greylord

Didn't realize the Sega Saturn was at $400...and that was years ago. I can see one (probably one of many) reasons it didn't take off as well as they would have liked. CD-I is one I remember...if price is an issue, I suppose we can see that the little difference of a few dollars (okay, maybe more than a few) why it didn't do so well with the CD tech and then the original PS broke out from the crowd of CD consoles that were coming around in the second half of the 90s. (That and I don't really recall any good games for the CD-I either...of course back then I was solidly a PC gamer...so I'm probably not the best judge of which games were good or bad from back then).

Yep, answered the survey as well, sounds as if my answers may mirror what some others indicate they may have answered also.

Interestingly enough, the PS3 was considered an everything in the living room box, including a Blu-Ray player, internet browser, game console, and more...when it was released. Xbox shouldn't be looked down on as it creates this idea...as I think it's simply copying what Sony did several years ago. Of course the release of the PS3 was NOT all that spectacular (perhaps something else MS should consider), but it DID help make the Blu-ray triumph over the HD DVD by giving free advertising and prominent shelf space to Blu-Ray advertising via the PS3. Still, it wasn't until more recently that the PS3 and Sony even caught up with MS in console sales...at the beginning they were getting pretty soundly thrashed and trounced by MS and the Xbox 360 in the gaming market (though as I said, the DID win the media medium war between HDDVD and Blu-ray because of the PS3).

In truth, seeing how Blizzard turned out, do not think Demos decrease sales. I think TIMING is the key though. IF you release the game, and then wait a month or two, then release a demo...that Demo can perhaps catch the interest of those who did not buy. Blizzard jumped in leaps and bounds with it's early demos of games...and what was even better was that it built a bridge for the sequels of those games. People remembered the demos well...and then bought the later games (and of course word of mouth). A similar thing can be stated of piracy (not for piracy...just saying). Normally many game makers erroneously think that because their game sold well, it could have sold even better because of high piracy numbers...and the high piracy hurt their actual sales. This is a meme that I think has been false for a while. I think instead, the amount of piracy is similar to the interest in a game. If it has high interest in the general population, it may have a high interest among the pirates, and those two may form a similar statistic which can show how well a game may or may not sell. Both of these could be relavant in more ways simply by stating...the interest shown in a form of media entertainment on the internet can be directly correlated to how successful it will be in sales/release. It tag this because a similar idea has been stated by film makers in regards to piracy, and other ideas...but in reality they still have a hard time predicting whether a film will succeed or not at times. But those with a high degree of knowledge on how the waves and patterns of the internet work...have found in truth that perhaps there IS correlation...but it's not exactly with how much something is pirated...though that could be a reflection, but instead on how much people are trying to find information or look up that information. When looking at how interested people are...that can be directly correlated to how successful a film will be... http://www.thestar.com/life/technology/2013/06/12/google_says_it_can_predict_a_films_box_office_success_through_internet_searches.html This is more with the movie demo/trailers... and I would agree a bad demo, or a bad trailer can cause a BAD effect on sales...but I'd say the effects found by Google probably could be applied to wide spectrum of entertainment. IMO of course.

WTH are you guys posting!? Deviant anime? The stuff that only the way weird nerds look at in Japan? (though admittedly...there do seem quite a number of those...and even more weird, their numbers are increasing. Even scarier, I think those numbers have migrated to the US and UK and are currently increasing in amount there as well, and most of them aren't even Japanese!). Except for the RPGs, can't say I'm really all that interested in anime or anything like it, and now after the above postings...probably even LESS interested in it...if that was possible.

