Oscar Torres: Hello, Cerritos College faculty members and students. Welcome back to Falcon Entertainment, the only podcast here in Talon Mark, where we talk about all things entertainment. As always, I’m your host, Oscar Torres. And unfortunately, my co-host, Rafael couldn’t make it today. So instead, I brought in a special guest, a good friend of mine for close to three and a half years, Matthew Helm, say Hello Matt,

Matthew Helm: Hello, how are we doing?

Oscar: Doing good. Thank you for joining us today. Really appreciate it.

Matthew: Absolutely.

Oscar: And for today’s topic we’re going to be talking about game preservations, just you and me. And so if you may have heard, Sony has shut.. is going to be shutting down the ps3 PS Vita and PSP stores this summer with that will be the closure of a ton of online games that you can no longer be purchased. So I just want to talk to you about that. How do you feel about that?

Matthew: Okay, so regarding that whole situation, it seems to me like it goes against the idea of backward compatibility, which is the many definition the many benefits of a console is that when a new console comes out, you can also be able to play your old games on top of that. And to me, I don’t personally think that is a particularly good thing, which doesn’t surprise me because it’s, well, this has been going on. Back in 2019 regarding when they took ps3 games, PSP the games out of the uh what was it called? The…

Oscar: PlayStation Plus,

Matthew: Yes, that’s what it is. Yeah, sorry. That I had a brain fart. Yeah, the PlayStation Plus they took away the ps3 and PSP games. So in a way, I kind of saw that coming this well, this inevitable thing coming.

Oscar: I couldn’t understand it, because it goes with it, or it goes with the factor with what Jim Ryan is doing with PlayStation as a whole. Says he is like anti- backward compatibility. He feels like then there’s no reason to, like keep these stores running. So what’s the meaning like what’s the point in having them on, which is not a really good business standpoint, and there are still a ton of developers who are still making PlayStation three and beta games, and those people are not happy. I absolutely understand, the business they have to do this. But it turns out that is like pretty much anti-consumer, you’re basically just shelling down a lot of games that you can no longer be purchasing. And this has been going on for. It’s not just Sony, who’s doing this like Nintendo. Even though I am a big Nintendo fan, I will criticize them for their business choices with them taking out Mario 35. And Mario 3d All-Stars off the shop is kind of something that it doesn’t make sense, because they say that it’s like you’re just a limited release for the 35th anniversary. But to me, I just don’t understand how they suddenly like 8 million copies of the game, yet, they’re still going to discontinue it not only in physical release, and digital,

Matthew: definitely, mainly because of the fact that a lot of people paid for that. And considering the fact that a lot of people hasn’t even gotten the chance I myself haven’t gotten the chance to try it out myself. I think my brother bought at around when it first came out, I think you preorder it. And there’s a lot of people that have been wanting, maybe wanting to get that game, if that if anything, if any sense. And if they find out the whole thing is gone altogether, I think that’s going to disappoint a lot of people that are have been anticipating it.

Oscar: That’s very true. Although you can still get the game they’re still people if like GameStop, or Best Buy and they’re still selling the game, the copies of it just you can’t buy it digitally anymore, and which is a for me personally, or for many people, I understand why they would want to get a digital and stuff physically, people are still afraid to go outside to stores and with a pandemic going on.

Matthew: Absolutely.

Oscar: I understand. But for me personally, I was never a big fan of getting digital games digitally. I’m always a physical seller, I always get games on a cartridge or in a disc. The only time I did them to get a game digitally was with “Animal Crossing”. Because when that game came out, the pandemic was starting to get worse. And in order to and they were they stay at home order. So the stores that will be closing What am I going to do? I went to the I went to just download the E-shop and play “Animal Crossing”.

