Nintendo as a software company does(and has) delayed releases, but they've never delayed hardware to my recollection.
If IIRC and it was an official nintendo press release that stated that the DS was coming out this year and the GBA2(or whatever) is coming out next year, you can be pretty sure they will be.
If Sony stays true to form, the PSP will have no where near the capability they've been touting, break after a year or two, and have no real outstanding titles for the first 6 months. So I hope they deviate a bit from their norms.:-P
From the article: The seal would enable the music and movie industries to deliver on their stated belief that education is as important as enforcement in combating piracy.
That makes no sense whatsoever, the people that control the original content are not capable of putting in little blurbs? They need an FBI seal for education purposes? Which can be stripped out just as easy as anything the RIAA/MPAA could put in....
Nintendo has always tried in recent years to be the lowest cost new platform out. The PSP is expected to be in the $300-$400 range, and the DS in the $200-$300 range. I'd bet it'll debut at about $100 less than the PSP.
What it looks like Nintendo is trying to do, and I'm not sure if these are the right moves to go about it or not, is bring about the 3rd golden age of gaming, just as they brought about the 2nd after Atari all but died.
They're of the opinion that there's a market there for simpy fun games unburdened by, to quote the article, "flashy graphics, heavily-orchestrated sound, and complex stories."
"Simply creating more advanced technlogy and adding more features to hardware doesn't translate to fun games, Yamauchi said."
I agree with his basic premise, I'm not sure if the DS is the way to go about doing it or not however. So, I'm patiently awaiting E3 to see how it all turns out.
The solid state carts are going to be up to 1GB in size. Or 66% the size of a GCN disk(IIRC the capacity) and a hell of a lot bigger than a normal GBA cart(32-128MB. And which can also go up to 1GB for dev flash carts).
Here's some info on the system from the-magicbox. Second section from the top, under portables.
- Nintendo announced its new hardware today, which is a Nintendo DS (dual-screen) portable system (tentative name), it is a completely new product separated from the current GameCube and GameBoy Advance systems. The dual-screen system will have two connected 3" TFT LCD display panels with backlit, and two separate processors, the machine will have the ARM9 main processor and ARM7 sub-processor.
- The Nintendo DS will use rewriteable media for games, which has a capacity up to 1Gbit (125 MByte). Nintendo explained the dual screen concept can eliminate the need to toggle between different screens, and open new perspectives to gaming. More details of the system will be available in E3 2004.
There's also a sequel to the GBA and GCN in the pipe, I think due out for next year in the case of the GBA sequel.
Current speculation is that the new system will be backwards compatable with GBA games and include wireless multiplayer support as well. The pricepoint is probably around $150-$200(as it's basically two GBA-SP LCDs, 1 GBA-SP co-processor, 1 higher end ARM main processor, and double the battery. The huge chunk of RAM(1GB, but I think that refers to the rewritable cart size) that's been hinted at may raise this price however.), $100-$150 under the speculated price of the as yet unrealized PSP, and looking like it'll have battery life along the lines of the GBA-SP but one hell of a lot more power(as the GBA-SP's processor is underclocked to save battery).
I'm guessing, and I can only really guess at this stage, is that it will fold up like the SP does and be about 2 inches thick. Hopefully nintendo adds some buttons and a second d-pad to the thing, the GBA really should've had two more than it does.
Not too shabby, can't wait til May when we should see both this and the PSP. Hopefully in action so we can all stop speculating.
With few exceptions, cross platform games suck on the PS2.
They generally, in order of appearance look best on the X-Box, slightly worse than the X-Box on the GCN and then like a generation behind on the PS2.
Maybe it's the VU programming versus more direct and easier methods on the GCN and X-Box(I've heard the X-Box is easy as pie to code for[I'd hope so, considering it comes from the same company that came up with the idea of wizards for deriving classes!], and Nintendo has excellent developer support as well, whereas Sony's isn't too hot in comparison) that makes us see this effect.
