Jimquisition: Why An Always-On DRM Console Would Be Dumb Dumb Dumb

The White Hunter

Basment Abomination
Oct 19, 2011
3,888
0
0
Yeah I'm feeling more and more that PC is the way to go, particularly as open source things gain more steam(pun intended) and microsoft slowly loses it's grip on the operating system market.

I really hope we can see linux distributions start to spread more effectively and become more universally compatible and user friendly. It is reaching a point where windows is only really around because people need office...

It's all about control for companies like microsoft but they dont realise that the harder they grip, the farther their market slips away.
 

Cameron Everett

New member
Apr 2, 2010
13
0
0
And this is why I'm pretty much done with the Console market, what games I do want to play are 99% of the time out on PC or for my Tablet, I don't care about the Madden X Year games or the FPS CODBFOMGWFTBBQ that's released every year. The 3 most anticipated games for me coming out within the next year and a half are all games I backed on Kickstarter. Also, I'd rather spend 500.00 on a middle range Mobo/CPU/RAM then I would on a console, because chances are that will be as powerful as the next gen console, case in point Nov 2011 I have to replace my mobo/cpu/ram and it cost me just over 500.00 and I can run pretty much any game at high/very high graphics settings, as it is my PS3 is basically a media streaming box.

So TL;DR I agree Consoles are dying and indie/mobile-tablet/computer are still going strong, and I couldn't be happier.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
I'm glad Jim's brought up the Gamestop point I've been making for like four years now. Maybe people will actually stop fighting it around these parts.

Not to mention the point about the infrastructure in the US.

In fact...Jim, are you stalking me?

Captcha: I love you.

Yes, I do, but I suspect we will never be more than just friends.
 

Azriel Nightshade

New member
Jun 9, 2008
123
0
0
Why is always on-line for consols detrimental, but always online via Steam exempt from scrutiny?

I'm not asking this to be contrarian or witty, I'm generally curious. Mainly because the only two PC games I play are WoW and LoL, both on an 5 year old iMac. So I'm a bit out of the loop.
 

linkmastr001

New member
May 22, 2009
141
0
0
I agree. I know for the past month and a half I haven't been able to fully enjoy my always online games since my ISP has been having issues outside of my control (and perhaps theirs, IDK), but it has been severely hampering my experience.

I can tell you if they do make an always online console, I won't touch it. Most of the games I play now that require it have valid reasons, but if a console were too... screw that...
 

kajinking

New member
Aug 12, 2009
896
0
0
I still remember I had my console for two years before I finally got it online, I wouldn't have ever bought it if I couldn't play Fallout 3 offline.

The reason I played with the console offline for so long was because online play was considered a secondary feature to me and as long as I could rent and play my games why bother?

I truly enjoyed Halo 3 singleplayer and never even touched gears of war 2's multiplayer.

So Microsoft what about me?
 

Gene O

New member
Jul 9, 2008
130
0
0
This is why I don't worry about my refusal to buy anything with always on drm. AAA gaming may be collapsing (I honestly have no idea) but my options have never been better. I could spend years playing catch up with all of the games from this console generation I haven't gotten to yet. And, as Jim points out, mobile gaming will always have something for me and GOG.com has attached a slow drip tap to my wallet which ensures that I won't run out of games that I know my computer can run.

I remember the video game crash of the 80's. Simlarly, consoles (Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision, etc.) were having a hard time of it. Historically, it's treated as a huge catastrophy but between arcades and computer games I never had a lack of video games to play at the time. The AAA game industry has told me time and time again that they don't care about me or what I think to which I say, "Same to you."
 

Lightknight

Mugwamp Supreme
Nov 26, 2008
4,860
0
0
Great and timely video. The rumors, while hopefully false, are a scary thing indeed.

I really hope these companies get their act together. The consoles failing mean even good development companies get screwed out of deserved profit.
 

GAunderrated

New member
Jul 9, 2012
998
0
0
Nicely done video Jim.

I almost find it sad that I enjoy watching these companies not to spiral down to a horrible crash equally as much as I enjoy playing their products. If that isn't a sign of You're doing it wrong I don't know what is.
 

linkmastr001

New member
May 22, 2009
141
0
0
Azriel Nightshade said:
Why is always on-line for consols detrimental, but always online via Steam exempt from scrutiny?

I'm not asking this to be contrarian or witty, I'm generally curious. Mainly because the only two PC games I play are WoW and LoL, both on an 5 year old iMac. So I'm a bit out of the loop.
Steam has an offline mode, which usually works (I know I've had issues with it on occasion) and lets you play your games without the connection. If it didn't, I don't think people would be happy with it at all.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
Legion said:
I think the reason they have that kind of attitude is because they are banking on sales from the kind of people who will buy the console because it's all shiny and new rather than for any other reason.
If you're talking about douchetagdealwithit, I think it's more the fact that people don't understand the repercussions of social media. As Nash said, there will come a time where we are intimately familiar with the size, shape and colour of our President's genitals (because they tweeted them 30 years ago).

Then again, the gaming industry seems to be behind the ball on a lot of things, too.
 

Latinidiot

New member
Feb 19, 2009
2,215
0
0
BOOM! And that was the big picture.

It was, though. Very informed, very interesting, and most of all, completely logical. I have no desire to buy any console that requires me to be online constantly, even though I have pretty damn good internet.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
Azriel Nightshade said:
Why is always on-line for consols detrimental, but always online via Steam exempt from scrutiny?

I'm not asking this to be contrarian or witty, I'm generally curious. Mainly because the only two PC games I play are WoW and LoL, both on an 5 year old iMac. So I'm a bit out of the loop.
Because, loathe as I am to defend Steam, it's not actually "always online."

When my internet was cut about a month ago (because Comcast is stupid and can't process checks on time for some reason), I was still able to access and play my games. It didn't kick me out of Magic 2013 when my internet went down and it didn't stop me from launching other titles for the two days it took me to get my internet back.

The rumours here are that it'll kick you for three minutes of inactivity.

Do you honestly feel those two are comparable scenarios?
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
Capitano Segnaposto said:
the antithesis said:
And that's how the Ouya will outsell the next Xbox. Deal with it.
Except it won't. At all. The Ouya is already failing as is with the few consoles that have been released due to its horrendous menu system and constant pop-ups telling you to pay for something.
It's also going to be annual, isn't it? I'm pretty sure that a new Ouya every year will be a problem.