I have comcast, and they took Tech TV (ZDTV) out of their lineup about a year ago. If you like that channel, you better call and see if they have it. Since then, I've got 3 telemundos, 4 'womens' channels, the golf channel, etc. They don't even have tech tv on digital cable here either. I'm interested in seeing what other people post about this, because I would like to get tech tv again!
The only thing I see reviving the arcades is if they go online. An exclusive title where players can play some type of competitve game both against each other at the arcade or team up and play against arcades in other parts of the country/world.
IMO, Broadband Online Home Gaming killed the arcades. All of the people I know who used to be die-hard arcade dwellers now play games on the PC online. The way for the arcades to win those people back is to offer a more social, Hack-free gaming environment.
I still think Capcom is sitting on something that could make them a lot of money. If they released a 2d fighter for xbox live that didn't SUCK like capcom vs SNK EO they would probably do very well. A re-release of SFA2 on x-box live would sell like crazy.
The devices will still allow you to cheat online, you just have to get your codes from somewhere else. And if there's one thing that holds true on the Internet it's that there are a heck of a lot of "somewhere else"s.
This actually makes it worse for the gamer. If there is going to be cheating, it's better that it is widespread so gamers know it's out there, what to look for, and who to play with (ie, only people they trust). When only a few people have cheats, they can use them in tournaments, ladder play, etc and no one will ever know.
a big source of (external)cheats is not those, afaik a popular method is to scan the memory for changes then make some program to keep those parts of memory unchanged that matter(keeping the bytes that store the health at values for 100% for example),
I can tell you, this doesn't work with modern PC games online. At least not Unreal Tournament. You can change your health on the client side (ie, make your heath stay at 100, or even jack it up to 999) but your health is tracked on the server side. so if you were to jack your health 999, when you lose 50 points, it would say 949 on your side, but it would be 50 on the server side and guess what happens when you get to 0? The server tells the client your dead regardless of your client side heath. Freezing heath does no good either. I know someone who was bored one day and tried.;) I would assume most PC games work like this, or cheating would be even more widespread. (and way too easy)
Now, as far as consoles go I would think that they would use the "can't trust the client" model and not allow things such as that, but I guess they do with the gameshark. Seems kinda silly, since it's easy to protect against (Don't trust the client!) Of course, whoever is the server can always cheat then. (Unless Microsoft or whoever is running the servers).
I know an online "Clan" of cheaters that play FPS games, Most of them are good players, rank high in stats and some in ladders when they used to play seriously. Now they cheat to have fun, grief and they are out to ruin the games or piss you off.
Maybe software companies should stop releasing debuggers and tcp/ip logging software so that people can stop making cheats for online pc games... ya right.
Huh? Most cheats either come from putting "hooks" into video card calls (and have nothing to do with the source of the original game) or from dumping the source of a game that is ment to be modded (ie, Unreal Tournament, Half Life, etc). Sure, companies could make it harder to make mods for games, but then there would be no counter strike. And you would still be dealing with aimbots, speed hacks, etc.
Of course people want to be Jedi's. In the SW Universe, it's basically the only thing *cool*.
Stormtroopers, Bounty Hunters, Smugglers, The Emperors Royal Guards, Ewoks, Jawas, Sandpeople, etc all say hello. There are plenty of cool things to be or do in the star wars universe. The problem is this game didn't implement any of them correctly. Sure, you can become a cantina dancer, or build some cool weapons, but is that what was cool in SW? How much screen time did the cantina dancers actually get in the SW movies? Medics? Cooks? Guys running around in bone armor? Artisan
Brawler, Entertainer, Scout...Do these SWG base classes sound like they are from a star wars RPG?
If I'm going to pay to be in the SW galaxy, I don't mind not being a Jedi, but at least give me something else cool to do if I can't be a Jedi.
Sorry for the bitching but I, like a lot of other people was disappointed by SWG. I keep hoping I will read about some miracle patch that will make it better. Maybe this one will make it at least a little bit more fun.
I played the first month of SWG, which was fun but very time consuming. I left because of lack of direction twards the Jedi path, lack of content, and lack of PvP.
Between the change in how to become a Jedi, and the vehicles, I might actually go back. If SOE is getting more customers, then they did the right thing.
