I was surprised to find that spinning the disk didn't really eat that much in terms of battery life (note to self: recharge devices before road trip).
I wasn't. Say what you will about MD players, but they seem to have FANTASTIC-as-to-be-unbelievable levels of power-control. I'd seriously have to change a single AA battery once a month or so. (And this was with the minimum of 1.5 hours of play every workday while in traffic.)
What did Sprite do in the Matrix that was so foul? A) I thought it was AO they were advertising in, and B) there isn't much that can "snap one out" of the Matrix, as it's supposed to represent our modern day--drudgery and advertising in all. I see billboards in there, and even if things show up on soda bottles or whatever... why would I care? In the Matrix, at least, it's part of the scenery. Tacky sometimes, sure, but it doesn't drive one completely out of the game world in the way it does with Anarchy Online.
In much the same way, I don't care about advertising in games... so long as it doesn't kick me out of the game world. I might find some things stupid and annoying advertising ventures--as I do in the real world--but I'll treat it as that. Only when I'm ripped out of the game does it really matter to me.
AO suffers from it, as does CoH, but I can't see it mattering overall in games like Matrix or the Sims. (Or billboards in modern day racing games and the like.)
'There certainly will not be a lot of titles available.' The result is that publishers that do want to take part in the PS3 launch will have to release games that don't fully take advantage of the power of the Cell processor, added Jeffrey."
That will make it, like, the same as any console launch ever!
Excellent! Really, well done! Taking a shot at the X360 core system when a) Sony is also releasing two PS3 models at launch and b) the X360 core with a memory card can play every Xbox 360 game released so far for $160 less than the base PS3 system.
You don't need to compare it to ANYTHING to take a shot at the Core system. At launch to still needed to spend ~$360 to get a core system plus memory card (it's at least come down a bit since) which put you right next to the cost of the other system ANYway, and in the meanwhile it preyed on customer confusion (not knowing what lack of a hard drive would mean), causes retailer headaches (which, admittedly, any multi-option console will do), but most importantly fragments the developer and publisher userbase and makes them program to the lowest common denominator.
So yes, his point is perfectly clear... At least it's there. Lacking the hard drive in the Core System is just plain crappy, even for those of us who know better.
Perfectly valid criticisms of Sony's launch options and prices (I was expecting $399/$499, so this takes even me by surprise) can continue as normal.
This "restart" ad is false advertising -- Windows XP is an extremely stable platform (unless Apple is referring to people who are still using Windows 98 and Windows ME -- but I don't think so).
They're more referring to constantly having to restart to have certain configuration changes take, after most consequential program installs, after registry changes, in-between virus scans... XP is stable, sure, but I just re-installed XP on my personal machine (yay, cleany-clean!) and I can't TELL you how many restarts I've done so far. And I haven't even started in on the major software yet.;-) (They ASKED me to do a lot more, too. And for most users, that means they always restarted.)
I love my Mac, but getting my wife comfortable with the little Mac-isms was like giving her a new car that had the gas and brake pedals backwards.
Of course once you get used to the Mac and go back to a PC you curse the lack of Expose, Dashboard, and all the other fiddly bits that make using OSX much handier.;-)
Anybody who can point me to some hate campaigns by major companies that seem(ed) to be effective?
Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" campaign would probably be the most successful one of that sort. Most of the fast food ones take digs at each other ("Others are too fatty!" "Burgers suck!" "Burgers rock but only ours are flame broiled!" "Everyone else is too expensive!" etc) in-between their "style" ones. (And though I'm not sure quite how it impacted sales, Apple's "1984" commercial remains by most accounts one of the most effective ever, which is--by your accounts (which I don't agree with)--"hate."
For some products you can sell an image (like cola and apparel) and some you have actual established rating systems to tout (as with cars), but many products--like PC's--don't really have that to fall back on. So what to do? Compare yourself to the competition. (Which basically means you compare your favorable traits against theirs... which come off as "unfavorable"... and by your account are espousing "hatred?" Sheesh.)