I somehow doubt that however. I think the PS2 is just the weakest of the 3 systems out(and it is, regardless of whether the problem is dev[and dev support] side, or hardware side).
Cable Companies will eat this up. They need to provide more content and have been doing it through crappy games played via a remote(well, charter has, anyway).
Sell devices to Cable Co. Cable Co happily rents you a box and a subscription for something like $50/month. If it's real, I expect that's how it's going to work.
Don't forget you can get a flash card for a GBA for around $100. This allows you to buy a complete dev kit + test system for between $160 and $200(or, if you have an internet connection you can get every GB, GBA, and NES game for free(store them 4 at a time on one normal sized cart)). For $300 you can buy a GBA SP, A 1GB Flash Cart(big enough to store something like 64 GBA games), A link cable, and a Gamecube - GBA link cable. The GBA SP has a base battery power of 8-10 hours with backlight on, and the battery can be replaced to nearly double that for another $100. So, you have an upgradeable, portable system with a one time cost, that comes in at base at the sub $100 pricepoint.
The N-Gage similarly, allows homebrewing(in theory). The PSP will not.
Given Sony's preferrence for hyping hardware features that will never see the light of day(PS1, PS2, PSX), it would deeply shock me if it performed at anywhere near the level they claim. Then, their reputation for producing crap(PS1 & PS2 laser assemblies, which have a tendancy to fail[granted this is high volume, but the gameboy has much higher volume and you don't hear about hardly any problems from GB/GBA/GBA-SP owners]).
Even if it does live up to the hype, it's still looking to debut at the $300 pricepoint. At which point, it better come out with some damned fun games, decent battery life, and a BJ attachment if they expect me to buy one.
Many have offered a superior handheld system to Nintendo, all have failed. If Sony fails to convince the majority of current Gameboy Owners that it's worth it to buy a new handheld, their offering will die or languish at a far distant 2nd(where who in their right mind would develop much for it?).
But it looks like it's definately going to be over $300. The dollar isn't exactly strong right now, and Sony isn't a US based company. With the current lowest cost trends, I'd be deeply surprised if it wasn't in the $400 range.
It's all but dead in the water at that pricepoint. I just don't see it happening.
Yes, let us outsource sensitive information to areas outside of our control and legal system.
As they say in the Guiness commercial, "Brilliant!"
This is one of the things that is going to come back and bite a lot of companies. It's already bit one US hospital.
Company outsources to other company which sub-contracts to another company on down the line until you reach a group of pakistani data entry people who when they aren't paid, offer to sell patient records off the highest bidder(BOOM, hospital is on the hook for millions in potential lawsuits). At least most of the main outsourcing candidates have some degree of liability. If I were to stop and think about it as a CTO, outsourcing certain things would terrify me.
Want to reduce(and improve) outsourcing, up the liability the companies that choose to do it risk if they choose the wrong people.
Want to ensure closed source continues to exist as a secure medium? Make them liable if it's not.
Oh, and no government IT should be outsourced as a rule. Not software dev, not tech support.
Or, best of all, bring these indian programmers and help desk folks over here. We've got room if they have the skills. I'll gladly compete with them.
Already here, well, you need some speciality hardware, but it's already here.
I'll stick with my POTS tho, pls nod thanx. It never has any problems, I've yet to see a VoIP service that can match it on anything other than price in my area.
It does however nicely fill that niche of popping a word-processor onto a system. Currently filled by MS Works.
I'm surprised OEMs haven't started loading it by default(unless office is specified), apart from some speed issues, it does just about everything a typical home user needs.
Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo as a software company does(and has) delayed releases, but they've never delayed hardware to my recollection.
:-P
If IIRC and it was an official nintendo press release that stated that the DS was coming out this year and the GBA2(or whatever) is coming out next year, you can be pretty sure they will be.
If Sony stays true to form, the PSP will have no where near the capability they've been touting, break after a year or two, and have no real outstanding titles for the first 6 months. So I hope they deviate a bit from their norms.
