According to the article, it's already sinking. And the mega-companies that own the Big 5 aren't helping any either.
It's eerie how spot on that article is. I mean, when I was growing up, I would buy a copy of every single album I could find of certain artists, like ZZ Top or Queen. But nowadays, there just aren't any artists who can seem to pull that kind of longevity off, because the labels don't seem to be inclined to let them.
We've got boy-bands that almost certainly won't be around in 3 years, much less 5. We've got "teen stars" who will almost certainly lose any fan base they have in a few years as well... I mean, it just seems outright unlikely that any artists that start today (or for that matter, started in the last couple of years), will have anything near the amazing amounts of success of the bands of 'yesteryear'.
Sure, there are some bands who seem to buck those trends, but when you're looking at the real longevity of bands like Aerosmith, versus the possible (and tenuous) longevity of artists like Britney Spears... well, you know what? I think in ten or fifteen years, there will still be people listen to old Aerosmith tunes, but Britney Spears will be all but forgotten.
I started playing MUDs in college, and when EQ came out, it was promptly dismissed by about 90% of the MUDders I knew. I mean, after all, we were playing online games for free... why would anyone ever pay a monthly fee to play these things?
Addiction. That pretty much sums it up. About a month after "Ruins of Kunark" came out, one of my friends let me play it on his account for about 15 minutes. Hooked, reeled in, and gutted. I got my own account some time later, and was stuck there for about a year. Sheesh, do I regret that loss of time and money.
Of course, I still play online games, but nothing to the point of addiction that I had with EQ.
With 71 bids so far, it's obvious that some people would. Of course, it's amazing what some people would rather have then money. (Oh, and did anyone else notice that it was retired from service in the summer of 2002? What's it been doing since then other then gathering dust?)
Basically, it's a (pardon the pun) safety net for the company that made it. If you buy it (and therefore agree not to fly it), and then go ahead and fly it anyway and injure yourself, you'll have that much more of a problem successfully suing them over it.
While you cannot completely sign away your "right" to sue someone, a contract like this makes it much more difficult to collect a judgement.
Hrm... the version I always heard was that right after the first batch of "Revenge" movie posters went out, someone in the production crew asked "Isn't it out of character for the Jedi to seek revenge?" (or some such comment), and lo and behold, it was changed.
Come to think of it, though, the Star Trek thing makes a lot more sense...
Okay, I have no idea exactly how or if the Norweigan courts rule on evidence, but in the U.S. courts, in criminal trials, it's "beyond a shadow of doubt". If there wasn't enough evidence to rule in favour of guilt, then by law, he is innocent.
Kierthos
Re:I wonder if the framers of the constitution...
on
Dow vs. Parody
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· Score: 1
*nod* We're all supposed to take responsibility for our actions. Anarchy, really, boils down to who can bully who and get away with it. In other words, it's 6th grade gym class for the rest of your life.
In the case of my brothers and I, yes, that is what happened, according to the doctors. I don't know if that holds true for all identical triplets. (Oh, and it's cell mass, not cell.)
I beg to differ. I coded for a few unique MUDs (e.g., not the standard DIKU where you started in Midgaard), and while they had a new world concept and storyline, I've seen so many things on EQ that were outright "borrowed" from some MUDs, that it's not even funny. Someone I know was actually able to bypass a large part of one quest because he knew what the ultimate result (the end mob in the quest) was, because he wrote the original quest it was based on years earlier.
Now, there's plenty of original content, but don't confuse that with it being all original.
I'm part of a set of identical triplets, and we're 30 years old. Looky, more clones.
Now, what they mean is artificially created clones, akin to test-tube babies, but oh well... if the news editors at/. and other media outlets can't learn to use the English language properly....
Well, in all honestly, the assets of the now non-existant companies were probably sold off, and that fiber would be part of the assets. Now, whether the company that bought the fiber can do anything with it is a whole other story.
That the ICANN board members might not step down on December 15th? What a shock that people who have that much power and aren't elected would be loathe to give it up. (And, please, no GWB comparisons. If everyone learns how to vote and actually exercises that responsibility in the U.S., we won't have to worry about him as President post-2004.)
Lord Acton had it dead on. "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Every MMORPG has it's own client side cheating applications. It's simply a given that some people would rather have the option to maximize their online time, possibly to the detrement of other players, rather then suffer with the rest of us and actually play the game without using these kind of things.
