For the most part, I don't disagree with you at all.
I am the poster you responded to. I do NOT have a solar array. My cars are only marginally fuel-efficient. I don't ride a bike, etc. etc.
I even said I was NOT a tree-hugger, or any type of environmentalist. And that is where I think I have a leg to stand on.
I know, from my own personal experience, that we need to really force our citizens (including myself) to be more efficient. And making people pay more for energy is the most effective way to do it.
How many countries treat glass bottles as a single-use container?
I lived in Germany for 3.5 years (you can probably guess why). And when I was there, gas was about what you quoted, except at the time is was in Deutschmarks- but it was about the same price. And that was 15 years ago.
And when gas is that expensive...people FIND other ways to get around. You do it by necessity.
Sadly, the best possible response we will see in America, is people putting some sort of 'Stop Global Warming' magnet on their SUV.
I am a proponent of HUGE tax increases on gasoline. Push it up to the $6 level. People won't stop driving until it really hurts to do it.
We really need to do something about cutting down on emissions. This is a serious problem, and our society is just moving further and futher towards making it worse.
Look at the electronics industry- look at our computers, and how much energy they suck up. Blindly imagining that this problem won't affect us, is like putting our heads in the sand.
But the other day I was looking at some 'Enviro-Logs' I bought. They are like Duraflame logs, but they are made from recycled 'waxed cardboard' (which they can't use for making new cardboard.)
The label touted them as being environmentally friendly because they took the cardboard out of the waste stream and landfill. But is burning it even worse?
This is a very very complex problem, and we Americans are the biggest consumers, and therefore the biggest offenders.
Once again, I say tax the crap out of things. Make it hurt to buy...use that money to correct some of the wrongs that have already been done. Protect the forests, lower emissions, etc. etc.
I'm not a tree-hugger, but I am serious about this.
Because as another poster says down below...when you are older (I'm 37) sex isn't some sort of mind-blowing, my whole reality is changing kind of thing.
Don't get me wrong...my wife and I do have some very good sex. But like most couples, we also have our share of quickies, and relatively inconsequential sex. The type of thing you do just to blow of steam or whatever.
Women view men for thier potential, and would like to change them. This is actually fairly well known. When a couple meets, men want women to stay the same way forever. (Young, beautiful, spirited, funny, etc.) Women are looking for the man to be responsible, caring, considerate, etc. etc. When you see some girl with a disgusting guy who burps, farts, talks shit, and acts like an imbecile, she doesn't see a future with THAT guy. She sees a future with the guy that she can mold him into.
Also, women are not 'bat-shit insane.' They just see the world completely differently. They value completely different things than men. (This is all generalities of course) They value the emotional far less than the physical. And by emotional, I don't mean that they just want you to sit there and suffer while they talk about their feelings. (Which of course is a start...) They want you to UNDERSTAND what they are talking about. Which of course, you never will.
Even when I think I am beginning to understand my wife, I realize that I only have about 5% of the same emotional awareness she has. But then again, I can kick her ass at any video game. Of course she won't play them...but if she did...I would kick her ass.
Lastly, when you want your wife/girlfriend to think that you understand what is going on...follow Chris Rock's advice: everyone once in a while, throw in, "I KNEW you couldn't trust that bitch/ho/girl (depending on your social status)" Because there is a damn good chance they are complaining about some other woman somewhere.
Really...next time she goes on a tirade, try it. Just throw that in. "I never trusted her. What is her problem?" Man...you'll score some huge points, even if you have no idea who the hell she was talking about.
But I have to give my wife credit. Every month or so she'll spend about 20 minutes playing a game...which isn't too bad. And she has to listen to me talk about them, and is able to repeat back what I've said. Maybe she has her stock answers too, I don't know. But she does know the names of the games I play...and the types of games I play. (FPS, Driving, Sports) and she even knows what I DON'T play (WoW, RPGs, etc.) So yes, I'm impressed.
Last thing...
Don't forget your anniversary, her birthday, or any other times that SHE looks bad if you forget. Because remember guys...you might look like an ass for forgetting your anniversary...but to other women, she looks even worse. Because what you do, reflects on her.
