Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 307 posts

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#181

Post by iamatworknow »

devchix wrote: post #146

I'm not a gamer, but I want to play something to maintain connection with family and distant friends. What should I play? I was once given a copy of Civilization and after playing it for a day, decided it was too much work and I already lose to many things IRL no need to add the Assyrians to my vanquishers as well. I also played Zelda, by "play" I meant wander around the landscape looking for goodies and trying to ch…

I would consider myself a "gamer", and play a lot of the big name, high budget titles, but the game I'm most looking forward to is the new "Clubhouse Games" for Switch that's due out on June 5. It sounds like that would be perfect for what you're looking for. It's 51 classic board/card games with many that can be played multiplayer, either couch co-op or online.

Now you could say, "there are already other versions of these sorts of games out there". True, but this brings them all under one roof, so to speak. One consistent interface through which you can play Connect 4 or Yahtzee or or whatever you choose. It's also developed by Nintendo, so there's going to be a certain level of polish you don't usually find in some random indie developer's release. I think it's going to be a killer title, especially if lockdowns continue to drag on. My only question is why they didn't try to accelerate the release date on it to catch more people stuck at home (though maybe it was considered and they had a good reason not to).

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/clubhouse-games-51-wor...

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#182

Post by egypturnash »

enchiridion wrote: post #154
kipchak wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Co-Optimus is a good resource for finding couch co-op games. https://www.co-optimus.com/games.php?type=couch Some co-op games ones you might enjoy are Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Magicka, overcooked, hammerwatch, Trine, Rayman Legends or human fall flat. There's also a really big back catalog of arcade or earlier console emulatable local multiplayer co-op games, many of which have gotten ports like Chronicles of…

Portal 2

Doesn't that require two machines and two screens? "Couch co-op" is for games that can be played with two or more people looking at the same screen, probably while sitting on the same couch.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#183

Post by Nasrudith »

learc83 wrote: post #168
MaximumMadness wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apologies - I linked the wrong article, take a look at this survey[0] where laid-off game devs can submit their work after being laid off for COVID-related reasons [0] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1LiVnFpmDK29UV9xj...

Maybe companies are using COVID as an excuse for layoffs, or it could be that advertising revenue is down for low end mobile games. But it doesn't really make sense for an industry that is seeing increased revenue to have a downturn. I'd also be skeptical of that survey, there are a lot of people with game side projects that will do just about anything for exposure.

Professional game development jobs are nearly always done on a project basis from "peak" with smaller teams for the patching and extended concept. Until the sales come in they may not know what they can or should try to launch next or be at a phase which can even use the "massed" labor.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#184

Post by kop316 »

zarkov99 wrote: post #145
mgolawala wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime. Overcooked. Overcooked 2 Up to 4 player Co-op. Incredibly fun games. Source: I play co-op and versus games with my kids. We've incorporated casual video game play into our family time for the past few years.

Thanks, I have been trying to do that but didn't quite find the right games (it doesn't help I am on Linux). I'll check your recommendations out.

I second overcooked and overcooked 2. Those are really fun games!

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#185

Post by egypturnash »

cactus2093 wrote: post #58
zlsa wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't need the Valve Index to play Half-Life Alyx. Windows Mixed Reality VR headsets can be had for under $300.

You still need a gaming PC though, lots of relatively casual gamers (like myself) still only have consoles.

You need to be able to clear out enough space to wander around a room blindfolded, too. That's really at a premium right now if you're not living alone; kids, roomies, parents, and spouses are all fighting for space in homes that were perfectly adequate when everyone went out to work or school most of the day.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#186

Post by NDizzle »

dv35z wrote: post #179
NDizzle wrote: post #134

I hope there is a resurgence of couch co-op games after the lockdown. I have been playing a LOT of games, most of them of just mediocre quality, with my kids. Co-op makes mediocre games fun most of the time. I wish there were more options available for local co-op games. PS: Don't try to play Outward with your novice gamer kids.

