The IATSE discussing unionization is good, actually unionizing is even better. Although, I'm not sure how much unionization would actually do to curb crunch culture. It will obviously help on some level, but with the idea of crunching so ingrained in the industry, I feel like it will take a while for anything to change.
I think if the union negotiated no more overtime exempt positions and strict limits on the amount of allowed OT, that would go a long way. Places like DigiPen also need to stop teaching crunch culture
I could understand putting this kind of time in for a passion project of your own, but for like, a job for somebody else? Worse, a salaried job? That’s way too much.
This article is talking about how Sony’s service is “only a year old”?? What are they talking about? I thought this was about PS plus, which I’m pretty sure I had bought many years ago, not 1 year ago.
I’m not buying digital versions (although I have netflix) of the movies I love, so I’m not gonna start buying digital versions of the games I love.
I have a ps plus basic subscription, but I’ll not subscribe anymore if it gets more expensive. I haven’t received any email about a price hike for now though…
But how long will this last? I am not so sure that the next generation they could not get away with just digital versions not taking discs (or equivalent). The no discs versions of this generation, not just are for having a cheaper version is also a test to see how feasible could be in the future.
I mean that already is a thing on PC, although there are other reasons for it like the low adoption of bluray / DRMs / etc. Physical is non-existent except some really rare case. Even when some games are sold DRM free on GoG they aren’t sold in discs or USBs or similar.
I’m sorry, but free for online multiplayer is only a thing for consoles if the game itself is f2p
So you can play apex or ow2 multiplayer on your console for “free” but any other game that isn’t explicitly f2p, you will need an online subscription like ps plus/ Xbox live etc
My subscription expired months ago and I play all sorts of games, even some that I downloaded free before my subscription ended that arent in the store anymore. Are those all free to play? If so, what is an example of a non f2p game?
Can you give examples of the games you’re talking about?
So free to play games are things like Fortnite, halo infinite, overwatch, etc. Usually multiplayer based games. Even on console, you can play online multiplayer for those games without an xbox live or ps plus subscription.
Most games don’t follow this model. Take FIFA for example. You can buy the game and play it on console. But if you want to play online multiplayer, you will need to have an Xbox live/pls plus subscription for that.
Obviously there is nothing like this for pc games. Except for mmos or something like that, online multiplayer doesn’t require a subscription.
Sure, here is a list of some games that are still playable and accessible online even though I no longer pay for any subscription:
-Master Hunter World -Wolfenstein II -Grand Theft Auto V -Watch Dogs Legion -Resident Evil VII -Last of Us -God of War
There are a few more, but some I assume fall into that category, like COD. I do get a frequent notice encouraging me to subscribe or I may not be able to access some features or games but I have yet to run into that with existing stuff.
Update, it still doesn’t make sense but now I have no access. The moment I signed into the store and bought Baldurs Gate 3, I lost access to all my games offline or on. How I was able to previously play unsigned in is beyond me. Probably accepted some update when signing in and was previously grandfathered into really old terms would be my only guess.
Yeah none of those give me free online access after I cancelled my subscription. You sure you aren’t still enrolled through the remainder of your subscription period? If you cancel renewal, you still have access till the end date is up on your previous purchase.
I am not sure what’s going on to be honest, I guess I should count myself lucky and hope Sony doesn’t catch on. I have no payment linked, so it’s not auto-pay and the subscription ended like 2 months ago. I checked my wife’s account and she has no subscription linked either. I can’t access any new games or content needed with a subscription obviously, but current stuff mysteriously still works… I wish I had downloaded more games, I thought that they would have been inaccessible after the sub ended.
So update! I just had to sign in to buy Balders Gate. Now none of my games work that I previously downloaded, offline or on. So weird. Wish I played through a few of those before connecting.
Subscription plans don’t make much sense to me unless it’s dirt cheap. I don’t have much time to play games so when I do, I’d like to work on games I like instead of some random games.
Most I paid for a game subscription was the $1 3 month game pass. I don’t see myself paying for a regular priced month subscription like $10/month. I’d rather spend that buying a month of Humble monthly or a discounted game.
i reduced my plan because of the price hike. Fuck that noise. If the basic plan goes up too much more ill cancel that too. Online isn’t worth too much more than what they have it set at now.
