See World of Warcraft, see puzzle games, see online mini-games.
The problem with your argument is that you are basing it off inept data collecting, like NPD stats, that DOES NOT account for MOST OF THE revenue in PC gaming (MMO subscriptions, game advertising, website games, etc.)
Graphics sell BOX copies of games, and I don't know if you noticed, but box sales have been on a decline for years.
Seriously how many more major development houses and games do we need to see fail before people understand that expensive, top-of-the-line graphics do not sell games.
Awww and people wonder why Linux isn't mainstream. I'm sorry to inform you, but X.org is one of the fundamental hurdles to be cleared before Linux can even dream of climbing out of the hole it is in.
I am a huge Linux advocate, but ignorant people blaming missed release cycles on the "community" is just stupid. There are developers and users, and if the developers want to go open source they damn well need to accept that fact. Just as the user accepts that their open source project of choice may not be updated (sounds familiar huh). We're in the same boat, but don't for a second blame users for developers short comings, open source or not.
That is actually your mistake in choice of repository or distribution. I'm not trying to make you feel dumb, but you should research what flavor of Linux you are installing and what version of software it will be running. Plus, if you install via windows, there is no guarantee it will tell you when an update is available and if the update is available there is no buffer to tell you that it is well tested.
It is sad to say that too many people just accept "update" when it pops up on their screen. Not saying this doesn't happen with repositories, but at least the buffer exists that GOOD repo managers are taking the time to look into what packages they are pushing out.
So -- if I read what you are saying correctly, if the user has a good experience with vendor supported systems, it's a bad thing because it is unrepresentative of what he'd experience if he did his own installation onto a non-supported system?
Exactly and it is because Linux is just not at the point yet where hardware is on board en masse. I absolutely think it is a horrible way to introduce people to the current state of Linux.
I just do not cozy up to the idea of hardware tailored to an operating system. I do not like the message of "Linux Certified" stickers. That would be a great place for Linux distros to learn from Microsoft.
So, in my perfect world, Linux distros exist to fit the current state of hardware, not rely on tailored hardware to get the message out.
I hate to be the ass, but Windows seems to be able to hit a fairly large portion of hardware just fine, and almost always it turns out the hardware manufacturer is at fault for problems.
Wow, what a newb statement I just laid down.
The point is that steering people to vendors that provide Linux is not really the way to go, because a false idea gets laid that Linux is as viable as Linux to the average user. What happens when they build their own PC in the future or get a new machine that is not going to work with Linux? All because of a hardware vendor's problem with supporting Linux?
Its a horrible precedent to set, because it will bite Linux in the ass when that user switches to new hardware. I do not like the idea of setting people on the path of a single company to support their hardware needs to match a certain OS.
The big, reaching statement to make to the average user is that Linux can support their needs, but like anything in life, free comes with a cost. That cost being the willingness to work through problems with any Linux distro they choose and learn something new.
Truth is, most of us gamers have day jobs and don't feel like coming home and figuring out why the latest game patch doesn't work with Wine or Cedega. PC Gaming, for years, has tried to make the process simple, attempting to get to the console state of "put the disc in and play". The closest PC gaming has is Windows.
I would love to have an open source OS that meets all my needs as a gamer, but I just don't see it happening anytime soon. Fedora 8 has their games spun version, but who wants to play a bunch of yesteryear games?
Hell, if Samba 4.0 will supposedly do everything that a Windows server can, why can't a Linux desktop version play games?
I have found an IT department that says just that, the Engineering Department at my college, where I just so happen to work. That is where the true shortage is, decent IT departments that know how to treat their people well. A company with good principals will eventually find the skilled and experienced people that are needed.
I 100% agree. Not too long ago I took PC Halo and one of the better Xbox players from our local Friday Night Halo group and plugged him in via an Xbox 360 controller to my spare PC. He couldn't touch me, and I am not a great FPS gamer(PC or console). The keyboard and mouse was just far too accurate for him, and once he realized that the PC version didn't give that "slight correction" in aim that the console version does, he quit.
It spurred my roommate at the time to pracitce every day for a week on the PC version with his Xbox 360 controller. He couldn't even get close to beating me, and he usually wins Halo 2 matches by 50 or more kills on the Xbox.