His terminology is off, but his point is valid. Circumventing DRM is illegal in many countries. Yeah, so? Malum prohibitum laws are ****ing bull**** dreamt up by authoritarian **** who should go die in a fire. They are the reason the average adult commits three felonies a day, whether aware or not. Moreover, while the probability of being caught downloading games is very small but still real, the probability of getting caught merely using the cracks is so infinitesimal as to be laughable. That wasn't the point though. It's rather moot now that MS has backtracked...BUT...there were illegal cracks for all the consoles and DRM's that have come out thus far (well most of them). If MS had pursued the same route they were going, I'm relatively certain someone would have put out a way to crack the Xbox One. If someone is willing to crack their steam account and games and circumvent DRM...why should DRM on a console even bother them when they could do the exact same thing there. Luckily we don't have to find out or know now, as MS has changed it's policy after a general declaration by hundreds on the internet that they were going to get PS4's instead. I for one didn't intend on getting the Xbox One with the always on internet so it was basically a null factor for me. Edit: If there was some confusion on my context, it's probably because he posted one line out of the entire post which used that sentence regarding the piracy.

You know, I already have these in hardcopy. Wonderful thing about hardcopy is I don't need a backup per se...I already have the hardcopy...and TW2 and Torchlight don't even require the disk (got TW2 ultimate edition or whatever it is called which is the disk without any DRM apparently and TL never needed the disk). I suppose the disks could melt someday and die that way, or some kids could get into the computer games and scratch and step on them (hopefully never will happen...but could)...but other than that...never a need to download another copy or anything to that effect. On the otherhand, cheers to those of you getting the games cheap...that's always a good thing.

I imagine that when it's hitting every new site, every news paper, and just about anyplace you can look at the tech information talking about fan outrage and MS's massive stumble...it's a little hard to ignore. I'm sure they wanted to...but when EVERY one of those media are blasting it in your face...I imagine it gets pretty tiresome.

And yet another story regarding MS finally capitulating to the crowds... http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/microsoft-reverses-always-internet-used-game-policies-xbox-211818635.html

Already reported elsewhere...but http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/microsoft-reverses-always-internet-used-game-policies-xbox-211818635.html I guess MS got the message with all the news stories going around saying that the PS4 had already won the console war before it began.

Wait, what, Iceland!?

I can't say I'm on the edge of my seat. The tales series has an excellent JRPG feel and dynamic, but the combat system is not one that I particularly enjoy. I enjoy the stories, but the combat is always not so fun for me. So, I'll see what people say and then see if I pick it up or not...actually I'll probably still pick it up, just not right at release, I'll wait for a price drop.

False equivalency much? Here's a secret, every single one of my Steam games is backed up in it's original folder structure with a crack set up and fully playable on my storage drives with a soft link to take advantage of any primary drive saves. Steam DRM is ridiculously easy to crack by design. The only reasons they have it at all is for legal coverage and publisher mollification as well as multiplayer verification. It's not really there to stop pirates. Moreover, offline mode works quite well and lasts for three months. So, if for some bizarre assed reason, I wanted to cart my 70lb tower around when on a road trip, i would only have to log in once every three months to play my games. Even members of the military can get some sort of internet connection that often(Seriously though, with the 24hr connection process they wrote off the entire military sector which is, quite frankly, ****ing stupid. In fact, if Sony was at all smart they would offer a promotion to military members for 10% off of games during the 1st year of the PS4s release). Whereas I've had multi-day broadband outages before and continued to play my PC and console games. Calling the XBone's DRM similar to Steam's is like calling Obama's Fast and Furious program similar to Bush's Wide Receiver. Only in the broadest ways are they at all similar, and thus the only people who can legitimately hold that opinion are those who are ignorant of the details. Everyone else holding that opinion must be a blanket partisan. Sooooo...you pirate your Steam games then??? Do you perhaps need to take remedial english classes? I said my backups are cracked. As of last count I have over 75 steam games. Of which 10 or so are F2P things. And all of the games which have single player functionality have cracked versions on my storage drives. The only ones which are unplayable with my normal saves are the Fallout/TES games because I haven't replicated my mod structures on the backups. No, I don't need remedial English...cracked Steam games are considered pirated as you've nullified the DRM...in some nations it's also considered very illegal due to how they've written laws in regards to getting around (aka...in your case, cracked exe's to run the games independent of Steam, at least that's how the cracked exe's work, and they are created in many instances by the same guys who pirate so they can distribute it via P2P/Torrent without the need for steam) DRM. Specifically, DRM inclusive of STEAM. Ironically, even in some nations which have it illegal to circumvent various forms of DRM, won't prosecute you for making a backup if it's copy protected by other measures...and you are allowed to have backups...BUT it's not the backups that are illegal...it's the circumventing of the DRM (and as I said, inclusive of STEAM's program itself) which is illegal and in many instances also considered piracy as per the laws in those nations.

