There's nothing like listening to someone enjoy their music in their car on their loud-ass stereo and their insanely loud base that's rattlin' my fillin's.
I think that portable video players and their providers are (generally speaking) missing a huge potential market.
The iTunes music store (iMovie music store?) should start selling shorter video clips. I'm not talking about music videos, instead I'm talking more like an episodes of Family Guy, the Simpsons, Frasier, Seinfeld, etc. [insert any 30 minute sitcom into this cookie cutter mold]. People are willing to pay $40 for a full season of many of these shows on DVD. Seasons typical consist of 26 or so episodes, so if these were to be sold at $2 a pop, and money could still be made. Of course, this fills the (perceived) needs of many--they get to watch their favorite shows at their leisure, when and where they want. And if Apple were to post those shows the night the episode is aired, people would eat it up.
Hell, the thing that pissed me off about Enterprise (I'm not starting a flame about said show) was that they kept moving it around... Wednesdays, Thursdays (I think), and then Fridays. Wednesdays and Thursdays I could watch it... but Fridays I was always busy./shrug. (Assuming I didn't know about bittorrent...) If I missed an episode, I could have just pulled open the Apple store, copy it to my iPod, and watch it at my convenience.
This sort of content could easily fill your iPod, and it could revolutionize the TV show distribution business. I see a potential market for this swiss army knife of media players being huge, especially if coupled with a successful, intuitive piece of software that Apple has been known to deliver (not trying to start a more different flame, but iTunes is one of the most intuitive media player's I've used).
No, but I guess that's why my phone supports Bluetooth... Stupid Ignorant people who feed the corporate machine by paying lots of money for overpriced MIDIs........................
The financial resources that are being used to develop 1024x1024 graphics, I think, would be better used making the game engine itself (including the phsyics) absolutely incredible.
Sure programmers are expensive, but so are graphic artists.
I'd also like to point out that theoretically its possible to spare some cycles from GPU for general purpose calculations (such as the physic engine). Of course, I've not programmed for the X-Box 360, so I don't know the feasibility of this.
I may be wrong here, but in the past 10 years or so of video game development, I haven't seen many improvements in the subtleties of the environment.
Let's take [generic street racing game]. The textures have gotten upgrades in terms of detail. Sure I can see the sides of these buildings as I fly by them at a simulated 150 miles an hour... not that I see very much of them, but they are becoming considerably more detailed. But there's still no traffic whatsoever. I mean there's the occassional pickup truck, and every now and then a semi, but you just don't see a traffic jam or a motorcycle gang.
Then there's [generic circuit racing simulation]. The cars are looking absolutely stunning, and the details of the track are becoming even more impressive... but again, something seems to be missing. You don't see pit crews, audience, or any detail more finite than the race track and the cars.
Don't get me wrong, what they're doing is impressive, but at a (simulated) couple of hundred miles per hour, you don't pay attention to the fact that the textures on the fire station are at 1024x1024. In fact... dropping the res down 480x480 probably wouldn't be too noticable for most users, even those with proper HDTVs.
One could argue that at those speeds, one wouldn't notice many of these details, but many would add something to the total experience.
It seems to me, though, that the use of these resources would be better utilized by making the experience more satisfying. Oh well.
That would be pretty sweet. The only thing that I see that might be a problem with this is Single-Cart play. I believe Nintendo uses it's proprietary wireless protocols to pass game transmission back and forth, and I do not know if the DS supports Net play over 802.11.
Then again, I have read some blogs about hardware hacking to align wireless routers/cards and whatnot with Nintendo-like firmware. Hmmm... Maybe then the DS would support netplay... Then again, I think that would make the DS very... hackable...
Now, is it just me or is 1up a bastard website? They seem to have a shitload of anti-Nintendo propoganda.
I guess the GameBoy Advance is absolutely Dead.
Obviously in order for games to be fun, they have to have dazzing 3D Graphics. Better stop playing Kindgom of Loathing.
Maybe I'm just fantasizing, but it seems that they are just trying to rat on Nintendo every chance they get. I know (but can't cite) I've read a couple more anti-nintendo articles in the past few weeks, too.
