Powers

[Nos482]

So, has anyone watched it?
What do you think?

And if you don't know what I'm talking about, Link.
Powers is PlayStation Network's series based on the comic of the same name.
I've only read the 'Who killed Retro Girl?' arc, but the premise is quite interesting.

[houtex]

I'd watch it!  I did watch the first episode.  And I love it.  I want moar!

http://decider.com/2015/03/12/powers-playstation-original-series/

Ok, don't have or ever going to get a PS.  And I'm definitely never signing up with the Playstation Network, especially not after recent news.  Sony can make the shows and movies and I'll watch those, that's cool.  But I am not going to buy their products because of their shoddy technical support and dismal customer service.

Yes.  I've dealt with them.  Never again.  Banned from my life as much as humanly possible.

When it comes out on DVD or Netflix or such where I don't have to have hoops like that involved, I'll see it then.

Oh, and just to place it out there... Ditto XBox and the Halo series by Speilberg if they do that.  I ain't buyin' a console for to watch things.  I ain't even buyin' it to play.  I don't want them.  Screw that.

Make a show and *put it where it can be seen by everyone.*

---

But what do I know?  They'll probably have a gigantic hit and won't ever put it out on anything but PS's ever. 

Anyway, yep, watched it, great show in one episode, and I can see it being a good series.  Hope I get to see the rest someday!

[Mandu]

I passionately hate it.  Not because it's bad.  It's actually great.  But because Sony is only making it available for PSN.  Sony is just like NCSoft.  They don't care about entertaining people.  They only care about making money and the fact that their method of making money entertains people is just an unfortunate side effect.

So I'll pirate the episodes if I can manage.  And if it comes out on blu-ray I'll buy a second hand copy.

[Blackout]

I passionately hate it.  Not because it's bad.  It's actually great.  But because Sony is only making it available for PSN.  Sony is just like NCSoft.  They don't care about entertaining people.  They only care about making money and the fact that their method of making money entertains people is just an unfortunate side effect.

So I'll pirate the episodes if I can manage.  And if it comes out on blu-ray I'll buy a second hand copy.

I'll agree that the practice is crappy. But Sony do care about entertaining people, the issue is that the only want to entertain people who buy stuff from them, which I guess is kind of understandable, but exclusives are pretty much always bad from a pro consumer perspective.

[therain93]

I passionately hate it.  Not because it's bad.  It's actually great.  But because Sony is only making it available for PSN.  Sony is just like NCSoft.  They don't care about entertaining people.  They only care about making money and the fact that their method of making money entertains people is just an unfortunate side effect.

So I'll pirate the episodes if I can manage.  And if it comes out on blu-ray I'll buy a second hand copy.

I'll agree that the practice is crappy. But Sony do care about entertaining people, the issue is that the only want to entertain people who buy stuff from them, which I guess is kind of understandable, but exclusives are pretty much always bad from a pro consumer perspective.

So, you hate HBO for making Game of Thrones too, I guess?  And Netflix for making Orange is the New Black, 4 Marvel series, etc?  I'm pretty sure they don't care about entertaining people either ( ' ;

[Blackout]

So, you hate HBO for making Game of Thrones too, I guess?  And Netflix for making Orange is the New Black, 4 Marvel series, etc?  I'm pretty sure they don't care about entertaining people either ( ' ;

Me or Mandu? If me then I don't, I understand the benefits to making something exclusive and obviously they are in competition with other companies. In some cases I even think its pretty justified too, like with Bayonetta 2. That wouldn't have even been made if it weren't exclusive on WiiU. And of course first party exclusives like this one go without saying; If they made it/funded it themselves then its up to them what they do with it, the only kind I really have an issue with are 3rd part exclusives, where a company not responsible for a products conception or creation screw over the consumers that belong to other companies by making it exclusive to their thing.

Anyway sorry for the ramble, especially if you weren't addressing me

[houtex]

So, you hate HBO for making Game of Thrones too, I guess?  And Netflix for making Orange is the New Black, 4 Marvel series, etc?  I'm pretty sure they don't care about entertaining people either ( ' ;

No, silly, HBO is part of the package of cable TV, so it's not a big deal.  Netflix is a cheap enough service that you can get on just about *any* internet connected device, *including* a TV, if it's Smart, or has something connected to it like, oh, a Laptop. (This is my setup, btw.)  And coming in a month, get an AppleTV and you have both on one device for the win, with the HBO Now effort that's comin'. Other devices, such as the Amazon Fire stick, or probably the Chrome browser, or some other 'it's just over there, nothin' to it' item, are coming for the HBO Now thing, they're not stupid.  Just like the iPhone, though, someone needed to get it first, and Apple won that.

