If a game is long for a legitimate reason - e.g. it has a lot of unique content - then I have no complaints.
Very true. Baldurs Gate 2 was long, had a lot of unique content, and I found it to be very enjoyable. Final Fantasy 7 (I think) was loooooong, also. But all those fights were tiresome. The story actually progressed, but after a while I lost track of what was going on - it was just too much.
Oh, and did I mention that all those fights in FF really sucked?
And maybe lower monthly fees would help a lot. I, for one, am not willing to pay ~ $10 a month, simply because I don't have enough time or the money. Pay-per-Usage would be nice ($1 per 5h or something like that), with a max. amount of 10$. Which is feasible in a way: if I play less, I put less stress on the server & bandwith and cause less support issues.
Well, if I had to peer review the white paper, it sure wouldn't score high on the scientific and language scale...
Figures 10 and 11 speak volumes to the point. These charts read more like a plan for the invasion on Normandy [...] (p. 23)
Honestly, the paper reads more like a rant than a suggestion on how to improve the processes. I'm not sure if the "paper" was intended to be scientific (if so, it failed) - I'm not even sure what the intention of the paper really is. Maybe venting some steam.
If he wanted things to get better, ticking off the people in charge with an agressive tone won't get him anywhere. Perhaps a friendly tone would have been as ineffective, but people would be more willing to listen.
Grouping all zealots together is stupid as the general intentions are different.
Absolutely true. I agree that there are different "flavours" of zealotism, those that hurt people physically (killing), mentally (social pressure) or not at all. And it always depends on the individual, some catholics for example are quite strict in their beliefs, others are not. Some linux fans tend to use harsh language, others do not. Some cigarette smokers are considerate of non-smokers, others are not.
Muslims aren't the same, either (I now enter the "touchy subject zone"). There are "desert" (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq etc.) and "jungle" (Indonesia) muslims, and no, I didn't make up the desert/jungle names. Muslims in Indonesia are strict believers, but not as radical/agressive as the other group. But again, it mainly depends on the person how they act, not on the group
Depends on where you live, but maybe satellite broadband is an option. It's only downstream, though, so you still need a modem (or ISDN) for uploads, page requests and so on. Setting it up is just like setting up any other satellite dish.
Frontier (Elite 2) is available for download and can be registered for just 5 UK-Pounds... I don't know the exact number of galaxies included, but there were more than 256...
Since I don't have a console, I'll throw in an assumption - feel free to prove me wrong.
As I see it, consoles are already multiplayer-enabled. Plug in a second controller (or more), and you're ready to go. Any time I see a console, I see two or three kids sitting in front of it. Local multiplay. Why do you need to go online? Just so your friends don't have to come over to your house, exchanging a 5 minute walk for a couple of bucks on the phone bill (and removing the social factor)?
The way I see it, there is no real need to go online for a multiplayer experience. Yes, it's a nice thing to have, granted, but it's not really required. Try to plug in a second controller into a PC. Completely different story (yes, it's possible...).
Absolutely not, no. But, frankly, if I would have to invite just one person for an interview, the DBA for a Fortune company has better chances than the DBA for a startup - given that the rest of the resume is identical.
This example is a bit of a stretch, since I could easily invite 2 ppl, and it's always better having talked to both ppl... and it might be even unfair, since the startup-guy may be much better & smarter. But I do believe that known companies can give you an advantage in the early phase of an application (= getting invited for an interview) - they won't help you with your interview, where who you are and what you can do counts.
[...] content is going to become the dominant influence in the industry.
So if I understand this correctly, he is saying that games with a good storyline will sell/be better than those with a not so good storyline. And that "in the future" other companies will "buy" the "technology" (read: license the graphical engine) and create their own games around that...
Also ask yourself why you really need to mention these names
I'd say it does make a difference if you're a DBA for a small or a major company. The DB is larger, the data is probably (but not necessarily) more complex and important. And working for a big company is more prestigeous - your team is bigger, you have more responsibility.
That having said, a decision to hire someone should of course not be exclusively based on who (s)he has worked for in the past.
The Ars Electronica Center in Linz has a CAVE installation. I had the chance to use it on a guided tour. Graphic quality was not too great, esp. when compared with todays FPS, but the experience was really cool!
