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[BacklashWave534]

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That's not true. Every company is competing for your time. From social media apps like Tiktok and Youtube, subscription services like Netflix and HBO, PC gaming on Steam or Epic, and digital gaming platforms like Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft.

Any smart company will adapt to the market and consumer trends. For example Playstation didnt come out PSVR, or the PS Portal to try and innovate. They created them because that was what their data and research showed where consumer interest was heading.

Ive read that Sony has been preparing to ditch physical games for a year so they could repurpose their factories to supply AI image sensors in partnership with TSMC. That decision has very little to do with a lack of competition from Xbox, and more about a hardware company adapting to meet the demand of AI with B2B sales like Nvidia and others. They'd still do it even if Xbox was more competitive because it's where they could make the most money.

This is a really poor argument. We are discussing direct competition and as of now Sony has none in the console space. They are in a position to say take it or leave it and people really have no choice. I doubt someone who wants to play GTA 6 is going to substitute the game for some time on Tiktok.

 

[Larxia]

The most ironic thing to me is that what Sony is doing is EXACTLY what Xbox tried to do back in 2013.

- When they presented the Xbox One, it was trying to kill physical, can't share / sell your game, forced online connection for games, full DRM etc...
- Everyone hated it, Sony even made fun of it with their "how to share a game on ps4" clip, and Xbox backed down from these decisions.
- Sony appeared as the hero saving gaming, BUT, they used this moment as an opportunity to silently make online paid, so it would pass easier.
- Over a decade later, it's paid online, only digital, all connected, everything that Xbox was trying to do and seemed ridiculous back then, is now done by Sony.

And somehow, most people are accepting it, I'm sure some people who actually thought Xbox was crazy back then.

People adapt to terrible things over time. Same story as DLCs. I remember when people were outraged when DLCs were released soon after a game launch, or day one. Now people find it normal to be able to pre order Season Passes a year before a game launch.

 

[I Love Rock 'n' Roll]

 

[ABnormal]

The guys that took over after the PS4 management left, simply are clueless about the whole thing. They have no idea of what gamers want and feel, they just chase trends, and they have no clear vision about the direction to take.
Let's just hope a totally new management come out, made of old gamers and developers, not suits.

 

[CamHostage]

I didn't read the OT yet, but I assume this is about how a GAF user could start a topic not knowing that there's already a massive post already about the thing they want to talk about ..?

 

[RAIDEN1]

Yeah and these companies are run by intelligent, yet completely retarded people. They know what they are doing and see the outcome of their actions, at least for their own gain. But they cannot anticipate what this will do to the brand or the reputation because in the end I think they just don't care. They are not able to reflect on these things, let alone their own feelings and humanity.
There is a bottom line for them, profit... And that is put before everything else. That's why they can easily be hijacked for social engineering and manipulative purposes as the useful idiots they are.

This comment reminds me of what Konami did with the Pro Evolution Soccer brand and turning it into e-football, all the above in that comment can be turned to Konami as well...

 

[Ogbert]

The fundamental issue is that those in charge do not love playing games.

They didn't grow up playing Mario Bros. They never loved Doom or Quake. They didn't play Goldeneye on the N64, or stand outside shops marvelling at display PS2s. They never played arcade games.

They're MBA clowns that are simply running a business (badly). They do not cherish the industry. They simply want to make money.

 

[xanaum]

Because they probably know something we don't. They likely already know Nintendo and Microsoft are gonna do the same thing. The Helix has been rumored to be digital-only for a while now.

Now, if the other companies are smart, Microsoft and Nintendo will scrap their plans to kill physical games and score a ton of goodwill instead.

 

[The_Observer]

I'm sorry pal. But you're pointing fingers at a corporation thinking they have your interest at heart. Some may say that you're actually braindead instead. Profit is their goal and its not coming from older generations. Digital only means the majority has spoken which isn't you or your peers.

