Well, the Internet, while it definitely is a contributor to the growing disconnectedness of our society, is not the only reason for it. The Internet does to the isolation in the sense that many things that once involved human contact now can be done with no human contact. It also contributes in the sense that online friends (which, in my experience are often times of a shallow nature) keep people from going and finding people who live around them that could interact with on a regular basis. Yes, internet friends are good, but most of the time they're spread out all over the country (or world) and human interaction is truly missing something when it is only the written word involved.
But there's more than that. There are other technologies that, while very convenient, keep us more and more from interacting with the people around us rather than just sticking to what we know. Many people would rather listen to music they know they like or a friend they already know rather than start up a conversation with a total stranger on a subway. And speaking of subways, thanks to the growing suburbanization of the United States mass transit is very rare indeed, and commute times seem to be growing longer and longer. That means more time spent alone and less time and energy to be social with other people once the day is over. Plus, the missed opportunity for interaction with other people that mass transit can provide. Not that riding on a bus with a place full of strangers cannot be an isolating experience, but the single-driver commute eliminates any possibility of any genuine human interaction happening.
Also, I think that for many people there is no longer a "third place"--a place other than work or home to interact with people that acts as something of a center of the community. I think that this place in many parts used to be (and in some cases still is) the church. I know many people less honest than myself who pretend to be Christians just so they can meet people at church. For those of us who live in religious places, it can be difficult to find a place that acts as a community center as well as a church does. And in many places where the church is no longer a vital part of the community, nothing has replaced as a centerpiece of the community. Instead, people are scattered forth to the various and sundry things that take their interest, few of which involve other people.
That's what I think, at least. I'm no expert, but it sounds right to me.
I think that Nintendos strategy of constantly and consistently downplaying the significance of graphics for their next generation console is going to pay off for them in the long run, because no matter what the games end up looking like, no one will feel deceived. And thanks to the fact that they'll probably be better than expected, people will be amazed by how much better they are than was expected. And delivering way more than you promised is a very, very good thing.
Of course, Sony sold a lot of PS2's by overpromising, so.....
All I have to say is, there were tons on Xbox 360's sold on Ebay for as much or more money than the high-end PS3's, so the contention that people won't pay that much for a console is pretty ridiculous. They HAVE and they WILL. Whether or not it is a price point that will net them a great deal of success is another question altogether.
Well, I think EA is a publisher that also "gets" the Wii. They are making that Madden game for launch, and I have to believe that they have a baseball game in the pipeline. It is something that lends itself to a baseball game, IMO.
Konami will likely do well with Elebits, also.
I think, however, there are a lot of games in the pipeline that we know nothing about that could be very good---the Crystal Chronicles game, the Dragon Quest game, the new Wii version of Trauma Center, Sengoku Action (presumably a Dynasty Warriors type game), the unnamed flight game from Hudson, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Call of Duty 3, et al.
But if in fact none of the games by third-party publishers are very good nor plentiful and the Wii sells very well (which it probably will), I think that it is possible that smaller companies with good ideas could fill the gap thanks to the fact that the Wii is way more small-game-company friendly than the others, not just due to the fact that the dev kit is cheaper and it will require less graphic fidelity, but also thanks to the fact that a new control scheme means that a company really has the opportunity to hit big if they find a new, inventive use for the controller.
Yeesh, obviously the article has managed to inspire conversation, but I didn't really find much content to talk about. Seems like mostly a bile-filled rant to me.
First of all, in terms of specs, just comparing the Mhz of the GC to the Wii doesn't give you the whole story in terms of how much more powerful one is than the other. Not that it isn't obvious that the jump isn't as big as from PS2 to PS3, but that's something that Nintendo has never ever denied.
But there are more differences than you seem to believe:
Different disc format (very likely conventional DVD's)
Wi-Fi access out of the box (I don't believe that the Broadband Adapter for GC had this)
512 MB of Flash Memory (along with a card reader for installing more memory)
Downloadable content & the Virtual Console (not possible with GameCube)
Furthermore, I'm not even sure it would have been possible for the Wiimote to simply be an add-on to the GameCube. And even though many people have commented that the games shown at E3 don't look much different than GC games coming down the pike now, one things has to be considered:
The last revision of the developer kits have only recently gone out, so developers likely haven't been able to optimize the game for the true specs of the system, thus the lower-fidelity graphics
Personally, I think that Nintendo's new consoles, the Wii in particular, are an excellent opportunity for indie developers. Not only are the kits lower in price than the other systems http://revolution.ign.com/articles/690/690730p1.ht ml, but with the Revmote/Wiimote there exists the possibility of new genres. It really is the case, I think, that an indie developer with a great idea really could have a breakthrough thanks to this dynamic. This, plus the ability to save money on graphic fidelity thanks to the lesser graphics abilities of the Wii make it less cost-prohibitive to design for.
