Video Games

[Angel of Ioren]

That was great! Well, I was just referring to the fact that when I was kid there were no console systems, personal computers, and the like. We had to like ...imagine things were happening when we played "Army" or "Cowboys and Indians" rather than having them rendered in millions of colors in front of our faces. "Bang-bang! You're dead! I quit!" was often heard on my block.

How quaint.

 

[Han]

That was great! Well, I was just referring to the fact that when I was kid there were no console systems, personal computers, and the like. We had to like ...imagine things were happening when we played "Army" or "Cowboys and Indians" rather than having them rendered in millions of colors in front of our faces. "Bang-bang! You're dead! I quit!" was often heard on my block.

I am not joking when I say that we did not own a T.V all my friends did but my mum did not want one, so me and my sisters used to always be at our friends house untill he complained to his mum that we were hijaking his T.V my mum had to relent and buy us one thats when the arguments started! but thats a story for another thread. I like you used to like playing soldiers or flying my imaginary Spitfire (made of a box and an old typewiter) but was lucky enough to have friends with a ZX spectrum console.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

Or you can legally get the re-released version on Xbox Live.

Everything on XBL is grossly overpriced. A game that old ain't worth more than a buck imo but I'm sure they're charging a lot more than that. There is stuff on Live selling for $5 that are free flash games on the internet and that's just absurd. $5 for Dig Dug or Ms. Pac Man? Pllllllleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssse. But what gets my goat more than anything else are the picture packs. It is jaw-dropping to me that people willing to spend actual dollars on nothing more than a few...thumbnails (Wtf?!!!!!!) actually exist. That crap isn't worth a nickel but these psychopaths will spend a few dollars on each pack they purchase. Wondrous.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Everything on XBL is grossly overpriced. A game that old ain't worth more than a buck imo but I'm sure they're charging a lot more than that. There is stuff on Live selling for $5 that are free flash games on the internet and that's just absurd. $5 for Dig Dug or Ms. Pac Man? Pllllllleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssse. But what gets my goat more than anything else are the picture packs. It is jaw-dropping to me that people willing to spend actual dollars on nothing more than a few...thumbnails (Wtf?!!!!!!) actually exist. That crap isn't worth a nickel but these psychopaths will spend a few dollars on each pack they purchase. Wondrous.

Actually, the Perfect Dark on XBLA is redone, but i agree with you that there's a lot of stuff that's overpriced.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

Actually, the Perfect Dark on XBLA is redone, but i agree with you that there's a lot of stuff that's overpriced.

My language tends to get a little extreme when discussing downloadable content on XBL. It's a pet peeve of mine. Much of the content on there should be free, would be for the same content via a PC, but because so many people have demonstrated that if it's on a console they will pay for ANYTHING the devs have decided to charge for anything and everything, even if it's totally worthless (The picture packs, for example). The people who buy the stuff get under my skin a lot more than the people selling it because let's face it, if it weren't selling it wouldn't be for sale anymore. I just don't know what creeps into peoples' heads that causes them to spend money on thumbnails, wallpapers, etc., with their gaming consoles when they would never consider such a thing with their PC.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

My language tends to get a little extreme when discussing downloadable content on XBL. It's a pet peeve of mine. Much of the content on there should be free, would be for the same content via a PC, but because so many people have demonstrated that if it's on a console they will pay for ANYTHING the devs have decided to charge for anything and everything, even if it's totally worthless (The picture packs, for example). The people who buy the stuff get under my skin a lot more than the people selling it because let's face it, if it weren't selling it wouldn't be for sale anymore. I just don't know what creeps into peoples' heads that causes them to spend money on thumbnails, wallpapers, etc., with their gaming consoles when they would never consider such a thing with their PC.

Totally agree with you.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

Anybody around here have a full understanding of the new ESPN feature on Xbox Live? You are suppose to be able to watch full live events if your ISP has signed some agreement allowing it. There is a list on ESPN3's website of the companies that supposedly signed it and Time Warner Cable, my provider, is on there. According to ESPN3's website there is a tennis match playing live on there right now but when I go to ESPN on my 360 the tennis match, nor any other events, doesn't show up. All I see are highlights. I've read that if your ISP didn't sign the agreement highlights is all you'd be able to see but I saw TWC on the list so what gives?

---------- Post added at 01:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 PM ----------

OK, I posted about this on the boards at xbox.com and apparently TWC is causing some problems. Even though they are on the list I guess they want some kind of authenticator added and it "might" be fixed by the end of the year. So right now it doesn't work for me.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Anybody around here have a full understanding of the new ESPN feature on Xbox Live? You are suppose to be able to watch full live events if your ISP has signed some agreement allowing it. There is a list on ESPN3's website of the companies that supposedly signed it and Time Warner Cable, my provider, is on there. According to ESPN3's website there is a tennis match playing live on there right now but when I go to ESPN on my 360 the tennis match, nor any other events, doesn't show up. All I see are highlights. I've read that if your ISP didn't sign the agreement highlights is all you'd be able to see but I saw TWC on the list so what gives?

