The only people making income are the land barons who buy up huge sims (servers) then sell off the land.
Phht. Hardly. I've made over US$5k in SL in the last year by developing and marketing unique content. A few women have quit their day jobs and work from home, living on income made by virtual clothing sales in SL. There are infinite business opportunities there for the creative and hard-working.
The real value of SL is the opportunity to explore your creativity -- but the business end of things is absolutely doable with very little upfront cost if you have the discipline to take a solid, business-minded approach to it. I think I used about US$75 total in upfront investment to get my business on solid footing initially. Since then, SL has paid for itself plus a good deal of my bills each month. That was a god-send while I was still in college.
I'm not.... From what I've been shown by my friend who is, people just have big virtual orgies there... Does a game really need the ability to customize your character's dick size?
Genitalia is not an included feature of Second Life's character models. Genitalia are created, scripted and sold by residents who don't mind making a buck on the more prurient interests in-world.
I think you'd better take a closer look at Second Life, though. There's a whole lot more to it than what you're describing. I've been a resident for eight months and that sort of thing isn't a scene I ever see. Then again, I spend my time mainly on product development in-world, so I guess I don't "get out" much!:D
btw, here is my latest product. The stories are true, too. You can make real money.:D
The idea that a $500 prize "is not worth it" for the time and effort put into the creation of a game just made me cackle.
As a Second Life resident since August, I can easily say it's the most fun online experience I've ever had. But, I'm a creative guy. Only creative and imaginative people will really get the most from their Second Life -- others would prefer to let other people create their worlds for them.
The point of this developer competition is to take some of the already talented and creative folk in-game and give them an opportunity to make a career-changing contribution. Second Life is a hobby for folks who love to make their dreams a reality and those folks have gotten pretty darned good at it. It's not "work" it's play. Many people are creating games in SL for fun anyway. Linden Lab contributing a nice fat pot is just a bonus.
Also, some correction to other ill-informed remarks:
Second Life is not a subscription service. Using SL costs just a one time fee of ten bucks for life. If you'd like to own land in the game, you pay a maintenance fee monthly, but it isn't required for maximum enjoyment of the game and not everyone is a landholder.
The submitter is feigning dramatic ignorance in the hope of generating controversy and attention, methinks.
This will be covered over and over again, but I'm going to try and be concise:
When you code a brand new engine from scratch, it's not an expansion. Expansions are add-ins for existing engines. 'kay?
While I appreciate the edgy tone of effective PR, I do hope that cyrus_zuo understands that his mischaracterization erodes his credibility as any sort of authority on gaming.
I love Halo 2, but there are many accurate gripes you can offer toward it:
- Unsatisfying ending - Repetitious single player action - Microsoft is evil
I could go on. Over-zealous "indie" people are bitter and angry in any case. The snarky is to be expected.
I enjoy hearing other people say "it just works," mainly because this is my main mode of praise for my G5 system.
When I'm using my XP laptop, I can't help shake the feeling that the OS wasn't designed for... well, me. It seems to have been designed for itself. Functions like networking are annoyingly cryptic but only because XP feels like a know-it-all that assumes you know exactly as much as it does at any given moment. Even making those stupid, egregiously annoying bubbles that pop up in the corner requires editing the registry and rebooting. XP is a brat.
OS X doesn't feel like that. It has a very sophisticated feature set as well as innumerable user-specifiable options that range from networking settings to desktop pictures and screensavers. Every last tweakable on my machine is laid out in a very clear and logical fashion and making changes is an exercise in reason -- not the guesswork and prayer that have marked my XP experiences.
Perhaps the best indication of OS X's effectiveness is the built-in Find tool. Invoking a single keystroke brings you to a powerful, logic-based search tool that can be customized quickly. Don't get me started on the mental retardation that was requisite in designing XP's search interface and that necessitates using Google Desktop on every installation.
No, TV is not subscription too. The broadcast networks can be picked up by anyone with a brain and a half-functioning set -- including children.
Premium cable services like Cinemax and HBO require considerable effort to procure, thus cursing and even softcore smut is permissable on these services. Just like satellite. If Satellite could be censored, you could say goodbye to The Sopranos' 2006 season, among many other shows with content and dialogue that might be "questionable." Hurrah for the FCC.
I never had any of the disdain that seems to paint your detractors, Wil, yet I also never found myself admiring you until I began to read your blog.
What has your newfound share of fans and admirers taught you? Was it always your intention to, via the internet, change people's minds about who you are and what you've been trying to accomplish?
