"Not it's not. If she were consumer-oriented, she'd be pushing for the tags, because they'll lower costs of doing business and that means lower costs for consumers."
Right on the first part, wrong on the second. Better inventory control means a lowered cost of operating but who says the savings are going to be passed along to the consumer? If I had to guess, I'd say that Walmart is going to pocket any extra profits they come into as a result of this.
As a person who only studies economics by being a consumer [and I may be totally wrong] I'd say that for the most part, when inventory control is bad and leads to loss, the end consumer pays the difference. When inventory control is good, and specifically when it will be good for Walmart and few other companies at the moment, the added profit will be pocketed by the company, not the consumer.
This sounds pretty cool and is a nice story device for the players. I hope this game does very well and takes off. I don't care for the gameplay style but I would love this game if it were released as a single player extravaganza with a changed combat system. Basically, I'd like GTA with capes.
Back in the day, there was a Spider-Man game released for the Sega CD that hinted at this type of possibility. There were levels where you had to run left to right and defeat an end boss but along the way there were old ladies getting mugged on the street that you could save. The most recent Spider-Man video games have focused solely on guiding you from the start of the level to the end boss, with no time to just wander around the city. I'm thinking that if City of Heroes takes off, clones and variants may spring up and provide me with this type of gameplay - which I think a lot of people would enjoy, based on how well GTA sold and how well superhero movies have been doing lately.
Have you played any versions of the Madden series? I currently have on my shelf 2002, 2003, and 2004. All of them are distinct games with strengths and weaknesses.
Not being a fan of RPGs, I do not attack people who buy every sequel to Final Fantasy even though I would choose not to buy them and don't see that many differences in the gameplay. I would imagine to a fan of the series, there are many differences.
Having the game handle score reporting introduces the element of actual scores. Message board postings by the player of his or her scores are guaranteed to be inaccurate for a significant percentage of the postings.
Religion can be proven wrong. Let's first start with your statement that science can be proven wrong. I am going to assume you meant instances of scientific experimentation can be proven wrong - not that the entire scope of all that is science can be proven wrong in one swoop. Thus, your second statement that religion cannot be proven wrong is false if I can prove one religion incorrect. Take any doomsday cult that has predicted an end-date for the universe that has come and gone. Obviously these religions have been proven wrong. Thus, religion can be proven wrong.
What you meant to say is that with most religions, the ability to prove the beliefs incorrect is severely limited by the nature of the beliefs. For instance, the belief that Jesus will have a second coming is difficult to prove because it cannot be proven in the affirmative until he comes back and it really can't be proven in the negative. But there are hypotheses in science that are similar to this. Theories can be proposed that will only manifest over eons. These are difficult to prove because you need those eons to pass by in some cases. Furthermore, any proof in the negative could be countered with some sort of statement regarding a miscalculation on the timeframe and that a longer amount of time needs to go by.
In short, religion can be proven incorrect and science can be proven incorrect.
Part of the premise of the game is that your character can go wandering on his own. How exactly are you going to replicate that with a Gamecube controller? Split the screen up as soon as someone walks off screen. That would be disorienting and it would also allow the other players to see what you were doing.
Your argument is, as I see it, akin to saying, "Man, why can't I play DDR without the dance pad?" except taken to a more extreme level. Nintendo introduced a game where GBA connectivity offered a different kind of experience that could not be replicated with a standard Gamecube controller. No one is forcing you to buy it. Don't like it? Don't buy it.
The number of players online at a time is small but the types of players who are attracted to online games are the hardcore players - who spend the most money on games. The casual player who may buy a few games per year does not care about online play. But by not offering online play to the hardcore player, Nintendo is missing the most lucrative demographic; the person who plays a whole lot.
Re:Spiderman and the Apprentice?
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Spiderman 2 Trailer
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· Score: 1, Informative
Spider-Man actually had those four extra limbs for awhile in the comic book. Although, he grew extra arms, not legs.
MS doesn't manufacture an Xbox each time you individually buy one. When you go into a store and buy an Xbox, MS has already spent the money to manufacture the machine. You are helping them to recoup the loss on the machine and make it less of a loss.
I would further guess that some of the DRM built into the Xbox that checks for a legitimate Xbox game, is not included in CXBX. I haven't checked this so perhaps someone can correct me if I am wrong but I am doubtful at this point. The vital part of any Xbox emulator is the ability to play Xbox games, not the ability to check for legitimate games. Basically, I'd say CXBX acts like a modded Xbox without any of the hardware costs [assuming you already have the computer].
Now, for your idea about a lab of Linux stations. The number of people who are going to do this is probably negligible. But let's suppose it's a large number. The more Xbox units that MS ships, the greater the perception of the Xbox as a winning console becomes. Much of what sold the PS2 was the good name of the PS1. Heck, look at the number of SNES machines Nintendo shipped. Many people ignored the Genesis just because they loved their NES so much. So if Xbox sales skyrocket, even if game sales don't, the overall attitude of the majority towards the Xbox improves and helps sales of the successor to the Xbox.
