piątek, 28 lutego 2014

The party’s over: IDC predicts sharp decline in smartphone market growth, with no replacement in sight

The party’s over: IDC predicts sharp decline in smartphone market growth, with no replacement in sight | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesZiff DavisHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeMobileThe party’s over: IDC predicts sharp decline in smartphone market growth, with no replacement in sightThe party’s over: IDC predicts sharp decline in smartphone market growth, with no replacement in sightBy Joel Hruska on February 27, 2014 at 8:38 amCommentCompletely smashed up smartphoneShare This article

For years, even as the PC market has slumped, the tablet and smartphone business has roared ahead. The shift in production and demographics caught traditional OEMs flat-footed and drove tens of billions of dollars into the pockets and Samsung, Apple, and… well, pretty much just those two. Now, IDC is reporting that the years of meteoric growth could be coming to an end. The company predicts smartphone sales will increase 19% this year, down from 39% in 2013. By 2018, the increase in year-on-year sales is expected to be an anemic (or nearly mature) 6.2%.

This shift could cause a significant shakeup of the present Apple-Samsung profit duopoly. According to recent measurements from Raymond James, Apple accounts for 87.2% of the smartphone market’s profits, while Samsung gathers a respectable 32.2%. The reason the figures add up to over 100% is simple — everyone else is losing money and therefore awarded negative market value.

Both companies have made enormous profits out of positioning their respective devices as lifestyle products, but the move could cost them market share in the long term as customers turn from gawking at the products carried by the rich and famous to buying more modest devices of their own. It’s no accident that the surge in low-end smartphones has been accompanied by rising interest in companies like MediaTek and RockChip. These SoC developers don’t have the name-brand recognition of a Qualcomm, but they do have a keen interest in building business in the low-end smartphone market.

Smartphone operating marginsThis chart uses a different analysis method than the Raymond James figures, but the conclusions are similar.

IDC expects low-end sales to be the principle drivers of the market, which could hurt companies like Apple, whose “low-end” iPhone 5C reportedly sold poorly as buyers opted instead for the more expensive 5S. In the short run, that’s a problem businesses would love to have, but in the longer game Apple needs to build budget phone that people want to buy.

No surprises in the OS market

IDC predicts that iOS and Android will continue to dominate the phone market, with the majority of that gain going to Android, since almost all low-end smartphones use that platform. The firm does note, however, that Windows Phone could see strong adoption in emerging markets thanks to a new set of nine partners and Nokia’s continued efforts. By 2018 the analyst agency believes Android will hold a 76% market share, with iOS accounting for 14.4% and Windows Phone at 7%. BlackBerry will still hang on, at 0.3%, and “Others” will account for that last 2.3%.

If the smartphone market slows as sharply as IDC predicts, it could put a serious damper on the entire tech industry. The shift to smartphones offsets the decline in PCs, ensuring that companies still have a reason to invest in the latest foundry technologies and killer next-generation products, whether that meant Gorilla Glass, sapphire screens, or multi-core processing.

If that income stream starts to falter with nothing to replace it, it could shake investor confidence in the entire system. Some of the focus on wearable technology makes more sense from this perspective — manufacturers are desperate to find the Next Big Thing before the smartphone sales engine slows down with nothing to replace it.

Tagged In mobile computingmicrosoftsmartphonesappleandroidsamsungiosARMwindows phonetizenmarket shareShare This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment Ibrinar

Oh dear a profitable market only growing by 6 procent (doubling every 12 years) being a problem sounds problematic.

Ray C

I’m sure Windows Phone will be more than 7%, but I’m not sure why any of this is a shock to anyone. Let’s not forget that during the PC boom, it wasn’t uncommon for the average person to not have a cell phone. It was even more likely that a college student or someone under 18 would not have one. Just like there was a push for everyone to have a PC and broadband, the next push was for everyone to have a cell phone. Then when you take into account the movement from feature phones to smart phones, of course there was going to be out of control growth for a while. But just like the PC and broadband, almost everyone has one. Also, everything eventually goes out of style or loses its luster. People buying high-end phones or certain models of phones because it’s seen as the device that the “somebodies” or the people with the money to buy them have was going to go out of style eventually. So, there should also be no surprise there. Hopefully people will start to realize they’re not getting what they pay constantly replacing the highest-end phone with the next highest-end phone. But most consumers aren’t that smart, so I doubt it

JD Rahman

Makes sense. I can’t think of a single reason to replace my phone. Its light enough, battery lasts long enough, screen resolution is good enough and it performs well with the apps I use.
(i have an HTC One, but I would say the same thing if I had an S4 or iPhone 5)

Since PC/Notebooks have matured and now Smartphones, what will people spend their disposable income on?

