The worst of both worlds (PCs & Consoles)

[taltamir]

We PC gamers love complaining about how PC games are ruined by the console market, how they are dumbed down for consoles.

But I have notice another insidious trend... console games being ruined by PC trends... All 3 current consoles allow online updating, and all of them get buggy incomplete games that at most will get a few patches before the companies move on to the sequel. The approach is "release now, fix never". As well documented and easy to fix bugs go forever unfixed.

DRM is going out of control, and the DLC... console or PC you now get in game "merchants" advertising pieces of the game as if they are quests. Talk to them and get forwarded to a website on the PC or appstore on the console to buy a crappy shovelware DLC with real world money.

The video game industry crashed before I say it is about time for another crash. Piles and piles of worthless shovelware along with combining the worst traits of every platform mustn't continue

 

[KaOTiK]

I've been saying we need another crash for the last 2-3 years. A kind of "reset" button. I wish gaming never became mainstream. Soon as shit hits mainstream it goes downhill.

Companies no longer give a shit about the gamer and it shows in their games now.

I absolutely love gaming, it is my passion, but it really needs to come crashing down to cleanse itself so to speak.

 

[wuliheron]

It's already crashing as we speak. First the low definition Wii came out and cut into sales, then indie games like Angry Birds cut into sales, and in recent years only the top half dozen 3D video games have been raking the big bucks. With the new generation fusion processors coming it looks like cheap portables will begin cutting into PC and TV console sales like never before. The result is Sony just laid off a bunch of people, while Nintendo and MS appear to be working on the next generation consoles.

It's time for the industry to retrench and that means doing more then just the usual incremental improvements and better quality control. It means they'll have to blow everyone's socks off or risk getting left behind. With video game sales now exceeding movie sales you can bet they'll invest quite a bit in the effort rather then risk a meltdown.

 

[KaOTiK]

All of the console manufacturers are working on new consoles, most have been since they released their current system. We aren't crashing either yet, the bubble hasn't popped, it is close but not yet. If the console manufacturers (or at least Sony and MS) are really planning to wait till around 2015 for a new console, the market is going to collapse, it is already growing stagnant with the current hardware for awhile.

 

[mmntech]

The real turning point for PC was the Spore DRM scandal. Since then, PC has developed back into a healthy platform. Don't p--s off those casual gamers. Generally speaking, most of the devs have caught on to the problems of the past and corrected them. Ubisoft being the one glaring exception.

The whole entertainment industry though has their collectives heads up their arse. That's where the nickle and dime-ing comes from.

 

[wuliheron]

The whole entertainment industry though has their collectives heads up their arse. That's where the nickle and dime-ing comes from.

I agree, but I'd say the nickel and dime-ing is really related to how primitive the technology still is and how desperately everyone is looking to cash in on some stupid idea instead of the technology. If these were movies they'd still be a mixture of really low budget horror and science fiction films with the occasional one that pushes special effects technology. Until we get the equivalent of the first Star Wars movie that shatters all previous records and shows just what the technology is capable of I'm afraid we'll be stuck with more quick buck artists then real professionals.

 

[gilljoy]

Totally agree, the old crash was well before my time but the state of the games industry atm is really depressing me.

I've bought 3 games recently, crysis 2, dawn of war 2 retribution and dragon age 2.

I've been extremely disappointed with each of them, crysis 2 is just a typical boring fps with hardly any innovation. Dawn of war 2 retri is very good but again not alot of innovation and dragon age 2 well thats just a disappointing mess.

Recently I havent been enjoying as many of the games that are about as they simply are really really dumbed down. Looking forward to getting shogun 2 as I've been hearing some very good things about it.

Big crash is in order, maybe a new console manufacturer would be good.

 

[RobertPters77]

If you want a crash, both PC and Console gamers need to stop buying the DLC that game makers put out.

PC: Stop buying from Steam, Direct2Drive, etc.

Consoles: Stop buying DLC and Map packs from Live, Sony Online, and Nintendo Store.

Boom Reset Button.

 

[Dasda]

If you want a crash, both PC and Console gamers need to stop buying the DLC that game makers put out.

PC: Stop buying from Steam, Direct2Drive, etc.

Consoles: Stop buying DLC and Map packs from Live, Sony Online, and Nintendo Store.

Boom Reset Button.

+1

 

[StinkyPinky]

Gaming is mainstream now. And when dealing with mainstream you have to deal with the mouth breathers and tight release schedules.

 

[paperfist]

If you want a crash, both PC and Console gamers need to stop buying the DLC that game makers put out.

PC: Stop buying from Steam, Direct2Drive, etc.

Consoles: Stop buying DLC and Map packs from Live, Sony Online, and Nintendo Store.

Boom Reset Button.

What's the Steam hate about? I've been gaming since day one and I can tell you not having to deal with CDs, lost, scratched, and inserted is a boon to gaming. Being able to easily join my friend in-game and keep track of them otherwise is a bonus along with the cheap game sales.

Imagine if there was no Steam, with most brick and mortar stores not carrying many if any PC games where would we be?

 

[taltamir]

dragon age 2

Good example of "release now, fix never".
http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Bugs_(Awakening)

Game 2 is out, old game is still full of known bugs that will never be fixed (patch 1.04 is almost a year old now)

What's the Steam hate about? I've been gaming since day one and I can tell you not having to deal with CDs, lost, scratched, and inserted is a boon to gaming. Being able to easily join my friend in-game and keep track of them otherwise is a bonus along with the cheap game sales.

Imagine if there was no Steam, with most brick and mortar stores not carrying many if any PC games where would we be?

Steam has dozens of competitors online, all of them are better.
Steam DRM is just extreme.

