What slows Saturn is the same thing that is slowing Earth. Tidal forces between the planet, its moons, and the Sun.
Ever wonder why only one side of the moon faces us? It's called tidal locking.
The Earth is slowing down too. Tidal forces gives the moon our angular momentum little by little. The Sun affects us too, just less so. As the earth's rotatiion slows, the moon's orbital velocity increases pushing the moon farther away.
Saturn's rotation is slowing? As someone who has studied astrophysics, I can safely say: Duh.
I don't know about that. I love the old NES midi. For instance, I have Mega Man Anniversary Collection for the GameCube. Mega Man 2's music was fucking inspired. I don't want anyone messing with it. In fact, I wish more people would use that old synth.
The square button/mis-aligned sensor feature has never been fixed. All that was fixed was the problem where the button would get stuck. I consider that completely broken, and Sony had damn well fix those/
The UMD is currently used by one device... One. I will not consider it a success until there are non Sony products using it. Some people would call Mini-Disc a success. They would be wrong. Considering that a portable DVD player with a much larger screen is available at your local Sam's Club for $100 less than a PSP, I don't see the PSP pushing any UMD revolution.
There is an important group of games that you have missed. For instance, Outburst, Scattergories, or Taboo. Party games like those are still rather popular.
As I see it, the problem with the more complex board games is that they are better suited to computers than tabletops. Take Risk as an example. It is a game that can take a whole night on a table. On a computer, it can take less than an hour. From my short experience with a tabletop war game, games can take days and most of the time is spent setting the game up, fumbling with dice and templates, and double checking rules. Very little time is spent with the stragety and resolution, what I would consider the "fun" parts.
Patience may be a virtue, but it is one I don't have, at least in this quantity. However, streamline the interface and code it onto a computer, and I may not need to have as much patience to squeeze out the fun factor.
But if you take a look at a game like Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, or even Settlers, the games are more reliant on the social aspect for fun than rules and deep contemplation.
I'm not a "hardcore" gamer with board games or video games, but I am an enthusiast for games in general. I understand that this is my opinion.
Settlers of Catan is probably the best board game I have ever played, and it is so simple to play compared to games like Monopoly.
"Hardcore" gamers better get over themselves quickly. Accessible games are not inherently inferior. In fact, I would say that the longer or more complex games are just as frequently piles of crap as games for more "casual" gamers if not more so.
I've always considered myself a child of the bomb.
Let me explain what I mean. My grandfather was one of the first Allied troops to enter Japan after the war. By the time he had reached the island's shores it was peacetime, but had we still been at war, he would have been one of the first troops in the invasion force. In all likelyhood, he would have died on the beach. He said that the landing had been much tougher and slower than they had expected, and he would likely have been a sitting duck in plain view of enemy fire.
Because of my grandfather's stories, I've always considered myself one of the people the bomb saved. There are countless others like my grandfather, both American and Japanese, that were saved by the timely end of the war.
We have a president now that sold our country on the promise of a surgical, victimless war. We can all see how that turned out. Even with all of today's modern technology, innocent lives are lost. People die horribly, painfully on both sides of the fight.
If a war is worth fighting, it is worth winning. Unlike wars like the Iraq war, World War 2 was a war we needed to fight. A country attacked us. They sunk our boats and killed our soldiers. It was not a vague future threat that may or may not ever come to fruition. The Japanese caused us mass destruction with their weapons. We didn't have to look for the weapons, because they brought their weapons to our doorstep and gave us a demonstration.
So we fought, and we fought for complete victory. We wanted unconditional surrender, and we did not stop until we got it. When we did get unconditional surrender, we stopped. Our methods did cause some civillian deaths, but any method would have just as any method does today. No death, civillian or military, Japanese or American, is good.
I believe that the bomb was used to end the war quickly, and many more lives were saved than were lost by its use. We Americans do have much to be ashamed of such as the Japanese internment camps, but I don't include the atomic bomb as one of these things. I think the use of the atomic bomb could only be fully appreciated if we could see the events that resulted if it hadn't been used.
Although Microsoft seems to be pushing to have a say in the creative developement of the movie, I'm wondering how much they'll end up getting. I'd really hate to see a movie with so much promise end up being ruined by a movie company that probably doesn't know anything about the Halo universe.
From everything I've heard about the Halo "storyline" the only chance we have of a decent movie is to keep Microsoft far away from the project.
