James

[color=#707875]As you may know, birth rates are going down all the time. Once the baby boomers die...the population will be cut down very significantly. So I'd be more worried about [i]under-population[/i] rather than over population. Having said that, I'm sure we could do with less human beings on the Earth. It's probably true that there are already far too many, which then causes an impact on everything else. As to whether or not humans should exist...I don't know. If I were looking from the outside in, I'd say that humans have no purpose at all. They live, create a largely negative impact on the Earth and then die. From that point of view it seems very inconsequential. But as a human, who understands that mankind has developed some very magical things (ie: music, literature and even [i]love [/i]), there's a large part of me that cherishes my connection to these things. Without them, I'd definitely cease to exist. So...in that sense, I can't be impartial and I can't provide an objective answer. I hope that made [i]some [/i]sense. I don't know what I'm talking about today.[/color]

[color=#707875]Wow, this is a really open question. I guess that it depends how far into the future you're talking. But also, it's important to remember that people who make predictions about the future are often wrong. There were so many predictions made over the last century, most of which never came to fruition. And even within a period of five or ten years, things change so much, especially with technology evolving at the pace that it is today. I think it will be a [i]long [/i]time before every country is equal in terms of opportunity and economic development. But it's more likely to happen than not. I'm always of the belief that the world continuously improves and becomes more tolerant. And if you follow that line of thinking to its conclusion...you get a very clear picture of where things could (or should) go. You raised an interesting point about machines. Already, there are many types of machines that have replaced human jobs. Automotive assembly lines, for example. Where once you used to have thousands of factory workers involved on assembly lines for all sorts of products, you now primarily see various kinds of robots. Robots are also increasingly being used to clear mines and to diffuse bombs -- they're doing the jobs that are too dangerous for humans. I think that trend will probably continue. And as time goes by, I guess we can assume that the population will become more educated and will gravitate toward more professional work in general. A lot of people seem to get this idea that if machines become too intelligent, they will overtake humans. But I think that's a kinda bizarre viewpoint, if you consider all the facts. For one thing, it will be a long time before machines come anywhere close to human intelligence. You'd definitely need some pretty advanced quantum computing, to deliver even a fraction of what the human brain can offer on all levels. And quantum computing (like nanotechnology and interstellar space travel) is still in its infancy. It's being worked on, but it's still only in the very early stages of development. There are just so many issues to discuss though. I don't think I could raise every point in one post, by a long shot. One thing that's interesting is the idea of how nations are identified/perceived. You've got the EU as probably the best example of continual integration of nation states. The EU has been working on its own "European Constitution" and there are discussions about developing a single EU defense force. Then there's the Euro, a single currency for (almost) the entire region. Eventually you can imagine that the European nation states will just be "states" within a European nation. I think that's a pretty likely future for that part of the world. There has even been discussion about making a single asian currency, or at least a single currency between Australia and New Zealand. Nobody can decide whether to eliminate the NZ currency or the Australian currency though, or whether a third currency with a new value should be developed. I think this is all an example of economic progress. Because, if you think about it, having dozens and dozens of different currencies is a pretty inefficient way to operate, especially in a global economic setting. I'm certainly not an economist, but a lot of people seem to agree on where things are going, in that sense. But again, there are so many issues to talk about. It'd be interesting to see what people think about this question.[/color]

[QUOTE=Ganon6d9][color=dimgray][font=Tahoma]I don't see why they wouldn't go for complete analogue control considering they've already scrapped what could have been an awesome stroyline, why stop there? I think that by the time it comes out the controls will be analogue, after all, Capcom aren't ones to disappoint. [/font][/color][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Well, apparently the new camera views make the controls better, or something along those lines. And apparently the reaction time of the character is faster and stuff. So, it seems to be a much more fast-paced game...and this [i]may [/i]lend itself to the control scheme that they've chosen. But who knows. From my point of view, it's annoying that Capcom have never really "updated" the control system. I can't think of anyone -- including seasoned RE players like myself -- who would actually praise the control system. Even though I am completely used to it by now, I would still say that it's clunky and unnecessary.[/color]

[quote name='cloricus']Oh I'm sorry, we'll just ignore the ten thousand plus Iraq civilians that died as result of the American invasion. *Sweeps under the carpet, it's all good!* :)[/quote] [color=#707875]Ten thousand plus? You're pulling numbers out of the air, for one thing. I don't remember the specific numbers, but from what I remember, the actual invasion saw the death of something like 2,000 civilians. Many of these were killed as a result of Iraqi military action, as organizations like Amnesty International will attest. On a broader level, I hope that you are not blaming America for the terrorism that is going on in Iraq right now. If the police put my brother in jail for stealing something and then I shot a policeman as a result of it, would you blame the police for my actions? No. I think it's quite an extreme stretch to blame America for what's happening in Iraq now. Yes, the terrorism going on there would not have come about under Saddam's regime. But are we now defending that regime? I sure hope not. It's kind of ironic that we view the situation in these ways. The humanitarian in you says that the invasion was wrong. The humanitarian in me says that the invasion was necessary, for the prevention of thousands upon thousands of future deaths at the hands of Saddam's regime. Of more importance is the question of intent, I think. The terrorists deliberately attack civilians. The Americans do not. This is a fundamental point. If you were to argue otherwise, I might suggest that your views are even more extreme than I'd first thought.[/color]

