The Gaming News Thread

[Chaotix]

Squeenix keeps milking a dead horse.

I have a problem with this for two reasons:
1. There's already an official PC version. Even if there wasn't one, the game isn't good enough to justify an HD remake.
2. The Character Booster sounds shady. A Pay2Win business model in a single-player game that's over a decade and a half old? Fail.

Eh, I wouldn't mind it. Final Fantasy games aren't getting any better, may as well stick with the superior older games.

And I've never played FFVII before, and honestly it sounds a lot more appealing to play now in HD than with clunky PS1 graphics. They can't be hoping to get players of the original to buy it; they're really marketing this towards younger players or players who missed the original but have played, say FFXII or FFXIII.

[johnhughthom]

Played through 7 and 8 again recently on the PS3. Great games.

[TinCow]

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/...o-be-a-prequel

The yet-to-be-announced follow-up to 2011's Batman: Arkham City will be a prequel based on the Silver Age of DC's comic books from the 1950s during which the titular hero teamed up with the likes of Superman and founded the Justice League of America,Variety reports.

According to the publication, the Rocksteady Studios title will revolve around Batman's first meeting with the Joker.

I really hope they mean that it will based on the storylines from the Silver Age. If they include the Silver Age's art style and dialog...

[johnhughthom]

Clearly the best version would be based on the 60s tv series and movie. With Pooooows, Twaaaaats, Kerplunks and Spooshes aplenty, and shark repellent bat-spray dlc.

[Monk]

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/...o-be-a-prequel



I really hope they mean that it will based on the storylines from the Silver Age. If they include the Silver Age's art style and dialog...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In actual news: Steam Summer Sale is starting.. um. NOW. Steam hasn't been updated with a fancy front end yet, but deals are already rolling out.

[Fragony]

Making a trailer, this is how you do it http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...matic-revealed

Also a new one from The last of us http://uk.ign.com/videos/2012/07/13/...comic-con-2012 Beautiful lightning

[TinCow]

Making a trailer, this is how you do it http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...matic-revealed

I prefer this:

[Fragony]

Awesome indeed. Loved Borderlands can't wait for bigger&better

[johnhughthom]

Interesting viewpoint on Steam, from TotalBiscuit. Some of his views do strike me as a "damned if they do, damned if they don't" view of the big bad corporation.

[Monk]

Well it's not news, just one gamer's opinion on the current state of steam distribution, but whatever i'll bite.


I think he raises a good point with the current state of Steam and how much my library is currently tied into it, and what might happen if Valve suddenly changed their business practices for the worse. Just look at how Activision has evolved over the years and you will see where this line of reasoning is going.

If Valve ever decided to become more and more restrictive in how they conduct business, release games or their DRM, exactly what are we as consumers going to do to fight them? Stop using Steam? For some of us that might be an option but for me it isn't. I have hundreds of dollars of software on steam - i'd be an idiot to just walk away from that. I'm pretty much at the mercy of Valve and i've got no one but myself to blame for that.

The line I draw on this being I don't see the devil in Valve's eye in the current state of gaming or their business practices. Obviously changing TF2 to a Free-to-play impacted the market significantly but to then turn around and say "Ah-hah! See? They knew all along this would happen!" is giving them way too much credit. If anything, i see it as the industry forced to evolve as a response to Valve and Steam's standing as a whole. On one hand evolution is good so long as it breeds positive innovation, and in recent years that has most certainly been the case. On the other, that one company can have such a dynamic and profound impact on the video game (and specifically PC) community is kinda scary.

So yeah, some good points by TB but i can't fully agree with his assessment.

[Husar]

I'd stop buying games on Steam.

If I'm the only one doing that it won't hurt them, but if more people do, it will, even if they have a monopoly.

I do the same with UbiSoft games because of their horrible DRM.

And if I'm really honest, I don't play old games that much anymore or even not at all anymore so it wouldn't be that much of a "loss".

His point is valid, yeah, but it's not "scary" as he says because Steam games aren't the most important thing in life.

[johnhughthom]

Latest Paradox newsletter has a beta key for some random game I've never heard of and don't like the look of. If anyone wants it, give me a shout.

