When Sega Sports ESPN NFL 2k5 is already out and the superior game?
Well, you don't know its the superior game until you've played Madden, do you?
I'll concede that 2K5 is probably the better game. I have that and Madden '04, and I think Madden will be hard pressed to prove itself better this year.
But unless 2K5 is much worse than Madden (which I would say is impossible), how can you justify spending $50 + for Madden vs. $20 for ESPN? The only way I can think its worth it is if you are THAT excited about XBox live, or THAT excited about all the perks of the Anniversary Edition, or you're just a biased Madden fanboy.
The best thing about the price of ESPN 2K5 is that some vendors are selling it for less than $20. I got it at Target for $15.88, I heard Circuit City will be selling it for
I disagree that petitions aren't worth a shot. Particularly if they are backed up by arguments and a proposal for action. Maybe the best approach is a pair of petitions: one for people who are pissed off and threatening to leave, one for those pissed off but staying.
The forums (at least the ones I check. Sony has subdivided the forum community into so many different topics it would take a full day for someone to read them all, let alone actually play the game) are full of suggestions to either 'boycott the JtL beta', or petition-like threads (there are two threads I've seen similar to your suggested petitions - one to sign if the announcement made you leave, and one to sign if you are staying.) The main problem with the forums is that only about 20% of the player base uses the forums. So any unified action there (and no one seems happy with the way the game is), is only unified as far as a 1/5 of the galaxy goes. I don't know if anyone who only plays the game would be as perturbed by the announcement, since they wouldn't have known about the original combat balance concept without having read the forums in the first place. How you can get upset that something you didn't know was coming is going to be late?
I don't think we can affect anything, because of the three items they need to work on immediately, there's no easy way to get the combat balance out post haste, as the community wants. They have to complete the Jedi update, since they've started that already, and it wouldn't be right to leave the Jedi in revamp limbo.* After that, I'm sure even the developers would agree it would be nice to get to the combat revamp, but I'm also sure that they have Sony corporate breathing down their backs to get the Expansion Pack out in October (Nov at the latest) in time for the holiday season. That means that, as they scheduled it, the earliest they could get to the balance would be the end of the year.
* Supposedly, when they 'nerfed' the Creature Handler profession at the end of last year, they did so claiming it was the beginning of the combat balance, and that everyone else would be 'nerfed' in due time. They will have been left hanging for about a year if things go as planned right now.
The problem here is that there are so many glitches with the system that have such far ranging effects on the game, that as SOE just brushed everything under the "combat balance" rug, they built up a large amount of expectations that it would 'fix' the game, from most people's perspective. It probably won't, and can't, and I think the developers are starting to realize just what a dismal situation they've created.
Really though, every online game like this needs a balance/revamp on a regular basis. Its hard enough for someone to create a truly balanced system, and given enough time, players will discover those imbalances and utilize/exploit them to develop the characters that best 'fit' that society. Somewhat like how creatures in the wild evolve to best fit their environment. But people get sick of seeing the same type of power-characters over and over again (in this case Rifleman/Combat Medics), and so the developers have to 'balance' the system. All that means is that the FotM will change. Once enough people find the new imbalances and build the subsequent characters, we'll be right back where we were. But that's why we pay $15/mo - so the devs can keep working on this (and yes, for additional content too...) Surprisingly though, this is a viable model, as the power gamers (who finished any and all the content long ago, and will work through any new content the day it is released), must keep changing their character regularly to stay current. Anyone else wasn't interested in having an *uber* character, and as such, won't be affected by the adjustments beyond the actual mechanics.
There's little point to striking. Nothing can change. SOE has a game with issues that need to be fixed, an expansion pack they "need" to get out, and they are in the middle of an update to fix a specific profession. From their perspective, they can't interrupt the current update cycle and leave the Jedi (the profession in question) hanging, especially since they feel that the ability to play a Jedi is such a draw. They won't push back the release date of JtL, since they feel that the space combat will bring in horde of new players, but also this was content that was originally promised at launch, way back when. The only thing that won't bring them new players is fixing the current broken systems. I don't even think that the systems are all that broken, (but to be fair, I haven't played beyond the basic seven professions thus far, nor do I PVP much.) The problem is that people have been complaining about these broken systems, and around the beginning of the year, SOE started saying, "We'll fix that. Just wait for the combat balance." And then, like the carrot before the donkey, the combat balance kept getting delayed so that it was just out of reach. Its easy to see how the people on the forums would get the impression that Sony doesn't care about them and just cares about getting greater amounts of $15/mo. subscriptions, but I'm of the impression that whoever was in charge didn't schedule this right.
