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Analyzing PlayStation's Exclusive Software Output

5-6 average games going against Starfield and Halo Infinite isn't enough for 2021.

They need God of War too if they wanna compete, along with Horizon.
This the mentality of a fanboy, like for real. Competition's game = average games, need more to compete. My teams games = great, no question... god you guys are amazing. None of you know, fanboys love doing this mental gymnastics :messenger_tears_of_joy: This is what happens, you're always stuck comparing, always wanting your "side" to have the upper hand. Never being satisfied, or happy, with just being "happy" with a game... it's not enough. It has to be "better" than the other side... 🤦‍♂️
 
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ZehDon

Member
Oh, I absolutely did read your post, although I probably should not have given how baseless it was with that "Sony Game Formula®" utter nonsense.

You talk about "smaller titles" and "smaller impact" - what exactly do you think those strategy, turn based, horror, and RPG games you referenced are? They are exactly the same as Returnal, Demons Souls, Sack Boy, Astro, etc. Smaller budget games but with good production values. The only reason some of these games are looked over in list wars is simply due to how good Sony is at elite AAA development.
Smaller titles refers to smaller budget games - AA titles, like Astro and Sackboy. Demon's Souls was a AAA game, sold as a AAA game (AUD$125.00). Returnal could be described as AA, however its clearly trying to launch its developer into the AAA space, and Sony has presented it as much (AUD$125.00). Smaller impact titles was a kind way to describe Dreams; I think its great, but fingers crossed it finds its audience on PC because it didn't exactly find it on consoles. So, as a result of your misunderstanding, you're comparing Microsoft's games that don't fit the Sony Game Formula - games like Fable, Halo Wars, Gears Tactics, Starfield, Age of Empires IV, Doom - to Astro Bot and wondering why reality isn't lining up. Sony makes a very particular type of game, Microsoft makes many different types of games. The former may appeal to you, but the latter appeals more to me - and this is my opinion on why the OP has encountered people saying "Sony needs more exclusives".
 
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Smaller titles refers to smaller budget games - AA titles, like Astro and Sackboy. Demon's Souls was a AAA game, sold as a AAA game (AUD$125.00). Returnal could be described as AA, however its clearly trying to launch its developer into the AAA space, and Sony has presented it as much (AUD$125.00). Smaller impact titles was a kind way to describe Dreams; I think its great, but fingers crossed it finds its audience on PC because it didn't exactly find it on consoles. So, as a result of your misunderstanding, you're comparing Microsoft's games that don't fit the Sony Game Formula - games like Fable, Halo Wars, Gears Tactics, Starfield, Age of Empires IV, Doom - to Astro Bot and wondering why reality isn't lining up. Sony makes a very particular type of game, Microsoft makes many different types of games. The former may appeal to you, but the latter appeals more to me - and this is my opinion on why the OP has encountered people saying "Sony needs more exclusives".

Fable = We haven't seen anything of this game yet, so it's too early to tell what it is going to even be. If it features a big open world, combat, and walking a lot...does it become part of the same Sony Game Formula®?

Starfield = see Fable comment above.

Halo Wars = smaller title

Gears Tactics = smaller title

Age of Empires IV = smaller title

Doom = an FPS? How is this anything truly unique. Not throwing shade at the quality or anything, but this fits the mold of many other titles, but with its own twist.

Sony doesn't make a particular type of game. They make many games in many different genres. Just because they aren't games in genres you are apparently interested in, doesn't mean they all fit the same mold. Calling them "smaller titles" is somehow discounting them when the vast majority of your list is smaller in nature, and many of the big titles you listed are complete unknowns and may in fact be pretty derivative of what we've already seen before.

