PS4 Announced

[tmcd35]

As I've said before, the XBOne needed to happen several years ago (without the preowned and internet crap)

 

Funny you so say that. I agree the 360 needed updating a couple of years ago, and the One's spec is a little underwhelming but I think the overall console MS presented is probably a generation before it's time. All that DRM nonsense makes sense in a download only world, which we are at least another generation away from in reality.

 

Still, I'm now 100% happy to jump fully on the PS4 band wagon (free games every month )

[Sunnyknight]

Didn't want to... but MS have left me with no choice.....

 

Ps4, here i come!!!

[sonofsanta]

There are a few things in the PS4's favour as far as I'm concerned:

* The price - £80 is a fair old saving to put towards games

* The spec - graphics cores and unified GDDR5 memoery architecture

* The look - not that important, but the PS4 does look nicer

* That sharing video - comedy gold

* This description from an Ars article on the PS4 games: Sony started out with a teaser trailer for The Order: 1886, a game that appears to take place in a steampunk 19th century London, with skyscrapers and floating blimps.

 

That said, if I had £400 spare to spend on PS4 + games, I'd save it towards upgrading my PC...

Edited June 11, 2013 by sonofsanta

[synaesthesia]

Funny you so say that. I agree the 360 needed updating a couple of years ago, and the One's spec is a little underwhelming but I think the overall console MS presented is probably a generation before it's time. All that DRM nonsense makes sense in a download only world, which we are at least another generation away from in reality.

 

I don't mean the console specs itself, I mean something nearer to a full entertainment system rather than an application specific gaming device where any ability to do things other than game is a bolt on or afterthought. This is why I see the PS4 is a fossil. "Consoles" should have been wiped out already.

[X-13]

PS4 is definitely the winner of a losing race.

 

Mandatory PS+ for online play.

 

There are no winners.

 

 

Didn't want to... but MS have left me with no choice.....

 

Ps4, here i come!!!

 

PC master race.

 

[censored] paying for online.

Edited June 11, 2013 by X-13

[tmcd35]

I don't mean the console specs itself, I mean something nearer to a full entertainment system rather than an application specific gaming device where any ability to do things other than game is a bolt on or afterthought. This is why I see the PS4 is a fossil. "Consoles" should have been wiped out already.

 

The problem with true multimedia devices isn't the ability for Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Whomever to physically create one, it's the quagmire of media licenses that TV and Movie companies in particular play to that make it impossible. Cable and satellite broadcasters in particular have an iron grip on the industry that makes it nigh on impossible to get some content! The likes of iPlayer and Lovefilm are starting to make headway, but even in the UK Sky stop a lot of content being available outside their pay wall.

 

I don't think console gaming itself will ever truely die. The devices might get more and more multimedia - as they are now, but there is something in the console gaming experience that is hard to properly replicate elsewhere IMHO.

[DeltaBravo]

From Sky News

 

"And the price for PS4 - £350 for customers in the UK and $399 in the US - has already put it one step ahead of its rival, according to analysts.

 

Hours before the Sony launch, Microsoft had unveiled its Xbox One system and fans had expressed disappointment with its £429 price tag."

 

Think I might stick with Sony

[Theblacksheep]

I don't think console gaming itself will ever truely die. The devices might get more and more multimedia - as they are now, but there is something in the console gaming experience that is hard to properly replicate elsewhere IMHO.

 

PC games simply don't sell enough at the moment. Console vs PC CoD is about 10:1. Steam stats will also tell you the most popular vram for a PC on a gamers network like steam is 1gb, 1gb even amoung gamers. We may have great PCs but we're in the minority, with the general public not even bothering with PCs and everyone having phones/tablets for their browsing I dont think consoles are going anywhere yet.

Edited June 11, 2013 by Theblacksheep

[sonofsanta]

PC games simply don't sell enough at the moment. Console vs PC CoD is about 10:1.

 

The problem is, we don't know how much the PC sells. It's almost non-existent at retail (although whether the lack of PC games in shops is because they don't sell, or that they don't sell because there's a lack of PC games in shops, I don't know) but Valve won't release sales figures for Steam. I genuinely believe they're now harming the PC ecosystem by not demonstrating how broad a market it is.

 

I think the PCs problem is now just one of image - everyone thinks it's a faff to get games working and you have to sit at a keyboard & mouse, hunched in front of your monitor... when the reality is I play half my PC games with a 360 controller on the plasma TV, and thanks to Steam there's less faff with updates and patches than there is with my PS3 (which really is a PITA).

[localzuk]

PC games simply don't sell enough at the moment. Console vs PC CoD is about 10:1. Steam stats will also tell you the most popular vram for a PC on a gamers network like steam is 1gb, 1gb even amoung gamers. We may have great PCs but we're in the minority, with the general public not even bothering with PCs and everyone having phones/tablets for their browsing I dont think consoles are going anywhere yet.

