What does employer have to do with the ability to reason or the acceptance of how the proprietary software industry works?
Quit bitching and go write your own open source game that has the same level of quality. Vote with your dollar, and it is how you make your opinion relevant. Those who wish to exchange money for the right to enjoy the product developed by Valve do so as determined by the owner of the property in question. The physical items they got with their purchase, if they didn't order through Steam, is of course theirs to do with as they wish... of course, spending $50 on a pretty coaster is foolish, so they still are subject to the limitations put in place by the owners of the property stored on the media.
In other words, if you purchase the game, you accept the notion of buying a license. If you don't purchase the game, you have no right to play it. If you don't like this, develop your own damn game.
By the way, just because some ghetto consoles don't have network capability by default doesn't mean that will be the case for long. Expect online activity for consoles to be far more common in the near future than it will be for PC games... it will be easy for people who purchase legitimate copies of the game and will work well in places (like Asia and Canada) that have better than the pathetic broadband penetration in the USA.
Anybody who thinks Countershite Source is the be-all end-all of what Steam and Half-Life 2 is all about needs to stop trying to think about the FPS community, because they just don't get it. Half-Life was a great single-player game, and that was the point. Same goes for Half-Life 2... however, Valve would have been foolish to not develop infrastructure to support the mod community. The other major facet of their business, engine licensing, is a by-product of work like the original Counterstrike and the umpteen meeelleeeon other mods. Expect something on a whole other scale from Half-Life 2 and the Source engine...
... once you've thought a bit about that, systems to enhance online play of games built around Half-Life 2 and the Source engine makes sense. If you don't like it and can't comprehend why it makes sense, then I give up. I think most people who are buying this game don't care much about CS:Source, although they will play it in large numbers... but they definitely care about the multiplayer goodness that is to come.
You don't need root, you just need local access so you can exploit all those vulnerabilities that get ignored because they aren't remotely exploitable.
I don't know how many times I've heard clueless admins tell me that they aren't patching for something because its only exploitable locally...
Re:I want to, but should I?
on
Review: Half-Life 2
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· Score: 4, Informative
The whole "friends" concept is pretty important and common for online multiplayer FPS games. See Unreal Tournament 2004 for another example. If you don't have any friends, you may ignore this option, plz/thnx.
Anyways, no problems whatsoever with my install via Steam, the only way of getting that game that doesn't involve the publisher taking the product given to them by the developer and packaging it. BTW, VUG's site has an update on the install issues:
Vivendi Universal Games would like to notify you of two important updates regarding the product installation for Half-Life 2. The issues identified below are easily addressed.
1. Half-Life 2 - CD Installation error when Counter-strike: Source is not selected
The following has been identified as a known issue with Half-Life 2 Standard Edition (not Collector's or European DVD editions):
Problem: If during the initial installation process the option to install "Counter-strike: Source" is NOT selected, an error may occur during installation. The message will be: cabinet file error, fatal disk error, or something similar.
Solution: Cancel the current installation process and reinstall the game from the beginning, starting with Disk #1. Make certain to select the option to install both Half-Life 2 and Counter-strike: Source.
Note: If you prefer not to retain the Counter-strike: Source program on your system AFTER INSTALLATION, you can remove it using the following procedure:
* After HL2 has been successfully installed, open up the Steam client.
* Select the Play Games list
* RIGHT click on Counter-strike: Source and select Properties
* Select "Delete Local Content."
2. Product Authentication Delay When Installing Half-Life 2
Some consumers may experience delays in authenticating Half-Life 2 during the installation process. This is due to the high volume of consumers who have purchased Half-Life 2 and are installing the game, which is causing high traffic on the Steam authentication servers. Please inform any Half-Life 2 customers that encounter this situation to keep trying, as this is a temporary delay.
I also know that I don't care. I got my game direct from the developers and haven't had problems other than the little stuttering bug and the desire to upgrade my computer so I can run HL2 with full AA and AF. I can't imagine what the performance hit would be like trying to run it under Cedega (WineX)... gah.
Of course... its called "leasing". Perhaps you've heard of it.
Many people choose to lease or rent the use of things because the costs of ownership and full rights are too high. That is how things work. Those who own or have the resources get to choose how their property is used, or at least dictate the terms under which someone else may use it. Those who create always get to choose whether they create with their own resources, or do so with someone elses... and have to make that choice with the possibility that they only get access to someone else's resources with some conditions attached.
What you are advocating is that creative people get resources handed to them and get to set the terms under which this happens. Sounds like theft or some perverse brand of artistic communism to me. Surely you aren't trying to claim that it is fair for someone to get the product of another person's work simply because they need or want it?
