PlayStation Official PS | PS Studios Megathread, v.4

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Controversial opinion here but I’m not that sad if people get laid off. If you work hard and honest chances are you’re going to stay. At every company I’ve worked for as much as 20 percent if not more could easily get canned and it would make little difference because they were just unproductive and cared more about their phones and social life than work. In some cases when a company downsizes because they don’t have much money then I do kind of feel bad but we don’t know the full story of all these layoffs

This is an incredibly naive take, “work hard and you’ll be fine”. The overwhelming majority of large scale layoffs are not based on an employee’s performance and are instead based on assessment of the profitability of what’s being worked on or the likelihood of a project moving ahead. A person could be a good worker or a bad worker, it doesn’t matter, whole departments can get let go of upper management decides to pull the plug on something being worked on.

For example, my oldest brother and sister-in-law are both chemical engineers. In late 2014 they were both working for WorleyParsons which is one of the largest engineering consulting contractors in the world. In late 2014 the oil market was undergoing a major price crash causing many of the major players in the industry to cancel upcoming projects that Worley was working on at the time. They ended up letting go of 1000 of their 1500 employees in their Alberta offices, including my brother. My sister-in-law managed to keep her job with Worley through luck of the draw being assigned to a project that didn’t get canceled.

I’ve been a lawyer since 2011 and practicing exclusively in the area of labour and employment law since 2019, and I can tell you that the vast majority of clients that have come to see me over the years have done so as a result of indiscriminate layoffs that have nothing to do with any kind of performance metrics, but are rather the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now I obviously can’t speak for absolutely all of the layoffs happening across the games industry over the last few months, but I can say with confidence that almost certainly most of them do not involve any kind of assessment of employees’ performance. The storyline in the movie Office Space involving the “two Bobs” that are consultants brought in to assess employees and give recommendations of who to terminate rarely happens in real life.


Tl/dr: you probably should sympathize with the people in the industry losing their jobs because they’re likely just unlucky to be working on something that some higher up no longer sees value in continuing, not because they’re bad at their jobs.

 

[Zazen]

This is an incredibly naive take, “work hard and you’ll be fine”. The overwhelming majority of large scale layoffs are not based on an employee’s performance and are instead based on assessment of the profitability of what’s being worked on or the likelihood of a project moving ahead. A person could be a good worker or a bad worker, it doesn’t matter, whole departments can get let go of upper management decides to pull the plug on something being worked on.

For example, my oldest brother and sister-in-law are both chemical engineers. In late 2014 they were both working for WorleyParsons which is one of the largest engineering consulting contractors in the world. In late 2014 the oil market was undergoing a major price crash causing many of the major players in the industry to cancel upcoming projects that Worley was working on at the time. They ended up letting go of 1000 of their 1500 employees in their Alberta offices, including my brother. My sister-in-law managed to keep her job with Worley through luck of the draw being assigned to a project that didn’t get canceled.

I’ve been a lawyer since 2011 and practicing exclusively in the area of labour and employment law since 2019, and I can tell you that the vast majority of clients that have come to see me over the years have done so as a result of indiscriminate layoffs that have nothing to do with any kind of performance metrics, but are rather the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now I obviously can’t speak for absolutely all of the layoffs happening across the games industry over the last few months, but I can say with confidence that almost certainly most of them do not involve any kind of assessment of employees’ performance. The storyline in the movie Office Space involving the “two Bobs” that are consultants brought in to assess employees and give recommendations of who to terminate rarely happens in real life.


Tl/dr: you probably should sympathize with the people in the industry losing their jobs because they’re likely just unlucky to be working on something that some higher up no longer sees value in continuing, not because they’re bad at their jobs.

I've only ever heard of people being let go based on whose been their the least amount of time or performance. If it's random then maybe that's a thing that happens in the tech industry more often because I've never heard of that until now or experienced that at any company I've worked for, it honestly sounds like a poor business decision to potentially let go of some of the brightest workers.

The people you've met, did they bring data to back their claims up? I think most peoples' pride wouldn't allow them to admit they were canned for being a bit lazy.

 

[SaiWa]

This is an incredibly naive take, “work hard and you’ll be fine”. The overwhelming majority of large scale layoffs are not based on an employee’s performance and are instead based on assessment of the profitability of what’s being worked on or the likelihood of a project moving ahead. A person could be a good worker or a bad worker, it doesn’t matter, whole departments can get let go of upper management decides to pull the plug on something being worked on.