I've never won a single round of Halo 1 or 2 on Xbox, against friends or online. I have never lost against a console player playing through a PC. Could be the changes made for the PC version. Could just be the controls having to be manually set up and therefore be a bit "off". Could be that the mouse and keyboard is just far superior.
I am curious to know if anyone has ever successfully set up a keyboard and mouse to play through the Xbox or Xbox 360.
I run TC in traveler mode all the time without Admin rights and I've never figured out why it says you need them to run... maybe I am missing something?
What?
By the time I got back from the store, I would have the game downloaded because Valve is awesome with pre-loading and of course their pre-order beta access which ensures you don't even have to download on day one.
Also, it is about opportunity cost. What could you be doing during that time going to the store to get the game? The most obvious is downloading the game, but that consumes all of a few minutes to get it started. While it is downloading you can go ahead and play a seperate game, read a book, or do any other number of things. If you go to the store, you are driving and going to the store. In that time I've probably gained another level in World of Warcraft, fragged a newb in Day of Defeat: Source, or maybe even made a blog post about my pants wetting at the fact that the Orange Box was less than a few hours away!
Going to the game store is a lesson in retarded, because no I do not want the damn magazine, game guide, or disc cleaners. I don't want to save money by signing up for a card. Credit please. And no, I am not interested in Dungeon Siege just because you get a fucking pack mule.
As much as I hate SOE, they are the most profitable portion of Sony at the moment. Change won't start at mother ship Sony by axing their most successful wing.
eBay owns Paypal so I have no idea how you think you are receiving your payment when it is in their hands. So either you are fibbing or just truly stupid.
Zonk stole my submission:(/sniffle
This is interesting news and I'm sure it will be spun into "the death of the print industry for gaming!!!". This may be a sign, but I doubt it. There seems to be more than enough advertisers looking to stuff the pockets of writers to get a good review:)
Last time I watched a race any car that bumped into the wall or another car didn't win the race... in every GT game it has never been about sim racing unless you put it on time trials. It is a joke of a racing game and the only thing it has ever gotten right was it's licensing deal to include real car brands. Let me know when I don't just pick the fastest car and bounce off the AI drivers and fake walls to get around every corner.
I wonder what a car crash looks like in HD? Guess we'll still be waiting to find out! And isn't it funny that there isn't any weather effects. Any console can make pretty, but static environments. Let me know when "fake" backgrounds become something more than a pretty painting that you get to look at.
Where I used to work in the government I would have to agree that a lot of time is wasted on the internet. Even when there is work to be done people are still surfing the net. Block the sites? Get a good filter? Most people know how to get around it or know someone that is willing to show them. Also the people that are set to monitor and stop such behavior are either overwhelmed with the amount of it or contributing to the hours spent. Work doesn't get done and people notice, but will they take the internet away? No because the one thing us government workers hate more than work itself is complaining about our co-workers who will not be fired, will not be punished, and most likely will get promoted ahead of us simply because they probably know somebody.
However, this happens in the real world; outside the government (except wher eever Mayor Bloomberg may see you). It actually is probably worse in the real world because so many people get into back office jobs where they really are responsible for themselves. I used to play many a game with friends while they worked simply because they had no direct supervisor near them. Hell I knew a guy that would close the PC Repair shop he worked at simply to get something done in game (Dark Ages of Camelot). Even now that I've gone back to school I watch as half my class every day surfs the net or plays little games until the teacher catches them... and this school has some rough filters.
But still surfing the internet... people are still right there at their workstation. How much time is lost to the true bane of the workplace... SMOKERS!? I actually kept a log of how long smokers were leaving my old job because I was plain sick of getting the raw end in the morning meetings because work wasn't done. I was told I can't stop them from smoking because it's not their fault the smoking area is all the way downstairs and outside. What horse crap. Not to mention the stank breath smokers have and their generally piss poor attitude when they don't get a smoke break in.
While we're at it lets count up how much time people waste at the "water cooler" or how time most bosses waste getting people just to work. All lost work hours. It's easy to blame the internet for lost productivity because the higher ups think they have some sort of control over it.
Better than Battlefront I which still to this day is unplayable on any PC. The sheer fact that when I reinstalled it out of curiousty on the patch fixes there was still servers running... it boggled my mind.