[quote name='cloricus']I totally agree one hundred percent no questions asked; also on a totally unrelated in any way shape or form note have you seen the latest civilian casualty statistics for Iraq yet?[/quote] [color=#707875]Yes, about six and a half hours ago a massive bomb went off in Baghdad, killing something like 27 people and injuring 40. At least, that's the lastest figure; I'm sure it will rise. Again, the work of terrorists.[/color][quote=cloricus] I would like to just also say that my understanding was that Al Qaeda is in fact just an umbrella to give a name to a global collective of different terrorist groups with no real central leadership or administration. In a structure not unlike the internet in the way that it has separate networks that are totally independent in every way but have small connections between each other to achieve a common goal, I was under the impression that Al Qaeda was the same? [/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Of course a terrorist group doesn't have some kind of central administration or something. But we do know that Al Qaeda was started by bin Laden and that it is funded by his money primarily. He's in control of it, although obviously there are various cells that operate semi-independently (and there are thought to be various splinter groups that are only affiliated with Al Qaeda, rather than being a direct part of it). All of these groups are a mish-mash of different ideas. Some want one thing, some want another and so it goes. They all have some objective and they think they can reach it through killing scores of children on the train, on their way to school in the morning. Obviously these people are completely insane.[/color]

[color=#707875]Let's not even go there. We know that the Iraqi people are frustrated by America's inability to get things running -- but we [i]also [/i]know that the vast majority of Iraqis were happy to be liberated from Saddam (not to mention that vast amounts of infrastructure were dismantled before the war [i]and [/i]that there have been hundreds of attempts to sabotage what little has been salvaged). I wish we could at least get this part of it clear. In regard to the terror attacks in Spain...I don't know what to say. Obviously something like this is a massive tragedy -- one that cannot be justified by any political agenda whatsoever. I don't care who you are or how desperate your circumstances are; killing innocent people is unjustifiable, when you're deliberately targeting them. Bear in mind that even ETA -- a terrorist organization -- usually attacked Government/military establishments and often gave forewarning so that no civilians would be hurt. At the very least, one could say that ETA doesn't quite hit the same degree of ferocity and senselessness that Al Qaeda does. In regard to Al Qaeda's motives...the primary reason for Al Qaeda's creation was because bin Laden was incensed that the American forces were in the holy land, during Gulf War I. Make no mistake; this claim that Al Qaeda is fighting on behalf of muslim freedom (in regard to Israel/Palestine) is an utter joke. It's a very convenient excuse for them to justify what they do. In reality, the whole organization is based on bin Laden's crazy, paranoid and irrational cult, which is only vaguely related to Islam -- and it's being generous to even say that the connections are vague. Also, Al Qaeda may say that this attack was retaliation for Spain's effort in Iraq. I'm sure that, as usual, they will come up with any excuse to kill non-Muslims. But remember one important thing -- Al Qaeda has also threatened France on a number of occasions (including after the Madrid bombings) and France has continually cowered in the face of terrorism and the international attempts to thwart it. So, no country is invulnerable. It's on this basis that I think we should not wind down the effort against terrorism, but instead intensify it. France may find that any attempt to do otherwise is an act of suicide, more than anything else.[/color]

[quote name='Charles'] There?s a lot of business to be had there. Honestly, if not, we may as well just end all business relations with China as well.[/quote] [color=#707875]I'm at school at the moment, so I cannot provide a very detailed response right now. However, I would point out that China and Cuba are fundamentally different in regard to both trade and politics. I can see why you are comparing them, but in this day and age, I'm not sure if that comparison is currently accurate. Although I do agree that sometimes the carrot is better than the stick (China is much more open as a result of increased trade with the west, which also results in greater political freedoms).[/color]

[color=#707875]Well, it's worth it for you. For me it's obviously not even a consideration (considering that I'm not a US citizen - and I doubt I'd be interested in the Australian equivalent, but not for the same reasons). The point that I was really getting at was that many people will talk about what they'd do in that position, but the do not necessarily understand the investment of time and energy that is involved. Obviously, being President is about a lot more than "doing what you want" and so on. I think someone else also mentioned that the President does not have the autocratic powers that many seem to believe. So, it's also probably good to understand the way the Presidency works first and foremost. So, it's much more about a complete dedication of one's life, as opposed to being a "job". And everyone has a different idea about what they feel is worth sacrificing for such a job.[/color]

