AOL gives away their services for free right now, mimicing Yahoo and Google, trying to get by on having a large network of users they can direct targeted advertisements at.
If people opt not to use AOL products and services, AOL loses money.
If the project has an obscure name, people are more likely to never hear of it, or pass it over.
GAIM sounds like an AIM replacement.
I nominate that we all say a big fuck you to AOL and forever refer to Pidgin as the Program Formerly Known as Gaim.
I used to really love Gaim. But other messengers have begun to really surpass it.
Part of this apparently is due to legal problems with Gaim which no doubt discouraged the developers. Part of it is Google hiring the lead developer to jump ship and focus primarily on Google Talk.
However, it is time we had one universal standard for messages. You can have different clients with different features, however, users should have a universal address so you can message anyone from any network from any client.
Anyone recall separate independent email systems before one unified email standard?
I hope this new project begins full steam, but a big part of me is sad that between projects like Kopete, Gaim, Trillian, Miranda, etc. that we're dividing efforts instead of having one truly incredible messenger that works across all networks, supports all the features of each network (including full voice and video).
I'd gladly pay money for it. I'm sure many would. Then again, if we had a universal standard for messaging, everyone (Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo) could keep their clients, and everyone's networks would grow instantly, and we wouldn't even necessarily have to devote so much developer time to keeping networks so private, and trying to reverse engineer network standards.
The Newton paved the way for PDAs, and the Newton in certain ways compares more than favorably with existing PDAs today.
DAT has been a staple of industry professionals for ages. As an indie filmmaker, I've found cheap digital audio equipment which is supposed to be superior to be rather poor in comparison. I'd kill to have good DAT equipment.
eBook readers are perhaps a flop in that few will invest a device that does solely that, but eBooks as a whole gain in popularity every year.
The PCjr entered an area when IBM-based PCs had hardly become the norm, and many critics believed a personal computer in the home would never become a reality. It was a step in the right direction, and people forget that there were MANY alternatives back then. The fact that 99% of home computers are based on IBM standards today is not a flop.
Internet Currency? Last time I checked there are several "points" programs on the web where you can earn and use points that aren't currency themselves. This business model still operates today. Furthermore, the concept of a firm handling transactions across multiple borders for online currency paved the way for one of the most successful websites ever, Ebay/Paypal.
Just as the article states, Iridium is still in business.
Bob was a flop, and one I commonly mock. However I promise you, that the concept will be revisited and better marketed the second time around. Honestly, I imagine that Second Life will become, or inspire the next generation of Bob, allowing us all to make virtual spaces, which in turn will link to applications and activities within this virtual world.
The NetPC? I still know people who own Web TV, and the market might have continued if Microsoft hadn't bought them out. People forget that Net PC devices were a threat to people whose business depended on the PC model. People also still make homemade Net PCs out of things like XBoxes and such.
Push technology? The article fails to mention that while Desktop channels were obtrusive and filled with advertiser content, this concept is very successful today. RSS feeds, AJAX technology and the like are very much staples of today's web. The article also fails to mention that Push technology preceeded and eventually became streaming media as well, and was largely developed for and by the porn industry. You'd be surprised how much technology comes from the porn industry.
I could go on and on and on, but I have to head out the door.
We know Venus has mountains and valleys. We know Mars has mountains and valleys.
Should be at all surprised to find caves on Mars?
I thought we already believed that all solid planets had plate activity like Earth, that formed the mountains and valleys. Aren't caves a natural extension of that thought process?
There are plenty of articles depicting poor box-art.
This article however if you read it was fairly interesting in comparing America, European and Japanese box-art for various games, and showing how those changes came about. You can observe evolving changes and cultural differences.
The article covers both the good and bad, and certainly isn't simply a list of poor covers.
To say that Steam is the future of PC gaming is fairly true. To say that Steam directly equals DRM is not.
DRM is a means to strongly limit your right to use something you purchase, to the point of suggesting that you don't really own it.
Steam will allow you to download your content to multiple computers, and freely play your content.
Most music DRM schemes limit your ability to copy your music, or play it on whatever hardware you choose.
Steam is first and foremost a means of digital distribution to skip the distribution middle-man.
