Sonic Generations

[gr4yJ4Y]

I don't get the excitement about the PC version. Like I'm not against the game being available to more people, but it seems like people are really eager for there to be a PC version this time around. No one cared if there was a PC version of Unleashed. Are you guys just not on board with current-gen consoles or what?

[FlashTHD]

I don't get the excitement about the PC version. Like I'm not against the game being available to more people, but it seems like people are really eager for there to be a PC version this time around. No one cared if there was a PC version of Unleashed. Are you guys just not on board with current-gen consoles or what?

Modding. or piracy!

[Alexrd]

I don't get the excitement about the PC version. Like I'm not against the game being available to more people, but it seems like people are really eager for there to be a PC version this time around. No one cared if there was a PC version of Unleashed. Are you guys just not on board with current-gen consoles or what?

In my case, I don't have a current-gen console. Besides, this is classic Sonic gameplay (and done right, for what I can see). Not the Unleashed crap.

[Crisis]

No one cared about Unleashed, period.

[Farmer]

I don't get the excitement about the PC version. Like I'm not against the game being available to more people, but it seems like people are really eager for there to be a PC version this time around. No one cared if there was a PC version of Unleashed. Are you guys just not on board with current-gen consoles or what?

There was no mention of a potential PC release of Unleashed, but I'm sure a similar hype would have sprung up had there been.
Also, some people have a gaming computer, but not the disposable income to buy a console. Like me.

[Neo]

I hope there is a retail PC version, and without that Steam DRM crap.

I hope there's a Steam version, without that "Insert DVD into disc drive" crap.

[Isuka]

City Escape looks a tad bit better than it did at first. I was about to agree with Neo in that it looked... "different" in some way. Maybe it was the lighter color palette. It's too cartoony for my taste, that's been something of a trend since Unleashed, with maybe the exception of Sonic 4 and the Rush titles which I haven't played nor watched much footage of.

Other than that, I agree pretty much 100% with FlashTHD: no matter how you look at them, the Adventure titles resemble more the original Mega Drive games than the newer ones in terms of mechanics and pacing. I think I'm mostly over my hate of anything Rush/ Unleashed and learned to accept them, but I'll never go as far as saying they are Sonic games. Boosting and extremely loose controls (about on par with Heroes and Shadow and definitely looser than Adventure 2, and I've been playing that game at least once or twice a week for the past year), among other things, feel to me as Sonic-y as fishing, guns and THE POWER OF TEAMWORK.

And of course Holic's right. I mean, you can be a [whatever] fan and still recognize [whatever] has been going down the shitter for the past couple years due to an obvious lack of talent, or at least notice that it's long past its heyday and should show a tad bit less excitement over everything [whatever].

[Alexrd]

I hope there is a retail PC version, and without that Steam DRM crap.

I hope there's a Steam version, without that "Insert DVD into disc drive" crap.

There is crap, and intrusive crap. Steam is the latter.

There was no mention of a potential PC release of Unleashed, but I'm sure a similar hype would have sprung up had there been.

Until people learned about the Werehog, that is...

[Farmer]

I hope there is a retail PC version, and without that Steam DRM crap.

I hope there's a Steam version, without that "Insert DVD into disc drive" crap.

There is crap, and intrusive crap. Steam is the latter.

How is Steam intrusive apart from logging in, which is to be expected of an online gaming network? It even allows installation on multiple PCs concurrently, which elevates it above any other software DRM - or license - I know of

[Alexrd]

How is Steam intrusive apart from logging in, which is to be expected of an online gaming network?

And since when is an online gaming network required to play a game I buy? It's intrusive DRM, no matter what. You need to install Steam, have an internet connection to activate the game, and only then be able to play the game you bought.

I really hope the retail version of Generations doesn't come with it.

[Isuka]

An Internet connection is necessary to play an offline game? That's just totally stupid. They should also cut the crap with SecuROM, a Windows PC already runs enough resource-consuming bullshit as it is.

[Alexrd]

An Internet connection is necessary to play an offline game?

Those who have Steam as DRM, yes. At least for activation. It's still wrong, since it's a payed service and not free or granted to be considered a minimum requirenment.

That's just totally stupid. They should also cut the crap with SecuROM, a Windows PC already runs enough resource-consuming bullshit as it is.

Indeed.

[Neo]

You need to [...] have an internet connection

Considering that Steam is also a digital distribution system, you can probably use the same internet connection you used to download the game in order to play it, right?

Steam also has an offline mode, but I'll admit, it's shoddy at best. You need to go online in order to make it switch to offline mode -- their reasoning is that you're supposed to preemptively turn on offline mode when you know you're going to be without an internet connection -- why can't it just start up in offline from the get go, and then ask me if I want to go online? It's not like you can cheat, anyway, you can't unlock achievements while you're offline, so what's the point?

[Alexrd]

You need to [...] have an internet connection

Considering that Steam is also a digital distribution system, you can probably use the same internet connection you used to download the game in order to play it, right?

