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User: skepticult

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Comments · 37

  1. Re:Didn't Sound Optimistic to Me! on Does Italian Demo Show Cold Fusion, or Snake Oil? · · Score: 1

    I agree with you to some extent. This particular incident came about because of a (at the time) popular usenet netkook making wild claims about Randi refusing to test him, and using it as a means of discrediting the entire challenge. I believe that JREF ended up saying that they hadn't followed the proper procedures for submitting a claim and request to compete. (Sorry this was a really long time ago around the time Earl Curley was completely imploding)

    As the failure to win the Randi Challenge is thrown around a lot in skeptic circles as de facto proof of the falsity of all manner of woo-woo kookery, it seemed reasonable to attempt to follow their procedures and sponsor someone to be tested.

    I understand that it is impossible to accept every attempt at the challenge, but having followed all the rules, I would at least expect a denial and reason for it. Otherwise what is the point of it? All it does is dump fuel on the already out of control fires of paranoid delusional idiots.

  2. Re:Didn't Sound Optimistic to Me! on Does Italian Demo Show Cold Fusion, or Snake Oil? · · Score: 1

    I actually tried to help someone file for the JREF challenge years ago because I was sick of all the netkooks claiming the contest was rigged.

    JREF never responded to the person. I still have the documents they sent in. I have no doubt they were a kook of the highest order, but it was kind of annoying to get no response at all.

  3. Re:See You Rob, and thanks for the ride on Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda Resigns From Slashdot · · Score: 1

    Don't blame the victims, pal.

  4. Re:Its about time on Okami Confirmed for the Wii · · Score: 1

    Frankly, the 360 has the best gameplay on the market right now. I don't think it was lost at all.

    Bioshock, Halo, PGR, Forza, Catan, Geometry Wars, Guitar Hero, Mass Effect on the way, Gears, Crackdown, Skate, plus the best online console gaming available.

    A lot of great exclusives, and generally the best version of multiplatform releases. Most of the game genres are covered in depth with the exception of platforming games. I don't think any of those games are lacking in gameplay. The Wii library is incredibly weak right now, and it is hard to have a lot of great gameplay when you don't have a lot of great games.

    With the exception of the rate the Wii is selling at, right now it is looking like a replay of the N64 and Gamecube. A couple of cool first party releases a year, and not a lot else that is worth playing.

  5. Re:$200 media player, $79 console & "free DVD on The '360 Arcade' Made Official · · Score: 1

    The only issue right now is that they botched up WMV 7 and 8 in the spring update, making it basically impossible to stream transcoded HD video on the fly to the 360. WMV 9 still works, but the encoder is too slow to operate usefully in real time for HD video. Microsoft acknowledged the problem, but who knows if they will fix it in the fall dashboard update.

    It is a shame because it was the best part about the 360. Fingers crossed.

  6. Re:It's not the look stupid! on Tango Project to Make Open Source Beautiful? · · Score: 1

    It is the look!

    The look of horror that creeps across your face as you try to get all of your hardware working at the same level it does in Windows?

    Yes, I agree.

  7. Re:flamebait?? on MySQL and SCO Join Forces · · Score: 1

    My mouth is watering.

  8. Re:flamebait?? on MySQL and SCO Join Forces · · Score: 1

    It's Godwin, not Goodwin, you waste of flesh.

    Where were you when usenet died?

  9. Re:Why it will fail in Japan: on 20 Reasons Why The 360 Might Fail in Japan · · Score: 1

    Metamucil - It helps you go to the toilet. If you don't use it, you will get cancer
    and die.

  10. Re:Oregon Trail on Video Games in The Classroom Case Studies · · Score: 1

    You just need to look in the obvious place for it.

    The Major League Baseball..uh..arcade.

    Also available from Amazon and the Learning Company's site, but the MLB (???) site had screenshots.

  11. Re:Watch out! here comes ESRB on The Many Secrets of Smash Bros. Melee · · Score: 1

    The whiteout would also have to have been printed over with graphic depictions of hookers getting beaten down with a baseball bat by a guy wearing a jetpack, which kind of kills the children's book analogy.

    It's more like going frame-by-frame on an R rated movie to catch a microsecond glimpse of snatch that wasn't supposed to be there.

