After being a PlayStation console owner for a long 25 years, due to Sony's recent decision to transition to a digital future, I have reluctantly decided to give up gaming on PlayStation!
Simply put, a world where the PlayStation 6 console will cost over 1,000.00 euros at launch, and individual major games in digital form will cost at least 100.00 euros (which is the upper psychological limit in the wealthy Western world for most players) does not seem promising to me.
I would rather spend any extra money I have on a proper gaming PC than buy a console that, when it comes out in 2028, will be made up of outdated components and will not have blockbuster exclusive titles.
In the long run, buying a PlayStation 6 does not seem worthwhile. A PC can also be used for work! Of course, there are also various other uses, including exploring the rich world of legal emulation of older video games from prehistoric times.
Despite the fact that games are a luxury good for most of the world's population, and too expensive, on PC, thanks to numerous discounts, free giveaways, and lower prices for poorer markets, they have become accessible to millions of players who otherwise would never buy legally.
Why would I pay 40.00 or 60.00 euros for an older game when I can buy good games on PC for a handful of former kuna? For 5.00 or 10.00 euros, it is possible to buy a quality title that offers at least a few hours of entertainment.
Although year after year Sony's profit from PlayStation consoles, accessories, and games is increasing, it seems that the earned money is not going into creating interesting and attractive titles, nor into subsidizing the price of the console itself or the PlayStation Plus subscription.
As things stand now, as soon as I return to Croatia, I will sell the PlayStation 5 console that I have had since November 2020! I will also get rid of the disc games. I am simply so disappointed that it no longer makes sense for me to be a PlayStation owner.
Regarding the games I have played in the past 5 years, I had the most fun playing both Astro Bots! Everything else that Sony has released did not seem interesting, revolutionary, or worthy of attention and time. What particularly disappointed me is that a larger number of games seem to have gameplay that could technically have been made on the PlayStation 3 console!
What should Sony do to make the digital future more acceptable?
allow the purchase of game codes through other online stores
allow all digital games to be tried before purchase
allow purchased games to be refunded for justified reasons
enable easy sharing of games between PlayStation consoles
allow the transfer of digital licenses to other players - selling through the official website/app
lower the prices of new games and PlayStation Plus subscriptions for loyal players
introduce a unified PlayStation Store on a global level, rather than having each country with its own specifics
allow the creation of PlayStation accounts in all countries where it is officially possible to purchase a PlayStation console
allow easy region switching for justified reasons (for example, moving to another country)
increase the number of older so-called legacy titles
enable legal backup of game installations including updates and saved positions without tying to a PlayStation Plus subscription
reduce the number of AI slop and low budget games on the PlayStation Store
allow easy searching of games by publishers and developers
have larger and more frequent discounts for older digital games
have more advanced features on the console that would justify a higher price / or if that is not possible subsidize the price of consoles and offer customers a PlayStation Plus subscription for 6 or 12 months
release more AAA games that will justify the purchase of a new console
Until the above is fully realized, I won't even consider PlayStation 6. PlayStation is a done deal for me!
I expect that the digital transition will be problematic, and that all issues will be fully resolved on the PlayStation 7 console in the mid-2030s. Who knows, maybe by then I will change my mind or switch to some new console.
*The views expressed in columns and comments are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of the Virus.hr portal.
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