As someone who sells 'Intellectual Property' of a few different types- yes I agree with what you are saying.
It's easy to say "Screw the big companies!" until the day you realize that the big company is who writes your check.
I've sold software- and I've had it ripped off. Going to a different site, and seeing your software given away for free is not a heart-warming experience. I attempted to sell software two different times- once without any copy protection at all, and another time it required a 'phone home' registration.
The 'completely open' version was just shamelessly stolen- I have no idea how many times, because there was no way to track it.
The 'phone home' version was also 'cracked' (I have no idea how to really secure it, so I'm sure it wasn't much of a chore) and also given away freely. I can count how many people who didn't like the copy protection, because they made sure to send me e-mail to tell me what a fucking dick I was for trying to encrypt my software.
Because of these experiences, I make sure to voice my opinion every time this subject comes up on Slashdot. I spent hundreds and hundreds of hours in development time, and only sold a few copies- yet I know more people were out there using it at one time because I could see the results on their websites.
Now I am married to an artist who also has her 'product' out on the web. Once again, people shamelessly steal it. She's in a bind, because if she wants to sell her work, she needs to let people see it. But in some cases, the crummy samples she provides on the web are good enough for people to use.
But back to your original point- yes, I agree that it is usually the schmucking 'consumers' who have little to offer, who feel that it is their 'right' to steal from others.
I know that a lot of people will have huge problems with this.
I still don't see why though- most people knew about Steam going in (everyone who tried to use the crack knew about Steam).
Someday, circumventing copy protection won't be seen as a white-hat activity. But it will be seen as people trying to cheat others out of compensation for their work.
Even worse than this completely ridiculous response (obviously by now you've figured out that the previous poster was talking about the telecommunications, not the civilization)....
There are a few scenes in the Halo books, where Master Chief doesn't wear his armor.
He is a somewhat regular person, and he does take his armor off- usually for things like...putting new armor on.
There is a female doctor in the books who is supposed to be somewhat hot- but she is also like 25 years older than the Master Chief ('John' is is real name).
Also, there were actually other Spartans (that is what Master Chief is) who were female- and in the book they attempted a little flirting between them.
So the possibility is there- they didn't go completely with the man/machine Terminator model.
Also- he'll be looking for his family, you know they love that crap in movies.
Most importantly, find a WORKING artist. Not someone who just considers themselves an artist. Every jackass hipster living in downtown Sacramento thinks they are an 'artist'. That somehow explains the piercings, stupid spiked hair, crappy clothes, crummy apartment, and dead-end job. "Oh he/she isn't a loser, they are an ARTIST". Bullshit- they are a loser with a weak excuse.
Find one who is actually working. So therefore, don't hang out at clubs/bars/restaurants after about 10:00 on a weeknight, or 12:00 on the weekend. People with jobs actually need their sleep. And if they are WORKING at said club/bar/restaurant, then they are probably a WAITRESS, not an artist.
So, now that you have cut out 95% of the 'art community' where do we go from there?
Well, someone with a degree is a good starting point. They were serious enough about art that they spent 4+ years studying- rathing than just relying on the fact that "I've always liked to draw".
Next- when you meet up with this young and educated hottie, ask her pertinant questions like "what kind of computer do you use". The best, is if they use a Mac, but don't really know a damn thing about it. Remember, you're looking for an artist, not a computer geek.
So- where do these chicks hang out? (Hopefully not above their waistband).
Cities like San Francisco and Seattle have big 'designers' conferences of some sort. That is a potential. But then again, they are going to be too overwhelmed to really meet a guy.
Do what I did- hang out in your company's art department. (You KNOW they have a job) Even if you get 'in' just by lifting heavy boxes, etc. it gives you a reason to stand around. Now, start asking them out to lunch, calling them on the phone (see...they aren't wasting their work time, because it is 'business related') and generally start running into them as much as possible.
After they get over the fact that a total dork likes them, they'll start to see the advantages of the computer geek. For one, he is EMPLOYED, unlike all of her stupid hipster friends who hang out at clubs every night. For another, he doesn't look ridiculous. The guys who looked cool when she was 20, and in school, are starting to be embarrassing. And, the computer geek probably has a car, unlike her loser friends.
