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02 January 2010
31 Comments
Posted by
Nathan Strum 
So here we are... the year Jupiter explodes and turns into a miniature sun, causing the Soviet Union and United States to finally declare the Cold War over, and millions of innocent black monoliths to die horribly in the resulting conflagration.
Which brings up the inevitable question, what else is going to happen this year, and how were my predictions for last year?
Let's find out! First... 2009:
Now then... onto 2010:
Which brings up the inevitable question, what else is going to happen this year, and how were my predictions for last year?
Let's find out! First... 2009:
- Nothing spectacular from Apple, but steady progress and upgrades. - Right. But that was pretty-much a no-brainer. However, what I didn't expect was a 27" iMac with a Core i7 CPU. I want one of those.
- Apple will ship OS X 10.6 sometime in the summer. - Right. Another no-brainer.
- The iPhone will continue to see minor hardware improvements, but most advancements will come through software. I'll likely buy one after the next hardware revision. - Right. However, I didn't expect the considerable speed improvement of the 3GS. I did end up buying one though, and it's awesome (AT&T notwithstanding).
- The Apple TV will either be transformed this year into something more useful, or it will die off. - Wrong. It's still not useful, and it's still not dead.
- Blu-Ray will gradually increase its market share, but won't replace DVDs anytime soon. Expect to see a lot more Disney/Pixar films on Blu-Ray this year. - Right. The Blu-Ray sections in the video stores are much larger now, and prices have been slashed on players and movies (WalMart has a Samsung player for $128... but there are two problems with that: 1) it's a Samsung and 2) you have to buy it at WalMart). Disney and Pixar have released a number of films on Blu-Ray, and have made the very smart move of including DVD versions in the same packaging. Why? Parents have portable and car-based DVD players for their kids to watch movies on, so they need that DVD copy. They're also including digital versions for computers and portable media players, which is also smart. Finally, they have an upgrade program for DVD owners, but need to advertise it better.
- The Wii will continue to dominate. - Right. But the "shiny new thing" factor seems to be wearing off. Sales dropped 20% this year. But it still holds a commanding lead.
- The PS3 will continue to lag behind in a distant third, and will fall even further behind the other two. Sometime this year, Sony will cut the price on the PS3. It just won't be by enough. - Partially right. The price cut that happened - along with the introduction of the PS3 slim - boosted PS3 sales 16% this year. Even though in worldwide figures the PS3 is still in third place, it's gaining rapidly on the XBox 360, which fell 13% in sales.
- Gran Turismo 5 still will not ship this year. - Right. Another no-brainer. But Gran Turismo for the PSP finally shipped after a delay of what... 5 years?
- The new Star Trek movie is going to be dreadful. - Wrong. As much as I hated to admit it... Star Trek was a pretty-good movie. Preposterous, and not so much Star Trek as Star Trek flavored, but not horribly awful. I'm rather bummed-out about that.
Now then... onto 2010:
- Apple will release a tablet computer. They'll announce it in January, but it won't ship until later in the year. It will be more than just a big iPod, and Apple will have some sort of killer feature or use for it that probably nobody has figured out yet. One thing that would be a great use: downloadable textbooks. This would be a huge boon to the education market. Cheaper e-textbooks that can be digitally updated. Man, I would've loved that when I was in college. The big question... can Apple make the tablet affordable enough?
- If Apple's exclusivity deal with AT&T expires, Apple will add another carrier to the iPhone. But I don't think they'll outright dump AT&T, because Jobs would want to play the two companies against each other for Apple's benefit.
- Final Cut Pro will see a major update this year, becoming a 64-bit application, and requiring OS X 10.6 and an Intel Mac. It will also see the introduction of Blu-Ray Studio Pro, along with Blu-Ray burners as an option in Mac Pros and high-end iMacs.
