Exactly! People seem to underestimate the impulse buy! I have a PSP, PS2, and a gamecube that were all bought on impulse buys because they were dirt cheap (well the not the PSP I paid the most for that, but have used it the most, like on long bus/ferry trips). The only system I actually planned on buying was the XBOX. All the systems were priced right and I had money to burn so I bought them. The PS2 was I think only 140 bucks with 2 games CND, and the gamecube was on sale for 99CND (HOW could I pass that up!?). I look at the PS3 and think to myself, when the hell am I going to have 800bucks (after a game, extra controller, hell it might be more after all that) to burn in a SINGLE sitting (the other consoles were purchased over time). I almost bought an XBox 360 Elite the other day for 489CND (on sale) but it was just a bit out of range and like I said with the PS3 after a game and accessories it would have been too much. If I had spotted a Wii that day I would have picked it up, but I dont have the time to camp inside stores all day waiting for a drop...
Now the real issue is whether it is time for the console to be priced for the impulse buy... I would think given its only 6months or so old, probably not. But given the insane stock of the system they might want to push it at even more of a loss just to get impulse buyers with a bit of a higher budget, and make up profits on games, because we all know impulse buyers wont just stop with the console! Impulse buyers are probably more likely to have more games for the console, as they tend to wander game stores and if something catches their eye, they grab it! Anyways thats just my 2cents, and for the record I still dont have any next gen system. I want a Wii and a 360 would be nice, but a PS3 is out of the question until there is atleast 1 exclusive game on the system I want, and lower price tag...
Exactly, Im not really sure why this is news... From a buisness point of view its obvious. They get ad revenue when you watch TV. If you download an episode not only are you NOT seeing ads, you are potentially 1 less person watching the episode live, and thus generate less revenue from the live air. You can't really look at this from a consumer point of view and work out some outlandish calculations and say "Im getting ripped off by buying online."
This brings up another point I found odd about the article. The guy is bitching about paying too much for cable (because he only likes 4 shows) and paying too much to download. If he feels TV is such a ripoff wait for the DVD's! DVD's in my opinion are decent deals (many will argue this) but when you compare minute to minute/dollar to dollar TV DVD releases are cheaper. You can get 24 Season 5 for 40dollars CND NEW, which is roughly 18hours of TV + any extras (the box didn't say how many mins, but there is the standard cut scenes, making of etc.) I have seen DVD's which are upwards of 35dollars CND that brag about 6-8hours of extra footage on top of the 3 hour movie. 11 hours 18+. If this guy is so concerned with saving money why doesn't he contrast the DVD costs of his shows. Usually you pay extra to see something right away;)
Not sure how Hollywood came up with that statistic, but the majority of releases originate from Russia these days. Almost every release tagged "TC" are actually Region 5 dvd's put out in Russia to stem piracy there. These are NOT retail DVD's but more like workprints on DVD's. They are not DVD quality, but are still above VHS.
Delaying releases in Canada may get rid of some of the really quick, crappy "cams" that circle the net, but I can't possibly see this reducing piracy IN CANADA. I think the goal of the delayed Canadian releases would be to lower piracy in the USA. USA is a much larger market and I hate to say it, but Hollywood is going to sacrafice us Canadians to increase their profits in the states. I dont really see this working but who knows. I know delayed releases will make me a little less inclined to spend money going to the theatre (not because I'll pirate the movie, but because it will be less time to a DVD release than normal). This is yet another case of the **AA punishing the people that actually pay because they hope it will make them more money in the long term.
No one is playing the demo machines cause they never work... Every time I go to EB or Futureshop the demo box is locked up. Although the kind folks at EB did reset it for me once so I could check it out. Im not saying the 360 didn't have demo box problems, cause they did. But the 360's problems were more graphics corruption due to heat (cramped demo case). Guess it could also be heat issue with PS3, butI did notice they use much more open cases for the PS3 (and the 360 now).
FTFA:
That's a pretty all-encompassing list -- especially the first and last entries. Rep. Wright's law also mandates the creation of an "Adults Only" section in your local game store, where any game containing the above is kept under lock and key, accessible only to people over 30.
