James

[color=#507AAC]I don't really believe that psychic powers exist. But I do think that our subconscious (in our dreams) can reflect experiences we have had...or feelings we are having about something. I've noticed that if I'm highly stressed, I have dreams that relate to what my stress is about. This is why psychiatrists often analyze dreams -- they often do contain messages/feelings that are based on a person's emotions. So I believe in that, but I don't think I believe in palm reading or crystal balls. Most of those people are just out to make a quick buck.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]o_O;; I'm aware of what "the rapture" is. I'm just saying that it's ludicrous. lol Anyway, let's please not get into a religious discussion here. I think religious extremism should be kept to forums other than OtakuBoards.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Ugh...rapture ready... Ahem, anyway. I really think it's hard to say where all of this is coming from. On some level, I suspect that people are posting some of this stuff just for attention; a lot of people [i]claim[/i] to have been severely depressed...but I'm sure that few know what it's really like to be a clinically depressed person. Having said that, it's really hard to tell over the Internet. And even though the negative topics can get a little worrying at times, I also like the fact that people can really open up and discuss things here. Afterall, what's the point of having a community if you can't really be a part of it? In some ways I guess I'm hoping that people will confine these "problems" to less threads, if only because I'm sure that [i]everyone[/i] doesn't want to be bombarded with negative messages frequently. Ultimately it's probably better to have a good mix of threads. In general, I'm really not a person who subscribes to the whole "world is coming to and end soon so repent now and yee shall be saved!" routine. It's convenient, in the sense that it's once again a way of establishing control (particularly so-called "moral" control). Unfortunately, various religions have continuously predicted the end of the world over the last few decades and it's never happened. In addition, irrespective of the factual/non-factual nature of these claims, it's mostly about your attitude and way of thinking. If the world ended in a week's time, what should I be doing? Should I be huddled in my basement with canned food, worrying myself to death? Or should I be living life and helping others in a positive way? I suspect the latter. Regardless of what the future holds, I think it's important to try and see the positive things in life and to understand that in general, society is always moving to a better place. These individual stories of heartache and such can be discouraging...but if people can find comfort here and move on with their lives, then I think something positive has been achieved.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]I agree with CWB in the sense that this generation is perhaps the last of the "traditional" game console generations. If Sony and Microsoft truly branch out into the areas that they are talking about now, the video game industry might be very different in 2010. It seems that the PlayStation 3 will either be one of two things; a mere chip embedded into many different electronics devices (DVD players, televisions, set-top boxes) with the ability to download games over broadband Internet services (no physical disc or packaging -- just a downloadable file). Or, that the PS3 will be a physical game console that will simply have more Internet-based features. I'm betting on the latter. The former has many positive business aspects (without producing hardware or even physical software, Sony stands to make a much higher profit with far less financial outlay), but it's essentially an alien concept to consumers. Will gamers want to have "pay to play" services? Will they want to have a PS3 embedded in their DVD player and download games rather than having a physical product? Who knows. In some ways, technology is always moving in that direction anyway. Microsoft's strategy is a little less extreme. Xbox 2 will be somewhere between Xbox and HomeStation. Microsoft won't go [i]all the way[/i], but they'll go part of the way. You can expect to see Xbox 2 being based [i]very[/i] heavily on Xbox Live (you'll probably be able to move your account to Xbox 2 services), but Microsoft will stop short of compulsory downloadable games (though they may offer the service for those who want it as an option). As for Nintendo...they have confirmed that they are indeed working on a successor to GameCube. And once again, Nintendo are going to be working with NEC to manufacture the various chips (NEC recently completed producion of an all-new manufacturing plant in Japan, which could be used by the company to create the GCN successor chips). It's also expected that Nintendo will once again work with ATi to engineer a new graphics chip, though nobody knows what the next-gen system's CPU will be. I'm guessing that Nintendo may work with IBM again, though.