RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS THREAD!

[Morgoth]

I must be missing some key point regarding keys. Arent keys those long codes you have to enter when installing a piece of software? If so, how does buying a key do anything? Dont you still need the software or is that included with the purchase of the key?

On digital distribution platforms (like Steam) keys are proof of ownership.

So buying a steam cd-key amounts to buying a game.

You just register it on your account and then can download the game from provided servers.

 

Huh. Im honestly shocked that Steam doesnt have a master list of keys or some way of knowing that fraudulent keys are being used.

They're not fraudulent. They buy the boxed version of the game, scan in the key and sell it.

[Lexx]

Wasn't there already stories of banned steam accs because of this? That's why I am super careful with such stuff. Over the years I've got a pretty big steam games list...

[pmp10]

Space Marine Review

 

Ehh.

Now that's somewhat surprising.

I wonder if the review embargo is still in force.

Don't know about the full game but as a software package the PC demo was utter trash.

 

Is it actually illegal to sell the keys ?

Depend on how they were obtained.

Many sites offer region specific versions (from Russia/Ukraine/Asia) which are much cheaper.

The problem is selling them outside determined regions breaks terms of agreement so you never know if your cd-key won't get revoked.

Once it's activated you can download it from anywhere. Valve doesn't stalk 30 million people on who got their keys from where.

They occasionally stalk people who buy 'gifted' games (especially when the US version is noticeably cheaper) or those who unlock games early via VPN so you never know.

[Morgoth]

Wasn't there already stories of banned steam accs because of this? That's why I am super careful with such stuff. Over the years I've got a pretty big steam games list...

I think the only way they could find out is actually telling Steam Support Staff about your key bought at those sites.

 

Usually stupid people do that.

[entrerix]

Space Marine Review

 

Ehh.

 

yeah. i think i'll pick it up sometime when its on steam sale for $10, but until then i definitely don't feel the need to play this. i just dont really like action games very much. still, i hope it sells well, i like relic, and i like warhammer.

[Gfted1]

I must be missing some key point regarding keys. Arent keys those long codes you have to enter when installing a piece of software? If so, how does buying a key do anything? Dont you still need the software or is that included with the purchase of the key?

On digital distribution platforms (like Steam) keys are proof of ownership.

So buying a steam cd-key amounts to buying a game.

You just register it on your account and then can download the game from provided servers.

 

Huh. Im honestly shocked that Steam doesnt have a master list of keys or some way of knowing that fraudulent keys are being used.

They're not fraudulent. They buy the boxed version of the game, scan in the key and sell it.

 

So its one-to-one or they buy a boxed version and sell that one key over and over? If its the former, I dont see a problem, but why would anyone buy a boxed copy then sell the key for cheaper than the boxed copy?

[Morgoth]

I must be missing some key point regarding keys. Arent keys those long codes you have to enter when installing a piece of software? If so, how does buying a key do anything? Dont you still need the software or is that included with the purchase of the key?

On digital distribution platforms (like Steam) keys are proof of ownership.

So buying a steam cd-key amounts to buying a game.

You just register it on your account and then can download the game from provided servers.

 

Huh. Im honestly shocked that Steam doesnt have a master list of keys or some way of knowing that fraudulent keys are being used.

They're not fraudulent. They buy the boxed version of the game, scan in the key and sell it.

 

So its one-to-one or they buy a boxed version and sell that one key over and over? If its the former, I dont see a problem, but why would anyone buy a boxed copy then sell the key for cheaper than the boxed copy?

No, one box, one key, one buyer.

 

So they buy a couple hundred boxed versions from Latvia or Russia or other cheap countries, scan each key individually in and then sell it.

 

I always wondered what they do with all these useless boxes and discs then. Maybe selling it back to the Russians?

[Morgoth]

Another Rumor: Timesplitters 4 announcement imminent? Maybe PC version too this time?

[Nepenthe]

Or you just go to a key seller website and get it for like 1/3 of the price at launch.

Or you knock out some old lady in the mall, and buy it with money from her purse.

Now now that would be illegal, don't you think?

 

No, it's ok because she wasn't going to spend that money anyway, so it's not a lost sale or something.

 

So, it's perfectly ok as long as you don't talk to steam support about it? Kind of like mugging the old lady is ok if you don't get caught? :D

[Malcador]

Heh, that's a pretty neat business.

[Hurlshort]

Or you just go to a key seller website and get it for like 1/3 of the price at launch.

Or you knock out some old lady in the mall, and buy it with money from her purse.

Now now that would be illegal, don't you think?

 

No, it's ok because she wasn't going to spend that money anyway, so it's not a lost sale or something.

