Metacritic reveals the past year's best and worst videogame publishers (based on their 2018 releases) in their 9th annual Game Publisher Rankings.
By putting Black Ops 6 on Game Pass, Microsoft plans to gauge its growth, pricing, and monetization changes, at the cost of less game sales.
If they have follow up games that are bangers, then this strategy will work. But if it’s Call of Duty followed another dead period then it won’t last.
From MS financial perspective I think it may be the opposite.
A year of GamePass on PC is less than the price of two full price games. For all the people that would have bought COD for $70 but instead started subbing for GP, MS will get an extra $50/year which is good.
However, for each banger that MS puts out, that's lost potential revenue because the GP sub won't need to buy it.
So it only makes sense where the new GP customers would have otherwise not spent more money with MS... Which is the case if MS puts out low quality shovelware.
If you’re looking at the short term you are correct. But if Xbox can have multiple bangers then subscriptions should increase. Which is what they want, recurring revenue.
I think this is more about microtransactions. MS wants to see if the upfront losses will be offset by more people login into the “free” game and buying more microtransactions to justify not selling as much COD games.
I honestly not sure. I feel like everyone who likes COD is already playing/buying it so I’m not sure how much more engagement they can get by putting it on gamepass. On the other hand, I also feel a lot of COD players are casual gamers, and they are the type to click on anything that is “free” ex: mobile gaming style
I don't see it working if Call of Duty makes less money and profits over time from gamepass 🤔
I dont understand why have it on it when we all know it sells with the name alone. Seems stupid to lose so much sales and $ just to have it on game pass. They basically shooting themselves in the foot with a already injured foot from all the other times they shoot themselves in the foot.
@blackblades, that's my exact point, even on xbox where most software sells poorly CoD still sells millions, but the thing is, if you don't put it on GP you kinda shatter the whole idea they've build GP up to be, they've dug this hole themselves.
I think it might tick up subscribers a bit, but warzone is already free and gets millions of players regardless of GP. But where will those extra subs come from? Xbox sales are dropping like a rock, PC gamers are very firmly rooted in Steam and will just buy it there.
@black
If they don't include it on Game Pass, they lose the claim of First-Party Day-One on Game Pass, and thus would begin the slippery slope of what's-ok-to-not-include and the devaluing of the service, and further sinking Microsoft/Xbox's already tarnished reputation.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place and this move buys them time to work out more future-math.
I still expect a price increase in GP to compensate but who knows. With all the factors in play like COD points there are too many variables for someone on the outside to predict what will happen. I assume they have a forecast model where this all looks peachy.
When the game does not hit 1 Billion in revenue in under two weeks they will wonder why and the next thing you know; Season Updates will no longer be free.
Yeah I expect paid DLC and season pass in your face, now you are buying for a game you are renting
That's where they're relying on PC and PlayStation gamers to pick up the slack. They know their business model isn't lasting so in order to give it away "free" for Xbox, they're banking on PC and PS5 customers to make up for the sales loss on Xbox, otherwise they wouldn't be able to pull this off like they want to. Xbots don't see it but, it's their gaming brethren that'll keep their console manufacturer afloat a little longer because the service they hold so dear isn't viable anymore. So, it's by the good graces of their fellow gamers they live to fight another day.
Consumers don't understand how Xbox Game Pass really works. It's not about the volume, and maybe Xbox doesn't want them to know. It's not about how many games you play. Developers don't make money by how many people play their game, it's HOW LONG you play. How many hours to put in.
Customers like David Jaffe that only like to sample don't help the service succed. Jaffe is a cheapskate stoner who spends all his money on Diet Coke, Jolly Ranchers, and weed to fry his brains (it's medically proven, sorry to disappoint) but Jaffe wants as much as he can get for as little so, he's not much of an advocate. But he also plays games for a little while and then gives up, it's just his personality, maybe A.D.D. or something, but Game Pass is dependent on how long a gamer sinks hours in. Why do you think Phil Spencer wants Helldivers 2? Because gamers don't put it down. Hellblade II, they'll play the campaign and then be done. Games like that sink to the bottom of the pile, they disappear. Xbox LIKES Games as a Service business models because it sells their service, but that model doesn't work for Sony, Helldivers was a stroke a luck, lightning that won't hit twice because PS fans don't want that. But that's how Xbox keeps it's games at the top of the list and on their service. The longer you play a single game, that's how devs make money
subscribers go up, execs celebrate win, get bonus, price goes up, subscribers go down,
execs dont care, got their bonus,
If it works CEOs and shareholders get a payday and if it doesn't even more studios get closed by MS so CEOs and shareholders get a payday.