For example, my oldest brother and sister-in-law are both chemical engineers. In late 2014 they were both working for WorleyParsons which is one of the largest engineering consulting contractors in the world. In late 2014 the oil market was undergoing a major price crash causing many of the major players in the industry to cancel upcoming projects that Worley was working on at the time. They ended up letting go of 1000 of their 1500 employees in their Alberta offices, including my brother. My sister-in-law managed to keep her job with Worley through luck of the draw being assigned to a project that didn’t get canceled.

I’ve been a lawyer since 2011 and practicing exclusively in the area of labour and employment law since 2019, and I can tell you that the vast majority of clients that have come to see me over the years have done so as a result of indiscriminate layoffs that have nothing to do with any kind of performance metrics, but are rather the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now I obviously can’t speak for absolutely all of the layoffs happening across the games industry over the last few months, but I can say with confidence that almost certainly most of them do not involve any kind of assessment of employees’ performance. The storyline in the movie Office Space involving the “two Bobs” that are consultants brought in to assess employees and give recommendations of who to terminate rarely happens in real life.


Tl/dr: you probably should sympathize with the people in the industry losing their jobs because they’re likely just unlucky to be working on something that some higher up no longer sees value in continuing, not because they’re bad at their jobs.

In Zazen's defense he stated that he wasn't THAT sad. It's still sad but what I think he means that it's not ALL sad because it's an opportunity for companies to tighten up and trim the dead wood. Good managers will use this opportunity to let go of their worst performing employees and they are there. No matter what companies you will have bad/lazy employees here and there. I work for the government so it's no surprise that I am surrounded by a bunch of lazy and inept workers but I've spoken to my counterparts in other companies that are world class in their field and they also tell me some of their colleagues are lazy fucks but it can be very difficult to fire someone. I would ask how do you deal with them and they say they just move them to an area/department when they can cause minimal issues or problems and let it be ~ eerily similar with how the USG deals with their employees.

 

[Valhoven]

Respect the standards set across output. No-one does it like Sony:

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[iNoScopedJFK]

Love this. I had a friend who I only play with online. His PS4 broke and I found out one day cause he was in our chat but not playing with us anymore. I told my cousin to come through and get my PS4 Pro and drop it off to him. He wanted to give me $100 but I said nope just take it and get back online with us. He had an old PS4 version so he also got upgraded to the Pro version and loved it.

I have a similar story. A very close friend of mine only had an Xbox One and we hung out all the time so I always wish I could game with him, so one holiday season, when they had the Uncharted Trilogy PlayStation 4 bundle that was actually pretty cheap, I ended up buying it for him so we can finally play together. What supposed to have another friend help chip in but he flaked and the PS4 bundle was so cheap I didn't care to much.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

I've only ever heard of people being let go based on whose been their the least amount of time or performance. If it's random then maybe that's a thing that happens in the tech industry more often because I've never heard of that until now or experienced that at any company I've worked for, it honestly sounds like a poor business decision to potentially let go of some of the brightest workers.

The people you've met, did they bring data to back their claims up? I think most peoples' pride wouldn't allow them to admit they were canned for being a bit lazy.

I didn’t say it was random. It’s based on projects or departments. If a project gets cancelled or a department gets shut down then everyone working on said project or in said department will get let go, from the new hires all the way up to low or even mid-level management.

The only time where you’ll typically see an employer moving people out of a department or from a project getting shut down and axing someone else in their place is in a unionized workforce due to seniority rights, which have nothing to do with being a good worker or not being lazy, and only have to do with how long you’ve been there. So they’d could be letting go of a great, hardworking five year employee to give his or her position to a shitty ten year employee from a team that was getting shut down.

 

[Valhoven]

After explosive sales in 2023, PlayStation reported to be nearing 90% market share in France:

According to an article posted on Ludostrie, Sony is continuing to largely dominate the Xbox Series X/S in European regions, specifically France, where the PS5 is reportedly closing in on a 90% market share compared to Microsoft’s current-generation offering.

The report states that the PS5 has seen sales explode in 2023, which makes sense considering the shortages that plagued Sony’s flagship console since launch are thankfully a thing of the past. Not only that, but sales of Xbox formats in France have seen a major decline in September 2023 despite titles such as Starfield launching.

(...)​

Full read here.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Also, just to clarify, I’m not saying lousy, lazy employees don’t get shit canned. It happens all the time. But that doesn’t make the news, because it just happens on a regular basis here and there. What I’m saying is that in instances of large scale layoffs, it’s not typically an opportunity for an employer to “trim the fat” or get rid of dead wood, but rather just to cancel something and everyone that was working on it is gone.

