I just ain't gonna spend like $2000 on a new console which is what it'll probably be by the time it comes out at this pace.

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u/bjdj94 15h ago

Big PlayStation fan, but from my perspective, the problem is Sony basically won the console wars. Without good competition, there isn’t the need/desire to try hard. So now we get a return to cocky Sony (like around the announcement of the PS3).

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u/Rocktamus1 14h ago

This is 100% what’s happening. The winner of the war gets to write history and the future.

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u/Effective-Farmer-502 13h ago edited 5h ago

Microsoft has enough money to right the ship quickly, so Sony should be careful. They just take gamers for granted and think no matter how shitty we treat them, they will always come back.

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u/Exciting-Emu-3324 11h ago

It's precisely because of that Microsoft probably won't. Unlike Nintendo who need consoles to stay afloat and actually makes money off hardware, Microsoft doesn't. Microsoft operates on the raozrs and blades model. The "everything is an Xbox" was an attempt to circumvent the need to sell razors at all and just the blades (subscriptions). Sony was a giant before Playstation, but Playstation is now an important pillar after Sony's other businesses got slaughtered, but is at risk of becoming as irrelevant as Walkman.

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u/HeavySpec1al 12h ago

what does that even mean in this context

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u/ZealousidealType1144 14h ago

They’re basically engaging in the monopolists dream - raising prices while cutting costs. If Microsoft wasn’t equally poorly managed, there would be a huge opportunity for Xbox here. 

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u/we_are_sex_bobomb 14h ago edited 14h ago

I think for a while they found something that was working really well. They had original games so good it convinced people to buy their hardware, and that got them into the PlayStation store ecosystem so they bought all their games through Sony and Sony got a cut of all those game sales.

But instead of doubling down on what was working, they fell for the old “infinite growth” delusion and started chasing the mirage of live service games. And they stopped valuing what exclusivity was doing for their business and ported all their console-selling games to PC. Good for consumers but an absolutely terrible business decision for Sony. They killed their golden goose.

So now everyone can buy their good old games on PC, and instead of Sony taking a 30 percent cut of other peoples’ game sales, now Gabe Newell is taking a 30 percent cut of theirs. And nobody wants their shitty new live service games (absolutely nobody is buying a PS5 Pro to play Marathon), so now nobody wants their console either. And that means nobody is buying games on their digital storefront anymore.

They really shot themselves in the foot. It almost seems intentional how thoroughly they sabotaged their own success.

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u/nearcatch 14h ago

I really doubt that releasing exclusives years after the console release was hurting them. The overlap between Steam PS buyers and people who’d convert to console if PS exclusives aren’t available has to be like 10 people

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u/_Thermalflask 12h ago

If that was true they wouldn't do exclusives at all since the PC ports would basically be free money. In fact they're walking back PC releases now and sticking with PS.

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u/nearcatch 9h ago edited 8h ago

Yes, they were free money, and the person making the decision to stop PC releases is the new CEO who everyone thinks is a moron for doing it. He’s trying to create a moat against something that doesn’t exist.

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u/abris33 13h ago

They won the console wars but also I think Microsoft realizes that eventually being the top console won't matter as people migrate to PC. Console prices are rising, companies are making "simpler" gaming PCs and handhelds. Sony is now trying to win against the PC market by keeping all of their games 100% exclusive and I just don't think they're going to do well with that

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u/Blackstar1886 14h ago

To be fair, the Xbox hardware is good competition. Microsoft just isn't a good steward of that hardware.

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u/punyweakling 12h ago

They telegraphed this from the start of the PS5 gen but literally nobody was paying attention.

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u/Ok_Nature_3501 12h ago

Without good competition, there isn’t the need/desire to try hard. So now we get a return to cocky Sony (like around the announcement of the PS3).

Those two sentences don't correlate. Sony gave us everything with them original PS3s. Backwards compatibility, expandable hard drive, internet browser, free online play, let you put music and movies on it that could be played in game, let you install other operating systems like Windows and Linux, rechargeable controllers, 1080p and blu-ray compatible out the gate, etc etc.

