It was just ok. Given that Battlestar was the last finale I watched, it handled similar material in a much better way. Given the terrible ways it could have ended, it was good enough. Some people will be mad that some questions were never answered, and I would have been happier if the last episode focused more on the island than the survivors, but really, given how they didn't have an ending written when they started the series, they did a fairly good job of cleanup.
Console History Fail. I just threw away my initial Xbox Live Starter Kit disc with MechWarrior on it. It came with a headset. I believe it cost me about $40 (I worked at a game store at the time). I bought it when I started playing halo 2 online. There was no silver subscription service at the time, that was created with the 360 so that MS could sell digital downloads to people who didn't subscribe to XBL. Before the Xbox Marketplace on the 360, there was no functional reason to have a silver account.
Believe it or not, the xbox having a built in LAN connection (and not allowing dial up connections) was a big deal at the time for consoles. PS2's network adapter was expensive, and other consoles only had phone-jacks. Microsoft screws up a lot, but that first xbox was pretty revolutionary with some of the features it had.
Not going well? The latest achievement was launching the crew module 0-600 mph in under 2 seconds to get away from any potential failure, not to mention the sucessfuly test launch about 2 months ago.
Exactly. EA's project $10 worked great! However, this might be the bridge too far. Taking the multiplayer out of a used SPORTS GAME would sort of like taking the Multiplayer out of Team Fortress 2, where the majority of people will be spending their time. I don't think EA would be as dumb as to remove all multiplayer from sports games, but to add things like Season support and playoffs would ADD value to people who bought new (or bought the addon). We'll see what they finally pull out of the main game when it's played used.
I think EA is trying to kill the Console used game market. PC games are already hard enough to get rid of (many stores will not buy them at all, and if they do they don't pay much for them). This is thanks to each individual game having different activation codes. Not to mention that most PC games only DRM is a unique Serial code that you could just keep that code and sell the game.
Console games are the focus here, where the used games/traded games/friend sharing problem seriously hurts these developers. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, this is the best type of DRM scheme. The company charges you directly if you want to play more of that game even if you don't own the game. After all, if you're patient enough to borrow the game from a friend, you wouldn't have bought the game anyway. This is a better solution than any sort of draconian DRM scheme.
Or, if Friends really is as popular as its ratings showed it to be, charge $.50. Hell, charge $1.00. There's maybe 30 shows in the past 10 years that were worth $1 and episode, and friends might have been one of them, but really, Most shows that they're trying to squeeze $1 a pop out of just aren't worth it. And that's the other thing about ratings skew, When tv is free, it can easily be background noise. I've always wondered how many of those 24 million people were staring intently at their televisions while friends was on, and I think we're finding out with these for-pay shows.
I feel the same way about DVR/Downloading as well. What was really funny, was I called up comcrap the other day, begging for them to take my money so I could get HBO, and they wouldn't do it without having me Sign up for some $89.99 television package as well (with a Set top box and all the other garbage I don't need). I'd gladly pay for streaming online, just like I would through my Television Cable, but currently the market is failing me, so HBO (and whomever wants to deliver it to me) doesn't get my money. I mean, they'll get residuals when their shows are available on Netflix, but what a joke it is at this point in time.
Really, your numbers are ridiculous. I can imagine the grief you would feel if someone valued your output at such low numbers.
If 5 million viewers were watching each episode of my tv show, I'd be pleased as punch to get $.25 for each person. You've got to have a top notch piece of entertainment to make it worth a dollar or more an hour, and frankly, most television does not meet this standard. The studios need to recognize that only their top billed shows should be $1 (at most, even for HD), and everything else should either be dirt cheap or subscription based.
It affects the families of gamblers as they resort to lying, stealing, and other means of getting money so they can continue to gamble. It interferes with work.
1. Lying isn't inherently bad on its own.
2. There are laws against stealing already.
3. "other means of getting money", if they aren't illegal, are a problem how?
4. "It interferes with work", and they get fired. this doesn't affect me anymore than the guy who shows up drunk. In fact, it affects me less-so, considering the drunk guy could get me killed/injured.
There are laws to take care of the effects of gambling addiction. The addiction itself should not be outlawed.
What about when the rules become the art? The biggest example is Bioshock. When the construction of rules vs free will becomes the gameplay, how could that Not be art?