I was worried about Warhammer Online when Mythic was bought out by EA. I was worried about BF 2142 when the hacks started showing up in beta after a couple days. I am now terrified for both games because in-game advertising can ruin games. Not to mention if I am running a server for BF 2142 you better damn well believe I want my fair share of the profits from EA's advertising.
This is going to be a mess and I can only hope it stays out of Warhammer Online.
1. WoW is still the #1 selling PC game every single month. So while you may be done with the "grind" there is tons of new players just begining.
2. Some people don't play on l33t mode like yourself. I was hardcore once upon a time in my MMORPG career, but I've learned that a truly good game is better enjoyed casually. You wouldn't understand what "fun" is if it bit you in the ass.
3. I know a lot of MMORPG players that got tired of WoW also. Good luck and have fun on the next game. Guess what in the time I've continue to enjoy WoW they have gone and gotten bored of EVE Online and are starting on EQ2. Some people just get bored of games and move on. We all don't have some unhealthy connection to our avatars within a single game.
4. There isn't much else on the market that makes me jump for joy. WoW is easy to jump in and out of while I wait for Warhammer : Age of Reckoning, Pirates of the Burning Sea, and Neverwinter Nights 2.
But solving that problem is a few dollars away in the form of a screen protector. For the technically uninformed that believe the internet is inherently safe to surf and operate on this article may come as a surprise. What worries me more is the fact that people regard personal/delicate information as just "something they work with". Reminds me of the day we found social security numbers and copies of military orders in the dumpster at my former Air Force Base. Some people are clueless.
Gen Con ftw!
on
Gen Con Bingo
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Gen Con is really one of the only mainstream events that gamers can show up just to play together. So far the game companies that have shown up follow that mantra. They bring playable games to Gen Con instead of just previews and this is something I hope will always continue. Unfortunately I've never been able to attend, but since my HS days I always get a hold of the break down of the event from whatever sources offer it. Luckily some folks I talk with regularly will be going so this is the first year I will get to pick their brains about the event.
Gen Con has the right format for gamers and I just hope the E3 mindset and E3 booth crap stays away for many more years.
Slashdot Mirror
See World of Warcraft, see puzzle games, see online mini-games.
The problem with your argument is that you are basing it off inept data collecting, like NPD stats, that DOES NOT account for MOST OF THE revenue in PC gaming (MMO subscriptions, game advertising, website games, etc.)
Graphics sell BOX copies of games, and I don't know if you noticed, but box sales have been on a decline for years.
Seriously how many more major development houses and games do we need to see fail before people understand that expensive, top-of-the-line graphics do not sell games.
Awww and people wonder why Linux isn't mainstream. I'm sorry to inform you, but X.org is one of the fundamental hurdles to be cleared before Linux can even dream of climbing out of the hole it is in. I am a huge Linux advocate, but ignorant people blaming missed release cycles on the "community" is just stupid. There are developers and users, and if the developers want to go open source they damn well need to accept that fact. Just as the user accepts that their open source project of choice may not be updated (sounds familiar huh). We're in the same boat, but don't for a second blame users for developers short comings, open source or not.
That is actually your mistake in choice of repository or distribution. I'm not trying to make you feel dumb, but you should research what flavor of Linux you are installing and what version of software it will be running. Plus, if you install via windows, there is no guarantee it will tell you when an update is available and if the update is available there is no buffer to tell you that it is well tested. It is sad to say that too many people just accept "update" when it pops up on their screen. Not saying this doesn't happen with repositories, but at least the buffer exists that GOOD repo managers are taking the time to look into what packages they are pushing out.
So -- if I read what you are saying correctly, if the user has a good experience with vendor supported systems, it's a bad thing because it is unrepresentative of what he'd experience if he did his own installation onto a non-supported system?
Exactly and it is because Linux is just not at the point yet where hardware is on board en masse. I absolutely think it is a horrible way to introduce people to the current state of Linux.
I just do not cozy up to the idea of hardware tailored to an operating system. I do not like the message of "Linux Certified" stickers. That would be a great place for Linux distros to learn from Microsoft.
So, in my perfect world, Linux distros exist to fit the current state of hardware, not rely on tailored hardware to get the message out.