Hardly. They distributed copies via bittorrent and tracked who downloaded it. Easy. No unauthorized access or interference with computer systems. Its like putting security cameras up to catch the idiots trying to rob you.
By the way, if you think the MPAA, RIAA, and other game developers haven't caught on that bittorrent is used for 35% of Internet traffic and is designed so that it is trivial to track IPs access your tracker, then you are a fool.
I saw an opening video... and I thought the intro into the game was pretty good, gets you in there, and gives you some time to get used to the inclusion of a pretty decent effort at modelling physics... and I have no idea what you are talking about re: bugs, I'm not having any problems at all.
Maybe Vivendi shipped you a Beta build on a fancy cdrom?;)
This has nothing to do with our society, this is a matter of the people with money setting the terms under which they will hand out that money (which is just), and too many artists selling their rights to the material rather than fighting those terms or choosing to shop their skills around to another investor (which is lazy/unfortunate/dumb/whatever).
So is it just? Sure. Is it fair? Sure, they artists signed the contract.
Sounds like artists have dug themselves a hole for generations thanks to patronage etc. Is it time for artists to reclaim their rights? Absolutely. Many are. Does our society actually give tham that opportunity? Definitely.
I had no problem at all, and was playing when I was ready to play. The initial wander through the city was fun, IMO. It gives you a chance to get familiar with the excellent physics engine, pick up and throw dismembered baby dolls, put boots into boxes, throw softdrink cans at things, etc. That being said, I managed to get myself into the expected "OMG HERE THEY COME, RUN!" state that is necessary to continue the plot. It felt extremely natural and emerged from a bit of random wandering. Of course, it took only one brush with Tha Man to learn that when the guards tell me to back off, I back off... and when the guards started to swarm, I got the hell outta there.
As far as I'm concerned, it may very well be the best game ever.
No, but you do deprive them of compensation for a product which you do value. It is no less impactful than not purchasing and not using, since both (not purchase, use) and (not purchase, do not use) deprive them of the compensation. I think you are implying (or maybe you said it explicitly earlier) that using the product without paying for it still benefits them in some way... I think they deserve at least that if the product is still valued, even if the way they treat staff is awful;)
The game needs to authenticate against the Valve's Steam network, after that Internet access is not required. I suspect that people with no access to Internet whatsoever (i.e., not through friends, family, public access, free dialup, etc) are not people who are going to be interested in the game, nor are there enough of those throwbacks to justify not requiring online validation to reduce piracy costs.
For hockey fans, the only excuse to choose EA over ESPN's NHL title for consoles is the very annoyed Franchise bug that will sting you if you play franchise mode with injuries turned on. That aside, the gameplay and realism of ESPN's NHL 2K5 game is much much better than EA Sport's NHL 2005. I'm not sure about the other titles, but I have copies of EA's FIFA and Madden being shipped to me.
Obviously, I'm not going to boycot EA. I like some of their products. IMO, if people don't like working there then they should quit. If EA doesn't have the talent to produce the games then their business fails. The abused employees need to do their part to affect the system, my responsibility as a consumer is to make choices based on merit displayed by the products and customer service.
As a note, EA's customer service for their PC version of NHL 2004 was awful, and I haven't bought their hockey titles for either Xbox or PC for a couple years.
I think he blames Shrub for it because it is very fashionable around the worldto blame Bush for everything that is wrong with the US now. Instead, we should all blame a slim majority of Americans who keep voting for these assclowns.
*golf clap*
Re:I've never understood the obsession with Halo
on
Halo 2 Reviews
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· Score: 1
See the point above about it being the best shooter a console can offer. I think that is it in a nutshell. Consoles and FPS games is a fairly awkward combination, but for some reason people like Halo. I've never played Halo on the Xbox, and I'm not sure I care to after playing it on the PC. I'm still debating getting Halo 2 now or waiting for the PC version, which is still a far superior gaming platform.
Thats irrelevant, it is the proportion that matters not the total number of votes. By the same logic you could also claim that there are more gay people (totally unsubstantiated but probably true) in the US than under any president in history, therefore Bush causes people to be homosexual. Populations increase. Bush only got ~51% of the popular vote. That is hardly a decisive victory. He won the election by a narrow margain, however the republicans have a majority in senate, house, and they have the presidency.
Let's not try to lie with numbers to pretend that Bush himself dominated Kerry in this election, or that the citizens of the US are united in any way shape or form. They are pretty much split down the middle, however in your silly 2 party system that means majority rule. In Canada, with multiple parties, a slim margin of victory (like what Bush got this election) means you have a tenuous hold on leadership.
