Microsoft was just quicker to post the money for rumble than Sony...;) Or we'd have seen a rumble at launch with the PS3. Not that I mind... I kinda like the lightweight controller for the PS3.
Guess I should get a few more before they stop selling them;)
I'd be inclined to believe that was the case, (that the PS3 suffers with difficult APIs, etc) if I didn't play several games that were great. Resistance, Motorstorm, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, VF5... all have 0 issues like some of the "ports" are having. (I can't speak for Lair, because I've not played it... but the consensus from PS3 _owners_ has not been nearly as pitiful sounding as the reviewers... who I take as little stock in their opinions as possible...)
What I think is going on is lazy-assed developers who would rather go for the quick $ on the 360, rather than trying to make a good game for all platforms they "support." And since Microsoft has banked on their API as being the cross-platform solution for Windows _and_ the 360, we're seeing familiarity rather than a great platform as the deciding factor in making 360 games "better" than their Ps3 counterparts.
Bah... I'm beginning to believe that Microsoft's "mediocred" their way into the lead again simply by releasing first. (Let's not forget their heat troubles.... that to me smell like rushed console...) I'm not saying the 360 is a bad machine, because I own one too... I just think the industry's desire for "one true architecture" is making Microsoft cream their boxers... Whether or not Microsoft has had a hand in orchestrating this is left up to the tinfoil hat crowd, but for my money... one true architecture will lead to another landfill-induction of unsold crap.
Competition's good. people need to stop gloating about the PS3's demise and realize who that leaves in the lead....
Or, you can circumvent it yourself without consequence because you are not doing anything to deprive them of any revenue or infringe on their copyright making 10000 copies for your closet stack of DVDs. Simply put, Copyright's never been about guaranteeing revenue... but it's turned into that... and copyright's "limited time" has been assraped so much that it's probably unable to even fart. Their idea of telling you what you can and can't watch/listen to your purchased content on is their desire for a pay-per-view universe... where you pay for every viewing, listening, reading of something... not just once in the case now... like we're all in their own private little theater and we have to pay the fee each time we use their crud. It's their orgasmic dream to do that... and they are working _VERY_ hard to make it happen... harder than they work even to sue the pants off college students who trade music.
I don't purchase crippled CD's (or those from major labels, for that matter... not that it matters much, since major labels really _do_ produce dog shit music.) I also don't purchase anything Disney has anything to do with, since they are instrumental in raping the corpse of the public domain... the goddamned vultures need all to die... It means I miss most Pixar movies... well, all of them, actually... unless of course someone else loans me their copy.:) (in the case of the Incredibles...)
Since the "digital age" (as if it somehow has put the western world in "jeopardy") is now an attempt to force even more controls on _ME_, rather than the works themselves... I find it laughable that they can make a distinction between fair-use _now_ and in the _past_ simply because it's on a computer rather than a VHS tape or audio cassette. Because it's "bits" now instead of magnetic media (or whatever), they somehow believe all the provisions that were set forth in court case after court case in hundreds of years of law don't apply because the word "digital" is attached to it. Fuck you... to put it in terms they can understand.
The problem with people in general is their incessant desire to be entertained, because they've known nothing more over the last few decades... people of a previous generation are less likely to hoard useless entertainment materials and seek out all kinds of entertainment because their upbringing was work until dark, then sleep so you can do it all over again tomorrow. We (and I'm including me in this one, so keep those cards and letters) are lazy, Pavlovian experiments gone wild. Ring bell, fork over money, get treat. It sucks. I figure it'll get worse before it gets better... that the moguls and idiots in charge will find a tipping point past which NO one will bother with the hassle of movies or music... and they'll have made such a mess of the legal and technology sectors because of it that it'll take two generations to fix... and then it'll go RIGHT back to the way it is now... as if the Marx cycle has an "entertainment division..."
I sometimes feel like part of the problem... and I'm not even the worst "consume more" person that I know...
Intent: if I delete something off my computer, YOU have to prove I intended something "nasty" by it. I do not. They ALLEGE that it's to break the law... and well, it's not breaking any CRIMINAL statute, in case you were noticing. And since nothing is proven here at all, your speculation as to the guilt of this person is just that... pure speculation. And his intent for distributing a free program to do just that is speculation. You seem to be ready to convict this guy based on your own bias regarding copyrights...
Deleting tax files is NOT deleting from your own registry, and that's destroying EVIDENCE and is not part of this at ALL. Talk about missing the point. The registry key is just that... a key on the system that you can delete, maim, and otherwise do what you want with because it's on your machine. Trying to do that with the key and repackaging the software to sell it or give it away would indeed be a problem... that is not what occurred here.
And it's only UNAUTHORIZED reverse engineering if you TELL someone how to do it. And since you can decipher registry keys WITHOUT reverse engineering, telling what ones to delete is not "harboring circumvention and piracy". So the DMCA would NOT apply. And if you think it does... get ready for lots of programs on your computer that you can't remove...:) Simply by putting a key in your registry "don't delete"... Nice, huh?
Hope you can get your head around that... because regardless of the application of copyright law in this case, THAT is what this will boil down to in the long run... something I mentioned early on, but it got missed...
the coupons contain (saw them on the page) copyrighted images from OTHER companies... so copyrighting the COUPON containing a copyrighted image of something ELSE is like copyrighting a 3x5 card with Nike logo on it and a slogan, buy Nike! This isn't about copyright, it's about controlling how you use the coupons... of which they are coordinating with OTHER companies for THEIR products. See? Probably not, since you're obviously a master of law and contracts.
I can tell you're not interested in discussing this, just pushing your idiocy. So take a pill, get off your horse, and realize how reading comprehension WORKS.
Cutting parts of a contract out is not the same as deleting the registry key of a program... Sorry... it's MY PC... I will delete whatever the hell I want out of it... and it's not a violation of the DMCA. If it is, you'd best not use that uninstall program like Cleansweep or the Microsoft developed "reg-clean" because it might delete something you aren't allowed to. When you agreed to the EULA, I'm sure there is a clause that says about reverse-engineering and all that boilerplate, but deleting a registry key is _NOT_ reverse-engineering... and if coupons.com relied on that as copy "protection"... tough. I'm not in the habit of leaving crap in my registry (if I had one... heh) I don't want. I don't have to. IF it makes your program unusable... big deal. I'm not breaking the law by deleting the entry in MY computer's registry. It's still MY hardware... I know they'd love it not to be... but they haven't changed _that_ yet...
