Back in the day, I had a nice little collection of punk rock ringtones, but after a phone upgrade, I lost them all. Since I've never found any good quality, discernable punk-tones (barring Green Day, Good Charlotte, et al), I've just gone to vibrate exclusively...there's less hassle when I change from phone to phone this way.
I've read a few books since finishing Blink, but IIRC, he wrapped up his annectdote about the Kouros by stating that the Getty had suspended it from display indefinitely while more research was done to either confirm or deny it's authenticity...
That said, his telling of the story was very stilted to favor what he was trying to accomplish as a whole. He wanted a high-drama story to lead off the book, and that's exactly what he squeezed out of it.
Reminds me of the episode where the TV License inspector comes 'round to their flat and yells at them through the door that he knows they have a teevee and that they're breaking the law. Their response? Vyvyan at the teevee.
I tried to find the script, but the internet gods told me that those sites are not available for viewing by me on my work computer.
Now I wish I had stayed home and watched the Young Ones today.
There is, to my mind, only one Adult Swim show that lends itself to the video game medium: Venture Brothers. There are villians with legitimate empires (as opposed to those on ATHF, which have mainly delusions of granduer). There is action (as opposed to Sealab which has primarily wacky adventures). There is intrigue (as opposed to Tom Goes to the Mayor, which mostly sucks on every level).
Even then, I don't see how any of these shows, VB included, would make a worthwhile game...but hey, I'm still playing NWN every day. What do I know?
Adult Swim is something that happen(s/ed) every summer at almost every municipal pool across this country (well, the south, I don't know what happens outside of here). Basically, during Adult Swim, all kids are out of the pool. It generally last(s/ed) an hour or so (I don't know if they still do it or not, as the last municipal thing I've visited was either a court house or a golf course). It allowed the grown up folk to swim freely without having to worry about all the little splashy bastards getting water in their hair and ruining their makeup.
So, taking the name Adult Swim for a cartoon block that is solely intended for being viewed by those of a more mature nature seemed very fitting, indeed. Of course, if you only started watching this after they switched to the witty text bumps and ambient music, then you would've missed out on all of the old legitimate references to where the name was taken from the beginnings of the block (lifeguard voice, old people in swim caps, constantly saying things like "alright, all kids..out of the pool!," "I thought I said no eating in the pool, sir," and "No cannonballs!").
First off, this is all assuming that there are just three types of players: Player Type One is of the mindset that it is the journey that matters, and will work hard to earn what he has in-game. Player Type Two is of the mindset that while they enjoy "The Game", they have "the real job" that prevents them from getting what they deem to be a full gaming experience. And lastly, there is Player Type Three, and this guy is of the mindset that "The Game" just isn't fun unless they are the biggest, baddest, most powerful SuperMegaClass with all of the best equipment and items.
IGE doesn't care about PT One because it isn't their target market, and as a result, they never hear from PT One (neither directly, nor indirectly); and they won't until PT One starts to really feel negative effects on their gaming experiences as a result of the services that IGE offers to PT Two and PT Three. But even then, the backlash won't affect IGE as they bank on there being more PT Two and Threes than there are PT Ones. Not near term, at least. Long term, maybe...it depends on how strong a line "The Company" that runs "The Game" takes on companies like IGE that act as brokerage firms for in-game money, equipment, items and property as a result of however many complaints they get from PT Ones about their now tainted gaming experience.
Now, as far as I see it, we're still going through all of the near term junk. And what I mean by that is that no one, not the users, not the companies making the games, not even these so-called brokerage firms know what to do about this ongoing (and increasingly volatile) issue.
Ban the activity outright, and not only will you alienate a possibly larger than anticipated group of customers, but you're potentially limiting future avenues by which revenue can be generated.
Allow it to continue unchecked, then there will be a disturbing imbalance in the in-game market for rare items (et al); but you will also be saying to your less financially secure customer base that they can enjoy the game to the best of their monetary means...which, in turn, alienates them.
Figure out a way to not only manage the practice, but include it in ways by which the games publisher can make money along with the brokerage houses, you run the risk of people circumventing this through less conventional methods (oh, say asking your friends if they might want something you have for a nominal real-world fee), but also of your user base becoming suspicious about the presence and necessity of some 'rare' items as being nothing more than money generating ploys.
