Posts by zaphod

  • They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

    I agree with your Frie, that some people like the benefits of digital distribution while others like having the physical copy - and no amount of debate will change that. If a game came out only via Digital Distribution, do you think it would lessen the chances of you buying it?

    I also wonder if it will end up being a generational thing, something like more of the adults who have been gaming for a while are nostalgic about having the box and manual and that kind of stuff, but younger kids don't have as much attachment to that and would be more likely to favor digital distribution in today's digital landscape? It will be interesting to see where the future of DD will go. It seems to be picking up steam (lol, sorry had to) at the moment.

    Price isn't really a huge deal for me, I don't buy a lot of games and when I actually run into something I want to pay it does not really matter how much it costs. But I think compared to the retail version of the same game, if you could get it 10 dollars cheaper digitally rather than off the shelf it might be a bigger deal.

  • They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

    Quote from Taylor

    But if you want your game to sell it’s going to have to be published, and PC publishers are just as restrictive as their console counterparts (except maybe Nintendo). Where exactly is this slew of innovative games carrying the torch for the PC? I admit the potential is there, but the mainstream is still the same FPS stamped out with improved foliage.

    Also, you said the PC is the platform for “games that don't fit into the blockbuster console mold.” Pretty valid conclusion to draw from that, I think?

    The only reason that a game that doesn't sell a million units is considered a failure is because of the bloated development costs, marketing, etc that has evolved to such a ridiculous point in order to make a profit on a game that took 30 million dollars to make. There are plenty of games that sell much less that are considered a big success because they took a fraction of the resources to develop.

    innovative games on the pc?

    how about the entire MMO genre? owes it's entire existence to the PC and all the different open worlds that had been projects of independent pc developers.

    but if you are looking for the millions of unit sellers, (ok besides wow) you are right those are mainstream and similar to their console counterparts, but where are the non mainstream console games? It just doesn't make sense for console manufacturers to devote any space on their system for games that aren't going to sell a certain number of units. But if it's on the PC, I know I can get it - even if it's a terribly unpopular game but I happen to love it.

  • They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

    Quote from FrieChamp

    zaphod: I agree that preaching down to the people about the moral issues of software piracy won't change anything on a global scale, but maybe it can influence a few individuals in our humble space here, to rethink their decision to download a game (illegally). Overall though I think your comparison to the music industry is valid. One thing I do not understand is - what makes you think buying a game nowadays is more hassle than pirating it? I'm not sure what monster connection you are on, but downloading a game demo can easily take half a day for me (demo file sizes and playtime is worth a thread on its own actually...). Downloading the entire game via torrent must take even longer, or at least it takes longer than going to the shop and pick up the hard copy (unless you live in Alaska). Or would you consider leaving your house a hassle?

    It's all well and good to try and persuade someone personally not pirate games just as a moral debate, I think the main point I was trying to form was that I don't think that piracy is only kids too poor to buy a game. I think there are a lot of people that pirate games that could easily afford them, and factors other than price are driving them to make that choice instead of going to the store and buying a copy or ordering one online. I think it's important for people to analyze why people are making the choice to pirate besides the cost issue (though I think that is a valid issue to look at) instead of just saying, of all pc gamers are immoral pirate teenagers, and thats the only force causing them to pirate games. I look to the music industry example and they found out with itunes that while yea, a good number of people liked downloading songs because it was free, it turned out there was a large audience of people that simply preferred the convenience of downloading songs digitally, and now itunes makes mondo bucks in a market that everyone thought you couldn't monetize because "people just wanted free music".

    I really would rather download a game than go to a store and buy it. It may turn out to be quicker to physically go to a store, but I can be downloading a game and be doing anything else I want in the mean time, I don't have to waste gas and drive down to the mall, I don't have to stand in line next to the brats that are trying to con the cashier into letting them buy an M rated game, I don't have to say that no, I don't want to buy the guide or the scratch insurance. I don't have to drive BACK to the store when my disc gets scratched and try to convince them to give me another copy, when all I want to do is freakin play the game after I have made the decision I want it. I can get the game whether target or gamestop or bestbuy is closed or not. Instead of stopping what I am doing and getting in the car, I can just click something and forget about it until it's done. I don't have to deal with updates, and I can never lose or damage my game. And it's cheaper.