I solved the problem the easy way...I married an artist.
I pay her for the projects she works on (we both have our own businesses) but I am always assured of getting great artwork, exactly the way I want it, with someone who will work within my schedule.
Other than pledging to spend the rest of your life with this person, I would recommend a few things:
#0- If you are not an artist- put down Photoshop, Maya, and any other tools created for someone with talent! Use tools that allow you to ASSEMBLE- not create. Creating is a rare talent, which is grossly under-appreciated...until you need it.
#1- avoid too much 'clip art'. Anyone with an eye for art usually thinks it looks like ass.
#2- for a lot of projects, you can make good use of objects (boxes, etc) colors, and some good fonts. And if you want free fonts, I highly recommend larabiefonts.com.
#3- Look at other designs, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Very few people actually create something original. Just about everything has been done before, so just borrow away.
#4- Make it as simple as possible. Strip things down, and maybe use the same recuring graphic over and over- similar to a website with a header. So now you only have one graphic that you need to struggle with.
#5- In direct contrast with suggestion #1- (don't use clip art) you can find fonts that have interesting symbols in them. They are usually very clean, un-cluttered, and you can size them easily.
#6- Keep the same style all throughout your project. It's better to have LESS style than TOO MANY styles.
Well, the original poster asked for ideas- so that is my take on it. I spent 6 years as a 'graphic designer' in the print field, so I'm lucky that a lot of those 'skills' ('practices' would be a better word) carry over to the work I do now with websites, and programming. I'm so far from being an artist that it is sick, but I spend a lot of time organizing, and laying out my projects. I just try to create a layout that uses artwork sparingly..to keep my costs down.
If you pay an artist $200 for a couple of simple graphics, you'll save yourself tons of time, and your project will come out much, much better. So reduce the number of graphics you need, and get the best ones you can.
But to me, that 'challenge everything' crap means that Burnout 3 is starting up.
As many bad things that EA might do- most of them are negated by the fact that they brought us Burnout 3.
Re:Other record: Best reviewed game ever?
on
Halo 2 Released
·
· Score: 1
Well, since I played Halo 2 campaign mode for at least 6 hours yesterday- I'm sure the game will take me far more than 5 hours.
When I bought Burnout 3 a couple of months ago, my wife mentioned that she thought $54.00 (tax included) was a lot for a video game. She mentions this just about every time she goes to the game store with me.
Well, I think I have about 95 hours on my Burnout 3 profile. Then she started playing it, and her profile probably has about 30 hours. So that is 125 hours of entertainment for that $54. And all of it but about 1 hour of my time was fun, exciting, great. That other 1 hour was me trying to pass the Grand Prix with the Formula 1 car. I just can't do it.
I've had some real on-line marathons with that game- 4, 5, 6 hour sessions. And to all of the fools out there who always say "I don't like Live, because of all the jackass 12 year olds". Well, it is very easy to get a good group of 6 guys, and keep them together. And if a jerk does come into your room- kick them out after one game- I do that everytime someone is an idiot. That's why I can have 5 hour sessions on-line, everyone has a good time, and we're all matched personality wise. And I'm sure that if I was an annoying 12 year old, I could set up a game where everyone tried to drive backwards, and burped into the microphone every 10 minutes.
I really like the Halo 2 'couch party' feature. I played yesterday for about 6 hours on-line (so, I spent a lot of time playing Halo 2 yesterday) and the couch party was the best part. Once again, everyone was cool, so it was fun. We never had to kick anyone, because it is by invitation only. It really works out, and gives a whole new meaning to your friends list.
Study 'film'. The art of film, the history of film.
Find out how much of what you see in film, and on television is just a re-hash of something that has been done 1,000's of times before.
Other than special effects, nothing really new has been done in film since about the 50's- or even the 40's.
Re:Other record: Best reviewed game ever?
on
Halo 2 Released
·
· Score: 1
Why not? Or better yet...maybe to you it isn't.
First of all, I'd much rather pay $70 (what game costs that much...is this in New Zealand dollars?) for a great game that takes 5 hours, than $19.99 for something mediocre that lasts 20 hours.
