I can't believe you got modded Insightful. Do you really not understand how commerce works?
If you really mean this as an example of being cheated, I'd suggest that perhaps you could modify your bid strategy to not include bidding $100 for something worth $50.
There is no intrinsic value of goods on eBay. That's the point- the sale price is whatever the buyer wishes to pay for it. Some people pay large sums of money for worthless crap.
The reason why shill bidding is a problem is because there is no other legitimate bidder driving up the price. Shill bidding means that the buyer can raise the price at will if they don't think your bid is high enough. This is a problem because the premise of eBay and other auctions is that the buyers collectively determine the price through fair bidding and the seller must accept the price offered by the buyer at the end of the auction period. The price is determined by TIME and the MARKET, not the seller's choice.
When an auction is fair, the risk is balanced between the seller and buyer:
Seller: may not get the highest price possible.
Buyer: may be outbid by another purchaser.
Shilling completely removes the seller risk. Even worse, the buyer is not aware that the seller has no risk! What's the Slashdot solution? Tell the buyer your maximum price.
I can see why you guys are programmers instead of economists. I want to open a car dealership in Silicon Valley if the bidding strategy there is to tell the salesman the absolute maximum you are willing to pay right off the bat. I'll be able to retire in six months.
Not defending shill bidders, don't get me wrong, I'm just saying do your research of what something is worth before you set the number, _or_, overbid and know you're going to be highest. But don't complain about it if you use the latter approach
No, no, no, no, no.
You are talking about a fixed price market. In that case it is a "pay my price or leave it" situation. People are not overpaying for goods on eBay in the sense of paying $5.00 for a Hershey Bar. They are being ripped off in that the seller is not supposed to be able to set the price other than a reserve set at the opening, and the sellers are constantly raising the price throughout the life of the auction.
To wit:
B: How much is a Hershey bar?
S: I will accept any price over 50 cents. (a reserve)
B: OK, I will pay 55 cents. (a bid)
S: Hold on....my invisible friend will pay 65 cents. (a shill bid)
B: Oh. In that case, 75 cents. (a bid)
S: Wellll...maybe you should offer 80 cents. (price fixing via shill bid)
B: Hmm. I am willing to pay up to a dollar. (maximum bid)
S: What a coincidence! My invisible friend will only go up to 99 cents. (shill bid)
What's the real price of the Hershey bar? If the seller sets the price, a dollar. But the buyer would set a price of 55 cents.
Auctions let buyers set the price through fair negotiation.
No, it's not a popularity contest. It's a common sense contest.
Let me share some wisdom from Management school: Work gets done through people.
Someone who cannot comply with very basic hygiene and social skill norms is unlikely to comply with management directives. No manager wants a smelly neckbeard making everyone else in the office uncomfortable or irate. And that's what it's about- if you are so difficult to work with that other people are distracted from their own work or avoid dealing with you, it is a colossal headache for the company. They literally do not care if you reinvent the Calculus and create the HAL 9000 if no one can stand being around you. "Irreplaceable unique talent" is a myth. Even Isaac Newton was fired. Walt Disney died. His company became bigger and richer AFTER he died, even though he is thought of as a visionary.
You can be as smelly a neckbeard as you want if you work for yourself. But if you want to interact with other people (the basis for all human civilization), it helps to meet them halfway. There are plenty of environments that are casual (like Google) and accept offbeat people (like SAS). Yet, many people at these firms also wear suits when appropriate.
Let me share some wisdom from Semiotics school: Fashion shows do make your company money. Executives wear suits because it is a signifier they are professional. Hollywood screenwriters DO NOT wear suits because it is a signifier that THEY are professional. Context is important.
It should be noted that Woz himself is highly presentable, is generally well-groomed (although admittedly not a fashion plate), and is charming and fun to be around by all accounts. Are you richer than him? Do you have better skills than him? Did you create a more important company than him? He doesn't have a problem dressing appropriately, building his social skills, and interacting with "suits" when appropriate.
Glorifying Asperger's does not translate into being a programming whiz, sorry.
There is no game. No one is working on the game. The investors got fleeced.
Use common sense for a moment.
It takes 3-4 years to write, cast, design, film, edit, and release a major Hollywood picture like a Star Wars or an X-Men, which can cost $100MM or more to develop.
It takes 3-4 years to concieve, design, manufacture, and ship a new console like a PS2 or Gamecube.
Rockstar developed and released three new hit games with a new engine and tremendous amounts of content since 2001.
But it takes nine years to program a knockoff Doom clone? Really? Are they coding it on a loom?
Things I would love to know:
1) Exactly how many programmers are working on DNF. 2) What percentage of their days are spent on DNF versus other tasks. 3) Why management keeps an obviously defunct product on the books when normal business practice would suggest writing it off at this point, having missed at least SEVEN release years in a row. 4) I am dying to see the balance sheets for this project.
There is no game, there never will be a game. But there may be an audit.
"'We are completely baffled by the sales trend reversal for current generation software,' said Pachter."
Yeah, it's a real question for the ages
LOWER PRICE POINT FOR CURRENT GEN
why are so many people in such a rush to buy games lately?
LOWER PRICE POINT FOR CURRENT GEN
Surely the greatest minds in the country should attach this vast problem.
LOWER PRICE POINT FOR CURRENT GEN
If only there was some kind of economic analysis possible, perhaps some kind of law of supply and/or demand that says what happens when demand is high and prices come down.
I happen to like this TiVo feature. I strongly prefer to click on long-form advertising rather than having to constantly fast-forward through 30 second nonsense.
Seems like this can be a win-win for viewers and advertisers.
Viewers Win
- You still don't have to watch anything you don't want to - Longer ads usually mean better, more creative content since they have more than 15-20 seconds to beat you over the head with the message - You can watch full-length movie previews (I happen to really like doing this) - If the ad is boring you can pause, stop, or opt out entirely - It's not just ads- it's videoblogs, etc.
Advertisers Win
- You know how many people are choosing to watch your ad - Longer ads means more time for message - TiVo distribution likely cheaper than mass market saturation- buying broadcast time in NYC versus targeted TiVo users only - 'Thumbs down' instant negative feedback can prevent embarrassing mass market rollouts that just don't work - You are reasonably certain someone is actually watching rather than leaving the room while it is on because they CHOSE to view it
If you are constitutionally opposed to all advertising I can see why you might hate this. But I NEVER EVER watch ads anymore- I don't watch any programs live and I always fast forward through the ads. Yet, I am willing to watch the TiVo-suggested content because it happens when and where I want it to. Also, it has been more focused towards my interests- ads for films and for upcoming shows.
Same Grand Theft Auto, exclusive online content, Halo 3 exclusive, $200 cheaper for the console and $15 cheaper for the games.
I can see the Nintendo ads this November now:
Why spend $1000 to train your child to be a virtual murderer? For less than 1/2 the cost, everyone in the family can play our games and get a little exercise to boot. Oh, and if you buy DS with Brain Age, Grandma won't get Alzheimers.
The response from Sony:
Buy our exquisitely crafted proprietary movie box. If you think it's too expensive, you obviously don't appreciate quality. It plays all the same games as the XBox 360!
I'm going to go contrary here and point out something about product names.
If you are trying to sell a completely new kind of product, you usually want some kind of nonsense name without prior connotations that becomes exclusively associated with your item.
The two best examples I can think of:
"iPod": Says nothing about music or portability. A pod can hold anything, the only thing that tells you this relates to the computer is the "i" prefix.
Now imagine the alternative name "Portable Jukebox". It sure is descriptive. Is it as catchy?
"TiVo": says nothing about what it is or what it does. The letters "T" and "V" are in there, but not together.
Now imagine the alternative name "Television Assistant". Is it as catchy?
Now you want to sell a whole new kind of home game machine, to people who have never, ever considered buying one before.