They should in some way compensate the people who are Jedi already though since they worked so hard.:/
I checked iGames.com, and I was wondering....why do you charge the same amount for the boxed version as you do for downloading the game? Shouldn't there be some cost savings you could pass on to the customers on the downloaded version?
Uh, the sniper rifle in UT is definitely not underpowered. One somewhat lined-up head shot is all that is needed to take a player out. It is instant and consistant. BF1942 at least makes you work for the head shot...
1 headshot will take out someone who just spawned in Unreal tournament. It won't take out someone who is 100/50 (has thigh pads) 100/100 (has armor), 100/150 (has shield belt) 199/0 (has big keg o heath). Where as, 6 rockets in tight formation, flak at close range, and being in the middle of a shock combo kill pretty much anything without a shield belt. the Bio Rifle alt fire is a 1 hit kill when fully charged. All in all, the sniper rifle is a middle of the pack weapon in Unreal Tournament. The recoil, lack of spamability, and middle tier damage makes it underpower compared to the top tier weapons (RL, Shock, Flak, Maybe MiniGun).
Jakub, in his ranting listed 4 reasons that sniper rifles shouldn't be included in FPS games. Or 4 reasons that weren't "good enough". But there is only one overwhelming reason anything should be included in any game...
Fun
Plenty of people enjoy sniping, in various games. Sure the sniper rifle(AWP) in CS is a bit over powering, but CS is only one game. The sniper rifle in Unreal Tournament is underpowered compared to the shock rifle, rocket launcher and flak cannon. The railgun in quake is powerful, but plenty of people still use a rocket launcher.
While a camper may take out his or her share of newbies, It takes quite a bit of skill to camp, against very good/great players. All things being equal, a very good player knows all the camping spots and the advantage in any FPS is always with the player who is moving not the one who is standing still.
To camp against a great player, you need better spots, and you need to be smart about where you camp and where the player has looked. You might have to piston jump, or rocket jump depending on the game to take a good spot. That doesn't take skill? Aiming does take skill? Usually you get one or two shots in most games with a sniper rifle before whoever you are shooting at figures out where you are. You had better make them count.
All in all, his argument is pretty poor. I could make a better argument about rocket launchers being low skill but included in most games than Jakub has about sniper rifles.
Several people have mentioned the fact that on the X-Box you can turn the music off. This kills part of the media that is the game though, in all genres. Nothing beats a game with a kick ass soundtrack of music you never heard before but definatly belongs in a game. Take for example, Final Fantasy 7, Unreal Tournament, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, etc etc.
Sure, I'm pointing to some old, and non-sports games...But look back on super techmo bowl, Joe Montana's football, etc. The sad theme music that would play during an injury or after a loss set the mood for the game. You can't replicate that by popping in your own cd.
One enjoyable way to play that I have found is using ESPN NBA Basketball, turn off all sound except for the game action itself.
I actually do the same thing with Unreal Tournament, even though I love the music for that game, I find it easier to hear what is going on around me with the music off which is a nice advantage to have in multiplayer.:)
Maybe the music belongs in NFL Street, but I'd much rather have traditional game music (ie an original soundtrack, with just music, no singing/rapping). I like rap music and I thought Madden 2004 was just obnoxious when I first played it. I don't want to here Bon Jovi's "it's my life" either. Rap/Rock music isn't what should be in a football game, themes like the NFL on FOX, ESPN NFL prime time etc make me think football.
Give us a break please. You are one of this people who belive that US is the country that gives most foregin aid, aren't you? Grow up! You are NOT.
Not if we base it on percent of GNP, something we have to do to make it fare to compare.
It's "fair", the way I see it, and it has nothing to do with "growing up" it has more to do with the fact that we have plenty of people "in need" here at home. The US is going to spend 17.1 BILLION dollars on foriegn aid next year. I'd rather see that money go to the homeless in America, the Heathcare and education system in America, NASA and the Army. Surely, it shouldn't be spent on you ungrateful fucks.
Your own administration has told EU that you will attack our sattelites and other space equipment if you don't approve of your actions. We are supposed to be your allies.
a link? a quote? Prove it. Even if it is true, GOOD. I'm glad my country is protecting me from the EU and their anti-american stance.
No, it wasn't. It was expensive, stupid, ineffective and leads to an arms race.
It doesn't protect you from terrorists - a SUV with a nuclear bomb is much more of a threat than a terrorist getting hold of a ICBM.