Anyone else seeing the stupidity in this? a Registry key is NOT a copy protection measure. As sure as some boneheaded judge rules that it is, you're going to have a tough time deleting crap from your computer without running afoul of an already ridiculous precedent. Just think about it.
What if I don't want 90% of the clipart that is installed with my office program? Will deleting _that_ mean I altered the program? See the slippery slope?
It's maddening. And this is still a joke of a precedent that will blow up in everyone's face, I don't care what side you fall on.
Forget the 2-copy limit crap for a moment. What if I prune my registry and remove that, yet I still only print 2 coupons. Have I broken the DMCA? coupons.com wants that to be so. And if you think this is about copyrighted coupons, you're missing the bigger picture...
It's a coupon... and giving someone the ability to print their own, and they go ahead and print too many (there is no "protection or encryption" here) is not a copyright violation as it stands, I don't think. Nor is it a circumvention either. If there was some super hash table digital key watermark CSS scrambling whatnot on there, perhaps... but a registry key is _NOT_ a copyright protection measure. It's just not.
And the coupons, if I'm guessing, have other copyrighted imagery from the company authorizing the coupons, yet I don't see them suing this guy.
Taking the Harry Potter book to kinko's is not the same as someone saying "you can print 2 copies" of something that you can only use two in the first place... (subsequent copies are rejected at the time of sale, and there has never been a problem with someone going through the line with the "limit two" multiple times at multiple locations... no one's gone to jail "yet" for going to Wal Mart A and getting their 2 limit... and then going to wal Mart b two minutes later and doing the same thing...)
Yeah, and copyright? Of Coupons? Really? There isn't any encryption, circumvention (other than printing more than two coupons... and that's not a copyright protection) or whatnot... and yet they're claiming copyright? At least that's what I got from TFA.
And still, if I do it myself, knowing a little more about computers than say the average coupons.com visitor, am I guilty of copyright violations because I delete something out of my registry? Say I do it and never use the program to print more than two (because I wanted to reduce the bloat in my registry).. is using it legitimately without the "copyright" (using coupons.com's term) whatnot in place... am I violating some DMCA mandate? (Admittedly, I'm probably not... but these are questions that, when applied, make this seem even more silly...)
And they want to know __WHO__ downloaded the program. Here's a thought... Whizz off. What if I did, and I clearly don't have a Windows PC within 100 miles of my house... (well one I own anyway) Am I somehow going to get sued? (That's a stretch... but sometimes I might download something with the intention of keeping it should I ever get a windows machine later... that's been increasingly rare, but possible nonetheless.) Back when I switched to Linux and Mac OS full time, I had a directory of my favorite windows freeware that I kept in case I ever broke down and bought a windows laptop... but I digress...
And since when has downloading the program made me liable for anything? Did I miss something?...and why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? Am I asking too many questions?:) Film at 11.
You're right on the money, I think. Excellent insight. We see eye-to-eye on this entire issue, and with the payola (for lack of a better term) on both sides, this is getting to be an ugly business... With dev studios getting influxes of cash from the big two to make this or that better or "exclusive" in the post-exclusive era, we're seeing a vastly different game market than we did last generation. I don't know yet if it's going to be good for us (the gamer) in the long run or not... or if it's going to poison the rather young (resurgent) industry into the era of big payoffs rather than good games... because the consumer will buy "anything with Halo in the title"....
The barrier of entry for this generation is quite high, even with Microsoft's recent price cuts... and with MS's normal M.O., we see, as you've mentioned, how much dirty pool can be played by one company with deep pockets. I think it really threw Sony off its game (so to speak), and they're playing "dirty pool catchup" this time around.
As for EA, since Madden 07 ran better on the PS3 (albeit feature-starved) than Madden 08, they have no excuse explaining the "new" dev kit crapola. They're simply focusing on the bigger installed base at the expense of the others... (and quite frankly, just release their crap on the 360 if they're going to be this disingenuous about it.)
The former Veep (or whatever his title was) of XBox division shows up to run EA... coincidence?;) Let me adjust my Tinfoil hat.
All this coupled with MS eating yet more in the way of losses to cover a manufacturing defect (it's clearly a defect, or they wouldn't be fixing them "free" for a particular failure only... 3 Red Rings) is pretty much par for the course. I'm sure my nearly year-old 360 will succumb sooner rather than later...
To top it off, we're seeing all these little things that, taken individually don't add up to much, but when they're viewed together... it's some schoolyard brawl that's going into extra rounds.:) I'm not taking sides, simply because there aren't any "good guys" in this fight... it's a battle of the corporate behemoths... and while it's fun to watch at times, I am increasingly worried that it will poison my hobby to the point that I won't bother anymore... Manufacturing defects have made me certain that any subsequent XBox MS makes, if purchased at all, will be done so LONG (almost 2 years) into its lifecycle. (mainly after the first price-cut):) And Sony's lethargic first year game selection (that is improving very quickly, but wasn't so in the Spring) means I'll not be another "early" Sony adopter either.:)..and I don't think I'm alone in these ideas... at least anecdotally.
I think most people dismiss the Ps3 because they're comparing the 2nd wave of 360 games to the 1st wave of PS3 games. The PS3 hasn't been out as long as the 360, and few people acknowledge the weakness of the launch titles *cough* Madden 06 *cough*. There was a SERIOUS drought of games for the 360 for quite a while after launch (I know because I was looking for games to give me a reason to buy a 360... waited until last fall to get one), not to mention the frequency of delays for some of the flagship titles early on... The difference of course is, Microsoft was first, so their initial lack of movement wasn't as visible. Now we see the recently launched PS3 having the same issues in its first year that MS had in theirs...( and that hasn't even had a proper Christmas yet, I don't count "launch Christmas" as a first one, by any means... even on the 360).
The key here is 2008. I think the titles flowing out to the PS3 in 2008 will spur some decent Christmas sales... just as the anticipation did so for the 360's, in the face of current droughts (at the time they had them.)
Does this mean I'm predicting the PS3 to overtake and trounce the 360? No, but I suspect the Ps3 will comfortably carve out a niche and be a respectable platform that will have nice games that aren't always ports...:)
The 360's RRoD problem looms constantly, and everyone seems to think the 65nm chips are the solution... possibly, but who knows? The HDMI-equipped Premium consoles (non Elites) is becoming an interesting development as well... the DVR capability for the PS3 is additionally a concept worth looking into as well as "home".
