Ten Gaming Myths Debunked 229
ThinSkin writes "The Playstation 3 will fail. Video games are too violent. Copy protection is the beginning of the end for gaming. These myths and others are the target for Loyd Case over at ExtremeTech as he takes ten gaming myths apart and debunks them. From the article:
'Rumors are partly due to the nature of the overheated coverage that's the rule of the day on Internet sites. Rumors spread, become accepted as fact and remain embedded in people's belief systems long after the actual facts have emerged. There also seems to be relatively little historical perspective among some writers, which can alleviate breathless hype, either positive or negative.'"
Is this guy a psychic? (Score:5, Funny)
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However, unless things change between now and then, I think many consumers will regret their decision when they realize how little they recieved for how much they payed. I don't know many people that think the PSP is the best handheld they own right now, even if the only other 'current-ish' one is a GBA. It has amazing graphics, but just tried to be way too much.
GBA? (Score:2)
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It's less about whether the PS3 will be dominating like the PS2 and more about the ridiculous doom and gloom on /. and other gaming blogs.
Personally I think his selection wasn't too bad, I'm especially sick of the "PC games are dead" chant we get at the beginning of every console cycle.
Btw. here [extremetech.com]'s the print version on one page instead of 324
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Oops, the page checks out your referrer, sry. The button's right below the article
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The PS3 will not fail as long as it still has developers.
Developers will not jump ship because the PS3 will sell well.
Perfectly sound logic to me!
Re:Is this guy a psychic? or only right on 9 myths (Score:2, Interesting)
If anyone could claim to win, it would be Nintendo. Not only will they continue their long line of profitable consoles and games, they would regain the number one spot worldwide, and in the USA.
The rest of his exploded myths, though, are pre
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I'm never... caling it... that.
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1. Want to own a gaming system.
2. See Sony as the brand name for gaming.
3. Have the $600 to drop on one.
4. Have a good impression of the PS3 (read as: not a big internet user)
Re:Is this guy a psychic? (Score:5, Insightful)
There are 106 million people who have a PS2, thats a pretty large customer base. Maybe some of them can't afford 500 at launch, but I guarantee there are a couple million who can and will. Later on down the road when the price comes down and availability increases, the rest of the 100 million can get one, its called Price Discrimination [wikipedia.org]. Why should Sony sell you a PS3 for 400 when I'll pay 600.
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Re:Is this guy a psychic? (Score:5, Insightful)
My now departed mother's 3rd grade students had plenty of buying power and parents do *not* pay enough attention to kids' gaming. One of her kids spent all his free time playing Vice City. I don't believe that game restrictions need to be draconian but if the line be drawn, 3rd graders don't make it by a long shot.
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I don't believe that game restrictions need to be draconian but if the line be drawn, 3rd graders don't make it by a long shot.
The problem lies with the parents, not video games. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to play vice city when I was 8, and that's because I have parents.
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PS3--quite unlike the cheaper version of the XBox 360--is not in any way crippled? Oh no, it lacks some fancy output to plug into my nonexistent
HDTV. The horror.) However, when the PS3 drops in price (And it will drop in price. A large portion of the price is due to the bleeding edge
Blu-Ray stuff which is basically due to the blue laser diode. When those start
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Probably because literally 9 out of 10 PS3s are going to be the $600 SKU?
You thought that Sony is going to make equal numbers of the $500 and $600 versions?
Re:Is this guy a psychic? (Score:4, Informative)
On the other hand the HDMI port not being included in the lower SKU is entirely non-upgradable, sure TODAY it only effects a few people with HDTVs who would rather have a digital video interface instead of an analog one. but that port is necessary for playing Blu-Ray discs down the road, when the MPAA decides to enact the image constraint tokens those without an HDMI port will find that their blu-ray discs are actually producing a High-Def image... at that point in time you'll be stuck with no way to upgrade and scratching your head why you fronted all that extra cash for a blu-ray player that is incapable of playing HD movies.
