The WiFi service for the DS is nice, however... it could be implemented a little better.
My problem with Mario Kart DS is that there's no ranking/ladder type system... so a first time player can be pitted against someone with 1000 wins and 3 losses. Not to mention the fact that I've had some of these people quit right before they were about to lose. (Which, I think, makes it so a loss isn't added to their record... which if true, is something else that should be changed)
And my problem with Animal Crossing is that there's no "community" place where you can randomly visit someone else's town... you have to manually put someone else's code in.
The hardware is in place, I just wish they'd develop the online community a little better.
I wouldn't exactly call this a "Revolution Killer"... they're just talking about another add on for PS2.
From TA: Got some PS2 info if you're interested," read the e-mail. "Sony intend[s] to make it their 'Revolution Killer.' They're working on tieing [sic] in Eyetoy and some kind of controller similar to the Revolution controller. With a 100M+ userbase, tens of thousands of mature and documented dev kits and the very low cost of producing Rev style games on the PS2 platform they're expecting to mobilise [sic] another 50M units over the next 5 years precipitated by a $99 price point in 2007."...
If it ever came to market, it would set up a showdown between the Revolution and the PS2--one that could be tipped by the latter's massive installed base and low development costs.
Now, with the PS2's older hardware, and the fact that every PS2 user would have to buy this accessory... it's really not even worth mentioning. It's not a "Revolution Killer", more like a new accessory that will emulate what comes WITH the Revolution, on older hardware.
And if they think everyone that owns a PS2 is gonna buy the accessory, they're nuts. I wouldn't exactly call the "100M+ userbase" an advantage in this situation since at launch, since none of these 100M+ people will be ready to play these new games as is.
It would probably sell more, but still not sell as well. Simpsons Hit and Run was a good game, for example. Not as polished as GTA, but still a quality game. But it didn't get anywhere NEAR the attention that GTA got. And I don't know any specifics, but I wouldn't say that Simpsons H&R was seen as an overwhelming success.
In my opinion, no matter how fun "Snow Day" might be, it wouldn't be a success as far as sales go.
It seems like a GTA 3 type game, at first look... but it's the mindless violence that brought most of the attention to GTA. Sure, it's a fun game, but tell me the majority of players don't enjoy it becuase they can run around blowing stuff up.
"Snow Day" seems like it would be way too kiddy a game to the majority of gamers. It seems like something that would be on a Nintendo system... not a bad thing, but something that would automatically turn a lot of the "mature" players off. (Sad, really... in my opinion, a truly "mature" gamer would enjoy a game no matter WHAT the content... killing or not)
It's kind of sad that for a game to be "mature" (not a mature rating, but a game people over the age of 12 will enjoy too) and to be seen as truly successful it has to involve "adult situations" of some sort.
Sure, there's those niche games out there like Nintendogs that are popular with a lot of groups... but where's the games like Zelda for the NES that could be enjoyed by kids and adults and not be labeled a "kiddy game"? As time went on, the gap (mainly in peoples' minds) between a "kid's game" and a "mature game" got wider.
the LiftPort Space Elevator will consist of a carbon nanotube composite ribbon eventually stretching some 62,000 miles from earth to space.
Is there any type of "backup" system in case a portion of the ribbon breaks?
I assume the way this works is that the end goes so far out that the inertia of the Earth spinning keeps the rope taut... but if a small part of that 62k mile ribbon breaks... the thing gets shot into space.
It doesn't seem viable to just have one long ribbon going up to space... seems too prone to problems. (an expensive problem!)
In my opinion, even if there was enough systems, sales would still be fairlys low.
There's a certain base of hardcore gamers out there who just have to have the next best thing. Since the 360 is the only next-gen system out right now, it's selling systems.
