The sensor bar is a specific size and stays in one place. There are not too many calculations to do. Of course if they assumed a standard sensor bar it'd screw things up for everyone using some third party one or a home made setup. But even those could be accounted for. In fact, when you're pointing the IR at the television the Wii should be able to tell EXACTLY where the TV is, either assuming the standard sensor bar or another one given calibration. The left/right calibration they already have down pretty well and shouldn't be too much work to get 100%. Clearly the vertical alignment can be adjusted because they allow for an above or below option. Just need to offset it and they should be able to get centered. There is NO reason for it not to be 100% accurate other than lazy, stupid programmers. That or Wii being so under powered it can't do the calculations, but that seems far fetched.
Sure it is. It does the left/right movements fine. And furthermore it does the up and down movements fine, they just don't properly offset the readings they're taking. There's no reason that they shouldn't be able to at least make it close enough that people won't notice. Changing angles relative to the TV should make no difference since the sensor bar is stationary.
I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that it isn't possible, but just saying that it isn't doesn't make it so and observing the system in action it sure seems like it wouldn't be hard to do right. Not sure why they aren't, but I highly doubt that it's because it isn't possible.
The Zapper isn't coming with Umbrella Chronicles. It is coming with some pack of games for $19.99. It'll probably end up being something like Wii Play, but with guns. Maybe it will include a Duck Hunt update, but I don't think we'll be lucky enough to see an online FPS where you get to shoot the heads off of Miis.
I don't see why aiming down the barrel can't work. Obviously it doesn't work in current games, but I've never understood that either. Zelda already gets pretty close, though I haven't seen any other games that let you calibrate the pointer in any way, which should have been built into the system in the first place.
I'm curious why they haven't come out with a dedicated YouTube player yet. You'd think a large part of their target audience is the same as the crowd all the cell phones are aiming for that have such apps.
Are you a moron? Quicktime plays to windows and mac users. If you don't see how having apple as an itsy, bitsy "competitor," with no realistic ambitions of taking their place, helps microsoft then you are a very special kind of moron indeed.
They don't want your money. They want you running microsoft software on every device in every room in your house, forever. xbox is and always will be about lock-in. Don't be mistaken. It's the same reason that bungie.net uses proprietary microsoft video plugin bullshit instead of something even passingly cross-platform.
It just might work, too, if Sony keeps fucking up. Sad.
Probably a lot, but not all. In general I think GIMP's interface is superior to Photoshop but Photoshop works better. There are also a lot of inconsistencies, bugs, and stupid choices in GIMP. Most of which aren't going to get fixed. I've been saying for years that GIMP is just a little ways away from being able to take on Photoshop seriously and beat it, but that little bit seems less and less like it will ever happen. Three or four years ago I would have said it would take a year to make GIMP really competitive, but not anymore. We're more likely to see a brand new open source graphics editor get to that point before GIMP even gets close. The people who develop it just don't have a clue, which is really too bad because no one is willing to challenge them.
Also, this ingimp better have a bug/crash reporting tool to go along with all the stats, because it crashes on startup. Something being unable to register existing types with some glib thing.
The ESRB also has a bunch of clueless twats doing the rating. At least movie raters know how to watch a movie (you sit there and stair). The ESRB has some parents watch video clips of the game and rate that, when they're the last people who should rating anything when the rating can make or break a product. They're at best hysterical morons.
No, but everyone lives in a state with an ebay and Wii is way over-priced no matter where you live so you might as well just pay the $50 ebay premium and get one if you want it.
Actually, given that there are no part shortages it's inconceivable (yes, it means what I think it means) that they couldn't increase production. Whoever makes the calls on production quantity at Nintendo is clearly holding their wad. If everyone who wanted one had one right now most of them would be sick of waiting for anything decent to play and either shelve the sucker, like I have, or sell it and plan to buy it again "when the good games are out." This strategy seems to be working pretty well for them, but it is entirely artificial.
You clearly know this to be true so you posted AC.
MusicMatch sucked ass, too. I don't know what's wrong with the OP, but there is certainly a LOT to dislike about it. It's slow, it's ugly, and the interface is split up into a bunch of different parts in a way only a windows user could love.
Who cares about the screen size? It's all about the resolution. But that's completely beside the point for this conversation. No one needs more than 80 lines. It just causes more horizontal scanning. You're better off with having more rows.
Congrats for being straight. So am I. What do you want, a fucking cookie? Quit being such a dick and fuck your car analogies unless they're plug-in electric.
Well all apple-friendly reviewers look alike, how are you supposed to keep them straight? I don't see how this is news. Apple puts out over-priced hardware with limited upgrade options all the time.
I don't think anyone at microsoft cares. They have enough money to replace every 360 they sell every three months until they discontinue the thing and still have tons of cash in the bank. Three years from now they'll be selling xbox 720 (also rushed to market and broken) so this warranty should be expiring right around the time the system does.
Do you honestly think that microsoft is in the game console business to make money or a quality product? They might employ a few people who would like to make quality products, but its really all about lock-in. This is what happened when they realized that the dedicated "set-top box" wasn't going to fly and that what was going to work was the game console as living room entertainment convergence device. If you think xbox is about anything other than extending the windows monopoly you're not only nuts but very, very stupid.
Of course you're assuming that they actually have good consoles. Given that just about everyone I meet with a 360 is on at least their third I'm not so sure that they're even capable of producing enough "good" ones for everyone who already owns one. Leave it to microsoft to bring windows-quality to hardware.
Slashdot Mirror
Not really, it's a pain in the ass to use because the text and interface are so small.