But I'm trying to explain with my posts that there will be no profit soon. They are killing all the studios, every game is a woke slop, letting talent go. There is barely any real success nowadays. There will be no profit to take soon. Sure they can keep increasing ps plus and hardware prices and releasing gaas shit that fails big time until everyone says "f your bullshit". Where from they will take the profit?

 

[The_Observer]

Let's say you're in a top position at Sony and you'll get a bonus of 300k if you reach a certain goal in a certain time that will benefit top brass and shareholders at Sony. Would you give up that 300k bonus by not closing a studio or 2? Few people would.

I would give it up, I don't need extra money (in addition to the lot I have by being in such position, in this theoretical situation) by making others lives miserable. And that's why I will never be in such position anyway.


Also I just read all the posts and it seems it was not clear what I tried to say.
I perfectly understand and know that these corpos are not my friend. What I'm trying to say is that what they have been doing for years now is retarded and will eventually result in not having those profits they are chasing. GTA 6 can get away with being digital only, because it's above the games industry, so to say. But which sony game is even close to it? Last of us 2 remastered? Or Wokerine that looks like a lastgen game? Or Ghost of Yotei which is a lame woke dlc for Tsushima? There is no innovation in graphics, physics, gameplay, writing, anything. Everything is going downhill and it's already visible by the many flops and studio closures we have nowadays.

There will be no profit to take eventually, and soon. And what I'm asking is that these managements are really this stupid that even this they can't realize, that they are working against their own interests (profit)?

 

[[Tact]]

I think we are mistaken to believe that we the video game fanatics who live on forums are the target audience for these companies.

But it isn't us.

As crazy as it may seem, there is a different type of consumer who makes up a larger share of the market, and these companies know it perfectly well.

I got /v/ to take a gaming survey one time, asking them to mention if they liked or disliked certain PC games, and if they had never played it. I was trying to measure taste, but what I actually found was that the majority of people only play the most popular games. My sample size was very small, but the trend was unmistakable.

 

[Danjin44]

Like it or not majority of people chose digital over physical and companies are responding to it.

I dont like it but it was something going to happen sooner or later, this happened with movies, music and even books.

 

[Barneyco]

Screw it, let the game industry

crash and burn. I just bought a big bag of marshmallows.

 

[kiphalfton]

You come up with anti-consumer ideas when you are at the top of your game, not when you constantly suck for years.

Is the game industry management level totally braindead or they are intentionally trying to destroy everything?

I really don't know anymore.

Sure, "you will own nothing and be happy" is there, but what is happening still seems absolutely retarded.

Name a CEO that isn't out of touch with reality. They couldn't care less about the product they're selling, so much as how much money they can make from selling their product. There is no passion left in any industry.

 

[Itchy Tickles]

You also have to accept the fact they majority of gamers are also in a group of either casuals who don't know or follow any of this, children, just plain stupid people, that group of people who only play the games that are socially popular or their favourite streamer plays. I remember years ago when I played FIFA for example, Twitch had a drop if you watched for like 2 hours. Every single stream with thousands or even hundreds of views was just them gambling with card packs. Every single one.

If gamers actually had the same stance as the majority of people here and fought against everything they should have, consoles paying for online, microtransactions, season passes, copy paste games, broken at launch releases and even some games don't get fixed at all, locked store fronts, extortionate pricing etc we would be in a better place.
Then again, how many here are throwing their supposed ethical stances out the window for GTA 6 and smirking in a fun way about it? Then they still act like they are angry against corporations making choices they don't like while entering their bank info to buy the product?

 

[Sophist]

These public companies have to answer to their biggest shareholders who couldn't care less about gamers. this is why they always turn to shit. these people will never refrain from squeezing a few $millions out even it it kills the company; they will move to another one.

 

[poppabk]

You come up with anti-consumer ideas when you are at the top of your game, not when you constantly suck for years.

Is the game industry management level totally braindead or they are intentionally trying to destroy everything?

I really don't know anymore.

Sure, "you will own nothing and be happy" is there, but what is happening still seems absolutely retarded.

What is this in reference to? Steam cards being discontinued?

 

[The_Observer]

What is this in reference to? Steam cards being discontinued?

