Now, to use this DVD, you must put it in your drive like normal, plug in a dongle, unplug it within 3 seconds and plug it back in again, type in a 50 digit code, then download an application to report back to the company to make sure it's a genuine dvd, then type in the 14th word on the back cover of the dvd case, scan your reciept and email it to the verification address, run around your house 3 times (to control stress levels), and then mail in your proof of purchase and you can start using the program in 6-8 weeks....or you can crack it.
I wouldn't say non-existent. They weren't spelled out for you though. If you just fly through the game they are nonexistant. It is kinda a trade-off between cut-schenes and set beginning and ends to levels (example: Halo). I prefer both, but the HL type of investigation to get the whole story many times isn't fun and can be confusing. HL can pull that off, but i wouldn't want many games like that. Just my 2 cents.
Hmm, Emergence didn't pull me in like the HL series has. Honestly, i haven't played the original, but i think you need to have a very strong beginning if you're going to run the episodic path. It was fun, but i feel as it was lacking a deep storyline and my favorite, multiplayer. I'm in your boat where i'm not feeling so great about buying the next one. HL2:E2 on the other hand, already has a deep storyline before it even comes out. I already know i want to find out what happens at City 17 and the broader aspect. Plus, they are throwing in some extras to up the replay value of it. Team Fortress for multiplayer and a (relatively) new concept, Portal. To summarize, i think new games HAVE to have an amazing story line to start out with, while established games already have the fan base and the foundation of a story already laid.
I don't think HL2 in itself had a great story line. I do find it more appealing if you followed the with HL1, opposing forces, and blue shift. Also there's a great site here http://members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/ that sums up just about everything. If you single out HL2's story though, it is kinda boring.
2 quick problems, how is Norton going to popup with these messages if it's locked out? Secondly, why would an Antivirus recommend someone going to a less virus-prone OS like Ubuntu? Isn't that like shooting itself in the foot?
Good point. I wouldn't be suprised if Symantec & Mcafee turned around and started writing Vista specific viruses just so Microsoft comes crawling back to them. It'd be a dirty way of business.
That, my friend, is a very good point. Didn't know that. But it would be the same problem for people who ONLY have wireless available in that room. They'd HAVE to buy the xbox wireless adapter. Would you add the $70-100 for that to the price of the xbox to compare it to the Wii? Same reason a wireless router shouldn't be added in to the price of the Wii to compare.
Also i am aware most routers have rj45 jacks on them, i'm just stating a case where the router is far from the Wii and not easily/neatly able to run a cable.
1. people want wifi, I'm sure there are a percentage of people who don't already have wifi, so they'd have to buy a wifi router, you didn't figure that into your costs
What!? You should also mention the percentage of people who don't have TVs. You'd have to add the cost of a tv in there too. Wifi router isn't something that should be consider in comparing feature with costs.
That being said, there really is NO way to compare the systems apples to apples. Also the 2 systems are in different area of gaming. The 360 is focused towards your tradition game base, the FPS/RPG/Racing etc. The Wii kinda has it's own seperate "genre". Yes it'll have FPS, RPG, and Racing, but it's a different experience. It's kinda like comparing a toaster oven and a microwave. They both heat food up, but each device has it's area of food that it heats up better, ie microwave=soups etc toaster oven=breads etc.
Personally, I'm a hardcore gamer who likes the PC best. I have a 360 i'm quite happy with. I've enjoyed PGR3, Most Wanted, Dead Rising to name a few. Around November is my "PC upgrade" time. I'm all about getting a Wii though. As much as my PC could use come upgrades (mostly for Vista and Crysis), i think i'm going to hold off on that for the Wii. It just seems like so much fun.
Hmm, i'd have to agree and disagree on this one. Although i LOVE playing CS, the only thing that's kinda boring is if you're the unlucky one that gets killed from a headshot 10 seconds into the game. This makes a player enter the "commercial mode" and gets up to get a sandwich/chips/pop etc. As much as i don't mind a break every once in awhile, many times i'd like to keep playing without the breaks.
