With Backwards Compatibility and PS Now, The Need for "Definitive Editions" is Over

OnlySP: Nordic Games recently revealed the true intentions of re-releasing Darksiders 2 on current-gen consoles. To gauge interest in the franchise and use it as a starting point for Darksiders 3. Obviously, the company could use the extra cash as well.

[uth11]

The purpose of remasters is to fill out the lineup until the big new games are ready for release

[kungfuian]

The purpose of remasters is more than that.

They also provide those who have never had a chance to play a game a new opportunity to experience it. This works in a few ways. For example new ps4 owners who had 360 last gen but not a ps3. Now they can finally try these games.

Or players who would have been too young when the original released. Just think, a ten year old game that gets remastered will have an entirely new population of gamers who get a chance to try it out.

Re-released platform exclusive games may also in some way entice players to finally switch platforms. Like if I had a 360 but always wanted to try Uncharted.

Remasters also help developers measure interest and help build/re-establish interest in a series. For example if sales are good on a remaster then a sequel is a good idea. Or maybe sales are lower, then they still make the sequel but invest less money and lower sales projections.

Timely re-released/remastered versions help promote awareness of the next game in a series too. They can act as a sort of brand awareness marketing ramp up of sorts.

They also provide justification for a cross platform releases between console generations, something which is specifically beneficial for software that comes toward the end of one console generation and at the beginning of another (like GTA5)

They can help offset costs of a future installments in a series with added revenue (for example gravity rush HD sales will likely help fund gravity rush 2)

And lastly they provide collectors and fans of a game/series an opportunity to experience better realized iterations than previous hardware would allow. I'm a total sucker when it comes to owning the best versions of my favorites!

For these reasons and more remasters aren't going anywhere. If anything, I think we can expect a steady flow of remasters, re-imaginings, and soon vr versions of our favorites for a long time. And augmented reality versions, 4k versions, and so on and so forth will be right behind them.

[Fatdrinkofwater]

PSnow is such a rip off youd be better off buying a ps3 and whatever games you want second hand they are so cheap and youd actually own the games and be able to play offline with no latency.

[Masterchief_thegoat]

I'm no sucker as much I want to play ps3 on ps4 I don't want that. Good thing is is not being force like Xbox with Kinect 2013-2014

[Fatdrinkofwater]

Wtf has xbox kinect got to do with psnow and backward compatability?

If your gonna troll atleast keep it related.

Bad form

[dantesparda]

@Fatdrink
Then you stop trolling.

[bobtheimpaler]

I have no idea why people still think that PS Now is Sony's answer for backwards compatibility.

It just never was. They never marketed the service that way.

It is a totally separate service that is also accessible on a number of non-playstation devices. If you think it is, then you're just a fool letting your emotions do your thinking for you.

I have a PS3 and I've sold all the games I have on it except the few I can see myself revisiting. Even if PS Now was available in my country, I just don't see myself using it as it isn't for people like me.

Personally, I welcome remasters like the uncharted collection and The Last of Us. As they look and perform significantly better having been coded/ recompiled for the PS4, than if they were being emulated on the system....which wouldn't be likely anyway given the complexity of the PS3 architecture.

If they look better and perform significantly better, I don't see the problem. Personally, I hope Ratchet & Clank Future Trilogy, Resistance Trilogy, Killzone 2 (Don't care for KZ3 - dumbed down for casuals) and MGS collection make it to the PS4. For me, these are games that made the PS3 stand out and I can see myself returning to them often.

Third party games, such as the Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, I bought on PC cheap. Other stuff like Assassins Creed and Call of Duty are very disposable games and I'm happy without.

Should a PS5 be made, it would likely be based on X86 architecture, and that would make maintaining backwards compatibility with PS4 simpler. Anything else would probably be similar to how PS2 games have been handled on PS3 over PSN.

[Dee_Blessed]

Can't psnow be played from multiple devices outside of ps4? And it's in its early stages. So I'm sure things will become much more rewarding as time goes on.just imagine ps tv with all you favorite games on it for decades upon decades. Games that are extremely hard to find even. I mean whose to say in a few more years psnow won't evolve into something absolutely amazing. I remember some Sony executive saying that it will grow and evolve and its their first cracked at it so everyone won't be immediately pleased. People have the wrong interpretation that this is a money grab and that's it. Sony dumped major $ to buy gaikai they wouldn't just do that for a quick buck. I'm sure they're thinking long term with psnow.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

The Need for "Definitive Editions" is Over.... No, not exactly. Done right with actual additions made to them beyond a resolution bump and inclusion of map packs like new content or additional modes I think Definitive Editions still have a place.

[Fatdrinkofwater]

I agree. Im still hopeful of a resistance trilogy hd collection and a bioshock hd collection.

