So... he posts a counter-example, then you call him idiotic and stick dogmatically to your original statement that he provided a counter-example for, instead of addressing what he actually said....
I really really really wish people would stop using the HD-DVD attachment for the XBox 360 to make the PS3 price seem better. The add-on is completely optional. It's not part of the price you have to play to play games. And yeah, PS3 plays Blu-Ray movies, but I don't really care about that. The added value of that to me is $0. At least with the XBox Microsoft gives you a choice.
Tacking on the price of the HD-DVD attachment and then saying "See!? XBox costs just as much as the PS3!!" is pretty dishonest.
1) Next-Gen console (not everyone already owns an XBox360, some of us were perfectly happy coasting along with a PS2... I wonder how many are STILL doing that?).
Thats what I'm doing. I still haven't bought any next gen, but it looks like I'll eventually get all three. I'm looking for a Wii casually right now. I am seriously considering getting a 360 when the new hardware revision comes out for the XNA stuff, and the hanfull of games I want for it. Despite my general loathing of how Sony has behaved, the PS3 looks like a great system. I just want to wait for a price drop first.
3) NextGen DVD player w/Blu-Ray. hey, it also plays DVDs, so think of it as a drop in replacement for your PS2 or stand alone DVD player.
Don't need it. I wish that they had given me the choice like Microsoft. But I guess that disc space helps
with the games, if what my game dev friends say is any indication.
4) PlayStation Network for PSP download titles. While the Nintendo DS sells amazing numbers, some of us prefer the games available on the PSP. "Cheap" "Fun" Titles that we can slap on it can be a major plus for the daily commute.
Now see, this is awesome. I really really hope Nintendo does this with the DS. How awesome would be it be to play virtual console titles on your DS?
And? So what if they're favorable to them. What matters is if they're true, not whom they're favorable to.
If, for some reason, these Wikipedia entries are spreading lies that cast them in an unfavorable light, or are being used to convey the opinions of the hordes of "M$ SUX" fanboys that permeate the internet, then they're perfectly justified in correcting them to be accurate.
In fact, I'd say that its desirable for MS to present their side of the issue on Wikipedia, so long as they present facts and sources. After all Wikipedia is supposed to be neutral. If their entries are innacurate, then they can be corrected. If they abuse it they can be banned.
The only reason this is on Slashdot is because slashdotters tend to knee-jerk categorize anything MS does as evil, to the extent that they will make up crap on the spot. But its ok, right, because M$ SUX!!!
Actually, if I remember correctly, it was Apple leading the charge in DRM, yet if you look at an article concerning it there's endless amounts of fanboys crying that Apple was the victim and that they were forced into it. In a Microsoft article, they're the villian. I realize that people hold different opinions, but the points of view are so polorized I can't help but think that theres a fair amount of hypocrisy being thrown around.
They're all DRM-enabling bastards. The reality is that the entire industry is leading the charge. Not just the MIAA and RIAA, but the game industry (draconian game copy protection), software makers (whens the last time you just installed a piece of off-the-counter software), and OS makers (try installing AppleOSX on a normal PC without jumping through hoops, or Windows without activating).
To pin it all on Microsoft flatters them, and misses the big picture.
As a note, the Express may not come with the MFC support out of the box, but you may be able to add it. I haven't tried to do so with MFC, but normal Win32 (not.Net) applications aren't supported out of the box either. You can, however, download the Platform SDK off of Microsoft's site and point Visual Studio Express to it, and set up project templates. There are walkthroughs online. So you may want to do some quick research and see if you can do the same with MFC.
Also, OGRE has a.Net port, so you can use it to develop in C#. There are a couple of game frameworks out there for C#, but most of them are beta level at best.
If you want multiplayer and don't like OpenTNL, you can always try RakNet (its a C++ library though). It's a bit lower level than OpenTNL.
Its not worth finishing. I agree with your assessment, its basically repetitive dungeon crawling with a lame plot halfheartedly thrown in there. About the only possible redeeming factor might be the multiplayer, but I haven't had a chance to try that out yet.
They came out with an Earthbound sequel in Japan, called Mother 3 (Earthbound is Mother 2 in Japan). Its available for the GBA, which isn't region encoded, if you know Japanese. There's also a translation project ongoing for it.
It was a sequel in that they kinda-sorta tied it to the first one at the end, even though it seemed like they threw the Schala connection in as an afterthought. They also gave some hints about what happened to the main cast. Lucca dies in a fire, Marle's kingdom is conquered, and since she and Crono end up tying the knot, its up in the air whether they get killed or run out of the kingdom. Frog and Ayla are from different times, so they're dead for sure. Robo gets integrated into Prometheus as a safeguard by Lucca.
