Yes, because Sony told people to utilize homeless people and push and shove to get a PS3.
Don't get me wrong, Sony has done a lot of bad shit, and has been very arrogant when it comes to the PS3, but this kind of behavior should be attributed expressly to the consumers. Okay, one might argue that Sony created an artificial shortage (blue laser conspiracy?), but that's no reason someone has to be an asshole. It isn't a necessary product, so the fault lies almost entirely on the consumers.
Come on, Zonk. I'm pretty anti-Sony, too, but you don't need to redirect blame for something like this. There's lots of other stuff Sony has done to be called on.
Just in case this seems lop-sided, the Nintendo Wii has delays as well: the quirky but interesting title, Elebits, has been delayed about a month. Konami says the game is done, but Nintendo's Q&A process has held back the release.
Ever since they started re-releasing SNES games on the GBA, the number one game I've wanted to get was Super Mario RPG. Many oldschoolers, myself included, will say that this is one of the greatest RPGs ever. It's basically a preview to what Kingdom Hearts is- the combination of two companies, one with the gameplay, the other with the characters. Square took the characters from the Mushroom Kingdom and put them into one awesome game.
The fact that it's appearing on the Wii VC means that Squeenix isn't against the idea of supporting the Wii, at least in this limited way that gets mostly profit. With their lead, other companies will start to jump on board, and hopefully we'll have most, if not all, of the NES, SNES, and N64 library open for purchase and download.
In the same vein, it's nice to see that these new lists aren't just re-re-re-releases. I've never played Super Metroid or Kirby's Super Star, but I will certainly pay to play them on the Wii.
What if I just waltz in on the appropriate day and put my tent in front of theirs?
Then I hope you have good insurance. If you somehow fail to get the everliving shit beaten out of you for a stunt like that, they could likely raise enough of a racket to get an officer to come and make you move for "disturbing the peace", depending on the crime rate in the area. Even so, there is no guarentee that waiting in line outside a store will allow you to be the first one in, except for common courtesy and store policy.
I can't tell from your request on whether you're just looking for something to bide you over until college, something to do during your college career, or something that would let you completely skip the college experience.
If the first, I have little in the way of advice aside from trying to do your own projects on the side of whatever else you do, and get noticed from there.
If the last, bad idea. You won't get very far without at least a bachelor's unless you're very lucky, very connected, or very, very good. Not everyone can be the next Bill Gates, and unless you want to waste four years figuring that out, I suggest you start looking at colleges. There are many different ways to pay- some you have to pay back, some you don't.
If the middle, may I make a college/university suggestion (and self-college plug)? Kettering University (formerly GM Institute). The per-week tuition is something like the second highest in the country, the location is horrible (ask anyone who knows of it what Flint, MI is like), and we have to take more credits than most "regular" places, but damn if you won't have opportunity out the wazoo.
Kettering is different from your regular college experience. First, we don't have spring or summer break, so don't come here if you're lazy. Second, Kettering has a co-operative system where you are hired as basically a paid intern with a company in a position relating to your major, and you stay with them your entire college career. And no, this isn't "We could use some coffee" internships- you'll actually work on projects related to your major, and gain great experience. By the time you graduate, unless you have a hard time finding a job (the college is mainly Engineering, so us CSs get the short stick at times), you'll have a full two years of work experience. The wages are fairly decent, too.
Plus, depending on the place you work and what openings they have, you might stay on full time after you graduate. Even if you don't, you'll have a leg up on almost every other graduate in the country when you finally get your diploma, making it much easier to find a job.
The real fun begins when Lucasarts gets a lightsaber game released.
Ooooh yeah. There are roughly 200 million people out there who would love to mess around with a lightsaber, both kids and adults alike.
Give it a good story, make it so that the lightsaber is the main weapon (but other weapons are available), and use motion sensing for stuff like Force powers, and you have an instanst platinum game.
You know Lucas Arts is at least thinking about it, and would be stupid not to make it. I can't wait.