When done right its great and quite a few games last gen are really beautiful but scaled back with lower resolutions and frame rates to work. Brought to current gen with full hd and smooth frame rates they really shine.

[2pacalypsenow]

I would still rather buy an HD version with trophy support.

[Kamikaze135]

That's what Sony is doing with their "backward compatibility";the Star Wars PS2 game bundled with Battlefront were running at 1080p, improved frame rate, and trophy support.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Definitive Editions are remastered, with all DLC included. I haven't been one to ask for remastered games that we just got a few years ago, but this argument is kinda ignoring some important points.

[Rookie_Monster]

Depends. If HD ports include multiple games, mode, additional goodies like Halo MCC with 4 games and over 100 maps, Gears Ultimate with 4 BC games included and 5 additional maps not available from the original game, I have no issue with them.

But if they are just straight up single game ports with no extra like Sleeping Dogs, Outsiders 2, GOW3, and those upcoming David Cage games like Beyond Two Souls selling for $30 or more, then BC is a godsend.

[yewles1]

You have NO idea what's on the horizon...

[gangsta_red]

You would think, but this isn't the case. Besides definitive editions usually come with all the extra content I assume.

PSnow and BC should though do away with remasters IMO. Especially remasters that are nothing more than a graphical update with nothing new added like features, modes and extra content.

But just like microtransactions and DLC there are consumers willing to buy this and make it popular and profitable for a lot of companies. So I don't see them stopping anytime soon.

[_-EDMIX-_]

"Especially remasters that are nothing more than a graphical update with nothing new added like features, modes and extra content"

Who cares? That graphical update is not happening with BC...

Compatibility is not making the game magically graphically have better assets, remaking it, remastering it etc does.

Mind you, who is to say not having anything new is some bad thing? They have no ode to do that and if you never played the original, what is "extra" content to you? lol

I many times buy the default titles even knowing the DLC versions exist, why? I may not even like the title to begin with and why pay more for a maybe on the extra content? I'm not even sure if the base content is good enough lol

I'm fine with remasters even if they didn't add anything like new features as it being redone with better assets is good enough for me. I'm buying Resident Evil Zero even though I own the original on Gamecube....Wii BC didn't suddenly make me not want a remaster, I have no clue why it would suddenly do the same for older PS titles. If they are remastering an older title, I would believe that would be wanted even with BC existing.

[gangsta_red]

A lot of remasters aren't necessarily making the game any different either.

"Mind you, who is to say not having anything new is some bad thing?"

So you wouldn't want an old game updated, with extra features content or modes. All you want is a graphical update with no other type of effort to make the game better or different? Doesn't matter if I played the original or not, I would rather buy a bargain bin of the original then pay 40 or 50 for just a slight graphical facelift.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@G-red- "So you wouldn't want an old game updated, with extra features content or modes"

Would be nice, could care less if they do or don't. You keep making it seem as if many of those remasters even being done by teams that design games, many times its by teams that only do ports ,remasters etc. I'm ok with just a slight graphical facelift. I'm buying RE Zero remastered and could care less if they adding a new mode, feature etc. I'm again fine with just it being updated and clearly by The Last Of Us 3 million units on PS4, many are too.

I'm fine with it JUST being that, you seem to make it sound as if they point was to make a new title or add all those features, the point was to make another version of the same title with some improvements, MOST times they don't even pay those teams enough to even do that.

I'd rather play the best version, you keep desperately trying to make it sound as if the "bargain bin" version is some how better or equal to remasters......its not.

I'm sorry but remasters MOST times are better then what the originals are unless the team that was hired to port it have no clue what they are doing.

I again own Resident Evil Zero....will buy the Remaster, its assets being redone in terms of the models are again....enough for me. I don't actually go into remasters or ports with this expectation of a 1.5 type game with all new modes, features etc.

Sorry if you do bud. I didn't play The Last Of Us last gen, thus....its new to me this gen, what is a "new" mode to me if I'm not even aware of what the old modes were?

[gangsta_red]

"You keep making it seem as if many of those remasters even being done by teams that design games,..."

Uuuum, no where did I say this, I'm just saying what I would personally want from remasters to get me interested. As of now remasters don't interest me the same way extra content and others things don't interest you.

"I'm fine with it JUST being that..."

Good Edmix, you keep saying you could care less, I get that...this is what we call a difference in opinion.

"you seem to make it sound as if they point was to make a new title or add all those features,"

*sigh* no Edmix, the point was why I don't like remasters and I listed some of the reasons.

I do appreciate the remasters or collections that do add something extra that are out there. So it's not as if this isn't unheard of or hasn't been done before.

"you keep desperately trying to make it sound as if the "bargain bin" version is some how better or equal to remasters......its not."

