Person A: You know what this article is? Person B: Repeat. A: You know what this article is? B: Repeat. A: You know what this article is? B:...Repeat. A: You know what this article is? B: You know who is in the bathroom? A: No, Who is on first. [person B stabs person A]
Maybe we're reading different material, but at least 80% of all reviews I've read were glowing towards the DS. Given, I don't really read all reviews put out, but I don't stick to just one site or one magazine, either.
One thing that may throw you is that a lot of the reviews took their time hypothesizing what a certain feature could be used for. The idea of a dual screen is nothing new, but the idea of a dual screen with a touch pad is.
If there is a bias, it's probably not 'against Nintendo' as much as it is 'for Sony'. By that, I mean that it doesn't seem that people are going out of their way to attack Nintendo, but they are doing so to boost the PSP.
In the end, though, I personally don't care. I'm more than happy with my GBA SP.
Some of them are still making games for peer group approval - that has to stop.
If you're a company like Electronic Arts, you've already gotten rid of the notion of 'peer approval'- you're now shooting for the 'lowest common denominator', innovation and new ideas be damned. The executives of companies like EA are modern day Scrooge McDucks- they have a vault of money that they regularly swim in, and if a game doesn't do too well because it's just "Hot Girls Drive Cars 2007", well, they're okay moving to the shallow area of the pool for a day or two.
However, how many things on the Internet are as popular as they are because someone was shooting for the general public? Not that many. Some guys thought something was cool, got together, and put it on the net to share with friends and the common person that stumbles upon it. This is how we got things like Red vs Blue. Did The Brothers Chap ever dream that Homestar runner would garner such a larger crowd?
I think that many of the smaller companies should stick to the peer group. For one, if you're trying to impress your friends, you'll go all out. You'll think of new things. And, certaintly, you wouldn't make something you hated. The more you like a project, the better the chance that your friends will, too.
For two, the best kind of advertising anyone can get these days is still word of mouth. I could see that sexy car on TV with the buxom woman standing over it licking her lips and I would just think 'eh'; but if a friend came to me and said "This is one sweet ass car," I would at least give it second thought. In the same way, a group of guys make a game for friends to enjoy; Those friends tell other friends, who in turn tell more friends, and something gets at least a cult following. And everyone knows that cults will pump out a lot more steady cash than the indifferent masses.
Smaller companies without the cash cushion have one of two options: Make a mediocre copy-cat game that has moderate-everything, and thus will sell to the masses, or make something different, innovative, that was just an idea among your peet group. The first will likely garner enough money. The second will either tank or make you rich.
I'd rather see companies take the risk of trying to make the friends happy. Plus, if they release small, free games for the 'friends', who in turn spread it around, people will come to know the brand and will be interested in the bigger, better games that cost money.
My family (more specifically, myself) has been gathering legos since I was 7, when I got my first set. I continually got legos until about my second year of high school, when I lost interest. It was amplified when my two brothers got into Legos as well. All told, we have about 50 gallons (two 25 gallon buckets) of Legos now. More than enough, I believe, to be able to reconstruct many of the computer cases listed.
However, the collection is no where near having the ability to make a grand-father clock.
I recently picked up Legos again as a hobby. The price of sets now-a-days is going to make it slow going to get back to where I once was.
(I hate IGN, but it's all I could find quickly.)...Well, why not? I mean, Mario's had just about everything but his own FPS. And maybe we'll get some kick-ass remixes from Mario games for it.
Maybe this will be a bridge to get Gamecube owners a true DDR game.
I love Nintendo. From the SNES to the N64 to the Gamecube, not to mention the Gameboy series, I've never really found a need to look toward other consoles for my enjoyment (well, except dancing.* Damn you, DDR!)
For all that, I have many reasons to scoff at them. Someone commented once, long ago, that it looked like they had very different companies running the Gamecube and the Game boy divisions.
