Considering that Treasure is made up of ex-Konami employees responsible for Castlevania and Contra it wouldn't surprise me that they'd feel right at home making a Gradius game. It wouldn't surprise me if some of them helped create the Gradius franchise.
I was actually hoping that this would be a new product line instead of just another GameBoy. You're right though, this is problematic.
Nintendo has to have a sub $100 portable for the average user. If the DS can fill this need, then fine; replacement of the GBA SP would be acceptable. The only problem now is that the upgrade cycle is too quick. The SP was released in the states in March of 2003. Releasing the DS in the fall would only be a year and a half away. Consumers may simply ignore it.
So we have a device that may be priced higher than the GBA and the GC and is not a successor to the GameBoy line but does play GBA games. Hmm. By not calling it the new GameBoy, this creates confusion. When the next actual GameBoy system rolls out, it probably won't support the DS games.
I had been hoping this would be something different but it looks like I was wrong. The control is the same crappy style as the SP so no real point in trying to make it the new GC accessory. Oh well.
So, what could be said in support of the DS with this new info? It looks like Nintendo could be producing a cheap PDA that happens to not only play games but play the thousands of GBA games. That doesn't seem too bad.
Wild speculation time: Nintendo DS will be introduced with a $150 - $200 price point and will include basic PDA functionality (contacts/calendar/notepad). Besides published specs, unit will have between 8 and 64 MB of RAM (16 MB likely) for storing PDA data as well as game saves. (RAM will use separate lithium battery to keep data) Games will be shipped on media similar to SD cards. A seperate package containing software and possibly Bluetooth hardware will be sold to allow syncing of data to your home computer.
What would Nintendo gain from all of this? The biggest thing I can think of would be grabbing the geeks (i.e. hardcore gamers) away from Sony's PSP.
I've heard that not blinking is a sign of brain death. The game you are referring to is Radiant Silvergun. Maybe it was all the "engrish" in the game that now causes you to now mix up the title. "Be attitude for gains" my eye.
I didn't find RS too hard though. It was a great game, sure, but not that difficult. Ikaruga with it's black/white thing just frustrated me. It was an interesting concept but I just couldn't play it.
First off, People say I'm a Nintendo fangirl so don't cite me for pushing anti-Nintendo FUD.
You list things that the market has shown to be true. Unfortunately, the market is always changing and there are two factors that you missed:
1. Before Sony came along, no "consumer electronics" company survived in the video game market.
Matsushita (Panasonic), Pioneer, NEC, Phillips, and if we go back a bit, Magnavox have all thrown their hat into the lucrative video game ring just to lose fortunes. While one could argue that NEC did succeed, it was only in a localized market and not the global dominance that Sony currently has.
2. Before Sony, the company who came out on top of the previous generation would lose the next.
Atari was the pre-crash victor but never again saw anything close to the top. Nintendo's NES (Famicom) was a phenominal success, the SNES barely managed to keep up with the Genesis, the N64 did mediocre, and the Gamecube strugles with the Xbox for second place. Sega's Genesis was a hit but Sega's later outings fell flat. Sony's Playstation dominance has only been continued by the PS2.
The Gameboy came out on top because of three things: Your afforementioned $100 price point and battery life were two. The third was the "killer app" Tetris.
Sony has already shown that price doesn't matter as they outsold the $200 Dreamcast with their $300 PS2. It even stings more when you consider that the early PS2 games were technically inferior to the DC. The PS2's killer app? DVD playback.
Battery life shouldn't be a big problem either. I love my Lynx but I'll admit that 6 hours on 6 AA batteries versus the Gameboy's 20 hours on 4 was a big deal but it was more of the cost of battery replacement that was the problem. Like the GBA SP, the PSP will have a rechargeable battery. If Sony can manage 6-8 hours of life per charge, they should be fine. Most marathon sessions will be done near the convenience of an AC outlet anyway. Convince gamers to throw the unit on the charger before bedtime and they'll be set. Heck they're probably doing that right now with their cell phones.
What about a killer app? Look for a Grand Theft Auto or Final Fantasy game to appear with the PSP. Granted that's just my speculation but I would bet money on it.