Who says we only have to protect ourself from terrorists? Plus there are plenty of countries that could be taken over by radical islamics that do have ICBMs.
It doesn't protect you from Russia, China or any other nuclear power with ICBMs (beacuse they have to many) so what good is it for?
China doesn't even have enough Nuclear Missles to destroy American command and control. You obviously don't know what you are talking about. China has 18 ICBM's It would take 124 Just to take out American Command and control and kill %30 percent of the American population. Most countries don't have a large nuclear stock pile, aside from the US and Russia.
Do some research before you spew your anti-American claims. Face it, you don't hate us because of BMD, it's just pure jealiousy.
Having worked at a few arcades, and played in quite a few tournaments, I would recommend the following....
tournament stuff
1. Run tournaments bi-weekly, either charge a fee to join, or charge per hour. Use this money to hand out prize money every week. It doesn't have to be a lot, $50-$100
will do. Break up the prize between 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Keep detail stats of all the tournaments, overall leaders per game, and overall leaders in all games. Break the year up into seasons, and offer a prize for points leader per season. Put all the results on your website, including pictures.
2. Have a "wow" factor thing in the place, a big screen TV hooked up to a computer will do it. Make it a prize to be able to use it, or rotate people getting to use it during tournaments that way everyone else can watch them. Arcade tournaments used to do this with big-screen arcade machines, they would put the higher seeded players on the big screen machines so everyone could see them.
3. Hire security when you know the place will be crowded. I'm serious, even if it's only 1 guy (an off duty cop will run you about $100 a night). You may think geeks are cool people and all, but I've seen fights break out a tournaments, players intimidated, etc. I recall a recent slashdot article about someone pulling a gun at a counter strike tournament. No one wants to go to a place like that.
4. If you are playing FPS games, See if you can arrange matches between a team made up of the best players from your place with another cyber cafe
5. Setting up consoles and such would be nice, but I'm not sure what fees are involved. You will need a licence in most states if you want to put in arcade games. Personally, as an old Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter player, a place where I could go play Fighting games and FPS games would rock. It might not be practical though.
6. Never let a player leave feeling ripped off by a tournament for any reason, they wont come back.
atmosphere
1. Keep the bathrooms, and the place in general clean. Someone else mentioned this, but it is very important.
2. Music is good, as long as it doesn't interfere with the games. Techno type music goes well with games but anything will do.
3. Have a snack bar with the standard junk food (burgers, cheesesteaks, pizza, etc) try to stock some exotic stuff too, (deep fried oreos, strange sodas, etc)
4. Cool lighting effects (dim, blacklight, etc) can be fun.
5. A lounge where people can just hang out, maybe with a small bookshelf and some board games (chess, checkers, etc).
6. Strange Animals can be cool also, one place I went to used to keep pirahana's in a pool up front. I have no idea why, but it was fun to throw popcorn to/at them.
HUMANS ARE NOT WORTHY TO SPREAD TO OTHER PLANETS. Our race is a violent, underdeveloped, overestimated, neaderthalic bunch of viscious self-centered twits.
Hey comic book guy, you have a low self esteem don't you? What other race are you comparing us to? The ones you see in Star Trek or something? Surely we are the MOST developed of any creature we know, the most self-sacrficing, and the smartest. You don't see and humans jumping through hoops at sea world for a fish, do you?
The odds of humanity being wiped out by an asteroid (we're VERY resourceful, it would have to be a near planet-sized asteroid to kill us all) are on the same level as the odds of pink communist aliens landing here and making us their bitches. In other words, practically non-existant.
Not really, since we think that an asteroid may have done the same thing in the past. (Wiped out most land based life on earth). We don't think that pink communist aliens ever landed on earth, altough if they did it would explain the majority of people who post their political opinions on slashdot.
you want to worry about natural disasters hurting the US, you'd be better off worrying about hurricanes, earthquakes and giant tsunami's. Giant tsunami's are nearly guaranteed to happen (there is geological evidence for them). The most likely cause would be the partial collapsing into the ocean of the island of La Palma, which would result in a wave over 100 foot high that would destroy the coastline of florida up to 5 miles land-inwards. It would be the largest natural disaster in recorded history, and it's just a matter of time before it happens (though the predictions regarding the when range from 2005 to 7005, so...).