Here we have the Game Boy. People wanted it slimmer. Alrighty, here's a Game Boy Pocket. People want color. Game Boy Colors are now for sale! And when they came out with the Game Boy Advance, everyone was drooling and patting them on the back and giving them 'at a boys'... except for one thing: "I can't play in the dark!"
Boom, Game Boy Advance SP. It seems that the Game Boy side listens, and listens well.
The Gamecube side doesn't seem to hear much. Someone earlier in this thread posted the numbers in Japan, where the XBox doesn't hold a candle to the Gamecube. Hell, the Dreamcast was selling better. It seems that they are doing all they can to appeal to the Japanese consumers with inventive, quirky games (Monkey Ball (yes, third party,) Donkey Konga,) while ignoring the fact that Japan and America are two very different markets.
Don't get me wrong; I love Mario. I can't wait for the next Zelda (you're going to see a huge sales jump when that comes out.) I just picked up Pokemon Colosseum. But when you look at American gamers as a whole, they are into the more 'mature' games- Grand Theft Auto, Halo, etc. Nintendo, while not a kiddie console by any means, still has most of it's appeal to the younger generation.
Where's another Eternal Darkness? I recently picked that up, and have played through it once. If that had been a 3rd generation game, I don't think anything could have trumped it. The controls, the story, the entire thing is awesome. It only lacked in the graphics department (flat textures, bumpy character models.) If it had come out later, nothing would have rivaled it.
One of my other things about Nintendo is that they should be leading any kind of gaming revolution (pun intended.) They have their big fat cash cow, the Game Boy, so they should be able to pump some money into new ideas, and be able to take the financial hit if it happens. But they're being a bit too careful.
Of course, I still hold the opinion that the Gamecube is a throw-away product. It was meant to try and make up for the tragedies of the N64, while still being careful. Even if they don't sell the most, they are still making a large wad of cash, because they aren't shorting themselves on the console price. I think they're using the GCN to test the waters, see where edges are, and the info they gather now will be used to make the Revolution trump everything when it comes out.
*Yes, I know there's that new dance game for the Gamecube, but the song list looks like a Billboard Top 40. It looks for shit. I want my quirky Japanese songs, dammit!
True, but I'd bet that in 90% of the cases of people downloading the 'illegal' content from that site, they could easily go to a nearby Wal-mart or Best Buy and get themselves a copy.
Or they could order one from many of the online retailers- many of which ship overseas as well.
Okay, I can understand trying to save a community.
However, if they simply removed the torrents, they wouldn't have to raise the legal fees. Or is it a community only because they all go there for torrents?
Wait. I don't know LokiTorrents at all, but I'm assuming that it's probably a site with lists to get stuff for free, both legally and illegally. Mostly the latter, a reason the MPAA is after their ass.
So... If these people can afford to donate money to this site, then why the hell can they just go out and buy the stuff they are purportedly downloading illegally?
Do I have my free iPod yet? No. But, that's not their fault. I just haven't gotten my five referrals yet.
When I joined, I signed up for that BMG Music service, which I've been happy with. (Incidentally, BMG also has a quasi-pyramid scheme- if I refer someone else, I get 6 CDs for the price of one.) However, even after two months passed, the membership was never recorded by freeipods.com. After a few e-mails (the final 'responses' of which were a bit confusing) I was told to copy the 'Welcome to BMG Music' e-mail to the form and send it to them. I did so, and three days later my account reflected that I had completed my part of the offer.
If they were into screwing over their customers, they probably would have led me along much longer, or just not credited my account. But after one or two e-mails, they did so obediently. This tells me they either want me to get five people, or that if I do get five people they will actually hold up their end and send me an iPod.
Now I just have to find five suc- I mean, very good friends to complete offers.
Good. I had GMR after getting the 10% card thing at EB Games (which I use rarely, and haven't renewed in a while.) I hate GMR. It gives nothing original, it's smaller than other gaming magazines I receive, and the layout has been confusing (though that may have changed since I stopped getting it.)
Compared to other magazines I've been receiving, such as GameInformer and EGM, it would not be worth any subscription price.