- Blu-Ray will continue to gain market share. Players have dropped into that magic price zone that makes consumers seriously consider them as a replacement DVD player for that big screen HDTV they just bought. HDTVs are cheaper than ever, and that's going to drive more of an interest in HD content as people begin to see the difference between standard definition and HD channels, and begin to want a better movie watching experience. The U.S. broadband infrastructure still isn't - and won't be for several more years - robust enough for the masses to have downloadable HD content. Blu-Ray player prices will drop below $100, and movie prices will become even more competitive with DVDs. Expect to see more package deals like Disney/Pixar does with a DVD and digital copy included.
- Star Wars will finally come out on Blu-Ray. Probably just in time for Christmas. It will not only include all six movies, but tons of deleted scenes and bonus materials including the option to watch the original theatrical versions. Yes - I really think that's going to happen. Blu-Ray's seamless branching makes it possible without having to release each version of a film on a separate disc.
- Tron will come out on Blu-Ray this year, in advance of Tron: Legacy. Probably sometime in November, to cash in on the sequel's marketing hype and pre-Christmas sales. I'll buy it the minute it becomes available.
- The visual effects in Tron: Legacy will be somewhat disappointing. I hope I'm wrong on this one, but somehow I think it will end up being less than it could (or should) be. I'm afraid they won't really explore the idea of just how much has changed in the last 25+ years, in terms of how the computer world looks. The movie should look like something we've never seen before, and be epic in scope. The brief glimpses of it so far don't show that. It looks almost like a watered-down, slicker version of the first movie. Admittedly, they have nearly a year to go before its release, and lots of post-production work to do. Maybe it's just not possible to create a movie that lives up to the kind of expectations I have for this one. Maybe they'll actually succeed, and what we've seen so far amounts to nothing in regards to the final film. But Hollywood - more often than not - gets it wrong.
- Gran Turismo 5 for the PS3 will finally ship this year, but who knows exactly when. It will boost sales of the PS3, though.
- The PS3 will see a larger hard drive added to the $299 base model, but no further price drops until 2011. (Really though - they need to bring it down to
$249$199, because it no longer has the advantage of being a cheap way into owning a Blu-Ray player). - The PS3 will pass the XBox 360 in worldwide sales, but will still lag behind in the U.S., unless Sony cuts the price of their games to bring in more of the casual gamer market. $50 - $60 per title is too expensive, especially when you can get really good iPhone apps for 99˘ - $6.99. The iPhone has literally become a game changer.
- The Wii will see a price drop to $149 this year, which will boost sales briefly, but unless they come out with a new killer app for it, it will continue to lose ground to the XBox 360 and PS3 (but still remain in first overall).
- The successor to the Wii may be announced this year. It'll be an HD version of the Wii (with full backwards compatibility), and have better motion sensing capabilities than the current stock Wii. It will still be marketed as just a game machine though, and lack Blu-Ray capabilities.
- I won't be doing a separate "Wishful Thinking" section in my predictions this year. Too much extra work.
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31 Comments On This Entry
DaveD
Sat Jan 2, 2010 4:31 PM
Quote
Apple will...
I've been an Apple user for almost as long as I can remember and, with some exceptions, I still think that the Apple user experience is superior to most others. But I am really sick of Apple lately. They're right up there with Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else passes for technology news these days. They are all over the place and seem to have supplanted all real technology news. Things like finding new planets, ice on mars, retiring space shuttles, etc. Nobody seems to think these things are as important as unfriending, tweeting, and whether or not there's an app for that.
Quote
Preposterous, and not so much Star Trek as Star Trek flavored, but not horribly awful.
I just saw this about a week ago. I guess you're right that it wasn't horribly awful and I like the flavored comment. It wasn't Star Trek though. And maybe I'm just too old but making Kirk out to be James Dean and a multimillion (heck, who am I kidding...multi billion probably) dollar high tech spaceship being run by the cast of 90210 is just plain stupid.
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Blu-Ray will continue to gain market share.
