Let's Talk Modern Consoles, PCs, And Handhelds

[starri]

I think this completely cloud-based.  They're starting it on Chromecast exclusively, and the current models don't even have internal storage.

[junemeatcleaver]

Figured it was coming once the new Animal Crossing and core Pokemon game were announced.  Now we have to wait to see if the Switch Pro sees the light of day.

[Danny Franks]

Depending on the reviews for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3, I may have to finally give in and buy a Switch. Added bonus - being able to play Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart.

I thought this year would be an expensive year for games, but thanks to lacklustre reviews and the fact that Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is so vast and never-ending that it's beaten me into submission, I've barely spent anything.

[Cranberry]

I bought an Oculus Quest last month and I absolutely love it. I've pretty much only played Beat Saber so far, but it's super fun and also a good workout (comparable to singles tennis), so it's a win-win.

This is the first game system I've bought since my SNES/N64 days. I'd been feeling old lately because it seemed like modern systems had controllers with way too many buttons and joysticks, so the simple, intuitive Quest controllers are really working for me. I'd been thinking VR was just an expensive gimmick, and had never planned to invest in a wired system plus sensor towers and all of that, but the Quest is so simple -- literally just take it anywhere, set a guardian area and start playing -- that I hope it sticks around and continues to get even better.

[theatremouse]

I am currently trying to decide between purchasing a Switch (lite?) or a 2DS. The former is newer and has games I want, but is more expensive. The latter is something I've wanted for a while and now has come down in price enough that it's very easy for me to justify. Also there are a ton of older games I never played because I never had anything in the DS ecosystem so it feels like there's more there for me...of course I'd likely be making up the price difference by buying more games. Which maybe is a good tradeoff?

[xaxat]

Bought my self a ssd for Christmas and spent the afternoon cleaning the interior of my PC (my nose still itches), installing the drive (didn't fully seat the cables on the first go) and transferring/downloading hundreds of gigs of games. 

Ah, the joys (?) of PC gaming. 

(Somehow, I managed to have GOG and Steam installs of Witcher 3)

Edited December 31, 2019 by xaxat

[starri]

So, we're getting the Xbox and Playstation releases within two days of each other.  The former on 11/10, and the latter on 11/12.

The consoles with an optical drive, the Series X and the PS5 Base are both $500.  The digital-only Series S is $300, $100 cheaper than the PS5 Digital.  The Series S price had me thinking about dipping a toe back into the Xbox world for the first time since the 360, but its significantly smaller HD (512 GB compared to Series X's 1 TB and both PS5's 825 GB) and the fact that that it doesn't upscale the backward-compatible games unlike all the other guys.  

Mulling if either console has a system-seller yet.

[xaxat]

On 9/16/2020 at 8:09 PM, starri said:

The consoles with an optical drive, the Series X and the PS5 Base are both $500.

I understand why people want physical copies of the games they buy (I would too), but as a PC owner, I honestly can't remember when I Installed a game using an optical drive. 

[starri]

On 9/18/2020 at 11:31 PM, xaxat said:

I understand why people want physical copies of the games they buy (I would too), but as a PC owner, I honestly can't remember when I Installed a game using an optical drive. 

I'm definitely not a PC gamer (owning only a MacBook and a Surface Pro), but I don't like being completely beholden to digital rights.

Steam giveth and Steam taketh away.  

[xaxat]

11 hours ago, starri said:

I'm definitely not a PC gamer (owning only a MacBook and a Surface Pro), but I don't like being completely beholden to digital rights.

Steam giveth and Steam taketh away.  

I understand that sentiment, but I think the latest console releases are the last stand for physical media. Especially since almost every major player in the industry is trying to move to a subscription model. (Where they really do remove games.)

Edited September 21, 2020 by xaxat

[starri]

2 minutes ago, xaxat said:

I understand that sentiment, but I think the latest console releases are the last stand for physical media. Especially since almost every major player in the industry is trying to move to a subscription model.

I suppose that's going to be on consumers.  If we keep shifting toward digital because it's more convenient, we'll end up with these massive walled gardens just like the streaming services.  The ones where we were promised these infinite libraries of content which turned out to be...not that.

