Posted March 29, 2011 it blows my mind that people still shop at GAME/HMV i mean seriously what the fuck There's hardly anywhere but HMV where I can buy the music I listen to, I've always liked HMV. And GAME isn't that bad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah but why you'd pay an extra £10 for a game (plus petrol/bus money) and buy in-store, over online prices with free postage? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah but why you'd pay an extra £10 for a game (plus petrol/bus money) and buy in-store, over online prices with free postage? Whilst I'm all for the convenience (and cheapness) of shopping online, there is a nice feeling to be had from browsing the shelves (looking for bargains and spotting hidden gems) and having to carry said game home. That feeling of "where the hell is that bus?" as you impatiently wait for it to arrive so you can go home to try the game out. Reading the manual on the ride home so you can jump straight into the game when you get back and not have to wonder how to get passed the menu screen you see. Now I'm older, I'm not like that so much, but as a kid, the whole experience of acquiring a game was grander that simply looking on a website and clicking a mouse a couple of times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 29, 2011 ..as a kid, the whole experience of acquiring a game was grander that simply looking on a website and clicking a mouse a couple of times. Everything as a kid was much grander than it is now. There are many things about today that I find very soulless compared to how they were when I was growing up I kinda miss the days where I could only buy one game every few months and had to save all my money up just to get the games I wanted. The games would be played and explored in so much depth until you got every last drop out of the experience and the instruction manuals felt much more interesting (and even exciting, at times ) compared to what we get now.. Don't get me wrong.. I enjoy and take pride in my vast collection of games but am I as happy as I was 10-15 years ago? Nowhere near.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 29, 2011 Everything as a kid was much grander than it is now. There are many things about today that I find very soulless compared to how they were when I was growing up I kinda miss the days where I could only buy one game every few months and had to save all my money up just to get the games I wanted. The games would be played and explored in so much depth until you got every last drop out of the experience and the instruction manuals felt much more interesting (and even exciting, at times ) compared to what we get now.. Don't get me wrong.. I enjoy and take pride in my vast collection of games but am I as happy as I was 10-15 years ago? Nowhere near.. Well I still think there is a nice feeling of going out with nothing, and coming back with something. Admittedly, it has it's cost if you going for a brand new game but you can still find bargains or rare games on shop shelves... well not so much GAME with the rare titles but sometimes. And if they've got a 2 for £xx amount, you might pick a title that you previously haven't thought about it and end up enjoying it because it's in the offer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 ^ You hit the nail on the head. Buying stuff instore, you have it, you get home, you play it. Buying online, you have to wait for delivery, you're potentially out when the postman gets there...etc It's like this coming thursday. It's payday, I would rather like Pokemon White, so after work i'll go to the nearest Tesco Extra and buy it, go home and play it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 ^ You hit the nail on the head. Buying stuff instore, you have it, you get home, you play it. Buying online, you have to wait for delivery, you're potentially out when the postman gets there...etc It's like this coming thursday. It's payday, I would rather like Pokemon White, so after work i'll go to the nearest Tesco Extra and buy it, go home and play it. Exactly - ultimately, it's just a far more satisfying experience than online shopping or digital downloads. Whenever I see someone walking around with a GAME bag, I wonder what they've bought, did they get a good deal, do I want that game, do I have that game, if I go now can I get there before the store closes, will they have any stock left... yadda yadda yadda All these things can be avoided online sure, but it's actually fun. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Nintendo 3DS has 128MB RAM Our friends at Chipworks have decapsulated and analyzed the mysterious Fujitsu MB82M8080-07L chip we found in the Nintendo 3DS. It turns out that “MB82M8080″ is actually code for “MB82DBS08645″ (of course!), which is the actual part number for the memory dies inside the chip. From that information, Chipworks deduced that they have a 512Mb FCRAM die on their hands. As there were two dies inside the chip, 2 dies x 512Megabits = 128 MB of RAM! Fujitsu claims that their Fast Cycle RAM has a data rate of 3.2 GB/sec, which is approximately double the capability of DDR2 RAM, according to their chart. That’s certainly an impressive statistic, but we’ll have to see if the relatively-low memory amount hampers the 3DS’ performance over time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Didn't the original only have 8MB or something? Gamecube had 64MB of RAM right? I know there are different types though, but this doesn't sound bad for a handheld at all to me. I think the PSP had a lot less? I'm assuming though that part of the reason for this is the 3D. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Looks like my local store has the Black 3DS back in stock. Now I just wonder if Pilotwings is worth it. It really sounds like half the people say that it is short and boring, and the other half say that it is great for just flying around and having fun. As someone who spent probably hours flying around as a seagull in Wind Waker I probably belong in the latter though. I suppose it would make sense to get at least one 3DS game with the actual device, however the game costs a converted 45 Pounds over here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Didn't the original only have 8MB or something? Gamecube had 64MB of RAM right? I know there are different types though, but this doesn't sound bad for a handheld at all to me. I think the PSP had a lot less? I'm assuming though that part of the reason for this is the 3D. Original DS has only 4 MB RAM (same as N64), Gamecube has 40 MB, Wii has 88 MB, original PSP 32 MB. I'm no expert, but I guess with stereoscopic 3D you have to render everything twice, so games with 3D turned on are twice as demanding graphics-wise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 So not only do I have a wobbly top screen, but my 3DS now freezes when trying to return from the Friends List to the home menu. Thanks Nintendo. Taking it back tomorrow when I have the time and hopefully I can get it swapped. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Also I'm hearing a worrying amount of bad news about the build quality. Although that may be just a few unlucky singular cases. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Also I'm hearing a worrying amount of bad news about the build quality. Although that may be just a few unlucky singular cases. Build quality is high from what I've seen. My 3DS is built like a skyscraper in Tokyo. It can withstand anything. Though I haven't tried a sledgehammer yet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Whilst I'm all for the convenience (and cheapness) of shopping online, there is a nice feeling to be had from browsing the shelves (looking for bargains and spotting hidden gems) and having to carry said game home. That feeling of "where the hell is that bus?" as you impatiently wait for it to arrive so you can go home to try the game out. Reading the manual on the ride home so you can jump straight into the game when you get back and not have to wonder how to get passed the menu screen you see. Now I'm older, I'm not like that so much, but as a kid, the whole experience of acquiring a game was grander that simply looking on a website and clicking a mouse a couple of times. Well yes, I did this too as a kid [the memory of going to buy Code Veronica on the Dreamcast is still strong with me, I think I even biked in with mate, very excited!]... but times have changed! You couldn't even buy games online at the time we were going into shops buying them!... let alone buy them alot cheaper. I didn't say it wasn't a good idea to go into a shop and scan the rows for bargains/rare items... but when buying a new release, nowadays, I honestly can't see why you'd intentionally choose to effectively throw £10 in the bin... when you could put it towards another game! Edited March 30, 2011 by Retro_Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Original DS has only 4 MB RAM (same as N64), Gamecube has 40 MB, Wii has 88 MB, original PSP 32 MB. I'm no expert, but I guess with stereoscopic 3D you have to render everything twice, so games with 3D turned on are twice as demanding graphics-wise. I'm quite positive the Gamecube doesn't just have 40MB. It had 2 types of RAM didn't it? 24MB of another type? Assumedly the 3DS only has one type. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Wow. People are bitching and saying that the 3DS must have failed because Nintendo hasn't released any sales figures yet. Jesus Christ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Build quality is high from what I've seen. My 3DS is built like a skyscraper in Tokyo. It can withstand anything. Though I haven't tried a sledgehammer yet I have to agree. One of the things I commented on at the London event was how good the build quality seemed compared to previous DS's, and having now bought one, I'm not going to change this opinion. Also, I've not had mine freeze on me once. I just guess that, like all things, there's bound to be the odd rogue machine out there. At least whoever has one of these should be able to take it back to the shop for a replacement. ** Just checked my 3DS, and I've picked up 3 people on Street Pass on my way to work this morning! Edited March 30, 2011 by wooks63 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 How can you turn it on? It has always been off from the start... Hmmm, I think it on by standard. When it's turned on, your touchscreen is completely used. When turned off, the playing screen is smaller, with black borders. Does this make your screens tiny? Coz i just tried it and the colours look no better and the screens are like GB Micro size. Yes, that's it. It playes the game pixel-to-pixel, and because the resolution is way higher, the screens get smaller but sharper. When upscaled, it tends to lose a bit of sharpness; but the screens are bigger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Wooo! my 3DS arrived this morning! ^__^ The 3D effect is pretty