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[2013-06-17 16:20:09] - superman is honestly not a very interesting character overall. Actually, I find a lot of DC characters to be that way. - mig
[2013-06-17 15:20:48] - Daniel: And the odd cherry to top it all off? We stayed behind to see if there were any extra scenes at the end of the credits. Well, after sitting through however many minutes of credits, right before the scene would've appeared, one of the movie theater workers yelled out, "There's nothing at the end". -Paul
[2013-06-17 15:20:05] - Daniel: And Superman just seemed so boring and bland. I never felt like he had any personality except for some of the flashbacks to when he was a kid. -Paul
[2013-06-17 15:17:52] - Daniel: Also, I felt like they tried having multiple "messages" that just ended up being confusing and muddled and the plot just made so little sense to me. -Paul
[2013-06-17 15:16:39] - Daniel: The first half was a little slow and boring, and then the second half seemed to be non-stop action that felt like it had little emotional resonance since the main combatants were basically invincible. Lots of humans died, but the movie kinda tried to gloss over that. -Paul
[2013-06-17 15:15:01] - Daniel: Gurkie and I saw it last night. I was a little biased going into it (not a big fan of all these reboots so soon after the previous movies) but I didn't really like it much, unfortunately. -Paul
[2013-06-17 14:59:36] - Did anyone see Man of Steel? -Daniel
[2013-06-17 14:59:28] - I saw the movie too and liked it though I think less than Vinnie/Aaron. There were a lot of moments that made me laugh still though. I don't know that its a must see. -Daniel
[2013-06-17 14:17:07] - i liked it too. better than the average comedy. ~a
[2013-06-17 14:05:47] - Aaron: Cool, that's what I heard from other reviews too. Sounds like it's definitely something to add to the netflix queue if I don't make it to see it in theaters. -paul
[2013-06-17 14:05:28] - ugh. stupid comcast is blocking my email. i hate comcast and google because they regularly change the rules on email without informing me. ~a
[2013-06-17 13:30:25] - explains why i didn't get any email this weekend though. ~a
[2013-06-17 13:30:14] - ah my email must be broken again. sad face. ~a
[2013-06-17 13:18:08] - there was just a lot of stuff like that that was like hilarious to me, either because it was picking on stuff that was overdone in other movies, or because the characters were constantly ignoring how dangerous their situation was, and getting hung up over trivial things - aaron
[2013-06-17 13:17:00] - like one joke i loved was when two of them are outdoors, in like mortal danger -- everything's on fire, ash/smoke is blowing in their faces, and they pass by this cliche image of an abandoned playground, like in T2:Judgment Day.... and one of them goes "Awww look over there!!! That's so sad!" "What?" "The playground!!" and i just cracked up - aaron
[2013-06-17 13:14:55] - paul: i loved it!! i think it was seth rogen's best movie yet. if you don't like seth rogen, or don't like his style of humor -- you wouldn't like it. it tended to be pretty low-brow/simple humor aimed at everyday scenarios/goofy situations, as opposed to punchline humor. it was basically his buddies ad-libbing/riffing off eachother - aaron
[2013-06-17 12:47:46] - Aaron: How was the movie yesterday? -Paul
[2013-06-17 12:14:18] - mig: Wag the Dog, man. Wag the Dog. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-17 12:14:08] - a: Sure, but I emailed you his address... -Paul
[2013-06-17 11:58:07] - should i use the same email that's in the poker list? ~a
[2013-06-17 11:00:26] - i actually have a coworker that wants on the list too. ~a
[2013-06-17 11:00:15] - really? cool ok. ~a
[2013-06-17 10:58:29] - a: Actually, Mike Milazzo wanted to be added too, I can email you his contact info. -Paul
[2013-06-17 10:50:25] - ~a
[2013-06-17 10:50:24] - i can. there are just two new emails right? Douglas and joe?
[2013-06-17 09:56:59] - a: Are you planning frisbee this weekend or am I still doing it? -Paul
[2013-06-17 08:57:33] - mig: I think it's mostly coincidence. Was there any particular scandal going on when our Nobel Peace Prize winner pulled this stuff in Libya? -Paul
[2013-06-15 07:56:58] - a: no evidence, just the timing is awfully convenient is all. We've been hearing the bru-ha-ha about chemical weapons by the Syrian regime for the better part of a year now, and all of a sudden they now have "definitive proof" of chemical weapons use? - mig
[2013-06-14 15:18:40] - a: Thanks. I agree with the poll that feedly seems to be the best alternative. -Paul
[2013-06-14 14:55:06] - http://www.penny-arcade.com/2013/06/14/google-glass1 tycho of penny arcade is one of the testers for google glass -- here's an article where he talks about his first impressions, and what it's like wearing it in public - aaron
[2013-06-14 13:15:18] - well, hmmm. is there any evidence? ~a
[2013-06-14 13:05:14] - shit, we got all these fucking scandals going around, let's start a military intervention and hope everyone forgets about the scandals! - mig
[2013-06-14 13:04:03] - anyone else feel that the situation in Syria feels like Clinton's bosnia misdirection? - mig
[2013-06-14 12:58:50] - for people who were lamenting google reader's death (looking at paul and miguel), slashdot has a "poll" about popularity of alternative software: poll. ~a
[2013-06-14 12:43:22] - Aaron: Oh, wow. I never knew that. I'm going to have to listen to the song again to see if I can hear it. -Paul
[2013-06-14 12:31:18] - this changes everything! - aaron
[2013-06-14 12:31:07] - in paula abdul's "straight up", you know that line, "look i don't mean to make demands, but the words and the deed go hand in hand..." she's actually saying the word "book!!" it's a continuation from the previous lyric, "am i a page in your history book"... - aaron
[2013-06-14 09:10:26] - a: No problem. I figured a lot of people might be busy because of Father's Day. My dad is out of town so I'm technically free. -Paul
[2013-06-13 20:43:42] - hmmm, i might be going to my father's house
consider me a no, sorry. ~a[2013-06-13 20:05:18] - oh wait. it's father's day. let me check for sure. ~a
[2013-06-13 20:04:56] - YES. i'm a yes. ~a
[2013-06-13 17:47:21] - a: You back in town and coming to ultimate this weekend? -Paul
[2013-06-13 17:19:33] - vinnie: agreed. battery life is relative to how the battery is used. my rule of thumb, though, is to have a high battery capacity (Ah) to screen area (m^2) ratio. ~a
[2013-06-13 17:17:52] - Antennas. Stupid punctuation. -Paul
[2013-06-13 17:15:03] - Vinnie: I will say, though, that I often leave most of the antenna's on my phone on (GPS, wifi, bluetooth). -Paul
[2013-06-13 17:14:21] - Vinnie: And yet, some days I use the crap out of it (voice searches for local landmarks and then using google navigation to get there while texting and emailing) and the battery seems to hold up like a champ. -Paul
[2013-06-13 17:13:22] - Vinnie: Battery life on my phone perplexes me sometimes. It's supposed to have ridiculous battery life (15 hours of video playback!?) that I doubt I have ever gotten. Some days, my phone battery is practically dead by the end of the day even though I feel like I've hardly used it. -Paul
