Live 12-Hour Oblivion Marathon

What has the world come to? by Sp00nMan · 2006-03-20 09:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

It's a sad, sad world when people will pay to watch someone else play a game over the internet.. ...unless of course it involves porn :)

Re:What has the world come to? by Hannah+E.+Davis · 2006-03-20 09:25 · Score: 2, Interesting

Is it really any worse than watching other people play sports?
Re:What has the world come to? by Sp00nMan · 2006-03-20 09:27 · Score: 1

Well yea.. he's not playing against another person.. but a computer.. I guess you could equate it with watching Kasperov (sp?) playing chess against Big Blue..

Not my cup of tea though..
Re:What has the world come to? by MortimerV · 2006-03-20 09:29 · Score: 2, Insightful

No, it's more like watching a 12 hour D&D session. With one player and one DM. Not terribly exciting, unless you're the one playing.
Re:What has the world come to? by pulse2600 · 2006-03-21 01:20 · Score: 1

I can't really say I find it stimulating to watch other people play video games...I'd much rather be doing the playing. Not sure why I feel so different about watching a sport (I'm a big hockey fan) but somehow I just do.

Marathons by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 09:24 · Score: 0

There are some other "gaming" marathons I'd rather watch than some dude playing Morrowind.

Really? by ArkonChakravanti · 2006-03-20 09:25 · Score: 3, Insightful

12 WHOLE hours? Wow what a hardcore gamer...

But seriously, making this sound like an achievement is an achievement...

Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 14:25 · Score: 0

I'll go for a real achievement. Watch for my upcoming internet event where I will play Daikatana for an entire TWELVE MINUTES STRAIGHT!!!!!!! LIVE ON THE INTERNETS!!!
Re:Really? by deemaunik · 2006-03-20 15:33 · Score: 1

Not sure if there's no one else out there that'd agree, but on any given weekend, or time I have off work, I can put as much as 15-20 hours [Off and on] into WoW to bleed off the stress I pick up during the week.
Granted, it's not an achievement, but sometimes that's as effective to me as a weekend at the beach might be for someone else. Or 20 hours of sleep. =) In today's society, twelve hours gaming doesn't seem like that much, at least to me. And to alot more on the web, I'd assume.
Re:Really? by KDR_11k · 2006-03-20 23:59 · Score: 1

Dude, I'd love to see that but snuff videos are illegal here.

--
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.

erm.. by Turn-X+Alphonse · 2006-03-20 09:31 · Score: 0

So what? Some guy plays for 12 hours, just like most gamers have done several times in their life. It's not exactly a difficult thing to do or anything.

--
I like muppets.

Re:erm.. by Babbster · 2006-03-20 10:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

Wow, you and others are really bitter about this for some reason.

I don't think the point is that playing for 12 hours is an achievement of note. I think the interest comes from the fact that a game reviewer is playing a game and, essentially, demoing it for folks for 12 hours live on the Internet. I can see where people might find that interesting, especially if they're one of the people - the many people if online talk means anything - who are considering buying an Xbox 360 or new PC components specifically for this game. For those people, the cost of a month's subscription to the site in order to watch the proceedings (perhaps not all 12 hours) might be well worth the money. It could also provide some insight into the thinking of a professional game reviewer while he's actually playing a game.

Again, playing for 12 hours is no achievement at all. Like many, I've done 24+ hours stopping only to let caffeinated liquid out of my body. But that doesn't mean that this event isn't worthwhile or interesting.
Re:erm.. by LurkerXXX · 2006-03-20 11:56 · Score: 1

I think a demo of the game would be much more useful that watching some 'professional' game reviewer play. Most 'professional' game reviews suck. Games get a 7 out of ten even if they are complete crap. Does anyone give any real credence to 'professional' game reviews anymore?
Re:erm.. by Reapy · 2006-03-21 05:06 · Score: 2, Interesting

I for one, have been looking forward to Oblivion since I heard it's annoucnment, and the only picture was that silly little picture of the name.

I've been holding off watching videos because I remember running off the ship in morrowind and standing with my mouth agape looking at the fucking amazing water. I jumpped right in that, and ran around in it for a good 15 minutes watching it splash and move around different ways.

Then I remember picking up and throwing silverware and forks and all the "junk" all over the freaken world. It was as cluttered as an ultima game, but in 3d!

So I want that again with oblivion. I want to crawl out of the dungeon and just gape at the amazing world they created.

But, I cracked last night, and watched him play for a bit.

I enjoyed it a lot. I watched for maybe 15 minutes or so. This really reminded me of playing the game with my buddies. It was sort of like we all got the game, unwrapped it, and started plowing along with one guy driving and the rest of us commenting.

I honestly could see myself leaving the window up last night while I was surfing the web and doing other things and watching the wonderful game that is oblivion. I just wanted to save the exploring for myself, so I turned it off.

I enjoyed the reviewers little comments as he played, and I could see him really getting into it, and doing a great job showing off things in the game. It was probably the best type of review you could EVER get for a game.

So I think this was a really cool idea, and wouldn't mind seeing more of these types of things going on.
Re:erm.. by MK_CSGuy · 2006-03-21 11:51 · Score: 1

I've done 24+ hours stopping only to let caffeinated liquid out of my body
Pff, hardcore gamers don't stop for such trifles.