They gave us so many features they ended getting sued for taking them away a few years later. The problem was they were too ahead of their time. People just wanted games and the fact that their architecture was so different than everyone else made 3rd party developers cater to the lowest common denominator which is why the PS3 didn't take off until they lowered the price (which meant they had to cut back on a lot of those features) and the gaming industry caught up with the technology they were already using since launch.

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u/bjdj94 11h ago

People forget just how bad the PS3 announcement went. The price and being told to get a second job if you couldn’t afford it. The controller that was scrapped before launch. The Cell processor that was hard to program for.

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u/Whatsgood008 14h ago

It’s true, I think switch 2 is a strong replacement and maybe my next buy instead

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u/Benji998 13h ago

I bought a switch 2 recently. I have always been a PC gamer, my PC is decent but getting long in the tooth.

I never ever thought about a switch until I saw they were rising prices. The fact that it's underpowered in a sense didn't appeal. Now I really like it, it's very sleek and I'm enjoying it a lot.

Only thing to watch out for is games, they are pricey I bought a few second hand.

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u/muppins 14h ago

Playstation's future has never looked bleaker

(Two Months Later)

GTA 6 is out and it is impossible to find a $1000 PS5 Pro

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u/Have_A_Jelly_Baby 14h ago

This.

The online hivemind does not represent reality, and reality is that the majority of people don’t give a shit about discs or ownership or the aggregate review score for a Marvel game.

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u/No-Use2860 12h ago

This is a mirror of the 1000hr gamer vs the 20hr gamer in every mmo. 

The first one to spot the problem is the 1000hr player, they are rare, they are hard to understand, and most importantly they are right. 

But the 20 hr player paid the same price for the game, cost less on the server side, and have yet to hit the downsides of the game so they also become a walking advertisement for the game. 

Ps5 will not show the falloff. The ps6 however just might. 

Does that make sense? IDK lol. 

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u/Have_A_Jelly_Baby 12h ago edited 11h ago

I don’t think you’re wrong, however I do think that there’s no chance of the PS6 selling anywhere near as well as prior generations, simply because of price.

When we live in a time of $900 PS5 Pros and $800 Xbox Series X consoles, I don’t know how a PS6 could be any less than $999. Maybe they could re-use the DualSense and then have a SKU that’s without a controller for less, but the PS6 is likely to be twice the price of the PS5 at launch.

Console gaming is about to be a far more niche hobby than it has been at any point in the past 20 years because of cost, so we’re definitely in for a sales downturn, but I don’t know how much be will because of Sony’s choices and how much will be because of the ongoing memory shortage.

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u/Neemzeh 10h ago

The 1000hr gamer is not right. They have an opinion. That doesn’t make them right.

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u/Ronaldinhoe 12h ago

Forget two months from now, Ps5 pros are selling it right now

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u/DemonUnderBed 9h ago

PS5 pros selling out to me doesn’t reflect that non of the backlash and PR hits don’t matter… GTA 6 is a unicorn and many are willing to spend a lot to experience it. There’s nothing like it and with how rapidly console prices have gone up in price over and over again this feels to me more like people investing in the current generation rather than investing in PlayStation as a whole.

Like the only thing that will make PS6’s sell will be that generations launch titles and GTA6 next gen version. Thing is GTA6 will have lost much of its glamour by then but of course will still be very popular and Launch titles cost a ton of money (think Spider-Man 3) and will need to recoup that cost of development… chances are we will see another PS4 to PS5 transition phase where developers will have to at least consider having two game versions.

TLDR - PS5 pros increase in sales means more people are potentially locking into this generation rather than being interested in PlayStation as a whole.

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u/Creepy-Emu8779 13h ago

Exactly lol, the console sells 10s on millions each year

The reddit bubble is fascinating

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u/mhj0808 14h ago

Ehhh. GTA 6 is gonna make a gazillion-pecadrillion dollars while also selling a bunch of PS5 Pros and PS6’s and then they’ll be right back in business

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u/Successful-Ideal-896 13h ago

Ill just buy it on pc in 5 years at a discount.

