PS6 Price Shock: Australia's Gaming Budget Under Threat

Gaming: Value for Money and Shifting Priorities

The world of video games, particularly console gaming, has seen a significant shift in pricing over recent years. While some readers express concerns about the escalating costs, others maintain that gaming still offers excellent value for entertainment. This discussion also touches upon perceived strategic missteps by major developers and publishers.

The Rising Cost of Consoles: A Cause for Concern?

One reader, signing off as Franky, voices a growing unease about Sony’s pricing strategies, particularly in light of the recent price increase for the PlayStation 5 Pro. Franky notes a decline in faith regarding Sony’s decision-making, especially concerning future console pricing.

“Last gen I would’ve taken it for granted that Sony know what they’re doing,” Franky writes, “as a general of thumb and definitely when it comes to something like not charging too much for the PlayStation 6. But at the moment… I just don’t have the level of faith in them anymore.”

The PS5 Pro, while positioned as a high-end machine, has become a focal point for these concerns. Franky questions whether Sony will refrain from pushing the boundaries of pricing with the upcoming PlayStation 6, expressing doubt that the PS6 will necessarily be cheaper than the PS5 Pro. The overall trend of console gaming becoming more expensive is acknowledged, but Franky doesn’t anticipate Sony being the company to reverse this trend, especially given their current market success.

Nintendo’s Strategic Puzzles: Star Fox, Pikmin, and F-Zero

The discussion also delves into Nintendo’s apparent strategic choices, with one reader, Cordon, finding them peculiar. Despite the prevalence of Nintendo leaks, Cordon acknowledges their credibility and expresses a desire for a new Star Fox game. However, this desire is tempered by the perception that Star Fox is a “strange priority” among a series of questionable decisions for the Switch 2.

Cordon highlights the inclusion of Star Fox and Pikmin in the marketing for the new Mario movie, while F-Zero, another long-standing sci-fi franchise with potential crossover appeal, is notably absent.

“Why is there Star Fox and Pikmin confirmed for the new Mario movie but not or F-Zero?” Cordon questions. “They’re both much older sci-fi franchises for Nintendo and technically has crossed over with Mario before in Super Mario RPG! And by the time the movie would’ve been planned, they would’ve had no idea Prime 4 would be a flop, so it’s a real puzzler.”

While acknowledging the possibility of a surprise announcement, Cordon suggests that characters like Samus Aran are likely more recognisable to the general public than Fox McCloud or even Pikmin. The reader concludes by expressing hope that Nintendo knows what it’s doing, as they are not always infallible.

A postscript from Cordon also speculates that the lack of a new Animal Crossing announcement might be due to the perceived overlap with Pokémon Pokopia, though the latter’s positive reception was likely unforeseen.

Fallout TV Show’s Success: A Puzzling Phenomenon?

The unexpected success of the Fallout TV show has also sparked debate. Lamar expresses a lack of understanding regarding its widespread popularity, describing the show as “fine” but not particularly outstanding.

“The show is fine, I’m not saying it’s bad, but to me it doesn’t stand out in any particular way,” Lamar states. “I’ve watched all the episodes and didn’t regret the time I spent on them but, then again, if I had never seen it I would feel I was ever missing out.”

Lamar finds the show’s popularity “weird” and suggests that being “middle of the road and inoffensive” might be the key to its success. The reader also finds it ironic that Bethesda, the game developer, has been slow to release any new game content or remasters since the show’s debut, concluding that perhaps Bethesda is “a lot better at making TV shows than they are games.”

The Power of Comments and the Value of Gaming

A reader named Nick Jacobs inquired about the absence of a comments section on articles, assuming it would boost traffic and engagement. The editorial team clarified that comments sections are indeed present on all articles and that any inability to see them is likely due to ad-blocking software or similar plugins.

Meanwhile, P B offers a strong counter-argument regarding the value proposition of gaming. P B details how they recently acquired a second-hand PS5 Pro disc edition for £480, anticipating that selling their older PS5 Slim disc edition (bought for £300) might even yield a profit. This experience, coupled with past successes selling graphics cards, leads P B to believe that gaming has been a “cheap decade of gaming” compared to their youth.

The core of P B’s argument lies in the concept of resale value for physical media and the entertainment hours gained per pound spent.

“I bought Resident Evil the other day for £58, played around 36 hours and then sold for £40, that’s less than 50p an hour for that experience,” P B explains. “Obviously, prices going up years after the generation is crazy and I’m not saying there is anything good about that, but with a little bit of savvy shopping I honestly think gaming is pretty cheap nowadays.”