There is a better explanation of this further up, but the simple reason is this: Gamestop wants to sell used copies a lot more than it does new.
Their ideal customer is somebody who will pre-order a $60 game, play it for a couple of days, then sell it back to them for store credit. Somebody else will come along and buy the game again for $55. Bang, double sale.
Microsoft and Sony have already attacked the Wii as being a beefed up GameCube. But it didn't help them much, in fact it kind of backfired.
Most Slashdot readers know that the PS3 and XBox360 represent huge jumps in raw hardware performance but, in most people's eyes, they are just beefed up versions of their parents. They work the same, they just have better graphics (at 2-5 times the cost).
The Wii looks and acts totally differently then the GameCube. It's not just beefed up, its all new.
What sort of exponent are we talking about? And do you think the mass market will care?
All the games I've played on the XBox360 and PS3 I've never once said "This would be so much better if they just improved the graphics." I own a 1080p HDTV and work in the industry and, to me, the graphics look great. Could they look "more real"? Sure. But (IMHO) they don't need to.
Unlike SEGA and the Dreamcast, Sony is still serious about supporting the PS2. Right now, in Japan, PS2 hardware and games are selling better than Wii/360/PS3 games.
But you are right, in the long term game Sony must suceed with the PS3 if it is to survive 2+ years down the road. But the PS2 market will still be viable for a few years, until HDTV and PS3/360 costs come way down.
With 120 million sold and hundreds of skilled developers who understand how to push the PS2 to its limits, there may be some life left in the old girl.:)
This is the part where lawyers will come in. Did R* promise to REMOVE or ALTER it? I don't know. I've seen reports that have said both, but who knows where they got their info.
I'm glad you enjoy the game (personally I like GTA:SA a lot more). I'm also guessing you're over the age of 17?
I'm not following you, how is this better than Hot Coffee?
Hot Coffee ("HC") required hacking the code as well(illegal) and, if you wanted nudity, you had to add your own content. Plus the HC content was never rated by the ESRB (because it was never included in a "released state").
The Manhunt2 content was rated by the ESRB and, as far as I know, R* had to promise to remove it before they could get the M rating.
So, unless R* told the ESRB that they were just going to hide the content, they're screwed.
The legal department may be laughing their ass off now, but they'll have to explain their actions to perspective employers soon since they'll be out of work before the end of the year...
I doubt R* legal had anything to do with keeping this content in the game. In fact, if they are in any way competent, they would have "strongly encourage" them to remove it.
They may add DVD playback or a built in hard-drive, but I think Nintendo will hold off on a CPU upgrade for 3-4 year or when Sony/Microsoft release their next update (whichever comes first).
Given how popular the Wii is, it wouldn't be smart for them to split their market too soon.
Oh, and FYI, these WiFi spots are being provided free-of-charge by local businesses and individuals. So none of your precious tax money is being diverted from a useless war to make sure displaced people can get updated information about where to run next.
(Sorry, I'm just slightly pissed at armchair experts right now.)
Living right in the heart of it, my first response would be f-you. But, instead, I will just feel sorry for you. Why? Because you're an idiot and while we have people lining up to help each other here in San Diego, I'm not sure anybody can help you.
I don't agree with our fire policy either. I've been vocal about it to my government. Guess what? The government didn't listen to me (big surprise). So why is it I, and thousands of other people, should be punished for our shitty government?
I don't think the console manufactures will go along with this either. Why would they (other than Microsoft who has two horses in this race)? But I don't think they can fight it forever.
There has been a lot of issues with PC gaming in the past that kept it from beating consoles (lack of standards, high cost of entry, easy of use, etc.), but most of these are becoming less of an issue.
It use to be that console systems had a huge technical advantage over home PCs when it came to games (e.g. the N64 vs. Windows95). Like I said in my parent post, this is no longer the case. And EA already releases most (all?) of its games for the PC as well as console.
