Re:Nintendo Cliches
on
The Best Of GDC
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Remember when Nintendo said try using a dead pixel DS for a week or two, and if it is too annoying, then we'll replace it for you free of charge?
Well, except for the fact that Nintendo never said that! Nintendo has, from the start, maintained a consumer-friendly policy with respect to their hardware. Sony has consistently tried to foist the problems off onto their users. (Like with the dying PS2's)
has all the learning/tweaking/compiling been worth the extra power/costumizability in the end
I'm an avid Gentoo user, and I've got to say, if you're only considering Gentoo for the speed/power, you might as well put some stickers on your case, because you'll probably notice a bigger speed improvement like that. Gentoo is really useful for the following reason:
Relatively bare-bones linux (like Linux from Scratch) but with excellent documentation. - Fantastic for learing about linux
Customizability - if your distro maintainers chose one route with a package that doesn't meet your needs, your stuck installing from source, and maintaining version upgrades yourself. (Being sure to keep track of config options every time) - with Gentoo, you set the appropiate config option (called USE-flags) and you're good from then on.
Support community - no matter who you are, sometimes you will have problems. Pretty much every problem I've ever had on Linux took a simple search on the Gentoo forums to find the solution in less than five minutes. (Even when my problems aren't on Gentoo Linux, I always search the Gentoo forums first, as they're usually more likely to contain a useful answer)
Available packages - Everything under the sun (and I mean, just about everything you could want) is already packaged for Gentoo. Meaning, unlike with some other distros, you won't have to go searching for someone else's packages to install what you want. It's already there, with just one line to search and install.
Support community - oh wait, did I mention this already? It deserves a second mention because it really is fantastic. I've never been more impressed with the amount of community help available.
One very bizarre, but incredibly helpful word for you: Wiki
Even if you only do it in restricted form (verified commits on private site) you'll find that the volunteer work of all of your users will give you a much better final product than whatever you release. (Your users can even help out early of you do a release-early release-often model.
You'll get to leverage the power of open-source (the community) because you have a know community already.
On the same topic, something else you might want to provide are skeletons (working stubs that do nothing, but have all of the crap-work already done for starting projects), and a very simple, but fully functional project that takes advantage of the SDK, to show how you expect it to be used.
...and we immediately see the problem with scanning the books into their database. Take Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, for instance. The book has entered the public domain, and you can access the Project Gutenberg book here.
Google's copy, however, is scanned from the PenguinClassics version, which is copyrighted (the formatting, and images). So, on Google Books, you are unable to read the book, even though it has enetered the public domain.
Whatever you end up reading, I suggest you get some real users to sit down in front of it and test it. You need to be sure that the end user understands what you mean by what you say.
For instance, in this posting, your use of OS for Open Source instead of OSS for Open Source Software was mildly confusing because in the specialized world that is IT, OS, by convention, usually refers to Operating System. If you'd sat down and tested with a focus group, you might not have made this error;)
Seriously, though, you'll get the best UI you can design if you just sit down with the end users and let them show you what makes sense for them...
In the case you mentioned, with each module having global save state, what you might prefer to do would be to create a GameState base class, mostly virtual, with static methods for registering into a list of modules, and for iterating that list to actually save that data.
In each module specific subclass, you implement the necessary storage, interfaces for the module, and the virtuals for actually performing the save or load.
With proper helper functions, you can save yourself some code, and avaid any namespace issues. Plus, you'll have a framework that will be easily reusable for the next game you write, rather than having to write it all from scratch again.
The problem with GM food has has nothing to do with fear of mutant food. The problem with GM food is the introduction of this horrific system of intellectual property.<sneer/>
America has become less and less of an industrial producer and more and more based on the service industry. How does a service industry nation support itself? By living off of other industrial nations. How do we get them to support us? By convincing them that our ideas are worth paying for. We've been doing this with TV, movies, and music for some time, as well as technological ideas, but as these industries are maturing in other nations, we need more things that foreign countries will pay us for.
This is why the U.S. is so insistent on giving G.M. food as aid. Once it's in the country, the poor farmers will have no choice but to be beholden to the IP owners for the rest of their lives, something which I find particularly disgusting.