No they aren't. On the list of gaming companies that delay releases Nintendo is not even a foot note next to 3Drealms and IonStorm.
DS is being launched this year, and it's not targetted at the same market as the PSP. (IE it's not in the same market as the Gameboy).
The Gameboy Advance sequel however, is, IIRC coming out next year as well.
So, there goes Sony's headstart.
Not could be wrong, ARE wrong.
Hint: When being a grammar nazi, please use correct grammer.
Please nod thanks.
(Disclaimer: spalling errers en da above are intentionall)
Umm VOIP uses a bit more than 1.4KB/sec(and less than 52000bps as well), and it varies from second to second.
From the article:
The seal would enable the music and movie industries to deliver on their stated belief that education is as important as enforcement in combating piracy.
That makes no sense whatsoever, the people that control the original content are not capable of putting in little blurbs? They need an FBI seal for education purposes? Which can be stripped out just as easy as anything the RIAA/MPAA could put in....
Riiiiggghtttt.
You read the ultraviolet section?
What's your clearance citizen?
Nintendo has always tried in recent years to be the lowest cost new platform out. The PSP is expected to be in the $300-$400 range, and the DS in the $200-$300 range. I'd bet it'll debut at about $100 less than the PSP.
What it looks like Nintendo is trying to do, and I'm not sure if these are the right moves to go about it or not, is bring about the 3rd golden age of gaming, just as they brought about the 2nd after Atari all but died.
They're of the opinion that there's a market there for simpy fun games unburdened by, to quote the article, "flashy graphics, heavily-orchestrated sound, and complex stories."
"Simply creating more advanced technlogy and adding more features to hardware doesn't translate to fun games, Yamauchi said."
I agree with his basic premise, I'm not sure if the DS is the way to go about doing it or not however. So, I'm patiently awaiting E3 to see how it all turns out.
No, no error. You're just American.
Both of our parties are pretty far to the right, believe it or not.
Here ya go Mr. Lazy slashdoter. (No login/subscription needed link)
It's coming, and I'm buying one when it happens.
Not til then tho.
Yea, seriously, what's the big deal?
So you need to put a line into your documentation/splash screen/what have you that says this software was made by foo.
Whine, whine, whine.
Not so sure about that, one of them mentioned anti-skip.
That's a really wierd thing to say about a Cart based handheld...
Here's some info on the system from the-magicbox. Second section from the top, under portables.
There's also a sequel to the GBA and GCN in the pipe, I think due out for next year in the case of the GBA sequel.
Current speculation is that the new system will be backwards compatable with GBA games and include wireless multiplayer support as well. The pricepoint is probably around $150-$200(as it's basically two GBA-SP LCDs, 1 GBA-SP co-processor, 1 higher end ARM main processor, and double the battery. The huge chunk of RAM(1GB, but I think that refers to the rewritable cart size) that's been hinted at may raise this price however.), $100-$150 under the speculated price of the as yet unrealized PSP, and looking like it'll have battery life along the lines of the GBA-SP but one hell of a lot more power(as the GBA-SP's processor is underclocked to save battery).
I'm guessing, and I can only really guess at this stage, is that it will fold up like the SP does and be about 2 inches thick. Hopefully nintendo adds some buttons and a second d-pad to the thing, the GBA really should've had two more than it does.
Not too shabby, can't wait til May when we should see both this and the PSP. Hopefully in action so we can all stop speculating.
With few exceptions, cross platform games suck on the PS2.
They generally, in order of appearance look best on the X-Box, slightly worse than the X-Box on the GCN and then like a generation behind on the PS2.
Maybe it's the VU programming versus more direct and easier methods on the GCN and X-Box(I've heard the X-Box is easy as pie to code for[I'd hope so, considering it comes from the same company that came up with the idea of wizards for deriving classes!], and Nintendo has excellent developer support as well, whereas Sony's isn't too hot in comparison) that makes us see this effect.