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Ginny is right about the choices we make...and CWB is right about the lack of predetermination. We do all have our own talents and ultimately, it's up to us what we do with those talents. If you are more motivated, you're probably going to have more success...and vice versa for those less motivated. Life is about how hard you work and what choices you make. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own life and you can never blame someone else -- you direct the path of your life and you may change it at any time. But every change came come at a price, depending on what you choose to do.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]I'm not aware of the thread you are talking about (I rarely visit the forum in question) and I've tried searching for it myself with no result. So I'm not quite sure what the situation is there. If anyone has any suggestions (it could be a technical problem), please don't hesitate to discuss them with me.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]A shiny blue orb rolled along the dark wooden floor quietly. Its soft, light-blue surface reflected the contents of the room; a small wooden table in one corner, an old-fashioned dresser, a small bed with an elaborate quilt draped over it...and two small boys. One of them was kneeling down on the hard-wood floor, with one eye squeezed tightly shut and the other concentrating on the tiny blue orb. His untamed black hair somehow gave him an instantly mischevious air; one that, on first appearance, made the village elders highly suspicious of him if anything happened to go wrong. The other boy was a little smaller in size, but no less interesting. His straight blonde hair covered his eyes slightly -- but his wide eyed expression was still visible as he watched a second orb. The second orb was red and was sitting stationery, with the blue orb fast approaching. The blonde haired boy watched with baited breath as the two came closer together. The blue orb snaked its way along the creases in the wooden floor, hugging them closely as it made its final approach. With a light "click" sound, the blue orb bumped into the red orb softly. The click resulted in shrieks of laughter from the dark-haired boy, who hastily scooped up both orbs and placed them in a small goatskin pouch. The blonde haired boy frowned. "Hey, you lost fair and square!", exclaimed Hikaru. He stood up and rest his hands on his hips. "Okay, you know what to do", he prompted. The blonde boy sighed and turned around. Hikaru grinned and quickly stashed the pouch of marbles behind the dresser. "Okay, you can turn around now", said Hikaru. The other boy turned around and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sleepy", he complained. Hikaru nodded and opened the dresser carefully. On the inside was a small sleeping bag (and much like his quilt, it has been embroidered with intricate Hyrulian patterns). Hikaru pulled out the sleeping bag and unfolded it, laying it down on the floor next to his bed. "There", he said. The boy smiled, seemingly forgetting his recent loss. But before he could lay down, the sky outside lit up with brilliant white light. And moments later, a thunderous boom echoed through the village. Hikaru and Calle jumped onto Hikaru's bed and stared out the window. Veins of icy water were cascading down the glass rapidly and beyond the window, very little was visible. The wind had picked up and was so strong that the faint figures of villagers in the street could be seen haunched over, walking into the wind (and trying not to be blown backwards). Hikaru sighed. The last few days had been so boring to him and Calle. Calle had spent several days at Hikaru's house, because his parents were not at home...though Hikaru did not know why they had left in the first place. Still, he had no brothers or sisters. And as such, he welcomed Calle's presence in the small house. Despite the harsh weather outside, the interior of Hikaru's room was warm and pleasant. A small kerosine lamp was sitting on the dresser, glowing brightly. Its warm glow cast a soft yellow light over the wooden room, which made Hikaru and Calle feel safe and happy. After several minutes of examining the goings-on outside the house, both Hikaru and Calle agreed that it was time to sleep. Hikaru carefully turned the lamp off and climbed under his covers. Calle enveloped himself in the warm sleeping bag. And for the rest of the night, the two elven boys both tried their very best to sleep...[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Hey...major spam! I'm not even going to ASK you to read the rules. This is a very clear violation (not just of rules but also of common courtesy). Immediate ban, this time.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Okay, I'll explain a little more. OtakuBot is going to become our official tour guide within My Otaku. I am hoping that Adam will reveal him on theOtaku.com simultaneously. He's pretty cool...but he's not quite ready to do his job for us yet. He's a great public speaker, but a little nervous at times.