Game development costs have skyrocketed, game developers are working more hours for less money, and yet while our expectations rise, our desire to pay more for games has not risen. Something has to give, and many truly great gaming companies have gone to the wayside.
If digital distribution puts more money into the hands of the developer, keeps overall costs down, allows me to purchase a game without leaving my house, install on multiple PCs without even looking for disks, etc. etc. etc., then it is certainly more of a blessing than a curse.
I'm all for digital distribution.
Is Steam perfect? No. But it was largely the first venture in the market, and it is a step in the right direction.
Gentoo supports binary packages in Portage. The core purpose of Gentoo was to allow a user a means to have exactly the system they want. The most important and powerful facet of Gentoo are USE tags.
No other distro provides the level of customization that Gentoo does.
Honestly, in a perfect world, I'd like to see every major distro tie into Portage, which is the best repository system out there. Most distros look down their nose at Gentoo for being silly, unprofessional, and a "ricer" distro, but the USE system could easily allow for multiple distros to use one repository at once.
Not only could I theoretically pull Debian packages with a Debian USE flag, but also I could have a USE flag for the official release so that I pull the correct packages for that release. A SUSE user could then do the same.
Everyone would have the ability to build from scratch, or pull binaries, and installing on Linux could be semi-universal. "emerge package" and there you go.
Furthermore, those that want to see updates, or live on the bleeding edge a bit don't have to wait for fully put-together beta installs, or even reinstall for a new release ever again. Just emerge your updates, and there you go.
Portage/Gentoo/USE allows for a great deal of flexibility, and I hope that other distros catch on some day.
His point was not that everyone should use Gentoo, but rather that Portage was designed as a repository that handled binaries and source easily side-by-side.
And I agree, the solution really is to have one major package repository. How you package it isn't horribly important.
The problem is that each major distro is built using different versions of libraries with completely different toolchains, and they use different patches, etc.
That is why most repository systems won't work.
However, here is why Portage would work for all distros. Keywords.
By using "SUSE" as a keyword, it could pull the binary compiled using the SUSE toolchain if that is what you needed.
The world won't start using one distro. And SUSE can have their binary packaged in their format, and Ubuntu can have it packaged in their format, but we really, really do need one repository.
Actually people complained that the Sims started to appear dated, and so they jumped to a nicer looking engine.
And even though it meant leaving behind all the work people had done on their Sim creations, people spent money and jumped to The Sims 2, because graphics trump all.
I spend a good portion of my time talking to professional game developers. Try telling that that graphics don't equate directly to sales or a lack of sales, and you'll get laughed at.
As for Vice City, it averaged 9.6 in reviews, and most professional reviewers heralded how good the game looked. It is an older game today, released for last generation's consoles. It is easy to criticize the graphics today, but regardless, it was one of the better looking titles that pushed the absolute limits of the PS2 technology.
You still really have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.
You have no clue what you're talking about. The Sims was released Feb 04, 2000
That makes the game seven years old. Now compare it to graphics of other games seven years old.
The graphics were rated an 8 on average by most reviewers.
GTA was hailed as having absolutely incredible graphics for the time in which it was released, and Vice City is one of the best looking games ever on the PS2.
Honestly, I never played Animal Crossing and I can't comment on it, but you brought up some really bad examples.
Sure it does. This game's focus is the physics engine. Will that port well to the PS2, PSP or DS? Not really. So they outsource those. Why then avoid the Wii? Because if you're going to put something on the Wii, you really do need to design around the controller. It isn't just a novelty, it is a new way of gaming.
You really need a separate game with the Wii in mind.
Though I just realized that in most LucasArts games, you've fought droids quite a bit. LucasArts didn't want the games to be viewed as violent or bloody.
This game should be a big departure in that department.
"Despite playing on the side of the Star Wars saga's "bad guys", the player's role is somewhat sympathetic, not only because he lives in fear under the shadow of Darth Vader and other unforgiving superiors, but also because the game's portrayal of the Empire--dictated, of course, by the player's superiors--focuses on its role as a guardian of order."
Even with Bounty Hunter, you played the villian in a somewhat good-guy role, hunting down other bad guys.
And for the record, we need a next-gen X-Wing/TIE game with all the ships from the EU and all six movies.
I'd pay $100 for a game like that, and I'm not kidding.
