And this is why I would *NEVER* give the MTA or any other similar organization free will to deduct money from my checking account and/or bill my credit card in exchange for saving a few seconds when I travel. Nope. Never. Not gonna do it.
And this doesn't even cover how they now send you tickets using data gathered by these systems. So now you don't even need to get caught by a live policeman. So much for due process.
Most phones here are not locked. Once you fulfill your contract you are free to go to another carrier provided they use the same protocol. And in most (if not all) cases you can port your number too.
And no one forces you to get a phone at a discount in exchange for a contract. You can simply buy the phone and go month to month, no strings attached.
I get irate over stuff like this cause it's not like people don't know what they're getting into. They know they're signing a contract. No one is twisting your arm. Yet you do it anyway and then bitch and moan that you're not getting a fair shake. Well who told you to sign a contract? It's "I want, I want, I want I want." I want the latest and greatest phone (but I don't want to pay full price for it), I want to use it on any network (even though I signed a contract and agreed to stay on said network for 2 years), I don't want to pay anything for text messages cause the carriers don't (like their cost is somehow relevant), and I want customer service reps to kiss my ass and give me anything I want (lotsa luck here considering most are paid minimum wage or are on the other side of the planet).
Well it don't work that way. If you want all the premium features you are going to have to play by their rules. Now you can avoid all this aggravation by picking up a cheap phone and going month to month, but oh heavens! what will my friends think if I don't have the latest iPhone?!?!? How will I hide my shame?!?!? Or show my face in public ever again?!?!?! Default ringtone <gasp!>. A phone that can't translate Chinese (for when you're at the Chinese restaurant of course), wash your car, hang your pictures, walk your pets, do your dishes, and fold your laundry???? Oh noes! How will you go on????
If you must be on the bleeding edge, then expect to get a little bloody.
It' not like cell phones are a necessity in day to day life like electricity or water. I'm usually all for protecting consumers, but in situations like this it's going too far. Speak with your wallet, and they will listen. We have problems right now that are a whole lot more important than this kind of vanity BS.
We only have ourselves to blame. These companies are making billions of dollars because *we continue to give them money*. How did humans ever survive without cell phones?
Outrageous text message rates? THEN DON'T SEND TEXT MESSAGES. It's that simple. If people stopped paying for their crap, their prices would lower and their customer service would get better.
They have no incentive to be competitive or nice, cause they rape us blind with fees and treat us like shit, YET WE KEEP PAYING THEM EVERY MONTH.
Hello. Wake up call. I gave up the monthly cell phone years ago. I keep a pre paid phone for emergencies and that's it. And y'know what, I don't miss it for a second. I actually enjoy the peace and quiet. You don't realize how much of your life is sucked up by this crap until you free yourself.
I'd go with Neil too. While not as nerdy as previous generations' "science guys", he really does have a passion for science and seems genuinely interested in spreading the love.
And Nova Science Now is a great show for the kids.
Playing a game well is definitely a skill. But you also need to define "well". Just about anyone can pick up an MMO and play reasonably well, with limited skills and knowledge. Those that go the extra mile, who learn to use every aspect of the game to their advantage, who strive to always have the best stats and gear; these are the "skilled" players.
Of course it's a somewhat limited skill set. But it's still a skill set nonetheless.
You somehow equate DRM with making bad sequels. I don't see how the two are related.
I don't believe the point of this service is DRM, but agree it's a strong side effect *only* if you don't already have a copy of the game locally. As each publisher is free to decide how one gains access to their Gaikai games who's to say they won't require you to buy the game from a local retailer first? While some might opt for a Gaikai-only option I don't think this will be the norm for current games, only older titles. Hell, some publishers may refuse to host current games altogether, choosing only to offer their back catalog, either on a game-by-game basis or a subscription model. Gaikai just serves up the games, it doesn't control access to them.
And while "dumb terminals" is an oversimplification, in reality you only need a machine that can decode flash with reasonable efficiency. I have a 1.8GHz single core Sempron server that can do that.
