Discussion
This weekend I finally gave in and bought an Xbox One with this and Assassins Creed Black Flag. So far I've been impressed with Watch Dogs, I haven't found the driving to be anywhere near as bad as people have said. The first couple of hours of play are a bit full on, but once you get the hang of how the game plays it becomes very enjoyable. I'm not particularly overwhelmed with the storyline yet, but it's still early days - I've only played 4 hours or so and a lot of that has just been spent roaming the city stealing money from people.
Also, am I the only one who can't resist the urge, even when I'm on a critical mission, to hack bridges so they rise up as I drive over them? Every time!
Also, am I the only one who can't resist the urge, even when I'm on a critical mission, to hack bridges so they rise up as I drive over them? Every time!
Mastodon2 said:
They're a demographic that's young, affluent and trendy, with active and varied lives, hence the entertainment platform style of the Xbox and PS doing so well. On the other hand, pc gaming will probably always have the stigma of being a bit "Still lives in his mother's basement"-esque, and market share or not, that's not really an image many companies want to be associated with.
What a load of b
ks.vonuber said:
What a load of bks.
Except it's not. TV advertising slots at times when the 20-40 audience are watching tv has loads of advertising for console gaming, in particular the XB1 and PS4, as well as casual, app-based gaming ads. Nintendo tend to dominate the slots for a younger audience with their Wii and DS platform advertising. When was the last time you saw an advert for PC gaming on tv? The last one I can recall is WoW, which is a huge earner, but lets not pretend that it's something a cool or affluent audience buy into. Same again with men's mags (and the more downmarket lad's mags), again advertising console gaming. Where are the PC gaming ads? Console gaming went mainstream years ago, tell the boys in the office that you've got a console and you'll be one of the guys, try telling them about your latest graphics card and uprated water-cooling system for your "rig" and see the blank faces and stifled laughs. The companies involved know this - playing games from your sofa is cool, even online gaming via console doesn't have the stigma, but sitting in your darkened bedroom, hunched over a desk in front of multiple screens, hands twisted into claws from trying to micro-manage your level 43 Fey Druid with your special MMPORG mouse isn't an image that marketing companies have really try to associate with or target yet.ks.There's nothing wrong with being a nerd or having a nerdy hobby, but why pretend PC gaming holds some status that is does not?
Edited by Mastodon2 on Monday 30th June 21:11
I was going to buy it after seeing the previews then changed my mind after seeing the reviews.
But... I've got a copy from a friend and I'm finding it really enjoyable. Nice mix of driving bits, shooting, stealth (not sure about the 'puzzles' so much) and hours seem to disappear when playing. Not hacked any other online players yet, but been hacked a few times which is annoying but satisfying when find and kill them. I wouldn't have been disappointed if I'd bought it.
But... I've got a copy from a friend and I'm finding it really enjoyable. Nice mix of driving bits, shooting, stealth (not sure about the 'puzzles' so much) and hours seem to disappear when playing. Not hacked any other online players yet, but been hacked a few times which is annoying but satisfying when find and kill them. I wouldn't have been disappointed if I'd bought it.
Mastodon2 said:
Console gaming went mainstream years ago, tell the boys in the office that you've got a console and you'll be one of the guys, try telling them about your latest graphics card and uprated water-cooling system for your "rig" and see the blank faces and stifled laughs. The companies involved know this - playing games from your sofa is cool, even online gaming via console doesn't have the stigma, but sitting in your darkened bedroom, hunched over a desk in front of multiple screens, hands twisted into claws from trying to micro-manage your level 43 Fey Druid with your special MMPORG isn't an image that marketing companies have really try to associate with or target yet.
There's nothing wrong with being a nerd or having a nerdy hobby, but why pretend PC gaming holds some status that is does not?
I'm not sure what world you live in, but it's not this one. The reason consoles are marketed so much is that they make more money from console sales (because people are stupid enough to pay £40-£60 a time for the latest pile of drivel) and they know they have a captive audience who buy based on brand image alone (Xbone is better! No, PS4! Xbonnneeee!)There's nothing wrong with being a nerd or having a nerdy hobby, but why pretend PC gaming holds some status that is does not?
But hey, if you think you are one of the 'cool' kids, knock yourself out. Marketing has done it's job.
And for what it's worth, I can play games from my sofa to through my TV on my PC. I just chose not to.
Mastodon2 said:
Ok mate.
No problem, I have no issue with you playing on your console. Go for it. Just don't pretend you are some form of 'cool/trendy' demographic by doing so, we are all in the end playing the same games.. except some of us play them with better graphics and for less money 
vonuber said:
No problem, I have no issue with you playing on your console. Go for it. Just don't pretend you are some form of 'cool/trendy' demographic by doing so, we are all in the end playing the same games.. except some of us play them with better graphics and for less money
You're clearly some sort of hardline PC zealot, why argue?
