Van Hemlock.com - Comments

Saylah comments on Van Hemlock Episode 94

Saylah — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:31:45 +0000

Oh no please not another favorite scratching the edge of fading. There is so little that I love these days in the MMO space. The 3 podcasts I listen to at least give me pleasure and hope that one day I'll care again. I LOVE THIS SHOW. I LOVE THIS SHOW. I respect the time and effort it takes to do it. And certainly can't complain having blog faded myself but... I LOVE THIS SHOW. I LOVE THIS SHOW. Please don't fade completely.

mchris comments on Van Hemlock Episode 94

mchris — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:00:22 +0000

Hey guys. Good show as usual.

I've heard similar grumps before. I think Brent did something similar before he disappeared, and Brendon (from Another Here). I fear it's the deathknell before podfade stills the body. I hope not.

With regards to the direction, purpose, raison d'être etc. of your show: Hmmm. I'll tell you why I listen.
I used to think it was because I wanted to hear a BBC approach to games news. The only TV I have ever seen regarding video games was an (even at that age) embarrassing-to-watch Gamesmaster with Patrick Moore. I thought your show appealed to me because it treated me like an adult. Now in my 30s I can do without podcasts coming at me like "yoof TV" with shouty bits and "humourous links".
But as you say, the news is all over the place. Treated with various levels of lightheartedness. The news was done well by Brent (until he just got enthralled by meeting Sony bigwigs and couldn't say anything bad), but I still would listen to your podcasts.
It was terribly interesting. Hearing things about Eve in the first 10 shows kept me listening. (I remember some comment at VW asking you to reduce the Eve coverage - was that a conscious decision?)
When you effectively stopped your MMO news coverage and editorial (and it has stopped - there is no denying that) I didn't think I would continue to listen. Not being a console gamer at the time.
But I kept on listening and now I think I know why. Simply put:
It's nice to hear you two talk about things I'm interested in. You change up your game often enough but the core of it is that two pretty decent chaps are talking about games without condescending the listener.
Don't get me wrong, I disagree with so much of what you say, even get frustrated with Jon sometimes! But I always look forward to my podcast and train ride to work.

In summary, whatever you choose to do, please keep doing something. If I'm every lucky enough to meet you, I'll owe you a fair few beers.

Lessah comments on Van Hemlock Episode 94

Lessah — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:12:50 +0000

Don't blame poor Drizzt for being Drizzt! Blame everyone who loves him! How many characters are as recognizable across MMO's? Bilbo Baggins? I Think not! (He's a hobbit anyway and we all know that too many things are beyond their reach! hehehehe ) I have never played a game without seeing the Underdark's most favored son SOMEWHERE. I love how you blame Salvatore for ruining everything everywhere as well. Sci-Fi Envy?
Perhaps you should try a nice walk or... a pottery class to help release all that pent up frustration? I admit....You somehow manage to sound good even while grumpy. All the same, I loved last weeks show oh so much more than this one. Take a break and come back when you are happy and enthusiastic again!

Runic Death comments on The PC isn't dead

Runic Death — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:57:33 +0000

I think the biggest turn off for publishers is the pirates. If it were not for pirates we wouldn't need intrusive and clunky DRM that doesn't always work. At work I am considered odd by other games (or just film lovers) for refusing to download pirated software or films, and I'm proud that I don't own or play pirated games.

For example, I want to get the Chaos Rising expansion for DOWII, but I only had enough money for 1 game this wek, so I bought Battlefield Bad Company II (I'll get more use out of it longer term), and I'll get Chaos Rising some other time when I can afford it, instead of looking for a pirate version.

The point I am trying to make is that DRM is caused by the pirate / hacker, and although it is an annoying fact of life, it is only there because people are free to pirate without that much fear of being arrested. I should probably ask the next person who advocates piracy to me if he would be comfortable walking out of a shop without paying for a game :P

Runic Death

Jon Shute comments on The PC isn't dead

Jon Shute — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:26:55 +0000

The lack of armchair gaming is a bit of a problem, but one that I hope companies rectify sooner rather than later. Most PCs now (at least the ones that have come near me) seem to have HDMI sockets, and with the resolution of TVs nowadays it's not beyond the realms of possibilities that a lot of PCs are now connected to the TV either as well or as a secondary display in order to watch downloaded films and allow surfing the net in the living room. I'm not saying that it's anywhere near the norm, but it's a good start that only takes a bit of technical knowledge and some room layout planning. OK, maybe it's a bit improbable but these PCs all have optical out and HDMI for a reason I'm sure.

