Agreed. You know what, every time I say this on slashdot, someone comes up with loads of reasons why Linux is ready for the major games manufacturers now.
This is no doubt why the shelves of game shops are filled with linux gaming titles...
oh wait...
Much as I love linux, and really I do, it's indispensible for my research coding (evolutionary algorithms, biological systems modelling, that kind of stuff), it sucks dead dogs dick for games support *by the manufacturers of games and hardware vendors*.
Yes yes, I know it's got all those lovely capabilities, lots of potential, but no actual games, and barely any optimised drivers for the kind of hardware needed to run decent games.
At this point people usually point out lots of game titles on linux. Interestingly, not one of which is on the main shelves as current games, mostly they're on budget 'we made this years ago' release.
Right now Linux is fantastic for some jobs, gotta love that cluster computing and great process control, Posix complience for teh win etc etc, but until I can go and get a major game title on day of initial release in naative linux version, I won't be dumping windows.
given the hardware requirements for Vista, any machine capable of running that should be able to run every game on the market.
The only thing I use windows for is games, so I'm all for an effort to improve gaming on the platform. I don't fancy the idea of an xbox live type thing though, I'm a very solitary gamer, Caesar 4 is as close as I like to get to online gaming.
Ok then, I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that I'm a MMORG, and I need donations quickly to, um, make myself open. Can I have some money please?
In one particular local store, I not only get what I want, but sometimes they come across stuff I'd like and put it by for when I come in (this being a bookstore).
I also have a local butcher who likes to know exactly what you plan to do with the meat he's selling you so he can give you exactly the right stuff.
It all depends on how good the store owners in question are though.
I regularly pay a little more for stuff I buy and get it from local retailers rather then online or cheap mega stores.
Reason being, in some shops I get a friendly hello when I walk in, and often stand and chat to shop owners that I have a decent relationship with. It costs more yes, but good relationships and customer service mean a lot to me.
Companies who look after their customers well are few and far between in the large corporate world, so if Nintendo are trying to do this, then I appreciate it.
There's a little game I like to play. You wager with people that if they randomly open the Mormon bible, they won't get a two page spread which does not mention violence.
I've never lost.
I encountered some real old style Mormons whilst attending a conference in San Diago. We asked for directions and had a group of five of them pressuring us to go into their church and join. Seriously, those guys are fucked up. We ended up having to be rude to them and walking off.
The best part about the Alien in previous titles was the ability to hang on ceilings/walls and stalk other players, with the odd bit of rushing past them just to make them waste ammo (oh the memories of late nights in the undergrad CS lab). the AvP series is the only game where this is a viable tactic. More along these lines would rock.
I never managed to complete the Alien campaign in AvP2, because I got bored with that 'find the duct' aproach. I didn't even play long enough to get to the full grown stage.
The Marine campaign scared the living crap out of me at times. No idea about predator, I saw no reason to play as him.
Given the panic I got into playing previous Alien titles, I dread to think what would happen if I had an 'THEY'RE COMING OUTA THE WALLS!' Moment with that remote in hand.
When done properly, business should treat money as a commodity, not an end. If making money is the sole aim of a business, it ends up sucking to go to work. If on the other hand you *want* to do it, and make money in reasonable quantities, long term happiness and customer satisfaction are easily achieved.
There's nothing like asking for help regarding a business from someone who actually wants, really wants, to solve your problem, and isn't just there for the paycheck.
That was meant to say that Microsoft offer vast discounts on their software. Also corporate use of OpenOffice would be with a service/support contract, which is where the discount could be offered.
However, Microsoft will undercut any deal to prevent OpenOffice getting a toehold, up to and including giving virtually free support.
that would be simple to implement now. Everyone has a social security number don't they? So you generate the required amount, link them to social security numbers and hand them out.
This would also require mandatory net access for every citizen though, since you could not deny people access to a government/state issued email address.
