Call me crazy, but the most important thing about a game console is playing games on it. The 360 launched early and built up a very solid catalog of games by the time PS3 and the Wii launched. If you are a hardcore gamer who buys 5+ games a year, the 360 is the only viable option right now (other than PC of course). Sure, the Wii is nice, but I have an HDTV, and I like western style games (FPSs, cRPGs, etc.), and the Wii and PS3 do not have that now or this Holiday season (but if I had kids I would definitely buy a Wii). The 360 has the best games now, and will have the best games for this Holiday season.
No where in that incoherent babble of a comment did I see anything relating to logic or common sense. They sell you a console, and then sell you games for it. They also sell you a subscription to play on a closed online network which offers both free and paid content. What the hell is wrong with this? When the consoles break they extend everyone's warranty and fix everything for free. How is that evil?
Even if Bill Gates bought and sold virgins on the black market Sony would still be 1000000x more evil than MS just because of Sony BMG. And the reason why MS is kicking the snot out of Sony is not because of a "monopoly", it is because Sony arrogantly was not willing to pay for 3rd party exclusives, while MS was.
1. Exhibit A: Public Schools
As an undergraduate, all of my friends who could not hack it in Engineering school became either Education or Business majors. Although I would love to teach, I just cannot afford the huge pay cut. If you are wealthy in this country, you send your kids to private school unless you happen to live in a very swanky area where the teachers happen to be paid well above the state average. And in my city, such areas also correspond to very low minority and poor populations. So why would I want government employed Doctors that get paid far less than they would otherwise?
2. Exhibit B: Lawyers
Unless a socialized health care system includes some provision to limit frivolous legal action, this country's broken legal system will ruin it before it gets off the ground.
3. Exhibit C: If you are Upper Middle Class
Why should I vote for a socialized health care system when I worked my butt off for a big house on the big side of town? My local hospital is very swanky and includes world-class doctors. *My* health-care is excellent. If I have a sore foot, well, I can get an MRI by the end of the week. When my Mother came down with Breast-Cancer... not a problem! We have world-class cancer researchers here in Pittsburgh... and she could afford it. So now she is fine. It is probably true that on average, the socialized systems in Europe are better for the average citizen... but why would I vote for *worse* health care for me?
4. And the #1 reason: The government is 100% guaranteed to screw it up.
Enough said.
Sorry, but even with all the evilness that is Windows, it is still *far* less evil than a console. In console gaming the console manufacturer approves what games are on the system, as with the Manhunt's AO rating preventing it from being released on the Wii and PS2. In PC Gaming, that would not happen, because even if the game was banned in Walmart, it could still be digitally distributed. Also, the console manufacturer doesn't need to spy on you because it uses DRM to lock down the console so that only approved devices can be connected to it (there are hacks of course).
Also, you do not need to license anything to make a game on the PC, anyone who wants to can make and sell a PC game without paying MS anything. This is why PC gaming is actually innovative with the indie and small studios. Console gaming is: "Madden 200x slightly better graphics than last year and nothing else new!" And games like Halo are "revolutionary" on the consoles, while PC gamers had been playing better FPSs for years.
The fact is, MS made DirectX 10, and when games are released for DirectX 10, gamers will switch to Vista to play them. And the graphics in games like Crysis that use this will make console gamers cry. While I use an Apple for all of my applications and data, the majority of my computing money is spent on my PC so that I can play these powerful games.
Do you honestly think that *any* US politician is going to actually say "Screw it! We don't need airport security!"?? If you honestly believe that this will happen within the next 20 years, then you absolutely have no idea how politics work, and should never vote, talk, or speak about politics ever again.
Airport security is the *one* thing that both Democrats and Republicans agree upon.
The war in Iraq? No.
The war in Afghanistan? Mostly.
Airport security? Hell yes!