I'd rather pay for a good experience, than pay for something that just eats up more time.
$70 isn't that big od
Re:Most Hyped Game Of All Time released
on
Halo 2 Released
·
· Score: 1
I've played it...and I'm pissed off that I'm here wasting my time, instead of playing it some more.
Once you get into a 'party' things get really good. My friends list finally has some real meaning.
I'm generally 'not very good' at most games. Yes, even though I play a LOT of games, I still generally suck ass.
But how in the world could you think that Armed and Dangerous was difficult and frustrating? This was one of the few games that I was able to breeze through fairly easily. Only 3 or 4 areas caused me problems- and those just meant that it took me 10 tries instead of one.
I thought it was a great game, and some of the funniest stuff I've seen for a long, long time.
I'm 36, and I'm a gamer. I talk about games- when people come to my house I will have them playing games. I write about games, etc. etc.
I am a gamer who was never really in the closet about my hobby, but a lot of people are. But the more that the world sees that games are something that is mainstream, the easier it will be to get out and talk about them- without people automatically thinking: nerd! geek! comic book guy!
So articles like this, even though they come from within the gaming industry/community are important. Because the more people that see this, the better off we will be. So when my friend comes over to play games, his wife doesn't need to think that we are completely wasting time- at least not any more than if we were watching football, or something stupid like that.
So, wherever this drivel is printed, I applaud it. Because while I am willing to sit at a business meeting with a bunch of 50 year old guys and talk about Halo- it's probably because I'm stupid and I don't really care what they think. But on the other hand...what if they actually understood that I wasn't just a lamer, but I was doing the same thing that 90% of the other guys in the office my age are doing- I'll just talk about it. That would be great. And possibly then, they would introduce me to their 24 year old daughters, and convince them to marry me because of my mad leet skills. And ya know what? I'd have like TWELVE Xboxes system linked at my wedding. And a HUGE surround sound system. And virtual reality glasses...and fuckin' bean bags...and fritos...and taco bell...and a coke machine...and all that good shit.
Yes- Half Life 2 has proven it's greatness over and over...as it missed each promised ship date. It just keeps getting better and better.
Doom 3 was supposed to be the greatest thing since masturbation. It didn't quite cut the mustard.
I really can't say which will be better- Half Life 2, or Halo 2. But a game I am actually playing, will always beat a game that isn't available yet. So, let's see which game actually ships. And then when they BOTH ship, that is the time to make comparisons.
I'm not really sure why I'm replying- your message didn't make too much sense to begin with. But if I understand the gist of it, you are saying that Microsoft treats their developers poorly. And because they treat them so badly, they ended up having to buy Bungie from Apple to get some decent developers/games.
Of course we all know that Apple didn't own Bungie. They may have thought they pwned them, but that is a different story.
If you read the History of Bungie as told by Bungie (which is a pretty interesting read). You'll see a great quote from them: The PC market was really cutthroat, but the Mac market was all friendly and lame..
It's not like Bungie really wanted to stay in the backwater game developer community around the Mac. They started there almost by accident, and they found that being a medium-sized fish in a really small pond was not such a bad place to be.
Aren't Mac 'enthusiasts' tired of living back in 1994 when Marathon came out? A lot has happened in 10 years...
Slashdot Mirror
Personally, I would much rather play on 'official' servers, than every Joe Blow's machine who decides to run one.
Why? Cheating...the bane of the online gamer. (Or the joy of some fucking knuckleheads)
If you let people run servers on their PC's, you are going to have tons of cheaters- it is a sad fact.
Personally, I would much rather play on Xbox Live than PC games, mostly due to that reason.
Where are all the jackasses complaining that they can't back up their Gamecube media, so they can "safely store a copy away"?
I hate those guys...
Doom 3 is a re-make of the original Doom...that's retro.
It is 'Game / Character' not 'Game Character'.
But after playing Halo 2, I think that the Arbiter is more fun than the Master Chief.
Arbiter fights Covenant- Master Chief is stuck with the damn flood again.
As someone who sells 'Intellectual Property' of a few different types- yes I agree with what you are saying.
