Tech Games Down The Block
posted by on September 18 at 13:28 PM
Nothing gets video game nuts riled up like untimeliness. If a game is early, the fans flip out about spoilers. If it comes out late, they’ve been betrayed. So which area company’s leak in the past 24 hours is worse?
Halo 3
Microsoft’s megaton Christmas title, Halo 3, comes out in seven days, but it appears the title has already had its Deathly Hallows moment, as the game’s ending is now up on YouTube (feel free to search if you’re so inclined). The six-minute clip comes courtesy of a cell phone camera—nothing like a blurry, shaky image to drive home just how illicit the video is, oooooh. I could tell you the ending, but we’re not talking about a Lost plot twist here…just straight-forward, good vs. evil sci-fi. I doubt our Redmond overlords are shaking in their elephant tusk-encrusted boots.
But just down the way, Bellevue’s Valve Software unleashed the wrath of gaming addicts by being 30 minutes late. The company has revolutionized online game sales with its streamlined Steam service, and to convince fans to buy their Orange Box games pack in October, Valve put up an offer—pre-order in advance through Steam, get a sneak preview of one of those games (online shooter Team Fortress 2) on September 17. Yesterday, at 12:01 a.m., the hardcore logged on to Steam—nothin’. 5 p.m.? Still not there. 11:30 p.m.?!? Nope. The promised sneak peek didn’t hit players’ hard drives until 12:34 a.m. PST this morning, the 18th, and during that wait, an angry fan racked up the lead popularity slot at Digg with his anti-Valve tirade.
Team Fortress 2
Seems dim at first to blast a games company for a one-day wait—we’re not talking about the months of delay that Grand Theft Auto 4 is facing, after all. But the ranter makes a relevant point, at least; some may also remember that Valve got into a PR disaster when they delayed their eventual blockbuster Half-Life 2 for over a year. When the company is trying to convince its fans to use Steam, rather than go to the store and get a trusted, physical copy, the smallest hiccup could scare the throngs off. People have plenty of other gaming options this holiday season, but neither of these issues will stop me from buying local—what can I say? I like to support the little neighborhood…multi-million game developers.
Oh, no! The ending of the Halo 3 single player campaign has been leaked!! Whatever will I do?!
Nothing. Seeing how I only give a shit about the multi-player, and the games plot has sucked ass from day 1.
There is nothing wrong with purchasing any mod or full game from Steam. I have yet to meet an idiot that has somehow fucked that up. When I do, I will laugh. All into the night.
Plus, TFC has always been fuckin' lame. Grow some balls and play a real FPS: CS, hello?! And who is even playing CS, or CSS for that matter, anymore?! Gears of War exists, and it's better than any shooter out there. Plus you have Warhawk and Shadowrun. Keep up with the times, yo!
nerds! Nerds!! NERRRRRDDSSSSS!!!!!!!
Y'all crazy, is what I say. If you really want to shoot someone or something, join the army and you'll get to visit Iraq.
@2: Ditto. I have to say that Valve seems to have the online-purchase thing pretty well worked out. I've had no problems buying games there or transferring them to new machines. Waiting for the download is a bit tedious, but other than that, it Just Works. And I've never purchased a game on physical media that didn't immediately need an enormous bugfix download, anyway.
Those of us who aren't too dumb to come in out of the rain can exercise our choice to NOT ruin the (completely telegraphed) ending for ourselves.
@2: The real Team Fortress fans played it long before Valve got their hands on it. QWTF ftw.
There is no way Gears is the best shooter out there. COD4 and Halo3 run circles around GOW's gameplay. If anything COD4 is just a CS knockoff. Notice any similarities between Vacant and Office much?
Team Fortress is a much anticipated release for me, though. And I don't give two shits about the Halo 3 ending. That game isn't about story--even remotely. Mass Effect will have a better story than Halo 3.
Zeropunctuation called it best: The Halo franchise is an "insipid boom fest"... which is what I love about it.
My impressions of TF2 so far have been pretty darn good. I've only played three maps and have been relatively bored by them, but the basics of the game are nicely balanced. Good choices of characters, none are too aggressive, and the learning curve is extremely low without making the game basic. As a bonus, the game purrs like a kitten on older computers, which cannot be said for the Quake Wars demo at all. Will have more to say after more time w/ the title.
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