Now if you read into the links in the article you find
Rep. Wright's bill also calls for the equivalent of an "adults only" section for such games. Retailers would be required to check I.D. for buyers who appear to be 30 or under. The bill has been referred to the Assembly's Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection.
So its not that the summary of the article is incorrect, the writers of the article can't even cite their sources correctly... You can't just read an article these days, you have to read their sources...
There is a pretty big difference here though. Both had comparable shipping figures, yet the 360 KEPT selling. Its not that Sony is shipping significantly more units than Microsoft did, its that they can't sell them. Hell my local walmart had PS3's in stock December 24th! I called a few EBGames to find out their stock (as I did for Wii too) And as of Jan 9th, 2/5 hadn't sold a SINGLE PS3 in january. All 5 had had stock since late December.
I dont have any next gen consoles, but right now I am searching in vain for a Wii (no one in this city has set dates, they drop them as soon as they arrive by courier. Just wanted to point out I am not a fan boy of any company. While I thought Sony would lose its dominance of this generation, I dont know if anyone could have foreseen just how horrid they would really do. Getting outsold in Japan 2 to 1 against the Wii has got to have execs worried, considering Japan was Sonyland last generation. I think we'll have a better idea of which direction the console war will take after next holiday season.
The real question is how will the number end up once sony gets production going at a decent speed?
What?? you mean when they have even MORE PS3's sitting on the shelves than now? Have you gone to any stores lately. I dont think I know of any stores in Victoria that sell PS3's that are sold out. Hell even Walmart has over 5, All the EBGames I called had plenty (one had over 10, with none sold in January). They can flood the market all they want, but there is no supply issue with the PS3. Sony wishes there was a supply issue, but there just isn't.
The Wii on the other hand is TOUGH to come by. I just missed a shipment of Wii's to Walmart by 20mins (called too early) and by the time I called back about 45mins later (so they had only been there for 25mins) the 12 they got were sold. The demand for Wii's is just remarkable. I did NOT see this coming at all. And the lack of demand for PS3's is even more remarkable. Even the fanboys I know aren't buying.
Vonage was listed as "No hassle" but I found quite the contrary. You can only cancel over the phone, which runs from 9-5 EST Mon-Fri. This caused a pretty big problem considering I work 6am-4pm PST Mon-Fri (Its a Mill, work scheduled overtime weekly). I figured I could do it over my lunch break. But after calling the number they list to "cancel" I was bounced to another person, and found the waiting time to be over 45mins (at which time I had to head back to work).
Basically I had to wait a few weeks until we had some downtime due to an accident. After waiting almost on hour and a half on hold, the operator kept trying to talk me out of it. I finally convinced her when I said "I JUST WANT TO FUCKING CANCEL". It was silent for a moment and then she said "OK, its all done, have a nice day." I guess I may have just had a unique encounter, but Vonage for me was FAR from easy. They have 24 hour support, but can't have 24 hour cancellations... I wont ever be returning to them. Had it been painless, I probably would have returned to Vonage when I moved.
He told the supervisor at the end of the call he had recorded this, and told the supervisor he was going to put it "on his blog" and the supervisor replied "go ahead." So this guy actually had the blessing of the supervisor to post this! Then again she thinks at the time she is in the right... Good luck to her with that
Did you listen to the tape? If some one keeps quoting you 0.002 CENTS/KB what more can you do? Its up to verizon to train their staff to understand their own rates. Yes it seems like a mistake. But its on verizon. This guy did the smart thing and had the staff memeber write down that they had quoted him right. Also if you actually listen to the call you'll know that he said he had no comparison to base this off of, because he is on the unlimited plan. So yes he thought it was cheap, but thats no excuse for FIVE (TWO that we heard actually quote the price) quote the wrong price repeatedly. You simply can't defend Verizon and say this guy set out to swindle them.
