@RS13: That clarifies some things for me. Thank you. I never learned what GDK is, so I had forgotten about the term until you brought it up. I am a bit shocked that the big three consoles have such restrictive software development environment.
I am wondering if with Windows 10, also with the advent of dominant proprietary game engines like Unity and Unreal, the PC software ecosystem is going down the same path.
@RS13: I have tried to pin down exact how the Big Three are enforcing their de facto ban on certain content. The best I could find is that they will not "release" those games on their systems. The other term of art I found is "certification." I kinda of get what "release" and "certification" do, but also kinda don't. I found this news article, a reasonably rare one, from Kansas City:
I still do not understand the difficulty faced by publishers trying to bypass MS or Sony. If the company in the article, Thrixxx.com, wanted to release AO games for the Xbox via its website, what is the technical hurdle? Is it similar to smartphones and side-loaded apps (or the lack thereof)? If the company were resourceful enough to sell disc-based games directly to the consumer (or via retailers that will sell AO-rated games), what is the barrier there, if any? Is it very challenging to code games for consoles without support of the console makers? It seems unlikely that purveyors of more objectionable or controversial content would expect substantial distribution through standard retail channels anyway.
To keep the discussion on point and not divert entirely into AO games, I ask why can't Bethesda just release mods for its games on PS4 without Sony's involvement? What is it about Playstation (and Xbox) that prevents Bethesda from directly releasing code that modifies Fallout 4 or Skyrim files on the PS4?
@RS13: So the restriction is based on distribution only, nothing technological (disc won't play) or legal (violation of some contractual provision to publish what the console maker allows) on the system end? I find it strange that with so many adult games in Japan, I have never heard of any publisher to release those games on consoles. As far as I know, they do not have the kind of mega-retailer collaborative anti-AO policy of the US. I guess those publishers of adult content can just be self-regulating or self-censoring, but I find it hard to believe.
Can anyone share with me information on how console makers restrict content on their system? Or if they do. I have never given it any thought, and I just realized that I do not know how they are doing it. Because DLC are tightly connected to Xbox Live and PSN, I get how mods may be controlled, but I do not understand how Sony and MS are able to control disc-based games.
@RS13:Thank you. I thought the majority of GTA 5 players must be enjoying mods since I often see news of it from Gamespot. I was ignorant.
I do not want to identify Bethesda's values with console gaming values in general. If Bethesda wants to make a point by removing sex and nudity, I don't see why they'd leave such PC mods intact. Although I have only used mods on Fallout and TES games, so any curating by Bethesda will be bad for me, a publisher-based censorship of sexual content is comparatively benign compared to a system-wide or, heaven forbid, industry-wide censorship.
I have become curious about just how do console makers restrict adult content on their systems? I find the notion of a particular computer maker restricting adult content on its PC to be so unthinkable that I do not even know how one might implement it.
Man, there must be hella people living large in GTA V. For the sake of global financial stability, I am glad they are not trying to live that large in real life.
I hope Atlus has spent just as much effort on gameplay as art direction. After playing both P3 FES and P4 Golden, I realized Persona is a monster of a game, some horrific collision of visual novel, Pokemon, and the most boring kind of JRPG combat. P4 actually had worse combat in general than P3, even with the direct control and fusion search options. If it didn't have some good script and a few really great characters/VA, it'd suck. It may be too late to overhaul the entire persona based combat system (although if SE can overhaul FF, I don't see why Atlus can't), but I hope something happens.
1. Do not penalize combat. P3 FES had a decent system in which school life happened during the day and combat happened at night. I never felt rushed to beat the dungeon/tower. In P4, each day that I spent in the TV was costly, so I tried to limited myself to two days per month. Since Persona has become a visual novel yet, combat should be much better paced BY DESIGN than it is currently. Make combat a part of the narrative, and I do not mean a deus ex machina that ties them together at the end.
2. Is the whole persona system built for breeders, collectors, or trainers? Make up your mind. If it is meant for breeders who can plan out their fusion several steps in advance, get rid of the uncertainty in persona acquisition and skill reveal. If it is meant for collectors, add more to the actual collecting and less to the need to fuse and level up the personae. If it is meant for trainers, make personae uniquely capable, so early ones don't become trash compared to later ones. Right now the persona system is just painful to use.
3. I hope P5's combat is not as shallow as P4. Adding superficial themes to the same dungeon is actually worse than just the boring old tower. When I realized there is no material difference between one theme to the next, the disappointment was great. Taking away the unique setup of the bosses just adds insult to injury. I hope I never have to hear "I am a shadow, the true self." again.
Sorry. I ranted a bit. I have a relatively passionate love-hate relationship with the Persona series.
Two points: 1. Sony needs to catch up on mod support. Aren't mods popular for GTA 5 too? I still prefer Sony for their games, but let's give MS credit where it is due. 2. Consoles tend to restrict adult content very severely. I like sex with my violence. I hope the end result of mods on consoles will not be curated-only mods.
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