In case connecting the dots are too difficult: No matter how well a game is made, if it attempts a realistic style, it will contain obnoxious subtle details that stick out like a sore thumb.
If a movie uses this same style, the same damn thing happens. Personally, I enjoyed the movie, but I was a bit pissed off at a few points where CGI was used quite poorly (The fight scene with the two seperated spartans where the camera is rotating around them was particularly shitty).
1.) Rising costs to the gamer. 2.) Rising costs to the developer. 3.) Increasingly difficult, and intricate games. 4.) Reduced ROI. 5.) (opinion) Increased difficulty in entering the field of game development. 6.) (opinion) Decreased quality of work (what term would I use here?) for developers.
If I thought about it for a few more minutes, I could probably give a bigger/better list.
Anyhow, consider the state of things. If the Wii and the expanded market concept never entered this race, the console market would be in a pretty bad position IMHO.
I'm glad Miyamoto discussed topics more pertinent to the developers than gamers. I would much rather have a conference with substance, than let the GDC turn into a media blitz for industry shaking announcements.
As for expanding the audience: Unless you are still living in your parents basement, abhor social interaction, or prefer to game alone, you should be very excited about Nintendo concentrating on everyone, instead of just the gamer. Why? Because it will let you share your passion with more people. Your parents. Your non-gaming friends. Your loved ones. As a hard core gamer myself, but a human being first, I am *delighted* that my fiance is joining me in my love for gaming.
I guess I'll miss out on realistically rendered acne. Sigh.
What is one of the most important factors in judging the quality of an input device?
The correlation between the users intent, and what actually happens.
If a device cannot do what the user intends at an optimal level, then it is a poor input device, and will be doomed to fail.
At this point in time, we don't have the technology to get a correlation between intent and what happens high enough to use consistently as an input device. When we do, it still will be a long way from the sort of complex controls required in the majority of modern games.
I had a fun time with Ubuntu too, although my problem was a bit more tame: the installer won't load.
I've been told this is a "hardware" issue, but given that Debian, XP, and Vista work with it, I tend to blame whomever wrote the software.
Decent article. I've been trying to do the same, but I've kept a dual boot setup and am often tempted to boot back into windows instead of searching for solutions to things I already know how to do. Oh well...
Whether you go for networking or psychology is up to you, but the people you meet in college and the opportunity to interact with the faculty is not an opportunity you should pass up... Assuming it's an option for you without too many negative consequences.
Ahh, the difficulties with extremely simplified simulation of the cerebellum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellum). This is why I laugh at all the posts that crop up in neuroscience threads about emulating the brain/conscience.
Rather off topic, but do any of you know any good sources for the current developments in neuroscience, brain and cognitive sciences, and other related fields? I studied this in school (graduated in May) and am shifting to a new field, but would really like to keep abreast of everything.
I went to college under the impression that I would graduate with a degree in Computer Science.
In the third lecture of the intro course, the teacher discussed spending all night coding for labs and so forth, and mentioned that it would prepare us for real life.
After a quick google session, I never went to the class again.
I'm sure there are places where you aren't forced to stay late or bring your work home with you... But the trend of overworking in real life occupations CS degrees can lead to is very damaging to interest in this degree.
If I wanted to concentrate on a job over things like family and a social life, I would go to med school.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that it may have something to do with the Wii using a wireless to stay connected (or whatever it does)? Maybe? Maybe not.
Odd summary... You point out the part that admits it's not nearly as interesting as usage stats...
Wii: 18 Watts
XBox 360: 185 Watts
PS3: 193 Watts
PC: 198 Watts
Who wants to take bets on which console Gore is backing!
I'm 10 grand in debt trying to pay for Grad school. I'm not about to spend $1500 on a TV when I have a 4 year old computer that needs upgrading, and a many other necessities that come first.
The resale value is down there. An old (95) Saturn with manual everything, no right mirror, and 130,000 miles... Probably couldn't get a decent HDTV for that, and I'd put transportation a bit higher than a few more pixels.
Excuse me while I go masturbate to my new 1080p set that I sold my old car for.
Any resolution-dependents or "I must play games 12 hours a day" nerds who brought a Wii and a Wii alone, should really just save Darwin the trouble and end things now.
