I've got all three systems too (though I got them in the order of release).
I've ended up giving the PS2 to my gf, there's just nothing left to play on it (though I am in Europe where I'm not going to get hold of Disagea).
It was good while it lasted, but it didn't last as long as it should. The only thing going for it now is the fact that you can get the software very cheap.
There are two ways to do this. We can reduce the response rate through educating people. If no one ever clicked on the links in spam, it wouldn't be worth the effort for them. And as we increase security it will become harder and harder for them to send it out. Eventually it will cease to be worthwhile.
Alternatively, everyone who recieves spam could club together and chip in 1p (or 1c). If enough people did, we could get a million dollars or so together a pay an assassin to take out a few of the spammers. Eventually the fear for their lives wouldn't be worth the amount of money they made.
Feel free to start sending your money to me and I'll sort something out...
I'm interested to know how soon they will reprosecute you after they have caught you. If this is effectively a license to download music for 10 years or so, then I think it's worth it (I'd pay $300 a year to download unlimited music).
Even better would if we started a P2P union and everyone paid $5 a year and everyone's fines was taken out of that pot.
To stop the RIAA from demanding a list of the union's members, you could encrypt members details as they joined, so that the union itself didn't know who was it's members. When someone gets prosecuted they provide a decryption key for their details so that it can be checked whether they are a member. If they are, their fine is paid by the union.
Anyone up for it?
I did hear about this and yes, you are right. The DVD drive has been substandard on several releases.
Apparently the early Japanese editions actually scratched the game discs that were put in them and Microsoft weren't quick to replace them, which was a PR disaster for them.
Overall they have done a good job (though admittedly the DVD drive is a pretty fundamental part of the system).
The only profitable things they've ever done are Office and Windows. With MSN and Xbox, I think they've adequatley proved that they are willing to lose a few billion here and there...
The reasons I (we) have often hated Microsoft (DRM, forced updates, market control, etc) actually work on a console. Their entire philosophy seems to fit the console market better than the PC market. You can utterly control a console and control what people do with it. There is no freedom except if you use a modchip, and if you do that you are banned from online gaming (which is half the fun).
You could never have a successful open source console, because they have to sell the console at a loss and make their money back on their licensing fees. This model really suits Microsoft, who are good at controlling that kind of relationship, and who have the deep pockets to make a bit of a loss.
Also, the Japanese market tends to suit regularly improvements to products (constantly releasing slightly improved versions) which doesn't suit consoles (who wants a PS2.1, or 2.2?), but it does work with an Xbox. They have updated the 'operating system' many times since I bought mine, and are sure to keep doing so.
Microsoft may just have found a niche that they can be good at, and where their business model is actually loved rather than hated.
"Its the only console for which FPSs actually work *AT ALL* (Gamecube's controls are too rigid, and PS2's analog sticks are too short), and i actually prefer (blasphemy!) the analog sticks to WASD and a mouse.. its just so much more natural."
Utterly. And the dimples on the analogue sticks are a moment of genius. My finger hasn't slipped once. I can't believe no one has thought of it before (using concave instead of convex tops to the sticks). It adds so much control.
Why they can't release a controller as good as that for the PC, I don't know.
I've been more than impressed with the games. It's had a lot of the 'Best in their class' games of recent years (or at least ones that were arguabley best).
Halo, Dead or Alive, Amped, Topspin, Links, Panzer Dragoon, DoA:XBV, etc.
There's also been loads of games that I've preferred playing on Xbox rather than PC (like KotOR and GTA3/VC), due to having a good controller.
It hasn't got the range of PS2 software, but it has got lots of better games.
I've always been a bit of a Microsoft hater, but I was tempted to the Xbox by Halo and Dead or Alive (I'm a DoA fanboy) and have to say I've ended up loving it. I've ended up playing on it to the exclusion of my GC and PS2.
They made a pretty powerful machine and did a great job of getting some brilliant developers to make games for it (whether by fair means or foul).
