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Video Game Industry Thread: February part II is done, go to the next thread
I think Jim Sterling makes some very interesting points in his opinion pieces. What most people can't seem to get past is he is playing a character.
If he is, it's a very, very, very annoying character. The reason "Stephen Colbert" works is because the actual Stephen Colbert is a nice guy, so his character comes across as ridiculous rather than an ass.
Couple of tweeted GDC items from Chris Kohler of Wired:
Skylanders talk: "We didn't realize kids didn't just want to buy one [figure]. Manchildren bought 30. Bless them, every one."
"Please don't write that the new Mario game will be Pro-Skater Mario with smashing cockroaches. We might all get in trouble." - Hayashida
Speaking of people I take issue with, Chris Kohler is someone I have minor beef with. He's a long time respected industry journalist, but his main problem is the moment you question or criticize him he looses his God Damned mind. I questioned something he said in an article few years back, and he preceded to troll me for the next two pages while literally making no sense. It was a serious Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde situation, where one side of him writes the articles, and then a raving lunatic deals with criticism. A year or so after that situation I was chatting with some guys from Wired at an event, and they told me that he does that, and in those situations, management literally has to tell him to stay the fuck out of the comments section of his articles. So I don't dislike the guy completely like I do Sterling, I just see him like I see Ebert, an incredibly intelligent industry icon, that is deeply flawed in particular ways.
So remember all those pages and pages we spent arguing about a Steambox? Well:
Delay those dreams of a Steam Box competing with a PlayStation, Xbox or Wii. Valve Software is not making a gaming console in the near future and that the various rumors swirling around don't add up to them making their own set-top box.
"We're prepping the Steam Big Picture Mode UI and getting ready to ship that, so we're building boxes to test that on," he said, referring to a new Steam interface that will make the online gaming service easily useable for people who want to play Steam games on a PC that's connected to their TV. "We're also doing a bunch of different experiments with biometric feedback and stuff like that, which we've talked about a fair amount.
"All of that is stuff that we're working on, but it's a long way from Valve shipping any sort of hardware."
Lombardi refused to flat-out say that Valve isn't working on a console. When I posted it to him this way—"What you're saying is, there's definitely nothing coming any time soon, nothing at GDC or E3, but what you're not ruling out is the possibility that, hey, maybe some day Valve would make hardware. "-he said, "I think that's accurate."
Rumors of an impending Steam Box have heated over the last week, since leading tech site The Verge reported that Valve was working on a console that it would develop in partnership with various hardware manufacturers, similar to Google's approach with the Android platform. Some of the evidence cited were patents for configurable controllers and rumors of an incorporation of Valve's public interest in tracking and reacting to player's biometrics into a Steam console. The Verge report also cited a hardware spec that turned out to match that of a PC built last fall by Valve's Greg Coomer. Could that have been a prototype, we had wondered?
"Greg's one of the guys leading the effort of the Big Picture mode," Lombardi said. "The idea is that you can take Steam to any display. What we're trying to do is say, 'here's a box that we're going to use for testing that's common for Big Picture mode and get performance at a base level.'... We're always putting boxes together. Going all the way back to the Half-Life 1 days, we built special boxes to test our software render… it's just part of development."
This actually lines up exactly with what I, and others have been saying. The whole "slow your horses" spiel is aimed at those assuming valve is LITERALLY producing a console, as in manufacturing it and all that jazz. We've been saying since the beginning that's not what they're doing.
Select an enemy to shoot, then aim your crosshairs onto a target on the guy.
That sounds pretty awkward. Are there any special powers like grenades, magic/biotics?
It sounds that way, but since you're under cover a lot (and the landscape is littered with an absolutely comical amount of chest-high obstructions) it's the way you pop up to shoot.
And yeah, you've got special abilities and such. Even guns you can switch on the fly too, thanks to two dedicated buttons at the top that open a semicircular wheel of options.
To be fair, I wasn't expecting much from the game, especially since the iOS ME2 tie-in game was a horrible, ugly, slow-as-molasses Smash TV clone. But at least it had sweet sweet dialog trees.
