Dragon Quest does blow the pants off Final Fantasy, but Final Fantasy is still extremely relevant in Japan. And Final Fantasy trumps Dragon Quest in the US.
Currently, XBox 360 installed user base is greater than PS3 and Wii combined, although this is likely to change in the next couple months with Wii's continued impressive sales and PS3 launching in Europe. XBox 360 is close to 10 million consoles worldwide at the moment, compared to Wii's roughly 6 million and PS3's 2.5 million.
I remember the Sony fanboys saying the exact same thing about a Devil May Cry 4 port, despite your insistence that it was obvious. XBox and PS3 are, currently, neck to neck graphically.
True, but given the strategic nature of the Final Fantasy franchise, I'm betting that (if talks are going on), large sums of money are being thrown around. I remember back in the N64 days, how huge a deal it was for Final Fantasy to defect to Playstation. Its not as influential as Dragon Quest in Japan, but it still has a lot of pull.
If Square moves one of its main franchises to XBox, how long until a lot of other Japanese RPG developers add support to their games? If anything can get the XBox selling in Japan, its this. And Sony sure as hell doesn't want that to happen.
They may not have much say in the decision, but being in such a high level executive position probably puts him in the communication chain to hear about such a decision. I'm sure that if there were problems with FFXIII exclusivity, that the issue would make the email rounds among high level executives. Its naive at best to suggest that because he's in charge of the French division that he would have no way of knowing.
1) FFXIII isn't exclusive, and Sony is now in talks to lock it in. 2) FFXIII was exclusive, but they're considering taking it cross-platform, and Sony is trying to get them to stay the course. 3) FFXIII is exclusive, but Microsoft/Nintendo are trying to convince them to port it. 4) Insert more here.
That being said, if they do defect, it would be a serious blow to Sony. Ace Combat has already switched over entirely (now 360 exclusive), and Devil May Cry is cross platform. The list of AAA exclusives is dwindling. I think they're sitting at, first party titles (God of War), Ratchet and Clank, MGS4, and FFXIII.
If FFXIII defects, then that combined with Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon might be enough to start swaying the Japanese market. It would be a very strategic title for Microsoft to acquire. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Microsoft has been leaving suitcases full of cash at Square's doorstep if this turns out to be accurate.
No way. OpenGL and Direct3d are both capable of the same sort of effects. OpenGL is in no way "MUCH more advanced" than Direct3d. Thats just wishful thinking.
Most of the hobbyists I talk to tend to agree that, if you want to just put some triangles on screen, OpenGL is easier. If you want to do a complex graphic engine with lots of optimization, then Direct3d is easier.
It also depends on what kind of programming paradigm you're used to. Direct3d is OO. OpenGL is not.
More to the point, if you're gaming or doing 3d work, then you're installing the video card manufacturer's driver. Which means you're going to be getting fully accelerated OpenGL, sans wrappers. Yes, even on Vista. The wrappers are just a simple default replacement, in case you don't have proper GL drivers.
I haven't bought any new music in a while, simply because there's nothing out there thats caught my attention. I'm not going to buy music for the sake of buying music, I just want something that I'm going to enjoy listening to. Add that to the fact that its so hard to sample music because the RIAA is so terrified of copying. I was just online looking for samples of recent music, and finding something other than uselessly short clips was like pulling teeth. I could just download the CD to sample it, but then I might get sued. So I end up going with the status quo.
Speaking of which, I'd appreciate recommendations on good music. I'm looking to expand my musical horizons.
Chances are that is what I would be doing anyway. I still don't know if I'm going to buy a 360, but if I do I'd like to wait for the process revision at the very least, and a possible price drop. $400 ($300 doesn't have the right features for me) is a bit pricey for me.
They're likely holding back a price cut to counter Sony. They're in a good position right now, so there's not a large need to start slashing the price.
The price of the Elite, IMO, is a mistake. It puts it too close to the PS3 20gb unit for comparison, and all you get is a new connector and some extra HD space.
I really hope that they're close to their 65nm process revision, and that this helps with the defect rate. If I buy a 360, I'm going to wait until they get 65nm and hope it mitigates the reliability and noise issues.
I was hoping that this would be the new Premium system at $399, and that the old Premium system would drop down to $350. Paying an extra $80 for a larger hard drive and hdmi seems kinda meh. After all, thats only $20 less expensive than the 20GB PS3. They probably should have thrown in wireless too (if only to get the Sony fanboys to shut up with the "LOL You HAVE to buy wireless you don't actually need for $100 LOL).
Yes, it's awful that Microsoft released this new system, meaning all those other XBox owners will have to repurchase... oh wait, you can still play 360 games on your core and premium systems. Never mind.
Information on how to grow food, how to weave, and how to build structures is absolutely useless unless you have the raw materials to utilize it. Wars are fought over physical resources. I don't know of a single war that was fought over information.
Tyranny and ignorance exist along a continuum. Even the writers of the American constitution foresaw that there may be a need for information to be treated as goods through law, and thus they wrote it into the constitution. The idea being that it was for a limited time. But the fact of the matter is, in most cases, you get a higher quality of information if someone is able to devote all their time to creating or pursuing it. There are many ways to make it so that said person can devote all their time without starving. Copyright is one of them. Whether it is good and useful is for us to decide, but to proclaim it as simple tyranny is hyperbole. It sounds good and noble, but its a thin rhetoric without meat.
