270°

How Sparse Is Sparse? Should PS4 Fans Be Concerned By Sony’s Pre-E3 2015 Comments?

Sony raised some eyebrows when it was revealed that their first party lineup at E3 2015 may be a little "sparse". In a new opinion piece, Skewewd and Reviewed look at what Sony may have in mind and say fans should not be worried by this comment.

Kingthrash3603674d ago

They shouldn't . Just because they don't have first party exclusive games doesn't mean they don't have second or third party games....like
Rime
Everybody's gone to the rapture
No mans sky
Persona 5
Disaga 5
Hell blade
Tearaway
SFV
GOW and uncharted remasters
Are all exclusive ps4 games...and Sony usually has a surprise game which can be...
The last guardian
The new ip from the kills one devs
The new ip from sucker punch
A GOW 4 from ssm ....complete with a beta key if you buy GOW3 lol
These are my surprise wishes and are all possible...plus the usual load of interesting indies in sure Sony will have a great conference ....as will ms and Nintendo . A plethora of first party games aren't needed, Unless we are talking Nintendo. First party doesn't mean exclusive just means it's made by a company. Sony said First party game a spares....not exclusive games.

Sly-Lupin3674d ago

Star Ocean 5.
Trails of Cold Steel.
Tales of Whatever.

Dunno why people care so much about Sony's first party offerings. Third party has always been their strength.

never4get3674d ago

Going to get a PS4 when Persona 5, Tales of Bestiria, Star Ocean 5 and Final Fantasy XV are all released!

Genuine-User3674d ago

Strictly first and second party stuff:

So I have already played and enjoyed The Order 1886, Bloodborne and Helldivers.

I'm looking forward to GOW Remaster, Tearaway Unfolded, Until Dawn, No Man's sky, Rime, Everybody's gone to the Rapture, The Nathan Drake Collection, Persona 5, Shadow of the Beast and a few more.

darthv723674d ago

3rd party is the key to a platforms success. the more 3rd party support you can drum up, the stronger and more diverse the selection will be.

360 survived solely on 3rd party support last gen. It had some excellent 1st and 2nd party games but the lions share was all 3rd party. And it didnt seem to matter if they were exclusive or not.

sony has had a longstanding tradition of having great 3rd party support. It drove the PS1 all it's life, it drove the PS2 to new heights, it helped drive the Ps3 to gain back some lost footing and it is driving the PS4.

don't shun 3rd party games because they arent exclusive, play them as they were meant to be played. Games are games and they all deserve a chance to entertain you.

XisThatKid3674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

To answer tis title,
Nope because even if it didn't have a crazy line up this year it's still goin to sell and be a successful year I'm sure. People act like the only thing that matters is exclusives when it doesn't there are many people that are going to buy the next 3rd party non exclusive on PS4 only also some on X1 but rigt now more have PS4s and people like playin with friends if you have PS4 and all your friends have X1s your going to buy X1 chances. There are more PS4s out there right now. I'm not downing X1 at all i'm just saying PS4 may be slowing but worried just because the 1st parties are "sparse" is ridiculous. EVEN IF the E3 is lame or lackluster this year PS4 will still have a great year in the shadow of potentially a better year yea,but a good one none the less.
This title is chiff

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lelo2play3674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

@Kingthrash360

Most of those games you mentioned aren't exclusive.

... But I'm sure Sony will have a few surprises for E3.

Genuine-User3674d ago

2 partially exclusive games out of the 8 he/she mentioned are not equivalent to that of 'most'.

lelo2play3674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

@Genuine-User

Persona 5, No mans sky, Hellblade, Tearaway, SFV are not exclusive. GOW/Uncharted remasters are not exclusive. That's more then 2 games. Some may be timed exclusive...

In all honesty, It's not exclusives that's helping PS4 sales. It's mostly multiplatform games that help sell the PS4.

Genuine-User3674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

@lelo2play

Persona 5, Tearaway, GOW & Uncharted Collection are Playstation exclusive.

Hellblade and Street Fighter V are partially exclusive.

No Man's Sky has only been confirmed for the PS4 so far.