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]*votes* Lady K all the way! ^_^[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BigCajones [/i] [B][COLOR=red] [COLOR=red]What happened to the trusty old Sega Company? The Sega Mega Drive was a console I grew up to love including the original Nintendo, which was created in 1987 before the SNES. The Dreamcast (DC) and the Sega Saturn maybe wasn't such a great success but still had some hits.[/color][/b][/quote] [color=#507AAC]There are [i]still[/i] rumors that SEGA is interested in developing another console. But I can tell you now, it's not going to happen. SEGA may develop hardware -- for the arcade market. But not for the home console business. As a software company, SEGA can focus on what it does best; making great games. It can rely on Nintendo/MS/Sony to market the actual home consoles. And of course, with this strategy, SEGA makes more money (loses nothing on console hardware) and is capable of developing for multiple game systems at once.[/color][color=red] [b][quote] A bit of a third party like the X-box right now but that still has time to improve! But James (he knows everything!!!) and I?m sure the rest of you know a lot on this so if you would like to help out a troubled kid in telling me what Sega are planning to do, because I know they are making several different games for different consoles. The Sonic classics and many more but is the rumour true that Nintendo now have bought Sega, because are sources here in England aren't great at all and we seem to be one of the last to know which is disappointing. [/COLOR] [/b][/quote] [color=#507AAC]Nope, Nintendo has not bought SEGA. There are rumors of a "Megaton" announcement coming soon (apparently next week's Famitsu will provide details), but most sources are suggesting that the deal includes Capcom (and possibly someone purchasing/merging with the company).[/color][quote][b] [COLOR=red]I think as Nintendo have missed out on the DVD system in their console they need to have gaming online at roughly the same time as the others to have a challenging battle. Games like Tony Hawks and Resident Evil online look out of this world and mega fun, but I'm not saying its going to be a huge success as I'm not sure if I would buy all the software as my room is congested enough as it is! So how will online gaming effect this ?war? or won?t it have an effect, will it just be money down the drain for the companies? [/COLOR] [/quote][/b] [color=#507AAC]I am not convinced that Nintendo [i]needs[/i] to enter the online gaming market within a certain time period to compete with Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo will enter when it is ready. Clearly, Nintendo is conservative about this area; they aren't going to jump in until they feel that there is profit to be made. And that's reasonable -- it's why Nintendo has $7 Billion in cash sitting in the bank gaining interest every day. Regarding the DVD thing, you should take a look at my reference to that in my above post. The DVD aspect is a double edged sword in my opinion. Even though you could argue that it is bringing new gamers to the world of video games, the data suggests that people are primarily purchasing a PS2 for movies (at least that's what the situation was in the first year of release) and as such, few games were being sold during that time. Of course, with a significantly sized user base, the chance of selling more software goes up. And I think it's fair to say that more and more people are getting into games (who weren't interested previously). But having said that, it could still be argued that the PlayStation 2 game software penetration rates are still pretty low (extremely low when compared to GameCube).[/color][quote][b] [COLOR=darkblue]Reply please because I?m interested in what you have to say and what would you rather get for Christmas right now if I include the GBA to this little conflict of the consoles?[/COLOR] [COLOR=purple]Grant[/COLOR]:demon: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#507AAC]I believe that the GBA [i]must[/i] be included. It is a game console afterall. It's similarly priced to other consoles on the market and it has a sizeable library. It's also a "current generation" game machine and acts as a companion to the GameCube. Considering that I already have a GBA/GCN/PS2, I'd be getting an Xbox this Christmas if I could afford it. As it stands, I'll probably just pick up one game or some anime. So I won't be getting Xbox just yet -- probably next year.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]There are so many points to make about the concept of the "console war". It's late here and I'm tired, but I'll try my best. I'll go over each major company involved one by one. It's a little dry, but I hope some of you read my post and think differently about the subject. First and foremost, we have to ask ourselves what the so-called "console war" really means. Are the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube [i]really[/i] competing against one another? And if so, to what extent? I'll go over each major company involved one by one. It's a little dry, but I hope some of you read my post and think differently about the subject. What makes the GameCube different from both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox is also perhaps what limits it. In general