The GP didn't even mention Microsoft. You did. If you want to look at evil, none of the Big 3 are exactly blameless. Way back in the day, Nintendo engaged in anti-competitive behavior (which was later deemed illegal) to keep 3rd party companies from releasing games on multiple platforms, basically strangling the SMS and TG16. MS engaged in anti-competitive behavior with Internet Explorer and elsewhere through the Windows operating system. Sony is the more recent evildoer with their rootkits and whatnot.
"So, I pick my evil. And that evil is Sony. They were here before Microsoft, and they were my first gaming system I owned. So I'll stick with them."
I'm glad eveyone doesn't share your view or most of us would be stuck playing Atari Jaguars or some new-fangled Intellivision right now. I loved the first gaming system I owned (Atari 2600) but the Atari 7800 was just inferior to the NES. I switched systems and quite frankly don't regret it (Though I do wish they would've made a Proline-style controller for the NES.). Why not look for the better (in terms of both hardware and software available) system and ignore who made the thing? MS can have the honor of having their logo visible on a plastic box in my living room if they put out the best gaming system out there.
Actually, I was thinking of the "lessons" they beat over your head. Like when something is stolen and Tigra looks right and the camera and says something along the lines of "And STEALING is wrong." It happens a lot and I never really noticed it as a kid.
It's easy to boycott a system that hasn't come out yet (or doesn't have a launch lineup or even a finalized hardware setup yet). I imagine this ill-will towards Sony won't carry over to their PS3 console. For one thing, a lot of people do not equate Sony's media content divisions with their hardware divisions. Another thing, this is happening a year before the PS3 comes out. Are people going to hold a grudge for that long? I doubt it. Memories are generally shot.
My daughter is starting to get to the age where she is taking an interest in video games. DK, Pac, and Burget Time are all good games, but so is Super Monkey Ball. Monkey ball is her favorite game and Ms. Pac is a close second. Interestingly enough, she's not a fan of Marble Madness (which goes hand-in-hand with Monkey Ball in my book). Instead of forcing your kid to follow the same path you did as a kid, why not let them choose their own games (as long as they are appropriate for kids)? I think you'll be surprised at how much kids pay attention to gameplay. I've noticed that a lot of kids today are not impressed so much by graphics and 3D capabilities. Such things have been ubiquitous in their lifetime.
I think this next generation of gamers is going to be a good lot because the run of the mill graphics upgrades will cease to impress them. Sex and violence (which is filling in for graphics to some extent nowadays in a lot of games) can only go so far. Sometime in my childrens' lifetimes, game developers will have to conectrate on gameplay again because that will be all that's left.
You're looking back at the greatness of yesteryear while ignoring a lot of the crap. Have you seen the Thunderats recently? I LOVED that show as a kid, but watching episodes now I can see that it's a pretty poorly made show with a thin plot and an awful lot of preaching (usually while the character is staring straight at the viewer). There are some shows I refuse to watch now because of what it would do to my image of them ("Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince," "He-Man," "Captain N," etc).
Ok the yield of the chips is lower than expected. Which chips and why? Is the 360 finicky about the chips or are the chips just coming out bad? Are we talking about the main processors, the graphics processors or what? Just curious who really dropped the ball here (if anyone). Also wondering if this is just a load of bull (though don't immedeately see why it would be).
This article was kind of weak. Go check out seanbaby.com for some of his funnier writings. His 10 worst video game ideas was one of the funniest things I've read in a while.
Step 1. Sell a product in an overpriced bundle. Step 2. Since the buyer already bought the bundle, probably openend the items, and discarded much of the original packaging, offer a refund for the unwanted items weeks later. Not only will many buyers not bother to return an item they really didn't want in the first place, many buyers will not be able to return the items due to the packaging, etc being thrown away. Step 3. Profit.
1. It's cheaper to get a used PS2, portable DVD player, and AC inverter than it is to get a PSP. Sure the setup I mention is only portable in the military sense, but that's good enough for a lot of people. AND you get a more powerful machine with more games on it. AND you can play DVDs instead of those UMDs.
2. Poor handling of QC regarding the monitors have a lot of people afraid of QC issues with the unit. If Sony's selling the unit just to sell the games, they should spend whatever it takes to make sure the first adopters are taken care of. Their reluctance to solve the screen issues quickly put off a lot of people. I can tell you that I'll never buy a used unit without a return policy and used hardware can really help with late adopters.
No, Nintendo's late 80's/early 90's monopolistic software development agreements preventing a lot of companies from having titles published on the NES to be published on other systems in the US (Master System, TG16, 7800, etc) grants them the title of King of Evil in the console world.