We'll see... but I think most of the "faithful" will still pronounce Sony's console dead at every corner... And vice versa. Meh, I don't care. I just want games... and I think we all do.:-)
That's funny. The mistaken notion of copyright "guaranteeing" revenue seems pretty old. And like the so-called "piracy" of today's music and film, book "piracy" still required the complicity of those who were in charge of keeping the copyrights (in this case, European publishers.)
What's truly laughable about the entire situation is certain aspects of the debate centering on "lost revenue"... when Copyright never guaranteed revenue... Just because someone writes a book and has it published, their dream of a faucet that runs money from it is just plain wrong. But, for decades now, and for the foreseeable future, we will hear of the billions in lost revenue due to "piracy." As if someone was going to pay if there wasn't a free alternative...
No, but I believe that the Founding Fathers viewed copyright with a little less criminality than we do today. Remember, printers and printing houses in the Colonies (and subsequently the US) were thumbing their noses at the draconian copyright restrictions the Crown put on books... and by deliberately defying that unhealthy restriction (what could be considered now as "pirating books" by the copyright moguls), US printers were in effect, forcing an old stodgy system to acknowledge that for a society to grow, it needed a way to build upon the works of others. (Hence the copyright clause's mention of a _limited_ time.) We have gotten away from that, and our public domain has suffered... all for the sake of profits of a select few. The government grants copyrights for a limited time, and it should've stayed that way... things not going into the public domain in our lifetimes that are well past the death of the original creator is hogwash.
But that's another matter. Suffice to say, bearing the full arm of the law down upon these people is simply enforcing the notion that we've turned into "Old Europe" in the 18th century, and we are desperately trying to close up the freedom-designated loopholes that made the US copyright system a good balance between the needs of the community and the needs of the individual(s) who create(s).
Does that mean I condone mod chips? Beats me. They seem to have their uses, both good and evil (that's true for just about everything), but I am not sure they warranted the crackdown by law enforcement that these people received. We are applying force of law against the greater spirit of the law in terms of how these things work. The DMCA does nothing to promote useful arts and sciences.. and I think if it ever got tested in the courts, it would be struck down as unconstitutional... (unless of course the piles of money help it limp along...)
our current system is broken. It's been broken by the people who are benefiting from it the most. Does this mean I want it abolished? No, but I want it to be constitutional... and I want it to be removed from the criminal system and into the civil system... I also want to see common sense applied to things like backup programs and DRM... I want the lobby groups to come clean about their agenda and tell everyone they're just propping up an antiquated model of doing business... and I want people to quit labeling the other side of the argument as being the "evil" ones in this debate.
I probably won't get any of it. (And copyright infringement is _not_ theft. I want that removed from the dialogue.)
That's interesting... I figured the Elites would (this gen, previous to the 'falcon') be 90mm across the board. I want to see the proof (in the pudding) that the 65nm chips solve their systemic flaw before I even bother looking for one.:)
Way to cover up a fundamental flaw, Microsoft.:( I still don't see how they can avoid a recall with their own admission that all the current consoles (the ones in the retail channel as they went to press with their prepared statement) will be failing at some point in their lifespan... But they've avoided one... This is going to cost them in goodwill next gen... (it's still got some goodwill to burn with Halo 3 and GTA coming....)
The problem with the repairs is, lots of times, you get back a refurb rather than your own console, so you have to be connected to live to use all the "rented' content... which is annoying at some levels, maddening at others.:-/ I wonder if there's any way to specify a fix rather than a refurb from them?
So, with the exception of the rumored $50 price drop (which could occur)... what are they adding over in Redmond to not lower the price of their console?
I'd rather see Microsoft fix the flaw in theirs, too. (and I agree... Sony can cheapen it over time, like the PS2... it just takes time...)
Just wait until the HD-DVD studios decide that HDCP is indeed necessary (mercifully, the 360 has been spared this tripe so HD-DVD looks great on good ol' VGA.. otherwise you'd have to have an Elite to watch 1080p movies)... the format wars are making it possible to "get by" while they duke it out, but if one wins... on goes HDCP, and off goes all the 1080p.. unless you've got an "approved" HDMI cable and player. (doesn't really matter to me, because my TV's only 720p... heh)
In my estimation, we all lose... regardless of format... but we trudge on, nonetheless.
The key here is that I don't think the format war isn't going to provide a clear "winner", where Wal Mart, Joe Sixpack and his sister can buy movies and not be concerned if their player can "play 'em". I think we'll settle in to combo-players from most manufacturers, and the first $100 "next gen" player will be a combo player from China, imported to Wal Mart and sold with their cheap, chinese LCDs... And then, it won't matter if the box is blue, or red... whatever movie format a particular studio decides on (Blu Ray for X, HD for Y) Joe Sixpack will have no trouble playing them.
Now, when he tries to use his Vista-based HD player on his blu-ray movie... then we'll hear gnashing of teeth.;) Increasingly, as technology progresses, the quest for the "one true format" is becoming less and less and the (forgive the term) "balkanization" of things becomes the norm. Sure, some things have a dominant format, but that is not stopping alternatives from staking out a claim on the technology landscape. It's not for lack of trying, but cementing a format these days is becoming a huge undertaking that most companies (i.e. not Microsoft) have abandoned for "flexibility"... This is not true in all areas, of course, but unless rivals buy each other out, we have two (or more) choices... rather than the "one true" choice. I think most who insist on "one" format for anything are blaming the internet for their inability to make a single format work in all situations. Choice is good... and I hope neither format "wins."
Then again, I could be just talking out of my ass and hoping for the best when I know the MPAA's got something up their dress to screw us all.
I think at 720p, I can't tell the difference between HD and Blu Ray... (having only one movie tested on it so far... The Road Warrior.) I'd probably notice the difference if I owned a 1080p TV though.
The point of the Upstage is that I _didn't_ have to look hard to find another phone with a non-user replaceable battery. That's not the only one.
Let me ask you this.. would you buy a car without first knowing some basics about it? What makes someone not ask if it's now "electronic"? It's a device, just like a car... if you don't ask, they're not going to tell you everything.... they assume you either already know or don't care. The user manual is available, as is the spec sheet. If you don't see it listed... (like what octane works best with this car?) you have to _ask_. Not asking is not grounds for anything but being stupid, as a customer and a shopper.
Same with the iPhone. If you didn't ask, that meant you didn't care to know, or you already knew.. Steve Jobs and Co. are many things, but mindreaders are not among them...
Apple not mentioning in the sales pitch "yeah, you can't replace the battery yourself" is not criminal, negligent, or worthy of a lawsuit.
Consider this little gem from IBM Thinkpads (the last time I got one).