I remain unconvinced about Blu-Ray. Yeah, it'll gain market share because it's really the only simple option now. But there are way too many technologies that currently exist that are poised to obsolete Blu-Ray or any media that involves buying and storing lots of boxes. I get that everyone wants to own their media, myself included. I just think it can be done without adding a media rack in the bathroom to store more stuff. MP3 taught us this. Say what you will about quality, bit rates, whatever. It's quicker, easier, and has changed the way people experience music.
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The successor to the Wii may be announced this year.
This is interesting and may be true. Simply because Microsoft's Project Natal is poised to obsolete gaming as we know it. In some ways it's just a deluxe version of the Playstation 2 Eye Toy technology. In other ways, they seem to have really thought about the best ways to use this technology in gaming and other applications. I could see the XBox 360/Natal being the first true lifestyle digital media hub. I could also see it being squandered and mismarketed simply because it's Microsoft and they like to complicate things.
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Maybe it's just not possible to create a movie that lives up to the kind of expectations I have for this one.
Regarding the new Tron movie, I tend to agree with this statement. Simply because the original debuted a brand new look and technology with the 3D graphics. The technology has advanced greatly and looks better than ever but it's still the same technology debuted with Tron and mastered with Jurassic Park.
Quote
Star Wars will finally come out on Blu-Ray
Put me in the skeptical column (I know, big surprise) on this one. It's Lucas' meal ticket. Blu-Ray has the potential to essentially give away all the magic of the original films. After everyone has access to Blu-Ray Star Wars, and after Blu-Ray is hacked, and writable on PCs, George will have nothing to hang over our heads. You can argue that he could still sell 3D versions or some other nonsense but at that point it will be obvious he's just polishing an old turd.
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Tron will come out on Blu-Ray this year
I'll give you this one. And this will tempt me to buy Blu-Ray. But I won't.
EricBall
Sun Jan 3, 2010 10:08 AM
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Blu-Ray ...
Thanks for the Disney link.
I agree that the shift from DVD to BluRay has started, much like the shift from VHS to DVD a decade ago. However, I won't be upgrading my entire DVD collection as the quality improvement isn't worth the cost.
Quote
Gran Turismo 5 for the PS3
There's a free demo time-limited available from the PS store, which I bet is to re-ignite interest in the game. Based on the demo it's for the hard-core sim drivers only. I predict it won't boost PS3 sales significantly. If it had been available during the first year then it might have driven systems sales, but not now.
Quote
PS3 ....
In November I found I couldn't recommend the PS3 to my boss as a mid-range Blu-Ray player which also plays games since he didn't have any "must buy" PS3 games. (He has a Wii and plays PC MMORPGs.) Not when the cost of a PS3 + remote was $150 more than a bargain Blu-Ray player. If Sony really wants to appeal to that market then they need to at least include the remote. I don't think increasing the size of the hard drive will increase sales. IMHO another price drop is unlikely as long as the PS3 is doing okay relative to the 360. I suspect Sony's focus is on the PS4 especially since Larabee isn't an option.
Quote
Wii ...
Future price drops will be dependent on whether the recent price drop met the expected targets. An HD Wii depends on whether the graphics API allows for seamless upscaling. Otherwise I bet Nintendo will save HD for the next generation, allow Wii market share to erode and laugh all the way to the bank. Hmm... I wonder if Microsoft would license Natal to Nintendo?
Albert
Sun Jan 3, 2010 12:45 PM
I believe Blu-Ray is going to pick up some momentum this year. I was amazed (grateful?) to see prices on players and movies drop precipitously during the holiday shopping season. Many Blu-Ray movies were priced less than their DVD counterparts at Amazon.com! I picked up several new Blu-Ray movies (such as the new Harry Potter film) for only $14.99, and many of these included a DVD version and a digital version you can copy to you computer. I was also surprised to see many Blu-Ray players in places like Wal-Mart priced between $100 and $125.