Oh well, I guess its the sort of thing you would expect from a second rate, poorly designed, website run by a bunch of corporate jerkasses... I mean this excellent quality website.
Ok. Not making shit up. The 24-bit/PCM comment was meant to reference to DVD-Audio. Sorry for the confusion. SACD actually encodes 1-bit audio at 2.8 MHz.
You're right, a lot of artists do record in analog and then copy to digital, but there is still a loss in the conversion. In fact, every conversion creates some loss. Not making that up, either.
You're right 16-bit/44.1 kHz records do sound quite a bit like 24-bit/192 kHz records. This is due to the physical limitations of the human ear. Most people can only hear sounds between roughly 20 Hz and 20 kHz. CDs have a theoretical frequency response up to 22 kHz, while DVD-As have a theoretial value up to 96 kHz. Since the human ear can only distinguish sounds up to 20kHz, DVD-A isn't providing much more for our ears to hear, but it does give a more precise reproduction of the sound wave.
I do have some issues about 5.1 sound. I like the theory, but I can't say I've ever been to a concert with theatrical 5.1 surround sound.
And "unbroken DRM"... I'm sorry, but all DRM is broken, by definition. Heh.
The World Famous Dr. Eisenburg finishing his lecture on the importance of careful observation one day.
He immediately moved on to a new subject, and he explained to his class that as a doctor, one can learn a great deal about what disease the patient has by tasting their urine. He then lowers his hand into a beaker of urine and sticks his index finger in his mouth.
His class cringes. "Now class, I want you all to do the same. When this beaker has finished its way around the class, we will further our discussion."
One by one each student gingerly places their hand into the beaker and then into their mouths.
Finally the beaker finishes its way around, and the Dr. Eisenburg picks it up. "Now class, if you had paid attention to our earlier conversation, you would have noticed my middle finger was placed in the urine, and my index finger went into my mouth."
Unfortunately, there are lots of stupid peoples who insist that compressed, lossy, DRMed.WMA files are the wave of the future.
I'm sorry, but the music industry really pisses me off.
First, they have been over charging on Music CDs for 20 years...
Then they fight every form of electronic distribution of music...
And they're completely ignoring those audiophiles among us who want to actually pay good money for SACDs... even though there's no content.
Of course, Format Wars have basically killed the chances for either technology to take off... DVD-A or SACD.
Which brings me to another gripe. DVD-A is impressive, and I appreciate the fidelity that 24-bit multichannel sound can provide... But it's still Pulse Code Modulation. One of the gripes with CDs was that they sounded almost too mechanical. Sure, technically they were correct, but the softness (analog imperfection) of a good LP just couldn't be reproduced with PCM. SACD was designed to diminish this flaw (yes, I know 24-bit PCM is an improvement over 16-bit PCM).
Yup. Music Industry pisses me off. Let us use our media as we want, let us share, and go fuck yourselves. Sorry for the profanity./shrug.
I was reading an article some time ago in a science magazine (maybe Popular Science?) that actually proposed the earth and the moon once were two distinct planets, instead of a planet and it's satellite.
Apparently, the earth and the moon had seperate orbits around the sun that were slightly elliptical. The moon was also considerably smaller, and the earth was much larger.
Once upon an orbit, there was a great collision, the moon sheered into the earth, and instead of the two planets combining... the moon was somewhat deflected off of the solid earth core. An explosion of earth (as in ground) went everywhere, and the moon descended into earth's orbit.
As things settled, a respectable amount of mass settled on the moon, and the earth assumed the rest.
Eons passed, and here we are.
Kind of an interesting hypothesis, and it would definitely make you wonder about the way things could have been...
/shrug. Does anyone know where I might be able to find this article? I would like to reread it...
You raise an interesting point. Citing Dictionary.com
[Probably blend of irrespective, and regardless.]
Usage Note: Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir- prefix and -less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so.
I commend your syntactical capabilities. And thus forth, my behaviour will corrected.
