I'd personally love to see something like this go into effect, so long as the "recycling" doesn't involve shipping the toxic parts to 3rd world countries. However, there are a lot of us here in the US that can't really "lift" some of the older generation hardware (such as CRT displays). So why not impliment a system where you can schedule a pick-up of old hardware to be taken to one of these recycling facilities? (Maybe even for a small fee to be paid at the time of pick-up.)
If people had the option to have their useless electronic hardware hauled away instead of trying to transport it all themselves, I think hardware recycling could really take off here in the U.S. It's really just a matter of making it accessible to those of us who don't have the physical strength to move such items, or simply making it more appealing to the lazier parts of the population.
From my understanding, Bully is actually not the type of game the title and Take Two's reputation in the game industry would imply. So much so, that the game has actually received surprisingly mild ratings from reviewers regarding any sort of violence in the game what-so-ever.
The game literally has very little to do with going around GTA style, beating up defenseless weaklings at random. In fact, it's quite the opposite and promotes standing up to the adversity that bullies present in humorous ways. Honestly, I'd say parents have more to fear from your typical Mario title than they do from Bully.
This movement is entirely motivated by who is making the game, rather than the content of the game itself.
The more I see stuff like this, along with the recent issues brick and mortar retailers are having over the pricing difference from online movie distribution, the more I think the movie industry wants the standard DVD format to die. Without having a phyical product being placed in the hands of consumers, and forcing movie downloads to be tied specifically to a single computer/user, it makes the process of transferring the content to third parties (either by illegal file sharing or through legal after-market resale) nearly impossible for the average person.
Just think, that $14 movie you "conveniently" downloaded from iTunes today won't be nearly as "convenient" to resell to someone else later on, as a physical DVD would be. To resell that one single movie, you'll need to literally hand your entire computer and iTunes account over to the buyer. Otherwise, your only remaining option is to delete the file and eat the loss... and all because you didn't buy a physical copy when you had the chance.
The industry *wants* you to buy downloaded movies instead of DVDs, despite their seeming lack of support for it. As soon as the "trusted computing initiative" is in full effect, it be game over for the consumer.
I'm not so sure this is the case here. I think it's more along the lines of eliminating any product that can be physically transferred or sold. Once you have data files that are tied specifically to you, you can't transfer them to a third party after-market, even if you want to sell them outright. To transfer such files, you'd have to hand over not only the files, but the computer authorized to play them, as well as the accounts to the services you downloaded them from.
Since the "powers that be" know most users won't go to that extreme to transfer their ownership of a data file to a third party, they'll use it to force anyone who wants access to these kinds of files to buy directly from one of their "approved" distributors only.
This is actually similar to the business model that the infinium Phantom game console was supposed to use. Had it been released, the console would have only allowed you to purchase games from a centralized server and then download them directly to the console's hard drive. Since the console and the data stored on it would be directly tied to you, you would not be able to transfer ownership of the console to a third party *and* keep the data intact, unless you handed over your account on whatever server the games were stored on. (Most likely, handing over such an account would also include handing over sensitive information like your credit card numbers, as well.)
In addition to the stuff already mentioned (box art, compression, a physical disc, etc...), you also can't burn these files onto a disc that can be played on a standard dvd player. So unless you buy a proprietary device to connect to your TV, you're stuck in front of the computer (or your iPod, if you were so inclined) if you want to use these files.
These retailers are all being ridiculous. The costs of manufacturing, packaging and shipping these movies to them in a physical form should more than justify the $2 to $3 difference. Until there is a system in place where online distributed movies can be burned directly to a standard DVD by the end user, the retailers are going to just have to deal with it or stop carrying movies completely.
In some sense though, it does make me wonder if the movie industry wants to kill off DVDs in favor of online distribution. It's far cheaper for them to copy data onto a computer than it is to make physical discs, and, they will then have much more control over what the end user can/can't do with the content.
I read the original version of this one back when it had the longer title, Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children, about twelve years ago. It's a pretty entertaining read and even goes back into Nintendo's history prior to their entry into the video game industry. (For those who don't already know, Nintendo was already several decades old, prior to their entry into the video games arena, as a playing card manufacturer.)
