LoG: PlayStation is becoming creatively bankrupt

[Sleepy Brown]

Opinion: PlayStation is Becoming Creatively Bankrupt

Yesterday, a report came in from gaming news site Mp1st that a remake/remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn is in development. While this is not officially announced by PlayStation, Lords of Gaming can confirm as well with our sources that this is true. Since this news broke, it sparked yet another debate on whether or not games that have been recently released, should be remastered or remade.

But while this might not seem like a touchy subject on the surface. This comes off the heels of many negative situations for PlayStation. Such as:

• Pay-walling Limited Time Games Trials behind the new PlayStation Plus Subscription.
• Console price increases outside of the United States.
• Not honoring the original free PlayStation 5 upgrade path for Horizon Forbidden West.
• The collector’s editions of The Last of Us Part 1 being damaged while in transit in mail services due to mediocre packaging.
• PlayStation’s CEO Jim Ryan making contradictory public statements on unfair exclusivity possibilities after the Activision/Blizzard acquisition.
• PlayStation Stars rewards service locking priority customer service behind a tedious trophy acquisition task. As well as having to make multiple full-price purchases. Alongside a new report for an “invite only” tier for PlayStation Stars before its full rollout.

What the Horizon Zero Dawn Remake/Remaster is:
"It is to our understanding that the Horizon Zero Dawn remake/remaster will bring it closer to Forbidden West, from improved textures, draw distance. character models, to even new and improved animations, and much more. Whether it’s on the scale as The Last of Us Part 1 Remake, is not known at this time."

Horizon Zero Dawn objectively is flawed, like every game is. Something could always be better in every game. So when Horizon Forbidden West was in development. It was their opportunity to improve upon the idea for not only their fans but themselves. Guerilla Games even went back to the original game and patched it to look and run significantly better on the PlayStation 5. So why does this remake/remaster exist? Simply put, failure.

​

The Missed Opportunity of Forbidden West​

Earlier this year, Horizon Forbidden West launched to critical acclaim. But how was it a failure? Well, two elements factored into its failure:
Online Influencers across social media platforms, especially YouTube, pointed out that the game was a “same-y” open-world game.
Youtuber Video Game Dunkey even stated:
"It’s a market tested, risk adverse product that most people will enjoy but only a few will truly love or despise."
It launched dangerously close to Elden Ring. A highly anticipated game before it launched and a potentially industry-changing game in the future.

The Path to Creative Bankruptcy
PlayStation has been making very questionable and negatively received decisions going into this generation of consoles. The last discussion this company should have is one centered around whether or not they should be remaking or remastering games that are not even a decade old.

All of this just seems like PlayStation is front faced on being just a business. Squeezing blood from a fresh stone while being stern and cold in their decisions. Whether that is the increase in console prices in less fortunate countries or waiting a full twenty-four hours collecting pre-orders from consumers, not in the know, to honor the originally promised free upgrade path for Horizon Forbidden West.

Of course, every corporation is a business. However, how they portray themselves matter just as much as the products they produce. The image should be, creating very unique or incredible experiences with the business focus in the background. Not the other way around. Nintendo is an example of the former. Where every main Direct will have representatives go on screen with a big smile ready to sell you products but do it in a respectable way. There are no faces in the image of PlayStation, just words.

If this trend continues, they will eventually just be seen as a company creating a few “safe bet” games from their catalog. A rapid decay that we saw with Xbox during the previous generation where the mantra “Halo, Gears, and Forza” was as ever-present as the consistent mistakes they made.

I can only hope we do not start having discussions about a remake for Ghost of Tsushima or God of War 2018 in a year or two. As no game release should have its possible excitement diluted by a consistent justification of its existence.

Source

I couldn't agree more. And it's one of the reasons why Sony is preparing to become a 3rd party publisher with a heavy focus on Live-Service/GaaS games.
Developing AAA games is expensive these days. Sony doesn't have the money to create all these AAA games for only one platform (PlayStation consoles). And they don't have the money to acquire a publisher. Which is the reason why they're going after all these no-name studios with no history.
This explains why they are a multiplatform developer now. They are creating games for PS5, PC, Mobile, Switch and Xbox.
"Safe bets" for multiple platforms. Sony is the new "Halo/Gears/Forza", while Microsoft is buying multiple publishers now. Xbox will soon have over 3 times as many game developers. And more is coming (another publisher).

The future is looking bright for Xbox and Nintendo, while Sony's focus lies on:
TLOU Part 1
TLOU Part 2 Director's Cut
TLOU HBO TV Show
TLOU Factions
TLOU Part 3

Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster
Horizon Forbidden West Expansion/DLC
Horizon Forbidden West Director's Cut
Horizon Call of the Mountain
Horizon Multiplayer Game
Horizon Netflix TV Show
Horizon 3

 

[Sircaw]

Opinion: PlayStation is Becoming Creatively Bankrupt








Source

I couldn't agree more. And it's one of the reasons why Sony is preparing to become a 3rd party publisher with a heavy focus on Live-Service/GaaS games.
Developing AAA games is expensive these days. Sony doesn't have the money to create all these AAA games for only one platform (PlayStation consoles). And they don't have the money to acquire a publisher. Which is the reason why they're going after all these no-name studios with no history.
This explains why they are a multiplatform developer now. They are creating games for PS5, PC, Mobile, Switch and Xbox.
"Safe bets" for multiple platforms. Sony is the new "Halo/Gears/Forza", while Microsoft is buying multiple publishers now. Xbox will soon have over 3 times as many game developers. And more is coming (another publisher).