I can see how hardware manufacturer's might squint a bit at Gaikai and perhaps perceive it as threatening, but once they understand the target demo and what ultimately can and can't be done I think it'll become a non-issue. Gaikai is not going to put Nvidia, ATI, Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo out of business. It *will*, however, add a source of revenue previously lost to them -- that of the casual gamer who is unwilling or unable to buy the required hardware to play them the conventional way.
Cause everything old comes back into vogue at one point or another. As long as they don't try coding the games in COBOL or FORTRAN I'm good.
The mainframe/terminal relationship served us well for almost 40 years. I mean really, isn't the entire web nothing more than a fancy mainframe/terminal operation?
When I was a kid I used to play tic tac toe on a Hazeltine mainframe from the terminal in our house with an acoustic coupler. The mainframe did all the thinking and the dumb terminal recorded my input and spit out what the mainframe sent. I don't see how this is essentially any different.
We talk of "cloud computing" like its something brand new, but you're right, it ain't.
I see and fully understand your points, but it's not as if Gaikai intends to dethrone consoles or make them obsolete. Sure there will be many features not available to people if you don't buy the console, which of course is the #1 reason why the service will never replace them.
I actually think this is a good thing for Gaikai, and probably is what's going to work in its favor. It's not something that will appeal to hardcore gamers (perhaps only as a remote solution). But it can open up a completely viable revenue stream for casual gamers that perhaps want to only buy a few titles here and there without the major hardware expense.
But you're right in that that console makers will have to see it this way and decide to make the leap. We'll see if that happens.
As I said before, a service like this won't stop people from buying consoles. Eurogamer even mentions this. Yes there will always be a few % points lost for those that could have or would have bought the console but ultimately didn't, but these losses would ultimately be made up in game revenue.
Even if you consider end-of-life profits on the consoles they make many magnitudes more money on the games.
I wouldn't be surprised if the consoles balk at the idea at first, simply because it's completely new territory.
I dunno, maybe I'm just on the other side of the fence. I don't own a single next-gen console, mainly because I can't justify the cost of the console on top of the games. So I simply stick to PC games.
There are a few console games I would love to play, but not enough to warrant the cost of all three consoles. So they aren't getting a dime out of me no matter what.
Now if I could buy those games and *not* have to buy the consoles to play them... SOLD!
He wasn't using a LAN in the video. He was using an ordinary Internet connection. He explains this in his blog.
Latency only really becomes an issue with FPS games. Even if FPSs don't turn out to work very well this still leaves a massive amount of content that isn't so latency-dependent.
There are quite a few free-to-play MMOs that currently work like this, e.g. FusionFall. They play just fine.
Did you even READ how this service will work asswipe? Each publisher will control how they allow access to playing the game online. This is NOT Gamefly you douchesac.
And I guess you don't play many games, especially MMOs. Cause the majority you never own. They are "licensed" to you, which is a fancy way of saying "rent", dickwad.
And your concern for the underprivileged is noted, jackass. But I'm thinking game developers would rather consumers not spend $500 on hardware, but rather 8-10 more games.
Not necessarily. It depends upon how it's implemented, which from what I gather would be vendor specific. Some might require you first buy the game and then register to play it online. Others might do use a Steam-like approach.
Worst case, it would have no more impact on used games than Steam does.
And the bandwidth and resolution issue further underscore how this service won't be a replacement for traditional gaming.
A service like this will not replace consoles, at least not anytime within the next 10 years or so. To suggest such a thing is ridiculous. It's merely providing another avenue of access.
Hardly. Console manufacturers don't make money on the hardware, they make money on the software. Those that want the best experience (hi-def, surround sound, etc.) will still buy the hardware. Those that don't or can't afford to now don't have to. But they still need to buy the games. Cha-ching! You've now sold a game to someone who didn't have a console. How exactly is this going to hurt them?
And EMI's stupidity in not embracing 21st century technology shouldn't be held up as a banner example. I'd like to think gaming companies are a tad bit smarter than the recording industry.
Exactly. A service like this opens up gaming to a whole class of players who were currently cut off by the insane cost of "gaming" hardware.
