Thanks man! I'll probably rip it apart tonight! Based on console and PSP/DS prices there really aren't too many games I'd pay over $20 for. Developers should market full games ($8-$20) with meaningful DLC. DLC, not IAP!!! Right now most IAP is not typical DLC in my opinion. This could be debated! Such as most small devs only get noticed when their REALLY GOOD game only cost pennies or is free.
It depends - I see the technology skyrocketing and I think in a few years that having an experience like Skyrim on your phone won't be something unheard of. I think the industry is coming to a turning point - one where it won't matter whether you are a PC, Console or Mobile Gamer. As the technology will be great enough to provide an equal experience across all three platforms. I am definitely more than willing to spend more than $20 on games for any device providing that they meet the cost both qualitatively and quantitatively. For sure it could be debated - but I have spent more than pennies on independently developed apps and am willing to spend premium prices on games that demand it with quality and quantity whether or not they are commercial or independent endeavours. I also believe that thanks to sites like Touch Arcade that independent developers have an equal playing field for exposure - and that the games that are truly unique, entertaining, and worth playing do rise to the top regardless of developer, price and/or sales. That being said - although I have benefitted mucho from the 99c price point, sales, and freebies - I think that the 99c-$5 price point is way to low and should be weeded out. Partly I think because it is a huge money grab (with only Apple truly benefitting from the cuts they get from multiple low priced apps) and because I think it lowers expectations in a negative way for both consumers and developers. For consumers it gives the product an inconsequential value which can have a negative impact on perception regardless of the quality of the title. For developers it could be seen as a reason to put less effort into the product based on compensation for said product. But there are exceptions to everything - and these are just the thoughts I've had as I've followed the scene over the last few years.
I don't think it'll catch up because the technology in everything will increase. Meaning when the iPhone hits console quality, the console will hit PC quality, and the PC will be upgraded to something better. Like I've said before an overclocked gaming desktop can already pretty much run your car! Right now the Uncharted series can't even be continued on the PS3. And Infinity Blade still doesn't touch something like Mass Effect, BF, or COD graphics. They will always be upgraded to be better than one another with PC at the top. Analysts say it'll still be 2 years before iPad gets a retina display unless Apple has some hidden tech. Even if all that wasn't the case businesses want you to have as many devices as you can get. That's just good business. I'm willing to spend $20 as well. I just don't think we're there yet, especially when you take the other devices pricing into account.
I think that in time there will likely be a hub computer that every gadget is essentially an extension of. Your TV, phone/tablet and computer will be tightly integrated to work as a single extended unit. Optical media is going by way of the dinosaurs and digital media will soon rule - the only company that really has a "decent" handle on it is Apple. Apple is great because they have followed the integrated approach from the beginning - which while having hurt them in the beginning has ultimately paid off as technology has evolved. I believe that at some point Apple will most likely get in on the Console market with a machine that's able to play all modern games, and the content will be delivered digitally through the app store in a way that is commercially viable for both independent and commercial businesses. I think that technology will start to plateau at some point - and that all devices will start to hit the same spec. In a few years I think you will see 3d graphics even out and barring artistic quality most games/applications will all have a similar technical quality in commercial products - that each device will be able to perform at the same capability. If you had asked anybody 3 years ago if they thought that the iphone would be capable of half of what it is able to do now - most would have looked at you crazy.