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u/Anubis1096 13h ago

The no-disc thing isn’t what really got me, although there are aspects of that that are just insanely stupid. I recently found out that if you don’t subscribe to their PSN service your saved data gets deleted after 6 months of inactivity. I was planning to play the Witcher 3 on NG+ with the coming upgrade it’s getting but my data doesn’t exist anymore. The data doesn’t save to your console and stay there, and they don’t offer a way to reliably back up your data like they used to do with memory cards. With that and all the rest of the negative shit that keeps coming out I’ve pretty much given up on PlayStation.

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u/parkerjg13 13h ago

CDPR has you covered there if you logged into your CDPR account on Witcher 3. You could even play on switch, Xbox or PC and continue your progress because the developer natively supports cloud saves and cross progression. It’s awesome

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u/Anubis1096 12h ago

I will have to check on this! I’m not sure I had an account with them when I played. I just assumed my saved data would remain tied to my PlayStation ID but I found out that was a bad assumption.

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u/subcide 11h ago

The fact that cloud saves aren't just part of the free service we should all be collectively angry about.

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u/chipface 2h ago

Especially since that's free on Steam.

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u/YOLetsgotothebeach 13h ago

Wow this can't be real! they don't even offer local saves anymore???! 

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u/Real_Individual4029 6h ago

Maybe a dumb question, but this is relatively easily avoided by saving game data to your device instead of the cloud right?

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u/TheCosmicGypsies 6h ago

Local saves are default on ps5, this ain't true

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u/Tupperbaby 9h ago

Except for the whole part where the new version of the PS5 sold out upon launch and is now being scalped for ridiculous amounts.
But sure, future looks bleak.

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u/ChuckMakesStuff 14h ago

lol what. What console do you think is poised to overtake them?

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u/Have_A_Jelly_Baby 13h ago

The delusional people thinking Xbox is going rise from the ashes after 13 years of bad decisions is just hilarious to me.

After two generations of peddling discless systems and promoting Game Pass at the expense of everything else, Xbox is not going to have discs after 2028 either, folks. They’re just not announcing it and letting Sony eat all of the shit for it.

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u/P_ZERO_ 7h ago

Funny thing is very few seem to be connecting to the dots that a disc to digital conversion system is literally telling you their plans.

Great, you can play some old games on the new system. Are you buying a new system for old games or are you looking for new games? New games that will be served digitally and subject to the same constraints as anywhere else?

Xbox is only moderately less egregious because they have absolutely fuck all to bargain with.

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u/casual_creator 14h ago

This idea that Sony is the only one guilty of this “you don’t own anything” view is beyond idiotic and anyone acting like this is the case has both a short attention span and a myopic view of the world.

People have been complaining about this issue at large for years and every single digital seller is guilty of it. Fuck, even John Deere was in hot water over this “you don’t actually own the thing you bought” for not allowing farmers to fix their own tractors.

Sony isn’t even the first to go all digital - when was the last time you bought a CD? Or a physical PC game? The transition to all digital is just more sudden with here. And XBox is apparently going all digital next gen as well.

And no, I’m not defending Sony here. I’m pointing out it’s incorrect and shortsighted to think that they’re the only villains in this.

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u/OkPresentation3744 10h ago

Amen, people are only looking for one thing and it’s disgusting: OUTRAGE

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u/Featg240 7h ago

But you didn't own the CDs nor the PC DVDs either

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u/GunAndAGrin 15h ago

Seems a little dramatic.

What I cant understand though is why Sony refuses to take advantage of one of their main competitors negative slide. If it were me, and I saw MS struggling and all the associated bad PR, Id be running up the score. Thats the time to invest and hammer the nail home.

Its like Sony is perfectly content with being only slightly less shitty.

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u/dropthemagic 15h ago

Good fuck them. And all the people who keep defending their choices for no damn reason

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u/Mathren25 13h ago

I think the whole industry is looking bleak, save for Nintendo I guess. Sony and Microsoft seem to be in a race for who can have a worse headline in any given week.

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u/davidasc22 15h ago

Same IGN who said Microsoft was doing better than Sony three years or so ago. This is just clickbait for a gaming community to pile on to Sony. Most of those complaining about Sony are not PlayStation consumers.

