What

[Monte Carlo]

I work in book publishing, an industry also said to be 'dying.' And as with video games, all that's really happening is that the business model is in the midst of a sea change, where present success seems more a function of risky trial-and-error innovation. In both cases the problem isn't so much diminishing consumer demand (there certainly aren't fewer gamers, nor are there fewer readers) as it is different consumer expectations.

 

Again, I think you are spot on. I spend a small fortune on books. Recently I read a militart history title that had interactive web-links, i.e. a URL on a page here and there that unlocked new content on the publisher's website about the book, the author and the material - i.e. videos / interviews etc. Basically making the special features of a DVD free into a book via the web. It's very neat, I like it and eventually people will see stuff like that as industry standard.

[Purkake]

Lets not make the thread about Volo. We all know he's ignorant. We all know he's tiresome.

 

Personally I find the move towards micro-transactions interesting, especially when you consider the likes of say farmville, who'd have thought something like that would catch on?

Probably someone who doesn't spend all their time on gaming forums with crotchety old folk

[Nightshape]

Personally I find the move towards micro-transactions interesting, especially when you consider the likes of say farmville, who'd have thought something like that would catch on?

 

Am inclined to agree. Company of Heroes online (free) will have micro-transactional content (paid for) which you could win if you had time to grind and earn it.

 

It's an ingenious way of increasing the longevity of a four-five year old game, and MMORPGs will go the same way. Core game = free. Modules / premium content = paid. It's entirely fair you can't complain as the consumer.

 

My personal beef is the trend / effort to segue gaming with social networking (I can see the suits in meetings cracking whips to get the devs to squeeze a cent from the false synergy between WoW and Facebook). As a social networking hater, who sees it as nothing but cynical data harvesting industry, I don't want gaming to become a wing of it.

 

Cheers

MC

 

Gaming is already a large part of social networking sites. I believe its the fact that these games encourage coop gaming on a massive scale which has set them apart, they certainly appeal to new female players, but that's not to say men out there aren't playing.

 

I know that there is a desire to integrate gaming into people's daily lives, using technology to record actions, and giving real life rewards. If you brush your teeth after eating a meal, you get a discounted dental bill, just for example. Rewards for excercising resulting in cheap health insurance etc... etc...

 

That stuff scares me... I've always wanted to see gaming step towards immersive simulation of worlds, escapist, not make this world into a game.

[Volourn]

"I find reading similar arguments over and over quite tiresome."

 

Yet, you are extremely repetitive yourself. Hypocrite much?

 

 

"Lets not make the thread about Volo."

 

Agreed.

 

 

"We all know he's ignorant."

 

Disagreed. the video is crap. Any video entitled 'video game inustry is dying' is crap, and should be lauighed at and ridiculed not praised for spreading lies, falsehoods, and myths.

 

The game industry is in great shape. That's a fact.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Volourn

[entrerix]

maybe its just me, but I think farmville has as much to do with traditional gaming as video poker or computer solitaire does. sure they both are played on a computer, but the markets are not even remotely similar.

 

I cannot stand how often I hear about ****ty little browser games on video game websites and blogs etc. Is farmville competing with Dead Space 2? NO.

[Purkake]

maybe its just me, but I think farmville has as much to do with traditional gaming as video poker or computer solitaire does. sure they both are played on a computer, but the markets are not even remotely similar.

 

I cannot stand how often I hear about ****ty little browser games on video game websites and blogs etc. Is farmville competing with Dead Space 2? NO.

Well, it is still gaming. We can't just draw an imaginary line at Farmville because it is an icky visitor from an alien world.

 

It certainly doesn't matter to the people making millions off it.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Purkake

[entrerix]

my point was that its not really "gaming" in the sense that resident evil, or ninja gaiden, or baldurs gate are gaming, how many games did you choose not to buy this year because you were playing farmville?

 

my guess is none, because you and I are a different market than the 12 year old girls and soccer moms who like farmville.

 

 

also: if this forum were about horror movies we wouldnt spend a lot of time worrying about how horror movies could get profits from soccer moms who only like to watch romantic comedies

Edited August 4, 2010 by entrerix

[Purkake]

There's probably a whole bunch of people playing flash games, free MMOs and Wii Sports that won't buy resident evil or ninja gaiden.

 

It hasn't been a nice neat uniform market for a long time.

 

I don't see why we should worry about them, but that doesn't make what they're doing not gaming.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Purkake

[Nightshape]

I agree with the Estonian...

[Purkake]

It is settled then.

 

[entrerix]

blarg blarg.

 

you're right its not fair to say "you aren't a real gamer cuz you like farmville", i just don't want that kind of lowest common denominator gamemaking to become any more prevalent than it is because the "easy" money might kill more interesting projects.

