Piracy not reason consoles won
- Thread starter edepot
- Start date
You are kidding. U in USB stands for universal... its used everywhere in the galaxy. If that aint proof enough, even after mankind got nearly wiped out, the motorcycles in Terminator 4 still got USB Ports.
By the time USB is gone, we'll have superfast online connections and be able to access server-based services. May even be on thin-clients by that point. For the time being, a good couple of decades, I expect USB to be around. It's incredibly versatile and doesn't need replacing, only upgrading.
A USB device is the only way I can see of offering a per-user software key on PC, irrespective of hardware configuration. If we don't go with a 'dongle', we leave the PC open to broad piracy as developers have no system to test installation with user, unless you require online authentication every use which is an inconvenience to the end user.
A USB device is the only way I can see of offering a per-user software key on PC, irrespective of hardware configuration. If we don't go with a 'dongle', we leave the PC open to broad piracy as developers have no system to test installation with user, unless you require online authentication every use which is an inconvenience to the end user.
With good reason - USB usurped them. Serial, parallel, keyboard, mouse, etc. could all be consolidated into a single port, making everything easier. USB has now been extended into a power bus, with AC plug/power adaptors offering USB ports to recharge USB devices. USB has found its way into CE devices.
What will replace USB going forwards, and why? We don't have a reason for a replacement now as we had when USB was introduced. The current future of connectivity is wireless USB, which serves the same purpose with a USB dongle.
What will replace USB going forwards, and why? We don't have a reason for a replacement now as we had when USB was introduced. The current future of connectivity is wireless USB, which serves the same purpose with a USB dongle.
Silent_Buddha
Legend
And even then it's still not-uncommon to find Serial and Parallel ports on PC. Same goes for PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse. Heck there's still enough uses for Serial ports that Serial -> USB converter's aren't all that uncommon.
I'd almost say we're in more danger of Firewire disappearing completely than Serial ports.
Regards,
SB
And even then it's still not-uncommon to find Serial and Parallel ports on PC. Same goes for PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse. Heck there's still enough uses for Serial ports that Serial -> USB converter's aren't all that uncommon.
I'd almost say we're in more danger of Firewire disappearing completely than Serial ports.
Regards,
SB
Ahh... all the PC's coming into my workplace lack 9 pin serial and 25 pin parallel ports. They have numerous USB ports, but I depend on my USB->Serial converter for connecting to old devices that require a 9 pin serial.
What is really interesting is that despite this you have the usual console fan stereotypes spamming FUD left and right that you need to uppgrade every 3 months and "a decent gaming rig will run you $500 alone for the GPU". Then you also have the ones saying "bu bu bu.. X game runs worse than on the 360 and my PC cost me 800$ and I am only trying to run it at 2560x1600 with 16xAA and super ultra settings, better to get the 360 version"!
Well we need you to upgrade every 3 months. So I propose: HD 5870 now, Fermi in 3 months, Fermi * 2 in 6 months, HD 6870 in 9 months and for Christmas how about an HD 5970 for Trifire. Thanks.
I think the really important thing with anti-piracy is that it has to be ubiquitous or it doesn't work as well. If people can simply avoid your game and play others for free then its only marginally helpful. However once enough games give that 'have to pay to play' then it gets people in the mindset.
Conversely on the other end of the scale, sir. The biggest anti-piracy development out there is the Steam sale. I've kept track of the antics of a few of my naughty friends (students so don't kill them as they are actually broke) and they have actually been defeated a few times by the recent copy protection schemes. So now they are transitioning into buying their games albeit at a vastly reduced price on Steam. We all recently got a THQ pack for $50 U.S.D. and that was great and thats $250 U.S.D. that Steam and THQ would have otherwise not had if it wasn't for the sale.
The future is Fusion, Dave said so himself.
Btw, who supports DX8 nowadays? DX9 is where its at and has been for a long long time.
green.pixel
Veteran
GSC Game World (Stalker guys) due to Russian/Eastern European markets, where Stalker games were sold most at IIRC, and people there don't exactly have high standards of living and consumer spending, and are living in poor conditions generally unfortunately.
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Silent_Buddha
Legend
You'd be surprised, there's still quite a few DX8 systems out there.
Eve Online still had active DX8 render paths up until last year. Removing it was a controversial move among their userbase, but by then enough were on DX9+ that they decided alienating the remaining DX8 users was worth the reduced developement costs of not having to support DX8.
Regards,
SB
GSC Game World (Stalker guys) due to Russian/Eastern European markets, where Stalker games were sold most at IIRC, and people there don't exactly have high standards of living and consumer spending, and are living in poor conditions generally unfortunately.
I so did not know that! Wow! Is that why there are some strange quirks in the engine where some scenes look fantastic and others are quite dismal in comparison? Like for example the lack of shadowing on plants.
Its currently 7% of the total userbase on Steam. Is that significant enough?
Silent_Buddha
Legend
If you can release a product that those 7% might be inclined to buy, that can be significant.
It doesn't require much in the way of graphics for a pop-cap style game for example.And if you aren't simultaneously trying to grab the high end market, you can keep developement costs near rock bottom, so wouldn't even need much sales to post a small profit.
Regards,
SB
Are you joking? The company to make Starcraft has the most successful MMORPG under their belt bringing in a constant stream of revenue. Not to mention high selling games like Warcraft 2 and 3, and the Diablo series. I think Blizzard is doing just fine.
If you can release a product that those 7% might be inclined to buy, that can be significant.
And if you aren't simultaneously trying to grab the high end market, you can keep developement costs near rock bottom, so wouldn't even need much sales to post a small profit.
Regards,
SB
IIRC, it was only last year that Valve were publicly talking about refusing to drop the DX 8 rendering path for Team Fortress 2 in their engine updates.
Actually, the TF2 page still lists a DX 8.1 video card under system requirements:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/440/
Given how much data they have on Steam user system specs, this must have been a conscious decision for them.
This is a pretty compelling reason to avoid the PC like the plague.
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62412
There isn't a resolution, AA mode or texture mod that could make me buy this. Or maybe I would if it was at a "disposable" price of 99 pence or something. I'd much rather pay for a service like OnLive for a few months than spend the same money buying part of a game and have to constantly play it on reins.
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62412
There isn't a resolution, AA mode or texture mod that could make me buy this. Or maybe I would if it was at a "disposable" price of 99 pence or something. I'd much rather pay for a service like OnLive for a few months than spend the same money buying part of a game and have to constantly play it on reins.
That's a poorly thought through implementation. Upon losing a connection, they could at least save your current position. After all, prior to losing your connection you were connected, so all play to that point was legitimate. Sadly this is another draconian implementation that turns people towards ripped games that avoid the DRM.
Silent_Buddha
Legend
Already a thread on this in one of the PC forums, but I'm actually looking forward to this and prefer it to other methods of DRM, especially the one I dislike the most, limited activations. At least this method will allow you to install as many copies as you want on as many machines as you want without needing any intrusive rootkits or "device" drivers.
Regards,
SB
What, Starcraft was successful!?!?! But...how??!! It didn't have the latest 3D graphics or piracy protection! And it encouraged you to share the game with your friends! Next you're going to tell me that Diablo was so successful that they're still selling it at Wal-Mart, which we all know couldn't possibly be true!
My mind is blown.
Yeah yeah. You would be considerably funnier, if Starcraft II didn't have state-of-the-art 3D, or if it didn't ban LAN games as part of a massive anti-piracy push. The world has changed, and Starcraft has changed with it; your sarcasm won't turn back the clock to 1998.
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