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Gaming Gifts For the Obscenely Rich

Posted by Zonk on from the hey-mom? dept.

An anonymous reader writes "CNN/Money's Game Over column offers suggestions for what to buy the obnoxiously rich gamer on your shopping list this year. Among the items mentioned are a $300,000 motion simulator and a 5.5 yard long monitor." Re: The Monitor - Gaaaaaaaaaah...

67 comments

  1. Might be pushing it a bit but... by chaoaretasty · · Score: 4, Funny

    How about a PC that can run Doom3 on maximum settings? Shouldn't cost more than a small Third World country.

    1. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by Dehumanizer · · Score: 1

      It's not a question of money, but of having a time machine. :)

      --
      The Tlog - a technology blog
    2. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by koi88 · · Score: 1


      It's not a question of money, but of having a time machine.

      So how about that?

      --

      I don't need a signature.
    3. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by MindStalker · · Score: 1

      Actually I believe AlienWare sells a computer with dual PCI-E video that can run Doom3 at Max. The ALX models I believe can do this.

    4. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by identity0 · · Score: 1

      Hell, for that much money, why not just pay a third world country to make a Mars base and have its citizens pretend to be zombies so you could shoot them? You'd get better framerate, anyways...

    5. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by TheBot · · Score: 1

      While you're finding out about that, find out for one that can run EQ2 at max settings..Oh yeah, I went there.

      --
      Flat Screen TV for F
    6. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by Zorilla · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but that will cost you two third world countries.

      If you homebuild, it'll cost you one Congo.

      --

      It would be cool if it didn't suck.
    7. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by Zorilla · · Score: 1

      How about one that doesn't cause Half-Life 2 to stutter? Yeah, I also went there.

      --

      It would be cool if it didn't suck.
    8. Re:Might be pushing it a bit but... by MindStalker · · Score: 1

      Actually the really sick thing is that you can't buy a dual PCI-E motherboard (atleast not one with 2 16X slots, most have 1 16x slot and the rest are 1X slots) unless your buying a server motherboard, in which case it won't have some of the other features you might want in a gaming motherboard.

      The Alienware ALX does though, they apparently have a special deal to have these produced just for them.

      Btw no I don't work for alienware, and have never bought any of their products, though I wish I had that kinda of money.

      Btw that ALX is about $5,000 for the AMD version and $6,000 for the intel version. Very affordable, cough, cough. Though not much more that a highend personal computer cost 10 years ago :)

  2. "Obscenely Rich"? by kasper37 · · Score: 2, Funny

    How rich does someone have to be to be "obscenely" rich? Better yet, where is the cutoff? At what point does the amount someone makes start to offend your sensibilities?

    1. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      At what point does the amount someone makes start to offend your sensibilities?

      When they have enough money to buy a $300,000 motion simulator, and they use it to actually buy crap like that instead of helping the needy.

    2. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by Jason+Ford · · Score: 1

      For me, it's when they start using their wealth to purchase influence.

      Or maybe it's when men like J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Philip Armour, Jay Gould, and James Mellon escape military service by paying for a substitute, saying things like 'a man may be a patriot without risking his own life or sacrificing his health. There are plenty of lives less valuable.' (From Howard Zinn's 'A People's History of the United States.')

      In my opinion, it has nothing to do with the amount of money a person has, but everything to do with the person's attitude.

      --
      I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens. --Isaac Bashevis Singer
    3. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by stinkyfingers · · Score: 1

      How rich does someone have to be to be "obscenely" rich? Better yet, where is the cutoff? At what point does the amount someone makes start to offend your sensibilities?

      Well, I've been told if you know about how hard it is for a lot of people in this country to get enough heat to make it through a winter, and I still waste energy, I'm already obscenely rich.

      But that's rubbish. If you can afford to wipe your ass with money and flush it, you're obscenely rich.

    4. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So anyone who returns from a Mexican vacation with leftover peso's is obscenely rich?

