Avoiding 30 Minute Plats

[LegendExeter]

On PS4 I notice in the games section of this site that many games have been released that are just free platinum like ZJ the Ball for example.  I typically use the sort function by achievement percentage to show me really hard games or low percentage by looking at the bottom of the list for PS3 and for easier games by reversing the order.

 

However with the PS4 there has been so many releases of quick plats that aren't worth the money to buy only to spend 30 minutes on.  Is there anyway I can avoid these type of games through the search functions so I can pick and choose what games to buy and play?

 

I noticed while looking there are some arcade archives in there with really high percentages, yet I don't think we're intended to be easy trophy collections, perhaps the game is just not too hard.

 

So do I just avoid the issue and start with the lowest achieving games first?  Sounds brutal.

 

Do I just mark a point and say anything below 50 or 75 percent completion?  

 

Thoughts?

Edited May 22, 2022 by LegendExeter

[DarkStarSquall]

How about https://platprices.com ?

These "almost" free plat games are a nice cash grab for the indies though^^

[El Duderino]

Well, you need to stay informed about that topic if you want to avoid this rubbish. If a game has a generic name then it's almost always stuff like that. The newst game on the front page is called "The Jumping Pizza". Ask yourself: Would that be a name picked for a blockbuster game?

We've reached the point similar to 15-17 years ago when the PS2 reached its peak popularity: Shovelware everywhere.

Edited May 22, 2022 by R4M Razr

[Stevieboy]

It's simple. Do your research.

 

Google the title, read a description of the game, watch a gameplay video, anything that'll give you information about the game. Don't just buy games blindly.

[DrBloodmoney]

15 minutes ago, LegendExeter said:

On PS4 I notice in the games section of this site that many games have been released that are just free platinum like ZJ the Ball for example.  I typically use the sort function by achievement percentage to show me really hard games or low percentage by looking at the bottom of the list for PS3 and for easier games by reversing the order.

 

However with the PS4 there has been so many releases of quick plats that aren't worth the money to buy only to spend 30 minutes on.  Is there anyway I can avoid these type of games through the search functions so I can pick and choose what games to buy and play?

 

I noticed while looking there are some arcade archives in there with really high percentages, yet I don't think we're intended to be easy trophy collections, perhaps the game is just not too hard.

 

So do I just avoid the issue and start with the lowest achieving games first?  Sounds brutal.

 

Do I just mark a point and say anything below 50 or 75 percent completion?  

 

Thoughts?

 

It's impossible to set a blanket rule based on something like rarity - I think - because there will be exceptions in every category.

 

For example, I generally steer clear of the Mayo / Breakthrough / The Antelope Z / The Jumping Fasfood type games...

...but that's based on actually checking to see what these games are, and making a judgement call.

 

If I was basing it purely on rarity, I would have ended up lumping The Longest Road on Earth, or The Artful Escape, or Hoa, or Ranswept into that category - and those were all decent games...

...a couple of which (The Artful Escape and The Longest Road on Earth incredibly so!)

 

In the end, as @Stevieboy says - there isn't a shortcut to knowing what is worthwhile, artistic fare, and what is artistically barren fudge...

...you just need to use your instincts and hope they serve you well - or listen to others talking about games, and hope they steer you right! 

[Ric]

5 minutes ago, DarkStarSquall said:

How about https://platprices.com ?

These "almost" free plat games are a nice cash grab for the indies though^^

 

I don't really agree with that. I agree with it being a cash grab though.

 

But can you really call yourself an indie game developer if you made some money only on the free platinum trophy list? If you are serious about being a game dev, I don't think that's a reputation that you want to have. But then again, they are not passionate about their games, their only interest is the money. So no, I don't think it's a "nice" cash grab for them. That's why most of them are generic Flash Games that newbies used to put on Newgrounds back in the day, including the bugs and shitty controls.

 

Actual indie game devs like Joakim "Konjak" Sandberg (Iconoclasts), Thomas Happ (Axiom Verge) and Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone (Stardew Valley) are all very much respected for their games. I can't say the same for any of the generic shit that's coming out of the likes of Ratalaika games.

 

 

As for any advice on how to avoid them, keep an eye on the developer and publisher info on the game page. A lot of the crap is being published by a couple of publishers that are specialized in the "free plat" games. Maybe we can have it show up in the games list so we can spot it immediately without having to open each game's page. Maybe even add a filter on it or something.

[HuntingFever]

18 minutes ago, R4M Razr said:

Well, you need to stay informed about that topic if you want to avoid this rubbish. If a game has a generic name then it's almost always stuff like that. The newest game on the front page is called "The Jumping Pizza". Ask yourself: Would that be a name picked for a blockbuster game?

We've reached the point similar to 15-17 years ago when the PS2 reached its peak popularity: Shovelware everywhere.

 

 

14 minutes ago, Stevieboy said:

It's simple. Do your research.

 

Google the title, read a description of the game, watch a gameplay video, anything that'll give you information about the game. Don't just buy games blindly.

