The Gaming News Thread (for news that doesn't need a thread)
- Thread starter NormanicGrav
- Start date
Gemsy-chan
Himouto
Gemsy-chan
Himouto
This is one I've not played before
CommanderZx2
Vampire Ninja
Perhaps the most surprising news of the event Muramasa: Revenant Blades announced for Switch, Switch 2, PS 5, and PC!
It is the first time a Vanillaware game has ever been announced for PC.
It is the first time a Vanillaware game has ever been announced for PC.
cfx
School Idol
Atelier Karia trailer:
Website:
atelier.games
There will be a Japanese livestream on the 12th so I expect a more detailed trailer then.
Trailer:
Japanese audio version:
Website:
www.bandainamcoent.com
In the US, this was released under the title Tales of Destiny 2 for PS1; I don't think it got a UK release.
Edit: Some additional info; the Japanese website is more detailed:
bond.tales-ch.jp
Under the Remastered tab, about halfway down, it talks about the game having an original and remastered graphics mode. I wish the images were larger, but you can see the original mode appears to be in likely the orignal game's resolution just nearest-neighbor upscaled, rather than the filtered/upscaled/whatever remastered backgrounds. With either you still have the HD HUD elements. I'm happy to see this as I personally prefer the original backgrounds over the appearance of the remastered from what I see in the trailer and it eliminates the disconnect between what the sprites and backgrounds look like.
The rest of the text in that table details the changes to the game. Mostly it's the so-called QoL features like quest markers and such, which can fortunately all be individually turned on and off. The harder difficulties that previously required an initial playthrough to unlock are available from the start, along with a extra hard bonus dungeon that previously only was available in a second playthrough.
I'm not familiar with these older games, but I'm guessing they did not originally have the grade shop that's in the newer titles, as that isn't mentioned, but there are options you can set that look similar to the things that grade shop let you do in the other games.
I didn't see if prices were given for the west, but the Japanese price is ¥3600 so it's a budget priced release. I also didn't originally realize it has a PS4 version, which they skipped for the last two Tales remasters though it's digital only from what I have seen.
Here is the EU website but it and the US have far less information at least currently:
en.bandainamcoent.eu
That isn't clear on whether there are any physical versions for the UK (or US) but Japan has physical versions for PS5, Switch, and Switch 2 though the latter is a game key card. The Japanese releases do have English language support and text is available in most EU languages as well as Chinese and Korean.
Website:
Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories
Reawaken the past, savor the present. A vast fantasy alchemy RPG of memories and discovery. Synthesize items, use them on your adventure, and eat them. Alchemy will deepen every aspect of the game in this new evolution of the Atelier series.
There will be a Japanese livestream on the 12th so I expect a more detailed trailer then.
Trailer:
Japanese audio version:
Website:
Tales of Eternia Remastered | Official Site
Experience the remastered edition of Tales of Eternia, a timeless JRPG where a band of heroes race to prevent a disaster that could destroy two intertwined worlds.
In the US, this was released under the title Tales of Destiny 2 for PS1; I don't think it got a UK release.
Edit: Some additional info; the Japanese website is more detailed:
テイルズ オブ エターニア リマスター | バンダイナムコエンターテインメント公式サイト
永遠と絆のRPGがさらに遊びやすくなって再登場！「テイルズ オブ エターニア リマスター」公式サイト。
Under the Remastered tab, about halfway down, it talks about the game having an original and remastered graphics mode. I wish the images were larger, but you can see the original mode appears to be in likely the orignal game's resolution just nearest-neighbor upscaled, rather than the filtered/upscaled/whatever remastered backgrounds. With either you still have the HD HUD elements. I'm happy to see this as I personally prefer the original backgrounds over the appearance of the remastered from what I see in the trailer and it eliminates the disconnect between what the sprites and backgrounds look like.
The rest of the text in that table details the changes to the game. Mostly it's the so-called QoL features like quest markers and such, which can fortunately all be individually turned on and off. The harder difficulties that previously required an initial playthrough to unlock are available from the start, along with a extra hard bonus dungeon that previously only was available in a second playthrough.
