RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS THREAD!, just a dumping ground

[Purkake]

I guess we will find out about the "shady dealings" if that ever happens then.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Purkake

[Thorton_AP]

I am yet to see games that require Steamworks authentification, to be available by any other legal means...

 

Please tell me you are joking that you actually feel this is a monopoly situation.

 

 

 

EDIT: LOL! "Shady dealings" indeed.

 

It's not like game devs and publishers are being coerced into including Steamworks into their games and not having the option of using other Digital Distributors anymore XD

Edited July 22, 2010 by Thorton_AP

[Oner]

StarCraft 2 Ghost of the Past trailer

[funcroc]

Tactics Ogre for PSP coming to US

[Nepenthe]

Professional opinion: MW might be onto something. Also agree that it's different from itunes, OVI etc.

[Niten_Ryu]

After spending millions, MicroSoft finally find the obvious answer - Mouse + Keyboard is much better for FPS then console controllers

 

Problems quickly arose in testing, however, when Microsoft found that even the best console gamers simply couldn't compete with the accuracy a mouse and keyboard afforded a PC player. "The console players got destroyed every time", Sood says. "So much so that it would be embarrassing to the XBOX team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative."

 

Duh!

 

This was one of those "sky is blue" studies.

 

[Mamoulian War]

money well spent

[213374U]

Please tell me you are joking that you actually feel this is a monopoly situation.

Nah, there's no way this could be viewed as a monopoly. It's still annoying as ****, though.

 

 

After spending millions, MicroSoft finally find the obvious answer - Mouse + Keyboard is much better for FPS then console controllers

 

Problems quickly arose in testing, however, when Microsoft found that even the best console gamers simply couldn't compete with the accuracy a mouse and keyboard afforded a PC player. "The console players got destroyed every time", Sood says. "So much so that it would be embarrassing to the XBOX team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative."

 

Duh!

Yeah, now they only need to spend another bunch of millions on a study to verify their operating assumption that console gamers will get nasty rashes if they need to plug a keyboard and mouse to up their game in shooters.

[Nepenthe]

Please tell me you are joking that you actually feel this is a monopoly situation.

Nah, there's no way this could be viewed as a monopoly. It's still annoying as ****, though.

 

Monopoly =/= dominant market position.

[213374U]

Yes, painting Steam as a monopoly is a bit of a stretch. However, forcing retail copies of non-Valve games to install and work through steam isn't too far from ye olde MS practice of shipping IE bundled with Windows, and that got shot down by the EC, on grounds that it was unfair competition.

 

Unfair competition needn't imply monopolistic tactics either, but it's still bad form.

[Amentep]

Tactics Ogre for PSP coming to US

 

I already have it, but I'll get it again.

 

Hope they don't nerf Gorgons like they did in Knight of Lodis...(hope they still have Gorgons since they're rebuilding from the ground up).

[Jackalmonkey]

StarCraft 2 Ghost of the Past trailer

If nothing else, Blizzard can sure as hell make a proper game trailer.

[Azdeus]

Very Hollywoody, very generic - but quality wise it's really well done. Just wish Activision was'nt involved.

[Morgoth]

StarCraft 2 Ghost of the Past trailer

If nothing else, Blizzard can sure as hell make a proper game trailer.

Now I see where those 100 mill. went.

[Thorton_AP]

Yes, painting Steam as a monopoly is a bit of a stretch. However, forcing retail copies of non-Valve games to install and work through steam isn't too far from ye olde MS practice of shipping IE bundled with Windows, and that got shot down by the EC, on grounds that it was unfair competition.

 

Unfair competition needn't imply monopolistic tactics either, but it's still bad form.

 

 

The situation is very different as Steam/Steamworks is not required for a game to be distributed. Game developers are choosing to utilize Steam. This is akin to getting mad at Starforce for other game companies using it for their DRM. Or getting mad at a game company for using a disc check. All of these things are things you cannot legally get around.

 

With Microsoft they are shipping a widespread OS that is essentially required to own for most people, and queuing people to overlook competitor internet browsers by preloading their own.

 

 

The comparison would be stronger if games were deemed virtually essential (like an OS), and if Valve was the biggest player in the gaming arena. Game developers aren't being blind sided by Steamworks requiring a connection to Steam in order to be used. They're making a conscious choice to use it over other services. No game requires Steamworks to be integrated into it in order to be run.

[Nepenthe]

The latest Mass Effect 2 DLC has been revealed, Lair of the Shadow Broker!

 

Two years ago, Commander Shepard died and Liara T'Soni fought in a desperate struggle against the Shadow Broker to recover her former Commander. Now that Shepard is back, it's time to even the score.

 

Team up with Liara and confront the mysterious and sinister Shadow Broker in the latest expansion to Mass Effect 2, coming soon! In the mean time check out three new screenshots and stay tuned for more info on Lair of the Shadow Broker.

 

Well, this was one of those DLCs that was already hinted in the shipped game files. From the screen caps it looks like Liara won't be even a temporary team member, but we'll see. Let's see if Bio can pull a "Leliana's Song" here and actually surprise positively.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Nepenthe

[WorstUsernameEver]

The latest Mass Effect 2 DLC has been revealed, Lair of the Shadow Broker!

 

Two years ago, Commander Shepard died and Liara T'Soni fought in a desperate struggle against the Shadow Broker to recover her former Commander. Now that Shepard is back, it's time to even the score.

