PCs are the superior platform for creative flexibility.

Er... no, they aren't. An ever-growing amount of PC game dev time is going towards making the games scalable with the ever-expanding high and the and the lagging-behind low end, and the gap between high end and low end is larger than ever, and it's only going to get bigger. On the console side, a developer's entire target base has the exact same machine specs. I really don't see how the PC is the more creatively flexible platform, seeing as how PC developers have less time to be creative. I mean, how many sequels, rehashes, remakes, and clones are PC developers going to shove down our throats? I still haven't played any PCRPG that was as engaging as most SNES RPGs, let alone Final Fantasy X or Xenosaga.

Just trends I've noticed over the last few years. I hope I'm wrong, since I don't like consoles

I don't get why people don't like consoles. Isn't it all about playing the best games? I've still got my old NES from childhood, I have a PS2 currently hooked up to my television, and I'm typing this post on a P4 2.8 GHz with a Radeon 9800 Pro eagerly awaiting Doom3, HL2, and the future Max Payne 3. I still play Age of Empires II, and once in a while some Total Annihilation (you know, the game that caused Starcraft to be delayed for a year). Hate the games, not the platforms.

Personally I think the entire thing is silly, and don't really give a rats ass about it overall. I do however enjoy reading these threads because there are generally some funny fucking comments sprinkled throughout them. There are also plenty of asinine ones such as your own as well.

For someone who doesn't give a rat's ass, you took the time out to reply. Please don't try to pass yourself off as something you aren't. If you weren't interested, you wouldn't have replied. Simple.

I never commented on whether or not the source code's theft led to its delay. I commented on hebrew_national's bitching about how Valve showed off far more of their product than most companies ever do, even at E3--the only comparison I can think of is Metal Gear Solid's debut at E3 1997--and called it mismanagement. If any other company had shown off half as much as Valve did, everyone would be creaming their pants: not a person would be complaining about how the company showed "too much," as if that's a bad thing for gamers.

To give you a comparison, HL2 at this point will be released approximately a year after it was revealed to the public, and what do we have? Dozens of screenshots, a 25 minute E3 video, and massive hype. Final Fantasy XII has about 12 screenshots, no trailer, and only a few revealed characters, yet it's scheduled to be released in less than a year.

I'll thank you next time to skip the form letter reply and instead comment on the actual subject--the presentation of Half Life 2 to the media and public, not its current development status.

This comment was edited on Feb 3, 11:42.

I think Gabe Newell should be drawn and quartered, lets replace him. Lets start a petition!

Oh no, how dare a game company show off their game in a press conference at E3 to such an extent that it's actually indicative of the final product! No, how dare Valve buck the trend of game companies releasing low-resolution screenshots only months before a game is set to come out! Yes, let's all kill Gabe Newell for doing a successful PR job and ignoring the tinfoil hat people who say the source code theft was staged to delay this "obviously far-along" game!

Your assumptions of what is and isn't happening is extremely scary. Are you indicative of the other "source code conspiracy" people, or are you just especially dense as to how companies operate?

This comment was edited on Feb 3, 10:46.

Gotta love the article on the obesity lobby.

Yeah, let's just accept a completely unfounded initiative from the same world body that suppressed studies that proved secondhand smoking has no health effects.

What is it with the media today?

"Halo sequel delayed until autumn." Way to go, BBC--you're still skewing news reports!

Halo 2 didn't have a release date until it was announced for a Fall release. To say that it's somehow delayed from earlier guesses of an April or May release is a bunch of BS.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1137551,00.html

If the game hasn't been improved DRASTICALLY since the demo was released, I can't see myself ever purchasing this game.. the demo just.. well.. sucked

Agreed 100%. It's the same goddamned PCRPG stat/leveling system that's been around since effing Dungeons and Dragons, combined with some of the worst controls and direction I've ever seen. If Enlight is trying to be cinematic, they could've at least played Final Fantasy X and Xenosaga first.

What about Sweden? Since you guys 'decided' to give George Dubya, a real capitalist, a go, the US even has a hell of a lot more debt than them.

How is Bush a real capitalist while, say, Al Gore or Bill Clinton are not? Faulty terms, faulty argument. Oh, and nice scare quotes around the word decided. Apparently there are people out there who still refuse to believe state government election certifications, independent third party election certifications, and independent media election certifications. Then again, it's hard to trust the media anyway--don't blame you on that one.

The way I see it, Bush is making the world safe for liberalism. First, he's trying to protect western civilization by getting rid of the terrorists who want to suck the world into the 12th-century hellhole that is the state of cultural affairs in the Middle East. Then he turns around and passes every issue the liberals have been campaigning on for 40 years (kind of makes you wonder if they ever had any real intention of living up to their promises, but that's another argument.) So far, he's demanded and signed a $450 billion prescription drug plan for Medicare, wants blanket amnesty and Social Security benefits for illegal aliens, supports the renewal of the assault weapons ban, refuses to fight for his unconstitutionally-filibustered judicial nominees, has gone out of his way to avoid Social Security reform. In general, Bush governs like Clinton--the two significant differences are that Bush is honest about his motives and intentions (Clinton called himself a centrist when he's about as liberal as Jimmy Carter, if not more), and Bush does not use the military to distract people from his personal shortcomings, misuse of office, and domestic scandals.

