I believe Nintendo's already announced that they're going to have some sort of online presence (finally!). The big news, actually, is that Sony continues NOT to have anything, and lets/forces developers to do it themselves. (That has both pros and cons though)
As for keeping it free, remember that the 360 Silver account is free, and has most Live features enabled (Gamertag, profiles, achievements, marketplace, etc.). The only thing you don't get is actual multiplayer functionality. It would be interesting to see if Nintendo can do everything AND make it free (although it will be costly to them... hosting servers ain't cheap). So far, they've done a pretty good job with the Mario Kart DS wireless multiplayer system.
I think the Dreamcast controller did some of what you're referring to, with embedded MUs and the like. Then again, having the controller be the "memory stick" doesn't seem all that different than just bringing your MU to your friend's house. Or better yet, leave the MU in your controller, and bring that over. The Dreamcast and other consoles (Xbox and GC, I believe), do this already.
But anyway, I see where you're going. There is probably something cool that can be done with the controller. Maybe they can copy with MS is doing with Profiles and XBox Live, but make it controller-based, so that you don't have to have a broadband connection? If it's Nintendo, I'm sure they'll think of something neat that no one's seriously thought of before.
Sorry, but the Xbox 360 does much of this already with the Live Arcade games. You can copy any game that you've purchased onto a memory-unit, then bring it over to a friend's house and transfer it to his box. If you're logged in, then both of you can play the game for free. When you leave, the game does revert to a trial-version, so you can still play it, but will need to spend 400 points or whatever to unlock it. And yes, once you purchase a game, you can download it anywhere again.
That said, Nintendo should definately have something similar. Sounds like their backwards compatibility (with all old NES/SNES/etc games), is going to be pretty similar to what the Xbox Live Arcade is doing today.
Does the game have to "say" something to be artistic? How about a book, or a movie, or a painting? There are lots of ways of communicating impact to the viewer. Movies and books mostly do it through things like dialogue, good storytelling, etc. Paintings employ something entirely different (brush strokes, style? I'm not an art history major, so I wouldn't know). What about photography? Modern art? Sculpture?
Games will employ a little bit of everything above, and then some. Some games, specifically RPGs, I consider artistic because of their storyline, dialogue, character development, etc., much the same way I consider many books/movies to be artistic. However some games like Tetris, I consider artistic just because of the effect it had on me. I wouldn't say it's the "fitting of blocks into lines" that did it, but somehow the gameplay and the addictiveness of something so simple, yet gave me so much joy over time... I think that's art in some way.
I'm not a creative person, nor an good writer by any means, but I'm sure a decent one should be able to write about Tetris in such a way, and convey the essence of what it means to play it, to enjoy it, to non-gamers. I think that's what the game industry really needs. Our own Ebert.
You, when I first read the headline for the article, I thought it was going to be pretty biased garbage, but then reading through it, find it rather spot on. The games they focus on are ports, and it almost goes without saying that they're not going to look that great. Two big reasons:
1) They're first-gen titles. 'nuff said. 2) Companies spend most of their time and money on the "current-gen" products, and won't spend that much more on improving the next-gen version
Unfortunately, we won't be seeing a large quality jump until we get more next-gen systems, like the PS3. Game companies will tend to develop to the lowest common denominator. That's why a lot of cross-platform games just look fairly average, while console-specific titles (Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox, MGS3 for the PS2, etc.), look amazing for their respective platforms.
So, the original reason why I thought the article was garbage is because I've been only playing the first-party titles (Kameo, PDZ, and PGR3). Those games, especially PGR3, really showcase the system and how it is deserving of the "next gen" moniker. Ports? Not yet.
No public footage. However, several demos were shown to the press (http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-15143-2567- x-x-x). It sounded like it was more "proof of concept" type of stuff. We'll have to see how it pans out in the end.
