While looking at AV receivers and speakers over the last few months, one thing I've seen repeated over, and over again is that THX certification generally isn't worth it. It costs a fair amount to be certified and those costs are passed straight on to the consumer.
Most of these items cost $500.00 and up, and the price is just tacked on. What's this going to do for the cost of games then? Is it going to add $5 to the cost of games to cover it? The way they seem to be certifying, perhaps it's a one off cost for the studio. But honestly, the vast majority of people don't have cool sound systems attached to their computers. Perhaps the games industry is trying to change that?
Isn't one of the technologies that Carmack wants to push with Doom 3, surround sound?
I think the strong sales of Soul Calibur 2 on the GameCube despite the existance of an Xbox version will show third parties that GameCube titles will sell well when there is a reason to buy them. So far most of what the Xbox and GameCube get for third-party titles are warmed-over PS2 ports. Nintendo is trying to bump up the third-party exclusives because they know that people won't buy those titles in any noticable quantity because of the widely-held belief that, "the Xbox version is always better."
Or perhaps it's because there's a lack of top-notch fighting games on the Cube, while the XBox has (for example), Dead or Alive 3? What it says to me is that Cube owners want a fighting game that can hold its own and XBox owners can go elsewhere for their fighting fix. While I haven't looked, I'm sure you can get DOA3 for bargain bin prices. Take a look at 9+ ratings for the Cube on IGN. The only fighting competition is Super Smash Bros. Certainly not everyone's idea of a fighting game.
Actually, since they use RenderWare, porting isn't such a big issue. It is more the "per$on with the bigge$t pur$e" as you put it. As for losing money from bundling, perhaps they figure that they'll shift more units with the bundle than they would otherwise. Let's face it, even at the cost of a full, new game, it's a pretty sweet bundle. I'd certainly get it if I had an XBox.
Yes, there are a few applications, but they pretty much are not even fun toys.
A company I used to work for did 3D building visualisations. They had one customer stand on his building site and email them pictures straight from the phone. In virtually no time (I'm guessing an hour?), they'd incorporated those pictures into his mock-up. So there was his building with a reasonably accurate background picture. Tres cool.
So even the current phone cameras can be really useful little devices.
They surely didn't design the PS1 chip. That was a MIPS processor (see here. I doubt they would have built it themselves either - why bother when they're being manufactured anyway (though I realise they certainly have the infrastructure to do so).
While you mention that they have to share the profits, that also means they have to bear the cost of development. That said, they do have the infrastructure. We know they can do it. Who knows, maybe it will turn out that Sony have licensed some IP from nVidia or something. I agree it seems doubtful that Sony would just whack in their chips. Then again, stranger things have happened.
One of the other applications I could see this being really useful is speakers. Light, flexible and strong material - the perfect blend for a speaker. Kevlar is already being used (and boy do those puppies sounds sweet). You've got to admit, it would be an uber-geeky cool thing to have silk cones. I'd even bet it's been done before. But buckets of cheap artificial silk could be the next big thing.
While I do think they have a large degree of brand-name recognition, it would typically be with the console crowd where the only knowledge they might have is that their chips were used in the XBox, and perhaps that you put them in those fancy desktop PC thingies. Also, while they have the GPU and a chipset, there's a fair bit more they'd have to worry about that they have no experience with as a company such as storage and controllers.
Could you really expect the company that bought you the beast known as the GeForce FX5800 to design a controller for the masses? Did you see the size of that thing?
Consider what it takes to get into the console market. Who are the two companies that have managed to enter the console market 'late': Sony and Microsoft. They've got more than a few pennies to rub together. They can afford to sink money into a 5 year project with a fair chance of failure. Microsoft committed to a XBox 2 before the XBox was even released. They know they have to slug away at the problem to make it work - and they can afford to lose. nVidia on the other hand, does not have the resources to attack such a monumental task.
That said, I'd love to see what they'd come up with.
"...as you get into the game, you don't have to repeat a mission you get stuck on, you can carry on playing through the game, which gives you more of an ability to play through - you can always go back and try that mission again later."
I'm so glad it's theoretically impossible to make a processor above 300Mhz. How does it go again: "In theory there's no difference between theory and practise, in practise, there is."
Don't be stupid. Everyone knows proselytize means To induce someone to join one's own political party or to espouse one's doctrine.
You're not meaning to say you had to go to a web site to look it up and copy the definition into a post you're making about someone joking about you needing to look it up are you?
A nice little Motorola. Put through the wash once (I'm sure I'm not the first that's happened to), but it survived. About a month later, I could no longer SMS text - only numbers. I'm not sure if that was related to the wash incident.
A few months after that, I was stupid and drunk enough to lend the phone to a friend who was drunk and stupid enough to have lost one phone that night already. He managed to get his back the next day.
I can't claim to really miss my old phone that much. If someone needs to contact me in reasonable hours, I'll be at my office phone or there'll be someone there to take a message. If I'm at home, likewise. Remember when life was simple?
