CAGbag: Get your questions answered on CAGcast

ok, here i go...

crysis 3 is now 3 months old and just relesed on XBLA digitally for $60(full price), but can be bought digitally for PC less than $20 or physically purchased new for $40, used for under $30.

This makes no sense; it makes money.

PC releases generally release $10-15 cheaper than consoles, and see deep discounts a lot sooner; XBLA does not.

IF...IF the XB1 requires a fee for used games in some version of DRM, then will we still be paying physical prices for digital content? Day 1 downloads?

Will XBLA1 adjust their pricing structure?
 
Hey Cheapy, Wombat, and Shipwreck,

With the release of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, the idea of these smaller spin-offs of retail games is starting to come back into fashion after games like Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, Infamous: Festival of Blood, and Battlefield 1943 made waves earlier this generation. Shouldn't this be a much more common thing by now? As developers and publishers sink a lot of money into these next-gen and current-gen games, you would think that they'd pursue other opportunities to get more money back from these costly investments and these smaller spin-offs for PSN and XBLA would be perfect. It may be a better idea to make some of these bigger DLC expansions (Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare and GTA IV's Episodes) into standalone XBLA and PSN games along with making new spin-offs, such as a new Uncharted mini-adventure or a new Crackdown set in a smaller city. They'd be able to make some money on development cost while also being an advertisement for the next big game.
 
Wombat, I love you, but don't say anything technical ever again. I'll try to say this in a way that you might understand. The biggest reason behind the reason that 360 games aren't coming directly to the XBONE is because of the different chipset architectures. The 360 is PowerPC based (same architecture before Apple switched to intel, not saying they used the same exact ancient chips) while the XBONE is x86 based. I don't think you know the difference between front-end or back-end. I'll just say that it is a back-end fix because every game's engine will have to be changed to function.

As for how well that kind of emulation works, I would look back to when Apple first switched to intel. They emulated a few of their older applications until they had time to do a native port in the new architecture.

There isn't a good quick fix that microsoft could do to make it work well. If you want an example of what could happen if you did a straight port without paying too much detail to the architecture differences: Saints Row 2 (PC) minus the mods should still be a good example of what would happen.

That also isn't to say that these games may never work on the XBONE either, but I think Microsoft is putting the ball into the developer's court. Since PC has the same architecture, a developer should be able to easily push their PC builds to it. This same issue applies to the PS3 to PS4, but we kinda already have an idea of how they are handling that with Gaikai.

Going back to your use of front-end/back-end, there is a "front-end" (I'll use that term very liberally) solution that Microsoft can do in conjunction with the back-end solution that developers can do. I think what Microsoft should do is to allow developers to link the XBONE version to the 360 version and allow the customer to just download the new version from the XBONE app store(?) when it becomes available. This would be similar to how Steam handles Mac/PC/Linux.

I keep hearing the Steam comparison to XBONE's DRM rumors but until something like this is announced and happens.... yeah no.
 
Hey guys -

This weekend's sale at the Microsoft store online basically crashed the website and wouldn't let people order games online. The site locked people's accounts and wasn't keeping track of orders. Orders were also being canceled left and right.

Keeping this in mind, should we be worried about Microsoft's infrastructure when it comes to handling online purchases? Granted the Microsoft store's website and Xbox Live are two separate systems, but does their crashing website over the weekend give you pause moving into the next generation, where all Xbox will have to keep track of all purchases in a yet-to-be-determined way? It does for me.
 
Now that the Xbox 360 is most likely never get any more major updates, which one was your favorite and least favorite of the bunch? To my memory there was the current windows 8 looking one, the kinect friendly one, the giant blade window one that introduced avatars, and the OG.
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I know you guys think Sony will do the used game drm as well but do you think Sony will also do some form of drm similar to the 24 hour internet connection requirement from Microsoft?
 
Have you tried the Untappd app? (For iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone.) It's a fun beer drinking app. You can record the different beers you've tried, what you thought of them, and where you had them. What makes it a little bit like a game is that you can earn badges. It's a lot of fun if you like beer.

