I haven't been to the movies in ages...because I have to drive 30 miles and pay 25$ parking fees to see a good one (in the big city)

The shit that comes out at the theatres around here is that generic Hollywood BS (I, Robot: 2 "I Harder")(or whatever) that I would be angry to pay 10$ for. The movie industry takes absolutely no risks, and as such, we have the same bland, horrible movies every year.

PC Gaming is following in the same direction BUT the big difference is that for 50$, I'll have not just a game, but a platform for developing mods, levels, textures, etc. The PC game industry is surviving on the fact that our gamers are smart, creative people who, not unlike the Native Americans who had 100019229 purposes for the buffalo, know how to get the most from the things we consume.

Console gaming will never crash as long as they maintain those prices and advertise they way they are now -- kids will always want to have the latest Madden or Halo or whatever just to say that they have it. It's a good marketing strategy that plays upon the widening class systems all over the world -- "HAHA I CAN BUY THIS BUT YOU CAN'T"

Finally, to throw an insane conspiracy theory out there for all of you, I simply believe that people are being dumbed down, and they don't really discriminate between what is fun and what is killing time. Madden 2009 vs Capcom Heros AHOY! 

*Heroes 

I think, since PC is so easy to warez for, more people need to buy the singleplayer games they like, so the game developers recognise it as a very profitable platform evenf or SP games.

People don't buy PC games because the mass market, the glorious land of milk and honey and large profits, doesn't keep up with technology required/doesn't want to deal with something they have to install to play/don't have the knowledge to get PC games working when their system is at fault. On the other hand, the mass market scoops up consoles and games for them because it's brain fucking dead easy to 1) buy console. 2)plug in console. 3)buy game 4) play game.

PCs as a gaming platform is going to slow down even more before it gets better. All your favorite devs are waking up and reliezing they're more likely to lose their hats making games for such a limited market which demands so much than if they spend that same money to make a console game that will sell 50 times the copies. 

Not enough undead in this thread.
http://65.127.124.62/south_asia/4483241.stm.htm 

 

The games industry didn't crash in the 80s because Atari employees ran out of ideas. It crashed because Atari started rushing games faster and faster which demands not using original ideas. *cough* EA *cough* New movies keep comming out after decads. New books keep comming out after centuries. Why innovation will suddenly stop so quickly in an interactive medium is beyond me. 

Why innovation will suddenly stop so quickly in an interactive medium is beyond me.

*cough* EA *cough*

You provided my own argument for me. Innovation won't stop, but is there enough to sustain the business model as is? Yeah, new movies keep coming out - really awesome movies like The Matrix: Revolutions and Catwoman.

Publishers are caring more about milking IP than experimenting with new gameplay because games are becoming such a massive investment to make now - the tried and true is safer on the bottom line than the unproven when you've gotta pay forty artists for three years, so aside from occasional gems it's all we're going to get unless the market (us) starts demanding more Quakes and less Quake 3 Arenas.

Also, I am aware of how cynical I am. 

also aware of just how dead sexy you are? 

I am starting to get sick of all these recent articles predicting the imminent death of the games industry.

I'd like to think they're a bunch of clueless wankstains that simply don't realize the massive potential that is there for brilliant, involving, original games... and I think in a way, that's right... however, the sad reality of the matter is, they do have a point.

Because if things keep going as they are, surely we cannot sustain the industry in its current state (who would want to, anyway?) Even Nintendo don't seem to be doing anything new (every new platform just has the same Mario and Zelda games... come on, if you're not going to give us new gameplay, you could at least make a new character or something!)

Of course, what most gamers unfortunately don't realise (unless they work for a game developer), is that there is plenty of potential for new game ideas and designs... it is just potential that will never be realised within the current developer/publisher model.

New, creative, innovative games simply cannot happen because publishers will not take a risk on original titles. Its all about guaranteed revenue for their shareholders, so they're going to churn out the next game based on proven IP rather than trying something new.

Most original games designs and ideas will be kept in the bottom drawer until the developers can secure alternative funding for the projects (which might be never). 

waluigi 

Frib: right.

Pope: unfortunately it's my best kept secret. :( 

Yes. Except Viewtiful Joe and Killer 7. Killer 7 has yet to materialize, though. 

...both by Capcom, who can afford to take a few risks at making a new franchise they'll beat into the ground while making Street Fighter Alpha Omega Turbo 2, Megaman 35, and Resident Evil 71 1/2. 

Over and over and over... 

So let's say the current business model is broken. Some how the accountants got in charge and release nothing but tepid crap. People aren't entertained so they stop buying those games. The industry contracts but an alternative business model presents itself. People buy the new games, and because the new model is lucrative so it's widely adopted. The problem solves itself.

Lun: sure there are shitty movies, and there will always be shitty games. But there are also inspired movies and there will always be inspired games. 

entities doesn't really work i think and i can't test the level i made i made an perfectly nice level and it's not working. i have counter-strike: condition zero + swat3 / I HAD HALFLIFE but deleted it from hard-drive too many MB's and more, i want anyone tell anyone bout this i want real for real stuff, like when i'm making a cubed-box and what should i do next should it be an entity that has func_block or func_wall or func_msgboard hehe' but serously i want helping instructions so i can get it to the net and stuff, i have no bsp compressor, only map. rmf. max. dxf. etc. and more of that shit. 

In the off chance you are serious, deleting Half-Life would surely destroy your entities, yes. Don't do that! 

please search at www.google.com for wc3.3 tutorials, there are plenty.
it's rather boring to explain basics here when they're written all over the gaming sites like www.gamedesign.net etc etc. 

Where can I get the quakeworld modification that supports coop? Trying to get some coop going on at work, but there are too many people (i.e. more than 4) who want to play. Please gimme an url that isn't fileplanet (blocked.)

Also, can someone tell me where the quake tools for radiant can be found? I've been using radiant for RTCW mapping for so long I don't want to go back to WC unless I absolutely must.

Cheers in advance. (or "well, fuck you then!" in advance, if you don't know :) 

the best qw client is www.fuhquake.net, we played coop using it w/o probs.

tools for q3 engine
http://www.shaderlab.com/

tools for q1 engine
http://user.tninet.se/~xir870k/ 

This is an obvious troll guys. Probably someone from D3W (we seem to have had quite a few trolls from there recently, I wonder why ^_~) 

we must protect ourselves from these creatures... we must raise giant stone walls and sturdy wooden gates...
we must train best moderators to snipe these bastards on sight... 

Be careful, they regenerate rapidly but are susceptible to flame.

That's what my Monster Manual says anyways... 

rumblebox.