If I were a teen and my parents had this and set the limit at say 80MPH, you can be damn sure I'd be driving 79MPH at every chance I got.
I drive a ton on the roadways for work and in my commute and I can say that the top three causes of wrecks I personally witness (which is close to one a day) are: 1. Speeding/Weaving in heavy traffic 2. No turn signal use 3. Distractions: Cell phone, Kids, eating a bowl of ceral at 70MPH (no shit actually saw that one)
And while many like to rag on SUV's, I will say that a large majority of the above activities are seen most by me in SUV drivers. I believe it is a false sense of superiority and safety that these drivers think they have.
Even though we all like to think we are some huge and massive force that keep entire industries afloat, we aren't. The myth of the "Harcore Gamer" is just as much bullshit as "Blogger/Internet Power." Regular Joe's make up the bulk of the U.S. not the average/. reader, just because we can cause a web server to slow down for an hour or get a new Super Mario game to sell 1 million copies in 2 weeks is nothing significant... but we like to think so and pat ourselves on the back regularly while we revel in our "power."
The simple fact is that while we are loyal customers, we are small in number, just like the "massive" open source movement that equates to 1-2% of OS's in use. That is not massive. Just like Nintendo is seeing they need to appeal to the widest audience possible and quickly Microsoft and the rest are following suit even though the "Hardcore" gamers feel a need to label them as k1d33 or lame... or whatever makes them feel more "cool" about playing videogames.
Well, if it counts for anything I left Sony after 4+ years simply because I am 100% certain that they will be out of business or bought out in the next two years.
The sheer number of blunders and bad business decisions is mind boggling. Take their CRT TV's. They built a multi-million dollar CRT factory in Pennsylvania and employed tons of people as well as an actual glass plant next door to make the glass for the CRT's... all while LCD's and HD and Plasma were already hitting the market. They have since basically shut those plants down and lost metric fuck-tons of money in the process. Amazingly this is only one example of litterally hundreds I could go over.
I have ZERO faith in the PS3 (and many developers and employees share my feelings). I have ZERO faith in Sony. I am also someone who believes in their convictions and left the company as a result. Not in any fanboy way at all, but I sincerely hope that Sony goes down for the count. There are few companies who deserve it more.
I am always amazed how anyone can be a technology fan or even an open source fan and continue to back Sony. Hell, Microsoft looks like a little naked white angel Natalie Portman in comparison.
I'm really hoping the Wii does well and changes the course of gaming away from the advertising/hollywood direction it is going. It is about the last hope to revitalize gaming and return it back to "fun" instead of "money."
er, no. The cartridge model was extremely developer unfriendly. Carts are MANY, MANY times more expensive to manufacture than CDs, could only be manufactured by nintendo itself (this is not the case for CD based media) and had to be paid for up front- if a game failed to sell, the developer would be stuck with a lot of very expensive unsellable bricks. Make no mistake, Devs LOVE the CD model.
Umm, I said the exact same thing as you are saying except mine is adjusted for the real world. Sure CD's are cheaper, and sure carts are more expensive up front... but the number of copied PS1 games far eclipses the knock off carts for the NES/SNES/Genesis. These are lost sales and a bigger cost to a company by far. But in typical console gamer land profitability and media cost are just arbitrary numbers that people think they understand. Take a glance at actual company profitability and earnings before trying to talk about an area that others people may just know a bit more about. But nah, that elementary profitability stuff that everyone seems to think is so profound is easier to spout off.
Successful to some degree? Sony was a first time entrant to the market and the Ps1 ended up doubling the sales of both the SNES and the Genesis, and exceeded the sales of the previous all time seller (the NES) by a good 25 million. It also drew in older gamers in a way that Nintendo, Sega, and Atari never had. It's successor was ALSO a blockbuster success and outsold it, based largely on favorable impressions of the Ps1. make no mistake, Sony's first console was a VERY big deal. As for "trying so hard to manufacture a mascot like mario or sonic..." This is a fallacy. never happened. All of the "mascots" that people associate with the Ps1 (crash, lara croft, klonoa, solid snake...etc) were made by third parties. Sony never made the attempt to market their console this way.
