Whew - glad I got that off. "You have to adapt"???? Pbbbbttt... How about I go buy a functional DS? Not only is it out already, But It seems to work most of the time.
Wow, who were they trying to win with this response... Ergonomic Functionality Nazis - No Button For You!!!
With my personal experience in FFXI - I'd have to agree with this. Anyone who plays FFXI knows about Leaping-boots farming. I really think its time the companies that make the games did something to level the field. Be it banning selling (and taking action)) or creating a system to encourage and regulate it - the simple fact is that it is ruining the experience for anyone whose trying to participate in the activities the Sellers are abusing - be it Fishing, Crafting, NM, or glitches (duping...)
No personal offence, and I find hope for gaming as a whole whenever I see someone of the female pursuation walk into out local gaming store, be it for LARPING, Minatures, Cards, or Computers.
Simple fact is that the marketing is targeted at that group. Companies dont need to sell to females - YET! - because the proportion is so small right now that it isnt worth the investment.
You want to change the demographics? Organize game nights, invite ppl who wouldn't normally play, and don't get angry if people are confused or dumbfounded.
All that means is there perception has changed, and they can't handle it at that moment.
Come on - when was the last time blizzard pulled off a successful launch? Delays, bad code, bugs - the fact of the matter is that they produce a superior product - 6 mos later its bug free. I personally find their dev style refreshing - they dont cave to demands like so many companies, and they don't put things off indefinatly - ceps ghost...
This is blizz's learning curve - they've never made a MMORPG before. Who in God's name could have predicted this kind of response? 600,000 people!!!
Bottom line - All MMORPG's take time - balance, cheating, whatever. Hasn't been one yet that didn't have a rocky launch, and I don't want to play one where the dev's think their game is perfect out the door. At least bliz is familiar with processes to fix games after their release.
As for the ppl who are crying that they'll drop their accounts... Drop away. It'll free up the servers for the rest of us, and I really dont like the sound of your whiny voice. If you are dissatisfied with a product, stop paying, voice your opinion to the company, and tell ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO ASK FOR IT your opinion. Thx in advance:)
College campus, midwest america - we play games cause there good, and wont tolerate anything else. One of the top ranked engineering schools in the world (4 last I checked), but not for techies like MIT and CALTECH - we do REAL engineering here. So little bias on the tech front.
Dorm Floor:
X-Boxes - in a 15 room hall, there are 25 Xbox's. One room has 5. With 4 PPL. And 3 TV's. No Room has less than 10 Titles, all include either Halo or Halo 2. No other game repeated more than 3 times.
Sony - 8 PS2's - 9 PSOnes btw. Libraries are ridiculous. Multiple copies of Everything - notable: MGS 1-3, Madden, FF 8-11. Titles I have never heard of, imports, the whole gamut. A linux PS2 Dev kit:-)
IN THE ENTIRE BUILDING - 3 GC's. All purchased for either Metroid, Zelda, Or Smashbros. No one with more than 5 games, all franchises. 2 Have gotten RE4 - 1 is waiting for the PS2 Version. 1 Copy of CC and 4 swords - in the same room.
Now - this is the definition of target deomgraphic. all age 18-25, Male, Variety of Genres, online and single player, high speed, network play all available.
Now, Unless the N figures out how to grow up and provide content to Mature, Online audiences, they will forever be tagged as kid friendly, mom approved. It dosent matter how silly the online chats are - the fact is online exists for the interaction. GC fans are missing out - SSB:M online?!?!?! Come on...
To add insult, btw: one of the GC's was used as a stand for the xbox when not in use.
Back in the day (wow - that sounds corny), we managed to bring in an external drive with UT:GOTYE and "forgot" to leave it plugged into the network. Great times, UT'ing during open lab at lunch. The best part was when a few of the male teachers found out, and "Annonomously" joind games during their breaks.
It had little effect on productivity, grades didn't change, and we were using otherwise unnocupied resources. And I don't need to tell you the effect it had on morale...
Few months later, in the next semester, we had some county people in the school. One of them was checking email in the lab. Someone else walked in and booted up UT.
Not only did we recieve a ridiculous lecture (understand, we are 15 mins from Columbine, maybe 18mos later) but there were suspensions, the lab tech was reprimanded (later left the system - now makes twice the $$ dev'ing software!) And we made the district newsletter.
Schools over-react to everything, because by default, the only people in district management are the ones who think there is something intrensically wrong with the way the system is run - they do not understand logic - They comprehend only liability.
Sony licensing the UMD means UMD drives are inevitable.
Plugging anything into a computer means hacking is inevitable.
The only thing sony could do now is announce:
1. UMD support on the PS3, ergo...
2. UMD Burners. If the PS3 is really a total integration device, well....
'would increase monthly PSP production by 100,000 units to one million in April, as it prepared to launch the product in the United States and Europe.'