Right now both the 360 and PS3 are pretty expensive. And the second the PS2 launched, it took a while for it to take off as well. PS1 sales continued for some time.
People don't drop 10,000 on a high-end plasma because they don't care about graphics. If graphics didn't matter, then console makers wouldn't literally lose money on hardware to push the graphics envelope.
Go to any major games review site, and the first thing you'll read in most any game review is a discussion on the graphics.
A good looking game entices people to take a look. A game with poor graphics can have great-gameplay, but many people may never ever look at it to give it a chance.
Actually, I spend 90% of my time playing retro games.
I'm not speaking of my personal opinion, but rather an industry rule.
It is a simple, cold-hard fact. Games with poor graphics do not sell.
They can be fun, and I prefer good-gameplay over graphics personally. I can't tell you the number of times I've played Fallout, Ultima 7, Planescape, etc. over modern RPGs.
Right this moment I'm running through Shadowrun on the NES, Breath of Fire, and Worlds of Xeen again for nostalgia because modern RPGs are lackluster for the most part.
But we are in the minority. If a game doesn't look good, don't expect it to sell millions of copies.
That's actually a really good point. I never thought of that.
If the controller had force-feedback, you could simulate at least some resistance of hitting your opponents or their weapon.
I wonder if the PS3 will ever have force-feedback in their controllers. Because of the patent-suit they lost, they will have to invent a new form of force-feedback.
A triple-A title based on a new engine can easily take two-three years of development. If they start on a brand new game for the Wii right this moment, and compare it with the graphics that the PS3 or 360 can put out two to three years down the stretch, it will be silly.
The Wii won't be abandoned, but customer demands will in fact be very different two or three years down the stretch.
If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say this physics engine has been two or three years in the making, and is largely the backbone of both the Indy and Star Wars titles we're hearing about. They're officially announcing the game now, and I'd expect a release within a year or so. Knowing their MO, they'll release early and push for Christmas.
Most people have barely had the Wii in their hands for any length of time and are primarily playing Wii Sports. It is selling like mad, but it has been a stead-fast industry rule for the entire history of the gaming industry.
Graphics sell. Games with poor graphics don't sell. Customer's perceptions of what makes good graphics go up every year.
The Wii doesn't look bad in comparison now, but it will eventually.
They are pushing the PS2, DS and PSP ports out to a different company. Thusly, it will not use the Euphoria (or whatever it's called) engine.
I doubt the Wii can handle the physics in that engine. They could have just outsourced the Wii port to someone else as well, but I imagine they will make a seperate, in-house Wii game down the line.
However, LucasArts also said they only want to release 1-2 Star Wars games a year now, as to not oversaturate the market.
Battlefield was the best selling Star Wars game of all time. You better believe Pandemic is working on a next-gen Battlefield 3 right now. Eventually Bioware or Obsidian will be tapped for KOTOR:3.
You also know they need to crank out expansions for Galaxies, and there are rumors that a new MMO is in the works to replace Galaxies (I hope and pray it is the MMO out of Bioware's new MMO studio in Austin. Austin is also hope to all the ex-Origin staffers who worked on Ultima Online way back in the day).
So when we're going to see the Wii game, I don't know.
Slashdot Mirror
Very sure.
AOL gives away their services for free right now, mimicing Yahoo and Google, trying to get by on having a large network of users they can direct targeted advertisements at.
If people opt not to use AOL products and services, AOL loses money.
If the project has an obscure name, people are more likely to never hear of it, or pass it over.
GAIM sounds like an AIM replacement.
I nominate that we all say a big fuck you to AOL and forever refer to Pidgin as the Program Formerly Known as Gaim.
I used to really love Gaim. But other messengers have begun to really surpass it.
Part of this apparently is due to legal problems with Gaim which no doubt discouraged the developers. Part of it is Google hiring the lead developer to jump ship and focus primarily on Google Talk.
However, it is time we had one universal standard for messages. You can have different clients with different features, however, users should have a universal address so you can message anyone from any network from any client.
Anyone recall separate independent email systems before one unified email standard?
I hope this new project begins full steam, but a big part of me is sad that between projects like Kopete, Gaim, Trillian, Miranda, etc. that we're dividing efforts instead of having one truly incredible messenger that works across all networks, supports all the features of each network (including full voice and video).