It will sell on PC & PS but as long as COD is for rent on Gamepass it will not sell well on the XB platform. Most folks such as myself that like COD just for the campaign would rather rent it for that month instead of paying $70 plus tax for the game.
Your smart.
its 70 for base plus 10 to 20 for a season pass plus another 30 for there better season pass,
...now you are finally getting how to use GP. No commitments, just play what is offered. if you like it so much and want to keep a copy for yourself... you can buy it when you want to. I used to buy games based on if they looked appealing and have been burned many times on things. With this, I can try before I buy. And I have actually bought several games after having rented them in the service. It literally is like the old days of renting only you get the whole store instead of pay per rental.
I've been knowing how to use Gamepass. I sub the service yearly & I play games on the service that I don't have to pay the full price for such as Persona 3:Reload. I mostly play & pay for games on my PS5 but if a game lands on GP that I'm interested in playing & I don't have to buy a copy for the PS5 I'll definitely play it on Gamepass.
And there you have it, it's like you actively want to destroy the industry. Just rent the games and then buy them, knowing that doesn't happen and the actual cost of pushing a rental service is studios closures and firings.
So far MS has done nothing with Bethesda and Activision except limit where they sell, close successful studies, fire thousands and mass industry consolidation. No new games are being made that weren't already coming and some like Tangos future titles that they were working on we will never get to see now because of MS and their greed.
Massive industry consultation benefits only the company doing it, consumers and the workforce always lose out because of it. What MS is doing leads to cuts and a lesser end product. If MS had spent the money on making games instead of taking them away we would have a far healthier industry, instead we have the same games but with restrictions and a service that has cannibalised sales.
The problem for PlayStation right now – through a heady combination of its own adjusted marketing plans, the aftermath of the pandemic, and never-ending development cycles – is that it feels like it’s abandoned the kinds of software that fans have always valued most.
My issue with the announcements over the past 2 years or so is that now these "big" announcements they hint at or whatever end up being just PC ports.
For most of their core audience, the people watching, we've played them, a PC announcement being made into a big thing and counting as one of their major announcements means f*** all to most of us. Also you have to think if they didn't have them then first party wise they don't have much else.
So now it's split between PC ports (God of War Ragnarök), live service shit (Concord) and the first party games we actually do want (Astrobot).
Yeah they really should leave the PC announcements to blog posts, most of the audience watching are PlayStation console players, not PC players.
I'm not sure I understand the stance. They surely want to sell their games no matter what platform they are on. Also leaving out PC port announcements isn't gonna magically make more PS5 announcements.
Agreed I thought the God of War announcement was more DLC, disappointing PC announcements on a hype reel doesn’t make sense to PS5 players watching.
This particularly was a bad showcase in my opinion. Derivative Souls-like (which in all honesty I will check out because I like the genre, but I couldn’t tell you the names of the games without looking it up or how they’re different from one another), Concord, a mid Silent Hill 2 Remake. I’m not really into platformers so Astrobot didn’t stick to me. The only thing that got me hyped was Monster Hunter: Wilds.
Truth be told though, most of these showcases are ass anyways. I’m struggling to think of one that was firing on all cylinders like the good ol’ E3 conference announcements.
The shift to GaaS is absolute sh*t and for them to think that’s the game to make the focus shows just gives me little hope for the future of gaming, especially the state that the industry is in.
I wish they’d have shown Wolverine or something that would’ve been a “holy sh*t” moment… but nope.
Ballad of Antara and Where Winds Meet. They both look dope to me 🤷🏽. N If Concord is on PS+ then I'll take it. It wasn't as bad as people are making it out to be.
Yeah it's funny I'm the same, I can't remember the names off by heart unless I'm reminded.
I think most of these games are just starting to mush together where the one game we do want "Bloodborne" is no where in site whether it's a remake or sequel.