Sure, people are preparing for the future, confident that eventually there will be some killer games on the system. But right now, there's really no system seller. People point to the fact that "there's tons of games rated over 8.0 at IGN!" but... an 8.0 game isn't a system seller. It's a game worth playing, but not worth buying a system for. There's plenty of good 8.0 and higher games on the Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube that are comparable at the moment.
Twilight Princess may also be pushed to November '06 and that it may feature the ability to control the action on the GC with the Revolution controller.
I've been wondering this as well... not only to work with the new controller, but have enhanced graphics.
We all know that computer games have adjustable video settings... why wouldn't console games be able to as well? The game could detect which system it's in, Gamecube or Revolution... then choose its graphics settings accordingly.
I wonder if they something upt heir sleeves again to take some of the spotlight away from Sony and M$...
Well, they haven't shown any actual Revolution games yet... so I'd be willing to bet that's their main strategy, reveal Revolution games at E3. And have a release date.
Nintendo announced their controllers at the Tokyo Game Show in Sept '05. It was a fairly closed door affair, not shown to the public.
I expect Nintendo to have the Revolution fully functional and usable by the public at E3. They stole the show at TGS just by their announcement, lets see if they can do the same at E3 when they actually show some games. The public being able to get their hands on a Revolution controller will be a pretty big deal.
When you think about it... they keep adding all these media features... all these internet features... before you know it, you'll be typing papers on your "gaming console"
Essentially what they're doing is adding computer functionality to a gaming console. Sure, it would come in handy, but... a gaming console should just play games. Do I think it will kill the system? No. It will probably sell more becuase of the added features.
But they have to be careful how far they go... As long as you can still put a game into the system and have it automatically play, I don't see a big problem, but... they have to be careful how far they go. There's a reason console gaming is so popular, becuase it's easy to use, and becuase the games will work on all systems. (I think the latter is more important, and why I still think it was a mistake for Xbox360 to release a system with and without a hard drive... especially if games start coming out that require the hard drive)
This is slightly off topic, but it's something I've had on my mind.
Is anyone really THAT excited over high definition DVD? I mean... my progressive scan DVD player going into my DLP HDTV looks impressive as it is. I'd go as far as saying that anamorphic DVDs look just as good as watching a tv show in high definition.
Standard definition to High def for tv broadcasts is a huge jump... I couldn't go back. But, I really don't see how there can be as big a jump from DVD to HD DVD/Blue Ray when in my eyes, anamorphic DVDs look fairly high def already.
Therefore... When I do eventually buy a next gen system (Well, I'll be buying Revolution, but I may purchase PS3 or Xbox360 eventually once they drop in price) it won't be for its ability to play HD DVDs... that's just an added perk that I may or may not use. I don't really see these systems defining which will be the "winner" in the high def DVD debate.
There's a reason the Gamecube hasn't been selling well... no good new games for it!
I enjoy my Gamecube more than my PS2 and Xbox, but even I'll admit that the support for the GC has been dwindling... really the only game on the horizon that looks promising is Zelda.
And, the Revolution will be coming out hopefully within a few months of Zelda for the GC... the GC is near the end of its life, there's a reason why sales are starting to slow.
I got a DS for Christmas, and I've been very very happy with it.
When it first came out, I wasn't really interested in it... the dual screens seemed like they were pointless, and I didn't think a touch screen would work well in games.
Well, after playing Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for a few weeks, as well as Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Nintendogs, I'm sold... Nintendo knew what they were doing. The game developers are really taking advantage of what Nintendo offered them. I never thought having two screens would be so convenient.
And the future looks bright for the DS in the area of upcoming games...
In addition, the number of amazing games for the DS gives me great hope for the Revolution. Nintendo is doing something different again, and the fact that so many developers (not just Nintendo) have embraced the hardware of the DS leads me to believe they'll do the same for the Revolution and its controller.