I'm not familiar with these older games, but I'm guessing they did not originally have the grade shop that's in the newer titles, as that isn't mentioned, but there are options you can set that look similar to the things that grade shop let you do in the other games.
I didn't see if prices were given for the west, but the Japanese price is ¥3600 so it's a budget priced release. I also didn't originally realize it has a PS4 version, which they skipped for the last two Tales remasters though it's digital only from what I have seen.
Here is the EU website but it and the US have far less information at least currently:
Tales of Eternia Remastered
From opposite skies, voices unite.Tales of Eternia returns as a remastered edition!Journey to Eternia, a world split into two isolated realms, Inferia and Celestia. In the remote Inferian village of Rasheans, Reid Hershel and his childhood friend Farah Oersted meet a mysterious girl named...
That isn't clear on whether there are any physical versions for the UK (or US) but Japan has physical versions for PS5, Switch, and Switch 2 though the latter is a game key card. The Japanese releases do have English language support and text is available in most EU languages as well as Chinese and Korean.
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Anime1977
Stand User
Ah yes stellar blade blood rain the old pedo accusations have been happening around this game.
Lucky_Deity
Combat Butler
cfx
School Idol
I checked and no demo for Denshattack! on PlayStation it seems.
I forgot to follow up on my earlier post, here is the second video for Atelier Karia:
Also a first look video:
BrokenPhoenix
Stand User
This is physical gamer's 9/11. It was a fun ride ladies and gentlemen.
blog.playstation.com
Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles
In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.
blog.playstation.com
Dai
Combat Butler
This feels like the start of an avalanche of potential disasters for console gaming and game ownership going forward.This is physical gamer's 9/11. It was a fun ride ladies and gentlemen.
Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles
In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.
No discs means no used game market. That means less wealthy gamers have less money available for buying games, potentially leading to lower sales for new releases, which would likely lead publishers to be even more cautious about what projects to greenlight. Prep for another generation of bloated, cookie-cutter open worlds. Also, if Microsoft use this as an opportunity to follow suit, then you can probably kiss the likes of CEX goodbye within a decade at most.
No discs means a single point of failure for your whole game collection. Sony announced just recently that they would be removing hundreds of movies from people's media libraries due to expired licences. The same could happen to any digital game. Now technically this isn't a new problem, since a walled garden ecosystem like a game console could add OS-level blocks to prevent discs of specific games from installing or loading, but having a physical copy means a determined person could still potentially run it on a jailbroken console or emulator. There's also the problem of Sony's anti-consumer attitude when people's account are stolen; an all-digital collection could vanish in an instant that way with little to no way to recover it.
No discs means the PS6 is unlikely to have a disc drive, since it would only be used for backwards compatibility. With the bill of materials for PS6 reportedly exceeding $1,000 at current component cost, Sony may not see any value in offering even an optional add-on drive for PS6. By extension, this would mean a drastic scaling back of how many optical drives Sony produces overall. With so many other electronics companies dropping out of manufacturing blu-ray drives, could this mean Sony sunsetting their own BD and UHD players sooner rather than later? If so, how much impact would that have on media companies when deciding what movies and shows to give a physical release, if any?
No disc drive on PS6 would be a disaster for people trying to preserve access to their physical PS4/5 collection, since the operating life of optical drives is often significantly worse than it used to be. It also means people being unable to retire the giant, space-hogging Liquorice All-sort that is the PS5 from under their TVs.
Overall, this feels like a Sony that is looking at a failing Xbox brand as an excuse to slide back to the level of hubris they showed when developing the PS3. In the long-term this decision will hit every gamer's weakness for massive damage.
CommanderZx2
Vampire Ninja
That certainly is the death knell of whatever that was left of gaming retailers. No one will want to buy physical game releases if they now all have codes only and the second hand market will be gone as well.
RB008
Completely Average High School Student
I'm incredibly disappointed and depressed by this news.This is physical gamer's 9/11. It was a fun ride ladies and gentlemen.
Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles
In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.
First of all is the PS3 and Vita store shutting, I've been waiting for them to bring that back up and while I'm frustrated, it was going to have to happen eventually.