 

bah.

 

I'm still bitter that their aren't any more good turn based rpg's. I blame farmville.

 

/end crazy rambling

[Purkake]

It's ok to be bitter.

 

Just remember that at the end of the day there's no ivory tower, just a bunch of people on an internet gaming message board.

[Volourn]

"my point was that its not really "gaming" in the sense that resident evil, or ninja gaiden, or baldurs gate are gaming, how many games did you choose not to buy this year because you were playing farmville?"

 

Farmville, and its ilk are games. Just a different approach ie. different genre. I tried Farmville, and didn't care for it personally. But, it is a game. I tried a cooking based one, and it was hella fun and I played it for a couple of months before I got bored with it - which is more than what I get out of the majority of 'traditional' games where I play them once maybe twice and throw them in the trash.

 

I personally prefer a BG over a FV but thankfully I'm not so ignorantly arrogant to think games should only be made if I like them myself. That's silly talk.

[Orogun01]

you're right its not fair to say "you aren't a real gamer cuz you like farmville", i just don't want that kind of lowest common denominator gamemaking to become any more prevalent than it is because the "easy" money might kill more interesting projects.

Of course I can say that "you aren't a real gamer cuz you like farmville" these are the lowest kinds of games that set no level, a gamer may be amused by it but not made.

That's like saying that you are "cinemaphile" because you watched "Baywatch:the movie"

 

I think that the medium of these kinds of games (the internet) is really what drives them and not their quality. It's very comfortable to have a readily available game for when itch hits you, just to go to one site and have that game you want at your hands immediately. That's why a lot of the market has moved and this isn't necessarily the end of hard copies, specially since they give you a sense of ownership.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Speaking of Farmville: http://kotaku.com/5605532/how-an-army-of-j...hes-tech-titans

[Nightshape]

blarg blarg.

 

you're right its not fair to say "you aren't a real gamer cuz you like farmville", i just don't want that kind of lowest common denominator gamemaking to become any more prevalent than it is because the "easy" money might kill more interesting projects.

 

bah.

 

I'm still bitter that their aren't any more good turn based rpg's. I blame farmville.

 

/end crazy rambling

 

I take it that you didn't like Eschalon?

[entrerix]

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/eschalonbook1

 

eh.

 

 

 

i'm looking for something more of this caliber:

 

 

This is one of those rare games that oozes quality from every pore.

Read Full Review >

91

 

Game Revolution

 

The story is so well developed in this game you'll wonder why you've been playing mindless shooting games like "Quake." When you start the game you'll be treated to with one of the most chilling, well-written introductions a game has ever been blessed with.

Read Full Review >

90

 

Adrenaline Vault

 

Above all, the NPC interaction and voice acting are the best in any game to date. This game is possibly the best investment an RPG fan can presently make, and will prove entertaining for countless gaming hours.

 

 

(these are the blurbs for this game btw ... http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...lout?q=fallout)

 

 

 

(EDIT: then again, if you're telling me that eschalon is on par with fallout thats a different story and I am very intrigued...)

Edited August 5, 2010 by entrerix

[Tigranes]

It's not. Eschalon's not meant to be anything innovative, it's meant to be a throwback to old school RPGs for people who wish there were games like that still being made. Which I thought was the point.

[Nightshape]

It's not. Eschalon's not meant to be anything innovative, it's meant to be a throwback to old school RPGs for people who wish there were games like that still being made. Which I thought was the point.

 

Merely pointing the man at a turn based RPG, and he turns round and says "I want Fallout"... *Sigh*, had I known that I wouldn't have said a word.

 

That said, Eschalon knows what it is, and while it's not on par with Fallout, it's certainly turn based, and I've had fun with it.

 

It's also a good example of the kinds of games indie developers can bring to the table.

 

Edit: Basically small indie's could certainly churn out games like FO with relative ease.

Edited August 7, 2010 by Nightshape

[WorstUsernameEver]

I don't know, while I found Eschalon (the demo at least) inferior to Fallout, the combat felt better to me.

Not sure what it has to do with the state of the industry..

 

Moving on topic, I can see the PC industry moving to a download only method of distribution, but I have the feeling it'll be much much slower than a lot of people predict.

[greylord]

Thanks for the telling me about eschalon

Edited August 8, 2010 by greylord

[Purkake]

Thanks for the telling me about eschalon

There's a whole bunch of that kind of weird games made by Spiderweb Software.

 

If you like that kind of stuff...

[greylord]

Thanks for the telling me about eschalon

There's a whole bunch of that kind of weird games made by Spiderweb Software.

 

If you like that kind of stuff...

 

Thanks I'll take a look.