That's our highbrow? That's pulp. They're both fun games, but one has an anime-level of maturity and the other is, well, Star Wars.
it may very well be that there's no such thing as a "highbrow" game, and the closest gaming will get would be "art house".
Arthouse is good. I'd settle with arthouse for now. Unfortunately, most games don't want to persue anything that might force players to think too much, make decisions that will have any lasting effect on the gameworld (Oblivion, et al.), challenge their perceptions of women and minorities (too--many examples--overload--), or present clever alternatives to violent solutions. Having all of these things still wouldn't make a game highbrow, it would just diminish the 15-year-old mentality (chicks, blood, easy). Investing in decent dialog systems or decent writers (probably the best solution for making the games, well, arthouse) would certainly be a start. There's no overriding trend or inherent unmarketability that's keeping this from happening. The industry is too greedy, cowardly, and incompetent to make such things happen. Indie developers are too underfunded. There's no Miramax/Lion's Gate level of big-studio-arthouse. There's nothing.
A bored programmer inflitrated the Rockstar headquarters, set himself up as a regular employee, and stealthily inserted content into the gold master that was never meant to be in there. HE USED MAGIC!!! HOW COULD THEY HAVE KNOWN!?!?!?!?
Evolution is not testable either. It is not falsifiable. Nobody can prove it, nor disprove it, at least at this point. The only thing that lends itself towards evolution is evidence, but evidence is not proof of anything.
It is testable, and falsifiable. There could be a major scientific development that shows evolution is incorrect and that a completely different mechanism explains the diversity and development of life on earth. This is highly unlikely, akin to a disproval of Newtonian Physics (which were altered to accommodate quantum mechanics and may be alter to accomodate dark matter/energy), but it is possible. Your ASSERSION that it is not because it is only based on... evidence... is just another example of the opposition to evolution having no compelling theory to counter it. This is what ID fails to provide.
Ever watch a CSI type show, and they take you down a long journey into believing suspect A was the person who did the crime, showing all the "evidence" that linked that person to the victim/crime? And then at the last moment, a new piece of evidence comes in that completely changes the picture?
I guess by this little metaphor that you are ADMITTING that evolution is not dogma because it could be falsifiable. So it is, what, a scientific theory, mahap? Congratulations.
Evidence only gives us a look at probability, and is highly subjective and subject to bias from preconcieved notions. I don't have a problem with evolution, but it is a theory that cannot be tested. It may even be the best theory we have, but to call it "scientific", to base all decisions on it, is the arrogance of mankind.
So evidence does not prove anything because it is subjective and people found it?
It is testable. Predictions are based on it because it has been shown to accurately predict natural phenomena.
Once again, provide a testable, competing hypothesis to evolution if you want to disprove it; you attack it because you have nothing of the sort. And good luck. You've got about 130 years worth of research to discredit first, and it will take more than an assertion to do so. Your ignorance as to what constitutes "scientific" will not help you any either.
Once upon a time, evidence suggested the earth was flat, and ships sailed off the edge (visually that is what it looked like). However, further evidence came into being and that myth was quickly dispelled. Don't be so... dogmatic... to believe that your view is infallable.
Science is not religion. Scientific theories are valid because nothing HAS disproven them. They remain forever open to refutation. When opponents of well-established theories have no competing, scientifically-based theory, they are either just trying to get attention, or trying to cast doubt on the theories that interfere with their agenda (i.e., you, Mr. Archangel).
there was Gentoo. Seriously, check out any remotely Linux-related article on Slashdot from mid2002-mid2004: Gentoo fanboys flooding any discussion with
"Your grandma wants to use Linux? Get her Gentoo!" "Pfft, I emerged it 2 weeks ago with every flag, and it crashed every six seconds! It must be unstable!" "I get a 2% speed advantage by compiling X/OpenOffice/Mozilla for 3 days!!" "I understand linux better because I watched the bootstrap compilation wizz by!"
I used for a few months back then. It has its merits, but the fanboys poisoned the public opinion, like so many Distros/OSs before...
