Staff of AltGN

E-Mail: staff@altgn.com

Yahoo IM:

AIM:

Jabber:

Web Page: http://www.altgn.com

Registered Since: 2007-10-23 21:18:57

Profile: THIS WAS WRITTEN BY PEOPLE OR PERSONS WHO ARE ON THE STAFF HERE AT ALT. I AM SURE THEY LIKE STUFF AND THINGS AND JUST COLLECTIVELY TOLD YOU ALL SOMETHING VERY INSPIRATIONAL OR INFORMATIVE. ENJOY.

Posts by Staff:

Alt On: The One Console Future

April 8th, 2008

Every now and then stories come along that warrant more than a single article. With the “Alt On” series, the entire staff takes a deeper look at things and how they effect the geek landscape as a whole. There has been a lot of talk recently about the industry eventually moving to a one console future in order to spur growth, decrease development costs, and standardize the technology. Ideally, game developers would agree on a single set of specs, all manufacturers could produce consoles and publishers wouldn’t have to worry about exclusivity deals and everyone wins. If only it were so easy. Do you think it is viable for the future of the gaming industry to move to a one console future and is this something you would want?

Stan
I am not a fan of the “OCF” for a number of reasons.

First off, competition among the console makers keeps them in check and drives innovation. Sure, the R&D costs are enormous, but companies are willing to pony up the money to make it back on licensing fees, peripherals, etc. Putting that money into a consortium means less profit and control for all parties and less incentive to get involved at all.

The three current console makers have their unique strengths but pretty different market strategies. Assuming all three would just play nice to make a standard console is pushing it. The term Jack of All Trades but Master of None comes to mind. Plus Sony and MS in particular are making a ton of money off their ancillary businesses such as the Video Marketplace and BluRay.

Finally (with feeler alert), making a video game console an appliance takes some of the magic out of the hobby. Now, when you buy a new system, it’s something special. You’ve got a new PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo and that means something about what kind of experience you want and expect. Going to Best Buy for a new Sanyo GamePlayer BD500 just sounds wrong.

Scott
A one console future benefits who exactly? Gamers? I don’t think so. With one console only there is no reason for them to push the limits of technology and try and make it better. Game developers? To a degree I guess it would. The console manufacture? I guess that would be the only true winner in the situation of an OCF.

I don’t think an OCF is ever going to happen. I don’t think you will ever get Sony, Nintendo, and Miscrosoft to agree to get out of the console making business. That’s about as likely as an One Movie Studio Future. It would also be horrible for gamers. The OCF is about the dumbest thing I can think of and I can’t even believe I took place in this discussion. *hrmph*

Paul
I am going to play the devils advocate for a bit, because it is always fun to do so.

Allowing for a single console would work the same way DVD players do. A consortium would get together and decide on a minimal level of specs. From there electronic companies would use that as a road map, and add any other features they would like. There still would be a great amount of competition between companies. In fact more because there would be potential for many more manufacturers to join in. Now instead of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft..we can also see Samsung, Panasonic (again, lol) and others.

There would be one platform and we could all expect it to work. Just like a DVD player these days. You have a player and the DVD will play. You want it too upscale? network capabilities? Then you look to another make. You may have to shell out more for it but that option is available.

Right now there is barely enough room for 3 consoles, all are competing (as much as Nintendo thinks they are not they are) for your dollar. We hear the rumours of EA getting into the business but that will never happen. Creating a standard will allow for MASS adoption by the general public as there will be no confusion. Any game will work with your system, your only real care are the options.



 

Rod
There’s already no confusion on the part of gamers, so I don’t see the point in a one console future. You have an Xbox 360 game? That’ll play on an Xbox 360. You have a PS3 game? Hey, it could happen, and if it does…that’ll play on the PS3. Where’s the confusion come from? It sure as fuck isn’t gamers getting confused.

There’s never going to be only one console, the market is just too big. There’ll always been some company out there that thinks “Hey, if we make a machine that’s a little more powerful and sells cheaper, we could make a killing on software!”

There already was a ‘one console future’ style system, where a minimum spec was set and manufacturers could make their own hardware. It was the 3DO, and it showed how poorly the theory worked in practice.

Individual manufacturers split the total sales of the console among one another, meaning no one manufacturer saw the ‘economy of scale’ really tip in their favour and lower their production costs and the machines stayed expensive for far too long. They also didn’t have equal performance, something that having a “base spec + add ingredients to flavour” system allowed.



Then there’s the other side of the equation - moving to the next-gen. With a ‘one console future’ who decides when it’s time to move to new hardware and how is it handled? If DVD is the ‘one console future’ analogy, then the Blu Ray vs HD DVD mess that the HD changeover sparked is as good an argument not to go ‘one console future’ that anyone can make.

The ‘one console future’ can join Communism on the pile of things that sound workable in theory, but will never work in reality.

Keep reading and you might get a little Dick Butt!

 



Share:



6 Comments "

AltGN’s Geek Holiday Gift Guide

December 10th, 2007

…or how I learned to stop buying socks and love my geek.

Tis’ the Season for giving and you may not have a clue as to what the special geeks in your life will want. How do you shop for someone that has their finger on the pulse of technology? Someone that’s plugged into the latest, hottest gadgets that do all kinds of kooky, crazy stuff? Well the last few years may have been difficult for you, but this year is a different story! This year you have the super heroes of AltGN.com to swoop in and save the (holi)day!

