Support NeoGAF

[Stumpokapow]

To me, I'm not convinced a significant chunk of the market engages in regional price abuse, so I don't think on a practical level it's a threat to any publisher. And intellectually, price stratification by region feels like a case of content producers abusing the benefits of globalization without passing any along to the consumer. However, the optics of it are pretty bad, and the same shitty logic that leads publishers to say "Our game was pirated so we lost sales to piracy" is likely to cause alarm bells with cross-regional pricing abuse.

I mean, the real problem is that we have countries like Russia and Brazil with lots of people interested in buying, but a strong cultural norm in favour of piracy and limited disposable income; so your choices are to a) hose those people by not offering software or charging full US/EU prices to sell in those regions, b) throw those people a bone but risk losing revenue in more lucrative territories through soft-importation; c) try to use technical measures to get the sales without losing revenue. None of those are really ideal solutions for both publisher and consumer.

What I do think is beneficial is that there's clearly a strong message being sent to everyone that stuff sells on PC, and that PC is a volume game, not an ARPU game; so you can eke out a great existence by just snowballing sales over time rather than trying to maximize sales every single day. And yes you discount your stuff to pennies on the dollar, but it adds up in a way that other platforms don't. I would hope that smart publishers, even if they choose to block cross-region trading, will still interpret it as strong demand for their product at lower prices and participate aggressively in sales promotions.

 

[Rnr1224]

The Free Hoxton DLC for Payday 2 should be out soon since they added the teaser trailer to the intro of the game. It doesn't look like there will be a way to fully stealth it if the teaser trailer is anything to go by. I really hope it's half stealthing into the prison, then a mad dash to find Hoxton as well as a proper escape to the van like in the original Payday. There doesn't seem to be a big window for the DLC though. The Hotline Miami cross over DLC comes out at the end of the month and there will be a Halloween event at the end of October. I hope that doesn't mean it's coming in Novemeber.

O wow I def need to start getting back into payday 2 with all of the new dlc coming.

 

[Hinomura]

How is Deadly Premonition GAF? any good?

In my opinion yes, it is. A bit on the janky side, but great story, characters and atmosphere.
If you don't mind a bif of jankiness and you loved Twin Peaks, go for it aaaand there's a raffle remind a couple posts before yours

It's a bit of time I don't play it, but I think it still needs the Durante patch.

 

[LurkerPrime]

How is Deadly Premonition GAF? any good?

It's one of the best games of last generation. This is in spite of it being a technical mess on PC, and being remarkably mediocre from a production and design standpoint.

Deadly Premonition is endearing and enjoyable in a way that very few games will ever match.

(And if you haven't seen Twin Peaks yet, go see Twin Peaks at some point. You owe it to yourself.)

 

[AsfaeksBR]

Having to play Quake Live at 95ms because they refuse to put up official servers for a game mode I grew up on

I'm definitely not putting any money into this.

I don't play multiplayer games anymore, it's just not my thing.
But Idon't think it's that much of a problem. I played TF2 with 150ms and I was faily good.

The last MP game I tried was Insurgency, and my average ping was 130.

And there was also this time that my ping was 996

 

[MUnited83]

While I'm probably completely on my own, I'd like to ask for people to drop Russian key trading, especially for Final Fantasy 13.

It took many, many years for publishers to get over the "piracy will destroy sales" thing and finally we are getting games on PC again and at very reasonable prices.

I can sympathise with people wanting (or needing) cheap games, but ultimately it'll just prove counter productive for everybody.

People constantly talk about "I wish x would come to Steam". Here is one of those big games, there are potentially other big games to follow, some of which might actually be worth playing and I think it is time to take a stand.

Nope. Firstly because the ammount of people buying from Russian traders is pretty darn low compared with the total scope of steam, second because if a publisher does region pricing, then they should price each country differently according to it's conditions. This only select countries bullshit is not something one should stand for.

I live in one of the european countries in the worse economical state, with the average income being pretty darn low, yet I have to pay, most of the times, what the most sucessful and high income countries do. Fuck that noise. And shit, there's countries in even worse state than mine and they also pay the same.

 

[Miguel81]

I still kinda like JRPGs, have tons of them on my backlog, but why is everyone so hyped for FF to be on steam since we always had top-notch WRPGs like Baldurs Gate, Fallout, Witcher, etc?

whynotboth.gif

Variety is awesome and PC gamers seem to be a lot more receptive to JP games nowadays. It's great for me, personally, as I wouldn't need any consoles.

 

[freshVeggie]

I ended up getting Lego Batman 2, Marvel Superheroes, The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings.
Good choices, yes?
Also F.E.A.R 1 just to try it out. I heard good thing about the 1st game in the series.
Edit: also going to get Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City GotY

Lego games before Batman 2 had no spoken dialog afair. You should keep that in mind as I read the games got better after adding them in later installments.
---

Honestly, I'm with you on that. As much as I could appreciate the interesting things that the early Dead Rising games did, it never clicked with me, because I had to force myself to play in a way I didn't want to (not exploring).[...]

