How do you guys deal with this???

Kokopelli · Feb 3, 2004

It has come to my understanding that the hobby of "gamer" is one of the most frustrating hobbies one can have. You're constantly on the look out for newest game, upgrading your system to run that game, and it tends to agitate the wife a little. My problem is that like the FPS and RTS genres.

So it's especially annoying when they have two equally good-looking games coming out the same time. e.g. Desert Rats vs Afrika Korps (3/24/2004) and Far Cry (3/24/2004) This is cruel as they're following the releases of Athena Sword (3/5/2004) and Lords of the Realm III. (3/16/2004) To top it all off, you have Full Spectrum Warrior (4/14/2004) out in April. This is just Q1:2004, there's plenty more titles to come.

Now it comes down to the decisions. What to buy, etc. While reviews help, they're not always definitive on whether the game will be good. I bought NFS: Underground before X-mas based on the reviews. Fun game, single player. Multi-player was a pre-pubecent cheatfest that totally killed the appeal of the game.

So to my fellow gamers, what would you do in this situation? I'm thinking about simply not buying some of the titles. But which titles do I not buy? As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy FPS and RTS, so it's really difficult when deciding which title to purchase. Comments, questions, flames?

Note: My "game time" is usually in the evenings after 2100. My wife and daughter usually go to bed around that time. So I kill a few hours gaming. The time before that is dedicated to them though.

Dracil · Feb 3, 2004

Play the demos.

Kokopelli · Feb 3, 2004

Dracil said:
Play the demos.

Been there, done that.

What I'm basically getting at, is say all of the mentioned titles are really good, which do you go for in that situation?

Grolin · Feb 3, 2004

Just play arcade games, that way you never need to upgrade your computer.

In all seriousness... you can only dedicate time to so many games simultaneously. They're not gonna pull a game off the market in a week, you know. So just go with whatever, if you think it sucks you can return it or trade it in for another one.

Kokopelli · Feb 3, 2004

You do have have a point there, Grolin. Especially since the Computer show that rolls through here often has really good deals with on games. ($16.00 for a full, new, legal copy of SimCity4 Dulux when it's around $40.00 at EB)

I know I'm definitely buying FSW when it's released.

Aggie · Feb 3, 2004

Every time I try to install a PC game, there's some sort of compatability problem that takes me several hours to identify and fix.

That's why I prefer consoles.

Dracil · Feb 3, 2004

Find a friend who also wants the games. You buy half, he buys half. When you're both done, just trade them.

Tier · Feb 3, 2004

When I picked my first system (N64) ti was simply because my friends all had it. As the next gens came out, we split, some going pure Xbox, a few getting Xbox and gamecube, and (myself) just getting Gamecube. We all dislike sony, so PS2 wasn't an option. I don't worry about any game that isn't on GC, fact is I probably don't know about it. I also only play about 4-6 hours a week, pretty casual.

CHR15T05 · Feb 3, 2004

I have the perfect solution..... become a multimedia developer, move from the UK where there is LOADS of work, to West Australia where there is none, and start your own Multimedia business.

Before long, what game you want to buy will not even be an option as there will be far more pressing financial issues.

..it's what I did

But anyway (now that my prayer request is out the way) I second the consol motion. Buying a consol does get rid of the upgrade issues at least. Allthough, only until they bring out the NEXT generation on Consols.

Lets face it, it's a businesses designed to keep the public spending. Pure and simple.

Still I was once into Model Railways (Yeah you can stop laughing now) and that wasn't much cheeper a hobby.

OceanAngel · Feb 3, 2004

Aggie said:
Every time I try to install a PC game, there's some sort of compatability problem that takes me several hours to identify and fix.

That's why I prefer consoles.

I like this as it shows that pc gamers are more mature that console gamers as they can fix problems that occur and.....hang on I've just remember a few friends that were confused when thier pc told them to install a new driver and phoned me ask what that was...

In general I hope, pc gamers get more from games because of the wonderful modding community (counterstrike and Desert combat, need I say more)

I would rather play games on pcs these days and dont think I could ever go back to console owning but thats just me. I have the pc vs console arguement alot with a few of friends(its the ones i mentioned earler btw)

CHR15T05 · Feb 3, 2004

The UK Cowboy said:
I like this as it shows that pc gamers are more mature that console gamers as they can fix problems that occur and.....hang on I've just remember a few friends that were confused when thier pc told them to install a new driver and phoned me ask what that was...

In general I hope, pc gamers get more from games because of the wonderful modding community (counterstrike and Desert combat, need I say more)

I would rather play games on pcs these days and dont think I could ever go back to console owning but thats just me. I have the pc vs console arguement alot with a few of friends(its the ones i mentioned earler btw)

I think i'd agree in part, but I don't think it's an "either/or" descision. I own 2 main PC's (2.4 GHz P4 HT with 1 GB Ram, 128MB Geforce FX 5600, 80 GB HDD, Lanned with a P4 Laptop sharing ADSL) and while I use them for work I LOVE playing games on them. Keyboard and mouse controls own over consols game pads for sure, and I think there is a more mature age group involved in PC gaming.

However I also own an Xbox and love it to bits. Halo rocks! Nuff said. But while the PC has the side of power and online, the Xbox is nicer because it's more relaxing (sitting in the lounge and not the study), and better for your eyes (im the other side of the room from the TV, while in the study the screen remains inches from my eyes... ouch)

I also find consols more sociable. Yes online with the PC is a socail past time in it's self, but it's not the same as having 3 mates over (or more if your consol lanning) and getting some beer (can I say beer in here?) and piza and having a laugh on the Xbox.