For example, let’s say Bioware had a team working on DLC for Mass Effect Andromeda and another team working on Anthem and another team in the early stages of development for Dragon Age 4. Andromeda comes out, it doesn’t sell well, they cancel the DLC for it, and let go of the people working on it. They don’t shuffle them over to the Anthem team or the Dragon Age 4 team because then they’ve got to start playing examining those teams and decide who to let go from the those teams instead. It rarely ever works that way.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

I've only ever heard of people being let go based on whose been their the least amount of time or performance. If it's random then maybe that's a thing that happens in the tech industry more often because I've never heard of that until now or experienced that at any company I've worked for, it honestly sounds like a poor business decision to potentially let go of some of the brightest workers.

The people you've met, did they bring data to back their claims up? I think most peoples' pride wouldn't allow them to admit they were canned for being a bit lazy.

To piggy back on @Law Talkin’ Guy's point, loss of projects is a major reason for layoffs regardless of someone's performance. I see it quite often in the Aerospace & Defense field. Shuffling people around is difficult, especially when there are people already there that fill the roles of what they need in their current state of business.

Now, when it's not project based and they need to cut down, leadership will generally send a mandate down asking each business unit for a % cut. The managers of the BU's will then need to decide on who to kick or keep. That's where performance will generally come into play but of course it could be other things like politics or tenure. That's why I tell my employees that you should take every opportunity the company gives you for paid training and education. Make yourself valuable to the company. I recently got my MBA (last year) paid for and I'm always pushing my people to do that. Harder to lay you off when they've invested so much into you.

 

[Zazen]

Also, just to clarify, I’m not saying lousy, lazy employees don’t get shit canned. It happens all the time. But that doesn’t make the news, because it just happens on a regular basis here and there. What I’m saying is that in instances of large scale layoffs, it’s not typically an opportunity for an employer to “trim the fat” or get rid of dead wood, but rather just to cancel something and everyone that was working on it is gone.

For example, let’s say Bioware had a team working on DLC for Mass Effect Andromeda and another team working on Anthem and another team in the early stages of development for Dragon Age 4. Andromeda comes out, it doesn’t sell well, they cancel the DLC for it, and let go of the people working on it. They don’t shuffle them over to the Anthem team or the Dragon Age 4 team because then they’ve got to start playing examining those teams and decide who to let go from the those teams instead. It rarely ever works that way.

Well maybe you just know more about this than me. I'm basing this off my personal experience from being a manager of a call center for United Healthcare in the past. When we had to let people go we'd discuss who was not meeting the proper call metrics and who was abusing the break time. I suppose it's a lot easier to know who is slacking off when literally everything is being recorded. We also had people talk about personal stuff way too often in the group chats that were intended for work. I guess it's easy to become desensitized to people getting laid off when that's all your familiar with. I wasn't aware there were entire layoffs done in that manner. Doesn't seem productive to do things that way but I never worked for a major tech company like that.

 

[Zazen]

To piggy back on @Law Talkin’ Guy's point, loss of projects is a major reason for layoffs regardless of someone's performance. I see it quite often in the Aerospace & Defense field. Shuffling people around is difficult, especially when there are people already there that fill the roles of what they need in their current state of business.

Now, when it's not project based and they need to cut down, leadership will generally send a mandate down asking each business unit for a % cut. The managers of the BU's will then need to decide on who to kick or keep. That's where performance will generally come into play but of course it could be other things like politics or tenure. That's why I tell my employees that you should take every opportunity the company gives you for paid training and education. Make yourself valuable to the company. I recently got my MBA (last year) paid for and I'm always pushing my people to do that. Harder to lay you off when they've invested so much into you.

That world definitely isn't for me, I had to work at a call center when I got back from teaching in China because there were no options. I worked hard and got myself a job in management there but I quit in 2020 to work from home. I guess a lot of my argument comes from anecdotal experience. I worked hard and got promoted but also saw people who joined during the same timeframe lose their jobs within months because they were just so lazy. If there are people who lose their jobs simply because of a project cancellation then that does really suck but it's just not something I'm familiar with so if that's the case with these gaming studios then that is unfortuante.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

That world definitely isn't for me, I had to work at a call center when I got back from teaching in China because there were no options. I worked hard and got myself a job in management there but I quit in 2020 to work from home. I guess a lot of my argument comes from anecdotal experience. I worked hard and got promoted but also saw people who joined during the same timeframe lose their jobs within months because they were just so lazy. If there are people who lose their jobs simply because of a project cancellation then that does really suck but it's just not something I'm familiar with so if that's the case with these gaming studios then that is unfortuante.

