2K/Fraxis dont like poor people

[Chalks]

Sorry this was in response to your comment. I was just saying they can save money over time and buy the game, but steam would still prevent them from playing. In that light dont think im attacking you, i laghed when i read ur post, it was good.

Ok, you've won me over.

I still don't really understand what the big issue is though - pretty much everyone with a PC able to play the game has internet access and even if you don't, what's stopping you from picking up one of those "Free AOL internet" cds and just using dial up to validate?

 

[Phil Ken Sebben]

According to the 2003 us census households earning $100,000 a year, 95% own a pc and 92% have net access. Of the 45% of All US households without the net 39% said they didnt need it/werent intrested 23% said it cost too much and another 23% didnt own a computer.

Source http://maisonbisson.com/blog/post/11088/us-census-on-internet-access-and-computing/

So that's what, 3% who do own a PC but no Internet? And less than a quarter of those don't because they can't afford to have it.

And how many of those people play games? How many of them play strategy games? How many of them play CIV games, specifically?

I'm just making a wild guess here, but those people probably don't have a PC capable of running the newest, performance heavy games like Civ5. Heck, mine is only a year old, was mid-to-high-end when I bought it, and still it struggles on Civ4 at times on Huge maps. A lot of people have a PC just for text documents.

In any case, they are an extreme minority, so I don't see why Firaxis should have to change their DRM plan just to accomodate them. There is not going to be a flood of outrage, and it's not going to impact their sales.

 

[NovaSilisko]

In total, around 24 million people(In the US, I don't have stats for elsewhere) don't have internet access.

Now, stop and think for a minute. How many of those are the gaming type?

 

[PieceOfMind]

I have a friend who doesn't have internet at home yet tends to enjoy games like Civ, Age of Empires, Spore etc. It's possible there are some people who will choose to not buy the game or not find out about the game because they don't have an internet connection but I doubt it'd be many.

In the end, Firaxis is a business and they want to target their product at people who can pay for it. It would indeed be rare that someone can afford the luxury of video games (even console games) yet no internet connection. Certainly for people in more remote areas, internet costs can be over the top.

The OP does a moderate job of raising awareness. Problem is I'm not sure anyone does or should care. We're not talking about food and blankets for the less fortunate. We're talking about a luxury good (a video game).

In total, around 24 million people don't have internet access.

Now, stop and think for a minute. How many of those are the gaming type?

There are people outside America.

 

[NovaSilisko]

There are people outside America.

I was giving an example based on information I had available. I don't have stats for the entire world's internet availability.

 

[Rebel44]

OP: if you live in flat, maybe you can ask some neighbor if he is willing to share his internet with you for few bucks per months. If you live in town its very likely you can get some cheap wifi internet.

If you have job you can afford internet (if you are so broke that you cant afford 20 dollars per month for internet you have bigger problem than not being able to activate game).

 

[Naokaukodem]

Why would i need to change my pc? Its probably equal to or better than urs. I built my own with money i saved, its not my old clunker.

Probably better. Though i have an internet connection.

 

[Shurdus]

Probably better. Though i have an internet connection.

Zing!

It is up to Firaxis to choose as their target market whatever they please. they chose from a buisness perspective - after considering the pro's and cons - that they set the people who can at least at one time get access to the internet. So this is the market.

Now you can slap me with statistics from 2003 all day if you wish, but you cannot convince me that Firaxis cannot do this. They can do as they please. If they want to make the game for those with an internet connection, then I am sure the people dropping the game for that reason alone will be outshadowed by the amount that Firaxis will make because the game is less easy pirated.

Firaxis shows a good marketing awareness, you can like this or not. I do not blame them for one second for putting their own interest over ours. Also I do not blame them for forcing us to put up with steam since steam is a good program overall. And as was noted countless times, you need not have an internet connection to play, only to activate the game. If you cannot even get access to activate this game, then boohoo to you. This will not be the game for you.

 

[Dale]

Computer games are a luxury. Poor people don't deserve luxuries, they should be working hard doing the scum jobs below me.