"I still prefer to make my own PC's - most recent build was for my girlfriend - a really nice Biostar IDEQ barebones box based on an AMD Sempron/NForce3 250 combo! It goes like a rocket, and there is no clutter and crapola on it! Other than Windows:P"
But... if you compare prices, I think that you'll find that it's cheaper to just buy a Dell then throw your own copy of XP on it. You already have to get the copy of XP for your home made computer...
I've decided that it's probably cheaper and less of a hassle to just buy a premade computer. I've built three or four computers, and I think I may be done. It's nice being able to pick what goes into your system, but in the end I think it's more of a hassle, and more expensive.
Especially if you have to build the ENTIRE system... add everything up, and things get expensive. Motherboard, CPU, heatsink, video card, RAM, hard drive, cd/dvd drive, keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc...
Dell has systems out there for under 600 bucks that come with a 19" LCD monitor... the prices for bundles like this just can't be beaten by a homemade system.
So basically... a Dell system wiped clean with an OEM version of XP (only 95 dollars for XP Home at Newegg) is the best way to go, IMO.
Anyone else notice that basically the same exact article is being written over and over and over again?
There's no new information about the controller... or the system... this is basically just someone else who got to try out the demos from the TGS.
I get excited when I see news on the Revolution linked on Slashdot... but when it's the same article talking about how Revolutionary the controller is going to be, I get disappointed.
However I am not the only one who feels that games should carry a positive message as well as offering the opportunity for education. And unfortunately this is not one of them. Although I quite enjoy racing games I noticed this particular title can actually create a bit of tension.
And people say Nintendo makes kiddie systems! I guess this proves them wrong;-)
No thanks, I've had enough of the cartoon racing...
Hmm, these sound like the words of a PS or Xbox fanboy.
Who really cares if it's "cartoon racing"? Does the fact that it looks like a cartoon make it any less fun? Since when does a game have to look real to be enjoyable?
But... will that stop them from complaining about all the sex and violence in video games?
I doubt it. They'll still go after the game developers, even though it plainly says "M" on the box... when there's a simple solution: don't buy it for your kid if you think it's too violent. Just because it exists doesn't mean you need to buy it.
In short: Stop blaming others and start taking responsibility as a parent.
Ahh... this brings me back to my days in Elanthia as Lord Sharvan Darvenshire, half elven ranger. In 9th grade I must have spent 50% of my time outside of school playing online with my friends. Computer dork, I know... but hey, you're reading/., so you're probably not one to talk!;-)
The great thing about text MUDs was how easily (and quickly) GMs could add content. There was no 3d modeling, no conceptual drawings, downloadable patches, etc, so a festival or merchant could be whipped up in a matter of hours to days (depending on the extent)
Another nice thing about the "special events"? It was a REAL PERSON you interacted with. The merchant would alter your items, enchant them, etc.
Sharvan has since moved onto World of Warcraft... but I still have a soft spot for GS III (now Gemstone IV), as it introduced me to the world of online gaming. There are a lot of things that were in GS that I wish WoW had as well, but it's an entirely different environment so it's pretty much impossible. Totally different experiences.
I actually attribute my ability to type >120wpm to Gemstone. When you spend so much time in the game, and typing is the only way to interact, you learn to get around the keyboard quite well. Who ever said gaming was pointless?!
Not to mention most spyware nowadays is sophisticated enough to reinstall itself after you remove it with any of the above mentioned programs.
Very true, I should have mentioned that.
That's another big problem with anti spyware programs today. They remove the program, but they seem to focus mainly on the files themselves... and not the trojan code that's in your system that goes and redownloads/reinstalls the software.
That's one nice thing about MS's anti-spyware program, you can go into advanced and view BHOs, startup programs and activeX controls... it's like it has HijackThis built in. Unfortunately, it still doesn't allow you to remove everything.
Oh well, I suppose the programmers' goal wasn't to make things easy to remove...
Slashdot Mirror
The WiFi service for the DS is nice, however... it could be implemented a little better.