The difference is that won't wipe out all of humanity, an astrological disaster has the potental. Say this Star goes super nova which it's expected to do at some point (could be tommorow, could be 10,000 years from now). It could effect us if it hypernova's we might be in trouble...or not.
Just because we don't understand or know how bad the problem might be doesn't mean we should stick our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist. While the East Coast of the US getting wiped out by a tsunami would suck, (especially since I live there) humanity getting wiped out would suck worse. While some people might just "not care" if they are going to die, I'd much rather the human race go on after I'm gone.
Survival and the passing on of their traits is every living organisms main goal. The fact that it has been bred out of you is proof that we are spitting in poor darwins face.
s sad that some people really think like that and ironic how we take such things like this for granted. Some countries would kill for a 50 billion or even just a one billion dollar national budget,
Certainly, some of it has benefited people who live in affluent nations -- most notably, the aerospace industry, otherwise known as the "defense" industry. The vast majority of mankind, however, lives under conditions of grinding poverty
It isn't America's problem that the majority of mankind lives in poverty. We aren't the worlds police, or nannies. As more leftists and Europeans protest America being the world police, I wish we (Americans) would stop giving foriegn aid to every backward ass country out there when they need help. We should just take care of ourselves.
In fact, many of the "technological advances" of the aerospace industry have resulted in widespread death and destruction -- for instance, the development and use of stealth bombers and cruise missiles.
How much death and destruction do stealth bombers stop from happening?
For untold numbers of Iraqis and Afghans, the American space program translates into GPS guided bombs killing their children.
For untold numbers of Iraqi's and Afghans, GPS guided bombs kept them safe, and helped liberate them from a leader that could have killed any of them for no reason at all on a whim.
Bush's "first goal" is to realize plans spelled out by the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization [thirdworldtraveler.com], chaired by Donald Rumsfeld in 2001. A report issued by the Commission demands the US "have the option to deploy weapons in space to deter threats to and, if necessary, defend against attacks on U.S. interests." In other words, the US will build a new generation of space-based weapons to further realize Pax Americana.
Good, as an American citizen, this is how I want my tax money spent, to protect my fellow Americans. Do you think America should roll over and let China create space weapons without America doing the same?
Of course, this will motivate other countries (most notably China) to waste money and precious resouces on developing space weapons of their own, initiating an arms race.
They are already.
In fact, China has already started its own space weapons program, according to a report released by the Department of Defense.
So why shouldn't America?
In other words, Reagan's Star Wars reinvented.
Good, since it was a good idea.
the United States would also have the capability and motivation to build effective countermeasures to the planned defense. To assume otherwise is to base defense planning on wishful thinking."
Where is that from exactly?
Wishful thinking aside, BMDS is essentially a boondoggle for "defense" corporations such as Raytheon.
"The truth is, an anti-missile defense has never been a military concept; it's a marketing idea," opines the Atlanta Journal and Constitution [clw.org].
Gee, they aren't a bias source. Just go to that webpage and see what I mean. Just because someone writes something you agree with, it doesn't mean it's true.
The tiny fraction of mankind represented by Bush, the Pentagon, the neocons, transnational corporations, and the ruling elite on terra firma are not interested per se in exploring space, landing on Mars, or setting up a base on the Moon -- that is unless the base has an over-budget, Raytheon manufactured laser aimed at "rogue nations" on the earth. Space is simply the next step in their warmongering.
Nice rant, but the US isn't Nazi Germany. Gore lost, get over it.
Back in 1996, the US Space Command issued a report entitled "Vision for 2020," complete with a "multi-colored cover [depicting] a laser weapon shooting a beam down from space zapping a target below,"
Wouldn't something like this stop the errant bombing of enemy civilians? Shouldn't you be for a weapon like this?
writes Karl Grossman [thirdworldtraveler.com]. "Vision for 20
What happens when it decides that it's human masters are no longer needed and should be experimented on?
Hell freezes over. Seriously, other than in Sci-Fi movies, no one has gotten AI to be self aware. Hell it's hard to get AI to play a good round of street fighter.
Slashdot Mirror
I have comcast, and they took Tech TV (ZDTV) out of their lineup about a year ago. If you like that channel, you better call and see if they have it. Since then, I've got 3 telemundos, 4 'womens' channels, the golf channel, etc. They don't even have tech tv on digital cable here either. I'm interested in seeing what other people post about this, because I would like to get tech tv again!
