The system has no good games. I enjoy my 360 as I have a wide selection of titles.
The system does not play games in 1080i, it does do video but I already have a dvd upconverter. My TV does not do 1080p so I'd get 720p which I personally think doesn't look as good as 1080i for games. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this but it's all I've read on the subject.
It comes with 1 controller. I've already invested in all the 360 gear, I am not really wanting to spend another 100 dollars on accessories. The PS2 memory card converter even costs something like 30 bucks.
I honestly can't see the value in purchasing a system that has no exclusive titles I really care about. Most people like me just don't see the point when they've already spent so much on their 360s.
Thank you for putting up an explanation on what happened. Thank you for trying to help the community. Thank you for putting your ass on the line and going as far as you could before you were silenced.
I'm sorry you were put in such a position. Keep up the good work, and keep your chin up.
It was brave to explain what happened, and it was the right choice you made. The open source community is important, but keeping a roof over your head should always be your top priority.
These two quotes show the direction sony is looking towards:
"Right now our revenue is almost all subscriptions," John Smedley, the unit's president, said in an interview. "In two years, we would like to see no more than 50 percent of our revenue coming from subscriptions, and five years from now we think less than 10 percent of our revenue will come from subscription sources."
and ...
In general, Mr. Smedley wants to replace subscriptions with a combination of microtransactions, advertising and what he calls the "velvet rope" approach. All three concepts may come to bear in Free Realms, which the company hopes to release on PCs this coming winter and on the PlayStation 3 next summer.
Sony is basically stating they want to get into the pay for content game, and get rid of subscription models.
This will make those that want to go further in a game now pay for content incrementally rather than earning that new sword from some quest. . .
I'm not so sure I like this new direction.
These microtransactions are the major reason I'm not playing Gears of War, haven't bought Rainbow Six Vegas and haven't bought GRAW2, I don't want to pay constantly for mappacks so I can play with friends. I certainly don't want to invest time in an MMO where any 12 yr old with mommys credit card can buy a bigger gun.
. . . but I gotta say there really is a lack of support for hardware in linux for real music production.
I had a real tough time just getting an maudio delta 44 to work and thats pretty standard, not to mention soft synths, there aren't really any out there that are as good as the stuff you can do in windows (fruity loops, cubase etc. )
I'd love to be able to record using linux, however I am using windows XP as a harddisk recorder as the software is much easier to configure and honestly, ease of use is much more important when you are dealing with something you create, you don't want to have to mess with configs etc to be able to record, you need to be able to hit a button and go, and interoperability between my 2 pcs is much easier to set up than linux to windows. Yes I know I can set up a samba server etc, however when I'm trying to move files between 2 PCs for editing quickly, I don't want to deal with it, I'd rather just turn on file sharing internetwork and get it done fast.
As far as worries about crashes etc, well, thats why I have 4 harddrives and 2 PCs, one PC has a dump drive I can slam all my files onto in case my main PC dies.
I guess it really comes down to the fact the software is relatively immature, and the OS is just not easy enough to configure hardware for.
I don't know about prottools setups or motu setups, but I have a sneaking suspicion you aren't going to get those working in linux, anyone got info on that?
Why does Epic not have control over this even though we created this content on our own time and our own dime? Quite frankly Xbox Live Marketplace isn't our store. It's Microsoft's store. Like any retailer they have the right to figure out what goes on the shelves of their store and what price they sell it at. They spend the money to operate the store and deliver the content. They've also spent billions of dollars to create and build Xbox and subsidize it's the price so you can afford it and we can make games for it. As our publisher, they also invested tens of millions of dollars marketing Gears of War, and have done an awesome job for us, so they have a right to a good return on that investment.
Microsoft only marketed gears, they did not pay for the game to be made or have full control of the IP.
While on the surface it may look fairly simplistic, and people are saying 'XYZ should be done,' but we're not Red Octane. I work for Microsoft, and we're just the conduit at this point."
I find it funny that they are trying to take a hands off approach on this, but with the Gears map update they are forcing a company to charge.
