James

[color=#811C3A]I don't know why on earth you'd classify these people as "sellouts". Think about it. They are just average people who have gone in and auditioned to sing. They are singers/performers, rather than being instrumentalists or writers. The entire competition is about how well you can sing. So...if someone does well in that type of competition and they sing a song that someone else wrote, good for them. I mean, I'm not going to say that they are sellouts or something -- having a voice that people like and making money from your voice is equivalent to selling out? I don't get that. I'm not really a fan of these shows and I often find the music that the winner releases to be pretty awful (I absolutely loathed all of Guy's singles, for example). But that's not the point. He's singing, doing what he wants and making a living from it. Good for him.[/color]

[QUOTE=Blinky] DMC2 was relatively dissapointing as well.[/QUOTE] [color=#811C3A]Actually, I thought the first DMC was kinda disappointing. I've always found that franchise to be somewhat overrated, or at least, the first game anyway. I haven't played the sequels (due to the fact that I only slightly enjoyed the original). I think my biggest disappointment would have to be Enter the Matrix. Here you have an awesome film property with plenty of potential for a video game. And then you have an end product that is extremely rushed, unbalanced and uninspired. There are just so many things the game could have done - the combat could have blown every other game out of the water, but it didn't. It's a shame that it was an "official" game with actual filmed footage, because I think it's really a big blot on that whole franchise in terms of the play experience. So I'd have to say that Enter the Matrix has been my absolute biggest disappointment as far as games go. Donkey Kong 64 and Star Fox Adventures would have to come close though. SFA was by no means a total bomb of a game, I mean, it was better than a lot of the tripe that third parties put out each year. But for Rare's own standards, it was really awful. It felt lazy, despite the fact that so much attention had been paid to graphics and sound. The actual gameplay was so very repetitive and uninspired, which was a big disappointment. And DK64...where to begin? The collection aspect became ridiculous and it didn't even feel as fun as the DKC games. It just lots a lot of its charm and appeal, while simultaneously adding various frustrating elements. I really didn't enjoy it and I found it to be an overly-complex and messy experience.[/color]

[quote name='Misaki Mitsu][FONT=Palatino Linotype][COLOR=Red]tisk tisk tisk James. i dont think anyone here gets it. the producers of the game systems will not produce games for the older versions. so then by that, they make you buy the new game systems and buy the newer games. like now, you can not find the gameboy (original) games that havent been used before. okay so maybe you can find a few but they are limited. heck, soon we might have game consoles that we can just put over our heads (like the ones in .hack). America is already buying parts of the moon, so when we finally build a hotel up there, they can have houses. :: shoots the moon down ::"wheee!!" ::[/COLOR'][/FONT][/quote] [color=#811C3A]But your point is irrelevant. That's what I'm saying. What you are describing is natural. Of course companies won't continue to support old systems once they are no longer on retail shelves -- it makes no sense to do so. And consumers demand new product releases. If this process didn't happen we'd never get anything new. You can't expect companies to support redundant machines years and years after their release.[/color]

[QUOTE=Daermon_Nashabe]I would have to say that X-Box 2 will fail unless Microsoft adress the problems from the original X-Box like size, weight and other problems. I have to also say that the PSP because besides from a few extra features than the DS it is nothing big because it has no backward compatibility unlike the DS which allows the playing of GBA games. The X-Box relied on Halo to drive it at first and since Microsoft has denounced backward compatibility then the only games they can play are the ones for X-Box 2 not X-Box 1. That is my Rant on the consoles which will fail and PS3 may fail if they denounce Backward Compatibility. From the pits of Melbourne to bring the dirt on consoles, DN.[/QUOTE] [color=#811C3A]I'm not sure if backwards compatibility is the be-all and end-all. I mean, it's a nice feature, but I read a statistic a while ago which showed that few people actually play PSX games on PS2. I think the figure was below 30%, but I can't be certain at this point. If Microsoft can remove backwards compatibility but [i]add[/i] something else (or make the unit smaller/lighter/cheaper), then I think everyone can win out. Of course, Xbox's price is likely to drop once more before Xbox 2 comes out (and probably a few times after that). So I think that people will have plenty of chances to keep enjoying Xbox without necessarily investing in Xbox 2.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]The thing is, how do you define success? Microsoft has sold more Xbox consoles than Nintendo have sold GameCubes in North America, but Microsoft's Xbox division has made a net loss on their console business. Xbox Live and software publishing don't come close to making up the reported $5 billion or so that the division will have lost during the Xbox's lifespan (this figure was provided by Microsoft itself, by the way). Conversely, Nintendo is not a business that operates at a loss by choice. That is, they aren't in the "win their minds with one generation and their cash in the next" mindset. GameCube is profitable. Sizeably profitable. So you have to ask yourself, do you define success by sales numbers or profits? What good are higher sales if you've made a massive financial loss? The Xbox division cannot continue losing money forever. One day, it will have to turn itself around, or else it'll be a burden for stockholders. If Xbox 2 somehow [i]doesn't[/i] repair this problem, there's an increasing chance that Microsoft would kill off the entire division. Mind you, I'm not as skeptical as some people here; I don't think they have acknowledged Microsoft's strengths for the next generation. But nevertheless, I also believe that people are often taking in misconceptions about Nintendo's position.[/color]