Matthew: Yeah, so I totally get you. mainly for me, I don’t care as long as I can get my hands on the game. I can play it and as long as it’s close to me, I don’t care if it’s a physical copy, I’ll get a physical copy. If it’s a digital copy, I’ll get a digital copy. Try saying that multiple times fast haha, Okay. Anyway, but in regards to when you compare with what’s going on. Sony at the same time as Xbox is killing it with their Xbox game pass completely making it extremely, not only extremely easy for people to play new games but also old games too. Like I’ve gotten some old games because of game pass because they seem they honor backward compatibility and how much of an impact that kind of aspect has.

Oscar: I agree like the fact that I can still play an Xbox game is like you keep the Xbox game for like since 2000, the early 2000. But then you can still use it for in the Xbox One or the Series X is pretty, like pretty amazing to play those games again for time to time.

Matthew: Yeah, I was very fortunate to get an Xbox series x. And it’s extremely convenient for me that Xbox seems to be very backward’s compatible ability friendly, and continues to be especially with the series x but then you turn around and you see what Sony is going on with seems what he seems they seem to be doing PlayStation five PlayStation four games only kind of ideal. And yeah, it’s Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of it. I get the point of it. But personally, I just wish there are better ways they could do it.

Oscar: Exactly.

My biggest concern is that with this change and removing them from the stores, I don’t I okay, now I don’t think this is possible. I don’t think they’ll do this. But imagine if they like took those kind of like those games got right. erased entirely like there are a lot of them are out of there. A big lineup of games that people have, and they just take them away. Which I doubt they’ll do because a lot of I’m sure there’s a lot of people that like paid money for these. But just a it’s a theory, but it’s the best guess I could come up with Why else? Are they taking them away from the stores?

Oscar: Yeah. And that is this possibility that but it’s unlikely, but it could happen. Although, unfortunately, you can still read download games and you delete them from your memory. You just can’t purchase games anymore in summer. Ah, okay. So yeah, at least their being fortunate enough to just let us redownload games that we stopped playing years ago.

Matthew: Yeah. Which again, like I said, Xbox does that. but yeah.

Oscar: Yeah. It’s been it’s kind of unfortunate because in the for the PS two, like the PS two, you get to play p now on the PS two but ps1 games as well.

Matthew: Oh, wow. Okay.

Oscar: Yeah, so there was an option to play PS1 games on a PS2. And now what’s incredible, like, I get to play the Crash Bandicoot on my PS2 But then moving forward, you see like the ps3 and ps4 you can’t they when they got over that mentality that we can just they’re exclusive to PS3 only, you can’t put games from ps1 or PS 2 on a PS4. Which is still mind boggling to me like that. I have these copies of gains. But what if my console breaks like I better it will be too expensive to buy a PS2 from eBay or Amazon because they don’t sell anymore?

Matthew: Hell it’s even expensive to get a PS five nowadays so like

Oscar: And hard.

Matthew: especially very rare to so what’s the chances of people actually getting a PS5?

Oscar: Exactly. And to the point where like, yeah, ps4 games, it’s better to just get a PS4 Pro because you won’t be finding a PS five until like, I think this Thanksgiving.

Matthew: Yikes.

Oscar: But it’s not just games that have been doing this it’s also been like movies and TV shows since some of you may have heard SpongeBob as you know, the panty raid episode that has been taken down from Paramount+ and Amazon Prime video,

Matthew: Yeah I read about that.

Oscar: You can no longer find the in that episode along with the other one ever. So and that’s pretty. That’s pretty lame.

Matthew: It’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. That is completely ridiculous.

Oscar: Yeah, and the only way that you can watch it now is if you have like a DVD of the original of this. I don’t know what season it was I think its season three. So if you have like the DVD or for season three you better than you’re one of the few people that can watch that episode.

Matthew: Now that is completely ridiculous to me. Because that Penny rate episode I think was was a harmless joke. The fact that they had to get rid of it because I don’t know for whatever reason is to me is just absurd.

Oscar: That’s why I like to keep saying to always have like physical stuff because you never know when they’re going to be gone. Or you know, you’ll never be seeing them again. Like it’s like with streaming services, how there’s a movie coming out or there’s a movie in like Netflix or HBO Max. It will go away after a few days and it was or a few months.

