I'm thinking about getting a PSP around Christmas for my daily commute. It'd be great to watch movies or last night's news broadcast. Games wise, I can play all classic systems' games via emulator. I have NO interest whatsoever in PSP proper games, just the classics. In regards to stealing, well, if Nintendo and the likes offered the ROMs for legit download for a reasonable price (even with DRM and a an "official" emulator), I'd be more than happy to pay for those games (think iTunes for ROMs). Without that option, I guess I'll just have to download the ROMs (or not play the games at all...which still doesn't benefit the game companies).
Try going to the movies, the pub or renting a new release DVD for that.
Not that I disagree with the point of your point, because I don't (I think you are quite right about the value of a good game considering the hours of entertainment to overall cost ratio), but when it comes to renting a new DVD:
Rental Cost: Max = $6
Duration: Average = 2 hours
So, if you have 3 people watch it (which is usually the case in my house), you've got your $1/hour. Now buying a DVD, well, that rarely makes sense yet folks like me, do it constantly.
I totally agree. Games, to me at least, seem to be cheaper than when I was a young whipper snapper.
I still remember buying Phantasy Star for the Master System for $110 (Canadian) after the taxes etc. (if I recall correctly, the price was due to the battery backup mechanism in the cart). I was happy to pay it mind you because:
a) I was a kid and really didn't have my priorities straight.
b) I was so excited about that game.
I got a tonne of hours out of that game though so, to me, it was worth it.
Oh wait, $110 Canadian after taxes...so maybe that was like $8 before taxes...
Note: I scammed or anything by paying that much (well, at least not by the retailer). That was the price of that game in Canada when it was released...actually I picked it up at Consumers Distributing so I probably got it a bit cheaper than on average (a moment of silence if you please for Consumers Distributing...).
Sitting in front of a big tv and playing with a few friends is an experience that cannot easily be matched on the PC, and is definately not matched by any other console game. I have to disagree on this one. While sitting around on a couch with four friends is tough with PCs, hopping on Vent or Teamspeak with a whole lot MORE friend is remarkably easy. Plus you don't need to suffer through the whole splitscreen experience (ya, I know you get used to it but that's always irritated me).
I see your point about hams and bras, but I'm not quite convinced. For example, in real baseball (non-ham version), they still get to use equipment with a variety of attributes...not all exactly the same (well, the ball is always the same). But, that being said, the controller differences (pad vs. mouse/keyboard) are vastly different so it isn't really like comparing different brands of bats...so I can certainly see your position.
everyone "masters" it too quickly and you you're left with a group where everyone who's played the game for a month or two is pretty much equal in skill ...ah, now this I can't agree with. Uber skilled folks aside, everyone does tend to peak controller wise at about the same level with a keyboard and mouse...but that's a good thing. The difference between sucking and being a master shouldn't be in how well you manage to use the controls (exception being simulators of course), but rather how well you use the game mechanics to your advantage. A couple of examples:
-- Tactical FPS (Battlefield, CoD, TF2, etc.): Teamwork, stealth, intelligence, situational awareness, etc..
-- MMORPG (Guild Wars, WoW, Vanguard, etc.): Equipment selection, professions, character builds (attribute levels, spell sets, etc.).
I would argue that if the ability to use the controller is the key determiner of a poor player versus a good one, then the controller is a big problem since it should be intuitive enough that gaining sufficient skill with it is trivial.
Now, regarding what you said about competition: I actually was semi-pro (pro league but in a lower ranked team) in Battlefield 2142 and you definitely have a point there. In MOST competitions on the PC, you have no way of being sure that the other team isn't cheating. Sure, there PunkBuster and the like, but they aren't that good and always are behind the curve. Beyond that, the playing field isn't level to begin with since some folks have uber systems while others are working with minimal requirements (if that). Ironically, the latter issue influences the former in that folks who are not cheating often are accused of it merely due to the power (or lack there of) of their rig and how they've got it configured. The truly high-level PC matches are like high-level console tournament matches and take part on tournament systems setup by the tournament administrators...but that's an experience that very few folks ever get.
