You forgot to mention the advantage of trying to install HL2 over Steam on a new computer once Valve no longer supports it or goes out of business. I will stick with physical mediums like CDs that way I own the game. You never know when Microsoft will buy Valve and turn them in to an XBox 2 developer.
This patch is both a bugfix (camera updates) and updated content (new moves/weapon).
The camera doesn't have a bug that needs fixing, it works just as the developer intended. Just because some people don't like how it works doesn't make it a bug. Also, the new content doesn't change the camera. It adds a new camera feature, the old method has not been changed. The user presses a button to switch between the new camera mode and the original.
So, to go back to the analogy, I think you should be able to charge for what you make, be it software or tables. But I also think that the person you sell that item too should be able to make one of his own, and give it away or sell it or whatever.
If that were the case then developers would have to charge the full price of development to their first customer or risk not being able to recoup there costs. The first person they sell it to could start giving away or sell the produce cheaper than the developer.
Your thinking would end the video game industry as we know it. Companies are spending over a million dollars to make video games. But, if their first customer decides to put the game on the web for free or lower price then the company will lose there investment and probably go out of business. Developers will not be willing to invest money in to games just so someone else can profit from it.
Using your same argument peer to peer file sharing should be banned. Only a small percent of the file sharers use it for distributing legitimate files. Should those people be punished by making P2P illegal just because others misuse the technology?
Should the freedom of the few be sacrificed so a company can profit?
This would be good for house hunting. See a for sale sign and instead of having to call the real-estate representative or talk to the owners, you can hear a note that gives more information about the house. Then only if you are still interested in the house you can make a call to the representative. This wouldl save you and the real-estate representatives time.
The problem is Microsoft will get sued if they try adding extra software and utilities to Windows. Linux doesn't have the market share so most companies could care less what software is added to the Linux distros.
Broadband probably will be "essential" for next gen hardware because storage will probably be in the form of virtual storage on Microsoft servers. The server only needs to store the users saved games, scores, and flags that specifies what downloadable content the user has access to or has paid for. The game developer's downloadable content is only stored once on the server but can be accessed by all users. Plus space can be provided for user created content. The advantage of this approach would be taking data from one XBox to another would not be a problem. Plus if the XBox breaks or gets stolen your data is not lost.
According to the Official XBox Magazine there will be a patch to the current Xbox that allows users to upload maps and graphics to Microsoft servers so others can have access to them while playing online. So it's not a far leap to think Microsoft might just use their servers to store all user data.
Of course, the government wouldn't have to pay XBox Live subscription fees if they want with a Sony solution AND more people have PS2's so there'd be a higher likelihood that friends and families back home would be able to take advantage of this and play with/against the troops
But not all PS2 games use the headset so people can talk to each other. The whole point is so the service member can feel like they are back home with friends and family and not being able to talk to them really doesn't accomplish that goal. On the other hand, all XBox Live games have voice communication.
Games go through strict console quality assurance tests but lets face it some bugs get missed. Having the ability to fix those bugs is great for the consumer and developer. The consumer doesn't need to wait for a sequel to get the game play promised and the developer might get more customers because they were able to fix the game.
To add to MBCook's argument, Enter The Matrix was release to all world markets at the same time and is playable on the PS2, XBOX, GameCube, And PC. It really can't be compared to Halo that's only available for the XBox at the moment and has only been available is some of the world's markets for about a year. Let's do this comparison when Halo is released for the PC then we will probably see Halo's sales numbers out pace most of the games mentioned.
Slashdot Mirror
You forgot to mention the advantage of trying to install HL2 over Steam on a new computer once Valve no longer supports it or goes out of business. I will stick with physical mediums like CDs that way I own the game. You never know when Microsoft will buy Valve and turn them in to an XBox 2 developer.
Your thinking would end the video game industry as we know it. Companies are spending over a million dollars to make video games. But, if their first customer decides to put the game on the web for free or lower price then the company will lose there investment and probably go out of business. Developers will not be willing to invest money in to games just so someone else can profit from it.
Using your same argument peer to peer file sharing should be banned. Only a small percent of the file sharers use it for distributing legitimate files. Should those people be punished by making P2P illegal just because others misuse the technology? Should the freedom of the few be sacrificed so a company can profit?
This would be good for house hunting. See a for sale sign and instead of having to call the real-estate representative or talk to the owners, you can hear a note that gives more information about the house. Then only if you are still interested in the house you can make a call to the representative. This wouldl save you and the real-estate representatives time.
I disagree
The problem is Microsoft will get sued if they try adding extra software and utilities to Windows. Linux doesn't have the market share so most companies could care less what software is added to the Linux distros.
For the somewhat more technically inclined there's the source code for the engine floating around the Internet. :)
Broadband probably will be "essential" for next gen hardware because storage will probably be in the form of virtual storage on Microsoft servers. The server only needs to store the users saved games, scores, and flags that specifies what downloadable content the user has access to or has paid for. The game developer's downloadable content is only stored once on the server but can be accessed by all users. Plus space can be provided for user created content. The advantage of this approach would be taking data from one XBox to another would not be a problem. Plus if the XBox breaks or gets stolen your data is not lost.
According to the Official XBox Magazine there will be a patch to the current Xbox that allows users to upload maps and graphics to Microsoft servers so others can have access to them while playing online. So it's not a far leap to think Microsoft might just use their servers to store all user data.
Games go through strict console quality assurance tests but lets face it some bugs get missed. Having the ability to fix those bugs is great for the consumer and developer. The consumer doesn't need to wait for a sequel to get the game play promised and the developer might get more customers because they were able to fix the game.
To add to MBCook's argument, Enter The Matrix was release to all world markets at the same time and is playable on the PS2, XBOX, GameCube, And PC. It really can't be compared to Halo that's only available for the XBox at the moment and has only been available is some of the world's markets for about a year. Let's do this comparison when Halo is released for the PC then we will probably see Halo's sales numbers out pace most of the games mentioned.
http://www.artofillusion.org/
Starflight III