HDTV may be much better, but how many of either care or can tell the difference? In addition, HDTV sets themselves are expensive and you pretty much need a set top box from the cable company to take advantage of HD programming - adding to the cost. Regular TV is good enough for most folks, at least until their current TV dies or HD distribution comes down in price.
Of course, were I to have an HDTV, I'd really want to have a console that could take advantage of it.
I remember playing as Germany in Civ III and getting the panzer. Excited that I had a special unit that was a tank, I invaded the country next door. Problem was they were the Aztecs and despite not even having riflemen, they kicked my ass. One jaguar warrior beat back FOUR of my panzers. I quit the game and deinstalled right then.
Can we all stop with the "bzt" bullshit right now?!? If you were to tell me this in a real discussion I'd beat the living shit out of you! If you have a point to make other than that you have a very, very small dick and a fragile ego, just say you disagree.
A great example of this is Civ IV. We get Leonard Nemoy doing voice work, a special soundtrack, Sid Mier doing a walk through, etc. Does it make the game itself better? No! I could give a shit if Spock tells me what tech I've just discovered!
I wonder how much of the ~$50 cost of the game goes to paying for the fluff?
Do you think the execs at IBM and ATI are drooling idiots? Do you think MS execs have some kind of Jedi Mind Powers? IBM and ATI are also in business to make a profit and would not sell parts to anyone unless they were getting something out of it as well. Does it cost the same for me to purchase 100 of the triple core PowerPC chips as it does MS - hell no. So, yes, they are getting a discount, but the suppliers can't sell their products at a loss - they don't get cash for each game sold, or money from Live subscriptions.
Except that Slashdot has spent the last two weeks posting every Xbox 360 hype story out there. The 360 is a topic that readers here are interested in and you can't ignore the good stuff becasue they publish one bad story.
They will do the same thing for the other consoles as well.
I would think the faster MS can produce the 360, the better for them. If you have 4 million 360s out in the wild, that is more potential customers for games, Live subscriptions, etc.
If they are slowing production to create a frenzy, it seems very silly to me. If folks have to spend $400 more on EBay than they would at Wal-Mart, that's $400 potentially less dollars going to MS.
I think this is what most people miss about music - especially new music. The consumers of new "cool" music don't really care if it is priced at $0.99 or $4.99, they are consuming it to be cool. People spend hundred of dollars on jeans, just because they are cool, they'll spend a few extra bucks to buy the next big song.
NBC can barely get folks to watch its shows for free, so now they are going to charge for a version that expires? I assume this would be more aimed at the Universal Studios titles...
Starbucks may not be perfect, but they've brought the standards of American coffee up considerably. It used to be that you had to live in a major city (or a place that grew coffee) to get decent stuff. Now, every place in America has a Starbucks and it has brought at least some appreciation for better coffee. Nonetheless, their staight coffee is just ok, their straight espresso drinks are good, but their other stuff is like something from Dairy Queen.
The same thinking applies to sports and sports broadcasting especially. Watch the World Series on Fox and they do EVERYTHING they can to draw in the non-fan. And, in the process piss off the real fans who just want to watch.
The basic point is that where money and entertainment is concerned, either you are a gamer/fan/watcher or you are not. If you are, they (EA/Fox) know they "have" you and are focused on getting the attention of the people who aren't watching or playing.
While MS may take a significant loss on each console, they stil want to sell as many as possible. Think about it - they lose money on the console but make it back on the games. If you want the games to sell, you need to have plenty of consoles out there, or the games aren't going to move. Say what you will about MS and their hype machine, but the NEED to sell lots of 360s.
I own a million dollar home, my wife and I both make six figure incomes - we're not rich, but we have a bit of disposable income. HDTV is about 50 spots down on out list of things to buy. I will not pay thousands of dollars for a TV, especially when I have to turn around and pay extra just to get content that takes advantage of the better picture. I'm happy for you that a) you have a few thousand dollars to spend and b) that having a cleaner picture is worth it to you...
"The argument about MMORPGs all drawing from the same pool of customers and simply trading them around in accordance with the latest fads is, and has been known to be for some time, complete and utter rubbish."
While you make a good point, bear in mind that MMORPG's suffer from a couple of problems when it comes to drawing really huge audiences. First, there is the issue of time and level of commitment - most MMOs require both. Second, there is the "culture" of online game in general that isn't terribly condusive to causual gamers. Third, there is the issue of cost.
Time is critical for many of us. If a game takes weeks to get into or to develop skills for, it eliminates a big percentage of potential customers. Single player games with long game cycles are ok, because you can save and play at your own pace. MMOs don't seem to always work that way.
Read some of the posts about WoW on this board and you'll see that there is a language and culture that develops around the games. Sometimes this can seem indecipherable. Coupled with the time factor, causual gamers may say no thanks.
It costs money to play MMOs. You need a decent computer, an internet connection and to buy the game. Then you have to pay the montly fee for some of them. While the games provide hours of entertainment for your money, the upfront costs are somewhat high.
