Honestly, I don't think I can agree with any of the three major points brought up in this article. I wish I could as the article is well written and the author has clearly given this some serious thought. But the points he chooses to make are remarkably weak. The only somewhat strong point he makes is in regards to the familiarity of the fantasy genre and the mythology it represents. Even that is easily bested by the modern mythologies of Star Wars and Star Trek, which many if not most people in western cultures would more readily recognize than say, Norse Mythology.
An easy example would be to ask the average man on the street "Who is Obi Wan Kenobi?" and "Who is Gandalf"? I guarantee you that more people will be able to tell you who Obi Wan is than Gandalf, despite both characters being essentially the same thing. (in a literary sense) and both being part of very famous modern mythology franchises.
However, I will concede that fantasy is more accessible in the sense that it is easier for the average person to imagine themselves wielding a sword while wearing armor than it is to imagine themselves flying a spaceship. Heck, I could go out and rent some armor and a sword right now if I wanted. A spaceship? not so much. So that point is conceded, but only partially.
The rest of the points are pedantic and weak. Naming conventions? As other posters have pointed out, Fantasy naming conventions are just as poor and nonsensical. Complexity? Have you ever heard of Earth and Beyond? Not only did it have a great name (very easily implies space travel) but it had a simple and intuitive skills/class/race system that was, in many respects, easier than the WoW one. The interface was well designed (for it's day) and simple to use, and the progression was logical and easy to understand. Crafting was available and plentiful, and one could level up steadily without getting bored. Essentially, EnB was Everquest or WoW, in space. We can all see how well THAT concept did.
Where EnB failed is where most MMO's fail. There wasn't a compelling End Game for people that advanced quickly, and advancement was too easy and too grind-oriented. In the end, most of the players ground through the game in 3 months, got bored and quit. Without a PVP-Centric End Game where other players bring the challenge, re-rolling a new character was just an invitation to run through the same incomplete backstory from a slightly different POV. To put it another way, the Strengths of Fantasy MMO's are precisely the weaknesses of Sci-Fi MMO's. To try to make a Fantasy MMO set is space is to invite the EnB curse.
I think I can honestly say that THIS is the point where Apple has officially lost it's marbles. The issues here are many, but I will list a few:
1) Non-removable battery - This is clearly the biggest issue of them all. Laptop batteries die ALL THE TIME, and some (in the recent Dell debacle) explode! Forcing people to take their Macbook Pro to an Apple store or mail it to an Apple service center just to replace a dead battery is a logistic, customer service and PR nightmare waiting to happen. It's one thing to mail in a tiny iPod. A 5 pound 17 in laptop is another matter entirely. And that doesn't even address the road warriors who like to carry an extra battery for very long trips when they will be away from an outlet for long periods. Not to mention the fact that advertised battery life and real-world battery life never ever ever match. Ever.
2) Matte screen option costs extra money. - Glossy/matte screens have been freebie options on PC's for years now. Why does Apple feel the need to charge for something everyone else will give you for free?
3) General price issues with Apple product line. - Apple has not kept pace with the rest of the computing market in terms of price. While they started out at a price parity to PC's when they switched to the Intel x86 architecture for their machines, they have artificially held up their prices in comparison to how PC laptop prices have declined in the face of competition form low-priced netbooks. This has left Apple in the position it held during the 80's and 90's where Apple's equipment would cost as much as double that of a comparable competitor's equipment. Since it was price parity combined with superior product that allowed Apple to benefit from the ties ins from iPod sales, sacrificing that parity position is not only offensive to consumers, but confusing from a business marketing standpoint as well. I personally think that if this continues their market share will decline back to a position near where it was back in the early-mid 90's, perhaps slightly higher due to iPod and iPhone sales.
4) 17 inch monstrosity in the age of Netbooks. - As other posters here have wondered, why in the world would Apple spend so much time focusing on slimming down a desktop-replacement laptop, but seemingly spend no time at all on releasing an inexpensive netbook Apple to compete with the PC netbooks that are eating into Apples market share?
5) Desktop replacement laptop with no docking capability - Why even bother creating a laptop designed to stay at a desk, and then leave it no easy way to connect to Apple's gigantic monitors and many accessories without manually plugging and unplugging all of said items? From a design standpoint it makes no sense, from a marketing and sales standpoint it's a huge accessory sales opportunity lost. Yet another nonsensical decision.
Just based on these 5 items alone, I think I can safely say that if Apple does not seriously reconsider the new Macbook Pro design and pricing, that this Macbook will be a general failure and an albatross around their necks. Hopefully not, but I don't see any way this poorly thought-out machine can be successful.
Why in the world would they reinvent the wheel when apps like Capsuleer are already so far along and heading in most definitely the right direction?! "
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Well, I would imagine that the idea would eventually to allow limited interaction with the game servers themselves. one of the things players have been asking for since EVE launched is the ability to change skill trains when away from your gaming machine. IE: through a web interface or some kind of third party program.
