I really liked playing Star Wars: Battlefront I & II and Destroy All Humans! I & II, and this news is like a poke in the eye. I can't recall an EA game that I enjoyed playing since...oh...Nightfire, which was released 5 years ago now. In fact, I thought that all EA released now was Sims expansion packs and sport games. I also dislike the way they're reputed to treat their employees.
At the end of the day, it's the way of business....the small ones either grow or get consumed by a larger company. With the cost of developing games getting so high, there's not too much that can happen with that. Unfortunately, that means that game studios start resembling movie studios - with huge $$ being invested, they're less likely to go with something original and more likely to develop sequels or copies. The smaller companies may release interesting games, but they're not as likely to be a success. A shame.
someone might play the game a second time and has no need of seeing the cut scene again?
Absolutely. Something I really dug about God of War (apart from the lack of loading times) was that I could skip the cutscenes with the press of a button. Now, I like God of War II even more, but putting it in to play a second time, I find that they won't let me skip them. Granted, the story is compelling so it's not a big deal, but if you die and repeat the scene ad nauseum without being able to jump past it, it gets grating.
I'm honestly not sure about that, I do know that one of the things a lot of casual gamers (who were usually unwashed;) liked about their PS2s was that it would play their old PS1 games. Therefore, if regular Joes go out and get a PS3 and then find that they can't play GTA3 or GoW, they would get pissed and probably tell other people. Anecdote, yes, but not necessarily wrong...
If Sony cut BC and hadn't touted it at launch, it wouldn't be such a big deal. But they did trumpet BC, and people do notice things like that, especially when there's several thousand PS2 games on the market.
The biggest thing that Allofmp3 got right is their business model (not the legally questionable royalties part, but the delivery). Letting your customers choose what format they buy in, what quality, no DRM...and at a low price. If the labels adopted a format like this, they would probably see a dip in profits, but more than likely would ensure their survival for years to come. It's called 'serving your customers'.
But it'll never happen, so hey, TPB will thrive in its place;)
I think that the judge might get a bit testy if every question had to go through a PR committee and then the answer given to the court via a press release:)
My faith (Christianity) teaches me to love everyone, regardless of their economic status, race, or faith. Because I am completely ignorant as to how someone could regard such teachings as "sad," please educate me.
May I ask why you need a religion to make you hold that value? Does that mean if you weren't a Christian, you would be a bigot etc?
I'm not trying to criticise or belittle here, I've just never understood the rationale that religions are the sole owners of morality.
One of the more intelligent things I've seen pertaining to this....and it's not hard to understand either.
You buy an iPhone, you can do what you want with it. Apple might not like it and maybe has T&Cs forbidding it, but for all intents and purposes, if you want to unlock it, you can. This software update is optional, and by now everyone with an unlocked phone knows that if they want to keep it that way they shouldn't install the update. Those who have are a little screwed, but a workaround will be developed shortly, so they'll get their phones back.
If Apple had released the firmware as a 'stealth update' a la MS - uploading it to your iPhone when you got your email, for example - then yes, the cries of "Evil!" would be justified. But they didn't. Don't download it if your phone is unlocked. End of story.
They are kinda protected...so long as you aren't infringing copyright. I don't think the law would distinguish between backing up your own discs and playing downloaded/copied ones. As a result, modchips allowing you to play burnt discs are not legal in Australia.
It's been a bit this way, that way for modchips in Oz. A couple of years ago it was legal to have a modded console, but not to sell the chips...prior to that, legal to mod someone's console, but not to advertise the service. Interesting, if annoying if your console is still unmodded...
Whether you're pro or anti-piracy, you have to admit...those TPB boys have balls:)
Saying that, a bit of poking around indicates the US has an extradition treaty with Sweden. Hopefully their government will have balls as well when the IP merchants finally bribe the government to take the kid gloves off...
Touche. However, most of the people on Slashdot would already know this stuff, seeing as we tend to be doing this stuff long before it gets reported in computer magazines. Hence, posting the stories here is somewhat obvious, akin to telling a stab victim that he might die if he doesn't get medical attention:)
At what point will people stop reporting that "more people are doing X and Y on the internet"? Yes, lots of people do things on the internet. It will grow as more people get online and connections get faster. It isn't really very interesting.
Looking at websites? Check. Downloading music? Check. Social networks online? Check. Watching videos? Check.
Can we just presume that more people are doing whatever next comes along, and not keep reporting on it?
Indeed, they should listen to the Patrician and realise that instead of fighting, they should accept a smaller slice but enlarge the pie. There would be lots of $$ to be made if they looked to the future rather than the past.
