I felt exactly the same way when the PSP came out. Then I bought it, and the drought of good games has relegated it to dust collector status. Both the PSP and PS3 are impressive technically, but without worthwhile games (which we haven't seen much of, except White Knight) it's just going to leave most gamers cold.
I got the newest model of the Wave as a Christmas gift. After a couple months of almost daily use, I have to say it's a beautiful thing. It basically precludes any need for me to bring regular tools to college.
All the blades are on the inside of the handle when the pliers are out, so you don't have anything poking you in the hand. Everything opens and closes incredibly smoothly, as well. The range of stuff included on it is definitely sufficient for basic utility work, and it's tough enough to stand up to rough use. And you can buy extra bits if you need a size that isn't covered by the ones included.
AAC, proprietary? Hardly. It's Fraunhofer's next-gen codec that was supposed to supplant MP3, since (theoretically) it has superior audio quality to MP3. The only one to glom onto AAC seriously is Apple, however.
In my own personal use, I can't tell the difference between an AAC file encoded at 128 kbps and the same song encoded in MP3 at 192 kbps. iTunes was used for encoding both files, and they were played back on a variety of speakers. Long story short, now I only use AAC for encoding. And since I have an iPod (and don't run Linux often), compatibility isn't an issue.
(And before you ask, yes, I could tell the difference between the 128 kbps and 192 kbps MP3s of the same song.)
I will, when the price drops to $99. I'm sure many other people will, too. After all, I can't be the only one whose PS2 is having trouble reading discs after three and a half years of heavy use.
I couldn't agree more here. My girlfriend and I spend a decent amount of time together playing the ol' GameCube. Mostly Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Animal Crossing, but it's quality time together. And then there's always the "Strip " option if you're in the mood.
So I guess soon they will argue second hand shops are actuall big illegal thievery shops.
Already been done. Nintendo has already tried and failed in a little crusade to prove that selling used copies of video games was piracy. Although we're talking about MUCH more expensive equipment in this case, the precedent already stands.
It has been recently emphasised by execs that the games industry is becoming a 'hit' industry, where 5% of the games account for 95% of the profits.
Of course, you can avert this kind of problem from happening. Buy games that were made by small teams, or didn't need as large as a budget, or aren't doing so well. Let the companies know that you appreciate their efforts. Help spread the hype away from the Metroid Primes and the Halos and the GTAs.
The reason why the gaming industry is so "hit" oriented now is because the consumer is simultaneously more and less informed. Instead of looking at the back of a box, thinking it looks cool, then throwing down money for it, people will often research extensively before buying. They'll read previews/reviews, ask for opinions on message boards, and many other things. One problem with this is that the only people to really plumb the depths of a gaming site's coverage are the hardcore gamers. The casual gamers often only know what every form of gaming media highlights on their front page, which is why games like Halo, Metroid Prime, and Metal Gear Solid are so popular. People are lazy, and often refuse to look beyond the surface of many things, including a gaming website's news coverage. The only way to make sure that less popular but very entertaining games are purchased and enjoyed is to alert people. Post on message boards, maybe write an article about a neglected game and ask that it be put on a gaming news site, anything to make people aware that a non-blockbuster game is well worth their gaming time and dollars.
Why condemn Blizzard's efforts to reach an entirely new group of gamers? Those who stick to console-only gaming finally have a chance to enjoy a new Blizzard game, not a port that's vastly inferior to the PC game that it's based off of (Diablo on the PSX, StarCraft on the N64). Although we'll be lucky to see it by 2005, given Blizzard's track record, this could be one of the best decisions they've made as a company. I look forward to their first real attempt to get some fans on the console side of the gaming fence.
Why must we be exposed to another piece of teen movie garbage? Granted, it's a spoof, but it has the trademark "lack of intelligence" that every teen movie has...