Kingthrash3603674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

Ok I should have said this year....smh mabad. But in actuality most of them I mentioned are exclusives...and all are exclusives for this year....kinda like tomb raider for Xbox.
I guess my main point was first party games are the minority at any e3 for any system...except for Nintendo. Sony haveing a small amout to first party titles shouldn't be a concern. There are plenty of Sony exclusives for e3. ...."for e3" being the key word here. This article is about Sony e3 concerns for the lack of first party titles...so at e3 all the games I mentioned are exclusives...cept the partials like hell blade and sf5 that genuine above correctly pointed out.

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OB1Biker3674d ago

Yea I think there's a confusion about the term 'first party' and of course gaming media and fanboy warriors like spinning things up for trolling.

AngelicIceDiamond3674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

I mean 1st party was the only thing ppl cared about last gen.

MS out of the two are were known to make exclusives out of third party or second party.

Deadrising, Ryse, TF, SSOD, The upcoming ScaleBound and they constantly got yelled at, and ppl through mud.

People adjust there arguments when its no longer in there favor. Now third and 2nd party counts. That'll change come next year however. I think games from all parties are wins tbh.

SilentNegotiator3674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

It's ONE year, Ice. Quit pretending like Sony closed down every single one of their studios. PS gamers still love their first party games and they're still coming.

OB1Biker3674d ago

@AngelicIceDiamond
Like what are RAD and FromSoft which brought 2 full PS4 exclusive this year?
The difference is the IP is owned by Sony

AngelicIceDiamond3674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

@King "A plethora of first party games aren't needed, Unless we are talking Nintendo."

What? Only Nintendo's games 1st party games matter? So whatever MS shows off doesn't matter? You realize 1st party counts for ALL 3 right?

I dunno what you mean.

Kingthrash3603674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

What I mean is Nintendo literally floats on its first party games....period. What third party Nintendo game out sells its first party?...I'll wait? None.
Now look at Sony/ms ....
Ms has what halo/gears....ok sells great and is are awesome games... Sony has tlou/GOW also high sellers and awesome.
None out sell 3rd party games like cod and gta Nintendo doesn't even get these games. I love Nintendo as much as I love all other consoles but I see what it is. You see what it is. They must have multiple first party games and spin offs...Mario alone has like 6 spin offs lol. Mario kart, ssm, luigi's mansion, Mario party, mario rpg, mario and luigi, dr Mario lol dude, Nintendo floats on first party...ms for example barley has any.

First party counts for all and are important for all yes but all Nintendo really has is first party games. Period. That's partally why the wiiu sells so bad ...it's been what 3 years....no metroid ...no Zelda Mario kart and smash took 2 years to release. The best 3rd party games released on the wiiu was beyonetta imo and it released same time as smash....smh
So yeah I'm not saying first party doesn't count I'm saying it's all Nintendo has....sadly. I wish it had more so I can play my wiiu more instead of just sitting here looking new.

Spotie3674d ago

C'mon, Angelic. It's like you don't WANT to understand.

Nintendo needs a plethora because that's all they've got. Neither Sony nor Microsoft NEED this, because they'll get sales from third party exclusives and even multiplats.

Not only do I not believe you don't understand the comment, but I CAN'T believe anybody could agree with you.

Anyway, as to the article, I'm not concerned. The comments didn't refer to E3 showings, for one. For another, even while being "sparse," they've supplied more exclusives- first party or otherwise- for their console than the nearest competition, and that MIGHT only change for the holidays, as God of War, Persona 5, and quite a few other games are still to come this year.

I honestly don't get it. People are having a field day with this comment, jumping all over Sony and anybody who prefers PlayStation; somehow, though, they never think to look at what the other companies are doing in relation, and how they stack up- or don't- in comparison.

It's funny how blind some people choose to be.

Sevir3674d ago

Lol they have a first party offering this year...

The Order, Bloodborne, Until Dawn, Tearaway Unfolded, God of War 3 Remastered, Uncharted:NDC, Rime, Drawn to Death, Shadow of the Beast, The Tomorrow Children and EGTRapture are all first party exclusives launching this year.

No Man's Sky launches this year on PS4 along Alienation.

For Next Year we have Uncharted 4, Ratchet, Street Fighter 5 and Hellblade, WiLD.

There's a plethora of 3rd party exclusives that launched and will launch this year for the platform, Disgaea, Persona, Tales of, Star Ocean, Godzilla, Darksiders 2.