Most interesting of all though, is how they describe Hiroshi Yamauchi throughout the book. He almost has mafia-like qualities about him and apparently operated the company in that manner, taking no crap from anyone.
Definitely worth a look if you're into what goes on behind the curtain of the company that gave us Mario.
Basically, these top my list as far as "comfort titles" because you can pick up any one of them and play for a few minutes, or a few hours at a time. They also require very little effort to enjoy and don't require you to mash buttons for the sake of mashing buttons.
Aside from story-related stuff, a game sequel would be better described simply as a software upgrade. Generally speaking, most sequels do exactly the same thing other software upgrades do:
- correct bugs
- improve the user interface
- adds more options
Actually, the line between console games and software has already started to blur. if you look at some of the games already out for the Xbox 360, you can perform minor upgrades of your own choosing with them, adding new characters, models, weapons and textures from a growing list of options available via Xbox Live. Future titles will eventually allow you to gradually add entirely new levels/worlds to explore, instead of making you wait a year for a simple repackaging of the same game engine with different data included on the disc.
Of course, this could eventually backfire on the end user, where if you "buy" a game from a store, it's only the game engine with a couple token levels packaged in with it, requiring you to download the rest of the game from the internet in small chunks at a collectively higher price. There's talk that the next Gran Turismo title for the PS3 will actually do just that... requiring you to purchase each car or track separately.
Instead of straining yourself to figure out how to merge a chatroom with a message board, I'd recommend simply streamlining whatever message board configuration you're using for the fastest post/refresh rate you can get. The faster a user can post and refresh, the more simultaneous user connections your message board will be able to handle at one time.
The ideal way of doing this, is to make it so the user can post and get immediate results within a single mouse-click. Messages should be displayed in a linear fashion using a single page, rather than broken up into pages or nested by reply. A good example of such a setup is theFark.com website. Users can respond as quickly, or as slowly, as they like.
Just remember, any system that makes a user wait too long or makes it difficult for the user to find information will almost always fail in the end.
I seem to recall the initial versions of the PS2 having all sorts of issues (primarily with the optical drives), not unlike last years XBox 360 fiasco. Considering Sony's attitude toward the consumer lately, we'll probably be forced to tolerate it as the tradeoff for the privilege of using the PS3 raw power.
Could it be that both Microsoft AND Sony have falling victim to the "Tortoise and the Hare" factor? It seems Nintendo's choice to choose the slow and steady path might just win the race this time around.
The point here is not to punish the offenders, but to make the public aware of the offense. They pick apple because everyone knows about iTunes and the iPod and all things apple. If they had gone after, say, Microsoft for DRM on the Zune or something, people would say 'thank god I have an iPod and don't have to worry about that crap'.
Interesting counter-argument, but in doing so, they are implying that the worst offender is also the most popular one. So, while public is busy watching these guys go after Apple, who's watching what's going on with Microsoft or Sony? Anything that takes the spotlight away from the really bad offenders only helps them accomplish their goals more covertly.
By making Apple the sole poster-boy of DRM, the "Day against DRM" is not really changing anything. People everywhere are still going to buy their DRM infected media from other sources without another thought. And come November 17th, people will still line the streets for the Sony PS3, blissfully unaware of the DRM nastiness hidden inside, just as long as they get their instant gratification out of the brief "cool factor" period.
It seems kind of weird that they'd target Apple, especially when there are far worse companies out there with much more draconian DRM policies they could make an example of. (Sony, anyone?)
My guess, it's all about location and convenience, rather than actually going after some of the really bad DRM offenders. Apple just happens to be the one unfortunate enough to have stores that are visually appealing and easily recognizable to consumers.
The intentions here may be good, but the execution is nearly at hypocritical levels.
Could it be that part of the motivation behind this article is the "murder simulator" argument some of the anti-gaming pundits have been trolling around since the Columbine incident? Maybe they're hoping to score points with voters by tying the "terrorism" angle in with the recent rash of school shootings to make their position seem more epic than it really is...
