I just finished a multiplayer session with a game called "Warband: Mount&Blade." One of the things I really like about this game is that you can learn everything you need to know about the game in fewer than 30 minutes, however it takes quite a bit of time to become effective in the game.

If you think about it, most of the insanely popular multiplayer games, spare MMOs are like this. Even the MMO realm, one which I'm really not familiar with, there has been somewhat of a push towards a "keep it simple, stupid" philosophy.

As the article says, this is an innovative move not necessarily designed to cater to Americans. If you've ever spent any time at all in places like Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul or Tokyo you'd perfectly understand the need for super-small, networked vehicles like this. There are plenty of roads in all the aforementioned cities that are too small for a large American car to even drive on, let alone maneuver.

I also wouldn't let the current Toyota issue cloud judgement. Here are some variables on modern roads that are far more dangerous than Toyota's brake malfunction:

-Old drivers.
-Teenage drivers.
-Drunk drivers.
-Texting drivers.
-All forms of inattentive drivers.
-People that are just bad drivers.
etc. etc.

I'd trust a computer to drive over those any day of the week!

Whoa, now.

First, I don't live in America nor am I American. I know a lot of Americans and have had this conversation with many of them. Some agree with me, some see the matter different and others would agree with you.

I don't think bearing arms should be a right that you're born with. I think it should be a responsibility that one needs to earn. The gun murder/accident rate in the US is higher than that of any developed nation and even higher than a lot of not-so-developed nations. It is probably amongst the highest in the world, per capita. This sort of thing could happen in Canada but doesn't (tougher gun laws, maybe?) and it would never, ever happen here in Japan.

The problem with gun ownership in America is that too many of the wrong people have guns. The Columbine shooters, the guy who shot up Virginia tech... Would those type of shootings have happened if it wasn't so easy to buy and own guns? I guess you could say that those people could have bought those guns illegally but then we'd be getting into a "chicken and egg" argument. America doesn't just have loose gun laws, it also has a very strong "gun culture". From the outside looking in, it seems a bit crazy, to be honest. I'm not one of those anti-gun people (I had hunting rifles as a kid, served in the reserves, etc) but the thought of owning a handgun and keeping it in my house/on my person is really, really strange/foreign to me.

I remember reading a Time Magazine piece quite awhile back that said guns bought for "protection" are far more likely to be used on a family member than an actual intruder. I recommend checking up on the statistics. Do you really believe that the world would be a safer place if everyone owned a gun? The murder rate here is a fraction of a fraction of what it is in the US. Cultural difference? Maybe, but I'm sure the illegality of owning firearms for personal use is also a strong part of it.

Just because it is in the constitution doesn't mean it is something that should go unquestioned. The US constitution was written a very long time ago and the US today bears very little resemblance to the country it used to be. Maybe the second amendment needs to be re-evaluated.

Because we all know that is going to happen.

Don't blame the absurd gun laws that allow every douchebag the "right" to bear arms.

Don't blame the neglect, irresponsibility and carelessness of adults in the house.

Ignore the fact that this would only happen in America because of #1.

Blame the Wii because we all know the toy gun accessory it comes with gave the kid the wrong impression.

I feel sorry for the kid and the family.

You mean bootleg Microsoft? I lived in the ROK for three years and don't think I saw a legit Windows OS once...

In reference to the XKCD strip and your assertion about "gaming," I would say that it doesn't have much to do with this article nor my response.

The article concerns graphical capabilities of inbrowser games. Good graphics do not equal good games but they do allow for more creativity by developers which is a good thing. We have all played browser games that have that addictive/simplistic quality lacking in more advanced, demanding games.

The Marine game is a bit bandwidth intensive but I'd imagine it would be much more time consuming if you had to download an installer. Thirty seconds of wait time isn't terrible considering what it is.

Not all browser games need to be 2D or an ugly sort of 3D that resembles something from the Nintendo 64 or worse. Here is an example of a 3D, browser-based FPS game that not only runs great (with Firefox) but also looks as good as any other modern FPS title:

http://www.interstellarmarines.com/

Browser games have enormous potential (with the exception of Flash based games).

I'm sure Koreans will find a way...

You should get the original. It would add quite a bit of depth to the story. Its not required, however.

No one is saying its perfect. What people are saying is that it does everything else so well that the flaws you've pointed out don't really matter all that much in the big picture.

The combat system could entirely consist of a "whack-a-mole" clone where your mallet was replaced with a dirty sock stuffed with an expired carton of milk that was left behind the radiator for six months and the game would STILL score over 90 because of all the other non-combat aspects that are so fucking awesome.

Played through the game myself over the weekend. It took around 25 hours although I was aiming for 50, I suppose this had something to do with me making some bad choices which forced the game to pick up the pace in order to compensate for my mistakes.

I've never been a fan of RPGs, actually. I've always liked the concept of RPGs and have always hated the execution. The idea of being the centerpiece in an epic story has always had a strong appeal, however the trend in RPGs over the years has been one of catering to one group of people who preferred one style of play. Picking up items, heavy redundancy, no reliance on twitch combat or any conventions FPS games have relied on to make them succeed. I've always been cornered into playing FPS titles for this reason and despite a few major releases over the years, FPS titles have -- for the most part -- lacked in story telling. I've always wondered why no developer tried to bridge the gap between an action game and an RPG and I've always wondered why RPGs, even in the 21st century, relied so strongly on the "book & board game" mechanics, even when contemporary hardware could go well beyond that (I think my hatred of traditional RPGs stems from going to a friend's house and spending hours watching him play Final Fantasy VIII, thinking "THIS is the CRAP that everyone keeps going on about?!")

But yes, Mass Effect 2 goes beyond that. I hope that it will set a new standard for RPG games and that many developers will choose to follow Bioware's example instead of Final Fantasy or Dungeons and Dragons. Not to say there isn't a place for those sorts of RPGs but I would like to say that there hasn't been much for those of us who like our tactical shooters to have a great story. Mindless action is fun to a point but a great story puts that action in context; it gives you a reason to fight. For me that makes it infinitely more entertaining.
As an aside, its proper Science Fiction, too. I wonder how much of an upset this is to the more "entrenched" RPG gamers who insist on picking up their countless inventory items in worlds populated by elves, dwarfs, knights etc. I love how the ME games are a slap in the face to the other sort.

I think a lot of people agree with me here. Traditional RPGs, MMOs and FPS games don't nearly overlap enough when they could very well learn something from each other. Here is looking forward to other developers picking up on this idea!

Remember, the actual brain is located in the stomach. That thing in your head is just waste and is to be disgarded!