" I wish they’d have shown Wolverine or something that would’ve been a “holy sh*t” moment… but nope"
I don't think we'll see it for a while after the leaks
I just can't believe we've seen nothing on Spiderman 2 DLC, not like I'd be that enthusiastic about it myself but I mean in general I'm surprised it's a no show.
We got 3 story episodes within 3 months of the first games release and it took months to get a New Game Plus mode and that was before all the major leaks that happened
Yeah they’ve shown before that they have no problem showing teasers way in advance, so the fact there was no trade for any of the heavy hitting first party studios is quite concerning. I feel like there may be no Sony Santa Monica or Naughty PS5 only game this gen. Which is sad.
It sucks, doesn't it?
And the company that *is* announcing new single-player titles can't manage themselves at all and have both monetization and perception dilemnas they themselves created, problems so severe it puts all the titles they're announcing in a compromised position right out the gate.
Perfect Dark should've been an EASY win for the creative head of the Tomb Raider reboot, but it's in development hell. They cratered Starfield's potential by thinking it was ready for release last September. Hellblade received all the pressure of a AAA title despite being the gaming equivalent of an art film. They closed Tango after HiFi.
Sony has no pressure to change anything about what they're currently doing when the competition became a mockery by its own doing. With PS5 outpacing PS4 and being their most profitable generation so far, the people spending the money are saying they're totally ok with this approach.
@fox 100% agree
Along with that is the new leadership pushing into the "modern" audiance crap now there getting into mobile gaming with no doubt more microtransactions in there games.
As of june 1rst one person Hiroki Totoki,serves as the Chair of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and the President, COO, and CFO of Sony Group Corporation.
That is way to much power no checks no real hey that is a bad idea not to mention the work load
https://gamerant.com/playst...
Funny thing is I feel like the early life of PS5 has more 1st party than the current time. Returnal, demon souls, ratchet n clank, GoW Ragnarok, Forbidden West. Compared to back then it’s practically a barren land now.
June 1rst new leadership and jim ryan killed japan/uk playstation studios japan helped with demon souls/final fantasy port then the london branch did the psvr 2 and helped GG localize horizon.
Jim killed thousands of ps jobs so now no new games like b4 and this new leadership wants $$$ mobile gaming live service monetization first.
To be fair the reason the PS5 feels like a damp squid for me and others who bought it is their PC strategy. They have made their console players who actually pay money to feel like second class customers. If you are on PC you get a better version of the game a year later and you can get it for free on various sites and you don't have to pay for PS+. On top of that Sony lose 30% on all sales they put through Steam and much more on piracy. Also Sony seem big on remasters, well guess what you lose your ability to sell remasters once you put your game on PC because at that point fans just edit and remaster the game themselves. So you have just cut off another revenue stream. Sony seems have forgotten platform holder is king and they are completely squandering it with their PC strategy, they don't even have a store front. The effect of all this will be slow but people won't be rushing to buy a PS6, I know I won't and that is the first Sony console I'll be skipping.
This gen just sucks, period. More PS4 games have come out than PS5 exclusives, and we're almost 4yrs in. Then this unwanted GAAS push which is completely tone deaf, and not what their fanbase wanted. Feel like im just watching a childhood friend kill themselves with an addiction.
the gas is in ADDITION, to all their other games, thats why they brought more studios,
so the old ones can continue doing what they do best.
The argument 'GAAS is in addition to what we already had' kinda goes out of the window when we can see very clearly a lack of SP offline games, Sony killing studios and IPs left, right and center, and pushing 'always online' in games that never had it and don't need it (Gran Turismo).
You can clearly tell that earlier generations offered far more in terms of diversity/variety of genres, be it Everybody's Golf, Driveclub/Motorstorm, LittleBigPlanet, Modnation Racers, Jak & Daxter, Gravity Rush, Ico, Sly Cooper, Locoroco, Tearaway, whatever.
It feels like they killed off anything that wasn't going to sell massive numbers but did offer something fresh and original and were just 'fun'.
Imagine if some of those new studios were working on single player games. Sony would have it locked. Instead we get trash.
Not really, for a few studios that's literally all they are making, and for others, it being ADDITIONAL is the problem as it is delaying anything else they may be working on, hell ND had to cancel theirs because it was getting in the way.