The build quality of the components is also surprisingly high. The cables that came with my console are gold-plated and very strong. The controllers are the least flimsy feeling of all the controllers on the market. As soon as it came out of its packaging, it oozed class and effort.
They even made an effort to create a better size and shape of controller. Okay they failed with their first one. But full marks for trying.
I don't think they'll win the console war, but I think they are definitely bringing some fresh thinking to the marketplace, and making Nintendo and Sony raise their standards.
(BTW My only disappointment was that it had a cheap little CD draw. When I first switched it on, I expected the whole top to raise off with a hiss of hydraulics and a glowing green light inside. I was gutted when it didn't)
I have to say that all the cars I dream about buying are ones that I've had a lot of fun driving in the various GT games. The Subaru Impreza, Jaguar XJ220 and even the new Mini Cooper are cars that I loved in GT for racing in their respective classes, and consequently are the cars I love.
Equally, cars that I hated driving in GT are cars that I no longer like (such as the new Beetle).
For a lot of people, their only experience of driving expensive cars is games like GT (I've never driven a Jaguar or Subaru in real life). Some of those people will eventually become well off and having aspired to own one of those cars, will buy one.
It's the greatest form of car advertising. Rather than showing pretty pictures of them on TV or in magazines, you let millions of people get behind the wheel and have a test drive.
I've always found that that the lack of damage and the atrocious AI meant that you could always corner past the pack by slamming into them sideways on. You could almost take a corner at full speed AND take out an opponent in one movement. If that's gone, I'll be a little disappointed.
The Innovation section is *really* depressing. Makes you realise how little innovation there is.
KotOR was a brilliant game (GotY IMO) but there was no innovation in it. It was just a retread of BG with a good/evil system (which has been around for ages. I remember it in Fallout 2). It was all about production values and plot and gameplay, and did those things well.
With the possible exception of PoP, only Zelda was at all innovative (BTW despite PoP, Ubisoft look to be going bust).
To top it all, the page doesn't work in Opera, which is despicable.
I'm quite intrigued about the possibilities for the DS. I can quite see that a couple of killer apps will come out on it, and if so I will definitely buy one.
I can see a game like Splinter Cell, where you could put a camera in a hallway and watch it on one screen, whilst performing a task on the other screen.
Or threaded roleplay games, where two sides of the story are playing out, one on each screen. You alternately play a part in each story, and watch the repurcussions of your actions on the other thread of the story.
As usual, Nintendo are actually trying to do something interesting rather just produce the 'best' console.
I suppose so, but it's never really much fun to play someone massively better than you.
I wouldn't really gain much from playing against Andre Aggassi or Gary Kasparov. I'd get beatdown too much.
I generally find that ladder systems are much better in the long run. There's enough variation that you do play people better (and worse) than you. But never by too much.
Personally I wouldn't mind if someone was using a cheat to play at my level. What I do mind is when someone uses a cheat to rape me.
For me, as long as there is a ladder or ranking system so that I can play people of about the same level as me (whether lousy players with cheats or medium skill players), I don't mind too much about people's methods (but then I'm not good enough to be in it for the glory. I just play for the game).
Slashdot Mirror
Actually it wasn't true 50 years ago. It hasn't been true since the industrial revolution (which started in England and spread through Europe).
If anything, America was most recently a cultural backwater (during the late 1800's) and has only relatively recently become 'civilised'.
You deserve 5 out of 5 for funny...
How is Singletoned a guys name, though? I'd have thought it was fairly androgynous...?
Music Mixer looks quite interesting, though $40 for a copy of Windows Media Player is pushing it a bit.
If all this kind of stuff was included in the Xbox by default I'd happily make it The Centre of My Living Room.
I don't think EA are really capable of doing anything original anymore, but a remake of Syndicate would be the next best thing.
I've got all three systems too (though I got them in the order of release).
I've ended up giving the PS2 to my gf, there's just nothing left to play on it (though I am in Europe where I'm not going to get hold of Disagea).