Your other points? 1. No gaming product they have released has lived up to it's hype. See also: the PS2.
Both the PS1 and the PS2 didn't have good software until after being on the market for a few years. Sony, much like Microsoft with their Xbox, can afford to lose buckets of money before showing a profit. More importantly, Sony doesn't need to live up to the hype. They just need to follow the hype machine to success.
2. They have an awful reputation for hardware longevity, their stuff breaks, frequently. See also: the PS1/PS2.
I'll agree there. I only bought a PS2 once my second PS1 died. I used to joke that about half of the Playstation's quoted install base was actually just a replacement for the other defective half. The PS1 and PS2 were designed to be cheap but effective. Is this really a problem for Sony though? Not really. If the unit can survive long enough before it's lost or stolen then it's good enough for most people.
Sony has just about everything they need to topple Nintendo's portable monopoly. If they don't, it's certainly not going to be from a lack of trying.
I am appalled. This study is just more anti-Microsoft FUD obviously paid for by those evil open source advocates. I can't believe that we just perpetuate it.
Fortunately, the general public won't hear about your biased opinions. Your comments of "It's only free because it came with your computer and if you don't value your data/security" will meet with deaf ears. The public, including Joe Sixpack as well as Big Business, will continue to support our friends at Microsoft and support the best OS in the world, not because of any "monopoly", but because their products are superior in every way....and no amount of FUD will change that. --- Note, mods... if you don't understand sarcasm, don't moderate this message. While I am using Windows at the moment, it's only because I rebooted into it to play some flash animations... stupid Macromedia and their slow-ass Linux flash client... grumble.
"AVG Free Edition CAN NOT BE INSTALLED ON SERVERS FOR ANY REASON. IT CAN NOT BE INSTALLED IN ANY NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT!"
I like to connect my computer to the Internet every now and then. I guess I can't use the free version.
Seriously though, I have a home network as probably 90% of slashdotters do. It's there so that the household can connect their various computers to the Internet and also to occasionally play LAN games. It's not like we're running a business. However, because of this, Free AVG is of no use to me.
Why can't they just allow it for all non-profit use?
Unlike my Saturn, which is still lives in my living room, I can only think of two reasons to drag the DC out of storage:
Power Stone 2 and Chu Chu Rocket
Of course, once it is out, games like Tech Romancer (Kikai-o), Virtua Tennis, and the fishing games get played.
Don't get me wrong, the DC had many more entertaing games... it's just that they've been re-released on other consoles and slightly improved. PSO, Crazy Taxi, MSR, NFL2K, and Skies of Arcadia have all had updates on other (newer) consoles. Even lesser games like the Sonic series or other fighting games have updates.
I remember the DC as the system that introduced the VMU. It's still a great concept, one that Nintendo is trying to reproduce with their GBA-GC link. Try playing NFL2K multiplayer. Being able to pick your plays in private is great. Even Virtua Tennis made use of it.:)
Overclocking gaming systems is not new. I overclocked my Atari Lynx back in the day.(24MHz from 16MHz)
The reason I did it was to play games in turbo speed. STUN Runner played great at 1.5 times speed. A 1.2 to 1.4 increase would be great for most GBA games. Underclocking could also be useful for poor gamers. I know a lot of gamers who would like a speed switch on their system.
Biometrics used in combination with a traditional password scheme would be more secure than just the password itself. Consider this:
A system that monitors the timing of how you type in your password. This can and has been done in software. For a hardware solution, we could use a keyboard/keypad that monitors the velocity of each keypress. These perople have done something similar for handwriting recognition.
Heck, we could even add fingerprint identification to our hardware solution and determine not only who is entering the password but which fingers were used to press which keys. It would cost quite a bit more for a reader in every key but that's paranoia for you. How much are you willing to do to protect your data.
Only one of the listed games was released into the Japanese Xbox market; Phantasy Star Online (Ep I and II).
That's right. The Japanese have no Morrowind, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, or any other RPG that some westerners find so entertaining.