While I am also disappointed that it doesn't completely emulate the swing, I'm not surprised. After all, Twilight Princess was made with the Gamecube in mind, and only ported and enhanced (and mirrored) for the Wii.
Plus, this is first generation software. Developers are still getting used to the different control scheme and seeing what they can do. While games during this generation will likely do the same action(s) regardless of swing motion, around the third generation (and definately by the end of the Wii's life) we will have fairly accurate emulation. It will start with the direction of a swing being emulated, and then the force of the swing as well.
Am I the only one who feels disappointed with the initial Virtual Console offerings? Looking at the list, at least half of these titles have already been re-released and re-re-released, mainly those from Sega and Nintendo.
Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the VC, but I can't see any game on the list right now that greatly interest me. Hopefully the next ten that come out are some of the more popular or better games, and that Nintendo can get other companies to jump on board.
"Hey, do you guys want to work for a week or two and make some easy money?"
I'm particularily hoping for FFIII (US version) and Super Mario RPG.
I also hope they lower the prices. As it stands, there are many games I want to play, but few that I can really do at $5+ a pop. Nintendo needs to realize that most, if not all, of the games being offered are available online for emulation. Not exactly legal, but far cheaper. Hell, you can get most non-popular N64 games for around $10 used at places that still carry them; this would then only be a benefit if you don't already have an N64 (which are themselves quite cheap).
But the insane tactics being touted in the States ([...], agents visiting you for joking about killing the Pres on the internet, [...]
I'm not sure how if there's a comparable department in the UK, but the main focus of the US Secret Service is to protect those they've been assigned to, first and foremost the President. Yes, they also have jurisdiction over money counterfiting, seeing as they are a police force under the Secretary of Treasury, but that's a little less common, or at least reported such.
So you're protecting someone, and what do you do? Just form a circle around him or her and hope that no one decides to attack, or are you pro-active and try to sniff out those who would do harm to the President (and other protectees) before it happens? The latter costs more money, but makes it far less likely that someone would take a shot at your protectee, let alone hit them.
So you follow up on leads that someone said they would like to see the President dead, or someone joking on the internet about a way to kill the President, because you will never know if they are actually thinking about doing it or not. Visits from the USSS are generally just a sign of force; they go in, interrogate someone for a few hours, then release them. In doing so, they get across the point that they're watching.
If your sole job was protecting somebody, you can't pass up investigating threats against that somebody, passive, joking, or otherwise.
Of course, with the internet stuff, you have auto-bots that scan all manner of "rebel" sites for keywords. This could cause a visit from the SS when one isn't- hang on, someone's at the froCONNECTION TERMINATED
Incidentally, I've been part of a debate on 4chan (ZOMG) over the past day or two about the comparison between piracy and used games. Someone mentioned that they would be more interested in buying games new if they could get a demo for the game.
Frankly, I agree. These days, especially as a college student, I'm hard pressed to shell out for a $50 that got so-so reviews, only to be able to get 60% (if that) of my initial purchase by selling it used if I think it sucks. A lot of the people I know who pirate games say they do so to give it a "test drive". While they certainly could be trying to clear their conscience, I think this makes sense. The problem is that for those who do it, they usually finish the base game and have no real reason to go out and pick up the real copy at that point.
What game companies (and I mean ALL game companies) need to do is put out more demo discs. Yes, they cost money, but that would likely be offset by more new sales.
Hell, they might not even have to take a loss on it. I would gladly pay a small monthly fee (~$5) to receive a demo disc each month for games coming out in the next month or three. A level here, a video collage there, and it would really help with my decisions and picking where to spend my money. Not a small picking, either; even if all I get is a movie, I want at least 10 previews on each disc. Even a full battle from an RPG would work, as I could gauge the battle system.
The Big Three already do this, but the discs are only available for retailers and generally are only updated four times a year (if that!). A few PC Game Magazines also have this, but I've seen none for the XBox or PS2 (and I don't actively look, so I could have missed them).
