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[RRS]

http://www.mobygames.com/game/grave-shift
isometric puzzle (bits of Knight Lore and Sokoban) with fantasy plot

[MrFlibble]

Thanks for adding those games to the Moby's database, but some screenshots would be nice too

[RRS]

I sometimes add them, but I'm lazy I've added only over a hundred of new game entries, with over 300 ports total... lazy me.

[leftleavemoon]

great list ,I like games free 2 play ,thanks for sharing~!If hidden object games are your most favorite games, I have some new such games for you. Online HOG Hidden Chronicles and Hidden Haunts, which were released last year. and in July 2012, there is a new hidden object game lost legacies by the developer of smeet. Meet new friends and explore the unique world of Lost Legacies with them. Collect trophies and display them for your friends in your trophy room.

[RRS]

Originally Posted by leftleavemoon

I like games free 2 play

...and I have serious issues.

Let's take the innocent free-to-play games first.
Some will say that people won't pay for such simple games today (we're no longer in 1990s). Yet the same titles (or with not many added features) are ported to handhelds/mobile phones, downloadable for $$$! So maybe the problem with such games being unsellable on PCs is not only piracy, but the free, legal, general availability of them? People get spoiled if you give them too much for free...
These games are usually supported by ad revenue. Supposedly I was to make a Flash game next month, how much $ can I expect from this? I've never seen figures regarding this business model, yet so many small developer studios rely on it.

Now, the source of all evil is Freemium. After playing a bit few titles and reading about the cold-blooded math behind their creation (psychology of addiction, economy of clicking etc.), I must say I despise this business method just as I hate gambling. Those games are written to be an addictive service requiring endless fees, telling you when, how often, and how long to play (compare to a product you can own and play anytime you want). Remember when there were only monthly subscriptions (to cover server fees etc.) for online games... but today there are all those premium items, craftily calculated so that playing without them is either a chore (endless grinding) or you're a sitting duck on PvP.

Instead of elaborating on the subject, I'll point you to interesting articles:

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/KenWillia...h_of_Games.php
http://insertcredit.com/2011/09/22/w...a-ghost-story/

[MrFlibble]

I completely agree with you RRS, the freemium model and allegedly free games have nothing to do with the real freeware or public domain titles.

I don't play online myself and I generally dislike the idea of having to be connected to the Internet to play, or any such additional limitations. As for the concept of buying something in-game for real money, well, that sounds like outright swindling to me.

Unfortunately, recently I've learned that Blizzard (who created several of my favourite games) slides towards this (which is probably not surprising after the whole WoW stuff), in particular by replacing a regular demo of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty with a Starter Edition version that offers more content but demands that the user stay online while playing.

[Edit] Just read this:

And then there was Diablo 3.

With the release of the second sequel in their wildly successful, and up until now passionately admired action RPG franchise, Blizzard made the unprecedented move of introducing a real money auction house. The RMAH, as it is known, allows players to buy and sell game gold and items for real money, by-passing the grey marketers who have been conducting similar transactions illegally for years. Players can - and do with perplexing regularity - pay up to USD$250 for single game items. Each transaction Blizzard accrues a 15 percent cut. Fair enough, supporters say. Why not take the profit away from the shady gold farmers and put it back into the hands of the game's owners where it arguably belongs?

Eww.

[Eagle of Fire]

While I completely agree, I also don't understand what is the problem here.

Or rather, more precisely, I don't understand why you think it is a problem now that you have it in your face while the industry worked very, very, very hard for well over a decade to push it to you.

It was exactly the same in the past, except that it was not in your face. It was hidden or you could chose not to see it, at your choice. But now that it is here, it should not work or not be done? Like that Diablo III auction house... This is brilliant. They kept flooding us with "gold farmers are illegal", "it deter from normal play", etc... And now they get the fight up to them. What's wrong? If they don't do it, the gold farmers won't go away y'know.

[RRS]

Obviously you haven't read those articles, they explain the dangers of this design attitude.

It's just like with tattoos. They're way older than most people think. Yet the problem is with their popularity, with them being "mainstream" now.

[Eagle of Fire]

Ok, you are right, I did not read the articles before posting the last time.

Now I've done it since you seem to imply they are important.

So... What's interesting in those articles? It is very, very, very, very old news for me.

And left having to say that I have nothing more to say than what I said earlier.


You are right though. The critical detail is that people are stupid enough to want to dish out incredible amount of money to get something which doesn't exist. That is the problem. Those who make those games are simply creating an intelligent scheme to take profit from it.

[jonh_sabugs]

Well, it was a matter of time until people realized the addiction online gaming caused to some people was a gold mine. The potential today for exploiting people in these media is huge, maybe we will some restriction on this game of gaming in the future, like casinos?