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    Chris

    Podcast for 09.08.08 | Hyped to Hell and Back

    posted by Chris on September 8, 2008 6:39 PM in Podcast

    hypedtohell.jpg

    Qais, Chris, Jinny and Ross hit you this week with one very entertaining, very not safe for work podcast featuring a variety of subjects to amuse and delight. Spore released this week and we've got impressions and a discussion (ok, argument) about all the hype and why an 8 or 9 out of 10 isn't a bad review score after all. We talk a little Castle Crashers, a little Soul Calibur IV, and discuss (argue) about video games' tenuous link with science.

    We won't mention the bit about the Guitar Hero movie. We don't speak of this.

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    comments (5) | permalink

    SitnaltaAuthor Profile Page says:

    posted September 9, 2008 10:02 AM

    Really, Qais? You don't think people will want to play Spore 4 years from now? That just seems a little, you know, insane. Considering how many games that we own that aren't even from this century.

    I didn't buy Mass Effect because of the DRM, and I won't buy Spore for the same reason. I'd actually rather pirate them so I can install and use them how I want. Yes, that's right. DRM has actually made pirating MORE appealing for me. Calling EA to get the install limit reset may be a minor annoyance, but it is still an annoyance. An unnecessary annoyance that may turn into a serious annoyance later on when they decide to switch off the license servers.

    ChrisAuthor Profile Page says:

    posted September 9, 2008 11:03 AM

    Yeah, you didn't see it in the podcast but I gave him a funny look when he said that. I'm still playing games that I've had for 20 years. It's been said that in order to combat piracy you need to make your legal product more appealing than the pirated product, not lock it down. DRM is bad always. Game companies need to cut down on development costs by no longer catering to the graphic prowess pushers and shoot for artistic and creative solutions to visuals rather than the bloated graphics we see today that just don't stand the test of time.

    SitnaltaAuthor Profile Page says:

    posted September 9, 2008 12:30 PM

    It's not even DRM itself that I hate. Steam games are locked to the program and your user account. You can't install the game any other way and if Steam or Valve ever went under, one might wonder if the games will still be playable. However Steam's DRM is unobtrusive and fair. You can install it as many times as you want and on as many computers as you want (as far as I've seen.) Plus you get some benefits you wouldn't get with a normal CD/DVD copy (such as diskless play and online content.)

    It's malicious DRM I hate. License servers, USB dongles, install limits, all these things do is antagonize legal users and mildly inconvenience pirates. I don't think games should be completely without DRM (human nature being what it is) but it shouldn't treat everybody like potential criminals.

    inerd says:

    posted September 10, 2008 10:54 AM

    It was nice to hear someone agree with me about Mass Effect and to know that I wasn't the only one who bought the DLC then realised had to go back and start a new game to actually play the bastard. I couldn't help thinking that I liked the game's narrative and story options, even if they didn't have much effect (har har?) on the eniding but found the combat sorely lacking.

    Zac says:

    posted September 11, 2008 10:30 AM

    What do the DRM-haters want these companies to do? Just release them totally without copy protection and watch as they sell like 3 copies? PC Gaming is dying because of the rampant pirating, and continuing to play games that you haven't paid for will only hasten their death.

    What say you?!

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