Ensign Nemo wrote on 2024-06-13, 01:48:

Kahenraz wrote on 2024-06-10, 06:51:

Joakim wrote on 2024-06-07, 10:01:

Bought a release boxed version of Full Throttle and an other rerelase of Sam and Max hits the road in a crappy dvd cover. I never played them to the end before.

Full Throttle was amazing. There was supposed to be a sequel, but it was cancelled. A casualty of the adventure game genre dying off.

https://fullthrottle.fandom.com/wiki/Full_Thr … _Hell_on_Wheels

I feel like adventure games would have had a longer lifespan (as a leading PC gaming genre) if they innovated past inventory puzzles. Those tend to be frustrating after awhile and gamers probably lost their patience for obtuse puzzles once they had more gaming options on PC. There's also the Myst approach, but I think that really restricts the type of environment that the game is set in. For example, Police Quest wouldn't make sense with logic puzzles. It's a shame because I feel like the adventure genre is ideal for exploration, especially if you feel like problem solving instead of action.

I was a huge adventure game fan until 3d came and ruined it with monkey island 4. Grim fandango was good though but that was maybe because it had an interesting story and good music.

I think 3d at the time was like AI is now, it was a buzzword, together with the gaming industry had grown into a big company industry rather than some guys doing it for fun in their basement, I think you needed to follow the current trends at the time to get the board of directors to approve your project.

This was the 'dark ages' of adventure gaming and the industry almost killed the genre. But I'm only guessing, I have no idea of the sales numbers of these games.

Today I picked up this nice little wooden box. I can't really complain, as it even has the rebate card.

BetaC wrote on 2024-06-24, 21:09:

Today I picked up this nice little wooden box. I can't really complain, as it even has the rebate card.
IMG_3584.jpg

Brace yourself for that dysentery!

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2024-06-25, 03:23:

BetaC wrote on 2024-06-24, 21:09:

Today I picked up this nice little wooden box. I can't really complain, as it even has the rebate card.
IMG_3584.jpg

Brace yourself for that dysentery!

I have been prepping for years in previous versions.

Recent pickups:

Battlefield 1942: Road to Rome: Manual included. Now my Battlefield 1942 anthology is complete. I never played this back then, only the demo. Same with the Secret Weapons expansion.

Fuel: Manual included.The game has been abandonware for years. But unlike Colin McRea Rally: Dirt and Race Driver: Grid, this one should work on Xbox One and above. Wasn't very successful back in the day. Came around the time when one of the publishers' favorite gimmick was map size, and it was indeed enormous, but the gameplay suffered for it and remained unpolished.

Halo 3 ODST: Manual included. Now the only one I don't own physically, but want to is Halo 2. I've no real interest in anything starting from Halo 4.

Carmageddon: Max Damage: The preorder version with the lenticular slipcover. And as weird as it is, AFAIK this game never had a version which had a printed manual. And I don't own an Xbox One 😁 But I loved the series... except the fan favorite Carma 2 since elementary school. This one... well everything starting with TDR2000 had mixed reception. I have it on steam. Wasn't very well optimized and the graphics was outdated, but otherwise I think it was a worthy sequel to the first one.

RandomStranger wrote on 2024-07-09, 16:25:

Recent pickups:
Halo 3 ODST: Manual included. Now the only one I don't own physically, but want to is Halo 2. I've no real interest in anything starting from Halo 4.

You sir, have good taste.

I received these three games today.

I don't know Chronomaster. But the 90's Ron Perlman with a big mustache on the back convinced me to buy it (The game seems to have good reviews though)

I got this one . nice package

rain wrote on 2024-07-10, 12:12:

I got this one nice package

WooD?

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-07-10, 12:39:

WooD? […]
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rain wrote on 2024-07-10, 12:12:

I got this one nice package

WooD?

Haha yea 😀)))

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-07-10, 12:39:

WooD? […]
Show full quote

rain wrote on 2024-07-10, 12:12:

I got this one nice package

WooD?

and EWooD.

Bought these recently for my XP system. Unfortunately couldn't get Skyrim or Wings of Prey working due to DRM fun and games.
What is the cut off point/year when games just worked with a simple key? 2009-2010?

Skyrim on GOG is DRM-free, finally.

buckeye wrote on 2024-07-12, 21:26:

Bought these recently for my XP system. Unfortunately couldn't get Skyrim or Wings of Prey working due to DRM fun and games.
What is the cut off point/year when games just worked with a simple key? 2009-2010?