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I felt exactly the same way when the PSP came out. Then I bought it, and the drought of good games has relegated it to dust collector status. Both the PSP and PS3 are impressive technically, but without worthwhile games (which we haven't seen much of, except White Knight) it's just going to leave most gamers cold.
I got the newest model of the Wave as a Christmas gift. After a couple months of almost daily use, I have to say it's a beautiful thing. It basically precludes any need for me to bring regular tools to college.
All the blades are on the inside of the handle when the pliers are out, so you don't have anything poking you in the hand. Everything opens and closes incredibly smoothly, as well. The range of stuff included on it is definitely sufficient for basic utility work, and it's tough enough to stand up to rough use. And you can buy extra bits if you need a size that isn't covered by the ones included.
Definitely gets my mark of approval.
Ahem... "Project Rub" was retitled as "Feel The Magic XX/XY". It's coming to the US, as a launch title, no less.
*Ahem*
AAC, proprietary? Hardly. It's Fraunhofer's next-gen codec that was supposed to supplant MP3, since (theoretically) it has superior audio quality to MP3. The only one to glom onto AAC seriously is Apple, however.
In my own personal use, I can't tell the difference between an AAC file encoded at 128 kbps and the same song encoded in MP3 at 192 kbps. iTunes was used for encoding both files, and they were played back on a variety of speakers. Long story short, now I only use AAC for encoding. And since I have an iPod (and don't run Linux often), compatibility isn't an issue.
(And before you ask, yes, I could tell the difference between the 128 kbps and 192 kbps MP3s of the same song.)
I will, when the price drops to $99. I'm sure many other people will, too. After all, I can't be the only one whose PS2 is having trouble reading discs after three and a half years of heavy use.
I couldn't agree more here. My girlfriend and I spend a decent amount of time together playing the ol' GameCube. Mostly Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Animal Crossing, but it's quality time together. And then there's always the "Strip " option if you're in the mood.
Obligatory PA Link Bump maps... Hell yes.
So I guess soon they will argue second hand shops are actuall big illegal thievery shops. Already been done. Nintendo has already tried and failed in a little crusade to prove that selling used copies of video games was piracy. Although we're talking about MUCH more expensive equipment in this case, the precedent already stands.
It has been recently emphasised by execs that the games industry is becoming a 'hit' industry, where 5% of the games account for 95% of the profits. Of course, you can avert this kind of problem from happening. Buy games that were made by small teams, or didn't need as large as a budget, or aren't doing so well. Let the companies know that you appreciate their efforts. Help spread the hype away from the Metroid Primes and the Halos and the GTAs.
The reason why the gaming industry is so "hit" oriented now is because the consumer is simultaneously more and less informed. Instead of looking at the back of a box, thinking it looks cool, then throwing down money for it, people will often research extensively before buying. They'll read previews/reviews, ask for opinions on message boards, and many other things. One problem with this is that the only people to really plumb the depths of a gaming site's coverage are the hardcore gamers. The casual gamers often only know what every form of gaming media highlights on their front page, which is why games like Halo, Metroid Prime, and Metal Gear Solid are so popular. People are lazy, and often refuse to look beyond the surface of many things, including a gaming website's news coverage. The only way to make sure that less popular but very entertaining games are purchased and enjoyed is to alert people. Post on message boards, maybe write an article about a neglected game and ask that it be put on a gaming news site, anything to make people aware that a non-blockbuster game is well worth their gaming time and dollars.
Why condemn Blizzard's efforts to reach an entirely new group of gamers? Those who stick to console-only gaming finally have a chance to enjoy a new Blizzard game, not a port that's vastly inferior to the PC game that it's based off of (Diablo on the PSX, StarCraft on the N64). Although we'll be lucky to see it by 2005, given Blizzard's track record, this could be one of the best decisions they've made as a company. I look forward to their first real attempt to get some fans on the console side of the gaming fence.
Why must we be exposed to another piece of teen movie garbage? Granted, it's a spoof, but it has the trademark "lack of intelligence" that every teen movie has...