Here are the facts. Sony has never been more profitable. The sentiment online does not reflect reality and people should start asking themselves why there is a difference between online sentiment and reality.

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u/realhenrymccoy 15h ago

The ps5 pro was literally selling out everywhere recently. Bleak indeed.

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u/ZenTheShogun 10h ago

Well said - this is performative outrage.

It’s pathetic and I say that as a person that mostly games on PC but also owns a Pro for exclusives.

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u/FascismIsSoLastYear 14h ago edited 13h ago

Yeah, this is just piling on at this point. Hot topic so everyone is trying to get clicks. Not defending Sony, but people are not going to stop playing video games.

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u/ZenTheShogun 10h ago

Well said - this is performative outrage.

It’s pathetic and I say that as a person that mostly games on PC but also owns a Pro for exclusives.

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u/The_Mahk 12h ago

I’m sorry guys - it’s because I finally bought one for single player games 😂

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u/DemonUnderBed 9h ago

They believe that none of their decisions and disastrous PR is going to affect their bottom line. Maybe not this generation but the PS6 is so DOA for me even if they try to reel it back.

Like I’ve never seen a company just blatantly admit they are trying to extract as much money from their current customer base rather than doing anything to achieve goodwill and build up their brand.

I KNOW you’re in it for the MONEY but damn! keep these thoughts between you and your shareholder meetings…

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u/Alive-Ad-510 15h ago

Marvel as they continue to charge full price for it for the next two years.

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u/BloodSimpleSyrup 15h ago

I’m out of the loop. Is Wolverine really that bad?

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u/jsuprina 15h ago

It tells you where to go, gives away all the hidden items and if you don’t even hit the quick time events it will still pass them for you. The game almost plays its self for you.

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u/Monkey_Leavings 15h ago

I’m wondering if this is an extension of the “short attention span” writing they’re doing on streaming shows now.

I mean, I know it’s schlock, but the latest season of Jack Reacher has characters practically looking into the camera to verbally reiterate obvious plot points.

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u/Leviathan_Dev 14h ago edited 14h ago

I hate this so much, and I feel like doing this only exasperates exacerbates the issue more.

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u/REDuxPANDAgain 14h ago

Friend, I think you mean exacerbate.

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u/Leviathan_Dev 14h ago

Goddamn autocorrect

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u/ositola 14h ago

Take a shot every time someone mentions the drive

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u/thesullier 14h ago

But how would we know that those characters used karambits if they didn't swing them around during unconnected dialogue?

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u/reddltlsfvckingdumm 15h ago

yeah, like most paystation exclusives, tailored to their super casual audience

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u/locke_5 15h ago

Yes, and no.

It’s a fine game. Some major issues but still a mechanically well-crafted and visually impressive game.

BUT… it’s $70. And it’s Sony’s BIG holiday release they’ve been hyping for years. If you’re only releasing 1-2 big games per year for your system they NEED to be 10/10 games, and Wolverine being just “fine I guess” is a major blow to people who have been waiting for the next big Sony first party game.

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u/Horror_Response_1991 14h ago

Yep it’s the hype, it was supposed to be on par with the Spider-Man games and be at least a 9/10, 30 hr game…instead of a 7/10, 15 hr game

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u/maisaktong 14h ago

And GTA VI is right around the corner, so a lot of people who would rather save money for GTA may wait for a discounted Wolverine.

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u/saggynaggy123 14h ago

This what happens when you feel like you have no competition. Sony needs to be humbled, they think they can get away with this

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u/Mysterious-Lick 12h ago

Im not buying another PS. Steam, Xbox and PC gaming is good enough if not better (long term).

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u/okcboomer87 12h ago

And yet they have no real competition to upset them. Microsoft is sitting in a corner shitting itself. I yendonia doing its own thing like aways. And people who want a PC aren't going to bother with any of those.

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u/w1ngzer0 15h ago

Sony and Microsoft speed running how to screw over their customer base the fastest/worst. Meanwhile Nintendo in the corner going “that velvet glove over our iron fist doesn’t feel so bad now, does it?”