[quote name='Heaven's Cloud][color=indigo']President hmmm? Seems like an awful lot of work, dedication, and time to contribute for a seemingly thankless job.[/quote][/color] [color=indigo][font=Verdana][size=2][color=dimgray]Yeah, I think that being President would be extremely tough. Even running a company is a really daunting task, but running an entire nation? Stress-overload.[/color][/size][/font][/color] [color=indigo][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]I think that being President requires a certain amount of ego (of course), but it also requires the ability to work for nearly 24 hours a day while frequently being attacked by half of the population (ie: the people who don't like your party or your policies).[/color][/size][/font][/color] [color=indigo][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]If you really think about it, it's probably the worst job on earth. And above all of this stuff, you are also a target for assassination and stuff like that. Ouch.[/color][/size][/font][/color] [color=indigo][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]President? No thanks.[/color][/size][/font] [/color]

[color=#707875]I think this is a good idea, except that it raises some issues. For one thing, I can imagine us ending up with a million sticky threads...or, a milion threads that stay at the top/on the first page. This could push out the smaller threads quite early on, which is a concern. What we want members to do, is to conduct an in-thread search before posting a thread. This is really easy to do, because you don't have to leave the page -- you only have to click "Search this Thread" and then type in the name you want to look for. If it's there, reply to the existing thread. If not, make your own. This way, we can have a larger library of threads without awarding a particular preference to any particular threads. It also means that the front page may be a little less confusing -- even if the popular threads are kept there, people will still want to discuss topics that aren't given preference. So I think it's a good idea (it's something I had considered while making V7), but ultimately it wasn't something I included. I wanted to trust the members to put in that one extra step of effort, to make things run nice and smoothly.[/color]

[center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/KIlogo.gif[/img] [size=4]Chapter 4: Adam's Switch[/size][/center] [b]Summary:[/b] In this chapter, we learn about Ann Dominion's first battle with Adam. She was hired by a group of Japanese thugs to take him out for reasons unknown. But when she confronted him, he overwhelmed her with his skill and precision. She then decided to work for him; it was that, or death. [b]Characters:[/b] Ann Dominion (AKA "Switch") [b]Setting:[/b] Osaka, Japan Note: Sweetreyes, you're going to have to re-read your sign-up for Kill Adam, if you do not remember it. [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=33055&page=3&pp=15&highlight=Kill+Adam"]You can view it by clicking here.[/url] This chapter will be all about your fight with Adam. I anticipate that it will only require one post from you (since nobody plays Adam). So, the post will probably need to be quite long. Anyway, good luck -- and be creative! ^_^

[color=#707875]Wow, very cool, Solo. I particularly loved the use of the spoiler tag. ~_^ I'm also amazed at how many references you can fit into a single chapter. It's crazy. Amazing stuff, though. This chapter almost seems like an end to your story though...will you keep going? ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]It is very, very unlikely that you'll be able to translate a Movie Maker file to a workable GIF, in terms of size. OB will only allow a certain memory allocation for avatars and this means that generally, any animated avatar can only contain a finite number of frames -- especially if you're wanting to produce an avatar of the maximum dimensions. Banners are a different story, because they offer larger variations in sizes and there are no specific memory limits on them. However, if someone were attempting to use an extremely high-memory animation in their signature, we'd have to consider deleting it. It would slow down things for too many users. In terms of converting a Movie Maker file to GIF...I am not sure what you can do, other than taking the individual frames, turning them into images and then using an animation program to create a GIF. I recommend a frame-by-frame solution because of the memory limitations of the web; there's no way that you'll be able to convert any kind of actual movie file of any significant size to a workable GIF for the boards.[/color]

[color=#707875]I assume those figures are USA/North America only. In general, any game that hits the 500,000 mark is considered a "hit" in the industry. So if the 600,000 figure is correct for the United States, then that's pretty darn good, considering that we're talking a 500,000 threshold on a global level. From what I remember, Pikmin sold through something like 1.3 million units worldwide -- but I forget. Again, I'll have to check that out to be sure. It's interesting that you say it wasn't innovation that sold these games; that it was quality. But innovation plays a role in quality, as far as Nintendo is concerned. Nintendo has never really come to the market and said "Hey everyone, this product is innovative so you should buy it". What is the innovation for? The innovation is a vehicle through which some kind of compelling content is offered. DS -- regardless of its technology -- will need [b]good games[/b] to be successful. We can all agree on that, I'm sure. But what makes those games good? And most critically of all, what makes them different to what you'll find on other machines? If Nintendo wants you to buy the DS, they are going to want to create games that [b]require[/b] the DS's proprietary technology and design, so that you physically can't play these games anywhere else. I think that's the critical point. It's not innovation for innovation's sake. The innovation is there to drive these qualitative elements. In the case of, say, Ocarina of Time, the Z Targeting system was an innovation. But it wasn't there just because Nintendo wanted to add a pointless innovation -- it was an innovation that fundamentally affected qualitative aspects of the game. I think the same will be true with DS. We really no reason to believe otherwise, especially considering Nintendo's own history. So, at this point I'm not saying that DS will be the absolute pinnacle of gaming or anything. Even members of the gaming media only know a certain amount about the machine; it hasn't been demonstrated to anyone within the media yet. However, I do think that it's important to try and see where Nintendo is coming from here. I assume that this will be very clear and apparent when E3 rolls around and people are actually able to get their hands on the new unit and its games. [/color]

