James

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crazy White Boy [/i] [B]I don't know why everyone hates Microsoft. They're a successful company for a reason. That reason is that they know how to do business. Xbox won't suck because it doesn't have a mouth. Seriously though, it's not up to Microsoft whether it's a success, it's up to the people. Anyway, Max Payne is a lot better on the box than on PS2, so that's a sure fire sign of things to come. Even Nascaar Thunder is superior. RAW simply crushes SmackDown graphically, granted that's an unfair comparison though, seeing as how they're developed by totally different teams.... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]I plan to purchase an Xbox at the end of next year (or early 2003, when the price drops). One of the biggest problems I have with the console, and the reason why I feel it is the weakest of the three next gen machines, is simply the philosophy of design behind it. Let's face it, Xbox (and even PS2 to some extent), are not [b]game machines[/b]. Do I want to rip CDs to make MP3? Sure, I'll use my PC. Do I want to surf the 'net? Sure, I'll use my PC. Do I want to watch DVD movies? Sure, I'll use my DVD player. My point is, moving into this cloudy area of product positioning is very dangerous for Microsoft and also for Sony. When Sonly launched PS2, the highest selling piece of software for the machine was The Matrix movie...and not any games. This left Sony open to competition from areas outside the game industry and effectively diluted the PS2's legitimacy as a game machine. Moreover, if a particular product can perform a number of functions at once, it is most likely, by very definition, that it will do all of those functions very well...but not as well as a machine which is designed specifically for one function (ie: GameCube and game playing). What I'm saying here is kind of above the whole "who's games are better" argument, in the sense that it deals more closely with the business aspect of things. But my biggest worry is probably that Xbox demonstrates absolutely no innovation in terms of software. I am happy that Microsoft wanted to make a powerful system so that developers could express their creative visions, problem is...developers aren't expressing anything but fairly played-out, cliched game ideas. I would say though that all is definitely not lost. Halo was a very good (if not slightly bland) first person shooter -- probably the best FPS on console to date. And Dead or Alive 3 was gorgeous, though it represented exactly zero innovation in terms of gameplay. Every one of the next gen consoles can produce beautiful graphics which are very comparable to each other. Graphics simply isn't part of the argument. It comes down to the games. And so far, Xbox is drastically trailing both PS2 and GameCube in terms of innovation and game quality. I personally hope that this changes over 2002 (and to some extent it will), because I want the Xbox to have a chance to make the industry as a whole grow larger, so that more companies can become involved and share their game creations. [/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl [/i] [B] [color=deeppink]Lady M, do I detect a three letter euphorium?! :rotflmao: Actually, I think your threads get spammed because they're thought-provoking, and that branches off into separate conversations and then if lasts forever...until it ultimately gets closed. So, in the end, it's a good thing :)[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]I agree. I mean, it's spammy if the first two posts on a thread talked about love...and then the next three talked about beer. :alcohol: But it's fine for a really long thread to progress and change...just as long as it keeps a tangible conversation lol.[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]Agh, such a tough decision. I'll be going to choose the game tomorrow...and I'm still not sure. I read the IGN preview of WipeOut Fusion and they said that the controls were "perfect" and that the game had been much improved and was visually awesome...gah. I personally think I'd be choosing between SH2 and TMB as Seph said... TMB is great for multiplayer (thus, higher replay value) while SH2 is a very deep single player experience... *sigh* I just don't know. Perhaps I can get both eventually lol. I'll see how it goes...[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]Please do [b]not[/b] use General Discussion to post threads like this. If you have any questions or problems, please PM a moderator, God or Admin. (the problem has been fixed, by the way)[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Master O Beans [/i] [B] Apparently I'm a second generation thimoc...at least that's what Will and timoc told me :excited: ...I'm still deciding whether or not that's a good thing.... :rotflmao: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]Well obviously it's not a good thing. But believe me, thimoc is no hacker. He somehow got one of the admins' passwords back on Version 2.0...and I guess he found out Adam's and I presume Adam used that same password on AIM. So yeah, I think Adam's learnt his lesson lol. But in any case...you're not like thimoc. You don't go stealing passwords and passing that off as "hacking". Spamming and stuff are what made thimoc so very unpopular... As for the virus thing, that was definitely not one of our staff.