I have a TMobile Dash (HTC) and it tethers just fine, and yes, it's a built in app. Been using it this way for over a year, and it was an ADVERTISED feature of the phone when I was shopping for phones...
I'm all for a cheaper PS3, which apparently can only happen with a bit of "wow" taken out of the box, but for a bit of history:
*The original 20 and 60 GB models of the PS3 supported full hardware backwards compatibility for the PS2 (with the notable exception of the Guitar Hero controllers). The 60GB had a lot of extras, like card slots.
*The 80GB unit without FULL backward compatibility still supports 80% of PS2 titles, and retains the memory card slots.
The way I see it, you shouldn't degrade a tech product over its life cycle, you should add features to it. Or failing that, it should get VERY cheap, and super small.
PS3 isn't doing either. I'm glad I own the 80GB model.
I think it's funny that we're using Crysis as a benchmark, rather than an object-lesson in "what not to do in game development."
The only reason why Crysis is being chosen here is because it's notoriously difficult to get it running on any system maxed out. The article's graph notes that the test was run without adding in anti-aliasing, and it manages to barely squeak out a playable frame rate (on a 22" widescreen lcd resolution).
Crysis looks good, sure, but so do most games at this point. It can scale down to run OK on lower machines, but again, so do most games at this point.
Benchmarking aside, I think it's beyond ridiculous that anyone would buy a $4,500+ PC for home / game use. What could possibly justify that? I have a year old system (quad core, 8800GT) that can literally play every game on the market at max settings... at 1920x1600! Oh, I guess with the singular exception of Crysis, which I haven't bothered with.
I wouldn't dream of spending that much cash on a game system. Think about it this way: You can buy this PC, -or- a used Audi. Or... a well-equipped gaming PC, a Sony XBR TV, a PS3, 360, AND Wii, and still have money left over for games.
Who is this "Clerk" fellow you have in your stories? Who is guiding this man on an individual basis through the warehouse/store/grocery/barber shop/pharmacy/bank?
I think I would have liked these reviews more had they provided some screen shots, or even short "detail" movie clips of what to expect from Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD -or- regular DVD.
For all the talk, there's been precious little that we can SEE.
Major Nelson's interview of Peter Moore said that they were essentially looking to provide more updates in the next week, and that two of the new titles for backCompat would be Lego Star Wars and Doom 3. There will be about 20 titles in this update.
Hey, news that Intel is dropping prices a bit doesn't change the near-to-mid term outlook for AMD. They produce some of gaming's monster chips, and power users know that. They continue to establish high profile deals, and they're still leading the move to 64 bit.
The whole industry is filled with these marketing messages that are just in our faces all the damn time - with a wafer thin layer of "authenticity" painted on. It's like trying to have a genuine conversation with a car salesman. He's always going to be like that - always on message, with the glint in his eyes that betrays how he's trying to "angle" you with every sentance or smile.
I'm not just talking Halo 3 - but MAN was that a freaking infomercial or what?
Have you ever noticed that these days, games really try to get us on the hype wagon for months and months in advance of the game's release? Look at the Tom Clancy series of games - there are big long drawn out "developer interviews" that go on for HOURS (so it seems).
The "developer blogs" at 1Up.com are just... I don't know - they seem so transparent to me. I mean, I know that the site has to make money, and it's an OK concept for content I guess, but Mark Echo blog? Lego Star Wars blog? Ugh.
It makes you wonder if there's any humanity even left in the games industry.
Hahaha... You crack me up. I own every console, and so as an Xbox owner, I'll tell you there are PLENTY of games worth playing (in case you weren't aware).
The Xbox's catalog is smaller than other consoles... But there are a surprising number of quality titles, like:
Knights of the Old Republic Jade Empire Ninja Gaiden The Splinter Cell Series (on Xbox first, and arguably best) Forza Riddick Panzer Dragoon Orta Crimson Skies Jet Set Radio Furture Doom 3 - yeah, I know... but other current-gen consoles can't even handle the game.
As for multiconsole games, the Xbox almost universally features better graphics. And Live, even on original Xbox, kicks ass.
With the 360 getting titles like Gears of War, all their arcade titles, 1 great Clancy game out and 2 great Clancy games coming (Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell), Fight Night, Oblivion, etc etc etc... I'm beginning to wonder how much time I'll even put into Halo 3!
(this Fall is going to be amazing - two new consoles, and 2nd gen 360... I'm giddy)
Answer: Due to the incidences of software and electronics products manufacturers that go bankrupt or do not respond to customer service complaints, it is not a violation of the DMCA to circumvent malfunctioning, damaged or obsolete software programs that use access control mechanisms. The Copyright Office noted that such circumvention is reserved for only those circumstances where an individual sought, but failed to receive assistance from the copyright owner.
