Linger In Shadows (PS3)

[Kaladron]

fun?

But how is it fun if you don't interact with it?

Honestly, I'm not trolling here, I just want someone to explain what you actually do with this thing once you've bought it.

[saif]

you do interact with it (judging from the "moving the sixaxis around").
The idea of not being fun unless you interact also kind of ruins the concept of paid for video aswell doesn't it?

[Fuddle]

its difficult to describe without ruining it too much.
basically its made of a few scenes, that you can affect by using the sixaxis. i thought it was generally interesting to see what might happen next, and discovering a little touch that you control is nice.
its very short, but for £2 you might as well give it a try and experience something a little different. its not the end of the world if you hate it.

edit: and i think this whole 'demoscene' thing is a little confusing for people like me who had never heard of it. it does sound like the kind of thing you shouldnt be paying for, as we're all used to normal game demos now. but really its something totally different.

[Family Fry]

I would buy it but I refuse to pay ?5 for it, will need to buy it when there is something else I actually want on PSN.
Sony need to sort that out, was shocked to find out you needed to have ?5 minimum funds to buy anything under ?5, what is the bloody point of that?

[saif]

credit/debit card fees presumably. When you make small transactions, the fees are prohibitively large as a percentage. I am glad you can buy using your exact cash over £5 though instead of buying points.

[Phar]

So, erm, excuse my ignorance but why are they charging money for it? What's in it for me?

But how is it fun if you don't interact with it?

Honestly, I'm not trolling here, I just want someone to explain what you actually do with this thing once you've bought it.

Like a few others have said, you do interact with it, it's probably better to read the blog as some of the questions and bit's of info on the development process are answered by the guys from Sonys Santa Monica Studios.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/10/09/linger-in-shadows-hits-psn-today/comment-page-1/#comments

As for charging for it we'd need to ask Sony that question, I do know that Plastic are made up of only a handful of people doing this in their spare time, they do have full time jobs as well, so chances are they were never paid for doing this. I'd imagine some of that ?1.99 will go to them though which tbh I don't mind at all.

[Eight Rooks]

People on this forum have never heard of the demoscene? I'm shocked. Didn't all of you grow up with pirated games on the Amiga/ST?

There's really not much interaction, and I doubt you'd view it that many times unless you were really into it... but then I prefer my short films, as it were, a bit more direct. Less enigmatic and suchlike. Little different to buying a poster for a couple of pounds, as far as I'm concerned; it's a piece of artistry you sit in front of, study, examine particular little details you like; it makes you think of things, if you're the creative type, or it makes you feel a certain way, or... it just looks cool. Download the trailer - if that doesn't interest you in the slightest and my description leaves you thinking "Uh?" then don't bother buying it.

It isn't a game, really, and I don't think it should have had trophies. But I like it, I'm glad they did it and I'd happily pay to see more. Hopefully it'll have some sort of success, though I really have no idea how people will react.

[EvilBoris]

I'm just downloading this now, I'm kinda looking forward to some technological coolness

[C']

I would buy it but I refuse to pay ?5 for it, will need to buy it when there is something else I actually want on PSN.
Sony need to sort that out, was shocked to find out you needed to have ?5 minimum funds to buy anything under ?5, what is the bloody point of that?

I know.

Much better is some arbitary points system that forces you to purchase them in set amounts. Someone should use that system.

[Kaladron]

People on this forum have never heard of the demoscene? I'm shocked. Didn't all of you grow up with pirated games on the Amiga/ST?

There's really not much interaction, and I doubt you'd view it that many times unless you were really into it... but then I prefer my short films, as it were, a bit more direct. Less enigmatic and suchlike. Little different to buying a poster for a couple of pounds, as far as I'm concerned; it's a piece of artistry you sit in front of, study, examine particular little details you like; it makes you think of things, if you're the creative type, or it makes you feel a certain way, or... it just looks cool. Download the trailer - if that doesn't interest you in the slightest and my description leaves you thinking "Uh?" then don't bother buying it.

It isn't a game, really, and I don't think it should have had trophies. But I like it, I'm glad they did it and I'd happily pay to see more. Hopefully it'll have some sort of success, though I really have no idea how people will react.

Oh I've heard of demos. I'm a huge Amiga fan but I never really saw the point in them back then and never expected to see one on a console.

From what little I've heard of this it almost sounds like the dinosaur tech demo that came with the first PlayStation - you know, something you can 'play' with but is ultimately meant to show off what the hardware is capable of. It's interesting but I don't like the idea of paying money for it.

[Eight Rooks]

I don't recall Sony making that much of a big deal over TeH PoWA oV tEh P$3 in connection with this - I mean, they've mentioned it, but not rammed it home that I've seen. It is a bit of an odd thing to do; I can't see a whole untapped market of people rushing out to buy piece after piece of surreal, slightly pretentious underground digital art... but if Sony really want to give it a shot, more power to them. And as I said, I don't mind paying for it - no different from a poster, or an ornament of some kind, or even a piece of designer clothing, arguably. Style over substance and with a definite ulterior motive, but it still looks good.

[crocky-chocky]

Gave this a whirl as it sounded like the sort of thing I'd dig. Granted I've only given it a few minutes but so far I can't ruddy stand it to be honest. It looks like a high polygon version of the videos you could make with Music on the PS1. The major pull of these demo things for me is the visuals, and they're pretty naff in this. Sure it's weird, but it's a contrived weirdness that's not at allengaging.

Despite my moaning though, I do feel compelled to give it another go! Hopefully it gets better the more time I put in?

[EvilBoris]

only the beginning looks like a weird visualisation

[Uli]

quite nice demo but i've seen better ones. it doesn't seem to utilize the full power of the PS3's GPU and i wouldn't be surprised if this one turns up on the PC demo sometime soon for free. the interaction with the controller isn't fun - you simply fuzz around with it and wonder what the hell is going on. no idea what the trophies i've earned are for, let alone how i unlocked them. even if it's cheap it's a waste of money.

[JP]

it doesn't seem to utilize the full power of the PS3's GPU and i wouldn't be surprised if this one turns up on the PC demo sometime soon for free.

It doesn't actually use any of the GPU's processing power as it runs on the CPU only and it was first shown running on a PC at a very early stage. I think it was hitting around 8fps at the time but that was some time ago.

Hopefully it will turn up free on demoscene sometime as there is a lot more interest for this stuff on the PC. Plastic did mention some time ago that this is the first of several (their word) that Sony are funding so it may be some time before Sony start giving them away for free.

I'd really like to see the other groups getting involved in these in more than just name as they were in this one.