False equivalency much? Here's a secret, every single one of my Steam games is backed up in it's original folder structure with a crack set up and fully playable on my storage drives with a soft link to take advantage of any primary drive saves. Steam DRM is ridiculously easy to crack by design. The only reasons they have it at all is for legal coverage and publisher mollification as well as multiplayer verification. It's not really there to stop pirates. Moreover, offline mode works quite well and lasts for three months. So, if for some bizarre assed reason, I wanted to cart my 70lb tower around when on a road trip, i would only have to log in once every three months to play my games. Even members of the military can get some sort of internet connection that often(Seriously though, with the 24hr connection process they wrote off the entire military sector which is, quite frankly, ****ing stupid. In fact, if Sony was at all smart they would offer a promotion to military members for 10% off of games during the 1st year of the PS4s release). Whereas I've had multi-day broadband outages before and continued to play my PC and console games. Calling the XBone's DRM similar to Steam's is like calling Obama's Fast and Furious program similar to Bush's Wide Receiver. Only in the broadest ways are they at all similar, and thus the only people who can legitimately hold that opinion are those who are ignorant of the details. Everyone else holding that opinion must be a blanket partisan. Sooooo...you pirate your Steam games then??? Xbox One probably will also have a crack I'd imagine from the pirates eventually. PS3 had it's crack when it's DRM came out, and various other types of cracked the PSP and PSVITA systems to run the pirated games. Cracking the system is not the point. If you pirate...then there's nothing saying you won't still be able to pirate on the Xbox One that I know of (though personally, I don't support that and would NEVER do that to one of my consoles...) The point, whether or not you can crack the system (Xbox One, STEAM, Windows Authentication, Origin, Sony types of DRM) is that people on the PC have not only supported, but will even state it's doing better than ever before for PC gaming. IF those supporting these types of DRM are so fanatically amazed at how awesome their PC gaming experience is, and support such so completely and fully, why are they putting such a fuss about the Xbox One online requirements. You can STILL PLAY YOUR GAMES OFFLINE...with the Xbox One. You need to log on once every 24 hours...but hey, if you played StarCraft 2 (though not as stringent) you had a 30 day there and skirmish SP was not possible when released unless YOU WERE ONLINE, or with Diablo III it was always online as well for ALL of SP. Many of the major PC game releases have much more stringent protections, not all, but many. Steam itself has an assumption that you are always online. IT HAS an offline capability, but the assumption built into the programming (and it appears correct) is that a majority are always connected and hence it can download patches as needed for steam and for your game library. In addition, Xbox one has the ability for your console to get to your game library anywhere, without the need of a disk after initial installation...or if you can buy without the installation. In addition, it will have the ability to transfer games to others anywhere in the world digitally without the use of mail or other methods. This is very similar to the electronic DRM that everyone praises currently (well, everyone but me and the others who say PC gaming is dead...WHICH as per another thread...most here say it is not and sing praises to the Very DRM they are now cursing...which I find very odd to tell the truth). IF PC gaming is NOT dead, and is alive as everyone says, and in addition the advantages are so great with things such as Steam...it would seem that you should be jumping onto the Xbox One boat and that perhaps MS has actually accurately evaluated the market and will actually sell better than all the PC internet groups are griping. What I THINK is happening is that people are jumping on the "hate Xbox One boat" which is popular right now. I think that the initial sentiment was probably started by the crowd I am with which state PC gaming is dead. Why? Because we all are PC gamers, but the major releases we normally don't play on PC's anymore, we fled to the consoles. So, when this came out among these crowds, there has been a LARGE pushback...why? Because we came to consoles to avoid this entire stupid PC DRM always online mess. Are we right that PC gaming IS dead? According to the thread on this site, we could not be more wrong. DRM with PC's has brought a new golden age and sales are better then ever before. The large, some may say, MASSIVE group of what you could call...PC gamers gone consoles however...have been rather outraged with the entire idea of consoles going PC DRM online messes. Are we the majority...or a minority though? I think we are actually a majority...but even if we aren't, the mime that we exhibited towards consoles taking the same approach PC gaming has been utilizing for years has taken hold of a larger audience and currently Xbox One is feeling that backlash. That still doesn't change the fact that just a few days ago people were thrashing on the entire idea of PC gaming having decreased and gone downhill due to this entire DRM fiasco that has hit PC gaming and PC's in general. Instead they were pointing out that it was better then ever and PC gaming was apparently in a golden age. With such opinions, the thoughts on the Xbox One should be one of rejoicing on this site, instead of the attitude that I've seen overall. The only REAL explanation I have is that people jumped on the Xbox One online DRM hate bandwagon started by people that I game with...because it's currently the popular thing to do. Either that or they forgot that they could fight back for so long that they simply accepted the state of PC gaming and only now when one of the ways to not be burdened with the state of PC online DRM has been threatened with that exact same type of approach...do they finally let their outrage at the entire situation known.