Lets not get silly. We are not talking about a football team here. YOu can like both

Felron · Feb 3, 2004

if you want info about games that you like, or are thinking about buying go to www.gamespot.com or www.ign.com

they have great articles about games, and gamespot has really great reviews, i cant say the same for ign because they are paid by a few companies and are threatend/bribed to give a lesser or a better review for some games.

CHR15T05 · Feb 3, 2004

hmm.... I've been thinking about setting up a "games review" website where the whole ethos is:
1) Reviews are writen by the paying public NOT jernos
2) Reviews are writen after playing FULL and FINAL RELEASE versions and not demo's.

Just an idea.

Felron · Feb 4, 2004

Well i dont think its that good of a idea to do that, who would go to a site for reviews if its not a profesioninal writing them.

and what do you mean by jernos

and i dont think ANYONE writes a review after playing a demo.

CHR15T05 · Feb 4, 2004

Yep im afriad many "reviews" as well as "previews" are written after the "Journalists" have been shown incomplete versions of the game.

Why? Because MANY top magazines and sites are advertising portals for the industry. When is the best time to advertise and get people excited about your projuct? BEFORE release!

Who do you think keeps the magazines and websites going? The $x you pay at the news agent isn't enough. (Look into print costs! I know). Most of the revenue to keep these businesses running is from advertising revenue. Dont be fooled into thinking the adverts are ONLY those big full page graphics you see. A good review is a far better advert that any full page graphic.

Sorry, but that's the truth.

It happens in all lines of Journalism and that's just the way it works. Ever seen a "New Business Profile" in your local paper? Think the paper writes the story out of the kindness of thier heart?

But Don't get me started. My big bug bear is those "too obviouse to spot" TV programs where they "review" the lastest vacuume cleaner and then.... oh, after 30 minutes of brain washing you as to how good it is, you can ring this number and buy one. How convenient lol.

If I did run the site, of course I wouldn't accept reviews that were written poorly. The idea is that the reviews are written by "players" as opposed to people that are paid to say nice things. That's all. Just an idea. Hmm maybe I should run a poll?

cartridge · Feb 4, 2004

I find it irritating that I have to keep upgrading my systemn to play games, so I buy RPG's ec, because you can play them for years and not get board, thus saving the need to constantly upgrade ones system.

I play baldurs gate, etc. the finnest single RPG series to have been released.

MediocrityInAction · Feb 4, 2004

cartridge said:
I find it irritating that I have to keep upgrading my systemn to play games, so I buy RPG's ec, because you can play them for years and not get board, thus saving the need to constantly upgrade ones system.

I play baldurs gate, etc. the finnest single RPG series to have been released.

I'd second that, although I personally prefer the Fallout series. Realiser that just because a game is new doesn't neccessarily mean that it is better. Sure, many new games have top of the range graphics, but that does not improve the gameplay. Sometimes it is a case of not being able to see the gameplay for the trees (or skyscrapers, or rubble, or other superfluous 3 dimentional flimflammery). More than half of new game releases drop from sight in less than 6 months, so by waiting for them to establish a following, not only do you get an idea of what has long-term appeal, but by then, they will probably be reduced in price, too. And for whoever said that only consoles can be used to network games with friends, I have a jumbo router and 100m of network cabling which says otherwise.

CHR15T05 · Feb 4, 2004

MediocrityInAction said:
Sure, many new games have top of the range graphics, but that does not improve the gameplay.

K so I have a state of the Art PC and a Lan and an Xbox, but do you know what I'm building?

A 386 PC with 8MB Ram and an ISA SB16 sound card. It's running DOS v5 and I am writing a menu that will apear on boot. From this menu the user (me ) can choose one of 7 classic arcade games (Space invades, pacman, frogger, to name a few).

Gonna make a nostalgic arcade style stand up cabinet, paint it up, and place it in the corner of my pool room.

I thought about using a newer machine and having it as a duke box, TV, and web portal too but naaaaaah!

Funny but I am soooo excieted about getting it finished.

Game play rules OK!!!

Kokopelli · Feb 4, 2004

Some interesting responses. I frequently visit gamespot.com, gamefaqs.com, and gamesdomain.com for reviews. I'm also a subscriber to Computer Games magazine. I like gamespot.com because they offer the reviewer's scores as well as the reader's scores on the game. As for the magazine, IMHO, it's written for a more mature audience by adults and not by some pre-pubescent fan boy catering to the wills of the game companies. Don't get me wrong, CG magazine has it's share of adverts, but the reviews have been pretty accurate so far. One thing I've learned early on - it's always good to read the reviews. Thankfully this is '04 and we've been spoiled with the web and access to free reviews. I can remember gaming in the 80s and not being able to find very many mags (other than Nintendo Power which did little since I wasn't a Nintendo player) for what was available.

Since starting this thread though, I've actually narrowed the "choices" down. Since I like RvS and the release date corresponds with my bday, I've dropped the hint to my wife. As for Far Cry and Lords of the Realm III, I'll wait for the reviews. But I do plan on buying Full Spectrum Warrior the day it's released. (I swear I'm not associated with the company, I just think it's going to be an awesome game) Sheesh, why couldn't I have picked a hobby like RC Car racing or diving?

OceanAngel · Feb 4, 2004

I've played the demo for Far Cry and it truely rocks.

You even see shadows on your P90, its truely amazing.

How do you guys deal with this???

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