People don't really read and watch TV at the same time. That's a falsehood. They're either reading with the TV on in the background with the latter getting next to no attention or watching TV with a book open. The idea that people can somehow get full comprehension of both media at the same time (which is what you imply) is ridiculous.
Sony's own marketing plan takes the PSX out of their gaming division and puts it into the consumer electronics area where it will inevitably be a weird niche product. Even if there's another year before the PS3 (I expect that device to hit Japan in spring of 2006 and the US during the holiday season), it's still not a reasonable alternative to buying a PS2 given the monstrous price gap.
This device is not intended to compete with any console - it can't. It's more like Sony trying to get their foot back in the PVR door after their relationship with TiVo ended.
300 hours isn't too much at all if you like the shows you're recording. It's not a big issue for folks who are internet-savvy with the availability of file-sharing software, but for others who want to save shows for long periods of time (it's particularly handy for kids - my parents use the DishNetwork PVR to save a lot of shows for the grandkids, particularly shows not available on VHS or DVD).
On the price issue, I'm right there with you. Considering I could score a dual-tuner HDTV (both OTA and satellite) PVR for $999, it's not a good deal, and as you point out much better deals can be hand at the cheap end. I will note, though, that the prices you gave for TiVo didn't include the price of monthly or lifetime subs, so it's not QUITE as disproportionate as you make it out.
The dick is you. "FragBastard" could be stored in the database with the unique ID "10034932" while "Frag_Bastard" would be "10034032." The two players would still be seen with their names while the software would recognize them by either the name or the number. THAT is what grandparent is talking about. Dick.
Frankly, he had better script material to work with and more time in which to play the part. That's not to denigrate Mark Hamill's voice skills (which I think are actually better than his "real-life" acting skills) but that series of cartoons was one of the finest produced all around - writing, acting, direction, art, etc. - especially in the superhero genre.
btw, the outfit spidey wears when fighting the wrestler for the money, is a white sweatshirt, bluejeans, brown shoes, and what appears to be fishnet stockings over his head.
Fishnet stockings? That would put a whole different spin on why Mr. Parker was a social outcast.
That one made me laugh, too, though not because it was nitpicky but because it was based on the premise that Otto was in his right mind. It was made very clear that the interface with the arms screwed with his head. Flavin!
It's not to give police officers something to do, it's to generate income. A ticket (especially since a large percentage are paid by mail with a guilty plea) is money in the bank. One officer in a radio car could generate hundreds of dollars per shift (with a "good" speed trap, per hour) writing tickets for traffic infractions. A burglary investigation, however, does nothing but cost money - in fact, it's made even worse if they actually catch the person since they then have court time, probation time and maybe prison time to pay for.
Since most people know that burglaries are almost never solved (apart from catching the person either in the act, or fleeing the scene), the public understands why so few resources are dedicated to the crime. This sets up a nice little circle for the city/county in terms of money since the funds can be spent elsewhere and the public doesn't raise hell about it.
All it means when people on Slashdot (all over, but especially the games section) aren't complaining about one thing is that they're busy complaining about something else. The most recent common target seems to have been the next iteration of Xbox which apparently completely sucks despite the fact that nobody outside the House That Evil Built in Redmond (and selected co-conspirators like ATI) knows anything concrete about it.
Of course, that doesn't stop the first post right off the top in this topic from being someone who declares SWG disappointing and has already decided that the not-yet-released expansion is only adding what should have been in the original game (I don't even know what that means unless it said on the original game boxes that there was space dogfighting, etc.) and thus may fail at attracting new subscribers.
Indicative of the miserable attitude generally present on Slashdot - the first post should have been something like "Shout out to all the one-year-old Wookies in the house!" or something equally festive. Instead, it's a whine with no cheese but some odd logic.
PS - SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE ONE-YEAR-OLD WOOKIES IN THE HOUSE!:)
On the whole, you're probably right. But I'd certainly give more of a damn about someone getting treated shabbily who is going to have to work their ass off to support themselves and their family than I would about some high-level executive who gets their fall cushioned by 10 million dollar bills.:)
No, "money isn't everything." But an article that at its roots is all about a guy being upset about the devaluation of his stock options is indeed all about money. What else could he possibly have wanted from his former employers? A royalty on every DVD (haha)? His name appended to the credits of every DVD movie, pointing out his invaluable contribution to the process? A pony?
The bottom line is that the guy did a good job; he presumably received a (probably significant - TW Home Video is/was not a small division) salary; they gave him (likely in good faith - companies usually don't want to lose value any more than their investors do) a HUGE stock option bonus that, unfortunately, suffered from both the burst of the now-infamous bubble and a problematic integration of two seemingly incompatible companies; and he received 10 million bucks at his termination.
This whole thing is entirely about a guy who believed he deserved more money and is now going to whine (and perhaps even go to court) about it.
