For most of the life of XBox, when people have asked "What good games does it have?" the answer has been "Halo" followed by a long silence. If MS had not bought Bungie, they'd be in even worse shape than they are now.
I remember when I first heard about the purchase of Bungie and was terribly disappointed. You see, there was a lot of hype about how cool Halo would be even before the purchase. But before the purchase it was supposed to be a really cool PC game. After the purchase, it would be an XBox title. And it IS revolutionary. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark notwithstanding, Halo is the first wildly successful FPS on a console. Before Halo, FPS fanboys wouldn't even consider a console. With Halo, you practically had to have an XBox if you were an FPS kind of guy.
No, the acquisition of Bungie was brilliant. Now, the purchase of Rare is a whole 'nother thing...
I should admit up-front that I have no professional experience in the gaming industry. My sole insight is that I've been a customer of that industry since the Atari VCS. (That's what they called the 2600 when it first came out.)
Disclaimer over, Microsoft needs to move first, and as quickly as possible. Right now, there's no doubt they have the more capable machine. (Almost said 'better machine' - which would have gotten me some flames, eh?) Despite the hardware advantage, PS2 is killing them. PS2 outsells the XBos and, from everything we read, makes a slight profit while the XBox loses money on each unit. That means MS has very little to lose. They are in a losing situation now and need to change to rules in order to win.
If you're listening, Bill, here's what you need to do. First, go right ahead and push out that next gen hardware. Just make DARN sure it's backwards compatible. It's going to have a thin library to begin with and having the (admittedly second-rate) library from the XBox will help. Second, give it some extra capabilities beyond gaming. DVR or media hub capabilities would be good. That means keep the hard drive - just make sure it's 80GB or bigger. Now, though, here's the real important part: buy another development house but don't make the same mistake you made with Rare. (BTW, buying Bungie was obviously the best money spent on the XBox.) This time, the developer you buy should have a name like Sega, Namco, SquareEnix, or (best of all) Nintendo.
What do all these developers have in common, beyond the fact they make great games? They're Japanese! Japan is where XBox is getting really creamed and the only way to curtail that is with Japanese games. Many of the best games come from Japan and the XBox2 needs to move beyond FPS and Sports to win over Japanese players. And you've GOT to have Japanese customers to win the next round.
Final observation: I have a Dreamcast and held onto it for as late in this generation as I could. Three weeks ago I finaly bought a new console. Which one did I buy? Hint: I have kids. I bought a Gamecube! I wanted an XBox. It has the best graphics. It's from an American company and I like to support the home team. (Anybody who roots against the XBox because it's from MS isn't really paying attention to Sony's corporate behavior.) It can play DVDs. But it has a horrible selection of kid's games! While there are good games on the XBox, most are rated M and those don't come into the house. (Well, I've got a couple but they stay in my dresser til the kids are in bed.) Most games we buy, and play as a family, are E rated. The family is very important when playing on the TV in the living room.
I just don't see how a flat, 2D, static book can possibly do game art justice.
Someone in the thread mentioned the Myst series of games and I think that suggestion reflects exactly what's wrong with the idea of a game art book. The Myst titles have gorgeous artwork - but it's all pre-rendered, non-interactive, and essentially static. The folks working at Bungie, id, Blizzard, etc. have to be concerned about how fast their 3D models render on the average gamer's computer. Please note that little 3D part. Any given picture is only going to get one aspect of the model.
I have no ax to grind against art books. Heck, I just love my book of Hildebrandt artwork. And I certainly think that the work done by these artists deserves recognition. I just think a book is not the right answer. Something more along the line of a DVD or a program (with the scenes already rendered) that showcases the artwork would get the impact across much better.
A couple of years ago I attended an IMAX showing of CG art from a computer animation festival. Now that's how this art could be appreciated! Picture in your mind a 20 foot tall Master Chief!
Schools are for learning, not launching political campaigns, selling ideals, or pushing agendas.