This is something of a disaster for MSFT, but not in anyway unpredictable. As someone who has worked closely with Microsoft for the last 10 years I've grown to understand how they make decisions: Its all about platform extension and repeat revenue streams. Very, very little thought tends to go in to creativity, design and consumer appeal. Microsofties tend to scoff at those things, holding instead to the belief that a superior business model leads to a superior product line. (What they forget is that they are now in the entertainment business and people could give a crap about their business model.)
I have to disagree with this statement. I work in MGS (Microsoft Game Studios) and I'd have to say that we DO care about creativity, design, and consumer appeal a lot. Maybe you work more with marketing or business on the Windows/Office divisions... I can definately see that type of arrogance there. Since we're not #1 when it comes to the games industry, we HAVE to think about the consumer, try to innovate to keep ahead, and keep things fun. My biggest pet peeve is folks assuming that all Microsofties are the same. Yeah, there are certainly folks in MS that "don't get it" and are undesirable to work with, but fortunately MGS tends not to have them.
Anyway, as for the rest of your comment regarding the launch titles, I'd have to half agree. See, I'm a huge RPG fan (Squeenix and Nippon Ichi junkie especially), and was disappointed not to see any listed as a launch title. I understand that RPGs tend to take longer to develop, but I was still hoping there would be a developer that got started early enough.
However, having heard many good things about PDZ and Kameo (which a lot of gamers seem to forget about), I'll certainly have to give them a try. I wouldn't say they're revolutionary, but neither was Halo. Halo just did a good job of really polishing the FPS genre on a console. PDZ and Kameo may or may not do the same thing (we'll have to see in a few months)
I hate to say it but... maybe you're no longer a gamer!
Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed about. I know a bunch of college buddies that were huge gamers a few years ago, but have gotten burned out. I guess you should spend your time, energy, and money on other hobbies like posting to Slashdot.:)
As interesting as the Nintendo Revolution controller looks and sounds in theory, it's still way too early to pass judgement. For all we know, it could be tiring to use after a while, or too unreliable, or too quirky. (Or it could be totally awesome and indeed revolutionize game controls forever)
MS definately did go with the safe approach, no doubt about it. Arguably that was probably the best thing to do, after all the flack they took with the original Xbox controller.:)
Same here. Being an RPG fan, my PS2 got way more playtime than my Xbox (yes, I'm a Squeenix and Nippon Ichi junkie). When I saw the Xbox.com page boasting that all "popular genres" were covered, and no RPGs listed, that irked me. (I don't count Kameo. As good as it may be, it's really a platformer)
Fortunately, there are a couple of RPGs on the way for the platform. Ninety-Nine Nights looks interesting, but it's more action RPG-ish. What I'm really looking forward to are Enchant ARM and Blue Dragon.
Kim did not discuss specifics of the company's development work on next-generation consoles, nor did he reveal which platforms the firm is working on - but sources close to NCsoft's European division revealed that Xbox 360 is not part of the company's plans at the moment, suggesting that the PS3 is the target platform for NCsoft's first console titles.
That's a quote directly from the article. Since when did "suggestions" from unnamed sources turn into fact? It should have just said "NCSoft to Bring MMOGs to Next-Gen Consoles". Even if you assume the rumor is true that the 360 is out of the running, that still leaves the PS3 *AND* the Revolution.
Some developers do want total control of the online game experience. EA *was* a good example of this. They did not support Xbox Live play for their Madden franchise because of this. I believe Square was much the same way. Note I said "was", since both are now supporting Xbox Live.
After a while though, I figure most game developers want to focus on the game itself. This is especially true for smaller developers who don't have the time or resources to work on optimizing network code, developing friends-list capability, etc. Let Microsoft, who is primarily a software company and knows how to develop platforms, handle that stuff. Even EA and Square eventually decided that Xbox Live integration is a good thing after all. (Of course there might have been money involved as well... I have no idea. I'm just speaking from my own opinion as a game/platform developer, although obviously biased)
I can understand Sony's position though. They're not primarily a software company. I don't know how well they'd "get" developing a multiplayer platform like Xbox Live. And there are developers that do want to control the entire online experience (MMO companies especially perhaps). So that's the easy approach for them. Whether or not it'll work out for them in the end, we'll know in a few years.
