I see no privacy concerns at all. I fact I think this is the PERFECT application for this type of technology that keeps the Tinfoil hat crowd up all night:
-It doesn't work everywhere, only in the park -It's temporary -You have to opt in -It's actually useful
The only drawback is that someone who is already a "Bad Parent" might use this as an opportunity to not keep an eye on their child.
Microsoft has a new "policy" that allows 3rd party groups to run their own Live! servers. The ESPN people have already talked openly about doing just that. I think that was part of the "Tsumani" update that they made to the Xbox Live network on 4/21.
They probably had quite a bit of back-end restructuring to do to get this implemented. I don't see them needing 24 hours of downtime JUST to add more statistic/teamplay features. The MSN messenger "plugin" hasn't even gone online yet.
I will say this though, many people swear by the NBA Live and Madden franchises. To them, anything else is do-do. I'm not much of a sports gamer, but I see this as only a good thing for both companies and all I can say is "It's about time."
Additionally, with MS taking a year off with their NBA and NFL titles, it looks like SOMEBODY is going to have free reign on XBox Live as far as Basket/Foootball is concerned next year. Looks like a concession to lure EA onto their network if I ever saw one.
Meteor Shower Peaks Before Dawn Thursday By Robert Roy Britt Senior Science Writer posted: 07:42 am ET 21 April 2004
The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks before dawn Thursday, April 22. Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere with dark skies away from city lights could see anywhere from 5 to 25 shootings stars per hour, or one every few minutes.
The timing of this year's version is good, because the Moon just passed its New phase and is out of the picture, its otherwise bright light not a factor.
The Lyrids are best seen between about 2 a.m. and daybreak local time, regardless of where you live, astronomers say. That's when the shower's radiant -- the point from which they appear to emanate -- is highest in the sky. The Lyrid radiant is in the constellation Lyra, and very near to the bright star Vega.
Vega is easy to find. It's in the eastern sky but nearly overhead in the predawn hours. It is the brightest star in that region of the sky and the 5th brightest star overall.
Lyrid meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. But if you trace each one back, it will point toward Vega. The shower is a result of Earth passing through a trail of debris left by a comet called Thatcher, which last passed through the inner solar system in 1861.
The Lyrid event is typically modest -- not as busy as the November Leonids or the August Perseids. But they are still cherished by devout meteor observers.
"The Lyrids are the first major annual shower of the season," said Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society.
But this April shower sometimes generates a brief outburst, when the rate can climb to more than one a minute. Seasoned observers might notice that the Lyrids move more quickly than typical meteors. Bright and persistent trails are common with the Lyrids.
Most shooting stars are generated by bits no larger than sand grains that vaporize when they plow into Earth's atmosphere. An occasional bright fireball is sometimes sighted amid the Lyrids, caused by debris perhaps the size of a pea or marble.
City and suburban dwellers will see significantly fewer of the meteors than those in rural areas away from all light pollution. The shower is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
To look for meteors, experts advise taking along a blanket or lounge chair, so you can recline and avoid neck strain. Dress warmer than you think necessary if you plan to be out for more than a few minutes. Find a spot with wide-open sky. Face east but scan as much of the sky as possible. Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Another half-dozen or so meteors not associated with the Lyrids could be visible in any given pre-dawn hour, from dark rural locations, according to Lunsford. These other shooting stars could appear anywhere and move in any direction.
I'm simply pointing out the fact that alot of these abstract "rights" that people supposedly have are just that. Abstract. Some abstract idea floating about in people's heads. I really don't have the right to walk wherever I choose because:
-I can't walk along any major roads -If I have no money, I can't pay for a cab or a bus ticket -If I get caught walking around with no money and no ID, they'll lock me up for as long as it takes to identify me. And since I've never been in the military or arrested, that could turn out to be a LONG time.
I guess I missed the footnote section of the Constitution where it says that you need to have a job, a credit card, and money in your pocket to take full advantage of your rights.