I pay enough in taxes, I think they should provide those services. While they're at it, the pipework in my house need replacing, my garage needs cleaning, and my car needs an oil change...
Fr05t, you raise some interesting questions that are facing the people of the United States.
When the FTC was initially formed, it was designed to protect the US from monopolistic practices
Unfortunately since its conception it has taken a more active role in the rest of our lives. Today, it does have the authority to regulate. Unfortunately our government is growing too large, and they are trying to micromanage the peasants.
And that's the issue here. GTA is rated M, and therefore is intended to only be sold to 17+. As I understand it, the ESRB is a completely independent organization that is supposed to thoroughly test each game before they make their ratings.
While I cannot find documentation to prove it, I believe their is legislation that requires retailers to ID those who may be too young for the content, similar to the way movie theatres ID their patrons. (Do any fellow/.ers have information about this possible legislation?)
Irregardlessly, can we blame anyone for our irresponsibility when it comes to the material that comes before our kids. I am not a parent, nor do I plan on it (though my fianceé may disagree)... I will not/would not/shall not let my kid play this sort of crap. You cannot legislate good parenting.
Nor should the FTC or Senator Clinton attack Rockstar. They created a game intended for mature audience, and they succeeded at that (sales numbers will show for that). Everyone in the US should realize that this attack on a video game company is actually an attack on our freedoms.
Of course we could try to write our legislators, but what will this actually accomplish? I once read that an email is worth something like 200 voter opinions, a letter is worth 400, and a call is worth 1000./shrug.
And to show I'm not taking sides... Screw the PS3.
The Revolution won't bask in the same lack of concern--Nintendo's promised me a chance to replay Kid Icarus. And I don't care what any of you Halo or GTA fanboys say.
I loved my N64 because the 12 games I owned for it were great games. I played Goldeneye for months because it was well designed and easy-to-learn-but-tough-to-master. I was satisfied paying $60 for games like that.
But everyone wants GTA or Halo these days. I'm sorry... GTA was fun for about 12 minutes, and then I moved on.
Halo was a relatively well built FPS, but it just wasn't as well designed as Goldeneye./shrug. Then again, now that Microsoft has Rareware, that opportunity is gone. Not that Rare's done any good games since MS.
Laugh this one up if you will... I own three gamecubes. Well. One I bought when they dropped the price to $150. One I bought so I could use it as a travel system (I do a lot of travelling, and it was bundled with Zelda), and my Fiancé brought hers when she moved in with me. Am I disappointed? No! All three of them get used on a fairly regular basis (Crystal Chronicles rocks when you use the GBPlayer in conjunction with a second monitor, especially when you got Peep).
I fired up my X-Box last week so I could play Mario Kart 64 (easier than finding the cartridge and all my N64 controllers). Aside from that, though... X-Box is as useful to me as church is to my family... Three times a year: Christmas, Easter, and Death.
Then there's my PS2. Its getting lonely downstairs. The TV its hooked up to hasn't been turned on in months. At least its keeping my Atari company, though.;)/shrug. Who am I to say anything about video games, though. Aye.
While Nintendo does not see the ridiculous number of console sales at the PS2, it's sales numbers are almost equal to the X-Box.
To be honest, I've often wondered about the legitimacy of the numbers that Sony and Microsoft tout for their Installed Bases. I can identify no less than three people who are on their second PS2, and I can name two people who've had similar X-Box problems. (In fact, it's how I finally got an X-Box... I got a free X-Box, replaced the DVD-Drive, and modded it.) Point being, If Sony's really sold 83 million (whatever it is), how many of those are actually still in use today. I understand they've got a larger install base than Nintendo, but in my experience I wouldn't think the number's anywhere near what they claim.
Of course, I'm being a bit facetious because all of Slashdot knows that lower sales numbers do not mean "downfall". If that were the case than Nintendo would have been bankrupt for years now. Except somehow the Gamecube sales still keep their books positive.
I do not think the Gamecube is clunky. I think its sleek and functional, but your opinion is your opinion. I think its safe to say that the X-Box is a FUGLY console.
