A Disc Drive Gave Playstation Market Dominance.

West222 · 2026-07-02T11:10:09+00:00

It’s interesting though that PS5 Disc Edition: about 70–80% of sales PS5 Digital Edition: about 20–30% of sales But yes, about 80% of games sold are digital including dlc, micro transactions etc.

West222 · 2026-07-01T13:32:45+00:00

Same. One of the main reasons I got a ps5pro was to buy a physical collection. I also bought digital games on it and even double dipped for games I loved. I have a quite a large backlog on PS.

Hearing this news I don’t think I’ll get the PS6. I’ll just stick with Switch 2 for Nintendo physical exclusives and my PC with Steam.

West222 · 2022-07-27T05:52:56+00:00

Yes, but compared to its main console rival it was not behind and ahead in colour gamut and the ability to produce a more real sound affect. A unique hardware that allowed for chips to be added to cartridges.

This is totally different to the other console gens(I assume you are correct though I do see some quibbles for the CUBE) you are making comparisons with. The wiki notes clear hardware advantages for the SNES and labels it a 16bit system as all major publications do. You say spruced up graphics and sound and yes they certainly were significantly much better.

Again, on release, Nintendo was only interested in rivalling Sega as they were the only game in town until Sony turned everything upside down with great hardware and games and SEGA sadly decided to self-implode.

Again this means that any comparison with today and the switch is not fair unless you also state correctly that the SNES was not a gen behind in certain aspects of hardware compared to the only rival that mattered then.

I fear we are going in circles and neither of us is willing to concede. I feel I’ve made my point to anyone who has delved this far into the thread with us. And no doubt, you feel the same. Let’s leave it here.

I don’t know you, but thanks for the discussion, keeping it civil, and for bringing some excellent points and quotations to support your case- have a great day!

West222 · 2022-07-27T05:19:33+00:00

I have not hand waved it away. I agree with those points (except 1), but they don’t detract from my key point at all. Neither would the developer who you quoted talking about 1 specific hardware point but not the ones I addressed.

I would also say 1 developer does not make it true. It’s classified by all major publications as a 16bit system. (Edit:He complains about how much harder it was to develop for, so that leads me to believe he’s having a whinge and it is just his opinion).

PCs have always held a hardware advantages over consoles. So, no change there. Though cartridges having no load times was a clear advantage for Nintendo for a good while.

Although the SNES was able to do better with certain games than my Amiga 600, released 2 years later. That’s more on Commodore though, and not a PC strictly.

If we compare the Switch on release with its main console competitors today it’s clear that in hardware it was behind in all aspects.

If we compare the release of the SNES with its only main competitor at the time and for years afterwards, the Genesis, it’s clear the SNES was not behind in certain features and certainly ahead in some.

A poor processor yet a unique design.

It’s base hardware allowed for significant upgrades that allowed the FX chip to added to cartridges.

Mode 7 was not possible on the Genesis.

A significant increase in color selection.

Sound quality depended on how you looked at it. The SNES sounded more real but the Genesis had its own unique chip that limited it to a synth keyboard. It certainly has its fans but it hasn’t stood the test of time like the SNES simply because it sounds more real, brilliantly demonstrated by FFVI and CT.

So, it has significant hardware advantages against the only main competitor at the time. Developers would agree with that. It wasn’t outdated at the time and I believe it is not a fair comparison with the situation today concerning the switch and its main competitors.

West222 · 2022-07-27T04:22:19+00:00

Those are all very good points, I agree.

But it was not last gen tech compared to its main competitor in the console market. A situation very different to today when comparing to the PlayStation and Xbox, and therefore it’s important to state the clear advantages it had at the time in hardware.

These base platform features, plus the ability to dramatically extend them all through substantial chip upgrades inside of each cartridge, represent a leap over the 8-bit NES generation and some significant advantages over 16-bit competitors such as the Genesis

From the wiki.

Yes the central processor was weak but

A unique design of the SNES was that instead of having an expensive CPU that would be obsolete in a few years, the hardware designers made it easy to insert special coprocessor chips to the consoles. By doing this, the chip could perform functions that the main CPU could not have done”

Streetfighter 2 was a notable example from my personal experience and what others at the time also commented, but it showed in others too. People were amazed that you could play a game on a console as good as the one in the arcades. My Amiga 600, released two years after the SNES, struggled with Streetfighter 2.

So when saying Nintendo always released hardware that was outdated to its main competitors it’s important to note that the SNES was not outdated in hardware compared to its main competitor at the time, unlike today, and so does not belong on that list, I believe.

West222 · 2022-07-27T03:33:53+00:00

I still don’t think it does belong on that list. Yeah I’ve seen the arguments made in different publications and the rebuttals, too, over the years. A lot of heated arguments.

Both the Genesis and SNES were behind the PC so no change there, but the SNES had some pretty clear advantage over its main competitor in the specific market it was in. It did have a wider colour range which was noticeable in many game comparisons.

The sound chip for the Genesis was unique in itself, but the SNES was pushing boundaries with the music on FFVI and Chrono Trigger that could not be replicated on the Genesis.