Cheapy would kill at it since he goes international.
 
With the next gen on the horizon & no backwards compatibility I have started playing games that I almost missed the gen.Can you guys give a few games to play before next gen? No triple A obvious ones though.
 
I have my US account & am living in Peru. I love the NFL, the Raiders. Will the $99 Madden let me watch my games on the PS3?

Is Xbox one or PS4 the better option considering the tv extras are meaningless,to me unless I can access some of it in South America?
 
The "ecosystem" draw discussion in Cagcast #325 is another reason I think they should have put more effort into making at least some of the downloadable titles (ps1, original xbox, arcade titles, etc.) available on the new platforms via software emulation. You all mentioned you don't have any movies or music to tie you to the Sony or Microsoft ecosystem for the next gen (which is likely the case with the majority of gamers).

If at least some of your purchased downloadable titles from the previous gen would run on the XO or the PS4, would that change your answer about how likely you are to stick with your previously preferred platform in the next gen?
 
Do you think that the announcement that no xbox live or PSN downloadable games will be compatible with the next system will destroy the sales of any future downloadable titles on these systems?
 
[quote name='mbeasley82']With the next gen on the horizon & no backwards compatibility I have started playing games that I almost missed the gen.Can you guys give a few games to play before next gen? No triple A obvious ones though.[/QUOTE]

3D Dot Game Heroes, Nier, Mirror's Edge, are a few overlooked gems you might want to look into. Cheapy might recommend Singularity, he raved about it on the CAGcast a lot when he played it.
 
Hey Guys,

I love the show, but I have a question for CheapyD. CheapyD you said it takes you 10 min. to download an 8 GB game for your PC. Is the internet in Japan supersonic or something, because as soon as I heard your recommendation for Call of Juarez I started downloading it. I started the download at 3:00 as of this post it is 5:00 and the download is at 68% and it's only 1.90 GB. Is it just my internet or does Shipwreck and Wombat have similar problems?
 
Is it just me or because of all the DRM, always online backlash for the upcoming consoles, is Nintendo's Wii U having the best PR since their troubled release?
I'm stuck at work and the thought of this made me chuckle.
Love the show guys!
 
A few questions I have on the X-1...

  1. I want to know how the media aspect of the Xbox1 is going to tie into my HTPC (no, I’m not willing to replace it unless it can stream my local content in whatever format its already in), and my Tivo that I have a lifetime subscription for.

     2. If I don’t pay for a gold subscription, is the “cloud computing” aspect still going to work for me? It just seems that they are putting so much on a gold subscription, I'm wondering whats going to be left for silver subscribers (if they stay with that model).

     3. what happens to my games two generations from now when Microsoft no longer supports the console, and shuts off the authentication servers?

After the e3 conferences, the PS4 looks more promising, but i JUST. CANT. get used to the controller. 

 
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1. Cheapy, what has been the most difficult thing about the new site?

2. Wombat, after listening to your "other" podcast, how would you feel about a Suicide Squad movie? And what characters would you prefer?

3. Shipwreck, how has all of the baby plans been coming? I know my wife and I had a lot of discussion with room theme, names, etc that we couldn't decide on until after the gender. Have you had similar talks?

 
What is up with the mod's removing just about every other post? It ruins the community, the discussion, and the site in general. I'm starting to get more annoyed and have lost interest in continuing to visit the site for this reason. I have read others also getting a bit annoyed by this. What gives? Can we ban the mods doing this? 

 
so many great games, but just how "excluseive" will most of these releases be?  my money is on "exclusive" first release/first run.

 
Gang,

I'm not sure why anyone--especially CAGs--would be happy about Microsoft's decision to abandon MS points in favor of real money.  Although I agree that the odd amounts and artificiality of the ecosystem are designed to induce folks into spending more money than they realize (duh), the savvy members of this site are quite frankly, too smart for that sh*t.  We lost.  What did we lose?   We lost the opportunity to double-discount.  The  days of stacking an XBL sale with a points card purchased for a discount (or free) are over, meaning we are now at the mercy of the marketplace itself.  Hopefully people will dictate the market with their purchase power, but that is definitely not something we can take for granted.  