Yeah, the hub thing definitely makes sense due things that both Apple and Microsoft have been doing. The thing with Apple is they use distorted reality to tell you what you need or want!. That's why the iPhone doesn't come close to Android nowadays. Most techies I know have an android and a iPod. the iPod id for gaming (this is the set up I use as well). As far as the plateau, I think it'll come later than sooner due to the fact that all major companies and analysts have spec projections for future devices/consoles. The word on the street is that Sony has their timeline set all the way up to the PS6 which obviously won't come out until about 2025. I think technology will continue to develop until it hits one single device; almost something out of a movie, but who know when that'll happen. Plus I still think that companies will either charge for a bunch of multiple devices or a sh*t ton for 1 device. Trends show that people don't want to pay for a $1000 Xbox 720 or PS4, so they'll market accordingly. Ok got ya! You don't think bullet Time deserves a higher prices for possibly better gameplay. (I don't know your impressions of bullet Time)
When you think of it 2025 really is not very far at all - and the rate at which things are speeding up I would not be surprised if they hit a wall sooner than 2025. Sony may have there time line set that far - but that doesn't mean that they'll still be developing consoles by that time. Who knows what companies will still be around at that point. I feel that Apple has the greatest advantage and most goodwill at this point to get them through the years and barring any huge flops I think Apple will still be a house hold name 15 years from now. As for Apple's reality distortion - it is greatly over estimated. What they have actually done is develop a multipurpose appliance that sells because it does what people want it to do without a lot of hassle. Android phones are neat - but I have yet to play around with one that has truly made me want to buy one. Main difference being with the UI - Apple just knows how to make a more comfortable and goof-proof UI. I don't see cost changing a whole lot - other than it may go down in a way to bridge the gap between the high cost of consumer products and the 99% of people who cannot afford to buy one. Or possibly work demand and wages may increase to support the growing cost of living in the modern world which might help the return of the middle class. Allowing people the ability to actually afford spending money. The thing is most people I know can't afford to buy every gadget (myself included) - the reason they and I choose Apple is because you know you are going to get quality time out of the device before it becomes obsolete. My iMac from nearly 4 years ago is still pushing strong today (albeit with upgraded ram and a new hard drive).
Here's my crazy theory: We will grow into a world where it's Google vs. Apple with Microsoft trying to hang on by coattails. Sony...well...well...I haven't really gotten to Sony yet. How soon all this happens is obviously speculative. Nonetheless, I don't like the current trend and have to wonder/worry about the future, as the nature of the beast (companies) is to consume people's wallets. The reality distortion thing would be something I'd have to discuss/elaborate upon in private due to the amount of negativity that will come from my side. As for Android, I'd ask for you to watch http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?p=2030099#post2030099 Android is miles ahead of Apple, IMO. Including UI and lag! My iPod lags horrifically and I'm not the only one experiencing this by any means.
I think capitalism and consumerism will change dramatically over the next century. I believe that at some point there will be an evening out of the class system and that technology will most likely play a part in this - sure it is just speculation (and optimistic speculation at that), but the current trend is long in tooth and one would like to hope for the future The reality distortion field is something I believe is employed not just by Apple (Jobs) but by many people across all job fields. I mean really it just comes down to charisma. It has both positive and negative aspects and effects. I think that it was to the benefit of Apple that Steve Jobs had as much charisma as he did. I was a PC dos/windows based advocate from the early nineties all the way until about 2006. When I got my first iMac - that changed. As far as being an appliance/tool for creative direction osX and Apple computers have it down perfect. When I got Logic 9 I was amazed at how integrated and easy everything was - it took almost no time to get a decent work flow going. Compared to trying to learn Sonar/Cubase on the PC... I will check out the videos - I would be inclined to buy an Android device if a decent PMP was developed for it.
Even considering the rate at which technology evolves, I can't really see it quite that soon. It took long enough on PC. It's more than just the tech being able to handle it as well. Bethesda have been working towards this kind of scale for years, there's no way they could have whipped up Skyrim as their first project. You need the tech, then you need developers with the right amount of experience, you need a team that is prepared to spend years working on a mobile game, and you need a freakin' huge budget.
I agree - back when I was playing Daggerfall I never thought in a million years that the formula would end up as it did in Skyrim (the first game I can truly say that I have enjoyed by Bethesda since Morrowind). However - I do think that we are reaching a point where technology will be cost effective without sacrificing quality. I also think that the industry will progress to the point where it is not thinking mobile/pc/console but just thinking about releasing a game cross-platform.
Haha! I was so confused when I saw this pop up on my iPod. I thought they changed the name of the Six Guns thread! I'll reply with some stuff tomorrow. I'm exhausted, so I think I'm going to do some frivolous ranting about stupid things tonight! I'll post here tomorrow after I'm well rested and can think clearly.
DLC/IAP was a great idea that's become so abused by the industry at this point that it's starting to turn me away from gaming. I don't mind paying $60 for a console game or $10 for an iPhone game but pre-order DLC, season pass DLC and supposedly "free" games with essential IAP are starting to become the norm rather then the exception and that's just sickening. When I buy a game, I want the game, not 2/3rds of the game. Any game that's free with IAP should have a reasonable maximum amount of required credit to get what you need and any dev that puts IAP greater then $10 in their game needs a fat slap across the face.