Long term, this will all hash itself out...but not before there is a good deal of discussion on the part of all parties involved. Eventually, companies will adopt a system that they view (after said discussions, hopefully) to be the most pragmatic and fair approach, and while it may not be to everyones liking, rest assured that a good many people will be satisfied. It may even work out that the same company will offer different "entries" in games based on how you might like to play it, but not alter the experience, ie: you play with others who like to buy and sell for real world money; you play with others who like to be rewarded for hard work and continued efforts; etc.
As for the here and now, I have no qualms with brokerage firms like IGE, provided that their methods aren't in violation of whatever TOS is in place, and that said methodology doesn't impede or otherwise infringe on traditional gaming. Furthermore, I see nothing wrong with publishers getting in on the act, so long as they are being transparent and forthcoming about that fact. If they are all hiding it, if they are altering the way the games are played by everyone, then how much is 'society' driving these changes and how much is money driving them (real money)? How signifigantly does this practice affect the overall feel of the game for all types of players, not just one or two groups of the,? Are there any reasons to allow it outright/ban it outright? How
I read this and quickly ran it by my brother and some of his cronies (a bunch of spoiled kids in their tuner domestics), and their response was all the same, "That's cute, but I'll stick to my laptop."
I had more to say, but it is lunch time, and I want a burrito!
You know, King of the Hill is still around...only it airs (and has for a few seasons) at 1800hrs CST. It's been as neglected and butchered a show at the hands of Fox's crack schedule-makers as Futurama had been, and yet it's still around. Which begs the question: how much does Futurama's untimely demise have to do with Matt Groening and Co simply deciding to take a pass on being a bastard step-child to whatever sporting event was in season? You never hear of Mike Judge threatening to pull his show due to the far-too-frequent pre-emptions...of course, he doesn't have another cash-cow to fall back on.
To stay on topic, in regards to a response: Fox should bring back both Futurama and The PJs and do nothing BUT animated shows on Sunday. King of the Hill, Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad, Futurama, The PJs....wooooo!
(note: the PJs thing is a joke...but they could always add another animated show and be done with live action on the Lord's Day)
'Blink' is a very eye-opening read, to say the least. It has most certainly changed the way that I approach certain situations, especially those where I find myself dealing with new people...because no one, NO ONE wants to make a Warren G. Harding error.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in furthering their understanding of why people sometimes do the things they do.
By contextual search, do they mean being able to dynamically (sp? too lazy to open another damned window) search a page that is active in your window/tab without the need to visit a seperate site to use a search engine? Or do they mean that you can use the search engine to select a specific page and search from within their site?
If it is the former of the two, I've got that covered with a nifty Firefox extension that doesn't crowd my view with a search box window, but rather places a the search box down on my menu bar. I believe that it is ConQuery, but can't be certain as I am at work and forced to use IE6 for all of my darpaintrawebnet needs.
My literary forays into the field have been limited, but perhaps one of my favorite reads to date has been Simon Singh's 'The Code Book' (which hasbeenmentionedbefore).
It's not terribly detailed by way of 'how to', but the history of cryptography/cryptanalysis it offers is fantastic. It's also pretty well known for the contest in the back of it, wherein Mr. Singh offers a reward for the solution to all 10 of the codes (I believe a Swedish team eventually won the prize, shortly after the deadline had passed).
I love it when people get modded all to hell for stating what should be taken as a personal opinion. Who can say for sure that the guy was really just trying to incite a riot amongst all of the loyal-to-the-death DA fans out there? I would've at least gone with an off-topic or a redundant, rather than just laud the guy as being nothing more than a simple, little troll.
The article mentioned nothing about an exclusive deal with MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association), which is (to my recollection) an entity wholly seperate from MLB. So, since EA hasn't ever done much beyond place the MLB and MLBPA stickers on their products, they can simply stop using the MLB sticker and keep using player names and associate them with generic, same color uniforms/city names and run-of-the-mill stadiums.
Now, if Take Two reveals that they've inked the MLBPA to an exclusive deal to go along with their contract with MLB, then EA is right where Take Two/Sega is in regards to their football franchise: no league and no players.
Sadly, this doesn't really mean jack in the grand scheme of things since baseball games are all pretty crap, and have been since the mid-90s when companies became dead set on emphasising realism and taking all of the fun out of them. As a result, they don't sell well, not compared to the almighty football franchies. An NBA deal isn't likely to happen, as that league seems to understand that exclusivity is bad for business, and they're a brand in the middle of a huge global marketing campaign. And then there's the NHL. heh, just kidding.
