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Denver, 8:30 AM
Thu Nov 12
57 posts in the last 24 hours
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08:22 AM
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
If, Mario Kart Wii (18million and counting) and NSMB DS (15million) numbers are anything to go by I'd say it is very possible NSMB Wii will not only outsell the Xbox 360 version of MW2 (the higher selling of the two), but maybe even combined.
So far COD4, the biggest third party game this generation, never got close to mario kart Wii numbers, not even to NSMB DS numbers. #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
11/10/09
Bit unfair. but surely that's wrong anyway, PC sells nowhere near as console games... #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
It comes as no surprise that the game has done so well, it was the most anticipated game on multiple systems and while much of that may have been dissipated on the PC, IW have got a huge share of the console majority by the balls with this game.
It'll be interesting to see how this translates as far as DLC goes. With such a big market, it'll be very tempting to release a whole load of it.
11/10/09
The even more upsetting thing is the fact that even though they claim to be all about the consumer experience, they are ignoring the consumers and basically saying they don't care what the consumer's want, but instead want the consumers to enjoy what they give them.
I would be shocked if MW2 does nearly as well as CoD4 did on the PC Platform, regardless of how well it does on the console. #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
Ball Hero. #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
I honestly see a lot of companies doing this in the future. That is, cutting accustomed features on the PC version of games and making the console version look much better. Not that they haven't done that before (I can't think of anything off the top of my head but I am sure there is an example). That way they can charge for DLC and generally just have more control over their games.
I honestly feel like PC gaming received a pretty big blow because of this whole debacle. #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
@Zero: lol, I wouldn't put it past them! I can already see the blurb for the sequal - Now with pubes! #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
Anyone remember when Infinity Ward used to be a developer with integrity? When they relied upon the quality of their games to make a profit? Somebody tell me this is all Bobby Kotick's fault, please, and that deep down IW doesn't mean to nickel and dime people like this. #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
When even Carmack considers the removal of dedicated servers, you know shit has hit the fan. #modernwarfare2
11/10/09
11/10/09
Sorry to say PC guys, you're being pushed out. It was bound to happen once developers realized they could make buckets of money by catering to the consoles of this generation, once they became main stream, of course.
The choice for Joe Six-Pack Gamer (or mom buying for said Gamer) is this: 2000 dollar gaming PC that should be upgraded in some way every 6months to 1year, or, a console running 300dollars that won't need to be replaced for 5 to 10years (unless you buy a 360 Buh-ZING!). Even if you spend 10 dollars more per game, the math is pretty telling. I own all 3 of this generations consoles, all the handhelds and a decent gaming laptop for less then it would cost to buy a game PC capable of running Crysis at full.
I remember a time when PC gamers were throwing fits over having to play a console port at all. And now they're complaining because they're being treated just like another console.
My my, how things change. And how they stay the same.
11/10/09
Unfortunately, the PC is dying out and it's making way for pure console domination.
While many publishers are trying their best to murder the PC as a games platform, it isn't dying and never will. There's quite a few reasons why and I won't go into them all or I'll be here till next week. First and foremost however, innovation is pushed by PCs. Consoles are essentially closed computers and the technology inside them is technology that originated in PCs. Without the PC gaming industry, the level of graphics today would be nowhere near the level that they are at now because there would be nowhere for GPU developers to push the boundaries on a regular basis. Consoles would probably now only be at the level of the PSX.
One could argue that the PC has always been the underdog, on a mass market scale, but this really is the shot heard round the world.
One could not argue that the PC has always been the underdog because it has not always been the underdog and you cannot argue otherwise.
It was bound to happen once developers realized they could make buckets of money by catering to the consoles of this generation, once they became main stream
You really don't have a clue, do you. This pattern of developers leaving the PC for consoles is not new but it may shock you to discover that from their ashes, many new developers arise and grow in the PC sector, essentially filling the void. Also, as has been the case a number of times, near the end of a console generation as the capabilities of consoles begin to hit their limit, a few developers return to the PC to make games with less limitations and perhaps come the next generation of consoles, flip-flop yet again.
The choice for Joe Six-Pack Gamer (or mom buying for said Gamer) is this: 2000 dollar gaming PC that should be upgraded in some way every 6months to 1year, or, a console running 300dollars that won't need to be replaced for 5 to 10years (unless you buy a 360 Buh-ZING!)
I don't know how to rank all the different parts of your comment in terms of ignorance but this is well up near the top.
