Anyone else a tad concerned about
this? As much of a dominance as Steam currently hold, it only took MS one console generation to buy their way to the top of that market and if they decide to actually put their considerable clout into a PC initiative, things could get nasty. Competition is all well and good but if, as the article suggests, GFW starts getting bundled with retail titles and then what's to stop MS strong-arming the platform in whichever direction they want. If Joe Public gets offered paid DLC for his game through the service, it won't be long before that becomes the norm, regardless of how disturbing the idea might appear to veteran PC gamers. Also,
this scenario continues to loom overhead :'(
(11-13-2008, 05:28 AM)Arnies Right Bicep link Wrote: [ -> ]If Joe Public gets offered paid DLC for his game through the service, it won't be long before that becomes the norm, regardless of how disturbing the idea might appear to veteran PC gamers. Also, this scenario continues to loom overhead :'(
Given the outrage over the browser, I doubt its going to happen. PCs will never have to pay for anything that isn't an expansion pack either. We have this lovely thing called, 'control of our files'. I can see the files on the CD/DVD, in the folder, and if I was so inclined I could see what files were loaded into memory.
You can never charge for DLC on a PC, ever, all it takes is one person to get it, then crack and send to everyone else. Unless its some huge addition that's like 33 - 50% the size of the original game, I'm not paying for it. "games for windows" has always been and will always be a joke to PC gamers, we know where MS's priorities lies, the xbox. We also on the whole are a lot smarter than the average xbox gamer and I doubt they'd be able to put something past us.
(11-13-2008, 06:01 AM)CaffeinePowered link Wrote: [ -> ]You can never charge for DLC on a PC, ever.
Um... expansion packs? I suppose it is more on the C and less on the DL, but it's the same principle.
Quote:"games for windows" has always been and will always be a joke to PC gamers, we know where MS's priorities lies, the xbox.
Isn't Microsoft still barely making money in the console market while continuing to rake in money with the PC software?
Quote:We also on the whole are a lot smarter than the average xbox gamer and I doubt they'd be able to put something past us.
LOL. You overestimate us.
not too worried, like caff said. anything worth playing will be pirated.
Even steam games that require steam to be running for an online CD check get pirated. Only reason to ever pay for a game is because you need to go legit to play multiplayer online.
This is what will divide a successful steam platform that provides multiplayer servers for free, and GFWL which ....
arf, my point is moot.
on to my second point then.
MS will need to have a publisher develop a real 'killer app' type multiplayer game in order to draw people over to that side of the fence. Gears of war 2 will not do it. It would have to be something new and PC exclusive. from a marketing perspective MS will never do a pc exclusive title when they have 12 million xbox 360s to cash in on with said 'killer app', and the large percentage of people that will pirate the PC game.
conjecture: with said pc game people could even go as far as to crack it to play without any cd-check through the multiplayer servers. We used to call them 'black' servers for TFC / HL1 / CS
side note: I thought your second link, budr, was going to be to the chip they are planning on putting on peoples motherboards that keeps track of what you do on your comp and is supposed to curb piracy.
(11-13-2008, 09:10 AM)Vandamguy link Wrote: [ -> ]side note: I thought your second link, budr, was going to be to the chip they are planning on putting on peoples motherboards that keeps track of what you do on your comp and is supposed to curb piracy.
Is that still happening? I remember hearing about it and then it just died away again. Who the fuck's gonna enforce it anyhow?
EDIT: found
the link, for anyone interested.
The whole thing sounds like nonsense:
Quote:There is a stealth encryption chip called a TPM that is going on the motherboards of most of the computers that are coming out now
Orly? Six months down the line and nothing more heard? I'm pretty sure someone would have been blowing up a shit storm had this made any progress whatsoever.
(11-13-2008, 09:32 AM)Arnies Right Bicep link Wrote: [ -> ]Is that still happening? I remember hearing about it and then it just died away again. Who the fuck's gonna enforce it anyhow?
yeah i know .. which country do you think is arrogant enough to think they can police the entire world ...
(11-13-2008, 09:45 AM)Vandamguy link Wrote: [ -> ][quote author=Arnie's Right Bicep link=topic=1772.msg49514#msg49514 date=1226586775]
Is that still happening? I remember hearing about it and then it just died away again. Who the fuck's gonna enforce it anyhow?
yeah i know .. which country do you think is arrogant enough to think they can police the entire world ...
[/quote]
canada
(11-13-2008, 09:45 AM)Vandamguy link Wrote: [ -> ][quote author=Arnie's Right Bicep link=topic=1772.msg49514#msg49514 date=1226586775]
Is that still happening? I remember hearing about it and then it just died away again. Who the fuck's gonna enforce it anyhow?
yeah i know .. which country do you think is arrogant enough to think they can police the entire world ...
[/quote]
LOL, Taiwan? Seeing as how they are the ones that manufacture all the motherboards.
Good fucking luck getting anyone to buy a motherboard with such a chip, you could give the god damn thing away for free and I wouldn't take it. If it ***somehow*** became standard, I'd bet you'd see people coming out with soldering irons and ripping the little fucker right off the board and/or installing some kind of mod-chip bypass.
(11-13-2008, 08:24 AM)ScottyGrayskull link Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:We also on the whole are a lot smarter than the average xbox gamer and I doubt they'd be able to put something past us.
LOL. You overestimate us.
I think Caff and others of the same school of thought overestimate the big companies. The logic from said camp always seems to run along the lines of: we stop buying, companies realise they're doing something wrong and up their quality standards or accommodate our needs in whichever way to improve the perceived value of the product. Whereas, in actuality, in runs a little something like: we stop buying, companies figure it isn't worth the time or investment to put the effort in and lower their standards even further or don't even bother with a PC release.
(11-13-2008, 01:11 PM)Arnies Right Bicep link Wrote: [ -> ][quote author=ScottyGrayskull link=topic=1772.msg49495#msg49495 date=1226582698]
Quote:We also on the whole are a lot smarter than the average xbox gamer and I doubt they'd be able to put something past us.
LOL. You overestimate us.
I think Caff and others of the same school of thought overestimate the big companies. The logic from said camp always seems to run along the lines of: we stop buying, companies realise they're doing something wrong and up their quality standards or accommodate our needs in whichever way to improve the perceived value of the product. Whereas, in actuality, in runs a little something like: we stop buying, companies figure it isn't worth the time or investment to put the effort in and lower their standards even further or don't even bother with a PC release.
[/quote]
Well I think the reality is somewhere in the middle, we as PC gamers may buy less overall, but when we see something good we flock to it like fat kids to a donut. Some companies like Epic disappoint me and do shit more half assed because we quit buying as much. However, companies like Valve and Blizzard continue going strong and put out great products we all buy.
Things will see-saw, companies will drop out, then the few left will see huge successes. Other companies see this, then want in on a piece of the pie. Some may meet the general PC community's level of quality demanded and they'll stick around. The rest will be pirated/quickly forgotten. Those companies then move on and the cycle begins again.