Monsanto (a Canadian company) has been trying the razor/blade model (GM food/pesticide), but they've hit the jackpot! They've invented a razor that turns all neighboring razors into the same kind of razor!
Once you drop the IP restrictions on GM food, there are no complaints, but there are also no reasons to try and force it on anyone either, and it becomes a moot point. Life IS open source, and most people want to keep it that way.
As much as extended warranties are usually a ripoff, there are certain things I go along for just because I don't want to deal with suddenly not having them. PDA's are like that. I want a replacement immediately if I've got a problem with my PDA.
That being said, Best Buy has been very good to my friends and me with regards to warranty service. I had a friend with a similar issue to yours, and she was given a brand new laptop two years after hers kept going in for repais on the same problem. (The CD drive kept dying on a Toshiba laptop)
<<I will exchange a London number for a New York number... any takers...>>
I've heard rumors that Vontage is none too hip to this idea. While the advertise the fact that you can make a call from *anywhere* with an internet connection I've been told they crack down if you use the service too much i.e. if you were to buy a box with a New York number and use it only in London.
I've got to say that this is not true at all. I use Vonage from France with a U.S. phone number (about 3 hours of phone calls every weekend). When Vonage found out about this, not only weren't they bothered, but they asked to me to do an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Also, they now happily offer up the virtual phone numbers in all of their countries to any customer for around $5/month. If I want, I can add a UK, US, Canada, or Mexico phone number.
Source Engine? Am I the only one here who thinks that Valve is trying to capitlize on the mindshare of Open Source Software by calling their engine "Source"?
First thing I thought when I heard the name was that it might just be something like that (with source available), but, alas, no...
Oh well, time to find a printer manufacturer with printers as their core business instead of selling printer ink for gold-prices.
Try Canon. I did my research because I was disgusted with all the crappy printer companies, and Canon is still doing it right. I recommend the i4000r. It prints out flawless photos, has networking built-in, and, if you live in Europe, also has a CD/DVD printer builtin. It's got two inputs (a tray, and a tilted slot, and even prints on both sides of the page. At 200 Euros, it's more expensive than your standard crappy printers, but the money you save in ink should more than make up for it.
someone starts downloading child porn and The Anarchist's Cookbook
Why are these two even in the same sentence? The Anarchist's Cookbook is legal to peruse and distribute. Most of the things you can learn from it can be used for shady purposes, but the information is still protected by the first ammendment...
I've been waiting for just such an article as this to point out something that I've recently come to realize. Everytime there's a copyright article on Slashdot, there is the inevitable discussion on "piracy", "copyright infringement", and "stealing". In going over all of the arguments, I've come to realize that it is stealing, only everyone's got it backwards, the *AA, et al, are stealing from ME...
The U.S. constitution makes it clear that works protected by copyright belong to the public, and granting of copyright should apply only to authors and inventors to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts".
Well, each time Congress extends the length of copyright or strengthens patent law, they're stealing from me, they're stealing from you, and they're stealing from each person in this country who could gain anything from that work, even if it's just 90 minutes of enjoyment from watching an old movie for free. I, for one, am outraged, and now that Congress has turned to looting from me for the benefit of the few who are wealthy and powerful, I will feel no remorse when I download music, or copy DVDs.
It's high time we started taking back our country, and if you think that control of information isn't the most important thing we have to fight for, then you've never studied oppressive regimes. So, copy a DVD for your family, download some MP3s, and help to start a revolution (in thought)...
Here's one that no one else probably thought of. If the software runs on linux, load it up in valgrind with the calltree tool, use it a little, and look at the kcachegrind visualizations. It'll give you an idea of what code is actually used, and how it's interrelated.
As someone who's gone through this, I can assure you, technical language is going to be the least of your problems. I moved to France without speaking any French, and technical French was what I learned first and easiest, as there's a lot of influence from English, and it's what I used most. My French colleagues say the same thing about their English. Technical jargon is what they learned first and easiest.
Conversational language is what you'll have the most problems with. While there will be only one word for database, or network, there are three different ways to say that you're happy, or 19 different ways to express you feelings for someone.
So, to sum up... Don't sweat the small stuff, and start boning up for everything else...