That makes sense. You have played it after all and I probably only imagine the possible positive effects of the changes. I think DR3 was financially a success for Capcom, so I am expecting sequels. Wonder how they will change it. I also remember the studio not being Capcom Japan but Canada? So maybe they are more open to change.
---

Thanks. Yeah, I still recommend it.
Thing is though I feel my videos so far (except for the Ryse one) have been pretty bad. I feel like Ive been rushing through the games and just tried to make videos as fast as possible.
My goal now is simply to use more time and resources on my next/future videos to make the quality go up.

The videos I saw were from the start of the games. I am not saying you should finish every game but maybe show more footage after ~2 hours, so people can get a feeling of the core game. But otherwise I like the format of non-review, quick-looks. Go on, please
---

It's this time of the year again
http://i.minus.com/iw9EDkhOon7NI.PNG
1000 games in ~10 month, not bad

Holy smokes! 100 games a month, +3 games a day!
Also, finally realized your avatar. So. Much. Fun.
---

The art direction in Remember Me is really quite fantastic.

It's the best cyber-punk game we get. The GitS dream is dead
---

While I'm probably completely on my own, I'd like to ask for people to drop Russian key trading, especially for Final Fantasy 13.
It took many, many years for publishers to get over the "piracy will destroy sales" thing and finally we are getting games on PC again and at very reasonable prices.
I can sympathise with people wanting (or needing) cheap games, but ultimately it'll just prove counter productive for everybody.
People constantly talk about "I wish x would come to Steam". Here is one of those big games, there are potentially other big games to follow, some of which might actually be worth playing and I think it is time to take a stand.

I get you. But you have to think about it this way. Many - me included - would never buy said games when we couldn't get them at those cheap Russian prices. There are many games I crave much more than those I bought but I simply don't buy them because they are too expensive for me. Yes, it's only 15 bucks, but if every game I bought was 15 bucks I'd be earning my money on the streets soon. Factor in westerners cutting corners by traders being probably lower than imagined (statistics would be nice) and I can't see pubs being much concerned or influenced in their decision-making. And a game bought through a trader is still a game directly bought first-hand from the pub, so it's not like it's totally lost. The sales figures still rise.

 

[Shadownet]

http://kotaku.com/i-wish-skyrim-had-face-tech-like-this-sports-game-1636127917

Have you guys seen this? Jesus.

 

[Salsa]

I have new friends

 

[Atraveller]

Aw. Here's hoping for a miracle come release day.

Not an expert on this, but doesn't VRAM usage scales with how much VRAM you have?

 

[Jawmuncher]

I have new friends

I knew you were going to replace us all someday.

 

[Joe Molotov]

I have new friends

Will wait for a Steam port.

 

[Freedom = $1.05]

http://kotaku.com/i-wish-skyrim-had-face-tech-like-this-sports-game-1636127917

Have you guys seen this? Jesus.

It'll only make bethesda's janky ass animations stand out even more if they use that face tech. They need to make things not look like broken animatronics.

 

[me0wish]

It's how I do my laundry. I spread the sheet and dry it old-fashion style.

Edit:

How is Deadly Premonition GAF? any good?

I think it's amazing, but you never listen to me, you got revelations over RE4

 

[Tellaerin]

Just some leftover odds and ends. Definitely recommend Aces Wild to anyone who doesn't already own it - think Treasure-meets-Platinum sidescrolling brawler.

Instructions for participants:
I am giving away 3 Steam keys. To enter this giveaway, send a PM to ModBot with any subject line. In the body, copy and paste the entire line from the message below that corresponds to the game you want. (if you include more than one game, you will be blocked from entering). Confused? Watch this GIF tutorial or ask for help.

ModBot Basics:
- I really appreciate thank you messages, but please send them to me (Tellaerin, not ModBot!) via PM instead of in thread.
- Do not trade keys you win off-site to enrich yourself. Don't try to claim games you have no interest in collecting or playing. Don't claim games to give them to friends off-site.
- If the key is already taken you will not receive a reply. Replies may take a minute or two.

Rules for this Giveaway:
- If you are a lurker you are not eligible for this giveaway. You need five or more posts in either the current Steam thread or the previous one to be eligible
- This giveaway is a LIGHTNING raffle. The winners will be selected by random draw 15 minutes after the draw was created. Any games not claimed after that point will be given away first come first serve.



