Here's the line-broken version of that rant, because I screwed up and can't find the 'edit' button.
I refuse to play MMORPGs any longer. To be honest, I think that they encourage and reward "addiction." I refused to play MMORPGs.. until FFXI.
As a Final Fantasy nut (I've played and finished every US-Released version of every FF game on the console it was released on).. I wanted to skip it.. but thought.. "eh.. what the hell."
MMORPGs require a high level of investment in order to produce rewards. Oh.. I have to grind for 5-6 hours a day to level, and then I get a sub-job, but in order to level my main job I have to grind levels for my sub-job, and I have to quest/craft for equipment to level the main job, or camp NMs, etc. etc.
Plus, they're social: you're making friends, a virtual lifestyle, that is SO much more rewarding (discrete/measurable awards at that), and appealing than the Real World.
I literally spent 6 months in game. That's actively playing the game, logged in, leveling, crafting, etc. Not sitting idle on 'bazaar' or anything of that nature. The only times that I was logged in and not holding a controller or typing on the keyboard was when I was in the kitchen whipping something up, or (maybe) outside having a cigarette (but still eyes on the TV). That was over a calendar period of 9 months.
I spent 2/3rds of my life for the better part of a year plugged in to that game, sacrificing school, social life, and the only reason why I didn't explode was I barely ate enough to keep me alive. 'Addiction' can be a very abused term, however, in the case of MMORPGs, that's a lot of what drives them. You need to be 'addicted' in order to be successful.
The worst part is, I managed to keep my character well-equipped, and leveled up, and I never managed to make it to level 75 RDM. Burned out @ 73. Even had most all of the other jobs leveled up (every job to 10, lot of jobs to 20/25, and NIN, WHM, BLM, DRK, SMN all up to 40). Finally stepped back and said "Can't do this anymore."
A lot of my (then) non-gaming friends didn't understand, then started playing WoW. I still get hassled about not playing WoW with them (and now Age of Conan), but I know I have a problem and like any other addict (be it alcohol, or drugs), I know better than to tempt fate, because it will just suck me right back in.
The difference is, "normal" games have an END, and a "save state." I can mess with Gears, or Dead Rising, or almost any other game for a few hours, maybe even upwards of 16-20. I can knock Halo out 24 hours after launch, and it's done. It's finished. Or play through a 6-hour session of Blue Dragon and walk away, come back later. MMORPGs are persisting, you're missing out when you're not plugged in, and on top of that, they do NOT end.
I refuse to play MMORPGs any longer. To be honest, I think that they encourage and reward "addiction."
I refused to play MMORPGs.. until FFXI. As a Final Fantasy nut (I've played and finished every US-Released version of every FF game on the console it was released on).. I wanted to skip it.. but thought.. "eh.. what the hell."
MMORPGs require a high level of investment in order to produce rewards. Oh.. I have to grind for 5-6 hours a day to level, and then I get a sub-job, but in order to level my main job I have to grind levels for my sub-job, and I have to quest/craft for equipment to level the main job, or camp NMs, etc. etc. Plus, they're social: you're making friends, a virtual lifestyle, that is SO much more rewarding (discrete/measurable awards at that), and appealing than the Real World.
I literally spent 6 months in game. That's actively playing the game, logged in, leveling, crafting, etc. Not sitting idle on 'bazaar' or anything of that nature. The only times that I was logged in and not holding a controller or typing on the keyboard was when I was in the kitchen whipping something up, or (maybe) outside having a cigarette (but still eyes on the TV).
That was over a calendar period of 9 months. I spent 2/3rds of my life for the better part of a year plugged in to that game, sacrificing school, social life, and the only reason why I didn't explode was I barely ate enough to keep me alive.
'Addiction' can be a very abused term, however, in the case of MMORPGs, that's a lot of what drives them. You need to be 'addicted' in order to be successful.
The worst part is, I managed to keep my character well-equipped, and leveled up, and I never managed to make it to level 75 RDM. Burned out @ 73. Even had most all of the other jobs leveled up (every job to 10, lot of jobs to 20/25, and NIN, WHM, BLM, DRK, SMN all up to 40). Finally stepped back and said "Can't do this anymore."
Lot of my (then) non-gaming friends didn't understand, then started playing WoW. I still get hassled about not playing WoW with them (and now Age of Conan), but I know I have a problem and like any other addict (be it alcohol, or drugs), I know better than to tempt fate, because it will just suck me right back in.
The difference is, "normal" games have an END, and a "save state." I can mess with Gears, or Dead Rising, or almost any other game for a few hours, maybe even upwards of 16-20. I can knock Halo out 24 hours after launch, and it's done. It's finished. Or play through a 6-hour session of Blue Dragon and walk away, come back later. MMORPGs are persisting, you're missing out when you're not plugged in, and on top of that, they do NOT end.
What I don't like is that new games like Civilization Revolutions are being released for game consoles only and not the PC anymore. Way to go 2K, tick off all of the loyal PC users who bought Civ 4, Civ 4: Warlords, and Civ 4: Beyond the Sword, only to be shut out of the new Civilization game in favor of the XBox 360, Nintendo DS, and Playstation 3. Civilization is better played on a keyboard and mouse not a game pad. It is a thinking game of strategy and tactics, not some "shoot 'em up" high action game console video game
The chief reason is dollars. Developers are having a hard time making back even initial investments on games due to piracy on both sides of the deal. Either the games they release get pirated (and they don't get the cash from sales), or they spend money on DRM that only ends up breaking the majority of the time (and they lose cash from potential sales). Also take into account the install base for your target audience (i.e. High-End graphics cards sold vs. Console bought) and the math argues for itself.
Console gaming has really (in essence) surpassed PC gaming for the first time. The only chief difference is control scheme (no keyboard/mouse), and ease of use/installation (throw the disk in and your done). The latest-generation consoles pretty regularly push graphics and gameplay almost as well as top-end gaming rigs. As far as I am aware, the only PC-centric houses to make any money are the ones like Id that make a game to show off their new engine, sell some copies on top of that, then later sell the rights to other developers (who usually end up making console titles with it).