[quote]Well yes, they lose money on the consoles themselves, but with 63 million PS2s out there as opposed to only 20 million GBAs (and much fewer GCNs and Xboxes) it's pretty clear who sells more games (and therefore profits). [/quote] [color=#707875]The point I was trying to illustrate was that Nintendo actually used to make a small net profit on GameCube hardware sales. Right now, at current prices, I don't know whether they're making a profit or a loss. In regard to profit on the non-handheld consoles, that's a very big discussion. Remember that I said Nintendo was the "most profitable". That doesn't mean that they make the most revenue. It means that they make the most [i]profit [/i]on sold units. Nintendo's third party licensing fees are higher than Sony's and Nintendo's percentage royalty system is more generous than Sony's. So even on third party releases, Nintendo makes more profit. Nintendo also does not suffer from any form of piracy (other than emulators on the 'net). Where Sony loses over $200 million each year on this basis, Nintendo does not. So, Nintendo is by far the most profitable hardware maker out there. If you want to compare GBA to PS2, I think you'll still find that Nintendo does pretty well. Nintendo's profit margins are substantially higher in general. So on the profitability question, there's really no contest.[/color] [quote]Certainly the GBA sp will not be overtaken, and neither will the DS honestly, but once the PSP (which will cost from $199 to $249 from what I understand) becomes affordable, it will become a very powerful force and Nintendo will have to work against that somehow. And yes, better technology doesn't mean bigger sales, but [i]Sony[/i] does mean big sales, and everyone knows it. [/quote] [color=#707875]Even if all of this is true, I don't think that Nintendo necessarily has to aim its crosshairs directly on PSP. It's quite possible for PSP to exist in a market segment that does not overlap with any Nintendo products (or at least, has very little overlapping). Based on price and specifications alone, I think it's reasonable to assume that the PSP's customer base is going to be quite different to the GBA customer base in a number of ways. For example, a lot of young children won't be receiving PSPs, where they might be receiving GBAs (especially once the price is reduced). I really have no doubt that the PSP could be a great success. But right now I don't think that the impact on Nintendo -- if any -- has been determined.[/color] [quote]Take for instance two "innovative" games: Luigi's Mansion and Pikmin. Both, compared to sales of an actual blockbuster title, had mediocre sales. And then there's the cel-shaded Zelda: the Wind Waker, which although an amazing game (and my favorite game on Gamecube), did far worse in sales than if it were done using, say, the Metroid Prime engine. Nintendo prioritizes innovation, and although that is commendable in principle, it's sometimes unwise. I just hope it works out this time.[/quote] [color=#707875]I don't have any sales figures in front of me, so I'll see if I can find the global sales results to confirm this. In regard to The Wind Waker, I think you'll find that it was one of the highest selling games of its year. Saying that it would sell in greater numbers if using the Metroid Prime engine is a bit of a red herring, because nobody really knows whether that would make a difference or not. The cel-shading may actually have given Zelda an appeal to certain audiences that it never had before. It's very hard to talk about these qualitative factors.[/color]