Now for the big news... ffs. I've always used physical games as a way to share with others, friends and family in games they want to try or things I want to show them. This has always been a great time, seeing what each thinks of something and sharing something I love so much with others is amazing. Of course you can kind of do that with digital families or game sharing, but so many games barely go on sale and a lot for nowhere near as cheap as just buying second hand.
Second hand games helped my passion for gaming thrive when I was younger, and without physical games to get for cheap or on 3 for 2 in GAME whenever I got pocket money I wouldn't have had the opportunity to actually explore gaming as thoroughly as I did growing up. I made so many memories not just in single player games but lending multiplayer games off friends and buying them to play with them, because they were super cheap physically! That made it so easy to try things out with friends, if good then awesome! Another thing to play. If not, well just sell it! There was little loss in trying all of these new things and finding what was most fun while making memories doing so.
It's sad that with these digital only consoles that's something newer gamers can't get. My youngest brother uses his Xbox Series S all the time, and yeah he does have a lot of fun! But his limited pocket money as well as his friends' money stops him from buying new games to play both on his own and with friends who try to get him to play this or that, when these games are comparatively super cheap physically.
I don't think this will stop at Sony. Absolutely not. Xbox will probably say something in the near future, and Nintendo might follow suit as they've already got those digital key cards. Ugggghhhh. I can see physical games getting more expensive as they're now "collectors items" and then they become retro and a thing of the past...
There's also a lot of people (at least everyone that I know) that have never bought a blu ray player, instead using their console to play DVD/BLURAY/4K discs (me included) so maybe this will also have some effect on those sales at some point.
cfx
School Idol
I was stunned to see this the first thing on Gematsu this morning. Of course it was coming, but I really thought it wouldn't happen until PS7.
I had already figured I wouldn't buy the PS6 as I'm very old, and have a huge library of games I haven't played at all; more than I may ever get to before my death. I didn't buy a PS5 forever, only getting one last November after there were enough things I wanted that weren't coming to PS4. But this pretty much guarantees I will never buy a PS6.
I buy every game physically that exists in that form, with the one exception if the only physical version is via Limited Run Games as I do not wish to support that company. If something is digital-only and I want it, I will buy eventually, but only on a significant sale since as far as I'm concerned digital is not worth full price, and since there's little chance of a game disappearing at least in the first year or so after release, there's no need to rush to buy either. Only exception to that for me are Hamster's Arcade Archives or some indie games where it's understandable there isn't a physical version, and the prices are low enough anyway.
This will also limit exactly what games I buy on PS5 after the January 2028 date. I'm not going to download a game that's 150 GB in size; that is just insane to me.
On a small positive note, I do appreciate they announced this with a year and a half to go.
I had already figured I wouldn't buy the PS6 as I'm very old, and have a huge library of games I haven't played at all; more than I may ever get to before my death. I didn't buy a PS5 forever, only getting one last November after there were enough things I wanted that weren't coming to PS4. But this pretty much guarantees I will never buy a PS6.
I buy every game physically that exists in that form, with the one exception if the only physical version is via Limited Run Games as I do not wish to support that company. If something is digital-only and I want it, I will buy eventually, but only on a significant sale since as far as I'm concerned digital is not worth full price, and since there's little chance of a game disappearing at least in the first year or so after release, there's no need to rush to buy either. Only exception to that for me are Hamster's Arcade Archives or some indie games where it's understandable there isn't a physical version, and the prices are low enough anyway.
This will also limit exactly what games I buy on PS5 after the January 2028 date. I'm not going to download a game that's 150 GB in size; that is just insane to me.
On a small positive note, I do appreciate they announced this with a year and a half to go.
lonelywolf23786
School Idol
So much for 'For the gamers'.
And no more of this:
And no more of this:
I wrote my stance on this on my recent monthly pickups blogpost, but I'll repeat what I said there on here (and extended).
I’ve bought physical games because they held good value; from looking great on the shelf, being able to install games at ease (a recap that a majority of physical games are complete and playable on the disc itself) than waiting on downloads for ages on the console, the ability to re-sell the game if needed for someone else to have ownership of the game, and if something happened to my account I will still be able to access my entire physical library on a new account – because losing your account also means losing your entire digital library.