Why is ESPN the bees knees in sports broadcasting? What's stopping Take Two/Sega from doing a year-by-year partnership with Fox Sports Net? Or Sports Illustrated? Hell, SkySports (a stretch, admittedly, but it'd be fantastic if they picked up a deal w/ UEFA and SkySports to do a good football (read: soccer) game)? It would still give them a broadcast pool to draw from to keep that feature alive and kicking.
All of this land-grabbing doesn't have to be the death knell to any one company or another, but rather it could be used to promote further diversity in the marketplace and still place the emphasis on quality of game rather than quantity of dollars. So some games are a smidge generic, but they don't have to be bland, and they don't have to be colorless. In fact, why not do what Vince McMahon failed to do with real football and jazz it up a bit in the video game arena? I'm not saying make it as crap as the AFL (which EA stupidly bought...20 years, almost as many different 'leagues'...America doesn't care, and neither would your competitors), or as zany as the CFL...but do something, anything to keep EA from putting a death-grip on the genre. Please?
If they signed a deal w/ Major League Baseball, that only gives them rights to the team names, logos and stadiums. Signing a deal with Major League Baseball Players Association would give them the rights to the players names, images and statistics. Except for those few players who have chosen to sever their ties to the MLBPA to negotiate licensings deals on their own behalf (Barry Bonds is an example of this practice). AFAIK, at least.
Which reminds me, when EA inked the National Football League, did they also lock in Players, Inc? If not, then Sega could always use the players, just not the team names, logos and stadiums...just an afterthought, I suppose. I'm also too lazy to go back and try to open an article our network admin has deemed unnecessary for work-related purposes (but I guess he read's the/., since I'm still able to get to this).
Is there any type of an exclusivity clause in the contract between ESPN and EA? If so, that leaves Sega wide open to partner up with another sports network that is in a position similar to their own (David to EA's Goliath)...Fox Sports Net.
Think about it, Fox Sports Net typically has better coverage with market-specific programming, which allows them to create a better allegience with viewers who like to actually watch sports rather than sports recap shows (as I can invariably turn on ESPN and catch Sportscenter). Sure, they're lacking the NFL license, but they can make a 'generic' football game and still have a commentary team with stylized and recognizable graphics. And it would be something that is applicable across any and all of their sports games...my hope is that they partner with FSN and get in on the FIFA action and produce a soccer game that I actually enjoy playing (EA I refuse to play anymore and Winning Eleven # is too sterile for my tastes).
This is potentially bad for a lot of companies, but Sega doesn't have to be one of them. Of course, this is all moot if there isn't exclusivity between ESPN and EA (which I sincerely doubt).
I also live in the Dallas area, downtown proper, to be exact, but just two or so miles east of all the large sun-blocking buildings. Before I moved into one of the historical buildings, I had the complex and comcast both test the lines to make sure that I would be capable of using both their cable modem and HD digital cable services (as I had no intention of moving in if I had to switch my services over to satellite or dsl). I was told that I could absolutely use both services at the location. I was happy.
Two days after moving in (December 1, 2004), a helpful Comcast technician came out and set everything up for me (I made sure that he wasn't one of the contracted techs...they're worthless, in my estimation). All seemed well until he mentioned that there was a large amount of line noise causing a conflict with the signals and a bloc-sync problem as well, but that he would get a truck out to repair the lines within 24 hours. I was less than happy.
24 hours passed. No one came. I still had no television to watch and no internet connection with which to surf on. I called. And I called. And I called. And I called. In the midsts of all of these calls, I received two bills, one for an incomplete installation (that I never signed off on) and one for the services that never actually worked (both of which I have sucessfully challenged and am no longer responsible for...and I got credits, something I've never once asked for in my entire life, as I'm generally pretty blassaie (sp?) about that kind of thing). So I included billing in my list of people to call and continued to spend more time on the phone with Comcast than I did with my roommate, my mother and my boss (who should be the three most important and talked to people in my life, natch). I was very unhappy.
On December 25, 2004, I received a knock at my door at 8:30AM. It wasn't Santa Claus, it was some technician, he was there to tell me that all should now be will with the lines and would like me to test them...I did. They worked. I was no longer happy, unhappy, angry or anything along those lines, I was wholly indifferent.
