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User: tbannist

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  1. Re:Perfect for video games? on All D&D Books To Be Available As PDFs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think that's obvious, there are three groups of players who like 3rd Edition: newbies, fanbois and powergamers. It suffers from 2 steps forward, one step back syndrome. Most of the game mechanic changes are reasonably good, I always liked the more intricate miniature rules for combat, for example. However, I loathe the new multi-classing rules, prestige classes are terrible, and some of the weapons are just retarded. Spiked Chain? Mercurial Sword? Cabers?

    Couldn't stand the new system.

  2. Re:How will Sony use this to sell the PS3? on PlayStation 2 Outselling Xbox 360 in U.S. · · Score: 1

    Oh it's simple, new games. When FFXIII comes out as a PS3 exclusive they're upgrade a ton of people to the PS3. Same with a number of other PS exclusive titles as long as they keep the exclusives locked down people will pay the money for the upgrade, eventually anyway.

  3. Maybe... on PS3 Apparently A Computer · · Score: 1

    Maybe I'm the only one here thinking, that this marketing tactic could work with less computer savvy people. I mean there are a lot of people who might want a computer that only does a few simple things like play games, show movies, email, instant messaging, and a web browser. Even more significantly, I think there are a lot more multi-computer homes. It may not be that much of a strech to convince the new middle-class, middle-age, gamer market that a dedicated game computer for your entertainment system is actually a good buy. Spyware, Malware, and Viruses are making the home pc less attractive for playing games.

    Of course, on the other hand, Sony may have no clue what the hell they're doing and they might be frantically trying to find a message that resonates with consumers. However, time will tell, personally I'm going to sit back and watch it unfold, rather than get up in arms over how "Sony hates their customers because they priced a console too high". Don't think it's worth the price? Then don't buy it.

  4. Re:So... on PS3 Apparently A Computer · · Score: 1

    Ok, you definitely work for Microsoft. That is almost word for the word, the sales pitch they used at the local "Digital Home Exhibition" aka "Microsoft Media Center Sales Pitch". Try to be less obvious in your astro-turfing, ok?

  5. Re:Let me get this straight... on SR Gamer Pleased With Playtest of Xbox Game · · Score: 1

    Yeah, but why do you think they put the Shadowrun name on it? Because they think there are a lot of people dumb enough to buy it based on the name.

  6. Re:probably on Microsoft's list of next important on Apache down, IIS up · · Score: 1

    Why provide evidence to someone who will inevitably claim it's manufactured by a liberal media conspiracy?

  7. Re:perceived standard? on Can the Malware Industry be Trusted? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think OffTheLip was referring to the obvious point that if a product has spawned an entire industry that revolves around fixing it so that it actually works, that potential customers should be wary of using that product due solely to the existence of that industry. It implies that there are very serious problems with the original product. I do not think he meant that the industry itself should be engaging in self-destructive activities.

    The only situation where this is not the case is where the customers are convinced that there is no substitute for the product under consideration.

    For example, you'd never eat at a restaurent that had a stomach pump kiosk set up out front that was doing a brisk business with departing patrons, would you?

    Yet people still buy an operating system that requires you to have anti-malware and anti-spyware software running constantly to prevent your computer from being exploited by others.

  8. Re:people DO believe this stuff on Can the Malware Industry be Trusted? · · Score: 1

    You can't trust (U.S.) Media. In the cae of Jane Akre vs. Fox News, a U.S. Court of Appeals Judge ruled that Fox News (and by precident, every other media outlet) did not have a duty to report the news truthfully or factually.

  9. Re:Bad programmers are still bad programmers! on Why the Light Has Gone Out on LAMP · · Score: 1

    Sorry, I find it easy to read compared to some of the alternatives like binary, compiled c, compiled java, assembly. It's even easier to read than most c source code I've had to work on. And if you think most people have poor programming style when they munge a PHP application you should see the what they do with C-like languages.

    Frankly, I think you mistake cause and effect. The people who cut their teeth on Basic or PHP, aren't looking to learn to program. They're looking for any easy way to get a job done, no matter what language you start with learning "real" design is difficult and requires focus effort to learn. Most people don't even want to reach that level.

