There is nothing exciting about Nintendo's virtual console.
For a lot of people, there is.
For one, I like playing on my TV, with a controller meant to play whatever game it is I'm playing. Sure, I've played games on emulators on my PC, but using a keyboard or some random crappy gamepad never felt right.
And two, I don't want to have to jump through hoops to get a game to work. I just want it to work. My wife would NEVER figure out how to load up a ROM and play it. With this, she can simply turn on the Wii, point at the game, and start playing.
And three... like someone else said, this is actually legal.
I've heard TV shows eschew genuine cuts of real music as in popular mainstream songs from popular bands (hey, gotta start somewhere) because they have to pay royalties and such and they don't want to do that. I think that's wrong...
This may be a little off topic, but I just wanted to chime in and say that if any TV producers want to see how a show soundtrack should be done, they should look to Freaks and Geeks.
With F&G, the creators picked the songs perfectly... they fit the mood and added to the story, it wasn't just background music.
In fact, it was because of all the songs used that it took a while for it to be released on DVD... they didn't want to release it and remove/change the songs, so it took a lot of work to get permission to use all the songs.
Howard Stern is perpetually stuck with the mind & maturity of a poorly disclipined teenager with a one track mind...
FudRucker is perpetually stuck with the mind & maturity of a poorly advised conservative with a one track mind...
(in other words... have you people even listened to Stern recently? people who think he's offensive or immature have probably never even listened to the show, because it's far from offensive or immature)
Got to Gamestop around 9:20 for a 10:00 opening, figuring I'd pre order one just in case. I have one pre ordered at FYE, but they don't know how many systems they'll be getting for the release day, so I figured if I got one from Gamestop I'd cancel the other.
Around 9:40 a guy from the store came out and counted people and cut off the line and sent about 10 people (including me) away. There were probably about 40-50 people there when I got there.
Now, I'm not too disappointed though, becuase like others have said, I'm really not too worried about getting one this holiday season. If Nintendo's numbers are right, you will be able to walk into a store and get one... only time will tell though.
I just know that judging from this morning, the Wii is a hot commodity. Hopefully Nintendo has enough to fill the demand.
The problem is, you're not guaranteed a system on the release date.
I preordered from Coconuts (owned by Trans World, same as FYE) a few weeks back and I was the fourth person to preorder. That means that I'm guaranteed the fourth system the store gets. However, they have no idea how many they'll get...
I did it just to be safe, but I'll also preorder from Gamestop once they begin taking preorders as well.
Most "commercials" are boring and pointless, and just focus on "you need this product!"
If companies would make good, entertaining videos that people would actually want to watch, then they would have a perfect place on Youtube. They'd spread throughout the internet via e-mail and message boards and would be great exposure for the product just like any other viral video.
The advertising firms just have to get more creative...
If the release games for the Wii are good and use the Wii-mote fairly well, I can't wait to play the games that come out one or two years down the line.
Of course with new technology there's a period where the developers are learning how to fully utilize the new features... look at the DS.
Take Castlevania, for example. Dawn of Sorrow's annoying "seal" you had to draw after killing a boss was pointless and just a way to say "hey, we used the touch screen!" But once they learned that for their particular style of game, the advantage of the DS is in its two screens and not its touch screen, they did away with the seal system for the sequel.
It's definitely possible that games at release may go overboard with the Wii-mote, but as time goes on developers will learn how to best utilize the Wii's features.
Unfortunately, I don't really see Nintendo going to this sort of system. As much as they try to shy away from the label of "kiddy", they want to make the WiFi connection kid friendly.
There was a story a few weeks back about a patent Nintendo filed dealing with converting speech to text... I could actually see this being worked into future Nintendo software, because that way the "conversation" could be monitored and censored. Swearing would be converted to text, then ****'d out so kids couldn't be exposed to "vulgar" language.
I agree, it's annoying that Nintendo feels this way... I hate using "friend codes" as much as the next guy... but there's a reason behind it.
If you choose to play against "Rivals" instead of "Worldwide", the system will select rivals with similar records as you so you won't be thrown into a match with someone with thousands of wins and no losses...
I actually wish all games had this... My rating in Tetris hovers somewhere between 6500 and 6800 usually, and when I get put up against someone with a mid to low 5000 rating I almost feel bad about beating them, heh.
