Perhaps what you actually need, is a second great idea. Idea 2 is something simple and preferably card based.
Card games are easy to prototype, usually quick to play, and accessible to most people. Publishers like them because they can easily retool existing production lines. Once you have that, you've become an established game designer, and other publishers will be more willing to talk to you.
Of course, pure strategy games (which I assume this is an example of) are a hard sell. Even serious board gamers aren't all interested in them. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Thud, which had the obvious Discworld marketting connection. This is not neccesarily a bad thing. It does mean that you have a very large chunk of this small market.
presumably I can't just show up at Hasbro with my jerry rigged setup and expect an enthusiastic response.
Stop being so presumptious. Write to Hasbro with a brief concept of your game and see what they say. Get the game finished and balanced first. No publisher is interested in a half designed game. But don't worry about production values. Graphic designers can be hired by the publisher. And find some other people to help playtest the game. You might want to try a few other publishers as well.
While it is true that information can be exchanged more cheaply, and your business may struggle, there is nothing to worry about. Because, quite frankly nobody really cares.
You're middle men. You're ulimately a cost. Your aim is apparently just to continue to exist in a parasitic way. The science community doesn't need you any more. If you want to continue to make money, find a business that people still need. Don't try to artificially manufacture a need. You don't have the power.
You apparently don't get it. First rule of anti-spammers is "Spammers lie".
Yes. Spammers say they don't spam. Non-spammers say they don't spam. You're at a fork in the road with a spammer and a non-spammer...
The second rule is there is no such thing as a voluntary, opt-in managed mailing list that isn't just spam.
Sure there is. I'm subscribed to 5 of them. 3 from yahoo groups, and a couple of DVD shops that occasionally have decent special offers.
So, you say your business is legitimate. Obviously, you are lying. Spammers lie.
Why is this "obvious"?
But your list is opt-in and only send legitimate email? Too bad, if someone gets it that forgot they signed up, it's spam.
If the subcribers genuinely opted in, this "spam" would appear to benefit the subscribers as well as the sender. Why should everyone else suffer because one of the subscribers is incompetent?
NTSC vs PAL - if we bought your ps3, we'd have to import a tv as well.
It's been a long time since I've seen a worthwhile TV that can't handle an NTSC signal. I don't imagine anyone buying a PS3 on ebay and importing it is going to scrimp on a cheap TV.
110V vs 220V - and we'd have to figure out a way to power it.
Like most modern consumer electronics, the PS3 PSU works at both voltages and frequencies. It's cheaper than having 2 separate production lines.
I found it very reassuring that ROSPA ( Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents ) does its research so thoroughly before making announcements.
The attitude here is "I don't know what will happen, so don't do it", which I reckon is pretty solid advice for preventing accidents. Unfortunately, I have no idea what will happen if I get out of bed and leave for work. It might be unsafe and cause an accident.
'They make the process hard on purpose -- weeding out the lazy applicants.'
I fully appreciate this idea. Jobhunting is a two way process. I reject any company that has an annoying inflexible application process on the theory that they would be annoying inflexible companies to work for. Of course, for certain jobs, I recommend the right sort of lazy. A clever lazy person will do a job in a way that means all dependent tasks can be done in half the time.
I hope you will one day see things differently and respect other people's opinions as much as you do your own.
I do. I was standing up for someone else's opinion.
If someone has a criticism on the quality of Madonna's music based on objective measurements, or their own subjective opinions, or an argument that another artist is better, then I will listen to their opinion, and consider it on its merits, and my judgements. I will not suggest that their arguments are wrong because Madonna sells so many records. Nor will I be so naive as to suggest that her success relative to other artists is entirely down to the quality of her music.
Unless you consider a Big Mac to be fine cuisine, and American Idol to be the most insightful television show available, sales aren't really a good indicator of quality.
So you bitch because you bought a lens for your expensive SLR Nikon and it will not fit your cheaper Canon?