Get a good standing desk (not a crappy server-room type) and stand the hell up. Make sure your mouse, keyboard, and screen (especially your mouse/wacom/spaceball/powerglove/whatever) are at an ergonomic level. The first 2-3 weeks are a little painful, but they'll pass. Get a drafting chair with no armrests for when you get tired. They're uncomfortable enough for you not to want to stay in them for longer than you need to.
You'll feel much healthier, be less fatigued and more active. Also helps keep away the acid reflux that comes with bad posture and scoliosis.
We'll that does sound awesome, but I'm not about to apologize to Wolfram for my wget. It was low-bandwidth, and I stand by my violation of the terms of use.
And the only way to control the robot is with the LOOM!!!
Which you can only use when you have the Blue Vesper, which was eaten by the Chocobo in the attic of Dr. Fred's Mansion and guarded by Darth Vaderoth!!!! Wisecracks and apocolypse!!
It should read 'clinical psychologist who makes a living treating gaming addiction believes 40% of WoW players are addicted'. That's some crappy journalism. A good headline would be 'Experts Say 40% of WoW Players Addicted'. Concise, attention-grabbing, the point of what was discoverd.
If the experts are not really experts, or they have an obvious bias toward the outcome, or they number no more than one, then it's not even newsworthy and no responsible journalist would publish it.
An office supervisor suddently resigns from her job. A lot of work is unfinished and the company asks her family to encurage her to return. They find her at home, hunched over a computer and out cold completely oblivious to her surroundings.
"nooooobzzz...Ess Tee Eff You noobszz....rrraaaaiiiidd....."
It's as highbrow as, say, Escaflowne. The romance and sacrifices are predictable and melodramatic. If it was a movie it would get panned by every critic. The length of a final fantasy game allows for a lot of development, similar to a full season anime series like Escaflowne, but that doesn't mean it's more than pulp. Fun pulp, but pulp.
When games grow up they'll get symbolism, emotional connections (connection, not catharsis), clever dialog, and non-obvious themes along with the many other characteristics highbrow art has had for centuries. As the largest game demographic (now in their 20s and 30s) gets older, we'll see games meant for more mature tastes.
Well I for one would have some kids write cute messages on Isreali shells while their mother watches so that when the Lebanese children's skulls are crushed and bodies ripped apart, they'll know who hates them. That would punish the terrorists who've forced Israel to kill 1000 civilians including 300 children. What else could they do to defend themselves? I don't know how you can have a ceasefire with terrorists, except the one Israel had with Hamas and GB had with the IRA, and some other examples that are inconvenient to those who don't mind killing so many kids to protect a handful of their own.
Weren't they just trying to get back a kidnapped soldier at first? This whole conflict has a Iraq War-level of goal-switching and escalation. At this rate they will be invading Syria to protect Lebanon from Israel having to bomb it anymore, and doing their best to start a new Arab War (beyond what they've already done). Go Israel.
Indeed sometimes they will wait several days to do a goddam thing, and the Mountees will be helping you before the National Guard. Don't count on the government for anything other than a flyover to "give you hope".
Also, "getting Americans to be more self-sufficient in a survival situation is probably a good thing". God knows that if there's a dearth of survivalists anywhere on earth, it's in the USA.
Where's our John Huston? Where's our Alfred Hitchcock? Where's our Sam Pickenpah? Kubrick? Speilberg? Capra? Copolla? Lynch (what I wouldn't give...)?
All we have are a bunch of Michael Bay's, Robert Zemekis's, and Paul Verhoven's.
The game industry needs to discover the possibilities of it's medium, like the golden age of film did decades before CG effects came around. When the industry can produce the rough equivalent of these artists, then we can start worrying about a Howard's End FPS to please the snoot.
Please don't mention Molyneaux, Spector, or even Wright as possibilities. Especially Molyneaux.
I remember P2P, repository, and higher ed versions in the initial (0.1) roadmap...
They had an incremental plan for developing the basic functionality, then simple p2p calendaring, then a server-based repo, then the "higher-ed" version (a not-quite-ready-for-enterprise release). I haven't checked in on them for a long while, but it now looks like they're right in pace with their initial roadmap.
I didn't think it would take them this long, but they are making progress. Not every OSS project has the speed and gusto of Inkscape or Ogre3D.
They are against new testing. Students take too many progression tests as it is. Excessive progresssion testing means you teach for the test, instead of the student.
