Videogaming v2.0 [post individual threads for games]

[waste of chops]

What is Steam?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T-lfYbo2ZI

_{or http://www.steampowered.com/}

[The Region Legion]

Steam is a bastard. On the one hand, it's a dedicated game store/launcher/multiplayer service that makes going to an actual shop and buying a physical item seem like a thing of the past.

On the other hand, nothing you buy there has any value because you can't resell a license, or even give the bloody thing to someone else. For example, I bought Team Fortress 2 a few days ago. After playing Left 4 Dead, it's like going back in time 10 years, and not in a good way. I don't like it. But the money is now wasted and I own it whether I like it or not.

It sort of makes up for this with the whole weekend deal thing that ThickAndCreamy mentioned, and I've done more PC gaming in the last few weeks than I have in probably over a year because of it (have barely even touched GTA: Lost And Damned as a result of Left 4 Dead/Unreal Tournament 3 Free Mode).

If they added an option to give away your game license to another Steam member then it would be perfect. As it is, it's just another chip away at our rights as consumers. But a bloody good one.

[chocky909]

I thought you COULD transfer your unwanted games to other people on Steam. Or used to. Did they scrap that?

[Steve Lampkins]

I bought Orange Box when they had a good New Years sale - but as I had Half Life 2 already, I was able to gift the extra HL2 license to another Steam user.

[chocky909]

So can you still do that?

[Geraint]

So can you still do that?

you can definitely still 'gift' games but I think only if you've 2 copies - so it only really happens on any widespread scale with the various parts of the Orange Box package, or similarly if someone's bought an old game like X-Com when it was first added to Steam and then bought the 'complete X-Com pack' for $10 or whatever crazy bargain it was recently. I don't think you'd be able to gift your copy of Team Fortress 2, for example

[samadriel]

That reminds me, I've had an HL2 and HL2:E1 license lying around since the release of the Orange Box, if anyone's interested; problem is, everyone already owns 'em!...

[Second Burner]

Hello, long time reader of this board but new to posting, so please be gentle.

After suffering the RRD on my 360 for the SECOND time, I was very impressed that I had it back seemingly as good as new from Microsoft within 1 week...

It was great to finally get my teeth into Street Fighter IV last night, experiencing no problems whatsoever.

Now switching it on this moring, I'm greeted with the "E68 Error" message with 1 red light flashing.  I'm told this is NOT covered by the Microsoft 3 year warranty.  Apart from a few shaky YouTube videos which suggest "switching it off, unplugging everything, plug everything back in and switch it on again", I've not been able to find out what is actually causing this. 

Is it time I bit the bullet and invested in a PS3?

[bill hicks]

Have you tried turning it on with the hard drive detached? The E error codes are often a hard drive failure.

[Father O`Blivion]

'Have you tried turning off and on again?'

Seriously though I'd be surprised if they sent you back the same console as they run a one in one out system where a returned console is checked to see if it's faulty then they send out a previously repaired one. I always take a note of the serial number before sending it away so I know I've never had the same one back. The last one I got back had a graphics card fault that meant that I had to switch it on and off 2 or 3 times before it booted up but I never got around to complaining about it and it lasted about a year before it totally packed in so I just bought a new one.

E68: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it, This can also be caused by a Hard Drive Eprom Error. Some also believe this might be caused by a problem with the fans.

If you have just received this console in the last few days then you should get back in touch with MicroSoft and complain that your newly repaired Xbox360 is still faulty.

[thisaintnopicnic]

Anyone been on Quake Live? The queue issues seem to have been sorted out in the last week after the craziness of the open beta launch. I love it, my PC is in urgent need of an upgrade but QL runs great if I play it in the browser. Hopefully if it's a success (QL is free to play, id are planning to fund it with ad revenue) other companies will make their own versions. Battlefield Heroes looks promising, but it seems they're taking the "pay for extra customization" route.

[Still Not George]

Anyone been on Quake Live? The queue issues seem to have been sorted out in the last week after the craziness of the open beta launch. I love it, my PC is in urgent need of an upgrade but QL runs great if I play it in the browser. Hopefully if it's a success (QL is free to play, id are planning to fund it with ad revenue) other companies will make their own versions. Battlefield Heroes looks promising, but it seems they're taking the "pay for extra customization" route.