I wouldn't say it isn't for you, you succeeded in becoming a manger in a field with significant turnover. That says something. Those types of skills can easily transfer into other fields. In certain jobs, like call centers, performance based layoffs would probably be the norm. Plenty of work to go around and poor performers are easily tracked and monitored. According to a quick search, call centers have almost twice the average annual employee churn rate for all other types of jobs in the US. My guess is, the companies who hire those in call centers don't invest a significant amount into their employees so those employees who take a littler longer than others (who could be just as proficient) will be cut quicker.

In the larger tech space, you have profiles for each employee. In these profiles is their resume, work history, education, continued training, certifications etc. These are often used as decision makers, but not always. Layoffs can include many different reasons and bunching them into "work harder" really doesn't explain the full picture.

 

[rikwebb]

A few of the new console variant are out in the wild already plus a few size comparisons online already too

 

[Zazen]

I wouldn't say it isn't for you, you succeeded in becoming a manger in a field with significant turnover. That says something. Those types of skills can easily transfer into other fields. In certain jobs, like call centers, performance based layoffs would probably be the norm. Plenty of work to go around and poor performers are easily tracked and monitored. According to a quick search, call centers have almost twice the average annual employee churn rate for all other types of jobs in the US. My guess is, the companies who hire those in call centers don't invest a significant amount into their employees so those employees who take a littler longer than others (who could be just as proficient) will be cut quicker.

In the larger tech space, you have profiles for each employee. In these profiles is their resume, work history, education, continued training, certifications etc. These are often used as decision makers, but not always. Layoffs can include many different reasons and bunching them into "work harder" really doesn't explain the full picture.

Oh I meant more like it sucks my soul being in that type of environment and that's why I said it isn't for me. Anyway, don't want to derail any further. Talking about work sucks lol. I'd rather talk about video games =P

 

[Zazen]

Anyone on here change their mind about getting the PS Pro if they release it next year? With all these games coming out making us choose between performance and fidelity I think I'll get it just to avoid having to make that choice. So many games lately make you feel like you are making a huge sacrifice with the mode you pick. Alan Wake 2, Lords of the Fallen, etc. Some people will say just buy a PC but I hate being on computers and messing around with specs. Always been a plug in and play type gamer.

 

[SaiWa]

Anyone on here change their mind about getting the PS Pro if they release it next year? With all these games coming out making us choose between performance and fidelity I think I'll get it just to avoid having to make that choice. So many games lately make you feel like you are making a huge sacrifice with the mode you pick. Alan Wake 2, Lords of the Fallen, etc. Some people will say just buy a PC but I hate being on computers and messing around with specs. Always been a plug in and play type gamer.

I have the money to get it so why not. I'll donate my current PS5 to one of my loved ones.

 

[rikwebb]

I'll get one and put my launch day one upstairs

 

[rikwebb]

Quite a sizeable update coming to GT7 tomorrow

https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_5768503.html

The following is a list of contents included with Update 1.40:

1. New cinematic introduction.
The opening cinematic video has been updated with exciting new visuals.

2. Seven new cars, from muscle cars to the latest EV sports machines, will be added.
The Spec II update introduces seven new cars to the game. These new additions focus on classic American muscle cars to the latest EVs that are currently available in the real-world marketplace. There will also be rare limited edition manufacturer tuned cars and ultra high-performance sports vehicles meant for hot-lapping your favorite race track. These new cars can be purchased from Brand Central or the Legend Cars Pavilions.

Dodge Charger R/T 426 Hemi '68
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon '18
Lexus LFA '10
Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II '91
NISMO 400R '95
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992) '22
Tesla Model 3 Performance '23

3. A new original snow track based in Canada, called the "Lake Louise track," joins the fray.
The moment you've been waiting for has finally arrived with the addition of the Lake Louise snow track. Nestled at the base of the World Heritage Canadian Rockies, this Gran Turismo original offers a one-of-a-kind snow track experience set within a captivating fantasy ski resort setting.

The "Long Track" boasts an array of challenges, from low-speed and high-speed corners to an adrenaline-pounding long straightaway. It's the perfect choice for those seeking to their driving skills on challenging terrain. The "Short Track" is for those who prefer a twisty layout with consecutive corners that will put your cornering techniques to the ultimate test. There's even a "Tri-Oval" layout with only three corners, encouraging you to go nearly flat out all the way around. All three tracks are on packed snow and include lighting for night sessions. And, you'll need to equip your car with "snow tires" to drive these tracks.