As long as the service doesn't expand into the realm of hi-def gameplay (which is unlikely considering the horrible state of our Internet bandwidth) you'll minimize the exposure of Nvidia, ATI, and console manufacturers.
This service won't supplant buying high end consoles or PC hardware -- this will still be necessary if you want the best gaming experience. But it will allow those who cannot afford to upgrade their hardware to play the games they currently can't. It's a win-win for everyone.
Wow, I guess I'm the only one excited by this technology. I really don't see any downsides. I think you guys are just being whiners, as seems to be the usual around here.
A lot of this discussion is rather binary, with talk of walking versus instant teleportation. I think the real answer is somewhere in the middle. I don't think instant teleportation is the answer. I think faster moving speeds are the key. I don't have a problem "walking" from point A to point B, but the base travel speed in most games is painfully slow. Hell, even normal mount speeds in WoW are too slow (epic land speed feels about right to me).
It's also interesting to note how games like WoW and City of Heroes periodically add new features that help players get around faster. Ground mounts in WoW used to be level 40. Now they are 30. In the next patch they will be 20. Many classes now have talents that boost their running and/or mount speed. So developers obviously know this is a big issue amongst players. I think as a game's life goes on year after year it becomes a bigger and bigger issue for many players, which is probably why the speedups have been slowly added over time.
It also seems very obvious to me why the slow speeds are there to begin with. As others have stated it's simply to ensure it takes players longer to get thru game content. Plain and simple, it's a timesink. But as I said, over time this quickly becomes an annoyance to most, which is why many games keep trying to shoehorn in various kinds of speedups.
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Yes, as long as corporations own our politicians, that's exactly how it's gonna keep working.
And this is why I would *NEVER* give the MTA or any other similar organization free will to deduct money from my checking account and/or bill my credit card in exchange for saving a few seconds when I travel. Nope. Never. Not gonna do it.
And this doesn't even cover how they now send you tickets using data gathered by these systems. So now you don't even need to get caught by a live policeman. So much for due process.
Most phones here are not locked. Once you fulfill your contract you are free to go to another carrier provided they use the same protocol. And in most (if not all) cases you can port your number too.
And no one forces you to get a phone at a discount in exchange for a contract. You can simply buy the phone and go month to month, no strings attached.
I get irate over stuff like this cause it's not like people don't know what they're getting into. They know they're signing a contract. No one is twisting your arm. Yet you do it anyway and then bitch and moan that you're not getting a fair shake. Well who told you to sign a contract? It's "I want, I want, I want I want." I want the latest and greatest phone (but I don't want to pay full price for it), I want to use it on any network (even though I signed a contract and agreed to stay on said network for 2 years), I don't want to pay anything for text messages cause the carriers don't (like their cost is somehow relevant), and I want customer service reps to kiss my ass and give me anything I want (lotsa luck here considering most are paid minimum wage or are on the other side of the planet).
Well it don't work that way. If you want all the premium features you are going to have to play by their rules. Now you can avoid all this aggravation by picking up a cheap phone and going month to month, but oh heavens! what will my friends think if I don't have the latest iPhone?!?!? How will I hide my shame?!?!? Or show my face in public ever again?!?!?! Default ringtone <gasp!>. A phone that can't translate Chinese (for when you're at the Chinese restaurant of course), wash your car, hang your pictures, walk your pets, do your dishes, and fold your laundry???? Oh noes! How will you go on????
If you must be on the bleeding edge, then expect to get a little bloody.
It' not like cell phones are a necessity in day to day life like electricity or water. I'm usually all for protecting consumers, but in situations like this it's going too far. Speak with your wallet, and they will listen. We have problems right now that are a whole lot more important than this kind of vanity BS.
There is when you're paying $100 a month for this "convenience". IMO that's pretty idiotic.
We only have ourselves to blame. These companies are making billions of dollars because *we continue to give them money*. How did humans ever survive without cell phones?
Outrageous text message rates? THEN DON'T SEND TEXT MESSAGES. It's that simple. If people stopped paying for their crap, their prices would lower and their customer service would get better.
