If you must do a sequel, at least do it the Nintendo way. Do a sequel that takes a sharp turn from the original.
You say this and then you immediately bring up SMB2... How odd.:)
It always puzzles me why some people seem down on the US SMB2, but like the Japan SMB2. The so called "Lost Levels" might be more challenging than the original, but it feels like it should be an add-on pack if it were released today, and not a full game. US SMB2 might have been "rip-off" of Doki Doki Panic, but it did and new gameplay mechanics that made it into pretty every other Mario game, like the ability to pick up objects and themed worlds.
I think it was a very fun game, actually. But the terminology is kind of awkward, that's the main thing.
SMB2 (the original one) was a sequel in the truest sense of the word. One of the great things about it at this point is that lots of people are familiar with SMB and therefore know how the game works - but since most US players never played SMB2, they aren't familiar with the levels. It's like a chance to discover the old, familiar SMB all over again.
I can really understand why they handled SMB2 the way they did in the US. They could have taken SMB2 and put it on a cartridge, but they didn't - and then SMB3 came out, and it was a huge success, and so obviously they needed to have a SMB2 to release in the USA... But consider how much NES games changed from 1985 to 1988. The games were becoming more extensive, more complete, more polished. In 1988 we'd already gotten two Mega Man games, Contra, Castlevania... It's hard to imagine, at that point, going back to a game from 1986 (or, rather, a game from 1985 with new levels and a few other changes)... At that point most NES players probably had SMB1, and had probably had their fill of it as well. Releasing SMB2 in the US at that point probably would have been a disaster.
I do tend to think of SMB2 (the USA-released one) as "not the real SMB2" - but it's a great game in any case. The fact that they made it into a Mario game meant that it got a release in the US and that the release got attention... So, that's a good thing.
Games developed for the 3DS will be designed to run on the 3DS's hardware, which, while still relatively low-powered, is substantially more powerful than the DS/DSi. In gaming terms, "backwards compatibility" generally refers to the ability of a newer console to run games that were designed for a previous generation (and the 3DS has this - it will run DS games).
Actually, the 3DS game cartridges are being sold with an extra little plastic tab on them that prevents them from being slotted into a regular DS cartridge slot.
So if you cut that tab off, you should be able to use the game with an older DS.:)
I think it's also reasonable to assume Sony will eventually changer for this feature. They'd need to get money to fund the server up keep from somewhere.
Maybe they'll severely limit the online storage capacity available to non "PSN+" users...
You should consider games that are worth playing more than once, in whole or in part.
It's fun to replay the early missions of your favorite game, but it's more fun if you still have access to the stuff you unlocked in your first run through.
They are game saves. Gaming is not banking. If you care that much about the off chance of having to re-play part of your game, consider finding a game that's more fun to play.
If I spent a bunch of time in Little Big Planet creating levels or machines, you'd better believe I don't want to have to re-create that shit.
I actually faced a similar situation with Frequency and Amplitude on the PS2 - I made some remixes and didn't want to lose 'em, but faulty game save code meant that could only be accomplished with backups.
So, I need to let go of the device with one of my hands to use the front touchscreen, obscuring the screen despite the fact that I have dual-analog joysticks and a rear touchpad.
Yes!
When you're operating the rear touch pad it's harder to accurately press a spot that corresponds to something that's displayed on the screen. But when operating the touch screen you can just look and know where to press.
And we're still talking about a 5" screen, so plenty of people will be touching the wrong command.
This seems extraneous to me.
If you make the on-screen controls large enough it's not an issue. Smartphones have solved this problem already, after all...
I thought Sony was making comments about HD gaming, and comparable to the PS3. Why the odd resolution?
And if you're using the buttons/analog controls in conjunction with the rear touchpad, what is the purpose of the screen being multi-touch as well?
The touchscreen is for cases where you want to be able to use the screen to provide specific touch-sensitive controls. (For instance, a menu of RPG commands) The touchpad is for cases where you want the user to be able to use touch controls without obscuring the screen (For instance, aiming in a FPS.)
