"only" a million? It's pretty well recognized that the over a million mark is a major accomplishment for online gaming, and was actually a record setter in how fast it took place. You, sir, are a little misinformed.
Yeah, I can appreciate that, even though I pretty much only play online with people I actually know anyway, but if the developers were going to have the models in them game, which allows them to be hacked via a modded xbox, then why not just include them as actual unlockable characters for the hell of it. That's my point.
They make is almost sound like other stores won't be doing the same thing, which is not true. If you've ordered a copy of Halo 2 from EB, you can check this link to see if your store will be doing a midnight opening too, which it most likely is. Other stores like Gamestop will be doing the same thing.
It's actually a pretty cool little device. Say I wanted to record something in order to edit it, either from tv, or anything putting out a video signal, like a game console. Instead of having to wire it to a vcr, or complex wiring into the computer, I just hook up the output to this, burn to a dvd, and I've got it to play with anywhere else. Not bad. Obviously, it'll still detect macrovision and not allow regular DVD movies to be copied, but it does seem to eliminate the need all those 'Dazzle' video capture devices that they sell at Best Buy and the like.
Why are there no team sports games where more than one or two people can play against eachother at a time? Why not large amounts of human controlled players on each side? I call first baseman!
Waits for the inevitable mention of midichlorians...
Re:Which 3 Though? (The X-Box Game Libary)
on
Halo 2 Goes Gold
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Ninja Gaiden, Rallisport Challenge 2, Amped 2, Crimson Skies, Halo 2, Chronicles of Riddick, Project Gotham Racing 2, Mechassault series, Forza Motorsport, Jade Empire, Links 2004, Rainbow Six 3/Black Arrow (different than on PC), Moto GP2...
Re:Why I dislike Halo (and all modern console game
on
Halo 2 Goes Gold
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· Score: 1
Name one upgrade you need to play Halo 2 on an Xbox after the initial cost of buying said Xbox. Sure you can count Xbox Live if you want, but that's it. Or maybe buying different cables or controllers, but none of those are required to play the game. 149.99 plus cost of game, and you're done. No memory cards needed.
Yeah, a really freaking expensive revolution, that almost nobody would bother trying. I have to buy a 'Revolution', a DS', then get multiple friends to buy one too, then come over, all to make this possible? Wow.
Re:Why I dislike Halo (and all modern console game
on
Halo 2 Goes Gold
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· Score: 1
Technically, that's not force-feedback. That's controller vibration, or just plain feedback. Force feedback is when a steering wheel fights back against you to center itself when you're making a turn.
Re:Halo Stolen from the PC
on
Halo 2 Goes Gold
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· Score: 5, Insightful
That all depends on how you define 'weakest'. The SNES compared to the Genesis, for example, was a lot slower in terms of Mhz (3.54 to 7 I beleive) but it more than made up for it in different ways. The built in scaling (mode 7) features allowed for racing/flying games that couldn't be done on the Genesis (see Mario Kart/Pilotwings) and is was capable of handling transparency effects with no problems, unlike the Genesis, which had to create a sprite with holes in it to simulate the effect. The genesis also has a display color limitation much lower than the Super Nintendo. I believe it was capable of 32 simultaneous colors on-screen, while the SNES could do 256. Sure, the Genesis Motorola 6800 was faster but the SNES was more technically capable. I didn't mention the add ition of the FX chip or the 100 dollar Virtua Racer cartridge, which was actually adding hardware through the cartridge, so it doesn't really count.
Re:Why I dislike Halo (and all modern console game
on
Halo 2 Goes Gold
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· Score: 1
So instead you can sit a a monitor for several more hours a day and get your eye strain that way. And it seems you're complaining more about televisions than consoles in this particular case, probably talking about the refresh rate of an interlaced television affecting your eyes, after having clearly admitted that you didn't even know what resolutions these consoles support. That being said, you probably haven't played console games on an HDTV in 480p or higher resolution, which has a completely different resfresh rate alltogether, and is much sharper and smoother = easier on your eyes. Basically, your whole argument is the equivalent of my saying the exact same thing about playing on a computer monitor when that monitor was a nearly-dead peice of crap I bought on sale at Best Buy or Walmart for 69 bucks. Don't knock the console for that; knock your crappy entertainment setup.
