Price shouldn't be concern for most people if quality is there ... but lack of dedicate servers means there would a lots of issues (please read it up on that) in mp
As a community with many PC gaming enthusiasts we are aware of what we are loosing without support for dedicated servers. We do respect the 178,000 and growing that are upset about the issue, we honestly do, but there is no changing it at this point. Infinity Ward timed the announcement the way the did intentionally. They want to force feed PC gamers their methodology for handling the multilayer matchmaking, and if you want to play that game on day one your going to have to put up with it, no number of signatures will change that this late in the game, and frankly, if sales are brisk on PC, they may never have a motive to change it.
Personally, I'm not too worried about it, I like the custom matchmaking implementation they use on console, it makes finding a game to jump into a little easier, and sometimes all I want to do is hop into a quick death match with a bunch of random Joes, but I respect that some folks would rather play exclusively with their clan, and thats your right, don't like what IW did, buy another game and tell them about it, its the only way to bring forth any real change on the issue.
I still think the real issue for PC gamers is the console tax. We supplied unsubsidized hardware, the PC developer does not have to pay console licensing fees for that sale, and in some cases we even supply the bandwidth for an unpackaged digital download, PC gamers deserve a better price for content than console gamers do and if anything they should be making an effort to deliver content for under $50. Years ago I saw an interview with Cliffy B. with Epic. I know how some people feel about him, but the guy really does love gamers. He said that he knew that the industry could get to the point where games were priced in line with other content. Look, a big budget film might cost two hundred million in budget and marketing but even the biggest games only cost a fraction of that to produce and market. If two people see the film first run, then buy the DVD thats still under $40. If film can offer you that value, there is absolutely no reason games can't especialy seeing that gaming is a volume industry now. Cliffy B. said a few years ago, before digital distribution had any reasonable share mind you that he thought the industry was at the point where games could be priced as an "impulse buy". Perhaps around $20-$30 for new releases, and they would make ever penny in margin back on sheer volume.
If you like that approach, spend $19.99 on Shattered Horizon and write the developer to let them know you appreciate the progressive pricing.
Calling it "progressive pricing" when it's (right now) a paid-for tech demo is sketchy at best. At the moment, it's a one-track "game" where you float around and shoot things (with 1 gun). If they keep their free DLC promises, who knows what it could turn out to be - but progressive pricing it is not.
Snark, you may be right, I mean Shattered Horizon is probably a shallow experience next to something like Modern Warfare 2, still, $19.99 seems reasonable. L4D2 seemingly offers a rich full featured experience for as little as $34, as much as $45. Team Fortress 2, has $19.99 ever purchased so much joy?
I'm not saying any COD game can not justify the premium on certain levels, but I just think PC gamers that supply their own unsubsidized hardware and especially the ones that download the content legally should be rewarded with a price thats at least slightly better than what the console audience is offered.
I don't think activision cares as this looks like it will be the biggest game of the year.
This is all that matters to Infinity Ward and Activision. This is a business and they made a business decision knowing that even if a handful of people (myself included) don't buy the game for these reasons, the rest of the horde will snap it up with no problem.
"By all indicators, we anticipate Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be the biggest entertainment launch of all time," he said. "As of today, the number of preorder reservations we've taken for the game is the highest for any title we've ever sold in our 6,200 store network." In August, Activision said that Modern Warfare 2 had become the most preordered game in the publisher's history.
I mean, they're predicting 500 million in sales. The best-selling game of all time.
I'll pick it up out of the bargain bin for PS3 in a year. I was going to pre-order it, but when I saw the pricing and the fact that there were no dedicated servers, I abandoned any thoughts I had about getting it.
I guess it depends on a person's point of view, but what about the customer being right and getting what "they" want? I mean, how difficult would it have been to simply add server support right along with their custom matching feature? And for that matter, I'm fairly good with a fork and spoon and really have no need for IW to force feed me anything.
I know it's a waste of time to grump and groan about it ~ It's a done deal ~ I still feel that IW just basically shunned a key part of the group who helped, in a big way, to put them where they are today.
we must endure another nickel-and-diming from Activision?
Must?
I'm not saying any COD game can not justify the premium on certain levels, but I just think PC gamers that supply their own unsubsidized hardware and especially the ones that download the content legally should be rewarded with a price thats at least slightly better than what the console audience is offered.
I'm not sure I understand - PC Gamers, according to your own article, pay less for their hardware / services etc. You're now saying that they deserve cheaper games because of this?
I'm not sure I understand - PC Gamers, according to your own article, pay less for their hardware / services etc. You're now saying that they deserve cheaper games because of this?
Part of the value argument was the fact that until now PC games cost less.
1 - Console gamers, because of their lack of basic PC's, must pay more than PC gamers, even before they buy any games.
2 - Generally, PC gamers get better prices for games.
Therefore:
3 - PC gamers deserve cheaper games?
When the traditional $50 game price went up to $60 on consoles it was to cover a massive loss leader that was the subsidized hardware. PC gamers don't get subsidized hardware, so why should we pay the "console tax" on software?
