There's a simple solution to that which I have found a couple of years ago. Go to your messenger, to the "sounds" configuration screen and choose "No sounds". Life became much less annoying ever since I did that. Do you REALLY need an audable signal to know when someone sends you a message? The blinking (or not blinking) icon is more than enough for me.
But I also disable all the interface sounds (login, logout, open window, close window...)
The only program that is running and is allowed to "surprise" me like this is the temp/fans monitor.
WebCT is horrible. Where I study (the Technion), we used to use a system called Webcourse which was developed by a student in the CS faculty and was free to use for the institute (the institute gets it for free other than tiny prices for mentainance and the student uses it as a testbed). It's an excellent system, very simple interfaces for both the user and the TAs/Professors (my brother is a TA and can attest to that). After some power games (the Technion didn't want to pay the humble mentainance fee etc etc), they decided to throw the system away and install WebCT (which cost a hell lot more). That didn't work well. The CS students made an uproar in the end, Webcourse was used only for CS courses and WebCT was used for the rest. Now it seems like they finally realized what a piece of crap WebCT is, for both the students and the TAs/Professors. My brother TRIED to use to it to set up a page, but it was way too complex so he decided to make a page of his own, with nice CSS and HTML compliance.
Apparantly, they have now moved to a different system, but I have already finished my degree.
So it seems the students' uproar was heard. Everyone here, other than the administration agreed that WebCT sucks.
That is not possible since these are top level providers. A standard refers to 2 types of connections: Customer-Provider and Peering.
An ISP X publishes, at most, the routes as follows (they can choose to publish less): X publishes to its peers and providers the routes to its customers. X publishes to its customers all the routes it recieved.
This creates a layered model, where in the top you have the top level providers, the internet backbone.
Due to this, it is impossible to route: * down to a customer and then back up to a provider (think \_/ ) * peer-to-peer-to-provider ( _/ ) * peer-to-peer-to-peer ( _._ )
Because of this, it is impossible to route it like you mentioned.
The top level must be a clique of peers or some networks can not be reached. Obviously, every ISP wants to be a provider since that gives money, while peering is "free".
What usually happens is that the link is disconnected, all the customers are complaining. It's like a game of "chicken", until one of the ISPs breaks and becomes the other's customer.
Game ratings are done just for this. To allow the parents to know in general what their kids want to play or already play, without needing to see them playing.
When I was little and until my mid teens, my parents always taught me to know right from wrong, reality from fantasy. Because they knew I can understand this difference, they didn't really mind me watching violent movies or playing violent games (same for sexual content). Tho sometimes they'd say they think X is not appropriate for me, but still let me do it, controlled. My mom stressed time and time again that what you see in movies isn't real and specifically refering to pornography, which is a twisted view of the real acts. (she never caught me, but parents know their kids have access to everything).
I enjoy games like GTA a lot and I enjoy being sadistic in those games (btw, cool idea on your Sim-Snuff concept;) but i'm totally un-violent in real life I wouldn't hit a person "just for fun" (tho I love mosh pits;) and have respect for people of all types, genders, races etc and judge only by their acts.
Case in point, it's possible to really love many twisted (4chan etc) things and still be completely normal and non-violent in real life. Moreover, it's no use trying to moderate the children's accessible content after a certain time because they will find what they are looking for. It's much better to have them be prepared for it, and know to turn the parents if something goes bad.
I HAVE SAID THE OBVIOUS UP THERE. It was there just to show a small point that most people know already, but it's there for those who don't.
I don't need the fucking karma, others do. Try reading at -1, you'd be amazed what informative/insightful posts get modded down on a whim of a moderator, sometimes causing new posters to have negative karma, lose the will to post and stop posting. And by that leaving the forum to old posters that post the same inane jokes and redundant opinions. It's rare to have one that actually SAYS something.
Seriously, whoever gets to metamoderate my above post, please mod it unfair. The moderation system is broken, and the above post proves it.
The RIAA isn't supposed to represent the artists. It represents the Recording Industry Association of America, i.e the record companies, i.e the executives. They don't give a fuck about the artists.
(mods, go away, use your points where they're needed.)