Well first thing I should say is that I used to work for ViewBuild. That said, ViewBuild is an ass-kicking piece of software for whipping up designs fast.
It doesn't do the floor plans - yet. Since it's very plug-in friendly (everything down to the "Quit" menu option is a plugin - though they're packaged away), I'm sure the guys are working on it. Since this is Slashdot, many of you may be keen to know that it uses Python as a scripting language.
The main focus of ViewBuild is getting a design up as quickly as possible, and be walking around it and editing it as fast as your machine can push it. Some of the stuff people have been building in it is just incredible. It's a lot faster than traditional CAD packages. The difference is that it isn't focused on accuracy. It's more like a drawing package where you're more concerned about how it looks than if two sections are lined up at 60 degrees and are 6.225 feet long.
It has a few geek-cool features as well, though I don't know what made it into the final package. Multiuser mode was really cool. We had a whole group of people wandering around editing the same building.
Python scripting rocked. You could build a plug-in in no time.
It really pushed the graphics hardware. We used OpenGL, and made things really fast.
They sure do know how to make a decent game. I recently borrowed a GameCube of a friend (mine's a PS1). Two of the games I got with it were Super Monkey Ball and Mario Party. I'm a gamer through-and-through, but my girlfriend is not.
Enter SMB: Girlfriend: Can we play some more SMB? Me: Sure, but do you want to try MP? Girlfriend: No, let's just play some more SMB. After convincing her to play a round of MP: Girlfriend: Hey, that was pretty fun. Let's play that again. Me: Sweeeeeet
So after thinking about updating the PS1 for a while, after 2 days of a GameCube, GF says 'Let's get a GameCube.' Suddenly that PS2 and Xbox have just slipped out of my mind.
Sure the PS2 may have the sheer number of games, and the Xbox may be able to show off my shiny Home Theatre gear, but the GameCube has games that me and my friends want to play the most.
Now, if I could only convince her of just how good a game Metroid is...
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, but that's not as funny. :-)
But what kind of self-respecting pot smoker is going to throw out part of his stash!
Kids today...
While looking at AV receivers and speakers over the last few months, one thing I've seen repeated over, and over again is that THX certification generally isn't worth it. It costs a fair amount to be certified and those costs are passed straight on to the consumer.
Most of these items cost $500.00 and up, and the price is just tacked on. What's this going to do for the cost of games then? Is it going to add $5 to the cost of games to cover it? The way they seem to be certifying, perhaps it's a one off cost for the studio. But honestly, the vast majority of people don't have cool sound systems attached to their computers. Perhaps the games industry is trying to change that?
Isn't one of the technologies that Carmack wants to push with Doom 3, surround sound?
Plus the screen update are really, really slow, thus making most FPS games intolerable.
I prefer to call them 'stylized'.
I think the strong sales of Soul Calibur 2 on the GameCube despite the existance of an Xbox version will show third parties that GameCube titles will sell well when there is a reason to buy them. So far most of what the Xbox and GameCube get for third-party titles are warmed-over PS2 ports. Nintendo is trying to bump up the third-party exclusives because they know that people won't buy those titles in any noticable quantity because of the widely-held belief that, "the Xbox version is always better."
Or perhaps it's because there's a lack of top-notch fighting games on the Cube, while the XBox has (for example), Dead or Alive 3? What it says to me is that Cube owners want a fighting game that can hold its own and XBox owners can go elsewhere for their fighting fix. While I haven't looked, I'm sure you can get DOA3 for bargain bin prices. Take a look at 9+ ratings for the Cube on IGN. The only fighting competition is Super Smash Bros. Certainly not everyone's idea of a fighting game.
Actually, since they use RenderWare, porting isn't such a big issue. It is more the "per$on with the bigge$t pur$e" as you put it. As for losing money from bundling, perhaps they figure that they'll shift more units with the bundle than they would otherwise. Let's face it, even at the cost of a full, new game, it's a pretty sweet bundle. I'd certainly get it if I had an XBox.
The vice of punning is a terrible vice indeed. There's no vice versa.
Yes, there are a few applications, but they pretty much are not even fun toys.
A company I used to work for did 3D building visualisations. They had one customer stand on his building site and email them pictures straight from the phone. In virtually no time (I'm guessing an hour?), they'd incorporated those pictures into his mock-up. So there was his building with a reasonably accurate background picture. Tres cool.
So even the current phone cameras can be really useful little devices.
They surely didn't design the PS1 chip. That was a MIPS processor (see here. I doubt they would have built it themselves either - why bother when they're being manufactured anyway (though I realise they certainly have the infrastructure to do so).
While you mention that they have to share the profits, that also means they have to bear the cost of development. That said, they do have the infrastructure. We know they can do it. Who knows, maybe it will turn out that Sony have licensed some IP from nVidia or something. I agree it seems doubtful that Sony would just whack in their chips. Then again, stranger things have happened.