  • They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

    I'm basing my statement on the fact that on any closed platform, innovation has to be funded and recognized by a commercial company and will utilized as a commercial tool.

    On a completely open platform developers can be literally anybody and can can spread their work at anytime anywhere for any goal.

    Hell, I don't even think that innovation is really the greatest goal to be going after, but I think the PC platform has any closed console beat hands down in terms of being the best platform for innovation.

    I didn't say that consoles only have blockbuster games, I said they will continue to be the main stage for them.

  • They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

    I think the console market will continue forward as the main stage for bigger and bigger budget blockbuster games.

    I think the PC platform will continue to be the groundbreaking platform for innovation, service-based games that don't function as well within the framework of a closed platform (mmo's and similar), as well other games that don't fit into the blockbuster console mold. There are certain types of games an applications that will always flourish better on an open and un-regulated platform.

  • They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

    Quote from Fletch

    Having no copy-protection - Hahahahaha. Yeah, and it would be great if I shit donuts. Not going to happen. You're asking a huge publisher to take a product they put millions into and not have copy-protection? What are you smoking, and can I have some? I know it's annoying, but let's face it, the PC gamer community has done zilch to develop any sort of trust with the publishers. The piracy rate is huge, and people in this very thread and just completely un-repentant about it. Explain why we should have any motivation to help you out. You think putting in a CD-Key is annoying? Try getting shorted on a paycheck because of low sales. That's really fucking annoying.

    this is like some kind of bizzaro argument from bizzaro land. It almost seems like you think developers hold some kind of awesome power over consumers and they had better be nice or they won't get the magnificent creations you are hoarding. News flash, commercial game developers exist to serve the consumers, not the other way around. The PC gamer community has some kind of obligation to instill trust with game publishers? Please publisher man! Please let me prove myself worthy to consume your generous products! Why should you have any motivation to try and change things so that pirates will buy your game instead of pirating them? Well I would assume it's because you want them as a customer otherwise I don't know what this entire argument is about.

  • They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

    This is a fun thread

    It's interesting to see the how different some people's opinions are on this.

    I think it's pretty pointless for developers to be crying "but it's not fair! You shouldn't pirate games because it's morally reprehensible! You are taking food out of my mouth!" While all those things may be true to you personally, that means just about ZERO to the average consumer - and screaming from the moral high ground to the people below while at the same time flapping your arms around saying the sky is falling is just plain masturbatory. The PC market is the way it is, and no amount of preaching or PSA's or big developer doe eyes are going to change it. Either don't address the issue and keep releasing your PC games they way they are and take the piracy hit, change the way you do business and address the issue, or get out of the PC market. Adapt (Digital Distribution), Migrate (Consoles), or Die.

    Buying games is not a personal thing for most people. People's actions are driven by cost, convenience, and value - and if someone pirates a game because it falls short in one of these categories, the task to adjust the product to fit correctly in these categories in order to fit the target audience is completely on the people producing the product.

    God I love steam. You know why? Because I can purchase, download, install and play a game faster and easier than I could find a torrent, download a game, install and crack it. What a novel fucking idea! If it's more convenient for someone to download a game illegally, than it is to buy it legally - maybe it's time to look at how we deliver games. I seem to remember something about the music industry at the beginning of this decade and how some companies adapted to top the convenience of digital piracy, and some did not.

    I am completely pro-DRM because when it is done the right way, it's in the best interests of the copyright owners AND the consumers. Look at WoW. Have you ever heard of anybody lamenting how they wish they could pirate a copy of WoW because it would be more convenient or they can't afford to pay? No, you don't. You know why? Because they provide a service that is so valuable to it's customers that they wouldn't dream of pirating it. People WANT to pay to play WoW. They have so much value invested in this game that they gladly pay a monthly fee in order to keep it secure.