Unlike with software the UCC applies to this since it can be considered a 'good' so you should look up the UCC sometime and see what it says about warranties. Also if the issue is a deffect in the product that the company knows of it gets even more complicated.
Well-said. I think the crux of any legal finding would be that Microsoft knew that the issue existed (even if after release) but persisted in selling the Xbox.
It's not uncommon for a manufacturer to stand firmly beside their product, despite its out-of-warranty status. We see at least one or two times a year a Slashdot story about Apple issuing free repairs for their out-of-warranty laptops when it becomes clear that some poor engineering is leaving people with expensive paper weights.
There's no excuse for the numbers we're seeing. It's so bad that it was one of three issues specifically mentioned at Bungie.net when people couldn't play Halo 2 -- they blamed the hardware, too.
It's called qualification. You get good at feeling out a customer. Here's the basics:
Since the items were kept in the back, the customer had to ask you to get them.
"Can I get an Xbox?" "Oh sure, I'll check and see if we have any. Did you know we have a replacement plan that will get you a new one if anything goes wrong with it?" "No, I'm not really interested in that. I just want the system." "Oh, okay. By the way, did you need any extra controllers with that? Maybe a monster cable to hook it up to your TV for better quality?" "I don't WANT any of that stuff. Just give me the system please." "Sure! Let me go check."
At this point, the product specialist goes into the warehouse, glances at a full shelf of Xboxes, and chats with the inventory personnel about women and movies. After a moment, he returns to the sales floor.
"Aww, I'm so sorry. It looks like we're out of stock on the Xbox! You might want to check with the other store. Or try back next week!"
I kid you not. This happened day after day that sad Christmas. By Christmas Eve I was fed up and started releasing game systems to anyone who asked, nuts to my management. I felt bad for those folks and their kids, denied Xboxes only because they couldn't afford more than the bare minimum.
I worked for Best Buy for two years. One of those years, Xbox and GameCube came out.
Unless customers were willing to buy the replacement plan and a bunch of accessories, I was to pretend that the store was out of stock of the game systems.
This during the Christmas season. A stockroom filled to the brim with game systems and we weren't to sell unless our customers could afford a significant amount of stuff to go with them.
The sad thing was, there were times when all we were stocking was the consoles themselves -- the extra controllers, cables and other stuff was backordered.
This during the Christmas season.
Best Buy is a contemptible company, where customer service is concerned. I was forced to pretend we were out of stock on many things over the course of employment, when customers didn't want to buy the extras, but the most deplorable example of this has to be the console story.
The Ohio AG shouldn't be the only one investigating this company. Scores of employees, former and present, can attest to the near criminal rate of deception with regard to policies and service plans.
Has Real Networks considered that they might help their image by placing a clear and explicit link to the free version of their player right on their main page? Dark gray on black or light gray on white, all in 5 point text: does Real acknowledge that it is almost impossible to win this Easter Egg hunt?
The fellow you're replying to was using sarcasm. You, apparently, don't have "basic" link-clicking skills. It was a joke, referring to an episode in which a consumer is almost escorted from Taco Bell for attempting to pass a two dollar bill.
Whoever modded this genius insightful needs to be shot into the sun along with him.
The author mentioned the 10.3 build OS News had access to, which is build 7B85. 7B85, according to the rumor sites and, in fact, plenty of good authority, is the gold master build of Mac OS X 10.3 so it's more than appropriate to accept the author's account at face value. Unless Apple wants to throw out a whole production run of 10.3 install CD's, we won't be seeing much difference between the reviewed OS and the shipped OS.
They'll cut costs in a sector that the public doesn't access by intelligent logistics management of shipping containers and palletes and such. Big deal.
Wal-Mart sucks anyway. If you're buying clothes there, you're an animal who deserves to be tagged and observed.
Slashdot Mirror
The only people making income are the land barons who buy up huge sims (servers) then sell off the land.
Phht. Hardly. I've made over US$5k in SL in the last year by developing and marketing unique content. A few women have quit their day jobs and work from home, living on income made by virtual clothing sales in SL. There are infinite business opportunities there for the creative and hard-working.
The real value of SL is the opportunity to explore your creativity -- but the business end of things is absolutely doable with very little upfront cost if you have the discipline to take a solid, business-minded approach to it. I think I used about US$75 total in upfront investment to get my business on solid footing initially. Since then, SL has paid for itself plus a good deal of my bills each month. That was a god-send while I was still in college.
