Why the narrow definition? I already own the patent on "storing, manipulating and using data in any form whatsoever", My lawyer is just checking whether I can file a posthumous lawsuit against Gutenberg.
hmm... Samarost2 has some nice (if very psychedelic) puzzles. It's main problem is its length, as it is very very short. Aquaria has a huge and diverse world along with (also) some nice puzzles, great mechanics, some incredibly good looking graphics and wonderful soundtrack. It's probably the only 2D ~run and jump~(kind of) game I ever actually finished. Lugaru is pretty tough, but has some complex combat mechanics and a very forlorn desperate atmosphere which I found interesting. Sadly I got stuck on the raid on the wolf village mission. Penumbra's only fault is the combat system, apart from that it's easily the scariest game/serie ever (well... it was until Amnesia came out;). Gish wasn't my cup of tea. I liked it, I liked the mechanics, but I never got engrossed with it.I still fire it up from time to time for a quick run though. So, from those 5 games, I can really recommend 4 and I finished 3 (Penumbra, Aquaria and Samarost). That's a pretty good rate.
I just checked the games from HB2, and my feeling is that I'll probably love Braid and Osmos, that Cortex might actually grow on me (I just glanced at it) and that Titans will be a "fire up from time to time to avoid working" type of game. I already owned and *love* Machinarium, which is a genuinely great adventure game. for what I paid (20$), that's a very good deal.
I already own and finished Machinarium (a couple of times, as my kids just seem to love it) : don't be deceived by the "flash game" label. It's literally a piece of art. It's the kind of game Ebbert (or whatever the famous movie critics's name was) should have looked at before saying Video Games can't be Art (and be fun at the same time btw).
actually, I don't think you're right if we talk absolute numbers. The percent of people creating stuff from the whole of the computer/net users definitely decreased, but I'd bet the actual absolute number increased quite a lot. What changed was the noise/signal ratio.
hmm... maybe, but I can tell you his famous last words : "told you so...". Whatever you think of Stallman as a person doesn't negate the fact that he is often right.
Did I understand that right? there be Dragons in Skyrim? That would actually be awesome!
I guess I stil have a year to finish Oblivion Mainquest. I've been playing regularly for nearly 5 years now (with 2 characters), and I never actually finished that one.
indeed, and yet they are theoritically bound by law not to write lies (something not true for Wikipedia btw.), so, up to a point, their allegations should (hopefully) have some kind of veracity. I wouldn't trust Bild further than I can spit, but then, which newspaper can you trust anyway?
actually, he seems to be right if you believe Bild Zeitung (which is at the best of times slightly hazardous, as it's not exactly the most serious newspaper in Germany)
From the article, one of the women didn't want to press charges, and the second only went to the police because Assange was being a asshole (he didn't want to be tested for STDs after having have unprotected sex with both women) but both were apparently pressurized by their lawyer, Claes Borgström, into pressing charges for rape. Still from the Article, Borgström seems to be a complete dickhead, part-time media whore, part time feminist extremist (I don't have anything about emancipation, I actually support it wherever I can, but the dude tried apparently to push a "default culpability for men" law... -.- )
I second tuxpaint, despite NOT being its creator;) Although if you're at it, just install the whole GCompris suit (in which Tuxpaint integrates), as 3+ actually love it and seems to genuinely learn something from it (as long as they have some kind of adult supervision to help them).
Install your favourite Linjux flavor and those two games. Gcompris and Kidsplay are the games my twins played from 3 years on (don't forget to grab a small mouse that fits kid's hands, possibly in some flashy colour. Touchpads are an abomination). Possibly add phun or another crayon physics clone (although that tends to be slightly over the top for 3-4 year olds at first). If you absolutely want to stick with XP (or can dual boot), grab "Creatures Village from GOG.
From my own experience with my daughters, I'd say they'll love all of those, but don't think you'll be able to put the kid in front of the netbook and then go on about your business. It is NOT a TV, and THAT is a good thing : you will have to stay near, and explain and help your kid with the games (at least at first)
I guess that highly depends on who we are talking about. As far as I can see, there are three categories of illegal copiers/downloaders:
I know out of my own experience as independent developer that some people will download pretty much everything they can and just ~hoard~ the stuff (going so far as having huge collections of old DVD-R's they never ever use). Those are not lost sales (maybe lost souls... but that's getting metaphysical;).