We could strike, but that won't give Sony more time, and I doubt they will readjust their schedule at this point. They know that we're unhappy. A strike would mean nothing beyond that. I think that spreading the word that Sony doesn't care about its fan base (if that's news to anyone) is more of an effective protest, as hopefully, since this is reaching sites beyond your those dedicated to gaming, Sony might realize they have a huge PR problem on their hands, and that improving the Jedi experience or allowing people to pilot ships won't improve this. But I doubt it.
However, I'd bet dollars to donuts that the code came from Linux (or more properly, IBM, perfectly within its rights) into SCO, and not the other way 'round.
I admit to not knowing much about the GPL, but if it does turn out that the code went from Linux -> SCO, doesn't that mean that the SCO property would be subject to the GPL (what with it being "viral" and all, right?)
Maybe this is why they are doing all this. They've realized that their code is vulnerable, and so to protect it, they have to attack the GPL, lest they go down in flames.
He's not saying that people roleplay moisture farmers in the game. He's saying that the game is well-designed to give you that opportunity. The game is surprisingly successful at allowing you the opportunity of being one of the people in the background of the Star Wars movies, especially since its easy to find a niche in the economy for yourself. The problem is that too many people (kids?) are able to powergame and (especially now) play all day, and that winds up dominating the landscape. There are pockets of good people to play with, but given that I don't have time to be on that much, and they don't have time to be on that much, its not as easy to find them as it is to find the more obnoxious, ever-present players.
Its clear that this game isn't for everyone, especially hardcore SW fans looking to roleplay. (Jedi are just the most obvious offense as far as violating the canon. Anyone who knows their stuff will have a field day picking apart the game). But if you are willing to look past the usual suspects ruining the game, the underlying systems aren't nearly as bad as they are made out to be.
Of course, I don't know how valid my opinion is, since I like the UI!
Doom 3 is scheduled for an August release, and this article pertains to the Christmas season. I know retailers are trying to start that earlier and earlier every year, but assuming Doom 3 comes out on time, I don't think its applicable to the discussion.
Besides, someone mentioned that the article talks about how publishers will have clashing titles. Doom 3 will probably clash with Half-Life 2, so again that would affect its ability to *guarantee* being a hit, at least as far as this discussion goes.
That said, I too expect Doom 3 to sell like gangbusters.
Do you think that maybe if you hadn't spent your (presumed) vacation time playing the game, that you wouldn't have blown through the minimal amount of content so quickly? Sony should have anticipated people needing more stuff to do, but if you were looking for a lasting experience, you shouldn't have consumed it all so quickly.
Then again, from an economic standpoint, you were paying the same $14.99/mo. regardless (with the first month included in the initial purchase), so it makes sense to blow through the game. But no one buys these games because it makes economic sense.
I've been playing the game for about six weeks now. I had read here about the problems the game had at release, and followed the introduction of the jedi and whatnot. It sounded like the game was starting to get interesting, and when they dropped the price of the box to $29.99, I figured I might as well sign up for my first MMORPG. (Although I had played the Sim Online before, but not on my own machine.)
Yes, the game is all about the social aspect, and now it seems like there is plenty of stuff to do. (I've spent all six weeks on Tattooine and I still haven't checked it all out.) I think there have been maybe two days where I played for more than six hours each day. Usually, I'm able to log about three hours a night. I've been sucked into a guild and they make a surprisingly half decent attempt at organizing events. (Its wierd though being about a decade older than the guild leader, but whatever...)
