Re:C'mon, wrong answer
on
Why We Fight
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· Score: 1
I contend that our "fascist" behavior (I wouldn't call it "ideal") *is* our human nature. I don't believe people are inherently "good". Without getting into philosophy or morals too deeply, I look at life as a constant struggle to overcome our nature.
Whether or how we overcome it is the subject of lengthy debate;)
why not? The system's broken anyway, others are exploiting it, so maybe we shouldn't be so hard on these people for joining in. If someone told you that you could have $1000000 for nothing except exploiting a system that's getting fucked over anyway, would you really be that bad for taking it?
Does your moral compass even have a needle? "Would you really be that bad for taking"...
money you didn't earn?
money and passing on that cost to people like you?
advantage of a broken system just because you could?
The short answer is "yes". You call it cynical, I call it immature. I would expect most children under the age of 17 (yes, children) would agree with the "why not" attitude. Most of them never held a real job, paid taxes, or had to support themselves. Hell, everything is free for them anyway.
But adults, I hold to a higher standard. If the sytem EVER worked, it was because people DIDN'T take advantage of it at every opportunity. The good things a society offers don't come about by fiat. They happen because members of that society took a stand for supporting the "good things", even if they could benefit by taking the low road.
I hate to turn this into a civics lesson, but come on! You can't decry the sad state of society and them advocate joining in at the same time. At least not if you are over 18 years old.
The PS2 has proven that game consoles are expendable, replaceable, and most importantly for them, re-purchaseable. It seems that if you keep your price even with the percieved value of replacement, you'll sell those things until you run out of plastic to make them.
While I'd love a console that would last at least 5 years, the PS2 model is making me think they won't try that hard next go-round.
Why sell something once to someone when you can sell it over and over (also see: music CDs)?
Actually, I think that is one of many reasons Sony-BMG (et al) hate the digital media (yes, I know CDs are technically digital media) -- it doesn't scratch and never has to be replaced. Not much money in that.
That being said, MS is doing a great job peeing in their pie. By shortening the console generation, MS is basically robbing Sony of profit. Since Sony has such an enormous lead this time, anything to shake them off balance is good for MS.
The other thing MS is doing right is the Live Marketplace. Everyone (I know) who has seen it has fallen in love with it. People will be spending money like crazy, 5 bucks at a time.
So, knee-jerk slashdotters. Somebody came up with a list of violent games. Please read the following before I have to read any of your posted ramblings:
1. The list seems accurate. In other words, they describe the games "as-is", without any editorializing that I can see.
2. The list is not calling for banning of the games. Every time someone mentions "violent video games", the morons among us get out the Jack Thompson Rant Guide (JTRG) and start typing.
3. The list is a tool for concerned parents. Part of the JTRG (see above) states that any mention of violent games must be followed by a post that states "Teh Parents must parent their kids". Well, geniuses, THIS LIST IS ONE WAY FOR PARENTS TO LEARN WHICH GAMES ARE VIOLENT.
If you kids had a semblance of internally consistent logic, you'd be applauding the list, not condemning it.
BTW, Resident Evil 4... best game of this console generation, and definitely not for kids.
Since some people seem to think a military is not necessary, indeed EVIL, why don't we just remove the military from society. Yeah, and while we're at it, remove military-developed technology like sonar, radar, the interne
Maybe the "Rare that we all know" is really Nintendo.
I don't think we can blame MS for Rare's lackluster output since acquisition. Bungie seems to be doing fine under them. And Rare made nothing but quality games under Nintendo. The determining factor appears to be... Rare.
One question would settle this: Whose idea was "Grabbed by the Ghoulies"?
So... EB and Gamestop are like museums, and the obnixious guy behind the counter is... ???
Since Humankind has yet to define art, defining games as something not defined is, ummm.... UNDEF(?)
Here's an old chestnut for techies that ignored liberal arts in college:
Is Art:
a) A product of the artist, through skill and creative power, manifested in works?
OR
b) Experiential, in that the "beholder" of a work defines for him/herself what art is?
I'll save you some time...
THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER.
Yes, you can debate CPU and GPU emulation until you're blue in the face, but you're missing the point. MS is lacking true, full back compat for one reason: THEY DON'T WANT TO LICENSE NVIDIA'S IP for the 360.
MS and NVidia are not happy with each other. To get true BC on the 360, you'd have to emulate the NVIDIA instruction set perfectly... or so near perfectly that NVidia would probably sue. So MS did the only thing they could do... map DirectX instructions from XB1 to XB360.
Now some of the best games prolly made direct use of NVidia's hardware, so emulating them is a real challenge. To avoid being sued (or spending lots of money for licensing), MS has to continue Black Box emulation (BLEEM! anyone?)