The only thing not having a hard drive on the Xbox 360 prevents you from doing is playing Xbox 1 games (since they were all built for a console with a hard drive: the xbox 1) and playing two select games that require the hard drive, those being Final Fantasy XI and Football Manager. I certainly wouldn't define that as "crippled" and again if you decided you need those features upgrading is as simple as buying a hard drive and snaping it to the side of the console....
Re:Is this guy a psychic? (Score:4, Interesting)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonal
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2005-06-08
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold-collar_worker [wikipedia.org]
Um and one other thing- say it with me- CREDIT CARDS
Intelligent people think something that costs $600 costs, well, $600. A ton of people think $600 costs an extra $2 on their minimum monthly payment on their Capital One card... Money is not an issue to a lot of people, as long as they can charge it...
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Why are you making any decision now?
You haven't seen any actual games in action. You haven't seen what the street price will be. You haven't seen what games will be available on the platform. You haven't seen what the quality of the games will be. You haven't seen how many movies will be available and what sort of a movie player it will make. You haven't seen what the competition will be like at the time.
Basically, you don't know a damn thing.
You've made your decision based on content-free marketing d
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And why not? I'd say the Genesis was a pretty big smash hit, Sega had a lot of momentum coming off of it, and they blew it on the Saturn, partially because they were concentrating on the wrong functionality (2D graphics) when other, more adgile developers (the Sony gaming division, at the time) wer
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See, you guys don't even disagree. He just thinks they're farther along the same road than you think they are.
PS - Did you really ever buy a CD based on what conglomerate owned the record label? (Note that I didn't say 'not buy').
Snakes on a Plane (Score:2)
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Um, it gave the movie a FUCKLOAD of publicity (people were talking about it MONTHS before release), and arguably helped it hit #1 in box office sales on its first week. (Yes it tanked afterwards, but given the genre and low production values, it was expected.)
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Apples and oranges. Take a look at what the "web hype" did for Gigli. When Gabe and Tycho tell you to your face in front of an audience that buying your console is "bullshit," and the audience cheers, you're fucked.
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The name Playstation is always going to be associated with gaming by non gamers... and parents will buy there children a PS3 to replace/upgrade a PS2 because it makes sense from a non informed consumers perspective.
The only thing that could realy hurt Sony is snooty EB clerks regurgitating things they read on the internet and I am sure consumers will just go to Best Buy (once someone wants to buy something i
Re:Is this guy a psychic? (Score:4, Insightful)
The name Nintendo is always going to be associated with gaming by non gamers... and parents will buy there children a N64 to replace/upgrade a SNES because it makes sense from a non informed consumers perspective.
(could also replace PS2/Sony with 2600/Atari for similar results, an established market means something, but it far from means as much as people give it credit for).
Fact of the matter is that for the most part people aren't just sheep. More so than they should be, but when asked to shell out 600 bucks for something, they will consider it more thoroughly and not automatically buy it for their kids just because they had a PS2 and their kid liked the PS2.
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> 1. Want to own a gaming system.
You don't buy from Sony if you want to own something.
You don't own stuff, you license stuff.
They own stuff, and your ass.
(I know, what I say _is_ ridiculous, but I think this is the direction towards which everything is heading)
It's the SoaP effect all over again (Score:2, Insightful)
I suspect that the negative hype around the PS3 will be another manifestation of the Snakes on a Plane effect [slashdot.org], in which a small core of dedicated fanatics voicing their opinion ad nauseum is misunderstood as a widespread grassroots movement. I suspect that the small group of hardcore "Wii60" fans will, like their SoaP brethren, turn out
Printer Friendly, redirect ... booo (Score:2)
Yay for blog hits. (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm happy to say that with Javascript disabled I didn't give him any ad impressions for that drivel apparently deemed Slashdot-worthy. I have a vertical scrollbar for a reason -- and that reason certainly isn't to click "Next page".
