Best Industry stories for 2012 - Industry talk

[MattYg1]

Just wanted to gather some opinions on what you think has been the best news and or stories to come out of what has been a slightly smaller year for game releases compared to previous years.

For me its been twofold really, Square Enix purchased Eidos in 2009 but this year they have really made significant pushes into the Western Market on the publishing side of things so much so that anytime I hear news that Square have picked up an IP I am confident it will be quality.

This is because the games they are attatched to are insanely high quality in terms of production value. Games like Hitman Absolution and Sleeping Dogs and the soon coming Tomb Raider game just scream a Publisher who cares greatly about the product they are putting out there and they have a real eye for talent on the developers they aquire and use.

Its kinda of refreshing to see a Japanese game company expanding its territory like that. To me they are the anti Activision/EA at the moment.

The second story for me is the re-emergence of PC gaming ports of quality, and more often then not now again we are getting console games proted to the PC like the developer and publisher gave a shit.

This is all because of the rise of Steam and how it has transformed PC gaming and made it relevant to more then just the PC gamers of the past who have been complaining about Microsoft turning their back on PC gaming and well if Microsoft didnt care who would? Apple? they have their own markets to dominate, so Gabe Newell and Valve in total thank you for making the platform relevant again and thank you to the publishers for realising this also.

I think as the console war now turns to a more multi media entertainment focus and with online retail really starting to destroy tradition brick and mortar retail, Steam and PC Gaming is going to become the new standard and perhaps more important then consoles in total.

Anybody else got anything they are happy with moving fowared?

 

[Parra Pride]

I think as the console war now turns to a more multi media entertainment focus and with online retail really starting to destroy tradition brick and mortar retail, Steam and PC Gaming is going to become the new standard and perhaps more important then consoles in total.

I don't think PC gaming will be more important than consoles as long as it's much easier to hook up an Xbox or Playstation and play top line games without having to worry about whether or not your system can run it.

 

[Danish]

Absolutely kidding yourself if you think desktop gaming is ever going to touch console gaming for popularity ever again.

FFS most households wont even own a desktop PC within the next 5 years, let alone waste a grand building a gaming PC when they can just pick up an xbox 360 for 200 bucks

 

[MattYg1]

Absolutely kidding yourself if you think desktop gaming is ever going to touch console gaming for popularity ever again.

FFS most households wont even own a desktop PC within the next 5 years, let alone waste a grand building a gaming PC when they can just pick up an xbox 360 for 200 bucks

Admitedly I should have worded that last bit a bit better but I wasnt actually saying anything about popularity. I said more important which is not hard for PC gaming to do seeing as it suffered such a fall from grace due to the rise of console gaming...

Will it ever be as popular and mainsteam as Console gaming hell no, however as Steam grows in popularity and digital distribution becomes more and more a mainstay in this industry that PC gaming has potential to get back more console gamers, particularly as the console rat race moves more and more towards multimedia entertainment platforms and the casual market.

 

[MattYg1]

my brother just raised a good point while i was talking to him, its interesting that Consoles are now becoming more like PC's with the multimedia and internet connectivity so maybe in the long run everything will all be standardized into one simple little box anyway haha

 

[bileduct]

Absolutely kidding yourself if you think desktop gaming is ever going to touch console gaming for popularity ever again.

FFS most households wont even own a desktop PC within the next 5 years, let alone waste a grand building a gaming PC when they can just pick up an xbox 360 for 200 bucks

I think you're exaggerating the decline of the PC there.

Until the day that Office can be installed on an Xbox, or browsing the web on a tablet actually becomes an enjoyable experience, there will always be a place for the PC.

Let's also remember that the current price for an Xbox 360 or a PS3 is based on the fact that the platforms are 6/7 years old. You can buy PCs from the same hardware era from refurbishers for less than $100. When the next iteration of the Xbox and Playstation comes out they'll be back up around the $600-800 mark depending on the configuration.

 

[bileduct]

Also, the FPS genre will continue to keep PC gaming alive. There simply is no rational argument for the console being a better platform (or even comparable to the PC) for FPS games.

 

[Parra Pride]

Also, the FPS genre will continue to keep PC gaming alive. There simply is no rational argument for the console being a better platform (or even comparable to the PC) for FPS games.

I will never argue that it's better, however it's more convenient for people like myself who don't want to have to worry about whether or not the game will run. Where as I can simply place the disc into my 360 and know that it's going to work.