You have to be married for years to get the jokes, because only after being married for years do you get the reality of the jokes (because you've been there)
I agree. I never really found it funny when the show was first on the air... but watching reruns with my fiance, we suddenly find it funny. We've been together for over 7 years, and even though we're not married (yet... a month and a half to go), becuase we've been together so long we can see the humor in certain situations becuase we've experienced the same types of things.
If you're single or never have been in a long term relationship, you wouldn't see the humor in the show.
Now, I'm not saying it's the funniest show on tv, but it does make me laugh from time to time.
Makes sense to me
on
Bob Saget 2.0
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· Score: 3, Interesting
I'm 24 years old, and I gotta admit... AFV (America's Funniest Videos) is still one of my favorite shows to watch. Sure, it's mindless content, but no other show on tv packs more laughs per minute.
Maybe it's a bit juvenile laughing at old people falling over, people getting hit in the crotch, or just general stupidity of people with too much time on your hands, but... AFV is basically a bunch of youtube videos strung together, and is funny no matter what age you are. (Just ignore the lame jokes by the host...)
Sure, there's other content on Youtube that isn't of the "funny video" variety, but... I'd say that the majority of the "viral videos" that get spread around the internet are of the funny variety, and what drives the majority of the site.
What about Wart from Super Mario Bros 2? I don't think he's been in any other games even though he is part of the Mario universe, when enemies like Birdo have been seen again.
Some other ideas: Bubbles, the fish like thing from Clu Clu land Some enemy from Metroid... Ridley? Kraid? R.O.B. (hey, he's in Mario Kart on the DS) Bub and/or Bob from Bubble Bobble (kinda like the Ice Climbers) Bomberman Whatever that guy's name was in Kung Fu The guy from Balloon Fight Little Mac from Punch-Out
Get a hub, or a decent machine that has front IO ports.
I could get a hub, but that would just add one more wire to the mix! Actually two, if it was a powered hub... and I have front ports, but that's even uglier having wires sticking out of the front all the time.
The problem is that it's all too concentrated. I understand the problem that certain things (like transferring DV) just need too much bandwidth to be wireless... but that doesn't make the wires any less annoying. Therefore, remove the wires wherever possible.
The ideal computer setup: Computer with built in bluetooth and Wifi Monitor with one cable carrying both power and video signal Bluetooth mouse Bluetooth keyboard
Hmm, so I guess a laptop is basically the ideal computer setup;-) (although with a more annoying keyboard and "mouse"... but the idea is the same)
One thing that I like that lets me get rid of one of the cables is the fact that the Palm TX can sync with the computer via the WiFi connection... so I can charge the Palm elsewhere and sync over the network. I can't wait for the day I can download pics from my camera via WiFi or Bluetooth as well... not to mention a a wifi/BT iPod. Or print to a bluetooth printer.
The big problem is having everything within a few feet of the computer, and wireless can help alleviate that problem.
Yes, a wireless mouse is nice because it doesn't snag, but why do I need a wireless printer? Or a wireless monitor? Or anything else that's largely static for its lifetime?
Look behind your desk/monitor... that's why.
In the back of my computer, I have... power cord for my monitor, power cord for my computer, power cord for my speakers, power cord for my wireless keyboard/mouse base, power cord for my external hard drive, USB cable for my external hard drive, usb cable for my keyboard/mouse base, USB cable for my digital camera, USB cable for a Palm TX sync, ps2 connection for the keyboard, firewire cable for my miniDV camcorder, ethernet cable from modem > router, ethernet cables from router > my computer and my fiance's computer, the cable cord going into my cable modem, the wire for my speakers (speakers > sub, and sub > computer, and for the "control box") and I'm sure I'm forgetting some more...
The more cords that can be eliminated from the above list, the better. That's almost 20 cables listed above, and there's even more USB things I could plug in that I don't have room for (only 4 jacks)
The DS isn't nearly as powerful as the PSP. Yet the DS vastly outsells the PSP.
This is a great example of innovation and gameplay beating out a focus on horsepower and flashy features.