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http://www.extremetech.com/print_article2/0,1217,a =187287,00.asp [extremetech.com]
Whole article, one page, no ads, only 1 image (site logo).
Firefox, adblock and the "printable view" of articles are the only things that make websites livable these days. I pity anyone not using FF & Adblock; those are the bare necessities.
And yeah, the "article" is still full of shit, but at least it doesn't assault you with ads in the print layout.
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On top of that, it's self-promoted garbage. I've seen good articles from "Mr. ExtremeTech", but what is this doing on /.
I see tripe like this get posted often, yet I've experienced (and heard about), more relevant submissions based around actual games news rejected out of hand.
I know it's routine for Slashdot to ignore complaints, but really, there needs to be some improvement. Like a conference call or a meeting or something. :)
The myths (Score:5, Informative)
PC Games are Doomed
You Need a $500 Graphics Card
Console Games are for Twitch Gamers
Handheld Games are for Kids
Console Games are Too Simple
PC Games are Too Complicated
PC Copy Protection is Too Onerous
Games are Too Violent
I'm Embarrassed About Gaming
you missed out on free karma (Score:2)
The PS3 may not "fail" ... (Score:2, Insightful)
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but...
by the time it comes out $600 will only get you a couple of quarts of gas.
True, the PS3 will not fail... (Score:5, Insightful)
...but it will sure as hell not do very well. When seriously hardcore gamers, like the Penny Arcade guys, says that no way will they buy it at launch, you have a problem. Sure, the initial batch of consoles will sell out, they always do, but there is no way it can threaten the 360 in dominance. The Xboxs online stuff alone will probably make it more popular (and yes, I know Sony is launching its own thing (PS HUB, is it? or have they changed it?) but I doubt that it will be as good as Micrsofts).
True, the Playstation brand has some cachet in Japan, and even some in the states and Europe. But weighing that against $600 (and even more in Europe) will ensure it a perpetual second or third place in the rankings. I guarantee it.
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They're only releasing the PS3 right now for marketing purposes so th
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The problem with TFA's thinking, though, is that Sony is in a completely different position from Microsoft and Nintendo. Nintendo spent relatively li
Re:True, the PS3 will not fail... (Score:5, Insightful)
Eleven. (Score:5, Funny)
PS3's failure is not a "myth". (Score:4, Insightful)
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Well, I wouldn't go that far. It would be perfectly ligitimage to quote marketting statistics, with reasonable margin of error, or things like historical marketting situations very similar to this that have resulted in obvious trends. The problem is, he has done neither of these things, or any other kind of data or even marketting psychology explanations to back up his claims.
Basically, this artical reads like: "The PS3 will not fail because... because, well, just look at the PS2! It did great! So Sony ca
Thank goodness it is a new article! (Score:4, Interesting)
Is this some sort of joke? (Score:4, Insightful)
I've been following interactive games for nearly two decades now, both as a gamer and as someone who writes about gear that PC gamers use.
Than I get to the second page and read this.
I'm not much of a Sony fan, and never owned a Playstation 2.
That is where I stopped reading. How am I suppose to take someone opinion seriously when they aren't even a serious counsel gamer. No offense, but there is a very different world between that of a counsel and that of a PC, and a very fine line as well. A fine line that has long been crossed with a 600 dollar price tag and a trail of broken promises. It is very hard to take this artical seriously whatsoever.
I'm not usually a spelling nazi, but... (Score:3, Funny)
My wife is in counseling psychology. She plays games, so I would consider her a serious counsel gamer and she thinks the PS3 is not going to succeed. Also, you are very correct that there is a big difference between counsel and a PC. However, with the Internet, I get a lot of counsel from my PC, so I guess it really
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Xbox, Gamecube, Dreamcast, (S)NES don't qualify? (Score:2)
5 pages to say nothing? (Score:3, Insightful)
This entire article reads like "Here is something no one really believes in the first place, and here is why it isn't true." This isn't "debunking myths", this is taking things that MAY have been true about gaming 10 years ago, and listing common sense exceptions that anyone reading the games section of
From TFA:
I don't know about you, but I've never thought of gaming as an embarrassment. Especially when today, the game industry does more in sales than Hollywood. How many people are embarrassed about enjoying movies (certain prequels of certain sci-fi trilogies notwithstanding)? I, for one, am embarrassed I took the time to read this.
