Unless I'm mistaken, the point was that the memory costs too much. And it's true that it costs too much whether you're getting a 1GB card or a 512MB card. Just a quick glance at a bigtime retailer (no links because I'm not here to advertise for companies) shows that you pay a 50% premium over the cost of SD and CF for Sony's proprietary connector. I guess that's fine if one already has a PSP to feed, but for those trying to figure out the economics of buying one in the first place it's a real turn-off.
Yes, there will be HD-DVD games. See how easy it is to make a definitive statement with no basis in actual fact?
As folks have already mentioned, it would be easy as pie to do a multi-DVD version for the folks who still have the plain old DVD model and a one-disc HD-DVD version for those with the new tech. And, for those who think there's no precedent, keep in mind that there have already been many console games released with two or more versions (though the multiple versions of console games have so far been on the same media).
I know Microsoft is held in little regard when it comes to their business practices, and rightly so; but consumers line up at their trough because they so often give people what they want (maybe not what they need, but that's another discussion). They'll be working hard to make sure both the early adopters and the folks who wait for HD-DVD are happy with their purchases.
That's great and everything, but it only takes ONE time. Cable service (at least everywhere I've lived) goes out on a regular basis. My grandmother, who loves TV, dropped cable entirely because it just wouldn't stay on. It had a particularly nasty habit of going out for several hours at night (while she was asleep, finding out in the morning that the show[s] she tried to record weren't there), a couple days a week. If she was relying on that cable service for her phone and woke up in the middle of the night with chest pains and limited mobility, she would be SOL when she reached for the phone on her nightstand.
On the other hand, I can count the number of times our landline service has gone out over the last five years on ONE hand with a few fingers left over.
VOIP and cell phones may indeed work well enough for a lot of people but it's hard to beat a standard landline for reliability and, as mentioned elsewhere, the fact that phones can work when the power is out is a pretty big trump card. Like most people, we use mostly cordless phones, but there are a couple of phones lying around that requiring no external power just in case we need them.
Hell, from what I read you don't even have to get your ass off the couch and turn the thing on nor put in a game disk if you don't want to. Hit the power up on your remote, load the game from the included HD and go at it.
If you have some reliable info on that, please share it. As far as I know X360 games are NOT going to be installed directly to the hard drive (apart, perhaps, from Final Fantasy XI but I don't even know the details on that one for sure). Being able to install to the hard drive with no subsequent game disc requirement seems, to me at least, to be a license for easy piracy - buy the biggest X360 hard drive available (the HD is a modular component instead of being internal in the 360), load a bunch of games on it, sell the drive now full of games; lather, rinse, repeat...
While the Microsoft hype machine has been making the X360 sound like the best thing since the first Dragon Warrior (loved that game), I haven't heard anything about disc-less gameplay.
There is no doubt in my mind that HDCP (which is supported only via DVI/HDMI) will be a requirement for watching Blu-Ray movies in 720p/1080i. The MPAA wants it, and that will be the end of the discussion - let's not forget that Sony is a MEMBER of the MPAA. Also, keep in mind that HDMI is DVI+audio and HD-DVD players will probably work fine with an HDMI->DVI cable, assuming the monitor's DVI connection is HDCP-compliant.
Maybe. Or it could be that the "big" developers are all in the process of switching their focus to the next set of consoles. Considering the lead time required for a "blockbuster" type of game, they need to be working on their X360, PS3 and Revolution games right now so that they're riding the crest of any potential wave in 2006-2007.
If a title is meant for adults (either by violence, nudity or both), rate it as that. They do nothing for thier credibility when they allow GTA to enter the market with an M rating in spite of it's incredibility violent nature, only to add the AO rating later because 'there was a flash of sex'.
I've seen this point made many times, though I think you did the best job of distilling it to its essence - hence, my reply:
The problem the ESRB has is that they, like the MPAA and any other content rating organization, have to go by the prevailing attitudes of the society of which they are a part. More reasonable people (like you and me) might look at this and say something like, "violence is much worse than sex, and the content here is pretty mild anyway." We might also, correctly, observe that a ridiculous amount of violence seems to affect such ratings less than just a tiny bit of sex. All of that is true and, as I said, reasonable.