Its interesting to read the message boards and see everyone complain about how all the classes are broken and whatnot. It seems everyone has a different idea of what each class should be like, and none of those ideas correspond to what the developers have implemented. The usual batch of powergamers, in the form of cheap fotm pvp'ers, and holo-grinders working to become jedi, are ever-present, and do detract from the game. Everyone seems to romanticize what it was like pre-grind, before people found out they had to master lots of classes to become a jedi. Back then, apparently, you had people playing each profession because they were actually interested in it, instead of needing it as a means to an end. But that's all going to change starting today with the new publish, anyway.
So maybe the game isn't perfect, and maybe its not for everyone. I'm enjoying it for now. We'll see how much longer I keep paying for it. Probably at least until we get those wookiee mohawks...
From the expansion ("Jump to Lightspeed") faq:
"Will there be new species added to the game via Jump to Lightspeed?
Yes, we will be adding two new playable species (details to come soon). We will also be adding a number of new alien species as NPCs."
So its not an issue of whether there will be two new races. Its an issue of whether or not those races will be Jawas and Gungans or not. I happen to agree that Jawas are better left as NPC's, and while I could see Gungans as a playable race, I think imyourfoot is right as far as the general sentiment towards Gungans.
Then again, maybe Gungans are one of the races, and they did this as a test to gauge reaction without specifically soliciting input. By putting them with Jawas, who obviously will not be the othe race, they can claim it was all a joke and move on, having obtained the opinions they seek. I suppose we'll find it all out come October...
I don't think you do something like this for profitability. If EA is pursuing this, they are doing it to force everyone else out of the football game market. Four years is enough time for everyone else to watch their sales decline and decide that the 2008 version of ESPN Football or whatnot aren't worth it, and give EA the total market.
As for Disney jumping into a bidding war for the rights, I would think that with all the troubles with Eisner they could care less about the sales of a football video game. They might have the money, but they've got so much other stuff to worry about (and stuff that's more critical to their bottom line), I can't see them believing this warrants attention. EA on the other hand, is solely a game company, and to that extent, it makes sense they would shell out that kind of money for something like this.
I never watched Game Over, so I can't comment on the quality of the show, but the premise is straight out of some hairbrained marketing type's head. Take all the cliches about games, put them in one show, and the gamers will watch. That shows they don't understand what makes games so fun. The show itself may or may not have been clever, but the premise was never going to get the attention of gamers, and it certainly wasn't going to get the attention of anyone else.
The problem is that gaming is such a diverse field. You have RPG's and RTS's and FPS's, etc., that no one show can (or should) encapsulate all that. The article is right: people play games because they are interactive, and tv can never be that. But the eyes of the gamers are not completely gone. Its mentioned in the article that sometimes people are so into a game they keep playing, sacrificing tv time. As the digital time shifting of programming becomes more widespread, people will start watching tv again, but after they finish their game, instead of foregoing it altogether.
Knights of the Old Republic did a decent job of portraying the NPC's in a mixed light. Of the *bad* guys, Canderous was the only one who came across as hyperactively violent, and that translated to an interpretation of his actions as *evil*. HK-47, while definitively evil, was a droid, so he was programmed as such, and his dialogue was mostly used as comic relief.
The interesting thing about KotOR, though, is how the arrogance of the Jedi is portrayed. Bastila is so bossy and uptight when you finally meet her that, even though she's *good*, she almost seems like she should be evil. (I suppose that could be called foreshadowing of a sort.)
I do agree with the article, though, that KotOR's method for *role-playing* as the PC is lacking. Having played through as light and dark, I found myself taking the over-the-top EVIL approach too often, to ensure my dark side status, as opposed to a more natural *evil* reaction. The problem is, as described with the kitten situation, there was always the blatant good option, the mercenary good option, and the KILL KILL KILL evil option, and I would have liked a more subtle method of being mean. I suppose I don't care would have been good, but picking that means not completing whatever task is at hand. I guess the ultimate problem is that in the choice between role-playing and completing a task in the game (be it attempting to do all the quests or maintain dark side mastery), I chose the tasks. Ultimately, that should not be such a visible choice.
Why are you referencing the Four Swords and Pac Man game? Those titles are designed to work with a Gamecube connected to a GBA. The only way any GBA Player works with those is if you have more than one Gamecube (and tv) available. While that's not unheard of, its much easier to just use the systems as intended and play those games with one 'Cube and a few GBA/SP's.
