I have lousy eyesight and even I can tell the difference between standard and high definition TV. I dare you to sit ten feet away from an old SDTV 60" screen and a new HDTV 60" screen and to tell me that they look the same when showing high definition content.
Adult Swim is all standard definition, so it's not a good example. 12 Oz. Mouse looks just as crude on a $10,000 television as it does on a $50 one. Flip over to ESPN-HD and notice how craggy Joe Morgan's face really is when he does Sunday Night Baseball. (It is seriously jarring the first time you see it.)
You could also hook up a next-gen console to that awesome monitor you bought for PC gaming so you can play games in HDTV. (HDMI-to-DVI converters are available, though you lose the content protection required for some Blu-Ray discs made by companies other than Sony.) You already play games in 1280x720 or higher, right?
The people who have spent a lot of money on HDTVs represent a large slice of the wealthy consumer base Sony and Microsoft want. People who have spent $1,000+ on a nice video monitor might be likely to spend $400-600 on a game system to take advantage of it. Watching standard DVDs on a nice DLP is under-utilization.
Nobody but Slashdot said the 360 was "unhackable.' The quote in the BBC article linked from the summary says: "Microsoft plans to make its next generation games console, the Xbox 360, as difficult as possible to hack." (emphasis added)
I attended a Microsoft presentation last year before the 360's release. The engineers there said that the console wouldn't be totally immune to hacking, they just want (a) to make sure that it's very hard/costly/complex to hack it and (b) to keep hacked 360s off of Live. From the linked article about the hack:
"Can Microsoft detect it via Xbox LIVE? They probably can... and when they start checking they will probably act like with the Xbox1, ban your Xbox 360 console serial for life from the LIVE servers... or maybe even more, who knows what they are planning. You've been warned!"
Sports are still HDTV's killer app. About 80 million people watched the Super Bowl this year -- both the game and the commercials were in HDTV, so that's an awful lot of bandwidth being thrown around for even the X% of viewers that were capable of viewing it.
He used a computer with a monochrome full-screen terminal emulator. Later in the movie I remember him using a program that reminded me very much of Deluxe Paint, an Amiga program. I don't think Bueller was a Mac guy, but his family was certainly wealthy enough to afford one of those expensive 1986-era Macs anyway.:)
Putting more "convergence" into a system seems inevitable and isn't necessarily bad. I like that I can plug my iPod into an Xbox 360 to play music off the iPod instead of listening to the game's music. I like that I can get a Blu-Ray movie player with HDMI output when I buy a PS3 (not for $600; I'll wait for the price drop). I like that all three of the major systems will be Internet-enabled for on-line play even if it may cost more for some content.
Personally I don't play nearly enough AAA games to buy either of the high-end systems now, but prices will drop and I may buy in later. I agree that the Wii really beat expectations this week and, coupled with a low price point, could sell very well. As long as there are multiple viable systems out there, the Sony-MS-Nintendo competition doesn't need to be a winner-take-all war like so many of the news stories here have suggested.
Sony sold many PS2s, particularly in Japan, to people who wanted to play DVDs. At the time of launch, DVD players weren't anywhere near as cheap as they are now.
Personally, I may buy an Xbox 360 or PS3 later this year if either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray look likely take off. Standalone players for either format are still a bit expensive. Hell, didn't Microsoft recommend you buy an Xbox 360 for hi-def gaming and a Wii for other games for the same price as a PS3?
I don't mean to sound like a sell-out but STATING YOUR OWN PREFERENCES IN CAPITAL LETTERS doesn't mean you speak for everyone who wants to play games.
The $600 model includes HDMI for playback of Blu-Ray content that's been locked (not Sony discs, but other discs may require it) and Wi-Fi connectivity. A "comparably equipped" Xbox 360 is also $600: $400 for the console, $100 for the Wi-Fi adapter, and $100 for the HD-DVD drive.
Neither one is cheap, but I think there's a market for both "high-end" and "low-end" systems. Either that, or we've found the next 3DO.
That's true, but the reason bulk e-mail is called spam comes from the Monty Python sketch, mimicking the annoying characters who constantly offer SPAM(R) to patrons. Unsurprisingly Wikipedia has long entries on the sketch, the messaging phenomenon, and other related topics.
Ten years ago, Java was so trendy that Netscape chose to name their scripting language JavaScript despite the fact that it had virtually nothing in common with Sun's language.
I find it deeply ironic that after Java failed to transform the face of computing into a network-centric model, so many dollars are being funneled into JavaScript development for applications intended to supplement or replace native ones.
Very spiffy! Have you seen Panic Goods? Based on my experience there, I was expecting to drag things into and out of the cart just to get the Mac OS X-like puff-of-smoke animation.:)
So you're saying that you had faith in Hollywood to make a decent game movie? How many decent game movies have there been? It seems like any of the game movies that made any money were just generic action movies with a recognizable name (and, in the case of Tomb Raider, recognizable lips/boobs) tacked on.
