Game Dev/Pubs - taking the piss

[i30817]

 

 

...

 

 

http://www.indiegogo.com/Samara-from-Mass-Effect-2-cosplay-with-the-real-model-

 

 

[i30817]

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/213-nonstop-gaming-general/62584455

 

 

 

thecrobar

Posted 4/19/2012 6:01:12 AM

message detail

quote

Recently Bioware has gone about trying to clean up their image in regards to The Old Republic. As you may know, TOR isn't really doing that well and it's nowhere near reaching the "wow-killer" levels that it should be. With a recent patch (itself troubled by bugs and mini-updates), Bioware announced that it would offer select members a free month of game time to make up for it.

 

Except it turns out the month is "free".

 

While players are technically getting a free month of time, the caveat is that this time is only added after their accounts have been automatically charged for the current billing cycle. Just so we're clear- Bioware pledged a free month of game time, only they didn't tell everyone that free month was in the future and then charged everyone for the time that was supposed to be free.

 

tl;dr

Bioware promised fans a free month of game time, but didn't specify that this game time would actually be in the future.

 

 

[Bikerdude]

And here we go again -

 

" Crytek, the developer behind the popular Crysis first-person shooter series, are calling for next-generation consoles to block used games, describing the idea as “absolutely awesome. "

 

If this turns out to be true, rather than a rumour I for one wont be buying any more of their games - they go fuck right off.

[i30817]

Can't resist

 

[i30817]

Ahahahha

 

http://files.shareholder.com/downlo...50c8d268/ERTS_Wedbush_03082012_Transcript.pdf

 

 

Star Wars, this is an area that I think has got a lot of people anxious. I've heard from investors today saying that

we must have 800,000 subscribers. I heard 600,000 yesterday. So what I think a lot of people have

misunderstood is we said we had 1.7 million subscribers on the last call, which was about a month ago. What that

was about was the fact that only about – just about half that number had triggered through their 30-day point and

become active subscribers, our definition of recurring subscribers.

We had about half that total still in the 30-day trial period, but they're subscribers because that first month is

including with a package good. What I said a month ago was, just over half. I can now confirm for you today that

the vast majority of the 1.7 is now triggered through that point and they're recurring subscribers.

[...]

I am not giving you my fiscal 2013 guidance, but it is very clear on the surface that some of the craziness that was

out there in terms of misunderstanding [ph] this is that I can (10:04) clear up today. It's a very strong entry. We

still have a lot of future in front of us. We're two months into the launch, a lot more to go, but 1.7 million, vast

majority now, are recurring subscribers.

Edited June 17, 2012 by i30817

[lost_soul]

Holy one-star reviews, Batman!

http://www.amazon.com/Diablo-III-Standard-Edition-Pc/product-reviews/B00178630A/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

it makes me appreciate folks like the ones around here who still concentrate on making games fun.

[i30817]

Try the path of exile beta (10$ to play the beta, will be free2play (grrrrr), vs 60$+action house shennigans of D3).

 

It's supposedly much better than diablo 3 (not that i play that kind of game)

Edited June 20, 2012 by i30817

[Diego]

God damn corporations that make good games! lol

 

I agree with everything said here but, just to add another point of view... This kind of mentality that we despise so much, greedy, that exploits people who love videogames for profit, is exactly the mentality that allowed games like Mass Effect to exist. Before throwing stones at me, think about it for a second, it makes sense.

[Bikerdude]

Is exactly the mentality that allowed games like Mass Effect to exist. Before throwing stones at me, think about it for a second, it makes sense.

I see where your coming from but, the dev/pub stepped over the line, they took the piss. We all know the status que and are willing to except it to a point, its when that changes to what is tantamount to attempted exploitation that we as players quite rightly get F****D off etc.

[Diego]

Yep. They definitely made bad decisions. They went for some quick cash that costed their reputation. It's stupid! image matters a lot.. Take Apple, for example, not only they wouldn't take this kind of action (I mean before they were what they are now) as they would also invest in looking good. The result is not a company that people don't *like*, people LOVE it. Apple has freaking followers. It's a long term investment.

 

My point was that, in essence, every video game company is in it for the money, EA just made that clearer. People got angry at EA because 1) EA will charge whatever and however they want for their product, without caring for their image, how it will look like from the outside, and 2) gamers love their products.

[Bikerdude]

EA just made that clearer. People got angry at EA because 1) EA will charge whatever and however they want for their product, without caring for their image, how it will look like from the outside

 

I just read i30817's post above, I gotta laugh at the very last bit "we don't sit around thinking about how to squeeze $5 out of this guy" " and "its just a minority of haters"

 

......what utter and complete bullshit... if ever there was a company that so far down the wrong path that its started believing its own delusional lip service its EA.

[Mortem Desino]

I don't necessarily hate their money-grubbing, I've got other corporations to hate for that (I'm looking at you, Record industry & Movie industry + other staunch SOPA/PIPA supporters). I moreso hate their unrelenting iron-fisted grip on their IP. For example, It was only about a year ago that they finally released something from their Origin assets: Ultima IV.