Around that time yeah, but it varies on a case by case basis. I always look up a game on the PC Gaming Wiki before making a purchase. They list any DRM that's used in the retail version, making it easy to check weather a game needs online activation or not. Also, they show which digital platform each game is currently available on (if any) and what kind of DRM is used there.

When possible, I too would recommend using GOG for a completely DRM-free experience. Most GOG games released before 2014 will work fine on WinXP, though there are a few exceptions. And you can always download their offline installers and back them up to your media of choice. For preservation purposes, that works pretty much the same as having a physical copy.

These were a midweek thrift store pickup. Posting late 'coz our main vehicle crapped a spring and I was "under" it metaphorically Thurs and Fri. Bummed when I got home that the MTM2 seems to be bootleg. I know the bottom piece is likely just shovelware, but somehow I like nice shareware collections.

Gotta get that Rendition Verite installed in something I guess, 2 games there support it.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-07-13, 05:45:

buckeye wrote on 2024-07-12, 21:26:

Bought these recently for my XP system. Unfortunately couldn't get Skyrim or Wings of Prey working due to DRM fun and games.
What is the cut off point/year when games just worked with a simple key? 2009-2010?

Around that time yeah, but it varies on a case by case basis. I always look up a game on the PC Gaming Wiki before making a purchase. They list any DRM that's used in the retail version, making it easy to check weather a game needs online activation or not. Also, they show which digital platform each game is currently available on (if any) and what kind of DRM is used there.

When possible, I too would recommend using GOG for a completely DRM-free experience. Most GOG games released before 2014 will work fine on WinXP, though there are a few exceptions. And you can always download their offline installers and back them up to your media of choice. For preservation purposes, that works pretty much the same as having a physical copy.

Yep, ended up getting both on GOG. Wings of prey even works on my XP pc but Skyrim is an 64 bit install so will have to go on my daily driver.

Here's a part of my physical PC game collection, with some of the more recent additions. Most of these are value re-releases so they were relatively cheap, but it still feels nice to hold the actual game in my hand.

I also have some loose discs, like Neverwinter Nights 2 which was bundled with my 8600 GT back in the day. When Steam and GOG became available to me, I went fully digital, which I regret in hindsight. Having a physical copy at hand makes things much easier when playing on real retro hardware, though GOG releases usually aren't too difficult to set up on WinXP.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-07-17, 05:34:

Here's a part of my physical PC game collection, with some of the more recent additions. Most of these are value re-releases so they were relatively cheap, but it still feels nice to hold the actual game in my hand.

There are advantages to value re-releases (besides price) - they are frequently patched to later versions.

I have a small write-up about the physical 'value' copies I own. They are not as numerous as yours, but come from several distinct series:
https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/budget-pc-releases/

I wonder how much of the entire AAA library was available at one point or another through these budget copies. Probably close to 100% during the optical media era.

dr_st wrote on 2024-07-17, 07:25:

There are advantages to value re-releases (besides price) - they are frequently patched to later versions.

Oh, absolutely. Most of the "Sold Out" re-releases that I own put the latest official patch on the disc, and also include a PDF manual.

I like that approach a lot, as it allows you to see how the game was at retail (unpatched) and what changes are introduced when you apply the latest patch.

dr_st wrote on 2024-07-17, 07:25:

There are advantages to value re-releases (besides price) - they are frequently patched to later versions. […]
Show full quote

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2024-07-17, 05:34:

Here's a part of my physical PC game collection, with some of the more recent additions. Most of these are value re-releases so they were relatively cheap, but it still feels nice to hold the actual game in my hand.

There are advantages to value re-releases (besides price) - they are frequently patched to later versions.

I have a small write-up about the physical 'value' copies I own. They are not as numerous as yours, but come from several distinct series:
https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/budget-pc-releases/

I wonder how much of the entire AAA library was available at one point or another through these budget copies. Probably close to 100% during the optical media era.

Late 90s it was probably near 100% unless it bombed so bad they just marked down the originals and they hung round like a bad smell in the bargain bin for a year or two. Then going into the 00s it probably declined. Software houses used to have their own budget publishers IIRC.

I really really miss the budget re-release rack and the bargain bins, that's where I got 95% of my games, the other 5% being the really special A listers I couldn't wait for. IDK why I'm not more into humble bundle buys, just digital releases feel like buying nothing.