Can they stick fax spammers in that bill while they're at it? It's worse than regular spam, IMO, because aside from time, it also wastes ink and paper. This is especially hurtful to non-profit companies like the one I work out. We're not overloaded with fax spam, but it's still a nuisiance.
Oh, they do, but they make a much larger one if you buy an extended warantee. As I understand it, the computers don't garner a whole lot of profit. (Best Buy employees get a discount where they pay the store's cost plus 5%, and the average savings on computers was something like $20 on a $1000 machine, IIRC.)
You can't compare NewEgg or TigerDirect to places like Best Buy or Circuit City. NewEgg et al. Don't have to pay as many employees, don't have to pay to train employees all the time, nor do they have to have a big, nice store, among other things. Most online retailers are cheaper for that reason.
The main point of any discussion is that it's your money. If you don't like their practices, vote with your money and go somewhere else.
That said, something similar was posted on Fark a couple of hours ago, so I've already read it (given, at work.) Looks like it was a different article on the same topic.
From what I can tell, they're pissed off at people buying items, getting the rebates, then returning the items, and more. Basically, they're mad that people are turning a profit on stuff bought from a Best Buy store.
I've heard complaints and gripes about Best Buy all over. However, you get horror stories from every store, regardless of big name or how crappy it is.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I've never had a bad experience at a Best Buy. The one near where I live has gotten good recommendations from people, while the one near my college tries to skate around the extended warenties at all costs, among other things. But that's what I've heard from others, never experienced myself.
I worked at a Best Buy (the one near my home) for about three months (occasional/seasonal, in Computers.) I felt I was lucky in the fact the people I worked with actually knew a good amount about Computers, whereas other places have had general sales people. The atmosphere I worked in was nice one, everyone was helpful, and I can't remember having a bad day (not even Black Friday, but I was just a gopher then.)
Was I told to push the replacement plans/extended warrantees as often as possible? Try and get people to buy accessories? Try and sell services with computers? Yes on all accounts. But you know what, it's a business, they turn a profit with that, and they need the profit to counter the low profit they make off, say, video game consoles.
If you have that much of a beef with Best Buy, stop whining and just got shop NewEgg. I'll be browsing around Best Buy, using the sales and rebates as I like, and still getting a good experience. If I ever get a bad experience from a Best Buy, I'll just stop going to that one, but not the entire chain.
Despite the downfalls of the N64, it still has some of the best FPSs I have ever seen. Goldeneye (and semi-sequal Perfect Dark) are prime examples. I'm currently trying to beat Turok (the game is bloody hard, even on the easy setting.) Halo certaintly wasn't a first, in my opinion.
Halo was a big success because A) It was the only 'good' launch title for the XBox, B) multiplayer goodness without needing $1000 in computer upgrades, and C) Halo did your basic FPS, but bigger, badder, louder.
It was easily something you could pick up and just start playing, regardless of where you were. It's a similar appeal of many GameBoy games, but this time you have a lot more to do with it.
The large adrenaline rush from having a dozen Flood come out of the walls in a small, locked room was appealing as well.
(very end) - Almost any picture of Morgan Webb on your website will draw at least 2,000 hits per month.
Too bad that doesn't help any who don't already have a photo since Google hasn't udpated in seven months.
Oh well.
It's a good thing I've gone legit. While I might have MP3s that are considered illegal, I'm working hard at replacing those with positively legitimite ones, by actually buying the CDs.
I used to be big into downloading possibly infringing movies, mp3s, etc., but I've wisened up to the fact that, even though they may charge horrible prices, I might still be stealing. It also helped that I have a semi-steady paycheck now, so I can afford to get the legit copies/versions of what I might have had.
I could still use the filesharing programs to download a movie/song to try it out. There's not a good rental place in the area, and you can't rent CDs anyway. I don't want to buy a $16 CD because I liked one song. I'd prefer to hear the full thing first.
He could have bought it at Best Buy, paid $20-$40 for a 2-year replacement plan, and already gotten his brand new replaced XBox. Instead, he pays hundereds in lawyer fees for something he might not win.