All that said, I seem to remember reading about how Microsoft was dropping.NET
You're probably thinking of when Microsoft dropped the.NET branding from all of their server software. Originally, there was going to be a Windows Server.NET, and a SQL Server.NET, etc. Combined with the.NET branding on the languages, no one really knew what it meant to be ".NET".
Because of this, Microsoft cancelled all of their plans for.NET servers. This left Visual Studio.NET, which is used for developing the.NET languages. Programs written in.NET languages run on top of the.NET framework. (The Common Language Runtime.)
Antoher factor in the dropping of the.NET branding for the servers, I'm sure, is that it would have meant more stringent requirements for release dates, and it would have been more difficult to move to the next version (forced upgrades) without some branding confusion. (Think "Windows Server.NET Two!" Wait, is there a new version of.NET? Will my applications run on it? etc.)
It's not such a great event. Wing Commander 3 heralded the death of the series, and the birth of video games like Metal Gear. They may have excellent gameplay, but when you have to sit through hours of dialogue to be able to get to the gameplay, it crosses from gameplay into interactive theater.
<rant>I use to love the Final Fantasy series, but there's more CG video now than gameplay. I mostly play platformers nowadays so I don't have to deal with that crap.</rant> That's one of the things I like about the Gamecube. The disc size encourages vast models with detailed textures, but definitely discourages streaming video...
I can't wait for the first person who loses their savegame state when playing Metail Gear on a PSP. Either you save it just before the dialogue, and you have to sit through it again, or you try to save just after, and the battery cuts out on you before you get there...
Without quite a bit of extra typing? You just need to add triangle brackets to signifiy the word break. (Don't forget to escape them.) For instance, if I want to search for words ending in x, I type "/x\>" (the front slash to signify the search). For the word "i" all alone, it's "/\". Simple as that.
I did this over a year and a half ago, and now I'm firmly installed in Antibes, which is on the south coast of France, with Nice 20 minutes to the East, and Cannes 10-15 to the West.
My story isn't the most helpful, as I kind of forced my way in. I got a contract position working from the U.S., and made myself so useful that they wanted to bring me over because they felt that THEY were the ones losing by having me far away. They were very reluctant to go through with the official employment because of fears of how tough the French government would be, but it turned out to be so much easier than anyone expected.
I almost think that all the fears of Visa sponsorship or more fear than reality, so you might want to convince your prospective employers to just give it a try, as the cost to apply is often very little (100 - 150 Euros usually).
Some things to remember when coming over: Start learning your new language now. It's hard enough starting over in a new environment, the language barrier makes it even tougher. Expect to deal with some anti-American hostility, (but realize it's a broad projection, and not targeted at you specifically). Prepare yourself for new experiences, and try to embrace, rather than reject, things that are unfamiliar.
And finally, above all else, remember this. You'll be in a foreign country, speaking a new language, and you'll finally get to be that exotic foreign type who comes to the company and speaks with a sexy accent...;)
For the love of... Please get to them before they master this on their own. Teach them, and let them know it's not allowed. Or make sure you don't have any sets of kitchen drawers where the drawers are all on top of the other. (As a 2 1/2 year old I learned that you could pull the bottom drawer out all the way, and each higher drawer a little less to make stairs. I still have the burn scars from getting onto the kitchen counter...)
what it would take for Microsoft to make the next Xbox a success
Come on... Disclaimer: I have never owned an Xbox (I bought a PS2 a year after it came it, and a Gamecube shortly after that. After selling them both when I moved, I bought another PS2, and will buy the gamecube again, as well, but used this time.)
I mention the above, because it's plain to see that the Xbox is already a success. By market standards, they're in an incredible place. (Um.. TurboGrafx, anyone... Or N-Gage?) Sure, they're not the number one player, but coming from nowhere, they've made themselves into a contender, and that's a success as far as I can see.
They've taken one portion of the market, and done it better than anyone else, and that's the 'net connection. Anyone who has used the PS2 network adapter (as I have) has seen that it's a pale comparison to Xbox live.
If Microsoft wants to succeed, all they have to do is keep doing what they've been doing well, and make sure to continue pushing out good games.