 

[bileduct]

I will never argue that it's better, however it's more convenient for people like myself who don't want to have to worry about whether or not the game will run. Where as I can simply place the disc into my 360 and know that it's going to work.

Until you scratch it.

 

[boxhead]

Isn't that the same with a PC disk? Yes you can buy said game's online but you can do that on a console too.

 

[boxhead]

Personally I prefer consoles for ease, comfort and a big T.V. It is also much better when you have friends over. Are consoles better than PCs? No, it comes down to preference.

 

[bileduct]

Isn't that the same with a PC disk? Yes you can buy said game's online but you can do that on a console too.

Well, no, not really. Once you install the game you no longer need the disc. And if you lose the disc and need to reinstall you can simply download it from Steam or Origin.

Can you download a game like Halo 4 from the Xbox Marketplace?

Also, can you play Halo 4 online without an Xbox Live subscription?

 

[Someone]

for mine, console > PC because of convenience and cost.

And the disc scratching argument is pretty weak IMO, plus you can install a game on your xbox if you want to not use the disc.

PC still has plenty of plus', maybe more, but console will be more popular because it holds the biggest plus', convenience and cost.

 

[bileduct]

And the disc scratching argument is pretty weak IMO, plus you can install a game on your xbox if you want to not use the disc.

Don't you still need the disc in the console even if the game is installed to the hard disk?

 

[boxhead]

Well, no, not really. Once you install the game you no longer need the disc. And if you lose the disc and need to reinstall you can simply download it from Steam or Origin.

Can you download a game like Halo 4 from the Xbox Marketplace?

Also, can you play Halo 4 online without an Xbox Live subscription?

Not all PC games are like that though. Take Diablo 3 and until recently Ubisoft's extortionate always online policy. And see what I mean - you would have to buy the game a second time unless you bought it from Steam in the first place, no different to buying games on consoles online.

It will eventually. Ps All Stars can be bought on PSN, and that is just a recent example. You can buy thousands of fully fledged games on either console online.

Irrelevant point, not all consoles have subscription based online play. The PS3 doesn't, nor does the Wii U.

 

[Someone]

Don't you still need the disc in the console even if the game is installed to the hard disk?

TBH im not 100% sure. I know you can put a game on your hard drive, i have never done it though.

You may be correct.

 

[bileduct]

TBH im not 100% sure. I know you can put a game on your hard drive, i have never done it though.

You may be correct.

I am not 100% sure myself as I rarely buy new games for my Xbox 360 anymore. But it is my understanding that copy protection on the Xbox 360 is reliant on physical media, rather than an installation code.

Installation to hard drive is purely for speeding up data access response times.

 

[bileduct]

Not all PC games are like that though.

About 90% of the games I have bought since Half Life 2 have been Steam enabled and all appear in my Steam library. I can download and install any of them at a moments notice through Steam.

Take Diablo 3 and until recently Ubisoft's extortionate always online policy. And see what I mean - you would have to buy the game a second time unless you bought it from Steam in the first place, no different to buying games on consoles online.

Yeah, well Blizzard is a notable exception because they want to handle sales and distribution of their own games. They can get f**ked though, I'll never buy another Blizzard game again.

But as for Ubisoft, my understanding is that Ubisoft games bought through Steam will always be available through Steam, and ones bought through UPlay will be available through UPlay.

It will eventually.

Yes, but the key point raised in the OP is that Steam has changed the way that PC games are delivered to the desktop. I buy all of my games through Steam and download them now, and they are made available at the same time as their physical media counterparts.

Irrelevant point, not all consoles have subscription based online play. The PS3 doesn't, nor does the Wii U.

You're right, they don't, which puts the Xbox 360 at a considerable disadvantage for people such as myself. I no longer use it as a gaming platform because I primarily play multiplayer online games and I'm not going to pay for a subscription just to play them when I already have a PC.

In fact, I hardly use my Xbox 360 for anything anymore. My PS3 is effectively my HTPC now, except for Cinavia protected content which I use the PC for.

And just about every display adapter comes with DVI/HDMI/DP these days, so connecting it up to the 60" TV is just as easy as it is a console.

 

[MattYg1]

Well this topic got somewhat off topic but still on topic...

 

[bileduct]

Well this topic got somewhat off topic but still on topic...

Well, to answer your question in your OP.

Steam Greenlight.