    5. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      When you have enough money to endow your offspring indefinitely.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    6. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good definition. Those plumbers can get expensive.

    7. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by cmpalmer · · Score: 1

      I always call it "Colonel Sanders rich" after I read a (probably apocryphal) quote where he was asked how much money he had and he said something like, "I don't know exactly, but I know if I want it, I can afford it."

      That's my standard answer for how much money would be enough...

      --
      -- stream of did I lock the front door consciousness
    8. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When Michael Moore makes a documentary about you, you're obscenely rich.

    9. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by TheLink · · Score: 1

      Then many people who don't have that much money would be "Colonel Sanders rich" too.

      Because they don't want more than they can afford.

      That's actually a good state to be in. But it's often hard if you have other responsibilities like children - esp if they don't have similar priorities/values.

      --
    10. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by bigman2003 · · Score: 1

      Happiness isn't getting what you want...

      Happiness is wanting what you've got.

      --
      No reason to lie.
    11. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by Discoflamingo13 · · Score: 1

      I believe the term they use in Silicon Valley (and Cryptonomicon) is "Fuck You Money". The Economist's current estimate is about $10 million.

    12. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by pommiekiwifruit · · Score: 1

      Average Joe is using the national health service.

      Wealthy is having a private doctor/hospital.

      Seriously rich is treating your national health service as your private health service. I heard a story that Kerry Packer once had his life saved by a piece of equipment in an ambulance in Australia. When he heard that most ambulances didn't have them, he put up half the money to have them installed on every ambulance in the country :-) However, that's more impressive than obscene.

    13. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by fafaforza · · Score: 1

      Regarding Rockefeller, as far as I know, at the time when he would have gone into service, his mother was caring for 2 other kids. And his father was a snake oil salesman who would be absend for months on end, leaving them unsure of whether he'd ever be back to pay for the credit they took out at the local food shop.

      John D. decided to spend the $300 for a substitute and instead improve his business skills -- by starting a trading company in Cleveland -- to break free of the depenance on his father, whom he mostly despised.

      I'm not sure that he was as evil as you'd like to believe him to have been.

    14. Re:"Obscenely Rich"? by Jason+Ford · · Score: 1

      Of course, things are never as simple as they appear. No doubt, Rockefeller had many motivations in paying for a substitute. My objection is with the callousness of the statement (which Rockefeller did not make) about the lives of the rich being worth more than the lives of the poor. I believe Rockefeller would have agreed with this sentiment.

      Also, I never stated that I believed Rockefeller to be evil. And, even if I thought this were true, I wouldn't base it off of his having paid for a substitute in the Civil War.

      He was no pauper, as he could afford to pay $300 for a substitue, a nice sum of money back in the day. He would make for a poor choice of character in a Horatio Alger rags-to-riches story.

      --
      I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens. --Isaac Bashevis Singer
  3. Here's a thought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    How about the obscenely rich buy their own goddamned luxury items?

    1. Re:Here's a thought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Better yet, how about the obscenely rich put that money to better use than giant-ass monitors? Feeding the hungry comes to mind. I'm sure the warm fuzzy feeling they get from finally helping the people they've exploited to become obscenely rich is a better gift than yet another tech toy.

    2. Re:Here's a thought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i am obscenely rich you insensitive clods !

  4. From the artical... by GMC-jimmy · · Score: 1

    So, on the off chance you were planning to get me anything this year, here are a few things I could really use.
    He's right, it's a VERY off chance. If he's so damn rich he doesn't need any gifts from me.

    --
    __________________________________
    Free your mind - Flush your toilet
    1. Re:From the artical... by Goosey · · Score: 1

      Roll 1d20, 5 required to catch joke.
      Dice hits the table
      Wooooah! What bad luck, you rolled a 1 and critically missed the joke, instead punching yourself in the face! Tough luck!

      --
      --- "End Of Line" - MCP
    2. Re:From the artical... by GMC-jimmy · · Score: 1

      Apparently my joke on the articals joke has a higher requirement to catch. What did you role ?

