There are a lot of copy protection methods that can be very intrusive and annoying. However, it most definitely prevents "casual piracy". For the more advanced users, getting a pre-cracked game copy off Bittorrent might be trivial, but for a lot of people it is not. Whether this prevented piracy results in that person paying for the game or not playing it altogether is a whole different discussion. 

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168396

Stuff to see! 

Yes, rampling. *sigh* 

We are talking about like 500-1000 copies of old and mediocre games. With such a nichee you are a complete *** to throw copy-protection at your paying customers. 

Like Danny?

(that made sense I assure you ;)


Oh, and;

However, it most definitely prevents "casual piracy". For the more advanced users, getting a pre-cracked game copy off Bittorrent might be trivial, but for a lot of people it is not.

We are talking about Linux games here, I very much doubt that anyone capable of installing Linux is capable of warezing a game.

(I haven't actually decided what I think of this issue yet, it's too early in the morning to jump off the fence, will think+post later) 

Incapable.

Dammit. 

he makes a good point :) 

Installing and setting up a distribution like Ubuntu for basic computing tasks is easier than installing and configuring Windows XP for doing the same thing. Arguably, Windows XP is a 8 year old OS, but that is beside the point. Not to mention that several vendors ship computers with Linux pre-installed.

As such, the argument that whoever is using Linux is also capable of warezing a pre-cracked game does not hold any weight. 

Installing and setting up a distribution like Ubuntu for basic computing tasks is easier than installing and configuring Windows XP

that's until you run into issues. and you usually do. 

First Gears2 review!

http://revver.com/video/983176/gears-of-war-2/ 

I want my 20 seconds back. 

Arguably, Windows XP is a 8 year old OS, but that is beside the point.

Indeed, it is arguable - Windows XP was released in fall 2001, making it less than 7 years old. 

why does everyone call it "Gears"? is "Gears of War" that cumbersome to type/say?

Anyway, can't spend all day chatting - I'm off to fire up my PS2 to play some more "God". 

'Gears' is 2 less words than 'Gears of War'. We call it Gears around the office. 

is "Gears of War" that cumbersome to type/say?

y 

http://eu.blizzard.com/diablo3/ 

oh shit!

http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/games/tp 

I got through the first 12 levels, and then the game "encountered a problem" and I can't be fucked to start again from the beginning since there's no "load level X" or "continue". :p

Really nice use of simple physics and pathfinding to create interesting puzzles.

Jesus I hate him for using spacebar for restart though. Spacebar is cemented firmly in my brain as jump... 

I'm replaying HL2 this weekend and it's really as great as I remember it being during my first play through. It's cliche at this point to say it's one of the best games of the past 10 years, maybe ever but it's just really *fun* I've played a lot of games and the majority usually have at least an hour or two worth of gameplay that you just hate and you grind through it anyway. The thing that struck me about playing HL2 again is that at least for the first 5-6 hours so far, it's been nothing but pure fun. Being chased through the city at the beginning, then through the canals, then the boat ride through the canals, then blasting zombies with the gravity gun in Ravenholme, it's such a pure god damn joy to play this game. 

Still think HL1 was better . . . 

disagree on that. it was awesome at the time but i went back and played it after first playing 2 and found it incredibly frustrating in comparison. i just remember there being so many situations where you'd step out of line for as little as one second and die pretty much instantly..

i purchased EP2 on the day of release but still haven't had the chance to play it yet, kept crashing my pc. i need an upgrade :( 

.. makes no sense to me. OK one is so far better in gameplay, situations, etc... but come on, both have different engines performances, different texture set, etc... and have been released at different time, with many years of difference.
It is like comparing Doom and Doom3, or Commando with Quake.... and for this you can only have a personnal taste..
Game comparison makes sense when you are comparing games that have been released let's say the same year, and having more or less the same technology (e.g Doom3 s HL2, etc...): Let's try to compare apple to apple ;) 

I disagree, there's no reason not to compare games that weren't released in the same time frame, the gameplay has evolved, but not so much that you can't compare it.

I agree with rj about HL1, it's a great game, but there are really alot of instant death situations that are pretty annoying, they fixed that nicely in HL2.

Can't wait for EP3, want to see the Aperture Science tie in, and maybe eat some cake. 

It is like comparing Doom and Doom3, or Commando with Quake.... and for this you can only have a personnal taste..

i didn't imply anything else :)


it all boils down to personal taste at the end of things. 

Well, I'm just saying that I don't see the point in comparing a game that uis 10 years old with a nowaday game... not the same technology, not the same performances, not the same visual... so for me difficult to say yes, X was better than Y... when there is 10 years between each release... It is not the case for HL1 / 2 but, anyway, I guess it is more clear now ;)