I dont care what platform i play great games on. Admittedly, im primarily a PC gamer...but i own all three systems. Only thing is...i prefer mouse/keyboard over controllers...especially for FPS games. The other great thing about PC is that I enjoy mods. For example, i loved the Witcher after a modder took several years to make FCR which was a mod that revamped combat and made it much harder/strategic. Honestly, I would rather see them bring gamers together...one console for everyone with keyboard/mouse support...because lets face it, Starcraft 2 isnt going to transition to consoles without keyboard/mouse support.

I think we are going to see some major changes in the industry in the next couple of years. IMO the reason they are saying they are advanced enough is because they are now focusing on this motion control/social gaming to bring the largest audience possible in. Powerful machines arent needed for those types of games because they tend to have graphics that arent cutting edge. Ive seen several developers go on the record stating the current consoles are really holding game developement back. The head dev at CdProjeckt recently went on the record saying there would probably be a shift away from hardcore games in the industry as companies try to bring as many people in as possible. He noted games like Demon Souls probably wont be seen much in the future because they have a niche audience. Its kind of like the PG13 rating...they are just trying to get the max amount of people in the seats. They say PC Gaming is dying, but i think hardcore gamers are gong to shift back to them. Look at Microsofts recent E3 presentation...Consoles are now being marketed as multimedia entertainment box rather than game machines.

Im definitely waiting for this as well....im finishing up some RPGs on my pc but have some back logged xbox games i want to play through...also, yesterday i picked up Batman Ark Asy GOTY edition on steam for $10 and i want to use a controller to play it...unfortunately my play and charge kit does not work with PC and i dont want to buy any other controller since im planning to get the Onza. It does seem like razer has went silent on this controller since it was banned from MLG tho. Im not sure why, even if it stays banned im sure tons of peeps will still pick it up. Im assuming they are trying to find a way to do a small redesign to get it unbanned by MLG before its released because that will mean a lot more money for them.

So i split my game time between PC and console about 50/50. I purchase most of my PC games on Steam but for console my local blockbuster has a deal where i pay $20 bucks a month and can have any 1 game or movie out at a time. This works pretty well for me to at least try out games before I buy. The problem really is that do to work, wife, and two kids i only have an hour or so a night during the week to game anymore so it takes me awhile to finish a game. Usually what i do is rent to see if its good and then wait till it price drops on used stuff to make the purchase. I only buyon release daywhen it is a new game with great/active multiplayer.

So now I am looking for other options considering Ive read that the writing on the wall is that Blockbuster brick and mortar stores will probably be nonexistant by 2011. Ive done a little searching on the net and it seems gamefly may be the best option for renting games. It just seems like game rental is really expensive considering the time it takes me to complete a game as stated above. Are there better options out there. And if i do go with gamefly what there some "tricks of the trade" to getting the most for your money? Any help is appreciated.

[QUOTE="Grammaton-Cleric"]

[QUOTE="Andrew_Xavier"]

Thanks to these **** THQ and several other companies have adopted this policy. I was looking forward to UFC unleashed 2010, but I cancelled it because of this. I've cancelled all my EA pre-orders too, of which I had 6. I'm not buying from a company pulling this, we should all vote with our wallets, and not.

djsundowner

If you were planning on getting UFC 2010 new, why would you care about this issue? The only people who have to pay are those who bought it used.

Actually, THQ made it mandatory for anyone who owns UFC 2010 to pay five bucks to get the online modes. I just bought it new for both consoles because I own a game center, and when I put in the 360 version it said there was DLC available. I went to see what it was and it was "online features" with a price of 400 Microsoft points. I was like WTF? I just paid SIXTY DOLLARS for a brand new copy, and now I have to pay another fivejust to play online? The EA way I kind of understand, but this is straight-up extortion.

You own a game center but aren't aware that the code for online play is on the back of the manual? hmmm... Anyway, Im going to be the devils advocate here because I see a lot of blanket statements that "this is extortion" and "this hurts the game industry" but not one fleshed out arguement as to the "how."

First, let me state that I primarily play PC games and purchase through steam...but I have all three consoles i share time on. Of all the games i buy i either wait for price drop or buy used if it is only a single player experience. If it is multiplayer, which most of my PC play involves, then i will buy new on release day.

Now, i like buying console games used and keep a list of games that I want to play. I have paiteince and can hold out for cheap used or price drop games. But lets be honest, in a single player experience, is there any difference in the experience that someone had two years ago versus the experience you had when you bought it? No. Games are not like the rake that you buy at the hardware store. You buy a console game used and it is exact same experience because nothing has degraded. Even wear and tear is typically convered at Gamestop for the first 30 days.

Now, lets talk look at UFC 2010 or Tiger Woods 2011. From my perspective, the online play is a major part of it. I only play single player long enough in sport games to learn the game before i go online. For all the naysayers, how is your experience different if you buy a used game to go online and play versus the guy that bought it 3 months prior in new condition to play online? Is $10 really to much to play for hours and hours of play time? I invite people to respond to this honestly and with points on how this really is extortion or hurting the game industry because maybe there is something im missing.

I like deals as much as anyone else. But i also recognize that someone put a lot of blood sweat and tears into creating an experience for me to either enjoy or dislike. It is sad to see all the piracy in the gaming industry. Companies are not shying away from production of good PC games if it doesnt involve online play.

Im curious about the DSi vs DSi XL coming out this weekend. Im ready to purchase a DSi for my 5 year old daughter. Im trying to decide between the two...she will mostly be using it in the car on long rides. Is the XL just two big for her to hold in her seat? or would the regular DSi be better...i like the bigger screens for her becuase ill primarily stick to educational software for awhile so im sure she will be using the touch screen a lot. So far the only con i see getting her the XL is the size...im worried it may just be a little to big for her hands...any opinions?