Random Thoughts & Topics v2

[AnonymousBroccoli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkzExa1QTV4

 

[vivisectvi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=21OwTUEiGGM

 

[vivisectvi]

PaRappa voice (Dred Foxx) scams student out of $100: http://parappathescammer.blogspot.ca/

 

[2GOLD]

PaRappa voice (Dred Foxx) scams student out of $100: http://parappathescammer.blogspot.ca/

I forgot this guy even existed. Or was alive. Nice to see his version of getting work now is scamming college kids. Good, steady employment right there.

 

[vivisectvi]

Gotta love that prices for console games in Canada are now $64 to $69.99 - and apparently the PS4 is now $449 (formerly $399) due to the CAD being at 90 cents US. Funny how they moved so fast to adjust those prices higher, yet when/if the dollar gets to par again, it will take them at least a year or more to readjust prices back down.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

Gotta love that prices for console games in Canada are now $64 to $69.99 - and apparently the PS4 is now $449 (formerly $399) due to the CAD being at 90 cents US. Funny how they moved so fast to adjust those prices higher, yet when/if the dollar gets to par again, it will take them at least a year or more to readjust prices back down.

No kidding. If the dollar goes near parity again - let's just hypothetically say by May - I wouldn't expect to see prices re-adjusted in 2014 at all. Unless there's a holiday price drop...

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

All DLC for the Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and Band Hero games are being removed from console marketplaces at the end of March.

https://www.facebook.com/GuitarHero/photos/a.88575948619.84770.29438478619/10152295986523620/
http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/dlc-for-guitar-band-dj-hero-won-t-be-for-sale-much-longer/1100-4882/

 

[Kageho]

So Obsidian has a publisher for Pillars of Eternity that will take control concerning marketing, assist with quality assurance, and do the distribution of the physical copies (as well as backer rewards).

Guess how quickly people are thinking everything means doom? Yup.

 

[Haws Bah Gawd]

All DLC for the Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and Band Hero games are being removed from console marketplaces at the end of March.

https://www.facebook.com/GuitarHero/photos/a.88575948619.84770.29438478619/10152295986523620/
http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/dlc-for-guitar-band-dj-hero-won-t-be-for-sale-much-longer/1100-4882/

Fuck. It would be nice to see a fire sale on some of the DLC before it's gone.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

All DLC for the Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and Band Hero games are being removed from console marketplaces at the end of March.

https://www.facebook.com/GuitarHero/photos/a.88575948619.84770.29438478619/10152295986523620/
http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/dlc-for-guitar-band-dj-hero-won-t-be-for-sale-much-longer/1100-4882/

Fuck. It would be nice to see a fire sale on some of the DLC before it's gone.

I don't know if I'd call 50% off on already slightly over-priced digital stuff a fire sale, but there is that discount on a fair bit of stuff.

 

[vivisectvi]

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/03/21/playstation-free-to-play-revenue-up-50

GDC: PlayStation Free-to-Play Revenue Up 50%
Free-to-play business across PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 flourishing, Sony reveals.

Sony’s free-to-play business across PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 is flourishing, Sony revealed today during a Game Developers Conference presentation.

As reported by Gamespot, free-to-play revenue is up 50 per cent year-on-year – although Sony stopped short of divulging exact figures.

Sony also explained that between 3 to 15 per cent of free players are converted to paying customers, and that the average revenue per paying user on PS3 is comparable to PC figures and trending slightly higher on PS4.

Sony also highlighted that consumers use PlayStation 3 more hours per week than any other console and over 80 per cent of PS4 owners had downloaded digital content.

Sony has found average play sessions of its free-to-play games are approximately 90 minutes.

There remains room for improvement, however, with Zombie Studios studio director Jared Gerritzen expressing dissatisfaction at the length of Sony’s certification process for game updates during the panel. It’s a problematic hurdle for free-to-play titles, which need to release fresh content and updates regularly, and one that other developers have discussed previously. Last year CEO of Wargaming Victor Kislyi asserted that lengthy certification processes are “[t]otally unacceptable for a meaningful free-to-play.”

Sony’s free-to-player manager Sarah Thomson said the company is aware of these concerns and offered assurances the process will become quicker in the future.