The Koreans do it better by DrSkwid · 2006-03-20 09:32 · Score: 4, Funny

50 hours
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2005Aug/bga20050 810031766.htm

Second gamer dies after massive binge
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2120472/second-g amer-dies-massive-binge

etc.etc.

--
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter

Re:The Koreans do it better by HolyCrapSCOsux · 2006-03-20 10:08 · Score: 1

This could open a door to a new extreme sport. Marathon Gaming. A true "Last Man Standing" competition.
The last one alive.. Wins!
Each person pays $10,000 to play. The last one wins the pot.

--
0xB315AA8D852DCD3F3DCA578FD2E0BF88
Re:The Koreans do it better by Tickenest · 2006-03-20 10:47 · Score: 1

So you're suggesting that you want this guy to die? Actually, yes, I guess so.

--
This is the NFL, which stands for "Not For Long" if you keep making those bulls*** calls.
Re:The Koreans do it better by MBraynard · 2006-03-20 10:48 · Score: 1

In one of the recent Sci Fi anthologies that come out every year there was a story that involved this very thing. Was some kind of virtual reality game and contestants tried to see how long they could go without falling asleep.
Re:The Koreans do it better by DrSkwid · 2006-03-20 10:58 · Score: 1

not really, but it makes better TV than watching him play Morrowind !

--
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Re:The Koreans do it better by deemaunik · 2006-03-20 15:42 · Score: 1

I really don't grasp how people can die after just a couple days of playing games. I used to do this in college all the time, the entire weekend would be spent playing, and it was no big deal. Hell, stimulant abusers, such as truckers can keep at whatever they're doing for upwards of three to five days, feeding the high. I just don't understand how someone can drop dead after playing games for too long, but observing needs such as urinating. I'm assuming he at least drank water and ate during this time, otherwise the one on the "three day binge" would have died of dehydration, and that would have been painful as hell, and wouldn't have happened. *Shrugs* I just don't see how someone's body could be so fragile when shit like this is done so often and goes unreported because it's... common.
Re:The Koreans do it better by DrSkwid · 2006-03-20 21:56 · Score: 1

yer, it is a bit strange. I stayed awake for 72 hours without any stimulant in my youth.
Crazy Asians =)

--
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter

marathon training for my gf? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 09:33 · Score: 0

I can't even get to to watch 10 minutes of GTA...

In related news... by ZombieRoboNinja · 2006-03-20 09:34 · Score: 4, Funny

David Cross has seen remarkable success in his business model of eating barbeque pork ribs and describing the experience to Orthodox Jews.

"Mmm, this is delicious! Falling off the bone! Too bad your God won't let you eat this, mine doesn't give a crap!"

Seriously. I want to PLAY THE GAME, not watch some media guy play the game (and almost certainly ruin the plot for me in the process). What kind of masochist would watch this?

Re:In related news... by daemon_mf · 2006-03-20 10:00 · Score: 0

I know, right? It's not like anyone else that can't get what they want watches it obsessively. Now back to masturbating to chicks I can't get and then watching MTV's Cribs... Seriously... how 'bout just not watching??

Hmm... by Opportunist · 2006-03-20 09:36 · Score: 2, Insightful

We've been watching sports for ages. It's only logical that the same happens with games.

Today it might seem strange. Watching someone play a game, I mean duuuuh? Can't do it yourself?

This might change. Let's go into the realm of sports, let's go to American Football. Sure, you can play it yourself. But will you ever catch a 80 yards pass? Will you ever kick a 50 yards field goal? Or baseball, will you ever throw a ball in curves like the pros? Or hit for a killer homerun?

Today's computer games don't really lend themselves well for "pro-gaming". They're too easy. Everyone can play them at a decent level. After all, that's what they're made for: For the general audience. They have to be playable for everyone, at a more or less decent level.

This might change, we might see the advent of "pro games". Games with a difficulty that scales up with the skill of the player, where the game doesn't "level off" at a certain point where more skill does not automatically mean better playing.

And a more interesting game. Watching a game can be more interesting when you actually get to see something you won't see at home, because the pro player can do stunts you won't ever be able to copy. Current games don't offer this kind of experience.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.

Re:Hmm... by Tom · 2006-03-20 09:47 · Score: 1

Today's computer games don't really lend themselves well for "pro-gaming". They're too easy. Everyone can play them at a decent level.

You've not played True Combat against me, or Descent (I, II, no matter) against a friend of mine. He practically ate us all for lunch, even when we banded together. In TC I used to go on servers without armour and only a pistol and still ruled. I've seen other people play RTS games at such a speed that I could barely follow what was going on.

Skill's most definitely a factor. Yes, everyone can play at some level. Same with sports. I'd even say that is exactly why sports are so huge - most of the huge sports are those that the most people are familiar with, like soccer or in the US football/basketball.

--
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Re:Hmm... by Opportunist · 2006-03-20 10:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

Well, don't get me wrong but just because your friend ate you all at Descent doesn't mean that he's a one of a kind unique super pro player. I pretty much left my friends behind me at Grand Prix Legends on a regular base, with default settings and a full tank against tuned cars. No problem.

Then I went online. Then I saw that I really, really suck and can't even remotely hold a candle to some others.