Thought the projected release was Mar. If there having a hard time keeping shelves stocked in one part of the world, what about 2?
For every game-a-holic Japanese kid, there's a spoiled american kid with too much allowance. All I can say - good thing I'm 3rd on the list at eb. That, and the fact that I can sleep standing up in a line at 12 o'clock. What nobody tells you is that at Frantic release dates - a calm voice and some commiseration with the EB staff nets you alot of good. I reserved neither HL2, GTA:VC, Halo2, or a DS, but still managed to get each opening day with a smile and an appology for the crowd being filled with a bunch of people -sleep+sugar-maturity. (Whoa - that ended a little off-topic)
I understand the context, but my father works for the post office - the bulk mailing department. It was established because advertising agencies realized that the cheapest way to get attention was to send 5 cent letters to millions. The post office is required by law to maintain the capacity to deliver within a specified period.
And because Junk mail was protected by law - the system had to get bigger. And as a direct result, there is no cheaper, faster way to send cookies at christmas.
I can honestly say that, even a hundred years later, Ein never ceases to amaze me. Just gotta wonder some times - what would have hapened without him? We were so close to losing him.
We need a National Holiday - Physicists Day - On his Birthday!
I am a big fan of the C&C series (Tib.Sun excep.) but I am concerned with the waxing interest in the Genere. C&C RA 2 Was great, and this looks promising, but I fear that without a AAA title (StarCraft 2?) The genre will die in RTS/RPG ruins. (WC3 was alright, just not a real RTS.)
My dad (Comp Tech for the USPS) talks about storage at his old college - they were one of the best systems in the state at the time, with a whopping 1.5 MEGABYTE storage. Give it a year or two - first comes the commercial application, then the compu-phile edition, then every Gateway and Dell is shipping with a TB Drive standard.
The Law of steadily increased storage, much like moore's law, never ceases to amaze.
Well damn, to bad the only thing worth saying anything about online is Feel The Magic. Guess Im still waiting for Advance wars for the DS. Whats this? The PSP SHIPS with GT4?
Most people who would even bother to read this post are well aware of the longstanding issues between publishers and programmers - specifically the catfight between Valve and Vivendi. Well, I for one am glad to see this judgement swing in favor of the Designers. Vivendi obviously overstepped its bounds, and needed to lose this.
Now the real question - How will pubs treat Game Designers in the future? If the pendulum swings too far to the money (Pubs), many smaller designers will never see the light of day - the dominating control they have exerted on them will drive them out of the business. I personally would love to see more systems like Steam - Vivendi is scared stiff of it, and for good reason. The lack of need for physical stores could do to the corporate game model what online shopping has done for some aspects of retail. When they realize selling a CD for 50$ is simply unnaceptable, the cream of the crop will rise, and we will see more, good, and most importantly, new game ideas. No more rehashes, no more annual updates for the sake of pushing product - If you want to make money, you need to make a good game. Period.
I guess I'll just have to use my X-Box to play GAMES!!!
Probabally not the right group to hear this, but when you purchase a piece of hardware, most of the time, It does in fact belong to you. Feel free to buzz it in half with a chainsaw - it is yours.
But If MS wants to require that you use unmodded systems on Live, it is their perrogative - you are faced with two rather simple solutions:
1. Play the system the way it was intended.
2. Dont Use XBox live.
I have played CS tooo long to know that the primary reason people use altered systems online is for cheating. Power to the XBox.
I will buy a PSP. The day it comes out, If I can manage. I want to play GT4, MG: Acid, even the inevitable GTA port, all in glorious color 3-D. I pay the premium for graphic power with my A-51m laptop, and you know what? Even though I get less than 3 hours of battery life, all of my budget toting Dell friends want mine. 2 hours is fine - carry extra batteries (everyone with a GBA already does) dont watch movies (why would you? Are you really gonna buy them on the new format just to carry them around with you?) and maybe, just maybe, turn the sound down so you dont go deaf.
Why in gods name do you nintendo fanboys not see this? Whoever wants a PSP WILL BUY A PSP. Whoever wants a DS will buy a DS. I claim neither is better - only that in the near future market, Nintendo was concerned enough with the plans of the PSP that they felt they needed to step up the dev schedule of the new machine.
Ummm... Isn't the only thing that matters is if people have fun, reguardless of how successful either console is, even if it is cheap (or not so much) thrills because of drop-dead-sexy visuals?
Alright! I can finish a movie without a backpack-battery! Woo Hoo!
Seriously, though. If it had a 2 hour life, I'd still consider it. This thing looks gorgeous, and I am not really away from an outlet for more than 2 hours at a time (let alone able to play for more than 2 hours, sheesh.)
