Publishers. All of 'em. Every last one 'em. Second worst thing would gamers themselves for justifying every bullshit excuse the Publishers make to justify the crappy decisions that they make.
Yeah, along with most of the other people in this thread, I'll have to go along with this choice.BloatedGuppy said:It's actually a pretty exciting time to be a gamer. However, everyone is whining about it anyway.
So I chose "gamers" in the poll.
Agreed. I've seen problems of simple cause and effect go overlooked or dismissed for very stupid reasons indeed; on both sides.Mr.Tea said:Everything else is a symptom; The audience is the cause. Well, the publishers too...
This is true, but also an oversimplification. Historically, DRM has proven wildly ineffectual in deterring piracy, and given how often companies have complained about piracy, in spite of their DRM systems, is effectively admission that they know it doesn't work.-DRM is just a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that people who weren't really interested in buying their game pirated it and they count that as a lost sale.
The rest, I agree with completely. Though I caution against blindly trusting Valve; their actions have been largely benevolent (especially compared to their competition), but they must realize the immense influence they have over PC gaming right now, and with such influence comes temptation.-Microtransactions are a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that they won't make enough of a return on their investment. i.e: "Lets get more money from the ones who pay 60$ without a second thought and lets potentially get more money from cheapskates who buy used."
-Sequels (et al) are a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that people won't buy a name they don't recognize.
-Rushed game are a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that games won't sell unless they are released at specific points in the year.
If the audience were smart(er), we wouldn't get these reactions. (But that's pretty much impossible because people don't just stop buying.)
If the publishers were smart (and gamers instead of suits), well the gaming world would be made up of companies like CDPR and Valve.
High five...imahobbit4062 said:Gamers. Plain and simple.
I, for one, welcome our new gaming overlords. Valve is on an amazing roll; They simply seem incapable of doing something bad.Atmos Duality said:Agreed. I've seen problems of simple cause and effect go overlooked or dismissed for very stupid reasons indeed; on both sides.Mr.Tea said:Everything else is a symptom; The audience is the cause. Well, the publishers too...
This is true, but also an oversimplification. Historically, DRM has proven wildly ineffectual in deterring piracy, and given how often companies have complained about piracy, in spite of their DRM systems, is effectively admission that they know it doesn't work.-DRM is just a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that people who weren't really interested in buying their game pirated it and they count that as a lost sale.
However, a simple observation reveals that the companies who are complaining the most about piracy harming them are the same companies who have thrived the most in a pirate-clad market. They know it hasn't harmed them more than any harebrained scheme or overextension on their part.
Always-Online DRM, on its surface, seems like a stronger means of securing game sales from those filthy pirates.
However, Always-Online systems serve many more purposes beyond combating piracy: none of which are good for the paying customer. (I'll spare you the list, but it comes down to market control and hiked prices, basically)
The rest, I agree with completely. Though I caution against blindly trusting Valve; their actions have been largely benevolent (especially compared to their competition), but they must realize the immense influence they have over PC gaming right now, and with such influence comes temptation.-Microtransactions are a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that they won't make enough of a return on their investment. i.e: "Lets get more money from the ones who pay 60$ without a second thought and lets potentially get more money from cheapskates who buy used."
-Sequels (et al) are a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that people won't buy a name they don't recognize.
-Rushed game are a stupid reaction from publishers scared shitless that games won't sell unless they are released at specific points in the year.
If the audience were smart(er), we wouldn't get these reactions. (But that's pretty much impossible because people don't just stop buying.)
If the publishers were smart (and gamers instead of suits), well the gaming world would be made up of companies like CDPR and Valve.
Complacency and blind obedience is what lead the market to where it is now: To rushed, homogenized games and money-making schemes by the publishers. Don't panic, and accept trust where it is genuinely offered, but don't take it for granted either.
Scores should simply be ditched altogether. If they want to give a short, sharp summary of their thoughts then they can either use the words 'very bad, bad, average, good, very good' or they can do it in a sentence or two. Don't use numbers or grades or stars, use bloody words.bluefields1 said:I think the 8.5 to 9.5 review scale is getting really old.
There is no such thing as:Excludos said:I, for one, welcome our new gaming overlords. Valve is on an amazing roll; They simply seem incapable of doing something bad.
Well, EA has tried with Origin, copying the mechanics, and the legal framework, but then ends up failing in execution.I just can't believe, in a market filled to the brink with copies because publishers are too afraid of not making profit, that no one has tried to copy the entire organization that is Valve yet. If I was EA at this point, I'd go "You know who's doing extremely well AND have people not hate them? Those guys. Lets just do what they do".