Then you have those who download games, etc... because they just can not afford the sometimes horrenduous prices asked. Those aren't generally lost sales, and it's a situation where I would personally say "As long as they enjoy the product, who really cares?", even though many seems to also belong into the third category when it comes to extremely cheap offers (think bargains at GOG for $2.99-$5.99 for example, or actions like the Humble Bundle)
And finally you have the people who could afford to pay, sometimes even very easily, but who will not nevertheless because it doesn't hurt THEM in the least if they just pirate stuff. Those are definitely lost sales, and those are the people who SHOULD be brought to justice in a way or another (without falling in the 1.6 million dollar suit for 5 songs type of madness of course).
The problem of course, and that's where I am all on your side, is that the system, as it is now, is so broken that one can not differentiate between those cases.
Just thought of a fourth category by the way : people who would buy some games but will not due to invasive DRM... and I tend to agree with those, as long as they DO buy games which are provided without DRM if they want to play them (which brings us back to The Witcher 2:)
So your argument is that digital (non-tangible) content creators should only create stuff if someone ask them specifically to make it?
If they create something in the belief/hope that it might be of interest to someone they shouldn't expect to be rewarded by anybody who actually uses/consumes said product (keeping the "pirating for pirating's sake" folks out of the equation, as those obviously wouldn't pay no matter how much or why), except perhaps in the pure cost of the physical media if it even exists?
oh.. and believe me : employers very rarely hire anybody with the aim of paying them. They pay them because they are legally obligated to.
yeah, but I'm guessing you did apply for the job, so you actually WANTED to work. And it's your decision to keep on working. Similarly, your boss is using his own time and resources to make money off the work you did... so why should he pay you?
Don't ask for too much for the value you're offering, produce a good game
.
This is so incredibly subjective that even games with generally good ratings, sold for.99c on mobile markets receive comments about being "just 2 hours long! Too short" and "too expensive!".
On the PC market, people won't generally finish a game, but complain when they don't get 100+ hours of gameplay, even when the game is sold at a competitive price (let's say 30 US$ or less).
And whether a game is good or not (whatever defines THAT) is somehow rarely a measure about how well it will do. Timing and marketing are what matters (yes, I honestly believe that people, as a mass, are sheeps... blame the years I spent in marketing for it)
Do you work? If so, do you produce anything tangible? If you are not producing anything tangible, why should your boss pay you? If you're not working and are still going to school, college, university or whatever your local equivalent is, then think about it in terms of whoever pays for all your nifty toys.
I am all against the *AA's and major studios business practices, which involves treating even honest customers as if they were criminals and creating some mindboggingly stupid virtual scarcity (seen as late as yesterday on a Walt Disney DVD : "Pinochio - The DVD/BR Edition. Only available for a short time"... WTF? Do the trees on which the DVD grows die out?), but refuting that there is actual WORK involved in creating any form of art or entertainment and that it should be rewarded is just as mindboggingly stupid and dishonest.
Isn't releasing the game DRM free already an effort in the right made by CD Projekt? They make sure that paying customers are not suffering from any piracy/overzealous protection schemes related problems. The people who wants to play the game should do the logical thing and make a step in the right way too, namely buy the game instead of using the "free unlimited evaluation versions" available through torrents (can't call it cracked without DRM, can you?)
Microsoft's marketing campaigns are at best mediocre, at their worst they are hillariously bad. Apple's on the other hand, are brillant in that they don't sell a product, they sell a "lifestyle".
by the by, if it was all about advertising and marketing nobody would use Linux.
mod this guy insightful for god sake. Apple products are rarely superior in any way, except in the way they are advertised for and in the glossy shiny metally look of their bezelled case.
THIS isn't from the documentary about The Circus, it was actually filmed in 1929 by the famous filmmaker Colin McKenzy. The woman is really talking into the 20s equivalent of a cellphone. The (tense) dual hemp line connecting her ~phone~ to that of a person probably trailing 10 or so meter behind her can clearly be seen in some of the slow motion. It was just another of McKenzy's innovations. The "circus" sign in the background was clearly shopped into the picture! Check Peter Jackson's documentary about Colin McKenzy called "Forgotten Silver" if you don't believe me.