The point? All I do now is check my email every couple of days, browse/. and maybe watch adult swim if it strikes me. Comcast taught me how to enjoy reading as a hobby again, not just as something I must do to better myself. They also taught me that I am no longer terrified of being without what I once deemed necessary and that I can excercise my right as a consumer and look for better, more reliable options.
I no longer care for Comcast as a company, even though I have been with their previous iterations for over a decade in some form or fashion. Their disregard for 'customer service' beyond just throwing out meaningless trinkets like so many beads in a parade has soured many, once loyal, peoples views of the company. Their resistence to listening to the consumer when they are trying to HELP solve the problem only serves to alienate those who might have been willing to work through the problems and get back to enjoying their services. The tendency of their representative to blatantly lie to the customers in order to get them out of their hair (as an individual, not as a whole) has only caused greater problems in the long run.
I'm now shopping around and looking into various options, but the part of town I live in is old and had been neglected for years, but is in the process of being revamped in ways beyond just a fresh coat of paint a few new upscale living facilities. Comcast can wither up and die, for all I care....but not until I've changed providers, I hope.
"The reviewer discovers that the unit he had is defective as someone else employs one and there is no hiss issue. Furthermore, the software woes he experienced are related to him employing JAPANESE software on an English operating system. Sonicstage 2.3, which he needs to use the unit, is now available in English."
so...when did the reviewer discover that it's more effective for a horse to pull a cart than to push it?
Over the past few years at my local cafe (well, local in terms of where you can find people playing games of various sorts), I've noticed a trend away from chess and backgammon and towards go and cribbage...cribbage I've played, backgammon and chess I've played, but this 'go', I have yet to get involved in.
That said, I've *wanted* to get involved, but have been too intimidated by the speed and ferocity of some of the players there to bother to ask for a quick lesson or three...thanks much for the resources, all. You've helped more than just the stranger in a strange land.
Slashdot Mirror
Back in the day, I had a nice little collection of punk rock ringtones, but after a phone upgrade, I lost them all. Since I've never found any good quality, discernable punk-tones (barring Green Day, Good Charlotte, et al), I've just gone to vibrate exclusively...there's less hassle when I change from phone to phone this way.
I've read a few books since finishing Blink, but IIRC, he wrapped up his annectdote about the Kouros by stating that the Getty had suspended it from display indefinitely while more research was done to either confirm or deny it's authenticity...
That said, his telling of the story was very stilted to favor what he was trying to accomplish as a whole. He wanted a high-drama story to lead off the book, and that's exactly what he squeezed out of it.
Vyvyan at the teevee.
ATE
Sorry 'bout that.
Reminds me of the episode where the TV License inspector comes 'round to their flat and yells at them through the door that he knows they have a teevee and that they're breaking the law. Their response? Vyvyan at the teevee.
I tried to find the script, but the internet gods told me that those sites are not available for viewing by me on my work computer.
Now I wish I had stayed home and watched the Young Ones today.
There is, to my mind, only one Adult Swim show that lends itself to the video game medium: Venture Brothers. There are villians with legitimate empires (as opposed to those on ATHF, which have mainly delusions of granduer). There is action (as opposed to Sealab which has primarily wacky adventures). There is intrigue (as opposed to Tom Goes to the Mayor, which mostly sucks on every level).
Even then, I don't see how any of these shows, VB included, would make a worthwhile game...but hey, I'm still playing NWN every day. What do I know?
Adult Swim is something that happen(s/ed) every summer at almost every municipal pool across this country (well, the south, I don't know what happens outside of here). Basically, during Adult Swim, all kids are out of the pool. It generally last(s/ed) an hour or so (I don't know if they still do it or not, as the last municipal thing I've visited was either a court house or a golf course). It allowed the grown up folk to swim freely without having to worry about all the little splashy bastards getting water in their hair and ruining their makeup.
So, taking the name Adult Swim for a cartoon block that is solely intended for being viewed by those of a more mature nature seemed very fitting, indeed. Of course, if you only started watching this after they switched to the witty text bumps and ambient music, then you would've missed out on all of the old legitimate references to where the name was taken from the beginnings of the block (lifeguard voice, old people in swim caps, constantly saying things like "alright, all kids..out of the pool!," "I thought I said no eating in the pool, sir," and "No cannonballs!").