They should do what some slashdotter wrote a while ago. When you select songs, the song price should be written and additionally the break-up of where the money goes. When they see 9c to apple, 90c to the record company and 1c to the artist, they'll understand something is wrong. Then they'll see indie labels, 10c to apple, 40c to record comapny, 50c to artist. And then indie artists, 10c to apple, 90c to artist.
Sounds like what they have in MapleStory. It's your standard run-of-the-mill Korean mmorpg (tho 2d and cute) but it's completely free to download, join and play. They survive by using a "cash shop". You can pay real money to have various items like pretty clothes or plastic surgery coupons, the ability to make it snow, the ability to open a shop and most importantly an item that gives you twice the EXP gained from monsters.
1. Dumbing down might be a good thing. Will two buttons, or 4 with the nunchuck be enough? Nintendo aren't that stupid, sure it will, where it's reasonable.
Lets iterate an FPS: Analog for strafes Pointer for aim A button to jump B button to shoot Changing weapons can be done by the d-pad or by selecting items on screen. 2 more action buttons on the nunchuck. SELECT/START for a toggle/map/data screen Any more? Maybe some prone/crouch button, can be cramped into the d-pad.
Lets iterate an RPG (Square style if you may): D-Pad to navigate in menus + A or B to select. Pointer to aim at your target for the spell or telling your char where to move. B button to perform the action. I think that's pretty much it.
A technical fighter? Ok, this controller doesn't work well with fighters. Guess what? A game pad sucks for technical fighters anyways! Ask anyone and they'll tell you to use an arcade stick. Don't want a game stick? Connect a GC controller or use a "standard gamepad" shell.
I hope they designed it ergonomically so you won't have more cramps than with a standard gamepad.
Thanks. The reason I put hardcore in brackets was to refer the meaning my parent post refered to.
It's important to notice there are many types of gamers, varying both in time spent playing and which games appeal to them.
On one side you have those who play games once in a while ("casual gamers") vs those who are in-the-know, play a lot and knows what's happening in the game world. On a different angle, you have those that mainly like sports games (i.e "the madden crowd") vs those who prefer "deeper" games (i.e strategy/RPG/whatever) vs those who like Nintendo-style fun games (i.e not "cool" games). You can have any combination of these and everything in between.
Those who like only "cool" games aren't interested in Nintendo's offers. However it doesn't mean those who also like "not cool" games won't like PS/XBox games. Moreover, regardless of your gaming habits (casual vs in-the-know), you can like either of the consoles. You can have a casual gamer playing GTA on a PS2 or Mario Party on the GC and you can also have an "in-the-know" gamer doing the same thing.
And it's not like only those who like only "cool" games buy the current XBox. An interesting example, which seems a bit exceptional: Ninja Gaiden. This game caters both to those who like "cool" games and to those who like "real games with depth bla bla", however, it's aimed only at those who really play games a lot and truly have "madskillz" and not the "casual gamer".
The PS2 is more of a hybrid, has many games which are "cool", many games which are "fun" and many games for casual or i-t-k gamers.
As for myself, I consider myself an i-t-k gamer but like pretty much any kind of game if it's fun. About the next gen consoles? PS3 - After seeing the Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer vid, looks like a great system. X360 - Me, a Microsoft hater. Other than the actual console design/controller, the upcoming games look very interesting with NinjaGaiden2, 99Nights and a few more. NRev - Unlike the two consoles above, this one is special, something never seen before. Even without seeing the games and graphic quality I know this one will be something special.
I wish luck to all 3 companies (Yes, I actually wish luck to MS too!) and hope they kick eachother's asses, driving prices to the ground and game quality to the sky;)
GAH. I intended for it to stay 2, unmodded. I've written it after another comment replying thinking the OP was SERIOUS. That's why I didn't post as AC, I wanted it to be visible.
WTF is wrong with you modders? MY COMMENT WAS NOT FUCKING INFORMATIVE./. is the only place where you mean one thing, get modded differently and then get modded again due to the original moderation.