Not only that, but the people who are willing to try something new in terms of controls are probably also going to be more willing to try something from a new company that they have never heard of.
I think the same thing holds true, to a lesser extent, to the Nintendo DS. The success of unorthodox games like Phoenix Wright, Trauma Center, Nintendogs, Electroplankton (I don't actually know if it did well, but I liked it), and Brain Age shows there are new gameplay innovations to be made, and the people who make them will likely be rewarded for those efforts.
I mean, I suppose an indie developer could try to get something onto the PS3 and the X360, but I don't think there are many new genres to be found with the regular control scheme, nor do I think that there are many "new" gameplay innovations left to be found. I think, at best, what is mostly left in terms of innovation on a regular controller are tweaks to pre-existing forms of gameplay, and thus my belief that everything that will likely succeed for those systems will simply be the ones with the most smooth edges and polish, and most of the time it is the big companies who have the resources to provide that polish.
I think that with the Wii, you have the opportunity to do something totally and completely different than anyone has ever done before in terms of gameplay or functionality. That, I believe is where an Indie publisher can make their mark, because it has the potential to be the ONLY game in its' genre, instead of Console FPS #452 trying to fight its' way into an oversatured genre.
My first experience with Netflix was several years ago. I liked it, but the problem was that the DVD's were often too slow for how much it cost. So I cancelled.
Then, a couple years later I went back and thanks to their new shipping centers (some of which were close to where I lived) speed was much faster and their selection had pretty much everything I could ever want. That was about a year and a half ago and I've been generally happy with them ever since.
However, I did try Blockbuster about a year ago or so, around the time that they launched with the really low price, and before Netflix dropped their price for the 3-at-a-time plan. Generally, everything was fine with Blockbuster, the only problem was, at that time at least, their selection was sorely lacking. I mean, if all you wanted was a good mainstream selection they had you covered. But for me, whose tastes have a little bit wider of a range of stuff, I was severely disappointed in my choices, and that's why I cancelled.
Now, honestly, if they didn't take so long to get here (I live in the Southeast) I would simply go with Greencine because they have the best and most diverse collection out there, and the few holes I've noticed in Netflix's collection are plugged wonderfully by them. But, the time lag is just too large to be worth the effort, IMO.
So, until something better comes along, I'm sticking with Netflix
Slashdot Mirror
Well, the Internet, while it definitely is a contributor to the growing disconnectedness of our society, is not the only reason for it. The Internet does to the isolation in the sense that many things that once involved human contact now can be done with no human contact. It also contributes in the sense that online friends (which, in my experience are often times of a shallow nature) keep people from going and finding people who live around them that could interact with on a regular basis. Yes, internet friends are good, but most of the time they're spread out all over the country (or world) and human interaction is truly missing something when it is only the written word involved.
But there's more than that. There are other technologies that, while very convenient, keep us more and more from interacting with the people around us rather than just sticking to what we know. Many people would rather listen to music they know they like or a friend they already know rather than start up a conversation with a total stranger on a subway. And speaking of subways, thanks to the growing suburbanization of the United States mass transit is very rare indeed, and commute times seem to be growing longer and longer. That means more time spent alone and less time and energy to be social with other people once the day is over. Plus, the missed opportunity for interaction with other people that mass transit can provide. Not that riding on a bus with a place full of strangers cannot be an isolating experience, but the single-driver commute eliminates any possibility of any genuine human interaction happening.
Also, I think that for many people there is no longer a "third place"--a place other than work or home to interact with people that acts as something of a center of the community. I think that this place in many parts used to be (and in some cases still is) the church. I know many people less honest than myself who pretend to be Christians just so they can meet people at church. For those of us who live in religious places, it can be difficult to find a place that acts as a community center as well as a church does. And in many places where the church is no longer a vital part of the community, nothing has replaced as a centerpiece of the community. Instead, people are scattered forth to the various and sundry things that take their interest, few of which involve other people.
That's what I think, at least. I'm no expert, but it sounds right to me.
One case does not disprove anything, especially considering how unusual your case is in that you seem to have had the funds to travel the world.
I think that Nintendos strategy of constantly and consistently downplaying the significance of graphics for their next generation console is going to pay off for them in the long run, because no matter what the games end up looking like, no one will feel deceived. And thanks to the fact that they'll probably be better than expected, people will be amazed by how much better they are than was expected. And delivering way more than you promised is a very, very good thing.
Of course, Sony sold a lot of PS2's by overpromising, so.....
Thank God. Now I can go to Germany without worrying about all those file-sharers. Way to make the streets safe, guys.
