It's a Christmas tree, NEVER refer to it as anything else because it's not anything else.
This may be a crap comparison because I unfortunately am not very up on other peoples rituals but the Hanukkah Menorah is not just a candle stick holder and I would think many out there would feel upset at the re-branding of it that way. (maybe they wouldn't but I couldn't find a Christmas tree equivalent)
Just because we live in a multicultural society, doesn't mean that we have to give up/change OUR culture just like how we wouldn't (or shouldn't) expect anyone else to give up theirs.
More over all kids who are allowed to celebrate Christmas love it. Why try to change it?
@FrankieViturello: Don't they understand the spirit of Festivus? It's not about commercialism, or the selling of intangible virtual goods. It's about the airing of grievances!
If it does, I'll make sure I get this. If it doesn't, I'll try and work it in to my busy end-of-semester schedule. With no trophies, I don't know if I'll ever have any incentive to try out a casual game, no matter how fun it is, as opposed to tackling one of the other hundreds of games I've got sitting unplayed in my backlog.
@Mit: Every game that has been released since early this year has to have trophies (minus the demos).
I can't believe that YOU and other people's mentality is that you don't think a game is worth it unless you get a virtual reward that does absolutely nothing. What happened to the days when you play a game because it's fun, not OMG it may have a easy trophies/gamer points.
@Neko_Tech: Whoah whoah, one look at my game collection and you can tell I don't play games just for achievements, especially with how many older games I still have to play, and how many subpar games most people wouldn't bother with that I play, just for the experience because I love games so much. (note: subpar games without achievements... I suppose that could be interpreted that I play subpar games for achievements.)
Diner Dash just isn't a game I would bother with due to its casual nature. Casual games to me come off as glorified time killers, and I don't often have time to kill. If I've got time to game, I'll spend it on a more full-fledged game that has a more traditional single player experience with some sort of ending, rather than a more competitive, high-scoring type of game such as Diner Dash.
Although I do play some glorified time killers still, such as Battlefield 2 and Team Fortress 2 :P (yes, I consider multiplayer-only games timekillers. Fun, but in the end I'm not accomplishing anything except boosting my self-confidence/pride).
Anyhow, achievements/trophies give me a goal in timekiller games to achieve. I can experience the game, accomplish some goals, and feel comfortable with putting it away.
If I've got nothing to accomplish, I play it for a while, and I either feel like I haven't played it enough to justify my money's worth if I play it too little, or I feel like I've wasted too much time on it if I play it too long.
I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but these are the things you consider when you've got games piling up faster than you can complete them.
@Neko_Tech: Technically speaking, "scores" have been around since the beginning of video games . . . and that's basically the same thing as a trophy.
Just now we get a virtual metal opposed to a virtual number. In the late '80s you couldn't have convinced many people to play Tetris if it didn't give you a score . . . that's really not much different than now. The mentality makes sense: if this game isn't going to give me something rewarding in a story (which Diner Dash isn't), it better at least give me SOMETHING for my effort.
While it isn't a Christmas album...people need to check out YMCK's "Songs before 8-bit" album.
I know I might just be a big nerd/child of the 80s who is constantly yearning for his childhood....but seriously, the sounds on this album are some of the most beautiful I have ever heard.
@Flagina: See how you turn a simple joke into a fanboy comment? That is precisely how not to comment on Kotaku. Sure, we all have preferences, but there is a time, place, and proper way to bring it up without being a douche. You failed on all three.
Part of why video games are such hot items is because of the easy resale they pose. Turning a Wii around on eBay a few weeks after Black Friday could prove to be far more lucrative than basic fraud.
I'm sure these sorts of theives just love new system releases. "Why yes I will buy five PS4's for $599 a pop only to sell them each for $1,000 on eBay during Christmas rush shopping."
Turning $3k into potentially $5k isn't at all out of the question in such a scenario.
Considering gift cards frequently go for at least 80% of their value they're perfect. Though I'm surprised stores don't track them better it seems they are missing out on a marketing info gold mine.
@jrhawk42: I usually give other peoples' names and phone numbers when a shop asks me for that unless there is a clear reason they need it to process my purchase.
@Koztah: That's most likely highly illegal and i don't recommend you keep up that practice. Falsifying ID or impersonating someone else is bad... terribad.
@Ken: I'll keep that in mind next time I'm buying a sponge and the clerk asks for my phone number and post code. I'm sure the minimum-wage clerk cares enough to stalk me and find out who I am and where I live, and that the police care that I'm bullshitting this concerned clerk and the drug store's marketing techniques.
@Opuelas: Some backyard wrestling thing gone wrong. I don't know if the one who posted the video owned the card, but one guy in the vid got hurt badly.
With that whole privatized health-care thing those americans have going i though that, if it was his, he would need all the cash he could get. Certainly if he wanted a good doctor to reinsert that shinbone.