That's what it looks like now but it is already cannibalizing the other aspects of their brand. These things historically happen slowly, and then all at once...the brand you once knew is unrecognisable
That's such a bad narrative. So wrong and we see the end results. No single player games... only Marvel.
Though, do note that since summer last year, more and more games have been current gen only. Lots of smaller titles, but of bigger stuff there's Baldurs Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Rise of the Ronin, Dragons Dogma 2, FFRebirth and so on. Being on ps4 only, means you will be missing out on a lot of releases both major and minor.
Through first party releases this gen through may 23: Astro's, Stranding directors Cut, Destruction all stars, GT7, GT7 VR, Miles Morales, Rift Apart, Demon's Souls, Returnal, and Sack Boy. There are more. Some will say well they release some of those on PS4. I say play them on PS4 and then play them on PS5, then tell me it's just as good.
Stranding is not 1st party and it's still a ps4 game just with minor additions. Miles Morales is also a ps4 game, gt7 is also a ps4 game, sackboy is also a ps4 game, so you got returnal, demon's souls, and destruction all stars, also Spider-Man 2, so 3 launch window games and one later game exclusive to ps5, with 2 of those by the same studio, In 4yrs,
They are still PS5 games. When I play some of these that can be played on both systems. One is a PS4 and the other is a PS5 experience, To say otherwise is disingenuous. For some reason, I can't get my Stranding PS5 directors cut to work on my PS4. And I cant get GT7 VR to work on my PS4 either....and so on. Sony first party studios have been releasing close to the same clip as PS4. This is a fact.
It's making them money but like the M$ thing, Sony is going to start killing their brand over the longer term. Especially now that they're basically running a monopoly.
I plugged in my PS3 recently and it was a mixture of uplifting and depressing. Modern gaming STINKS.
Ps3 stunk. The variety sucked compared to before it. Variety is way way way better these days. Idk what some of yall are playing but ps4/ps5 have amazing games, jrpgs are back(something the ps3 severely lacked) , etc. I'm talking games in general. 1st party and 3rd, ps3 can't compare
Great analogy. They see the Fortnite money and think maybe if they just keep hurling shit at the wall something will stick. Gambling with cumulatively billions of dollar AND people’s livelihoods. AA and indie is the future, unless AAA pulls their head out of their see which is unlikely
Everyone is focused on having current gen exclusives as if losing last gen support will magically make games better. Games like Fortnite and GTA V embraced last gen and were huge hits. Switch games like Zelda looked worse than last gen and were huge hits. If this console generation is like any other, we won’t see the best of current gen games until next year.
My PS5 dashboard 90% of it are PS4 games.
That's not a good sign it's almost like Wii U experience all over again for me, I played far more Virtual Console SNES and N64 games than with Wii U games my most played game on Wii U is Earthbound.
Time to realized that sooner or later they would have to be forced to make games that are directly competing against Nintendo's first party titles when they can't make one of their AAA titles fast enough or within reasonable budget.
Stops relying so much on 3rd party support and partners when people banging on their doors for AAA titles that took 5 years to make.
GAAS isn't the answer, dusting off and leveraging their old long dormant IPs or even new IPs is the answer.
Yeah this 9th generation has been the biggest let down out of every console generation I've experienced since the 8 bit era.
For the first time in near 30 years I feel like Sony has completely abandoned the fanbase that got them to where they are. We see GAAS being shoved down our throats and fun replaced by lootboxes and milking us. This isn't the Sony experience I ever wanted
if I wanted to be exploited I'd play a mobile game
I find the modern line up though just lacks innovation which earlier generation games had in spades we only get what is going to sell big numbers even if the games a single player games it's likely so by the book I feel like I've played it before.
I think the PS2 was likely the golden era for experimental game design everything since that has been game design by bored room
Atleast I think they've pivoted back to singleplayer stuff. But it will take a while. I think they will announce some big game next year, like Ghost Of Tsushima 2 or something. Notice how they showed us Concord and Astro Bot a few months before release. I think the time of knowing what's on the horizon is over.
They haven’t pivoted back. They are just saying that to keepus calm. The GAAS is very much happening!
Although the lack of 1st party ps5 games only is there. I'm still having a blast. Much more then the ps3 generation.
Not me I mean I am having fun, but the PS3 generation was my favorite ever, by far, and man do I miss those times...