[quote]I'm not sure if Nintendo is any longer the most profitable video game company out there. In fact I'm almost sure it's beat out by Sony, Microsoft's entertainment arm (even if only barely... well I don't know how much profit Microsoft brings in as opposed to just sales), and something like EA. (though if we consider only handhelds... well then yeah Nintendo is king for now) [/quote][color=#707875]Well, up until recently, Sony has been making net losses on each PS2 unit sold. And Microsoft still makes net losses on both Xbox hardware sales and the Xbox Live service.[/color] [quote]I know Nintendo is not competing with the PSP at all, that was a given. I just think maybe they should, or eventually the PSP may dominate the handheld market just like Playstation stole the console market from Nintendo. [/quote][color=#707875]Well, I think that there are a few factors here. For one thing, the market is probably large enough to support multiple hardware manufacturers. And the PSP will probably attract a lot of customers to that market, which had previously never owned a Game Boy or other handheld system. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened. Moreover, let's remember that when DS is released, Nintendo is likely to reduce the GBA/SP's price. So, the GBA will end up being quite a cheap variant (with hundreds of games available), with the DS being the slightly more mid-level variant, in terms of price. Nobody knows how much PSP will cost, but it will probably cost more than the DS by a significant amount. And then, if you look at the success of things like Famicom Mini (very simple repackaged NES games on GBA), you can see that Nintendo still has huge pull in that market. Remember that Sega tried to hit the market with their Game Gear (superior graphics, backlit screen, TV tuner) and they did a nose dive. I know that PSP is obviously not the same thing, but at the same time, better technology does not always equate to superior sales power.[/color] [quote]But I think it's fair to say that nothing less than a dual-screened Metroid or Zelda title is going to get the DS off the ground and even near the GBA sp. Or maybe a Pokemon title.[/quote][color=#707875]Oh of course, the DS is going to need to have titles that will suck people in. Whether or not these games use an exciting license is anyone's guess, really. I'm sure that Nintendo will continue to rely on its staple characters, but at the same time, these characters will probably be used to introduce new gameplay concepts. I think that a game like Pokemon (something that many people said would totally fail in the west) is an example of what a simple concept can achieve. If the concept is good and if the games are great, the DS will do well.[/color] [quote]Also, I think that if it was Microsoft who had announced a DS-type system, we'd all be saying "those idiots! They don't know what the heck is going on. First they buy Rare and have it make games for the GBA, now they make a dual-screened handheld. Good luck morons!" But it's Nintendo, which is the only reason I'm still interested in it.[/quote][color=#707875]That's probably true. But I think there's logic behind that; Microsoft is still a relatively unproven entity in the video game industry. Yes, they've been publishing PC titles for years now. But they've never been known as a particularly innovative video game company or anything like that. And Xbox hasn't been the runaway success that they expected. Having said that, I don't think that Microsoft [i]should [/i]be treated with less seriousness than Nintendo. If MS had made this announcement instead of Nintendo, I'd still be interested in learning more. But obviously, Nintendo has the track record of innovation and understanding when it comes to game design.[/color] [quote]Nintendo says that if the DS fails they'll be "crushed," and I don't want that to happen.[/quote][color=#707875]Well, Yamauchi said something akin to "if it does well, we'll be soaring in heaven, if it does badly, we'll sink to hell". I don't think he was speaking literally -- even if DS were a total failure, there is absolutely no way that Nintendo would somehow sink as a result. Nintendo is an enormous company with billions of dollars in the bank. The DS isn't going to drag 'em down, should it fail. I think that Yamauchi's comments probably reflect Nintendo's overall philosophies though. If the DS totally and utterly fails, this would presumably be an indication that Nintendo's attempts to "revive" game innovation in the industry have failed. And therefore, the idea that people need to be fed a constant stream of me-too GTA clones every year will probably be justified to some extent. [/color]

[color=#707875]At this point, I think that we should look back to the original context of the thread. And again, let's try to ensure that we keep things civil and respectful. People obviously don't want to be preached to -- so don't do it. At the same time, nobody should be attacked for their beliefs. Let's try to keep things relatively neutral. If you want to ask someone a question about their beliefs, by all means, do so. But again, keep it respectful. I'll take a novel approach here. Those who spam in this thread will have their posts removed from it. I will do this, rather than close the whole thread. There is absolutely no reason why you guys shouldn't be mature enough to deal with threads like this now.[/color]

[quote]Additionally, there aren't many game types that would really benefit from 2 screens as opposed to picture-in-picture, so I'm wondering how long a sense of "innovation" will really last. [/quote] [color=#707875]The thing is, people are already making assumptions about what the twin-screen solution means. Don't be surprised to see something relatively left-field at E3.[/color] [quote]If you ask me Nintendo is making a mistake with working on the DS rather than a straight-up competitor to the PSP with staggerinly high graphics capabilities or something. ...Well competition with the PSP is a very tricky thing, so I'm not gonna try to say how they should go about it. [/quote] [color=#707875]I would say that they aren't competing with PSP at all, really. Or with GBA. I know that this tends to seem like a cop-out, but I think it's fair. Bear in mind that the DS is designed to play particular kinds of games -- games that are designed for the DS's unique hardware. The PSP is essentially just a portable PlayStation 2 -- so there's no actual attempt to generate new kinds of gameplay with the device. I'm not saying that this is a good or bad thing, it just means that DS and PSP are two different machines. I think this will become very clear when the unit is unveiled.[/color] [quote]Here's the thing. Rather than "excited" about the DS, everyone is ambivalent. And that's not a good thing from an economic standpoint. It's like Zelda: Wind Waker. Nintendo thinks that people have enough faith in them that they'll hold off judgement until they see and try everything. They're wrong. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that Nintendo has the business sense of a tarantula. I'm hoping they'll figure that out and do something about it before it's too late.[/quote] [color=#707875]Well, surely nobody would question Nintendo's business sense. They didn't become the most profitable video game company on the planet by accident, afterall. And Satoru Iwata has an almost unprecedented business acumen. The thing is, the public don't know a lot about the DS right now. We have very little information. It's only a few developers who have some more hard details. And if you read what they've been saying (especially the big Japanese developers), you'll know that most of them are quite excited about this new machine. Again, that excitement doesn't exist for no reason. They've seen stuff that we don't yet know about. [/color]