Of course FPS's control better with a mouse than they do with a controller. Who cares?... Everyone on a given platform is using the same controller, so it all evens out.
Frankly, I'll take a little slop in my controller over aimbots any day. Plus, I find the controller gives a more "realistic" feeling when playing simply because I can't be superhumanly accurate with my aiming like you can with a mouse. I rarely feel panicked when playing an FPS on the PC - it's just too easy. On a console, it's more immersive experience.
Well, to each their own I suppose...but frankly I'm not really following your argument. To me it is equivalent to saying (forgive the painfully lame baseball analogy): "it's okay if everyone has to use a nice glazed ham when batting because everyone else has to use a ham too! Besides, the fact that everyone in the field is using a bra to catch the ball evens it out."
I recall playing FPS on consoles years ago, and some were pretty good but they did feel rather lacking is depth and substance. Ultimately though, I suspect that console companies do not offer such a controller scheme (or something like the Fang + mouse) simply because it would require the person to be behind some sort of flat surface to be comfortable (read: a desk, table, etc..). To roll that out with a new console would be a negative thing in the eyes of many folks who only know the gamepad controller and find it intimidating. This would probably drive down sales. To introduce it as an optional peripheral would mean that game programmers would not spend a heck of a lot of time coding configurations and full support since it is a niche market as most folks would still be using the controllers as they are "free" (as in they already paid for them when they bought the console).
So, I get why they don't roll out keypad/mouse support, but ultimately I think that the first company that does will surge ahead in the market. PCs ARE expensive, so such a controller scheme would really tempt may PC gamers, especially with what appears to be a slowing in the PC gaming marking (IMHO). In addition, it opens the doors to, shutter, MMORPGs and other styles of game that demand more complex input mechanisms. Do me, that's probably the biggest thing. While I'm not a WoW fan, I can only imagine the goldmine that awaits for Console 'X' who suddenly has the means to support a port of it.
I aplogize for the formatting. That was my first post here although I've been reading for quite a while. That's why I'm glad that others have interjected to clarify and cutoff the negative path this discussion was being sent.
If Sun sticks something in the JDS (like StarOffice), then chances are it is based on an OpenSource project. Look at Sun ONE Studio (Netbeans) as well. I've been using what is essentially MadHatter on my Ultrasparc for about 6 months now mostly done with OpenSource projects (I do use StarOffice though and not Open Office).
Also, as pointed out the Java Enterprise System has nothing to with the JDS (see rugwuk's reply). It is comprised of things like Solaris and Sun ONE App Server. The basic idea for that is to give customers a well tested and stable reference implementation.
I never said it was an Enterprise Application, I said it was targeted as Enterprise customers (see hackstraw's reply). This has been well stated by Scott McNealy and other Sun execs. You are not going to see Sun sales people running off to Best Buy trying to get them to stock Mad Hatter machines in the near future.
Anyway, I've been following the JDS project for a while and I know it fairly well so that's why I chose to comment (granted, I still may be mistaken in a few places). It is intended to attack Windows from a monetary perpective (via much smaller licensing fees) and not so much from a "blow you away" feature perpective...even though it is very strong in that regard (I like it much better than Windows myself).
Whether or not Mad Hatter (Java Desktop System) makes a dent in the Windows install base is all a matter of how Sun approaches the who and the how of selling this. For the most part, the target would likely be Enterprise customers and not Joe Average (although Joe Average could buy one if he really wanted to I'm sure). If Sun goes after these customers with an agressive pricing strategy and with sound technical facts to back them up (easy to come by with the recent barrage of attacks on Windows machines), then perhaps they could do fairly well.
So far the plan seems good. The platform itself is for the x86 although you can get all of the pieces for SPARC Solaris. Also, it is based on GNOME and all of those nice freebies out there (it is NOT a bunch of Java Apps so performance concerns are minimal). The licensing fees are astronomically low due to the fact that everything is based on an Open Source project. Really, this is why Joe Average is probably not the target audience since he could download all of this stuff for free and install it but the Enterprise customer is compelled to have a service agreement incase something goes wrong (which is largely why StarOffice manages to coexist with OpenOffice).