The only thing I see reviving the arcades is if they go online. An exclusive title where players can play some type of competitve game both against each other at the arcade or team up and play against arcades in other parts of the country/world.
IMO, Broadband Online Home Gaming killed the arcades. All of the people I know who used to be die-hard arcade dwellers now play games on the PC online. The way for the arcades to win those people back is to offer a more social, Hack-free gaming environment.
I still think Capcom is sitting on something that could make them a lot of money. If they released a 2d fighter for xbox live that didn't SUCK like capcom vs SNK EO they would probably do very well. A re-release of SFA2 on x-box live would sell like crazy.
The devices will still allow you to cheat online, you just have to get your codes from somewhere else. And if there's one thing that holds true on the Internet it's that there are a heck of a lot of "somewhere else"s.
This actually makes it worse for the gamer. If there is going to be cheating, it's better that it is widespread so gamers know it's out there, what to look for, and who to play with (ie, only people they trust). When only a few people have cheats, they can use them in tournaments, ladder play, etc and no one will ever know.
a big source of (external)cheats is not those, afaik a popular method is to scan the memory for changes then make some program to keep those parts of memory unchanged that matter(keeping the bytes that store the health at values for 100% for example),
;) I would assume most PC games work like this, or cheating would be even more widespread. (and way too easy)
I can tell you, this doesn't work with modern PC games online. At least not Unreal Tournament. You can change your health on the client side (ie, make your heath stay at 100, or even jack it up to 999) but your health is tracked on the server side. so if you were to jack your health 999, when you lose 50 points, it would say 949 on your side, but it would be 50 on the server side and guess what happens when you get to 0? The server tells the client your dead regardless of your client side heath. Freezing heath does no good either. I know someone who was bored one day and tried.
Now, as far as consoles go I would think that they would use the "can't trust the client" model and not allow things such as that, but I guess they do with the gameshark. Seems kinda silly, since it's easy to protect against (Don't trust the client!) Of course, whoever is the server can always cheat then. (Unless Microsoft or whoever is running the servers).
I know an online "Clan" of cheaters that play FPS games, Most of them are good players, rank high in stats and some in ladders when they used to play seriously. Now they cheat to have fun, grief and they are out to ruin the games or piss you off.
Maybe software companies should stop releasing debuggers and tcp/ip logging software so that people can stop making cheats for online pc games... ya right.
Huh? Most cheats either come from putting "hooks" into video card calls (and have nothing to do with the source of the original game) or from dumping the source of a game that is ment to be modded (ie, Unreal Tournament, Half Life, etc). Sure, companies could make it harder to make mods for games, but then there would be no counter strike. And you would still be dealing with aimbots, speed hacks, etc.
Of course people want to be Jedi's. In the SW Universe, it's basically the only thing *cool*.
Stormtroopers, Bounty Hunters, Smugglers, The Emperors Royal Guards, Ewoks, Jawas, Sandpeople, etc all say hello. There are plenty of cool things to be or do in the star wars universe. The problem is this game didn't implement any of them correctly. Sure, you can become a cantina dancer, or build some cool weapons, but is that what was cool in SW? How much screen time did the cantina dancers actually get in the SW movies? Medics? Cooks? Guys running around in bone armor? Artisan Brawler, Entertainer, Scout...Do these SWG base classes sound like they are from a star wars RPG?
If I'm going to pay to be in the SW galaxy, I don't mind not being a Jedi, but at least give me something else cool to do if I can't be a Jedi.
Sorry for the bitching but I, like a lot of other people was disappointed by SWG. I keep hoping I will read about some miracle patch that will make it better. Maybe this one will make it at least a little bit more fun.
I played the first month of SWG, which was fun but very time consuming. I left because of lack of direction twards the Jedi path, lack of content, and lack of PvP.
:/
Between the change in how to become a Jedi, and the vehicles, I might actually go back. If SOE is getting more customers, then they did the right thing.
They should in some way compensate the people who are Jedi already though since they worked so hard.
I checked iGames.com, and I was wondering....why do you charge the same amount for the boxed version as you do for downloading the game? Shouldn't there be some cost savings you could pass on to the customers on the downloaded version?
