The Phantom Game Service has an unparalleled legacy of boldness, innovation and great opportunities for the online video games market sector...... but that's where it ends unfortunately.
Actually they're happy to give me a job considering that I speak business level Japanese (still far from native level of course) and most younger Japanese people don't want to get on the rush hour train and work full time these days. Many of the Japanese hires they've had have suffered from stress on the job and I seem to be one of the only ones able to hack it.....at least I can go back to Australia with my much-coveted "experience" though if I wanted to... although it seems that the bulk of IT work is not back in Australia anyhow. I know Aussie expats here who came here when they were 21 and stuck it out for 10 years to get amazing jobs here.
As an Australian actually working as an immigrant in IT over in Japan, I think I'd be pretty qualified to answer this one.
Quite frankly, whilst i have been discriminated against in Japan and refused a lot of work for not being Japanese (language issues aside), I actually got an IT job over here with no degree, whereas back home I wouldn't have had a snowballs chance in hell - even with a degree - all citing "lack of experience"
Go figure that one. It seems that foreign workers in Australia all have the magical experience which homegrown uni-trained talent are never given the opportunity to get.
It's cool and all to have a soundtrack, but what about start-up lyrics?
"Wooooo.... Windows has started! Yeahaahhhhhh! owww!"
"Come on! break it down!" - and then it blue screens.
I've always wanted to do a port of VICE that doesn't have to rely on X11. VICE is still pretty much stuck with it, and X runs too slowly on the Sharp Zaurus models to be even barely usable.
You have to keep in mind that there are A LOT of socially inept people in Japan. The thing is that wile there is little crime or conflict in Japanese society - it all happens under the radar. When a Japanese person does not like you, they don't get angry at you and start an argument. Instead, they just shut you out and ignore you. For example:- Two coworkers in my department had a disagreement and instead of work through it like normal adults they sent hate mail to each other whilst they sat quiety in seats next to each other... pretending the other person didn't exist.
The thing is, when the Japanese get pissed, you don't get a second chance - and they get pissed and upset SO easily it is incredibly frustrating. And they will not forgive you. They will just shut you out and pretend that you no longer exist. Problems happens when this happens on a large scale while society is basically stepping on each other - one little tiff and nobody speaks to each other ever again.
A robot is forced to like you, be tolerant of you, do what you want, and keep smiling back. Kinda why English teaching is popular here - not so much for the English but because the Japanese want top learn social interaction skills and the Japanese are too busy ignoring each other to ever develop those.
I think what they're trying to say is that we are addicted to out little electronic gadgets.
(Time for me to get off the computer and go back to having a real life)
Literally speaking, technology has been around since man learned to craft a spear from sticks and flint.
Good point. The only way to compete in the linux market these days is to code the bulk of the source code. Companies that can lay claim to having the technical capacity to understand and implement vast tracts of Linux and other GNU, OSS source code are going to be the most trusted when it comes time to support all that free code.
It should come as no surprise then that RedHat is a leader in this industry. Companies that don't contribute source aren't going to be half as trusted as the industry leaders.
Most games offer really little in the way of long term staying power - and for the price they ask, and for the graphics they get - you're all much better off going to rent a DVD movie.
If games were priced as much as DVDs, things would be different, but as it stands - most of the games coming out are sequels, can be finished very quickly HENCE most people would rather either rent the games or pirate them - JUST LIKE DVD or movie rentals. As long as a game is very linear, and offers ZERO is the way of replayability - it may as well be an interactive movie.
Given the hollywoodization of games these days, this is where the market is heading, yet games companies are still living and pricing like its the 1980s - except new games are double the price now than they were before.
I think I remember reading that Hitachi were going to come out with their perpendicular drives later this year. Perhaps we'll be seeing 1TB drives mid next year...
In any case, the standard iPod's hard drive is going to get a massive increase.
Something that both interfaces really lack are decent help documents from the GUI. I think KDE edges out gonme in this department, but by and large, the help documents on both lack the completeness you would expect. This is not the fault of the GUI's per se, but the fact that X application programmers don't have to make KDE/GNOME help documents - I don't think it's really standardized.
Will the BBSes be upgraded with 33.6 kbps modems? (56 kbps doesn't work if both ends of the connection are residential POTS.)