But at some level, current games limit you. There is such a thing as a "perfect game" in today's games, where the outcome of a match between two players playing "perfect games" is a matter of (very rare) mistakes or (more often) sheer luck. This is actually more true in RTS games than shooters, but still, the game puts both players on equal grounds, when it comes to physics and their avatar's abilities.

Both run at equal speed, jump equally far, both guns shoot equally accurately, both avatars get exhausted equally quickly, or in RTS games, both builder units build equally fast and both units have equal HPs. The game is in balance. Simply because it has to be.

Sports are rarely in balance, if ever. One player has more stamina. Or more strength. Or he can run faster. Sports is not only a game of tactics and strategy, it's also a matter of your physical condition. That part has been eliminated in computer games.

If you can bring this element back into games, if you manage to put more emphasis on the player's abilities and shortcomings instead of artificial, equalizing advantages and limitations the game imposes, the game has the qualities of being played on a professional level.

If you have to invest considerable time to play an interesting game, especially a game that's interesting to watch because you simply cannot duplicate what the person playing does, the game has what it takes to be taken serious in professional gaming. Until then, if you can pretty much do everything a professional could do at home, nobody will seriously consider watching.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Hmm... by boldtbanan · 2006-03-20 10:37 · Score: 1
Games will never make it to this level for quite a few reasons.
1. Nobody cares - Basically, people only care about a small subsection of games that they play and can understand. If someone never played a game, or hasn't at least watched some one play it a lot, any feats that a super-awesome player manages to accomplish are meaningless to the watcher. You have to understand something to appreciate it...it's the same with real world sports as well. People who don't play or watch golf regularly don't appreciate an amazing come-back shot from a bunker that lands 2 inches from the cup. It will be the same with games
2. Games last 4-6 years at best - Since new generations of games come out so fast, they don't have time to build up the massive fan base of real world sports that have been played for 100+ years for the most popular ones. Without the time to build a fan base, your left with reason #1
3. It doesn't pay to make 'super-pro' games - The market for a game that would show a significant visible difference between the abilities of pro gamers and casual gamers is pretty small. Few people want to play a game that takes the effort reqired to achieve pro gamer status, and if the difference is hugely significant, they will get tired of being slaughtered by the pro gamers. Notice how I said visible difference...while almost all games have significant differences in the skill levels of pro vs casual gamers, it's not very obvious to the un-trained eye. Back to #1
That said, the most likely chance for something like this to grow is as a side-feature to MMORPGs. They have a large enough base, and enough people who are willing to sink an inhuman amount of hours raising their 'kick' skill by 1 point. Make it extremely hard and time-consuming to raise levels (to a pro-level), and you have just emulated real-world athletic training. Make there be some intrinsic talent required (good hand/eye co-ordination) and you get a little closer. Now make a game that the lay-person can watch on a tv and be interested in and you have a chance, but with current gaming mechanics, I don't see this breaking through to the mainstream any time soon.
Re:Hmm... by 9mm+Censor · 2006-03-20 11:05 · Score: 1

"Sports are rarely in balance, if ever. One player has more stamina. Or more strength. Or he can run faster. Sports is not only a game of tactics and strategy, it's also a matter of your physical condition. That part has been eliminated in computer games." Games dont have perfect balance either. EG, FPS: 1v1 DM... both players start with same health and weapons (offence), but quickly the balance shifts, as players gather and lose health, armor and weapons. Soon 1 player may have more strength (weapons) or health, and the other player must exploit their oppenents weaknesses and play on their strengths just as any sports player.
Re:Hmm... by wernercd · 2006-03-20 11:21 · Score: 1

Id say this isn't the case...

In sports both teams have the same distance to go (100 yards, full court, 4 bases, whatever). both teams use the same equipment. both teams follow the same set of rules...

What differentiates teams are the people playing. that's where games ARE the same. same set of rules, same tools. the only difference is between the keyboard and the chair. The only difference in 'sports' is the person holding the 'ball'.

That's why when you play starcraft, quake, descent, or whatever game there is where you have the SAME playing field on both sides... what determnies who dominates is the skill on one side or another.

When one team in sports has better players, they go to the super-bowl/stanley cup/etc. Why would games be any different? 2 perfect race drivers at the Indy 500 would have the same problem as 2 l33t drivers on any racing game. How is that different in the grand scheme of things? How is giving a golf buddy a 10 hole handicap any different than a handicap in Age of Empires 3 (where handicapee gets resources faster, costs less to build, etc)
Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 12:21 · Score: 0

your post reminded me of that spiderman 2 game for the xbox, where you could do stunt webswinging minigames. i thought i was doing allright but then i saw some of the videos on the disc the developers must of made, months of straight playing to get that complex swinging im sure. anyway check it out if you havent already.
Re:Hmm... by irc.goatse.cx+troll · 2006-03-20 14:45 · Score: 1

Its been done;

Perfect balance, but individual ability factors in many times-- Being able to accurately time everything (when is this item going to respawn? when do I need to prefire this rocket based on the noise I just heard?), precision (try keeping a lightning shaft on someone.. It's hard. Or juggle someone with rockets, etc), and a form of stamina thats hard to explain -- Most games let you rest at some point, for example at the end/begining of a round, or after a wave of attacks. In deathmatch, if you stop for a second you've made a mistake. You need to constantly be either attacking the other guy, collecting resources(grabbing the weapons/ammo/armor/health as they spawn-- Doesn't matter if you don't need them, you need to deprive your enemy of them).. Actually, if you're only doing one of those things you're going to lose, because this has to be done constantly for the duration of the duel. Sounds easy, but it will leave your mind tired after a full 10 minutes of not even having a second to stop and think, always having to go off instinct. Not only do you need to keep track of your ammo/health/armor, but you need to keep a mental estimate of your enemies, and his current location. It's hard.