Either I missed it, or the Constitution is all a bunch of BS. But I'm not upset about it, I'm just trying to help people "wake up".
You can't complain to anyone about the government violating your rights if they have you locked up in a hole somewhere. Of course if you did get the word out about your problems I'm sure someone would come to your rescue right away...after they're done watching "Survivor"...
It only takes one time to realize that the police can pick you up for whatever the hell they want to. Sure they can't lock you up for any extended period of time without a good reason, but they can surely put you in a holding cell full of Latin Kings for at least 24 hours while they "process" you.
It only took me one time to learn that you should only speak when spoken to when a cop yanks you out of your car, at gunpoint, for no reason other than looking "suspicious".
Shitsmear, asswipe, "piece of shit". They seem to really enjoy the scatalogical references whenever they speak directly to you. And they really enjoy kicking you in the ass and smacking you on the back of the head.
I don't know what world you live in sir, but I sure wish it was the one I lived in...
"If you don't have a license, you can still take a plane, call a cab, take a bus, ride a bicycle, or worst case, walk."
I don't think that's necessarily true. If you ever notice that little sign that they have posted as you get on the highway (at least in Illinois), it basically says no bicycles and no pedestrians.
That means there is no way for me to walk from here to California without the risk of incarceration. I would say that you'd be OK walking along non-interstate roads, but some hick sheriff would probably pick you up for vagrancy.
Additionally, do you know of any cops that WOULDN'T pick up some "suspicious" looking Black or "Arabian" guy walking along the highway? Some people could never make it even if they had the "right" to.
"They are all the random, crappy, hollywood licensed, violence without gameplay, total crap games"
...really isn't accurate. There are quite a few first and third party Non-GC games that Nintendo would and has had difficulty competing with:
-Halo
-Ninja Gaiden
-Splinter Cell
-Knights of the Old Republic
-Fable ??
-Chronicles of Riddick ??
-Metal Gear
-Jade Empire ??
-Crimson Skies
-Mech Assault
-Gran Turismo
-GTA 3
The list goes on and on. None of those titles are anywhere close to being the type of "shovel-ware" that you're referring to.
You ARE correct though in staing that MANY 3rd parties have difficulty with competing with Nintendo on a quality basis.
I argue though that, because of the success of these Nintendo titles, it puts their console in a demographic that is not interested in the types of games that they make well.
I have zero interest in Diddy Kong, Mario, and the rest of the gang. Many of them are EXCELLENT titles, but I'm just NOT interested in what they have to offer, and I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way.
The only problem I might have with it is if my Tivo had the wrong idea of what I liked and didn't like. What a horrible time I might have if my Tivo recorded only ads for feminine hygiene products....
If this behavior was caused by some type of internet worm or a virus, would that be considered a "yeast infection" instead??
I have no mod points today, but I'll give you a virtual mod:
+1 insightful
We've had this same discussion here millions of times, and this is the first that I can recall ever hearing that theory. I agree 100%.
I spend 20-40 hours "saving the world/universe/girl" in a game and then, all of a sudden, I'm told that I'm just a regular, everyday looser. I can see how that could really affect some people's perception of "fairplay" in terms of multiplayer games. Especially something as competetive as Deathmatch. I mean, you really can't get more competetive than killing someone, can you?
I think this really says something about the "Human Condition".:
"He says he watched a 15-year old playtester chat up a woman in town who happened to be the mayor's daughter. He brought her gifts and flowers, talked to her all the time, started hugging and kissing her... and eventually they married and moved in together. Molyneux says he was delighted that a player was exploring this part of the game. Then the playtester talked to the Mayor and asked him to follow him. He took the mayor out to the woods, got him behind a tree... and killed him! "Why did you do that!?" Molyneux asked. "I figured the mayor was rich, and he'd give all his money to his only daughter," answered the tester. Of course, now the daughter had lots of money, but didn't want to share any of it. So the playtester killed her, too. (Then he moved into the mayor's house!)