 

I don't think that's strictly true - console gaming has been on the decline for quite a few years. PC gaming has increased massively. So, even if the numbers still give consoles a greater sales number in specific lines (COD for example), overall, PCs sell more games. Square Enix has retooled their development recently - with a focus on smartphones/tablets and PCs, followed by web browsers and then consoles.

 

The reasons to own a console are dwindling, when you compare cost vs performance.

[zag]

I buy all my games for my PS3 second hand so PS4 is the clear winner.

 

Great stuff Sony! (never thought I would say that!!)

 

I predict a very quick U-Turn by Microsoft on the 2nd hand game thing. That's business suicide.

[featured_spectre]

I am oddly with @localzuk on this one. Whilst the PS4 is the clear winner of the consoles (Elder Scrolls online being console exclusive to them!!!), I am going back to the PC. In fact, I am trading in a large chunk of my xbox games this weekend as simply, I am done with them, and anything that I want to play from them, I could download on steam/origin and go from there.

 

As for COD sales on console vs PC...you are comparing 3 different consoles, combining the numbers and putting them up against the PC. COD on the Wii - flopped big time, COD on xbox sold something like 10m copies a year or so. COD on PS3 about the same. COD on PC also sold around 10m copies a year, but had one distince advantage, they had custom servers, which the consoles do not, so the revenue stream was higher for PC than console (despite the price being around 1/4 cheaper on PC). there are at any given time around 600k custom servers for COD, each costing around 50p per slot per month, with a minimum of 12 slots being sold.

 

This is £6 per server, and over 600k servers, is £3.6m per month for the companies selling the server, and of that activision take a 40% cut. So they make give a minimum of £1.44m per month from PC servers alone, and bare in mind most people tend to buy around 24-32 man servers for COD, they are easily making more from PC gamers which is why it is geared more towards them.

[Theblacksheep]

As for COD sales on console vs PC...you are comparing 3 different consoles, combining the numbers and putting them up against the PC. COD on the Wii - flopped big time, COD on xbox sold something like 10m copies a year or so. COD on PS3 about the same. COD on PC also sold around 10m copies a year, but had one distince advantage, they had custom servers, which the consoles do not, so the revenue stream was higher for PC than console (despite the price being around 1/4 cheaper on PC). there are at any given time around 600k custom servers for COD, each costing around 50p per slot per month, with a minimum of 12 slots being sold.

 

First week sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops II are in. The game sold 11.22 million units across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The Wii U version of the game was released the following week, November 18, as a launch title in North America.

 

The Xbox 360 version was the top selling version with sales of 6.21 million units. This is a 55 percent market share of the total sales. The PlayStation 3 version sold 4.61 million units, or 41 percent of the total sales. The PC version sold 400,859 units in its opening week.

 

First week CoDboII Sales

[localzuk]

First week sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops II are in. The game sold 11.22 million units across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The Wii U version of the game was released the following week, November 18, as a launch title in North America.

 

The Xbox 360 version was the top selling version with sales of 6.21 million units. This is a 55 percent market share of the total sales. The PlayStation 3 version sold 4.61 million units, or 41 percent of the total sales. The PC version sold 400,859 units in its opening week.

 

First week CoDboII Sales

 

You cannot use 'opening week sales' as a measure. I never buy games when they first come out - I wait a few weeks at least, to check and make sure any issues get resolved first. Most PC gamers I know do the same.

[featured_spectre]

yup, same here.

[Theblacksheep]

You cannot use 'opening week sales' as a measure. I never buy games when they first come out - I wait a few weeks at least, to check and make sure any issues get resolved first. Most PC gamers I know do the same.

 

Of course you can, its a great measure, but its where sales impact is highest and where we have some actual figures. The rest is guesswork!! Have you not considered why sales figures for PC aren't released? MOST people on PC do not pay for 'their' games.

 

I'm a PC gamer too (among others), if I like it I'll buy it to play as soon as possible (c'mon shadowrun returns).

Edited June 11, 2013 by Theblacksheep

[X-13]

MOST people on PC do not pay for 'their' games.