These work better than the "Switch" ads because it comes off as more short and amusing and less preachy, so I think they'll be effective. Some of them are similarly misguided, though. (iLife is cool and all, but how can you possibly compare to the myriad of software bundles out there for "PC" by saying they have nothing? That's a strict Windows comparison which, of course, is not the scope they're limiting themselves too. Even if it's 90% true.;) )
Apple sells the iPod with "style" in over-abundance, and while people appreciate the style of Macs as well, that's not the big selling point for PC's. Usability, value, and security, however...
So, um... what else do you expect them to toss out, commercial-wise? The computer field is huge and if you're talking up your features, you pretty much have to do it in the same breath as mentioning what their competitors will not be offering. This is "hate?"
Personally, I call it "extremely common commercialism."
How many people seriously watched DVDs on a PS2 instead of a real standalone player?
Plenty. Besides, how many people had a DVD player before the PS2 launched? (1997 vs 2000) Now how many will have an HD DVD player before the PS3 launches...?
Here's a question, though... Do you rate-limit P2P use, or do you rate-limit an ACCOUNT perpetually when you think P2P use is getting too high?
I wouldn't mind one bit of P2P use (or any other high-bandwidth/quasi-perpetual bandwidth activity) is choked back, but unfortunately it seems most providers do not put intelligence into it. I've been choked by my ISP before, and when I contacted them to see what was up (and get the restriction removed) I got the following:
A) Yes, sir, you've been flagged and your bandwidth throttled.
B) No, we can't tell you why.
C) No, we can't tell you what bandwidth habits trigger it.
D) Do it two more times and we can toss you on your ass.
Basically, they take a hardline and dumbass stance, IMHO, and are trying to fearmonger your bandwidth use as opposed to a more sensible regulation. There are plenty of P2P problems out there, but there still seem to be plenty of problems on the ISP side as well.
A Mac-user with common sense! This day will go down in Slashdot's annals* as the day that Mac-users are no longer a-priori considered completely gay. *wiping away tears of joy*
And yet note that while "more serious problems" is common sense, this doesn't mean it would ever get ANYWHERE near the number of serious Windows problems.;-)
Unfortunately the public (both "regular" gamers and the hardcore) have pretty much proved that this is what they DON'T want. What was SWG but a game that took very little time to "max out" (excepting the Jedi grind, of course), and otherwise was a giant sandbox for (allegedly) good character interaction?
People like their grinds. As long as--at this point--they're slightly more CLEVER grinds.
Bear in mind that there's a good chance most of these changes came about more as pressure from LucasArts than their own design decisions.
...not that it wasn't a fairly stagnant environment beforehand, but there was certainly no reason that SOE would knowingly disenfranchise their active player base without much assurance of pulling in other players. (I think LucasArts did commit to some extra marketing pushes to back up the switch and hope to draw in new players, but they'd still have to go in knowing they had a SOLID and fun game for new players, and really something completely fresh--like a launch on a console system, which I think it much of the reason for this switch--as opposed to the mishmash they put out.)
A shame, as I really like skill-based, open-ended systems.
So, if it's concerning, you convert them to AIFF or MP3 today and make the decision to purchase more from iTunes tomorrow when and if the situation changes.
Thumbnail images are nothing but ADVERTISING for them. It's not like anyone would be satisfied looking at a hot woman in an 80x120 image. I mean, the breasts only take up 60 pixels total!
It does, however, provide just enough to... tittilate.
EA (or ECA for us old-timers;-) ) made some truly AMAZING games back in the day. Through them they established themselves and... well... led to what we have today.
Ironic, I suppose, but at least they were worthy of success to begin with. Heh...
Slashdot Mirror
Mr. Iwata? Yes. Reggie...? Not so much. ;-)
I was surprised to find that spinning the disk didn't really eat that much in terms of battery life (note to self: recharge devices before road trip).
I wasn't. Say what you will about MD players, but they seem to have FANTASTIC-as-to-be-unbelievable levels of power-control. I'd seriously have to change a single AA battery once a month or so. (And this was with the minimum of 1.5 hours of play every workday while in traffic.)