"It takes only about 30 seconds to recharge the battery enough to allow 80 hours of continuous operation of an MD player, compared with around an hour needed by conventional rechargeables, the company claims."
The article also mentions that the batteries are also capable of discharging a large amount of power, which would allow them to be used in appliances requiring more power than a typical battery can provide - but obviously for a shorter period of time.
They're a private company. They're not the government. Why should you have privacy rights when you're using their services? I believe that this is quite similar to a public shop or restaurant. If you believe so strongly that a bad precedent is being set, why would you not be up in arms over security cameras in shopping outlets? After all, your movement within the store can be tracked and, if you were to use a credit card, your name and movements could easily be tracked. In fact, information could be shared throughout a mall environment and all stores would know your whereabouts. Google is providing a service to the public. I don't see any reason why they must respect a user's implied privacy right.
Your analogies all seem to be focused on aspects where a government investigating a crime would be appropriate. A camera in someone's house? Giving a DNA sample? That sounds more like a government function when the government was functioning badly.
And you know what, I hear people at this website complain all the time that MS uses awful business practices and draconian policies but because they are a monopoly, they still move units. Google doesn't have a monopoly in the email business yet you think they should be shut down? Why not let them rise and fall as the market dictates?
Finally, why can't you just use a different email service or run your own? There's nothing that Google is doing which is preventing you from doing that. Don't try to handcuff business in order to protect your privacy - vote with your wallet, only frequent businesses that had a privacy policy that you are comfortable with.
"For example, in the console market people will buy up racing & football sequels where the only changes are new stats and color schemes."
You pretty much invalidated your entire point with that statement. You show your bias and the fact that you look down on people who buy racing and/or football games. Let's guess that you like RPGs on the your console of choice. I could argue that between titles, there's little actual difference. Graphic improvements but the basic gameplay, selecting a spell to cast and then casting it, remain the same. You see, that would be the naive argument and would be very similar to the statement you made.
"On the other hand, sites that offer only "look I made a clone of that other game but in FLASH" fare tend not to do well."
Any statistics to back that up? Funny, Pop Cap games seems to have a slew of games that are pretty obviously based on games that have been around a long, long time and they are probably one of the most popular web-based game sites. And as much as you can't realize this, Madden 2004 is not the same game as Madden 2003 with updated rosters. Many people on Slashdot make this mistake. Oh, and that flash game you linked to sucks.
Finding games that take advantage of these devices may be the tricky feat. My point was merely that such devices did exist to mimic the PC experience with a console.
That's your complaint? There are plenty of solutions available at your local furniture store that would allow the mouse and keyboard to be swung close to you. Heck, you can get coffee tables that swing up and out.
And guess what pal, you can play a PS2 or a Gamecube sitting comfortably at your desk. I've got my Dreamcast currently hooked up to my computer and frequently play sitting at my desk in a comfortable chair. I was responding to the assertion that mouse and keyboard input are not available on the console. You reply by telling me that proper furniture is not available. Guess what - it is. My point is that if you want to play a game that you feel requires mouse and keyboard input, you can, at this point, come quite close to the same experience you get on a PC with a console. Insightful? I don't think so.
Would this argument be valid?
I have a real problem playing games on my PC. You see, I bought the PC and monitor but I don't have anything to put it on. I want to be on a flotation device within my pool playing my PC. Why can't I have that?
See, you can have that. The point is that there are ways to solve these ergonomic issues but you choose not to even think about that. You are now my foe.
"You're missing the point. Porn games won't cause games to be considered an adult medium, but they will be a sign that games have finally begun to be considered an adult medium. Much of the current noise over sex and violence in games is a result of the perception that games are only for kids - once the idea that adults play them too becomes common, the controversy will die down."
No, I am not missing the point. I don't believe that the controversy you cite is actually coming as a result of a lack of pornographic games. There have been pornographic movies available for quite some time and politicians have frequently tried to latch onto the idea that Hollywood is putting too much violence into their product. Don't tell me I am missing the point. You didn't read my post at all you fucking moron. I stated clearly that games are already moving in the direction of being considered a medium that can be appreciated by a wide range of ages and it is only through time and the younger generation coming of age that it will fully take effect. Go fucking die you piece of trash.
Narrow it down by adding information. At some point, the database containing the mapping needs to be created. If you've got two Rob Malda's then you can represent the title. For instance, "Rob Malda, accounting" and "Rob Malda, janitor" would obviously get you to two different people. Or you could have the floor that their office is on included in it as well. Basically, enough descriptors could be added to distinguish between identical names.
