From a gamer enthusiast standpoint, it makes me sick to see the launch go this way.
Ah, so what? Some people (scalpers) have the time to line up for the stuff, others have the cash to blow (idiots). I got no problems with those people making money off the idiots; its not like a live show or something that's only on for one night.
If you don't want to get ripped off, the smart money waits. Waits until the stores are stocked, waits until the reviews are in, waits until there are any decent games worth playing. Maybe there will be none and you'll save a few $100 bucks for something better.
You can make Windows apps right from the get-go with Borland's free command-line C++ compiler, including apps that use DirectX and/or OpenGL.
Anyone can develop Windows apps for FREE, using GCC, LCCWin32, BCC5.5 and soon open Watcom (maybe more).
You will never be able to develop for Nintendo, Sega or Sony without a big wad of cash and a lot of clout. (Unless the courts come down on them with at least 10% of the zeal they had for MS's blood -- at least this would be a real case)
Are they planets? Or just statistical anomolies intended to distract us from sending extrasolar probes to avoid the inevitable destruction of this solar system?
WHAT?? Are you saying there's a Galactic (or Universal??!!) conspiracy against mankind?
Damn, it was bad enough when I thought we were just up against the multinationals and political fanatics. At least they're all from Earth.
How many new desktop application vendors have you noticed in the windows market lately???
Um, lots? What about all those file sharing programs? Media players/encoders? Lots of client software for the internet. Tons of sound tools. Zillions of art tools. Reams of screen savers, winamp plugins. Games galore. Just to name a few. Anyone who works in the creative industry can always find a new toy to learn, there are more than you could ever even try.
While I agree that a number of apps have moved to the web for some people, there will be a cutoff point for both speed and security which people aren't willing to use the web for. A perceptually realtime interface is often a requirement.
Every console has a licensing agreement, they always have. That's why console games actually turn a profit while 99% of PC games flop -- too much noise, crap & confusion in an open market.
Look at the N64, probably the most restrictive licensing around. What do they have? 30 games? 40? Yet they're immensely profitable.
You will have to rip this licensing arrangement out of the console makers & developers cold dead hands, they will not give it away.
You may be as technically correct as you like.. except that 99.9% of the world's population will disagree with you. The meaning of the word (or aconym) "OS" has changed. People that use it in its traditional sense are either mega-geeks or have been in suspended animation for about 15 years.
"Are computer games any more fun now than they were 10 years ago"
I don't think they're any better. They're always best when you're 12 years old and they're the most exciting thing you've ever seen. I would say that the additional complexity and megs & megs of content has made them more linear however.
Used to be that companies took care of their employees,
It should be noted that "taking care" of their employees often included deciding lifestyle choices for their employees. Like deciding whether or not an employee could get married. How to dress. Etc.
now it's part of their bottom line to screw them over (working more hours for less) and try and get them paid less with less benefits.
Exploiting the workers is not a new trend. Corporations only "take care" of their employees when times are good.
Enter the independent contractors who work for less and don't need benefits, the modern mercenaries.
I was one of the first of these "mercenaries" in the late 80s. It put me through school, and I escaped the destiny of becoming a corporate slave. Being forced to switch jobs, and to upgrade our skills is price we pay for escaping the fate corporations would otherwise choose for us. I still wouldn't go back.
Regardless, companies will always need full-time employees. Freelancers cannot replace full-time workers. It does, however, level the playing field for skilled peple who don't necessarily "know the right people" or have some worthless piece of paper degree, or want to sign away their life to a corporation. It does make life tougher for those who would prefer to be allowed to stagnate.
Instead of caring for our workforce, we make them compete against each other.
This is not a new phenomenon. You obviously didn't work through the recession of the late 80s/early 90s. It was far worse then. The difference is that now everyone and their half-simian brother is a so-called "I.T. expert" nowadays.
Yay, so you create your dream software for free, and are then forced into prostitution for the rest of your life. That sounds great, where do I sign up?
but with the exception of case design, Apple--and Steve Jobs--don't shape computing anymore.
Heh, that's funny. But the thing is they do shape computing significantly. Apple has more users than Linux and it's precisely because of case design and pretty UI; it has fuck all to do with how stable or open the OS is.
Got to agree with this guy. His post was funny and just exposes the ridiculous hypocrisy recurring here. I'd give you some points buddy but I don't think they'll ever log me on as a moderator..