"During the holidays, we have a lot of parents and grandparents who want to buy games as gifts, but they aren't quite sure which title would be the right one," said Dan DeMatteo, chief executive officer for GameStop. "By selecting a gift card, Gamestop can be assured that they will get the money no matter what, because giftcards are a scam, and they have the added bonus of knowing that they supported a company that can't just make a donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation because it's right."
12/09/09
This may be a crap comparison because I unfortunately am not very up on other peoples rituals but the Hanukkah Menorah is not just a candle stick holder and I would think many out there would feel upset at the re-branding of it that way. (maybe they wouldn't but I couldn't find a Christmas tree equivalent)
Just because we live in a multicultural society, doesn't mean that we have to give up/change OUR culture just like how we wouldn't (or shouldn't) expect anyone else to give up theirs.
More over all kids who are allowed to celebrate Christmas love it. Why try to change it?
On the flip side, nice to see more stuff in Home
12/09/09
12/09/09
12/09/09
12/09/09
12/09/09
12/09/09
It's funny cos it could be true
12/09/09
If it does, I'll make sure I get this. If it doesn't, I'll try and work it in to my busy end-of-semester schedule. With no trophies, I don't know if I'll ever have any incentive to try out a casual game, no matter how fun it is, as opposed to tackling one of the other hundreds of games I've got sitting unplayed in my backlog.
12/09/09
[www.ps3trophies.org]
12/09/09
I can't believe that YOU and other people's mentality is that you don't think a game is worth it unless you get a virtual reward that does absolutely nothing. What happened to the days when you play a game because it's fun, not OMG it may have a easy trophies/gamer points.
12/09/09
Diner Dash just isn't a game I would bother with due to its casual nature. Casual games to me come off as glorified time killers, and I don't often have time to kill. If I've got time to game, I'll spend it on a more full-fledged game that has a more traditional single player experience with some sort of ending, rather than a more competitive, high-scoring type of game such as Diner Dash.
Although I do play some glorified time killers still, such as Battlefield 2 and Team Fortress 2 :P (yes, I consider multiplayer-only games timekillers. Fun, but in the end I'm not accomplishing anything except boosting my self-confidence/pride).
Anyhow, achievements/trophies give me a goal in timekiller games to achieve. I can experience the game, accomplish some goals, and feel comfortable with putting it away.
If I've got nothing to accomplish, I play it for a while, and I either feel like I haven't played it enough to justify my money's worth if I play it too little, or I feel like I've wasted too much time on it if I play it too long.
I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but these are the things you consider when you've got games piling up faster than you can complete them.
12/09/09
Just now we get a virtual metal opposed to a virtual number. In the late '80s you couldn't have convinced many people to play Tetris if it didn't give you a score . . . that's really not much different than now. The mentality makes sense: if this game isn't going to give me something rewarding in a story (which Diner Dash isn't), it better at least give me SOMETHING for my effort.
12/09/09
12/07/09
I know I might just be a big nerd/child of the 80s who is constantly yearning for his childhood....but seriously, the sounds on this album are some of the most beautiful I have ever heard.
12/04/09
12/04/09
12/04/09
12/04/09
Some of us like to slide around during our romping encounters.
ehrm.
12/04/09
Hopefully, all the facebookers out there pick this up and help raise money for the charity.
12/01/09
12/01/09
I work in internet anti-fraud. The criminals do some nasty shit that goes beyond the scope of this article.
12/02/09
Also, I am disappointed that no one saw the Firefly reference. No love for Shepherd Book?
12/01/09
12/01/09
12/01/09
Or Xbox is just better.
12/01/09
12/01/09
12/01/09
I'm sure these sorts of theives just love new system releases. "Why yes I will buy five PS4's for $599 a pop only to sell them each for $1,000 on eBay during Christmas rush shopping."
Turning $3k into potentially $5k isn't at all out of the question in such a scenario.
12/01/09
12/01/09
12/01/09
1. resale value
2. size/portability
3. demand
Considering gift cards frequently go for at least 80% of their value they're perfect. Though I'm surprised stores don't track them better it seems they are missing out on a marketing info gold mine.
12/01/09
12/01/09
12/02/09
12/01/09
He thanked me plenty after i pointed it out to him. Sometimes.. the internet's a bitch.
12/01/09
12/01/09
I wanted to see if it would work, but at the same time not give the poor idiot his come uppins..
Usually i'm very Darwinist but I guess i was in a good mood..
12/01/09
12/01/09
With that whole privatized health-care thing those americans have going i though that, if it was his, he would need all the cash he could get. Certainly if he wanted a good doctor to reinsert that shinbone.
11/25/09
"During the holidays, we have a lot of parents and grandparents who want to buy games as gifts, but they aren't quite sure which title would be the right one," said Dan DeMatteo, chief executive officer for GameStop. "By selecting a gift card, Gamestop can be assured that they will get the money no matter what, because giftcards are a scam, and they have the added bonus of knowing that they supported a company that can't just make a donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation because it's right."