If you have three friends who also like to play games, SSBM is a must. In college we played that game so much that we received a message "You've played 5,000 matches! That's about one cent per match!" after a while. I've found that the Smash Bros games are incredibly easy to pick up and you can set up a match in no time.
I'm originally from Long Island, where one prominent crackpot started hanging signs reading "GET OUT OF NEW YORK STATE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" I'm told that for workers in New York, especially in and around the City, the taxes are just oppressive. (And if you smoke, don't be caught without a pack in NYC or you have to pay $8+ for a pack)
But in PA we already have a governor who's a troublemaking Eagles fan, so it only follows that the Steelers have to take their turn too.:)
The PlayStation and Xbox allow left and right to be pressed simultaneously for DDR games. If you just defined two axes, you wouldn't be able to use a DDR pad to play games like StepMania on a PC.
There was a web browser, but it wasn't built in. The Dreamcast came with a CD that had a web browser and an IRC client. You could use the D-pad to "type" -- a real keyboard was sold separately. I tried typing in an IRC room but I couldn't plunk out "hello" before the other person left:(
Re:What saddnes me (Score:1) by Chosen Reject (842143) Alter Relationship on 11:27 AM May 9th, 2006 (#15293406) It's quite different. Let's review. GP said people are going to buy it simply because it is a playstation. You ask if that's different than buying a console because you can play games that you already know and love. One buys because of name, the other because of games. I fail to see how you don't see the difference.
Then you make the bold assertion that mature consumers buy products because of the product, not because of other people. While a good comment, it is unrelated to the conversation. Again, we will review for you. GP said he knows people who are buying it because it is a playstation, not because they like other people who are buying it. You asked if it was any better than buying a console because of available games, also no because of who else is buying it.
Slashdot Mirror
I have lousy eyesight and even I can tell the difference between standard and high definition TV. I dare you to sit ten feet away from an old SDTV 60" screen and a new HDTV 60" screen and to tell me that they look the same when showing high definition content.
Adult Swim is all standard definition, so it's not a good example. 12 Oz. Mouse looks just as crude on a $10,000 television as it does on a $50 one. Flip over to ESPN-HD and notice how craggy Joe Morgan's face really is when he does Sunday Night Baseball. (It is seriously jarring the first time you see it.)
You could also hook up a next-gen console to that awesome monitor you bought for PC gaming so you can play games in HDTV. (HDMI-to-DVI converters are available, though you lose the content protection required for some Blu-Ray discs made by companies other than Sony.) You already play games in 1280x720 or higher, right?
The people who have spent a lot of money on HDTVs represent a large slice of the wealthy consumer base Sony and Microsoft want. People who have spent $1,000+ on a nice video monitor might be likely to spend $400-600 on a game system to take advantage of it. Watching standard DVDs on a nice DLP is under-utilization.
Nobody but Slashdot said the 360 was "unhackable.' The quote in the BBC article linked from the summary says: "Microsoft plans to make its next generation games console, the Xbox 360, as difficult as possible to hack." (emphasis added)
... and when they start checking they will probably act like with the Xbox1, ban your Xbox 360 console serial for life from the LIVE servers ... or maybe even more, who knows what they are planning. You've been warned!"
I attended a Microsoft presentation last year before the 360's release. The engineers there said that the console wouldn't be totally immune to hacking, they just want (a) to make sure that it's very hard/costly/complex to hack it and (b) to keep hacked 360s off of Live. From the linked article about the hack:
"Can Microsoft detect it via Xbox LIVE? They probably can
Sports are still HDTV's killer app. About 80 million people watched the Super Bowl this year -- both the game and the commercials were in HDTV, so that's an awful lot of bandwidth being thrown around for even the X% of viewers that were capable of viewing it.
I predict a sudden rise in the sales of noise-cancelling headphones after VoIP becomes commonplace on airplanes.
Touché. I've been out-Ferris-fanned. :)
He used a computer with a monochrome full-screen terminal emulator. Later in the movie I remember him using a program that reminded me very much of Deluxe Paint, an Amiga program. I don't think Bueller was a Mac guy, but his family was certainly wealthy enough to afford one of those expensive 1986-era Macs anyway. :)
Putting more "convergence" into a system seems inevitable and isn't necessarily bad. I like that I can plug my iPod into an Xbox 360 to play music off the iPod instead of listening to the game's music. I like that I can get a Blu-Ray movie player with HDMI output when I buy a PS3 (not for $600; I'll wait for the price drop). I like that all three of the major systems will be Internet-enabled for on-line play even if it may cost more for some content.
