(posting a few minutes early. Don't tell Ant. ;-)

I'm sure it's a completely random coincidence that today is Thursday,
and that there is a free game on Epic. It's equally coincidental that
I'm here talking about it. Sure, let's go with that. But what game are
we getting today? Well, I'm glad you asked.

* Doors Paradox
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/doors-paradox-5896c7
Or, more precisely, "Doors - Paradox". That hyphen is
ever so important so we must not leave it out. This is
a hidden object/escape room sort of game and, I suppose,
for its type it's fine. If you like that sort of thing.
It's not really for me; I grinded out all interest in
that sort of gameplay years ago pixel-hunting my way
through Sierra adventure games. It's not very long,
it's not very difficult, but I don't think its intended
to be; it's supposed to be a (mostly) relaxing time-
waster. If that's a game for you, great. I play "walking
sims" and drive a virtual truck so I'm hardly in a
position to be judgmental about that sort of thing.
But I personally prefer something with a bit more
meat to it.

Anyway, you have a week to decide whether this game is for you or not.
You know, like is usual for Epic games.

On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
much less played.

On 2/1/2024 4:53 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> (posting a few minutes early. Don't tell Ant. ;-)
>
> I'm sure it's a completely random coincidence that today is Thursday,
> and that there is a free game on Epic. It's equally coincidental that
> I'm here talking about it. Sure, let's go with that. But what game are
> we getting today? Well, I'm glad you asked.
>
>
> * Doors Paradox
> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/doors-paradox-5896c7
> Or, more precisely, "Doors - Paradox". That hyphen is
> ever so important so we must not leave it out. This is
> a hidden object/escape room sort of game and, I suppose,
> for its type it's fine. If you like that sort of thing.
> It's not really for me; I grinded out all interest in
> that sort of gameplay years ago pixel-hunting my way
> through Sierra adventure games. It's not very long,
> it's not very difficult, but I don't think its intended
> to be; it's supposed to be a (mostly) relaxing time-
> waster. If that's a game for you, great. I play "walking
> sims" and drive a virtual truck so I'm hardly in a
> position to be judgmental about that sort of thing.
> But I personally prefer something with a bit more
> meat to it.
>
>
> Anyway, you have a week to decide whether this game is for you or not.
> You know, like is usual for Epic games.
>
>
> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
> much less played.
>
>

Hmmm... the genre is Horror and the description says it is relaxing.

Someone doesn't know what one of those two words mean.

On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 17:19:22 +0100, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 2/1/2024 4:53 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>> * Doors Paradox
>> https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/doors-paradox-5896c7

>Hmmm... the genre is Horror and the description says it is relaxing.
>Someone doesn't know what one of those two words mean.

I base my comments on a game's Steam store page and the reviews found
there (I spend as little time on Epic as possible so I've no idea how
they describe the game). But everything I've seen about it indicates
its more 'relaxing' than 'horror'. There is a bit of surreality to it,
which I suppose can be taken as 'horror'... but even the game's
marketing uses words like 'relaxing', 'upbeat', 'cozy', and 'fit for
all players'... so if Epic is calling it horror, they might just be
easily frightened. ;-)

On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:53:19 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>much less played.

Kinda slays all those arguments about piracy losing companies money.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On 2/1/24 09:53, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
> much less played.

THE NUMBER
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 2/1/2024 9:38 PM, Zaghadka wrote:
> On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:53:19 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>> much less played.
>
> Kinda slays all those arguments about piracy losing companies money.
>

As I keep saying, it's not different from all those covermount games I
got when CDs were still a thing. Some of them were even good. I remember
playing the Realms of Arkania games at least half a dozen times.

On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 15:02:29 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
wrote:

>On 2/1/24 09:53, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>> much less played.
>
>THE NUMBER

Hmmm, what /is/ the financial value of incrementing The Number by one?

On 2/2/24 07:37, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 15:02:29 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
> wrote:
>
>> On 2/1/24 09:53, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>>> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>>> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>>> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>>> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>>> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>>> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>>> much less played.
>>
>> THE NUMBER
>
>
> Hmmm, what /is/ the financial value of incrementing The Number by one?