My problem with Mario Kart DS is that there's no ranking/ladder type system... so a first time player can be pitted against someone with 1000 wins and 3 losses. Not to mention the fact that I've had some of these people quit right before they were about to lose. (Which, I think, makes it so a loss isn't added to their record... which if true, is something else that should be changed)
And my problem with Animal Crossing is that there's no "community" place where you can randomly visit someone else's town... you have to manually put someone else's code in.
The hardware is in place, I just wish they'd develop the online community a little better.
I wouldn't exactly call this a "Revolution Killer" ... they're just talking about another add on for PS2.
...
From TA: Got some PS2 info if you're interested," read the e-mail. "Sony intend[s] to make it their 'Revolution Killer.' They're working on tieing [sic] in Eyetoy and some kind of controller similar to the Revolution controller. With a 100M+ userbase, tens of thousands of mature and documented dev kits and the very low cost of producing Rev style games on the PS2 platform they're expecting to mobilise [sic] another 50M units over the next 5 years precipitated by a $99 price point in 2007."
If it ever came to market, it would set up a showdown between the Revolution and the PS2--one that could be tipped by the latter's massive installed base and low development costs.
Now, with the PS2's older hardware, and the fact that every PS2 user would have to buy this accessory... it's really not even worth mentioning. It's not a "Revolution Killer", more like a new accessory that will emulate what comes WITH the Revolution, on older hardware.
And if they think everyone that owns a PS2 is gonna buy the accessory, they're nuts. I wouldn't exactly call the "100M+ userbase" an advantage in this situation since at launch, since none of these 100M+ people will be ready to play these new games as is.
What if it had a Simpson's or South Park license?
It would probably sell more, but still not sell as well. Simpsons Hit and Run was a good game, for example. Not as polished as GTA, but still a quality game. But it didn't get anywhere NEAR the attention that GTA got. And I don't know any specifics, but I wouldn't say that Simpsons H&R was seen as an overwhelming success.
In my opinion, no matter how fun "Snow Day" might be, it wouldn't be a success as far as sales go.
It seems like a GTA 3 type game, at first look... but it's the mindless violence that brought most of the attention to GTA. Sure, it's a fun game, but tell me the majority of players don't enjoy it becuase they can run around blowing stuff up.
"Snow Day" seems like it would be way too kiddy a game to the majority of gamers. It seems like something that would be on a Nintendo system... not a bad thing, but something that would automatically turn a lot of the "mature" players off. (Sad, really... in my opinion, a truly "mature" gamer would enjoy a game no matter WHAT the content... killing or not)
It's kind of sad that for a game to be "mature" (not a mature rating, but a game people over the age of 12 will enjoy too) and to be seen as truly successful it has to involve "adult situations" of some sort.
Sure, there's those niche games out there like Nintendogs that are popular with a lot of groups... but where's the games like Zelda for the NES that could be enjoyed by kids and adults and not be labeled a "kiddy game"? As time went on, the gap (mainly in peoples' minds) between a "kid's game" and a "mature game" got wider.
the LiftPort Space Elevator will consist of a carbon nanotube composite ribbon eventually stretching some 62,000 miles from earth to space.
Is there any type of "backup" system in case a portion of the ribbon breaks?
I assume the way this works is that the end goes so far out that the inertia of the Earth spinning keeps the rope taut... but if a small part of that 62k mile ribbon breaks... the thing gets shot into space.
It doesn't seem viable to just have one long ribbon going up to space... seems too prone to problems. (an expensive problem!)
In my opinion, even if there was enough systems, sales would still be fairlys low.
There's a certain base of hardcore gamers out there who just have to have the next best thing. Since the 360 is the only next-gen system out right now, it's selling systems.
Sure, people are preparing for the future, confident that eventually there will be some killer games on the system. But right now, there's really no system seller. People point to the fact that "there's tons of games rated over 8.0 at IGN!" but... an 8.0 game isn't a system seller. It's a game worth playing, but not worth buying a system for. There's plenty of good 8.0 and higher games on the Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube that are comparable at the moment.