I hope this explains it to you a little better.
god bless you, that was the best thing I'd read all day.
First off, this is all assuming that there are just three types of players: Player Type One is of the mindset that it is the journey that matters, and will work hard to earn what he has in-game. Player Type Two is of the mindset that while they enjoy "The Game", they have "the real job" that prevents them from getting what they deem to be a full gaming experience. And lastly, there is Player Type Three, and this guy is of the mindset that "The Game" just isn't fun unless they are the biggest, baddest, most powerful SuperMegaClass with all of the best equipment and items.
IGE doesn't care about PT One because it isn't their target market, and as a result, they never hear from PT One (neither directly, nor indirectly); and they won't until PT One starts to really feel negative effects on their gaming experiences as a result of the services that IGE offers to PT Two and PT Three. But even then, the backlash won't affect IGE as they bank on there being more PT Two and Threes than there are PT Ones. Not near term, at least. Long term, maybe...it depends on how strong a line "The Company" that runs "The Game" takes on companies like IGE that act as brokerage firms for in-game money, equipment, items and property as a result of however many complaints they get from PT Ones about their now tainted gaming experience.
Now, as far as I see it, we're still going through all of the near term junk. And what I mean by that is that no one, not the users, not the companies making the games, not even these so-called brokerage firms know what to do about this ongoing (and increasingly volatile) issue.
Ban the activity outright, and not only will you alienate a possibly larger than anticipated group of customers, but you're potentially limiting future avenues by which revenue can be generated.
Allow it to continue unchecked, then there will be a disturbing imbalance in the in-game market for rare items (et al); but you will also be saying to your less financially secure customer base that they can enjoy the game to the best of their monetary means...which, in turn, alienates them.
Figure out a way to not only manage the practice, but include it in ways by which the games publisher can make money along with the brokerage houses, you run the risk of people circumventing this through less conventional methods (oh, say asking your friends if they might want something you have for a nominal real-world fee), but also of your user base becoming suspicious about the presence and necessity of some 'rare' items as being nothing more than money generating ploys.
Long term, this will all hash itself out...but not before there is a good deal of discussion on the part of all parties involved. Eventually, companies will adopt a system that they view (after said discussions, hopefully) to be the most pragmatic and fair approach, and while it may not be to everyones liking, rest assured that a good many people will be satisfied. It may even work out that the same company will offer different "entries" in games based on how you might like to play it, but not alter the experience, ie: you play with others who like to buy and sell for real world money; you play with others who like to be rewarded for hard work and continued efforts; etc.
As for the here and now, I have no qualms with brokerage firms like IGE, provided that their methods aren't in violation of whatever TOS is in place, and that said methodology doesn't impede or otherwise infringe on traditional gaming. Furthermore, I see nothing wrong with publishers getting in on the act, so long as they are being transparent and forthcoming about that fact. If they are all hiding it, if they are altering the way the games are played by everyone, then how much is 'society' driving these changes and how much is money driving them (real money)? How signifigantly does this practice affect the overall feel of the game for all types of players, not just one or two groups of the,? Are there any reasons to allow it outright/ban it outright? How
I read this and quickly ran it by my brother and some of his cronies (a bunch of spoiled kids in their tuner domestics), and their response was all the same, "That's cute, but I'll stick to my laptop."
I had more to say, but it is lunch time, and I want a burrito!
You know, King of the Hill is still around...only it airs (and has for a few seasons) at 1800hrs CST. It's been as neglected and butchered a show at the hands of Fox's crack schedule-makers as Futurama had been, and yet it's still around. Which begs the question: how much does Futurama's untimely demise have to do with Matt Groening and Co simply deciding to take a pass on being a bastard step-child to whatever sporting event was in season? You never hear of Mike Judge threatening to pull his show due to the far-too-frequent pre-emptions...of course, he doesn't have another cash-cow to fall back on.
To stay on topic, in regards to a response: Fox should bring back both Futurama and The PJs and do nothing BUT animated shows on Sunday. King of the Hill, Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad, Futurama, The PJs....wooooo!
(note: the PJs thing is a joke...but they could always add another animated show and be done with live action on the Lord's Day)
'Blink' is a very eye-opening read, to say the least. It has most certainly changed the way that I approach certain situations, especially those where I find myself dealing with new people...because no one, NO ONE wants to make a Warren G. Harding error.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in furthering their understanding of why people sometimes do the things they do.