Yes, successful in the sense of dollars and quickly garnering market share. But UNSUCCESSFUL in many key areas, innovation, quality, customer satisfaction, etc. How many defective units and multiple sytem purchases did people need over the PS1/PS2 lifespan? Success in business is not measured by the here and now, it is not a sprint but more of a marathon. Nintendo made this mistake, Sony made this mistake, and MS has made them all. Because Sony did NOT lay a solid groundwork built on customers and innovation, they have stagnated and run out of road to go forward. The "more, better, faster" ideology has worn out, and the "FPS, GTA, RPG" one will too. But again, to only look at short term success as a basis for actual success is more your speed and most other console armchair analysts, it is just totally wrong. Take a look in every field for examples of this, not just consoles.
Blatant fanboysim at its very finest. When nintendo was market leader it's monopolistic tactics in the console market matched or exceeded microsoft's behavior in the desktop market. For instance, if you wanted to make a game for the NES, not only could you not port the game to any other system, third parties couldnt make ANY games for ANY competitor or be blacklisted. Nintendo is a company out to make money any way it can, make no mistake.
This "blatant fanboy" here worked for Sony for over 4 years, covering nothing but Sony. Oops. The fanboy card doesn't apply here, my current enthusiasm for Nintendo is exactly for the reasons I stated. They are the only one catering to the users, being innovative, trying to break out of this funk that gaming is in right now, and NOT trying to be "hardcore." Hardcore gamers are a fallacy, they are a very small (but dedicated) market. Industries can sustain but not grow in that environment, and that is what has been happening. Real growth comes from diverse markets and wide target audiences. But that means "kiddies" and women, and that means your console must be teh suxorz. To tell the truth I actually hate Zelda games, not a fa
My bad, rom readers and writers must be as ubiquitous as CD/DVD burners in homes across the world. I made no mention of ROM's and emulators, in fact IMO ROM's and Emulators help SELL games. People fall in love with a long lost favorite, or a newly discovered old gem and then purchase the original system and game to have the full experience. Sure it is not a direct sale, but it is a sale and it does help the overall industry.
I know what you are trying to say, and you know what I meant... no one is trying to say that carts == 100% pirate proof.
While you are almost correct, there are some glaring problems with your analysis and it is a bit too oversimplified. Nintendo really wasn't looking around for customers so much as developers... that was who they alienated and the consumers left as a result. The cartridge is actually what _helped_ Nintendo, not hurt it. They are damn near copy proof (within reason), have no load times, have no moving parts which lower failure, raise battery life in portables, lower power consumption in consoles, and make them very sturdy and tough.
Sony was only an entrant into videogames due to the Nintendo/CD debacle. They were not interested in the consumer or providing great new innovative games. They wanted to capitalize on the work they had already done and make a quick buck as a big FU to Nintendo. It was successful to some degree. They tried so hard to manufacture a mascot like Mario or Sonic, and it never worked. They succeeded because it was cheap and easy to produce games for it and the profit margin was higher than with Nintendo. That wasn't going to last forever, and is now starting to show. They tried to ride on their more, better, faster philosophy too long and it is now catching up to them.
Microsoft was an almost mirror of Sony as far as intentions. They shot themselves in the foot from the getgo. They continue to do so every day. The 360 is actually a pretty decent console, but it is floundering with a total lack of quality games, price, and unpopularity.
Not to sound overly pro Nintendo, but they have been consistently the only true innovator in console gaming for over 20 years now. They are not simply "cashing-in" but creating a market and then selling to it. Sure, they are not some benevolent company either, but their intentions and products are as close to it as you will find. That is what real gamers should support, even if it isn't the cool thing or doesn't push 90gazillion polys per nanosecond, they are the only company that has the real gamers interests in mind and not just dollar signs. For a group like Slashdot, where "community" and Linux and ideals are supposedly so strong, you would think it would be a no-brainer.
I think it is the adding your own thoughts and having (semi)intelligent discussions on the news at hand. It is to the point now that I get a little angry when I read an inflamatory news article on CNN or the likes and can't add my two cents. I like the interactivity to sites like Slashdot, Digg, etc. Even though 99% of the time it ends in a flame fest or some lame latin ipso facto logic argument crap with some pseudo-intellectual in his mom's basement.
You are way off base of what is being discussed, and I believe are failing to see the bigger picture. If you just wanted to sound cool and rail on America, then never mind, if you truly want to understand the issue I am speaking about then click the link above. I have a feeling you still won't care or want to understand, but that's your decision.