PC Games haven't gone up in price. I have a friends that are selling there "next-gen" consoles due to the complete lack of any quality games in between Holiday seasons. PC games last longer, are cheaper, and are released all year long. Anyone who plays consoles only, and is older than 12, is completely missing out on the best gaming experience.
Honestly, if I heard someone in a restaurant discussing pedophilia, I would start a fight right then and there. It is worth a few days in jail to kick a pedophile's ass. I have absolutely 0 fucking sympathy for these fucks. That said, I do not like copyright law, and I support what Pirate Bay is doing. I just hope the hell they take this shit down really fast, or they *will* get shut down.
It is one thing to "stick it to the rich RIAA", but it is another matter entirely to post illegal pictures of exploited children. Once ThePirateBay gets associated with illegal pr0n in the minds of the public, it does not matter what the policy states.
Even if they employ a huge staff and pull such pics down in a timely manner, it will be such a huge publicity nightmare that I doubt anyone who has to answer to voters will defend ThePirateBay.
What search would you rather use:
1.) a search designed by a company that makes money by selling you an OS, and therefore includes a search engine as a feature to help sales, or
2.) a search designed by a company that makes money by saving your search results and serving you targeted spam?
It is not banned from sales. It is just labeled as "AO". Walmart has a policy that it will not carry any AO games, but that doesn't stop another store from selling it.
The ESRB is not the government, it is an industry organization that game companies submit there games to for a rating. The reason they do this is because retail stores require this, but it does not prevent the game company from not getting a rating and selling the game themselves online (for PC games at least). In the case of console games, it is probably a safe bet that Nintendo, MS, and Sony all require that games made for there consoles are all submitted for rating.
This is *vastly* different than an official government organization censuring this game. This game can still be sold in stores, but it must be sold as "AO" with all the restrictions that apply to that. This is a really good thing for the game industry. Elections are coming up, and seeing an 8-year old stab someone with a Wii remote (as in this game) will surely get old people fired up. The AO rating will help reduce liability for Rockstar.
I don't know what banning video games and gun-control have to do with anything. If the people who vote in Britain don't want people to have guns, then that is up to them. In the U.S. we have it written in the Bill of Rights, and it is deep in our culture. I would venture to say that most people I know have at least 1 gun in there household, either inherited or purchased themselves. But here in the U.S., we ban TV shows based on the slightest nipple slip. Different cultures have different standards. Why does everyone in the world need the same laws or social norms?
It is not like the U.S. does not have any gun control. There are background checks for handguns, and you need a permit to carry concealed. There is also a ban on full-auto weapons that were not on the market prior to a certain date (1987?? not 100% sure). Sure, I can walk into a gun-show and buy a brand new semi-auto AK, but the vast majority of gun crimes are committed with handguns since they can be easily concealed.
Seriously, what is more important? Power that is granted through a judge (and thus can be taken away at any moment), or power that you give yourself? The founding fathers knew this, which is why we have the 2nd amendment. Now, in today's digital age, I think we need better privacy laws, but not at the expense of the 2nd amendment.
The fact of the matter is that when Cho went to the gun store and they ran the *required* background check on him, the background check came up clean. It *did not* say that he had mental health problems, but it should have. This was a loophole that even the NRA supports fixing: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19209310/.
I respectfully disagree with you. Age of Conan will be bigger than War for two reasons:
1. It is coming out first (I think it is still schedule for Fall of this year?)
2. It will be on the 360, and many 360s are going to be sold this holiday season due to Halo 3.
I hope both of these games are awesome and I will definitely buy both to at least play for the first month. But I am excited to play an MMO on a console due to the consistent frame rates and control scheme.
Not only is it a good deal, but you can return whatever part of that to your local Walmart and get a full refund for what you return. I bought a 360 at launch using this method, but it came with a $500 surround sound system. I just took the surround sound back to my local Walmart and they gave me a refund (not even store credit). They didn't even carry the surround sound system in stores, just on there website.