 

So, it's perfectly ok as long as you don't talk to steam support about it? Kind of like mugging the old lady is ok if you don't get caught? :D

 

No no no, you just make sure you don't mug the same lady twice. You also need to make sure no one else mugs her. Maybe you can take her home and put her on a shelf, that will keep it legal.

[Azdeus]

They're not fraudulent. They buy the boxed version of the game, scan in the key and sell it.

 

Alternatively; 3M Dirt 3 keys nicked.

 

Such nice timing, how thoughtfull.

[greylord]

Or you just go to a key seller website and get it for like 1/3 of the price at launch.

Or you knock out some old lady in the mall, and buy it with money from her purse.

Now now that would be illegal, don't you think?

 

No, it's ok because she wasn't going to spend that money anyway, so it's not a lost sale or something.

 

So, it's perfectly ok as long as you don't talk to steam support about it? Kind of like mugging the old lady is ok if you don't get caught? :D

 

No no no, you just make sure you don't mug the same lady twice. You also need to make sure no one else mugs her. Maybe you can take her home and put her on a shelf, that will keep it legal.

 

That's sort of my thoughts as well...it's not that mugging or buying the keys is illegal...is more about not bringing attention to yourself from the authorities...afterall...they may feel that mugging the old lady WAS illegal or something...how shocking.

 

Personally, to tell the truth...more power to Morg if that's how he get's his keys...at least he's paying someone. It may be the pirates hiding under the illusion of being legit and making a bundle off of him...but at least he's trying to pay someone something.

 

 

In other news...info on Diablo III

 

http://blues.incgamers.com/Posts/10/1/40/8...ly-test-and-nda

 

and this may not be a good sign for Blizzard from the Hackers...some say it's from the Chinese...though it appears it's just people in the know scouring the internet...

 

http://www.gamefront.com/diablo-3-closed-b...fo-leaks-early/

 

And...while we're on that subject of hacking and finding out about the prefixes in the Diablo III beta...on the subject of DRM Just Causes' Christofer Sundberg speaks...

 

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/avalanche-drm-helps-no-one

 

One last thing, list of video cards that work with Diablo III beta is out supposedly...but it's a LONG list so won't crowd out the forum by posting them here.

Edited September 7, 2011 by greylord

[Mamoulian War]

Or you just go to a key seller website and get it for like 1/3 of the price at launch.

Or you knock out some old lady in the mall, and buy it with money from her purse.

Now now that would be illegal, don't you think?

 

No, it's ok because she wasn't going to spend that money anyway, so it's not a lost sale or something.

 

So, it's perfectly ok as long as you don't talk to steam support about it? Kind of like mugging the old lady is ok if you don't get caught? :D

 

No no no, you just make sure you don't mug the same lady twice. You also need to make sure no one else mugs her. Maybe you can take her home and put her on a shelf, that will keep it legal.

 

That's sort of my thoughts as well...it's not that mugging or buying the keys is illegal...is more about not bringing attention to yourself from the authorities...afterall...they may feel that mugging the old lady WAS illegal or something...how shocking.

 

Personally, to tell the truth...more power to Morg if that's how he get's his keys...at least he's paying someone. It may be the pirates hiding under the illusion of being legit and making a bundle off of him...but at least he's trying to pay someone something.

 

 

 

 

No it's more like the same like importing the game from Russia, but with middleman, in this case e-bay, which is much more safer than buying directly from some Russian webpage...

 

Or do you consider Australian gamers who import games from EU to avoid censorship for old lady muggers as well?

Edited September 7, 2011 by Mamoulian War

[Mamoulian War]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/09...tes-and-drm.ars

 

Looks like fisrt FPS I will be buying in ages! Digital Distribution for fine price with no DRM and lots of fun inside

[Malcador]

Those buying the game because of no DRM? You're all suckers. $30 for a DRM-free game just means he could have charged $10 with DRM. Stealing hurts everyone, because if 2/3rds of you steal this for free, I've got to pay 2/3rds more for my game. I have to subsidize your thievery. So, no, I won't buy a non-DRM game, it's bad value. Of course, a game with broken DRM is bad value, too, which is why consoles and Steam exist.

 

"I hope you never had satisfaction playing Mario or Zelda games because none of those support quicksave. They just have checkpoint."

 

Well, 90% of games or something ridiculous, are never finished. So, by not letting people adjust difficulty on the fly, they're just ensuring that no one finishes. Which might be fine. It's not like the game is a novel that has to be finished to be appreciated, after all. I'm sure they don't care if anyone 'experiences' their entire 'artwork', right? There's always cheat codes for the critics and aesthetes among us, right?

 

I liked that comment on the Ars page.

