On a different (smaller) scale, Microsoft is attempting to offer a service that the Phantom does not seem to be able to provide. Many threads have done nothing but annihilate Infinium Labs and its offering of the Phantom console system. With this service, Microsoft is offering a similar product; however, on a level that is less technically demanding, which might negate some of the major issues the Phantom is facing.
On demand gaming has to start somewhere. Flame Microsoft all you want, but Microsoft seems to be taking a reasonable approach: start small, with a market that is hot (retro gaming) and see how it works.
The price point might be a little high, but prices are always adjustable. The important thing is that Microsoft is starting small. This could be a step in the right direction for on demand gaming.
[i]I wonder if this is a reaction to the success that the Warhammer 40K game, Dawn of War, is seeing. If so, I still think a Warhammer Fantasy Battle RTS would be more appropriate than a MMOG.[/i]
Agreed. The first two things I thought about when I started playing Dawn of War (DoW) was:
1.) When is the expansion coming out that features the Tyranids and Imperial Guard?
2.) When will they take the engine and build an RTS around the Warhammer Fantasy World.
With the success of DoW, I am suprised to see Games Workshop putting funds back into the MMOG, rather than aggressively furthering the RTS franchise that could be extremely successful. Reason being, Warhammer Fantasy is based upon titanic clashes between two armies. The MMOG world, as is, does not lend itself well to such scale. To re-create such battles, it would take an unprecedented amount of coordination between PCs in terms of tactics and unit diversity.
Granted, the MMOG could take the path of other established MMOGs; however, that would not really do justice to the grandiose vision that Warhammer Fantasy Battle creates in its tabletop game.
I think the only feasible way to achieve that vision is through an RTS.
I pre-ordered this game and quickly installed it when I got home from work. One of the first gripes I had about the game was the ATROCIOUS in-game browser. I am not a GameSpy fan (I use ASE, ASE usually releases support the day after a game is released), so I decided to try the in game browser. Forget about a buddy list, searching by server name, or even getting an actual number for pings. None of that. Nor can you stop the servers refreshing. You just have to wait until all of them refresh. Absolutely terrible.
Once in game, the graphics were absolutely horrible, and I have a 6800! Come to find out, it was because of certain default settings the game will put on depending upon your graphics card. Once I disabled "motion blur" things looked a lot better; however, they're nothing to write home about.
As another poster commented, the game is pretty much like BF:1942, except that when you are contesting a spawn point, enemies still seem to spawn, which is extremely frustrating. In addition, the play balance is awful. The Imperials literally walk all over the Rebels on Hoth and Endor, due to their mechanical advantage. There was another level (I forgot the name) where the Imperials have three walkers and the Rebels have absolutely nothing except foot soliders.
Personally, I don't think the game should have made it to the public in this format, but that has been the trend in the gaming industry as of late. With some patches, the game could possibly be good, but the state it is in now, the game is very mediocre.
I think the altered state of mind would be the most interesting part of the entire study. After all, I don't play video games to burn fat and calories.
Getting into "the zone" is something atheletes and researches have been curious for decades. Easter cultures have been interested in it for much, much longer. The Japanese call it "mushin" or "no mind", that is, the body and mind acting in perfect harmony together, so no error can be committed. Michael Jordan has often spoken about being in the zone. Tiger Woods has been there often. Perhaps the most recent athlete I have seen the zone? Carlos Arroyo on the Cuban Olympic team against the U.S. in Athens. He couldn't miss.
The only problem is, no one really knows how to get there. Meditation is one way to do it, and is the preferred was of practicing to get there. Sitting very still and not thinking of anything is a very difficult chore, hence why katas were developed (the element of exercise combined with moving meditation).
I think studying gamers' brain activity while they play is one way to figure out how to get into "the zone". After all, there is minimal motion involved and most of the effort is exerted by the mind.
I remember Lara Croft parachuting into a jungle and driving a truck (BMW?) some needless distance rather than simply landing at the final destination...I refused to see Tomb Raider 2 after this annoyance
Interesting, most people refused to see this movie before that annoyance.
...to the problems behind the curtain....to the problems behind the curtain. Look at me! Look at me! I'm exciting new content!
This maneuver by SOE is simply providing a distraction to all of the core issues that are plaguing SWG. Subscribers have every right to be enraged, because it is obvious at this point that the dev team is slow to produce quality, bug-free content. Why would the JTL expansion be any different (in terms of quality) than SWG in its initial phases? After all, JTL is going to be a completely new endeavor by the dev team not only in terms of gameplay, but will most likely unearth a whole new slew of technical issues for users.
Rather than fix what really matters (and thus further alienating their core player base) they're attempting to create excitement via smoke and mirrors. Personally, I find this move misleading and irresponsible. I'm glad I hung up my carbine and stimpacks long ago.
Ripley: What do those pulse rifles fire?
Gorman: 10 millimeter explosive tip caseless. Standard light armor piercing round. Why?
Ripley: Jesus explicitly said in Corinthians 3:16, that violence is not the answer to our problems.
Burke: Whoah, whoah, she's right. We can't have violence in this situation, it would be against the Lord's will!
Hudson: Hey, what the hell are we supposed to use man, harsh language?
Ripley: You can't use that either....
Slashdot Mirror
>Surely an undersexed geek can think of a better way to blow $265????
How do you think they became undersexed in the first place?
