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New Humble Bundle Is Windows Only, DRM Games
jbernardo writes "After all the indie, multi-platform (including 4 for android) and DRM free releases, the latest Humble Bundle release is a polarizing one. It features non-indie games, it is Windows only, and the games are saddled with DRM. There is already a very vocal discussion on the Humble Bundle Google+ thread, but it seems it is selling well."
THQ has been struggling, so they're trying something new. That's a good thing. If you don't want to buy it, don't. I did, as did many of my friends, and I'm quite happy with it.
No, that would be Polemish.
`echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
Well, they weren't games but they were DRM free and available in formats easily dealt with by Open Source software, so it was in keeping with the spirit. I was fine with it.
Need a Python, C++, Unix, Linux develop
Okay, I know nothing of these people, but did they ever promise to always be free and cross-platform?
Pretty much, yeah. From the Humble Bundle's blog:
Welcome to the blog of the Humble Bundle. We sell bundles of cross-platform, DRM-free video games by independent developers. You get to set your own price while supporting the Electronic Frontier...
Cross platform, DRM free, indie, and "pay what you want" are the four things that the Humble Bundle has built their brand on. Ars has a pretty good write up on the problems here:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/11/humble-thq-bundle-threatens-to-ruin-the-brands-reputation/
Sure, let's all completely ignore that this bundle is dwarfing the previous bundles in the first day in terms of money collected.
At least they don't call it "THQ Indie Bundle" like some other big publisher named their Steam bundle a while ago (I'm not going to name that publisher... OK, it was EA)
THQ is one of the most fair and square publishers out there. They're not scared of new ideas and new IPs, and they don't seem to bind the developers with unfair contracts (not to my knowledge at least). They support their games for ages and a new DLC doesn't mean a 'tiny map-pack for $20'. Keeping them in the game means more competition to the likes of Activision-666-Blizzard and EA (Evil Antichrist) and this is a good enough reason for me to pay them a fair share for their games.
And to answer the three major concerns everyone seems to have:
Yes - it's DRM locked, just like practically every single AAA title in the world. I don't understand why would anyone expect anything different this time around.
No - it's not multi-platform, because they'd probably spend more money porting those old titles to linux/mac, than they'd ever make from this sale.
No - it's not indie, but does it have to be? You have the option to give all your money to the charity if you don't like the idea of supporting a big publisher, so what's the problem? The spirit of the bundle is to encourage gamers to support charities by offering them games in return - to me all the boxes are ticked here, and even more so considering the class of the games in question.
So don't worry, be happy, buy games, support charities. Happy holidays!
Yes. I made a post a couple of dozen people saw. I talked personally to 5 or 10 people.
And there are thousands of people like me. We each made our little contributions. Each of us helped make the Humble Bundle brand what it was. It wasn't just me, but I helped. And so did they. Many of us our upset.
Thousands of negligible effects add up to a real effect. I think my anger is justified. So is theirs.
Need a Python, C++, Unix, Linux develop
There have been four android-only bundles. That's not any more cross-platform than PC only.
You are very mistaken. The games in the Android bundles were available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android.
This bundle is useless for a large portion of regular Humble Bundle buyers. Apparently they're raking in cash, good for them. Maybe this is a good direction for them, but they're risking the loyality of their Mac and Linux supporters.
The first Humble Bundle was advertised as DRM-free, and with a portion going to the EFF. So were several subsequent ones. It shouldn't be a surprise that people are pissed now.