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tokah on Why PC Gaming is Dying

tokah — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

What puts me off buying certain PC games is the publisher's frequent insistence of including Starforce, PunkBuster or Gamespyware arcade in many games. I've been a hardcore PC gamer for best part of 20 years and I like to keep a clean system, one without hidden starforce drivers, run-on-startup anti-cheat programs etc. Most of the time if I want a game and find out it's got that extra baggage I'll download the cracked one - great - the deterrent for piracy just scored another own goal!

I've got an XBOX360 and PS3 which are both good for certain types of games (driving, football, action) but no good for FPS, Strategy or RPG (currently managed to wean myself off WoW after almost 3 years ). The PC will always be king in these arenas so long as the innovation continues. So no I don't think PC gaming is dying, I just think a lot of companies have screwed themselves over with this costly burden of extra software which in my case has the opposite to desired effect. As someone said earlier - the braindead side of it is being killed off to make more room for intelligent and thoughtful games. Just my 1p worth. Oh and hello, I'm new to these forums and recently DD'd GC2 and am loving it

MeestYk on Why PC Gaming is Dying

MeestYk — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

PC games will never die, period! We know PC games can be modded, patched, etc... Consoles games cannot, a real shame. Worse, from playing several titles on the PS3 has me thinking, game companies making them care only for one thing, profit. There's only at the most 2 to 3 decent titles for PS3. The rest is camel dung! Even camel dung is more useful! If you played Gundam Crossfire you'd know. OMG what a $%^&* of **&^! I've changed my mind about console gaming for that one reason. I have returned the PS3 to the store and sold all the games for it for full refund.

Heck, I'll be the first to testify that PC gaming will outlast console gaming in the long run. Those console game makers are totally lame. Screw em.

I'll support PC gaming as long as I live! (games that do the walk not just the talk)

CobraA1 on Why PC Gaming is Dying

CobraA1 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

or would be ackward on a PC unless screens get much larger (Rock Band).

Well, most video cards created in the last couple years can be connected to a big screen TV if you wish.

One massive game I personally still play is StarCraft.

Not to mention the "Battle Chest" for it is still available in most Wal-Marts. StarCraft is one of those games that is still on store shelves years after its release. Very, very few games can claim that title. Most games disappear from the shelves less than a year after release. The only other game I can think of that has persisted a long time on the shelves is the Sims.

Kaltes on Why PC Gaming is Dying

Kaltes — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

What bugs me is the way publishers and ditributers do business. Which is the main thing that is herting PC gameing. And there is some componies that will never truely die like blizzard and id Software. In the end I think id Software will be the longest lasting Software company, because they dont just make games. They make games, the engines that run them and they also make the tool used to make the games. The newest one to come is the Tech 5, which is going to be used in Doom4 and Rage. If you havent already do some reasure on the tech 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvuTtrkVtns

orc277 on Why PC Gaming is Dying

orc277 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

PC Gaming will never truly die. I personally started out as a console gamer and transferred over to PC games with RTSs around the time of Age of Empires 1. Now there are only a very small handful of games that I still play on a console (about 3 or 4). The only reason I play those is that they either currently only exist on the consoles (Halo 3) or would be ackward on a PC unless screens get much larger (Rock Band).

Graphics are one of the reasons that PC gaming is becoming harder. The technology in constantly improving and currently make a computer unable to run most games three years (or less) older than the game. Upgrading is only easy if you know what you're doing and unless you have a friend/relative that knows when you don't you may pay out the rear to get it installed if you are afraid to install it yourself.

Most of the major "companies" think that the graphics are what make the game incredible. It is not necessarily true. One massive game I personally still play is StarCraft. The game is ten years old and even when it was released it was on the lower end of the graphics spectrum. 10 years later the game is by far one of the most popular games worldwide (South Korea has a television show dedicated to top players in games of StarCraft). That, along with WarCraft 3, are still the only games that we ALWAYS play whenever my friends want to play.

