Curmudgeon Gamer
24 September 2008
Hello, MacSteam
Aspyr has just announced (I found it via InsideMacGames.com) their GameAgent Online Store. In the interest of rare book rooms and owning the media, two of the more popular themes on MilkOfHumanKindness Gamer, I thought I'd highlight this "feature".
I still haven't finished playing Elite, for heaven's sake. Two years really isn't all that long a time, and it's rare for me now to have updated my computer in two years. I like my gaming libraries to move with me and last, which is one of the -- and I know I'm not typical -- reasons I dislike that Classic no longer runs on a new Mac. I still play Civilization I and Tomb Raider II a bit, and have a few more games I'd like to catch up on. (Yes, vMac is a nice alternative for the former.)
So I'm not sure I like that these games are trapped on one computer to start and it will cost me $5 to gain the very limited flexibility of re-downloading or moving the game for a quick two years. I do like that I get to bypass CD/DVD checks, but that's about the end of the positives.
I'm also sure I don't like that Asypr is still trying to foist Stubbs the Zombie on me, a game who is already old enough that anyone who ordered it when it was release would have aged right out of the Extended Download Service, had it been offered.
With Matt's recent admission of playing mostly media-less, downloaded games, I wonder how (if?) his "I wanna hold it in my hand" attitude has changed.
[Question:] Can I switch to a new machine and still have my games?
[Answer:] Yes, but only if you have purchased the Extended Download Service (EDS). EDS essentially allows you to download your purchase again for up to two (2) years, in the event your computer crashes or the downloaded file becomes damaged or corrupt. It can be thought of as an insurance policy in case anything goes wrong with your computer or the downloaded product. When you have downloadable items in your order, you will see a link to add EDS to your order on the shopping cart page or the checkout page. Upon payment of the specified fee, Digital River, Inc. ('DR') agrees to provide you (the 'End User') a service that enables the End User to make multiple downloads of digital computer software products (a 'Product' or 'Products') purchased in a single order (an 'Order') and downloaded from this Web site (the 'Site') for a period of two (2) years after the date the End User purchases the Product (the 'Service').
I still haven't finished playing Elite, for heaven's sake. Two years really isn't all that long a time, and it's rare for me now to have updated my computer in two years. I like my gaming libraries to move with me and last, which is one of the -- and I know I'm not typical -- reasons I dislike that Classic no longer runs on a new Mac. I still play Civilization I and Tomb Raider II a bit, and have a few more games I'd like to catch up on. (Yes, vMac is a nice alternative for the former.)
So I'm not sure I like that these games are trapped on one computer to start and it will cost me $5 to gain the very limited flexibility of re-downloading or moving the game for a quick two years. I do like that I get to bypass CD/DVD checks, but that's about the end of the positives.
I'm also sure I don't like that Asypr is still trying to foist Stubbs the Zombie on me, a game who is already old enough that anyone who ordered it when it was release would have aged right out of the Extended Download Service, had it been offered.
With Matt's recent admission of playing mostly media-less, downloaded games, I wonder how (if?) his "I wanna hold it in my hand" attitude has changed.
--ruffin at 19:43
Comment
[ 3 ]
22 September 2008
The correct answer is "Burnout Paradise" (and more DLC ramblin')
What game has the best DLC plan? For me, not Mega Man 9. Rather, the answer is Burnout Paradise.
The demo was pretty neat, although it had an inordinately long intro which I presume was intended to deter people from using the demo as a proxy for buying the full game. Despite middlin' sales in January 2008, the developers (Criterion) have regularly released updates for the game to add new features, cars, and most recently motorcycles.
Those updates have all been free. And they eventually enticed me to buy the full game. If they tell me they will support the next Burnout title the same way, and it is as fun as the current one, then I'm already primed to buy it too.
In fact, and I know this will shock folks who know me, I intend to sell my physical copy of Burnout Paradise and buy the full download version available this Thursday on the PlayStation Store. I'm comfortable enough with their system (five downloads to separate systems, if necessary, and unlimited full data backups onto my own media as desired) to take the plunge and enjoy the convenience of having the game ready to launch at any time.
In fact, I'm considering the same deal with both Warhawk and Gran Turismo 3: Prologue, both of which are available on the PS Store as full game downloads.
Truly, I play the downloaded PS3 games far more than I play the disc-based games. Super Stardust HD, The Last Guy, PixelJunk Monsters, even the PS1 games I've purchased from Sony's store -- these all get more play than my unloved PS3 disc games. They start faster, they're always 5 seconds from starting, and they are quieter (although this last point is being picky, since the Blu-Ray drive isn't that noisy).
I find myself wishing I could rip my PS3 games to the hard drive and play them there. That's how much I like the instant-access that I used to enjoy with PC games (back in the pre-CD-in-the-drive days).
