I went to the big Microsoft talk at the GDC and my understanding was that Bill was going to solve the whole "digital divide" issue by buying us all HDTVs.
Given EA's media lockdown, you might just have to trust us. It was cool as hell.
Not only did he give a good talk (with ninjas!) but he showed an amazing demo. The game looks done. I have a feeling it is already in QA.
Will Wright said it was like WarioWare, but that was a huge stretch (even for him). It is like WW only in the fact that it is made up of lots of game types. Most of those game types have been done before (RTS, God Games, Risk, etc.) but never combined like this before.
People will buy the harddrive if there is a good reason for all that space. If Microsoft makes the XBox2 a "Home Media Center" then you will want to buy the biggest harddrive you can to record your TV shows and movies.
When I got my degree from them it was in "Real-time interactive simulation."
But, I agree, it is just words.
Oh, and as far as universities being designed for vocational training. I think universities should focus on the betterment of human knowledge in the arts & sciences. I went to university to gain knowledge, I went to Digipen to get a job.
Might work for a small company, but the larger ones will just toss it in the trash. Besides, I would be very careful loading up software on my PC that was handed to me by somebody I didn't know.
Not saying it is a bad idea, it's a great idea for smaller companies (which are cooler to work for anyway;)) as long as you have something cool to show. Just make sure to give them a standard resume as well.
You might say that the games from EA have lost a lot of their "edge," but the industry sales have only got better.
Remember, money talks. If you want to do something about the quality of games, support your "indie" developers and buy their games (first hand, not used if you can help it).
> Please someone tell me why Hollywood is allowed to put a Ferrari into a movie (even though the driver is the villain), but you can't put a Ferrari into a video game if you're not EA.
>
I'm not sure if this is true. I remember that some Time Square group sued the people doing Spiderman because they used a digital set that looked like Time Square (don't remember details).
In short, I have a feeling this boils down to some silly "it's legal if you have the money" type of thing.
IMHO the reason TabletPCs fail is that people see them as laptops without keyboards. As long as people think this way, they will fail. Repeat after me, TabletPCs suck as laptop replacements.
That said, they are great for reading books, taking notes, browsing webpages for information (after you set up the sites you visit most), watching movies, and playing "non-twitch" games (chess, cards, etc.).
Anybody trying to make games like Doom3 for the TabletPC will not make money. If you spend some time with a TabletPC, and see how people use them, you can probably come up with a dozen ideas for games that make sense (and could sell $$$). The person who talked about porting the SCUMM engine has the right idea.
>What I like about laptops is that when it's closed, the LCD screen is protected.
>
You can get a case for most tablets that protects the screen while still allowing you to use it (try using your laptop when it is closed;)).
I bought my tablet used, probably from somebody who thought this would be a good replacement for his laptop, it isn't. However, it is great for web browsing, reading email, taking notes, monitoring other devices, and reading eBooks. For $20 a month, I have access to the entire O'Reilly library (with the ability to search).
For me, it isn't a replacement for a PC but the "Ultimate PDA".
>Everyone who ever rode Segway, fell in love with the device in the first minutes (or, for the sake of accuracy, a vast majority of those people).
>
That may be so but, unless you are very well off, lucky, or extremely determined, the vast majority of us will never have the chance to ride one.
I live in a big city (San Diego), so I had the chance to see a few of these "in the wild". Three different people for about 1-2 months after it was released to the public. Then, not a single sight of it ever again. Maybe it was a guerrillamarketing stunt (although they didn't have much skill, I even saw one person hit a shopper), but my guess is that a couple of adventurous rich people gave it a try and then went back to their BMW when it became obvious that it was just a scooter.
I'm not trying to be a Segway basher, if I had a chance to ride one I would (they look like fun), but I suspect there is a reason why I don't see a single Segway on the street (or sidewalk) while I see at least a dozen Vespa scooters everyday (even though both are roughly the same price).
Anybody in San Diego want to loan me their Segway for a months so I can find out what it is?;)
I agree that the ATI AIW is not a good PVR, but the 3d video output rates up with nVidia. Depending on which generation you are talking about (and how buggy their drivers are at the moment;)) ATI and nVidia take turns at the top spot for consumer hardware.
Don't spend the extra $100 for AIW however, it isn't worth it...
>the writers of this broken English will develop a sense of what sounds right and what doesn't and it will be a recognized dialect of English
>
Maybe but, right now, they are just driving me crazy!
Being a product of the US school system and mildly dyslexic, my language skills are mostly crap (I fully expect to make at least 3-4 errors in this post alone;)) but I try to write in a way that makes sense.
It's one thing to make simple mistakes (like using "e.g." when you should use "i.e.") but I hate having to spend time trying to figure out what a client meant by their email rather then just reading what they wrote.
Either I'm missing the point or everyone else is (okay, I'm probably the one way off here;)) but it sounds like the big advantage of Cell isn't that you will get 5 extra FPS from your microwave oven, but that Sony has listened to its programmers and taken some of the headaches out of programming for multiprocessor hardware.
Instead of programming for a bunch of specialized CPUs (each with their own strengths and weaknesses), all the processors are the same. Even better, depending on how the OS works, you might not have to think about separate processors at all! Best case, the programmer just sees a single pool of available processing power.
The big advantage for hardware developers is that instead of spending $$$ to make the GPU fast enough to handle all the polygons of a graphic intensive game, the audio processor fast enough to handle a sound intensive game, and the "Emotion Engine" fast enough to handle an AI intensive game you just add as many Cell CPUs as you can and let the developer figure out how they want to use that power.
>...that doesn't care what this guy's system specs are or what resolution he watched it at?
>
I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out what brand of power supply he uses...