Are those new episodes? or episodes that are coming out soon on DVD. There are quite a few shows who's numbering differs from the TV Schedule to the DVD order and numbering. Thats what is so frustrating for sites like TVRage or the now destroyed TVTome, TV.com.
who said anything about ISO's? I enjoy my homebrew, like Spider Solitaire, MasterMind, Yahtzee, etc. I also use make use of the webbrowser (although it can be a pain, I am waiting for the browser from Opera to hit NA for DS). I can't do this without emulating a later firmware, OR updating my firmware and losing homebrew capabilities. Now I could update my firmware and then downgrade all the time. But what idiot would take a risk flashing firmware constantly when you could emulate it safely. Not to mention you would need to have a wall socket to plug in the PSP, as you can't update firmware without it being on external power. Quit being an idiot and quit assuming piracy. Your as bad as the RIAA/MPAA in saying that any app that has the potential for illegitimat use MEANS your using it for that purpose. If I used it for ISO's I would have said so.
This original version of this story is about a week old, and the article fails to mention that Sony just publicly denied that a price cut would occur in the near future (URL:http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php ?aid=18944). While I think a price cut would help out a lot, its almost as if Sony could care less about recovering their market share, and almost seem to be just moving on to the PS3. While I bash the PSP as much as anyone else, I do have one, and it is nice for media. Also the recent DevHook with 2.71 firmware emulation is pretty cool (keeping homebrew capabilities while gaining access to the web browser, RSS, and all that fun stuff).
That was the MARKEDUP price desperate people were willing to pay. I dont even want to know what people will be selling the PS3 online for, cause they will obviously try and make as much money as possible. But not a lot of people have money to be dropping over 1000 online for a console. Yes is happened with 360, yes it will happen with ps3, but that is no reason to markup the initial price so much.
If it brings down the price of games (doubtful) it would be nice.
But really I dont mind current advertising in games at all, like mentioned by others it adds a little realism to a game. Real ads on the boards in hockey games doesn't affect the gameplay, and the only times your really going to notice them are during cut scenes. Billboards on racing games also do little to detract from gameplay. I think the type of advertising that should be a non-issue is product placement in limited QUANTITY (no office I know of has 100 Coke/Pepsi machines, 1 in each hallway).
While more intrusive, as long as game prices are affected I wouldn't mind load screen advertising. As long as there aren't minimum length load times for people with faster computers.
What I don't think I could stand for are ads at the start of a game. For example to enter the game there are a couple 30second commercials that are not skipable. Unless the game was free or dirt cheap it would be enough to turn me off. The reason I rarely go to theatres now is because there is almost 15minutes of ads at the start for something I pay a pretty hefty price for already. I enjoy games that you can play for a few mins between classes, not games that take 10minutes to setup/load/watch cutscenes and play.
its the next gen.
While Sony has announced nothing, it is speculated PS3 may retail for more than the 360. You can't expect console makers to continue to stay at the 299 mark while inflation goes up along with the cost to produce. Sure Nintendo will be cheaper, but they also didn't aim for a high end system. Its the price of everyone treating how good a system is, by clock speeds.
heh if you want to keep breaking it down, you could claim that you need to buy hardware to run any beta, thus nothing is free...
Actually I didn't technically pay for WinXP. I got a free copy of XP Pro when I took my Operating Systems course in CSc(I doubt the course fees had anything to do with it, considering all 3rd/4th year courses are a flat fee)
agreed. 30" would be ok for some things, but really when it comes to programming, life is made much easier with two SEPERATE screens, so your not having to resize and all that jazz, simple drag and drop from window to window (using ultramon). Also anyone that debugs GUIs would know on a single screen is quite the headache, but when you can have your code on one screen, GUI on the other, it makes it much simpler to step through the program and see the results without minimizing/maximizing/ect
I think really the only reason I would enjoy a 30" would be for media and gaming.
I use to feel that way about homebrew, BUT now that there are decent working ISO loaders out there, and memory sticks large enough to handle full games, or atleast decent rips, it is very understandable why Sony wants to stomp out these problems. If they found a way to somehow prevent images from working, then there would be no reason to fear hoembrew. Problem is, if you can run pong, you can run a loader...
It didn't take long until they patched 1.50. This has been an ongoing process. They will patch the overflow, make the next gen of game require the patched update (Although there is a loader that fakes the psp's firmware). All this means is that everyone who buys a PSP up until the next firmware starts hitting the market will be able to run homebrew, and we will hear whining from all the 2.X people about being locked out of the homebrew scene. But its good news for a little while!