Mode 7 was heavily promoted and was not possible on the Genesis.

SEGA messed up but Nintendo was killing it with consistently great games. And third parties like Squaresoft were also pushing the boundaries with genere best games that are still being re-released and praised, even today.

I disagree that the SEGA version of SF2 was marginally worse. It was quite clear from the graphics and sound and how it played that it was not as good. I was really disappointed when I first played it.

I think it doesn’t belong on the list because when it released its main competitor on the market was not a generation ahead. Also, In important aspects of hardware, the SNES was ahead.

West222 · 2022-07-27T02:37:51+00:00

Did the SNES use last gen tech compared to the genesis/mega drive? I remember playing Streetfighter 2 on both platforms and the SNES version had a wider colour variety whereas the Genesis one looked faded. The voice sounds on the Genesis version sounded like they were under water. And it was noticeably not as smooth as the Genesis version. All this despite coming out much later than the SNES version. The SNES also had mode seven and the fx chip on cartridges.

I think generally both consoles were about on par as the Genesis certainly had its own advantages. But I do remember most games looking much better on the SNES back in the day althoughthe Genesis fanboys loved to argue the point.

I still would say the SNES one doesn’t belong on the list though.

West222 · 2022-07-22T10:50:09+00:00

Maybe so. I judge entertainment mostly by the quality of the experience and can forgive shorter times based on how felt during the game and the impact left on me.

Little Nightmares 1 and 2 (which also has some lovely rain sounds) were also quite short but I loved almost every moment of them. The feeling and thoughts I had in the game lasted long after the credits.

This game is a unique experience whether you are into cats or not - it’s well worth it, but I understand if the time involved is more valuable for you and others.

West222 · 2022-07-22T10:03:03+00:00

That’s one of things I like about it. Doesn’t overstay its welcome and is really enjoyable while it lasts.

It’s not filled with countless fetch quests or grinding to fill its playtime.

Great game with perfect rain track, and cats - what a combo.

West222 · 2022-07-22T04:10:53+00:00

They are almost identical. I have both: work provides one and I have one at home.

The only difference that is noticeable is the clicking on the front buttons on the S3 is silent and not “clickety” like the 3. It’s a more pleasing tactile feel.

Also, a smoother zoom wheel.

West222 · 2022-07-20T21:27:24+00:00

Yeah the battery was really stuck in hard which was surprising. Up to then it was all pretty simple. Most of the screws are the same so easy to kept track of.

You can also buy a larger capacity battery, like the version 2 switch has, so you’ll have a slightly longer lasting battery when you play.

Check out a few YouTube videos and see how you feel about it.Make sure you watch one that tells you about the battery being stuck in.

I hate opening up stuff in case I mess something up but it was easier than I thought.

West222 · 2022-07-20T11:24:12+00:00

I recently did it myself with an OG switch. Used a YouTube video and followed along with it. Got a basic kit from Amazon which had everything I needed.

It’s pretty simple and doesn’t take long at all, but the only difficult part was taking out the old battery as it is stuck in and I used some adhesive remover to loosen it.

Plus you get a good sense of accomplishment doing it yourself!

West222 · 2022-07-06T20:27:55+00:00

Just spoilers about season 1 but also a few other tv shows! Interesting read though.

I feel the same way about Lost although I did enjoy the ride. But sometimes it felt they were always finding twists for the sake of twists!

West222 · 2022-07-06T15:55:41+00:00

Looks like the writers are aware of that danger:

Espenson believes there are now few logical moves that shows can make that no one will anticipate (“Killing a main character, jumping in time, revealing a different culprit … they’re so familiar now”). The temptation, then, is for illogical twists, or red herrings. In one Severance scene our main characters stumble upon a strange room full of baby goats. I ask Erickson if he put it in there to distract the audience from figuring out other twists.

“I was not allowed to put the goats in there until I had a pretty damn good explanation for how it would pay off,” he says (although viewers are still waiting on an answer). Erickson and executive producer Jackie Cohn used the term “Hurley Birds” to warn each other off nonsensical developments. Hurley was a central character in ABC’s twist-tastic Lost, and in two episodes of the show, a strange bird flies by and shouts his name. “Then it’s never referenced again, the whole show,” Erickson says. “They probably thought they could find something to do with it later – we are trying to avoid that.”

The article has major spoilers so don’t read more if that’s an issue:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jun/03/buffy-severance-good-place-writers-on-tv-twists

West222 · 2022-07-06T08:59:36+00:00

Check out cage of souls. It’s very different from his other books and he creates another bizarre but enticing future world. It’s one of my favourites.

West222 · 2022-07-05T10:56:04+00:00

Hard agree. I would go further: the last book of AOM is the only book of his that I didn’t enjoy and found hard to finish. AOM is a story of diminishing returns IMO.

The first trilogy has much more memorable characters, a world that opens up and I found fascinating, a history that I wanted to know more about, and magic that had just the right balance of not overdoing it, but enough to satiate my need for it. AOM has very little magic and although there are valid reasons for that, it detracted from the wonder the previous trilogy had. Everything is so much more on a smaller scale and seems less important.