Nintendo said they are targetting both the "hardcore" gamers who are bored of the current status AND to non-gamers who will see games that you don't need to read a 50 page manual to start playing. My older brother is certainly not a gamer but then he and his wife bought a DDR pad and game and they really enjoy it. The rev is intended to this audience. Those who like fun things, but don't want the shock of complex games. But on the other hand, they are coming out with Metroid Prime 3 and other "deep" games, for the "hardcore" gamer. Look on the DS. It's sold a lot of pieces just because of a "non-game" which is Nintendogs, to people who are not "hardcore" gamers. That's Nintendo's plan for the Rev. OTOH, Sony is catering only to the "hardcore" gamers with their PSP and while selling well it doesn't seem to be crazy like with the DS.
Case in point, the hardware is here to stay, it's the software that will define its success or failure. Altough personally I trust Nintendo to "know what you doing" and launch every rev "for great justice"
(Sorry for my incohorency, it's 6am in the morning and i'm just on my way to bed)
When I think of playing a fighting game on a standard controller I cringe. Even though it sounds stupid, but those in-the-know know that the console controller is the worst input device for fighting games (due to 4 buttons under the control of ONE thumb). The keyboard is superior (due to multiple buttons and after training, QCs and HCs are natural) and the arcade stick is perfect (multiple buttons, and an intuitive movement input). Fighting games and shmups are meant to be played on an arcade stick. Not on a revolution controller and not on a standard controller.
I really hope someone like Hori would release a good arcade stick for the NRV with all the buttons needed. I don't see the SERIOUS fighter fans using anything other than sticks, regardless if they have some new fancy NRV input.
The PS2 and XBox have had Keyboard+Mouse addons. I'm sure the PS3 and XBox360 will have those too, for online play. But what will happens then, if the games started supporting Keyboard+Mouse input, in addition to gamepads? So you'll pretty much have the PC gaming experience, on a kickass machine, on a big screen and most likely less bugs due to imcompatibity. Why not go a step further? Microsoft shipping Office XBox and XBox Outlook. It's the perfect lock-in.
For first person shooters, it's really a non-brainer. For PS3/XBox360, use the standard (and uberly sucky) dual analog interface, while with the Rev, use the pointer like they did in the Metroid demo.
For other games? What's really the problem? Porting Rev -> others Tilting the remote up/down/left/right can be simulated by an analog stick. Pointing can be using a visual pointer on the screen. Tilting counter/clockwise can be done with shoulder buttons. Moving inside/out can be simulated somehow aswell....
For games that need the actual speed / precision (think sports games, playing Tennis or Golf with the remote!), the standard schemes can be used in the other consoles.
Porting others -> rev most of the buttons are there already, no big problem. you don't have enough buttons? I'm sure they can find a nice way to do with the remote without a big problem, given the SDKs are good enough.
In the various demos shown to the reporting sites, most of the games on show weren't at all FPS and more than one even not in 3d. First think about the controller as a mouse pointer. Think about all the games that really sucked to play with a gamepad like strategy games or even RPGs. It's much easier to select an enemy to attack using a mouse/rev-pointer(probably) than scrolling between the targets with the d-pad. Then think about games where your virtual should be used. For example in a puzzle or quest game, you could reach out, pick up stuff and move it around. Think DS on the big screen. Think about playing a game like Bushido Blade using this controller, in multiplayer!
And hey... touching IS good. If people hadn't touched, you probably wouldn't have been born. I'm seriously waiting for the first hentai game for the DS, it could be so perfect!
What about game developers developers developers? Graphic designers? Movie CG artists?
The developers need the power to test now what will be standard next year. Graphic designers and CG artists need as much power as they can have, for previewing, since the final results are going to need considerably more power anyways, rendered in batch on clusters.
Considering the new XBox and PS will both have Keyboard+Mouse addons, I guess documents are gonna be created there:) I think even the current gen has those addons.
Heck, if it keeps on like this, PCs really are gonna die, since consoles are much cheaper relative to their power!
Slashdot Mirror
There's a simple solution to that which I have found a couple of years ago. Go to your messenger, to the "sounds" configuration screen and choose "No sounds". Life became much less annoying ever since I did that.
Do you REALLY need an audable signal to know when someone sends you a message? The blinking (or not blinking) icon is more than enough for me.
But I also disable all the interface sounds (login, logout, open window, close window...)
The only program that is running and is allowed to "surprise" me like this is the temp/fans monitor.
WebCT is horrible.