And I strongly disagree that all information is equal. Yes, I place entertainment at a lower importance than something like knowledge of how to perform heart surgery. What gives me this right? I'm a human being, and thus I have the right to my opinion. You're free to disagree with me of course. Personally, I think your explanation of why entertainment is important information is hollow. I don't think we need movies to transport the structure of our civilization.
I think people who make movies do so to either make money or art. Art is great, because it allows us to explore our own humanity. But if you ask me if I think swapping around copies of the latest blockbuster movie is a noble pursuit, I'd have to look at you funny and say "Of course not."
But whatever makes you feel like a champion of justice. I suspect that this rhetoric just makes geeks feel empowered, which is why I hear it on slashdot.
Well enough people seem to think that video games can influence children to break the law... I don't see why you think its such a huge logical leap to think the same for web sites. Its the same thing with people thinking Harry Potter or Dungeons and Dragons will encourage kids into witchcraft. Its sad, but people are stupid enough to believe it.
Just making sure that we're on the same page. I actually agree:) Although its kind of frustrating that a potentially useful technology is being used in a futile effort to make sure that we don't copy the latest new pop song. Its kinda like pandora's box: yeah, theres some good stuff in there at the bottom, but you have to let all the crap out as well.
Actual resources are far more important than information. Information won't feed or clothe me, it won't quench my thirst, and it won't give me materials to build a roof over my head.
Furthermore, people will chose to put artificial limits on information if there is a choice between having that information with restrictions, or not having the information at all. Whether the dichotomy exists and in what situations is very much up for debate.
And lets not forget that the "information" being traded here is, by a vast majority, entertainment. Its not stuff thats going to help you our in life, other than blowing off stress.
So they busted out the old terrorist chesnut and "Think of the children?" All they needed was to add something about immorality (implying Christian morality), and they would have had a perfect score.
You're reading into it too much. That he worries about a laptop being stolen while traveling the world doesn't imply he wouldn't worry about the same thing traveling in America. Backpacking tends to put you in places that can be high theft areas (hostels, train stations, etc) in any place in the world.
"I'm going backpacking and want to take an expensive piece of tech, but am worried about theft."
Slashdot Mirror
Dragon Quest does blow the pants off Final Fantasy, but Final Fantasy is still extremely relevant in Japan. And Final Fantasy trumps Dragon Quest in the US.
Currently, XBox 360 installed user base is greater than PS3 and Wii combined, although this is likely to change in the next couple months with Wii's continued impressive sales and PS3 launching in Europe. XBox 360 is close to 10 million consoles worldwide at the moment, compared to Wii's roughly 6 million and PS3's 2.5 million.
I remember the Sony fanboys saying the exact same thing about a Devil May Cry 4 port, despite your insistence that it was obvious. XBox and PS3 are, currently, neck to neck graphically.
True, but given the strategic nature of the Final Fantasy franchise, I'm betting that (if talks are going on), large sums of money are being thrown around. I remember back in the N64 days, how huge a deal it was for Final Fantasy to defect to Playstation. Its not as influential as Dragon Quest in Japan, but it still has a lot of pull.
If Square moves one of its main franchises to XBox, how long until a lot of other Japanese RPG developers add support to their games? If anything can get the XBox selling in Japan, its this. And Sony sure as hell doesn't want that to happen.
They may not have much say in the decision, but being in such a high level executive position probably puts him in the communication chain to hear about such a decision. I'm sure that if there were problems with FFXIII exclusivity, that the issue would make the email rounds among high level executives. Its naive at best to suggest that because he's in charge of the French division that he would have no way of knowing.
This could mean several things.
1) FFXIII isn't exclusive, and Sony is now in talks to lock it in.
2) FFXIII was exclusive, but they're considering taking it cross-platform, and Sony is trying to get them to stay the course.
3) FFXIII is exclusive, but Microsoft/Nintendo are trying to convince them to port it.
4) Insert more here.
That being said, if they do defect, it would be a serious blow to Sony. Ace Combat has already switched over entirely (now 360 exclusive), and Devil May Cry is cross platform. The list of AAA exclusives is dwindling. I think they're sitting at, first party titles (God of War), Ratchet and Clank, MGS4, and FFXIII.
If FFXIII defects, then that combined with Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon might be enough to start swaying the Japanese market. It would be a very strategic title for Microsoft to acquire. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Microsoft has been leaving suitcases full of cash at Square's doorstep if this turns out to be accurate.
No way. OpenGL and Direct3d are both capable of the same sort of effects. OpenGL is in no way "MUCH more advanced" than Direct3d. Thats just wishful thinking.
Most of the hobbyists I talk to tend to agree that, if you want to just put some triangles on screen, OpenGL is easier. If you want to do a complex graphic engine with lots of optimization, then Direct3d is easier.
It also depends on what kind of programming paradigm you're used to. Direct3d is OO. OpenGL is not.