Even Sega developed Shenmue II didn't come out there. Why? Probably because it wasn't much different than the Dreamcast version which came out years before. We should also note that while the updated PSO came out for both GC and Xbox, it's "Episode III" sequel is only on the cube.
Microsoft is banking on True Fantasy Live Online to sell systems/Live subscriptions to the Japanese, but it's really too late. Microsoft just needs to have a presence in the market until the Xbox Next comes out at which point they can try again.
For now though, they must just accept that the Xbox has failed.
Alright, you pay 1,800 for a sword and it's not even the best one possible.
Here's what you do. Use some blue body paint on a chicken and start the whole trading process. Walk around asking if anyone will trade you something for your blue chicken, then trade whatever they gave you for something new. Eventually someone will gove you a broken sword. Stop right there for a minute.
If you're having trouble with this so far, go to a flea market or a swap meet. Someone will give you something for a blue chicken.
Anyway, now that you have a broken sword, take it to a very very big blacksmith with bad eyes. He will help you only if you can cure his condition. For this, we need the assistance of a fat, fishy smelling, naturopathic optometrist.
This doctor will insist that the blacksmith needs eyedrops made from frogs, so get an "eyeball frog" from him and take it to the pharmacy. Since this guy is also a well respected fishmonger, you may also want to pick up some salmon steaks for dinner but don't waste too much time as the frog has an extremely low shelf life.
After the pharmacy mixes up the frog eyedrops compound, hurry over to your gigantic blacksmith and give him the medicine. Remember, time is of the essence as the drops (and your dinner) will spoil. They will (miraculously) work and allow him to see. Ask that he immediately begin work on your sword as thanks.
Forging the sword will take 3 days as opposed to the one and a half months for the Master sword. It also may be cheaper depending on how much your out-of-network optometrist charges you. One more thing, you won't be able to wield a shield while using this sword, but I don't think that should be a problem. Enjoy.
I wouldn't rule out MS putting in a re-writeable dvd drive.
I would. Large rewritable removable media is the last thing that MS wants. Built in DVD-R just screams for piracy. Besides, it's also a hassle to consumers that would have to switch discs frequently.
Look for extra game content to be stored online and distributed in a somewhat peer-to-peer model in the vein of BitTorrent. Be it a new multiplayer map or a single player campaign, the first user would download the content from the servers and the rest could get it from peers.
They [rewritable DVD drives] retail under 100 bucks these days, so if they struck a deal with some company it could be rather cost effective.
True. They may well be less than that in quantities but that doesn't automatically mean that they are cost effective. MS is finding the additional price for the built in hard disk drive in the current Xbox isn't cost effective and they probably get great deals on those.
Games didn't really use the HD much anyways.
From an end user standpoint, you're right. There are games that create obscenely large save games and a bit of downloadable content for others but aside from these (and custom soundtracks) the HDD doesn't seem to get much use.
The truth is that many games, mostly first and second party games, use it for virtual memory or for spooling data. A good chunk of the Xbox OS, such as the dashboard, is also on the drive. Granted the Xbox 2 will have much more than 64MB of RAM but developers will just have to deal with no HDD. Those that are programming for multiple platforms may not even notice.
An add-in hard disk drive could still be a viable option for games that absolutely need it but people will just have to plunk down more cash for it. Heck, people are already paying $200+ for Steel Battalion. Sony is banking on Final Fantasy XI to sell the PS2 HDD; MS could simply make it a requirement for Halo 3 if they want a maximum install base... and it's a bonus if it includes the ability to play old Xbox 1 games.
I'm sure it will support the Xshok controller. That should liven up your game.
If they decide to vibrate off the hook they'll be opening themselves up to HAVS lawsuits. Alternatively, they could also just strobe the screen and cause epileptic fits.
I'm starting to think that they should just package drugs with the game. --- I had mod points but I sold them on eBay.
Funny that you link to the Giri Giri FAQ and then state that there is "no decent Saturn emulator".
While it may not be free, the Giri Giri project has progressed into a very decent emulator capable of running commercial games and is part of Cyber Disc.
It does require a 2+ GHz PC to run, but it does work. With a hack you can get it to play your old Saturn discs.