The game I'm refering to of course is QuakeWorld from 1998. It's been done.

--
Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
Re:Hmm... by umrgregg · 2006-03-20 16:58 · Score: 1

Did you even watch the olympics? Top competitors in timed events are seperated by 100ths of a second. These are humans competeing at peak physical condition where things like relative humidity and cloud cover have more impact on the outcome of the race than particiants' strategy. Computer games are a lot more similar to real world sports than you think.

--
NMG
Re:Hmm... by JonLatane · 2006-03-20 17:20 · Score: 1

You're absolutely right.
Halo 2 really exemplifies this with their ranking system (players level 1-something with 1 being lowest skill and going up, changing based on match results in individual gametypes, in ranked matches). I have a friend who's a level 32, and believe me, seeing a bunch of people in the 30s duke it out on Live is just freaking amazing.
Me and my other less-skilled friends even watch it like a sport. We get excited when the action gets really intense or when someone pulls off a bad-ass move like using one plasma grenade's explosion to launch another onto a foe across the map. We jeer when people on our friend's team do stupid stuff or when lag screws things up.
It still seems a little ridiculous to me, but thinking of it this way it seems like the way is already being paved to professional gaming.
Re:Hmm... by Opportunist · 2006-03-20 22:29 · Score: 1

I dare to disagree. Especially car races are a perfect example of unequal equipment making a difference (I don't know about Indy, I heard they all drive the same equipment, but it is VERY different in Formula 1). There are "weaker" teams and "stronger" ones, and even a perfect driver in an underdog car would never really stand a chance against a good driver in the perfect car. Though, usually, the best drivers are also sitting in the best cars.

This could be a chance for games to be more interesting, where a "good" player gets handicapped to create an interesting game against a mediocre player. But let's stay with "world class" games where both players should be the best there are.

In sports, you simply have more variables that determine whether someone is "good" or not so "good", in games most of those variables are fixed. There's less difference between the players. The gap between a "normal" player and a "world class" player is not big enough (yet) to make it interesting to watch.

And that's the problem.

Sports events are interesting because the people there do stuff you couldn't. They play at a level you simply cannot match. That makes it interesting to watch.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Hmm... by Opportunist · 2006-03-20 22:36 · Score: 1

I agree on 1 and 2, and they will most likely be the killer for "pro gaming".

3, though, is a different matter. You can actually create games that are interesting to play at an "amateur" level, but where watching a "pro" play could be interesting. Think of sports. Everyone can hurl a baseball, everyone can kick a football and with a bit of training you can ski or snowboard. You might even be able to do a stunt or two in a halfpipe. It's fun.

But you'll never ever do those perfect tricks that the pros do. You won't hurl a ball with 120 mph, you won't kick that ball 50+ meters onto the foot of your teammate, you won't ski downhill with 100 mph while still maintaining enough control and you won't do a spin-flip on the pipe.

MMORPGs are also IMO the worst possibilities for pro-gaming. MMORPGs are mostly about time invested, less about skill. Pretty much everyone can be a good MMORPG player as long as he's willing to sink enough time into the game. Invest time, harvest (item, gold, ability). By the very nature of MMORPGs, they depend highly on your character's stats and very little on your personal playing skill. Why do you think the MMORPG creators are so valiantly against scripting, while (e.g.) FPS don't have that problem at all? The very problem that things can be scripted efficiently shows that personal skill and ability play a secondary role in MMORPGs.

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-21 01:13 · Score: 0

Uhm, pardon me, but i think you need to do some more research on pro gaming.
CS,Q3,UT,SC,W3 and the like.
Those games are among the most played tournament games, and believe me, the players in leagues like CPL got skills.
You should get ahold of some match movies from CS at CPL. Those guys are freaking amazing. It's actually alot like football; you make a planned move each round. Which move to choose is based on what you think the enemy will do. Each move have been trained over and over and over, before put in use. The team members have to be working well together, often like one person, in order to properly execute the moves.
If you fail to do that, the enemy could, say, spot one of your players and have an idea of what your doing.

Oh, and then there's moves based on what the enemy do. For example, you wait in specific positions, and when the CL decides on what to do, based on how the enemy has been spotted up to that moment in that round, he will select to execute the next stop of the planned move, or change to a different move.

Yeah, they got books crammed up with tactics.
Re:Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-21 04:37 · Score: 0

Cannot match?

So you're telling me that I can't physically train myself to do what that athlete is doing? I'm a marathon runner--and if I understand your advice, I should just give up my past 7 years of running since I cannot match any of the runners I aspire to beat.