However, in our (meaning US) society, sexual content is considered more inappropriate for children than exposure to violence. That's just the fact. This attitude seems silly to me, and others, but it is the environment in which the ESRB has to function. They are, after all, not a mechanism for social change - if anyone in the gaming industry is going to take that up, it should be the game developers creating the content.
I would have more sympathy for Rockstar's position had they simply included the "hot coffee" gameplay and submitted it to the ESRB, saying "This is our game - like it or lump it." That would have been more likely to effect a (necessary?) change in the way game ratings work since the game would be released no matter what its rating (it's too much guaranteed money NOT to release). As it is, Rockstar didn't have the stones to do this and instead made the content available but difficult to access, effectively lying to both the ESRB and the public...and lying rarely leads to positive change.
To sum up:
1. Whatever problems there are with how games are rated, the ESRB isn't at fault - especially in this situation.
2. The folks at Rockstar have shown themselves to be cowards and liars.
3. As a company, I'm beginning to think Rockstar hates the entire gaming industry given how much trouble they're bringing down on it.
I don't think so. I think it has to do with the average Q rating of politicians from 40 to 60. The majority in that demographic don't get enough mass media exposure and want a lot more.
I differentiate between PVRs and DVRs this way (my own personal use, of course): A DVR is any device that uses a hard drive to record broadcast/cable/satellite TV. A PVR is a DVR which can do things like monitor its guide for particular shows, keep track of reruns (and not record a specific program that has already been recorded recently), record shows based on general preferences, etc. So, in my lexicon, TiVo and ReplayTV would be DVRs and PVRs with their enhanced ability to "personalize" the device's general functionality, while something like the DishPVR (which is essentially a VCR that records to a hard drive) would be a DVR but not a PVR.
In general use, of course, the two terms are used interchangeably with most people calling all such devices DVRs.
Mostly because studio execs didn't want to blow what will likely be a relatively meager ad budget trying to market against "Episode III: Maybe Lucas Is Finally Done," "War Of The Remakes," "Non-Horrible Four," etc.
I'd love to have already seen Serenity (thrice if it was as good as the series), but for the sake of the "franchise" (yes, I'm hoping it's good and there are sequels) releasing it in September is probably a good move.
While lack of online play certainly shouldn't be a dealbreaker with this game (as perhaps the author thinks), calling Nintendo to task on their online strategy is more than appropriate. Their lack of online support for the Gamecube - managing only a Dreamcast port and its sequel - was a crying shame. Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart and, yes, Metroid Prime could have made excellent online experiences. Imagine those on Xbox Live and how great they'd work.
Now we have a DS strategy that seems to be simply an extension of the wired linking capabilities available since the original Gameboy. That would be fine except that it shows a limitation of imagination on the part of a company that claims, on virtually a monthly basis, to be the last bastion of videogame creativity.
Should Nintendo delay Metroid Prime until they can give it an online multiplayer component? Probably not. But considering how long they've had both the game and the system in the pipeline - a system with built-in WiFi connectivity - it seems a shame that they're not going to use the full capabilities of the system on a game they felt was so good they included a demo of it as an incentive to purchase the system.
I love the DS, right now primarily for Meteos which is the best new puzzler I've played in ages. Whether a game is online or not will never be a dealbreaker for me. However, it's still frustrating to watch Nintendo continue to fumble the ball when it comes to using the Internet.
Why would Sony want City of Heroes? The DC Comics MMOG has already had its development announced, it's being developed by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), and it's planned for PC/PS3/PSP.
This current deal between Marvel and Microsoft is simply a response to the deal already made between DC and Sony.
Re:And on top of all that
on
EA's Busy Week
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· Score: 1
1. Stock price was not the only topic in the article.
2. "Nerds" tend to enjoy video games.