My gaming PC is just on 3 years old. When I bought it, I payed around €1300 for it (it would have been much less if not for the splurging I decided to do like buying a fancy monitor, 5.1 system, premium sound card and a new gaming mouse). With no upgrades since purchasing, I am able to play Crysis at high with x2AA (anti-alaising), x16AF(anisotropic filtering) @1680x1050 resolution with an average FPS of 50 dropping to 35 at the lowest - that average is higher than the majority of console games. Now, if I was to build the same system that still runs everything great, I could buy it for the price of a new PS3.
Now, that's the fallacies of your pricing dealt with. Let's deal with your fallacies about lifespan. My PC is 3 years old. Without upgrading, I can easily get another 2 years out of the system and even after that, for the price of a collectors edition console game, I could make it last another 2 no problem. Then, once I do need to upgrade, I can keep my old PC and use it for a multitude of tasks such as setting it up as a media server, setting it up as a dedicated server, using it as a workstation, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. I hope all those etceteras give you the idea. My point is that unlike consoles, PCs don't have built in obsolescence like consoles and even when they do become obsolete in terms of the technology available, they still retain some use, in otherwords, they are never completely obsolete.
Even if you spend 10 dollars more per game, the math is pretty telling. I own all 3 of this generations consoles, all the handhelds and a decent gaming laptop for less then it would cost to buy a game PC capable of running Crysis at full.
See above. Unless you stole all of your consoles, you could not get all those for the same price as a PC capable of running Crysis. In fact, you could not even buy any two of those for the same cost as it would take to have a PC capable of running Crysis. Again, I have to say it, your ignorance is astonishing. Oh and maybe you should go back to/study more in school because you clearly can't do simple maths.
So, in conclusion, nothing in your comment is right. Everything you have said I have disproven, and done so many times before with ignorant console gamers like yourself. You know, if I was purely a console gamer myself, I'd hate people like you because you give good, intelligent and knowledgeable console gamers a bad name. Perhaps when you grow older, you'll gain some wisdom. Perhaps, if you are already an adult, my comment will spur you on to educate yourself but perhaps, as is common with ignorant people, you will continue down the path of life as blind as you are now. Whatever the case, I hope that someday you open your eyes. #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
Even with those 'silly' things factored in, the point is that a console gamer doesn't have to make that choice. The silliest thing they think about is whether or not to buy a second controller for 50 or 60 dollars (39euros).
Remember, most people don't give 2 shits about setting up a media server or dedicated server or whatever else your etc.'s could be. So while it might be superior in your mind, that's only because you're willing to put time into an increasingly fringe hobby. #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
Now, concerning my argument.
Without any special deals or sales, you can get, for $319:
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic SP1, 32-Bit
AMD Athlon™ II X2 215 (2.7GHz, 1MB)
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 2 DIMMs
320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Integrated ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics
Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
Dell Consumer Entry USB Keyboard and Mouse
Microsoft® Works 9
So, as I said, a perfectly good CPU, 2GB RAM, and a sizable HDD.
Don't have a clue how to install your own GPU? Dell will put in a nVidia 220 GT for an additional $100. Don't mind *gasp* opening your case and shoving some silicon in? I already went over how to determine what kind you need- that isn't hard. But if you must know, brand matters very little, and with CPU-Z and a quick google you can find out every bit of information you need to know about your computer. That said, I'm willing to bet that a 2x1GB DDR2 set of RAM will go in the Dell computer I mentioned, no problem. And, AGP vs PCI-e? Is this 1998? You can get a GTS 250 for $99 on Newegg. Want more RAM? Throw in another 2GB for $30-40.
Total Price:
$448, for best options mentioned.
Add in $30 for shipping (give or take, depends on where you live) and you get my cited $480.
11/11/09
11/11/09
Ok, you got me, there are like a few cables on a PC 'cause most mice require a USB dongle if they are wireless, and oh man, that monitor cable is sooo complicated. #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
11/11/09
You're right, PC gaming has never really caught on. /s
Let me ask, do you expect a 45 year old soccer mom to setup a home entertainment system? You know, the whole thing. TV, Surround Sound, Video Game consoles, DVR, are the like? No, no one would expect it.
And I'll tell you that setting up the equivalent for a PC (Tower, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse) is a lot easier, and was designed to be easy. Most computers (especially Dells) are color coded. Purple cord goes in purple hole. Anyone can figure this stuff out. Green cord in green hole. #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
No offense but duh!
