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What a shame, updated version is only a download

RozeeRozee
edited October 2009 in Tales of Monkey Island
Monkey Island has been one of my favourite all time games over the years.

I was so excited to read that Monkey Island had been updated but so disappointed that I can only download it via Steam or Xbox. I will not use Steam under any circumstances.

Still I have the original versions of when I first played the game (originally on the Amiga and later when I upgraded to a PC after the Amiga's demise). I have played the game many times over the years although not so recently.

It would have been a thrill to have played Monkey Island as a talkie! I often thought over the years, (when I got my nostalgic moments and fired up my old PC to play Monkey Island 1/2 and 3) how great it would have been to have heard Guybrush and others talk in those early versions and been able to play it on my new computer without any problems.

So much is changing in the world of games. I don't understand why such an old "updated" game couldn't have been offered as a CD to buy worldwide online or a download to our PC so we didn't have to go through Steam. I realise that time and effort has been put in making an update and problems of "piracy" is high priority for game developers and distributors these days. But we are talking here about a game that is nearly 20 years old. I realise that applications such as Steam take a lot of pain out of selling games and probably save money in making CD's and distribution costs. I can see the sense of that from a marketing point of view and making some money, but I personally do not enjoy using a download application such as Steam and will not buy. I realise that soon my gaming days will come to an end with so many new games now only been offered only as downloads.

I would have loved to have played an updated version of Monkey Island but guess I shall have to pass on it this time around. So my excitement has turned to sadness.

Now where are my originals for a nostalgic play, lol! At least I still have them too play so not all is lost.
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Comments

  • Sir PantalonesSir Pantalones
    edited October 2009
    Rozee wrote: »
    I will not use Steam under any circumstances.
    Any traumatizing relations to the word "steam"?

    Fartphobia?

    NoIcan'tbemoreoriginalthanthis...
  • RozeeRozee
    edited October 2009
    Sir Pantalones wrote: »
    Any traumatizing relations to the word "steam"?

    Fartphobia?

    NoIcan'tbemoreoriginalthanthis...

    Let's just say I get "steamed" when having to download or update stuff from that site! lol!
  • Sir PantalonesSir Pantalones
    edited October 2009
    That was a good one. : D
  • a3HeadedMonkeya3HeadedMonkey
    edited October 2009
    There are ways around Steam.

    I know somebody who wanted MI:SE, did not want to go through Steam & also did not want to steal it. In the end they registered with Steam, bought the game & then, happy in the knowledge that they had paid for it, downloaded a torrent of it.

    Ofc, the legality (if not the morality) of this is questionable so I wouldn't advise you to do this.
  • SHODANFreemanSHODANFreeman
    edited October 2009
    You do know MI:SE is available on Direct2Drive as well, yes?

    If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can even get it on the App Store.
  • FrogacudaFrogacuda
    edited October 2009
    If it came out at retail it'd have to be much more expensive. Downloadable distribution allows for a much more diverse market and broader range of price points. The retail business is really in trouble right now because the average $60 console game only nets the publisher like $20 after all the costs.
  • RozeeRozee
    edited October 2009
    I realise that downloads are a better way to make money for publishers but there's something special about owning a disk in a box!

    Perhaps a disk with all the Monkey Island games on it or other updated Lucas Arts games. I own quite a lot of original Lucas Arts games, apart from the Star Wars games, and if they were updated and bundled together wouldn't they command a higher price? I would buy them at the price of a new game but then again perhaps I'm in the minority, insane? lol.

    I often think that there are some games that are just classics and deserve to dusted off, resurrected and updated. It seems such a waste to have such good games left gathering dust. Those youngsters just don't know what they are missing out on! lol!

    Can a price be put on updated nostalgia?
  • eskimoeskimo
    edited October 2009
    Well, my solution to the nostalgia what not perfect, but it worked.

    I downloaded the game through Steam and burned it to CD, then burned a lightscribe label onto the CD.