Send Enabran Templar an IM saying "porcine masterpiece" once you get in-world. I'll hook you up with my robot avatar. Definitely isn't shit. :)
I'm not.... From what I've been shown by my friend who is, people just have big virtual orgies there... Does a game really need the ability to customize your character's dick size?
:D
:D
Genitalia is not an included feature of Second Life's character models. Genitalia are created, scripted and sold by residents who don't mind making a buck on the more prurient interests in-world.
I think you'd better take a closer look at Second Life, though. There's a whole lot more to it than what you're describing. I've been a resident for eight months and that sort of thing isn't a scene I ever see. Then again, I spend my time mainly on product development in-world, so I guess I don't "get out" much!
btw, here is my latest product. The stories are true, too. You can make real money.
Obviously you're not a resident. We already have advertisements all over the place. :)
OMFG, please post pictures of these crates!
The idea that a $500 prize "is not worth it" for the time and effort put into the creation of a game just made me cackle.
As a Second Life resident since August, I can easily say it's the most fun online experience I've ever had. But, I'm a creative guy. Only creative and imaginative people will really get the most from their Second Life -- others would prefer to let other people create their worlds for them.
The point of this developer competition is to take some of the already talented and creative folk in-game and give them an opportunity to make a career-changing contribution. Second Life is a hobby for folks who love to make their dreams a reality and those folks have gotten pretty darned good at it. It's not "work" it's play. Many people are creating games in SL for fun anyway. Linden Lab contributing a nice fat pot is just a bonus.
Also, some correction to other ill-informed remarks:
Second Life is not a subscription service. Using SL costs just a one time fee of ten bucks for life. If you'd like to own land in the game, you pay a maintenance fee monthly, but it isn't required for maximum enjoyment of the game and not everyone is a landholder.
The submitter is feigning dramatic ignorance in the hope of generating controversy and attention, methinks.
This will be covered over and over again, but I'm going to try and be concise:
When you code a brand new engine from scratch, it's not an expansion. Expansions are add-ins for existing engines. 'kay?
While I appreciate the edgy tone of effective PR, I do hope that cyrus_zuo understands that his mischaracterization erodes his credibility as any sort of authority on gaming.
I love Halo 2, but there are many accurate gripes you can offer toward it:
- Unsatisfying ending
- Repetitious single player action
- Microsoft is evil
I could go on. Over-zealous "indie" people are bitter and angry in any case. The snarky is to be expected.
I enjoy hearing other people say "it just works," mainly because this is my main mode of praise for my G5 system.
When I'm using my XP laptop, I can't help shake the feeling that the OS wasn't designed for... well, me. It seems to have been designed for itself. Functions like networking are annoyingly cryptic but only because XP feels like a know-it-all that assumes you know exactly as much as it does at any given moment. Even making those stupid, egregiously annoying bubbles that pop up in the corner requires editing the registry and rebooting. XP is a brat.
OS X doesn't feel like that. It has a very sophisticated feature set as well as innumerable user-specifiable options that range from networking settings to desktop pictures and screensavers. Every last tweakable on my machine is laid out in a very clear and logical fashion and making changes is an exercise in reason -- not the guesswork and prayer that have marked my XP experiences.
Perhaps the best indication of OS X's effectiveness is the built-in Find tool. Invoking a single keystroke brings you to a powerful, logic-based search tool that can be customized quickly. Don't get me started on the mental retardation that was requisite in designing XP's search interface and that necessitates using Google Desktop on every installation.
Like I said. It just works.
No, TV is not subscription too. The broadcast networks can be picked up by anyone with a brain and a half-functioning set -- including children.
Premium cable services like Cinemax and HBO require considerable effort to procure, thus cursing and even softcore smut is permissable on these services. Just like satellite. If Satellite could be censored, you could say goodbye to The Sopranos' 2006 season, among many other shows with content and dialogue that might be "questionable." Hurrah for the FCC.
This time.
OMFG, no kidding! Video Toaster is... Well, I've got my AS in Film and I'm seeking a BS in Entertainment Business, so, wow. I'm doubly impressed.
Wil Wheaton rocks!
I never had any of the disdain that seems to paint your detractors, Wil, yet I also never found myself admiring you until I began to read your blog.
What has your newfound share of fans and admirers taught you? Was it always your intention to, via the internet, change people's minds about who you are and what you've been trying to accomplish?