Your thoughts?

Noah "Kromax" Kromaksian

 
CAGcast crew,

For the past five years or so there's barely a day that goes by I don't see an article, blog post, forum post, or hear on a podcast that used games are killing the game industry. So I'm a bit confused why there has been such a sudden shift in attitude about that particular concern lately and why Sony is proclaimed as the new savior of gaming and gamers for letting people rent and buy used games. In the long run, do you feel while Microsoft has the more painful strategy towards drm and used games for consumers, that what they are doing is the responsible thing and they are actually helping the industry? Is it possible that developers will focus on developing for the Xbox One because they know their games wont get "passed around" on that system? Finally, do you think Microsoft will eventually capitulate and abandon their drm plan? And CAN they even do that at this point or are they too far along?

Oh and you probably wont have time for such a frivolous question on this week's CAGcast but given the choice, which of these three movies would you see this weekend - Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness, or Man of Steel?

 
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Do you guys think the Xbox one sells half as many units as the PS4 in their respective opening weeks?

I'm thinking "Crossbone" is a very fitting nickname for this system.
 
Q1: Nothing against those excited for a PS4 or Xbox One, but neither company made a compelling enough case for me to switch over from my Xbox 360 for now. With very few exceptions, all the titles announced were coming out for the 360 too. Destiny, Titanfall, Watchdogs, etc. With new titles still coming and the huge backlog of games I mean to finish, I shrugged my shoulders. Once the excitement and hype die down, I think the vast majority of gamers will realize this when it comes time for them to step up and drop hundreds of dollars for new hardware. Thoughts?

Q2: In your opinion, if Xbox had taken the bold step to go all digital download, would they have gotten the results they wanted without all the controversy? Some argue the platforms are still beholden to the retailers. That argument is nonsense. Best Buy, Target, Walmart, etc. all sell tons of iPods and iPads and cut out the stores from their marketplace. Even Gamestop has a thriving business selling Xbox 360 digital download codes, so that partnership could've continued.

 
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Shipwreck touched on this slightly on twitter, but how do you feel about the big new fancy Kinect having no support at e3. I was there and saw nothing except the tech demo. Kinect Sports Rivals wasn't on floor and if you blinked you would have even missed this being announced (it was on Spike TV not even during conference).If it was such a big deal why are games like Ryse and Panzer Dragoon which were both originally Kinect games being totally altered to play on a Controller? Is this kinect not all we hope it could have been? I think not and no one is really talking about this issue. "You are the controller" is feeling more like you are the extra $100 tacked on to Xbox One to be a hand controlled t.v. remote and voice analyzer.

 
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With the recent Xbox 180 news going down, do you guys think Microsoft would flip-flop on the DRM subject again?  What scares me is the One was built around these policies and it's already a part of the system infrastructure.  What's to stop MS from deciding, say, two years from now when they have a larger install base from simply flipping the switch and bringing all of this stuff back?  Part of me wonders about the legality of doing such a thing, but then again I'm curious to see if there's any fine print packed in either with the console or games throwing around words like "licensing".

I fell as though they've broken a lot of gamers' trust by at least *trying* to do this, and only time will tell if this saving face was too little too late as far as the NA market is concerned.  But let's be honest, they would have never backtracked if it weren't for Sony going in the opposite direction.

 
Cheapy  - not sure when you're recording tonight, but I couldn't help but notice your tweet: Looks like I can spend this weeks CAGcast talking about how right I am. Any other questions or topics?  Unless I'm mistaken, on the 8-4 cast, you claimed that Sony would fall in line with Microsoft's DRM/used games policies because of pressure being brought by the big third party publishers.  Instead, it's the complete opposite situation!  What exactly were you right about - that Microsoft and Sony would end up doing the same thing?  Love the podcast, been a regular listener since 2006!