The cycle used to be release a game on PC, then dumb it down for console play. Now the course has been reversed, you release a hit on a console (Halo, Gears of War, Bioshock), make tons of money (between sales as well as exclusivity), then add a little icing to the cake by throwing it out to PC gamers.
Congrats PC gamers, you just became the Mac Gamers that we used to make fun of.
Wow.. you just described my absolute hatred of Apple and their philosophy.
What you have here is two distict, yet separate groups:
The idiot-proof, lowest-common-denominator, who wants things to work (and simply). The more adventurous, possibly more knowledgeable individuals who like options.
I will NEVER purchase an iAnything. Why? Because I like to tweak, tinker, and have options. That's why I have an 8GB Nokia that uses a standard USB port to talk to any computer (and the phone says "What do you want me to be? A USB HDD? Maybe Sync with your phone software? How about a normal MP3 player?"), a Creative Zen for MP3s/Videos on the go, and a PC.
The problem with a locked-down, "Do it our way only" philosophy is it encourages laziness and contentment. How many of us got curious, or felt adventurous enough, to tinker with something technological (broken or not) just to figure out how it works (or even make it better or more suited to our needs)? Which, through trial and error, only encouraged us to venture out further and learn even more when our curiousity was piqued? If we never had the oportunity to break something or toy with the horizons on our own, we'd never be as knowledgeable in a technological fashion as we are. (Referring here to fellow/.'ers).
I don't know if it has changed, but about 2 years ago my computer's system drive took a nosedive (and the few iTunes Mp3s I actually bought went with it.)
Just took a phone call, and they re-authorized re-downloading of my pre-purchased music. All it took was my account information (which didn't change) and about 10-15 minutes on the phone. I also seem to recall that that was my "one-time" that you can use in the instance of catastrophic loss in regards to iTunes. I personally loathe anything having to do with the Apple Philosophy, but their customer service was spot-on in this instance.
Yea.. because shedding blood, sweat, and tears is not considered anything extra.
Granted, I don't have a PS3, so I'm operating from heresay, but from what I understand it isn't much better than PC MP gaming is.
I've been playing multiplayer online PC Gaming since Doom 2 (yes, over a damn modem). While I have always enjoyed it, and I didn't complain about it much at the time, it was a royal pain in the ass, and required a pretty hefty investment of time/energy/stress to get working now.
For example: I want to play some UT. So I boot my box (1-2 Mins), Log in to XP and let THAT boot (depending on current config, another 1-3 Mins), then load the game, then dig up the server list, then wait for it to populate, then try to jump in a game.. maybe it timeouts, maybe it connects.. etc. etc. This is all on a decent gaming rig (4 GB Ram, Intel P4 Extreme, SATA RAID 5)
Or.. I can fire up my 360 Elite (10 Secs), Fire up Halo 3 (10 Secs to Menu), Start Matchmaking, and be sitting in a lobby with 5 other lunatics (between 5 seconds and a few minutes).. all for $400 and an extra $50 a year.
Add in voice chat, text messaging, etc. etc. all with pretty much no hassles, and it's pretty damn worth the extra $5 a month.
It's not often I get mod points, but when I do I try to adhere to the guidelines.
You made a very insightful and poignant point, which I had every intention of modding up.. until I read that last line. Not the crack about Halo, but what followed.
Insightful + Flamebait = 0.. they should have a "Know When to Quit +/- 0" Moderation Option, IMHO.
I bought her a DS for Christmas last year (she was 5 turning 6 in January) and she had limited reading skill, i.e. if you forced her to practice she could do it, but wasn't really excited about it.
It was a bit text-heavy but she was still bright enough to play through Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom. She absolutely loved it, and only occasionally would ask me or her mother to read what was being said between objectives. Plus, she eventually got to the point where she would make a really honest effort at it herself.
I was working at Gamestop at the time, and actually took her to the store to try out a few different games we had in the used shelves, and by far and away she loved all the different incarnations of Spongebob.
That's a matter of opinion. And I am definitely one of those that don't agree with paying a buck for a track that I have to lose a blank CD-R on in order to stick it on my Nomad, or my Cell Phone, or anything else that isn't owned by Apple.
I payed out $10.00 up front a long time ago to one of those Russian.mp3 sites that charges a dime a song. And anytime I encounter a song that I want that I hear on the radio, or at a bar/club, or any other avenue, that is exactly the first place I try and track that thing down (yes, even before TPB or isohunt or anywhere else). I've probably spent about $50 total on that site over the years (only because I had a pretty healthy music collection already, and rarely encountered things that I didn't want/need).
Honestly, except for a FEW rare instances (few DVD-Audio Disks, few SACDs).. that is the only time I've actually paid for music in probably close to 10 years. I used to blow $100-$200 a month on physical disks, but that time is well past.
It's supply/demand scale of economics. The supply online FOR FREE is vast, and the demand for music is also high. iTunes only works because there are a LOT of tech un-savvy people out there that love their iPods, and it is a simple, closed system that (tends) to work. Give it 5-10 more years - how many kids do you know that buy music on iTunes exclusively? A lot of them are little tech geniuses, and they will end up like me - find a price point/DRM solution that they can live with, or go spit.
If you drop the prices in an online store, and I guarantee while piracy won't drop off the map completely, it will decline sharply. People aren't paying for music anymore; people are paying to avoid the pain in the ass it would be to get the music for free.
And another thing that comes to mind about that price point: Lowering the cost of entry increases the number of people able to cross that boundry. 50,000 people will pay a buck a song for a decent track.. I almost guarantee that more than 500,000 people will pay a dime for that same track. At this point you're just looking at bandwidth.
Hear that programmers? A GIRL GAMER! Get to being innovative, original and risky! On the double! We need to cultivate this trend so we can camp out in the chair/couch along with them instead of being yelled at!