I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Fable this summer, but I can't help but wonder: Does freedom turn us into complete psychopaths in the game world, or does freedom allow us to "express ourselves" in the game world without real world consequences?
The reviews seem pretty good, so it seem to have some redeeming value as an actual game:
http://gametab.com/ps2/manhunt/1736/
Overal about a 77% rating
84% "Manhunt is an audacious game that backs up its extremely violent subject matter with solid stealth action gameplay." -GameSpot
85% "In the end, Manhunt is a highly polished strategy game of hide-and-seek, kill-or-be-killed gameplay. It's narrow in focus, but deep in its specialty." -IGN
65% "You will, indeed, feel like a convict trying to survive...Still, the shock is so morbid and gruesome that you must make a moral decision about the game, especially once the killing gets boring." -lawrence.com
81% "It's a mixed bag for me, but I'd suggest a rental for you to see if you like the controls better than I did." -Next Level Gaming
90% "I haven't been this addicted to a game in some time, and I'm looking forward to wrapping up this review so I can get back to playing it." -Worth Playing
82% "Rockstar has effectively taken the stealth formula out of its designated confines to produce a highly entertaining, albeit niche audienced, stealth-based game that makes Grand Theft Auto look tame in comparison." -Gaming Nexus
70% "It's not for everybody, but if Splinter Cell's smug militarism and MGS's idiotic plot got on your nerves, or you feel like you'd make a good snuff movie star, pick it up." -GamesDomain
50% "Escape the hell of Carcer City before boredom and internal disquiet overwhelm you." -1UP
80% "Definitely a rent-before-leaping kind of thing, this game will force a polemic reaction. Kudos to Rockstar North for doing something different, even if it's not going to be a mainstream top-seller like Grand Theft Auto." -Gamenikki
88% "Manhunt is extremely violent and even a bit disturbing, but it is also one of the finest games to grace the Playstation 2 in some time, and is well worth the price of admission. " -netjak
80% "Manhunt is a survival horror masterpiece." -Gamer Feed
75% "Manhunt's a great game if you can stomach its violent style and are looking for a game to genuinely get the hairs on the back of your neck creeping up, but it does have its limitations." -GameSpot AU
80% "...if you can get over the sometimes repetitious nature of the game, Manhunt provides some of the most intense and subversive stealth gaming to date." -GameSpy
70% "When it's firing on all cylinders Manhunt is a disturbingly entertaining take on the stealth action genre with the trademark high quality Rockstar production that mask some of its shortcomings." -EuroGamer
83% "Fans of stealth games will have a good time with it, and the gameplay is solid enough and easy enough to learn that you can jump right in and start playing." -GameZone Online
90% "Clever, gory and thoroughly engaging." -UGO
80% "While drawing comparisons to Metal Gear Solid 2 might be a little excessive, stealth action fans that can handle the touchy subject matter should at least give Manhunt a chance, as it's deeper than it would first appear." -Avault
The last 3 and next 3 months, at least for me and my beloved Xbox has seen a glut of games that might not be considered A+ titles by all, but are certainly a look:
Prince of Persia Ninja Gaiden Manhunt SplinterCell 2 Chronicles of Riddick Fable Driv3r Halo 2 (maybe soon?)
And probably a few others I've forgotten right now. And that doesn't even include PC titles.
It's always been somewhat of a problem, but it appears to have reached an all time high this year.
"Terrorism - The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence"
Sending someone a virus is hardly a use of force. Threatened or otherwise. It won't kill anyone in your house, or your dog. It won't cause you any financial ruin, at least in this case, it was a WEB TV box for Christ's sake.
"by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons."