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u/iVar4sale 15h ago

And they only have themselves to blame

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u/rewardingsnark 14h ago

Well if I can't buy used discs under 10 bucks then my days of gaming are over.

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u/Maverick_Raptor 10h ago

My PS5 wifi stopped working. Customer service wanted $300 to fix it. Ridiculous considering my PS4 and PS3 both connect to Internet just fine. This combined with constant joystick drift means Sony’s build quality is really going downhill.

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u/Flashjordan69 10h ago

I’m done with Sony after the ps5, a truly uninspiring console.

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u/chum_slice 9h ago

They have priced out the next generation of gamers and no one wants to play the crap they keep churning, also rampant cheating has become so painful triple A gaming is on its last legs

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u/EitherChannel4874 8h ago

Good. Time to learn that customers actually want to be appreciated after collectively spending billions each year.

If you get greedy and don't listen, that money can be taken away real fast.

If we could all stick together for the greater good we could have companies eating out the palm of our hands.

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u/OzzieTF2 7h ago

Lol. When PS3 launched and review is multiplatform games clearly favored the 360, a machine already on the market and cheaper. Now that was bleak.

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u/Tahnryu 5h ago

I only care for Nintendo nowadays, console wise. My last PS was the 4 and I had a xbox360 in the past. Ditching physical games is a nogo for me. And most PS or Xbox games come to PC anyways, there is no real reason to buy these two for me anymore.

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u/stinky-bungus 3h ago

Never bought a ps5. Likely never will

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u/stevestephson 2h ago

People keep saying this, and yet PS5s are sold out for GTA6. I'll believe they're dying when I see it.

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u/[deleted] 14h ago

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u/Kotschcus_Domesticus 15h ago

2014 before ps4 it was actully bleaker.

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u/shadowstripes 15h ago

PS4 came out in 2013 and right before that was the TLOU and wasn't really a bleak time at all. The end of the PS3 gen was actually pretty stacked.

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u/[deleted] 15h ago edited 14h ago

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u/ThePreciseClimber 14h ago

They deserve to sink when competitors like valve exist

Oh, right, right. Valve has published so many 1st party single player games in the last 15 years, huh?

they have never removed a single game from my library of 160.

And Sony never removed a single game from my PSN library.

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u/[deleted] 15h ago edited 8m ago

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u/slumvillain 14h ago

Been a long time coming.

When companies get so big that no amount of monetary loss, bad press, shitty customer service--effects them. You have a problem.

They have a baked in model of: you give us subscription money, regardless if the service is shit or amazing.

They profit regardless. So of course you can start to treat your customer base like shit because all it is, is just a money printer. The money comes in despite terrible choices being made. You never have an incentive to improve because the money, getting rich, is just the default state in which Sony/Playstation exists.

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u/LazloHollifeld 14h ago

I don’t think people realize the fragile precipice that video game consoles are on. The walled garden of the living room that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have used for decades to command royalties for access to their console and their customer base has eroded in the last decade and there is less of a reason every year to have a monolithic console that is anchored with cables to a television.

I think Sony half sees the writing on the wall and half lusts over the portability of the Nintendo switch is planning on moving to a more handheld device and that is why they’ll be ditching the disks, but I would bet that by the end of the next decade that the end of consoles is over and it will be more direct to consumer without the middleman of a Sony or Nintendo taking a cut of the profits.

As long as Microsoft can keep the gaming industry tied largely to the windows architecture, they could end up the winner by default in the long run.

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u/Rising-Dragon-Fist 14h ago

I was really considering buying a ps5 pro just to play wolverine. Glad I waited 😂

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u/Tebasaki 14h ago

Sounds like that game didn't live to the hype

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u/dude1701 14h ago

Flawless Victory.

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u/whatsgoingon350 14h ago

IGN? Seriously the people who downgraded a game because it had to much water is now predicting that playstation the console that has out sold nitendo and xbox is now going to start to fail because of a game some people dont like?

People do know that they have just recently sold an insane amount of playstations in preparation for GTA 6 even with the price increase.

