540°

Gearbox boss: 'Bitch and moan' if you want, but the Epic Store is best for Borderlands 3

Randy Pitchford explained in a long tweetstorm why he believes the future does not belong to Steam.

PapaBop1872d ago

"blah blah blah.. oh $$$$$$$ blah blah blah umm ahhh, umm CROSSPLATFORM"

Totally sold, who needs consumer choice, the future is great, magical and EPIC /s

Avernus1872d ago

I don't really care too much about this issue personally, but it's funny you bring up consumer choice as an argument against it when Steam basically had a monopoly.

MrBitch1872d ago

Steam didn't have a monopoly, steam games were available to any platform that was willing to compete, steam didn't buy games rights to publish. Just because no one wanted to compete doesn't make them a monopoly.

sinspirit1872d ago

You clearly don't know what a monopoly is. Steam made no efforts to control the market and prevent competition. It's just a great service without any catch. Customers gave it all the success it deserves.

Epic has a boring, featureless, and compromising client which has had many security breaches and continues to fail customers. The client is not right for customers. If developers want more money then they should just release the game standalone like back in the day and get all of the cut instead of launch on a bad client

Hungryalpaca1872d ago

You don’t know what a monopoly is. Steam wasn’t the only place selling the games. The developers had numerous storefronts to choose from and steam never barred anyone from other stores. Steam was and still is the best option for everyone.

PapaBop1872d ago

Steam had it's rocky beginnings for it's own reasons too but it's an apples and oranges argument, any perceived monopoly Steam had was due to Valve being one of the first gaming companies to offer a digital store.

WombBat1872d ago

Steam is the greedy one, they take 30%...

Jaypi031872d ago

Steam isn't a monopoly though, it's the most popular platform but it's not a monopoly, that's not even how monopolies work, just because you say it's "basically" a monopoly doesn't mean it is. There's still competition for Steam, sure not as popular as Steam, but still competition, Humble Bundle, GOG, U-Play, Origin, and even piracy.

McDonalds is the biggest fast food place in the world, but it's still not a monopoly.

sinspirit1871d ago

@WombBat

Okay. Take this for example. The whole industry takes 30%. Even retail takes a cut on top of console manufacturers getting 30% for releasing on their console. You are a free service that gives users and developers tons of tools and capabilities that no one else does. These developers also bypass fees that retailers would have taken by using Steam. Steam is great for developers and consumers.

Now, imagine a company releases a featureless security flawed service that can't keep themselves afloat and stay consistently updated and serviced at a 12% developer fee, while throwing cash at them for timed exclusivity, and is basically a flex to shoehorn into being a known marketplace by blending money because their super rich partner told them to try. Would you actually cut your fee on a consistently great service that makes the effort to do right for developers(given the fee) and consumers alike? Who really decides who wins? The consumer will. And, Steam will stay the main choice for us. Developers should just release their games standalone again jnstead of using a crappy launcher and make more money per unit.

1871d ago
Kryptix1871d ago (Edited 1871d ago )

Guy, I don't think you know what a monopoly is including those who agreed with you.

Valve never forced any market that sells keys to only sell Steam keys. for example.

Your anger is misdirected. It should be aimed at the anti-consumerism of purchasing exclusivity rights to games that were announced on one platform and then switched in the last second which in effect also took marketing space.

Not only that, but making people in the last second switch to a platform/launcher that lacks security and basic features which are considered pro-consumer.

I only played Fortnite once and till this day I still get "denied access" emails of someone obviously using an automatic password generator/cracker.

I'm good.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 1871d ago
darthv721872d ago

If the game wasnt coming to PS and XB store then you may have a point but as it is there will still be consumer choice. You can play on pc, xbox and ps4. How you obtain your copy is dependent on which platform you want to use.