 

Team up with Liara and confront the mysterious and sinister Shadow Broker in the latest expansion to Mass Effect 2, coming soon! In the mean time check out three new screenshots and stay tuned for more info on Lair of the Shadow Broker.

 

Link?

[Azdeus]

The latest Mass Effect 2 DLC has been revealed, Lair of the Shadow Broker!

 

Two years ago, Commander Shepard died and Liara T'Soni fought in a desperate struggle against the Shadow Broker to recover her former Commander. Now that Shepard is back, it's time to even the score.

 

Team up with Liara and confront the mysterious and sinister Shadow Broker in the latest expansion to Mass Effect 2, coming soon! In the mean time check out three new screenshots and stay tuned for more info on Lair of the Shadow Broker.

 

Link?

 

Here

[213374U]

With Microsoft they are shipping a widespread OS that is essentially required to own for most people, and queuing people to overlook competitor internet browsers by preloading their own.

 

 

The comparison would be stronger if games were deemed virtually essential (like an OS), and if Valve was the biggest player in the gaming arena. Game developers aren't being blind sided by Steamworks requiring a connection to Steam in order to be used. They're making a conscious choice to use it over other services. No game requires Steamworks to be integrated into it in order to be run.

On the other hand, it was perfectly possible and virtually hassle-free to download and use any other browser if the user so desired -- something you can't do with Steam. And once you are forced to deal with steam by virtue of having purchased one game that uses it, Steam will be favored over other DD platforms, effectively "queuing people to overlook competitor" DD setups.

 

And no, while it may be more convenient for people to use Microsoft OS, it's by no means "essential".

 

As I said, it's no monopoly. But I don't think it's playing fair either, and the arguments I've heard so far have done nothing to persuade me otherwise.

[Thorton_AP]

On the other hand, it was perfectly possible and virtually hassle-free to download and use any other browser if the user so desired

 

This is true and why I think the whole ordeal was retarded.

 

 

And no, while it may be more convenient for people to use Microsoft OS, it's by no means "essential".

 

In many cases it is. Just as in (much rarer) cases, people will need to use Mac OS or Linux. Especially if you're dealing with the non-computer savvy (i.e. most of the world). Let's not kid ourselves, Microsoft's bundling of IE is only an issue because of their market dominance.

 

And once you are forced to deal with steam by virtue of having purchased one game that uses it, Steam will be favored over other DD platforms, effectively "queuing people to overlook competitor" DD setups.

 

I can see how this may pass because of this. Doesn't make it any less retarded. Steamworks is an opt-in process that game developers appear to like. Maybe the other DD platforms should make their DD platforms more appealing to game developers so that they will use it?

[Irrelevant]

Um, because of the nature of software, Steam being the only option is an issue(as in if you get in first it is very hard for competion to exist because the more people who buy your product the more valuable it becomes(like a cellphone, if only you had one it would be useless, this is something that only applies to things like these)This does not apply to other things, like cars,houses,books,beer, ect)This is the only reason why Microsoft and its products are still alive(it is why the Xbox 360 was released a year in advance of its competion) Other examples include Facebook, WOW, Itunes, and Google.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Irrelevant

[Thorton_AP]

Ah, so people are worried about Steam eventually dominating the market?

[Tigranes]

Numbers is right on this one. Anyway, at the end of the day, semantics aside, the important thing is:

 

1) Steam exclusives demand that you use Steam, if you want to play X game.

2) Therefore, it's exactly like exclusivity deals on an Xbox or Playstation, except it's not a hardware / development constraint that contributes to the reasoning, it's exclusively a decision made to increase Steam's market share and improve its market dominance.

3) In other words, Steam is making naked power grabs to broker these deals with developers so that it can become the all-pervasive digital gaming platform.

4) Because of this maneuvring, people who don't like it are forced into a choice of dealing with its stupidities or missing out on an increasing number of products. This unpleasant choice is made doubly unpleasant because we all know this situation is forced on us by Steam's power-grab.

5) Finally, all it takes is for Steam to introduce a $5/year subscription fee or something a couple of years down the line. How many millions of people would stay on Steam now that they're used to it and don't want to lose their games or new exclusives? A lot of people.

 

Why don't I want Steam dominating the market? Because they are already, through Steam exclusives, putting non-Steam users at a disadvantage. It's not even a "don't like it? don't use it". It's a "if you like X games you better use it". Because, in terms of making good business sense, it's easy to see them taking this farther.

 

It's actually different from the Starforce example: as terrible as Starforce is, at least DRM has a sensible reason to be there in the first place, even if it screws up what it's meant to do. Steam has no sensible reason to be mandatory for anything. Optional, go ahead, float your boats.

[entrerix]

if steam started to charge a monthly fee you would still have access to your old games for free, maybe not playing them online, but offline mode at least. to do otherwise would rapidly deplete Valve coffers due to the legal fees of defending the class action suit

[Zoraptor]

"YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY DISPUTE WITH VALVE WITH REGARD TO STEAM OR THE STEAM SOFTWARE IS TO DISCONTINUE USE OF STEAM AND CANCEL YOUR ACCOUNT."

 

"Valve may amend this Agreement at any time in its sole discretion. As a Subscriber, you agree that Valve may amend the terms of this Agreement."

 

[Not me shouting, Valve seems to think it's rather important]