Looking forward to when it comes to iPhone. Or I switch to Android, whenever that will be.
Can you play it on an Android tablet... Well I guess GPS and 3G is kind of a requirement...
I got into the beta about a month ago and, sadly, have not had much of an opportunity to jump in (weather, work, time constraints).
Are you finding it difficult to participate as a late-comer? I'm curious because I'm still level 1 after a month and have been dreading having to grind for a week or two.
I'm finding it more difficult to participate because the control points are so far away :( I really need to figure out how to snap pics of some close statues/art and get them added to the game. I'd play more if I could just walk over to some of them instead of having to drive somewhere (which I don't want to burn gas on a game...)
I guess Ingress would make more sense if you lived or worked in a city.
It's the cereal aisle conundrum. I can never decide what cereal to buy. You walk into this massive aisle of delicious, grainy goodness, and there are so many choices, what do you pick?
I was faced with this recently with Steam. I finally broke down and started organizing things into categories: Currently playing, coming up next, waiting for DLC, stuff I'll never stop playing, Completed, Meh, etc. This is far less daunting. I put everything I have a currently open game in under "currently playing," and it almost immediately became far less daunting. Thinking about what I wanted to play soon and getting a small category makes me look forward to the next few months.
Coming home from work, wanting to unwind, and being greeted by a massive alphabetical list presents a decision you have to make, which takes away from the fun a bit.
I do think this was better when we were kids. One, NES games were generally short. I've cut SMB1 down to an under 7 minutes speedrun (certainly not worthy of the near sub-5 minute mark speedruns), and even the substantial SMB3 can be completed in a day without warping. Games these days are massive undertakings, which means you don't really play many of them more than once. Plus, there weren't Steam sales back in the day, and we weren't working for our money, so we had to depend on allowances or gifts for our games.
I'm beginning to ramble a bit, but I'll use an argument my history teacher used in high school to explain the efficiency of laws-- they're like tomatoes. When everyone around grows their own tomatoes, and the weather is perfect, nobody will pay more than a few cents for a tomato. When the weather is bad, crops aren't great, and fewer people grow them, their value increases. The same can be said for laws-- a few really good laws will be respected far more than a complex maelstrom of legal red tape and vague speech. The same can also be said for games-- if you have a few good games, you'll appreciate them far more than if you have your pick of whatever is available.
Also, I want that entire wall of games pictured. *drool*
Tell me about it. I only recently started paying attention to Steam sales and I know I went overboard last summer. One of these days, I'll quit acquiring games faster than I can play through them... Or not.
*raises hand*
Guilty as well.
Thanks to the Humble Bundles and the Steam seasonal sales, I have a glut of games, many of which I will probably never play. On the PS3, Sony throws older titles, and occasionally some newer ones, at PS+ subscribers, so that collection has grown.
GameStop has been my friend and nemesis for years. I have this mantra: "No matter how amazing the game at launch, one day it will be $30." While true, when 40 of those titles go to $30 in the same week, this would leave me staring at the used games wall blankly for 30-45 minutes unable to decide what I would take home.
@panickedthumb Thank you for the tip on organizing my library in Steam. That'll help a lot.
Your point about gameplay time is a great one. It's one that I've been ranting about to my wife lately. Sometime in the last 15 years, hours of gameplay became a marketing term; a number to be used to let us know THIS game was better. Some recent examples I can give: Mass Effect 3, Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, Batman: Arkham City and Darksiders II. All three of those titles require logging several hours of gameplay WITHOUT engaging side quests. Need for Speed: Most Wanted has a challenge, for all 41 (46 with DLC) vehicles, awarded after 10 hours of driving.
So, it's tough to find time to play them all. For the most part, I play one big title at a time until I've completed it.
@beanismyname I agree, it is hard to find time to play them all. I usually set aside a few hours per week, but this week wasn't kind to that. :D
After finding too many barely played games on my computer some time ago I seriously cut back on game spending. And I'm finding my time very precious now a days, this limits the amount I'm willing to allocate to computer games.