I agree with you that 6 month expansion rates are too quick. But a yearly expansion I think is perfect (i.e., a yearly increase in the level cap). I don't want to be stuck at the level cap for 2+ years relying upon the "end-game" to differentiate me from the 97% of the server who is also at the level cap.
What is the planned rate of expansion for the game? I cannot wait to see Gondor, Rohan, etc. I hope I don't have to wait 2 years for the first big expansion (a la WoW).
Yes. The popularity of reality TV adequately proves that."
-> How is a person an idiot if they choose a different game than you? Are you the sole arbiter of popular culture?
"Who wants to play a "game" and be "entertained" by being "brutally punished." And yes I realize that comment leaves itself open to S&M jokes, but seriously...
Civilisation? Masters of Orion II? DialboII "Hardcore" (permadeath)... there is no shortage of games out there that have the capacity to obliterate a player."
-> Civilization and Masters of Orion II have a new technology called "saved games". Diablo II's hardcore mode is *optional* in a *free* online mode.
" This sort of thing REALLY didn't happen as much as all that to the players who got good at the game. "
-> Well, after I got my Tier 2 in WoW I didn't die in non-raids either, unless it was PvP.
"The game required skill and knowledge to play effectively at the high game. WoW doesn't... until you hit the raid game... and even then most of the real skill, talent, and knowledge is concentrated in a few individuals while the rest are just sheep to be herded around, valued for their 'elite' ability to do what they are told."
-> Oh really? How about PvP? How about trying to solo group quests? How about stealth farming BRD for your Barman Shanker (back in the day). How about trying to do a 5 man with just a hunter pet tanking? How about stalking some poor Hordie in Bird Form way high in the sky, then raining down a RAWRbomb on his arse without getting fall damage? All things you can do without raiding, but things you would never do if there was a severe death penalty.
The point is, a game was made for your tastes, it is called "Vanguard". Not sure if you heard of it, it has about 90k people who play it. For everyone else, there is WoW, LoTro, and the new MMOs coming out (Age of Conan and Warhammer Online). Clearly, the direction that MMOs are going in is opposite of your tastes, so your tastes must be in the minority.
The reason why this game failed is simple: Bad Management. Not lack of money, not lack of time, not over-hype. Sigil should be a case-study in every MBA program as to how to NOT manage a project.
The only reason I pay my Xbox Live subscription is to play on a clean network with no cheating. Granted, I have seen cheating, but it is very rare compared to say... any PC game. And it is usually quickly fixed. Like the vast majority of people, I bought my Xbox 360 to play games, I did not buy it to mod it. The *most important* thing in any competitive game or sport is fairness; skill, talent, and practice should be the only deciding factors in the outcome.
If you want to mod yours, fine, but I don't want to see you on Xbox Live, which is a *private* network. The reason why there is such little cheating on Xbox Live is that it is detected at the hardware level, *not* on a per game basis like in PC Games. This is why I pay, and this is why I prefer to play FPSs on Xbox Live. Sure, I would rather play with a mouse and keyboard, but fair competition is the most important thing in online play.
I would admit to believing this if the proposed solution was to add C02 sinks rather than eliminate C02 sources.
If the solution was that "everyone is required to plant and maintain a tree for every X amount of C02 they produce (where X should be easily calculated based on the C02 absorption rate of a tree)", then fine... I'll buy into this. But the solution is: "America must cutback on energy while the rest of the world gets a free ride", or even better "You cannot drive that 21 mpg SUV, you must drive this 38 mpg micro car that will get you killed in 100ns when a large truck hits you. (The large trucks are of course exempt from this rule so people can still get cheap organic food)"
If the solution was simple, there would be no point in debating it, and something would get done. For example, if a scientist said, "females can live for 300 years if they screw as many nerds as they can", no one on/. would argue.
Slashdot Mirror
Best for people under 12 or over 50.
"I honestly don't see the appeal of an XBox 360."
