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Columns This was meant to be a Fallout 3 DLC review

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Tim S, 31 Jan 2009.

  1. salesman

    salesman Minimodder

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    Microsoft, over the last 2 years, has made a mockery of their PC game market, and had they even cared I bet the PC market wouldn't be in such dire straits.
     
  2. El Dubious Mung

    El Dubious Mung What's a Dremel?

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    I think this is all a bit melodramatic, don't you think?

    First, we can easily package half of this argument up with the fad of Microsoft hate. Oh, excuse me, "M$oft".

    I can remember many, many a game that required hours and hours of downloading fixes, researching what files to delete, realizing my graphics card had a driver issue, etc. Sure, I'd get pissed, but it's not like it sucks up your life. Go make a damn sandwich! Spend time with your family! It's only a freakin' day, and you have the rest of your life to play the game.

    Now think back to those other times, and realize how pissed you got. Were you anywhere near as pissed? Pissed enough to write an article that isn't constructive at all? It's all because there's a word floating about: "Microsoft".

    Yes, it's buggy. No, it's not the end of the world. Have you even researched how many people are on the Games for Windows Live team? I don't see a mention. You don't want to be labeled as a poor journalist now, do you?

    GFWL is an excellent idea, especially for me as I'm already a big console game, and have been with Xbox Live since the start. I love the integration, and I love the confused look on my friends faces as they as "Where can I download the Dawn of War 2 beta on my xbox?"

    Admittedly not there in execution, but the same goes for the entire industry. Don't go on a damn witch hunt just because Bill Gates was involved.
     
  3. cyrilthefish

    cyrilthefish What's a Dremel?

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    I like the ingame link to the xbox live friends list and achievements a lot, but i have to agree a lot with some of the things in this article.

    It should be an easy thing to buy the DLC, but it's as if MS have gone out of their way to make it as hard to do so as physically possible.

    the first obvious place to look, the ingame downloads link in the menus - does not work.
    i'd heard it was on live, so looked at the ingame live thing - not there either

    Thats when i had to give up and google it.
    turns out you can only get it if you install the 'standalone' version of GFWL, seems to be a totally separate entity to the ingame GFWL for no apparent reason whatsoever.

    so after much faffing about and googling, i finally paid for it, after that the download went fine.

    But seriously, could they make it any harder if they tried? :eyebrow:

    EDIT: speaking of achievements, i think you should get one for managing to download the DLC

    'Achievement unlocked: successfully navigated GFWL and brought something'
    :lol:
     
  4. Mcmonopoly

    Mcmonopoly What now?!

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    ERhm.. WTF are you sayin', It's normal and acceptable to have a completely independent software shoe-horned into a perfectly working digital distribution system, so that a semi-interested M$ can maybe make a profit with it?!

    It's as tough you're saying it's okay for anyone that buys a new car(or new game) to have to check the battery, fiddle the fuel line a couple of times, reflash the ECU, call tech support because the darn thing doesn't want to start?!?! WTF!!

    Btw some people don't have any family and/or a life, and some people only have a day to live, so if we expect to have a sold product work correctly (and ono the first day) out of the box (or the checkout web page in this case), there shouldn't be any Arsehole coming up and saying " Give them a break", "Don't go on a witch hunt 'cause It's M$".. etc, because it's our rightful duty to do so, since in the end it's US that pay for the darn products..!!

    End of vent.
     
  5. Skiddywinks

    Skiddywinks Minimodder

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    Xbox Live - Best online system for the consoles, bar none.

    Games For Windows Live - Ruining PC gaming with it's issues.

    Matchmaking is fine and all, when it works. It allows ranking and prevents cheating. But that is only when it works. I have played about 10 ranked games on the DOW2 Beta, and it has registered NONE. And in about 4 of those causes, the game was terribly laggy. I have had to resort to playing public games and kicking anyone with a huge lag and terrible performance, because at least this way I can enjoy a game. Sure, I won't get ranked, but I'm not anyway!

    P2P on the PC is just a terrible idea. There has got to be a better way of doing a matchmaking system. And why the hell can't I use my Steam friends list to invite people? Sure, GFWL works alright for sending invites, but now I have had to add all my Steam freinds onto my Live friends list, and some of them even had troubles porting over their actual Gamertags, and have had to make a new one just to play the DOW2 Beta! Now I have people on my friends list with two gamertags, just because GFWL doesn't like them.

    Now sure, things could get better. They can fix the issues etc, but the problem is GFWL is a bad idea from the beginning. Unlike Steam, which was (is) a great idea that had teething issues. I really can't see how MS can turn this into a winning solution on PC.
     
  6. Viruk

    Viruk What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks Vimesey, I never knew that, I also never cared.
    It's a fact this is easier to pirate than to deal with Microsoft's idiotic programs.
    It's also a fact, that if they improved their product quality, they probably would have never had such a wide degree of piracy.
     
  7. Hugo

    Hugo Ex-TrustedReviews Staff

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    New whiskers beard too.
     
  8. Rocket733

    Rocket733 Austerity - It's the only way

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    Funny, I posted about my own annoyance with GFWL and ended up coming to similar conclusions. I also discovered that there are some awesome new mods since the release of the G.E.C.K. so I've been playing around with those (enhanced texture pack, weapon mod kits, etc). The DLC I'm actually looking forward to is the last one since it raises the level cap to 30 and continues the story.
     
  9. Solidus

    Solidus Superhuman

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    Maybe best to switch to a console.

    I loved pc gaming, more-so over consoles and having switched to consoles the last year I can remember now what made them so great.

    You put the game in and it works. Non of this hassle and BS.

    Windows Live is the problem, I knew this when I bought Gears of war for the PC and realised it was horrible via windows live.

    Im surprised you didnt realise how bad Windows live was sooner!
     