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Why the narrow definition? I already own the patent on "storing, manipulating and using data in any form whatsoever", My lawyer is just checking whether I can file a posthumous lawsuit against Gutenberg.
hmm ... Samarost2 has some nice (if very psychedelic) puzzles. It's main problem is its length, as it is very very short. Aquaria has a huge and diverse world along with (also) some nice puzzles, great mechanics, some incredibly good looking graphics and wonderful soundtrack. It's probably the only 2D ~run and jump~(kind of) game I ever actually finished. Lugaru is pretty tough, but has some complex combat mechanics and a very forlorn desperate atmosphere which I found interesting. Sadly I got stuck on the raid on the wolf village mission. Penumbra's only fault is the combat system, apart from that it's easily the scariest game/serie ever (well ... it was until Amnesia came out ;). Gish wasn't my cup of tea. I liked it, I liked the mechanics, but I never got engrossed with it.I still fire it up from time to time for a quick run though. So, from those 5 games, I can really recommend 4 and I finished 3 (Penumbra, Aquaria and Samarost). That's a pretty good rate.
I just checked the games from HB2, and my feeling is that I'll probably love Braid and Osmos, that Cortex might actually grow on me (I just glanced at it) and that Titans will be a "fire up from time to time to avoid working" type of game. I already owned and *love* Machinarium, which is a genuinely great adventure game. for what I paid (20$), that's a very good deal.
freudian misread : "profitably acceptable" ...the scary part was that it made sense in the context.
I already own and finished Machinarium (a couple of times, as my kids just seem to love it) : don't be deceived by the "flash game" label. It's literally a piece of art. It's the kind of game Ebbert (or whatever the famous movie critics's name was) should have looked at before saying Video Games can't be Art (and be fun at the same time btw).
I take it you gave Aquaria just a cursory glance, and were put off by Lugaru's (admitedly dated) grafics?
actually, I don't think you're right if we talk absolute numbers. The percent of people creating stuff from the whole of the computer/net users definitely decreased, but I'd bet the actual absolute number increased quite a lot. What changed was the noise/signal ratio.
hmm ... maybe, but I can tell you his famous last words : "told you so ...". Whatever you think of Stallman as a person doesn't negate the fact that he is often right.
I'm saving up for some medicine!
Did I understand that right? there be Dragons in Skyrim? That would actually be awesome!
I guess I stil have a year to finish Oblivion Mainquest. I've been playing regularly for nearly 5 years now (with 2 characters), and I never actually finished that one.
indeed, and yet they are theoritically bound by law not to write lies (something not true for Wikipedia btw.), so, up to a point, their allegations should (hopefully) have some kind of veracity. I wouldn't trust Bild further than I can spit, but then, which newspaper can you trust anyway?
actually, he seems to be right if you believe Bild Zeitung (which is at the best of times slightly hazardous, as it's not exactly the most serious newspaper in Germany)
From the article, one of the women didn't want to press charges, and the second only went to the police because Assange was being a asshole (he didn't want to be tested for STDs after having have unprotected sex with both women) but both were apparently pressurized by their lawyer, Claes Borgström, into pressing charges for rape. Still from the Article, Borgström seems to be a complete dickhead, part-time media whore, part time feminist extremist (I don't have anything about emancipation, I actually support it wherever I can, but the dude tried apparently to push a "default culpability for men" law ... -.- )
I second tuxpaint, despite NOT being its creator ;) Although if you're at it, just install the whole GCompris suit (in which Tuxpaint integrates), as 3+ actually love it and seems to genuinely learn something from it (as long as they have some kind of adult supervision to help them).
Install your favourite Linjux flavor and those two games. Gcompris and Kidsplay are the games my twins played from 3 years on (don't forget to grab a small mouse that fits kid's hands, possibly in some flashy colour. Touchpads are an abomination). Possibly add phun or another crayon physics clone (although that tends to be slightly over the top for 3-4 year olds at first). If you absolutely want to stick with XP (or can dual boot), grab "Creatures Village from GOG.