Yeah, I wasn't necessarily implying the two were related... but only that if the ID proponents wanted a way to discredit the validity of formal science, something as shaky as string theory would be an ideal subject to attack. Either to claim ID is no less valid than string theory, or to mock science in general by using string theory as the primary example of how rediculously flawed science often is.
From a purely political standpoint, string theory is an ID proponent's wet dream, since it introduces enough uncertainty into our precious "legitimate" science to make it an ideal soapbox to stand on.
Honestly, it doesn't matter to me whether or not we live in a 10 or 11 dimensional universe either way. The article just seems to have a very negative tone to it and suggests we have scientists that are just sitting on their asses wasting precious time and money. What's the harm in having guys like Michio Kaku thinking outside of the box every once in a while? It just seems a bit more worthwhile than spending millions on pointless tests such as measuring the flow rate of ketchup.
Any idea what side of the whole "intelligent design" debate the author of this article subscribes to? It'd be interesting to know whether or not his motivation in this is to somehow smear the credibity of science as a whole on the political level.
The problem with this is that it assumes all games have competely defined experiences right out of the box. This can't account for online gaming, sandbox titles using the GTA/Oblivion approach or third party mods. The mod thing is particularly troubling because it means developers have to design their games around the possibility it could eventually be modded, forcing them to sacrifice otherwise useful and innovative features. (One example is clothing... it would have to be "welded" to all character models, requiring developers to include multiple versions of the same character, just to change the outfit.) Another troubling issue, is that such legislation would require the ESRB to be aware of any and all possible exploitable parts of a game (including weird ones, like unintended mid-game disc swaps used to open holes). Also, does this mean the ESRB would be require to hire dozens of skilled hackers to pound on a game from every possible angle, in order to determine where alterations *might* be inserted into a game?
This could prove to be such a costly measure, that a civilian run ESRB could eventually become impossible to maintain. If you think this is bad, I can only guess as to what a federally run version of the ESRB would be like.
This console's already facing a hard enough time as it is with its own price tag. Considering the PS3 is likely being sold at a loss like most previous consoles, Sony can't afford not to sell games at a competing price point to the Xbox 360. Anything higher would doom the PS3 right from the start.
Sure, keeping things close to the earth surface might allow for an easy abort in case of some catastrophic failure, but with the trade-off being that you'll have sharp objects in (and near) your body at constantly changing vectors and accelerations, it hardly seems worth the risk.
While I'm sure they have a fancy plan for blood containment (small incisions and tubes for tool insertion), a slip-up at the wrong time could create some interesting situations (like a stream of small, bloody spheres all over the place). Another issue are the various other fluids to contend with, such as stomach acid, anal leakage and urine. Unless they plan to completely block off every hole on the guy (catheter, stomach pump, intibation tubes, ass plug/vacuum, etc...), this could get messy pretty quick.
Aside from that, what ever became of ideas like one of those large rotating room to create pseudo-gravity using constant angular velocity?
It probably won't change much more
on
GUIs Get a Makeover
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· Score: 3, Insightful
So long as we're still using the mouse/keyboard as a primary interface for our computers, the current GUI model will likely stay pretty much the same for at least a good ten years or so. Once something better comes along, such as AI-assisted video/object recognition, it may open options similar to what was in Minority Report. Until then though, using a cursor for interaction will remain more effective than cursing at our machines directly.
I wonder if Sony will ever come up with a virtual machine using CVGS (which they purchased a few years ago) to play legitimate downloadable versions of PS1 games stored on memory sticks. This could help draw some attention away from the Nintendo Wii and its virtual console feature.
Being disabled and prone to dangerous falls myself, I know this sentiment all to well. Needless to say, I've had difficulty finding something that would not only work within my home, but anywhere I go, without needing to carry a full-blown cell-phone.
Something like a human-based form of OnStar, but with a heart/lung monitor and an accelerometer/impact sensor (to detect the speed and severity of a fall).