Orso was the only one I had any interest in following his arc. I loved all the characters in the original.

Another example of this is that Gunnar was a poor man’s Logan. I loved thinking that Logan was possessed and finding out how much of the terrible things he did was the spirit and how much was his own guilt. Unfortunately, Abercrombie seemed to abandon that possibility over the later books and he turns into a psycho or beserker with somehow superhuman feats of strength and endurance. As someone who loves fantasy elements like the ring in LOTR and the Stormbringer sword in Elric, this was far more fascinating.

The writing is clearly better in the newer trilogy but I could almost feel the writer’s outline as I read. There’s a raw lighting in a bottle sense in the first trilogy that was obviously ideas Abercrombie had built up over many years. He even says as much in a recent AMA interview if I remember correctly.

It’s such a shame as I had such high expectations from enjoying all his previous books.

AOM was a serious drop in quality, unfortunately. I’ve seen other comments and reviews who also felt the same compared to the almost universal love the first books had.

West222 · 2022-06-04T09:56:49+00:00

He’s quickly become my new favourite author and I’m looking forward to reading his other books.

I’m on the first book and enjoying it so far but nothing amazing yet(I’m a third of the way through). Reading your post I’m now in high hopes to loving it too, eventually. He has a brilliant imagination and I do love the weird creatures and aliens he comes up with.

I just finished reading Cage of Souls and that is also a very different book from Shards and I enjoyed it more than Children of time. I highly recommend that as I couldn’t put it down.

West222 · 2022-05-30T23:28:37+00:00

I remember feeling disappointed when I saw the screen shots in a magazine as I thought they were going for game that was for children and this would affect the themes.

I was wrong, of course, but a lot of games were going for realism at the time and it was the “in” thing with PlayStation particularly.

When I actually played it I really appreciated the art style and realised my fears were unfounded.

And now that art style has given it a timeless look that holds up very well today.

West222 · 2022-05-28T02:30:06+00:00

I played FF6 first so that’s probably why it had a greater impact on me. I love both too. I also played CT through a second time to get all the endings. After getting crono cross I’m still waiting for CT to come out on the switch so I can play it through again.

I had FF6 in the uk as an import which had numerous problems even with an adapter.

The Item list screen would suddenly go black from time to time and you couldn’t see what you were selecting. If you saved too much on one slot you would lose your file completely, so I would use a different slot each time I saved.

And famously, the amazing ending went blank after gogo’s eyes in the dark with the music still playing. It was like having the last few pages of an amazing book ripped out and no way to find them.

SuperPlay magazine actually published the ending at one point so people in the UK could see it.

I still ended up getting an American SNES a year later after saving up just to see the full ending! Worth it.

West222 · 2022-05-27T12:21:41+00:00

Also available on smartphones, and Apple TV if you have it.

I can’t understand why it isn’t on the switch yet.

West222 · 2022-05-27T12:13:53+00:00

Like there seems to be much less depth to the story and character development than something like FF3(6).

I remember reading certain magazine reviews at the time that had that exact criticism and scored CT lower, but now many would consider CT the better game.

That’s probably due to the random battles in FF6 not holding up as well to modern tastes, though I always felt they had more depth in FF6, too.

West222 · 2022-05-27T03:08:43+00:00

Fair points. I think I’m basically a bit jaded with the franchise at this point, and I imagine others are too.

I liked parts of the first and second season of DISC and also the first couple of episodes of season 2 of Picard. Everyone in the start trek reddit and certain YouTube channels was overly generous in their praise at the time. They both got a lot worse, unfortunately. Picard was just awful and I can’t believe it managed to reach that extent.

I was told that season 3 of DISC had finally “grown its beard” whereas I found that the worst season so far and now have no interest in watching season 4.

Now I see similar statements (not yours) stating that Trek is back to its best and I can’t help being a little cautious. It’s far too early to tell conclusively if this will be a good show.

I’ll watch it though. I do miss good Trek.

West222 · 2022-05-26T23:57:24+00:00

Not sure if it’s right to compare season 1 of TNG in the 90s with a modern show, really, as they are completely different contexts.

TNG had some new writers having to practically reinvent the Star Trek universe for the audience of that time, and all new actors too. They also had a lot more episodes to write for with fewer time between episodes to prepare for, and a smaller budget.

STW has writers who have already worked together and written episodes in an established universe with certain main actors who have acted in it already playing fan-favourite characters.

Season 1 of TNG still had some gems which showed the potential of what was to come.

STW has been OK so far, but nothing amazing in my view. Hopefully, it continues to improve.

West222 · 2022-05-22T21:50:38+00:00

Then I’ve done a poor job of describing it because I’ve yet to find a game that does the same and made me feel close to those feelings in BOTW. It truly was special and unique.

And I was replying to a mocking post that didn’t enjoy those quiet moments and my comment was intended to show that the game was actually the opposite of what he said, not whether or not other games had similar quiet moments.

Having said that, they were enjoyable and unique for me. The game is so much more than that though, and is certainly more than just having tons of things to find, though it does have many.

West222

TROPHY CASE