I agree with you on all points. I think they did a lot of things right. What I'd really like to see is them go head-to-head with PS3's online service now and make that free as opposed to $50 a year. Its not that $4 a month is a lot, and I'm not even sure if they're capable of it / considering it. But that would be the one improvement i recommend.
I really like what Microsoft has done with the integration between the 360 and MediaCenter. I ended up reformatting my machine with MediaCenter and streaming my movies and pictures with it is fantastic. Personally, I really feel like xbox has hit the nail on the head with all the "extras" and integration they did with the 360. The downloadable game videos and demos was really a breakthrough in the console world. I realize the Wii and PS3 do this as well, which is great, but you definitely have to give it to Microsoft for doing it well, and doing it first. Well... maybe not first in the sense there were hacked xboxes with XMBC (which i've used). It was nice, but this integration is just seamless now with MediaCenter. My only complaint would be the lack of native support for DiVX and XVid but you can't really blame microsoft for supporting their proprietary format.
The downloadable tv shows and movies... meh, seems like they have issues to work out, and even then it may not be my cup of tea, but at least they're trying something.
And, of course this is all my opinion based on what I'm looking for. I don't need a browser in my console, so I don't see that as an advantage for the ps3 or wii. Just like I'm sure many people see no reason to stream pictures through their console so they don't see that as an advantage for the 360. Heh, just my little disclaimer.
Thats great news about your friend. I hope all those ps3 buyers who took them with the uncreative intention of making some bucks from desperate ebay bidders and taking them out of the hands of people who actually wanted them go through a lot of hassle selling theirs.
I saw an ebay auction the other day that ended at $750 for the 60gig model. Hehe, awesome. That was one disappointed loser I bet.
That's a rate of nearly one per second continuously since the November 19 launch
How about the length of Wiis side-by-side in number of football fields?
How many Volkswagen Beetlefuls?
Ha, I thought that might cause some confusion. Here I've put it in a more meaningful format for you. The Wii has sold
4.379562043795620437956204379562e-5 units per year since the beginning of the universe. Hope that helps.
I do agree with you that simply because of the sheer number of possibilities where life could be existing that intelligence has arisen or will arise on some other planet at some point. Keep in mind though the universe is, what are they saying now, 13.7 billion years old. And Homo Sapiens have been around for... well lets say 200,000 years though its probably longer. Though you could argue intelligence wasn't seen until much later (or not even yet, nyuck nyuck). You're talking mere fractions of the entire lifespan of the universe. We'll die out at some point and the universe will continue on for much much longer, making our entire existence that much smaller of a fraction. Then as you point out too, add the whole distance thing to that small timeframe (of any species) problem and I find it hard to believe that any species will exist, evolve, master interstellar travel and just happen to coexist at the same time as another species (with any substantial intelligence) AND be able to actually locate them in the sea of nothingness.
Its great to dream about and makes fantastic sci-fi, but we'll be lucky if we find some relic of an ancient civilization... and thats probably the best we can hope for.
It seems to be an America truism that "things get better after High School," and it wouldn't be surprising if most of you readers feel the same way. However, why does it have to be this way?
I think a lot of the reasons things "get better after high school" is because of the age you are when in high school. I didn't know who I was, took people's opinions of me too seriously, and couldn't get the girl I liked to notice me. I was definitely excited to get out of high school because of how glorious college was made out to be. I didn't read the article, I'm sure it got involved to level at which i just wouldn't care, I assume that the kids they're talking about dropping out aren't then enrolling in college but it just seems like a lot of those feelings stem from puberty and the social environment created by forcing kids of those ages to interact.
I've never seen the O'Reilly Factor, but I know John Cleese (from Monty Python obviously) has basically said the same thing about "kids today." In that they don't get out enough and that they're losing a natural part of socialization because of email, online gaming and the likes.
I'd just like to know the slashdot reaction had the article posted been referring to John Cleese's statements rather than Bill O'Reilly's.
I saw a ps3 running some truck driving game (i have no idea what it was) at a Best Buy this weekend. Not being a sony fan recently, I have to say I was really really impressed with the graphics. Are there any games that run at 1080p or are they all 1080i/720p for launch?