Your innocence would be hilarious if it weren't so scary. Schools have always been used for politics. Good grief, take a good, long look at any elementary education textbook these days and see the PC language ooze off the page. You are aware that the NEA is a politically active organization, aren't you? Whether you agree with their views or not, you have to agree that they are active in politics.
Schools, especially colleges, are among the most politically-charged environments you can encounter. Where did many riots and sit-ins occur in the 60s? Where are the Chinese dissidents of today most active? Where are the political ideas of today most discussed? Colleges - schools. People are always trying to appeal to young, flexible, easily-influenced minds to spread their ideas? Where better than schools?
It's simple and always has been: the winners write the history.
Wrong is wrong. Stealing the games is wrong. Teaching the kid to steal is worse. Teaching him that stealing is okay is just egregious.
So the kid didn't have a huge library of video games. That does not make him deprived. Sounds like he had a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear. That makes him a lot better off than many in this world. If he owned a PSX, he belongs to a family much wealthier than literally millions of others.
What you did was wrong. Saying you don't feel guilty is usually an indicator that you really do. Listen close to your conscience. I think it's trying to tell you something.
Best thing you could do now: Take out the chip. Buy the kid one of the stolen games. Sit him down and explain that the best way to improve his life is to study hard, work hard, and get ahead. He needs you to be an example of good, not of bad.
The problem is not the cable companies. Nor is it DirectTV or Dish Network. No, it's the content providers: your friends at Viacom, TW, etc.
Did anybody listen to the news a couple of weeks ago when channels dropped off Dish Network? The dispute centered around the bundling the content provider was demanding of Dish. It's the big media companies forcing the cable company to sell the bundle.
Cable is a sort-of monopoly. They do have competition from satellite, though it's a different delivery mechanism. Anyway, with these three (and other alternatives trying) fighting amongst themselves don't you think the market would have already driven a la carte if it was possible? Heck, I'll switch to WHOEVER can get me the Speed Channel for less than $50 / month. Nobody can.
I think congress needs to step in here, but they need to be beating the media companies, not cable.
Nope. This is actually the WORST of both worlds. As other posters have pointed out, SCO only sues those with whom they have contracts. EV1 has placed themselves squarely in the crosshairs by getting a contract with SCO and then publicly criticizing them.
I think EV1 better put a few dozen lawyers on retainer. SCO has got to be looking through the contract even as we speak, looking for language about liable or non-disclosure.
Yes, I know that many videogamers these days are older. Heck, I'm still a gamer at 42. But one thing I like to do is share the joy that is video gaming with my children.
The problems with all the emphasis on sex in video games is that makes them 1) less likely to be allowed by Mom and 2) less appealing to female gamers.
I stopped getting video game magazines when I realized that every issue had a partially revealed hottie on either the front or the back cover. I couldn't even leave the magazines lying around.
Eventually, the hobby will mature enough to support videogame magazines aimed at different markets: young videogamers, female videogamers, mature videogamers, and (the largest segment) horny young male videogamers. For now, though, it's just that last group being served.
You need a large army, militia or police force to threaten liberty.
Wrong: you just need the right weapon. You see, part of the problem here is that our technology has brought us to the point that it's all too easy for a small group of people to kill a large group of people. I hate to use 9/11 as the example but it is cogent. At what other time in history could less than 100 people kill thousands? If they were armed with sword, muskets, or M1 rifles, not a chance. But armed with airplanes loaded with fuel, the results were terrible (in both senses of the word).
Now take that a step further. What if they are armed with chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons? Then a small group can kill thousands or even, in a worst-case scenario, millions of people. It just takes the right weapon.
The threat to liberty is real. Those weapons exist and are in the hands of some very unstable states and people. If they decide to hand one bomb over to a terrorist organization and the terrorists set it off in New York, it'd kill many people and crater the economy, taking the US and American liberties with it.
This is definately a case of on once-burned, twice shy. Sony is infamous for bringing out new formats that only they support. If that format is successful, you're fine. But if it isn't, Sony will abandon it... and you.
Then you have the wonderful prospect of DRM built in by a company that is a member of the RIAA. Sony has the power to influence all the lawsuits and lobbying the RIAA does and from what I can see, I don't think they are our friend, here.