Every single story I have read has mentioned the same guy, who "can't even finish a single lap in Project Gotham 3."
I've read at least 5 stories. All using the same person as their example.
I'm not saying that it is NOT a widespread problem, but can't they come up with a few more examples?
I didn't get a 360 on launch day (too far back in line) and my wife told me this morning that TONS of people were having problems. She read about it. (My wife knows very little about this stuff...only that I wanted one.)
I read the articles she pointed me to...and once again...three more accounts of the same guy.
It would be interesting to see some real numbers. Not the same thing re-hashed over and over.
Well, just to let you know, I didn't end up getting an Xbox 360.
The Wal*Mart near my house (read about my town in my sig) was only allotted 10 360's. I thought I'd be able to get one, by showing up an hour early. So did a few other guys who live in town. There would have been about 5 of us.
But- there is a University in a neighboring town, full of students. So, they were lined up in front of Wal*Mart...because they're kids, and kids do that sort of thing. (I woke up at 5:00, and considered what would be better- going to sleep, owning an Xbox 360, or maybe just dying right there.)
I hung out for about 20 minutes. The guys in front of me were all pretty cool (I was last in line.) They told me that all of the Xboxes were spoken for, and people had put their names down on a list. But we just hung out, just in case some miracle happened, and a truckload of 360s came into the parking lot. Honestly, a few times a truck's air breaks squealed, and we all turned, hoping that Santa had come early.
But the thing that caused even us die-hards to lose faith, was when the Wal*Mart employees came out with a stack of papers. One per Xbox. Well, they really did only have 10- no miracle truck in sight. Then the woman started read names...and a glint of a miracle showed up. Two of the people were gone! So now numbers 11 and 12 would get an Xbox. She called those names, and two kids I hadn't noticed previously came out of the woodwork. Damn, two more college kids. None of the locals (townies if you want..) would get one.
After about 30 seconds, the two kids whose names had been called early showed up. As one kid was walking in, I said, "Are you Jason?" He said, "Yeah." I told him, "Well dude, you're fucked. They just gave your Xbox away."
So, I left just then. Nobody I cared about was getting an Xbox, and even the possibility of a fight between Jason, and number 11 or 12 didn't really matter. They were just college kids, and they'd be out of town within 10 minutes.
First...plumbers don't do too bad. The national average in the US is $47,000- which includes plumbers of all levels. An experienced plumber could easily be in the $80,000+ range in a large city.
Second...people can't just become plumbers because it's an 'easy job.' Good plumbers have a LOT of education and experience.
When a company is running pipes under a five million dollar home, or in an expensive commercial building, or safety equipment in a skyscaper, they don't just trust it to any chump. It would cost far more to come out to make a repair, than it would to have it done right the first time. And they get compensated for this.
There ARE chump plumbers out there. They install sprinklers, and clear drains. Think of them as being the 'help desk' of the plumbing industry.
I've shifted around between trades and offices during my working career. And the one thing that is common between the two, is that each side thinks that the other is overpaid and lazy. Tradesmen see people sitting in offices, and they think they are getting paid for doing nothing. Office workers (especially execs) look at tradesmen, and think that they are lazy, perform menial tasks, and are too dumb for anything else.
Yeah...and you should hear them bitch when the air conditioning goes out.
Now though, I am a deskworker...of the worst kind. I sit in a fairly dark room, programming. But when my co-workers complain about the electrician (calling him stupid..and laughing at his mullet (dude, get rid of the mullet...he's right about that)) I just wonder if any of them could do the work he is doing.
And the last time we had an electrician come in, it was because one of the IT guys ordered the wrong equipment, and the server room had to be re-wired to accomodate it. You can be sure the electricians were talking shit about that....
No, we're not smarter just because we stare at screen all day...nor are we more valuable. The only part of this that makes me feel good, is that I work on an HR project. I see everyone's salaries...and the plumbers and electricians are on a very similar payscale to the IT workers. (Advertised salaries are different...but the plumbers tend to be on the higher end of their scale, because they change jobs less frequently...'Hot-Shot' IT guys move around a lot more..and are on the lower end of their particular job scale)
I.T. is just the plumbing of the future.