Agreed. The employees nowadays tend to have very little idea about anything except the moneymaking blockbusters. Case in point - I went to EB last week and saw they were starting to hype Hellgate: London. I saw it had EA's logo down the bottom, which surprised me as I thought it was being done by Blizzard (before anyone jumps in to correct me, I'm aware of who's doing it [now] and how Blizzard is Associated). The employee's response? "Um...I don't really know anything about Hellgate....or Blizzard..."
Headdesk. Ironically enough, given the proportions of the market, I've found it's almost invariably the female employees who actually know their games.
Impersonating a lawyer is bad enough, but going so far as to impersonate an intellectual property lawyer? The man clearly has no shame. Society must be protected from people as depraved as him.
Yeah, God of War 3 is the one thing that might push me to a PS3....I suppose I should count myself lucky that GoW 2 was released on the PS2, which can be bought for sofa change nowadays.
For what it's worth, the White Album was released as a regular CD and as a limited edition version, which basically replicated the original vinyl, complete with poster/insert and so on. I'm not sure if it would justify the price increase, but it's a fairly common practice. Likewise, I'm not sure if that's the White Album that the GP was referring to.
Us poor pirates can't win, can we? We get blamed when they put the price up and blamed when they bring the price down!
I also seem to recall that when LJ did their first lot of journal-cuts and it was posted on/. that many people pointed out (with glee) that the Warriors for Innocence webpage attempts to install spyware and other dirty tricks. Why should anyone, LJ included, pay attention to what they have to say? That's like accepting the help of a rapist to catch drug dealers...the intention may be good, but you get dirty doing it.
IIRC, the hidden content was completely hidden and abandoned early in production. It was left in the game data as apparently is often the case (example - Diablo) and needed third party hacks to access. Therefore, it's a bit unfair to blame them for having "hidden" content.
However, they certainly lost a lot of credibility by lying about the content being there...mind you, I'd put money on the fact that the denying was done by an exec who hadn't bothered to ask the programmers if it was true or not...
Personally, I would view him more as a modern day pamphleteer, who makes visual essays, rather than a documentary maker. He has his argument and seeks to make a film to support it. Whether you view it as gospel or not would depend entirely upon your own personal viewpoint, but he's not remotely a documentary maker the way David Attenborough is.
Not in every case. Psychonauts was an excellent game which got amazing reviews & hype from game magazines & websites, but then sold fairly poorly. Good games sometimes go nowhere, no matter where they're sold.
Slashdot Mirror
I really liked playing Star Wars: Battlefront I & II and Destroy All Humans! I & II, and this news is like a poke in the eye. I can't recall an EA game that I enjoyed playing since...oh...Nightfire, which was released 5 years ago now. In fact, I thought that all EA released now was Sims expansion packs and sport games. I also dislike the way they're reputed to treat their employees.
At the end of the day, it's the way of business....the small ones either grow or get consumed by a larger company. With the cost of developing games getting so high, there's not too much that can happen with that. Unfortunately, that means that game studios start resembling movie studios - with huge $$ being invested, they're less likely to go with something original and more likely to develop sequels or copies. The smaller companies may release interesting games, but they're not as likely to be a success. A shame.
I call paranoia. With a strong economy, a military isn't really needed. They can rule you wholesale instead.
Let others boast of martial dash
For we have boldly fought with cash
Absolutely. Something I really dug about God of War (apart from the lack of loading times) was that I could skip the cutscenes with the press of a button. Now, I like God of War II even more, but putting it in to play a second time, I find that they won't let me skip them. Granted, the story is compelling so it's not a big deal, but if you die and repeat the scene ad nauseum without being able to jump past it, it gets grating.
At least it wasn't designed by EA
I'm honestly not sure about that, I do know that one of the things a lot of casual gamers (who were usually unwashed ;) liked about their PS2s was that it would play their old PS1 games. Therefore, if regular Joes go out and get a PS3 and then find that they can't play GTA3 or GoW, they would get pissed and probably tell other people. Anecdote, yes, but not necessarily wrong...
If Sony cut BC and hadn't touted it at launch, it wouldn't be such a big deal. But they did trumpet BC, and people do notice things like that, especially when there's several thousand PS2 games on the market.
I would be surprised if the artists collected anything from a lawsuit like this, except maybe a tarnished reputation.
The biggest thing that Allofmp3 got right is their business model (not the legally questionable royalties part, but the delivery). Letting your customers choose what format they buy in, what quality, no DRM...and at a low price. If the labels adopted a format like this, they would probably see a dip in profits, but more than likely would ensure their survival for years to come. It's called 'serving your customers'.
;)
But it'll never happen, so hey, TPB will thrive in its place
I think that the judge might get a bit testy if every question had to go through a PR committee and then the answer given to the court via a press release :)
May I ask why you need a religion to make you hold that value? Does that mean if you weren't a Christian, you would be a bigot etc?
I'm not trying to criticise or belittle here, I've just never understood the rationale that religions are the sole owners of morality.