"Video Games Are Too Violent" (Score:4, Insightful)
For some people, no video game is too violent; for others, even Pac-Man is way too 62% violent.
Uh... (Score:5, Interesting)
This gets bandied about all the time, and I wonder if anyone saying it ever stops to think.
PC and console games tend to be different because the systems have different capabilities. Your PC's monitor has, traditionally, crammed a lot more pixels onto the screen than your TV's. This has tended to favor genres that need a lot of screen real-estate, like RTS, and the genres that typically go heaviest on the eye candy, like FPS. Furthermore, every PC comes equipped with a keyboard and mouse (spare me the pedantry of your 8086 not having a mouse), which gives a more precise control setup than a typical gamepad. What needs precision in control more than anything? FPS games. Hence, the PC has dominated RTS and FPS, while the console has played to its strengths (or, at least, to minimize its weaknesses), giving us menu-based RPGs, sports, platformers, and the like.
But think about it - HDTV? A 1080p TV is pushing a lot more pixels than most peoples' monitors. Even at 720p, you've got a whole lot of pixels on that screen. And the consoles are taking advantage. RTS is looking more and more feasible on the console. Meanwhile, they've got the "ooh, wow, eye candy!" effect from the resolution increase. So does anyone think it's really a major stretch to see a KBM setup on a console? Hell, the Xbox already has one! And for all we (no pun intended) know, the Wiimote is going to blow the KBM setup out of the water for FPS gameplay.
So, I'm not saying the PC is dying, but looking at this zomg pc gamez r difrent then console games argument: the gameplay experiences are different because of the hardware differences, and the hardware differences are decreasingly significant.
The PC once had exclusive dominion over online play, superior control, superior display, and moddability, at the expense of higher cost and (potentially) having to deal with the headache of PC hardware/compatibility issues.
Now, the consoles have online play. They've got the great displays, and tentatively, even better control, with none of the hassles of PC gaming.
The only thing the PC's got a leg up on, now, is moddability, and with the likes of XBL, how long can we expect that to last, maybe this generation?
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No. But I think it's a major stretch to think that people will start to have their consoles at their desks. Because using a mouse and keyboard at your sofa is simply not gonna happen. Of course the Wii could change things.
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Word. Remember, the history of keyboards for consoles goes back (at least) to Colecovision and Intelivision, through Dreamcast, up to XBox. That's not to say it will never catch on, but the trend is certainly for folks to not buy keyboards for their consoles.
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I play both PC and console, and really don't have any sort of bias because I like both. The difference between the two is more about how I want to interact with the game. If the game has simple controls, then they are great for a console. If they are more complex, they are better for a PC. Now hold up, I know you mentioned that consoles will have (in f
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What? 1080p is 1920x1080 and 720p is 1280x720.
The crappiest $485 Dell laptop has a 1280x720 LCD.
The medium range Dell laptops (~$900 base) have LCDs with 1600x1200 resolution.
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Oddly, the leg up my computer has over a console is the office suite. And the Internet. And email. And so on. The reason PC games aren't going to die is that the console can't substitute for a PC. Therefore, people will continue to have PCs in their houses, and therefore games will continue to be made for them. I certainly can't give up my computer
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I wouldn't want to play something like Civilisation on a console. It would just be painful. But by the same token, I wouldn't really want to play Pro Evolution Soccer on a PC (or at least in a typical PC environment).