 
So Microsoft and Sony want console gamers to go digital, but I'm sure they won't lower $60 MSRP. 3-5 hour DL times does not sound appealing on a day one release. The other issue I see is a 500gb HDD, which fills up really fast current gen, let alone next gen. PS3(/4?) offers an easy fix to that at least.

I feel they should offer more of an incentive for consumers to gradually make the switch. Maybe offer future DLC free with digital version. Maybe 1st 2 DLC packs free, or a free Season Pass. Maybe instead offer a 50% discount on all that titles DLC as it rolls out, if you purchased the digital version.

Thoughts?

 
just finished "the last of us".  fantastic game!

-think there will be a sequel just because it was so well recieved?  I hope not...

 
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Question for the next show:

I went back and listened to a bunch of the first shows, and I have to say that the show has come a long way from the first few 15 min what-the-hell-are-we-doing bits. Now, you have name recognition in the industry. You have the running joke that you're not a "real" gaming podcast and that listeners should be going elsewhere for "actual" news, yet week after week this is the one I look forward to listening to on my commutes. What's your secret sauce?

 
CHEAPYD :
When do you plan on upgrading/buying a graphics card? What are your thoughts about SLI gtx 680, gtx titan, and gtx 780?

ALL:
What are your thoughts about xbla game " state of decay "? I don't believe I've heard the cag gang talk about it.


Thank you for your time
 
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Cheapy,

Did you give up on the Fitbit?  I haven't seen you listed in a while.  As fellow old guy, actually much older than you, I like to use your numbers as a point of reference.  Hope to kick your Fitbit ass again soon ;)

 
Wombat/Shipwreck - are you two good friends off air? I only ask because Shipwreck seems like he's quick to show his annoyance with Wombat and insult him. And oddly enough, that's how I am with my friends only because I'm comfortable enough to do so with them.

@CAGcast crew - we all know that XBLA/PSN games will not be backwards compatible, but how should we feel when inevitably a big selling game from this gen, lets say Limbo or Braid for example, is ported and made available for sale in the XB1/PS4 marketplace? Do you think there will be an outcry if its not made available for free to people that have purchased it for the 360/PS3? Or should we all understand that porting isn't an easy process and having to pay for it again if we want it on a new console is reasonable?

 
Didi you pick anything up in the Xbox live sale that has up happened/Happening? I thought that was really good sale with low prices better than just 5% or 10% that they normally do.

 
So Double Fine asks for $300k to make a point and click adventure game, gets 3 million after Kickstarter fees and spends it all before the game is finished. How could Double Fine possibly fuck up a 300k project?

 
Wombat, is there a particular reason you are getting an xbox one first? What made you go with the xbox one as your first next gen console?

 
Wombat - about the xbox live ad "bug".  If you read what it says when you enable family settings: "content that exceeds the console's content controls will not be shown".  That means you have to set the console to the desired settings - i.e. go to the family tile and choose the allowed content - I have tweeted you twice about this and posted it on the xbox.com topic you started and on the youtube video you keep referencing.  Please do this and it will fix your problem, it is the critical piece you are missing.

 
I'll be away from home for work for 5 weeks with a lot of downtime. I have a laptop that is strong enough to play most current games, I have a 3ds, a vita, and a psp. What are some games you recommend to keep me entertained. I haven't played many portable games yet so any good ones you name I probably haven't tried yet. What would you take with you if you were gonna be away for several weeks?

 
Cheapy, here's a good response to your call for questions.

Q: I currently have a PS Vita and a PS4 on pre-order.  Like Shipwreck, I like to play games in bed before I go to sleep. The Vita titles haven't wowed me so far so I plan to use the PS4's new streaming technology to play PS4 games on my Vita.  Should I stick with this plan or do you think the new, upcoming titles for the WiiU justify getting one to play WiiU games in bed using the tablet?  Also like Ship, cost isn't much of a factor for me but I don't have a lot of room for extra consoles.

Q: Also as a side question, are there any must-have games you're looking forward to getting in the summer Steam sale?

Thanks guys!

EDIT: Too late Cheapy says! Well, these at least the first one can be used some other time. :)

 
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