Aces Wild -- MB-3C3B00EBD714366A - Taken by iosefe. 2 entrants total.
Windforge -- MB-AE7D89521DBE6034 - Taken by Catshade. 5 entrants total.
Ballpoint Universe -- MB-E722E57DA7994A53

 

[Jawmuncher]

It'll only make bethesda's janky ass animations stand out even more if they use that face tech. They need to make things not look like broken animatronics.

It amazes how ugly Bethesda faces still are.
I can never even make a character I want to look at.

 

[iosefe]

Just some leftover odds and ends. Definitely recommend Aces Wild to anyone who doesn't already own it - think Treasure-meets-Platinum sidescrolling brawler.

it looks hardcore

*entered*

 

[Turfster]

It's the best cyber-punk game we get. The GitS dream is dead

I have high hopes for Dex.
Anyone try it?

 

[Joe Molotov]

It amazes how ugly Bethesda faces still are.
I can never even make a character I want to look at.

You can't really play a Bethesda game until the mods are out, anyway.

Spoiler

Better Bouncing Boobs, amirite?

 

[Shadownet]

I think it's amazing, but you never listen to me, you got revelations over RE4

If it make you feel any better I also have Resident Evil 4. Should be done downloading in any minutes now.

 

[Jawmuncher]

You can't really play a Bethesda game until the mods are out, anyway.

Spoiler

Better Bouncing Boobs, amirite?

Did that mod actually make it to the workshop?

 

[clockworkinyou]

Will wait for a Steam port.

Only if they port some feet with them.

 

[legacyzero]

What the fuck did I JUST DO?!

 

[Sober]

I have new friends

Late to the party much?

 

[derExperte]

Not an expert on this, but doesn't VRAM usage scales with how much VRAM you have?

It should or offer you options to lower the usage, Max Payne 3 told you exactly how much it'll take.

 

[clockworkinyou]

What the fuck did I JUST DO?!

I've done that, but never before on a first day release or first day pre-order.

You've won!

 

[iosefe]

What the fuck did I JUST DO?!

The Goddess's work

 

[Cheddahz]

What the fuck did I JUST DO?!

gross

 

[MMBosstones86]

What the fuck did I JUST DO?!

a good thing.

I'lll be joining that band wagon when a little more card money comes in.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

SteamGAF needs to take a course of self-control.

 

[the_firewithin]

SteamGAF needs to take a course of self-control.

Blasphemy

 

[Cheddahz]

SteamGAF needs to take a course of self-control.

They really do. I mean, it's cool that a newer Final Fantasy game is coming out on Steam, but it's a shitty one

 

[Aaron]

Spent a few hours with the release version of Endless Legend. It's real fun now. Every problem I had with the early access version has been fixed. There's a better sense of what the research tree does, you can manually control troops in battle, and there's a relatively steady outlay of quests to give you stuff to do besides straight conquering. Not sure if there's $35 of content there, but enjoying it so far.

 

[iosefe]

SteamGAF needs to take a course of self-control.

pfft

 

[xBladeM6x]

So Heavy Bullets released today, if you're a Early Access owner like myself, you got a free gift copy to give away.

 

[legacyzero]

Don't get me wrong. I fucking HATED XIII.

But I just had to support S-E on bringing FF back to PC again. Gotta do my part in showing Japan appreciated for all the PC love it's been giving this year and last.

Now stop making shit games, S-E.

SteamGAF needs to take a course of self-control.

LOL That's impossible.

 

[MUnited83]

They really do. I mean, it's cool that a newer Final Fantasy game is coming out on Steam, but it's a shitty one

Eh, it's decent, and the more people that pick it up early the better are the chances of FF XV getting a PC port.

 

[Salsa]

Late to the party much?

hey man

first time it was on sale on the eshop

you guys dont like me if I play 3DS game and now you tell me I should play them sooner? god dammit gaf

 

[Atraveller]

I expect at least a 33% off on FF13 in winter sale.

 

[lashman]

probably not too far from the truth either

 

[Tecl0n]

SteamGAF needs to take a course of self-control.

but the night is our world.

 

[toddhunter]

To me, I'm not convinced a significant chunk of the market engages in regional price abuse, so I don't think on a practical level it's a threat to any publisher. And intellectually, price stratification by region feels like a case of content producers abusing the benefits of globalization without passing any along to the consumer. However, the optics of it are pretty bad, and the same shitty logic that leads publishers to say "Our game was pirated so we lost sales to piracy" is likely to cause alarm bells with cross-regional pricing abuse.

I mean, the real problem is that we have countries like Russia and Brazil with lots of people interested in buying, but a strong cultural norm in favour of piracy and limited disposable income; so your choices are to a) hose those people by not offering software or charging full US/EU prices to sell in those regions, b) throw those people a bone but risk losing revenue in more lucrative territories through soft-importation; c) try to use technical measures to get the sales without losing revenue. None of those are really ideal solutions for both publisher and consumer.