I completely agree. I'm very interested to see what will happen when we see more fleshed out sports games.
My *father*, who hasn't played a game since he stopped playing tetris due to potential CTS, will be purchasing one when they are readily available. I have no doubt in my mind that my Grandfather would pick one up in an *instant* if EA doesn't anything remotely good with Tiger Woods, for the sole purpose of using it as a golf game.
We regularly pre-game here before heading out to the bars, and there hasn't been a single person who didn't try to delay heading out to play a few more rounds of Wii Sports. Non-gamers and women included.
Where many of us traditional gamers see a lull (actually, if you have any sense at all, you would realize that the console JUST LAUNCHED), many people who picked the Wii up as non-gamers will continue to enjoy the game that sold them, Wii sports.
Exactly, and there are many properties of neurons, neural transmission and the nervous system that we simply don't understand yet.
Heck, one of the fundamental principles of neuroscience was refuted last year (that an action potential must be all or none).
The study of the brain is one of the youngest sciences in terms of what we know... But from my experience, the people in this field realize that even rough virtualization of the brain won't happen for a long, long time. Why these people are so optimistic is beyond me.
So let's dismiss potentially entertaining games because you despise EA or the myriads of sequels they plow into the ground.
I'm assuming you haven't tried Madden for the Wii? Do you think there might be even a drop of whats to come from the from the fact that it was better received than the Madden's on both other consoles?
Have you seen the screenshots of Sims for the Wii?
I don't know how many stores are not included, but...
Best Buy is one of them. I'm sure there were others. The numbers across the board are probably higher for each, perhaps with similar ratios...
I brought the Wii to stave off an impending PC upgrade. Going to wait for a round or two of DX10 cards before splurging. Still game on the PC though, but the Wii has taken over as the most used platform.
Apart from the *anticipation* of several beloved gaming exclusives (which are disappearing quickly), I see no reason to invest in a PS3. With the 360's huge gaming library, top notch (relatively) network options, *optional* HD media player and lower price, one would have to be a serious Sony fan to even consider the PS3 over the 360 (or even Wii) right now.
On a side note, I'd like to point out that despite the fact that I enjoy top notch graphics on the PC, I found that the graphics on the Wii were just as immersive as any I've encountered on the PC. Then, consider the fact that this is with a game like Zelda, which was designed for a slower platform (and plays equally well on it).
I would consider it less "middle end" and "for casual gamers," and more "affordable" and "for a broad range of players."
The Wii is marketed towards the masses more than the other consoles, but this doesn't mean that it isn't appealing to actual gamers. I haven't been gaming for the longest time (286 for the PC, NES for consoles) but I would consider myself and myriads of others like me who spend copious amounts of time gaming more than just casual gamers.
PWii > Wii60:-) Although I may end up dropping for a revised Xbox360 in a year or so if that old story was legit.
As for Sony, there simply is no reason to pick one up now. Hopefully the 360 will keep picking up the dropped PS3 exclusives... Sony needs to be taught a serious lesson for the bungling and anti-consumer crap they've been pulling with this generation.
Thank you, was looking for some rationality in this thread.
Wasn't this debunked a long time ago? It will be interesting to see everyone and their sarcastic anti-MS jokes when Apple (if it hasn't already) employs the same functionality.
Get mad at the ridiculous content providers. Not MS.
I'm sure many of you will disagree, but in my time as a very competitive tennis player, I have found that no matter how well I swing a racquet, how perfectly I position myself before a shot, or how much power I put behind the ball... Timing is what holds it all together.
You could perfect every nuance of a game, but if you fail to time things perfectly, there is a very good chance you will screw up enough to give your opponent an opening.
Anyhow. As for the game itself: Even if only power and timing were taken into account, these are very, very important factors in the sports assembled in the game... I am not nearly as elated as I would be if someone decided to come out with a standalone tennis game that mapped the motions exactly (vs certain type of motion + acceleration info), but I thought the controls were implemented well enough to not only make the game fun, but give it a little challenge.
Ultimately, the thousands of people you hear about enjoying these games with their whole family trump your less than jubilous summation of the game.
Slashdot Mirror
You people are seriously daft.
In case connecting the dots are too difficult:
No matter how well a game is made, if it attempts a realistic style, it will contain obnoxious subtle details that stick out like a sore thumb.