DVD functionality. Yeah. I don't think that killed the gamecube. I use my PS2 to play games. I use my X-Box to play games. And I use my GC to play games. My DVD player plays my movies. Now I tried to use my PS2 to play DVDs. It's something I gave a lot of consideration, and I even donated my DVD player to another room for a while. But the PS2 sucks for that, so I reclaimed it.
I like Mario Kart 64. I like Mario Kart: Double Dash. They each have their own distinct advantages, and I still enjoy playing both. If you have the opportunity, you may wish to try Double Dash with 16 players via LAN Mode. Your perception of the game may change.
Pokemon hasn't disappeared, and it doesn't look like it will anytime soon. Considering there's been three GBA releases in the past year, a GC version, and an upcoming GC version. While the hype has died, people who enjoy pokemon still enjoy pokemon. You may also wish to try this game. While it is targeted for children ages 3-13, it's actually a very clever and complex RPG battle system. Of course, the games aren't extremely difficult, but if you can get a few friends involved, you'll stay challenged for months.
Of course, ultimately you're right. Any video game company needs to focus less on the hardware and more on what we enjoy: the games.
I bought the Sims. Someone recommended it. So I installed it. Played it once. Played it twice. Then I got busy with school and work and the Play disc disappeared somewhere in my sea of media.
Then I got some free time. I should play the Sims. Where'd that disc go... La De Da... Where's the CD?
BAHHHHK! Stupid Piracy "Concerns". Its not like any of these attempts at AntiPiracy haven't been hacked the week after launch!
And wait--now these games are starting to complain because I have Alcohol 120 running. Well excuse me... I like having my library of important media right on my hard drive.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm sorry, Sir, if I have offended you. I was not intended to offend you, rather I just wanted to make a shameless "All Your Base" reference. :)
Good luck with the tooth. I had one of 'em... They suck.
All your bass are belong to us.
I think that portable video players and their providers are (generally speaking) missing a huge potential market.
/shrug. (Assuming I didn't know about bittorrent...) If I missed an episode, I could have just pulled open the Apple store, copy it to my iPod, and watch it at my convenience.
The iTunes music store (iMovie music store?) should start selling shorter video clips. I'm not talking about music videos, instead I'm talking more like an episodes of Family Guy, the Simpsons, Frasier, Seinfeld, etc. [insert any 30 minute sitcom into this cookie cutter mold]. People are willing to pay $40 for a full season of many of these shows on DVD. Seasons typical consist of 26 or so episodes, so if these were to be sold at $2 a pop, and money could still be made. Of course, this fills the (perceived) needs of many--they get to watch their favorite shows at their leisure, when and where they want. And if Apple were to post those shows the night the episode is aired, people would eat it up.
Hell, the thing that pissed me off about Enterprise (I'm not starting a flame about said show) was that they kept moving it around... Wednesdays, Thursdays (I think), and then Fridays. Wednesdays and Thursdays I could watch it... but Fridays I was always busy.
This sort of content could easily fill your iPod, and it could revolutionize the TV show distribution business. I see a potential market for this swiss army knife of media players being huge, especially if coupled with a successful, intuitive piece of software that Apple has been known to deliver (not trying to start a more different flame, but iTunes is one of the most intuitive media player's I've used).
But then again, maybe i'm just fantasizing.
No, but I guess that's why my phone supports Bluetooth... Stupid Ignorant people who feed the corporate machine by paying lots of money for overpriced MIDIs........................
You exemplify my point.
The financial resources that are being used to develop 1024x1024 graphics, I think, would be better used making the game engine itself (including the phsyics) absolutely incredible.
Sure programmers are expensive, but so are graphic artists.
I'd also like to point out that theoretically its possible to spare some cycles from GPU for general purpose calculations (such as the physic engine). Of course, I've not programmed for the X-Box 360, so I don't know the feasibility of this.
I may be wrong here, but in the past 10 years or so of video game development, I haven't seen many improvements in the subtleties of the environment.