The title of my post was "mod parent down." Modding your post down to -1 doesn't prevent you from exercising your freedom of speech. First of all, Slashdot is a privately run forum. You don't have freedom of speech on Slashdot. Second of all, if your post is dropped to -1, it still exists. You're still allowed your piece. I just believe that you should be punished by a karma hit for your post.
"Games are not considered sacred examples of free speech in the same way that books are. This was the topic of the post that I replied to (hence it's title)."
Yes, this was the premise of your post. You believed that in order to gain a foothold in the protected speech realm, pornographic games had to be released. I refute this idea and I refute the idea that video games are not protected under the freedom of speech. In the U.S. this is the case. In the future, don't reply to my posts. You are merely trying to change your argument after being pointed out as an imbecile.
By the way, why don't you just import some "porn games" from Japan and quit your whining?
That's one of the dumbest things I have ever read. You're an idiot for thinking that video games will only be considered an adult medium once a pornographic game is made. For fuck's sake, the current generation of players is getting older and with that the perception is already shifting. If you compare the average age of game players in commercials for games released in the 80's to the average age of game players in current commercials, you'd see that there's already been a significant shift.
And how are games not considered a form of free speech? Just because politicians try to make a few speeches about the issue and a few watchdog groups make a fuss does not mean anyone is having their rights violated. Show me a law that the United States has passed that has limited someone's free speech in the form of a video game. You can't because there's no law. The fact is that video games are already headed in the direction of being a complex media that can span multiple target generations, just as movies do, and that the government isn't even close to censoring video games at all.
If Nintendo, MS, or Sony want to be taken seriously they have to let porn games come out? That's hogwash. All three of those companies make truckloads of money and are multi-national. They're not viewed as mom-and-pop operations by anyone. The release of a "porn game" [you still haven't outlined exactly what that is] would not help these companies at all.
Maintain? What's your definition of maintain? I followed your first link and was greeted with "The requested category is not available." at http://www.asacomputers.com.
I think what you meant to say is that you created a list awhile ago and placed it online. You don't maintain it.
You think IBM and Sun aren't "in it" for the cash? The employees of those companies want to make money. The fact that IBM and Sun come off as more knowledgeable regarding Linux/Unix (whatever point you were trying to make) only shows that they're more well-prepared to make money.
A company exists to make money. Any humanitarian efforts a company may pursue are in the interests of making more money.
You state the need for a charge like it is a sure thing. The linked article is short on details but the possibility that this could be driven by ads is a possibility. Since I don't live in Japan, I'm not in a position to comment on the market there but if Marvel or DC released a system like this, the reduction in printing costs could lead to a system much like network television - where advertisers are paying for the development of content and all the company has to deliver is mindshare.
I think comic strips are quite a different animal than the Famicom system you cite as evidence. It has always cost more to produce a video game than it is to produce a comic strip.
"just like if you walked out of the store with the cartridge under your coat"
No it's not. Haven't we already discussed this on Slashdot? When you take a game from a store, the store's inventory is reduced by one game. When you copy a game you are infringing on copyright but no company has less product than before you made your copy. Honestly, stealing is not the same as copyright infringement and I wish people would learn to separate the two.
If that were the case, and people would wise up, then perhaps some of the foolish copyright laws could be relaxed and more work would enter the public domain. Mickey Mouse should be public property at this point.
Slashdot Mirror
As a person who only studies economics by being a consumer [and I may be totally wrong] I'd say that for the most part, when inventory control is bad and leads to loss, the end consumer pays the difference. When inventory control is good, and specifically when it will be good for Walmart and few other companies at the moment, the added profit will be pocketed by the company, not the consumer.
I don't know how the parent got to +3 but it links to a goatse.cx-type site.
Back in the day, there was a Spider-Man game released for the Sega CD that hinted at this type of possibility. There were levels where you had to run left to right and defeat an end boss but along the way there were old ladies getting mugged on the street that you could save. The most recent Spider-Man video games have focused solely on guiding you from the start of the level to the end boss, with no time to just wander around the city. I'm thinking that if City of Heroes takes off, clones and variants may spring up and provide me with this type of gameplay - which I think a lot of people would enjoy, based on how well GTA sold and how well superhero movies have been doing lately.
Not being a fan of RPGs, I do not attack people who buy every sequel to Final Fantasy even though I would choose not to buy them and don't see that many differences in the gameplay. I would imagine to a fan of the series, there are many differences.
What you meant to say is that with most religions, the ability to prove the beliefs incorrect is severely limited by the nature of the beliefs. For instance, the belief that Jesus will have a second coming is difficult to prove because it cannot be proven in the affirmative until he comes back and it really can't be proven in the negative. But there are hypotheses in science that are similar to this. Theories can be proposed that will only manifest over eons. These are difficult to prove because you need those eons to pass by in some cases. Furthermore, any proof in the negative could be countered with some sort of statement regarding a miscalculation on the timeframe and that a longer amount of time needs to go by.