Impossible revelations! (Score:2)
Seriously now. Is there any fact hidden in that somewhere or am I just missing it between the general knowledge drivel? I was hoping to see some statistics or cross referenced research that can be used to come to the revelation that (insert 'myth' here) can be busted.
Instead we get "oh really" statements from someone. C'mon, I can do that myself, if that's all it takes to create a well received blog, I think it's time to start ty
For PS3, it depends on how you define failure (Score:3, Insightful)
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People will inevitably look at figures like the sheer number of consoles manufactured and sold by each respective companies and make useless predictions about which console is king. Of course, that will be a mere five months into the PS3 and Wii's production and nearly two years into the Xbox 360's product
I was debunked too (Score:3, Funny)
Myths or opinions? (Score:5, Insightful)
BTW, I find it disturbing that this fellow feels that there's no way Sony will lose third party support. It's already happening *before* the console is launched. If they lose much more *after* the console's launch, the console may very well "fail".
As a sweeping statement, I agree that it's too broad. However, I feel compelled to argue that PC Games lack a lot of the popularity and developer support that once existed. Rather than having titles that are uniquely suited to the PC, we're instead faced with titles that are designed to be ported to consoles. The result is that the PC Platform is missing all the fresh titles that would push gaming into new realms. PCs are quickly falling back into business and communications machines with Indie, Web Based, and Casual titles providing less sweeping amusements.
Where did he pull this one from? Hardcore gamers want a $500 graphics card, but I've never seen it advertised that you need a $500 graphics card for your inexpensive gaming machine. NVidia and ATI have budget lines for the occasional gamer.
He thinks Tomb Raider: Legends is an example of a non-twitch game? Um, Civilization? Sim City? The Sims? Methinks this is what is meant by "non-twitch" games. In any case, this idea died with the SNES. (Populous, Sim City, and several other good non-twitch games.) He needs to get with the program.
This "myth" is no longer a "myth". It's blindingly obvious that the PSP isn't targetted at 8 year old Jimmy.
Is it just me, or is this guy REALLY behind the curve? Again, PC Games and Console Games are the same games these days! There are very few PC exclusives anymore. So I don't know where he's getting this idea that people think this. Unless, that is, he's pulling from his 10-years-out-of-date knowledge on PCs vs. Consoles.
This isn't a myth. As games target higher age groups, they quickly gain a lot of "adult" content in the form of violence and sexuality. Max Payne pops to mind as a game that was quite disturbing. Similarly, the new 360 title Gears of War is full of disturbing imagery like corpses hanging from hooks. Just because he's playing the Sims doesn't mean that games aren't getting more violent. Then again, just because violent games exist, doesn't mean that games like The Sims don't exist. My only wish is that there'd be a bit more diversification than there is today. Far too many titles (especially for the 360) target "Mature" audiences.
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The "myths" (Score:4, Insightful)
The Playstation 3 will Fail - This is still wild speculation either way, until it is released and either does well or flops. Either way, speculation on the future is not a myth.
PC Games are Doomed - Groundless FUD, not a myth.
You Need a $500 Graphics Card - Not a myth for even the most basic Slashdotter with the slightest grasp on the subject.
Console Games are for Twitch Gamers - See above.
Handheld Games are for Kids - See above.
Console Games are Too Simple - See above.
PC Games are Too Complicated - See above.
PC Copy Protection is Too Onerous - Mostly a subjective argument, and too widely ranged a subject to debate in one chunk. It's an issue, not a myth.
Games are Too Violent - See above.
I'm Embarrassed About Gaming - See above.
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Sadly a noticeable portion of slashdotters seem to not have the slightest grasp on the subject, so I think restating the obvious is in this case a good thing.
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Who ever believed these "myths"? (Score:4, Insightful)
1. The Playstation 3 will Fail
Huh? What's the difference between this playstation and the last one? This scenario is exactly like when the PS2 was introduced: nothing really ground-breaking, better graphics, new media options, better controllers... and people still bought the PS2. I see no reason the PS3 won't do just as well.