Lake Louise Long Track
Lake Louise Short Track
Lake Louise Tri-Oval


4. Three Extra Menus will be added to the Café.
Three Extra Menus will be added to the Extra Menus section of the Café, challenging you to collect new sets of cars.

[Extra Menu No. 31] Collection: Road-Going Racers (Collector Level 30 and above)
[Extra Menu No. 32] Collection: Lexus (Collector Level 34 and above)
[Extra Menu No. 33] Collection: Red Bull X Series (Collector Level 49 and above)

5. New events, including in Weekly Challenges, adds variety and depth to World Circuits.
Prepare for an exciting evolution at the World Circuits Pavilion, where you'll embark on a thrilling journey through the heart of racing in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. In Spec II, five standard and two expert level races will be added. And, the "Arcade Race" will become the easier-to-use "Quick Race." Also, in addition to the standard AI features, the PS5 version of the game will allow you to take on Gran Turismo Sophy, the prototype revolutionary racing AI agent that's causing a worldwide sensation in the driving-game genre. And that's not all, a new Event Directory menu will allow you to easily search and join races from a list, while a new feature in Weekly Challenges will award prizes for clearing all of the races in the section. The Weekly Challenges menu will appear after watching the end movie, and the events will change to a new set every week.

6. New Master License events will be added.
A new Master License level will be added to the License Center Pavilion, where you can learn the basics of sports driving. From the application of basic controls, 50 new difficult tests await you after you clear the Normal License protocol.

7. Meeting Place becomes Paddocks.
The Meeting Place, where you can enjoy online racing, will evolve into the Paddocks, a sort of parking lot for player’s cars. In the Paddocks, you can text or chat with other players and use emoticons to communicate. You can also zoom in on specific cars of different players to see them up close. You will be able to access this area from the World Circuits as well as from the Multiplayer Pavilion.


8. Up to four players will be able to race in split screen (PS5 only).
The "2P Split Screen" multiplayer mode will be updated to accommodate up to four players. You can split a single screen into four sections to have up to four players race together on the same monitor or TV (only on PS5). The updated local multiplayer function will allow you to change cars in the pre-race menu, making it more user-friendly than ever. Each player must have an individual controller to play Split Screen races.

9. Slower Shutter Speeds will make Race Photos even more versatile.
Slower shutter speeds will be available in Race Photo mode, which is used to photograph pictures from replays after a race. With shutter speeds of 1/1 – 1/30 seconds at your disposal, you can now photograph dark objects to become brighter, capture traces of light, and snap images that suggest dynamic movements. This new feature will allow a greater breadth of expression in your photographs.


10. "Polyphony Digital Tokyo Office" joins Scapes, while "'Player's Favorites" is added as a Scapes collection.
A special Player's Favorites section will be added to Scapes, introducing spots that are popular with players. Also, the "Polyphony Digital Tokyo Office" will be added as a new locale commemorating the 3000th photo spot added to the mode.

11. A new dashboard provides an overview of your game progression.
A new dashboard, where you can get an overview of your progress in the game, from the number of cars in your garage to your progression in the World Circuits, Collector Level, etc. will be added.

Thank you for your loyal support, and we hope you continue to enjoy Gran Turismo 7!

 

[method115]

Anyone on here change their mind about getting the PS Pro if they release it next year? With all these games coming out making us choose between performance and fidelity I think I'll get it just to avoid having to make that choice. So many games lately make you feel like you are making a huge sacrifice with the mode you pick. Alan Wake 2, Lords of the Fallen, etc. Some people will say just buy a PC but I hate being on computers and messing around with specs. Always been a plug in and play type gamer.

Yea I decided I'm going to get it for all the points you brought up. Plus like @SaiWa said I have the money so why not. Plus my son is getting into gaming more and more lately so might be better to have two PS5s anyway. I love how games perform on my PC but I've had to many issues with my xbox controllers disconnecting and I'm just done with that shit. Even when my son occasionally plays on the PC I have to reboot it sometimes to get the controller working again.

 

[Dizzy]

Anyone on here change their mind about getting the PS Pro if they release it next year? With all these games coming out making us choose between performance and fidelity I think I'll get it just to avoid having to make that choice. So many games lately make you feel like you are making a huge sacrifice with the mode you pick. Alan Wake 2, Lords of the Fallen, etc. Some people will say just buy a PC but I hate being on computers and messing around with specs. Always been a plug in and play type gamer.

Most likely, but I’m still taking a wait and see approach to it.