What Video Games Are You Currently Playing

[keanu reeves]

so far i've been to thirty planets and they're all dead rocks with basically the same spore creature lol fauna running around. not really anything weird or fascinating in the game. it's clear to me that they rushed this thing out without a solid foundation and absolutely nothing beyond the generative worlds aspect. should have been an early access title, i wouldn't be complaining if it had been a steam summer sale thing like the forest or whatever other games are still in development. i guess it's kind of relaxing to fly around to planets and there's very minute variation in the environments but the game is so basic and boring, the mining/crafting aspect is just not developed at all, combat is terrible, graphics suck... total waste of sixty bucks.

Edited August 16, 2016 by keanu reeves

[Hugh Mughnus]

you should try playing it on acid or mushrooms or something

 

 

 

 

or is that too millenial  snowflake for you lol

Edited August 16, 2016 by StephenG

[Hugh Mughnus]

I'm just f'ing around btw. 

 

 

I haven't played the game but the vibrant colours and slightly off graphics just look like they're begging for some drug enhancement.

[Squee]

so far i've been to thirty planets and they're all dead rocks with basically the same spore creature lol fauna running around. not really anything weird or fascinating in the game. it's clear to me that they rushed this thing out without a solid foundation and absolutely nothing beyond the generative worlds aspect. should have been an early access title, i wouldn't be complaining if it had been a steam summer sale thing like the forest or whatever other games are still in development. i guess it's kind of relaxing to fly around to planets and there's very minute variation in the environments but the game is so basic and boring, the mining/crafting aspect is just not developed at all, combat is terrible, graphics suck... total waste of sixty bucks.

 

I agree with parts of what you're saying. I was talking to a friend of mine last night about the game. Neither of us have played it, so we're probably just talking out our asses in some ways, but we were talking about the marketing of the game. I think the marketing hurt the game. Actually, I think most marketing hurts most games unless you're super careful about what you show and tell. The best marketing the last couple of years have been for The Witness. Jonathan Blow said that it's a game where you solve line puzzles - and that was it. He didn't promise anything else and instead people discovered all sorts of stuff for themselves. The same goes for Inside. And yes, I know you can't do this for any title. It'd be kinda weird to publish COD19 without saying a word - then on the other hand, I don't know how much you can say about COD these days.

Anyway, I wonder if it ended up hurting the development and the marketing that Sony jumped in to support No Man's Sky. Did Sony require all sorts of Triple-A marketing from a small publisher that was basically developing a $20-30 indie game? What if it had been just another Steam game that one day showed up on the frontpage and then became popular over night due people talking about it?

 

Anyway, I'm just babbling on...

[Hugh Mughnus]

Nah, I think you hit the nail on the head. A classic case of overhyping a product you know?

 

Kind of a tangent but I think that's why Tomorrow's Harvest was received to such mixed reviews.

[Silent Member]

I've watched a couple of streams of people playing nms, and it looks boring as hell, not nearly enough variation. Seems like you just go around slowly harvesting the same damned resources in similar looking environments, with the odd variation here and there. Looks completely underwhelming.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Gocab

[Guest]

 

so far i've been to thirty planets and they're all dead rocks with basically the same spore creature lol fauna running around. not really anything weird or fascinating in the game. it's clear to me that they rushed this thing out without a solid foundation and absolutely nothing beyond the generative worlds aspect. should have been an early access title, i wouldn't be complaining if it had been a steam summer sale thing like the forest or whatever other games are still in development. i guess it's kind of relaxing to fly around to planets and there's very minute variation in the environments but the game is so basic and boring, the mining/crafting aspect is just not developed at all, combat is terrible, graphics suck... total waste of sixty bucks.

 

I agree with parts of what you're saying. I was talking to a friend of mine last night about the game. Neither of us have played it, so we're probably just talking out our asses in some ways, but we were talking about the marketing of the game. I think the marketing hurt the game. Actually, I think most marketing hurts most games unless you're super careful about what you show and tell. The best marketing the last couple of years have been for The Witness. Jonathan Blow said that it's a game where you solve line puzzles - and that was it. He didn't promise anything else and instead people discovered all sorts of stuff for themselves. The same goes for Inside. And yes, I know you can't do this for any title. It'd be kinda weird to publish COD19 without saying a word - then on the other hand, I don't know how much you can say about COD these days.

Anyway, I wonder if it ended up hurting the development and the marketing that Sony jumped in to support No Man's Sky. Did Sony require all sorts of Triple-A marketing from a small publisher that was basically developing a $20-30 indie game? What if it had been just another Steam game that one day showed up on the frontpage and then became popular over night due people talking about it?

 

Anyway, I'm just babbling on...

 

Purely from a hype/marketing perspective, on Steam alone NMS has over 38000 user reviews. If everyone of those users bought the game, that alone nets $2.5million 4 days. Of course this isn't counting all the other PS4 and PC sales. That's pretty decent.

