Nightshape

Actually, it's an in-house developed engine that I don't think has an official name. Unless I've missed something vital. But the reasoning is still sound: every developer has to decide if they want to support anti aliasing nonetheless. I was going to say, risen, it's never even smelt the unreal engine, never mind using it. AA can be a troublesome beast.

Warms my soul to hear you're having fun.

It actually is idiotic. Yes, such people are idiots.

I've always been more interested in pre-christian european history, with a particular focus on the conversion from paganism to christianity. I am bias.

Part of human history? Sure, but mostly a distraction. At best the Roman-Catholic church is a death gasp of a crumbled empire trying to keep control over people. Same could be said of the anglican church aswell. You're right though, in that religion isn't inherently evil, it's just been a damn good excuse for people to act like pricks towards each other.

and its Medievalism...

Honestly, that's ridiculious.

I missed this one too, and was equally impressed, there really is no excuse if you're into that kinds thing.

If I happen to find out some legitimate reason... It may just be over-pricing, which sucks.

I'm certainly going to have to look into WHY the cost is so... Well ridiculiously different.

No Aram is right, WoW does suck. I gave it three days, hated it, but I do plan on giving it a shot with Cataclysm... I've been challenged to get to level 20 and not keep playing it.

I've done that before, well actually they never gave them to me, that would never have happend with a download. I did go back after I got home, all angry and stuff.

Is that GAME Australia or some other country? You can hardly compare GAME Australia to GAME UK considering the completely different states of the economies of each country for instance (for a start the UK's = **** condition, Australia's = Brilliant condition). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(retailer) Wikipedia has the information you're looking for. If you're going to respond to me, don't try and be a smarmy bastard with a one-liner Wikipedia link as a reply. The Wikipedia link says NOTHING about how GAME performed in Australia relative to the UK for the same period. You CANNOT draw any causative link between GAME UK's performance as a "specialist retailer" until you've first ruled out regional retail instability or economic gloominess as the cause. From wikipedia, addressing your initial question which is if the groups are linked: They seem to be. I obviously don't know about the performance, I haven't claimed so either. I'm also asking a question, please bare that in mind... It could just be economic gloominess, it may be a shift in trends. *sigh*, if you're going to communicate with other people, I recommend your remove your pretentious head from your ass and get a sense of humour. Just a suggestion, feel free to ignore it.

Interesting... the idea of being offline hadn't occured to me, as afterall I'm perminantly connected regardless of the platform at all times.

Interesting you should mention that, I have a question. When I purchased BG from GoG the first step was to download or run the file. I chose to download it to a folder and then run it from there. Is that the installer package you are referring to? Does my downloading it to a folder on my PC mean Im safe from GoG going belly up? That I can just install it whenever I want regardless of GoG or does it still phone home to GoG before firing up the installer? Basically having the installer package means you can install it where you want and when you want.

IMO, its because having a physical copy gives people a feeling of ownership where a digital copy is at the discretion of the supplier. The faux GoG going out of business and the resultant "what about my games" is a good example of this. If we could somehow "own" the digital version I dont think as many people would be adverse to it. I see your point, but lets just pretend that for some reason steam and gog, went bust, and I'd not backed-up anything physical myself... Well, i assure you at that point "other means" become perfectly acceptable in my opinion, regardless of legality. I agree though, I think there needs to be more assurance in terms of access to software purchased regardless of the suppliers result. In gog.com's case, I've bought alot of stuff from gog, had they shut, I'd be angry at myself because I've not held onto the installer packages, at which point I'd be looking for access to those files. I would like to see what would happen if a subscription service was in place, access to X number of installed games at any point for a cost of Y dollars a month. That could work as you'd be constantly renting games. Your right though, right now its a matter of how much an individual trusts steam, or GOG.com. As one of the lucky individuals in the word who hasn't been bit in the butt by DRM, Steam etc... (With the exception of gamers gate which I shall never be using again), I'm still fairly trusting. I do understand that is an issue for people, I just don't see those people as being satisfied consumers in the long run. Retailers days are numbered.

I've got my hands on stuff dirty cheap on Steam. Though software can be overpriced, it isn't always. Most of all I don't understand this desire to have a physical copy, I try and avoid it whenever possible if the price isn't insanely stupid. Way back when in the days before CD case's when you'd get a big old box and a manual that resembled a tome, it kind of made sense, hell if I could legally have every game I owned on digital media, I would. I'm not a typical case, so my perspective is off, I purchase alot of games every month somewhere between 3-20, really depends what is released, there are many reasons for this, but mostly its a side effect of being a passionate gamer, and a developer. It's always a mixture of both download and boxed products, and naturally the boxed products take up a serious amount of shelf space, the digital ones don't. So I'm really interested in what the specific reason is for desiring a boxed product. On another note, on the odd occasion I do actually enter a store, I hate it when the staff try to advise me on what I should buy, pointing me to the used game section, recommending games with are terrible etc... I bought a PSPgo a while back, it annoied the crap out of them, they did EVERYTHING to try and get me to buy any other psp, past offering me anything free. My main problem is that your average consumer will trust the retailer, and as a result you're likely to be advised in regards to what is best for them, and not what is best for you. Then again... I use automated check out till, go to late night cinema's, and generally try and avoid other people... So it's probably me.

I don't disagree with you at all mkreku. DD is the future though, but there will always be piracy. I love services like GOG.com, whilst I also use Steam. I do still occasionally buy boxed products from amazon, but I rarely seek them out, when you end up with a collection as large as my own, the boxes are infact a problem, and something I don't want. I do hope prices fall though, and as such I am fond of steam sales, which have been proven to shift more units and make more cash, but I do think it will take time.

We're heading towards a worldwide mono-culture, they're just selling it as if it were multicultural.

I hear that, I eventually stopped shopping at GAME because they did the same with shelf space for new games, everything is pretty much second hand. I was a fairly early steam adopter. The PC market is certainly making a move over to digital. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11397504

Is that GAME Australia or some other country? You can hardly compare GAME Australia to GAME UK considering the completely different states of the economies of each country for instance (for a start the UK's = **** condition, Australia's = Brilliant condition). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(retailer) Wikipedia has the information you're looking for.

I'm sorry but I do not sell games. I do not have any control of this situation. I mostly pre-order digital downloads, becaue they're often cheaper than their disc counter-parts, alternatively, I'll pre-order from Amazon, which also works out alot cheaper. The digital download market is Look at how Halo : Reach, and CoD have sold... Current generation consoles are expensive to develop for, and that's where the games industry see's the money. Sure you don't need a big budget to release a handheld or indie PC title, like Dragon Quest and Minecraft, but they're exceptions more than anything really.

The end of specialist retailers doesn't mean that at all. No new release, with a AAA budget is ever going to cost 10-15 EUR. There will always be a select few who don't move with the times... Evolve or go extinct. In the end, I think you'll be left behind, which is fine by me. I really do hate it when people are so adverse to change, especially when they appear to be reasonable people.