I loved this game, it was absolutely one of my favorite games on the Atari 400. It was like a pre-super-mario bro's, complete with fast action, many many many levels with all kinds of variation in the enemies you encounter etc.
Not only did I play it alot, my whole family did. We had 300 to 400 games for the Atari 400, and this was one of my favorites.... I can think of ALOT worse games than this that arn't even on this top 50.
I don't know if they do it on this player or not, but there is some easy-setup software you can do on your PC to check it out for yourself.
Use ffdshow (google for it). It is a DirectX filter (correct me if im wrong), in which youc an apply many effects to an image.
The trick is to scale the DVD 720x480 up to 1080p (or whatever you want) then apply a LANCOZ sharpening filter on ONLY the luma channel. *NOTE: I think I got that right, lancoz on luma channel, its been a while forgive me if im spelling something wrong.
There are actually lots of articles on the net (again google), that talk about this technique.
So I tried it for myself. Low and behold, the image really DOES look better. It amazingly adds "perceived" detail.
The trick again is sharpening only one channel in the image (luma/chroma/something else... (im no expert)).
Good thing I didn't try to explain how "complex software systems are", then I wouldn't of given you the opporitunty to play the roll of the Slashdot Troll.
For the generic question, "What is programming?"...
I say along the lines: "Think of programming like any job, where you have employees and you need them to do things for you to make your business work. You usually give your employees a list of instructions, things to do. They do what you tell them to and then come back to you for more instructions. Computer programming is similar, inside that box under your desk are a bunch of employees. Without a boss, they don't know what to do. So, what I do, is I tell each component inside there what to do. I tell the video card to turn on so you see stuff on your monitor as one example. I tell the main processing unit (think of it as the manager of the office, where as I am the big-cheese boss)) to run the "office" while I am away. I give the main manager, or CPU a big huge list of instructions that say this is how we run the place. The CPU (or manager) then follows my instruction sheet and tells all the other components inside the computer how to act, behave and what to do. We do it this way because it take months to write the instruction sheet out for the CPU, but the CPU can execute that instruction list super fast, much faster than if I were telling each component (e.g. employee) what to do directly...".
I actually just came up with this example right now on the fly... I never use the same example, I always think about what that person does for a living, spare time, hobbey, and I can almost always draw parallels that make them say "Ahhh, I wish someone else would of explained it that way before".
I've even explained how interrupt handlers work in regards to a USB joystick to a Lawyer... He was so happy in the way I explained it to him, he kept asking more and more questions until I told him I have to go:P
It could be that american culture instills that we are "wimpy" and all have ADD.
However, it could be that we are just fine and up for the challenge, and the real issue is the Japanese at the time didn't think highly of us (maybe still don't), and THOUGHT we needed a dumbed down version because we are slow wimpy monkey like americans.
I gave them about 50 cookies, and it was well worth it, best game I ever played. One of the, if not the only game I've ever finished.
My wife enjoyed it more than I did, she would beg me to play just so she could watch. She said it was like an interactive movie for her, where she could "help me" try to figure things out.
Overkill? Your CPU is barely able to do anything, even though you spent $1,000 on it.
A processing specific ASIC is magnitudes (perhaps 10x right now, but 100x or 1000x down the road) faster than your $1,000 CPU at 10x, 100x reduction in cost.
The problem is, you have no idea whats possible in "games" with physics, right now as the general population knows it, worlds are incredibly static.
Your CPU runs generic instructions, e.g. Software. SLOW SLOW SLOW.
Before 3D accelerators it was done all in software, and back then my CPU was "good enough" too.
I do, the XBox is still a fraction of the PS1/PS2 market.
The "PlayStation" brand is incredibly powerful. The "XBox" brand doesn't have any oomph behind relatively speaking.
I think if the PS3 is good, the branding will be the begining of the snow-ball effect that Microsoft hates so much.
We all know, its not the hardware, its the contract deals behind the scenes.
MS has themselves(Halo). Sony has Rockstar-Games, Polyphony-Digital, themselves(.e.g God of war, Shadow Collosus).
I'm sure I'm missing alot on XBox, and Sony. Without alot of hard-research, I "feel" based on observing the industry that Sony has more deals on the back-end than MS does.
If Sony PS3 is as good as the PS2, they have nothing to worry about.