Re:Why I dislike Halo (and all modern console game
on
Halo 2 Goes Gold
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· Score: 1
Almost all Xbox games support native 480p (minus about three), some are widescreen 480p, some support 720p, and a very few support 1080i.
Re:Why I dislike Halo (and all modern console game
on
Halo 2 Goes Gold
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Um, have you seen an Xbox controller since the controller 'S' was released? Sure the first one was like holding a pumkpin, but the controller S is in no way too big. Secondly people play console games for several reasons. You don't have to upgrade consantly, some people actually like controllers better, you're not sitting in front of a computer, you can sit on the couch, it's more social and mutliplayer friendly, it's cheaper, games take better advantage of the hardware (for the most part), there aren't hardware/software compatibility issues (plug and play, as you mentioned), better quality control....the list goes on.
That being said, nobody in their right mind will argue that a KB/M combo doesn't offer the pontential for superior control and precision, but that doesn't mean everyone actually likes playing that way. I'd much rather sit on the couch with a controller in hand, looking at a 36 inch television, than having to move my arms all over the place in front of a 19 inch monitor in a chair. While my pc is perfectly capable of playing any of the newest games, i simply have no interest in playing that way, at all. A matter of preference, really. Consoles are just simpler way to play games, in general.
I can spot what's missing:
A friends list consistent across all games.
Standardized interface/features for all games.
Continued implementation of new features like Voicemail and clan support.
Voice chat in every game.
Dedicated servers for most games.
A reliable and monitored network.
Correction: The whole game costs 40 dollars. The original was 50, but since Black Arrow is essentially an expansion with some new modes and bug fixes, it was released at a lower price.
Microsoft already had the idea of 'premium content' well-established even before the Live service launched. It's part of while you have to have a valid credit card associated with your account, and is also part of the parental/protected controls, in that you can have a password associated with accessing a live account.
Like I said when talking about the Full Spectrum Warrior content, I definitely wouldn't pay five bucks for one map, but I have no problem paying five bucks for four. Can't wait for it to come out, along with the spawn-camping patch.
All that really matters (to me at least) is that you can play Halo online. Even if they hadn't changed the graphics at all, nor made any gameplay changes, and the single player was more of the same from the first game, I'd still be all over it. Most people are hyped, not because of changes or improvements, but because it's simply more Halo. Really, I don't see how it could be screwed up at this point, bearing those few things in mind. Of course, I was super hyped about Rainbow Six: Black Arrow, which was really just an expansion on the first game.
Second coming of a messianic figure? Yeah, if one of those figures was Halo 1.
My guess would be that it'll be standardized by Microsoft to allow much easier inclusion in the games. Obviously a game engine would have to support the mode, otherwise it wouldn't work. Microsoft would most likely provide the interfacing, and some functionality code to give to developers to include. Probably along the lines of how the Live interface on each game is pretty standard, with the friends list, optimatch, and, now, clan settings, voicemail system, and whatnot.
Some people feel that way, but how's this for a list of great console games? Rainbow Six 3 (both of them) , ToCA Race Driver 2, Project Gotham 2, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Ghost Recon (the PS2 versions suck), Links 2004, Rallisport Challenge 2... And those are just the ones I play online. Personally, I'm not sure if I'm looking more forward to Halo 2, or Ghost Recon 2, both of which come out in November, then Forza Motorsport early in the year, which is now the only online true simulation racing game since GT4 lost that functionality, and then Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory in March. Mechassault 2 is looking pretty good too. Halo 2 is so hyped up because of how good the first one was, whether you agree or not with that opinion. I actually know people that don't even own Xbox's but do own controllers, simply to be able to play Halo multiplayer with other people.
Points to guy with raised hand.... cuz it's freakin' cool, that's why. Sure, other games allow you to spectate, even some on Xbox Live, but there's not really an option dedicated to it. We're talking about being able to interactively watch whole games unfold here, hopefully in new and really cool ways. Like in a FPS, for example, where maybe you'd be able to see a few peoples viewpoints, and locations on the map from an overhead view, all at the same time. Add into that ticker scores, not that unlike what EA does with their online sports games, and you've got some pretty cool virtual sports going on. If done right, it's really cool.