I don't know if this means that DVDs will ever qualify, but they are technically considered software.
This is the "loophole" that many people are now using to play ROMs from old systems which are no longer available.
One thing that many folks are confused about is the legality of copying DVDs that you own.
To the best of my knowledge (not being a lawyer and all that), it's not legal right now - when you break the copy protection found on the greater majority of DVDs on the market, technically, you're breaking the law in the United States. The specific law being broken is the DMCA.
There are a couple of points to make: 1. They can screw right off with that law, I'm putting my movies where ever I damn well please.
2. There is a neat little exemption in the DMCA about devices that are obsolete. I hope these new High Def player break compatibility with the old formats (yeah, high hopes), because as soon as the tech is obsolete, we get to crack the encryption "legally". Frankly, DVDs are, and will be, "good enough" for me for quite some time.
The other thing to consider here is that UMDs and downloadable movies are essentially new ways to re-purchase content. This process isn't always bad, but in this -case- is very bad. Unlike the move to DVDs, Sony wants us to pay MORE for LESS quality... and pay multiple times.
Sony is trying pretty hard to un-do some damage that they've unintentionally done with the PSP. By providing users a capable media player that works with writable media, they've broken their business model. They've made customers happy, but happy doesn't buy corporate jets.
Several folks here are pointing out that it's great for Nintendo to go after "the mom crowd" - that it's good marketing to get the product in front of moms, who will buy Revolution for the kids.
NO NO NO!
His whole point seems to be DIRECTLY marketing it to these moms. The games being TARGETED at 50 - 60 year olds. An excercise for your MIND.
Get it?
You know - it's that whole market that is completely ignored right now.
My apologies if it looked like a scam site, but really - it's about the article. I just didn't know what this/. post was all about, until I read that post. Looks like I'm not the only one that was confused. When I posted, there were no other comments on the page, so I thought what I was doing was more along the lines of Informative.
Since there are a million grammar / spelling checkers out there, and they can be programatically applied (aspell perl library is one example), why NOT use them?
It's far more difficult to come up with reasons NOT to do the right thing. The paragraphs of effort that you just expended to discuss spelling errors, the countless comments you've read about spelling errors...
They're bits of your life that you've whittled away.
Now, compound that by adding in MODERATOR TIME. Now compound that by adding READER TIME.
Yes, people may have started to complain about something else. YES, that might always be true.
I don't care that there are complainers about topic X. I care that it's the same complaint, for years, and that it's a relatively easy problem to solve.
This article is nothing but an editorial piece. Another desk jockey that isn't doing anyone any favors.
What "games journalism" needs is an expose'. What we need is a solid reporter with nothing to lose (and everything to gain). Someone to rat em all out, with solid proof.
People that are behaving in this manner need to be shamed out of the shadows.
What we need is a Woodward or a Bernstein. And not just for the games industry - we need solid product reviews as consumers. Journalism, even in product reviews, is a matter of the public trust. It's being whispered that we can't trust "someone". We need to know who.
If this ever actually happens, this is a saga that likely won't see an end-game inside the games press. It'll likely play out in the "real" news, with cascading results. As each scandal is covered, more will be unvieled.
And heck, it may even bring in some readers, which is what the game is all about in the first place.
The new Raptor - it's far faster than even several SCSI drives (in real world, "gamer" stuff), it's got more than 2X the storage than its predecessor, and it's coming at a price point of $300-350. (that's just $100 MSRP higher than the 74GB version).
Slashdot Mirror
Wish I had mod points. +1, actually bothered to check facts.
I have a TMobile Dash (HTC) and it tethers just fine, and yes, it's a built in app. Been using it this way for over a year, and it was an ADVERTISED feature of the phone when I was shopping for phones...
Too bad it's only EDGE.
I'm all for a cheaper PS3, which apparently can only happen with a bit of "wow" taken out of the box, but for a bit of history:
*The original 20 and 60 GB models of the PS3 supported full hardware backwards compatibility for the PS2 (with the notable exception of the Guitar Hero controllers). The 60GB had a lot of extras, like card slots.
*The 80GB unit without FULL backward compatibility still supports 80% of PS2 titles, and retains the memory card slots.
The way I see it, you shouldn't degrade a tech product over its life cycle, you should add features to it. Or failing that, it should get VERY cheap, and super small.
PS3 isn't doing either. I'm glad I own the 80GB model.
I think it's funny that we're using Crysis as a benchmark, rather than an object-lesson in "what not to do in game development."
The only reason why Crysis is being chosen here is because it's notoriously difficult to get it running on any system maxed out. The article's graph notes that the test was run without adding in anti-aliasing, and it manages to barely squeak out a playable frame rate (on a 22" widescreen lcd resolution).
Crysis looks good, sure, but so do most games at this point. It can scale down to run OK on lower machines, but again, so do most games at this point.
Benchmarking aside, I think it's beyond ridiculous that anyone would buy a $4,500+ PC for home / game use. What could possibly justify that? I have a year old system (quad core, 8800GT) that can literally play every game on the market at max settings... at 1920x1600! Oh, I guess with the singular exception of Crysis, which I haven't bothered with.
I wouldn't dream of spending that much cash on a game system. Think about it this way: You can buy this PC, -or- a used Audi. Or... a well-equipped gaming PC, a Sony XBR TV, a PS3, 360, AND Wii, and still have money left over for games.
Who is this "Clerk" fellow you have in your stories? Who is guiding this man on an individual basis through the warehouse/store/grocery/barber shop/pharmacy/bank?
What does a video game journalist make? Could you make a living in say, California?
If you're a game journalist already, what do you make as you advance? What does, say, a 5+ year vet make?
I think I would have liked these reviews more had they provided some screen shots, or even short "detail" movie clips of what to expect from Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD -or- regular DVD.
For all the talk, there's been precious little that we can SEE.
Major Nelson's interview of Peter Moore said that they were essentially looking to provide more updates in the next week, and that two of the new titles for backCompat would be Lego Star Wars and Doom 3. There will be about 20 titles in this update.
I didn't realize this was a binary choice!
I just bought an iPod! THE HUMANITY! Beer, I miss thee already!
(heh)
And heck, not just leading the way to 64-bit, but to multiple cores as well!
Hey, news that Intel is dropping prices a bit doesn't change the near-to-mid term outlook for AMD. They produce some of gaming's monster chips, and power users know that. They continue to establish high profile deals, and they're still leading the move to 64 bit.
Jeez, a buck and a half off of shares. Buy!
(what do you think?)
Whatever dude. I listed those just off the top of my head. And I avoided mentioning titles that were on other systems.
Also - I never said the Xbox is my favorite console. I said that I own every console. Big difference.
*rolls eyes*
The whole industry is filled with these marketing messages that are just in our faces all the damn time - with a wafer thin layer of "authenticity" painted on. It's like trying to have a genuine conversation with a car salesman. He's always going to be like that - always on message, with the glint in his eyes that betrays how he's trying to "angle" you with every sentance or smile.
I'm not just talking Halo 3 - but MAN was that a freaking infomercial or what?
Have you ever noticed that these days, games really try to get us on the hype wagon for months and months in advance of the game's release? Look at the Tom Clancy series of games - there are big long drawn out "developer interviews" that go on for HOURS (so it seems).
The "developer blogs" at 1Up.com are just... I don't know - they seem so transparent to me. I mean, I know that the site has to make money, and it's an OK concept for content I guess, but Mark Echo blog? Lego Star Wars blog? Ugh.
It makes you wonder if there's any humanity even left in the games industry.
Hahaha... You crack me up. I own every console, and so as an Xbox owner, I'll tell you there are PLENTY of games worth playing (in case you weren't aware).
The Xbox's catalog is smaller than other consoles... But there are a surprising number of quality titles, like:
Knights of the Old Republic
Jade Empire
Ninja Gaiden
The Splinter Cell Series (on Xbox first, and arguably best)
Forza
Riddick
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Crimson Skies
Jet Set Radio Furture
Doom 3 - yeah, I know... but other current-gen consoles can't even handle the game.
As for multiconsole games, the Xbox almost universally features better graphics. And Live, even on original Xbox, kicks ass.
With the 360 getting titles like Gears of War, all their arcade titles, 1 great Clancy game out and 2 great Clancy games coming (Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell), Fight Night, Oblivion, etc etc etc... I'm beginning to wonder how much time I'll even put into Halo 3!
(this Fall is going to be amazing - two new consoles, and 2nd gen 360... I'm giddy)
For what it's worth, I've read through Retrogaming Hacks, and can recommend it as strongly as the author of the review.
I was really surprised to see this on the main page - I thought I was about the only person out there to have heard about it.
Not only is Chris Kohler a fantastic writer, the list of contributers for RGH is rather large and distinguished.
Whether or not the book really qualifies as "Hacks" is one thing, but I can say that the material is really in-depth, and fun to read.
Because it's divided into small, easily digestible sections, it's a nice book for when you have a few minutes at a time.
If you're like me - ADD, nostalgic, obsessive about games, and pressed for time, it's a very cool book.
If you're expecting anything truly useful about hard core hardware mods, it's probably not the book you're looking for.
According to the Google Cache, Mortal Kombat wasn't on the December list, either.
I don't recall it ever being on the backwards compat list, but then, I own the MK games on PS2, so I haven't been paying close attention.
Question: What is the DMCA's malfunction exemption?
Answer: Due to the incidences of software and electronics products manufacturers that go bankrupt or do not respond to customer service complaints, it is not a violation of the DMCA to circumvent malfunctioning, damaged or obsolete software programs that use access control mechanisms. The Copyright Office noted that such circumvention is reserved for only those circumstances where an individual sought, but failed to receive assistance from the copyright owner.
I don't know if this means that DVDs will ever qualify, but they are technically considered software.
This is the "loophole" that many people are now using to play ROMs from old systems which are no longer available.
One thing that many folks are confused about is the legality of copying DVDs that you own.
To the best of my knowledge (not being a lawyer and all that), it's not legal right now - when you break the copy protection found on the greater majority of DVDs on the market, technically, you're breaking the law in the United States. The specific law being broken is the DMCA.
There are a couple of points to make:
1. They can screw right off with that law, I'm putting my movies where ever I damn well please.
2. There is a neat little exemption in the DMCA about devices that are obsolete. I hope these new High Def player break compatibility with the old formats (yeah, high hopes), because as soon as the tech is obsolete, we get to crack the encryption "legally". Frankly, DVDs are, and will be, "good enough" for me for quite some time.
The other thing to consider here is that UMDs and downloadable movies are essentially new ways to re-purchase content. This process isn't always bad, but in this -case- is very bad. Unlike the move to DVDs, Sony wants us to pay MORE for LESS quality... and pay multiple times.
Sony is trying pretty hard to un-do some damage that they've unintentionally done with the PSP. By providing users a capable media player that works with writable media, they've broken their business model. They've made customers happy, but happy doesn't buy corporate jets.
Several folks here are pointing out that it's great for Nintendo to go after "the mom crowd" - that it's good marketing to get the product in front of moms, who will buy Revolution for the kids.
NO NO NO!
His whole point seems to be DIRECTLY marketing it to these moms. The games being TARGETED at 50 - 60 year olds. An excercise for your MIND.
Get it?
You know - it's that whole market that is completely ignored right now.
Yes, moms are a great way to get at kids.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
The link I provided is from this page: The Carnival of Gamers home page.
/. post was all about, until I read that post. Looks like I'm not the only one that was confused. When I posted, there were no other comments on the page, so I thought what I was doing was more along the lines of Informative.
My apologies if it looked like a scam site, but really - it's about the article. I just didn't know what this
I guess I didn't quite understand what a Blog Carnival was until I read this.
I like the idea!
Time to wrap up some long half-finished articles, I think!
Question - Do you think there is an "age limit" on articles that can be submitted?
You're choosing mediocrity.
Since there are a million grammar / spelling checkers out there, and they can be programatically applied (aspell perl library is one example), why NOT use them?
It's far more difficult to come up with reasons NOT to do the right thing. The paragraphs of effort that you just expended to discuss spelling errors, the countless comments you've read about spelling errors...
They're bits of your life that you've whittled away.
Now, compound that by adding in MODERATOR TIME. Now compound that by adding READER TIME.
Yes, people may have started to complain about something else. YES, that might always be true.
I don't care that there are complainers about topic X. I care that it's the same complaint, for years, and that it's a relatively easy problem to solve.
I have to wonder why you don't.
This article is nothing but an editorial piece. Another desk jockey that isn't doing anyone any favors.
What "games journalism" needs is an expose'. What we need is a solid reporter with nothing to lose (and everything to gain). Someone to rat em all out, with solid proof.
People that are behaving in this manner need to be shamed out of the shadows.
What we need is a Woodward or a Bernstein. And not just for the games industry - we need solid product reviews as consumers. Journalism, even in product reviews, is a matter of the public trust. It's being whispered that we can't trust "someone". We need to know who.
If this ever actually happens, this is a saga that likely won't see an end-game inside the games press. It'll likely play out in the "real" news, with cascading results. As each scandal is covered, more will be unvieled.
And heck, it may even bring in some readers, which is what the game is all about in the first place.
The new Raptor - it's far faster than even several SCSI drives (in real world, "gamer" stuff), it's got more than 2X the storage than its predecessor, and it's coming at a price point of $300-350. (that's just $100 MSRP higher than the 74GB version).
New Egg has the drive for $295.
This performance comparison has the drive's gaming performance... It's as fast or faster than 15K SCSI drives! (single user, single app performance on this page, BUT - the article does have full benchmarks)
And that's just ONE drive. So, RAID 0 is probably pretty rockin.
And if you're already a Raptor user, it's my bet that this will lower the price of the other models. It's time to get my RAID 0 on!
During the keynotes, Peter Moore announced an external HD-DVD player for the XBox 360 as well.
No word if the player would be manufactured by Toshiba, though.
Keynote is here in text form.