Most all thinkpads have user-replaceable hard drives... a flap underneath the laptop to move the drive out and put a new one in... no big deal. The i1460 was also a Thinkpad... it had the word "Thinkpad" on it, made by IBM, and was advertised as such.
Now, the little catch was, the i1460's drive was NOT user-serviceable. Meaning, you possibly could void your warranty taking the computer apart to get to the HDD. Was it listed in the brochure? Not in the spec-sheet I saw at the store. It wasn't even mentioned by the salesman. Know how I found out? I researched the brand to find the one I wanted... decided the 1460 wasn't my cup of tea and when pitched (as it was on sale), I told the sales clerk... "I need a user-replaceable HDD" and that was that.
Say I didn't ask, and ASS-umed it was like all the other Thinkpads w/r/t HDD replacement. I get home unpack and gleefully see how to replace the HDD, but there's no SLOT! Does that grant me the right to sue? I can try... but it'll be just like the iPhone... the info wasn't hidden, it just wasn't put in bold print above the item's name.
Same idea, different product... it's _NOT_ too much to ask people to do a little research before plunking down $500 for a phone. (or in my case $2000 for a laptop.)
Just as an FYI, the Samsung Upstage does not have a user-replaceable battery... and nowhere on Sprint or Samsung's site (that I've seen) lists that as a "feature" either. It's not on the "sheet" you see next to the phone (I know, I've looked) and it's not on the box it comes in. It seems that you don't need to love the iPod to ask a simple question. Samsung and Apple must be in cahoots!:)
Yet people buy it (and the iPhone)... The only way you know it's not replaceable is to read the FAQ in the manual (at the back of the manual).. unless you know someone who has one, or you ask the clerk "is it user-replaceable?" 5 milliseconds of work. If the person didn't do that, and now is filing a lawsuit, he is advertising his stupidity. Is it a valid business decision to make non-user-replaceable batteries? I don't know... my phone's got a user-replaceable battery, so I couldn't care less. If it's not acceptable... don't buy it. Simple as that.
And I replaced my 2nd Gen iPod battery already. Didn't pay $29 for it or the "service" to have it done.. but some people can't manage that... so having Apple do it might be a good thing... or they'll have tons of borked iPhones on their hands.
Yeah, whatever. You don't want to exercise your 2nd Amendment right? That's your choice.
Don't piss on those who do. Remember, the Bill of Rights isn't a document that "grants" these rights... it's a document that _SPELLS OUT_ the rights, so that everyone can see the rights you HAVE, regardless of government.
The people who intend on dismantling them need an unarmed populace in order to accomplish it. Even Jefferson advocated revolution... when the government no longer served the people's needs.
Government is set up at our convenience. We control whether it lives or dies. And the Constitution is ours... not theirs.
I've been on the fence for a while now (I have a PS3, and I have a 360)... and I'm thinking that the format war is not going to pick a "winner". I don't really care if one will win... but the PS3's sales might move the Blu-Ray format toward the front... but not necessarily so much so that the HD-DVD goes down in flames. In the long run, I think we'll see hybrid dual-format players and the obvious single format players (hitting their $100 pricepoint soon), because the market really doesn't have the desire or need to pick a new format over another.
It's not terrible to have more than one format... one might dominate a period, then the other bounces back with a blockbuster release, and so on. Like the movie "300", which comes out on all 3 current formats. Each version adds their own value to the film... with extras that the other format doesn't have. It's a win-win for us, since competition makes for a better price and choice. Sure it confuses Joe-Sixpack, but he's still got his Goldstar TV from Wal Mart (bought in 1987).. so this is moot for him anyway.:)
*shrug* Maybe I'm just getting old and movies in general have passed me by.:) (The Road Warrior looked great on Blu-Ray... dunno how it looked on HD-DVD... but it was $19 for each format for a promo price I suppose.... a win for the "war".)..Now if I could only shove Talledega Nights down Will Farrel's throat... I'd have a great collection of Blu Ray.;) "I hate Ricky Boobie".
But seriously... I have gotten the overall impression of the game from the demo, in spite of its length, and it's a MUST-BUY. The cutscene at the beginning is the best lip-sync job I've seen in a video game in a LONG time.... well, ever, I think.
Yeah! This is not "Goddess of War".... and even if it was, it ROCKS...:)
Don't you just love an election year? And people EVERY STINKING TIME fall for the SAME, TIRED LINE from the SAME wrinkly old farts and fartettes... who are doing nothing more than getting rich at OUR expense.
Bah... Fuck 'em all in the ass with a big rubber dick. Trouble with that is I think Orrin Hatch and that fat bastard Teddy K. would like it too much. Miserable prick-sucking whores. Every last one of them.
YMMV, but for my tastes, it's RPGs. It's been that way since I first played Ultima I on the Atari 800. I was hooked on them after that... because before, it was about high score, repetition, and the twitch factor. (I had a 2600... adored Space Invaders and Asteroids I think a little too much..) For me, 'pick up and play' means sitting down to an hour or two exploring a dungeon, or a few hours clearing a region of some unknown terror for gold.:) I probably should get out more... but at the price of gas and the money I've sunk into my consoles... why bother?:) heh.
Will I ever tire of them? Who knows? Besides the occasional football game and retro hit or two (like Pac Man), I find myself playing RPGs the most. I'm currently knee-deep in Oblivion... and I'm having a ball (recently finished Dark Kingdom on the PS3 and will not doubt go back and play as another character class...)
Heck, I even played AD&D Heroes twice on the Xbox... granted, they're not high-story concepts (some are, like Xenogears or Breath of Fire) but they're right up my alley.
The problem with the Wii is the only RPG I've seen is Zelda TP (that I can get on the GC if I so choose.) I'm not a "hardcore gamer"... but I have a different view of what I like to "pick up and play" than Nintendo....
And that's fine with me... maybe they'll put more out and I'll pick up a wii. (They're as rare as hen's teeth around here anyway... no sense in even trying to find one that's not a $600 "bundle" of useless crap.)
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Microsoft was just quicker to post the money for rumble than Sony... ;) Or we'd have seen a rumble at launch with the PS3. Not that I mind... I kinda like the lightweight controller for the PS3.
;)
Guess I should get a few more before they stop selling them
Spoken like someone who doesn't work in software. :)
I'd be inclined to believe that was the case, (that the PS3 suffers with difficult APIs, etc) if I didn't play several games that were great. Resistance, Motorstorm, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, VF5... all have 0 issues like some of the "ports" are having. (I can't speak for Lair, because I've not played it... but the consensus from PS3 _owners_ has not been nearly as pitiful sounding as the reviewers... who I take as little stock in their opinions as possible...)
