Basically any cause that actually does research into curing the maladies that put kids in the hospitals (and adults) could potentially do much more good than Child's Play.
Well, and there are also charities that could do more good (in the greater sense) than Operation Kindness (for animals) or homeless shelters. Doesn't make them unworthy of donations, though.
This misses the point. Kids are in bad shape, and it's nice to give them something fun to spend their time with, in what otherwise could be a very miserable time.
Cheering up kids anywhere is always worth of donation to me, but cheering up sick kids gets big points. They may not get what I give to the Red Cross every year, but they will always get something.
To answer your question...
on
Digital Packrats
·
· Score: 3, Funny
I work for a Fortune 500 software maker (non-games), and we get promises like this all the time. In fact, I was just talking to a co-worker who was promised that they were eliminating overtime this season. Last year, he worked Saturdays during the crunch. This year, it's been Saturday and Sundays. And this is a totally seasonal job, very predictable. This is not a company pushing to meet some artificial marketing-inflicted deadline.
The bottom line is that big companies will continue to find new and creative ways to milk productivity from people at the lowest cost possible. The game industry is no different than any other industry.
I've been a long-time PC user, and I'm a Windows software developer.
I've been building my own PCs since 1996, which I know makes me a relative noob on Slashdot.
I had a Creative Nomad Jukebox, and it sucked. Traded it away last Christmas, and just from looking at the features and such, I impulse-bought a 20" G4 iMac.
Ok, perhaps it wasn't a complete impulse buy - I spent probably three days doing solid research - figuring out if I could VPN in to work with it (I could), seeing how useful OpenOffice was on OS X (very), and if the GIMP was supported (thanks, Darwin project).
Back to the point, the iPod and the hype surrounding it got me to the Apple web site. The Apple web site got me into the local Apple store, and a personal test drive got me into the driver's seat of an iMac. Just like in the Apple sales seminars, I'm sure.
Almost one solid year later, and I don't regret it a bit, btw. I've become a Mac evangilist to my family.
...it's really no contest. I had a Creative 20 Gb Nomad Jukebox that I bought at the end of 2002. Had it for a year, and it was...serviceable. It was bulky (I know not a problem with the Zen as much), the interface was awful, and the software was beyond horrific.
I got my iPod in December 2003. It's been flawless. My biggest gripe with it is shorter battery life, but that's only because I actually use it for 8 hours a day, unlike the Nomad, which was clunky in every way it was possible to be clunky.
Sure, the iPod is luxury-priced, but it's worth it to me. I suppose Creative has improved their products (likely) and software (doubtful) since I last used them, but I wouldn't go back to try.
There's already one here (smart fourtwo coupe), running deliveries for a local Mexican restaurant called La Taquiera Paloma. It's got the advertising painted on, and I imagine they may have imported it from Mexico.
And yes, it's tiny, but I still think it's pretty cool for local driving.
Crutchfield is currently carrying 16 of them. Back in 1998 when I bought mine, *every* Blaupunkt came with it.
Well, that's certainly more than I would have expected. Best Buy carries two low-end Aiwas (at least at local Dallas stores), and Circuit City no longer carries any with auxiliary inputs. I guess I should do more advanced research, but I guess I'm still surprised it's not a more common feature at the retail stores.
Integrated controls are nice and all, but my solution was less than $200, and will work with any car with a single-DIN stereo.
My real question is why it's harder and harder to find stereos with front-panel auxiliary plugs these days. Aiwa offers them in cheap-ass stereos, and JVC in a couple models, but that's it. It could be a much cheaper solution for the masses.
In all of the sports games I play, though, I enjoy playing with current rosters, and most sports games don't offer roster updates beyond the season they're released for obvious reasons.
Perhaps there are a few titles like this. And maybe I haven't bought as many PC games in the last year as most.
I have a hunch the phenomenon may be a bit overblown, though, and inflated through the numbers of expansions and MMORPGs that are available for the PC that don't start at $50 because they're not a full game, or have a different pricing model that involves extracting $13.95/month from your wallet.