PapaBop1872d ago

By that logic, Gamestop for example could obtain the exclusive rights to sell the Xbox copy but that wouldn't be impacting consumer choice because consumers could pick it up on a different platform instead. You are right though, I'll be getting it on PS4.

jeki1871d ago

You have several choices: buy the game when it's released at the Epic Store, wait for it to release at Valve Corporation's Steam store, or don't buy it at all.

rainslacker1871d ago

Developers and publishers have choice to. While I often don't side with the dev or pub at the expense of consumer choice, in this case, about the only thing the consumer is losing is the ability to choose which store to buy it from. The price is going to remain the same for the customer, and the customer won't be excluded from playing it on their PC platform, so the situation isn't completely anti-consumer. It's about akin to some companies only selling their products at certain retailers, often with regional non-compete agreements so that company has an advantage. In those cases, the prices are usually fixed by the manufacturer to, so the customer doesn't gain much benefit outside of where they may prefer to shop.

jojo3191871d ago

It's actually more of an oligopoly than a true monopoly.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 1871d ago
PapaBop1872d ago

Well he isn't nicknamed Randy Bitchford for nothing.

rainslacker1871d ago

He's also pretty shady in general.

VTKC1872d ago

Bitch and moan? We will see who be bitching and moaning when your product doesnt sell as well as it should. A certain company already been down that road.

1872d ago Replies(6)
1871d ago Replies(1)
1872d ago Replies(1)
Father__Merrin1872d ago

in another few years epic is likely to trunce steam. EGS will be a world wide phenomena and is likely the goto place for pc gaming

Hungryalpaca1872d ago

Why you support shitty business is beyond me.

PapaBop1872d ago

Perhaps they should have released it in a few years when it was good and ready then instead of throwing around their Fortnite money on trying to force gamers into using it.

1871d ago Replies(1)
opc1871d ago

Epic Games Store is just a store though.

Steam is Platform supported by hardware and features that has a store inside of it.

If Epic is only interested in being a store, they should probably start selling Steam keys like Humble, GMG, Amazon... because people love those stores.

rainslacker1871d ago

I dunno about trounce them, but I think they'll improve their store over time, and with enough time, people will hate them like they hate steam now. Hate, but still use. Eventually, the stores will just be two options with relatively equal features, and it may even help each store be more innovative and offer benefits for the customers.

the biggest thing I can't take seriously with all the hate towards epic's store now is that it was hate before they really did anything that was worth hating on. I do think Epic should have fleshed out the store a bit more before going all in.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1871d ago
Show all comments (115)
220°

Take-Two CEO Doesn’t Think AI Will Reduce Employment or Dev Costs; “Stupidest Thing” He’s Heard

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn't think AI will reduce employment or lower development costs, and calls it "stupidest thing" he's ever heard.

lodossrage13h ago(Edited 13h ago)

They already have AI trained to do coding.......

How he thinks it's stupid is beyond me, Especially since we see it happening in real time.

CS711h ago

Company A has 300 employees and lays of 200 to replace them with AI to release the same quality game.

Company B has 300 employees and keeps all 300 but instead uses AI to release a game with dramatically larger scale, scope, complexity, short dev cycle etc.

Company B would release a dramatically better product by using humans + AI and consumers would buy the better game.

I actually agree with this concept.

Huey_My_D_Long11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

This is key facet. Its how the AI is used. It's actually is impressive as is and really would make an amazing addition to alot of people in their jobs, not just tech. It also has the potential for businesses to use to lay off large amounts of people, as much as they could to save money on labor. I hope too many companies don't go with the latter. But since usually companies are worried about bottom line over people...we will see some try and hopefully fail. But yeah, if its to help workers like in your company B scenario I'm totally down...Just scared Company A may be too enticing to some ceos and businesses.