[catheres]

Looks like a good game. Will try this one.

I prefer this:

[Fragony]

Looks like a good game. Will try this one.

The first is absolutely awesome, take what's great about Diablo, take what's great about shooting things, et presto you have Borderlands. It's not really a shooter nor is it really an rpg, although it's more an rpg than a shooter. But it's really awesome and highly recommended, playing it in coop is one of the greatest fun you will ever have in a game. The incredible cell-shaded graphics help, a lot. Must have.

[Fragony]

Owwwwwwww you get a bow in Crysis 3. Please get the physics right arrows fly with an arc ffs

[Voigtkampf]

DayZ becoming a standalone game. Will be developed by Bohemia Interactive and the DayZ modder who will be the lead developer.

[Fragony]

It better be very very good http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ox-game-report

[Fragony]

This sounds mighty interesting, bring on that iOS version

[TinCow]

It was inevitable...


http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...is-iv-details/

[rajpoot]

It was inevitable...
-snip-

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...is-iv-details/

That music brings back memories.

[Husar]

I read that Dark Souls uses the exact same graphics on the PC that it uses on the PS3, so you can choose a higher resolution, but won't get a crisper image because the resolution the graphics are calculated in is still the same...

So is there any reason not to get it on PS3 instead?

As for new game announcements:

Just like its predecessor, Wagame: AirLand Battle takes players through a series of conflicts commanding NATO and Warsaw Pact troops between 1975 & 1985 at a turning point of the Cold War. In this episode, war rages in Northern Europe, notably Scandinavia, whose architecture and magnificent landscapes are faithfully recreated in the game. Wargame: AirLand Battle allows players to command all military resources of the Cold War era from tanks to planes. A total of 150 planes strengthen the playable arsenal of the game, from fighters to bombers to electronic warfare planes. Four new nations and their vehicles join the original eight from the first installment, making a total of over 750 vehicles and combat units rendered in realistic detail! Wargame: AirLand Battle also brings authenticity to the next level thanks to a new weapons system, better handling of fire effects, and a new Urban Combat Interface (UCI) allowing for battle inside cities.

The solo campaign is composed of several new dynamic campaigns, during which players manage all aspects of battle by leading each squad of the Theater of Operation and making good use of reinforcements and strategic support. Wargame: AirLand Battle still allows customization of armies in solo and multiplayer modes thanks to the 'Deck' system, which is now being enhanced with an integrated 'viewer'. Ultimately, each decision made will have an impact on the tactical outcome of battles and evolution of the global conflict! Prepare to re-enter the Cold War in 2013!

[Fragony]

I read that Dark Souls uses the exact same graphics on the PC that it uses on the PS3, so you can choose a higher resolution, but won't get a crisper image because the resolution the graphics are calculated in is still the same...

So is there any reason not to get it on PS3 instead

Some would rather die then buy a console, these jerks got exactly what they signed a petition for and even got more content, you can't expect a console title to look just as good as a pc-game unless it's build up from scratch. The developers made it very clear from start that porting it to pc was not something they have any experience with and that it was going to very very hard. Even N64 emulation can stutter on a high-end pc, they should be very happy with what they are getting, if someone said 'indie' they would probably be cue up to wash the developers feet

[Monk]

It was inevitable...

I have a dream. A dream wherein I can write 800 years of history from dynasties, family and feudalism to the rise of statehood and the French Revolution. Two games, one engine, one save game carried over. Crazy? No. I'm sane. God am I sane.

I read that Dark Souls uses the exact same graphics on the PC that it uses on the PS3, so you can choose a higher resolution, but won't get a crisper image because the resolution the graphics are calculated in is still the same...

So is there any reason not to get it on PS3 instead?

To be honest? None. GFWL, the issue you mention, and the fps locked to 30 are really going to limit the appeal of the PC port. If you have the option to buy it on PS3 i'd be really hard pressed to recommend the PC version over the console one.