[QUOTE=Misaki Mitsu][FONT=Book Antiqua][COLOR=Red] i didnt mean that Xbox will fail, it will just kinda have no more use. and as for building a disney land. its kinda like building a log cabin in your butt. its impossible. and you all dont get all "ya you can build a log cabin there" on me. [/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] [color=#811C3A]But by your logic, game companies would never produce new hardware...ever. There's a natural progression here. Xbox owners will continue to buy Xbox games, even after the successor is released. This is no different to what's happened with other platforms. And eventually, many of them will move to another system (be it Xbox 2 or something else).[/color]

[color=#811C3A]Hey now, people...let's not be too lethargic at our keyboards. I'm looking at you, yunasgrace, Yume Tenshi and icexfire. Your pinky doesn't have to move too far to hit the Shift key, you know. Just a reminder on post quality. Check our rules page for further info.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]And don't forget one critical point. GBA has a library of thousands of titles by now (including older GB games as well). Can you afford [i]all[/i] of those games? Probably not. What I'm saying is that even if GBA support died tomorrow, it's not as if there is nothing to buy. GBA probably has more variety than any game system ever made. I know that if I [i]only[/i] owned a GBA, I'd still be buying games years into the future, simply because I can't afford every good Game Boy game that comes along.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]I just wonder whether or not your objection actually relates to the cost factor itself, or because you simply don't want to reward Bush in any way. lol I mean, the figure isn't exactly small, but I have to admit that the cost was a lot smaller than what I'd expected. That is particularly due to the fact that far more frivolous events in the United States have incurred much higher costs.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]Did you object to President Clinton's second inauguration in the same way? I just thought I'd throw that in, lol. But really, I remember someone saying that America doesn't have royalty and that now and then, such events are good pageantry for the country. I tend to agree with that, I think it's nice to be able to celebrate the office of the presidency in such a way (rather than necessarily celebrating the actual president, who you may or may not disagree with). I imagine that much of the money went to security operations too, which seems reasonable. People would be whining about a lack of security if it'd been the other way around.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]I have to agree with Tony, in the sense that I don't really collect things just for the sake of collecting them. But I do tend to collect video games and (more recently) movie posters. I generally buy a pretty reasonable number of games, even though I hardly play many of them. But I like to own particular games, and I certainly enjoy them as much as I can. With movie posters, well, I really like framing them up and putting them on the walls. Some movie posters can be particularly gorgeous and I appreciate them as much as I would appreciate a painting or something. Right now I have about four very large Kill Bill posters and around five Matrix Reloaded posters (the latter thanks to the always-generous Adam). So, I still have a lot of framing to do, but I'll get there.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]I watched the entire thing on TV very late at night here - it was something I just didn't want to miss. Generally it was very good. I think this speech was Bush at his best; unfortunately, few of his dectractors really seem to watch his speeches. Most of them are reasonably good, but the inauguration speech really clearly laid out the drive behind spreading freedom and democracy (a compassionate message of tolerance rather than an imnperalist message). Of course, I am the very first in line when it comes to disagreeing with President Bush on a variety of issues. In one line he talked about pursuing freedom and leaving biggotry behind - unfortunately, President Bush has promoted some biggoted policies in his presidency. So he needs to take heed of his own advice a little there. However, on the whole, it was a brilliant speech, particularly the foreign policy component. I felt that it spoke to me in a personal way, considering that Australia would currently be part of the Japanese Empire had the United States not been drawn into WWII. I'm certainly glad that America is the world's superpower, rather than Japan or China.[/color]