Call me crazy, but the most important thing about a game console is playing games on it. The 360 launched early and built up a very solid catalog of games by the time PS3 and the Wii launched. If you are a hardcore gamer who buys 5+ games a year, the 360 is the only viable option right now (other than PC of course). Sure, the Wii is nice, but I have an HDTV, and I like western style games (FPSs, cRPGs, etc.), and the Wii and PS3 do not have that now or this Holiday season (but if I had kids I would definitely buy a Wii). The 360 has the best games now, and will have the best games for this Holiday season.
No where in that incoherent babble of a comment did I see anything relating to logic or common sense. They sell you a console, and then sell you games for it. They also sell you a subscription to play on a closed online network which offers both free and paid content. What the hell is wrong with this? When the consoles break they extend everyone's warranty and fix everything for free. How is that evil?
Even if Bill Gates bought and sold virgins on the black market Sony would still be 1000000x more evil than MS just because of Sony BMG. And the reason why MS is kicking the snot out of Sony is not because of a "monopoly", it is because Sony arrogantly was not willing to pay for 3rd party exclusives, while MS was.
1. Exhibit A: Public Schools
As an undergraduate, all of my friends who could not hack it in Engineering school became either Education or Business majors. Although I would love to teach, I just cannot afford the huge pay cut. If you are wealthy in this country, you send your kids to private school unless you happen to live in a very swanky area where the teachers happen to be paid well above the state average. And in my city, such areas also correspond to very low minority and poor populations. So why would I want government employed Doctors that get paid far less than they would otherwise?
2. Exhibit B: Lawyers
Unless a socialized health care system includes some provision to limit frivolous legal action, this country's broken legal system will ruin it before it gets off the ground.
3. Exhibit C: If you are Upper Middle Class
Why should I vote for a socialized health care system when I worked my butt off for a big house on the big side of town? My local hospital is very swanky and includes world-class doctors. *My* health-care is excellent. If I have a sore foot, well, I can get an MRI by the end of the week. When my Mother came down with Breast-Cancer... not a problem! We have world-class cancer researchers here in Pittsburgh... and she could afford it. So now she is fine. It is probably true that on average, the socialized systems in Europe are better for the average citizen... but why would I vote for *worse* health care for me?
4. And the #1 reason: The government is 100% guaranteed to screw it up.
Enough said.
Pretty ironic for a search engine company.
Sorry, but even with all the evilness that is Windows, it is still *far* less evil than a console. In console gaming the console manufacturer approves what games are on the system, as with the Manhunt's AO rating preventing it from being released on the Wii and PS2. In PC Gaming, that would not happen, because even if the game was banned in Walmart, it could still be digitally distributed. Also, the console manufacturer doesn't need to spy on you because it uses DRM to lock down the console so that only approved devices can be connected to it (there are hacks of course).
Also, you do not need to license anything to make a game on the PC, anyone who wants to can make and sell a PC game without paying MS anything. This is why PC gaming is actually innovative with the indie and small studios. Console gaming is: "Madden 200x slightly better graphics than last year and nothing else new!" And games like Halo are "revolutionary" on the consoles, while PC gamers had been playing better FPSs for years.
The fact is, MS made DirectX 10, and when games are released for DirectX 10, gamers will switch to Vista to play them. And the graphics in games like Crysis that use this will make console gamers cry. While I use an Apple for all of my applications and data, the majority of my computing money is spent on my PC so that I can play these powerful games.
Do you honestly think that *any* US politician is going to actually say "Screw it! We don't need airport security!"?? If you honestly believe that this will happen within the next 20 years, then you absolutely have no idea how politics work, and should never vote, talk, or speak about politics ever again.
Airport security is the *one* thing that both Democrats and Republicans agree upon.
The war in Iraq? No.
The war in Afghanistan? Mostly.
Airport security? Hell yes!
PC Games haven't gone up in price. I have a friends that are selling there "next-gen" consoles due to the complete lack of any quality games in between Holiday seasons. PC games last longer, are cheaper, and are released all year long. Anyone who plays consoles only, and is older than 12, is completely missing out on the best gaming experience.
