I don't give a rat's ass about who plays which role. I just watch the damn film and enjoy it or not.
Ridiculous. You WOULD if you watched what you THOUGHT would be a good movie, and they had a shitty actor in the lead role. It can and will ruin an otherwise great film. Unless the only films you watch are where things asplode constantly, in which case your original statement may be true. See Transformers for a good example - that kid in the lead sucked, but no one gave a shit. It's really great that they put him in the new Indiana Jones movie.:-/ But actors (at least the GOOD ones) are NOT interchangeable.
This does bring up an interesting point someone made earlier, however - I don't think we're at the point YET where the actors make or break a game. I've played plenty of games that had shitty voice acting, and it didn't matter much, but as games become more immersive, it may become more critical to not only hire GOOD talent for a game, but the RIGHT talent for each role within the game.
That said, I think that GTA IV did a great job in all aspects of the voice acting - yes, I do pay attention to this. As a perfect example of my point about good vs. shitty acting, there is ONE ROLE in the entire game that took me out of the experience every time I heard it - there is a stripper at the strip club who has the WORST Southern accent. She's the one who says "You wanna come back with me?" and the word "me" is LONG and DRAWN OUT and sounds more like "may". All the other voices in the game seem well balanced and seem to fit (yes, even Carmen's) except this one, which sounds like a person who has no idea what a southern drawl sounds like.
OMG, I *HATED* that part! I don't think I ever did get it, because they couldn't spawn fast enough to keep up with the amount of damage I was dealing, or something like that.
1) Multiple loading times and "please wait" - PC games do NOT do this
WTH? I get it ALL THE TIME in PC games. One that immediately comes to mind is The Witcher. There are many, MANY others.
2) Saves money - why spend $300+ on a separate system that I can just play on my gaming computer anyway? Save the money for a new computer.
Because I spend the $300 ONCE every 4-5 years, vs. $200 every year or two for a new video card, $100 - $200 every couple of years for a bigger HD, $400 for a better monitor, etc.
3) Better graphics - PC gaming had better graphics (PS3 is an exception probably) so why by a console system for poorer performance?
I suppose if that's what matters to you, I can't argue with you. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
I should mention that I'm a 37-year old gamer with a good job who cut his teeth on PC gaming, and swore on PC gaming for YEARS (and years and years - at least 20). I bought a PS3 a few months ago to go with my 40" 1080p HDTV, and I haven't looked back. Pop the disc in, it works. Every time (yes, I know there are issues with consoles, esp. with the latest GTA and the PS3 - fortunately, I wasn't one of those poor bastards whose machine locked up).
My time is precious. I'm tired of screwing with.ini files and modded drivers and spending money on the latest and greatest to get a few more FPS in Crysis.
Irrelevant, IMO. I highly doubt the RSO who has to throw that switch goes home to his family that night and sleeps soundly knowing s/he did "a great service". I think you'd have to be a cold-hearted asshole to have it NOT affect you in some significant way. That aspect of it certainly doesn't lend itself to being a "kewl job" as the original posted indicated, sitting on your ass collecting "bennies", when there is a very real possibility that the shit could hit the fan and it comes down to you making the split-second decision to end 7 lives (and ruin 7 families) instead of hundreds of lives and families. Sounds like a lose/lose, to me.
Just yesterday I went to Windows Updates for my XP box, and it asked if I wanted to install Silverlight, that it had new features that would make the Windows Update experience more interesting/efficient/whatever, blah blah blah. So I installed it. I didn't notice the "experience" being any better or worse, maybe a little more "slick". But if they're starting with Windows Update, that's a good way to get at least a subset of the visitors to MS' website (not everyone does manual updates) to install it.
Except it ISN'T "a few extra pounds", at least not in the case I was presenting. The more capable the laptop, the more junk I felt I needed to carry around. The bag WASN'T 6 pounds, I bet it was close to 20 or 25 by the time I got done stuffing all my shit in it.
The point is well-taken, however, that a backpack-style would have probably been a better choice (I bought a nice Jansport messenger-style bag), but that's my ex-wife's problem now.:)
Well, from a personal standpoint, it isn't the laptop, but all the crap I used to drag WITH it. And the more capable the laptop, the more crap I thought I needed to bring with me. I also made the mistake of buying a nice, expensive, BIG bag to go with it. The same logic followed - the more space I had, the more shit I put in it. Portable floppy drives (don't ask), USB gooseneck light (I work in a theater), wireless mouse, portable HD, etc. Were the laptop ONLY for 'Net stuff, I'd be WAY less inclined to carry so much shit around.