As a buyer, your choices are:
Wii X-Box 360 Playstation 3
Clear your mind of anything you may know about price points or manufacturers. Just look at the name. 'X-Box 360' looks pretty obsessed with specs and power. Whatever an X-Box is, this one is the 360 model. 'Playstation 3' is obviously a sequel to Playstations 1 and 2. So if you don't like those, I guess you won't like the third one.
The "Whee"? What's that? That could be interesting, I should at least look at the ads to see what it is. What a silly name, whatever could it be?
You already know you don't like X-Box or Playstation since you never considered buying one before. Which looks like a more fun name? Which looks like the new/different option? Which looks more like a high-tech appliance- like an iPod, iMac, or TiVo?
Nintendo is clearly going after the Apple strategy of, for lack of a better term, "selling to girls". Women purchase a colossal number of iPods- conveniently available in clean, fun Apple stores (not just at Game Stop or Best Buy!) in fun colors and smaller sizes- like for a purse or to go jogging with.
The average 14-year-old power gamer/HALO addict is going to vomit with rage over this name and call it the "Nintendo Pee". Too bad for him the MOM usually makes most purchasing decisions in a typical household. Mom is going to be very interested in something that looks good, is cheap, and conveys fun.
This name could not telegraph more clearly Nintendo's 'Blue Ocean' strategy. Sony and Microsoft are going to beat each other to death with their unlimited checkbooks over a dwindling market of adolescent fraggers while every senior in the country buys a DS for Brain Age and suburban housewives have Wii Parties to play party games.
I see a lot of interest in the DS and DS Lite. I see record sales in Japan (SOLD OUT- something that almost never happens) and increasing sales in the USA and Europe.
It's a handheld? So what?
When a market is really changing, the old models don't work so well any more. Sony and Microsoft are utterly convinced that convergence will happen in your living room. That's because they sell things that go in a living room- Televisions, Stereos, Home Computer OSes, etc. Sony's fantasy is that you will pay them an enormous sum of money and subscription fees to install very complicated equipment so you can spend a lot of time at home. Microsoft thinks you are willing to spend $400+ on a console to play the $5 Geometry Wars (perfectly playable on Game Boy) or Paperboy.
Apple and Nintendo both understand that convergence is happening IN YOUR POCKET. iPod, Cellphone Television, Handheld consoles. What do these all have in common?
A home theater experience is very nice, but a device that shows movies, plays music and games, and allows phone calls is totally convergent, and cheap by comparison, which allows a much larger market. Simpler games also allow market expansion by appealing to nontraditional gamers (Women and Seniors, mostly).
Sony has delays on PS3 because they are feverishly working to make it the all-in-one living room box. Does anyone actually WANT an all-in-one? Also notice that the PSP section of your local store has 2x the movies as games. PSP is a very expensive portable DVD player that plays some games.
I would love to know what the U.S. XBox360 sales would look like if they could actually produce some of the things. "Sold Out" is meaningless when you can only allocate a dozen units per store. For months at a time. It's March, where the hell are the things already?
In Japan, where XBox360 stock is plentiful, games are important, and home theater convergence is desired to to lack of space, no one is buying them. But there are lines around the block for the DS.
If your model of transition is upgrading consumers from FooBox 2 to FooBox 3 (with slightly better graphics and a modem at double the price), the transition has been a failure.
If your model of transition is selling more units to more customers no matter what new product you offer (from FooBox to PortaFoo), this is one of the best transitions ever...for Nintendo.
You have an excellent perspective that I would like to respond to.
How is this not like real life? One guy can learn some impressive martial arts skills. However, that person will always fall to to the one with superior time, technology, or numbers. It is for this reason that police forces are comprised of mostly normal individuals and yet are able to maintain order for the most part. It is also for this reason that warfare has become a matter of who can build the most planes and bombs. Certainly, WWI era fighting aces may have been more skilled, but that ace will always lose to a guided missle.
As TFA states, Games are fun because they are not like real life. For example, there is a reason that in the Olympic games, it is not acceptable to 'take out' competitors in order to win. The nature of Sport or Games is to voluntarily accept arbitrary rules in order to gain entertainment. WoW violates this rule by allowing rule changes on a whim as well as offering in-game advantages based on non-game actions.
Perserverence in the real world is superior to technical skill. Machiavelli wrote an entire book centered around this idea, it is called The Prince and is considered to be the beginning of modern political philosophy. Virtue, for Machivelli, is not a matter of technical skill but entirely of being wise enough to capitalize on good fortune when it occurrs and perservering through bad fortune.
I am familiar with this work. Machiavelli would probably think it strange to exert such effort for a Game rather than for real-world influence and power. Good fortune in WoW is not random, as TFA states. Thus, capitalizing on it is not a matter of skill OR perseverence. Good fortune is only gained by brute repetition. That is neither real-world nor sport.
Large groups can easily overpower small groups or individuals. This is the premise of political philosophy since the time of Aristotle. The most modern incarnation is called `social contract' theory. You may have heard of it as it gained some level of popularity through the writings of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes
I am familiar with these gentlemen. True, but notice that in Football/Soccer, one team is not permitted to place extra men on the field when they wish. Everyone must obey the same rules. In the world of politics, the Majority party in most Democracies must obey written and unwritten rules about how they gain or yield power. Not in WoW- since they rules can change at any time for any reason.
Ruling powers often arbitrarily enforce illy defined laws. Even in a liberal republic like the US, one only needs to look at the tax code to see that this is the case. In illiberal nations where the law is the whim of a despot, this truth is even more clear.
A Republic is 'imperfect' because humans are imperfect. In a computer world, Avatars ARE Perfect since we can code them to be unable to violate the rules. Again, in TFA, WoW DOES NOT make it impossible to "sin", even though it is well within their ability to do so. The lesson? "God" is cruel to the computer avatar. They want you to pay them on a monthly basis for this.
My conclusion is that the author of TFA has a problem with the way the world actually is. While I've never played WoW, from the description it sounds to me as if WoW teaches truths far more universal than Street Fighter and it's ilk.
Yes, the lesson is "ha ha we got your money and you are not having fun".
The world of Street Fighter is the world of the action movie where The Hero can overcome All Adversity and Live Happily Ever After. Games that teach that sentiment seems to me to be far more dangerous to their players than WoW.
Since we do not live inside the electronic world, I disagree.
The lesson of Street Fighter is that if you practice, you can win.
The lesson of WoW is that the world is cruel and you can't win, BY DESIGN. And when you petition to have it changed, even though it is possible, people having fun are valued less than Gold Farmers and Cheaters. That'll be $20 a month, please.
I think there is a lot of missing the point in this thread.
The objection is not that someone who works hard gets rewards. The objection is that there IS NO WORK involved in advancing in MMO games beyond the timesink.
And that's why it isn't fun.
If I want to get good at Street Fighter, I can practice because the rules do not change. If the person playing against me has been practicing more, he does not get Super Chun Li. He has to use his skill. There is a chance that I can advance due to effort and luck.
Now imagine if every time you wanted to play Street Fighter, someone playing Super Chun Li and another person playing Super Guile could come in at any time and not only kick your ass, but steal your special moves so you couldn't use them any more AND they could block off access to Bosses like Bison. In fact, only huge 'guilds' would even have a chance at getting good moves or winning the game.
Fun, right?
Oh, and all they would have to do to get the Super Status would be to drop out of school and press "Fierce" 6000 times a day. Just playing so much would be enough to get the 'gold' and 'experience' they needed to get upgrades to Super status. They wouldn't really have to use any skill- 40 hours a week of crappy play would be enough to do it. Even better, they could go on eBay and BUY Super status from someone in Malaysia hired to get 'gold' for them.
Wow! Sign me up!
Anyone want to sign up for a Counterstrike game where I get Nuclear Weapons, Phasers, and Invisibility Cloaks because I am a Level 60, and you have to play in teams of 40 or you can't advance beyond Private First Class otherwise?