I'm not going to say it looks like a bad game, but... ...Hm. I dunno. Yes, I know, not in english, I just grabbed the first one I could find that was a proper cam example and not a screen capture.
Of all the genres out there, aside from stuff like adventure games, FPS and TPS translate the best to touch screen devices. There are numerous games out there which demonstrate that playing such a game on an iphone or something similar is not a bad experience at all. You essentially slide your left thumb around to move, with a deadzone appearing where ever you press your thumb down, and use the right thumb as though the screen was a touchpad. Tap to shoot, double tap for other abilities, with auxillary buttons for stuff like reloading or taking cover.
It's other stuff, like fighting games or 2D platformers, stuff that really requires precise directional movement, that suffers. But yeah, I wouldn't doubt Mass effect could actually be done on a touch device. As in, not a spin off.
EDIT: If you have a smart phone and want proof of concept, try doom. It's out on virtually everything, and it's a blast to play on a mobile device.
You play CoD on an ipad, I'll play it with a kbam, lets see who dies first. Ha ha ha. Or we can do some horde mode Halo or something. I've played doom, and the so called 'Gears of war on android' that is shadow gun and similar. while good games, they lack the kind of precious and ability to touch 4+ buttons at a time like a controller can do (Woo 3 touch limit on most devices.) If I wanted to turn while running, reloading and tossing a grenade I'd be pretty much shit out of luck. Which is wherein I find these type of games come up short. If the experience is tailored, wherein you face fewer enemies in a more controller firefight like this game or Shadowgun? Its a cool experience and I think it's an excellent game.
Try to do something frantic like horde mode? I think it just wouldn't work, and I fuckin love horde mode.
By that logic, FPS and TPS games should have never come to consoles in the first place, because you pit a KBM player against someone with a controller and they'll get dominated. The mass market doesn't demand the best controls, they demand controls that are good enough. And that's the sad truth. I think, for many, the sort of controls offered in games like ME on iOS are good enough.
FPS on consoles only took off when they designed a control system for them that didn't require much/any of a compromise on the core gameplay.
Man what? Goldeneye required tons of compromises.
Like what? Goldeneye or Halo certainly had some compromises to account for limited hardware and less precise input, but the were still solid FPS. Halo translated to the PC fairly easily.
And I'd argue that the core gameplay is still there on a mobile device. You're talking about finesse gameplay when you're talking about circle-strafing reloads while throwing grenades.
If you look at something like ME: Infiltrator has the "core gameplay" of ME2 or ME3, I don't know what to tell you.
It's not bad for what it is though, given the limitations of the device.
Since when is ME: Infiltrator the be-all, end-all example of FPS gaming on iOS? Doom is there in its entirety.
Select an enemy to shoot, then aim your crosshairs onto a target on the guy.
That sounds pretty awkward. Are there any special powers like grenades, magic/biotics?
It sounds that way, but since you're under cover a lot (and the landscape is littered with an absolutely comical amount of chest-high obstructions) it's the way you pop up to shoot.
And yeah, you've got special abilities and such. Even guns you can switch on the fly too, thanks to two dedicated buttons at the top that open a semicircular wheel of options.
To be fair, I wasn't expecting much from the game, especially since the iOS ME2 tie-in game was a horrible, ugly, slow-as-molasses Smash TV clone. But at least it had sweet sweet dialog trees.
I'm not going to say it looks like a bad game, but... ...Hm. I dunno. Yes, I know, not in english, I just grabbed the first one I could find that was a proper cam example and not a screen capture.
Of all the genres out there, aside from stuff like adventure games, FPS and TPS translate the best to touch screen devices. There are numerous games out there which demonstrate that playing such a game on an iphone or something similar is not a bad experience at all. You essentially slide your left thumb around to move, with a deadzone appearing where ever you press your thumb down, and use the right thumb as though the screen was a touchpad. Tap to shoot, double tap for other abilities, with auxillary buttons for stuff like reloading or taking cover.
It's other stuff, like fighting games or 2D platformers, stuff that really requires precise directional movement, that suffers. But yeah, I wouldn't doubt Mass effect could actually be done on a touch device. As in, not a spin off.