[2013-06-13 17:06:58] - this is the only smartphone I've had so my claim of "great battery life" is based on reviews and comparison to how often my friends need to charge their phones. mine often lasts 2, sometimes 3 days without charging. but it's possible I also don't use it as much as many. I keep wifi and GPS off unless needed - vinnie
[2013-06-13 12:13:08] - g: i find that i can drastically increase battery life when i turn off certain things: wifi (when i'm not using wifi) is a big one. ~a
[2013-06-13 11:11:47] - paul: no - aaron
[2013-06-13 11:10:56] - Aaron: Did you play the original X-Com: UFO Defense? -Paul
[2013-06-13 10:54:05] - Mostly happy with my Galaxy S3, unfortunately Ive had issues with the battery at times. But that could be because I use it a lot for conference calls and such. Additionally my work email started hanging which I have heard has been an issue across android devices... ~g
[2013-06-13 10:02:01] - xpovos: I'm happy with my Galaxy S2, the only problems I've had with it are related to T-Mobile's network. phone itself is rock solid, it's been very reliable. great battery life too - vinnie
[2013-06-13 08:55:58] - xpovos: i like my current samsung android phone; i didn't like my motorola android phone before it. my motorola had performance problems, it just wasn't reliable, it would take 10-15 seconds to load maps sometimes, apps would freeze and crash and the phone would often just restart for no reason - aaron
[2013-06-12 16:28:42] - Xpovos: I've heard good things with regards to windows phones, but have never used one. I'm personally enjoying my Droid Razr Maxx, but I'm pretty sure that's a Verizon exclusive and you aren't on Verizon. -Paul
[2013-06-12 16:11:18] - I'm in the market for a new phone. At this point I'm open to ALL options. I've had a G1 and a G2x as my last two. I love the Google integration, but neither phone has had the longevity that I would have liked. So I'm broadening my search to more generic Android devices, iPhone, Windows Phone, and even non-smart phones. Does any one have any advice? -- Xpovos
[2013-06-12 15:29:16] - paul:
- aaron[2013-06-12 15:27:49] - Aaron: Well, make sure you subscribe to /r/PS4 so you can tell me when people start complaining about playstation fragmentation.
-Paul[2013-06-12 15:26:25] - Aaron: Oh, sure. I think the specific (small) time frame they chose was pretty much specifically geared towards privacy and I even mentioned as much ([2013-06-12 14:57:26]). -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:25:18] - paul: i definitely hear about the difficulty of developing for android OS due to fragmentation, but i'm subscribed to /r/android so i read about a lot of that kind of stuff.... - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:24:10] - But I don't hear much about that either. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:24:03] - Aaron: Yeah, we'll see. I don't know if I expect it to be some huge story down the road. The PS3 was also supposed to be notoriously difficult to program for but it didn't seem to hurt them much in terms of exclusives. iOS is also supposed to be much easier to program for since only Apple makes iPhones but Android is so much more fragmented... -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:22:18] - paul: just curious, will you at least admit that the variability between the 1-hour checkin versus the 24-hour checkin is solely to prevent piracy? or do you think it's somehow, easier to develop software targetting a system if the checkins are only 1 hour in specific circumstances - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:21:14] - Aaron: Well, yeah, that part was probably more geared towards fighting piracy, but I think that comes with the territory. The music labels weren't venturing into this brave new world of digital distribution without assurances. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:20:10] - paul: i don't know man. seriously, if you're right -- then xbox 360 development will be a lot easier/cheaper, and presumably we'll hear about it in some way down the line. kind of like how people complained about gamecube's architecture being difficult to develop for, i'm sure we'll hear similar gripes if any of that is founded - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:19:25] - Aaron: And at the very least, that means extra work for them, which means extra cost. At worst? That might mean they dumb stuff down to the lowest denominator. Not everybody has the latest graphics driver? Guess we won't have super particular hair physics.... or whatever. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:18:20] - paul: maybe apple used an encrypted AAC audio files not for piracy, but because it's easier! if you know that all your files are using the exact same kind of encryption, then it's a lot easier when... uhhh... i don't know. something something development time - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:18:09] - Aaron: Right, but that's actually my point. My point is that we HAVEN'T seen very many issues with incompatible firmware. What does that tell me? That developers are making sure to support all the different versions that are out there. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:17:00] - paul: some places... i don't know, i just don't think it's the same level of issue. the variability in browsers is so much broader, and new firmware versions are still going to break stuff. i just haven't heard of old console firmware being a problem for any games ever - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:16:46] - Aaron: For people who were used to owning CDs and being able to give them or sell them to others and play it anywhere and anytime. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:16:18] - Aaron: I'll agree that piracy (and used games) is probably the #1 reason they implemented it, but I like your Apple analogy because I don't think Apple's digital music distribution was ALL about piracy. I think they were trying to change the whole distribution model and that required some awkward transition... -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:15:34] - paul: adrian literally switched banks because his bank didn't support a certain browser. browser issues are all over the place, but i can't think of -- okay, actually i do remember dark souls having some graphical issues with the latest firmware updates, but that was the other way around... sony's new updates which they pushed out broke dark souls' graphics in - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:14:41] - Aaron: Knowing that everybody who uses your product will be using an internet browser which supports HTML5 and cookies and flash and.... I don't know what else, means you have a lot more flexibility than if you have to design for somebody who might be using a browser which doesn't even support javascript. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:13:36] - Aaron: It'll probably take more than a year before there are serious differences in firmware or whatever for developers to complain about. I don't know why you think it's a small deal, though. I think the internet browser analogy is a good one. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:11:59] - paul: and kind of like how apple caught flak from people who were like, "oh, i just got a new computer and i can't play any of my music? what gives" "what do you mean i can only authorize 5 devices? does my iPod count?" i think -- yeah i think microsoft's going to be put in this shitty position, not because they're a shitty company, just because they're first - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:10:43] - paul: but, i seriously think it's about piracy first and foremost. microsoft's doing something big here, kind of like apple did with digitally distributing music -- and they're bearing the brunt of being the middleman between consumers who want things to work the way they used to, and publishers who want an unrealistic level of control over their product - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:09:46] - paul: honestly, i guess we'll hear about it in a year -- when all the developers are complaining about how impossible it is to develop for PS4 because of the millions of different firmware versions they have to support