Amen. If this guy got a $10 million severance, it's a sure bet that he was making a shit-ton of money from his salary (you know, what people pay their employees for their services?). And, poor him, his $135 million worth of stock options lost most of their value. Gosh, where do I donate to the fund to keep him and his family off the street? This is like pitying some poor executive who has to sell four out of his five houses because "times are tough."
Tell me a story about a guy making 50 grand a year who gets fired after demonstrably improving his company and I'll feel something. In this case, all I can think to say is this: "Congratulations on realizing the American dream and then whining about it."
PS- I would note that I was pretty early into the DVD scene and was a big fan of Time Warner for jumping headlong into the format giving me quite a bit of content, and many times more than other studios at the same time. So I'll offer my thanks to Mr. Lieberfarb for being instrumental in that process, and will also offer the hope that the door doesn't hit him in the ass on the way out and break the shell of his huge nest egg.
"Vaporware" is not a synonym for unreleased software, even if release dates are pushed back. The term "vaporware" is meant to denote software that is not currently in development but has been announced as upcoming. Final Fantasy XII, for example, is an upcoming game. If Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XVII with no intention of starting development on it anytime soon, it would be vaporware.
Getting into actual usage, it's even more specifically used to castigate unfair practices by big companies where they announce they are going to release software or features - again, which they do not have actual plans to develop - in an effort to freeze out smaller companies' actual products. An example of this would be if Sony Online Entertainment (the Everquest people) announced (in a lie) the development of a superhero MMORPG in an effort to cause people to have second thoughts about buying and playing City of Heroes.
Yes, I know that there are better real examples in the application space, but hypotheticals allow me my laziness.:)
Not only do we like toys, but we like videogames (possibly could be considered toy but really another category). My company gave me a $50 Amazon gift certificate, and I picked up a couple GBA games through the Amazon/Toys'R'Us connection.
Of course, since that's the only time I've ordered from Amazon, I don't really have a dog in this hunt. I will therefore root for chaos!
Making Civilization 4 an RTS would be akin to making Thief 4 a run'n'gun. I'd boycott Firaxis permanently on general principles...assuming I already had the new Pirates! of course.:)
Not only does it give wars purpose, but it gives diplomacy a purpose other than starting/ending wars. Trying to figure out what you can trade with another Civilization (usually removed from your own - close neighbors typically don't want to strengthen you) for that extra coal they've got sitting around, then building railroads and factories as quickly as possible, can be really fun - my personal favorite is trading for rubber to build infantry units and then repelling an attack from the very civilization that provided me the resource. Those kinds of scenarios made the game for me.
I found it amusing, though I would note that usually Troy would mention credits in the same format as he was talking about. Like, "You might remember me from such video games as '32nd Guest' and 'Occupant Neutral.'" Of course, IANACW.:)
Links 2004 for Xbox has a good approach to the issue. If your name matches one that they have prerecorded (the more common English names, including my own), you can have the announcers use your name in their commentary (they also have a bucket of nicknames like "Slice," "Ace," etc.). The bad side is that at times the names are obviously out of place in terms of tone when compared to the rest of what the announcers are saying. But it's still a nice step above just using "he," "she," etc.
Seconded. The comic will live or die based on how it's received, but the fact that Marvel is doing this doesn't dilute the original Spider-Man's value as a character. If you want to talk about true cannibalization of characters, you don't need to look outside this country to find Marvel doing that: The Ultimate line of comics (some of which I must say that I enjoy - especially Ultimate Spider-Man) is dedicated to "re-imagining" the classic MU in a more modern style, changing plenty along the way.
Bottom line is this: If you have an international corporation (and Marvel has been international a LONG time) and you ignore the huge consumer market in India you're throwing away the opportunity for nice profits - and just tossing translations across borders is as good as ignoring international consumers.
Let's regress a little here and think of it in terms of women. Looking at a 1 would probably make you scream, while a 2 would make you a vomit a little in your mouth - chances are you'd pass out trying to drink enough to pick them up at closing time. A 3, on the other hand, might just look like a 5 after enough shooters.
Of course, I have no idea how that relates to video games.
Slashdot Mirror
People don't really read and watch TV at the same time. That's a falsehood. They're either reading with the TV on in the background with the latter getting next to no attention or watching TV with a book open. The idea that people can somehow get full comprehension of both media at the same time (which is what you imply) is ridiculous.
This device is not intended to compete with any console - it can't. It's more like Sony trying to get their foot back in the PVR door after their relationship with TiVo ended.
On the price issue, I'm right there with you. Considering I could score a dual-tuner HDTV (both OTA and satellite) PVR for $999, it's not a good deal, and as you point out much better deals can be hand at the cheap end. I will note, though, that the prices you gave for TiVo didn't include the price of monthly or lifetime subs, so it's not QUITE as disproportionate as you make it out.
9. The Search for McCormick
10. The Search for Little Picard.
The dick is you. "FragBastard" could be stored in the database with the unique ID "10034932" while "Frag_Bastard" would be "10034032." The two players would still be seen with their names while the software would recognize them by either the name or the number. THAT is what grandparent is talking about. Dick.