I didn't play it, I just watched some kid play it, so I can't speak to anything else, but the graphics were killer.
Thank you. Someone mod parent up. The current discussion is not about a "ban on internet gambling" rather banning sites that users use to fund their online accounts. For those not in the know, think PayPal.
Basically your state still tells you whether its legal or not to gamble online (sorry Washington). THIS bill tells the BANKS that they can't fund online gambling sites.
Video games are supposed to be an escape from reality, like books and movies. To sit and squabble and argue over which one is better just taints the entire experience for me. I am so sick of people picking sides in a war that doesn't need to be fought. I can't wait until all of this launch BS dies down and people can just get back to enjoying what each console has to offer.
On the other hand, if we all bought them and used them for non-gaming applications (or at least didn't buy any sony-licensed games) we could put some serious smack down on Sony.
Its kind of like communism, while it sounds good on paper, its just not going to work. And I know the same discussion was held multiple times here on/. when everyone wanted to bring Microsoft to their knees by buying Xboxes and 360s. AFAIK it didn't work.
I think the counter-point was that the money is lost when they build the machine, so you buying it is giving them at least some of their money back... but we don't need to go down that path again.:)
Seems to me like he's just trying to hide. Cut and run.
Definitely could be... but since he's tried to resign twice now and been told by Bush he couldn't, it doesn't seem like a huge surprise that he finally did. Seems like a lot of people forget the times when he tried to leave.
Definitely brings up an interesting topic of debate. But lets get to what people really want to talk about... who's getting voted out on the next Survivor?
I guess I was just commenting on your original "Another brilliant innovation" comment. Maybe you won't use it, and bully for you. At 3.33+ hours a day I'm guessing you're doing a lot of flipping which you're not gonna get from any pay-per-download service. My tv watching is more of the 5-6 shows per week variety. Using your math thats $24 a month for me. So, FOR ME, thats actually fairly innovative and saves me money.
I don't know where all the discussion of music sites and mp3 players came from, I thought we were talking xbox360 and tv/movie downloads. But without checking I'll believe you that iTunes has a better selection that MSN music. Also, Lowes is closer to my house than Home Depot... so theres that.
Of course it all comes down to selection and no one can make guesses on that until MS makes another announcement or the service debuts.
MS is going to let us pay for the ability to watch Television shows and movies on our televisions.
Phrased in that way you're exactly right. Phrased as "The Cable Bill / Netflix Killer" it has a much brighter future. I'm not saying thats going to happen, we have to see what kind of content selection and price they're going to offer. But as I said somewhere else, if they're able to provide me with the majority of the TV shows I watch and a decent movie selection (all in HD hopefully) then sure I'll shell out for that instead and save my $100/month Dish and Netflix accounts.
You may very well be right. But I'm excited nonetheless. I have, I don't know, maybe 6 shows that I watch, and thats about it. If, IF it works out in such a way that the majority of those shows are offered for download via the xboxlive service... I mean that could potentially save me a very large satellite bill. I've always been a proponent of al'la carte programming from cable/satellite and this seems like its on the right path. But who knows, its really about how big of a selection they offer, and what the cost is. Worst case scenario : I don't use it.
And lets not forget the "Pokemon Syndrome" of gotta catch 'em all. I do agree with him that you can't compare your score to anothers and expect to find anything significant in what type of player you are. But still... I like collecting things, what can I say. I have and will, replayed a couple of levels/games just to try and get that Achievement that I missed.
This is one of those statistics that boggles my mind in terms of the universe's size. We'll launch, stacks of shades, every 5 minutes, for 25 years and block out only 2% of the suns light? Oof, that thing must be hayuge.
This idea will never happen, such a waste of energy. We'd do better to launch those "shades" off in another direction and start work on a Dyson sphere.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree with you on all points. I think they did a lot of things right. What I'd really like to see is them go head-to-head with PS3's online service now and make that free as opposed to $50 a year. Its not that $4 a month is a lot, and I'm not even sure if they're capable of it / considering it. But that would be the one improvement i recommend.