2. PC Games are Doomed
Who the hell ever said that? I can't even fathom where that idea came from.
3. You Need a $500 Graphics Card
When has that ever been true? You need a mid-range ($150-$200) video card for top-notch graphics and performance. That has been true for nearly a decade. As new games come out and need better graphics cards, new graphics cards come out and push down the price of the older ones.
4. Console Games are for Twitch Gamers
Huh? Consoles are for platformers, auto-aim shooters, and RPGs. Where does "twitch" come into play there? The console controller doesn't lend itself to 'twich gameplay' at all. A computer mouse, on the other (twitchy) hand...
5. Handheld Games are for Kids
I've heard "video games are for kids" but nothing about handheld games specifically. Why would handheld games (the majority of which are styled after, or are remakes of, old console games) be treated differently than a TV-based console game?
6. Console Games are Too Simple
Huh? You mean the few console-only games? Most games on consoles are ports of PC games, or vice versa.
7. PC Games are Too Complicated
How is this even it's own entry? Isn't this just the inverse for the last "myth"?
8. PC Copy Protection is Too Onerous
That is true. Just being there is too onerous for my tastes. Strangely though, there's no mention of the extraordinarily more onerous 'console game copy protection'.
9. Games are Too Violent
Is Jack Thompson still alive?
10. I'm Embarrassed About Gaming
I can't imagine anyone being embarrassed about playing video games. Perhaps there's some shame in 14-hour WoW sessions, but with the general "coolness" regarded to video games over the last five years or so, I can't see anyone hiding the fact that they play Mario on occasion.
Unless they meant "myths" like 'believed by a few crackpots who have no idea what their talking about', then yes - these certainly ARE myths.
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Welcome to Slashdot!
Rob
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Yes, in fact, check this funny article in Salon [salon.com] that outlines why you shouldn't buy Sony's next console:
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Actually, a lot of people, including me, believe this in one form or another. I don't think PC games overall are doomed, but I think that big commercial PC games are getting increasingly uninteresting and unimaginative. All the cool new ideas are moving over to the console.
Seriously, take a look at the recent noteworthy PC games. FPSes, RTSes, MMORPGs, Civilization, and Java games. Wheeeee. Now take a look at th
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"More violent", "Increasingly violent" is a simple fact.
Well, not really. What's more "violent" than killing swarms of other people? How about vicious fantastical creatures? What's more violent than an alien overlord pillaging, kidnapping, and threatening genocide on a global scale?
There I was describing 'Mario Bros'. But I could have been describing half the games produced in the last 20 years.
The only difference between 'Mario Bros' and 'Doom' and
Forgot one (Score:5, Funny)
If I only had a brain... (Score:3, Funny)
"An Introduction to Strawman Arguments for the Sake of Wasting Bits"
The PS3 will NOT fail (Score:2)
PS3 won't fail. . . (Score:2)
Ermac in Mortal Kombat (Score:2)
What is this supposed to mean? (Score:3, Insightful)
So, instead of either:
a) Taking advantage of the unique features of a PC to "enhance" a console-game experience with added content--and I DON'T mean just a multiplayer mode OR
b) Porting fewer games and instead focusing on developing games that play off of the strengths of their systems
I'm no economics expert, but if a guy could find a way to emulate mouse control on a gamepad, he'd probably have his idea ripped off by Sony and make them a ton of money. Wiimote, I'm not looking at you because I'm unconvinced, based on what I've observed of your mode of operation, that you'll be any good for FPS.
Where did these "myths" come from? (Score:2, Insightful)
PC Copy Protection (Score:2, Insightful)
PC games on the wane (Score:2, Interesting)
Riiight (Score:3, Insightful)
Direct translation:
>> "I am an idiot."
Now go click on the sidebar ads, and the pop-ups, and flips through all the pages of that crap so he can get more hits.
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How this got accepted at