Devolver will sell games on G2A but can't guarantee the keys we provide them will work unless G2A purchases the $500,000 Devolver Shield.
— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) April 21, 2017
Gearbox
G2A, Gearbox, and the Problem of Good and Evil
The recent Gearbox-G2A-TotalBiscuit debacle (reported on excellently at Vice’s Waypoint by Patrick Klepek over a series of news articles here, here and here) that was the result of a deal struck to officially distribute Bulletstorm via G2A, was in the offing for the longest time.
It had to happen, because the legitimate online price-race (one that has now cooled, to be frank, after several online retailers have been, or are in the process of, shutting down shop) drives a portion of consumers to find the best available price every time, and every time they are caught unawares by the illegitimate practices of various services such as Cdkeys, Kinguin and the titular G2A, it is principally because of the way we are being sold games, and because of a lack of consumer education.
Therefore, such a burst of activity around this topic has been a good refresher and reminder to gamers that not all is above the board with these cd-key shops. Of course, by now it should be so very clear to all of us that anything that has the word “keys” plastered to it is morally bankrupt in the general view of the retail establishment. But it isn’t, and won’t be, not until the system changes – and that change will probably be to the worse.
The thing is, the framing of Gearbox’s brush with the Bad Guys was largely from the point of view of the scorned developer, as with the help of TotalBiscuit, Gearbox navigated the situation deftly and swiftly, which had the unfortunate side effect of distorting the crux of the issue, and perhaps side-stepping other relevant questions of digital distribution that absolutely led into the intended (or unintended) result of blending questions of legitimacy with illegitimacy, and proper practice with improper practice.
Borderlanders Ahoy!
With a potent New Game+ and the recent releases of The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned and Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot, Borderlands has stayed relevant despite its curiously constructed, abrupt plot arc. Andrew Vanden Bossche’s GameSetWatch column, “Design Diversions: Anatomy of a Gun,” for instance, points our attention solely to the guns:
“Borderlands exudes style, character, and charm for a good half hour before dropping it. It’s regrettable since the game has so much going for it in this department: colorful characters, a vibrant but derelict landscape, and an alien society of corporations and vagrants. … After all, the most important characters in Borderlands are the ones players can never look away from: the guns. 1)http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2009/11/column_design_diversions_anato.php
Having beaten the game with people I’m great friends with, Borderlands became a frictionless experience as we decided to split up weapons and classes evenly from the get-go. My question to you is, then, how do you solve the sharing issues that the game, at its worst, can present? Let’s assume the worst-case scenario: Four players enter the game with the same class and weapon proficiencies.
Hopefully we can get a good enough tally of votes to draw some conclusions – please vote accordingly, and if you have any tasty stories, good ideas or general tips relating to the poll, do post those in the comments section! Finally, if you have any friends who you played with, please do forward the poll over to them as well. Thanks again, everybody!
References