180°

PS4 Stuck With Discs "for the Foreseeable Future"

Despite its increased emphasis on connectivity, Sony won't be going all-in with a digitally distributed future.

SandWitch4077d ago

It would be interesting to see a Gaikai-only model for something like what, 99 bucks?

majiebeast4077d ago (Edited 4077d ago )

You wouldnt need a ps4 if Gaikai takes off cause it could stream to a lot of devices.

SandWitch4077d ago

You would if you wanted to play PS4 exclusives. Gaikai won't stream PS4-only games to non-PS devices I believe.

Mr_cheese4077d ago

@GynGa good shout, I never thought about that.

deadpoole4076d ago

[PS4 Stuck With Discs "for the Foreseeable Future"]

And there is nothing wrong with that. Downloading games and content from the internet is slow, expensive and in some place not even an option (considering as Sony PlayStation userbase is present all over the world), therefore in order to keep the gaming experience equal and available to gamers all over the world, discs are gonna be utilized as a high storage medium and for the delivery of the content around the world.

morganfell4076d ago (Edited 4076d ago )

I was all set to attack IGN for another ridiculous title when I realized the person that submitted this piece, Dms2012, changed the title, obviously to generate more heat and layout flamebait.

Diver4076d ago (Edited 4076d ago )

I thought changing the title of a article from the source was against n4g rules.

I should become a contributor so I can make up flame bait titles.

DragonKnight4076d ago

@morganfell: I'm reporting this piece. It shouldn't have made it through the approval process. It's this kind of lazy approval that makes things worse here.

badz1494076d ago

and Sony did promise that there will be simultaneous digital releases too, right? so, win-win! I prefer a physical copy by far but I do download games off PSN sometimes when I found a good price for it and those cross buy Vita games too! :-) so yeah...I am embracing DD more now but still think physical copy is still very much needed!

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4076d ago
_-EDMIX-_4076d ago

So...I guess your Sony and you forgot about the PSPGO.

CustardTrout4076d ago

You ever use OnLive?
They were er, not good.

WitWolfy4076d ago

Didn't you learn yet!?!?! anything that isnt made by Sony according to these fanboys are crap!

morkendo234076d ago (Edited 4076d ago )

you are right ONLIVE is sh'tty as hell had a try out cancel service 15 min. later.............

on topic: glad that monkey off our back about digital only games for ps4 until now i had no desire to buy ps4. now that physical disc. being used im back on the fence but before i buy ps4 i need to see more games than multiplayers,first person shooters,zombie shooters type games. i cant see myself another 7 years playing the same format call of duty,boarderline,mass effect,uncharted,zombie island,killzone those games was fun but milking those game is dying out now for me. how about: run n gun'beat em up style games.

if the future of gaming is like Destiny,Killzone,Mass Effect,Alien Wars,Assassin Creed only (killing)and blowing bodies apart..... time to lay rest my controller. will not spend another 7 years playing the same games over and over...........tried them all eventually i got bored. i'll past on them this gen. look for more entertaining games on ps4 such as GT6,R/C,NFS,RIDGE RACER 7,MARVEL VS.CAPCOM 4,STREET FIGHTER 5,VIRTUAL FIGHTER 6,TEKKEN 6

Mr_cheese4077d ago

"The one area in which the PS4 may fall short however is digital distribution, a field the industry is supposed to be inching closer to every day."

It is pushing digital distribution and with the purchase of Gaikai, i assume its going to be pushed heavily....

On another not, I like having the disk option. I don't like the idea of all digital because I love the physical product. I swear all these websites are just clutching at straws for hits on a current topic.

Rainstorm814076d ago

Sony was pushing DD this gen with day one digital.

On top of that it was already announced every PS4 game will have a digital release....but with every one not having unlimited Internet access discs are necessary.

http://www.computerandvideo...

_-EDMIX-_4076d ago

Gaming will never go fully digital for several reasons.

1. Games get bigger ever gen, not smaller. MGS4 was like 40 gigs, Max Payne and LA Noire where like 35 to 40 gigs etc. Can you imagine what next gen games will size up to?