This, combined with the eventual connectivity between the DS and the Wii is a great thing for the Wii. Thanks to the fact that the DS already has wireless connectivity, there are essentially 20 million possible Wii controllers in the hands of people around the world.
I eventually figured it out... apparently, you interact with the "Senorita Lounging" by referring to her as the noun "girl"......which further emphasizes my annoyance with text based games, haha. Nowhere in the room description was the word "girl" used.
And I though, "But I just typed 'PULL GIRL', I didn't mean that..." Of course, then I started trying other commands with her...
Haha... just in case anyone is curious...
What Now? PULL GIRL
You roughly pull her to down. Then jump on top of her tender young body. Through the thin fabric of her ruined dress you feel the hard nipples of her form breasts, the strong stomach muscles and her warm loins pressed against yours. She whimpers into your ear, "Use me if you must, but please, help me escape from here!" She stares into your eyes. Her tears making streaks down her face. You stand and help her up again. Her pain makes her sob.
Well, in Adventure Game Toolkit, there were a bunch of sample Adventure games, including one called Ghosttown [ifarchive.org].
Playing this game reminded me just how annoying text based games were... haha
You are in the lobby of the old brimstone Hotel. The threadbare carpet attests to the traffic in this old building. East is the street. There are stairs leading to the rooms above.
There is a Hotel registration book bolted to the counter
There is an attractive Senorita Lounging about the lobby.
Granted, I think that a mouse interface, like the Lucasarts Adventures using the SCUMM engine (Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Monkey Island) or the later Sierra games (KQ5-7) were more enjoyable because it wasn't a race to see if you would die before you typed a command.
Right. I do remember the REAL "old style" of typing in commands. One of the first computer games I played was Hugo's House of Horrors, as well as Whodunnit, then the jungle one... I forget the name of that one. Then I moved onto games like Police Quest and KQ.
While fun, I do think that the point and click interface helped a lot. It made the games "easier" in a sense, but in a good way... previously, certain things that were hard to do were just frustrating, becuase you KNEW what needed to be done, you just couldn't figure out how to type it. Plus, like you said, you didn't have to type in commands quickly before you died.
Example: I remember in Hugo's House of Horror's... you had to enter a room and type "throw chop" before a dog killed you... or at least have it typed in before you entered the room.
Slashdot Mirror
For a lot of people, there is.
For one, I like playing on my TV, with a controller meant to play whatever game it is I'm playing. Sure, I've played games on emulators on my PC, but using a keyboard or some random crappy gamepad never felt right.
And two, I don't want to have to jump through hoops to get a game to work. I just want it to work. My wife would NEVER figure out how to load up a ROM and play it. With this, she can simply turn on the Wii, point at the game, and start playing.
And three... like someone else said, this is actually legal.
Then you got ripped off, since it launched at 299.99!
...and I now realize that that is indeed today, I'm just a stupid American... ;-)
;-)
At first glance the 02/11/2006 made me think of Feb, not 11/2...
Apparently recently there was a report that the Wii would output in 720i/p... And this is just debunking that error.
Sorry, move along, nothing to see here
Date of the article: "02/11/06" ...I think this article is a little bit late. It's been known for months that the Wii would output 480p.
This may be a little off topic, but I just wanted to chime in and say that if any TV producers want to see how a show soundtrack should be done, they should look to Freaks and Geeks.
With F&G, the creators picked the songs perfectly... they fit the mood and added to the story, it wasn't just background music.
In fact, it was because of all the songs used that it took a while for it to be released on DVD... they didn't want to release it and remove/change the songs, so it took a lot of work to get permission to use all the songs.
Check out this Wikipedia article to get an idea of the songs used in each episode...
Every time I hear "Ripple" now, there's a part of me that thinks of Lindsay leaving for Dead tour... that's the true sign of a good soundtrack.
FudRucker is perpetually stuck with the mind & maturity of a poorly advised conservative with a one track mind...
(in other words... have you people even listened to Stern recently? people who think he's offensive or immature have probably never even listened to the show, because it's far from offensive or immature)
Got to Gamestop around 9:20 for a 10:00 opening, figuring I'd pre order one just in case. I have one pre ordered at FYE, but they don't know how many systems they'll be getting for the release day, so I figured if I got one from Gamestop I'd cancel the other.