First person shooters might benefit greatly from a touchpad. I can't stand trying to aim with an analog stick, but a touchpad is just a small step away from a mouse.. so if it's ergonomic, it might make this handheld one of the best devices around for playing shooters...
Yeah, I like how they used the touch screen in Metroid on the DS - it seemed to me that it was a much better control for FPS aiming than an analog stick would have been, nearly as good as a mouse. The problem, of course, is that when your finger's on a touch screen, you can't see what's under it. The NDS solved that by having two screens, but for the purposes of a FPS game I think Sony's approach (having a touch pad on the back side of the machine) will be equally effective.
Has the double screen actually enhanced any games? The touchscreen, sure that's important, but having two small screen instead of a big one really seems to provide little to no benefit in most games.
To me the biggest asset of the second screen (as opposed to, say, the lower screen being replaced with just a trackpad) is that it allows games to use the touch-sensitive area to display specialized controls. Games can essentially define custom, labeled buttons as the need arises. (With limitations, of course- the touch screen doesn't have any tactile response - and of course you can't see what's on the screen if your finger's on it...) It's great for menus in games that have 'em (turn-based RPGs or adventure games, for instance)
Consider the alternatives for a touch-sensitive control:
Trackpad separate from screen: provides the touch-control but doesn't give the game the ability to provide visual cues for what effect touching different areas of the pad would have.
Single screen as touchscreen: the main problem there is that putting controls up big enough to touch with your finger takes a lot of screen space - and again, if your finger's on the screen, you can't see what's underneath it.
That said, as you say a lot of games just don't do much with the second screen...
I'm not sold on 3D any more than I am on 5.1 audio, but just like 5.1 audio, the cost of including it is so small that the manufacturers might as well include it for those that want it. Don't expect 3D TV to go away. The will already run at a frequency that supports it, and including the electronics to transmit a signal to glasses every other frame is trivial. There is no compelling reason for TV manufacturers to leave it out.
Wait... I thought regular progressive-scan HDTV ran at 60Hz, while 3D TVs ran at double that (120Hz) to get 60Hz updates to each eye?
Good point. I can recognize that there are no sequels: there is only The Matrix. Reloaded and Revolutions were merely rumors, and 4 and 5 obviously cannot exist if 2 and 3 were never made.:)
Of course they can! Haven't you seen the Star Wars trilogy? Those movies are "episodes" 4, 5, and 6. And they never made "episodes" 1-3.
That said, assuming that you are a software engineer, you really should have come across that term before, it's been around for 20 years, and in common use for at least ten.
Believe it or not, there are programming jobs out there that don't immerse the programmer in trendy or otherwise retarded terminology. I'm happy to work in an environment that allows me to focus on coding rather than development methodologies.
Because step 7 wasn't "Profit!" I have to assume your solution is not commercially viable, please re-submit using appropriate meme for consideration. Also your solution reeks of completeness, a bit of uncertainty ( Step 6. ????) would further your cause.
That joke dates back to, what, 1998? I am not so in love with the Underpants Gnomes joke that I will do constant callbacks of it.
Slashdot Mirror
If you must do a sequel, at least do it the Nintendo way. Do a sequel that takes a sharp turn from the original.
You say this and then you immediately bring up SMB2... How odd. :)
It always puzzles me why some people seem down on the US SMB2, but like the Japan SMB2. The so called "Lost Levels" might be more challenging than the original, but it feels like it should be an add-on pack if it were released today, and not a full game. US SMB2 might have been "rip-off" of Doki Doki Panic, but it did and new gameplay mechanics that made it into pretty every other Mario game, like the ability to pick up objects and themed worlds.
I think it was a very fun game, actually. But the terminology is kind of awkward, that's the main thing.
SMB2 (the original one) was a sequel in the truest sense of the word. One of the great things about it at this point is that lots of people are familiar with SMB and therefore know how the game works - but since most US players never played SMB2, they aren't familiar with the levels. It's like a chance to discover the old, familiar SMB all over again.
