CEO of Shop Carefully
http://www.shopcarefully.com

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You can’t trust the hyperbolic masses either.

“Here’s some screenshots of Deus Ex three, an-”

OMG ITS NUDDING LIEK DX1 ITS GON DA BE TURRBLE.

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i think the industry is big enough to start using ISO style standards that probably exist but nobody uses, you don’t even need to get forced to use them, just like any other industry, products from companies complying with several standards can ask for higher prices and have access to bigger and better markets than those that don’t

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erm joker those companies already exist. I cant see how anyone who has played pc games for a while can think this is a good idea.

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do doo dodo, doo doo dodoo doo

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-a DirectX like thing that properly handles hardware making it transparent to the software (why doesnt this exist now ? probably because of DirectX’s monopoly and lack of incentive)

-companies that specialize in testing games in different rigs, efficiently and with properly studied and optimized methods (every other industry has found the need to outsource tasks to groups that specialize in a specific part of development, why not gaming ?)

-etc…

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‘The current status quo, where licensed products are exempt from EU law, is unsatisfactory,’ she said.

At present, retailers are not obliged to give a refund on a video game that has a bug or glitch that prevents a user completing a game. If the proposals become law, this could change as users would have the right ‘to get a product that works with fair commercial conditions’.

Ms Kearns accepted that this assumes honesty on the part of users and that the system could be abused by people playing the game for a few weeks and then taking it back with a fraudulent fault.

‘On the one hand there is the risk of abuse, but on the other it’s not a good enough reason to say basic consumer protection should not apply.’ ”

So she wants a dialogue with the industry? It sounds like the decision has been made and she wants developers to monologue their agreement with the new proposal.

The problem with this is that there’s no way of knowing how much this will increase the cost of game development, particularly when a lot of PC publishers are on the financial brink. If you’ve noticed, the MSRP of PC games has fallen below that of console games by 20% or more. This despite the fact that it’s more costly to develop for the PC and all its variations. There’s no doubt that PC game purchases have declined steadily, especially compared to the explosive growth of console games. Raising the cost of the games will stunt sales even further, and could lead to the abandonment or cancellation of risky projects (as many others have mentioned). And that’s not taking into account the effect of physical returns, which are actually more expensive and troublesome than simple non-sales, by either fraudulent or incompetent consumers. (It only takes a small percentage of miscreants to screw it up for everyone).

As a PC gamer, I voluntarily trade off the security of console gaming for the increased compatibility and customization, and unusual off-beat games by small developers that wouldn’t make the console cut. This often requires more time and patience with developer mistakes, but that is a choice that I voluntarily make. I’m considering the terrible irony that these laws, under the guise of increased protection, will actually restrict my choices of gameplay. Or in other words, I’m willing to sacrifice a little security for a little liberty.

“(Excuse that floating ‘n’ – a bug in our polling plugin)”

I demand a refund. ;)

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“…
If you bought a toaster and it didn’t work you’d take it back. Same with a vacuum cleaner, TV, DVD player, car. You take it back. You’re protected and you should get your money back if you want it.”

Can we drop the ridiculous toaster analogy by now? Is there any compatibility issue with toasters remotely similar to PC software? Are there any health and safety considerations with software? Can a toaster be copied and returned for a refund?

“However most game’s retailers won’t give you your money back because, technically, it IS working, it’s just not working on my particular spec. I consider that out of my control; why the hell should I pay another grand or so on a different machine or on improvements to my rig just so see if the game works or works better?”

First it doesn’t cost a grand to upgrade a machine. If your system is out of spec, then that is darn well within your control. Part of PC gaming is using a machine meeting or exceeding the specifications required by the software; this is a responsibility of the gamer. Console gamers reliquish this responsibility in return for reduced freedom with the hardware.

“You should get your money back plain and simple, I can’t even see the other side of the argument to be honest.”

Clearly!

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“In any other industry it would be 100% unnaceptable for a company to deliver an unfinished or non-working product. If a car company shipped a new car model without steering wheels, they would likely go out of business, but it’s ok to ship games without “steering wheels” as long as the developers let the consumers download a “steering wheel” later?”

Wow, just wow.

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