[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]Actually, it's funny you ask this. My younger sister found her b/f on the 'net. They were chatting on ICQ for about three months...then they started talking on the phone every single night..and finally they met (my mum went along to make sure he wasn't an axe murderer lol). They haven't been together all that long, but it's really worked out for her. They still talk on the phone every single night...and so I think that meeting online first meant that they weren't overcome by superficial stuff. I mean, they got to know each other and became friends...and then took it further in the "real world". My sister is very beautiful...and she looks a lot older than she is (she probably looks older than me lol), so I think a lot of guys would judge her on face value...but she doesn't have a picture on the net, and so whoever she talks to really has to like her for who she is. So from that aspect...it can be a good thing I think. [/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]Okay, I've looked at our list of smileys and I've fixed the problems that people have brought up. I think I've fixed all of them, but if not, don't anyone hesitate to PM me about it. I'll do my best to fix all problems as soon as I can. In the meantime, I've also uploaded yet another handful of smileys to OtakuBoards.com. :2women: :huh: :blah: :flasher2: :heart: :all: :confuse2: That's a small sample of 'em...there are a few more I think. Enjoy![/color][/size]

[color=darkblue][size=1]I am having some trouble here...and I want to see what everyone thinks. My parents want to get me a PlayStation 2 game for Christmas. But the problem is, there are five games which I would really like to get...and I can't choose between them. I'm wondering if you guys could help me choose (especially if you own any of these games and can recommend 'em). [b]Silent Hill 2[/b]: The first was awesome...and the second is really tempting. It's a hard game, but I like that, because too many games today seem to be too easy...the atmosphere looks great and I really want to feel that atmosphere all over again. [b]Devil May Cry[/b]: Yet another cool game. I'm a big fan of the Resident Evil series and DMC is designed by the same designer. I love the gothic Castlevania style atmosphere...and the awesome fighting moves. Yet another tough decision... [b]Twisted Metal Black[/b]: Once again...I loved the first two games in the series (the third and fourth sucked). But TMB is developed by the team who made the first two...and I've heard nothing but awesome things about it. Once again, it appears to have a tough single player game...but I love the challenge and I look forward to the multiplayer aspect. [b]Wipeout Fusion[/b]: This game isn't yet available over in the USA, but it's out in Europe and Australia. I have Wipeout 3, which I love...and the new one looks amazing. The graphics are superb...and the game runs at an amazing speed. You can even fly upside down against tunnels and stuff in this version...plus it has that great soundtrack. [b]Jak & Daxter - The Precursor Legacy[/b]: This is perhaps the game which I want the least of all of the above. I only include it because I want to know what people thought of it. It's by Naughty Dog, the people who make the Crash Bandicoot series. I've heard that it is a little generic in terms of gameplay...but I'm interested in the sheer fact that it's apparently quite a large game with lots of different challenges (plus I pretty much only own racing games on PS2 so far...and I wanted an adventure game). So there you have it. This is my dilemma...all great games, but I just can't choose. So I'd really appreciate some suggestions. :)[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]I agree with BabyGirl here. While I can to some extent understand this person's train of thought...I don't think it's justified. I mean, when Timothy McVeigh destroyed the Federal Building, I didn't suddenly "notice" all the white Christians around me. They didn't stick out anymore than usual. After September 11, I don't look at Muslim people and think "I see you differently now". If anything, I feel closer to them. I feel closer because I know that if someone from my own country did those things...I would hate them for it and I would be completely horrified by it. Muslim people don't think any differently to anyone else in the grand scheme of things. They, like everyone else, hate violence and crime...and nobody in their right mind would support September 11. So really...I think that the person above is an example of a very ignorant and to some extent, racist person. There is no need to feel that way...and no real reason why anyone should or would. September 11 has made me feel closer to people who I might otherwise not notice as much.