But to watch the rest of Powers, I have to acquire a PS4?  $300 bucks at minimum, likely more like $400.  AND also sign up for a network $50/month for it, when I don't have or want either for any other need?  Just to watch *a* show? 
 
Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now, combined, would be 8+9+15=$34 a month.  Add Amazon Prime if you want, and it's $43 a month.  And I have a *crapton* of shows to watch, where as with Powers, it's just the one and costs more.

Forget. That. Noise.  Not even in the same class as the HBO or Netflix examples.

Again, I don't know that this isn't brilliant on Sony's part, but time will tell.  Surely, they do have a grande audience built in to watch it.  But as a motivational tool for a PS4 buy... dunno.  Sounds silly.
 

I'll agree that the practice is crappy. But Sony do care about entertaining people, the issue is that the only want to entertain people who buy stuff from them, which I guess is kind of understandable, but exclusives are pretty much always bad from a pro consumer perspective.

Sony cares about making money and keeping it.  Fact.  That they just happen to entertain people is a side item on the menu of their making money, and they do not actually care if they entertain anyone.  That they can do that and make money is the thing.  For if they *cared* about entertaining people... you wouldn't be hearing about their threat to kill a customer's account forever because he got hacked, and doesn't seem interested in the least about clearing the matter up and keeping a customer. (I will admit the possibility that the customer could be lying, of course, and trying to get his money back that he didn't wanna spend, but I somehow doubt this is the case.)
 
Sony is nobody's friend.  They are as avaricial a company as you will find.  If a person doesn't have a problem with them, then they will never know the dark side of Sony.

[therain93]

Me or Mandu? If me then I don't, I understand the benefits to making something exclusive and obviously they are in competition with other companies. In some cases I even think its pretty justified too, like with Bayonetta 2. That wouldn't have even been made if it weren't exclusive on WiiU. And of course first party exclusives like this one go without saying; If they made it/funded it themselves then its up to them what they do with it, the only kind I really have an issue with are 3rd part exclusives, where a company not responsible for a products conception or creation screw over the consumers that belong to other companies by making it exclusive to their thing.

Anyway sorry for the ramble, especially if you weren't addressing me

well, I sort've was a bit (I added your quote in after the fact) since you commented the practice was crappy, but I understood where you were coming from ( ' :

[therain93]

No, silly, HBO is part of the package of cable TV, so it's not a big deal.  Netflix is a cheap enough service that you can get on just about *any* internet connected device, *including* a TV, if it's Smart, or has something connected to it like, oh, a Laptop. (This is my setup, btw.)  And coming in a month, get an AppleTV and you have both on one device for the win, with the HBO Now effort that's comin'. Other devices, such as the Amazon Fire stick, or probably the Chrome browser, or some other 'it's just over there, nothin' to it' item, are coming for the HBO Now thing, they're not stupid.  Just like the iPhone, though, someone needed to get it first, and Apple won that.

But to watch the rest of Powers, I have to acquire a PS4?  $300 bucks at minimum, likely more like $400.  AND also sign up for a network $50/month for it, when I don't have or want either for any other need?  Just to watch *a* show? 
 
Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now, combined, would be 8+9+15=$34 a month.  Add Amazon Prime if you want, and it's $43 a month.  And I have a *crapton* of shows to watch, where as with Powers, it's just the one and costs more.

Forget. That. Noise.  Not even in the same class as the HBO or Netflix examples.

Again, I don't know that this isn't brilliant on Sony's part, but time will tell.  Surely, they do have a grande audience built in to watch it.  But as a motivational tool for a PS4 buy... dunno.  Sounds silly.
 
Sony cares about making money and keeping it.  Fact.  That they just happen to entertain people is a side item on the menu of their making money, and they do not actually care if they entertain anyone.  That they can do that and make money is the thing.  For if they *cared* about entertaining people... you wouldn't be hearing about their threat to kill a customer's account forever because he got hacked, and doesn't seem interested in the least about clearing the matter up and keeping a customer. (I will admit the possibility that the customer could be lying, of course, and trying to get his money back that he didn't wanna spend, but I somehow doubt this is the case.)
 