Haha. No actually the C64 has been capable of broadband internet for quite a while now. The C64 TFE (The Final Ethernet) adapter makes sure of this, although there are other devices to convert a C64's serial communications cart signal into ethernet too.
Contiki is ok as a C64 browser I guess, if you don't mind browsing in 40 columns.
It surely must be a requirement to work at a Japanese company to nitpick over the tiniest of insignificant details anal-retentively. I should know.
And that's why I had a good laugh at this article...., because I'd bet my bento money that Team Ninja debated over the shade of dirt and scuff marks on the Spartan uniform for at least seveal hours, rejecting certain shades at last 7 times before working late into the night until midnight when they could finally decide on the exact pixel outline of the scuff mark on the outfit. Then they went home and had 3 hours sleep in a capsule hotel before coming to work again - only to rechange the exact position and color of the scuff mark for the 12th time before lunch.
Hmm... humans doing unneccessary steps despite their uselessness. Sounds a lot like some of the jobs I am given to do... *ducks*
Vulnerability shoots and scores
on
Nessus 3.0 Released
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
Without trying to sound like spam, we're currently using a vulnerability checking system called "nCircle IP360" (yeah, knock off the Xbox jokes). This thing needs constant updates and upgrades in order to keep track of the numerous vulnerabilities out in the wild. The thing even detects a Commodore 64 with ethernet cartridge as a recognized operating system! It too, gives each server it tests a vulnerability score.
Thing is, when you're talking about constantly updated files for vulnerabilities, we're delving into the realm of virus-scanners and ad-ware scanners. There's gold in those downloadable updates people. Makes sense to me why Nessus is no longer open sourcing their new stuff.
Because then Sony have stuck an extremely powerful computer in the living rooms of millions of people. Granted, they don't need Linux to do this if they have their own custom software - but it would be a major blow to Microsoft in the home. Supposing something like Knoppix for the PS3 was released by SONY - that would really take the sails out of needing a home computer for most people. (Chances are it will be as expensive as a real computer anyway, but I'll wait and see first)
There's no buzz regarding the Xbox360 here in Japan. For every weird Xbox advert which does very little to excite anyone in regards to the games available on it, there are 3 PSP TV adverts with indepth information on the games they are selling for it.
Microsoft also has to fight against the abysmal failure of the original Xbox. What started out as a pile of shelf space for the Xbox has dwindled to near zero - and now the Xbox has to wage war to get that shelf space back.
The launch titles are nothing to write home about either. Microsoft has been showing demos of "Dead and Alive 4" in Akihabara - but really only showing off the graphics - which everyone has already seen before now in the arcades, so it's not so special this time.
There are no quirky Japanese titles either, just very cookie cutter stuff. Ok, maybe there is better content on Xbox live, but how would I know? I can't see Xbox live content in the store. I can't pick it up and play with it there. Microsoft should have increased the game lineup a bit. Even if they have to fill it out with budget, or substandard titles (e.g. Chess or Shogi that uses the full power of the Xbox360 to calculate moves), this would have helped considerably.
With the embedded PS2 fan base holding on to whatever SONY is going to offer, people are going to wait. SONY has a track record of making decent hardware. You have to admit, that with the first Xbox and even now (considering the Xbox360 glitches) Microsoft doesn't have a reputation for hardware. In fact it doesn't have a good reputation for software either, but that's for another flamefest. The Japanese hate things that are done halfway and half efforted without attention to perfection. Microsoft is such a company. Apple, for example, isn't. Nor is Sony's consumer devices division.
All in all, the Xbox360 is just another "me too" from MS, which doesn't really excite anyone here. Time will tell though, but for what's on the Xbox360, there are similar titles on the PS2 - and when the PS3 becomes available - and if it runs Linux, MS is in deep trouble.
Apple has a very good rap in Japan, because they appeal to the Japanese perfectionist "must-be-absolutely-faultless-and-aesthetically-pl easing" mindset.
Something which you can't say about Microsoft. MS could elarn something from Apple about how to do business in Japan.
Slashdot Mirror
...and I wanted to benchmark nuts.wad on it!
The Phantom Game Service has an unparalleled legacy of boldness, innovation and great opportunities for the online video games market sector ... ... but that's where it ends unfortunately.