EDIT: If you have a smart phone and want proof of concept, try doom. It's out on virtually everything, and it's a blast to play on a mobile device.
You play CoD on an ipad, I'll play it with a kbam, lets see who dies first. Ha ha ha. Or we can do some horde mode Halo or something. I've played doom, and the so called 'Gears of war on android' that is shadow gun and similar. while good games, they lack the kind of precious and ability to touch 4+ buttons at a time like a controller can do (Woo 3 touch limit on most devices.) If I wanted to turn while running, reloading and tossing a grenade I'd be pretty much shit out of luck. Which is wherein I find these type of games come up short. If the experience is tailored, wherein you face fewer enemies in a more controller firefight like this game or Shadowgun? Its a cool experience and I think it's an excellent game.
Try to do something frantic like horde mode? I think it just wouldn't work, and I fuckin love horde mode.
By that logic, FPS and TPS games should have never come to consoles in the first place, because you pit a KBM player against someone with a controller and they'll get dominated. The mass market doesn't demand the best controls, they demand controls that are good enough. And that's the sad truth. I think, for many, the sort of controls offered in games like ME on iOS are good enough.
FPS on consoles only took off when they designed a control system for them that didn't require much/any of a compromise on the core gameplay.
Man what? Goldeneye required tons of compromises.
Like what? Goldeneye or Halo certainly had some compromises to account for limited hardware and less precise input, but the were still solid FPS. Halo translated to the PC fairly easily.
And I'd argue that the core gameplay is still there on a mobile device. You're talking about finesse gameplay when you're talking about circle-strafing reloads while throwing grenades.
If you look at something like ME: Infiltrator has the "core gameplay" of ME2 or ME3, I don't know what to tell you.
It's not bad for what it is though, given the limitations of the device.
Since when is ME: Infiltrator the be-all, end-all example of FPS gaming on iOS? Doom is there in its entirety.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain meats around the premise of the Steam Box.
"It's got a Steam sticker, therefore it's awsome."
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
Select an enemy to shoot, then aim your crosshairs onto a target on the guy.
That sounds pretty awkward. Are there any special powers like grenades, magic/biotics?
It sounds that way, but since you're under cover a lot (and the landscape is littered with an absolutely comical amount of chest-high obstructions) it's the way you pop up to shoot.
And yeah, you've got special abilities and such. Even guns you can switch on the fly too, thanks to two dedicated buttons at the top that open a semicircular wheel of options.
To be fair, I wasn't expecting much from the game, especially since the iOS ME2 tie-in game was a horrible, ugly, slow-as-molasses Smash TV clone. But at least it had sweet sweet dialog trees.
I'm not going to say it looks like a bad game, but... ...Hm. I dunno. Yes, I know, not in english, I just grabbed the first one I could find that was a proper cam example and not a screen capture.
Of all the genres out there, aside from stuff like adventure games, FPS and TPS translate the best to touch screen devices. There are numerous games out there which demonstrate that playing such a game on an iphone or something similar is not a bad experience at all. You essentially slide your left thumb around to move, with a deadzone appearing where ever you press your thumb down, and use the right thumb as though the screen was a touchpad. Tap to shoot, double tap for other abilities, with auxillary buttons for stuff like reloading or taking cover.
It's other stuff, like fighting games or 2D platformers, stuff that really requires precise directional movement, that suffers. But yeah, I wouldn't doubt Mass effect could actually be done on a touch device. As in, not a spin off.
EDIT: If you have a smart phone and want proof of concept, try doom. It's out on virtually everything, and it's a blast to play on a mobile device.
You play CoD on an ipad, I'll play it with a kbam, lets see who dies first. Ha ha ha. Or we can do some horde mode Halo or something. I've played doom, and the so called 'Gears of war on android' that is shadow gun and similar. while good games, they lack the kind of precious and ability to touch 4+ buttons at a time like a controller can do (Woo 3 touch limit on most devices.) If I wanted to turn while running, reloading and tossing a grenade I'd be pretty much shit out of luck. Which is wherein I find these type of games come up short. If the experience is tailored, wherein you face fewer enemies in a more controller firefight like this game or Shadowgun? Its a cool experience and I think it's an excellent game.