Or, let's play Mario Kart. I get a much better car and a 5 minute head start because I put a lot of time in, and you didn't. Wheeee! Fun!
Is Sony's definition of Spring 2006 different than mine?
It's late February NOW. "Spring" probably means sometime between now and the end of June.
That's 19 weeks. So, sometime in the next 19 weeks, we would expect to see:
1. A complete list of launch titles. 2. Most, if not all launch titles not just in final version but manufactured and shipped. 3. Retailers to have full, detailed pricing information. Best Buy needs WEEKS of advance notice to print those Sunday Newspaper flyers. 4. Retailers to have PS3 sales spaces and media ready to go. 5. Complete PS3 specs and instruction manuals beyond some flack saying "uh, blue ray". 6. Teaser advertising beyond some Sony flack saying "any day now". 7. A full marketing and advertising press, including print, television, and web advertising. This needs to happen MONTHS before launch so that people will know this important product is coming soon. 8. Accessories not just announced but manufactured and shipped to retailers. 9. Preorders offered at major game retailers.
Any of this happening yet? Anyone think you'll be buying one of these in 8 weeks? 8 weeks from now is late April. Most people won't get the XBox 360s they ordered in DECEMBER until then.
I agree with your take on this, and I would like to add that no one should underestimate the price point issue as a major factor.
Imagine three conversations in late 2006:
Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new XBox360 consoles. I really like the online content since you don't like to play games with me, Stereotypical Wife- I will always have someone to compete with with XBox Live. There are also some very cool games coming soon for that system, like a Marvel Comics Multiplayer Online RPG and Madden 2007. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we already have. We would need to upgrade to HDTV to get the full output of the system.
Mrs: OK. How much is it?
Mr: $400 for the base system, $50 for a second controller, $60 each for games, about $50 for XBox Live Gold.
Mrs: Maybe if we win the lottery.
***A variation on the theme:
Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new Playstation3 consoles. There are some very cool games coming soon for that system, like a DC Comics Multiplayer Online RPG and Medal of Honor IX: Homefront Defender. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we already have. We would need to upgrade to HDTV to get the full output of the system.
Mrs: OK. How much is it?
Mr: $400 for the base system, $50 for a second controller, $60 each for games, about $50/year for online subscriptions apiece for each individual game that has online content.
Mrs: Maybe if we win the lottery.
***Now, imagine this conversation:
Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new Nintendo Revolution consoles. I really like the interesting controller that lets me wave a virtual lightsaber or drive a racecar by twisting my hands. There are also some very cool games coming soon for that system, like Hogwarts Wizard School and Mario Olympics.
Mrs: OK. How much is it?
Mr: $175 for the base system, $20 for a second controller, $30 each for games, online connection is free with old school games at about $2-5 each. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we have now.
Mrs: It's half the cost of the other two options. And I might actually play some of those games.
It looks like there will be three discrete strategies to grab differing types of consumers.
1) Sony
-Very high price point. -Going after large installed user base as well as hardcore gamers.
Negatives:
-High manufacture cost means less opportunity for dicounting. -Casual gamers and Parents (who buy gifts for minors) will likely balk at ultrahigh prices.
2) Microsoft -Very high price point. -Going after installed user base as well as hardcore gamers.
Negatives:
-High manufacture cost means less opportunity for dicounting. -Likely consumer confustion over various hard drive options* -Casual gamers and Parents (who buy gifts for minors) will likely balk at ultrahigh prices.
* Spare me your lectures. If you have ever worked retail, you know customers are dumb about stuff like this.
3) Nintendo
-Lower price point than Sony or Microsoft. -Going after casual gamers, Women, and nostalgic gamers, as well as Nintendo Fanboy base.
Negatives:
-Unusual controllers may have tech glitches, forcing costly recall. -Hardcore gamers think Nintendo is 'kiddy' and will probably avoid. -Going after people who usually don't buy games is risky. They may still not care about games.
Just from this sketch, the best case scenario for each company is:
SONY -Devotion to the Sony brand and superior graphics carries PS3 to victory.
MICROSOFT -Marketing 'cool factor' and online elements, including exclusive licensing deals, carry XBox 360 to victory.
NINTENDO -Expansion of the market due to lower priced option and attempt to keep games simple and innovative carry the Revolution to victory.
Note: 'Victory' means THE MOST PROFIT, not THE MOST UNITS SOLD. If you are a shareholder, you care about PROFIT.
I'd put my money on Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft and going to beat each other to death with their unlimited marketing checkbooks while Nintendo creates new customers.
Sony has the most to lose. Why should consumers pay hundreds of dollars for graphics that are somewhat better than what they have now?
I don't see where Microsoft goes. THey aren't innovative like Nintendo. They don't have the huge installed fanbase that Sony does.
Nintendo is taking a very high risk strategy, but the payoff could be immense.
"I imagine many of the non-jewish posters (such as myself) don't see a major difference between reading a book and reading a scroll."
Here is the simple answer, minus the terms in Hebrew which may be confusing to non-Jews:
1. A Torah Scroll (henceforth "Torah") is both a book to be read and a sacred object. It cannot be constructed in a novel way without violating Jewish religious law and traditions. This includes differences in format (it has to be a scroll made from certain materials, the ink is from a certain formula) as well as text (no changes permitted whatsoever, it is always in Hebrew written in a certain way). Every element of construction is done in a specific way that is unchanging.
Furthermore, there are specially trained people who write the scrolls. Torahs frequently have special covers (it's kind of a sheath) made of expensive materials as well as having decorative and functional objects attached to it like pointers, metal scroll endcaps, etc. This all adds up to a very expensive object, and you can't buy it in stores. It takes the better part of a year to write a Torah, and yes, this is subject to religious law and tradition too.
There are protocols for handling the scroll (who holds it and how), reading from it (you use a special pointer to keep your place in the text rather than touching it with your hands), and how it is cared for. Showing respect for the scroll as sacred object is important for Jews. Dropping the scrolls, for instance, is offensive. Defacing them is considered obscene to religious Jews. Torahs are stored in a special case at the front of a Synagogue. There are special prayers said when opening and closing the case.
Torahs are read weekly in a ritual fashion at religious services. There is a designated weekly portion to be read. There is a Jewish Holiday devoted to the time when the text begins the yearly cycle again. It is a happy holiday. There is drinking involved. Bar Mitzvahs are a big deal because part of the ceremony is that you get to read from the Torah Scroll from the first time. It is considered an honor to be called up to read from the scroll (there is even a special term in Hebrew for this honor.)
2. Anyone can buy bound books that contain the text of the scrolls, you probably know it as the Old Testament (there are some differences between Bibles, but let's keep it simple.) These books often contain translations and annotations, which explains things like "Revised 2nd Edition". There are often commentary texts added as well. Religious Jews won't deface or disrespect these books either, but it's O.K. for lay people to stack it on their bookshelves. They are printed in a conventional way and can certainly have bookplates attached or you can write your name on the inside cover. It is not a sacred object any more than a Gideon Bible is. This is different from a Qur'an, which is a sacred object in any format but may be printed like a conventional book.
Hope this helps while Wikipedia is down for maintenance.
I'm laughing my ass off at all the posters who claim Unionization would destroy the creative industries.
There are few industries as unionized as the Motion Picture Business. Yet, it seems to be responsive to market demands and changing technology, profitable, and a world leader in its field. And it remains headquartered in California.
Any by Unionized, I mean UNIONIZED. Pick any major Hollywood release at random. I would wager that:
- The writer is a union member (Writers Guild of America).
- The director is a union worker (Director's Guild of America).
- The stars and most of the actors are union members (Screen Actors Guild).
- The cinematographer is a union member (American Society of Cinematographers).
- All the electricians, carpenters, truckers, and other construction and transportation personnel are unionized.
