I got a refurbished computer, it cost me just over £300 and was a serious upgrade to my old one. The only thing wrong with it are two small scratches that are barely noticable. It would have cost me loads more if I'd have got it new instead of refurbished.
I usually put about $500 into my computer every 4 years or so. Sometimes the video card will get updated early. I just upgraded in October for $500 - using the same hard drive, new motherboard, PSU, CPU, ram and video card - and I'm running Crysis and Modern Warfare 2 on highest settings without a hitch. I've always been able to keep Telltale games on 9.
Bottom line - if the games look too "old" then new players will avoid them. It's a fine line - but they are also a business. Businesses may love repeat business and count on that, but if they want to grow they need new customers. The average PSN customer might look at a shot of S&M season 1 and cringe a little, but the little steps forward of S&M season 3 might catch more eyes. Bring on the improvements, I say.
Now zis is news I like! I suppose my friends just told me that because there the type of people who really want the best, this computer a custom one but my dad got it for me like 3 years ago and he didn't know much about computers (though he thinks he does so shh). I suppose I'll save up until I got a pretty good amount, maybe £500, more or less and search the market! So far I got £230, hope I don't spend it, that there is my weakenss
Dependant on the actual hardware, you may not need to upgrade much. If you save up £500 you can pretty much build a killer rig. £400 would easily be enough to build a whole PC for Telltale games. Building a PC is not hard, unless you have something which would affect your dexterity such as arthritis. This video shows how simple it is, parts would be slightly different though.
In re: Will's answer, has anybody mentioned yet that the 'casual gamer' who won't have a great computer and who buys this kind of adventure game because they're not into Crysis etc. Is hardly likely to be spending £250 for PS3 which almost solely sells shootemups at inflated prices?
Perhaps the Wii, but then for a 'casual gamer' I can't see £hundreds for the sake of trash like Mariokarts being worth it.
The thing is, it's like making a film, except making it exclusively blu-ray, so nobody with a DVD-player can watch it. Surely it isn't so hard to make a setting where the graphics are crap that people with poor computers can play it?
The thing is, it's like making a film, except making it exclusively blu-ray, so nobody with a DVD-player can watch it.
Hmm yeah, but there was a time when they had to stop making VHS and eventually they will stop making DVDs. All our old DVDs will undoubtedly work in new players but the new format won't work in DVD players. New games don't have to work in old computers.
I'm not looking forward to having to buy a new computer to play a game but when that day comes I'll either miss out on the game or buy a computer - all depends on my finances.
Surely it isn't so hard to make a setting where the graphics are crap that people with poor computers can play it?
If it was easy, there really wouldn't be a reason for them to go "hey, let's not include that so we can lose customers!"
There has to be a reason they can't stretch it. I guess if they raise the higher level they can't keep the lower levels as low. Or something.
If it was easy, there really wouldn't be a reason for them to go "hey, let's not include that so we can lose customers!"
There has to be a reason they can't stretch it. I guess if they raise the higher level they can't keep the lower levels as low. Or something.
I'm pretty certain it's because they don't want the low settings to look like hideously neglected rotting garbage, to the point of compromising the entire art style and aesthetic of the game.
Its been 4 years since season 1 started. They need to evolve.
However making it so you can lower the graphics more would be nice and would get them more customers.
Frankly, this sort of thing has been happening from day dot. I would imagine that there was plenty of complaining when Curse of Monkey Island struggled with anything less than a Pentium 1 and a DirectX 5 graphics card. Replace "Pentium 1" with "Pentium 4" and "DirectX 5" with "DirectX 8.1" and you've got the situation we have in this thread. (I would imagine the graphics card, or lack therof, is what's holding up the original poster)
has anybody mentioned yet that the 'casual gamer' [...] Is hardly likely to be spending £250 for PS3 which almost solely sells shootemups at inflated prices?
Perhaps the Wii, but then for a 'casual gamer' I can't see £hundreds for the sake of trash like Mariokarts being worth it.
I'm not looking forward to having to buy a new computer to play a game but when that day comes I'll either miss out on the game or buy a computer - all depends on my finances.
I would usually agree with that statement.
I decided I couldn't afford to pay for the shipment costs of the ToMI DVD despite having paid extra (iirc) for the possibility of getting it in the preorder. I'm not really bothered: I knew I might not be able to afford it when I paid for the game (4 years of overpriced university and counting). I also didn't buy Empire: Total War despite having bought all the others on release, because my laptop couldn't play it and I couldn't afford a new one. Again, not all that bothered because ETW isn't aimed at crappy-laptop people.