3. EA is the biggest video game publisher on the planet.
4. Just because you don't like a company, or you don't care what happens to a company, doesn't mean it isn't "news."
Assuming that those $1 DVDs are actually being sold by the companies who hold their copyrights (bullshit), if there WEREN'T this "global price fixing" then those people wouldn't be able to get those DVDs that cheap. The only reason such DVDs MIGHT be "legal" is because there are countries in this world that wouldn't respect a one-week copyright, let alone five, ten or twenty years (our current copyright law is ridiculous, but that's another discussion entirely). It might also be worth noting that despite the increased "globalization" of the economy, most people in the world don't even make half of the US minimum wage. Commodity products are often sold cheaper elsewhere because companies have to choose between a miniscule profit or no market at all.
You characterize my attitude as being that of an 8-year-old. Maybe so. If I have to adopt your anti-business/anti-profit sensibility in order to be considered grown up then it's probably best I remain young.
PS- If you can't laugh at a "fart joke" then you've likely become a humorless crank. NOBODY should get that old.
I just thought I'd chime in with a "hell, yes." I picked Meteos up earlier today for my mom (she's a puzzler addict - ruined the battery in her Tungsten T playing the Popcap lineup) and I played a few games. I'm going to have to chain myself to something for the next couple of weeks just to keep from blowing $180 on my own DS and Meteos. I was planning to hold off until August/September for the big Nintendogs and Advance Wars releases, but I don't think I'm going to be able to make it that long waiting for the ability to spend high-quality/large-quantity time with Meteos.:)
As one of the "typical consumers" who apparently has "no imagination," I've never been adversely affected by copy protection on DVDs. The only people (besides folks who wanted to copy DVDs, particularly for illegal purposes) who ever cared about DVD copy protection were Linux nerds who were pissed that there was no Linux DVD player. While understandable, the fact that this didn't affect the "masses" doesn't make those masses stupid for happily accepting and utilizing the format.
I honestly don't understand the problem people have with this. The content providers want to make their content hard to illegally redistribute and the vast, silent (forgive me, oh Tricky One) majority doesn't care about copying their videos. Sure, it's annoying as hell for people who only have component inputs on their HDTV (as with the one in my living room), but most of the people affected are going to be the early adopters who probably knew this problem was on the horizon just about forever (I've certainly been seeing this discussion since the inception of HDTV in the US) - also, coincidentally, the people who will be most willing to upgrade their sets (if they haven't already) to DVI/HDMI/HDCP compatible. My parents' 57" set (and they're not tech-savvy at all when it comes to home electronics) has a perfectly compatible input and they'll easily enjoy a Toshiba HD-DVD player (because I'll buy them one) right out of the box - they'll adopt the format over time and they'll enjoy it, and it doesn't make them stupid.
In short, continue to look down your nose at the masses who seem to get exactly what they want. If it makes you feel better about yourself, then I guess that attitude is serving at least some purpose...
I'm surprised more Slashdot-types wouldn't actually be excited about the possibility that more non-techie householes would have routers in them. More NAT routers means fewer zombified, virus-spreading PCs...until someone started "pwning" PS3s, of course.
you have to hand it to them though for making a platform that will be impossible to emulate on another machine, simply due to the fact that no one will have the same input devices
I'm in awe of how quick Gamespot is to dismiss the idea of a game, or multiple games, being preinstalled on the Xbox 360. One of Microsoft's big plans is for their Xbox Live Marketplace and the Xbox Live Arcade for more "casual" gaming. I would refer folks over to this article which is one fellow's introduction to a bunch of the 360's Xbox Live capabilities (the article reads somewhat like a fanboyish droolfest but there are some interesting tidbits about the 360 UI). It's specifically mentioned that there will be free games available through the Xbox Live service (checkers is mentioned as an example) and it's not a stretch to think that the initial versions of those games could be pre-installed on the X360 hard drive. We're not talking free Halo 2 here, but dismissing the possibility of any pre-installed games is very premature.
"Mullah" and "moolah" are the same in the UK? The former, in my experience, is a term for an Islamic cleric (particularly favored, I believe, in the Shi'a branch; as opposed to "Imam" for the Sunni). Moolah, though, is indeed slang for money.