Plus digital, whilst it has its benefits in terms of quick accessibility for a few more seconds, is a license which means you do not technically own that game at all for your account, so the publisher and Sony themselves have the right to take that access away from you at any point. For now a vast majority will still be accessible for the foreseeable future but it can happen – heck the recent news that Studio Canal’s deal with Sony expired and that anyone who bought the films digitally will not only lose access to their license but also no refund process whatsoever is a conveniently timed reminder of that scenario.
At the end of the day, many consumers prefer the digital route and that’s fine for them, but what this means moving forward for me is that I’ll continue to pickup physical games for what’s left for the next 18 months and depending on Nintendo’s response many physical owners will either shift to them or just wait for massive sales from this point. Digital is pretty pricey anyway so if you want my attention you’ll have to drop the price by a lot.
Digital can work in terms of ownership. In the PC world, there are multiple storefronts to purchase digital games on that platform and one of them is GOG, who offer DRM-free versions of games which means that if you purchase any of their titles, whether it be the Resident Evil Classic Trilogy, Baldur’s Gate III or the recently added No More Heroes games, you keep it and can put it on as many devices as you want without any extra cost. Sony definitely won’t be doing that, which also begs the question of whether or not there’s even a future for digital only PlayStation and Xbox when most consumers will probably be better off owning the PC versions or even Steam’s Machine console (once the prices calm down in a few years of course).
I personally wasn't expecting this announcement to happen like what we got. I was thinking PlayStation 6 would go digital only but allow PlayStation 5 to keep the physical discs until the generation ends. As others said, this is going to cause massive damage to not only retailers like the independent and used-games businesses like CeX, but also publishers that handle physical distribution and collector's editions like Limited Run Games, Red Art Games, Strictly Limited Games, Lost in Cult, Super Rare Games, Play-Asia etc because without physical access they'll lose a lot of revenue and may even go bankrupt. Sure we have Nintendo but I read somewhere that Nintendo isn't allowing re-releases of games released as Game Key Cards in full game cart versions.
Anyway I won't be surprised if this kind of backfires on Sony in a sense that by going digital only moving forward thinking they'll have more people buying digital games. Because of their model, their prices are inaccessible for many folks unless they go on sale for a deep discount, and the physical folks will either move to Nintendo or go for PC that are still digital but offer more flexible options like GOG and Steam, and also the Steam Machine, which can also be customised to be a PC of its own, will dominate the market even more once the prices ordeal resolves in a few years time. Single player games being exclusive to PlayStation won't save Sony here ironically.
I’ve bought physical games because they held good value; from looking great on the shelf, being able to install games at ease (a recap that a majority of physical games are complete and playable on the disc itself) than waiting on downloads for ages on the console, the ability to re-sell the game if needed for someone else to have ownership of the game, and if something happened to my account I will still be able to access my entire physical library on a new account – because losing your account also means losing your entire digital library.
Plus digital, whilst it has its benefits in terms of quick accessibility for a few more seconds, is a license which means you do not technically own that game at all for your account, so the publisher and Sony themselves have the right to take that access away from you at any point. For now a vast majority will still be accessible for the foreseeable future but it can happen – heck the recent news that Studio Canal’s deal with Sony expired and that anyone who bought the films digitally will not only lose access to their license but also no refund process whatsoever is a conveniently timed reminder of that scenario.
At the end of the day, many consumers prefer the digital route and that’s fine for them, but what this means moving forward for me is that I’ll continue to pickup physical games for what’s left for the next 18 months and depending on Nintendo’s response many physical owners will either shift to them or just wait for massive sales from this point. Digital is pretty pricey anyway so if you want my attention you’ll have to drop the price by a lot.
Digital can work in terms of ownership. In the PC world, there are multiple storefronts to purchase digital games on that platform and one of them is GOG, who offer DRM-free versions of games which means that if you purchase any of their titles, whether it be the Resident Evil Classic Trilogy, Baldur’s Gate III or the recently added No More Heroes games, you keep it and can put it on as many devices as you want without any extra cost. Sony definitely won’t be doing that, which also begs the question of whether or not there’s even a future for digital only PlayStation and Xbox when most consumers will probably be better off owning the PC versions or even Steam’s Machine console (once the prices calm down in a few years of course).