It was good while it lasted, but it didn't last as long as it should. The only thing going for it now is the fact that you can get the software very cheap.
There are two ways to do this. We can reduce the response rate through educating people. If no one ever clicked on the links in spam, it wouldn't be worth the effort for them. And as we increase security it will become harder and harder for them to send it out. Eventually it will cease to be worthwhile.
Alternatively, everyone who recieves spam could club together and chip in 1p (or 1c). If enough people did, we could get a million dollars or so together a pay an assassin to take out a few of the spammers. Eventually the fear for their lives wouldn't be worth the amount of money they made.
Feel free to start sending your money to me and I'll sort something out...
I'm interested to know how soon they will reprosecute you after they have caught you. If this is effectively a license to download music for 10 years or so, then I think it's worth it (I'd pay $300 a year to download unlimited music). Even better would if we started a P2P union and everyone paid $5 a year and everyone's fines was taken out of that pot. To stop the RIAA from demanding a list of the union's members, you could encrypt members details as they joined, so that the union itself didn't know who was it's members. When someone gets prosecuted they provide a decryption key for their details so that it can be checked whether they are a member. If they are, their fine is paid by the union. Anyone up for it?
That already goes on in Gunbound. People are always trading items for 20 kills, etc. It's all currently done on trust at the moment though.
Yay! Now we can have 5 IM clients running on our PCs. What joy.
Nothing like this is going to work terribley well until someone creates a viable open standard IM system.
Anyway, a mongrel of GameSpy and Yet Another IM Client isn't terribly original or promising.
What do you mean?
It's the best volleyball game, and a great example of non-goal-lead gaming. The goal is just to play and have fun.
It's a brilliant game, well executed, and tries to do something original.
Very nice. Thanks muchly.
I did hear about this and yes, you are right. The DVD drive has been substandard on several releases.
;)
Apparently the early Japanese editions actually scratched the game discs that were put in them and Microsoft weren't quick to replace them, which was a PR disaster for them.
Overall they have done a good job (though admittedly the DVD drive is a pretty fundamental part of the system).
That's Microsft for you
The only profitable things they've ever done are Office and Windows. With MSN and Xbox, I think they've adequatley proved that they are willing to lose a few billion here and there...
The other thing that has just occurred to me:
The reasons I (we) have often hated Microsoft (DRM, forced updates, market control, etc) actually work on a console. Their entire philosophy seems to fit the console market better than the PC market. You can utterly control a console and control what people do with it. There is no freedom except if you use a modchip, and if you do that you are banned from online gaming (which is half the fun).
You could never have a successful open source console, because they have to sell the console at a loss and make their money back on their licensing fees. This model really suits Microsoft, who are good at controlling that kind of relationship, and who have the deep pockets to make a bit of a loss.
Also, the Japanese market tends to suit regularly improvements to products (constantly releasing slightly improved versions) which doesn't suit consoles (who wants a PS2.1, or 2.2?), but it does work with an Xbox. They have updated the 'operating system' many times since I bought mine, and are sure to keep doing so.
Microsoft may just have found a niche that they can be good at, and where their business model is actually loved rather than hated.
"Its the only console for which FPSs actually work *AT ALL* (Gamecube's controls are too rigid, and PS2's analog sticks are too short), and i actually prefer (blasphemy!) the analog sticks to WASD and a mouse.. its just so much more natural."
Utterly. And the dimples on the analogue sticks are a moment of genius. My finger hasn't slipped once. I can't believe no one has thought of it before (using concave instead of convex tops to the sticks). It adds so much control.
Why they can't release a controller as good as that for the PC, I don't know.
Yes, I should have qualified my statement, that I was referring to single platform games.
Though the multiplatform games do tend to be better on Xbox (Soul Calibur 2 being an exception).
Admittedly Xbox hasn't done well with less Western forms of gaming like Japanese RPGs and adventure games. But that's fairly understandable.
I've been more than impressed with the games. It's had a lot of the 'Best in their class' games of recent years (or at least ones that were arguabley best).