All the retarded bullshit that has been happening in the gaming industry but sony's physical ditch was the last straw.

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

. It's gonna take tremendous testicular fortitude to completetely nope out of what's happening now.

doesn't take much testicular fortitude to just watch bayareabuggs or someone stream GTA6 and wait for the PC version. That seems a pretty easy alternative.

 

[PlayStaytion]

You come up with anti-consumer ideas when you are at the top of your game, not when you constantly suck for years.

Is the game industry management level totally braindead or they are intentionally trying to destroy everything?

I really don't know anymore.

Sure, "you will own nothing and be happy" is there, but what is happening still seems absolutely retarded.

I've been thinking about it for a while actually, it's definitely not a nice work environment, actually, it's a lot messier than other industries, that's what we expect from young male leaders I guess. There's no limit to men's rivalry, it could lead to blood bath because it's their nature.

 

[dragonyeuw]

doesn't take much testicular fortitude to just watch bayareabuggs or someone stream GTA6 and wait for the PC version. That seems a pretty easy alternative.

Maybe for you, but I doubt the majority of the countless milliions waiting for this game would go as far as not buying it to take some stand.

 

[poppabk]

All the retarded bullshit that has been happening in the gaming industry but sony's physical ditch was the last straw.

I was being deliberately obtuse for humorous purposes. But the answer is that Sony are on top of their game currently - the problem is that the game is extracting money from gamers wallets. That sometimes overlaps with providing games, hardware or services that gamers want - but only sometimes.

 

[Instant_Classic]

Gaming was better when it was this relatively niche thing that existed in the corner, anyone who gamed was stereo-typed as a pimple-faced nerd or whatever, and while it was always for-profit( I mean, the point has never been to NOT make money), it didn't come at the expense of the artistic merits of the medium itself.

The moment it attracted big investment and earned more revenue than Hollywood, the customer changed from the gamer to the shareholder, and the gamer itself to the product to extract maximum $$$ from. Frankly, gaming would be in a much better place if it was completely eastern-centric. All these bloated 250m western AAA games likely have some very creative accounting behind it.

At this stage, 4 months shy of 49, I've accepted that I had my run ( gen 2 through 8) and with what we've seen in gen 9 and going forward........ good luck to Gen Z/Alpha.

.

 

[Instant_Classic]

I'm pretty sure there were a lot of patents circa 2013 that they wanted a path to digital much like Microsoft. I would have to dig the patents but I recall they've always looked into the possibility. Also sure their 2013 #4thegamers was a stunt only because they saw Microsoft have huge backlash. All industry reports indicated they wanted the same before

This, Sony pulled a 180 after seeing the backlash.

They had the same intentions though.

 

[Instant_Classic]

The fundamental issue is that those in charge do not love playing games.

They didn't grow up playing Mario Bros. They never loved Doom or Quake. They didn't play Goldeneye on the N64, or stand outside shops marvelling at display PS2s. They never played arcade games.

They're MBA clowns that are simply running a business (badly). They do not cherish the industry. They simply want to make money.

.

 

[Instant_Classic]

I would give it up, I don't need extra money (in addition to the lot I have by being in such position, in this theoretical situation) by making others lives miserable. And that's why I will never be in such position anyway.


Also I just read all the posts and it seems it was not clear what I tried to say.
I perfectly understand and know that these corpos are not my friend. What I'm trying to say is that what they have been doing for years now is retarded and will eventually result in not having those profits they are chasing. GTA 6 can get away with being digital only, because it's above the games industry, so to say. But which sony game is even close to it? Last of us 2 remastered? Or Wokerine that looks like a lastgen game? Or Ghost of Yotei which is a lame woke dlc for Tsushima? There is no innovation in graphics, physics, gameplay, writing, anything. Everything is going downhill and it's already visible by the many flops and studio closures we have nowadays.

There will be no profit to take eventually, and soon. And what I'm asking is that these managements are really this stupid that even this they can't realize, that they are working against their own interests (profit)?

.