[color=#707875]I quite like this piece, CrH. It's only very short, but I think you've described a great variety of thoughts and feelings here. I don't really know what else to say about it. I'm not feeling up to a big analysis of it or anything. I guess the only thing I'd say is that the final line seems a bit awkward to me. This might be because it's so blatant, while the rest of the piece seems to be a little less obvious. Anyway, it's a great effort overall. No numerical rating from me though -- I can never rate stuff like this with numbers I don't think.[/color]

[color=#707875]I've read about this newly announced game and at the moment, I'm not too sure what to think. They say that the new title will be substantially different from GTAIII and VC, in the sense that it will be more of a "new" game (where VC was sort of like an expansion on GTAIII -- albeit a great one). In regard to the overall series, I wouldn't call myself a huge fan. GTA2 was a blast though and I played the original a few times. Mostly, the overhead format annoyed me, because when I sped up I felt like I didn't know where I was going. I've never liked overhead driving games for this reason. GTAIII/VC were great games. Although, I found myself often having more fun just mucking around, rather than doing missions. Many of the missions really bored me...so much of it was just kind of clumsy. There didn't seem to be a lot of fine-tuning. You had this gorgeous macro environment full of stuff to do, but the basics (character control, aiming, interaction) were a bit shoddy. Thankfully, the vehicle physics were pretty thorough. So I'm really a fence sitter I guess. I own both GTAIII and VC and I enjoy 'em both. I think they're pretty significant achievements in video games. But at the same time, they lack the polish of various other titles out there. If anything, I hope that this new game has a more compelling story and more fine-tuned details. If these areas can be improved, I think I'll be quite satisfied.[/color]

[color=#707875]Interesting thread. ^_^ When I was in primary school, I wanted to be a palaeontologist. I was one of those kids who loved dinosaurs and fossils. I thought that'd be a cool job. But as I got a little older, I didn't like the idea so much. My next goal was to become a fiction author. But again, as the years went by, that idea really fell by the wayside. And then, during early highschool and such, I wanted to work in the video game industry. That view never really changed over time, either. And finally, in 2002, I began writing for [i]actual [/i]magazine publications in Australia, including our version of Nintendo Power (called Nintendo Gamer Magazine). The main difference though, is that NGM is/was unofficial and not owned or operated by Nintendo itself. So, I've really enjoyed this particular line of work. Even though I don't specifically have an interest in being a journalist for the rest of my life, being involved in the industry itself has been a great deal of fun. Everything about it is so attractive -- it's creative, fast-paced, high-tech and [b]fun[/b]! ^_^ I would like to continue working within the industry, but I really don't know what I want to do at this point. Right now I'm leaning more toward things like marketing and public relations, as opposed to the traditional project management desire. A lot of people want to be project managers, but it's not easy -- you don't apply for that type of job usually. Generally an artist or a programmer works their way up and eventually takes on a director-like role. It's not really a specific job that you can walk in on (well you can, but it's very rare that such jobs come up). Also, even though there's a part of me that loves to [i]design [/i]games (in terms of control systems, objective layouts and things like that), I'm not entirely sure if I'd want to be in charge of developing an entire project. Maybe I don't have enough self-confidence, but I don't know if I could handle something that broad. But at least I know that I enjoy the industry as a whole. There are a million things to do within it, too, which is great. It's better than having [i]no [/i]idea about my future, I suppose. But I'd definitely like to have a more specific course in front of me (as I guess everyone would).[/color]

[color=#707875]Deja vu! ^_^; I haven't seen a huge variety of anime, but I've definitely seen examples of good and bad dubbing. I think that dubbing makes a lot of sense, especially if it's done well. If a dub were done faithful to the original script and if it were done with appropriate voices, I'm sure most people would probably prefer the dub to the subtitles. Unfortunately, we all know that this is not the case in too many circumstances. One of the problems (in my view) could be that the American companies who do the localization do not have enough faith in their audiences. I mean, they put on these extremely stereotypical American accents, which seems like a way of dumbing down the content. It's sort of like saying "the masses would [i]never [/i]like it if we had Japanese accents or something a bit more faithful to the script". Maybe I'm wrong there, but some dubs do seem like an insult to the intelligence of viewers. In any case, I'm certainly not anti-dub. In most cases, I'd much rather watch a dub than a sub. This is partly because I often [i]do [/i]enjoy the dubbed voices -- they often seem to be a bit more expressive than their Japanese counterparts. I often find Japanese actors to be incredibly wooden and monotone. Of course, I don't speak Japanese, so I'm definitely not in the best position to make that judgement anyway. Subtitles don't bother me, I'd say. Most foreign movies I watch are subtitled. In fact, out of all the foreign movies I've ever seen, I'd say maybe one or two were dubbed. So it's a very small number. And I don't mind that at all -- if the subtitles are well-translated, then I think they're perfectly adequate. Case in point would be the Ring movies. I'm a huge fan of this Japanese horror series and while it's not an anime, I would say that a dub would [i]really [/i]hurt it. It's meant to be a serious horror film. In my opinion, a dub would kind of cheapen that, because it'd be really obvious and potentially very jarring. I can't imagine that a dubbed scream would sound too good against the original actor's reaction. So I'm really a fence sitter on this issue. I can see [i]why [/i]dubbing occurs -- most little kids aren't going to want their Pokemon subtitled. And generally speaking, I think that the dub actors probably help to attract kids to these types of shows. So we also have to bear in mind that during the localization process, there's probably an element of making things more understandable/simpler for the kids. If dubbing is done well (ie: Spirited Away), I'm quite happy to watch it -- and I'd rather have it than not. Otherwise, for me, subtitles are the way to go. But certainly, you won't find me railing against dubbing all day long. I'm not under any illusions about why it's done. And I realize that most of the people who watch the anime on TV are probably not the truly "hardcore" fans and Japanophiles who will go crazy over anything that is subtitled. It's just not a realistic assessment in my view.[/color]