Yeah, I should have said "traditional Japanese" RPGs. Traditional RPGs (like D&D) are arguably the MOST free-form RPG there is.
Although it's interesting that computer RPGs based on D&D or similar mechanisms, I find, fall somewhere in the middle between Japanese RPGs and the complete openness that was Morrowind. I'm referring to games like Baldur's Gate, Planescape:Tormet, and KOTOR. There's still this storyline that you are forced to follow, but there were different ways of fulfilling it. (For example, you could play good OR evil, and there were often multiple endings. In the FF titles, you had no choice. You were always good, and often only one ending)
Hmm... maybe I should give the next Elder Scrolls game another chance. Maybe it's not as "completely open" as I thought it was.
Wow, Morrowind's openness is exactly why I DIDN'T like the game, and prefer "hold my hand" traditional RPGs (FF-series, Xenosaga, etc.). Those games are supposed to wrap you up in the story so much that you want to see what's next. The choices that you ARE allowed to make are generally restricted to how you want to develop your characters' skills. Granted, if the plot doesn't intrigue you in the first place, then yeah, I definately see it becoming a chore.
With Morrowind, I felt like I was given no direction at all. Not that its a bad design or anything, since obviously a lot of people prefer that type of game.
I'm pretty sure the ones that decided to put it in (Sony managers or whatever), did not intend to open the door for trojans and such. It's the job of the engineers (development and/or test) to determine that what they're doing is horrible for security and speak up. It does not make good business sense to have bad PR like this.
Obviously the managers still want DRM of some kind. There's (unfortunately) no argument there, and the engineers will have have to find some way to implement it "correctly".
True, if MS does decide to ship an HD-DVD add-on, it probably won't do very well, given the history of all past console add-ons. However, I'd find it hard to believe that the lack of HD-DVD right off the bat will cause the 360 to fail.
Unlike the previous console generation, you don't have any media available in the next gen format. It'll still be a few years before we see any mass adoption of Blu-Ray or HD-DVD (especially considering many folks, like myself, will be waiting to see which format wins out in the end). By the time we do know which format is the most popular and gets close to mass-market adoption, it'll probably be time for the NEXT console generation.
... plus people don't pre-order movie tickets for months in advance. A better comparison might be to the latest Harry Potter book and how well it did the first day.
As many have already noted, this article is horribly written. It looks like the guy has done little to no research. It's more of an opinion/blog piece than anything else. Here's my "favorite" quote:
Sony PlayStation 3: Sony's PS3 is definitely keeping everyone guessing in regards to the launch date. The fact that it will not be simultaneously launched with the Xbox 360 is pretty much certain.
Gee, I was still holding out that Sony was gonna surprise everyone and announce a Holiday '05 ship date! Oh darn.
Okay, it's fine for a small site like CoolTechZone (which has amazingly not been slashdotted yet) to have poorly written articles like this. Whatever. But does it really merit being posted here? There are certainly better topics to be discussing.
Oops, yeah, you're right on that account. I actually had that problem with Starcraft back in college. Yes, it was a legitmate, purchased copy. But so many CD-keys were compromised, including mine at some point. Sometimes I could log in, sometimes I wouldn't. I think eventually it became such a problem that Blizzard eliminated the restriction.
Isn't this the point of CD keys? I mean, who in their right mind would buy a used copy of Half-Life, Starcraft, Guild Wars, Neverwinter Nights, etc.?
PC games have different methods for DRM. All use CD-keys, but that's very basic. The game does is verify that the key is in the right format. If it's correct, and you have the CD in the drive, it will let you install and play the game (at least the single-player portion of it). Typically the game doesn't "phone home" to make sure the key has only been used, because not everyone has an Internet connection and developers know that PCs are always being upgraded/rebuilt/etc.