Maybe you won't buy a console when it comes out because you'll buy an XBox360 now. Three years later when the PS3's games are rockin the house, you'll shell out the $199.00 to pick it up then and Sony will smile.
My PS2 isn't as pretty as my XBOX (I have both), but man my PS2 games sure do edge out the XBOX, and graphics are just that, graphics, nothing more.
If all you want is the "best" graphics, go watch a movie, just don't think about any "fun factor".
Windows has 8 versions, for different target audiences.
Say Windows Pro costs $200. Windows Home cost $150.
So, $200 is feature complete. Now apply here:
Windows Ultimate cost $200. Windows Business Pro $180, Windows Business Stndard $170, Windows Home Deluxe $150, Windows Home Basic $130, Windows for 3rd world countries $80.
So whats the big deal, you get less features for less money.
Pay the $200 if you want it all, pay $130 if you can live without certain features.
Each "distro" of windows has a specific purpose. As long as the price ceiling remains the same $200, then who cares.
Slashdot Mirror
#47 = Jumpman.
I loved this game, it was absolutely one of my favorite games on the Atari 400. It was like a pre-super-mario bro's, complete with fast action, many many many levels with all kinds of variation in the enemies you encounter etc.
Not only did I play it alot, my whole family did. We had 300 to 400 games for the Atari 400, and this was one of my favorites.... I can think of ALOT worse games than this that arn't even on this top 50.
I predict the end of Google. :P
I don't know if they do it on this player or not, but there is some easy-setup software you can do on your PC to check it out for yourself.
Use ffdshow (google for it). It is a DirectX filter (correct me if im wrong), in which youc an apply many effects to an image.
The trick is to scale the DVD 720x480 up to 1080p (or whatever you want) then apply a LANCOZ sharpening filter on ONLY the luma channel. *NOTE: I think I got that right, lancoz on luma channel, its been a while forgive me if im spelling something wrong.
There are actually lots of articles on the net (again google), that talk about this technique.
So I tried it for myself. Low and behold, the image really DOES look better. It amazingly adds "perceived" detail.
The trick again is sharpening only one channel in the image (luma/chroma/something else... (im no expert)).
That's probably the phone number to someones girlfriend, and the other number their hot sister.
This is really bad.
I had to hunt for the "read more" link on each story, and it just feels too blocky and non-flowing.
I really don't like this CSS at all... I don't know if everyone else agrees with me or not.
Could you at least give me a option to pick the old one?
I know I play my cell phone games while on the toilet...
So, I'm sitting on the airplanes toilet, 36,000 feet into the air playing CS Cell Phone Edition, yelling, "Die Terrorist Die!".
Good thing I didn't try to explain how "complex software systems are", then I wouldn't of given you the opporitunty to play the roll of the Slashdot Troll.
For the generic question, "What is programming?"...
:P
I say along the lines: "Think of programming like any job, where you have employees and you need them to do things for you to make your business work. You usually give your employees a list of instructions, things to do. They do what you tell them to and then come back to you for more instructions. Computer programming is similar, inside that box under your desk are a bunch of employees. Without a boss, they don't know what to do. So, what I do, is I tell each component inside there what to do. I tell the video card to turn on so you see stuff on your monitor as one example. I tell the main processing unit (think of it as the manager of the office, where as I am the big-cheese boss)) to run the "office" while I am away. I give the main manager, or CPU a big huge list of instructions that say this is how we run the place. The CPU (or manager) then follows my instruction sheet and tells all the other components inside the computer how to act, behave and what to do. We do it this way because it take months to write the instruction sheet out for the CPU, but the CPU can execute that instruction list super fast, much faster than if I were telling each component (e.g. employee) what to do directly...".
I actually just came up with this example right now on the fly... I never use the same example, I always think about what that person does for a living, spare time, hobbey, and I can almost always draw parallels that make them say "Ahhh, I wish someone else would of explained it that way before".
I've even explained how interrupt handlers work in regards to a USB joystick to a Lawyer... He was so happy in the way I explained it to him, he kept asking more and more questions until I told him I have to go
strap a heat-sink to my head? Maybe hook a fan up to it, and carry a battery in a backpack to power it.
Of course, I'll have to shave my head, and apply some thermal grease before connecting the dome shaped heat-sink to it.