Only to an extent. Lack of standards in lens fittings is a bad thing. But my Canon has a Sigma lens. They don't specifically design these things not to be compatible. I don't care if they make it easy for me. I just don't want them to make it hard for me.
Also don't make and sell kits to make OSX run on a Dell. You'd hear from Apple's lawyers.
Which is my point. Who would Ihear from is I made a lens adapter ring for my Canon?
I don't understand the logic behind this. This sounds akin to demanding from Sony that Playstation 3 discs run on all other gaming systems.
Why shouldn't they? Why should I not be able to produce a machine that will play PS3 software, or games that will run on the PS3 without getting Sony's permission?
So if people bitch about Microsoft doing vendor lock-in and such, then Apple MUST allow me to buy a standalone copy of OSX that will run on non-Apple hardware!
I think it's pretty bad form that they don't. Especially since they seem to be quite happy to sell their software as a standalone product. If I pay that much for a piece of softwae, I have bought the product. Who are they to tell me how and where I can use it?
r
The only reason that nobody's called them on this is that they don't have enough share of the OS market for anyone to get upset about product tying.
The majority of devices that can play DRM encumbered songs from the ITMS are not iPods.
Now, that's some dodgy stats you're using:)
Okay. It's true. Just about any Windows PC or Apple computer sold since itunes was introduced can play tunes from iTMS. But that's not really a very relevant figure. How many devices are used for playing music in any substantial way? Most people only want to listen to the music on their iPods. They don't see their PC as a music centre. In fact, for a lot of people, music is only something they experience when travelling.
We've been saying on Slashdot for years. If it can be read, it can be copied. The only possible way to deal with that is to completely lock down all players. But the results of doing that too effectively always seems to end up indirectly reducing consumer demand.
And it's pointless. Most people are happy to pay for DVDs. When you eliminate the people who haven't the technical knowledge to download a movie, those who wouldn't buy it if they couldn't get a free copy, and those who would snub a free DVD quality rip over a paid for HD-DVD quality rip, you're looking at pretty small numbers. Meanwhile, they're putting off a similar number of geeks who are deterred by lack of openness, or region coding, or concerns that the encryption isn't going to be compatible with their TV.
I was hoping that was it, but it looks like they'd have still had the power under the 1997 Police Act which was passed at the end of the Conservative term.
Still. It is nice that the party is a victim of the sort of extreme right wing lawsthey supported. I'd just like to see some important newspaper names fall victim to legislation they pushed for.
Agreed. The only time I ever see any attempt to correlate the two concepts is people complainign on Slashdot, or occasionally as a joke (I saw a cartoon where they attacked a pirate video on the high seas).
Honestly, the media companies don't want copyright infringers to be compared with pirates. Pirates have been romanticised for well over a century.
Imagine a cell phone cradle that supported a keyboard/mouse/monitor console. She has one console at home, has one at work, and she carries her "desktop" in her purse.
Not sure that's needed. Chips are cheap as chips:) Putting components of equivalent power to those in a mobile phone would probably be so cheap as to not affect the price sufficiently. To me, it seems the main issue with a PC is the amount of space it takes up. It really requires a desk and a section of a room to itself. This is more of a problem if you want more than 1 computer.
Slashdot Mirror
Perhaps what you actually need, is a second great idea. Idea 2 is something simple and preferably card based.
Card games are easy to prototype, usually quick to play, and accessible to most people. Publishers like them because they can easily retool existing production lines. Once you have that, you've become an established game designer, and other publishers will be more willing to talk to you.
Of course, pure strategy games (which I assume this is an example of) are a hard sell. Even serious board gamers aren't all interested in them. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Thud, which had the obvious Discworld marketting connection. This is not neccesarily a bad thing. It does mean that you have a very large chunk of this small market.
most European countries ditched the 1 and 2 eurocent coint some years ago as well.
Only Finland and the Netherlands.
presumably I can't just show up at Hasbro with my jerry rigged setup and expect an enthusiastic response.