Many of the large companies may abandon the PC, but the best ones won't. Blizzard, whose last attempt at a console game is dead and the last one released was on the Nintendo 64, will never stop making good-quality PC games, especially RTSs and RPGs. Valve and Steam will keep PC gaming running, but will hurt PC sales in stores because of efficient direct downloads. PC gaming will not die, just change the way the games are purchased and received.

ubernaught on Why PC Gaming is Dying

ubernaught — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Gameplay should and should always remain more important then graphics

Spot on. Boring dressed up in sparkles and rainbows is still boring. Unfortunately I think the majority of gatekeepers who dole out the industry cash, have attention spans more in line with sparkles and rainbows.

Graphics be damned, providing a game has the necessary symbols, my imagination can do the rest. It only took me five weeks of HOMM5 b4 I was back playing HOMM3 again, damn that game wins. The fact that I can't zoom in and float around a pile of gems never even occurs to me while I'm playing.

Folcik009 on Why PC Gaming is Dying

Folcik009 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

I find it a rather weak arguement to claim that PC Gaming is dying simply because of graphics. If anything I'd say that core gameplay in games is killing gaming (this is for all gaming, not just PC) because gameplay is being replaced with fancy graphics. However, I believe that PC games have the highest valued gameplay because they are more immersive and easiest to use.

Gameplay should and should always remain more important then graphics and that is something the PC is superior in.

Acreo Aeneas on Why PC Gaming is Dying

Acreo Aeneas — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Couldn't help but notice the title of the thread.

I think subscription games like WoW have mainly taken over what's left the PC gamimg market. You've got millions of PC gamers spending $240+ a year on WoW. Some don't even bother purchasing or playing other PC games.

There's also the shift by many publishers and development teams to console gaming. It's somewhat easier to work with: pre-spec'd hardware, gaming experience can be fairly consistent, and development for consoles tend to be easier to do (programming, graphics, etc.).

I think we might see 'subscription' type games becoming more of the standard in the PC market over the next few years while game publishers and developers concentrate mainly on consoles (which give them a higher profit-to-cost ratio).

cactoblasta on Help, I'm a Competitive Music Listener

cactoblasta — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Can't say the idea behind the site appeals to me, but if video game music rocks your world, go for it.

I'd probably spend a good five or six hours a day listening to music of one sort or another, whether at work, in the car, at home or out doing stuff/drinks. It's amazing how large a part of your life music can be.

Locamama on Help, I'm a Competitive Music Listener

Locamama — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

OMG, your numbers are HUGE! ~ that being said I like MOG. I don't like websites that I have to figure out. I like websites I can just jump into.

nephil on Confessions of a Mythos Player

nephil — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Hmm well i dont no how to give them either so o well.

nephil on Confessions of a Mythos Player

nephil — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

How long did it take you to get into the mythos beta, because I signed up a while back and i haven't got in yet? (sorry if this is a bit of topic)I got in in about an hour by visiting their IRC channel. There was also an unofficial forum where they were handing out invites. They probably still do it on IRC.I'm pretty sure I have some invites on my account that I can send you, if you want.

If you could send me an invite that would be awsome!

MagicalCappy on Confessions of a Mythos Player

MagicalCappy — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

How long did it take you to get into the mythos beta, because I signed up a while back and i haven't got in yet? (sorry if this is a bit of topic)

I got in in about an hour by visiting their IRC channel. There was also an unofficial forum where they were handing out invites. They probably still do it on IRC.

I'm pretty sure I have some invites on my account that I can send you, if you want.

Dr Guy on I think Hillary should go as an Independent

Dr Guy — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Make an awful statement about wanting a presidential candidate to be assassinated

Um, show me where anyone here (or in public) said "wanting". Dont put your wishes in other peoples writings.

CharlesCS on How to Stop Piracy

CharlesCS — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

How to Stop Piracy

There are only 2 real solutions to this problem.

1) Make everything free.

2) Stop making software, movies, music and everything else that is pirated.