Anyway, could it make a dent? If executed correctly, absolutely. Many of you out there are probably the same as me and have had no problem converting friends and families to apps like Mozilla from IE based on the simple fact that Mozilla is better. This is much the same...Sun just has to work a little harder to convince there audience because Windows is Windows...and that is sure to be a huge sticking point for most customers.
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I couldn't agree more.
I'm thinking about getting a PSP around Christmas for my daily commute. It'd be great to watch movies or last night's news broadcast. Games wise, I can play all classic systems' games via emulator. I have NO interest whatsoever in PSP proper games, just the classics. In regards to stealing, well, if Nintendo and the likes offered the ROMs for legit download for a reasonable price (even with DRM and a an "official" emulator), I'd be more than happy to pay for those games (think iTunes for ROMs). Without that option, I guess I'll just have to download the ROMs (or not play the games at all...which still doesn't benefit the game companies).
Earlier this week Walmart stated that they are now selling @ parity in the Canadian stores...so shop away!!
Not that I disagree with the point of your point, because I don't (I think you are quite right about the value of a good game considering the hours of entertainment to overall cost ratio), but when it comes to renting a new DVD:
Rental Cost: Max = $6
Duration: Average = 2 hours
So, if you have 3 people watch it (which is usually the case in my house), you've got your $1/hour. Now buying a DVD, well, that rarely makes sense yet folks like me, do it constantly.
I totally agree. Games, to me at least, seem to be cheaper than when I was a young whipper snapper.
I still remember buying Phantasy Star for the Master System for $110 (Canadian) after the taxes etc. (if I recall correctly, the price was due to the battery backup mechanism in the cart). I was happy to pay it mind you because: a) I was a kid and really didn't have my priorities straight. b) I was so excited about that game.
I got a tonne of hours out of that game though so, to me, it was worth it.
Oh wait, $110 Canadian after taxes...so maybe that was like $8 before taxes...
Note: I scammed or anything by paying that much (well, at least not by the retailer). That was the price of that game in Canada when it was released...actually I picked it up at Consumers Distributing so I probably got it a bit cheaper than on average (a moment of silence if you please for Consumers Distributing...).
everyone "masters" it too quickly and you you're left with a group where everyone who's played the game for a month or two is pretty much equal in skill ...ah, now this I can't agree with. Uber skilled folks aside, everyone does tend to peak controller wise at about the same level with a keyboard and mouse...but that's a good thing. The difference between sucking and being a master shouldn't be in how well you manage to use the controls (exception being simulators of course), but rather how well you use the game mechanics to your advantage. A couple of examples:
-- Tactical FPS (Battlefield, CoD, TF2, etc.): Teamwork, stealth, intelligence, situational awareness, etc..
-- MMORPG (Guild Wars, WoW, Vanguard, etc.): Equipment selection, professions, character builds (attribute levels, spell sets, etc.).
I would argue that if the ability to use the controller is the key determiner of a poor player versus a good one, then the controller is a big problem since it should be intuitive enough that gaining sufficient skill with it is trivial.
Now, regarding what you said about competition: I actually was semi-pro (pro league but in a lower ranked team) in Battlefield 2142 and you definitely have a point there. In MOST competitions on the PC, you have no way of being sure that the other team isn't cheating. Sure, there PunkBuster and the like, but they aren't that good and always are behind the curve. Beyond that, the playing field isn't level to begin with since some folks have uber systems while others are working with minimal requirements (if that). Ironically, the latter issue influences the former in that folks who are not cheating often are accused of it merely due to the power (or lack there of) of their rig and how they've got it configured. The truly high-level PC matches are like high-level console tournament matches and take part on tournament systems setup by the tournament administrators...but that's an experience that very few folks ever get.
Frankly, I'll take a little slop in my controller over aimbots any day. Plus, I find the controller gives a more "realistic" feeling when playing simply because I can't be superhumanly accurate with my aiming like you can with a mouse. I rarely feel panicked when playing an FPS on the PC - it's just too easy. On a console, it's more immersive experience.