You know, as a side thought, how exactly did the athletes that I'm trying to match beat the previous athletes that they couldn't match?
Re:Hmm... by RESPAWN · 2006-03-21 04:59 · Score: 1

Actually, back when I used to play it a lot, I felt that Counter Strike was pretty well balanced, assuming you had an equal number of talented players on each team. There really weren't any of the "collect resources to deny the other team" tactics, but that could be solved by simply not getting killed. I can't tell you how many good matches of CS I had simply because I was matched with similarly skilled players. Oh, and one can't discount some of the great one on one battles you would occasionally get into with another player, each of you bobbing and weaving, exhausting the current clip for the primary weapon, then the secondary weapon, then resorting to knives.

Crap, now I'm going to have to go out and buy HL2 just so I can play CS again. (More likely I'll get my ass kicked again since I haven't played an FPS in a looooong time.)

--
If Murphy's Law can go wrong, it will.
Re:Hmm... by analog_line · 2006-03-21 15:04 · Score: 1

I take it you've never seen the Speed Demos Archive. An good number of people doing a lot of things you'll never be able to do at home without an awful lot of painful practice.

If you like the game, it can be really interesting (and helpful to your gameplay) to see the kinds of tricks they pull off in order to blast through these games.

Wrong job by Tom · 2006-03-20 09:37 · Score: 1

I've got the wrong job. 12 hours Oblivion? Before it's released? And being paid to do that? Where can I apply? :)

Seriously, I guess it stops being fun when you have to do it, and can't go "'nough for tonight, I need some sleep" when you feel like it.

errrr... not that 12 hours is that long. I think I've had longer sessions myself...

--
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org

Re:Wrong job by masklinn · 2006-03-20 10:02 · Score: 1

Well, anyone who's seriously played something like evercrack had multiple 12-h sessions.

And a few camps were more like 48 hours sessions...

--
"The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
Re:Wrong job by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-21 02:01 · Score: 0

Umm it was released yesterday.

I picked up a copy 3 hours before his 12 hour long marathon started.

I hadn't even reserved the game.
Re:Wrong job by edunbar93 · 2006-03-21 04:12 · Score: 1

You can't apply to jobs like that. You have to *make* them.

--
"No problem. I have the capacity to do infinite work so long as you don't mind that my quality approaches zero."-Dilbert

Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 09:38 · Score: 0

He's got a rookie card and everything.

Anyone else find it humorous that this event is in Gamespot's "PC Games" section, but technically he's going to be playing the game on the XBox 360? How long before we just don't bother making the distinction between PC and XBox at all anymore?

Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 09:49 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Anyone else find it humorous that this event is in Gamespot's "PC Games" section, but technically he's going to be playing the game on the XBox 360?

What I really find interesting is that, though he has the choice, he picked the 360 version instead of the PC version. I'm sure they have some sweet gaming rigs over there at Gamespot. It's not like the 360 was his only option... Who in their right mind would choose to use only their thumbs to play a game for 12 hours when better, more comfortable means are available... And why choose to play in lower res with less features? I'm curious to see what his shot and spell accuracy looks like after 12 hours.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Brakz0rz · 2006-03-20 10:07 · Score: 1

Controller-wise I agree with you completely. The mouse and keyboard combo blow away any gamepad for 1st-person games.

Visually speaking though the 360 version of the game will allow both HDR lighting and anti-aliasing. The PC version makes you pick one or the other. I'm sure none of us will be able to tell either way considering the quality of your average webcast.

--
"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." - Denis Diderot
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by metrunecs · 2006-03-20 10:12 · Score: 2, Insightful

I don't see how using a comfortable wireless controller that fits nicely in your hands while relaxing on the couch is less comfortable than hunched over a keyboard and mouse, less than 2 feet from the screen. Especially for 12 hours.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 10:13 · Score: 1

The PC version makes you pick one or the other.

I'd like to see it try. The game doesn't have to know you turned on AA. It can't force you to pick "Application controlled".
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 10:34 · Score: 1

[...] while relaxing on the couch is less comfortable than hunched over [...] Especially for 12 hours.

It's the "Especially for 12 hours part that really kills any chance at a point that you may have had. I can see that somebody's parents didn't teach them about proper posture.

Nobody will be comfortable in the same sitting position for 12 hours, so I assume a few well timed breaks for a stretch (and maybe a bit of exercise) are to be included, but if you're not more comfortable sitting up straight in a proper chair than you are slouched in a couch after more than a few hours, you're doing something seriously wrong/bad for you.

As for fitting nicely in your hands, well, the way it looks to me is that you're still controlling everything with only four fingers on the 360. I've done marathon gaming sessions both ways, and I've never gotten a thumb blister from PC gaming.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ianpatt · 2006-03-20 10:35 · Score: 1

> I'd like to see it try. The game doesn't have to know you turned on AA. It can't force you to pick "Application controlled".

Perhaps it uses a floating point frame buffer that the hardware can't anti-alias?
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 10:37 · Score: 3, Interesting

I looked into it more.. The HDR lighting and AA combo restriction is only on older cards and nVidia cards because both functions use the same hardware. If you have a Radeon X1xxx you should be able to enable both.

The consensus seems to be that the maximum view distance is farther on a high end PC though.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 10:43 · Score: 1

I replied again to the parent after more research. You're exactly right.... for older ATI cards, and nVidia cards. The Radeon X1xxx series cards (which is what is in the 360) support both at the same time, and should allow both at the same time with Oblivion. When the restriction was originally mentioned it was that the GeForce 7800GTX wouldn't support both, not that the PC version wouldn't support it.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Cheapy · 2006-03-20 10:45 · Score: 1

Can you explain to me what features are not included in the xbox 360 game?