I was in Best Buy recently and it looked like they had more standalone Blu-Ray players than DVD players. The Blu-Ray section in their stores continue to grow in size and I imagine by the 2010 holiday season Blu-Ray will pick up some good momentum. If Star Wars actually does come out this year on Blu-Ray (I'm doubtful as well) that will seriously help propel Blu-Ray into the foreground.
As far as Apple's tablet, it will be very interesting to see what happens. Could be a game changer, could be another "Apple TV" ho-hum device. If Steve Jobs' supposed involvement with the tablet is true (easy to believe) and he is incredibly satisfied with it as has been reported (who knows), then it could be another iPhone-like device that finally brings tablet computing some respect.
I have an iPhone 3G and am watching what happens with the new Google Nexus phone carefully. It looks pretty appealing, except that here in the US it's tied to T-Mobile if you want to use 3D services, and of course at the moment has a much smaller base of applications. But the Droid platform is finally bringing serious competition to the iPhone, which will force Apple to compete. Should be pretty exciting this year on the smartphone front.
..Al
I was in Best Buy recently and it looked like they had more standalone Blu-Ray players than DVD players. The Blu-Ray section in their stores continue to grow in size and I imagine by the 2010 holiday season Blu-Ray will pick up some good momentum. If Star Wars actually does come out this year on Blu-Ray (I'm doubtful as well) that will seriously help propel Blu-Ray into the foreground.
As far as Apple's tablet, it will be very interesting to see what happens. Could be a game changer, could be another "Apple TV" ho-hum device. If Steve Jobs' supposed involvement with the tablet is true (easy to believe) and he is incredibly satisfied with it as has been reported (who knows), then it could be another iPhone-like device that finally brings tablet computing some respect.
I have an iPhone 3G and am watching what happens with the new Google Nexus phone carefully. It looks pretty appealing, except that here in the US it's tied to T-Mobile if you want to use 3D services, and of course at the moment has a much smaller base of applications. But the Droid platform is finally bringing serious competition to the iPhone, which will force Apple to compete. Should be pretty exciting this year on the smartphone front.
..Al
Christophero Sly
Sun Jan 3, 2010 1:40 PM
I'm looking forward to an official announcement of the Apple tablet and the revelation of it's killer gimmick(s) (virtual keyboard?). At the moment, I don't understand where a tablet computer successfully fits in to Apple's lineup, let alone the market at large.
EricBall
Sun Jan 3, 2010 3:35 PM
Christophero Sly, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 2:40 PM, said:
I'm looking forward to an official announcement of the Apple tablet and the revelation of it's killer gimmick(s) (virtual keyboard?). At the moment, I don't understand where a tablet computer successfully fits in to Apple's lineup, let alone the market at large.
See Ars Technica for an op-ed on the tablet which sounds reasonable - i.e. a distinct device between the iPod Touch and the MacBook lines. Take the media and online abilities of the Touch and ramp them up to a larger screen and add in eBooks.
SpiceWare
Mon Jan 4, 2010 10:11 AM
Thanks for the pointer on Disney's upgrade plan. I don't plan to upgrade a majority of my DVDs, but I do see a few that I'd like to(pretty much the Pixar ones).
In November I found I couldn't recommend the PS3 to my boss as a mid-range Blu-Ray player which also plays games since he didn't have any "must buy" PS3 games. (He has a Wii and plays PC MMORPGs.) Not when the cost of a PS3 + remote was $150 more than a bargain Blu-Ray player. If Sony really wants to appeal to that market then they need to at least include the remote. I don't think increasing the size of the hard drive will increase sales. IMHO another price drop is unlikely as long as the PS3 is doing okay relative to the 360. I suspect Sony's focus is on the PS4 especially since Larabee isn't an option.
arket share to erode and laugh all the way to the bank. Hmm... I wonder if Microsoft would license Natal to Nintendo?
PS3 is still the most future-proof blu-ray player that I'm aware of - 3D Blu-ray standard outlined, includes PS3.