Halo, Dead or Alive, Amped, Topspin, Links, Panzer Dragoon, DoA:XBV, etc.
There's also been loads of games that I've preferred playing on Xbox rather than PC (like KotOR and GTA3/VC), due to having a good controller.
It hasn't got the range of PS2 software, but it has got lots of better games.
I've always been a bit of a Microsoft hater, but I was tempted to the Xbox by Halo and Dead or Alive (I'm a DoA fanboy) and have to say I've ended up loving it. I've ended up playing on it to the exclusion of my GC and PS2.
They made a pretty powerful machine and did a great job of getting some brilliant developers to make games for it (whether by fair means or foul).
The build quality of the components is also surprisingly high. The cables that came with my console are gold-plated and very strong. The controllers are the least flimsy feeling of all the controllers on the market. As soon as it came out of its packaging, it oozed class and effort.
They even made an effort to create a better size and shape of controller. Okay they failed with their first one. But full marks for trying.
I don't think they'll win the console war, but I think they are definitely bringing some fresh thinking to the marketplace, and making Nintendo and Sony raise their standards.
(BTW My only disappointment was that it had a cheap little CD draw. When I first switched it on, I expected the whole top to raise off with a hiss of hydraulics and a glowing green light inside. I was gutted when it didn't)
Also, how many people actually associate Ferraris (for example) with careful, law-abiding driving?
Aren't you perhaps more likely to associate them with driving fast and recklessly?
Hell, drug dealers, criminals and businessmen are their target audience (no one else has the money).
I have to say that all the cars I dream about buying are ones that I've had a lot of fun driving in the various GT games. The Subaru Impreza, Jaguar XJ220 and even the new Mini Cooper are cars that I loved in GT for racing in their respective classes, and consequently are the cars I love.
Equally, cars that I hated driving in GT are cars that I no longer like (such as the new Beetle).
For a lot of people, their only experience of driving expensive cars is games like GT (I've never driven a Jaguar or Subaru in real life). Some of those people will eventually become well off and having aspired to own one of those cars, will buy one.
It's the greatest form of car advertising. Rather than showing pretty pictures of them on TV or in magazines, you let millions of people get behind the wheel and have a test drive.
I've always found that that the lack of damage and the atrocious AI meant that you could always corner past the pack by slamming into them sideways on. You could almost take a corner at full speed AND take out an opponent in one movement. If that's gone, I'll be a little disappointed.
The Innovation section is *really* depressing. Makes you realise how little innovation there is.
KotOR was a brilliant game (GotY IMO) but there was no innovation in it. It was just a retread of BG with a good/evil system (which has been around for ages. I remember it in Fallout 2). It was all about production values and plot and gameplay, and did those things well.
With the possible exception of PoP, only Zelda was at all innovative (BTW despite PoP, Ubisoft look to be going bust).
To top it all, the page doesn't work in Opera, which is despicable.
I'm quite intrigued about the possibilities for the DS. I can quite see that a couple of killer apps will come out on it, and if so I will definitely buy one.
I can see a game like Splinter Cell, where you could put a camera in a hallway and watch it on one screen, whilst performing a task on the other screen.
Or threaded roleplay games, where two sides of the story are playing out, one on each screen. You alternately play a part in each story, and watch the repurcussions of your actions on the other thread of the story.
As usual, Nintendo are actually trying to do something interesting rather just produce the 'best' console.
I suppose so, but it's never really much fun to play someone massively better than you.
I wouldn't really gain much from playing against Andre Aggassi or Gary Kasparov. I'd get beatdown too much.
I generally find that ladder systems are much better in the long run. There's enough variation that you do play people better (and worse) than you. But never by too much.
Personally I wouldn't mind if someone was using a cheat to play at my level. What I do mind is when someone uses a cheat to rape me. For me, as long as there is a ladder or ranking system so that I can play people of about the same level as me (whether lousy players with cheats or medium skill players), I don't mind too much about people's methods (but then I'm not good enough to be in it for the glory. I just play for the game).