3 of my favorite things in the world (in no particular order):

1) (American) Football
2) Turn-Based Strategy
3) Mutant League Football for the Sega Genesis

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Cyanide Studios was working on a video game adaptation of Games Workshop's popular miniature game Blood Bowl. I found out yesterday that the game was available via Direct Download as of June 26. I happily went to the official website, totally prepared to shell out any fair amount of money to be able to play what is probably the closest I'll ever get to a modern day, 3D Mutant League Football game. Then I saw the price tag. :eek:

First off, it's a brand new franchise and there's no demo available. Since it's such a low-profile release, there aren't any reviews available from any reputable websites or magazines. I have no way of knowing if I'll like the game or if I'd just be flushing $50 down the toilet buying it. Turn-based football SOUNDS like an interesting concept but that doesn't mean it's going to be fun.

Second, what ever happened to the industry's big selling point for Direct Download games? You know, the idea that since they won't have to spend thousands of dollars producing CDs, boxes, and manuals the games would cost less money? I guess the idea of passing that savings along to the consumer got nixed in favor of passing it along to the company's owners. :rolleyes:

THIS is why people pirate games. I guess the industry will never understand that. I mean Stardock Entertainment can routinely release games like Galactic Civ and Sins Of A Solar Empire for 30 bucks on release day, why should I pay 50 bucks to some company I've never heard or for a game I've never played which has no demo and no reliable reviews? Especially knowing that it's got that friggin' Securom BS along with the archaic 3 install limit. F-U Cyanide Studio.

/rant

First off, it's a brand new franchise and there's no demo available. Since it's such a low-profile release, there aren't any reviews available from any reputable websites or magazines. I have no way of knowing if I'll like the game or if I'd just be flushing $50 down the toilet buying it. Turn-based football SOUNDS like an interesting concept but that doesn't mean it's going to be fun.

Second, what ever happened to the industry's big selling point for Direct Download games? You know, the idea that since they won't have to spend thousands of dollars producing CDs, boxes, and manuals the games would cost less money? I guess the idea of passing that savings along to the consumer got nixed in favor of passing it along to the company's owners. :rolleyes:

THIS is why people pirate games. I guess the industry will never understand that. I mean Stardock Entertainment can routinely release games like Galactic Civ and Sins Of A Solar Empire for 30 bucks on release day, why should I pay 50 bucks to some company I've never heard or for a game I've never played which has no demo and no reliable reviews? Especially knowing that it's got that friggin' Securom BS along with the archaic 3 install limit. F-U Cyanide Studio.

/rant

Bottom line is busineses aren't in business to loose all their money. Skeptical of their product? Then don't buy it and don't pirate it.

Most games follow the model that people will blow $50 on game on release to be the first to play it, and then discount in 6 months or so. It's mostly a product of the console industry where games can still be traded years later, unlike the PC industry with its serial codes.

BTW, Sins technically was much more expensive---you had to pay $50 to buy into the beta cycle. Which is probably pretty close to what one does when they pay $50 for a game right at release---they're usually getting a beta that gets patched in another 90 days. :)

/counter-rant

Bottom line is busineses aren't in business to loose all their money. Skeptical of their product? Then don't buy it and don't pirate it.

Most games follow the model that people will blow $50 on game on release to be the first to play it, and then discount in 6 months or so. It's mostly a product of the console industry where games can still be traded years later, unlike the PC industry with its serial codes.

BTW, Sins technically was much more expensive---you had to pay $50 to buy into the beta cycle. Which is probably pretty close to what one does when they pay $50 for a game right at release---they're usually getting a beta that gets patched in another 90 days. :)

/counter-rant

1) I won't buy it. If I see it on a Torrent site I might pirate it (NOTE: I never totally "pirate" anything, I view Torrents as Demos for games who's producers are too lazy to make Demos. I'll play it for a day or 2, if I like it I'll buy it, if I don't I'll delete it. Stealing a game that's good enough to pay money for is just wrong.) If game companies never had any intention of passing the media/packaging/manual savings to gamers then they shouldn't have used it as a selling point to trying to get people to support DD. You're a game company, not a politician. :nono:

2) Which is why pirating video games is huge while pirating console games, while possible and fairly easy if you know what to do or know someone that does, has never caught on. If I buy a console game and it sucks I can take it right back to the store and at least get $20-$30 of my money back. If I buy a PC game and it sucks, oh well, you might as well have burned that 50 bucks cuz you'll never get it back now.

/counter-counter-rant

1) I won't buy it. If I see it on a Torrent site I might pirate it (NOTE: I never totally "pirate" anything, I view Torrents as Demos for games who's producers are too lazy to make Demos. I'll play it for a day or 2, if I like it I'll buy it, if I don't I'll delete it. Stealing a game that's good enough to pay money for is just wrong.) If game companies never had any intention of passing the media/packaging/manual savings to gamers then they shouldn't have used it as a selling point to trying to get people to support DD. You're a game company, not a politician. :nono:



Philosophically, I find this arguement wrong on many levels. But if you have a plan for how the industry should be working, why not go into the business yourself? :goodjob:

Odd that they didn't send out a demo, and especially if there are few reviews it might be hard to get an idea of whether it's a good game or not. It wasn't a smart marketing decision.

What does really surprise me though is that video game companies still dare to use invasive DRM and an install limit after EA got a storm of criticism over it, and gamers all over the world loathe it. DRM is a failed concept which only serves to needlessly impair the honest customers.

Philosophically, I find this arguement wrong on many levels. But if you have a plan for how the industry should be working, why not go into the business yourself? :goodjob:

If I had the money to start a game company I gladly would. A job in the video game industry would be like a dream come true.

Odd that they didn't send out a demo, and especially if there are few reviews it might be hard to get an idea of whether it's a good game or not. It wasn't a smart marketing decision.

What does really surprise me though is that video game companies still dare to use invasive DRM and an install limit after EA got a storm of criticism over it, and gamers all over the world loathe it. DRM is a failed concept which only serves to needlessly impair the honest customers.

I think that's my biggest issue. It's not so much the price it's that 1) there is no demo or reliable reviews and 2) not only does it have DRM, it's got SecuROM, the worst of the worst DRM. I'd be happy to pay $50 for the game if I had some way of knowing beforehand that it is worth that price. I had no problem forking out $50 for Civ 4 when it came out or The Sims 3 a few weeks ago. These are established franchises, I knew what I was getting and I knew it would be worth the cost. I'm *NOT* willing to spend $50 for a game I've never played from a company I've never heard of.

not only does it have DRM, it's got SecuROM, the worst of the worst DRM.

SecuROM is far from the worst of the worst. Look up StarForce some time.

SecuROM is far from the worst of the worst. Look up StarForce some time.

Damn, I never heard of that one before.

http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2006/01/30/infected-by-starforce-drm/

/runs to uninstall Heroes of M&M 5 and run the Starforce removal software... like... NAO!

So SecuROM isn't the worse but it's still 2nd worst by a long shot.

http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/942995-blood-bowl/index.html

THIS is why people pirate games. I guess the industry will never understand that. I think it's mostly young people with no money, and people living in poor countires that pirate games.
I used to pirate like a mother ****** back when I was a teenager. Now that I'm out of college I'll still download a few games if I think they look risky and I'm not interested in muliplayer.
But mostly I buy them now. Still pirating anime though. That stuff is just too damn expensive.