I personally wasn't expecting this announcement to happen like what we got. I was thinking PlayStation 6 would go digital only but allow PlayStation 5 to keep the physical discs until the generation ends. As others said, this is going to cause massive damage to not only retailers like the independent and used-games businesses like CeX, but also publishers that handle physical distribution and collector's editions like Limited Run Games, Red Art Games, Strictly Limited Games, Lost in Cult, Super Rare Games, Play-Asia etc because without physical access they'll lose a lot of revenue and may even go bankrupt. Sure we have Nintendo but I read somewhere that Nintendo isn't allowing re-releases of games released as Game Key Cards in full game cart versions.
Anyway I won't be surprised if this kind of backfires on Sony in a sense that by going digital only moving forward thinking they'll have more people buying digital games. Because of their model, their prices are inaccessible for many folks unless they go on sale for a deep discount, and the physical folks will either move to Nintendo or go for PC that are still digital but offer more flexible options like GOG and Steam, and also the Steam Machine, which can also be customised to be a PC of its own, will dominate the market even more once the prices ordeal resolves in a few years time. Single player games being exclusive to PlayStation won't save Sony here ironically.
Aion
Chuunibyou
...This is where my long-posting kindred were hiding all this time, eh? 'Tis oddly fitting that the news dropped now, as I am currently revisiting the Jak & Daxter trilogy.
Troubled times are afoot. It was already generating my ire that the IDing/censoring of the internet had Sony force age verification upon users that have accounts older than 18 years. There was also a scare recently where it looked like you would need to be online every 30-days to continue playing (turned out 'twas a one-time DRM check, yay). More worryingly, given we'll be soon be locked into their digital store eco-system, I also read that - much like World Cup tickets - dynamic pricing was starting to be trialed; ie some users will get a lower pricing, some higher. Specialised discounts based on the data they steal from you.
The lack of a disc drive when I like collecting and having some degree of ownership that can't be rug-pulled at any moment is going to end my love affair with Playstation. Well, not that there was much affection left: every game being a miserable over the shoulder walk-talking affair, where I get to be 'educated' by whatever progressive messaging the wannabe movie directors decide on, as they butcher IPs to serve their own ends (God of War: Laundry, I'm looking at you and... Frank the cube), had already had me decide against supporting future exclusives that are not Astro Bot, Stellar Blade or Housemarque. Playstation lost its soul the moment their Japanese studio was shuttered and they moved their HQ to America. And AAA gaming lost its soul - the indie space aside - the moment budgets spiraled into hundreds of millions, and games started taking 5-10yrs at worst, with 1000 staffers needing paid and all the bureaucracy that came with it.
The writing was unfortunately on the wall: 85-90% iirc of sales are digital nowadays, with disc installs being far slower than internet downloads. The PS5 Pro launched with the disc drive separate, which had put me off buying until - I hoped - the PS6 would course correct. Nintendo has also been forcing game key-cards: 'a code in the cart' instead of a 'code in the box'. At least that retains CeXing resale value, but still, that's unattractive to collectors like meeee.
It's just sad, really. The social side of console gaming has been eroded under the banner of inclusivity. Fun has been erased by removing any trace of it to chase artistic bollox, as Naughty Dog's downfall illustrates. And now value is being taken away, all for profit and controlling the market. The PS1-PS2 era was the high point for gaming, when actual passionate gamers made games. Now, with AI driving up the price of consoles to the point only the rich and mostly not kids will have access, we're at the crossroads where it's becoming a hobby for the elite and/or normies that care little and know less. Hopefully the prices drop but this news and where we're currently at does feel like end times.
GTAVI will be the coordinated testing ground to validate this new policy (noticed the PSN app changed to a VI one the other day & a forced 'VI' dashboard ad I had to dismiss booting up my PS5), and it's everything wrong with the gaming industry: how long has it been since GTAV, and why do hyper realistic graphics, with arse-jiggling motion capture matter over providing a good time, IN good time? That it took so long to launch with a $100 complete version, without a disc, truly is grand theft when Rockstar milked GTAV to to an absurd extent through micro transactions. Anyone buying VI is supporting the business practices Sony will use to push this in 2028. And, sadly, people will buy it en masse. Casuals especially won't care about any of this, as all they see is hype.