terms, Nintendo is creating games for its fans. And when I say fans, I'm talking about people who have either grown up with Nintenndo (such as myself) or younger children/teenagers who are experiencing Nintendo for the very first time. Nintendo has often been criticized for its failure to appeal to new audiences (the so-called "mainstream" audience of consumers who are buying games such as GTAIII and Tomb Raider). To some extent Nintendo has attempted to remedy this situation by charging its first and second party studios with the task of creating more "mature" games. Metroid Prime and Eternal Darkness would be prime examples (and both have performed pretty well so far). More telling of Nintendo's determination this time around (as opposed to the more lackluster N64 era) is the various third party partnerships that Nintendo has been pursuing over the last year. Nintendo understands one important factor, which Sony and Microsoft are starting to understand themselves; exclusivity sells consoles. This is why, rather than have games such as Final Fantasy X ported to GameCube months later, Nintendo has pursued a different path; Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, which is designed exclusively for the GameCube. The same strategy has been used with the Resident Evil series and most recently, with several new Capcom franchises (including Killer 7, Product Number 5, Viewtiful Joe and Dead Pheonix). The quality over quantity values of the past are still present at Nintendo. But this time around, Nintendo is aiming to incorporate that message with the addition of more aggressive development strategies, thus resulting in higher quantity [i]and[/i] quality. Perhaps this strategy is most evident based on recent sales in Japan. Weekly GameCube sales were up to the point where they were only around 1,000 units behind PlayStation 2. This is a milestone that Nintendo has never achieved (except with GBA, which has experienced the fastest acceleration of sales in video game history). It is also a milestone that Microsoft has not even come close to. In addition, we must factor in the handheld market. Remember; GameCube is one of [i]two[/i] consoles that Nintendo currently sells. Nintendo's dominance in the handheld market was proven recently when the company released the two new GBA Pokemon titles in Japan; the company sold just over 1 million GBA units in 10 days. To the best of my knowledge, this even breaks the sales records that GBA posted when it was first launched in Japan and North America. Is Nintendo's strategy working? It's too hard to say right now. 2003 will be the GameCube's biggest year yet; it will finally have ample "mature" titles as well as ample high quality titles to compete with PS2/Xbox. Once again, quality and content are both key. In addition to the strategy, we must also consider what the GameCube/GBA technology offers. In essence, Nintendo is pushing this idea of "connectivity" between the two machines (which is very savvy, when you consider the massive GBA user base worldwide). Additionally, both GBA and GCN are designed to provide maximum benefit to Nintendo. Consider it; both GBA and GCN are essentially piracy-proof. Whereas in 1999, SCE lost over $260 million in worldwide piracy, Nintendo has lost perhaps less than $10 million since GCN/GBA launched. I don't have specific numbers on Nintendo's losses in this area (if there were any at all), but consider [i]why[/i] Nintendo is unaffected by piracy. Media format. GameCube's proprietary disc system (which can only be produced by Matsushita [Panasonic] under patent) ensures that the machine's discs can't be copied. And GBA uses its own proprietary cartridges which, once again, are highly resistant to piracy. In addition, GameCube Optical Discs are extremely cheap to manufacture; cheaper than DVDs. When combined with Nintendo's high software profit margins, Nintendo is clearly [i]the most[/i] profitable company in the video game business today. Once again, this leads me to the question of how you can tell who is "winning the war". Let's say you base your argument on number of hardware units sold. In this case, we'd have PS2 in the lead (around 40 million now sold), GameCube/GBA in second (over 20 million combined) and Xbox (around 8 million) in third place. This context provides a deceptively simple answer. Remember; Microsoft is losing massive amounts of money on each Xbox sold. Sony is also running at a loss per PS2, as is Nintendo. However, Nintendo loses the [i]least[/i] money per unit sold (and contrary to the rumors, Nintendo does [i]not[/i] profit from hardware unit sales). Additionally, both Sony and Microsoft utilize much lower licensing costs for publishers (presumably in order to attract more third party software). What is the end result? Third party software sales generate significantly [i]less[/i] profitability for both Microsoft and Sony. And particularly in the case of Sony, one could argue that game development itself is more expensive due to the more complex hardware (by comparison, GameCube and Xbox are much easier to work with and therefore require less labor time; and consequently less financial investment). Furthermore, Nintendo's