With all three consoles coming online, hopefully demos will increase. I believe XBox Live already has free downloadable demos, while Nintendo (and possibly Sony) have hinted at a similar thing, which will also work with their handhelds.
People buy used because they're worried about the financial hit. As the prices of games increase (might we see $80 for MGS4?), the demand for used games will only increase.
After my 8-9 class dismissed this morning, I promptly headed home, hopped in my car, and took off to one of the nearby Gamestops.
I got in line, only to be told that I was number 13 of 12 (number of people in line, number of units to pre-order). The sadness! But a mall across the street had not only another Gamestop, but an EBGames as well, so I had twice as many chances to stand in line outside of the store without being in the bitter cold.
I was able to get in line at the Gamestop (number five in the line), and proceeded to wait for about 40 minutes for the store to open. During that time, I realized why people camp out like that. Sure, we all want to grab the system early, but I was able to partake in 40 minutes of near-constant conversation with complete strangers about video games. It was great to be able to cut loose and talk about all sorts of weird video game oddities, like the antics surrounding the 360 release, or the outrageous eBay auctions for PS3 receipts. I was able to inform some of the parents in line, getting it for the kid, about the various features of it. Some didn't know about the Virtual Console, and thought that was "the Bee's Knees".
And in the end, we all got the reserves we wanted.
Interestingly, I went for a taco run around 3 AM last night, and swung by the outdoors Gamestop to see if anyone was camping out. There was one guy, in about three coats, playing a DS in a fold-out chair. He said he'd been there since midnight.
Now we all must wait a month to get the actual product.
I've been looking for something like this for a while. I spend most of my non-working day either in front of the TV or on the PC, and it shows. The area around here isn't that great, so I can't go for a daily run or walk, and I'm too lazy/self-concious to go to the gym. I've been trying to do DDR once a day, but living on the second floor of an apartment building puts a crimp on that.
This kind of thing would be great to help me lose some extra weight without getting bored while excersizing. Perhaps set up some program so that the screen flashes annoyingly if I slow down or stop peddling. A stand-alone unit (so you can use it with any desk you want) would be helpful, though.
I can just imagine being in invigorating Slashdot flamewars and getting worked up enough to "jog" 3 miles an hour while replying.
Resident Evil 4- A good all around thriller game, but this is my "feel good" game because I acquired the infinite Rocket Launcher. It's incredibly fun to just run around the levels and blow up any and everything.
Pokemon- (Currently Sapphire) The lack of a story can make it a bit tiresome, but I enjoy the collection and raising portions of it (grinding though it may be).
Sonic Mega Collection- Just being able to run through the various platform games is enjoyable. Your goal? Move forward. Yeah, you can get those pesky emerald things, but so what?
Minesweeper- works those logic skills. So frustrating when you "die", but it makes you want to go on even more.
DDR- While I actually use StepMania, the idea remains. It's a good and fun workout, with some pretty good songs. Unfortunatly, being on the second floor of an old apartment building doesn't lend itself to playing often.
I don't think it's so much that we, as gamers, have a 'love affair' with sequels, it's that the publishers do, and we usually accept it or benefit from it.
Sequels are cheaper to make, as they require less story development and can reuse textures and code from the old games, assuming it's on the same console. Even if it's not the same console, it's still less work in the end, and thus is cheaper.
So we wind up with GTA4, or a GTA clone, instead of some new type of game. Is GTA4 necessarily bad? Is the GTA clone? No, but rarely do sequels push boundries, becuase they try to stick to the original game.
I even might be willing to pay $350(!!!) for the damn thing.
The reason this reader costs so much (aside from capatilistic greed) is the cost of the E Ink technology being used in it.
For a potential project, I was able to get in contact with a sales person from the company that creates the technology. A regular sized 8 1/2" x 11" size of this eInk paper would run about $150. That's for one sheet of this stuff.