[quote name='Baron Samedi][size=1]Just as another perspective to think about, I know that many people, no matter what kinds of linkage are sent their way, steadfastly refuse to read the Rules. I guess that could account for the amounts of threads lacking ratings. I just wonder if there could be another way to re-enforce the message about thread ratings. Perhaps in the Arena, the Reply box should have different text? Or an Alert could come up [simlar to PMs'] when you go to post a thread? I don't know, just some ideas.[/size][/quote] [color=#811C3A]That's the sort of thing I'd like to do. Although I must admit, thread ratings have been much less of a problem than I had originally thought -- most people, maybe 95%, are doing the right thing each time. So the message is getting through, as a result of heavy Moderator activity, no doubt.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]Also, I believe that Halo 2 was the second highest selling game of 2004 in the United States. Just another tidbit for you.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]Wow, that's very cool. Apparently I am a direct descendant of the poet Robert Burns. My aunt actually investigated this some years ago, by traveling to Scotland herself. Another aunt actually has one of his original publications - I had no idea about its existence until only a few years ago. It's quite amazing to see an actual book of that age. Other than that, I'm not really sure. I know that my grandfather opened the first pub in this state and I know that my great grandfather brought the very first race horse to Australia. So I guess those are reasonably big things, but I wouldn't say that either man is particularly famous (at least, not in general).[/color]

[color=#811C3A]Hm, I see. Perhaps the tree can offer some advice, but Aetheran still ultimately meets a Draconian. I'll have to work out how to angle that.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]Oops. In that case, I've made a mistake. My character isn't recruited by a Draconian but instead receives enlightenment from an enchanted tree. lol Hm. Perhaps I can edit it a little to factor that in. :blush: [/color]

[color=#811C3A]In my post, I tried to kinda tread my own path - to build on my sign-up and introduce a little tidbit about Gaia (ie: Pixies). I hope that's okay. I wanted to do something unique but to also keep in line with everything you guys have set out. I was going to show the meeting between my character and Lablanc, but I decided not to. Otherwise the post would have been twice as long, and that is just a pain to read.[/color]

[QUOTE=Charles]You're making the same error Chaos did, only it relates to a different platform. Each console has great unique software to offer. Chronicles of Riddick, The Knights Of the Old Republic series, Jade Empire, Ninja Gaiden, Rallisport, Project Gotham Racing, Fable, Otogi, etc. If you reply to this, you'll probably say that you have in fact played some of these titles (obviously Jade Empire won't be one since it's yet to be released) but I think it's safe to say that you've probably not fully experienced most of the great software the system has to offer. Played to their fullest, they offer a valuable experience in their own right. Just because I prefer a lot of the GameCube exclusives doesn't mean I'm disappointed with the Xbox by any means. There's nothing wrong with most members here being young and unable to afford all three consoles but it's simply ridiculous to list any of the three current home consoles on the market within this thread.[/QUOTE] [color=#811C3A]Absolutely. I really have to agree with that statement -- I think you've hit the nail on the head. Considering that we generally discuss games for a wide variety of systems here at OtakuBoards, it seems kind of strange to see such dismissals. I mean, I don't even own an Xbox and I can tell you that I've played quite a few great games for that system. Were it not for the fact that I can't afford all the games I want for GameCube and PS2, I'd have bought an Xbox long ago. Xbox has plenty of current and future titles that I'm really looking forward to owning eventually. So, maybe in terms of disappointments, we are all disappointed with one system or another for whatever reason. But generally I don't know if I can accept it when someone outright says that one system doesn't include [i]any[/i] games that they'd want to play. Each system has its own share of everything from lighthearted fun to hardcore violence, lol. You just have to be willing to actually look closely at their libraries to find great examples from a variety of genres.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]I agree with TVE on this point. But let's also point something else out: most people know very little about Xbox 2/Xenon right now. There are some very basic details out there and a lot of rumors. That's about it. The main indications are that Xbox 2/Xenon will actually improve on and fix a lot of the problems that Xbox had. And I am pretty confident in saying that Xbox 2/Xenon will enjoy significantly better third party support than Xbox itself had. Saying that Xbox 2/Xenon will [i]fail[/i] is an extreme statement, especially considering that Xbox, despite being in third place globally, has still sold pretty darn well. It's established a base from which Microsoft can work from. And it's safely established Xbox Live as the premiere online service for game consoles. So, a lot of factors are being ignored here. But I don't think anyone, even the most anti-Xbox critic, can immediately suggest that Xbox 2 will be a failure well before we've even heard any concrete details on it (hell, Microsoft hasn't even officially announced/acknowledged its existence, lol).[/color]