I believe the nail is smarting from a shot from a hammer right now.
A couple thoughts:
1. The government would seem to have no standing unless it regulates the sale of videogames based on ESRB ratings. Since every law passed in this vein seems to have been struck down by the federal courts over the past few years, that probably means that the shrieking Mr. Yee has no actual legal recourse besides coming up with a new law (in other words, he can't penalize the ESRB or Rockstar as it stands now).
2. The people who DO have standing, and who would have a case to make, would be retailers. I don't know if the ESRB would be an appropriate, but Take Two/Rockstar would be very valid targets. As above, the ESRB relies on developer submissions to make their ratings, so they're probably off the hook (they're up front on their methodology, if not their specific criteria). A store that didn't want to sell something with potentially AO-rated material, and relied on Take Two/Rockstar honest disclosure of potentially objectionable material to the ESRB, would seem to also have opssible standing to sue the developer/publisher.
3. If this supposedly graphic content was on a closed system like PS2 and/or Xbox, those console makers - the people who license the games and, so far, have refused to license AO content - could have a claim against Take 2/Rockstar for deceiving them as to the full content of the game. In this case, it's a PC game and so is quite unregulated.
Hello, Mr. Pedantic. He mentioned NC-17 in his post, so he (like most people) is probably well aware that it replaced the "official" MPAA X rating. Of course, although unofficial, the X rating is actually still in use by films who would never submit themselves to the MPAA rating in the first place. The majority of adult films do prefer the more "extreme" XXX designation but some producers like the classic elegance of the single X.
Slashdot Mirror
Unless I'm mistaken, the point was that the memory costs too much. And it's true that it costs too much whether you're getting a 1GB card or a 512MB card. Just a quick glance at a bigtime retailer (no links because I'm not here to advertise for companies) shows that you pay a 50% premium over the cost of SD and CF for Sony's proprietary connector. I guess that's fine if one already has a PSP to feed, but for those trying to figure out the economics of buying one in the first place it's a real turn-off.
As folks have already mentioned, it would be easy as pie to do a multi-DVD version for the folks who still have the plain old DVD model and a one-disc HD-DVD version for those with the new tech. And, for those who think there's no precedent, keep in mind that there have already been many console games released with two or more versions (though the multiple versions of console games have so far been on the same media).
I know Microsoft is held in little regard when it comes to their business practices, and rightly so; but consumers line up at their trough because they so often give people what they want (maybe not what they need, but that's another discussion). They'll be working hard to make sure both the early adopters and the folks who wait for HD-DVD are happy with their purchases.
Here: I loved Angel, too. That series was brilliant.
There. I can't WAIT until an AC pounces on me, too!
On the other hand, I can count the number of times our landline service has gone out over the last five years on ONE hand with a few fingers left over.
VOIP and cell phones may indeed work well enough for a lot of people but it's hard to beat a standard landline for reliability and, as mentioned elsewhere, the fact that phones can work when the power is out is a pretty big trump card. Like most people, we use mostly cordless phones, but there are a couple of phones lying around that requiring no external power just in case we need them.
If you have some reliable info on that, please share it. As far as I know X360 games are NOT going to be installed directly to the hard drive (apart, perhaps, from Final Fantasy XI but I don't even know the details on that one for sure). Being able to install to the hard drive with no subsequent game disc requirement seems, to me at least, to be a license for easy piracy - buy the biggest X360 hard drive available (the HD is a modular component instead of being internal in the 360), load a bunch of games on it, sell the drive now full of games; lather, rinse, repeat...
While the Microsoft hype machine has been making the X360 sound like the best thing since the first Dragon Warrior (loved that game), I haven't heard anything about disc-less gameplay.
There is no doubt in my mind that HDCP (which is supported only via DVI/HDMI) will be a requirement for watching Blu-Ray movies in 720p/1080i. The MPAA wants it, and that will be the end of the discussion - let's not forget that Sony is a MEMBER of the MPAA. Also, keep in mind that HDMI is DVI+audio and HD-DVD players will probably work fine with an HDMI->DVI cable, assuming the monitor's DVI connection is HDCP-compliant.