[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]Ahh yes. I remember you, Killermon. You were the one who constantly complained during OtakuBoards.com Version 2.0, correct? Well, all I will say (as I've said many times before) is that hacking is never the right way to go. You may have thought that you had the right reasons in mind, but the fact is, you didn't own that chat channel...therefore, it wasn't your place to tamper with it...even if your intentions were good. If you'd wanted to improve the chat, you should have talked to Justin directly (or Adam or myself) at the time. If you were as popular as you say you were...then I don't see any reason why they wouldn't have listened to you. But instead, you decided to hack without telling them...and thus, they lost all trust in you. This is a very good lesson, isn't it? :) Next time you might go about things in a better way...[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Single H [/i] [B]*don't know what to call them, GF perhaps*. And another fact that the voices for the English Version are kinda 'not' in place, Seymours voice is supposed to be deep, evil kind of voice similar to the Japanese Version, and Lulu's voice is too [SIZE=3]light[/SIZE] to be someone as cold-hearted as her personality. I would think that the japanese voice cast are much better than the english voice cast..... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]Actually, I would prefer no voices at all. Voices ruin it for me -- I prefer to read the text and imagine the voices myself...like with a good book. Oh well, I really hope that you can disable the voices in the game. Some voices are apparently very good (IGN commented specificially on Lulu and that big hairy dude...I forget his name). By the way, the summons in FFX are called [b]Aeons[/b]. :lecture: [/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]I see what you mean, but it's kind of an irrelevant point that you're making. I mean, it's all very well to say "a bad man hit the big building" etc etc. That's fine for a four year old to understand. However, it's a very complex issue. People always try to make it more black & white...but it's something that people discuss because it relates to their own way of life...and it relates to the way that countries deal with each other. So I think there is room for debate and discussion. If adults looked at life in such a simplistic way, things would be much more difficult for everyone... I wouldn't say that your cousin is smarter than 90% of people just because of the basic fact that he understands. I think it's great that he doesn't discriminate against anyone (we need a lot more people like that in the world, definitely), but it is just a little ridiculous to compare a child's understanding of the situation to a multi-faceted discussion whereby adults may have lots of different opinions.[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Will2x [/i] [B]thats so so sad.....so so sad.. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]Yes, it's very sad. I should have saved my conversation with Tyco on AIM today to show all of you what a jerk this guy is. He messaged me and told me that he hated me (I've never even talked to this guy before in my life, thus, he doesn't even know me). He was like "u think ur so good cuz u think ur better than everyone else on the boards". Uhh...no, not quite. "A 2 year old culd do ur job, all u do is watch a bunch of kiddies on the boards all day. U do nothing for otaku, all u do is watch the boards and sit there. U think ur so good and u make out like ur better than me. Ur just the same as everyone else" blah blah blah. I don't know where he gets that from... I simply put it down to jealousy. From what I know about him, he's a relatively unsuccessful webmaster...I think he hates the fact that OB is a success while he isn't. And I had to remind him that if Adam here here often and were doing my job, people who break the rules would hate him just as much. Why? Because these people hate [i]anyone[/i] who tries to do their job. And believe me, if myself or the mods didn't do our jobs...we'd get heaps more complaints about the boards having too much spam etc. I found this guy really funny...he was basically telling me what I do and don't do for Otaku Media. lol...but the thing is, he has absolutely no idea what my responsibilities are. He thinks that all I do is sit here and watch what people type on the boards. He ignores the fact that Adam and I are working very hard on rolling out more than three new sites within the next month. Gee...guess he didn't notice all those teaser ads since the middle of the year...tsk tsk. Oh well. Where there are lots of people, some of them are invariably idiots.[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]Okay well, that was incredibly off topic... But anyway, let's see if we can get the ball rolling again...