Darkegg10h ago

Value of AI and value of humans will both be increased with human-AI complex. Each, by themselves, will not be independently better than the other. Whether AI will ever be independent from humans is the fear question of humans, ironically because of our doing. At this stage, most of the doing is because of humans, not because of AI. AI is doing exactly that by our design, until we have failed ourselves with an AI development that went awry. The biggest take is that humans have only ourselves to blame when things become wrong, and we have to decide what is the ultimate goal with AI we want to accomplish. It would take a person with high morals and high ethics to make right of AI. I would not want businessman to decide what AI should do or what capabilities it can have. AI should be in the hands of people with high moral fiber, or those operating on love, kindness, and compassion.

BlackOni10h ago

AI is SUPPOSED to be used as a tool, not a replacement. It's designed to do two important things artists can take advantage of immediately.

- Make the ideation/reference imaging process much quicker and easier (basically using it as a google search)
- Make mundane and time consuming tasks faster and easier so more time is spent on creation.

Unfortunately, what many have done is used it as a way to replace rather than supplement.

Einhander19727h ago(Edited 7h ago)

CS7

In the ideal world yes.

In the real world where companies have shown little desire to innovate and spent every effort to maximize profits the end result will be the same quality games (if were lucky) made by less people and more AI.

Company Real World: Fires 200 people and makes the same game cheaper using AI and the executives get record bonuses.

Edit:

Lets look at history, specifically auto manufacturing.

In the 70's and 80's the auto unions tried to oppose automation of jobs (robots) stating that they would take peoples jobs. And the people in charge who wanted to make more money said the exact same types of things that are being said about AI. But we can look at history and see that countless types of jobs were in fact replaced by automation, that was of course even compounded upon by computers.

The net effect was that the rich got richer less jobs were needed so wages were forced down by competition for the jobs that were left.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 6h ago
Number1TailzFan11h ago

You can already make your own SFX with text prompts now as well, of course it will lower development cost and time

1Victor11h ago(Edited 10h ago)

WARNING WARNING ‼️ SARCASM AHEAD
Sure Strauss and robots didn’t take jobs from car factories.
Edit:Sad thing is he believes it and unfortunately he won’t be replaced for a long time by AI

senorfartcushion9h ago(Edited 9h ago)

He doesn't, he's just lying. These people lay people off so they can get bonuses. If AI takes jobs, their bonus goes bigger and the workforce goes smaller.

porkChop7h ago

Because he sees AI as a tool to aid development. He wants to use AI to help make bigger and better games in the same timeframe. Other CEOs want to replace devs with AI to cut costs and make lifeless games faster for a quick buck. Strauss has the right idea, this is how AI should be used. To extend and expand the capabilities of devs.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 6h ago
jambola13h ago

Ceo says stupid thing
Part 5837384

Zeref11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

I think maybe sometimes we give people in these positions too much credit when it comes to intelligence.

romulus2311h ago

As long as it doesn't effect his inflated executive salary or his ridiculous bonuses I'm sure he's fine with it.

RNTody11h ago

Hahaha yeah trust the CEO suit over the actual developers making the games. Good one.

Show all comments (25)
100°

Every PlayStation Studios game available now on Windows PC

Windows Central writes: "Many PlayStation Studios games that are ported to PC get dedicated PS5 DualSense support, which allows users to experience haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support without actually having to own a PS5.

According to Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, it's still the company's intent to launch the bigger single-player games on PS5 first, before later bringing the games to PC. This might not be the case for multiplayer games however, which are considered okay to launch simultaneously on console and PC."

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
ocelot071d 19h ago

My guess is after god of war. Probably last of us 2 that's a almost 4 year old game now and by the time it's released on pc it will be more than 4 years old or close to 5.

Elda1d 14h ago

Every old Playstation game that is now on PC.

shinoff21831d 4h ago

Right. I definitely see what a headlined from a website named windows central was trying to do though. It's cute little wordplay to help out the green box

Flewid6381d 3h ago

Are PlayStation games no longer good or worth playing once they are old?

Elda1d 2h ago

I'm guessing my comment went over your head.

