NEWER POSTS

Stardock Admits Mistakes

By Shamus Posted Thursday Nov 13, 2008

Filed under: Video Games 42 comments
Command & Conquer MisprinPrevious Post
Next PostTomb Raider Underworld Reviews

A few weeks ago Stardock released their 2008 customer report (PDF) which discusses, among other things, the current state and future plans for their own content delivery platform, Impulse.

Impulse is the first serious rival to Steam. Not in size (at least not yet) but in functionality and intent. It offers many of the advantages of Steam while avoiding many of the annoyances. The PDF I linked above gives a peek at what they have planned. It’s a long read, but it’s not padded with a lot of touchy-feely PR speak. It is a vessel densely packed with information, and time spent reading it will not be squandered.

One of the most intriguing things about the report is that it looks at what went wrong with Impulse at launch, what’s been fixed, and what issues still need to be resolved. It reads like an internal memo, but it’s been sent out to all of us so we can see where the company is going with this. This is something I love about Stardock: The ability to appraise and address shortcomings in public. Compare this to how a company like EA or 2kGames approaches criticism:

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Stardock Admits Mistakes”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Command & Conquer MisprinPrevious Post
Next PostTomb Raider Underworld Reviews

42 comments

 

Crpl tunnl is a btch

By Shamus Posted Wednesday Nov 12, 2008

Filed under: Personal 37 comments
Wind StormPrevious Post
Next PostA Pet Project, Euthanized

Ow. I’m not sure what the deal is, but my arms are going all carpal on me. This came about very abruptly. Monday I was fine. Tuesday I was flicking my wrists and massaging my forearms. I haven’t changed my workspace, and I haven’t increased my typing output, so I don’t know what’s causing this.

I’m going to forego the posts I’d had slated for today and engage in some premeditated slacking. Just so I don’t send you away empty handed, here is some stuff to read:

Alex reviews Bully.

Kaedrin talks about Anathem, the new Neal Stephenson book. Also good is this post on Blu-Ray, which suggests that Blu-Ray isn’t as important as Sony thinks it is.

Jay Barnson takes another look at the eternally slippery term “RPG”.

Ow again. Kind of sucks when your job, your second job, and your hobby all require lots of typing.

EDIT: I have no idea if this is true carpal tunnel or not. It’s an ache in the backs of my wrists and the front of my forearms which makes typing painful. Addendum: Ouch.

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Wind StormPrevious Post
Next PostA Pet Project, Euthanized

37 comments

 

Command & Conquer Misprin

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Nov 11, 2008

Filed under: Video Games 41 comments
MMO Games:
The Pwnage PrinciplePrevious Post
Next PostStardock Admits Mistakes

By now many of you will have seen the latest DRM debacle from EA. Command & Conquer shipped with a misprint in some manuals, so that only 19 of the required 20 digits were printed in the manual. The solution offered by EA? Simply guess at the last digit. After all, there are “only” 36 possible characters.

That gem of advice was given here, although at some point since the story broke they actually changed the answer and told you to call support for a new CD key. Which is faster: Trying to guess the correct code or waiting on hold to talk to a human being at EA?

People keep suggesting that the ongoing DRM blunders are simply part of an overarching scheme on the part of EA to push gamers over to consoles where they can be more effectively bilked. Others think that this is all a simple pattern of idiocy and incompetence. I do not see any alternate explanations. They are either pernicious saboteurs or keepers of a stupidity so virulent they pose a danger to themselves and the industry they depend on.

But let’s not be narrow minded. They could be both!

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

MMO Games:
The Pwnage PrinciplePrevious Post
Next PostStardock Admits Mistakes

41 comments

 

Stolen Pixels #37:
Part One of Infinity

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Nov 11, 2008

Filed under: Column 0 comments
Stolen Pixels #36:
You Only Hurt the Ones Who Love You Previous Post
Next PostStolen Pixels #39:
Not a People Person

In the book of short-sighted, cynical ineptitude, a new chapter has been authored. Apparently the people of Activision believe that the need for sequels transcends the need for quality, originality, aesthetics, wit, and fun. The industry is rife with counter-examples, but you’d have to know something about videogames to understand that and spot the changes that are going on. And for whatever reason, none of the big publishers will let gamers into the boardroom.