Besides, most decent X-Box games end up hitting the "Platinum" series ($19.95 retail) within 6-12 months. Same thing with PS2 - most games are discounted at retail within a few months, save the best-sellers.
Slightly off-topic, I decided I had enough of the pricing model for both sets of games. I no longer use my PC for gaming, and I simply rent my console games from GameFly.
I can't even tell you how much money it's saved me in bad game purchases. You know the ones - pay $50, play game for 3 hours, sell to GameStop for $15. Oof.
Dear Zeus,
I apologize for sleeping with one of your many women. I'd appreciate it if you would stop with the lightning bolts, and just get on with turning me into some sort of half-turtle, half-game show host monstrosity to teach me the error of my ways.
Cheers.
Yep, I tried, but with no luck on either the old display or the new one.
Either way, Apple did accept my first return, even with my system custom-configured, so I can't say I'm really still upset. At least it's not in the middle of the screen at this point.
Just this past Christmas, I got to deal with this very issue.
A long-time frustrated Windows user (who isn't?), I decided to finally take the plunge and get a 20" iMac.
Well, I got one with a stuck pixel (red) in the middle of the screen. I was incensed, but did my homework and read all about Apple's "tolerance" of such things. I also should note I upgraded the HD and memory when purchasing.
Well, after three support calls where I was very inflexible (no yelling, though), I actually got them to take it back, beating both the stuck pixel policy and the "no returns on custom-configured systems" policy. Just stick to your guns, and you can get what you want.
On a last note, the iMac they replaced it with has a stuck pixel as well, in a much less prominent place. So the real moral of the story might be "don't bother".:)
Slashdot Mirror
Basically any cause that actually does research into curing the maladies that put kids in the hospitals (and adults) could potentially do much more good than Child's Play.
Well, and there are also charities that could do more good (in the greater sense) than Operation Kindness (for animals) or homeless shelters. Doesn't make them unworthy of donations, though.
This misses the point. Kids are in bad shape, and it's nice to give them something fun to spend their time with, in what otherwise could be a very miserable time.
Cheering up kids anywhere is always worth of donation to me, but cheering up sick kids gets big points. They may not get what I give to the Red Cross every year, but they will always get something.
...I have a copy of Come on Eileen on my iPod.
I agree. This is likely total PR bullshit.
I work for a Fortune 500 software maker (non-games), and we get promises like this all the time. In fact, I was just talking to a co-worker who was promised that they were eliminating overtime this season. Last year, he worked Saturdays during the crunch. This year, it's been Saturday and Sundays. And this is a totally seasonal job, very predictable. This is not a company pushing to meet some artificial marketing-inflicted deadline.
The bottom line is that big companies will continue to find new and creative ways to milk productivity from people at the lowest cost possible. The game industry is no different than any other industry.
I've been a long-time PC user, and I'm a Windows software developer.
I've been building my own PCs since 1996, which I know makes me a relative noob on Slashdot.
I had a Creative Nomad Jukebox, and it sucked. Traded it away last Christmas, and just from looking at the features and such, I impulse-bought a 20" G4 iMac.
Ok, perhaps it wasn't a complete impulse buy - I spent probably three days doing solid research - figuring out if I could VPN in to work with it (I could), seeing how useful OpenOffice was on OS X (very), and if the GIMP was supported (thanks, Darwin project).
Back to the point, the iPod and the hype surrounding it got me to the Apple web site. The Apple web site got me into the local Apple store, and a personal test drive got me into the driver's seat of an iMac. Just like in the Apple sales seminars, I'm sure.
Almost one solid year later, and I don't regret it a bit, btw. I've become a Mac evangilist to my family.
...it's really no contest. I had a Creative 20 Gb Nomad Jukebox that I bought at the end of 2002. Had it for a year, and it was...serviceable. It was bulky (I know not a problem with the Zen as much), the interface was awful, and the software was beyond horrific. I got my iPod in December 2003. It's been flawless. My biggest gripe with it is shorter battery life, but that's only because I actually use it for 8 hours a day, unlike the Nomad, which was clunky in every way it was possible to be clunky. Sure, the iPod is luxury-priced, but it's worth it to me. I suppose Creative has improved their products (likely) and software (doubtful) since I last used them, but I wouldn't go back to try.
