Daeval

Ok, for my real answer then... Since I'm stuck on an island, linear games are right out. I'm gunna need replay value... 1) Phantom Brave - As Agoz pointed out, a tactical RPG is an excellent choice. So many possibilities and a really nice timesink. Alternately, I would take Ogre Battle in this slot. 2) Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution - A fighter of some sort is a must. Since I'm going to have plenty of time, I might as well take the deepest fighter around to keep it fresh for as long as possible. 3) Dynasty Warriors 4 - With a lifetime alone on a deserted island, I might actually have time to unlock all the crap there is to unlock in this great beat 'em up. Ok, now assuming Online games were a possibility, the final two would be: 4o) Unreal Tournament 2004 - This title has the most to offer of any of the online shooters, hands down. Stack mods like Red Orchestra and Air Buccaneers on the already numerous gameplay modes, and you've got a TON of replay value here. 5o) Some MMORPG - I dunno which one, probably FFXI or maybe SWG. Ironically, the ideal situation for enjoying one of these games is the "stranded leagues from civilization" scenario. Many existing players create this scenario for themselves after signing up. Without online.. probably Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind for its insane replay value, and maybe King of Fighters 2K2/2K3 on ps2, just to get two big fighters out of one choice.

There is no "official" fix for this well-known problem, however, there is a solution. You'll want to get ScummVM. It's basically an emulator for the Scumm engine - the one used by LucasArt's adventure games like Full Throttle. Using that, FT (and others) should have nice sound in XP, as well as a slightly nicer save/load interface, etc. The easiest way to use ScummVM seems to be to copy the game's data files to your hard disk and forget about the CD. The website has a list of files you'll need to copy for each game. Then, just start up ScummVM, point it to the game's data directory, and fire it up. Once you're in the game, hit F5 for the menu. There are quick-save keys and stuff too, if you're into that. Once ScummVM is configured, you can make shortcuts directly to games (so you don't have to start ScummVM every time) using the emulator's shorthand code for a game, like so: C:\ScummVM\scummvm.exe ftWhere "ft" is Full Throttle's abbreviation (they're listed in the emu). And since we're on the subject, I made an icon for FT since I didn't like the default one. It's of the flaming skull icon and is attached to this post. FullThrottle.ico

I may have missed your point, but mine was that "things that plug into a computer and vibrate" is a pretty vague category. If Immersion designed a technology that did that - a specific type of hardware, or a specific type of software interface, etc - I would expect unliscenced uses of such technology to be punishable. However, it would be ridiculous if Immersion owned the very concept of "a controller that shakes." If another company were to design their own hardware and software interface to make a controller shake on command, I would not expect that to be punishable. For example, there are several companies that make a "light up" controller, and there are several companies who make keyboards that fold up. They accomplish the same end result in slightly different ways and avoid problems. The question is, did Sony do it themselves, or did they reverse engineer Immersion's work somehow?

Nice one, Disoblige, I didn't even think of that when i posted the question. Well, we know who won't be stuck on an island for very long then, lol. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If I could find an island with broadband, I'm not sure I'd want to leave.

One of many cool things to come out of toying with the current generation of handhelds, I'm sure. This is quite nifty.

They make joysticks and licesen the tech to various other companies. This happened to Microsoft also, they settled out of court and became a shareholder for Immersion. Website! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well I gathered that much, but they can't possibly own the patent on "things that plug into computers and vibrate." Or can they?

That's funny, but it's also on the Weekly World News. Check out this insightful article: http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/sex/61266?printer=1 or this one: http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/ch...61576?printer=1

Interesting. I'll have to look into this more when I have a bit more time. Does Immersion own anything with vibration feedback technology, or was it something more specific?

Such an awesome game. The best adventure game LucasArts has ever put out. Others areexcellent too, but they've never quite reached the level of wackiness that DOTT sports. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> <{POST_SNAPBACK}> DOTT wins the award for wackiness, FT for style, and The Dig for storytelling, when it comes to LucasArts adventure games, IMO.

Beat Day of the Tentacle. Good stuff!

It's not as easy as it was a few years ago. Last year I needed two forms of industry ID (something that says you work in the industry) just to use a guest pass (I forgot to register in time, thankfully I had a buddy with a spare guest pass).

Eh, it looks as decent as the 2nd one, and the green girl is hot, so I'm game.

That's an excellent question. It'll probably sell like hotcakes in the US regardless. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah, on a mainstream level, it definately will. I'm just curious about the "hobbyist" aspect that may be lost with the next generation. No console, that I know of, has ever had that particular kind of attention, and I'm curious what will come of it with the next gen. Bear in mind that I'm not trying to doomsay the xb2, it's going to sell no matter what, I'm just curious about this aspect.

