Opinion: Are Gamers Real?

I found myself at the center of a debate recently. An argument between two others began with one person stating that any real gamer knows that PlayStation is the best console brand to pick from. This was an obvious attempt to spark the never ending console wars. The person that comment was directed at, didn’t offer the rebuttal I was expecting. Rather than playing into the hands of the PlayStation Fanboy, he went on to say that there is no such thing as a Gamer and that people need to stop labeling people that enjoy video games.    Their argument escalated while more and more people jumped in to make their points. It was interesting to read and I was staying out of it until a friend of mine tagged me and asked me to drop my thoughts on the matter. Granted, at the end of the day, it’s all opinions no matter how hard people want to claim it as facts. So, after entering the debate, I decided I would share my opinion here as well.    Is there such a thing as a Gamer? My answer is yes, Gamers are real people. Is being called a Gamer a label? Yep, It surely is a label. And what do labels do? They identify something you know what it is. It makes life easier. Not all labels are a good thing, but I personally think the label of Gamer is a good thing. Some of us like to use that label to easier explain our passion. Yes, we Gamers tend to be passionate about video games.    So what makes one a Gamer? Well, there are several things that can be factored in here, but I’m going to keep this fairly simple for the ones in the back. Simply put, if you like and play video games, that would classify you as a Gamer. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that, but it can also get much deeper when explaining why we like and play our video games. I’m not going to explain all of that, but I am going to continue with explaining just a few other personal opinions of mine.    Now that I’ve simplified what makes a Gamer, I want to throw out that Gamers are not restricted to one game type. Gamers are also not expected to play every single game made, let alone like them all. You can like ice-cream and not enjoy every flavor. Just because someone enjoys playing Call of Duty and doesn’t play much else, doesn’t make them less of a Gamer. They just have their favorite game all picked out and that’s ok! I personally play all sorts of titles and genres, but I also have some friends that only play Fortnite. That doesn’t make them any less of a Gamer to me. It just means if I decide I want to play Fortnite, I’ll have a friend to join me.    Now, the console wars. This may be … Read More

Is the end of CoD on PlayStation?

There is a lot going on with the game industry right now, and if you’ve been living under a rock lately (which is actually possible), you probably already know that Microsoft is purchasing game publisher giant Activision for close to $70 billion USD.   I’ll be the first to admit that I never saw this coming. I mean, I’m not usually surprised when a development studio gets purchased, but Activision? I’m still a little floored by this announcement.   The biggest thing I’ve been hearing about this acquisition is concern that Call of Duty will no longer be put on PlayStation consoles. There is a lot of back and forth thinking on this topic.   On the one hand, people have pointed out the loss of sales the franchise would have if it was no longer available on PlayStation. On the other hand, it would most likely help boost the number of Xbox consoles sold by Microsoft. Either way, Microsoft is going to be in control and there isn’t anything we can do about it except to speculate about the future.   CoD has always been a favorite game of mine, but over the years it’s gotten to a point where many feel like the series has gone downhill. It’s really a rollercoaster ride. One year it could be a great entry and the next it could be Vanguard. It’s hard to put faith into it these days. It feels played out and used up. Hopefully, this Microsoft acquisition will improve the series, but this does sting a little. I am fortunate enough to have both a PS5 and Xbox Series X, but I always prefer my PlayStation as the go to console.   It’s been said that the next three CoD titles will be on PlayStation, but I take it with a grain. We thought Starfield was still going to be on PlayStation, but it was yanked and will be an Xbox/PC exclusive. It seems strange to me that after we finally got cross-platform play on consoles, that they would take the franchise away from PlayStation players, especially since we’ve seen MLB The Show become available on Xbox consoles.   All of the above said, if Microsoft does end up pulling CoD from PS consoles, I don’t think it will really matter. People won’t leave Sony over CoD. I don’t buy the PlayStation brand so I can play CoD, I buy it for the exclusive titles. Same reason I have an Xbox on the side. There are some games I want to play, but they’re only on Xbox or PC, and my PC is a potato, so there’s that.   Personally, I think Microsoft will eventually make CoD a timed exclusive that will release on PlayStation consoles later on. This gives consumers motivation to purchase a new Xbox console and CoD in order to avoid waiting for it to drop on PlayStation. We might just see timed dlc exclusives like the old days (that weren’t that long ago, really) … Read More