Obviously neither one will ever happen. And slowing down piracy is like throwing baseballs at a train to slow it down. There is one thing that most people will never understand as to why piracy can never be stopped. This concept applies to everything from DVD's & Cd's (movies, music and software) to digital software not a on a CD or DVD. Every single program, CD or DVD is designed to be accessed to be able to use it. No matter how many programs, tricks and ideas used to stop people from copying CD's and DVDs, from hacking the copy protections they have, people will always find ways to get into them because a way already exist. You may not be able to simply copy a DVD like you copy a file from one hard drive to another due to copy protection software and hardware, but a DVD player can play it, that means the DVD players has something in it that can crack the code (legally) to allow the use of the contents of the DVD. It's a matter of figuring out how the DVD player cracks the code (as an example, there are other ways). The same goes for you CD or DVD drive on a PC. And also the software on your computer to be able to install and use a program you acquired by legal means. For some a serial number can do the trick, others a copy of the original CD to allow the use of the software. On simply needs a copy of the serial or a cracked .exe file that does not request an original CD before use.

For every entrance there is an exit. For every code there is a crack. For every lock there is a key. For every DVD protection created there is a DVD player that will play it. Therefor, there is always a way in, legally or not.

CharlesCS on How to Stop Piracy

CharlesCS — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

[link removed by moderator]

Curiosity is killing me.

TiTaNsFaN690 on I think Hillary should go as an Independent

TiTaNsFaN690 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

@ TiTaNsFaN690:
My point exactly.

lol... maybe Ross Perot can run as well then to make it fair

TheGribbler on I think Hillary should go as an Independent

TheGribbler — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Jokes about a possible presidential candidate's assassination. Classy!I have heard that liberals have no sense of humor. Classic.

Right. Make an awful statement about wanting a presidential candidate to be assassinated and then blame me for not having the sense of humor.

nephil on Confessions of a Mythos Player

nephil — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

How long did it take you to get into the mythos beta, because I signed up a while back and i haven't got in yet? (sorry if this is a bit of topic)

TiTaNsFaN690 on I think Hillary should go as an Independent

TiTaNsFaN690 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Hillary running as independent would ruin the chances of the Democrats attaining the White House in 08, so why would she do that? She loves her party and her country, and is more than accomplished enough to put aside the misfortunes she endured in the primary to support the Democrats in 08. Who knows, she may be named VP if Obama knows whats good for him

Dr Guy on I think Hillary should go as an Independent

Dr Guy — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Jokes about a possible presidential candidate's assassination. Classy!

I have heard that liberals have no sense of humor. Classic.

MagicalCappy on How to Stop Piracy

MagicalCappy — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Here's my list of things that make me not pirate:

1) Multiplayer or Content Restriction. If I like the single player I'll usually buy it to play it online.

2) A good demo. The GC and SOASE time restricted demos didn't cut it for me. I was left feeling like "This sucks so far but I didn't really have time to give it a chance". Demos that only have restricted content work better. GC and SOASE could have benefited from race restrictions, custom race restrictions, map restrictions, or some SLIGHT tech tree restrictions.

The Unreal Series (UT2004, UT3) did this well.

3) Less seen features. No CD required for play (Requiring only a CD-KEY for multiplayer), Internet-based downloading in case you lose the CD (Impulse and Steam), and multi-platform support. It irks me that Galactic Civ crashes often with wine on Linux.

4) Alienating your player base. Steam really fracked over their customers when they froze every steam account that pirated HL2 when it came out early. If I was one of those people I would never buy another Steam product again.

5) Indie developers. I generally support good, single player, indie developers. For instance, I pirated Oblivion (which I still feel bad about because it is an amazing game) but I paid for Aquaria (Bit-Blot games) simply because I want to see more amazing games from them.

I've purchased too many crappy games [that had raving reviews] to buy them without absolutely knowing if they are worth the money or not. Just as an example, I absolutely love GC but I don't like SOASE or Civilization.

Anyone looking for a laugh about the pirating of Galactic Civilizations II, ToA should look here: [link removed by moderator]

This comment especially won't be popular with the SOASE crowd and I REALLY don't care.

kingpan on How to Stop Piracy

kingpan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

yah i know i need to pay more attention lol.

i am rather bad with those kinds of things . def need to spend a little more time reviewing lol@.@.

1. idk personaly i think it would be a difficult change and interesting to see how they would do it.