In general, I was really dissapointed with the game, since they threw out a lot of what made the first game great. It would be nice if they could either throw out Cross as canon and try again, somehow work out a new sequel dealing with Crono/Marle/Magus, or spin off an alternate-universe sort of thing.
Right you are, I misread. But from a quote in the article:
Shortly after Wii's launch in mid-November, Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime told Reuters that the company would have 1 million units in the US by early December and 2 million shipped by the second week of January.
Makes me wonder if there is some confusion about financial year and calendar year. The analysist numbers comes from the month of December, right? The 2 million prediction is marked for the second week of January. Taking that, I see room for error in the analysists conclusion that Nintendo is fudging numbers.
Apparently Michael Pachter is a bit confused. Based on that link, and the subsequent link that article links to which explains the NDP numbers, the 1.1 million figure is for the United States. The 2 million is worldwide. There's only a discrepency if Europe and Japan fell off the face of the earth in the last month. Lesse, friends in Japan, still there. Friends in Europe, stil there. Looks like Pachter is either a moron or being paid off.
Yesterday I asked GameStop if they had any Wiis in. They just laughed. I can walk down the street and buy a PS3.
Look, I realize that you're emotionally invested in your console winning, but lets not lie about the other console in a desperate attempt to counter the bad news concerning your console.
My point is that instead of recommending the proper method (using parameterized queries) or the runner up (using build-in escaping functions), you recommended a method of sanitizing your SQL that still leaves you wide open for injection attacks. The fact that you did not mention either of these two methods leads me to believe that you're going around removing semicolons thinking that you've properly guarded against injection, when in fact your code is utterly insecure. Thanks for proving my point.
If you were properly escaping them, you would have said so. And thats my point: developers aren't perfect. Its the responsibility of the framework and language writers make it easy for developers to do stupidly insecure things if they don't know what they're doing.
There's a time and place for languages that don't hand-hold developers, but web development is not one of these places. There's absolutely, positively no reason whatsoever why web developers should need to sacrifice security, and thus theres absolutely no reason the language should make it so easy to write insecure code. Like PHP.
How in the world is it the "most revolutionary electronic device in years?" It offers nothing that my coworkers haven't been doing for a year with their smartphones.
Seriously, the amount of spin around this product is ridiculous.
If you think just removing semicolons prevents sql injection, then I have bad bad news for you. Your code is insecure.
See thats the point. The reason we use higher level languages in the first place is partly so that we have a safety net. Its not just a matter of developer competence. Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Ideally the language should be able to catch them sooner rather than later. Why would I want to use PHP if one mistake could hose my security?
Noones saying the developer is blameless, but saying that because the developer is ultimately responsible, the language has no blame, is a cop-out.
The answer is yes. Obviously, developers are ultimately responsible for writing secure code, but that doesn't mean we can't damn programming languages that fail to encourage good coding practices. I'm including libraries and official tutorials in this.
Fact of the matter is, real security comes from having many layers. Having a programming language that directs you to safe practices and actively prevents you from creating unsafe code is the first line of defense. Yes, the programmer needs to educate him or herself on how to write secure code, but given that people are not perfect, the language should have a safety net.
There's a reason that we've moved away from languages such as C, except when necessary.
And from what I've seen, PHP has really encouraged bad programming practices. Preferring escaping SQL strings instead of proper parameterized queries, register globals, etc.
He makes impressive engines. I'd say when you're talking pure development, then what he says carries a lot of weight.
I sure as hell wouldn't take his advice on game design though. He repeats the same tired formulas over and over. DOOM was cool in the 90's, but these days you gotta be a bit more creative.
Most games are more art and design than code. You usually have at least a 2 to 1 ratio of artists to developers these days, I believe.
Given the nature of Final Fantasy (lots of cutscenes, beautiful graphics, needs more space), I'd imagine that PS3 is the more natural platform. At least that would follow the N64->Playstation pattern, since they left the N64 platform due to a lack of space.
DQ is bigger in Japan, though, and thats going to the DS. It'll be interesting to see if rpg developers jump ship over to the Wii. It would certainly make things nicer for me, since if I buy a PS3, its not going to be for another 2 or so years.
Carmack innovation? Sorry but he's programmed the same game over and over for, what, 10+ years now? He's brilliant at game engine programming, but the games end up being nothing special.
Slashdot Mirror
So... he posts a counter-example, then you call him idiotic and stick dogmatically to your original statement that he provided a counter-example for, instead of addressing what he actually said....
Way to keep the level of the debate high.
I really really really wish people would stop using the HD-DVD attachment for the XBox 360 to make the PS3 price seem better. The add-on is completely optional. It's not part of the price you have to play to play games. And yeah, PS3 plays Blu-Ray movies, but I don't really care about that. The added value of that to me is $0. At least with the XBox Microsoft gives you a choice.