They have no incentive to be competitive or nice, cause they rape us blind with fees and treat us like shit, YET WE KEEP PAYING THEM EVERY MONTH.
Hello. Wake up call. I gave up the monthly cell phone years ago. I keep a pre paid phone for emergencies and that's it. And y'know what, I don't miss it for a second. I actually enjoy the peace and quiet. You don't realize how much of your life is sucked up by this crap until you free yourself.
I'd go with Neil too. While not as nerdy as previous generations' "science guys", he really does have a passion for science and seems genuinely interested in spreading the love.
And Nova Science Now is a great show for the kids.
I meant it as a combined point; those that learn all aspects of the game AND strive to have the best stats and gear.
I agree with what you've said, but when all else is equal the player with the better gear is going to have the advantage.
Min/maxing in itself is still a skill.
Playing a game well is definitely a skill. But you also need to define "well". Just about anyone can pick up an MMO and play reasonably well, with limited skills and knowledge. Those that go the extra mile, who learn to use every aspect of the game to their advantage, who strive to always have the best stats and gear; these are the "skilled" players.
Of course it's a somewhat limited skill set. But it's still a skill set nonetheless.
I seriously can't argue with this level of batshittery. You win!
You somehow equate DRM with making bad sequels. I don't see how the two are related.
I don't believe the point of this service is DRM, but agree it's a strong side effect *only* if you don't already have a copy of the game locally. As each publisher is free to decide how one gains access to their Gaikai games who's to say they won't require you to buy the game from a local retailer first? While some might opt for a Gaikai-only option I don't think this will be the norm for current games, only older titles. Hell, some publishers may refuse to host current games altogether, choosing only to offer their back catalog, either on a game-by-game basis or a subscription model. Gaikai just serves up the games, it doesn't control access to them.
And while "dumb terminals" is an oversimplification, in reality you only need a machine that can decode flash with reasonable efficiency. I have a 1.8GHz single core Sempron server that can do that.
I can see how hardware manufacturer's might squint a bit at Gaikai and perhaps perceive it as threatening, but once they understand the target demo and what ultimately can and can't be done I think it'll become a non-issue. Gaikai is not going to put Nvidia, ATI, Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo out of business. It *will*, however, add a source of revenue previously lost to them -- that of the casual gamer who is unwilling or unable to buy the required hardware to play them the conventional way.
Your entire post screams "paranoia".
Cause everything old comes back into vogue at one point or another. As long as they don't try coding the games in COBOL or FORTRAN I'm good.
The mainframe/terminal relationship served us well for almost 40 years. I mean really, isn't the entire web nothing more than a fancy mainframe/terminal operation?
When I was a kid I used to play tic tac toe on a Hazeltine mainframe from the terminal in our house with an acoustic coupler. The mainframe did all the thinking and the dumb terminal recorded my input and spit out what the mainframe sent. I don't see how this is essentially any different.
We talk of "cloud computing" like its something brand new, but you're right, it ain't.
Whatever you say. Asscrack.
I'm betting you're a "glass half empty" sorta guy...
I see and fully understand your points, but it's not as if Gaikai intends to dethrone consoles or make them obsolete. Sure there will be many features not available to people if you don't buy the console, which of course is the #1 reason why the service will never replace them.
I actually think this is a good thing for Gaikai, and probably is what's going to work in its favor. It's not something that will appeal to hardcore gamers (perhaps only as a remote solution). But it can open up a completely viable revenue stream for casual gamers that perhaps want to only buy a few titles here and there without the major hardware expense.
But you're right in that that console makers will have to see it this way and decide to make the leap. We'll see if that happens.
As I said before, a service like this won't stop people from buying consoles. Eurogamer even mentions this. Yes there will always be a few % points lost for those that could have or would have bought the console but ultimately didn't, but these losses would ultimately be made up in game revenue.
Even if you consider end-of-life profits on the consoles they make many magnitudes more money on the games.
I wouldn't be surprised if the consoles balk at the idea at first, simply because it's completely new territory.