Happy ThanksGaming 2021

Here we are again! Thanksgiving is upon us and the rest of the holidays are about to follow! But before we break out the Christmas decorations, the menorah or whatever it is someone might be celebrating, if at all (all of the above references are meant respectively), we definitely need to take a moment to celebrate ThanksGaming! That’s right! ThanksGaming is the holiday we derived from Thanksgiving. Because not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving and we reach an audience around the world, it’s a safer bet to just create your own holiday parody and roll with it rather than compete! That being said, let’s move on to things we should be thankful for this year!   To start, I’m gonna straight up say I am grateful for video games! Without video games as a whole, not only would I not be writing this article and get to experience this job that I have, but I’d also have had a lot of really boring moments in my life. Video games have definitely helped me stay out of trouble, pass the time, make friends and of course, do the impossible!    Now, this one might not settle well with everyone, but It’s gotta be mentioned… PlayStation 5! I am extremely grateful for my PS5! Not just because they aren’t easy to get, but because it is an amazing console that has only begun to scratch the surface of what it can do! The controller, the 3D audio, the lightning fast loading speed! The machine is exceptional and I cannot wait to see what features are added down the road!   Online capabilities! I know there’s a generation out there that just can’t understand where I’m coming from right now, but there was once a time that Multiplayer games didn’t exist. When consoles first started getting connected to the web, it wasn’t necessarily a smooth experience. It was painful at times. Slow speeds, freezing up, getting disconnected from the servers. This might sound familiar, but we truly have it good these days when it comes to online gaming. Be thankful, not grumpy about it. Ya dig?    I’m definitely adding Xbox Gamepass Ultimate to the list! What would add this to a PlayStation news outlet? Because thanks to Microsoft’s incredible deal on Gamepass and all that it offers, Sony is working on some type of Gamepass themselves. Anyone would be right in saying that Gamepass Ultimate is one of the best if not the best subscription services for gaming. While I don’t know what will add to their Gamepass, it has to be something worthy of competing with Xbox. Time will tell, but it is definitely in the works so, thanks Microsoft!    Holiday Sales! What – What?! Holiday sales are awesome! So many games and devices get discounted this time of year and especially on Black Friday! While not everything will go on sale, a lot of titles will! Call of Duty Vanguard is even on sale for $39.99 right now! I saw Death … Read More

E3 is over, but the news never stops! Check out this weeks drop!

After a long week of E3, it’s time to get back to regular news updates here at PS5 Gamers. Of course there will be more shows coming up like EA’s Play Live, which will take place on July 22. So, without further ado, let’s get you updated on this week’s news drops!   Sony has been back at it again with PlayStation Direct, which entails an invite to buy a PS5 directly from Sony. While the service is great for those hoping to get on the list of invitees, it seems that Sony needs to tweak the system a little bit as the company had seemingly sent invites to Gamers that already own the PS5 console. I don’t know if Sony just doesn’t care or if they plan to fix the invite system, but it seems pretty disappointing to players waiting on getting a console. Of course Sony hasn’t answered any questions in regards to what happened and probably won’t. If by chance the company speaks up, I’ll let you know what they have to say for themselves.    On another note, Sony might be treating fans to an upcoming PlayStation Experience (PSX)! The company filed a trademark application for PSX on June 11th, 2021. While this doesn’t guarantee a showing, it seems like a waste of time to trademark the show if there isn’t going to be one and it’s not a situation where they have to renew the trademark in order to keep it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear an announcement for August or September. Sony has a lot to talk about sooner than later i.e. their answer the Xbox Gamepass and upcoming plans for the holiday. In the meantime, I’ll just keep holding my breath until we hear some dirt.   Have you been getting excited for Battlefield 2024? Well, it would seem that many players are getting ready for the upcoming title by playing Battlefield 4. In fact, so many players have hopped back on BF4 from all platforms, EA is having the devs increase server capacity to accommodate the traffic. BF4 is 8 years old and I am telling you now, playing that game is not going to prepare you for Battlefield 2024. Play the game because you like it and are excited to see the servers light up once again, but don’t think this is going to “warm you up” for the next entry. Nothing will prepare us for it aside from a beta, I assure you.    Speaking of EA (again), there is a pretty heavy rumor that the company is going to be bringing back an “established” IP. A journalist from Venture Beat by the name of Jeff Grubb seems to believe this is happening. He stated in a tweet that we should expect the reveal next month “if we’re not dead first.” This has of course gotten speculators to believe he is referencing the Dead Space series. While we have to take the rumors with a grain of salt, … Read More

Gaming news this week!