Of course, there are plenty of other titles to justify wanting a link cable on your GBA Player. (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is an example of a game that benefits from the increased screen size and has connectivity features).
That would be an interesting punishment, but then what's the incentive for that guy to keep paying his monthly dues to play the game? Heck, what is his incentive to keep playing the game??? I don't know how UO security works, but even if they were to link his account to a CD-Key, or even his computer, what's to stop him from buying a new CD (or computer, if needed), and starting a new account, assuming he wanted to continue *playing* the game? Still, it would be neat to see virtual prisons filled with virtual criminals and virtual cops going around protecting the virtual citizens from these virtual crimes, even if it isn't likely to happen.
Symantec didn't notify their customers hours before. According to the article, Symantec sent out a notice at 9 pm PST on 1/24. The article says the virus started propogating at 5:30 am UTC 1/25, which is 9:30 pm PST on 1/24. They also say that the rest of the internet started noticing the virus at about midnight EST 1/25, which is also 9 PM PST 1/24. I'm not sure who is changing all the times to make it sound like there is a large window of time, and I don't understand how the virus could propogate so quickly, yet people saw it before it started propogating -- and not just Symantec according to the article's time frame -- but Symantec did not beat the virus by hours.
Given that the issue of human vs. non-human applied to a now defunct tax rate for shipping toys/dolls, unless your abilities allow you to travel through time and to turn yourself into a miniature plastic representation of yourself which would need to be transported across the border, I doubt this would affect you.
But I do fear for the possibility that can happen.
Well, *I* wasn't looking for programming graphics libraries when I took my Graphics Course in college, but that didn't stop my professor from teaching it...
OpenGL is a rather inexpensive 3-D graphics library that is machine independent. If she doesn't know programming, she may want to look into the Python variation (PyOpenGL?), since python is fairly easy to pick up.
I got some sweet wallpaper and two pinwheels in Grab Bag's from Nookington's on Sale Day. I sold most of it back, but the pinwheels are fun to run around with.
this isn't so bad. Sure, kids may or may not be exposed to propaganda and marketing and whatnot, and may not be exposed to vital news information, but at the very least, these seems like a way for a parent to be somewhat sure that your child will be looking at fairly inane sites, so that you don't have to sit there next to them monitoring with them. If you are afraid that they won't get exposure to religious web sites, or political websites offering different views, there's no reason you can't sit them on your lap when you are logged in, and visit all the non-kids.us domain names you'd like. Otherwise, the only way to make sure that your 10 year old isn't reading more about the collected works of Ron Jeremy is to sit there with him/her and watch every link they click on.
Slashdot Mirror
Gates only watched himself turning on the WhatIf machine with his finglonger when he asked the question, "What if I invented the finglonger?"
I'll concede that 2K5 is probably the better game. I have that and Madden '04, and I think Madden will be hard pressed to prove itself better this year.
But unless 2K5 is much worse than Madden (which I would say is impossible), how can you justify spending $50 + for Madden vs. $20 for ESPN? The only way I can think its worth it is if you are THAT excited about XBox live, or THAT excited about all the perks of the Anniversary Edition, or you're just a biased Madden fanboy.
The best thing about the price of ESPN 2K5 is that some vendors are selling it for less than $20. I got it at Target for $15.88, I heard Circuit City will be selling it for
I don't think we can affect anything, because of the three items they need to work on immediately, there's no easy way to get the combat balance out post haste, as the community wants. They have to complete the Jedi update, since they've started that already, and it wouldn't be right to leave the Jedi in revamp limbo.* After that, I'm sure even the developers would agree it would be nice to get to the combat revamp, but I'm also sure that they have Sony corporate breathing down their backs to get the Expansion Pack out in October (Nov at the latest) in time for the holiday season. That means that, as they scheduled it, the earliest they could get to the balance would be the end of the year.
* Supposedly, when they 'nerfed' the Creature Handler profession at the end of last year, they did so claiming it was the beginning of the combat balance, and that everyone else would be 'nerfed' in due time. They will have been left hanging for about a year if things go as planned right now.