I really like what Microsoft has done with the integration between the 360 and MediaCenter. I ended up reformatting my machine with MediaCenter and streaming my movies and pictures with it is fantastic. Personally, I really feel like xbox has hit the nail on the head with all the "extras" and integration they did with the 360. The downloadable game videos and demos was really a breakthrough in the console world. I realize the Wii and PS3 do this as well, which is great, but you definitely have to give it to Microsoft for doing it well, and doing it first. Well... maybe not first in the sense there were hacked xboxes with XMBC (which i've used). It was nice, but this integration is just seamless now with MediaCenter. My only complaint would be the lack of native support for DiVX and XVid but you can't really blame microsoft for supporting their proprietary format.
The downloadable tv shows and movies... meh, seems like they have issues to work out, and even then it may not be my cup of tea, but at least they're trying something.
And, of course this is all my opinion based on what I'm looking for. I don't need a browser in my console, so I don't see that as an advantage for the ps3 or wii. Just like I'm sure many people see no reason to stream pictures through their console so they don't see that as an advantage for the 360. Heh, just my little disclaimer.
Thats great news about your friend. I hope all those ps3 buyers who took them with the uncreative intention of making some bucks from desperate ebay bidders and taking them out of the hands of people who actually wanted them go through a lot of hassle selling theirs.
I saw an ebay auction the other day that ended at $750 for the 60gig model. Hehe, awesome. That was one disappointed loser I bet.
Its one of those, "if you have to ask, you're probably not interested" stories.
That's a rate of nearly one per second continuously since the November 19 launch
How about the length of Wiis side-by-side in number of football fields?
How many Volkswagen Beetlefuls?
Ha, I thought that might cause some confusion. Here I've put it in a more meaningful format for you. The Wii has sold 4.379562043795620437956204379562e-5 units per year since the beginning of the universe. Hope that helps.
I do agree with you that simply because of the sheer number of possibilities where life could be existing that intelligence has arisen or will arise on some other planet at some point. Keep in mind though the universe is, what are they saying now, 13.7 billion years old. And Homo Sapiens have been around for... well lets say 200,000 years though its probably longer. Though you could argue intelligence wasn't seen until much later (or not even yet, nyuck nyuck). You're talking mere fractions of the entire lifespan of the universe. We'll die out at some point and the universe will continue on for much much longer, making our entire existence that much smaller of a fraction. Then as you point out too, add the whole distance thing to that small timeframe (of any species) problem and I find it hard to believe that any species will exist, evolve, master interstellar travel and just happen to coexist at the same time as another species (with any substantial intelligence) AND be able to actually locate them in the sea of nothingness.
Its great to dream about and makes fantastic sci-fi, but we'll be lucky if we find some relic of an ancient civilization... and thats probably the best we can hope for.
It seems to be an America truism that "things get better after High School," and it wouldn't be surprising if most of you readers feel the same way. However, why does it have to be this way?
I think a lot of the reasons things "get better after high school" is because of the age you are when in high school. I didn't know who I was, took people's opinions of me too seriously, and couldn't get the girl I liked to notice me. I was definitely excited to get out of high school because of how glorious college was made out to be. I didn't read the article, I'm sure it got involved to level at which i just wouldn't care, I assume that the kids they're talking about dropping out aren't then enrolling in college but it just seems like a lot of those feelings stem from puberty and the social environment created by forcing kids of those ages to interact.
I've never seen the O'Reilly Factor, but I know John Cleese (from Monty Python obviously) has basically said the same thing about "kids today." In that they don't get out enough and that they're losing a natural part of socialization because of email, online gaming and the likes.
I'd just like to know the slashdot reaction had the article posted been referring to John Cleese's statements rather than Bill O'Reilly's.
I saw a ps3 running some truck driving game (i have no idea what it was) at a Best Buy this weekend. Not being a sony fan recently, I have to say I was really really impressed with the graphics. Are there any games that run at 1080p or are they all 1080i/720p for launch?
I didn't play it, I just watched some kid play it, so I can't speak to anything else, but the graphics were killer.
Thank you. Someone mod parent up. The current discussion is not about a "ban on internet gambling" rather banning sites that users use to fund their online accounts. For those not in the know, think PayPal.
Basically your state still tells you whether its legal or not to gamble online (sorry Washington). THIS bill tells the BANKS that they can't fund online gambling sites.