Found this to be interesting - blu-ray discs can be bumped from 25GB per layer to 33.4 GB and still play on existing players. I imagine it's like how the spec for CDs calls for 650MB-74 min but discs with capacities of 700-80, 790-90 and 870-99 can be used.
EricBall, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 10:08 AM, said:
Quote
PS3 ....
In November I found I couldn't recommend the PS3 to my boss as a mid-range Blu-Ray player which also plays games since he didn't have any "must buy" PS3 games. (He has a Wii and plays PC MMORPGs.) Not when the cost of a PS3 + remote was $150 more than a bargain Blu-Ray player. If Sony really wants to appeal to that market then they need to at least include the remote. I don't think increasing the size of the hard drive will increase sales. IMHO another price drop is unlikely as long as the PS3 is doing okay relative to the 360. I suspect Sony's focus is on the PS4 especially since Larabee isn't an option.
arket share to erode and laugh all the way to the bank. Hmm... I wonder if Microsoft would license Natal to Nintendo?
PS3 is still the most future-proof blu-ray player that I'm aware of - 3D Blu-ray standard outlined, includes PS3.
Found this to be interesting - blu-ray discs can be bumped from 25GB per layer to 33.4 GB and still play on existing players. I imagine it's like how the spec for CDs calls for 650MB-74 min but discs with capacities of 700-80, 790-90 and 870-99 can be used.
DaveD
Tue Jan 5, 2010 9:43 AM
DaveD, on Sat Jan 2, 2009 4:31 PM, said:
I am really sick of Apple lately. They're right up there with Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else passes for technology news these days.
Case in point. This is the science/technology section of Google News, my home page. To my knowledge this is an auto generated news page that is based partially on what people seem to be most interested in. As of this posting that link shows 20 headlines. This is how they break down:
4 headlines deal with Apple iPhones, apps, and rumored products. Science rumors?
4 headlines are other smartphone related articles concerning Nokia, Palm, and others.
3 headlines are concerning Facebook & Twitter.
1 concerns a video game release.
1 concerns CES 2010
6 concern other fly-by-night websites, technologies, or devices that are more about business than technology. Skype, E-Readers, Skiff, Windows 7, Eye Fi, etc.
And buried way down at the bottom of the list, presented as almost an afterthought, is the fact that a NASA telescope discovered 5 new fiery planets. All 5 of them apparently glow "like a blast furnace" and one of them seems to be as lightweight as styrofoam. I can't believe that this kind of technology news takes a distant backseat to the latest plastic device that will be rotting in a landfill 3 years from now that used to run a forgotten computer OS to do some menial, obsolete task.
Christophero Sly
Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:09 PM
EricBall, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 2:35 PM, said:
Christophero Sly, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 2:40 PM, said:
I'm looking forward to an official announcement of the Apple tablet and the revelation of it's killer gimmick(s) (virtual keyboard?). At the moment, I don't understand where a tablet computer successfully fits in to Apple's lineup, let alone the market at large.
See Ars Technica for an op-ed on the tablet which sounds reasonable - i.e. a distinct device between the iPod Touch and the MacBook lines. Take the media and online abilities of the Touch and ramp them up to a larger screen and add in eBooks.
Nathan Strum
Wed Jan 6, 2010 5:20 PM
DaveD, on Sat Jan 2, 2009 2:31 PM, said:
But I am really sick of Apple lately. They're right up there with Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else passes for technology news these days. They are all over the place and seem to have supplanted all real technology news. Things like finding new planets, ice on mars, retiring space shuttles, etc. Nobody seems to think these things are as important as unfriending, tweeting, and whether or not there's an app for that.
That's not Apple's fault though - it's the media's. The media focuses far too much on the same stupid things over and over. Of course, that's just a reflection on the public's focus on stupid things. (Don't get me started on Twitter and Facebook... I'm sick to death of people asking me to join them.)
