And that same page also says "An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a pastime: party games; word games." as the main definition. Most words have dozens of definitions, but it appears the main definition of game means something of entertainment or amusement. I've never played either of these games, but they sound damn fun. I will admit some of my comments may have been ignorant (Since I have no idea how Electroplankton works), but in general, they are still games. And games are often considered toys by many that didn't grow up with them.
When is a sim or puzzle not a game? Last I checked, a "game" wasn't required to have an ending or have you earning points. Something is a game if it is fun (although that is arguable with some of the bad "games" we have all played). The only condition in which a game isn't a game in the traditional sense if it is used for some sort of training, which I'm quite sure these games most definitely aren't.... Sure, there are probably a zillion definitions of what a game is that are quite different then mine, and many will probably argue with my definition, but all in all, I think fun is the only requirement.
Yeah. That printer was noisy as hell, but it did print banners. I remember seeing the insane prices for hardrives in a old catalog, so we never got one. We did have an accelerator card though (Transwarp I think it was called). We got rid of our IIGS (trash I think). It was one of the special editions w/ Woz's signature on it too, so I wish I kept it. I liked Crystal Quest, some educational games (one was a maze one), Destroyer.... Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy text game..... Thexder..... Fun stuff.....
I think that without a doubt Apple is a major innovator. But I think they in some ways hold back the industry, because they don't like to play with others so to speak. I envisioned FairPlay as becoming the next standard in music licenses back a while ago, but Apple's strict control didn't allow that. Just as DVD needed a standard, so do MP3 players, and as long as a majority of legit songs use a secure format most brands of players can't play w/o conversion, this won't work well.
It may have been 5 or 6 grand when my dad got it (back when it was cutting edge), but it was a good computer. A part of Apple's history that implemented the Finder, and I even learned used some precursor to AppleScript (HyperCard, through Hyperstudio in my case). Also had GEnie (GE's "internet" encyclopedia that used a modem), and a B/W pixely scanner cartridge that popped into the ImageWriter II (I think)....... Hate to see the total that went into that computer..... And it would even play non 16-bit games from the II (which provided a lot of fun at home through access to software at school (wink)). The good ol days....
I can't think of any way they could really fight misinformation from blogs successfully other then forcing the "wrong" blogs down, since most might not be so trusting of a politician saying "I'm not bad. I'm good. I'd never do anything crooked".
Ok, I gave them less credit then they deserve. R9800Pro supports Direct X 9.0, so it should handle Vista. But still, the fact that it doesn't really matter still stands.
Sounds like even if Vista's interface was key for Vista to run(I have no clue if it can run on a traditional non-accelerated interface), it wouldn't matter. Most PCs that have integrated graphics are from the budget line (and some from the non-budget line) of Dell or another PC maker, and most that buy from them don't ever think of reinstalling unless it completely dies, let alone upgrade to the next version of Windows. I'm more concerned that something like my Radeon 9800 Pro (which is old and lacking features by todays standard, but still decently fast) won't run just because it doesn't support the latest version of Pixel Shader or whatever hardware "requirement" the interface has, but probably doesn't even make full use of.
I had that game on my IIGS (Identical grpahics to the retro-style screenshot on the XBox site about Crystal Quest). That game was great. So simple, but so addicting.
If I won a new PS2 game and didn't have a PS2, but had any slight want of a PS2, I'd probably buy one then. If I've got a library of 20+ UMDs and nothing ot use them in, It would probably also have the same effect. But the key is you need an interest in it in the first place. In this situation, since PSP != DVD companion, They are just going to have people giving friend A with a PSP the UMD disc, and friend A will no longer have a reason to buy the movie. Good idea Sony, but not well thought out.
If this does happen, it sounds like this may scream "government-run service" so that people have security. I'd be all for it if it was like Steam in the future (with a phat pipe for data). Download it, then you can run it offline. And just re-download it if any problems occur and you need to reinstall.
II prefer to know a companies plans when I am buying from them. Prevents me from getting i* v1.0 when i* v.2.0 will be released a month later (happened to me w/ the iPod Photo/iPod Video).
It's bad enough I'm going to need to master social drinking and perfect my golf game to have any luck with the corporate ladder. The last thing I need on that list is an online game that would probably take up every non-working waking hour for me to "look good" in front of the suits....