...that despite the huge number of pre-orders, it still won't be hard to find a copy of Halo 2 come November 9th. Microsoft is obviously aware of how huge this game launch is, and will probably have printed multiple millions of copies of the game, simply to allow anyone who wants one to be able to find it, and completely flood the stores with copies. You bet your ass I'll be picking up my copy on November 8th at midnight...
Slashdot Mirror
"only" a million? It's pretty well recognized that the over a million mark is a major accomplishment for online gaming, and was actually a record setter in how fast it took place. You, sir, are a little misinformed.
Yeah, I can appreciate that, even though I pretty much only play online with people I actually know anyway, but if the developers were going to have the models in them game, which allows them to be hacked via a modded xbox, then why not just include them as actual unlockable characters for the hell of it. That's my point.
I guess that means you won't be able to play with them online. And, if so, what the freakin' point?
They make is almost sound like other stores won't be doing the same thing, which is not true. If you've ordered a copy of Halo 2 from EB, you can check this link to see if your store will be doing a midnight opening too, which it most likely is. Other stores like Gamestop will be doing the same thing.
It's actually a pretty cool little device. Say I wanted to record something in order to edit it, either from tv, or anything putting out a video signal, like a game console. Instead of having to wire it to a vcr, or complex wiring into the computer, I just hook up the output to this, burn to a dvd, and I've got it to play with anywhere else. Not bad. Obviously, it'll still detect macrovision and not allow regular DVD movies to be copied, but it does seem to eliminate the need all those 'Dazzle' video capture devices that they sell at Best Buy and the like.
Why are there no team sports games where more than one or two people can play against eachother at a time? Why not large amounts of human controlled players on each side? I call first baseman!
Waits for the inevitable mention of midichlorians...
Ninja Gaiden, Rallisport Challenge 2, Amped 2, Crimson Skies, Halo 2, Chronicles of Riddick, Project Gotham Racing 2, Mechassault series, Forza Motorsport, Jade Empire, Links 2004, Rainbow Six 3/Black Arrow (different than on PC), Moto GP2...
Name one upgrade you need to play Halo 2 on an Xbox after the initial cost of buying said Xbox. Sure you can count Xbox Live if you want, but that's it. Or maybe buying different cables or controllers, but none of those are required to play the game. 149.99 plus cost of game, and you're done. No memory cards needed.
Yeah, a really freaking expensive revolution, that almost nobody would bother trying. I have to buy a 'Revolution', a DS', then get multiple friends to buy one too, then come over, all to make this possible? Wow.
Technically, that's not force-feedback. That's controller vibration, or just plain feedback. Force feedback is when a steering wheel fights back against you to center itself when you're making a turn.
Wrong. The Mac. And let it go.
That all depends on how you define 'weakest'. The SNES compared to the Genesis, for example, was a lot slower in terms of Mhz (3.54 to 7 I beleive) but it more than made up for it in different ways. The built in scaling (mode 7) features allowed for racing/flying games that couldn't be done on the Genesis (see Mario Kart/Pilotwings) and is was capable of handling transparency effects with no problems, unlike the Genesis, which had to create a sprite with holes in it to simulate the effect. The genesis also has a display color limitation much lower than the Super Nintendo. I believe it was capable of 32 simultaneous colors on-screen, while the SNES could do 256. Sure, the Genesis Motorola 6800 was faster but the SNES was more technically capable. I didn't mention the add ition of the FX chip or the 100 dollar Virtua Racer cartridge, which was actually adding hardware through the cartridge, so it doesn't really count.
So instead you can sit a a monitor for several more hours a day and get your eye strain that way. And it seems you're complaining more about televisions than consoles in this particular case, probably talking about the refresh rate of an interlaced television affecting your eyes, after having clearly admitted that you didn't even know what resolutions these consoles support. That being said, you probably haven't played console games on an HDTV in 480p or higher resolution, which has a completely different resfresh rate alltogether, and is much sharper and smoother = easier on your eyes. Basically, your whole argument is the equivalent of my saying the exact same thing about playing on a computer monitor when that monitor was a nearly-dead peice of crap I bought on sale at Best Buy or Walmart for 69 bucks. Don't knock the console for that; knock your crappy entertainment setup.
Almost all Xbox games support native 480p (minus about three), some are widescreen 480p, some support 720p, and a very few support 1080i.