XiNatsuDragnel1d 12h ago

Good at least they can sell hardware

510°

Days Gone Director Says Bend's Project Costs Over $250M; Says PS Co-CEO Doesn't Want 2 Zombies Games

Days Gone director claims Sony has already poured in at least a $250M in Bend's project; says Days Gone sold more than Death Stranding.

shinoff21832d ago

Well that sucks. Seems they want more online trash. I'd rather of had the sequel if it was single player

MrNinosan1d 17h ago

What online trash games did PS Studios release last 10 years?

Notellin1d 15h ago

The past has nothing to do with the future. This is such a terrible argument. Everyone knows about their current live service push.

_SilverHawk_1d 14h ago

It's so tragic what happened to days gone. It is such an amazing game but bandwagoners trashed it and it underperformed in it's launch year. Days gone is the best open world zombie game released in the past five years. I was recently playing it on pc and I'm still amazed by it.

Games are very expensive to make and it seems like it's normal for a AAA game to cost over a quarter billion to make so if a quality game like days gone greatly underperforms then people shouldn't be upset when they see a lot of GAAS. I still remember a lot of bandwagoners calling days gone trash but years later it's now amazing when it's considered a failure by sony.

If a game isn't the best thing seen since hats with pockets then a lot of gamers who haven't played it automatically calls it rubbish and whoever made it should be incarcerated

Cacabunga1d 13h ago (Edited 1d 13h ago )

Co CEO prefers gamers to boycott.. so be it. I’ll never buy a gaas.
Just imagine buying a game you cannot replay in some years.. this shit must stop.

Days Gone did zombies in a very original way. The story was also so engaging. You actually only meet Zombie hordes later in the game. There are many more enemy groups to deal with.

MrNinosan1d 11h ago

@Notelin
I am one of the few who bought Days Gone on release day and loved it completely.
However, "more online trash" is phrased like Sony has put out alot of trash online games.
We got what, 2 games? Helldivers 2 and GT7, 2 of the most sold Playstation games where both is loved by millions.

You, me and especially shinoff has no idea if Fairgames, Marathon and Concord will be trash.

Just because we (as in you and me) don't love or support online games, doesn't mean millions of other do.

And we don't know what Bend Studio is working with? We don't know if they're forced to make a online game or another amazing single player experience.

The only thing we do know is that it's not Days Gone, sadly due to poor sales the first 6 months.

shinoff21831d 9h ago (Edited 1d 9h ago )

More online trash wasmt meant how insee it comes across. I should've worded it different I was meaning the focus they currently have on it.

Anything online is online trash to me. How long did naughty dog spend on that dumba last of us multiplayer, how about Concord, or even the other couple we hear about. I fk with Sony because rpgs and their 1st party single player games. Been like that for years. I hate seeing them waste time, money, and talent on trash. I understand bot every game is gonna be for me but this focus they've seem to had on multiplayer is extremely disheartening. Even at the state of play the only things I was really feeling were Astrobot and silent hill 2 and I'm content with that, not everything is for me. It's just the online focus I hate. Ms bought up 3 to 4 wrpgs developers, Sony just ignores rpgs 1st party wise.

And a days gone 2 would've been much better then whatever online sht bend is working on. I do know sometimes I get very idk emotional. I do need to work on toning that down a bit lol

SimpleDad23h ago

Ammm let's see... That All-stars, Foamstars, Babilon 5 wass gaas...
Concord... can wait to play that...Marathon uuuu... Last of them gaas... U
Horizon Zero dawn has a project that leaked as a Fortnite lookalike.

They bought Destiny that is a dead gaas...people love ti.

Helldivers 2 was luck.

Jimbo was all in and pushed Sony single player games 5 years behind.

Spiderman gaas was cancelled... I mean every 1st party studio was doing gaas.

Bend had to pitch a gaas game... Open world coop something

I can't remember more... Of that crap.

tay870122h ago

@simpledad. Destiny 2 isn't a dead game. Its the number 5 most played game on steam. I dont play it, but alot of people do.