I've got mixed feelings about the whole thing...but in general I am looking forward to it.
True, there is no title of the 18 that I am *really* excited about. PGR3 might be a '10' but I'm not a PGR fan. Burnout Revenge (which I am a fan of) isn't really utilizing the hardware, so I'm not that excited...since I already played it on my Xbox.
But- I just finished playing Far Cry on my Xbox. Great game. Huge maps, good graphics, played real well. If that game had come out 4 years ago, I would have crapped my pants.
So...I'm looking forward to what we'll be playing 4 years from now. Today's 360 games ARE an improvement over other consoles...sure, they aren't earth-shattering. But given time, the designers will make as much progress as they did for Far Cry...and we'll look back on the first Xbox and wonder how we ever managed.
On the other hand...I didn't pre-order, because I didn't want to buy a bundle. But I will be out in front of Wal*Mart tomorrow...then Target if necessary to pick up a 360. Playing Far Cry really showed me that we have come a long way...and given the right hardware, we can go a lot further.
Every once in a while people make this comment.."I can just use my stereo."
It's not the same. The songs don't automatically start at the beginning of a race. The music doesn't stop when you pause the game. You can't skip to the next song just by hitting a button on your controller.
It's much nicer when you have your music saved on the Xbox...
I liked Amped 2 a lot...so I do like the Amped series. I always thought that SSX was stupid.
But.....I bought SSX on Tour a few weeks ago.
This game has the best menus I've ever seen...very entertaining. And, easy to use. As far as re-playing a run, it only takes a second or so to do. I assume that they cache the map to the hard-drive, because it is quick!
This is very important since now that I am further in the game, I need to re-start runs a lot.
Pretty good game...but totally different from Amped. I think I actually like Amped a little more. But then again, SSX on Tour does have Iron Maiden on the soundtrack...(don't laugh until you check it out...)
That is because there are a number of people here who really do feel strongly about theft/gpl/etc. etc.
They are actually the minority- but they are very vocal.
They also feel that making money is bad, and 'information wants to be free.'
Most drive late '90s compact cars. They do not shave (why shave? Stallman doesn't!) and their social skills consist of 'winning' arguments with other computer users who are 'ignorant.'
Usually, if you view their previous messages, you will find that they spend 90% of their posts telling everyone how we are wrong. The other 10% of the time they are discussing the connection between some esoteric technology, and their favorite science fiction series of books.
Well, to make The Next Big Step, we may need to rely on someone big to do it. One entity that is willing to put forth the money and effort to make it work.
If it is Google...then so be it. If they have the plan, and the capability, I'm all for it.
Personally, the whole AJAX thing is cool, and at the same time scary.
I'm a web developer, and right now I am really getting into the stride of making very good apps, very quickly.
With AJAX, the expectations will rise considerably. The development effort will go way up...all to do the same things we are doing now.
I know that this sounds stupid to a lot of you...but think about games. Better graphics increase development time and effort, but don't necessarily make a better game.
Soon, EVERY web app will need to be an AJAX app...even if it doesn't need to be.
The age of simple software is once again coming to a close.
Those are all really niche games. They have a small, but rabid fanbase. A small number of people REALLY like the games, but the general public does not.
I must say that GENERALLY the games I end up really liking are fairly popular, and fairly successful. Burnout, Halo, Medal of Honor, Splinter Cell...
Some people (on Slashdot) would ridicule my choice of games, saying that they are crappy, dumbed down, etc. etc. Which is strange, because I, and a good number of other people, feel that these are good games.
But then again, some gamers are like those alternative music hosers. Nothing mainstream can be good...and the more 'alternative' it is, the better it is.
Well, I just like games that are GOOD...and if there is a big ole 'EA' logo on the box, that doesn't mean anything to me- good, or bad. (Except that the cars will shine)
Hey, I'm in the same boat as that guy. I get to play about 3 hours a week. Usually in one chunk, because I can't sleep for some reason.
I'll be buying this ASAP...in fact, I've already scheduled my morning on the 22nd. One retailer is opening at midnight, another at 7:00 am, and another at 8:00 am. I'll just go down the list, and hopefully one will have it. And yes, I am willing to buy a $700 bundle.