Twilight Princess may also be pushed to November '06 and that it may feature the ability to control the action on the GC with the Revolution controller. I've been wondering this as well... not only to work with the new controller, but have enhanced graphics. We all know that computer games have adjustable video settings... why wouldn't console games be able to as well? The game could detect which system it's in, Gamecube or Revolution... then choose its graphics settings accordingly.
I wonder if they something upt heir sleeves again to take some of the spotlight away from Sony and M$...
Well, they haven't shown any actual Revolution games yet... so I'd be willing to bet that's their main strategy, reveal Revolution games at E3. And have a release date.
Nintendo announced their controllers at the Tokyo Game Show in Sept '05. It was a fairly closed door affair, not shown to the public.
I expect Nintendo to have the Revolution fully functional and usable by the public at E3. They stole the show at TGS just by their announcement, lets see if they can do the same at E3 when they actually show some games. The public being able to get their hands on a Revolution controller will be a pretty big deal.
When you think about it... they keep adding all these media features... all these internet features... before you know it, you'll be typing papers on your "gaming console"
Essentially what they're doing is adding computer functionality to a gaming console. Sure, it would come in handy, but... a gaming console should just play games. Do I think it will kill the system? No. It will probably sell more becuase of the added features.
But they have to be careful how far they go... As long as you can still put a game into the system and have it automatically play, I don't see a big problem, but... they have to be careful how far they go. There's a reason console gaming is so popular, becuase it's easy to use, and becuase the games will work on all systems. (I think the latter is more important, and why I still think it was a mistake for Xbox360 to release a system with and without a hard drive... especially if games start coming out that require the hard drive)
This is slightly off topic, but it's something I've had on my mind.
Is anyone really THAT excited over high definition DVD? I mean... my progressive scan DVD player going into my DLP HDTV looks impressive as it is. I'd go as far as saying that anamorphic DVDs look just as good as watching a tv show in high definition.
Standard definition to High def for tv broadcasts is a huge jump... I couldn't go back. But, I really don't see how there can be as big a jump from DVD to HD DVD/Blue Ray when in my eyes, anamorphic DVDs look fairly high def already.
Therefore... When I do eventually buy a next gen system (Well, I'll be buying Revolution, but I may purchase PS3 or Xbox360 eventually once they drop in price) it won't be for its ability to play HD DVDs... that's just an added perk that I may or may not use. I don't really see these systems defining which will be the "winner" in the high def DVD debate.
We'll see, I guess.
There's a reason the Gamecube hasn't been selling well... no good new games for it!
I enjoy my Gamecube more than my PS2 and Xbox, but even I'll admit that the support for the GC has been dwindling... really the only game on the horizon that looks promising is Zelda.
And, the Revolution will be coming out hopefully within a few months of Zelda for the GC... the GC is near the end of its life, there's a reason why sales are starting to slow.
I got a DS for Christmas, and I've been very very happy with it.
When it first came out, I wasn't really interested in it... the dual screens seemed like they were pointless, and I didn't think a touch screen would work well in games.
Well, after playing Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for a few weeks, as well as Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Nintendogs, I'm sold... Nintendo knew what they were doing. The game developers are really taking advantage of what Nintendo offered them. I never thought having two screens would be so convenient.
And the future looks bright for the DS in the area of upcoming games...
In addition, the number of amazing games for the DS gives me great hope for the Revolution. Nintendo is doing something different again, and the fact that so many developers (not just Nintendo) have embraced the hardware of the DS leads me to believe they'll do the same for the Revolution and its controller.
"I still prefer to make my own PC's - most recent build was for my girlfriend - a really nice Biostar IDEQ barebones box based on an AMD Sempron/NForce3 250 combo! It goes like a rocket, and there is no clutter and crapola on it! Other than Windows :P"
But... if you compare prices, I think that you'll find that it's cheaper to just buy a Dell then throw your own copy of XP on it. You already have to get the copy of XP for your home made computer...
