I take it you taught math in elementary school (K to 5th) then, as your point is completely wrong. For a physicist or computer scientist, the principles of trigonometry are invaluable. All those games you might play. All those electronic devices (cell phones, tv, etc) you use on a daily basis. Much of the theory used to devise how they could possibly work was done with *gasp* trigonometry and to a greater extent, calculus.
Simply because you choose a profession does not use it, does not mean it doesn't have value.
Yes, much of it depends on the programmer and how they choose to compress the data that needs to be loaded externally. But there is no denying that an HD is an inherently better solution. You would be hard pressed to find an instance when loading and caching data from a modern optical drive is faster than from a modern hard disk drive, with all else equal.
You've misread what I stated. I never said that a HD was a hinderance. What I DID say however was that the simple presence of a HD does not promise that performance will be better than streaming methods. I'll agree that if used properly, the availability of a HD is very useful. For example, I expect that when or if I purchase an XBOX 360, that the the performance of Elder Scrolls IV will be much improved with it (as the developer's have stated).
This is NOT, let me repeat, NOT rocket science (or even a *nix shell). Do you see that button that says "install"? Do not panic! Just click it. If you see any buttons afterwards that say "next" be sure to click those too.
First off, you aren't repeating anything. You applied your 'rocket science' argument to the configuration issue (of which you did not respond to my reply) and then choose to strangely switch it with the installation argument here. Now: If you had read my post clearly, you would see that I never stated that the installation was a source of complication, only that the process of configuration was.
Seeing that you can't even spell immediately correctly, you may even have a problem doing that.
You don't have to be anal about it. Typos happen.
The installation cuts down on load times since you're loading data from the HD, rather than from the CD-ROM when you're playing a game.
Your assumption that 'HDs make games faster' is a generalization that is false. Games on consoles, often with far inferior hardware when compared to modern PCs, are able to sufficiently cache and stream data such that loading times, though present, are manageable or even transparent. An added HD COULD improve performance, but not always. Usually the performance of a game comes down to a programmer's ability to properly construct the architecture for a it. Case in point: Half-Life 2. Even on a great system w/medium game settings, the loading points between sections of a level are unbearable. Hell of a lot of good that locally stored data did.
Being able to play around with video and audio settings is a good thing! I hate it how consoles don't give you any relevant options, as I have seen numerous games for the Xbox (including Halo 2) experience frequent polygon drops and slowdowns.
And some also enjoy command lines, Vi, and Lynx. While that's fine for them, it's not okay for the vast majority of computer users. They give added power, but complicate things greatly. Same concept applies for games, and it's part of the reason why consoles have a sustained lead in the market. I pop the game in and it works. They're just simpler. They just work. And that's what people like.
Playing games on a PC is not rocket science, junior. So what if it takes a little more time in the end to set up a PC game? The trade off is an improvement in performance and more options!
True it's not rocket science, but it is not what I not would consider trivial either. For an average gamer coming from a console to a PC that 'little bit of time' may be hours of frustration if he can't properly diagnose his performance problems. People aren't as adept as you would like to think. You'd probably consider this as a case of stupidity, but I see it as a usability issue.
Will this bring upon a new era of PC Game superiority?
When the day arrives that I can take a brand-new & high-end PC game out of a box, insert it into the CD-ROM and play it immedietally without installation or having to customize 2 dozen settings: Yes. Till then: No.
Sorry to bust the bubble...
on
Cyan Worlds Closes
·
· Score: 4, Informative
Cyan, you will be greatly missed. But, as they say; 'Perhaps the ending, had not yet been written...'"
Actually, yes it has. Myst and the Cyan studio are unfortunatly part of the dying 'adventure genre' that saw it's peak years ago and has yet to be embraced in a world of games that require fast paced, gun-toting crime lords set on City X. The inability for the PC to be seen as anything else as a MMO/FPS platform in recent years hasn't exactly helped sales either.
Myst was top dog for a long time as the highest selling game, with Sims alone as the only game to have displaced it. For a small studio like Cyan, they've already engraved themselves in video game history. Today, that's about the best you can hope for.
Perhaps the FCC should use some of the money they've collected in indecency fines to help fund relief efforts in New Orleans.