[color=#811C3A]The thing is, I think it's too much to ask to have Moderators PMing people, receiving the approprate ratings and then changing the thread title itself. There are too many threads for that and many members either take a long time to respond, or don't respond at all. So, closures are necessary. Basically, if you start a thread and it gets closed due to lack of a title, it won't really kill you to re-post the thread. All you have to do is copy and paste all your text from the first thread - simple as that. ^_^[/color]

[size=2][i]"It was the first time I'd been so far from my beloved Emerald Cove. I had been into the depths of the forest before, but I had never seen the world beyond. It is said that Gaia is a wonderous place, both fearsome and beautiful. As a Nymph, it is true that I had never experienced the darker side of Gaia. And I knew, as I hopped from branch to branch through the vast Victorian forest, that I was truly entering the unknown. But I felt compelled to continue..."[/i] Aetheran came upon a lagoon. He had seen it once before, several years earlier. It hadn't changed since then; thick strands of golden sunlight penetrated the canopy above and as they kissed the water's surface, they made it appear as though it were a carpet of gleaming sapphire. But the lagoon's tranquil appearance was deceiving, as Aetheran knew all too well, for it was in this very lagoon that Aetheran had come across a most foul-tempered Pixie on his last outing. Pixies were unusual creatures. Generally, they preferred their own company and as such, there were no great Pixie villages or cities within Gaia. Unlike Nymphs, Pixies had no particular connection to Mother Gaia, nor did they have any special responsibilities. This lack of purpose created a tendency for Pixies to cause mischief wherever they went; the long-known old wives tale about idle hands had apparently originated due to Pixies themselves. Despite their love of mischief, most Pixies were pleasant creatures. Although they were happy to play jokes on unsuspecting strangers, they were also just as likely to offer help to those in need. But the Pixie at the lagoon was something else entirely. Her name was Madam Hogbeam and she was very old, perhaps even older than Aetheran himself. And she was decidedly cranky; [i]everything[/i] upset her in one way or another. She frequently blamed Nymphs for the weather -- summer was always too hot, winter was always too cold. And so, on this day, Aetheran hoped against hope that Madam Hogbeam would not notice him. He had been walking for hours and his feet had become sore - the cool, tranquil lagoon promised relief. Aetheran's belongings were wrapped in a large piece of cloth that had been tied to the end of a stick. He carefully placed the stick on the ground and pulled his boots off. "Ahh, free at last," he sighed to himself as he wiggled his little toes happily. He scuttled over to the edge of the lagoon and stood in the cool water. "And just [b]what[/b] do yeh think yer doin'?!" shrieked a familiar voice. Aetheran was so startled by the sudden outburst that he toppled backwards into the water. A twisted little silhouette appeared nearby. It was none other than Madam Hogbeam; Aetheran could her the trademark [i]click-clack[/i] of her oak walking stick. She was perched atop a large rock that was jutting out of the water. "Ew, how dare yeh! Gettin' yeh dirty Nymph feet in meh lovely lagoon!" she cried, waving her walking stick in the air. Aetheran scrambled to his feet, wrung out his beard and shook his feet dry. "You ought not to be so rude," he said, as he gathered up his boots and put them back on. "No, [i]yeh[/i] ought not teh be so rude as teh get yeh dirty Nymph toes in meh lagoon! Yeh got no right teh be 'ere," screeched Madam Hogbeam. Aetheran scratched his head. He didn't want to continue the conversation; it was better, he thought, to simply leave as soon as possible. But just as he turned to leave, Madam Hogbeam tapped her walking stick against the rock. "Wait, wait!" she called. Aetheran turned around. "Yes? I do hope that you're not going to continue with that attitude," he said, "I am on a long journey and it doesn't hurt to rest my feet occasionally." Madam Hogbeam waddled down from the rock and stepped into the light. Aetheran immediately flinched, half expecting to see a horribly repulsive little Pixie. Instead, he felt his heart sink a little. Madam Hogbeam was indeed old and frail, but she also had a surprisingly kind face. Aetheran wondered how a Pixie, whose heart should surely be filled with joy and mischief, could have become so bitter. Madam Hogbeam looked up at Aetheran (Hogbeam was one of the few creatures he'd met that was actually [i]smaller[/i] than himself). "What journey?" she asked, her eyebrows raised inquisitively. For a moment, Aetheran wondered whether or not he should tell her the truth. At the moment, she seemed surprisingly approachable, but one could never be certain - Madam Hogbeam was known for delivering swift beatings with her walking stick when in range of a potential victim (and just about everyone was a potential victim). "Er," Aetheran spluttered, "I have decided to leave the cove. I don't know where to go, but I am hoping that I will find direction once I leave this forest." "Hm," Madam Hogbeam rubbed her bristly chin, "I don't see many Nymphs around 'ere. Did yeh get into trouble or somethin'?" "Sort of," said Aetheran, with a sigh. "Well, did yeh or didn't yeh?" probed Hogbeam. Aetheran nodded. "I might as well have committed a crime," he began, "you see...I failed the Flow Test." For a moment, there was complete silence. But it was broken by a fit of laughter unlike any Aetheran had heard before. Madam Hogbeam was now face-down on the ground, thumping her wrinkly fists into the dirt. "Are yeh serious?! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! How does a Nymph fail the flow test, eh?! Yeh might as well sprout wings and become a Draconian, for all the good it'll do yeh!" Aetheran blushed heavily. He hadn't been [i]this[/i] humiliated, even in Emerald Cove. After several moments, Madam Hogbeam stopped laughing. She slowly stood up and wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh my, that's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. But...I've never heard of a Nymph leavin' this here forest. Can't say I know how the other races will take to yeh." "I don't know what else to do," said Aetheran slowly. His heart began to feel heavy again. It seemed that something was constantly reminding him of how difficult life would be outside the cove. "Well, have yeh ever spoken to Lablanc?" "Who is Lablanc?" Madam Hogbeam's eyes widened. "Yeh've never 'eard of Lablanc? He's the oldest tree in the forest! He's been 'ere since...well, before any of us. He's the one teh go to if yeh're in trouble or confused. He's 'ere to 'elp all us forest folk." "Where can I find him?" asked Aetheran. Madam Hogbeam laughed again and poked Aetheran with her walking stick. "Ignorant Nymph! Yeh're a Nymph, have yeh already forgotten? Just listen to yeh heart and yeh can easily be findin' Lablanc." [i]"That was one of the strangest days of my life. It was also the very first real step I'd taken to understanding my true power as a Nymph. Madam Hogbeam was easy to ignore because of her attitude, but the truth is, she was wiser than most of us. I wasn't sure why she had chosen to aid me, but it turns out that her advice was invaluable. I found Lablanc soon after and he told me many stories of Gaia, stories that shocked and frightened me. But those stories also opened my eyes. It was he who first mentioned the Innocence...but I was to hear that word so much more during my travels."[/i] [/size]