You are very correct, and I'm in no way stating that America is so much better in certain areas... I wasn't comparing/contrasting just making a point. I think that you may have been pretty lucky in your internet browsing and it may happen that a number of sites you frequent are OK... and it may be that you are only trying to access American sites from China. Tibet, Taiwan, and a number of other domains and IP ranges are blocked such as all of Netfirms sites, etc.
All that I am stating is that in rural areas where there is little hope of a better life, gaming is as good as it gets... and to very serious extents such as 10-12 hours a day in an online game. It isn't about the games being so good either, because as I stated these same people would be in a known crooked Pachinko parlor for those same 10-12 hours if it weren't an MMO. The game/diversion being played is ancilary and the real heart of the matter is what needs to be explored and understood.
Umm, right, so you post as an AC but claim to have more insight on this issue than me. Guangzhou, Bejing, Xinguan... do you have any idea where those are? Good.
Take a gander at recent news with the struggles of Google in China, read about the censorship that happens daily in many parts of China. Read about the PLA and their antics and billion dollar "industry"... like I stated before take a minute and actually understand that it is not anywhere near what you are claiming. Rural areas of China do not have access to non-chinese based servers.. I have been there, I have friends who live there... are we lying about this to sound "cool" on Slashdot? I don't think so. Sure in mega urban centers there will be many places with different rules and access due to business travelers and such... but that proves my point. In any internet cafe in the smaller areas you will find the people playing MMO's and before that it was people plunking every free cent into pachinko machines that were mainly crooked. These people have nothing, nothing to look forward to, no chance for advancement, nothing. So playing WoW or whatever for 10 hours a day is as close to free as many of them see.
If you are not just a troll, which I suspect, you have never really seen first-hand the life many lead in China.
Excuse me sir, your ignorance is showing. I have traveled to China, I have friends and family who live there... I have direct, personal knowledge of life both in the cities and in the rural areas. Try traveling to Chna and accessing the internet from an internet cafe sometime, where you cannot access any server outside China. You will then understand why it is futile to try to do anything but play an MMO.
It is even more sad that you have no concept of what life is actually like in China for the average citizen, and that you let your own ignorance keep you from actually seeing or understanding the real reality of this situation. Please take some time to actually look into this issue and I guarantee your eyes will be opened to what is really at the heart of my post and this issue.
From the outside looking in, I can see a couple things going on here:
When life is so force-fed and censored as it can be in China, outlets like MMORPG's are the only form of "freedom" and people flock to them... so much so that it is an epidemic.
On top of this I see a problem where the more people inside playing MMO's are not out pumping money into the economy for goods, services, entertainment, etc.
As an avid gamer, and someone who has worked in this field, I actually find this sad. It is not that WoW is such an amazing game, as it is a sign of how low many people value their lives and free time. Gaming is one thing, _needing_ to spend so many hours inside a virtual world is another. Most MMO's aren't really that great, and force long grinds and tedious gameplay with little reward for the time and money spent. This is not confined to China either, it is just magnified there. MMO's are a bad trend, and one that needs to be channeled in a different direction. Massive online playable games are good, and are very engaging, but they need to become more than long, drawn-out time wasters and overflowing coffers of money... they need to become fun and exciting and to the point even if this comes at the expense of some profit. I'll admit Guild Wars had me hooked for a few months myself, but the endless nerfs and radical gameplay changes that constantly rendered my time and effort useless made me remember why MMO's are a sham. I just think that many people are missing the real story here... WHY are MMO's such a big problem, what is the root of this problem?
I have a bit more inside info. but I can't share any of it for quite some time... so you'll just have to believe me when I say that your comments above are a good bet to be 100% on target as far as the game goes and that this "rumor" is most likely reality.
Actually there are pretty well substantiated rumors that a lightsaber title is already in the works, and that is what would really kill... and I'm not even a fan of Star Wars. I would love to see a fantasy setting game somewhere along the lines of Die By The Sword or Defender of the Crowns mini-games. Medieval or Fantasy, both would be sweet uses of the remote. Sword fighting, bow and arrows, jousting, axes to an orcs head, etc.
I hate to say it but I really doubt Red Steel will take off. The sword fighting feels to tacked on, in fact the whole game felt tacked on. I really wanted to be blown away by this game, believe me.