Matthew: Or the next update.

Oscar: Yeah, pretty much Like bad considering that there are lots of movies and you will want to add that to your list to watch it later. And so to me is better to get a physical copy rather than having all digital because you never know like what we get like a blackout and all the world’s internet doesn’t work. That means all streaming services are or game online, everything gone and you have no way to purchase games or movies online.

Matthew: Yeah, I get you.

Oscar: It’s Yeah, it’s sort of like that mentality. To me, like the mentality for me, is I only get digital games when it’s necessary or if it’s exclusive. Like for instance, for the Fire Emblem shot, the first Fire Emblem game was finally released on for the Nintendo Switch. It was one of the first fully English translations there was never an English translation for the first Fire Emblem game for any as and now that we have now but then it the same thing with Mario it gets taken down which I get why they did it is for like Mario like fire Emblem’s 35th. I don’t know how many anniversary is for.

Matthew: 35th it was for the 35th anniversary,

Oscar: Yeah. but at the same time, people have never gotten the chance to experience like the first Fire Emblem game. Even in emulators or fan translation, that’s still like, pretty rare to get. And now that you have the code the game gone, there’s gonna be a lot of future generations who have never getting the chance to experience it again, unless they do it again. Well, that’s pretty much is like, let’s say like you, you have like they do like the Nintendo things. You only have a few days to play these NES or SNES games until they’re gone, there’s gonna be a lot of people backlash, and they all decided it will decide if Nintendo go that’s the thing with people, they think that if they talk loud enough, they will try and get them to change their mind. But that doesn’t really work that way. There’s still

Matthew: 9 times out of 10 that works, 9 times out of 10.

Oscar: it works but then you had there’s like legal decisions to make, like, some of the games or some of like, the movies are not owned by the perspective or the company that

Matthew: Perspective companies Yeah.

Oscar: Yeah, like, let’s say Nintendo, with their online shop, they have games from Capcom or Konami. Those games they need to talk to like those companies in order to make sure that if they want to get their games in there or not, or else they can’t. That’s why most companies have been doing like these collections, like with Capcom and Street Fighter. They’re they like to do their own things. They like to get physical and digital. Most people get it physically because you never know what didn’t work. If it’s digital, it will be gone.

Matthew: Yeah, gotcha.

Oscar: That’s one thing that I will I agree with Xbox, they’re,

Matthew: they’re like, killing it with this whole thing.

Oscar: Yeah, Xbox has been doing the phenomenal job with backward compatibility.

And now that they own Bethesda a huge amount of Bethesda games that are now on game pass right now, like all three of the original Doom games are on there. What else is like dishonored a lot of games that are that weren’t in-game pass before have been on game pass now. And to me, that’s extremely, not only convenient but shows the possibilities the endless possibilities of game pass.

Oscar: Exactly. That’s one big big advantage that Xbox has with game pass has. How that you can play do internal you can you have a disc, or you can get in digitally with game pass. But for Nintendo, there is doing internal, but there’s is only digital-only since physical versions will be too expensive, which I understand why they have an only physical-digital copy. But at the same time for me. I would like a physical copy of a game since it’s like it’s pretty normalized for me. Since I’ve been getting cartridges and con DVDs for all my childhood.

Matthew: Definitely.

Oscar: But the one thing I want to bring up to you Matt is, do you think like, we’re ready for like an all-digital future. A world where like there are no physical copies? No, anything just pure digital entertainment?

Matthew: Absolutely not. I do not think we are in any way shape or form ready for an all-digital future because there are going to be people out there who are less fortunate that don’t have streaming services, or don’t have basic or don’t have basic cable, or don’t have basic access to the internet that are going to want physical copies of movies or whatever. And I don’t think is like with if we ever get an all-digital future it’s going to damage a lot of it’s going to really we’re just not completely 100% ready for that in particular.