The eReader size is smaller, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was still $80+ for each sheet used. Add in R&D, manufacturing, and whatever liscensing they need and it would add up.
I believe the segmented displays (which act more like an LCD clock, turning bars on and off) are far cheaper, but they didn't suit my needs (nor would they work well here) so I didn't inquire for those prices.
While no document is signed to the fact, couldn't one argue that the papers are considered IP of the college since they were written at the behest of the college (professor)? Most work places take control if IP developed using their tools or during their time, which is sometimes taken back in court by the creator (to the point that some explicitely state "work for us, we own your IP").
Not that I necessarily disagree with these students; if I write something insightful during my college career, I would like to use it again later on, and not have it diluted from being searchable or potentially copied from that database.
Still, I can't help but think that they might have an ulterier motive..
Sony's arrogance is a problem, but I think its history precedes it. After the PS2 launch, there were many, many reports of problems with the PS2, and I don't believe they ever got DVD playback down pat. Even outside of the PS2, Sony has done a lot of things in the past year or two that turn (knowledgable) consumers off from Sony products- the rootkit fiasco has made me very anti-Sony products, to the point that I've passed up things that were exactly as I needed just because they were made by Sony. So, in my case, and others I have talked to, the decision to skip the PS3 was made before the real details were even announced.
This time around, people are going to be wary about buying a $500 system that could break as easily as the PS2 did, and so far BluRay has not taken the world by storm like the DVD did, so having an included player isn't as much of an enticement.
Sony not only has to tone down (and maybe even apologize) for the arrogance, but they will need to make amends for their previous stunts, as well, before the informed consumer will welcome them back into their home.
The PS2 had a lot of things going for it, though, than just the Playstation brand when compared to the XBox.
-the PS2 had a DVD player in a time when DVD players were all the rage, but still expensive. -the PS2 could play PS1 games, so there was more of an incentive for PS1 owners to upgrade. -the PS2 had a full year head start
On the other hand, Microsoft was an unknown as far as gaming had gone, so people were wary to pick up their console (especially in Japan). The PS2 was as or less expensive than the XBox when the XBox came out, as well, I believe.
Now the positions are somewhat reversed. Microsoft's console has a year's head start, will be the cheaper of the two, and has proved slight dominance over Nintendo (at least in America). Now Sony just has the BluRay and backwards compatibility going for it.
Frankly, I think it's going to be anyone's game this time around.
Yeah, it's more likely (and more financially viable) that we'd get a guitar that would work on all three systems. That would be one hell of a mapping nightmare, though. Is there a way to tell which system is receiving a signal?
Great, so the next Guitar Hero will be songs broken up by stupid segments from shows like Jackass, and the Guitar Hero after that won't even have songs, just teen reality dramas where you have to push the correct button in time with the previously coreographed drama onscreen.
Unless you play it late at night, and then you'll be able to choose one of five songs you hate to play.
However, if you shell out the extra cash and buy a second copy of the game, then you'll be able to choose from 12 songs any time of the day.
Considering that you'd likely have to individually map armor, animations, and such for both left- and right-handed orientation, this is no trivial task. I believe it's feasible, but increases the workload a bit.
However, since we've had to wait over a year more for this game because of the Wii version, I would have hoped they would work in both left hand and right hand.
We will see more options for left/right handedness in the second generation of Wii games, after developers have had time to really try it out, but not so much in the first.
Making one controller to work on all three systems probably does make better sense from a business sense, yes. This is most likely what will happen, assuming they're able to set it up to use all three wireless connections.
However, if we're just talking about the Wii (like we were), it would be easier and cheaper to design an attachment for the Wiimote than it would to make a whole new controller. Plus, having the notes come from the Guitar itself instead of the screen would be much cooler.
I would imagine you'd be able to use the Wiimote and Ninchuck for some of it, but for full Awesome effect they'd do what the Wii was set up to do- create something that attaches to the Wii.