I'd gladly pay money for it. I'm sure many would. Then again, if we had a universal standard for messaging, everyone (Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo) could keep their clients, and everyone's networks would grow instantly, and we wouldn't even necessarily have to devote so much developer time to keeping networks so private, and trying to reverse engineer network standards.
The Newton paved the way for PDAs, and the Newton in certain ways compares more than favorably with existing PDAs today.
DAT has been a staple of industry professionals for ages. As an indie filmmaker, I've found cheap digital audio equipment which is supposed to be superior to be rather poor in comparison. I'd kill to have good DAT equipment.
eBook readers are perhaps a flop in that few will invest a device that does solely that, but eBooks as a whole gain in popularity every year.
The PCjr entered an area when IBM-based PCs had hardly become the norm, and many critics believed a personal computer in the home would never become a reality. It was a step in the right direction, and people forget that there were MANY alternatives back then. The fact that 99% of home computers are based on IBM standards today is not a flop.
Internet Currency? Last time I checked there are several "points" programs on the web where you can earn and use points that aren't currency themselves. This business model still operates today. Furthermore, the concept of a firm handling transactions across multiple borders for online currency paved the way for one of the most successful websites ever, Ebay/Paypal.
Just as the article states, Iridium is still in business.
Bob was a flop, and one I commonly mock. However I promise you, that the concept will be revisited and better marketed the second time around. Honestly, I imagine that Second Life will become, or inspire the next generation of Bob, allowing us all to make virtual spaces, which in turn will link to applications and activities within this virtual world.
The NetPC? I still know people who own Web TV, and the market might have continued if Microsoft hadn't bought them out. People forget that Net PC devices were a threat to people whose business depended on the PC model. People also still make homemade Net PCs out of things like XBoxes and such.
Push technology? The article fails to mention that while Desktop channels were obtrusive and filled with advertiser content, this concept is very successful today. RSS feeds, AJAX technology and the like are very much staples of today's web. The article also fails to mention that Push technology preceeded and eventually became streaming media as well, and was largely developed for and by the porn industry. You'd be surprised how much technology comes from the porn industry.
I could go on and on and on, but I have to head out the door.
We know Venus has mountains and valleys. We know Mars has mountains and valleys.
Should be at all surprised to find caves on Mars?
I thought we already believed that all solid planets had plate activity like Earth, that formed the mountains and valleys. Aren't caves a natural extension of that thought process?
I thought this was a given.
There are plenty of articles depicting poor box-art.
This article however if you read it was fairly interesting in comparing America, European and Japanese box-art for various games, and showing how those changes came about. You can observe evolving changes and cultural differences.
The article covers both the good and bad, and certainly isn't simply a list of poor covers.
To say that Steam is the future of PC gaming is fairly true. To say that Steam directly equals DRM is not.
DRM is a means to strongly limit your right to use something you purchase, to the point of suggesting that you don't really own it.
Steam will allow you to download your content to multiple computers, and freely play your content.
Most music DRM schemes limit your ability to copy your music, or play it on whatever hardware you choose.
Steam is first and foremost a means of digital distribution to skip the distribution middle-man.
Game development costs have skyrocketed, game developers are working more hours for less money, and yet while our expectations rise, our desire to pay more for games has not risen. Something has to give, and many truly great gaming companies have gone to the wayside.
If digital distribution puts more money into the hands of the developer, keeps overall costs down, allows me to purchase a game without leaving my house, install on multiple PCs without even looking for disks, etc. etc. etc., then it is certainly more of a blessing than a curse.
I'm all for digital distribution.
Is Steam perfect? No. But it was largely the first venture in the market, and it is a step in the right direction.
You could go into DOS and delete it or move it.
I routinely created folders back in the days of DOS and early versions of Windows with ASCII characters. Windows didn't know what to do with them.
My favorite was a folder whose name was simply a space.
" "
Alt+255
It wouldn't even show up in Windows.
Not necessarily.
Gentoo supports binary packages in Portage. The core purpose of Gentoo was to allow a user a means to have exactly the system they want. The most important and powerful facet of Gentoo are USE tags.
No other distro provides the level of customization that Gentoo does.
Honestly, in a perfect world, I'd like to see every major distro tie into Portage, which is the best repository system out there. Most distros look down their nose at Gentoo for being silly, unprofessional, and a "ricer" distro, but the USE system could easily allow for multiple distros to use one repository at once.