But that goes back to what are you buying it for? At the time, it was to have a more "mobile desktop" - that I could do CAD on, run our lighting software, etc. I've since learned that I don't REALLY need all that, and something like the Eee PC fits more what I need very nicely, in a nice small package, and on a tight budget.
Granted, I don't have one (anymore - ex-wife got the laptop in the divorce), but were I in the market for a portable computing device, that would probably be what I would get, and slap Ubuntu on it.;)
I completely agree. I found the "drunk simulator" shockingly accurate. And not in the "Wow, this is COOL!" way. I got in the car (with Michelle), and literally made it about 10 feet down the street. I got out and hailed a cab. In that short space of time in between, I hit 2 pedestrians and a trash can. Then, once in the cab, there was this weird "light trail" effect that they put in the game that increased as the cab went faster, obscuring my vision. That, and I couldn't seem to hold my head up. I thought it incredibly accurate. I've played games before that tried to imitate drunkeness in your character, but this was so far and above everything else that I've seen do that.
And yes, the game DOES tell you that "maybe you should take a cab" everytime you get drunk (done it a few times now - Little Jacob and I stumbling around the street was pretty funny, I have to admit).
Well, digging around, it sounds like it will install and MOSTLY work, but that there are some things that are still (or that were working and GOT) broken - like Bluetooth, for example. Pffft... what would you want Bluetooth to work on the PS3 for anyway? Oh right... the controller...;-)
I have to say that the summary makes sense in at least one area - the design interface seems really half-assed. Coming from a MAJOR corporation like Sony, that would lend credence to the accusation that Sony is in some ways its own worst enemy.
I admit that I bought the PS3 for one reason - Blu-ray won. I do not own an Xbox360, but I have several friends who do. The difference between the Xbox XBL interface/experience and the Sony XrossMediaBar (worst name ever, btw)/PSN/PSN Store interface/experience is night and day. The PS3 interface is polished enough, but its terribly clunky. It feels very inconsistent, and while the Store got MUCH better with the latest firmware release (2.30), it has a LONG way to go, and they better start adding more content soon and more quickly. It seems like new content is delivered MAYBE weekly, if that. It simply doesn't feel like there's much interesting to DO with the PSN at this point. Granted, I don't play MP games (yet), so take what I say with a grain of salt. But overall, the XBL experience just feels more vibrant and certainly a lot more tightly integrated than the PSN at this point.
Now, before people start calling me an MS fanboi, note which console I said I DO own, and which I DO NOT own.:)
Agreed. What he did was smart from both a business AND a legal standpoint. Demonstrated that he's willing to take it all the way to judgement, but that he is absolutely holding them to the letter of the law in that the burden of proof is on Monster, and do they REALLY want to go down that road?
What WE here at/. are hoping for, is that somehow this becomes big news and Monster is exposed to the masses for what they are - a corporate bully selling products that may or may not work as advertised using technologies which research has shown may be shaky at best and deliberately misleading at worst.
I wouldn't hold my breath, however. It's not as interesting as Texas polygamist ranches or Britney Spears' hoo-ha.
In my opinion, Monster cable has been taking advantage of the lack of technical knowledge of the general public to convince people to buy EXTREMELY expensive cables, when much cheaper cables would provide equal performance.
Bose has been doing this for years as well. It's amazing to me the chasm between the home users who buy the stuff and the true audiophiles and sound engineers who won't touch it. In the long run, I suppose it is all subjective - if it sounds good to you, then your money is well spent. I just take issue with companies using suspicious claims to support their "innovative" technology.
I would agree. The visuals sucked in the miniseries, but the story was much better. The stillsuits, for example, were ridiculous. Much more believable in the movie (among many other things). Paul and his mother running in front of the giant movie screen (it was SO obvious) when they're traversing the desert in the miniseries was kind of what killed it for me (in terms of effects and cinematography). If there was a way to meld the David Lynch visual styling with the story they kept more intact for the miniseries, THAT would be awesome.
This was essentially the first thing I thought of when I read the article (I know, I know...) You had me up until the part where he was asking for donations for the drivers he was releasing. That seems more the crux of the issue, rather than he is releasing the drivers at all. The wording does indicate that they are upset that he is releasing the drivers, but they also mention the fact that he is requesting donations for them. I wonder if they would have gone after him as hard if he had just quietly released the drivers and not bothered with the donation bit.