What I think is going on is lazy-assed developers who would rather go for the quick $ on the 360, rather than trying to make a good game for all platforms they "support." And since Microsoft has banked on their API as being the cross-platform solution for Windows _and_ the 360, we're seeing familiarity rather than a great platform as the deciding factor in making 360 games "better" than their Ps3 counterparts.
Bah... I'm beginning to believe that Microsoft's "mediocred" their way into the lead again simply by releasing first. (Let's not forget their heat troubles.... that to me smell like rushed console...) I'm not saying the 360 is a bad machine, because I own one too... I just think the industry's desire for "one true architecture" is making Microsoft cream their boxers... Whether or not Microsoft has had a hand in orchestrating this is left up to the tinfoil hat crowd, but for my money... one true architecture will lead to another landfill-induction of unsold crap.
Competition's good. people need to stop gloating about the PS3's demise and realize who that leaves in the lead....
Very true, since it's their crapola...
:) (in the case of the Incredibles...)
Or, you can circumvent it yourself without consequence because you are not doing anything to deprive them of any revenue or infringe on their copyright making 10000 copies for your closet stack of DVDs. Simply put, Copyright's never been about guaranteeing revenue... but it's turned into that... and copyright's "limited time" has been assraped so much that it's probably unable to even fart. Their idea of telling you what you can and can't watch/listen to your purchased content on is their desire for a pay-per-view universe... where you pay for every viewing, listening, reading of something... not just once in the case now... like we're all in their own private little theater and we have to pay the fee each time we use their crud. It's their orgasmic dream to do that... and they are working _VERY_ hard to make it happen... harder than they work even to sue the pants off college students who trade music.
I don't purchase crippled CD's (or those from major labels, for that matter... not that it matters much, since major labels really _do_ produce dog shit music.) I also don't purchase anything Disney has anything to do with, since they are instrumental in raping the corpse of the public domain... the goddamned vultures need all to die... It means I miss most Pixar movies... well, all of them, actually... unless of course someone else loans me their copy.
Since the "digital age" (as if it somehow has put the western world in "jeopardy") is now an attempt to force even more controls on _ME_, rather than the works themselves... I find it laughable that they can make a distinction between fair-use _now_ and in the _past_ simply because it's on a computer rather than a VHS tape or audio cassette. Because it's "bits" now instead of magnetic media (or whatever), they somehow believe all the provisions that were set forth in court case after court case in hundreds of years of law don't apply because the word "digital" is attached to it. Fuck you... to put it in terms they can understand.
The problem with people in general is their incessant desire to be entertained, because they've known nothing more over the last few decades... people of a previous generation are less likely to hoard useless entertainment materials and seek out all kinds of entertainment because their upbringing was work until dark, then sleep so you can do it all over again tomorrow. We (and I'm including me in this one, so keep those cards and letters) are lazy, Pavlovian experiments gone wild. Ring bell, fork over money, get treat. It sucks. I figure it'll get worse before it gets better... that the moguls and idiots in charge will find a tipping point past which NO one will bother with the hassle of movies or music... and they'll have made such a mess of the legal and technology sectors because of it that it'll take two generations to fix... and then it'll go RIGHT back to the way it is now... as if the Marx cycle has an "entertainment division..."
I sometimes feel like part of the problem... and I'm not even the worst "consume more" person that I know...
Intent: if I delete something off my computer, YOU have to prove I intended something "nasty" by it. I do not. They ALLEGE that it's to break the law... and well, it's not breaking any CRIMINAL statute, in case you were noticing. And since nothing is proven here at all, your speculation as to the guilt of this person is just that... pure speculation. And his intent for distributing a free program to do just that is speculation. You seem to be ready to convict this guy based on your own bias regarding copyrights...
:) Simply by putting a key in your registry "don't delete"... Nice, huh?
Deleting tax files is NOT deleting from your own registry, and that's destroying EVIDENCE and is not part of this at ALL. Talk about missing the point. The registry key is just that... a key on the system that you can delete, maim, and otherwise do what you want with because it's on your machine. Trying to do that with the key and repackaging the software to sell it or give it away would indeed be a problem... that is not what occurred here.
And it's only UNAUTHORIZED reverse engineering if you TELL someone how to do it. And since you can decipher registry keys WITHOUT reverse engineering, telling what ones to delete is not "harboring circumvention and piracy". So the DMCA would NOT apply. And if you think it does... get ready for lots of programs on your computer that you can't remove...
Hope you can get your head around that... because regardless of the application of copyright law in this case, THAT is what this will boil down to in the long run... something I mentioned early on, but it got missed...
Did you miss the entire point? Yes, you did.
the coupons contain (saw them on the page) copyrighted images from OTHER companies... so copyrighting the COUPON containing a copyrighted image of something ELSE is like copyrighting a 3x5 card with Nike logo on it and a slogan, buy Nike! This isn't about copyright, it's about controlling how you use the coupons... of which they are coordinating with OTHER companies for THEIR products. See? Probably not, since you're obviously a master of law and contracts.
I can tell you're not interested in discussing this, just pushing your idiocy. So take a pill, get off your horse, and realize how reading comprehension WORKS.
Cutting parts of a contract out is not the same as deleting the registry key of a program... Sorry... it's MY PC... I will delete whatever the hell I want out of it... and it's not a violation of the DMCA. If it is, you'd best not use that uninstall program like Cleansweep or the Microsoft developed "reg-clean" because it might delete something you aren't allowed to. When you agreed to the EULA, I'm sure there is a clause that says about reverse-engineering and all that boilerplate, but deleting a registry key is _NOT_ reverse-engineering... and if coupons.com relied on that as copy "protection"... tough. I'm not in the habit of leaving crap in my registry (if I had one... heh) I don't want. I don't have to. IF it makes your program unusable... big deal. I'm not breaking the law by deleting the entry in MY computer's registry. It's still MY hardware... I know they'd love it not to be... but they haven't changed _that_ yet...
Anyone else seeing the stupidity in this? a Registry key is NOT a copy protection measure. As sure as some boneheaded judge rules that it is, you're going to have a tough time deleting crap from your computer without running afoul of an already ridiculous precedent. Just think about it.
What if I don't want 90% of the clipart that is installed with my office program? Will deleting _that_ mean I altered the program? See the slippery slope?
It's maddening. And this is still a joke of a precedent that will blow up in everyone's face, I don't care what side you fall on.