- Stunt personnel are unionized.
Are there non-union productions? Yes, sometimes. But the understanding in the industry is that the majority of work goes to union members. The major players all deal with the unions.
BTW, guess which country has the strongest Auto Worker union. Yeah, Japan. Perhaps American auto companies are less competitive for other reasons.
Long answer: That will happen as soon as the majority of console and console game purchases are made by a casual end user, not a parent or otaku.
Although there are a lot of adult gamers, there are many more children (mommy buy me that) and fanboys (can't wait even a week for a PSP, have to get it NOW). Why are games $50+ on release? Both of these purchasing groups don't care much about price points (my kid isn't going to be the only one without Game Boy/I'll pay anything to play Halo 2 early). Why do games drop to $19.99? That's when the casual gamers buy.
But, you have to generate a ton of hype to get these purchasing groups in the door. Parents don't follow gaming journalism, but they respond to what their kid tells them is cool. Otaku want the latest and greatest and will pay a heavy premium, even if it is buggy and not ready for primetime.
Adult casual gamers wait for a more realistic price point.
If any of you doubt my theory, I invite you to hang out at your local EB Games or Gamestop next Saturday afternoon and observe who walks in the door and HOW they buy things.
I can't think of any drama or comedy shows that had a very highly rated 1st episode, then a huge drop-off in the second.
Usually a large drop-off in ratings is caused by one of the following:
1. Cast changes (The Practice) 2. Genre Fatigue (Enterprise) 3. Timeslot follies (Futurama, Family Guy) 4. Jumping the Shark (Malcolm in the Middle, Will and Grace) 5. The thing everyone waited for happened (Cheers, Moonlighting, soon will happen to Lost and Desperate Hosuewives)
I would think that if the BBC wanted high ratings, the thing to do would be to get as many people as possible to see the 1st episode, then follow up with 2nd and 3rd episodes of extremely high quality. That seemed to work for Battlestar Galactica.
Having more and more people tune in each week is very desireable to TV programming people, much more so than a huge number of viewers initially due to curiosity, then a big fall-off because the show stinks and can't hold an audience.
The real problem is that you can buy all the good gear in the first place.
Wait, listen. In Marvel Comics (yes, I am a huge nerd), Thor's superpowerful magic hammer Mjolnir can only be held by someone who is "worthy". So, even the superstrong Hulk can't pick it up. No one is strong/powerful enough to wield it except Thor. Only someone who is a paragon of virtue like Captain America can pick it up. Everyone else struggles because the hammer is magically glued to the floor.
So, the solution is simple- make it so you can't buy the +5 Vorpal Sword. You can't even pick it up unless you complete the proper quest. Trade it? No way, that's too dishonorable- the sword changes into a regular one, offended that you tried to pass it to an unworthy warrior. It's MAGIC, right? And it adds to gameplay- you can name your magic weapon, decorate it, perhaps even upgrade it (you need to find a wizard who can do such things, another quest). No grinding, either, you don't 'automatically' get magic gear when leveling up, it's not available in stores, you have to GO SOMEWHERE and DO SOMETHING. Getting top gear will involve hard quests, something that will build friendships and shared experiences, adding to gameplay.
Camping? No, the game should be able to tell if you never leave an area for a certain period of time. Why not make it so a very very bad creature shows up and eats camping players? Better keep moving- don't want to tempt the Grue. Adds to gameplay.
The owner of the servers can control how many magic swords are around in the first place. No reason why there can't be enough for everyone- as long as you play the game properly to get them.
No reason to gold farm if huge quantities of gold can't buy you anything very interesting. A little imagination and breaking out of the job/salary/grind model of role-playing would help a lot.
usually means risking your own capital so you can keep the profits. If I work for salary on Madden 2005 or the Sims 2, how am I an entrepreneur? I don't own the license, copyright, title, or any other element. I didn't put up any money or find funding. It was all work for hire for EA, which keeps all the profits.
"innovation"
usually means creating a new way to solve a problem. If I am told by my manager what kind of content to create and what language to use to do it, how am I innovating? If I am working on a sequel game, what is being innovated? How many successful in-house created games has EA released that are NOT already created franchises from industry leaders (like Will Wright) or sports games?
"creativity"
usually means doing something novel or unexpected. American Football has been around for a long time, a football simulator is not that creative. If my manager tells me what kind of game to work on, what am I creating?
EA runs a shirt factory but likes to pretend that it runs a couture house. Nice try.
To me, this seems like a BAD solution to the technical problem of "how can we get a better loading experience" but a GREAT solution to the problem of "how can we make games less likely to be pirated".
You mean Microsoft's tiny market share...in the professional editing industry.
What good is it to have a format, Mr. Anderson, if you have no software to edit it with?
If I had a dollar for every windows box at Pixar and Lucasfilm, plus 50 cents for every windows box at professional editing houses in NY and LA, I'd have about $4.50.
Film and TV professionals like Apple, trust Apple, and they use Apple.
Oh, and Sony has this little thing called a Playstation, which means (shazam) 50 million blu-ray boxes in homes overnight. Once you have it, might as well buy some movies for it, right?
The only people I see so far supporting HD-DVD are content providers who don't sell hardware or do their own manufacturing. The hardware guys all seem to want Blu-ray.
Places like Paramount want the cheapest option because they have to subcontract manufacturing DVDs. What they sell is intellectual property, they don't really care what format it is on. They do care if the needed price point is more then what their customers want to pay (most casual DVD buyers would balk at a $60 Blu-ray disc, but would probably pay $5 to $10 more for HD-DVD).
Hardware manufacturers like Sony want Blu-ray because they need a killer hook to get you to upgrade (like more storage space). Sony is weird, because they are BOTH kinds of company at once, but they still think of themselves as hardware-oriented. They care a lot about format because they want control over sales, they want licensing fees (if applicable), and, most importantly, they manufacture the players. People JUST bought DVD players 3 or 4 years ago. The only people clamoring for a new format are Movie Professionals and Home Theatre Geeks, who tend to favor Blu-ray for technical advantages. They are willing to drop the $$$$$ on a new player, which means boffo profits for Sony. Paramount sees jack shit from player sales. They want to move as many DVDs as possible, they don't care if you use them as coasters. Sony would rather sell you a new player and 7.1 sound system so you can watch (Paramount movie) Top Gun on it.
Apple is a hardware manufacturer. They want to sell more editing suites and copies of FinalCut Pro. More lines on the screen is not going to be an easy sell with the people who buy their stuff. A big storage jump is.
VHS won out over Beta for one simple reason: time.
Beta tape was higher quality, with a crisper picture. Video professionals STILL use Beta. Objectively, it is a better tape format.
But at the time (late 1970's- early 1980's), Beta tapes could barely hold a full-length feature film. They crapped out at a little under 2 hours. Not so good for home taping.
VHS, on the other hand, had SIX hour tapes. They could easily hold an entire sporting event, several TV episodes, and a film, all on one tape.
Home Taping sold home Videotape recorders, and customers chose the cheaper, more plentiful recording medium. "VHS" is meaningless letters, but customers easily understand "three times the recording time on the same size tape".
The #1 product in the market sucks. The company that makes it is evil. This free software you never heard of is the best. It is written collectively by hippies. Everything should be free, including YOUR products.
RIGHT:
The #1 selling product in the market is not the best in the market. If we implement [Linux, etc.], it will be CHEAPER, it will be MORE SECURE, it will produce LESS DOWNTIME, it is EASIER TO UPGRADE, you will increase your PROFITS by reducing costs.
Slashdot Mirror
I can't believe you got modded Insightful. Do you really not understand how commerce works?
If you really mean this as an example of being cheated, I'd suggest that perhaps you could modify your bid strategy to not include bidding $100 for something worth $50.
There is no intrinsic value of goods on eBay. That's the point- the sale price is whatever the buyer wishes to pay for it. Some people pay large sums of money for worthless crap.