The problem here is that there are so many glitches with the system that have such far ranging effects on the game, that as SOE just brushed everything under the "combat balance" rug, they built up a large amount of expectations that it would 'fix' the game, from most people's perspective. It probably won't, and can't, and I think the developers are starting to realize just what a dismal situation they've created.
Really though, every online game like this needs a balance/revamp on a regular basis. Its hard enough for someone to create a truly balanced system, and given enough time, players will discover those imbalances and utilize/exploit them to develop the characters that best 'fit' that society. Somewhat like how creatures in the wild evolve to best fit their environment. But people get sick of seeing the same type of power-characters over and over again (in this case Rifleman/Combat Medics), and so the developers have to 'balance' the system. All that means is that the FotM will change. Once enough people find the new imbalances and build the subsequent characters, we'll be right back where we were. But that's why we pay $15/mo - so the devs can keep working on this (and yes, for additional content too...) Surprisingly though, this is a viable model, as the power gamers (who finished any and all the content long ago, and will work through any new content the day it is released), must keep changing their character regularly to stay current. Anyone else wasn't interested in having an *uber* character, and as such, won't be affected by the adjustments beyond the actual mechanics.
There's little point to striking. Nothing can change. SOE has a game with issues that need to be fixed, an expansion pack they "need" to get out, and they are in the middle of an update to fix a specific profession. From their perspective, they can't interrupt the current update cycle and leave the Jedi (the profession in question) hanging, especially since they feel that the ability to play a Jedi is such a draw. They won't push back the release date of JtL, since they feel that the space combat will bring in horde of new players, but also this was content that was originally promised at launch, way back when. The only thing that won't bring them new players is fixing the current broken systems. I don't even think that the systems are all that broken, (but to be fair, I haven't played beyond the basic seven professions thus far, nor do I PVP much.) The problem is that people have been complaining about these broken systems, and around the beginning of the year, SOE started saying, "We'll fix that. Just wait for the combat balance." And then, like the carrot before the donkey, the combat balance kept getting delayed so that it was just out of reach. Its easy to see how the people on the forums would get the impression that Sony doesn't care about them and just cares about getting greater amounts of $15/mo. subscriptions, but I'm of the impression that whoever was in charge didn't schedule this right.
We could strike, but that won't give Sony more time, and I doubt they will readjust their schedule at this point. They know that we're unhappy. A strike would mean nothing beyond that. I think that spreading the word that Sony doesn't care about its fan base (if that's news to anyone) is more of an effective protest, as hopefully, since this is reaching sites beyond your those dedicated to gaming, Sony might realize they have a huge PR problem on their hands, and that improving the Jedi experience or allowing people to pilot ships won't improve this. But I doubt it.
I admit to not knowing much about the GPL, but if it does turn out that the code went from Linux -> SCO, doesn't that mean that the SCO property would be subject to the GPL (what with it being "viral" and all, right?)
Maybe this is why they are doing all this. They've realized that their code is vulnerable, and so to protect it, they have to attack the GPL, lest they go down in flames.
He's not saying that people roleplay moisture farmers in the game. He's saying that the game is well-designed to give you that opportunity. The game is surprisingly successful at allowing you the opportunity of being one of the people in the background of the Star Wars movies, especially since its easy to find a niche in the economy for yourself. The problem is that too many people (kids?) are able to powergame and (especially now) play all day, and that winds up dominating the landscape. There are pockets of good people to play with, but given that I don't have time to be on that much, and they don't have time to be on that much, its not as easy to find them as it is to find the more obnoxious, ever-present players.
Its clear that this game isn't for everyone, especially hardcore SW fans looking to roleplay. (Jedi are just the most obvious offense as far as violating the canon. Anyone who knows their stuff will have a field day picking apart the game). But if you are willing to look past the usual suspects ruining the game, the underlying systems aren't nearly as bad as they are made out to be.
Of course, I don't know how valid my opinion is, since I like the UI!
Doom 3 is scheduled for an August release, and this article pertains to the Christmas season. I know retailers are trying to start that earlier and earlier every year, but assuming Doom 3 comes out on time, I don't think its applicable to the discussion.
Besides, someone mentioned that the article talks about how publishers will have clashing titles. Doom 3 will probably clash with Half-Life 2, so again that would affect its ability to *guarantee* being a hit, at least as far as this discussion goes.