My personal favorite online FPS is HLDM and HL2DM. Those have always been fun to me, although i usually destroy any friends at lans in those games so it's rather not fun for anyone else. The nice thing about this (and DMC) is the instant respawn. No waiting for the rest of the team to die. DoD is great to for having the instant/timed respawn rather than waiting for the whole team to die.
So all in all, I like both. I'll do the fast/furious over the strategic any day, but strategic can balance out some of the inequality of arcade style, such as easier to die meaning even noobs can get lucky sometimes. CS is more about knowing where to be to attack and knowing where the enemy is, where the DM games are more of accuracy and speed. Now only if i could play both at the same time...
I'd have to agree with you on this. I've dabbled with wireless products before, wireless speakers, lan, mouse/keyboard. Yes these products may be convienent but MUCH less reliable. The speakers have noise in them, the lan is slow and changes speed depending on where in the house you stand, and the keyboard/mouse was a constant changing of batteries, dropping/low signal, and finally dying after a year. The wireless lan I ONLY use for internet. Anything worth doing over a lan is completely wired for speed and reliability. Wireless USB hub? I'll pass. Everything i use USB for is right there anyways.
Where did he pull this one from? Hardcore gamers want a $500 graphics card, but I've never seen it advertised that you need a $500 graphics card for your inexpensive gaming machine. NVidia and ATI have budget lines for the occasional gamer.
I'd have to agree and disagree. First off, i think console and PC games do in fact have a different style. In this area i would agree with the author of the article on the RTS and FPS. Although the console area is catching up to the abilities of the PC, they aren't there yet. Yes 1080p is here but still quite expensive. Most 19" CRTs and 20"+ LCD can reach 1600x1200 resolution. That're significantly cheaper than any 1080p TV i've seen.
As for the FPS, the Wiimote has vast potential for this area in the console. As an avid FPS PC gamer, i'm all for the fun of the Wiimote (i'm waiting in line for this one), i'm still rather skeptical of the precision of the technology against the precision of the mouse+keyboard.
Now for the part i agree with. Money aside, TV's are getting up there in resolution with 1080p. I think consoles can EASILY appeal to more FPS with an addition of a keyboard and mouse to the console along with several games supporting it. The wiimote definiately looks fun, that's something i have to try before i can say more about it.
Final thoughts, i don't think console gaming will ever replace PC gaming and visa versa. Currently they ARE in fact relatively seperate styles. There are many exception though. Halo is an EXCELLENT console FPS which i feel wasn't as great on the PC even with the keyboard+mouse. I felt the lack of precision (compared to a mouse) using the joysticks actually added to the balance in the game. But as main stream people, PC has a higher resolution screen, tighter control, more options. Next-gen systems are definately picking up ground though. Like you, i'm very curious to the potental of the Wiimote and XBL.
You can post on Slashdot while your kid is killing zombies. You can kill zombies while your kid is blogging about what a horrible parent you are.
Very good point actually. In my original claim, i was assuming a single user enviroment(as i have no kids). In a multi-user enviroment, more than 1 machine would be much more beneficial. You can have a $5k computer but you aren't going to get much done with a kid complaining he/she wants to play a game.
Your kid can let you use the computer without worrying about you finding his porn collection. And vice versa.
I'm not really following what this really has to do either either system. Unless you're implying that one user will use the 360 and the other use the mac exclusively.
Both the XBox 360 and the Mac have *excellent* music visualisers. Groovy.
Any system has good visualizers (although i haven't exactly looked for them in linux). I'm a big fan of Winamp's visualizers, but honestly i hardly use them. On the other hand, the 360's i use quite often. It looks like a slightly upgraded version of WMP, but i only use it because it looks good on the big tv:).
You can let your kid use your computer without worrying about getting infected by the latest spyware going around.....You save $40 a year on antivirus software.
The ironic thing about this is that i hate the Antivirus and Antispyware software more than the viruses and spyware. Unfortunately, i run Norton's (because i get it legally for free) and it eats up resources and prolongs start up times. I actually wouldn't mind as much if it was catching virus left and right. But i haven't had a virus on the machine in over 5 years. Also as of now, i see spyware as being rather overrated. It's not much of a worry and antispyware software isn't as resource hogging as antivirus. Also they usually scan much quicker. Yet again, i would have to agree with you on this one. For me, virus and spyware isn't much of a worry. In an multi-user environment, i would be more worried about the other users (if not very computer literate) actions.