That, goodly AC, is exactly what I was looking for by way of an explanation. Thank you.
By contextual search, do they mean being able to dynamically (sp? too lazy to open another damned window) search a page that is active in your window/tab without the need to visit a seperate site to use a search engine? Or do they mean that you can use the search engine to select a specific page and search from within their site?
If it is the former of the two, I've got that covered with a nifty Firefox extension that doesn't crowd my view with a search box window, but rather places a the search box down on my menu bar. I believe that it is ConQuery, but can't be certain as I am at work and forced to use IE6 for all of my darpaintrawebnet needs.
If it's the latter, then what's the point?
My literary forays into the field have been limited, but perhaps one of my favorite reads to date has been Simon Singh's 'The Code Book' (which has been mentioned before).
It's not terribly detailed by way of 'how to', but the history of cryptography/cryptanalysis it offers is fantastic. It's also pretty well known for the contest in the back of it, wherein Mr. Singh offers a reward for the solution to all 10 of the codes (I believe a Swedish team eventually won the prize, shortly after the deadline had passed).
I love it when people get modded all to hell for stating what should be taken as a personal opinion. Who can say for sure that the guy was really just trying to incite a riot amongst all of the loyal-to-the-death DA fans out there? I would've at least gone with an off-topic or a redundant, rather than just laud the guy as being nothing more than a simple, little troll.
...but I like the "Jet Set Radios" and "Kalimari Darcies" (sp?) of the world.
Katamari Damacy. I'm not harping, just helping.
DAMNIT!!! I just started to like sports games again this year, and it was all because of Sega!
The article mentioned nothing about an exclusive deal with MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association), which is (to my recollection) an entity wholly seperate from MLB. So, since EA hasn't ever done much beyond place the MLB and MLBPA stickers on their products, they can simply stop using the MLB sticker and keep using player names and associate them with generic, same color uniforms/city names and run-of-the-mill stadiums.
Now, if Take Two reveals that they've inked the MLBPA to an exclusive deal to go along with their contract with MLB, then EA is right where Take Two/Sega is in regards to their football franchise: no league and no players.
Sadly, this doesn't really mean jack in the grand scheme of things since baseball games are all pretty crap, and have been since the mid-90s when companies became dead set on emphasising realism and taking all of the fun out of them. As a result, they don't sell well, not compared to the almighty football franchies. An NBA deal isn't likely to happen, as that league seems to understand that exclusivity is bad for business, and they're a brand in the middle of a huge global marketing campaign. And then there's the NHL. heh, just kidding.
Am I wrong on this?
Why is ESPN the bees knees in sports broadcasting? What's stopping Take Two/Sega from doing a year-by-year partnership with Fox Sports Net? Or Sports Illustrated? Hell, SkySports (a stretch, admittedly, but it'd be fantastic if they picked up a deal w/ UEFA and SkySports to do a good football (read: soccer) game)? It would still give them a broadcast pool to draw from to keep that feature alive and kicking.
All of this land-grabbing doesn't have to be the death knell to any one company or another, but rather it could be used to promote further diversity in the marketplace and still place the emphasis on quality of game rather than quantity of dollars. So some games are a smidge generic, but they don't have to be bland, and they don't have to be colorless. In fact, why not do what Vince McMahon failed to do with real football and jazz it up a bit in the video game arena? I'm not saying make it as crap as the AFL (which EA stupidly bought...20 years, almost as many different 'leagues'...America doesn't care, and neither would your competitors), or as zany as the CFL...but do something, anything to keep EA from putting a death-grip on the genre. Please?
If they signed a deal w/ Major League Baseball, that only gives them rights to the team names, logos and stadiums. Signing a deal with Major League Baseball Players Association would give them the rights to the players names, images and statistics. Except for those few players who have chosen to sever their ties to the MLBPA to negotiate licensings deals on their own behalf (Barry Bonds is an example of this practice). AFAIK, at least.
/., since I'm still able to get to this).
Which reminds me, when EA inked the National Football League, did they also lock in Players, Inc? If not, then Sega could always use the players, just not the team names, logos and stadiums...just an afterthought, I suppose. I'm also too lazy to go back and try to open an article our network admin has deemed unnecessary for work-related purposes (but I guess he read's the
Is there any type of an exclusivity clause in the contract between ESPN and EA? If so, that leaves Sega wide open to partner up with another sports network that is in a position similar to their own (David to EA's Goliath)...Fox Sports Net.