Sony keeps coming up with pleasant surprises, and the Burnout Paradise package is one of them. If they'd listen to me, here's my recommendation for a November Surprise: Work out a deal with EA to put Dead Space and/or Mirror's Edge on the PS Store the week of Thanksgiving. Also offer Sony's own LittleBigPlanet available as a download through the store. Make each game $10 cheaper online until the end of the year, provided you buy the downloadable version through the online store.
I think that would work out very well for everyone involved. (Whether it would make up for the painful price gap between the Xbox 360 and PS3, I don't know, but it would be a huge self-marketing ploy that could bring some people over.)
The demo was pretty neat, although it had an inordinately long intro which I presume was intended to deter people from using the demo as a proxy for buying the full game. Despite middlin' sales in January 2008, the developers (Criterion) have regularly released updates for the game to add new features, cars, and most recently motorcycles.
Those updates have all been free. And they eventually enticed me to buy the full game. If they tell me they will support the next Burnout title the same way, and it is as fun as the current one, then I'm already primed to buy it too.
In fact, and I know this will shock folks who know me, I intend to sell my physical copy of Burnout Paradise and buy the full download version available this Thursday on the PlayStation Store. I'm comfortable enough with their system (five downloads to separate systems, if necessary, and unlimited full data backups onto my own media as desired) to take the plunge and enjoy the convenience of having the game ready to launch at any time.
In fact, I'm considering the same deal with both Warhawk and Gran Turismo 3: Prologue, both of which are available on the PS Store as full game downloads.
Truly, I play the downloaded PS3 games far more than I play the disc-based games. Super Stardust HD, The Last Guy, PixelJunk Monsters, even the PS1 games I've purchased from Sony's store -- these all get more play than my unloved PS3 disc games. They start faster, they're always 5 seconds from starting, and they are quieter (although this last point is being picky, since the Blu-Ray drive isn't that noisy).
I find myself wishing I could rip my PS3 games to the hard drive and play them there. That's how much I like the instant-access that I used to enjoy with PC games (back in the pre-CD-in-the-drive days).
Sony keeps coming up with pleasant surprises, and the Burnout Paradise package is one of them. If they'd listen to me, here's my recommendation for a November Surprise: Work out a deal with EA to put Dead Space and/or Mirror's Edge on the PS Store the week of Thanksgiving. Also offer Sony's own LittleBigPlanet available as a download through the store. Make each game $10 cheaper online until the end of the year, provided you buy the downloadable version through the online store.
I think that would work out very well for everyone involved. (Whether it would make up for the painful price gap between the Xbox 360 and PS3, I don't know, but it would be a huge self-marketing ploy that could bring some people over.)
--jvm at 20:40
Comment
[ 3 ]
Mega Man 9: DLC done right?
Many games have been ruined by greedy DLC schemes. Space Invaders Get Even must be purchased in installments, with the main game being called a "starter pack" with only a single level, and each additional level pack the same price as the original. Katamari Damacy lost all its charm when players were asked to pay real money to unlock levels already on the disk.
Square-Enix's My Life As A King is the most expensive WiiWare game to date at 1,500 Wii Points (that's $15 in real money), but once purchased the game then sells an array of extras that will set back a player wanting a complete game $22 additional dollars. That's $37 for a download game. No matter what kind of smokescreen Squeenix floats about the base price being for the "complete" game, you only get one of the four player races without buying extras, you miss out on several buildings, and around half the game's dungeons will be unavailable.
Mega Man 9, released today for Wii, itself is 1,000 Wii points (and a svelte 66 memory blocks), which is middle-of-the-road as far as WiiWare downloadable game costs have gone. It has a download store that's currently empty, but going into the Operations Guide provides a list of all the content to be made available, including release dates and prices.
Five pieces of DLC appear to be in the offing, with the most expensive being an interesting-sounding game mode called "Endless Attack," an internet-ranked eternal stage with score determined by progress made. That's 300 "Wii points," basically three bucks. The other stuff available are "Hero" and "Superhero" modes, both only one dollar, which are modified enemy placements that make the game more challenging, play as Proto Man (a.k.a. "Blues") for two dollars, who has different abilities and a shield, and a time-attack-only "Special Stage", a completely new level and boss, for one dollar.
It's my opinion that Capcom is doing things right, as far as they can be right with DLC, and here's why:
Square-Enix's My Life As A King is the most expensive WiiWare game to date at 1,500 Wii Points (that's $15 in real money), but once purchased the game then sells an array of extras that will set back a player wanting a complete game $22 additional dollars. That's $37 for a download game. No matter what kind of smokescreen Squeenix floats about the base price being for the "complete" game, you only get one of the four player races without buying extras, you miss out on several buildings, and around half the game's dungeons will be unavailable.