That said, I too expect Doom 3 to sell like gangbusters.
Do you think that maybe if you hadn't spent your (presumed) vacation time playing the game, that you wouldn't have blown through the minimal amount of content so quickly? Sony should have anticipated people needing more stuff to do, but if you were looking for a lasting experience, you shouldn't have consumed it all so quickly.
Then again, from an economic standpoint, you were paying the same $14.99/mo. regardless (with the first month included in the initial purchase), so it makes sense to blow through the game. But no one buys these games because it makes economic sense.
I've been playing the game for about six weeks now. I had read here about the problems the game had at release, and followed the introduction of the jedi and whatnot. It sounded like the game was starting to get interesting, and when they dropped the price of the box to $29.99, I figured I might as well sign up for my first MMORPG. (Although I had played the Sim Online before, but not on my own machine.)
Yes, the game is all about the social aspect, and now it seems like there is plenty of stuff to do. (I've spent all six weeks on Tattooine and I still haven't checked it all out.) I think there have been maybe two days where I played for more than six hours each day. Usually, I'm able to log about three hours a night. I've been sucked into a guild and they make a surprisingly half decent attempt at organizing events. (Its wierd though being about a decade older than the guild leader, but whatever...)
Its interesting to read the message boards and see everyone complain about how all the classes are broken and whatnot. It seems everyone has a different idea of what each class should be like, and none of those ideas correspond to what the developers have implemented. The usual batch of powergamers, in the form of cheap fotm pvp'ers, and holo-grinders working to become jedi, are ever-present, and do detract from the game. Everyone seems to romanticize what it was like pre-grind, before people found out they had to master lots of classes to become a jedi. Back then, apparently, you had people playing each profession because they were actually interested in it, instead of needing it as a means to an end. But that's all going to change starting today with the new publish, anyway.
So maybe the game isn't perfect, and maybe its not for everyone. I'm enjoying it for now. We'll see how much longer I keep paying for it. Probably at least until we get those wookiee mohawks...
From the expansion ("Jump to Lightspeed") faq:
"Will there be new species added to the game via Jump to Lightspeed?
Yes, we will be adding two new playable species (details to come soon). We will also be adding a number of new alien species as NPCs."
So its not an issue of whether there will be two new races. Its an issue of whether or not those races will be Jawas and Gungans or not. I happen to agree that Jawas are better left as NPC's, and while I could see Gungans as a playable race, I think imyourfoot is right as far as the general sentiment towards Gungans.
Then again, maybe Gungans are one of the races, and they did this as a test to gauge reaction without specifically soliciting input. By putting them with Jawas, who obviously will not be the othe race, they can claim it was all a joke and move on, having obtained the opinions they seek. I suppose we'll find it all out come October...
I don't think you do something like this for profitability. If EA is pursuing this, they are doing it to force everyone else out of the football game market. Four years is enough time for everyone else to watch their sales decline and decide that the 2008 version of ESPN Football or whatnot aren't worth it, and give EA the total market. As for Disney jumping into a bidding war for the rights, I would think that with all the troubles with Eisner they could care less about the sales of a football video game. They might have the money, but they've got so much other stuff to worry about (and stuff that's more critical to their bottom line), I can't see them believing this warrants attention. EA on the other hand, is solely a game company, and to that extent, it makes sense they would shell out that kind of money for something like this.
I never watched Game Over, so I can't comment on the quality of the show, but the premise is straight out of some hairbrained marketing type's head. Take all the cliches about games, put them in one show, and the gamers will watch. That shows they don't understand what makes games so fun. The show itself may or may not have been clever, but the premise was never going to get the attention of gamers, and it certainly wasn't going to get the attention of anyone else. The problem is that gaming is such a diverse field. You have RPG's and RTS's and FPS's, etc., that no one show can (or should) encapsulate all that. The article is right: people play games because they are interactive, and tv can never be that. But the eyes of the gamers are not completely gone. Its mentioned in the article that sometimes people are so into a game they keep playing, sacrificing tv time. As the digital time shifting of programming becomes more widespread, people will start watching tv again, but after they finish their game, instead of foregoing it altogether.