If my laptop stopped working today, I could bring it into Best Buy and get it replaced with little hassle because I bought a service plan. Service plans have a consumer purpose, not just the main purpose of getting Best Buy filthy stinking rich.
I also note that no one is complaining about Gamecubes failing. Of course, with 500 posts, I'm browsing at +4, so take it as you will.
More likely than not (as other people have mentioned,) this letter was probably brought on by a spider. If you read the original C&D letter, it mentions a link pointing to Nintendo, which was not on the page in any way.
Of course, after a hard day of coding Super Mario Sunshine, I probably wouldn't mind kicking back with some lesbian goth pictures. So if it was a person, it was most likely NOT the lawyers.
> NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential > information. If you have received it in error, please advise the > sender by > reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments > without > copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you.
It's privileged or confidential. So they post it on a bulliten board. And now it's going to get/.ed. Spiffy.
Have they tried contacting NOA? Just because someone claims to be representing a company doesn't mean that they are. Has the webmaster seen if the representing company ("Perkins Coie LLP") exists? I'm too lazy/hungry/'distracted' to google right now. Doesn't Nintendo have their own massive law section? I would think they wouldn't need to outsource.
The e-mail lists one of the problems as a link to Nintendo. Looking at the given link for *ahem* research purposes, I don't see one. I remember a story from long ago (might not be/.) where some company (actually, Nintendo, I think) sued a porn site because the site was using copyrighted words in Meta-data or just on the page to try and attract younger viewers. Certaintly, you wouldn't want someone to search for something of yours and come up with porn. Actually looking at the page in question, it's rather tame (compared to the rest of the site.) Even so, Nintendo would not want to be affiliated with this.
In this case, at least to me, Nintendo is in the right- while the girl in question is doing something that would be otherwise harmless, i.e., listing favorite games, in this case it's lined right up with porn. I know I wouldn't want my stuff listed on a porn site (unless I'm certain I can gain from it) Nintendo doesn't like porn to be associated to it's stuff, and as such has the right to ask it to be removed. Technically, they own the copyright, meaning they could sue me or whatever for saying Zelda in this post. But this is/., not porn.
If I knew you were going to kill me tomorrow would I be justified in killing you today?
Looking at it from a legal perspective, if there was nothing else you could to stop me, then you could kill me with little to no negative effects upon yourself. If there was something else, such as contacting the police, you could possibly be tried for murder or manslaughter.
From that viewpoint, the counter-scammer in this case knew he was being scammed, and to stop the scamming to happen all he had to do was ignore the e-mail. Of course, one could argue that he took actions to protect others (going back to the killing thing, you could kill me to protect others, but not necessarily yourself.)
You're totally right, vigilante justice is indeed an argument of personal opinion. Thing is, if some prosecution lawyer with the juristiction gets a hard-on for a 'make or break' case and catches wind of this, he would probably be able to prosecute. Winning the case is another question altogether.
While I don't mind a scammer getting karma-lized, I have to wonder about the whole procedure. Of course, the legality of the scammar isn't the question, but rather the legality of the counter-scammer. This sounds about the same as the P-p-powerbook (which I'm sure everyone remembers): Sending false goods, misappropiating funds, etc. However, for any charges to be pressed, it will have (had) to be intercepted by federal agents and seen for what it is, or the scammar will have to spill the beans. Both cases are very unlikely, so the counter-scammar is probably safe.
However, I suggest against going this far in the future. Keeping the guy going with fake e-mails is probably fine and well, but when you start with the exchange of funds or goods (sic), where is the line drawn that the counter-scammer doesn't become a scammer himself?
Slashdot Mirror
Person A: You know what this article is? ...Repeat.
Person B: Repeat.
A: You know what this article is?
B: Repeat.
A: You know what this article is?
B:
A: You know what this article is?
B: You know who is in the bathroom?
A: No, Who is on first.
