«

[Playbahnosh]

I got some very interesting links in this week's Gamestar newsletter...

Check this out: Galactic Civilization II's developer comment
and the FOLLOW UP!

I remember having a very heated...khm..."conversation" about wheter to buy or not to buy programs. Before I could prove my point, real life called me away on different matters, so here am I again boiling the community :whistle:

Even if you don't say, everybody has an opinion about this matter. Warez, downloading, buying or not buying...etc. Those who don't want or simply don't care to look behind the facts always say "buy that game/program ya fkcin moron, if you play/use it you MUST buy it, if you don't buy it you are a criminal and must be shot on sight..." or something like that. I remember Efthimios was the most eager to strangle me to death because of my opinion

I only buy programs that are WORTH IT. I mean yes, I play games fo free in the beginning, then if I think it is a good game and deserves my support I go to the shop and buy it, but if it is not good I delete it. That's how it goes. Oh of course there are demo versions and shareware/30 day trial stuff but that concept just sucks. Why? Demo: you cannot find out the real value of a game from the first level/map or whatever as you definetly cannot figure out the value of a program from the first 20 mins of use. Shareware: with all the important features disabled how can you know that it is worth buying the real thing if you cannot fully test it? 30d trial: there are programs that can be avaluated in 10 seconds and there are ones that need a lot more than 30 days because it has too many things in it to be evaluated in 30 days, and for god's sake, most people don't have the time to sit in front of the program for 30 days continuosly.

Another thing, copy protections. I definetly agree with the GalCiv developer guy. I don't like it because I want to pirate the game(that can be done WITH copy protections on anyway) but the concept. They realized that copy-protection has NO USE at all, just delays the "scene release" by a week or two. They realized that they simply cannot "out-protect" the crackers, but they found another thing that is golden. They PROVIDE the user with things. In this case updates and extras, the ability to install the game on multiple computers and the fact that you don't have to mold your CD in the drive every time you play. GENIOUS!!!!!!! Simply the best idea I've ever seen. Why? Because they realized the "why" more people favour warez against a legal copy. The value of a game cannot be seen outside the jewel case. You have to actually play it in order to see if you like it or not. Of course there are reviews and descriptions for games but generally, people value games differently. What somebody likes, I may not and vice versa. But the fact GalCiv II produced enormus sales world-wide shows that the concept is working k:

Okay, I don't have more time to write now, but I'll be back and continue my writing. In the meantime, please feel free to comment. BUT please don't troll or flame! If you just want to say "go buy tha game you thief pirate motha*meep*a!" please don't post at all! I want a civilised conversation here okay? k:

EDIT: Just another thing. Check out FairUseDay.com if you have some time HERE k:

[TheGiantMidgit]

[Chuck the plant]

@ playbanosh: Rrrrrrright... and I don't even wanna know HOW often you "tested" a game so thoroughly that you said "Naaa, I already beat it, why still buy it now?"...

[a1s]

That is a matter of decency, Plant, people like us will never se how you could buy something you allready have eough of, yet I would bet 2 to 1 that that is how 'Nosh oprates. k:
allthough I really can't imagine a program that would take over 30 days to fully check out... :whistle:

added: allso I would like to say that the idea of people using up their own bandwidth to get the game (which is well over a Gig in size), and then selling them a CD-key, is brilliant. I mean I know people who have a cracked Half Life II, and that thing was supposed to be as good as a Fortress on top of a mountain.

[Iron_Scarecrow]

Demo's are always more than the first level as well, often enough to give you a very good idea of the game but not give any real depth to what story there might be.

Demo should always be enough.

[Tulac]

Those guys are right everything gets pirated anyway, at least for the people who want to pirate it, the that people pay are actually the ones that mind the protection the most (since they actually HAVE to put a CD in every time they want to play a game etc.), also it's even a bigger problem if a game has retarded protection like starforce, which messes up IDE drives for people (or so I've read)...

The point is why waste money into protection, when people who don't want to pay, won't pay it anyway...

[a1s]

Originally posted by Iron_Scarecrow@Mar 17 2006, 04:27 PM
Demo should always be enough.

not at all, the fallout series, for example were notorious for having gameplay somwhat different from the demo (in all three bloody games! why?!), allthough I personaly enjoyed the changed version better. but that's just me

[Rogue]

Do you honestly believe that all of those who downloaded that game would buy it if there was no download?

I believe that 1 in couple thousend might consider buying it out of total number.

I am not using torrets, nor I will, but I understand both side of this matter. People creating the games and then not recieveing profit out of it, and people not wanting to pay for something they might play a bit and then delete...

[blastradius14]

Y'know how they make generic versions of over the counter medicine (and some prescription medicine)? Perhaps, all those hackers and warez peeps should take all their "How can I f* it up* knowledge, and create a new *generic* version of the game, which everyone can download and play, whether these new hackerbastards decide to put a pricetag on the fake game or not. Sure, it might be hard to change the game in the slight mannerisms they need to in order to not get arrested for copyright violation, but using the same engine with everything a little modified and different names with different graphic creatures or whatever in the game is enough to slip by that...

[Tulac]

Engine is copyrighted too

Developing firms pay thousands of dollars for those...