Slashdot Mirror
Wired News 2006 Vaporware Awards
silentounce writes "Wired News has released the winners of its 9th annual Wired News Vaporware Awards. I won't list any of them in the summary because I don't want to spoil anyone's surprise. They have some interesting entries, one that is more a concept of a product than an actual product. I'm not sure how you can claim something is vaporware if it hasn't even been given a specific name or a developer yet, but apparently they think they can. "
Hmmm... story vaporware?
Here's the list of major accomplishments that have been achieved since they announced it back in 1997: http://duke.a-13.net/
Is it just me? or is listing "Duke Nukem Forever" as number one yet again becoming a tired old joke?
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
It is already flying. Just because it is not in commercial use yet, doesn't make it vapor ware. Duke Nukem is.
If you mod me down, I *will* introduce you to my sister!
Yes, Duke Nukem Never is still there. It is eligible for a lifetime achievement award.
Move along. Next article.
"No matter where you go, there you are." -- Buckaroo Banzai
Vapour? Have you seen the size of the fucking thing? Anyway its been built, tested and approved for flight. Yes there are difficulties but they will possibly make it a white elephant, but certainly not vapourware.
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
So many of those products may be "lateware" but not vaporware. Hell, even Duke Nukem may be out some day AFAIK.
It's time to realise that Abble's products are the biggest abomination these days. Just say NO to the dumb iAbble way!!
:wq
I can't believe that Duke Nukem Forever knocked Windows Vista for the MIA award. For five years we were promised all these wonderful technologies that would be part of Windows Vista and the only thing that's coming out next month is a Windows XP upgrade.
I bet it would sell....
This sig seemed like a good idea at the time....
I'm still waiting on that one... ...of course it doesn't really matter much since iTunes is in control of the audio-for-sale and video-for-sale market these days. DIVx-based AVIs are becoming the default for "free" video content, particularly from Europe.
As I wrote before here, WMP for Linux was meant as a strategic move to scare content owners away from the open-sourcing of Real Networks' player and codecs, by promising WMP-based DRM for the Linux market. It seemed to work, but rather than go to WMP (which had technical issues as shown by early BootlegTV downloads from the DGM record label (King Crimson)), they held off until iTunes set the new DRM standard. M$'s been behind ever since.
"But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
-- Joe
Evolution is defined as unguided. The above is a description of Intelligent Design, not evolution. The player is essentially the god of a universe built via Theistic Evolution, and every game play decision is a miracle. In a game based on true Evolution, you would just watch everything unfold randomly according to the game rules after perhaps tweaking some initial conditions (you are allowed some Initial Design of the rules / state at the Big Bang, since that doesn't involve any god/world interaction).
Please stop posting Wired stories. We all already read Wired on a daily basis, just like we read Slashdot. Why post it here days after we've already read it? Just please stop doing it already.
This sig intentionally left blank.
Yes there's a prototype for the A380. There's also a demo for Spore. But until Airbus figures out how to insert those 300 miles of wiring, the prototype is meaningless. Without any wiring, a jetliner is just a ... I want to say "big doorstop" but somehow that's not right.
You do sort of have a point. "Vaporware" originally described products that never got beyond the Breathless Announcement, and were usually created solely to stifle interest in competing products. Only one or two products on the Wired list fit that description. We really need a separate term for products that are really, honestly under development, but are way behind schedule. Deathmarchware?
I'm profoundly unsurprised that Spore is in trouble. IMHO, Will Wright is grossly overrated as a game designer. All his games pretend to be simulations, but the "realities" they pretend to implement are absurdly simplistic. (Why is every Sim a bisexual OJ?) People do enjoy playing them, but only because they enjoy fantasizing about their imaginary worlds. The game pretends to bring simulation to the fantasy, but really just provide fancy graphics. Judging from the videos I've seen, Spore isn't any different. And for a game that pretends to model the evolution of wholes species, that just isn't enough.
The Airbus is on the list but not the flying car? Moller's Skycar has been 2 years away from completed testing for the past 10+ years and has been in development for somewhere around 40 years. If any aircraft deserves to be on the list, it's that one.
Learn to love Alaska
How about the final spec for 802.11n, the blazing-fast new Wi-Fi? While many hoped to see it finalized this year, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has been saying not to expect anything until January 2007. No false promises, no Vaporware Award.
Then about Duke: The company still has a message on its website saying that the game will be released "when it's done."
It doesn't sound like they're promising anything to me, so it shouldn't be on the list.
The Spruce Goose flew, also. (Well, kindof... it proved it could take off, at least.) But neither airliner was delivered to any customers, therefore, they are both vaporware.
Comment of the year