Our staff is entirely made up of geeks so just by telling you what would give us “geek wood” you’re sure to find something to make the geek in your life happy too.

Gentlemen, enlighten us as to what is tingling your geek sense this holiday:

Matt:



There are plenty of awesome DVDs out there this Christmas season, high-def or not. If you’ve got a friend or family member that has an HD-DVD player for their Xbox 360, I would recommend the Planet Earth series, Heroes Season 1, or probably the most jam packed single disc HD-DVD out there; Hot Fuzz.

If you’re geeky loved one would rather play games, get Super Mario Galaxy. (Even if this involves hunting down a Nintendo Wii for it) Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty 4, and Orange Box round out a very solid stable of games for the Xbox 360. He or she has a Playstation 3? Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune seems to be excellent and the newest installment of Unreal Tournament comes out 12/11.

A personal favorite series of books that I discovered earlier this year are written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I would recommend starting with Relic and moving to The Cabinet of Curiosities, then Still Life with Crows. They’re great for anyone who likes some mystery thrown in with some action and paranormal activity. Think X-Files but on a smaller scale.

All great choices. If your geek doesn’t already own Heroes that’s definitely a must have.

Kevin F.:

Well… I’m the Lifestyle guy so I suppose I should focus on something that you don’t have to sync to iTunes.

Let’s start with big gifts, higher priced gifts for those that are very close to you and perhaps you even live with (and will get to enjoy the gift too!).



This is a wine specific refrigerator, you can keep your wine stored at the proper temp of around 56 degrees. This is a good buy at $196. I have one like this and I keep all of my $30+ bottles in it. Keeping wine is Serious Business!


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage….=1164157296116
Kegerator (a classy one). Hey, I attended college and we took a rusty beat up fridge that still worked, cut a hole in the side and tubed it with a CO 2 tank, “borrowed” from my buddy Jeff’s job at Coke, and had frosty beer on tap at all times. We didn’t have $600 bucks to spend on this sexy unit right here. If you are a wife that has an extra good husband that deserves to enjoy beer the way it was meant to be enjoyed, this is a nice way to say “Thank you for taking out the trash and cleaning up the cat/dog poop for 364 days a year, have a frosty one for me baby!”


http://www.crownroyalstore.com/gifts.asp

Crown Royal actually does personalized labels and has a full array of logo bearing stuff to buy. That’s just an example, really all of the popular liquors have websites and stores and things that would make a good gift.

A bottle of something nice is always a pleasant gift, especially for people you may know but not know super personally but want to get them something. Many of the liquor products have gift sets you can get for the same price you would pay for the bottle through the year, they have the bottle plus a shaker with a recipe book or cocktail glasses, neat trinkets perfect for giving.

If you know this person your gifting well and want to give them a $100 bottle of 18 year old scotch, then by all means, knock yourself out. If it’s for someone you kinda/sort of know, like someone at work and you’re going to a Christmas party at their house or your wifes friend and her husband who you[i]kind of talk to but its not like you talk to these people all the time[i] and you want to bring them a gift, stick to something name brand and something that mixes well or can be enjoyed on it’s own. Jack Daniels or Crown Royal is very versatile and popular, or if you want to go with vodkas, click the picture and read about good vodkas.




Finally, there are very many micro brewed beers out there that are local and independent. FIND THEM. They will usually have a little bar or tasting room set up and you can set yourself up a flight of different beers to taste and buy a six pack or growler (a 64 oz jug that they fill for you at the brewery) and these make versatile gifts because its $10-20 and if you get them the growler, they can go back to the brewery and have it cleaned and refilled.

There is also an option that has the potential to make the world a better place.

Gift a Laptop to a child in a developing country, get one for your own child.
$200


http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php

You buy one and they send you one as well! Probably great for your child’s or your nice or nephews first PC.

Those are some wine, beer and spirit related gifts that I hope ya’ll will enjoy, so drink up, be safe and have a happy holidays!

 

Continue to page two for more great ideas! >>>






Share:



4 Comments "

Rush Hour 3 Blu Ray Exclusive!

September 21st, 2007

Timed Exclusive that is. Typical Sony move, rite? New Line is apparently planning a next gen release for ‘Rush Hour 3,’ with the Blu-ray expected just after Christmas, and the HD DVD to follow sometime in 2008.Although it was critically reviled, the third film in the Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker franchise has grossed $133 million in the five weeks since its theatrical release in early August.Now, according to information published by Home Media Magazine, New Line is planning a next-gen release for the film, withthe Blu-ray edition hitting stores on December 26, day-and-date with the standard-def DVD (a rare Wednesday street date).The second next-gen title to surface from dual-format supporting studio New Line, like ‘Hairspray‘ before it, The HD DVD version of ‘Rush Hour’ will hit stores sometime after the Blu-ray. (As part of its initial announcement for ‘Hairspray,’ the studio said that region-coding concerns would prevent it from immediately releasing many of its early titles on HD DVD, but it promised they would see release sometime in early 2008.)Although New Line has yet to issue a press release with specs, according to Home Media Magazine, the 2-disc platinum edition DVD is set to include audio commentary, deleted scenes and a featurette. We can only assume those features will find their way to the next-gen releases as well.Both the Blu-ray and the forthcoming HD DVD editions are listed with a $39.99 list price.



Share:



No Comments "