"What I think no one has stated loudly enough is that in the US mobile gaming is a kids-only affair. Japan is a land of long train commutes and small living quarters that lends itself nicely to a concept like the PSP..."
I partially agree. I love to play games, but my need for a portable is really low. I drive to work. When I'm out of the house, there's little time for me to actually pick up a game. When I am in a game playing mood, I'm.. well.. at home. I'm not pretending to represent a large number of people, but I do have trouble envisioning that there is a mass market of adults who want a portable game machine bad enough to fork over a console price for it.
On the other hand, though, I do have several appliances in my house. I've got a PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, a computer, laptop, 2 TVs with digital cable so I have boxes for those, a GBA... well I could keep going. In a sense, I wouldn't mind having portable stuff. I'd pay a little more for a PS2 if I could put it in a drawer when I'm done. I don't know what the PSP's fate is, but I do envision a day where a lot of the common-day appliances we have are replaced with hand-held or at least more-portable alternatives. I mean, look at the popularity of laptops these days.
I guess what I'm saying is: Maybe we'll see a day where new consoles are portable. (i.e. built in screen, battery, etc.)
"I mean, I like embracing new words as much as the next guy, but from the elections (where "blog" was the word of choice for the media), to talk of the PSP, I just don't *need* to see that word everywhere"
I guess we should just shorten the word blogger to "dude who posts regularly on his journal who sometimes provides information of interest to a significant amount of people."
"with the rise of even schools having massive renderfarms (like the g5 one) and companies like Pixar creating fun films, are ILM even worth a column in todays market ?"
That's sort of like saying a progammer can get twice as much done if he has twice as fast of computer. Think about it.
"I hear George Lucas uses Outlook Express. Or rather, he has his assistant use it, and read the messages to him. He doesn't even know how to check his email."
I'm not all that fond of Lucas's movie making abilities either, but what does that have to do with email? The dude is from an older generation than us. If you're going to prove he's bad at making movies, point at the last two he's made instead of turning computer use into an IQ test.
"Linux was vital to this project. As we all know, if it were Windows-based, the RGB mode would be 0:0:4, more commonly known to the industry as "blue screen"."
Gee, a second incarnation of the same tired BSOD joke. Let's all start slappin our knees!
" then I don't see why you are in such apparent awe (fear?) of this creature's "smarts"."
Name another creature with the same 'spooky' smarts you said us humans have. Name one that's close. If you can't, then you can understand what's 'spooky' about it.
"Medical science seems to back me up here I think."
Maybe. But what will cause some to argue with you is the destiny of that particular organism. Some will feel that if, in the natural course of things the baby will turn into a human, then it already is human.
I'm not arguing with you, rather just pointing out how some people see it.
"Networks exist to make money. If no one is watching, they dont' make money. It wasn't doing me any harm, but it was obviously harming UPN."
So.. you're saying you didn't post that because you don't like Enterprise, but rather because you're worried for UPN? Bullshit.
"Perhaps now they'll take the money they were wasting on Enterprise and use it do develop something that more than a small percentage of TV viewers will actually watch."
On UPN? Right. Enterprise wasn't standing in the way of them doing that. They've tried a number of times to bring scifi to UPN, ultimately they end up being bad bad bad. (Jake 2.0 anyone?)
Sorry, I just don't buy this. You didn't like the show. You complained you didn't like it. Somebody else who didn't like it either modded you up in agreement. Frankly, I don't have much problem with you posting your opinion, I'm more offended that some dipshit blew a mod-point on it.
"Oh please! I'm the only one who doesn't like it?"
The difference is that if you don't like it, you can change the channel. But because it's going off the air, the people who do like it can't get it. Don't complain about me 'coming off like a total idiot' when you basically said you're glad it's off the air. As if your TV is stuck on UPN. It wasn't doing you any harm.
"There hasn't been a good Star Trek movie or TV show in years. Quit beating a dead horse. It's over, move on. Hollywood has run this one into the ground. It reminds me of the Holloween movie franchise."
You didn't like it and somebody with a mod point agreed with you. Whoop-de-fuck.
Well, I really don't have anything interesting to say about this particular article. I gave up on snoozing.
Instead, I figure I'll talk about what I do use for an alarm clock. I have a Nokia 3650 that I have retired. (Battery is toast...) I set up reoccuring appointments on it so it wakes me up on weekdays. Okay, that's pretty boring. However, when I have to wake up for special circumstances, I set up an alarm with a text message telling me why I need to get it. (i.e. You've got a flight at 6 am!!!) Why does that matter? I always read the message. If it's something really important, I simply don't snooze.
Again, not sure if anybody really cares but I thought I'd share anyway. Knowing why should wake up helps deal with the whole snooze problem.
"Why do they need to complicate something as simple as an alarm clock? All I want is something to wake me up in the morning!!!!!!!!! Despite being a 'nerd' that regularly posts on Slashdot, I'm suddenly a minimalist because being contrarian earns me insightful mods!"