These^

 

Youtube and Platprices.com are your best bets when it comes to researching games to see if they're worth playing or not. As R4M Razr has said, look at the title and the price and ask yourself if they're befitting a decent game by a team that cares about the end product. If a game has a super generic title and the price is too good to be true, it's almost certainly going to be trash so should be avoided.

Edited May 22, 2022 by HuntingFever
Fixed typo.

[zizimonster]

Do not confuse quality EZPZs with shitty EZPZs. There are many quality EZPZs on PSN. For instance, Daedalic-published/developed games are mostly quality EZPZs.

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by zizimonster

[LegendExeter]

7 minutes ago, Ric said:

 Maybe we can have it show up in the games list so we can spot it immediately without having to open each game's page. Maybe even add a filter on it or something.

 

This would be really nice.  Something like another column for Average Completion Time where it takes those that completed the game X divided by Total Time Played or Y = Z or Average Completion Time.

 

 

[DarkStarSquall]

41 minutes ago, Ric said:

 

I don't really agree with that. I agree with it being a cash grab though.

 

But can you really call yourself an indie game developer if you made some money only on the free platinum trophy list? If you are serious about being a game dev, I don't think that's a reputation that you want to have. But then again, they are not passionate about their games, their only interest is the money. So no, I don't think it's a "nice" cash grab for them. That's why most of them are generic Flash Games that newbies used to put on Newgrounds back in the day, including the bugs and shitty controls.

 

Actual indie game devs like Joakim "Konjak" Sandberg (Iconoclasts), Thomas Happ (Axiom Verge) and Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone (Stardew Valley) are all very much respected for their games. I can't say the same for any of the generic shit that's coming out of the likes of Ratalaika games.

 

 

As for any advice on how to avoid them, keep an eye on the developer and publisher info on the game page. A lot of the crap is being published by a couple of publishers that are specialized in the "free plat" games. Maybe we can have it show up in the games list so we can spot it immediately without having to open each game's page. Maybe even add a filter on it or something.

seems i haven´t defined my point there. I talk about games like ZJ the ball, Slyder, My Name is Mayo.

There are probably also some games with a nice story AND an easy trophy list. 

My point was if your games only selling point is an easy trophy list for the majority of the players, then it is not a good game. 

 

But well i am also guilty of buying a few of these

[El Duderino]

8 minutes ago, DarkStarSquall said:

But well i am also guilty of buying a few of these

A few years ago I've bought Little Adventure on the Prairie, one of the worst games I've ever played in the 30+ years I've been pushing buttons. I still want that 1,79€ back.

[DrBloodmoney]

19 minutes ago, DarkStarSquall said:

But well i am also guilty of buying a few of these

 

9 minutes ago, R4M Razr said:

A few years ago I've bought Little Adventure on the Prairie, one of the worst games I've ever played in the 30+ years I've been pushing buttons. I still want that 1,79€ back.

 

We've all fallen victim at one time or another - last year I bought Lost at Sea, which was one of these, but disguised as a meaningful emotional game...

 

...the devs are getting smarter at marketing as they evolve, we can't beat ourselves up for getting swindled from time to time! 

 

It's the price you have to pay for trying to find the wheat among the chaff - sometimes, the chaff is just... well... chaff! ?

Edited May 22, 2022 by DrBloodmoney

[Ich1994-1994]

Just avoid games with a plat rarity of above 70% and you should be fine in 99% of cases

[Han_the_Dragon]

12 minutes ago, Ich1994-1994 said:

Just avoid games with a plat rarity of above 70% and you should be fine in 99% of cases

Artifex Mundi and Visual Novels would disagree with you..

 

There are quite a few games that have platinums that common that actually are decent..

 

The only way to avoid them is to research for the game that you are interested if it's a 30 minute platinum or not..

[TurtlePM]

Just now, Han_the_Dragon said:

Artifex Mundi and Visual Novels would disagree with you..

 

There are quite a few games that have platinums that common that actually are decent..

 

The only way to avoid them is to research for the game that you are interested if it's a 30 minute platinum or not..

 

This ^^

I mean, Ratchet Rift Apart was over 70% a few weeks ago.

It's a short game and very easy to platinum, sure, but it doesn't have "complete the second level" or "die with a poop" for easy golden trophies ??

[visighost]

Great point re: visual novels. I’m playing Cross the Moon at the moment, for example, and am genuinely enjoying it. It’s certainly easy, but over 95% of the people on this site did not even bother reading the story (judging from completion times), and ultimately bought a digital token, not a game. You’re locking yourself out of some treats if you use either average time or completion rate as a criterion. 
 

A good tip is to look for reviews: Xbox Hub are my favourite for indies - short and insightful. They also cover most cheap-and-easy-but-potentially-fun releases from Ratalaika, Sometimes You, eastasiasoft, Jandu, and Chilidog.

 

Not finding any reviews at all is a pretty good indicatornof shovelware.