      --
      __________________________________
      Free your mind - Flush your toilet
  5. Re: The Monitor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The monitor's not 5.5 yards long - it's a bunch of LCDs mounted together end-to-end. Also the "L Store" (Liebermann Inc.) has rather questionable business practices including blatant misrepresentation of products according to several accounts (Google if you care). Website's pretty though, not that it makes up for advertising nonexistant products.

  6. You got that backwards by mcSey921 · · Score: 2, Funny

    These are things an insanely rich gamer should by /me/. I'll buy him the same tie I got him last year.

  7. Re: The Monitor by Teh+Suq · · Score: 2, Informative
    From the About page on the L Store's website:
    However, we are no longer in a position, from a financial standpoint, to continue doing business, meeting each of the high standards we have continually set for ourselves and for you, and are regrettably forced to suspend our operations and liquidate our assets in support of our financial responsibilities. Through our best abilities we are striving to fulfill all current orders, but we are no longer accepting new purchases for any of products.
  8. TechStyle Keyboards by sesshomaru · · Score: 2, Informative
    Are partly wood and much cheaper than the wood contour stuff:

    Techstyle

    Sure the keys are plastic, but not all of us are Scrooge McDuck.

    --
    "MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
    1. Re:TechStyle Keyboards by hal2814 · · Score: 1

      Heck, most of us aren't even Flintheart Glomgold.

  9. Wood? Stone? by Otter · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Those things look godawful, anyway. Natural materials should be used in context; having an LCD glowing out of a wood frame is jarring, not natural. Cherry and granite are great, but in their place.

    Geez, I sound like I've escaped from The Fountainhead...

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
    1. Re:Wood? Stone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Choke on it, whore.

    2. Re:Wood? Stone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's right, you know.

  10. Links to the gifts by Numeric · · Score: 5, Informative

    cherry, mahogany or sycamore wood PC
    Stone PC
    racing simulator
    Motion Simulator
    19200 x 2400 Pixel Monitor

    --
    -- ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space!
    1. Re:Links to the gifts by TaraByte · · Score: 1

      woodcontour.com seems pricey...

      Comparatively, I priced out a desk at Home Depot, made out of solid cherry wood and Corian, and it was only around $2500.

      --
      Security is inversely proportional to the commitment of one desiring to circumvent it.
    2. Re:Links to the gifts by kwoff · · Score: 1

      The monitor link made mozilla freak out. Or my laptop, at least. The fan kicked in, then would turn off when I clicked in another tab. Also it ruined the browser history.

    3. Re:Links to the gifts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The monitor's specs are a bit suspicous - the article claims more realistic 6400x768, which is 5 screens with 1280x768 side by side, the higher resolution is probably just downscaled. And it's just that, 5 monitors, side by side, with the borders between them. With 6400 pixels wide, does that even work with opengl or directx over multiple graphics cards in 3d? It's quite some time since I checked the last time, but back then, 3d applications over multiple graphics pipes weren't really a standard feature, and certainly not available on PCs.

      I say either get one of those sgi / barco reality center 3300W things, which have a more useable aspect ratio, higher resolution and, if you ask nicely, come in a faster refresh version for use with shutter glasses, or build a cave. Damnit, if it's going to be obscenely expensive, then at least do it properly instead of jumping for some shiny new toy.

  11. How about a pre-modded Xbox by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    complete with games preinstalled.

    Not really for the super rich, but it will cost you for a lawyer and bail.

    1. Re:How about a pre-modded Xbox by captaincucumber · · Score: 3, Funny

      moderately related story:

      I spent Christmas with my girlfriend and her family a few years ago, and her older brother's gift to her younger brother was CDs full of pirated software. Probably a few thousand dollars worth. It was a seriously surreal moment, their mom made the usual noises, "oh, now isn't that a nice gift, be sure to say thank you", and the boy's face lit up with excitement as he read the titles that had been written on the CDs with a permanent marker.

      Generosity like that brings tears to my eyes...