Oscar: That’s true. I know I understand that companies want to get this ready to make sure that this is a possibility. But at the same time, the public doesn’t really want that. They’re fine like the ending like physical copies. They like going to the stores getting blu ray copies of different shows or anime or games. That’s how like it works back then with like laser discs and cassette tapes.

Matthew: I just recently got a copy a physical copy of Monster Hunter because that’s what I wanted. I just wanted a physical copy of that movie. I don’t need to have it on my own like my Xbox or anything like that.

Oscar: Yeah, I don’t even think it’s on any streaming services right now. So it’s a good thing. Again, like a good thing you got like a physical copy of Monster Hunter said

Matthew: exactly. Good movie, by the way. It’s it’.

Oscar: I’ve heard good things about him. Yeah, well, here’s the thing would you believe are so if things get worse from here with some Sony or Nintendo Do you think they will try to get back, we’ll try to change their minds on like the how taking down stuff digitally and physically, or like mostly just on taking things more physical now,

Matthew: Ah possibly they could maybe bring that kind of back with enough vocal feedback, and more backlash against it. Because I feel as if a lot of people are not going to be really happy about that. Especially it like back what I brought up back in 2019 when they started taking it out a PlayStation Plus if basically felt for a lot of fans, it felt like they were getting more, they’re less for more, when sometimes too much more. In fact, we got I think the price I think went up within that kind of around that year, but I’m not sure I don’t remember completely.

Oscar: that I agree. Since companies are just going to be releasing their old games through like a membership. Nintendo’s doing it with their Nintendo Switch Online, you get to play like old classic any NES and SNES games. And to me.

Matthew: my brother has that.

Oscar: Yeah, and to me, even though many people think and there’s not a good value, I personally think that $20 is a good price. If you get all these fantastic and memorable games like Donkey Kong Country or Super Metroid, you get all these games that you don’t have to pay, like five to $10 for every single game, like how you had to do for the virtual consoles to be perceived as like a good business decision to have these games and you don’t have to pay for every single one of them just by $20. And you have all of these with new games coming out every month. The same thing applies to PlayStation Plus is good to have free games like God of War or Spider-Man. But at the same time is good enough to keep these physical games just in case something bad happens like the online.

Matthew: Absolutely. Especially when a lot of like I said a lot of people don’t have a lot of good connections out there right now, not everybody is going to have a 4g internet connection or any basic high-speed internet, not a lot of people are going to have that. So what’s the point of having a streaming service if you can’t, or is online and can’t use it?

Oscar: That’s very true. But like no matter what, what we say or what happens digital, it will be the future and, and that by God, I hope they get this right, like in two to three years. Because if they don’t if they screw up, then um, then a lot of bad #### was going to happen. They don’t do it right now a lot of stuff is going to be gone from us, and there will be no way for us to get or experienced it. Yeah, those cherished memories of playing or watching a movie or childhood movie again.

Matthew: I mean, considering the fact that how this whole world has handled the COVID-19 crisis. I guarantee you guys they’re not going to really handle digital or physical in two to three years. Very important. Very well.

Oscar: Yeah. All the time will tell is one.

Matthew: Sure hope so. So I yeah.

Oscar: Well, that’s about it for this. Podcast, again, thank you Matthew for joining me. It’s been a wonderful time. Glad to have you on board. I’ve been trying to get you into these podcasts for a very long time.

Matthew: Yeah, I’ve always been kind of busy. So yeah, yeah.

Oscar: Well, great to finally get you on here. And hopefully, I get you back here with more with some by co-hosts or some other my friends.

Matthew: Yeah, it’s a pleasure.

Oscar: All right. Anything you want to save before you leave? Nothing in particular,

Matthew: Other than support Xbox support, Microsoft.

Oscar: Support physical copies,

Matthew: Support physical copies. 100%, man.

Oscar: All right, then. And thank you all so much for watching. It’s been a great time to talk and let me know would you prefer physical or digital copies, let us know like in our Twitter handle, and as always, I’m Oscar Torres Talon Marks, editor for Art’s and entertainment Signing out. Peace.

Podcast edited & transcribed by Oscar Torres