Let's take [generic street racing game]. The textures have gotten upgrades in terms of detail. Sure I can see the sides of these buildings as I fly by them at a simulated 150 miles an hour... not that I see very much of them, but they are becoming considerably more detailed. But there's still no traffic whatsoever. I mean there's the occassional pickup truck, and every now and then a semi, but you just don't see a traffic jam or a motorcycle gang.
Then there's [generic circuit racing simulation]. The cars are looking absolutely stunning, and the details of the track are becoming even more impressive... but again, something seems to be missing. You don't see pit crews, audience, or any detail more finite than the race track and the cars.
Don't get me wrong, what they're doing is impressive, but at a (simulated) couple of hundred miles per hour, you don't pay attention to the fact that the textures on the fire station are at 1024x1024. In fact... dropping the res down 480x480 probably wouldn't be too noticable for most users, even those with proper HDTVs.
One could argue that at those speeds, one wouldn't notice many of these details, but many would add something to the total experience.
It seems to me, though, that the use of these resources would be better utilized by making the experience more satisfying. Oh well.
*rubs hands together*
That would be pretty sweet. The only thing that I see that might be a problem with this is Single-Cart play. I believe Nintendo uses it's proprietary wireless protocols to pass game transmission back and forth, and I do not know if the DS supports Net play over 802.11.
Then again, I have read some blogs about hardware hacking to align wireless routers/cards and whatnot with Nintendo-like firmware. Hmmm... Maybe then the DS would support netplay... Then again, I think that would make the DS very... hackable...
Go Fuck Yourself!
Its ok. We're nerds. None of us have three friends.
Now, is it just me or is 1up a bastard website? They seem to have a shitload of anti-Nintendo propoganda.
I guess the GameBoy Advance is absolutely Dead. Obviously in order for games to be fun, they have to have dazzing 3D Graphics. Better stop playing Kindgom of Loathing.
Maybe I'm just fantasizing, but it seems that they are just trying to rat on Nintendo every chance they get. I know (but can't cite) I've read a couple more anti-nintendo articles in the past few weeks, too.
Oh well, I guess its the sort of thing you would expect from a second rate, poorly designed, website run by a bunch of corporate jerkasses... I mean this excellent quality website.
Ok. Not making shit up. The 24-bit/PCM comment was meant to reference to DVD-Audio. Sorry for the confusion. SACD actually encodes 1-bit audio at 2.8 MHz.
You're right, a lot of artists do record in analog and then copy to digital, but there is still a loss in the conversion. In fact, every conversion creates some loss. Not making that up, either.
You're right 16-bit/44.1 kHz records do sound quite a bit like 24-bit/192 kHz records. This is due to the physical limitations of the human ear. Most people can only hear sounds between roughly 20 Hz and 20 kHz. CDs have a theoretical frequency response up to 22 kHz, while DVD-As have a theoretial value up to 96 kHz. Since the human ear can only distinguish sounds up to 20kHz, DVD-A isn't providing much more for our ears to hear, but it does give a more precise reproduction of the sound wave.
I do have some issues about 5.1 sound. I like the theory, but I can't say I've ever been to a concert with theatrical 5.1 surround sound.
And "unbroken DRM"... I'm sorry, but all DRM is broken, by definition. Heh.
The World Famous Dr. Eisenburg finishing his lecture on the importance of careful observation one day.
He immediately moved on to a new subject, and he explained to his class that as a doctor, one can learn a great deal about what disease the patient has by tasting their urine. He then lowers his hand into a beaker of urine and sticks his index finger in his mouth.
His class cringes. "Now class, I want you all to do the same. When this beaker has finished its way around the class, we will further our discussion."
One by one each student gingerly places their hand into the beaker and then into their mouths.
Finally the beaker finishes its way around, and the Dr. Eisenburg picks it up. "Now class, if you had paid attention to our earlier conversation, you would have noticed my middle finger was placed in the urine, and my index finger went into my mouth."
Unfortunately, there are lots of stupid peoples who insist that compressed, lossy, DRMed .WMA files are the wave of the future.
/shrug.
I'm sorry, but the music industry really pisses me off.
First, they have been over charging on Music CDs for 20 years...