Slashdot Mirror
I'd personally love to see something like this go into effect, so long as the "recycling" doesn't involve shipping the toxic parts to 3rd world countries. However, there are a lot of us here in the US that can't really "lift" some of the older generation hardware (such as CRT displays). So why not impliment a system where you can schedule a pick-up of old hardware to be taken to one of these recycling facilities? (Maybe even for a small fee to be paid at the time of pick-up.)
If people had the option to have their useless electronic hardware hauled away instead of trying to transport it all themselves, I think hardware recycling could really take off here in the U.S. It's really just a matter of making it accessible to those of us who don't have the physical strength to move such items, or simply making it more appealing to the lazier parts of the population.
From my understanding, Bully is actually not the type of game the title and Take Two's reputation in the game industry would imply. So much so, that the game has actually received surprisingly mild ratings from reviewers regarding any sort of violence in the game what-so-ever.
The game literally has very little to do with going around GTA style, beating up defenseless weaklings at random. In fact, it's quite the opposite and promotes standing up to the adversity that bullies present in humorous ways. Honestly, I'd say parents have more to fear from your typical Mario title than they do from Bully.
This movement is entirely motivated by who is making the game, rather than the content of the game itself.
The more I see stuff like this, along with the recent issues brick and mortar retailers are having over the pricing difference from online movie distribution, the more I think the movie industry wants the standard DVD format to die. Without having a phyical product being placed in the hands of consumers, and forcing movie downloads to be tied specifically to a single computer/user, it makes the process of transferring the content to third parties (either by illegal file sharing or through legal after-market resale) nearly impossible for the average person.
Just think, that $14 movie you "conveniently" downloaded from iTunes today won't be nearly as "convenient" to resell to someone else later on, as a physical DVD would be. To resell that one single movie, you'll need to literally hand your entire computer and iTunes account over to the buyer. Otherwise, your only remaining option is to delete the file and eat the loss... and all because you didn't buy a physical copy when you had the chance.
The industry *wants* you to buy downloaded movies instead of DVDs, despite their seeming lack of support for it. As soon as the "trusted computing initiative" is in full effect, it be game over for the consumer.
I'm not so sure this is the case here. I think it's more along the lines of eliminating any product that can be physically transferred or sold. Once you have data files that are tied specifically to you, you can't transfer them to a third party after-market, even if you want to sell them outright. To transfer such files, you'd have to hand over not only the files, but the computer authorized to play them, as well as the accounts to the services you downloaded them from.
Since the "powers that be" know most users won't go to that extreme to transfer their ownership of a data file to a third party, they'll use it to force anyone who wants access to these kinds of files to buy directly from one of their "approved" distributors only.
This is actually similar to the business model that the infinium Phantom game console was supposed to use. Had it been released, the console would have only allowed you to purchase games from a centralized server and then download them directly to the console's hard drive. Since the console and the data stored on it would be directly tied to you, you would not be able to transfer ownership of the console to a third party *and* keep the data intact, unless you handed over your account on whatever server the games were stored on. (Most likely, handing over such an account would also include handing over sensitive information like your credit card numbers, as well.)
Yeah, I forgot whether or not it had been an entire century or not. I knew it was somewhere in that ballpark though.
... until they tax anyone using sunlight to see?
In addition to the stuff already mentioned (box art, compression, a physical disc, etc...), you also can't burn these files onto a disc that can be played on a standard dvd player. So unless you buy a proprietary device to connect to your TV, you're stuck in front of the computer (or your iPod, if you were so inclined) if you want to use these files.
These retailers are all being ridiculous. The costs of manufacturing, packaging and shipping these movies to them in a physical form should more than justify the $2 to $3 difference. Until there is a system in place where online distributed movies can be burned directly to a standard DVD by the end user, the retailers are going to just have to deal with it or stop carrying movies completely.
In some sense though, it does make me wonder if the movie industry wants to kill off DVDs in favor of online distribution. It's far cheaper for them to copy data onto a computer than it is to make physical discs, and, they will then have much more control over what the end user can/can't do with the content.
I read the original version of this one back when it had the longer title, Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children, about twelve years ago. It's a pretty entertaining read and even goes back into Nintendo's history prior to their entry into the video game industry. (For those who don't already know, Nintendo was already several decades old, prior to their entry into the video games arena, as a playing card manufacturer.)