... I wonder how many are STILL doing that?).
Tacking on the price of the HD-DVD attachment and then saying "See!? XBox costs just as much as the PS3!!" is pretty dishonest.
1) Next-Gen console (not everyone already owns an XBox360, some of us were perfectly happy coasting along with a PS2
Thats what I'm doing. I still haven't bought any next gen, but it looks like I'll eventually get all three. I'm looking for a Wii casually right now. I am seriously considering getting a 360 when the new hardware revision comes out for the XNA stuff, and the hanfull of games I want for it. Despite my general loathing of how Sony has behaved, the PS3 looks like a great system. I just want to wait for a price drop first.
3) NextGen DVD player w/Blu-Ray. hey, it also plays DVDs, so think of it as a drop in replacement for your PS2 or stand alone DVD player.
Don't need it. I wish that they had given me the choice like Microsoft. But I guess that disc space helps with the games, if what my game dev friends say is any indication.
4) PlayStation Network for PSP download titles. While the Nintendo DS sells amazing numbers, some of us prefer the games available on the PSP. "Cheap" "Fun" Titles that we can slap on it can be a major plus for the daily commute.
Now see, this is awesome. I really really hope Nintendo does this with the DS. How awesome would be it be to play virtual console titles on your DS?
Guess that Sony exec was wrong when he said people would buy them even without games.
Or it could be that the fan hasn't spun up, given that the GPU probably wasn't doing any serious work.
And? So what if they're favorable to them. What matters is if they're true, not whom they're favorable to.
If, for some reason, these Wikipedia entries are spreading lies that cast them in an unfavorable light, or are being used to convey the opinions of the hordes of "M$ SUX" fanboys that permeate the internet, then they're perfectly justified in correcting them to be accurate.
In fact, I'd say that its desirable for MS to present their side of the issue on Wikipedia, so long as they present facts and sources. After all Wikipedia is supposed to be neutral. If their entries are innacurate, then they can be corrected. If they abuse it they can be banned.
The only reason this is on Slashdot is because slashdotters tend to knee-jerk categorize anything MS does as evil, to the extent that they will make up crap on the spot. But its ok, right, because M$ SUX!!!
Actually, if I remember correctly, it was Apple leading the charge in DRM, yet if you look at an article concerning it there's endless amounts of fanboys crying that Apple was the victim and that they were forced into it. In a Microsoft article, they're the villian. I realize that people hold different opinions, but the points of view are so polorized I can't help but think that theres a fair amount of hypocrisy being thrown around.
They're all DRM-enabling bastards. The reality is that the entire industry is leading the charge. Not just the MIAA and RIAA, but the game industry (draconian game copy protection), software makers (whens the last time you just installed a piece of off-the-counter software), and OS makers (try installing AppleOSX on a normal PC without jumping through hoops, or Windows without activating).
To pin it all on Microsoft flatters them, and misses the big picture.
It could also be a viable way for game makers to make money without having to rely on copyright.
Put out the first episode free, and give players the option to shoot you some money. If you get enough income, make episode 2 and repeat the process.
It might be a way to create a single player GPLed game.
As a note, the Express may not come with the MFC support out of the box, but you may be able to add it. I haven't tried to do so with MFC, but normal Win32 (not .Net) applications aren't supported out of the box either. You can, however, download the Platform SDK off of Microsoft's site and point Visual Studio Express to it, and set up project templates. There are walkthroughs online. So you may want to do some quick research and see if you can do the same with MFC.
.Net port, so you can use it to develop in C#. There are a couple of game frameworks out there for C#, but most of them are beta level at best.
Also, OGRE has a
If you want multiplayer and don't like OpenTNL, you can always try RakNet (its a C++ library though). It's a bit lower level than OpenTNL.
Its not worth finishing. I agree with your assessment, its basically repetitive dungeon crawling with a lame plot halfheartedly thrown in there. About the only possible redeeming factor might be the multiplayer, but I haven't had a chance to try that out yet.
You just need to talk to more scientologists for that kind of thing.
They came out with an Earthbound sequel in Japan, called Mother 3 (Earthbound is Mother 2 in Japan). Its available for the GBA, which isn't region encoded, if you know Japanese. There's also a translation project ongoing for it.
It was a sequel in that they kinda-sorta tied it to the first one at the end, even though it seemed like they threw the Schala connection in as an afterthought. They also gave some hints about what happened to the main cast. Lucca dies in a fire, Marle's kingdom is conquered, and since she and Crono end up tying the knot, its up in the air whether they get killed or run out of the kingdom. Frog and Ayla are from different times, so they're dead for sure. Robo gets integrated into Prometheus as a safeguard by Lucca.