Then they fight every form of electronic distribution of music...
And they're completely ignoring those audiophiles among us who want to actually pay good money for SACDs... even though there's no content.
Of course, Format Wars have basically killed the chances for either technology to take off... DVD-A or SACD.
Which brings me to another gripe. DVD-A is impressive, and I appreciate the fidelity that 24-bit multichannel sound can provide... But it's still Pulse Code Modulation. One of the gripes with CDs was that they sounded almost too mechanical. Sure, technically they were correct, but the softness (analog imperfection) of a good LP just couldn't be reproduced with PCM. SACD was designed to diminish this flaw (yes, I know 24-bit PCM is an improvement over 16-bit PCM).
Yup. Music Industry pisses me off. Let us use our media as we want, let us share, and go fuck yourselves. Sorry for the profanity.
I was reading an article some time ago in a science magazine (maybe Popular Science?) that actually proposed the earth and the moon once were two distinct planets, instead of a planet and it's satellite.
/shrug. Does anyone know where I might be able to find this article? I would like to reread it...
Apparently, the earth and the moon had seperate orbits around the sun that were slightly elliptical. The moon was also considerably smaller, and the earth was much larger.
Once upon an orbit, there was a great collision, the moon sheered into the earth, and instead of the two planets combining... the moon was somewhat deflected off of the solid earth core. An explosion of earth (as in ground) went everywhere, and the moon descended into earth's orbit.
As things settled, a respectable amount of mass settled on the moon, and the earth assumed the rest.
Eons passed, and here we are.
Kind of an interesting hypothesis, and it would definitely make you wonder about the way things could have been...
You raise an interesting point. Citing Dictionary.com
[Probably blend of irrespective, and regardless.] Usage Note: Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir- prefix and -less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so.
I commend your syntactical capabilities. And thus forth, my behaviour will corrected.
I pay enough in taxes, I think they should provide those services. While they're at it, the pipework in my house need replacing, my garage needs cleaning, and my car needs an oil change...
Fr05t, you raise some interesting questions that are facing the people of the United States.
/.ers have information about this possible legislation?)
/shrug.
When the FTC was initially formed, it was designed to protect the US from monopolistic practices
Unfortunately since its conception it has taken a more active role in the rest of our lives. Today, it does have the authority to regulate. Unfortunately our government is growing too large, and they are trying to micromanage the peasants.
And that's the issue here. GTA is rated M, and therefore is intended to only be sold to 17+. As I understand it, the ESRB is a completely independent organization that is supposed to thoroughly test each game before they make their ratings.
While I cannot find documentation to prove it, I believe their is legislation that requires retailers to ID those who may be too young for the content, similar to the way movie theatres ID their patrons. (Do any fellow
Irregardlessly, can we blame anyone for our irresponsibility when it comes to the material that comes before our kids. I am not a parent, nor do I plan on it (though my fianceé may disagree)... I will not/would not/shall not let my kid play this sort of crap. You cannot legislate good parenting.
Nor should the FTC or Senator Clinton attack Rockstar. They created a game intended for mature audience, and they succeeded at that (sales numbers will show for that). Everyone in the US should realize that this attack on a video game company is actually an attack on our freedoms.
Of course we could try to write our legislators, but what will this actually accomplish? I once read that an email is worth something like 200 voter opinions, a letter is worth 400, and a call is worth 1000.
*Shakes Fist*
I'll send you a special GET request, boy!
Wow. Anonymous Coward Flames crack me up.
By the way, Screw the X-Box 360.
And to show I'm not taking sides... Screw the PS3.
The Revolution won't bask in the same lack of concern--Nintendo's promised me a chance to replay Kid Icarus. And I don't care what any of you Halo or GTA fanboys say.
BackIn, I agree with you completely.
/shrug. Then again, now that Microsoft has Rareware, that opportunity is gone. Not that Rare's done any good games since MS.
;) /shrug. Who am I to say anything about video games, though. Aye.
I loved my N64 because the 12 games I owned for it were great games. I played Goldeneye for months because it was well designed and easy-to-learn-but-tough-to-master. I was satisfied paying $60 for games like that.