No, the DS wasn't the one that was rushed. It was just easier to port PS2 code to the PSP. Hell, Sony didn't have hardware development kits to developers until September 2004.
I'm willing to bet that all the PSP launch titles that were not ports of existing PS2 games were games that started development as PS2 games.
On the other hand, the DS has a crazy new interface that does not lend itself to simple porting. At E3 2004, The DS was playable and the PSP wasn't. If either handheld were rushed, it was the PSP.
Have you played any video games? "Talented," "skilled," and "creative" are not how I would describe video game voice actors. I would describe them as "unnecessary." In fact, I'd rather my games didn't have them, because they suck for the most part. Skilled coders, on the other hand, ARE necessary.
If they were such great voice actors, they could get a gig in any number of animated movies or shows. The fact that they aren't and have settled for such "meager" paychecks means that they are at the bottom of the voice actor barrel.
I'm willing to bet that real talent like Sean Connery makes a little more for his services.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for unions, and I guess they should ask for whatever they can get. However, when you are a less than necessary resource, don't be surprised when your jobs are taken. Now if the coders left in the middle of development on a $20 million project, the company may have no other choice than to cave-in.
For $275/hour I would offer my services to the game industry. I do a great impersonation of Cartman singing Nelly's "Hot in Here." Something to think about.
Sorry Wil Weaton, you peaked at "Stand by Me," and even then you were overshadowed by Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, and a heavy Jerry O'Connell. Jerry freaking O'Connell. Sometimes the truth hurts.
No there were coins. Though you collected them in the little shadow world (using the potion), and they only gave you a chance in the bonus slots at the end.
The DS is doing well, because Nintendo figured out that units sell units. Nintendo not only had 2.84 million DS units on retail shelves within 40 days of launch, they also had countless demo units in stores leading up to launch.
Sure the PSP is selling better now in North America. It is the new thing. The early DS adopters already have one, because Nintendo didn't skimp on production when demand was high. This is my point. Many more people have DSs than PSPs, and Sony's refusal to make the investment in production early on is one of the reasons.
I'd rather play a game than a concept.
There are slim pickings for both systems as far as games are concerned, but I already have a GameCube and a PS2. I bought my GBA for the type of games the big consoles wont have, and I have my DS for the same reason. I've been happy with the games so far, and the best is yet to come.
It was Q3 2003 (the quarter that ended Dec 31, 2003). They still made around $400 million profit that fiscal year.
Nintendo has had only one losing quarter since they have been public which i9s about 50 years. However, the grandparent is right in that Nintendo did not make video games back then.
The 3 mil number was projected # shipped (or sold to retailers) worldwide. Since the end of 2004 there hasn't been a Japanese shortage. There were probably a few hundred thousand in the system. They promised 1 million units for the American launch. That adds up to about the 3 million units.
The American numbers aren't so easy to find. Nintendo claimed a 2.5 to 1 DS to PSP ratio worldwide, but I haven't heard an independent source back that up.
I will post, but I'm not angry. The DS has been doing pretty darn well. I'm more shocked that Sony, in the face of all this "demand" they speak of, didn't do something to increase production in... I don't know... December 2004 or thereabouts.
I loved the sailing myself. I really enjoyed the sense of freedom it gave you. Some gaps were a little long, but it was much more fun to me than running place to place in Ocarina of Time.
Oddly enough, The Wind Waker was the first Zelda game I finished. I rarely finish games, so that is a testament to how much I liked the Wind Waker and not a condemnation of the rest of the series. It just takes a special game to hold my attention till the end.
Slashdot Mirror
What slows Saturn is the same thing that is slowing Earth. Tidal forces between the planet, its moons, and the Sun.
Ever wonder why only one side of the moon faces us? It's called tidal locking.
The Earth is slowing down too. Tidal forces gives the moon our angular momentum little by little. The Sun affects us too, just less so. As the earth's rotatiion slows, the moon's orbital velocity increases pushing the moon farther away.
Saturn's rotation is slowing? As someone who has studied astrophysics, I can safely say: Duh.
And Sony has fixed most of the causes overheating, disc read errors, and general failure that often plague their early models.
On second thought, you might want to wait untill it drops to $250 for a better chance at solid manufacturing.
Expect a launch like the PSP:
March 2006 in Japan with 100,000 units. ("We launched on time!")
November 2006 in the US with a million units ("We are focusing on the PSP")
And Summer 2009 in Europe, proscuting anyone who tries to import one.