I'm imagining a guitar that has a little inset portion that the Wiimote snaps snuggly into. This "Wiitar" would still be cheaper than the PS2/3/XBox360 version, because the motion censors and connection to the system wouldn't have to be put into it. It would basically be a custom-shaped shell with added buttons (and the little handle thing).
As an added bonus, each note you make (good or bad) can come out of the Wiimote itself, as well as (or as opposed to) the TV.
I'm not sure if Activision considers the Wii a "significant new format" (I certainly hope so), but I would definately pick up the game if it came out for the Wii.
Slashdot Mirror
Don't get me wrong, Sony has done a lot of bad shit, and has been very arrogant when it comes to the PS3, but this kind of behavior should be attributed expressly to the consumers. Okay, one might argue that Sony created an artificial shortage (blue laser conspiracy?), but that's no reason someone has to be an asshole. It isn't a necessary product, so the fault lies almost entirely on the consumers.
Come on, Zonk. I'm pretty anti-Sony, too, but you don't need to redirect blame for something like this. There's lots of other stuff Sony has done to be called on.
Just in case this seems lop-sided, the Nintendo Wii has delays as well: the quirky but interesting title, Elebits, has been delayed about a month. Konami says the game is done, but Nintendo's Q&A process has held back the release.
Ever since they started re-releasing SNES games on the GBA, the number one game I've wanted to get was Super Mario RPG. Many oldschoolers, myself included, will say that this is one of the greatest RPGs ever. It's basically a preview to what Kingdom Hearts is- the combination of two companies, one with the gameplay, the other with the characters. Square took the characters from the Mushroom Kingdom and put them into one awesome game.
The fact that it's appearing on the Wii VC means that Squeenix isn't against the idea of supporting the Wii, at least in this limited way that gets mostly profit. With their lead, other companies will start to jump on board, and hopefully we'll have most, if not all, of the NES, SNES, and N64 library open for purchase and download.
In the same vein, it's nice to see that these new lists aren't just re-re-re-releases. I've never played Super Metroid or Kirby's Super Star, but I will certainly pay to play them on the Wii.
In short: Motherfuckin' Geno.
I can't tell from your request on whether you're just looking for something to bide you over until college, something to do during your college career, or something that would let you completely skip the college experience.
If the first, I have little in the way of advice aside from trying to do your own projects on the side of whatever else you do, and get noticed from there.
If the last, bad idea. You won't get very far without at least a bachelor's unless you're very lucky, very connected, or very, very good. Not everyone can be the next Bill Gates, and unless you want to waste four years figuring that out, I suggest you start looking at colleges. There are many different ways to pay- some you have to pay back, some you don't.
If the middle, may I make a college/university suggestion (and self-college plug)? Kettering University (formerly GM Institute). The per-week tuition is something like the second highest in the country, the location is horrible (ask anyone who knows of it what Flint, MI is like), and we have to take more credits than most "regular" places, but damn if you won't have opportunity out the wazoo.
Kettering is different from your regular college experience. First, we don't have spring or summer break, so don't come here if you're lazy. Second, Kettering has a co-operative system where you are hired as basically a paid intern with a company in a position relating to your major, and you stay with them your entire college career. And no, this isn't "We could use some coffee" internships- you'll actually work on projects related to your major, and gain great experience. By the time you graduate, unless you have a hard time finding a job (the college is mainly Engineering, so us CSs get the short stick at times), you'll have a full two years of work experience. The wages are fairly decent, too.
Plus, depending on the place you work and what openings they have, you might stay on full time after you graduate. Even if you don't, you'll have a leg up on almost every other graduate in the country when you finally get your diploma, making it much easier to find a job.
Give it a good story, make it so that the lightsaber is the main weapon (but other weapons are available), and use motion sensing for stuff like Force powers, and you have an instanst platinum game.
You know Lucas Arts is at least thinking about it, and would be stupid not to make it. I can't wait.
While I am also disappointed that it doesn't completely emulate the swing, I'm not surprised. After all, Twilight Princess was made with the Gamecube in mind, and only ported and enhanced (and mirrored) for the Wii.