Slashdot Mirror
This does bring up an interesting point someone made earlier, however - I don't think we're at the point YET where the actors make or break a game. I've played plenty of games that had shitty voice acting, and it didn't matter much, but as games become more immersive, it may become more critical to not only hire GOOD talent for a game, but the RIGHT talent for each role within the game.
That said, I think that GTA IV did a great job in all aspects of the voice acting - yes, I do pay attention to this. As a perfect example of my point about good vs. shitty acting, there is ONE ROLE in the entire game that took me out of the experience every time I heard it - there is a stripper at the strip club who has the WORST Southern accent. She's the one who says "You wanna come back with me?" and the word "me" is LONG and DRAWN OUT and sounds more like "may". All the other voices in the game seem well balanced and seem to fit (yes, even Carmen's) except this one, which sounds like a person who has no idea what a southern drawl sounds like.
OMG, I *HATED* that part! I don't think I ever did get it, because they couldn't spawn fast enough to keep up with the amount of damage I was dealing, or something like that.
But there was NOTHING groundbreaking about the game. Your character ages. That was ultimately the big excitement.
"CAN I HEAR IT FOR CHARACTER AGING!!!"
*cue cricket noise*
So basically, if the game is fun, great. But Molyneaux's bullshit seriously needs to be checked.
Because I spend the $300 ONCE every 4-5 years, vs. $200 every year or two for a new video card, $100 - $200 every couple of years for a bigger HD, $400 for a better monitor, etc.
I suppose if that's what matters to you, I can't argue with you. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
I should mention that I'm a 37-year old gamer with a good job who cut his teeth on PC gaming, and swore on PC gaming for YEARS (and years and years - at least 20). I bought a PS3 a few months ago to go with my 40" 1080p HDTV, and I haven't looked back. Pop the disc in, it works. Every time (yes, I know there are issues with consoles, esp. with the latest GTA and the PS3 - fortunately, I wasn't one of those poor bastards whose machine locked up).
My time is precious. I'm tired of screwing with
I generally believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt, yes. :)
Irrelevant, IMO. I highly doubt the RSO who has to throw that switch goes home to his family that night and sleeps soundly knowing s/he did "a great service". I think you'd have to be a cold-hearted asshole to have it NOT affect you in some significant way. That aspect of it certainly doesn't lend itself to being a "kewl job" as the original posted indicated, sitting on your ass collecting "bennies", when there is a very real possibility that the shit could hit the fan and it comes down to you making the split-second decision to end 7 lives (and ruin 7 families) instead of hundreds of lives and families. Sounds like a lose/lose, to me.
Yeah, it'd be a great job if you were the person who had to turn seven people with families into a giant fireball.
Just yesterday I went to Windows Updates for my XP box, and it asked if I wanted to install Silverlight, that it had new features that would make the Windows Update experience more interesting/efficient/whatever, blah blah blah. So I installed it. I didn't notice the "experience" being any better or worse, maybe a little more "slick". But if they're starting with Windows Update, that's a good way to get at least a subset of the visitors to MS' website (not everyone does manual updates) to install it.
Except it ISN'T "a few extra pounds", at least not in the case I was presenting. The more capable the laptop, the more junk I felt I needed to carry around. The bag WASN'T 6 pounds, I bet it was close to 20 or 25 by the time I got done stuffing all my shit in it.
:)
The point is well-taken, however, that a backpack-style would have probably been a better choice (I bought a nice Jansport messenger-style bag), but that's my ex-wife's problem now.
Well, from a personal standpoint, it isn't the laptop, but all the crap I used to drag WITH it. And the more capable the laptop, the more crap I thought I needed to bring with me. I also made the mistake of buying a nice, expensive, BIG bag to go with it. The same logic followed - the more space I had, the more shit I put in it. Portable floppy drives (don't ask), USB gooseneck light (I work in a theater), wireless mouse, portable HD, etc. Were the laptop ONLY for 'Net stuff, I'd be WAY less inclined to carry so much shit around.
;)
But that goes back to what are you buying it for? At the time, it was to have a more "mobile desktop" - that I could do CAD on, run our lighting software, etc. I've since learned that I don't REALLY need all that, and something like the Eee PC fits more what I need very nicely, in a nice small package, and on a tight budget.
Granted, I don't have one (anymore - ex-wife got the laptop in the divorce), but were I in the market for a portable computing device, that would probably be what I would get, and slap Ubuntu on it.