- aaron[2013-06-12 15:09:40] - Aaron: No, I haven't, but that's my point. Developers have to take into account the people with outdated software/drivers/etc (in order to make sure there are no problems), which I have to imagine increases development time/cost and probably even causes some features to be cut. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:08:46] - paul: so you might be right, maybe this makes developer's lives easier? but man, if there's ever any problems like this -- it's definitely not the scale of like, the browser compatibility issues you were analogizing. it's really really rare, if it happens at all - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:08:03] - paul: i've heard of, for example, someone releasing v1.00 of a game, with showstopping bugs where it was like, "yeah, go online and download this update so the helicopter doesn't blow up on mission 3" but i've never heard of bugs where it was like -- oh if you haven't updated to the newest firmware, you can't play mirror's edge - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:07:10] - paul: hmm, conceptually you're right -- the concept of all xbox players running different versions of graphics drivers, and all running offline, could be a development nightmare. but realistically -- there's hundreds of playstation/xbox 360 titles, and i've just never heard of anything like this happening before. is it actually a problem? - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:05:11] - Aaron: So you basically have to design a game to the lowest common denominator, even if that person never intends to play online to connect to a multi-player server. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:04:34] - Aaron: Right now, as far as I know, game developers HAVE to cater to those people because the PR of releasing a game which would only work on 70% of Xbox 360s out there would be a mess. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:03:21] - Aaron: He has no desire to play online and will never play online and will never update his console or games. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:02:50] - Aaron: I think the disconnect here is our definition of the "guy causing trouble". My definition is a guy whose Xbox is never online and is horribly out of date and will never be updated. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:02:27] - paul: no, that's not true. again, the PS3 will check, "are you running the latest PS3 firmware? if not, then you can't play online". you're not describing problems solved with microsoft's new "always online" policy, you're describing problems which are already solved trivially with existing policies - aaron
[2013-06-12 15:01:08] - Aaron: What if MS release some firmware update for the Kinect that doubles it's accuracy in terms of picking up player movement, or something like that. Without "always online", game developers would have to essentially program two different versions of the game at best or possibly not even be able to develop a game that only half the people could play at worst. -Paul
[2013-06-12 15:00:15] - paul: and... the games will continue to run that exact same check, because even if you're constantly downloading/installing updates in the background, someone could still have a slower connection, they could have just connected for the first time in 3 weeks, who knows - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:59:34] - paul: that analogy isn't applicable, because that's not how online games work. literally every xbox 360 game just does a check, "Are you running the latest version of the game? If no, then you can't play online" - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:58:41] - paul: that just doesn't make sense to me. that'll still apply to the xbox one regardless of whether or not they brick people's consoles. you'll still have the guy with the slow connection who takes an hour to download the latest version, they still have to handle version discrepancies... - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:58:33] - Aaron: Let me ask you this: Is it easier to develop a web application if you are told that all of your users are using the most up to date version of Internet Explorer? Or is it just as easy if they could be using IE8 or IE7 or IE2? -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:57:26] - Aaron: Sure, the 24 time frame was probably heavily influenced by a desire to cut down on piracy and used games, but I think the general idea of requiring people to be online most of the time has a ton more benefits than that. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:57:06] - paul: i'm saying, microsoft is only doing this for piracy, there is no other explanation. you're saying, "well, it's easier to develop software if you assume they're always online", that just doesn't make sense ot me for the reason i just stated. they'll still have to handle outages. - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:56:06] - Aaron: I guess in my mind, the proper phone analogy would be that the developers of Cut The Rope would have to deal with people whose phones are still running the Donut version of Android or something ancient because they haven't been online in years. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:54:28] - Aaron: Understood, but I don't think we're talking about people who are going to be going online for a few days and then disconnecting for a few weeks or things like that. I think we're largely talking about the difference between people who are always online vs those who virtually never are. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:52:04] - paul: there's a difference between always checking for updates, and bricking itself when it can't get detect an internet connection. that's what we're getting at. - mig