[color=#707875]Regarding member status, I think we may have made it 50 posts rather than 20. Our rules/FAQ should detail that, I imagine. At the moment I don't remember myself (scary, eh? lol). Regarding your other problems, I'm not sure what the issue might be. Perhaps Justin can assist you with that. If you want any further info, I do recommend visiting the Rules/FAQ pages. These are organized into specific subjects and they should answer a few questions for you. Welcome to the boards, by the way. ^_^[/color]

[center][font=Verdana][size=2][color=dimgray][i]"And man said, 'let there be light' and he was blessed by light, heat, magnetism, gravity and all the energies of the Universe."[/i][/color][/size][/font][/center] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Luyii and B7104ZA walked back to the train station nearby. At this time of day, it was almost empty. A single train stopped in front of them and they both boarded. The interior of the carriage was completely empty, save for a heat monitor on the far wall. [/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"I want to go home," said Luyii as she stared forward, absently.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA glanced at her. "Home? Aren't you afraid of being persecuted?"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Luyii shook her head. "I just want to make sure that my family is okay. I want to get them away from all this."[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]For a moment, there was silence. Only the soft hum of the train's fusion engines could be heard, as it climbed up the complex web of underground tunnels, which led to the surface.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA ran a hand through his synthetic hair. "No matter how hard you try, I do not think that you can rescue them," he said. "There's no time. You are safer here, for now."[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Luyii felt her eyes filling with tears again. She didn't fight them back, it was pointless to do so, she thought. They rolled down her cheeks as she continued to stare forward with a blank expression on her face.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Eventually, the tunnel surrounding the train began to grow lighter. They were coming closer to the surface now and soft rumbling of traffic become audible. But this time it was different. Another sound was evident amongst the regular noise.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Luyii stood up and grabbed the hand rail, near the ceiling. "What's that?" she asked, brushing away her tears.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA shook his head slowly. "I do not know. Perhaps we will find out once the train arrives."[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Finally, the train came to a halt at the station platform. Luyii and B7104ZA stepped outside and as soon as they did, the sound seemed to become ten times louder. [/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"Is that...an air raid siren?" said Luyii, as she looked up at B7104ZA.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA's eyes widened. "Look," he said, as he pointed up toward the sky.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17951&stc=1[/img][/center] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=dimgray]Luyii put a hand to her brow and looked up. There she saw it; dozens upon dozens of aircraft floating overhead. The aircraft did not seem to be moving terribly fast. Instead, they were lazily drifting below the clouds, moving slowly and deliberately in an odd formation.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"It's starting already," said B7104ZA. "Quickly, we have to find a shelter." B7104ZA grabbed Luyii's arm and ran across the empty platform with her.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Luyii's fear and sadness now became adrenaline. She ran alongside B7104ZA as the platform entrance came into view. Just beyond it, they could both see the open street, which was just near one of the many Versatran buildings. The building appeared to be almost empty, save for various small worker units, who were still attending to business as though nothing were happening.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]However, the rest of the street was completely empty. Vehicles had been left stranded on the road and Luyii noticed that various trains in the distance had completely stopped mid-journey. The machine city was now like a ghost town; a shell of its former self.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"Where is everyone?" asked Luyii as they ran.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"Many of them are in the shelters, built underground," said B7104ZA.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"What about the others?"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"You'll see them, Luyii."[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]And so she did. As woman and machine ran through the empty streets, Luyii noticed the odd machine laying underneath a car or any other heavy object that could be found. As they continued to run, Luyii noticed several more machines on the sidewalk. They were looking up at the aircraft above and talking amongst themselves.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Luyii was beginning to run out of breath. "Where the hell are we going to go?" she yelled. Luyii felt as though she had to yell to be heard, even though there was no sound around them. Her voice echoed through the streets, causing several eyes to peer at her from underneath vehicles, beside gutters or even under park benches.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"We have to reach Madam Orima," said B7104ZA. They could see her building in the distance; she lived on the top floor. [/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"We'll never make it in time!" cried Luyii. "Don't you understand?! They're going to attack at any minute! We have to save ourselves right now!"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA looked confused. Frustrated, Luyii examined the area around them, looking for a way out. And then she saw it; a manhole cover near the side of the street.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"There!" she pointed at it and grabbed B7104ZA's cool metallic hand. "Come on!"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA didn't move. "What are you doing?"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"I'm trying to save your life, you idiot! Now [i]come on![/i]"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA reluctantly followed. Despite his intelligence, he seemed to be almost blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. As they reached the manhole cover, Luyii knelt down on the street and attempted to lift it herself.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"Come on! Open up! I don't have time for this ****!"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA reached down and effortlessly pulled the cover open. "Go on," he said, gesturing toward the ladder inside the opening.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]Luyii immediately sank down into the hole and disappeared into the darkness beyond. Just as she did so, the whole world seemed to become completely still. B7104ZA looked up for a moment, as was the natural reaction. He could only see whiteness everywhere -- there was nothing else. Just whiteness.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]He couldn't hear, he couldn't speak, he couldn't see. Was he dead? He couldn't feel anything. And then, as suddenly as it had started, the whiteness disappeared. It was replaced by an enormous orange and yellow ploom, which rose high above the 01 skyline in the distance. The sound came back too. A booming rush of thunder, which made his head feel as though it were about to explode. A rush of thunder, followed by intense, desperate screaming.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA's eyes focused once more. He noticed thousands upon thousands of black marks in the sky, flowing like a gust of wind amongst the tallest buildings. This was not debris; it was machines. The shockwave had sent them hurtling in all directions, throwing them against the sides of buildings and dumping them across the city.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]First a crash, then a high-pitched squeal, followed by several deafening thuds. Machine men and women fell from the sky, landing on the sidewalks and roads, landing on cars and sending shards of glass in all directions. [/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]"Please!"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA turned to his right and saw a woman carrying a small child. One side of her face had been torn off, revealing the deep grey metallic skeleton underneath. "Please help us! We need somewhere to hide!"[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA pointed to the opening in the ground. "Go down there and you'll be safe. I'll follow you."[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]The woman nodded and awkwardly lowered herself down the ladder, clutching the child very close to her. Its eyes were large and frightened, but it did not cry.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]The world went white once more, knocking B7104ZA to the ground. When his senses recovered, he knew that another strike had been made in the opposite direction, several miles away. Then he remembered that there would be [i]thousands [/i]of strikes. He had only witnessed two.[/color][/size][/font][/left] [left][font=Verdana][size=2][color=#696969]B7104ZA crawled along the road, as fire and bodies rained down over the city. He grabbed the first rung of the ladder weakly and dragged himself down, head first. He couldn't hold on anymore, though. He dropped down into the darkness, with his eyes closed. [/color][/size][/font][/left] [center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17950&stc=1[/img][/center] [center][i][font=Verdana][size=2][color=dimgray]"May man and machine be forgiven for their sins..."[/color][/size][/font][/i][/center]