Maybe. Or it could be that the "big" developers are all in the process of switching their focus to the next set of consoles. Considering the lead time required for a "blockbuster" type of game, they need to be working on their X360, PS3 and Revolution games right now so that they're riding the crest of any potential wave in 2006-2007.
Coincidentally, I strongly advocate not letting anyone drive a car until they're 18.
I've seen this point made many times, though I think you did the best job of distilling it to its essence - hence, my reply:
The problem the ESRB has is that they, like the MPAA and any other content rating organization, have to go by the prevailing attitudes of the society of which they are a part. More reasonable people (like you and me) might look at this and say something like, "violence is much worse than sex, and the content here is pretty mild anyway." We might also, correctly, observe that a ridiculous amount of violence seems to affect such ratings less than just a tiny bit of sex. All of that is true and, as I said, reasonable.
However, in our (meaning US) society, sexual content is considered more inappropriate for children than exposure to violence. That's just the fact. This attitude seems silly to me, and others, but it is the environment in which the ESRB has to function. They are, after all, not a mechanism for social change - if anyone in the gaming industry is going to take that up, it should be the game developers creating the content.
I would have more sympathy for Rockstar's position had they simply included the "hot coffee" gameplay and submitted it to the ESRB, saying "This is our game - like it or lump it." That would have been more likely to effect a (necessary?) change in the way game ratings work since the game would be released no matter what its rating (it's too much guaranteed money NOT to release). As it is, Rockstar didn't have the stones to do this and instead made the content available but difficult to access, effectively lying to both the ESRB and the public...and lying rarely leads to positive change.
To sum up:
1. Whatever problems there are with how games are rated, the ESRB isn't at fault - especially in this situation.
2. The folks at Rockstar have shown themselves to be cowards and liars.
3. As a company, I'm beginning to think Rockstar hates the entire gaming industry given how much trouble they're bringing down on it.
I don't think so. I think it has to do with the average Q rating of politicians from 40 to 60. The majority in that demographic don't get enough mass media exposure and want a lot more.
In general use, of course, the two terms are used interchangeably with most people calling all such devices DVRs.
I'd love to have already seen Serenity (thrice if it was as good as the series), but for the sake of the "franchise" (yes, I'm hoping it's good and there are sequels) releasing it in September is probably a good move.
Now we have a DS strategy that seems to be simply an extension of the wired linking capabilities available since the original Gameboy. That would be fine except that it shows a limitation of imagination on the part of a company that claims, on virtually a monthly basis, to be the last bastion of videogame creativity.
Should Nintendo delay Metroid Prime until they can give it an online multiplayer component? Probably not. But considering how long they've had both the game and the system in the pipeline - a system with built-in WiFi connectivity - it seems a shame that they're not going to use the full capabilities of the system on a game they felt was so good they included a demo of it as an incentive to purchase the system.
I love the DS, right now primarily for Meteos which is the best new puzzler I've played in ages. Whether a game is online or not will never be a dealbreaker for me. However, it's still frustrating to watch Nintendo continue to fumble the ball when it comes to using the Internet.
This current deal between Marvel and Microsoft is simply a response to the deal already made between DC and Sony.
1. Stock price was not the only topic in the article.
2. "Nerds" tend to enjoy video games.
3. EA is the biggest video game publisher on the planet.
4. Just because you don't like a company, or you don't care what happens to a company, doesn't mean it isn't "news."
You characterize my attitude as being that of an 8-year-old. Maybe so. If I have to adopt your anti-business/anti-profit sensibility in order to be considered grown up then it's probably best I remain young.
PS- If you can't laugh at a "fart joke" then you've likely become a humorless crank. NOBODY should get that old.