In general, I was really dissapointed with the game, since they threw out a lot of what made the first game great. It would be nice if they could either throw out Cross as canon and try again, somehow work out a new sequel dealing with Crono/Marle/Magus, or spin off an alternate-universe sort of thing.
Right you are, I misread. But from a quote in the article:
Shortly after Wii's launch in mid-November, Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime told Reuters that the company would have 1 million units in the US by early December and 2 million shipped by the second week of January.
Makes me wonder if there is some confusion about financial year and calendar year. The analysist numbers comes from the month of December, right? The 2 million prediction is marked for the second week of January. Taking that, I see room for error in the analysists conclusion that Nintendo is fudging numbers.
Apparently Michael Pachter is a bit confused. Based on that link, and the subsequent link that article links to which explains the NDP numbers, the 1.1 million figure is for the United States. The 2 million is worldwide. There's only a discrepency if Europe and Japan fell off the face of the earth in the last month. Lesse, friends in Japan, still there. Friends in Europe, stil there. Looks like Pachter is either a moron or being paid off.
You didn't answer the man's question.
Yesterday I asked GameStop if they had any Wiis in. They just laughed. I can walk down the street and buy a PS3.
Look, I realize that you're emotionally invested in your console winning, but lets not lie about the other console in a desperate attempt to counter the bad news concerning your console.
Must be nice to have your own personal reality like that.
That method is insecure. Sorry, but you've proven my point.
See, and here I buy consoles to play games, not sit around and imagine how cool those future games will be. Shows what I know.
Only one who comes off as a fanboy here is you.
My point is that instead of recommending the proper method (using parameterized queries) or the runner up (using build-in escaping functions), you recommended a method of sanitizing your SQL that still leaves you wide open for injection attacks. The fact that you did not mention either of these two methods leads me to believe that you're going around removing semicolons thinking that you've properly guarded against injection, when in fact your code is utterly insecure. Thanks for proving my point.
If you were properly escaping them, you would have said so. And thats my point: developers aren't perfect. Its the responsibility of the framework and language writers make it easy for developers to do stupidly insecure things if they don't know what they're doing.
There's a time and place for languages that don't hand-hold developers, but web development is not one of these places. There's absolutely, positively no reason whatsoever why web developers should need to sacrifice security, and thus theres absolutely no reason the language should make it so easy to write insecure code. Like PHP.
How in the world is it the "most revolutionary electronic device in years?" It offers nothing that my coworkers haven't been doing for a year with their smartphones.
Seriously, the amount of spin around this product is ridiculous.
If you think just removing semicolons prevents sql injection, then I have bad bad news for you. Your code is insecure.
See thats the point. The reason we use higher level languages in the first place is partly so that we have a safety net. Its not just a matter of developer competence. Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Ideally the language should be able to catch them sooner rather than later. Why would I want to use PHP if one mistake could hose my security?
Noones saying the developer is blameless, but saying that because the developer is ultimately responsible, the language has no blame, is a cop-out.
The answer is yes. Obviously, developers are ultimately responsible for writing secure code, but that doesn't mean we can't damn programming languages that fail to encourage good coding practices. I'm including libraries and official tutorials in this.
Fact of the matter is, real security comes from having many layers. Having a programming language that directs you to safe practices and actively prevents you from creating unsafe code is the first line of defense. Yes, the programmer needs to educate him or herself on how to write secure code, but given that people are not perfect, the language should have a safety net.
There's a reason that we've moved away from languages such as C, except when necessary.
And from what I've seen, PHP has really encouraged bad programming practices. Preferring escaping SQL strings instead of proper parameterized queries, register globals, etc.
He makes impressive engines. I'd say when you're talking pure development, then what he says carries a lot of weight.
I sure as hell wouldn't take his advice on game design though. He repeats the same tired formulas over and over. DOOM was cool in the 90's, but these days you gotta be a bit more creative.
Most games are more art and design than code. You usually have at least a 2 to 1 ratio of artists to developers these days, I believe.
Given the nature of Final Fantasy (lots of cutscenes, beautiful graphics, needs more space), I'd imagine that PS3 is the more natural platform. At least that would follow the N64->Playstation pattern, since they left the N64 platform due to a lack of space.
DQ is bigger in Japan, though, and thats going to the DS. It'll be interesting to see if rpg developers jump ship over to the Wii. It would certainly make things nicer for me, since if I buy a PS3, its not going to be for another 2 or so years.
Carmack innovation? Sorry but he's programmed the same game over and over for, what, 10+ years now? He's brilliant at game engine programming, but the games end up being nothing special.
Orcs and Elves? I'm not seeing the originality.