0, probably
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:37:26 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 15:02:29 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
>wrote:
>
>>On 2/1/24 09:53, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>>> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>>> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>>> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>>> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>>> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>>> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>>> much less played.
>>
>>THE NUMBER
>
>
>Hmmm, what /is/ the financial value of incrementing The Number by one?
>
This game doesn't count. It might actually make The Number decrease.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On 2/2/2024 6:35 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
> On Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:37:26 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 15:02:29 -0600, candycanearter07 <no@thanks.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 2/1/24 09:53, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>>> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>>>> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>>>> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>>>> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>>>> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>>>> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>>>> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>>>> much less played.
>>>
>>> THE NUMBER
>>
>>
>> Hmmm, what /is/ the financial value of incrementing The Number by one?
>>
> This game doesn't count. It might actually make The Number decrease.
>
HERESY!!

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> looked up from reading the entrails of
the porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs say:

>On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:53:19 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
>Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>>On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>>full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>>away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>>low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>>marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>>amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>>since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>>much less played.
>
>Kinda slays all those arguments about piracy losing companies money.

All too many of those piracy loss claims are from one simple thing;

Company A makes groundbreaking new game, with new kinds of gameplay but
also has some grind that people play in spite of, because the rest is
good.

Companies B,C and D, make bad copies of Company A's game with
uninspiring gameplay (because they don't understand why it was
groundbreaking,) and loads of grind (because they understand that.)

Company B,C and D's games get hammered with bad reviews and don't sell
for shit.

Company B,C and D blame piracy for the difference between their
lackluster sales and their projections (company A's sales +10%)

Company B,C and D executives keep their jobs as it's the PIRATES that
are the problem not their bad design and bad decisions.

Company B,C and D go on to make more bad copies of best selling games
because they don't understand why they're bestsellers and blame piracy
for their lackluster performance.

Xocyll

On 2/1/2024 10:02 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
> On 2/1/24 09:53, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>> On a vaguely related side-note, didja know that - were you to charge
>> full retail price for every game - the total value of every game given
>> away free by Epic tops $10K USD? I mean, sure, a lot of the games are
>> low-quality offerings (and the freebies are often used as loss-leader
>> marketing by Epic and/or the publisher), but that's still a generous
>> amount of freebies. Of course, its real value is probably much less,
>> since I'd wager more than 90% of games claimed never get installed,
>> much less played.
>
> THE NUMBER

ha, I was snarking about the game and completely forgot to actually get
it into my library. good thing this was so forgettable I had to check
what this weeks offering was, or my number would not have gone up. and
what would the number think of me if I failed it that way?!

On Thu, 8 Feb 2024 10:47:50 +0100, kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:

>ha, I was snarking about the game and completely forgot to actually get
>it into my library. good thing this was so forgettable I had to check
>what this weeks offering was, or my number would not have gone up. and
>what would the number think of me if I failed it that way?!

The Number forgives honest mistakes, if repented and not repeated. But
for surety, be sure to say three 'Hail Newells' and go buy something
on sale on Steam. Remember, only those with a high Number get into
paradise on their passing, and if your Number isn't high enough,
you'll be forced to play video games on a Compaq for eternity. ;-P

On Thu, 08 Feb 2024 17:54:44 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>On Thu, 8 Feb 2024 10:47:50 +0100, kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>>ha, I was snarking about the game and completely forgot to actually get
>>it into my library. good thing this was so forgettable I had to check
>>what this weeks offering was, or my number would not have gone up. and
>>what would the number think of me if I failed it that way?!
>
>The Number forgives honest mistakes, if repented and not repeated. But
>for surety, be sure to say three 'Hail Newells' and go buy something
>on sale on Steam. Remember, only those with a high Number get into
>paradise on their passing, and if your Number isn't high enough,
>you'll be forced to play video games on a Compaq for eternity. ;-P
>
Hell is beige.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

On 2/9/2024 12:11 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Feb 2024 17:54:44 -0500, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 8 Feb 2024 10:47:50 +0100, kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> ha, I was snarking about the game and completely forgot to actually get
>>> it into my library. good thing this was so forgettable I had to check
>>> what this weeks offering was, or my number would not have gone up. and
>>> what would the number think of me if I failed it that way?!
>>
>> The Number forgives honest mistakes, if repented and not repeated. But
>> for surety, be sure to say three 'Hail Newells' and go buy something
>> on sale on Steam. Remember, only those with a high Number get into
>> paradise on their passing, and if your Number isn't high enough,
>> you'll be forced to play video games on a Compaq for eternity. ;-P
>>
> Hell is beige.
>

personally I imagine it as some sort of light salmon