Not sure if this is how it’s supposed to work, but someone bought me premium and I downloaded like all the good games I could fit on my drives. Now I can seemingly play them all without a membership, as it ran out months ago… so that’s neat. Seems like a loophole they might close though.
Non-endemic companies such as Google and Amazon are among the biggest threats to the games industry.
That’s according to former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden, who shared his thoughts on the future of games during the keynote at last week’s GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit in Seattle.
The irony is palpable throughout this entire article.
They only feel it would be dangerous because they have the capital to drain talents to do experimental things while not care about the fall outs of closing subsidiaries or abandoning projects. It could also drive up developer cost and make the business more risky.(IMO, the developers are getting paid in peanuts compare to what the big publishers made. Even after considering flopped projects.)
The danger lies in once people get used to the new payscale, if big capital consider it’s not that profitable, then the better talents may not keep staying or heading toward this industry. Also less loan/venture awarded to companies doing projects not passing the “market research” phase.
Yes, and lastly Tencents also don’t like competitions bidding their potential acquisition targets.
Even ignoring he’s now working for freaking Tencent, how far are we supposed to go? Even his former company Sony was technically “non-endemic” for video games before the 90s. So was Microsoft.
Nintendo was selling playing cards long before video games, and Namco was building mall coin-op rides before arcade machines. Though I guess those two and Sony were at least in the entertainment business. But in any case they weren’t created as video game companies (of course given when they were created, they couldn’t).
Where tf the anti trust at? It’s an easy solution to a trivial problem. How do we stop a few companies from controlling everything??? Uhhh… make it illegal???
Not me - the moment when buying a game outright is no longer an option is the moment when I stop paying for video games. I already have a large library on Steam (1,700+), GoG (400+), and I’m not planning on buying any Playstation or Xbox products. I’ve never paid for Xbox game pass, or PS plus, nor do I plan to. They can scheme all day long, hike the prices every week, I already buy games only if they’re on a really deep discount or in a bundle. Never paid more than 30 bucks for a game, and I could count on one of my hands how many I paid more than 20 bucks for.
I do, of course, realize that I’m in the minority, but hopefully more people will realize how big of a scam these subscription services are.
I don’t know, I don’t think the PS Plus one is a scam. I subscribed to the mid tier one when it was cheaper for a whole year than to buy a game I wanted to play that was included with it. I’ve played a good half dozen to dozen games in the year I’ve had it. I feel like I’ve definitely got my money’s worth out of it.
I was mostly referring to the last part of the article where the author explains the entire long-term plan behind the subscription services - first they offer a large variety of games for a low price, then they squeeze the customers for every single penny after they’ve cornered the market.
See how Netflix work out their hike etc? I don’t think it would continue to work in their favor to meet the profit/sub count projection to make their stocker holder happy.
the moment when buying a game outright is no longer an option is the moment when I stop paying for video games.
That moment will not come. That would mean that every single indie developer had come under the umbrella of such subscription services and not one bigger actor would want to try to differentiate from the competition.
Gamepass isn’t a scam right now in my view. I’m able to get 50 day passes for 7 bucks right now. Once gamepass starts being more expensive than buying the games I want I’ll just go back to doing that.
Once game pass starts being more expensive than buying the games I want, I'll just go back to doing that
You may not have that option. The business model here is to burn cash, get consumers used to gamepass, then get games onto gamepass exclusively (likely in exchange for higher payouts from the service). Once we are at that point, which may be years away, prices will rise and there won't be another avenue to play most games.
This is the model right now for shows, and some movies, they are produced for streaming services and are only available on those services.
Most games already don't get physical releases. All that needs to happen to eliminate choice is that gamepass makes publishers a better offer than Steam - then there isn't a digital release either.
I think that kind of action is what would get regulators on Microsoft’s back which is why they started selling games on third-party platforms like Steam. Could be wrong though.
They are playing with fire… most games don’t require computer level graphics/cpu power. If they aren’t careful they will lose their shirt to mobile gaming and console gaming will turn into an unpopular niche thing of the past.
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