That's the key right there. This guy didn't have a political agenda, he was just being a prick. I hate assholes as much as the next guy, but being a prick is hardly the same as being a terrorist. Sending a virus to 18 specific people that you personally know and don't like is hardly an act of terrorism. Everyone else on the net wasn't even vulnerable to this, just his WEB TV cronies. This was a personal grudge, plain and simple.
This situation is being exploited by dishonest politicians to keep the "little people" scared and in their homes, begging for protection from the big bad world...and it's a sickening abuse of power.
It's all well and good that parent and child protection groups are watchful for titles like this, but I'm still having trouble understanding what the big to do is all about.
I can pretty much guarantee that this game will be rated "M - For Mature" and many retailers have resorted to id checks at the register already. What else can we do? If YOU don't think your kid should be exposed to this kind of stuff, then don't expose them. That's YOUR responsibility as a parent.
"But aren't you worried about the kids?"
Well you know what? I DO worry about the kids. My kids. All freaking day. Contrary to popular appearances, it's a full-time job. And once the little people go to sleep at night, it's time for me to relax and do something "adult" for a change. No more Elmo, or Teletubbies, or those ever present "kids songs" collections.
My daughters must think it's really odd that I always pause my videogames or turn them off completely when they're around. But I don't rely on Joe Politician or Jane Activist to protect my kids, I do it my damn self, because that's what I'M SUPPOSED TO DO as a parent.
If everyone spent more time filtering what their kids see, hear, and do, this wouldn't even be an issue. I'm not talking about locking them up in a room, but if they happen upon something "objectionable", you just have to explain it to them. "This is not real..." or "This is not right..." goes a long way. Is it really that difficult or unusual?
Kids are smart and explaining the context of a given situation is the key.
To paraphrase George Carlin, he's funny but he makes a good point:
On election day, I stay home for 2 reasons:
1)Voting is meaningless. This country was bought and paid for a long time ago. That empty shit they shuffle around and repackage every 4 years doesn't mean a thing.(2000 election ring a bell?)
2)Don't complain if you don't vote? Where's the logic in that? If YOU vote, YOU elect dishonest, incompetent politicians. When they screw everything up, it's YOUR fault. You voted them in, YOU caused the problem, so YOU have no right to complain. You consciously chose them, I had nothing to do with it at all. I was at home the whole time:)
This is one of those really cool things I used to think about as a kid, but in light of all the turmoil being caused by, Kazaa, the **AA, et al, I just can't get that excited about it.
Untill we get this Intellectual Property "saga" sorted out, we can pretty much count on any cool uses for tech like this being brought in through the "front door" getting the political axe.
Remember the old NES days whenever you'd save your progress with a password? 256KB is enough for quite a long password and it wouldn't take very long to up/download.
Why does people even think that the Xbox Next would actually have savegames on a remote location?
There has been speculation that for the next console, an ethernet connection AND XBox Live will be included in some manner. Maybe just the first year free. Doing that would allow them to axe the HD and shrink the box quite a bit, both costs savings I'm sure.
And you'd definitely need broadband to have a somewhat acceptable performance.
That's why it has an ethernet port and not a 56K modem like the Dreamcast. They even state that you must have broadband to use Live. For those without, I'm sure they will have the memory card option.
I'll be disappointed though if the next one doesn't have an HD.
That's why I bought both BG&E and Splinter Cell for the XBox. PC Gaming with all the driver updates and patching is for the birds. Sorry to hear about your problem though.
Beyond Good and Evil is one of the best games of it's type that I've played in a LONG time. Probably since the old Nintendo days.
Not an exceptionally difficult game, but definately more entertaining than enduring the undying flood of mediocre First Person Shooters released in the last 5 years.
Slashdot Mirror
I see no privacy concerns at all. I fact I think this is the PERFECT application for this type of technology that keeps the Tinfoil hat crowd up all night:
-It doesn't work everywhere, only in the park
-It's temporary
-You have to opt in
-It's actually useful
The only drawback is that someone who is already a "Bad Parent" might use this as an opportunity to not keep an eye on their child.
