I registered to reply to this thread. Usually, as far as games go, the vocal minority crowds around forums. If you're malcontent, I can understand why you feel like that. If you haven't been following the production of this game for PC since its inception you're probably shafting yourself expectation-wise in regard to hardware and system stuff -- I'd characterize pc people in general all about optimizing and customizing due purely to the fact of maintaining a rig (myself included). But this game is amazing and I feel like I have to post on behalf of the happy silent masses.
In defense of the game:
This game makes my heart pump, makes me sit for minutes upon agonizing choices, makes me strategize and prepare. This game gives me a feeling of trepidation and shivers when I enter into a new area - like your first hour of skyrim. But unlike later in skyrim, I still feel it even if I've already been there a thousand times before. When I was a kid I'd play this crappy baseball video game and add stories for the characters, invent my own teams and make it fun. I don't have that same imagination now. This game takes that charm and institutionalizes it. You need to create and follow a route of your own decision, investment, and dare I say, imagination. It's a personal experience bound to mechanics as much as story.
In defense of the company:
From software is a small company. I've listened to some of their developer interviews and they have a genuine passion for creating games. If you've fought the last boss, he's got the "holy shit" if you know what I'm talking about. I don't want to spoil anything. In an interview, the head guy (miyazaki) said his greatest disappointment was the final boss. He wanted to make a boss where any playstyle could defeat him, but only with exemplary skill. Only if you were truly masterfully adept at your style could you beat him. Now talk about build variety (cough diablo 3 cough). The boss (impressive as it is) was crafted due to budget and time constraints and was nowhere near up to the standards miyazaki had in mind. This game is a product of imagination and passion, and it shows.
My rant:
This place seems like it's full of people who like outrage, like to be angry and desire to demonstrate their english wordsmithing. I can't promise anything about the wordsmithing part but there's a divide nobody seems to acknowledge: there are games born of passion, and games made as a product. Diablo 1: Fresh meat! D2: Not even death can save you from me! If you know these moments, you know what I'm talking about.
Now this brand has established its name and virtual street cred. Activision acquires, bobby kotick works his soap products industry magic and "takes all the fun out of game development." D3: Cain dies and tyrael runs away from a siegebreaker. I clear inferno at 30 hours, totally done at 60, grudgingly admit I'm done and this game doesn't live up to its name at 100. Not a bad game, but not the game it was touted or the one I was looking for. Just a way to suck up $60 and try to install addictive tendencies to ensure long-term income on thousands of microtransactions through the real-money auction house. But man, f***! Where'd the good times go?
I don't look down on you if you play CoD or genuinely enjoy D3. You're entitled to your opinions and such. Some of my friends are hardcore consumers, they talk about stuff they want to buy and stuff they bought they love. They spend a *lot* of money on stuff. It doesn't make sense to me, and it only seems like they're happy for a short time after getting something, but its their choice. To me, the "consumers" of the video game industry are the people who care a lot about graphics, and to some extent, mechanical ability. If it detracts from the game's core experience, then obv there's a problem. But if it doesn't, you're a whore.
To bring it back on point, dark souls looks beautiful, whether its in 1024x768 or not. Framerate? Really? I don't feel like that's even relevant, it doesn't get in the way of the experience! To some extent I get behind the "wtf port" thing, you can't play this game with a keyboard. On the other hand, if you don't research where you put your money you're the only person to blame. But this can go either way. This game could do well to come with a disclaimer (Controller-only!)
In defense of the port:
As I've already said, FS is a small company. They wanted to create an effective PC port, jumped into it because of the petition, then realized (proverbially) they didn't know how to swim. But the entire way they communicated that and delivered exactly what they promised. They're an ethical company who's in games because of passion, not money, and their games produce amazing experiences I respect. All this outrage I see is borne of lack of research, or a consumerist attitude.
About that 23 minute patch:
The guy who did it had actually been working on it the week leading up to release. There were many man hours put into it but that doesn't make a catchy enough copy title to get past any editor when you have the obvious alternative.
In defense of the game:
This game makes my heart pump, makes me sit for minutes upon agonizing choices, makes me strategize and prepare. This game gives me a feeling of trepidation and shivers when I enter into a new area - like your first hour of skyrim. But unlike later in skyrim, I still feel it even if I've already been there a thousand times before. When I was a kid I'd play this crappy baseball video game and add stories for the characters, invent my own teams and make it fun. I don't have that same imagination now. This game takes that charm and institutionalizes it. You need to create and follow a route of your own decision, investment, and dare I say, imagination. It's a personal experience bound to mechanics as much as story.
In defense of the company:
From software is a small company. I've listened to some of their developer interviews and they have a genuine passion for creating games. If you've fought the last boss, he's got the "holy shit" if you know what I'm talking about. I don't want to spoil anything. In an interview, the head guy (miyazaki) said his greatest disappointment was the final boss. He wanted to make a boss where any playstyle could defeat him, but only with exemplary skill. Only if you were truly masterfully adept at your style could you beat him. Now talk about build variety (cough diablo 3 cough). The boss (impressive as it is) was crafted due to budget and time constraints and was nowhere near up to the standards miyazaki had in mind. This game is a product of imagination and passion, and it shows.
My rant:
This place seems like it's full of people who like outrage, like to be angry and desire to demonstrate their english wordsmithing. I can't promise anything about the wordsmithing part but there's a divide nobody seems to acknowledge: there are games born of passion, and games made as a product. Diablo 1: Fresh meat! D2: Not even death can save you from me! If you know these moments, you know what I'm talking about.
Now this brand has established its name and virtual street cred. Activision acquires, bobby kotick works his soap products industry magic and "takes all the fun out of game development." D3: Cain dies and tyrael runs away from a siegebreaker. I clear inferno at 30 hours, totally done at 60, grudgingly admit I'm done and this game doesn't live up to its name at 100. Not a bad game, but not the game it was touted or the one I was looking for. Just a way to suck up $60 and try to install addictive tendencies to ensure long-term income on thousands of microtransactions through the real-money auction house. But man, f***! Where'd the good times go?
I don't look down on you if you play CoD or genuinely enjoy D3. You're entitled to your opinions and such. Some of my friends are hardcore consumers, they talk about stuff they want to buy and stuff they bought they love. They spend a *lot* of money on stuff. It doesn't make sense to me, and it only seems like they're happy for a short time after getting something, but its their choice. To me, the "consumers" of the video game industry are the people who care a lot about graphics, and to some extent, mechanical ability. If it detracts from the game's core experience, then obv there's a problem. But if it doesn't, you're a whore.
To bring it back on point, dark souls looks beautiful, whether its in 1024x768 or not. Framerate? Really? I don't feel like that's even relevant, it doesn't get in the way of the experience! To some extent I get behind the "wtf port" thing, you can't play this game with a keyboard. On the other hand, if you don't research where you put your money you're the only person to blame. But this can go either way. This game could do well to come with a disclaimer (Controller-only!)
In defense of the port:
As I've already said, FS is a small company. They wanted to create an effective PC port, jumped into it because of the petition, then realized (proverbially) they didn't know how to swim. But the entire way they communicated that and delivered exactly what they promised. They're an ethical company who's in games because of passion, not money, and their games produce amazing experiences I respect. All this outrage I see is borne of lack of research, or a consumerist attitude.
About that 23 minute patch:
The guy who did it had actually been working on it the week leading up to release. There were many man hours put into it but that doesn't make a catchy enough copy title to get past any editor when you have the obvious alternative.