But the difference here is that TTG are making a big thing of their games being aimed at 'casual' gamers. This holds true for people with desktops or Wii's, but I bought an average laptop in 2007, and Wallace & Gromit barely worked on it. That's a 3-year-old laptop costing £450. How expensive is casual gaming these days? Sure I could buy a Wii, but as a casual gamer I don't want to pay £150 for yet another piece of hardware, or I could buy a desktop and lug it around with me...
More and more people are buying exclusively laptops because they don't live in one place. These may not fall into Crysis or UT etc. demographic, but they're not all going to be non-game-playing.
Possibly TTG have a different definition of 'casual gamer' to me :shrug:
P.S. I've finally got a new laptop after working a night-shift 4 nights a week alongside researching my 15k word dissertation. Now I can play all the TTG games. Woohoo! Oh, and it plays Crysis on low settings reasonably(!)
Don't buy anything with an integrated video card and you will be able to run games at low settings for at least 5-6 years without upgrading. Integrated video cards are absolute trash and can barely run even older games.
Yup, using an integrated videocard means you don't game. And that's not just TTG, that's pretty much anything beyond bejeeweled and such (or maybe REALLY old 2D games).
Don't buy anything with an integrated video card and you will be able to run games at low settings for at least 5-6 years without upgrading. Integrated video cards are absolute trash and can barely run even older games.
Again, the question comes down to money. A lot of people don't have the money to buy something with dedicated graphics. Buying a desktop (or building it, even better) fixes this problem. But there are many who don't buy desktops because they have to be in different cities on different months.
Personally, right now, i've decided to kill myself working night-shifts because being a student with a wounded father I didn't have any money available. Now i've done what you've suggested, but I doubt the 'casual' gamer would have spent so much energy into getting enough money for a better machine.
Yup, using an integrated videocard means you don't game. And that's not just TTG, that's pretty much anything beyond bejeeweled and such (or maybe REALLY old 2D games).
...oh, it's not that bad.
I have a laptop with Intel graphics--I actually prefer Intel graphics in my laptops because they're low power, have good stable drivers and great Linux compatibility. Obviously I use a different computer with a real graphics card for most of my gaming.
Many people will understate the gaming capabilities of Intel graphics adapters though. I can for example play old 3D titles like Unreal, Unreal Tournament and the original Serious Sam games at the highest settings with great success. All Telltale games up to and including Strong Bad also work great at the highest resolution. Anything 2D works as well as on any other computer.
But yeah, you don't do "serious" gaming on it. With Intel graphics, you're basically 5-10 years behind everyone else.
Again, the question comes down to money. A lot of people don't have the money to buy something with dedicated graphics. Buying a desktop (or building it, even better) fixes this problem. But there are many who don't buy desktops because they have to be in different cities on different months.
Personally, right now, i've decided to kill myself working night-shifts because being a student with a wounded father I didn't have any money available. Now i've done what you've suggested, but I doubt the 'casual' gamer would have spent so much energy into getting enough money for a better machine.
Normally, a laptop with dedicated brand name video is around the same price range as some of the ones with shared garbage Intel video, perhaps slightly more expensive, but not prohibitively so. If gaming is important to someone, casual or hardcore or whatever, they should check the specs of something before they buy it, and if they aren't knowledgeable, ask someone who is. (And no, the guys at Best Buy/wherever don't count as knowledgeable, save for a few rare exceptions)
Comments
Bottom line - if the games look too "old" then new players will avoid them. It's a fine line - but they are also a business. Businesses may love repeat business and count on that, but if they want to grow they need new customers. The average PSN customer might look at a shot of S&M season 1 and cringe a little, but the little steps forward of S&M season 3 might catch more eyes. Bring on the improvements, I say.
This has a lot to do with it slowing down on older pc's as well, as far as I know.
Dependant on the actual hardware, you may not need to upgrade much. If you save up £500 you can pretty much build a killer rig. £400 would easily be enough to build a whole PC for Telltale games. Building a PC is not hard, unless you have something which would affect your dexterity such as arthritis. This video shows how simple it is, parts would be slightly different though.
Perhaps the Wii, but then for a 'casual gamer' I can't see £hundreds for the sake of trash like Mariokarts being worth it.