2. i agree on this point

3. eh i think majority of people would keep to themselves about this situation. and this really plays out to how strong torrent sites are, roms sites maybe not as much but it would be harder to take down these sites.

skipping 4 and going to 5. console piracy i think is more controlable becasue of the fact that if companies monitored the internet they could see all these thigns beeing sold and try to stop it themselves.

6. ehh thats more money that they need to put in. i have mixed feelings about DRM but atleast they are trying. but i think giving some incentives like achievments which they are doing slowly would be nice. especially if they could make something like xbox live that keeps track of everything.

and sorry once again about my spelling and grammar last post, wasn't really awake lol.

TheGribbler on I think Hillary should go as an Independent

TheGribbler — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Hillary knows that this year was her only chance. The republicans squandered their good will and basically the only way a republican can win this year is for the democrats to implode - and they may yet. That is why she would not let it go for so long. I guess her handlers told her to give it up and take the Veep job - then wait for a Sirhan B. Sirhan to do the rest.

Jokes about a possible presidential candidate's assassination. Classy!

kingpan on How to Stop Piracy

kingpan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

its a good try but its very flawed.

its way to big of a change for both the companies and the gamers.piracy will never stop imo its way to hard to contro. gamers will not tell that so and so is useign a pirated copy. and the whole trust aspect well theres plenty of gamers who are very trust worthy but then others u can not just believe.

the biggest issue we have is PC games. yah we have some things that help played burned games for console and this is jsut the companies fault not beeing bale to see what it is. they are very easy to find all ove the web. so teh console company is purely to blame about that situation.

for PC gameing i haev no clue what they coudl acltually do.

all teh scenarios i can come up with are breakable in one way or another. even with yours it jsut seems like it wouldnt work idk its my opinion.

spiralblitz on EA, you disappoint me.

spiralblitz — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Im not sure but battlefield has some form of it. People have been having a huge problem with it since it was released and the game still doesn't work right. It like registers your hardware settings or something so when you make the slightest changes like changing you bits or screen resolution or even plugging in a new mouse the game glitches up and you most likely have to delete some hidden file or completely uninistal and reinstall then repatch it.Its easily fixable but is a pain.
Or how both games would suddenly brick your cd/dvd drive for no apparent reason but then securom has been known to damage peoples hardware. then theres is the thing where if your cd's pretty much messed up you have to buy a new copy of the game cause it won't except a new cd or a cd that has a different cd key. Like most people I pretty much just went and got a hacked Exe. cause it was to much of a hassle to deal with that crap.
I'm wondering now you have both games and never run into any problem?

damon559 on EA, you disappoint me.

damon559 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Quite frankly, I'm surprised that we haven't yet heard announcements of impending deals between EA and Starforce. Seems to me that that piece of rootkit-malware is right up their alley.

wow now that is a chilling look at the future.

i don't like ea at all either but.... i am a slave to battlefield and c&c.
but securom is horrible, whenever i try to play star wars empire at war it says im using a backup disk and i have to re-insert the disk so i can play, some times i have to put it back in so many times, i just give up.

and p.s. does battlefield (2142 or bf 2) even have securom? if it does i don't notice it often.

GW Swicord on EA, you disappoint me.

GW Swicord — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Why not just boycott without pirating?

Stanley, I won't try it because I'm on board with the boycott, but would it pass ethical muster for you if someone bought Spore but never installed anything but a SecuROM-free crack?

pdsuber on EA, you disappoint me.

pdsuber — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Where did you read that Ironclad will be forcing people to connect to Impulse to play online? And is that only if you use their servers, or even for direct LAN/IP games?

lbgsloan on EA, you disappoint me.

lbgsloan — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

To bad this isn't going to matter. There are lots of people hyped about Spore thanks to the trial, who will no doubt run out and buy it day 1.

It really saddens me that companies continue to increasingly screw the user with their 'protections' that DON'T STOP PIRACY. I stopped buying from Valve after the Half Life 2 protections (can't play or even install a SINGLE PLAYER GAME unless you're connected to Steam), and I have since added EA and Bioware to this list for severe Spore and Mass Effect protections. I am disappointed to hear that Ironclad is going to force you to connect to Impulse to play Sins online with the next patch. Aren't cd-keys good enough to prevent pirates from accessing multiplayer?

