David-D--NelsonIt sure is slowing down for the summer isn't it?
While that does count for fewer comments online where we gaming types very much enjoy plying our trade, it does make for less distractionary times in which to converse with dedicated gamers such as yourselves.
Just the other day I got onto a point with a regular member about supporting favored developers who aren't as big as the big guys. If you frequent gaming sites and have a pulse you've probably seen countless comments on the same subject.
“Day 1 purchase, I want to support these devs!” some will sale, or “I'm voting with my wallet, I can't support this monkey business,” another might say after being incensed an a horrifyingly unnecessary change to an established franchise. As I ponder these statements I imagine how ridiculous it may sounds to average gamers who don't know Naughty Dog from Square Enix. “If you want the game, buy it, if you don't then don't” such persons might say.
Would that it were so easy! It's an exceedingly expensive hobby we have, and one without endless means needs to be choosy. There is more to it than that though. As devoted fans of certain properties we like to think that we can have some effect on the direction of things. That includes who succeeds and who fails. For instance the new Devil May Cry, DmC , may have been well received by critics (I certainly loved it) but the franchise fans didn't go in for the changes. This resulted in miserable sales which may or may not force the franchise to try something else to survive going forward.
I was pleased to review Mars: War Logs some time back and while most critics panned it I felt like I saw a glimmer of greatness in Spiders effort and hoped they would survive this cutthroat business long enough to make another game. When I saw what they had in Bound By Flame I decided to get right on board to “support the devs” as it were. I knew full well the game wouldn't be AAA quality but I also knew Spiders could do better than War Logs . And they did. BBF also got some overlooking, but some sites including PSXE saw the same things that made me enjoy the game enough to want to be a part of things. Now, I know that my $50 alone isn't going to make or break Spiders, but I do at least feel like I'm being a good cog in the giant gaming machine as I support who I see to be on the right track.
The more I partake in purchases of the dev supporting kind the less I feel the need to put my money behind gigantic mainstream releases close to their release. Also I find myself enjoying a very different experience overall. People are always complaining that there isn't enough innovation; that's only true if you restrict yourself to the so-called “best of the best” at all times. Not that supporting the established crews is wrong. I definitely wanted teams like the late Irrational Games, Bethesda Softworks, and Quantic Dream to take my money and run with it. Honestly though, surefire hits that I can wait for mean I'll have more money to put towards experimental projects like Dishonored , which I believed in from day one, and Bound By Flame , which I believed would be a worthy production.
This topic also brings used games back into the fore. Some feel no personal responsibility at all to the makers of video games and always buy from used stores or sites. Others avoid used sales specifically for this reason. If one chose they could only buy new from developers they felt needed the sale, reserving all others for used purchases. I remember stating in fit of great displeasure that I specifically didn't want my money getting into anybody's hands for making Lightning Returns even though I planned to play it for story closure.
One gamer's decisions may not make the difference, but as consumers some of us do tend to feel a certain something when spending towards things we believe in or withholding money from things that we either don't believe in or don't deem worthy of a full price for reasons other than quality. Does “supporting the devs” matter to you or do you think we are all just fooling ourselves?
I would pirate Skyrim, but would buy Oblivion.
If its a game I truly like, but cannot afford to buy it new I hold off. Its what I had to do in my teenage years. Nowadays I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford things new, and some of the games I buy new were not worth the price point.
Like, I like Capcom, and support them the best I can but games like (although fun) Racoon City was NOT a 60$ game. Maybe 30, tops. We're starting to see new price points with games like some release as 50, others as 40 and most of course still at 60. Which of course makes it easier to support whatever company you want to support.
But I completely understand the need to buy used and cheaper games. Not everyone can shell out almost 100$ for a game every month. But seriously, in MY opinion, if you can support the developers for a game you enjoy, do it. If you love the devs but cannot afford it new, play the hell out of their game and spread the word of its greatness.
Thats my take and unnecessarily long explanation.
Oh hell no, not ORC, Slant Six totally s*** on RE by making that garbage.
Borrowed a copy from my friend, thought it was decent but I definitely agree, the game is not worth it at full price.
So are you trying to say that Skyrim wasn't worth it's price tag?
If that is what you are saying, I have to assume you have some sort of intellectual impairment, or you just didn't play it at all.
It does to me.
I tend to support developers who make my favourite games or developers who put in their best effort, such as Rockstar, Rocksteady and Polyphony.
As a consumer, I think that such developers deserved to be rewarded.