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Exactly! People seem to underestimate the impulse buy! I have a PSP, PS2, and a gamecube that were all bought on impulse buys because they were dirt cheap (well the not the PSP I paid the most for that, but have used it the most, like on long bus/ferry trips). The only system I actually planned on buying was the XBOX. All the systems were priced right and I had money to burn so I bought them. The PS2 was I think only 140 bucks with 2 games CND, and the gamecube was on sale for 99CND (HOW could I pass that up!?). I look at the PS3 and think to myself, when the hell am I going to have 800bucks (after a game, extra controller, hell it might be more after all that) to burn in a SINGLE sitting (the other consoles were purchased over time). I almost bought an XBox 360 Elite the other day for 489CND (on sale) but it was just a bit out of range and like I said with the PS3 after a game and accessories it would have been too much. If I had spotted a Wii that day I would have picked it up, but I dont have the time to camp inside stores all day waiting for a drop...
Now the real issue is whether it is time for the console to be priced for the impulse buy... I would think given its only 6months or so old, probably not. But given the insane stock of the system they might want to push it at even more of a loss just to get impulse buyers with a bit of a higher budget, and make up profits on games, because we all know impulse buyers wont just stop with the console! Impulse buyers are probably more likely to have more games for the console, as they tend to wander game stores and if something catches their eye, they grab it! Anyways thats just my 2cents, and for the record I still dont have any next gen system. I want a Wii and a 360 would be nice, but a PS3 is out of the question until there is atleast 1 exclusive game on the system I want, and lower price tag...
Exactly, Im not really sure why this is news... From a buisness point of view its obvious. They get ad revenue when you watch TV. If you download an episode not only are you NOT seeing ads, you are potentially 1 less person watching the episode live, and thus generate less revenue from the live air. You can't really look at this from a consumer point of view and work out some outlandish calculations and say "Im getting ripped off by buying online."
;)
This brings up another point I found odd about the article. The guy is bitching about paying too much for cable (because he only likes 4 shows) and paying too much to download. If he feels TV is such a ripoff wait for the DVD's! DVD's in my opinion are decent deals (many will argue this) but when you compare minute to minute/dollar to dollar TV DVD releases are cheaper. You can get 24 Season 5 for 40dollars CND NEW, which is roughly 18hours of TV + any extras (the box didn't say how many mins, but there is the standard cut scenes, making of etc.) I have seen DVD's which are upwards of 35dollars CND that brag about 6-8hours of extra footage on top of the 3 hour movie. 11 hours 18+. If this guy is so concerned with saving money why doesn't he contrast the DVD costs of his shows. Usually you pay extra to see something right away
Not sure how Hollywood came up with that statistic, but the majority of releases originate from Russia these days. Almost every release tagged "TC" are actually Region 5 dvd's put out in Russia to stem piracy there. These are NOT retail DVD's but more like workprints on DVD's. They are not DVD quality, but are still above VHS.
Delaying releases in Canada may get rid of some of the really quick, crappy "cams" that circle the net, but I can't possibly see this reducing piracy IN CANADA. I think the goal of the delayed Canadian releases would be to lower piracy in the USA. USA is a much larger market and I hate to say it, but Hollywood is going to sacrafice us Canadians to increase their profits in the states. I dont really see this working but who knows. I know delayed releases will make me a little less inclined to spend money going to the theatre (not because I'll pirate the movie, but because it will be less time to a DVD release than normal). This is yet another case of the **AA punishing the people that actually pay because they hope it will make them more money in the long term.
No one is playing the demo machines cause they never work... Every time I go to EB or Futureshop the demo box is locked up. Although the kind folks at EB did reset it for me once so I could check it out. Im not saying the 360 didn't have demo box problems, cause they did. But the 360's problems were more graphics corruption due to heat (cramped demo case). Guess it could also be heat issue with PS3, butI did notice they use much more open cases for the PS3 (and the 360 now).
Now if you read into the links in the article you find
Rep. Wright's bill also calls for the equivalent of an "adults only" section for such games. Retailers would be required to check I.D. for buyers who appear to be 30 or under. The bill has been referred to the Assembly's Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection.
So its not that the summary of the article is incorrect, the writers of the article can't even cite their sources correctly... You can't just read an article these days, you have to read their sources...