Try to do something frantic like horde mode? I think it just wouldn't work, and I fuckin love horde mode.
By that logic, FPS and TPS games should have never come to consoles in the first place, because you pit a KBM player against someone with a controller and they'll get dominated. The mass market doesn't demand the best controls, they demand controls that are good enough. And that's the sad truth. I think, for many, the sort of controls offered in games like ME on iOS are good enough.
FPS on consoles only took off when they designed a control system for them that didn't require much/any of a compromise on the core gameplay.
Man what? Goldeneye required tons of compromises.
Like what? Goldeneye or Halo certainly had some compromises to account for limited hardware and less precise input, but the were still solid FPS. Halo translated to the PC fairly easily.
And I'd argue that the core gameplay is still there on a mobile device. You're talking about finesse gameplay when you're talking about circle-strafing reloads while throwing grenades.
If you look at something like ME: Infiltrator has the "core gameplay" of ME2 or ME3, I don't know what to tell you.
It's not bad for what it is though, given the limitations of the device.
Since when is ME: Infiltrator the be-all, end-all example of FPS gaming on iOS? Doom is there in its entirety.
What the hell are you talking about?
I said that the FPS genre translates well to iOS. Someone said "Well, it's not as accurate as KB&M." I said that accuracy doesn't matter, because it took off on consoles as well. You said "It only took off on consoles because the core gameplay is still there." I said there are iOS games where the core gameplay is still represented. You said "no way dude, that mass effect game is way different." Mass effect isn't the only TPS/FPS on iOS. There are several TPS/FPS games on iOS which do retain the core mechanics and gameplay. As an example, Doom, the most classic FPS there is.
EDIT: And, for what its worth, there's really nothing that is keeping the iOS ME game from retaining everything from the console/pc versions, aside from developer decisions.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain meats around the premise of the Steam Box.
"It's got a Steam sticker, therefore it's awsome."
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
They were talking about marketing.
Then again, we're now arguing about something that pretty clearly doesn't exist. :P
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
I'm still trying to wrap my brain meats around the premise of the Steam Box.
"It's got a Steam sticker, therefore it's awsome."
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
They were talking about marketing.
Then again, we're now arguing about something that pretty clearly doesn't exist. :P
I think it does exist - that interview you quoted lines up exactly with what I've been saying. That article was aimed at people who were arguing that a steambox was more in line with a traditional console.
I'll go as far as to say this - Big Picture Mode IS steambox.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain meats around the premise of the Steam Box.
"It's got a Steam sticker, therefore it's awsome."
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
They were talking about marketing.
Then again, we're now arguing about something that pretty clearly doesn't exist. :P
I think it does exist - that interview you quoted lines up exactly with what I've been saying. That article was aimed at people who were arguing that a steambox was more in line with a traditional console.
I'll go as far as to say this - Big Picture Mode IS steambox.
So... we've had Steamboxes since Half-Life 1 and never noticed?
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
I'm still trying to wrap my brain meats around the premise of the Steam Box.
"It's got a Steam sticker, therefore it's awsome."
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
They were talking about marketing.
Then again, we're now arguing about something that pretty clearly doesn't exist. :P
I think it does exist - that interview you quoted lines up exactly with what I've been saying. That article was aimed at people who were arguing that a steambox was more in line with a traditional console.
I'll go as far as to say this - Big Picture Mode IS steambox.
So... we've had Steamboxes since Half-Life 1 and never noticed?
Big picture mode isn't out yet. Steam itself didn't exist until half life 2.
but yes, we've had steamboxes for years now - as long as the HTPC has been around. The steambox is an HTPC with across the board minimum requirements and a pretty interface. What would make the steambox different than normal HTPC would be developers actually targeting those minimum requirements.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain meats around the premise of the Steam Box.
"It's got a Steam sticker, therefore it's awsome."