Actually they're happy to give me a job considering that I speak business level Japanese (still far from native level of course) and most younger Japanese people don't want to get on the rush hour train and work full time these days. ....at least I can go back to Australia with my much-coveted "experience" though if I wanted to... although it seems that the bulk of IT work is not back in Australia anyhow. I know Aussie expats here who came here when they were 21 and stuck it out for 10 years to get amazing jobs here.
Many of the Japanese hires they've had have suffered from stress on the job and I seem to be one of the only ones able to hack it.
As an Australian actually working as an immigrant in IT over in Japan, I think I'd be pretty qualified to answer this one.
Quite frankly, whilst i have been discriminated against in Japan and refused a lot of work for not being Japanese (language issues aside), I actually got an IT job over here with no degree, whereas back home I wouldn't have had a snowballs chance in hell - even with a degree - all citing "lack of experience"
Go figure that one. It seems that foreign workers in Australia all have the magical experience which homegrown uni-trained talent are never given the opportunity to get.
Forget Blu-Ray, Forget HD-DVD.... I'm waiting until that Holographic HVD gets released at it's full 1.whatever TB spec.
It's cool and all to have a soundtrack, but what about start-up lyrics? "Wooooo.... Windows has started! Yeahaahhhhhh! owww!" "Come on! break it down!" - and then it blue screens.
Here comes the return of the Monolithic versus Microkernel debate. *goan*
I've always wanted to do a port of VICE that doesn't have to rely on X11. VICE is still pretty much stuck with it, and X runs too slowly on the Sharp Zaurus models to be even barely usable.
It's not doing too well though....
http://ichiokuenpage.jp/
The password to the WOPR computer in the movie "War Games" was "joshua"
Always amazed me.... what's the friggin' point of having a weak password for a machine capable of controlling nuclear missiles?!?
You have to keep in mind that there are A LOT of socially inept people in Japan. The thing is that wile there is little crime or conflict in Japanese society - it all happens under the radar. When a Japanese person does not like you, they don't get angry at you and start an argument. Instead, they just shut you out and ignore you. For example:- Two coworkers in my department had a disagreement and instead of work through it like normal adults they sent hate mail to each other whilst they sat quiety in seats next to each other... pretending the other person didn't exist.
The thing is, when the Japanese get pissed, you don't get a second chance - and they get pissed and upset SO easily it is incredibly frustrating. And they will not forgive you. They will just shut you out and pretend that you no longer exist. Problems happens when this happens on a large scale while society is basically stepping on each other - one little tiff and nobody speaks to each other ever again.
A robot is forced to like you, be tolerant of you, do what you want, and keep smiling back. Kinda why English teaching is popular here - not so much for the English but because the Japanese want top learn social interaction skills and the Japanese are too busy ignoring each other to ever develop those.
I think what they're trying to say is that we are addicted to out little electronic gadgets. (Time for me to get off the computer and go back to having a real life) Literally speaking, technology has been around since man learned to craft a spear from sticks and flint.
Good point. The only way to compete in the linux market these days is to code the bulk of the source code. Companies that can lay claim to having the technical capacity to understand and implement vast tracts of Linux and other GNU, OSS source code are going to be the most trusted when it comes time to support all that free code.
It should come as no surprise then that RedHat is a leader in this industry. Companies that don't contribute source aren't going to be half as trusted as the industry leaders.
Most games offer really little in the way of long term staying power - and for the price they ask, and for the graphics they get - you're all much better off going to rent a DVD movie.
If games were priced as much as DVDs, things would be different, but as it stands - most of the games coming out are sequels, can be finished very quickly HENCE most people would rather either rent the games or pirate them - JUST LIKE DVD or movie rentals. As long as a game is very linear, and offers ZERO is the way of replayability - it may as well be an interactive movie.
Given the hollywoodization of games these days, this is where the market is heading, yet games companies are still living and pricing like its the 1980s - except new games are double the price now than they were before.
Man, that just list looks just like assembler op-codes for some kind of bizarre processor.
I think I remember reading that Hitachi were going to come out with their perpendicular drives later this year. Perhaps we'll be seeing 1TB drives mid next year...
In any case, the standard iPod's hard drive is going to get a massive increase.
Something that both interfaces really lack are decent help documents from the GUI.
I think KDE edges out gonme in this department, but by and large, the help documents on both lack the completeness you would expect. This is not the fault of the GUI's per se, but the fact that X application programmers don't have to make KDE/GNOME help documents - I don't think it's really standardized.
