I am writing to inform you that I am returning all but one of the discs from your latest epic, Baldur's Gate III: The Quest For More Levels. I find it simply unacceptable that, after I have paid you $50, you insist that I sit through over seventy hours with your game to derive full enjoyment of your product.
In the future, I would appreciate it if you only sent me the first 10% of the game, for the same cost, at the same quality.
My old Logitech ran for roughly four months of steady usage on one pair of AAA batteries. I have no reason to believe that newer bluetooth mice would consume more, or faster. Having said that, I'm not really crazy about the idea of having a special charger for my mouse. Rechargable batteries tend not to last as long, meaning I would have to drag it with me.
(laugh) No, I've walked by the behemoth Blue series at the computer stoes many times.. Unfortunately, they have felt bulky, have included unecessary USB bluetooth receivers and have had some negative reports about the drivers.
Since I use an Apple PBG412, I don't really see the reason to shell out money for a peripheral that claims to be only for use with Win2k/XP, etc, etc. Apple is embracing Bluetooth, much like they did with USB and Firewire, and it was important enough to me, a mac user, to mention it. I really couldn't care less what the Windows world uses.
Thank you for the inevitable knee-jerk reaction. One of the other comments mentioned a Microsoft bluetooth package that most likely has 20 buttons, 3 wheels, and the Company's legendary reliability. You're welcome to it.
Odd, I've never had a problem getting my bluetooth keyboard to line up with the IR sensor on my computer.. I seem to remember that being a problem with the IR keyboards.
Travel much? How many times a week do you have to set up and tear down your computer? Think plugging and unplugging that cable every time is good entertainment? How about unsnarling a hastily packed accessory bag.. For people who live out of their suitcases, it's a pretty nice toy.
It might take a little while for the PC world to come onboard with the technology, yet, there are companies that have adopted Bluetooth early, and seem to be putting some weight behind it. Apple has recently added a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to their line of products, making my powerbook's bluetooth chipset actually useful. The mouse is very well designed for use by travellers, although someone here is sure to bitch about the number of buttons within minutes.
Next time that I'm ready to upgrade my palm, as they tend to meet unfortunate fates while I travel, I'll probably pick up a bluetooth palm so I can carry one less cable with me. The cell phone world also makes use of bluetooth now to avoid cables.
It's just the conventional PC world that is taking its sweet time adopting Bluetooth. Considering that the market for wireless keyboards and mice definately hasn't gone away for Logitech, there is still a niche for bluetooth. Now that the marketing hype is fading away, the useful devices are slowly becoming available.
Ah, and here we come to the crux of Forbes' problem with Free Software. Forbes is a magazine that focusses on the culture of making money, not social advance or intellectual pursuits beyond those of applied economics. The very idea of giving something away, in order to get something better in return simply offends their target demographic in ways unimaginable by sane, rational individuals.
I take exception with the original article poster's suggestion that we not read the article, simply because they are making mountains out of molehills.. We should all read it, consider it, then enjoy it, much like a fine bit of John Cleese absurdism.
If they're screaming about us, we must be doing something right.
Purchase a solid safe; unhook all file servers, place them in said safe. Post two rabid pit bulls in room containing said safe. Resulting security may be barely enough to contain grandma's cookie recipe.
Considering the number of people who appear to have access to your data, and the current us vs. them politics with the other departments, you can be certain that any measures you take to protect your data from theft will be, in the end, undone by the human factor. You should emphasize, instead, maintaining the integrity of your data.
Try seeing how long those CD's stay unscratched when you work in hostile conditions; do enough field work in the desert, and you'll develop a new respect for music players with no fucking moving parts.
Yes, the article author seems to have little actual clue about what is going on in Shadowbane right now, and is running strictly off rumors.. Population on many servers is down, considerably, either because one nation or another has taken control of the majority of the map. Wolfpack doesn't want to purchase more servers to host newer, more balanced maps, so they are simply rolling a couple of the lesser used ones.