Microsoft has a new "policy" that allows 3rd party groups to run their own Live! servers. The ESPN people have already talked openly about doing just that. I think that was part of the "Tsumani" update that they made to the Xbox Live network on 4/21.
They probably had quite a bit of back-end restructuring to do to get this implemented. I don't see them needing 24 hours of downtime JUST to add more statistic/teamplay features. The MSN messenger "plugin" hasn't even gone online yet.
I will say this though, many people swear by the NBA Live and Madden franchises. To them, anything else is do-do. I'm not much of a sports gamer, but I see this as only a good thing for both companies and all I can say is "It's about time."
Additionally, with MS taking a year off with their NBA and NFL titles, it looks like SOMEBODY is going to have free reign on XBox Live as far as Basket/Foootball is concerned next year. Looks like a concession to lure EA onto their network if I ever saw one.
Meteor Shower Peaks Before Dawn Thursday
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 07:42 am ET
21 April 2004
The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks before dawn Thursday, April 22. Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere with dark skies away from city lights could see anywhere from 5 to 25 shootings stars per hour, or one every few minutes.
The timing of this year's version is good, because the Moon just passed its New phase and is out of the picture, its otherwise bright light not a factor.
The Lyrids are best seen between about 2 a.m. and daybreak local time, regardless of where you live, astronomers say. That's when the shower's radiant -- the point from which they appear to emanate -- is highest in the sky. The Lyrid radiant is in the constellation Lyra, and very near to the bright star Vega.
Vega is easy to find. It's in the eastern sky but nearly overhead in the predawn hours. It is the brightest star in that region of the sky and the 5th brightest star overall.
Lyrid meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. But if you trace each one back, it will point toward Vega. The shower is a result of Earth passing through a trail of debris left by a comet called Thatcher, which last passed through the inner solar system in 1861.
The Lyrid event is typically modest -- not as busy as the November Leonids or the August Perseids. But they are still cherished by devout meteor observers.
"The Lyrids are the first major annual shower of the season," said Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society.
But this April shower sometimes generates a brief outburst, when the rate can climb to more than one a minute. Seasoned observers might notice that the Lyrids move more quickly than typical meteors. Bright and persistent trails are common with the Lyrids.
Most shooting stars are generated by bits no larger than sand grains that vaporize when they plow into Earth's atmosphere. An occasional bright fireball is sometimes sighted amid the Lyrids, caused by debris perhaps the size of a pea or marble.
City and suburban dwellers will see significantly fewer of the meteors than those in rural areas away from all light pollution. The shower is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
To look for meteors, experts advise taking along a blanket or lounge chair, so you can recline and avoid neck strain. Dress warmer than you think necessary if you plan to be out for more than a few minutes. Find a spot with wide-open sky. Face east but scan as much of the sky as possible. Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Another half-dozen or so meteors not associated with the Lyrids could be visible in any given pre-dawn hour, from dark rural locations, according to Lunsford. These other shooting stars could appear anywhere and move in any direction.
That's OK, because we had to wait over a year for our "XBox Live" content which was just repackaged PC material. :)
I'm simply pointing out the fact that alot of these abstract "rights" that people supposedly have are just that. Abstract. Some abstract idea floating about in people's heads. I really don't have the right to walk wherever I choose because:
-I can't walk along any major roads
-If I have no money, I can't pay for a cab or a bus ticket
-If I get caught walking around with no money and no ID, they'll lock me up for as long as it takes to identify me. And since I've never been in the military or arrested, that could turn out to be a LONG time.
I guess I missed the footnote section of the Constitution where it says that you need to have a job, a credit card, and money in your pocket to take full advantage of your rights.
Either I missed it, or the Constitution is all a bunch of BS. But I'm not upset about it, I'm just trying to help people "wake up".