Now for many multiplayer titles/features (like Guild Wars, Starcraft, World of Warcraft), the game does verify that only one CD key is being used. For Blizzard games, you have to connect through their service (Battle.net, etc.), and you can only have one account per CD-key. However, some (older) FPS games don't rely on a central service, so I suppose you could still get away with re-using a CD key.
So yes, it's stupid to buy used copies of PC games if they're multiplayer-specific, or you intend to do a lot of multiplayer. I believe GameStop and now EBGames is now ceasing their used PC-game business, because of all the problems around it.
The problem with the PS3 DRM is that this will block the entire game from working, not just multiplayer. And as many people have pointed out, this will create a huge hassle if you need to replace your PS3.
Personally, I don't think Sony is that stupid to implement this. Then again, apparently the used game industry is causing lots of headaches for developers in Japan, as gamers there rarely buy new games anymore. (I'll have to find the article for this) Still though, it's much too risky to do.
I think the problem with the Duke controller is that they did a bunch of usability studies, but ONLY with their target teenage/young-mail demographic. I know a bunch of guys who love the old Duke, because it fits their large hands. But for women or those of smaller stature (particularly those in Japan), it was quite uncomfortable.
You should get respect from them - IMO the hardware division and MS Game Studio are the best parts of MS. I don't even touch a Windows machine except for the machines at school - I prefer Linux - but I still use my MS Natural keyboard (it's more comfortable) and I love to play Xbox when I go to my friend's houses or they bring their Xboxes over (my parents don't want me to have a game console).
I feel much the same way. I'd never want to work in one of the core businesses (Office/Windows). It's too stuffy, and it's no fun when you're already "at the top" of your industry. In the games division, there's still a ton of challenges... Sony, Yahoo, Pogo, Nintendo, etc. Plus it's a booming business too.
We're starting to get more respect from the other divisions. Instead of just being the money sink for MS, we're a "growth opportunity".:)
Oh, sorry, I thought you were talking about the most recent stock split... which went from $70 to $30. I'm know there were previous ones that did exactly what you cited, but I wasn't with the company then.:) (Lucky me, my options are actually worth something)
Slashdot Mirror
I believe Nintendo's already announced that they're going to have some sort of online presence (finally!). The big news, actually, is that Sony continues NOT to have anything, and lets/forces developers to do it themselves. (That has both pros and cons though)
... hosting servers ain't cheap). So far, they've done a pretty good job with the Mario Kart DS wireless multiplayer system.
As for keeping it free, remember that the 360 Silver account is free, and has most Live features enabled (Gamertag, profiles, achievements, marketplace, etc.). The only thing you don't get is actual multiplayer functionality. It would be interesting to see if Nintendo can do everything AND make it free (although it will be costly to them
I think the Dreamcast controller did some of what you're referring to, with embedded MUs and the like. Then again, having the controller be the "memory stick" doesn't seem all that different than just bringing your MU to your friend's house. Or better yet, leave the MU in your controller, and bring that over. The Dreamcast and other consoles (Xbox and GC, I believe), do this already.
But anyway, I see where you're going. There is probably something cool that can be done with the controller. Maybe they can copy with MS is doing with Profiles and XBox Live, but make it controller-based, so that you don't have to have a broadband connection? If it's Nintendo, I'm sure they'll think of something neat that no one's seriously thought of before.
Sorry, but the Xbox 360 does much of this already with the Live Arcade games. You can copy any game that you've purchased onto a memory-unit, then bring it over to a friend's house and transfer it to his box. If you're logged in, then both of you can play the game for free. When you leave, the game does revert to a trial-version, so you can still play it, but will need to spend 400 points or whatever to unlock it. And yes, once you purchase a game, you can download it anywhere again.