Why?
As I've said here a million times- I have more money than I have time. So if I do get to play for 3 hours, I want it to be a very good 3 hours. And I do like pretty graphics, so I want the machine that can give me graphics. And yes, I have an HDTV. Even though many people think it is bad that Microsoft is pushing the HD thing too much. Once again, those of us with the TVs are willing to pay the money to actually USE the TVs.
Most of us here on Slashdot work in the tech industry. This industry CAN be high-paying. So it doesn't surprise me at all that many people are willing to shell out $700 on something that will only be used casually. Crap, my wife can spend that in a quick trip to Costco...so I don't feel bad about buying this console.
No offense to anyone who is poor..but remember, some of us have disposable income. Just read the 'how much do you get paid' stories that come out occasionally. There are many people here making over $100,000 per year. Spending a little bit of that to have the newest toys isn't that big of a deal.
Re:Looks like a derivative of the S version
on
The Depth of the 360
·
· Score: 1
The black and white buttons were the hardest to learn- by far.
But now I can use them just as easily as any other button on the controller, so I don't have any issue with them.
But that's after 4 years of fairly regular use...so I can understand how they provide a barrier to new users.
Hell, I even had big trouble in the Brute Force days...
If Walmart were a country, it would rank 14th in terms of size of economy. In fact, financially it is over 5 times larger than the economy of the entire country of New Zealand (which judging from your link, is where you live.)
So I just assume that someone who reads up on current issues, and is even just slightly aware of world politics and/or economy would know something about Wal*Mart.
If you don't know anything about Wal*Mart, you might want to look into it. It *will* be affecting your life soon, because the world is getting smaller, and they are the biggest global powerhouse company.
Whether it be a store opening near you- or the price of wool dropping because of the price pressures Wal*Mart puts on manufacturers, very few people are NOT affected.
Yeah...Microsoft also makes computer software that depends on an online service for a good portion of its functionality. (Which you said was a bad thing on the console) In fact, if you took away my internet connection, I wouldn't even use my computer at all.
Do I blame Microsoft for that?
If you downloaded 'free' music which required an authentication server...you made a bad choice. Or at least one that you should have known would end up causing problems in the future. My guess is that you signed up for a free trial of one of the music services...then when the free trial expired, you didn't pony up the money.
That's the way it is supposed to work.
Personally, I think the Plays For Sure plans are pretty good. $5/month for an unlimited number of downloads. Then the day I stop paying, is the day the music dies. It's a totally fair option.
I use that on one of my devices- yet I have a large library of music I 'own' that I use everywhere else. If I really like something, I can buy it...but I rarely do. But the good thing is, it is an option- not a requirement.
Sony is the WORST company out there for overly tight protection and DRM.
The Minidisc NetMD could have been a fantastic product. I bought three of them (one for me, my wife, and my daughter). Too bad the software was so horrible that it became unusable.
I have had similar problems with memory stick. I have had two devices which ONLY accepted memory stick. I ended up with a camera that I could not get pictures from...thanks Sony.
The amazing thing is that people consider Microsoft to be THE 'bad' company in the console wars. I disagree...I would say that Sony is much worse.
Slashdot Mirror
For the most part, I don't disagree with you at all.
I am the poster you responded to. I do NOT have a solar array. My cars are only marginally fuel-efficient. I don't ride a bike, etc. etc.
I even said I was NOT a tree-hugger, or any type of environmentalist. And that is where I think I have a leg to stand on.
I know, from my own personal experience, that we need to really force our citizens (including myself) to be more efficient. And making people pay more for energy is the most effective way to do it.
How many countries treat glass bottles as a single-use container?
I lived in Germany for 3.5 years (you can probably guess why). And when I was there, gas was about what you quoted, except at the time is was in Deutschmarks- but it was about the same price. And that was 15 years ago.
And when gas is that expensive...people FIND other ways to get around. You do it by necessity.
American's won't change until this happens.
Sadly, the best possible response we will see in America, is people putting some sort of 'Stop Global Warming' magnet on their SUV.