Forget the 2-copy limit crap for a moment. What if I prune my registry and remove that, yet I still only print 2 coupons. Have I broken the DMCA? coupons.com wants that to be so. And if you think this is about copyrighted coupons, you're missing the bigger picture...
It's a coupon... and giving someone the ability to print their own, and they go ahead and print too many (there is no "protection or encryption" here) is not a copyright violation as it stands, I don't think. Nor is it a circumvention either. If there was some super hash table digital key watermark CSS scrambling whatnot on there, perhaps... but a registry key is _NOT_ a copyright protection measure. It's just not.
And the coupons, if I'm guessing, have other copyrighted imagery from the company authorizing the coupons, yet I don't see them suing this guy.
Taking the Harry Potter book to kinko's is not the same as someone saying "you can print 2 copies" of something that you can only use two in the first place... (subsequent copies are rejected at the time of sale, and there has never been a problem with someone going through the line with the "limit two" multiple times at multiple locations... no one's gone to jail "yet" for going to Wal Mart A and getting their 2 limit... and then going to wal Mart b two minutes later and doing the same thing...)
Yeah, and copyright? Of Coupons? Really? There isn't any encryption, circumvention (other than printing more than two coupons... and that's not a copyright protection) or whatnot... and yet they're claiming copyright? At least that's what I got from TFA.
...and why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? Am I asking too many questions? :) Film at 11.
And still, if I do it myself, knowing a little more about computers than say the average coupons.com visitor, am I guilty of copyright violations because I delete something out of my registry? Say I do it and never use the program to print more than two (because I wanted to reduce the bloat in my registry).. is using it legitimately without the "copyright" (using coupons.com's term) whatnot in place... am I violating some DMCA mandate? (Admittedly, I'm probably not... but these are questions that, when applied, make this seem even more silly...)
And they want to know __WHO__ downloaded the program. Here's a thought... Whizz off. What if I did, and I clearly don't have a Windows PC within 100 miles of my house... (well one I own anyway) Am I somehow going to get sued? (That's a stretch... but sometimes I might download something with the intention of keeping it should I ever get a windows machine later... that's been increasingly rare, but possible nonetheless.) Back when I switched to Linux and Mac OS full time, I had a directory of my favorite windows freeware that I kept in case I ever broke down and bought a windows laptop... but I digress...
And since when has downloading the program made me liable for anything? Did I miss something?
You're right on the money, I think. Excellent insight. We see eye-to-eye on this entire issue, and with the payola (for lack of a better term) on both sides, this is getting to be an ugly business... With dev studios getting influxes of cash from the big two to make this or that better or "exclusive" in the post-exclusive era, we're seeing a vastly different game market than we did last generation. I don't know yet if it's going to be good for us (the gamer) in the long run or not... or if it's going to poison the rather young (resurgent) industry into the era of big payoffs rather than good games... because the consumer will buy "anything with Halo in the title"....
;) Let me adjust my Tinfoil hat.
:) I'm not taking sides, simply because there aren't any "good guys" in this fight... it's a battle of the corporate behemoths... and while it's fun to watch at times, I am increasingly worried that it will poison my hobby to the point that I won't bother anymore... Manufacturing defects have made me certain that any subsequent XBox MS makes, if purchased at all, will be done so LONG (almost 2 years) into its lifecycle. (mainly after the first price-cut) :) And Sony's lethargic first year game selection (that is improving very quickly, but wasn't so in the Spring) means I'll not be another "early" Sony adopter either. :) ..and I don't think I'm alone in these ideas... at least anecdotally.
The barrier of entry for this generation is quite high, even with Microsoft's recent price cuts... and with MS's normal M.O., we see, as you've mentioned, how much dirty pool can be played by one company with deep pockets. I think it really threw Sony off its game (so to speak), and they're playing "dirty pool catchup" this time around.
As for EA, since Madden 07 ran better on the PS3 (albeit feature-starved) than Madden 08, they have no excuse explaining the "new" dev kit crapola. They're simply focusing on the bigger installed base at the expense of the others... (and quite frankly, just release their crap on the 360 if they're going to be this disingenuous about it.)
The former Veep (or whatever his title was) of XBox division shows up to run EA... coincidence?
All this coupled with MS eating yet more in the way of losses to cover a manufacturing defect (it's clearly a defect, or they wouldn't be fixing them "free" for a particular failure only... 3 Red Rings) is pretty much par for the course. I'm sure my nearly year-old 360 will succumb sooner rather than later...
To top it off, we're seeing all these little things that, taken individually don't add up to much, but when they're viewed together... it's some schoolyard brawl that's going into extra rounds.
I think most people dismiss the Ps3 because they're comparing the 2nd wave of 360 games to the 1st wave of PS3 games. The PS3 hasn't been out as long as the 360, and few people acknowledge the weakness of the launch titles *cough* Madden 06 *cough*. There was a SERIOUS drought of games for the 360 for quite a while after launch (I know because I was looking for games to give me a reason to buy a 360... waited until last fall to get one), not to mention the frequency of delays for some of the flagship titles early on... The difference of course is, Microsoft was first, so their initial lack of movement wasn't as visible. Now we see the recently launched PS3 having the same issues in its first year that MS had in theirs...( and that hasn't even had a proper Christmas yet, I don't count "launch Christmas" as a first one, by any means... even on the 360).
:)
:-)
:) So I win either way. ;)
The key here is 2008. I think the titles flowing out to the PS3 in 2008 will spur some decent Christmas sales... just as the anticipation did so for the 360's, in the face of current droughts (at the time they had them.)
Does this mean I'm predicting the PS3 to overtake and trounce the 360? No, but I suspect the Ps3 will comfortably carve out a niche and be a respectable platform that will have nice games that aren't always ports...
The 360's RRoD problem looms constantly, and everyone seems to think the 65nm chips are the solution... possibly, but who knows? The HDMI-equipped Premium consoles (non Elites) is becoming an interesting development as well... the DVR capability for the PS3 is additionally a concept worth looking into as well as "home".
We'll see... but I think most of the "faithful" will still pronounce Sony's console dead at every corner... And vice versa. Meh, I don't care. I just want games... and I think we all do.
P.S. I own both.
That's funny. The mistaken notion of copyright "guaranteeing" revenue seems pretty old. And like the so-called "piracy" of today's music and film, book "piracy" still required the complicity of those who were in charge of keeping the copyrights (in this case, European publishers.)