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Would you kindly mod me +1 insightful?
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 10:47 · Score: 0

if you're not more comfortable sitting up straight in a proper chair than you are slouched in a couch after more than a few hours, you're doing something seriously wrong/bad for you

Why do you suppose it is, then, that when people watch television for extended periods they use a couch?
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 10:58 · Score: 1

Most people don't watch TV for extended periods. The majority of most people's day is taken up by work/school, and sleep, where you are sitting/standing up, and lying down respectively. I won't deny that for short periods, the relaxation of a couch is more comfortable than sitting up, but after a few hours your muscles (if you have any left) should be starting to tell you otherwise.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by syukton · 2006-03-20 11:01 · Score: 3, Funny

Nobody will be comfortable in the same sitting position for 12 hours

Hi, I'm Nobody. Pleased to meet you.

--
Reinvent the wheel only at either a lower cost, greater effectiveness, or your own personal enrichment and satisfaction.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 11:09 · Score: 1, Troll

Do you want the list that matters for this particular purpose, or the complete list? How about both:

For the purpose of this particular marathon, the ones that seem to matter are the increased progressive scan resolution, view distance, and just about everything that requires the input of more than one word of text. (For example, in the PC version of Tribunal, you could add textual markers to the world and local maps, but you couldn't in the Xbox version. There's probably a similar distinction for Oblivion. We'll know tomorrow.)

In general, though, the features you lack are the Construction Set (a full half of the game), free downloadable player created content, the ability to buy expansions without having to re-buy the whole game, a whole slew of graphical options that *aren't* exported in the game menus (what did they disable in the PC version so they could say the Xbox version is the same?), and, if Morrowind is anything to go by, the features that they added in the patches, Yes, the differences between the two are being played down by everybody right now, but that's probably because the only people who have played the game at this point derive some portion of their income from Microsoft.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Carnildo · 2006-03-20 11:35 · Score: 1

What I really find interesting is that, though he has the choice, he picked the 360 version instead of the PC version. I'm sure they have some sweet gaming rigs over there at Gamespot.

I can't say I'm surprised. The big advantage a console has over a regular PC is that the hardware is more predictable, so there are fewer bugs.

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"They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Sage+Gaspar · 2006-03-20 12:18 · Score: 1

Exactamundo. Someone mentioned in another thread that their nightmare scenario was the game crashing for twelve hours or running into gamestopping bugs.

On a console, chances of that go waaay downhill.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-20 12:45 · Score: 1

You never played Morrowind on Xbox, did you?
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 20:13 · Score: 0

I honestly don't care what's available in the PC version, because as far as I'm concerned, that's an entirely different game, and one that I'm just not interested in.

The only game I'll sit in front of a PC for 12+ hours for is Civilization - and that's only because there is no console version.

Morrowind was not appreciably better on PC compared with the XBox, not enough to overcome that barrier, so I don't expect Oblivion to be any different. Especially since I don't possess the sort of hardware that would make the PC version playable in the first place.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-21 03:17 · Score: 1

Last I heard, it crashed twice on his Xbox. I certainly hope that the PC version isn't worse than that. (I'm not holding my breath though)
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Schitzoflink · 2006-03-21 03:51 · Score: 0

Morrowind was not appreciably better on PC compared with the XBox, not enough to overcome that barrier, so I don't expect Oblivion to be any different. Especially since I don't possess the sort of hardware that would make the PC version playable in the first place.

Uh....Improved draw distance, player created content, for example, better textures for characters, more creatures, more NPC, more quests/dungeons/Rideable mounts...etc, etc, etc...The difference between Morrowind on the Xbox and on the PC is huge. it's basicly Xbox Morrowind^10

By the way I played both and love them both, MW was a great game, just on the PC it's much more content...so instead of a game you can play for 3 years it's like a game you can play untill the next game comes out and still not be done.

--
Mr. T carries a postage stamp in his wallet at all times on the back is a list of all the fools he doesn't pity
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Schitzoflink · 2006-03-21 03:56 · Score: 1, Informative

As much as a I loved the Xbox version...I had to come up with specific strategies to keep it from locking, and saved like every 5 min, just to be safe

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Mr. T carries a postage stamp in his wallet at all times on the back is a list of all the fools he doesn't pity
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Cheapy · 2006-03-21 04:50 · Score: 1

The draw distance doesn't really matter: You're gonna see it eventually, may as well make it shorter so it runs faster. I, for one, did not need downloadable content. I had the PC version for about 3 years (Wow, time flies!) and can honestly say that the only mods I used were the ones Bethesda released (Such as the Master Propylen Index, which I never quite got; and the Marksman shop, which I used...twice.). The only advantage I saw of having the PC version versus the original Xbox version was the health bar that was added. But that wasn't too important to me. I knew the guy who made the GIANTS mod, but it didn't interest me much. You see, for some people, the downloadable content just isn't attractive.