Go further down the indie list and Sony has plenty of mid-AA tier stuff in the pipeline.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Kind of a false premise there, OP; the issue isn't the number of exclusives, the issue is what those exclusives are. Over the course of the last generation, virtual every major Sony studio moved towards homogenisation of concepts: cinematic third person action adventure games with open-world-RPG elements. This gave rise to the Sony Game Formula®, which while mocked for its one-note delivery (hold forward -> cut scene -> static action set piece -> cutscene -> forced walking segment to listen to dialog -> cutscene), has certainly proven successful for Sony and enjoyable for gamers. But, much like myself having grown tired of the Ubisoft Game Formula®, the Sony Game Formula® has largely run its course for me, and I want to see what else these developers can do. With the PS5, virtually every major Sony exclusive is a cinematic third person action adventure game with open-world-RPG elements, with games like Gran Turismo notably standing out in the line up. Over in the green team, Microsoft are at least trying to deliver some diversity in its content: turn based tactics games, FPS games, strategy games, third person horror games, RPGs - there's a breadth of content that appeals to be much more than the Sony Game Formula® currently does. Sony hasn't taken steps to address this, and doesn't appear to want to. And that's fine: it's a strategy that worked for the PS4, I'm sure they'll see great success with the PS5. But it's a strategy that no longer really appeals to me - and it's clear I'm not really alone in this opinion.
But don't all companies use their specialized tools and efficiencies to create similar types of games?

Activision makes FPS, Ubisoft makes open-world GaaS RPGs now, Sony makes third-person cinematic AAAs, Xbox makes first-person RPGs and shooters, CDPR makes big open-world RPGs, EA makes sports games and shooters.

Having said that, Sony actually does have a lot more variety: in terms of scope as well as genres. For example, Astrobot, Sackboy, Returnal, Demon's Souls, Dreams, Concrete Genie, etc.

Returnal is a rogue-like, Demon's Souls is a souls-like game, Astrobot and Sackboy are platformers. Dreams is well ... Dreams. It's so unique it is hard to explain. Gran Turismo is a car racing simulator.
 

SSfox

Member
Fable = We haven't seen anything of this game yet, so it's too early to tell what it is going to even be. If it features a big open world, combat, and walking a lot...does it become part of the same Sony Game Formula®?

Starfield = see Fable comment above.

Halo Wars = smaller title

Gears Tactics = smaller title

Age of Empires IV = smaller title

Doom = an FPS? How is this anything truly unique. Not throwing shade at the quality or anything, but this fits the mold of many other titles, but with its own twist.

Sony doesn't make a particular type of game. They make many games in many different genres. Just because they aren't games in genres you are apparently interested in, doesn't mean they all fit the same mold. Calling them "smaller titles" is somehow discounting them when the vast majority of your list is smaller in nature, and many of the big titles you listed are complete unknowns and may in fact be pretty derivative of what we've already seen before.

Go further down the indie list and Sony has plenty of mid-AA tier stuff in the pipeline.

Even without counting Sony games, FF16 alone is much more important to me than all Xbox games combined.
 

Hobbygaming

has been asked to post in 'Grounded' mode.
Dreams, Astros Playroom and Sackboy are all smaller titles - or at least, with smaller impact. The latter two are made by smaller developers, one of which is included as "smaller games" in the OP. My post specifically addresses "major Sony studios". Returnal and Demons Souls are both third person action adventure games with open world RPG elements.

Might I suggest reading a post before responding to it. It makes for better discussions.
I was just thinking about how much Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart looks like Returnal /s
 

ZehDon

Member
But don't all companies use their specialized tools and efficiencies to create similar types of games?

Activision makes FPS, Ubisoft makes open-world GaaS RPGs now, Sony makes third-person cinematic AAAs, Xbox makes first-person RPGs and shooters, CDPR makes big open-world RPGs, EA makes sports games and shooters.

Having said that, Sony actually does have a lot more variety: in terms of scope as well as genres. For example, Astrobot, Sackboy, Returnal, Demon's Souls, Dreams, Concrete Genie, etc.

Returnal is a rogue-like, Demon's Souls is a souls-like game, Astrobot and Sackboy are platformers. Dreams is well ... Dreams. It's so unique it is hard to explain. Gran Turismo is a car racing simulator.
To a degree, but I feel you're over-simplifying. Sony makes mostly third person action adventure games, with a few notable exceptions, like Gran Turismo. Microsoft make FPSs, but they also make TPS, TPRPGs, FPRPGs, Racing games, strategy games, and so on. Microsoft's "core franchises" is a comparatively diverse genre line up, while I feel that Sony's are almost exclusively third person action adventure games with open-world RPG elements. It's made them rich, but it's almost made me less interested in the line up. Sony used to make other games as well that made fall in love with PlayStation, but over time, they've basically stopped. They don't make First Person Shooters at all any more, for example, and I can't recall the last strategy game they made.

