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Storyboard: Why roleplaying is worth the trouble
Why bother roleplaying? I've covered a lot of topics in this column that circle around that topic. I've talked about why roleplaying is important and how you can roleplay without tears, but I've never touched the central question, something that was brought to mind recently by a fellow Massively writer. Why even bother with roleplaying? The usual answer is a shrug and a self-evident "because it's fun," but that's more a dismissal of the question than a functional response. That's not a good thing because there's a case to be made against roleplaying. Your character doesn't have an impact on the game world. Your roleplaying is, in the context of the game itself, irrelevant. The game doesn't care why your character wears weaker gear than normal; it just downgrades your stats and makes your life harder. You derive no benefit and wind up losing a lot of time for social interactions that are prone to drama and arguments. So why bother?
Why I didn't buy an iPad
Guest blogger B. Imei Hsu lays out the case over on Chris Pirillo's blog for "Why you don't want an iPad" -- she takes a few guesses at why you, dear Apple fan, may not have bought Apple's magical and revolutionary device this past weekend. She's actually a little venomous -- not only is there a bit of harsh language in there, but according to her, you're probably in denial or clueless about what the iPad actually is. Thanks for that, Ms. Hsu. Fortunately, I'm in a good position to answer this one -- I'm a lead editor on a major (unofficial) Apple weblog, and no, I didn't buy an iPad. Why not? Not because of any of the iPad's faults -- I got to play with one for an extended amount of time at an Apple Store on Saturday (there was a line building up behind me, and the Geniuses were starting to give me weird looks), and I think it's an amazing device. It feels solid and perfect, it runs even faster than I expected, and that display is just terrific. It makes apps, e-books, and the web look beautiful, and save for a few quirks with the keyboard (I often lay my fingers on the keys while thinking of what to write, and you can't have any stray touches on the iPad's keyboard), I think it's just as amazing as promised. But I don't have "a problem with desire," I'm not asking "the wrong questions," I don't "hate change," and I'm not envious. Ok, maybe I am a little envious, but not by choice at all. Honestly, I didn't buy an iPad this weekend because so far, I just don't need one.
Macmillan trying to sell readers 'hardcover' ebooks
John Siracusa drew my attention to an article by Macmillan CEO John Sargent on the agency model, availability and price, in which he says that the company actually plans to keep their hardcover/paperback separation even while selling ebooks. While new hardcover ebooks will sell for $14.99 and $12.99 ("a tremendous discount from the price of the printed hardcover books"), the company will aim to sell "ebook editions of paperback new releases" for as low as $6.99. As Siracusa goes on to say, "now let us all sit back and ponder the concept of 'paperback' and 'hardcover' ebooks." Macmillan is sticking with an old pricing scheme even in a brand new marketplace. Just what exactly makes the difference between a "hardcover ebook" and a "paperback ebook"? Read on to find out.
Sandra Lee's awfully stupid list of reasons not to buy a PSP
I'm assuming that Associated Content is a website that wants to sound like a reputable news source, considering how similar it may appear to the Associated Press. However, a recent article by Sandra Lee called "Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Buy a PSP" shows that this site is as credible as The National Enquirer. Yuck. Here are some of her absolutely stupid reasons not to buy a PSP: "The screen is tiny relative to the detail of the games you're playing." What was she doing? Playing with a Game Boy Micro? The PSP's screen is the largest of a handheld that I can remember. "The screen gets marked up very easily and is prone to scratching." Once again, what the hell is she doing with the system? Throwing it into the laundry? "None of your current PlayStation games will work." NO DUH. Sony never promised you could just throw DVDs in there. How huge would the system be if you could play your current PS2 games? If this happened, Sandra Lee would probably write an article complaining the system is too big. "The unit is too small and there are too many buttons spaced closely together for an adult to play without getting aggravated... at least buy the PSP accessory kit that includes a magnifying glass (to enlarge that small screen)" Reasons number 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 involve Memory Sticks being too expensive. While that's a fairly reasonable complaint, it makes a list of ten reasons to not buy the PSP seem even less convincing. I know the PSP isn't perfect, but these are complaints that go beyond the realm of stupid. It's clear that this woman doesn't want portability in her life. She might as well lug around a giant plasma TV, a PStwo and a power generator. Or get a Virtual Boy.This article has angered me so much that I'm starting the official PSP Fanboy Hates Sandra Lee campaign. As part of this campaign, I'm encouraging you to write a letter to Sandra Lee, noting some of the errors of judgement you may have found in her article. Please, try to sound a bit educated when you write, so that she doesn't write another story entitled "PSP fanboys don't know how to write," because that would suck.