2.Bandwidth not growing faster then gaming. I say this because, we went form 5 and 7gigs with PS2, 9 gis with 360 and well over 40 and 50 gigs with PS3 (also PC and 360 if you count more then one disk, ie Mass Effect series, Max Payne etc all had a bunch of disk) Now Bandwidth is not to a point where I can just download a 40gig game easy (the reason I own max payne on PS3 and not PC...really don't feel like keeping my PC on for days on end for a huge 35gig download. Mind you have have the fastest internet for my area. So what happens when Max Payne 4 comes? LMFAO, it won't just be 40gigs...it will be like 100gigs or so. Download it? LOL! Lets say my speeds double (so did my game size buddys)

3. Even if they doubled, I have to take into effect that my bandwidth is capped, meaning 2 games downloaded and my internet can be cut off or I can be charged more JUST from downloading games. (mind you at the fastest speeds)

4.We can talk about internet speeds all day....means nothing if you don't have the fastest and even less if you don't have internet period.

5. Thats what Bluray is for buddy. Get ready for third party publishers on PC to adapt Bluray really soon. I like Steam and all but....not getting my next gen games from Steam. Getting the retail version which would hopefully be on Bluray and on a single disk.

Those reasons alone, DD future will never happen. It will always be just an option.

Bladesfist4076d ago

Well my speed has increased 10 times since last gen. I can download an 8gb (the average size on steam) game in under an hour. DD will happen in the future as it is cheaper, better for the environment, improves the performance of your game (games load faster of an HDD/SSD), more convenient than going to a shop or ordering online and waiting ages. Your games do not become damaged and can be redownloaded. It is only a matter of time. Saying it will never happen is naive.

Awesome-Xanto4076d ago (Edited 4076d ago )

I'm glad there is someone here with some sense. People keep going on about the digital future and Gaikai... but fail to realize that the internet is getting WORSE not better. Caps are the new norm.

The only good large internet services right now are Verizon Fios (which is no longer expanding) and Google Fiber which lets face it will be many years before it makes a significant impact.

To those out there thinking there going to use Gaikai to stream games on the PS4 with a cap... your going to be in for a rude awakening when you get your bill. Unless it's used just for old games and renting... I don't get why anyone would want it anyway, who wants to pay for brand new games that you will never own and will lose when they remove it from the cloud. Makes no sense.

Games are getting larger and the internet is getting worse... Bluray will continue to be the best way to deliver games.

SAE4076d ago

My network is unlimited but have limit 60GB to be specific. The speed should be 24Mb/s but i only get 1Mb without downloading anything. That's the best network in my country T_T

So i'm with you buddy. I only want 10mb/s for my vita so i could play ps4 games on gaikai...

mochachino4077d ago

I live in Canada which may as well be a 3rd world country in terms of bandwidth caps and internet pricing so I welcome physical media, without it I'd use of my monthly allowance downloading a single game.

smashcrashbash4077d ago

Why do people say 'stuck with discs' as if that is a bad thing?

mandf4077d ago

It's done to take a shot at Sony and gain hits. Xbox has nothing to talk about so shooting off at Sony is the journalism standard. Go look at all the failed articles. So much hate for Sony.

madjedi4076d ago (Edited 4076d ago )

It is a bad thing and it isn't at the same time.

We really do need to move away from discs or optical media, by the ps5's era. Because even at 6x br's it's still a slow medium if you compare it to flash memory's speeds.

I'd say maybe half the ps3/360's that died was do to a optical drive failure.

It's a useful legacy tech, but it does have drawbacks that can be troublesome.

1st it's another moving part a obvious point of failure, 2nd it produces heat.

As far as the digital downloading taking over bs, you will see the consoles using a game cartridge similar to the vita games. Long before digital is that widely used/kills off discs.

" It is only a matter of time. Saying it will never happen is naive."

Yeah 15-20 yrs from now who cares, plus you will always have people that want a physical copy. Not everyone has access or can afford the bandwidth needed. A fact the pro digital crowd always forgets.

" improves the performance of your game (games load faster of an HDD/SSD)" A hdd's won't be much a improvement over disc speeds, it's still slow as hell, ssd's have low capacity to cost ratio's and the aren't as reliable as hdds. Ie os's kill them.

"more convenient than going to a shop(such a difficult task to do) or ordering online(hint because it's either cheaper or not available locally) and waiting ages(4-7 days is ages lol)." Talk about the instant gratification generation.

