I'm not a serious games but cranked the old XBOX One up last night for the first time since last winter.
25 ruddy minutes before I could even start to play a bit of Forza!!! 🤬🤬
Game updates, console updates and then bloody age verification to prove I'm over 18!!
Took more time than it took to load a pirated copy of Forbidden Forest on a C64 used to back in the olden days.
The bit that annoys me is I have my Xbox set to update games automatically - with the thinking being I would never have to face the issue of not being able to play something straight away. But no - things only get updated in the background if you have played them in the last 28 days, so chances are that when you dig something out you haven't played in a while - it will still need a 25 Gb download.
Same on the PC innit. I now boot my gaming PC while I'm working so it can install any updates I need to play that night!
I *think* the Switch can quite happily work offline (though some games e.g, Splatoon 3 are a bit limited). Don't know about the Switch 2 but given portability I'd assume it's also fine.
Once you have updated your Xbox One, you can set it work offline in network settings.
Not sure what happens to individual games?
Wii, WiiU & PSP here... Never had a problem, probably because they shut the servers down years ago for them.
Whilst I take your point,
It's not a great leap to expect a downloaded game to want to update itself. An offline option is available - pop a disc in instead.
It'd be interesting to see what did and didn't work if you'd just disabled Internet access. I'd expect anything on Game Pass to immediately fail and titles you'd actually bought to work but, how reality might bear that out I don't know.
PS1?
PS2?
Is there market for a stand-alone (off-line) games console?
No.
There is a market for an offline console, handhelds and the proliferation of retro consoles prove that.
I do wish, like the OP, that just firing up a console to have a quick go on something was simple like in the past. We fired up my sons PS5 the other night for after pub shenanigans, updates followed by patches. Just wanted a few rounds of Street Fighter...
Gave up, watched Robocop instead 🙂
Assuming you actually can, and assuming a modern Internet connection, updates aren't too onerous.
The thing is though, next year's "retro" is increasingly untenable. I can switch on a ZX Spectrum and load games from the 1980s. Are we going to be able to do that with a 30 year old Xbox/Playstation?
Switch 2 promised not to use "key cards", which are physical Cards (like disks on xbox), that dont actually contain the game, theyre just a bit of authentication and a link to download the game. But theyve reneged on that on one of the latest releases. Its sold as a game card, but doesnt contain anything. All the downsides of physical ownership (losing or damaging the card or disk) and none of the benefits (always being able to access your game, at any time in the future)
Modern games are now released unfinished ffs, they wang out a copy good enough to boot up,and then worry about debugging it later.
Obviously there are advantages to live connected games for both the consumer and the manafacturer. Unfortunatly someone booting up a 20 yr old console in the future doesnt impact on their financial balance.
Im playing "new to me" games on the xbox, that turn out to be 10+ yrs old. I think the look fantastic, so i dread to think how great the latest AAA games look.
We recently got a Switch 1 and im really impressed with it. You couldnt tell its 15 years old. And there are LOADS of cheap games knocking aroun as long as your happy with digital copies. Cards are still mega pricey, even in CEX
There does seem to be a distinct lack of good single player stories these days too. No profit in it, compared to keeping people playing your online swamp for year after year.
I would like to see an open console designed for easy indie developer access. Wouldnt need tonnes of power, force the devs to concentrate on story telling rather than big explosions. No money in it though i guess.
Modern games are now released unfinished ffs, they wang out a copy good enough to boot up,and then worry about debugging it later.
I think that's a bit unfair as a generalisation. It happens sure, there have been plenty of games released broken and some developers are perhaps more notorious for it than others, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's standard practice.
The counterpoint to this of course is that without the ability to "debug it later" a game released with bugs would (almost always) remain bugged forever more.
Modern games are now released unfinished ffs
Ever think about how difficult it is to make a modern game?
Compare GTA3 with GTA5, then the wait for 6. We're not playing space invaders any more.
I don't make a lot of time for gaming these days, when I do fire up the PS4 it sooooo frustrating to find that the 30mins I had set aside is taken up by updates being installed.
Just let me play the buggy version, which had been fine when I last played, and apply the update when I'm finished.
If you're playing online than a version mismatch with everyone else (or the servers themselves) could cause problems. If you're not playing online then as above, take it off the network?
Is there market for a stand-alone (off-line) games console?
No.
I'm sure there's a market, they sell a lot of those iffy consoles and portables with 1000 old games on them, but I'm not sure there's a market for the reality of what it would be.
Even at £500 a device, consoles are sold at a loss, certainly in the first few years of their life-cycle. The money comes from games and even those usually need an online play / micro transaction (even if they're not so micro these days) function to really make the money.
If you want modern games, which now at least in the case of GTA6 takes a decade and $2bn to develop then you'll pay a LOT for a console that can play them. You'll pay a LOT for the game too and as others have said, you'll want to wait at least a year from release so there's a glitch-free version.
If you want modern games, which now at least in the case of GTA6 takes a decade and $2bn to develop then you'll pay a LOT for a console that can play them.
That's the thing - I don't.
I don't want to invest months of my life in an immersive world - I just want to switch a console on and have prat around in some simple fun gaming for an hour when I fancy it.
There's certainly an argument that there's an underserved audience for offline gaming, or at least a lack of a standardised offering.
I only have a PS4, and that gets on my tits trying to navigate its online needs - just so I can play two-player games with the lad at home. His Switch is much better, but sounds like Nintendo are moving away from that anyway.
I suspect this thread is getting a lot of replies from people who think of themselves as "gamers" and don't understand why some people just want a quick and simple offline experience.
The market very definitely was there, but now that Nintendo have sold all their 6 billion wiis, you'll have to look for a second hand one.