So, leap into an unproven format with built-in restriction. Thanks, anyway but I think I'll pass.
I stopped by a GameStop today looking for a Dreamcast Lightgun. Turns out all DC games and peripherals are 30% off. With the system and a controller running $20 (before discount), you can get a great system cheap.
The old saying is that variety is the spice of life. Pick up a Dreamcast and a bunch of games for less than it costs to buy one new $50 game for the current consoles. Then go home and try all kinds of new things from the homebrew folks. The Dreamcast was abandoned by Sega but is far from dead.
Slashdot Mirror
I remember when I first heard about the purchase of Bungie and was terribly disappointed. You see, there was a lot of hype about how cool Halo would be even before the purchase. But before the purchase it was supposed to be a really cool PC game. After the purchase, it would be an XBox title. And it IS revolutionary. Goldeneye and Perfect Dark notwithstanding, Halo is the first wildly successful FPS on a console. Before Halo, FPS fanboys wouldn't even consider a console. With Halo, you practically had to have an XBox if you were an FPS kind of guy.
No, the acquisition of Bungie was brilliant. Now, the purchase of Rare is a whole 'nother thing...
Disclaimer over, Microsoft needs to move first, and as quickly as possible. Right now, there's no doubt they have the more capable machine. (Almost said 'better machine' - which would have gotten me some flames, eh?) Despite the hardware advantage, PS2 is killing them. PS2 outsells the XBos and, from everything we read, makes a slight profit while the XBox loses money on each unit. That means MS has very little to lose. They are in a losing situation now and need to change to rules in order to win.
If you're listening, Bill, here's what you need to do. First, go right ahead and push out that next gen hardware. Just make DARN sure it's backwards compatible. It's going to have a thin library to begin with and having the (admittedly second-rate) library from the XBox will help. Second, give it some extra capabilities beyond gaming. DVR or media hub capabilities would be good. That means keep the hard drive - just make sure it's 80GB or bigger. Now, though, here's the real important part: buy another development house but don't make the same mistake you made with Rare. (BTW, buying Bungie was obviously the best money spent on the XBox.) This time, the developer you buy should have a name like Sega, Namco, SquareEnix, or (best of all) Nintendo.
What do all these developers have in common, beyond the fact they make great games? They're Japanese! Japan is where XBox is getting really creamed and the only way to curtail that is with Japanese games. Many of the best games come from Japan and the XBox2 needs to move beyond FPS and Sports to win over Japanese players. And you've GOT to have Japanese customers to win the next round.
Final observation: I have a Dreamcast and held onto it for as late in this generation as I could. Three weeks ago I finaly bought a new console. Which one did I buy? Hint: I have kids. I bought a Gamecube! I wanted an XBox. It has the best graphics. It's from an American company and I like to support the home team. (Anybody who roots against the XBox because it's from MS isn't really paying attention to Sony's corporate behavior.) It can play DVDs. But it has a horrible selection of kid's games! While there are good games on the XBox, most are rated M and those don't come into the house. (Well, I've got a couple but they stay in my dresser til the kids are in bed.) Most games we buy, and play as a family, are E rated. The family is very important when playing on the TV in the living room.
Someone in the thread mentioned the Myst series of games and I think that suggestion reflects exactly what's wrong with the idea of a game art book. The Myst titles have gorgeous artwork - but it's all pre-rendered, non-interactive, and essentially static. The folks working at Bungie, id, Blizzard, etc. have to be concerned about how fast their 3D models render on the average gamer's computer. Please note that little 3D part. Any given picture is only going to get one aspect of the model.
I have no ax to grind against art books. Heck, I just love my book of Hildebrandt artwork. And I certainly think that the work done by these artists deserves recognition. I just think a book is not the right answer. Something more along the line of a DVD or a program (with the scenes already rendered) that showcases the artwork would get the impact across much better.
A couple of years ago I attended an IMAX showing of CG art from a computer animation festival. Now that's how this art could be appreciated! Picture in your mind a 20 foot tall Master Chief!