That said, Nintendo should definately have something similar. Sounds like their backwards compatibility (with all old NES/SNES/etc games), is going to be pretty similar to what the Xbox Live Arcade is doing today.
Does the game have to "say" something to be artistic? How about a book, or a movie, or a painting? There are lots of ways of communicating impact to the viewer. Movies and books mostly do it through things like dialogue, good storytelling, etc. Paintings employ something entirely different (brush strokes, style? I'm not an art history major, so I wouldn't know). What about photography? Modern art? Sculpture?
... I think that's art in some way.
Games will employ a little bit of everything above, and then some. Some games, specifically RPGs, I consider artistic because of their storyline, dialogue, character development, etc., much the same way I consider many books/movies to be artistic. However some games like Tetris, I consider artistic just because of the effect it had on me. I wouldn't say it's the "fitting of blocks into lines" that did it, but somehow the gameplay and the addictiveness of something so simple, yet gave me so much joy over time
I'm not a creative person, nor an good writer by any means, but I'm sure a decent one should be able to write about Tetris in such a way, and convey the essence of what it means to play it, to enjoy it, to non-gamers. I think that's what the game industry really needs. Our own Ebert.
You, when I first read the headline for the article, I thought it was going to be pretty biased garbage, but then reading through it, find it rather spot on. The games they focus on are ports, and it almost goes without saying that they're not going to look that great. Two big reasons:
1) They're first-gen titles. 'nuff said.
2) Companies spend most of their time and money on the "current-gen" products, and won't spend that much more on improving the next-gen version
Unfortunately, we won't be seeing a large quality jump until we get more next-gen systems, like the PS3. Game companies will tend to develop to the lowest common denominator. That's why a lot of cross-platform games just look fairly average, while console-specific titles (Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox, MGS3 for the PS2, etc.), look amazing for their respective platforms.
So, the original reason why I thought the article was garbage is because I've been only playing the first-party titles (Kameo, PDZ, and PGR3). Those games, especially PGR3, really showcase the system and how it is deserving of the "next gen" moniker. Ports? Not yet.
No public footage. However, several demos were shown to the press (http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-15143-2567- x-x-x). It sounded like it was more "proof of concept" type of stuff. We'll have to see how it pans out in the end.
I have to disagree with this statement. I work in MGS (Microsoft Game Studios) and I'd have to say that we DO care about creativity, design, and consumer appeal a lot. Maybe you work more with marketing or business on the Windows/Office divisions
Anyway, as for the rest of your comment regarding the launch titles, I'd have to half agree. See, I'm a huge RPG fan (Squeenix and Nippon Ichi junkie especially), and was disappointed not to see any listed as a launch title. I understand that RPGs tend to take longer to develop, but I was still hoping there would be a developer that got started early enough.
However, having heard many good things about PDZ and Kameo (which a lot of gamers seem to forget about), I'll certainly have to give them a try. I wouldn't say they're revolutionary, but neither was Halo. Halo just did a good job of really polishing the FPS genre on a console. PDZ and Kameo may or may not do the same thing (we'll have to see in a few months)
That said, the #1 game I am pumped for though
I hate to say it but ... maybe you're no longer a gamer!
:)
Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed about. I know a bunch of college buddies that were huge gamers a few years ago, but have gotten burned out. I guess you should spend your time, energy, and money on other hobbies like posting to Slashdot.
As interesting as the Nintendo Revolution controller looks and sounds in theory, it's still way too early to pass judgement. For all we know, it could be tiring to use after a while, or too unreliable, or too quirky. (Or it could be totally awesome and indeed revolutionize game controls forever)
:)
MS definately did go with the safe approach, no doubt about it. Arguably that was probably the best thing to do, after all the flack they took with the original Xbox controller.