They've got plenty of content coming.

I'm not complaining the offering is stellar.

kraenk123674d ago (Edited 3674d ago )

Tomorrow Children. Firewatch.

BTW Sony has the balls to be open and honest. MS would never say something like this even if it was true.

Kingscorpion713674d ago

All they have to do is announce new games that gets release next year!

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140°

Sony Faces Class Action in the Netherlands Over Allegedly Inflated PlayStation Store Prices

Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation in the Netherlands has filed a class action against Sony for inflating PlayStation Store prices.

dveio6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

My personal opinion:

Manufacturers and publishers have indeed inflated the industry.

From $700 million development costs for games like Call of Duty, to digital (store) prices for games and DLCs, online multiplayer fees on consoles (why can you play Helldivers 2 online for free on PC but not consoles?) or still preventing sell/lend digitally purchased games.

Sometime in the future, this bubble will collapse.

They should know better, but they just can't help themselves and suck even the last penny out of our wallets.

BeHunted6d ago

Because Sony knows people will be forced to pay those prices for single player and multiplayer games, not everyone prefers PC gaming. Sony also has a monopoly on PlayStation digital games. In 2019, they stopped allowing retailers and game key sellers to sell PlayStation digital games, making them available only through the official PlayStation Store

anast6d ago

The Dutch gov. wants a piece of the pie.

Eonjay6d ago

They should be suing the individual publishers increasing the prices to $80 instead of suing the store. There are plenty of publishers still selling game for like $50 with much success (like E33). But this proves that the publishers are the ones setting the prices.... so again nothing changes because they aren't even going after the main offender. How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD? Sony being the number one store in the market doesn't mean that publisher have to charge us an arm and a leg. Again the industry is laughing at us because consumers never get real representation. Just these fake platitudes that are meaningless.

BeHunted6d ago

"How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD"

Because Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly, I can purchase Call of Duty at a huge discount from CDKeys or other gaming retailers. The only way to purchase digital PlayStation games is through the PlayStation Store.

djl34856d ago

Weird, I swore GoW, Stellar Blade, Horizon Zero Dawn, TLoU, etc. were on the steam store....uh.....

BeHunted5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

@djI3485

I'm talking about PlayStation games that you can only purchase on PlayStation. I can purchase Steam and Epic games from 3rd party retailers and key stores.

"Sony to stop selling full-game download codes at retailers"

https://www.videogamer.com/...

Killer2020UK6d ago

About time. There is zero fair reason why digitally distributed products that you cannot recoup any value when you want to dispose of them, should be priced higher than that of physical copies that entail all of the costs and the benefits of owning.

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170°

Sony Aims To Sell 15 Million PS5 Units This Year, but Is Shifting Focus to Monthly Active Users

Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki and CFO Lin Tao talked about the state of the PlayStation business and the strategy and targets going forward, including how they're responding to the tariffs.

Read Full Story >>
simulationdaily.com
1Victor47d ago

I wonder how the USA tariffs war will affect that projection. 🤔

S2Killinit47d ago (Edited 47d ago )

I think they take that into consideration when they announce their projections. Currently, after the xbox price increase, the PRO is cheaper than the series x! That is ridiculous, and it can’t last.

darthv7247d ago

you keep saying that but the price of a PS5 Pro is S699.99 (US) and the price of a Series X is $599.99 (US)

S2Killinit47d ago (Edited 47d ago )

The series x with 2 TB storage space is more expensive than PS5 PRO which also has 2 TB storage space.

darthv7247d ago (Edited 47d ago )

Oh so you are pitting a regular Pro with a special edition X... got it. If you are going so far as trying to compare apples to apples... please add in the optical drive and stand to the Pro. Seeing as the X has both of those by default.

I will help you if you are unable to do so.
PS5 Pro 2tb: $699.99, Optical Drive: $79.99, Stand: $29.99 = $809.97
Xbox Series X Galaxy Black Special Edition 2TB: $729.99

47d ago
S2Killinit46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

The PS5 PRO has 2TB storage. The series X with 2TB storage and much weaker, is… more expensive! So yeah, Im pointing out that fact.

Also, the PRO does not require a stand.

Ps: regular series 2TB is $749 (where did u get 729?)

darthv7246d ago

Its right here on the official XB site: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/...

