Updating and patching. Can be a big hassle, yes, but it's bound to become easier with the new Windows and better support from specific games and third party automated updaters. Some games update themselves already. Also, with most pacthes and updates I've insatlled, I've gotten new content, often beyond the simple new level or weapon. It's not unheard of for developers to tweak the game for better balance and playability after it's released, so patches aren't all evil.
XBox live. Why limit yourself to one specific gaming service that's dominated by MS when you can pick between whoever does it best? Sure, there are few contenders right now, but the possibility is there.
Price. Really, a decent gaming PC isn't that expensive and can run most new games just fine. Also, you get a whole computer, dammit. Gaming is blindly focused on the cutting edge, which is really looking into the future for all but enthusiasts. World of Warcraft seems to be able to prove that you don't need all the latest technical bells and whistles to makes a good game.
Games = art. Thus it must have independent developers to evolve properly and in interesting ways (the film industry is a good analouge here), and AFAIK they stick almost exclusively to computers.
Lack of innovation. This plauges the whole gaming industry, IMO. What's so new and exciting on consoles? Nothing. Nothing revolutionary has happened on any platform for a long time, and I expect it to continue that way. It'll be mostly evolution from here on, not revolution. Those days are past for everyone but the occassional genius. He or she could be one of the many professional developers, but few of them are free to do what they want, so the genius might as well be an indie developer.
I'm quite sure MS are in fact aiming to consolify the Windows gaming experience. I remember I read about big plans for the next Windows, with better support for updates, patching, standardized controls, etc.
Add to that the rumored crossbreeding of PC/XBox2 gaming...
A common argument from anti-nuclear people here is that the mining of uranium causes contamination that is not containable.
I would imagine that a big part of the mining takes place in third world countries, far away from us, which usually means it's a non-existant problem. At least until the mutant refugees arrive.
I'm sorry to say that Japan seems to have more of the sexism problems that are prevalent everywhere, even in Europe and the US. I base this on quite a few articles, as well as first hand information from japanese friends.
I never said Japan wasn't civilized, and it certainly wasn't my intention to insult the japanese. As far as I have seen, it's still a sexist society though, and it would be strange if it's not reflected in the games they make. It shows up in western games from countries less sexist, after all.
It's only as of late that I've seen subtleness emerge in game characters. They tend to be very stereotypical and simplistic. When that changes, I think we'll see that there indeed is no incapability to portray women or men in more way than one.
The problem isn't that attractive female characters are shown, it's rather the very narrow definition of attractiveness that plauges all media. Most attractive women seem to be come from the same mold. I personally find the girl-next-door geeky girl infinitely more attractive, but then again, I'm a geek myself.
Objectification is another problem. I completely agree with the criticism against Lara Croft and how a strong, capable kick ass woman is reduced to drool material by stupid marketing. It's perfectly fine with me to drool over her body, but when that's all there is to her, something's wrong.
As for Yorda in Ico, I agree that not playing the full game is unfair, but she's also a product of a society (Japan) that still is very inequal. I believe her passiveness and inability is as much a game device as it is a reflection of the view of girls in Japan. Compared to other kinds of oppression, Ico is a harmless fantasy for boys in the end. I mean, who hasn't dreamed of being a hero and saving the girl?
Slashdot Mirror
Either that or god is swedish.
Updating and patching. Can be a big hassle, yes, but it's bound to become easier with the new Windows and better support from specific games and third party automated updaters. Some games update themselves already. Also, with most pacthes and updates I've insatlled, I've gotten new content, often beyond the simple new level or weapon. It's not unheard of for developers to tweak the game for better balance and playability after it's released, so patches aren't all evil.
XBox live. Why limit yourself to one specific gaming service that's dominated by MS when you can pick between whoever does it best? Sure, there are few contenders right now, but the possibility is there.
Price. Really, a decent gaming PC isn't that expensive and can run most new games just fine. Also, you get a whole computer, dammit. Gaming is blindly focused on the cutting edge, which is really looking into the future for all but enthusiasts. World of Warcraft seems to be able to prove that you don't need all the latest technical bells and whistles to makes a good game.
Games = art. Thus it must have independent developers to evolve properly and in interesting ways (the film industry is a good analouge here), and AFAIK they stick almost exclusively to computers.
Lack of innovation. This plauges the whole gaming industry, IMO. What's so new and exciting on consoles? Nothing. Nothing revolutionary has happened on any platform for a long time, and I expect it to continue that way. It'll be mostly evolution from here on, not revolution. Those days are past for everyone but the occassional genius. He or she could be one of the many professional developers, but few of them are free to do what they want, so the genius might as well be an indie developer.
I'm quite sure MS are in fact aiming to consolify the Windows gaming experience. I remember I read about big plans for the next Windows, with better support for updates, patching, standardized controls, etc. Add to that the rumored crossbreeding of PC/XBox2 gaming...
A common argument from anti-nuclear people here is that the mining of uranium causes contamination that is not containable. I would imagine that a big part of the mining takes place in third world countries, far away from us, which usually means it's a non-existant problem. At least until the mutant refugees arrive.
I'm sorry to say that Japan seems to have more of the sexism problems that are prevalent everywhere, even in Europe and the US. I base this on quite a few articles, as well as first hand information from japanese friends.
I never said Japan wasn't civilized, and it certainly wasn't my intention to insult the japanese. As far as I have seen, it's still a sexist society though, and it would be strange if it's not reflected in the games they make. It shows up in western games from countries less sexist, after all.
It's only as of late that I've seen subtleness emerge in game characters. They tend to be very stereotypical and simplistic. When that changes, I think we'll see that there indeed is no incapability to portray women or men in more way than one.
The problem isn't that attractive female characters are shown, it's rather the very narrow definition of attractiveness that plauges all media. Most attractive women seem to be come from the same mold. I personally find the girl-next-door geeky girl infinitely more attractive, but then again, I'm a geek myself.
Objectification is another problem. I completely agree with the criticism against Lara Croft and how a strong, capable kick ass woman is reduced to drool material by stupid marketing. It's perfectly fine with me to drool over her body, but when that's all there is to her, something's wrong.
As for Yorda in Ico, I agree that not playing the full game is unfair, but she's also a product of a society (Japan) that still is very inequal. I believe her passiveness and inability is as much a game device as it is a reflection of the view of girls in Japan. Compared to other kinds of oppression, Ico is a harmless fantasy for boys in the end. I mean, who hasn't dreamed of being a hero and saving the girl?