Same here. Being an RPG fan, my PS2 got way more playtime than my Xbox (yes, I'm a Squeenix and Nippon Ichi junkie). When I saw the Xbox.com page boasting that all "popular genres" were covered, and no RPGs listed, that irked me. (I don't count Kameo. As good as it may be, it's really a platformer)
e -Nights/T -arM/
Fortunately, there are a couple of RPGs on the way for the platform. Ninety-Nine Nights looks interesting, but it's more action RPG-ish. What I'm really looking forward to are Enchant ARM and Blue Dragon.
http://games.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1278/NinetyNin
http://games.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1281/eM-eNCHAN
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/bluedragon/
That's a quote directly from the article. Since when did "suggestions" from unnamed sources turn into fact? It should have just said "NCSoft to Bring MMOGs to Next-Gen Consoles". Even if you assume the rumor is true that the 360 is out of the running, that still leaves the PS3 *AND* the Revolution.
Some developers do want total control of the online game experience. EA *was* a good example of this. They did not support Xbox Live play for their Madden franchise because of this. I believe Square was much the same way.
... I have no idea. I'm just speaking from my own opinion as a game/platform developer, although obviously biased)
Note I said "was", since both are now supporting Xbox Live.
After a while though, I figure most game developers want to focus on the game itself. This is especially true for smaller developers who don't have the time or resources to work on optimizing network code, developing friends-list capability, etc. Let Microsoft, who is primarily a software company and knows how to develop platforms, handle that stuff. Even EA and Square eventually decided that Xbox Live integration is a good thing after all. (Of course there might have been money involved as well
I can understand Sony's position though. They're not primarily a software company. I don't know how well they'd "get" developing a multiplayer platform like Xbox Live. And there are developers that do want to control the entire online experience (MMO companies especially perhaps). So that's the easy approach for them. Whether or not it'll work out for them in the end, we'll know in a few years.
1. More pages = more ads. ... if an article were 50 pages, I would prefer it to be split up)
:)
2. More pages, smaller weight per page (easier to load
Most likely, it's #1 though.
Yeah, I should have said "traditional Japanese" RPGs. Traditional RPGs (like D&D) are arguably the MOST free-form RPG there is.
... maybe I should give the next Elder Scrolls game another chance. Maybe it's not as "completely open" as I thought it was.
Although it's interesting that computer RPGs based on D&D or similar mechanisms, I find, fall somewhere in the middle between Japanese RPGs and the complete openness that was Morrowind. I'm referring to games like Baldur's Gate, Planescape:Tormet, and KOTOR. There's still this storyline that you are forced to follow, but there were different ways of fulfilling it. (For example, you could play good OR evil, and there were often multiple endings. In the FF titles, you had no choice. You were always good, and often only one ending)
Hmm
Wow, Morrowind's openness is exactly why I DIDN'T like the game, and prefer "hold my hand" traditional RPGs (FF-series, Xenosaga, etc.). Those games are supposed to wrap you up in the story so much that you want to see what's next. The choices that you ARE allowed to make are generally restricted to how you want to develop your characters' skills. Granted, if the plot doesn't intrigue you in the first place, then yeah, I definately see it becoming a chore.
With Morrowind, I felt like I was given no direction at all. Not that its a bad design or anything, since obviously a lot of people prefer that type of game.
I'm pretty sure the ones that decided to put it in (Sony managers or whatever), did not intend to open the door for trojans and such. It's the job of the engineers (development and/or test) to determine that what they're doing is horrible for security and speak up. It does not make good business sense to have bad PR like this.
Obviously the managers still want DRM of some kind. There's (unfortunately) no argument there, and the engineers will have have to find some way to implement it "correctly".
True, if MS does decide to ship an HD-DVD add-on, it probably won't do very well, given the history of all past console add-ons. However, I'd find it hard to believe that the lack of HD-DVD right off the bat will cause the 360 to fail.
Unlike the previous console generation, you don't have any media available in the next gen format. It'll still be a few years before we see any mass adoption of Blu-Ray or HD-DVD (especially considering many folks, like myself, will be waiting to see which format wins out in the end). By the time we do know which format is the most popular and gets close to mass-market adoption, it'll probably be time for the NEXT console generation.