I somehow doubt that however. I think the PS2 is just the weakest of the 3 systems out(and it is, regardless of whether the problem is dev[and dev support] side, or hardware side).
Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, FF2/3... portable...
drool....
Why not? It's brilliant!
Cable Companies will eat this up. They need to provide more content and have been doing it through crappy games played via a remote(well, charter has, anyway).
Sell devices to Cable Co. Cable Co happily rents you a box and a subscription for something like $50/month. If it's real, I expect that's how it's going to work.
Halo was good on a console for the same reason Goldeneye was good. It's a great party FPS.
Apart from that... Well, I'll let those who've sold their console buying souls to Microsoft(and thus paid for their own shafting) answer.
Don't forget you can get a flash card for a GBA for around $100. This allows you to buy a complete dev kit + test system for between $160 and $200(or, if you have an internet connection you can get every GB, GBA, and NES game for free(store them 4 at a time on one normal sized cart)). For $300 you can buy a GBA SP, A 1GB Flash Cart(big enough to store something like 64 GBA games), A link cable, and a Gamecube - GBA link cable. The GBA SP has a base battery power of 8-10 hours with backlight on, and the battery can be replaced to nearly double that for another $100. So, you have an upgradeable, portable system with a one time cost, that comes in at base at the sub $100 pricepoint.
The N-Gage similarly, allows homebrewing(in theory). The PSP will not.
Given Sony's preferrence for hyping hardware features that will never see the light of day(PS1, PS2, PSX), it would deeply shock me if it performed at anywhere near the level they claim. Then, their reputation for producing crap(PS1 & PS2 laser assemblies, which have a tendancy to fail[granted this is high volume, but the gameboy has much higher volume and you don't hear about hardly any problems from GB/GBA/GBA-SP owners]).
Even if it does live up to the hype, it's still looking to debut at the $300 pricepoint. At which point, it better come out with some damned fun games, decent battery life, and a BJ attachment if they expect me to buy one.
Many have offered a superior handheld system to Nintendo, all have failed. If Sony fails to convince the majority of current Gameboy Owners that it's worth it to buy a new handheld, their offering will die or languish at a far distant 2nd(where who in their right mind would develop much for it?).
But it looks like it's definately going to be over $300. The dollar isn't exactly strong right now, and Sony isn't a US based company. With the current lowest cost trends, I'd be deeply surprised if it wasn't in the $400 range.
It's all but dead in the water at that pricepoint. I just don't see it happening.
Bandwidth is cheap. Loops are not. Blame the Telco unions.
Yes, let us outsource sensitive information to areas outside of our control and legal system.
As they say in the Guiness commercial, "Brilliant!"
This is one of the things that is going to come back and bite a lot of companies. It's already bit one US hospital.
Company outsources to other company which sub-contracts to another company on down the line until you reach a group of pakistani data entry people who when they aren't paid, offer to sell patient records off the highest bidder(BOOM, hospital is on the hook for millions in potential lawsuits). At least most of the main outsourcing candidates have some degree of liability. If I were to stop and think about it as a CTO, outsourcing certain things would terrify me.
Want to reduce(and improve) outsourcing, up the liability the companies that choose to do it risk if they choose the wrong people.
Want to ensure closed source continues to exist as a secure medium? Make them liable if it's not.
Oh, and no government IT should be outsourced as a rule. Not software dev, not tech support.
Or, best of all, bring these indian programmers and help desk folks over here. We've got room if they have the skills. I'll gladly compete with them.
It's probably something like 3M Fluorinert.
GnuPhone. Sister project to Asterisk.
Already here, well, you need some speciality hardware, but it's already here.
I'll stick with my POTS tho, pls nod thanx. It never has any problems, I've yet to see a VoIP service that can match it on anything other than price in my area.
I somehow doubt it.
It does however nicely fill that niche of popping a word-processor onto a system. Currently filled by MS Works.
I'm surprised OEMs haven't started loading it by default(unless office is specified), apart from some speed issues, it does just about everything a typical home user needs.