It is the end of the week and as promised, I’m dropping my second news update this week to catch us all up on what’s happened in the last few days and what’s coming up! Let’s go!   First and foremost we need touch base in two highly anticipated games. I am talking about God of War Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West. Easily two of the most anticipated titles in the Playstation franchise and I have some good news all around and maybe just little not so good news, but nothing all that bad either.    God of War Ragnarok is officially releasing on both the PS4 and PS5! Some were concerned this title would skip the PS4 altogether, but alas, Sony is smarter than losing a ton of sales and I respect that. If I didn’t have a PS5, but this game was coming soon and I wasn’t able to play on PS4, I would be bummed as would any other fan. On another note, the title has been pushed into early 2022 rather than the expected holiday 2021 release date. We never actually had a release date to begin with, so it’s not so bad . It’s just great to hear both gen consoles will get a chance to play!   And news about Horizon: Forbidden West that is sure to make us all happy! Horizon, just like GOW, will also be dropping on both the PS4 and PS5! Another concern for some has been laid to rest and it’s pretty awesome! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next entry and see where this one takes me. It was a great game as it was, so it will be interesting to see what the developers make changes to and add. To sweeten the pot a little, Horizon: Forbidden West is targeted to release this holiday season in 2021! While there is no exact date as of yet and there is always the cancer of a delay, but yes, they are hoping/expecting to release it this year and I hope they do! One last thing. Horizon has been confirmed to run at 60 fps on the PS5. Could a push for 120 actually happen?    In other game news, the head of Playstation Studios claims there are 25 games in development and half of them are new IP’s! While that doesn’t really give us a birds eye view of what will actually come out or when, it is nice to hear that Sony has a good number of working titles on the way. I am still holding out for a Bloodborne sequel or even a full remake, but that is only a PlayStation exclusive and not from the companies first part studios unless of course Bluepoint does the remake. Then it is inhouse, so there’s that. What are you hoping is on the way?   Are you getting excited for the cancelled then uncancelled, canceled and uncancelled again E3 show this year? It is right around … Read More

Last weeks gaming news Today!

I typically drop news updates a little later in the week, but I made the mistake of not publishing last week’s update, so this week will be jam packed with some highly anticipated info such as Dying Light getting a release date, gameplay from Horizon Forbidden West, Sony’s development of AI companionship and more! So, without further ado, let’s go over the latest news updates in PlayStation gaming!    Mentioned above, we finally have a release date for Dying Light 2: Stay Human!  I have to admit, I was beginning to get a little concerned that this game was going to be another couple of years or possibly longer. Dying Light 2: Stay Human is slated to release on December 7th, 2021. Super fans (such as myself) have been waiting for this for a long time! Those of us on PS5 should be extra excited to finally play the long awaited sequel on next/current Gen consoles. I think it’s gonna be great!    Last year I wrote an article about Sony having a patent for an AI companion that could play PlayStation games with you. Like a little robot you sit next to you on the couch and it becomes your player 2. Not only that, it can learn how to play games better, root you on, play with or against you and probably a lot more that I’m unaware of. Sony wants to help make things a little more social in part due to the world pandemic. Where I scratch my head is, isn’t replacing a human with an AI companion kind of antisocial in itself? Who am I to ask such daft questions? I’ll buy it anyway.    In other news, Sony’s network sales are up nearly “10 fold” over the last seven years. The biggest contributor being PS Plus with more than 47 million subscribers in March of 2021, I’m sure they’re pretty smitten right now. While that is great news, you really have to wonder what’s up Sony’s sleeve to fight back against Microsoft’s Gamepass. We heard very little about what the future holds for PS Plus, but we do know that Sony is working on something as they have said, we just have to wait a little longer and see.   We were treated to some Horizon: Forbidden West gameplay yesterday during PlayStations State of Play and I’m not gonna say much more than wow. It was beautiful and while we know demos are polished extra shiny for these events, I can’t wait to see the full product. I loved the first entry in the series and I am sure the second one will offer just as much if not more satisfaction. This is another title us PS5 owners need to be extra hyped about, but we still don’t have a release date, so hopefully we’ll be hearing about a holiday drop, but there is a good chance it could land in the Spring of 2022. Guerrilla Games has confirmed release date info is coming … Read More

New PS5 VR Controllers announced, Sony buys Evo Championships and Dying Light 2 news update inside!