I am a proponent of HUGE tax increases on gasoline. Push it up to the $6 level. People won't stop driving until it really hurts to do it.
We really need to do something about cutting down on emissions. This is a serious problem, and our society is just moving further and futher towards making it worse.
Look at the electronics industry- look at our computers, and how much energy they suck up. Blindly imagining that this problem won't affect us, is like putting our heads in the sand.
But the other day I was looking at some 'Enviro-Logs' I bought. They are like Duraflame logs, but they are made from recycled 'waxed cardboard' (which they can't use for making new cardboard.)
The label touted them as being environmentally friendly because they took the cardboard out of the waste stream and landfill. But is burning it even worse?
This is a very very complex problem, and we Americans are the biggest consumers, and therefore the biggest offenders.
Once again, I say tax the crap out of things. Make it hurt to buy...use that money to correct some of the wrongs that have already been done. Protect the forests, lower emissions, etc. etc.
I'm not a tree-hugger, but I am serious about this.
Dude, I've done it while playing Halo 2 on-line.
Because as another poster says down below...when you are older (I'm 37) sex isn't some sort of mind-blowing, my whole reality is changing kind of thing.
Don't get me wrong...my wife and I do have some very good sex. But like most couples, we also have our share of quickies, and relatively inconsequential sex. The type of thing you do just to blow of steam or whatever.
So, we've had sex while I played a game.
It was fun.
Sex should be fun.
Well, there are a lot of points here-
Women view men for thier potential, and would like to change them. This is actually fairly well known. When a couple meets, men want women to stay the same way forever. (Young, beautiful, spirited, funny, etc.) Women are looking for the man to be responsible, caring, considerate, etc. etc. When you see some girl with a disgusting guy who burps, farts, talks shit, and acts like an imbecile, she doesn't see a future with THAT guy. She sees a future with the guy that she can mold him into.
Also, women are not 'bat-shit insane.' They just see the world completely differently. They value completely different things than men. (This is all generalities of course) They value the emotional far less than the physical. And by emotional, I don't mean that they just want you to sit there and suffer while they talk about their feelings. (Which of course is a start...) They want you to UNDERSTAND what they are talking about. Which of course, you never will.
Even when I think I am beginning to understand my wife, I realize that I only have about 5% of the same emotional awareness she has. But then again, I can kick her ass at any video game. Of course she won't play them...but if she did...I would kick her ass.
Lastly, when you want your wife/girlfriend to think that you understand what is going on...follow Chris Rock's advice: everyone once in a while, throw in, "I KNEW you couldn't trust that bitch/ho/girl (depending on your social status)" Because there is a damn good chance they are complaining about some other woman somewhere.
Really...next time she goes on a tirade, try it. Just throw that in. "I never trusted her. What is her problem?" Man...you'll score some huge points, even if you have no idea who the hell she was talking about.
But I have to give my wife credit. Every month or so she'll spend about 20 minutes playing a game...which isn't too bad. And she has to listen to me talk about them, and is able to repeat back what I've said. Maybe she has her stock answers too, I don't know. But she does know the names of the games I play...and the types of games I play. (FPS, Driving, Sports) and she even knows what I DON'T play (WoW, RPGs, etc.) So yes, I'm impressed.
Last thing...
Don't forget your anniversary, her birthday, or any other times that SHE looks bad if you forget. Because remember guys...you might look like an ass for forgetting your anniversary...but to other women, she looks even worse. Because what you do, reflects on her.
Every single story I have read has mentioned the same guy, who "can't even finish a single lap in Project Gotham 3."
I've read at least 5 stories. All using the same person as their example.
I'm not saying that it is NOT a widespread problem, but can't they come up with a few more examples?
I didn't get a 360 on launch day (too far back in line) and my wife told me this morning that TONS of people were having problems. She read about it. (My wife knows very little about this stuff...only that I wanted one.)
I read the articles she pointed me to...and once again...three more accounts of the same guy.
It would be interesting to see some real numbers. Not the same thing re-hashed over and over.
Well, just to let you know, I didn't end up getting an Xbox 360.