reluctance to enter the online gaming market early is going to work in Nintendo's favor, financially speaking. The argument could be made that Sony and Microsoft will reap the rewards of their early investments further down the line (due to an installed/existing user base and existing online franchises and business models). But in addition, the point must also be made that both Sony and Microsoft stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in the first two to five years of their online ventures. In Micrsoft's case, the number could grow to well over $1 Billion. What if Sony and Microsoft do develop strong and profitable online business models and markets? Simple. If the business is there, Nintendo will enter. If not, it won't. If Nintendo sees a profitable situation emerging, then the company will definitely enter the arena. The thing is, both Sony and Microsoft will have laid the groundwork on the business end (though this is debatable; Nintendo has been working with online gaming for over a decade in one form or another). What about Sony's strategy? Sony works with things from much more of a business standpoint than a creative one. Sony's principle policy has been two fold; focus on PS2-exclusive partnerships and build the PlayStation brand. The word "PlayStation" has almost become a company unto itself. And that's a good thing; when PS2 first arrived in Japan and North America, it sold incredibly well despite having a relatively below average launch lineup. Ultimately, Sony's strategy is not as complex as either Nintendo or Microsoft's. Sony, in a sense, can rest on its laurels during this generation. Even if it stopped marketing PS2 altogether, it would [i]still[/i] take a while for Nintendo and Microsoft to play catch up. Sony's massive user base is beneficial upon first glance, but is held back by numerous issues (high development costs, low profitability and extremely low software penetration). However, once again, the massive size of the user base tends to counter any financial hurdles that Sony may face. I remember that when the PS2 first came out in Japan, the number one selling software for the machine was The Matrix movie. It was humerousr at the time, because Sony were initially having a lot of trouble when it came to encouraging the sale of [i]games[/i] and not [i]movies[/i]. Has Sony overcome that hurdle? In short, no. But to some extent, Sony has succeeded where others (most noteably Nintendo) have failed; the company has been able to draw in [i]new[/i] gamers via the movie/game tie-up scenario. Sony's combination of clever marketing and extremely strong third party portfolio have definitely been behind the PS2's "mainstream" success. So, even though the movie/game functionality of the machine has worked against Sony in terms of its profits, the concept has also theoretically broadened the video game industry as a whole (thus providing more opportunity even for Nintendo and Microsoft). It has also meant that for first-time gamers (who may very well be in their twenties or thirties at the current time) are going to remember that PS2 is the first game machine they owned. Thus, if Sony provides pleasing franchises to these audiences, they are likely to build a kind of "brand loyalty" to PlayStation. And of course, during the introduction of PlayStation 3, this situation will be extremely important for Sony (especially due to the highly advanced Xbox 2 and GCN 2 [or whatever it gets called]). Thirdly, we have Xbox. What is Microsoft's strategy? Microsoft's strategy is much like Sony's, but with a key difference. Microsoft has built the Xbox as an online gaming machine from the ground up. Even during the early stages of the machine's development, Microsoft reiterated over and over that this would be the primary function of the console. Given that Xbox Live is in its extreme infancy, it's going to be very hard to make any kind of judgement or assumption right now. But there are some things that can be said. Firstly, Microsoft knows what it's doing in terms of online technology and marketing. The company easily has the most sophisticated and user friendly system for players to go online. In a nutshell, if you want to play online games primarily, Xbox is your only option. The machine's breadth of features combined with its ease of use (and centralized network structure) make it the absolute ideal choice for gamers. Quality is also becoming less of a concern. A year ago, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Xbox was devoid of any quality software at all (games such as DoA3 are generally considered to have been blown out of proportion upon release, though this is understandable). But during the last year, Microsoft has pulled a Nitnendo-esque move; it has recognized the importance of longterm franchises and software quality. Unlike Nintendo, Microsoft has chosen a more indirect approach to quality. Rather than developing and engineering its own core franchises, Microsoft has had a tendancy to purchase development firms which it believes are providing the kind of content that Xbox players are going to want. So far this strategy has worked; Bungee has been invaluable to Xbox and Rare is sure to be the