Helpful tip: They actually have a special sub-basic Cable TV plan. They don't advertise it, but it covers the basic broadcast and local access channels.
The price? $13 a month.
Does it qualify you for the $15 discount on your Comcast Internet connection? Yes.
So, for $2 less per month, you could get a few local cable channels. Hey, it's always handy to have at least that.
And if you're lucky (like me) they'll forget to put on the right filter and you'll get full basic cable.:^)
The main difference I suspect is that the Japanese movies are not simply about kill counts. They have storylines, deep characters, and are often more insightful into the people they portray.
Careful. 'Confusing and incoherent' does not equal 'deep and insightful'.
If that were the case, I could easily make the most insightful story you've ever read. "Yeah, the hero... he's actually a clone of his own father, sent back in time, so he could kill his own mother, who is also the villain, but he doesn't know that, but the mother does but didn't say anything because it's destiny."
Well, the Xbox does have Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Morrowind. But those are too open-ended, and Japanese audiences tend to shy away from choice in their RPGs. (It's a cultural thing, they don't believe in forging your own destiny.)
There's also Arx Fatalis -- an excellent Ultima Underworld-esqe RPG -- but I'm not sure it was even released there.
Actually, I'm not even sure KOTOR and Morrowind were released there.
Where do you get the idea that "Japanese games are more innovative and strange"? I mean, sure, a lot of Japanese stuff might seem strange to you, but much of it is just commonplace there.
Presuming you're talking about Iraq, let me remind you that even considering that their WMD program was a failure, there was still ample reasons to invade.
Oh, and ditch the "proven beyond a reasonable doubt" bullcrap. The world of international diplomacy is not analagous to a courtroom. It's not like we could put out a warrant for Saddam's arrest and then search his premesis for clues. He and his thugs would resist, we'd have force our way in, and suddenly we're in the middle of a war.
> Heaven forbid the U.S.ofA. should go after the perpetrators this next time.
Maybe I was dreaming, but I could've sworn that the USA invaded Afghanistan, and still has a sizable force there. And that we just recently managed to muscle our way into Pakistan to hunt Al-Qaeda.
But that would mean that the government and our military are capable of doing multiple things at once -- a preposterous notion. Forget I brought it up.
Sure, the "Zeroeth Law" might be in the movie, but you forget the other way to get around the three laws. Simply redefine the definition of "Human". Asimov touched briefly on this, in one of his books. (Something about robot-controlled fighter ships who could shoot down other ships, not knowing that humans were on board.)
So yeah, maybe a certain race of humans isn't quite "human" by these robots' definitions. Or something. Stranger things have happened.
a voluntary ESRB rating simply isn't enough to justify controlling a character who chokes people to death with a plastic bag and then the player is "rewarded" with a pretty cut-scene of it
Yes, goodness forbid that violence is displayed in a disturbing and repulsive manner. Violence should always be fun and whimsical.
A game that invokes guilt and repulsion when you are forced to perform a grisly murder... well, that has no place in civilized society.
Manhunt is just really disgusting - it's not at all like Grand Theft Auto, where the violence is humorous (a la a grown-up cartoon)...no, the violence here is disturbing...
Could it be (*gasp* *shock*) that violence in real life really is "disgusting"? Perhaps the designers were trying to make you feel bad about killing all those people?
...everybody I know who played it felt dirty, like they were some serial killer or something. It's really an uncomfortable game for most people I know.
Yes, lots of boo-hooing about the bombing of Japanese cities, but little mention of the Rape of Nanking, among other atrocities. I guess only Americans can commit "evil" acts, eh?
I do believe the reason the Chairman and Chief Executive resigned is because of how they backed and defended Andrew Gilligan against all reason. Had they fired him for his own goofups themselves, there would be no reason for them to resign.
Baghdad Burning? You might want to open your horizons a little, and check out an Iraqi blogger that isn't quite so pessimistic. Any other would fit the bill.
I mean, she wasn't even happy when Saddam got caught. Yeesh!
"If an issue has multiple different viewpoints, the most aggressively simplistic black and white interpretation is probably the American one".
Yup. Looks like it does.
LeLand must have been an American, then.
If not, then his "Razor" must be false, as it is certainly the most 'aggressively simplistic black and white' argument on the subject. He'd have to be an American for his theory to be true.
If yes, then his "Razor" cancels itself out, as it is by definition 'aggressively simplistic black and white'. And thus false.
Either way, you're a fool for seriously trying to use Leland's Razor.
> Maybe you should be offended that it implies that "Western" cultures are full of people who are argumentitive, subversive and prone to waste time questioning decisions.
That would have involved reading the article.;-)
You're probably right, though. I have to read/skim it later when I have time.
Slashdot Mirror
You sound like you're a Comcast customer.
:^)
Helpful tip: They actually have a special sub-basic Cable TV plan. They don't advertise it, but it covers the basic broadcast and local access channels.
The price? $13 a month.
Does it qualify you for the $15 discount on your Comcast Internet connection? Yes.
