The biggest threat to publishing isn’t Amazon; it’s Angry Birds

[JSWolf]

Let's see... I played Monopoly on my iPad, I played Angry Birds Rio on my iPad and I still had time to do a good bit of reading.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

I think it is. The story in the game is separate from the books, so reading them is not a requirement to understanding game or the setting, though several of the characters from the books show up in the game (Triss, Shani, the witchers, Dandelion, etc), and most of it takes place in or around Vizima. REmember that it's vital to play them in order, as the plot of the first game directly influences the plot of the second, by allowing you to import your save files from the first game, so it can apply your decisions and their consequences to the sequel.

Intro to the first game. If you've read the books you'll probably recognize this 8-minute intro.

BEWARE spoilers in the related videos to the right! I didn't see any major ones in the titles and thumbnails, but I'd strongly advise against actually viewing any of them. The Witcher games are deeply story driven, and the spoilers in the videos would ruin a large part of the enjoyment of playing the games.

Thanks! That intro was pretty impressive, and quite true to the text. Are the graphics in the game as good as in that video?

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by rkomar

Thanks! That intro was pretty impressive, and quite true to the text. Are the graphics in the game as good as in that video?

I could answer that if I knew what hardware you have

The game has the potential to look as good, but it's not the best optimized game I ever played. With a PC that can max everything out, it's a pretty game.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

I could answer that if I knew what hardware you have

The game has the potential to look as good, but it's not the best optimized game I ever played. With a PC that can max everything out, it's a pretty game.

Ha! I have an old copy of Win2k and a slightly newer work-related copy of WinXP, both running under VirtualBox emulation in Linux. I suspect the game would not look very good for me.

I was curious whether the intro scenes were rendered using something other than the actual game. I haven't bought a new game since Max Payne 2 (~2004), so I'm well behind the times in knowing what modern PC games look like. I guess I'm not one of those losing reading time to that class of leisurely pursuits.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

You need to play the Witcher games. Haven't seen a developer flaunt their M-rating that way since Fallout 2...

Yeah, I've heard good things about the game's depth, its twitchy/actiony though, ain't it? I'm into the TB thing, too old for reflex stuff. I want to read those books though...

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

Yeah, I've heard good things about the game's depth, its twitchy/actiony though, ain't it? I'm into the TB thing, too old for reflex stuff. I want to read those books though...

The second one is a lot more of an action game then the first. The first one is based on Bioware's old Aurora engine (the one they used for Knights of the Old Republic), so it's turn-based masquerading as twitchy. You can set difficulty level, if you want to make it easy for yourself, and if you just get past the first chapter in the first game, it's pretty smooth sailing from then on.

[CallOfCth'reader]

Angry Birds has to be the most tedious, over-hyped game every produced. Why it has done so well, I will never know.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

Angry Birds has to be the most tedious, over-hyped game every produced. Why it has done so well, I will never know.

Some people like Angry Birds, some people like candied ginger. You can't see the appeal of the former, I can't see the appeal of the latter. Different tastes.

[Lemurion]

My ten-year-old daughter has a tablet (cheap Coby Kyros), and guess what she was doing today? And yesterday for that matter? Reading. She has Aldiko on it and she reads ebooks (or paper or whatever she can get her hands on). The color scheme she uses is a bit weird for my eyes (dark blue text on a dull red background) but it works for her.

It all comes back to basics - the best way to get kids to read is to love reading. So I guess it's back to converting the parents again...

[Fluribus]

Angry birds are a huge threat. If I go outside with a book in my hand the damned things will swoop down and tear it apart. Watch the Hitchcock movie sometime.

As far as CRPGs go, I still play and enjoy many of them, but something from the old days is missing. It seems that certain things were deemed extraneous and thus dropped. Streamlined to appeal to a larger audience. Maybe Diablo is to blame.

Maybe the biggest threat to publishing is publishing. Maybe the minefield could be navigated if they'd pull their heads out of the sand and stop trying to bludgeon people.

[BelleZora]

My observation is that children are reading now more than I can ever before remember in my longish lifetime. My grandchildren and their friends read voraciously. Even my 13-year-old grandson who once told me he hates to read just finished The Hunger Games after seeing the movie. They also play video games (and volleyball, baseball, basketball, football and soccer, as well as camp and hike in the summer).

The libraries here in northern Idaho are packed with children during story hours. Surely this love of reading in the young is not a local phenomenon.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

The second one is a lot more of an action game then the first. The first one is based on Bioware's old Aurora engine (the one they used for Knights of the Old Republic), so it's turn-based masquerading as twitchy. You can set difficulty level, if you want to make it easy for yourself, and if you just get past the first chapter in the first game, it's pretty smooth sailing from then on.

Thanks. GOG has it for $10, I'm sorely tempted to get it. Can't seem to find a decent, thoughtful RPG anywhere these days.

Originally Posted by Fluribus

As far as CRPGs go, I still play and enjoy many of them, but something from the old days is missing. It seems that certain things were deemed extraneous and thus dropped. Streamlined to appeal to a larger audience. Maybe Diablo is to blame.

Diablo 1 & 2 were the the only action RPGs I ever liked. Shallow but simple was the key. But I very much prefer the story stuff...

Angry Birds was fun for like an afternoon...then, meh.

[Freeshadow]

Btw. Gog has witcher 2 on a 75% discount now the 1st at 50. Means get both for less than 10 usd
I'm moving heaven & hell today to get an order placed in time.

[Lemurion]

My daughter wasn't feeling well today. When I went in to check on her she was reading a book on her tablet. (She's 10). She plays Angry Birds, but she loves reading too.

[Anabran]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

Angry Birds has to be the most tedious, over-hyped game every produced. Why it has done so well, I will never know.

Agreed!!