They make a noble effort, but the originals are still the best.
I don't know about that. I love the old NES midi. For instance, I have Mega Man Anniversary Collection for the GameCube. Mega Man 2's music was fucking inspired. I don't want anyone messing with it. In fact, I wish more people would use that old synth.
The square button/mis-aligned sensor feature has never been fixed. All that was fixed was the problem where the button would get stuck. I consider that completely broken, and Sony had damn well fix those/
The UMD is currently used by one device... One. I will not consider it a success until there are non Sony products using it. Some people would call Mini-Disc a success. They would be wrong. Considering that a portable DVD player with a much larger screen is available at your local Sam's Club for $100 less than a PSP, I don't see the PSP pushing any UMD revolution.
There is an important group of games that you have missed. For instance, Outburst, Scattergories, or Taboo. Party games like those are still rather popular.
As I see it, the problem with the more complex board games is that they are better suited to computers than tabletops. Take Risk as an example. It is a game that can take a whole night on a table. On a computer, it can take less than an hour. From my short experience with a tabletop war game, games can take days and most of the time is spent setting the game up, fumbling with dice and templates, and double checking rules. Very little time is spent with the stragety and resolution, what I would consider the "fun" parts.
Patience may be a virtue, but it is one I don't have, at least in this quantity. However, streamline the interface and code it onto a computer, and I may not need to have as much patience to squeeze out the fun factor.
But if you take a look at a game like Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, or even Settlers, the games are more reliant on the social aspect for fun than rules and deep contemplation.
I'm not a "hardcore" gamer with board games or video games, but I am an enthusiast for games in general. I understand that this is my opinion.
Settlers of Catan is probably the best board game I have ever played, and it is so simple to play compared to games like Monopoly.
"Hardcore" gamers better get over themselves quickly. Accessible games are not inherently inferior. In fact, I would say that the longer or more complex games are just as frequently piles of crap as games for more "casual" gamers if not more so.
I've always considered myself a child of the bomb.
Let me explain what I mean. My grandfather was one of the first Allied troops to enter Japan after the war. By the time he had reached the island's shores it was peacetime, but had we still been at war, he would have been one of the first troops in the invasion force. In all likelyhood, he would have died on the beach. He said that the landing had been much tougher and slower than they had expected, and he would likely have been a sitting duck in plain view of enemy fire.
Because of my grandfather's stories, I've always considered myself one of the people the bomb saved. There are countless others like my grandfather, both American and Japanese, that were saved by the timely end of the war.
We have a president now that sold our country on the promise of a surgical, victimless war. We can all see how that turned out. Even with all of today's modern technology, innocent lives are lost. People die horribly, painfully on both sides of the fight.
If a war is worth fighting, it is worth winning. Unlike wars like the Iraq war, World War 2 was a war we needed to fight. A country attacked us. They sunk our boats and killed our soldiers. It was not a vague future threat that may or may not ever come to fruition. The Japanese caused us mass destruction with their weapons. We didn't have to look for the weapons, because they brought their weapons to our doorstep and gave us a demonstration.
So we fought, and we fought for complete victory. We wanted unconditional surrender, and we did not stop until we got it. When we did get unconditional surrender, we stopped. Our methods did cause some civillian deaths, but any method would have just as any method does today. No death, civillian or military, Japanese or American, is good.
I believe that the bomb was used to end the war quickly, and many more lives were saved than were lost by its use. We Americans do have much to be ashamed of such as the Japanese internment camps, but I don't include the atomic bomb as one of these things. I think the use of the atomic bomb could only be fully appreciated if we could see the events that resulted if it hadn't been used.
Then how are they getting 1-2 Tflops that the companies have claimed?
Oh! I know! Maybe Sony and Microsoft are lying through their teeth!
Although Microsoft seems to be pushing to have a say in the creative developement of the movie, I'm wondering how much they'll end up getting. I'd really hate to see a movie with so much promise end up being ruined by a movie company that probably doesn't know anything about the Halo universe.
From everything I've heard about the Halo "storyline" the only chance we have of a decent movie is to keep Microsoft far away from the project.
That would be pretty damned hard to do considering NVIDIA hasn't finished the PS3 GPU yet.
No, the DS wasn't the one that was rushed. It was just easier to port PS2 code to the PSP. Hell, Sony didn't have hardware development kits to developers until September 2004.