I have serious doubts about fiction working as "open-source" (even collaborative works between commercial authors often fail miserably).
But.. I did think of a couple interesting ideas (perhaps these are not new, forgive me if so)..
- Religious documents. I'm presently reading Wilton Barnhardt's "Gospel" (and yes, this is a novel, not an actual historical text). Still, not being the religious sort, it's quite fascinating to peek into the origins of current-day religions, and to ponder the extent to which the church has manipulated history to its own ends and how. It might be beneficial to have the public rather the Catholic chruch dictate what's "official" and what isn't. (Which of the gospels are discredited? Which gospels offer contradictory evidence? Which popes decided this or that? How do we re-evaluate it all to make sense of it?)
- Historical Documents. "The winners write the history books" -- no longer? In the interest of historical accuracy for future generations, would it not be beneficial to have, say, a history of the Gulf War written as a collaboration by people around the world? By people who lived through it? By people who fought in it?
A ranking system akin to Slashdot's might work well for something like this. I think it would need to be founded by a genuinely well-intended (whatever that means) core group. These things seem to be in their infancy, but I wonder if they'll wind up like software -- you start with a shitty core (eg DOS) and you wind up with half-baked stability (i.e. Win95). Hopefully it would differ from Linux in its accessibility to the masses..
That's exactly my point. It's the worst possible market to go for. We're not talking about making compilers or dev tools, we're talking about polished mass-market entertainment products.
When you're making a console you know exactly what hardware you've got. There's not much point in using something like DX which provides support and capability feedback for every possibile HW config under the sun. Unless you want to make it easier to port stuff from Windows.
What would be more interesting is if they could implement the PS2, DC, GC, etc. APIs...:)
No developer in their right mind would want to develop for a game system that will be bought only by Linux zealots. That's just asking for more pain than any human could endure.
Slashdot Mirror
From a gamer enthusiast standpoint, it makes me sick to see the launch go this way.
Ah, so what? Some people (scalpers) have the time to line up for the stuff, others have the cash to blow (idiots). I got no problems with those people making money off the idiots; its not like a live show or something that's only on for one night.
If you don't want to get ripped off, the smart money waits. Waits until the stores are stocked, waits until the reviews are in, waits until there are any decent games worth playing. Maybe there will be none and you'll save a few $100 bucks for something better.
You can make Windows apps right from the get-go with Borland's free command-line C++ compiler, including apps that use DirectX and/or OpenGL.
Anyone can develop Windows apps for FREE, using GCC, LCCWin32, BCC5.5 and soon open Watcom (maybe more).
You will never be able to develop for Nintendo, Sega or Sony without a big wad of cash and a lot of clout. (Unless the courts come down on them with at least 10% of the zeal they had for MS's blood -- at least this would be a real case)
Are they planets? Or just statistical anomolies intended to distract us from sending extrasolar probes to avoid the inevitable destruction of this solar system?
WHAT?? Are you saying there's a Galactic (or Universal??!!) conspiracy against mankind?
Damn, it was bad enough when I thought we were just up against the multinationals and political fanatics. At least they're all from Earth.
Yeah, don't give them any ideas though. Before you know it, they'll be "directing traffic" after some big corp makes nice with them..
How many new desktop application vendors have you noticed in the windows market lately???
Um, lots? What about all those file sharing programs? Media players/encoders? Lots of client software for the internet. Tons of sound tools. Zillions of art tools. Reams of screen savers, winamp plugins. Games galore. Just to name a few. Anyone who works in the creative industry can always find a new toy to learn, there are more than you could ever even try.
While I agree that a number of apps have moved to the web for some people, there will be a cutoff point for both speed and security which people aren't willing to use the web for. A perceptually realtime interface is often a requirement.
Exactly where is Napster getting it's money?
From silicon valley fatcats hoping to cash in big time off the artist's music.
Every console has a licensing agreement, they always have. That's why console games actually turn a profit while 99% of PC games flop -- too much noise, crap & confusion in an open market.
Look at the N64, probably the most restrictive licensing around. What do they have? 30 games? 40? Yet they're immensely profitable.
You will have to rip this licensing arrangement out of the console makers & developers cold dead hands, they will not give it away.
EXACTLY
Why does it seem that in order to create "free" software, you have to give up so many freedoms?