You know what, though I can understand the console kids complaining, I have NO IDEA why the PC gamers are griping or saying what they are saying. This strategy was already used a long time ago with the PC market to a degree. First with the initial authorizations that were required when WinXP came out (over a decade ago I might add, you could call in to authenticate and get XP working...but it was a headache...it mostly required internet activation). Then with Win7 and Win8. Did MS lose it's market to Linux? No...not really...though it DID lose a LARGE market share to Apple, but that's more because apple came up with different devices than your laptop and desktop. Than steam came out, with it's internet DRM...and in many ways offered similar ideas...you can download your games and have them connected to a profile. Though not always sync'd with a specific computer...like the Xbox, you can access the games mostly everywhere...just like with the Xbox One, if you carry your console you should be able to access the games anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. Now you can play steam games offline...but most don't...in fact most who use steam keep their computer connected...and I'd say the majority if not most actually have their computer connected all the time. MMORPG's, Computers largest group of gamers have to be connected simply to play! Now there ARE THOSE like me that do play Computer games...but buy from smaller publishers that do not require this DRM stuff...but for the most part, when confronted with the DRM and what others may perceive as the death of PC gaming...as I saw on a recent thread...they will come back and say PC gaming is doing better then ever! With that logic, and seeing what DRM has done with PC gaming...why in the heck would you complain about MS doing a similar thing with their console? Now I, as a PC gamer who avoids the DRM games...and plays on consoles to play larger games at times without the PC DRM hassle (as a sidepoint, the PS3 actually HAS DRM to a degree as well...already...just not as onerous as the PC DRM), I can understand why I might avoid the Xbox One along with others who do the same as I, but for a majority of those here who praise PC gaming, say it's better then ever before...and sing praises to the DRM lords... Why in the heck does the Xbox One having to connect every 24 hours even bother you? That accounts for the loss of internet...unless you hit a major catastrophe...normally you'll be able to hook up to the internet at least once in 24 hours, even if the connections are spotty. Afterall, you already have those connections with PC gaming? Compared to Steams on option...it's probably going to be even more streamlined and I'm betting you will even be able to play games much easier than you can when steam updates a game (aka...I'm thinking xbox one's updating of games will not prevent you from playing a game...as a guess of course). I can understand other forums I go to complaining...but on this one with all those who are fanatical steam addicts and crazy about the DRM'd and online games...doesn't make sense. From the viewpoint that many of you have exhibited, MS is actually making a much smarter move then Sony in this regards...they are moving on with what people like YOU ACTUALLY WANT!!! Furthermore...as seen with STEAM, ORIGINS, and even Windows OS's...YOU DESIRE this type of medium. The faster MS transfers to utilizing this medium, the faster they kick Sony in the jar and take over gaming. So, why exactly...when you use so much of other DRM mediums...are you suddenly against one?