I do agree. Even if it isn't extortion, in some sort of a parellel universe, it's quite likely OS developers may deal with various security issues (such as anti-virus, spyware, and stuff like that) by standard with the price of the software (last I checked, MS was charging large or insane amounts of money for their operating system, Office, and development tools in comparison to most of the competition). If I buy stuff at a premium price, I think I deserve premium service. And the sad part about this is, Microsoft will probably try "bundling" this service with the operating system, and a good amount of typical users will actually subscribe to it.
Thief 3? Horror? I played through the first level or so, and didn't seem to creepy to me (the atmosphere doesn't really seem to scream scary, and it may get scarier as it goes on for all I know). I'm biased about this series (I love it), and your probably biased towards Thief 3 so I'm not gonna do any comparisons. But the thing is, hardly any games (including those of Japanese origin) even attempt to implement this kind of fear. Maybe Thief 3 does it well. That's good. Not many other games do though, expecially the typical survival horror genre, especially those of Japanese origin (most survival horror).
I've been a fan of it since the very first one (Known as Fatal Frame in the United States), and it has an atmosphere that relies more on the creepy "this is messing w/ my head and creeping me out" factor then the "What's gonna jump out at me next" type of Horror that Resident Evil an almost all other survival horror games have. Third game was released I think this past November. Good game to play alone, turn out the lights, and really get into if you want a good scare (Some say it's stupid, but every horror movie/game that relies on the psychological type of horror instead of the "what's gonna jump out next" type of horror is stupid if you don't allow yourself to get into it). Great game. Temco's Deception was supposidly the semi-prequel (in style) to it, but I've never played that series. It's sad the creepy property of Ghosts isn't used more in survival horror games. Only game/movie that can really creep me out to the point of not playing it late at night if I'm not in the right mood.
Although many of these new games on PS2/XBox are fun, I haven't really played many in a while that had any new gameplay designs to them. It's more like the marketplace is flooded with "sequels" not in the licensing perspective, but the gameplay perspective. Sequels In terms of "Final Fantasy #" and such have been the lifeblood of games for a while now, and it worked for a while for hit series (since to an extent, there's nothing wrong with more of a great thing). And as much as many complain about sequels, if they liked the first game, they will almost def. get the sequel. Thus the reason Why Madden * seems to sell every year (I personally don't see the point to many sport games sequels since very little changes with most new versions other then graphics or some gimmicky game elements and team statistics). Although I sometimes ponder if my older age (21) is causing me to become "old skool", and liking "retro" games that were on the PSX/n64/SNES (like it or not, PSX/n64 are becoming more retro as times goes on), and loosing touch with the current generation.
Threads have never been fun to work with for most CS students. Be it Java or C++, they can be a pain. But with the most recent CPUs and the dreaded CELL processor, It's time to learn how to work threads beyond splitting processor time, and learn how to use multiple cores at once..... I see no way it can't be more difficult then previous generations if the developer has access to what each SPU does (I think that's the name of each sub-core), and programs for the system properly. The degree of increased difficulty is the issue though. I'd hate to be a programmer stuck in a situtation of "You have this single SPU to work with. Not much speed. But you must do this much with that little speed".
He's a Tech guy. He has nothing to do with that situation, and Blizzard probably has a strict policy at the moment that anyone commenting on it freely could risk there future of employment there.
Indeed. How much was the first Zelda game on the n64 delayed? I think it was like two years or so. It was quite traumatic for me. At least it gave me a goal those two years.....
For HDTV, I wouldn't count on it. From what I've seen (.ts HDTV files on newsgroups), feeds from HDTV are _very_very_ large. Up to and over 20 GB for a full movie with high quality (I forget it it was 1080i or not for that size). Even if the PS3 has a reasonibly large hardrive (>=80GB), and even if it has a very large hardrive (>=200GB), that would still have a very large limit on how many things can be recorded. Although I'm not very familiar w/ HDTV recording technology, so I'm not sure.
As I recall, isn't the old version of Winamp still available (Or at least it was before my 2 year tango w/ Linux)? And I rather like Winamp 5. Although I do agree it is quite a bit bloated. All the new features should have been implemented as plugins to the existing Winamp system so that it could still run on an older machine.
I don't know how much experience you have in CS, but I'll elaborate on what I mean by not pretty. I like CS. I like programming. I like solving problems. The thing I refer to as not being pretty is a course I am taking called "CS Theory". It deals with graphs, proofs, and many other things I never thought I'd have to deal with in CS. It's interesting stuff, but a bit too far on my mathematics side for my taste (the prerequisites are two Discrete Math courses). Perhaps just the sour taste in my mouth from a book that has few examples though.