You may be as technically correct as you like.. except that 99.9% of the world's population will disagree with you. The meaning of the word (or aconym) "OS" has changed. People that use it in its traditional sense are either mega-geeks or have been in suspended animation for about 15 years.
But dogs can come.
I fault Donkey Kong. And Mario Bros. Those games ruined EVERYTHING :)
"Are computer games any more fun now than they were 10 years ago"
I don't think they're any better. They're always best when you're 12 years old and they're the most exciting thing you've ever seen. I would say that the additional complexity and megs & megs of content has made them more linear however.
Used to be that companies took care of their employees,
It should be noted that "taking care" of their employees often included deciding lifestyle choices for their employees. Like deciding whether or not an employee could get married. How to dress. Etc.
now it's part of their bottom line to screw them over (working more hours for less) and try and get them paid less with less benefits.
Exploiting the workers is not a new trend. Corporations only "take care" of their employees when times are good.
Enter the independent contractors who work for less and don't need benefits, the modern mercenaries.
I was one of the first of these "mercenaries" in the late 80s. It put me through school, and I escaped the destiny of becoming a corporate slave. Being forced to switch jobs, and to upgrade our skills is price we pay for escaping the fate corporations would otherwise choose for us. I still wouldn't go back.
Regardless, companies will always need full-time employees. Freelancers cannot replace full-time workers. It does, however, level the playing field for skilled peple who don't necessarily "know the right people" or have some worthless piece of paper degree, or want to sign away their life to a corporation. It does make life tougher for those who would prefer to be allowed to stagnate.
Instead of caring for our workforce, we make them compete against each other.
This is not a new phenomenon. You obviously didn't work through the recession of the late 80s/early 90s. It was far worse then. The difference is that now everyone and their half-simian brother is a so-called "I.T. expert" nowadays.
Yay, so you create your dream software for free, and are then forced into prostitution for the rest of your life. That sounds great, where do I sign up?
Well screw you too J.K. You can hide behind Freud but you're still insulting everyone.
but with the exception of case design, Apple--and Steve Jobs--don't shape computing anymore.
Heh, that's funny. But the thing is they do shape computing significantly. Apple has more users than Linux and it's precisely because of case design and pretty UI; it has fuck all to do with how stable or open the OS is.
Got to agree with this guy. His post was funny and just exposes the ridiculous hypocrisy recurring here. I'd give you some points buddy but I don't think they'll ever log me on as a moderator..
These are software patents. They do not constitute all of what IP law is. This Slashdot page for example is copyrighted, not patented.
Nope. How dumb?
Damn, isn't this supposed to be "below my threshold"? I must have fucked up my settings..
I have serious doubts about fiction working as "open-source" (even collaborative works between commercial authors often fail miserably).
But.. I did think of a couple interesting ideas (perhaps these are not new, forgive me if so)..
- Religious documents. I'm presently reading Wilton Barnhardt's "Gospel" (and yes, this is a novel, not an actual historical text). Still, not being the religious sort, it's quite fascinating to peek into the origins of current-day religions, and to ponder the extent to which the church has manipulated history to its own ends and how. It might be beneficial to have the public rather the Catholic chruch dictate what's "official" and what isn't. (Which of the gospels are discredited? Which gospels offer contradictory evidence? Which popes decided this or that? How do we re-evaluate it all to make sense of it?)
- Historical Documents. "The winners write the history books" -- no longer? In the interest of historical accuracy for future generations, would it not be beneficial to have, say, a history of the Gulf War written as a collaboration by people around the world? By people who lived through it? By people who fought in it?
A ranking system akin to Slashdot's might work well for something like this. I think it would need to be founded by a genuinely well-intended (whatever that means) core group. These things seem to be in their infancy, but I wonder if they'll wind up like software -- you start with a shitty core (eg DOS) and you wind up with half-baked stability (i.e. Win95). Hopefully it would differ from Linux in its accessibility to the masses..
That's exactly my point. It's the worst possible market to go for. We're not talking about making compilers or dev tools, we're talking about polished mass-market entertainment products.
When you're making a console you know exactly what hardware you've got. There's not much point in using something like DX which provides support and capability feedback for every possibile HW config under the sun. Unless you want to make it easier to port stuff from Windows.
:)
What would be more interesting is if they could implement the PS2, DC, GC, etc. APIs...
No developer in their right mind would want to develop for a game system that will be bought only by Linux zealots. That's just asking for more pain than any human could endure.