Okay, so no stand for the Pro, but you might still want the optical drive. So $779.98 vs $729.99. A properly outfitted Pro is still more $$ than a 2tb X.

S2Killinit45d ago (Edited 45d ago )

Do I need to mention that the series x is not nearly as powerful as the PS5 PRO?

And no, the PS5 PRO runs just fine without a drive, and people don’t have to buy the drive right away, assuming they want it.

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drivxr47d ago

I wonder why they are shifting focus to MAU.

RaiderNation47d ago

Because that's where the real money is made, in microtransactions.

Profchaos47d ago (Edited 47d ago )

People are spending less time playing is a typical trigger for this.

The less time spent playing the less likely you are to spend more money on games and services including subs or even the next console.

Increased engagement equals more money.

47d ago
DarXyde46d ago

Same reason Microsoft does it: it looks better to investors and it's a solution when unit sales slow down.

Personally, I'm not a fan of this metric; and by using it, you're kind of signaling that you're moving into the "This is a PlayStation" era.

Z50146d ago

Because the PS4 also has users and not necessarily sales

Obscure_Observer44d ago

"I wonder why they are shifting focus to MAU."

Because they´d finally realized that MS wasn´t wrong after all.

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310°

Sony Announces Large Profits Growth for PlayStation; Expects Further Wins in Current Fiscal Year

Sony announced its financial results for the fiscal year 2024, and things are certainly looking up, despite a decline in PS5 sales.

Read Full Story >>
simulationdaily.com
CrimsonWing6947d ago

Expect sh*t to slow down if prices aren’t kept in check.

Redgrave47d ago

Who downvotes the truth?

Even PSN itself is too damn high.jpg

S2Killinit47d ago

Gamepass is already at 20$ per month if im not mistaken.

toxic-inferno47d ago

@neutralgamer1992

Not all of us. I'm a big PlayStation fan, and have been since the PSOne. But I can't begin to defend what's happening currently.

At least Nintendo release a large number of games from their major franchises. Sony is just not banking on their established franchises, and yet are raising prices. Not great.

S2Killinit47d ago

Im pretty sure we are going to see a price increase for PRO. I mean think about it, its currently cheaper than xbox series x! That cannot last.

Eonjay47d ago

I'm absolutely sure we will not see a price increase. I don't think we should 'expect' to see price increase because it just adds validity to what Nintendo and Microsoft have done.

darthv7246d ago (Edited 46d ago )

Sorry to pop that bubble but the Pro is not cheaper than a series x... generally speaking (like you are). It is cheaper than one specific version, and doing so by not including the optical drive and stand like the X has by default.

So keep on trying to convince people you are right when everyone knows it's quite the opposite. A stock Pro is $699.99 and a stock X is $599.99. A special edition galactic black 2tb X is $729.99. And if you really want to compare apples to apples... adding the aforementioned optical drive and stand brings that Pro to $809.97 and then they would be on equal footing.

Twisting truths to fit a narrative... I expect better from you S2.

S2Killinit46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

The PS5 PRO has 2TB storage. And the series X with 2TB is more expensive. Which in my opinion is insane conseidering how much more powerful the PRO is. The PS5PRO does not need a stand, it can be used without a stand.

TheKingKratos47d ago

So the Pro is not offering any push in sales at all ?

CrashMania47d ago

It's still an expensive, niche product ultimately. And they exceeded their sales projections for units sold by half a million.

lawox47d ago

"18.5 million units have been shipped during the full fiscal year. This is actually ahead of the 18 million units target set by the company."

They beat their yearly estimate. It's not broken down by device, but it's clearly performing well enough. Since it's been released it's consistently been the second best selling SKU on Amazon only after the the Slim with disc.

47d ago
Bathyj47d ago

18 million a year is in the toilet?
I remember when 10 was considered good
Hell Microsoft would take that right now.
Probably pay $100b for it.

47d ago
BeHunted47d ago

If their profits fall next quarter, we'll probably see more price hikes. I can't imagine having to pay £20 a month for PlayStation Plus.

S2Killinit47d ago

I think gamepass is already paying that much.

47d ago
drivxr47d ago (Edited 47d ago )

Decline in hardware sales.
Behind on lifetime sales and decline in first party sales.
Third party content and PSN came through to save the day.
Things will improve starting with the next Ghost game.