In the bad old days, we were warned that this might happen if a guild achieved total dominance. On some servers, it has happened. The new maps are supposed to make this both more difficult, and more rewarding, by introducing passes, chokepoints, and easier to control discipline drops.
This guy needs to grow a backbone; if he wants a game where completely new players have a fair shot against experienced ones, he should go into the alley behind where he works and shoot dice. Games of skill and strategy are always going to reward those who have spent more time studying the game. A ranking system works nicely when communities are small and individuals know one another, but in the largely anonymous online communities that form around your average game, the ranking system breaks down as griefers enter the system.
A prime example of griefing in this fashion is the latest batch of RTS's: C&C Generals and Warcraft 3. Both games have a tiering system, and both systems are liberally abused by individuals who prop up their egos by tearing down the newbies. Just sit down, find a game you won't get sick of in a month, and play.
My personal recommendation for this is Go. Simple rules, simple play, a polite online community and nobody's marketing department is promoting it.
If the GBA games are running on the Zodiac, that will be great; is Nintendo setting up a licensing arrangement for this, or are we talking about emulation and possible lawsuits. The cost of the item is still going to stop market penetration; $300 for an easily misplaced gizmo is a bit much for the children that tend to drive console sales.
I have the feeling that the Zodiac is, at best, going to land where the Sega and Atari portables did in the market; beloved, but with only a tiny share.
It looks like Nintendo isn't exactly ignoring the threat of N-Gage and Zodiac to its current market niche. Granted, this thing doesn't give the GBA the potential of N-Gage for multiplayer, since it doesn't tie in to GSM/GPRS, nor does it give the GBA any claim to serious business usability. But if they keep the price down, it should muddy the waters enough to ensure both appliances don't get much market share.
If Zodiac or N-Gage had some actual first-run games, especially a killer multiplayer game, they might still have a chance, but both platforms have been more interested in licensing tried and true games.. A pity, some competition might produce some better games; the GBA's software has been rife with movie tie-ins, console adaptations and sequels.
Someone get me the name and address of the judge who made this ruling.. I want to go stomping into his bedroom at 4 in the morning and proclaim loudly that I have a wonderful long distance calling program for him. I'll be exercising my freedom of speech, right?
It is becoming fashionable to legislate from the bench; while there has always been a right to free speech, there has never been a right to force people to listen to you. Telemarketers drive me crazy because I work a night shift; they think the best time to call is while I am asleep. I leave the phone in case of an emergency; I am almost to the point where I'm going to purchase a call screening appliance to restrict incoming access to well known numbers.
The only problem I had with the DNC registry was the loophole made for charitable organizations. Recently, they've been the worst abusers.. I've been woken up twice this week by opinion pollers from nonprofit organizations.
Richard Bartle sums up the arguments against voice chat in MMORPGs, here. I find voice chat to be useful in team-based action games, like CTF and Allegiance, but not really appropriate for roleplaying games.
PSO got away with it, in many ways, because PSO is an action game at heart.
The movie projectors break down on a regular basis due to the tremendous amount of steady vibration the units must put up with; they tend to use off-the-shelf components, instead of engineering a specialized unit that can put up with turbulence and assholes slamming bags into luggage compartments.
I'm starting to wonder if HL2's numbers are going to be quite as good as HL1, considering the aggressive marketing, shady practices, tie-ins with the less-friendly-than-advertised Steam, and a lot of other publisher-related snafus. Sierra and Valve seem to be regarding Half-Life 2 as such a massive potential success that they can get away with pretty much any customer-abuse they want.
What has Apple Corps Done, Lately?
on
Beatles Bite Apple
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· Score: 5, Interesting
Aside from popping up every ten years to sue Apple Computers, has Apple Corps actually put out any sort of product? A quick Google for Apple Corps brings up several other sites long before Apple Corps' placeholder website; has Apple Corps made an effort to protect its trademark, aside from prosecuting this single case?
Some of the hits on Google, in order of appearance:
I understand that Apple Corps has a standing agreement with Apple Computer, and Apple Computer is very likely in breach of that contract with iTunes and iPod because, as was true in the infamous speaker case, the contract was worded so loosely that if a Macintosh makes a sound, it's in breach. But, has this company actually done anything with itself, or taken any measures to protect its trademark from much more egregious infringements by organizations with shallower pockets?