Plenty of great 2-D games on Arcade all original.. suprised no one has mentioned them yet.
Aegis Wing - 2d Shooter for free dreamed up by a team of interns.
Alien Hominid - not just fun side-scroller but with a fantastic art style.
Heavy Weapon - Cute 2d shooter with a nice sense of humor.
Small Arms - Smash Bros.-esque multiplayer fighter with guns.
Those are just the ones I've played.. all under 50MB, not including the re-releases of old classics. And there's still a plethora of great 2D Flash games for free all over the internet. Plus the achievements drive me to play them (and re-play them) more than any other 2D game has before. I can honestly say that I haven't touched any of the Mario Bros. games after completion unless it was for nostalgia.
It seems that the only two major nations that have EVER had an issue with violence/sex/etc. are the US and the UK. (Ironically enough, both English as national language)
I may very well be wrong, and I am rather young (almost 30).. but hasn't Japanese Anime (and Hentai) been around for quite some time? They don't seem to have the "Games and Cartoons are for Kids" mental deficiency that the Western cultures have falsely assumed. Isn't public nudity commonly acceptable in other countries such as France? Don't other countries allow public broadcast of material that any US broadcaster shivers to even think about airing before "bedtime?"
When is the truth going to come to frution.. that the problem isn't the content (mature or not) but the viewpoint? It's funny how we pride ourselves on our 1st Amendment rights, and all the "freedoms" that we have (at least in the US), yet there are so many damn people and watchdogs that want to make our decisions for us? Doesn't seem like any other countries are falling apart due to the heathen devil morality prevalent in their societies (or lack thereof).
Not to be a hater, but Sony needs a killer game period. You said it yourself: "Heavenly Sword was great, but that's come and gone." Killer games stick around for a long time.
Gears of War is a great example. It dethroned Halo 2 on the Xbox Live usage charts, and even after a full year of release, it's still sitting up there. Halo 3 will probably do the same.
Wii owners are STILL playing Wii Sports, a game that was packed in with the console. I've been to parties where non-gamers just hang out, drink, and take turns (or run winners stay/losers pay arcade situations) on Wii Tennis all night.
That's why the 360 and the Wii are doing so well: They have games with staying power and appeal. Sony has shot themselves in the foot so many times this generation (PR/Hubris pre-launch, delays, big pricetag, rumble drama, pretty but short games with no replayability) that they hamstrug themselves before the machine even released. Add to that no real games worth owning (i.e. with Staying Power) and that's the bottom-line reason why the console is failing.
No.. the network needs aren't any different. You just don't have a clue.
All UPnP (Correctly capitalized) does is automate the process you're using to play WC3, whithout having to bother you with port assignments. And if you've ever exectued your "Test Network Settings" dialog in your 360, your network would have been classified accordingly (along with a descriptor). Also you can dig up the ports that Live wants opened on Xbox's site. They're mostly used for voice communication and matchmaking.
Also, I suppose that using BitTorrent (which tends to "throw everything under a UPnP umbrella) would be an issue for you as well, but you'll have to figure out port assignments for that yourself.
UPnP is pretty handy.. I have a network at home with 4 adults, and 7 bandwidth-sucking devices. Three of them use Bittorrent so I have P2P traffic throttled, and all 7 of them have at least 1 port assignment at almost all times.
I camped out for my launch PS2. I loved it and was a dedicated Sony Fanboi.
Then I watched as hubris overtook, and turned my back on them (as I felt that they did to me). I continued to listen to the "PR Speak" and "Marketing" and refused to believe them, and I've saved myself $600 in the process.
We've tread over this path before: Sony has been ALL about "selling the technology" and giving consumers the "sound bite," but they've cried "wolf" too many times for this gamer to swallow the bait.
Does Home sound awesome? You betcha.. if they can get it off the ground and working as promised, then I'll definitely tip my hat and say "Yep, Sony crushed Live." However, looking at thier track record, I'm not holding my breath.
Also, it has been proven time and time again that Might =/= Success. Look at every "advanced" platform that delivered the goods: They all lost to less "muscled" machiens. Turbo-Graphics had superior graphics, sound, and a CD-ROM add-on during the cartridge-based days, and they were crushed. Same story with 3D0. Similiar story with Neo-Geo. In the game industry, the baddest machine ends up costing the most, and ends up left in the wake of the others.
One other thing to consider: Microsoft may be the devil, but in regards to the 360 and Live, they have been incredibly smart. They make promises, AND deliver on them, or they don't say anything and just surprise people. They also aren't going to sit still and watch Sony (or Nintendo) just pass them by, especially in regards to online. When it comes to online implementation, they are the platform to beat (and the bar to be measured against) at least for this generation. They threw down the gauntlet when the 360 launched, and no one has been able to touch them in the online functionality.
Let's name off a few "big-seller" franchises:
Xbox360 - Gears of War, Halo, Bioshock, Crackdown
PS3 - Resistance, Lair (yea they didn't sell, but bear with me)
Wii - Mario, Zelda, Metroid
Aside from Nintendo 1st-party, almost every big-selling has been rated M. Also, look at marketing dollars, most all spent on M-rated games. Microsoft and Sony push M-rated titles, publishers push M-rated titles, so that's what sells.
The only franchises that sell that aren't M-rated that I can recall hearing about through advertising or word-of-mouth are any of the Nintendo 1st-party, or EA's sports lineup, or PS's platformers (Jak and Ratchet)
This isn't like the movie industry, where they will make a big summer movie targeted as PG-13. Most of the "big" games are designed from the ground-up to be rated M. Those get the buzz, those get pushed, and those are the ones that get sold. It's all about supply, demand, and marketing.
Here's a fun game: Quick, list off the first 5 successful games/franchises that come to mind. I'll go first:
Metal Gear
Final Fantasy
Halo
GTA
Zelda
3 rated M, an RPG, and a 1st-party Nintendo game. That's 60% right there.
