These days, instead of asking for money, most developers place the products for free (if they can) or pay a company for the use of a logo (if they must). The reason: Name brands enhance the realism of a game.
You might be right when it comes to movies/tv, but there seems to already be a consensus that subtle product placements in video games don't work.
It may be realistic, but frankly I find it distracting. While it would be pretty lame to see someone drinking Cola® brand Cola, a made up name that's clever and/or silly can add much more to my enjoyment of a game than the "realism" of product placement. "Fried Chicken Restaurant" isn't the only alternative to "Kentucky Fried Chicken" as suggested in the article. How about something like (off the top of my head, not necessarily a good example) "Kentucky Fried Sushi"? Players would get a giggle out of the blatant yet skewed reference, and no one has to worry about integrity. Admittedly, this would work better in an Earthworm Jim style game that was designed to make gamers laugh to begin with than in "Die Hard: Nakitomi Plaza" (I hope that's just a working title). Mind you, I'm only talking about games here. Movies should stay away from sight-gags as much as possible, but since they're just about the only type of gag you can sneak into most video games, I say bring 'em on!
And if i want to tap into Exxon's gas lines and give their gas out for free, any gasoline company that took me to court over it can get stuffed! no, wait...
The only truly insightful comment made so far in this entire discussion was the one asking why Sony was suing and not the software companies(granted, Sony dabbles in software too). This is like Ford suing someone on Exxon's behalf. Of course the difference is that Sony, via licensing fees, has a much higher vested interest in seeing the software companies succeed. Still, since it's the SOFTWARE that's in danger of being pirated, it should be up to the SOFTWARE COMPANIES to defend themselves.
Enter the Business Software Alliance. How long before Capcom joins forces with Microsoft? Imagine receiving this postcard in the mail: "Hey little brother, is big bro pushing you around? You may not be able to beat him up, but now you can turn him in!"
I can think of several uses for a modded playstation besides piracy. ALl of them very legal.
2. While not legal changing the region of your DVD to play foriegn movies should be.
3. [identical to 2]
So, really, you were only able to come up with one reason, albeit a good one. But i'd guess that the number of people "backing up" games they actually paid for is dwarved by the number of people just pirating them, in which case it's in Sony's best interest to disallow it.
As for the idiot who started this thread ("Sweet Day for X-Box"), are you implying that Microsoft will go easy on pirates? Does the Business Software Alliance ring a bell? Then again, since the X-Box is really just a trojan built to get into people's living rooms, they might turn a blind eye if it means increased console sales. But the hammer will fall, as always, once they've achieved a comfortable monopoly.
My particular favourite line was regarding "Death Race 2000"
My favorite line was "You earn points by running over stick figures", because I just played Grand Theft Auto 3 for the first time a week ago and it's hilarious how little video games have changed in almost 30 years.
Slightly Offtopic: I looked up the movie that Death Race 2000 was supposedly based on on IMDB. Tagline: "In The Year 2000 Hit And Run Driving Is No Longer A Felony. It's The National Sport!" Sigh, yet another prediction we've failed to live up to.
Well, no. I don't think anyone considers Speed 2: Die Hard on a Bus on a Boat to be "fine art". For a film/play/concert, etc. to be considered art, it should do more than just entertain.
That being said, the real reason most people refuse to accept video games as an art form isn't because they're entertaining, but because they're perceived, often rightly so, as juvenile. When the target audience for games ceases to be 12-18 year olds (and 19-35 year old gamers stop acting like 12-18 year olds), people will rethink their stance on the medium. Hey, it happened with comic boo.. excuse me, Graphic Novels!
...this isn't a patent on pausing. It's a patent on the concept of freezing a live feed and buffering the incoming picture, and then continuing to play a time-delayed picture.
Replace "freezing" with "pausing", which is what you mean, and "buffering" with "recording", which is all it is, and you're defending a 1992 patent on pausing recorded video.
Sigh.. are you referring to this?: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/09/22/132024 2 Because I'm pretty sure the guy you're replying to was. Didn't you wonder why the headline was "STILL MORE Copy Protected CDs"? Why are some people so touchy about having their stories rejected?
Hey, how would anybody know if they've reached the 100,000 hour mark yet? Even if you just left one on for that long, it would take over 10 years to be sure. Anyway, stupid question. You were warned.
As a journalism student at a major university, I feel obligated to inform you (the Slashdot editors) that it's okay to edit quotes for grammar in the interest of clarity. In fact, it's standard practice. Now I don't expect you to go through the message boards fixing everyone's spelling and grammar manglings, but the least you could do is give news submissions a once-over before you post them. If you need to create a copy editing position specifically for this task, please be aware that I am currently available for hire. Thank you.
Hey, they've got their own web site! If they've got their own web site then it must be true! www.sealandgov.com
Here's an excerpt:
"The history of Sealand is a story of a struggle for liberty. Sealand was founded on the principle that any group of people dissatisfied with the oppressive laws and restrictions of existing nation states may declare independence in any place not claimed to be under the jurisdiction of another sovereign entity. The location chosen was Roughs Tower, an island fortress created in World War II by Britain and subsequently abandoned to the jurisdiction of the High Seas. The independence of Sealand was upheld in a 1968 British court decision where the judge held that Roughs Tower stood in international waters and did not fall under the legal jurisdiction of the United Kingdom."
And what if his poor family members weren't lucky enough to have a wealthy relative? Fuck 'em, right? Good plan.
Which gives him two choices:
1 - Contribute to the well being of his family members directly, making sure that they get the full benefit of the money he provides.
Slashdot Mirror
You might be right when it comes to movies/tv, but there seems to already be a consensus that subtle product placements in video games don't work.