Plus, this is first generation software. Developers are still getting used to the different control scheme and seeing what they can do. While games during this generation will likely do the same action(s) regardless of swing motion, around the third generation (and definately by the end of the Wii's life) we will have fairly accurate emulation. It will start with the direction of a swing being emulated, and then the force of the swing as well.
Only two weeks left. I can't wait.
Am I the only one who feels disappointed with the initial Virtual Console offerings? Looking at the list, at least half of these titles have already been re-released and re-re-released, mainly those from Sega and Nintendo.
Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the VC, but I can't see any game on the list right now that greatly interest me. Hopefully the next ten that come out are some of the more popular or better games, and that Nintendo can get other companies to jump on board.
"Hey, do you guys want to work for a week or two and make some easy money?"
I'm particularily hoping for FFIII (US version) and Super Mario RPG.
I also hope they lower the prices. As it stands, there are many games I want to play, but few that I can really do at $5+ a pop. Nintendo needs to realize that most, if not all, of the games being offered are available online for emulation. Not exactly legal, but far cheaper. Hell, you can get most non-popular N64 games for around $10 used at places that still carry them; this would then only be a benefit if you don't already have an N64 (which are themselves quite cheap).
A better pricing model, IMO, would be $2-$4-$6.
This will give Duke Nukem Forever more time to be finished.
So you're protecting someone, and what do you do? Just form a circle around him or her and hope that no one decides to attack, or are you pro-active and try to sniff out those who would do harm to the President (and other protectees) before it happens? The latter costs more money, but makes it far less likely that someone would take a shot at your protectee, let alone hit them.
So you follow up on leads that someone said they would like to see the President dead, or someone joking on the internet about a way to kill the President, because you will never know if they are actually thinking about doing it or not. Visits from the USSS are generally just a sign of force; they go in, interrogate someone for a few hours, then release them. In doing so, they get across the point that they're watching.
If your sole job was protecting somebody, you can't pass up investigating threats against that somebody, passive, joking, or otherwise.
Of course, with the internet stuff, you have auto-bots that scan all manner of "rebel" sites for keywords. This could cause a visit from the SS when one isn't- hang on, someone's at the froCONNECTION TERMINATED
Incidentally, I've been part of a debate on 4chan (ZOMG) over the past day or two about the comparison between piracy and used games. Someone mentioned that they would be more interested in buying games new if they could get a demo for the game.
Frankly, I agree. These days, especially as a college student, I'm hard pressed to shell out for a $50 that got so-so reviews, only to be able to get 60% (if that) of my initial purchase by selling it used if I think it sucks. A lot of the people I know who pirate games say they do so to give it a "test drive". While they certainly could be trying to clear their conscience, I think this makes sense. The problem is that for those who do it, they usually finish the base game and have no real reason to go out and pick up the real copy at that point.
What game companies (and I mean ALL game companies) need to do is put out more demo discs. Yes, they cost money, but that would likely be offset by more new sales.
Hell, they might not even have to take a loss on it. I would gladly pay a small monthly fee (~$5) to receive a demo disc each month for games coming out in the next month or three. A level here, a video collage there, and it would really help with my decisions and picking where to spend my money. Not a small picking, either; even if all I get is a movie, I want at least 10 previews on each disc. Even a full battle from an RPG would work, as I could gauge the battle system.
The Big Three already do this, but the discs are only available for retailers and generally are only updated four times a year (if that!). A few PC Game Magazines also have this, but I've seen none for the XBox or PS2 (and I don't actively look, so I could have missed them).
With all three consoles coming online, hopefully demos will increase. I believe XBox Live already has free downloadable demos, while Nintendo (and possibly Sony) have hinted at a similar thing, which will also work with their handhelds.
People buy used because they're worried about the financial hit. As the prices of games increase (might we see $80 for MGS4?), the demand for used games will only increase.