Stop being so presumptious. Write to Hasbro with a brief concept of your game and see what they say. Get the game finished and balanced first. No publisher is interested in a half designed game. But don't worry about production values. Graphic designers can be hired by the publisher. And find some other people to help playtest the game. You might want to try a few other publishers as well.
Please point out the section of the Constitution that authorizes the Federal government to require this.
They can't. Obviously. It was overruled buy the state. But they can specify a standard as to what is "federally approved".
While it is true that information can be exchanged more cheaply, and your business may struggle, there is nothing to worry about. Because, quite frankly nobody really cares.
You're middle men. You're ulimately a cost. Your aim is apparently just to continue to exist in a parasitic way. The science community doesn't need you any more. If you want to continue to make money, find a business that people still need. Don't try to artificially manufacture a need. You don't have the power.
You apparently don't get it. First rule of anti-spammers is "Spammers lie".
Yes. Spammers say they don't spam. Non-spammers say they don't spam. You're at a fork in the road with a spammer and a non-spammer...
The second rule is there is no such thing as a voluntary, opt-in managed mailing list that isn't just spam.
Sure there is. I'm subscribed to 5 of them. 3 from yahoo groups, and a couple of DVD shops that occasionally have decent special offers.
So, you say your business is legitimate. Obviously, you are lying. Spammers lie.
Why is this "obvious"?
But your list is opt-in and only send legitimate email? Too bad, if someone gets it that forgot they signed up, it's spam.
If the subcribers genuinely opted in, this "spam" would appear to benefit the subscribers as well as the sender. Why should everyone else suffer because one of the subscribers is incompetent?
Therefore, you are a spammer.
How so? He's sending solicted email.
NTSC vs PAL - if we bought your ps3, we'd have to import a tv as well.
It's been a long time since I've seen a worthwhile TV that can't handle an NTSC signal. I don't imagine anyone buying a PS3 on ebay and importing it is going to scrimp on a cheap TV.
110V vs 220V - and we'd have to figure out a way to power it.
Like most modern consumer electronics, the PS3 PSU works at both voltages and frequencies. It's cheaper than having 2 separate production lines.
Than boiling the sponge in a saucepan? I'd have though putting it in boiling water for a couple of minutes should probably destroy most bacteria.
I found it very reassuring that ROSPA ( Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents ) does its research so thoroughly before making announcements.
The attitude here is "I don't know what will happen, so don't do it", which I reckon is pretty solid advice for preventing accidents. Unfortunately, I have no idea what will happen if I get out of bed and leave for work. It might be unsafe and cause an accident.
'They make the process hard on purpose -- weeding out the lazy applicants.'
I fully appreciate this idea. Jobhunting is a two way process. I reject any company that has an annoying inflexible application process on the theory that they would be annoying inflexible companies to work for. Of course, for certain jobs, I recommend the right sort of lazy. A clever lazy person will do a job in a way that means all dependent tasks can be done in half the time.
I hope you will one day see things differently and respect other people's opinions as much as you do your own.
I do. I was standing up for someone else's opinion.
If someone has a criticism on the quality of Madonna's music based on objective measurements, or their own subjective opinions, or an argument that another artist is better, then I will listen to their opinion, and consider it on its merits, and my judgements. I will not suggest that their arguments are wrong because Madonna sells so many records. Nor will I be so naive as to suggest that her success relative to other artists is entirely down to the quality of her music.
Unless you consider a Big Mac to be fine cuisine, and American Idol to be the most insightful television show available, sales aren't really a good indicator of quality.
That sounds like bull to me... I can't think of anybody I know that doesn't play music on their computer.
Prehaps. But I submit people you know is not a representative cross section of music purchasers.
This is not a "less DRM" thing. It's a more DRM thing.
This I totally agree with though. This is all about whether Apple or the record industry have control.
So you bitch because you bought a lens for your expensive SLR Nikon and it will not fit your cheaper Canon?