The weekend is here and what better time to catch up on this week’s gaming news highlights than on a Friday? I appreciate you taking a moment to catch up with us and that being said, let’s move onto this week’s highlights!    To get us started, Sony has announced a new handset for PlayStation VR and I will tell you what, I would use these even if I wasn’t playing a VR title (is that even possible?). While PSVR owners have been using the traditional PS4 controller (DS4) for their VR game sessions, it seems Sony has finally caught up to the likes of controllers that can be used with the Oculus and the HTC something.  Many of us have been quietly jealous of these style of controllers as they really free up your hands can things even more immersive.    Keep in mind these were announced as PS5 VR controllers, so we don’t know if they’ll have any backward compatibility with PS4. It seems unlikely as the Dual Sense controller for PS5 doesn’t work with PS4. If it does, you can expect the haptic feedback features that are built in, will probably be disabled. Oh, by the way, these PS5VR controllers have haptic feedback built in. Boom!    Excited for some Dying Light 2 updates? Yeah, us too! If only Techland could give us some useful info instead of mocking the internet trolls and letting us know the game is currently being developed…  I don’t like bashing on developers. They work hard and their jobs are incredibly stressful (especially when working for large companies like Activision, EA, Ubisoft and yes, Techlamd considering they self publish now). But when it comes to announcing that you have an announcement for a game that has been getting the development treatment for what seems like ages now, you kind of expect more than 13 seconds of gameplay and a bunch of nasty tweets being read off by the developers. Thank you for letting us know the game is still being worked on. You could have tweeted that and probably saved a few dollars in the process, Techland.    So, yeah… there’s your Dying Light update. I was pretty disappointed too. Sorry.    Speaking of developers and publishers, I’m sorry to say that Activision Blizzard has laid off 50 employees and word has it that the number is actually much higher. No idea how much higher, but so far, 50 have been confirmed. The employees laid off were not developers, but they were part of a team that set up and took care of in-person live events. Because the pandemic has created such regulations as social distancing (at least in the U.S.), most of these venues have turned to digital showings instead. Man, that just goes to show you how bad things have been. I hope the laid personnel manage to hang in there and get back to work when and where possible. It is a jungle out there and it seems like … Read More

New PS5 anti-cheat system, new warzone map and much more inside!

Welcome back to another issue of PS Weekly. I am admittedly a little late with this week’s article, but I was holding out for some official news on the upcoming Elden Ring, but it is to my understanding that because of a leak that made it to the internet the other day, official announcements have been postponed into April. I am disappointed by it, but hopefully they will manage to get us some new info soon. I really want a new game by FromSoftware in my life.  A little disappointment aside, there is plenty of other news to read within this article, so without further ado, let’s get to it!   Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of Call of Duty: WarZone! After a long year of playing on the same map with little changes, we may finally be seeing a completely new map that is dedicated to the Cold War version of CoD, rather than Modern Warfare. I don’t know if today will be that day, but I am sure hoping so. The developers went on social media to thank everyone for the last year and made mention that the map will never be the same again. Some have speculated that on March 16th, we will see the new map and other rumors point to April, when season 3 begins, but I think April is a little far out. It would make sense if later today we see an update with a new map, but can all be pretty confident a new map is going to drop.    Speaking of Call of Duty and Warzone, that reminds me, there is a new anti cheat system for the PS5. The company Denuvo, is hailed as one of the best anti-cheat and anti-tamper tech companies in the world. The company has partnered up with Sony and to bring new tools to developers creating games on the PS5.  I think it’s great that Sony is finding ways to keep things as fair as possible, but there is one problem I see here and it has nothing to do with Sony. These new anti-cheat systems won’t cross-over to other platforms. I have seen my share of hackers/modders running on consoles, so yes, I am happy that security is beefing up, but man, those PC players in crossplay that do cheat, they do it with ease. Activision really needs to look at their anti-cheat systems and do more for the community. I know it’s complicated, but we’re talking about a billion dollar company here. They have the ways and means.    Naughty Dog is hiring! Yes, Naughty Dog is looking for an economy designer for a live service multiplayer game. Some believe this is a game that will take place in The Last Of US universe and some think it will be catered to the Uncharted universe. If I was to pick one, I would lean toward The Last Of US, so I can see them building a sweet open world survival game that … Read More

E3 canceled, EA pushing more support for Battlefield and PS Plus updates!

