Well, from what I've seen of the DS (Don't own one yet) theres actually a little strap with a stylus point you can put on your thumb. That way you can use your thumb on the screed without taking you hand off the thing. Keeps your greasy skin off the screen too...
Re:Video Games Are Boring, For LongYoung Males Mos
on
Gaming vs Relationships
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· Score: 2, Funny
It'll be easier to get someone who isn't a "hardcore gamer" to show up to a console party where all they have to bring is their hands, and cash for drinks/snacks. Joe student isn't going to drag his computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and powerstrip to school. (I know I wouldn't, and I'm a pc gamer)
Using consoles will make it easier to boost attendance up.
Again, I love PC games. But there is a lot to be learned from the simplicity of console gaming.
It's been said before in this thread, and is worthy of saying again. Start out with a console lan party. The logistics are just so much simpler:
1) less equipment needed. One Xbox + one TV accomodates 4 players. Setup is a snap, so you won't spend hours trying to get everything up and running. The school should have TV's that you can use, so that shouldn't be an issue. Plus, you can probably snag a couple of projectors, which is really cool for console play.
2) Equipment is standardized. You're using consoles, so you don't have to worry if people can run the games well, patch versions, etc. Trust me, this is such a PITA with a PC lan.
3) Accessability. People are more familiar with consoles, therefore more comfortable. Plus, you'll draw a bigger crowd using consoles. I hate to say it, but there are not as many PC gamers as there are console. It'll be easier for you to provide equipment with consoles as well. So more people can show up and just play, instead of lugging their own equipment.
4) Easier to accomodate faculty concern. Most decent PC games are violent as hell. If the faculty is wary of what you're playing, you have better options. Heck, get some GameCubes and play Mario Kart or Super Smash Brothers. FUN games that teachers really can't say no to.
I love PC games as much as the next guy, but for ease of setup, you can't beat consoles.
Guildwars is not a MMORPG. Even Arena Net, the developer, doesn't call it a MMORPG. The enviroment and content is entirely instanced. Just the characters are persistant.
I was a Music Major in college, and We had a rather notable performance professional in as a guest lecturer. One student asked him how he had time to practice enough. She said that it seemed like no matter how much time she dedicated to practice, it never seemed like enough.
He told her, quite frankly, if practice time was such an issue, perhaps she should persue a different career.
Personally, I would much rather find out I had made a bad career choice in college, rather than after I had gotten the degree and was in the industry. Sometimes a reality check is needed to help keep students out of a career they don't have much chance succeeding in.
"I, Robot" did take a lot of liberties. But, it kept the core idea that the original books were trying to get across. The three laws can work perfectly and still produce an undesired effect. Morality cannot be simplified to such a degree.
You talk about cruelty to animals, but what about those veggies? You rip apart that poor defenseless piece of lettuce, and eat it while it's still alive! The local produce stand is a haven for plant torture. Ripped from the earth and left to slowly die of starvation, with their only release being crushed to death between some vegans molars.
This sounds like they've made some very bad logistical mistakes if they trust the client with ANYTHING besides displaying the current game state and taking player input. The client should just be a pretty interface to the server database. Nothing important should be client side.
Everyone I know why played FFXI hated it almost instantly. It's an aweful, aweful game. And you're telling me that 250k Americans are dumb enough to play it?
You're forgetting that FFXI is the ONLY MMO that is available on a console. This opens it up to a whole new market segment where it technically has no direct competition. 250k isn't alot of people in the console market.
(I'm not going to comment on the intelligence level of console gamers in comparison to PC gamers. I'm biased)
Nothing wrong with selling off those used Alienwares to offset the cost of new ones. Sure you're not going to remotely make back your investment, but every bit of cash helps.
One thing to keep in mind, you are not intended to know more about the situation than Gordon does. All he knows is that he's getting shot at, and that's all you know. Since the resistance is being run by your old friends from Black Mesa, it's pretty natural to follow them. (and the combine is already trying to kill you helps that decision too)
I do wish more light was shed on the situation with the combine, etc.