 

[citation needed]

[Theblacksheep]

The (non mandatory) PSeye is going to be £44

 

Extra PS4 Controllers are going to be £49-£55

 

HD is again user swapable/upgradable

 

Sony's PlayStation 4 Eye is a $59 add-on, PS4 packs an upgradable 500GB HDD inside (updated)

 

 

[citation needed]

 

2009 was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with 4.1 million pirated downloads in November and December 2009 – a shocking number when compared to the estimated PC sales of 300,000 in November : The truth about PC game piracy

 

If one quarter of the people that usually pirate [Football Manager] switch to purchasing Football Manager, the sales of the game worldwide would more than double : How Bad is PC game Piracy

 

Game Dev Tycoon releases own Torrent : Game dev tycoon with only 94% piracy rate

Edited June 11, 2013 by Theblacksheep

[X-13]

2009 was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with 4.1 million pirated downloads in November and December 2009 – a shocking number when compared to the estimated PC sales of 300,000 in November : The truth about PC game piracy

 

If one quarter of the people that usually pirate [Football Manager] switch to purchasing Football Manager, the sales of the game worldwide would more than double : How Bad is PC game Piracy

 

Game Dev Tycoon releases own Torrent : Game dev tycoon with only 94% piracy rate

 

And none of those take into account people who pirate to test [Like I do. Like it > Buy it. Don't like it > delete it.] or download cracks to play what they've bought [Like I have... Stupid Uplay.]

 

There's also people who download games because it isn't available in their country.

 

 

It's not as black and white as the industry thinks it is.

 

 

Also, Game Dev Tycoon had a massive piracy rate because there are scripts to grab all new torrents. How many of those downloads were actually used to play the game?

Edited June 11, 2013 by X-13

[Theblacksheep]

And none of those take into account people who pirate to test [Like I do. Like it > Buy it. Don't like it > delete it.] or download cracks to play what they've bought [Like I have... Stupid Uplay.]

 

There's also people who download games because it isn't available in their country.

 

 

It's not as black and white as the industry thinks it is.

 

 

Also, Game Dev Tycoon had a massive piracy rate because there are scripts to grab all new torrents. How many of those downloads were actually used to play the game?

 

We can only work with actual figures, not hypothetical situations.

 

You may test, but many, many don't as can also been seen in the downloads of add on packs later. How many are really testing CoD? Pretty much the same game every year.

 

This level of piracy, that middle shade of grey is why consoles wont be going anywhere soon. Sure the PC will get stronger, free to play and subscription will play a big part, but lockdown consoles with low piracy rate are a safe bet for publishers.

[Flatpackhamster]

2009 was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with 4.1 million pirated downloads in November and December 2009 – a shocking number when compared to the estimated PC sales of 300,000 in November : The truth about PC game piracy

 

If one quarter of the people that usually pirate [Football Manager] switch to purchasing Football Manager, the sales of the game worldwide would more than double : How Bad is PC game Piracy

 

Game Dev Tycoon releases own Torrent : Game dev tycoon with only 94% piracy rate

 

As has been pointed out, piracy is automated through torrents. I've seen clients' kids with ten thousand pirated music tracks. They don't listen to them. Same'll go for games.

 

Of course it's easy to willy-wave about the Big Amazing Blockbuster game and how many copies it's sold, blah blah. Those super-big games that appear amidst an orgy of hype and advertising, people buy them, play their 20 hours and then get rid of them and six months later, there's another one. What's being ignored here is the Indie game market, which is truly colossal. And where do Indie game makers go? Do they rush off to the supposedly massive console markets? Nah, of course not. PC is where it's at. Look at Minecraft - released on the PC first. Yes, there's now an XBox version, but the PC is still outselling the XBox version (7 million versus 5 million sales).

[sonofsanta]

Isn't the most succesful console of the last decade - the DS - also the one with the most easily pirated content? Haven't consoles been cracked at dodgy market stalls for years? Didn't the PS3 have its innermost secrets exposed for all and sundry to see?

 

If anything, higher piracy is often correlated with higher sales.

[zag]

Isnt this thread about the PS4?

 

[CAM]

I paid for and played Game Dev Tycoon and it was one of the worst titles I have ever played. Mind-numbingly dull slider-bar simulator, had I pirated it I wouldn't have bothered buying it. Same with SimCity, had it been possible to crack that game then I would not have touched it with a barge-pole but instead got ripped off by retail prices (thankfully a CDKey store sold it 1/3 off). This is why developers don't like the PC because they push out sub-par games which get pirated and dropped.

 

You will always have those that refuse to purchase anything at all on both sides. You will also get those who pirate games, realise they like it and pay. This is how the F2P market was born on PC, an Eastern gaming culture that reacts perfectly to the demo pirates. For years I thought STO wasn't worth paying for after buying the title at retail, then when they improved post-F2P I subscribed again as I could try the game and eventually deemed it to be worth opening my wallet for. Sounds arrogant but this is exactly what publishers don't like, the PC user base has more power then console users to decide what a game is worth.

 

For the record all my games are legit, typically via Steam, and my empathy with pirates on this matter is due to years of being taken for a day 1 DLC full retail price gouging ride.

[tmcd35]

Isnt this thread about the PS4?

 

It is but PC gaming is sooooo much superior don't ya know! (Which is why I have a PS3 )