I'd say the main areas of use for a CAVE system are design and construction, for example cars or houses. Anything that needs to been seen with the spatial component but is too expensive to build as a prototype. Just imagine building a house and then having to tear it down again because in the computer room you couldn't place the surround speakers correctly...
Oh my, yes! Running around with the chainsaw made me see lots of internal organs.
The chainsaw wasn't sterile, though.
Re:Theft is not what anybody wants
on
Why Only Music?
·
· Score: 1
Ouw... yes I am:( That's what you get when you write comments with too little coffee in you body. Sorry 'bout that!
Re:Theft is not what anybody wants
on
Why Only Music?
·
· Score: 1
And the question then, is : "What do consumers want ?"
Exactly, plus "Why is P2P so successful?", because P2P offers all the 'advantages' you mentioned: it's free (almost), fast releases (sometimes even before theatre release), no DRM. Only negative aspect is the download speed. But with a good connection it doesn't matter if you let the donkey download for a day or two (assuming you are downloading a movie).
This is what the consumers already have, legal or not. And why should they use an inferior service?
Question is, though, IF there was a compulsory license, WOULD the MPAA offer such a 'free' (free as in beer & speech - little or no cost, little or no DRM restrictions) service to everyone?
Re:Theft is not what anybody wants
on
Why Only Music?
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I think the statement refers to cheap legal download-services for music - Apples iTunes for example. No major record label actually succeeded in introducing such a service (and in some cases - Napster - it backfired). All they offer are overpriced, old and heavy DRM restricted files. So they were unable to meet the expectations of the consumers, who already had a cheap, fast and easy download possibility: P2P.
Of course you are right, creating such a service may not be the main focus of the MPAA. But it sure would have helped matters:)
1) The cardboard box isn't a good weapon, neither is the CD.
Sure they are! Box: heat it until you get a ball of liquid plasma. Throw at the nearest enemy. CD: no heating required, just sharpen the edges and sling it at the nearest enemy. If you're a pro, you can leave parts of the edge dull so you won't cut your finger.
Hell, I wouldn't even know how to load one.
Even simpler: press 'R'.
And it's certainly doesn't provide a 'will to kill' to a normal kid.
Uh, there are quite a few games I've played that made my blood boil (figuratively speaking, of course). I really though about killing the designers and programmers at some point... I even started to cook the box on my stove to get plasma.
Re:It has nothing to do with botnets
on
IRC in the Dog House?
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
The problem is that when a kiddie gets upset (at other users, a channel or some perceived slight by an oper/the network), they DDoS the server.
Yes, a few years ago every * was chasing users running warscripts (or any script at all, because it's really hard to tell whether a script is a warscript or not) or bots, because they were causing too much net traffic. I guess today there are too many users that would have to be banned. Not that banning an IP is particularly useful...
I wonder how webchat clients contributed to the problem. I can only assume that quite a few kiddies started with an easy-to-use interface and then migrated to more powerful clients.
I'd hate it to see IRC go down, since I really like it:(
What game-movie curse? Just consider Tomb Raider (game2movie), Wing Commander (game2movie), Enter the Matrix (movie2game), Braveheart (movie2game) and you will see that...
I'd add MOO3 to the list. I for one was eagerly awaiting my new antaran overlords... but in the end the game didn't quite meet my expectations (and not just mine, I figured reading the postings in various discussion groups).
Another addition would be Outpost from Sierra. Boy, that one sucked. Didn't even contain the elements mentioned on the box. No decent manual. But hyped beyond belief for the fancy graphics and AI... I only once bought a game without consulting a game magazine review first after that experience. And that was, you probably guessed it, MOO3.
I think the pricing scheme will alway be like it is, just as with PCs. High-end PDAs will cost around $800, $300-400 will be mid-range, and $200 will be an entry model (and anything above $1000 will be considered overpriced). What you will get for this price will vary, of course. Today's high-end systems will be tomorrows lower end.
I wonder if anyone will come up with customizable PDAs, just like PCs or, to a lesser extend, Laptops. Since PDAs are small and highly integrated, this might take quite some time. But there is always hope:)
Of course you can always find cheap (old) PDAs at an internet auction near you;)
Slashdot Mirror
If a game is long for a legitimate reason - e.g. it has a lot of unique content - then I have no complaints.