Last edited by Snaaaake on 6/2/2014 12:25:28 AM
If its supporting the developer I agree if its actually supporting a publisher like Activision or EA who cares buy used
Generally speaking I see devs just like any other company offering products for the private sector. Ergo, if their products are good and reasonably priced I will buy them – no more no ness.
I've done some exceptions lately for devs also releasing their games for Linux – but that's more to support the platform than the dev, really.
Good discussion :). I tend to support niche devs who I have a lot of time for – Zipper, Paradox Development Studios and Gaijin Entertainment are right up there – but I still have to like the game's general concept (I really enjoyed Drinkbox's Tales from Space games, but Guacamelee didn't really appeal to me). The rationale being if I want more like that made, then I'd best pay for it, or it won't happen (which is what tore PC gaming apart before Steam semi-fixed it – PC devs weren't getting money for their work, so stopped working).
of course if there worth it.
exactly why i always buy CDPR games on release, hell i bought the witcher 2 on 360 even though i already had the game on PC, just because i love the developers and how they treat their customers!
as the good book says, treat those how you would like to be treated.
exactly why i get so pissed when games release in a f*cking buggy mess!
how would the developers of say watch dogs like it if they spent their hard earned cash on something that did not work?
I love supporting devs. I also like supporting authors. But that doesn't mean I think the library should force every reader to buy a brand new book.
I also wish more games had demos.
Not really the same as a book (software, I mean), but I see your point.
Ho not so?
Well said.
Software is intellectual property. Books are physical property. Even the law doesn't see them as the same.
I'm not disagreeing (why I said I see your point), I just don't think the comparison quite works. In other words, the games issue is a little more unique unto itself than a book or car or baseball glove would be among one another.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 6/3/2014 1:00:10 AM
Books are very much intellectual property.
lol nice play on words.
But no. That is not what is considered "Intellectual property". This isn't really a debate, though. I'm telling you how the law sees the two. It's very much very official. Opinions on how they should be deemed are absolutely useless in regards to what I'm talking about. Even if you're absolutely right about how it should be viewed, in the way our outdated laws sees software, it's the way it is. And in civil court, they would be handled completely differently.
There have been very few devs/companies that I have wholeheartedly supported but I do. I supported 2K when they were struggling against the Madden juggernaut. I buy all of the Pokemon games religiously. I've purchased every Treasure game since I found the Mega Drive Yu Yu Hakusho games, even for systems I didn't own at the time (by passing them on to friends/family). If a company creates something that I truly enjoy or even see the dedication behind I will look into it. I recently helped out a Kickstarter project because of what the developer was trying to do. I believe you should support creativity, quality, and integrity.
It matters to me. But really its just as simple as if I like the game, I'll buy it.
The case of Ninja Theory's DmC comes to mind…I didn't like the new direction they were taking the game in and I didn't like the developer's attitude towards both the previous games and to the fans. So I didn't buy the game. Simple as.
In reverse, we have Supergiant Games, a developer which I thought had bucket-loads of potential after playing Bastion. Transistor released recently, and I bought that on launch day, full-price without batting an eye. Loved the game. I then went on to buy the digital soundtrack.
I don't understand the idea of wanting to "Support the devs" and then buying their games used. Yes, games are expensive and I know some people can't afford £50 or $60. But you aren't entitled to the game. Wait til there's a price drop and then my it used. There's no excuse for buying used games really, unless you specifically don't want to support the devs or you're just impatient.
Last edited by Ninja_WafflesXD on 6/2/2014 11:38:56 AM
So you didn't like the direction, but you never played the game? Doesn't really make sense.
One of the worst things any human being can do is act on a preconception.
Hire it, play the demo, buy it at a store which allows a no questions asked return policy, and give it a chance before dismissing it.
Put it this way, we are much more likely to never see another DMC ever again if you don't bother at all.
yeah it does matter to me i have become alot more picky as of latley.
happy gaming =)
If a developer makes good games, I will buy them. If they make bad games, I won't. If a game comes with Uplay and sucks, I won't buy it. If a game comes with Uplay and is good, I'll buy it, then pirate the Uplay-less version.
That is the extent to which I think about it these days.
Sure thing. Games are a form of entertainment, they are designed to entertain. If I believe a game is going to be entertaining to me, I will purchase it.
The only pirating I would do if I was to pirate anything (which I dont) is of TV shows, and that is because I wish to consume them in whatever format I want, whenever I want. Not what TV networks dictate.
I highly disagree with 'pre-owned' games, as they do not support the developer at all, regardless of the cost difference which 99% of the time is only $5 cheaper than the new copy.
Last edited by Akuma_ on 6/3/2014 8:52:19 PM