This is not a mystery, nor is it unexpected. This is the consequence of changing GPU vendors midstream. The PPC--x86 problem pales by comparison.
It looks like Sony and LucasArts have finally lost their minds. Lucas prolly figured out his "franchise" is on its last legs, and is prostituting Star Wars for all it's worth (He hasn't whored this bad since the Star Wars Holiday Special), SOE is pissing its pants over WoW, and SCE is realizing the Playstation total domination era is over... well, they're just losing their minds.
As a recovering Star Wars fan, you need to do what I did. Recognize that SWG is a pile of crap, Lucas got lucky on Ep IV, and your best hope for good SW lore is in the fan fiction.
Don't reward this behavior by LucasArts and Sony. They really don't deserve your money.
While Sony and MS are whipping out their HD hooters for the high-res pissing contest, does anyone besides me worry that loading all that data will take forever?
I mean, if the stupid game will barely fit on a DVD... or even worse, require Blu-Ray... where is all the talk about super-high speed memory busses and uber-fast drives with ginormous buffers?
This is engineering, folks, and there's always a tradeoff in engineering. All that HD ain't free. And most people won't even care if it's 480p or 720i.
Think about it. We only complain about laws (morality) we disagree with.
Actually, laws are design to protect us. The real controversy begins when we disagree over what and who we need protection from.
Obviously, Gamers (me included) don't feel they pose a threat to anyone. But just to play devil's advocate, does anyone know of any incidents in Malaysia that are worrying the govt there? Is there some cultural/religious conflict with the popular online games?
Yes, my friend, we are in the thick of civilization, which has existed, but not evolved over time. It's not coming to an end because Malaysians can't play WoW past midnight.
What ou fail to realize is that the *reason* Japanese videogame music sells so well is that... wait for it... IT'S GOOD MUSIC.
That's right. Square and Nintendo hire people called COMPOSERS that WORK on making MUSIC for GAMES. They are talented people whose life work is making beautiful, catchy, haunting melodies for your gaming pleasure.
While it might be nice to think you can make a fast buck by shoveling crappy soundtracks on iTunes, don't expect anyone to pay for it. Garbage in, garbage out.
... However, putting together a good adventure is wicked hard. Telling a good story is (partially) about pacing. But how do you control pacing when the player is stuck on a puzzle for 3 hours? So the story needs to be in sync with the puzzles, with just enough difficulty to keep the game and story in line.
Day of the Tentacle did an amazing job at this, as did some other LA titles, but I do remember wondering about Sierra adventures... non-sequitors, die-before-you-try puzzles, bleeecch. I count Ms. Williams' adventures as some of my most frustrating experiences in gaming.
Anyway, go to it guys. Do something great. I'll buy it.
I think we've all seen enough press releases to read between the lines on this one. Either: (1) Someone figured out it wouldn't sell that well on GC, or (2) Blizzard had some falling-out with Nintendo about something.
Either way, I guarantee it has nothing to do with online multiplayer. *Every* console game is sold on the strength of the single-player experience. Only PC games (BF2, CS) can be sold as primariliy multiplayer. Sure, Halo grew into a MP juggernaut, but everyone played the SP first.
Why PS2 and not GC? well... look at the numbers and the fanbase.
What really ticks me off is that these companies try to spin *everything* and think we believe all their crap. Note to PR departments (especially Blizzard's): WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU.
Are you thinking of Avalon Hill's Telengard?
I know the C64 Version had graphics, but the TRS-80 version was ascii... I think...
Re:Most ridiculous piece of hardware ever concepte
on
PS3 To Run At 120 FPS?
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· Score: 1
Sony has just put too much burden on the Cell. They have no dedicated sound processor for the PS3... "oh, the Cell will handle it". AI, Physics?... "oh, the Cell will handle it".
Keep in mind this CPU has ONE CORE worth talking about, and 7 SPEs that, well, do the best they can. I work for a defense contractor that is using the cell, and I know a lot about it too, me bucko. An objective voice will tell you the SPEs are not good for 3D gaming... it's that simple.
And what good is ease of chaining Cells if the PS3 only has one. Here's the bottom line. For the first two years, 360, PS3, and Revolution games will look the same. After that, no one can say which combination of tools, hardware, and talent will pull through.
To be fair, there was a lockup issue with Metroid Prime on the GC... basically, the "other" parts of a level were loaded while they showed an elevator cinematic. If the cinematic ended before the data was loaded... lockup.
AND TO BE EVEN MORE FAIR... I will say Nintendo has very tight QC. NEVER had any problems with a Nintendo handheld over the course of 15 years. Sony certainly can't make that claim with the PSP. The current PS2 woes seem to be from redesigning the hardware for the second time this cycle. The beauty of Nintendo is that they design hardware to be cost-efficient from the get-go. I think most companies could learn alot from moneybags Nintendo.