Dear Microsoft,
Face it, you're charging both ends, you charge the companies to use your marketplace, and you charge the customers to buy from it, and you play middleman with developers that are trying to give away content. You even charge customers just to use the service, so all in all, you get three payments, the fee to use the service, the fee to sell through the service and the fee the customers pay to get the products in their hands.
Yep, I actually bought my copy of XP right after Vista came out in anticipation of what you have said.
Sam's Club, Best Buy, and Wal Mart don't carry XP at all anymore.
In fact, now it is very hard to get a copy of XP at most stores, I believe MicroCenter has a few OEM copies left, but thats about the only place I know of where a copy can be purchased. (this is in columbus ohio)
I'm pretty excited about this, all the people that pay for the maps can be my beta testers for them. Once all the bugs are worked out, and the map holes are fixed, I can download it for free and have better content.
Thanks Microsoft!
This really solidifies my idea of only buying unreal 3 on the PC, I'll get to play the game my way, and I won't have to pay for user created content.
I can hook my PC up to my 50" just as well as my xbox.
HDMI does not only video but audio as well, some newer tvs have a couple of HDMI ports so its useful to have the HDMI port for that.
I have both HDMI and component cables on my television, and to be honest, I don't see any difference at all from the HDMI source or the component source, so if you have an xbox with a component source, I would hesitate to go out and buy another xbox.
God of War 2 is going to be the last game I buy for my PS2, after that, I'm selling it on ebay, forgetting about sony and going xbox 360, the PS3 has lost focus on what makes playstation great. . . the games
What's your evidence that the HD-DVD player is easier to build and cheaper? Or that the Blu Ray player will around $800-$1000? I've heard credible arguments that the HD-DVD discs are cheaper to produce, but no one has given any evidence that the player will be, given that both HD-DVD and Blu Ray support precisely the same complement of codecs. What's your reasoning here?
Well first off I just noticed I spelled security wrong. HA!
Secondly, you bring up a valid point, how does an end user know a security policy for a company? Just by explaining the security procedures, the company exposes some of the techniques they use and possibly removes a layer of obfuscation.
Having a third party that reviewed multiple companies and compared them, maybe using a set process agreed upon by security experts would be a way.
I don't know if allowing a third party to review this type of thing would be a security issue or not, but maybe it would help consumers to decide who is good or who isn't.
I work for a large insurance company. We have about 30,000 computers or so, probably 5,000 or so laptops.
All data for customers can only be accessed through multiple secure channels, that is VPN, then another layer of security which has another password, and then another system which has even yet another password.
All of the systems are homegrown, so knowledge of the actual applications are so obscure, only a person who was familiar with the interface (ie actually knowing what commands to say at a login prompt) would have a chance at hacking it.
Now on top of this, the system takes months of training to even understand, and the system has multiple special commands specifically for my company just to get a password prompt to pull data.
On top of this, you would need to know what commands to use to get to a users options which again are all in house.
Sure, it's security through obfuscation, and to a point even our agents have trouble doing work without a manual. Does this make us slower to make policies and to adjust policies? Yes, that is why we have a top 100 help desk which is dedicated to assisting all of our employees and we do a damn fine job.
What amazed me when I came here was the sheer concern we have for our customers. So many companies I've seen don't seem to care, where as we are so caring we will shut every system down at the hint of a virus, even if its one machine and we aren't sure it even has an infection but is just doing something strange.
I have really grown proud of my company and the way they have stepped up. We recognize potential threats, issue security bulletins, read bugtraq, and really we all look deep into ways we can improve our security. Something like user's information on a laptop would be a serious security breach.
I am not shocked this company had this problem, but it's not every big business. Some large corporations care about our customers. I know that I shred papers that have people's socials on it as soon as I'm done with the information, I know that all my coworkers do as well. We are serious about security, and not out of any concern for being sued. We do this because we don't want anyone to get screwed over because it just sucks to happen.
I wish I could say what company I worked for, but I can't even give a clue as I know some of the stuff I say may be considered simple marketing ploy, but I want people to know that not every multbilliondollar corp doesn't give a shit about thier customers. Some do, and with a heart and soul.
