I consider my self a "hardcore gamer" in the sense that I prefer games where there's actually some progress to made. No matter whether it's a story that slowly unravels, a character that develops or just new levels which are a little different/more difficult than the previous one. I don't switch on my PS3 every day - not even every week - but still, virtual dart or bowling is not for me.
The reason why people like me have started to look into so called "casual" games is that it's actually these titles that add new gameplay and original ideas nowadays. Whatever game magazine you look at today, the headlines are always occupied by the next incarnation of yet-another-fps (now with even better graphics and more realistic blood, yadda yadda).
There used to be a time (remember the Amiga) where the most anticipated and big games were the ones that had some sort of original idea to them. But these days the game industry is taking the same path as hollywood or the music industry. No one is willing to invest money into something new because everyone's afraid that it might fail. As a consequence new ideas are only developed in the small game/"casual" marked where the financial risk is obviously limited.
Don't get me wrong, I do like great graphics etc. and I'd be willing to shell out 50 bucks for a game anytime. But now that I'm through with LBP I'm really having difficulties to find anything else that appeals to me. So if Sony and friends want to keep the hardcore game market alive, maybe it's time to start risking something again when it comes to investing in new ideas.
Maybe you should read up on the Miller-Urey experiment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller-Urey_experiment . It simulated an atmosphere as it might have existed on the primitive earth (or any other object in space for that matter). Indeed, magic happened and simple amino acids formed 'out of nothing'.
The big question though is, how did higher structures (e.g. proteins, which are far more complex) evolve from those amino acids?
The other major reason is to offset how cheap labor is throughout the world. In Mexico a farmer doesnt have to spend $4000/acre for his land, or pay his workers nearly what a US farmer makes for a living. The theory is that these subsidies are needed to help US farmers against this fact, to help combat the agricultural equivelent of "outsourcing" our farming jobs. So much for the theory. Fact is, that mexican farmers have suffered for years under the heavily subsidized corn prizes. Importing US corn has been cheaper than producing their own. Mmm, globalizious tortilla: http://www.oxfam.org/en/news/pressreleases2003/pr030827_corn_dumping.htm.
Now as the demand for corn is skyrocketing they face another problem: shortage of their #1 food source. Filling the us gas tanks now is far more attractive for mexican farmers than feeding their own people: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR2007012601896_pf.html.
Google is one of the very few companies which have a chance to remain "morally good" while still being successful. They just need to know that the people appreciate their "don't be evil" credo.
For those who care checkout http://web.amnesty.org/pages/internet-110506-actio n-eng.
regards
lukas
Slashdot Mirror
Three numbers:
36 - 24 - 36.
well I actually prefer 80-40-80
80 years old, fever of 40 C, and 80 million on the bank account
I consider my self a "hardcore gamer" in the sense that I prefer games where there's actually some progress to made. No matter whether it's a story that slowly unravels, a character that develops or just new levels which are a little different/more difficult than the previous one. I don't switch on my PS3 every day - not even every week - but still, virtual dart or bowling is not for me.
The reason why people like me have started to look into so called "casual" games is that it's actually these titles that add new gameplay and original ideas nowadays. Whatever game magazine you look at today, the headlines are always occupied by the next incarnation of yet-another-fps (now with even better graphics and more realistic blood, yadda yadda).
There used to be a time (remember the Amiga) where the most anticipated and big games were the ones that had some sort of original idea to them. But these days the game industry is taking the same path as hollywood or the music industry. No one is willing to invest money into something new because everyone's afraid that it might fail. As a consequence new ideas are only developed in the small game/"casual" marked where the financial risk is obviously limited.
Don't get me wrong, I do like great graphics etc. and I'd be willing to shell out 50 bucks for a game anytime. But now that I'm through with LBP I'm really having difficulties to find anything else that appeals to me. So if Sony and friends want to keep the hardcore game market alive, maybe it's time to start risking something again when it comes to investing in new ideas.
Maybe you should read up on the Miller-Urey experiment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller-Urey_experiment . It simulated an atmosphere as it might have existed on the primitive earth (or any other object in space for that matter). Indeed, magic happened and simple amino acids formed 'out of nothing'. The big question though is, how did higher structures (e.g. proteins, which are far more complex) evolve from those amino acids?
with a beowulf cluster of these... they might even handle the rush from slashdot.
...and I always though Mac users are safe from viruses
Google is one of the very few companies which have a chance to remain "morally good" while still being successful. They just need to know that the people appreciate their "don't be evil" credo. For those who care checkout http://web.amnesty.org/pages/internet-110506-actio n-eng.
regards
lukas
Stop whining please.