Or what says the MPAA, RIAA, or telecoms. Millions have undoubtedly poured into the vaults of lobyists and influential members of the organization. Let they help pay. After all, I'm sure that much of the repairs will go to the telecom infrastruture, adding up to nothing more than welfare for SBC, Comcast, Verizon or whatever Bell controls communications in that are. We will repair thier networks, and then still get stiffed with the same fees w/o open access for competitors.
Not true. Cheney has stock options, but thier unexercied. Likewise, he has defered compensation which he likely will reap upon completion of the second term.
A decade ago it was Windows 95 that was going to be a big opportunity for Linux to make headway on the desktop
I'm not sure I agree with that. Back in '95, Gnome and KDE were only a concept (they would come along in '97). There were a few patchwork desktops and perhaps IceWM and TWM, but if you counted those as a threat to Microsoft's 95 OS envioronment, you're wrong. Quite frankly, I think the people working on Linux back then were just worried about increasing the in-roads they could get in the more academic and high-end server markets.
..it would be hypocritical for them to not work out a compromise with the Australian agencies which would allow for the images to not be indexed in the search engine. They censor plenty of stuff for the Chinese government as is.
That being said however, I think that if the Australian government doesn't want pictures to be observered, they should not be putting them on the internet in the first place.
I wouldn't say they've been trying to snuff it out, but they've certainly done thier best to pretend it doesn't exist. Unlike Linux or OpenOffice, thier just undermining it by providing no support. You'll notice that with every Platform SDK or Visual Studio Installation up to VS.NET 2003, the gl.h files still read 'OpenGL 1.1, 1996'. That was the most recent implementation the put out, and honestly I thought it would be the last. I'm suprised they even decided to give a damn after all these years. "Why now?" seems like an appropriate question.
Anway, on note about the performance issue; I can't imagine the newer implementation being slower than the software renderer that is available. Most people, outside of students, will use the OpenGL implementation that ships with a card vendor regardless. Thus, Microsoft's new implementation will likely end up meaning little to the professionals who make a living coding with the API.
A Windows OS that terminates an application when I tell it to do so. Why should I have to press 'End Process' 5 times and click on 2 dozen 'End Task' dialogs in order for the app to shutdown (if it even does). Is Windows second guessing me?
Only after the 27th time Windows XP does finally say 'You know... I think you might like me to close that process for you. Here you go peasant. No, you don't have to thank me!:)".
He's not a smart ass. He's only bringing attention to the nature of which the stock market operates, and how is differs from all other comodities. I'm talking about stocks, futures, etc. Thier based on educated guesses that are taken from what is expected, not what exists.
The point that he makes about people investing based on derivation instead of valuation has always been an interesting point when compared to more normal markets that you and I find say, at the grocery store. What would happen if you pulled up to the checkout lane, put your cans of soup down and the cashier said 'We'll, based on the volatility of the southern tomato market, I think $8.50 a can is a suitable price".
It comes down to intent, not simply appearance. The sex scenes of GTA were crafted by the developers with a crude purpose (which I think few will dispute). In the SIMs case however, the nature of the nudity is a product of the crudeness of the modder.
There is a difference.
Your analogy is misleading. The offending scenes in GTA:SA parallel the SIMs in the context that they both have modifications to remove previously-censored scenes, but that's where the comparisons end.
In the case of GTA, the developers (though thier creation of the scenes) demostrated a clear intent to create a tasteless scene. As such, the nature of the sex in GTA:SA plays out with no doubt as to what was its purpose. Racy, cheap and dirty (with perhaps a twisted sense of humor and awkwardness included also). The SIMs does not exhibit signs of that, where in thier case, the crudeness was the product of the modder.
The Slashdot group-think may doubt me, but here's what I think:
Though I believe that it is the parent's job, not the game industry, to police what thier kids do and do not play, I have no sympathy for Rockstar on the basis of how they handled the matter.
First they denied the content existed at all. Then they said it did exist, but was not developed by them (rather the modder inject it all into the game). And finally, they admitted that it was created in-house, but that it would be corrected. Just plain stupid. Though there still would of been controversy over the issue, it would of not of been nearly as prolonged if they had just cut to the chase, admitted that it was thier creation and said that they would take actions necessary to remedy the situaion. This is Responsible Buisness 101.