Re: I have played HL 1, but still I don't understa
on
Review: Half-Life 2
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· Score: 1
1) Nilanth (sp?) was the one running the aliens invading Black Mesa. The Vortigaunts were enslaved and forced to fight, thats why they're friendly in HL2. You freed them.
2) You aren't the first person to travel to Xen. If you take a look at the sample that sets off the resonance cascade in the first place, it's the same as the crystals in the final boss chamber you blow up. There's even an empty spot in the wall where it was taken.
3) The G-Man != The Administrator. This is clarified in HL2. The old guy you see on the jumbo-tron was the Administrator of Black Mesa. What the G-Man *is* is a total mystery. I think he's above all the warring factions in both games.
4) The connection between Black Mesa and the G-Man is unknown. Possibly he was there simply in anticipation of the events that occurred there.
5) The diamonds from Resevoir Dogs. (Or mebbe marcellus Wallace's soul) Owait, wrong briefcase...
6) See #2 about the sample.
7) It was an accident I believe. The researchers didn't know the consequences. It's possible the G-Man did, hence his presence there.
8) See #7
9) No idea
10) No idea
11) Probably in some sort of stasis. Hence the "Rise and shine" opening of HL2.
Out of the box, I had tons of problems with system freezes and system crashes playing Doom 3.OTOH, I was playing HL2 about 10 minutes after paying for it on Steam, with no problems.
I did hit the "stuttering" bug later on in the game, but it was mildly annoying at most. Hardly gamebreaking.
Moore pointed out the dominant position achieved by Nintendo in handheld gaming devices and said Sony's decision to enter the space would be "like developing your own little operating system and saying, 'Well, I'm going to challenge Windows.'
You know, a few years back we would have said the same thing about Nintendo in the console market.
Re:No, A Dual Joystick Controller Really Is Better
on
Halo 2 Released
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· Score: 1
the best interface to this day for doing pointing and selecting is the mouse and will probably remain so for quite some time to come.
This is also why the windows-type enviroment isn't going to change much either. It's the most efficient design to work with a mouse. If you've ever tried one of those prototype 3d desktops, you know a mouse just isn't suitable for it. Unfortunately nothing else is, so radical computing enviroments are strictly novelty.
If anyone can come up with something better than keyboard/mouse/2d enviroment combo, they are going to be VERY rich.
Slashdot Mirror
But, will it find Sara Connor?
(Crap, used a cliche from the wrong news aggregator)
Well, from what I've seen of the DS (Don't own one yet) theres actually a little strap with a stylus point you can put on your thumb. That way you can use your thumb on the screed without taking you hand off the thing. Keeps your greasy skin off the screen too...
I'm sure the irony here is intentional...
It'll be easier to get someone who isn't a "hardcore gamer" to show up to a console party where all they have to bring is their hands, and cash for drinks/snacks. Joe student isn't going to drag his computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and powerstrip to school. (I know I wouldn't, and I'm a pc gamer)
Using consoles will make it easier to boost attendance up.
Again, I love PC games. But there is a lot to be learned from the simplicity of console gaming.
It's been said before in this thread, and is worthy of saying again. Start out with a console lan party. The logistics are just so much simpler:
1) less equipment needed. One Xbox + one TV accomodates 4 players. Setup is a snap, so you won't spend hours trying to get everything up and running. The school should have TV's that you can use, so that shouldn't be an issue. Plus, you can probably snag a couple of projectors, which is really cool for console play.
2) Equipment is standardized. You're using consoles, so you don't have to worry if people can run the games well, patch versions, etc. Trust me, this is such a PITA with a PC lan.
3) Accessability. People are more familiar with consoles, therefore more comfortable. Plus, you'll draw a bigger crowd using consoles. I hate to say it, but there are not as many PC gamers as there are console. It'll be easier for you to provide equipment with consoles as well. So more people can show up and just play, instead of lugging their own equipment.
4) Easier to accomodate faculty concern. Most decent PC games are violent as hell. If the faculty is wary of what you're playing, you have better options. Heck, get some GameCubes and play Mario Kart or Super Smash Brothers. FUN games that teachers really can't say no to.
I love PC games as much as the next guy, but for ease of setup, you can't beat consoles.