[person B stabs person A]
CURTAIN LOWERS
~FIN~
Maybe we're reading different material, but at least 80% of all reviews I've read were glowing towards the DS. Given, I don't really read all reviews put out, but I don't stick to just one site or one magazine, either.
One thing that may throw you is that a lot of the reviews took their time hypothesizing what a certain feature could be used for. The idea of a dual screen is nothing new, but the idea of a dual screen with a touch pad is.
If there is a bias, it's probably not 'against Nintendo' as much as it is 'for Sony'. By that, I mean that it doesn't seem that people are going out of their way to attack Nintendo, but they are doing so to boost the PSP.
In the end, though, I personally don't care. I'm more than happy with my GBA SP.
Some of them are still making games for peer group approval - that has to stop.
If you're a company like Electronic Arts, you've already gotten rid of the notion of 'peer approval'- you're now shooting for the 'lowest common denominator', innovation and new ideas be damned. The executives of companies like EA are modern day Scrooge McDucks- they have a vault of money that they regularly swim in, and if a game doesn't do too well because it's just "Hot Girls Drive Cars 2007", well, they're okay moving to the shallow area of the pool for a day or two.
However, how many things on the Internet are as popular as they are because someone was shooting for the general public? Not that many. Some guys thought something was cool, got together, and put it on the net to share with friends and the common person that stumbles upon it. This is how we got things like Red vs Blue. Did The Brothers Chap ever dream that Homestar runner would garner such a larger crowd?
I think that many of the smaller companies should stick to the peer group. For one, if you're trying to impress your friends, you'll go all out. You'll think of new things. And, certaintly, you wouldn't make something you hated. The more you like a project, the better the chance that your friends will, too.
For two, the best kind of advertising anyone can get these days is still word of mouth. I could see that sexy car on TV with the buxom woman standing over it licking her lips and I would just think 'eh'; but if a friend came to me and said "This is one sweet ass car," I would at least give it second thought. In the same way, a group of guys make a game for friends to enjoy; Those friends tell other friends, who in turn tell more friends, and something gets at least a cult following. And everyone knows that cults will pump out a lot more steady cash than the indifferent masses.
Smaller companies without the cash cushion have one of two options: Make a mediocre copy-cat game that has moderate-everything, and thus will sell to the masses, or make something different, innovative, that was just an idea among your peet group. The first will likely garner enough money. The second will either tank or make you rich.
I'd rather see companies take the risk of trying to make the friends happy. Plus, if they release small, free games for the 'friends', who in turn spread it around, people will come to know the brand and will be interested in the bigger, better games that cost money.
So when do I get to pay $5 a month and play TotalFarklempt!?
My family (more specifically, myself) has been gathering legos since I was 7, when I got my first set. I continually got legos until about my second year of high school, when I lost interest. It was amplified when my two brothers got into Legos as well. All told, we have about 50 gallons (two 25 gallon buckets) of Legos now. More than enough, I believe, to be able to reconstruct many of the computer cases listed.
However, the collection is no where near having the ability to make a grand-father clock.
I recently picked up Legos again as a hobby. The price of sets now-a-days is going to make it slow going to get back to where I once was.
http://cube.ign.com/articles/577/577880p1.html
...Well, why not? I mean, Mario's had just about everything but his own FPS. And maybe we'll get some kick-ass remixes from Mario games for it.
(I hate IGN, but it's all I could find quickly.)
Maybe this will be a bridge to get Gamecube owners a true DDR game.
I love Nintendo. From the SNES to the N64 to the Gamecube, not to mention the Gameboy series, I've never really found a need to look toward other consoles for my enjoyment (well, except dancing.* Damn you, DDR!)
For all that, I have many reasons to scoff at them. Someone commented once, long ago, that it looked like they had very different companies running the Gamecube and the Game boy divisions.
Here we have the Game Boy. People wanted it slimmer. Alrighty, here's a Game Boy Pocket. People want color. Game Boy Colors are now for sale! And when they came out with the Game Boy Advance, everyone was drooling and patting them on the back and giving them 'at a boys'... except for one thing: "I can't play in the dark!"