Then again, the cube is the only console I have from this generation. I guess the king of console evil doesn't bother me all that much.
I agree with you. However, it's still a long way to Christmas and despite what most people think, Black Friday is not as busy a shopping day (in terms of sales dollars) as some of the days right before Christmas. MS could still be possibly planning to end an artificially-created shortage during that time to get the most hype per shopping dollar, but that could just be my tinfoil hat talking.
Has anyone who had a malfunctioning 360 gotten their replacement yet? Just wondering since nobody else is getting a 360 right now. Is Microsoft still out because filling their repair orders first? Are there even enough repair orders for that to be possible?
I think the ESRB is right on this one.
on
ESRB Retorts to NIMF
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Adults Only is a pretty bad rating to have on your game as it severly cripples your potential shelf space. Looks to me like the NIMF wants the ESRB to start handing out AOs like candy. That's just a bad idea. Watering down what AO stands for will just lead to more stores stocking AO titles and will lead to the need for some sort of Super AO category.
Japanese buyers don't like a console not made in Japan.
Also, what's up with this? (from TFA): "'Unless we achieve meaningful success here, we cannot say we are a winner in the next-generation console battle,' Maruyama told a news conference."
Only A winner? Aiming kind of low, aren't we? Shouldn't you want to be THE winner?
I'll second that. Just watch the opening credits for the movie version of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979). Erin Grey and Pamela Hensley rolling around on the Buck Rogers letters in tight, revealing clothing. I'll take that over Natalie Portman and hot grits any day.
Valve could build real robots and let users control them. They could all be working towards building and constructing things like cars or cheap mechanical toys. Valve could call it "Assembly Line." It sounds boring but it's a game so it must be fun.
Sure, but it's an uphill battle because the rep would only get one like everybody else. Would you really want to use your brick on something you have to deal with at work?
Re:Free Punch Card
on
Why We Fight
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
This reminds me of my Brick Idea. It would revolutionize customer service. Every month, you get one non-transferrable, non-carry-overable brick. You cannot throw that brick at people or animals but you can throw it at anywhere else you want and not be held liable for the damages.
Car dealership work you over? They get a brick through one of their shiny new showroom models.
Phone company giving you lousy customer service? Take a brick to their equipment out on the roadside. Granted, one brick might not break the equipment but if they make enough people angry, they could get together and all brick it into oblivion. (I'd do it in somone else's neighborhood.)
Did a car shoot in front of you to take a spot you were turning into? I'll bet a brick through the windshield will make them think twice about doing that again.
There would just be a mountain of bricks where mortgage companies once stood.
What's the deal with silent? I don't mean to pick on you specifically, but I read that a lot and don't quite follow. My PC that sits next to the TV makes a little noise but when it's showing a TV show, it's not noticable. Heck, even when a TV show is not playing, it's not really noticable. The fire in my fireplace is louder.
Also, what kind of DVD player "doesn't heat up at all"? I though the DVD laser generates a small bit of heat.:)
I'll agree wholeheartedly with the Burnout line continuing to get worse, but Madden changes enough to keep me happy. I'd rather play Madden 2006 than Madden 2005 with a roster update. QB Vision, a slightly improved AI on defense, and some better handling of Hot Routes make it a good game that still sticks to a good formula but has changed for the better since 2005. This hasn't always been true of Madden games, but at least the last few years have been decent upgrades. And I am aware that they've taken away some features from the game, but I'd rather have a better football engine with only a few bells and whistles than a lesser football engine and a bunch of bells and whistles. I buy Madden to play football. Madden 06 still does that and does it better than Madden 2005.
EA doesn't have to compete with a particular company for NFL games anymore but if EA slacks off, the NFL will pull their license and grant it to someone else. The NFL is just treating EA like any of their exclusive merchandisers. If the merchandise gets shoddy, the NFL goes with someone else. I actually hope EA does screw this up so hopefully we'll see some more of Sega's superior IMHO football engine.
Oh, and they've dropped the 20 so now they just release 0x versions of practically every game, but you might be considering the lack of 20 one of the missing features. It's about as important as the other missing features.
Apple's has the opportunity to take a big lead in this new trend just for going out of the gate with it. Here's an idea that will eventually have to take hold. With large bandwidth, modern compression, and the "Media Center" role PCs are starting to play, there will be a market for video-on-demand via the computer. It was obvious, but Apple will get out there first and build a big lead in this market just because they went after it.