With that being said, I hope they find the guy who stole the HL2 source. Soon.

This comment was edited on Jan 24, 23:42.

N. America, Europe to cool as world warms?

Global warming is the biggest lie perpetrated on the American public since Social Security.

Why doesn't nintendo focus on making the game on ONE screen better and more competitive with the PSP? Sounds like a DS (Darn Stupid) idea.

Er... why would Nintendo need to compete with the PSP? The PSP's got a price of about USD$450, and it's coming into a Nintendo-dominated market to compete with a handheld that costs about a quarter of the PSP. Nintendo can afford to introduce different hardware: they OWN the handheld market, and if Nintendo ever withdrew from it, it would die.

That being said, I'm not really surprised at the amount of people hating the DS already. It hasn't even been shown off, just announced, and already people are criticizing it. Amazing. Are you the same people who think the HL2 souce code theft was staged to delay the game? Sometimes I wonder why I still read this site...

Well, we'll never know unless we actually try. I don't recall any recent annoucements about Bush dropping 87 billion at home, nevermind a trillion on more practical domestic issues. Did I miss one?

Yes. You've missed the No Child Left Behind Act (increased federal education spending by 49 percent) and the expansion of Medicare to include prescription drugs (at least $450 billion over 10 years, more likely five times that as Medicare cost projections have historically proven very, very low).

This comment was edited on Jan 10, 10:12.

... they better give us a shitload of American Muscle Cars to drive...

... Urgh, I forgot muscle cars existed back then.

I'm not so hot on this game now.

Half the time I play VC, I end up just cruising the city in a car...forget the missions, sometimes it's just fun to wander around and wreck havoc...I loved the damn soundtrack, too!

Yes! Vice City makes GTA3's soundtrack look like the amateur show it really is. If San Andreas takes place in the 60s/70s, I hope The Beatles make some kind of appearance.

But how many does it take? 1? 10? 100? If it's acceptable to you now, at what point does it become unacceptable?

It becomes unacceptable when those who are clearly not illegal combatants are being detained. If we start detaining mob members under the Patriot Act, then we've got a problem.

For such a tyrant-enabling law, it sure is nice that the Patriot Act expires in 2005, isn't it?

I wonder, where are all the people who complain about the extent of entitlement programs in this country? If we're going to give all Medicare recipients free prescription drugs, why not give everyone free prescription drugs? You have good logic, but you're applying it to the wrong issue.
This comment was edited on Jan 8, 09:11.

You can be held indefindetly without access to a lawyer, without being able to contact your family, and without the ability to review the evidence against you. Then, you can be tried at a military tribunal instead of civilian court, who's only purpose is to validate your guilt. Thats always a good one. Due process that ain't,

... All of which can only occur if you are declared an enemy combatant. All the Patriot Act does is put into American law the ideas of the Geneva Convention's articles on the rights and treatment of members of insurrections, civilians who fight against an invading army, and military members who dress as civilians and then engage in combat.

Oh, and can you name anyone besides terrorists who have been held under the Patriot Act? I can't. For a country supposedly becoming less free, you sure as hell aren't being taken off in black helicopters for dissenting.

I just pray to Jeebus that they include multiplayer support out of the box.

I don't. What exactly would you do in multiplayer? I can't imagine on-foot deathmatch would be any fun, and there are already plenty of vehicle-based combat games out there.

Jebus denies your prayer and mails you an issue of EGM.

lol @ this....What do you think Liberty City was??

Tame. Think about it--it was only the criminals who were corrupt. Sin City, if it's a Las Vegas style place... well, five words: legalized prostitution and casinos galore.

Anyway, is it just me, or did Rockstar previously say that the next GTA game would be a spinoff ala Vice City, and the game AFTER this next one would be GTA4?

From that "Scientific Ignorance Dooms Democracy" article:

Most of those who live in the West, particularly North Americans, are guilty of an anti-intellectual bias.

Actually, that sentence should read, "Most of the intellectuals who live in the West, particularly North Americans, are guilty of an anti-West bias." Paul Krugman, anyone? I have no problems with intellectuals--until they advocate capitulating to those who want me dead. We might have an easier time with those in the Ivory Tower were they grounded in reality.

.... Take an anthropology class and stop being so ignorant about non-European cultures. The ONLY technological advantage the Europeans had was gunpowder and, in most cases, metalsmithing. Remember the winners of any conflict are always the ones who write the history.

Of course, in this case, the Indians didn't have written language...

I dont mean to say I agree with this lawsuit, in fact quite the contrary, but a stupid lawsuit sure as hell does not entitle a white immigrant - which is what you are - to claim superiority over any other immigrant in your country.

Look, race-baiting. Never thought I'd see that on Blue's.

wtf...worse than molestation...these god damn republicans will be(edit=have been) the downfall of mankind

Am I the ONLY person worried about statements like these?