The only problem I see with the PS3 (and Xbox360) having 'too many features' is that in many cases these are -redundant- featuresets for certain users. If I already have a multifunction device (with which to watch videos, listen to MP3s, go online, download stuff, chat with people) I might have a harder time justifying the purchase of a PS3 if it costs a lot more simply -because- of all these added features.
Since I do already have this multifunction device (a computer) it'll be hard to foot the likely large purchase price of the PS3. If a critical mass of unique PS3 games are released (games like Rez, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Disgaea, Katamari) and the price drops, it'll be a much more appealing purchase.
This is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to the Revolution, as it has very, very little feature overlap with anything I currently own, and the price will likely be very acceptable because it will do just one thing -- play games -- and games that are exclusive to the Revolution.
That said, a lot of people don't have a modern computer, and for them, the PS3/360 'many features' will be great.
I know I'm not supposed to say anything if I have nothing nice to say...... but man, that list is weak. I could have thrown that together in an hour from memory and google image search. Paddles and light guns are painfully missing. What about Nintendo's Power Glove and UForce controllers? Nintendo's Power Pad and how it evolved into DDR dance surfaces? I'm not even getting into the platforms it missed - Sega Master System, TurboGrafx/PCE, ColecoVision, Intellivision, NeoGeo home arcade sticks. They show the 6 button Genesis pad but not the original 3 button one that shipped with the system at launch? It boggles my mind. I won't even get started on the actual copy. I'm fairly certain that I'm missing some big swathes of history myself, right now.
A little harsh I know, but if I had to write a paper on the history of game controllers for a school paper when I was twelve, that would have been what I wrote on the school bus the morning of the day it was due, after a night of not writing it because I was playing Temple of Apshai Trilogy waaaay past my bedtime. (ignore glaring temporal issues)
However, I disagree in the bigger picture that spending this much time, money and creative energy on a Star Wars fanfilm is better than creating an original work. A mostly failed original work, in my opinion, has much more value than a mostly succesful derivative one. But that is just my opinion.
Are you so sure? You're saying an indie sci-fi film of such production quality wouldn't get posted on Slashdot if it wasn't a Star Wars fanfilm? I would really tend to disagree.
Anyway, even if it wasn't posted on Slashdot, what does it matter? I would hope you don't get all of your cues on art from this site alone. If an original film was good, people would find out about it regardless of Slashdot. This site is good for the flash burn of interest on a limited cross-section of topics, but is really just the smallest blip in terms of what really matters.
While I understand that many of these fanfilms are done out of a sense of respect and admiration for the original material, it always kills me when considerable talent such as this is poured into the creative boundaries and legal obligations of an existing idea.
Undoubtedly they get a lot more immediate interest in their work making a 'Star Wars' movie, but if instead they created an original story, I bet it would be a lot more enduring.
They would even be able to sell their work on DVD and perhaps fund a sequel. They would be free of the shackles of an existing mythos and could dream up whatever they wanted, something new and surpassing 'Star Wars' in pure imagination and wonder. Something that would mean a lot more than just a fanfilm. No matter the production values, that is what it is.
How great would it be to see an ORIGINAL indie sci-fi epic on the scale of this production? New worlds, new characters, new ideas? I'm sure they would get a lot of support. With enough support they might find they can even make it into a series.
Ah well..
dxtx
if i had a job that demanded 80 hours a week from me, especially without paid compensation (and most don't compensate) I'd be out of there so quickly i'd create disturbances in time and space.
after 40 hours, the 'diminishing return' i'm concerned with is not some corporation's bottom line, but the quality of my life.
we have only a short time to live and i'd rather scrape by on a moderate income with acceptable hours and time enough to enrich myself as a HUMAN.
i wouldn't even work on a project for myself 80 hours in one week, unless there were very special conditions.
am i lazy? absolutely not, unless i need to work 80 hours a week to avoid that designation. and if that is the case, i will wear the badge proudly.