I can really understand why they handled SMB2 the way they did in the US. They could have taken SMB2 and put it on a cartridge, but they didn't - and then SMB3 came out, and it was a huge success, and so obviously they needed to have a SMB2 to release in the USA... But consider how much NES games changed from 1985 to 1988. The games were becoming more extensive, more complete, more polished. In 1988 we'd already gotten two Mega Man games, Contra, Castlevania... It's hard to imagine, at that point, going back to a game from 1986 (or, rather, a game from 1985 with new levels and a few other changes)... At that point most NES players probably had SMB1, and had probably had their fill of it as well. Releasing SMB2 in the US at that point probably would have been a disaster.
I do tend to think of SMB2 (the USA-released one) as "not the real SMB2" - but it's a great game in any case. The fact that they made it into a Mario game meant that it got a release in the US and that the release got attention... So, that's a good thing.
Erm... no.
Games developed for the 3DS will be designed to run on the 3DS's hardware, which, while still relatively low-powered, is substantially more powerful than the DS/DSi. In gaming terms, "backwards compatibility" generally refers to the ability of a newer console to run games that were designed for a previous generation (and the 3DS has this - it will run DS games).
Actually, the 3DS game cartridges are being sold with an extra little plastic tab on them that prevents them from being slotted into a regular DS cartridge slot.
So if you cut that tab off, you should be able to use the game with an older DS. :)
Does anyone actually use Stonehenge for its intended purposes?
What, you mean its purpose as a marker of the location of the Pandorica?
As expected... Sony bashers with conspiracy theories are the first to arrival to the thread.
It's DRM !!!1!!
They will force you to store in the cloud!!!1!!1one!!
Gee, too bad you didn't get first post - else you'd be able to say "INB4 Sony bashers!"
I think it's also reasonable to assume Sony will eventually changer for this feature. They'd need to get money to fund the server up keep from somewhere.
Maybe they'll severely limit the online storage capacity available to non "PSN+" users...
You should consider games that are worth playing more than once, in whole or in part.
It's fun to replay the early missions of your favorite game, but it's more fun if you still have access to the stuff you unlocked in your first run through.
They are game saves. Gaming is not banking. If you care that much about the off chance of having to re-play part of your game, consider finding a game that's more fun to play.
If I spent a bunch of time in Little Big Planet creating levels or machines, you'd better believe I don't want to have to re-create that shit.
I actually faced a similar situation with Frequency and Amplitude on the PS2 - I made some remixes and didn't want to lose 'em, but faulty game save code meant that could only be accomplished with backups.
Major malfunction is just NASA-speak.
The guy was struggling with what to say. I think the quote was something like "umm... obviously, a major malfunction".
What do you expect someone to say in that situation?
How about "DUR, IT BLOWED UP."
I remember the spectators watching the event at the site cheered...
Ah...I remember that year.
NASA == Need Another Seven Astronauts
How do you fit eleven NASA astronauts in a VW Bug?
Two in the front
Two in the back
Seven in the ashtray
Come on, it's been 25 years. It's officially OK to laugh now. :)
So, I need to let go of the device with one of my hands to use the front touchscreen, obscuring the screen despite the fact that I have dual-analog joysticks and a rear touchpad.
Yes!
When you're operating the rear touch pad it's harder to accurately press a spot that corresponds to something that's displayed on the screen. But when operating the touch screen you can just look and know where to press.
And we're still talking about a 5" screen, so plenty of people will be touching the wrong command.
This seems extraneous to me.
If you make the on-screen controls large enough it's not an issue. Smartphones have solved this problem already, after all...
It's great and all, but the thing looks HUGE. How can you call it portable if you can't even fit it into a pocket?
Oh, come on... It's smaller than Game Gear. :)
I thought Sony was making comments about HD gaming, and comparable to the PS3. Why the odd resolution?
And if you're using the buttons/analog controls in conjunction with the rear touchpad, what is the purpose of the screen being multi-touch as well?