The EVE developers have been resistant to this idea for a whole host of very logical reasons (not the least of which is massive security holes that poorly written apps could cause). But this partnerships shows that they also see the logic in having these types of apps available and may be looking for a secure method of allowing limited live game interaction outside an EVE client.
It's news stories like this that remind me of just how far ahead the EVE developers are when compared to other MMO developers. Even the much-vaunted WOW Devs aren't this forward-thinking. it makes me proud (in a small way) to be a part of such a great game (as a player).
In regards to the last chart, I think that people need to keep in mind differences between EvE and WOW as far as playing mechanics.
WOW rewards users with faster advancement by playing longer. the more you play, the faster you level up. It's a traditional feature of many MMO's.
EVE uses a completely different mechanic, the "Skill Training" mechanic whereby you learn to do different things by training the skill. (IE: Learning to use afterburners on your starship by training the "afterburners" skill, or learning to use small lasers by training the "small lasers" skill, etc.)
The training is automatic once started, and even trains when offline. So there is no need to spend hours and hours and hours grinding rats (or whatever) to level up. Thus, one would naturally expect people to have less raw hours online. While still a very hardcore game, EVE rewards people for playing SMART, not for playing LONG.
So please keep that in mind when looking at the last chart.
Any word on whether they have toned down the invasive DRM in 7? Honestly, that's what's keeping me from using Vista (That, and the stupidly bloated size of Vista and the numerous other issues it's got.) I've been moving slowly to Ubuntu (from XP) for most of my tasks, but since I keep several machines anyway,. I'd like to have a Win one around, if only to keep my PC ecosystem variegated.
I noticed that. Cute tie-in with the current marketing campaign. (I've always said, Microsoft may not be perfect, but they can market something like nobody else on earth!)
Was it just me, or did that netbook look like it had a glossy BROWN lid? If that's true, Ubuntu 8.10 or the upcoming 9.04 would look DEAD SEXY on that, what with the matching color schemes and all.
MUST... RESIST... FLYING... TO... LONDON... TO ... GOATSE... THE... RESTAURANT....
GAH!!!
Ok, I'm better now. Whew!
In all seriousness, how long do you think it will take for someone to break into the restaurant's system and replace all the backgrounds with porn or, scat, or other nasty pics?
Video: The first (televised) kiss between robots
Aug 25th 2009 9:12AM (Engadget)wait for some girlbot on girlbot action ;)
how about one that the girlbots exchange oils ;) ehh ehhhhhh?????"
Heh, "Two Girlbots, One Oilcan" ?
With friends like these: What sci-fi has, and doesn't have, going for it
Apr 8th 2009 8:51AM (Massively)An easy example would be to ask the average man on the street "Who is Obi Wan Kenobi?" and "Who is Gandalf"? I guarantee you that more people will be able to tell you who Obi Wan is than Gandalf, despite both characters being essentially the same thing. (in a literary sense) and both being part of very famous modern mythology franchises.
However, I will concede that fantasy is more accessible in the sense that it is easier for the average person to imagine themselves wielding a sword while wearing armor than it is to imagine themselves flying a spaceship. Heck, I could go out and rent some armor and a sword right now if I wanted. A spaceship? not so much. So that point is conceded, but only partially.
The rest of the points are pedantic and weak. Naming conventions? As other posters have pointed out, Fantasy naming conventions are just as poor and nonsensical. Complexity? Have you ever heard of Earth and Beyond? Not only did it have a great name (very easily implies space travel) but it had a simple and intuitive skills/class/race system that was, in many respects, easier than the WoW one. The interface was well designed (for it's day) and simple to use, and the progression was logical and easy to understand. Crafting was available and plentiful, and one could level up steadily without getting bored. Essentially, EnB was Everquest or WoW, in space. We can all see how well THAT concept did.
Where EnB failed is where most MMO's fail. There wasn't a compelling End Game for people that advanced quickly, and advancement was too easy and too grind-oriented. In the end, most of the players ground through the game in 3 months, got bored and quit. Without a PVP-Centric End Game where other players bring the challenge, re-rolling a new character was just an invitation to run through the same incomplete backstory from a slightly different POV. To put it another way, the Strengths of Fantasy MMO's are precisely the weaknesses of Sci-Fi MMO's. To try to make a Fantasy MMO set is space is to invite the EnB curse.
MacBook Pro 17-inch first hands-on (update: video added)
Jan 6th 2009 3:05PM (Engadget)1) Non-removable battery - This is clearly the biggest issue of them all. Laptop batteries die ALL THE TIME, and some (in the recent Dell debacle) explode! Forcing people to take their Macbook Pro to an Apple store or mail it to an Apple service center just to replace a dead battery is a logistic, customer service and PR nightmare waiting to happen. It's one thing to mail in a tiny iPod. A 5 pound 17 in laptop is another matter entirely. And that doesn't even address the road warriors who like to carry an extra battery for very long trips when they will be away from an outlet for long periods. Not to mention the fact that advertised battery life and real-world battery life never ever ever match. Ever.