I have no problems with supporting good games and good companies with my money, but if you're going to treat me like a criminal then you've lost a customer. I don't care how good the game is. It's too bad, I really liked Bioware but they had to go and partner with EA. Not a smart move guys.

elias001 on EA, you disappoint me.

elias001 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

wait..i thought DRM and starforce only causes incompatible issues on some users computer and also causing technical for even those who have legit copy of the software. Hence it is not consider to be malware.

But even if it is, can like spybot search and destroy, smithfraudfix and combofix.exe remove the problem???

I had X3 the return installed on my computer but it has starforce on it. I did not have any problem with my system after i unstalled the game.

Zubaz on EA, you disappoint me.

Zubaz — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Advocating any kind of piracy is forbidden on any Stardock forum.
Consider this the only warning.

Multianna on EA, you disappoint me.

Multianna — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Actually from what i can read on this site WWW Link it actually have DRM and phones home...

This is weird, i didnt detect anything tho.. hmm if this is true, it will be on more known news sites i bet

IronRaptorStudios on EA, you disappoint me.

IronRaptorStudios — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

The demo version HAS SecuROM.

"Scanning -> C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\SPORE\Sporebin\SporeCreatureCreator.exe
File Type : Exe, Size : 17351944 (0108C508h) Byte(s)
-> File Appears to be Digitally Signed @ Offset 0108B000h, size : 01508h / 05384 byte(s)
-> Suspicious MZ Header..
[!] SecuROM Detected - Version 07.36.0012
[!] Possible CD/DVD-Key or Serial Check -> Unregistered
- Scan Took : 1.140 Seconds"

Multianna on EA, you disappoint me.

Multianna — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

No, the demo has SecuROM attatched, and it actually still sends the stuff to EA. No difference.

no the trial version does not contain DRM. You know why? because EA will have to pay DRM a small fee for each download.
So with EA and there greed, this makes no sense for them to add it on something that wont give them money back.
If the Pro version contains it, i dont know.

and it actually still sends the stuff to EA. No difference.
what stuff? the trial version does not even send a single bytes to EA when your logged off.

Dont get me wrong im no fan of EA, but your saying something that is untrue.

stpi2037 on EA, you disappoint me.

stpi2037 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Boycotting EA has so far done what? Is DRM evil, will you not buying it make any difference? Come on now, to be surprised by EA and DRM is like saying "I put my hand in the fire...and I got burned."

Stardock has the right model, but so far it is the Tucker of this electronic world. A bit to far ahead and in the shadow of giants. Maybe EA will return to its roots and make good games, but then I am sure that will be right after Hell has frozen over. Maxis was purchased by EA and like any good pimp, EA is milking its electronic ho Maxis for all its worth. To make sure its ho is safe it has a deal with the devil DRM.

Look at the brick and mortar stores, hey there is Sins and about a dozen Sim expansions. Now I love Sins and it gets the most play time from me, but I have to say that I took the evil of DRM to use the Spore Creature Creator. Now to say "Oh noes it phones home..." you must also look at your OS and every other application running on your machine. How many phone home, oh your smart you say nothing phones home, nice to know that and you can remove that tin foil hat to.

You get food from the store, you have to be dressed right? You want to play this game you have to suffer DRM. Actualy the day you can shop for food naked you will probably see EA have a DRM free game. If you grow your own food and get it naked, consider yourself in a small minority and try to boycott Walmart...hmm the same effect as boycotting EA.

PS - The Spore creature creator rocks. Yep I bought the full version, but hell its FUN. Ok remember that people to have FUN you have to pay the piper of DRM in this case, but hell what else is like it? Well I am waiting...

Stanley Tarrant on EA, you disappoint me.