Uh, the sniper rifle in UT is definitely not underpowered. One somewhat lined-up head shot is all that is needed to take a player out. It is instant and consistant. BF1942 at least makes you work for the head shot...
1 headshot will take out someone who just spawned in Unreal tournament. It won't take out someone who is 100/50 (has thigh pads) 100/100 (has armor), 100/150 (has shield belt) 199/0 (has big keg o heath). Where as, 6 rockets in tight formation, flak at close range, and being in the middle of a shock combo kill pretty much anything without a shield belt. the Bio Rifle alt fire is a 1 hit kill when fully charged. All in all, the sniper rifle is a middle of the pack weapon in Unreal Tournament. The recoil, lack of spamability, and middle tier damage makes it underpower compared to the top tier weapons (RL, Shock, Flak, Maybe MiniGun).
Jakub, in his ranting listed 4 reasons that sniper rifles shouldn't be included in FPS games. Or 4 reasons that weren't "good enough". But there is only one overwhelming reason anything should be included in any game...
Fun
Plenty of people enjoy sniping, in various games. Sure the sniper rifle(AWP) in CS is a bit over powering, but CS is only one game. The sniper rifle in Unreal Tournament is underpowered compared to the shock rifle, rocket launcher and flak cannon. The railgun in quake is powerful, but plenty of people still use a rocket launcher.
While a camper may take out his or her share of newbies, It takes quite a bit of skill to camp, against very good/great players. All things being equal, a very good player knows all the camping spots and the advantage in any FPS is always with the player who is moving not the one who is standing still.
To camp against a great player, you need better spots, and you need to be smart about where you camp and where the player has looked. You might have to piston jump, or rocket jump depending on the game to take a good spot. That doesn't take skill? Aiming does take skill? Usually you get one or two shots in most games with a sniper rifle before whoever you are shooting at figures out where you are. You had better make them count.
All in all, his argument is pretty poor. I could make a better argument about rocket launchers being low skill but included in most games than Jakub has about sniper rifles.
Several people have mentioned the fact that on the X-Box you can turn the music off. This kills part of the media that is the game though, in all genres. Nothing beats a game with a kick ass soundtrack of music you never heard before but definatly belongs in a game. Take for example, Final Fantasy 7, Unreal Tournament, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, etc etc.
Sure, I'm pointing to some old, and non-sports games...But look back on super techmo bowl, Joe Montana's football, etc. The sad theme music that would play during an injury or after a loss set the mood for the game. You can't replicate that by popping in your own cd.
One enjoyable way to play that I have found is using ESPN NBA Basketball, turn off all sound except for the game action itself.
:)
I actually do the same thing with Unreal Tournament, even though I love the music for that game, I find it easier to hear what is going on around me with the music off which is a nice advantage to have in multiplayer.
Maybe the music belongs in NFL Street, but I'd much rather have traditional game music (ie an original soundtrack, with just music, no singing/rapping). I like rap music and I thought Madden 2004 was just obnoxious when I first played it. I don't want to here Bon Jovi's "it's my life" either. Rap/Rock music isn't what should be in a football game, themes like the NFL on FOX, ESPN NFL prime time etc make me think football.
Give us a break please. You are one of this people who belive that US is the country that gives most foregin aid, aren't you? Grow up! You are NOT. Not if we base it on percent of GNP, something we have to do to make it fare to compare.
It's "fair", the way I see it, and it has nothing to do with "growing up" it has more to do with the fact that we have plenty of people "in need" here at home. The US is going to spend 17.1 BILLION dollars on foriegn aid next year. I'd rather see that money go to the homeless in America, the Heathcare and education system in America, NASA and the Army. Surely, it shouldn't be spent on you ungrateful fucks.
Your own administration has told EU that you will attack our sattelites and other space equipment if you don't approve of your actions. We are supposed to be your allies.
a link? a quote? Prove it. Even if it is true, GOOD. I'm glad my country is protecting me from the EU and their anti-american stance.
No, it wasn't. It was expensive, stupid, ineffective and leads to an arms race. It doesn't protect you from terrorists - a SUV with a nuclear bomb is much more of a threat than a terrorist getting hold of a ICBM.
Who says we only have to protect ourself from terrorists? Plus there are plenty of countries that could be taken over by radical islamics that do have ICBMs.
It doesn't protect you from Russia, China or any other nuclear power with ICBMs (beacuse they have to many) so what good is it for?