After my 8-9 class dismissed this morning, I promptly headed home, hopped in my car, and took off to one of the nearby Gamestops.
I got in line, only to be told that I was number 13 of 12 (number of people in line, number of units to pre-order). The sadness! But a mall across the street had not only another Gamestop, but an EBGames as well, so I had twice as many chances to stand in line outside of the store without being in the bitter cold.
I was able to get in line at the Gamestop (number five in the line), and proceeded to wait for about 40 minutes for the store to open. During that time, I realized why people camp out like that. Sure, we all want to grab the system early, but I was able to partake in 40 minutes of near-constant conversation with complete strangers about video games. It was great to be able to cut loose and talk about all sorts of weird video game oddities, like the antics surrounding the 360 release, or the outrageous eBay auctions for PS3 receipts. I was able to inform some of the parents in line, getting it for the kid, about the various features of it. Some didn't know about the Virtual Console, and thought that was "the Bee's Knees".
And in the end, we all got the reserves we wanted.
Interestingly, I went for a taco run around 3 AM last night, and swung by the outdoors Gamestop to see if anyone was camping out. There was one guy, in about three coats, playing a DS in a fold-out chair. He said he'd been there since midnight.
Now we all must wait a month to get the actual product.
I've been looking for something like this for a while. I spend most of my non-working day either in front of the TV or on the PC, and it shows. The area around here isn't that great, so I can't go for a daily run or walk, and I'm too lazy/self-concious to go to the gym. I've been trying to do DDR once a day, but living on the second floor of an apartment building puts a crimp on that.
This kind of thing would be great to help me lose some extra weight without getting bored while excersizing. Perhaps set up some program so that the screen flashes annoyingly if I slow down or stop peddling. A stand-alone unit (so you can use it with any desk you want) would be helpful, though.
I can just imagine being in invigorating Slashdot flamewars and getting worked up enough to "jog" 3 miles an hour while replying.
Resident Evil 4- A good all around thriller game, but this is my "feel good" game because I acquired the infinite Rocket Launcher. It's incredibly fun to just run around the levels and blow up any and everything.
Pokemon- (Currently Sapphire) The lack of a story can make it a bit tiresome, but I enjoy the collection and raising portions of it (grinding though it may be).
Sonic Mega Collection- Just being able to run through the various platform games is enjoyable. Your goal? Move forward. Yeah, you can get those pesky emerald things, but so what?
Minesweeper- works those logic skills. So frustrating when you "die", but it makes you want to go on even more.
DDR- While I actually use StepMania, the idea remains. It's a good and fun workout, with some pretty good songs. Unfortunatly, being on the second floor of an old apartment building doesn't lend itself to playing often.
I don't think it's so much that we, as gamers, have a 'love affair' with sequels, it's that the publishers do, and we usually accept it or benefit from it.
Sequels are cheaper to make, as they require less story development and can reuse textures and code from the old games, assuming it's on the same console. Even if it's not the same console, it's still less work in the end, and thus is cheaper.
So we wind up with GTA4, or a GTA clone, instead of some new type of game. Is GTA4 necessarily bad? Is the GTA clone? No, but rarely do sequels push boundries, becuase they try to stick to the original game.
For a potential project, I was able to get in contact with a sales person from the company that creates the technology. A regular sized 8 1/2" x 11" size of this eInk paper would run about $150. That's for one sheet of this stuff.
The eReader size is smaller, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was still $80+ for each sheet used. Add in R&D, manufacturing, and whatever liscensing they need and it would add up.
I believe the segmented displays (which act more like an LCD clock, turning bars on and off) are far cheaper, but they didn't suit my needs (nor would they work well here) so I didn't inquire for those prices.
While no document is signed to the fact, couldn't one argue that the papers are considered IP of the college since they were written at the behest of the college (professor)? Most work places take control if IP developed using their tools or during their time, which is sometimes taken back in court by the creator (to the point that some explicitely state "work for us, we own your IP").