Mega Man 9, released today for Wii, itself is 1,000 Wii points (and a svelte 66 memory blocks), which is middle-of-the-road as far as WiiWare downloadable game costs have gone. It has a download store that's currently empty, but going into the Operations Guide provides a list of all the content to be made available, including release dates and prices.
Five pieces of DLC appear to be in the offing, with the most expensive being an interesting-sounding game mode called "Endless Attack," an internet-ranked eternal stage with score determined by progress made. That's 300 "Wii points," basically three bucks. The other stuff available are "Hero" and "Superhero" modes, both only one dollar, which are modified enemy placements that make the game more challenging, play as Proto Man (a.k.a. "Blues") for two dollars, who has different abilities and a shield, and a time-attack-only "Special Stage", a completely new level and boss, for one dollar.
It's my opinion that Capcom is doing things right, as far as they can be right with DLC, and here's why:
- The basic game doesn't change at all. All of the content is in the form of extra modes. Even the game's challenges are turned off during all DLC modes. Thus one doesn't get the feeling that, to play the "real" game, one has to shell out additional moolah. Are you listening, Square-Enix?
- Yet, they all affect the game. The money for Chime's bikini in My Life As A King is basically a dollar for the right to apply a new texture to your assistant's lithe body. Playable Proto-Man, on the other hand, is promised to have a shield and other different abilities, making the game substantially different.
- They are reasonably-priced. All together they'll be $8, less than the original price. If you add it all together the game is $18. (This may upset me less than it would if I hadn't suspected the game would be $15 this afternoon, instead of $10.)
Labels: capcom, dlc, evil, megaman, megaman 9, my life as a king, nintendo, square enix, wii
--JohnH at 15:37
Comment
[ 2 ]
20 September 2008
Does Mario die? Is he a killer?
As I've mentioned recently, my elder son has been playing through Super Mario Bros. 3 on the GBA. I get long drawn-out explanations now about what level he's playing, how he got through it, and what enemies gave him trouble.
Along the way he'll casually say things like "and then I killed the turtle" or "then I died". Older folks playing games will use these words (kill and die) all the time when playing games, even describing the end of a game of Tetris as dying. But my wife has brought it to my attention that it is a little alarming to hear our five-year-old son saying these words, and moreover that he's acting out things that he associates with killing or dying.
My son doesn't buy my alternate explanation: that Mario is actually just knocking creatures off the screen and that they don't actually die. He insists that at least some of the creatures die "because they don't come back".
I'd never really thought it important enough to really think it through, but I don't really know that there is a way to convince him otherwise. I don't think it's damaging, although I understand that the use of the words sounds alarming. Does it even matter?
Along the way he'll casually say things like "and then I killed the turtle" or "then I died". Older folks playing games will use these words (kill and die) all the time when playing games, even describing the end of a game of Tetris as dying. But my wife has brought it to my attention that it is a little alarming to hear our five-year-old son saying these words, and moreover that he's acting out things that he associates with killing or dying.
My son doesn't buy my alternate explanation: that Mario is actually just knocking creatures off the screen and that they don't actually die. He insists that at least some of the creatures die "because they don't come back".
I'd never really thought it important enough to really think it through, but I don't really know that there is a way to convince him otherwise. I don't think it's damaging, although I understand that the use of the words sounds alarming. Does it even matter?
--jvm at 14:50
Comment
[ 5 ]
07 September 2008
Review: Prof. Layton and the Curious Village (NDS)
Professor Layton and his ward, Luke, set out to find The Golden Apple, a treasure hidden in the village of St. Mystere. Each resident of the town plies the famous professor for solutions to various brain teasers, many of which make good use of the stylus for sketching out solutions as well as actual puzzle piece manipulation. As the story progresses, multiple mysteries arise, are solved, and ultimately conclude with a teaser for a sequel that leaves you hoping it arrives sooner rather than later.
The charming animation, voicework, and soundtrack will leave you convinced that the Nintendo DS is a system whose best days are still ahead. The meat of the game, the puzzles, are almost perfect with only a few questionable word choices along the way. Regardless, the game provides hints to get you out of a pinch.
I got Layton for the puzzles, but realized I had seen many of them before. (Such was my upbringing with puzzle books and Games magazine.) Regardless, the story and mystery were more than entertaining enough and I eagerly await news of Layton's return.
The charming animation, voicework, and soundtrack will leave you convinced that the Nintendo DS is a system whose best days are still ahead. The meat of the game, the puzzles, are almost perfect with only a few questionable word choices along the way. Regardless, the game provides hints to get you out of a pinch.
I got Layton for the puzzles, but realized I had seen many of them before. (Such was my upbringing with puzzle books and Games magazine.) Regardless, the story and mystery were more than entertaining enough and I eagerly await news of Layton's return.
--jvm at 15:46
Comment
[ 1 ]
Feedburner