I always feel like these "still having a blast" guys are like people at parties who stay after things get really stale, not realising they're dancing alone in their faeces-stained undies
What was better on ps3 that you can't play on ps4 or ps5? I'll wait.
Hate all you want and I'm sure some were younger so they were much more impressionable. Compared to ps1 ps2 ps4 and now ps5 , ps3 can't hold a candle. I'm talking games in general not 1st party.
Also easyc
If your not having fun we'll that's on you. Maybe your heart just ain't in it. In the last few months alone, ff7 rebirth, granblue rpg, eiyuden chronicles, system shock came out,and so many more. That's on you.
“Compared to ps1 ps2 ps4 and now ps5 , ps3 can't hold a candle. I'm talking games in general not 1st party.”
Gotta disagree. PS3 gen was lit. Sooo many new IP ala Bioshock, Mass Effect, Uncharted, LBP. Sweet indie deals with studios like ThatGameCompany. I’m not big into jrpgs. But they still had games I liked such as Ni No Kuni.
No hate on anyone that enjoys the games this gen simply stating my overall disappointment of what's come this gen the PS3 may have had it's technical shortcomings but it birthed so many of the game we are seeing remade and resold to us today there's this feeling of played this before setting in for so many people because game design has t changed all that much since that era
Care to list all the "Sony" GAAS games with all the loot boxes and milking? Aside from Destiny (which already was like that when they bought it), what are you referring to?
I'm sure there is many out there that defend their beloved corporation to the death bht the fact is so y is changing they are becoming arrogant like the PS3 era Sony but now they have new avenues to exploit gamers
Games that set out to milk the players:
Helldivers 2 - not as bad as the rest but you need credits for batte passes to get half decent weapons.
I'm sure Concord and whatever angel studios is working on will to
Suicide squad they had a close partnership they knew what it was all about when they promoted it
Gran Turismo 7 cars were sold as micro transactions for insane prices all of those cars should have been unlockables and would have been twenty years ago
Fortnite they own a stake in epic after all
They heavily promoted games like
Overwatch 2
Fallout 76
Call of duty
At this rate it's amazing we didn't get the option to buy Kratos skins for Ragnarok.
The hard truth is they control the platform they could reign in or set limits on these scummy practices but more and more they are indulging themselves or encouraging their partners to exploit their players.
Sony has changed and the original vision for what made the platform unique and viable is being tarnished. So many players are getting fed up and just giving up gaming or going retro it should be setting alarm bells off at Sony that they need to do better most of their games feel like they are aimed teenagers with disposable income
I think they're still recovering from Jim Ryan... in the gaming industry, just firing a guy isn't going to immediately undo all the projects he greenlit to see his myopic GaaS vision come to life, they have to cut some of those projects, and do their best to recoup losses on others... but I do think Sony realized this isn't the way we want to see PlayStation go, which is why he lost his job.
I feel like we haven't even seen anywhere close to the full push yet.
Mark my words. By the end of this generation, it will be game over for ANY semblance of what we loved as videogames, and by extension, the PlayStation brand
They have squandered everything that made PlayStation a platform by giving their games away for free on torrent sites for PC. How can you expect customers to pay $70 for your games and $50 a month for PS+ if they can't protect their paying customers investments. Sorry Sony I won't be going for PS6 I'll be going for the free option like other PC users.
Granblue relink
FF7 Rebirth
Helldivers 2
Rise of the ronin
Stellar blade
Concord
Astro bot
Silent hill 2
How is this years list not mostly games that a playstation fan would like?
Sony fans usually just type list out in abundance to make it look good, no matter how crappy. I used to literally laugh out loud back in the ps3 days when people will type out long list of exclusives, and add “Afrika” and also “the last guardian” and “the agent”. Lol The last guardian didn’t even see that generation, and sony fans are still waiting for the agent.
TL;DR ignore the sony list, they just like to name games only on their console no matter the status.
@Factual evidence
We're eating over here. Keep your fake concern for Sony over there. We're just waiting for the showcase
@InUrFoxHole
Fake concern? I’m not even concerned for Sony, I know they could do better. Most importantly the fanboys know they could do better. Not saying sony is doing bad, but just stating the obvious how fanboys thiink they could do no wrong. BTW PS is my console preference so don’t even try to make me look like I’m downing Sony.
