Players only - Season 2 - Episode 1

***Xavier*** · #1 08-10-2009, 06:54 AM

Lorne is featured in the first episode entitled Video Games Are Dead – Part 1

Summary: Freefalling sales. Skyrocketing unemployment. Studios tanking left and right. Between the twin pressures of one of the worst recessions in modern history and a fundamental shift in the way today’s fans consume interactive entertainment, the PC and video game business is quickly coming up short on extra lives. As Season 2 of Players Only opens, we connect with the industry’s biggest names to cast aside the field’s “recession-proof” image and explore how the very fabric of gaming as we know it has changed. Tune in for the first of a special two-part series as we ask: Is it ‘game over’ for thousands of developers and publishers – and millions of fans – worldwide?

http://media.digitaltrends.com/playe...e-dead-part-1/

Havoc · #2 08-10-2009, 08:04 AM

Interesting clip. Good find.

I do think that the gaming industry is going to be making a massive change in a few years. Mostly because, like with everything, there is a current generation of game developers that will eventually be replaced. The great minds of the past 10 years will eventually go away and what we get back might be better or might be worse, who knows.

As for the delivery of games, I don't think boxed games are going to disappear within 5 years, as Lorne puts it. Downloading a 8 gig game is just not feasable at this point in time. Internet connections are just now coming around to 100 mbp/s for home connections and that's not even the standard, those type of connections are reserved for the elite with lots o money.

5 years is a little soon but I'm sure it will happen eventually.

Venks · #3 08-10-2009, 08:21 AM

Awesome find.

I've only recently started to get involved into the business side of being a indie developer. I've been reading everything I can find about retail, digital distribution, marketing, etc. I still got a while till I'm getting my games out there, but when I do I'll definitely try for Steam and any other digital distribution service I stumble across. So much competition out there, but with enough awareness and good quality I think any game can make it.

OANST · #4 08-10-2009, 09:59 AM

Honestly, this is getting ridiculous.

Josh · #5 08-10-2009, 01:01 PM

Feh.
Screw the credit-crunch. People aren't buying games because new games are crap. When a fantastic, amazing game comes out, screw eating. I WANNA PLAY!

moxco · #6 08-10-2009, 01:09 PM

Video games are dead? Of course Lorne would be apart of this. no negrepping for the spelling of course

looney-bin · #7 08-10-2009, 01:12 PM

Why are people still asking Lorne for his opinion on the industry even though he hasn't done much in ages. STOP DISTRACTING HIM!

***Nate*** · #8 08-10-2009, 05:51 PM

:

As for the delivery of games, I don't think boxed games are going to disappear within 5 years, as Lorne puts it. Downloading a 8 gig game is just not feasable at this point in time. Internet connections are just now coming around to 100 mbp/s for home connections and that's not even the standard, those type of connections are reserved for the elite with lots o money.

I downloaded Bioshock and that was six or seven gigabytes. And my internet isn't all that fast; I just let it download over a night or two.

I think big downloads are certainly feasible. It may bug people that they buy the game and can't play it RIGHT AWAY, which might put off twitchy adrenaline junkie gamers. But most normal people would be fine with it.

***Xavier*** · #9 08-11-2009, 12:09 AM

I'm not sure my internet provider lets me download several games a month though, I have a limited quota. That could be a major problem in some countries.

moxco · #10 08-11-2009, 04:01 AM

I some how manged to pis off my mum by going over or 12 gig download limit. 6 steam games in a month. God I waste my money.

ODDREN · #11 08-11-2009, 05:56 AM

it may be right for states or europe but it'd not work in russia and east, i can tell you. of course, we're downloading ISOs and other things, but streaming games - nope, it's not gonna working here, fellas. lots of russian gamers still playing home without internet, no matter if it is console or pc.

personally, i'm playing only on psp (right now it's Abe's Exoddus), 'cause i don't much time on it - work, education and good old nap.

Crashpunk · #12 08-11-2009, 07:42 AM

Personly i think Steam is the future of Video games. It is a amazing idea, sort of like iTunes only for Games. Brillent!

OANST · #13 08-11-2009, 07:46 AM

:

I'm not sure my internet provider lets me download several games a month though, I have a limited quota. That could be a major problem in some countries.

Your ISP limits what you can do with their product? How is it that a rival company who doesn't do that hasn't stepped forward and taken all of their business, yet?

Bullet Magnet · #14 08-11-2009, 09:26 AM

The post-WW2 wastelands of Europe are a different world to the Promised Land of the New World. Some islands of Britain only recently connected to the electrical grid.

OANST · #15 08-11-2009, 09:31 AM

Gosh. Poor bastards.

Havoc · #16 08-11-2009, 09:52 AM

:

I downloaded Bioshock and that was six or seven gigabytes. And my internet isn't all that fast; I just let it download over a night or two.

I think big downloads are certainly feasible. It may bug people that they buy the game and can't play it RIGHT AWAY, which might put off twitchy adrenaline junkie gamers. But most normal people would be fine with it.

I'm not to sure if many people are prepared to actually wait 2 days for a game they also paid for. I mean, if you buy it in a store you take it home and pop it in right away.

The games on Steam aren't all that big YET. But when I downloaded L4D and TF2 I know I was getting a bit annoyed at having to wait for it.

***Nate*** · #17 08-11-2009, 06:20 PM

:

Your ISP limits what you can do with their product? How is it that a rival company who doesn't do that hasn't stepped forward and taken all of their business, yet?

I think you misunderstand him. The ISP doesn't specifically block game downloads. As happens in most of the world, internet plans come with a specific amount of download credit. For example, my internet plan allows me to download 8GB a month in peak time (12pm-2am) and 40GB a month in non-peak (2am-12pm).

:

I'm not to sure if many people are prepared to actually wait 2 days for a game they also paid for. I mean, if you buy it in a store you take it home and pop it in right away.

Except that if you buy it in a store, you actually need to drag yourself off the couch, leave the house, make your way to a game store, etc etc etc. Even if you're not the lazy sort, it might not be convenient to get to a store. There aren't any close to where I live so the time between me deciding to buy a game and being in the vicinity of somewhere I can buy it is usually longer than 2 days.

Also, in Australia at least, games are much cheaper on Steam than in the stores. There really is only one or two companies selling games and they add on a huge markup.