Nintendo has historically pushed out some of the best games, but limited to mostly first and second-parties. Sony has managed to have the most games, with the few gems spread throughout the abundance overcoming all the other really crappy games, and Microsoft nailed the online market.
Since the online market is going to do nothing but grow, they're already in a good position for the future...
Slashdot Mirror
Remember when Nintendo said try using a dead pixel DS for a week or two, and if it is too annoying, then we'll replace it for you free of charge?
Well, except for the fact that Nintendo never said that! Nintendo has, from the start, maintained a consumer-friendly policy with respect to their hardware. Sony has consistently tried to foist the problems off onto their users. (Like with the dying PS2's)
has all the learning/tweaking/compiling been worth the extra power/costumizability in the end
I'm an avid Gentoo user, and I've got to say, if you're only considering Gentoo for the speed/power, you might as well put some stickers on your case, because you'll probably notice a bigger speed improvement like that. Gentoo is really useful for the following reason:
One very bizarre, but incredibly helpful word for you: Wiki
Even if you only do it in restricted form (verified commits on private site) you'll find that the volunteer work of all of your users will give you a much better final product than whatever you release. (Your users can even help out early of you do a release-early release-often model.
You'll get to leverage the power of open-source (the community) because you have a know community already.
On the same topic, something else you might want to provide are skeletons (working stubs that do nothing, but have all of the crap-work already done for starting projects), and a very simple, but fully functional project that takes advantage of the SDK, to show how you expect it to be used.
...and we immediately see the problem with scanning the books into their database. Take Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, for instance. The book has entered the public domain, and you can access the Project Gutenberg book here.
Google's copy, however, is scanned from the PenguinClassics version, which is copyrighted (the formatting, and images). So, on Google Books, you are unable to read the book, even though it has enetered the public domain.
Whatever you end up reading, I suggest you get some real users to sit down in front of it and test it. You need to be sure that the end user understands what you mean by what you say.
For instance, in this posting, your use of OS for Open Source instead of OSS for Open Source Software was mildly confusing because in the specialized world that is IT, OS, by convention, usually refers to Operating System. If you'd sat down and tested with a focus group, you might not have made this error ;)
Seriously, though, you'll get the best UI you can design if you just sit down with the end users and let them show you what makes sense for them...
In the case you mentioned, with each module having global save state, what you might prefer to do would be to create a GameState base class, mostly virtual, with static methods for registering into a list of modules, and for iterating that list to actually save that data.
In each module specific subclass, you implement the necessary storage, interfaces for the module, and the virtuals for actually performing the save or load.
With proper helper functions, you can save yourself some code, and avaid any namespace issues. Plus, you'll have a framework that will be easily reusable for the next game you write, rather than having to write it all from scratch again.
The problem with GM food has has nothing to do with fear of mutant food. The problem with GM food is the introduction of this horrific system of intellectual property.<sneer/>
America has become less and less of an industrial producer and more and more based on the service industry. How does a service industry nation support itself? By living off of other industrial nations. How do we get them to support us? By convincing them that our ideas are worth paying for. We've been doing this with TV, movies, and music for some time, as well as technological ideas, but as these industries are maturing in other nations, we need more things that foreign countries will pay us for.
This is why the U.S. is so insistent on giving G.M. food as aid. Once it's in the country, the poor farmers will have no choice but to be beholden to the IP owners for the rest of their lives, something which I find particularly disgusting.
Monsanto (a Canadian company) has been trying the razor/blade model (GM food/pesticide), but they've hit the jackpot! They've invented a razor that turns all neighboring razors into the same kind of razor!
Once you drop the IP restrictions on GM food, there are no complaints, but there are also no reasons to try and force it on anyone either, and it becomes a moot point. Life IS open source, and most people want to keep it that way.
As much as extended warranties are usually a ripoff, there are certain things I go along for just because I don't want to deal with suddenly not having them. PDA's are like that. I want a replacement immediately if I've got a problem with my PDA.
That being said, Best Buy has been very good to my friends and me with regards to warranty service. I had a friend with a similar issue to yours, and she was given a brand new laptop two years after hers kept going in for repais on the same problem. (The CD drive kept dying on a Toshiba laptop)
<<I will exchange a London number for a New York number... any takers...>>
I've heard rumors that Vontage is none too hip to this idea. While the advertise the fact that you can make a call from *anywhere* with an internet connection I've been told they crack down if you use the service too much i.e. if you were to buy a box with a New York number and use it only in London.