The one plus of all this? I now feel less wronged by pre-ordering Persona 4's CE for a piss-taking £220. We should treasure these moments, as if they were our last~ Another plus is I just put a £200 2TB SSD in my base PS5; also changing its faceplates for custom ones. I'll be sticking rather than twisting, metinks. I like the option of buying digitally, and access to Steam's library alongside consoles. I do not like that being my only option. NO/NEIN!
PS: The PS3 store shutting means I need to get my PS3 out of my PS5 box before 2027, and access its terrible store to buy the Asura Wrath DLC. Groan. 'Tis troublesome...
Troubled times are afoot. It was already generating my ire that the IDing/censoring of the internet had Sony force age verification upon users that have accounts older than 18 years. There was also a scare recently where it looked like you would need to be online every 30-days to continue playing (turned out 'twas a one-time DRM check, yay). More worryingly, given we'll be soon be locked into their digital store eco-system, I also read that - much like World Cup tickets - dynamic pricing was starting to be trialed; ie some users will get a lower pricing, some higher. Specialised discounts based on the data they steal from you.
The lack of a disc drive when I like collecting and having some degree of ownership that can't be rug-pulled at any moment is going to end my love affair with Playstation. Well, not that there was much affection left: every game being a miserable over the shoulder walk-talking affair, where I get to be 'educated' by whatever progressive messaging the wannabe movie directors decide on, as they butcher IPs to serve their own ends (God of War: Laundry, I'm looking at you and... Frank the cube), had already had me decide against supporting future exclusives that are not Astro Bot, Stellar Blade or Housemarque. Playstation lost its soul the moment their Japanese studio was shuttered and they moved their HQ to America. And AAA gaming lost its soul - the indie space aside - the moment budgets spiraled into hundreds of millions, and games started taking 5-10yrs at worst, with 1000 staffers needing paid and all the bureaucracy that came with it.
The writing was unfortunately on the wall: 85-90% iirc of sales are digital nowadays, with disc installs being far slower than internet downloads. The PS5 Pro launched with the disc drive separate, which had put me off buying until - I hoped - the PS6 would course correct. Nintendo has also been forcing game key-cards: 'a code in the cart' instead of a 'code in the box'. At least that retains CeXing resale value, but still, that's unattractive to collectors like meeee.
It's just sad, really. The social side of console gaming has been eroded under the banner of inclusivity. Fun has been erased by removing any trace of it to chase artistic bollox, as Naughty Dog's downfall illustrates. And now value is being taken away, all for profit and controlling the market. The PS1-PS2 era was the high point for gaming, when actual passionate gamers made games. Now, with AI driving up the price of consoles to the point only the rich and mostly not kids will have access, we're at the crossroads where it's becoming a hobby for the elite and/or normies that care little and know less. Hopefully the prices drop but this news and where we're currently at does feel like end times.
GTAVI will be the coordinated testing ground to validate this new policy (noticed the PSN app changed to a VI one the other day & a forced 'VI' dashboard ad I had to dismiss booting up my PS5), and it's everything wrong with the gaming industry: how long has it been since GTAV, and why do hyper realistic graphics, with arse-jiggling motion capture matter over providing a good time, IN good time? That it took so long to launch with a $100 complete version, without a disc, truly is grand theft when Rockstar milked GTAV to to an absurd extent through micro transactions. Anyone buying VI is supporting the business practices Sony will use to push this in 2028. And, sadly, people will buy it en masse. Casuals especially won't care about any of this, as all they see is hype.
The one plus of all this? I now feel less wronged by pre-ordering Persona 4's CE for a piss-taking £220. We should treasure these moments, as if they were our last~ Another plus is I just put a £200 2TB SSD in my base PS5; also changing its faceplates for custom ones. I'll be sticking rather than twisting, metinks. I like the option of buying digitally, and access to Steam's library alongside consoles. I do not like that being my only option. NO/NEIN!
PS: The PS3 store shutting means I need to get my PS3 out of my PS5 box before 2027, and access its terrible store to buy the Asura Wrath DLC. Groan. 'Tis troublesome...
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