I dunno, maybe I'm just on the other side of the fence. I don't own a single next-gen console, mainly because I can't justify the cost of the console on top of the games. So I simply stick to PC games.
There are a few console games I would love to play, but not enough to warrant the cost of all three consoles. So they aren't getting a dime out of me no matter what.
Now if I could buy those games and *not* have to buy the consoles to play them... SOLD!
So again I ask, how is this a loss?
The USA has abysmal broadband service. Europe and Asia beat us hands down.
Why do you assume this service is rentals? There is absolutely nothing that indicates this is how it will work.
He wasn't using a LAN in the video. He was using an ordinary Internet connection. He explains this in his blog.
Latency only really becomes an issue with FPS games. Even if FPSs don't turn out to work very well this still leaves a massive amount of content that isn't so latency-dependent.
There are quite a few free-to-play MMOs that currently work like this, e.g. FusionFall. They play just fine.
Did you even READ how this service will work asswipe? Each publisher will control how they allow access to playing the game online. This is NOT Gamefly you douchesac.
And I guess you don't play many games, especially MMOs. Cause the majority you never own. They are "licensed" to you, which is a fancy way of saying "rent", dickwad.
And your concern for the underprivileged is noted, jackass. But I'm thinking game developers would rather consumers not spend $500 on hardware, but rather 8-10 more games.
Wake up shitforbrains. This is the future.
Not necessarily. It depends upon how it's implemented, which from what I gather would be vendor specific. Some might require you first buy the game and then register to play it online. Others might do use a Steam-like approach.
Worst case, it would have no more impact on used games than Steam does.
And the bandwidth and resolution issue further underscore how this service won't be a replacement for traditional gaming.
A service like this will not replace consoles, at least not anytime within the next 10 years or so. To suggest such a thing is ridiculous. It's merely providing another avenue of access.
Hardly. Console manufacturers don't make money on the hardware, they make money on the software. Those that want the best experience (hi-def, surround sound, etc.) will still buy the hardware. Those that don't or can't afford to now don't have to. But they still need to buy the games. Cha-ching! You've now sold a game to someone who didn't have a console. How exactly is this going to hurt them?
And EMI's stupidity in not embracing 21st century technology shouldn't be held up as a banner example. I'd like to think gaming companies are a tad bit smarter than the recording industry.
Exactly. A service like this opens up gaming to a whole class of players who were currently cut off by the insane cost of "gaming" hardware.
As long as the service doesn't expand into the realm of hi-def gameplay (which is unlikely considering the horrible state of our Internet bandwidth) you'll minimize the exposure of Nvidia, ATI, and console manufacturers.
This service won't supplant buying high end consoles or PC hardware -- this will still be necessary if you want the best gaming experience. But it will allow those who cannot afford to upgrade their hardware to play the games they currently can't. It's a win-win for everyone.
Wow, I guess I'm the only one excited by this technology. I really don't see any downsides. I think you guys are just being whiners, as seems to be the usual around here.
A lot of this discussion is rather binary, with talk of walking versus instant teleportation. I think the real answer is somewhere in the middle. I don't think instant teleportation is the answer. I think faster moving speeds are the key. I don't have a problem "walking" from point A to point B, but the base travel speed in most games is painfully slow. Hell, even normal mount speeds in WoW are too slow (epic land speed feels about right to me).
It's also interesting to note how games like WoW and City of Heroes periodically add new features that help players get around faster. Ground mounts in WoW used to be level 40. Now they are 30. In the next patch they will be 20. Many classes now have talents that boost their running and/or mount speed. So developers obviously know this is a big issue amongst players. I think as a game's life goes on year after year it becomes a bigger and bigger issue for many players, which is probably why the speedups have been slowly added over time.
It also seems very obvious to me why the slow speeds are there to begin with. As others have stated it's simply to ensure it takes players longer to get thru game content. Plain and simple, it's a timesink. But as I said, over time this quickly becomes an annoyance to most, which is why many games keep trying to shoehorn in various kinds of speedups.