"That isn't my entire justification, it's only part of it. Notice that I said that the PSP has better games, better graphics and a better screen. The movie and music playing is just icing on the cake."
In all seriousness, I don't have a problem with this statement. The main reason that I've gone toe-to-toe with you on this topic is that I have unwisely spent money in the past. Heck, I have a $500 PocketPC right now I don't even use. One of the reasons behind it was that I was going to watch movies etc on it. (I used to travel a lot.) What happened was I found out what a PITA it was to actually put content on the thing. I ended up never really doing it. Worse, I didn't even use it for what it's good at. It was really dumb of me.
I am a Nintendo zealot. I will probably always think they can do no wrong. But I wanted to tell you this little story so you'd understand what my motivation is. I personally think that if you don't see a $250 game machine, you're wasting your money. You obviously think it will excel as a game machine, so I can put this concern to rest.
"Can we get over this fixation with phone/mp3/toaster oven/breadmakers already? Their day has come and gone. I want devices grouped by how I use and abuse them."
That's fine for you, but there are a lot of people out there (despite your claim) that actually take decent care of their phones. There are even those of us that would like our phones to work as a basic entertainment device since it goes a lot of places that Game Boys, Digital Cameras, and Mp3 players often don't go.
My point? Why does it have to be one or the other? Why cannot it simply be accepted that there are some who want simple and rugged and others that want robust? In other words, why are YOUR desires more important than what the market is clearly saying it likes?
Slashdot Mirror
"What I think no one has stated loudly enough is that in the US mobile gaming is a kids-only affair. Japan is a land of long train commutes and small living quarters that lends itself nicely to a concept like the PSP..."
.. well.. at home. I'm not pretending to represent a large number of people, but I do have trouble envisioning that there is a mass market of adults who want a portable game machine bad enough to fork over a console price for it.
I partially agree. I love to play games, but my need for a portable is really low. I drive to work. When I'm out of the house, there's little time for me to actually pick up a game. When I am in a game playing mood, I'm
On the other hand, though, I do have several appliances in my house. I've got a PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, a computer, laptop, 2 TVs with digital cable so I have boxes for those, a GBA... well I could keep going. In a sense, I wouldn't mind having portable stuff. I'd pay a little more for a PS2 if I could put it in a drawer when I'm done.
I don't know what the PSP's fate is, but I do envision a day where a lot of the common-day appliances we have are replaced with hand-held or at least more-portable alternatives. I mean, look at the popularity of laptops these days.
I guess what I'm saying is: Maybe we'll see a day where new consoles are portable. (i.e. built in screen, battery, etc.)
"Take the place of the iPod? I want some of what he's smoking."
What's funny is I saw a 1 gig memory stick card for $150 a few days ago. Wee $400 buys you a 1 gig MP3 player that's not as portable.
"I mean, I like embracing new words as much as the next guy, but from the elections (where "blog" was the word of choice for the media), to talk of the PSP, I just don't *need* to see that word everywhere"
I guess we should just shorten the word blogger to "dude who posts regularly on his journal who sometimes provides information of interest to a significant amount of people."
"The hacks are already starting to role in. A web browser has been found in the PSP game Wipeout Pure."
Wow, that's kinda neat. Now all the PSP needs is a stylus interface! Oh, wait, that's a gimmick. Sorry I brought it up.
"Looks like American gamers are looking for Microsoft to release a handheld..."
Or $250 is too much. Occams Razor (sp?) and all.
" It's not because of their products, it's all about how they deal with competition."
At this point, it's just to look cool on Slashdot. Don't forget there's a race here to get +5 Insightfuls.
"with the rise of even schools having massive renderfarms (like the g5 one) and companies like Pixar creating fun films, are ILM even worth a column in todays market ?"
That's sort of like saying a progammer can get twice as much done if he has twice as fast of computer. Think about it.
"I hear George Lucas uses Outlook Express. Or rather, he has his assistant use it, and read the messages to him. He doesn't even know how to check his email."
I'm not all that fond of Lucas's movie making abilities either, but what does that have to do with email? The dude is from an older generation than us. If you're going to prove he's bad at making movies, point at the last two he's made instead of turning computer use into an IQ test.
"Linux was vital to this project. As we all know, if it were Windows-based, the RGB mode would be 0:0:4, more commonly known to the industry as "blue screen"."
Gee, a second incarnation of the same tired BSOD joke. Let's all start slappin our knees!
" then I don't see why you are in such apparent awe (fear?) of this creature's "smarts"."
Name another creature with the same 'spooky' smarts you said us humans have. Name one that's close. If you can't, then you can understand what's 'spooky' about it.
"It must have been as you obviously didn't have any other use for them?"
Yeah right, as if you should be throwing stones.