Returnal is a third person action adventure game with rogue-like elements.
Demon's Souls is a third person action adventure game in the souls-bourne style.
Spider-man is an open-world cinematic third person action adventure game.
The Last of Us is a cinematic third person action adventure game with stealth elements.
Ratchet and Clank is a third person action adventure game with platform and arcade shooter elements.

They're all different, agreed, but if, like me, you've kinda had your fill of third person action adventure games - especially those with lots of cut scenes - Sony's line up isn't all that appealing right now. Microsoft at least have something else on offer that they're happy to put some money into - perhaps because they learned their lesson after an entire generation of "Halo, Forza, Fable, Gears". If someone says "Sony needs more exclusives", I feel that's what they're talking about, rather than a pure numbers game. In terms of raw numbers, Sony's been delivering the goods since the second half of the PS3 generation. But since then, I feel that the breadth of experiences they're interested in making has slowly dwindled.
 

Gaelyon

Gold Member
So Dreams, Concrete Genie, Sackboys, Astro, Gran Turismo, Gravity Rush, Returnal, Destruction all Star... the same type of game than God of War ? I guess Mario Odyssey and Zelda BotW are the same too, after all it's both third person.
Either it's "small games" that doesn't count, or it's a game with a third person view = sony formula ? Well you don't have card games, simulation games or RTS/tactics games, Sony doesn't try to cover every genre, but dismissing any game with third person/some kind of shooting/exploring (at least 50% of all consoles games) as one genre formula is really a myopic view.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
To a degree, but I feel you're over-simplifying. Sony makes mostly third person action adventure games, with a few notable exceptions, like Gran Turismo. Microsoft make FPSs, but they also make TPS, TPRPGs, FPRPGs, Racing games, strategy games, and so on. Microsoft's "core franchises" is a comparatively diverse genre line up, while I feel that Sony's are almost exclusively third person action adventure games with open-world RPG elements. It's made them rich, but it's almost made me less interested in the line up. Sony used to make other games as well that made fall in love with PlayStation, but over time, they've basically stopped. They don't make First Person Shooters at all any more, for example, and I can't recall the last strategy game they made.

Returnal is a third person action adventure game with rogue-like elements.
Demon's Souls is a third person action adventure game in the souls-bourne style.
Spider-man is an open-world cinematic third person action adventure game.
The Last of Us is a cinematic third person action adventure game with stealth elements.
Ratchet and Clank is a third person action adventure game with platform and arcade shooter elements.

They're all different, agreed, but if, like me, you've kinda had your fill of third person action adventure games - especially those with lots of cut scenes - Sony's line up isn't all that appealing right now. Microsoft at least have something else on offer that they're happy to put some money into - perhaps because they learned their lesson after an entire generation of "Halo, Forza, Fable, Gears". If someone says "Sony needs more exclusives", I feel that's what they're talking about, rather than a pure numbers game. In terms of raw numbers, Sony's been delivering the goods since the second half of the PS3 generation. But since then, I feel that the breadth of experiences they're interested in making has slowly dwindled.
If you compare it with XGS games, of course there will be some differences, because no two companies can create games in each genre as the other company.

For example, someone can say that Xbox is only creating FPS RPGs and shooters and doesn't have any game like Destruction All Stars (arcade vehicle destruction) or Astrobot (platformer) or Returnal (roguelike) or Spider-Man/InFamous (superhero). Just like you're saying that Sony does not have an FPS or RTS.

It goes both ways.
 

ZehDon

Member
If you compare it with XGS games, of course there will be some differences, because no two companies can create games in each genre as the other company.

For example, someone can say that Xbox is only creating FPS RPGs and shooters and doesn't have any game like Destruction All Stars (arcade vehicle destruction) or Astrobot (platformer) or Returnal (roguelike) or Spider-Man/InFamous (superhero). Just like you're saying that Sony does not have an FPS or RTS.