Um, have you seen an Xbox controller since the controller 'S' was released? Sure the first one was like holding a pumkpin, but the controller S is in no way too big. Secondly people play console games for several reasons. You don't have to upgrade consantly, some people actually like controllers better, you're not sitting in front of a computer, you can sit on the couch, it's more social and mutliplayer friendly, it's cheaper, games take better advantage of the hardware (for the most part), there aren't hardware/software compatibility issues (plug and play, as you mentioned), better quality control....the list goes on.
That being said, nobody in their right mind will argue that a KB/M combo doesn't offer the pontential for superior control and precision, but that doesn't mean everyone actually likes playing that way. I'd much rather sit on the couch with a controller in hand, looking at a 36 inch television, than having to move my arms all over the place in front of a 19 inch monitor in a chair. While my pc is perfectly capable of playing any of the newest games, i simply have no interest in playing that way, at all. A matter of preference, really. Consoles are just simpler way to play games, in general.
I can spot what's missing: A friends list consistent across all games. Standardized interface/features for all games. Continued implementation of new features like Voicemail and clan support. Voice chat in every game. Dedicated servers for most games. A reliable and monitored network.
Correction: The whole game costs 40 dollars. The original was 50, but since Black Arrow is essentially an expansion with some new modes and bug fixes, it was released at a lower price.
Yeah, bunches of them. Project Gotham Racing 2, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Full Spectrum Warrior, Mechassault, Links 2004...
Microsoft already had the idea of 'premium content' well-established even before the Live service launched. It's part of while you have to have a valid credit card associated with your account, and is also part of the parental/protected controls, in that you can have a password associated with accessing a live account.
Like I said when talking about the Full Spectrum Warrior content, I definitely wouldn't pay five bucks for one map, but I have no problem paying five bucks for four. Can't wait for it to come out, along with the spawn-camping patch.
All that really matters (to me at least) is that you can play Halo online. Even if they hadn't changed the graphics at all, nor made any gameplay changes, and the single player was more of the same from the first game, I'd still be all over it. Most people are hyped, not because of changes or improvements, but because it's simply more Halo. Really, I don't see how it could be screwed up at this point, bearing those few things in mind. Of course, I was super hyped about Rainbow Six: Black Arrow, which was really just an expansion on the first game.
Second coming of a messianic figure? Yeah, if one of those figures was Halo 1.
My guess would be that it'll be standardized by Microsoft to allow much easier inclusion in the games. Obviously a game engine would have to support the mode, otherwise it wouldn't work. Microsoft would most likely provide the interfacing, and some functionality code to give to developers to include. Probably along the lines of how the Live interface on each game is pretty standard, with the friends list, optimatch, and, now, clan settings, voicemail system, and whatnot.
Some people feel that way, but how's this for a list of great console games? Rainbow Six 3 (both of them) , ToCA Race Driver 2, Project Gotham 2, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Ghost Recon (the PS2 versions suck), Links 2004, Rallisport Challenge 2... And those are just the ones I play online. Personally, I'm not sure if I'm looking more forward to Halo 2, or Ghost Recon 2, both of which come out in November, then Forza Motorsport early in the year, which is now the only online true simulation racing game since GT4 lost that functionality, and then Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory in March. Mechassault 2 is looking pretty good too. Halo 2 is so hyped up because of how good the first one was, whether you agree or not with that opinion. I actually know people that don't even own Xbox's but do own controllers, simply to be able to play Halo multiplayer with other people.
Points to guy with raised hand.... cuz it's freakin' cool, that's why. Sure, other games allow you to spectate, even some on Xbox Live, but there's not really an option dedicated to it. We're talking about being able to interactively watch whole games unfold here, hopefully in new and really cool ways. Like in a FPS, for example, where maybe you'd be able to see a few peoples viewpoints, and locations on the map from an overhead view, all at the same time. Add into that ticker scores, not that unlike what EA does with their online sports games, and you've got some pretty cool virtual sports going on. If done right, it's really cool.
...that despite the huge number of pre-orders, it still won't be hard to find a copy of Halo 2 come November 9th. Microsoft is obviously aware of how huge this game launch is, and will probably have printed multiple millions of copies of the game, simply to allow anyone who wants one to be able to find it, and completely flood the stores with copies. You bet your ass I'll be picking up my copy on November 8th at midnight...