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And that same page also says "An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a pastime: party games; word games." as the main definition. Most words have dozens of definitions, but it appears the main definition of game means something of entertainment or amusement. I've never played either of these games, but they sound damn fun. I will admit some of my comments may have been ignorant (Since I have no idea how Electroplankton works), but in general, they are still games. And games are often considered toys by many that didn't grow up with them.
When is a sim or puzzle not a game? Last I checked, a "game" wasn't required to have an ending or have you earning points. Something is a game if it is fun (although that is arguable with some of the bad "games" we have all played). The only condition in which a game isn't a game in the traditional sense if it is used for some sort of training, which I'm quite sure these games most definitely aren't.... Sure, there are probably a zillion definitions of what a game is that are quite different then mine, and many will probably argue with my definition, but all in all, I think fun is the only requirement.
Yes indeed, it was Thunderscan. Interesting gadget at the time.
Yeah. That printer was noisy as hell, but it did print banners. I remember seeing the insane prices for hardrives in a old catalog, so we never got one. We did have an accelerator card though (Transwarp I think it was called). We got rid of our IIGS (trash I think). It was one of the special editions w/ Woz's signature on it too, so I wish I kept it. I liked Crystal Quest, some educational games (one was a maze one), Destroyer.... Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy text game..... Thexder..... Fun stuff.....
I think that without a doubt Apple is a major innovator. But I think they in some ways hold back the industry, because they don't like to play with others so to speak. I envisioned FairPlay as becoming the next standard in music licenses back a while ago, but Apple's strict control didn't allow that. Just as DVD needed a standard, so do MP3 players, and as long as a majority of legit songs use a secure format most brands of players can't play w/o conversion, this won't work well.
It may have been 5 or 6 grand when my dad got it (back when it was cutting edge), but it was a good computer. A part of Apple's history that implemented the Finder, and I even learned used some precursor to AppleScript (HyperCard, through Hyperstudio in my case). Also had GEnie (GE's "internet" encyclopedia that used a modem), and a B/W pixely scanner cartridge that popped into the ImageWriter II (I think)....... Hate to see the total that went into that computer..... And it would even play non 16-bit games from the II (which provided a lot of fun at home through access to software at school (wink)). The good ol days....
I can't think of any way they could really fight misinformation from blogs successfully other then forcing the "wrong" blogs down, since most might not be so trusting of a politician saying "I'm not bad. I'm good. I'd never do anything crooked".
Ok, I gave them less credit then they deserve. R9800Pro supports Direct X 9.0, so it should handle Vista. But still, the fact that it doesn't really matter still stands.
Sounds like even if Vista's interface was key for Vista to run(I have no clue if it can run on a traditional non-accelerated interface), it wouldn't matter. Most PCs that have integrated graphics are from the budget line (and some from the non-budget line) of Dell or another PC maker, and most that buy from them don't ever think of reinstalling unless it completely dies, let alone upgrade to the next version of Windows. I'm more concerned that something like my Radeon 9800 Pro (which is old and lacking features by todays standard, but still decently fast) won't run just because it doesn't support the latest version of Pixel Shader or whatever hardware "requirement" the interface has, but probably doesn't even make full use of.
I had that game on my IIGS (Identical grpahics to the retro-style screenshot on the XBox site about Crystal Quest). That game was great. So simple, but so addicting.
If I won a new PS2 game and didn't have a PS2, but had any slight want of a PS2, I'd probably buy one then. If I've got a library of 20+ UMDs and nothing ot use them in, It would probably also have the same effect. But the key is you need an interest in it in the first place. In this situation, since PSP != DVD companion, They are just going to have people giving friend A with a PSP the UMD disc, and friend A will no longer have a reason to buy the movie. Good idea Sony, but not well thought out.
If this does happen, it sounds like this may scream "government-run service" so that people have security. I'd be all for it if it was like Steam in the future (with a phat pipe for data). Download it, then you can run it offline. And just re-download it if any problems occur and you need to reinstall.
"Sad day when MS looks like the good guys" Deja vu. Weren't people saying the same thing about IBM 30 or so years ago?
II prefer to know a companies plans when I am buying from them. Prevents me from getting i* v1.0 when i* v.2.0 will be released a month later (happened to me w/ the iPod Photo/iPod Video).
It's bad enough I'm going to need to master social drinking and perfect my golf game to have any luck with the corporate ladder. The last thing I need on that list is an online game that would probably take up every non-working waking hour for me to "look good" in front of the suits....
