2022 is near its end, taking a deep sigh at this news, I guess I'll be taking another look at what we've gone through the 3rd quarterly, and what is happening right now, near the year's end. Disclaimer; it isn't all good news, it never is, but the cup of salt should be a little bigger than it was before now. As the global crisis still continue, the industry in and of itself has quite regressed in certain areas.
Sony has introduced some rather unique things this year that elevates the PlayStation ecosystem further, while also succumbing to pettiness and being even more greedy. Industry is adopting a higher pricing standard, companies treating us like cows to milk, losing some good people, and ah, Twitch. Yeah, for some reason, the last bit irks me the most.
Ok, am done beating by the bush, time to rip that band-aid out, 2022 might not have been the worst year to play video games in, but any more of this, and we're really cutting it close.
Xbox Rewards does something a bit similar to this, where you play games to earn points for purchasing stuff, but this seems to be a mix between the gold coin system that Nintendo has and this. PlayStation Stars is Sony's way of keeping people engaged enough in the games they purchase in order to rack up points for buying game content, too.
Sony is challenged by Microsoft's increasing presence from Game Pass, in reaction to that, earlier they've introduced to a tier system for PlayStation Plus where the extra dollar gives you access to download and play various games like a subscription service. PlayStation Stars, being a loyalty system, is the next incentive for continuing engagement in their new ecosystem.
While it isn't fully clear how you obtain these points, outside of purchasing games, you also can earn them through completing provided challenges, there's also something like upgrading the usual PS Plus to extra or premium. So mostly involves giving money to save money?
But I am curious as to where they want to take this for long term. It'll be nice to at least save cash, and use all my years of experience and skills for saving a nickel or dime on the dollar.
Ah yes, another piece about Sony. So there are two things we're going to be talking, one right primarily is their whole deal with being salty over Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. They submitted a complaint to the UK court, citing issues of Microsoft cornering the market by eliminating competition, and having more control of major mindshare by making top-selling games like Call of Duty exclusives, which Microsoft has refuted against.
Microsoft became fed up with Sony's shenanigans of getting the CMA jumping in between the transition while refusing to accept their misguided abrasiveness, they literally called it. Sony is being a pantsy about the whole thing, and is only delaying the inevitable. This is a corporate type of hissy fit.
I don't know which I could despise more now, them or Square Enix? Just awhile ago, they announced a remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn, like as if a 5-year-old game couldn't get a free texture update instead. You just released the sequel this year, what more could you want? Not enough milking done? The Last of Us TV series is premiering a little later. You've even decided to make a Days Gone movie, but yet nothing about a show based on Bloodborne? Just telling me it could be possible is no longer enough.
Also, let's not forget how much exclusive content Sony got from Call of Duty during last-gen
So I've been playing Overwatch 2 lately, weirdly enough the people I know for some reason are drawn back into it. But I can guarantee for sure that it doesn't have the fun factor that the first game used to bring. And I don't think it'll comeback to that point anytime soon. But is it a playable game where you finally won't have to complain about its god awful tank meta? The kerfuffled showcase of massive CCs being thrown around after one another, dragging the game matches? No, there's some major changes, like big balance and game design changes overall.
Every game is now 5v5, characters had their abilities changed, including their ultimates, but most of all, the meta is now all about allowing everyone to be able to play the roles they pick, while also be able to have solo carrying potential. I've played it, and yeah, the changes are a breath of fresh air. But I'd be remiss If I'd say this is a full sequel, it isn't. Outside new characters, maps are mostly the same, and well so are the game modes. There's a PVE campaign mode coming later on, once that arrives, maybe I'll do a full review on it.
I forgot to mention that Sony is also embracing the 70 USD pricing standard on every PS5 releases from here on out. But this isn't just about them. The major players in the gaming industry, Ubisoft, EA, Activision, and so on are accepting the new standard for current-gen consoles. FYI: Sony made over 24bn dollars last year from PlayStation alone.
I mean, this was to be expected for generations to do. There was a point where cartridges for games would cost 80 USD to purchase, after the release of the DVD, prices have gone down significantly. Now, some of them told us that they'll be getting the quad A treatment, which we all know is a fat lie, but I can understand from some other standpoint that cost for making games has gone up.
In this economy, however, that's not an entirely feasible situation for everybody. I had plans on buying a PS5 this year, I was saving up, till I've seen just how slippery the slope has gotten. I can't afford the games, including some of the Switch games I've wanted to try on.
And speaking of getting a PS5, the console unit is still scarce, hence why it's pricier where I live. People in the US can find these site where they wait out till the PS5 gets stocked by Sony after registering for an invitation to buy the console at MSRP.
I hope the problems that the world are dealing with now will eventually come to cease by the end of this year, but that's looking to be a pipe dream. Game companies have reduced themselves to only fill their pockets and please their investors, it has become a giant travesty entirely. Then there's this nonsense from Ubisoft, charging 120 USD for a GOTY version of the game, which has DLC that isn't even out yet.
I've talked about game devs passing away before, but this one is a story about someone who took part in for a great cause and died a hero's dead. Andrii was one of the animators for Metro Exodus, started working for 4A Games from 2017, with experience of being a 3D animator for TV shows. He was well-loved and respected in the company he worked for.
Sadly, right around the time Russia declared war against Ukraine, most of the 4A Games staff left their country for their own safety, a few, like Andrii here, stayed behind and then enlisted in the military in an effort to help the war effort. He was shot down during combat, succumbing to his wounds. It sucks that people die like this for a pointless war, especially someone as talented as he was. May god look after you, rest in peace.
And we arrive here, the biggest cringefest of this year, and continuing to be so. It isn't enough that Twitch literally has double standards, but they attract the absolute worst even. A good example recently seen is that one e-thot streamer who was literally having intercourse in the middle of the stream, possibly seen from the mirror to her right. Twitch only gave her a week suspension. But for Twitch, it gets even better.
Awhile ago, they've announced an update on their T&S. From this point on, every single payment, donations, and of course ad revenue from viewers is split 50/50. There was a case for few people where they'd get 70/30, but that's no longer working now. Twitch doesn't think it's viable long term. Nobody was happy about this, backlash ensued. YouTube Gaming actually gives 70/30 cut, more people should go there instead.
Another thing they've added was about showing live gambling in games, yes, some of us are aware of the Counter Strike: Source gambling promotion that hit off. But things have gone further up since then and Twitch responded after recent events by banning luck-based gambling from being streamed on their site effective from October 18th. However, this addresses the unlicensed ones in the US, so sponsored gambling can still continue as they were.
And then the latest bit just a few days ago, Twitchcon's lack of safety resulting in people suffering from serious injury during those physical competition. Apparently the foam pit that was supposed to cushion them didn't work, since it wasn't deep enoug and underneath was hard concrete surface. Go figure. Several people injured to the point of one having metal rods inserted to help support her back. You get the picture now, Twitch sucks as always, and now they suck even more.
Ok, I might have made this all seem bleak, but it isn't all that bad, I got to play a lot of games these past few months. Plenty came out, and they did a great job of distracting me from looking down into the pits of despair. Thanks for reading.
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