MrNinosan18h ago

@SimpleDad
You failed to mention a single PS Studios game that has been released last 10 years.
Either your reading skills are crap or you think Sony own every studio in the world.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 18h ago
just_looken18h ago

I rolled my eyes at concord not only was it just yet another cookie cutter hero shooter but that qucik look for the hero select.

Already has a free section then paid section along with a they/them she/her dei crap top right.

Nothing like a day off of work to fire up concord to read about the new characters sexual identity and or preference then a paywall do you want o buy this character shit like no i just want to shoot my gun have fun.

-Foxtrot2d ago

It would be a shame if it was true that Hermen never gave the franchise a chance simply because he didn't like it and they already had a "Zombie" game with TLOU.

NaughtyDog are most likely moving onto a new IP next so it would have been the perfect time to do it.

ThinkThink2d ago

Here's where xbox steps in and releases state of decay 3 day and date on ps5.

shinoff21831d 9h ago

I mean it's not out of the realm of possibility at this point.

Grilla1d 17h ago

Days gone 2 was canceled before Herman was in charge. That happened like 4 years ago.

vfl5231d 16h ago

4 years ago he was head of Playstation Studios. He would've probably had a hand in the cancelation.

Notellin1d 15h ago

Man two seconds of research could have saved you from this comment. Amazing work Grilla you fit in with the uniformed N4G community who speaks before verifying anything that they say.

Redemption-641d 14h ago

Maybe encourage people to buy the game at full price and not when it's heavily discounted or go on plus. If this game had sold well when it was full priced a sequel would have been in the works. They made a single-player game that most people didn't support until they dropped the price.

Cacabunga1d 13h ago

The guy’s just a moron.. he should have stayed within game development. His choices will have a terrible impact on the brand in the long run.

tay87011d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

Dude is pretty pathetic. Sounds like a guy who's girl left him for someone better. Always talking about days gone sequel that never was, even though he is no longer at bend and hasnt been for a while. I for one am not upset about the lack of a sequel. It is one of the worst 1st party games in recent memory. Completely jank, played like an xbox game. The only redeeming quality was the hordes.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1d 3h ago
excaliburps1d 18h ago

Yep. Kind of weird since it wasn't a sales flop, no?

I know we have to take what Ross says with a grain of salt since we're hearing just one side of the story, but even so, the game wasn't bad at all. Heck, it's my brother's favorite last-gen game from what I recall.

The amount of zombies on screen, imagine that with the PS5 and SSD? That would be insanely fun!

Grilla1d 17h ago

Most copies were sold on sale. Not enough ppl bought it at full price. I paid 20$ for it 6 -7 months after release.

Notellin1d 15h ago (Edited 1d 15h ago )

Yeah we should never believe the creators side until we hear the corporate/big business side as history has shown we should always believe billion dollar corporations.

What a bootlicker statement.

derek1d 11h ago

@Notellin, of course you'll believe an embittered ex-employee with an axe to grind because it's evil Sony he's complaining about. You guys act like days gone was this huge success and somehow Sony hates easy money a sequel would have generated. The game was mid and so was the response to it. They're still supporting the developer who is making a new ip that could be great.

shinoff21831d 9h ago

Days gone was fantastic. I bought day one but didn't get around to it for months. When I finally did I was pissed at myself for waiting so long lol

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 1d 9h ago
P_Bomb1d 18h ago

Well I don’t want 10 live service games, but they have no problem doing that lol. Ugh.

CrimsonWing691d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

Oh great so we only get what the big wigs want… y’know, the people that really have their fingers on the pulse of what their consumers want. Faaaaantastic!

rippermcrip1d 14h ago

Well consider they know the sales... they do know what the consumer wants.

It sold shit.

-Foxtrot1d 9h ago (Edited 1d 9h ago )

But if it’s true what this guy says it sold better than Death Stranding

Yet that got a sequel and Kojima aside out of them both DS didn’t really NEED a sequel compared to Days Gone which ended on such a cliff hanger twist.

Show all comments (75)