All I have to say is, there were tons on Xbox 360's sold on Ebay for as much or more money than the high-end PS3's, so the contention that people won't pay that much for a console is pretty ridiculous. They HAVE and they WILL. Whether or not it is a price point that will net them a great deal of success is another question altogether.
Well, I think EA is a publisher that also "gets" the Wii. They are making that Madden game for launch, and I have to believe that they have a baseball game in the pipeline. It is something that lends itself to a baseball game, IMO.
Konami will likely do well with Elebits, also.
I think, however, there are a lot of games in the pipeline that we know nothing about that could be very good---the Crystal Chronicles game, the Dragon Quest game, the new Wii version of Trauma Center, Sengoku Action (presumably a Dynasty Warriors type game), the unnamed flight game from Hudson, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Call of Duty 3, et al.
But if in fact none of the games by third-party publishers are very good nor plentiful and the Wii sells very well (which it probably will), I think that it is possible that smaller companies with good ideas could fill the gap thanks to the fact that the Wii is way more small-game-company friendly than the others, not just due to the fact that the dev kit is cheaper and it will require less graphic fidelity, but also thanks to the fact that a new control scheme means that a company really has the opportunity to hit big if they find a new, inventive use for the controller.
Yeesh, obviously the article has managed to inspire conversation, but I didn't really find much content to talk about. Seems like mostly a bile-filled rant to me.
But was the GameCube modified in anyway? Are we sure it was a standard, out-of-the box GameCube?
First of all, in terms of specs, just comparing the Mhz of the GC to the Wii doesn't give you the whole story in terms of how much more powerful one is than the other. Not that it isn't obvious that the jump isn't as big as from PS2 to PS3, but that's something that Nintendo has never ever denied.
But there are more differences than you seem to believe:
Different disc format (very likely conventional DVD's)
Wi-Fi access out of the box (I don't believe that the Broadband Adapter for GC had this)
512 MB of Flash Memory (along with a card reader for installing more memory)
Downloadable content & the Virtual Console (not possible with GameCube)
Furthermore, I'm not even sure it would have been possible for the Wiimote to simply be an add-on to the GameCube. And even though many people have commented that the games shown at E3 don't look much different than GC games coming down the pike now, one things has to be considered:
The last revision of the developer kits have only recently gone out, so developers likely haven't been able to optimize the game for the true specs of the system, thus the lower-fidelity graphics
Not only that, but the people who are willing to try something new in terms of controls are probably also going to be more willing to try something from a new company that they have never heard of.
I think the same thing holds true, to a lesser extent, to the Nintendo DS. The success of unorthodox games like Phoenix Wright, Trauma Center, Nintendogs, Electroplankton (I don't actually know if it did well, but I liked it), and Brain Age shows there are new gameplay innovations to be made, and the people who make them will likely be rewarded for those efforts.
I mean, I suppose an indie developer could try to get something onto the PS3 and the X360, but I don't think there are many new genres to be found with the regular control scheme, nor do I think that there are many "new" gameplay innovations left to be found. I think, at best, what is mostly left in terms of innovation on a regular controller are tweaks to pre-existing forms of gameplay, and thus my belief that everything that will likely succeed for those systems will simply be the ones with the most smooth edges and polish, and most of the time it is the big companies who have the resources to provide that polish.
I think that with the Wii, you have the opportunity to do something totally and completely different than anyone has ever done before in terms of gameplay or functionality. That, I believe is where an Indie publisher can make their mark, because it has the potential to be the ONLY game in its' genre, instead of Console FPS #452 trying to fight its' way into an oversatured genre.
My first experience with Netflix was several years ago. I liked it, but the problem was that the DVD's were often too slow for how much it cost. So I cancelled.
Then, a couple years later I went back and thanks to their new shipping centers (some of which were close to where I lived) speed was much faster and their selection had pretty much everything I could ever want. That was about a year and a half ago and I've been generally happy with them ever since.
However, I did try Blockbuster about a year ago or so, around the time that they launched with the really low price, and before Netflix dropped their price for the 3-at-a-time plan. Generally, everything was fine with Blockbuster, the only problem was, at that time at least, their selection was sorely lacking. I mean, if all you wanted was a good mainstream selection they had you covered. But for me, whose tastes have a little bit wider of a range of stuff, I was severely disappointed in my choices, and that's why I cancelled.
Now, honestly, if they didn't take so long to get here (I live in the Southeast) I would simply go with Greencine because they have the best and most diverse collection out there, and the few holes I've noticed in Netflix's collection are plugged wonderfully by them. But, the time lag is just too large to be worth the effort, IMO.
So, until something better comes along, I'm sticking with Netflix