What's truly laughable about the entire situation is certain aspects of the debate centering on "lost revenue"... when Copyright never guaranteed revenue... Just because someone writes a book and has it published, their dream of a faucet that runs money from it is just plain wrong. But, for decades now, and for the foreseeable future, we will hear of the billions in lost revenue due to "piracy." As if someone was going to pay if there wasn't a free alternative...
Ah well...
No, but I believe that the Founding Fathers viewed copyright with a little less criminality than we do today. Remember, printers and printing houses in the Colonies (and subsequently the US) were thumbing their noses at the draconian copyright restrictions the Crown put on books... and by deliberately defying that unhealthy restriction (what could be considered now as "pirating books" by the copyright moguls), US printers were in effect, forcing an old stodgy system to acknowledge that for a society to grow, it needed a way to build upon the works of others. (Hence the copyright clause's mention of a _limited_ time.) We have gotten away from that, and our public domain has suffered... all for the sake of profits of a select few. The government grants copyrights for a limited time, and it should've stayed that way... things not going into the public domain in our lifetimes that are well past the death of the original creator is hogwash.
But that's another matter. Suffice to say, bearing the full arm of the law down upon these people is simply enforcing the notion that we've turned into "Old Europe" in the 18th century, and we are desperately trying to close up the freedom-designated loopholes that made the US copyright system a good balance between the needs of the community and the needs of the individual(s) who create(s).
Does that mean I condone mod chips? Beats me. They seem to have their uses, both good and evil (that's true for just about everything), but I am not sure they warranted the crackdown by law enforcement that these people received. We are applying force of law against the greater spirit of the law in terms of how these things work. The DMCA does nothing to promote useful arts and sciences.. and I think if it ever got tested in the courts, it would be struck down as unconstitutional... (unless of course the piles of money help it limp along...)
our current system is broken. It's been broken by the people who are benefiting from it the most. Does this mean I want it abolished? No, but I want it to be constitutional... and I want it to be removed from the criminal system and into the civil system... I also want to see common sense applied to things like backup programs and DRM... I want the lobby groups to come clean about their agenda and tell everyone they're just propping up an antiquated model of doing business... and I want people to quit labeling the other side of the argument as being the "evil" ones in this debate.
I probably won't get any of it. (And copyright infringement is _not_ theft. I want that removed from the dialogue.)
That's interesting... I figured the Elites would (this gen, previous to the 'falcon') be 90mm across the board. I want to see the proof (in the pudding) that the 65nm chips solve their systemic flaw before I even bother looking for one. :)
:( I still don't see how they can avoid a recall with their own admission that all the current consoles (the ones in the retail channel as they went to press with their prepared statement) will be failing at some point in their lifespan... But they've avoided one... This is going to cost them in goodwill next gen... (it's still got some goodwill to burn with Halo 3 and GTA coming....)
:-/ I wonder if there's any way to specify a fix rather than a refurb from them?
Way to cover up a fundamental flaw, Microsoft.
The problem with the repairs is, lots of times, you get back a refurb rather than your own console, so you have to be connected to live to use all the "rented' content... which is annoying at some levels, maddening at others.
So, with the exception of the rumored $50 price drop (which could occur)... what are they adding over in Redmond to not lower the price of their console?
I'd rather see Microsoft fix the flaw in theirs, too. (and I agree... Sony can cheapen it over time, like the PS2... it just takes time...)
Just wait until the HD-DVD studios decide that HDCP is indeed necessary (mercifully, the 360 has been spared this tripe so HD-DVD looks great on good ol' VGA.. otherwise you'd have to have an Elite to watch 1080p movies)... the format wars are making it possible to "get by" while they duke it out, but if one wins... on goes HDCP, and off goes all the 1080p.. unless you've got an "approved" HDMI cable and player. (doesn't really matter to me, because my TV's only 720p... heh)
;) Increasingly, as technology progresses, the quest for the "one true format" is becoming less and less and the (forgive the term) "balkanization" of things becomes the norm. Sure, some things have a dominant format, but that is not stopping alternatives from staking out a claim on the technology landscape. It's not for lack of trying, but cementing a format these days is becoming a huge undertaking that most companies (i.e. not Microsoft) have abandoned for "flexibility"... This is not true in all areas, of course, but unless rivals buy each other out, we have two (or more) choices... rather than the "one true" choice. I think most who insist on "one" format for anything are blaming the internet for their inability to make a single format work in all situations. Choice is good... and I hope neither format "wins."
In my estimation, we all lose... regardless of format... but we trudge on, nonetheless.
The key here is that I don't think the format war isn't going to provide a clear "winner", where Wal Mart, Joe Sixpack and his sister can buy movies and not be concerned if their player can "play 'em". I think we'll settle in to combo-players from most manufacturers, and the first $100 "next gen" player will be a combo player from China, imported to Wal Mart and sold with their cheap, chinese LCDs... And then, it won't matter if the box is blue, or red... whatever movie format a particular studio decides on (Blu Ray for X, HD for Y) Joe Sixpack will have no trouble playing them.
Now, when he tries to use his Vista-based HD player on his blu-ray movie... then we'll hear gnashing of teeth.
Then again, I could be just talking out of my ass and hoping for the best when I know the MPAA's got something up their dress to screw us all.
I think at 720p, I can't tell the difference between HD and Blu Ray... (having only one movie tested on it so far... The Road Warrior.) I'd probably notice the difference if I owned a 1080p TV though.
The point of the Upstage is that I _didn't_ have to look hard to find another phone with a non-user replaceable battery. That's not the only one.
Let me ask you this.. would you buy a car without first knowing some basics about it? What makes someone not ask if it's now "electronic"? It's a device, just like a car... if you don't ask, they're not going to tell you everything.... they assume you either already know or don't care. The user manual is available, as is the spec sheet. If you don't see it listed... (like what octane works best with this car?) you have to _ask_. Not asking is not grounds for anything but being stupid, as a customer and a shopper.
Same with the iPhone. If you didn't ask, that meant you didn't care to know, or you already knew.. Steve Jobs and Co. are many things, but mindreaders are not among them...
Apple not mentioning in the sales pitch "yeah, you can't replace the battery yourself" is not criminal, negligent, or worthy of a lawsuit.
Consider this little gem from IBM Thinkpads (the last time I got one).
Most all thinkpads have user-replaceable hard drives... a flap underneath the laptop to move the drive out and put a new one in... no big deal. The i1460 was also a Thinkpad... it had the word "Thinkpad" on it, made by IBM, and was advertised as such.