The reason why shill bidding is a problem is because there is no other legitimate bidder driving up the price. Shill bidding means that the buyer can raise the price at will if they don't think your bid is high enough. This is a problem because the premise of eBay and other auctions is that the buyers collectively determine the price through fair bidding and the seller must accept the price offered by the buyer at the end of the auction period. The price is determined by TIME and the MARKET, not the seller's choice.
When an auction is fair, the risk is balanced between the seller and buyer:
Seller: may not get the highest price possible.
Buyer: may be outbid by another purchaser.
Shilling completely removes the seller risk. Even worse, the buyer is not aware that the seller has no risk! What's the Slashdot solution? Tell the buyer your maximum price.
I can see why you guys are programmers instead of economists. I want to open a car dealership in Silicon Valley if the bidding strategy there is to tell the salesman the absolute maximum you are willing to pay right off the bat. I'll be able to retire in six months.
Not defending shill bidders, don't get me wrong, I'm just saying do your research of what something is worth before you set the number, _or_, overbid and know you're going to be highest. But don't complain about it if you use the latter approach
No, no, no, no, no.
You are talking about a fixed price market. In that case it is a "pay my price or leave it" situation. People are not overpaying for goods on eBay in the sense of paying $5.00 for a Hershey Bar. They are being ripped off in that the seller is not supposed to be able to set the price other than a reserve set at the opening, and the sellers are constantly raising the price throughout the life of the auction.
To wit:
B: How much is a Hershey bar?
S: I will accept any price over 50 cents. (a reserve)
B: OK, I will pay 55 cents. (a bid)
S: Hold on....my invisible friend will pay 65 cents. (a shill bid)
B: Oh. In that case, 75 cents. (a bid)
S: Wellll...maybe you should offer 80 cents. (price fixing via shill bid)
B: Hmm. I am willing to pay up to a dollar. (maximum bid)
S: What a coincidence! My invisible friend will only go up to 99 cents. (shill bid)
What's the real price of the Hershey bar? If the seller sets the price, a dollar. But the buyer would set a price of 55 cents.
Auctions let buyers set the price through fair negotiation.
No, it's not a popularity contest. It's a common sense contest.
Let me share some wisdom from Management school: Work gets done through people.
Someone who cannot comply with very basic hygiene and social skill norms is unlikely to comply with management directives. No manager wants a smelly neckbeard making everyone else in the office uncomfortable or irate. And that's what it's about- if you are so difficult to work with that other people are distracted from their own work or avoid dealing with you, it is a colossal headache for the company. They literally do not care if you reinvent the Calculus and create the HAL 9000 if no one can stand being around you. "Irreplaceable unique talent" is a myth. Even Isaac Newton was fired. Walt Disney died. His company became bigger and richer AFTER he died, even though he is thought of as a visionary.
You can be as smelly a neckbeard as you want if you work for yourself. But if you want to interact with other people (the basis for all human civilization), it helps to meet them halfway. There are plenty of environments that are casual (like Google) and accept offbeat people (like SAS). Yet, many people at these firms also wear suits when appropriate.
Let me share some wisdom from Semiotics school: Fashion shows do make your company money. Executives wear suits because it is a signifier they are professional. Hollywood screenwriters DO NOT wear suits because it is a signifier that THEY are professional. Context is important.
It should be noted that Woz himself is highly presentable, is generally well-groomed (although admittedly not a fashion plate), and is charming and fun to be around by all accounts. Are you richer than him? Do you have better skills than him? Did you create a more important company than him? He doesn't have a problem dressing appropriately, building his social skills, and interacting with "suits" when appropriate.
Glorifying Asperger's does not translate into being a programming whiz, sorry.
There is no game. No one is working on the game. The investors got fleeced.
Use common sense for a moment.
It takes 3-4 years to write, cast, design, film, edit, and release a major Hollywood picture like a Star Wars or an X-Men, which can cost $100MM or more to develop.
It takes 3-4 years to concieve, design, manufacture, and ship a new console like a PS2 or Gamecube.
Rockstar developed and released three new hit games with a new engine and tremendous amounts of content since 2001.
But it takes nine years to program a knockoff Doom clone? Really? Are they coding it on a loom?
Things I would love to know:
1) Exactly how many programmers are working on DNF.
2) What percentage of their days are spent on DNF versus other tasks.
3) Why management keeps an obviously defunct product on the books when normal business practice would suggest writing it off at this point, having missed at least SEVEN release years in a row.
4) I am dying to see the balance sheets for this project.
There is no game, there never will be a game. But there may be an audit.
"'We are completely baffled by the sales trend reversal for current generation software,' said Pachter."
Yeah, it's a real question for the ages
LOWER PRICE POINT FOR CURRENT GEN
why are so many people in such a rush to buy games lately?
LOWER PRICE POINT FOR CURRENT GEN
Surely the greatest minds in the country should attach this vast problem.
LOWER PRICE POINT FOR CURRENT GEN
If only there was some kind of economic analysis possible, perhaps some kind of law of supply and/or demand that says what happens when demand is high and prices come down.
I happen to like this TiVo feature. I strongly prefer to click on long-form advertising rather than having to constantly fast-forward through 30 second nonsense.
Seems like this can be a win-win for viewers and advertisers.
Viewers Win
- You still don't have to watch anything you don't want to
- Longer ads usually mean better, more creative content since they have more than 15-20 seconds to beat you over the head with the message
- You can watch full-length movie previews (I happen to really like doing this)
- If the ad is boring you can pause, stop, or opt out entirely
- It's not just ads- it's videoblogs, etc.
Advertisers Win
- You know how many people are choosing to watch your ad
- Longer ads means more time for message
- TiVo distribution likely cheaper than mass market saturation- buying broadcast time in NYC versus targeted TiVo users only
- 'Thumbs down' instant negative feedback can prevent embarrassing mass market rollouts that just don't work
- You are reasonably certain someone is actually watching rather than leaving the room while it is on because they CHOSE to view it
If you are constitutionally opposed to all advertising I can see why you might hate this. But I NEVER EVER watch ads anymore- I don't watch any programs live and I always fast forward through the ads. Yet, I am willing to watch the TiVo-suggested content because it happens when and where I want it to. Also, it has been more focused towards my interests- ads for films and for upcoming shows.
I can see the Microsoft ads this November now:
Same Grand Theft Auto, exclusive online content, Halo 3 exclusive, $200 cheaper for the console and $15 cheaper for the games.
I can see the Nintendo ads this November now:
Why spend $1000 to train your child to be a virtual murderer? For less than 1/2 the cost, everyone in the family can play our games and get a little exercise to boot. Oh, and if you buy DS with Brain Age, Grandma won't get Alzheimers.
The response from Sony:
Buy our exquisitely crafted proprietary movie box. If you think it's too expensive, you obviously don't appreciate quality. It plays all the same games as the XBox 360!
Why do you assume that Mom is buying it for her son?
Nintendo isn't. They are assuming that Mom might want one for Mom. Marketers know that if Mom wants to buy something, she usually gets it.
Or, even better, Mom buys one for her and her daughter to play with together.
You know, girls? The 51% of all children not currently well-served by videogame makers?
I'm going to go contrary here and point out something about product names.
If you are trying to sell a completely new kind of product, you usually want some kind of nonsense name without prior connotations that becomes exclusively associated with your item.
The two best examples I can think of:
"iPod": Says nothing about music or portability. A pod can hold anything, the only thing that tells you this relates to the computer is the "i" prefix.
Now imagine the alternative name "Portable Jukebox". It sure is descriptive. Is it as catchy?
"TiVo": says nothing about what it is or what it does. The letters "T" and "V" are in there, but not together.
Now imagine the alternative name "Television Assistant". Is it as catchy?
Now you want to sell a whole new kind of home game machine, to people who have never, ever considered buying one before.