I'm a bit irritated at the "plays in a browser" claim. FFS, how exactly is a game you have to download a gigantic plugin (ie, the game) for "playing in a browser"? That's like me starting up Medieval 2 in a window and putting it over this 'ere Firefox window showing the grey-blueness and saying VWs is now "Medieval Live".

[Second Burner]

Hello again,

Well, I tried switching the 360 off and unplugging everything etc...  Everything seems fine now and I haven't seen the red light since.  Saying that, Far Cry 2 crashed again yesterday, which is what started happening before...

[Father O`Blivion]

Hello again,

Well, I tried switching the 360 off and unplugging everything etc...  Everything seems fine now and I haven't seen the red light since.  Saying that, Far Cry 2 crashed again yesterday, which is what started happening before...

If you have just received this console in the last few days then you should get back in touch with MicroSoft and complain that your newly repaired Xbox360 is still faulty.

[Second Burner]

Will do, cheers.

[VegaLA]

Mr Woss lets the Fable 3 cat out of the bag.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/19110/British-Presenter-Accidentally-Confirms-Fable-III/

Maybe Peter M is in a hurry to make it up to Shoulders?

[Father O`Blivion]

^Is there an elderly character in the game that has a granddaughter?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Mr Woss lets the Fable 3 cat out of the bag.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/19110/British-Presenter-Accidentally-Confirms-Fable-III/

Maybe Peter M is in a hurry to make it up to Shoulders?

We just have to hope Fable II isn't his idea of rushing out a quick sequel. If that's the best he can get out of the 360 and that's the best story his people could think of I'm not that fussed about that series any more. He's the one that has to live with not delivering even slightly what he promised after 8 years since 'Project Ego' was announced.

The Witcher is coming out for the 360 soon so we'll see a pretty direct (though more adult-slanted) competitor to that.

[Fry]

Totally got Resi 5 today, will play when I get back from college.
Tell y'all how it is.
SCREEE!!!

[eluc55]

Christ Fry. You're so square now you're 18.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

This is the first time he has been able to buy an 18 rated game!

[Jemble Fred]

With my fanboy hat on, I would give Ghostbusters on 360 98%.

With the hat off, pretending I hate the franchise, being as picky as I can.... it deserves about 91%.

For this, I am buying my first ever console.

[Still Not George]

With my fanboy hat on, I would give Ghostbusters on 360 98%.

With the hat off, pretending I hate the franchise, being as picky as I can.... it deserves about 91%.

For this, I am buying my first ever console.

Who ya gonna call?

You better not be lying to me JembleFred. I'll be round your place having words if this turns out to be shit.

[Jemble Fred]

The only drawbacks for the 360/PS3 version that I could see was that you couldn't drive Ecto-1 (like you could right back on the Spectrum! It'll be a cert for any follow-up titles though), and there's no Story mode co-op (on the Wii a pal can jump in at any time and help you out).

Besides that, it's just the most perfect franchise ever for this gen gaming. You've got the proton packs, the traps, the PKE meter, and it all just works. Brilliantly. Throw on top of that the original cast, back together, with a new script from Aykroyd & Ramis, and you can see why I have to finally buy my own 360 after all these years.

[Milo]

Is there a demo available for it now then?

[Jemble Fred]

No, there was a press event last week. I MET RAY PARKER FUCKING JR!

[niat]

No, there was a press event last week. I MET RAY PARKER FUCKING JR!

Have you ever divulged which mag it is you work for on this site?

[Still Not George]

Didn't get onto the HoI3 closed beta. Grumblegrumblegrumble.

[Spiteface]

Totally got Resi 5 today, will play when I get back from college.
Tell y'all how it is.
SCREEE!!!

Got mine today as well.  Played a tiny portion of it.  It's the same as RE4, which suits me, I loved that.

[Father O`Blivion]

Have you ever divulged which mag it is you work for on this site?

Or how someone who has never owned a console can get work as a games journalist?