I make a sacrifice with my Area51m every day, and it's one I made a conscious decision about when I bought the thing. Buy what fits you best - If you want to play 6 hours a day, and recharge the thing on weekends, get a GBA. If you can take the responsability of nightly charging, and dont play all day long, you can get a PSP.
The best solution now, however (with the price drop)----
End this problem right now. Yes, it is. Its freaking tiny. Slighty longer and wider than a DVD case, oh, Id say about an inch thick (maybe slightly thicker.)
Agreed. However, I by sheer coincidence broke my PS2 (Purchased 7 Days after the release, no problems till now.) last week. I traded it in on one of the shiny new ones, and am happy that I can now carry it around in my pocket, as well as play FFX once again!
Slashdot Mirror
MORONS! Sony IS A GROUP OF MORONS!!!
Whew - glad I got that off. "You have to adapt"???? Pbbbbttt... How about I go buy a functional DS? Not only is it out already, But It seems to work most of the time.
Wow, who were they trying to win with this response... Ergonomic Functionality Nazis - No Button For You!!!
With my personal experience in FFXI - I'd have to agree with this. Anyone who plays FFXI knows about Leaping-boots farming. I really think its time the companies that make the games did something to level the field. Be it banning selling (and taking action)) or creating a system to encourage and regulate it - the simple fact is that it is ruining the experience for anyone whose trying to participate in the activities the Sellers are abusing - be it Fishing, Crafting, NM, or glitches (duping...)
Simple fact is that the marketing is targeted at that group. Companies dont need to sell to females - YET! - because the proportion is so small right now that it isnt worth the investment.
You want to change the demographics? Organize game nights, invite ppl who wouldn't normally play, and don't get angry if people are confused or dumbfounded.
All that means is there perception has changed, and they can't handle it at that moment.
This is blizz's learning curve - they've never made a MMORPG before. Who in God's name could have predicted this kind of response? 600,000 people!!!
Bottom line - All MMORPG's take time - balance, cheating, whatever. Hasn't been one yet that didn't have a rocky launch, and I don't want to play one where the dev's think their game is perfect out the door. At least bliz is familiar with processes to fix games after their release.
As for the ppl who are crying that they'll drop their accounts... Drop away. It'll free up the servers for the rest of us, and I really dont like the sound of your whiny voice. If you are dissatisfied with a product, stop paying, voice your opinion to the company, and tell ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO ASK FOR IT your opinion. Thx in advance :)
College campus, midwest america - we play games cause there good, and wont tolerate anything else. One of the top ranked engineering schools in the world (4 last I checked), but not for techies like MIT and CALTECH - we do REAL engineering here. So little bias on the tech front.
Dorm Floor:
X-Boxes - in a 15 room hall, there are 25 Xbox's. One room has 5. With 4 PPL. And 3 TV's. No Room has less than 10 Titles, all include either Halo or Halo 2. No other game repeated more than 3 times.
Sony - 8 PS2's - 9 PSOnes btw. Libraries are ridiculous. Multiple copies of Everything - notable: MGS 1-3, Madden, FF 8-11. Titles I have never heard of, imports, the whole gamut. A linux PS2 Dev kit :-)
IN THE ENTIRE BUILDING - 3 GC's. All purchased for either Metroid, Zelda, Or Smashbros. No one with more than 5 games, all franchises. 2 Have gotten RE4 - 1 is waiting for the PS2 Version. 1 Copy of CC and 4 swords - in the same room.
Now - this is the definition of target deomgraphic. all age 18-25, Male, Variety of Genres, online and single player, high speed, network play all available.
Now, Unless the N figures out how to grow up and provide content to Mature, Online audiences, they will forever be tagged as kid friendly, mom approved. It dosent matter how silly the online chats are - the fact is online exists for the interaction. GC fans are missing out - SSB:M online?!?!?! Come on...
To add insult, btw: one of the GC's was used as a stand for the xbox when not in use.
It had little effect on productivity, grades didn't change, and we were using otherwise unnocupied resources. And I don't need to tell you the effect it had on morale...
Few months later, in the next semester, we had some county people in the school. One of them was checking email in the lab. Someone else walked in and booted up UT.
Not only did we recieve a ridiculous lecture (understand, we are 15 mins from Columbine, maybe 18mos later) but there were suspensions, the lab tech was reprimanded (later left the system - now makes twice the $$ dev'ing software!) And we made the district newsletter.
Schools over-react to everything, because by default, the only people in district management are the ones who think there is something intrensically wrong with the way the system is run - they do not understand logic - They comprehend only liability.