Well in this whole rather civilized discussion, i would have to say my original claim "I'm stating that a $1000 gaming machine CAN do more than a Mac and console." would have to drastically depend on the circumstances. For me, a single-user for power applications, the $1000 gaming system would be much more beneficial. Although, the minute you throw in the kid/s, i would much rather have the mac + 360 even though i'd be sacrficing PC games and the more power*.
* not trying to start a "this system is more power than this" arguement, but i don't expect many $500 system to be more powerful than any system at double the price.
Valve has always done great with their engines. Even the original HL could run on a 133Mhz computer. Granted it looked horrible but it was playable. Same with HL2, you can run it on dated systems where most games that came out the same time frame is unplayable even in low settings.
All that said, with what's in the Xbox360 and PS3, i don't see how it couldn't handle Crysis. I mean they bumped Doom 3 so it was playable on the Xbox, that pushed the envelope of PCs. Why can't they do that with Crysis and an evolved 360 or PS3? I'm a big PC gamer and LOVE it when high end games come out to challenge my system, but i also love seeing these same games come out for other people that only have the console. I see "the 360 and PS3 can't handle it" arguement as a cop-out.
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I don't believe that changing the shell is a "basic task", by any stretch of the imagination.
Check out www.astonshell.com It is actually quite easy to use. Although it isn't free, $30.
I agree though most user aren't concerned with it and if they are, they stick with one.
As for creating a "best fit", it is cheaper for the intial company, but making it relatively easy to change isn't a bad option.
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Now, to use this DVD, you must put it in your drive like normal, plug in a dongle, unplug it within 3 seconds and plug it back in again, type in a 50 digit code, then download an application to report back to the company to make sure it's a genuine dvd, then type in the 14th word on the back cover of the dvd case, scan your reciept and email it to the verification address, run around your house 3 times (to control stress levels), and then mail in your proof of purchase and you can start using the program in 6-8 weeks. ...or you can crack it.
Hmm, i might have to invest in a huge usb hub then....
Man, i wish i had mod points for that! I'm going to try that next time i upgrade.
"Compared to Windows, where you need a $1500 machine from 2 years ago to have a prayer of running Vista, this is amazing"
Just so you know, I paid roughly $800 for my current system 2 years ago and have no problems running RC1 w/Aero enabled. 64bit version at that.
I wouldn't say non-existent. They weren't spelled out for you though. If you just fly through the game they are nonexistant. It is kinda a trade-off between cut-schenes and set beginning and ends to levels (example: Halo). I prefer both, but the HL type of investigation to get the whole story many times isn't fun and can be confusing. HL can pull that off, but i wouldn't want many games like that. Just my 2 cents.
Hmm, Emergence didn't pull me in like the HL series has. Honestly, i haven't played the original, but i think you need to have a very strong beginning if you're going to run the episodic path. It was fun, but i feel as it was lacking a deep storyline and my favorite, multiplayer. I'm in your boat where i'm not feeling so great about buying the next one. HL2:E2 on the other hand, already has a deep storyline before it even comes out. I already know i want to find out what happens at City 17 and the broader aspect. Plus, they are throwing in some extras to up the replay value of it. Team Fortress for multiplayer and a (relatively) new concept, Portal. To summarize, i think new games HAVE to have an amazing story line to start out with, while established games already have the fan base and the foundation of a story already laid.
I don't think HL2 in itself had a great story line. I do find it more appealing if you followed the with HL1, opposing forces, and blue shift. Also there's a great site here http://members.shaw.ca/halflifestory/ that sums up just about everything. If you single out HL2's story though, it is kinda boring.
2 quick problems, how is Norton going to popup with these messages if it's locked out? Secondly, why would an Antivirus recommend someone going to a less virus-prone OS like Ubuntu? Isn't that like shooting itself in the foot?
Good point. I wouldn't be suprised if Symantec & Mcafee turned around and started writing Vista specific viruses just so Microsoft comes crawling back to them. It'd be a dirty way of business.