I hate to be the ass, but Windows seems to be able to hit a fairly large portion of hardware just fine, and almost always it turns out the hardware manufacturer is at fault for problems. Wow, what a newb statement I just laid down. The point is that steering people to vendors that provide Linux is not really the way to go, because a false idea gets laid that Linux is as viable as Linux to the average user. What happens when they build their own PC in the future or get a new machine that is not going to work with Linux? All because of a hardware vendor's problem with supporting Linux? Its a horrible precedent to set, because it will bite Linux in the ass when that user switches to new hardware. I do not like the idea of setting people on the path of a single company to support their hardware needs to match a certain OS. The big, reaching statement to make to the average user is that Linux can support their needs, but like anything in life, free comes with a cost. That cost being the willingness to work through problems with any Linux distro they choose and learn something new.
Truth is, most of us gamers have day jobs and don't feel like coming home and figuring out why the latest game patch doesn't work with Wine or Cedega. PC Gaming, for years, has tried to make the process simple, attempting to get to the console state of "put the disc in and play". The closest PC gaming has is Windows.
I would love to have an open source OS that meets all my needs as a gamer, but I just don't see it happening anytime soon. Fedora 8 has their games spun version, but who wants to play a bunch of yesteryear games?
Hell, if Samba 4.0 will supposedly do everything that a Windows server can, why can't a Linux desktop version play games?
I have found an IT department that says just that, the Engineering Department at my college, where I just so happen to work. That is where the true shortage is, decent IT departments that know how to treat their people well. A company with good principals will eventually find the skilled and experienced people that are needed.
I 100% agree. Not too long ago I took PC Halo and one of the better Xbox players from our local Friday Night Halo group and plugged him in via an Xbox 360 controller to my spare PC. He couldn't touch me, and I am not a great FPS gamer(PC or console). The keyboard and mouse was just far too accurate for him, and once he realized that the PC version didn't give that "slight correction" in aim that the console version does, he quit. It spurred my roommate at the time to pracitce every day for a week on the PC version with his Xbox 360 controller. He couldn't even get close to beating me, and he usually wins Halo 2 matches by 50 or more kills on the Xbox. I've never won a single round of Halo 1 or 2 on Xbox, against friends or online. I have never lost against a console player playing through a PC. Could be the changes made for the PC version. Could just be the controls having to be manually set up and therefore be a bit "off". Could be that the mouse and keyboard is just far superior. I am curious to know if anyone has ever successfully set up a keyboard and mouse to play through the Xbox or Xbox 360.
I run TC in traveler mode all the time without Admin rights and I've never figured out why it says you need them to run... maybe I am missing something?
Unfortunately, a lot of game companies need to the money in this day and age of expensive consoles that cost far too much to develop for.
I will continue to pay $50 for this sort of story telling and immersion, even if it is only 6 hours a game.
What? By the time I got back from the store, I would have the game downloaded because Valve is awesome with pre-loading and of course their pre-order beta access which ensures you don't even have to download on day one. Also, it is about opportunity cost. What could you be doing during that time going to the store to get the game? The most obvious is downloading the game, but that consumes all of a few minutes to get it started. While it is downloading you can go ahead and play a seperate game, read a book, or do any other number of things. If you go to the store, you are driving and going to the store. In that time I've probably gained another level in World of Warcraft, fragged a newb in Day of Defeat: Source, or maybe even made a blog post about my pants wetting at the fact that the Orange Box was less than a few hours away! Going to the game store is a lesson in retarded, because no I do not want the damn magazine, game guide, or disc cleaners. I don't want to save money by signing up for a card. Credit please. And no, I am not interested in Dungeon Siege just because you get a fucking pack mule.
As much as I hate SOE, they are the most profitable portion of Sony at the moment. Change won't start at mother ship Sony by axing their most successful wing.
eBay owns Paypal so I have no idea how you think you are receiving your payment when it is in their hands. So either you are fibbing or just truly stupid.
Zonk stole my submission :( /sniffle
This is interesting news and I'm sure it will be spun into "the death of the print industry for gaming!!!". This may be a sign, but I doubt it. There seems to be more than enough advertisers looking to stuff the pockets of writers to get a good review :)
Last time I watched a race any car that bumped into the wall or another car didn't win the race... in every GT game it has never been about sim racing unless you put it on time trials. It is a joke of a racing game and the only thing it has ever gotten right was it's licensing deal to include real car brands. Let me know when I don't just pick the fastest car and bounce off the AI drivers and fake walls to get around every corner.