Same sort of mantra goes for Shadow of the Colossus. Most people I talked to who played the game felt burdened by the need to slaughter the Colossi. The Rules of playing the game were set up to invoke a feeling. The rules were not a way to "win". They were a way to envoke a feeling. Now, you can argue that game "Mechanics" such as the "grip meter" in shadow of the colossus is not art, but so what. That's like arguing that because art is done on a piece of paper instead of a canvas, it is not art.
The Article clearly states that any modding you do should not affect anybody else. Jailbreaking your iPad/phone shouldn't negatively affect other users, and apple should be able to lock you out of their ecosystem when you jailbreak your device. It's a value proposition. You can keep your nice walled garden, or you can take it out into the wasteland with all the issues and freedoms.
"Meanwhile my Microsoft console is doing a mandatory, 26 minute update before I can use Xbox Live this morning."
Holy crap. Even my NXE installation only took 15 minutes. Something is seriously borked with your connection to your XBOX. The USB Update yesterday took me perhaps 5 minutes.
As a PS3 owner, I would recommend against using one as a HTPC. I mean, you can find workarounds for almost everything (PlayOn for Hulu, Netflix Disc for Streaming Netflix, Tversity for serving to your PS3), but most of them are unweildy and the interface is garbage as a HTPC. There are cheaper ION nettops that have better interfaces and aren't as clumsy. The only thing that might change your
That "expanded Census" is not required to be filled out. It's an additional helpful, not manditory, collection of questions to help civil engineers and other groups with voluntary data.
"Broadband as a right" should be as much a right as guns are. If you want to buy a connection to the internet, you should be able to get one. If the government needs a $5 subsidy from all people connected to the internet to pay for such a right, it's about time. The internet is becoming such a backbone to society that we should view it like electricity or water or sewage.
Also, this isn't a "state run" plan. It's paying a tax to subsidize corporations to provide the service, much like landline phone companies are forced to provide cheap phone connections to those who can't pay.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html
Slashdot Mirror
It was just ok. Given that Battlestar was the last finale I watched, it handled similar material in a much better way. Given the terrible ways it could have ended, it was good enough. Some people will be mad that some questions were never answered, and I would have been happier if the last episode focused more on the island than the survivors, but really, given how they didn't have an ending written when they started the series, they did a fairly good job of cleanup.
*wjoosh.*
Console History Fail. I just threw away my initial Xbox Live Starter Kit disc with MechWarrior on it. It came with a headset. I believe it cost me about $40 (I worked at a game store at the time). I bought it when I started playing halo 2 online. There was no silver subscription service at the time, that was created with the 360 so that MS could sell digital downloads to people who didn't subscribe to XBL. Before the Xbox Marketplace on the 360, there was no functional reason to have a silver account.
Believe it or not, the xbox having a built in LAN connection (and not allowing dial up connections) was a big deal at the time for consoles. PS2's network adapter was expensive, and other consoles only had phone-jacks. Microsoft screws up a lot, but that first xbox was pretty revolutionary with some of the features it had.
Not going well? The latest achievement was launching the crew module 0-600 mph in under 2 seconds to get away from any potential failure, not to mention the sucessfuly test launch about 2 months ago.
High quality video here
Exactly. EA's project $10 worked great! However, this might be the bridge too far. Taking the multiplayer out of a used SPORTS GAME would sort of like taking the Multiplayer out of Team Fortress 2, where the majority of people will be spending their time. I don't think EA would be as dumb as to remove all multiplayer from sports games, but to add things like Season support and playoffs would ADD value to people who bought new (or bought the addon). We'll see what they finally pull out of the main game when it's played used.
I think EA is trying to kill the Console used game market. PC games are already hard enough to get rid of (many stores will not buy them at all, and if they do they don't pay much for them). This is thanks to each individual game having different activation codes. Not to mention that most PC games only DRM is a unique Serial code that you could just keep that code and sell the game.
Console games are the focus here, where the used games/traded games/friend sharing problem seriously hurts these developers. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, this is the best type of DRM scheme. The company charges you directly if you want to play more of that game even if you don't own the game. After all, if you're patient enough to borrow the game from a friend, you wouldn't have bought the game anyway. This is a better solution than any sort of draconian DRM scheme.