Desperately?? Really?? You're the one here arguing non issues to me. And where am I making it sound like the bargain bin version is better than the remaster?

"I don't actually go into remasters or ports with this expectation of a 1.5 type game with all new modes, features etc."

I feel like most of our convos just don't lead anywhere. Again, good for you Edmix, you like remasters, I don't. It's pretty much why I emphasized the "IMO" which stands for IN MY OPINION.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@G-red. "Uuuum, no where did I say this, I'm just saying what I would personally want from remasters to get me interested"

The game having better assets should be enough, if its not for you, you clearly were not buying the game for the reasons for why the team made it in the first place.

You implying it when you assume are sent in to add features...

Why would a team that ports games, add new modes or change certain things when many time often their job is to transfer over and redo assets, not make a new game from the ground up with different features.

Its rare you ever have a port team even do that.

"Desperately?? Really?"

Yup..

As to why state this?

"I would rather buy a bargain bin of the original then pay 40 or 50 for just a slight graphical facelift"

Your basically saying you would not buy it based on new assets alone and would rather buy the lessor version in a um "bargain bin".

I'm sorry but this makes me question you as a gamer.

I want the best version of the game and if I own the platform that can play the best version, that is the version I'm seeking to get.

Those features your asking for are not THAT big of a deal to play a over all lessor version because of.

You could buy remasters for new features, thats nice.

I buy them to actually play the game with better assets, as THE GAME maters more to me vs what is um "new features". I'm fine with playing it again or for the first time based on it overall having better assets.

I actually don't care about what "new features" they add in. Its nice, is it the sole reason for me buying it? LMFAO! NOPE! That is the dumbest thing I've heard in a long, long time.

It seems to you, the new um "features" overrides even the actual game apparently.

[gangsta_red]

"The game having better assets should be enough,"

Well it's not Edmix, you obviously want to pay for a game again that has no other improvements other than a facelift and yes we have established that is what you only care about.

That's not for me and I won't be buying it so you are correct.

"Why would a team that ports games, add new modes or change certain things..."

Which is why I don't care for remasters. LMAO! Jesus...seriously man...is this not sinking in? Are you just refusing to understand this. Regardless of if the development team isn't contracted to add anything extra this is what I find is the problem. These remasters should be given more detail and have something extra.

Seriously edmix i have explained this in every single reply to you.

"I'm sorry but this makes me question you as a gamer."

How is that? LMAO, it was good enough for me to play back then all of a sudden it's not now? Better graphics will make the design, gameplay, fun factor magically better? Maybe I should question you as a gamer since all you care about is how pweety something is.

"Those features your asking for are not THAT big of a deal to play a over all lessor version because of."

And once again...Good for You. Guess what, (shock) having better graphics is not THAT big of a deal to pay for a game all over again.

"Its nice, is it the sole reason for me buying it? LMFAO! NOPE! That is the dumbest thing I've heard in a long, long time."

Wow..amazing......I'm in total awe on how brilliant you are at not understanding ANYTHING.

I think we made some great points though...You like remasters, I don't. Good for you and thanks for stopping by, now if you don't mind.. the steak is on the grill, the Warriors are playing and the corona is ever so chilled to perfection.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@G-Red-

""The game having better assets should be enough,"

Well it's not Edmix, you obviously want to pay for a game again that has no other improvements other than a facelift and yes we have established that is what you only care about"

Nope. Merely that the game itself is why I'm buying it.

As if you read what I stated.

"Would be nice, could care less if they do or don't"

I'm buying it due to either never playing the original or wanting to replay the original based on a facelift.

I actually still want to play the original for reasons based on THE ORIGINAL title. Thus...something new is merely a nice feature to me, it isn't some how mandatory or a make it or break it for me.

Your ready to not buying a remaster based on mere modes vs the actual game itself lol.

If i never played it, I only care to play what was created years ago, better looking. That is 100% fine with me as I'm a gamer...I want to foremost actually just play the game and worry about JUST playing the main portion of the game.

If they add new features, thats nice...if they don't.....don't care. That isn't the reason behind me actually buying it as to seek to play a feature vs the over all game.

I question who is even buying games based on such bullet points? Sooooo the game isn't worth it to play over again? IF you where not buying it to play what the original team created, you were not a fan enough to really result in much lost to them.

Your again making it seem as if those features are make it or break it to you.

Which I find odd to play a lessor version due to the remaster not having a new feature.

Sorry bud but The Last Of Us on PS4 to me was more then enough and Beyond Two Souls RIGHT NOW on PS4 is more then enough for me. They were new to me and I over all want to play the game, if it comes with new stuff, thats always welcome, its not a prerequisite or requirement for me buying it as it questions exactly why am I buying a version of a game for reasons outside of actually playing the game?