Only to an extent. Lack of standards in lens fittings is a bad thing. But my Canon has a Sigma lens. They don't specifically design these things not to be compatible. I don't care if they make it easy for me. I just don't want them to make it hard for me.
Also don't make and sell kits to make OSX run on a Dell. You'd hear from Apple's lawyers.
Which is my point. Who would Ihear from is I made a lens adapter ring for my Canon?
I don't understand the logic behind this. This sounds akin to demanding from Sony that Playstation 3 discs run on all other gaming systems.
Why shouldn't they? Why should I not be able to produce a machine that will play PS3 software, or games that will run on the PS3 without getting Sony's permission?
So if people bitch about Microsoft doing vendor lock-in and such, then Apple MUST allow me to buy a standalone copy of OSX that will run on non-Apple hardware!
I think it's pretty bad form that they don't. Especially since they seem to be quite happy to sell their software as a standalone product. If I pay that much for a piece of softwae, I have bought the product. Who are they to tell me how and where I can use it?
r The only reason that nobody's called them on this is that they don't have enough share of the OS market for anyone to get upset about product tying.
The majority of devices that can play DRM encumbered songs from the ITMS are not iPods.
Now, that's some dodgy stats you're using:)
Okay. It's true. Just about any Windows PC or Apple computer sold since itunes was introduced can play tunes from iTMS. But that's not really a very relevant figure. How many devices are used for playing music in any substantial way? Most people only want to listen to the music on their iPods. They don't see their PC as a music centre. In fact, for a lot of people, music is only something they experience when travelling.
We've been saying on Slashdot for years. If it can be read, it can be copied. The only possible way to deal with that is to completely lock down all players. But the results of doing that too effectively always seems to end up indirectly reducing consumer demand.
And it's pointless. Most people are happy to pay for DVDs. When you eliminate the people who haven't the technical knowledge to download a movie, those who wouldn't buy it if they couldn't get a free copy, and those who would snub a free DVD quality rip over a paid for HD-DVD quality rip, you're looking at pretty small numbers. Meanwhile, they're putting off a similar number of geeks who are deterred by lack of openness, or region coding, or concerns that the encryption isn't going to be compatible with their TV.
People get upset when I drive my 1985 Lada Niva around and laugh at me. It doesn't even have a radio.
I'd get upset too. You paid about half what anyone else paid for a car and it's still running 22 years later.
Why are they laughing?
Probably not. It'd at least need a menu to restart Firefox when it crashes so you don't have to reboot every other hour.
Assuming you do have that unreliable a system, Wouldn't restarting X (ctrl-Alt-Backspace) solve this?
Ironic, isn't it?
I was hoping that was it, but it looks like they'd have still had the power under the 1997 Police Act which was passed at the end of the Conservative term.
Still. It is nice that the party is a victim of the sort of extreme right wing lawsthey supported. I'd just like to see some important newspaper names fall victim to legislation they pushed for.
At least not without a proper warrant.
Somebody please tell me that it was this government that gave them the power to do this.
How is the average user going to know if they have been placed in `reduced functionality mode`,
The "Welcome to Windows Vista" message should be your first clue.
(Yes. I know it's a linux nerd comment! It's a joke dammit!)
Agreed. The only time I ever see any attempt to correlate the two concepts is people complainign on Slashdot, or occasionally as a joke (I saw a cartoon where they attacked a pirate video on the high seas).
Honestly, the media companies don't want copyright infringers to be compared with pirates. Pirates have been romanticised for well over a century.
Imagine a cell phone cradle that supported a keyboard/mouse/monitor console. She has one console at home, has one at work, and she carries her "desktop" in her purse.
Not sure that's needed. Chips are cheap as chips:) Putting components of equivalent power to those in a mobile phone would probably be so cheap as to not affect the price sufficiently. To me, it seems the main issue with a PC is the amount of space it takes up. It really requires a desk and a section of a room to itself. This is more of a problem if you want more than 1 computer.