Reality, of course, is different from this nightmare scenario. In reality, the devices are called "cell phones", and rather than force you to carry them, they get you to pay for the privilege.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Here's a nightmare scenario for you. In order to better
be able to track people, the government would require them to
carry around a radio transmitter which broadcasts their location
at all times. This information would be precise to 300 yards or
better (much better with GPS-enabled transmitters), and would be
accessible to any law-enforcement officer at all without a warrant.
The Star Wars marketing group wanted a tie-in on-line roleplaying
game. So they hired some people who came up with an interesting one
--- one with varied skills that took a great time to learn, and all
sorts of interesting other features to explore. A small crew of
particularly dedicated gamers loved it. But, it didn't yield the same
numbers as, say, Everquest.
Clearly, there was only one thing to do. Replace it with a dumbed-down version, in which everyone gets to instantly play a high-powered character, and they really can take on anything at all without training or practice because the combat system has become so vapid that skill doesn't matter. As the game's senior director at LucasArts, one Nancy Lynch, explains,
- There was a lot of wandering around learning about different abilities.
- We really needed to give people the experience of being Han Solo or Luke Skywalker ... We wanted more instant gratification: kill, get treasure, repeat.
Oh, is that what the experience of being Luke Skywalker or Han Solo was all about? Perhaps she watched a different movie.
posted by charles at 12:38 PM 1 Comments
Economics Puzzlers
- Why isn't the "oil curse" just comparative advantage at work?
- If a country's comparative advantage is in dirt farming,
how can it still industrialize under unrestricted free trade?
- Innovation in England in the 1950s created jobs somewhere else.
What makes innovation here and now different?
- Why do trade treaty regulatory bodies have the right to review environmental policy, but not monetary policy?
Previous Posts
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