It's easy to say "Screw the big companies!" until the day you realize that the big company is who writes your check.
I've sold software- and I've had it ripped off. Going to a different site, and seeing your software given away for free is not a heart-warming experience. I attempted to sell software two different times- once without any copy protection at all, and another time it required a 'phone home' registration.
The 'completely open' version was just shamelessly stolen- I have no idea how many times, because there was no way to track it.
The 'phone home' version was also 'cracked' (I have no idea how to really secure it, so I'm sure it wasn't much of a chore) and also given away freely. I can count how many people who didn't like the copy protection, because they made sure to send me e-mail to tell me what a fucking dick I was for trying to encrypt my software.
Because of these experiences, I make sure to voice my opinion every time this subject comes up on Slashdot. I spent hundreds and hundreds of hours in development time, and only sold a few copies- yet I know more people were out there using it at one time because I could see the results on their websites.
Now I am married to an artist who also has her 'product' out on the web. Once again, people shamelessly steal it. She's in a bind, because if she wants to sell her work, she needs to let people see it. But in some cases, the crummy samples she provides on the web are good enough for people to use.
But back to your original point- yes, I agree that it is usually the schmucking 'consumers' who have little to offer, who feel that it is their 'right' to steal from others.
I know that a lot of people will have huge problems with this.
I still don't see why though- most people knew about Steam going in (everyone who tried to use the crack knew about Steam).
Someday, circumventing copy protection won't be seen as a white-hat activity. But it will be seen as people trying to cheat others out of compensation for their work.
Even worse than this completely ridiculous response (obviously by now you've figured out that the previous poster was talking about the telecommunications, not the civilization)....
Is the fact that he was modded 'informative'.
Translating that to English...
There are a few scenes in the Halo books, where Master Chief doesn't wear his armor.
He is a somewhat regular person, and he does take his armor off- usually for things like...putting new armor on.
There is a female doctor in the books who is supposed to be somewhat hot- but she is also like 25 years older than the Master Chief ('John' is is real name).
Also, there were actually other Spartans (that is what Master Chief is) who were female- and in the book they attempted a little flirting between them.
So the possibility is there- they didn't go completely with the man/machine Terminator model.
Also- he'll be looking for his family, you know they love that crap in movies.
Compact fluorescents are not supposed to be used in an 'enclosed fixture'. It usually says so right on the box.
I'm not sure why though- since they are so much cooler than regular bulbs. But that is what they suggest.
Halo 2 only had one release date ever announced- November 9 2004. They announced that I believe in March. And they hit it.
So in your mind, having your computer connect to Valve servers is the same as having a gloved hand shoved up your ass?
Yes, and I'd rather not lock my doors at night.
I'd rather be on the 'honor system' at the stores I go to.
And It would be great if we didn't have to spend money on police, because I'm not a criminal.
Too bad that there are always enough jackasses out there, that you can NEVER trust the public to do anything right, honest, or decent.
Cuz you gotta stay for the big ducats..
Sure-
Most importantly, find a WORKING artist. Not someone who just considers themselves an artist. Every jackass hipster living in downtown Sacramento thinks they are an 'artist'. That somehow explains the piercings, stupid spiked hair, crappy clothes, crummy apartment, and dead-end job. "Oh he/she isn't a loser, they are an ARTIST". Bullshit- they are a loser with a weak excuse.
Find one who is actually working. So therefore, don't hang out at clubs/bars/restaurants after about 10:00 on a weeknight, or 12:00 on the weekend. People with jobs actually need their sleep. And if they are WORKING at said club/bar/restaurant, then they are probably a WAITRESS, not an artist.
So, now that you have cut out 95% of the 'art community' where do we go from there?
Well, someone with a degree is a good starting point. They were serious enough about art that they spent 4+ years studying- rathing than just relying on the fact that "I've always liked to draw".
Next- when you meet up with this young and educated hottie, ask her pertinant questions like "what kind of computer do you use". The best, is if they use a Mac, but don't really know a damn thing about it. Remember, you're looking for an artist, not a computer geek.
So- where do these chicks hang out? (Hopefully not above their waistband).
