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Sony May Use Downloads To Fight Piracy
Gamaustra reports that Sony may be planning to use game downloads to deter piracy in Asia. From the article: "According to the article, Yasuda is quoted as saying that the 2006 plan of SCE Asia is to construct a PlayStation 3 infrastructure on which software makers can distribute software digitally ... selected developers will get prototype funding from KIPA, and additional post-prototype funding from SCEJ, as well as free technical support and PlayStation 3 development kit rentals. Further online reports have indicated that digital downloads of game material, as currently available for the Xbox 360, should be relatively simple with the PlayStation 3, though details of the PS3's online service are still closely veiled." Kotaku, meanwhile, reports that some Korean developers don't like this idea.
It's not that Korea doesn't like the idea, they just didn't like having their IP belonging to Sony. But guess what, since Sony is footing the bill, of course they own it, much like working at a salary job; everything you make on the clock belongs to your master, unless state otherwise.
I agree wholeheartedly. I remember the days of the old Origin games, where you got full color maps, supplements, a history to read, etc. It was just fun, and made you feel like you'd got your money's worth. Now, PC games just throw a reference card in (if you're lucky) and have a CD booklet with install instructions. Console games have 5 page manuals, 3 of which include seizure warnings, a blank "notes" page (what the hell for?), and a diagram showing the buttons on the controller that DOESN'T even show what the buttons are used for in that game (it just shows the controller so you know what "A" and "B" refer to). The 2 pages of actual game material are in 20pt font and mostly tell you how to put the disc in the drive.
The glory days of buying a game and getting excited to take it home are long gone. I guess too much money is made licensing out to Brady and Prima for game guides. And even they're not that engaging.
This reminds me of when consoles started using CDs. Playstation came out and used CDS, and load times were slow, and it kind of brought down the system. Nintendo waited until the technology was ready and their first CD based system the game cube had great load times. Granted, Sony won on this front because it provided such an advantage is storage space, that the users loved it, even with the load times. The same way, I think Network game distribution is the future, but the technology isn't really ready yet. I don't really think if offers much advantage to the developers, or the consumers, at least not in the way sony is doing it. For this reason, I don't think that this will be a very popular system.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
I agree wholeheartedly. I remember the days of the old Origin games, where you got full color maps, supplements, a history to read, etc. It was just fun, and made you feel like you'd got your money's worth. Now, PC games just throw a reference card in (if you're lucky) and have a CD booklet with install instructions. Console games have 5 page manuals, 3 of which include seizure warnings, a blank "notes" page (what the hell for?), and a diagram showing the buttons on the controller that DOESN'T even show what the buttons are used for in that game (it just shows the controller so you know what "A" and "B" refer to). The 2 pages of actual game material are in 20pt font and mostly tell you how to put the disc in the drive.
I remember that too. My recent purchase of Sims 2 for the xBox was very disappointing - they don't even give you any useful cheats, or tell you the basic rules of the game in the console version.
Everyone assumes you're going to buy the book to play it.
I usually do buy the book, but I hate being told I have to. When I got the book for Sims: The Urbz, it turned out half the book was for a PSP/GameBoy version that I wasn't going to be buying. Man, I felt gypped.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Simple.
Because people keep BUYING the games without them.
Artwork, maps, and the like are an added expense. And as long as customers are willing to whine, moan, and complain... but keep buying the product... why would you expect publishers to do otherwise?
Things like this are why I got out of gaming when I sold my C-64. Sure, the graphics have gotten better. But is there anyone here who can honestly say that the game play has improved so much that it's worth being treated like a thief on the one hand and an open wallet on the other?