Slashdot Mirror
The GP didn't even mention Microsoft. You did. If you want to look at evil, none of the Big 3 are exactly blameless. Way back in the day, Nintendo engaged in anti-competitive behavior (which was later deemed illegal) to keep 3rd party companies from releasing games on multiple platforms, basically strangling the SMS and TG16. MS engaged in anti-competitive behavior with Internet Explorer and elsewhere through the Windows operating system. Sony is the more recent evildoer with their rootkits and whatnot.
"So, I pick my evil. And that evil is Sony. They were here before Microsoft, and they were my first gaming system I owned. So I'll stick with them."
I'm glad eveyone doesn't share your view or most of us would be stuck playing Atari Jaguars or some new-fangled Intellivision right now. I loved the first gaming system I owned (Atari 2600) but the Atari 7800 was just inferior to the NES. I switched systems and quite frankly don't regret it (Though I do wish they would've made a Proline-style controller for the NES.). Why not look for the better (in terms of both hardware and software available) system and ignore who made the thing? MS can have the honor of having their logo visible on a plastic box in my living room if they put out the best gaming system out there.
Get your jackasses straight. Terell Owens signed the football with the Sharpie. Joe Horn made the cell phone call from the end zone.
Actually, I was thinking of the "lessons" they beat over your head. Like when something is stolen and Tigra looks right and the camera and says something along the lines of "And STEALING is wrong." It happens a lot and I never really noticed it as a kid.
It's easy to boycott a system that hasn't come out yet (or doesn't have a launch lineup or even a finalized hardware setup yet). I imagine this ill-will towards Sony won't carry over to their PS3 console. For one thing, a lot of people do not equate Sony's media content divisions with their hardware divisions. Another thing, this is happening a year before the PS3 comes out. Are people going to hold a grudge for that long? I doubt it. Memories are generally shot.
My daughter is starting to get to the age where she is taking an interest in video games. DK, Pac, and Burget Time are all good games, but so is Super Monkey Ball. Monkey ball is her favorite game and Ms. Pac is a close second. Interestingly enough, she's not a fan of Marble Madness (which goes hand-in-hand with Monkey Ball in my book). Instead of forcing your kid to follow the same path you did as a kid, why not let them choose their own games (as long as they are appropriate for kids)? I think you'll be surprised at how much kids pay attention to gameplay. I've noticed that a lot of kids today are not impressed so much by graphics and 3D capabilities. Such things have been ubiquitous in their lifetime.
I think this next generation of gamers is going to be a good lot because the run of the mill graphics upgrades will cease to impress them. Sex and violence (which is filling in for graphics to some extent nowadays in a lot of games) can only go so far. Sometime in my childrens' lifetimes, game developers will have to conectrate on gameplay again because that will be all that's left.
You're looking back at the greatness of yesteryear while ignoring a lot of the crap. Have you seen the Thunderats recently? I LOVED that show as a kid, but watching episodes now I can see that it's a pretty poorly made show with a thin plot and an awful lot of preaching (usually while the character is staring straight at the viewer). There are some shows I refuse to watch now because of what it would do to my image of them ("Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince," "He-Man," "Captain N," etc).
Ok the yield of the chips is lower than expected. Which chips and why? Is the 360 finicky about the chips or are the chips just coming out bad? Are we talking about the main processors, the graphics processors or what? Just curious who really dropped the ball here (if anyone). Also wondering if this is just a load of bull (though don't immedeately see why it would be).
I'm kind of afraid to click a "close-up" image of a device that's used on the toilet. It's not a picture of a live demo is it?
This article was kind of weak. Go check out seanbaby.com for some of his funnier writings. His 10 worst video game ideas was one of the funniest things I've read in a while.
Step 1. Sell a product in an overpriced bundle.
Step 2. Since the buyer already bought the bundle, probably openend the items, and discarded much of the original packaging, offer a refund for the unwanted items weeks later. Not only will many buyers not bother to return an item they really didn't want in the first place, many buyers will not be able to return the items due to the packaging, etc being thrown away.
Step 3. Profit.
1. It's cheaper to get a used PS2, portable DVD player, and AC inverter than it is to get a PSP. Sure the setup I mention is only portable in the military sense, but that's good enough for a lot of people. AND you get a more powerful machine with more games on it. AND you can play DVDs instead of those UMDs.
2. Poor handling of QC regarding the monitors have a lot of people afraid of QC issues with the unit. If Sony's selling the unit just to sell the games, they should spend whatever it takes to make sure the first adopters are taken care of. Their reluctance to solve the screen issues quickly put off a lot of people. I can tell you that I'll never buy a used unit without a return policy and used hardware can really help with late adopters.
No, Nintendo's late 80's/early 90's monopolistic software development agreements preventing a lot of companies from having titles published on the NES to be published on other systems in the US (Master System, TG16, 7800, etc) grants them the title of King of Evil in the console world.