The Wal*Mart near my house (read about my town in my sig) was only allotted 10 360's. I thought I'd be able to get one, by showing up an hour early. So did a few other guys who live in town. There would have been about 5 of us.
But- there is a University in a neighboring town, full of students. So, they were lined up in front of Wal*Mart...because they're kids, and kids do that sort of thing. (I woke up at 5:00, and considered what would be better- going to sleep, owning an Xbox 360, or maybe just dying right there.)
I hung out for about 20 minutes. The guys in front of me were all pretty cool (I was last in line.) They told me that all of the Xboxes were spoken for, and people had put their names down on a list. But we just hung out, just in case some miracle happened, and a truckload of 360s came into the parking lot. Honestly, a few times a truck's air breaks squealed, and we all turned, hoping that Santa had come early.
But the thing that caused even us die-hards to lose faith, was when the Wal*Mart employees came out with a stack of papers. One per Xbox. Well, they really did only have 10- no miracle truck in sight. Then the woman started read names...and a glint of a miracle showed up. Two of the people were gone! So now numbers 11 and 12 would get an Xbox. She called those names, and two kids I hadn't noticed previously came out of the woodwork. Damn, two more college kids. None of the locals (townies if you want..) would get one.
After about 30 seconds, the two kids whose names had been called early showed up. As one kid was walking in, I said, "Are you Jason?" He said,
"Yeah." I told him, "Well dude, you're fucked. They just gave your Xbox away."
So, I left just then. Nobody I cared about was getting an Xbox, and even the possibility of a fight between Jason, and number 11 or 12 didn't really matter. They were just college kids, and they'd be out of town within 10 minutes.
First...plumbers don't do too bad. The national average in the US is $47,000- which includes plumbers of all levels. An experienced plumber could easily be in the $80,000+ range in a large city. Second...people can't just become plumbers because it's an 'easy job.' Good plumbers have a LOT of education and experience. When a company is running pipes under a five million dollar home, or in an expensive commercial building, or safety equipment in a skyscaper, they don't just trust it to any chump. It would cost far more to come out to make a repair, than it would to have it done right the first time. And they get compensated for this. There ARE chump plumbers out there. They install sprinklers, and clear drains. Think of them as being the 'help desk' of the plumbing industry. I've shifted around between trades and offices during my working career. And the one thing that is common between the two, is that each side thinks that the other is overpaid and lazy. Tradesmen see people sitting in offices, and they think they are getting paid for doing nothing. Office workers (especially execs) look at tradesmen, and think that they are lazy, perform menial tasks, and are too dumb for anything else. Yeah...and you should hear them bitch when the air conditioning goes out. Now though, I am a deskworker...of the worst kind. I sit in a fairly dark room, programming. But when my co-workers complain about the electrician (calling him stupid..and laughing at his mullet (dude, get rid of the mullet...he's right about that)) I just wonder if any of them could do the work he is doing. And the last time we had an electrician come in, it was because one of the IT guys ordered the wrong equipment, and the server room had to be re-wired to accomodate it. You can be sure the electricians were talking shit about that.... No, we're not smarter just because we stare at screen all day...nor are we more valuable. The only part of this that makes me feel good, is that I work on an HR project. I see everyone's salaries...and the plumbers and electricians are on a very similar payscale to the IT workers. (Advertised salaries are different...but the plumbers tend to be on the higher end of their scale, because they change jobs less frequently...'Hot-Shot' IT guys move around a lot more..and are on the lower end of their particular job scale) I.T. is just the plumbing of the future.
I've got mixed feelings about the whole thing...but in general I am looking forward to it.
True, there is no title of the 18 that I am *really* excited about. PGR3 might be a '10' but I'm not a PGR fan. Burnout Revenge (which I am a fan of) isn't really utilizing the hardware, so I'm not that excited...since I already played it on my Xbox.
But- I just finished playing Far Cry on my Xbox. Great game. Huge maps, good graphics, played real well. If that game had come out 4 years ago, I would have crapped my pants.
So...I'm looking forward to what we'll be playing 4 years from now. Today's 360 games ARE an improvement over other consoles...sure, they aren't earth-shattering. But given time, the designers will make as much progress as they did for Far Cry...and we'll look back on the first Xbox and wonder how we ever managed.
