PlayStation 4 Discussion

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Well. That's a terrible move on Sony's part. Wouldn't nearly be half as bad if digital games that you own were recognized, and then you could stream them, but nope. Well, I'm happy I still have my PS3. 

[Willsy]

I will actually say that PS Now isn't actually that bad if you use the subscription service. It could be a lot better but I don't think it's a terrible solution if you have a decent connection, however it's still problematic for those who are stuck with slower speeds. 

 

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Cept, when it ends you'll never be able to access those games on the ps4 ever again, just like Sega TV on the Genesis, and Stellaview on the Super Famcion

[Brad]

PS Now is just Netflix for video games. It's a cool service and I experienced relatively zero issues in my seven day trial. Like a modern day expansion of Blockbuster. Absolutely nothing wrong with Sony giving users more access to content in different and unique ways. 

My only criticism for it would be to expand the lineup. 

[Conando]

I don't know, I think it's a valid criticism for them to not even try true backwards compatibilty. It's not unexpected but, it's kind of shitty that you need to pay for another service to play games you might have already owned in ps3 disc or download format.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Conando

[Junko]

I don't know, I think it's a valid criticism for them to not even try true backwards compatibilty. It's not unexpected but, it's kind of shitty that you neex to pay for another service to play games you might have already owned in ps3 disc or download format.

This. Like remember when Marc Whitten said that backwards compatibility just wouldn't work on the Xbox One. Lo and behold, they tried and a year and a half later, it's happened. So I feel like they could've tried.

[Willsy]

Yeah I would have vastly preferred proper BC as well, as I can't really afford to pay for both PS+ and PS Now every month. However, while its not anywhere near the Xbox One or Wii U's BC, it's not terrible either. I do still have my 360 though, and it's not very often that I use backwards compatibility.

[Teoskaven]

This. Like remember when Marc Whitten said that backwards compatibility just wouldn't work on the Xbox One. Lo and behold, they tried and a year and a half later, it's happened. So I feel like they could've tried.

Because the Xbox One and the PS4 totally have the same exact processors, tools and components, therefore if something is possible on the former, it must be possible on the latter.

[Junko]

Because the Xbox One and the PS4 totally have the same exact processors, tools and components, therefore if something is possible on the former, it must be possible on the latter.

That's... definitely not my implication lmao. I was saying that Microsoft tried, and maybe Sony have also tried, but we don't know that on the consumer side, so it looks like they haven't bothered.

[Milo]

On the topic of backwards compatibility and the PS4, it's worth mentioning that the PS3's Cell processor, for all of its technical power and prowess (at the time of its release, it was arguably more powerful than most processors in desktop PCs), is also notoriously difficult to develop for (at least in the PS3's early years). The Cell processor's architecture differs from the chips of (former) industry standards PowerPC (which the Cell is actually based off of, it shares some similarities), Intel, and AMD. (Sony reportedly expected the Cell processor to be a big thing, they intended for it to be used with other consumer devices like TVs and media players...it didn't pan out, i.e. how Sonic Unleashed's Hedgehog Engine was intended to be licensed out by Sega to other developers).  Using one of the Cell's highlighting features, SPEs (Synergistic Processing Element) requires very extensive knowledge of how to use it, and even then it's reportedly very tricky to get it to work in the way you intended when developing your software.

The Cell processor was a big factor as to why the PS3 cost so much at launch (as Sony poured a chunk of resources into its development) and why a fair amount of developers were/are reluctant to make games for the console. It's also why for the PS4, Sony abandoned the Cell's architecture in favor of more common hardware for the PS4 (it and the Xbox One both use AMD Jaguar chips, with the PS4 using the 64-bit type). In comparison, the Xbox 360's processor chip is a PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon, which is much closer in design to traditional PC hardware (it's Microsoft we're talking about, after all).

So with all that in mind I can definitely understand why backwards compatibility for the PS3 isn't going to happen on Sony's part...and even then, I don't think should be too much of an issue as of now: Sony's still supporting the console, and some of the high-profile PS3 games are either available via PS Now (even given whatever problems that service has) or are getting ported / "remastered" for the PS4. In contrast, I can see software emulation for the PS2 and PS1 (especially the latter-PS1 emulation is relatively easy by this point, even the PSP was able to do it, if anything it could had been a feature available from the start) being feasible for the PS4 in the future.

....

Moving away from the backwards compatibility talk, the PS4 performed pretty fantastically during Q2 of the 2015 fiscal year. Four million PS4s were sold during that point, which brings the PS4's worldwide sales total of 29.3 million as of September 30th. Just some hundred-thousand consoles shy of hitting the 30 million milestone (which I'm sure will be hit by this fiscal year's end, especially with the recently announced price cut in Europe-and remember, the console sold four million units before the price cut was announced). Sony's gaming division as a whole has also risen up 16.5%, year on year.

 

Edited October 29, 2015 by Gabe

[PSI Wind]

A good compromise IMO would be something similar to what Microsoft is doing with the 360 Discs and downloads on your account by letting you either insert the disc and go to PS Now to play it for free or let you play any digital game you have tied to your account that's also available on PS Now for free. Why would that be an issue? 