[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Master O Beans [/i] [B] Now James, honestly...that message should have been sent through a PM...next time please do that. PS - that smilie sucks, for future reference, don't use it! ...and to get back on topic....as not to get "in trouble" I don't feel like reading any of that stuff, I see soo much of it all the time on the tv (when I watch it) and on internet sites that it's gotten rediculous!:worried: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1] If you have the right to post unrelated messages in a topic, I have the right to bring you to task within the topic. ;) As for the smilie, I didn't even create it...god knows what Adam was thinking. It's weird how one moment you're fine (even likeable) and the next you're acting worse than SSJGoten. Just make sure you maintain some quality in your posts in future please. (To some extent I agree with your last paragraph there though ;))[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Master O Beans [/i] [B] Quiet down you! Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn't read?! Muhaha! :butthead: [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]-_- MoB, I'm a pretty tolerant person. Most of your posts lately have been totally fine. But don't post this utter spam/garbage, we both know it's stupid and unnecessary. If you don't want to get involved in a conversation in this thread, then you are under no obligation to post here.[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i] [B]I won't waste my time reading that... I simply don't have the time to read that jibberish, most of probably which is false. I'm going to assume what it says... and my answer is... simply... We are human, we do stupid dumb, weird, unnesisary things.... Nothing will change that. And who are you to tell me what I can have an opinion on and what I can't? [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]Well umm...it wasn't really saying that you can or can't have an opinion. It was just providing analysis of the events and talking about alternatives. I think you should read it before you comment. ;)[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]I skimmed over the article (I don't have the time to read the entire thing at this very moment I'm afraid), but I did notice a few certain points. I think that it was correct when pointing out that the United States has been a kind of fair weather friend to the rest of the world in terms of the way it has responded to various conflict situations. I saw an inteview on Fox News with an Afghan film maker the other day. And the interviewer said "Surely you must be happy that America is saving your country from the Taliban now" And she replied "Well, America is really only doing this because it is in their own interest to do so. I do not confuse their own interests with the plight of the Afghan people". And that's very true. If Osama bin Laden and his followers were not in Afghanistan, you can bet that the USA would have no interest in toppling the Taliban and thus, would be quite happy to let them continue their reign of terror in that country. Ultimately, I do not blame the US for wanting to defend itself. If these attacks occured here in Australia (one suspect confessed that there were plans to fly a plane into a parliament building in Europe, as well as the Rialto towers in Melbourne, Australia) then I think I would definitely want to go after them and stop them from doing such things ever again. Having said that, the only area where I take issue with the United States is that it doesn't exercise its own dominance responsibly. It does tend to respond to incidents or situations that are in its own interests. Yet as I said, that's my only complaint. The USA has also done some great things too. I feel that this article deals with that aspect, but I also think that many parts of it are fairly irrelevant. I, unlike certain media personalities (Bill O'Reilly), feel that we need to have an understanding about the motives of terroists -- not to sympathize, but to provide more ways of stopping them in the future. However, the article's talk of "silent genocide" of millions, with references to older, unrelated conflicts, is really sidestepping the issue a little. It really doesn't have much bearing on the situation at hand. The simple fact is, the civilized world must attack terrorism wherever it lies. That may mean civilian death to some extent and it may mean some tough government decisions. Yet I am a firm believer that if we don't stop this activity now, we will pay a very dear price in the years to come.