... plus people don't pre-order movie tickets for months in advance. A better comparison might be to the latest Harry Potter book and how well it did the first day.
Then again, money is money.
As many have already noted, this article is horribly written. It looks like the guy has done little to no research. It's more of an opinion/blog piece than anything else. Here's my "favorite" quote:
Sony PlayStation 3: Sony's PS3 is definitely keeping everyone guessing in regards to the launch date. The fact that it will not be simultaneously launched with the Xbox 360 is pretty much certain.
Gee, I was still holding out that Sony was gonna surprise everyone and announce a Holiday '05 ship date! Oh darn.
Okay, it's fine for a small site like CoolTechZone (which has amazingly not been slashdotted yet) to have poorly written articles like this. Whatever. But does it really merit being posted here? There are certainly better topics to be discussing.
Oops, yeah, you're right on that account. I actually had that problem with Starcraft back in college. Yes, it was a legitmate, purchased copy. But so many CD-keys were compromised, including mine at some point. Sometimes I could log in, sometimes I wouldn't. I think eventually it became such a problem that Blizzard eliminated the restriction.
I have no idea either, actually. A bunch of MS people just called it "Duke", so maybe it was the prototype name?
Isn't this the point of CD keys? I mean, who in their right mind would buy a used copy of Half-Life, Starcraft, Guild Wars, Neverwinter Nights, etc.?
PC games have different methods for DRM. All use CD-keys, but that's very basic. The game does is verify that the key is in the right format. If it's correct, and you have the CD in the drive, it will let you install and play the game (at least the single-player portion of it). Typically the game doesn't "phone home" to make sure the key has only been used, because not everyone has an Internet connection and developers know that PCs are always being upgraded/rebuilt/etc.
Now for many multiplayer titles/features (like Guild Wars, Starcraft, World of Warcraft), the game does verify that only one CD key is being used. For Blizzard games, you have to connect through their service (Battle.net, etc.), and you can only have one account per CD-key. However, some (older) FPS games don't rely on a central service, so I suppose you could still get away with re-using a CD key.
So yes, it's stupid to buy used copies of PC games if they're multiplayer-specific, or you intend to do a lot of multiplayer. I believe GameStop and now EBGames is now ceasing their used PC-game business, because of all the problems around it.
The problem with the PS3 DRM is that this will block the entire game from working, not just multiplayer. And as many people have pointed out, this will create a huge hassle if you need to replace your PS3.
Personally, I don't think Sony is that stupid to implement this. Then again, apparently the used game industry is causing lots of headaches for developers in Japan, as gamers there rarely buy new games anymore. (I'll have to find the article for this) Still though, it's much too risky to do.
I think the problem with the Duke controller is that they did a bunch of usability studies, but ONLY with their target teenage/young-mail demographic. I know a bunch of guys who love the old Duke, because it fits their large hands. But for women or those of smaller stature (particularly those in Japan), it was quite uncomfortable.
You should get respect from them - IMO the hardware division and MS Game Studio are the best parts of MS. I don't even touch a Windows machine except for the machines at school - I prefer Linux - but I still use my MS Natural keyboard (it's more comfortable) and I love to play Xbox when I go to my friend's houses or they bring their Xboxes over (my parents don't want me to have a game console).
I feel much the same way. I'd never want to work in one of the core businesses (Office/Windows). It's too stuffy, and it's no fun when you're already "at the top" of your industry. In the games division, there's still a ton of challenges
We're starting to get more respect from the other divisions. Instead of just being the money sink for MS, we're a "growth opportunity".
Oh, sorry, I thought you were talking about the most recent stock split ... which went from $70 to $30. I'm know there were previous ones that did exactly what you cited, but I wasn't with the company then. :) (Lucky me, my options are actually worth something)