Most interesting of all though, is how they describe Hiroshi Yamauchi throughout the book. He almost has mafia-like qualities about him and apparently operated the company in that manner, taking no crap from anyone.
Definitely worth a look if you're into what goes on behind the curtain of the company that gave us Mario.
Hmm... Here's my selection:
- Tetris (GBA)
- Katamari Damacy (PS2)
- True Swing Golf (DS)
- Burnout Revenge (PS2)
- Pokémon Pinball (GBA)
Basically, these top my list as far as "comfort titles" because you can pick up any one of them and play for a few minutes, or a few hours at a time. They also require very little effort to enjoy and don't require you to mash buttons for the sake of mashing buttons.
Aside from story-related stuff, a game sequel would be better described simply as a software upgrade. Generally speaking, most sequels do exactly the same thing other software upgrades do:
- correct bugs
- improve the user interface
- adds more options
Actually, the line between console games and software has already started to blur. if you look at some of the games already out for the Xbox 360, you can perform minor upgrades of your own choosing with them, adding new characters, models, weapons and textures from a growing list of options available via Xbox Live. Future titles will eventually allow you to gradually add entirely new levels/worlds to explore, instead of making you wait a year for a simple repackaging of the same game engine with different data included on the disc.
Of course, this could eventually backfire on the end user, where if you "buy" a game from a store, it's only the game engine with a couple token levels packaged in with it, requiring you to download the rest of the game from the internet in small chunks at a collectively higher price. There's talk that the next Gran Turismo title for the PS3 will actually do just that... requiring you to purchase each car or track separately.
Instead of straining yourself to figure out how to merge a chatroom with a message board, I'd recommend simply streamlining whatever message board configuration you're using for the fastest post/refresh rate you can get. The faster a user can post and refresh, the more simultaneous user connections your message board will be able to handle at one time.
The ideal way of doing this, is to make it so the user can post and get immediate results within a single mouse-click. Messages should be displayed in a linear fashion using a single page, rather than broken up into pages or nested by reply. A good example of such a setup is theFark.com website. Users can respond as quickly, or as slowly, as they like.
Just remember, any system that makes a user wait too long or makes it difficult for the user to find information will almost always fail in the end.
I seem to recall the initial versions of the PS2 having all sorts of issues (primarily with the optical drives), not unlike last years XBox 360 fiasco. Considering Sony's attitude toward the consumer lately, we'll probably be forced to tolerate it as the tradeoff for the privilege of using the PS3 raw power.
Could it be that both Microsoft AND Sony have falling victim to the "Tortoise and the Hare" factor? It seems Nintendo's choice to choose the slow and steady path might just win the race this time around.
The point here is not to punish the offenders, but to make the public aware of the offense. They pick apple because everyone knows about iTunes and the iPod and all things apple. If they had gone after, say, Microsoft for DRM on the Zune or something, people would say 'thank god I have an iPod and don't have to worry about that crap'.
Interesting counter-argument, but in doing so, they are implying that the worst offender is also the most popular one. So, while public is busy watching these guys go after Apple, who's watching what's going on with Microsoft or Sony? Anything that takes the spotlight away from the really bad offenders only helps them accomplish their goals more covertly.
By making Apple the sole poster-boy of DRM, the "Day against DRM" is not really changing anything. People everywhere are still going to buy their DRM infected media from other sources without another thought. And come November 17th, people will still line the streets for the Sony PS3, blissfully unaware of the DRM nastiness hidden inside, just as long as they get their instant gratification out of the brief "cool factor" period.
It seems kind of weird that they'd target Apple, especially when there are far worse companies out there with much more draconian DRM policies they could make an example of. (Sony, anyone?)
My guess, it's all about location and convenience, rather than actually going after some of the really bad DRM offenders. Apple just happens to be the one unfortunate enough to have stores that are visually appealing and easily recognizable to consumers.
The intentions here may be good, but the execution is nearly at hypocritical levels.