Sony licensing the UMD means UMD drives are inevitable. Plugging anything into a computer means hacking is inevitable. The only thing sony could do now is announce: 1. UMD support on the PS3, ergo... 2. UMD Burners. If the PS3 is really a total integration device, well....
'would increase monthly PSP production by 100,000 units to one million in April, as it prepared to launch the product in the United States and Europe.' Thought the projected release was Mar. If there having a hard time keeping shelves stocked in one part of the world, what about 2? For every game-a-holic Japanese kid, there's a spoiled american kid with too much allowance. All I can say - good thing I'm 3rd on the list at eb. That, and the fact that I can sleep standing up in a line at 12 o'clock. What nobody tells you is that at Frantic release dates - a calm voice and some commiseration with the EB staff nets you alot of good. I reserved neither HL2, GTA:VC, Halo2, or a DS, but still managed to get each opening day with a smile and an appology for the crowd being filled with a bunch of people -sleep+sugar-maturity. (Whoa - that ended a little off-topic)
I understand the context, but my father works for the post office - the bulk mailing department. It was established because advertising agencies realized that the cheapest way to get attention was to send 5 cent letters to millions. The post office is required by law to maintain the capacity to deliver within a specified period. And because Junk mail was protected by law - the system had to get bigger. And as a direct result, there is no cheaper, faster way to send cookies at christmas.
They dont already?
We need a National Holiday - Physicists Day - On his Birthday!
I am a big fan of the C&C series (Tib.Sun excep.) but I am concerned with the waxing interest in the Genere. C&C RA 2 Was great, and this looks promising, but I fear that without a AAA title (StarCraft 2?) The genre will die in RTS/RPG ruins. (WC3 was alright, just not a real RTS.)
Of course, the old one still plays everything up to and including HL2 without a hitch.
Que serra, sierra!
The Law of steadily increased storage, much like moore's law, never ceases to amaze.
Well damn, to bad the only thing worth saying anything about online is Feel The Magic. Guess Im still waiting for Advance wars for the DS. Whats this? The PSP SHIPS with GT4?
Now the real question - How will pubs treat Game Designers in the future? If the pendulum swings too far to the money (Pubs), many smaller designers will never see the light of day - the dominating control they have exerted on them will drive them out of the business. I personally would love to see more systems like Steam - Vivendi is scared stiff of it, and for good reason. The lack of need for physical stores could do to the corporate game model what online shopping has done for some aspects of retail. When they realize selling a CD for 50$ is simply unnaceptable, the cream of the crop will rise, and we will see more, good, and most importantly, new game ideas. No more rehashes, no more annual updates for the sake of pushing product - If you want to make money, you need to make a good game. Period.
Probabally not the right group to hear this, but when you purchase a piece of hardware, most of the time, It does in fact belong to you. Feel free to buzz it in half with a chainsaw - it is yours.
But If MS wants to require that you use unmodded systems on Live, it is their perrogative - you are faced with two rather simple solutions:
1. Play the system the way it was intended.
2. Dont Use XBox live.
I have played CS tooo long to know that the primary reason people use altered systems online is for cheating. Power to the XBox.
Why in gods name do you nintendo fanboys not see this? Whoever wants a PSP WILL BUY A PSP. Whoever wants a DS will buy a DS. I claim neither is better - only that in the near future market, Nintendo was concerned enough with the plans of the PSP that they felt they needed to step up the dev schedule of the new machine.
Ummm. Thought it was 149, last i checked...
has an article on how to turn these things into handheld nes's. And by god, you can make really small nes/snes cobos as well!
Ummm... Isn't the only thing that matters is if people have fun, reguardless of how successful either console is, even if it is cheap (or not so much) thrills because of drop-dead-sexy visuals?
So far, other than advance wars ds, It looks awfully gimmiky.
of course, so did the eye-toy not too long back.
Seriously, though. If it had a 2 hour life, I'd still consider it. This thing looks gorgeous, and I am not really away from an outlet for more than 2 hours at a time (let alone able to play for more than 2 hours, sheesh.)
I make a sacrifice with my Area51m every day, and it's one I made a conscious decision about when I bought the thing. Buy what fits you best - If you want to play 6 hours a day, and recharge the thing on weekends, get a GBA. If you can take the responsability of nightly charging, and dont play all day long, you can get a PSP.
The best solution now, however (with the price drop)----
GET THEM BOTH - WOOT!
End this problem right now. Yes, it is. Its freaking tiny. Slighty longer and wider than a DVD case, oh, Id say about an inch thick (maybe slightly thicker.)
Agreed. However, I by sheer coincidence broke my PS2 (Purchased 7 Days after the release, no problems till now.) last week. I traded it in on one of the shiny new ones, and am happy that I can now carry it around in my pocket, as well as play FFX once again!