Hold on a second... more games available??
on
Sony Delays PSP To 2005
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
If the PSP was supposed to be able to run (with slight modification) the original Playstation games, why do they need to wait for more titles. Why can't the just bring it to market with a several dozens or so of the best PS games and a handful of new ones? It worked for the GBA.
I think the delay is due to it's cost. Sony still has to find a way to cut down the price. The delay won't help the numbskull customers at the local game store who have been insisting that the PSP is out in Japan though. This just gives Sony more mindless hype time.
Watched more than the West Wing
on
WB Cancels Angel
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
From the site: "ANGEL outpaced "The West Wing" on NBC...".
I don't watch much West Wing (as I'm watching Angel) but isn't that a pretty high rated show? Why cancel a successful show that has really good ratings?
Is this question for real? It sounds like the writer grew up playing too many FPSes. There are plenty of games which have little realism.
Examples:
Super Monkey Ball - Sure, we have monkeys and bananas in the "real world" and I suppose we could seal these monkeys in giant plastic balls but after that it just gets wierd. Hmmm... realistic? Well, I could point out that gravity still points down. That's realistic, right?
Amidar - Alright, get this one. On odd stages, you play a monkey (back with the monkey theme I see) and on even stages, you play a paint roller. Enemies that chase you will be savages for the monkey and... what would be chasing after a paint roller? Pigs! This goes to show that the programmers at Stern didn't have a drug problem. They could get all the drugs that they wanted. Here's a link to prove I'm not making this up.
There's many more that have very little to do with reality. Bomberman, Frequency, Tempest, er never mind. I'll stop while I can still think properly.
Slashdot Mirror
Considering that Treasure is made up of ex-Konami employees responsible for Castlevania and Contra it wouldn't surprise me that they'd feel right at home making a Gradius game. It wouldn't surprise me if some of them helped create the Gradius franchise.
I was actually hoping that this would be a new product line instead of just another GameBoy. You're right though, this is problematic.
Nintendo has to have a sub $100 portable for the average user. If the DS can fill this need, then fine; replacement of the GBA SP would be acceptable. The only problem now is that the upgrade cycle is too quick. The SP was released in the states in March of 2003. Releasing the DS in the fall would only be a year and a half away. Consumers may simply ignore it.
So we have a device that may be priced higher than the GBA and the GC and is not a successor to the GameBoy line but does play GBA games. Hmm. By not calling it the new GameBoy, this creates confusion. When the next actual GameBoy system rolls out, it probably won't support the DS games.
I had been hoping this would be something different but it looks like I was wrong. The control is the same crappy style as the SP so no real point in trying to make it the new GC accessory. Oh well.
So, what could be said in support of the DS with this new info? It looks like Nintendo could be producing a cheap PDA that happens to not only play games but play the thousands of GBA games. That doesn't seem too bad.
Wild speculation time: Nintendo DS will be introduced with a $150 - $200 price point and will include basic PDA functionality (contacts/calendar/notepad). Besides published specs, unit will have between 8 and 64 MB of RAM (16 MB likely) for storing PDA data as well as game saves. (RAM will use separate lithium battery to keep data) Games will be shipped on media similar to SD cards. A seperate package containing software and possibly Bluetooth hardware will be sold to allow syncing of data to your home computer.
What would Nintendo gain from all of this? The biggest thing I can think of would be grabbing the geeks (i.e. hardcore gamers) away from Sony's PSP.
I've heard that not blinking is a sign of brain death. The game you are referring to is Radiant Silvergun. Maybe it was all the "engrish" in the game that now causes you to now mix up the title. "Be attitude for gains" my eye.
I didn't find RS too hard though. It was a great game, sure, but not that difficult. Ikaruga with it's black/white thing just frustrated me. It was an interesting concept but I just couldn't play it.
I always wanted a thing called tuna sashimi.
First off, People say I'm a Nintendo fangirl so don't cite me for pushing anti-Nintendo FUD.