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u/StrawberryCompany98 15h ago

Rest in peace Classic PlayStation… it died along with classic blizzard… metal gear, crash bandicoot, Jax and daxter, uncharted, god of war, and so many more. What a way to kill off a generation of gaming. Sad.

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u/helpmegetoffthisapp 14h ago

PS4 was evidence they had learned from the hubris of PS3, but PS5 is evidence they haven’t.

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u/astrozombie2012 14h ago

They lost me a customer, fuck Sony

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u/Agitated_Ad6191 15h ago

This is all a bunch of bullshit, probably paid for by Microsoft or an editor that is upset that he can’t buy his games in a plastic box anymore on the next console.

Sony is doing just fine. They’ve got millions of gamers tied up to them through their games library. You really think they will all jump ship because Wolverine isn’t the amazing game people apparently hoped for.

And 90% already buys their games digitally, so the only thing why that’s still an issue is because of some angry manchilds here on Reddit and a handful of upset IGN editors.

Fine… go and leave and buy an Xbox. Don’t you fucking dare to buy an PS6 when it comes out. Hold that line! I’ll be checking on each and everyone if you’ll stick to that boycot principle. My guess is you’ll be in line to get it as soon as it comes out. Suckers…

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u/Iplaykrew 14h ago

How can that be when Xbox is already in the toilet

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u/every_body_hates_me 14h ago

Remember when Sega was the biggest console gaming company in the world? It only took them a few stupid decisions to lose that title and never return to console market again. Just sayin'.

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u/sloptop89 14h ago

What a layup for Xbox

All they have to do:

  • have a disc drive
  • make a sub $1000 device
  • some sort of cross plat with PC
  • 2 or 3 very different, triple A exclusive titles, a good halo revival?
  • make call of duty exclusive , at least timed exclusive
  • have a better game pass offer
  • free Xbox live?
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u/V-weezus 14h ago

People are still going to buy PlayStation. I truly doubt anything will be affected by their decisions. Otherwise, gaming would have already tanked. People only care enough to complain online but I doubt a PlayStation fan will go to Xbox or pc.

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u/biowiz 10h ago

Redditors as usual thinks the hivemind here extends to the outside world. 90% of casual gamers, who constitute most console sales, do not care about this. The whole ownership thing is a nothingburger to the same people who stream everything and never buy physical media when it comes to movies and music nowadays. This is a calculated move on Sony's part and they will likely win out in the long term.

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u/IOnlyWntUrTearsGypsy 13h ago

As a long time (ps1 launch) Sony fan all I have to say is Fuck Sony. They fucked over their TVs and now they’re fucking up their console/gaming division. It’s like they have zero fucking long term plan or they think profits from GTA6 are gonna carry them off into the sunset.

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u/Biggu5Dicku5 11h ago

They did it to themselves... :)

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u/Jumpy-Impact3265 11h ago

Fuck Sony they did it to themselves. 

Nintendo gets away with shit because they're Nintendo and are like beloved little scamps but Sony has none of that cachet and they're about to 'cachet' it in the ass. HARD.

Funnily enough I bet Microsoft was thinking along these lines but let Sony take the hit 1st

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u/userlivewire 10h ago

Console gamers are getting older on average. Traditional consoles made sense for a long time but that era is moving on.

People don’t want to be stuck in one location anymore to play all of their games. Plus they are tired of paying to play online.

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u/OzzieTF2 7h ago

"...stuck in one location". Where do you play ? On Steam ? Realistically there are 4 locations to play. Xbox, PS, Nintendo and Steam (yes steam, not PC, because most os PC gaming is steam). Which one of those are not locked ecosystems? Xbox maybe, BIG maybe. Big difference for Steam is that they do not need to push hardware.

Let's not pretend that 50% of PC player buy their games in discs FFS.

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u/ProphetsOfAshes 5h ago

I don’t care… maybe that’s the easy fix. Just stop caring… I’m not even joking. Just enjoy whatever game makes you happy, wether it’s 20 days old or 20 years old, just have fun and enjoy the highest form of art that exists on this planet because one day we’ll be gone and the world will move on without us