I do agree. Even if it isn't extortion, in some sort of a parellel universe, it's quite likely OS developers may deal with various security issues (such as anti-virus, spyware, and stuff like that) by standard with the price of the software (last I checked, MS was charging large or insane amounts of money for their operating system, Office, and development tools in comparison to most of the competition). If I buy stuff at a premium price, I think I deserve premium service. And the sad part about this is, Microsoft will probably try "bundling" this service with the operating system, and a good amount of typical users will actually subscribe to it.
Thief 3? Horror? I played through the first level or so, and didn't seem to creepy to me (the atmosphere doesn't really seem to scream scary, and it may get scarier as it goes on for all I know). I'm biased about this series (I love it), and your probably biased towards Thief 3 so I'm not gonna do any comparisons. But the thing is, hardly any games (including those of Japanese origin) even attempt to implement this kind of fear. Maybe Thief 3 does it well. That's good. Not many other games do though, expecially the typical survival horror genre, especially those of Japanese origin (most survival horror).
I've been a fan of it since the very first one (Known as Fatal Frame in the United States), and it has an atmosphere that relies more on the creepy "this is messing w/ my head and creeping me out" factor then the "What's gonna jump out at me next" type of Horror that Resident Evil an almost all other survival horror games have. Third game was released I think this past November. Good game to play alone, turn out the lights, and really get into if you want a good scare (Some say it's stupid, but every horror movie/game that relies on the psychological type of horror instead of the "what's gonna jump out next" type of horror is stupid if you don't allow yourself to get into it). Great game. Temco's Deception was supposidly the semi-prequel (in style) to it, but I've never played that series. It's sad the creepy property of Ghosts isn't used more in survival horror games. Only game/movie that can really creep me out to the point of not playing it late at night if I'm not in the right mood.
Although many of these new games on PS2/XBox are fun, I haven't really played many in a while that had any new gameplay designs to them. It's more like the marketplace is flooded with "sequels" not in the licensing perspective, but the gameplay perspective. Sequels In terms of "Final Fantasy #" and such have been the lifeblood of games for a while now, and it worked for a while for hit series (since to an extent, there's nothing wrong with more of a great thing). And as much as many complain about sequels, if they liked the first game, they will almost def. get the sequel. Thus the reason Why Madden * seems to sell every year (I personally don't see the point to many sport games sequels since very little changes with most new versions other then graphics or some gimmicky game elements and team statistics). Although I sometimes ponder if my older age (21) is causing me to become "old skool", and liking "retro" games that were on the PSX/n64/SNES (like it or not, PSX/n64 are becoming more retro as times goes on), and loosing touch with the current generation.
Threads have never been fun to work with for most CS students. Be it Java or C++, they can be a pain. But with the most recent CPUs and the dreaded CELL processor, It's time to learn how to work threads beyond splitting processor time, and learn how to use multiple cores at once..... I see no way it can't be more difficult then previous generations if the developer has access to what each SPU does (I think that's the name of each sub-core), and programs for the system properly. The degree of increased difficulty is the issue though. I'd hate to be a programmer stuck in a situtation of "You have this single SPU to work with. Not much speed. But you must do this much with that little speed".
He's a Tech guy. He has nothing to do with that situation, and Blizzard probably has a strict policy at the moment that anyone commenting on it freely could risk there future of employment there.
Indeed. How much was the first Zelda game on the n64 delayed? I think it was like two years or so. It was quite traumatic for me. At least it gave me a goal those two years.....
For HDTV, I wouldn't count on it. From what I've seen (.ts HDTV files on newsgroups), feeds from HDTV are _very_very_ large. Up to and over 20 GB for a full movie with high quality (I forget it it was 1080i or not for that size). Even if the PS3 has a reasonibly large hardrive (>=80GB), and even if it has a very large hardrive (>=200GB), that would still have a very large limit on how many things can be recorded. Although I'm not very familiar w/ HDTV recording technology, so I'm not sure.
As I recall, isn't the old version of Winamp still available (Or at least it was before my 2 year tango w/ Linux)? And I rather like Winamp 5. Although I do agree it is quite a bit bloated. All the new features should have been implemented as plugins to the existing Winamp system so that it could still run on an older machine.
I don't know how much experience you have in CS, but I'll elaborate on what I mean by not pretty. I like CS. I like programming. I like solving problems. The thing I refer to as not being pretty is a course I am taking called "CS Theory". It deals with graphs, proofs, and many other things I never thought I'd have to deal with in CS. It's interesting stuff, but a bit too far on my mathematics side for my taste (the prerequisites are two Discrete Math courses). Perhaps just the sour taste in my mouth from a book that has few examples though.