They may not be buying PS2s, but that's because they're buying Wiis, not PS3s. Sony does not that kind of market dominance and control any more. Not to mention that GTA being pushed back until spring is going to kill them this holiday season. Most (if not all) of the next-gen holdouts (or Christmas presents) will probably go to the 360 (what with Halo coming out in a few weeks.. GTA was the only "must-have" title coming out for PS3 this holiday).
360 will dominate, and the Wii will do even better if they can get manufacturing online. Plus, you have Metroid that just came out, Smash Brothers coming out, and Mario Galaxy/Mario Kart (with online play) right around the corner.
I don't understand it at all.. Sony keeps screwing up, over the tiniest details (like no HDMI packed in, not securing GTA exclusivity) and leaves the door WIDE open for Microsoft to capitalize. Meanwhile, Nintendo is sitting back and counting thier money.
"It's a first-person shooter, and it is a pretty good one. It's beautifully rendered, taking apparent advantage of the advanced graphical capabilities of the PlayStation 3. The game is very linear, both in its plot and the paths through each level, but that linearity allows it to focus the player on a smaller, more tightly crafted environment. Resistance takes up a common theme in science fiction: an ultimate test of humankind against the Other." Read: It sucks, but it's pretty (Because it sucks). And we pay our PR guys well.
When are Sony's developers going to realize that open areas, and/or varied encounters through intelligent AI = successful FPS? Halo 2 wasn't THAT pretty, and it still sold through the nose.
Seriously.. forget mainstream TV.. I can't recall the last time a video game inspired a porn series. (And it seems that Blizzard got pissed and had them change the name from "World of Whorecraft")
Not just the size of the user base, mind you, but the demographic.
WoW was the first video game medium to tap in to the "non-gamers" on such a large scale. I remember when I was addicted to FFXI and even had it installed on my then-girlfriends laptop so I could grind levels while we were just hanging out at friend's houses socially (yes, addicted).. that particular group of friends gave me no end of grief about playing a damn game (and an MMO at that) instead of being sociable (read: Getting drunk and smoking pot).
Cut to less than two years later, and EVERY one of them (and their girlfriends) are playing WoW and trying to talk me into getting into the game. To this day I can call them looking for something to do on a Friday night and the response I usually get is "Sorry, this is the only night that we can get together to make a run on X." (I think it's Molten Core.. I swore off MMOs)
Both Blizzard and Nintendo have figured out that the "hardcore gamer" segment is just that, and they have expanded and tapped into the mainstream market. Meanwhile, Sony and (to a lesser extent Microsoft) are busy playing catch-up. Since when (before South Park) has a specific video-game been considered a pop-culture reference? (Maybe Pac-Man, but not in a LONG while).
Why is this statement modded troll? It's a valid point.
OP isn't necessarily mocking the PS3, merely stating the trend:
Resistance - Exclusive - Not so hot.
Lair - Exclusive - Reviewed Horribly.
Heavenly Sword - Exclusive - Not so hot.
Whereas the multi-platform games aren't doing too bad (I can't quote figures, but didn't Oblivion and Madden do alright?). I'd say that the "PS3 Exclusive Kiss of Death" theory so far holds water. I don't know about Ninja Gaiden Sigma, how's that been doing?
That's the point.. they don't want you to have 3 consoles, 3 portables and a computer. That's the hardcore gamer segment. Mr. Reggie was quoted pre-launch last year as saying something along the lines of "We're not in competition with those guys [Microsoft & Sony].
They want to pull a Nintendo. They don't care about what consoles you may/may not own, so long as you keep spending money on THEIR console/software/peripherals.
The one benefit multiple consoles bring to bear is competition and forced innovation, same as any industry. If not for AMD/Intel, NVidia/ATI, Sega/Nintendo, etc. etc. tech growth would not be nearly as fast as it has been. Unfortunately, the N-Gage has yet to have an impact as a competitor to the portable market (which is why people would rather buy a PSP or DS and game on those in addition to toting around a phone, instead of using an all-in-one device.)
If Nokia could make a killer must-have gaming experience on a mobile phone that generates an interest in the market, watch the other players line up for thier share.
For the sake of background.. I can honestly attest to the fact that horror movies and even haunted houses have maybe made me "jump" at most a dozen times combined during my lifetime.
However.. Bioshock nailed me quite a few times. Playing through the game on hard (and then again on easy for achievements).. even the second time around it still caught me.
The first time I experienced what might be classified as "dread" and "horror" was honestly when my roommate insisted that I tried harvesting the little girl instead of rescuing her. Not only did I feel remorse about even contemplating the action, but once it got underway it really got to me. (I still almost can't stand listening to them cry over fallen Big Daddies).. when you get to the Orphanage later on in the game.. let's just say the decor in some of those rooms really got to me.
The other notable experience I had was in Fort Frolic.. fair warning: Not much of a spoiler but maybe an experience you might not want to lose follows.
I was running around in a downstairs room that was flooded. Throughout the level there are a lot of what I can only describe as "statues" of dead people in different poses, but they look like they have been frosted white. I was creeping through this room (and the game is brilliant for that alone.. you don't run and gun this ride), and completely ignoring these statues (I knew them to be benign.. I already finished the level and was hunting down things after the fact).. I tracked down an item in the corner and when I turned around some of the statues had disappeared. I wondered a bit about it, then made my way out when I heard a splash behind me (5.1 sound).. I spun around and nothing was there. Turns out some of the "Spider Slicers" that I thought were inanimate were anything but.. it was freaky. Later on in the level I spotted a few of them crawling around on the ceilings in another area.. just creeping away from me (even after taking a few potshots).
Y'know.. i picked up one a few weeks back, and I have actually yet to try to test this out for certain.
I do know that DVDs look great (at least 480p) in the Elite, and they actually do look a bit better on the HD Drive.. but I can't confirm that its putting out 720p over HDMI.. but I'm tempted to say that it is (course that could be just component vs. HDMI).
