Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 November 12

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November 12

Rock Band Question

I have a question about the video game Rock Band. On the menu where it lists the songs, what does a blue dot next to a song title mean? --Nick4404 yada yada yada What have I done? 00:56, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Have you tried the manual? Algebraist 01:02, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but I didn't see anything about it. This is the Wii version I'm talking about, if it makes a difference. --Nick4404 yada yada yada What have I done? 01:08, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Google Is Your Friend. Algebraist 01:11, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Or to answer directly, the blue dot indicates "bonus" songs unlocked separately from the rest of the 5-song-group progression. That distinction is not present in RB2, which I find a general improvement -- people didn't know what the blue dot meant, and the distinction was irrelevant once they found out. — Lomn 17:52, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Continuing popularity of XBoxes and Playstations

OK, I'm not really that much into video games, so please explain something to me. When I was a kid, a lot of people had Nintendos but not computers, so the Nintendo was their only way to play video games. Nowadays, it seems almost every middle class person with kids has a computer in their home, and computers can play games, too, even Grand Theft Auto. So why are XBoxes and Playstations still so popular? Why not save a few hundred dollars and just play games on the PC? -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:28, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Because it doesn't save you a few hundred dollars. Rigs that can play newer games will cost at least $500, probably more. Rigs that can play new games on high graphics settings cost $2000+. Plus, computers, at least in gaming, become obsolete much faster than consoles. Buy a console and it'll last you until they make a new one about five years later. Computers, however, are constantly improving, and require constant upgrade and lots of money to keep on the cutting edge. Paragon¹²³²¹ 03:38, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

There are many games (most of the popular ones) that are never written for a standard computer. The problem is that there isn't such thing as a "standard computer". When designing for the XBOX or PlayStation or Wii, you know the hardware and operating system. You can design specifically for it. When designing for "Windows", you don't know the hardware and, if you are lucky, you only know about half the operating system - which will likely change radically after you finish development. Then, there's the money. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo pay developers to make exclusive games for their consoles. Nobody is paying developers to make games exclusive to the PC. -- kainaw™ 04:12, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Plus, I have a Mac computer, and there are very few games available for Macs. So if I was looking to play video games, I'd need to get a console. Also, the few PC games that I've played all require a combination of keyboard and mouse controls, which can be hellishly fiddly. Far better to use a proper hand-hand controller like you get with a console. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:39, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

There's also the issue of marketing and advertising. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo all spend massive amounts of advertising dollars to convince both consumers and developers that the console is the best place for games. There is no such driving force for PC games. APL (talk) 15:31, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

So if you had nothing but an old laptop and wanted to do some moderate gaming along with your work, would you get a good replacement computer or an average replacement computer and an XBox? (Or a PlayStation?) -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:40, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

I would just keep the old laptop, but then I'm mostly into retro gaming. Algebraist 12:53, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

I would go with the latter. There are still lots of games that you can play on lower-spec computers, and it just so happens that these are the sorts of games that don't really get made for consoles. I play a lot of strategy games like Europa Universalis 2 and Football Manager 08 on my (old) PC and on my PS3 I play a lot of Call of Duty 4, Grand Theft Auto, etc. and it works out pretty well. Recury (talk) 18:02, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

These comments have all been helpful, but in my research I discovered a major drawback to the consoles: region locking. Well, it's a major drawback for me, anyway, since I travel internationally. Maybe I should stick with the PC. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:25, 14 November 2008 (UTC)

Our regional lockout article does say that Playstation 3 games aren't region locked. Recury (talk) 19:32, 14 November 2008 (UTC)

old soul

a couple days ago, when it was raining i said i love the rain he told me that thatwas because i had an old spirt--Clairesursa (talk) 23:11, 12 November 2008 (UTC)claire

what does that mean--Clairesursa (talk) 23:11, 12 November 2008 (UTC)claire

It generally means that you have the sensibilities or attitudes of someone older than you; either someone of a different time (i.e. someone your age, but from long ago) or perhaps someone who is of an older age than you. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 02:34, 13 November 2008 (UTC)