@MoonWyrd I'm there right now. I have more than enough games to keep me busy for the next few years solid. Time to put the spending on hold.
Spending on hold?? Dude, how will publishers get that 5th yacht?
By selling off a development studio that made a game we all enjoyed 6 months ago...or that was released a week ago. That's worked for EA.
EA.... yeah don't get me started on them.
I've been rather curious as to how Valve intended to implement a Steambox. Realistically, it's not too hard to convert a game over from win to linux, but will it be worth it for the game producers? Of course there is always the very outside chance that Valve will be building a custom emulator on the back end of Steam. That would be tricky as all hell, but for the price of a Steambox (which isn't looking too cheap) it could be feasible. No matter which way it falls, as a PC gamer this situation will work out to my benefit.
Oh. Obligatory Half Life 3 comment.
Steambox in 2013. 2+0+1+3=6. 6/2=3. Half-Life 3 confirmed!
Seriously though, one thing they could do for *some* Windows games is to have custom Wine configs. Not all games would work like this, of course. It would be similar to what GOG does with DOSBox, and what gogonlinux does for GOG games as well, but on a bigger scale. I think they're pushing pretty hard for native Linux support though (or at least developer supported Wine support, like with Psychonauts) from comments I've read from Gabe.
I feel like they're holding their cards until an official Dota 2 release and another large release so they can turn around and say, "Look what we can do. Work with us and this will all be yours."
I seriously wouldn't be surprised if it was Half-Life 3. I would squeal like a little schoolgirl, but I wouldn't be surprised. A Blue Box would be awesome. Half-Life 3, Portal 3, Team Fortress 3, and Left 4 Dead 3, but that's surely far off.
What would be highly likely is "Buy this and receive our entire catalog for free."
Its really about if the platform gains traction enough to warrant attention for a developer or publisher. In reality, the PS3 is a low powered PC with Open GL etc and some Sony stuff included. It isn't too nuts to port that kind of game to Linux beyond how hard it would be to port it to the PS3 or XBox or whatever. I mean games now days are written with PC, PS3, Xbox & Mac in mind.
My bet is that the Steam box will gain traction because Steam is THE platform for PC games. Why not the console too? It makes a obligatory PSX or XBox 1080 less relevant if gamers have a PC and a Steam box. In a way, I wonder if Valve will obliterate the competition. I mean, it is a possibility I guess.
Anyways also consider making the game available on PC and Steam box might not mean Desktop Linux to a publisher. Especially if Valve ships a non x86 chip in the Steam box. But whatevs in most cases I bet a Linux port would come too. Or maybe I just hope :D
The next few years should be awesome and right now I am holding off on ANY console choices until I see what Valve does. Even if its just a way to get Portal 3 and music, it might be good enough for me.
This: http://cheerfulghost.com/panickedthumb/posts/881
But also: Starbound. Imagine Terraria with multiple planets to explore.
Hmm...
Probably...
Sir You Are Being Hunted, Routine, Watch Dogs, The Witness, Among the Sleep, Last of Us, Spy Party (fucking FINALLY), Lifeless Planet, Mech Warrior Online (even though you can play it now, it's still technically only in beta),
I could probably do this all day. Those. We'll stick with that list for now.
I forgot about Sir You Are Being Hunted. That looks like such a blast.
Dark Souls 2, first and foremost, then the Edmund McMillen stuff.
Planetary Annihilation. Other than that, we'll have to wait and see.
Awesome, good list of things coming out for sure. Doom 4 might be a stretch but it would be awesome if iD could pull it off.
Perhaps some Fallout news soon?
http://i.imgur.com/DawSi.jpg
Ohhhh, that's good news. Hopefully they get someone good on Fallout 4.
I'm curious as to what that Fallout news actually means. Realistically I will play whatever Fallout game they put infront of me because I'm a huge Fallout fanboy. However I'd like a new, distinct and fresh location. So either they better have a good reason for him to be in this new location or we're back in DC, which I don't really want.
I have heard rumblings about Fallout Boston... Let me see...
Here is the bit:
http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/483
@SignalWarden, I agree, DC was awesome but I am looking forward to some new awesome location.