It's unfortunate that we need to do this kind of research at all; I definately understand their position for doing this, but it does not endear their game to me. I was planning to give SWG a try, once the usual MMORPG birthing pains were over.
Here's the problem, as I see it; your average board is infested with trolls, astroturfers, prima donnas, moderators and other pestilences, but, somewhere in there you can find people who are actually enjoying the game, or people having actual problems with the game, or both. These people are giving their honest opinions of the situation, and from there, I can get a glimpse of how well a game has been put together. If you compare the overall tone of the forums to other forums, sometimes you can also get a glimpse into the community forming around a game. I don't play single player games anymore, and a friendly, intelligent community forming around a game is probably the best feature it could have for me.
Game news sites, like Gone Gold, Gamespot, Gamespy, and IGN all live and die by the fiat of the game publishers that advertise on their sites and provide them with a carefully rationed amount of prerelease information. If the site is a good lapdog, and doesn't bite the master's hand, it might even get some exclusive content. Contrast Gamespot's glowing, positively genuflecting prose when previewing a game to the actual released review, and consider that the author must still refrain from giving a truly negative review to a major ad sponsor.
This sort of information becomes really important when we start talking about persistent state games like SWG and other MMORPGs. There is often a considerable time investment involved before you find out whether a given game is a turkey or not.
"The heart of the matter is will a game's Internet forums ever be a source of positive publicity post-launch?" -- Raph Koster
Also, just as important, would a designer's desire to close off forums to the public be a sign of a worthwhile game? While it is true that most forums are plagued by trolls and screaming, petulant adolescents, hiding behind anonymity while they snipe at anything anyone holds dear, it's also the one of very few places to find an honest opinon about a given game.
Slashdot Mirror
I am writing to inform you that I am returning all but one of the discs from your latest epic, Baldur's Gate III: The Quest For More Levels. I find it simply unacceptable that, after I have paid you $50, you insist that I sit through over seventy hours with your game to derive full enjoyment of your product.
In the future, I would appreciate it if you only sent me the first 10% of the game, for the same cost, at the same quality.
Respectfully,
A Blithering Idiot
My old Logitech ran for roughly four months of steady usage on one pair of AAA batteries. I have no reason to believe that newer bluetooth mice would consume more, or faster. Having said that, I'm not really crazy about the idea of having a special charger for my mouse. Rechargable batteries tend not to last as long, meaning I would have to drag it with me.
(laugh) No, I've walked by the behemoth Blue series at the computer stoes many times.. Unfortunately, they have felt bulky, have included unecessary USB bluetooth receivers and have had some negative reports about the drivers.
Since I use an Apple PBG412, I don't really see the reason to shell out money for a peripheral that claims to be only for use with Win2k/XP, etc, etc. Apple is embracing Bluetooth, much like they did with USB and Firewire, and it was important enough to me, a mac user, to mention it. I really couldn't care less what the Windows world uses.
Thank you for the inevitable knee-jerk reaction. One of the other comments mentioned a Microsoft bluetooth package that most likely has 20 buttons, 3 wheels, and the Company's legendary reliability. You're welcome to it.
Odd, I've never had a problem getting my bluetooth keyboard to line up with the IR sensor on my computer.. I seem to remember that being a problem with the IR keyboards.
Travel much? How many times a week do you have to set up and tear down your computer? Think plugging and unplugging that cable every time is good entertainment? How about unsnarling a hastily packed accessory bag.. For people who live out of their suitcases, it's a pretty nice toy.
It might take a little while for the PC world to come onboard with the technology, yet, there are companies that have adopted Bluetooth early, and seem to be putting some weight behind it. Apple has recently added a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to their line of products, making my powerbook's bluetooth chipset actually useful. The mouse is very well designed for use by travellers, although someone here is sure to bitch about the number of buttons within minutes.