(1) Any suggestions for couples? Like something peaceful and fun, maybe open world? My GF and I played Overcooked 2. She loved it, but honestly I found it way too stressful for me (I felt like I was at work during a Sev1!). I've always played FPS & RTS, and so entire genres of games are just so unfamiliar to me, but I'd love to explore some and see what else fits. Just the other day, we tried Stardew Valley. I never…

"Group of friends commanding a space ship" Star Trek Bridge Crew!!! https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/star-trek/bridge-crew

It's hilarious with the right group of friends.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#187

Post by Cyph0n »

billfruit wrote: post #166
Grimm1 wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can offer some counters to that off the bat, Nier Automata, Deus Ex, Destiny, The Witcher, Stanley Parable, Undertale If anything I think games with the right attention can have better narratives than literature because they aren't limited to words in assisting the narrative with visualization and depiction of events / emotion. Much like pulp fiction and early sci-fi were treated as second class literature games ra…

That literature does not use visual images is its advantage: it isn't contstrained or restricted to a single visual realisation; every on who reads it's reconstructs in their own unique manner, also same reader may imagine it in a different manner at a different time. Also that mental image is out of the bounds of normal space and time; such freedom is what makes it special in that regard. Take witcher for example, t…

Do you also think narrative is a weak point of movies and TV? Everything is constructed (filmed) for the viewer there, too.

I also enjoy the visualization and imagination involved with reading books, but if you are limiting the definition of "narrative" to how much visualization is involved, then I don't think it makes sense to directly compare books to movies and games.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#188

Post by acomjean »

dv35z wrote: post #179
NDizzle wrote: post #134

I hope there is a resurgence of couch co-op games after the lockdown. I have been playing a LOT of games, most of them of just mediocre quality, with my kids. Co-op makes mediocre games fun most of the time. I wish there were more options available for local co-op games. PS: Don't try to play Outward with your novice gamer kids.

(1) Any suggestions for couples? Like something peaceful and fun, maybe open world? My GF and I played Overcooked 2. She loved it, but honestly I found it way too stressful for me (I felt like I was at work during a Sev1!). I've always played FPS & RTS, and so entire genres of games are just so unfamiliar to me, but I'd love to explore some and see what else fits. Just the other day, we tried Stardew Valley. I never…

What's the game State of the Art for "a group of friends commanding a space ship"? I experimented with Pulsar: Lost Colony a few years back, and heard that Elite Dangerous has some new coop stuff in it. I'd honestly love a "first person perspective" version of Homeworld 2. You and some friends are manning a frigate, battling it out with NPC ships, etc.

Star Trek Bridge Commander? (Crew?) though it can get kinda stressful.

If you have a ps4 Unravel 2 is pretty fun light platform for two people.

My GF plays fortnite with her cousins husband and his brothers. This like it. The voice chat is pretty decent and the game is lite for a shooter.

Plus the occasional Fortnite concert/DJ set is an interesting break.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/04/fortnites-party-royal...

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#189

Post by acomjean »

NDizzle wrote: post #134

I hope there is a resurgence of couch co-op games after the lockdown. I have been playing a LOT of games, most of them of just mediocre quality, with my kids. Co-op makes mediocre games fun most of the time. I wish there were more options available for local co-op games. PS: Don't try to play Outward with your novice gamer kids.

Couch co-op is the reason for existence of the new intellivision Amico. It due this fall, so I can't tell exactly how good its going to be but they seemed to have come a decent way with it since it first was announced.

I had an intellivision growing up and playing sports games with my brothers was a great memory. Back then, all multiplayer was couch based...

https://www.intellivisionamico.com

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#190

Post by asadlionpk »

egypturnash wrote: post #182
enchiridion wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Portal 2

Doesn't that require two machines and two screens? "Couch co-op" is for games that can be played with two or more people looking at the same screen, probably while sitting on the same couch.

I remember Portal 2 on Xbox360 was co-op split-screen.
Post reply on HN