I care extremely about security, I'm known as a "hacker" at my company (due to my unfortunate past), but I am the first one that is asked about a new exploit, and I readily help our teams become prepared.
Be aware, some companies care, you just have to find the right ones.
Nobody was using google.com unless they wanted uncensored results anyways, so all google.com searches were being scrutinized previously.
Remember, most folks in china stopped using google because it became horrendously slow or just wouldn't work at all. This is why badu became so popular, even though it was censored, it gave people the information they were looking for quickly.
Now, at least the chinese citizens can use the google technology to perform their searches and can even see when a site is censored, which is more than they got from yahoo or badu.
I can't seem to grasp how this is going to somehow empower the government of china to spy on searches being done at google.com anymore than was able to be done previously.
All you folks that complain about google offering this service need to have your head examined.
Google has NOT shut down their chinese language servers outside China.
They have only ADDED servers in china that chinese folk can use to search WHICH THE CHINESE CITIZENS KNOW ARE CENSORED.
If the Chinese citizens want the uncensored, they still have the option of using the uncensored site and dealing with latency, but for the MAJORITY of their searches, they now have a nice and fast websearching utility. Think about it like this, you search for something, you see there is a censored site. Now you KNOW there is a censored site and can maybe search using a proxy etc.
Google has done an amazing thing here, and really has empowered people in china while still working within the laws.
I applaud their decision to offer a proper service to Chinese citizens who just want a quick search on local news etc. This is what MOST people want.
Ask yourself something. How many days out of the week do you spend looking up how to overthrow dictatorships, and then ask yourself how many times you look up your favorite music artist, favorite movie, favorite actor, favorite recipe?
As far as I'm concerned this was a logical decision and by google NOT shutting down their chinese servers outside the country, they have really shown they are attempting to help people.
Villainizing a company because they are attempting to help their shareholders and at the same time offering a service we all really enjoy and use for a variety of subjects is completely assanine.
Slashdot Mirror
It's sad sony still hasn't figured it out.
I don't care about blueray.
The system has no good games.
I enjoy my 360 as I have a wide selection of titles.
The system does not play games in 1080i, it does do video but I already have a dvd upconverter.
My TV does not do 1080p so I'd get 720p which I personally think doesn't look as good as 1080i for games. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this but it's all I've read on the subject.
It comes with 1 controller.
I've already invested in all the 360 gear, I am not really wanting to spend another 100 dollars on accessories. The PS2 memory card converter even costs something like 30 bucks.
I honestly can't see the value in purchasing a system that has no exclusive titles I really care about. Most people like me just don't see the point when they've already spent so much on their 360s.
I'm so glad I didn't buy that warranty extension.
I wonder how those that paid 150 bucks for the extended warranty from different companies feel about this?
Thank you for putting up an explanation on what happened.
Thank you for trying to help the community.
Thank you for putting your ass on the line and going as far as you could before you were silenced.
I'm sorry you were put in such a position.
Keep up the good work, and keep your chin up.
It was brave to explain what happened, and it was the right choice you made.
The open source community is important, but keeping a roof over your head should always be your top priority.
and .
Sony is basically stating they want to get into the pay for content game, and get rid of subscription models.
This will make those that want to go further in a game now pay for content incrementally rather than earning that new sword from some quest. . .
I'm not so sure I like this new direction.
These microtransactions are the major reason I'm not playing Gears of War, haven't bought Rainbow Six Vegas and haven't bought GRAW2, I don't want to pay constantly for mappacks so I can play with friends. I certainly don't want to invest time in an MMO where any 12 yr old with mommys credit card can buy a bigger gun.
I would suggest going with plenum rated wire to help cut down on fumes if there is a fire.
It may be a bit more expensive, but it's something I've always gone for when wiring a home.
Some folks say its unnecessary, however any bit of insurance to keep you and your loved ones safe is a no brainer in my opinion.