To tell the truth, I actually think this guy could be dead on with this statement. This is why I expect that the first day sales of the Xbox One will be great...and then they'll literally have forums full of angry customers complaining about not being able to play such and such a game because they were offline for too long... After that initial foray we'll probably see new stories expressing this as some sort of surprise. They may even feign being absolutely stunned at this surprising revelation despite that fact that MS revealed it now...months before release. After that happens, that's when we'll see how successful or not the Xbox One truly will be. I expect it may be somewhat like the D3 turnout...with exorbitant sales...but many have a bitter aftertaste later. Some out there however, will remain enthusiastic about it.

I don't know, depends on how you view things. We recently had a thread on how "alive" PC gaming is with all the DRM, STEAM, and you can only d/l this once or via this program and only in this manner...type junk...and how that kept PC gaming so alive and well it was doing better then ever before. With that in mind...if Microsoft thinks the same way as a majority of that thread...they won't just win this console war...they'll trounce Sony with that type of logic!!! OR... It may be that people HAVE preferences not to be chained down by DRM type crud... However, if the sentiment expressed in that thread on how thriving PC gaming is with all the DRM and d/l that's going on...one could assume MS sees that and is going where the money is. I suppose we'll see on how badly MS trounces Sony...OR how badly Sony trounces MS. HOWEVER...I do have one other thing to say. The always check in thing with MS is probably the big reason I'll excessively favor a PS4 over xbox one (even if I'm already a somewhat sony fan)...that said...the always on camera recording thing doesn't bother me a bit. IF I truly want the Xbox one camera recording items off, it's as easy as unplugging it from the wall. Hard to have a camera on without any power...at least I assume that's how it's going to run.

Well, it appears what was going to be FFXIII VS. will now be FFXV...how's that for development Hell??? http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/tnnvzc/final-fantasy-xv-e3-2013--announcement-trailer http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/r22p1q/final-fantasy-xv-e3-2013--gameplay

On a more serious note, consoles already have something similar. On the PS3 you already can buy many games (for example, you can buy all 3 mass effect games on the PS3, ME1 for 14.99, ME2 for 19.99 and I think ME3 is currently in the 20s or 30s, would have to recheck). When you purchase on a PS3 you actually can have it on two systems and that's it. So in a way it's that light DRM that one could talk about. HOWEVER, you can transfer your accounts for free as long as you do it before the PS3 dies (I did have a PS3 that died and transferal didn't work out so well) AND you don't have to be connected to play what you bought normally (THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PROBLEMS WITH GAMES GOTTEN VIA PSN NETWORK as in the free games offered via PSN). I expect PS4 to actually have a system similar to that. At least with games bought online, in order to transfer games, you have to do it via your accounts with deactivating it on a console online before activating it elsewhere. You will still be able to play them offline without ET calling home I expect, unless the publisher is wanting that (same as with how it already works on PS3, most decide NOT to have ET phone home, but there are games on PSN that you get that sometimes DO require you to do that, or even be online to play). With disks, I expect it will be more like it is now as well, where you will be able to play without activations...BUT...if you d/l the free dlc or other items than with some games that will leave a big blank without being online (this actually caused a furor with one game if I recall, with the PS3). Steam can be even better. Unless it's an mmorpg I don't think you have to be online at all for most of the games after you activate it. They already have that sort of having to be online to activate a game, but once you have activated it, it's yours. In addition, with a PC you can watch TV shows on many sites and other items. In light of that, I'm not certain what Xbox One will be offering that will be more appealing with it's services than the PC, and even more so, than it's direct competitor the PS4. The biggest way out I think is if they offer a big hit of a GoW game, a Halo game, and perhaps some turn based Japanese RPG and Western RPG (since Sony strangely enough seems to have taken a downturn in offering some of those to the point that some of the best turn based RPGs actually were supposedly released on the Xbox this gen) that it gets a LOT of people to get one for the exclusives. (Then again, I guess that is one item you mentioned in your last two sentences there).