When the traditional $50 game price went up to $60 on consoles it was to cover a massive loss leader that was the subsidized hardware. PC gamers don't get subsidized hardware, so why should we pay the "console tax" on software?
Because it cost the company $X to develop the game, of which $Y was for console development. Whether or not you want to pay for it, developing software, especially for multiple platforms, costs money.
A game is more than the platform it's released for.
1. Console games are essentially residential site licenses, typically multiple people can simultaneously play on one console.
2. PC games are individual licenses. One person per purchase at a time.
3. Dedicated servers are pro-modding and pro-community when there are standard servers available. Joe Schuck's core i7 quad may be able to host 16 people, but Clan Joe's rented dual xeon CPU with redundant OC-3 links could field 64 people easily.
You ever wanted to play a space-combat-flight-sim and FPS combo that can do multiplayer with the same numbers as the battle over coruscant from episode 3? That CPU power isn't far off for PCs. No way it'll happen without dedicated servers.
Cliff_Forster
Icrontian
Comments
As a community with many PC gaming enthusiasts we are aware of what we are loosing without support for dedicated servers. We do respect the 178,000 and growing that are upset about the issue, we honestly do, but there is no changing it at this point. Infinity Ward timed the announcement the way the did intentionally. They want to force feed PC gamers their methodology for handling the multilayer matchmaking, and if you want to play that game on day one your going to have to put up with it, no number of signatures will change that this late in the game, and frankly, if sales are brisk on PC, they may never have a motive to change it.
Personally, I'm not too worried about it, I like the custom matchmaking implementation they use on console, it makes finding a game to jump into a little easier, and sometimes all I want to do is hop into a quick death match with a bunch of random Joes, but I respect that some folks would rather play exclusively with their clan, and thats your right, don't like what IW did, buy another game and tell them about it, its the only way to bring forth any real change on the issue.
I still think the real issue for PC gamers is the console tax. We supplied unsubsidized hardware, the PC developer does not have to pay console licensing fees for that sale, and in some cases we even supply the bandwidth for an unpackaged digital download, PC gamers deserve a better price for content than console gamers do and if anything they should be making an effort to deliver content for under $50. Years ago I saw an interview with Cliffy B. with Epic. I know how some people feel about him, but the guy really does love gamers. He said that he knew that the industry could get to the point where games were priced in line with other content. Look, a big budget film might cost two hundred million in budget and marketing but even the biggest games only cost a fraction of that to produce and market. If two people see the film first run, then buy the DVD thats still under $40. If film can offer you that value, there is absolutely no reason games can't especialy seeing that gaming is a volume industry now. Cliffy B. said a few years ago, before digital distribution had any reasonable share mind you that he thought the industry was at the point where games could be priced as an "impulse buy". Perhaps around $20-$30 for new releases, and they would make ever penny in margin back on sheer volume.
If you like that approach, spend $19.99 on Shattered Horizon and write the developer to let them know you appreciate the progressive pricing.
I'm not saying any COD game can not justify the premium on certain levels, but I just think PC gamers that supply their own unsubsidized hardware and especially the ones that download the content legally should be rewarded with a price thats at least slightly better than what the console audience is offered.
This is all that matters to Infinity Ward and Activision. This is a business and they made a business decision knowing that even if a handful of people (myself included) don't buy the game for these reasons, the rest of the horde will snap it up with no problem.
I mean, they're predicting 500 million in sales. The best-selling game of all time.
I know it's a waste of time to grump and groan about it ~ It's a done deal ~ I still feel that IW just basically shunned a key part of the group who helped, in a big way, to put them where they are today.
Must?
I'm not sure I understand - PC Gamers, according to your own article, pay less for their hardware / services etc. You're now saying that they deserve cheaper games because of this?
Part of the value argument was the fact that until now PC games cost less.
PC: $750
Consoles: $800
Your value proposition still claims that PC's are cheaper, even before software.
Now now, lets not change the subject, but seriously, its a good argument. Your console does not negate the need for a basic PC. That was my point.
When you need to start it with "but seriously," it's not a good argument.
Even when you didn't start it with "but seriously," it was a bad argument.
1 - Console gamers, because of their lack of basic PC's, must pay more than PC gamers, even before they buy any games.
2 - Generally, PC gamers get better prices for games.
Therefore:
3 - PC gamers deserve cheaper games?
When the traditional $50 game price went up to $60 on consoles it was to cover a massive loss leader that was the subsidized hardware. PC gamers don't get subsidized hardware, so why should we pay the "console tax" on software?
Because it cost the company $X to develop the game, of which $Y was for console development. Whether or not you want to pay for it, developing software, especially for multiple platforms, costs money.
A game is more than the platform it's released for.
2. PC games are individual licenses. One person per purchase at a time.
3. Dedicated servers are pro-modding and pro-community when there are standard servers available. Joe Schuck's core i7 quad may be able to host 16 people, but Clan Joe's rented dual xeon CPU with redundant OC-3 links could field 64 people easily.
You ever wanted to play a space-combat-flight-sim and FPS combo that can do multiplayer with the same numbers as the battle over coruscant from episode 3? That CPU power isn't far off for PCs. No way it'll happen without dedicated servers.