Zelda's control is bad especially if you totally disregard my comments and just watch the guy from Nintendo play it in the opening E3 conference. He can't hit anything and the controls are shown to be exactly what I stated.
I can only talk about what I played and saw, I can't speak of new improvements that have not been publicly or privately shown. I'm sure they are embarrased by the E3 demo and will loosen up the controls as well as rethink a few areas. The main thing people liked was the fishing demo.
As far as Red Steel goes, all I can say is mark my words and remember this when the game gets universally panned as being an on-rails shooter with lame and non-intuitive sword fighting. I don't believe that even fairly major tweaking will help this game out. Again, it is just my opinion and is based on unfinished hardware and game... but like I had said in another of my posts check out the latest issue of EGM where they slam it for almost the exact same reasons I do.
Where to begin... it is not at all what they claimed it was. It is basically a shooting game on rails. Way too linear, the controls were spotty at best... just as the guy in the Nintendo opening conference at E3 everyone has the same control issues. This has time to be fixed, but the rest may not. The graphics are barely so-so (and I'm not an eye candy gamer, so FWIW) and the AI is below brain damaged, the sword fighting was clunky and uninspired. Really I did not have one good thing to say about it. I think once the "gee whiz" factor wears off in the media real reviews and fair appraisals of this game will start to surface.
I believe it is the latest issue of EGM that agrees with me and reams it out for much of the same reasons I hated it.
This game is pure hype and trumped up excitement... it will be the dog of the launch lineup, unless a major overhaul happens and quick.
I was lucky enough to get to try it out on Metroid Prime in NY on a modified GC, and I can honestly say the control is great. All the FPS fans who were bagging on the Wii in favor of their favorite console Sony or MS will be in for a real surprise.
I will say however, at E3, that there were no real standout games or "must haves" from what I have seen and played so far. Excitetruck is fun, but nothing new, and Mario Galaxy controls like a dream but is a bit too gimmicky. Red Steel is an ABSOLUTE DUD. Don't buy into the hype, it is pure crap. Zelda is a mess to control, the aiming and controls seriously need tweaked and made to be a shitload more forgiving especially aiming the bow and arrow. Wii Sports and Hudson's flying game are the two main games so far that have me interested.
These are just my opinions and based on unfinished and beta games/hardware. So are everyone elses, take them for what they are and realize that I'm being as fair and honest as possible.
You are totally wrong, but I guess it is nice to make wild claims with no actual facts. FYI here are the real sales numbers for last week in the U.S. (Gamespot and NPD Funworld research numbers):
1 - New Super Mario Bros. (DS) 2 - Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) 3 - Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes a Day (DS) 4 - God of War (PS2) 5 - Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Xbox 360) 6 - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360) 7 - MLB '06: The Show (PS2) 8 - Guitar Hero (with Guitar) (PS2) 9 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) 10 - Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
Oh, so you mean like how EVERY company in tech makes up a "contest" with low-valued prizes to get work done that would otherwise cost a lot of money and time and possibly outisde contractors... *COUGH*Slashdot Page Design*COUGH*
It is because techies value this stupid idea of some great prestige over their time. And we never fail to disappoint. We will produce content worth tens of thousands of dollars for a _chance_ at a $500 iPod.
For such "smart" folks, we sure are gullible bastards.
I've been around Slashdot since its inception, so please spare me. Natalie Portman, Hot Grits, huzzah, w00t, goatse, bathtub, etc.
If you honestly believe that/. has not changed much then you are delusional. Dupes, sure, always had 'em... old news, fake stories, yep all have been around... but not in this quantity. Take a gander sometime at the tagging of each story and keep track of the numbers, then tell me how off-base I am.
I am no Digg proponent, nor do I have any ties to the site. I am simply stating that such a system needs to be implemented here so that my frontpage "news" isn't filled up with junk stories and slashvertisements. What is stopping them? have it be an option, then people like you that _enjoy_ reading dupes, old news, "stupid/lame" tagged stories, and slashvertisements can be left to revel in their crapulence. And it would also ensure that no other Zonk "review" would make the frontpage again.
Digg was an example, not astroturfing. Piss off and may you develop a rare incurable disease.
I'm not sure how long you've been around Slashdot, but if you recoil in fear of the word Goatse then you should remember when Slashdot was filled to the brim to informative articles covering science, games, technology, real hardware hacks and Uni. projects, as well as real news.