I could see him as Sandman, with a little beefing up, or Scorpion pretty easily. The Lizard would work too, but Dylan Baker already makes a pretty good Dr. Connors in part 2, so I dunno. I could also see this guy as a pre-Larson Venom. There wasn't a lot of time before Larson turned him into a drooling brock lesnar, but for a while Venom was a really cool psychological villian. The way he got at Spider-Man through Mary Jane would tie in especially well with the way MJ learns about the peter's identity in the second movie. Somehow I doubt they would try to hit the reset on Venom like that, especially since all the newer fans are used to a psychopathic drooling tentacle demon, but I would be pleasantly surprised. I'll agree that doc-ock's good-guy/bad-guy complex was a little too black and white, but "badass villians that excude evilness" really aren't what Spider Man is about. There are very few of those on his classic roster. Carnage is obviously the exception to the rule, and frankly this Church guy would make a decent Cassidy. But I don't expect them to try and get that far with one movie, let alone with a pg13 rating.

That game was awesome. So much variety, some pretty fresh ideas, and solid gameplay all around. The music during the races was some of the most unbearable music in the history of video games, but the rest was good enough to make up for that. It hit $20 in like a week too, probably because they were trying to push XIII at the time. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> well from what i read it didnt sell well at all.. people thought it looked to kiddy. Damn the sony generation for that... next thing u know the game is in the bargain bins when it no way should have been. Almost every site gave a good review.. hopefully we will see another or something like it from ubi <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ubisoft was marketting the hell out of XIII when BG&E came out, so the better game got very little exposure. Nobody bought XIII because it looked "like a cartoon," and nobody knew about BG&E. :\ All the magazines gave it really good reviews, and it even took some awards I think. It was on a few of the "best of 2004" lists. Savvy gamers got lucky because Ubi could afford to drop the price - they'd spent no money advertising it. Things like Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank show that cartoony things can still sell well, but they need the kind of advertising money that can handle the reigns of the market these days.

What the heck was deadpool's power, anyway? Or did he have one?

Ok, so the gist I'm getting here is that an XBox is cool for its aftermarket mods. As far as games go, it doesn't really have much on its competition. However, you can easily turn it into an inexpensive "pirate playback box" - essentially a movies, music, and emulation PC with the inherent ability to pirate xbox games. This probably isn't the mainstream draw of the system, but it seems to be the #1 reason that members of the nerd elite have taken to it. So now I'm wondering: If Micro$oft is successful in making piracy more difficult on the XBox2, will the new system have the same hardcore appeal?

I long ago decided that I don't need an XBox. I've got a ps2, a cube, and a PC, and between the three there is very little that can't be done without a bill-box. However, I was pondering the upcoming console wars, and it occurred to me that I would not be opposed to owning an XBox 2 to accompany the PS3 I will almost definately want. It all depends on titles, and I'd be buying the XB2 used as I wish to support Bill's Army as little as possible, but I might eventually have one. This made me think about the current-generation XBox titles I've missed out on, as the new system will almost definately be backwards compatible. So, I made a list of the games that I'd want to go back and pick up. Bear in mind that I consider FPS games to be much better on PC, and that I already have the good fighting games on PS2. Halo 2 Ninja Gaiden Unreal Championship 2 Dai Senryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics ... Ok, MAYBE the upcoming Samurai Spirits V Special, assuming it doesn't make it to PS2, where the control would be better. Is that seriously it? WTF? Why does anyone own this hulking green piece of crap? I could understand if somebody didn't have a decent PC, as there are a few decent FPS games aside from those listed, but other than that... ugh.. XBox owners, what am I missing here? What titles made you want the system?

The Sims 2. I don't care how much people biatch about it when they've never played it, that game is frickin' cool. My girlfriend likes to play it as a "dollhouse," just cheating to get as much money as she wants and building big houses and stuff. I play it as a strategy game, trying to run an efficient sim or family of sims and become wealthy as quickly as possible while remaining happy. If people can play it in such different ways and still have fun, Good Stuff I say.

If only it was more often good music...

Hmm.. I should be getting that issue shortly, so I'll let you know when I see it. I have no idea why, but an old internet psuedonym I used to use has, for a long time now, had a subscription to GamePro that no one I know has ever paid for. And is the first paragraph accurate? Most of the people I talked to were fairly happy with SCII....? If it does turn out to be a PS2 exclusive.. whatever. I know it's your job as a troll to biatch and moan about things like this, but exclusive titles are obviously common practice these days, and in the wake of Halo's advertyphoon, I'd be happy to see the competition opt to put some decent games on their side. And frankly, even if I owned all three systems, the PS2 is the one I'd buy it on. Other controllers totally blow for fighting games. nope, soul calibur is a dreamcast thing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, Sould Blade/Edge was a PS1 thing.. so suffice to say the series is not a "thing" specific to any system.

That article was hilarious, but look at any of the links from the bottom of that page. It's a joke, folks.

That game was awesome. So much variety, some pretty fresh ideas, and solid gameplay all around. The music during the races was some of the most unbearable music in the history of video games, but the rest was good enough to make up for that. It hit $20 in like a week too, probably because they were trying to push XIII at the time.

The Uber Soldat whooped my ass good in that game. Heroes of Might and Magic III. I can't decide whether I like it or not. It feels kind of devoid of strategy, yet it's compelling for it's "lots to explore" aspect.

Eh, I dig 'em both.