The Video Game Thread

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mikechamp
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Re: The Video Game Thread

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Michael wrote:Judging from the trailer I believe the player is the shark.
Bull shark FTW.

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Re: The Video Game Thread

Post by Michael »

There's a lot of rumors floating around that MS will offer 2 consoles next gen. One will be a traditional consoles and the other will be a cheap console that streams games over the internet. If they address the bandwidth and latency issues via their cloud services it could be a gamer changer. Another interesting possibility is current gen Xboxs will be able to stream next gen games day one. Pretty cool stuff.

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Re: The Video Game Thread

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People are talking next gen consoles and here I am anxiously waiting to play my NES Classic that was delivered Sunday. Whoever decided that the cable for the controller only needed to be two feet long should be shot. I haven't been able to play it yet because I don't want to have to sit that close to the TV. I ordered a 10 foot extension for the controller but now I have to wait until next week for that to be delivered.

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Swirls
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Re: The Video Game Thread

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tlombard wrote:People are talking next gen consoles and here I am anxiously waiting to play my NES Classic that was delivered Sunday. Whoever decided that the cable for the controller only needed to be two feet long should be shot. I haven't been able to play it yet because I don't want to have to sit that close to the TV. I ordered a 10 foot extension for the controller but now I have to wait until next week for that to be delivered.
I admit I'm deeply enjoying my SNES Classic. I can't even remember how many hours I wasted as a kid at at my friends houses playing games like Super Mario World. I only ever owned a Sega Genesis, so I'm screwed if a "Sega Genesis Classic" exists in the same vein as the NES/SNES Classic (HDMI inputs, built in quicksave feature, small form factor, etc).

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Re: The Video Game Thread

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What is the benefit of a cheap console that is for streaming only? If a PS4 w/ 1TB memory is $300 (and you can usually grab one with a game in a bundle feature at Best Buy) then wouldn't the console have to be like $75, and wouldn't the streaming have to include all games and not just classics/dusties that are for sale for $20 or less, to make the savings worth the frustration of load times and stuff? And then how much is the monthly service, to offer server space and speed to make playing the games actually enjoyable? The most frustrating thing about a new game is the hours you have to wait for it to load, but I'll trade letting my PS4 run overnight while the new NBA2K loads for the constant frustration of buggy streaming, and will happily pay a couple hundred more up front for that.

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Re: The Video Game Thread

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33anda3rd wrote:What is the benefit of a cheap console that is for streaming only? If a PS4 w/ 1TB memory is $300 (and you can usually grab one with a game in a bundle feature at Best Buy) then wouldn't the console have to be like $75, and wouldn't the streaming have to include all games and not just classics/dusties that are for sale for $20 or less, to make the savings worth the frustration of load times and stuff? And then how much is the monthly service, to offer server space and speed to make playing the games actually enjoyable? The most frustrating thing about a new game is the hours you have to wait for it to load, but I'll trade letting my PS4 run overnight while the new NBA2K loads for the constant frustration of buggy streaming, and will happily pay a couple hundred more up front for that.
The streaming device is rumored to be around $99 dollars vs 400-500 dollars for a new console. Combine that with possibility of using an existing old console the value is pretty apparent for many consumers. The rumored streaming console will have some sort of hard drive because the MS solution requires some local processing to reduce bandwidth and improve image quality (see youtube below). That means theoretically you'll be able to buy games digitally like you do today.

To your services question - a netflix like service for gaming is here. I signed up for the XBOX game pass for 3 mos $9.99 deal a few days ago. So far I'm loving it and I think this is the future of gaming. I've DL'd like 10 games and I've found some hidden gems like Night Shift and Abzu that I doubt I would have ever purchased on my own. Another benefit to game pass are what I call "noble failures" - games I wanted to try that I didn't end caring for. Examples are the pac man collection and banjo and kazooie (controls did not age well). Although I didn't end up liking either of those games I don't regret giving them a chance. MS is launching their games day 1 on the service and it's only a matter of time when other publishers follow suit.

But there are still significant barriers for good streaming for games. It sounds like the MS solution can really help with image quality and bandwidth issues, but latency/input lag is still a huge concern. The controls have to feel reasonably responsive and we haven't really seen it done on a massive scale. Sony has a streaming service (Playstation Now) and it sucks. I can see a scenario where streaming is available only in certain areas near their azure hubs and expands as the internet infrastructure improves.