You might be thinking of old MUDs like DartMUD, where when you died, you had to start completely over from 1st level again. EQ (and DAOC, and most, if not all, other MMORPGs) are not like this. Nothing kills a player-base faster then that kind of system. Trust me, I've seen it happen in some MUDs.
Now, what offsets the "newbie" syndrome in EQ, DAOC and other MMORPGs is that not every "high level" character is going to be played forever, as people retire characters all the time. Also, a lot of players with high level characters give away a lot of stuff.
And EQ seems (alas) to be doing just fine.
Kierthos (Okay, I'm biased. I hate EQ. But they aren't in danger of drying up and blowing away any time soon.)
Okay, I know they're not required to mention every game that is coming out, but gee, you'd think they would mention Shrouded Isles, the first expansion to Dark Age of Camelot.... I mean, EQ is basically releasing the super-mega-LotR size-gotta have it-wanker version of their game, and it gets a plug....
Really? Then I'm screwed. I live in a 7th floor apartment, and while there is a window in my bedroom, it can't be used as a fire escape because there is nothing to climb down. In other words, no fire escape.
Of course, every single wall, floor and ceiling in the building is heavily fire-resistant.... (one apartment on another floor had a large fire start up and the people next door to them didn't know it had happened at all until they saw the very slight amount of smoke damage to their door.)
I even asked them once, "Why do you need this information? I'm just buying batteries and paying cash." The sales-droid just stared at me and mumbled something about company policy...
*shrug* Doesn't bother me any, as I can get everything else I could need from Radio Shack at BestBuy these days.
Right, these would be the same lads who haven't put out a new album in how many years? Napster had a victory, pyrrhic though it may be, since it seems Lars and the boys aren't doing anything now.... (okay, except rehab)
Slashdot Mirror
According to the article, it's already sinking. And the mega-companies that own the Big 5 aren't helping any either.
It's eerie how spot on that article is. I mean, when I was growing up, I would buy a copy of every single album I could find of certain artists, like ZZ Top or Queen. But nowadays, there just aren't any artists who can seem to pull that kind of longevity off, because the labels don't seem to be inclined to let them.
We've got boy-bands that almost certainly won't be around in 3 years, much less 5. We've got "teen stars" who will almost certainly lose any fan base they have in a few years as well... I mean, it just seems outright unlikely that any artists that start today (or for that matter, started in the last couple of years), will have anything near the amazing amounts of success of the bands of 'yesteryear'.
Sure, there are some bands who seem to buck those trends, but when you're looking at the real longevity of bands like Aerosmith, versus the possible (and tenuous) longevity of artists like Britney Spears... well, you know what? I think in ten or fifteen years, there will still be people listen to old Aerosmith tunes, but Britney Spears will be all but forgotten.
Kierthos
I started playing MUDs in college, and when EQ came out, it was promptly dismissed by about 90% of the MUDders I knew. I mean, after all, we were playing online games for free... why would anyone ever pay a monthly fee to play these things?
Addiction. That pretty much sums it up. About a month after "Ruins of Kunark" came out, one of my friends let me play it on his account for about 15 minutes. Hooked, reeled in, and gutted. I got my own account some time later, and was stuck there for about a year. Sheesh, do I regret that loss of time and money.
Of course, I still play online games, but nothing to the point of addiction that I had with EQ.
Kierthos
100% cotton clothes, baby. Of course, all my pants will need button-flys, as the metal zippers in the microwave won't mix well.
Kierthos
With 71 bids so far, it's obvious that some people would. Of course, it's amazing what some people would rather have then money. (Oh, and did anyone else notice that it was retired from service in the summer of 2002? What's it been doing since then other then gathering dust?)
Kierthos
Basically, it's a (pardon the pun) safety net for the company that made it. If you buy it (and therefore agree not to fly it), and then go ahead and fly it anyway and injure yourself, you'll have that much more of a problem successfully suing them over it.
While you cannot completely sign away your "right" to sue someone, a contract like this makes it much more difficult to collect a judgement.
Kierthos
Go to Open Source Shaving! Switch to a straight razor!
Kierthos
Hrm... the version I always heard was that right after the first batch of "Revenge" movie posters went out, someone in the production crew asked "Isn't it out of character for the Jedi to seek revenge?" (or some such comment), and lo and behold, it was changed.
Come to think of it, though, the Star Trek thing makes a lot more sense...