[2013-06-12 14:51:22] - paul: extra handshaking code/extra work, extra policies and stuff. it doesn't make things any easier for their development team by any stretch of the imagination. they still have to handle 23-hour outages, they still have to write code for that. - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:50:53] - paul: my point is that "always online" doesn't mean, "if you happen to be online we'll download updates". that's easy to develop, and that's how things work now. microsoft is going to have to develop that half anyways. "always online" means, "if your console is offline, we will disable your ability to play games". that's not any easier to develop.... it's just - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:50:20] - Aaron: I think there is a real tangible benefit for developers to only have to worry about supporting a single platform rather than multiple possible different ones. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:50:01] - paul: i definitely don't think these new policies are a "nail in the coffin" or anything, and i'm not overestimating the hardcore gaming crowd. the xbox one will do fine. it's not like the $5/mo online charge was a nail in the coffin for the Xbox 360, some people were perfectly content paying an extra $480 surcharge so that they can play halo - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:49:07] - Aaron: Ok, but your phone won't download updates if you're in a submarine. I guess I am missing your point. My point is that it's probably really nice for MS to be able to tell their developers that they pretty much will only have to develop for a console which is "always online" and should have everything up to date. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:46:52] - paul: Oh yeah, I totally understand what Microsoft's going for with NFL and the TV tie-ins. I'm still pretty confident they're trying to do what the Wii did, by making the Xbox One the first console people will ever purchase... targetting a non-gamer market with their product - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:45:19] - paul: My phone is not "always online", I can still use my phone if i'm not connected to the internet, i can still play "Cut The Rope" if i'm in a submarine, or even if I cancel my Verizon contract. If I get a wireless signal, my phone goes online and downloads updates. This is how the XBox One should work, but it's not what Microsoft is planning - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:42:48] - Aaron: Whereas I'm actually kinda geeked up about the ability to watch NFL games while also having fantasy football stats on the side or stuff like that. Makes me wonder how much we can read into the opinions of the hardcore gaming crowd. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:41:54] - Aaron: Re: Randy and the NFL. It's funny because I've read so many comments on gaming sites where people are like, "WTF? Who cares about fantasy football and watching NFL games? I just want to play Halo!" -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:40:54] - Aaron: Also, wait, how is your phone NOT always online? -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:40:43] - Aaron: It's kind of like how people said the lack of a required hard drive for the original Xbox 360 was bad because developers couldn't just assume the existence of one and so had to program for the lowest common denominator. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:39:23] - aaron: Yeah, but it's a lot easier to do stuff like that if you KNOW the system is "always online" (I use the quotes since it's not really required, but that's the terminology being used). Servers won't have to worry about being compatible with older versions of games because they will always be updated. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:35:33] - paul: that doesn't make sense to me though, you can build stuff like that into a console without mandating always onlineness. my phone always downloads/installs updates silently but it's not "always online". i really think this is strictly an anti-piracy measure - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:34:35] - paul: my coworker Randy is getting an xbox one because of microsoft's deal with the NFL -- where supposedly you can watch any NFL game on your xbox one... even the ones that don't get aired on ESPN, FOX, etc... - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:26:23] - Vinnie: Once you know a system has to be online at least once a day, you had build in stuff like automatic downloading of patches or system updates. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:25:10] - vinnie: I think I agree. I think MS saw a bunch of benefits to a console which was required to be "always online" (even if that means it only has to connect once a day or whatever) besides just fighting piracy. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:19:56] - strangely, like anti-piracy measures, it is very hard to sell the idea of game updates to users. "no really guys, you're gonna love this! that way when we put out a game that crashes on the opening screen, you only have to wait a few hours to play it, rather than it being totally unplayable! ...guys?" - vinnie
[2013-06-12 14:16:34] - I keep misspelling "is" as "if" - vinnie
[2013-06-12 14:16:13] - aaron: I think it's a multiple-birds-with-one-stone situation. I don't know how badly piracy affects the console gaming market, but I would guess being able to deliver necessary patches if more important to them unless piracy is especially rampant. but once they've opened up the can of worms that is always online, they may as well try to fight piracy too - vinnie
[2013-06-12 14:15:11] - vinnie: the thing with the check-in is that it forces you out of a game you were playing if you don't make the check, so I think it's mostly a anti-piracy thing more than anything else. - mig
[2013-06-12 14:12:11] - Vinnie: They also appear to have grand designs about integrating the Xbone with TV viewing, so I wouldn't be too surprised if being always online helped with that too. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:11:02] - Vinnie: Well, it's definitely also about letting developers get a cut of the used game market as well, I would guess. But, yeah, they've also touted stuff about downloading updates in the background and stuff so you never have to wait to play a game. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:10:41] - vinnie: i don't know, with the 24-hour check in-interval for your "primary system", and the 1-hour check-in interval for a "secondary system" it really seems like it's more about piracy/licensing than anything else. if they were just about pushing updates, the interval would be constant, and it would probably be longer (more like 3-7 days) - aaron
[2013-06-12 14:09:00] - mig: Like Xpovos, I'm also still pretty cranky about PC games forcing steam accounts. I think it's part of the reason I'm not TOO tempted to transition back to PC gaming over console gaming. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:08:01] - aaron: I don't really disagree with anything you're saying. I just wish (and I bet Microsoft also wishes) that we could just skip this messy transition stage and go right to dropping the physical discs and just downloading all our games. -Paul
[2013-06-12 14:01:01] - seems that console games are going the same way as PC software - put something out and give updates. it means less people complain when they buy something that just doesn't work - vinnie
[2013-06-12 13:59:45] - ... if the offline world of the past - vinnie
[2013-06-12 13:59:34] - I wouldn't be surprised if the "always online" thing is about more than just fighting piracy... have they said so? Their model with Windows for at least the past decade for been to push constant updates on the user, often without asking them, in order to improve the experience. maybe they fear that they will get too many complaints from people who want to live...