When HP and Dell can release a home PC with better graphics than the top console, with the same easy-of-use, and at the same (or less) price, developers will start developing for that. And the console manufactures will really start to worry.;)
In a year or so, Nintendo will make Wiis in different colors and different software bundles, but the base hardware isn't going to change much until they release their next generation.
The only caveat, you have to love Nintendo style games.;)
If by "various sources" you mean XBox Fanboiz, then yes.;)
XBox360 is the number 2 "next-gen" console. Which is great, but not something Microsoft will be satisfied with. Microsoft is competing to have a set-top box attached to every TV (and, right now, they have a long way to go).
The system manufactures will fight this for as long as they can but, in the end, I think a standard format will have to win out. I don't see this happening in the next 5 years. Maybe not even 20. But it will happen.
The system manufactures' position is becoming increasingly artificial. The hardware is using more "off-the-shelf" parts than custom chips. Even with the millions Sony dumped into R&D, its hard to see where the PS3 is much better than the XBox360; and neither look that much better than a high-end Windows machine.
So the system manufactures have turned to buying exclusive rights to games. It might work in the short run, but this can not last forever. The next step is lawsuits, which is where this will probably all end up before in collapses in on itself.
It will happen, just not soon (unless EA dumps a serious amount of money into it).
Not a single hardware platform, but a standard open format that games can be written in. Similar to how you can view the same web-pages on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, XBox, etc.
Slashdot Mirror
There is a better explanation of this further up, but the simple reason is this: Gamestop wants to sell used copies a lot more than it does new.
Their ideal customer is somebody who will pre-order a $60 game, play it for a couple of days, then sell it back to them for store credit. Somebody else will come along and buy the game again for $55. Bang, double sale.
Microsoft and Sony have already attacked the Wii as being a beefed up GameCube. But it didn't help them much, in fact it kind of backfired.
Most Slashdot readers know that the PS3 and XBox360 represent huge jumps in raw hardware performance but, in most people's eyes, they are just beefed up versions of their parents. They work the same, they just have better graphics (at 2-5 times the cost).
The Wii looks and acts totally differently then the GameCube. It's not just beefed up, its all new.
What sort of exponent are we talking about? And do you think the mass market will care?
All the games I've played on the XBox360 and PS3 I've never once said "This would be so much better if they just improved the graphics." I own a 1080p HDTV and work in the industry and, to me, the graphics look great. Could they look "more real"? Sure. But (IMHO) they don't need to.
Unlike SEGA and the Dreamcast, Sony is still serious about supporting the PS2. Right now, in Japan, PS2 hardware and games are selling better than Wii/360/PS3 games.
But you are right, in the long term game Sony must suceed with the PS3 if it is to survive 2+ years down the road. But the PS2 market will still be viable for a few years, until HDTV and PS3/360 costs come way down.
With 120 million sold and hundreds of skilled developers who understand how to push the PS2 to its limits, there may be some life left in the old girl. :)
This is the part where lawyers will come in. Did R* promise to REMOVE or ALTER it? I don't know. I've seen reports that have said both, but who knows where they got their info.
I'm glad you enjoy the game (personally I like GTA:SA a lot more). I'm also guessing you're over the age of 17?
I'm not following you, how is this better than Hot Coffee?
Hot Coffee ("HC") required hacking the code as well(illegal) and, if you wanted nudity, you had to add your own content. Plus the HC content was never rated by the ESRB (because it was never included in a "released state").
The Manhunt2 content was rated by the ESRB and, as far as I know, R* had to promise to remove it before they could get the M rating.
So, unless R* told the ESRB that they were just going to hide the content, they're screwed.
The legal department may be laughing their ass off now, but they'll have to explain their actions to perspective employers soon since they'll be out of work before the end of the year...
I doubt R* legal had anything to do with keeping this content in the game. In fact, if they are in any way competent, they would have "strongly encourage" them to remove it.
If you can convince Joe Average that its to prevent another "tour-ur-ist attack", he'll do it.
Hell, we have people taking off their shoes and buying $8 water at airports (because you can't bring your own).
