More interesting to me than the topic (which I noticed about a month ago as I've always used the dictionary feature of google) is the use of the term "wikipedic" in the article summary.
Just as "google" has become a verb, it appears that we've now witnessed the birth of yet another site-gone-word... this time, as an adjective.
The way I see it, is that Console games aren't buggy because they cannot be. Simply put, like you said, if they required patches they would fail in the marketplace because there is no delivery mechanism. As a result, Console programmers are trained to test and retest and be as close to perfect as they can.
PC programmers, in contrast, have the advantage of saying "we'll fix it with a patch". Granted, they don't want to screw anything up, but if they forget to test something and it later causes an issue, a patch can be applied.
My theory here is that, hopefully, if the PC programmers start to think more like Console programmers, we will have more stable/tested games that don't require patches.
Unlike most of the/. crowd, I spend my time actually using my computer rather than tweaking it. I imagine that my opinion probably represents a greater majorty of the consumer market.
I am quite a fan of Console games because of the "tray and play" concept they have enjoyed for over 20 years. I can load a game, play it, and then be done with it. There is no config.sys tweaking, no worrying that it'll crash my hard drive or screw up some other game. I don't have to download the newest driver, or patches. I can play right away.
Further, I can loan it to a friend (without copyright issues) or borrow/rent it. I can also sell it when I'm done and I don't have BSA on my back.
Many of you have made arguements that you don't want to fish for your CD when you want to play. Millions of PS2/XBox users don't really complain about this.
Many of you argued that the CD/DVD is a poor choice for media because it's read-only. There's nothing in this format that says data can't go on the HD. I expect it will have to. PS2 stores data on those little cards, XBox on the hard drive. I doubt they'd overlook this.
And many of you argue that games aren't released perfect and require updates and patches. This, I think, is the most important part of "tray and play":
CONSOLE GAMES AREN'T BUGGY
Manufacturers manage to release non-buggy games for the console market, and they are 10x more enjoyable because of it. I realize it's a lot easier to write for a console than a PC with thousands of different types of components. But, if this concept can help game companies release a stable game correct without needing patches, then that makes this a Good Thing.
I don't consider this abuse if people understand the concept of proxy bidding.
If I want to buy a widget, and $100 is the most I'm ever willing to pay, I'll bid $100.
If someone comes along one minute before the auction ends and bids $101, and they win, then I accept that. I was not willing to pay $101 for the widget.
If I *was* willing to pay $101, then I should have bid $101, or $105, or something higher.
I've often watched people quickly increment their maximum bid in a mad rush towards the end of an auction. I'd have already bid $100, and I'd see them bid $70, 75, 80, 85, 90, and then time would run out. I laugh quietly to myself as I continue to Paypal.
If I had to guess, it's more of a social thing than any technical reason.
Most people out there just won't bother updating with the frequent small patches that are released. Witness all our family members who have never connected to Windows Update since they first booted their computer.
Giving something a name and being more official sounding, like "Service Pack" probably makes people more apt to download it.
It also has some significance with OEMs that pre-load Windows on the machines that they sell. To my knowledge, they don't load it with recent patches, but they will load it with the most current Service Pack.
Just out of curiosity, I went to Blockbuster's website to see what they would advertise.
Sure enough, they have a huge banner ad saying "The end of late fees". There are no asterisks, fine print, or other disclaimers.