[GothGirlMaxine]

59 minutes ago, Ich1994-1994 said:

Just avoid games with a plat rarity of above 70% and you should be fine in 99% of cases

 

But you'll miss out on the 1% that is actually worth playing. @DrBloodmoney has given some perfect examples for this, which I agree with. 

 

Heck, rarity shouldn't always dictate what games we play. Just enjoy the games y'all wanna play. (That is to everyone btw, not directing it at you specifically)

 

But then again, the PSNP rarities are slightly different, so it's not always easy to know. 

[ChiefMichigan]

1. Use PlatPrices, they tend to have time estimates.

2. Something that has a 95% or higher completion rate on trophy sites is all but guaranteed to be around 30 minutes or under. Even some low 90 completion rates are about 30-45 minute plats/100 percents.

3. Just do general research if all else fails. Buying any title, especially without a little bit of info on it, is usually not a good idea.

[AihaLoveleaf]

I'm also interested in games where the trophy list appropriately resembles the actual time investment of completing the game, and all I can tell you is that you're going to have to start doing your research. Clicking the 100% Club on a game and seeing a full top 50 of very fast achievers is usually a dead giveaway. Once you've seen enough pages on the website for the average Trophy Delivery Software title, you'll quickly be able to separate yourself from most of the chaff out there. In most cases, platinum rarity, gold to silver/bronze ratio, developer/publisher, and even the banner artwork all tell me pretty quickly if I should pursue an indie game any further.

 

There are exceptions out there, of course, but you'll eventually catch wind of them through word-of-mouth, like the examples appearing in this very thread. Not worth flooding your profile with low quality software in the meantime hoping you'll find something lifechanging. 

[HateByDesign716]

Try sorting my % low to high, then choose a page number at random.

 

Arcade Archives gave been known for east 100%s as once toy beat x time there generally all other trophies connected 

[KennethMcCormick]

1  11   with multiple regions stacks are also easy to spot indicators (I guess like in everything there are exceptions, but still, it’s a warning).

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by KennethMcCormick
Typo

[SKiL_Clash]

Id just avoid anything in the 90% range. For the most part its just trophy hunters who are buying those games. But don't think that a High percentage means its a bad game to be avoided. An easy game could be like Donut County. Its a small ezpz indie game. Takes like 2 hours to plat. But its actually a fun indie game. Even games in the 40-50% are huge AAA games like Elden Ring, Horizon, and Spider-Man. 

Overall anything in the 70% percentile would be games that we used to classify as trash easy games. Before the whole 1-30min apocalypse hit. Anything lower than 70% is probably a good game and you can play it and get a good enjoyment out of it while gaining trophies. 

 

At the end of the day, its your profile. Do what you will. 

[Sunny]

Having a higher completion percentage doesn't necessarily mean a game is trash money grabbing shovelware, there are plenty of really good gems that have very simple trophy lists the ACA Neo Geo being one that comes to mind, just research gameplay before buying, also the price tag is a giveaway since most trashware costs pocket change.

Edited May 25, 2022 by Sunnyburrito

[Breakingthegreen]

I'd say the rule I follow is if an EZPZ company is a publisher or a developer.

 

Most Sometimes You, Ratalaika and eastasiasoft games are only ported by the companies, being given easy plats to ensure profits, of course this doesn't guarantee quality. I liked "One Night Stand" but thought "Blind Men" wasn't a very good visual novel. But since these are games getting ported by these companies, there is something of a quality barrier since I'm sure these publishers want money from the non-trophy hunting community.

 

But the developers of copy&paste trophy fodder like Breakthrough, Run/Break and RandomSpin-Games is a hard pass personally, no real passion from either developers or players and it just feels like it's cluttering the store. Also the games look really bad.

 

For one off releases like the Mayo games, Storm Bird, or Little Adventure I think are much more down to a gut instinct, and by that I mean, is the game advertising itself as a platinum/ does it look awful. I'd say Mayo and Storm Bird are acceptable EZPZs for me to buy (Plus I didn't know quite how easy Storm Bird would be, I just thought it looked good.) Little Adventure though... less so.

 

I don't really worry about it too much personally, but in retrospect, I wish I'd given Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet more of a chance, I thought the writing wasn't very good for the opening and just skipped the rest of the dialogue, just so I could ensure my 225th trophy milestone was a game I really liked.

[Quink666]

I would just avoid the shitty developer ezpz’s. Avoid Ratalaika and Breakthrough in particular. There are now other developers who port/create games that prey on people addicted to trophies. It’s scummy just like gambling and loot boxes is scummy. 
 

I stopped playing the dog shit easy plats almost 2 years ago and it has gotten so much worse since then. Some games have as much as 16 stacks iirc. There are a ton of easy plats out there but a lot of them are high quality indie games worth your money and time. Life is Strange: True Colours for example. It sits at 70%> but is still worth a playthrough if you can snag it on a sale. 
 

So don’t be discouraged by the high completion % and just Google the game before buying it. If the games requires you to actually beat it, it’s most likely not one of the shitty ezpz’s.