Boom, Game Boy Advance SP. It seems that the Game Boy side listens, and listens well.
The Gamecube side doesn't seem to hear much. Someone earlier in this thread posted the numbers in Japan, where the XBox doesn't hold a candle to the Gamecube. Hell, the Dreamcast was selling better. It seems that they are doing all they can to appeal to the Japanese consumers with inventive, quirky games (Monkey Ball (yes, third party,) Donkey Konga,) while ignoring the fact that Japan and America are two very different markets.
Don't get me wrong; I love Mario. I can't wait for the next Zelda (you're going to see a huge sales jump when that comes out.) I just picked up Pokemon Colosseum. But when you look at American gamers as a whole, they are into the more 'mature' games- Grand Theft Auto, Halo, etc. Nintendo, while not a kiddie console by any means, still has most of it's appeal to the younger generation.
Where's another Eternal Darkness? I recently picked that up, and have played through it once. If that had been a 3rd generation game, I don't think anything could have trumped it. The controls, the story, the entire thing is awesome. It only lacked in the graphics department (flat textures, bumpy character models.) If it had come out later, nothing would have rivaled it.
One of my other things about Nintendo is that they should be leading any kind of gaming revolution (pun intended.) They have their big fat cash cow, the Game Boy, so they should be able to pump some money into new ideas, and be able to take the financial hit if it happens. But they're being a bit too careful.
Of course, I still hold the opinion that the Gamecube is a throw-away product. It was meant to try and make up for the tragedies of the N64, while still being careful. Even if they don't sell the most, they are still making a large wad of cash, because they aren't shorting themselves on the console price. I think they're using the GCN to test the waters, see where edges are, and the info they gather now will be used to make the Revolution trump everything when it comes out.
*Yes, I know there's that new dance game for the Gamecube, but the song list looks like a Billboard Top 40. It looks for shit. I want my quirky Japanese songs, dammit!
After all, if I tell some of my 1337 friends that I have some FEDs at my house, they won't want to come over or talk to me anymore!
True, but I'd bet that in 90% of the cases of people downloading the 'illegal' content from that site, they could easily go to a nearby Wal-mart or Best Buy and get themselves a copy. Or they could order one from many of the online retailers- many of which ship overseas as well.
Okay, I can understand trying to save a community.
However, if they simply removed the torrents, they wouldn't have to raise the legal fees. Or is it a community only because they all go there for torrents?
Wait. I don't know LokiTorrents at all, but I'm assuming that it's probably a site with lists to get stuff for free, both legally and illegally. Mostly the latter, a reason the MPAA is after their ass.
So... If these people can afford to donate money to this site, then why the hell can they just go out and buy the stuff they are purportedly downloading illegally?
Rent it, even.
Do I have my free iPod yet? No. But, that's not their fault. I just haven't gotten my five referrals yet.
.sig)
When I joined, I signed up for that BMG Music service, which I've been happy with. (Incidentally, BMG also has a quasi-pyramid scheme- if I refer someone else, I get 6 CDs for the price of one.) However, even after two months passed, the membership was never recorded by freeipods.com. After a few e-mails (the final 'responses' of which were a bit confusing) I was told to copy the 'Welcome to BMG Music' e-mail to the form and send it to them. I did so, and three days later my account reflected that I had completed my part of the offer.
If they were into screwing over their customers, they probably would have led me along much longer, or just not credited my account. But after one or two e-mails, they did so obediently. This tells me they either want me to get five people, or that if I do get five people they will actually hold up their end and send me an iPod.
Now I just have to find five suc- I mean, very good friends to complete offers.
After that, I'm going for the free flat screen.
(Yes, I realize what's in my
Good. I had GMR after getting the 10% card thing at EB Games (which I use rarely, and haven't renewed in a while.) I hate GMR. It gives nothing original, it's smaller than other gaming magazines I receive, and the layout has been confusing (though that may have changed since I stopped getting it.)