You can't complain to anyone about the government violating your rights if they have you locked up in a hole somewhere. Of course if you did get the word out about your problems I'm sure someone would come to your rescue right away...after they're done watching "Survivor"...
It only takes one time to realize that the police can pick you up for whatever the hell they want to. Sure they can't lock you up for any extended period of time without a good reason, but they can surely put you in a holding cell full of Latin Kings for at least 24 hours while they "process" you.
It only took me one time to learn that you should only speak when spoken to when a cop yanks you out of your car, at gunpoint, for no reason other than looking "suspicious".
Shitsmear, asswipe, "piece of shit". They seem to really enjoy the scatalogical references whenever they speak directly to you. And they really enjoy kicking you in the ass and smacking you on the back of the head.
I don't know what world you live in sir, but I sure wish it was the one I lived in...
"If you don't have a license, you can still take a plane, call a cab, take a bus, ride a bicycle, or worst case, walk."
I don't think that's necessarily true. If you ever notice that little sign that they have posted as you get on the highway (at least in Illinois), it basically says no bicycles and no pedestrians.
That means there is no way for me to walk from here to California without the risk of incarceration. I would say that you'd be OK walking along non-interstate roads, but some hick sheriff would probably pick you up for vagrancy.
Additionally, do you know of any cops that WOULDN'T pick up some "suspicious" looking Black or "Arabian" guy walking along the highway? Some people could never make it even if they had the "right" to.
George Carlin, is that you?
HaHaHa! Where are the mod points when you need them?
You can't selectively follow and defend laws based on your own personal convenience and have any credibility.
Why not? Corporations in America do it all the time. I believe the people that do it for them are called "Lawyers" or something similar...
I'm afraid a generalization like this:
...really isn't accurate. There are quite a few first and third party Non-GC games that Nintendo would and has had difficulty competing with:
"They are all the random, crappy, hollywood licensed, violence without gameplay, total crap games"
-Halo
-Ninja Gaiden
-Splinter Cell
-Knights of the Old Republic
-Fable ??
-Chronicles of Riddick ??
-Metal Gear
-Jade Empire ??
-Crimson Skies
-Mech Assault
-Gran Turismo
-GTA 3
The list goes on and on. None of those titles are anywhere close to being the type of "shovel-ware" that you're referring to.
You ARE correct though in staing that MANY 3rd parties have difficulty with competing with Nintendo on a quality basis.
I argue though that, because of the success of these Nintendo titles, it puts their console in a demographic that is not interested in the types of games that they make well.
I have zero interest in Diddy Kong, Mario, and the rest of the gang. Many of them are EXCELLENT titles, but I'm just NOT interested in what they have to offer, and I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way.
The only problem I might have with it is if my Tivo had the wrong idea of what I liked and didn't like. What a horrible time I might have if my Tivo recorded only ads for feminine hygiene products....
:)
If this behavior was caused by some type of internet worm or a virus, would that be considered a "yeast infection" instead??
(I'm sorry. I couldn't resist
I have no mod points today, but I'll give you a virtual mod:
+1 insightful
We've had this same discussion here millions of times, and this is the first that I can recall ever hearing that theory. I agree 100%.
I spend 20-40 hours "saving the world/universe/girl" in a game and then, all of a sudden, I'm told that I'm just a regular, everyday looser. I can see how that could really affect some people's perception of "fairplay" in terms of multiplayer games. Especially something as competetive as Deathmatch. I mean, you really can't get more competetive than killing someone, can you?
"He says he watched a 15-year old playtester chat up a woman in town who happened to be the mayor's daughter. He brought her gifts and flowers, talked to her all the time, started hugging and kissing her... and eventually they married and moved in together. Molyneux says he was delighted that a player was exploring this part of the game. Then the playtester talked to the Mayor and asked him to follow him. He took the mayor out to the woods, got him behind a tree ... and killed him! "Why did you do that!?" Molyneux asked. "I figured the mayor was rich, and he'd give all his money to his only daughter," answered the tester. Of course, now the daughter had lots of money, but didn't want to share any of it. So the playtester killed her, too. (Then he moved into the mayor's house!)