I wonder what a car crash looks like in HD? Guess we'll still be waiting to find out! And isn't it funny that there isn't any weather effects. Any console can make pretty, but static environments. Let me know when "fake" backgrounds become something more than a pretty painting that you get to look at.
Where I used to work in the government I would have to agree that a lot of time is wasted on the internet. Even when there is work to be done people are still surfing the net. Block the sites? Get a good filter? Most people know how to get around it or know someone that is willing to show them. Also the people that are set to monitor and stop such behavior are either overwhelmed with the amount of it or contributing to the hours spent. Work doesn't get done and people notice, but will they take the internet away? No because the one thing us government workers hate more than work itself is complaining about our co-workers who will not be fired, will not be punished, and most likely will get promoted ahead of us simply because they probably know somebody.
However, this happens in the real world; outside the government (except wher eever Mayor Bloomberg may see you). It actually is probably worse in the real world because so many people get into back office jobs where they really are responsible for themselves. I used to play many a game with friends while they worked simply because they had no direct supervisor near them. Hell I knew a guy that would close the PC Repair shop he worked at simply to get something done in game (Dark Ages of Camelot). Even now that I've gone back to school I watch as half my class every day surfs the net or plays little games until the teacher catches them... and this school has some rough filters.
But still surfing the internet... people are still right there at their workstation. How much time is lost to the true bane of the workplace... SMOKERS!? I actually kept a log of how long smokers were leaving my old job because I was plain sick of getting the raw end in the morning meetings because work wasn't done. I was told I can't stop them from smoking because it's not their fault the smoking area is all the way downstairs and outside. What horse crap. Not to mention the stank breath smokers have and their generally piss poor attitude when they don't get a smoke break in.
While we're at it lets count up how much time people waste at the "water cooler" or how time most bosses waste getting people just to work. All lost work hours. It's easy to blame the internet for lost productivity because the higher ups think they have some sort of control over it.
That is all. WI > * Anyone cracks a Packers joke and it is on.
Better than Battlefront I which still to this day is unplayable on any PC. The sheer fact that when I reinstalled it out of curiousty on the patch fixes there was still servers running... it boggled my mind.
Who wants a Halo RTS? Isn't there enough teenagers throwing around deregatory comments with just the FPS games?
I was worried about Warhammer Online when Mythic was bought out by EA. I was worried about BF 2142 when the hacks started showing up in beta after a couple days. I am now terrified for both games because in-game advertising can ruin games. Not to mention if I am running a server for BF 2142 you better damn well believe I want my fair share of the profits from EA's advertising. This is going to be a mess and I can only hope it stays out of Warhammer Online.
1. WoW is still the #1 selling PC game every single month. So while you may be done with the "grind" there is tons of new players just begining. 2. Some people don't play on l33t mode like yourself. I was hardcore once upon a time in my MMORPG career, but I've learned that a truly good game is better enjoyed casually. You wouldn't understand what "fun" is if it bit you in the ass. 3. I know a lot of MMORPG players that got tired of WoW also. Good luck and have fun on the next game. Guess what in the time I've continue to enjoy WoW they have gone and gotten bored of EVE Online and are starting on EQ2. Some people just get bored of games and move on. We all don't have some unhealthy connection to our avatars within a single game. 4. There isn't much else on the market that makes me jump for joy. WoW is easy to jump in and out of while I wait for Warhammer : Age of Reckoning, Pirates of the Burning Sea, and Neverwinter Nights 2.
But solving that problem is a few dollars away in the form of a screen protector. For the technically uninformed that believe the internet is inherently safe to surf and operate on this article may come as a surprise. What worries me more is the fact that people regard personal/delicate information as just "something they work with". Reminds me of the day we found social security numbers and copies of military orders in the dumpster at my former Air Force Base. Some people are clueless.
Gen Con is really one of the only mainstream events that gamers can show up just to play together. So far the game companies that have shown up follow that mantra. They bring playable games to Gen Con instead of just previews and this is something I hope will always continue. Unfortunately I've never been able to attend, but since my HS days I always get a hold of the break down of the event from whatever sources offer it. Luckily some folks I talk with regularly will be going so this is the first year I will get to pick their brains about the event. Gen Con has the right format for gamers and I just hope the E3 mindset and E3 booth crap stays away for many more years.