My roommate and I did get bored and decided to set up my 720p Native LCD (Elite/HDMI/HD Drive) next to his 1080i HDTV (Upscaling DVD Player/DVI) and we synched up The Matrix (DVD vs. HD DVD).. needless to say the difference was rather dramatic.
Something I'll have to double-check later on tonight and verify.
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Here's the line-broken version of that rant, because I screwed up and can't find the 'edit' button.
.. until FFXI.
As a Final Fantasy nut (I've played and finished every US-Released version of every FF game on the console it was released on) .. I wanted to skip it .. but thought .. "eh .. what the hell."
.. I have to grind for 5-6 hours a day to level, and then I get a sub-job, but in order to level my main job I have to grind levels for my sub-job, and I have to quest/craft for equipment to level the main job, or camp NMs, etc. etc.
I refuse to play MMORPGs any longer. To be honest, I think that they encourage and reward "addiction." I refused to play MMORPGs
MMORPGs require a high level of investment in order to produce rewards. Oh
Plus, they're social: you're making friends, a virtual lifestyle, that is SO much more rewarding (discrete/measurable awards at that), and appealing than the Real World.
I literally spent 6 months in game. That's actively playing the game, logged in, leveling, crafting, etc. Not sitting idle on 'bazaar' or anything of that nature. The only times that I was logged in and not holding a controller or typing on the keyboard was when I was in the kitchen whipping something up, or (maybe) outside having a cigarette (but still eyes on the TV). That was over a calendar period of 9 months.
I spent 2/3rds of my life for the better part of a year plugged in to that game, sacrificing school, social life, and the only reason why I didn't explode was I barely ate enough to keep me alive. 'Addiction' can be a very abused term, however, in the case of MMORPGs, that's a lot of what drives them. You need to be 'addicted' in order to be successful.
The worst part is, I managed to keep my character well-equipped, and leveled up, and I never managed to make it to level 75 RDM. Burned out @ 73. Even had most all of the other jobs leveled up (every job to 10, lot of jobs to 20/25, and NIN, WHM, BLM, DRK, SMN all up to 40). Finally stepped back and said "Can't do this anymore."
A lot of my (then) non-gaming friends didn't understand, then started playing WoW. I still get hassled about not playing WoW with them (and now Age of Conan), but I know I have a problem and like any other addict (be it alcohol, or drugs), I know better than to tempt fate, because it will just suck me right back in.
The difference is, "normal" games have an END, and a "save state." I can mess with Gears, or Dead Rising, or almost any other game for a few hours, maybe even upwards of 16-20. I can knock Halo out 24 hours after launch, and it's done. It's finished. Or play through a 6-hour session of Blue Dragon and walk away, come back later. MMORPGs are persisting, you're missing out when you're not plugged in, and on top of that, they do NOT end.
I refuse to play MMORPGs any longer. To be honest, I think that they encourage and reward "addiction." I refused to play MMORPGs .. until FFXI. As a Final Fantasy nut (I've played and finished every US-Released version of every FF game on the console it was released on) .. I wanted to skip it .. but thought .. "eh .. what the hell."
MMORPGs require a high level of investment in order to produce rewards. Oh .. I have to grind for 5-6 hours a day to level, and then I get a sub-job, but in order to level my main job I have to grind levels for my sub-job, and I have to quest/craft for equipment to level the main job, or camp NMs, etc. etc. Plus, they're social: you're making friends, a virtual lifestyle, that is SO much more rewarding (discrete/measurable awards at that), and appealing than the Real World.
I literally spent 6 months in game. That's actively playing the game, logged in, leveling, crafting, etc. Not sitting idle on 'bazaar' or anything of that nature. The only times that I was logged in and not holding a controller or typing on the keyboard was when I was in the kitchen whipping something up, or (maybe) outside having a cigarette (but still eyes on the TV).
That was over a calendar period of 9 months. I spent 2/3rds of my life for the better part of a year plugged in to that game, sacrificing school, social life, and the only reason why I didn't explode was I barely ate enough to keep me alive.
'Addiction' can be a very abused term, however, in the case of MMORPGs, that's a lot of what drives them. You need to be 'addicted' in order to be successful.
The worst part is, I managed to keep my character well-equipped, and leveled up, and I never managed to make it to level 75 RDM. Burned out @ 73. Even had most all of the other jobs leveled up (every job to 10, lot of jobs to 20/25, and NIN, WHM, BLM, DRK, SMN all up to 40). Finally stepped back and said "Can't do this anymore."
Lot of my (then) non-gaming friends didn't understand, then started playing WoW. I still get hassled about not playing WoW with them (and now Age of Conan), but I know I have a problem and like any other addict (be it alcohol, or drugs), I know better than to tempt fate, because it will just suck me right back in.
The difference is, "normal" games have an END, and a "save state." I can mess with Gears, or Dead Rising, or almost any other game for a few hours, maybe even upwards of 16-20. I can knock Halo out 24 hours after launch, and it's done. It's finished. Or play through a 6-hour session of Blue Dragon and walk away, come back later. MMORPGs are persisting, you're missing out when you're not plugged in, and on top of that, they do NOT end.
What I don't like is that new games like Civilization Revolutions are being released for game consoles only and not the PC anymore. Way to go 2K, tick off all of the loyal PC users who bought Civ 4, Civ 4: Warlords, and Civ 4: Beyond the Sword, only to be shut out of the new Civilization game in favor of the XBox 360, Nintendo DS, and Playstation 3. Civilization is better played on a keyboard and mouse not a game pad. It is a thinking game of strategy and tactics, not some "shoot 'em up" high action game console video game
The chief reason is dollars. Developers are having a hard time making back even initial investments on games due to piracy on both sides of the deal. Either the games they release get pirated (and they don't get the cash from sales), or they spend money on DRM that only ends up breaking the majority of the time (and they lose cash from potential sales). Also take into account the install base for your target audience (i.e. High-End graphics cards sold vs. Console bought) and the math argues for itself.