DaveD, on Tue Jan 5, 2010 7:43 AM, said:
This is the science/technology section of Google News, my home page.
And buried way down at the bottom of the list, presented as almost an afterthought, is the fact that a NASA telescope discovered 5 new fiery planets. All 5 of them apparently glow "like a blast furnace" and one of them seems to be as lightweight as styrofoam. I can't believe that this kind of technology news takes a distant backseat to the latest plastic device that will be rotting in a landfill 3 years from now that used to run a forgotten computer OS to do some menial, obsolete task.
And buried way down at the bottom of the list, presented as almost an afterthought, is the fact that a NASA telescope discovered 5 new fiery planets. All 5 of them apparently glow "like a blast furnace" and one of them seems to be as lightweight as styrofoam. I can't believe that this kind of technology news takes a distant backseat to the latest plastic device that will be rotting in a landfill 3 years from now that used to run a forgotten computer OS to do some menial, obsolete task.
Maybe you need to change your home page.
DaveD, on Sat Jan 2, 2009 2:31 PM, said:
Put me in the skeptical column (I know, big surprise) on this one. It's Lucas' meal ticket. Blu-Ray has the potential to essentially give away all the magic of the original films. After everyone has access to Blu-Ray Star Wars, and after Blu-Ray is hacked, and writable on PCs, George will have nothing to hang over our heads. You can argue that he could still sell 3D versions or some other nonsense but at that point it will be obvious he's just polishing an old turd.
I think the fact that Star Wars is Lucas' meal ticket is why it will come out on Blu-Ray. He's saturated the DVD market with it, so this is the only physical media left he can sell it on again. (Well, there will apparently be the 3-D Blu-Ray spec in several years, but he'll have to saturate the 2-D market, first.)
Nathan Strum
Wed Jan 6, 2010 5:33 PM
EricBall, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 8:08 AM, said:
However, I won't be upgrading my entire DVD collection as the quality improvement isn't worth the cost.
I don't have much of a DVD collection in the first place. I learned years ago to be pretty selective about what I buy. I'll upgrade some of my favorites, but that still only amounts to about a dozen movies or so. There's some stuff I've never owned on DVD, which I will get on Blu-Ray (the original Star Trek series, for example), and some stuff that isn't worth getting on Blu-Ray, because the original source material wasn't suitable for HD anyway. But for the ones that I really enjoy watching, it's worth the investment in those titles. But I think of Blu-Ray as an adjunct to my DVDs - not an outright replacement.
EricBall, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 8:08 AM, said:
There's a free demo time-limited available from the PS store, which I bet is to re-ignite interest in the game. Based on the demo it's for the hard-core sim drivers only. I predict it won't boost PS3 sales significantly.
There are usually some more arcade-like elements in the GT series though. Certainly though, they've got a lot of competition in the racing genre now, where they used to be clearly at the top of the heap. Everyone else is starting to catch up to them in terms of quality.
EricBall, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 8:08 AM, said:
An HD Wii depends on whether the graphics API allows for seamless upscaling. Otherwise I bet Nintendo will save HD for the next generation, allow Wii market share to erode and laugh all the way to the bank.
I think it will be a next gen (or rather, Nintendo's version of the current gen) console, but will retain the Wii name, much like the XBox 360 and PS3. So, the Wii2 or WiiToo or WiiII.
EricBall, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 8:08 AM, said:
Hmm... I wonder if Microsoft would license Natal to Nintendo?
Nope. But they'd sell Nintendo a license to make games for the XBox 360.
Nathan Strum
Wed Jan 6, 2010 6:26 PM
Christophero Sly, on Tue Jan 5, 2010 4:09 PM, said:
EricBall, on Sun Jan 3, 2009 2:35 PM, said:
See Ars Technica for an op-ed on the tablet which sounds reasonable - i.e. a distinct device between the iPod Touch and the MacBook lines. Take the media and online abilities of the Touch and ramp them up to a larger screen and add in eBooks.
