The author could not be more right... the current/future games industry is indeed one fraught with developers/publishers constantly terrified of rampant piracy, untold missteps due to the reliance on archaic lengths of DRM, and last but not least, increasingly alienated consumers. Ultimately though, the question all of us gamers should be asking ourselves NOW is:
Where do I fit into the videogame industry's equation as a consumer, and how will I allow MY voice to change t...
I think you misunderstood my point. First off, FFVII came out back in 1997, not 1998. And yes, I understand that there is some 68 year difference between silent films and in this case, FFVII. But my silent film era reference was used as an example to draw on the fact that despite the growth of technology, lack of voiced dialogue remains a freedom of choice/expression, as well as a clearly thought out design decision on the part of the developer. Everyone will have their preference, of course,...
You know, they had these movies back in the day called "Silent Films" and they worked just fine for the first 35 years of film before the technology for sound came about in 1929. Now, silent films are considered just another art form in the realm of film. An option. An expression. Just as it is in the art of game design.
So having said that, let's take Final Fantasy 7, one of the most beloved games of all time, also had no voice overs and it did not seem to &quo...
There's nothing strange about it, except when they say, "Now, experience this mythical story of conflict, betrayal, and triumph, like never before!" ... considering that they've changed nothing about the actual game itself AND Square already released the game for PC back in 1998 via publisher, Eidos, w/ three different box types over time (white tri-box, white big box, and blue platinum series box, followed by subsequent digipaks/jewel case releases). Also, anybody who has p...
Uhh, gotta admit - the first game on the PS1 and its subsequent remake on the gamecube were pretty f'in creepy.
Capcom really has fallen hard from its self-created pedestal. It's just such a shame because at one time they were one of the major powerhouse developers/publishers in the industry, but over the course of the last five years they have single-handedly managed to inject mediocrity into almost every one of their franchises. RE5 and Lost Planet 2 signaled the shift in that direction, and it's been nothing but ever since, with the exception of MAYBE, Dragon's Dogma; and I say that beca...
VERY cool stuff! I just skimmed through it briefly, but I will have to read that article in full when I get some time this weekend! Thanks for the link, sonicsidewinder! :)
Haven't read much about Dishonored despite seeing some news here and there, but I gotta say, graphically those screens look a game from last generation - flat, muddy textures and all. Let's hope the PC version gets a much more refined treatment.
After only having played the first game where I fell asleep halfway through due to excessive boredom, I almost gave up on the series entirely. And over the years I watched unfazed as seemingly title after title saw release. I thought to myself, "Why is Ubisoft pumping these AC games out so quickly and continuously, and how could each one possibly be all that different/improved from its predecessor?" It was beginning to make me think Ubisoft was suffering from a normal case of Activi...
Yeah, and in the very process alienate their very fanbase by imposing heavy-handed DRM.
The industry has entered into uncharted territories with the the sale/resale of digital items and now the auction house, and it's difficult to say where we'll all get yanked next, but one thing is for certain - the future prospects remain unsettlingly tepid. As a life-long gamer who grew up playing games on Atari, Sega Master System and Commodore 64, this "trend" that the author is eluding not only upends my entire perception of what gaming has represented and symbolized in ...
F*** Blizzard and their archaic DRM. They're just so consumed by fear of what the masses will do over time to their baby, that their judgment has become clouded. No mods? F*** you, Blizzard. Had they simply SEPARATED single-player play from ONLINE play, this would NOT be an issue. And, how exactly does a GFX shader give me, as a player, an edge?? The answer is plain and simple -- it doesn't. But one of their only excuses regarding the banning of mods comes from a Blizzard Support Foru...
Activision's creative vision departed a long time ago, just like its soul. That's why they've been pumping out the same dated COD drivel year after year with no intentions of refocusing their efforts towards innovation through new IPs. And without Blizzard, despite all of the anger as of late w/ DIII, they would have already been well on their way to colossal failure and a titanic-sized sinking.
What's interesting is that even if Activision flounders, Blizzard...
All this article does is lead me to some ad every time I reload the page... NOT cool.
This. It's what I would call a digital bitch-slap to every single publisher and developer in the industry, especially in lieu of Blizzard and its DIII trainwreck.
The thought is what counts! And I do appreciate your saying so, from one gamer to another. :)
I absolutely LOVED Origins! And then Awakening dropped and proved to be a significant improvement and worthy addition to the series. All in all, I probably logged around 85+ hrs playing through both storylines. Sadly though, I never did actually play DA2 despite having bought the Signature Ed. It just sat on my floor while I was enamored with several other games at the time, and eventually I sold it after reading horrible review after horrible review. And the majority of those were unfortunat...
Not to compare apples to apples, but if the US government starting telling people tomorrow that it's now mandatory that every citizen gets "chipped" because it'll allow us to interface better with one another and see the locations of our friends and family, etc...and oh! Btw, WE have to pay for the procedure despite it being a requirement -- I'm thinking the author of this article would present a similar response: "Getting chipped isn't so bad, guys. And I know ...
Oh that's right... because devs/pubs don't benefit directly from the potential increase in sales #s due to a modding community and a subsequent increase concerning market staying power of a product? Yes, you're right. There's no evidence to support THAT "theory," all mighty one..
"What incentive is there for the developer to waste their time and the publishers money developing a PC version?" Gee, I dunno. They get an added revenue stream i...
Wouldn't surprise me if Obsidian decided to go rogue and reach out to fans via Kickstarter for a future project(s). Especially after Chris Avellone found himself as being a key figure alongside Brian Fargo and many others with the Wasteland 2 project. Publishers in this industry, however, still cannot seem to grasp the concept that you cannot squeeze great talent and hope to prematurely strike gold. It rarely ever works, unless of course the goal is a sub-par product.