Around 9:40 a guy from the store came out and counted people and cut off the line and sent about 10 people (including me) away. There were probably about 40-50 people there when I got there.
Now, I'm not too disappointed though, becuase like others have said, I'm really not too worried about getting one this holiday season. If Nintendo's numbers are right, you will be able to walk into a store and get one... only time will tell though.
I just know that judging from this morning, the Wii is a hot commodity. Hopefully Nintendo has enough to fill the demand.
The problem is, you're not guaranteed a system on the release date.
I preordered from Coconuts (owned by Trans World, same as FYE) a few weeks back and I was the fourth person to preorder. That means that I'm guaranteed the fourth system the store gets. However, they have no idea how many they'll get...
I did it just to be safe, but I'll also preorder from Gamestop once they begin taking preorders as well.
I don't think anyone expected the DS to be as big as it has become. The same could turn out to be true for the Wii.
Plus, BECUASE the DS has become so popular, I think that people will be a lot more willing to give the Wii a chance.
Obviously only time can tell, but I think the DS's success is very important to the Wii...
Most "commercials" are boring and pointless, and just focus on "you need this product!"
If companies would make good, entertaining videos that people would actually want to watch, then they would have a perfect place on Youtube. They'd spread throughout the internet via e-mail and message boards and would be great exposure for the product just like any other viral video.
The advertising firms just have to get more creative...
I know it's sorta dumb to link to a news story promising a news story in the future, but...
Joystiq is promising some "major" next-gen console news tonight at 12:01AM EST on their site.
Lets hope for some Wii info...
If the release games for the Wii are good and use the Wii-mote fairly well, I can't wait to play the games that come out one or two years down the line.
Of course with new technology there's a period where the developers are learning how to fully utilize the new features... look at the DS.
Take Castlevania, for example. Dawn of Sorrow's annoying "seal" you had to draw after killing a boss was pointless and just a way to say "hey, we used the touch screen!" But once they learned that for their particular style of game, the advantage of the DS is in its two screens and not its touch screen, they did away with the seal system for the sequel.
It's definitely possible that games at release may go overboard with the Wii-mote, but as time goes on developers will learn how to best utilize the Wii's features.
::cough cough::
January 16th, 2006: Nintendo Dismisses DS Redesign Rumors
January 26th, 2006: Nintendo Announces DS Lite
Unfortunately, I don't really see Nintendo going to this sort of system. As much as they try to shy away from the label of "kiddy", they want to make the WiFi connection kid friendly.
There was a story a few weeks back about a patent Nintendo filed dealing with converting speech to text... I could actually see this being worked into future Nintendo software, because that way the "conversation" could be monitored and censored. Swearing would be converted to text, then ****'d out so kids couldn't be exposed to "vulgar" language.
I agree, it's annoying that Nintendo feels this way... I hate using "friend codes" as much as the next guy... but there's a reason behind it.
If you choose to play against "Rivals" instead of "Worldwide", the system will select rivals with similar records as you so you won't be thrown into a match with someone with thousands of wins and no losses...
I actually wish all games had this... My rating in Tetris hovers somewhere between 6500 and 6800 usually, and when I get put up against someone with a mid to low 5000 rating I almost feel bad about beating them, heh.
I agree. I never really found it funny when the show was first on the air... but watching reruns with my fiance, we suddenly find it funny. We've been together for over 7 years, and even though we're not married (yet... a month and a half to go), becuase we've been together so long we can see the humor in certain situations becuase we've experienced the same types of things.
If you're single or never have been in a long term relationship, you wouldn't see the humor in the show.
Now, I'm not saying it's the funniest show on tv, but it does make me laugh from time to time.
I'm 24 years old, and I gotta admit... AFV (America's Funniest Videos) is still one of my favorite shows to watch. Sure, it's mindless content, but no other show on tv packs more laughs per minute.
Maybe it's a bit juvenile laughing at old people falling over, people getting hit in the crotch, or just general stupidity of people with too much time on your hands, but... AFV is basically a bunch of youtube videos strung together, and is funny no matter what age you are. (Just ignore the lame jokes by the host...)
Sure, there's other content on Youtube that isn't of the "funny video" variety, but... I'd say that the majority of the "viral videos" that get spread around the internet are of the funny variety, and what drives the majority of the site.