What did Sprite do in the Matrix that was so foul? A) I thought it was AO they were advertising in, and B) there isn't much that can "snap one out" of the Matrix, as it's supposed to represent our modern day--drudgery and advertising in all. I see billboards in there, and even if things show up on soda bottles or whatever... why would I care? In the Matrix, at least, it's part of the scenery. Tacky sometimes, sure, but it doesn't drive one completely out of the game world in the way it does with Anarchy Online.
In much the same way, I don't care about advertising in games... so long as it doesn't kick me out of the game world. I might find some things stupid and annoying advertising ventures--as I do in the real world--but I'll treat it as that. Only when I'm ripped out of the game does it really matter to me.
AO suffers from it, as does CoH, but I can't see it mattering overall in games like Matrix or the Sims. (Or billboards in modern day racing games and the like.)
'There certainly will not be a lot of titles available.' The result is that publishers that do want to take part in the PS3 launch will have to release games that don't fully take advantage of the power of the Cell processor, added Jeffrey."
That will make it, like, the same as any console launch ever!
Excellent! Really, well done! Taking a shot at the X360 core system when a) Sony is also releasing two PS3 models at launch and b) the X360 core with a memory card can play every Xbox 360 game released so far for $160 less than the base PS3 system.
You don't need to compare it to ANYTHING to take a shot at the Core system. At launch to still needed to spend ~$360 to get a core system plus memory card (it's at least come down a bit since) which put you right next to the cost of the other system ANYway, and in the meanwhile it preyed on customer confusion (not knowing what lack of a hard drive would mean), causes retailer headaches (which, admittedly, any multi-option console will do), but most importantly fragments the developer and publisher userbase and makes them program to the lowest common denominator.
So yes, his point is perfectly clear... At least it's there. Lacking the hard drive in the Core System is just plain crappy, even for those of us who know better.
Perfectly valid criticisms of Sony's launch options and prices (I was expecting $399/$499, so this takes even me by surprise) can continue as normal.
Galactus tried, but his hunger could not find foothole. The Watcher watched and wept.
Excelsior!
This "restart" ad is false advertising -- Windows XP is an extremely stable platform (unless Apple is referring to people who are still using Windows 98 and Windows ME -- but I don't think so).
;-) (They ASKED me to do a lot more, too. And for most users, that means they always restarted.)
;-)
They're more referring to constantly having to restart to have certain configuration changes take, after most consequential program installs, after registry changes, in-between virus scans... XP is stable, sure, but I just re-installed XP on my personal machine (yay, cleany-clean!) and I can't TELL you how many restarts I've done so far. And I haven't even started in on the major software yet.
I love my Mac, but getting my wife comfortable with the little Mac-isms was like giving her a new car that had the gas and brake pedals backwards.
Of course once you get used to the Mac and go back to a PC you curse the lack of Expose, Dashboard, and all the other fiddly bits that make using OSX much handier.
Anybody who can point me to some hate campaigns by major companies that seem(ed) to be effective?
;) )
Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" campaign would probably be the most successful one of that sort. Most of the fast food ones take digs at each other ("Others are too fatty!" "Burgers suck!" "Burgers rock but only ours are flame broiled!" "Everyone else is too expensive!" etc) in-between their "style" ones. (And though I'm not sure quite how it impacted sales, Apple's "1984" commercial remains by most accounts one of the most effective ever, which is--by your accounts (which I don't agree with)--"hate."
For some products you can sell an image (like cola and apparel) and some you have actual established rating systems to tout (as with cars), but many products--like PC's--don't really have that to fall back on. So what to do? Compare yourself to the competition. (Which basically means you compare your favorable traits against theirs... which come off as "unfavorable"... and by your account are espousing "hatred?" Sheesh.)
These work better than the "Switch" ads because it comes off as more short and amusing and less preachy, so I think they'll be effective. Some of them are similarly misguided, though. (iLife is cool and all, but how can you possibly compare to the myriad of software bundles out there for "PC" by saying they have nothing? That's a strict Windows comparison which, of course, is not the scope they're limiting themselves too. Even if it's 90% true.