You list things that the market has shown to be true. Unfortunately, the market is always changing and there are two factors that you missed:
1. Before Sony came along, no "consumer electronics" company survived in the video game market.
Matsushita (Panasonic), Pioneer, NEC, Phillips, and if we go back a bit, Magnavox have all thrown their hat into the lucrative video game ring just to lose fortunes. While one could argue that NEC did succeed, it was only in a localized market and not the global dominance that Sony currently has.
2. Before Sony, the company who came out on top of the previous generation would lose the next.
Atari was the pre-crash victor but never again saw anything close to the top. Nintendo's NES (Famicom) was a phenominal success, the SNES barely managed to keep up with the Genesis, the N64 did mediocre, and the Gamecube strugles with the Xbox for second place. Sega's Genesis was a hit but Sega's later outings fell flat. Sony's Playstation dominance has only been continued by the PS2.
The Gameboy came out on top because of three things: Your afforementioned $100 price point and battery life were two. The third was the "killer app" Tetris.
Sony has already shown that price doesn't matter as they outsold the $200 Dreamcast with their $300 PS2. It even stings more when you consider that the early PS2 games were technically inferior to the DC. The PS2's killer app? DVD playback.
Battery life shouldn't be a big problem either. I love my Lynx but I'll admit that 6 hours on 6 AA batteries versus the Gameboy's 20 hours on 4 was a big deal but it was more of the cost of battery replacement that was the problem. Like the GBA SP, the PSP will have a rechargeable battery. If Sony can manage 6-8 hours of life per charge, they should be fine. Most marathon sessions will be done near the convenience of an AC outlet anyway. Convince gamers to throw the unit on the charger before bedtime and they'll be set. Heck they're probably doing that right now with their cell phones.
What about a killer app? Look for a Grand Theft Auto or Final Fantasy game to appear with the PSP. Granted that's just my speculation but I would bet money on it.
Your other points?
1. No gaming product they have released has lived up to it's hype. See also: the PS2.
Both the PS1 and the PS2 didn't have good software until after being on the market for a few years. Sony, much like Microsoft with their Xbox, can afford to lose buckets of money before showing a profit. More importantly, Sony doesn't need to live up to the hype. They just need to follow the hype machine to success.
2. They have an awful reputation for hardware longevity, their stuff breaks, frequently. See also: the PS1/PS2.
I'll agree there. I only bought a PS2 once my second PS1 died. I used to joke that about half of the Playstation's quoted install base was actually just a replacement for the other defective half. The PS1 and PS2 were designed to be cheap but effective. Is this really a problem for Sony though? Not really. If the unit can survive long enough before it's lost or stolen then it's good enough for most people.
Sony has just about everything they need to topple Nintendo's portable monopoly. If they don't, it's certainly not going to be from a lack of trying.
I am appalled. This study is just more anti-Microsoft FUD obviously paid for by those evil open source advocates. I can't believe that we just perpetuate it.
...and no amount of FUD will change that.
Fortunately, the general public won't hear about your biased opinions. Your comments of "It's only free because it came with your computer and if you don't value your data/security" will meet with deaf ears. The public, including Joe Sixpack as well as Big Business, will continue to support our friends at Microsoft and support the best OS in the world, not because of any "monopoly", but because their products are superior in every way.
---
Note, mods... if you don't understand sarcasm, don't moderate this message. While I am using Windows at the moment, it's only because I rebooted into it to play some flash animations... stupid Macromedia and their slow-ass Linux flash client... grumble.
from the page:
"AVG Free Edition CAN NOT BE INSTALLED ON SERVERS FOR ANY REASON. IT CAN NOT BE INSTALLED IN ANY NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT!"
I like to connect my computer to the Internet every now and then. I guess I can't use the free version.
Seriously though, I have a home network as probably 90% of slashdotters do. It's there so that the household can connect their various computers to the Internet and also to occasionally play LAN games. It's not like we're running a business. However, because of this, Free AVG is of no use to me.
Why can't they just allow it for all non-profit use?
Puyo Puyo Fever also showed the trick of changing the DC boot menu background.
You can download an example to your VMU from here if you would like to see.
