CliffyB supports episodic content ...

[MjM]

Epic's outspoken designer Clifford Bleszinski, currently working on anticipated Xbox 360 title Gears of War, has a different opinion about the whole thing, however. "I think video game prices need to go down," he said. "Fifty dollars is far too much for an impulse buy. Sixty dollars is completely out of the question." Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences president Joseph Olin points out that in the late 80s and early 90s, cartridge-based games were frequently priced higher than we pay for our games today. That doesn't really change CliffyB's mind.

"What other entertainment medium that's mass market is at $60 a pop?" said Cliff Bleszinski. ... So he doesn't want $60. He doesn't want $50. "I would kill to have a [top-quality] game that's jam-packed with an amazing story and amazing moments and four hours long and costs 20 bucks." He said it's possible, if only the industry cut costs by making games shorter and sweeter, but that too many gamers and publishers demand 20-hour games that are filled with the padding of having gamers repeat the same tasks again and again.

Does this sound like tacit approval of valves approach regarding episodic content, albeit not necessarily via steam.

Does to me. So will we see more episodic content from developers like Epic in the future?

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

A cynical person might suggest that the Unreal Tournament series is practically episodic already...

 

[UndeadScottsman]

Actually, Epic has been outspoken on how they do NOT think digital distribution is a viable means for future content; based on how games are getting bigger and bigger in size (UT2007 is supposed to be like 7-9 gigabytes in size)

 

[mortiz]

Games are getting larger and larger in size, but connections are getting faster and faster. 2Mb connections are the norm at the moment, soon 10Mb will be the norm. I personally think Digital Distribution is the future, especially since Pre-loading can be done in which people can download the actual content weeks in advance of its release date. (time that would normally be used for printing the CD's, manuals, covers etc and shipping them out to retailers). On my current connection it would take me 22 hours to download 10GB, now if Epic was to pre-load their game a week or even two weeks in advance that means I'd only have to download the game for 1.5 to 3 hours a day leading up to release.

 

[melat0nin]

What about backup media etc? I don't think it's right to expect everyone to have an always-on connection that's quick enough to re-download a big game on a whim, or to expect everyone to have a DVD writer and spare DVDs. Writing DVDs and CDs is a hassle - I'd much rather have a 'hard copy' to begin with, which I then update. Also there's always something nice about the design and effort that goes into packaging (EA games apart); it's like the mp3 vs CD debate.

 

[mortiz]

By the time Digital-Distrubution becomes the norm (and I do think it'll happen) DVD-Writers will be a standard component of any PC. Even failing that there's always other backup mediums, such as USB Mass Storage devices and Hard Drives, just used for backing things up. Another thing, what if you don't have a DVD-Writer and one of the DVD's break? If you haven't made a backup copy you've lost it, at least with Digital Distrubtion re-downloading is an option.

 

[melat0nin]

I think it should be an option, but not the only one. Online distro is cool when you scratch the disk - it's a great backup option - but I personally don't like it as the only method of distribution, especially since the technology is volatile (dropped connections, servers, electricity, contention etc etc). A disc is right there, and provided it's not scratched to death or snapped in two - how often does that happen? - then the data is readily available. I guess I just like the physicality of a disc over a datastream.

 

[^Ben]

A cynical person might suggest that the Unreal Tournament series is practically episodic already...

*crowd* Ooooooooooooh *crowd*

Can't wait for UT2008

 

[StAtiC]

I think we can all agree that 60 dollars is a ridiculous ammount of money for a game that might suck. A great game, a HL2-quality game, might be worth 60 dollars alone. But it would have to include online support, multiplayer and moddability for me to consider it.

I am just really curious as to what the sales figures are at the momment... for the XB360 and its games, etc.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Cliffy B is correctshens.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

What about backup media etc? I don't think it's right to expect everyone to have an always-on connection that's quick enough to re-download a big game on a whim, or to expect everyone to have a DVD writer and spare DVDs. Writing DVDs and CDs is a hassle - I'd much rather have a 'hard copy' to begin with, which I then update. Also there's always something nice about the design and effort that goes into packaging (EA games apart); it's like the mp3 vs CD debate.

What can't you spare 30 bucks for a dvd writer?

 

[melat0nin]

What can't you spare 30 bucks for a dvd writer?

I could, but i shouldn't *have* to. Just because I want to re-install my OS doesn't mean I should be forced to buy a DVD writer in order to back up my games.

Speaking of which, I'm planning to re-install my OS today and I'm looking into backup up HL2 to another partition instead of optical media. If anyone's got any tips or knowledge on this, let me know!

 

[Asuka]

I dont really like eps. Well maybe i will like them if they come out every 4-5 months. But i think id much rather have a HUGE release like HL2.

 

[Mr.Magnetichead]

I could, but i shouldn't *have* to.

And you shouldn't HAVE to have a decent graphics card but you do. Learn to ****ing deal with it.

Evolve or Die.

 

[Blood]

Yeah, lets make users more addictive!

Pay more for zero Innovation & be a Modern kind of Slave, sry i will get back to my Amiga 500 then and play all the old Great Games! By the way there is a real life!

 

[CyberPitz]

Pay more for zero Innovation & be a Modern kind of Slave, sry i will get back to my Amiga 500 then and play all the old Great Games! By the way there is a real life!

You fail at that "real life".

Go to bed.