Well, to each their own I suppose...but frankly I'm not really following your argument. To me it is equivalent to saying (forgive the painfully lame baseball analogy): "it's okay if everyone has to use a nice glazed ham when batting because everyone else has to use a ham too! Besides, the fact that everyone in the field is using a bra to catch the ball evens it out."
I recall playing FPS on consoles years ago, and some were pretty good but they did feel rather lacking is depth and substance. Ultimately though, I suspect that console companies do not offer such a controller scheme (or something like the Fang + mouse) simply because it would require the person to be behind some sort of flat surface to be comfortable (read: a desk, table, etc..). To roll that out with a new console would be a negative thing in the eyes of many folks who only know the gamepad controller and find it intimidating. This would probably drive down sales. To introduce it as an optional peripheral would mean that game programmers would not spend a heck of a lot of time coding configurations and full support since it is a niche market as most folks would still be using the controllers as they are "free" (as in they already paid for them when they bought the console).
So, I get why they don't roll out keypad/mouse support, but ultimately I think that the first company that does will surge ahead in the market. PCs ARE expensive, so such a controller scheme would really tempt may PC gamers, especially with what appears to be a slowing in the PC gaming marking (IMHO). In addition, it opens the doors to, shutter, MMORPGs and other styles of game that demand more complex input mechanisms. Do me, that's probably the biggest thing. While I'm not a WoW fan, I can only imagine the goldmine that awaits for Console 'X' who suddenly has the means to support a port of it.
I aplogize for the formatting. That was my first post here although I've been reading for quite a while. That's why I'm glad that others have interjected to clarify and cutoff the negative path this discussion was being sent.
If Sun sticks something in the JDS (like StarOffice), then chances are it is based on an OpenSource project. Look at Sun ONE Studio (Netbeans) as well. I've been using what is essentially MadHatter on my Ultrasparc for about 6 months now mostly done with OpenSource projects (I do use StarOffice though and not Open Office).
Also, as pointed out the Java Enterprise System has nothing to with the JDS (see rugwuk's reply). It is comprised of things like Solaris and Sun ONE App Server. The basic idea for that is to give customers a well tested and stable reference implementation.
I never said it was an Enterprise Application, I said it was targeted as Enterprise customers (see hackstraw's reply). This has been well stated by Scott McNealy and other Sun execs. You are not going to see Sun sales people running off to Best Buy trying to get them to stock Mad Hatter machines in the near future.
Anyway, I've been following the JDS project for a while and I know it fairly well so that's why I chose to comment (granted, I still may be mistaken in a few places). It is intended to attack Windows from a monetary perpective (via much smaller licensing fees) and not so much from a "blow you away" feature perpective...even though it is very strong in that regard (I like it much better than Windows myself).
Whether or not Mad Hatter (Java Desktop System) makes a dent in the Windows install base is all a matter of how Sun approaches the who and the how of selling this. For the most part, the target would likely be Enterprise customers and not Joe Average (although Joe Average could buy one if he really wanted to I'm sure). If Sun goes after these customers with an agressive pricing strategy and with sound technical facts to back them up (easy to come by with the recent barrage of attacks on Windows machines), then perhaps they could do fairly well. So far the plan seems good. The platform itself is for the x86 although you can get all of the pieces for SPARC Solaris. Also, it is based on GNOME and all of those nice freebies out there (it is NOT a bunch of Java Apps so performance concerns are minimal). The licensing fees are astronomically low due to the fact that everything is based on an Open Source project. Really, this is why Joe Average is probably not the target audience since he could download all of this stuff for free and install it but the Enterprise customer is compelled to have a service agreement incase something goes wrong (which is largely why StarOffice manages to coexist with OpenOffice). Anyway, could it make a dent? If executed correctly, absolutely. Many of you out there are probably the same as me and have had no problem converting friends and families to apps like Mozilla from IE based on the simple fact that Mozilla is better. This is much the same...Sun just has to work a little harder to convince there audience because Windows is Windows...and that is sure to be a huge sticking point for most customers.