The future is looking bright for Xbox and Nintendo, while Sony's focus lies on:
TLOU Part 1
TLOU Part 2 Director's Cut
TLOU HBO TV Show
TLOU Factions
TLOU Part 3

Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster
Horizon Forbidden West Expansion/DLC
Horizon Forbidden West Director's Cut
Horizon Call of the Mountain
Horizon Multiplayer Game
Horizon Netflix TV Show
Horizon 3

God of war just went Gold.

You need to stop watching the Dealer Gamings and Colteastwood podcasts dude.

 

[mansoor1980]

that is the state of the industry , cant single out and blame sony only

 

[BigMclargeHuge]

Thanks for posting this. We all really needed to know what the "lords of gaming" think.

 

[Yurinka]

What a bullshit. Sony is the publisher who invest more on new IPs and new ideas, plus bets in a wide variety of games, probably the publisher who releases more big games and in a wider variety of genres.

They have around a dozen new IPs on development at PS Studios plus at least two at Bungie. They will release PSVR2 in a few months.

This year they will have released Horizon 2, MLB, Gran Tusismo 7, TLOUP1 and God of War Ragnarok plus indies supported by them like Sifu, Stray or Rollerdrome and PC ports like Spider-Man, Uncharted or Sackboy just to name a few. They also published unique stuff like Death Stranding or Dreams and best selling new IPs such as GoT or Days Gone.

If you want to find creatively bankrupt publishers look at the ones who almost don't release new IPs and when they release them don't sell over 20M copies as TLOU or Horizon did, this is why they get sequels and movies.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

Just a list for those who think there are only remakes:

One Piece Odyssey - 13th January 2023
Forspoken - 24th January 2023
Dead Space - 27th January 2023
Deliver Us Mars - 2nd February 2023
Dead Island 2 - 3rd February 2023
Hogwarts Legacy - 10th February 2023
Wanted: Dead - 14th February 2023
Like a Dragon: Ishin! - 21st February 2023
Octopath Traveler II - 24th February 2023
Destiny 2: Lightfall - 28th February 2023
Resident Evil 4 - 24th March 2023
Tales of Symphonia Remastered - Early 2023
Trails to Azure - Early 2023
RoboCop: Rogue City - June 2023
Blazing Strike - Summer 2023
Final Fantasy XVI - Summer 2023
GrimGrimoire OnceMore - Summer 2023
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Winter 2023
Alan Wake II - 2023
Arc Raiders - 2023
Assassin's Creed Mirage - 2023
Atlas Fallen - 2023
Blasphemous II - 2023
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - 2023
Diablo 4 - 2023
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS5) - 2023
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes - 2023
Eternights - 2023
Granblue Fantasy: Relink - 2023
Exoprimal - 2023
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse - 2023
Firewall Ultra - 2023
Layers of Fears - 2023
Lies of P - 2023
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name - 2023
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - 2023
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection - 2023
Pacific Drive - 2023
Persona 3 Portable - 2023
Persona 4 Golden - 2023
Pragmata - 2023
Process of Elimination - 2023
Sea of Stars - 2023
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened - 2023
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - 2023
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge - Enhanced Edition - 2023
Stellar Blade - 2023
Street Fighter 6 - 2023
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League - 2023
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars - 2023
Synduality - 2023
Tchia - 2023
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails - 2023
The Plucky Squire - 2023
The Wolf Among Us 2 - 2023
Trails into Reverie - 2023
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - 2023

Also, that whole money narrative, I think that comes from the MS PR machine, otherwise nobody would bring them along side Nintendo as a beacon of creativity... I mean, MS must think that if they can't release games with all the billions they spend on studios nobody can.

The fun thing is that this person has a mid sized "gaming" podcast and all he knows about are projects from two Sony studios.

 

[Darth Vader]

Oh, Sleepy Brown strikes again with his astroturfing FUD.

 

[Sircaw]

Oh, Sleepy Brown strikes again with his astroturfing FUD.

i like sleepy, he makes me giggle with his takes.

 

[SLB1904]

Op do you search online for every ps negative news? Lmfao

 

[Sircaw]

Op do you search online for every ps negative news? Lmfao

I think when he was young, all his friends had PlayStations and his parent bought him an Xbox.

He has never forgotten that insult.

 

[TubzGaming]

This thread is Not needed and is just copy pasting what Xbox fans think of PS.
What we want on this forum is people's own thoughts.
I will lock this thread.