Where I study (the Technion), we used to use a system called Webcourse which was developed by a student in the CS faculty and was free to use for the institute (the institute gets it for free other than tiny prices for mentainance and the student uses it as a testbed).
It's an excellent system, very simple interfaces for both the user and the TAs/Professors (my brother is a TA and can attest to that).
After some power games (the Technion didn't want to pay the humble mentainance fee etc etc), they decided to throw the system away and install WebCT (which cost a hell lot more).
That didn't work well. The CS students made an uproar in the end, Webcourse was used only for CS courses and WebCT was used for the rest.
Now it seems like they finally realized what a piece of crap WebCT is, for both the students and the TAs/Professors. My brother TRIED to use to it to set up a page, but it was way too complex so he decided to make a page of his own, with nice CSS and HTML compliance.
Apparantly, they have now moved to a different system, but I have already finished my degree.
So it seems the students' uproar was heard. Everyone here, other than the administration agreed that WebCT sucks.
There's also an anime based on it, and it seems quite popular.
That is not possible since these are top level providers.
A standard refers to 2 types of connections:
Customer-Provider and Peering.
An ISP X publishes, at most, the routes as follows (they can choose to publish less):
X publishes to its peers and providers the routes to its customers.
X publishes to its customers all the routes it recieved.
This creates a layered model, where in the top you have the top level providers, the internet backbone.
Due to this, it is impossible to route:
* down to a customer and then back up to a provider (think \_/ )
* peer-to-peer-to-provider ( _/ )
* peer-to-peer-to-peer ( _._ )
Because of this, it is impossible to route it like you mentioned.
The top level must be a clique of peers or some networks can not be reached.
Obviously, every ISP wants to be a provider since that gives money, while peering is "free".
What usually happens is that the link is disconnected, all the customers are complaining. It's like a game of "chicken", until one of the ISPs breaks and becomes the other's customer.
Hope this explains the situation.
Game ratings are done just for this. To allow the parents to know in general what their kids want to play or already play, without needing to see them playing.
;) but i'm totally un-violent in real life I wouldn't hit a person "just for fun" (tho I love mosh pits ;) and have respect for people of all types, genders, races etc and judge only by their acts.
When I was little and until my mid teens, my parents always taught me to know right from wrong, reality from fantasy. Because they knew I can understand this difference, they didn't really mind me watching violent movies or playing violent games (same for sexual content). Tho sometimes they'd say they think X is not appropriate for me, but still let me do it, controlled.
My mom stressed time and time again that what you see in movies isn't real and specifically refering to pornography, which is a twisted view of the real acts. (she never caught me, but parents know their kids have access to everything).
I enjoy games like GTA a lot and I enjoy being sadistic in those games (btw, cool idea on your Sim-Snuff concept
Case in point, it's possible to really love many twisted (4chan etc) things and still be completely normal and non-violent in real life. Moreover, it's no use trying to moderate the children's accessible content after a certain time because they will find what they are looking for. It's much better to have them be prepared for it, and know to turn the parents if something goes bad.
Ya. Politics surely are grand. One grand here, two grands there and what do you know, the law you wanted passed!
I HAVE SAID THE OBVIOUS UP THERE. It was there just to show a small point that most people know already, but it's there for those who don't.
I don't need the fucking karma, others do.
Try reading at -1, you'd be amazed what informative/insightful posts get modded down on a whim of a moderator, sometimes causing new posters to have negative karma, lose the will to post and stop posting. And by that leaving the forum to old posters that post the same inane jokes and redundant opinions. It's rare to have one that actually SAYS something.
Seriously, whoever gets to metamoderate my above post, please mod it unfair.
The moderation system is broken, and the above post proves it.
The RIAA isn't supposed to represent the artists. It represents the Recording Industry Association of America, i.e the record companies, i.e the executives. They don't give a fuck about the artists.
(mods, go away, use your points where they're needed.)
They should do what some slashdotter wrote a while ago.
When you select songs, the song price should be written and additionally the break-up of where the money goes. When they see 9c to apple, 90c to the record company and 1c to the artist, they'll understand something is wrong.
Then they'll see indie labels, 10c to apple, 40c to record comapny, 50c to artist.
And then indie artists, 10c to apple, 90c to artist.
Sounds like what they have in MapleStory.