When 9 out of ten stories is tagged Stupid in a day, that is a problem. Sure Digg isn't the answer, but it manages to get a better ratio of signal to noise, and something like their system needs to be implemented here on/. to end this crap.
Slashdot Mirror
Except instead of a landfill, they'll only need a slightly large mud puddle to hold all six units they will manufacture and ship by launch.
If I were a teen and my parents had this and set the limit at say 80MPH, you can be damn sure I'd be driving 79MPH at every chance I got.
I drive a ton on the roadways for work and in my commute and I can say that the top three causes of wrecks I personally witness (which is close to one a day) are:
1. Speeding/Weaving in heavy traffic
2. No turn signal use
3. Distractions: Cell phone, Kids, eating a bowl of ceral at 70MPH (no shit actually saw that one)
And while many like to rag on SUV's, I will say that a large majority of the above activities are seen most by me in SUV drivers. I believe it is a false sense of superiority and safety that these drivers think they have.
Even though we all like to think we are some huge and massive force that keep entire industries afloat, we aren't. The myth of the "Harcore Gamer" is just as much bullshit as "Blogger/Internet Power." Regular Joe's make up the bulk of the U.S. not the average /. reader, just because we can cause a web server to slow down for an hour or get a new Super Mario game to sell 1 million copies in 2 weeks is nothing significant... but we like to think so and pat ourselves on the back regularly while we revel in our "power."
The simple fact is that while we are loyal customers, we are small in number, just like the "massive" open source movement that equates to 1-2% of OS's in use. That is not massive. Just like Nintendo is seeing they need to appeal to the widest audience possible and quickly Microsoft and the rest are following suit even though the "Hardcore" gamers feel a need to label them as k1d33 or lame... or whatever makes them feel more "cool" about playing videogames.
Wow, I type four intelligent paragraphs and this is the best you can respond with, eh? I'm not wasting more time than it took to write this.
Well, if it counts for anything I left Sony after 4+ years simply because I am 100% certain that they will be out of business or bought out in the next two years.
The sheer number of blunders and bad business decisions is mind boggling. Take their CRT TV's. They built a multi-million dollar CRT factory in Pennsylvania and employed tons of people as well as an actual glass plant next door to make the glass for the CRT's... all while LCD's and HD and Plasma were already hitting the market. They have since basically shut those plants down and lost metric fuck-tons of money in the process. Amazingly this is only one example of litterally hundreds I could go over.
I have ZERO faith in the PS3 (and many developers and employees share my feelings). I have ZERO faith in Sony. I am also someone who believes in their convictions and left the company as a result. Not in any fanboy way at all, but I sincerely hope that Sony goes down for the count. There are few companies who deserve it more.
I am always amazed how anyone can be a technology fan or even an open source fan and continue to back Sony. Hell, Microsoft looks like a little naked white angel Natalie Portman in comparison.
I'm really hoping the Wii does well and changes the course of gaming away from the advertising/hollywood direction it is going. It is about the last hope to revitalize gaming and return it back to "fun" instead of "money."
Umm, I said the exact same thing as you are saying except mine is adjusted for the real world. Sure CD's are cheaper, and sure carts are more expensive up front... but the number of copied PS1 games far eclipses the knock off carts for the NES/SNES/Genesis. These are lost sales and a bigger cost to a company by far. But in typical console gamer land profitability and media cost are just arbitrary numbers that people think they understand. Take a glance at actual company profitability and earnings before trying to talk about an area that others people may just know a bit more about. But nah, that elementary profitability stuff that everyone seems to think is so profound is easier to spout off.
Yes, successful in the sense of dollars and quickly garnering market share. But UNSUCCESSFUL in many key areas, innovation, quality, customer satisfaction, etc. How many defective units and multiple sytem purchases did people need over the PS1/PS2 lifespan? Success in business is not measured by the here and now, it is not a sprint but more of a marathon. Nintendo made this mistake, Sony made this mistake, and MS has made them all. Because Sony did NOT lay a solid groundwork built on customers and innovation, they have stagnated and run out of road to go forward. The "more, better, faster" ideology has worn out, and the "FPS, GTA, RPG" one will too. But again, to only look at short term success as a basis for actual success is more your speed and most other console armchair analysts, it is just totally wrong. Take a look in every field for examples of this, not just consoles.