Knights of the Old Republic did a decent job of portraying the NPC's in a mixed light. Of the *bad* guys, Canderous was the only one who came across as hyperactively violent, and that translated to an interpretation of his actions as *evil*. HK-47, while definitively evil, was a droid, so he was programmed as such, and his dialogue was mostly used as comic relief. The interesting thing about KotOR, though, is how the arrogance of the Jedi is portrayed. Bastila is so bossy and uptight when you finally meet her that, even though she's *good*, she almost seems like she should be evil. (I suppose that could be called foreshadowing of a sort.) I do agree with the article, though, that KotOR's method for *role-playing* as the PC is lacking. Having played through as light and dark, I found myself taking the over-the-top EVIL approach too often, to ensure my dark side status, as opposed to a more natural *evil* reaction. The problem is, as described with the kitten situation, there was always the blatant good option, the mercenary good option, and the KILL KILL KILL evil option, and I would have liked a more subtle method of being mean. I suppose I don't care would have been good, but picking that means not completing whatever task is at hand. I guess the ultimate problem is that in the choice between role-playing and completing a task in the game (be it attempting to do all the quests or maintain dark side mastery), I chose the tasks. Ultimately, that should not be such a visible choice.
Why are you referencing the Four Swords and Pac Man game? Those titles are designed to work with a Gamecube connected to a GBA. The only way any GBA Player works with those is if you have more than one Gamecube (and tv) available. While that's not unheard of, its much easier to just use the systems as intended and play those games with one 'Cube and a few GBA/SP's. Of course, there are plenty of other titles to justify wanting a link cable on your GBA Player. (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is an example of a game that benefits from the increased screen size and has connectivity features).
That would be an interesting punishment, but then what's the incentive for that guy to keep paying his monthly dues to play the game? Heck, what is his incentive to keep playing the game??? I don't know how UO security works, but even if they were to link his account to a CD-Key, or even his computer, what's to stop him from buying a new CD (or computer, if needed), and starting a new account, assuming he wanted to continue *playing* the game? Still, it would be neat to see virtual prisons filled with virtual criminals and virtual cops going around protecting the virtual citizens from these virtual crimes, even if it isn't likely to happen.
Symantec didn't notify their customers hours before. According to the article, Symantec sent out a notice at 9 pm PST on 1/24. The article says the virus started propogating at 5:30 am UTC 1/25, which is 9:30 pm PST on 1/24. They also say that the rest of the internet started noticing the virus at about midnight EST 1/25, which is also 9 PM PST 1/24. I'm not sure who is changing all the times to make it sound like there is a large window of time, and I don't understand how the virus could propogate so quickly, yet people saw it before it started propogating -- and not just Symantec according to the article's time frame -- but Symantec did not beat the virus by hours.
Given that the issue of human vs. non-human applied to a now defunct tax rate for shipping toys/dolls, unless your abilities allow you to travel through time and to turn yourself into a miniature plastic representation of yourself which would need to be transported across the border, I doubt this would affect you. But I do fear for the possibility that can happen.
Well, *I* wasn't looking for programming graphics libraries when I took my Graphics Course in college, but that didn't stop my professor from teaching it...
OpenGL is a rather inexpensive 3-D graphics library that is machine independent. If she doesn't know programming, she may want to look into the Python variation (PyOpenGL?), since python is fairly easy to pick up.
I got some sweet wallpaper and two pinwheels in Grab Bag's from Nookington's on Sale Day. I sold most of it back, but the pinwheels are fun to run around with.
this isn't so bad. Sure, kids may or may not be exposed to propaganda and marketing and whatnot, and may not be exposed to vital news information, but at the very least, these seems like a way for a parent to be somewhat sure that your child will be looking at fairly inane sites, so that you don't have to sit there next to them monitoring with them. If you are afraid that they won't get exposure to religious web sites, or political websites offering different views, there's no reason you can't sit them on your lap when you are logged in, and visit all the non-kids.us domain names you'd like. Otherwise, the only way to make sure that your 10 year old isn't reading more about the collected works of Ron Jeremy is to sit there with him/her and watch every link they click on.