'don't' walk on the grass without shoes' 'don't lean on the hedges' 'don't go near the lizards' 'don't dig in the garden'
and in Broadbeach
'don't play with the jellyfish' 'don't go in the sea without shoes'
Not that these rules worked especially well on me, I broke almost all of them on a reguler basis, and so did my friends. It's amazing Aussie kids survive to adulthood.
I came to england at 7, and was shocked to find kids running from pissy little spiders and bee's....
People have been able to write for millenia, but the overwhelming majority do not write novels or newspaper columns. There's more to profesional photography then point and shoot.
There will always be a place for the camara on the spot in an unexpected situation, there's nothing new there.
What we have here is another 'new technology x will kill old technology y' class of prophecy. These are so pointless. I mean, we still have a vinyl record shop in my town, and it does plenty of business..
One can only generalise based on ones personal experience. How could I possibly claim to represent people I don't know? Specific claims are impossible, everything is a generalisation to some extent or other.
And I know, or have known over the past six years, tens of linux users, possibly more, (You lose track at uni, so many students) and found this to be a common reason for not dumping windows.
corporate/large company software procurement people don't like free stuff. Free stuff means there's no definate person you can call in the middle of the night if something awful happens. That's not the same as saying they don't like open source, but unless money changes hand there's a reduced liklihood of immediate help.
Many companies offer support for linux software, but microsoft have a big team of sales people primed to talk people out of taking support contracts for free software products (remember that TCO rubbish?).
I worked for a company once where microsoft flew in a group of techs literally in the middle of the night when a major server died and the company wide database was b0rked, that's what people want. Convincing them that Open Source can be supplied cheaply with that level of support is the issue here.
Slashdot Mirror
Agreed. You know what, every time I say this on slashdot, someone comes up with loads of reasons why Linux is ready for the major games manufacturers now.
This is no doubt why the shelves of game shops are filled with linux gaming titles...
oh wait...
Much as I love linux, and really I do, it's indispensible for my research coding (evolutionary algorithms, biological systems modelling, that kind of stuff), it sucks dead dogs dick for games support *by the manufacturers of games and hardware vendors*.
Yes yes, I know it's got all those lovely capabilities, lots of potential, but no actual games, and barely any optimised drivers for the kind of hardware needed to run decent games.
At this point people usually point out lots of game titles on linux. Interestingly, not one of which is on the main shelves as current games, mostly they're on budget 'we made this years ago' release.
Right now Linux is fantastic for some jobs, gotta love that cluster computing and great process control, Posix complience for teh win etc etc, but until I can go and get a major game title on day of initial release in naative linux version, I won't be dumping windows.
given the hardware requirements for Vista, any machine capable of running that should be able to run every game on the market.
The only thing I use windows for is games, so I'm all for an effort to improve gaming on the platform. I don't fancy the idea of an xbox live type thing though, I'm a very solitary gamer, Caesar 4 is as close as I like to get to online gaming.
Ok then, I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that I'm a MMORG, and I need donations quickly to, um, make myself open. Can I have some money please?
In one particular local store, I not only get what I want, but sometimes they come across stuff I'd like and put it by for when I come in (this being a bookstore).
I also have a local butcher who likes to know exactly what you plan to do with the meat he's selling you so he can give you exactly the right stuff.
It all depends on how good the store owners in question are though.
I regularly pay a little more for stuff I buy and get it from local retailers rather then online or cheap mega stores.
Reason being, in some shops I get a friendly hello when I walk in, and often stand and chat to shop owners that I have a decent relationship with. It costs more yes, but good relationships and customer service mean a lot to me.
Companies who look after their customers well are few and far between in the large corporate world, so if Nintendo are trying to do this, then I appreciate it.
Linux and FOSS have one major trait that microsoft do not have, they quickly adapt to fit a new problem.
So yes, right now this is better then what linux/FOSS could offer, but ill that still be the case in a year?
> emerge -D world
Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers Developers.....
Yup, that about covers it.
Right after the episode where they all get sick and start giggling and shagging.
There's a little game I like to play. You wager with people that if they randomly open the Mormon bible, they won't get a two page spread which does not mention violence.