It goes both ways.
It does go both ways... but you're comparing individual games for near-identical counterparts; I'm talking about entire genres.

For example, if someone said Microsoft is only creating FPS RPGs and FPSs then they're wrong and it's easily demonstrable: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Gears of War, Fable, Forza Motorsport, Age of Empires - these are major franchises with long legacies and big budgets, and they're all very different. Microsoft doesn't have a big exclusive super hero game, sure, can't really argue with that because its true. However, Sony doesn't have a single first person shooter of any kind in its line up. It doesn't have a single role playing game, not a single strategy game. If you don't like third person action adventure games with open world RPG elements the message seems to be don't bother buying a PlayStation because Sony has different flavours of that... and Gran Turismo. It just feels like a far cry from the PS1 and PS2 days where we were getting some new, weird, crazy, and fun every other month, and now we're just down to variations on a theme.

... dismissing any game with third person/some kind of shooting/exploring (at least 50% of all consoles games) as one genre formula is really a myopic view.
Hmmm, if only I'd said this:
... They're all different, agreed, but if, like me, you've kinda had your fill of third person action adventure games - especially those with lots of cut scenes - Sony's line up isn't all that appealing right now...
... in an earlier post. Thanks for commenting without reading. Similar to folks being done in by the open world formula and open world games at large, I can only play so many third person action adventure games with open world RPG elements before I want something else.
 
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Banjo64

cumsessed
If you compare it with XGS games, of course there will be some differences, because no two companies can create games in each genre as the other company.

For example, someone can say that Xbox is only creating FPS RPGs and shooters and doesn't have any game like Destruction All Stars (arcade vehicle destruction) or Astrobot (platformer) or Returnal (roguelike) or Spider-Man/InFamous (superhero). Just like you're saying that Sony does not have an FPS or RTS.

It goes both ways.
Woah woah woah

psychonauts-2-delay.png
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
Not really made by XGS and is a multiplatform game that's also releasing on PlayStation :)

In that case, Sony can include Divinity, PoE, Call of Duty, Battlefield, and the argument is over 😉

How are Double Fine not part of Xbox Game Studios? Are Insomniac not part of Sony?

None of those games are made by a first party studio, so you’ve lost me.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
How are Double Fine not part of Xbox Game Studios? Are Insomniac not part of Sony?

None of those games are made by a first party studio, so you’ve lost me.
When did I say that?

I said: (1) This game is not made by Xbox, and (2) It's a multiplatform game also coming to PlayStation. Both are facts.
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
When did I say that?

I said: (1) This game is not made by Xbox, and (2) It's a multiplatform game also coming to PlayStation. Both are facts.
Why is the game not made by Xbox?

Xbox aquired Double Fine before Sony aquired Insomniac; so If that’s your view would you also agree that Miles Morales and Rift Apart aren’t made by Sony?

Seems a bizarre take.

Just because it’s releasing on PS4 doesn’t mean it’s not developed by Xbox, just like MLB was still developed by Sony despite releasing on Xbox.
 
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MOTM

Banned
Why is the game not made by Xbox?

Xbox aquired Double Fine before Sony aquired Insomniac; so If that’s your view would you also agree that Miles Morales and Rift Apart aren’t made by Sony?

Seems a bizarre take.

Just because it’s releasing on PS4 doesn’t mean it’s not developed by Xbox, just like MLB was still developed by Sony despite releasing on Xbox.
Lol watch him come back with the most bizarre twisted take to make sense of this 😂
 

FranXico

Member
Why is the game not made by Xbox?

Xbox aquired Double Fine before Sony aquired Insomniac; so If that’s your view would you also agree that Miles Morales and Rift Apart aren’t made by Sony?

Seems a bizarre take.

Just because it’s releasing on PS4 doesn’t mean it’s not developed by Xbox, just like MLB was still developed by Sony despite releasing on Xbox.
What's bizarre is talking about a multiplatform game that was in active development by a studio long before MS bought them, and retroactively credit XGS for it.
It's like claiming Microsoft invented Minecraft.
 
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Gaelyon

Gold Member
It does go both ways... but you're comparing individual games for near-identical counterparts; I'm talking about entire genres.