Now all they'll get for it is increased scrutiny for all thier future titles and credit for helping undermine the industry in general, in the face of increased support for government intervention in the regulation of graphic game content.
NOTE: I agree with the Penny Arcade all the way on the point that the ESRB really should put the AO rating more to work. If a title is meant for adults (either by violence, nudity or both), rate it as that. They do nothing for thier credibility when they allow GTA to enter the market with an M rating in spite of it's incredibility violent nature, only to add the AO rating later because 'there was a flash of sex'.
I'd like to inject a little bit of concrete food for though into the argument. I just took a look over at HP's Job Application
Page. It would seem the Indian facilities are constantly in a hiring phase (it's been like this for months, if you check regularly).
...but the more interesting question is of that body of users, how many follow the terms of the GPL or whatever free license the Library is distributed with?
Does downtime cost you because of the loss of traffic due to your inability to traffic "latin women in thongs and russian brides"? Your profile link would indicate so.
Information can be power if it's put in the hands of those who need it or think they can use it. Anything else is overkill. Computers are evidently a large part in your life. But not for many others, at least to the extent that they would need the knowledge you have mentioned above. You need to understand that!
We're not a renaissance men, in that we feel we must specialize in everything. We focus on our choosen trades and learn enough about everything else to get by.
The argument is not about a developer's perpective, it's about the users. NORMAL users. Why in the world would any normal user be concerned with these things?
Killing a windows manager? In Windows? Did you even think WHY they would need to do that? I find it hard to believe that most people go to work and say "Damn. You know what? I could kill a DOS command line right now."
GTK, Motif, Win32, MFC. VI, Wordpad. Etc. Etc. Etc. Do you really think the average user cares about these things when the go about thier jobs? They want what works at the least cost to thier time.
Slashdot Mirror
I take it you taught math in elementary school (K to 5th) then, as your point is completely wrong. For a physicist or computer scientist, the principles of trigonometry are invaluable. All those games you might play. All those electronic devices (cell phones, tv, etc) you use on a daily basis. Much of the theory used to devise how they could possibly work was done with *gasp* trigonometry and to a greater extent, calculus.
Simply because you choose a profession does not use it, does not mean it doesn't have value.
Yes, much of it depends on the programmer and how they choose to compress the data that needs to be loaded externally. But there is no denying that an HD is an inherently better solution. You would be hard pressed to find an instance when loading and caching data from a modern optical drive is faster than from a modern hard disk drive, with all else equal.
You've misread what I stated. I never said that a HD was a hinderance. What I DID say however was that the simple presence of a HD does not promise that performance will be better than streaming methods. I'll agree that if used properly, the availability of a HD is very useful. For example, I expect that when or if I purchase an XBOX 360, that the the performance of Elder Scrolls IV will be much improved with it (as the developer's have stated).
This is NOT, let me repeat, NOT rocket science (or even a *nix shell). Do you see that button that says "install"? Do not panic! Just click it. If you see any buttons afterwards that say "next" be sure to click those too.
First off, you aren't repeating anything. You applied your 'rocket science' argument to the configuration issue (of which you did not respond to my reply) and then choose to strangely switch it with the installation argument here. Now: If you had read my post clearly, you would see that I never stated that the installation was a source of complication, only that the process of configuration was.
I think your reading too deeply into his statement. I take it he was referencing options such a screen cailbration, Stereo/Mono, brightness, etc.
Seeing that you can't even spell immediately correctly, you may even have a problem doing that.
You don't have to be anal about it. Typos happen.
The installation cuts down on load times since you're loading data from the HD, rather than from the CD-ROM when you're playing a game.
Your assumption that 'HDs make games faster' is a generalization that is false. Games on consoles, often with far inferior hardware when compared to modern PCs, are able to sufficiently cache and stream data such that loading times, though present, are manageable or even transparent. An added HD COULD improve performance, but not always. Usually the performance of a game comes down to a programmer's ability to properly construct the architecture for a it. Case in point: Half-Life 2. Even on a great system w/medium game settings, the loading points between sections of a level are unbearable. Hell of a lot of good that locally stored data did.