It's your standard run-of-the-mill Korean mmorpg (tho 2d and cute) but it's completely free to download, join and play. They survive by using a "cash shop". You can pay real money to have various items like pretty clothes or plastic surgery coupons, the ability to make it snow, the ability to open a shop and most importantly an item that gives you twice the EXP gained from monsters.
This new game seems to employ the same system.
1. Dumbing down might be a good thing. Will two buttons, or 4 with the nunchuck be enough?
Nintendo aren't that stupid, sure it will, where it's reasonable.
Lets iterate an FPS:
Analog for strafes
Pointer for aim
A button to jump
B button to shoot
Changing weapons can be done by the d-pad or by selecting items on screen.
2 more action buttons on the nunchuck.
SELECT/START for a toggle/map/data screen
Any more? Maybe some prone/crouch button, can be cramped into the d-pad.
Lets iterate an RPG (Square style if you may):
D-Pad to navigate in menus + A or B to select.
Pointer to aim at your target for the spell or telling your char where to move.
B button to perform the action.
I think that's pretty much it.
A technical fighter? Ok, this controller doesn't work well with fighters.
Guess what? A game pad sucks for technical fighters anyways! Ask anyone and they'll tell you to use an arcade stick. Don't want a game stick? Connect a GC controller or use a "standard gamepad" shell.
I hope they designed it ergonomically so you won't have more cramps than with a standard gamepad.
Thanks. The reason I put hardcore in brackets was to refer the meaning my parent post refered to.
;)
It's important to notice there are many types of gamers, varying both in time spent playing and which games appeal to them.
On one side you have those who play games once in a while ("casual gamers") vs those who are in-the-know, play a lot and knows what's happening in the game world.
On a different angle, you have those that mainly like sports games (i.e "the madden crowd") vs those who prefer "deeper" games (i.e strategy/RPG/whatever) vs those who like Nintendo-style fun games (i.e not "cool" games).
You can have any combination of these and everything in between.
Those who like only "cool" games aren't interested in Nintendo's offers.
However it doesn't mean those who also like "not cool" games won't like PS/XBox games.
Moreover, regardless of your gaming habits (casual vs in-the-know), you can like either of the consoles.
You can have a casual gamer playing GTA on a PS2 or Mario Party on the GC and you can also have an "in-the-know" gamer doing the same thing.
And it's not like only those who like only "cool" games buy the current XBox.
An interesting example, which seems a bit exceptional: Ninja Gaiden. This game caters both to those who like "cool" games and to those who like "real games with depth bla bla", however, it's aimed only at those who really play games a lot and truly have "madskillz" and not the "casual gamer".
The PS2 is more of a hybrid, has many games which are "cool", many games which are "fun" and many games for casual or i-t-k gamers.
As for myself, I consider myself an i-t-k gamer but like pretty much any kind of game if it's fun. About the next gen consoles?
PS3 - After seeing the Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer vid, looks like a great system.
X360 - Me, a Microsoft hater. Other than the actual console design/controller, the upcoming games look very interesting with NinjaGaiden2, 99Nights and a few more.
NRev - Unlike the two consoles above, this one is special, something never seen before. Even without seeing the games and graphic quality I know this one will be something special.
I wish luck to all 3 companies (Yes, I actually wish luck to MS too!) and hope they kick eachother's asses, driving prices to the ground and game quality to the sky
GAH. I intended for it to stay 2, unmodded. I've written it after another comment replying thinking the OP was SERIOUS. That's why I didn't post as AC, I wanted it to be visible.
/. is the only place where you mean one thing, get modded differently and then get modded again due to the original moderation.
WTF is wrong with you modders? MY COMMENT WAS NOT FUCKING INFORMATIVE.
fuck this.
To whoever not understood, the parent was SARCASTIC.
Neat! But I was aiming more for a cute Japanese anime-style game :-P
Real girls are boring.
Nintendo said they are targetting both the "hardcore" gamers who are bored of the current status AND to non-gamers who will see games that you don't need to read a 50 page manual to start playing.
My older brother is certainly not a gamer but then he and his wife bought a DDR pad and game and they really enjoy it. The rev is intended to this audience. Those who like fun things, but don't want the shock of complex games.