Cities like San Francisco and Seattle have big 'designers' conferences of some sort. That is a potential. But then again, they are going to be too overwhelmed to really meet a guy.
Do what I did- hang out in your company's art department. (You KNOW they have a job) Even if you get 'in' just by lifting heavy boxes, etc. it gives you a reason to stand around. Now, start asking them out to lunch, calling them on the phone (see...they aren't wasting their work time, because it is 'business related') and generally start running into them as much as possible.
After they get over the fact that a total dork likes them, they'll start to see the advantages of the computer geek. For one, he is EMPLOYED, unlike all of her stupid hipster friends who hang out at clubs every night. For another, he doesn't look ridiculous. The guys who looked cool when she was 20, and in school, are starting to be embarrassing. And, the computer geek probably has a car, unlike her loser friends.
So there you have it- how to meet an artist.
I solved the problem the easy way...I married an artist.
I pay her for the projects she works on (we both have our own businesses) but I am always assured of getting great artwork, exactly the way I want it, with someone who will work within my schedule.
Other than pledging to spend the rest of your life with this person, I would recommend a few things:
#0- If you are not an artist- put down Photoshop, Maya, and any other tools created for someone with talent! Use tools that allow you to ASSEMBLE- not create. Creating is a rare talent, which is grossly under-appreciated...until you need it.
#1- avoid too much 'clip art'. Anyone with an eye for art usually thinks it looks like ass.
#2- for a lot of projects, you can make good use of objects (boxes, etc) colors, and some good fonts. And if you want free fonts, I highly recommend larabiefonts.com.
#3- Look at other designs, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Very few people actually create something original. Just about everything has been done before, so just borrow away.
#4- Make it as simple as possible. Strip things down, and maybe use the same recuring graphic over and over- similar to a website with a header. So now you only have one graphic that you need to struggle with.
#5- In direct contrast with suggestion #1- (don't use clip art) you can find fonts that have interesting symbols in them. They are usually very clean, un-cluttered, and you can size them easily.
#6- Keep the same style all throughout your project. It's better to have LESS style than TOO MANY styles.
Well, the original poster asked for ideas- so that is my take on it. I spent 6 years as a 'graphic designer' in the print field, so I'm lucky that a lot of those 'skills' ('practices' would be a better word) carry over to the work I do now with websites, and programming. I'm so far from being an artist that it is sick, but I spend a lot of time organizing, and laying out my projects. I just try to create a layout that uses artwork sparingly..to keep my costs down.
If you pay an artist $200 for a couple of simple graphics, you'll save yourself tons of time, and your project will come out much, much better. So reduce the number of graphics you need, and get the best ones you can.
I try to hate EA also.
But to me, that 'challenge everything' crap means that Burnout 3 is starting up.
As many bad things that EA might do- most of them are negated by the fact that they brought us Burnout 3.
Well, since I played Halo 2 campaign mode for at least 6 hours yesterday- I'm sure the game will take me far more than 5 hours.
When I bought Burnout 3 a couple of months ago, my wife mentioned that she thought $54.00 (tax included) was a lot for a video game. She mentions this just about every time she goes to the game store with me.
Well, I think I have about 95 hours on my Burnout 3 profile. Then she started playing it, and her profile probably has about 30 hours. So that is 125 hours of entertainment for that $54. And all of it but about 1 hour of my time was fun, exciting, great. That other 1 hour was me trying to pass the Grand Prix with the Formula 1 car. I just can't do it.
I've had some real on-line marathons with that game- 4, 5, 6 hour sessions. And to all of the fools out there who always say "I don't like Live, because of all the jackass 12 year olds". Well, it is very easy to get a good group of 6 guys, and keep them together. And if a jerk does come into your room- kick them out after one game- I do that everytime someone is an idiot. That's why I can have 5 hour sessions on-line, everyone has a good time, and we're all matched personality wise. And I'm sure that if I was an annoying 12 year old, I could set up a game where everyone tried to drive backwards, and burped into the microphone every 10 minutes.