Free-to-play games currently available on PS3 and PS4 include Zombie Studios’ Blacklight: Retribution, plus War Thunder, DC Universe Online, Warframe, and Dust 514 among others.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

Facebook is buying Oculus VR, makers of the Oculus Rift.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-company-in-a-massive-deal-worth-an-estimated-2-billion/1100-6418540/

In related news, Notch doesn't really like Facebook.
http://notch.net/2014/03/virtual-reality-is-going-to-change-the-world/

 

[vivisectvi]

This feels like a slippery slope since Oculus was funded by backers on Kickstarter. I mean, I'm sure they got whatever reward level they had coming to them (or not?) but it feels kind of wishy washy for them to sell the company (especially for a $2B payday / let alone to the shitholes at FB) after having it funded by the public.

 

[vivisectvi]

As for exactly how Facebook will monetize Oculus, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on the call to investors, "We're clearly not a hardware company. We're not going to try to make a profit off of the hardware long-term...but if we can make this a network where people are communicating, and buying virtual goods, and there might be ads down the line...that’s where the business could come from."

http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/25/why-facebook-bought-oculus/

 

[vivisectvi]

I don't know why it took so long, but I finally got around to buying the Minecraft soundtrack last night. It's srsly some GOAT shit (but not goat shit).

 

[Baby Shoes]

Never used Redbox before but I heard it was best to Redbox the game I was interested in.

Found free 1-day rental code if you text THIEF from your phone to 727272. It is a free 1-day game rental that is good until 4/1.

 

[KingPK]

I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time in Kerbal Space Program, but I'm having a tremendous time trying to figure it out. I can get into space, but I have no idea how to orbit the planet or try and get to the Mun. I condemned three poor Kerbals to aimlessly drifting through space for eternity. I hope they add more of a campaign mode soon.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Snagged the Apple Jack Vinyl Figure at Hot Topic for $18.50 (with 74 cents back from Ebates.com).

Best part is it comes with her hat and looks pretty cool overall.

 

[tekcop]

$20 for that?

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

http://youtu.be/ggHae3QNvCc

 

[Master Thrasher]

If anyone wants Cthulu Saves the World, I have the link from the Humble Bundle for it.

 

[vivisectvi]

Great game. Wish it would make it's way to Vita.

 

[KingPK]

Apparently there really were Atari E.T. cartridges in that New Mexico landfill. How about that?

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

Did James Rolfe find them?

 

[vivisectvi]

Gotta make room so COD dog can bury his xbone.

j/k

Spoiler

not really

 

[vivisectvi]

Handy Vita game release guide leached from 4chan: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4UI8tpqL4naa3RTanNsc1NUeTg/edit (it's 4mb)

 

[vivisectvi]

Well, this is nuts: http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/21635/article/soe-all-access-plan-goes-live-today-adds-h1z1/

This is half reminder and half news. Remember Sony Online Entertainment’s All-Access Program? It starts today, and just newly added to the program is upcoming open world zombie game H1Z1.

So, this is how SOE’s All-Access Program works today moving forward:

For $ 14.99 a month, you get blanket membership across several SOE games. This includes DC Universe Online, Planetside 2, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Vanguard Saga of Heroes, Everquest Next, and as noted above, H1Z1.

Furthermore, you get 500 Station Cash per month, 10 % off the Marketplace, and more exclusive promos and discounts. Existing members are automatically transferred over and will feel the discount moving forward. The 10 % discount does have some exceptions, including Station Cash top-ups, but overall you get a plum deal.

Regarding SC, if you bought 3, 6, or 12 month memberships, you won’t get the SC all at once. You can log in now to get your 1st installment of 500 SC, and then come back every month for every successive installment. There will be a UI feature on the Marketplace screen to let you know you received the 500 SC, as well as when it will expire. SOE will also work on redesigning the Account Management pages so this information is easier to find.

On the side, Vanguard Saga of Heroes and Wizardry Online will also transition to the plan, but both games are being retired July 31. Those players will get the benefit of the lower rates until then. You can get further details on the plan in the FAQ: https://forums.station.sony.com/soe/index.php?threads/the-revised-soe-all-access-program-faq.11500063040/

This plan is PC-only, FWIW. Individual console memberships still get the 10% discount, though.

 

[KingPK]

*ahem*

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUCK the last boss fight in MGS: Revengeance.

I SO want to like that game but it just does way too many things in a frustrating way.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

Just started using the newest version of Firefox with the big changes in design and everything. I hate change generally but it's not too bad since you can customize it and it does seem faster so far.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

Whole bunch of EA games having online services shut down June 30th, including Crysis 1 & 2, Star Wars: Battlefront 1 & 2, and several older Battlefield and Command & Conquer titles:

http://www.ea.com/1/service-updates