Why do I think it will work? Because our lawyer told us it would. I thought it sounded crazy but, doing a little research of my own, it checks out (at least in our case, but we're not selling guidance systems, encryption methods, or anything else obviously dangerous so YMMV).
We all know that it is a "figleaf", totally useless as a security measure, but it isn't designed to stop downloads but to protect businesses.
As somebody who has had to use that "do not download this if you are a 'bad person'" warning, I hope that it is effective. Not that it stops anybody from downloading, but that it will prevent me from doing jail time.
I agree with everything you said until "Apple isn't a gaming company. They've never claimed that."
I've been told personally from Apple twice that they were going to be "big into games". Both times they made a huge deal then..after a couple of months..they lost interest.
Sadly, the best thing Apple ever did for game developers was releasing Boot Camp.
The problem is, for every "hard core" RPGer there are thousands of "average joes".
When they decided to take D&D mainstream, they had to look beyond their current market and reach out to the 99% of the world that doesn't think memorizing books of rules is entertaining.
I'm not saying this is a good thing for use old-school players, but it probably makes good business sense. On the bright side, it opens up the playing field for smaller companies who can cater to that 1% (nobody I know plays D&D anymore, they either use GURPS, something from a smaller company, or something homemade).
It's not quite that bad. Any good teacher will teach "programming" not "language X". So anybody with half a brain should be able to learn something new (I started programming in Fortran;)).
But you're right, Microsoft isn't doing this out of kindness. They want to get as many people hooked on C#/XNA as they can in hopes that most of them stick with it into the professional world.
Apple tried the same thing with their computers in the 1980's. It didn't work too well, and I think most people equated Apple with "school PC" and IBM was for "real work". Unless C#/XNA starts being used for "serious projects", Microsoft may learn the same lesson (XNA is used for school projects, Cx0 is for real games).
If you want to avoid games with advertising in them, look for the smaller titles that don't have any brand recognition yet. Because, if in game advertising works, the only people that will not use them are small companies that can't attract advertisers.
Replacing the Blu-ray drive with a regular CD (or no drive at all) would make it cheaper to build but wouldn't reduce the end-user cost. Part of the reason Sony can sell the PS3 at a loss is because they see it as an investment in the HD-media war (Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD, iTunes video vs. Sony, etc.).
There are already Cell Based Servers on the market. But, given that you have to ask for a price quote, I expect they cost more than $600 (and don't come with "Motostorm";)).
If hl1 was opengl only when it exploded, maybe companies like ati would have got in gear and developed better (i.e. not shit) opengl drivers.
I don't work for Valve, but I think its the other way around. If ATI had better support for OpenGL on its consumer hardware back then, maybe companies like Valve would have used it.
DirectX sucked back then in many ways, but Microsoft gave game developers and hardware manufactures a ton of support. The result was that most consumer level video cards had much better supported for DX3D than OpenGL and new developers had an easier time learning the API.
I think the majority of game players don't want ultra-real. FPS players like to bunny-hop around shooting almost non-stop. They do this because its fun, not because they want to model realism.
There are some good ultra-real games out there (I remember playing a sniper game at E3 that actually modeled heart-rate and atmospheric effects (rain, heat, altitude, etc.) to calculate where each shot landed). The problem is that there is a very small market for them.
I pre-ordered from Gamestop once. Would you like to know what happened?;) The *way* over pre-sold their stock and I had to wait a month to get the game. Meanwhile, I could of stopped in at Target, Frys, or BestBuy and get a copy (for $9 bucks less).
If I ask him how many good games he has on his PS3, I'll get a very subjective response (his idea of a "good game").
But you are right, my question wasn't exactly fair and didn't reflect the point I wanted to get across (which I'm having a hard time remembering myself, but I think it was something like "its the games, not the hardware, that determine the quality of the console").
Then they may rent or buy a Blu-Ray disc and notice that, honestly, it doesn't really add much unless you have a super high-end TV.
DVD were so much better than video tape (easier to use, smaller, much better video and audio quality) but Blu-Ray isn't that much better than DVD. Yes, the picture is nicer if you have the hardware to back it up, but most people don't care that much.
Blu-ray or HD-DVD will replace DVDs in time, but it is going to happen much slower than DVDs taking over video tape.
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Why do I think it will work? Because our lawyer told us it would. I thought it sounded crazy but, doing a little research of my own, it checks out (at least in our case, but we're not selling guidance systems, encryption methods, or anything else obviously dangerous so YMMV).
We all know that it is a "figleaf", totally useless as a security measure, but it isn't designed to stop downloads but to protect businesses.
As somebody who has had to use that "do not download this if you are a 'bad person'" warning, I hope that it is effective. Not that it stops anybody from downloading, but that it will prevent me from doing jail time.
I write PC game software for a living, and even I avoid playing PC games for just this reason.
Coffee so you can keep playing...what?
Welcome to the US in the 1970's.
God! The 80's sucked! :p
Good history. That's roughly how I remember it as well except Sprockets was never really well supported.