I really like the Halo 2 'couch party' feature. I played yesterday for about 6 hours on-line (so, I spent a lot of time playing Halo 2 yesterday) and the couch party was the best part. Once again, everyone was cool, so it was fun. We never had to kick anyone, because it is by invitation only. It really works out, and gives a whole new meaning to your friends list.
If you want to really disappoint yourself...
Study 'film'. The art of film, the history of film.
Find out how much of what you see in film, and on television is just a re-hash of something that has been done 1,000's of times before.
Other than special effects, nothing really new has been done in film since about the 50's- or even the 40's.
Why not? Or better yet...maybe to you it isn't.
First of all, I'd much rather pay $70 (what game costs that much...is this in New Zealand dollars?) for a great game that takes 5 hours, than $19.99 for something mediocre that lasts 20 hours.
I'd rather pay for a good experience, than pay for something that just eats up more time.
$70 isn't that big od
I've played it...and I'm pissed off that I'm here wasting my time, instead of playing it some more.
Once you get into a 'party' things get really good. My friends list finally has some real meaning.
Generally I think it is a great game.
I'm generally 'not very good' at most games. Yes, even though I play a LOT of games, I still generally suck ass.
But how in the world could you think that Armed and Dangerous was difficult and frustrating? This was one of the few games that I was able to breeze through fairly easily. Only 3 or 4 areas caused me problems- and those just meant that it took me 10 tries instead of one.
I thought it was a great game, and some of the funniest stuff I've seen for a long, long time.
I do think he makes a good point though.
I'm 36, and I'm a gamer. I talk about games- when people come to my house I will have them playing games. I write about games, etc. etc.
I am a gamer who was never really in the closet about my hobby, but a lot of people are. But the more that the world sees that games are something that is mainstream, the easier it will be to get out and talk about them- without people automatically thinking: nerd! geek! comic book guy!
So articles like this, even though they come from within the gaming industry/community are important. Because the more people that see this, the better off we will be. So when my friend comes over to play games, his wife doesn't need to think that we are completely wasting time- at least not any more than if we were watching football, or something stupid like that.
So, wherever this drivel is printed, I applaud it. Because while I am willing to sit at a business meeting with a bunch of 50 year old guys and talk about Halo- it's probably because I'm stupid and I don't really care what they think. But on the other hand...what if they actually understood that I wasn't just a lamer, but I was doing the same thing that 90% of the other guys in the office my age are doing- I'll just talk about it. That would be great. And possibly then, they would introduce me to their 24 year old daughters, and convince them to marry me because of my mad leet skills. And ya know what? I'd have like TWELVE Xboxes system linked at my wedding. And a HUGE surround sound system. And virtual reality glasses...and fuckin' bean bags...and fritos...and taco bell...and a coke machine...and all that good shit.
Yes- Half Life 2 has proven it's greatness over and over...as it missed each promised ship date. It just keeps getting better and better.
Doom 3 was supposed to be the greatest thing since masturbation. It didn't quite cut the mustard.
I really can't say which will be better- Half Life 2, or Halo 2. But a game I am actually playing, will always beat a game that isn't available yet. So, let's see which game actually ships. And then when they BOTH ship, that is the time to make comparisons.
I'm not really sure why I'm replying- your message didn't make too much sense to begin with. But if I understand the gist of it, you are saying that Microsoft treats their developers poorly. And because they treat them so badly, they ended up having to buy Bungie from Apple to get some decent developers/games.
.
Of course we all know that Apple didn't own Bungie. They may have thought they pwned them, but that is a different story.
If you read the History of Bungie as told by Bungie (which is a pretty interesting read). You'll see a great quote from them: The PC market was really cutthroat, but the Mac market was all friendly and lame.
It's not like Bungie really wanted to stay in the backwater game developer community around the Mac. They started there almost by accident, and they found that being a medium-sized fish in a really small pond was not such a bad place to be.
Aren't Mac 'enthusiasts' tired of living back in 1994 when Marathon came out? A lot has happened in 10 years...
I can remember spending DAYS looking for pictures of topless girls on Splash Mountain. DAYS.
When I found the pictures, I was pretty disappointed...but I probably still jerked off at least once. Boobs are good, almost no matter what.