I've decided that it's probably cheaper and less of a hassle to just buy a premade computer. I've built three or four computers, and I think I may be done. It's nice being able to pick what goes into your system, but in the end I think it's more of a hassle, and more expensive.
Especially if you have to build the ENTIRE system... add everything up, and things get expensive. Motherboard, CPU, heatsink, video card, RAM, hard drive, cd/dvd drive, keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc...
Dell has systems out there for under 600 bucks that come with a 19" LCD monitor... the prices for bundles like this just can't be beaten by a homemade system.
So basically... a Dell system wiped clean with an OEM version of XP (only 95 dollars for XP Home at Newegg) is the best way to go, IMO.
Anyone else notice that basically the same exact article is being written over and over and over again?
There's no new information about the controller... or the system... this is basically just someone else who got to try out the demos from the TGS.
I get excited when I see news on the Revolution linked on Slashdot... but when it's the same article talking about how Revolutionary the controller is going to be, I get disappointed.
Am I the only one who would love to see Starcade come back to the channel?
I see the headline... I think "Woohoo, Revolution comes out May 9th 2006!"
Then I read on... oh, that's when more information is going to be out...yippee?
Perhaps... Kazahdrane ;-) Is that second Z really that important to ya? haha
Nice post, just wanted to say I agree. I'd mod it up if I could!
And people say Nintendo makes kiddie systems! I guess this proves them wrong ;-)
Hmm, these sound like the words of a PS or Xbox fanboy.
Who really cares if it's "cartoon racing"? Does the fact that it looks like a cartoon make it any less fun? Since when does a game have to look real to be enjoyable?
But... will that stop them from complaining about all the sex and violence in video games?
I doubt it. They'll still go after the game developers, even though it plainly says "M" on the box... when there's a simple solution: don't buy it for your kid if you think it's too violent. Just because it exists doesn't mean you need to buy it.
In short: Stop blaming others and start taking responsibility as a parent.
"I was going to comment that in GS3, getting up and making a sandwich could easily get you killed. "
;-)
Absolutely. Although, I think the original post was technically about single player text based games, not MUDs. I kinda went off topic... sorry
Ahh... this brings me back to my days in Elanthia as Lord Sharvan Darvenshire, half elven ranger. In 9th grade I must have spent 50% of my time outside of school playing online with my friends. Computer dork, I know... but hey, you're reading /., so you're probably not one to talk! ;-)
The great thing about text MUDs was how easily (and quickly) GMs could add content. There was no 3d modeling, no conceptual drawings, downloadable patches, etc, so a festival or merchant could be whipped up in a matter of hours to days (depending on the extent)
Another nice thing about the "special events"? It was a REAL PERSON you interacted with. The merchant would alter your items, enchant them, etc.
Sharvan has since moved onto World of Warcraft... but I still have a soft spot for GS III (now Gemstone IV), as it introduced me to the world of online gaming. There are a lot of things that were in GS that I wish WoW had as well, but it's an entirely different environment so it's pretty much impossible. Totally different experiences.
I actually attribute my ability to type >120wpm to Gemstone. When you spend so much time in the game, and typing is the only way to interact, you learn to get around the keyboard quite well. Who ever said gaming was pointless?!
Sounds like the makings of a sequel. Armageddon 2: Nerds Save the World
Very true, I should have mentioned that.
That's another big problem with anti spyware programs today. They remove the program, but they seem to focus mainly on the files themselves... and not the trojan code that's in your system that goes and redownloads/reinstalls the software.
That's one nice thing about MS's anti-spyware program, you can go into advanced and view BHOs, startup programs and activeX controls... it's like it has HijackThis built in. Unfortunately, it still doesn't allow you to remove everything.
Oh well, I suppose the programmers' goal wasn't to make things easy to remove...