So, for $2 less per month, you could get a few local cable channels. Hey, it's always handy to have at least that.
And if you're lucky (like me) they'll forget to put on the right filter and you'll get full basic cable.
Excellent summation of the issue.
Careful. 'Confusing and incoherent' does not equal 'deep and insightful'.
If that were the case, I could easily make the most insightful story you've ever read. "Yeah, the hero... he's actually a clone of his own father, sent back in time, so he could kill his own mother, who is also the villain, but he doesn't know that, but the mother does but didn't say anything because it's destiny."
Ta-daa!
...you linked to The Daily Howler with a straight face.
Well, the Xbox does have Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Morrowind. But those are too open-ended, and Japanese audiences tend to shy away from choice in their RPGs. (It's a cultural thing, they don't believe in forging your own destiny.)
There's also Arx Fatalis -- an excellent Ultima Underworld-esqe RPG -- but I'm not sure it was even released there.
Actually, I'm not even sure KOTOR and Morrowind were released there.
...Troika! You know, the people responsible for the first Fallout game.
Where do you get the idea that "Japanese games are more innovative and strange"? I mean, sure, a lot of Japanese stuff might seem strange to you, but much of it is just commonplace there.
Parent poster was talking about radioactive fallout, nuclear winter, etc.
Presuming you're talking about Iraq, let me remind you that even considering that their WMD program was a failure, there was still ample reasons to invade.
Oh, and ditch the "proven beyond a reasonable doubt" bullcrap. The world of international diplomacy is not analagous to a courtroom. It's not like we could put out a warrant for Saddam's arrest and then search his premesis for clues. He and his thugs would resist, we'd have force our way in, and suddenly we're in the middle of a war.
> Heaven forbid the U.S.ofA. should go after the perpetrators this next time.
Maybe I was dreaming, but I could've sworn that the USA invaded Afghanistan, and still has a sizable force there. And that we just recently managed to muscle our way into Pakistan to hunt Al-Qaeda.
But that would mean that the government and our military are capable of doing multiple things at once -- a preposterous notion. Forget I brought it up.
Besides the point that your parent post wasn't talking about terrorism in general, you mentioned Israel.
It can be argued that Israel's problem is that they're too soft on terrorism.
Sure, the "Zeroeth Law" might be in the movie, but you forget the other way to get around the three laws. Simply redefine the definition of "Human". Asimov touched briefly on this, in one of his books. (Something about robot-controlled fighter ships who could shoot down other ships, not knowing that humans were on board.)
So yeah, maybe a certain race of humans isn't quite "human" by these robots' definitions. Or something. Stranger things have happened.
Yes, goodness forbid that violence is displayed in a disturbing and repulsive manner. Violence should always be fun and whimsical.
A game that invokes guilt and repulsion when you are forced to perform a grisly murder... well, that has no place in civilized society.
Could it be (*gasp* *shock*) that violence in real life really is "disgusting"? Perhaps the designers were trying to make you feel bad about killing all those people?
Why, it seems I'm right.
Thank you, great Kreskin. Can I peek in your crystal ball to see next week's lotto numbers?
> The rabid Fonda-haters are all on the right-wing fringe anyway.
Incorrect. Anyone even slightly familiar with the story and even vaguely patriotic probably hates Jane Fonda.
but she didn't wage an illegal war
The Vietnam War was a lot of things, but "illegal" wasn't one of them.
Yes, lots of boo-hooing about the bombing of Japanese cities, but little mention of the Rape of Nanking, among other atrocities. I guess only Americans can commit "evil" acts, eh?
I do believe the reason the Chairman and Chief Executive resigned is because of how they backed and defended Andrew Gilligan against all reason. Had they fired him for his own goofups themselves, there would be no reason for them to resign.
Oh, and the BBC still isn't doing too well
Will they ever learn their lesson?
Read this article about the intelligence failure surrounding WMD in Iraq.
Also, remember that there is an independant investigation going into this very issue in the U.S..
Baghdad Burning? You might want to open your horizons a little, and check out an Iraqi blogger that isn't quite so pessimistic. Any other would fit the bill.
I mean, she wasn't even happy when Saddam got caught. Yeesh!
That's too bad. I haven't tried it myself, I only read this.
Maybe some day...
You know, they did release updated versions of these games, using the X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter engine. You just have to buy either this or this.
May require some mild tweaking to run under Win2000/XP. (Compatibility mode, software mode rendering, etc.)
LeLand must have been an American, then.
If not, then his "Razor" must be false, as it is certainly the most 'aggressively simplistic black and white' argument on the subject. He'd have to be an American for his theory to be true.
If yes, then his "Razor" cancels itself out, as it is by definition 'aggressively simplistic black and white'. And thus false.
Either way, you're a fool for seriously trying to use Leland's Razor.
> Maybe you should be offended that it implies that "Western" cultures are full of people who are argumentitive, subversive and prone to waste time questioning decisions.
;-)
That would have involved reading the article.
You're probably right, though. I have to read/skim it later when I have time.