[starri]

Amazon is having a go at cloud gaming, called Luna.

I'm sure the integration with Twitch will be good.

And someone has to get the tech right eventually.

[starri]

I got invited to the Luna beta and I've been playing around with it.  

I think it's better than my limited time with Stadia.  They seem to be working more on the same strategy that they use for Prime Video and are working on different subscriptions you can add on.  Right now, it's only Ubisoft (which is also available through Stadia), but they actually have a pretty impressive lineup.

[xaxat]

As a PC gamer, this is disappointing. Report: Bethesda’s Starfield Is Xbox Exclusive, If That Was Still A Question (Starfield is Bethesda's new intellectual property.)

Fingers crossed Microsoft will release it on PC as a timed exclusive.

I go waaaay back with Bethesda on PC. I still have my copy of the original floppy disk version of Fallout. 

[starri]

From the article

Quote

Personally, I’d be surprised. Microsoft already has Halo Infinite launching this fall as a big flagship (if it’s not delayed again) and Starfield strikes me as more of a 2022 venture. But I’d love to be surprised and see it sooner (so long as it doesn’t launch full of massive bugs).

It's a Bethesda game.  Massive bugs are inevitable.

[Anduin]

I share this because it's funny. I've recently been playing Pinball FX3, a pinball emulator. Though I don't think any of the tables ever really existed. Anyway, I just picked up a Star Wars pack in the latest Steam sale. There's a table called Might of the First Order. All about... Kylo Ren ordering the attack on Jakku, I think. Anyway, I don't think it's Adam Driver doing the voice. Sounds more like the Auralnauts guy. Must be a lot cheaper.

[Anduin]

Horizon Zero Dawn. Post-apocalyptic robot dinosaur hunter is a great premise for a game. However, the gameplay is lacking and the plot seems to be worse. I hate it. I'm running around as a little kid and generally being annoying. Am I supposed to be sympathetic towards poor little outcast Aloy? I'm immune to cute kids, especially when they aren't behaving.

Should I stick with it? Is there character development? Right now, I want to play almost anything else.

[starri]

I mean, wall off the new Bethesda game if you must, that's at least a brand new IP.

But Obsidian only being able to release Outer Worlds 2 to the new corporate overlords?  Sigh.

[BetterButter]

Steam Deck is Valve’s Switch-like portable PC, starting at $399 this December

[Anduin]

I find myself finished with Horizon Zero Dawn. Great premise only half-realised. The story is terrible. While ranged combat is good, the spear is terrible. The characters are unsympathetic, especially Aloy. Many of the quests are annoying. Good graphics. World-building is interesting. If only the writers had done better.

At first I was getting annoyed with all the collectibles. Go find a metal flower. A coffee cup. A wooden figure. The vantage points were especially frustrating.

The point came a couple of days ago when I was doing a timed main quest in the DLC. I hate timed missions. When I discovered the hunting lodge quests required them, I never bothered to do them. I play at my pace, not yours. Now you're forcing me? That's a quit right there, and I'm tempted to uninstall.

[Anduin]

I found myself logging into the Borderlands series for the first time in a couple of years. You know what I noticed? So many of the minor NPCs, the random people hanging around town, are wearing masks. And many of the human enemies have helmets too. Yeah, I get that it's to save on facial design and animation. But it really feels different to how I felt back in 2019. If anything, I almost want the major ones, the quest givers, to mask up too.

[BetterButter]

Google is shutting down Stadia

[xaxat]

4 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Google is shutting down Stadia

I was part of the beta, and even back then, the speculation was how long would it be before Google killed it given their history with previous projects. I think that actually played a part in its demise because people were hesitant to commit.

[Anduin]

This year, we've had three games all in the same genre of fiction, if not gameplay. Weird West, Hard West 2, and now Evil West. To which I ask, instead of all doing slightly different things, can't the devs pool their resources to licence and make a Deadlands CRPG?

It just feels as if they're all circling around the idea instead of getting in there and going for it.