But on the other hand, they are coming out with Metroid Prime 3 and other "deep" games, for the "hardcore" gamer.
Look on the DS. It's sold a lot of pieces just because of a "non-game" which is Nintendogs, to people who are not "hardcore" gamers. That's Nintendo's plan for the Rev.
OTOH, Sony is catering only to the "hardcore" gamers with their PSP and while selling well it doesn't seem to be crazy like with the DS.
Case in point, the hardware is here to stay, it's the software that will define its success or failure. Altough personally I trust Nintendo to "know what you doing" and launch every rev "for great justice"
(Sorry for my incohorency, it's 6am in the morning and i'm just on my way to bed)
When I think of playing a fighting game on a standard controller I cringe. Even though it sounds stupid, but those in-the-know know that the console controller is the worst input device for fighting games (due to 4 buttons under the control of ONE thumb). The keyboard is superior (due to multiple buttons and after training, QCs and HCs are natural) and the arcade stick is perfect (multiple buttons, and an intuitive movement input).
Fighting games and shmups are meant to be played on an arcade stick. Not on a revolution controller and not on a standard controller.
I really hope someone like Hori would release a good arcade stick for the NRV with all the buttons needed. I don't see the SERIOUS fighter fans using anything other than sticks, regardless if they have some new fancy NRV input.
The PS2 and XBox have had Keyboard+Mouse addons. I'm sure the PS3 and XBox360 will have those too, for online play.
But what will happens then, if the games started supporting Keyboard+Mouse input, in addition to gamepads? So you'll pretty much have the PC gaming experience, on a kickass machine, on a big screen and most likely less bugs due to imcompatibity.
Why not go a step further? Microsoft shipping Office XBox and XBox Outlook. It's the perfect lock-in.
Just... just in case.
In case I'm not crazy...
That's how they find us.
By our teeth.
I don't want them to find me. Ever.
I don't want to go back.
For first person shooters, it's really a non-brainer. For PS3/XBox360, use the standard (and uberly sucky) dual analog interface, while with the Rev, use the pointer like they did in the Metroid demo.
For other games? What's really the problem?
Porting Rev -> others
Tilting the remote up/down/left/right can be simulated by an analog stick.
Pointing can be using a visual pointer on the screen.
Tilting counter/clockwise can be done with shoulder buttons.
Moving inside/out can be simulated somehow aswell....
For games that need the actual speed / precision (think sports games, playing Tennis or Golf with the remote!), the standard schemes can be used in the other consoles.
Porting others -> rev
most of the buttons are there already, no big problem. you don't have enough buttons? I'm sure they can find a nice way to do with the remote without a big problem, given the SDKs are good enough.
In the various demos shown to the reporting sites, most of the games on show weren't at all FPS and more than one even not in 3d.
First think about the controller as a mouse pointer. Think about all the games that really sucked to play with a gamepad like strategy games or even RPGs. It's much easier to select an enemy to attack using a mouse/rev-pointer(probably) than scrolling between the targets with the d-pad.
Then think about games where your virtual should be used. For example in a puzzle or quest game, you could reach out, pick up stuff and move it around. Think DS on the big screen.
Think about playing a game like Bushido Blade using this controller, in multiplayer!
And hey... touching IS good. If people hadn't touched, you probably wouldn't have been born.
I'm seriously waiting for the first hentai game for the DS, it could be so perfect!
Just like commenting on the PS3 controller:
"Ooooh! A banana-rang, how innovative!"
or on the X360 controller:
"Ooooh! It's white and um... ugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and huge)"
Looks aren't everything, and no offence, didn't your mom tell you that?
Obviously they are the results of a Glboal Thermonuclear War somewhere in a galaxy far far away :)
Or a star destroyer saying bye-bye to some planets.
What about game developers developers developers? Graphic designers? Movie CG artists?
The developers need the power to test now what will be standard next year.
Graphic designers and CG artists need as much power as they can have, for previewing, since the final results are going to need considerably more power anyways, rendered in batch on clusters.
Considering the new XBox and PS will both have Keyboard+Mouse addons, I guess documents are gonna be created there :)
I think even the current gen has those addons.
Heck, if it keeps on like this, PCs really are gonna die, since consoles are much cheaper relative to their power!