This "blatant fanboy" here worked for Sony for over 4 years, covering nothing but Sony. Oops. The fanboy card doesn't apply here, my current enthusiasm for Nintendo is exactly for the reasons I stated. They are the only one catering to the users, being innovative, trying to break out of this funk that gaming is in right now, and NOT trying to be "hardcore." Hardcore gamers are a fallacy, they are a very small (but dedicated) market. Industries can sustain but not grow in that environment, and that is what has been happening. Real growth comes from diverse markets and wide target audiences. But that means "kiddies" and women, and that means your console must be teh suxorz. To tell the truth I actually hate Zelda games, not a fa
My bad, rom readers and writers must be as ubiquitous as CD/DVD burners in homes across the world. I made no mention of ROM's and emulators, in fact IMO ROM's and Emulators help SELL games. People fall in love with a long lost favorite, or a newly discovered old gem and then purchase the original system and game to have the full experience. Sure it is not a direct sale, but it is a sale and it does help the overall industry.
I know what you are trying to say, and you know what I meant... no one is trying to say that carts == 100% pirate proof.
While you are almost correct, there are some glaring problems with your analysis and it is a bit too oversimplified. Nintendo really wasn't looking around for customers so much as developers... that was who they alienated and the consumers left as a result. The cartridge is actually what _helped_ Nintendo, not hurt it. They are damn near copy proof (within reason), have no load times, have no moving parts which lower failure, raise battery life in portables, lower power consumption in consoles, and make them very sturdy and tough.
Sony was only an entrant into videogames due to the Nintendo/CD debacle. They were not interested in the consumer or providing great new innovative games. They wanted to capitalize on the work they had already done and make a quick buck as a big FU to Nintendo. It was successful to some degree. They tried so hard to manufacture a mascot like Mario or Sonic, and it never worked. They succeeded because it was cheap and easy to produce games for it and the profit margin was higher than with Nintendo. That wasn't going to last forever, and is now starting to show. They tried to ride on their more, better, faster philosophy too long and it is now catching up to them.
Microsoft was an almost mirror of Sony as far as intentions. They shot themselves in the foot from the getgo. They continue to do so every day. The 360 is actually a pretty decent console, but it is floundering with a total lack of quality games, price, and unpopularity.
Not to sound overly pro Nintendo, but they have been consistently the only true innovator in console gaming for over 20 years now. They are not simply "cashing-in" but creating a market and then selling to it. Sure, they are not some benevolent company either, but their intentions and products are as close to it as you will find. That is what real gamers should support, even if it isn't the cool thing or doesn't push 90gazillion polys per nanosecond, they are the only company that has the real gamers interests in mind and not just dollar signs. For a group like Slashdot, where "community" and Linux and ideals are supposedly so strong, you would think it would be a no-brainer.
I think it is the adding your own thoughts and having (semi)intelligent discussions on the news at hand. It is to the point now that I get a little angry when I read an inflamatory news article on CNN or the likes and can't add my two cents. I like the interactivity to sites like Slashdot, Digg, etc. Even though 99% of the time it ends in a flame fest or some lame latin ipso facto logic argument crap with some pseudo-intellectual in his mom's basement.
Please refer to my response to another who slightly missed my point: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=189881&thresho ld=1&commentsort=0&mode=thread&pid=15635839#156365 20
You are way off base of what is being discussed, and I believe are failing to see the bigger picture. If you just wanted to sound cool and rail on America, then never mind, if you truly want to understand the issue I am speaking about then click the link above. I have a feeling you still won't care or want to understand, but that's your decision.
You are very correct, and I'm in no way stating that America is so much better in certain areas... I wasn't comparing/contrasting just making a point. I think that you may have been pretty lucky in your internet browsing and it may happen that a number of sites you frequent are OK... and it may be that you are only trying to access American sites from China. Tibet, Taiwan, and a number of other domains and IP ranges are blocked such as all of Netfirms sites, etc.
All that I am stating is that in rural areas where there is little hope of a better life, gaming is as good as it gets... and to very serious extents such as 10-12 hours a day in an online game. It isn't about the games being so good either, because as I stated these same people would be in a known crooked Pachinko parlor for those same 10-12 hours if it weren't an MMO. The game/diversion being played is ancilary and the real heart of the matter is what needs to be explored and understood.