(Opening Credits Roll)
Warner Bros. Pictures presents
A Film by Ridley Scott
Halo: The--
DISC READ ERROR
The Movie Projector could not read your disc. It may be dirty or damaged. Please remove the disc to continue.
I'm pretty sure the site will only work if you follow its instructions to call Microsoft and then file the BBB complaint.
Well-said. I think the crux of any legal finding would be that Microsoft knew that the issue existed (even if after release) but persisted in selling the Xbox.
It's not uncommon for a manufacturer to stand firmly beside their product, despite its out-of-warranty status. We see at least one or two times a year a Slashdot story about Apple issuing free repairs for their out-of-warranty laptops when it becomes clear that some poor engineering is leaving people with expensive paper weights.
There's no excuse for the numbers we're seeing. It's so bad that it was one of three issues specifically mentioned at Bungie.net when people couldn't play Halo 2 -- they blamed the hardware, too.
It's called qualification. You get good at feeling out a customer. Here's the basics:
Since the items were kept in the back, the customer had to ask you to get them.
"Can I get an Xbox?"
"Oh sure, I'll check and see if we have any. Did you know we have a replacement plan that will get you a new one if anything goes wrong with it?"
"No, I'm not really interested in that. I just want the system."
"Oh, okay. By the way, did you need any extra controllers with that? Maybe a monster cable to hook it up to your TV for better quality?"
"I don't WANT any of that stuff. Just give me the system please."
"Sure! Let me go check."
At this point, the product specialist goes into the warehouse, glances at a full shelf of Xboxes, and chats with the inventory personnel about women and movies. After a moment, he returns to the sales floor.
"Aww, I'm so sorry. It looks like we're out of stock on the Xbox! You might want to check with the other store. Or try back next week!"
I kid you not. This happened day after day that sad Christmas. By Christmas Eve I was fed up and started releasing game systems to anyone who asked, nuts to my management. I felt bad for those folks and their kids, denied Xboxes only because they couldn't afford more than the bare minimum.
I worked for Best Buy for two years. One of those years, Xbox and GameCube came out.
Unless customers were willing to buy the replacement plan and a bunch of accessories, I was to pretend that the store was out of stock of the game systems.
This during the Christmas season. A stockroom filled to the brim with game systems and we weren't to sell unless our customers could afford a significant amount of stuff to go with them.
The sad thing was, there were times when all we were stocking was the consoles themselves -- the extra controllers, cables and other stuff was backordered.
This during the Christmas season.
Best Buy is a contemptible company, where customer service is concerned. I was forced to pretend we were out of stock on many things over the course of employment, when customers didn't want to buy the extras, but the most deplorable example of this has to be the console story.
The Ohio AG shouldn't be the only one investigating this company. Scores of employees, former and present, can attest to the near criminal rate of deception with regard to policies and service plans.
You were joking when you called it (allcaps) "MAC," right? Didn't know people still did that.
I just wanted to point out that everyone should RTFA.
The last few paragraphs are dedicated to describing the changes that the ESRB ratings brought to Nintendo's practices.
Has Real Networks considered that they might help their image by placing a clear and explicit link to the free version of their player right on their main page? Dark gray on black or light gray on white, all in 5 point text: does Real acknowledge that it is almost impossible to win this Easter Egg hunt?
Are you stupid?
The fellow you're replying to was using sarcasm. You, apparently, don't have "basic" link-clicking skills. It was a joke, referring to an episode in which a consumer is almost escorted from Taco Bell for attempting to pass a two dollar bill.
Whoever modded this genius insightful needs to be shot into the sun along with him.
The author mentioned the 10.3 build OS News had access to, which is build 7B85. 7B85, according to the rumor sites and, in fact, plenty of good authority, is the gold master build of Mac OS X 10.3 so it's more than appropriate to accept the author's account at face value. Unless Apple wants to throw out a whole production run of 10.3 install CD's, we won't be seeing much difference between the reviewed OS and the shipped OS.
They'll cut costs in a sector that the public doesn't access by intelligent logistics management of shipping containers and palletes and such. Big deal.
Wal-Mart sucks anyway. If you're buying clothes there, you're an animal who deserves to be tagged and observed.
First post!
without the mad cheering of a hundred dozen Bungie fanboys.
:D
You could just feel them sitting up and grinning when the Chief commandeered that Ghost.
...that I'll never get laid before age twenty, the Lord hands me proof that there are others worse off.
OMG FIRST POST SO OWNED