  12. Re:What would you feel on commercial mining on Mar on Requiem for the Once-Imagined Future · · Score: 1

    On the serious side, when Explorers came to the Americas in the 1500's they'd thought they find riches to bring back with them (and some did), but most of the found nothing but native americans and lots of land and it was the settlers that got the most of this situation and even started their own nation or two after a century or so.

    The important bit is what you left out. They found lots of land...chock full of more unused natural resources than they'd ever seen. Colonies in space will require resources from Earth, which is cost prohibitive. There's no equivalent of log cabins, buffalo hunting, fur trapping, or amber waves of grain on Mars. It would be a lot of years before a moon or Mars colony had any hope of being self-sustaining.

  13. Re:huh? on The Hidden Boot Code of the Xbox · · Score: 1

    Pssst, the Xbox has a 733Mhz Celeron CPU.

  14. Re:2SKUs == 1 Big Mistake on Analyst Says Two 360 Versions At Launch · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes. There wasn't a pack that contained a robot, a light gun, and an extra controller. I didn't know anybody who had it, and in fact, have never even seen a picture of it.

    I'm so stupid!

  15. Re:2SKUs == 1 Big Mistake on Analyst Says Two 360 Versions At Launch · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't think that there has ever been a successful console that launched with more than one version/price point.

    Yes. The NES was a dismal failure, as everyone knows. It failed so quickly that nobody has even heard of it. Here's a link to wikipedia detailing it's dismal fall into obscurity.

  16. Re:This works just fine for casual console players on Sony May Delay PS3 Until 2007 · · Score: 1

    You could have bought a used one in 2003 after the price drop to $199 for say, $150. That's a difference of ~$85. Over the course of two years, that amounts to about $3.00 a month.

    Why do people go through such drama over such miniscule amounts of cash? It wouldn't be so annoying if you didn't boast about it like you were pulling one over on everyone who spent that $3.00.

    If you had bought it new at the launch price of $299, you'd have been out the equivalent of $5.00/month. What a bargain! Thank god you waited! That's like the tax on one game per month and you'd have had 5 years of gaming enjoyment.

    Give me a break.

  17. Re:Hiding in the shadows on The Next Gen Consoles - The Bigger Picture · · Score: 1

    It's going to take several years for whatever format wins to work it's way past King DVD. Anything is possible, but I think this will be a non-issue.

  18. Re:Hiding in the shadows on The Next Gen Consoles - The Bigger Picture · · Score: 1

    Yes, the Atari 2600 failed because it didn't use records, the NES failed because it didn't use cassette tapes, the Genesis failed because it didn't support VHS, the Sega CD was a success because it played CDs, and the GameCube didn't sell pretty much the exact same number of consoles as the Xbox because it couldn't play DVDs.

    When the PS1 came out, nobody ever bought a CD player again, and the PS2 and Xbox spelled the end of the standalone DVD player market.

    It's all true! If Blu-Ray doesn't become the Hollywood standard nobody will buy a Playstation 3 again!!! How will they play their movies?

    Sheesh.

  19. Re:Go away.... on Top Ten Game Cliches · · Score: 1

    Saying you shouldn't make another game with 'cliche' mechanics and a new plot is like saying they shouldn't come out with any new books unless they have an updated page turning mechanic.

    Is that really so much to ask?

  20. Re:Any top 100 list is going to have omissions on IGN's Top 100 Games · · Score: 1

    It was hard to choose "extra hard Mario" over Excitebike. Excitebike took your quarter to the MOON!

  21. Re:Total Agreement on The Eyes of the Space Shuttle · · Score: 1

    To demonstrate my point. I'll post this twice, but only once correctly.

    Zonk posts everything at least twice.

    1 < 2

    Math!

  22. Re:Cornface's List on IGN's Top 100 Games · · Score: 1

    1.) Robotron
    2.) Tetris Attack
    3.) Robotron
    4.) Arkanoid Doh It Again
    5.) Robotron
    6.) Also Robotron

    There's no need for a seven. Every other game sucks.


    If you were to add Rampart to your list, I would be inclined to agree.

  23. Re:Any top 100 list is going to have omissions on IGN's Top 100 Games · · Score: 1

    What's the history behind the Super Mario Bros. arcade game? Was it a port from the console?

  24. Re:hm, for only $245 on Xbox 360 for $300 · · Score: 1

    Some people have disposable incomes of >$300/year.

    An elite club, for sure, but it does exist.

  25. Re:Priceless on Xbox 360 for $300 · · Score: 1

    I hope that joystick is made out of gold bricks.