I've got to say that this is not true at all. I use Vonage from France with a U.S. phone number (about 3 hours of phone calls every weekend). When Vonage found out about this, not only weren't they bothered, but they asked to me to do an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Also, they now happily offer up the virtual phone numbers in all of their countries to any customer for around $5/month. If I want, I can add a UK, US, Canada, or Mexico phone number.
Source Engine? Am I the only one here who thinks that Valve is trying to capitlize on the mindshare of Open Source Software by calling their engine "Source"?
First thing I thought when I heard the name was that it might just be something like that (with source available), but, alas, no...
Oh well, time to find a printer manufacturer with printers as their core business instead of selling printer ink for gold-prices.
Try Canon. I did my research because I was disgusted with all the crappy printer companies, and Canon is still doing it right. I recommend the i4000r. It prints out flawless photos, has networking built-in, and, if you live in Europe, also has a CD/DVD printer builtin. It's got two inputs (a tray, and a tilted slot, and even prints on both sides of the page. At 200 Euros, it's more expensive than your standard crappy printers, but the money you save in ink should more than make up for it.
someone starts downloading child porn and The Anarchist's Cookbook
Why are these two even in the same sentence? The Anarchist's Cookbook is legal to peruse and distribute. Most of the things you can learn from it can be used for shady purposes, but the information is still protected by the first ammendment...
Discussion of how to copy DVDs, however...
We will make every effort to accommodate all requests for beta accounts
They say that they'll make efforts to give everyone beta accounts, but how do I sign up in the first place?
I've been waiting for just such an article as this to point out something that I've recently come to realize. Everytime there's a copyright article on Slashdot, there is the inevitable discussion on "piracy", "copyright infringement", and "stealing". In going over all of the arguments, I've come to realize that it is stealing, only everyone's got it backwards, the *AA, et al, are stealing from ME...
The U.S. constitution makes it clear that works protected by copyright belong to the public, and granting of copyright should apply only to authors and inventors to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts".
Well, each time Congress extends the length of copyright or strengthens patent law, they're stealing from me, they're stealing from you, and they're stealing from each person in this country who could gain anything from that work, even if it's just 90 minutes of enjoyment from watching an old movie for free. I, for one, am outraged, and now that Congress has turned to looting from me for the benefit of the few who are wealthy and powerful, I will feel no remorse when I download music, or copy DVDs.
It's high time we started taking back our country, and if you think that control of information isn't the most important thing we have to fight for, then you've never studied oppressive regimes. So, copy a DVD for your family, download some MP3s, and help to start a revolution (in thought)...
Here's one that no one else probably thought of. If the software runs on linux, load it up in valgrind with the calltree tool, use it a little, and look at the kcachegrind visualizations. It'll give you an idea of what code is actually used, and how it's interrelated.
As someone who's gone through this, I can assure you, technical language is going to be the least of your problems. I moved to France without speaking any French, and technical French was what I learned first and easiest, as there's a lot of influence from English, and it's what I used most. My French colleagues say the same thing about their English. Technical jargon is what they learned first and easiest.
Conversational language is what you'll have the most problems with. While there will be only one word for database, or network, there are three different ways to say that you're happy, or 19 different ways to express you feelings for someone.
So, to sum up... Don't sweat the small stuff, and start boning up for everything else...
So, to sum up
GIGO (Good In, Garbage Out)
Way to show your tech credentials! Coming soon, to a PCMag article near you, the newest and hottest acronyms:
DS suffered from these as well, for example
Way to defelect attention. It should be noted that Nintendo has vowed to fix any dead pixel problems that occur within the the warranty period...
All that said, I seem to remember reading about how Microsoft was dropping .NET
You're probably thinking of when Microsoft dropped the .NET branding from all of their server software. Originally, there was going to be a Windows Server.NET, and a SQL Server.NET, etc. Combined with the .NET branding on the languages, no one really knew what it meant to be ".NET".