Don't forget that Sony is using the PS3 to push Blu-ray. Sony Pictures has a huge vault of movies they'd like us to buy again, this time on Blu-ray. If they get folks to buy a PS3, those folks will buy blu-ray movies as well.
The argument Microsoft is using is the same one they always use - decoupling X will make Windows unstable. Removing IM from the OS will make the OS unstable? What kind of crap is that? Microsoft is clearly using their monopoly position in the OS market to cram non-OS software down out throats. Glad the Koreans are calling them on it.
For those people that live in apartments in urban areas, flat screen TVs make perfect sense. If you are paying thousands for an apartment that is less than 1000 square feet, every square foot matters. If you live in a walkup, every pound matters.
I don't understand the whole "the government shouldn't raise kids" argument here. Basically, what the government is doing is give MORE control to parents. Yes, we should all know what our kids are doing, but we should also have standards as to what the rest of the world can sell out kids when we aren't there. My folks let me have a beer every so often when I was a teen, but weren't outraged that it was illegal for Safeway to sell me beer. If you are an adult, this bill has no bearing on you whatsoever. If you are a parent, it means you KNOW some doofus at Best Buy isn't going to sell JR a game you don't want him to have. If you think your kid can handle it, get him the game.
I don't know if this bill is really needed, but the point of it is that the government is allowing parents more choice in what their kids can play.
Even if we had a army of rovers produced with the latest gear, they aren't going to fling themselves into orbit. Here's some news - getting stuff into space is expensive. Getting it to Mars is still more expensive. Getting to LEO costs thousands of dollars a pound. Unless we mass produce these things ON MARS, it is going to be expensive regardless of whether 2 or 200 are produced.
While Microsoft will benefit from having the 360 in the public eye for a bit before they release it, if the games suck, it will not help. Microsoft isn't just competing with the other console makers here, they are trying to get folks that JUST purchased an orginal Xbox to buy a new version.
I have to believe this will increase the "cool factor" for the box and is probably a smart move. But, it could also be a bit risky.
I realize you are joking, but it does bring up an interesting thought - does Jack Thomson own stock in EA or Take Two? For all the noise he makes about video games, he probably gives Rockstar, EA and Take Two more free publicity than all the nerds in the world put together.
It is not all that uncommon to find metorites on Earth which originated on Mars. ALH84001 is a famous example - it was the rock that NASA claimed might have had evidence of microscopic life. The question if life could survive the journey is not known.
Slashdot Mirror
HDTV may be much better, but how many of either care or can tell the difference? In addition, HDTV sets themselves are expensive and you pretty much need a set top box from the cable company to take advantage of HD programming - adding to the cost. Regular TV is good enough for most folks, at least until their current TV dies or HD distribution comes down in price.
Of course, were I to have an HDTV, I'd really want to have a console that could take advantage of it.
I remember playing as Germany in Civ III and getting the panzer. Excited that I had a special unit that was a tank, I invaded the country next door. Problem was they were the Aztecs and despite not even having riflemen, they kicked my ass. One jaguar warrior beat back FOUR of my panzers. I quit the game and deinstalled right then.
Can we all stop with the "bzt" bullshit right now?!? If you were to tell me this in a real discussion I'd beat the living shit out of you! If you have a point to make other than that you have a very, very small dick and a fragile ego, just say you disagree.
A great example of this is Civ IV. We get Leonard Nemoy doing voice work, a special soundtrack, Sid Mier doing a walk through, etc. Does it make the game itself better? No! I could give a shit if Spock tells me what tech I've just discovered!
I wonder how much of the ~$50 cost of the game goes to paying for the fluff?
Do you think the execs at IBM and ATI are drooling idiots? Do you think MS execs have some kind of Jedi Mind Powers? IBM and ATI are also in business to make a profit and would not sell parts to anyone unless they were getting something out of it as well. Does it cost the same for me to purchase 100 of the triple core PowerPC chips as it does MS - hell no. So, yes, they are getting a discount, but the suppliers can't sell their products at a loss - they don't get cash for each game sold, or money from Live subscriptions.
Yes. Microsoft would much rather take a $126 loss on a sold Xbox than a $470 loss on one gathering dust.
Except that Slashdot has spent the last two weeks posting every Xbox 360 hype story out there. The 360 is a topic that readers here are interested in and you can't ignore the good stuff becasue they publish one bad story.
They will do the same thing for the other consoles as well.
I really hope Insult the Comic Dog showed up at an Xbox360 line with a video camera...
I would think the faster MS can produce the 360, the better for them. If you have 4 million 360s out in the wild, that is more potential customers for games, Live subscriptions, etc.
If they are slowing production to create a frenzy, it seems very silly to me. If folks have to spend $400 more on EBay than they would at Wal-Mart, that's $400 potentially less dollars going to MS.
I think this is what most people miss about music - especially new music. The consumers of new "cool" music don't really care if it is priced at $0.99 or $4.99, they are consuming it to be cool. People spend hundred of dollars on jeans, just because they are cool, they'll spend a few extra bucks to buy the next big song.
