[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch If the game's remastered version looks the same as the original, only with better graphics and upscaling, I'll definitely play it.

My smartphone is not designed for gaming. I have an entry-level Android, good enough for small apps and Whatsapp. I mainly use it for music and social media. 😊

Well, a lack of permanent price cuts and the continued viability of older platforms took their collective toll on the video game console market in 2024 as shipments fell an estimated 25.4% year over year to 37.7 million units.

Then again, video game consoles are likely to be the biggest growth driver in the market in the future because developers seem to focus more on only releasing new game titles on consoles and will not focus on PC releases at all.

[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot Ah well, remasters are not the same. System Shock or RDR got lucky to have good ones, but GTA III or the recent Rise of the Ronin were less lucky. It may come down to various factors on a case-by-case basis.

Nor is mine, I have one of the few smartphones in existence with a physical keyboard. I really do not like touchscreens. And since most mobile games are designed to be played with those, well...

Meanwhile, Switch 2 seems to be doing well for itself, I think. What gives?

I would not say that, I mean, the indie scene which is arguably the main creative drive these days can't really get into consoles for various reasons, but can thrive on PC. Usually, they start on PC and then get popular and ported to other platforms, like how Stardew Valley did it and all. So while some big developers may prioritise consoles (but even that trend seems to be shifting), I don't think PC would be at that big a disadvantage.

[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch Diablo 2 remastered also did good. I like the fact Diablo 2 has an option to switch between the remastered version and original one while you are playing.

If I must take a guess you may have been a fan of a Blackberry when they were the hype. I had two of them and hoped the company evolved a little more. Those phones worked well.

The switch 2 ain't bad.

The Indie scene definitely needs more recognition and in my opinion only dominate the PC market.

The issue here is why they say consoles are going to dominate the market is developers want to combine a console and pc to make both a work and gaming station. Xbox seem not to be interested in it but PlayStation on the other hand is keen on the idea.

[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot Speaking of Diablo, have you seen the roadmap for Diablo IV they shared recently?



A lot of goodies coming up, it seems. I do not play it so for me it does not really matter, but maybe you'll see something to look forward to.

Ah, no, I missed the time for Blackberry, by the time I thought to get the smartphone, they already closed shop. The one I have now is called Titan Slim.

Switch 2 ain't bad, it is just curious to see the current economics unfold and how it affects it all...

I am not sure, are there indie games for other consoles? Is it a thing? I would have thought no... As for the PC exclusivity, that's a hard question. After all, indie developers often need all the help (and revenue) they can get, otherwise they can't do what they do...

We'll see, the work/game combo is not necessarily bad, arguably this is what PC is now anyway. If the console joins in and adds to the functionality without cutting anything out, what's the harm?

[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch, I've seen the roadmap. To be honest, I have missed out on plenty since the Launch of Diablo IV. I haven't played much because of the slow internet and some PC issues I have.

The Titan Slim looks like an awesome phone. Unfortunately, they are not available in SA. It's a phone my mother will enjoy using.

With all that is going on in the world with the economy, things are looking bleak. Our current government is not on a good foot with the US at the moment, and since the new administration taxes and all other things got so expensive. The gaming and IT industry is noticeably taking a knock here in SA.

I'm not sure if there are indie games on consoles. Maybe some Indie developers contributed to some console releases and were offered positions in a company.

There is no harm in a work/game combo, but won't the prices be too high for those types of consoles? In the end, I think a PC will still be king when it happens.

[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot Ah well, I am not into Diablo in the first place, but I can sympathise. And if nothing else, it is nice they have content planned and are sharing their plans, too. I wish more developers would do that.

I would not say awesome, it has drawbacks: it has no 5G cover and certain apps do not work or work incorrectly because of the physical keyboard-supporting code. But it is passable for my needs, I am one of those people who use smartphones for actual phones, reading and a few quality-of-life apps, my usage of it is actually rather limited. So it is enough for my needs.

Ah well, when was it ever easy. At least it's not 2020 😅

I think to make games for a console you need to have one of those "developer console" devices, and those are very tricky to get. Maybe that's why.

I am not sure, we'll see. The price depends on a lot of factors, as we learned.

[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch I'm looking forward to the new content. It seems developers are putting in effort to keep players entertained. I'm going to wait until most of the content is released and then occupy my friends pc for a while and see what all the fuss is about.

Our network providers cover maybe like 2% of the infrastructure with 5g. Where I live there's none so it's not much use to me.

Most keypad phones does not support apps. My mom has the same problem. She likes to play small games on her phone and the ones supported are now out of date and boring.

2020 up until now is the worst years of my life. The 90's were the best ever. 😄

A developers console would come in handy. Wonder why they are so hard to find? These days many things are easier to find even if it's cloned.

Look at how many chipped consoles are still floating around.

[DoctorEldritch]

@DracoTarot Personally, I like it less when new content drags on and on, I'd rather play the full package once all extra content is released, but I can see the appeal and reason to keep players entertained, as you said. More so for games like Diablo, maybe I am more critical of a continuous content model because I do not play games like this where this model is probably most fitting...

It is in reverse here, they are dismantling 3G cover, so I also do not have coverage everywhere.

This phone does support apps, and the screen itself is touchscreen too, so you have options to use them with the screen or buttons. It's just that sometimes apps end up not working as intended, or not working at all, which can be annoying.

I would think you are not alone in that impression of 2020, but hey, we got through it. I am not sure if I'd say the 90s were the best for me, though, I was at school at the time...ugh...

I think it has to do with licensing and rights to develop and all that. It is less "hard to find" and more "hard to get rights to use" kind of situation, some console companies famously do not allow tinkering with them, as opposed to PC, where you can build and modify. Maybe @GoLLuM13 would know more.

[GoLLuM13]

@DracoTarot @DoctorEldritch developer consoles, are not supposed to be used by general public this is why it's hard to find them, it's sent by the console manufacturer to the studios to develop, and sometimes the studios give them to the developers (and it becomes their property) which means if the person changes/leaves the studio they have to keep it (and sell it on eBay if they don't need it or have an extra one in the new studio). BTW sometimes on when you find them on eBay, it can also mean that it comes from one of the X studios that has been closed during the recent years or the studio got robbed.

Fun fact, months ago, someone was selling a PS5 devkit as a ... Pizza Oven 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[DracoTarot]

@DoctorEldritch These days I'm in the same boat as you and while I'm exited about new content, I'd rather wait for everything to be available for download or leave it up to my buddies to grab them all.

We still have 2g cover here and 3g is still actively in use especially by people who can only afford small phones. 4g is mostly covered but I recon its going to take ages for 5g to be fully operational. We don't have many handsets that are 5g enable. The ones we have on sale are console priced.


Ah ok! I haven't realised it's also a touchscreen. Actually I like the combination of touch and button. It's unfortunate not all apps work on it. I'll be a bit frustrated with that.

I'm a millennial. My last day of school was the last day of 1999. We all thought the world will come to an end or some sort of computer virus with destroy everything in its path. 😂

The 90's were good because I had freedom to do whatever I wanted even if I was still in school. Then things started to change and got a bit weird in SA.

It makes sense. In the end it's better that way. Licensing is a good thing. There must be boundaries.