Because of this, Microsoft cancelled all of their plans for .NET servers. This left Visual Studio.NET, which is used for developing the .NET languages. Programs written in .NET languages run on top of the .NET framework. (The Common Language Runtime.)
Antoher factor in the dropping of the .NET branding for the servers, I'm sure, is that it would have meant more stringent requirements for release dates, and it would have been more difficult to move to the next version (forced upgrades) without some branding confusion. (Think "Windows Server.NET Two!" Wait, is there a new version of .NET? Will my applications run on it? etc.)
It's not such a great event. Wing Commander 3 heralded the death of the series, and the birth of video games like Metal Gear. They may have excellent gameplay, but when you have to sit through hours of dialogue to be able to get to the gameplay, it crosses from gameplay into interactive theater.
<rant>I use to love the Final Fantasy series, but there's more CG video now than gameplay. I mostly play platformers nowadays so I don't have to deal with that crap.</rant> That's one of the things I like about the Gamecube. The disc size encourages vast models with detailed textures, but definitely discourages streaming video...
I can't wait for the first person who loses their savegame state when playing Metail Gear on a PSP. Either you save it just before the dialogue, and you have to sit through it again, or you try to save just after, and the battery cuts out on you before you get there...
Without quite a bit of extra typing? You just need to add triangle brackets to signifiy the word break. (Don't forget to escape them.) For instance, if I want to search for words ending in x, I type "/x\>" (the front slash to signify the search). For the word "i" all alone, it's "/\". Simple as that.
I did this over a year and a half ago, and now I'm firmly installed in Antibes, which is on the south coast of France, with Nice 20 minutes to the East, and Cannes 10-15 to the West.
My story isn't the most helpful, as I kind of forced my way in. I got a contract position working from the U.S., and made myself so useful that they wanted to bring me over because they felt that THEY were the ones losing by having me far away. They were very reluctant to go through with the official employment because of fears of how tough the French government would be, but it turned out to be so much easier than anyone expected.
I almost think that all the fears of Visa sponsorship or more fear than reality, so you might want to convince your prospective employers to just give it a try, as the cost to apply is often very little (100 - 150 Euros usually).
Some things to remember when coming over: Start learning your new language now. It's hard enough starting over in a new environment, the language barrier makes it even tougher. Expect to deal with some anti-American hostility, (but realize it's a broad projection, and not targeted at you specifically). Prepare yourself for new experiences, and try to embrace, rather than reject, things that are unfamiliar.
And finally, above all else, remember this. You'll be in a foreign country, speaking a new language, and you'll finally get to be that exotic foreign type who comes to the company and speaks with a sexy accent... ;)
All bets are off once they master climbing
For the love of... Please get to them before they master this on their own. Teach them, and let them know it's not allowed. Or make sure you don't have any sets of kitchen drawers where the drawers are all on top of the other. (As a 2 1/2 year old I learned that you could pull the bottom drawer out all the way, and each higher drawer a little less to make stairs. I still have the burn scars from getting onto the kitchen counter...)
Maybe the real improvement would come from racing games
I just hope he hasn't been playing Burnout 3... ;)
what it would take for Microsoft to make the next Xbox a success
Come on... Disclaimer: I have never owned an Xbox (I bought a PS2 a year after it came it, and a Gamecube shortly after that. After selling them both when I moved, I bought another PS2, and will buy the gamecube again, as well, but used this time.)
I mention the above, because it's plain to see that the Xbox is already a success. By market standards, they're in an incredible place. (Um.. TurboGrafx, anyone... Or N-Gage?) Sure, they're not the number one player, but coming from nowhere, they've made themselves into a contender, and that's a success as far as I can see.
They've taken one portion of the market, and done it better than anyone else, and that's the 'net connection. Anyone who has used the PS2 network adapter (as I have) has seen that it's a pale comparison to Xbox live.
If Microsoft wants to succeed, all they have to do is keep doing what they've been doing well, and make sure to continue pushing out good games.
Nintendo has historically pushed out some of the best games, but limited to mostly first and second-parties. Sony has managed to have the most games, with the few gems spread throughout the abundance overcoming all the other really crappy games, and Microsoft nailed the online market.
Since the online market is going to do nothing but grow, they're already in a good position for the future...