[mdlug] BioShock - A DRM experience you don't want to miss

[Joseph Vartanian]

On 8/29/07, Ingles, Raymond <Raymond.Ingles at compuware.com> wrote:
> > From: Jeff Hanson
>
> > I predict that more will move to consoles.  Many developers are
> > targeting them because of better DRM and a more predictable hardware
> > platform.
>
>  Your "prediction" resembles a look into the rearview mirror. :-> PC gaming
> has been on the decline for a while, and consoles are becoming more and more
> where the action is.
>
>  In some ways it's sad (I just can't play FPS games with a console controller;
> give me WSAD and a mouse any day) but it does loosen Windows' hold on the
> desktop. PC games will not go away but they will have to find better means of
> handling piracy than the current DRM schemes. I'm actually not too upset with
> Steam, Valve Software's online distribution system. It doesn't take over your
> computer, it just registers and authenticates with a server. You have an
> account, that's all, just like other services.
>
>  There can be problems when you don't have a network available, of course, but
> those are not insurmountable. If they came out with a good Linux implementation,
> I'd be happy. I'm *very much* a proponent of open source, but I don't necessarily
> believe it's the right model for *everything*. Commercial, closed-source games
> do make sense in many cases, though I'd hope that most game companies would
> follow the Id model and release the source for their older games eventually.

Agreed.  The consoles are taking over.  After years of playing only PC
games, I decided I'm not going to bother with them anymore.  I went
and purchased my first console since the SNES days.  With a console
you don't worry about all the problems of PC games...you just pop in
the disc and play.  Not only that, but even the latest and greatest
console is cheaper than buying gaming rig.

Another important factor is the for years now the biggest advantage of
PC games has been online gaming.  Now all the latest consoles have
online gaming.  I would say that XBox Live has even managed to beat
the PC at its own game.  No pun intended.  Heck, the XBox 360 and PS3
even have hard drives.

But I don't see the decline in PC gaming hurting Microsoft anytime
soon.  Microsoft's XBox 360 is the new console king for hardcore
gamers, and the Wii is king for the family.  Sony's PS3 is struggling,
and if they don't get their act together by this holiday season, their
gaming division may just be going the way of Sega.  So Microsoft still
remains a major figure in the gaming market, and you can thank Sony
and its huge ego for that.

As for what you said about playing a FPS with a controller, I've heard
that from a lot of people, including from myself.  I now find that
it's not nearly as bad as everyone think it is once you get used to
it, and I'm a lefty so those controllers aren't even made for my
hands.  Even if you must have a keyboard and mouse, there's a 3rd
party adapter for the 360 that lets you use a keyboard and mouse to
control 360 games.  The PS3 has support for USB keyboards and mice,
but I have no idea if they're usable for playing games.

-Joseph