Here is a site that discusses plenum wiring.
http://www.phonicear.com/learnplenum.asp
Since most negative comments I read on LOTRO is about adjusting the UI, I'd like to inform everyone to try this.
hold the CONTROL key down
now press the \ key.
In other words, CTRL + \ brings up the UI adjustment screen.
This is documented in the manual.
It is also documented on the little cheat sheet card you get with the beta discs and the regular box.
It seems Warner Brothers has been after Canada for quite some time.
In the 1999 film Southpark: Bigger Longer and Uncut, Canada was blamed for the corruption of Americas youth.
Warner Brothers was a distributor of this film.
So let's have some fun, list all the other movies Warner Brothers has made that cast an angry light on Canada.
. . . but I gotta say there really is a lack of support for hardware in linux for real music production.
I had a real tough time just getting an maudio delta 44 to work and thats pretty standard, not to mention soft synths, there aren't really any out there that are as good as the stuff you can do in windows (fruity loops, cubase etc. )
I'd love to be able to record using linux, however I am using windows XP as a harddisk recorder as the software is much easier to configure and honestly, ease of use is much more important when you are dealing with something you create, you don't want to have to mess with configs etc to be able to record, you need to be able to hit a button and go, and interoperability between my 2 pcs is much easier to set up than linux to windows. Yes I know I can set up a samba server etc, however when I'm trying to move files between 2 PCs for editing quickly, I don't want to deal with it, I'd rather just turn on file sharing internetwork and get it done fast.
As far as worries about crashes etc, well, thats why I have 4 harddrives and 2 PCs, one PC has a dump drive I can slam all my files onto in case my main PC dies.
I guess it really comes down to the fact the software is relatively immature, and the OS is just not easy enough to configure hardware for.
I don't know about prottools setups or motu setups, but I have a sneaking suspicion you aren't going to get those working in linux, anyone got info on that?
It already does, you can change your facial expressions as well as do dozens of different emotes.
here's a summary of the important points:
Microsoft only marketed gears, they did not pay for the game to be made or have full control of the IP.
Yep, I actually bought my copy of XP right after Vista came out in anticipation of what you have said.
Sam's Club, Best Buy, and Wal Mart don't carry XP at all anymore.
In fact, now it is very hard to get a copy of XP at most stores, I believe MicroCenter has a few OEM copies left, but thats about the only place I know of where a copy can be purchased. (this is in columbus ohio)
I'm pretty excited about this, all the people that pay for the maps can be my beta testers for them. Once all the bugs are worked out, and the map holes are fixed, I can download it for free and have better content.
Thanks Microsoft!
This really solidifies my idea of only buying unreal 3 on the PC, I'll get to play the game my way, and I won't have to pay for user created content.
I can hook my PC up to my 50" just as well as my xbox.
I'm hoping its better than the horrible fiasco turbine made with D&D online.
:-(
if not, I'm gonna have to go back to COH, WOW or EQ2 again. . .
HDMI does not only video but audio as well, some newer tvs have a couple of HDMI ports so its useful to have the HDMI port for that.
I have both HDMI and component cables on my television, and to be honest, I don't see any difference at all from the HDMI source or the component source, so if you have an xbox with a component source, I would hesitate to go out and buy another xbox.
God of War 2 is going to be the last game I buy for my PS2, after that, I'm selling it on ebay, forgetting about sony and going xbox 360, the PS3 has lost focus on what makes playstation great. . . the games
I can hear Dethkloks song about the material already . . .
http://www.adultswim.com/shows/metal/
http://www.crutchfield.com/specials/HD/home.html
ok wiseass, macintosh brand computers, and no I don't mean apple, just the mac brand
I think Dell buying MAC and Duke Nukem Forever being released will officially begin the icing over of hell.
- - - it could happen - - -
Well first off I just noticed I spelled security wrong. HA!
Secondly, you bring up a valid point, how does an end user know a security policy for a company? Just by explaining the security procedures, the company exposes some of the techniques they use and possibly removes a layer of obfuscation.
Having a third party that reviewed multiple companies and compared them, maybe using a set process agreed upon by security experts would be a way.