For example, if someone said Microsoft is only creating FPS RPGs and FPSs then they're wrong and it's easily demonstrable: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Gears of War, Fable, Forza Motorsport, Age of Empires - these are major franchises with long legacies and big budgets, and they're all very different. Microsoft doesn't have a big exclusive super hero game, sure, can't really argue with that because its true. However, Sony doesn't have a single first person shooter of any kind in its line up. It doesn't have a single role playing game, not a single strategy game. If you don't like third person action adventure games with open world RPG elements the message seems to be don't bother buying a PlayStation because Sony has different flavours of that... and Gran Turismo. It just feels like a far cry from the PS1 and PS2 days where we were getting some new, weird, crazy, and fun every other month, and now we're just down to variations on a theme.


Hmmm, if only I'd said this:

... in an earlier post. Thanks for commenting without reading. Similar to folks being done in by the open world formula and open world games at large, I can only play so many third person action adventure games with open world RPG elements before I want something else.

There's tons of FPS, RPG or SG on the PS store, they're just not made by Sony. Remember the 4k+ games on PS4 ? Sony exclusives are about 1% of it. Of course that's the same on xbox... Now if you don't like PS exclusive games because you think they're all samey, well that's ok, but really how many more FPS or SRPG for instance has xbox compared to PS, when 99% of the stores are identical ?
If Sony exclusives have no appeal to you then Xbox is obviously the right choice for you, no contest here.
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
What's bizarre is talking about a game that was in active development by a studio long before MS bought them, and retroactively credit XGS for it.
It's like claiming Microsoft invented Minecraft.
Nice contribution, that’s exactly the same thing.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Why is the game not made by Xbox?

Xbox aquired Double Fine before Sony aquired Insomniac; so If that’s your view would you also agree that Miles Morales and Rift Apart aren’t made by Sony?

Seems a bizarre take.

Just because it’s releasing on PS4 doesn’t mean it’s not developed by Xbox, just like MLB was still developed by Sony despite releasing on Xbox.
I honestly don't understand your argument here. And what does any of this have to do with Sony and Insomniac? I honestly don't understand.
  • Double Fine is making Psychonauts 2.
  • They thought of the concept, secured funding, started development as an independent company. Xbox wasn't involved in any capacity whatsoever.
  • It's a multiplatform game, not an exclusive.
It seems like you're deliberately mixing two completely different scenarios here.
  • Ratchet & Clank was always a Sony IP, even before Sony acquired Insomniac. Sony could ask any developer to work on that. It was their property. Psychonauts was not an Xbox IP.
  • Sony outsourced Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart to Insomniac to make it a PS5 exclusive game. Psychonauts 2 is not an Xbox exclusive game because it wasn't theirs.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a much better comparison with Ratchet & Clank. Both IPs are owned by MS and Sony respectively. They hired a studio to make those games as exclusives. If one day Xbox acquires Asobo, nothing will change. But that's not what's happening here with Psychonauts 2.
 
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Banjo64

cumsessed
I honestly don't understand your argument here. And what does any of this have to do with Sony and Insomniac? I honestly don't understand.
  • Double Fine is making Psychonauts 2.
  • They thought of the concept, secured funding, started development as an independent company. Xbox wasn't involved in any capacity whatsoever.
  • It's a multiplatform game, not an exclusive.
It seems like you're deliberately mixing two completely different scenarios here.
  • Ratchet & Clank was always a Sony IP, even before Sony acquired Insomniac. Sony could ask any developer to work on that. It was their property. Psychonauts was not an Xbox IP.
  • Sony outsourced Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart to Insomniac to make it a PS5 exclusive game. Psychonauts 2 is not an Xbox exclusive game because it wasn't theirs.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a much better comparison with Ratchet & Clank. Both IPs are owned by MS and Sony respectively. They hired a studio to make those games as exclusives. If one day Xbox acquires Asobo, nothing will change. But that's not what's happening here was Psychonauts 2.
My point is that you said Xbox aren’t developing a platformer, they are, case closed :messenger_tears_of_joy: Your essay doesn’t change that.
Lol watch him come back with the most bizarre twisted take to make sense of this 😂
Yeah you were right about that brother. Somehow I suspected Insomniac would be different to Double Fine :messenger_tears_of_joy::messenger_tears_of_joy:
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
My point is that you said Xbox aren’t developing a platformer, they are, case closed :messenger_tears_of_joy: Your essay doesn’t change that.