From my own experience with my daughters, I'd say they'll love all of those, but don't think you'll be able to put the kid in front of the netbook and then go on about your business. It is NOT a TV, and THAT is a good thing : you will have to stay near, and explain and help your kid with the games (at least at first)
I guess that highly depends on who we are talking about. As far as I can see, there are three categories of illegal copiers/downloaders:
The problem of course, and that's where I am all on your side, is that the system, as it is now, is so broken that one can not differentiate between those cases.
Just thought of a fourth category by the way : people who would buy some games but will not due to invasive DRM ... and I tend to agree with those, as long as they DO buy games which are provided without DRM if they want to play them (which brings us back to The Witcher 2 :)
Same here the day I received the notification from GOG (without the mails though:)
Now, if only they could release Witcher1 at GOG sometime...
So your argument is that digital (non-tangible) content creators should only create stuff if someone ask them specifically to make it?
If they create something in the belief/hope that it might be of interest to someone they shouldn't expect to be rewarded by anybody who actually uses/consumes said product (keeping the "pirating for pirating's sake" folks out of the equation, as those obviously wouldn't pay no matter how much or why), except perhaps in the pure cost of the physical media if it even exists?
oh .. and believe me : employers very rarely hire anybody with the aim of paying them. They pay them because they are legally obligated to.
yeah, but I'm guessing you did apply for the job, so you actually WANTED to work. And it's your decision to keep on working. Similarly, your boss is using his own time and resources to make money off the work you did ... so why should he pay you?
the problem here is :
Don't ask for too much for the value you're offering, produce a good game
.
This is so incredibly subjective that even games with generally good ratings, sold for .99c on mobile markets receive comments about being "just 2 hours long! Too short" and "too expensive!".
On the PC market, people won't generally finish a game, but complain when they don't get 100+ hours of gameplay, even when the game is sold at a competitive price (let's say 30 US$ or less).
And whether a game is good or not (whatever defines THAT) is somehow rarely a measure about how well it will do. Timing and marketing are what matters (yes, I honestly believe that people, as a mass, are sheeps ... blame the years I spent in marketing for it)
Do you work? If so, do you produce anything tangible? If you are not producing anything tangible, why should your boss pay you?
If you're not working and are still going to school, college, university or whatever your local equivalent is, then think about it in terms of whoever pays for all your nifty toys.
I am all against the *AA's and major studios business practices, which involves treating even honest customers as if they were criminals and creating some mindboggingly stupid virtual scarcity (seen as late as yesterday on a Walt Disney DVD : "Pinochio - The DVD/BR Edition. Only available for a short time" ... WTF? Do the trees on which the DVD grows die out?), but refuting that there is actual WORK involved in creating any form of art or entertainment and that it should be rewarded is just as mindboggingly stupid and dishonest.
Isn't releasing the game DRM free already an effort in the right made by CD Projekt? They make sure that paying customers are not suffering from any piracy/overzealous protection schemes related problems. The people who wants to play the game should do the logical thing and make a step in the right way too, namely buy the game instead of using the "free unlimited evaluation versions" available through torrents (can't call it cracked without DRM, can you?)
Microsoft's marketing campaigns are at best mediocre, at their worst they are hillariously bad. Apple's on the other hand, are brillant in that they don't sell a product, they sell a "lifestyle".
by the by, if it was all about advertising and marketing nobody would use Linux.
mod this guy insightful for god sake. Apple products are rarely superior in any way, except in the way they are advertised for and in the glossy shiny metally look of their bezelled case.
All things considered, Caligula did have a story too (along with a star cast who distanced themselves from the movie and some hardcore scenes)
to quote Robin of Sherwood : "nothing is forgotten! nothing is ever forgotten!" ... although I don't think it was meant as a curse at the time :P
THIS isn't from the documentary about The Circus, it was actually filmed in 1929 by the famous filmmaker Colin McKenzy. The woman is really talking into the 20s equivalent of a cellphone. The (tense) dual hemp line connecting her ~phone~ to that of a person probably trailing 10 or so meter behind her can clearly be seen in some of the slow motion. It was just another of McKenzy's innovations. The "circus" sign in the background was clearly shopped into the picture! Check Peter Jackson's documentary about Colin McKenzy called "Forgotten Silver" if you don't believe me.