---------- Post added at 01:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 PM ----------

OK, I posted about this on the boards at xbox.com and apparently TWC is causing some problems. Even though they are on the list I guess they want some kind of authenticator added and it "might" be fixed by the end of the year. So right now it doesn't work for me.

I don't get access to it up here. The Netflix app is pretty nice.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

I don't get access to it up here. The Netflix app is pretty nice.

Well, even though not all the features are currently working for me I have to say I am impressed by what does work. The streams of these clips are very fast and very high in quality.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

My Xbox 360 died while playing Modern Warfare 3. Ridiculous to me that approaching 7 years into its lifecycle the 360 has dropped in price by only $100. I keep thinking about going and buying a new one but I imagine the successor will be launched within 2 years and it just bugs me to pay that for a 6+ year old console.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

That's OK. Wait another couple of years for an update. Microsoft isn't very good about moving fast.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

It's almost a sure thing that the new Xbox will come out in 2013. Mine is still working but since my warranty ran out, I've been putting money aside incase mine dies.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Microsoft is actually one of the most proactive companies in the video game console industry. Of the three companies in the console space, they are the most innovative, especially for online play.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

That's OK. Wait another couple of years for an update. Microsoft isn't very good about moving fast.

Lol, you never pass on an opportunity to dis MS. Historically console cycles have been roughly 5 years. But this one has been prolonged from CPU clock speeds being stuck for so long. Unless that changes cycles are probably gonna' be more like 10 years from now on.

There's rumors going around that Apple might get into the console market. Don't know how true they are but if it happens I think that would put more pressure on Sony than MS since MS is doing fine and Sony is bleeding money.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

But I want to add that although I understand why the 360 has been in production for so long and likely will continue to be for a while I still don't agree with the price of it. $300 for the version with a HDD in it (Why would anyone buy the other one? The Arcade model is one of the dumbest decisions they've ever made) when that version launched for $400 over 6 years ago is absurd. Even the PS3 is cheaper now and it is a year newer and has a Blu-Ray player built in.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

I don't disagree with. It may drop after E3, but for now, a price drop does not seem imminent. I've been playing a lot of COD lately and I know I would be annoyed if I needed to buy a new one.

 

[Kieran]

I don't disagree with. It may drop after E3, but for now, a price drop does not seem imminent. I've been playing a lot of COD lately and I know I would be annoyed if I needed to buy a new one.

Its strange the amount of people who be gaming also seem to follow the subject of UFO's.

I game, but only online with friends find it more pleasurable then sitting on your own doing so.

I play COD, but my main two games i play are Gears of War 3 and Fifa 12. I also like the Total War Series on the PC

 

[Sean Elifritz]

I went ahead and bought a new one a week or two ago. Is pretty annoying to spend $300 on hardware that is nearly 7 years old and likely will be phased out in a year or two, but not having it was even more annoying.

Am playing Mass Effect 3 right now and am absolutely loving it. One of those games that's so good it's a shame it ever has to end.

Noticed some of you mentioning games that are largely known for their online components like GOW and COD. I don't get into the online multiplayer thing at all. Have tried it a scant few times and it just isn't fun to me like the campaigns are. Maybe if that had been around when I was young I would have liked it. But at middle-age running around a map getting smoked every 5 seconds by 11 year-olds who love to mock you about it in barely intelligible but colorful ways isn't that much fun to me. And if I do win I've had these bizarre things happen where they send me nasty messages or even give me negative ratings for daring to do so. I can't imagine a freakshow any freakier than the characters you can find on XBL.

Kinda' funny though, a lot of people view video games as something for kids. But old as I am when mine broke I put several other things on the backburner to get a new one. I don't play that much but it seemed like a necessity... like a TV or a stereo. It isn't just for kids anymore. Is truly a mainstream form of entertainment now... for adults too. Just about all of my just-as-ancient-as-me friends play them, and many of them more than me (I've had the 360 since 2005 and my gamerscore is only around 16,000 right now. Not very high at all as I'm pretty casual with it. A few of my equally geriatric buddies are well over 50,000... and yeah... they're typical-average guys... kids... jobs... the norm). But none of them are into the online multiplayer component either. Guess the online part is more of a young thing.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Online multiplayer is annoying if you don't play with the right people. I met up with an older bunch of players a few years ago and I mostly play with them. It makes it a much more enjoyable experience.
Right now I have Mass Effect waiting for my 360, but I have to finish Uncharted 3 first because I have to give it back to someone this Friday.

 

[dyingsun]

I'm excited for Diablo 3, I finally got a beta invite about a month ago. If anyone is interested, I think I've seen all there is to see.