Gigantic Purple Slug Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 despite hundreds of attempts. And there are people out there who think kids these days waste too much time on computer games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigantic Purple Slug Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I'm on a chat board at the moment with the writer of Manic Miner. I remember him. Funnily enough I came across another guru from the 80's 8-bit world the other day who was offering some business services. I asked him how he managed to get to where he was and he mentioned the computer game era. Quick check of the surname and I realised who he was ! TBH a bit surprised that he was still looking for business. I would have thought that all these operators would have retired to millionaires row by now. I guess though although there were a lot of kids out there making what was big money then for a kid in the 80s the reality is that it wasn't huge amounts of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil324 Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I remember him. Funnily enough I came across another guru from the 80's 8-bit world the other day who was offering some business services. I asked him how he managed to get to where he was and he mentioned the computer game era. Quick check of the surname and I realised who he was ! TBH a bit surprised that he was still looking for business. I would have thought that all these operators would have retired to millionaires row by now. I guess though although there were a lot of kids out there making what was big money then for a kid in the 80s the reality is that it wasn't huge amounts of money. How many made it to the big time though, Matthew Smith being a good example. I can only think of the Darling brothers myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Exactly! I do the same. I very nearly went into town to buy the latest Call of Duty game the other week, until i realised that it was £45! A quick scan of ebay revealed that older CoD games are going for £5-£10, so i'll wait for this latest one to come down in value too. I would've completely scorned anyone who couldn't be bothered to wait until the price turned sensible, until I found myself desperately waiting for Mass Effect 3. I doubt that I'll be able to resist getting my hands on that as soon as possible even at a ludicrous price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saving For a Space Ship Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) Game Group fears loan breach after poor Christmas http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9004248/Game-Group-fears-loan-breach-after-poor-Christmas.html Sales at stores open for a year or more dropped 12.9pc in the eight weeks to January 7, the company said in a trading update on Tuesday. This included a 15.2pc drop in Britain and Ireland. Game Group Game said: "The group currently remains compliant with its loan covenants. However, the difficult market conditions raise the likelihood that it will not meet its EBITDA covenants (fixed charge coverage and leverage) when they are tested on 27 February 2012 for the period to 31 January 2012."....... .............Shares in the company, which have fallen more than 90pc over the past year, fell 27pc to 5p in early trading. Ft article Link Guardian article Link Reuters article Link Edited January 10, 2012 by Saving For a Space Ship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnionTerror Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) How many made it to the big time though, Matthew Smith being a good example. I can only think of the Darling brothers myself. Peter Molyneux? Shame Kevin Toms didn't make it big.... Up to about 10 year ago, I was still massively into games. A lot of them bore me to a certain extent now... Edited January 10, 2012 by Dave Beans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ader Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Did anyone manage to complete the full game on the spectrum? Yes. Me. And JetSet Willy. Mind you I could clock donkey kong (score so high it went back to 000000) and memorised a solution for each of the pacman levels in the arcades too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradbury Robinson Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes. Me. And JetSet Willy. Mind you I could clock donkey kong (score so high it went back to 000000) and memorised a solution for each of the pacman levels in the arcades too. I assume you have seen the DK documentary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_of_Kong:_A_Fistful_of_Quarters An interesting watch for anybody into early video games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
200p Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes. Me. And JetSet Willy. Mind you I could clock donkey kong (score so high it went back to 000000) and memorised a solution for each of the pacman levels in the arcades too. Respect - that was a tough game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Also online content delivery is becoming very prominent over delivery networks like Steam. I joined Steam over the Christmas holiday to take advantage of their holiday sale deals. All the Grand Theft Auto Games, GTA I up to GTA IV, inc. Vice City and San Andreas Command & Conquer 3 Command & Conquer 4 Cost? Slightly over £12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandabear Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I joined Steam over the Christmas holiday to take advantage of their holiday sale deals. All the Grand Theft Auto Games, GTA I up to GTA IV, inc. Vice City and San Andreas Command & Conquer 3 Command & Conquer 4 Cost? Slightly over £12. Have you played C&C4. Dreadful, truly terrible. C&C3 with the expansion pack, now there's a game, check out the MARV. Had a quick skirmish earlier. Worth every penny of the full price paid 4 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Have you played C&C4. Dreadful, truly terrible. C&C3 with the expansion pack, now there's a game, check out the MARV. Had a quick skirmish earlier. Worth every penny of the full price paid 4 years ago. Haven't played 3 yet. I'm more of a Red Alert man usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandabear Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Haven't played 3 yet. I'm more of a Red Alert man usually. Couldn't recommend the recent Red Alert either. Same as C&C4 you set a command, put the kettle on, make a brew and still have to wait for it to be executed. Sorry if i ruined your xmas present. Back on topic though. Given games like Fallout and Skyrim are so huge nowadays why would anyone need more than one game a year? These and C&C have seen me happily through the last 3 years, and i suspect Skyrim will last a couple of years. I admit to paying full price, the old dungeon and dragonner in me won out. But i'm still contributing 40 quid a year to the games industry, can't they be happy with that? I pay less than 200 a year for professional registration, and that allows me to EARN money through it, not simply keep me out of the Black Bull.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinesin Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 ORIGINAL STORY: UK shop GAME appears to be in trouble after doubt was cast on its ability to buy new games. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-01-game-in-trouble-as-doubt-cast-on-ability-to-stock-new-games UPDATE 1:Eurogamer readers have reported that GAME is not selling Metal Gear Solid HD on its website, and that the shop has been turning away Mass Effect 3 pre-orders UPDATE 2: Eurogamer has this morning talked with GAME about its current credit insurance and stock difficulties. Full story via link. How long do now have left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Couldn't recommend the recent Red Alert either. Same as C&C4 you set a command, put the kettle on, make a brew and still have to wait for it to be executed. Sorry if i ruined your xmas present. Back on topic though. Given games like Fallout and Skyrim are so huge nowadays why would anyone need more than one game a year? These and C&C have seen me happily through the last 3 years, and i suspect Skyrim will last a couple of years. I admit to paying full price, the old dungeon and dragonner in me won out. But i'm still contributing 40 quid a year to the games industry, can't they be happy with that? I pay less than 200 a year for professional registration, and that allows me to EARN money through it, not simply keep me out of the Black Bull.... re C&C, how can they release a game so bad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 re C&C, how can they release a game so bad? They don't care is the answer. They just get in the gaming equivalent of Michael Bay to make a game that is superficially similar to the last real C&C but misses the point completely. Throw loads of money at marketing and the C-list celebs that do the slightly daft acting bits in-between levels and hey presto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saving For a Space Ship Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) ORIGINAL STORY: UK shop GAME appears to be in trouble after doubt was cast on its ability to buy new games. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-01-game-in-trouble-as-doubt-cast-on-ability-to-stock-new-games UPDATE 1:Eurogamer readers have reported that GAME is not selling Metal Gear Solid HD on its website, and that the shop has been turning away Mass Effect 3 pre-orders UPDATE 2: Eurogamer has this morning talked with GAME about its current credit insurance and stock difficulties. Full story via link. How long do now have left? from the comments.... They can finally compete with online prices...by having a closing down sale! Personally, I get up to 3 console games / dvds from lovefilm for £14 a month, so apart from the rare occasion I want to play online or keep it, I hardly ever buy a game for myself anymore. MW3/ B3 / Skyrim arrived with me only 7 weeks after release, so the problem of all the recent games being over -rented seems solved imo. Edited February 1, 2012 by Saving For a Space Ship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Back on topic though. Given games like Fallout and Skyrim are so huge nowadays why would anyone need more than one game a year? These and C&C have seen me happily through the last 3 years, and i suspect Skyrim will last a couple of years. You really think that you wouldn't want to play anything other than Skyrim for a couple of years? I've been at it for a couple of weeks now without playing anything else but once I've completed the main plots on it once (probably take me another month, trying to look up enough to work out how far I'm through now without giving too much away at the same time) it'll become something that I might have a bit of a play on every now and then, and indeed will probably continue to do so for years but would like other things too. Three new games a year doesn't sound unreasonable. My average is probably about one every three years but then I'm usually happy to replay old favourites and have never been all that bothered about getting the latest and greatest (Mass Effect 3 is the first game I've looked forward to before release since Elite). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 and the C-list celebs that do the slightly daft acting bits in-between levels For some reason I have an unaccountable desire for ham during those scenes, especially any with Tim Curry in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saving For a Space Ship Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) Edit: perhaps we need to compare Game listings on comparison sites like http://www.find-game.co.uk to see if their stock / credit is truly shrinking. A quick look shows a lot of stuff still listed, but out of stock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7bjoMeO8ok Edited February 1, 2012 by Saving For a Space Ship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_ Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I do get all nostalgic being an old fart of the heady days when computer gaming was new, going into town searching the shops for that latest ZX Spectrum release. Lots of shops had games but they wouldn't have a wide selection so there was no guarantee of finding what you wanted. I remember the release of Sabrewulf, snagging the last copy in WH Smiths, running home and playing it for hours. Also games were tougher in those days, none of this namby pamby saving of progress. You had three lives and if you failed that was it and some of the games took a long time to finish. A game I never finished was Jet Set Willy, watched the video on you tube of somebody completing it the other day and that took some skill. There used to be a big chain of games shops in the late 80s... Anyone remember what it was called? Think it began with an S. Back in those days computer game shops used to be empty most of the time, it all changed when the playstation/wii came out IMO. Got thinking about lemmings the other day, I realised I still have my Amiga + Games, think I'm gonna have to crank it up over the weekend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exiges Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 How many made it to the big time though, Matthew Smith being a good example. I can only think of the Darling brothers myself. Dunno about "big time" but I sold my house in 2008 to Archer Maclean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SickofRenting Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Electrical, Electronic, PC,Xbox, DS PS3 etc consoles & games, white goods retail stores is dead. Long live online stores Why buy something instore for £50.00 when you can buy it online for £40.00? Beggers belief, they know what to do, undercut online prices, they can't afford it? Tough shit, its a tough market out there, move with the times like it always has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Electrical, Electronic, PC,Xbox, DS PS3 etc consoles & games, white goods retail stores is dead. Long live online stores Why buy something instore for £50.00 when you can buy it online for £40.00? Beggers belief, they know what to do, undercut online prices, they can't afford it? Tough shit, its a tough market out there, move with the times like it always has. Is it purely competition from online though? Amazon have just announced poor results as well so maybe it really is a shrinking market? Whether it is shrinking due to the recession, competition from mobile gaming / web games or just plain piracy is up for debate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil324 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Dunno about "big time" but I sold my house in 2008 to Archer Maclean. I had to Google him. IK+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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