Not only could I theoretically pull Debian packages with a Debian USE flag, but also I could have a USE flag for the official release so that I pull the correct packages for that release. A SUSE user could then do the same.
Everyone would have the ability to build from scratch, or pull binaries, and installing on Linux could be semi-universal. "emerge package" and there you go.
Furthermore, those that want to see updates, or live on the bleeding edge a bit don't have to wait for fully put-together beta installs, or even reinstall for a new release ever again. Just emerge your updates, and there you go.
Portage/Gentoo/USE allows for a great deal of flexibility, and I hope that other distros catch on some day.
His point was not that everyone should use Gentoo, but rather that Portage was designed as a repository that handled binaries and source easily side-by-side.
And I agree, the solution really is to have one major package repository. How you package it isn't horribly important.
The problem is that each major distro is built using different versions of libraries with completely different toolchains, and they use different patches, etc.
That is why most repository systems won't work.
However, here is why Portage would work for all distros. Keywords.
By using "SUSE" as a keyword, it could pull the binary compiled using the SUSE toolchain if that is what you needed.
The world won't start using one distro. And SUSE can have their binary packaged in their format, and Ubuntu can have it packaged in their format, but we really, really do need one repository.
The article he linked specifically stated that it was licensed for 15 specific titles.
Saying that it is built into the console means that it is built into the console, not that a dozen or so titles have it licensed.
2 terraflops equates almost directly to 23 times the power of the PS2. Those are facts.
The Unreal 3 Engine won't run on the Wii because it lacks the basic power to run it. Those are facts.
And you still have no clue what you're talking about. Havok is being used in some Wii titles. Try reading your own links.
The Wii doesn't come with Havok built in.
Don't try to talk shit when you have no clue what you're talking about it.
Actually people complained that the Sims started to appear dated, and so they jumped to a nicer looking engine.
And even though it meant leaving behind all the work people had done on their Sim creations, people spent money and jumped to The Sims 2, because graphics trump all.
I spend a good portion of my time talking to professional game developers. Try telling that that graphics don't equate directly to sales or a lack of sales, and you'll get laughed at.
As for Vice City, it averaged 9.6 in reviews, and most professional reviewers heralded how good the game looked. It is an older game today, released for last generation's consoles. It is easy to criticize the graphics today, but regardless, it was one of the better looking titles that pushed the absolute limits of the PS2 technology.
You still really have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.
You have no clue what you're talking about. The Sims was released Feb 04, 2000
That makes the game seven years old. Now compare it to graphics of other games seven years old.
The graphics were rated an 8 on average by most reviewers.
GTA was hailed as having absolutely incredible graphics for the time in which it was released, and Vice City is one of the best looking games ever on the PS2.
Honestly, I never played Animal Crossing and I can't comment on it, but you brought up some really bad examples.
The XBox wasn't even 2.5 times as powerful as the PS2, and the Gamecube wasn't either.
Blind fanbois don't impress me.
Try using some facts next time.
And the PS3 is literally about 23 times as powerful as the PS2.
I just tried Google searches for Wii and Havoc, and Wii and Havoc 3.0
Nothing. So I tried the technical specs on Nintendo's site, and then Havoc's site. Nothing.
I did find an article on how the Unreal 3.0 engine will never come to the Wii, because the Wii isn't powerful enough to run it.
Sure it does. This game's focus is the physics engine. Will that port well to the PS2, PSP or DS? Not really. So they outsource those. Why then avoid the Wii? Because if you're going to put something on the Wii, you really do need to design around the controller. It isn't just a novelty, it is a new way of gaming.
You really need a separate game with the Wii in mind.
PC sales, console sales, and game sales have always been pushed by graphics.
c hives/200504/leadstory2.shtml
And we passed the 15% mark in 2005. That was two years ago. Last I saw they predicted over 80% penetration of HDTV in homes by 2010.
I'm looking for current numbers...
"Between 2006 and 2007, HDTV is positioned to jump from roughly 30% to about 50% of all U.S. homes."
http://www.natpe.org/memberresources/natpenews/ar
There you go.
I've always been a big Star Wars fan, but my wife is the one who is a member of the Fan Force and spends every night in a Star Wars RPG.