Yeah you were right about that brother. Somehow I suspected Insomniac would be different to Double Fine :messenger_tears_of_joy::messenger_tears_of_joy:
They are not. It was Double Fine who was making Psychonauts 2. Xbox just acquired the company when the game was almost finished.

You're making extra efforts to attribute prior games to XGS. Next week you'll be saying that Skyrim was made by Xbox.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
My point is that you said Xbox aren’t developing a platformer, they are, case closed :messenger_tears_of_joy: Your essay doesn’t change that.

Yeah you were right about that brother. Somehow I suspected Insomniac would be different to Double Fine :messenger_tears_of_joy::messenger_tears_of_joy:
Besides, we were talking about different types of games that are exclusively available on Xbox and PS. Psychonauts 2 isn't that game.

If we were talking about multiplatform games, there was no argument, as games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, etc. are already available on PlayStation and would nullify that argument that PlayStation does not have FPS games.
 

ZywyPL

Banned
Sony makes a very particular type of game, Microsoft makes many different types of games.

I said it recently that the PS4/XB1 gen was the period where both companies basically swapped their output - up until previous gen started, MS used to be the console with dude-bro shooters and pretty much nothing else, whereas Sony was the companies that was associated with a broad variety of content, and today it's Sony who's focused solely on one type of games (TPP story-driven titles), and MS covering all sorts of genres. But hey, this gen has just began, let's see how it pans out in 3-4 years from today, maybe something will change.
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
They are not. It was Double Fine who was making Psychonauts 2. Xbox just acquired the company when the game was almost finished.

You're making extra efforts to attribute prior games to XGS. Next week you'll be saying that Skyrim was made by Xbox.
You’re just talking about things that you really don’t have any clue about.

Tim Schafer has an interview on YouTube with IGN’s Unlocked, where he details how after crowdfunding for Psychonauts 2, their publisher was in deep financial shit. Double Fine approached Microsoft to discuss additional funding in order to avoid cancelling parts of the game and having to rush it out. Tim Schafer literally explicitly states this.

MS had pre-existing ties to Double Fine and Psychonauts, as they held the publishing rights to the first game prior to its release.

The game wasn’t ‘almost finished’ otherwise we wouldn’t be sat here 2 years after the acquisition without a release date.
 

ZehDon

Member
There's tons of FPS, RPG or SG on the PS store, they're just not made by Sony. Remember the 4k+ games on PS4 ? Sony exclusives are about 1% of it. Of course that's the same on xbox... Now if you don't like PS exclusive games because you think they're all samey, well that's ok, but really how many more FPS or SRPG for instance has xbox compared to PS, when 99% of the stores are identical ?
If Sony exclusives have no appeal to you then Xbox is obviously the right choice for you, no contest here.
Let me see if I've understood you here.... in a thread titled "Analyzing PlayStation's Exclusive Software Output", and in response to a post stating that PlayStation's Exclusive Software Output lacks genre diversity for an individual's tastes, your response to this statement is to point to games that aren't made by Sony and aren't exclusive to PlayStation as a positive? To make this response, you state that, if an individual is after after more interesting games, we should look into games that are available everywhere else? Friend... I sure hope you don't work in marketing :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
If we were to make a completely unpadded, big dick AAA Sony Studio made exclusive list for the PS4, these are the games:

1. TLOU2
2. GoW
3. Spiderman
4. Horizon
5. UC4
6. GoT

With regards to design, these games all follow a common and basic formula, there's no denying that.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
If we were to make a completely unpadded, big dick AAA Sony Studio made exclusive list for the PS4, these are the games:

1. TLOU2
2. GoW
3. Spiderman
4. Horizon
5. UC4
6. GoT

With regards to design, these games all follow a common and basic formula, there's no denying that.