  10. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    Joe talking about how it's easier to pirate the expansion than it is to install it via legitimate means in the article doesn't mean it's something we condone here at bit-tech. It's an age-old argument that publishers and customers have had - "piracy is killing PC gaming" cries the publisher. "DRM is killing PC gaming" cries the customer. Invasive crap like Games for Windows Live is also killing PC gaming - and it's arguably worse than DRM in many respects.

    I believe both the publisher and the customer are right to a degree and that's why we should be supporting games that don't implement horrible DRM or crapware schemes. It's exactly the reason why I bought Prince of Persia (and also the reason I returned GTA IV) and I was actually quite surprised by the game having not really played any of the previous games. I would have completed it by now had I got the time to play more than an hour or so of games a week.

    The fact it's got no DRM makes the experience all the more compelling for me.
     
  11. Gunblade

    Gunblade The Frugal Chef

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    double-post, my apologies
     
    Last edited: 31 Jan 2009
  12. Gunblade

    Gunblade The Frugal Chef

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    I found this article about as unnecessary as GFWL. Most especially for your ending words.

    Yes smaller teams can be great, and in the PC gaming world have shown to consistently make absolutely stellar content and games. I agree that small teams are good. Yet you can't make a huge generalization that all big things in a team entity are bad. You've completely assumed that all of Microsoft's resources were at hand in the creation of GFWL, give me a break. You ever been to Microsoft? It's not some sort of giant mythical entity all working together to create woe. You don't actually know how many folks are or have been apart of GFWL. I don't like GFWL on Fallout 3 at all. I knew from the start I was never going to pay for any DLC for Fallout 3 and wait for something on disc, or download content I can actually burn on to disc. I'm still a PC gamer who wants a box (well those slim DVD type cases are nice I am glad to see cardboard go away). Why don't we put some blame on Bethesda as well? For choosing to go along with GFWL.

    You wrote the following:
    "That’s why not all the recent lay-offs are always a bad thing"

    As the son of a wonderful father who is being laid off by Microsoft. F**k you Joe.

    Yeah cute of you to at least put the "not all" in the sentence. You fire people for poor performance, not lay them off. I've yet to meet or hear about someone being laid off who people are glad to see gone. Obviously though your terribly happy, because you can't get your mits on some measly and terribly weak DLC.

    People are being laid off because of economic conditions by a company that it's employees would never, ever, fathom being laid off from. Though dire straits ahead, I'll still be reading bit-tech. I just hope I don't have to read that kind of crap again.
     
  13. Xir

    Xir Modder

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    Ehhm... Steam is not updating any of my games since i reinstalled my XP. It recognized my login but says i have no games :-(
    Nor can i install on multiple machines.

    But at least i can save games on steam when not online ;-) Unlike GFWL
     
  14. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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    Apologies if any offense was called, as that honestly wasn't my aim to imply that lay-offs are a good thing. It's obviously very hard to deal with for those involved. As with all things however the Macro and Microscopic views can be completely different.
     
  15. NightrainSrt4

    NightrainSrt4 What's a Dremel?

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    Interesting read, although I do agree that it comes across with the feeling of nothing more than a rant. I love the writing, and always look for the puns and the jabs, but it does seem a little, I don't know, more suited for a blog than a BT column?

    Many times when someone has an issue with a piece of software or game it gets written off as "PC software has to accommodate for all kinds of systems, so it's bound to have issues for some", or, "Some very small percentage of people have an issue with this yet its proclaimed as everyone now?".

    I just question if someone posted the same thing in a thread in the gaming section if it would have the reception of a ranting gamer, or be deemed column worthy.

    Interesting read nonetheless, and I do sympathize with those having GFWL problems.
     
  16. DougEdey

    DougEdey I pwn all your storage

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    NightrainSrt4: This appears in the bit blog but I feel it was probably too long winded for it and they made it into a column as well
     
  17. El Dubious Mung

    El Dubious Mung What's a Dremel?

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    If you read what I said, you'd know that wasn't my point at all. I'm not condoning half finished games and services. I'm just saying that this isn't news, isn't worth an article, and that this is just getting hyped up because it's from Microsoft. Steam wasn't perfect when it came out, any number of MMOs have been just as glitchy and crashy, and it's been a trend for about 5 years to release unfinished games. Every PC gamer has had to deal with this. Why don't we focus on the global trend?

    Oh, and thanks for calling me an asshole. That just made your argument even cooler! People will like you now.

    This article was just useless bleating. Now, Joe, go download the damn expansion and give us a review.
     
  18. LeMaltor

    LeMaltor >^_^

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    After GTA:IV install I hate GFWL, so I thought this rant was mint, assholes.
     
  19. shuffle

    shuffle What's a Dremel?

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    Firstly I'm no Microsoft hater.

    So Windows 7 is around the corner and I bet Microsoft hype the PC as a games machine as they did 2 years ago with the Vista release.

    Where is HALO 3 on the PC -- says it all. Maybe they will announce its arrival upon Windows 7 release?

    Why should people pay full price for inferior spyware bloatware software when it's free of these on pirate versions.
     
  20. NightrainSrt4

    NightrainSrt4 What's a Dremel?

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    DougEdey: Very interesting. Didn't realize they had a blog, though it seems it is something new. I didn't mean specifically a BT blog, just a blog in general. While the writing style had the professional zing we are used to, the content seemed more of something seen in a blog/rant than under a BT page. I don't mean rant as per the usual though, but I can't find another word. As it seems that side of things was added for a more creative/interesting piece, but just came off that way I suppose.

    Just seemed that most of the article, while interesting, would have been something say Joe would have talked about after a hard, frustrating, day of work, and not something to hit front page BT. The tone in this column compared to the tone in others normally on the site is quite different, that's all.
     
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