>So, the ratio of 0 to 100,000 is now greater than the ratio of say, 0 to 1,000?
>
No, but they are not talking about a ratio here. They are talking about growth over time.
I for one would be interested in seeing what direction they take the sequel in. If they just improve the graphics or add new levels, then I will give it a pass. If, on the other hand, the developers are not just "one-hit-wonders" this will give them a chance to really wow us with more unique gameplay.
When you start making a game, you normally have a huge list of features you want. Over time that list gets smaller as you weed out the ideas that a) don't work or, b) you don't have time to add. Once you release the game, you feel regret for each feature in that second category that you couldn't add.
My hope is that they have a whole bunch of these features for KD2.:)
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I went to the big Microsoft talk at the GDC and my understanding was that Bill was going to solve the whole "digital divide" issue by buying us all HDTVs.
Or did I miss something?
Given EA's media lockdown, you might just have to trust us. It was cool as hell. Not only did he give a good talk (with ninjas!) but he showed an amazing demo. The game looks done. I have a feeling it is already in QA.
Excuse the type, I'm using a tablet.
Will Wright said it was like WarioWare, but that was a huge stretch (even for him). It is like WW only in the fact that it is made up of lots of game types. Most of those game types have been done before (RTS, God Games, Risk, etc.) but never combined like this before.
I think you are thinking about E3 not the GDC.
But, I agree, it is just words.
Oh, and as far as universities being designed for vocational training. I think universities should focus on the betterment of human knowledge in the arts & sciences. I went to university to gain knowledge, I went to Digipen to get a job.
The critics love them, as do most of the people who actually play them, but they don't have the sales of GTA or Halo.
Not saying it is a bad idea, it's a great idea for smaller companies (which are cooler to work for anyway ;)) as long as you have something cool to show. Just make sure to give them a standard resume as well.
You might say that the games from EA have lost a lot of their "edge," but the industry sales have only got better.
Remember, money talks. If you want to do something about the quality of games, support your "indie" developers and buy their games (first hand, not used if you can help it).
I still have hope this game with be fun (HL2 came out okay in the end), but I've given up holding my breath.
>
I'm not sure if this is true. I remember that some Time Square group sued the people doing Spiderman because they used a digital set that looked like Time Square (don't remember details).
In short, I have a feeling this boils down to some silly "it's legal if you have the money" type of thing.
So, that's like a $1.05 USD? ;)
>
And, if I recall, this film will have neither.
(Yeah, I should of just modded you as funny, but I don't have any points today. I can send you a free toaster however...)
That said, they are great for reading books, taking notes, browsing webpages for information (after you set up the sites you visit most), watching movies, and playing "non-twitch" games (chess, cards, etc.).
Anybody trying to make games like Doom3 for the TabletPC will not make money. If you spend some time with a TabletPC, and see how people use them, you can probably come up with a dozen ideas for games that make sense (and could sell $$$). The person who talked about porting the SCUMM engine has the right idea.
>
You can get a case for most tablets that protects the screen while still allowing you to use it (try using your laptop when it is closed
I bought my tablet used, probably from somebody who thought this would be a good replacement for his laptop, it isn't. However, it is great for web browsing, reading email, taking notes, monitoring other devices, and reading eBooks. For $20 a month, I have access to the entire O'Reilly library (with the ability to search).
For me, it isn't a replacement for a PC but the "Ultimate PDA".
>
That may be so but, unless you are very well off, lucky, or extremely determined, the vast majority of us will never have the chance to ride one.
I live in a big city (San Diego), so I had the chance to see a few of these "in the wild". Three different people for about 1-2 months after it was released to the public. Then, not a single sight of it ever again. Maybe it was a guerrillamarketing stunt (although they didn't have much skill, I even saw one person hit a shopper), but my guess is that a couple of adventurous rich people gave it a try and then went back to their BMW when it became obvious that it was just a scooter.
I'm not trying to be a Segway basher, if I had a chance to ride one I would (they look like fun), but I suspect there is a reason why I don't see a single Segway on the street (or sidewalk) while I see at least a dozen Vespa scooters everyday (even though both are roughly the same price).
Anybody in San Diego want to loan me their Segway for a months so I can find out what it is? ;)
Don't spend the extra $100 for AIW however, it isn't worth it...
>
Maybe but, right now, they are just driving me crazy!
Being a product of the US school system and mildly dyslexic, my language skills are mostly crap (I fully expect to make at least 3-4 errors in this post alone ;)) but I try to write in a way that makes sense.
It's one thing to make simple mistakes (like using "e.g." when you should use "i.e.") but I hate having to spend time trying to figure out what a client meant by their email rather then just reading what they wrote.
Instead of programming for a bunch of specialized CPUs (each with their own strengths and weaknesses), all the processors are the same. Even better, depending on how the OS works, you might not have to think about separate processors at all! Best case, the programmer just sees a single pool of available processing power.
The big advantage for hardware developers is that instead of spending $$$ to make the GPU fast enough to handle all the polygons of a graphic intensive game, the audio processor fast enough to handle a sound intensive game, and the "Emotion Engine" fast enough to handle an AI intensive game you just add as many Cell CPUs as you can and let the developer figure out how they want to use that power.
>...that doesn't care what this guy's system specs are or what resolution he watched it at?
>
I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out what brand of power supply he uses...
>
No, but they are not talking about a ratio here. They are talking about growth over time.
When you start making a game, you normally have a huge list of features you want. Over time that list gets smaller as you weed out the ideas that a) don't work or, b) you don't have time to add. Once you release the game, you feel regret for each feature in that second category that you couldn't add.
My hope is that they have a whole bunch of these features for KD2. :)