jewel in the Xbox's crown (in terms of both diversity and range of software, as well as general above average quality). Microsoft understands the importance of brands and implied quality and its actions over recent months have proven this point. And as mentioned, the single largest part of the Xbox strategy is the online question. Even though there is currently no profitable business model for online console games (nor is there a very high demand -- less than 50% of gamers actually [i]want[/i] to go online and even less want to [i]pay[/i] for online gaming via their console), nor a lack of suitable infrastructure/availability of services worldwide, Microsoft is still clearly the front runner in this area. And clearly, Microsoft's plan is a longterm one (think 10 years rather than 5). Though Microsoft will lose billions on Xbox (around $5 Billion, estimated by Microsoft itself), the company has a clear opportunity to build a longterm franchise in both Xbox and its exclusive software. Microsoft may not make any profit from its gaming ventures until well after 2006, but at that time the company will have the required user base installed (hopefully, at least) and will have the suitable technology and experience in place. Ultimately, as I said earlier, you have to ask yourself how you judge who "wins" the war and what criteria you establish. So, let me lay out a few scenarios for you. If you judge the "winner" based upon sheer number of hardware units sold (despite financial losses and inefficiencies), PS2 is the clear winner. GameCube second, Xbox third. If you judge the "winner" based upon the amount of net profit generated by gaming, the clear winner is Nintendo with Sony in second place and Microsoft in third. And finally, if you judge the winner based upon longterm online strategy (assuming that online gaming does become prevalent...and I think it probably will, even though I believe that MS and Sony are moving too quickly right now), then the clear winner would have to be Microsoft. Only Microsoft has the sheer financial and technical resources to actually defeat both Sony and Nintendo in this field. Sony would probably come second, but it's hard to judge given the fact that Nintendo has said very little about any online gaming (though it has confirmed some details, we really won't know how things work out until about 2005). Phew, so that is my general summary of the industry as it stands. I don't want to get into my personal preferences, because quite honestly, I like each of the current generation game systems for their own merits. What I've tried to do is analyze the industry (or the "war" as some of you call it) as a game journalist and not as your average game player. In the end, the factors I described above (the strategies and their end results) are what will dictate the longterm players from the short term "flash in the pan" successes. My post might be long, but you need to bear a few things in mind. Primarily, I haven't even begun to scratch the surface. As I said, the game industry is [i]far[/i] more complex than simply "I've sold the most hardware, I win". There are so many issues that I really haven't discussed in detail (demographics and how they have changed over the last decade, specific online gaming business models and the research behind their success/failure, company structure and how it affects both development and finances, future technological advancements [including the convergence of Xbox 2 as essentially a set-top box] and many other issues). In truth, much of this argument is going to fall down to people's personal preferences. But unfortunately, that won't really be a productive discussion. Let's try, as people who are interested in the gaming industry as a whole, to discuss this topic in a factual and non-biased way. Particularly, let's try to provide our theories on where the industry may be going and what trends might be emerging. What do [i]you[/i] think is most important to the industry? And where do you think the game industry is going in general? Let's try to expand this discussion a little more so that whilst we discuss the differences between the three hardware providers, we also discuss different aspects of the industry itself and where we feel it may go in the future. This is a great opportunity to encourage such discussion and I sincerely hope that "fanboy-like" responses are not issued here; let us try to go beyond that kind of simplicity and realize that we are [i]all[/i] gamers fundamentally, regardless of what our personal preferences are.[/color]