 

[RobertPters77]

paperfist@

I don't hate steam. I spent nearly 2k on games from them. I dislike some of it's restrictive policies, like not being able to buy more than multi-pack of a game. Or that they can restrict from your account for trivial offenses. Also if I paid for a game it is my damn right to play how I please.

P.S. have you ever had your account disabled? Sucks when you can't access your property because of an over zealous valve employee.(I'm in NY, digital goods count as property)

 

[taltamir]

I'm in NY, digital goods count as property

for now...

 

[zerocool84]

We PC gamers love complaining about how PC games are ruined by the console market, how they are dumbed down for consoles.

But I have notice another insidious trend... console games being ruined by PC trends... All 3 current consoles allow online updating, and all of them get buggy incomplete games that at most will get a few patches before the companies move on to the sequel. The approach is "release now, fix never". As well documented and easy to fix bugs go forever unfixed.

DRM is going out of control, and the DLC... console or PC you now get in game "merchants" advertising pieces of the game as if they are quests. Talk to them and get forwarded to a website on the PC or appstore on the console to buy a crappy shovelware DLC with real world money.

The video game industry crashed before I say it is about time for another crash. Piles and piles of worthless shovelware along with combining the worst traits of every platform mustn't continue

PC didn't have DLC before, we had Expansion Packs. DLC's have only come up to prominence in this console generation. The updating games and never fixing is not PC's fault, it the fault of the crappy developers that make the game. People buy these games like Fallout 3 and it's DLC that are horribly buggy so that shows it's ok to release unfinished crap.

 

[busydude]

Steam has dozens of competitors online, all of them are better. Steam DRM is just extreme.

I think having no DRM is the best possible scenario, but Steam's DRM is one of the better one out there.

 

[paperfist]

paperfist@

I don't hate steam. I spent nearly 2k on games from them. I dislike some of it's restrictive policies, like not being able to buy more than multi-pack of a game. Or that they can restrict from your account for trivial offenses. Also if I paid for a game it is my damn right to play how I please.

P.S. have you ever had your account disabled? Sucks when you can't access your property because of an over zealous valve employee.(I'm in NY, digital goods count as property)

Never had that happen and I agree 100% with you, it's my only Steam gripe, I bought the stuff I should own it.

 

[paperfist]

I think having no DRM is the best possible scenario, but Steam's DRM is one of the better one out there.

Would you be opposed to having to look up on page 52 of your manual the fifth word of the third paragraph as DRM?

lol anyone remember those good 'ole days?

 

[taltamir]

I think having no DRM is the best possible scenario, but Steam's DRM is one of the better one out there.

Steam DRM requires that steam always be running, it dials home, and requires that you be logged in.

I would say the best out there is GOG. But they focus on old games. Impulse is still way better then steam.

 

[Soccerman06]

It's already crashing as we speak. First the low definition Wii came out and cut into sales, then indie games like Angry Birds cut into sales, and in recent years only the top half dozen 3D video games have been raking the big bucks. With the new generation fusion processors coming it looks like cheap portables will begin cutting into PC and TV console sales like never before. The result is Sony just laid off a bunch of people, while Nintendo and MS appear to be working on the next generation consoles.

It's time for the industry to retrench and that means doing more then just the usual incremental improvements and better quality control. It means they'll have to blow everyone's socks off or risk getting left behind. With video game sales now exceeding movie sales you can bet they'll invest quite a bit in the effort rather then risk a meltdown.

You do know that sony/ms/nintendo don't do anything in the hardware design beyond say it must have x or y right? IBM and NVIDIA/AMD do almost everything and the consoles makers design a stylish box to put the hardware in.

 

[Annisman*]

Steam DRM requires that steam always be running, it dials home, and requires that you be logged in.

I would say the best out there is GOG. But they focus on old games. Impulse is still way better then steam.

I love Impulse, and hopefully gamestop aquiring it doesnt hurt us, with that being said you do have to 'log in' to steam to play your games, but I'm pretty sure you can do it off-line.

I remember that my College campus never let me sign into steam, but I could always play my games in offline mode, of course that limited me to SP games only though.

Either way, I will take Steam's DRM because of all the positive things it adds such as: No dvd required, permanent 'backup' for my games, an excellent UI and 'Friends' system that often gets me in games quickly with my buddies, with little hassle to me, Steam's excellent record of stability (when's the last time Steam servers have gone done ?) And last but not least, their mind blowing sales in the summer, christmas season, and of course once or twice a week.

There is so much to love about Steam, I wouldn't pile on them for having a slightly intrusive DRM presence.

 

[Veliko]

We are not near a crash and the mainstream hasn't ruined gaming either. The games I am playing now are a bajillion times better than the games I was playing 10, 15, 20 years ago.

 

[wahdangun]

If you want a crash, both PC and Console gamers need to stop buying the DLC that game makers put out.

PC: Stop buying from Steam, Direct2Drive, etc.

Consoles: Stop buying DLC and Map packs from Live, Sony Online, and Nintendo Store.

Boom Reset Button.

no, the most important thing is to buy games only from small and indie games developer, because the big one that caused all this mess

 

[Ancalagon44]

I think indie and small games are the way of the future. The internet and digital distribution has lessened the need for publishers, and even the big dev studios are finding it difficult to remain profitable because of these huge games. If you spend millions on a game, and it sells badly, you've just wasted a lot of money. If you make 10 small games instead, doesnt really matter if one of them does badly.

 

[Ben90]

I just wish game developers would focus on engines that allow for tighter controls. I find games that remain more true to the grandaddy Quake engines to be less shitty.

I'll probably earn a vacation/ban for saying this, but I torrent every game before I buy. There is no reason why I'm going to pay money on a game that doesn't even have 1:1 mouse movement, 60fps cap, and just a generally shitty engine. If it doesn't suck, I'll buy it.