The sensor bar is a specific size and stays in one place. There are not too many calculations to do. Of course if they assumed a standard sensor bar it'd screw things up for everyone using some third party one or a home made setup. But even those could be accounted for. In fact, when you're pointing the IR at the television the Wii should be able to tell EXACTLY where the TV is, either assuming the standard sensor bar or another one given calibration. The left/right calibration they already have down pretty well and shouldn't be too much work to get 100%. Clearly the vertical alignment can be adjusted because they allow for an above or below option. Just need to offset it and they should be able to get centered. There is NO reason for it not to be 100% accurate other than lazy, stupid programmers. That or Wii being so under powered it can't do the calculations, but that seems far fetched.
Sure it is. It does the left/right movements fine. And furthermore it does the up and down movements fine, they just don't properly offset the readings they're taking. There's no reason that they shouldn't be able to at least make it close enough that people won't notice. Changing angles relative to the TV should make no difference since the sensor bar is stationary.
I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that it isn't possible, but just saying that it isn't doesn't make it so and observing the system in action it sure seems like it wouldn't be hard to do right. Not sure why they aren't, but I highly doubt that it's because it isn't possible.
The Zapper isn't coming with Umbrella Chronicles. It is coming with some pack of games for $19.99. It'll probably end up being something like Wii Play, but with guns. Maybe it will include a Duck Hunt update, but I don't think we'll be lucky enough to see an online FPS where you get to shoot the heads off of Miis.
I don't see why aiming down the barrel can't work. Obviously it doesn't work in current games, but I've never understood that either. Zelda already gets pretty close, though I haven't seen any other games that let you calibrate the pointer in any way, which should have been built into the system in the first place.
I'm curious why they haven't come out with a dedicated YouTube player yet. You'd think a large part of their target audience is the same as the crowd all the cell phones are aiming for that have such apps.
Are you a moron? Quicktime plays to windows and mac users. If you don't see how having apple as an itsy, bitsy "competitor," with no realistic ambitions of taking their place, helps microsoft then you are a very special kind of moron indeed.
They don't want your money. They want you running microsoft software on every device in every room in your house, forever. xbox is and always will be about lock-in. Don't be mistaken. It's the same reason that bungie.net uses proprietary microsoft video plugin bullshit instead of something even passingly cross-platform.
It just might work, too, if Sony keeps fucking up. Sad.
Probably a lot, but not all. In general I think GIMP's interface is superior to Photoshop but Photoshop works better. There are also a lot of inconsistencies, bugs, and stupid choices in GIMP. Most of which aren't going to get fixed. I've been saying for years that GIMP is just a little ways away from being able to take on Photoshop seriously and beat it, but that little bit seems less and less like it will ever happen. Three or four years ago I would have said it would take a year to make GIMP really competitive, but not anymore. We're more likely to see a brand new open source graphics editor get to that point before GIMP even gets close. The people who develop it just don't have a clue, which is really too bad because no one is willing to challenge them.
Also, this ingimp better have a bug/crash reporting tool to go along with all the stats, because it crashes on startup. Something being unable to register existing types with some glib thing.
The ESRB also has a bunch of clueless twats doing the rating. At least movie raters know how to watch a movie (you sit there and stair). The ESRB has some parents watch video clips of the game and rate that, when they're the last people who should rating anything when the rating can make or break a product. They're at best hysterical morons.
No, but everyone lives in a state with an ebay and Wii is way over-priced no matter where you live so you might as well just pay the $50 ebay premium and get one if you want it.
That sale is in-store only and not everyone lives in a state with microcenter, you insensitive clod!
Actually, given that there are no part shortages it's inconceivable (yes, it means what I think it means) that they couldn't increase production. Whoever makes the calls on production quantity at Nintendo is clearly holding their wad. If everyone who wanted one had one right now most of them would be sick of waiting for anything decent to play and either shelve the sucker, like I have, or sell it and plan to buy it again "when the good games are out." This strategy seems to be working pretty well for them, but it is entirely artificial.
You clearly know this to be true so you posted AC.
MusicMatch sucked ass, too. I don't know what's wrong with the OP, but there is certainly a LOT to dislike about it. It's slow, it's ugly, and the interface is split up into a bunch of different parts in a way only a windows user could love.
Who cares about the screen size? It's all about the resolution. But that's completely beside the point for this conversation. No one needs more than 80 lines. It just causes more horizontal scanning. You're better off with having more rows.
Yeah, those apps are usually just called "games."
He said Visual Studio 6.
Where profit, dude? Just because Linux is open source doesn't mean it can't make money, too!
Congrats for being straight. So am I. What do you want, a fucking cookie? Quit being such a dick and fuck your car analogies unless they're plug-in electric.
The already make that.
Don't talk about Fight Club?
Well all apple-friendly reviewers look alike, how are you supposed to keep them straight? I don't see how this is news. Apple puts out over-priced hardware with limited upgrade options all the time.
I don't think anyone at microsoft cares. They have enough money to replace every 360 they sell every three months until they discontinue the thing and still have tons of cash in the bank. Three years from now they'll be selling xbox 720 (also rushed to market and broken) so this warranty should be expiring right around the time the system does.
Do you honestly think that microsoft is in the game console business to make money or a quality product? They might employ a few people who would like to make quality products, but its really all about lock-in. This is what happened when they realized that the dedicated "set-top box" wasn't going to fly and that what was going to work was the game console as living room entertainment convergence device. If you think xbox is about anything other than extending the windows monopoly you're not only nuts but very, very stupid.
Of course you're assuming that they actually have good consoles. Given that just about everyone I meet with a 360 is on at least their third I'm not so sure that they're even capable of producing enough "good" ones for everyone who already owns one. Leave it to microsoft to bring windows-quality to hardware.