[color=#507AAC][i]Proteus woke for the first time in several hours. And immediately, he saw Dr. Karman and her various assistants standing over him.[/i] [b]Proteus:[/b] W-why... [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] Sssh. Save your strength, Proteus. [i]Dr. Karman motioned for the medical crew to follow her. She exited the room and began walking down the massive hallway. Behind her, several nurses were pushing Proteus' stretcher. He was starting to come to, but already he had noticed that his weapons systems had been completely disabled. Dr. Karman was no fool; she knew what to expect.[/i] [b]Proteus:[/b] What's going on? [i]Dr. Karman did not look back, she continued walking.[/i] [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I find it amazing that you can go through so much pain and yet still remain so analytical. Hasn't your experience taught you anything? [i]Proteus had no idea what the doctor was talking about.[/i] [b]Proteus:[/b] I don't understand... [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] That much is obvious. [i]Proteus looked around weakly. He saw no indications of where they were taking him -- the walls were barren and bare.[/i] [b]Proteus:[/b] Where are we going? [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I am personally taking you to isolation. You're not to be trusted. [b]Proteus:[/b] Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I'm surprised that you even ask that question, Proteus. And I'm even more surprised that you managed to destroy the missile. You set my plans back quite significantly. But perhaps it's not [i]all[/i] bad... [b]Proteus:[/b] What do you mean...? [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] Imagine if the missile [i]had[/i] hit Maverick Hunter HQ. The Hunters would become martyrs in the eyes of the public. Dying whilst doing their duty. And how would that help my cause? If anything, it would probably make my task more difficult. No...what you did...what you did was far more damaging. [i]Proteus started to feel the sting of guilt...[/i] [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] You destroyed that missile, leaving them alive. And now what are we seeing on CNN every night? Simply that the Hunters' security systems were hacked and that they were left utterly defenseless. An entire [i]army[/i] of highly trained reploids were unable to stop a missile attack. What's more, that idiot Signas didn't even order an evacuation! The sheer incompetancy of the organization is now evident to all. And what's more, people are starting to question whether or not the Hunters are even relevant anymore... [b]Proteus:[/b] The public will [i]always[/i] need the Hunters!! [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] Oh, really? Even if they are too foolish to save themselves? I don't think so. Why would the UN continue to prop up a failing, irrelevant organization? It's an embarassment to every Government who hosts a Hunters outpost. [i]Proteus was somewhat surprised. He had no idea about Karman's intentions until now. It seemed to be a little clearer in his mind.[/i] [b]Proteus:[/b] So you want to get rid of the Hunters, is that it? [b]Dr. Karman:[/b] By the time I'm finished with them, I won't [i]need[/i] to get rid of them. [i]Proteus did not have time to continue questioning the doctor. He arrived at the isolation wing and was swept away into a solitary cell. Dr. Karman grinned and walked away. He could hear her footsteps echoing through the halls...[/i][/color]

[color=#507AAC]I agree with Sara 100%. Parents do provide guidance in the early years but ultimately, an individual will choose his or her own path and make their own decisions (unless you're a brain dead sheep). As for friends...yes and no. If you're an independent, intelligent person...you're not going to fall for peer pressure (ie: doing something stupid to impress people). If you're a little ignorant or "sheltered"...perhaps you might just fall for that. Who knows. In the end it's still down to the individual's personality I think.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Forum designs (or "skins") take a long time to produce. Unfortunately, we can't simply create a new skin every couple of weeks. Currently you can choose from v6 or Industrial Otaku. I'm afraid that we will have no other options until early next year.[/color]

[color=#507AAC] [b]Name:[/b] Hikaru [b]Fairy Name:[/b] Bell [b]Age:[/b] 11 [b]Race:[/b] Kokiri [b]Character Class:[/b] Knight [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Appearance:[/b] See image below. [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=320155[/IMG] [b]Background Bio:[/b] Due to the fact that Kokiri children do not age, Hikaru has essentially reached his full physical maturity. Hikaru and his mother have been living in a small house inside Kakariko Village since he was born. And during that time, Hikaru has made many friends. One of his best friends is Drake Desbreko, whom he has always viewed as a kind of older brother. Drake taught Hikaru how to catch different types of fish and also how to catch various types of bugs (which has become one of Hikaru's favourite past times). Hikaru himself has ventured far from Kokiri Village on occasion, as his curious personality tends to lead him into troubling situations. Hikaru is a headstrong boy, but is also kind and forgiving. Though sometimes he's a little too trustworthy. The legendary hero Link is Hikaru's mentor and throughout his life, he wishes to defeat the forces of evil that are plaguing the Light World. [b]Starting Location:[/b] Hikaru's house, Kakariko Village. [b]Primary Weapon:[/b] Broad-Blade Sword with a wooden handle. Hikaru received the sword as a birthday gift from Drake on his 11th birthday (which occurred only last week). [b]Secondary Weapon:[/b] Boomerang [b]Items:[/b] Bottle (Blue Potion), Bug Catching Net, Grappling Hook, Big Leaf.