Console gaming has really (in essence) surpassed PC gaming for the first time. The only chief difference is control scheme (no keyboard/mouse), and ease of use/installation (throw the disk in and your done). The latest-generation consoles pretty regularly push graphics and gameplay almost as well as top-end gaming rigs. As far as I am aware, the only PC-centric houses to make any money are the ones like Id that make a game to show off their new engine, sell some copies on top of that, then later sell the rights to other developers (who usually end up making console titles with it).
The cycle used to be release a game on PC, then dumb it down for console play. Now the course has been reversed, you release a hit on a console (Halo, Gears of War, Bioshock), make tons of money (between sales as well as exclusivity), then add a little icing to the cake by throwing it out to PC gamers.
Congrats PC gamers, you just became the Mac Gamers that we used to make fun of.
Wow .. you just described my absolute hatred of Apple and their philosophy.
What you have here is two distict, yet separate groups:
The idiot-proof, lowest-common-denominator, who wants things to work (and simply).
The more adventurous, possibly more knowledgeable individuals who like options.
I will NEVER purchase an iAnything. Why? Because I like to tweak, tinker, and have options. That's why I have an 8GB Nokia that uses a standard USB port to talk to any computer (and the phone says "What do you want me to be? A USB HDD? Maybe Sync with your phone software? How about a normal MP3 player?"), a Creative Zen for MP3s/Videos on the go, and a PC.
The problem with a locked-down, "Do it our way only" philosophy is it encourages laziness and contentment. How many of us got curious, or felt adventurous enough, to tinker with something technological (broken or not) just to figure out how it works (or even make it better or more suited to our needs)? Which, through trial and error, only encouraged us to venture out further and learn even more when our curiousity was piqued? If we never had the oportunity to break something or toy with the horizons on our own, we'd never be as knowledgeable in a technological fashion as we are. (Referring here to fellow /.'ers).
I don't know if it has changed, but about 2 years ago my computer's system drive took a nosedive (and the few iTunes Mp3s I actually bought went with it.)
Just took a phone call, and they re-authorized re-downloading of my pre-purchased music. All it took was my account information (which didn't change) and about 10-15 minutes on the phone. I also seem to recall that that was my "one-time" that you can use in the instance of catastrophic loss in regards to iTunes. I personally loathe anything having to do with the Apple Philosophy, but their customer service was spot-on in this instance.
Yea .. because shedding blood, sweat, and tears is not considered anything extra.
.. maybe it timeouts, maybe it connects .. etc. etc. This is all on a decent gaming rig (4 GB Ram, Intel P4 Extreme, SATA RAID 5)
.. I can fire up my 360 Elite (10 Secs), Fire up Halo 3 (10 Secs to Menu), Start Matchmaking, and be sitting in a lobby with 5 other lunatics (between 5 seconds and a few minutes) .. all for $400 and an extra $50 a year.
Granted, I don't have a PS3, so I'm operating from heresay, but from what I understand it isn't much better than PC MP gaming is.
I've been playing multiplayer online PC Gaming since Doom 2 (yes, over a damn modem). While I have always enjoyed it, and I didn't complain about it much at the time, it was a royal pain in the ass, and required a pretty hefty investment of time/energy/stress to get working now.
For example: I want to play some UT. So I boot my box (1-2 Mins), Log in to XP and let THAT boot (depending on current config, another 1-3 Mins), then load the game, then dig up the server list, then wait for it to populate, then try to jump in a game
Or
Add in voice chat, text messaging, etc. etc. all with pretty much no hassles, and it's pretty damn worth the extra $5 a month.
It's not often I get mod points, but when I do I try to adhere to the guidelines.
.. until I read that last line. Not the crack about Halo, but what followed.
.. they should have a "Know When to Quit +/- 0" Moderation Option, IMHO.
You made a very insightful and poignant point, which I had every intention of modding up
Insightful + Flamebait = 0
I bought her a DS for Christmas last year (she was 5 turning 6 in January) and she had limited reading skill, i.e. if you forced her to practice she could do it, but wasn't really excited about it.
It was a bit text-heavy but she was still bright enough to play through Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom. She absolutely loved it, and only occasionally would ask me or her mother to read what was being said between objectives. Plus, she eventually got to the point where she would make a really honest effort at it herself.
I was working at Gamestop at the time, and actually took her to the store to try out a few different games we had in the used shelves, and by far and away she loved all the different incarnations of Spongebob.
And why not Queen amoung Men. Insensitive Homophobe. =)
That's a matter of opinion. And I am definitely one of those that don't agree with paying a buck for a track that I have to lose a blank CD-R on in order to stick it on my Nomad, or my Cell Phone, or anything else that isn't owned by Apple.
.mp3 sites that charges a dime a song. And anytime I encounter a song that I want that I hear on the radio, or at a bar/club, or any other avenue, that is exactly the first place I try and track that thing down (yes, even before TPB or isohunt or anywhere else). I've probably spent about $50 total on that site over the years (only because I had a pretty healthy music collection already, and rarely encountered things that I didn't want/need).
.. that is the only time I've actually paid for music in probably close to 10 years. I used to blow $100-$200 a month on physical disks, but that time is well past.
.. I almost guarantee that more than 500,000 people will pay a dime for that same track. At this point you're just looking at bandwidth.
I payed out $10.00 up front a long time ago to one of those Russian
Honestly, except for a FEW rare instances (few DVD-Audio Disks, few SACDs)
It's supply/demand scale of economics. The supply online FOR FREE is vast, and the demand for music is also high. iTunes only works because there are a LOT of tech un-savvy people out there that love their iPods, and it is a simple, closed system that (tends) to work. Give it 5-10 more years - how many kids do you know that buy music on iTunes exclusively? A lot of them are little tech geniuses, and they will end up like me - find a price point/DRM solution that they can live with, or go spit.