The funniest line in Star Wars:
"Only Imperial Stormtroopers are this precise."
Though I just realized that in most LucasArts games, you've fought droids quite a bit. LucasArts didn't want the games to be viewed as violent or bloody.
This game should be a big departure in that department.
From your link:
"Despite playing on the side of the Star Wars saga's "bad guys", the player's role is somewhat sympathetic, not only because he lives in fear under the shadow of Darth Vader and other unforgiving superiors, but also because the game's portrayal of the Empire--dictated, of course, by the player's superiors--focuses on its role as a guardian of order."
Even with Bounty Hunter, you played the villian in a somewhat good-guy role, hunting down other bad guys.
And for the record, we need a next-gen X-Wing/TIE game with all the ships from the EU and all six movies.
I'd pay $100 for a game like that, and I'm not kidding.
http://www.xwingalliance.net/
There are plenty of mods out there for X-Wing Alliance, BTW.
No, thank you. It is worth correcting. I am merely sleep deprived.
Right now both the 360 and PS3 are pretty expensive. And the second the PS2 launched, it took a while for it to take off as well. PS1 sales continued for some time.
People don't drop 10,000 on a high-end plasma because they don't care about graphics. If graphics didn't matter, then console makers wouldn't literally lose money on hardware to push the graphics envelope.
Go to any major games review site, and the first thing you'll read in most any game review is a discussion on the graphics.
A good looking game entices people to take a look. A game with poor graphics can have great-gameplay, but many people may never ever look at it to give it a chance.
That is the cold-hard truth.
Actually, I spend 90% of my time playing retro games.
I'm not speaking of my personal opinion, but rather an industry rule.
It is a simple, cold-hard fact. Games with poor graphics do not sell.
They can be fun, and I prefer good-gameplay over graphics personally. I can't tell you the number of times I've played Fallout, Ultima 7, Planescape, etc. over modern RPGs.
Right this moment I'm running through Shadowrun on the NES, Breath of Fire, and Worlds of Xeen again for nostalgia because modern RPGs are lackluster for the most part.
But we are in the minority. If a game doesn't look good, don't expect it to sell millions of copies.
That's actually a really good point. I never thought of that.
If the controller had force-feedback, you could simulate at least some resistance of hitting your opponents or their weapon.
I wonder if the PS3 will ever have force-feedback in their controllers. Because of the patent-suit they lost, they will have to invent a new form of force-feedback.
A triple-A title based on a new engine can easily take two-three years of development. If they start on a brand new game for the Wii right this moment, and compare it with the graphics that the PS3 or 360 can put out two to three years down the stretch, it will be silly.
The Wii won't be abandoned, but customer demands will in fact be very different two or three years down the stretch.
If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say this physics engine has been two or three years in the making, and is largely the backbone of both the Indy and Star Wars titles we're hearing about. They're officially announcing the game now, and I'd expect a release within a year or so. Knowing their MO, they'll release early and push for Christmas.
Most people have barely had the Wii in their hands for any length of time and are primarily playing Wii Sports. It is selling like mad, but it has been a stead-fast industry rule for the entire history of the gaming industry.
Graphics sell. Games with poor graphics don't sell. Customer's perceptions of what makes good graphics go up every year.
The Wii doesn't look bad in comparison now, but it will eventually.
They are pushing the PS2, DS and PSP ports out to a different company. Thusly, it will not use the Euphoria (or whatever it's called) engine.
I doubt the Wii can handle the physics in that engine. They could have just outsourced the Wii port to someone else as well, but I imagine they will make a seperate, in-house Wii game down the line.
However, LucasArts also said they only want to release 1-2 Star Wars games a year now, as to not oversaturate the market.
Battlefield was the best selling Star Wars game of all time. You better believe Pandemic is working on a next-gen Battlefield 3 right now. Eventually Bioware or Obsidian will be tapped for KOTOR:3.
You also know they need to crank out expansions for Galaxies, and there are rumors that a new MMO is in the works to replace Galaxies (I hope and pray it is the MMO out of Bioware's new MMO studio in Austin. Austin is also hope to all the ex-Origin staffers who worked on Ultima Online way back in the day).
So when we're going to see the Wii game, I don't know.