On the other hand...I didn't pre-order, because I didn't want to buy a bundle. But I will be out in front of Wal*Mart tomorrow...then Target if necessary to pick up a 360. Playing Far Cry really showed me that we have come a long way...and given the right hardware, we can go a lot further.
You're right about the graphics.
In fact, this can be said about the PS3 also...and even the Revolution- even if it doesn't support 720p or 1080i.
That's just the way it works. A nicer TV will look better. I can't believe that some people see this as a negative.
Every once in a while people make this comment.."I can just use my stereo."
It's not the same. The songs don't automatically start at the beginning of a race. The music doesn't stop when you pause the game. You can't skip to the next song just by hitting a button on your controller.
It's much nicer when you have your music saved on the Xbox...
I liked Amped 2 a lot...so I do like the Amped series. I always thought that SSX was stupid.
But.....I bought SSX on Tour a few weeks ago.
This game has the best menus I've ever seen...very entertaining. And, easy to use. As far as re-playing a run, it only takes a second or so to do. I assume that they cache the map to the hard-drive, because it is quick!
This is very important since now that I am further in the game, I need to re-start runs a lot.
Pretty good game...but totally different from Amped. I think I actually like Amped a little more. But then again, SSX on Tour does have Iron Maiden on the soundtrack...(don't laugh until you check it out...)
Overly Critical Guy...
Regarding your Sig-
That is because there are a number of people here who really do feel strongly about theft/gpl/etc. etc.
They are actually the minority- but they are very vocal.
They also feel that making money is bad, and 'information wants to be free.'
Most drive late '90s compact cars. They do not shave (why shave? Stallman doesn't!) and their social skills consist of 'winning' arguments with other computer users who are 'ignorant.'
Usually, if you view their previous messages, you will find that they spend 90% of their posts telling everyone how we are wrong. The other 10% of the time they are discussing the connection between some esoteric technology, and their favorite science fiction series of books.
I don't like those people.
Well, to make The Next Big Step, we may need to rely on someone big to do it. One entity that is willing to put forth the money and effort to make it work.
If it is Google...then so be it. If they have the plan, and the capability, I'm all for it.
Have you seen the number of comments that each 360 story gets?
Typical 'games' stories on Slashdot get about 35 comments while they are still up on the menu. Xbox 360 stories are getting hundreds.
So, if I am an editor, I would realize that people are interested in this. And as long as the comments keep coming, I would keep posting the stories.
Obviously though, comments like yours just add to the frenzy. So by complaining about the stories, you are just ensuring that we get more.
I, and all of the other Xbox fans, would like to say, "Thank you!"
Personally, the whole AJAX thing is cool, and at the same time scary.
I'm a web developer, and right now I am really getting into the stride of making very good apps, very quickly.
With AJAX, the expectations will rise considerably. The development effort will go way up...all to do the same things we are doing now.
I know that this sounds stupid to a lot of you...but think about games. Better graphics increase development time and effort, but don't necessarily make a better game.
Soon, EVERY web app will need to be an AJAX app...even if it doesn't need to be.
The age of simple software is once again coming to a close.
Better-More-Faster
Just like the RF comparison in the article- we want to, and like to, move forward with the quality of the visuals.
Ask a PC gamer to take his resolution down to 640x480, and play games there. It just isn't as nice.
This is the same reason that digital cameras go up in quality (megapixels) every year. We want to see things that look better and better.
Play a standard def game (or movie, or anything else) on a 42" screen...things start to look REALLY bad.
Those are all really niche games. They have a small, but rabid fanbase. A small number of people REALLY like the games, but the general public does not.
I must say that GENERALLY the games I end up really liking are fairly popular, and fairly successful. Burnout, Halo, Medal of Honor, Splinter Cell...
Some people (on Slashdot) would ridicule my choice of games, saying that they are crappy, dumbed down, etc. etc. Which is strange, because I, and a good number of other people, feel that these are good games.
But then again, some gamers are like those alternative music hosers. Nothing mainstream can be good...and the more 'alternative' it is, the better it is.