It could be that american culture instills that we are "wimpy" and all have ADD.
However, it could be that we are just fine and up for the challenge, and the real issue is the Japanese at the time didn't think highly of us (maybe still don't), and THOUGHT we needed a dumbed down version because we are slow wimpy monkey like americans.
Any way it goes, there is negative spin on it.
Long after the story post, and not a single reply...
How does having an alt on a seperate account benefit me? Other than making my bank account go down by another $15 a month every month.
I would never consider one before, because I could ONLY use OSX.
I want to use OSX, almost desperately, but there are key applications that haven't been ported "YET".
I will now buy a Mac OSX, use it in all its glory, and dump into XP when I need a few critical applications, then quick boot back into OSX!
All I can say is Wooo-f*ckin-hoo! I'm a happy man.
I gave them about 50 cookies, and it was well worth it, best game I ever played. One of the, if not the only game I've ever finished.
My wife enjoyed it more than I did, she would beg me to play just so she could watch. She said it was like an interactive movie for her, where she could "help me" try to figure things out.
What the heck are you talking about, no cookie? I think they got about 100 million cookies right after launch... That is if one cookie costs one USD.
Overkill? Your CPU is barely able to do anything, even though you spent $1,000 on it.
A processing specific ASIC is magnitudes (perhaps 10x right now, but 100x or 1000x down the road) faster than your $1,000 CPU at 10x, 100x reduction in cost.
The problem is, you have no idea whats possible in "games" with physics, right now as the general population knows it, worlds are incredibly static.
Your CPU runs generic instructions, e.g. Software. SLOW SLOW SLOW.
Before 3D accelerators it was done all in software, and back then my CPU was "good enough" too.
I do, the XBox is still a fraction of the PS1/PS2 market.
The "PlayStation" brand is incredibly powerful. The "XBox" brand doesn't have any oomph behind relatively speaking.
I think if the PS3 is good, the branding will be the begining of the snow-ball effect that Microsoft hates so much.
We all know, its not the hardware, its the contract deals behind the scenes.
MS has themselves(Halo). Sony has Rockstar-Games, Polyphony-Digital, themselves(.e.g God of war, Shadow Collosus).
I'm sure I'm missing alot on XBox, and Sony. Without alot of hard-research, I "feel" based on observing the industry that Sony has more deals on the back-end than MS does.
If Sony PS3 is as good as the PS2, they have nothing to worry about.
Maybe you won't buy a console when it comes out because you'll buy an XBox360 now. Three years later when the PS3's games are rockin the house, you'll shell out the $199.00 to pick it up then and Sony will smile.
My PS2 isn't as pretty as my XBOX (I have both), but man my PS2 games sure do edge out the XBOX, and graphics are just that, graphics, nothing more.
If all you want is the "best" graphics, go watch a movie, just don't think about any "fun factor".
Microsoft ships IE with the operating system and killed off Netscape this way.
Sounds like 3rd rate tatics to me, with a FREE browser none-the-less.
If you think advertising number of downloads is playing dirty, then so be it.
Microsoft fights dirty all the time, you expect to win as the underdog without fighting dirty back? You are living in a fantasy land.
My 1994 Honda civic purchased for $2,000 runs fine. Gets me to work and back reliably.
My other car, 2005 BMW M3 is a hell of alot more fun though.
In WoW when you die you lose TIME. (Have to run back, and man sometimes I have to run for a long ass time to get to my corpse).
And after all, the whole article is about the more TIME you put into WoW the better you are...
So whats the worst concequence of dieing? Take away the TIME!
So that leaves 5 left.
Windows has 8 versions, for different target audiences.
Say Windows Pro costs $200. Windows Home cost $150.
So, $200 is feature complete. Now apply here:
Windows Ultimate cost $200. Windows Business Pro $180, Windows Business Stndard $170, Windows Home Deluxe $150, Windows Home Basic $130, Windows for 3rd world countries $80.
So whats the big deal, you get less features for less money.
Pay the $200 if you want it all, pay $130 if you can live without certain features.
Each "distro" of windows has a specific purpose. As long as the price ceiling remains the same $200, then who cares.
With its thousands and thousands of "versions" (distributions).
I'll take eight, over eight-thousand.
Not silly at all.
Join society.
yeah, that makes much more sense.
For some reason I was assuming this ice was floating