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GeekNights 20101109 - Renting Games

MrPeriodMrPeriod
edited November 2010 in GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights we consider the magical world of rented games. But before that, we have Blizzard suing cheaters, and Microsoft is futzing with the "indy" category for Xbox games.

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Comments

  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    The saved game shuffle idea seems pretty cool.
  • MattMatt
    Lol can't wait to listen to this one. My brother-in-law got a Kinect over the weekend and invited us over, so instead of bringing food with us we thought we'd rent him another game. Went into a blockbuster for the first time in YEARS and they are charging $9 for a rental! That seems huuuuge. I would just buy it and sell it later online, or get gamefly.
  • RymRym
    Went into a blockbuster for the first time in YEARS and they are charging $9 for a rental! That seems huuuuge.
    Well, they are going out of business as fast as they can. There's just no place in the world for brick and mortar rental of media in the modern world.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    If I ever make a game or any kind of software. Reserving the right to come to the user's house and punch them in the face is going in the EULA.
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    Scott, give Allen Wake a try when you get it. The story is pretty awesome and the gameplay mechanics are really interesting.
  • AndrewAndrew
    Did someone say sword?
    image
  • RymRym
    Did someone saysword?
    The same. I was awesome in high school.
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    God that picture is painful.

    Getting rid of the molestache was a great move on your part.
  • RymRym
    Getting rid of the molestache was a great move on your part.
    It was much nicer once it filled out. I was 17 in that picture, and it was a thin squared slant. I didn't groom it into a full fireman until later.
  • RymRym
    Also, what's painful about a sword cowboy? ;^)

    Shame is what weak people feel when they're enjoying themselves. I have no regrets for my awesome high school life, as it made me who I am today.
  • ApsupApsup
    t was much nicer once it filled out. I was 17 in that picture, and it was a thin squared slant. I didn't groom it into a full fireman until later.
    17? What kind of system you people use for age, because you can't mean 17 years. You look a lot older than that. I would say that the person in the picture is close to 30 or even older if I wouldn't know better.
  • RymRym
    17? What kind of system you people use for age, because you can't mean 17 years. You look a lot older than that. I would say that the person in the picture is close to 30 or even older if I wouldn't know better.
    We ran a contest at RIT Anime once called "Guess Rym's Age."

    I've looked like I was 30 since I was 16.
  • Luke BurrageLuke Burrage
    There's just no place in the world for brick and mortar rental of media in the modern world.
    There is. In Berlin. 1 euro 70 for any DVD or video game for the night is still a real bargain, and very handy for everyone within five minutes walk. As long as DVDs exist, I don't see it going out of business.
  • ChurbaChurba
    There is. In Berlin. 1 euro 70 for any DVD or video game for the night is still a real bargain, and very handy for everyone within five minutes walk. As long as DVDs exist, I don't see it going out of business.
    It's similar here - Cheap rentals from brick and mortars are the norm, even though we have by-mail services, and redbox rentals. Streaming isn't practical, due to download caps, but I'm reasonably sure there is at least one service with a peerage agreement.\

    In fact, blockbuster? Still going strong here, because they played it smart, rather than screwing the pooch like the American Branch. Though, the question does remain if Blockbuster USA going into bankruptcy will affect BlockBuster Aus.
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    There's just no place in the world for brick and mortar rental of media in the modern world.
    There is. In Berlin. 1 euro 70 for any DVD or video game for the night is still a real bargain, and very handy for everyone within five minutes walk. As long as DVDs exist, I don't see it going out of business.
    We have a place like this in Champaign, which has stuff I can't get on Netflix for a buck a night. More than a few such places around Chicago, too.
  • RymRym
    There's just no place in the world for brick and mortar rental of media in the modern world.
    There is. In Berlin. 1 euro 70 for any DVD or video game for the night is still a real bargain, and very handy for everyone within five minutes walk. As long as DVDs exist, I don't see it going out of business.
    We have a place like this in Champaign, which has stuff I can't get on Netflix for a buck a night. More than a few such places around Chicago, too.
    I should clarify my position. There is no place for chain brick and mortar rental stores. An exception probably exists for small or local chains, but I digress.