2) Matte screen option costs extra money. - Glossy/matte screens have been freebie options on PC's for years now. Why does Apple feel the need to charge for something everyone else will give you for free?
3) General price issues with Apple product line. - Apple has not kept pace with the rest of the computing market in terms of price. While they started out at a price parity to PC's when they switched to the Intel x86 architecture for their machines, they have artificially held up their prices in comparison to how PC laptop prices have declined in the face of competition form low-priced netbooks. This has left Apple in the position it held during the 80's and 90's where Apple's equipment would cost as much as double that of a comparable competitor's equipment. Since it was price parity combined with superior product that allowed Apple to benefit from the ties ins from iPod sales, sacrificing that parity position is not only offensive to consumers, but confusing from a business marketing standpoint as well. I personally think that if this continues their market share will decline back to a position near where it was back in the early-mid 90's, perhaps slightly higher due to iPod and iPhone sales.
4) 17 inch monstrosity in the age of Netbooks. - As other posters here have wondered, why in the world would Apple spend so much time focusing on slimming down a desktop-replacement laptop, but seemingly spend no time at all on releasing an inexpensive netbook Apple to compete with the PC netbooks that are eating into Apples market share?
5) Desktop replacement laptop with no docking capability - Why even bother creating a laptop designed to stay at a desk, and then leave it no easy way to connect to Apple's gigantic monitors and many accessories without manually plugging and unplugging all of said items? From a design standpoint it makes no sense, from a marketing and sales standpoint it's a huge accessory sales opportunity lost. Yet another nonsensical decision.
Just based on these 5 items alone, I think I can safely say that if Apple does not seriously reconsider the new Macbook Pro design and pricing, that this Macbook will be a general failure and an albatross around their necks. Hopefully not, but I don't see any way this poorly thought-out machine can be successful.
CCP Games aims to extend EVE Online to iPhone and mobile phones
Jan 1st 2009 9:19AM (Massively)Why in the world would they reinvent the wheel when apps like Capsuleer are already so far along and heading in most definitely the right direction?! "
------------
Well, I would imagine that the idea would eventually to allow limited interaction with the game servers themselves. one of the things players have been asking for since EVE launched is the ability to change skill trains when away from your gaming machine. IE: through a web interface or some kind of third party program.
The EVE developers have been resistant to this idea for a whole host of very logical reasons (not the least of which is massive security holes that poorly written apps could cause). But this partnerships shows that they also see the logic in having these types of apps available and may be looking for a secure method of allowing limited live game interaction outside an EVE client.
It's news stories like this that remind me of just how far ahead the EVE developers are when compared to other MMO developers. Even the much-vaunted WOW Devs aren't this forward-thinking. it makes me proud (in a small way) to be a part of such a great game (as a player).
GamerDNA's Year in review pt. 2
Dec 31st 2008 10:10AM (Massively)WOW rewards users with faster advancement by playing longer. the more you play, the faster you level up. It's a traditional feature of many MMO's.
EVE uses a completely different mechanic, the "Skill Training" mechanic whereby you learn to do different things by training the skill. (IE: Learning to use afterburners on your starship by training the "afterburners" skill, or learning to use small lasers by training the "small lasers" skill, etc.)
The training is automatic once started, and even trains when offline. So there is no need to spend hours and hours and hours grinding rats (or whatever) to level up. Thus, one would naturally expect people to have less raw hours online. While still a very hardcore game, EVE rewards people for playing SMART, not for playing LONG.
So please keep that in mind when looking at the last chart.
Video: Windows 7 Device Stage on Eee PC S101 running dual-core Atom
Nov 6th 2008 9:51AM (Engadget)Video: Windows 7 Device Stage on Eee PC S101 running dual-core Atom
Nov 6th 2008 9:46AM (Engadget)Was it just me, or did that netbook look like it had a glossy BROWN lid? If that's true, Ubuntu 8.10 or the upcoming 9.04 would look DEAD SEXY on that, what with the matching color schemes and all.
London restaurant claims fame with touch-sensitive tables, colorful menu projectors
Oct 8th 2008 12:48PM (Engadget)GAH!!!
Ok, I'm better now. Whew!
In all seriousness, how long do you think it will take for someone to break into the restaurant's system and replace all the backgrounds with porn or, scat, or other nasty pics?
WowWee's Femisapien gets reviewed, does want to play forever and ever
Jul 30th 2008 12:34PM (Engadget)(Yes, gross, I know. But if you don't think interest in that is out there you are sorely naive.)
WowWee's Femisapien gets reviewed, does want to play forever and ever
Jul 30th 2008 12:23PM (Engadget)IE: Bitchy, whiny, over-emotional, illogical, and self-centered.