Unlike my Saturn, which is still lives in my living room, I can only think of two reasons to drag the DC out of storage:
:)
Power Stone 2 and Chu Chu Rocket
Of course, once it is out, games like Tech Romancer (Kikai-o), Virtua Tennis, and the fishing games get played.
Don't get me wrong, the DC had many more entertaing games... it's just that they've been re-released on other consoles and slightly improved. PSO, Crazy Taxi, MSR, NFL2K, and Skies of Arcadia have all had updates on other (newer) consoles. Even lesser games like the Sonic series or other fighting games have updates.
I remember the DC as the system that introduced the VMU. It's still a great concept, one that Nintendo is trying to reproduce with their GBA-GC link. Try playing NFL2K multiplayer. Being able to pick your plays in private is great. Even Virtua Tennis made use of it.
If you're going to mention Shenmue II (which I found droll), you should also mention Rez!
Rez was another game that was released in all markets except the US.
BTW, the only reason that Shenmue II wasn't released in the states was a deal with MS. They wanted to make it an exclusive Xbox game.
I'll just wait until they fail to renew the domain and just pay the 35 bucks.
Overclocking gaming systems is not new. I overclocked my Atari Lynx back in the day.(24MHz from 16MHz)
The reason I did it was to play games in turbo speed. STUN Runner played great at 1.5 times speed. A 1.2 to 1.4 increase would be great for most GBA games. Underclocking could also be useful for poor gamers. I know a lot of gamers who would like a speed switch on their system.
What the fark is your problem?
Do you work for Microsoft?
Security through obscurity doesn't work.
The idea behind security in a GPL'd application is that if someone found a gaping whole, they could either exploit it or fix it.
Biometrics used in combination with a traditional password scheme would be more secure than just the password itself. Consider this:
A system that monitors the timing of how you type in your password. This can and has been done in software. For a hardware solution, we could use a keyboard/keypad that monitors the velocity of each keypress. These perople have done something similar for handwriting recognition.
Heck, we could even add fingerprint identification to our hardware solution and determine not only who is entering the password but which fingers were used to press which keys. It would cost quite a bit more for a reader in every key but that's paranoia for you. How much are you willing to do to protect your data.
Only one of the listed games was released into the Japanese Xbox market; Phantasy Star Online (Ep I and II).
That's right. The Japanese have no Morrowind, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, or any other RPG that some westerners find so entertaining.
Even Sega developed Shenmue II didn't come out there. Why? Probably because it wasn't much different than the Dreamcast version which came out years before. We should also note that while the updated PSO came out for both GC and Xbox, it's "Episode III" sequel is only on the cube.
Microsoft is banking on True Fantasy Live Online to sell systems/Live subscriptions to the Japanese, but it's really too late. Microsoft just needs to have a presence in the market until the Xbox Next comes out at which point they can try again.
For now though, they must just accept that the Xbox has failed.
In an article about migrating from Windows to Linux I get an ad for Windows XP Media Center.
Hmmmm...
Alright, you pay 1,800 for a sword and it's not even the best one possible.
Here's what you do. Use some blue body paint on a chicken and start the whole trading process. Walk around asking if anyone will trade you something for your blue chicken, then trade whatever they gave you for something new. Eventually someone will gove you a broken sword. Stop right there for a minute.
If you're having trouble with this so far, go to a flea market or a swap meet. Someone will give you something for a blue chicken.
Anyway, now that you have a broken sword, take it to a very very big blacksmith with bad eyes. He will help you only if you can cure his condition. For this, we need the assistance of a fat, fishy smelling, naturopathic optometrist.
This doctor will insist that the blacksmith needs eyedrops made from frogs, so get an "eyeball frog" from him and take it to the pharmacy. Since this guy is also a well respected fishmonger, you may also want to pick up some salmon steaks for dinner but don't waste too much time as the frog has an extremely low shelf life.
After the pharmacy mixes up the frog eyedrops compound, hurry over to your gigantic blacksmith and give him the medicine. Remember, time is of the essence as the drops (and your dinner) will spoil. They will (miraculously) work and allow him to see. Ask that he immediately begin work on your sword as thanks.