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
They were talking about marketing.
Then again, we're now arguing about something that pretty clearly doesn't exist. :P
I think it does exist - that interview you quoted lines up exactly with what I've been saying. That article was aimed at people who were arguing that a steambox was more in line with a traditional console.
I'll go as far as to say this - Big Picture Mode IS steambox.
So... we've had Steamboxes since Half-Life 1 and never noticed?
Big picture mode isn't out yet. Steam itself didn't exist until half life 2.
but yes, we've had steamboxes for years now - as long as the HTPC has been around. The steambox is an HTPC with across the board minimum requirements and a pretty interface. What would make the steambox different than normal HTPC would be developers actually targeting those minimum requirements.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain meats around the premise of the Steam Box.
"It's got a Steam sticker, therefore it's awsome."
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
They were talking about marketing.
Then again, we're now arguing about something that pretty clearly doesn't exist. :P
I think it does exist - that interview you quoted lines up exactly with what I've been saying. That article was aimed at people who were arguing that a steambox was more in line with a traditional console.
I'll go as far as to say this - Big Picture Mode IS steambox.
So... we've had Steamboxes since Half-Life 1 and never noticed?
Big picture mode isn't out yet. Steam itself didn't exist until half life 2.
but yes, we've had steamboxes for years now - as long as the HTPC has been around. The steambox is an HTPC with across the board minimum requirements and a pretty interface. What would make the steambox different than normal HTPC would be developers actually targeting those minimum requirements.
...this is the first time I've even heard the term HTPC.
It's an enthusiast thing that's jumped into the mainstream in the past...two years? Certain processors/graphics cards in the past 3-5 years have allowed you to fit a lot of power in a small case. Some now make PC cases that'll fit in with your Home Entertainment setup, while others just make really tiny PC cases.
Free to play model makes another company a ton of money.
Or as the internet would put it, OH MAN, TEAM FORTRESS 2 IS UP AGAINST THE ROPES, BARELY ABLE TO STAY AFLOAT AND NOT FAIL
I uh, don't think anyone was really saying that before TF2 went F2P. It was still selling even, three years after release.
Or am I just misunderstanding what you meant there?
You are misinterpreting. I am pretty much parodying the argument people make about the F2P model being one used when a game is about to fail, or whatever. It's a dumb argument, and I just wanted to illustrate that.
My personal HTPC runs in a closet in my living room, and I've run the video and audio wiring through the walls in my house. I have 4 heads on my 2 video cards, which lets me output to 4 rooms at once. I took a wall faceplate to a dremel and created sockets for the walls where I can simply connect a TV to hook it up to the HTPC in the center of my place. I use a Gyration MCE remote along with event ghost to map the buttons on the remote to custom bindings, like when I press the green center button, the HTPC frontend pops to the front no matter what is running, sort of like the Xbox guide button. The Gyration MCE remote also works like a wiimote when you press the middle button on the thing, letting you move the mouse on the screen just by pointing.
I also ran USB outlets to the same faceplates, so i can connect a USB hub at each TV to plug in standard controllers and what-not.
...this is the first time I've even heard the term HTPC.
Really? That's impressive. They're fairly common things. Hell, companies like Roku and Boxee are turning them into neat little set top boxes, even.
Now I've heard of Roku and Boxee Boxes, but never heard the term "HTPC" applied to them. I just called 'em "streaming devices."
Then again Boxee Boxes aren't exactly built for Steam.
Well, traditionally HTPCs were smallish machines built for streaming/playing back stored media in your home theatre setup. Hence the name. Those companies have just simplified them down to their core tasks and started selling them as set top boxes. Still HTPCs, just without the versatility of a traditional Win/linux/Mac PC.
Most HTPCs aren't badass enough to do much gaming. They sacrifice power for small size and quiet running, but as TSR is intent on proving, PCs are flexible things and can pull double duty if built right.
minor incident on
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
...this is the first time I've even heard the term HTPC.
Really? That's impressive. They're fairly common things. Hell, companies like Roku and Boxee are turning them into neat little set top boxes, even.