    Hating the language isn't the answer.

  10. Re:We still lose... on Spammer settles with MS and Texas · · Score: 1

    Well since the cold war ended I hear there's a lot of American spies who need a job. Hunting down and executing foreign spammers seems like an ideal tide-me-over until the next cold war.

  11. Re:Yet another reason... on The Worst Bill You've Never Heard Of · · Score: 3, Informative

    No, the people who trot that line out are just reminding you that while "Democracy may not work well", it tends to work better for most of the people in it, than any other system yet devised. This doesn't mean that the American "Federalist Republic" is good in any way, shape or form. However, there are a lot of other countries who's democracies seem to be working quite well. Your problem is not democracy but a two-party system where democracy is merely a convenient label. Your country is essentially an oligarchy.

  12. Re:Bad programmers are still bad programmers! on Why the Light Has Gone Out on LAMP · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Personally, I prefer that the bad codes of the world work on a language that's easy to read and isn't compiled. Fixing their garbage in C was a huge pain in the ass. The article's author however is a complete and utter tool. He hates a language because he despises the people who use. Wow, how levelhead and informed.

    I understand his point that it's easy to write bad code for PHP. However, only a total idiot would think that it's not easy to write bad code for any language. By all means, let's move all the pseudo pogrammers over to his beloved Python, then he'll have to hate it and find something else to love.

    At the most basic point his argument fails because it's not motivated by logic or reason, but by visceral emotional prejudice. Guess what, nobody should care how you feel about PHP or MySQL.

  13. Re:The real state of Videogame magazines.... on The State Of U.S. Videogame Magazines · · Score: 1

    On the other hand, yes it is a better magazine because you can find the content you'd like to read without having to search. Once you go beyond a certain threshold, which is closer to 33% than 50%, you find ads not articles. If I can't find the index in 20 seconds, the magazine's not worth the effort to read.

  14. Re:Those who ignore facts are doomed to look stupi on Sony's Obsession with Proprietary Formats · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No, it's just simple greed, and that's not necessarily a bad thing either. They're supporting one format because they'd rather have just one format. The economies of scale are much greater for 1 format than for 2, and that means supporting 2 formats is going to cost them money. Sure they'd by denying you the choice of which format to have, but they also know a majority of their customers would rather not have the choice in the first place if the two formats are functionally the same.

    The point was to try and get everyone using the same format, but the primary backer of HD-DVD appears to be Microsoft and they can afford to prolong the fight indefinitely.

  15. Re:conspiracy theory in 4... 3... 2... 1... on PS3 Cell Processor 'Broken'? · · Score: 1

    That's king of ignorant. You seem to be forgetting that IBM is bigger than Microsoft, that Microsoft will likely never forgive IBM for supporting Linux and that IBM doesn't value it's reputation among other potential business clients. It seems to me that this is one ignorant attendee at a Sony developer seminar who doesn't understand what he's talking about telling a reporter who can't wait to get his cheap shots in. Remember the Blue Ray demonstration revelation? Yeah, I suspect this is more of the same.

    It's free publicity and they'll post a retraction two days from now that no one will read.

  16. Re:Am I the only one who thinks this? on Net Neutrality: Lobbyist McCurry Raises Ire · · Score: 1

    I may like the fact that fire keeps my house warm, but most people are smart enough to realize they don't want to hug the fire. Fire is very useful but if you're not careful you'll get burnt.

  17. Re:Not helping! on Net Neutrality: Lobbyist McCurry Raises Ire · · Score: 0, Troll

    Anger does not invalidate a message. Pissing other people off does not make you "right". The bloggers evaluation of the lobbyist in question is correct, and you really should step back and think about the fact that there are thousands of people just like him. They are paid to corrupt your government to benefit their employers. It's their job and it pays well because it works. You have a government that is covered in leeches, it's going to take drastic measures to fix this.