I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Fable this summer, but I can't help but wonder: Does freedom turn us into complete psychopaths in the game world, or does freedom allow us to "express ourselves" in the game world without real world consequences?
The reviews seem pretty good, so it seem to have some redeeming value as an actual game:
http://gametab.com/ps2/manhunt/1736/
Overal about a 77% rating
84%
"Manhunt is an audacious game that backs up its extremely violent subject matter with solid stealth action gameplay." -GameSpot
85%
"In the end, Manhunt is a highly polished strategy game of hide-and-seek, kill-or-be-killed gameplay. It's narrow in focus, but deep in its specialty." -IGN
65%
"You will, indeed, feel like a convict trying to survive...Still, the shock is so morbid and gruesome that you must make a moral decision about the game, especially once the killing gets boring." -lawrence.com
81%
"It's a mixed bag for me, but I'd suggest a rental for you to see if you like the controls better than I did." -Next Level Gaming
90%
"I haven't been this addicted to a game in some time, and I'm looking forward to wrapping up this review so I can get back to playing it." -Worth Playing
82%
"Rockstar has effectively taken the stealth formula out of its designated confines to produce a highly entertaining, albeit niche audienced, stealth-based game that makes Grand Theft Auto look tame in comparison." -Gaming Nexus
70%
"It's not for everybody, but if Splinter Cell's smug militarism and MGS's idiotic plot got on your nerves, or you feel like you'd make a good snuff movie star, pick it up." -GamesDomain
50%
"Escape the hell of Carcer City before boredom and internal disquiet overwhelm you." -1UP
80%
"Definitely a rent-before-leaping kind of thing, this game will force a polemic reaction. Kudos to Rockstar North for doing something different, even if it's not going to be a mainstream top-seller like Grand Theft Auto." -Gamenikki
88%
"Manhunt is extremely violent and even a bit disturbing, but it is also one of the finest games to grace the Playstation 2 in some time, and is well worth the price of admission. " -netjak
80%
"Manhunt is a survival horror masterpiece." -Gamer Feed
75%
"Manhunt's a great game if you can stomach its violent style and are looking for a game to genuinely get the hairs on the back of your neck creeping up, but it does have its limitations." -GameSpot AU
80%
"...if you can get over the sometimes repetitious nature of the game, Manhunt provides some of the most intense and subversive stealth gaming to date." -GameSpy
70%
"When it's firing on all cylinders Manhunt is a disturbingly entertaining take on the stealth action genre with the trademark high quality Rockstar production that mask some of its shortcomings." -EuroGamer
83%
"Fans of stealth games will have a good time with it, and the gameplay is solid enough and easy enough to learn that you can jump right in and start playing." -GameZone Online
90%
"Clever, gory and thoroughly engaging." -UGO
80%
"While drawing comparisons to Metal Gear Solid 2 might be a little excessive, stealth action fans that can handle the touchy subject matter should at least give Manhunt a chance, as it's deeper than it would first appear." -Avault
Especially since this one is being shipped on SIX CD's if I recall.
The last 3 and next 3 months, at least for me and my beloved Xbox has seen a glut of games that might not be considered A+ titles by all, but are certainly a look:
Prince of Persia
Ninja Gaiden
Manhunt
SplinterCell 2
Chronicles of Riddick
Fable
Driv3r
Halo 2 (maybe soon?)
And probably a few others I've forgotten right now. And that doesn't even include PC titles.
It's always been somewhat of a problem, but it appears to have reached an all time high this year.
"Terrorism - The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence"
Sending someone a virus is hardly a use of force. Threatened or otherwise. It won't kill anyone in your house, or your dog. It won't cause you any financial ruin, at least in this case, it was a WEB TV box for Christ's sake.
