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Spurn the computer game industry

naughtycomputer.uk

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Re: Spurn the computer game industry

#41

Post by gtm1260 »

Animats wrote: post #10

There's a lot of work inside an AAA title. Most of it isn't programming. Back in the 1990s, the big problem was technical - building an engine that could handle a big complex world. That's mostly solved. Now it's mostly large amounts of artwork, plotting, sound, character movement, and construction. That takes lots of hours. As for "spurn the computer game industry", that should apply to jobs. The working conditions…

Exactly! When I read this headline I thought that this was going to be from a disgruntled developer spurning the industry for the absurd hours and high volatility.

Re: Spurn the computer game industry

#42

Post by 60654 »

I make games, and see stuff like that occasionally.

The problem is that a game is not just a piece of software. It's a creative work that people pour years of their life into. Both on the code side, but also on design, art, audio, writing, etc.

Suggesting that games should be free is like suggesting that books or art should be free - and yet people wouldn't suggest that, right? We understand that art and creative work doesn't come for free, and that even artists have bills to pay.

(As for high hardware requirements - that's not right either, there are plenty of great games that will play just fine on an i3 with an integrated video card. Most games are not AAA.)

Re: Spurn the computer game industry

#44

Post by spacelizard »

jim-greer wrote: post #12

Why does it matter if games are free software? I don't see why they should free as in beer - developers need to get paid. As for being open source, it depends on why you think that’s important. To me, the goals of open source are: - Make sure that you aren't building your business on top of proprietary software. This isn’t relevant for gamers. - To increase the productivity of all software developers. This is achieve…

I think it is more important than ever that games aren't built on top of proprietary software. I am constantly hearing people complaining about:

- Restrictive DRM ruining the experience

- Servers being suddenly shut down with no recourse

- People who implement their own servers being threatened with legal action

- Popular features being removed

- Communities shifting focus just to appease advertisers

- Spying features being (ineffectively) implemented in order to prevent cheating

- Exclusivity deals, and authors just flat out refusing to port things to other platforms

- High turnover, high stress working conditions, lots of duplication of effort for little gain

Not that any of these problems are specific to games, but the point is that these things don't generally happen with free software. I appreciate the vast improvements we've made in microeconomics to get games to the point where the average quality of a game is incredible and the price is ridiculously low, but the whole thing stinks of a bear market right now.

Re: Spurn the computer game industry

#46

Post by facepalm »

Try to beat nethack for a start. I think it is OK to like high end games, though. And for VR even more powerful hardware is needed. It is not that expensive, though, compared to other things in life like owning a car, for example.

Re: Spurn the computer game industry

#47

Post by zubat »

To echo other gamedevs in this thread: Games are a lot of design powered by a little bit of code. The code can be fairly complex in instances, but the engineering isn't a primary goal. It only has to be "there" enough to support the experience.

Re: Spurn the computer game industry

#48

Post by detaro »

aaron-lebo wrote: post #27
detaro wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would propose that you just don't remember all the games that weren't changeable, didn't have interesting mods, and that just the place where you find those games has shifted. I don't know a moddable recent shooter (possibly because I don't care about shooters, possibly because none exists), but other games, outside the shooter AAAs, have tons of mods.

There's always going to be garbage, but at least if all those mods that nobody remembers were open source, either the games or features could have new life instead of sitting in an empty room somewhere.

That's a different aspect, I was merely challenging the notion that there were the "golden days of gaming with modding" that are now over.

If anything, now you can easily get a game engine for free so you don't have to mod a game to get one.

For now gaming communities have managed surprisingly well to keep old games alive, the biggest threat I see here is the growing move towards "always online" models and no provisions for local multiplayer in AAA titles.

Re: Spurn the computer game industry

#49

Post by Pica_soO »

xabotage wrote: post #28
detaro wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> game developers and artists are paradoxically so willing to shackle themselves to proprietary software Why is that paradoxical?

By that I mean, given that artists and game developers are often underpaid and exploited, proprietary tools only exacerbate the situation because the artists are forced to pay whatever price the vendor names (even if the company buys the licenses, it just means less resources left to hire more people to alleviate the insane overtime). Independent shops or freelancers are especially at a disadvantage when they have to…

I have yet to see the longest,most delicious Stallmann sandwich, from which we all shall eat, once we leave our jobs. I have a full time job and a side-project (game) and nothing else.

If open source would really have a plan to supply income, food and roof for people contributing, they would come. But just standing there, yelling at the mining-pit "You are all wage-slaves" with empty pockets, that attitude gains altitude pretty quickly.

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