[Monk]

Some would rather die then buy a console, these jerks got exactly what they signed a petition for and even got more content, you can't expect a console title to look just as good as a pc-game unless it's build up from scratch. The developers made it very clear from start that porting it to pc was not something they have any experience with and that it was going to very very hard. Even N64 emulation can stutter on a high-end pc, they should be very happy with what they are getting, if someone said 'indie' they would probably be cue up to wash the developers feet

@Fragony

Not really. Just as many small or indie developers that have ported iOS or XBOX arcade games over to PC, without actually developing it for the platform or adding PC functionality, have had their feet held to the fire. Dark Souls is a fantastic game on console but from all indications the port to PC is pretty bad for legitimate and objective reasons. Taking out my own gripe about GFWL, that still leaves it a game that renders based on console technology that is now over seven years old.

PC gamers expect to pay for a version that has their platform in mind, the same as console users do. Many signed the petition in good faith expecting to receive just that, and from all indications it looks like that's not what they'll be getting. That's the long and short of the concern of the port's quality.

[Fragony]

To be honest? None. GFWL, the issue you mention, and the fps locked to 30 are really going to limit the appeal of the PC port. If you have the option to buy it on PS3 i'd be really hard pressed to recommend the PC version over the console one.

But the people who are complaining are too cheap to buy a ps3 and petitioned for a pc version anyway aren't they. I had high hopes for this as Dark Souls is a game for the pc-crowd at heart, especially atmosphere-whores like Thief fans should be absolutely in love with it but it wasn't such a great idea to port it to pc after all it seems. If the pc-crowd feels abandoned it just might be because they whine too much

[Monk]

But the people who are complaining are too cheap to buy a ps3 and petitioned for a pc version anyway aren't they. I had high hopes for this as Dark Souls is a game for the pc-crowd at heart, especially atmosphere-whores like Thief fans should be absolutely in love with it but it wasn't such a great idea to port it to pc after all it seems.

I'm afraid neither of us are in a position to argue based on the economic situation of everyone who signed the Dark Souls PC petition, one way or another. However, the PC has been a viable gaming platform for well over thirty years now so it's not as if it's some obscure beast on the edges of cultural norm. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask developers to make their games with the platform's functionality in mind, whatever that might be. In the case of Dark Souls they've already done this with the PS3. To then turn around and give the PC market a game that hasn't been tuned to their platform's needs, but is instead based on another's and is just a quick and dirty port job, is by many people's opinion unacceptable. I find it hard to find fault there.

If the pc-crowd feels abandoned it just might be because they whine too much

You can port your game across platforms without adjusting the engine or including functionality for the platform in question, but that doesn't mean the market has to like it. Console gamers would be just as upset if Minecraft didn't get the same love and affection for the 360 version that the PC version got.

[Monk]

I'm sure some of you saw this but I just had to post this, Blizzard utterly shocked Diablo 3 players prefer solo play according to stats:

“While many people are playing co-op, it’s still a minority of games. Ideally we would like players who want to play solo to be able to solo, and players who want to play co-op to play co-op. At the moment though playing solo is the clear choice, even for those who would prefer co-op with some of their friends.”

This only puts them behind the curve by about 12 years, give or take. It's hard to fathom how they can be that disconnected, given that they pushed the "No one plays diablo for solo!" so hard leading up to the game's launch. I bet it burns pretty hard to have to admit the opposite now. Well, burns when they aren't rolling around in swimming pools full of money that is.

“The first change we’re making in 1.0.4 for co-op is to remove averaging in multiplayer games of Magic Find and Gold Find. You’ll benefit from your full Magic Find stat, independent of other players in the game…. Along the same lines as the change in 1.0.3, we’re going to be lowering the health multiplier for monsters per additional player in co-op games. This makes enemies far more manageable in co-op games, and rewards a co-ordinated group with a higher farming efficiency than playing alone.”

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...ers-prefer-sp/

[Fragony]

Of course it't unreasable, you are getting one of the greatest rpg's of all time clocked at 30fps with 8 hours of added content for a price you would be normally kissing be indie feet for

[Fragony]

Oh? Something original? http://www.gamespot.com/hybrid-2012/...eview-6391184/

I must say this sounds incredibly fun, shame I have no xbox, hope they also release a psn version

[Hooahguy]

Half-Life 3 confirmed?