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Stolen Pixels #36:
You Only Hurt the Ones Who Love You Previous Post
Next PostStolen Pixels #39:
Not a People Person

0 comments

 

MMO Games:
The Pwnage Principle

By Shamus Posted Monday Nov 10, 2008

Filed under: Video Games 78 comments
EA: The Noose Loosens Previous Post
Next PostCommand & Conquer Misprin

xMEGA MANx offers us his Sun Tzu-esque advice on battle strategy.
xMEGA MANx offers us his Sun Tzu-esque advice on battle strategy.
MMO games inevitably follow their own variant of the Peter Principle: Players will choose increasingly tougher foes until their defeat is assured.

This has always been my #1 gripe with online games, that a majority of players are idiots at risk assessment and are impervious to teaching. No matter how many times they end up face-down, they refuse to consider an alternate strategy.

In City of Heroes (and most other MMOs) foes in the game are color-coded. The coloring varies slightly from game to game, but in general it works something like this: Foes with White names are about the same level you are. Yellow foes are a little above you and so slightly tougher. Orange means it will be a challenge, Red means it will be very dangerous, and Purple is nearly insurmountable.

There is a bonus to XP when you fight something above your level. Some players assume more bonus=more better, and thus the thing turns into a sort of monkey trap for clueless players. Sadly, you have to team with these people, and the monkeys outnumber the smart people.

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “MMO Games:
The Pwnage Principle”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

EA: The Noose Loosens Previous Post
Next PostCommand & Conquer Misprin

78 comments

 

A Capella Tribute to John Williams

By Shamus Posted Saturday Nov 8, 2008

Filed under: Movies 46 comments
Lily Allen - Smile (in Simlish) Previous Post
Next PostWeezer Keep Fishin on Ukulele


Link (YouTube)

That’s talent!

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Lily Allen - Smile (in Simlish) Previous Post
Next PostWeezer Keep Fishin on Ukulele

46 comments

 

Stolen Pixels #36:
You Only Hurt the Ones Who Love You

By Shamus Posted Friday Nov 7, 2008

Filed under: Column 48 comments
Stolen Pixels #35:
Total Rewind 2Previous Post
Next PostStolen Pixels #37:
Part One of Infinity

I have launched my latest rhetorical / satirical volley at the juggernaut that is EA. I’m sure they will crumble under the power of my arguments any second now. While we’re waiting for that, you can read today’s comic. You can read on here for an earlier version of the joke: Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Stolen Pixels #36:
You Only Hurt the Ones Who Love You”

 

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

Stolen Pixels #35:
Total Rewind 2Previous Post
Next PostStolen Pixels #37:
Part One of Infinity

48 comments

 
OLDER POSTS
From The Archives:

This Game is Too Videogame-y

What's wrong with a game being "too videogameish"?

 

Dead or Alive 5 Last Round

I'm not surprised a fighting game has an absurd story. I just can't figure out why they bothered with the story at all.

 

The Death of Half-Life

Valve still hasn't admitted it, but the Half-Life franchise is dead. So what made these games so popular anyway?

 

The Best of 2019

I called 2019 "The Year of corporate Dystopia". Here is a list of the games I thought were interesting or worth talking about that year.

 

Secret of Good Secrets

Sometimes in-game secrets are fun and sometimes they're lame. Here's why.

 

Trusting the System

How do you know the rules of the game are what the game claims? More importantly, how do the DEVELOPERS know?

 

Why Batman Can't Kill

His problem isn't that he's dumb, the problem is that he bends the world he inhabits.

 

Dead Island

A stream-of-gameplay review of Dead Island. This game is a cavalcade of bugs and bad design choices.

 

The Best of 2016

My picks for what was important, awesome, or worth talking about in 2016.

 

Trekrospective

A look back at Star Trek, from the Original Series to the Abrams Reboot.