Next time that I'm ready to upgrade my palm, as they tend to meet unfortunate fates while I travel, I'll probably pick up a bluetooth palm so I can carry one less cable with me. The cell phone world also makes use of bluetooth now to avoid cables.
It's just the conventional PC world that is taking its sweet time adopting Bluetooth. Considering that the market for wireless keyboards and mice definately hasn't gone away for Logitech, there is still a niche for bluetooth. Now that the marketing hype is fading away, the useful devices are slowly becoming available.
And fewer eyes watching the source code.. Fewer bugs in a project of similar complexity with fewer users is not necessary a clean bill of health.
Ah, and here we come to the crux of Forbes' problem with Free Software. Forbes is a magazine that focusses on the culture of making money, not social advance or intellectual pursuits beyond those of applied economics. The very idea of giving something away, in order to get something better in return simply offends their target demographic in ways unimaginable by sane, rational individuals.
I take exception with the original article poster's suggestion that we not read the article, simply because they are making mountains out of molehills.. We should all read it, consider it, then enjoy it, much like a fine bit of John Cleese absurdism.
If they're screaming about us, we must be doing something right.
Purchase a solid safe; unhook all file servers, place them in said safe. Post two rabid pit bulls in room containing said safe. Resulting security may be barely enough to contain grandma's cookie recipe.
Considering the number of people who appear to have access to your data, and the current us vs. them politics with the other departments, you can be certain that any measures you take to protect your data from theft will be, in the end, undone by the human factor. You should emphasize, instead, maintaining the integrity of your data.
Try seeing how long those CD's stay unscratched when you work in hostile conditions; do enough field work in the desert, and you'll develop a new respect for music players with no fucking moving parts.
Yes, the article author seems to have little actual clue about what is going on in Shadowbane right now, and is running strictly off rumors.. Population on many servers is down, considerably, either because one nation or another has taken control of the majority of the map. Wolfpack doesn't want to purchase more servers to host newer, more balanced maps, so they are simply rolling a couple of the lesser used ones.
In the bad old days, we were warned that this might happen if a guild achieved total dominance. On some servers, it has happened. The new maps are supposed to make this both more difficult, and more rewarding, by introducing passes, chokepoints, and easier to control discipline drops.
This guy needs to grow a backbone; if he wants a game where completely new players have a fair shot against experienced ones, he should go into the alley behind where he works and shoot dice. Games of skill and strategy are always going to reward those who have spent more time studying the game. A ranking system works nicely when communities are small and individuals know one another, but in the largely anonymous online communities that form around your average game, the ranking system breaks down as griefers enter the system.
A prime example of griefing in this fashion is the latest batch of RTS's: C&C Generals and Warcraft 3. Both games have a tiering system, and both systems are liberally abused by individuals who prop up their egos by tearing down the newbies. Just sit down, find a game you won't get sick of in a month, and play.
My personal recommendation for this is Go. Simple rules, simple play, a polite online community and nobody's marketing department is promoting it.
If the GBA games are running on the Zodiac, that will be great; is Nintendo setting up a licensing arrangement for this, or are we talking about emulation and possible lawsuits. The cost of the item is still going to stop market penetration; $300 for an easily misplaced gizmo is a bit much for the children that tend to drive console sales.
I have the feeling that the Zodiac is, at best, going to land where the Sega and Atari portables did in the market; beloved, but with only a tiny share.
It looks like Nintendo isn't exactly ignoring the threat of N-Gage and Zodiac to its current market niche. Granted, this thing doesn't give the GBA the potential of N-Gage for multiplayer, since it doesn't tie in to GSM/GPRS, nor does it give the GBA any claim to serious business usability. But if they keep the price down, it should muddy the waters enough to ensure both appliances don't get much market share.
If Zodiac or N-Gage had some actual first-run games, especially a killer multiplayer game, they might still have a chance, but both platforms have been more interested in licensing tried and true games.. A pity, some competition might produce some better games; the GBA's software has been rife with movie tie-ins, console adaptations and sequels.