But everyone wants GTA or Halo these days. I'm sorry... GTA was fun for about 12 minutes, and then I moved on.
Halo was a relatively well built FPS, but it just wasn't as well designed as Goldeneye.
Laugh this one up if you will... I own three gamecubes. Well. One I bought when they dropped the price to $150. One I bought so I could use it as a travel system (I do a lot of travelling, and it was bundled with Zelda), and my Fiancé brought hers when she moved in with me. Am I disappointed? No! All three of them get used on a fairly regular basis (Crystal Chronicles rocks when you use the GBPlayer in conjunction with a second monitor, especially when you got Peep).
I fired up my X-Box last week so I could play Mario Kart 64 (easier than finding the cartridge and all my N64 controllers). Aside from that, though... X-Box is as useful to me as church is to my family... Three times a year: Christmas, Easter, and Death.
Then there's my PS2. Its getting lonely downstairs. The TV its hooked up to hasn't been turned on in months. At least its keeping my Atari company, though.
While Nintendo does not see the ridiculous number of console sales at the PS2, it's sales numbers are almost equal to the X-Box.
To be honest, I've often wondered about the legitimacy of the numbers that Sony and Microsoft tout for their Installed Bases. I can identify no less than three people who are on their second PS2, and I can name two people who've had similar X-Box problems. (In fact, it's how I finally got an X-Box... I got a free X-Box, replaced the DVD-Drive, and modded it.) Point being, If Sony's really sold 83 million (whatever it is), how many of those are actually still in use today. I understand they've got a larger install base than Nintendo, but in my experience I wouldn't think the number's anywhere near what they claim.
Of course, I'm being a bit facetious because all of Slashdot knows that lower sales numbers do not mean "downfall". If that were the case than Nintendo would have been bankrupt for years now. Except somehow the Gamecube sales still keep their books positive.
I do not think the Gamecube is clunky. I think its sleek and functional, but your opinion is your opinion. I think its safe to say that the X-Box is a FUGLY console.
DVD functionality. Yeah. I don't think that killed the gamecube. I use my PS2 to play games. I use my X-Box to play games. And I use my GC to play games. My DVD player plays my movies. Now I tried to use my PS2 to play DVDs. It's something I gave a lot of consideration, and I even donated my DVD player to another room for a while. But the PS2 sucks for that, so I reclaimed it.
I like Mario Kart 64. I like Mario Kart: Double Dash. They each have their own distinct advantages, and I still enjoy playing both. If you have the opportunity, you may wish to try Double Dash with 16 players via LAN Mode. Your perception of the game may change.
Pokemon hasn't disappeared, and it doesn't look like it will anytime soon. Considering there's been three GBA releases in the past year, a GC version, and an upcoming GC version. While the hype has died, people who enjoy pokemon still enjoy pokemon. You may also wish to try this game. While it is targeted for children ages 3-13, it's actually a very clever and complex RPG battle system. Of course, the games aren't extremely difficult, but if you can get a few friends involved, you'll stay challenged for months.
Of course, ultimately you're right. Any video game company needs to focus less on the hardware and more on what we enjoy: the games.
I don't think Nintendo has officially said that the Revolution won't have an Ethernet port.
At $300 for the retail price (not what I paid) of Windows XP, it better be my media.
:S
Unfortunately... you're probably right.
Oh the joy of finding the DAMNED CD.
I bought the Sims. Someone recommended it. So I installed it. Played it once. Played it twice. Then I got busy with school and work and the Play disc disappeared somewhere in my sea of media.
Then I got some free time. I should play the Sims. Where'd that disc go... La De Da... Where's the CD?
BAHHHHK! Stupid Piracy "Concerns". Its not like any of these attempts at AntiPiracy haven't been hacked the week after launch!
And wait--now these games are starting to complain because I have Alcohol 120 running. Well excuse me... I like having my library of important media right on my hard drive.
*gives EA the raspberries*
Hey--that's 97% less flamebaity than I was intending!