[color=#707875]Hm, interesting thread. As I was reading through people's responses, I failed to come up with my own. There are small things that annoy me (ie: answering your mobile phone in the middle of class -- the height of rudeness and disrespect, especially if you are in a lecture). But really, those things are pretty trivial. I guess that one of the things that annoys me the most would have to be intellectual dishonesty. In other words...doing something or saying something that you [i]know [/i]is wrong or factually inaccurate, but you do it anyway, to further your own agenda. One example would be people like Benny Hinn, a man who preys on the ignorant for his own financial gain. I absolutely love it when they say "please send us a [b]love donation[/b]". In other words, "please send us cash in an envelope". It makes my internal moral compass snap in half (especially because the guy who is asking for your "love donation" is apparently wearing a jewellery store full of gold all over his hands and arms). ~_^ The same can be said with regard to journalism. There are quite a few people out there who deliberately slant things in order to present information through a prism. Intellectual dishonesty at its finest. Another example would be various Creationist organisations (especially in the United States) who use "junk science" to fit the proverbial square peg in the round hole. It's really the most unethical behavior I can imagine. So I guess a lack of ethics and intellectual honesty are probably my two biggest annoyances. Other than that, I guess there are small things (like the mobile phone thing), but most of it is relatively trivial as I mentioned. In regard to the Iraq war and other political issues...I am constantly annoyed that the people who are the [i]most vocal [/i]are also the [i]most ignorant [/i](whether they are appearing on TV or whether they're giving live speeches). Isn't it funny that people who know the most about these situations seem to get drowned out by those who have already jumped on the ignorance ticket? *shrug* Annoying, yep.[/color]