I still think the educational market could be a huge selling point for this device. I'm apparently not the only one. There are currently about 17 million college students in the U.S. alone. Just tapping into a fraction of that market would make the product a success. Beyond that are another 17 million students in jr. high and high school. Textbook publishers would love this sort of technology since they wouldn't have to deal with the hassles of publishing and updating physical copies of their books. Just update and download digital versions to tablet devices. They'd make more money by reducing overhead (shipping costs, unsold books, storage, printing costs, etc.) and would likely make the books rentable for a semester (or year) at a time. To cut down on piracy, the book could be tied to a single tablet by its hardware ID. For students wishing to own them permanently, they'd pay a higher fee. The books would cost the students less, while earning the publishers more profits. The students would love them because of the convenience of carrying just one device with them (instead of a huge stack of books), that was instantly searchable and continually updatable. The cost of the tablet would be almost negligible in the overall cost of a college education, and high schools (some of which already provide laptops for their students) would likely be willing to provide tablets for students to use during the school year, in favor of having to continually purchase and replace textbooks on an annual basis.
Apply this to magazines and newspapers which are both rapidly dying off in the print world, and you have a pretty compelling use for a tablet computer. The Kindle and other e-readers are very limited in their scope, but still manage to sell pretty well. Add the functionality of an iPhone, with a larger, color screen, to that of an e-reader, and I think there's a market there. By announcing it early, Apple can position itself (and educational markets, and publishers) for the coming school year.
I'd even be tempted to get one in lieu of a laptop, if it could run OS X and apps like Photoshop.
As long as I could use a stylus with it. I can't draw with my finger.
DaveD
Thu Jan 7, 2010 11:24 AM
Nathan Strum, on Wed Jan 6, 2010 5:20 PM, said:
That's not Apple's fault though - it's the media's. The media focuses far too much on the same stupid things over and over. Of course, that's just a reflection on the public's focus on stupid things. (Don't get me started on Twitter and Facebook... I'm sick to death of people asking me to join them.)
True. I wasn't implying Apple has done anything wrong but become successful. After I reread my post it seemed pretty curmudgeony and maybe aimed at Apple. It wasn't, It was aimed at all the lemmings.
vdub_bobby
Thu Jan 7, 2010 4:09 PM
I'm just not buying the Natal hype. That thing is destined to bomb hugely.
It's going to turn out like the Wii in this way: they hype has been huge but as it gets closer and closer to release, and past, reality will set in and the gaming press and the gamers that read the gaming press are going to turn on it and turn their backs on it. The Wii succeeded because it turns out that there is a huge market beyond gamers that read the gaming press. I just can't see Microsoft making much progress breaking into that market.
It's going to turn out like the Wii in this way: they hype has been huge but as it gets closer and closer to release, and past, reality will set in and the gaming press and the gamers that read the gaming press are going to turn on it and turn their backs on it. The Wii succeeded because it turns out that there is a huge market beyond gamers that read the gaming press. I just can't see Microsoft making much progress breaking into that market.
batari
Thu Jan 7, 2010 7:25 PM
Quote
If Apple's exclusivity deal with AT&T expires, Apple will add another carrier to the iPhone. But I don't think they'll outright dump AT&T, because Jobs would want to play the two companies against each other for Apple's benefit.
I really hope you are right on this one. AT&T's coverage is beyond poor where I live and I would switch to Verizon in a second if I could.
Nathan Strum
Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:58 PM
Quote
Gran Turismo 5 for the PS3 will finally ship this year, but who knows exactly when.
Or maybe not.
Nathan Strum
Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:57 PM
Apple again delays 27-inch iMac shipment by 3 weeks
Two words: Blu-Ray.
Or is that one word?
Anyway, Blu-Ray. Announced next week as part of Apple's media thingy. Along with the Apple Tablet, Caplet, Capsule, and Suppository.