[2013-06-12 13:57:46] - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/06/12/dangerous-thunderstorm-set-up-for-d-c-area-thursday-storms-possible-tonight-as-well/?wpmk ~g
[2013-06-12 13:40:28] - mig: I've still never, and likely never will, purchase a game that forces a steam install and account. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-12 13:27:20] - I actually was really irritated when I first bought a game that forced me to install steam. And it took me a while to warm up to it. - mig
[2013-06-12 13:20:57] - SimCity 5 riled a lot of people up with online only, and I still remember people getting furious over Civ5 being tied to steam and being locked for people on the east coast who bought a physical disc game on a release night but had to wait until midnight on the west coast to actually play it. - mig
[2013-06-12 13:19:14] - paul: PC gamers have been resigned to not being able to trade games for the better part of a decade now. There's no such thing as a legitamate "used" PC game market. And actually people still get pissy when they buy physical media and it makes them integrate the game with steam or origin or whatever. - mig
[2013-06-12 13:10:42] - paul: and accept the small amount of piracy which might result from clever customers doing this weird "offline XBox edge case". it's absolutely not worth alienating the 1% of your customer base who doesn't have a reliable internet connection, or (more importantly) the 20% of your customer base who empathizes with that 1% - aaron
[2013-06-12 13:09:41] - paul: it seems like microsoft is forcing this "always online" thing as a very aggressive way to prevent this one edge case -- where a consumer would jump through hoops, using one "always offline" XBox and one "always online" XBox to steal a single copy of a legitimately purchased game. it just seems insane. just give consumers the offline option - aaron
[2013-06-12 13:08:51] - paul: that's kind of an impossible problem to solve unfortunately, the best compromise is to say -- when you start a game, you either have to be online with a licensed copy on your hard drive, or you need the disc. then, worst case, i can install the hard drive on my machine, and give my copy to miguel, who keeps his XBox offline. effectively stealing a copy - aaron
[2013-06-12 13:05:22] - paul: right now, when you install a game, you "use up your license" and you can't redistribute the game, so it's just forcing a negative change on consumers. why did they do this? well, presumably they're worried about the case where i'd install the game, use up a license, give the game to miguel, and he'd install the game again, so we'd all use the same copy - aaron
[2013-06-12 13:03:29] - paul: i'm sympathetic, but at the same time there are better ways to move "into the digital world" without alienating your customer base. like netflix did, offering DVDs alongside the online streaming stuff for free at first; then gradually migrating to a model where you had to choose (where people screamed bloody murder) and in the future, streaming only - aaron
[2013-06-12 12:18:52] - I thought the "family affair" sidebar was interesting, though. It really does sound like people might be able to share their entire library with a bunch of non-related people. Honestly, that ultimately sounds even MORE convenient than just sharing discs unencumbered. -Paul
[2013-06-12 12:16:30] - mig: For whatever reason, people seem to be largely fine with not "owning" the game when it comes to stuff like Steam, but they get outraged if it tries to get pushed on physical media. -Paul
[2013-06-12 12:15:41] - mig: Yeah, I partially understand the outrage, but if you look at it from the perspective of MS trying to transition to digital downloads and no physical discs, it makes more sense. -Paul
[2013-06-12 12:11:35] - paul: That's true. Maybe it's unfair, but at the same time, there's still a very strong expectation on physical discs that we should be able to do whatever we want with them. I still get annoyed by Day 1 DLC, locked on the disc because of it, even though I sort of understand the economics behind it. - mig
[2013-06-12 10:51:00] - I'm sympathetic to what Microsoft is trying to do, because I think they're trying to move into a future setup which is more convenient (all digital) while also having a connection to the past (physical discs) and the resulting combination just seems very anti-consumer. -Paul
[2013-06-12 10:49:53] - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/microsoft-defends-the-xbox-ones-licensing-used-game-policies/ I think this article brings up some decent points about Microsoft's confusing used game policy. -Paul
[2013-06-12 10:48:43] - Vinnie: I don't seek out stuff like Two and a Half Men, but if it's on, I don't normally change the channel. -Paul
[2013-06-12 10:48:12] - Vinnie: Big Bang Theory, New Girl and How I Met Your Mother are the two sitcoms that we DVR right now that I can remember. We might've added The Mindy Project too. -Paul
[2013-06-12 10:47:31] - aaron: Vaguely. -Paul
[2013-06-12 10:19:58] - aaron: Yes. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-12 10:15:09] - http://diplomacy.ca/dres?f_name=2009-31 do you guys remember this diplomacy game? - aaron
[2013-06-12 10:06:15] - I enjoy Big Bang Theory but don't seek it out. I don't need all my comedies to be smart either
- vinnie[2013-06-12 10:05:11] - 30 rock is as sophisticated I'd say, or close to it. it has a lot of jokes that require thinking or knowledge of pop culture - vinnie
[2013-06-12 10:04:11] - paul: well see, THAT's your problem right there
- vinnie[2013-06-12 09:42:41] - Vinnie: So I guess I see no novelty in those things, which maybe takes some of the enjoyment away. I dunno. Maybe I just don't have a sophisticated enough sense of humor. I do enjoy dumb comedies like 2 and a Half Men and Everybody Loves Raymond when I watch them.
-Paul[2013-06-12 09:41:39] - Vinnie: Yeah, I see things like brief cuts to somebody's face with an incredulous look on it and yawn and think "The Office" or hear a joke which is spoken in a completely normal tone of voice with no pause for laughing afterwards and yawn and think "30 Rock". -Paul
[2013-06-12 09:37:29] - paul: single camera sitcoms weren't as common back then, but I dunno if I'd say it was revolutionary. the office probably had a greater impact on sitcoms. but the speed of jokes and the often subtle humor certainly felt new for American sitcoms, and 30 Rock (and others, the office I'd say) took that ball and ran with it - vinnie
[2013-06-11 14:23:07] - Vinnie: I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I'm not impressed by AD because I didn't see it when it first came out. From what I understand, it has some revolutionary ways it was shot which is now somewhat common. -Paul
[2013-06-11 13:51:48] - oh right forgot also, + members get clould services for saved games. Not sure how valuable that is since I don't think saved games take much disc space. - mig
[2013-06-11 13:51:04] - g: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playstation_plus#PlayStation_Plus - mig
[2013-06-11 13:50:20] - g: on the PS3, it gives you access to a lot of free games. on the PS4, it does the same thing, but it's also required for multiplayer - aaron
[2013-06-11 13:50:20] - I dunno, I would compare PS+ to something like amazon prime, where you can get some nice deals in the PSN store and apparently a free game from time to time. Also, access to some closed betas of upcoming releases and other perks. - mig
[2013-06-11 13:48:17] - paul: 30 rock is probably the most similar show I can think of to Arrested Development and I like them both for similar reasons. strangely, I think of 30 rock as less clever than AD. maybe it comes down to which one we saw first - vinnie
[2013-06-11 13:46:24] - Is the PlayStation Plus account the same as Xbox Gold? That is for sale at Best Buy now... ~g
[2013-06-11 12:39:33] - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/nintendos-e3-message-wii-u-games-are-coming-just-not-quite-yet/ - mig
[2013-06-11 12:35:29] - nintendo apparently released a lot of interesting stuff but none of it is coming out this year, apparently. - mig
[2013-06-11 10:50:43] - I'm a few years older, graduated from one of the best high schools in the country, graduated from college... and am making less than half that amount while working in Virginia. -Paul
[2013-06-11 10:49:34] - Reading about Edward Snowden really makes me wonder where I went wrong in my career. He didn't even complete high school (let alone college) and yet was apparently making $200k a year working in Hawaii as a 29 year old. -Paul
[2013-06-11 10:19:22] - Aaron: I don't recall that episode yet. I'll make sure to pay twice as much attention to that one as usual.