Versus, I know you have to defend to the end, but dont be dense.
If you read the comments, you can see that people are talking about Sony's first-party output, past innovation, and its usually high-level game output. You posted a list of 3 games that are not out yet: 2 mid games, one Gaas, and 2 paid-for 3rd party exclusives. I do not hate your list, but that is not what people here are talking about.
I am replying to the article.
i"s that it feels like it’s abandoned the kinds of software that fans have always valued most."
Sony is making deals for mostly single player games just as it always has.
And the argument that only games made by studios that Sony owns matter is beyond brain dead and i just look at all the games released on a console that isn't on the competitions.
The only game on that list that interests me is astro bot and I'm a PS fan since it's inception. Let be honest there's not a lot of amazing games on that list maybe astro bot and helldivers
FF another rpg in a long running franchise selling less and less each entry
Helldivers 2 a fun live service game I got a few hours of enjoyment with friends
Rise of Ronin may aswell play ghost of Tsushima
Stellar blade yeah ok you have to admit this one is beyond niche
Concord amazing cutscenes lackluster Game
Astro bot day 1 I'm so there
Silent hill 2 verdict is still out on this one.
Granblue ok I take stellar blade being niche back granblue I've never heard of
The games your listing here are not all that great outside of astro bot and helldivers.
This is the bare minimum release schedule as far as exclusives I'd expect similar on switch and Xbox really.
You'd expect similar on xbox and switch but you aren't getting it. Without looking into it i just think hellblade 2, princess peach and paper mario is the only console exclusives that the competition has released and are selling less than the "niche" games on the playstation side.
Actually I thought paper Mario sold quite well peach however yeah that was a flop on the switch side of things they kind of have an excuse it's the end of life for that system but they are still getting new games of a good quality.
Yeah Xbox I don't own a Xbox I don't want one especially with their recent flip flopping and basically killing of the brand but there's a good chance they have a new Doom game this year and I've been a room fan since the first game.
@VersusDMC yes, I own the first four on that list and I have had an absolute blast with them. For those who play a variety of games, they really are fantastic with over 100 hours of gameplay for each title. Granted, only one is a true "blockbuster" like a traditional first party Sony game. Which is Rebirth.
Sounds like the people complaining only want that, which is fine, I guess. Their loss by not choosing all the games on that list 😂
Silent Hill is looking a little rough and not my cup of my tea, but the rest of that list is excellent.
Why is it everytime people talk about Sony's FIRST PARTY STUDIO output the counter argument is posting a bunch of games from third party developers
We're talking about first party and how Sony isn't about trying new things or having variety like past generations.
It's just Sony playing things super safe these days.
Why is it that when an article says Software people don't count the THIRD-PARTY exclusives?
The begining of the article mentions the trifecta of announcements of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Shenmue 3, and The Last Guardian. One third party exclusive , one multiplatform and one first party.
So if the article talks about third party games why are you only mentioning First party?
Fox
Someone brought up a good point further above
Kinda like. Truth us we don't know what tf is going on. I doubt Jim Ryan didn't just retire out of the blue like that. These new guys haven't even had long to put their gamelan into motion.
Yeah it's true Sony has some very tight deals with third party publishers games like death strand can launch on iOS and Xbox but people consider it first party where it really falls into second party.
For the average Joe though they won't care which is what Sony want means they can be synonymous with these games and studios
You barely named off all the games to. There's so many more
Except the online sht
Finally, the Vietnamese government has officially responded to Steam being blocked in the country.
VPN to buy games, fuck that if it's allowed or not, or just use a VPN and torrent what you can.
I just cannot believe we haven't had a game from them this generation nearly 4 years in.. crazy!
If the game is crap then yes there will always be negative feedback it comes with the territory. It's called word of mouth or welcome to the internet. Where the truth about a game comes out really fast whether the game is good or crap. If you can't handle the criticism because of a game then why publish the game. Why should people who never criticized or even played the game be punished? Vietnam has some really screwed up laws block Steam because they don't answer us rule. And going on a witch hunt with Steam please. Where's the proof, where's the evidence of this witch hunt. Somebody is butt hurt and has a Vietnamese Karen leading the witch hunt.
