The Future of the PC Gaming - NBA Live for PC

[Beatboxer]

This is what i thought&mentioned before. This is how it should be.

Piracy is the most negative impact on the PC marketing. Digital content distribution systems like "Steam" are the only way of preventing piracy.

Microsoft anounced that the Games for Windows initiative is set to expand with the launch an online PC gaming marketplace this fall.

Here's the full article:

Microsoft today announced that its Games for Windows initiative is set to expand with the launch an online PC gaming marketplace this fall. The service will deliver free and paid downloadable game content, along with trailers, demos, and other content comparable to the company's Xbox Live offerings.

In addition to the added features, the Games for Windows Live interface will also be redesigned to be "much more PC friendly." Microsoft has not yet specified whether full games will be made available for purchase on the network.

The company further announced that all Games for Windows Live multiplayer features are now entirely free.

Games for Windows Gold offered achievements, matchmaking, cross-platform play, and other features at a monthly subscription of $7.99, or $49.99 yearly. While the same features carry similar charges on Microsoft's Xbox 360 platform, gamers often criticized Microsoft for offering them at the same price on the PC, as free programs have traditionally offered comparable functionality.

Shacknews will be speaking with Microsoft later today on the announcement, so check back later for more details.

I strongly believe there will be a big competition between "Steam" and "Games for Windows". So you know the other thing:
Competition is a good factor for the consumer.

Source link:
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53807

[OldReliable]

All I can say is ****.

[Beatboxer]

Here is the updated link:
http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=946

The cross-platform thing would be an innovation of video gaming.

[Patr1ck]

Steam doesn't prevent piracy.

[Beatboxer]

When video game companies recognize its importance, piracy will be over.
They should put their games in steam and retail.

[Sportsgamer]

Cross-plattform was made with PES a few years ago I think. Well, I dont know much about Steam but I dont think it can prevent piracy. There´s always a way to crack etc it

[benji]

Nothing can prevent piracy. This is why you don't load up your product with worthless anti-piracy measures that hurt the good consumers or whine about how you're losing money from people who never would have bought your product.

The best method is not fighting piracy head-on and throwing money at legal efforts, as you will always lose that battle, but is in finding ways to circumvent it. That is what Stardock does, what Steam does. What Microsoft is likely trying to bring to PCs over from XBL. The goal should be giving people a reason not to pirate.

Porting bug-filled last-gen versions of trash games is not a way to do that.

[mr2ksports]

The only way to stop piracy is to have their prices drop. Here in the Philippines, people will look for a xbox360 installed w/ a Mod Chip. Fake game P200 vs Original game P3000. Look at the price! As you can see there is a huge difference. Maybe if they can make the price around P1500 many people can afford it.

[Andrew]

I'm sure there'd be people who still wouldn't pay the lower price, reasoning that there's no point in paying for something they can get for free. You can perhaps limit that to an extent but you're never going to stop piracy completely.

[Eich]

I agree to benji.
But lower prices would reduce the pirecy ,and if thay really make a good game, not like thay make now.
No wonder there are so many downloads.
Like:
why the hell should I pay 30Ls(well its 60$(Latvia rox)) for a crappy game that has only "updated" some rooster and add some new sh*t and taken out something good.
I'm telling ya, I don't buy NBA lives, i just tell my mothers sister to bring it from russia, and thats costs to her like 5$> Idon't know how legal is the game but I don't care really. I didn't download it or something, its russia , i just dunno why is it so cheap.
Now what were I talking about?
Ow yeah, something about piracy.

Well if you make a good game for pc - I will buy it, because I respect that you made a good game. But if thay do like 06-08 let me say- wtf, I don't want to whaste my money on that crap.
thats why there are so many downlaods. Big prices and Shity games.

[benji]

I'm sure there'd be people who still wouldn't pay the lower price, reasoning that there's no point in paying for something they can get for free.

Yes, but this is the basis of economics.

For many people paying $60 for something called a "game" is not rational. But notice that games that fall into the $20-30 range do well with "casuals" because these games now are in the range of DVDs, books, cds, etc.

You have a good subset of people who will never buy anything, so you forget about them as you can't ever squeeze profit from them. Your goal then is to find where you can sell the most of your goods at profit. Arbitrarily deciding the price of all games should be $60 at launch is not this. Music companies don't even do this, pricing premium artists higher than ones they are trying to introduce into the market. They've also learned about new profit streams through selling individual songs online. Yes, they're still going after pirates, but if they lose a few more times in court, or take a beating on those illegal methods they've been using they'll drop the worthless hunt and try to maximize new concepts.

Until EA prices out for us just how much it would cost to make a simple crap port of the 360 version like they do PS2, I refuse to believe they can't make money on it.

[Beatboxer]

Here's a true life example:

You know Crysis's Producer:
He's Cevat Yerli. He was born in Turkey. He's my countryman.
And very very thanks to him, Crysis has been released in Turkey with Turkish Language support. I think this is the first factor.
The second one is the price. It's 50 YTL (Turkish Liras) that is about 40 dollars.

So guess what? In Turkey, Crysis has been the first video game that sold over millions of original copies.

Turkey is one of the developing countries in the world. Because of the hard economy and economic difficulties, people do not prefer spending their money for a hobby like video gaming.

But you see the difference. Although Crysis is not a good game gameplay-wise, altough system requirements are way too steep, people bought it. Because it was medium priced and of course it has Turkish Language support.

So...
I think, developing bug-free playable games and selling them with a good price would be a good marketing decision.

[Andrew]

You have a good subset of people who will never buy anything, so you forget about them as you can't ever squeeze profit from them.

Absolutely, that's the group of people I was referring to. As you pointed out, lower prices would be a way of attracting more casual gamers who enjoy gaming but not enthusiastically enough to pay retail (or anything at all for that matter).

[TC#10]

Good news: NBA LIVE 2010 will be coming out, hopefully the reason why they took a year off is because they're working on the PC version for 2010 so that it can be next-gen

[OldReliable]

That is great to hear. Hopefully it happens the way they say it will.

[Beatboxer]

I believe that the release of Live 10 for PC will be depending on the success of NBA Live 09 on the consoles and innovated Fifa 09 for the PC.

[Andrew]

If Peter Moore's latest comments are any indication, they're already planning to return to the PC platform.

[JWL3]

If Peter Moore's latest comments are any indication, they're already planning to return to the PC platform.

I'll believe it when I see it. Twice bitten (Live 2002 and 2009), four times shy. That douche Moore won't see another penny of mine for awhile. And EA is throwing cash around trying to take over every single gaming studio. Thank God the 2k takeover fell through. I swear, if they take over Infinity Ward or Activision (my beloved Call of Duty series), I'm going to firebomb their offices.

[JaoSming]

man, some people from Virginia are just so fun at midnight, I dont know what your deal is but quit bumping old threads with useless posts.

[Andrew]

I'll believe it when I see it. Twice bitten (Live 2002 and 2009), four times shy.

Fair call, I'll be more sure of it myself when there's a more substantial announcement. Until then, that's the extent of what we know about any future NBA Live releases on PC.