 

[Shurdus]

Computer games are a luxury. Poor people don't deserve luxuries, they should be working hard doing the scum jobs below me.

Hear hear!

 

[marioflag]

Zing!

It is up to Firaxis to choose as their target market whatever they please. they chose from a buisness perspective - after considering the pro's and cons - that they set the people who can at least at one time get access to the internet. So this is the market.

Now you can slap me with statistics from 2003 all day if you wish, but you cannot convince me that Firaxis cannot do this. They can do as they please. If they want to make the game for those with an internet connection, then I am sure the people dropping the game for that reason alone will be outshadowed by the amount that Firaxis will make because the game is less easy pirated.

Firaxis shows a good marketing awareness, you can like this or not. I do not blame them for one second for putting their own interest over ours. Also I do not blame them for forcing us to put up with steam since steam is a good program overall. And as was noted countless times, you need not have an internet connection to play, only to activate the game. If you cannot even get access to activate this game, then boohoo to you. This will not be the game for you.

Quoted for truth!

And it's not like Steam is the Ubisoft DRM.
Even if you buy a retail copy you don't need anymore your dvd and you can redownload it and update it from this program. You can install on as much computers as you want.
If you don't have an internet connection it's like you have a 10 year old VGA card so that's your own problem.

 

[Ahriman]

Complaining about games (like Assassin's Creed 2) whose DRM require you to be constantly connected to the internet to play: 110% reasonable.

Complaining about games that require a single internet connection once to validate; 1% reasonable.

Complaining about how unfair it is that people who are poor don't get as much stuff, and using *video games* to illustrate this: priceless.

 

[Chalks]

Complaining about games (like Assassin's Creed 2) whose DRM require you to be constantly connected to the internet to play: 110% reasonable.

Complaining about games that require a single internet connection once to validate; 1% reasonable.

Complaining about how unfair it is that people who are poor don't get as much stuff, and using *video games* to illustrate this: priceless.

Couldn't have put it better.

 

[Ahriman]

Oh no, wait, my mistake. There it is in the UN Convention on Human Rights, I missed it between the right to basic education and the right not to be tortured; the right to play as many video games as you want.

Sorry, my bad.

 

[eireksten]

Sorry this was in response to your comment. I was just saying they can save money over time and buy the game, but steam would still prevent them from playing. In that light dont think im attacking you, i laughed when i read ur post, it was good.

I still have the feeling that you think internet connection is necessary to play a game with Steam...

Beyond the initial activation, that is false. You can play the game offline. And the Steam application is free, 1.5MB in size. So a one-time connection is definitely enough.

edit: But I agree with the above posters. When developing a game, the main focus shouldn't be what to do with people who can't afford or otherwise can't play it.

 

[Rebel44]

I still have the feeling that you think internet connection is necessary to play a game with Steam...

Beyond the initial activation, that is false. You can play the game offline. And the Steam application is free, 1.5MB in size. So a one-time connection is definitely enough.

edit: But I agree with the above posters. When developing a game, the main focus shouldn't be what to do with people who can't afford or otherwise can't play it.

Steam is little bigger thanm 1,5 MB becuase thats just basic client which need to be updated, but its still pretty small.

 

[CTH]

Steam works with a dial up modem, it will cost you as much as a phone call, if you are that poor that you cant afford a phone call you just have to play civ4.

I think there is problems with the steamworks thing but the financial part of it? No that is not really a problem.

 

[Shurdus]

Complaining about games (like Assassin's Creed 2) whose DRM require you to be constantly connected to the internet to play: 110% reasonable.

Complaining about games that require a single internet connection once to validate; 1% reasonable.

Complaining about how unfair it is that people who are poor don't get as much stuff, and using *video games* to illustrate this: priceless.

This post is made out of pure epic win.

 

[eireksten]

Nevermind...

 

[lietkynes]

Complaining about games (like Assassin's Creed 2) whose DRM require you to be constantly connected to the internet to play: 110% reasonable.

Complaining about games that require a single internet connection once to validate; 1% reasonable.

Complaining about how unfair it is that people who are poor don't get as much stuff, and using *video games* to illustrate this: priceless.

/thread