Random Gaming Thoughts

[noiseredux]

Sony announced today that they're putting out a $25 dongle to use a PS4 controller on PC.

“This adaptor will let you connect a DualShock 4 to PC and Mac wirelessly,” Sony says, “and will enable every feature of the controller you know and love: buttons, analog sticks, touch pad, light bar, motion sensors, vibration, and stereo headset jack – as long as the gaming application supports these features.”

You’ll also be able to use the dongle for PS4 Remote Play and for PlayStation Now, Sony’s service for streaming PS3 games, which will launch on PC “soon.

http://kotaku.com/soon-itll-be-way-easi ... 1785653748

EDIT: PSNow on PC confirmed!

Sony has now officially announced the coming launch of PlayStation Now on the PC, first in parts of Europe and “shortly thereafter” in North America.


“This will bring a wide selection of PlayStation exclusive titles to Windows PC for the very first time, including entries in the Uncharted, God of War, and Ratchet & Clank franchises, as well as beloved PS3 games like The Last of Us and Journey,” Sony said. “Current subscribers have a new way to access PS Now’s library of over 400 games, and the PC app provides a new way for even more gamers to discover and play the service.”

Sony also announced a new DualShock 4 USB Wireless Adapter, which will enable DualShock 4 controllers to be connected wirelessly to PCs and Macs. The device will sell for $25 and will enable support of all buttons, the analog sticks, touch pad, light bar, motion sensors, vibration, and the headset jack.

The recommended system requirements for PS Now:

Windows 7 (SP1), 8.1 or 10
3.5 GHz Intel Core i3 or 3.8 GHz AMD A10 or faster
300 MB or more; 2 GB or more of RAM
Sound card; USB port
Minimum 5Mbps internet connection

http://www.pcgamer.com/ps-now-on-pc-leak/

[Ziggy]

I don't know about PSNow (I'd rather get those games on PS3 or buy a PS4) but the PS4 controller dongle is interesting to me.

I see a problem though... Will it be X input? Because it seems like most PC games are X input and games that have in-game button prompts are made for the Xbox button layout. This is why those Logitech controllers worked out well for me, I have the F310 I think. It's a Playstation-like controller, but the button layout is Xbox so it still makes sense for games' button mappings. I don't see how a PS4 controller would work out for most games. Even after you set up the inputs, the game would still be flashing a button promp, "Press Y now!" and you'd be like, "WTF IS THE Y BUTTON!?!?!" Unless Sony only intends for this to be used with PSNow.

[ElkinFencer10]

Console games are starting to get in on it, too, since some console games are getting bigger than PC games (which I don't understand at all, but whatevs).

Definitely some that are comparable. Are there ones where the console version is actually larger? For a while, the PC versions would get a lot bigger due to HD texture packs and the like. Console games may be getting inflated due to using different compression for some assets.

A (possible) example for that is FFXIII. The original JP PS3 release is about 40GB, about 33GB of which is for cutscenes and voice. The 360 release, meanwhile, is about 18GB total, featuring far more compressed assets. When the PC version released, the total install size was 50GB, but that was due to dual audio - the Japanese and English assets, respectively, represent about 20GB of that each.
Presumably, the PS3 version is so inflated because they encoded things to Blu-ray spec, which might be a trend continued today.

Okay, so I just checked, and it turns that I exaggerated a little bit, but looking at games released both on console and PC, they're almost the same size these days.

[noiseredux]

Unless Sony only intends for this to be used with PSNow.

that seems to be the (primary) point of it - and explains why it's being announced now. The dongle allows for all the usual PS controller stuff to work w/ those games (vibration, motion, etc).

Anyway, I'm interested in this PSNow thing - at least to see where it goes. I don't like the subscription price, though. For $10 or less, it'd probably be a no-brainer for me. $20 is up there. I guess there's a free month though, and I *think* there's a $100/yr option - which brings it below $10/mo, but is a tough chunk to give up at once for a streaming service.

I'd much rather that this be a la cart, though. If I could just buy the games I wanted and have them added to a PSNow account, I'd be all over that. I guess they do offer 1, 3, 5 day rentals on single games - but meh.

But ultimately I want to keep a close eye on this whole thing. When it launches in US I'll def jump on a free month to test it out. With the dongle coming I may even have a reason to check out a PS4 controller.

(Would be nice if we got this in September since Street Fighter 3 is on there for TR...).

If Sony starts bringing games from other systems to it or offers a non-subscription store-front they could really be on to something pretty great for PC gamers who don't want to own consoles. I've read that PSNow does have online multiplayer and works with players who are using PS3 discs on a real console. Maybe? I feel like this is promising at any rate.

[MrPopo]

Dark Reign's expansion is a trip back to the wild west pre-internet days, where if you got stuck you had no recourse but to try harder or figure out how to break into the game's files for hints. Mostly because Dark Reign apparently utterly failed compared to TA, which was only a cult classic compared to StarCraft. The main game got a strategy guide and is also fairly straightforward, but even GameFAQs doesn't have a walkthrough for it. The expansion has no information whatsoever; I can't even get a unit list for the expansion or a scan of the manual to explain how the messed up mechanics of the Xenite beasts work.

[Ziggy]

If Sony starts bringing games from other systems to it or offers a non-subscription store-front they could really be on to something pretty great for PC gamers who don't want to own consoles. I've read that PSNow does have online multiplayer and works with players who are using PS3 discs on a real console. Maybe? I feel like this is promising at any rate.

So will it run any PS4 games, or just strictly PS3?

I own a PS3, so I would never use PSNow for PS3 games. But I have no plans to purchase a PS4. Any game this gen that I'm even remotely interested in, that isn't Nintendo, is getting a PC release. I told myself that I would have to wait for several PS4 exclusives (or that ONE game that I just HAVE to play) before buying a PS4. For that reason, I decided to start gaming on the PC more this gen. If Sony enabled PS4 games to be playable on the PC, that would further trouble my decision if I ever want to get a PS4 or not.

That reminds me... My Sony BD player can apparently pair a PS4 controller and stream PS3 games. I thought that was interesting when I bought it, but as I have a PS3 I largely ignored the details.

[MrPopo]

Hah! I knew it! Dark Reign's soundtrack was done by the guy who did the Activision MechWarrior games.

http://jeehun.com/credits/

[PartridgeSenpai]

The current Sony Capcom Humble Bundle is pretty dang sweet if you like Street Fighter or PS3/4 Capcomy things. It's a steal even for 12 bucks, but I knew I should'a bought it back when I saw it at 8! X(

[noiseredux]

That reminds me... My Sony BD player can apparently pair a PS4 controller and stream PS3 games. I thought that was interesting when I bought it, but as I have a PS3 I largely ignored the details.

then you already have access to PSNow. This update is that it's coming to PC as well.

[Exhuminator]

Dark Reign's expansion is a trip back to the wild west pre-internet days

If you're playing the GOG version, I think it's weird that they didn't include the other expansion: