You have seen that Tivo ad which uses the same spoofed commercial, right?
Right when things are about to get uncomfortable, the screen pauses and the voiceover explains how using Tivo, you can skip the stuff you don't want to see.
That was the initial teaser trailer they showed about a year ago.
The last trailer I saw for T3 in theaters basically summarized the entire movie, from start to finish - including several high profile FX shots, and undoubtedly some spoilers.
Good show! Now I don't have to pay $10 and spend 2 hours watching the movie!
I've watched 1000s of beer ads, and while I may remember the names of the beer, none of them make me want buy a beer, or make me want to try a different brand of beer. In fact, I HATE BEER!
Other commercials, like Verizon's innane "can you hear me now?" idiocy just make me HATE Verizon (and cell phones in general.) Good job, Verizon! I'll never forget your name, and I'll never become one of your customers.
In fact that's pretty much my reaction to most ads - instead of convincing me to buy or even consider the product, I end up hating the product/company instead because they won't leave me alone and subject me to boring ads which are run every 5 minutes....
Advertisers simply pay to get their ads on the air X times a day, during certain hours or shows.
Using Neilsons data (which is already biased) they can get some idea of how many are watching the show, but that doesn't translate into people watching the ad due to Tivo/VCR, or just getting a snack while the commercial is on.
Collecting the data from your Tivo about the ads you pass over vs. "watch" (ie. don't skip) could be useful for the advertisers to hopefully make BETTER ads or run more different ads.
Personally, I don't have a problem with this. If the advertisers don't like the fact I don't want to watch ads about cars, too bad. Give me ads for stuff I DO want and maybe I'll watch more ads.
Anyways, if the companies find out I always skip car commercials, maybe they'd figure out a way to customize the ads I *DO* see. I will actually stop to watch an ad that looks interesting (is about a product I'm interested in.) But 99% of the ads on TV are either for junk I have no interest in (cars, beer, cellphones, makeup, maxipads...) and have been run so many times, they're just downright obnoxious.
If they want my eyeballs, they're going to have to earn them.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from US gamers is how various Japanese titles are never released in the US. I personally think this was a factor in the downfall of the Dreamcast and Saturn, as there were games that many folks wanted, but Sega refused to bring over.
So this move by Microsoft, assuming they don't just cram a Japanese manual in with the English version of the game, could be a good thing for the Japanese market - assuming any of the games heading there are of any interest to the market.
This depends on which market segment you're talking about.
Those involved with more technical fields, especially computers, will be a bit better dealing with English since most documentation and articles are written in English.
End users (consumers) are another matter. They have no faith in their English ability, and will insist on the product being fully localized.
Casual gamers in Japan might not take too kindly to non-localized games - even if the manual is translated. In game cutscenes, for instance, will still be in English.
To put it another way, would you be willing to play a non-localized game from Japan if it came with an English manual? What if Square just translated the manual for FFX-2 and left the in-game dialog in Japanese? My guess is you wouldn't bother. My guess is also that most Japanese gamers won't bother either.
From what I recall, though, Iacocca went to Japan and came back rather frustrated because it became obvious to him that his company hadn't even done its research about what the Japanese car market was like.
He went with Bush Sr. on that ill-fated trip to Japan, and remarked 'No wonder we can't sell our cars here - they're too big to fit on the roads here!"
Of course, that was about 10 years ago. I can tell you that Japan has gotten a LOT pickier about having products localized for their market - otherwise distributors won't even touch it.
If St. Louis is any indication, parents don't do any research *now* - and that includes reading the existing ESRB label on the games they buy for their kids.
Instead, they'd rather the government tell them what their kids can or cannot play.
If parents don't bother keeping an eye on what their kids play now, what's the point?
Back when my siblings and I were growing up, my parents instituted a time keeping system of their own, using an old set of poker chips and a couple of cheap kitchen timers.
You earned chips by doing your chores and by performing well in school. For instance, doing the dishes was worth a red 30 minute chip.
Chips could be cashed in for TV, computer or game time.
Extra chips could be earned by doing extra chores.
When you wanted to cash your chips in, a parent would mind the timer.
The system worked well...TOO well. Not only did our grades improve, but Saturday Mornings turned into huge fights about who'd get to vacuum the living room (worth 60 minutes.)
Had I know such a thing would be considered marketable, I would have patented the system and started selling kits for $50/ea.
When I was growing up, we had to chores to "purchase" time on the Atari or Apple][. Time was tracked by using a $2 kitchen timer which was held by the parent. (ie. kid turns in tokens, mom turns the dial.)
As I recall, doing the dishes was worth 30 minutes of game time. So, if I lost a 30 hour game save due to this stupid device, I've just lost 30 days worth chores.
While it might be nice having an automated system to monitor time in this fashion, just powering off the machine is not the way to do it.
You go shoving a bunch of stupid arguments into my mouth so you can look more intelligent, and get modded up for that?
Please point out in my original post where I said: * I hate Microsoft. * XBox sucks. * XBox is dying.
As for PS2 vs. Dreamcast, GameCube, and Xbox...
Sega dropped out of the console market ~4 months after the PS2 debuted in the US. This is despite them having a whole year. Heck, they couldn't even compete with the PS1, which continued to outsell the Dreamcast despite its better technology.
The PS2 already dominates the market by something approaching 10x. You can argue about who's in second, but it's a distant second...
I can see Nintendo and Sony co-existing together for the single reason that they tend to sell to different, non-overlapping segments within the gaming markets.
As for XBox...yes, it does have some interesting games.
Unfortunatly for XBox, most of these games are either available on other consoles or are available on the PC. Exclusive titles are what get people to buy the consoles - NOT the hardware, GAMES. PS2 isn't the most technologically advanced console on the market, but because of its library.
Finally, it's way too early to make any predictions about the next generation. Both Nintendo and Microsoft have stated they want to come out before Sony's PS3 in order to try and gain more marketshare. I have no doubt Nintendo will do what they always do - come out with some great hardware and their usual collection of games (Mario, Zelda, etc.)
Microsoft, meanwhile, has a big job in front of them if they want to take on Sony and do better than they did last time. Hopefully Microsoft learned its lessons well...otherwise, Xbox2 will be an even bigger joke than the first Xbox.
Not the first time something like this has shown up on Discovery (or TLC for that matter)
Look at all those "documentaries" about Las Vegas.
But yeah, this "documentary" sounds like yet another commercial...for a dying console and 3 games that aren't going to make a difference.
Halo2 and Oddworld are sequels. If you like these franchises, you already have a Xbox.
Crimson Skies is a sequel of a PC game, and will most likely come out for PC eventually which largely negates the reason to buy an XBox in the first place...
I get over 200 spams a day. Less than 10% actually originate from the US for US companies.
Even if I only manage to nail 10 spammers a month, that's a gross income of $120k...
Maybe this is what they mean by "spam pays".
Of course, getting the money from the spammer would be another matter. I'd probably turn the settlement over to a collection agency, take my cut, and let them deal with the scum...
Per capita is a bit misleading, especially when the cost of living is much higher there than it is in most places in the US.
Gas is over $10/gal.due to the fact they import 100% of their oil, and levy heavy transportation taxes on gasoline to help pay for their public transportation system. Combined with the hefty registration fees, many people do not own a car in Japan.
Obviously this means energy is more expensive as well. When I was in Japan, I think I calculated that 1kilowatt of electricity cost about 15x what it cost back home (this was 10 years ago, mind you.)
Rent is equally outrageous - especially when you consider the size of the average apartment. It is not unusual to see "apartments" which are barely the size of a bedroom here going for thousands of dollars a month.
Due to the scarcity of land, most people buy an apartment, since only the rich can afford actual houses... Oh, and you have to be a land owner in order to be able to vote. So, only the rich and farmers can vote, which explains a lot about Japan's trade and market policies...
So, yeah, per capita it "looks" like the nation is doing great...but considering that 80% of your income goes for living expenses, there's not a whole lot left over.
You might also be interested to know that on average, the Japanese put more money into savings than Americans...but when you consider that Japan has no IRA, 401k, or other retirement programs, about the only thing left is the good old fashioned savings account.
People wonder why the sales of consoles and games is slowing down over there? This is why. People just don't have the large amounts of disposable income that Americans have, and at the same time, their goods are among the most expensive in the world. For crying out loud, a simple can of Coke was 110Y (~$1), a head of lettuce was 300Y (~$2.70), and a Big Mac was 780Y (~$7.10)!
Now you know why it seems that Japanese tourists are "big spenders" when they come to the US.
We only see a small portion of games in the US and Europe - maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the stuff that comes out in Japan.
There are entire *genres* that have never been released outside Japan, not to mention innumerable tie-in games for franchises that have never really caught on outside the US (mainly anime/manga titled games...)
This isn't necessarily a bad thing... Do you really think the JAL (Japan's train system) simulator would sell well outside of Japan? Yes the whole game simulates you driving a train between stations in Japan - complete with "realistic" views of urban and rural Japan. Wooo.
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You have seen that Tivo ad which uses the same spoofed commercial, right?
Right when things are about to get uncomfortable, the screen pauses and the voiceover explains how using Tivo, you can skip the stuff you don't want to see.
That was the initial teaser trailer they showed about a year ago.
The last trailer I saw for T3 in theaters basically summarized the entire movie, from start to finish - including several high profile FX shots, and undoubtedly some spoilers.
Good show! Now I don't have to pay $10 and spend 2 hours watching the movie!
I've watched 1000s of beer ads, and while I may remember the names of the beer, none of them make me want buy a beer, or make me want to try a different brand of beer. In fact, I HATE BEER!
Other commercials, like Verizon's innane "can you hear me now?" idiocy just make me HATE Verizon (and cell phones in general.) Good job, Verizon! I'll never forget your name, and I'll never become one of your customers.
In fact that's pretty much my reaction to most ads - instead of convincing me to buy or even consider the product, I end up hating the product/company instead because they won't leave me alone and subject me to boring ads which are run every 5 minutes....
Advertisers simply pay to get their ads on the air X times a day, during certain hours or shows.
Using Neilsons data (which is already biased) they can get some idea of how many are watching the show, but that doesn't translate into people watching the ad due to Tivo/VCR, or just getting a snack while the commercial is on.
Collecting the data from your Tivo about the ads you pass over vs. "watch" (ie. don't skip) could be useful for the advertisers to hopefully make BETTER ads or run more different ads.
Personally, I don't have a problem with this. If the advertisers don't like the fact I don't want to watch ads about cars, too bad. Give me ads for stuff I DO want and maybe I'll watch more ads.
"or"?
I think you mean "and".
Anyways, if the companies find out I always skip car commercials, maybe they'd figure out a way to customize the ads I *DO* see. I will actually stop to watch an ad that looks interesting (is about a product I'm interested in.) But 99% of the ads on TV are either for junk I have no interest in (cars, beer, cellphones, makeup, maxipads...) and have been run so many times, they're just downright obnoxious.
If they want my eyeballs, they're going to have to earn them.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from US gamers is how various Japanese titles are never released in the US.
I personally think this was a factor in the downfall of the Dreamcast and Saturn, as there were games that many folks wanted, but Sega refused to bring over.
So this move by Microsoft, assuming they don't just cram a Japanese manual in with the English version of the game, could be a good thing for the Japanese market - assuming any of the games heading there are of any interest to the market.
RE: How well do the Japanese understand English?
This depends on which market segment you're talking about.
Those involved with more technical fields, especially computers, will be a bit better dealing with English since most documentation and articles are written in English.
End users (consumers) are another matter. They have no faith in their English ability, and will insist on the product being fully localized.
Casual gamers in Japan might not take too kindly to non-localized games - even if the manual is translated. In game cutscenes, for instance, will still be in English.
To put it another way, would you be willing to play a non-localized game from Japan if it came with an English manual? What if Square just translated the manual for FFX-2 and left the in-game dialog in Japanese? My guess is you wouldn't bother. My guess is also that most Japanese gamers won't bother either.
Once again, Microsoft no baka.
I remember that...
From what I recall, though, Iacocca went to Japan and came back rather frustrated because it became obvious to him that his company hadn't even done its research about what the Japanese car market was like.
He went with Bush Sr. on that ill-fated trip to Japan, and remarked 'No wonder we can't sell our cars here - they're too big to fit on the roads here!"
Of course, that was about 10 years ago. I can tell you that Japan has gotten a LOT pickier about having products localized for their market - otherwise distributors won't even touch it.
If St. Louis is any indication, parents don't do any research *now* - and that includes reading the existing ESRB label on the games they buy for their kids.
Instead, they'd rather the government tell them what their kids can or cannot play.
If parents don't bother keeping an eye on what their kids play now, what's the point?
What do you mean "not originally targetted for children"?
DB/DBZ is aimmed at kids aged 8-12 primarily.
XBox is the most technologically advanced console on the market.
Just goes to show you that power isn't everything in the console market.
Back when my siblings and I were growing up, my parents instituted a time keeping system of their own, using an old set of poker chips and a couple of cheap kitchen timers.
You earned chips by doing your chores and by performing well in school. For instance, doing the dishes was worth a red 30 minute chip.
Chips could be cashed in for TV, computer or game time.
Extra chips could be earned by doing extra chores.
When you wanted to cash your chips in, a parent would mind the timer.
The system worked well...TOO well. Not only did our grades improve, but Saturday Mornings turned into huge fights about who'd get to vacuum the living room (worth 60 minutes.)
Had I know such a thing would be considered marketable, I would have patented the system and started selling kits for $50/ea.
Why not?
When I was growing up, we had to chores to "purchase" time on the Atari or Apple][. Time was tracked by using a $2 kitchen timer which was held by the parent. (ie. kid turns in tokens, mom turns the dial.)
As I recall, doing the dishes was worth 30 minutes of game time. So, if I lost a 30 hour game save due to this stupid device, I've just lost 30 days worth chores.
While it might be nice having an automated system to monitor time in this fashion, just powering off the machine is not the way to do it.
"They almost seemed...organized."
LOL!
I loved that show.
Yet another game that won't be released in the US.
Again.
Only one new ET game? Weren't there supposed to be at least 2 ET titles released? One for GBA, the other for XBox/GC/PS2?
Most Japanese think Americans are loud, violent gun-toting maniacs thanks to the movies they see in theaters and on TV...
"Yes you too can pretend to be an American in this realistic American city simulator!"
I wonder if they'll make the cars drive on the other side of the road?
WTF?
You go shoving a bunch of stupid arguments into my mouth so you can look more intelligent, and get modded up for that?
Please point out in my original post where I said:
* I hate Microsoft.
* XBox sucks.
* XBox is dying.
As for PS2 vs. Dreamcast, GameCube, and Xbox...
Sega dropped out of the console market ~4 months after the PS2 debuted in the US. This is despite them having a whole year. Heck, they couldn't even compete with the PS1, which continued to outsell the Dreamcast despite its better technology.
The PS2 already dominates the market by something approaching 10x. You can argue about who's in second, but it's a distant second...
I can see Nintendo and Sony co-existing together for the single reason that they tend to sell to different, non-overlapping segments within the gaming markets.
As for XBox...yes, it does have some interesting games.
Unfortunatly for XBox, most of these games are either available on other consoles or are available on the PC. Exclusive titles are what get people to buy the consoles - NOT the hardware, GAMES. PS2 isn't the most technologically advanced console on the market, but because of its library.
Finally, it's way too early to make any predictions about the next generation. Both Nintendo and Microsoft have stated they want to come out before Sony's PS3 in order to try and gain more marketshare. I have no doubt Nintendo will do what they always do - come out with some great hardware and their usual collection of games (Mario, Zelda, etc.)
Microsoft, meanwhile, has a big job in front of them if they want to take on Sony and do better than they did last time. Hopefully Microsoft learned its lessons well...otherwise, Xbox2 will be an even bigger joke than the first Xbox.
Not the first time something like this has shown up on Discovery (or TLC for that matter)
Look at all those "documentaries" about Las Vegas.
But yeah, this "documentary" sounds like yet another commercial...for a dying console and 3 games that aren't going to make a difference.
Halo2 and Oddworld are sequels. If you like these franchises, you already have a Xbox.
Crimson Skies is a sequel of a PC game, and will most likely come out for PC eventually which largely negates the reason to buy an XBox in the first place...
You think it'll even take that long?
I'd give the thing a year, tops.
I get over 200 spams a day. Less than 10% actually originate from the US for US companies.
Even if I only manage to nail 10 spammers a month, that's a gross income of $120k...
Maybe this is what they mean by "spam pays".
Of course, getting the money from the spammer would be another matter. I'd probably turn the settlement over to a collection agency, take my cut, and let them deal with the scum...
Per capita is a bit misleading, especially when the cost of living is much higher there than it is in most places in the US.
Gas is over $10/gal.due to the fact they import 100% of their oil, and levy heavy transportation taxes on gasoline to help pay for their public transportation system. Combined with the hefty registration fees, many people do not own a car in Japan.
Obviously this means energy is more expensive as well. When I was in Japan, I think I calculated that 1kilowatt of electricity cost about 15x what it cost back home (this was 10 years ago, mind you.)
Rent is equally outrageous - especially when you consider the size of the average apartment. It is not unusual to see "apartments" which are barely the size of a bedroom here going for thousands of dollars a month.
Due to the scarcity of land, most people buy an apartment, since only the rich can afford actual houses... Oh, and you have to be a land owner in order to be able to vote. So, only the rich and farmers can vote, which explains a lot about Japan's trade and market policies...
So, yeah, per capita it "looks" like the nation is doing great...but considering that 80% of your income goes for living expenses, there's not a whole lot left over.
You might also be interested to know that on average, the Japanese put more money into savings than Americans...but when you consider that Japan has no IRA, 401k, or other retirement programs, about the only thing left is the good old fashioned savings account.
People wonder why the sales of consoles and games is slowing down over there? This is why. People just don't have the large amounts of disposable income that Americans have, and at the same time, their goods are among the most expensive in the world. For crying out loud, a simple can of Coke was 110Y (~$1), a head of lettuce was 300Y (~$2.70), and a Big Mac was 780Y (~$7.10)!
Now you know why it seems that Japanese tourists are "big spenders" when they come to the US.
Must have borrowed the RIAA/MPAA business plan:
...
1: Call your customers crooks.
2:
3: Profit!
I wouldn't be worried.
Video games are about escapism.
Think about it, if you've spent a large chunk of your life being a mobster, why would you want to play a video game about that?
You think war vets like to play wargames?
We only see a small portion of games in the US and Europe - maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the stuff that comes out in Japan.
There are entire *genres* that have never been released outside Japan, not to mention innumerable tie-in games for franchises that have never really caught on outside the US (mainly anime/manga titled games...)
This isn't necessarily a bad thing... Do you really think the JAL (Japan's train system) simulator would sell well outside of Japan? Yes the whole game simulates you driving a train between stations in Japan - complete with "realistic" views of urban and rural Japan. Wooo.