Think about it, Fox Sports Net typically has better coverage with market-specific programming, which allows them to create a better allegience with viewers who like to actually watch sports rather than sports recap shows (as I can invariably turn on ESPN and catch Sportscenter). Sure, they're lacking the NFL license, but they can make a 'generic' football game and still have a commentary team with stylized and recognizable graphics. And it would be something that is applicable across any and all of their sports games...my hope is that they partner with FSN and get in on the FIFA action and produce a soccer game that I actually enjoy playing (EA I refuse to play anymore and Winning Eleven # is too sterile for my tastes).
This is potentially bad for a lot of companies, but Sega doesn't have to be one of them. Of course, this is all moot if there isn't exclusivity between ESPN and EA (which I sincerely doubt).
I also live in the Dallas area, downtown proper, to be exact, but just two or so miles east of all the large sun-blocking buildings. Before I moved into one of the historical buildings, I had the complex and comcast both test the lines to make sure that I would be capable of using both their cable modem and HD digital cable services (as I had no intention of moving in if I had to switch my services over to satellite or dsl). I was told that I could absolutely use both services at the location. I was happy.
/. and maybe watch adult swim if it strikes me. Comcast taught me how to enjoy reading as a hobby again, not just as something I must do to better myself. They also taught me that I am no longer terrified of being without what I once deemed necessary and that I can excercise my right as a consumer and look for better, more reliable options.
Two days after moving in (December 1, 2004), a helpful Comcast technician came out and set everything up for me (I made sure that he wasn't one of the contracted techs...they're worthless, in my estimation). All seemed well until he mentioned that there was a large amount of line noise causing a conflict with the signals and a bloc-sync problem as well, but that he would get a truck out to repair the lines within 24 hours. I was less than happy.
24 hours passed. No one came. I still had no television to watch and no internet connection with which to surf on. I called. And I called. And I called. And I called. In the midsts of all of these calls, I received two bills, one for an incomplete installation (that I never signed off on) and one for the services that never actually worked (both of which I have sucessfully challenged and am no longer responsible for...and I got credits, something I've never once asked for in my entire life, as I'm generally pretty blassaie (sp?) about that kind of thing). So I included billing in my list of people to call and continued to spend more time on the phone with Comcast than I did with my roommate, my mother and my boss (who should be the three most important and talked to people in my life, natch). I was very unhappy.
On December 25, 2004, I received a knock at my door at 8:30AM. It wasn't Santa Claus, it was some technician, he was there to tell me that all should now be will with the lines and would like me to test them...I did. They worked. I was no longer happy, unhappy, angry or anything along those lines, I was wholly indifferent.
The point? All I do now is check my email every couple of days, browse
I no longer care for Comcast as a company, even though I have been with their previous iterations for over a decade in some form or fashion. Their disregard for 'customer service' beyond just throwing out meaningless trinkets like so many beads in a parade has soured many, once loyal, peoples views of the company. Their resistence to listening to the consumer when they are trying to HELP solve the problem only serves to alienate those who might have been willing to work through the problems and get back to enjoying their services. The tendency of their representative to blatantly lie to the customers in order to get them out of their hair (as an individual, not as a whole) has only caused greater problems in the long run.
I'm now shopping around and looking into various options, but the part of town I live in is old and had been neglected for years, but is in the process of being revamped in ways beyond just a fresh coat of paint a few new upscale living facilities. Comcast can wither up and die, for all I care....but not until I've changed providers, I hope.
BAAAAAZING!
"The reviewer discovers that the unit he had is defective as someone else employs one and there is no hiss issue. Furthermore, the software woes he experienced are related to him employing JAPANESE software on an English operating system. Sonicstage 2.3, which he needs to use the unit, is now available in English."
so...when did the reviewer discover that it's more effective for a horse to pull a cart than to push it?
Over the past few years at my local cafe (well, local in terms of where you can find people playing games of various sorts), I've noticed a trend away from chess and backgammon and towards go and cribbage...cribbage I've played, backgammon and chess I've played, but this 'go', I have yet to get involved in.
That said, I've *wanted* to get involved, but have been too intimidated by the speed and ferocity of some of the players there to bother to ask for a quick lesson or three...thanks much for the resources, all. You've helped more than just the stranger in a strange land.