Are you trying to perpetuate the stereotype that geeks can't cook, shop, or take care of themselves in general?
The proper geekish solution to #1 is the wonderful technology of the fridge and the freezer. #2 doesn't really make me want to choose SPAM over a can of soup, dry pasta and jar of sauce, or other non-noxious food products. #3 seems to assume that not being able to make healthy choices in convenient foods is somehow tied to being a "geek", geek itself generally implying intelligence and technical savvy;)
Soon Google will do it for you, so that the US Gov has a one-stop-shop for all their US-PATRIOT needs. Its that kind of efficiency that will stop the off-shore migration of jobs and turn the US into the dream home of millions of subjagated foreigners once again!
Which is great, because up here in Canada we're having trouble figuring out where all the Democrats are going to live in the next few weeks...
FWIW, although spam is already cooked, it's vastly improved by frying or barbequeing.
Lots of technically edible things are "vastly improved" by subjecting them to heat, fat, etc. Rats, for example, are vastly improved if you BBQ them. At least I assume they are... if you are going to spend time perfecting SPAM cooking techniques, you might as well spend a bit of time figuring out how to cook rats too.
Personally, I prefer to hit the meat counter at Safeway and bring home a nice thick NY strip. They are pretty damn good when BBQed too.
I was aware of the warranty coverage BEFORE the purchase because the retail outlet made me aware proactively. Failing that, there is also the option of asking or researching before making a purchase. I consider that to be due diligence on the part of a consumer.
As for expectations, I agree that it would be reasonable to expect 1 year of coverage for most computer equipment, such as harddrives or optical drives (as this case relates to). However, expectations and reality don't always coincide, reasonable or not. At most, this guy should get the optical drive replaced if the Courts decide that this reasonable expectation should be upheld.
Oh, and there are design flaws in vehicles all the time. I wouldn't sue if my transmission failed after the warranty period because it would be outside the warranty period. I also wouldn't buy a car that is covered for only 2 years when the standard is at least 3. Its not a fair comparison anyways, you don't trust your life to an Xbox when you use it.
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Quit bitching and go write your own open source game that has the same level of quality. Vote with your dollar, and it is how you make your opinion relevant. Those who wish to exchange money for the right to enjoy the product developed by Valve do so as determined by the owner of the property in question. The physical items they got with their purchase, if they didn't order through Steam, is of course theirs to do with as they wish... of course, spending $50 on a pretty coaster is foolish, so they still are subject to the limitations put in place by the owners of the property stored on the media.
In other words, if you purchase the game, you accept the notion of buying a license. If you don't purchase the game, you have no right to play it. If you don't like this, develop your own damn game.
By the way, just because some ghetto consoles don't have network capability by default doesn't mean that will be the case for long. Expect online activity for consoles to be far more common in the near future than it will be for PC games... it will be easy for people who purchase legitimate copies of the game and will work well in places (like Asia and Canada) that have better than the pathetic broadband penetration in the USA.
I don't know how many times I've heard clueless admins tell me that they aren't patching for something because its only exploitable locally...
Anyways, no problems whatsoever with my install via Steam, the only way of getting that game that doesn't involve the publisher taking the product given to them by the developer and packaging it. BTW, VUG's site has an update on the install issues:
I also know that I don't care. I got my game direct from the developers and haven't had problems other than the little stuttering bug and the desire to upgrade my computer so I can run HL2 with full AA and AF. I can't imagine what the performance hit would be like trying to run it under Cedega (WineX)... gah.I can say that, because I'm half German and mah peeps have some experience with that.
Many people choose to lease or rent the use of things because the costs of ownership and full rights are too high. That is how things work. Those who own or have the resources get to choose how their property is used, or at least dictate the terms under which someone else may use it. Those who create always get to choose whether they create with their own resources, or do so with someone elses... and have to make that choice with the possibility that they only get access to someone else's resources with some conditions attached.
What you are advocating is that creative people get resources handed to them and get to set the terms under which this happens. Sounds like theft or some perverse brand of artistic communism to me. Surely you aren't trying to claim that it is fair for someone to get the product of another person's work simply because they need or want it?
By the way, if you think the MPAA, RIAA, and other game developers haven't caught on that bittorrent is used for 35% of Internet traffic and is designed so that it is trivial to track IPs access your tracker, then you are a fool.
I saw an opening video... and I thought the intro into the game was pretty good, gets you in there, and gives you some time to get used to the inclusion of a pretty decent effort at modelling physics... and I have no idea what you are talking about re: bugs, I'm not having any problems at all.