That, my friend, is a very good point. Didn't know that. But it would be the same problem for people who ONLY have wireless available in that room. They'd HAVE to buy the xbox wireless adapter. Would you add the $70-100 for that to the price of the xbox to compare it to the Wii? Same reason a wireless router shouldn't be added in to the price of the Wii to compare.
Also i am aware most routers have rj45 jacks on them, i'm just stating a case where the router is far from the Wii and not easily/neatly able to run a cable.
"You don't need Wifi to get networking."
My exact point. So why bundle in the price of a router for the wii?
...so? I didn't ask what YOU have.
1. people want wifi, I'm sure there are a percentage of people who don't already have wifi, so they'd have to buy a wifi router, you didn't figure that into your costs
What!? You should also mention the percentage of people who don't have TVs. You'd have to add the cost of a tv in there too. Wifi router isn't something that should be consider in comparing feature with costs.
That being said, there really is NO way to compare the systems apples to apples. Also the 2 systems are in different area of gaming. The 360 is focused towards your tradition game base, the FPS/RPG/Racing etc. The Wii kinda has it's own seperate "genre". Yes it'll have FPS, RPG, and Racing, but it's a different experience. It's kinda like comparing a toaster oven and a microwave. They both heat food up, but each device has it's area of food that it heats up better, ie microwave=soups etc toaster oven=breads etc.
Personally, I'm a hardcore gamer who likes the PC best. I have a 360 i'm quite happy with. I've enjoyed PGR3, Most Wanted, Dead Rising to name a few. Around November is my "PC upgrade" time. I'm all about getting a Wii though. As much as my PC could use come upgrades (mostly for Vista and Crysis), i think i'm going to hold off on that for the Wii. It just seems like so much fun.
Hmm, i'd have to agree and disagree on this one. Although i LOVE playing CS, the only thing that's kinda boring is if you're the unlucky one that gets killed from a headshot 10 seconds into the game. This makes a player enter the "commercial mode" and gets up to get a sandwich/chips/pop etc. As much as i don't mind a break every once in awhile, many times i'd like to keep playing without the breaks.
My personal favorite online FPS is HLDM and HL2DM. Those have always been fun to me, although i usually destroy any friends at lans in those games so it's rather not fun for anyone else. The nice thing about this (and DMC) is the instant respawn. No waiting for the rest of the team to die. DoD is great to for having the instant/timed respawn rather than waiting for the whole team to die.
So all in all, I like both. I'll do the fast/furious over the strategic any day, but strategic can balance out some of the inequality of arcade style, such as easier to die meaning even noobs can get lucky sometimes. CS is more about knowing where to be to attack and knowing where the enemy is, where the DM games are more of accuracy and speed. Now only if i could play both at the same time...
...when they're done with their hand exercises, they can play some halo too.
Your loss.
"How about showing up to your sisters house with a dozen Disney/Pixar flicks for the kids to watch... all without scratching a DVD?"
So your sister's dvd player supports 16GB flash drives? I think that statement is only valid for people who's sisters have a MCE computer or 360.
I'd have to agree with you on this. I've dabbled with wireless products before, wireless speakers, lan, mouse/keyboard. Yes these products may be convienent but MUCH less reliable. The speakers have noise in them, the lan is slow and changes speed depending on where in the house you stand, and the keyboard/mouse was a constant changing of batteries, dropping/low signal, and finally dying after a year. The wireless lan I ONLY use for internet. Anything worth doing over a lan is completely wired for speed and reliability. Wireless USB hub? I'll pass. Everything i use USB for is right there anyways.
Where did he pull this one from? Hardcore gamers want a $500 graphics card, but I've never seen it advertised that you need a $500 graphics card for your inexpensive gaming machine. NVidia and ATI have budget lines for the occasional gamer.
Gamers want two $500 graphics cards.I'd have to agree and disagree. First off, i think console and PC games do in fact have a different style. In this area i would agree with the author of the article on the RTS and FPS. Although the console area is catching up to the abilities of the PC, they aren't there yet. Yes 1080p is here but still quite expensive. Most 19" CRTs and 20"+ LCD can reach 1600x1200 resolution. That're significantly cheaper than any 1080p TV i've seen.