    Digitally distribute your games, reduce the price by whatever you are saving on dvd production, packaging, shipping, and paying off gamestop and wallmart for a good spot on the shelf. Tie it to a username, pay by credit card. It's 2008, if someone thinks that doing business that way is "ookie" then lose them as a customer. When you come out with a good game and the only way to get it is via that system, they will use it. But it had better be convenient, and if you come up with your own service your game had better be fucking stellar becuase customers aren't going to sign up on 8 different services just to play your game unless it's gold. And every single person who plays your game will have bought it, and developers will receive more of what they deserve - money from the wallets of the players. Not money from gamestop who gave it to EA who gave it to shareholders, who generously gifted a fraction to a development company who gives a smaller fraction to an artist or a programmer.

    but in short -

    developers u guyz no fair!!! stop teh piratingz u maek us sad we arent gunna make u games ne more!!!

    consumers lol wuteveer I am fine w/ it. Pirating games is easy and cheap. Buying games is hard and expensive. I am getting everything I want!

    developers don't u realizing u r hurting our business?

    consumers :megaman: lul wat? I cant hear u i am playing cod4 multiplayer. I just downloaded it in liek an hour. They don't even lock out pirated keys lol

    developers :-|

    developers what if we made it even easier to get and play our games than downloading them? You will jus liek click and then you will be playing! We even cud liek let u play it wherever you want, and liek see what other games your friends are playing and other cool shit like that.

    consumers woot, lol dat is cool. I have 80 bucks saved up from sum gaem I pirated that I didn't want to go to da store 2 get cuz I am lazy and i liek to do things easy since I am a consumer and dats wat i liek.

    yea, thats (a tad) oversimplified, and I'm sure everyone has a ton of opinions that are 100% opposite from mine as a developer but thats what makes it my opinion and not yours.

  • go-kart model

    thats actually what I am blatantly ripping off track-layout wise.

    been doing some more work on it, things have been sort of busy and I really need to clamp down and get this thing presentable. At the end of the week I am going up to SF for a week with my kart-ner and some friends, we are also stopping by the NS guys' little thing http://www.unknownworlds.com/postmortem and we thought it would be cool to have something to show there. We have been working on the camera and kart a lot recently too so we hope for our next video to feature some driving.

    [Blocked Image: http://nimblebit.com/circuit4.jpg]

  • go-kart model

    was working on those platforms today. The big "zero gear" text signs scroll.

    Also got a version up in running in the game, got the scale right (the general rule seems to be it always needs to be twice as big as you think it should be from looking at in in maya) and it seems like it will be a great map to tune the steering and other mechanics on the kart which is what Brian is working on. Next I want to put up a fence that curves in toward the top on the overpass, and put something on the round platforms as well as figure out some other barriers for other stretches on the track.

    [Blocked Image: http://nimblebit.com/circuit3.jpg]

  • go-kart model

    ah, I see what you mean, it just clips it off if your monitor isn't wide enough. Well it's mirred on each side so you should be able to get the gist of it

    I will make my images smaller the next time.

  • go-kart model

    it is banked, but I'm not really sure how much until I get in there and drive on it.

    If anyone has suggestions for things to have around the track I'm all ears. A lot of it is going to be infilled with grass, and the little islands in there I figured will have some grass and flowers or something on them with some kind of signs or structures rising out of it. I'm also thinking of putting the entire thing inside a stadium that is half open to the sky.

  • go-kart model

    things have been slow the past week or so as I have been deathly ill, as well as been taking some time out to write an article (almost 4,000 words!) called:

    Budgets Go Down, Independence Goes Up. 9 steps to saving millions, indie style.

    I am just now starting to feel like myself again, and have started on a new traditional circuit-type racetrack which I'm hoping will be best suited for working out the driving model. I have the basic layout done, I am working on modeling out the details.

  • Who's your #1 in games?

    Been thinking about it a little bit more, here are some of the reasons I say Valve:

    • - Forward thinking. They believe in PC games, and they didn't like having to rely on publishers to distribute their games, so they create Steam.

      - Utopian development environment. By all accounts, the design and development process on Valve games using small cabals is very creative and liberating, and sounds closest to the way games should be developed ideally.

      - Thinking outside the box. Instead of just following the commercial trends of other successful games, Valve finds a vision of a game they want to go after, and find the brains from outside or inside the industry to get it done.

      - They are champions of indie developers. Valve has taken the best indie/amature/student developers all throughout it's history. Team Fortress, CS, DoD, Portal, and many more less publicized cases.

      - They don't give a fuck. They do whatever they think is right regardless of what anybody not inside their circle thinks. Their number one priority seems to be to make the cool shit they want, and to do whatever it takes to ensure that they can.