Someone get me the name and address of the judge who made this ruling.. I want to go stomping into his bedroom at 4 in the morning and proclaim loudly that I have a wonderful long distance calling program for him. I'll be exercising my freedom of speech, right?
It is becoming fashionable to legislate from the bench; while there has always been a right to free speech, there has never been a right to force people to listen to you. Telemarketers drive me crazy because I work a night shift; they think the best time to call is while I am asleep. I leave the phone in case of an emergency; I am almost to the point where I'm going to purchase a call screening appliance to restrict incoming access to well known numbers.
The only problem I had with the DNC registry was the loophole made for charitable organizations. Recently, they've been the worst abusers.. I've been woken up twice this week by opinion pollers from nonprofit organizations.
I was looking for an April 1st dateline on this one..
My Model M is nearly dead, due to a very accident-prone wife... You've made me a very happy man..
Richard Bartle sums up the arguments against voice chat in MMORPGs, here. I find voice chat to be useful in team-based action games, like CTF and Allegiance, but not really appropriate for roleplaying games.
PSO got away with it, in many ways, because PSO is an action game at heart.
The movie projectors break down on a regular basis due to the tremendous amount of steady vibration the units must put up with; they tend to use off-the-shelf components, instead of engineering a specialized unit that can put up with turbulence and assholes slamming bags into luggage compartments.
I might play it when there's a Counter-Strike mod for it; I bought the original HL just to play CS.
I'm starting to wonder if HL2's numbers are going to be quite as good as HL1, considering the aggressive marketing, shady practices, tie-ins with the less-friendly-than-advertised Steam, and a lot of other publisher-related snafus. Sierra and Valve seem to be regarding Half-Life 2 as such a massive potential success that they can get away with pretty much any customer-abuse they want.
Aside from popping up every ten years to sue Apple Computers, has Apple Corps actually put out any sort of product? A quick Google for Apple Corps brings up several other sites long before Apple Corps' placeholder website; has Apple Corps made an effort to protect its trademark, aside from prosecuting this single case?
Some of the hits on Google, in order of appearance:
I understand that Apple Corps has a standing agreement with Apple Computer, and Apple Computer is very likely in breach of that contract with iTunes and iPod because, as was true in the infamous speaker case, the contract was worded so loosely that if a Macintosh makes a sound, it's in breach. But, has this company actually done anything with itself, or taken any measures to protect its trademark from much more egregious infringements by organizations with shallower pockets?
It's unfortunate that we need to do this kind of research at all; I definately understand their position for doing this, but it does not endear their game to me. I was planning to give SWG a try, once the usual MMORPG birthing pains were over.
Here's the problem, as I see it; your average board is infested with trolls, astroturfers, prima donnas, moderators and other pestilences, but, somewhere in there you can find people who are actually enjoying the game, or people having actual problems with the game, or both. These people are giving their honest opinions of the situation, and from there, I can get a glimpse of how well a game has been put together. If you compare the overall tone of the forums to other forums, sometimes you can also get a glimpse into the community forming around a game. I don't play single player games anymore, and a friendly, intelligent community forming around a game is probably the best feature it could have for me.
Game news sites, like Gone Gold, Gamespot, Gamespy, and IGN all live and die by the fiat of the game publishers that advertise on their sites and provide them with a carefully rationed amount of prerelease information. If the site is a good lapdog, and doesn't bite the master's hand, it might even get some exclusive content. Contrast Gamespot's glowing, positively genuflecting prose when previewing a game to the actual released review, and consider that the author must still refrain from giving a truly negative review to a major ad sponsor.
This sort of information becomes really important when we start talking about persistent state games like SWG and other MMORPGs. There is often a considerable time investment involved before you find out whether a given game is a turkey or not.
"The heart of the matter is will a game's Internet forums ever be a source of positive publicity post-launch?" -- Raph Koster
Also, just as important, would a designer's desire to close off forums to the public be a sign of a worthwhile game? While it is true that most forums are plagued by trolls and screaming, petulant adolescents, hiding behind anonymity while they snipe at anything anyone holds dear, it's also the one of very few places to find an honest opinon about a given game.