Oh, but I'm talking about the retail version, not the digital one. Because some retail games do have Steam attached to it.

[Crowbar]

Having to be connected to the internet to play an offline game may be (theoretically) a hassle but it's not actually inherently "intrusive".

You may not like Steam but thousands and thousands of people are using it to play games all the time now with no problem. And while I don't know the specifics of either Steam or SecuROM, only the latter ever seems to get any flak, so I'd be cautious about comparing them.

[Alexrd]

Having to be connected to the internet to play an offline game may be (theoretically) a hassle but it's not actually inherently "intrusive".

It's intrusive when the program is not necessary to play a game, and is being made as if it is.

You may not like Steam but thousands and thousands of people are using it to play games all the time now with no problem.

Good for them. They've accepted it, since they like what Steam as a service has to offer. Others, like me, think one should not be obliged to install a service he doesn't want or needs, in order to play the game he bought.

And while I don't know the specifics of either Steam or SecuROM, only the latter ever seems to get any flak, so I'd be cautious about comparing them.

I never compared both. I only said that Steam is an intrusive DRM (which it is), and I only hope the retail version of Generations doesn't come with it.

[G.Silver]

It's intrusive when the program is not necessary to play a game, and is being made as if it is.

This is not really a very good definition for "intrusive."

[Esrever]

I've played lots of Steam games on my laptop while traveling in places with no internet connection, so I guess I'm not sure what you guys are talking about! Is it something that only certain games require?

[Radrappy]

correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he's referring to the internet being required for activating the games you've purchased. Once activated, you can do as you please.

[Alexrd]

It's intrusive when the program is not necessary to play a game, and is being made as if it is.

This is not really a very good definition for "intrusive."

It stand between you and your game, and is not necessary. You are obliged to create an account, and install it without any benefit. I'd say is intrusive, yes.

correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he's referring to the internet being required for activating the games you've purchased. Once activated, you can do as you please.

Indeed. I believe I mentioned "activation".

[G.Silver]

It stand between you and your game, and is not necessary. You are obliged to create an account, and install it without any benefit. I'd say is intrusive, yes.

Does "developers get paid for their product and are encouraged to continue making products" count as a benefit? If you have a better suggestion than releasing software for free and hoping people pay for it out of the goodness of their hearts, I'd love to hear your ideas, but Steam is a pretty minor inconvenience in exchange for all the good it's done for so many people. It's also got other features like an integrated friends list and other options to assist in multiplayer if you're into that sort of thing. You might as well say that the Xbox and PS3 dashboards are intrusive, or that it's intrusive to have to turn on your TV in order to play games on it.

[Alexrd]

Does "developers get paid for their product and are encouraged to continue making products" count as a benefit?

No. Because that benefit comes from the money I payed for the game.

If you have a better suggestion than releasing software for free and hoping people pay for it out of the goodness of their hearts, I'd love to hear your ideas, but Steam is a pretty minor inconvenience in exchange for all the good it's done for so many people.

Good to whom? People who like the service, or people who are obliged to install a service they didn't pay for nor want? Those who don't pay the game are the ones who get the "DRM free" version of the game. People who pay the games are the ones who get all the "intrusive protections" in order to play it.

It's also got other features like an integrated friends list and other options to assist in multiplayer if you're into that sort of thing.

That's all fine for a service, but I didn't ask for it. It's not something optional.

You might as well say that the Xbox and PS3 dashboards are intrusive, or that it's intrusive to have to turn on your TV in order to play games on it.

Not comparable. One is the console software (much like an operative system) and the other is something necessary to play the game.

[Crisis]

I'm gonna have to agree that Steam is a bit intrusive. Aside from activation, it also demands that users give away personal information (email address, home address, credit card info) that gets stored on a separate database. Additionally, the Steam servers are unreliable and on more than one occasion Steam has outright refused to install a game I had paid for due to an internal error - I had to dig deep into the program's configuration files and basically hack the damn thing to work. Having an unreliable program would be less of an issue if their customer support wasn't complete shite - it took me literally 5 days to receive a response to a ticket, which was just "Sorry, we don't support Boot Camp - run Steam on Mac in future", which would be swell except that Steam for Mac doesn't run most of the games I paid for. And considering I also paid for a copy of Windows, and considering that it runs perfectly fine in Boot Camp, I was not a happy customer.

I still use Steam because, for the most part, it's still more convenient than the alternatives, and generally much cheaper as well. But that's not really saying much.

[gr4yJ4Y]

Indeed. I believe I mentioned "activation".

As in when you install the game? Or every time you boot up your game?

[Alexrd]

Additionally, the Steam servers are unreliable and on more than one occasion Steam has outright refused to install a game I had paid for due to an internal error - I had to dig deep into the program's configuration files and basically hack the damn thing to work.

Yes, that's another problem. Relying of external servers. I wonder what happens when Steam ceases to exist... I guess you can't install the game anymore, since they have nothing covering that "situation" on the SSA.

As in when you install the game?

Yes.