[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]Hmm, well, if every nation in the world had a female President/Prime Minister/Chairwoman/Chancellor *catches my breath* ....there would be no war and a hell of a lot more understanding in the world. So I'd much rather have women leading than men. And I will be happy when Australia has a female Prime Minister (New Zealand has had TWO of them so far...) That is, a female PM who isn't more manly than a male one...a real woman, not some conservative old hag. Ahem...'scuse me...just venting there...lol[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]I've read two reviews of Final Fantasy X so far (one at GameSpot and one at IGN). It seems that most are already hailing this game as being the best in the series so far. All the scores I've seen have been above 9.5 out of 10 (some sites scoring the game as high as 10). The revamped and much improved battle system, the epic storyline, the fleshed out characters (unlike some of the more forgettable ones) seem to be really pushing FFX as being a huge hit. Some of the biggest changes are apparent, too. The game has more contemporary music (some areas have rock and pop styled music) and more music with lyrics. Overall, I feel a LOT more excited about this game now than I did only a month ago. Also, Final Fantasy X is a big game for another important reason: it will be Hironobu Sakaguchi's last FF game. For those of you who don't know, Sakaguchi-san invented Final Fantasy. He has directed every single game in the series, from the first game on the NES...to the latest on PS2. After this game, there is the medieval styled Final Fantasy XI, which will be 100% online. And then Final Fantasy XII, which will be mostly offline (like FFX), but will be designed by a new designer. While this might be Sakaguchi-san's last FF game, rather than dwell on nostalgia and stagnate (like FFIX), the latest game marks a turning point (for the better) in the series. I'm just wondering who here plans to buy this game? And based on reviews you've read, do you feel that Final Fantasy is going in a good or bad direction in terms of game structure and art style. I urge you to read the review over at [url]http://ps2.ign.com[/url] The new battle system in particular is being called a "revolution" in the series and one which actually improves the game quite a lot, making it less frustrating. It'd be cool to hear people's thoughts on the future of Final Fantasy and Hironobu Sakaguchi's departure as director of the series...[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1]This is one of the most inane topics I've ever seen. Does anybody really [b]care[/b] if a star swears? I mean, please...get a life. lol. Let's try and improve the quality of topics in this forum, rather than post worthless garbage.[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by RicoTranzrig [/i] [B]All it does is save space and makes it look really cool...;) Maybe it has something to do with dust too...if your entertainment corner is prone to it.... [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]Actually, standing your PS2 vertically is preferable. It slightly reduces the wear and tear on the laser/lense and it also helps to keep the system cooler. Or so says Sony...[/color][/size]

[color=orangered][size=1] 1. The Matrix (probably the best Aussie movie ever made and yes, I know that it had Americans in it lol) 2. A.I. (a lot of people said it was either mediocre or brilliant...I was one of those who thought it was brilliant) 3. Stargate I only posted my top three because I have lots of movies that I like...the above are in no particular order though. I just can't think of what would make my top 5 at the moment...[/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Snow [/i] [B]Hey, I remember hearing about this harddrive attachment thing for the PS2 that cut loadtimes on alot of games, especially RPGs. I was wondering if anyone knows what this thing is, cause I can't remember. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]The PS2 HDD is now available in Japan and will probably be available in the USA next year. It does cut load times to some extent, but not very much. Final Fantasy X is compatible with the drive, but you have to "install" the game first. Some load times are improved, but once again, the improvement is maybe .25 of a second. There seems to be this belief that hard drives will dramatically speed up loading. Microsoft said that with Xbox, there would be no loading times at all. However, most Xbox games load significantly slower than GameCube games (some GCN games have zero load times in most areas). This demonstrates that loading times aren't directly tied to the HDD itself, but are related more specifically to the console's RAM and its internal memory bandwidth. [/color][/size]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Squashed Snail [/i] [B]yeah, I know what you mean......... I think they should have good ratings too. But look at the game "Jonny's Adventure". It is worse in voilence and stuff like that than GTA3, and they rated it PG! What's the go with that?! [/B][/QUOTE] [color=orangered][size=1]Exactly. The OFLC is absolutely stupid. Look at Resident Evil and Silent Hill...those games are absolutely full of gore, yet they passed the censors. In Europe, companies are often asked to change things in order to make games more suitable. Like with Turok on N64, the German government insisted that the people were changed to zombies...and that their blood was changed from red to green. We've never had that here, so it surprises me that they'd outright ban a game just because of its violent nature. They have let so many other games slip by that it's just unacceptable.[/color][/size]