Thanks. -Paul[2013-06-11 10:11:38] - paul: if you haven't watched Pier Pressure, that's probably my favorite episode of season 1 -- where they introduce j walter weatherman - aaron
[2013-06-11 10:09:45] - paul: yeah, stuff like that. yeah i agree with vinnie though, it's consistent in style/quality throughout, so if you don't latch onto season 1 that's really it. it takes 2-3 episodes to understand all the characters, but after that if you don't enjoy it, i don't think it's going to get any better - aaron
[2013-06-11 10:06:46] - Aaron: Ok, I guess I'll try paying more attention or maybe re-watching an episode or two if I can find the time. -Paul
[2013-06-11 10:04:48] - paul: is a comedy, but a lot of times it's more like "A Comedy Of Errors" is a comedy. although they still have their share of slapstick/one-liners/visual humor, a lot of it is really subtle and dry - aaron
[2013-06-11 10:04:35] - Aaron: I don't remember that particular line, but I'm pretty sure I'm recognizing the jokes. There was one scene where he asks his mom when the last time she visited their father was and she says "Never" and he continues on as if she had lied ("Then why did dad say you've never visited him?"). -Paul
[2013-06-11 10:04:20] - paul: and maybe you only realize it two rewatches later where it's like -- "oh, he's bringing it up to make George Michael feel guilty for lying about being in a relationship, but George Michael already knows that his father knows about the relationship, and is trying to bait his dad into admitting he knows..." it's not always a comedy like The Simpsons - aaron
[2013-06-11 10:02:30] - paul: the humor of arrested development is very fast-paced and very dry, and there's a lot of quick one-liners, "...I was recently lied to myself, and for what it’s worth, George Michael.." where it's like... wait, when was he lied to? what was he referring to... oh -- but why would he bring that up now? - aaron
[2013-06-11 09:57:47] - mig: wow that's crazy!!! although now i have to worry about australians going on the internet and buying up all our PS4s... - aaron
[2013-06-11 09:47:08] - aaron: PS4 will not be region locked!!!! - mig
[2013-06-11 09:41:37] - mig: Sounds like Sony decided to quickly cash in some of the gobs of goodwill points they got from their used game policy and lower price point.
-Paul[2013-06-11 09:34:32] - I'll be dissapointed if that indeed becomes the case, but it's hardly a dealbreaker at this point. - mig
[2013-06-11 09:34:04] - paul: it hasn't been confirmed 100%, but all signs point to it. - mig
[2013-06-11 09:31:22] - mig: I heard that Sony is now charging for online multi-player, though (similar to Xbox Live). Is that right? -Paul
[2013-06-11 09:24:37] - Since both machines seem similar under the hood, it doesn't seem too likely that this would happen, but it does seem like the Xbox One might be more appealing to publishers than the PS4. -Paul
[2013-06-11 09:23:33] - I actually just heard a theory about PS4 vs XboxOne that in retrospect, seems a little obvious. Somebody was wondering if Microsoft might actually get a lot more exclusives for the Xbox One because of the used-games and sharing restrictions that are much friendlier to publishers. -Paul
[2013-06-11 09:22:02] - mig: Wow, I hadn't heard that. That is pretty surprising. -Paul
[2013-06-11 09:20:56] - Vinnie: Thanks for the info, though. I guess I'll give the rest of season 1 a try before deciding whether to just give up and add it to Battlestar Galactica and District 9 as critically acclaimed shows/movies that I just don't see the appeal of. -Paul
[2013-06-11 09:18:21] - Vinnie: Yeah, we started from the beginning, not with the new episodes. Maybe I just don't get their style of humor. I'm pretty sure I am recognizing a lot of the jokes, I just don't find them very funny. It feels a little like a less clever 30 Rock. -Paul
[2013-06-11 09:04:48] - mig: yeah, i'm really surprised. $100 is an insane amount too. i wonder if they're taking the position as a loss leader, or if their hardware/licensing costs are actually that much less. obviously the kinect technology costs money, and i wouldn't be surprised if microsoft had to pay licensing for whatever TV/cable/netflix kinds of deals they're bundling in - aaron
[2013-06-11 00:55:22] - wow ps4 is undercutting the xbox1. $399! That's a big shocker. - mig
[2013-06-10 23:13:25] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSIFh8ICaA this seemed kind of petty for an official playstation video! but... i still laughed - aaron
[2013-06-10 18:14:42] - I've seen some episodes 4-5 times and I'm still getting new jokes!