Stanley Tarrant — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

EA has finally invoked the boycott button. I'm fine if you use DRM in a purchased product. If it really bothers me, I'll get a crack or find a workaround. But, the Spore Creature Creator demo contains Securom, an overly-potent DRM solution that phones home without any grounds for suspicion.
I steer clear of malware on my computer, but now I've discovered that even EA cannot be trusted. You have my boycott notice, EA. I may even pirate a copy of Spore, just because you've installed crap on my computer without notifying me. I may sue you, in fact. I hate court, but I'll go there, just for you. Filthy hairbrains.

Why not just boycott without pirating?

Zydor on EA, you disappoint me.

Zydor — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

erm the free version does not have DRM on it. And you can use the trial version without logging into EA servers.

Frankly I no longer care, my EA cheque book slammed shut long ago. Its going to take a lot to prise it open, which is a bummer, because not all their games are blow-outs by any measure. I just cant get myself to trust them any more, its as simple as that.

I teach my Clients "The Customer is not King, Understanding them is"

EA dont have Customers in their philosophy, they have revenue robots, and they sure as hell dont understand them. Watch their Management Team after Bonus payouts hit accounts first week Feb 09, at the very latest post annual bonus round Feb 2010 - I'll bet my pension there is wholesale change as the old guard will know full well by then, that they have gone as far as the MilcheCow will let them, and they will move onto the next Company wanting to expand its Market Share.

Amidst Crys of Thanks for: "gifted leadership" "inspirational strategic leadership in the difficult times we have battled through" "setting the standards others will follow" "leading us into a new era". Geez, its all been done before....

Once that drivil dies down, EA will then settle down. What happens then will set the scene for EA for a 5-10 year period. It'll be interesting to see which way it goes.

Regards
Zy

Coelocanth on EA, you disappoint me.

Coelocanth — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

I can't speak from personal experience, but I've read on a couple other game forums that the demo does have SecuROM attached to it. I'm personally wary of demos ever since I had StarForce installed on my machine after trying the King Kong demo a while back.

Multianna on EA, you disappoint me.

Multianna — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

erm the free version does not have DRM on it. And you can use the trial version without logging into EA servers.

Zaisha on EA, you disappoint me.

Zaisha — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

I steer clear of malware on my computer, but now I've discovered that even EA cannot be trusted.

Emphasis mine.

Argh where's the edit button when you need it!

Anyways: even EA? Hello? EA has always been at the forefront of draconian (and counterproductive) initiatives to benefit the company at the expense of the customer.

Zaisha on EA, you disappoint me.

Zaisha — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Eh, how can you not expect EA to use Securom? As far as I know they've been using versions of Securom for a very long time. It's just because the current version is more malignant than most, that it stirs up some controversy.

Quite frankly, I'm surprised that we haven't yet heard announcements of impending deals between EA and Starforce. Seems to me that that piece of rootkit-malware is right up their alley.

Loupdinour on Why PC Gaming is Dying

Loupdinour — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Blizzard games are the savior of pc gaming. So when your feeling down subscribe to Wow. See it rhymes (well sort of) and remember to stop by and get starcraft 42 zerg/protoss hybrids today.

Pre-WoW I may have agreed with you. Now they are just turning into SOE.

WasabiKing on Confessions of a Mythos Player

WasabiKing — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Ah, nice little write-up on EV Nova. It's published by Ambrosia Software, and was easily the greatest shareware series on the Mac. When I made the jump to PC, there were two programs I missed the most over in the Mac side, BBEdit, and Escape Velocity (EV). It is a great series powered by a decent, branching story line and user add-ons.

Think 2D SoSE w/o the MP and with a storyline. Great gem.

Zydor on Why PC Gaming is Dying

Zydor — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Blizzard games are the savior of pc gaming

If they are, I would hate to come across the nightmare of PC gaming.

I personally wouldnt trust them as far as I could throw them. I have never bought, and never will, any game title they come up with. They are a money making machine, pure and simple, with no real feelings for the gamer beyond the quarterly revenue reviews. No one produces this stuff for free, no problem with that, I just have a real problem with the value they give for their products, which is more Marketing Spin driven yelling about what prople want to hear, than the reality of the final product.

Its all down to personal taste of course, but whatever anyones view - good or bad - lets hope they are not in reality "the saviour", because Dark, Expensive, Monopoly days of poor value would lay ahead.