Very true. Baldurs Gate 2 was long, had a lot of unique content, and I found it to be very enjoyable. Final Fantasy 7 (I think) was loooooong, also. But all those fights were tiresome. The story actually progressed, but after a while I lost track of what was going on - it was just too much.
Oh, and did I mention that all those fights in FF really sucked?
Uh, yeah, wasn't the internet invented by a vice president, a few years ago?
when a game needs a credit card to play
And maybe lower monthly fees would help a lot. I, for one, am not willing to pay ~ $10 a month, simply because I don't have enough time or the money. Pay-per-Usage would be nice ($1 per 5h or something like that), with a max. amount of 10$. Which is feasible in a way: if I play less, I put less stress on the server & bandwith and cause less support issues.
Well, if I had to peer review the white paper, it sure wouldn't score high on the scientific and language scale...
Figures 10 and 11 speak volumes to the point. These charts read more like a plan for the invasion on Normandy [...] (p. 23)
Honestly, the paper reads more like a rant than a suggestion on how to improve the processes. I'm not sure if the "paper" was intended to be scientific (if so, it failed) - I'm not even sure what the intention of the paper really is. Maybe venting some steam.
If he wanted things to get better, ticking off the people in charge with an agressive tone won't get him anywhere. Perhaps a friendly tone would have been as ineffective, but people would be more willing to listen.
Grouping all zealots together is stupid as the general intentions are different.
Absolutely true. I agree that there are different "flavours" of zealotism, those that hurt people physically (killing), mentally (social pressure) or not at all. And it always depends on the individual, some catholics for example are quite strict in their beliefs, others are not. Some linux fans tend to use harsh language, others do not. Some cigarette smokers are considerate of non-smokers, others are not.
Muslims aren't the same, either (I now enter the "touchy subject zone"). There are "desert" (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq etc.) and "jungle" (Indonesia) muslims, and no, I didn't make up the desert/jungle names. Muslims in Indonesia are strict believers, but not as radical/agressive as the other group. But again, it mainly depends on the person how they act, not on the group
Depends on where you live, but maybe satellite broadband is an option. It's only downstream, though, so you still need a modem (or ISDN) for uploads, page requests and so on. Setting it up is just like setting up any other satellite dish.
But can you still use them as a coaster?
Frontier (Elite 2) is available for download and can be registered for just 5 UK-Pounds... I don't know the exact number of galaxies included, but there were more than 256...
Since I don't have a console, I'll throw in an assumption - feel free to prove me wrong.
As I see it, consoles are already multiplayer-enabled. Plug in a second controller (or more), and you're ready to go. Any time I see a console, I see two or three kids sitting in front of it. Local multiplay. Why do you need to go online? Just so your friends don't have to come over to your house, exchanging a 5 minute walk for a couple of bucks on the phone bill (and removing the social factor)?
The way I see it, there is no real need to go online for a multiplayer experience. Yes, it's a nice thing to have, granted, but it's not really required. Try to plug in a second controller into a PC. Completely different story (yes, it's possible...).
if the installation is this easy
;)
;) If you want KDE, you get the Konqueror. Mozilla is extra, but default.
I really think it's easy. I can do it
have they manage to settle for ONE browser, ONE mail client and so forth?
You get what you install
That's by no means a hard and fast rule
Absolutely not, no. But, frankly, if I would have to invite just one person for an interview, the DBA for a Fortune company has better chances than the DBA for a startup - given that the rest of the resume is identical.
This example is a bit of a stretch, since I could easily invite 2 ppl, and it's always better having talked to both ppl... and it might be even unfair, since the startup-guy may be much better & smarter. But I do believe that known companies can give you an advantage in the early phase of an application (= getting invited for an interview) - they won't help you with your interview, where who you are and what you can do counts.
[...] content is going to become the dominant influence in the industry.
So if I understand this correctly, he is saying that games with a good storyline will sell/be better than those with a not so good storyline. And that "in the future" other companies will "buy" the "technology" (read: license the graphical engine) and create their own games around that...
Yeah, it does. Pong even has it own Google category!
[...] It goes through it. I don't even think that thing in the middle is a net.
Oh.... he didn't mean the internet... my mistake.
Also ask yourself why you really need to mention these names
I'd say it does make a difference if you're a DBA for a small or a major company. The DB is larger, the data is probably (but not necessarily) more complex and important. And working for a big company is more prestigeous - your team is bigger, you have more responsibility.