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Re: The Video Game Thread

Post by Jocephus »

has anyone been playing/keeping up with no mans sky? it's no longer a ps exclusive and was released on xbox yesterday. i know it had the disastrous launch but kept hearing that the devs have been implementing small and big changes over the months and it's now at a point where it was "supposed" to be at launch, more or less. i could see it being a fun exploration game, i appreciate it's color scheme and look, etc. didn't know if anyone has experience with it

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Re: The Video Game Thread

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Swirls wrote:
tlombard wrote:People are talking next gen consoles and here I am anxiously waiting to play my NES Classic that was delivered Sunday. Whoever decided that the cable for the controller only needed to be two feet long should be shot. I haven't been able to play it yet because I don't want to have to sit that close to the TV. I ordered a 10 foot extension for the controller but now I have to wait until next week for that to be delivered.
I admit I'm deeply enjoying my SNES Classic. I can't even remember how many hours I wasted as a kid at at my friends houses playing games like Super Mario World. I only ever owned a Sega Genesis, so I'm screwed if a "Sega Genesis Classic" exists in the same vein as the NES/SNES Classic (HDMI inputs, built in quicksave feature, small form factor, etc).
The extension cable is out for delivery today so I know what I'll be doing tonight!

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Re: The Video Game Thread

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Michael wrote:
33anda3rd wrote:What is the benefit of a cheap console that is for streaming only? If a PS4 w/ 1TB memory is $300 (and you can usually grab one with a game in a bundle feature at Best Buy) then wouldn't the console have to be like $75, and wouldn't the streaming have to include all games and not just classics/dusties that are for sale for $20 or less, to make the savings worth the frustration of load times and stuff? And then how much is the monthly service, to offer server space and speed to make playing the games actually enjoyable? The most frustrating thing about a new game is the hours you have to wait for it to load, but I'll trade letting my PS4 run overnight while the new NBA2K loads for the constant frustration of buggy streaming, and will happily pay a couple hundred more up front for that.
The streaming device is rumored to be around $99 dollars vs 400-500 dollars for a new console. Combine that with possibility of using an existing old console the value is pretty apparent for many consumers. The rumored streaming console will have some sort of hard drive because the MS solution requires some local processing to reduce bandwidth and improve image quality (see youtube below). That means theoretically you'll be able to buy games digitally like you do today.

To your services question - a netflix like service for gaming is here. I signed up for the XBOX game pass for 3 mos $9.99 deal a few days ago. So far I'm loving it and I think this is the future of gaming. I've DL'd like 10 games and I've found some hidden gems like Night Shift and Abzu that I doubt I would have ever purchased on my own. Another benefit to game pass are what I call "noble failures" - games I wanted to try that I didn't end caring for. Examples are the pac man collection and banjo and kazooie (controls did not age well). Although I didn't end up liking either of those games I don't regret giving them a chance. MS is launching their games day 1 on the service and it's only a matter of time when other publishers follow suit.

But there are still significant barriers for good streaming for games. It sounds like the MS solution can really help with image quality and bandwidth issues, but latency/input lag is still a huge concern. The controls have to feel reasonably responsive and we haven't really seen it done on a massive scale. Sony has a streaming service (Playstation Now) and it sucks. I can see a scenario where streaming is available only in certain areas near their azure hubs and expands as the internet infrastructure improves.

Is GameFly still a thing? I used it a decade ago when I was still playing video games regularly on my PS3, but haven't had an active subscription since probably 2011 or 2012. It was essentially the old school Netflix for video games - get a disc in the mail to play, then send it back when you were done playing and get a new one a couple days later. And cheap at like $10/month or whatever.

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Re: The Video Game Thread

Post by IMADreamer »

Jocephus wrote:has anyone been playing/keeping up with no mans sky? it's no longer a ps exclusive and was released on xbox yesterday. i know it had the disastrous launch but kept hearing that the devs have been implementing small and big changes over the months and it's now at a point where it was "supposed" to be at launch, more or less. i could see it being a fun exploration game, i appreciate it's color scheme and look, etc. didn't know if anyone has experience with it
A buddy of mine is going to play it all weekend and report back. I'm interested in it but I'm not sold yet.

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