Regards
Zy

MindTooth on Why PC Gaming is Dying

MindTooth — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Two letters; EA

Birger

MFarder on Why PC Gaming is Dying

MFarder — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Blizzard games are the savior of pc gaming. So when your feeling down subscribe to Wow. See it rhymes (well sort of) and remember to stop by and get starcraft 42 zerg/protoss hybrids today.

Collimator on Why PC Gaming is Dying

Collimator — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Insofar as which development house or platform deivers the better dish, its purely a matter of taste in my mind, and will support no substantive debate. I feel this way because technology is a predictable case of diminishing returns. Something twice as complex and twice as expensive will come out just in time to pave the way for something more complex still. The bottom line for what a computer or console with any real-world value is expected to do has not been established because the degree to which it is healthy to enmesh our lives with technology has neither been established.

Because the jury is out, price and value in all of this are functions of ubuiquity. Meaning what gizmo is absolutely everywhere you go? That thing will be cheap because we choose to build our lives on it. What can you absolutely not get away from? like a telephone, they're everywhere. When your gaming machine is that commonplace as a social tool, then you've hit upon a concrete standard. Until then, gaming will be a shapleless, organic thing beyond any meaningful analysis other than what style anyone's emoting about it assumes...

Collimator on Why PC Gaming is Dying

Collimator — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

Games on PC I find are broader in scope with larger, more dynamic gaming environments. They are generally more conducive to a rich fantasy life and appeal to obsessive natures. Turn-based strategy, RTS, and any MMOG are good examples as has been mentioned. Someone made a point about the mouse interface, which versatility is a big plus for the PC. Some PC games are moddable, and generally have a very long shelf life for technical adult gamers and curious tinkerers. Many PC games have a rich adult-themed story or catchy motif, a fact to which any Blizzard game will testify, as said before. PC gamers are more often intersested in scope, and a rich game world that behaves as more than the sum of its parts. These people are inventive, mature gamers fascinated by exploring and controlling a system at work more than anything else, and gravitate to the flexibility PCs offer as a game platform.

That being said, the vast majority of gamers are kids at heart with free time and money, and zero tolerance for for having either wasted in spite of the fact. People are generally not technical, generally not concerned with HOW something works, and certainly not fascinated by complexity. They are interested in a good lightshow, a story they can picture themselves as a part of, and a fast learning curve without hardware fuss.

Without regard to my personal hatred for consoles, they do fit the bill for playing a game, enjoying a game, and worrying about nothing except next payday. I know I spent a month of my life on GTA, Atari throwbacks, and the Gran Turismo series each. Like comic book fans, hardcore gamers live in a different world than most of the working world by virtue of all the fantasy in which they indulge. There's a built-in tolerance to make believe so to speak. So much so that gaming enthusiasts are usually not fully satisfied with anything that most others would find relentlessly addictive.

Which addiction, in the end, is the bottom line. I go to a restaurant because the food is ultra-refined and richer than that I prepare myself, I don't have to work to enjoy it, I think nothing of my cares while I consume it, and I forget about it when I'm done. The men with the money know that sensation trumps sense the way a tyrant knows force shits on the back of reason. We are buying and consuming a designer drug solely for the sensation it gives us. I cannot imagine a game being impactful in any philosophical or literary sense beyond a passing poetic value. Plays did it, then cheap novels filled in, then radio amplified it, then movies squared it, and well-scripted video games will take over where cinema leaves off in a generation. If crack was half the trouble a PC game can be, it wouldn't be the scourge it is. Unless your crack is having something to obsess over, in which case I pop the hood of any ailing car and let the four letters roll.

maudlin27 on Why PC Gaming is Dying

maudlin27 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:10:09 -0400

"Yes, I realize a "monopoly" is technically ONE company and described "two or three", but I couldn't find a better word at the moment..."
Oligopoly (a few) or Duopoly (2).
Although in the UK a monopoly is defined as having >40% market share IIRC so you can still legitimately call something a monopoly even if it isn't the only company in the market if based on such criteria (although technically it wouldn't be a 'true' monopoly)