[QUOTE=Rick Hunter]Well.....to answer the first question yeah there are certain sonic cartoons that were actually anime. Sonic the Hedgehog the movie, actually is an anime ironically done by ADV many years ago which I believe now is out of print been looking for it everywhere. [/QUOTE] [color=#811C3A]I have that movie on VHS. I'm not sure how worthwhile it is though. It's basically like one long TV episode and its quality is...questionable. The key thing that makes it somewhat cool is that, as far as I know, Sonic Team had some involvement with it. But generally I'd say it's only worth owning if you really are an avid Sonic collector. Otherwise, it's not worth going to a lot of trouble for.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]The Dreamcast is just an awesome system. It's a great example of one company bucking industry trends -- rather than be a copycat, Sega pushed Dreamcast even further into left field, by creating games that were both highly innovative and highly fun. Some of my fondest gaming memories ever are definitely with Dreamcast. Frankly, I think it's worth owning just for the likes of Jet Set Radio and Daytona USA. So it's a huge shame that it died. Remember, though, it had a very successful launch in the United States. But it suffered at home, in Japan. In Europe and Australia, it had very little advertising support. Sega Ozisoft (the now-dead local Sega distributor) absolutely killed Dreamcast by coming in extremely late with online support (and then announcing that no [i]games[/i] would be playable online -- you'd only be able to use the Dreamcast browser). Sega Ozisoft also killed it by stocking an extremely low amount of VMUs (I had to wait about three months to get one after I bought the system, which in turn prevented me from purchasing quite a few games). And it keeps going from there -- total lack of marketing support, certain games being unreleased or coming out in very limited numbers, etc etc. A brilliant system, handled terribly by Sega. The story wasn't as bad in America, but Sega of America had its problems too. So I'd say that was my biggest disappointment.[/color]

[color=#811C3A]You can't burn movies to UMD. As far as I know, Sony won't be making UMD burners or UMD drives in other machines, specifically to prevent piracy.[/color]