Please tell me you're joking. Even if you are, it's in poor taste. I lost a girlfriend over how bad that film was. [ srsly ]
If every time I peed, fire shot out of my junk, I would be strongly motivated not to pee.
They may add DVD playback or a built in hard-drive, but I think Nintendo will hold off on a CPU upgrade for 3-4 year or when Sony/Microsoft release their next update (whichever comes first).
Given how popular the Wii is, it wouldn't be smart for them to split their market too soon.
Because, in my recent experience, PS3 owners on Slashdot appear to be very angry people.;)
But you are right, so far most of the threads in this topic has been low on rage (they must be at school today ;)).
I thought about that but, given that the average attention span of a Slashdot reader is...LETS GO RACE BIKES!!!!
Ex-MislTech are you out here? Can you see the teams of environmentalists yelling at fire crews not to cut fire breaks? No? Fuck off.
We have fire breaks, they're call freeways. They don't work. With 70+ MPH winds, you can't cut a break wide enough to stop these fires.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to cough up some black shit and then head back out to give blankets to people who just lost everything they own...
Oh, and FYI, these WiFi spots are being provided free-of-charge by local businesses and individuals. So none of your precious tax money is being diverted from a useless war to make sure displaced people can get updated information about where to run next.
(Sorry, I'm just slightly pissed at armchair experts right now.)
Living right in the heart of it, my first response would be f-you. But, instead, I will just feel sorry for you. Why? Because you're an idiot and while we have people lining up to help each other here in San Diego, I'm not sure anybody can help you.
I don't agree with our fire policy either. I've been vocal about it to my government. Guess what? The government didn't listen to me (big surprise). So why is it I, and thousands of other people, should be punished for our shitty government?
Hard to take somebody dressed up like a "game warrior" seriously? You're joking! ;)
The GDC is for Developers, not buyers or consumers.
E3 was (suppose to be) for buyers and media. E for All and PAX is for general gamers.
If I see cosplay people at the next GDC I'm getting my bat...
I don't think the console manufactures will go along with this either. Why would they (other than Microsoft who has two horses in this race)? But I don't think they can fight it forever.
There has been a lot of issues with PC gaming in the past that kept it from beating consoles (lack of standards, high cost of entry, easy of use, etc.), but most of these are becoming less of an issue.
It use to be that console systems had a huge technical advantage over home PCs when it came to games (e.g. the N64 vs. Windows95). Like I said in my parent post, this is no longer the case. And EA already releases most (all?) of its games for the PC as well as console.
When HP and Dell can release a home PC with better graphics than the top console, with the same easy-of-use, and at the same (or less) price, developers will start developing for that. And the console manufactures will really start to worry. ;)
Buy a Wii/
In a year or so, Nintendo will make Wiis in different colors and different software bundles, but the base hardware isn't going to change much until they release their next generation.
The only caveat, you have to love Nintendo style games. ;)
If by "various sources" you mean XBox Fanboiz, then yes. ;)
XBox360 is the number 2 "next-gen" console. Which is great, but not something Microsoft will be satisfied with. Microsoft is competing to have a set-top box attached to every TV (and, right now, they have a long way to go).
The system manufactures will fight this for as long as they can but, in the end, I think a standard format will have to win out. I don't see this happening in the next 5 years. Maybe not even 20. But it will happen.
The system manufactures' position is becoming increasingly artificial. The hardware is using more "off-the-shelf" parts than custom chips. Even with the millions Sony dumped into R&D, its hard to see where the PS3 is much better than the XBox360; and neither look that much better than a high-end Windows machine.
So the system manufactures have turned to buying exclusive rights to games. It might work in the short run, but this can not last forever. The next step is lawsuits, which is where this will probably all end up before in collapses in on itself.
It will happen, just not soon (unless EA dumps a serious amount of money into it).
Not a single hardware platform, but a standard open format that games can be written in. Similar to how you can view the same web-pages on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, XBox, etc.
I'm guessing they bought the Cray when they had the money to run it (and when Cray power meant something).
But, being the geek I am, for the right price I would totally buy one just to have someplace the sit. :)