Kierthos
No, the judge realized the rules of evidence.
Okay, I have no idea exactly how or if the Norweigan courts rule on evidence, but in the U.S. courts, in criminal trials, it's "beyond a shadow of doubt". If there wasn't enough evidence to rule in favour of guilt, then by law, he is innocent.
Kierthos
*nod* We're all supposed to take responsibility for our actions. Anarchy, really, boils down to who can bully who and get away with it. In other words, it's 6th grade gym class for the rest of your life.
Kierthos
*insert 2.5 Ghz processor*
Robot: Whoa. I know Kung Fu.
Kierthos
...while 100% of those Americans asked said they expect to find pr0n on the Internet, even when they're not looking for it.
Kierthos
In the case of my brothers and I, yes, that is what happened, according to the doctors. I don't know if that holds true for all identical triplets. (Oh, and it's cell mass, not cell.)
Kierthos
I beg to differ. I coded for a few unique MUDs (e.g., not the standard DIKU where you started in Midgaard), and while they had a new world concept and storyline, I've seen so many things on EQ that were outright "borrowed" from some MUDs, that it's not even funny. Someone I know was actually able to bypass a large part of one quest because he knew what the ultimate result (the end mob in the quest) was, because he wrote the original quest it was based on years earlier.
Now, there's plenty of original content, but don't confuse that with it being all original.
Kierthos
I'm part of a set of identical triplets, and we're 30 years old. Looky, more clones.
/. and other media outlets can't learn to use the English language properly....
Now, what they mean is artificially created clones, akin to test-tube babies, but oh well... if the news editors at
Kierthos
Benjamin Franklin actually said it best:
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty or Safety."
Kierthos
Well, in all honestly, the assets of the now non-existant companies were probably sold off, and that fiber would be part of the assets. Now, whether the company that bought the fiber can do anything with it is a whole other story.
Kierthos
That the ICANN board members might not step down on December 15th? What a shock that people who have that much power and aren't elected would be loathe to give it up. (And, please, no GWB comparisons. If everyone learns how to vote and actually exercises that responsibility in the U.S., we won't have to worry about him as President post-2004.)
Lord Acton had it dead on. "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Kierthos
For you, I suggest solitaire.
Part of the fun of the game, for many people, is getting to that high point, not starting there.
Kierthos
Every MMORPG has it's own client side cheating applications. It's simply a given that some people would rather have the option to maximize their online time, possibly to the detrement of other players, rather then suffer with the rest of us and actually play the game without using these kind of things.
Kierthos
You might be thinking of old MUDs like DartMUD, where when you died, you had to start completely over from 1st level again. EQ (and DAOC, and most, if not all, other MMORPGs) are not like this. Nothing kills a player-base faster then that kind of system. Trust me, I've seen it happen in some MUDs.
Now, what offsets the "newbie" syndrome in EQ, DAOC and other MMORPGs is that not every "high level" character is going to be played forever, as people retire characters all the time. Also, a lot of players with high level characters give away a lot of stuff.
And EQ seems (alas) to be doing just fine.
Kierthos
(Okay, I'm biased. I hate EQ. But they aren't in danger of drying up and blowing away any time soon.)
Okay, I know they're not required to mention every game that is coming out, but gee, you'd think they would mention Shrouded Isles, the first expansion to Dark Age of Camelot.... I mean, EQ is basically releasing the super-mega-LotR size-gotta have it-wanker version of their game, and it gets a plug....
feh...
Kierthos
You left out Elevenses. Oh wait, you said etc.
Kierthos
Really? Then I'm screwed. I live in a 7th floor apartment, and while there is a window in my bedroom, it can't be used as a fire escape because there is nothing to climb down. In other words, no fire escape.
Of course, every single wall, floor and ceiling in the building is heavily fire-resistant.... (one apartment on another floor had a large fire start up and the people next door to them didn't know it had happened at all until they saw the very slight amount of smoke damage to their door.)
Kierthos
I even asked them once, "Why do you need this information? I'm just buying batteries and paying cash." The sales-droid just stared at me and mumbled something about company policy...
*shrug* Doesn't bother me any, as I can get everything else I could need from Radio Shack at BestBuy these days.
Kierthos
Right, these would be the same lads who haven't put out a new album in how many years? Napster had a victory, pyrrhic though it may be, since it seems Lars and the boys aren't doing anything now.... (okay, except rehab)
Kierthos