2pacalypsenow4077d ago

Why would people want digital only? it wont make game cheaper ,we will have to pay more for oder games , DRM, You wont own anything just a digital file that your are basically just renting (Diablo 3) I hope games dont go Digital only

Show all comments (42)
70°

Sony Could Increase Your Game's Difficulty If It Sees You Complain About It

Sony has recently published a new patent that wants to dynamically handle the games' difficulty and gameplay based on the player's emotions.

jznrpg2m ago

This is something I might use. Sometimes I play some good games but they don’t have difficulty option and are a little too easy.

280°

Sony Taps Bungie's Head of Revenue to Lead Live-Service Games

Sony has recruited Bungie's head of revenue Jaremy Rich to head up its live-service gaming division, Rich has announced on social media.

Read Full Story >>
techraptor.net
ChasterMies20d ago

Please do not put Destiny’s monetization into Sony’s first party games. The monetization is what’s driving players away from Destiny.

just_looken20d ago

The new temp boss is the sony cfo bean counter so i can see this being a thing get every penny.

Cacabunga20d ago

PlayStation officially losing it.. fans will never support gaas games

just_looken20d ago

@car

The new boss did a interview in japan he wants to tap into the mobile market like nintendio so he give 0 fucks about gamers/fans

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Redemption-6420d ago

@Cacabunga
You only speak for you and those who think like you, but most fans will support what they want. Playstation and PC fans are literally supporting Helldivers 2 and that is a gaas. Maybe you wouldn't, but many more would if they like it.

Huey_My_D_Long19d ago

@Redemption-64
Look, Im not making any judgement calls about this guy, but I will say that Helldivers 2 GaaS model is unique to Helldivers, and legit the only other game I can think of thats similiar was the Avengers game except HD2 pass is still better.
The fact that you can earn in game currency in a way that doesnt make you feel like you have to grind forever, as well you being able work on that pass that you bought...on your own time without a time limit...that right there is fucking huge to me, and I can't name any game other than avengers that avoided trapping players with FOMO logic...I think GaaS on HD2 shouldn't be compared to the rest of the industry...it should be copied.

Einhander197219d ago

Cacabunga

Helldivers 2...

Redemption-64

In Europe it's a 60 40 split favoring PC.
In the US its a 60 40 split favoring PS5.

So PlayStation owners supported the game just fine, it's not getting carried by PC or anything like that.

FinalFantasyFanatic19d ago

@just_looken,
I'm perfectly fine with the way Nintendo entered the mobile market, I never touched their mobile games, meanwhile, the console/handheld stayed the way it is. As for being a bean counter, he's probably going to reel in these massive budgets that Sony's studios have had lately, I haven't played Spiderman 2, but I cannot see how they almost tripled the budget for that game.

@Redemption-64,
That's an exception to the rule, I'm expecting a lot of these GAAS games from Sony to fail, to be fair, they only need a few to succeed, but I would have preferred that they put more of their resources into other types of games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 19d ago
DivineHand12520d ago

True their monetization is driving players away and at the same time, their decision to chop out content and convoluted systems is keeping new players away from the game.

Joe91320d ago

I don't think that will happen based on how things worked out at Naughty Dog now that we know what we do, seems they had the option to fully commit to live service games or stay making single player experences so they gave up on their live service game. We are not sure how things came about with Bend making a live service game but I hope that was not a forced situation. Sony doesnt seem like they are forcing studios to switch up but we will see, Sony's bread and butter is single player games it is how they dominated the console market.

Obscure_Observer20d ago

Yeah, I though Sony learned something from all their failures in the LS segment under Bungie´s disastrous leadership and supervision which led to games been cancelled, studios closed and all the people laid off.

Looks like Bungie still plays a major role in Sony´s LS initiative and Sony is not backtracking on their GaaS plans.

S2Killinit20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Are we forgetting that Destiny is also a highly successful franchise? I feel like that definitely deserves mention here.

Besides, there is no reason why a person cant learn from past experiences.

Joe91319d ago

I agree, people act as if Destiny flopped when it came out lol it took 9 to 10 years for the numbers to fall yet people are still playing it add the success of Helldivers 2 no wonder Sony is going forward down this path.