I eventually got the Xbox version (and eventually the GotY edition as a gift) for the simple reason that a) it was much more stable than the PC version (Which crashed...a lot.), b) it was far more comfortable to be able to sit on a couch and not have to reach and move my hands all over the place, and c) it looked better (The water was reflective!). Bethsoft made it so that you could use your old save with the new disc (they were converted to the new save file upon loading for the first time).

Besides, Oblivion is confirmed to have "Downloadable Content", whatever that meants.

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Would you kindly mod me +1 insightful?
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Sage+Gaspar · 2006-03-21 05:09 · Score: 1

Hehe, I bet there's at least one "supported" hardware configuration that renders it unplayable.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Schitzoflink · 2006-03-21 05:36 · Score: 0

Whatever floats your boat, the downloadable content means they're making official Mods that you can DL via Xbox live or online for a fee kinda like mini expansions

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Mr. T carries a postage stamp in his wallet at all times on the back is a list of all the fools he doesn't pity
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by PeterFranks · 2006-03-21 06:24 · Score: 1

Most people don't watch TV for extended periods.

You're kiding, right?
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-21 06:30 · Score: 1

No. seriously, all ironic social commentary aside. Most people do not sit in front of the TV for 12 hours in a row on a regular basis, or even close. They get up, eat, use the facilities, sleep, go to work, mow the lawn, fisit friends and relatives, shop, and do all sorts of other real-life stuff that puts a cap on typical consecutive TV time around the four hour mark. Again, I'm talking most people, there are plenty of lazy slobs outside the norm.
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by drsquare · 2006-03-21 09:54 · Score: 1

I'm curious to see what his shot and spell accuracy looks like after 12 hours.

Hi comic book guy.

You're saying that of using a controller designed to fit well in your hands, designed solely for games, you should use a keyboard designed for typing, not playing games? Whereby using it for games requires awkward unnatural positioning of your fingers and wrists? Or a mouse which puts undue stress on your wrists?

Instead of sitting on a sofa, you should sit at a computer chair?

Instead of sitting 10-feet from a large TV, you should be hunched up in front of a 17" monitor?
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by Khaotix · 2006-03-21 13:15 · Score: 1

hey, you forgot that the xbox 360 version is $10 more than the PC version :D

http://gamestop.com/productmerch.asp?groupid=421
Re:Well, remember, this *is* Greg Kasavin. by ivan256 · 2006-03-21 16:40 · Score: 1

Yeah, plus when expansions come out they have to pay $59 for the whole game+expansion instead of just the expansion... I don't want to get into an argument about how much more a computer costs than an Xbox 360 though.

I will say this though: At least I can buy a computer. :)

I won't be tuning in... by mackil · 2006-03-20 09:57 · Score: 2, Funny

because there is nothing more frustrating then watching someone else play a game you'd love to be playing yourself. It's a frustration and anger that can be tied directly to road rage. You just want to take a tire iron to someone who just can't make a certain jump or keeps shooting the enemy in the feet instead of the head. I think I'll wait until I can pick up the game itself, save myself the consternation.

He will beat it. by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 10:00 · Score: 0

That's going to be sweet when this chump ends up accidentally beating the main plot during this session and the spoiler is going out live.

This can only end in tears. by Keith+Russell · 2006-03-20 10:08 · Score: 5, Funny

Bethesda Nightmare Scenario #1:

T + 1:00:00: Oblivion.exe has experienced a problem and needs to close.
T + 2:20:54: Oblivion.exe has experienced a problem and needs to close.
T + 3:54:29: Oblivion.exe has experienced a problem and needs to close.
T + 7:32:47: KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

Bethesda Nightmare Scenario #2:

T + 9:29:30: "Done!"

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This sig intentionally left blank.

Not impressed... by dud83 · 2006-03-20 10:21 · Score: 3, Funny

12 hours?
My grandmother could play 12 hours straight... Get back to me when you've played Elite for 2 days straight you damn toddler!

Re:Not impressed... by bVork · 2006-03-20 19:03 · Score: 1

RIGHT ON COMMANDER!

feed link? by crabpeople · 2006-03-20 10:53 · Score: 1

does anyone have a direct link? that site makes my eyes sore with content. i tried to look around for about 10 minutes but couldnt see any link to the video feed anywhere. Might be interesting to check out for 10 minutes or something.

Anyone got a direct link or could point me in the direction of the video feed page?

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I'll just use my special getting high powers one more time...

Re:feed link? by TychoCelchuuu · 2006-03-20 11:19 · Score: 1

I think you need to pay money to watch.
Slaaashvertisement...

--
Against stupidity the Gods themselves contend in vain.
Re:feed link? by crabpeople · 2006-03-20 11:50 · Score: 1

really? wow. thats a real new low.

i must be new here i guess.

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I'll just use my special getting high powers one more time...
Re:feed link? by deemaunik · 2006-03-20 15:47 · Score: 2, Informative

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/theelderscroll sivoblivion/news.html?sid=6146174 Takes you to the "We play Oblivion for 12 hours straight" page, with a big fat button to watch it. However, after signing up for the free service, I find that I'm still met with the "Only subscribers can participate in this special event!" text. =/ Looks like we're screwed, unless we wanna pay four bucks a month.
Re:feed link? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-21 01:13 · Score: 0

Direct link

Stupid idea by Sathias · 2006-03-20 11:13 · Score: 4, Insightful

I want to discover the first 12 hours of the game myself, not let some game media bozo do it for me.