Hello and thank you for taking a moment to catch up with another PS Weekly Drop. February is behind us and today being the first Tuesday in March, new PS Plus games drop today in the PSN store.    Today’s Plus games cater to not only PS4 and PS5, but PSVR is getting Farpoint included for free this month. PSVR gets its own category outside of the consoles to keep things simple. Farpoint aside, PS4 games also include the amazing Final Fantasy VII remake as well as Remnant: From the ashes. PS5 owners will be treated with Maquette and of course, those PS4 games will also be playable on the PS5 console as well.    As a reminder, if you do not have a PS5, but plan to get one at some point, you can always get the PS5 games that are available on PS Plus, but going to the PlayStation store using the mobile app or on a pc and add those titles to your collection and download them at a later date. If you didn’t get a chance to grab Destruction Allstars on PS5 last month, there is a little good news. The game will cost $19.99 USD instead of the original price tag of $69.99. Phew!    In other gaming news, E3 has canceled the physical in person show this year. While the show was canceled last year and yet again this year, ESA is still looking into having a physical show next year and working with a production company this year to hold a live online event to take its place. Personally, I think they need to consider keeping E3 solely online for the next few events. Attendance at E3 has been dwindling and the event isn’t as successful as it once was. Maybe taking a break and making a comeback in 2023 would be a wiser choice, but what do I know? I just write about these things.   If you’re bummed out about the physical cancellation of E3 and were hoping to make up for it by going to the San Diego Comic Con this year, I have yet another blow to deal you. This event too, has been canceled in regards to physical attendance. While the show will be streamed, fans won’t be able to partake in person. This is probably even harder news to hear than E3, as Comic Cons tend to offer much more in person for attendees. If you end up sitting at home watching, maybe create a watch party with some friends and fulfill your cosplay needs that way? I know it’s not the same, but I’m trying here.    For those of us that have been desperately waiting on official news for the Elden Ring, well, I have no official news. Sorry. But I will say this much, a video trailer showed up online the other day and while it was a little blurry, it does appear to be an official trailer that hasn’t been rendered to quality … Read More

PS5 releases in 9 days – PS Weekly #5

To kick this off, I just have to ask… Can you believe the initial release of PS5 is just 9 days away? This is going to be an amazing day for fans that pre-ordered a PS5 and possibly even more amazing for those that manage to snag one in store if they weren’t able to get a pre-order in. Best of luck to everyone involved!    Speaking of the highly anticipated PS5 console, PlayStation 5 preorders managed to surpass PS4 pre-orders in the United States within 12 hours versus the first 12 weeks the PlayStation 4 was up for pre-order.   During an interview with Reuters, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said that not everybody that wants to buy a PS5 on launch day will be able to get one, but he also says the company is working very hard to supply the demand. The PS5 is easily going to break records in regards to sales and will be a super hot product during the holiday season.    Moving on, the first game drop for PS Plus subscribers monthly for PS5 owners has been revealed. The game Bugsnax will be available for free on November 12th, the day of the console’s release. This is a PS5 exclusive and while not everyone seems to be satisfied with the drop, I personally think it’s a decent start. PS4 owners that subscribe to the Plus service will get their hands on Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Hollow Knight: Voidheart. Those games will also be available for PS5 owners, respectively.    In other game news, Days Gone got a hefty update recently that will prepare the game for backwards compatibility on PS5. Owners of the PS5 console will also be able to play the game in up to 60 FPS and in dynamic 4k. Days Gone released with mixed reviews from critics and consumers alike.   Friday the 13th the game got some big news. The dedicated servers for FF13 the game are shutting down. The game will be receiving its last update later this month that will include a host of fixes that will include the dedicated server shutoff. Owners of the game will be able to continue playing private matches as well as peer to peer, but the days of playing randoms will come to an end. It was a good run. Seriously, there was a lot of running…   Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed into December. While it was merely delayed for a month to ensure they could produce enough physical copies, some have speculated that the title is actually being held back because of next consoles. With the delay, some of the developers at CD Projekt red have been receiving death threats over the pushback and lets be honest here, not cool. Anyone making threats (whether they mean it or not) to developers over a game is ridiculous and unacceptable at best.    Upcoming game Resident Evil Village is getting the next gen treatment on PS5. The game will support Ray … Read More