One of the more intelligent things I've seen pertaining to this....and it's not hard to understand either.
You buy an iPhone, you can do what you want with it. Apple might not like it and maybe has T&Cs forbidding it, but for all intents and purposes, if you want to unlock it, you can. This software update is optional, and by now everyone with an unlocked phone knows that if they want to keep it that way they shouldn't install the update. Those who have are a little screwed, but a workaround will be developed shortly, so they'll get their phones back.
If Apple had released the firmware as a 'stealth update' a la MS - uploading it to your iPhone when you got your email, for example - then yes, the cries of "Evil!" would be justified. But they didn't. Don't download it if your phone is unlocked. End of story.
They are kinda protected...so long as you aren't infringing copyright. I don't think the law would distinguish between backing up your own discs and playing downloaded/copied ones. As a result, modchips allowing you to play burnt discs are not legal in Australia.
It's been a bit this way, that way for modchips in Oz. A couple of years ago it was legal to have a modded console, but not to sell the chips...prior to that, legal to mod someone's console, but not to advertise the service. Interesting, if annoying if your console is still unmodded...
Whether you're pro or anti-piracy, you have to admit...those TPB boys have balls :)
Saying that, a bit of poking around indicates the US has an extradition treaty with Sweden. Hopefully their government will have balls as well when the IP merchants finally bribe the government to take the kid gloves off...
I don't know, is it possible to have negative amounts of sex?
Touche. However, most of the people on Slashdot would already know this stuff, seeing as we tend to be doing this stuff long before it gets reported in computer magazines. Hence, posting the stories here is somewhat obvious, akin to telling a stab victim that he might die if he doesn't get medical attention :)
At what point will people stop reporting that "more people are doing X and Y on the internet"? Yes, lots of people do things on the internet. It will grow as more people get online and connections get faster. It isn't really very interesting.
Looking at websites? Check.
Downloading music? Check.
Social networks online? Check.
Watching videos? Check.
Can we just presume that more people are doing whatever next comes along, and not keep reporting on it?
Indeed, they should listen to the Patrician and realise that instead of fighting, they should accept a smaller slice but enlarge the pie. There would be lots of $$ to be made if they looked to the future rather than the past.
Agreed. The employees nowadays tend to have very little idea about anything except the moneymaking blockbusters. Case in point - I went to EB last week and saw they were starting to hype Hellgate: London . I saw it had EA's logo down the bottom, which surprised me as I thought it was being done by Blizzard (before anyone jumps in to correct me, I'm aware of who's doing it [now] and how Blizzard is Associated). The employee's response? "Um...I don't really know anything about Hellgate....or Blizzard..."
Headdesk. Ironically enough, given the proportions of the market, I've found it's almost invariably the female employees who actually know their games.
Impersonating a lawyer is bad enough, but going so far as to impersonate an intellectual property lawyer? The man clearly has no shame. Society must be protected from people as depraved as him.
Yeah, God of War 3 is the one thing that might push me to a PS3....I suppose I should count myself lucky that GoW 2 was released on the PS2, which can be bought for sofa change nowadays.
That should be easy to get around, just drink a helluva lot of Jolt & coffee, then play a very cautious strategy...
For what it's worth, the White Album was released as a regular CD and as a limited edition version, which basically replicated the original vinyl, complete with poster/insert and so on. I'm not sure if it would justify the price increase, but it's a fairly common practice. Likewise, I'm not sure if that's the White Album that the GP was referring to.
Us poor pirates can't win, can we? We get blamed when they put the price up and blamed when they bring the price down!
If only we could get Police Chief Dick Heitschmidt to say that as well
I also seem to recall that when LJ did their first lot of journal-cuts and it was posted on /. that many people pointed out (with glee) that the Warriors for Innocence webpage attempts to install spyware and other dirty tricks. Why should anyone, LJ included, pay attention to what they have to say? That's like accepting the help of a rapist to catch drug dealers...the intention may be good, but you get dirty doing it.
IIRC, the hidden content was completely hidden and abandoned early in production. It was left in the game data as apparently is often the case (example - Diablo) and needed third party hacks to access. Therefore, it's a bit unfair to blame them for having "hidden" content.
However, they certainly lost a lot of credibility by lying about the content being there...mind you, I'd put money on the fact that the denying was done by an exec who hadn't bothered to ask the programmers if it was true or not...
Personally, I would view him more as a modern day pamphleteer, who makes visual essays, rather than a documentary maker. He has his argument and seeks to make a film to support it. Whether you view it as gospel or not would depend entirely upon your own personal viewpoint, but he's not remotely a documentary maker the way David Attenborough is.
Not in every case. Psychonauts was an excellent game which got amazing reviews & hype from game magazines & websites, but then sold fairly poorly. Good games sometimes go nowhere, no matter where they're sold.