- vinnie[2013-06-10 18:13:45] - I will say it's not a show I would watch when I want to chill out. I found it taxing to watch (in a good way), there's so much going on in any given episode - vinnie
[2013-06-10 18:11:52] - whether you find it average probably depends on what you're looking for in a show, but my favorite part of the show is the density and subtlety of jokes. there's lots of stuff I didn't get the first time, jokes that got funnier only after I saw future episodes, jokes I had to pause the DVD for - vinnie
[2013-06-10 18:07:06] - paul: started from the beginning? I wouldn't recommend watching the new season first if that's what you guys are doing, but if you're watching from the beginning, it's a very consistent show from the get-go. the early episodes are as funny as the show ever gets and they keep the same style and tone throughout - vinnie
[2013-06-10 17:16:02] - Can somebody tell me when Arrested Development starts getting good as a series? Gurkie and I have started watching it and I just can't quite see the appeal. It's not terrible, but at best I would rate it as average so far. -Paul
[2013-06-10 15:08:11] - aaron: I think the price point will be comparable. I think everyone, including Sony themselves, thought the intiial price point for the PS3 was a mistake. - mig
[2013-06-10 15:05:49] - aaron: I think it'll probably be the same as the Xbox One. I bet Sony thinks they have a console with better hardware and so they don't have to undercut MS, but just match them (and they don't want to go higher). -Paul
[2013-06-10 14:57:58] - a lot of people think, "oh no way sony will charge that much for a console again, they learned their lesson" but -- man i don't think any console has ever dropped in price from their predecessor. even the wii which was notorious for being underpowered/underpriced still cost more than the gamecube - aaron
[2013-06-10 14:56:07] - it sounds like the xbox one is going to be priced at $499 --- what do you guys think the PS4 is going to be priced at? do you think it'll go for $499/$599 like the PS3, or do you think they'll aim lower? - aaron
[2013-06-10 14:53:34] - mig: I haven't heard anything yet that has made me really excited yet, but all I've been doing is browsing my RSS feeds... -Paul
[2013-06-10 14:44:49] - Any early E3 excitement? I'm stoked for new Metal Gear Solid, new Castlevania, and Witcher 3. - mig
[2013-06-10 12:48:43] - Xpovos: Right. I can certainly see the point of those who say he's in the wrong and I kinda agree with them. -Paul
[2013-06-10 12:27:11] - I missed an "A" in PPACA. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-10 12:26:34] - After the PPCA last year and the 4th amendment ruling last week, I'm pretty much done hanging my hopes on the SCOTUS. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-10 12:11:49] - I'd like to think that a program like PRISM would make the justices uncomfortable about the implications if they ruled in the government's favor, but you never know with some of them. - mig
[2013-06-10 12:10:07] - xpovos: well the thing was that it is probably technically "legal" but because nobody had an inkling of what was going on. The subjects could not appeal or sue because they had no idea their records had been subpeoned or seized. Now that this is out there, we might see someone take this up to SCOTUS, though the result might be terrifying unfortunate. - mig
[2013-06-10 11:18:15] - Paul: Well, there's no doubt that he broke the law. There's also minimal doubt that the government probably didn't. I mean, the Patriot Act is pretty ass-reaming in terms of the scope it gives the gov't for legal behavior like this, so the fact that he's pointing this out isn't news. But as can be said about other subjects, legal doesn't make it appropriate. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-10 11:08:08] - Xpovos: Also, I just liked reading the interview that they had with the guy. Kinda fascinating to hear how resigned he is to the fact that his life is mostly over and how this probably sucks for his family members who work in government. -Paul
[2013-06-10 11:06:27] - Xpovos: They had a "talk-back" thing on WTOP this morning where people can call in to give their thoughts on certain issues. Usually I feel like they try to balance it, but this morning all three messages about Snowden were about how he was wrong, so it sounds like the majority might not be on his side. -Paul
[2013-06-10 11:02:55] - Paul: I'm surprised too, but I haven't said much because I'm still trying to read all the news on it. There's been a lot, despite most of it not having much substance. A lot of furor to parse through, though. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-10 10:25:02] - Surprised there isn't more talk about all the NSA snooping news recently. Did anybody read the story about this Snowden guy? Kinda interesting. -Paul
[2013-06-07 15:12:22] - Aaron: Yeah, and it's not like I'm actually going to try to game the system. It would be really cool, though, if Gurkie has full access to my games. As it is now, we actually have to think ahead sometimes since it's a little wonky dealing with two accounts and two Xbox360s... -Paul
[2013-06-07 15:08:14] - paul: it sounds that way, i'm not sure what kind of restrictions they have there. they mentioned the "people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days..." thing elsewhere in the article, and the whole "connecting online every hour" so it sounds like they're really thinking ahead, thinking of ways people might defeat these kinds of systems - aaron
[2013-06-07 14:40:07] - Aaron: Hmmmm. Ok. But in theory I could create a dummy Xbox Live account, make my console it's primary console, and then give that username and password to a friend? -Paul
[2013-06-07 14:33:39] - paul: but that's only temporary, and once they come home the friend loses access to the game.... it's not like 10 of my friends can all play my copy of gears. but if i have 9 kids, with 9 xbox live accounts, each of them can sign on at my friend's houses -- then, as long as they're signed on over there, they can play gears at the "secondary console" - aaron
[2013-06-07 14:31:54] - paul: the section, "a secondary console (i.e. one accessing your library/account at a friend's house) can only be offline for an hour at a time" makes me think that this feature is really intended so that you, and all your family members can play at home -- then if they go to a friend's place, they can sign on there, and play their game... - aaron
[2013-06-07 14:28:45] - paul: no, that's why they have that "primary system" requirement which is mentioned in that paragraph - aaron
[2013-06-07 13:33:42] - If not, that seems pretty generous, actually. If I am able to fairly easily share my entire video game library with up to 10 friends... that's really nifty. -Paul
[2013-06-07 13:33:03] - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/microsoft-details-xbox-one-used-games-always-online-and-privacy-policies/ "You can "share" access to your games with up to 10 family members, giving them the added ability to bring those games over to a friend's house for instance." I wonder if there is anything in place from sharing access with 10 of your friends... -Paul