I'm willing to bet that all the PSP launch titles that were not ports of existing PS2 games were games that started development as PS2 games.
On the other hand, the DS has a crazy new interface that does not lend itself to simple porting. At E3 2004, The DS was playable and the PSP wasn't. If either handheld were rushed, it was the PSP.
it is probably because they are planning on selling the PSP for more than it is being imported for.
That is the only thing I can think of.
Damned corporate Communists. They only preach the free market when it benefits them.
And you just committed trademark infringement. Using "PSP" to promote your post. Oh no! Now I've done it! Please Sony, don't sue me!
Egads! I just used "Sony!"
Crap! I did it again!
Exactly how are the freaking voice actors irreplaceable? They are worse than replaceable. They are unnecessary.
Video games do not need voice actors, and most are better without them.
Have you played any video games? "Talented," "skilled," and "creative" are not how I would describe video game voice actors. I would describe them as "unnecessary." In fact, I'd rather my games didn't have them, because they suck for the most part. Skilled coders, on the other hand, ARE necessary.
If they were such great voice actors, they could get a gig in any number of animated movies or shows. The fact that they aren't and have settled for such "meager" paychecks means that they are at the bottom of the voice actor barrel.
I'm willing to bet that real talent like Sean Connery makes a little more for his services.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for unions, and I guess they should ask for whatever they can get. However, when you are a less than necessary resource, don't be surprised when your jobs are taken. Now if the coders left in the middle of development on a $20 million project, the company may have no other choice than to cave-in.
For $275/hour I would offer my services to the game industry. I do a great impersonation of Cartman singing Nelly's "Hot in Here." Something to think about.
Sorry Wil Weaton, you peaked at "Stand by Me," and even then you were overshadowed by Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, and a heavy Jerry O'Connell. Jerry freaking O'Connell. Sometimes the truth hurts.
No there were coins. Though you collected them in the little shadow world (using the potion), and they only gave you a chance in the bonus slots at the end.
The DS is doing well, because Nintendo figured out that units sell units. Nintendo not only had 2.84 million DS units on retail shelves within 40 days of launch, they also had countless demo units in stores leading up to launch.
Sure the PSP is selling better now in North America. It is the new thing. The early DS adopters already have one, because Nintendo didn't skimp on production when demand was high. This is my point. Many more people have DSs than PSPs, and Sony's refusal to make the investment in production early on is one of the reasons.
I'd rather play a game than a concept.
There are slim pickings for both systems as far as games are concerned, but I already have a GameCube and a PS2. I bought my GBA for the type of games the big consoles wont have, and I have my DS for the same reason. I've been happy with the games so far, and the best is yet to come.
It was Q3 2003 (the quarter that ended Dec 31, 2003). They still made around $400 million profit that fiscal year.
Nintendo has had only one losing quarter since they have been public which i9s about 50 years. However, the grandparent is right in that Nintendo did not make video games back then.
The 2004 numbers are easy. About 510,000 were shipped to stores. It is assumed all of them were sold. Keeping track of the Media Create numbers, the PSP has sold about 1.25 million units to consumers life to date in Japan.
The 3 mil number was projected # shipped (or sold to retailers) worldwide. Since the end of 2004 there hasn't been a Japanese shortage. There were probably a few hundred thousand in the system. They promised 1 million units for the American launch. That adds up to about the 3 million units.
The American numbers aren't so easy to find. Nintendo claimed a 2.5 to 1 DS to PSP ratio worldwide, but I haven't heard an independent source back that up.
I will post, but I'm not angry. The DS has been doing pretty darn well. I'm more shocked that Sony, in the face of all this "demand" they speak of, didn't do something to increase production in... I don't know... December 2004 or thereabouts.
Crystal Chronicles was fun in my opinion. However, you needed 2 or 3 close friends to play it with.
I also liked Final Fantasy Tactics for the GBA. I've never been much of a Square fan, but I have enjoyed their recent Nintendo offerings greatly.
I loved the sailing myself. I really enjoyed the sense of freedom it gave you. Some gaps were a little long, but it was much more fun to me than running place to place in Ocarina of Time.
Oddly enough, The Wind Waker was the first Zelda game I finished. I rarely finish games, so that is a testament to how much I liked the Wind Waker and not a condemnation of the rest of the series. It just takes a special game to hold my attention till the end.
But I'm just glad this isn't another "Nintendo is doomed" stories.