If you drop the prices in an online store, and I guarantee while piracy won't drop off the map completely, it will decline sharply. People aren't paying for music anymore; people are paying to avoid the pain in the ass it would be to get the music for free.
And another thing that comes to mind about that price point: Lowering the cost of entry increases the number of people able to cross that boundry. 50,000 people will pay a buck a song for a decent track
Hear that programmers? A GIRL GAMER! Get to being innovative, original and risky! On the double! We need to cultivate this trend so we can camp out in the chair/couch along with them instead of being yelled at!
Plenty of great 2-D games on Arcade all original .. suprised no one has mentioned them yet.
.. all under 50MB, not including the re-releases of old classics. And there's still a plethora of great 2D Flash games for free all over the internet. Plus the achievements drive me to play them (and re-play them) more than any other 2D game has before. I can honestly say that I haven't touched any of the Mario Bros. games after completion unless it was for nostalgia.
Aegis Wing - 2d Shooter for free dreamed up by a team of interns.
Alien Hominid - not just fun side-scroller but with a fantastic art style.
Heavy Weapon - Cute 2d shooter with a nice sense of humor.
Small Arms - Smash Bros.-esque multiplayer fighter with guns.
Those are just the ones I've played
It seems that the only two major nations that have EVER had an issue with violence/sex/etc. are the US and the UK. (Ironically enough, both English as national language)
.. but hasn't Japanese Anime (and Hentai) been around for quite some time? They don't seem to have the "Games and Cartoons are for Kids" mental deficiency that the Western cultures have falsely assumed. Isn't public nudity commonly acceptable in other countries such as France? Don't other countries allow public broadcast of material that any US broadcaster shivers to even think about airing before "bedtime?"
.. that the problem isn't the content (mature or not) but the viewpoint? It's funny how we pride ourselves on our 1st Amendment rights, and all the "freedoms" that we have (at least in the US), yet there are so many damn people and watchdogs that want to make our decisions for us? Doesn't seem like any other countries are falling apart due to the heathen devil morality prevalent in their societies (or lack thereof).
I may very well be wrong, and I am rather young (almost 30)
When is the truth going to come to frution
Not to be a hater, but Sony needs a killer game period. You said it yourself: "Heavenly Sword was great, but that's come and gone." Killer games stick around for a long time.
Gears of War is a great example. It dethroned Halo 2 on the Xbox Live usage charts, and even after a full year of release, it's still sitting up there. Halo 3 will probably do the same.
Wii owners are STILL playing Wii Sports, a game that was packed in with the console. I've been to parties where non-gamers just hang out, drink, and take turns (or run winners stay/losers pay arcade situations) on Wii Tennis all night.
That's why the 360 and the Wii are doing so well: They have games with staying power and appeal. Sony has shot themselves in the foot so many times this generation (PR/Hubris pre-launch, delays, big pricetag, rumble drama, pretty but short games with no replayability) that they hamstrug themselves before the machine even released. Add to that no real games worth owning (i.e. with Staying Power) and that's the bottom-line reason why the console is failing.
No .. the network needs aren't any different. You just don't have a clue.
.. I have a network at home with 4 adults, and 7 bandwidth-sucking devices. Three of them use Bittorrent so I have P2P traffic throttled, and all 7 of them have at least 1 port assignment at almost all times.
All UPnP (Correctly capitalized) does is automate the process you're using to play WC3, whithout having to bother you with port assignments. And if you've ever exectued your "Test Network Settings" dialog in your 360, your network would have been classified accordingly (along with a descriptor). Also you can dig up the ports that Live wants opened on Xbox's site. They're mostly used for voice communication and matchmaking.
Also, I suppose that using BitTorrent (which tends to "throw everything under a UPnP umbrella) would be an issue for you as well, but you'll have to figure out port assignments for that yourself.
UPnP is pretty handy
I camped out for my launch PS2. I loved it and was a dedicated Sony Fanboi.
.. if they can get it off the ground and working as promised, then I'll definitely tip my hat and say "Yep, Sony crushed Live." However, looking at thier track record, I'm not holding my breath.
Then I watched as hubris overtook, and turned my back on them (as I felt that they did to me). I continued to listen to the "PR Speak" and "Marketing" and refused to believe them, and I've saved myself $600 in the process.
We've tread over this path before: Sony has been ALL about "selling the technology" and giving consumers the "sound bite," but they've cried "wolf" too many times for this gamer to swallow the bait.
Does Home sound awesome? You betcha
Also, it has been proven time and time again that Might =/= Success. Look at every "advanced" platform that delivered the goods: They all lost to less "muscled" machiens. Turbo-Graphics had superior graphics, sound, and a CD-ROM add-on during the cartridge-based days, and they were crushed. Same story with 3D0. Similiar story with Neo-Geo. In the game industry, the baddest machine ends up costing the most, and ends up left in the wake of the others.
One other thing to consider: Microsoft may be the devil, but in regards to the 360 and Live, they have been incredibly smart. They make promises, AND deliver on them, or they don't say anything and just surprise people. They also aren't going to sit still and watch Sony (or Nintendo) just pass them by, especially in regards to online. When it comes to online implementation, they are the platform to beat (and the bar to be measured against) at least for this generation. They threw down the gauntlet when the 360 launched, and no one has been able to touch them in the online functionality.
Ok .. this is supposed to be a shock?
Let's name off a few "big-seller" franchises:
Xbox360 - Gears of War, Halo, Bioshock, Crackdown
PS3 - Resistance, Lair (yea they didn't sell, but bear with me)
Wii - Mario, Zelda, Metroid
Aside from Nintendo 1st-party, almost every big-selling has been rated M. Also, look at marketing dollars, most all spent on M-rated games. Microsoft and Sony push M-rated titles, publishers push M-rated titles, so that's what sells.