[Willsy]

That is exactly what they should do, and I wouldn't be surprised if they do wind up doing it. Wouldn't be surprised if they do a similar thing for PS3 PS+ games as well.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

A good compromise IMO would be something similar to what Microsoft is doing with the 360 Discs and downloads on your account by letting you either insert the disc and go to PS Now to play it for free or let you play any digital game you have tied to your account that's also available on PS Now for free. Why would that be an issue? 

There's one reason why Sony don't do that.

 

 

[Brad]

I wasn't excusing the lack of backwards compatibility, it is a shame Sony won't provide something on that front. I was just pointing out PS Now is a pretty cool service which does offer an option to consumers to play some great games for a relatively good value. 

At least on the flip side, buying a PS3 is dirt cheap nowadays and buying a PS+ subscription will give you tons of free stuff for it alongside your PS4. Plus picking up the best games for the console isn't too difficult or expensive. 

Edited October 29, 2015 by Brad

[PSI Wind]

The main issue with PS+ is you need an internet connection to play the game at all times. And a really good one to avoid latency or artifacts. 

[Kuzu]

Who doesn't have a decent internet connection with their console in this day and age?

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Who doesn't have a decent internet connection with their console in this day and age?

Dude, a lot of people don't have a very good connection depending on their location and area. I mean, there's a reason why people called out Microsoft  back during the Xbox One announce where they said "We have a solution for people who don't have internet. It's called an Xbox 360." Not only was it on top of the DRM antics with Microsoft trying to make buying a game more like renting it, rather than owning it, but it also meant if your internet went out, or if you weren't in a good enough location, your console was essentially bricked. 

It's not that extreme here, but it still goes to show that doing these kind of internet only bullshit simply isn't a good idea. There's a reason people hate always online games. 

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Who doesn't have a decent internet connection with their console in this day and age?

about 40% of the united states, my family lives about 3 hours north of LA, about 5 minutes out of town, and we can't get anything over dial up, hardline-wise, so my family does satellite, which either is extremely sporadic, or has a 50GB limit per a MONTH(well for high speed internet) for a household of 4,  often of 6 if my entire family his home, and often more

[Brad]

The main issue with PS+ is you need an internet connection to play the game at all times. And a really good one to avoid latency or artifacts. 

You don't need an internet connection to play your PS+ free games. I assume you're thinking PS Now.

Even then, Sony gives you a mandatory connection test to ensure that you have a good enough network before beginning a subscription or renting a title. The majority of consoles nowadays have that option, hence why the service has been introduced - in a generation where online social gaming is very popular. It's a completely optional service too - there isn't really a downside here.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Brad

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Dude, a lot of people don't have a very good connection depending on their location and area. I mean, there's a reason why people called out Microsoft  back during the Xbox One announce where they said "We have a solution for people who don't have internet. It's called an Xbox 360." Not only was it on top of the DRM antics with Microsoft trying to make buying a game more like renting it, rather than owning it, but it also meant if your internet went out, or if you weren't in a good enough location, your console was essentially bricked. 

It's not that extreme here, but it still goes to show that doing these kind of internet only bullshit simply isn't a good idea. There's a reason people hate always online games. 

Not only that, but quite a few Internet connections are a pain when it comes to getting them to allow access to game consoles for various reasons. 

[Willsy]

I think Internet is the main problem with Now, not so much the pricing. However as Gabe said, thanks to Cell, native BC would probably not be possible. Even with the PS3, they had to stick PS2 hardware into the system so it could do BC, raising the cost and probably contributing to the wierd form factor.

In my case, I still have my 360, so it's not really a problem for me. I bought a new system for new games.

 

 

[LunarEdge]

Who doesn't have a decent internet connection with their console in this day and age?

I'm constantly traveling due to being in the military and some places I was stationed had terrible internet. Not only that, but I'm currently stationed in Korea right now and I can't even use PsNow despite having a god-like internet connection due to the distance alone.

[Stritix]

Has anyone bought the new PS4 model? It's missing the glossy panel and the touch buttons have been replaced with push buttons. There's a few other small cosmetic changes. I suppose it was Sony's way of bringing the price down, but I'd honestly rather pay more for the glossy panel and touch buttons.

Then again, Sony has announced that new hard drive panels will be available soon in different colors.

 

[PSI Wind]

Yeah, I got the Uncharted Bundle, which is the new model. I don't mind the push buttons as it makes it easier to push it if I'm in the dark and I was never a fan of fingerprint magnets. That, and the new model is a bit more quiet and cooler.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

So question for my fellow classics players, I am considering giving into some PS1 classics, and will probably be able to get 3 (since they haven't been on sale for a while, and I want to do this while I have internet). I'm planning to grab Star Wars Racers Revenge, but was wondering if you guys had anyone 3D platformer suggestions. I've been wanting to get Pac-Man World(loved it as a kid), and I wouldn't nessecarily mind replaying some of the Spyro and Crash games, but I want to know which is the best bang for the buck(I've played most, so no trouble playing out of order), or if you have other suggestions.

Oh, and I've got Megaman Legends and Misadventures of Tron Bonne, beat both and had a blast, now I just want the third one