Or, if Friends really is as popular as its ratings showed it to be, charge $.50. Hell, charge $1.00. There's maybe 30 shows in the past 10 years that were worth $1 and episode, and friends might have been one of them, but really, Most shows that they're trying to squeeze $1 a pop out of just aren't worth it. And that's the other thing about ratings skew, When tv is free, it can easily be background noise. I've always wondered how many of those 24 million people were staring intently at their televisions while friends was on, and I think we're finding out with these for-pay shows.
I feel the same way about DVR/Downloading as well. What was really funny, was I called up comcrap the other day, begging for them to take my money so I could get HBO, and they wouldn't do it without having me Sign up for some $89.99 television package as well (with a Set top box and all the other garbage I don't need). I'd gladly pay for streaming online, just like I would through my Television Cable, but currently the market is failing me, so HBO (and whomever wants to deliver it to me) doesn't get my money. I mean, they'll get residuals when their shows are available on Netflix, but what a joke it is at this point in time.
If 5 million viewers were watching each episode of my tv show, I'd be pleased as punch to get $.25 for each person. You've got to have a top notch piece of entertainment to make it worth a dollar or more an hour, and frankly, most television does not meet this standard. The studios need to recognize that only their top billed shows should be $1 (at most, even for HD), and everything else should either be dirt cheap or subscription based.
Jesus, this was more informative than either the summary or the Article, and remarkably clear. Nice work.
"which makes it particularly inappropriate for the president to use."
Spare me the pearl clutching. Anybody who was paying attention knows that the tea-party used the term first.
If you can't think of a lie that was less harmful than the truth, you're only lying to yourself.
1. Lying isn't inherently bad on its own.
2. There are laws against stealing already.
3. "other means of getting money", if they aren't illegal, are a problem how?
4. "It interferes with work", and they get fired. this doesn't affect me anymore than the guy who shows up drunk. In fact, it affects me less-so, considering the drunk guy could get me killed/injured.
There are laws to take care of the effects of gambling addiction. The addiction itself should not be outlawed.
Agreed. Opening such activities to sunlight allows for better regulation and restrictions.
Glenn Also pointed to this story about how Obama would veto a budget bill if it included money to reinvestigate the 2001 anthrax attacks.
Transparency, this is not.
And no one who was paying attention to the original details of the story are surprised.
Google's Response:
The iPhone. You know, for kids!
What about when the rules become the art? The biggest example is Bioshock. When the construction of rules vs free will becomes the gameplay, how could that Not be art?
Same sort of mantra goes for Shadow of the Colossus. Most people I talked to who played the game felt burdened by the need to slaughter the Colossi. The Rules of playing the game were set up to invoke a feeling. The rules were not a way to "win". They were a way to envoke a feeling. Now, you can argue that game "Mechanics" such as the "grip meter" in shadow of the colossus is not art, but so what. That's like arguing that because art is done on a piece of paper instead of a canvas, it is not art.
The Article clearly states that any modding you do should not affect anybody else. Jailbreaking your iPad/phone shouldn't negatively affect other users, and apple should be able to lock you out of their ecosystem when you jailbreak your device. It's a value proposition. You can keep your nice walled garden, or you can take it out into the wasteland with all the issues and freedoms.
"Meanwhile my Microsoft console is doing a mandatory, 26 minute update before I can use Xbox Live this morning." Holy crap. Even my NXE installation only took 15 minutes. Something is seriously borked with your connection to your XBOX. The USB Update yesterday took me perhaps 5 minutes.
10 words refute your claim. Ahem...
"Nico, It's me, Roman, why don't you call me anymore?"
As a PS3 owner, I would recommend against using one as a HTPC. I mean, you can find workarounds for almost everything (PlayOn for Hulu, Netflix Disc for Streaming Netflix, Tversity for serving to your PS3), but most of them are unweildy and the interface is garbage as a HTPC. There are cheaper ION nettops that have better interfaces and aren't as clumsy. The only thing that might change your
Aaaand you just confused all of these kids.
That "expanded Census" is not required to be filled out. It's an additional helpful, not manditory, collection of questions to help civil engineers and other groups with voluntary data.
"Broadband as a right" should be as much a right as guns are. If you want to buy a connection to the internet, you should be able to get one. If the government needs a $5 subsidy from all people connected to the internet to pay for such a right, it's about time. The internet is becoming such a backbone to society that we should view it like electricity or water or sewage.
Also, this isn't a "state run" plan. It's paying a tax to subsidize corporations to provide the service, much like landline phone companies are forced to provide cheap phone connections to those who can't pay.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html