[2013-06-07 12:39:55] - #xbone is just a tongue-in-cheek tag, used for people to hint at the fact that fans are getting "boned" by microsoft. #xboxone is the official tag used by https://twitter.com/Xbox - aaron
[2013-06-07 10:47:54] - mig: HAHA! That's awesome. -Paul
[2013-06-07 10:35:38] - while it's been a down week for civil libertarians, it might be a good week for some new memes. - mig
[2013-06-07 09:59:27] - I still wouldn't blow a gasket like other people would, but I'd certinaly be annoyed. - mig
[2013-06-07 09:59:00] - paul: yeah it wouldn't affect me much either, as I'm pretty much a lone wolf console gamer (Nobody I know plays the games that I do, at least on PS3). I guess if I *did* have an xbox though, I'd be maybe more inclined to be in the trading/loaning scene, since you all seem to have xboxes. - mig
[2013-06-07 09:53:28] - mig: Personally, I am happy to make the trade-off of no longer really owning the game (but instead a license to play) if all the positives of the system they've been hyping are true. -Paul
[2013-06-07 09:52:33] - mig: I sometimes borrow games from friends (which seems to still be allowed) and sometimes loan my games out. I don't buy used games as much as I probably "should" to save money, but I wasn't planning on buying many used games for next gen systems anyway. -Paul
[2013-06-07 09:51:37] - mig: Heh, yeah. Pretty much all of the "horror" stories that were being told about the Xbone are true. I completely understand the concern, but I honestly don't think it's something that affects me much. -Paul
[2013-06-07 09:40:11] - paul: well I gues I meant it more as "well maybe it won't be as bad as we might have thought" and then it turns out to be pretty much as bad as we thought it would be. - mig
[2013-06-07 09:37:51] - mig: Honestly, I'm not sure you are supposed to find something to like. They're trying to "fix" the used game market for their publishers, not trying to add more goodies for gamers. -Paul
[2013-06-07 09:22:15] - speaking of xbox one, what really is the deal with the twitter hashtag #xbone? Couldn't they have just gone with #xboxone or #xb1? I always read #xbone as "x-bone". - mig
[2013-06-07 09:18:08] - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/microsoft-details-xbox-one-used-games-always-online-and-privacy-policies/ xbox one used game and always online details. Now maybe this is me just not being an xbox person, but I'm not finding much to like here. - mig
[2013-06-07 08:55:08] - http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8 so yeah, that survellience thing was apparerntly much broader than just verizon. - mig
[2013-06-06 15:12:43] - g: hmmm actually, i'm not sure! america's easier to teach, but europe's more balanced. i could see going either way. flip a coin? - aaron
[2013-06-06 14:29:44] - also which ticket would you bring? Europe or America? ~g
[2013-06-06 14:28:36] - aaron: I dont want to bring anything I dont know how to play like China or Tichu... ~g
[2013-06-06 14:28:08] - debating Robo Rally and Galaxy Truckers I feel like they are good for coder types. ~g
[2013-06-06 14:27:33] - aaron: I have some party games but I want strategic ones too a lot of people who are going to be there are more into strategic games... !g
[2013-06-06 14:26:13] - paul: yes I am using our games. ~g
[2013-06-06 12:02:40] - g: i'd probably set a time limit of 60 minute on amy games too, so no Goa, no Caylus. but other than that, i'd just say bring a variety. Definitely the popular ones like Puerto Rico, Settlers, Ticket, 7 Wonders -- and maybe some of the more obscure highly regarded ones like China and Tichu - aaron
[2013-06-06 11:59:18] - g: Party games like wits and wagers, time's up and taboo scale better than other games, but I agree you'd want at least 5-10 games there. - aaron
[2013-06-06 11:34:07] - g: More seriously, I would suggest at least every bean game you own. Maybe a copy of Time's Up and Settler's of Cataan. Wait, are you taking our games in? -Paul
[2013-06-06 11:33:31] - g: I'd recommend having at least a quarter, probably half, of the games being 'beginner' friendly though, because even with others who are into boards games to help teach, the odds are there will be more people who don't know the rules and don't have the background necessary. So Settlers of Catan is a good one. Carcasscone is nice too. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-06 11:32:15] - g: You're definitely going to need multiple games, even with a minimum of 10, cramming them all into one game is problematic. So that actually eliminates most of the concern regarding the number of people. It's just a large group of people getting together to play board games. So bring a good mix of solid games. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-06 11:19:32] - Xpovos: I'm on Verizon, and I'm relieved that the government now knows just how little I talk to anybody on the phone.
-Paul[2013-06-06 11:19:04] - g: 7 copies of Diplomacy and 10 of Axis and Allies?
-Paul[2013-06-06 11:13:22] - Question if you were organizing a game night at your office and you werent sure how many people were going to show up what games would you bring? It could be anywhere from 10 to 50 people there... There are more people into board games so its not like I have to teach everyone... ~g
[2013-06-06 10:56:48] - mig: Oh, yeah, I'm not actually blaming Verizon here, sorry if I gave the wrong impression. I've got my knickers in a twist because you're probably right and T-Mobile is probably involved too, and even if they weren't, it's probably NOT because Deutsche Telekom had backbone. -- Xpovos
[2013-06-06 10:44:45] - xpovos: Verizon is the only service provider that we know about getting slapped with this. These court orders are secret, certainly possible (and I believe likely) that other providers were given similar treatment. - mig
[2013-06-06 10:36:48] - So... any Verizon users here? Feeling any more secure about terrorism? -- Xpovos
[2013-06-06 10:17:04] - Daniel: Sure, I think we're in agreement. I generally try to use index funds when they are available and I think I've had a sizeable chunk of my 401(k) invested in an S&P index fund for probably 8+ years. -Paul
[2013-06-06 10:09:16] - I've thought about switching to TMobile away from Verizon at some point and not do the phone subsidy for a new phone next time, does anyone else use TMobile? -Daniel
[2013-06-06 10:08:08] - Paul: I would agree that asset allocation is generally more important than fund selection but I would ignore the benefits you can get from going with index funds long term either. -Daniel
[2013-06-06 10:03:33] - mig: I was actually thinking about what the reaction would be if Bush was found to be doing this. -Paul
[2013-06-06 10:03:03] - mig: I would like to think so, but the fact that it's a Democrat in office makes me think not. -Paul
[2013-06-06 09:53:12] - paul: you know I got back to thinking about how people just totally flip their shit when a private company does even the tiniest thing with "private" for relatively benign purposes, and will wonder if this revelation will illicit a similar response? - mig
[2013-06-06 09:49:42] - http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6?op=1 Some pretty cool maps showing how the country pronounces things differently. Especially loved "Seriously? Alabama and Mississippi that is terrible." -Paul
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