One of the other applications I could see this being really useful is speakers. Light, flexible and strong material - the perfect blend for a speaker. Kevlar is already being used (and boy do those puppies sounds sweet). You've got to admit, it would be an uber-geeky cool thing to have silk cones. I'd even bet it's been done before. But buckets of cheap artificial silk could be the next big thing.
While I do think they have a large degree of brand-name recognition, it would typically be with the console crowd where the only knowledge they might have is that their chips were used in the XBox, and perhaps that you put them in those fancy desktop PC thingies. Also, while they have the GPU and a chipset, there's a fair bit more they'd have to worry about that they have no experience with as a company such as storage and controllers.
Could you really expect the company that bought you the beast known as the GeForce FX5800 to design a controller for the masses? Did you see the size of that thing?
Consider what it takes to get into the console market. Who are the two companies that have managed to enter the console market 'late': Sony and Microsoft. They've got more than a few pennies to rub together. They can afford to sink money into a 5 year project with a fair chance of failure. Microsoft committed to a XBox 2 before the XBox was even released. They know they have to slug away at the problem to make it work - and they can afford to lose. nVidia on the other hand, does not have the resources to attack such a monumental task.
That said, I'd love to see what they'd come up with.
Ever had weird problems with a FastTrack TX2000?
No, but I have had weird problems with a T-1000 a few times.
"...as you get into the game, you don't have to repeat a mission you get stuck on, you can carry on playing through the game, which gives you more of an ability to play through - you can always go back and try that mission again later."
You mean like GTA3?
I'm so glad it's theoretically impossible to make a processor above 300Mhz. How does it go again: "In theory there's no difference between theory and practise, in practise, there is."
'Overlords'... Yeah, you're right - I'm not laughing.
There's a discussion going on flipCode about Buddhist Concepts in games.
Don't be stupid. Everyone knows proselytize means To induce someone to join one's own political party or to espouse one's doctrine.
You're not meaning to say you had to go to a web site to look it up and copy the definition into a post you're making about someone joking about you needing to look it up are you?
Once again, nature outdoes our best attempts at copying it.
A nice little Motorola. Put through the wash once (I'm sure I'm not the first that's happened to), but it survived. About a month later, I could no longer SMS text - only numbers. I'm not sure if that was related to the wash incident.
A few months after that, I was stupid and drunk enough to lend the phone to a friend who was drunk and stupid enough to have lost one phone that night already. He managed to get his back the next day.
I can't claim to really miss my old phone that much. If someone needs to contact me in reasonable hours, I'll be at my office phone or there'll be someone there to take a message. If I'm at home, likewise. Remember when life was simple?
Daikatana didn't do too badly on pre-orders either...
You'd be a sore loser too if your operating system was dying ;-)
Damn. Second link meant to be this one.
So he's the one to blame for all that! :-)
Well first thing I should say is that I used to work for ViewBuild. That said, ViewBuild is an ass-kicking piece of software for whipping up designs fast.
It doesn't do the floor plans - yet. Since it's very plug-in friendly (everything down to the "Quit" menu option is a plugin - though they're packaged away), I'm sure the guys are working on it. Since this is Slashdot, many of you may be keen to know that it uses Python as a scripting language.
The main focus of ViewBuild is getting a design up as quickly as possible, and be walking around it and editing it as fast as your machine can push it. Some of the stuff people have been building in it is just incredible. It's a lot faster than traditional CAD packages. The difference is that it isn't focused on accuracy. It's more like a drawing package where you're more concerned about how it looks than if two sections are lined up at 60 degrees and are 6.225 feet long.
It has a few geek-cool features as well, though I don't know what made it into the final package. Multiuser mode was really cool. We had a whole group of people wandering around editing the same building.
Python scripting rocked. You could build a plug-in in no time.
It really pushed the graphics hardware. We used OpenGL, and made things really fast.
So, my (probably biased) vote goes to ViewBuild.
They sure do know how to make a decent game. I recently borrowed a GameCube of a friend (mine's a PS1). Two of the games I got with it were Super Monkey Ball and Mario Party. I'm a gamer through-and-through, but my girlfriend is not.
Enter SMB:
Girlfriend: Can we play some more SMB?
Me: Sure, but do you want to try MP?
Girlfriend: No, let's just play some more SMB.
After convincing her to play a round of MP:
Girlfriend: Hey, that was pretty fun. Let's play that again.
Me: Sweeeeeet
So after thinking about updating the PS1 for a while, after 2 days of a GameCube, GF says 'Let's get a GameCube.' Suddenly that PS2 and Xbox have just slipped out of my mind.
Sure the PS2 may have the sheer number of games, and the Xbox may be able to show off my shiny Home Theatre gear, but the GameCube has games that me and my friends want to play the most.
Now, if I could only convince her of just how good a game Metroid is...