I don't know if allowing a third party to review this type of thing would be a security issue or not, but maybe it would help consumers to decide who is good or who isn't.
I work for a large insurance company.
We have about 30,000 computers or so, probably 5,000 or so laptops.
All data for customers can only be accessed through multiple secure channels, that is VPN, then another layer of security which has another password, and then another system which has even yet another password.
All of the systems are homegrown, so knowledge of the actual applications are so obscure, only a person who was familiar with the interface (ie actually knowing what commands to say at a login prompt) would have a chance at hacking it.
Now on top of this, the system takes months of training to even understand, and the system has multiple special commands specifically for my company just to get a password prompt to pull data.
On top of this, you would need to know what commands to use to get to a users options which again are all in house.
Sure, it's security through obfuscation, and to a point even our agents have trouble doing work without a manual. Does this make us slower to make policies and to adjust policies? Yes, that is why we have a top 100 help desk which is dedicated to assisting all of our employees and we do a damn fine job.
What amazed me when I came here was the sheer concern we have for our customers. So many companies I've seen don't seem to care, where as we are so caring we will shut every system down at the hint of a virus, even if its one machine and we aren't sure it even has an infection but is just doing something strange.
I have really grown proud of my company and the way they have stepped up. We recognize potential threats, issue security bulletins, read bugtraq, and really we all look deep into ways we can improve our security. Something like user's information on a laptop would be a serious security breach.
I am not shocked this company had this problem, but it's not every big business. Some large corporations care about our customers. I know that I shred papers that have people's socials on it as soon as I'm done with the information, I know that all my coworkers do as well. We are serious about security, and not out of any concern for being sued. We do this because we don't want anyone to get screwed over because it just sucks to happen.
I wish I could say what company I worked for, but I can't even give a clue as I know some of the stuff I say may be considered simple marketing ploy, but I want people to know that not every multbilliondollar corp doesn't give a shit about thier customers. Some do, and with a heart and soul.
I care extremely about security, I'm known as a "hacker" at my company (due to my unfortunate past), but I am the first one that is asked about a new exploit, and I readily help our teams become prepared.
Be aware, some companies care, you just have to find the right ones.
Comparing a search engine to a mass murderer does nothing more than ridicule the millions who were killed under that mass murderers regime.
Please use an argument which does not use offensive hyperbole to make an illogical point.
the problem with your logic is this. . .
Nobody was using google.com unless they wanted uncensored results anyways, so all google.com searches were being scrutinized previously.
Remember, most folks in china stopped using google because it became horrendously slow or just wouldn't work at all. This is why badu became so popular, even though it was censored, it gave people the information they were looking for quickly.
Now, at least the chinese citizens can use the google technology to perform their searches and can even see when a site is censored, which is more than they got from yahoo or badu.
I can't seem to grasp how this is going to somehow empower the government of china to spy on searches being done at google.com anymore than was able to be done previously.
All you folks that complain about google offering this service need to have your head examined.
Google has NOT shut down their chinese language servers outside China.
They have only ADDED servers in china that chinese folk can use to search WHICH THE CHINESE CITIZENS KNOW ARE CENSORED.
If the Chinese citizens want the uncensored, they still have the option of using the uncensored site and dealing with latency, but for the MAJORITY of their searches, they now have a nice and fast websearching utility. Think about it like this, you search for something, you see there is a censored site. Now you KNOW there is a censored site and can maybe search using a proxy etc.
Google has done an amazing thing here, and really has empowered people in china while still working within the laws.
I applaud their decision to offer a proper service to Chinese citizens who just want a quick search on local news etc. This is what MOST people want.
Ask yourself something. How many days out of the week do you spend looking up how to overthrow dictatorships, and then ask yourself how many times you look up your favorite music artist, favorite movie, favorite actor, favorite recipe?
As far as I'm concerned this was a logical decision and by google NOT shutting down their chinese servers outside the country, they have really shown they are attempting to help people.
Villainizing a company because they are attempting to help their shareholders and at the same time offering a service we all really enjoy and use for a variety of subjects is completely assanine.