This guy has no idea what he's talking about.
1. The line to the Nintendo booth, although it said 3 hours, was only about 45 minutes.
2. He claims the line was to view a trailer, hoewever IF HE HAD WAITED IN LINE, he would know that Nintendo had a PLAYABLE VERSION of the new Zelda game. with 3 PLAYABLE SCENES.
3. Those playable scenes were TIME LIMITED, as he suggests in his article.
If this guy is a "game journalist", but can't be bothered to wait in line with the shlubs, then maybe he's the one that doesn't belong there.
History suggests the PS3 "spring" release date is likely to be for Japan only.
History also suggests that Sony will be late in getting it out to US and Europe.
I'd say Bungie has an excellent chance of making the *US* PS3 release, which will probably be this time next year.
Slashdot Mirror
I contend that our "fascist" behavior (I wouldn't call it "ideal") *is* our human nature. I don't believe people are inherently "good". Without getting into philosophy or morals too deeply, I look at life as a constant struggle to overcome our nature. ;)
Whether or how we overcome it is the subject of lengthy debate
Does your moral compass even have a needle? "Would you really be that bad for taking"...
money you didn't earn?
money and passing on that cost to people like you?
advantage of a broken system just because you could?
The short answer is "yes". You call it cynical, I call it immature. I would expect most children under the age of 17 (yes, children) would agree with the "why not" attitude. Most of them never held a real job, paid taxes, or had to support themselves. Hell, everything is free for them anyway.
But adults, I hold to a higher standard. If the sytem EVER worked, it was because people DIDN'T take advantage of it at every opportunity. The good things a society offers don't come about by fiat. They happen because members of that society took a stand for supporting the "good things", even if they could benefit by taking the low road.
I hate to turn this into a civics lesson, but come on! You can't decry the sad state of society and them advocate joining in at the same time. At least not if you are over 18 years old.
While I'd love a console that would last at least 5 years, the PS2 model is making me think they won't try that hard next go-round.
Why sell something once to someone when you can sell it over and over (also see: music CDs)?
Actually, I think that is one of many reasons Sony-BMG (et al) hate the digital media (yes, I know CDs are technically digital media) -- it doesn't scratch and never has to be replaced. Not much money in that.
That being said, MS is doing a great job peeing in their pie. By shortening the console generation, MS is basically robbing Sony of profit. Since Sony has such an enormous lead this time, anything to shake them off balance is good for MS.
The other thing MS is doing right is the Live Marketplace. Everyone (I know) who has seen it has fallen in love with it. People will be spending money like crazy, 5 bucks at a time.
Back to Geometry Wars...
1. The list seems accurate. In other words, they describe the games "as-is", without any editorializing that I can see.
2. The list is not calling for banning of the games. Every time someone mentions "violent video games", the morons among us get out the Jack Thompson Rant Guide (JTRG) and start typing.
3. The list is a tool for concerned parents. Part of the JTRG (see above) states that any mention of violent games must be followed by a post that states "Teh Parents must parent their kids". Well, geniuses, THIS LIST IS ONE WAY FOR PARENTS TO LEARN WHICH GAMES ARE VIOLENT.
If you kids had a semblance of internally consistent logic, you'd be applauding the list, not condemning it.
BTW, Resident Evil 4
Since some people seem to think a military is not necessary, indeed EVIL, why don't we just remove the military from society. Yeah, and while we're at it, remove military-developed technology like sonar, radar, the interne
I don't think we can blame MS for Rare's lackluster output since acquisition. Bungie seems to be doing fine under them. And Rare made nothing but quality games under Nintendo. The determining factor appears to be... Rare.
One question would settle this: Whose idea was "Grabbed by the Ghoulies"?
So... EB and Gamestop are like museums, and the obnixious guy behind the counter is... ??? Since Humankind has yet to define art, defining games as something not defined is, ummm.... UNDEF(?) Here's an old chestnut for techies that ignored liberal arts in college: Is Art: a) A product of the artist, through skill and creative power, manifested in works? OR b) Experiential, in that the "beholder" of a work defines for him/herself what art is? I'll save you some time... THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER.
MS and NVidia are not happy with each other. To get true BC on the 360, you'd have to emulate the NVIDIA instruction set perfectly... or so near perfectly that NVidia would probably sue. So MS did the only thing they could do... map DirectX instructions from XB1 to XB360.
Now some of the best games prolly made direct use of NVidia's hardware, so emulating them is a real challenge. To avoid being sued (or spending lots of money for licensing), MS has to continue Black Box emulation (BLEEM! anyone?)
This is not a mystery, nor is it unexpected. This is the consequence of changing GPU vendors midstream. The PPC--x86 problem pales by comparison.