I've never lost.
I encountered some real old style Mormons whilst attending a conference in San Diago. We asked for directions and had a group of five of them pressuring us to go into their church and join. Seriously, those guys are fucked up. We ended up having to be rude to them and walking off.
comparing AvP 2 to Gears of War is hardly fair...
The best part about the Alien in previous titles was the ability to hang on ceilings/walls and stalk other players, with the odd bit of rushing past them just to make them waste ammo (oh the memories of late nights in the undergrad CS lab). the AvP series is the only game where this is a viable tactic. More along these lines would rock.
I never managed to complete the Alien campaign in AvP2, because I got bored with that 'find the duct' aproach. I didn't even play long enough to get to the full grown stage.
The Marine campaign scared the living crap out of me at times. No idea about predator, I saw no reason to play as him.
Given the panic I got into playing previous Alien titles, I dread to think what would happen if I had an 'THEY'RE COMING OUTA THE WALLS!' Moment with that remote in hand.
ooh! thanks for that
is this java only, or can I use lisp?
When done properly, business should treat money as a commodity, not an end. If making money is the sole aim of a business, it ends up sucking to go to work. If on the other hand you *want* to do it, and make money in reasonable quantities, long term happiness and customer satisfaction are easily achieved.
There's nothing like asking for help regarding a business from someone who actually wants, really wants, to solve your problem, and isn't just there for the paycheck.
oh...my...god....
That was meant to say that Microsoft offer vast discounts on their software. Also corporate use of OpenOffice would be with a service/support contract, which is where the discount could be offered.
However, Microsoft will undercut any deal to prevent OpenOffice getting a toehold, up to and including giving virtually free support.
We could raise the defensive sheilds....
T'is easy, a checkbox system for people to fill in whether they are a sex offender or terrorist. That would work....
Besides, the way you guys are going, we'll all be US citizens soon....
'Stand in line for your passport and free Big Mac Meal Voucher'......
there's always pgp, they'd have a hard time getting rid of that, but they could require decryption on request.
that would be simple to implement now. Everyone has a social security number don't they? So you generate the required amount, link them to social security numbers and hand them out.
This would also require mandatory net access for every citizen though, since you could not deny people access to a government/state issued email address.
I remember growing up in adelaide.
'don't' walk on the grass without shoes'
'don't lean on the hedges'
'don't go near the lizards'
'don't dig in the garden'
and in Broadbeach
'don't play with the jellyfish'
'don't go in the sea without shoes'
Not that these rules worked especially well on me, I broke almost all of them on a reguler basis, and so did my friends. It's amazing Aussie kids survive to adulthood.
I came to england at 7, and was shocked to find kids running from pissy little spiders and bee's....
Indeed.
People have been able to write for millenia, but the overwhelming majority do not write novels or newspaper columns. There's more to profesional photography then point and shoot.
There will always be a place for the camara on the spot in an unexpected situation, there's nothing new there.
What we have here is another 'new technology x will kill old technology y' class of prophecy. These are so pointless. I mean, we still have a vinyl record shop in my town, and it does plenty of business..
One can only generalise based on ones personal experience. How could I possibly claim to represent people I don't know? Specific claims are impossible, everything is a generalisation to some extent or other.
And I know, or have known over the past six years, tens of linux users, possibly more, (You lose track at uni, so many students) and found this to be a common reason for not dumping windows.
excellent stuff! Thanks.
corporate/large company software procurement people don't like free stuff. Free stuff means there's no definate person you can call in the middle of the night if something awful happens. That's not the same as saying they don't like open source, but unless money changes hand there's a reduced liklihood of immediate help.
Many companies offer support for linux software, but microsoft have a big team of sales people primed to talk people out of taking support contracts for free software products (remember that TCO rubbish?).
I worked for a company once where microsoft flew in a group of techs literally in the middle of the night when a major server died and the company wide database was b0rked, that's what people want. Convincing them that Open Source can be supplied cheaply with that level of support is the issue here.