Now, the little catch was, the i1460's drive was NOT user-serviceable. Meaning, you possibly could void your warranty taking the computer apart to get to the HDD. Was it listed in the brochure? Not in the spec-sheet I saw at the store. It wasn't even mentioned by the salesman. Know how I found out? I researched the brand to find the one I wanted... decided the 1460 wasn't my cup of tea and when pitched (as it was on sale), I told the sales clerk... "I need a user-replaceable HDD" and that was that.
Say I didn't ask, and ASS-umed it was like all the other Thinkpads w/r/t HDD replacement. I get home unpack and gleefully see how to replace the HDD, but there's no SLOT! Does that grant me the right to sue? I can try... but it'll be just like the iPhone... the info wasn't hidden, it just wasn't put in bold print above the item's name.
Same idea, different product... it's _NOT_ too much to ask people to do a little research before plunking down $500 for a phone. (or in my case $2000 for a laptop.)
Just as an FYI, the Samsung Upstage does not have a user-replaceable battery... and nowhere on Sprint or Samsung's site (that I've seen) lists that as a "feature" either. It's not on the "sheet" you see next to the phone (I know, I've looked) and it's not on the box it comes in. It seems that you don't need to love the iPod to ask a simple question. Samsung and Apple must be in cahoots! :)
Yet people buy it (and the iPhone)... The only way you know it's not replaceable is to read the FAQ in the manual (at the back of the manual).. unless you know someone who has one, or you ask the clerk "is it user-replaceable?" 5 milliseconds of work. If the person didn't do that, and now is filing a lawsuit, he is advertising his stupidity. Is it a valid business decision to make non-user-replaceable batteries? I don't know... my phone's got a user-replaceable battery, so I couldn't care less. If it's not acceptable... don't buy it. Simple as that.
And I replaced my 2nd Gen iPod battery already. Didn't pay $29 for it or the "service" to have it done.. but some people can't manage that... so having Apple do it might be a good thing... or they'll have tons of borked iPhones on their hands.
Read the constitution. Read the founding fathers. Read Jefferson, to be specific. You need some schooling, kid.
Then tell me to dream on. YOU'RE the one who's dreaming. Just because the government doesn't currently think so, that doesn't mean it's wrong now.
It's amazing... I respond to an offtopic post and I get modded offtopic.
Guess there aren't enough gun-nut loners in the slashdot community.
Yeah, whatever. You don't want to exercise your 2nd Amendment right? That's your choice.
Don't piss on those who do. Remember, the Bill of Rights isn't a document that "grants" these rights... it's a document that _SPELLS OUT_ the rights, so that everyone can see the rights you HAVE, regardless of government.
The people who intend on dismantling them need an unarmed populace in order to accomplish it. Even Jefferson advocated revolution... when the government no longer served the people's needs.
Government is set up at our convenience. We control whether it lives or dies. And the Constitution is ours... not theirs.
I've been on the fence for a while now (I have a PS3, and I have a 360)... and I'm thinking that the format war is not going to pick a "winner". I don't really care if one will win... but the PS3's sales might move the Blu-Ray format toward the front... but not necessarily so much so that the HD-DVD goes down in flames. In the long run, I think we'll see hybrid dual-format players and the obvious single format players (hitting their $100 pricepoint soon), because the market really doesn't have the desire or need to pick a new format over another.
:)
:) (The Road Warrior looked great on Blu-Ray... dunno how it looked on HD-DVD... but it was $19 for each format for a promo price I suppose.... a win for the "war".) ..Now if I could only shove Talledega Nights down Will Farrel's throat... I'd have a great collection of Blu Ray. ;) "I hate Ricky Boobie".
It's not terrible to have more than one format... one might dominate a period, then the other bounces back with a blockbuster release, and so on. Like the movie "300", which comes out on all 3 current formats. Each version adds their own value to the film... with extras that the other format doesn't have. It's a win-win for us, since competition makes for a better price and choice. Sure it confuses Joe-Sixpack, but he's still got his Goldstar TV from Wal Mart (bought in 1987).. so this is moot for him anyway.
*shrug* Maybe I'm just getting old and movies in general have passed me by.
It's a DEMO. :)
:)
But seriously... I have gotten the overall impression of the game from the demo, in spite of its length, and it's a MUST-BUY. The cutscene at the beginning is the best lip-sync job I've seen in a video game in a LONG time.... well, ever, I think.
Yeah! This is not "Goddess of War".... and even if it was, it ROCKS...
They're too stupid to vote.
Don't you just love an election year? And people EVERY STINKING TIME fall for the SAME, TIRED LINE from the SAME wrinkly old farts and fartettes... who are doing nothing more than getting rich at OUR expense.
Bah... Fuck 'em all in the ass with a big rubber dick. Trouble with that is I think Orrin Hatch and that fat bastard Teddy K. would like it too much. Miserable prick-sucking whores. Every last one of them.
Microsoft is heavy into action games and FPSes... their two "big" titles coming this fall are Halo 3 and Bioshock... both FPSes.
;)
:D
:)
I think Sony's got a bit more than they usually get... but their RPG stable is not bare... just a little late in coming.
(which is why I bought a PS3...) Though, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy Lair and Heavenly Sword
at the end of the generation, you're probably going to see more FPses on 360 than the PS3... just my guess.
YMMV, but for my tastes, it's RPGs. It's been that way since I first played Ultima I on the Atari 800. I was hooked on them after that... because before, it was about high score, repetition, and the twitch factor. (I had a 2600... adored Space Invaders and Asteroids I think a little too much..) For me, 'pick up and play' means sitting down to an hour or two exploring a dungeon, or a few hours clearing a region of some unknown terror for gold. :) I probably should get out more... but at the price of gas and the money I've sunk into my consoles... why bother? :) heh.
Will I ever tire of them? Who knows? Besides the occasional football game and retro hit or two (like Pac Man), I find myself playing RPGs the most. I'm currently knee-deep in Oblivion... and I'm having a ball (recently finished Dark Kingdom on the PS3 and will not doubt go back and play as another character class...)
Heck, I even played AD&D Heroes twice on the Xbox... granted, they're not high-story concepts (some are, like Xenogears or Breath of Fire) but they're right up my alley.
The problem with the Wii is the only RPG I've seen is Zelda TP (that I can get on the GC if I so choose.) I'm not a "hardcore gamer"... but I have a different view of what I like to "pick up and play" than Nintendo....
And that's fine with me... maybe they'll put more out and I'll pick up a wii. (They're as rare as hen's teeth around here anyway... no sense in even trying to find one that's not a $600 "bundle" of useless crap.)