Of course it's easier, that's the point of consoles. If, however, you believe that PC gaming is becoming "an increasingly fringe hobby" then you're sorely mistaken. The PC games industry pulled about about $11 billion in 2008 and top PC games regularly pull in $50 million. In 2007, the industry pulled in $10 billion. That's not becoming a fringe hobby, that's undeniable market growth.
There are those that are to dumb or lazy to build their on PCs and for them there are consoles and prebuilt systems and their ignorance or laziness as far as learning the little it takes to build a PC usually ends up with them spending more than they need to.
It's a common thing. The mass market is generally the lowest common denominator, they're the ones responsible for making all those crappy games sell so well, they're also responsible for themselves being taken as fools as far as price goes because they pay the exhorbant prices for the PCs because they don't know any better.
PC gaming isn't just nerds with high-end systems though and you fail to understand that in your ignorance. Many of the emerging markets on the PC are countries that can't afford high end computers and they are helping to grow the casual market aka the mass market.
There's a plethora of other things I could go into but I'm sure you'll just continue to default to "durr! consoles r easier!" so I won't waste any more of my time.
Here's a link to a PDF from the PCGA that goes over the state of the PC gaming Industry in 2008: [www.pcgamingalliance.org]
Hopefully, you take the time out to read it and educate yourself. #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
And while that article is interesting, i can find a counter article that says the PC game sales for the industry in 2007 was $910 million to consoles $18 billion. Article throwing never ends well, and someone usually looses an eye :P #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
Come up with the easiest explanation of Buying, Building and Hooking up a computer as you can and i can trump it with 3 words, "Buy An Xbox" (or buy a ps3 if you prefer, i own both and have no dog in that fight).
Most soccer moms already have tv's, and we're not talking about DVR's, surround sound systems or anything else, just gaming consoles. 3 plugs, maybe 5, or 1 if you use hdmi, plug in to tv, turn on console. As Master Dex has pointed out, "duh!" #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
Sure, PC gaming isn't as popular as console gaming. As I said the mass market is made up in majority of people who don't have too much of a clue about a whole lot so the ease of use of consoles will always be attractive.
However, PC gaming will never die and if it ever did, console gamers would certainly feel the knock-on effects.
As I said initially, the PC is the home for innovation within the industry and also the birthplace of many developers so you may like your consoles (and I like consoles too - I have a PSP, 360 and I'm getting a PS3 soon) and there isn't a single thing wrong with that but proclaiming the death of PC gaming in a tone that says you're wishing for it is an ignorant and stupid attitude to have because it will effect the games industry as a whole and not in a good way. #modernwarfare2
11/11/09
"Come up with the easiest explanation of Buying, Building and Hooking up a computer as you can and i can trump it with 3 words, "Buy An Xbox" (or buy a ps3 if you prefer, i own both and have no dog in that fight)."
Ok, so... just buy the Dell-Builds-It-For-Me option that I stated. $419. And all that is is the default build + better CPU and GPU chosen.
Anyone might be able to buy a console, but they won't and they haven't. It's just that simple. Why? It's call choice. Some people swing one way, some people swing another.
And, are you seriously going to try to discredit MasterDex's source by saying "I could find a source saying otherwise, but I won't."? Because, sir, that is simply idiotic.
PC gaming is the biggest industry around and pulls in over 90billion dollars a quarter. Meanwhile consoles have been floundering and most games don't even manage over 100k sales. I could cite a source, but that isn't really needed, right? #modernwarfare2
11/06/09
Theres nothing better than making money off of video games. #activision
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
Would you fellows say Blizzard has been going uphill or downhill in the last 2 years? (As far as a good gaming company goes.) #activision
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
I bet Infinity Ward and Blizzard would prefer that Bobby Kotick and his cronies only make $300 million this year, if it meant they could create the games they wanted, instead of the watered down, overpriced and nickel-and-diming bullshit they're being forced to produce. #activision
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/04/09
When Bethesda started selling horse armor in Oblivion, people freaked out too, but selling meaningful items in multiplayer games hasn't become prevalent, and it's not going to happen on WoW, either. There is an enormous difference between selling cosmetic perks and statistical upgrades, and while the former may not be pleasant or palatable as far as those unwilling to shell out the cash required are concerned, most players either don't care or are perfectly willing to drop five dollars here and another five there. For the purists this will still be unacceptable, but for the majority of the people who play the game, it's a non-issue, and I'm sure I'm not the only WoW player who has noticed that Blizzard *gasp* has been catering to the average player's whims for several years now. Yes, this is how companies make a profit, but this is also how said companies keep their customers happy. We are not dealing with economics on a macroscale, supply does not create its own demand within the microcosm of the game world; Blizzard is selling pets because they know that enough people will buy them to turn a profit, which is among other things one of the reasons that the company exists--to make a profit for its shareholders. If you are uncomfortable with that, don't play, better yet, play indie games that have absolutely none of the wicked taint of capitalism. #worldofwarcraft
11/04/09
Personally, I find this deeply alarming. I dislike it for the reasons that have been mentioned- price for the content, the tax deductibility BS, but there is a bigger reason for me. WoW is deeply addictive, I think this is pretty well documented. I'm not saying most people get addicted, I'm not, but a lot of people do. And this move clearly caters to the addicts.