Then again, the cube is the only console I have from this generation. I guess the king of console evil doesn't bother me all that much.
Maybe the bloggers being wooed aren't elite. Maybe they can just be bought off more easily.
Maybe it talks. Or maybe the hat is just broken and the voices from outside are getting in anyways.
I agree with you. However, it's still a long way to Christmas and despite what most people think, Black Friday is not as busy a shopping day (in terms of sales dollars) as some of the days right before Christmas. MS could still be possibly planning to end an artificially-created shortage during that time to get the most hype per shopping dollar, but that could just be my tinfoil hat talking.
Has anyone who had a malfunctioning 360 gotten their replacement yet? Just wondering since nobody else is getting a 360 right now. Is Microsoft still out because filling their repair orders first? Are there even enough repair orders for that to be possible?
Adults Only is a pretty bad rating to have on your game as it severly cripples your potential shelf space. Looks to me like the NIMF wants the ESRB to start handing out AOs like candy. That's just a bad idea. Watering down what AO stands for will just lead to more stores stocking AO titles and will lead to the need for some sort of Super AO category.
Japanese buyers don't like a console not made in Japan.
Also, what's up with this? (from TFA):
"'Unless we achieve meaningful success here, we cannot say we are a winner in the next-generation console battle,' Maruyama told a news conference."
Only A winner? Aiming kind of low, aren't we? Shouldn't you want to be THE winner?
I'll second that. Just watch the opening credits for the movie version of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979). Erin Grey and Pamela Hensley rolling around on the Buck Rogers letters in tight, revealing clothing. I'll take that over Natalie Portman and hot grits any day.
And when you remove the virus it says, "I'm scared, Dave."
Valve could build real robots and let users control them. They could all be working towards building and constructing things like cars or cheap mechanical toys. Valve could call it "Assembly Line." It sounds boring but it's a game so it must be fun.
Sure, but it's an uphill battle because the rep would only get one like everybody else. Would you really want to use your brick on something you have to deal with at work?
This reminds me of my Brick Idea. It would revolutionize customer service. Every month, you get one non-transferrable, non-carry-overable brick. You cannot throw that brick at people or animals but you can throw it at anywhere else you want and not be held liable for the damages.
Car dealership work you over? They get a brick through one of their shiny new showroom models.
Phone company giving you lousy customer service? Take a brick to their equipment out on the roadside. Granted, one brick might not break the equipment but if they make enough people angry, they could get together and all brick it into oblivion. (I'd do it in somone else's neighborhood.)
Did a car shoot in front of you to take a spot you were turning into? I'll bet a brick through the windshield will make them think twice about doing that again.
There would just be a mountain of bricks where mortgage companies once stood.
What's the deal with silent? I don't mean to pick on you specifically, but I read that a lot and don't quite follow. My PC that sits next to the TV makes a little noise but when it's showing a TV show, it's not noticable. Heck, even when a TV show is not playing, it's not really noticable. The fire in my fireplace is louder.
:)
Also, what kind of DVD player "doesn't heat up at all"? I though the DVD laser generates a small bit of heat.
I'll agree wholeheartedly with the Burnout line continuing to get worse, but Madden changes enough to keep me happy. I'd rather play Madden 2006 than Madden 2005 with a roster update. QB Vision, a slightly improved AI on defense, and some better handling of Hot Routes make it a good game that still sticks to a good formula but has changed for the better since 2005. This hasn't always been true of Madden games, but at least the last few years have been decent upgrades. And I am aware that they've taken away some features from the game, but I'd rather have a better football engine with only a few bells and whistles than a lesser football engine and a bunch of bells and whistles. I buy Madden to play football. Madden 06 still does that and does it better than Madden 2005.
EA doesn't have to compete with a particular company for NFL games anymore but if EA slacks off, the NFL will pull their license and grant it to someone else. The NFL is just treating EA like any of their exclusive merchandisers. If the merchandise gets shoddy, the NFL goes with someone else. I actually hope EA does screw this up so hopefully we'll see some more of Sega's superior IMHO football engine.
Oh, and they've dropped the 20 so now they just release 0x versions of practically every game, but you might be considering the lack of 20 one of the missing features. It's about as important as the other missing features.
Apple's has the opportunity to take a big lead in this new trend just for going out of the gate with it. Here's an idea that will eventually have to take hold. With large bandwidth, modern compression, and the "Media Center" role PCs are starting to play, there will be a market for video-on-demand via the computer. It was obvious, but Apple will get out there first and build a big lead in this market just because they went after it.