  18. Re:I find almost the exact opposite. on In Defense of Games · · Score: 1

    Actually you can blame biology for that. Males are prone to volatile mood swings any time they "loose", your brain chemistry actually plunges you into a deep depression any time you are "loosing" at something you care about. The answer to loosing gracefully is to pry away your emotional attachment to the game and emotionally take a step back. Interestingly enough females do not suffer from this brain chemistry imbalance due to loosing, but are far more likely to suffer it when they feel they have performed poorly, regardless of whether they won or lost.

  19. Re:1080p Games? on Blu-Ray Should Have Been Optional on PS3? · · Score: 1

    So, Domination over the DVD, Ok.

    Also, I doubt Sony considers games to be a secondary, lesser feature of the PS3 compared to Blu Ray any more than Microsoft considers their operating system to be a secondary, lesser feature compared to Internet Explorer.

  20. Re:As someone who has a PS2 ... on Blu-Ray Should Have Been Optional on PS3? · · Score: 1

    Sounds like you should buy a Wii. Personally, I didn't get a PS2 until after it fell below $200. I probably won't get a PS3 until used game stores start carrying good PS3 games. At that point, I expect the PS3 to cost less than $300 (and I don't mean $299.95) or I simply won't buy it.

    At this point, I'm most interested in the PS3 for one reason, and one reason only. I expect it to have the games I want to play. The 360 is complete waste for me, it's been 6 months and there's still no games that interest me. There's games that look nice, but none that I'd be willing to pay $20 for, right now.

  21. Re:What about the PS2 and DVD movies? on Blu-Ray Should Have Been Optional on PS3? · · Score: 1

    Actually the content industry is *very* interested in Blu-Ray. Why? They can sell the same movies all over again. The only question is whether they will be selling them on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Before long there will be "Special Blu-Ray/HD-DVD Versions" of pratically every movie you can think. The only thing that can stop this process is total consumer apathy.

    However, the content producers are expecting the next gen format to give them a huge cash infusion by triggering a new upgrade cycle. I think they will be providing the biggest reason for people to upgrade to Blu-Ray, by targetting the otaku. Of course, with backwards compatibility there won't be much incentive for people to repurchase all of their movies, so that certainly might cause it to fizzle.

  22. Re:1080p Games? on Blu-Ray Should Have Been Optional on PS3? · · Score: 1

    Dominance over what?

    Nintendo? Nintendo doesn't really care enough about Sony to be dominated, plus they made the most money on the last generation of consoles, and stand to make the most on the next as well.

    Microsoft? Good luck, Microsoft is dumping money into the Xbox by the truckload. If Microsoft really wants to win the only thing that can stop them is their own shareholders.

  23. Re:1080p Games? on Blu-Ray Should Have Been Optional on PS3? · · Score: 1

    The PS1 actually had about a 10 year life cycle. I expect that, unlike Microsoft, Sony will continue selling PS2's for a couple of years. Essentially giving them a "budget" console to go along with their "premium" console. Sony plans their consoles for a 10 lifespane, whether you believe it or not. That doesn't mean they have to stick to their plans no matter what happens. I expect Microsoft probably will try to release a new console 3 years from now, it's their modus operendi.

    What will Sony do? Who knows. Maybe they'll release the PS4 or maybe they'll say "One console is good enough that it doesn't need to be updated now" and release the PS4 2 years later. At that point the whole "console" generation thing might break down, or the Xbox owners might be getting tired of shelling out about the same money for a console with 1/3 the lifespan of a PlayStation.

  24. Go Local on Identifying and Avoiding Dishonest Hosting Providers? · · Score: 1

    Find a provider who's local to you, ask to tour their data center, and make your decision from there. If they're local they're probably part of the Local Business Council and you can check up with them there too. Also small providers will provide you with better support and won't dump you if you become "unprofitable" like the cheap mass hosters will. They likely will charge more than a low cost hoster, but you get what you pay for.

  25. Re:Good on you google! on Google News, Censorship or Responsible Journalism? · · Score: 1

    There's a strong meme out there that intelligent==liberal==evil.

    It's ironic when you consider the Republican party used to be the party favoured by intellectuals.