There's already one here (smart fourtwo coupe), running deliveries for a local Mexican restaurant called La Taquiera Paloma. It's got the advertising painted on, and I imagine they may have imported it from Mexico.
And yes, it's tiny, but I still think it's pretty cool for local driving.
This is just a tribute!
You gotta believe me!
And I wish you were there!
Just a matter of opinion.
Linux Journal
...I peek at Maxim at Barnes and Noble, and used to read Entertainment Weekly, until I realized it was killing my brain.
Electronic Games Monthly
X-Box Nation
Well, that's certainly more than I would have expected. Best Buy carries two low-end Aiwas (at least at local Dallas stores), and Circuit City no longer carries any with auxiliary inputs. I guess I should do more advanced research, but I guess I'm still surprised it's not a more common feature at the retail stores.
...which was to get a car stereo with an auxiliary jack, and simply plug in and put the iPod in a nice holder.
Integrated controls are nice and all, but my solution was less than $200, and will work with any car with a single-DIN stereo.
My real question is why it's harder and harder to find stereos with front-panel auxiliary plugs these days. Aiwa offers them in cheap-ass stereos, and JVC in a couple models, but that's it. It could be a much cheaper solution for the masses.
Well, nobody has to.
In all of the sports games I play, though, I enjoy playing with current rosters, and most sports games don't offer roster updates beyond the season they're released for obvious reasons.
Nothing like visiting the Dallas Public Library, where the homeless get equal opportunity to view the pr0n we all know and love. Question - is this really progress?
Perhaps there are a few titles like this. And maybe I haven't bought as many PC games in the last year as most.
I have a hunch the phenomenon may be a bit overblown, though, and inflated through the numbers of expansions and MMORPGs that are available for the PC that don't start at $50 because they're not a full game, or have a different pricing model that involves extracting $13.95/month from your wallet.
Besides, most decent X-Box games end up hitting the "Platinum" series ($19.95 retail) within 6-12 months. Same thing with PS2 - most games are discounted at retail within a few months, save the best-sellers.
Slightly off-topic, I decided I had enough of the pricing model for both sets of games. I no longer use my PC for gaming, and I simply rent my console games from GameFly.
I can't even tell you how much money it's saved me in bad game purchases. You know the ones - pay $50, play game for 3 hours, sell to GameStop for $15. Oof.
Darth Vader makes his costume out of pajamas in order to win an amateur wrestling contest to win money to buy a car to impress a girl.
So there you go. Black pajamas with a motorcycle helmet.
Hmm...and I thought it read:
"Technology Makes New Cats Too Expensive to Fix"
Guess it's time for another cup of coffee!
Dear Zeus, I apologize for sleeping with one of your many women. I'd appreciate it if you would stop with the lightning bolts, and just get on with turning me into some sort of half-turtle, half-game show host monstrosity to teach me the error of my ways. Cheers.
Yep, I tried, but with no luck on either the old display or the new one.
Either way, Apple did accept my first return, even with my system custom-configured, so I can't say I'm really still upset. At least it's not in the middle of the screen at this point.
Just this past Christmas, I got to deal with this very issue.
:)
A long-time frustrated Windows user (who isn't?), I decided to finally take the plunge and get a 20" iMac.
Well, I got one with a stuck pixel (red) in the middle of the screen. I was incensed, but did my homework and read all about Apple's "tolerance" of such things. I also should note I upgraded the HD and memory when purchasing. Well, after three support calls where I was very inflexible (no yelling, though), I actually got them to take it back, beating both the stuck pixel policy and the "no returns on custom-configured systems" policy. Just stick to your guns, and you can get what you want. On a last note, the iMac they replaced it with has a stuck pixel as well, in a much less prominent place. So the real moral of the story might be "don't bother".