Honestly, if I heard someone in a restaurant discussing pedophilia, I would start a fight right then and there. It is worth a few days in jail to kick a pedophile's ass. I have absolutely 0 fucking sympathy for these fucks. That said, I do not like copyright law, and I support what Pirate Bay is doing. I just hope the hell they take this shit down really fast, or they *will* get shut down.
It is one thing to "stick it to the rich RIAA", but it is another matter entirely to post illegal pictures of exploited children. Once ThePirateBay gets associated with illegal pr0n in the minds of the public, it does not matter what the policy states. Even if they employ a huge staff and pull such pics down in a timely manner, it will be such a huge publicity nightmare that I doubt anyone who has to answer to voters will defend ThePirateBay.
Ponder me this riddle:
What search would you rather use:
1.) a search designed by a company that makes money by selling you an OS, and therefore includes a search engine as a feature to help sales, or
2.) a search designed by a company that makes money by saving your search results and serving you targeted spam?
Why don't they just eliminate the 2 hours of idling on the runway before a 1 hour flight?
It is not banned from sales. It is just labeled as "AO". Walmart has a policy that it will not carry any AO games, but that doesn't stop another store from selling it.
The ESRB is not the government, it is an industry organization that game companies submit there games to for a rating. The reason they do this is because retail stores require this, but it does not prevent the game company from not getting a rating and selling the game themselves online (for PC games at least). In the case of console games, it is probably a safe bet that Nintendo, MS, and Sony all require that games made for there consoles are all submitted for rating.
This is *vastly* different than an official government organization censuring this game. This game can still be sold in stores, but it must be sold as "AO" with all the restrictions that apply to that. This is a really good thing for the game industry. Elections are coming up, and seeing an 8-year old stab someone with a Wii remote (as in this game) will surely get old people fired up. The AO rating will help reduce liability for Rockstar.
I don't know what banning video games and gun-control have to do with anything. If the people who vote in Britain don't want people to have guns, then that is up to them. In the U.S. we have it written in the Bill of Rights, and it is deep in our culture. I would venture to say that most people I know have at least 1 gun in there household, either inherited or purchased themselves. But here in the U.S., we ban TV shows based on the slightest nipple slip. Different cultures have different standards. Why does everyone in the world need the same laws or social norms? It is not like the U.S. does not have any gun control. There are background checks for handguns, and you need a permit to carry concealed. There is also a ban on full-auto weapons that were not on the market prior to a certain date (1987?? not 100% sure). Sure, I can walk into a gun-show and buy a brand new semi-auto AK, but the vast majority of gun crimes are committed with handguns since they can be easily concealed.
"Of course you can kill people by other means. But not in these numbers. Ever tried to murder 40 people with an axe or a kitchen knife?"
Molotov Cocktails?
Seriously, what is more important? Power that is granted through a judge (and thus can be taken away at any moment), or power that you give yourself? The founding fathers knew this, which is why we have the 2nd amendment. Now, in today's digital age, I think we need better privacy laws, but not at the expense of the 2nd amendment.
The fact of the matter is that when Cho went to the gun store and they ran the *required* background check on him, the background check came up clean. It *did not* say that he had mental health problems, but it should have. This was a loophole that even the NRA supports fixing: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19209310/.
I respectfully disagree with you. Age of Conan will be bigger than War for two reasons: 1. It is coming out first (I think it is still schedule for Fall of this year?) 2. It will be on the 360, and many 360s are going to be sold this holiday season due to Halo 3. I hope both of these games are awesome and I will definitely buy both to at least play for the first month. But I am excited to play an MMO on a console due to the consistent frame rates and control scheme.
Not only is it a good deal, but you can return whatever part of that to your local Walmart and get a full refund for what you return. I bought a 360 at launch using this method, but it came with a $500 surround sound system. I just took the surround sound back to my local Walmart and they gave me a refund (not even store credit). They didn't even carry the surround sound system in stores, just on there website.