Compared to other magazines I've been receiving, such as GameInformer and EGM, it would not be worth any subscription price.
Also, Gamestop > EBGames.
What about the silent killer, fax spam?
Can they stick fax spammers in that bill while they're at it? It's worse than regular spam, IMO, because aside from time, it also wastes ink and paper. This is especially hurtful to non-profit companies like the one I work out. We're not overloaded with fax spam, but it's still a nuisiance.
Oh, they do, but they make a much larger one if you buy an extended warantee. As I understand it, the computers don't garner a whole lot of profit. (Best Buy employees get a discount where they pay the store's cost plus 5%, and the average savings on computers was something like $20 on a $1000 machine, IIRC.)
You can't compare NewEgg or TigerDirect to places like Best Buy or Circuit City. NewEgg et al. Don't have to pay as many employees, don't have to pay to train employees all the time, nor do they have to have a big, nice store, among other things. Most online retailers are cheaper for that reason.
The main point of any discussion is that it's your money. If you don't like their practices, vote with your money and go somewhere else.
That said, something similar was posted on Fark a couple of hours ago, so I've already read it (given, at work.) Looks like it was a different article on the same topic.
From what I can tell, they're pissed off at people buying items, getting the rebates, then returning the items, and more. Basically, they're mad that people are turning a profit on stuff bought from a Best Buy store.
I've heard complaints and gripes about Best Buy all over. However, you get horror stories from every store, regardless of big name or how crappy it is.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I've never had a bad experience at a Best Buy. The one near where I live has gotten good recommendations from people, while the one near my college tries to skate around the extended warenties at all costs, among other things. But that's what I've heard from others, never experienced myself.
I worked at a Best Buy (the one near my home) for about three months (occasional/seasonal, in Computers.) I felt I was lucky in the fact the people I worked with actually knew a good amount about Computers, whereas other places have had general sales people. The atmosphere I worked in was nice one, everyone was helpful, and I can't remember having a bad day (not even Black Friday, but I was just a gopher then.)
Was I told to push the replacement plans/extended warrantees as often as possible? Try and get people to buy accessories? Try and sell services with computers? Yes on all accounts. But you know what, it's a business, they turn a profit with that, and they need the profit to counter the low profit they make off, say, video game consoles.
If you have that much of a beef with Best Buy, stop whining and just got shop NewEgg. I'll be browsing around Best Buy, using the sales and rebates as I like, and still getting a good experience. If I ever get a bad experience from a Best Buy, I'll just stop going to that one, but not the entire chain.
Despite the downfalls of the N64, it still has some of the best FPSs I have ever seen. Goldeneye (and semi-sequal Perfect Dark) are prime examples. I'm currently trying to beat Turok (the game is bloody hard, even on the easy setting.) Halo certaintly wasn't a first, in my opinion.
Halo was a big success because A) It was the only 'good' launch title for the XBox, B) multiplayer goodness without needing $1000 in computer upgrades, and C) Halo did your basic FPS, but bigger, badder, louder.
It was easily something you could pick up and just start playing, regardless of where you were. It's a similar appeal of many GameBoy games, but this time you have a lot more to do with it.
The large adrenaline rush from having a dozen Flood come out of the walls in a small, locked room was appealing as well.
(very end) - Almost any picture of Morgan Webb on your website will draw at least 2,000 hits per month. Too bad that doesn't help any who don't already have a photo since Google hasn't udpated in seven months. Oh well.
I was logged in, dammit! [curses under breath]
It's a good thing I've gone legit. While I might have MP3s that are considered illegal, I'm working hard at replacing those with positively legitimite ones, by actually buying the CDs.
I used to be big into downloading possibly infringing movies, mp3s, etc., but I've wisened up to the fact that, even though they may charge horrible prices, I might still be stealing. It also helped that I have a semi-steady paycheck now, so I can afford to get the legit copies/versions of what I might have had.
I could still use the filesharing programs to download a movie/song to try it out. There's not a good rental place in the area, and you can't rent CDs anyway. I don't want to buy a $16 CD because I liked one song. I'd prefer to hear the full thing first.