However, if you click on the "Terms" button at the bottom of every page, you get a few pages of legal text such as their privacy policy, copyrights, terms regarding their Online Rentals, and.... terms on their In-Store Rentals. Lo and beyold:
IN-STORE MOVIE AND GAME RENTAL TERMS. As of Jan. 1, 2005, movie and game rentals are due back at the date and time stated on the transaction receipt. There is no additional rental charge if a member keeps a rental item beyond the pre-paid rental period. However, if a member chooses to keep a rental item more than a week after the end of the rental period, Blockbuster will automatically convert the rental to a sale on the eighth day after the end of the rental period. Blockbuster will charge the membership account the selling price for the item in effect at the time of the rental, which is either (1) the retail price charged by that BLOCKBUSTER store for the product if sold as new, if the product is not available for sale as previously rented product at that BLOCKBUSTER store at the time of rental, or (2) the selling price charged by that BLOCKBUSTER store for the product if sold as previously rented product, if the product is available for sale as previously rented product at that BLOCKBUSTER store at the time of rental. The selling price will be discounted by the amount of the initial rental fee paid by the member at the time of rental. If the member returns the item within 30 days of the sale date, Blockbuster will credit back to the membership account the amount previously charged to the member's account or the member's credit card, as applicable, for the selling price of the item, but the member will be charged a restocking fee. All rental items must be returned to the proper BLOCKBUSTER store. These rental terms are subject to change without notice at any time. Participating stores only. Rental terms and policies may vary in franchised locations. Additional membership rules apply for rentals. See store for full details.
While this may account for a VERY small (like, 1% of 1% of 1%) drop in income for colleges, I wouldn't so as far as to blame cell phone use for the recent tuition hikes.
Let's assume that students pay $20/mo to the college, plus long distance. I'd say that maxes out at $50/mo, times 8 or 9 months, or about $400/year. And depending on the school, a small percentage of students actually live on campus.
Sadly, tuition costs have doubled in some smaller colleges and universities. The $400 hardly makes up for that increase.
While I think it's certainly about time that mobile devices began to converge, I think that this is well overdue.
I already have a SmartPhone which, while it doesn't play the niftiest games, it does have great PDA abilities, a camera, music player, web browser, etc, etc.
Had Nintendo done this about three years ago, even with the cellular module, I think they could have been big leaders in this market today. Now, they're just playing catch up.
Exactly. And its those very reasons why Google will likely stay ahead of the game.
Kleenex, Xerox, and Coke are all on top of the game when it comes to tissue, copiers, and soda. Granted, there are competitors, but they are at least in the 1st or 2nd of their markets.
"Owning a word" as it's often called is a very powerful thing in marketing.
So that Microsoft can field the support calls or get blamed for the [just as] buggy software? What about when a security issue is found with QuickTime or some other app that they would be forced to bundle in?
Not to mention the argument that, in what way would it ever be fair to force a company to include its competitor's product in with your own?
If Ford sells a car with a built-in Ford radio, should they be forced to include Clarion and Pioneer radios too and give the user a choice?
The Movie Maker software is free with XP Home. Pro not required.
And while my Sony/Sony/Sony stuff does work because it's from the same folks, that was two years ago.
I've seen first-hand of similar experiences using HP equipment on a Dell machine, or Sony equipment on an HP machine, etc etc. Window's built-in digital camera management software is quite nice for being included in the OS.
Another example: I can sync my Motorola phone with Outlook via USB, and I never installed any software or drivers.
Two years ago when I hooked up my Sony DigiCam via firewire to my Sony laptop running XP Pro, it automatically launches the video import/editing software and prompts me to start pulling down footage.
I don't know if the Dell has similar software, but considering XP now ships with Movie Maker, it probably behaves in a similar fashion.
Yes, I'd like to play against this "insane" AI script. I play SC pretty regularly against the computer (actually, 5-6 of them at once) and tend to win about 75% of the time.
But let's get one thing straight... giving the computer a free "cash flow" is not advanced AI.
I'd prefer it if the AI didn't act so predictably, that's all.
Face it, DRM is here to stay. As long as record companies and motion picture associations remain a "big business" and don't go 100% independant, DRM will be the *only* way that studios allow their content to be distributed online.
Sure, you might get the occasional small-time studio to release something without DRM just to get some awareness and attention... but that will be a very small percentage of flicks.
Slashdot Mirror
While I would never own such a thing, the quality of work and thought that went into building that is absolutely astonishing.
The only thing missing: a spot for your Mountain Dew.