If you're going to rush out a first post then at least use a more entertaining Mad Lib.
Frankly, he had better script material to work with and more time in which to play the part. That's not to denigrate Mark Hamill's voice skills (which I think are actually better than his "real-life" acting skills) but that series of cartoons was one of the finest produced all around - writing, acting, direction, art, etc. - especially in the superhero genre.
The best-ever (or, at least, best-performed) superhero movie villain was crazy, too: Nicholson's Joker. Why break from what works?
Fishnet stockings? That would put a whole different spin on why Mr. Parker was a social outcast.
That one made me laugh, too, though not because it was nitpicky but because it was based on the premise that Otto was in his right mind. It was made very clear that the interface with the arms screwed with his head. Flavin!
Since most people know that burglaries are almost never solved (apart from catching the person either in the act, or fleeing the scene), the public understands why so few resources are dedicated to the crime. This sets up a nice little circle for the city/county in terms of money since the funds can be spent elsewhere and the public doesn't raise hell about it.
Um, there have been many CD (and even MP3 CD) players carrying the Walkman brand. The name has been in constant use by Sony since its introduction.
Of course, that doesn't stop the first post right off the top in this topic from being someone who declares SWG disappointing and has already decided that the not-yet-released expansion is only adding what should have been in the original game (I don't even know what that means unless it said on the original game boxes that there was space dogfighting, etc.) and thus may fail at attracting new subscribers.
Indicative of the miserable attitude generally present on Slashdot - the first post should have been something like "Shout out to all the one-year-old Wookies in the house!" or something equally festive. Instead, it's a whine with no cheese but some odd logic.
PS - SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE ONE-YEAR-OLD WOOKIES IN THE HOUSE! :)
How are they paying you Australians? In pesos?
On the whole, you're probably right. But I'd certainly give more of a damn about someone getting treated shabbily who is going to have to work their ass off to support themselves and their family than I would about some high-level executive who gets their fall cushioned by 10 million dollar bills. :)
The bottom line is that the guy did a good job; he presumably received a (probably significant - TW Home Video is/was not a small division) salary; they gave him (likely in good faith - companies usually don't want to lose value any more than their investors do) a HUGE stock option bonus that, unfortunately, suffered from both the burst of the now-infamous bubble and a problematic integration of two seemingly incompatible companies; and he received 10 million bucks at his termination.
This whole thing is entirely about a guy who believed he deserved more money and is now going to whine (and perhaps even go to court) about it.
Tell me a story about a guy making 50 grand a year who gets fired after demonstrably improving his company and I'll feel something. In this case, all I can think to say is this: "Congratulations on realizing the American dream and then whining about it."
PS- I would note that I was pretty early into the DVD scene and was a big fan of Time Warner for jumping headlong into the format giving me quite a bit of content, and many times more than other studios at the same time. So I'll offer my thanks to Mr. Lieberfarb for being instrumental in that process, and will also offer the hope that the door doesn't hit him in the ass on the way out and break the shell of his huge nest egg.
Getting into actual usage, it's even more specifically used to castigate unfair practices by big companies where they announce they are going to release software or features - again, which they do not have actual plans to develop - in an effort to freeze out smaller companies' actual products. An example of this would be if Sony Online Entertainment (the Everquest people) announced (in a lie) the development of a superhero MMORPG in an effort to cause people to have second thoughts about buying and playing City of Heroes.
Yes, I know that there are better real examples in the application space, but hypotheticals allow me my laziness. :)
Of course, since that's the only time I've ordered from Amazon, I don't really have a dog in this hunt. I will therefore root for chaos!
Making Civilization 4 an RTS would be akin to making Thief 4 a run'n'gun. I'd boycott Firaxis permanently on general principles...assuming I already had the new Pirates! of course. :)
Not only does it give wars purpose, but it gives diplomacy a purpose other than starting/ending wars. Trying to figure out what you can trade with another Civilization (usually removed from your own - close neighbors typically don't want to strengthen you) for that extra coal they've got sitting around, then building railroads and factories as quickly as possible, can be really fun - my personal favorite is trading for rubber to build infantry units and then repelling an attack from the very civilization that provided me the resource. Those kinds of scenarios made the game for me.
I found it amusing, though I would note that usually Troy would mention credits in the same format as he was talking about. Like, "You might remember me from such video games as '32nd Guest' and 'Occupant Neutral.'" Of course, IANACW. :)
Links 2004 for Xbox has a good approach to the issue. If your name matches one that they have prerecorded (the more common English names, including my own), you can have the announcers use your name in their commentary (they also have a bucket of nicknames like "Slice," "Ace," etc.). The bad side is that at times the names are obviously out of place in terms of tone when compared to the rest of what the announcers are saying. But it's still a nice step above just using "he," "she," etc.
Bottom line is this: If you have an international corporation (and Marvel has been international a LONG time) and you ignore the huge consumer market in India you're throwing away the opportunity for nice profits - and just tossing translations across borders is as good as ignoring international consumers.
Of course, I have no idea how that relates to video games.