What I do think is beneficial is that there's clearly a strong message being sent to everyone that stuff sells on PC, and that PC is a volume game, not an ARPU game; so you can eke out a great existence by just snowballing sales over time rather than trying to maximize sales every single day. And yes you discount your stuff to pennies on the dollar, but it adds up in a way that other platforms don't. I would hope that smart publishers, even if they choose to block cross-region trading, will still interpret it as strong demand for their product at lower prices and participate aggressively in sales promotions.

While all that is true, it assumes it has no effect on console sales which I don't believe would be the case. A higher console price plus marketing support is still going to be attractive to publishers and losing that to pc is the risk. A sale is not just a sale and not all sales are equal.

Then when you consider trading will get easier and easier and more automated, it is only going to end in one way.

 

[legacyzero]

probably not too far from the truth either

It's Ubisoft. So it's pretty much a promise.

 

[LurkerPrime]

Spent a few hours with the release version of Endless Legend. It's real fun now. Every problem I had with the early access version has been fixed. There's a better sense of what the research tree does, you can manually control troops in battle, and there's a relatively steady outlay of quests to give you stuff to do besides straight conquering. Not sure if there's $35 of content there, but enjoying it so far.

I've heard very little about Endless Legend... the entire affair has been very under the radar.

How does it compare to Age of Wonders 3? (if you've played it)

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

Sorry for late reply. Still catching up with many pages.
Thanks for your detailled write-up. Makes sense the way you put it. I only every saw videos of DR2, so I didn't catch much about the importance of story, time or different way of saving people. Only got a feeling about the mechanics. That time limit sounds on one hand like a guiding challenge but on the other hand like it deters from exploring. Without having played any DR I tend towards DR3's approach tbh. But I should first play both to really grasp how it affects my enjoyment. Also, sorry, but DR3 being open-world with more focus on vehicles piqued my interest a lot, don't hate
Other than that even a big open-world with many weapons doesn't sound like fun when you have to constantly make the same fetch-quests. And being over-powered does sound like fun for 10mins but it changes gameplay dynamics drastically.

It's the other way around. Because there is a harsh time limit, there's a reason to explore in hopes that you find something valuable enough to approach a given situation with newfound strength. If you do end up failing to meet a deadline then that's simply the way the cookie crumbles, you can always restart over (whenever you choose) and maintain your character's experience, now with improved knowledge about your surroundings which may or may not motivate you to act more efficiently. Both the mall as well as the storyline are also compact enough to support this playstyle, with plenty of surprises that elevate the otherwise basic (seemingly) rescue missions. Compare that to Dead Rising 3; you're a walking death machine after no time at all. Everything is nonchalantly presented to you on a silver platter proximity-wise or marked on the mini-map, eliminating any reason to investigate further or any opportunity to be caught off-guard both positively or negatively. On top of that, the campaign is excessively dragged out across a map that's far too big for its own good. The marginally expanded vehicle selection is also a non-factor: either too many obstacles in between objectives that force you to step outside the car anyways after barely half a minute of traveling or intermediate zombie packs constantly slow you down to a crawl (if not triggering an explosion). Unless you're in a combo vehicle with regards to the latter, since their main benefit is resilience and combat ability rather than speed.

If anyone in particular didn't like the pressure or what have you that Dead Rising embodied, that's fine. It's been an "acquired taste series" all along along with many potential turn-offs. But if the opposing viewpoint is "I merely want to mess up some zombies for a few minutes or extended period of time," then said person is better off buying the likes of Dead Island or Left 4 Dead (or RE 5 / 6 for popcorn spectacle), games that run much better on their rig in all likelihood, are executed more succesfully and can be bought on Steam at a much cheaper price.

 

[AlphaProspector]

Someone needs to make a Lightning Hype Shinkansen (bullet train).

Raitoningu Haipu Torein!!!

I'm about to reach game 1,000 in my account and I fear FFXIII is going to be the one...

In before the "Just do it" replies.

 

[Stallion Free]

hey man

first time it was on sale on the eshop

you guys dont like me if I play 3DS game and now you tell me I should play them sooner? god dammit gaf

Btw did you hear Bayonetta 2 comes out in October.

 

[Cheddahz]

Someone needs to make a Lightning Hype Shinkansen (bullet train).

Raitoningu Haipu Torein!!!

I'm about to reach game 1,000 in my account and I fear FFXIII is going to be the one...

In before the "Just do it" replies.

don't do it

 

[MUnited83]

Someone needs to make a Lightning Hype Shinkansen (bullet train).

Raitoningu Haipu Torein!!!

I'm about to reach game 1,000 in my account and I fear FFXIII is going to be the one...

In before the "Just do it" replies.

It's decent, it's cheap, it's going to make FF XV and other FFs on PC more likely. Do it.