I suspect that Sony is sabotaging MS somewhere. I read this REALLY??? Hopefully this world has no idiots left, because otherwise I can see the first month a deluge of people that DO NOT have broadband raging on their forums...but then...where exactly is MS getting their information??? Errrr...a Japanese or Korean company??? Are you certain they didn't mean average Japanese or Korean connection...cause when I've visited parts of China, Africa, India, and several other portions of the world, some which I'd rather not see again (inclusive very much of some parts of Africa)...their connections were lucky to even be dial up...if they even existed in some of those areas..... I think MIT is in league with those bloody Hawaiians out of Cambridge, MA who look at all those Japanese and Koreans and drool about bribery from Sony so that they'll blatantly sabotage MS's next console... (half of this is a joke...if you know anything about Akamai you probably can tell which part). PS: Had to add this part... An entire hour!!! Yeah...what a LOOOOONG TIME!!!! Yeeehaaaaww...and even then...they will "allow" me to watch TV and movies...I'm almost floored with how much they let me do...next they'll say that I can even PAY them for that privilege and earn tropys JUST FOR WATCHING TV!!!!

Hmm, too many really to list I think. However, some of the bigger ones Warcraft II Diablo and Diablo II Baldurs Gate II Icewind Dale StarCraft X-Wing Alliance Battlefield 1942 Unreal Tournament 2004 Dawn of War Sins of a Solar Empire Freelancer Neverwinter Nights Birth of the Federation Starfleet Command Starfleet Command Orion Pirates Act of War Star Wars Star Fighter SimCity 3 SimCity 4 Age of Empires Conquest Frontier Wars Starwars KoToR I and II More recently Mass Effect (entire series) Dragon Age Origins Alpha Protocol Tropico 3 and 4 Torchlight I and II StarCraft II If you include Consoles...a few pop up Lunar series Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross Final Fantasy IV-VII, IX, and X White Knight Chronicles (I and II) BG: Dark Alliance I Champions of Norrath Justice League Heroes X-Men Legends I and II Marvel Ultimate Alliance I and II Dust to Daytona (what may be the greatest console racing game ever...IMO). Gran Turisimo (entire series actually) COD

I have no idea if it is biased or not, but I do observe weird behaviors on the internet. These forums (obsidian) are overwhelmingly composed of PC gamers. However, several of the last releases by Obsidian were also console releases. They either sold very poorly on consoles, or not many of the bigger console gamers favor the gaming forum outside the particular game they played. Does that mean PC games sell better for obsidian then console games, or is there some weird dynamic at work that skews the people who attend here regularly? I don't know. There are other forums where you would expect a greater number of pc gamers but instead it's the console gamers that seem to dominate in those forums. Why is that? I don't know. I have no idea why PC gamers or console gamers favor one forum or another. It probably skews the numbers in regards to those on those sites though in regards to polls...at least sometimes. Whether it did or not for the poll above, I have no idea. However, considering that the options were Xbox one, and PS4 or PS3 and Xbox 360...I'd probably want it on a higher powered system at this point which would rule out this gen of consoles, Xbox one sounds absolutely atrocious so no way I'd want it on that or that I'd even have one, and too little is known on whether the PS4 will require certain actions or not...if I had to make a choice right now of what platform of choice...it probably would be PC also. I'm not surprised if even console gamers would choose the PC currently with what we know of the next gen of consoles thus far.

I have all the books for Eclipse Phase, but ironically have never gotten to play it.

Xbox 360 isn't a western thing either, but these games are ported over to the Xbox 360. FF games were put on PC starting with FF VII, though they didn't port X, XII, or XIII over admittedly. What's more interesting are the games that are huge on consoles these days but not so huge on PC (even with ports) that got their start on PC, such as COD series and such.

Emulation is a large area for growth. I think Sony has had a good thing going with their PS3's (though the current ones only emulate PS1, the earlier models such as two of them that I have can do PS2 as well). With them doing away with backwards compatibility it should be interesting to see if that rises up a LOT of emulation via PC or Apple devices. I know that there is a strong following for emulation in other areas. I think that arena normally is grouped with Piracy by the DRM and Angry Publishers people though.