In short, religion can be proven incorrect and science can be proven incorrect.
Your argument is, as I see it, akin to saying, "Man, why can't I play DDR without the dance pad?" except taken to a more extreme level. Nintendo introduced a game where GBA connectivity offered a different kind of experience that could not be replicated with a standard Gamecube controller. No one is forcing you to buy it. Don't like it? Don't buy it.
The number of players online at a time is small but the types of players who are attracted to online games are the hardcore players - who spend the most money on games. The casual player who may buy a few games per year does not care about online play. But by not offering online play to the hardcore player, Nintendo is missing the most lucrative demographic; the person who plays a whole lot.
Spider-Man actually had those four extra limbs for awhile in the comic book. Although, he grew extra arms, not legs.
Great points! Really, right on with this. Mod parent up.
I would further guess that some of the DRM built into the Xbox that checks for a legitimate Xbox game, is not included in CXBX. I haven't checked this so perhaps someone can correct me if I am wrong but I am doubtful at this point. The vital part of any Xbox emulator is the ability to play Xbox games, not the ability to check for legitimate games. Basically, I'd say CXBX acts like a modded Xbox without any of the hardware costs [assuming you already have the computer].
Now, for your idea about a lab of Linux stations. The number of people who are going to do this is probably negligible. But let's suppose it's a large number. The more Xbox units that MS ships, the greater the perception of the Xbox as a winning console becomes. Much of what sold the PS2 was the good name of the PS1. Heck, look at the number of SNES machines Nintendo shipped. Many people ignored the Genesis just because they loved their NES so much. So if Xbox sales skyrocket, even if game sales don't, the overall attitude of the majority towards the Xbox improves and helps sales of the successor to the Xbox.
Your analogies all seem to be focused on aspects where a government investigating a crime would be appropriate. A camera in someone's house? Giving a DNA sample? That sounds more like a government function when the government was functioning badly.
And you know what, I hear people at this website complain all the time that MS uses awful business practices and draconian policies but because they are a monopoly, they still move units. Google doesn't have a monopoly in the email business yet you think they should be shut down? Why not let them rise and fall as the market dictates?
Finally, why can't you just use a different email service or run your own? There's nothing that Google is doing which is preventing you from doing that. Don't try to handcuff business in order to protect your privacy - vote with your wallet, only frequent businesses that had a privacy policy that you are comfortable with.
Finding games that take advantage of these devices may be the tricky feat. My point was merely that such devices did exist to mimic the PC experience with a console.
And guess what pal, you can play a PS2 or a Gamecube sitting comfortably at your desk. I've got my Dreamcast currently hooked up to my computer and frequently play sitting at my desk in a comfortable chair. I was responding to the assertion that mouse and keyboard input are not available on the console. You reply by telling me that proper furniture is not available. Guess what - it is. My point is that if you want to play a game that you feel requires mouse and keyboard input, you can, at this point, come quite close to the same experience you get on a PC with a console. Insightful? I don't think so.
Would this argument be valid?
See, you can have that. The point is that there are ways to solve these ergonomic issues but you choose not to even think about that. You are now my foe.Mouse and keyboard combinations are available for the PS2 that I know of and I believe that there are keyboards for the Gamecube.
Narrow it down by adding information. At some point, the database containing the mapping needs to be created. If you've got two Rob Malda's then you can represent the title. For instance, "Rob Malda, accounting" and "Rob Malda, janitor" would obviously get you to two different people. Or you could have the floor that their office is on included in it as well. Basically, enough descriptors could be added to distinguish between identical names.
By the way, why don't you just import some "porn games" from Japan and quit your whining?
And how are games not considered a form of free speech? Just because politicians try to make a few speeches about the issue and a few watchdog groups make a fuss does not mean anyone is having their rights violated. Show me a law that the United States has passed that has limited someone's free speech in the form of a video game. You can't because there's no law. The fact is that video games are already headed in the direction of being a complex media that can span multiple target generations, just as movies do, and that the government isn't even close to censoring video games at all.
If Nintendo, MS, or Sony want to be taken seriously they have to let porn games come out? That's hogwash. All three of those companies make truckloads of money and are multi-national. They're not viewed as mom-and-pop operations by anyone. The release of a "porn game" [you still haven't outlined exactly what that is] would not help these companies at all.
I think what you meant to say is that you created a list awhile ago and placed it online. You don't maintain it.
A company exists to make money. Any humanitarian efforts a company may pursue are in the interests of making more money.
I think comic strips are quite a different animal than the Famicom system you cite as evidence. It has always cost more to produce a video game than it is to produce a comic strip.
If that were the case, and people would wise up, then perhaps some of the foolish copyright laws could be relaxed and more work would enter the public domain. Mickey Mouse should be public property at this point.