good, I don't even have to slide it up all the way to get a great effect. Havn't really played anything yet. Its sitting in the charging dock at the moment then I have to fire that update into it. So far so good though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 I'm quite positive the Gamecube doesn't just have 40MB. It had 2 types of RAM didn't it? 24MB of another type? Assumedly the 3DS only has one type. I think you may be getting confused between total amount of RAM and then the individual components that make it up. There was 24MB allocated to the system, 16MB for sound, and then a further 3MB for the graphics. The PlayStation 2 had 32MB system memory plus 4MB for graphics and 2MB for sound. The GC had a better processor though handling the graphics and the type of RAM used was much quicker too - hence why skilled developers were able to make better looking games and lesser skilled ones weren't. Plus Nintendo deliberately made it as easy to code for as possible by providing lots of tools that whilst ultimately proved limiting, it allowed developers to get greater graphics with lesser development time. The problems arose when trying to code something that they hadn't provided tools for and then it became tricky. The lesser overall memory was one of the reasons why certain games never made it from the PS2 over to the GC. It wasn't just the disc size that kept games like GTA away - it's that the developers could fit it into the constraints provided by the lesser amount of RAM. Originally the GC was going to have 32MB or RAM and main processor speed of 400mhz but they brought the RAM down to 24MB and upper the processor to 485mhz believing it to be a better trade off - which in reality meant it would probably save them money on production costs. Basically, what I'm saying is don't be blinded by pure numbers. Well yes, I did this too as a kid [the memory of going to buy Code Veronica on the Dreamcast is still strong with me, I think I even biked in with mate, very excited!]... but times have changed! You couldn't even buy games online at the time we were going into shops buying them!... let alone buy them alot cheaper. I didn't say it wasn't a good idea to go into a shop and scan the rows for bargains/rare items... but when buying a new release, nowadays, I honestly can't see why you'd intentionally choose to effectively throw £10 in the bin... when you could put it towards another game! Well sometimes it's the thrill of being at a launch event - or it might be that certain stores offer bonuses with their copy. And sometimes, impulse buying can be fun. And no, I couldn't buy games online, but stuff like mail order catalogues (Special Reserve anyone?) allowed you to buy/preorder brand new games at discounted prices - I bought lots of N64 games through them and they typically sold at £10 less than RRP. It was the precursor to internet shopping phenomenon for the games scene at least. I remember having Donkey Kong 64 preorder for ages (from special reserve) but one time I'd been to the cinema to see The World is Not Enough and then headed back into town where I remember seeing Smash Bros on the shelf. I could have easily gone home and placed an order and had it by the end of the coming week for a cheaper price but no, I wanted it there and then. So I bought it... despite the dumb sales assistant trying to refuse sale for it apparently being an 18 rated game - proved him wrong. Given I was soon to be paying for another game, saving £10 would have been rather nice but in the moment, I didn't care - I just wanted that game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 RAM always sounds a lot lower than you would expect in a console. The Xbox 360 and PS3 both have 512MB. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 RAM always sounds a lot lower than you would expect in a console. The Xbox 360 and PS3 both have 512MB. Indeed and unlike a computer, they aren't running heavily bloated operating systems either. Plus, it's the type of RAM too - not just the amount. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Now I just wonder if Pilotwings is worth it. It really sounds like half the people say that it is short and boring, and the other half say that it is great for just flying around and having fun. It's actually challenging, especially if you go for Perfection on all the missions. Even if you don't, getting 3 stars on each is not easy. Original DS has only 4 MB RAM (same as N64), Gamecube has 40 MB, Wii has 88 MB, original PSP 32 MB. I'm no expert, but I guess with stereoscopic 3D you have to render everything twice, so games with 3D turned on are twice as demanding graphics-wise. 128MB sounds good to me then, and it certainly explains why games are able to run much better (in theory) as soon as you turn the 3D off. Whilst I don't know much about it, I do believe that RAM is one of those things that games can take advantage of without any special programming. Also I'm hearing a worrying amount of bad news about the build quality. Although that may be just a few unlucky singular cases. It certainly doesn't feel as solid as the DSi XL. Whenever I pick that up, I am reminded of how much better-built it is. Still, onwards and upwards. The other improvements make up for it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 30, 2011 Have been hearing about the bottom screen causing scratches on the top screen. I have noticed some smudges from it but this has me worried Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