It may be realistic, but frankly I find it distracting. While it would be pretty lame to see someone drinking Cola® brand Cola, a made up name that's clever and/or silly can add much more to my enjoyment of a game than the "realism" of product placement. "Fried Chicken Restaurant" isn't the only alternative to "Kentucky Fried Chicken" as suggested in the article. How about something like (off the top of my head, not necessarily a good example) "Kentucky Fried Sushi"? Players would get a giggle out of the blatant yet skewed reference, and no one has to worry about integrity. Admittedly, this would work better in an Earthworm Jim style game that was designed to make gamers laugh to begin with than in "Die Hard: Nakitomi Plaza" (I hope that's just a working title). Mind you, I'm only talking about games here. Movies should stay away from sight-gags as much as possible, but since they're just about the only type of gag you can sneak into most video games, I say bring 'em on!
And if i want to tap into Exxon's gas lines and give their gas out for free, any gasoline company that took me to court over it can get stuffed! no, wait...
The only truly insightful comment made so far in this entire discussion was the one asking why Sony was suing and not the software companies(granted, Sony dabbles in software too). This is like Ford suing someone on Exxon's behalf. Of course the difference is that Sony, via licensing fees, has a much higher vested interest in seeing the software companies succeed. Still, since it's the SOFTWARE that's in danger of being pirated, it should be up to the SOFTWARE COMPANIES to defend themselves.
Enter the Business Software Alliance. How long before Capcom joins forces with Microsoft? Imagine receiving this postcard in the mail: "Hey little brother, is big bro pushing you around? You may not be able to beat him up, but now you can turn him in!"
I can think of several uses for a modded playstation besides piracy. ALl of them very legal.
2. While not legal changing the region of your DVD to play foriegn movies should be.
3. [identical to 2]
So, really, you were only able to come up with one reason, albeit a good one. But i'd guess that the number of people "backing up" games they actually paid for is dwarved by the number of people just pirating them, in which case it's in Sony's best interest to disallow it.
As for the idiot who started this thread ("Sweet Day for X-Box"), are you implying that Microsoft will go easy on pirates? Does the Business Software Alliance ring a bell? Then again, since the X-Box is really just a trojan built to get into people's living rooms, they might turn a blind eye if it means increased console sales. But the hammer will fall, as always, once they've achieved a comfortable monopoly.
So some of us really do just want to avoid region-coding. Now if there was a way to do this without allowing piracy, do you think Sony would allow it?
Buy an imported PS1. Sony allows it.
My particular favourite line was regarding "Death Race 2000" My favorite line was "You earn points by running over stick figures", because I just played Grand Theft Auto 3 for the first time a week ago and it's hilarious how little video games have changed in almost 30 years. Slightly Offtopic: I looked up the movie that Death Race 2000 was supposedly based on on IMDB. Tagline: "In The Year 2000 Hit And Run Driving Is No Longer A Felony. It's The National Sport!" Sigh, yet another prediction we've failed to live up to.
More likely "Lin(ux) Addicts", as in the only people who will buy this thing.
That being said, the real reason most people refuse to accept video games as an art form isn't because they're entertaining, but because they're perceived, often rightly so, as juvenile. When the target audience for games ceases to be 12-18 year olds (and 19-35 year old gamers stop acting like 12-18 year olds), people will rethink their stance on the medium. Hey, it happened with comic boo.. excuse me, Graphic Novels!
vorbis?
Or a closing quotaton mark.
no.
But without science we'd never have figured this, or anything else, out. Pity those who make religion their science.
-1, didn't get joke
Replace "freezing" with "pausing", which is what you mean, and "buffering" with "recording", which is all it is, and you're defending a 1992 patent on pausing recorded video.
Sigh.. are you referring to this?: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/09/22/132024 2
Because I'm pretty sure the guy you're replying to was.
Didn't you wonder why the headline was "STILL MORE Copy Protected CDs"?
Why are some people so touchy about having their stories rejected?
Wow, where do you shop that the employees are so knowledgable about the products? I must go there!
Same here. Slashdot got scooped by Reader's Digest!
Hey, how would anybody know if they've reached the 100,000 hour mark yet? Even if you just left one on for that long, it would take over 10 years to be sure. Anyway, stupid question. You were warned.
can someone please mod this "-1, gullible"?
"-1, humorless" will work as well.
unto! Do UNTO others!
--your friendly neighborhood copy editor
As a journalism student at a major university, I feel obligated to inform you (the Slashdot editors) that it's okay to edit quotes for grammar in the interest of clarity. In fact, it's standard practice. Now I don't expect you to go through the message boards fixing everyone's spelling and grammar manglings, but the least you could do is give news submissions a once-over before you post them. If you need to create a copy editing position specifically for this task, please be aware that I am currently available for hire. Thank you.
Are you implying that asians are categorically uncool?
^_^
Hey, they've got their own web site! If they've got their own web site then it must be true!
www.sealandgov.com
Here's an excerpt:
"The history of Sealand is a story of a struggle for liberty. Sealand was founded on the principle that any group of people dissatisfied with the oppressive laws and restrictions of existing nation states may declare independence in any place not claimed to be under the jurisdiction of another sovereign entity. The location chosen was Roughs Tower, an island fortress created in World War II by Britain and subsequently abandoned to the jurisdiction of the High Seas. The independence of Sealand was upheld in a 1968 British court decision where the judge held that Roughs Tower stood in international waters and did not fall under the legal jurisdiction of the United Kingdom."
Which gives him two choices:
1 - Contribute to the well being of his family members directly, making sure that they get the full benefit of the money he provides.
Quote: ...By pressing on a special key it plays a little melody"
"I'm the operator with my pocket calculator
Calculators and music. Together again, for the first time. Yay.