Wireless HDMI needs to take off. Then it's all fine.

Scott comments on The PC isn't dead

Scott — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:20:52 +0000

You seem to be basing the entire argument on graphics. *Of course* PC's have better graphics. Or, at least, have higher resolutions. Monitor resolution has always been higher than television and modern monitors have been superior to HDTV as well. But you're also sitting at your PC inches away from the monitor, whereas on a console you're 5 to 10 feet away from that HDTV and things are moving -- can you *really* tell it's *that* much better?

I just built a brand-new PC, Windows 7, a top-end DX10 card (I know, DX11 cards are out but I'm simply not willing to spend that kind of money for one) with all the trimmings and sure, because it's in my face, the graphics look terrific. But I'm also stuck sitting at my desk and, comfy office chair or no, it's still an office chair not my fluffy couch I can maneuver and recline on. And as you mentioned with the various DRM "solutions" out there, now on the PC I have to fool around researching any non-MMO game I might be interested in to see what type of DRM it might have and decide if I am willing to install that DRM on my PC knowing it might be a rootkit or some other type of permanent, uninstallable software. Note: I have yet to ever submit to knowingly installing any DRM solution of that type, no matter how good the game reviews are, and I don't see my attitude changing on that.

But you're absolutely correct and that I don't foresee any game platform "killing" another platform. Consoles won't kill the PC, nor will PC's kill consoles. It's the publishers, and perhaps to a lesser degree, the pirates, who are specifically killing the PC market.

Jon Shute comments on The PC isn't dead

Jon Shute — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:31:21 +0000

I'm actually saving that point for the next two posts on this subject, they're much more of a problem for the consoles themselves than for the PC as an open platform will always attract people if there's a market.

NT_ comments on The PC isn't dead

NT_ — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:49:50 +0000

Good analysis. I only have a minute, but there are also other powerful forces struggling that aren't necessarily in consumers' best interest. For example, Microsoft obviously would much rather directly sell you console hardware, an online subscription AND a licensing fee (any Xbox 360 game, some of which they have developed/published) than an increasingly limited selection of MS PC titles and copies of Windows that most people are going to purchase anyway. And, once you've been hooked, they'll be pleased to sell you an ordinary hard drive in a proprietary bracket for at least three times what it would cost to put the same drive in a PC.

Why take a slice of the pie, when they could go for it all? Similar arguments apply to Sony, adjusted to their position in the market. Nintendo and Apple are a bit different.

Elristo comments on Equal Opportunity Moaning: Xbox 360

Elristo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:53:16 +0000

As one of the aforementioned Americans I must say Gold membership rocks, especially coupled with Netflix. I am more than happy to pay for Xbox live because it is a very good system. The UI takes some getting used to as the more features that are added the more crowded the menus. It can take awhile to find what you want when you know it exists. Tough to browse and find stuff you don't know exists.
My main issue is with the noise, and like John I like to copy the games onto the hard drive and play from there to make the whole thing quieter.
If they make a quiter more reliable model I would upgrade, my Xbox has allready gone the ship it, fix it, get it back route once. They can leave the little flap that covers the USB port plug in area off as well, the spring on that broke the first week and just stays open all the time now.

Toodle Pipski or what not.

Elristo

Trinnet comments on Equal Opportunity Moaning: Xbox 360

Trinnet — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:39:18 +0000

I love my 360 - I love it so much I'm now on my 4th, but I have to say you're pretty much spot on with all of your grumbles.

I'm also incredibly bitter about the Americans having vast libraries of stuff they can download while we're stuck with a choice between Transformers and Miss Congeniality, but I suspect that's not entirely Microsoft's fault.