On a different (smaller) scale, Microsoft is attempting to offer a service that the Phantom does not seem to be able to provide. Many threads have done nothing but annihilate Infinium Labs and its offering of the Phantom console system. With this service, Microsoft is offering a similar product; however, on a level that is less technically demanding, which might negate some of the major issues the Phantom is facing.
On demand gaming has to start somewhere. Flame Microsoft all you want, but Microsoft seems to be taking a reasonable approach: start small, with a market that is hot (retro gaming) and see how it works.
The price point might be a little high, but prices are always adjustable. The important thing is that Microsoft is starting small. This could be a step in the right direction for on demand gaming.
[i]I wonder if this is a reaction to the success that the Warhammer 40K game, Dawn of War, is seeing. If so, I still think a Warhammer Fantasy Battle RTS would be more appropriate than a MMOG.[/i]
Agreed. The first two things I thought about when I started playing Dawn of War (DoW) was:
1.) When is the expansion coming out that features the Tyranids and Imperial Guard?
2.) When will they take the engine and build an RTS around the Warhammer Fantasy World.
With the success of DoW, I am suprised to see Games Workshop putting funds back into the MMOG, rather than aggressively furthering the RTS franchise that could be extremely successful. Reason being, Warhammer Fantasy is based upon titanic clashes between two armies. The MMOG world, as is, does not lend itself well to such scale. To re-create such battles, it would take an unprecedented amount of coordination between PCs in terms of tactics and unit diversity.
Granted, the MMOG could take the path of other established MMOGs; however, that would not really do justice to the grandiose vision that Warhammer Fantasy Battle creates in its tabletop game.
I think the only feasible way to achieve that vision is through an RTS.
I pre-ordered this game and quickly installed it when I got home from work. One of the first gripes I had about the game was the ATROCIOUS in-game browser. I am not a GameSpy fan (I use ASE, ASE usually releases support the day after a game is released), so I decided to try the in game browser. Forget about a buddy list, searching by server name, or even getting an actual number for pings. None of that. Nor can you stop the servers refreshing. You just have to wait until all of them refresh. Absolutely terrible.
Once in game, the graphics were absolutely horrible, and I have a 6800! Come to find out, it was because of certain default settings the game will put on depending upon your graphics card. Once I disabled "motion blur" things looked a lot better; however, they're nothing to write home about.
As another poster commented, the game is pretty much like BF:1942, except that when you are contesting a spawn point, enemies still seem to spawn, which is extremely frustrating. In addition, the play balance is awful. The Imperials literally walk all over the Rebels on Hoth and Endor, due to their mechanical advantage. There was another level (I forgot the name) where the Imperials have three walkers and the Rebels have absolutely nothing except foot soliders.
Personally, I don't think the game should have made it to the public in this format, but that has been the trend in the gaming industry as of late. With some patches, the game could possibly be good, but the state it is in now, the game is very mediocre.
Duke Nukem.
His next incarnation should be out in thirty years.....
Next person who says the word "shenanigans" around here is going to get pistol whipped!
I think the altered state of mind would be the most interesting part of the entire study. After all, I don't play video games to burn fat and calories.
Getting into "the zone" is something atheletes and researches have been curious for decades. Easter cultures have been interested in it for much, much longer. The Japanese call it "mushin" or "no mind", that is, the body and mind acting in perfect harmony together, so no error can be committed. Michael Jordan has often spoken about being in the zone. Tiger Woods has been there often. Perhaps the most recent athlete I have seen the zone? Carlos Arroyo on the Cuban Olympic team against the U.S. in Athens. He couldn't miss.
The only problem is, no one really knows how to get there. Meditation is one way to do it, and is the preferred was of practicing to get there. Sitting very still and not thinking of anything is a very difficult chore, hence why katas were developed (the element of exercise combined with moving meditation).
I think studying gamers' brain activity while they play is one way to figure out how to get into "the zone". After all, there is minimal motion involved and most of the effort is exerted by the mind.
And more cowbell....
Definitely needs more cowbell.
No, the 4x4 in Tomb Raider was a Land Rover Defender
s 03 0522_tr/
Sure about that one guvnah? This link says otherwise:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/news/112_new
I remember Lara Croft parachuting into a jungle and driving a truck (BMW?) some needless distance rather than simply landing at the final destination...I refused to see Tomb Raider 2 after this annoyance
Interesting, most people refused to see this movie before that annoyance.
(By the way, it was a Jeep Rubicon, not a BMW).
...to the problems behind the curtain. ...to the problems behind the curtain. Look at me! Look at me! I'm exciting new content!
This maneuver by SOE is simply providing a distraction to all of the core issues that are plaguing SWG. Subscribers have every right to be enraged, because it is obvious at this point that the dev team is slow to produce quality, bug-free content. Why would the JTL expansion be any different (in terms of quality) than SWG in its initial phases? After all, JTL is going to be a completely new endeavor by the dev team not only in terms of gameplay, but will most likely unearth a whole new slew of technical issues for users.
Rather than fix what really matters (and thus further alienating their core player base) they're attempting to create excitement via smoke and mirrors. Personally, I find this move misleading and irresponsible. I'm glad I hung up my carbine and stimpacks long ago.
Ripley: What do those pulse rifles fire? Gorman: 10 millimeter explosive tip caseless. Standard light armor piercing round. Why? Ripley: Jesus explicitly said in Corinthians 3:16, that violence is not the answer to our problems. Burke: Whoah, whoah, she's right. We can't have violence in this situation, it would be against the Lord's will! Hudson: Hey, what the hell are we supposed to use man, harsh language? Ripley: You can't use that either....