I agree with you that 6 month expansion rates are too quick. But a yearly expansion I think is perfect (i.e., a yearly increase in the level cap). I don't want to be stuck at the level cap for 2+ years relying upon the "end-game" to differentiate me from the 97% of the server who is also at the level cap.
What is the planned rate of expansion for the game? I cannot wait to see Gondor, Rohan, etc. I hope I don't have to wait 2 years for the first big expansion (a la WoW).
"Does that mean 8 million people are idiots?
Yes. The popularity of reality TV adequately proves that."
-> How is a person an idiot if they choose a different game than you? Are you the sole arbiter of popular culture?
"Who wants to play a "game" and be "entertained" by being "brutally punished." And yes I realize that comment leaves itself open to S&M jokes, but seriously...
Civilisation? Masters of Orion II? DialboII "Hardcore" (permadeath)... there is no shortage of games out there that have the capacity to obliterate a player."
-> Civilization and Masters of Orion II have a new technology called "saved games". Diablo II's hardcore mode is *optional* in a *free* online mode.
" This sort of thing REALLY didn't happen as much as all that to the players who got good at the game. "
-> Well, after I got my Tier 2 in WoW I didn't die in non-raids either, unless it was PvP.
"The game required skill and knowledge to play effectively at the high game. WoW doesn't... until you hit the raid game... and even then most of the real skill, talent, and knowledge is concentrated in a few individuals while the rest are just sheep to be herded around, valued for their 'elite' ability to do what they are told."
-> Oh really? How about PvP? How about trying to solo group quests? How about stealth farming BRD for your Barman Shanker (back in the day). How about trying to do a 5 man with just a hunter pet tanking? How about stalking some poor Hordie in Bird Form way high in the sky, then raining down a RAWRbomb on his arse without getting fall damage? All things you can do without raiding, but things you would never do if there was a severe death penalty.
The point is, a game was made for your tastes, it is called "Vanguard". Not sure if you heard of it, it has about 90k people who play it. For everyone else, there is WoW, LoTro, and the new MMOs coming out (Age of Conan and Warhammer Online). Clearly, the direction that MMOs are going in is opposite of your tastes, so your tastes must be in the minority.
The reason why this game failed is simple: Bad Management. Not lack of money, not lack of time, not over-hype. Sigil should be a case-study in every MBA program as to how to NOT manage a project.
The only reason I pay my Xbox Live subscription is to play on a clean network with no cheating. Granted, I have seen cheating, but it is very rare compared to say... any PC game. And it is usually quickly fixed. Like the vast majority of people, I bought my Xbox 360 to play games, I did not buy it to mod it. The *most important* thing in any competitive game or sport is fairness; skill, talent, and practice should be the only deciding factors in the outcome. If you want to mod yours, fine, but I don't want to see you on Xbox Live, which is a *private* network. The reason why there is such little cheating on Xbox Live is that it is detected at the hardware level, *not* on a per game basis like in PC Games. This is why I pay, and this is why I prefer to play FPSs on Xbox Live. Sure, I would rather play with a mouse and keyboard, but fair competition is the most important thing in online play.
I would admit to believing this if the proposed solution was to add C02 sinks rather than eliminate C02 sources.
/. would argue.
If the solution was that "everyone is required to plant and maintain a tree for every X amount of C02 they produce (where X should be easily calculated based on the C02 absorption rate of a tree)", then fine... I'll buy into this. But the solution is: "America must cutback on energy while the rest of the world gets a free ride", or even better "You cannot drive that 21 mpg SUV, you must drive this 38 mpg micro car that will get you killed in 100ns when a large truck hits you. (The large trucks are of course exempt from this rule so people can still get cheap organic food)"
If the solution was simple, there would be no point in debating it, and something would get done. For example, if a scientist said, "females can live for 300 years if they screw as many nerds as they can", no one on