Now I've heard of Roku and Boxee Boxes, but never heard the term "HTPC" applied to them. I just called 'em "streaming devices."
Then again Boxee Boxes aren't exactly built for Steam.
Roku and Boxee aren't HTPCs, mainly because they're not a PC. They're set top boxes.
An HTPC is a PC. HTPC stands for "home theater PC." It's a PC configured to work with a TV like a common TV component. I.e. a nice front end, usually a custom remote, all that jazz. But at its heart, it's still a PC. Which is its strength - any and all PC software works.
Okay, I get all that, but I'm more baffled than ever about what HTPCs have to do with the mythical Steambox that will make PC gaming easier and awesome.
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
0
HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
Holy shit that Phil Fish guy is reprehensible.
0
MaddocI'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother?Registered Userregular
Okay, I get all that, but I'm more baffled than ever about what HTPCs have to do with the mythical Steambox that will make PC gaming easier and awesome.
Because you seem to still be under the impression that the "Steambox" is a physical product, I think.
The whole concept is to create a baseline spec which can be scaled upward, and a user friendly front end for use when the PC is hooked up to a TV (ie Big Picture Mode)
Okay, I get all that, but I'm more baffled than ever about what HTPCs have to do with the mythical Steambox that will make PC gaming easier and awesome.
Because you seem to still be under the impression that the "Steambox" is a physical product, I think.
The whole concept is to create a baseline spec which can be scaled upward, and a user friendly front end for use when the PC is hooked up to a TV (ie Big Picture Mode)
...but HTPCs don't have baseline specs near as I can tell. They're just PCs that play nice with home theater. Hell, people here can't even agree on what an HTPC is.
Wordherder on
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
And I'd argue that the core gameplay is still there on a mobile device. You're talking about finesse gameplay when you're talking about circle-strafing reloads while throwing grenades.
If you look at something like ME: Infiltrator has the "core gameplay" of ME2 or ME3, I don't know what to tell you.
It's not bad for what it is though, given the limitations of the device.
I have yet to play ME2 or 3, but it certainly sounds like ME1 if you played a class other than Soldier. Half the gameplay was pausing, targeting, and then having everything blow up and/or float into the air.
0
HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
I have an idea regarding Phil Fish.
We should start a letter campaign to Gamasutra / GDC's organizers, demanding that they never allow him back at the event or to participate in related events. Further, I would see about contacted E3's organizers and keeping him out if he intends to go there too. Barr his entry.
0
MaddocI'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother?Registered Userregular
Okay, I get all that, but I'm more baffled than ever about what HTPCs have to do with the mythical Steambox that will make PC gaming easier and awesome.
Because you seem to still be under the impression that the "Steambox" is a physical product, I think.
The whole concept is to create a baseline spec which can be scaled upward, and a user friendly front end for use when the PC is hooked up to a TV (ie Big Picture Mode)
...but HTPCs don't have baseline specs near as I can tell. They're just PCs that play nice with home theater. Hell, people here can't even agree on what an HTPC is.
I honest to god can't tell if you're being intentionally obtuse or not.
Okay, I get all that, but I'm more baffled than ever about what HTPCs have to do with the mythical Steambox that will make PC gaming easier and awesome.
Because you seem to still be under the impression that the "Steambox" is a physical product, I think.
The whole concept is to create a baseline spec which can be scaled upward, and a user friendly front end for use when the PC is hooked up to a TV (ie Big Picture Mode)
...but HTPCs don't have baseline specs near as I can tell. They're just PCs that play nice with home theater. Hell, people here can't even agree on what an HTPC is.
I honest to god can't tell if you're being intentionally obtuse or not.
I'm not. So am I wrong? Are HTPC's not just PCs that play nice with home theater systems, as TSR described?
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
I think Jim Sterling makes some very interesting points in his opinion pieces. What most people can't seem to get past is he is playing a character.
If he is, it's a very, very, very annoying character. The reason "Stephen Colbert" works is because the actual Stephen Colbert is a nice guy, so his character comes across as ridiculous rather than an ass.