Lots of people into gaming play on multiple formats. Casual gamers see console gamers as geeky, console gamers look down on PC gamers as geeks and PC gamers thing Role Players are geeks. Hardcore gaming (anything that needs a specialist controller) is still mostly an activity for males and young ones at that. Females and older people and very poorly represented (but it's improving). The Wii and casual/phone gaming is helping here.
Gaming has never really been cool. Its image has improved since it moved into the living room though, it's now a more social activity, more people understand a game of BF and a beer is normalised. When and if games are discussed at work platform isn't really mentioned in my experience.
The PC is technically superior. The Console is easier to use and cheaper, that's why it's so popular. Nothing to do with cool.
Software houses just produce the same product 3 times PS, Xbox and PC. There is more profit in the consoles as they sell for a higher price.
Gaming has never really been cool. Its image has improved since it moved into the living room though, it's now a more social activity, more people understand a game of BF and a beer is normalised. When and if games are discussed at work platform isn't really mentioned in my experience.
The PC is technically superior. The Console is easier to use and cheaper, that's why it's so popular. Nothing to do with cool.
Software houses just produce the same product 3 times PS, Xbox and PC. There is more profit in the consoles as they sell for a higher price.
Gaming will only get bigger, and this is a good thing. It's my main hobby, after all. I do resent though, how it's moved towards so many AAA titles now, the golden age for me (probably with rose tinted retrospection) was the PS1 era, there were so many amazing games coming out then and they could be made so cheaply. Now, you just don't get those small titles. Even PC gaming has changed massively, no doubt the biggest rigs are impressive things but as we see now, so much of PC gaming is just fudged console ports. The great PC titles of yesteryear (like all the great Infinity Engine RPGs) have all but disappeared. Now we get a shiny and dull Crysis game and a gimped port of a game which is better on a console.
As for Watch Dogs, I was discussing this with a mate this morning. Several things we agreed on:
1) The end credits are too long. He fried a full pack of bacon waiting for them to finish. I thought they had rolled over and started again. The reward for waiting through them was hardly life-changing either.
2) In the next Watch Dogs game, money needs to be more meaningful, and much harder to come by. By the end of the game, I had half a million dollars. There isn't really anything to spend it on, so this needs to be addressed.
3) The police need to be nerfed a bit next time. At lower levels, the chases were good fun. At higher levels, they often reached a tipping point where escape became impossible. I think I managed one level 5 escape throughout the whole game. The relentless helicopter, which can be difficult to disable from a moving vehicle, was a pain. My impression was, that if you couldn't escape from the police in the first couple of minutes of a chase, it was unlike that you would be able to.
4) The story pacing was a bit iffy. I enjoyed the story campaign for the most part, but the second chapter felt like it dragged it's heels, and the end of the game wrapped up very quickly. A little redress to both areas would have made for a more balanced affair.
5) The shooting was the best part of the game.
As for Watch Dogs, I was discussing this with a mate this morning. Several things we agreed on:
1) The end credits are too long. He fried a full pack of bacon waiting for them to finish. I thought they had rolled over and started again. The reward for waiting through them was hardly life-changing either.
2) In the next Watch Dogs game, money needs to be more meaningful, and much harder to come by. By the end of the game, I had half a million dollars. There isn't really anything to spend it on, so this needs to be addressed.
3) The police need to be nerfed a bit next time. At lower levels, the chases were good fun. At higher levels, they often reached a tipping point where escape became impossible. I think I managed one level 5 escape throughout the whole game. The relentless helicopter, which can be difficult to disable from a moving vehicle, was a pain. My impression was, that if you couldn't escape from the police in the first couple of minutes of a chase, it was unlike that you would be able to.
4) The story pacing was a bit iffy. I enjoyed the story campaign for the most part, but the second chapter felt like it dragged it's heels, and the end of the game wrapped up very quickly. A little redress to both areas would have made for a more balanced affair.
5) The shooting was the best part of the game.
You do get the small games, especially on the PC and even the major consoles support the bigger indie stuff (Hotline Miami I've spotted on PS3 recently). Then you have stuff like Elite or Star Citizen plus the hardcore Sims these are 'indie' but also large scale and graphically impressive and PC only 9for now).
Finding clever innovative games is harder than the AAA stuff but that's like comparing One Direction to some indie band. You have to work for it. The indie market develops the next AAA look at Minecraft.
Finding clever innovative games is harder than the AAA stuff but that's like comparing One Direction to some indie band. You have to work for it. The indie market develops the next AAA look at Minecraft.
Baryonyx said:
2) In the next Watch Dogs game, money needs to be more meaningful, and much harder to come by. By the end of the game, I had half a million dollars. There isn't really anything to spend it on, so this needs to be addressed.
Completely agree with this, I've been wondering what I'm going to spend my money on. I spent a couple more hours playing last night (so up to about 6 in total), is there any weapon customisation available?Gassing Station | Video Games | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff