Well, as far as I remember, the films were released on VHS, and then the special editions were released. At the time, everyone knew the special editions were coming.
That's roughly what we're talking about here. And Lucas is the king of tie-ins. Just look at all the official Episode I merchandise.
Release them now, and for II and III, release as usual.
Once all of them are out, release a special edition box set with extra features.
Chances are, a load of people who buy the first releases will then buy the box set for the features => more $$$. Lucas is, after all, the king of tie-ins and other cash-cow-beating schemes.
As far as I know, the recent spate of digital remasters are done to digital formats such as high resolution laserdisc. I know that the My Fair Lady Box Set Laserdisc contained a few frames of the original (partially destroyed) print. The official master of that film is now hi-res laserdisc (which, of course, is never let out of the studio).
What's wrong with distributing "prints" in this format? Just FedEx a few laserdiscs to the theaters (DVD ain't good enough quality) and they could even serial number each disc. The discs would have to be physically stolen by the pirates... better than the satellite thing.
Okay, it's more expensive than satellite distribution, but it's: a) More secure b) Cheaper than shipping traditional film c) Obviously good enough quality since it's what the studio is now using internally!
That whole article seemed a bit like Ebert's return for a nice fat bribe from the Maxi-thing. (That's just an observation, not an accusation!) Practically all of the points he makes have very simple counter arguments.
Okay, setup costs of digital may be high, but I think all other costs scale better than celluloid. Staffing costs? All theaters in a multiplex could be controlled (note, not broadcast) from a single control room... or even all multiplexes in the country from a single master control program... Muhahahahahahahah!
Even so, the Maxi thing sounds interesting.. I just don't see that his trashing of digital is a little premature.
Unfortunately, as AOL own both AIM and ICQ (the two real biggies), they pretty much control the majority.
As a result, any standard is unlikely to have such a high take-up unless AOL can be persuaded to be less arsey about it all.
Now, if Microsoft and Apple both integrated compatible messaging products into their next versions, *that* would be a different matter (and most likely, a whole new lawsuit)
Wasn't the OS written on paper in 6502 assembly? Once typed in, I think they found one minor bug, or something.
They were still soldering the motherboard while another bloke was stalling the BBC guys in the hallway.
Definitely a top hack.
Anyway, BBCs were really underrated by the rest of the world. A machine that in 1981 had 16 built-in digital I/O ports, 4 analogue to digital converters, a user-controllable relay, and the best hack language ever designed: BBC Basic.
I used a BBC Micro in a production environment as recently as 1994. Nothing quite as reliable!
Sod 15 months.. I'm sure anyone that tried to graffiti the side of the White House wouldn't make it as far as the driveway before becoming a disfiguring red stain on the wall.
...or engineering? I know we often ignore the principles of other engineering disciplines, but for the most part us CS majors are trying to apply mathematical concepts to solve everyday tasks/problems. Those tasks could be reasonably pure (such as "make a new crypto system") through to real-world things (such as "build a working network monitoring system"). Sounds like engineering: "Use the laws of mechanics and material science to design a bridge with these requirements."
Anyway... it's an art form. Just ask Donald Knuth.
But, if you could send matter into a parallel universe, wouldn't that violate the conservation of mass and energy?
Well, if dark matter is just matter in another brane, then the gravitational effects could presumably cause some weird perpetual motion effects.
I think if these guys are right then the conservation of mass and energy thing goes out the window as a nice approximation when you don't have a whopping great blob floating past you in another brane.
Anyway, the paper's blocked by our bloody proxy. Who names their webserver 'xxx' anyway?!?
I don't know why id don't use their clout to put a stipulation in the distribution and reseller contracts that states that the Linux and Mac versions must be stocked (perhaps with ratios) with the Windows version, and also must be priced the same.
If the distributors/publishers/resellers didn't like it, I can guarantee another one would. Who would turn down the latest id game?
id is currently the most influential games development outfit. They should use that.
I really believe this is the fault of Microsoft. As much as I love computers (and dis-like windows), I don't like spending my time downloading patches and being worried.
I just wish Microsoft would think before releasing new gizmos. Why can't they just explore the possibilities of, say, HTML mail before releasing the damn product. Sure, it's the user's fault for not patching, but Microsoft could do a lot to make it not so bloody easy to write these things.
True. However, science is perfect.. scientists are not.
Have you ever seen geologists and paleontologists argue about theories? Hear them rattle on about the bird -v- lizard thing? They always boil down to personal reputations and eventually holy wars. It's worse than Linux -v- NT zealotry.
I remember that Hawking, as an undergraduate, stood up in a lecture of some bigwig (who someone will now undoubtably name) and told him he was wrong. If Hawking had been mistaken, he'd be lucky to get a milkman's job in Cambridge. For crying out loud, Einstein was a patent clerk, and we know how clueless they tend to be!
Scientists in general really need to be a bit more open-minded and a little more objective. That's why peer-review (a good idea in principle) isn't as good as it should be. Far too often does it boil down with one of the establishment completely trashing a new idea because it disagrees with their own theories -- probably couldn't take the embarrassment of being on the wrong side.
I'd like to see some progression on IEEE-1355.. I dunno offhand what the status of work on 1355 is, but it's a far more exciting technology than either USB or IEEE-1394.
Hmph.. my Guillemot 3D Prophet (ie. geforce 256) arrived last week..
I installed it. It didn't work. So I wiped the hard drive and reinstalled Windows and the 3D Prophet. Still didn't work. Had to revert to earlier drivers which treat the card as a TNT 2 Ultra.
No sign of this problem on the website. The new drivers on the website don't help. No documentation worth speaking of. Very annoyed.
The best I've heard of is using the elements to name machines.. then you have a direct correspondence to IP address: Hydrogen =>.1, Helium =>.2 (and of course, you have nice shorter aliases like "he" and "li").
When you run out, start adding things like 'unnilquadium'. If you need another address block, start using compounds!
A firm I used to work at used snakes as names when I started. After going through the manual for "Elite", we had finally ran out. So, "oneeyed" and "trouser" appeared. At that point, we changed. =)
It's only denial of service if you deny service! I'm merely suggesting skewing their statistics/information gathering so the cross-referencing of data is less valid. With no large-scale resistance, they're only going to get more invasive.
How long is it going to be before the content you are presented with is altered by the data they have on you? Imagine if a big corporation decided to give pure FUD to clueless newbie managers, and real information to techies?
I have nothing against ad bars per se., but I do object to this big-brotherish cross-referencing.
I definitely don't have anything against cookies.. for storing personal preferences, they're great. I just want those preferences to benefit me, and me only.
I've been thinking that it would be good to do a wide-scale protest (like the Windows Refund Day) where everyone we can get runs a script for a few days which slashdots a bunch of advert sites in random trends.
Although this would temporarily raise advert revenues, it might undermine industry's faith in ad bars altogether.
Try looking just below the big glowing main screen area. =)
I was looking at getting a Windows CE PDA (my Palm III was stood on in a pub and the screen replacement seemed too much hassle), and the battery life *really* sucks on the color ones.
Also the average weight is much higher than a Palm device. Once I have my back pockets laden with a mobile, my wallet and a minidisc player, I don't want a housebrick in there as well!
OTOH, if you invent something and -tell the world- what you've invented, the day -before- xyz, inc. files for a patent, they can't, legally, touch you. (Or anyone, their patent is invalid by 'prior art').
They can legally sue you, though. That'll run most one-man companies into the ground anyway.
Plus, you see how far you get on your own against an angry horde of Microsoft lawyers. They could probably persuade the judge to get you to cease-and-desist from breathing if they wanted.
What we need now is Bob the Corporate Dinosaur to get appointed to the Supreme Court.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, as far as I remember, the films were released on VHS, and then the special editions were released. At the time, everyone knew the special editions were coming.
That's roughly what we're talking about here. And Lucas is the king of tie-ins. Just look at all the official Episode I merchandise.
Looks like they do to me...
- Once all of them are out, release a special edition box set with extra features.
Chances are, a load of people who buy the first releases will then buy the box set for the features => more $$$.Lucas is, after all, the king of tie-ins and other cash-cow-beating schemes.
Ever the cynic..
There was also a Mission: Impossible where the team set up a post-apocalyptic set around the periscope of a nuclear bunker.. pretty cool.
Don't let them out 'till April 1st either.. =)
As far as I know, the recent spate of digital remasters are done to digital formats such as high resolution laserdisc. I know that the My Fair Lady Box Set Laserdisc contained a few frames of the original (partially destroyed) print. The official master of that film is now hi-res laserdisc (which, of course, is never let out of the studio).
What's wrong with distributing "prints" in this format? Just FedEx a few laserdiscs to the theaters (DVD ain't good enough quality) and they could even serial number each disc. The discs would have to be physically stolen by the pirates... better than the satellite thing.
Okay, it's more expensive than satellite distribution, but it's:
a) More secure
b) Cheaper than shipping traditional film
c) Obviously good enough quality since it's what the studio is now using internally!
That whole article seemed a bit like Ebert's return for a nice fat bribe from the Maxi-thing. (That's just an observation, not an accusation!) Practically all of the points he makes have very simple counter arguments.
Okay, setup costs of digital may be high, but I think all other costs scale better than celluloid. Staffing costs? All theaters in a multiplex could be controlled (note, not broadcast) from a single control room... or even all multiplexes in the country from a single master control program... Muhahahahahahahah!
Even so, the Maxi thing sounds interesting.. I just don't see that his trashing of digital is a little premature.
Unfortunately, as AOL own both AIM and ICQ (the two real biggies), they pretty much control the majority.
As a result, any standard is unlikely to have such a high take-up unless AOL can be persuaded to be less arsey about it all.
Now, if Microsoft and Apple both integrated compatible messaging products into their next versions, *that* would be a different matter (and most likely, a whole new lawsuit)
Anyone remember Chuckie Egg (as I just found a very nice remake of it)?
A classic game in just 6K, AFAIR.
Wasn't the OS written on paper in 6502 assembly? Once typed in, I think they found one minor bug, or something.
They were still soldering the motherboard while another bloke was stalling the BBC guys in the hallway.
Definitely a top hack.
Anyway, BBCs were really underrated by the rest of the world. A machine that in 1981 had 16 built-in digital I/O ports, 4 analogue to digital converters, a user-controllable relay, and the best hack language ever designed: BBC Basic.
I used a BBC Micro in a production environment as recently as 1994. Nothing quite as reliable!
Sod 15 months.. I'm sure anyone that tried to graffiti the side of the White House wouldn't make it as far as the driveway before becoming a disfiguring red stain on the wall.
After 'n' years of pushing the envelope, he'd be mad if he didn't take a break!
Anyway, I bet he comes up with some pretty neat stuff, and then decides to start work on another game, possibly based on that research.
It's a damn good way to ponder without the stress of everything resulting directly in a game.
Even if he doesn't, it's not as if he won't contribute significantly to whatever field of 3d wossnames he decides to pursue.
The rest of 'id' are going to have enough on their hands exploiting the Q3 engine before they need him to pull another hat out of a rabbit.
...or engineering? I know we often ignore the principles of other engineering disciplines, but for the most part us CS majors are trying to apply mathematical concepts to solve everyday tasks/problems. Those tasks could be reasonably pure (such as "make a new crypto system") through to real-world things (such as "build a working network monitoring system"). Sounds like engineering: "Use the laws of mechanics and material science to design a bridge with these requirements."
Anyway... it's an art form. Just ask Donald Knuth.
But, if you could send matter into a parallel universe, wouldn't that violate the conservation of mass and energy?
Well, if dark matter is just matter in another brane, then the gravitational effects could presumably cause some weird perpetual motion effects.
I think if these guys are right then the conservation of mass and energy thing goes out the window as a nice approximation when you don't have a whopping great blob floating past you in another brane.
Anyway, the paper's blocked by our bloody proxy. Who names their webserver 'xxx' anyway?!?
I don't know why id don't use their clout to put a stipulation in the distribution and reseller contracts that states that the Linux and Mac versions must be stocked (perhaps with ratios) with the Windows version, and also must be priced the same.
If the distributors/publishers/resellers didn't like it, I can guarantee another one would. Who would turn down the latest id game?
id is currently the most influential games development outfit. They should use that.
I really believe this is the fault of Microsoft. As much as I love computers (and dis-like windows), I don't like spending my time downloading patches and being worried.
I just wish Microsoft would think before releasing new gizmos. Why can't they just explore the possibilities of, say, HTML mail before releasing the damn product. Sure, it's the user's fault for not patching, but Microsoft could do a lot to make it not so bloody easy to write these things.
True. However, science is perfect.. scientists are not.
Have you ever seen geologists and paleontologists argue about theories? Hear them rattle on about the bird -v- lizard thing? They always boil down to personal reputations and eventually holy wars. It's worse than Linux -v- NT zealotry.
I remember that Hawking, as an undergraduate, stood up in a lecture of some bigwig (who someone will now undoubtably name) and told him he was wrong. If Hawking had been mistaken, he'd be lucky to get a milkman's job in Cambridge. For crying out loud, Einstein was a patent clerk, and we know how clueless they tend to be!
Scientists in general really need to be a bit more open-minded and a little more objective. That's why peer-review (a good idea in principle) isn't as good as it should be. Far too often does it boil down with one of the establishment completely trashing a new idea because it disagrees with their own theories -- probably couldn't take the embarrassment of being on the wrong side.
</flamebait>
I'd like to see some progression on IEEE-1355.. I dunno offhand what the status of work on 1355 is, but it's a far more exciting technology than either USB or IEEE-1394.
It's faster, and fully routed.
Well, for the robots and the flying cars, I swear we were promised them in roughtly one and a bit months.
And where's our bloody moonbase?
Hmph.. my Guillemot 3D Prophet (ie. geforce 256) arrived last week..
I installed it. It didn't work. So I wiped the hard drive and reinstalled Windows and the 3D Prophet. Still didn't work. Had to revert to earlier drivers which treat the card as a TNT 2 Ultra.
No sign of this problem on the website. The new drivers on the website don't help. No documentation worth speaking of. Very annoyed.
Fields of slugs being bred purely for electrical supply, harvested by robots.
I can just imagine a little slug-hovercraft searching for the little slug known as "Neo".
The best I've heard of is using the elements to name machines.. then you have a direct correspondence to IP address: Hydrogen => .1, Helium => .2 (and of course, you have nice shorter aliases like "he" and "li").
When you run out, start adding things like 'unnilquadium'. If you need another address block, start using compounds!
A firm I used to work at used snakes as names when I started. After going through the manual for "Elite", we had finally ran out. So, "oneeyed" and "trouser" appeared. At that point, we changed. =)
It's only denial of service if you deny service! I'm merely suggesting skewing their statistics/information gathering so the cross-referencing of data is less valid. With no large-scale resistance, they're only going to get more invasive.
How long is it going to be before the content you are presented with is altered by the data they have on you? Imagine if a big corporation decided to give pure FUD to clueless newbie managers, and real information to techies?
I have nothing against ad bars per se., but I do object to this big-brotherish cross-referencing.
I definitely don't have anything against cookies.. for storing personal preferences, they're great. I just want those preferences to benefit me, and me only.
I've been thinking that it would be good to do a wide-scale protest (like the Windows Refund Day) where everyone we can get runs a script for a few days which slashdots a bunch of advert sites in random trends.
Although this would temporarily raise advert revenues, it might undermine industry's faith in ad bars altogether.
Let's destroy their signal-to-noise ratio! =)
But please, tell me why PDAs have to be strictly PDAs?? Why does it matter what the original design spec is?
True, but the added functionality should not sacrifice the original design spec. I guess for most PDA users the main wish points are:
1. Smaller
2. Lighter
3. Longer lasting (off one charge or cell)
4. More resilient
That's why so many people went for Palm V's, even those with existing Palm III's.
You try fitting color in there too, and one (or more) of those points above will be sacrificed.
Try looking just below the big glowing main screen area. =)
I was looking at getting a Windows CE PDA (my Palm III was stood on in a pub and the screen replacement seemed too much hassle), and the battery life *really* sucks on the color ones.
Also the average weight is much higher than a Palm device. Once I have my back pockets laden with a mobile, my wallet and a minidisc player, I don't want a housebrick in there as well!
OTOH, if you invent something and -tell the world- what you've invented, the day -before- xyz, inc. files for a patent, they can't, legally, touch you. (Or anyone, their patent is invalid by 'prior art').
They can legally sue you, though. That'll run most one-man companies into the ground anyway.
Plus, you see how far you get on your own against an angry horde of Microsoft lawyers. They could probably persuade the judge to get you to cease-and-desist from breathing if they wanted.
What we need now is Bob the Corporate Dinosaur to get appointed to the Supreme Court.