As a buyer, your choices are:
Wii
X-Box 360
Playstation 3
Clear your mind of anything you may know about price points or manufacturers. Just look at the name. 'X-Box 360' looks pretty obsessed with specs and power. Whatever an X-Box is, this one is the 360 model. 'Playstation 3' is obviously a sequel to Playstations 1 and 2. So if you don't like those, I guess you won't like the third one.
The "Whee"? What's that? That could be interesting, I should at least look at the ads to see what it is. What a silly name, whatever could it be?
You already know you don't like X-Box or Playstation since you never considered buying one before. Which looks like a more fun name? Which looks like the new/different option? Which looks more like a high-tech appliance- like an iPod, iMac, or TiVo?
Nintendo is clearly going after the Apple strategy of, for lack of a better term, "selling to girls". Women purchase a colossal number of iPods- conveniently available in clean, fun Apple stores (not just at Game Stop or Best Buy!) in fun colors and smaller sizes- like for a purse or to go jogging with.
The average 14-year-old power gamer/HALO addict is going to vomit with rage over this name and call it the "Nintendo Pee". Too bad for him the MOM usually makes most purchasing decisions in a typical household. Mom is going to be very interested in something that looks good, is cheap, and conveys fun.
This name could not telegraph more clearly Nintendo's 'Blue Ocean' strategy. Sony and Microsoft are going to beat each other to death with their unlimited checkbooks over a dwindling market of adolescent fraggers while every senior in the country buys a DS for Brain Age and suburban housewives have Wii Parties to play party games.
For Nintendo.
I see a lot of interest in the DS and DS Lite. I see record sales in Japan (SOLD OUT- something that almost never happens) and increasing sales in the USA and Europe.
It's a handheld? So what?
When a market is really changing, the old models don't work so well any more. Sony and Microsoft are utterly convinced that convergence will happen in your living room. That's because they sell things that go in a living room- Televisions, Stereos, Home Computer OSes, etc. Sony's fantasy is that you will pay them an enormous sum of money and subscription fees to install very complicated equipment so you can spend a lot of time at home. Microsoft thinks you are willing to spend $400+ on a console to play the $5 Geometry Wars (perfectly playable on Game Boy) or Paperboy.
Apple and Nintendo both understand that convergence is happening IN YOUR POCKET.
iPod, Cellphone Television, Handheld consoles. What do these all have in common?
A home theater experience is very nice, but a device that shows movies, plays music and games, and allows phone calls is totally convergent, and cheap by comparison, which allows a much larger market. Simpler games also allow market expansion by appealing to nontraditional gamers (Women and Seniors, mostly).
Sony has delays on PS3 because they are feverishly working to make it the all-in-one living room box. Does anyone actually WANT an all-in-one? Also notice that the PSP section of your local store has 2x the movies as games. PSP is a very expensive portable DVD player that plays some games.
I would love to know what the U.S. XBox360 sales would look like if they could actually produce some of the things. "Sold Out" is meaningless when you can only allocate a dozen units per store. For months at a time. It's March, where the hell are the things already?
In Japan, where XBox360 stock is plentiful, games are important, and home theater convergence is desired to to lack of space, no one is buying them. But there are lines around the block for the DS.
If your model of transition is upgrading consumers from FooBox 2 to FooBox 3 (with slightly better graphics and a modem at double the price), the transition has been a failure.
If your model of transition is selling more units to more customers no matter what new product you offer (from FooBox to PortaFoo), this is one of the best transitions ever...for Nintendo.
You have an excellent perspective that I would like to respond to.
How is this not like real life? One guy can learn some impressive martial arts skills. However, that person will always fall to to the one with superior time, technology, or numbers. It is for this reason that police forces are comprised of mostly normal individuals and yet are able to maintain order for the most part. It is also for this reason that warfare has become a matter of who can build the most planes and bombs. Certainly, WWI era fighting aces may have been more skilled, but that ace will always lose to a guided missle.
As TFA states, Games are fun because they are not like real life. For example, there is a reason that in the Olympic games, it is not acceptable to 'take out' competitors in order to win. The nature of Sport or Games is to voluntarily accept arbitrary rules in order to gain entertainment. WoW violates this rule by allowing rule changes on a whim as well as offering in-game advantages based on non-game actions.
Perserverence in the real world is superior to technical skill. Machiavelli wrote an entire book centered around this idea, it is called The Prince and is considered to be the beginning of modern political philosophy. Virtue, for Machivelli, is not a matter of technical skill but entirely of being wise enough to capitalize on good fortune when it occurrs and perservering through bad fortune.
I am familiar with this work. Machiavelli would probably think it strange to exert such effort for a Game rather than for real-world influence and power. Good fortune in WoW is not random, as TFA states. Thus, capitalizing on it is not a matter of skill OR perseverence. Good fortune is only gained by brute repetition. That is neither real-world nor sport.
Large groups can easily overpower small groups or individuals. This is the premise of political philosophy since the time of Aristotle. The most modern incarnation is called `social contract' theory. You may have heard of it as it gained some level of popularity through the writings of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes
I am familiar with these gentlemen. True, but notice that in Football/Soccer, one team is not permitted to place extra men on the field when they wish. Everyone must obey the same rules. In the world of politics, the Majority party in most Democracies must obey written and unwritten rules about how they gain or yield power. Not in WoW- since they rules can change at any time for any reason.
Ruling powers often arbitrarily enforce illy defined laws. Even in a liberal republic like the US, one only needs to look at the tax code to see that this is the case. In illiberal nations where the law is the whim of a despot, this truth is even more clear.
A Republic is 'imperfect' because humans are imperfect. In a computer world, Avatars ARE Perfect since we can code them to be unable to violate the rules. Again, in TFA, WoW DOES NOT make it impossible to "sin", even though it is well within their ability to do so. The lesson? "God" is cruel to the computer avatar. They want you to pay them on a monthly basis for this.
My conclusion is that the author of TFA has a problem with the way the world actually is. While I've never played WoW, from the description it sounds to me as if WoW teaches truths far more universal than Street Fighter and it's ilk.
Yes, the lesson is "ha ha we got your money and you are not having fun".
The world of Street Fighter is the world of the action movie where The Hero can overcome All Adversity and Live Happily Ever After. Games that teach that sentiment seems to me to be far more dangerous to their players than WoW.
Since we do not live inside the electronic world, I disagree.
The lesson of Street Fighter is that if you practice, you can win.
The lesson of WoW is that the world is cruel and you can't win, BY DESIGN. And when you petition to have it changed, even though it is possible, people having fun are valued less than Gold Farmers and Cheaters. That'll be $20 a month, please.
I think there is a lot of missing the point in this thread.
The objection is not that someone who works hard gets rewards. The objection is that there IS NO WORK involved in advancing in MMO games beyond the timesink.
And that's why it isn't fun.
If I want to get good at Street Fighter, I can practice because the rules do not change. If the person playing against me has been practicing more, he does not get Super Chun Li. He has to use his skill. There is a chance that I can advance due to effort and luck.
Now imagine if every time you wanted to play Street Fighter, someone playing Super Chun Li and another person playing Super Guile could come in at any time and not only kick your ass, but steal your special moves so you couldn't use them any more AND they could block off access to Bosses like Bison. In fact, only huge 'guilds' would even have a chance at getting good moves or winning the game.
Fun, right?
Oh, and all they would have to do to get the Super Status would be to drop out of school and press "Fierce" 6000 times a day. Just playing so much would be enough to get the 'gold' and 'experience' they needed to get upgrades to Super status. They wouldn't really have to use any skill- 40 hours a week of crappy play would be enough to do it. Even better, they could go on eBay and BUY Super status from someone in Malaysia hired to get 'gold' for them.
Wow! Sign me up!