S2Killinit19d ago

Personally, I see no problem with Sony also having service games as long as they make good ones, and more importantly they deliver the AAA story driven games that they are known for. So yeah, I agree 100% with you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 19d ago
Christopher20d ago

I mean, this person made some pretty bad decisions at Bungie. I hope they've learned from them because I definitely don't see those type of ideas as good for PlaySation in general.

CrimsonWing6919d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Honestly, what’s to learn from? How to make people happily continuously dump money into a single game over its life-time? Buy season passes continuously for several years with a smile on our faces?

GaaS is a design decision that is everything wrong with this industry. The fact that Helldivers 2 did so well and people defend the monetization because it was $40 and is a fun game, scares the sh*t out of me to see that the door is open and all shift will probably be to replicate that in future games. We already know the ROI for traditional game dev cost isn’t doing it for them.

I thought with Jimbo leaving we’d see a change for the better… I’m not so sure now.

S2Killinit19d ago

Service games are being offered by everyone. Sony cannot afford to only create single player AAA games. No one can. They already said they will be doing both.

Abnor_Mal20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Ps5 gamers in 2023 seemed to play more live service types of games, so regardless to how people feel about them, numbers don’t lie and Sony is going where the money is. I mean look at the excitement around Helldivers2, people are showing that they want live service games.

Christopher20d ago

They play long-time existing live service games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and the like. Mass majority of new live service games are considered failures and aren't moving gamers away from older games.

just_looken20d ago

Yep the huge issue with live service is they need paid players along with a reason to play them.

You forgot mobile market that also taps into that player base as well as the eve online style games there is only a certain amount of krakens/whales blind supporters compared to the amount of live service games we have its not sustainable math wise.

700 restaurants making food for every seat for 1000-3000 eaters just does not work out

Einhander197219d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Christopher

I am not a big live service fan and literally own zero of the games you listed, but that is not true, unless you call games that aren't the top games to be failures.

There are tons of live service games that are profitable.

Games don't have to be the biggest game ever they just need to make more than they cost.

I challenge you to show professionally prepared data that shows that more live service games fail than make enough to keep going.

Because all the data that I have seen shows that live service is less of a gamble than making a big AAA budget game which needs to survive off retail sales.

FinalFantasyFanatic19d ago

I sometimes wonder if we're at saturation point, where it's hard for a new game to join those ranks unless it's particularly exceptional, people only have so much time and money to devote to these types of games.

romulus2320d ago

Correction, they have no issue playing good live service games

shinoff218319d ago

Lol it's not even a quarter of the ps5s sold. Helldivers may have been a hit but let's not say most are enjoying it because truth is most(the real most ) don't care about it.

S2Killinit19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

I play what is fun. If a live service game is good I’ll play it as long as its not a money scheme which Helldivers is not.

And Im a single player gamer.

mastershredder20d ago

How do you kill a franchise that already been killed?
Destiny’s grind, cash-in-on-playbass-cha-Ching, and pop-culture-insertion mainstream-me-too bs totally killed any rep Bungie had. Sony/Bungie, if you are doing this to ward-off players, it’s already working.

crazyCoconuts20d ago

Headline truncated:
"... off a cliff"

Show all comments (43)
80°

Sony May Soon Let You Decide How Much NPCs Talk In Games

Sony has patented to add multiple dialogue modes to let players switch between how many conversations with NPCs they want in the game.

blackblades26d ago

Sony is like the only ones outta the 3 that has atuff like like this pop up changing thing in ways.

just_looken26d ago

Sony in the past has always been first at bat with new ideas/tech but in the end never fully use it or just toss it away.

blackblades26d ago

I think they did use some but yeah most usually never happened but at least they thought about it. Sony seeks things like this and other, Nintendo seek different ways of playing going by there different controler designs and console designs.

just_looken26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

some of the other stuff sony want's/owns never used
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://www.eurogamer.net/s...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03...
https://decrypt.co/114754/s...

monitor/adjust game difficultly as you play
https://www.techradar.com/g...

Sony nfts
https://www.theblock.co/pos...

Pay ai to play the game for you
https://thebusinessofesport...

Oh all the above last 12 months

I just imagine a evil scientist with test subjects when it comes down to sony recent patent reports.

Kaii26d ago

Will we get dialogue options that won't spoil puzzles in a matter of seconds? :p