Being able to play around with video and audio settings is a good thing! I hate it how consoles don't give you any relevant options, as I have seen numerous games for the Xbox (including Halo 2) experience frequent polygon drops and slowdowns.
And some also enjoy command lines, Vi, and Lynx. While that's fine for them, it's not okay for the vast majority of computer users. They give added power, but complicate things greatly. Same concept applies for games, and it's part of the reason why consoles have a sustained lead in the market. I pop the game in and it works. They're just simpler. They just work. And that's what people like.
Playing games on a PC is not rocket science, junior. So what if it takes a little more time in the end to set up a PC game? The trade off is an improvement in performance and more options!
True it's not rocket science, but it is not what I not would consider trivial either. For an average gamer coming from a console to a PC that 'little bit of time' may be hours of frustration if he can't properly diagnose his performance problems. People aren't as adept as you would like to think. You'd probably consider this as a case of stupidity, but I see it as a usability issue.
Will this bring upon a new era of PC Game superiority?
When the day arrives that I can take a brand-new & high-end PC game out of a box, insert it into the CD-ROM and play it immedietally without installation or having to customize 2 dozen settings: Yes. Till then: No.
Cyan, you will be greatly missed. But, as they say; 'Perhaps the ending, had not yet been written...'"
Actually, yes it has. Myst and the Cyan studio are unfortunatly part of the dying 'adventure genre' that saw it's peak years ago and has yet to be embraced in a world of games that require fast paced, gun-toting crime lords set on City X. The inability for the PC to be seen as anything else as a MMO/FPS platform in recent years hasn't exactly helped sales either.
Myst was top dog for a long time as the highest selling game, with Sims alone as the only game to have displaced it. For a small studio like Cyan, they've already engraved themselves in video game history. Today, that's about the best you can hope for.
Perhaps the FCC should use some of the money they've collected in indecency fines to help fund relief efforts in New Orleans.
Or what says the MPAA, RIAA, or telecoms. Millions have undoubtedly poured into the vaults of lobyists and influential members of the organization. Let they help pay. After all, I'm sure that much of the repairs will go to the telecom infrastruture, adding up to nothing more than welfare for SBC, Comcast, Verizon or whatever Bell controls communications in that are. We will repair thier networks, and then still get stiffed with the same fees w/o open access for competitors.
Cheney no longer has stock in Halliburton
Not true. Cheney has stock options, but thier unexercied. Likewise, he has defered compensation which he likely will reap upon completion of the second term.
It's free for PAYING customers. The headline should of said FREE UPGRADE.
Or is it Adobomedia? Macrodobedia? AcroMacrobe?
A decade ago it was Windows 95 that was going to be a big opportunity for Linux to make headway on the desktop
I'm not sure I agree with that. Back in '95, Gnome and KDE were only a concept (they would come along in '97). There were a few patchwork desktops and perhaps IceWM and TWM, but if you counted those as a threat to Microsoft's 95 OS envioronment, you're wrong. Quite frankly, I think the people working on Linux back then were just worried about increasing the in-roads they could get in the more academic and high-end server markets.
..it would be hypocritical for them to not work out a compromise with the Australian agencies which would allow for the images to not be indexed in the search engine. They censor plenty of stuff for the Chinese government as is.
That being said however, I think that if the Australian government doesn't want pictures to be observered, they should not be putting them on the internet in the first place.
I wouldn't say they've been trying to snuff it out, but they've certainly done thier best to pretend it doesn't exist. Unlike Linux or OpenOffice, thier just undermining it by providing no support. You'll notice that with every Platform SDK or Visual Studio Installation up to VS.NET 2003, the gl.h files still read 'OpenGL 1.1, 1996'. That was the most recent implementation the put out, and honestly I thought it would be the last. I'm suprised they even decided to give a damn after all these years. "Why now?" seems like an appropriate question.
Anway, on note about the performance issue; I can't imagine the newer implementation being slower than the software renderer that is available. Most people, outside of students, will use the OpenGL implementation that ships with a card vendor regardless. Thus, Microsoft's new implementation will likely end up meaning little to the professionals who make a living coding with the API.
