I am thinking about getting a PS4. I have not owned a video game system since college, which was about 8 years ago. With all of the changes since then I'm a little hesitant. I am used to buying a game, playing the single player story mode and maybe playing a little multiplayer. A lot has changed. I'm not sure how things work in terms of all of the downloadable upgrades, the playstation network, etc. When I buy a game, will I be spending a lot more after the fact to get more updates or in game purchases? I am also very interested in battlefront. I loved the first two and this one seems intriguing and the timing definitely has my interest with the movie just coming out. Also, how do you go about playing old games on the new systems? Is it doable on disc form or digital form or does it just depend on the game and which system it was on? And since I've been out of games for so long, anything else that would help me decide if I have the time/money/energy to get back into would be helpful. Thanks.
Get PS4 with Witcher 3 - spend an ungodly amount of time being hooked on it! It is also one of the most high-value packages you'll get with 16 pieces of free DLC. Old systems - some PS2 games just got released on PS4, stuff like Rogue Galaxy, GTA Vice City and a few others. Backwards compatibility seems to be making a partial return, with things like Playstation Now, enabling streamed PS3 games. As to PSN, I believe you only need PS+ if you're serious about online gaming, bar that you don't need it. I'm currently being wowed by Fallout 4.
1. Using PlayStation network requires PlayStation plus which can be bought on "gift card"type things i believe they have $20 for 3 months and $50 for a year. 2. PS4's cant play PS1,2,3 disc's like Jedi Ben said Playstation Now allows you to stream old games (Not sure about price). 3. Most games only have DLC's as paid extra content which are things like map packs, costumes, guns, etc. 4. Updates are free assuming you mean system updates and game updates, are usually for patching bugs and glitches. 5. I recommend: Fallout 4 and Grand theft auto 5 (if you like big open world type games) I dont own Battlefront unfortunately, but my cousin has been playing it constantly since release. Most recent game i bought was Fallout 4 and it's amazing (Post apocalyptic nuclear role playing game). If you like fighting games i only know of 2 currently, Mortal Kombat X and Injustice gods amoung us.
Xbox One offers backward compatibility with Xbox 360 games (even on disc). It doesn't matter much to you because you didn't have a 360, but is good to know in case you want to catch up with some of the hits of that period. It does not support games from the original Xbox, however. PS4 offers no backward compatibility whatsoever, but both consoles offer downloadable digital versions of legacy games for purchase through their digital marketplaces. Additionally, PS4 has a service called PlayStation Now that allows you to stream legacy games for a monthly fee. But the library from what I understand is still fairly small and you don't own any of the games you stream. Many games (most of them these days) have additional downloadable content that you can buy after launch, but they are not required. They are additional missions, new multiplayer maps, additional characters or similar things. Since you mention time and money, the one development of the past few years that I find most neat is the emergence of smaller downloadable games that are cheaper to buy and are usually shorter in length than full-priced titles. Do not consider these to be any lesser of a product than "big" games. A lot of them are very good.
Why wouldn't you want to lift yourself out of serf status? Move on from being a console peasant and join the PC Master Race!
I should have read this post 1st, I have a xbox one and was going to get a PS4 and buy some old games to play on it until something came out I wanted to but new, now i'm not so sure are the download games cheap since they are old or do they sell them as new?
I think they're in the 10-30 $ price range for PS1 and PS2 games depending on age and popularity. But PS3 games I don't think are re-released for PS4 yet unless they are remastered, in which case they are sold as new with full retail price.
Basically, you can just get a PS3 if you want to play PS3 games and get a PS4 later on. To expand, one should read up on Wikipedia with regards to backwards compatibility for the PS4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_4#Backward_compatibility
The gist of it is that it doesn't have backward compatibility, the way one traditionally thinks of it; that you can put in a PS2 disc or download software coded for PS3 and it will just work. You can download selected titles from the PlayStation Store that have been converted to run on PS4, which is a feature that has existed for a decade on earlier consoles, but only now is Sony branding it as "backward compatibility", and it really isn't. Yes, it technically is software emulation, but it doesn't allow you to play your old games on your new console without having to repurchase them, which makes the notion that it is backward compatible a dubious claim.
Well, it's Sony's way of sticking it to both the used market and to the consumer. Forcing the latter to hold on to their older systems and games. At least Nintendo and Microsoft are sticking to tradition.