What about Wart from Super Mario Bros 2? I don't think he's been in any other games even though he is part of the Mario universe, when enemies like Birdo have been seen again.
Some other ideas:
Bubbles, the fish like thing from Clu Clu land
Some enemy from Metroid... Ridley? Kraid?
R.O.B. (hey, he's in Mario Kart on the DS)
Bub and/or Bob from Bubble Bobble (kinda like the Ice Climbers)
Bomberman
Whatever that guy's name was in Kung Fu
The guy from Balloon Fight
Little Mac from Punch-Out
I could get a hub, but that would just add one more wire to the mix! Actually two, if it was a powered hub... and I have front ports, but that's even uglier having wires sticking out of the front all the time.
The problem is that it's all too concentrated. I understand the problem that certain things (like transferring DV) just need too much bandwidth to be wireless... but that doesn't make the wires any less annoying. Therefore, remove the wires wherever possible.
The ideal computer setup:
Computer with built in bluetooth and Wifi
Monitor with one cable carrying both power and video signal
Bluetooth mouse
Bluetooth keyboard
Hmm, so I guess a laptop is basically the ideal computer setup
One thing that I like that lets me get rid of one of the cables is the fact that the Palm TX can sync with the computer via the WiFi connection... so I can charge the Palm elsewhere and sync over the network. I can't wait for the day I can download pics from my camera via WiFi or Bluetooth as well... not to mention a a wifi/BT iPod. Or print to a bluetooth printer.
The big problem is having everything within a few feet of the computer, and wireless can help alleviate that problem.
Look behind your desk/monitor... that's why.
In the back of my computer, I have... power cord for my monitor, power cord for my computer, power cord for my speakers, power cord for my wireless keyboard/mouse base, power cord for my external hard drive, USB cable for my external hard drive, usb cable for my keyboard/mouse base, USB cable for my digital camera, USB cable for a Palm TX sync, ps2 connection for the keyboard, firewire cable for my miniDV camcorder, ethernet cable from modem > router, ethernet cables from router > my computer and my fiance's computer, the cable cord going into my cable modem, the wire for my speakers (speakers > sub, and sub > computer, and for the "control box") and I'm sure I'm forgetting some more...
The more cords that can be eliminated from the above list, the better. That's almost 20 cables listed above, and there's even more USB things I could plug in that I don't have room for (only 4 jacks)
The DS isn't nearly as powerful as the PSP. Yet the DS vastly outsells the PSP.
This is a great example of innovation and gameplay beating out a focus on horsepower and flashy features.
This, combined with the eventual connectivity between the DS and the Wii is a great thing for the Wii. Thanks to the fact that the DS already has wireless connectivity, there are essentially 20 million possible Wii controllers in the hands of people around the world.
I eventually figured it out... apparently, you interact with the "Senorita Lounging" by referring to her as the noun "girl" ... ...which further emphasizes my annoyance with text based games, haha. Nowhere in the room description was the word "girl" used.
Haha... just in case anyone is curious...
What Now? PULL GIRL
You roughly pull her to down. Then jump on top of her tender young body. Through the thin fabric of her ruined dress you feel the hard nipples of her form breasts, the strong stomach muscles and her warm loins pressed against yours. She whimpers into your ear, "Use me if you must, but please, help me escape from here!" She stares into your eyes. Her tears making streaks down her face. You stand and help her up again. Her pain makes her sob.
Playing this game reminded me just how annoying text based games were... haha
What the heck do I do?!
Right. I do remember the REAL "old style" of typing in commands. One of the first computer games I played was Hugo's House of Horrors, as well as Whodunnit, then the jungle one... I forget the name of that one. Then I moved onto games like Police Quest and KQ.
While fun, I do think that the point and click interface helped a lot. It made the games "easier" in a sense, but in a good way... previously, certain things that were hard to do were just frustrating, becuase you KNEW what needed to be done, you just couldn't figure out how to type it. Plus, like you said, you didn't have to type in commands quickly before you died.
Example: I remember in Hugo's House of Horror's... you had to enter a room and type "throw chop" before a dog killed you... or at least have it typed in before you entered the room.