I believe the term used to describe this (when there are so many overlapping patents held by a few players that they can effectively raise the barrier of entry so high as to prohibit any new competitors) in legal and policy discussions is "patent thickets".
How do they lose out big time? They've still made a profit, both off of the three games they did sell and the machine itself.
This isn't an either/or proposition. Nintendo has succeeded in both capturing the majority of the gaming audience as well as expanding the overall gaming market. They're happy to sell the machine and three games to someone if that someone wouldn't have bought *any* machine last generation. This irritates a few self-proclaimed "hardcore gamers" who derive altogether too much of their self-esteem from their hardcoredness. But Nintendo is not losing out; on the contrary, alone in this generation they're laughing all the way to the bank.
Wait a second: you post an incoherent comment with sub-literate style and filled with grade three level spelling mistakes and you're attacking others for daring to "open there mouths"?
Somehow I doubt the Archaeological Institute of America is too worried about their acreddidation with you.
I don't think it's quite that straight-forward, but anyways, the key difference is that credits in the film industry are backed up by union contracts. If someone doesn't get credited, they can take it to arbitration.
Oh, c'mon, the PS3 price complaints are legitimate. Sure, its price is coming down -- after a year -- but it's still more expensive than many people feel comfortable spending on a gaming console, and probably will be for quite a while, at which it may be just too late for Sony to really turn things around (no install base, no games!).
Actually, if you look at their stock price over the past 10 years (hint: it's underperformed against every major index and competitor), it seems pretty clear that they don't really care about the stock holder too much. It may be more of a case of management having highjacked the company for their own personal enrichment (MS partners make a ridiculous amount of money considering how the company has performed).
If you think that's the worst that has happened by American hands, you're sadly ill informed. People have *died* at Abu Graihb as a result of US torture techniques. There is no serious doubt that physical torture was (and is) regularly practiced.
Soldiers have the responsibility to disobey illegal orders. "Just following orders" is no defense, according to Nuremberg. Those who believe that it is deserve the legal consequences and public scorn their actions merit.
"Subtle"? This is the whole goddamn problem with American politics, people have *no* understanding of people they disagree with and make no *attempt* to understand. It's much easier to attack and think of them in terms of incredibly broad cariciatures. That was one of the least accurate strawmen I've ever seen and you call it subtle. Unbelievable.
C'mon, if you can't realize that lolsony is a self-perpetuating Internet meme by now (for entirely justifiable reasons given their hubris and product so far) it's entirely *your* problem, just like it is if you actually feel threatened by people poking fun at your $600 toy.
One (potential) quarter of profitability does not come *close* to touching the $7B+ losses they have incurred over the lifetime of the Xbox project. From a business perspective, the Xbox has been a disaster for MS. The shareholders should be in revolt; MS has been pissing away *their* money, and the stock price over the last 10 years reflects that. I mean, a billion here and a billion there, and all of a sudden you're talking about *real* money, even for MS.
That's...monstrous. If you really believe that, why don't you go move to Darfur or someplace else where "might makes right" is being put into practice?
No, you misunderstand. The tax is already at 6%. The cities have long complained that they do not receive enough support from the federal government for infrastructure costs, so this publicity campaign is trying to put pressure on the federal gov't to dedicate part of the GST (1/6th of it) directly to the cities. Right now Ottawa gives money to the municipalities mostly on an ad hoc basis, whereas a cut of the GST would give cities a steady and dependable stream of income that would make it easier to invest in long-term infrastructure projects (Vancouver's Evergreen Skytrain line, I'm looking at you!).
So basically, you're saying that if a company is big enough they should be able to act with complete disdain towards local laws?
I don't know what's more troubling: rampant corporate arrogance and criminal activity, or those who would be apologists for their corporate overlords (whom I, for one, do not welcome).
Slashdot Mirror
Or the Communists, or something, I forget.
;)
I believe the term used to describe this (when there are so many overlapping patents held by a few players that they can effectively raise the barrier of entry so high as to prohibit any new competitors) in legal and policy discussions is "patent thickets".
