Beyond

Once again, Sony has raised the price of PlayStation hardware, with a PS5 base model selling for $150 more than its 2020 launch price. The PS5 Pro, which had a hefty pricetag to begin with, is now 899.99. Usually, at this point in a console’s life-cycle, hardware is at least half the price it was at launch, but the PS5 has increased by almost a third. So, what does this mean for PlayStation 6? It’s supposedly still a ways off, and really, we can’t argue with that, but it makes us wonder if these current gen prices will come down, or if they’re just paving the way for a $1000+ next-gen console. In other absurd financial news, Sony and Honda’s PlayStation-enabled Afeela electric car has been officially scrapped ahead of its planned release later this year, and Capcom publicly audits the Resident Evil 4 Merchant’s business dealings, which don’t really seem like they’re panning out. Beyond!

00:00 - Intro

00:23 - Sony has raised the price of PlayStation hardware

16:44 - Sony & Honda Just Ain't Afeelin' It Anymore

40:14 - The RE4 Merchant Needs A Financial Audit

46:05 - Brian Went to Japan

53:31 - Final Thoughts

This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet
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NOTE: due to some technical issues, this week’s episode is audio only.

After almost 20 years, Sony is reportedly retiring The PlayStation Network’s name and logo. What they’ll call it now is anyone’s guess, but it’s as good an excuse as any to take a look back at the 2011 debacle that led to Sony getting hacked, millions of users having their data compromised, and the PSN being taken offline for almost a month. In other news, Valve made a weird change to Counter Strike 2 that not everyone’s wild about, which has us thinking about how much games are a moving target, from Crimson Desert’s rapid post-launch updates to Fornite’s gradual transformation since its early access days, before it was even a battle royale. Some games we’ve been playing include Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s shiny new PS5 upgrade, Romeo is a Dead Man, Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties, and High on Life 2. 

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Nintendo merged its handhelds and consoles into one device with the Switch, Microsoft loosened the definition of an Xbox to include mobile devices, smart TVs and PCs, and Valve is about to bring PC gaming into the console space with the Steam Machine. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Project Helix is bridging the gap the other direction, bringing the next-gen Xbox into PC territory instead. In the middle of all this, Sony seems like the only console manufacturer that’s just focused on making consoles the old fashioned way. Will this continue with the PlayStation 6? We’ll have to wait and see. In other news, Sony showed off some upgraded PSSR tech for the PS5 Pro, which subtly improves the graphics of certain games. We’ll happily take that over NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 AI-powered video game makeover technology, which attempts to make games more realistic, but seems to pave over their original appearance. Leon and Grace were already very pretty, this was not necessary. Maybe AI can be used to make that big spider in Resident Evil Requiem less scary? We weigh in on the arachnophobia factor of one of the game’s creepiest crawliest boss fights. It also turns out that theres a Yakuza Live-Action Miniseries Debuting on IGN! Cool. Finally: Leprechauns, mythical nuisance, or just a legendary pest? We have thoughts. Beyond!

00:00 - Intro

00:43 - A Very Important Discussion

04:50 - AI Upscaling in Games Needs to Scale it Back

10:25 - Nvidia DLSS 5 Doesn't Look That Great...

25:29 - Is PlayStation The Only “Normal” Console Left?

40:16 - Resident Evil Requiem has a Scary Spider

51:09 - Yakuza Live-Action Miniseries Debuts on IGN
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This week there’s plenty to talk about in the world of PlayStation: our first look at live-action Kratos and Atreus in Prime Video’s God of War series, as well as rumors of Sony Santa Monica developing a spin-off that follows their late wife/mother Faye. Meanwhile, the most obvious thing in the world seemed like a Bloodborne remake from the now-defunct Bluepoint Studios, and the reason we didn’t get one is frustrating - as is the news that no version of Bloodborne will likely ever come to PC, following Sony’s move back toward console exclusivity for all first-party single player games. Multiplayer’s fine, though, and Nick has some thoughts about his time with Marathon ahead of its cross-platform launch - but most importantly, the biggest question: how much does it cost to steal Leon S. Kennedy’s look, and how much are they paying him to be able to afford it all? We have some questions. Beyond!

00:00 - Intro

01:03 - Here’s How Much it Costs To Be Leon Kennedy

16:10 - Prime Video’s God of War Series Makes an Interesting First Impression

25:40 - New God of War Game Rumors

30:03 - A Bloodborne Remake Was Pitched... What Happened?

36:09 - Sony Has Reportedly Returned to Console Exclusivity

50:28 - Nicks Thoughts on Marathon

59:43 - Last Weeks Poll Results

01:13 - IGN Finds

This weeks episode was hosted by Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and Nick Maillet. It was produced by Nick Maillet.
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Resident Evil Requiem is almost here, and we’ve finished it. Well, one of us has - and as someone who’s been with the series since day one, Brian Altano has some strong feelings on the matter he’s eager to share. How does it compare to previous attempts to mix horror and action? Does it feel like a sequel to Village, Resident Evil 4, or something else entirely? How does it balance being a legacy sequel while also the start of something new? We discuss all this while steering clear of spoilers, as well as our thoughts on Reanimal, and the release date for Wolverine, which we’re so excited for we can’t read numbers anymore. Beyond!

00:00 - Intro

00:25 - Resident Evil Requiem Is One Hell of a Resident Evil

13:15 - Is Grace another Ethan?

20:53 - Which RE game should you play before RE9?

28:46 - Leon Drives A Porsche

32:02 - This Weeks Poll

34:10 - Our Thoughts on Reanimal

42:43 - Wolverine Has A Release Date

44:45 - An IMPORTANT Update On Alfred Chicken

46:51 - Last Weeks Poll Results

This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano. It was produced by Nick Maillet.
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