One of the biggest current complaints with the PlayStation 4 is that it has a lack of games. While this may not necessarily be true, it’s easy to see why PS4 gamers are upset: Most of the released games are ports of either recently released PC or PS3 games. In many cases, it’s the same exact game you might have played two years ago but with a new coat of paint, i.e better graphics. It’s a new phenomena, something we didn’t see a lot of when the PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 first launched. It makes sense in a sense to bring some of these titles forward. Classics like The Last of Us and God of War III should be experienced by any and all PS4 gamers, especially if sequels are going to come out on the new console. Without backwards compatibility, the only option is to remake them for the new console. While some of these ports are graphical upgrades and little more, we’re seeing ports including new features, all of the original DLC, and other incentives. Take for example the DMC: Devil May Cry remaster on PS4. This game was brought forward in terms of graphics, but the developers also tweaked and changed numerous complaints that people had with the original release of the game. There’s a good and bad side to these remasters, and while people may complain that they are buying the same game twice, they aren’t forced to do so, and people who have never played these titles are offered a better experience from the get-go. Why Is This Happening? Depending on who you ask, the overwhelming answer is likely to be “greed.” Gamers think that backwards compatibility is stripped out of systems on purpose, so developers and publishers can sell you the same game twice, effectively doubling their profits. In reality, backwards compatibility is stripped out so the cost of the system can remain low, and the feature isn’t one the majority of users will likely use, according to research. There are two main reasons why this trend is occurring on the PS4 and why it will repeat itself on the PS5. Easy Profits It takes time to make games, especially for a new system; it’s not uncommon for companies to take two or three years to create a killer app on brand new hardware. In the meantime though, companies need money, and what better way than to re-release a previous game, especially one where most of the work is done? On the PC, games look better than their counterparts just because of newer hardware, so when consoles finally catch up, it’s easy for publishers to port said PC game to the consoles – especially when they share the same architecture. Companies will feed you lines about how this is “the definitive version” and its “remastered” for the new system, but in reality you’re getting the same game that has been on the PC for years and all the DLC. It’s easy profit. It’s … Read More
What PS5 Launch Titles Will You Be Playing?
The best part about buying a shiny new video game console isn’t the new hardware, the social networking features, or its online capabilities. No, it’s the games: The heart of the console, the reason why we stand in line at midnight and fight our fellow gaming brethren at a chance to be a part of the future. Systems can live or die based on the strength of its launch line-up; too few games, and your audience quickly runs out of things to play, too many bad games, and your audience realizes they wasted their money and word of mouth quickly turns negative. While we can’t name any specifics about what you’ll be playing when the PS5 launches outside of a few examples, we can use history to see just what will be available when the system launches. PS5 Sports Titles A mainstay of the gaming scene, sports games have been available since the first video game console was launched. These days, sports games are so popular that they are featured upfront and center in every video game console launch. Expect to see the likes of Madden, the NBA2K series, and FIFA front and center for yet another video game launch. These games will likely follow the time honored tradition of having better graphics but cutting features to make it in time for launch. Like always, we can expect a version of MLB: The Show on PS5 a few months after the launch. PS5 First Person Shooters The FPS genre is one of the strongest in gaming today, consistently hitting the types of sales numbers that make other publishers green with jealousy. Expect to see the yearly titans, Call of Duty and Battlefield, available at launch, along with any other big name franchises that may rise to power during the lifespan of the PS4. If we’re being optimistic, maybe we’ll see Titanfall appear at the PS5’s launch? PS5 Action / Adventure If the Assassin’s Creed series keeps trucking along at a yearly basis, it’s a given we’ll see one of those at the PS5’s launch. Outside of that? Well, that will depend on what big names emerge in the current generation. This is the space to watch, as anything could fill this genre as we get closer and closer to the PS5’s launch. PS5 First-Party Titles Expect to see three or four first-party games from Sony that really show off the power of the console. Sony is going to be looking for games that demonstrate what the system is capable of, games that get jaws dropping much like Killzone: Shadow Fall did on the PS4. We won’t likely see mistakes like Knack take the stage, instead seeing time-honored classics such as Gran Turismo, Uncharted or possibly God of War lead the PS5’s lineup. Sony will want to put their best foot forward when it comes to the PS5 and they have the portfolio of games to do just that. PS5 Indie Games Expect to see a ton of indie games at … Read More