Apple sells the iPod with "style" in over-abundance, and while people appreciate the style of Macs as well, that's not the big selling point for PC's. Usability, value, and security, however...
So, um... what else do you expect them to toss out, commercial-wise? The computer field is huge and if you're talking up your features, you pretty much have to do it in the same breath as mentioning what their competitors will not be offering. This is "hate?"
Personally, I call it "extremely common commercialism."
...tarded been used yet?
How many people seriously watched DVDs on a PS2 instead of a real standalone player?
Plenty. Besides, how many people had a DVD player before the PS2 launched? (1997 vs 2000) Now how many will have an HD DVD player before the PS3 launches...?
...like, 1 or 2 or 5 articles already speculating this?
In the past month?
Here's a question, though... Do you rate-limit P2P use, or do you rate-limit an ACCOUNT perpetually when you think P2P use is getting too high?
I wouldn't mind one bit of P2P use (or any other high-bandwidth/quasi-perpetual bandwidth activity) is choked back, but unfortunately it seems most providers do not put intelligence into it. I've been choked by my ISP before, and when I contacted them to see what was up (and get the restriction removed) I got the following:
A) Yes, sir, you've been flagged and your bandwidth throttled.
B) No, we can't tell you why.
C) No, we can't tell you what bandwidth habits trigger it.
D) Do it two more times and we can toss you on your ass.
Basically, they take a hardline and dumbass stance, IMHO, and are trying to fearmonger your bandwidth use as opposed to a more sensible regulation. There are plenty of P2P problems out there, but there still seem to be plenty of problems on the ISP side as well.
...that's almost 1000 a MONTH since they've begun! I'm glad they're not just paying it all lip-service. /rolleyes
A Mac-user with common sense! This day will go down in Slashdot's annals* as the day that Mac-users are no longer a-priori considered completely gay. *wiping away tears of joy*
;-)
And yet note that while "more serious problems" is common sense, this doesn't mean it would ever get ANYWHERE near the number of serious Windows problems.
Girl users think?
Heyoooooooooooooooo!
Unfortunately the public (both "regular" gamers and the hardcore) have pretty much proved that this is what they DON'T want. What was SWG but a game that took very little time to "max out" (excepting the Jedi grind, of course), and otherwise was a giant sandbox for (allegedly) good character interaction?
People like their grinds. As long as--at this point--they're slightly more CLEVER grinds.
Commas are the difference between:
Let's eat out, Grandma!
and
Let's eat out Grandma!
Bear in mind that there's a good chance most of these changes came about more as pressure from LucasArts than their own design decisions.
...not that it wasn't a fairly stagnant environment beforehand, but there was certainly no reason that SOE would knowingly disenfranchise their active player base without much assurance of pulling in other players. (I think LucasArts did commit to some extra marketing pushes to back up the switch and hope to draw in new players, but they'd still have to go in knowing they had a SOLID and fun game for new players, and really something completely fresh--like a launch on a console system, which I think it much of the reason for this switch--as opposed to the mishmash they put out.)
A shame, as I really like skill-based, open-ended systems.
So, if it's concerning, you convert them to AIFF or MP3 today and make the decision to purchase more from iTunes tomorrow when and if the situation changes.
Not everone on IMB's knows what an IMB is, either. ;-)
Thumbnail images are nothing but ADVERTISING for them. It's not like anyone would be satisfied looking at a hot woman in an 80x120 image. I mean, the breasts only take up 60 pixels total!
It does, however, provide just enough to... tittilate.
...it is against grammatical rules to put "future" and. "N-Gage in the same sentence."
C64 scum! Atari forever!!!! ;-P
I 3-ed Worms to death at the time. ^_^ Only Archon really surpassed it, of the ECA crop.
EA (or ECA for us old-timers ;-) ) made some truly AMAZING games back in the day. Through them they established themselves and... well... led to what we have today.
Ironic, I suppose, but at least they were worthy of success to begin with. Heh...