 

And y'know, part of me can't fault the price range. I just spent 20 USD to see Prometheus. Okay: that's about $10 per hour of entertainment. I also purchased Skyrim for 60 USD. Steam says I've played it for nearly 60 hours so far. That's $1 per hour of entertainment so far, with many hours still left to go. True, not all of those 60 hours were the deathgrip rollercoaster ride that prometheus was, but I have to say that the far better value came from purchasing a video game.

[7upMan]

And y'know, part of me can't fault the price range. I just spent 20 USD to see Prometheus.

 

So, was it any good? I did like the first two Alien movies (the other two were utter bull, if you ask me), so I'm wondering if at least the prequel is inspired.

[Bikerdude]

So, was it any good? I did like the first two Alien movies (the other two were utter bull, if you ask me), so I'm wondering if at least the prequel is inspired.

I saw it over the weekend, save your money and go see Avengers or Snow White.

[ungoliant]

I'd rather save my money and see none of those movies. i'm getting close to what i need for a new system build, so shitty movies can wait. EXCEPT abraham lincoln, vampire hunter. i will pay $100 USD to see that movie in theater. I suspect this will be the greatest movie of our generation.

[Mortem Desino]

So, was it any good? I did like the first two Alien movies (the other two were utter bull, if you ask me), so I'm wondering if at least the prequel is inspired.

I saw it over the weekend, save your money and go see Avengers or Snow White.

It was a really fun ride, but the story (in relation to the other Alien movies) was disappointing.

[i30817]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...lan-sale-of-stake-in-activision-blizzard.html

 

Vivendi SA (VIV), the media and telecommunications company that ousted its chief executive this week, has decided to seek a buyer for its $8.1 billion stake in Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI), a person with knowledge of the situation said.

 

Should no buyer emerge for the 61 percent holding in the Santa Monica, California-based video-game publisher, Paris-based Vivendi plans to sell shares in the market, said the person, who sought anonymity because the plans are private.

 

Vivendi Chairman Jean-Rene Fourtou is under pressure from investors to restructure his company and boost the stock price from a near nine-year low. The board had discussed a sale of part or all of its stake in publicly held Activision, maker of the “World of Warcraft” and “Call of Duty” titles, people with knowledge off the talks said earlier this month.

 

A Vivendi spokesman didn’t respond to an e-mailed request for comment outside of business hours in France. Cassandra Bujarski, an outside spokeswoman for Activision, had no comment.

 

Activision, the largest U.S. video-game publisher, rose 4.4 percent to $11.99 on June 29 in New York. The shares have declined 2.7 percent this year. Vivendi gained 3.1 percent to 14.63 euros in Paris, and is down 11 percent this year. The stock reached a nine-year low of 12.01 euros on April 19.

 

 

Ohoh, wil zynga own ActiveSion?

Edited July 1, 2012 by i30817

[lost_soul]

I don't know why so many people dislike Activision. They have never screwed me over or done anything horrible to my knowledge.

 

A lot of companies keep pushing a franchise until the "wheels fall off" so to speak. That doesn't bother me at all; I would do the same thing in their position. How many Tony Hawk games did we end up with? I wonder how many CoDs they will make before retiring the franchise?

Edited July 2, 2012 by lost_soul

[7upMan]

I don't know why so many people dislike Activision.

 

Well, how about Bobby Kotick sucking the fun out of gaming?

[elwing]

Actually Activision made one of my prefered game...

Sin

[i30817]

Activision probably imposed from on high the 'auction house' model for Diablo 3.

[lost_soul]

Yeah, SiN was freaking awesome in spite of the bugs. It was a lengthy game with great level design, plenty to do and plenty of laughs. It was also the first game to have usable computers that would let you type into them, use menus, and maintain the display when you backed away.

Edited July 2, 2012 by lost_soul

[elwing]

and if you compare it with half life (since they got out roughly at same time, and that's a reason for all those bugs in SiN before the first patch), there was so much more innovation in SiN...

Usable computer.

Visible damage.

Armor drop depending where you shooted.

Camera.

Objectives (and secrete objectives...)

 

that game also had that strange feeling duke nukem had...

 

sure half life was better, but SiN deserved way more attention that it got...

Edited July 2, 2012 by elwing

[lost_soul]

Yeah, make sure you didn't miss the hidden level where you had to stop the missiles from launching. It was a blast to play.

 

Also, if you never played this user-made level; http://www.simonoc.c...gn/sp/dock2.htm

 

I am not aware of any other custom single-player levels for this game.

Edited July 2, 2012 by lost_soul

[elwing]

never played that one... nice, I'll try it...

 

I also loved SiN multiplayer...

some map were simply brilant... what about paradox? => http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxss3n_2C3A

or spry? => http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WqD7HJS27U

 

 

edit: it's maybe not clear, but in paradox, every time you cross on of theses teleporter doors the gravity is oriented differently... and you end with other player running on the wall or the ceiling... rather disturbing and fun

Edited July 2, 2012 by elwing