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]I don't wish to have anymore members "added to the list". I do recall Mollyblue being banned for rule violations, but I don't remember specifically what those violations were.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Never set a foot wrong? With all due respect, you must not be looking very hard. Morph: Posted pornography in his signature. wgch: Poor post quality and other spam violations (read the rules for definitions on spam) boogeta: Posting irrelevant threads and erroneous/unrelated posts. gojay: Poor post quality, consistently poor behavior, re-registering once already being banned (thus causing another ban). Let me remind you that we [i]never[/i] ban lightly. We only ban if we need to. And all of the above members have broken our rules. I would also like to remind you that generally speaking, a ban is discussed by staff before action is taken. Additionally, we reserve the right to ban for any reason -- if someone is behaving inappropriately, they may not necessarily have violated a specific rule (they might be generally rude to people, for example). And as such, we generally have no desire to discuss the banning of members publicly. However, on this occasion I am providing information to clearly demonstrate that there is always a reason for banning of members.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Yeah, sage is right. If you want to discuss the Japanese language, I recommend using Otaku Lounge. Create a single thread devoted to it and confine your discussions there...that way you can discuss it without clogging up the boards full of similar threads.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]This measure was originally taken to stop people posting duplicate files. The problem has been fixed; you should be able to post the attachment now.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]OB Guide is a part of My Otaku. When it's ready, I think most people will find it really useful. Don't worry; it's still coming![/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by gojay #2 [/i] [B][color=blue][size=1]Well I really don't have a reason for being here, I got banned recently (formerly known as gojay) but something still drawed me to this place.[/color][/size]:babble: :confuse2: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#507AAC]Do you know how incredibly stupid it is to post something like that? lol :rolleyes: Oh well. I guess that's why you were banned in the first place. :drunk:[/color]

[color=#507AAC]OB Guide isn't actually up just yet. And as such, the link does not work. But don't worry, I'll be making an announcement when it's ready. ^_^[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Admin argument? That's news to me. lol And yeah, I think this thread is pretty dead at the moment. It's kind of fizzled out. :drunk:[/color]

[color=#507AAC]I don't know, I think maybe bad choices are being made. Let's face it, people [i]are[/i] generally giving in to pretty visuals over great gameplay. I don't know what the complaints about Mario Sunshine are about; that game was both longer and more complex than Super Mario 64 could ever have been. Games such as MGS2 disappointed me, because I feel that the developers lost focus. It was all about cinematics, gorgeous graphics and "the movie experience". In reality, that can never be the focus. Gameplay must be a priority all the time; MGS2 is a clear demonstration of that principle. In some ways, I feel that FFX was a huge "we're sorry" to Final Fantasy fans, after FFIX. FFIX looked wonderful, for sure. But the plot was incredibly boring and the gameplay was highly linear and uninteresting -- except perhaps for the pretty good battle system. FFX seems to address some of the major problems with IX, which is great. All of the discussion above also illustrates why I liked Pikmin and Luigi's Mansion. They weren't really the most outstanding games of all time...but there is nothing like either of them. They are both really in their own genres. And that's what I want to see more of! It's so nice to sit down and play something without any expectation...without any sense of knowing what comes next. So I don't know. I think that games that are often labelled as "popular" are sometimes quite disappointing, especially if the hype builds up to a ridiculous extent (look at a game like Munch's Oddysee for example; huge hype, delivered virtually nothing). By the same token, releases such as Metroid Prime remind us that there is still plenty of innovation out there. And that, despite the increasing number of crappy games being released, there is still a pretty good number of interesting/fun/innovative games on the horizon. In general I'm not disappointed. Because mostly, I know where to look to find a good game. I'm not necessarily going to go drooling after Zone of the Enders because of the hype (ZOE had its merits, but it really did fall flat on its face in many ways). Ultimately, I think that the future is still pretty bright. There are many talented developers out there whose games I am really excited about.[/color]