I'm wondering what everybody here thinks of OnLive and what its impact may be over the next few years. I am slightly skeptical to the practicality of it with regards to bandwidth and the server based storage system. But I was also skeptical of Steam when it was first announced - hell I was skeptical when they switched from the old big PC game boxes to the smaller ones that came around in the early 2000s. I am excited by the possibilities of streaming tech and think that the ability to run software beyond the hardwares limitations of any device may be something that plays into future tech regardless if it is streaming from a server or your home computer hub.
Besides the extreme bandwidth requirement/usage, it sounds very promising. Looking forward to trying it out on the iPad 2.
One Can only hope because at this point it looks more like "corporationism". The fact of the matter is that people, especially here in the USA, have become super complacent. I share the optimism with you, my friend. True reality distortion is something every big business, or really any business, wants to perfect. I do think Apple has gone a bit over-the-top though! Obviously, that's my opinion. You are definitely right about Apple being a great appliance/tool for creativity and such. Every DAAP student has one. I will be getting a Mac for iOS/OS X purposes very soon. As far as my favorite OS, I prefer Linux! The PC is better for gaming and most people don't need something as expensive as a Mac, especially when you throw in repair/maintenance costs. Hey did you check them out? I'm going to post them here since you moved these conversations. Yeah, I think Apple and the fanboys have given Android a worst Rep than it deserves. The media player on my Samsung fascinate (a somewhat old device) was pretty dang good and the Amazon music store has evolved greatly. I haven't seen the ICS music player. so I don't know about that. I can only assume they tried to improve upon the old player. Also, Androids version of Office on mobile is about 10x better than than iOS...Love it! Onlive will be great as long as they don't get money hungry (he said hopingly)! Edit Been reading up on OnLive some more and now I'm skeptical. I like the fact that they made some of the games use the iOS controls, but for others...MEH! I don't see myself playing games on an iPad with a controller. That just doesn't make any logical sense to me. I'd much rather play games on an actual console. Sony needs to incorporate something like this with the PS3 and Microsoft is on the right track with the Windows phones. Yes, I know you can use Onlive to play on a TV, but it doesn't seem like the quality experience you'll get from a full console. It's starting to seem gimmicky to me! What I really want is something like this with buttons --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Android Ice Cream videos!
I have a lot of thoughts, but the bottom line is... it's ugly. It looks like what it is: a streamed video, and even manages to make PC versions of games look worse than their console counterparts. It has it's place, but people will always want to play games as they were intended to be played.
OnLive is a wonderful concept that's probably going to go out of business before most people have enough bandwidth to make use of it. It reminds me of a few video download/streaming services from the late 90's/early 00's that never made it off the ground due to the lack of broadband availability at the time. Until the day OnLive or a comparable service can deliver games at a constant 30FPS without any noticeable lag it's worthless to me and I don't see that day coming soon with my 6mbps/756kbps DSL connection.
Pretty much the reason why I called it a gimmick. I was quick, as most people probably will be, to say OnLive was cool, but deep down it's not. People will grow to love sub par gaming/devices or finally realize (insert here).
I did check out the videos - there is definitely stuff within the Android OS that I find appealing and some of the devices are dead sexy (especially with some of the larger screens) - but I still find the general UI to be tacky. I love the simplicity of iOS - mind you I am jailbroken, so things like SBSettings, Springtomize, and Folders Enhanced have taken away any complaints I'd had with the iOS UI. I have a fair share of criticisms with Apple products - but by and large I think that there products generally stand head and tails above others in the market. What I would like to see physically on the next iPhones/iPads/iPods is storage expansion options or larger than 64gb capacities. Though I doubt Apple would ever add additional storage options and I bet that storage capacities ranging into the terabytes are a few generations away. As for OnLive - I feel at this state it is definitely a bit gimmicky. But I remember when the internet came about my area in 96 and everybody thought it was nothing more than a gimmick back then. The actual technology involved behind controlling a game remotely has me definitely intrigued.