NBC can barely get folks to watch its shows for free, so now they are going to charge for a version that expires? I assume this would be more aimed at the Universal Studios titles...
Starbucks may not be perfect, but they've brought the standards of American coffee up considerably. It used to be that you had to live in a major city (or a place that grew coffee) to get decent stuff. Now, every place in America has a Starbucks and it has brought at least some appreciation for better coffee. Nonetheless, their staight coffee is just ok, their straight espresso drinks are good, but their other stuff is like something from Dairy Queen.
The same thinking applies to sports and sports broadcasting especially. Watch the World Series on Fox and they do EVERYTHING they can to draw in the non-fan. And, in the process piss off the real fans who just want to watch.
The basic point is that where money and entertainment is concerned, either you are a gamer/fan/watcher or you are not. If you are, they (EA/Fox) know they "have" you and are focused on getting the attention of the people who aren't watching or playing.
While MS may take a significant loss on each console, they stil want to sell as many as possible. Think about it - they lose money on the console but make it back on the games. If you want the games to sell, you need to have plenty of consoles out there, or the games aren't going to move. Say what you will about MS and their hype machine, but the NEED to sell lots of 360s.
I own a million dollar home, my wife and I both make six figure incomes - we're not rich, but we have a bit of disposable income. HDTV is about 50 spots down on out list of things to buy. I will not pay thousands of dollars for a TV, especially when I have to turn around and pay extra just to get content that takes advantage of the better picture. I'm happy for you that a) you have a few thousand dollars to spend and b) that having a cleaner picture is worth it to you...
"The argument about MMORPGs all drawing from the same pool of customers and simply trading them around in accordance with the latest fads is, and has been known to be for some time, complete and utter rubbish."
While you make a good point, bear in mind that MMORPG's suffer from a couple of problems when it comes to drawing really huge audiences. First, there is the issue of time and level of commitment - most MMOs require both. Second, there is the "culture" of online game in general that isn't terribly condusive to causual gamers. Third, there is the issue of cost.
Time is critical for many of us. If a game takes weeks to get into or to develop skills for, it eliminates a big percentage of potential customers. Single player games with long game cycles are ok, because you can save and play at your own pace. MMOs don't seem to always work that way.
Read some of the posts about WoW on this board and you'll see that there is a language and culture that develops around the games. Sometimes this can seem indecipherable. Coupled with the time factor, causual gamers may say no thanks.
It costs money to play MMOs. You need a decent computer, an internet connection and to buy the game. Then you have to pay the montly fee for some of them. While the games provide hours of entertainment for your money, the upfront costs are somewhat high.
Don't forget that Sony is using the PS3 to push Blu-ray. Sony Pictures has a huge vault of movies they'd like us to buy again, this time on Blu-ray. If they get folks to buy a PS3, those folks will buy blu-ray movies as well.
The argument Microsoft is using is the same one they always use - decoupling X will make Windows unstable. Removing IM from the OS will make the OS unstable? What kind of crap is that? Microsoft is clearly using their monopoly position in the OS market to cram non-OS software down out throats. Glad the Koreans are calling them on it.
For those people that live in apartments in urban areas, flat screen TVs make perfect sense. If you are paying thousands for an apartment that is less than 1000 square feet, every square foot matters. If you live in a walkup, every pound matters.
I don't understand the whole "the government shouldn't raise kids" argument here. Basically, what the government is doing is give MORE control to parents. Yes, we should all know what our kids are doing, but we should also have standards as to what the rest of the world can sell out kids when we aren't there. My folks let me have a beer every so often when I was a teen, but weren't outraged that it was illegal for Safeway to sell me beer. If you are an adult, this bill has no bearing on you whatsoever. If you are a parent, it means you KNOW some doofus at Best Buy isn't going to sell JR a game you don't want him to have. If you think your kid can handle it, get him the game.
I don't know if this bill is really needed, but the point of it is that the government is allowing parents more choice in what their kids can play.
Even if we had a army of rovers produced with the latest gear, they aren't going to fling themselves into orbit. Here's some news - getting stuff into space is expensive. Getting it to Mars is still more expensive. Getting to LEO costs thousands of dollars a pound. Unless we mass produce these things ON MARS, it is going to be expensive regardless of whether 2 or 200 are produced.
While Microsoft will benefit from having the 360 in the public eye for a bit before they release it, if the games suck, it will not help. Microsoft isn't just competing with the other console makers here, they are trying to get folks that JUST purchased an orginal Xbox to buy a new version.
I have to believe this will increase the "cool factor" for the box and is probably a smart move. But, it could also be a bit risky.
I realize you are joking, but it does bring up an interesting thought - does Jack Thomson own stock in EA or Take Two? For all the noise he makes about video games, he probably gives Rockstar, EA and Take Two more free publicity than all the nerds in the world put together.
It is not all that uncommon to find metorites on Earth which originated on Mars. ALH84001 is a famous example - it was the rock that NASA claimed might have had evidence of microscopic life. The question if life could survive the journey is not known.
I believe Io, Jupiter's moon is volcanic, but without tectonic plates.