I just thought I'd chime in with a "hell, yes." I picked Meteos up earlier today for my mom (she's a puzzler addict - ruined the battery in her Tungsten T playing the Popcap lineup) and I played a few games. I'm going to have to chain myself to something for the next couple of weeks just to keep from blowing $180 on my own DS and Meteos. I was planning to hold off until August/September for the big Nintendogs and Advance Wars releases, but I don't think I'm going to be able to make it that long waiting for the ability to spend high-quality/large-quantity time with Meteos. :)
I honestly don't understand the problem people have with this. The content providers want to make their content hard to illegally redistribute and the vast, silent (forgive me, oh Tricky One) majority doesn't care about copying their videos. Sure, it's annoying as hell for people who only have component inputs on their HDTV (as with the one in my living room), but most of the people affected are going to be the early adopters who probably knew this problem was on the horizon just about forever (I've certainly been seeing this discussion since the inception of HDTV in the US) - also, coincidentally, the people who will be most willing to upgrade their sets (if they haven't already) to DVI/HDMI/HDCP compatible. My parents' 57" set (and they're not tech-savvy at all when it comes to home electronics) has a perfectly compatible input and they'll easily enjoy a Toshiba HD-DVD player (because I'll buy them one) right out of the box - they'll adopt the format over time and they'll enjoy it, and it doesn't make them stupid.
In short, continue to look down your nose at the masses who seem to get exactly what they want. If it makes you feel better about yourself, then I guess that attitude is serving at least some purpose...
I'm surprised more Slashdot-types wouldn't actually be excited about the possibility that more non-techie householes would have routers in them. More NAT routers means fewer zombified, virus-spreading PCs...until someone started "pwning" PS3s, of course.
Maybe if more people start buying tablet PCs? :)
I'm in awe of how quick Gamespot is to dismiss the idea of a game, or multiple games, being preinstalled on the Xbox 360. One of Microsoft's big plans is for their Xbox Live Marketplace and the Xbox Live Arcade for more "casual" gaming. I would refer folks over to this article which is one fellow's introduction to a bunch of the 360's Xbox Live capabilities (the article reads somewhat like a fanboyish droolfest but there are some interesting tidbits about the 360 UI). It's specifically mentioned that there will be free games available through the Xbox Live service (checkers is mentioned as an example) and it's not a stretch to think that the initial versions of those games could be pre-installed on the X360 hard drive. We're not talking free Halo 2 here, but dismissing the possibility of any pre-installed games is very premature.
"Mullah" and "moolah" are the same in the UK? The former, in my experience, is a term for an Islamic cleric (particularly favored, I believe, in the Shi'a branch; as opposed to "Imam" for the Sunni). Moolah, though, is indeed slang for money.
I'll also pat myself on the back for having the foresight to mod my previous post down to 1. :)
A couple thoughts:
1. The government would seem to have no standing unless it regulates the sale of videogames based on ESRB ratings. Since every law passed in this vein seems to have been struck down by the federal courts over the past few years, that probably means that the shrieking Mr. Yee has no actual legal recourse besides coming up with a new law (in other words, he can't penalize the ESRB or Rockstar as it stands now).
2. The people who DO have standing, and who would have a case to make, would be retailers. I don't know if the ESRB would be an appropriate, but Take Two/Rockstar would be very valid targets. As above, the ESRB relies on developer submissions to make their ratings, so they're probably off the hook (they're up front on their methodology, if not their specific criteria). A store that didn't want to sell something with potentially AO-rated material, and relied on Take Two/Rockstar honest disclosure of potentially objectionable material to the ESRB, would seem to also have opssible standing to sue the developer/publisher.
3. If this supposedly graphic content was on a closed system like PS2 and/or Xbox, those console makers - the people who license the games and, so far, have refused to license AO content - could have a claim against Take 2/Rockstar for deceiving them as to the full content of the game. In this case, it's a PC game and so is quite unregulated.
Standard IANAL disclosure.
Hello, Mr. Pedantic. He mentioned NC-17 in his post, so he (like most people) is probably well aware that it replaced the "official" MPAA X rating. Of course, although unofficial, the X rating is actually still in use by films who would never submit themselves to the MPAA rating in the first place. The majority of adult films do prefer the more "extreme" XXX designation but some producers like the classic elegance of the single X.