A Windows OS that terminates an application when I tell it to do so. Why should I have to press 'End Process' 5 times and click on 2 dozen 'End Task' dialogs in order for the app to shutdown (if it even does). Is Windows second guessing me?
:)".
Only after the 27th time Windows XP does finally say 'You know... I think you might like me to close that process for you. Here you go peasant. No, you don't have to thank me!
He's not a smart ass. He's only bringing attention to the nature of which the stock market operates, and how is differs from all other comodities. I'm talking about stocks, futures, etc. Thier based on educated guesses that are taken from what is expected, not what exists.
The point that he makes about people investing based on derivation instead of valuation has always been an interesting point when compared to more normal markets that you and I find say, at the grocery store. What would happen if you pulled up to the checkout lane, put your cans of soup down and the cashier said 'We'll, based on the volatility of the southern tomato market, I think $8.50 a can is a suitable price".
Isn't Microsoft planning on putting a search bar for thier MSN search engine right on the desktop? What would happen then?
NOTE: I could be wrong.
It comes down to intent, not simply appearance. The sex scenes of GTA were crafted by the developers with a crude purpose (which I think few will dispute). In the SIMs case however, the nature of the nudity is a product of the crudeness of the modder. There is a difference.
Your analogy is misleading. The offending scenes in GTA:SA parallel the SIMs in the context that they both have modifications to remove previously-censored scenes, but that's where the comparisons end.
In the case of GTA, the developers (though thier creation of the scenes) demostrated a clear intent to create a tasteless scene. As such, the nature of the sex in GTA:SA plays out with no doubt as to what was its purpose. Racy, cheap and dirty (with perhaps a twisted sense of humor and awkwardness included also). The SIMs does not exhibit signs of that, where in thier case, the crudeness was the product of the modder.
The Slashdot group-think may doubt me, but here's what I think:
Though I believe that it is the parent's job, not the game industry, to police what thier kids do and do not play, I have no sympathy for Rockstar on the basis of how they handled the matter.
First they denied the content existed at all. Then they said it did exist, but was not developed by them (rather the modder inject it all into the game). And finally, they admitted that it was created in-house, but that it would be corrected. Just plain stupid. Though there still would of been controversy over the issue, it would of not of been nearly as prolonged if they had just cut to the chase, admitted that it was thier creation and said that they would take actions necessary to remedy the situaion. This is Responsible Buisness 101.
Now all they'll get for it is increased scrutiny for all thier future titles and credit for helping undermine the industry in general, in the face of increased support for government intervention in the regulation of graphic game content.
NOTE: I agree with the Penny Arcade all the way on the point that the ESRB really should put the AO rating more to work. If a title is meant for adults (either by violence, nudity or both), rate it as that. They do nothing for thier credibility when they allow GTA to enter the market with an M rating in spite of it's incredibility violent nature, only to add the AO rating later because 'there was a flash of sex'.
I'd like to inject a little bit of concrete food for though into the argument. I just took a look over at HP's Job Application Page. It would seem the Indian facilities are constantly in a hiring phase (it's been like this for months, if you check regularly).
...but the more interesting question is of that body of users, how many follow the terms of the GPL or whatever free license the Library is distributed with?
And now shows Buy-From-Us.org. Title still reads the same thing though. Boy, you're a busy man.
Question:
Does downtime cost you because of the loss of traffic due to your inability to traffic "latin women in thongs and russian brides"? Your profile link would indicate so.
Information can be power if it's put in the hands of those who need it or think they can use it. Anything else is overkill. Computers are evidently a large part in your life. But not for many others, at least to the extent that they would need the knowledge you have mentioned above. You need to understand that!
We're not a renaissance men, in that we feel we must specialize in everything. We focus on our choosen trades and learn enough about everything else to get by.
The argument is not about a developer's perpective, it's about the users. NORMAL users. Why in the world would any normal user be concerned with these things?
Killing a windows manager? In Windows? Did you even think WHY they would need to do that? I find it hard to believe that most people go to work and say "Damn. You know what? I could kill a DOS command line right now."
GTK, Motif, Win32, MFC. VI, Wordpad. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Do you really think the average user cares about these things when the go about thier jobs? They want what works at the least cost to thier time.