    I know it's not the same, but at the moment, it's the best option available.
  • IrishmileIrishmile
    edited October 2009
    ♫The times they are-a-changin♫.... I miss buying giant boxes with a game inside too... But I will not let digital progress get in the way of me enjoying Monkey Island.
  • SurplusGamerSurplusGamer
    edited October 2009
    You're right, there's something nice about having a box with the game in, but the advantages of digital distribution now are so massive that there's no going back. The only thing I can recommend is to get over your steamophobia :)
  • WinterSnowblindWinterSnowblind
    edited October 2009
    The game isn't particularly long and even with updated graphics is still an old game, they wouldn't be able to charge a full retail price for it, and even then, it's not exactly a mainstream game, it has its fans of course, but sales would always be limited.

    Releasing it as a CD game just doesn't make sense.

    And it's almost 2010, do you really need to have a CD you're going to install to your hard drive and never look at again? I do understand the appeal of having something physical, but for such a small game, it's just never going to happen.
  • der_ketzerder_ketzer
    edited October 2009
    eskimo wrote: »
    I downloaded the game through Steam and burned it to CD, then burned a lightscribe label onto the CD.
    On a DVD. The game is a little too big for a CD.
  • FrogacudaFrogacuda
    edited October 2009
    Rozee wrote: »
    I realise that downloads are a better way to make money for publishers but there's something special about owning a disk in a box!
    There is, but they're not going to invest in an unviable business model so you can feel special. If that was their only option, the game simply wouldn't exist at all.
  • punkmariopunkmario
    edited October 2009
    wow, just grow a pair and use steam, its not like its gonna instal a load of hate directly into your harddrive and devour all your spare hard drive space....oh wait, but anyway, even if it does need to update once in a while, its not a huge problem just get a download, theres not gonna be a boxed retail, your missing out on a great remake for such a petty reason!
  • PirateguybrushPirateguybrush
    edited October 2009
    Steam is fantastic. I've been using it for a long time now - cheaper games (in many cases), rapid delivery - yes, it's helpful for developers to combat piracy - but here's the kicker. The worst anti-piracy DRM comes on retail games nowdays. Except in special circumstances, the Steam DRM is all that's on Steam games.

    Now let me tell you why Steam DRM is actually good.

    Steam DRM actually benefits the customer. I have about 30+ games on my Steam account. I can go anywhere, and download and play my games on any PC good enough to run them. It frees me from having to care for CDs/DVDs, I don't need to worry about serial numbers, and my games are in my account forever. Valve have promised an anti-Steam patch/solution if they ever go out of business - so I don't even need to worry about that. When I'm in-game, I can press Shift+Tab to see what games my friends are playing, join in (for supported games), and chat to them. No more alt-tabbing, which never works well.

    Yes, having boxed games is nice. However, Steam isn't all that bad.

    Stay the hell away from the EA store - but otherwise most downloadable options are pretty good. It saddens me that Telltale use Securom, however their implementation of it is so very quiet and trouble-free (for most of us) that it's overlookable.
  • Chris1Chris1
    edited October 2009
    Pirateguybrush wrote: »
    It saddens me that Telltale use Securom, however their implementation of it is so very quiet and trouble-free (for most of us) that it's overlookable.

    I remember few people actually praised Telltale when they switched to it, not realising that it was Securom they had switched to.

    From what Telltale have said on the site, it's not just Securom which is the problem, it's how it's set up. And Telltale seem to be quite good at setting it up so that it doesn't break anything.

    That said, I still prefer Steam if I get the choice.
  • WoodsyblueWoodsyblue
    edited October 2009
    It's only a ten dollar game, it's not like you are risking a huge amount. It's really up to you. If you really refuse to use Steam or any other digital distribution method then you can't get the game. It's as simple as that. Case closed. It's your choice to make. I guess it depends on how much you want it...
  • thatdude98thatdude98
    edited October 2009
    Rozee wrote: »
    Monkey Island has been one of my favourite all time games over the years.

    I was so excited to read that Monkey Island had been updated but so disappointed that I can only download it via Steam or Xbox. I will not use Steam under any circumstances.

    Still I have the original versions of when I first played the game (originally on the Amiga and later when I upgraded to a PC after the Amiga's demise). I have played the game many times over the years although not so recently.