You know, Slashdotters could unite and each put in $1 to have it named the SS Goatse.
Then again, when have slashdotters ever agreed on anything?
More interesting to me than the topic (which I noticed about a month ago as I've always used the dictionary feature of google) is the use of the term "wikipedic" in the article summary.
Just as "google" has become a verb, it appears that we've now witnessed the birth of yet another site-gone-word... this time, as an adjective.
The way I see it, is that Console games aren't buggy because they cannot be. Simply put, like you said, if they required patches they would fail in the marketplace because there is no delivery mechanism. As a result, Console programmers are trained to test and retest and be as close to perfect as they can.
PC programmers, in contrast, have the advantage of saying "we'll fix it with a patch". Granted, they don't want to screw anything up, but if they forget to test something and it later causes an issue, a patch can be applied.
My theory here is that, hopefully, if the PC programmers start to think more like Console programmers, we will have more stable/tested games that don't require patches.
That analogy would only work if the phone company were providing free service, while other companies also offered alternative services (free or not).
AIM is not the only choice for IM.
AIM is not something you are paying for or forced to use.
AIM is not an incumbent, monopolistic service.
As someone once said, "Using analogies on Slashdot is like comparing apples and oranges."
Unlike most of the /. crowd, I spend my time actually using my computer rather than tweaking it. I imagine that my opinion probably represents a greater majorty of the consumer market.
I am quite a fan of Console games because of the "tray and play" concept they have enjoyed for over 20 years. I can load a game, play it, and then be done with it. There is no config.sys tweaking, no worrying that it'll crash my hard drive or screw up some other game. I don't have to download the newest driver, or patches. I can play right away.
Further, I can loan it to a friend (without copyright issues) or borrow/rent it. I can also sell it when I'm done and I don't have BSA on my back.
Many of you have made arguements that you don't want to fish for your CD when you want to play. Millions of PS2/XBox users don't really complain about this.
Many of you argued that the CD/DVD is a poor choice for media because it's read-only. There's nothing in this format that says data can't go on the HD. I expect it will have to. PS2 stores data on those little cards, XBox on the hard drive. I doubt they'd overlook this.
And many of you argue that games aren't released perfect and require updates and patches. This, I think, is the most important part of "tray and play":
CONSOLE GAMES AREN'T BUGGY
Manufacturers manage to release non-buggy games for the console market, and they are 10x more enjoyable because of it. I realize it's a lot easier to write for a console than a PC with thousands of different types of components. But, if this concept can help game companies release a stable game correct without needing patches, then that makes this a Good Thing.
I don't consider this abuse if people understand the concept of proxy bidding.
If I want to buy a widget, and $100 is the most I'm ever willing to pay, I'll bid $100.
If someone comes along one minute before the auction ends and bids $101, and they win, then I accept that. I was not willing to pay $101 for the widget.
If I *was* willing to pay $101, then I should have bid $101, or $105, or something higher.
I've often watched people quickly increment their maximum bid in a mad rush towards the end of an auction. I'd have already bid $100, and I'd see them bid $70, 75, 80, 85, 90, and then time would run out. I laugh quietly to myself as I continue to Paypal.
If I had to guess, it's more of a social thing than any technical reason.
Most people out there just won't bother updating with the frequent small patches that are released. Witness all our family members who have never connected to Windows Update since they first booted their computer.
Giving something a name and being more official sounding, like "Service Pack" probably makes people more apt to download it.
It also has some significance with OEMs that pre-load Windows on the machines that they sell. To my knowledge, they don't load it with recent patches, but they will load it with the most current Service Pack.
Yes, shooting a rubber-band into your opponent's eye is a sure-fire way to get back into the race!
Sure enough, they have a huge banner ad saying "The end of late fees". There are no asterisks, fine print, or other disclaimers.
However, if you click on the "Terms" button at the bottom of every page, you get a few pages of legal text such as their privacy policy, copyrights, terms regarding their Online Rentals, and .... terms on their In-Store Rentals. Lo and beyold:
While this may account for a VERY small (like, 1% of 1% of 1%) drop in income for colleges, I wouldn't so as far as to blame cell phone use for the recent tuition hikes.