There is a pretty big difference here though. Both had comparable shipping figures, yet the 360 KEPT selling. Its not that Sony is shipping significantly more units than Microsoft did, its that they can't sell them. Hell my local walmart had PS3's in stock December 24th! I called a few EBGames to find out their stock (as I did for Wii too) And as of Jan 9th, 2/5 hadn't sold a SINGLE PS3 in january. All 5 had had stock since late December.
I dont have any next gen consoles, but right now I am searching in vain for a Wii (no one in this city has set dates, they drop them as soon as they arrive by courier. Just wanted to point out I am not a fan boy of any company. While I thought Sony would lose its dominance of this generation, I dont know if anyone could have foreseen just how horrid they would really do. Getting outsold in Japan 2 to 1 against the Wii has got to have execs worried, considering Japan was Sonyland last generation. I think we'll have a better idea of which direction the console war will take after next holiday season.
What?? you mean when they have even MORE PS3's sitting on the shelves than now? Have you gone to any stores lately. I dont think I know of any stores in Victoria that sell PS3's that are sold out. Hell even Walmart has over 5, All the EBGames I called had plenty (one had over 10, with none sold in January). They can flood the market all they want, but there is no supply issue with the PS3. Sony wishes there was a supply issue, but there just isn't.
The Wii on the other hand is TOUGH to come by. I just missed a shipment of Wii's to Walmart by 20mins (called too early) and by the time I called back about 45mins later (so they had only been there for 25mins) the 12 they got were sold. The demand for Wii's is just remarkable. I did NOT see this coming at all. And the lack of demand for PS3's is even more remarkable. Even the fanboys I know aren't buying.
Vonage was listed as "No hassle" but I found quite the contrary. You can only cancel over the phone, which runs from 9-5 EST Mon-Fri. This caused a pretty big problem considering I work 6am-4pm PST Mon-Fri (Its a Mill, work scheduled overtime weekly). I figured I could do it over my lunch break. But after calling the number they list to "cancel" I was bounced to another person, and found the waiting time to be over 45mins (at which time I had to head back to work).
Basically I had to wait a few weeks until we had some downtime due to an accident. After waiting almost on hour and a half on hold, the operator kept trying to talk me out of it. I finally convinced her when I said "I JUST WANT TO FUCKING CANCEL". It was silent for a moment and then she said "OK, its all done, have a nice day." I guess I may have just had a unique encounter, but Vonage for me was FAR from easy. They have 24 hour support, but can't have 24 hour cancellations... I wont ever be returning to them. Had it been painless, I probably would have returned to Vonage when I moved.
If you can't trust a registered sex offender then who can you trust? The honor system has no flaws!
just because they are sex offenders doesnt mean they aren't honest!
He told the supervisor at the end of the call he had recorded this, and told the supervisor he was going to put it "on his blog" and the supervisor replied "go ahead." So this guy actually had the blessing of the supervisor to post this! Then again she thinks at the time she is in the right... Good luck to her with that
Did you listen to the tape? If some one keeps quoting you 0.002 CENTS/KB what more can you do? Its up to verizon to train their staff to understand their own rates. Yes it seems like a mistake. But its on verizon. This guy did the smart thing and had the staff memeber write down that they had quoted him right. Also if you actually listen to the call you'll know that he said he had no comparison to base this off of, because he is on the unlimited plan. So yes he thought it was cheap, but thats no excuse for FIVE (TWO that we heard actually quote the price) quote the wrong price repeatedly. You simply can't defend Verizon and say this guy set out to swindle them.
Are those new episodes? or episodes that are coming out soon on DVD. There are quite a few shows who's numbering differs from the TV Schedule to the DVD order and numbering. Thats what is so frustrating for sites like TVRage or the now destroyed TVTome, TV.com.
who said anything about ISO's? I enjoy my homebrew, like Spider Solitaire, MasterMind, Yahtzee, etc. I also use make use of the webbrowser (although it can be a pain, I am waiting for the browser from Opera to hit NA for DS). I can't do this without emulating a later firmware, OR updating my firmware and losing homebrew capabilities. Now I could update my firmware and then downgrade all the time. But what idiot would take a risk flashing firmware constantly when you could emulate it safely. Not to mention you would need to have a wall socket to plug in the PSP, as you can't update firmware without it being on external power. Quit being an idiot and quit assuming piracy. Your as bad as the RIAA/MPAA in saying that any app that has the potential for illegitimat use MEANS your using it for that purpose. If I used it for ISO's I would have said so.