More to the point, if you're gaming or doing 3d work, then you're installing the video card manufacturer's driver. Which means you're going to be getting fully accelerated OpenGL, sans wrappers. Yes, even on Vista. The wrappers are just a simple default replacement, in case you don't have proper GL drivers.
I haven't bought any new music in a while, simply because there's nothing out there thats caught my attention. I'm not going to buy music for the sake of buying music, I just want something that I'm going to enjoy listening to. Add that to the fact that its so hard to sample music because the RIAA is so terrified of copying. I was just online looking for samples of recent music, and finding something other than uselessly short clips was like pulling teeth. I could just download the CD to sample it, but then I might get sued. So I end up going with the status quo.
Speaking of which, I'd appreciate recommendations on good music. I'm looking to expand my musical horizons.
Heat. 65nm should put out less waste heat.
Chances are that is what I would be doing anyway. I still don't know if I'm going to buy a 360, but if I do I'd like to wait for the process revision at the very least, and a possible price drop. $400 ($300 doesn't have the right features for me) is a bit pricey for me.
They're likely holding back a price cut to counter Sony. They're in a good position right now, so there's not a large need to start slashing the price.
The price of the Elite, IMO, is a mistake. It puts it too close to the PS3 20gb unit for comparison, and all you get is a new connector and some extra HD space.
I really hope that they're close to their 65nm process revision, and that this helps with the defect rate. If I buy a 360, I'm going to wait until they get 65nm and hope it mitigates the reliability and noise issues.
I was hoping that this would be the new Premium system at $399, and that the old Premium system would drop down to $350. Paying an extra $80 for a larger hard drive and hdmi seems kinda meh. After all, thats only $20 less expensive than the 20GB PS3. They probably should have thrown in wireless too (if only to get the Sony fanboys to shut up with the "LOL You HAVE to buy wireless you don't actually need for $100 LOL).
Yes, it's awful that Microsoft released this new system, meaning all those other XBox owners will have to repurchase... oh wait, you can still play 360 games on your core and premium systems. Never mind.
This is just like the DS - DS Lite upgrade.
Well there's Christian morals and theres "Christian" morals. Trust me I understand the two very well.
I already covered that with immorality (lack of Christian morals). :)
Information on how to grow food, how to weave, and how to build structures is absolutely useless unless you have the raw materials to utilize it. Wars are fought over physical resources. I don't know of a single war that was fought over information.
Tyranny and ignorance exist along a continuum. Even the writers of the American constitution foresaw that there may be a need for information to be treated as goods through law, and thus they wrote it into the constitution. The idea being that it was for a limited time. But the fact of the matter is, in most cases, you get a higher quality of information if someone is able to devote all their time to creating or pursuing it. There are many ways to make it so that said person can devote all their time without starving. Copyright is one of them. Whether it is good and useful is for us to decide, but to proclaim it as simple tyranny is hyperbole. It sounds good and noble, but its a thin rhetoric without meat.
And I strongly disagree that all information is equal. Yes, I place entertainment at a lower importance than something like knowledge of how to perform heart surgery. What gives me this right? I'm a human being, and thus I have the right to my opinion. You're free to disagree with me of course. Personally, I think your explanation of why entertainment is important information is hollow. I don't think we need movies to transport the structure of our civilization.
I think people who make movies do so to either make money or art. Art is great, because it allows us to explore our own humanity. But if you ask me if I think swapping around copies of the latest blockbuster movie is a noble pursuit, I'd have to look at you funny and say "Of course not."
But whatever makes you feel like a champion of justice. I suspect that this rhetoric just makes geeks feel empowered, which is why I hear it on slashdot.
Well enough people seem to think that video games can influence children to break the law... I don't see why you think its such a huge logical leap to think the same for web sites. Its the same thing with people thinking Harry Potter or Dungeons and Dragons will encourage kids into witchcraft. Its sad, but people are stupid enough to believe it.
Just making sure that we're on the same page. I actually agree :) Although its kind of frustrating that a potentially useful technology is being used in a futile effort to make sure that we don't copy the latest new pop song. Its kinda like pandora's box: yeah, theres some good stuff in there at the bottom, but you have to let all the crap out as well.
Beautiful rhetoric, but innacurate.
Actual resources are far more important than information. Information won't feed or clothe me, it won't quench my thirst, and it won't give me materials to build a roof over my head.
Furthermore, people will chose to put artificial limits on information if there is a choice between having that information with restrictions, or not having the information at all. Whether the dichotomy exists and in what situations is very much up for debate.
And lets not forget that the "information" being traded here is, by a vast majority, entertainment. Its not stuff thats going to help you our in life, other than blowing off stress.
So.... DRM?
So they busted out the old terrorist chesnut and "Think of the children?" All they needed was to add something about immorality (implying Christian morality), and they would have had a perfect score.
You're reading into it too much. That he worries about a laptop being stolen while traveling the world doesn't imply he wouldn't worry about the same thing traveling in America. Backpacking tends to put you in places that can be high theft areas (hostels, train stations, etc) in any place in the world.
"I'm going backpacking and want to take an expensive piece of tech, but am worried about theft."