    It would have been a thrill to have played Monkey Island as a talkie! I often thought over the years, (when I got my nostalgic moments and fired up my old PC to play Monkey Island 1/2 and 3) how great it would have been to have heard Guybrush and others talk in those early versions and been able to play it on my new computer without any problems.

    So much is changing in the world of games. I don't understand why such an old "updated" game couldn't have been offered as a CD to buy worldwide online or a download to our PC so we didn't have to go through Steam. I realise that time and effort has been put in making an update and problems of "piracy" is high priority for game developers and distributors these days. But we are talking here about a game that is nearly 20 years old. I realise that applications such as Steam take a lot of pain out of selling games and probably save money in making CD's and distribution costs. I can see the sense of that from a marketing point of view and making some money, but I personally do not enjoy using a download application such as Steam and will not buy. I realise that soon my gaming days will come to an end with so many new games now only been offered only as downloads.

    I would have loved to have played an updated version of Monkey Island but guess I shall have to pass on it this time around. So my excitement has turned to sadness.

    Now where are my originals for a nostalgic play, lol! At least I still have them too play so not all is lost.

    I agree.
  • guitarsareboringguitarsareboring
    edited October 2009
    I don't have any objection to buying games digitally when they're no more than about £15 but the big-name new releases like Street Fighter IV and Arkham Asylum are £30 and this is too much considering there are no manufacturing costs involved in those purchases. Until digital games become dramatically cheaper than their physical counterparts it's discs all the way for me.
  • Smashman2004Smashman2004
    edited October 2009
    Get over your, so called "Steamphobia" and buy some good games.
    All of the greatest games are on there now.
    Even Telltale decided to sell Tales on there!
    Seriously..
    Steam is the way forward.
  • MusicallyInspiredMusicallyInspired
    edited October 2009
    There's nothing wrong with Steam. And it's always cheaper than a physical copy because you bypass retail prices. I don't use it very much because I don't have a credit card and it takes about 2 weeks to transfer money from my bank account to my PayPal account. And also, I like boxes. But not enough to avoid Steam altogether.
  • shrefshref
    edited October 2009
    MusicallyInspired wrote: »
    There's nothing wrong with Steam. And it's always cheaper than a physical copy because you bypass retail prices. I don't use it very much because I don't have a credit card and it takes about 2 weeks to transfer money from my bank account to my PayPal account. And also, I like boxes. But not enough to avoid Steam altogether.

    steam is good, except their customer service. they refuse to talk to anyone over a phone. it took me 3 weeks to resolve a billing issue that couldve been resolved in 5 minutes over the phone.
  • ZhadnostZhadnost
    edited October 2009
    I decided against it when I first saw it on the nippers machine and found it was using an obscene amount of runtime even when idle.
  • ArmakuniArmakuni
    edited October 2009
    I really, *really* don't like Steam or other digitial delivery services.

    ... but I really, really, *really* like Monkey Island, so I bought it anyway :p
  • KatanaKatana
    edited October 2009
    If we followed the "It's disc or nothing" policy, we'd more likely be getting the latter. Some such games are just too small, too niche, or just not worth the business to publish. Whether or not the box art gets on a shelf normally depends on what other games a store could make money off of. As long as they could just put up an additional copy of Madden 10, Monkey Island would be lower on their list. Rather than complaining that the chicken soup is being served in a tarnished bowl, be happy that they're able to serve it at all.
  • Toothless GibbonToothless Gibbon
    edited October 2009
    Wecome to the 21st Century folks.
  • Fulvio75Fulvio75
    edited October 2009
    Rozee wrote: »
    I realise that downloads are a better way to make money for publishers but there's something special about owning a disk in a box!