"by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons."
That's the key right there. This guy didn't have a political agenda, he was just being a prick. I hate assholes as much as the next guy, but being a prick is hardly the same as being a terrorist. Sending a virus to 18 specific people that you personally know and don't like is hardly an act of terrorism. Everyone else on the net wasn't even vulnerable to this, just his WEB TV cronies. This was a personal grudge, plain and simple.
This situation is being exploited by dishonest politicians to keep the "little people" scared and in their homes, begging for protection from the big bad world...and it's a sickening abuse of power.
It's all well and good that parent and child protection groups are watchful for titles like this, but I'm still having trouble understanding what the big to do is all about.
I can pretty much guarantee that this game will be rated "M - For Mature" and many retailers have resorted to id checks at the register already. What else can we do? If YOU don't think your kid should be exposed to this kind of stuff, then don't expose them. That's YOUR responsibility as a parent.
"But aren't you worried about the kids?"
Well you know what? I DO worry about the kids. My kids. All freaking day. Contrary to popular appearances, it's a full-time job. And once the little people go to sleep at night, it's time for me to relax and do something "adult" for a change. No more Elmo, or Teletubbies, or those ever present "kids songs" collections.
My daughters must think it's really odd that I always pause my videogames or turn them off completely when they're around. But I don't rely on Joe Politician or Jane Activist to protect my kids, I do it my damn self, because that's what I'M SUPPOSED TO DO as a parent.
If everyone spent more time filtering what their kids see, hear, and do, this wouldn't even be an issue. I'm not talking about locking them up in a room, but if they happen upon something "objectionable", you just have to explain it to them. "This is not real..." or "This is not right..." goes a long way. Is it really that difficult or unusual?
Kids are smart and explaining the context of a given situation is the key.
To paraphrase George Carlin, he's funny but he makes a good point:
:)
On election day, I stay home for 2 reasons:
1)Voting is meaningless. This country was bought and paid for a long time ago. That empty shit they shuffle around and repackage every 4 years doesn't mean a thing.(2000 election ring a bell?)
2)Don't complain if you don't vote? Where's the logic in that? If YOU vote, YOU elect dishonest, incompetent politicians. When they screw everything up, it's YOUR fault. You voted them in, YOU caused the problem, so YOU have no right to complain. You consciously chose them, I had nothing to do with it at all. I was at home the whole time
This is one of those really cool things I used to think about as a kid, but in light of all the turmoil being caused by, Kazaa, the **AA, et al, I just can't get that excited about it.
Untill we get this Intellectual Property "saga" sorted out, we can pretty much count on any cool uses for tech like this being brought in through the "front door" getting the political axe.
Remember the old NES days whenever you'd save your progress with a password? 256KB is enough for quite a long password and it wouldn't take very long to up/download.
Why does people even think that the Xbox Next would actually have savegames on a remote location?
There has been speculation that for the next console, an ethernet connection AND XBox Live will be included in some manner. Maybe just the first year free. Doing that would allow them to axe the HD and shrink the box quite a bit, both costs savings I'm sure.
And you'd definitely need broadband to have a somewhat acceptable performance.
That's why it has an ethernet port and not a 56K modem like the Dreamcast. They even state that you must have broadband to use Live. For those without, I'm sure they will have the memory card option.
I'll be disappointed though if the next one doesn't have an HD.
Supposedly...
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http://home.elp.rr.com/terlouw/DCWinMEServer.ht
That's why I bought both BG&E and Splinter Cell for the XBox. PC Gaming with all the driver updates and patching is for the birds. Sorry to hear about your problem though.
I'll second that.
Beyond Good and Evil is one of the best games of it's type that I've played in a LONG time. Probably since the old Nintendo days.
Not an exceptionally difficult game, but definately more entertaining than enduring the undying flood of mediocre First Person Shooters released in the last 5 years.