Forging the sword will take 3 days as opposed to the one and a half months for the Master sword. It also may be cheaper depending on how much your out-of-network optometrist charges you. One more thing, you won't be able to wield a shield while using this sword, but I don't think that should be a problem. Enjoy.
I wouldn't rule out MS putting in a re-writeable dvd drive.
I would. Large rewritable removable media is the last thing that MS wants. Built in DVD-R just screams for piracy. Besides, it's also a hassle to consumers that would have to switch discs frequently.
Look for extra game content to be stored online and distributed in a somewhat peer-to-peer model in the vein of BitTorrent. Be it a new multiplayer map or a single player campaign, the first user would download the content from the servers and the rest could get it from peers.
They [rewritable DVD drives] retail under 100 bucks these days, so if they struck a deal with some company it could be rather cost effective.
True. They may well be less than that in quantities but that doesn't automatically mean that they are cost effective. MS is finding the additional price for the built in hard disk drive in the current Xbox isn't cost effective and they probably get great deals on those.
Games didn't really use the HD much anyways.
From an end user standpoint, you're right. There are games that create obscenely large save games and a bit of downloadable content for others but aside from these (and custom soundtracks) the HDD doesn't seem to get much use.
The truth is that many games, mostly first and second party games, use it for virtual memory or for spooling data. A good chunk of the Xbox OS, such as the dashboard, is also on the drive. Granted the Xbox 2 will have much more than 64MB of RAM but developers will just have to deal with no HDD. Those that are programming for multiple platforms may not even notice.
An add-in hard disk drive could still be a viable option for games that absolutely need it but people will just have to plunk down more cash for it. Heck, people are already paying $200+ for Steel Battalion. Sony is banking on Final Fantasy XI to sell the PS2 HDD; MS could simply make it a requirement for Halo 3 if they want a maximum install base... and it's a bonus if it includes the ability to play old Xbox 1 games.
It could be - I mean, block things starting with X to keep kids from porn, right?
How about searching for "Xbox"?
I'm sure it will support the Xshok controller. That should liven up your game.
If they decide to vibrate off the hook they'll be opening themselves up to HAVS lawsuits. Alternatively, they could also just strobe the screen and cause epileptic fits.
I'm starting to think that they should just package drugs with the game.
---
I had mod points but I sold them on eBay.
Funny that you link to the Giri Giri FAQ and then state that there is "no decent Saturn emulator".
While it may not be free, the Giri Giri project has progressed into a very decent emulator capable of running commercial games and is part of Cyber Disc.
It does require a 2+ GHz PC to run, but it does work. With a hack you can get it to play your old Saturn discs.
If the PSP was supposed to be able to run (with slight modification) the original Playstation games, why do they need to wait for more titles. Why can't the just bring it to market with a several dozens or so of the best PS games and a handful of new ones? It worked for the GBA.
I think the delay is due to it's cost. Sony still has to find a way to cut down the price. The delay won't help the numbskull customers at the local game store who have been insisting that the PSP is out in Japan though. This just gives Sony more mindless hype time.
This is where I took a bath on Nokia stock.
From the site: "ANGEL outpaced "The West Wing" on NBC...".
I don't watch much West Wing (as I'm watching Angel) but isn't that a pretty high rated show? Why cancel a successful show that has really good ratings?
Is this question for real? It sounds like the writer grew up playing too many FPSes. There are plenty of games which have little realism.
Examples:
Super Monkey Ball - Sure, we have monkeys and bananas in the "real world" and I suppose we could seal these monkeys in giant plastic balls but after that it just gets wierd. Hmmm... realistic? Well, I could point out that gravity still points down. That's realistic, right?
Amidar - Alright, get this one. On odd stages, you play a monkey (back with the monkey theme I see) and on even stages, you play a paint roller. Enemies that chase you will be savages for the monkey and... what would be chasing after a paint roller? Pigs! This goes to show that the programmers at Stern didn't have a drug problem. They could get all the drugs that they wanted. Here's a link to prove I'm not making this up.
There's many more that have very little to do with reality. Bomberman, Frequency, Tempest, er never mind. I'll stop while I can still think properly.