China doesn't even have enough Nuclear Missles to destroy American command and control. You obviously don't know what you are talking about. China has 18 ICBM's It would take 124 Just to take out American Command and control and kill %30 percent of the American population. Most countries don't have a large nuclear stock pile, aside from the US and Russia.
Do some research before you spew your anti-American claims. Face it, you don't hate us because of BMD, it's just pure jealiousy.
Female Geeks
:)
If you do end up charging per hour, it might be a good idea to have a ladies night like the clubs do, women play for free. That could be fun.
Having worked at a few arcades, and played in quite a few tournaments, I would recommend the following....
tournament stuff
1. Run tournaments bi-weekly, either charge a fee to join, or charge per hour. Use this money to hand out prize money every week. It doesn't have to be a lot, $50-$100 will do. Break up the prize between 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Keep detail stats of all the tournaments, overall leaders per game, and overall leaders in all games. Break the year up into seasons, and offer a prize for points leader per season. Put all the results on your website, including pictures.
2. Have a "wow" factor thing in the place, a big screen TV hooked up to a computer will do it. Make it a prize to be able to use it, or rotate people getting to use it during tournaments that way everyone else can watch them. Arcade tournaments used to do this with big-screen arcade machines, they would put the higher seeded players on the big screen machines so everyone could see them.
3. Hire security when you know the place will be crowded. I'm serious, even if it's only 1 guy (an off duty cop will run you about $100 a night). You may think geeks are cool people and all, but I've seen fights break out a tournaments, players intimidated, etc. I recall a recent slashdot article about someone pulling a gun at a counter strike tournament. No one wants to go to a place like that.
4. If you are playing FPS games, See if you can arrange matches between a team made up of the best players from your place with another cyber cafe
5. Setting up consoles and such would be nice, but I'm not sure what fees are involved. You will need a licence in most states if you want to put in arcade games. Personally, as an old Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter player, a place where I could go play Fighting games and FPS games would rock. It might not be practical though.
6. Never let a player leave feeling ripped off by a tournament for any reason, they wont come back.
atmosphere
1. Keep the bathrooms, and the place in general clean. Someone else mentioned this, but it is very important.
2. Music is good, as long as it doesn't interfere with the games. Techno type music goes well with games but anything will do.
3. Have a snack bar with the standard junk food (burgers, cheesesteaks, pizza, etc) try to stock some exotic stuff too, (deep fried oreos, strange sodas, etc)
4. Cool lighting effects (dim, blacklight, etc) can be fun.
5. A lounge where people can just hang out, maybe with a small bookshelf and some board games (chess, checkers, etc).
6. Strange Animals can be cool also, one place I went to used to keep pirahana's in a pool up front. I have no idea why, but it was fun to throw popcorn to/at them.
HUMANS ARE NOT WORTHY TO SPREAD TO OTHER PLANETS. Our race is a violent, underdeveloped, overestimated, neaderthalic bunch of viscious self-centered twits.
Hey comic book guy, you have a low self esteem don't you? What other race are you comparing us to? The ones you see in Star Trek or something? Surely we are the MOST developed of any creature we know, the most self-sacrficing, and the smartest. You don't see and humans jumping through hoops at sea world for a fish, do you?
The odds of humanity being wiped out by an asteroid (we're VERY resourceful, it would have to be a near planet-sized asteroid to kill us all) are on the same level as the odds of pink communist aliens landing here and making us their bitches. In other words, practically non-existant.
Not really, since we think that an asteroid may have done the same thing in the past. (Wiped out most land based life on earth). We don't think that pink communist aliens ever landed on earth, altough if they did it would explain the majority of people who post their political opinions on slashdot.
you want to worry about natural disasters hurting the US, you'd be better off worrying about hurricanes, earthquakes and giant tsunami's. Giant tsunami's are nearly guaranteed to happen (there is geological evidence for them). The most likely cause would be the partial collapsing into the ocean of the island of La Palma, which would result in a wave over 100 foot high that would destroy the coastline of florida up to 5 miles land-inwards. It would be the largest natural disaster in recorded history, and it's just a matter of time before it happens (though the predictions regarding the when range from 2005 to 7005, so...). The difference is that won't wipe out all of humanity, an astrological disaster has the potental. Say this Star goes super nova which it's expected to do at some point (could be tommorow, could be 10,000 years from now). It could effect us if it hypernova's we might be in trouble...or not.