1. TLOU2 -- Stealth game | post-apocalyptic zombies setting.
2. GoW -- Hack and Slash | fantasy world setting.
3. Spiderman -- Superhero game | Real-world setting.
4. Horizon -- Open world light RPG with archery | Sci fi setting.
5. UC4 -- Linear action cinematic game with guns and tomb raiding | Real-world + fantasy elements
6. GoT -- Open world Samurai game | Historical setting.

You also did not include Gran Turismo, Astrobot, Ratchet & Clank, Killzone, etc.
 
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1. TLOU2 -- Stealth game | post-apocalyptic zombies setting.
2. GoW -- Hack and Slash | fantasy world setting.
3. Spiderman -- Superhero game | Real-world setting.
4. Horizon -- Open world light RPG with archery | Sci fi setting.
5. UC4 -- Linear action cinematic game with guns and tomb raiding | Real-world + fantasy elements
6. GoT -- Open world Samurai game | Historical setting.

You also did not include Gran Turismo, Astrobot, Ratchet & Clank, Killzone, etc.
Or to sum it up, 3rd person action games with varying settings.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Or to sum it up, 3rd person action games with varying settings.
3rd person is a camera; it's not a genre lol. And every game has some sort of action unless it's a simulation. Those that don't have much action are dubbed as "walking simulators". And Sony has done those as well, e.g., Death Stranding.

By this logic, all Bethesda games are the same:
  • Fallout: first-person action game.
  • Skyrim: first-person action game.
  • Rage: first-person action game.
  • Starfield: first-person action game.
  • Dishonored: first-person action game.
  • Doom: first-person action game.
Doesn't sound right, does it?
 
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3rd person is a camera; it's not a genre lol. And every game has some sort of action unless it's a simulation. Those that don't have much action are dubbed as "walking simulators". And Sony has done those as well, e.g., Death Stranding.

By this logic, all Bethesda games are the same:
  • Fallout: first-person action game.
  • Skyrim: first-person action game.
  • Rage: first-person action game.
  • Starfield: first-person action game.
  • Dishonored: first-person action game.
Doesn't sound right, does it?
Fallout, Skyrim and presumably Starfield are ARPGs, Rage is a first person shooter and Dishonored is a stealth game.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Fallout, Skyrim and presumably Starfield are ARPGs, Rage is a first person shooter and Dishonored is a stealth game.
Right? Just like:

1. TLOU2 -- Stealth game | post-apocalyptic zombies setting.
2. GoW -- Hack and Slash | fantasy world setting.
3. Spiderman -- Superhero game | Real-world setting.
4. Horizon -- Open world light RPG with archery | Sci fi setting.
5. UC4 -- Linear action cinematic game with guns and tomb raiding | Real-world + fantasy elements
6. GoT -- Open world Samurai game | Historical setting.
 
If we were to make a completely unpadded, big dick AAA Sony Studio made exclusive list for the PS4, these are the games:

1. TLOU2
2. GoW
3. Spiderman
4. Horizon
5. UC4
6. GoT

With regards to design, these games all follow a common and basic formula, there's no denying that.

yeah the common thread amongst all these games is they are GOTY quality bangers

maybe Sony should start making crappier games for more diversity
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Even without counting Sony games, FF16 alone is much more important to me than all Xbox games combined.
Nah FF16 is on par with Star Citizen.

WRPGs in general are far more popular than JRPGs. Even big ones like FF. Skyrim sold millions more than any FF game, and Star Citizen is going to be bigger than Fallout and Skyrim combined. THere is a massive market for SciFi WRPGs.

I would also not dismiss Halo Infinite despite the poor reception to the reveal. It has nearly a 1000 devs working on it. It's been in dev for 6 years. it's too big to fail. I think it will be a GOTY contender. They seem to have a bit too ambitious with it which caused a bunch of issues, but that doesnt mean the game wont deliver. See Uncharted 4 and TLOU2, both of which had troubled development, but were still big GOTY winners in their years.

The worst thing about Gears 4, 5 and Halo 5 is that they felt too familiar, were too mediocre and safe. Halo Infinite is anything but safe. Even if it doesnt hit all the notes, they change in formula alone will win it some praise.