I would add Eric Whitacre to that list personally. Some brilliant choral and wind ensemble compositions.
Guildwars is not a MMORPG. Even Arena Net, the developer, doesn't call it a MMORPG. The enviroment and content is entirely instanced. Just the characters are persistant.
Just a little (related) story:
I was a Music Major in college, and We had a rather notable performance professional in as a guest lecturer. One student asked him how he had time to practice enough. She said that it seemed like no matter how much time she dedicated to practice, it never seemed like enough.
He told her, quite frankly, if practice time was such an issue, perhaps she should persue a different career.
Personally, I would much rather find out I had made a bad career choice in college, rather than after I had gotten the degree and was in the industry. Sometimes a reality check is needed to help keep students out of a career they don't have much chance succeeding in.
"I, Robot" did take a lot of liberties. But, it kept the core idea that the original books were trying to get across. The three laws can work perfectly and still produce an undesired effect. Morality cannot be simplified to such a degree.
You talk about cruelty to animals, but what about those veggies? You rip apart that poor defenseless piece of lettuce, and eat it while it's still alive! The local produce stand is a haven for plant torture. Ripped from the earth and left to slowly die of starvation, with their only release being crushed to death between some vegans molars.
You sick bastard.
This sounds like they've made some very bad logistical mistakes if they trust the client with ANYTHING besides displaying the current game state and taking player input. The client should just be a pretty interface to the server database. Nothing important should be client side.
Are we going to see Samus walk down a corridor with random, inexplicable doves flying in slow motion?
If you use the crowbar to hit the tennis ball (and perhaps your opponent) I'm there!
(I'm not going to comment on the intelligence level of console gamers in comparison to PC gamers. I'm biased)
HL2 seems to use traditional shadow techniques. Basically, it fakes it pretty well. Lighting in HL2 isn't real time like the lighting in Doom3.
Personally, I'd love to combine the lighting of Doom3 with everything else from the Source engine. THAT would make some awesome gaming.
Nothing wrong with selling off those used Alienwares to offset the cost of new ones. Sure you're not going to remotely make back your investment, but every bit of cash helps.
One thing to keep in mind, you are not intended to know more about the situation than Gordon does. All he knows is that he's getting shot at, and that's all you know. Since the resistance is being run by your old friends from Black Mesa, it's pretty natural to follow them. (and the combine is already trying to kill you helps that decision too)
I do wish more light was shed on the situation with the combine, etc.
1) Nilanth (sp?) was the one running the aliens invading Black Mesa. The Vortigaunts were enslaved and forced to fight, thats why they're friendly in HL2. You freed them.
2) You aren't the first person to travel to Xen. If you take a look at the sample that sets off the resonance cascade in the first place, it's the same as the crystals in the final boss chamber you blow up. There's even an empty spot in the wall where it was taken.
3) The G-Man != The Administrator. This is clarified in HL2. The old guy you see on the jumbo-tron was the Administrator of Black Mesa. What the G-Man *is* is a total mystery. I think he's above all the warring factions in both games.
4) The connection between Black Mesa and the G-Man is unknown. Possibly he was there simply in anticipation of the events that occurred there.
5) The diamonds from Resevoir Dogs. (Or mebbe marcellus Wallace's soul) Owait, wrong briefcase...
6) See #2 about the sample.
7) It was an accident I believe. The researchers didn't know the consequences. It's possible the G-Man did, hence his presence there.
8) See #7
9) No idea
10) No idea
11) Probably in some sort of stasis. Hence the "Rise and shine" opening of HL2.
Hope I've helped a bit.
Funny thing, I had the exact opposite experience.
Out of the box, I had tons of problems with system freezes and system crashes playing Doom 3.OTOH, I was playing HL2 about 10 minutes after paying for it on Steam, with no problems.
I did hit the "stuttering" bug later on in the game, but it was mildly annoying at most. Hardly gamebreaking.
Of course, YMMV.
Don't forget The Emperor's New Groove. Really a funny movie. (And it's got Tom Jones!)
If anyone can come up with something better than keyboard/mouse/2d enviroment combo, they are going to be VERY rich.