"No joke. I would have gutted those two like pigs."
Yeah, I buy that. Everybody's real brave in cyberspace. Heh.
"Good god, he must have had a big weekend planned...."
Heh. At my high school they decided to deal with the teen pregnancy problem by handing out condoms. The water balloon fight was epic.
"Medical science seems to back me up here I think."
Maybe. But what will cause some to argue with you is the destiny of that particular organism. Some will feel that if, in the natural course of things the baby will turn into a human, then it already is human.
I'm not arguing with you, rather just pointing out how some people see it.
"What are you talking about?! Men never have admin privs on a woman's box."
Pity this discussion is strictly academic for the contributers.
"Networks exist to make money. If no one is watching, they dont' make money. It wasn't doing me any harm, but it was obviously harming UPN."
So.. you're saying you didn't post that because you don't like Enterprise, but rather because you're worried for UPN? Bullshit.
"Perhaps now they'll take the money they were wasting on Enterprise and use it do develop something that more than a small percentage of TV viewers will actually watch."
On UPN? Right. Enterprise wasn't standing in the way of them doing that. They've tried a number of times to bring scifi to UPN, ultimately they end up being bad bad bad. (Jake 2.0 anyone?)
Sorry, I just don't buy this. You didn't like the show. You complained you didn't like it. Somebody else who didn't like it either modded you up in agreement. Frankly, I don't have much problem with you posting your opinion, I'm more offended that some dipshit blew a mod-point on it.
"Oh please! I'm the only one who doesn't like it?"
The difference is that if you don't like it, you can change the channel. But because it's going off the air, the people who do like it can't get it. Don't complain about me 'coming off like a total idiot' when you basically said you're glad it's off the air. As if your TV is stuck on UPN. It wasn't doing you any harm.
"There hasn't been a good Star Trek movie or TV show in years. Quit beating a dead horse. It's over, move on. Hollywood has run this one into the ground. It reminds me of the Holloween movie franchise."
You didn't like it and somebody with a mod point agreed with you. Whoop-de-fuck.
"Also, MS has some bogus patents on their .doc format and we all know how many years they can tie things up in the courts for."
Gee, if that were true, you'd think OpenOffice, an app that threaten's one of MS's actual monopolies, would have been ceased and desisted by now.
"The question is, why don't they care that they're being ripped off?"
Cos to a teenager, $2.50 isn't a lot of money?
Well, I really don't have anything interesting to say about this particular article. I gave up on snoozing.
Instead, I figure I'll talk about what I do use for an alarm clock. I have a Nokia 3650 that I have retired. (Battery is toast...) I set up reoccuring appointments on it so it wakes me up on weekdays. Okay, that's pretty boring. However, when I have to wake up for special circumstances, I set up an alarm with a text message telling me why I need to get it. (i.e. You've got a flight at 6 am!!!) Why does that matter? I always read the message. If it's something really important, I simply don't snooze.
Again, not sure if anybody really cares but I thought I'd share anyway. Knowing why should wake up helps deal with the whole snooze problem.
"Why do they need to complicate something as simple as an alarm clock? All I want is something to wake me up in the morning!!!!!!!!! Despite being a 'nerd' that regularly posts on Slashdot, I'm suddenly a minimalist because being contrarian earns me insightful mods!"
"That isn't my entire justification, it's only part of it. Notice that I said that the PSP has better games, better graphics and a better screen. The movie and music playing is just icing on the cake."
:)
In all seriousness, I don't have a problem with this statement. The main reason that I've gone toe-to-toe with you on this topic is that I have unwisely spent money in the past. Heck, I have a $500 PocketPC right now I don't even use. One of the reasons behind it was that I was going to watch movies etc on it. (I used to travel a lot.) What happened was I found out what a PITA it was to actually put content on the thing. I ended up never really doing it. Worse, I didn't even use it for what it's good at. It was really dumb of me.
I am a Nintendo zealot. I will probably always think they can do no wrong. But I wanted to tell you this little story so you'd understand what my motivation is. I personally think that if you don't see a $250 game machine, you're wasting your money. You obviously think it will excel as a game machine, so I can put this concern to rest.
I'm sorry if I've been obnoxious.
G'nite.
"So then my question (or rather, general rant) becomes "why are the normal people so apathetic?"
Beause they don't care about midi ring tones?
"Can we get over this fixation with phone/mp3/toaster oven/breadmakers already? Their day has come and gone. I want devices grouped by how I use and abuse them."
That's fine for you, but there are a lot of people out there (despite your claim) that actually take decent care of their phones. There are even those of us that would like our phones to work as a basic entertainment device since it goes a lot of places that Game Boys, Digital Cameras, and Mp3 players often don't go.
My point? Why does it have to be one or the other? Why cannot it simply be accepted that there are some who want simple and rugged and others that want robust? In other words, why are YOUR desires more important than what the market is clearly saying it likes?