electronics boutique does gaming download

June 8, 2001 5:43 PM

electronics boutique does gaming download ebworld would like you to fork up for 72 hours of gameplay...
posted by benjh (8 comments total)

is it not rediculous to charge $4.95 for 72 hours of gameplay on a $30 game. they don't give you credit towards full purchase of the game, which they should. and it 'buffers' the game to your hard drive. at a 256k DSL (i have 1.5 cable so I am lucky) it would take 153 minutes to 'buffer' the game. and then it looks like it still runs off the server.

is this the newest thing on the internet, gaming from an application service provider, or another fad. not like realarcade, where you get demos for free, and then buy. this is the full game, for 72 hours.
posted by benjh at 5:46 PM on June 8, 2001

At first glance, it seems fairly lame. $4.95 for 72 hours of a game. Until I realized that i do the same thing with DC games from Blockbuster. Sure, after renting 8 games, I've spent enough to buy a new game, but at least I know I'm not buying a crappy one.

And with video games today, I don't know what to expect. I really wish I could have rented Black and White before I bought it. I would have known before 72 hours that I wouldn't have played it. (I know, you think B&W rules and I don't, let's just leave it at that, the game just bored me). Instead I dropped $49.99 on a game that I played for just about 5 hours and went right back to THPS2.
posted by eyeballkid at 6:20 PM on June 8, 2001

Eh -- I don't like renting (or online previewing, for that matter) for the same reason I don't download MP3s to decide whether I want to buy music -- I enjoy the act of exploration too much, and treating every piece of music you hear or game you play like a test run ruins all my fun.
posted by tweebiscuit at 9:20 PM on June 8, 2001

Instead I dropped $49.99 on a game that I played for just about 5 hours and went right back to THPS2

everyone goes right back to thps2. eventually.
posted by judomadonna at 9:39 PM on June 8, 2001

What is THPS2?
posted by tsitzlar at 12:30 AM on June 9, 2001

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2?
posted by youhas at 2:07 AM on June 9, 2001

Let me know if anyone here tries this. I'm wondering what the performance is like, and I don't feel like doing it myself.
posted by waxpancake at 11:20 AM on June 9, 2001

I don't get the bandwith test at the beginning. Something is seriously wrong.

I'm connected at 28.8, so that little window thing down in the corner tells me. Ya know the dial-up box thingie.

I did the bandwith test on eb1.com (clear the cookies/cashe to do it a few times) and came up with 48kps.

How could I possibly have a 48kps?

I know it isn't a rock solid test, but huh?
posted by andryeevna at 12:56 AM on June 10, 2001