As a recovering Star Wars fan, you need to do what I did. Recognize that SWG is a pile of crap, Lucas got lucky on Ep IV, and your best hope for good SW lore is in the fan fiction.
Don't reward this behavior by LucasArts and Sony. They really don't deserve your money.
I mean, if the stupid game will barely fit on a DVD... or even worse, require Blu-Ray... where is all the talk about super-high speed memory busses and uber-fast drives with ginormous buffers?
This is engineering, folks, and there's always a tradeoff in engineering. All that HD ain't free. And most people won't even care if it's 480p or 720i.
Really... waiting until NOVEMBER to announce it won't be ready in NOVEMBER?
And then saying you need another Five Months?
Only a company with very deep pockets could get away with that crap. They have, so they do.
Boy, glad to see you got the monkey off your back....
Think about it. We only complain about laws (morality) we disagree with.
Actually, laws are design to protect us. The real controversy begins when we disagree over what and who we need protection from.
Obviously, Gamers (me included) don't feel they pose a threat to anyone. But just to play devil's advocate, does anyone know of any incidents in Malaysia that are worrying the govt there? Is there some cultural/religious conflict with the popular online games?
Yes, my friend, we are in the thick of civilization, which has existed, but not evolved over time. It's not coming to an end because Malaysians can't play WoW past midnight.
What ou fail to realize is that the *reason* Japanese videogame music sells so well is that... wait for it... IT'S GOOD MUSIC.
That's right. Square and Nintendo hire people called COMPOSERS that WORK on making MUSIC for GAMES. They are talented people whose life work is making beautiful, catchy, haunting melodies for your gaming pleasure.
While it might be nice to think you can make a fast buck by shoveling crappy soundtracks on iTunes, don't expect anyone to pay for it. Garbage in, garbage out.
lesson over
Day of the Tentacle did an amazing job at this, as did some other LA titles, but I do remember wondering about Sierra adventures ... non-sequitors, die-before-you-try puzzles, bleeecch. I count Ms. Williams' adventures as some of my most frustrating experiences in gaming.
Anyway, go to it guys. Do something great. I'll buy it.
Oh. So YOU'RE the one who bought CS for XBox? Don't worry I'm sure someone else will buy it soon! :)
Either way, I guarantee it has nothing to do with online multiplayer. *Every* console game is sold on the strength of the single-player experience. Only PC games (BF2, CS) can be sold as primariliy multiplayer. Sure, Halo grew into a MP juggernaut, but everyone played the SP first.
Why PS2 and not GC? well... look at the numbers and the fanbase.
What really ticks me off is that these companies try to spin *everything* and think we believe all their crap. Note to PR departments (especially Blizzard's): WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU.
Are you thinking of Avalon Hill's Telengard? I know the C64 Version had graphics, but the TRS-80 version was ascii... I think...
Sony has just put too much burden on the Cell. They have no dedicated sound processor for the PS3... "oh, the Cell will handle it". AI, Physics?... "oh, the Cell will handle it". Keep in mind this CPU has ONE CORE worth talking about, and 7 SPEs that, well, do the best they can. I work for a defense contractor that is using the cell, and I know a lot about it too, me bucko. An objective voice will tell you the SPEs are not good for 3D gaming... it's that simple. And what good is ease of chaining Cells if the PS3 only has one. Here's the bottom line. For the first two years, 360, PS3, and Revolution games will look the same. After that, no one can say which combination of tools, hardware, and talent will pull through.
To be fair, there was a lockup issue with Metroid Prime on the GC ... basically, the "other" parts of a level were loaded while they showed an elevator cinematic. If the cinematic ended before the data was loaded... lockup.
AND TO BE EVEN MORE FAIR... I will say Nintendo has very tight QC. NEVER had any problems with a Nintendo handheld over the course of 15 years. Sony certainly can't make that claim with the PSP. The current PS2 woes seem to be from redesigning the hardware for the second time this cycle. The beauty of Nintendo is that they design hardware to be cost-efficient from the get-go. I think most companies could learn alot from moneybags Nintendo.
E3 will be less crowded next year!
This guy has no idea what he's talking about. 1. The line to the Nintendo booth, although it said 3 hours, was only about 45 minutes. 2. He claims the line was to view a trailer, hoewever IF HE HAD WAITED IN LINE, he would know that Nintendo had a PLAYABLE VERSION of the new Zelda game. with 3 PLAYABLE SCENES. 3. Those playable scenes were TIME LIMITED, as he suggests in his article. If this guy is a "game journalist", but can't be bothered to wait in line with the shlubs, then maybe he's the one that doesn't belong there.
History suggests the PS3 "spring" release date is likely to be for Japan only. History also suggests that Sony will be late in getting it out to US and Europe. I'd say Bungie has an excellent chance of making the *US* PS3 release, which will probably be this time next year.