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Blessed are the 1337, for they shall pwn the earth.

Umm what? by ClamIAm · 2006-03-20 11:55 · Score: 5, Funny

Subscribers will see a picture-in-picture view of Kasavin as he spends an increasing number of successive hours playing the game

As opposed to what, a decreasing number of successive hours?

Don't laugh by GroeFaZ · 2006-03-20 12:08 · Score: 3, Informative

Bethesda Nightmare Scenario #2:

T + 9:29:30: "Done!"

Morrowind 5 segment Speedrun in 00:07:30, and that for a game which you can play for days and weeks without ever touching a story quest.

--
The grass is always greener on the other side of the light cone.

Re:Don't laugh by KDR_11k · 2006-03-21 01:14 · Score: 1

5 segments for 7:30? Too many random elements or what?

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Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.

Oblivion? by Schraegstrichpunkt · 2006-03-20 12:47 · Score: 1

Huh? What's that?

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http://outcampaign.org/

Twelve hours is nothing by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 13:33 · Score: 0

At my last job, I had a cow-worker who spent 3 years playing Oblivion. We were spoofing his review and listed his major milestone for the year as finding his way to his desk, most days.

Re:Twelve hours is nothing by ShaneThePain · 2006-03-20 13:48 · Score: 0

impressive considering oblivion isnt out until the 21st of this month...

--
Fascism is the greatest political ideology ever conceived. Sorry.
Re:Twelve hours is nothing by Corbu+Mulak · 2006-03-20 15:03 · Score: 1

I think it's even more impressive that a bovine was able to handle a mouse and keyboard.

Umm, yeah... by HunterZ · 2006-03-20 13:34 · Score: 1

Would have been nice to know from the summary that it's being broadcast to subscribers only.

--
Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.

Re:Umm, yeah... by kickedfortrolling · 2006-03-20 19:52 · Score: 1

looks like more advertising disguised as news to me.. :(

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--AlexC
Just because I dont agree with climate change doesnt make me a troll

Just a big advert for a pay site! by TibbonZero · 2006-03-20 17:12 · Score: 1

Ok, I understand the NYTimes Free signup, but I'm not going to pay $4 just to watch this video. I think that this would be great if it was free, but forget it now.

First, I haven't played a game for 12 hours in years, and I'm certainly not going to watch him play for 12 hours, just to get my appetite up to buy a 360 and a $70 game.

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Tibbon
tibbon.com

Street Fighter 2 etc by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-20 17:43 · Score: 0

I think there are beat-em-ups where I could never string moves together as well as a pro. Quite often there are moves that I cannot even pull off in practice mode, let alone under pressure... then to juggle someone with 6 perfectly chosen moves - maybe I could do it, but it would take the same amount of practice as becoming a professional golfer, say.

Some of those guys can do insane things. I'd love to see professional Soul Calibur.

The big question is by KDR_11k · 2006-03-21 00:07 · Score: 1

Marathon 1, 2 or Infinity?

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Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.

12 Hour Marathon by CaseM · 2006-03-21 00:37 · Score: 1

Yep, that's what I had last night - right after I purchased the game.

Re:12 Hour Marathon by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-21 02:06 · Score: 0

how is the game? where did you pick it up?

Everything went fine by jettoki · 2006-03-21 02:13 · Score: 1

The 12 hours are up, and everything went perfectly. He hit a few difficult snags in gameplay here and there, but came up with some neat ways to solve the problems. The Xbox 360 hung up one time during loading, but it seems to have been the console's fault, after 10 hours of straight use.

I have to say, I was not impressed with the game until I watched this marathon. Now I'm seriously considering buying it for PC.

I could almost see watching this by mmalove · 2006-03-21 03:59 · Score: 1

I might watch this, for the same reason I'd watch an auto race. Not for the game, not for the sport. I just want to see the crashes. Looking at the history of the elder scrolls series, I don't think I'd have to wait 12 hours...

--
You can get 15 minutes of fame, but you can go down in history for infamy.

Gamespot is hardly an authority by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-21 05:21 · Score: 0

Why would anyone consider Gamespot to be an authority or a valid group of folks to report to us about a new game experience?

Remember, these are the same folks that, on their BetaCenter, whey they list games that are going into beta or to look for in beta, still has listed:

City of Villians (released)
Dungeons & Dragons Online (released)

Several others have changed their state, too. Many games are missing entirely.

Today is March 21st, 2006. Their beta "heads up" page was last updated on September 28, 2005.

Yeah, I'd call that "cutting edge" information.

Just think by Anonymous Coward · 2006-03-21 09:43 · Score: 0

Farmers for http://www.lootpal.com/WoW Gold sites do that all day every day..

On to Fallout by iridium_ionizer · 2006-03-21 10:16 · Score: 1

Now Bethesda can move on to full production of Fallout 3. Hopefully, it will retain the spirit of the Black Isle originals. The bleak setting, humor, nuanced characters, and option rich gameplay made the game remarkable.

HINT: To please fans, all they have to do is add an OPTION for top down view of turn-based action. Yeah, sure, make it a tactical, story-rich FPS in the Fallout universe. That's fine, BUT include the OPTION for old school play.

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Live 12-Hour Oblivion Marathon

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