Could it be that part of the motivation behind this article is the "murder simulator" argument some of the anti-gaming pundits have been trolling around since the Columbine incident? Maybe they're hoping to score points with voters by tying the "terrorism" angle in with the recent rash of school shootings to make their position seem more epic than it really is...
Yeah, I wasn't necessarily implying the two were related... but only that if the ID proponents wanted a way to discredit the validity of formal science, something as shaky as string theory would be an ideal subject to attack. Either to claim ID is no less valid than string theory, or to mock science in general by using string theory as the primary example of how rediculously flawed science often is.
From a purely political standpoint, string theory is an ID proponent's wet dream, since it introduces enough uncertainty into our precious "legitimate" science to make it an ideal soapbox to stand on.
Thank you. At least this shows the question in itself is not malicious in nature.
Honestly, it doesn't matter to me whether or not we live in a 10 or 11 dimensional universe either way. The article just seems to have a very negative tone to it and suggests we have scientists that are just sitting on their asses wasting precious time and money. What's the harm in having guys like Michio Kaku thinking outside of the box every once in a while? It just seems a bit more worthwhile than spending millions on pointless tests such as measuring the flow rate of ketchup.
Any idea what side of the whole "intelligent design" debate the author of this article subscribes to? It'd be interesting to know whether or not his motivation in this is to somehow smear the credibity of science as a whole on the political level.
The problem with this is that it assumes all games have competely defined experiences right out of the box. This can't account for online gaming, sandbox titles using the GTA/Oblivion approach or third party mods. The mod thing is particularly troubling because it means developers have to design their games around the possibility it could eventually be modded, forcing them to sacrifice otherwise useful and innovative features. (One example is clothing... it would have to be "welded" to all character models, requiring developers to include multiple versions of the same character, just to change the outfit.) Another troubling issue, is that such legislation would require the ESRB to be aware of any and all possible exploitable parts of a game (including weird ones, like unintended mid-game disc swaps used to open holes). Also, does this mean the ESRB would be require to hire dozens of skilled hackers to pound on a game from every possible angle, in order to determine where alterations *might* be inserted into a game?
This could prove to be such a costly measure, that a civilian run ESRB could eventually become impossible to maintain. If you think this is bad, I can only guess as to what a federally run version of the ESRB would be like.
This console's already facing a hard enough time as it is with its own price tag. Considering the PS3 is likely being sold at a loss like most previous consoles, Sony can't afford not to sell games at a competing price point to the Xbox 360. Anything higher would doom the PS3 right from the start.
Sure, keeping things close to the earth surface might allow for an easy abort in case of some catastrophic failure, but with the trade-off being that you'll have sharp objects in (and near) your body at constantly changing vectors and accelerations, it hardly seems worth the risk.
While I'm sure they have a fancy plan for blood containment (small incisions and tubes for tool insertion), a slip-up at the wrong time could create some interesting situations (like a stream of small, bloody spheres all over the place). Another issue are the various other fluids to contend with, such as stomach acid, anal leakage and urine. Unless they plan to completely block off every hole on the guy (catheter, stomach pump, intibation tubes, ass plug/vacuum, etc...), this could get messy pretty quick.
Aside from that, what ever became of ideas like one of those large rotating room to create pseudo-gravity using constant angular velocity?
So long as we're still using the mouse/keyboard as a primary interface for our computers, the current GUI model will likely stay pretty much the same for at least a good ten years or so. Once something better comes along, such as AI-assisted video/object recognition, it may open options similar to what was in Minority Report. Until then though, using a cursor for interaction will remain more effective than cursing at our machines directly.
I wonder if Sony will ever come up with a virtual machine using CVGS (which they purchased a few years ago) to play legitimate downloadable versions of PS1 games stored on memory sticks. This could help draw some attention away from the Nintendo Wii and its virtual console feature.
Being disabled and prone to dangerous falls myself, I know this sentiment all to well. Needless to say, I've had difficulty finding something that would not only work within my home, but anywhere I go, without needing to carry a full-blown cell-phone.
Something like a human-based form of OnStar, but with a heart/lung monitor and an accelerometer/impact sensor (to detect the speed and severity of a fall).