Maybe Vivendi shipped you a Beta build on a fancy cdrom? ;)
So is it just? Sure. Is it fair? Sure, they artists signed the contract.
Sounds like artists have dug themselves a hole for generations thanks to patronage etc. Is it time for artists to reclaim their rights? Absolutely. Many are. Does our society actually give tham that opportunity? Definitely.
I had no problem at all, and was playing when I was ready to play. The initial wander through the city was fun, IMO. It gives you a chance to get familiar with the excellent physics engine, pick up and throw dismembered baby dolls, put boots into boxes, throw softdrink cans at things, etc. That being said, I managed to get myself into the expected "OMG HERE THEY COME, RUN!" state that is necessary to continue the plot. It felt extremely natural and emerged from a bit of random wandering. Of course, it took only one brush with Tha Man to learn that when the guards tell me to back off, I back off... and when the guards started to swarm, I got the hell outta there.
As far as I'm concerned, it may very well be the best game ever.
No, but you do deprive them of compensation for a product which you do value. It is no less impactful than not purchasing and not using, since both (not purchase, use) and (not purchase, do not use) deprive them of the compensation. I think you are implying (or maybe you said it explicitly earlier) that using the product without paying for it still benefits them in some way... I think they deserve at least that if the product is still valued, even if the way they treat staff is awful ;)
The game needs to authenticate against the Valve's Steam network, after that Internet access is not required. I suspect that people with no access to Internet whatsoever (i.e., not through friends, family, public access, free dialup, etc) are not people who are going to be interested in the game, nor are there enough of those throwbacks to justify not requiring online validation to reduce piracy costs.
Obviously, I'm not going to boycot EA. I like some of their products. IMO, if people don't like working there then they should quit. If EA doesn't have the talent to produce the games then their business fails. The abused employees need to do their part to affect the system, my responsibility as a consumer is to make choices based on merit displayed by the products and customer service.
As a note, EA's customer service for their PC version of NHL 2004 was awful, and I haven't bought their hockey titles for either Xbox or PC for a couple years.
I was hoping for a real update on United Linux, i.e. is it dead or not? I will henceforth call it Schrodinger Linux.
Like who? Former Nazi war criminal, perhaps? Slobodan Milosevic?
*golf clap*
See the point above about it being the best shooter a console can offer. I think that is it in a nutshell. Consoles and FPS games is a fairly awkward combination, but for some reason people like Halo. I've never played Halo on the Xbox, and I'm not sure I care to after playing it on the PC. I'm still debating getting Halo 2 now or waiting for the PC version, which is still a far superior gaming platform.
Thats irrelevant, it is the proportion that matters not the total number of votes. By the same logic you could also claim that there are more gay people (totally unsubstantiated but probably true) in the US than under any president in history, therefore Bush causes people to be homosexual. Populations increase. Bush only got ~51% of the popular vote. That is hardly a decisive victory. He won the election by a narrow margain, however the republicans have a majority in senate, house, and they have the presidency.
Let's not try to lie with numbers to pretend that Bush himself dominated Kerry in this election, or that the citizens of the US are united in any way shape or form. They are pretty much split down the middle, however in your silly 2 party system that means majority rule. In Canada, with multiple parties, a slim margin of victory (like what Bush got this election) means you have a tenuous hold on leadership.
The proper geekish solution to #1 is the wonderful technology of the fridge and the freezer. #2 doesn't really make me want to choose SPAM over a can of soup, dry pasta and jar of sauce, or other non-noxious food products. #3 seems to assume that not being able to make healthy choices in convenient foods is somehow tied to being a "geek", geek itself generally implying intelligence and technical savvy ;)
Which is great, because up here in Canada we're having trouble figuring out where all the Democrats are going to live in the next few weeks...
Personally, I prefer to hit the meat counter at Safeway and bring home a nice thick NY strip. They are pretty damn good when BBQed too.
I'm not sure any of those tactics will protect against SCO/Darl Zombies, however.. coming soon on Fox: "When Darls Attack".
I can't believe it took them this long to select that.
Thats right, all two of them are in a totally different league than the drooling Linux masses...
As for expectations, I agree that it would be reasonable to expect 1 year of coverage for most computer equipment, such as harddrives or optical drives (as this case relates to). However, expectations and reality don't always coincide, reasonable or not. At most, this guy should get the optical drive replaced if the Courts decide that this reasonable expectation should be upheld.
Oh, and there are design flaws in vehicles all the time. I wouldn't sue if my transmission failed after the warranty period because it would be outside the warranty period. I also wouldn't buy a car that is covered for only 2 years when the standard is at least 3. Its not a fair comparison anyways, you don't trust your life to an Xbox when you use it.