Personally I don't play nearly enough AAA games to buy either of the high-end systems now, but prices will drop and I may buy in later. I agree that the Wii really beat expectations this week and, coupled with a low price point, could sell very well. As long as there are multiple viable systems out there, the Sony-MS-Nintendo competition doesn't need to be a winner-take-all war like so many of the news stories here have suggested.
I just searched for "Babies" on Google and got this sponsored link in the sidebar:
Babies
Whatever you're looking for
you can get it on eBay.
www.eBay.com
Google is directing you to baby sellers! Alert the press this is EVIL!!
Sony sold many PS2s, particularly in Japan, to people who wanted to play DVDs. At the time of launch, DVD players weren't anywhere near as cheap as they are now.
Personally, I may buy an Xbox 360 or PS3 later this year if either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray look likely take off. Standalone players for either format are still a bit expensive. Hell, didn't Microsoft recommend you buy an Xbox 360 for hi-def gaming and a Wii for other games for the same price as a PS3?
I don't mean to sound like a sell-out but STATING YOUR OWN PREFERENCES IN CAPITAL LETTERS doesn't mean you speak for everyone who wants to play games.
The $600 model includes HDMI for playback of Blu-Ray content that's been locked (not Sony discs, but other discs may require it) and Wi-Fi connectivity. A "comparably equipped" Xbox 360 is also $600: $400 for the console, $100 for the Wi-Fi adapter, and $100 for the HD-DVD drive.
Neither one is cheap, but I think there's a market for both "high-end" and "low-end" systems. Either that, or we've found the next 3DO.
That's true, but the reason bulk e-mail is called spam comes from the Monty Python sketch, mimicking the annoying characters who constantly offer SPAM(R) to patrons. Unsurprisingly Wikipedia has long entries on the sketch, the messaging phenomenon, and other related topics.
Ten years ago, Java was so trendy that Netscape chose to name their scripting language JavaScript despite the fact that it had virtually nothing in common with Sun's language.
I find it deeply ironic that after Java failed to transform the face of computing into a network-centric model, so many dollars are being funneled into JavaScript development for applications intended to supplement or replace native ones.
Very spiffy! Have you seen Panic Goods? Based on my experience there, I was expecting to drag things into and out of the cart just to get the Mac OS X-like puff-of-smoke animation. :)
So you're saying that you had faith in Hollywood to make a decent game movie? How many decent game movies have there been? It seems like any of the game movies that made any money were just generic action movies with a recognizable name (and, in the case of Tomb Raider, recognizable lips/boobs) tacked on.
If you have three friends who also like to play games, SSBM is a must. In college we played that game so much that we received a message "You've played 5,000 matches! That's about one cent per match!" after a while. I've found that the Smash Bros games are incredibly easy to pick up and you can set up a match in no time.
I'm originally from Long Island, where one prominent crackpot started hanging signs reading "GET OUT OF NEW YORK STATE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" I'm told that for workers in New York, especially in and around the City, the taxes are just oppressive. (And if you smoke, don't be caught without a pack in NYC or you have to pay $8+ for a pack)
:)
But in PA we already have a governor who's a troublemaking Eagles fan, so it only follows that the Steelers have to take their turn too.
They don't? w00t!
(I'm moving there from Pennsylvania, where the 3.07% state income tax is in addition to Pittsburgh's 3% city income tax)
That's too many buttons.
The PlayStation and Xbox allow left and right to be pressed simultaneously for DDR games. If you just defined two axes, you wouldn't be able to use a DDR pad to play games like StepMania on a PC.
The PSP comes with a web browser, but I don't think any home consoles come with a browser preinstalled.
There was a web browser, but it wasn't built in. The Dreamcast came with a CD that had a web browser and an IRC client. You could use the D-pad to "type" -- a real keyboard was sold separately. I tried typing in an IRC room but I couldn't plunk out "hello" before the other person left :(
I think of "Web Pages That Suck" as the Razzies of the web.
I used to check out LOSERS dot ORG as well, but that site is more a condemnation of people than of web site design.
Sorry nm then
--- Original Message ---
Re:What saddnes me
(Score:1)
by Chosen Reject (842143) Alter Relationship on 11:27 AM May 9th, 2006 (#15293406)
It's quite different. Let's review. GP said people are going to buy it simply because it is a playstation. You ask if that's different than buying a console because you can play games that you already know and love. One buys because of name, the other because of games. I fail to see how you don't see the difference.
Then you make the bold assertion that mature consumers buy products because of the product, not because of other people. While a good comment, it is unrelated to the conversation. Again, we will review for you. GP said he knows people who are buying it because it is a playstation, not because they like other people who are buying it. You asked if it was any better than buying a console because of available games, also no because of who else is buying it.
Your post == nonsense.