Is this really where we're going? Paying a subscription to ensure we'll get the latest stuff? Doesn't that just serve to piss the folks who don't pay/can't afford it off, seeing other players in their game running around with way more glitz than they can ever quest for? I'm all for providing more content, but a monthly price for unreviewed, unguaranteed content seems way off base.
I can see in a few years we'll have subscription sets to whole development houses/publishers - "My Ubi-key gets me the latest titles as soon as they're out!". 90% of them are terrible games that get rushed out of the door, and you end up paying for more than you use, but that's the ideal scenario right? For them, yes.
The great games IMO are the ones that are solid from the outset and where extra content is easy to make by the fans. Then you have a review system to easily sort away the crap stuff. Some of the best fun I've had has been on custom maps/levels/mods from the community.
It all stinks of lack of confidence in their product to me. Why do I need monthly expansion packs? Didn't you make the game rich enough for me? I have titles (and I'm sure we all do) that are still massively fun today. If the company feels they have more to offer, MAKE A NEW GAME instead of giving the player a world with a financially tinged divide in it's player base. It seems the only need here for a subscription-based update system is to secure funding for the devs, which means their dev house isn't giving them confidence/funding for the extra goodies they want to produce until they see substantial investment and response. I don't think signing up a drip-feed from clients' wallets is the way to do that.
Yes it is a Big Freakin' Deal! Just because a law has existed in some acceptable form does not make it trivial to extend the law arbitarily (unless there's some unspoken pressing need here?) to include horrible breaches of personal privacy and liberty. It should ALWAYS be a big freakin' deal when a government imposes restrictions on freedoms the same government is LEGALLY BOUND to grant it's people. People reacting and decrying this, and that that Makes A Difference, is what makes America stand out from the objectably 'less free' governments of the world. When you sit back with a 'big deal' attitude you're letting rights that other people care deeply about and fought and died for slip away.
Sorry to get all 'if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem', but music rights, and the rights of media ownership is one of THE big issues of our cultural age, even if it's not addressed as seriously or as fairly as I'd like.
P.S. I never realised about keeping names and IDs for theft checking, legitamate theft that is. That's a sane reason to have those measures so TY for explaining.
Spider-Man vs. the Kingpin for the genesis/megadrive was awesome! Granted, this is through the rose-tinted glasses of childhood, but no boss has ever seemed as tough as The Sandman in that game. The whole thing was actually a challenge, and as far as I recall, not too infuriating.
This review sends me back to when I could be impressed by trivial stuff. "The controls are extremely responsive and the on-screen action will occur immediately following a button press." and "You can make out the eye holes on Spideys costume and even the belt on a thugs pants." made me chuckle.
It actually smacks to me of pro-Google 'journalism'. It may be the paranoia talking, but given that a lot of comments on this already are of the 'but that means that Google is awesome', and 'See? Google can't be evil if they catch the bad guys!' ilk, perhaps Forbes wanted to subversively massage Google's image of being Not Evil? Pretty shabby either way, really.
-c
Just FYI, before you pull comments out of your ass again:
Probable causes of death (US)
Heart Disease
1-in-5
Cancer
1-in-7
Stroke
1-in-23
Accidental Injury
1-in-36
Motor Vehicle Accident*
1-in-100
Intentional Self-harm (suicide)
1-in-121
Falling Down
1-in-246
Assault by Firearm
1-in-325
Fire or Smoke
1-in-1,116
Natural Forces (heat, cold, storms, quakes, etc.)
1-in-3,357
Electrocution*
1-in-5,000
Drowning
1-in-8,942
SOURCES: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC; American Cancer Society; National Safety Council; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; World Health Organization; USGS; Clark Chapman, SwRI; David Morrison, NASA; Michael Paine, Planetary Society Australian Volunteers
How would someone 'steal a gun' if no-one was permitted to carry a gun? Kinda self defeating argument there.
Slashdot Mirror
Surely he means 'hear'?
also:
You mean... ice?
I can see in a few years we'll have subscription sets to whole development houses/publishers - "My Ubi-key gets me the latest titles as soon as they're out!". 90% of them are terrible games that get rushed out of the door, and you end up paying for more than you use, but that's the ideal scenario right? For them, yes.
The great games IMO are the ones that are solid from the outset and where extra content is easy to make by the fans. Then you have a review system to easily sort away the crap stuff. Some of the best fun I've had has been on custom maps/levels/mods from the community.
It all stinks of lack of confidence in their product to me. Why do I need monthly expansion packs? Didn't you make the game rich enough for me? I have titles (and I'm sure we all do) that are still massively fun today. If the company feels they have more to offer, MAKE A NEW GAME instead of giving the player a world with a financially tinged divide in it's player base. It seems the only need here for a subscription-based update system is to secure funding for the devs, which means their dev house isn't giving them confidence/funding for the extra goodies they want to produce until they see substantial investment and response. I don't think signing up a drip-feed from clients' wallets is the way to do that.
Yes it is a Big Freakin' Deal! Just because a law has existed in some acceptable form does not make it trivial to extend the law arbitarily (unless there's some unspoken pressing need here?) to include horrible breaches of personal privacy and liberty. It should ALWAYS be a big freakin' deal when a government imposes restrictions on freedoms the same government is LEGALLY BOUND to grant it's people. People reacting and decrying this, and that that Makes A Difference, is what makes America stand out from the objectably 'less free' governments of the world. When you sit back with a 'big deal' attitude you're letting rights that other people care deeply about and fought and died for slip away.
Sorry to get all 'if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem', but music rights, and the rights of media ownership is one of THE big issues of our cultural age, even if it's not addressed as seriously or as fairly as I'd like.
P.S. I never realised about keeping names and IDs for theft checking, legitamate theft that is. That's a sane reason to have those measures so TY for explaining.
-c
He'll be selling them hand over fist!
This review sends me back to when I could be impressed by trivial stuff. "The controls are extremely responsive and the on-screen action will occur immediately following a button press." and "You can make out the eye holes on Spideys costume and even the belt on a thugs pants." made me chuckle.
I bet one meeeeeeellion of them could control some sharks with frickin laser beams on their heads :)
It actually smacks to me of pro-Google 'journalism'. It may be the paranoia talking, but given that a lot of comments on this already are of the 'but that means that Google is awesome', and 'See? Google can't be evil if they catch the bad guys!' ilk, perhaps Forbes wanted to subversively massage Google's image of being Not Evil? Pretty shabby either way, really. -c
Just FYI, before you pull comments out of your ass again: Probable causes of death (US) Heart Disease 1-in-5 Cancer 1-in-7 Stroke 1-in-23 Accidental Injury 1-in-36 Motor Vehicle Accident* 1-in-100 Intentional Self-harm (suicide) 1-in-121 Falling Down 1-in-246 Assault by Firearm 1-in-325 Fire or Smoke 1-in-1,116 Natural Forces (heat, cold, storms, quakes, etc.) 1-in-3,357 Electrocution* 1-in-5,000 Drowning 1-in-8,942 SOURCES: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC; American Cancer Society; National Safety Council; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; World Health Organization; USGS; Clark Chapman, SwRI; David Morrison, NASA; Michael Paine, Planetary Society Australian Volunteers How would someone 'steal a gun' if no-one was permitted to carry a gun? Kinda self defeating argument there.