I've got one of those Mini SNESes as well. It's ace.
I suspect this thread is getting a lot of replies from people who think of themselves as "gamers" and don't understand why some people just want a quick and simple offline experience.
And I suspect that's a rash generalisation.
I have the latest-and-greatest Xbox Series X. I also have an eclectic mix of computers and consoles going back to the 1970s, where "AAA" games were the exception rather than the norm. I've invested hours into "big" games (Diablo IV I noticed this week is showing over 14 days of gameplay, which was a bit of a shock!) but honestly, most of my gaming these days is stuff I can have a quick blat on. I probably play more demos than actual games, I just don't have the screen time / attention span anymore. The last thing I played was "20 Small Mazes," total time from installation to completion, about an hour and a half.
I just want to switch a console on and have prat around in some simple fun gaming for an hour when I fancy it.
There are huge numbers of such games available. But generally these aren't the ones with 1GB of updates pushed out regularly.
Heck, you can even get simple but fun games on smart TVs these days. Or just cast your phone to the TV to play phone games. Yu can even connect game controllers and everything.
where "AAA" games were the exception rather than the norm.
Judging by the contents of the PS store that is still very much the case.
I only have a PS4, and that gets on my tits trying to navigate its online needs
What are they? My PS5 is just plugged into the router that I already have, I rarely have to do anything.
Judging by the contents of the PS store that is still very much the case.
Oh, that's a shame, there's shitloads on Game Pass. 😁
Another bitch I have: 1 Gbps internet. Xbox Series X. Hardwired to router. Why the bloody hell do I get crappy download speeds for updates unless I follow the onscreen advice to quit games that are running in the background? I can't work out what resource quitting a suspended game frees up that would allow higher data transfer.
If you're playing online than a version mismatch with everyone else (or the servers themselves) could cause problems. If you're not playing online then as above, take it off the network?
I'm not playing online. Surely the game/console could disable online play when it detects a version mismatch but still allow local play.
I've not tried disconnecting from the network, assumed it would have a meltdown if it couldn't talk back to base. I'll give it a go some time.
Surely the game/console could disable online play when it detects a version mismatch but still allow local play.
It could but... why would it when there's an update right there?
I don't want to invest months of my life in an immersive world - I just want to switch a console on and have prat around in some simple fun gaming for an hour when I fancy it.
Almost all the games we bought for the switch are low rent indy titles that work just like this.
Crypt of the Necrodancer, Brotato and Mini Motorways are some exemplary examples.
A big fat raspberry to boring AAA immersive titles.
It could but... why would it when there's an update right there?
If updates typically took a couple of minutes I'd agree, but they're often several GB
Almost all the games we bought for the switch are low rent indy titles that work just like this.
Crypt of the Necrodancer, Brotato and Mini Motorways are some exemplary examples.
Cheers, I might have a look for a second-hand switch! 👍
I have a standalone games console.
It's my PS5 without a network cable plugged in.
Plenty of games I can play without the need for an internet connection.
If updates typically took a couple of minutes I'd agree, but they're often several GB
It was a hypothetical question, why wouldn't it update if it can? I'm not suggesting it's 'right' but from a dev point of view it makes little sense not to. "I haven't plugged in a ten-year old console in months and now there's an update" probably didn't feature highly in their list of considerations.
"Several" GB is nowt with a modern Internet connection. I appreciate that not everyone is fortunate enough to have that option, but again that's likely not of huge concern to a development studio.
What irritates me personally with this stuff isn't patches, but buying a brand new game on disc and being met with a download for the entire game.
This is one of the reasons I have never bothered keeping up with modern consoles. And by modern consoles.....my last games console was an original Playstation.
Online log-ins, updates etc. have put computer games firmly into my "can't be arsed" zone and to be honest, this thread has confirmed my stance on it.
Finding time to squeeze in a short bit of gaming action, and then you've got 30mins of faff to get started. No thanks.
Internet connection-wise - we live in a large village/small town and the best we can get is ~25Mb download speeds and about 1Mb upload. No option for full-fibre etc.
We got my daughter a Switch a couple of years ago for Christmas & even though I thought we had it pretty much sorted out for Christmas Day, there was still an inordinate amount of logging-in and bollocking around that is hard to explain to an 8 year old who just wants to have a go on her new computer game.
Then we tried to play another game (Splatoon 2, maybe) & it wouldn't work until we created an account with that game company, then update something or other. Same thing with Just Dance - download the game.......tick tock.....register......tick tock......then find that loads of the songs are only available if you have Switch Online, or pay extra etc. Bleurgh.
We recently got a Switch 1 and im really impressed with it. You couldnt tell its 15 years old.
Isn't it only something like 7 or 8 years old?
Almost all the games we bought for the switch are low rent indy titles that work just like this.
Crypt of the Necrodancer, Brotato and Mini Motorways are some exemplary examples.
Where do you get these from? The Nintendo shop from the dashboard screen? Might have to take a look.
Steam Deck has an offline mode. I've never tried it so can't say whether it minimises update clog, suspect it differs game to game.
Steam deck is a good shout. Haven't experienced the problem the op is facing.
The retro games consoles are great and dont need updating, but if you want to play new games I'd recommend a steam deck or switch
Helping daughter sell her Xbox One.
Powered it on for the first time in a few months.
It won't let us factory reset it until a 4.4gb update is installed...
Rargh!!
Where do you get these from? The Nintendo shop from the dashboard screen? Might have to take a look.
Yup. That exactly. No online subscription needed for the shop. You probably need to register an email and password or something.
Atari are releasing this next month. A pre-loaded and updated (!) intellivision console 45 games included. I spent a lot of time playing biplanes as a kid. I'm tempted, especially as I can't get the original console working!