 

With so many people diving into the hype of a gorgeous looking generative universe, I suspect a lot of people would have expected a lot more for a $60 game; hence the mixed reviews. But reviews are tipping more on the positive side than negative which is probably normal for such a niche game with so much hype. Like you said, if this was under the radar with smaller fanfare, it might have become a sleeper hit with the right demographic.

 

Edit: Also, for some of us, NMS meant going from this:

 

 

To this:

 

Edited August 16, 2016 by Guest

[pcock]

i couldnt imagine any possible way you could make 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets actually interesting to explore, and it doesnt seem like its happened. 

[doublename]

I feel like an open world almost always translates to repetitive, mind numbing gameplay.

[Joyrex]

i just hope wff comes with the ability to choose dub/sub settings. never played a decent jrpg with localized vo that wasn't vomit inducing

I preordered the Day One Edition, which apparently includes the Japanese dub as a bonus, which means either it by default does NOT come with the JP Dub and you'll need to pay extra for it as DLC. Typical Square gouging.

 

 

so far i've been to thirty planets and they're all dead rocks with basically the same spore creature lol fauna running around. not really anything weird or fascinating in the game. it's clear to me that they rushed this thing out without a solid foundation and absolutely nothing beyond the generative worlds aspect. should have been an early access title, i wouldn't be complaining if it had been a steam summer sale thing like the forest or whatever other games are still in development. i guess it's kind of relaxing to fly around to planets and there's very minute variation in the environments but the game is so basic and boring, the mining/crafting aspect is just not developed at all, combat is terrible, graphics suck... total waste of sixty bucks.

 

I agree with parts of what you're saying. I was talking to a friend of mine last night about the game. Neither of us have played it, so we're probably just talking out our asses in some ways, but we were talking about the marketing of the game. I think the marketing hurt the game. Actually, I think most marketing hurts most games unless you're super careful about what you show and tell. The best marketing the last couple of years have been for The Witness. Jonathan Blow said that it's a game where you solve line puzzles - and that was it. He didn't promise anything else and instead people discovered all sorts of stuff for themselves. The same goes for Inside. And yes, I know you can't do this for any title. It'd be kinda weird to publish COD19 without saying a word - then on the other hand, I don't know how much you can say about COD these days.

Anyway, I wonder if it ended up hurting the development and the marketing that Sony jumped in to support No Man's Sky. Did Sony require all sorts of Triple-A marketing from a small publisher that was basically developing a $20-30 indie game? What if it had been just another Steam game that one day showed up on the frontpage and then became popular over night due people talking about it?

 

Anyway, I'm just babbling on...

 

I'm getting more interested in NMS, but I still hesitate due to the price (although via Amazon Prime I can get it for 48 USD), and also the potential of it just being "not fun to play".

 

I'll read one account where it is the most amazing, meditative experience ever in a game, to the polar opposite where it's boring and lifeless. Still on the fence.

And I think you are absolutely right - had there been no hype behind this, I bet the final product would have been received much better by the gaming community.

[mcbpete]

Aye, remember Proteus - A little indie game with even less gameplay than NMS and yet was (and still is) fondly remembered as a lovely little calm walk around a little world just taking in the sights and sounds. The 'AAA' pricing & hype killed an otherwise fine game IMO

[juiceciuj]

 

i just hope wff comes with the ability to choose dub/sub settings. never played a decent jrpg with localized vo that wasn't vomit inducing

I preordered the Day One Edition, which apparently includes the Japanese dub as a bonus, which means either it by default does NOT come with the JP Dub and you'll need to pay extra for it as DLC. Typical Square gouging.

lol

[QQQ]

i couldnt imagine any possible way you could make 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets actually interesting to explore, and it doesnt seem like its happened.

Minecraft managed to keep procedural generation interesting, so I wouldn't blame that itself.

[Squee]

Agreed. But I don't think Hello Games is to blame for any of this. As far as I understand Sony was in charge of marketing and their marketing was targeted a wide audience which is something an indie game rarely reaches. They kinda ruined a wonderful idea by making it into something that it was never supposed to be.

 

Anyway, seem to have digged up some interesting stuff in the PC versions data files.

 

All this talk is actually making me more excited for a game that a lot of people seem to dislike.

[Joyrex]

See, it's when I see things like this:

 

And then I read things like this: http://lifehacker.com/how-i-found-peace-exploring-the-vastness-of-space-in-no-1785319630

 

How I Found Peace Exploring the Vastness of Space In No Man's Sky

 

When I was a kid, my favorite thing to do when I was alone in my room was play “crashed spaceship.” I would build a ship out of LEGO, crash it on my bed, have my minifig find a way to fix it, then head to the next room—er—planet. Now there’s a version of that I can play as an adult: No Man’s Sky. For me, the experience is nothing short of therapeutic.