I've heard today that it may be news about a movie, not a new game. Don't know how I feel about that.
To me, the writers are more important than the location. It's my favorite game world, I love it. I want to drink it up. But it needs better writing than Fallout 3, I think.
A movie? Interesting, not sure I am interested in that...
But, you know, I am watching In the Name of the King the Dungeon Siege Movie and its not terrible, just pretty bad. I mean, they used a good camera but the dialog is really sub par.
Haven't seen Burt Reynolds in a film in quite some time....
Keep in mind, I actually loved Fallout 3. I just like 1, 2 and New Vegas more. I'd watch a movie, hopefully it wouldn't be a Uwe Bowl nightmare.
I am going to save the majority of my Dungeon Siege Movie review for a later post(OH YES, PREPARE YOURSELF) but its not technically a nightmare if you dig camp and OH BOY this movie has camp. Unintentionally I am sure, but wow, its so... Laugh out loud funny at times and then at other times the visuals are stunning.
Oh and and I have planned to Dive into New Vegas this year, totally in my Steam queue and on my list.
I am torn between 3 and New Vegas. I think whichever one I'm playing is my favorite of the two. The factions and plot are better in New Vegas (far better) but the world of Fallout 3 is so incredible. If Obsidian had set up all the quests and plot and such, and then Bethesda built the world around it, it would be perfect.
I wish the world of Fallout 3 wasn't 60% subway tunnel. The other thing New Vegas has going for it is companions/characters. The companions in FO3 were trash. In New Vegas, each was an interesting character.
I did like exploring DC, however.
Fawkes in F3 was awesome. I loved his story and how overpowered he is. His story was one of the most compelling game elements to me in the last few years. It was awesome.
I really liked Dogmeat my only minor quip is that he was a dog and barked and growled all the time, that said loved having him in my party.
There has still been talk about the Fallout MMO but I don't think this is related. I would be really surprised if this info were related to a movie, simply because Erik Dellums wouldn't make sense to actually play Three Dog on film. There is also speculation that this game will take the Final Fantasy route and be Fallout 3 II and not Fallout 4, which would explain why it is back in DC, instead of a new location.
I could totally handle Fallout 3 II.
Fawkes was the only companion with any development in that game. Fawkes is neat but I actually don't like how overpowered he is. Compare, however, the bandit you meet in the first town with anyone from New Vegas. Actually, you haven't played New Vegas! Imagine 8 companions with as much depth and nuance as Fawkes, with the added benefit of quests attached to each of them that upgrade them.
The only issue with the companions in New Vegas was that so many of their quests were buggy. I loved it but never being able to upgrade Raul in multiple games was really disappointing. I think if Obsidian had another 4 or 5 months to iron out some issues it would have been so much better.
But yeah, each of the companions is awesome in his/her/it's own way, and the quest lines are complex and interesting. I also like that, unless you're playing on Hardcore, the companions are marked as essential so they just get knocked out rather than dying. And the companion wheel adds so much more control. I was annoyed with the functionality of the companions in Fallout 3 so I never used them. I never go without companions in New Vegas (except in Casinos since they can permanently delete companions' default weapons).
I rolled with Fawkes some, but opted out because of how OP he was. Dogmeat and I went through the whole game together but it was janky at times.
One thing that got me about Dogmeat, Rex, and every dog in Skyrim (yes, it's been a problem for that long) is that they ALWAYS stand in doorways. I once had to reload a save in Skyrim because of a stupid dog.
Yeah they do that. I think I did it mostly because I liked the company. The Capitol wasteland was pretty large and going into tunnels by myself wasn't awesome.
Ooooh shiny. I like what I'm hearing there.
Those are interesting world building bits but dialog/writing is still super important. I can imagine that being great but I can also imagine it being clumsy. I think about something like the PS2 spinoff Fallout game which was fine from a lore perspective but the writing was atrocious and it got disavowed quick.
SimCity is the first big game of 2013 for me. The multiplayer looks like it will be a blast and I have some friends that I think will get a lot of fun out of working on a region together.
SimCity does look really great. I still haven't made the leap to Origins yet but for this game I may very well.
Hadn't heard about the multi-player, that sounds really fun, co-op building would be fun.
This game is totally strange. That said, if one was on some hardcore drugs on the way into a club I could see it playing out like this. Interesting mechanics and game.
I don't think you would see this from EA so its good Indie Games exist :D
Yeah. I like to do quick plays for games that aren't really deep enough to warrant a review. I just needed to do something with this game because it was so damn weird. Effective, but weird. Honestly, I kind of loved it.
That makes sense. The game is totally unique.
I sort of feel that way about stepping back to play FF2(US) this year. I kind of just have to do it again.
That was kinda rad.
I wonder what kind of drugs the player was on? Acid or some such?
Quite enjoyable. It would be a bit pretentious to complain about paradoxes in this wouldn't it ;)
No. That's totally geek-ceptible.
I liked how she was "I can't tell you about the future" and then immediately did. That's prob how that would work with most people and I generally don't like that mechanic in other shows/films.
How have I never seen this? It's on my IGN channel on Plex too. Dammit. Time to watch the whole first season.
:D It definitely opens up over the season to something really fun.
Yeah, Signal, be prepared for some slow moving at first, but the third episode (I think) it starts getting really good.
Awesome video @SignalWarden, thanks for posting! Hawker looks totally badass, I just put it on my radar. Like many I haven't played a Mech shooter since Mechwarrior on PC and SNES.
I was pretty impressed that you mentioned the people online were nice. That would definitely put Hawken in a place above other muiltiplayer games if that was how the game community was compared to other games like DoTA 2 :)
Also interesting they went with live action cut scenes, they looked well filmed but I don't see that a lot these days.
Looking forward to your next video!
Thanks! The live action is actually from an upcoming web series. They don't have much story in game. They are relying on a web series (which I think is being produced by Warner) and some graphic novels (I think the same team that did the GoW graphics) to tell the back story. I'm looking forward to it, but it is kind of a poor way to get story attached to a game.
And yeah, there is no community as vile as the Dota/HoN/LoL community. And I am a longtime DotA/LoL/Dota 2 player, so it's experience talking.
Thanks for explaining that, the way you cut it into the video it was pretty seamless :D
I agree with you, I would weave the narrative in the game as well.
Its beautiful. Plus has some really awesome hardware that comes with it. Looks to be on the expensive side now but ... that could come down as the mass produce them?
Regardless, this is awesome news!
There's no way this goes to market at 1k. It would just get laughed at.
I agree. Ill pick one up as soon as I can for anything around $300.
They are saying you can upgrade it easily which is good because when they pulled it apart the video card didn't look all that powerful. I can't see how you can install a card with more juice that isn't made specifically for it though because the form factor is pretty tight. Wait and see I suppose.
I think we are entering a zone where the current tech we have now is ridiculously powerful. I don't mean the PS3 or XBox, you can cram much more power in a smaller device.
But even if it were just a PS3 or perhaps 2X a PS3 it would be beefy enough to play all the games out now plus the games going forward. I think Carmack said in a recent Quakecon that they would make games for the current consoles for another generation or so. I think the current PS3 power scale has some legs on it yet even if it is pretty underpowered by the standard the PC I am using sets. Or my Macbook for that matter.
Sig-- maybe they'll give us one of these.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3117g8sD8hL._SL500_SS500_.jpg
Hahahaha, double the RAM with all the style of fire engine red!
Hahaha. You better believe I had one of those. Donkey Kong Country wouldn't run without it!
So, I checked out their website and what they currently sell is not that impressive. They're using older AMD Processors and pretty low end RAM and HDD parts. It is a neat looking product, but like others have said, it is just a really small form factor. I think something like the Intel NUC might be a better starting point for a game content consumption device.
Ah, well then its good others are building versions of this. I imagine the first generation might not be as powerful as it could be. Then again, it doesn't take much to get to the point of the current gen consoles. That said, I would like to see a Steam Box that would do 1080p and do it well for most games.