Oh, and iLife '10.
Two words: Blu-Ray.
Or is that one word?
Anyway, Blu-Ray. Announced next week as part of Apple's media thingy. Along with the Apple Tablet, Caplet, Capsule, and Suppository.
Oh, and iLife '10.
Christophero Sly
Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:18 AM
You know, this tablet thing might make a really slick gaming device.
Nathan Strum
Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:48 PM
Here's another reason Apple should adopt Blu-Ray drives...
The new version of Final Cut Studio comes on seven DVDs. The thing is major chore to install. Same goes for Adobe's application suites, which also come on multiple DVDs. Blu-Ray would make that a whole lot simpler, especially for colleges. Like the one I work at. Where we have dozens of computers running Final Cut (40 in my area alone).
The new version of Final Cut Studio comes on seven DVDs. The thing is major chore to install. Same goes for Adobe's application suites, which also come on multiple DVDs. Blu-Ray would make that a whole lot simpler, especially for colleges. Like the one I work at. Where we have dozens of computers running Final Cut (40 in my area alone).
Nathan Strum
Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:08 AM
No Blu-Ray announcements. Bummer.
But...
Well, I was mostly right, although it is just a big iPod, and the killer feature didn't materialize.
I had hoped for a more full-fledged Mac OS X tablet, but I still think textbooks could be a big deal with this. Apple downplayed that during the keynote, but we'll see how it all pans out.
But...
Quote
Apple will release a tablet computer. They'll announce it in January, but it won't ship until later in the year. It will be more than just a big iPod, and Apple will have some sort of killer feature or use for it that probably nobody has figured out yet. One thing that would be a great use: downloadable textbooks. This would be a huge boon to the education market. Cheaper e-textbooks that can be digitally updated. Man, I would've loved that when I was in college. The big question... can Apple make the tablet affordable enough?
Well, I was mostly right, although it is just a big iPod, and the killer feature didn't materialize.
I had hoped for a more full-fledged Mac OS X tablet, but I still think textbooks could be a big deal with this. Apple downplayed that during the keynote, but we'll see how it all pans out.
Cybergoth
Mon Feb 22, 2010 7:10 AM
So, what are the predictions for Nintendos Media Summit next week?
I fear it'll be all about the successor of the DS line of products. No surprises here I guess: Two screens, microphone, cameras, backwards compatible, power wise close to the gamecube, physical media, flash, tilt sensors, built-in facebook client, maybe biofeedback. And Zelda, Mario, Metroid for it
I don't think we'll see Virtual Boy 2 or a HD Wii. Maybe +Motes that don't require a dongle
If there should be any game surprises for the Wii, then I'd think at best they'll show more from Metroid Mother and SMG2, keeping the rest for the Eł. If we're insanely lucky maybe the new Retro Studios project is revealed. Personally I'd love to hear from a new Fire Emblem, Disaster or Another Code 3, but I assume chances are rather low
It should be able to replicate the Police 24/7 experience in your living room, which would be incredible
I fear it'll be all about the successor of the DS line of products. No surprises here I guess: Two screens, microphone, cameras, backwards compatible, power wise close to the gamecube, physical media, flash, tilt sensors, built-in facebook client, maybe biofeedback. And Zelda, Mario, Metroid for it
I don't think we'll see Virtual Boy 2 or a HD Wii. Maybe +Motes that don't require a dongle
If there should be any game surprises for the Wii, then I'd think at best they'll show more from Metroid Mother and SMG2, keeping the rest for the Eł. If we're insanely lucky maybe the new Retro Studios project is revealed. Personally I'd love to hear from a new Fire Emblem, Disaster or Another Code 3, but I assume chances are rather low
vdub_bobby, on Thu Jan 7, 2010 10:09 PM, said:
I'm just not buying the Natal hype. That thing is destined to bomb hugely.
It should be able to replicate the Police 24/7 experience in your living room, which would be incredible