He could have bought it at Best Buy, paid $20-$40 for a 2-year replacement plan, and already gotten his brand new replaced XBox. Instead, he pays hundereds in lawyer fees for something he might not win.
/ex-BB employee
If my laptop stopped working today, I could bring it into Best Buy and get it replaced with little hassle because I bought a service plan. Service plans have a consumer purpose, not just the main purpose of getting Best Buy filthy stinking rich.
I also note that no one is complaining about Gamecubes failing. Of course, with 500 posts, I'm browsing at +4, so take it as you will.
More likely than not (as other people have mentioned,) this letter was probably brought on by a spider. If you read the original C&D letter, it mentions a link pointing to Nintendo, which was not on the page in any way.
Of course, after a hard day of coding Super Mario Sunshine, I probably wouldn't mind kicking back with some lesbian goth pictures. So if it was a person, it was most likely NOT the lawyers.
> NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential
/.ed. Spiffy.
/.) where some company (actually, Nintendo, I think) sued a porn site because the site was using copyrighted words in Meta-data or just on the page to try and attract younger viewers. Certaintly, you wouldn't want someone to search for something of yours and come up with porn. Actually looking at the page in question, it's rather tame (compared to the rest of the site.) Even so, Nintendo would not want to be affiliated with this.
/., not porn.
> information. If you have received it in error, please advise the
> sender by
> reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments
> without
> copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you.
It's privileged or confidential. So they post it on a bulliten board. And now it's going to get
Have they tried contacting NOA? Just because someone claims to be representing a company doesn't mean that they are. Has the webmaster seen if the representing company ("Perkins Coie LLP") exists? I'm too lazy/hungry/'distracted' to google right now. Doesn't Nintendo have their own massive law section? I would think they wouldn't need to outsource.
The e-mail lists one of the problems as a link to Nintendo. Looking at the given link for *ahem* research purposes, I don't see one. I remember a story from long ago (might not be
In this case, at least to me, Nintendo is in the right- while the girl in question is doing something that would be otherwise harmless, i.e., listing favorite games, in this case it's lined right up with porn. I know I wouldn't want my stuff listed on a porn site (unless I'm certain I can gain from it) Nintendo doesn't like porn to be associated to it's stuff, and as such has the right to ask it to be removed. Technically, they own the copyright, meaning they could sue me or whatever for saying Zelda in this post. But this is
Of course... hmmm... porn.slashdot.com?
If I knew you were going to kill me tomorrow would I be justified in killing you today?
Looking at it from a legal perspective, if there was nothing else you could to stop me, then you could kill me with little to no negative effects upon yourself. If there was something else, such as contacting the police, you could possibly be tried for murder or manslaughter.
From that viewpoint, the counter-scammer in this case knew he was being scammed, and to stop the scamming to happen all he had to do was ignore the e-mail. Of course, one could argue that he took actions to protect others (going back to the killing thing, you could kill me to protect others, but not necessarily yourself.)
You're totally right, vigilante justice is indeed an argument of personal opinion. Thing is, if some prosecution lawyer with the juristiction gets a hard-on for a 'make or break' case and catches wind of this, he would probably be able to prosecute. Winning the case is another question altogether.
While I don't mind a scammer getting karma-lized, I have to wonder about the whole procedure. Of course, the legality of the scammar isn't the question, but rather the legality of the counter-scammer. This sounds about the same as the P-p-powerbook (which I'm sure everyone remembers): Sending false goods, misappropiating funds, etc. However, for any charges to be pressed, it will have (had) to be intercepted by federal agents and seen for what it is, or the scammar will have to spill the beans. Both cases are very unlikely, so the counter-scammar is probably safe.
However, I suggest against going this far in the future. Keeping the guy going with fake e-mails is probably fine and well, but when you start with the exchange of funds or goods (sic), where is the line drawn that the counter-scammer doesn't become a scammer himself?