The problem, then, is one of philosophy- how can anyone remain loyal to a company that instead of regretting the addictive nature of their game, decides to capitalize and profit off of it? This is the black side of capitalism. It's not the same extreme, but it's the same thought process as drug dealers and war profiteers. In my eyes, this move is nothing short of evil. I dropped my WoW subscription two weeks ago because I was getting tired of it. I'll be honest, with as much work as I've invested, and as much as I enjoy it, I will probably be back. But this certainly gives me pause- and any progress in this direction (further, more grand microtransactions) would cause me to quit the game, if only because of how much I despise it. #worldofwarcraft
11/04/09
Honestly I knew Blizzard had sold out their moral values when they decided to allow race changes/faction Changes.
I used to to think that Blizzard would never go so far as to have all of this "Pay for extras" garbage but let's be honest, how long is it before you have to pay $5 to access the newest raid dungeon or play in a new battleground? Things are going downhill fast for Blizzard/WoW and it seems like their stockholders are gaining too much ground in the company.
Mark my words it's only a matter of time before they implement more and more drastic things that you can pay real money for to do in the game rather than make the awesome free content they have in the past. #worldofwarcraft
11/04/09
Seriously, these allegations are ridiculously paranoid. For starters, any free items. dungeons, or any other general content Blizzard elects to put in the game is done purely out of their good will toward players. What you pay for when you purchase the game is the content that is there, and an unspoken promise that things that are broken or imbalanced will be fixed as the issues are discovered. You continue to pay for this support, as well as the right to use Blizzard's servers, as you pay the monthly fees.
Receiving free dungeons is not part of this detail. However, new raid content has been released for free by Blizzard in the past, as well as numerous other elements. This is another sort of unspoken agreement wherein Blizzard sets a certain precedent of behavior. With the sort of support WoW receives, it would be dangerous to act outside of that precedent and do all of these paranoid things that are being claimed, e.g. charging for raid content.
Honestly, the kind of slippery logic being used to prophesy the downfall of WoW is very much akin to diagnosing cancer from a sneezing fit. These charges are purely cosmetic, and the only impact they have on the game is that some people will want them and can't get them, and others will look at them at the great portent of Doomsday. Everyone else will play the game, and as long as the standards Blizzard has set for actual, playable content remain the same, that set of 'everyone else' will do just fine to ignore the hell out of the conspiracy theorists. #worldofwarcraft
11/04/09
I think most people feel this newly popularized trend of micro-transactions is smearing the lines of ethics in an burgeoning market that is relatively unregulated. I personally, drew less on the obvious logic that Blizzard is a business and first and foremost their responsibility is to their stockholders and not the consumer and had an emotional reaction. I think that's what is happening with many of the posters here. #worldofwarcraft
11/05/09
I will freely admit that you are obviously paying for any new content as you pay the subscription fee, but what is really relevant from a consumer standpoint is what you feel like you're paying for. Granted this is anecdotal, but most of the players I've met don't think about the fees going toward new content. They take for granted that they are paying 15 dollars a month to access Blizzard's servers, and that's where they leave it.
I think this sentiment is somewhat apparent in the above arguments, seeing as one expressed concern is that we might be charged for raid content. Well, we already are, but so long as no extra costs are applied, it appears as though all changes made are free within the package we purchased. It's more a question of psychology than anything.
That said, Blizzard has been successful for a long time, and I highly doubt that their business managers would make such a huge misstep as charging for things they're already doing. I don't really see this move as being any different from giving Grunties to people who paid to watch the Blizzcon feed. It's fun to have if you've got the money, but it's completely unnecessary otherwise. #worldofwarcraft
11/05/09