Will the BBSes be upgraded with 33.6 kbps modems? (56 kbps doesn't work if both ends of the connection are residential POTS.)
Haha. No actually the C64 has been capable of broadband internet for quite a while now. The C64 TFE (The Final Ethernet) adapter makes sure of this, although there are other devices to convert a C64's serial communications cart signal into ethernet too.
Contiki is ok as a C64 browser I guess, if you don't mind browsing in 40 columns.
I got booted from eBay for not paying seller fees on time.
I can no longer buy or sell because I don't have the mark of the beast (well, actually a valid eBay account)
It surely must be a requirement to work at a Japanese company to nitpick over the tiniest of insignificant details anal-retentively. I should know.
And that's why I had a good laugh at this article...., because I'd bet my bento money that Team Ninja debated over the shade of dirt and scuff marks on the Spartan uniform for at least seveal hours, rejecting certain shades at last 7 times before working late into the night until midnight when they could finally decide on the exact pixel outline of the scuff mark on the outfit. Then they went home and had 3 hours sleep in a capsule hotel before coming to work again - only to rechange the exact position and color of the scuff mark for the 12th time before lunch.
Hmm... humans doing unneccessary steps despite their uselessness.
Sounds a lot like some of the jobs I am given to do...
*ducks*
Without trying to sound like spam, we're currently using a vulnerability checking system called "nCircle IP360" (yeah, knock off the Xbox jokes). This thing needs constant updates and upgrades in order to keep track of the numerous vulnerabilities out in the wild. The thing even detects a Commodore 64 with ethernet cartridge as a recognized operating system! It too, gives each server it tests a vulnerability score.
Thing is, when you're talking about constantly updated files for vulnerabilities, we're delving into the realm of virus-scanners and ad-ware scanners. There's gold in those downloadable updates people. Makes sense to me why Nessus is no longer open sourcing their new stuff.
How is MS in deep trouble if it runs Linux?
Because then Sony have stuck an extremely powerful computer in the living rooms of millions of people. Granted, they don't need Linux to do this if they have their own custom software - but it would be a major blow to Microsoft in the home. Supposing something like Knoppix for the PS3 was released by SONY - that would really take the sails out of needing a home computer for most people. (Chances are it will be as expensive as a real computer anyway, but I'll wait and see first)
There's no buzz regarding the Xbox360 here in Japan. For every weird Xbox advert which does very little to excite anyone in regards to the games available on it, there are 3 PSP TV adverts with indepth information on the games they are selling for it.
Microsoft also has to fight against the abysmal failure of the original Xbox. What started out as a pile of shelf space for the Xbox has dwindled to near zero - and now the Xbox has to wage war to get that shelf space back.
The launch titles are nothing to write home about either. Microsoft has been showing demos of "Dead and Alive 4" in Akihabara - but really only showing off the graphics - which everyone has already seen before now in the arcades, so it's not so special this time.
There are no quirky Japanese titles either, just very cookie cutter stuff. Ok, maybe there is better content on Xbox live, but how would I know? I can't see Xbox live content in the store. I can't pick it up and play with it there.
Microsoft should have increased the game lineup a bit. Even if they have to fill it out with budget, or substandard titles (e.g. Chess or Shogi that uses the full power of the Xbox360 to calculate moves), this would have helped considerably.
With the embedded PS2 fan base holding on to whatever SONY is going to offer, people are going to wait. SONY has a track record of making decent hardware. You have to admit, that with the first Xbox and even now (considering the Xbox360 glitches) Microsoft doesn't have a reputation for hardware. In fact it doesn't have a good reputation for software either, but that's for another flamefest.
The Japanese hate things that are done halfway and half efforted without attention to perfection. Microsoft is such a company. Apple, for example, isn't.
Nor is Sony's consumer devices division.
All in all, the Xbox360 is just another "me too" from MS, which doesn't really excite anyone here. Time will tell though, but for what's on the Xbox360, there are similar titles on the PS2 - and when the PS3 becomes available - and if it runs Linux, MS is in deep trouble.
Apple has a very good rap in Japan, because they appeal to the Japanese perfectionist "must-be-absolutely-faultless-and-aesthetically-pl easing" mindset.
Something which you can't say about Microsoft. MS could elarn something from Apple about how to do business in Japan.