If MS can get Infinite and Star Citizen out this year, it would be a massive get. I am expecting Star Citizen to be a seminal title. It will blow people away, and Infinite could be a very solid AAA entry as well.

I dont think anyone is stopping this Sony train though. Star Citizen would be a big indicator if it manages to make Xbox THE go to platform of choice this holiday season.
 
Nah FF16 is on par with Star Citizen.

WRPGs in general are far more popular than JRPGs. Even big ones like FF. Skyrim sold millions more than any FF game, and Star Citizen is going to be bigger than Fallout and Skyrim combined. THere is a massive market for SciFi WRPGs.

I would also not dismiss Halo Infinite despite the poor reception to the reveal. It has nearly a 1000 devs working on it. It's been in dev for 6 years. it's too big to fail. I think it will be a GOTY contender. They seem to have a bit too ambitious with it which caused a bunch of issues, but that doesnt mean the game wont deliver. See Uncharted 4 and TLOU2, both of which had troubled development, but were still big GOTY winners in their years.

The worst thing about Gears 4, 5 and Halo 5 is that they felt too familiar, were too mediocre and safe. Halo Infinite is anything but safe. Even if it doesnt hit all the notes, they change in formula alone will win it some praise.

If MS can get Infinite and Star Citizen out this year, it would be a massive get. I am expecting Star Citizen to be a seminal title. It will blow people away, and Infinite could be a very solid AAA entry as well.

I dont think anyone is stopping this Sony train though. Star Citizen would be a big indicator if it manages to make Xbox THE go to platform of choice this holiday season.

lots of ifs

I want Halo and Starfield to be spectacular, but based on recent output from Bethesda and 343, I’m not convinced.

we even have reports from ex-343 staff indicating major problems with the studio and not to expect anything too amazing.

while halo is too big to fail, that doesn’t mean it will be GOTY quality. It could merely be just good. Based upon what we saw last year, it would take a massive overhaul of the title to make it higher quality than it actually is.

as for starfield, Bethesda games generally have good trailers but the gameplay and production values tend to be lacking. I expect a last gen looking and playing game.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
lots of ifs

I want Halo and Starfield to be spectacular, but based on recent output from Bethesda and 343, I’m not convinced.

we even have reports from ex-343 staff indicating major problems with the studio and not to expect anything too amazing.

while halo is too big to fail, that doesn’t mean it will be GOTY quality. It could merely be just good. Based upon what we saw last year, it would take a massive overhaul of the title to make it higher quality than it actually is.

as for starfield, Bethesda games generally have good trailers but the gameplay and production values tend to be lacking. I expect a last gen looking and playing game.
Didnt Todd Howard announce both Star Citizen and Elder Scrolls as next gen games? If it looks current gen then its going land with a thud.
 
Didnt Todd Howard announce both Star Citizen and Elder Scrolls as next gen games? If it looks current gen then its going land with a thud.

He's said they're using next gen tech, whatever that means

Todd has alluded to possibility that Starfield could be cross-gen. Elder Scrolls will probs be next-gen given it's so far out
 
It does go both ways... but you're comparing individual games for near-identical counterparts; I'm talking about entire genres.

For example, if someone said Microsoft is only creating FPS RPGs and FPSs then they're wrong and it's easily demonstrable: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Gears of War, Fable, Forza Motorsport, Age of Empires - these are major franchises with long legacies and big budgets, and they're all very different. Microsoft doesn't have a big exclusive super hero game, sure, can't really argue with that because its true. However, Sony doesn't have a single first person shooter of any kind in its line up. It doesn't have a single role playing game, not a single strategy game. If you don't like third person action adventure games with open world RPG elements the message seems to be don't bother buying a PlayStation because Sony has different flavours of that... and Gran Turismo. It just feels like a far cry from the PS1 and PS2 days where we were getting some new, weird, crazy, and fun every other month, and now we're just down to variations on a theme.
No doubt Sony has the monopoly on single player, story driven, third person games. They don't have much for variety outside of those major components and I have not seen a fantastic multiplayer game from them in a long time. If you are big on playing alone they have you covered in spades. If you want to play with your friends...well I guess you can always do that video share thing to watch your friends play alone.
 
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