Couple of tweeted GDC items from Chris Kohler of Wired:
Skylanders talk: "We didn't realize kids didn't just want to buy one [figure]. Manchildren bought 30. Bless them, every one."
"Please don't write that the new Mario game will be Pro-Skater Mario with smashing cockroaches. We might all get in trouble." - Hayashida
Speaking of people I take issue with, Chris Kohler is someone I have minor beef with. He's a long time respected industry journalist, but his main problem is the moment you question or criticize him he looses his God Damned mind. I questioned something he said in an article few years back, and he preceded to troll me for the next two pages while literally making no sense. It was a serious Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde situation, where one side of him writes the articles, and then a raving lunatic deals with criticism. A year or so after that situation I was chatting with some guys from Wired at an event, and they told me that he does that, and in those situations, management literally has to tell him to stay the fuck out of the comments section of his articles. So I don't dislike the guy completely like I do Sterling, I just see him like I see Ebert, an incredibly intelligent industry icon, that is deeply flawed in particular ways.
Tom Chick is similar to Kohler in that way. Very smart guy and someone I agree with more often than not, but if you disagree with anything he says, hoo boy...
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (2017, colorized)
Okay, I get all that, but I'm more baffled than ever about what HTPCs have to do with the mythical Steambox that will make PC gaming easier and awesome.
HTPCs don't have baseline specs. But if Valve stood up and said, "here's the SteamBox software platform and it uses these specs," then software developers could aim for those specs specifically when making their games.
Say if "Steambox Spec 2012" is: 2.5 GHz Dual-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM, GeForce GTS 450.
Manufacturers and enthusiasts could build hardware that matches or surpasses those specs, and be mostly assured that all games built for "SteamBox Spec 2012" would run fine. Developers could develop for one spec, ensure that their game runs as intended.
It also simplifies consumers purchases if it becomes widespread because they can look on the box, see the Steambox Spec label, and then go boot up to Steam to confirm if they meet the spec.
It brings the simplicity of console/iPad development to PCs.
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This actually lines up exactly with what I, and others have been saying. The whole "slow your horses" spiel is aimed at those assuming valve is LITERALLY producing a console, as in manufacturing it and all that jazz. We've been saying since the beginning that's not what they're doing.
Not even close.
"It's got an awesome sticker, therefore it's Steam."
That's what some people were arguing.
Since when is ME: Infiltrator the be-all, end-all example of FPS gaming on iOS? Doom is there in its entirety.
What the hell are you talking about?
it has nothing to do with steam itself. It has nothing to do with hardware actually. It's not even something tangible. the second you're talking about stickers, you're off the mark, because it's a spec.
I said that the FPS genre translates well to iOS. Someone said "Well, it's not as accurate as KB&M." I said that accuracy doesn't matter, because it took off on consoles as well. You said "It only took off on consoles because the core gameplay is still there." I said there are iOS games where the core gameplay is still represented. You said "no way dude, that mass effect game is way different." Mass effect isn't the only TPS/FPS on iOS. There are several TPS/FPS games on iOS which do retain the core mechanics and gameplay. As an example, Doom, the most classic FPS there is.
EDIT: And, for what its worth, there's really nothing that is keeping the iOS ME game from retaining everything from the console/pc versions, aside from developer decisions.
They were talking about marketing.
Then again, we're now arguing about something that pretty clearly doesn't exist. :P
I think it does exist - that interview you quoted lines up exactly with what I've been saying. That article was aimed at people who were arguing that a steambox was more in line with a traditional console.
I'll go as far as to say this - Big Picture Mode IS steambox.
So... we've had Steamboxes since Half-Life 1 and never noticed?
Big picture mode isn't out yet. Steam itself didn't exist until half life 2.
but yes, we've had steamboxes for years now - as long as the HTPC has been around. The steambox is an HTPC with across the board minimum requirements and a pretty interface. What would make the steambox different than normal HTPC would be developers actually targeting those minimum requirements.
In fact, I made a topic on this 3 years ago:
The 4th console: HTPCs and you and your big comfy couch
...this is the first time I've even heard the term HTPC.