If a movie uses this same style, the same damn thing happens. Personally, I enjoyed the movie, but I was a bit pissed off at a few points where CGI was used quite poorly (The fight scene with the two seperated spartans where the camera is rotating around them was particularly shitty).
Please tell me that Early Adopters will now need to go out and purchase modified sixaxis controllers.
I will be so dissapointed if it were already built in.
In other news: The next generation of console gaming is almost here! Sony invents Rumble technology. -Sony PR
I'm pretty sure that was Ben Franklin :) But still, a very valid quote in todays world.
Potential barriers to the advance of gaming:
1.) Rising costs to the gamer.
2.) Rising costs to the developer.
3.) Increasingly difficult, and intricate games.
4.) Reduced ROI.
5.) (opinion) Increased difficulty in entering the field of game development.
6.) (opinion) Decreased quality of work (what term would I use here?) for developers.
If I thought about it for a few more minutes, I could probably give a bigger/better list.
Anyhow, consider the state of things. If the Wii and the expanded market concept never entered this race, the console market would be in a pretty bad position IMHO.
I'm glad Miyamoto discussed topics more pertinent to the developers than gamers. I would much rather have a conference with substance, than let the GDC turn into a media blitz for industry shaking announcements.
As for expanding the audience: Unless you are still living in your parents basement, abhor social interaction, or prefer to game alone, you should be very excited about Nintendo concentrating on everyone, instead of just the gamer. Why? Because it will let you share your passion with more people. Your parents. Your non-gaming friends. Your loved ones. As a hard core gamer myself, but a human being first, I am *delighted* that my fiance is joining me in my love for gaming.
I guess I'll miss out on realistically rendered acne. Sigh.
What is one of the most important factors in judging the quality of an input device?
The correlation between the users intent, and what actually happens.
If a device cannot do what the user intends at an optimal level, then it is a poor input device, and will be doomed to fail.
At this point in time, we don't have the technology to get a correlation between intent and what happens high enough to use consistently as an input device. When we do, it still will be a long way from the sort of complex controls required in the majority of modern games.
I had a fun time with Ubuntu too, although my problem was a bit more tame: the installer won't load.
I've been told this is a "hardware" issue, but given that Debian, XP, and Vista work with it, I tend to blame whomever wrote the software.
Decent article. I've been trying to do the same, but I've kept a dual boot setup and am often tempted to boot back into windows instead of searching for solutions to things I already know how to do. Oh well...
I'd recommend you go to school.
Whether you go for networking or psychology is up to you, but the people you meet in college and the opportunity to interact with the faculty is not an opportunity you should pass up... Assuming it's an option for you without too many negative consequences.
Ahh, the difficulties with extremely simplified simulation of the cerebellum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellum). This is why I laugh at all the posts that crop up in neuroscience threads about emulating the brain/conscience.
Rather off topic, but do any of you know any good sources for the current developments in neuroscience, brain and cognitive sciences, and other related fields? I studied this in school (graduated in May) and am shifting to a new field, but would really like to keep abreast of everything.
In the third lecture of the intro course, the teacher discussed spending all night coding for labs and so forth, and mentioned that it would prepare us for real life.
After a quick google session, I never went to the class again.
I'm sure there are places where you aren't forced to stay late or bring your work home with you... But the trend of overworking in real life occupations CS degrees can lead to is very damaging to interest in this degree.
If I wanted to concentrate on a job over things like family and a social life, I would go to med school.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that it may have something to do with the Wii using a wireless to stay connected (or whatever it does)? Maybe? Maybe not.
Odd summary... You point out the part that admits it's not nearly as interesting as usage stats... Wii: 18 Watts XBox 360: 185 Watts PS3: 193 Watts PC: 198 Watts Who wants to take bets on which console Gore is backing!
Because the majority of "I want a PC I don't have to think about" buyers post on internet forums.
Right.
I'm 10 grand in debt trying to pay for Grad school. I'm not about to spend $1500 on a TV when I have a 4 year old computer that needs upgrading, and a many other necessities that come first. The resale value is down there. An old (95) Saturn with manual everything, no right mirror, and 130,000 miles... Probably couldn't get a decent HDTV for that, and I'd put transportation a bit higher than a few more pixels.