That having said, a decision to hire someone should of course not be exclusively based on who (s)he has worked for in the past.
The Ars Electronica Center in Linz has a CAVE installation. I had the chance to use it on a guided tour. Graphic quality was not too great, esp. when compared with todays FPS, but the experience was really cool!
I'd say the main areas of use for a CAVE system are design and construction, for example cars or houses. Anything that needs to been seen with the spatial component but is too expensive to build as a prototype. Just imagine building a house and then having to tear it down again because in the computer room you couldn't place the surround speakers correctly...
Oh my, yes! Running around with the chainsaw made me see lots of internal organs.
The chainsaw wasn't sterile, though.
Ouw... yes I am :( That's what you get when you write comments with too little coffee in you body. Sorry 'bout that!
And the question then, is : "What do consumers want ?"
Exactly, plus "Why is P2P so successful?", because P2P offers all the 'advantages' you mentioned: it's free (almost), fast releases (sometimes even before theatre release), no DRM. Only negative aspect is the download speed. But with a good connection it doesn't matter if you let the donkey download for a day or two (assuming you are downloading a movie).
This is what the consumers already have, legal or not. And why should they use an inferior service?
Question is, though, IF there was a compulsory license, WOULD the MPAA offer such a 'free' (free as in beer & speech - little or no cost, little or no DRM restrictions) service to everyone?
Yeah, it was baaaaa-d!
LMAO
I think the statement refers to cheap legal download-services for music - Apples iTunes for example. No major record label actually succeeded in introducing such a service (and in some cases - Napster - it backfired). All they offer are overpriced, old and heavy DRM restricted files. So they were unable to meet the expectations of the consumers, who already had a cheap, fast and easy download possibility: P2P.
:)
Of course you are right, creating such a service may not be the main focus of the MPAA. But it sure would have helped matters
1) The cardboard box isn't a good weapon, neither is the CD.
Sure they are! Box: heat it until you get a ball of liquid plasma. Throw at the nearest enemy. CD: no heating required, just sharpen the edges and sling it at the nearest enemy. If you're a pro, you can leave parts of the edge dull so you won't cut your finger.
Hell, I wouldn't even know how to load one.
Even simpler: press 'R'.
And it's certainly doesn't provide a 'will to kill' to a normal kid.
Uh, there are quite a few games I've played that made my blood boil (figuratively speaking, of course). I really though about killing the designers and programmers at some point... I even started to cook the box on my stove to get plasma.
The problem is that when a kiddie gets upset (at other users, a channel or some perceived slight by an oper/the network), they DDoS the server.
:(
Yes, a few years ago every * was chasing users running warscripts (or any script at all, because it's really hard to tell whether a script is a warscript or not) or bots, because they were causing too much net traffic. I guess today there are too many users that would have to be banned. Not that banning an IP is particularly useful...
I wonder how webchat clients contributed to the problem. I can only assume that quite a few kiddies started with an easy-to-use interface and then migrated to more powerful clients.
I'd hate it to see IRC go down, since I really like it
break the game-movie curse
What game-movie curse? Just consider Tomb Raider (game2movie), Wing Commander (game2movie), Enter the Matrix (movie2game), Braveheart (movie2game) and you will see that...
uh-oh....
Curse you, game-movie curse!
I'd add MOO3 to the list. I for one was eagerly awaiting my new antaran overlords... but in the end the game didn't quite meet my expectations (and not just mine, I figured reading the postings in various discussion groups).
Another addition would be Outpost from Sierra. Boy, that one sucked. Didn't even contain the elements mentioned on the box. No decent manual. But hyped beyond belief for the fancy graphics and AI... I only once bought a game without consulting a game magazine review first after that experience. And that was, you probably guessed it, MOO3.
I think the pricing scheme will alway be like it is, just as with PCs. High-end PDAs will cost around $800, $300-400 will be mid-range, and $200 will be an entry model (and anything above $1000 will be considered overpriced). What you will get for this price will vary, of course. Today's high-end systems will be tomorrows lower end.
:)
;)
I wonder if anyone will come up with customizable PDAs, just like PCs or, to a lesser extend, Laptops. Since PDAs are small and highly integrated, this might take quite some time. But there is always hope
Of course you can always find cheap (old) PDAs at an internet auction near you