The only franchises that sell that aren't M-rated that I can recall hearing about through advertising or word-of-mouth are any of the Nintendo 1st-party, or EA's sports lineup, or PS's platformers (Jak and Ratchet)
This isn't like the movie industry, where they will make a big summer movie targeted as PG-13. Most of the "big" games are designed from the ground-up to be rated M. Those get the buzz, those get pushed, and those are the ones that get sold. It's all about supply, demand, and marketing.
Here's a fun game: Quick, list off the first 5 successful games/franchises that come to mind. I'll go first:
Metal Gear
Final Fantasy
Halo
GTA
Zelda
3 rated M, an RPG, and a 1st-party Nintendo game. That's 60% right there.
360 will dominate, and the Wii will do even better if they can get manufacturing online. Plus, you have Metroid that just came out, Smash Brothers coming out, and Mario Galaxy/Mario Kart (with online play) right around the corner.
I don't understand it at all
When are Sony's developers going to realize that open areas, and/or varied encounters through intelligent AI = successful FPS? Halo 2 wasn't THAT pretty, and it still sold through the nose.
Just a matter of time: http://www.whorelore.com/ (Not work safe)
.. forget mainstream TV .. I can't recall the last time a video game inspired a porn series. (And it seems that Blizzard got pissed and had them change the name from "World of Whorecraft")
Seriously
Not just the size of the user base, mind you, but the demographic.
.. that particular group of friends gave me no end of grief about playing a damn game (and an MMO at that) instead of being sociable (read: Getting drunk and smoking pot).
.. I swore off MMOs)
WoW was the first video game medium to tap in to the "non-gamers" on such a large scale. I remember when I was addicted to FFXI and even had it installed on my then-girlfriends laptop so I could grind levels while we were just hanging out at friend's houses socially (yes, addicted)
Cut to less than two years later, and EVERY one of them (and their girlfriends) are playing WoW and trying to talk me into getting into the game. To this day I can call them looking for something to do on a Friday night and the response I usually get is "Sorry, this is the only night that we can get together to make a run on X." (I think it's Molten Core
Both Blizzard and Nintendo have figured out that the "hardcore gamer" segment is just that, and they have expanded and tapped into the mainstream market. Meanwhile, Sony and (to a lesser extent Microsoft) are busy playing catch-up. Since when (before South Park) has a specific video-game been considered a pop-culture reference? (Maybe Pac-Man, but not in a LONG while).
Why is this statement modded troll? It's a valid point.
OP isn't necessarily mocking the PS3, merely stating the trend:
Resistance - Exclusive - Not so hot.
Lair - Exclusive - Reviewed Horribly.
Heavenly Sword - Exclusive - Not so hot.
Whereas the multi-platform games aren't doing too bad (I can't quote figures, but didn't Oblivion and Madden do alright?). I'd say that the "PS3 Exclusive Kiss of Death" theory so far holds water. I don't know about Ninja Gaiden Sigma, how's that been doing?
That's the point .. they don't want you to have 3 consoles, 3 portables and a computer. That's the hardcore gamer segment. Mr. Reggie was quoted pre-launch last year as saying something along the lines of "We're not in competition with those guys [Microsoft & Sony].
They want to pull a Nintendo. They don't care about what consoles you may/may not own, so long as you keep spending money on THEIR console/software/peripherals.
The one benefit multiple consoles bring to bear is competition and forced innovation, same as any industry. If not for AMD/Intel, NVidia/ATI, Sega/Nintendo, etc. etc. tech growth would not be nearly as fast as it has been. Unfortunately, the N-Gage has yet to have an impact as a competitor to the portable market (which is why people would rather buy a PSP or DS and game on those in addition to toting around a phone, instead of using an all-in-one device.)
If Nokia could make a killer must-have gaming experience on a mobile phone that generates an interest in the market, watch the other players line up for thier share.
For the sake of background .. I can honestly attest to the fact that horror movies and even haunted houses have maybe made me "jump" at most a dozen times combined during my lifetime.
However .. Bioshock nailed me quite a few times. Playing through the game on hard (and then again on easy for achievements) .. even the second time around it still caught me.
The first time I experienced what might be classified as "dread" and "horror" was honestly when my roommate insisted that I tried harvesting the little girl instead of rescuing her. Not only did I feel remorse about even contemplating the action, but once it got underway it really got to me. (I still almost can't stand listening to them cry over fallen Big Daddies) .. when you get to the Orphanage later on in the game .. let's just say the decor in some of those rooms really got to me.
The other notable experience I had was in Fort Frolic .. fair warning: Not much of a spoiler but maybe an experience you might not want to lose follows.
I was running around in a downstairs room that was flooded. Throughout the level there are a lot of what I can only describe as "statues" of dead people in different poses, but they look like they have been frosted white. I was creeping through this room (and the game is brilliant for that alone .. you don't run and gun this ride), and completely ignoring these statues (I knew them to be benign .. I already finished the level and was hunting down things after the fact) .. I tracked down an item in the corner and when I turned around some of the statues had disappeared. I wondered a bit about it, then made my way out when I heard a splash behind me (5.1 sound) .. I spun around and nothing was there. Turns out some of the "Spider Slicers" that I thought were inanimate were anything but .. it was freaky. Later on in the level I spotted a few of them crawling around on the ceilings in another area .. just creeping away from me (even after taking a few potshots).
Y'know .. i picked up one a few weeks back, and I have actually yet to try to test this out for certain.
.. but I can't confirm that its putting out 720p over HDMI .. but I'm tempted to say that it is (course that could be just component vs. HDMI).
.. needless to say the difference was rather dramatic.
I do know that DVDs look great (at least 480p) in the Elite, and they actually do look a bit better on the HD Drive
My roommate and I did get bored and decided to set up my 720p Native LCD (Elite/HDMI/HD Drive) next to his 1080i HDTV (Upscaling DVD Player/DVI) and we synched up The Matrix (DVD vs. HD DVD)
Something I'll have to double-check later on tonight and verify.