Thank you for explaining the obvious. :)
Quite - and Niko stumbling around the street shouting "YELLOW CAR!!!" is actually quite funny.
I completely agree. I found the "drunk simulator" shockingly accurate. And not in the "Wow, this is COOL!" way. I got in the car (with Michelle), and literally made it about 10 feet down the street. I got out and hailed a cab. In that short space of time in between, I hit 2 pedestrians and a trash can. Then, once in the cab, there was this weird "light trail" effect that they put in the game that increased as the cab went faster, obscuring my vision. That, and I couldn't seem to hold my head up. I thought it incredibly accurate. I've played games before that tried to imitate drunkeness in your character, but this was so far and above everything else that I've seen do that.
And yes, the game DOES tell you that "maybe you should take a cab" everytime you get drunk (done it a few times now - Little Jacob and I stumbling around the street was pretty funny, I have to admit).
Well, digging around, it sounds like it will install and MOSTLY work, but that there are some things that are still (or that were working and GOT) broken - like Bluetooth, for example. Pffft... what would you want Bluetooth to work on the PS3 for anyway? Oh right... the controller... ;-)
This seems to indicate that it WON'T work, but that information is a month old. Anyone have a better experience?
I have to say that the summary makes sense in at least one area - the design interface seems really half-assed. Coming from a MAJOR corporation like Sony, that would lend credence to the accusation that Sony is in some ways its own worst enemy.
:)
:)
I admit that I bought the PS3 for one reason - Blu-ray won. I do not own an Xbox360, but I have several friends who do. The difference between the Xbox XBL interface/experience and the Sony XrossMediaBar (worst name ever, btw)/PSN/PSN Store interface/experience is night and day. The PS3 interface is polished enough, but its terribly clunky. It feels very inconsistent, and while the Store got MUCH better with the latest firmware release (2.30), it has a LONG way to go, and they better start adding more content soon and more quickly. It seems like new content is delivered MAYBE weekly, if that. It simply doesn't feel like there's much interesting to DO with the PSN at this point. Granted, I don't play MP games (yet), so take what I say with a grain of salt. But overall, the XBL experience just feels more vibrant and certainly a lot more tightly integrated than the PSN at this point.
Now, before people start calling me an MS fanboi, note which console I said I DO own, and which I DO NOT own.
I just noticed that apparently, the XMB won an EMMY AWARD, and is used in everything from the PSP to Sony TV's to Sony Ericsson phones. So what the hell do I know, go ahead and mod me into oblivion.
Agreed. What he did was smart from both a business AND a legal standpoint. Demonstrated that he's willing to take it all the way to judgement, but that he is absolutely holding them to the letter of the law in that the burden of proof is on Monster, and do they REALLY want to go down that road?
/. are hoping for, is that somehow this becomes big news and Monster is exposed to the masses for what they are - a corporate bully selling products that may or may not work as advertised using technologies which research has shown may be shaky at best and deliberately misleading at worst.
What WE here at
I wouldn't hold my breath, however. It's not as interesting as Texas polygamist ranches or Britney Spears' hoo-ha.
Bose has been doing this for years as well. It's amazing to me the chasm between the home users who buy the stuff and the true audiophiles and sound engineers who won't touch it. In the long run, I suppose it is all subjective - if it sounds good to you, then your money is well spent. I just take issue with companies using suspicious claims to support their "innovative" technology.
I would posit that "family vacation" != "leisure", but you and I are ultimately arguing the same point. :)
I would agree. The visuals sucked in the miniseries, but the story was much better. The stillsuits, for example, were ridiculous. Much more believable in the movie (among many other things). Paul and his mother running in front of the giant movie screen (it was SO obvious) when they're traversing the desert in the miniseries was kind of what killed it for me (in terms of effects and cinematography). If there was a way to meld the David Lynch visual styling with the story they kept more intact for the miniseries, THAT would be awesome.
This was essentially the first thing I thought of when I read the article (I know, I know...) You had me up until the part where he was asking for donations for the drivers he was releasing. That seems more the crux of the issue, rather than he is releasing the drivers at all. The wording does indicate that they are upset that he is releasing the drivers, but they also mention the fact that he is requesting donations for them. I wonder if they would have gone after him as hard if he had just quietly released the drivers and not bothered with the donation bit.
Yeah, what you said. ;-)
ZING! I'll be here all week! Be sure to tip your waitstaff, they're working hard for you tonight.
mod -1, Flamebait