The touchscreen is for cases where you want to be able to use the screen to provide specific touch-sensitive controls. (For instance, a menu of RPG commands)
The touchpad is for cases where you want the user to be able to use touch controls without obscuring the screen (For instance, aiming in a FPS.)
First person shooters might benefit greatly from a touchpad. I can't stand trying to aim with an analog stick, but a touchpad is just a small step away from a mouse.. so if it's ergonomic, it might make this handheld one of the best devices around for playing shooters...
Yeah, I like how they used the touch screen in Metroid on the DS - it seemed to me that it was a much better control for FPS aiming than an analog stick would have been, nearly as good as a mouse. The problem, of course, is that when your finger's on a touch screen, you can't see what's under it. The NDS solved that by having two screens, but for the purposes of a FPS game I think Sony's approach (having a touch pad on the back side of the machine) will be equally effective.
"Dual screens is a gimmick, and doesn't really enhance gameplay that much."
Well, you could actually make a very strong case for that argument, I think...
Has the double screen actually enhanced any games? The touchscreen, sure that's important, but having two small screen instead of a big one really seems to provide little to no benefit in most games.
To me the biggest asset of the second screen (as opposed to, say, the lower screen being replaced with just a trackpad) is that it allows games to use the touch-sensitive area to display specialized controls. Games can essentially define custom, labeled buttons as the need arises. (With limitations, of course- the touch screen doesn't have any tactile response - and of course you can't see what's on the screen if your finger's on it...) It's great for menus in games that have 'em (turn-based RPGs or adventure games, for instance)
Consider the alternatives for a touch-sensitive control:
That said, as you say a lot of games just don't do much with the second screen...
who still uses telnet?
Hackers! Didn't you read the summary?
I'm not sold on 3D any more than I am on 5.1 audio, but just like 5.1 audio, the cost of including it is so small that the manufacturers might as well include it for those that want it. Don't expect 3D TV to go away. The will already run at a frequency that supports it, and including the electronics to transmit a signal to glasses every other frame is trivial. There is no compelling reason for TV manufacturers to leave it out.
Wait... I thought regular progressive-scan HDTV ran at 60Hz, while 3D TVs ran at double that (120Hz) to get 60Hz updates to each eye?
The "eleven" isn't a sequence number, it's Clooney's penis size...
In centimeters, I guess.
No, you're not missing anything. You know Hollywood, they can't do math. Have you seen the damages asked in their lawsuits?
Next thing you know they'll want us to believe there was more than two Alien movies.
It's kind of mysterious how they jumped straight from "Alien" to "Alien 3"...
Good point. I can recognize that there are no sequels: there is only The Matrix. Reloaded and Revolutions were merely rumors, and 4 and 5 obviously cannot exist if 2 and 3 were never made. :)
Of course they can! Haven't you seen the Star Wars trilogy? Those movies are "episodes" 4, 5, and 6. And they never made "episodes" 1-3.
That said, assuming that you are a software engineer, you really should have come across that term before, it's been around for 20 years, and in common use for at least ten.
Believe it or not, there are programming jobs out there that don't immerse the programmer in trendy or otherwise retarded terminology. I'm happy to work in an environment that allows me to focus on coding rather than development methodologies.
Yeah, I had to look it up. Never heard of the term "dogfooding" before.
It seems a silly word choice, since in context it carries no more meaning than the rather more conventional word "using".
So is calling something a "meme"
I'd be happy to stop calling things "memes" but calling them "retarded internet running gags" seems a tad harsh...
My view of him is not based on the movie. I guess I probably should have said this first to avoid the assumption.
Fair enough. For my part I probably should have avoided the assumption.
Because step 7 wasn't "Profit!" I have to assume your solution is not commercially viable, please re-submit using appropriate meme for consideration. Also your solution reeks of completeness, a bit of uncertainty ( Step 6. ????) would further your cause.
That joke dates back to, what, 1998? I am not so in love with the Underpants Gnomes joke that I will do constant callbacks of it.