(I'm not a Wii owner, btw, but I want to play Galaxy real bad!)
This isn't an either/or proposition. Nintendo has succeeded in both capturing the majority of the gaming audience as well as expanding the overall gaming market. They're happy to sell the machine and three games to someone if that someone wouldn't have bought *any* machine last generation. This irritates a few self-proclaimed "hardcore gamers" who derive altogether too much of their self-esteem from their hardcoredness. But Nintendo is not losing out; on the contrary, alone in this generation they're laughing all the way to the bank.
Somehow I doubt the Archaeological Institute of America is too worried about their acreddidation with you.
I don't think it's quite that straight-forward, but anyways, the key difference is that credits in the film industry are backed up by union contracts. If someone doesn't get credited, they can take it to arbitration.
Buddy, it's *SimCity*. Hand in your Nerd Card at the door! ;p
If by "based on" you mean "rationalized by" you might have something.
Gee, I bet you're a lot of fun at parties!
Oh, c'mon, the PS3 price complaints are legitimate. Sure, its price is coming down -- after a year -- but it's still more expensive than many people feel comfortable spending on a gaming console, and probably will be for quite a while, at which it may be just too late for Sony to really turn things around (no install base, no games!).
Considering the Wii is dominating the console market, what exactly is this "should" you talk about? What gives you the right to declare that?
/pulls out red pen
FAIL
Actually, if you look at their stock price over the past 10 years (hint: it's underperformed against every major index and competitor), it seems pretty clear that they don't really care about the stock holder too much. It may be more of a case of management having highjacked the company for their own personal enrichment (MS partners make a ridiculous amount of money considering how the company has performed).
If you think that's the worst that has happened by American hands, you're sadly ill informed. People have *died* at Abu Graihb as a result of US torture techniques. There is no serious doubt that physical torture was (and is) regularly practiced.
Soldiers have the responsibility to disobey illegal orders. "Just following orders" is no defense, according to Nuremberg. Those who believe that it is deserve the legal consequences and public scorn their actions merit.
MS hasn't made a dime off the Xbox. The best estimates are that, over the lifespan of both the Xbox and the 360, they've lost about $7 billion.
...because the avarice of corporations knows no bounds?
"Subtle"? This is the whole goddamn problem with American politics, people have *no* understanding of people they disagree with and make no *attempt* to understand. It's much easier to attack and think of them in terms of incredibly broad cariciatures. That was one of the least accurate strawmen I've ever seen and you call it subtle. Unbelievable.
In other words: it's funny, laugh.
One (potential) quarter of profitability does not come *close* to touching the $7B+ losses they have incurred over the lifetime of the Xbox project. From a business perspective, the Xbox has been a disaster for MS. The shareholders should be in revolt; MS has been pissing away *their* money, and the stock price over the last 10 years reflects that. I mean, a billion here and a billion there, and all of a sudden you're talking about *real* money, even for MS.
That's...monstrous. If you really believe that, why don't you go move to Darfur or someplace else where "might makes right" is being put into practice?
No, you misunderstand. The tax is already at 6%. The cities have long complained that they do not receive enough support from the federal government for infrastructure costs, so this publicity campaign is trying to put pressure on the federal gov't to dedicate part of the GST (1/6th of it) directly to the cities. Right now Ottawa gives money to the municipalities mostly on an ad hoc basis, whereas a cut of the GST would give cities a steady and dependable stream of income that would make it easier to invest in long-term infrastructure projects (Vancouver's Evergreen Skytrain line, I'm looking at you!).
I don't know what's more troubling: rampant corporate arrogance and criminal activity, or those who would be apologists for their corporate overlords (whom I, for one, do not welcome).
Shhh, it's much easier (and comfortable) to come up with fallacious arguments about geography, population density, Japanese protectionism, &c.
Because the US is an aggressively militaristic and jingoistic culture that glamourizes and fetishizes the military and its weapons.