The thing is, it's like making a film, except making it exclusively blu-ray, so nobody with a DVD-player can watch it. Surely it isn't so hard to make a setting where the graphics are crap that people with poor computers can play it?
Hmm yeah, but there was a time when they had to stop making VHS and eventually they will stop making DVDs. All our old DVDs will undoubtedly work in new players but the new format won't work in DVD players. New games don't have to work in old computers.
I'm not looking forward to having to buy a new computer to play a game but when that day comes I'll either miss out on the game or buy a computer - all depends on my finances.
If it was easy, there really wouldn't be a reason for them to go "hey, let's not include that so we can lose customers!"
There has to be a reason they can't stretch it. I guess if they raise the higher level they can't keep the lower levels as low. Or something.
I'm pretty certain it's because they don't want the low settings to look like hideously neglected rotting garbage, to the point of compromising the entire art style and aesthetic of the game.
However making it so you can lower the graphics more would be nice and would get them more customers.
Trash like Mario Kart? What?
That's what I thought!
Frankly, this sort of thing has been happening from day dot. I would imagine that there was plenty of complaining when Curse of Monkey Island struggled with anything less than a Pentium 1 and a DirectX 5 graphics card. Replace "Pentium 1" with "Pentium 4" and "DirectX 5" with "DirectX 8.1" and you've got the situation we have in this thread. (I would imagine the graphics card, or lack therof, is what's holding up the original poster)
Mario Kart? Trash? umm... no.
And since when did PS3 almost solely sell shooters?
I would usually agree with that statement.
I decided I couldn't afford to pay for the shipment costs of the ToMI DVD despite having paid extra (iirc) for the possibility of getting it in the preorder. I'm not really bothered: I knew I might not be able to afford it when I paid for the game (4 years of overpriced university and counting). I also didn't buy Empire: Total War despite having bought all the others on release, because my laptop couldn't play it and I couldn't afford a new one. Again, not all that bothered because ETW isn't aimed at crappy-laptop people.
But the difference here is that TTG are making a big thing of their games being aimed at 'casual' gamers. This holds true for people with desktops or Wii's, but I bought an average laptop in 2007, and Wallace & Gromit barely worked on it. That's a 3-year-old laptop costing £450. How expensive is casual gaming these days? Sure I could buy a Wii, but as a casual gamer I don't want to pay £150 for yet another piece of hardware, or I could buy a desktop and lug it around with me...
More and more people are buying exclusively laptops because they don't live in one place. These may not fall into Crysis or UT etc. demographic, but they're not all going to be non-game-playing.
Possibly TTG have a different definition of 'casual gamer' to me :shrug:
P.S. I've finally got a new laptop after working a night-shift 4 nights a week alongside researching my 15k word dissertation. Now I can play all the TTG games. Woohoo! Oh, and it plays Crysis on low settings reasonably(!)
I stand by what I said
I still stand by what I said!
But shouldn't that be 'casual' PC gaming, given TTG's ethos?
Even good brands can kind of suck if they don't have dedicated video memory.
Again, the question comes down to money. A lot of people don't have the money to buy something with dedicated graphics. Buying a desktop (or building it, even better) fixes this problem. But there are many who don't buy desktops because they have to be in different cities on different months.
Personally, right now, i've decided to kill myself working night-shifts because being a student with a wounded father I didn't have any money available. Now i've done what you've suggested, but I doubt the 'casual' gamer would have spent so much energy into getting enough money for a better machine.
I have a laptop with Intel graphics--I actually prefer Intel graphics in my laptops because they're low power, have good stable drivers and great Linux compatibility. Obviously I use a different computer with a real graphics card for most of my gaming.
Many people will understate the gaming capabilities of Intel graphics adapters though. I can for example play old 3D titles like Unreal, Unreal Tournament and the original Serious Sam games at the highest settings with great success. All Telltale games up to and including Strong Bad also work great at the highest resolution. Anything 2D works as well as on any other computer.
But yeah, you don't do "serious" gaming on it. With Intel graphics, you're basically 5-10 years behind everyone else.
Normally, a laptop with dedicated brand name video is around the same price range as some of the ones with shared garbage Intel video, perhaps slightly more expensive, but not prohibitively so. If gaming is important to someone, casual or hardcore or whatever, they should check the specs of something before they buy it, and if they aren't knowledgeable, ask someone who is. (And no, the guys at Best Buy/wherever don't count as knowledgeable, save for a few rare exceptions)