Anyone want to sign up for a Counterstrike game where I get Nuclear Weapons, Phasers, and Invisibility Cloaks because I am a Level 60, and you have to play in teams of 40 or you can't advance beyond Private First Class otherwise?
Or, let's play Mario Kart. I get a much better car and a 5 minute head start because I put a lot of time in, and you didn't. Wheeee! Fun!
Is Sony's definition of Spring 2006 different than mine?
It's late February NOW. "Spring" probably means sometime between now and the end of June.
That's 19 weeks. So, sometime in the next 19 weeks, we would expect to see:
1. A complete list of launch titles.
2. Most, if not all launch titles not just in final version but manufactured and shipped.
3. Retailers to have full, detailed pricing information. Best Buy needs WEEKS of advance notice to print those Sunday Newspaper flyers.
4. Retailers to have PS3 sales spaces and media ready to go.
5. Complete PS3 specs and instruction manuals beyond some flack saying "uh, blue ray".
6. Teaser advertising beyond some Sony flack saying "any day now".
7. A full marketing and advertising press, including print, television, and web advertising. This needs to happen MONTHS before launch so that people will know this important product is coming soon.
8. Accessories not just announced but manufactured and shipped to retailers.
9. Preorders offered at major game retailers.
Any of this happening yet? Anyone think you'll be buying one of these in 8 weeks? 8 weeks from now is late April. Most people won't get the XBox 360s they ordered in DECEMBER until then.
I agree with your take on this, and I would like to add that no one should underestimate the price point issue as a major factor.
Imagine three conversations in late 2006:
Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new XBox360 consoles. I really like the online content since you don't like to play games with me, Stereotypical Wife- I will always have someone to compete with with XBox Live. There are also some very cool games coming soon for that system, like a Marvel Comics Multiplayer Online RPG and Madden 2007. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we already have. We would need to upgrade to HDTV to get the full output of the system.
Mrs: OK. How much is it?
Mr: $400 for the base system, $50 for a second controller, $60 each for games, about $50 for XBox Live Gold.
Mrs: Maybe if we win the lottery.
***A variation on the theme:
Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new Playstation3 consoles. There are some very cool games coming soon for that system, like a DC Comics Multiplayer Online RPG and Medal of Honor IX: Homefront Defender. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we already have. We would need to upgrade to HDTV to get the full output of the system.
Mrs: OK. How much is it?
Mr: $400 for the base system, $50 for a second controller, $60 each for games, about $50/year for online subscriptions apiece for each individual game that has online content.
Mrs: Maybe if we win the lottery.
***Now, imagine this conversation:
Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new Nintendo Revolution consoles. I really like the interesting controller that lets me wave a virtual lightsaber or drive a racecar by twisting my hands. There are also some very cool games coming soon for that system, like Hogwarts Wizard School and Mario Olympics.
Mrs: OK. How much is it?
Mr: $175 for the base system, $20 for a second controller, $30 each for games, online connection is free with old school games at about $2-5 each. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we have now.
Mrs: It's half the cost of the other two options. And I might actually play some of those games.
It looks like there will be three discrete strategies to grab differing types of consumers.
1) Sony
-Very high price point.
-Going after large installed user base as well as hardcore gamers.
Negatives:
-High manufacture cost means less opportunity for dicounting.
-Casual gamers and Parents (who buy gifts for minors) will likely balk at ultrahigh prices.
2) Microsoft
-Very high price point.
-Going after installed user base as well as hardcore gamers.
Negatives:
-High manufacture cost means less opportunity for dicounting.
-Likely consumer confustion over various hard drive options*
-Casual gamers and Parents (who buy gifts for minors) will likely balk at ultrahigh prices.
* Spare me your lectures. If you have ever worked retail, you know customers are dumb about stuff like this.
3) Nintendo
-Lower price point than Sony or Microsoft.
-Going after casual gamers, Women, and nostalgic gamers, as well as Nintendo Fanboy base.
Negatives:
-Unusual controllers may have tech glitches, forcing costly recall.
-Hardcore gamers think Nintendo is 'kiddy' and will probably avoid.
-Going after people who usually don't buy games is risky. They may still not care about games.
Just from this sketch, the best case scenario for each company is:
SONY
-Devotion to the Sony brand and superior graphics carries PS3 to victory.
MICROSOFT
-Marketing 'cool factor' and online elements, including exclusive licensing deals, carry XBox 360 to victory.
NINTENDO
-Expansion of the market due to lower priced option and attempt to keep games simple and innovative carry the Revolution to victory.
Note: 'Victory' means THE MOST PROFIT, not THE MOST UNITS SOLD. If you are a shareholder, you care about PROFIT.
I'd put my money on Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft and going to beat each other to death with their unlimited marketing checkbooks while Nintendo creates new customers.
Sony has the most to lose. Why should consumers pay hundreds of dollars for graphics that are somewhat better than what they have now?
I don't see where Microsoft goes. THey aren't innovative like Nintendo. They don't have the huge installed fanbase that Sony does.
Nintendo is taking a very high risk strategy, but the payoff could be immense.
"I imagine many of the non-jewish posters (such as myself) don't see a major difference between reading a book and reading a scroll."
Here is the simple answer, minus the terms in Hebrew which may be confusing to non-Jews:
1. A Torah Scroll (henceforth "Torah") is both a book to be read and a sacred object. It cannot be constructed in a novel way without violating Jewish religious law and traditions. This includes differences in format (it has to be a scroll made from certain materials, the ink is from a certain formula) as well as text (no changes permitted whatsoever, it is always in Hebrew written in a certain way). Every element of construction is done in a specific way that is unchanging.
Furthermore, there are specially trained people who write the scrolls. Torahs frequently have special covers (it's kind of a sheath) made of expensive materials as well as having decorative and functional objects attached to it like pointers, metal scroll endcaps, etc. This all adds up to a very expensive object, and you can't buy it in stores. It takes the better part of a year to write a Torah, and yes, this is subject to religious law and tradition too.
There are protocols for handling the scroll (who holds it and how), reading from it (you use a special pointer to keep your place in the text rather than touching it with your hands), and how it is cared for. Showing respect for the scroll as sacred object is important for Jews. Dropping the scrolls, for instance, is offensive. Defacing them is considered obscene to religious Jews. Torahs are stored in a special case at the front of a Synagogue. There are special prayers said when opening and closing the case.
Torahs are read weekly in a ritual fashion at religious services. There is a designated weekly portion to be read. There is a Jewish Holiday devoted to the time when the text begins the yearly cycle again. It is a happy holiday. There is drinking involved. Bar Mitzvahs are a big deal because part of the ceremony is that you get to read from the Torah Scroll from the first time. It is considered an honor to be called up to read from the scroll (there is even a special term in Hebrew for this honor.)
2. Anyone can buy bound books that contain the text of the scrolls, you probably know it as the Old Testament (there are some differences between Bibles, but let's keep it simple.) These books often contain translations and annotations, which explains things like "Revised 2nd Edition". There are often commentary texts added as well. Religious Jews won't deface or disrespect these books either, but it's O.K. for lay people to stack it on their bookshelves. They are printed in a conventional way and can certainly have bookplates attached or you can write your name on the inside cover. It is not a sacred object any more than a Gideon Bible is. This is different from a Qur'an, which is a sacred object in any format but may be printed like a conventional book.
Hope this helps while Wikipedia is down for maintenance.
I'm laughing my ass off at all the posters who claim Unionization would destroy the creative industries.
There are few industries as unionized as the Motion Picture Business. Yet, it seems to be responsive to market demands and changing technology, profitable, and a world leader in its field. And it remains headquartered in California.
Any by Unionized, I mean UNIONIZED. Pick any major Hollywood release at random. I would wager that:
- The writer is a union member (Writers Guild of America).
- The director is a union worker (Director's Guild of America).
- The stars and most of the actors are union members (Screen Actors Guild).
- The cinematographer is a union member (American Society of Cinematographers).