 

While my ship is capable of warp speed, the gameplay of No Man’s Sky is very slow and methodical. Walking somewhere could take hours, and even flying to the other side of a planet could take upwards of 20 minutes if you stay within the planet’s atmosphere. Some games make my heart race, some games make me think critically, but No Man’s Sky makes me calm and gives me time to think. The soft hum of your spaceship, the low whistle of radioactive winds, and the sound of your own breathing in your life support suit make for one of the most peaceful backdrops in gaming. Not to mention some alien landscapes are visually breathtaking. I once sat in my spaceship for 10 minutes, looking out the window, watching a bizarre herd of one-eyed llama creatures graze through a field of purple grass as acid rain cascaded onto the roof of my spaceship. No Man’s Sky is like playing an interactive ambient noise machine while dreaming, especially if you have a great pair of headphones. The fantastic sci-fi soundtrack doesn’t hurt either.

 

However, doing any of those things entirely depends on whether you have the resources to do it. I’ve talked to a few people who say the resource gathering and inventory management bogs them down (a fair complaint), but for me it’s a zen-like process that’s become second nature. Those restrictions work well with the sometimes-overwhelming openness of space exploration. It’s the perfect balance of “I need” versus “I want.” You want to go to that place over there? You can, but you need these things first. It’s a stark reminder for me that the real world is just as interesting and explorable, but I have to do the work first. Even the simplest tasks in life still require resources and effort. No matter what you want to do, or where you want to go, you have to fuel your “ship” first.

No Man’s Sky also makes me feel alone—which is a good thing. We may be social creatures, but we need time alone: time to think, time to reflect, and time to process our past, present, and future. And as I play, I’m not worried about scores, winning, or what another player is up to. Every experience I have is mine and mine alone; something to cherish. Nobody will ever see what I see, hear what I hear, or do exactly what I did. No Man’s Sky shows you that, in an age of always being connected, you don’t need someone else to have a good time. All you need is a willingness to go it alone and explore.

 

Best of all, I gain a little perspective every session. I tend to overstress about the minor problems in my real life, but when I play, I’m reminded how small we all are in the universe. Even if I’ve made some mountains out of molehills, those mountains are still barely visible from orbit. Maybe things aren’t as bad as I’m making them out to be. Maybe there are bigger fish to fry. Maybe things will be better on the next planet. Perhaps the game resonates with me so much because it’s comfortable, and in a way feels like a metaphor for the way I view my life. I drift from planet to planet, making the best of each one, learning something when I can, and leaving when I’ve had my fill. I meet a wide variety of intelligent beings and have positive interactions with some, and negative, more educational interactions with others. I feed a few animals to make them happy because it makes me happy. No matter what, though, I know that it’s still just me and my ship. Sure, there are others like me out there—I know that. But I may never meet them, and that’s okay. As long as I have my ship and the knowledge I need to keep exploring, I will.

 

Really makes me not want to play/want to play NMS.

[ambermonk]

Aye, remember Proteus - A little indie game with even less gameplay than NMS and yet was (and still is) fondly remembered as a lovely little calm walk around a little world just taking in the sights and sounds. The 'AAA' pricing & hype killed an otherwise fine game IMO

Proteus was released early 2013 if I remember right. I played it for only a couple of hours. I don't consider it a game in the traditional sense. It's more a tangible outlet for meditation to me, almost a dream simulator if that makes sense.

 

Still holding off on NMS for the time being, even though I purchased and downloaded already.

Edited August 16, 2016 by ambermonk

[Joyrex]

How timely - Polygon has an article on "How To Sell Your Game Like No Man's Sky", detailing the marketing push behind the game...

 

http://www.polygon.com/2016/8/16/12503258/no-mans-sky-pitch-indie-success

[cloud capture]

started a diablo 3 season 7 monk named elseq.  I want to find the butterfly wings for her.

[juiceciuj]

How timely - Polygon has an article on "How To Sell Your Game Like No Man's Sky", detailing the marketing push behind the game...

 

http://www.polygon.com/2016/8/16/12503258/no-mans-sky-pitch-indie-success

i thought the one about recreating the success of pokemon go was pretty informative too: http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/22/12257744/pokemon-go-success-guide-for-developers-you-can-do-it

[Silent Member]

I've been having a great time playing layers of fear. Other than the odd bad voice acting here and there I think it's pretty sweet.

 

8 transforming corridor jump scares/10

Edited August 16, 2016 by Gocab

[Rubin Farr]

 

 

[Squee]

I had completely forgotten that Infinite Warfare was coming out...

[Joyrex]

 

 

God I wish they'd give this franchise a fucking rest, ffs

[mcbpete]

But it's funny cos it's memes #lolz #420 #killmenow

[usagi]

I like hearing people say "Call of Doody" in that North American way of saying "duty" cos then you can pretend to yourself that it's a game about shitting. #noscopeshitpro