They are against charter schools. Their efficacy is questionable, along with every other magic pill in the last 25 years (alternative schools, magnet schools, etc.)
They are against charter schools even if it means no schools. (Charters were willing to set up in New Orleans long before the public schools would have been able to operate. The unions fought against them, in favor of no schools at all.) Liar. The union was scattered and powerless after the storm. The state took over immediately and the N.O. teachers union currently has no power. 20 charter schools have been set up since the storm.
The unions are against anything proposed by or endorsed by the conservatives. Mayhap you should be looking at that one from a different angle. Magic-pill placebos are a little hard to swallow.
The unions are against Wal-Mart. The unions are against the high cost of living. What?
They are against home schooling. Rightly so.
They are against school funding cuts. No shit.
They are against property tax increases. Strange, since that generally means more money for schools.
And they support teachers retiring at 55 with 25 years of service. They expect to work 25 years, only about 1/3 of their lives, and have the rest of us taxpayers who work from 16 to 65+, including summers, to support them. (Earlier retirement means hiring more teachers, which means more union members and more dues paid.) If it's such a bargain, then why aren't you a teacher as well? Is there some sort of downside to this profession? Ask the wife if you can sub for a day or two, just to see if you like it.
Slashdot Mirror
KOTOR and Jade Empire?
That's our highbrow? That's pulp. They're both fun games, but one has an anime-level of maturity and the other is, well, Star Wars.
it may very well be that there's no such thing as a "highbrow" game, and the closest gaming will get would be "art house".
Arthouse is good. I'd settle with arthouse for now. Unfortunately, most games don't want to persue anything that might force players to think too much, make decisions that will have any lasting effect on the gameworld (Oblivion, et al.), challenge their perceptions of women and minorities (too--many examples--overload--), or present clever alternatives to violent solutions. Having all of these things still wouldn't make a game highbrow, it would just diminish the 15-year-old mentality (chicks, blood, easy). Investing in decent dialog systems or decent writers (probably the best solution for making the games, well, arthouse) would certainly be a start. There's no overriding trend or inherent unmarketability that's keeping this from happening. The industry is too greedy, cowardly, and incompetent to make such things happen. Indie developers are too underfunded. There's no Miramax/Lion's Gate level of big-studio-arthouse. There's nothing.
Welcome to hell. We'll be here a while.
A bored programmer inflitrated the Rockstar headquarters, set himself up as a regular employee, and stealthily inserted content into the gold master that was never meant to be in there. HE USED MAGIC!!! HOW COULD THEY HAVE KNOWN!?!?!?!?
Evolution is not testable either. It is not falsifiable. Nobody can prove it, nor disprove it, at least at this point. The only thing that lends itself towards evolution is evidence, but evidence is not proof of anything.
... dogmatic ... to believe that your view is infallable.
It is testable, and falsifiable. There could be a major scientific development that shows evolution is incorrect and that a completely different mechanism explains the diversity and development of life on earth. This is highly unlikely, akin to a disproval of Newtonian Physics (which were altered to accommodate quantum mechanics and may be alter to accomodate dark matter/energy), but it is possible. Your ASSERSION that it is not because it is only based on... evidence... is just another example of the opposition to evolution having no compelling theory to counter it. This is what ID fails to provide.
Ever watch a CSI type show, and they take you down a long journey into believing suspect A was the person who did the crime, showing all the "evidence" that linked that person to the victim/crime? And then at the last moment, a new piece of evidence comes in that completely changes the picture?
I guess by this little metaphor that you are ADMITTING that evolution is not dogma because it could be falsifiable. So it is, what, a scientific theory, mahap? Congratulations.
Evidence only gives us a look at probability, and is highly subjective and subject to bias from preconcieved notions. I don't have a problem with evolution, but it is a theory that cannot be tested. It may even be the best theory we have, but to call it "scientific", to base all decisions on it, is the arrogance of mankind.
So evidence does not prove anything because it is subjective and people found it?
It is testable. Predictions are based on it because it has been shown to accurately predict natural phenomena.
Once again, provide a testable, competing hypothesis to evolution if you want to disprove it; you attack it because you have nothing of the sort. And good luck. You've got about 130 years worth of research to discredit first, and it will take more than an assertion to do so. Your ignorance as to what constitutes "scientific" will not help you any either.
Once upon a time, evidence suggested the earth was flat, and ships sailed off the edge (visually that is what it looked like). However, further evidence came into being and that myth was quickly dispelled. Don't be so
Science is not religion. Scientific theories are valid because nothing HAS disproven them. They remain forever open to refutation. When opponents of well-established theories have no competing, scientifically-based theory, they are either just trying to get attention, or trying to cast doubt on the theories that interfere with their agenda (i.e., you, Mr. Archangel).
Good turntables/arms/stablilizers/needles are very expensive and are most certainly not toys.
The ones Froogle is listing for under $100 are, though.
For a great selection of new and used audiophile-grade equipment, try http://www.audiogon.com/.
there was Gentoo. Seriously, check out any remotely Linux-related article on Slashdot from mid2002-mid2004: Gentoo fanboys flooding any discussion with
"Your grandma wants to use Linux? Get her Gentoo!"
"Pfft, I emerged it 2 weeks ago with every flag, and it crashed every six seconds! It must be unstable!"
"I get a 2% speed advantage by compiling X/OpenOffice/Mozilla for 3 days!!"
"I understand linux better because I watched the bootstrap compilation wizz by!"
I used for a few months back then. It has its merits, but the fanboys poisoned the public opinion, like so many Distros/OSs before...
Jesus Christ, not any more. Did you visit that link? Some sort of microwave ray has turned him into a shambling Davy mass.
Uhh, arr.
Get a good standing desk (not a crappy server-room type) and stand the hell up.
Make sure your mouse, keyboard, and screen (especially your mouse/wacom/spaceball/powerglove/whatever) are at an ergonomic level. The first 2-3 weeks are a little painful, but they'll pass. Get a drafting chair with no armrests for when you get tired. They're uncomfortable enough for you not to want to stay in them for longer than you need to.
You'll feel much healthier, be less fatigued and more active. Also helps keep away the acid reflux that comes with bad posture and scoliosis.
(And besides, if Pluto is going to be the dwarf planet, which planet do the elves get? Or the hobbits? Won't someone think of the hobbits?)
Oh, those dwarves. I don't think they like being called "little" anythings, and may cleave you in twain for the insult.
We'll that does sound awesome, but I'm not about to apologize to Wolfram for my wget. It was low-bandwidth, and I stand by my violation of the terms of use.
And the only way to control the robot is with the LOOM!!!
Which you can only use when you have the Blue Vesper, which was eaten by the Chocobo in the attic of Dr. Fred's Mansion and guarded by Darth Vaderoth!!!! Wisecracks and apocolypse!!
It should read 'clinical psychologist who makes a living treating gaming addiction believes 40% of WoW players are addicted'.
That's some crappy journalism. A good headline would be 'Experts Say 40% of WoW Players Addicted'. Concise, attention-grabbing, the point of what was discoverd.
If the experts are not really experts, or they have an obvious bias toward the outcome, or they number no more than one, then it's not even newsworthy and no responsible journalist would publish it.
I'm sorry, this one was funny:
An office supervisor suddently resigns from her job. A lot of work is unfinished and the company asks her family to encurage her to return. They find her at home, hunched over a computer and out cold completely oblivious to her surroundings.
"nooooobzzz...Ess Tee Eff You noobszz....rrraaaaiiiidd....."
It's as highbrow as, say, Escaflowne. The romance and sacrifices are predictable and melodramatic. If it was a movie it would get panned by every critic. The length of a final fantasy game allows for a lot of development, similar to a full season anime series like Escaflowne, but that doesn't mean it's more than pulp. Fun pulp, but pulp.
When games grow up they'll get symbolism, emotional connections (connection, not catharsis), clever dialog, and non-obvious themes along with the many other characteristics highbrow art has had for centuries. As the largest game demographic (now in their 20s and 30s) gets older, we'll see games meant for more mature tastes.
Well I for one would have some kids write cute messages on Isreali shells while their mother watches so that when the Lebanese children's skulls are crushed and bodies ripped apart, they'll know who hates them. That would punish the terrorists who've forced Israel to kill 1000 civilians including 300 children. What else could they do to defend themselves? I don't know how you can have a ceasefire with terrorists, except the one Israel had with Hamas and GB had with the IRA, and some other examples that are inconvenient to those who don't mind killing so many kids to protect a handful of their own.
Weren't they just trying to get back a kidnapped soldier at first? This whole conflict has a Iraq War-level of goal-switching and escalation. At this rate they will be invading Syria to protect Lebanon from Israel having to bomb it anymore, and doing their best to start a new Arab War (beyond what they've already done). Go Israel.
Indeed sometimes they will wait several days to do a goddam thing, and the Mountees will be helping you before the National Guard. Don't count on the government for anything other than a flyover to "give you hope".
Also, "getting Americans to be more self-sufficient in a survival situation is probably a good thing". God knows that if there's a dearth of survivalists anywhere on earth, it's in the USA.
Where's our John Huston? Where's our Alfred Hitchcock? Where's our Sam Pickenpah? Kubrick? Speilberg? Capra? Copolla? Lynch (what I wouldn't give...)?
All we have are a bunch of Michael Bay's, Robert Zemekis's, and Paul Verhoven's.
The game industry needs to discover the possibilities of it's medium, like the golden age of film did decades before CG effects came around. When the industry can produce the rough equivalent of these artists, then we can start worrying about a Howard's End FPS to please the snoot.
Please don't mention Molyneaux, Spector, or even Wright as possibilities. Especially Molyneaux.
It's the developer's conference, not the consumer "Let's show shiny things" conference or special event.
That would explain the strictly technical format and lack of ceremony for this event. Obviously the unveilings were just meant for the eggheads.
I remember P2P, repository, and higher ed versions in the initial (0.1) roadmap...
They had an incremental plan for developing the basic functionality, then simple p2p calendaring, then a server-based repo, then the "higher-ed" version (a not-quite-ready-for-enterprise release). I haven't checked in on them for a long while, but it now looks like they're right in pace with their initial roadmap.
I didn't think it would take them this long, but they are making progress. Not every OSS project has the speed and gusto of Inkscape or Ogre3D.
"What are they doing with our 35 cents?"
B. Simpson, on the quality of elementary school food.
So you're saying Grannie is the root cause of this, we should kill Grannie, right? I'm with you.
...compared to?
"Maude Flanders Lays Siege to Microsoft's Office"
I think I need to cut down a bit. Maybe more Futurama instead.
Seven years ago, that was a proprietary Internet Explorer property. It's been added to the upcoming CSS 2.1, but that's still only a draft.
Wow, it sounds like Dvorak was right about something.
*ducks*
*no, fuck that, runs*
*runs for his goddam life*
You must see some moral incentive, otherwise you wouldn't be an AC. Ta.
I just bought a new PC, and i have no viruses yet.
How do you know?
How could he know?
They are against new testing.
Students take too many progression tests as it is. Excessive progresssion testing means you teach for the test, instead of the student.
They are against charter schools.
Their efficacy is questionable, along with every other magic pill in the last 25 years (alternative schools, magnet schools, etc.)
They are against charter schools even if it means no schools. (Charters were willing to set up in New Orleans long before the public schools would have been able to operate. The unions fought against them, in favor of no schools at all.)
Liar. The union was scattered and powerless after the storm. The state took over immediately and the N.O. teachers union currently has no power. 20 charter schools have been set up since the storm.
The unions are against anything proposed by or endorsed by the conservatives.
Mayhap you should be looking at that one from a different angle. Magic-pill placebos are a little hard to swallow.
The unions are against Wal-Mart. The unions are against the high cost of living.
What?
They are against home schooling.
Rightly so.
They are against school funding cuts.
No shit.
They are against property tax increases.
Strange, since that generally means more money for schools.
And they support teachers retiring at 55 with 25 years of service. They expect to work 25 years, only about 1/3 of their lives, and have the rest of us taxpayers who work from 16 to 65+, including summers, to support them. (Earlier retirement means hiring more teachers, which means more union members and more dues paid.)
If it's such a bargain, then why aren't you a teacher as well? Is there some sort of downside to this profession? Ask the wife if you can sub for a day or two, just to see if you like it.