".You like remasters, I don't. Good for you and thanks for stopping by, now if you don't mind.. the steak is on the grill" I like better assets vs lessor. I buy remasters due to playing the best version of the game as who would seek to play a lessor version of a title if they had a chance to play a better? But bast your choice on "features" and not the game itself? So because of what it wasn't, your going to play the lessor? Ummmmm ok then.

[gangsta_red]

"Nope. Merely that the game itself is why I'm buying it."

But you're not reading what I stated and your whole conversation only states why you like remasters and has nothing to do with why I don't.

So far all you have argued and rattled on about is how you like remasters. I seriously have no idea if you are trying to convince me on liking remasters or anything else.

You have made zero points, you make zero sense and have only gone on and on about something that you personally take your own interest in while also (once again) bringing up points and examples that have absolutely no meaning or relevance.

"Sorry bud but The Last Of Us on PS4 to me was more then enough and Beyond Two Souls RIGHT NOW on PS4 is more then enough for me."

See perfect example right here, exactly where did I say that those two games where NOT enough FOR YOU Edmix.

I never even mentioned those two specific games and yet you make it some objective to point this out how these games are enough to satisfy you as if I even cared.

"That is 100% fine with me as I'm a gamer...I want to foremost actually just play the game and worry about JUST playing the main portion of the game."

Good...good for you. And once again absolutely no relevance to anything I was saying.

"I buy remasters due to playing the best version of the game as who would seek to play a lessor version of a title if they had a chance to play a better?"

Again, awesome, I'm glad that's what YOU do. What YOU do isn't what I do. Maybe that's the problem here, you're expecting people to fall in line with how you game.

"So because of what it wasn't, your going to play the lessor? Ummmmm ok then."

Yea...I see you are definitely having trouble with comprehension as every point is flying across your head.

[LamerTamer]

And PSnow is a graphical DOWNGRADE, due to bandwith games streamed usually are lower res or filled with compression artifacts. So remaster= higher resolution DLC included etc, streaming=lower resolution and input lag. That is not even mentioning the lack of ownership and always online requirement of streaming.

I will take the remaster.

[LOL_WUT]

No, I'm eagerly waiting for a MGS legacy edition for current gen ;)

[GreenUp]

I just want the easiest way possible for Sony to add any SOCOM game from the Playstation 2, to the PS4. Either it be remastered, or Backwards Compatible. Truly the only game worth my time, thoughts, emotions, relationships, wars, battles, and memories all over again. :)

[clonerz]

I disagree if they are willing to upgrade and or add something to original then why not do it. People complaining just to complain don't buy it if you don't want to but don't push your opinions on anyone else keep it to your dam self. Drops mic walks away

[_-EDMIX-_]

no.

PS Now doesn't just make magic and make those PS3 version if played on PS4, the level of remasters and PS2 BC is not a remaster or um "definitive edition".

It will never be over due to those features are not making some sort of magic.

If they stated they would remaster Resident Evil Outbreak TODAY, its very, very likely the PS2 BC version won't just match up to the PS4 remaster.

It doesn't work that way. Consider on the Wii RIGHT NOW you can play Resident Evil 2002 and Resident Evil Zero.....

Sooooooooooo those versions match up to the remaster?

I don't think many on here really understand what a remaster or "definitive edition" is.

Having BC doesn't mean your game will just improve features that can only be improved from being redone, not having more powerful hardware.

That is like saying putting a N64 game on the PS4 will make it match up to PS4 visuals.....

[sullynathan]

The whole point of a "definitive edition" or "Curren gen port" is that they look better than the original, and usually come with updates to make said game play better than the original with things like higher framerate, gameplay patches or new modes and gameplay tweaks.

They will still exist, just like they existed last gen.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. I have no clue why this author never factored in that having BC didn't just stop PS2 or PS1 games from being ported or remastered.

Wii having BC to Gamecube doesn't make Resident Evil 2002 or Zero..."remastered" versions......

BC won't just make the game something else, it must be redone in many areas to be that.

[LamerTamer]

Definitive editions are over. Right, And we should all be still buying/watching movies on VHS tape. The movie is always the same with the same ending, who cares if it looks much better with higher rez and better picture quality on Blu-ray right? I guess movie remasters are over too if you go by this article.

[TheColbertinator]

Remasters have the capability to revive online communities.I finally got to play MGS Peace Walker Online on Xbox 360 after the PSP community died out

[StormLegend]

Why do they talk like it's PS3 Backwards capability?

[S2Killinit]

I don't know I don't mind the occasional remaster.

[Dee_Blessed]

Yo moderators I've been a good boy,bump my comments up (I don't get why they were bumped down in the beginning I wasn't trolling or using "all caps"lmbo)