Not that I necessarily disagree with these students; if I write something insightful during my college career, I would like to use it again later on, and not have it diluted from being searchable or potentially copied from that database.
Still, I can't help but think that they might have an ulterier motive..
Sony's arrogance is a problem, but I think its history precedes it. After the PS2 launch, there were many, many reports of problems with the PS2, and I don't believe they ever got DVD playback down pat. Even outside of the PS2, Sony has done a lot of things in the past year or two that turn (knowledgable) consumers off from Sony products- the rootkit fiasco has made me very anti-Sony products, to the point that I've passed up things that were exactly as I needed just because they were made by Sony. So, in my case, and others I have talked to, the decision to skip the PS3 was made before the real details were even announced.
This time around, people are going to be wary about buying a $500 system that could break as easily as the PS2 did, and so far BluRay has not taken the world by storm like the DVD did, so having an included player isn't as much of an enticement.
Sony not only has to tone down (and maybe even apologize) for the arrogance, but they will need to make amends for their previous stunts, as well, before the informed consumer will welcome them back into their home.
The PS2 had a lot of things going for it, though, than just the Playstation brand when compared to the XBox.
-the PS2 had a DVD player in a time when DVD players were all the rage, but still expensive.
-the PS2 could play PS1 games, so there was more of an incentive for PS1 owners to upgrade.
-the PS2 had a full year head start
On the other hand, Microsoft was an unknown as far as gaming had gone, so people were wary to pick up their console (especially in Japan). The PS2 was as or less expensive than the XBox when the XBox came out, as well, I believe.
Now the positions are somewhat reversed. Microsoft's console has a year's head start, will be the cheaper of the two, and has proved slight dominance over Nintendo (at least in America). Now Sony just has the BluRay and backwards compatibility going for it.
Frankly, I think it's going to be anyone's game this time around.
Yeah, it's more likely (and more financially viable) that we'd get a guitar that would work on all three systems. That would be one hell of a mapping nightmare, though. Is there a way to tell which system is receiving a signal?
Great, so the next Guitar Hero will be songs broken up by stupid segments from shows like Jackass, and the Guitar Hero after that won't even have songs, just teen reality dramas where you have to push the correct button in time with the previously coreographed drama onscreen.
Unless you play it late at night, and then you'll be able to choose one of five songs you hate to play.
However, if you shell out the extra cash and buy a second copy of the game, then you'll be able to choose from 12 songs any time of the day.
Considering that you'd likely have to individually map armor, animations, and such for both left- and right-handed orientation, this is no trivial task. I believe it's feasible, but increases the workload a bit.
However, since we've had to wait over a year more for this game because of the Wii version, I would have hoped they would work in both left hand and right hand.
We will see more options for left/right handedness in the second generation of Wii games, after developers have had time to really try it out, but not so much in the first.
Making one controller to work on all three systems probably does make better sense from a business sense, yes. This is most likely what will happen, assuming they're able to set it up to use all three wireless connections.
However, if we're just talking about the Wii (like we were), it would be easier and cheaper to design an attachment for the Wiimote than it would to make a whole new controller. Plus, having the notes come from the Guitar itself instead of the screen would be much cooler.
I would imagine you'd be able to use the Wiimote and Ninchuck for some of it, but for full Awesome effect they'd do what the Wii was set up to do- create something that attaches to the Wii.
I'm imagining a guitar that has a little inset portion that the Wiimote snaps snuggly into. This "Wiitar" would still be cheaper than the PS2/3/XBox360 version, because the motion censors and connection to the system wouldn't have to be put into it. It would basically be a custom-shaped shell with added buttons (and the little handle thing).
As an added bonus, each note you make (good or bad) can come out of the Wiimote itself, as well as (or as opposed to) the TV.
I'm not sure if Activision considers the Wii a "significant new format" (I certainly hope so), but I would definately pick up the game if it came out for the Wii.
It's as if millions of lawyers cried out in glee, and were suddenly silenced as they set about filling out paperwork.