    i totally agree. but todays players are used to those poor plastic cases so most of them didn't even notice it.
    Anyway i'll never buy something via steam (just to say one name) too. If i'll be forced to, then i'll get it in the "old way" :)
  • tbm1986tbm1986
    edited October 2009
    Remember Monkey Island Madness? If they do a remake of MI2 and make a new MI game, we could see this again.
  • HaydenHayden
    edited October 2009
    I think that we will eventually see a physical copy of it, how 'bout you start a petition for a CD version of SoMI:SE?
  • WoodsyblueWoodsyblue
    edited October 2009
    There is a wonderful irony here. It can be argued that digital distribution saved Adventure gaming and yet there are so many Adventure gamers that are stuck in the old ways and refuse to adopt to it in any way shape or form. Their loss I say. I don't see what the big deal is. I like boxes but not having a box isn't a deal beaker for me. Not for a $10 game.
  • MrFerderMrFerder
    edited October 2009
    Why do you hate Steam so much Rozee? I've never used Steam so I don't know much about it.
  • tbm1986tbm1986
    edited October 2009
    Woodsyblue wrote: »
    There is a wonderful irony here. It can be argued that digital distribution saved Adventure gaming and yet there are so many Adventure gamers that are stuck in the old ways and refuse to adopt to it in any way shape or form. Their loss I say. I don't see what the big deal is. I like boxes but not having a box isn't a deal beaker for me. Not for a $10 game.

    I like to think of it as I still have the original box and floppies of the original game, so seeing as it's the same game, I don't need another box.

    I like how TT does both (with bonus features!) to keep old-timers happy.
  • WoodsyblueWoodsyblue
    edited October 2009
    tbm1986 wrote: »
    I like to think of it as I still have the original box and floppies of the original game, so seeing as it's the same game, I don't need another box.

    I like how TT does both (with bonus features!) to keep old-timers happy.

    That's a good point. I mean most of us already own this game many times over. If they don't put a stop to it eventually we'll have to clear a shelf for each of the Monkey Island games.
  • The CommissionerThe Commissioner
    edited October 2009
    haydenwce27 wrote: »
    I think that we will eventually see a physical copy of it, how 'bout you start a petition for a CD version of SoMI:SE?

    It wouldn't fit. The download was over 2GB. It would be on a DVD.
  • tbm1986tbm1986
    edited October 2009
    The Commissioner wrote: »
    It wouldn't fit. The download was over 2GB. It would be on a DVD.

    HOW ON EARTH did they spread it to 2GB in the first place? CMI and EMI combined are that much and they're more intensive, longer games, with more speech.
  • SHODANFreemanSHODANFreeman
    edited October 2009
    tbm1986 wrote: »
    HOW ON EARTH did they spread it to 2GB in the first place? CMI and EMI combined are that much and they're more intensive, longer games, with more speech.

    Because when you make 2D art that supports massive resolutions of 1680x1050 and such, the filesizes can tend to become gigantic especially if you're using uncompressed images.
  • tbm1986tbm1986
    edited October 2009
    Pale Man wrote: »
    Because when you make 2D art that supports massive resolutions of 1680x1050 and such, the filesizes can tend to become gigantic especially if you're using uncompressed images.

    Point taken. That didn't even cross my mind. Silly me.
  • SpaceFalcon2001SpaceFalcon2001
    edited October 2009
    tbm1986 wrote: »
    Point taken. That didn't even cross my mind. Silly me.

    Not to mention all of the voice overs in nice quality.

    Anyhow, something wrong with steam:

    You can't buy SMI:SE if you're not currently in America, so that sucks (certainly prevented me from directly paying for it).
  • WoodsyblueWoodsyblue
    edited October 2009
    SpaceFalcon2001 wrote: »
    Not to mention all of the voice overs in nice quality.

    Anyhow, something wrong with steam:

    You can't buy SMI:SE if you're not currently in America, so that sucks (certainly prevented me from directly paying for it).

    Is that something that is only happening now because I got it the day it came out and I live in Australia?
  • tbm1986tbm1986
    edited October 2009
    SpaceFalcon2001 wrote: »
    Not to mention all of the voice overs in nice quality.

    Anyhow, something wrong with steam:

    You can't buy SMI:SE if you're not currently in America, so that sucks (certainly prevented me from directly paying for it).

    Didn't happen to me. I live in Europe.
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