Umm, right, so you post as an AC but claim to have more insight on this issue than me. Guangzhou, Bejing, Xinguan... do you have any idea where those are? Good.
Take a gander at recent news with the struggles of Google in China, read about the censorship that happens daily in many parts of China. Read about the PLA and their antics and billion dollar "industry"... like I stated before take a minute and actually understand that it is not anywhere near what you are claiming. Rural areas of China do not have access to non-chinese based servers.. I have been there, I have friends who live there... are we lying about this to sound "cool" on Slashdot? I don't think so. Sure in mega urban centers there will be many places with different rules and access due to business travelers and such... but that proves my point. In any internet cafe in the smaller areas you will find the people playing MMO's and before that it was people plunking every free cent into pachinko machines that were mainly crooked. These people have nothing, nothing to look forward to, no chance for advancement, nothing. So playing WoW or whatever for 10 hours a day is as close to free as many of them see.
If you are not just a troll, which I suspect, you have never really seen first-hand the life many lead in China.
Excuse me sir, your ignorance is showing. I have traveled to China, I have friends and family who live there... I have direct, personal knowledge of life both in the cities and in the rural areas. Try traveling to Chna and accessing the internet from an internet cafe sometime, where you cannot access any server outside China. You will then understand why it is futile to try to do anything but play an MMO.
It is even more sad that you have no concept of what life is actually like in China for the average citizen, and that you let your own ignorance keep you from actually seeing or understanding the real reality of this situation. Please take some time to actually look into this issue and I guarantee your eyes will be opened to what is really at the heart of my post and this issue.
From the outside looking in, I can see a couple things going on here:
When life is so force-fed and censored as it can be in China, outlets like MMORPG's are the only form of "freedom" and people flock to them... so much so that it is an epidemic.
On top of this I see a problem where the more people inside playing MMO's are not out pumping money into the economy for goods, services, entertainment, etc.
As an avid gamer, and someone who has worked in this field, I actually find this sad. It is not that WoW is such an amazing game, as it is a sign of how low many people value their lives and free time. Gaming is one thing, _needing_ to spend so many hours inside a virtual world is another. Most MMO's aren't really that great, and force long grinds and tedious gameplay with little reward for the time and money spent. This is not confined to China either, it is just magnified there. MMO's are a bad trend, and one that needs to be channeled in a different direction. Massive online playable games are good, and are very engaging, but they need to become more than long, drawn-out time wasters and overflowing coffers of money... they need to become fun and exciting and to the point even if this comes at the expense of some profit. I'll admit Guild Wars had me hooked for a few months myself, but the endless nerfs and radical gameplay changes that constantly rendered my time and effort useless made me remember why MMO's are a sham. I just think that many people are missing the real story here... WHY are MMO's such a big problem, what is the root of this problem?
Here's a link to Gamasutra with some real basic info on it to show I'm not making it up: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?st ory=9270
I have a bit more inside info. but I can't share any of it for quite some time... so you'll just have to believe me when I say that your comments above are a good bet to be 100% on target as far as the game goes and that this "rumor" is most likely reality.
Actually there are pretty well substantiated rumors that a lightsaber title is already in the works, and that is what would really kill... and I'm not even a fan of Star Wars. I would love to see a fantasy setting game somewhere along the lines of Die By The Sword or Defender of the Crowns mini-games. Medieval or Fantasy, both would be sweet uses of the remote. Sword fighting, bow and arrows, jousting, axes to an orcs head, etc.
I hate to say it but I really doubt Red Steel will take off. The sword fighting feels to tacked on, in fact the whole game felt tacked on. I really wanted to be blown away by this game, believe me.
Zelda's control is bad especially if you totally disregard my comments and just watch the guy from Nintendo play it in the opening E3 conference. He can't hit anything and the controls are shown to be exactly what I stated.
I can only talk about what I played and saw, I can't speak of new improvements that have not been publicly or privately shown. I'm sure they are embarrased by the E3 demo and will loosen up the controls as well as rethink a few areas. The main thing people liked was the fishing demo.
As far as Red Steel goes, all I can say is mark my words and remember this when the game gets universally panned as being an on-rails shooter with lame and non-intuitive sword fighting. I don't believe that even fairly major tweaking will help this game out. Again, it is just my opinion and is based on unfinished hardware and game... but like I had said in another of my posts check out the latest issue of EGM where they slam it for almost the exact same reasons I do.