Let's assume that students pay $20/mo to the college, plus long distance. I'd say that maxes out at $50/mo, times 8 or 9 months, or about $400/year. And depending on the school, a small percentage of students actually live on campus.
Sadly, tuition costs have doubled in some smaller colleges and universities. The $400 hardly makes up for that increase.
While I think it's certainly about time that mobile devices began to converge, I think that this is well overdue.
I already have a SmartPhone which, while it doesn't play the niftiest games, it does have great PDA abilities, a camera, music player, web browser, etc, etc.
Had Nintendo done this about three years ago, even with the cellular module, I think they could have been big leaders in this market today. Now, they're just playing catch up.
If by "the smell of rot" you're referring to the ever increasing revenues, breaking records quarter by quarter, then sure.
And I suppose ICANN should be blamed for "regular" domain name spoofing?
I think most companies would be happy if they ended up with 30-50% of the market share.
What's important here, is that Google doesn't end up like Lycos, Infoseek, Altavista, Webcrawler, or the other search engines that didn't make it.
Or, to continue the soda analogies: Tab, Fanta, Royal Crown, and probably countless others whose names *didn't* become synonymous with the product.
Exactly. And its those very reasons why Google will likely stay ahead of the game.
Kleenex, Xerox, and Coke are all on top of the game when it comes to tissue, copiers, and soda. Granted, there are competitors, but they are at least in the 1st or 2nd of their markets.
"Owning a word" as it's often called is a very powerful thing in marketing.
Just for the sake of asking a question, if we accept Microsoft as being a monopoly, then what would have to happen for us to change our mind?
How much market share would MS have to have in the OS market to rival OSes like OS X, Linux, etc?
Or how much market share would MS have to have in the server market? Etc?
So that Microsoft can field the support calls or get blamed for the [just as] buggy software? What about when a security issue is found with QuickTime or some other app that they would be forced to bundle in?
Not to mention the argument that, in what way would it ever be fair to force a company to include its competitor's product in with your own?
If Ford sells a car with a built-in Ford radio, should they be forced to include Clarion and Pioneer radios too and give the user a choice?
Isn't that irony though?
Everyone knows that mice created Earth to compute the answer to the Ultimate Question of life, the universe, and everything.
And now here we are creating mice with human brains. Sounds like a downgrade to me!
Tell us how you *really* feel.
The Movie Maker software is free with XP Home. Pro not required.
And while my Sony/Sony/Sony stuff does work because it's from the same folks, that was two years ago.
I've seen first-hand of similar experiences using HP equipment on a Dell machine, or Sony equipment on an HP machine, etc etc. Window's built-in digital camera management software is quite nice for being included in the OS.
Another example: I can sync my Motorola phone with Outlook via USB, and I never installed any software or drivers.
Huh? What, preytell, does it come with then?
It was listed in the parent's comparison.
Actually it probably will.
Two years ago when I hooked up my Sony DigiCam via firewire to my Sony laptop running XP Pro, it automatically launches the video import/editing software and prompts me to start pulling down footage.
I don't know if the Dell has similar software, but considering XP now ships with Movie Maker, it probably behaves in a similar fashion.
Yes, I'd like to play against this "insane" AI script. I play SC pretty regularly against the computer (actually, 5-6 of them at once) and tend to win about 75% of the time.
But let's get one thing straight... giving the computer a free "cash flow" is not advanced AI.
I'd prefer it if the AI didn't act so predictably, that's all.
And I suppose they should offer it free, too?
Face it, DRM is here to stay. As long as record companies and motion picture associations remain a "big business" and don't go 100% independant, DRM will be the *only* way that studios allow their content to be distributed online.
Sure, you might get the occasional small-time studio to release something without DRM just to get some awareness and attention... but that will be a very small percentage of flicks.