As for the FPS, the Wiimote has vast potential for this area in the console. As an avid FPS PC gamer, i'm all for the fun of the Wiimote (i'm waiting in line for this one), i'm still rather skeptical of the precision of the technology against the precision of the mouse+keyboard.
Now for the part i agree with. Money aside, TV's are getting up there in resolution with 1080p. I think consoles can EASILY appeal to more FPS with an addition of a keyboard and mouse to the console along with several games supporting it. The wiimote definiately looks fun, that's something i have to try before i can say more about it.
Final thoughts, i don't think console gaming will ever replace PC gaming and visa versa. Currently they ARE in fact relatively seperate styles. There are many exception though. Halo is an EXCELLENT console FPS which i feel wasn't as great on the PC even with the keyboard+mouse. I felt the lack of precision (compared to a mouse) using the joysticks actually added to the balance in the game. But as main stream people, PC has a higher resolution screen, tighter control, more options. Next-gen systems are definately picking up ground though. Like you, i'm very curious to the potental of the Wiimote and XBL.
i saw "Anonymous Coward". That is where I stopped reading.
You can post on Slashdot while your kid is killing zombies. You can kill zombies while your kid is blogging about what a horrible parent you are.
Very good point actually. In my original claim, i was assuming a single user enviroment(as i have no kids). In a multi-user enviroment, more than 1 machine would be much more beneficial. You can have a $5k computer but you aren't going to get much done with a kid complaining he/she wants to play a game.
Your kid can let you use the computer without worrying about you finding his porn collection. And vice versa.
I'm not really following what this really has to do either either system. Unless you're implying that one user will use the 360 and the other use the mac exclusively.
Both the XBox 360 and the Mac have *excellent* music visualisers. Groovy.
Any system has good visualizers (although i haven't exactly looked for them in linux). I'm a big fan of Winamp's visualizers, but honestly i hardly use them. On the other hand, the 360's i use quite often. It looks like a slightly upgraded version of WMP, but i only use it because it looks good on the big tv :) .
You can let your kid use your computer without worrying about getting infected by the latest spyware going around.....You save $40 a year on antivirus software.
The ironic thing about this is that i hate the Antivirus and Antispyware software more than the viruses and spyware. Unfortunately, i run Norton's (because i get it legally for free) and it eats up resources and prolongs start up times. I actually wouldn't mind as much if it was catching virus left and right. But i haven't had a virus on the machine in over 5 years. Also as of now, i see spyware as being rather overrated. It's not much of a worry and antispyware software isn't as resource hogging as antivirus. Also they usually scan much quicker. Yet again, i would have to agree with you on this one. For me, virus and spyware isn't much of a worry. In an multi-user environment, i would be more worried about the other users (if not very computer literate) actions.
Well in this whole rather civilized discussion, i would have to say my original claim "I'm stating that a $1000 gaming machine CAN do more than a Mac and console." would have to drastically depend on the circumstances. For me, a single-user for power applications, the $1000 gaming system would be much more beneficial. Although, the minute you throw in the kid/s, i would much rather have the mac + 360 even though i'd be sacrficing PC games and the more power*.
* not trying to start a "this system is more power than this" arguement, but i don't expect many $500 system to be more powerful than any system at double the price.
That's like 1.5 million bacon double cheeseburgers from Wendy's!
Valve has always done great with their engines. Even the original HL could run on a 133Mhz computer. Granted it looked horrible but it was playable. Same with HL2, you can run it on dated systems where most games that came out the same time frame is unplayable even in low settings.
All that said, with what's in the Xbox360 and PS3, i don't see how it couldn't handle Crysis. I mean they bumped Doom 3 so it was playable on the Xbox, that pushed the envelope of PCs. Why can't they do that with Crysis and an evolved 360 or PS3? I'm a big PC gamer and LOVE it when high end games come out to challenge my system, but i also love seeing these same games come out for other people that only have the console. I see "the 360 and PS3 can't handle it" arguement as a cop-out.
I don't believe that changing the shell is a "basic task", by any stretch of the imagination.
Check out www.astonshell.com It is actually quite easy to use. Although it isn't free, $30.
I agree though most user aren't concerned with it and if they are, they stick with one. As for creating a "best fit", it is cheaper for the intial company, but making it relatively easy to change isn't a bad option.