Well, I just like games that are GOOD...and if there is a big ole 'EA' logo on the box, that doesn't mean anything to me- good, or bad. (Except that the cars will shine)
Hey, I'm in the same boat as that guy. I get to play about 3 hours a week. Usually in one chunk, because I can't sleep for some reason.
I'll be buying this ASAP...in fact, I've already scheduled my morning on the 22nd. One retailer is opening at midnight, another at 7:00 am, and another at 8:00 am. I'll just go down the list, and hopefully one will have it. And yes, I am willing to buy a $700 bundle.
Why?
As I've said here a million times- I have more money than I have time. So if I do get to play for 3 hours, I want it to be a very good 3 hours. And I do like pretty graphics, so I want the machine that can give me graphics. And yes, I have an HDTV. Even though many people think it is bad that Microsoft is pushing the HD thing too much. Once again, those of us with the TVs are willing to pay the money to actually USE the TVs.
Most of us here on Slashdot work in the tech industry. This industry CAN be high-paying. So it doesn't surprise me at all that many people are willing to shell out $700 on something that will only be used casually. Crap, my wife can spend that in a quick trip to Costco...so I don't feel bad about buying this console.
No offense to anyone who is poor..but remember, some of us have disposable income. Just read the 'how much do you get paid' stories that come out occasionally. There are many people here making over $100,000 per year. Spending a little bit of that to have the newest toys isn't that big of a deal.
The black and white buttons were the hardest to learn- by far.
But now I can use them just as easily as any other button on the controller, so I don't have any issue with them.
But that's after 4 years of fairly regular use...so I can understand how they provide a barrier to new users.
Hell, I even had big trouble in the Brute Force days...
Since Wal*Mart is the largest company ever, in the history of the world...I thought that maybe you knew a little bit about it.
In fact, Wal*Mart's revenue last year was $288 billion (dollars, U.S.).
As a comparison, take a look at this chart.
If Walmart were a country, it would rank 14th in terms of size of economy. In fact, financially it is over 5 times larger than the economy of the entire country of New Zealand (which judging from your link, is where you live.)
So I just assume that someone who reads up on current issues, and is even just slightly aware of world politics and/or economy would know something about Wal*Mart.
If you don't know anything about Wal*Mart, you might want to look into it. It *will* be affecting your life soon, because the world is getting smaller, and they are the biggest global powerhouse company.
Whether it be a store opening near you- or the price of wool dropping because of the price pressures Wal*Mart puts on manufacturers, very few people are NOT affected.
Or, you can just stick your head in the sand.
Yeah...Microsoft also makes computer software that depends on an online service for a good portion of its functionality.
(Which you said was a bad thing on the console) In fact, if you took away my internet connection, I wouldn't even use my computer at all.
Do I blame Microsoft for that?
If you downloaded 'free' music which required an authentication server...you made a bad choice. Or at least one that you should have known would end up causing problems in the future. My guess is that you signed up for a free trial of one of the music services...then when the free trial expired, you didn't pony up the money.
That's the way it is supposed to work.
Personally, I think the Plays For Sure plans are pretty good. $5/month for an unlimited number of downloads. Then the day I stop paying, is the day the music dies. It's a totally fair option.
I use that on one of my devices- yet I have a large library of music I 'own' that I use everywhere else. If I really like something, I can buy it...but I rarely do. But the good thing is, it is an option- not a requirement.
If your bottom line was profit, what interest would you have in financially stressed families?
I don't know...ask Wal*mart.
I need one...
Because I'm tired of the old one.
And...I have more money than time. So if I can BUY a better video game experience, I'll do it.
Heh is right.
Sony is the WORST company out there for overly tight protection and DRM.
The Minidisc NetMD could have been a fantastic product. I bought three of them (one for me, my wife, and my daughter). Too bad the software was so horrible that it became unusable.
I have had similar problems with memory stick. I have had two devices which ONLY accepted memory stick. I ended up with a camera that I could not get pictures from...thanks Sony.
The amazing thing is that people consider Microsoft to be THE 'bad' company in the console wars. I disagree...I would say that Sony is much worse.