I don't really know what to say, then. It's a common term. Do you play very many PC games?
EDIT: To clarify, that's not meant to be condescending. I just don't know how to continue the conversation.
Really? That's impressive. They're fairly common things. Hell, companies like Roku and Boxee are turning them into neat little set top boxes, even.
It's an enthusiast thing that's jumped into the mainstream in the past...two years? Certain processors/graphics cards in the past 3-5 years have allowed you to fit a lot of power in a small case. Some now make PC cases that'll fit in with your Home Entertainment setup, while others just make really tiny PC cases.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
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Apparently applicable to Steam and custom automobile tuning.
You are misinterpreting. I am pretty much parodying the argument people make about the F2P model being one used when a game is about to fail, or whatever. It's a dumb argument, and I just wanted to illustrate that.
I also ran USB outlets to the same faceplates, so i can connect a USB hub at each TV to plug in standard controllers and what-not.
Now I've heard of Roku and Boxee Boxes, but never heard the term "HTPC" applied to them. I just called 'em "streaming devices."
Then again Boxee Boxes aren't exactly built for Steam.
Well, traditionally HTPCs were smallish machines built for streaming/playing back stored media in your home theatre setup. Hence the name. Those companies have just simplified them down to their core tasks and started selling them as set top boxes. Still HTPCs, just without the versatility of a traditional Win/linux/Mac PC.
Most HTPCs aren't badass enough to do much gaming. They sacrifice power for small size and quiet running, but as TSR is intent on proving, PCs are flexible things and can pull double duty if built right.
Roku and Boxee aren't HTPCs, mainly because they're not a PC. They're set top boxes.
An HTPC is a PC. HTPC stands for "home theater PC." It's a PC configured to work with a TV like a common TV component. I.e. a nice front end, usually a custom remote, all that jazz. But at its heart, it's still a PC. Which is its strength - any and all PC software works.
Because you seem to still be under the impression that the "Steambox" is a physical product, I think.
The whole concept is to create a baseline spec which can be scaled upward, and a user friendly front end for use when the PC is hooked up to a TV (ie Big Picture Mode)
...but HTPCs don't have baseline specs near as I can tell. They're just PCs that play nice with home theater. Hell, people here can't even agree on what an HTPC is.
I have yet to play ME2 or 3, but it certainly sounds like ME1 if you played a class other than Soldier. Half the gameplay was pausing, targeting, and then having everything blow up and/or float into the air.
We should start a letter campaign to Gamasutra / GDC's organizers, demanding that they never allow him back at the event or to participate in related events. Further, I would see about contacted E3's organizers and keeping him out if he intends to go there too. Barr his entry.
I honest to god can't tell if you're being intentionally obtuse or not.
I'm not. So am I wrong? Are HTPC's not just PCs that play nice with home theater systems, as TSR described?
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/08/witcher-2-publisher-we-will-never-use-any-drm-anymore/
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Not exactly the word I would use for someone who insulted Japanese developers by being a tactless jerk.
I reserve that word or murderers, rapists, and assorted similar scumbags.
Oh wow, it's about time. I like how to-the-point that statement is too.
Eh, not really. He's just really bad with this whole "being a public figure" thing.
I think someone earlier said it best: it reads like the kind of jokes people would make here on this forum.
Which is fine if you are some random internet person, not so much as a representative of your company.
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HTPCs don't have baseline specs. But if Valve stood up and said, "here's the SteamBox software platform and it uses these specs," then software developers could aim for those specs specifically when making their games.
Say if "Steambox Spec 2012" is: 2.5 GHz Dual-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM, GeForce GTS 450.
Manufacturers and enthusiasts could build hardware that matches or surpasses those specs, and be mostly assured that all games built for "SteamBox Spec 2012" would run fine. Developers could develop for one spec, ensure that their game runs as intended.
It also simplifies consumers purchases if it becomes widespread because they can look on the box, see the Steambox Spec label, and then go boot up to Steam to confirm if they meet the spec.
It brings the simplicity of console/iPad development to PCs.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
I write about video games and stuff. It is fun. Sometimes.