    Video Barn in Rochester is like that. Local specialty shops that are well priced and convenient can always thrive so long as there is reasonable demand. Until the digital era, there was almost inelastic demand, as there were no options but to buy, rent, or see at the theater. Now, we also have the option to stream, rent online, see via on-demand cable, etc... The people who were previously effectively obligatory customers for their basic on-demand entertainment, elevated demand for large homogeneous chains with large collections of standard and popular movies. Now that those people have other options, the one-off stores cater to the specific local needs of the entertainment-seeking populace.

    Tl;dr: Blockbuster goes bankrupt while Video Barn will live for decades to come.
  • WyattWyatt
    Red Box. Blue Box.

    Redbox was good until I got Netflix. I didn't rent many movies, but it made for a cheap night in on the occasion. I can still see it being useful for most people.
    I'd rent a game for 1$ just to see if it's worth buying, but it's only at Wally Mart...

    @Rym: You should have been put on the sex offender list for touching yourself in high school.
  • beefybeefy
    It's similar here - Cheap rentals from brick and mortars are the norm, even though we have by-mail services, and redbox rentals. Streaming isn't practical, due to download caps, but I'm reasonably sure there is at least one service with a peerage agreement.\

    In fact, blockbuster? Still going strong here, because they played it smart, rather than screwing the pooch like the American Branch. Though, the question does remain if Blockbuster USA going into bankruptcy will affect BlockBuster Aus.
    I'll bet the fact that you have the bandwidth cap helps the brick and mortar shops a bit.

    I know for me, I got tired of messing with the brick and mortars, I got tired of worrying about late fees and they never seemed to have what I wanted to watch, so I quit using them. Then thanks to me listening to Geeknights, I started getting into watching anime. Well I went to the local rental places here, and they didn't have much of a selection, so I checked out Netflix,and the rest is history. I love being able to fire up my xbox, and just watch something when I want to. They have some much stuff just on instant that I want to see I don't I will ever be able to watch it all.

    So I'm sure there will be some specialty shops like the one Rym mentioned that will survive, but I see the brick and mortars bitting the dust. At least in the US.
  • FunfetusFunfetus
    The same. I wasawesomein high school.
    In that picture, you look exactly like I guy I used to know who swore he could do magic.
  • beefybeefy
    Blizzard used pretty much the same argument against the developers of a botting program for world of warcraft. They won the suit, so there is some precedence for this argument.
  • gomidoggomidog
    edited November 2010
    God that picture is painful.
    But he still made out with lots of girls!
    Getting rid of the molestache was a great move on your part.
    Yup.
    I've looked like I was 30 since I was 16.
    Heee! What a difference a little facial hair can make!

    I don't care, you were still cute! I wish I had known you in high school. I would have joined your D and D group in a second.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    Rym should opt for a Salvidor Dali moustache. He could pull it off.
  • Luke BurrageLuke Burrage
    That Middle School Football Trick play is great!

    It reminded a friend of this video, which I know we've discussed on he forum before:
  • RymRym
    That Middle School Football Trick play is great!
    I think what sold me on it, in particular, over similar videos, was the brazen walk forward right past the line. Usually, they walk toward the sidelines first and then suddenly bolt, but this kid slung his great big brass testicles over his shoulder and just walked past them.
  • BomboBombo
    What kind of trophy are we talkin' about? ;-)
  • MattMatt
    What kind of trophy are we talkin' about? ;-)
    It is a statue of a man with large brass testicles slung over another man's shoulder.
  • Jack DraigoJack Draigo
    I kinda got that renting experience when I bought those used games on Amazon. Every one had a save file, and I looked at them, and the files were pretty far in. Pokemon sucked because it can only hold one save, but otherwise there's those guys who went before.

    Also my only thing is I already have played these games so it's not like "Oh my gah there's a fucking rod that sets people on fucking fire! Holy shit!"
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