Your innocence would be hilarious if it weren't so scary. Schools have always been used for politics. Good grief, take a good, long look at any elementary education textbook these days and see the PC language ooze off the page. You are aware that the NEA is a politically active organization, aren't you? Whether you agree with their views or not, you have to agree that they are active in politics.
Schools, especially colleges, are among the most politically-charged environments you can encounter. Where did many riots and sit-ins occur in the 60s? Where are the Chinese dissidents of today most active? Where are the political ideas of today most discussed? Colleges - schools. People are always trying to appeal to young, flexible, easily-influenced minds to spread their ideas? Where better than schools?
It's simple and always has been: the winners write the history.
So the kid didn't have a huge library of video games. That does not make him deprived. Sounds like he had a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear. That makes him a lot better off than many in this world. If he owned a PSX, he belongs to a family much wealthier than literally millions of others.
What you did was wrong. Saying you don't feel guilty is usually an indicator that you really do. Listen close to your conscience. I think it's trying to tell you something.
Best thing you could do now: Take out the chip. Buy the kid one of the stolen games. Sit him down and explain that the best way to improve his life is to study hard, work hard, and get ahead. He needs you to be an example of good, not of bad.
Did anybody listen to the news a couple of weeks ago when channels dropped off Dish Network? The dispute centered around the bundling the content provider was demanding of Dish. It's the big media companies forcing the cable company to sell the bundle.
Cable is a sort-of monopoly. They do have competition from satellite, though it's a different delivery mechanism. Anyway, with these three (and other alternatives trying) fighting amongst themselves don't you think the market would have already driven a la carte if it was possible? Heck, I'll switch to WHOEVER can get me the Speed Channel for less than $50 / month. Nobody can.
I think congress needs to step in here, but they need to be beating the media companies, not cable.
I think EV1 better put a few dozen lawyers on retainer. SCO has got to be looking through the contract even as we speak, looking for language about liable or non-disclosure.
The problems with all the emphasis on sex in video games is that makes them 1) less likely to be allowed by Mom and 2) less appealing to female gamers.
I stopped getting video game magazines when I realized that every issue had a partially revealed hottie on either the front or the back cover. I couldn't even leave the magazines lying around.
Eventually, the hobby will mature enough to support videogame magazines aimed at different markets: young videogamers, female videogamers, mature videogamers, and (the largest segment) horny young male videogamers. For now, though, it's just that last group being served.
Wrong: you just need the right weapon. You see, part of the problem here is that our technology has brought us to the point that it's all too easy for a small group of people to kill a large group of people. I hate to use 9/11 as the example but it is cogent. At what other time in history could less than 100 people kill thousands? If they were armed with sword, muskets, or M1 rifles, not a chance. But armed with airplanes loaded with fuel, the results were terrible (in both senses of the word).
Now take that a step further. What if they are armed with chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons? Then a small group can kill thousands or even, in a worst-case scenario, millions of people. It just takes the right weapon.
The threat to liberty is real. Those weapons exist and are in the hands of some very unstable states and people. If they decide to hand one bomb over to a terrorist organization and the terrorists set it off in New York, it'd kill many people and crater the economy, taking the US and American liberties with it.
This is definately a case of on once-burned, twice shy. Sony is infamous for bringing out new formats that only they support. If that format is successful, you're fine. But if it isn't, Sony will abandon it... and you. Then you have the wonderful prospect of DRM built in by a company that is a member of the RIAA. Sony has the power to influence all the lawsuits and lobbying the RIAA does and from what I can see, I don't think they are our friend, here. So, leap into an unproven format with built-in restriction. Thanks, anyway but I think I'll pass.
I stopped by a GameStop today looking for a Dreamcast Lightgun. Turns out all DC games and peripherals are 30% off. With the system and a controller running $20 (before discount), you can get a great system cheap. The old saying is that variety is the spice of life. Pick up a Dreamcast and a bunch of games for less than it costs to buy one new $50 game for the current consoles. Then go home and try all kinds of new things from the homebrew folks. The Dreamcast was abandoned by Sega but is far from dead.