Take your tinfoil hat off.

 

I'm not quoting real numbers and I know it. If you think the majority of players are going to finish a game, that's not the case.

 

If you think Steam and console games have onerous DRM, please be serious.

 

I don't care if you want to support games without DRM. Vote with your wallet, I full support capitalism. I think it's a sucker's move, for the reasons I gave. My argument doesn't depend on my made-up numbers, they're for illustration only. We can talk real numbers, but it's pointless and they wouldn't apply to this game. Obviously developers have to support pirated games, that costs them money and that's money that would otherwise be spent on the developers' work.

 

By using DRM games, I'm subsidizing honest people and developers and you don't have to have those values or agree with me, but my argument isn't invalidated by the size of the numbers.

 

Maybe I commented a bit because I suspect you're all a bunch of sanctimonious thieves. Hardly anyone admits piracy, but the numbers are huge, so you do the math. There are thieves among us and they whine like dogs about DRM constantly while they buy stuff on their iphones. They won't 'pay' the evil activision, but they 'have' to play that game so they pirate. It's total BS and it's criminal.

 

And this one too, heh.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Malcador

[entrerix]

Those buying the game because of no DRM? You're all suckers. $30 for a DRM-free game just means he could have charged $10 with DRM. Stealing hurts everyone, because if 2/3rds of you steal this for free, I've got to pay 2/3rds more for my game. I have to subsidize your thievery. So, no, I won't buy a non-DRM game, it's bad value. Of course, a game with broken DRM is bad value, too, which is why consoles and Steam exist.

 

"I hope you never had satisfaction playing Mario or Zelda games because none of those support quicksave. They just have checkpoint."

 

Well, 90% of games or something ridiculous, are never finished. So, by not letting people adjust difficulty on the fly, they're just ensuring that no one finishes. Which might be fine. It's not like the game is a novel that has to be finished to be appreciated, after all. I'm sure they don't care if anyone 'experiences' their entire 'artwork', right? There's always cheat codes for the critics and aesthetes among us, right?

 

I liked that comment on the Ars page.

 

 

oh my god. i think this might be the most offended I have ever been at the hands (by the words) of another gamer.

 

someone should slap their parents for raising this creature.

[pmp10]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/09...tes-and-drm.ars

I get that they are trying to appeal to elitists but the whole "consoles are dying" argument really doesn't hold water unless you are willing to put some evidence behind it.

And why dose he thinks he can single-handedly revive middle-tier games where developers like Raven have failed?

I wish him luck but don't expect they'll make another game.

[Zoraptor]

[pre pmp10]

Clarke's 1st Law of the Internet: "Any sufficiently advanced trolling is indistinguishable from stupidity"

Clarke's 2nd Law: "Any sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from trolling"

 

And why dose he thinks he can single-handedly revive middle-tier games where developers like Raven have failed?

Paradox has been doing the mid tier thing successfully for years. It's just not really worth the while of any big publisher who wants to make their money in multi-hundred-million dollar chunks via GTA/ CoD/ Sims and the like. If there's one thing DD is very good for it's allowing people to get their stuff out there for relatively little cost and with relatively little reference to 'publishers'.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Zoraptor

[Tale]

Hard Reset so far looks like it's following in the Serious Sam/Painkiller footsteps. I can't get excited about it.

 

 

Clarke's 1st Law of the Internet: "Any sufficiently advanced trolling is indistinguishable from stupidity"

Clarke's 2nd Law: "Any sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from trolling"

Also known as Poe's Law.

[Purkake]

I guess Hard Reset looks a bit cooler than Bodycount...

 

I'll stick to Just Cause 2 and Red Faction: Guerrilla for my fun though.

[MechanicalLemon]

A Game of Thrones: Genesis release date is Sept. 29th

 

So there's roughly three weeks until the game comes out and there's been no gameplay footage or mention of game mechanics? *sigh*

[Hurlshort]

A Game of Thrones: Genesis release date is Sept. 29th

 

So there's roughly three weeks until the game comes out and there's been no gameplay footage or mention of game mechanics? *sigh*

 

It's by the Blood Bowl creator, so it might not be a total disaster. Apparently there is an RPG in the works too.

[Tale]

Why did nobody tell me a Hard Reset demo was available?

 

Edit: And I did not enjoy the demo.

[Orogun01]

A Game of Thrones: Genesis release date is Sept. 29th

 

So there's roughly three weeks until the game comes out and there's been no gameplay footage or mention of game mechanics? *sigh*

That's a very eschewed view that the writer has "Being a strategy game, clearly I would have to receive an odd number of bumps to the head to play it"

 

What a charming ass.