Any resolution-dependents or "I must play games 12 hours a day" nerds who brought a Wii and a Wii alone, should really just save Darwin the trouble and end things now.
I completely agree. I'm very interested to see what will happen when we see more fleshed out sports games. My *father*, who hasn't played a game since he stopped playing tetris due to potential CTS, will be purchasing one when they are readily available. I have no doubt in my mind that my Grandfather would pick one up in an *instant* if EA doesn't anything remotely good with Tiger Woods, for the sole purpose of using it as a golf game. We regularly pre-game here before heading out to the bars, and there hasn't been a single person who didn't try to delay heading out to play a few more rounds of Wii Sports. Non-gamers and women included. Where many of us traditional gamers see a lull (actually, if you have any sense at all, you would realize that the console JUST LAUNCHED), many people who picked the Wii up as non-gamers will continue to enjoy the game that sold them, Wii sports.
Exactly, and there are many properties of neurons, neural transmission and the nervous system that we simply don't understand yet. Heck, one of the fundamental principles of neuroscience was refuted last year (that an action potential must be all or none).
But maybe I'll eat my words. Doubtful.
So let's dismiss potentially entertaining games because you despise EA or the myriads of sequels they plow into the ground.
I'm assuming you haven't tried Madden for the Wii? Do you think there might be even a drop of whats to come from the from the fact that it was better received than the Madden's on both other consoles?
Have you seen the screenshots of Sims for the Wii?
You obviously should not post before thinking.
I don't know how many stores are not included, but... Best Buy is one of them. I'm sure there were others. The numbers across the board are probably higher for each, perhaps with similar ratios...
On the time to boot comment... If they're comparing it to other systems like the Mac or Linux, wouldn't it be shorter, or am I mistaken?
I brought the Wii to stave off an impending PC upgrade. Going to wait for a round or two of DX10 cards before splurging. Still game on the PC though, but the Wii has taken over as the most used platform.
Apart from the *anticipation* of several beloved gaming exclusives (which are disappearing quickly), I see no reason to invest in a PS3. With the 360's huge gaming library, top notch (relatively) network options, *optional* HD media player and lower price, one would have to be a serious Sony fan to even consider the PS3 over the 360 (or even Wii) right now.
On a side note, I'd like to point out that despite the fact that I enjoy top notch graphics on the PC, I found that the graphics on the Wii were just as immersive as any I've encountered on the PC. Then, consider the fact that this is with a game like Zelda, which was designed for a slower platform (and plays equally well on it).
Anyhow. I'm not crazy :-P No PSWii here.
The Wii is marketed towards the masses more than the other consoles, but this doesn't mean that it isn't appealing to actual gamers. I haven't been gaming for the longest time (286 for the PC, NES for consoles) but I would consider myself and myriads of others like me who spend copious amounts of time gaming more than just casual gamers.
PWii > Wii60 :-) Although I may end up dropping for a revised Xbox360 in a year or so if that old story was legit.
As for Sony, there simply is no reason to pick one up now. Hopefully the 360 will keep picking up the dropped PS3 exclusives... Sony needs to be taught a serious lesson for the bungling and anti-consumer crap they've been pulling with this generation.
Thank you, was looking for some rationality in this thread. Wasn't this debunked a long time ago? It will be interesting to see everyone and their sarcastic anti-MS jokes when Apple (if it hasn't already) employs the same functionality. Get mad at the ridiculous content providers. Not MS.
I'm sure many of you will disagree, but in my time as a very competitive tennis player, I have found that no matter how well I swing a racquet, how perfectly I position myself before a shot, or how much power I put behind the ball... Timing is what holds it all together.
You could perfect every nuance of a game, but if you fail to time things perfectly, there is a very good chance you will screw up enough to give your opponent an opening.
Anyhow. As for the game itself: Even if only power and timing were taken into account, these are very, very important factors in the sports assembled in the game... I am not nearly as elated as I would be if someone decided to come out with a standalone tennis game that mapped the motions exactly (vs certain type of motion + acceleration info), but I thought the controls were implemented well enough to not only make the game fun, but give it a little challenge.
Ultimately, the thousands of people you hear about enjoying these games with their whole family trump your less than jubilous summation of the game.