- All the electricians, carpenters, truckers, and other construction and transportation personnel are unionized.
- Stunt personnel are unionized.
Are there non-union productions? Yes, sometimes. But the understanding in the industry is that the majority of work goes to union members. The major players all deal with the unions.
BTW, guess which country has the strongest Auto Worker union. Yeah, Japan. Perhaps American auto companies are less competitive for other reasons.
Short answer: Never.
Long answer: That will happen as soon as the majority of console and console game purchases are made by a casual end user, not a parent or otaku.
Although there are a lot of adult gamers, there are many more children (mommy buy me that) and fanboys (can't wait even a week for a PSP, have to get it NOW). Why are games $50+ on release? Both of these purchasing groups don't care much about price points (my kid isn't going to be the only one without Game Boy/I'll pay anything to play Halo 2 early). Why do games drop to $19.99? That's when the casual gamers buy.
But, you have to generate a ton of hype to get these purchasing groups in the door. Parents don't follow gaming journalism, but they respond to what their kid tells them is cool. Otaku want the latest and greatest and will pay a heavy premium, even if it is buggy and not ready for primetime.
Adult casual gamers wait for a more realistic price point.
If any of you doubt my theory, I invite you to hang out at your local EB Games or Gamestop next Saturday afternoon and observe who walks in the door and HOW they buy things.
I can't think of any drama or comedy shows that had a very highly rated 1st episode, then a huge drop-off in the second.
Usually a large drop-off in ratings is caused by one of the following:
1. Cast changes (The Practice)
2. Genre Fatigue (Enterprise)
3. Timeslot follies (Futurama, Family Guy)
4. Jumping the Shark (Malcolm in the Middle, Will and Grace)
5. The thing everyone waited for happened (Cheers, Moonlighting, soon will happen to Lost and Desperate Hosuewives)
I would think that if the BBC wanted high ratings, the thing to do would be to get as many people as possible to see the 1st episode, then follow up with 2nd and 3rd episodes of extremely high quality. That seemed to work for Battlestar Galactica.
Having more and more people tune in each week is very desireable to TV programming people, much more so than a huge number of viewers initially due to curiosity, then a big fall-off because the show stinks and can't hold an audience.
Ahem.
The real problem is that you can buy all the good gear in the first place.
Wait, listen. In Marvel Comics (yes, I am a huge nerd), Thor's superpowerful magic hammer Mjolnir can only be held by someone who is "worthy". So, even the superstrong Hulk can't pick it up. No one is strong/powerful enough to wield it except Thor. Only someone who is a paragon of virtue like Captain America can pick it up. Everyone else struggles because the hammer is magically glued to the floor.
So, the solution is simple- make it so you can't buy the +5 Vorpal Sword. You can't even pick it up unless you complete the proper quest. Trade it? No way, that's too dishonorable- the sword changes into a regular one, offended that you tried to pass it to an unworthy warrior. It's MAGIC, right? And it adds to gameplay- you can name your magic weapon, decorate it, perhaps even upgrade it (you need to find a wizard who can do such things, another quest). No grinding, either, you don't 'automatically' get magic gear when leveling up, it's not available in stores, you have to GO SOMEWHERE and DO SOMETHING. Getting top gear will involve hard quests, something that will build friendships and shared experiences, adding to gameplay.
Camping? No, the game should be able to tell if you never leave an area for a certain period of time. Why not make it so a very very bad creature shows up and eats camping players? Better keep moving- don't want to tempt the Grue. Adds to gameplay.
The owner of the servers can control how many magic swords are around in the first place. No reason why there can't be enough for everyone- as long as you play the game properly to get them.
No reason to gold farm if huge quantities of gold can't buy you anything very interesting. A little imagination and breaking out of the job/salary/grind model of role-playing would help a lot.
Come on, just for old times' same, won't someone please give me $50MM to start my online Post-It sales portal, www.yellowsquare.com?
We give away the Post-its, so we can GET BIG FAST.
"entrepreneurialism"
usually means risking your own capital so you can keep the profits. If I work for salary on Madden 2005 or the Sims 2, how am I an entrepreneur? I don't own the license, copyright, title, or any other element. I didn't put up any money or find funding. It was all work for hire for EA, which keeps all the profits.
"innovation"
usually means creating a new way to solve a problem. If I am told by my manager what kind of content to create and what language to use to do it, how am I innovating? If I am working on a sequel game, what is being innovated? How many successful in-house created games has EA released that are NOT already created franchises from industry leaders (like Will Wright) or sports games?
"creativity"
usually means doing something novel or unexpected. American Football has been around for a long time, a football simulator is not that creative. If my manager tells me what kind of game to work on, what am I creating?
EA runs a shirt factory but likes to pretend that it runs a couture house. Nice try.
To me, this seems like a BAD solution to the technical problem of "how can we get a better loading experience" but a GREAT solution to the problem of "how can we make games less likely to be pirated".
You mean Microsoft's tiny market share...in the professional editing industry.
What good is it to have a format, Mr. Anderson, if you have no software to edit it with?
If I had a dollar for every windows box at Pixar and Lucasfilm, plus 50 cents for every windows box at professional editing houses in NY and LA, I'd have about $4.50.
Film and TV professionals like Apple, trust Apple, and they use Apple.
Oh, and Sony has this little thing called a Playstation, which means (shazam) 50 million blu-ray boxes in homes overnight. Once you have it, might as well buy some movies for it, right?
The only people I see so far supporting HD-DVD are content providers who don't sell hardware or do their own manufacturing. The hardware guys all seem to want Blu-ray.
Places like Paramount want the cheapest option because they have to subcontract manufacturing DVDs. What they sell is intellectual property, they don't really care what format it is on. They do care if the needed price point is more then what their customers want to pay (most casual DVD buyers would balk at a $60 Blu-ray disc, but would probably pay $5 to $10 more for HD-DVD).
Hardware manufacturers like Sony want Blu-ray because they need a killer hook to get you to upgrade (like more storage space). Sony is weird, because they are BOTH kinds of company at once, but they still think of themselves as hardware-oriented. They care a lot about format because they want control over sales, they want licensing fees (if applicable), and, most importantly, they manufacture the players. People JUST bought DVD players 3 or 4 years ago. The only people clamoring for a new format are Movie Professionals and Home Theatre Geeks, who tend to favor Blu-ray for technical advantages. They are willing to drop the $$$$$ on a new player, which means boffo profits for Sony. Paramount sees jack shit from player sales. They want to move as many DVDs as possible, they don't care if you use them as coasters. Sony would rather sell you a new player and 7.1 sound system so you can watch (Paramount movie) Top Gun on it.
Apple is a hardware manufacturer. They want to sell more editing suites and copies of FinalCut Pro. More lines on the screen is not going to be an easy sell with the people who buy their stuff. A big storage jump is.
VHS won out over Beta for one simple reason: time.
Beta tape was higher quality, with a crisper picture. Video professionals STILL use Beta. Objectively, it is a better tape format.
But at the time (late 1970's- early 1980's), Beta tapes could barely hold a full-length feature film. They crapped out at a little under 2 hours. Not so good for home taping.
VHS, on the other hand, had SIX hour tapes. They could easily hold an entire sporting event, several TV episodes, and a film, all on one tape.
Home Taping sold home Videotape recorders, and customers chose the cheaper, more plentiful recording medium. "VHS" is meaningless letters, but customers easily understand "three times the recording time on the same size tape".
WRONG:
The #1 product in the market sucks. The company that makes it is evil. This free software you never heard of is the best. It is written collectively by hippies. Everything should be free, including YOUR products.
RIGHT:
The #1 selling product in the market is not the best in the market. If we implement [Linux, etc.], it will be CHEAPER, it will be MORE SECURE, it will produce LESS DOWNTIME, it is EASIER TO UPGRADE, you will increase your PROFITS by reducing costs.