Sony is nobody's friend.  They are as avaricial a company as you will find.  If a person doesn't have a problem with them, then they will never know the dark side of Sony.

So, there's one fundamental flaw that you seem to have overlooked (and I understand why, because it is not really advertised it seems) -- Playstation video content is available via web streaming or direct download to pc using MediaGo (see: https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/tv/episode/powers/season-1/pilot/cid=UV0173-NPVB03905_CN-0000000000262207).  People with Sony devices are more incentivized to get PS Plus and join that ecosystem, but it is still accessible to the outside world.  So, yes, you can go rent, buy, or subscribe and watch it without a ps3, ps4, or sony tv.

Now, if you have other issues with Sony, that's fine (angry SWG fans, I feel ya), but they're hardly different than the other content providers you've elaborated on in this context.

[Mandu]

So, there's one fundamental flaw that you seem to have overlooked (and I understand why, because it is not really advertised it seems) -- Playstation video content is available via web streaming or direct download to pc using MediaGo (see: https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/tv/episode/powers/season-1/pilot/cid=UV0173-NPVB03905_CN-0000000000262207).  People with Sony devices are more incentivized to get PS Plus and join that ecosystem, but it is still accessible to the outside world.  So, yes, you can go rent, buy, or subscribe and watch it without a ps3, ps4, or sony tv.

Now, if you have other issues with Sony, that's fine (angry SWG fans, I feel ya), but they're hardly different than the other content providers you've elaborated on in this context.

Not quite true.  Playstation video is available as web streaming, but only in SD.  HD is only available though Sony devices.  If it were equally available to people who don't own those devices I wouldn't have this problem with it.

HBO series?  I can buy them through various devices and places in HD versions.  Netflix, the same.  I don't have to own a device manufactured by HBO or Netflix to watch the series in high definition.   If Sony just wanted to sell the series as entertainment then they would make it available in high quality to anybody who paid the streaming or download fee.  But what they are trying to do is force people to buy one of their game systems in order to get the full content.  And that is what I object to.

[houtex]

Fantasic.  I can pay $18 bucks for the SD version. 

Yeah.  Not a whole lot better.  I'm still waiting, and that'll be fine thanks.

[therain93]

Not quite true.  Playstation video is available as web streaming, but only in SD.  HD is only available though Sony devices.  If it were equally available to people who don't own those devices I wouldn't have this problem with it.

**Edit: Son of a gun, found the link stating HD not available for the other devices -- that does suck.  (ref:http://www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/support/questions/detail/show-question/video-unlimited-sd-vs-hd-1/)

HBO series?  I can buy them through various devices and places in HD versions.  Netflix, the same.  I don't have to own a device manufactured by HBO or Netflix to watch the series in high definition.   If Sony just wanted to sell the series as entertainment then they would make it available in high quality to anybody who paid the streaming or download fee.  But what they are trying to do is force people to buy one of their game systems in order to get the full content.  And that is what I object to.

Fantasic.  I can pay $18 bucks for the SD version. 

Yeah.  Not a whole lot better.  I'm still waiting, and that'll be fine thanks.

So, Powers in SD is 18.99 for the season and 24.99 for HD if you buy it (or FREE with a PSPlus sub, assuming you have a device for the hd).   When I check iTunes, Game of Thrones is 38.99 for a season to buy, or else you can watch it FREE if you pay for an Entire cable package plus hbo, which usually requires a year long commitment, or two (for reference, hbo is a 17.99/month add on for directv).  Netflix is still the best deal, assuming they make content you want, but the points are 1.) you're not actually locked to a device as purported and 2.) the pricing appears to be in line for other season passes.

[Vee]

watched eps 1 and 2. it's good so far, though some of the acting is abysmal.

[Excidia]

I thought ep 3 was a little weak but will keep watching it.  Not a fan of the actor playing Diamond.  Every once in a while he looks at the camera and makes a face like "I just [pancake] my pants."  Liking Eddie Izzard though, he's always fun.  Hannibal Lector with super powers, what's not to like?

I'm thinking I'll go find the comics.
e-

[Vee]

So from what I can gather from episode 4 the main effect of sway is to simulate over-tight pants.

[Vee]

Anybody else still watching? The acting is still just horrible but it's at least kept my interest despite that.