Just because we don't understand or know how bad the problem might be doesn't mean we should stick our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist. While the East Coast of the US getting wiped out by a tsunami would suck, (especially since I live there) humanity getting wiped out would suck worse. While some people might just "not care" if they are going to die, I'd much rather the human race go on after I'm gone.
Survival and the passing on of their traits is every living organisms main goal. The fact that it has been bred out of you is proof that we are spitting in poor darwins face.
s sad that some people really think like that and ironic how we take such things like this for granted. Some countries would kill for a 50 billion or even just a one billion dollar national budget,
Maybe they should try working for it.
Certainly, some of it has benefited people who live in affluent nations -- most notably, the aerospace industry, otherwise known as the "defense" industry. The vast majority of mankind, however, lives under conditions of grinding poverty
It isn't America's problem that the majority of mankind lives in poverty. We aren't the worlds police, or nannies. As more leftists and Europeans protest America being the world police, I wish we (Americans) would stop giving foriegn aid to every backward ass country out there when they need help. We should just take care of ourselves.
In fact, many of the "technological advances" of the aerospace industry have resulted in widespread death and destruction -- for instance, the development and use of stealth bombers and cruise missiles.
How much death and destruction do stealth bombers stop from happening?
For untold numbers of Iraqis and Afghans, the American space program translates into GPS guided bombs killing their children.
For untold numbers of Iraqi's and Afghans, GPS guided bombs kept them safe, and helped liberate them from a leader that could have killed any of them for no reason at all on a whim.
Bush's "first goal" is to realize plans spelled out by the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization [thirdworldtraveler.com], chaired by Donald Rumsfeld in 2001. A report issued by the Commission demands the US "have the option to deploy weapons in space to deter threats to and, if necessary, defend against attacks on U.S. interests." In other words, the US will build a new generation of space-based weapons to further realize Pax Americana.
Good, as an American citizen, this is how I want my tax money spent, to protect my fellow Americans. Do you think America should roll over and let China create space weapons without America doing the same?
Of course, this will motivate other countries (most notably China) to waste money and precious resouces on developing space weapons of their own, initiating an arms race.
They are already.
In fact, China has already started its own space weapons program, according to a report released by the Department of Defense.
So why shouldn't America?
In other words, Reagan's Star Wars reinvented.
Good, since it was a good idea.
the United States would also have the capability and motivation to build effective countermeasures to the planned defense. To assume otherwise is to base defense planning on wishful thinking."
Where is that from exactly?
Wishful thinking aside, BMDS is essentially a boondoggle for "defense" corporations such as Raytheon. "The truth is, an anti-missile defense has never been a military concept; it's a marketing idea," opines the Atlanta Journal and Constitution [clw.org].
Gee, they aren't a bias source. Just go to that webpage and see what I mean. Just because someone writes something you agree with, it doesn't mean it's true.
The tiny fraction of mankind represented by Bush, the Pentagon, the neocons, transnational corporations, and the ruling elite on terra firma are not interested per se in exploring space, landing on Mars, or setting up a base on the Moon -- that is unless the base has an over-budget, Raytheon manufactured laser aimed at "rogue nations" on the earth. Space is simply the next step in their warmongering.
Nice rant, but the US isn't Nazi Germany. Gore lost, get over it.
Back in 1996, the US Space Command issued a report entitled "Vision for 2020," complete with a "multi-colored cover [depicting] a laser weapon shooting a beam down from space zapping a target below,"
Wouldn't something like this stop the errant bombing of enemy civilians? Shouldn't you be for a weapon like this?
writes Karl Grossman [thirdworldtraveler.com]. "Vision for 20
What happens when it decides that it's human masters are no longer needed and should be experimented on?
Hell freezes over. Seriously, other than in Sci-Fi movies, no one has gotten AI to be self aware. Hell it's hard to get AI to play a good round of street fighter.
they could be awarded with extra stats, items, in-game money, etc.
Not for the final version, because then people who aren't in the beta will think they are at a disadvantage.
The idea about a thanks page, and rankings page is probably a good one. Maybe prizes (tshirts, etc) for people finishing in the top 10 of bug finding?
Of course, the game companies don't want this, they would be going through like 20,000 bug reports a day.