But my original point was that Apple occasionally says that games are a "good thing" but they rarely follow up on it.
I agree with everything you said until "Apple isn't a gaming company. They've never claimed that."
I've been told personally from Apple twice that they were going to be "big into games". Both times they made a huge deal then..after a couple of months..they lost interest.
Sadly, the best thing Apple ever did for game developers was releasing Boot Camp.
The problem is, for every "hard core" RPGer there are thousands of "average joes".
When they decided to take D&D mainstream, they had to look beyond their current market and reach out to the 99% of the world that doesn't think memorizing books of rules is entertaining.
I'm not saying this is a good thing for use old-school players, but it probably makes good business sense. On the bright side, it opens up the playing field for smaller companies who can cater to that 1% (nobody I know plays D&D anymore, they either use GURPS, something from a smaller company, or something homemade).
Given how bad people are on the environment, an effect killing machine could actually good for the environment.
Ick, just saying that makes me feel kind of creepy.
've heard a lot of talk about how parts were rewritten from the ground up - networking especially. But I just don't see it.
Just because it has been rewritten, doesn't mean it's better.
It's not quite that bad. Any good teacher will teach "programming" not "language X". So anybody with half a brain should be able to learn something new (I started programming in Fortran ;)).
But you're right, Microsoft isn't doing this out of kindness. They want to get as many people hooked on C#/XNA as they can in hopes that most of them stick with it into the professional world.
Apple tried the same thing with their computers in the 1980's. It didn't work too well, and I think most people equated Apple with "school PC" and IBM was for "real work". Unless C#/XNA starts being used for "serious projects", Microsoft may learn the same lesson (XNA is used for school projects, Cx0 is for real games).
What, the trailer shows Foley scratching his exposed nuts?
Giving how many movies (IMHO) are utter shit, I'm guessing people do like this stuff. I mean, they wouldn't keep making them if they lost money right?
Unless the rumor on Nazi gold is true...
If you want to avoid games with advertising in them, look for the smaller titles that don't have any brand recognition yet. Because, if in game advertising works, the only people that will not use them are small companies that can't attract advertisers.
Replacing the Blu-ray drive with a regular CD (or no drive at all) would make it cheaper to build but wouldn't reduce the end-user cost. Part of the reason Sony can sell the PS3 at a loss is because they see it as an investment in the HD-media war (Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD, iTunes video vs. Sony, etc.).
There are already Cell Based Servers on the market. But, given that you have to ask for a price quote, I expect they cost more than $600 (and don't come with "Motostorm" ;)).
If hl1 was opengl only when it exploded, maybe companies like ati would have got in gear and developed better (i.e. not shit) opengl drivers.
I don't work for Valve, but I think its the other way around. If ATI had better support for OpenGL on its consumer hardware back then, maybe companies like Valve would have used it.
DirectX sucked back then in many ways, but Microsoft gave game developers and hardware manufactures a ton of support. The result was that most consumer level video cards had much better supported for DX3D than OpenGL and new developers had an easier time learning the API.
I think the majority of game players don't want ultra-real. FPS players like to bunny-hop around shooting almost non-stop. They do this because its fun, not because they want to model realism.
There are some good ultra-real games out there (I remember playing a sniper game at E3 that actually modeled heart-rate and atmospheric effects (rain, heat, altitude, etc.) to calculate where each shot landed). The problem is that there is a very small market for them.
From what I understand, this is a fairly typical FPS just very very polished one.
Bingo. It doesn't need a gimmick or push the system "Beyond it's Limits", it's just a really solid, fun game.
This, and the fact that the first Halo was in the right place at the right time and was able to build a critical mass of die-hard fans.
I pre-ordered from Gamestop once. Would you like to know what happened? ;) The *way* over pre-sold their stock and I had to wait a month to get the game. Meanwhile, I could of stopped in at Target, Frys, or BestBuy and get a copy (for $9 bucks less).
If I ask him how many good games he has on his PS3, I'll get a very subjective response (his idea of a "good game").
But you are right, my question wasn't exactly fair and didn't reflect the point I wanted to get across (which I'm having a hard time remembering myself, but I think it was something like "its the games, not the hardware, that determine the quality of the console").
The same people who gave you "Crackdown" for the XBox360 (Realtime Worlds) are working on a MMO called (last time I checked) APB.
Then they may rent or buy a Blu-Ray disc and notice that, honestly, it doesn't really add much unless you have a super high-end TV.
DVD were so much better than video tape (easier to use, smaller, much better video and audio quality) but Blu-Ray isn't that much better than DVD. Yes, the picture is nicer if you have the hardware to back it up, but most people don't care that much.
Blu-ray or HD-DVD will replace DVDs in time, but it is going to happen much slower than DVDs taking over video tape.
But how many top selling games do you have on your PS3?
What are the other 2?
Now Neal Stephenson, Gibson's literary heir: he's still got a plausible future machine running upstairs.
True, but has he used it since "The Diamond Age"?
Cryptonomicon takes place in WWII and modern day. "The Baroque Cycle" (as far as I can read) takes place before that.