  12. Re: The Monitor by stinkyfingers · · Score: 1

    Does that mean there won't be any driver updates?

  13. Richy Rich by Aggrazel · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You know, i've found that the truly wealthy who actually earned their wealth would more than likely shun the idea of spending $300k on a monitor.

    Probably most of the people buying this crap are either trust fund babies or lottery winners, in other words, people who have no real idea of the value of money.

    Thats obscenely rich.

    1. Re:Richy Rich by TheLink · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but sometimes it's not really them that buys these things.

      e.g. Mr Multi-Billionaire would tell his lackey - OK I need a place to stay, keep it below 50 million. Ask the Missus about the details. But I want something like that fancy theater system I saw at Al's den the other day. Oh and I probably need a computer too.

      He might not be the one going over the details. This is probably his _leisure_time_ stuff. His _leisure_time_ has probably got to be worth a lot more to him than his work time.

      Not sure if that'll remain so if they manage to extend lifespans to 1000 years. But my guess is it'll still be true.

      --
  14. Biiiiiiiiig screen by TychoCelchuuu · · Score: 1

    The huge monitor(s) would be much more useful if games worked perfectly with them. As it stands you're probably going to have a tough time configuring your favorite game, let alone the ones that are designed to take advantage of this sort of thing. I've seen MS Flight Simulator done over a huge amount of monitors, but until I get HL2 like that I'm not impressed.

    --
    Against stupidity the Gods themselves contend in vain.
    1. Re:Biiiiiiiiig screen by milkman_matt · · Score: 1

      The huge monitor(s) would be much more useful if games worked perfectly with them. As it stands you're probably going to have a tough time configuring your favorite game, let alone the ones that are designed to take advantage of this sort of thing. I've seen MS Flight Simulator done over a huge amount of monitors, but until I get HL2 like that I'm not impressed.

      Agreed. I'd much sooner get a top of the line projector for a fraction of the cost of the L monitors, hell, a fraction of the cost of the CHEAPEST L monitor. And isntead of getting a long thin display, I get 110" of screen on my wall. My old neighbor had a setup like this, made Command and Conquer pretty cool. My g/f once rented a projector for a side-job, after she was done we played some 4 player halo on it (single player was sick, too.) and we each got our own 55" screen basically. Good times to be had with those things, and I think they stomp all over the little overpriced L monitors.

      -matt

  15. Even better monitor by nb+caffeine · · Score: 1

    http://www.9xmedia.com/pages-Build_a_system/X-Top- --5over5.html its even better, with more options (up to 32 monitors?!)

    --

    "Something's wrong with you...and I hope we never do meet again." - Deftones When Girls Telephone Boys
  16. EA Shares ? by sunya · · Score: 1

    How about 70,000 Electornic Arts Shares ?

    --
    MLT - simple and robust open source multimedia framework for Linux
    1. Re:EA Shares ? by SansTinfoilHat · · Score: 1

      How about 70,000 Electornic Arts Shares ?

      I advise, rather, to invest in Micosorft, McDonadls or General Motars.

    2. Re:EA Shares ? by Kehvarl · · Score: 0

      General Mortars? if I gain controlling interest of this munitions company, I could equip my own personal army...

  17. So it'd be a case of... by MMaestro · · Score: 1

    Too much money, too little time? To me it seems more like the people who make their fortunes are generally too busy/too occupied/love their jobs too much to get into this sort of stuff. If nothing else, I'm pretty sure millionaries don't spend their free time sitting in front of a computer monitor. They go outside and get natural sunlight, exercise and fresh air. All the things we don't.