Where to begin... it is not at all what they claimed it was. It is basically a shooting game on rails. Way too linear, the controls were spotty at best... just as the guy in the Nintendo opening conference at E3 everyone has the same control issues. This has time to be fixed, but the rest may not. The graphics are barely so-so (and I'm not an eye candy gamer, so FWIW) and the AI is below brain damaged, the sword fighting was clunky and uninspired. Really I did not have one good thing to say about it. I think once the "gee whiz" factor wears off in the media real reviews and fair appraisals of this game will start to surface.
I believe it is the latest issue of EGM that agrees with me and reams it out for much of the same reasons I hated it.
This game is pure hype and trumped up excitement... it will be the dog of the launch lineup, unless a major overhaul happens and quick.
I was lucky enough to get to try it out on Metroid Prime in NY on a modified GC, and I can honestly say the control is great. All the FPS fans who were bagging on the Wii in favor of their favorite console Sony or MS will be in for a real surprise.
I will say however, at E3, that there were no real standout games or "must haves" from what I have seen and played so far. Excitetruck is fun, but nothing new, and Mario Galaxy controls like a dream but is a bit too gimmicky. Red Steel is an ABSOLUTE DUD. Don't buy into the hype, it is pure crap. Zelda is a mess to control, the aiming and controls seriously need tweaked and made to be a shitload more forgiving especially aiming the bow and arrow. Wii Sports and Hudson's flying game are the two main games so far that have me interested.
These are just my opinions and based on unfinished and beta games/hardware. So are everyone elses, take them for what they are and realize that I'm being as fair and honest as possible.
You are totally wrong, but I guess it is nice to make wild claims with no actual facts. FYI here are the real sales numbers for last week in the U.S. (Gamespot and NPD Funworld research numbers):
1 - New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
2 - Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)
3 - Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes a Day (DS)
4 - God of War (PS2)
5 - Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Xbox 360)
6 - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360)
7 - MLB '06: The Show (PS2)
8 - Guitar Hero (with Guitar) (PS2)
9 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
10 - Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
If you can count that is:
6 (PS2)
2 (DS)
2 (Xbox 360)
Sorry try again.
1. Get a massive quantity of your top selling product stolen.
2. Report to news/media outlets.
3. Free publicity
4. ???
5. Profit?
I really think companies need to find better ways of creatively advertising their products... oh, wait this is for real.
Well, at the very least it is reverse descrimination. I mean why only steal the black ones...
Much props on your .sig... you have been added as a friend :)
Oh, so you mean like how EVERY company in tech makes up a "contest" with low-valued prizes to get work done that would otherwise cost a lot of money and time and possibly outisde contractors... *COUGH*Slashdot Page Design*COUGH*
It is because techies value this stupid idea of some great prestige over their time. And we never fail to disappoint. We will produce content worth tens of thousands of dollars for a _chance_ at a $500 iPod.
For such "smart" folks, we sure are gullible bastards.
I've been around Slashdot since its inception, so please spare me. Natalie Portman, Hot Grits, huzzah, w00t, goatse, bathtub, etc.
/. has not changed much then you are delusional. Dupes, sure, always had 'em... old news, fake stories, yep all have been around... but not in this quantity. Take a gander sometime at the tagging of each story and keep track of the numbers, then tell me how off-base I am.
If you honestly believe that
I am no Digg proponent, nor do I have any ties to the site. I am simply stating that such a system needs to be implemented here so that my frontpage "news" isn't filled up with junk stories and slashvertisements. What is stopping them? have it be an option, then people like you that _enjoy_ reading dupes, old news, "stupid/lame" tagged stories, and slashvertisements can be left to revel in their crapulence. And it would also ensure that no other Zonk "review" would make the frontpage again.
Digg was an example, not astroturfing. Piss off and may you develop a rare incurable disease.
I'm not sure how long you've been around Slashdot, but if you recoil in fear of the word Goatse then you should remember when Slashdot was filled to the brim to informative articles covering science, games, technology, real hardware hacks and Uni. projects, as well as real news.
/. to end this crap.
When 9 out of ten stories is tagged Stupid in a day, that is a problem. Sure Digg isn't the answer, but it manages to get a better ratio of signal to noise, and something like their system needs to be implemented here on