Slashdot Mirror
The only problem I see with the PS3 (and Xbox360) having 'too many features' is that in many cases these are -redundant- featuresets for certain users. If I already have a multifunction device (with which to watch videos, listen to MP3s, go online, download stuff, chat with people) I might have a harder time justifying the purchase of a PS3 if it costs a lot more simply -because- of all these added features. Since I do already have this multifunction device (a computer) it'll be hard to foot the likely large purchase price of the PS3. If a critical mass of unique PS3 games are released (games like Rez, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Disgaea, Katamari) and the price drops, it'll be a much more appealing purchase.
This is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to the Revolution, as it has very, very little feature overlap with anything I currently own, and the price will likely be very acceptable because it will do just one thing -- play games -- and games that are exclusive to the Revolution.
That said, a lot of people don't have a modern computer, and for them, the PS3/360 'many features' will be great.
I know I'm not supposed to say anything if I have nothing nice to say ... ... but man, that list is weak. I could have thrown that together in an hour from memory and google image search. Paddles and light guns are painfully missing. What about Nintendo's Power Glove and UForce controllers? Nintendo's Power Pad and how it evolved into DDR dance surfaces? I'm not even getting into the platforms it missed - Sega Master System, TurboGrafx/PCE, ColecoVision, Intellivision, NeoGeo home arcade sticks. They show the 6 button Genesis pad but not the original 3 button one that shipped with the system at launch? It boggles my mind. I won't even get started on the actual copy. I'm fairly certain that I'm missing some big swathes of history myself, right now.
A little harsh I know, but if I had to write a paper on the history of game controllers for a school paper when I was twelve, that would have been what I wrote on the school bus the morning of the day it was due, after a night of not writing it because I was playing Temple of Apshai Trilogy waaaay past my bedtime. (ignore glaring temporal issues)
I actually agree with all three of your points.
However, I disagree in the bigger picture that spending this much time, money and creative energy on a Star Wars fanfilm is better than creating an original work. A mostly failed original work, in my opinion, has much more value than a mostly succesful derivative one. But that is just my opinion.
dxtx
Are you so sure? You're saying an indie sci-fi film of such production quality wouldn't get posted on Slashdot if it wasn't a Star Wars fanfilm? I would really tend to disagree.
Anyway, even if it wasn't posted on Slashdot, what does it matter? I would hope you don't get all of your cues on art from this site alone. If an original film was good, people would find out about it regardless of Slashdot.
This site is good for the flash burn of interest on a limited cross-section of topics, but is really just the smallest blip in terms of what really matters.
dxtx
While I understand that many of these fanfilms are done out of a sense of respect and admiration for the original material, it always kills me when considerable talent such as this is poured into the creative boundaries and legal obligations of an existing idea. Undoubtedly they get a lot more immediate interest in their work making a 'Star Wars' movie, but if instead they created an original story, I bet it would be a lot more enduring. They would even be able to sell their work on DVD and perhaps fund a sequel. They would be free of the shackles of an existing mythos and could dream up whatever they wanted, something new and surpassing 'Star Wars' in pure imagination and wonder. Something that would mean a lot more than just a fanfilm. No matter the production values, that is what it is. How great would it be to see an ORIGINAL indie sci-fi epic on the scale of this production? New worlds, new characters, new ideas? I'm sure they would get a lot of support. With enough support they might find they can even make it into a series. Ah well.. dxtx
if i had a job that demanded 80 hours a week from me, especially without paid compensation (and most don't compensate) I'd be out of there so quickly i'd create disturbances in time and space. after 40 hours, the 'diminishing return' i'm concerned with is not some corporation's bottom line, but the quality of my life. we have only a short time to live and i'd rather scrape by on a moderate income with acceptable hours and time enough to enrich myself as a HUMAN. i wouldn't even work on a project for myself 80 hours in one week, unless there were very special conditions. am i lazy? absolutely not, unless i need to work 80 hours a week to avoid that designation. and if that is the case, i will wear the badge proudly.