  18. Re: The Monitor by LordStraun · · Score: 2, Informative
    From the front page of the L Store's website: (posted 11-16-2004 4 days after the information above)
    As we have passed today the 1 million mark of support emails sent to us by all of you, Liebermann Inc. would like to announce it is entering final negotiation stages for possible borad large scale funding for a complete re-structuring of its corporate structure and product line that includes plans for the simultaneous re-launch of both North American and European operations and the possible opening of three retails stores in the cities of Los Angeles, New York City, and London, UK in the months ahead. Liebermann Inc. will soon be opening a global forums space that can be accessed directly via our homepage to collect your ideas, opinions, input and comments and serve as a worldwide area of discussion to all of what you want us to become and the products you would like to see developed. Equally Liebermann Inc. will be posting updates as to the terms and results of it's current funding negotiations and would like to state that no matter the result and possible new large scale corporate entity it may become, it will unshakably remain and improve upon the unique spirit that millions of you have learned to love and admire. ....
    --
    Your Sig Here ($10)
  19. Easy by PhoenixOne · · Score: 1
    Anybody that can buy something you want, but can't afford, is obscenely rich.

    --
    Spell cheek you've failed me four the last thyme!
  20. What I want... by bludstone · · Score: 1

    A few years back, sega released some crazy live-action time travel game with a display that made the video seem to "float" in mid air.

    I would like one of those displays, but with the ability to hook up any video. :)

    Anyone remember what Im talking about?

    --

    no .sig
    1. Re:What I want... by CoffeeJedi · · Score: 1

      yeah, it was called Time Traveler

      The display was only a few inches across, and was a simple trick using a conventional monitor and a parabolic mirror, you can actually build one yourself, but the results really aren't worth it (i wish i still knew where to find that site). Most people have strangly fond memories of this game, even though the gameplay was terrible (sub "Dragon's Lair"), and it was just an excuse to show off a cheap gimmick that had its novelty wear off very quickly.

      --
      May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
    2. Re:What I want... by bludstone · · Score: 1

      Yes, but a display like that at 30 inches in size would be worthwhile!

      And also take embedding a tv in the basement, and a massive mirror...

      Sounds like a fun project though :)

      --

      no .sig
    3. Re:What I want... by pragma_x · · Score: 1

      Having some vague memories of this myself, I went hunting. Here's the trivia:

      - Photos of one for sale
      - The Sub Dragon's Lair gameplay was actually courtesy of Dragon's Lair's creator (Rick Dyer). Go figure.
      - Rather wordy essay about the game. Grainy gameplay pictures included.
      - Original Arcade Flyer for the machine. (Translation not included)
      - Editorial on Rick Dyer, Don Bluth and the history of Laser-Disc-Based Games. Time Traveler is mentioned under an avalanche of other obscure releases. The bottom line: $18M in sales. Now, I wonder if the arcade ops made anything on it.

  21. Re: The Monitor by DeeFresh · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm pretty sure Go-L.com has never been in a position to do any business. From what I have read, the company is a complete fraud. Here's a message board discussion with some more links about it: http://armbrustconsulting.com/forums/viewtopic.php ?p=603#603

  22. screw that! by Allison+Geode · · Score: 1

    if he's obscenely rich, he should be buying ME the expensive crap! i'll get him a fruitcake or something.

  23. Better Monitors than Go-L and actually legit... by TaraByte · · Score: 1

    Check out Digital Tigers, they have a wide range of badass multi-monitor solutions. The most insane of which is the TigerVista Arena Elite.

    --
    Security is inversely proportional to the commitment of one desiring to circumvent it.
  24. What about a Thomas Superwheel? by mustermark · · Score: 1

    I think a $1000 racing wheel counts as a toy for the rich (comes with a real Momo wheel):

    http://www.thomas-superwheel.com/prods/01fml26.htm l

    (No, I don't work for them -- I just think they're cool.)

  25. Re: The Monitor by delus10n0 · · Score: 1

    Go-L doesn't actually make that huge monitor, and are most likely a bunch of frauds. Check out ViewSonic's, Panoram Tech's and 9XMedia's models.

    --
    Not All Who Wander Are Lost
  26. The Great Gatsby taught us.. by ShawnMcCool42 · · Score: 0

    that they're called nouveu riche

  27. Re: The Monitor by Pxtl · · Score: 1

    Besides that, if we're splurging for monitors, why beat around the bush?

    Go CAVE