Hopefully a steady flow of first party content by end of '25

rlow147d ago (Edited 47d ago )

I guess you get downvoted for stating facts from Sony’s own lips. What I’m curious about is what their top games of the year were and how much Xbox games contributed to the increase?

CrashMania47d ago

Well, generally 3rd party publisher games contribute the most anyway, so no different to capcom, EA and so on contributing to this figure.

lawox47d ago

That's because the report is actually really good.

They beat the console sales estimate that they set last year March, they have increased users both due to the record numbers of PS4 users and strong PS5 sales which is leading to great profits in sales and user spend.

This report is about the financial health of the PlayStation brand and as a platform PlayStation is stronger than ever. Heck they even have Microsoft putting their biggest franchises on the platform.

47d ago
S2Killinit46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

Well, the facts in the article are positive. Nothing wrong with his comment, but in my opinion it doesn't correctly indicate all the facts and nuances that give context to the reality of things. I downvoted for that only.

Make sense?

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Lightning7747d ago

This is exactly what happened to Xbox year's ago. They had no first party and started seeing decline in 1st party sales, which effected their third party games which eventually effected their console sales. A slow decline across the board.

Calm down PS fans I'm not saying PS is becoming like old Xbox. I'm showing examples of the importance of first party output. Look how Xbox finally has compelling first party and things are on a up swing(despite years going on a downswing). I know thanks to PS releases which helps a ton, (which is why Xbox hardware only dropped 6% instead of 30+% like it usually does) The point still stands despite what Genz Trends may go, first party and compelling games sell hardware and software still. Sony's financial quarter is an example of this, of what lower First party output looks like.

No matter they'll be right back on track in due time any time especially with DS2 (not my type of game but I know many like it) and Yotei. They're not Xbox and let things get bad for so many years on end.

crazyCoconuts47d ago

"I'm showing examples of the importance of first party output. "
First party is mostly relevant for the sole purpose of creating EXCLUSIVES that are needed to stay competitive. With Xbox consoles collapsing and no more Xbox exclusives, first party is way less important. PlayStation as a platform now has free reign to profit without the high expense of needing exclusive first party titles.

red2tango47d ago

Sony has been very lazy with 1st party games compared to the PS4 era. And even the PS4 era was nothing compared to the PS3 era in terms of games.

S2Killinit46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

We have Ghost and Intergalactic coming. And then Marathon which is not exclusive to PlayStation. I think Covid and that chip shortage put a speedbump in game development because game manufacturers dont want even more risk that their game will arrive to too little hardware, but the games are starting to show up.

Lightning7747d ago

"With Xbox consoles collapsing and no more Xbox exclusives, first party is way less important."

Absolutely not. If that was the case then Nintendo would put Mario on Sega Genesis and Sonic on Super Nintendo. I know things are way different 30+ years later but not much has really changed in terms of exclusives and their impact on hardware. Especially early in the console life cycle.

Sony made all the money this quarter handover fist. Profits isn't a issue for them right now. I was just saying lower hardware sales and lower first party sales will hurt them or any console manufacturer of they don't have the compelling games in the long run. Just like it hurt Xbox. IF Sony keeps up not having lower first part output. Which we know they're not.

crazyCoconuts47d ago

Well no big exclusives in the last two years yet PS is doing great. What are people gonna do? Buy an Xbox?

S2Killinit46d ago

I agree with you. But they have had plenty of exclusives so far. Has it been ideal? Nope. I have a feeling we are seeing a resurgence with the effects of covid and that chip shortage now behind us.

Lightning7747d ago

No it's just like 360 where they had no games yet ppl still bought it because they sold ppl on the games early on that gen the fans were locked in and invested. They were riding the good will and was dubbed the shooter, racer box. The games dried up and they never recovered from it which hurt them in the long run. Same here with PS they still make the big bucks because they had games early on and the fans locked in and will continue to lock in for a little while longer despite lacking in first party.

S2Killinit46d ago (Edited 46d ago )

I agree. But the problem with xbox was that for some crazy reason MS thought game development wasnt all that important to a platform holder. They literally did not fund games with their own studios. When they lost marketshare they couldnt justify paying for exclusives with large install bases making it too expensive. That is not the scenario with PlayStation.

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