Video games are supposed to be an escape from reality, like books and movies. To sit and squabble and argue over which one is better just taints the entire experience for me. I am so sick of people picking sides in a war that doesn't need to be fought. I can't wait until all of this launch BS dies down and people can just get back to enjoying what each console has to offer.
Tee-hee, you said "taint".
wtf?
Because the launch line up (lincluding those announced for 2007) looks relatively pathetic on the PS3 and looks relatively good on the Wii?
Because I am a nintendo fanboy and thus want Mario/Zelda/Metroid/SSB:B?
Ehhh... I think you've made your choice. Why even visit a "Which console to buy" thread?
Just make sure not to hook it up to your friend's real/positive PS3. If they collide the universe ends.
On the other hand, if we all bought them and used them for non-gaming applications (or at least didn't buy any sony-licensed games) we could put some serious smack down on Sony.
/. when everyone wanted to bring Microsoft to their knees by buying Xboxes and 360s. AFAIK it didn't work.
:)
Its kind of like communism, while it sounds good on paper, its just not going to work. And I know the same discussion was held multiple times here on
I think the counter-point was that the money is lost when they build the machine, so you buying it is giving them at least some of their money back... but we don't need to go down that path again.
Sony made DVD a standard and Blu-ray will, aside from an unprecedented problem occurring, be the new delivery media for high definition movies.
I definitely agree with you. In fact, so much so I'd like to subscribe to your podcast, could you ship me one on MiniDisc?
'presh.
Same with Tony Hawk which i picked up yesterday. I dunno, at first it made me feel kinda of icky, but it was painless enough.
Seems to me like he's just trying to hide. Cut and run.
Definitely could be... but since he's tried to resign twice now and been told by Bush he couldn't, it doesn't seem like a huge surprise that he finally did. Seems like a lot of people forget the times when he tried to leave.
Definitely brings up an interesting topic of debate. But lets get to what people really want to talk about... who's getting voted out on the next Survivor?
To each their own.
That was my point this entire time...
I guess I was just commenting on your original "Another brilliant innovation" comment. Maybe you won't use it, and bully for you. At 3.33+ hours a day I'm guessing you're doing a lot of flipping which you're not gonna get from any pay-per-download service. My tv watching is more of the 5-6 shows per week variety. Using your math thats $24 a month for me. So, FOR ME, thats actually fairly innovative and saves me money.
I don't know where all the discussion of music sites and mp3 players came from, I thought we were talking xbox360 and tv/movie downloads. But without checking I'll believe you that iTunes has a better selection that MSN music. Also, Lowes is closer to my house than Home Depot... so theres that.
Of course it all comes down to selection and no one can make guesses on that until MS makes another announcement or the service debuts.
MS is going to let us pay for the ability to watch Television shows and movies on our televisions.
Phrased in that way you're exactly right. Phrased as "The Cable Bill / Netflix Killer" it has a much brighter future. I'm not saying thats going to happen, we have to see what kind of content selection and price they're going to offer. But as I said somewhere else, if they're able to provide me with the majority of the TV shows I watch and a decent movie selection (all in HD hopefully) then sure I'll shell out for that instead and save my $100/month Dish and Netflix accounts.
You may very well be right. But I'm excited nonetheless. I have, I don't know, maybe 6 shows that I watch, and thats about it. If, IF it works out in such a way that the majority of those shows are offered for download via the xboxlive service... I mean that could potentially save me a very large satellite bill. I've always been a proponent of al'la carte programming from cable/satellite and this seems like its on the right path. But who knows, its really about how big of a selection they offer, and what the cost is. Worst case scenario : I don't use it.
And lets not forget the "Pokemon Syndrome" of gotta catch 'em all. I do agree with him that you can't compare your score to anothers and expect to find anything significant in what type of player you are. But still... I like collecting things, what can I say. I have and will, replayed a couple of levels/games just to try and get that Achievement that I missed.
This is one of those statistics that boggles my mind in terms of the universe's size. We'll launch, stacks of shades, every 5 minutes, for 25 years and block out only 2% of the suns light? Oof, that thing must be hayuge.
This idea will never happen, such a waste of energy. We'd do better to launch those "shades" off in another direction and start work on a Dyson sphere.