This original version of this story is about a week old, and the article fails to mention that Sony just publicly denied that a price cut would occur in the near future (URL:http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php ?aid=18944). While I think a price cut would help out a lot, its almost as if Sony could care less about recovering their market share, and almost seem to be just moving on to the PS3. While I bash the PSP as much as anyone else, I do have one, and it is nice for media. Also the recent DevHook with 2.71 firmware emulation is pretty cool (keeping homebrew capabilities while gaining access to the web browser, RSS, and all that fun stuff).
That was the MARKEDUP price desperate people were willing to pay. I dont even want to know what people will be selling the PS3 online for, cause they will obviously try and make as much money as possible. But not a lot of people have money to be dropping over 1000 online for a console. Yes is happened with 360, yes it will happen with ps3, but that is no reason to markup the initial price so much.
Did anyone else not get this song stuck in their head upon reading this?
If it brings down the price of games (doubtful) it would be nice.
But really I dont mind current advertising in games at all, like mentioned by others it adds a little realism to a game. Real ads on the boards in hockey games doesn't affect the gameplay, and the only times your really going to notice them are during cut scenes. Billboards on racing games also do little to detract from gameplay. I think the type of advertising that should be a non-issue is product placement in limited QUANTITY (no office I know of has 100 Coke/Pepsi machines, 1 in each hallway).
While more intrusive, as long as game prices are affected I wouldn't mind load screen advertising. As long as there aren't minimum length load times for people with faster computers.
What I don't think I could stand for are ads at the start of a game. For example to enter the game there are a couple 30second commercials that are not skipable. Unless the game was free or dirt cheap it would be enough to turn me off. The reason I rarely go to theatres now is because there is almost 15minutes of ads at the start for something I pay a pretty hefty price for already. I enjoy games that you can play for a few mins between classes, not games that take 10minutes to setup/load/watch cutscenes and play.
its the next gen.
While Sony has announced nothing, it is speculated PS3 may retail for more than the 360. You can't expect console makers to continue to stay at the 299 mark while inflation goes up along with the cost to produce. Sure Nintendo will be cheaper, but they also didn't aim for a high end system. Its the price of everyone treating how good a system is, by clock speeds.
just what joker.com needs during a DDos attack, massive publicity from major news sites which will drive more people to the servers.
heh if you want to keep breaking it down, you could claim that you need to buy hardware to run any beta, thus nothing is free... Actually I didn't technically pay for WinXP. I got a free copy of XP Pro when I took my Operating Systems course in CSc(I doubt the course fees had anything to do with it, considering all 3rd/4th year courses are a flat fee)
heh I didn't have to pay for Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition Beta 2 So they do provide atleast 1 beta for free, and I am sure there are others.
agreed. 30" would be ok for some things, but really when it comes to programming, life is made much easier with two SEPERATE screens, so your not having to resize and all that jazz, simple drag and drop from window to window (using ultramon). Also anyone that debugs GUIs would know on a single screen is quite the headache, but when you can have your code on one screen, GUI on the other, it makes it much simpler to step through the program and see the results without minimizing/maximizing/ect I think really the only reason I would enjoy a 30" would be for media and gaming.
I use to feel that way about homebrew, BUT now that there are decent working ISO loaders out there, and memory sticks large enough to handle full games, or atleast decent rips, it is very understandable why Sony wants to stomp out these problems. If they found a way to somehow prevent images from working, then there would be no reason to fear hoembrew. Problem is, if you can run pong, you can run a loader...
It didn't take long until they patched 1.50. This has been an ongoing process. They will patch the overflow, make the next gen of game require the patched update (Although there is a loader that fakes the psp's firmware). All this means is that everyone who buys a PSP up until the next firmware starts hitting the market will be able to run homebrew, and we will hear whining from all the 2.X people about being locked out of the homebrew scene. But its good news for a little while!