JD Rahman

Makes sense. I can’t think of a single reason to replace my phone. Its light enough, battery lasts long enough, screen resolution is good enough and it performs well with the apps I use.
(i have an HTC One, but I would say the same thing if I had an S4 or iPhone 5)

Since PC/Notebooks have matured and now Smartphones, what will people spend their disposable income on?

carol argo

People want to be connected !yes! They want insanely powerful device !desktop PC on their belt?? Hell ya !there is one constant the classic hardware and is maker can be sure ? The more powerful it is the smaller it has to be ! The other thing Intel and ms can be sure ! It better look awesome ! So its a given we are gonna go wearable (no not the crappy PDA called Samsung gear or gear 2 we had PDA same size has today’s smartphone .it still exist by the way Samsung galaxy player 50its called.its still a pda .Intel have a pretty good idea of what need to happen .but Intel doesn’t want to make the final product ,just the component .like the Canadian wearable called pine , Intel can supply a lot of stuff but not the end product so yes user aren’t getting new device ! Who would when we all want a bling bling smart bracer and a bling bling smartbelt etc

preilly2

There’s going to come a time when a significant percentage of consumers in the developed world will have all the devices they can stand and will tire of playing the upgrade game. I think eventually we’ll reach a saturation point on electronic distractions. We’ll always need and want a certain amount of technological innovation, but I can see a backlash at some point, when more and more people opt for old-fashioned diversions like spending unwired time outdoors and with their families.

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GCHQ, NSA secretly collected webcam images from millions of Yahoo users

GCHQ, NSA secretly collected webcam images from millions of Yahoo users | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesZiff DavisHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeComputingGCHQ, NSA secretly collected webcam images from millions of Yahoo usersGCHQ, NSA secretly collected webcam images from millions of Yahoo usersBy Graham Templeton on February 28, 2014 at 7:15 amCommentGCHQ, aerial shotShare This article

This week saw yet another Snowden-borne revelation about the state of global surveillance, and amid banal warnings about metadata and targeted hacks, it could end up being the most salacious leak so far. The Guardian reports that the UK’s GCHQ spy agency (pictured above) has been using NSA systems to collect millions of still images from private webcam feeds — a good portion of which reportedly contained sexually explicit imagery. These feeds were captured through Yahoo infrastructure, but if Snowden has taught us anything, it’s that government hackers are neurotic completists; it is prudent to suspect that most or all major such services have been compromised as well.

The documents refer to the period of 2008 to 2010, detailing a program called Optic Nerve that was designed for dragnet surveillance. That is, this program does not restrict itself to specific targets of surveillance, but grabbed essentially every conversation it could find. In a single six-month period in 2008, Optic Nerve saved shots from 1.8 million Yahoo accounts; just how many shots were taken from each is unclear. The document claims that Optic Nerve “only” collects an image every 5 minutes, a restriction that arises from the sheer number of people being watched. The implication is that narrowing the target group would allow denser data collection.

Time to bust out the masking tape?Time to bust out the masking tape?

Yahoo has understandably voiced strong denunciations of the program, calling it a “whole new level” of violation of their users’ privacy. Many are comparing the invasion to George Orwell’s Big Brother, which looked in on citizens via cameras in the home, but it’s worth noting that Big Brother at least provided the cameras at no personal cost; this sort of surveillance uses cameras purchased by the victims themselves. Additionally, these feeds were subject to big data-style analysis the likes of which Orwell could never have dreamed; programs that automatically sift through the millions of feeds for good “mug shot” angles and other intel-friendly elements.

Optic Nerve was both developed and run with the help of NSA technology like XKeyscore, essentially making this an international spying effort. This provides strong evidence (if not outright proof) of one of the most pervasive conspiracy theories about global surveillance: that international alliances fundamentally undermine limitations on domestic spying. Though the documents do not explicitly refer to collection of American conversations, GCHQ has no ability (nor stated wish) to exclude US or UK connections from the Optic Nerve program, making it a virtual certainty that such records were collected in enormous volumes.

Edward Snowden's historical document dump is still paying dividends as journalists comb through its jumbled contents.Edward Snowden’s historical document dump is still paying dividends as journalists comb through its jumbled contents.

Around the world, surveillance law is clear: spy agencies like NSA, the UK’s GCHQ, and Canada’s CSEC are categorically not allowed to spy on their own citizens. Americans may not spy on Americans, nor Britons on Britons — but of course, an American could spy on a Canadian. When those two governments share data with each other more readily than with their own citizens, the loophole becomes obvious. Even assuming that these agencies adhere strictly to the letter of the law, their ability to spy on their own citizens might be impeded only slightly, if at all.

President Obama made waves earlier this month with a promise that no international ally has been given a “no spy” exemption from NSA’s prying eyes — a statement that reportedly distressed several governments who had believed themselves to be under the protection of just such a deal. For nations within the so-called Five Eyes spying alliance, however, this announcement might have sounded more like a promise: we will keep watch on your people, so you don’t have to. As we see here, that relationship definitely runs both ways. (Read: Tech giants team up to battle NSA surveillance, governmental snooping.)

Snippet from the GCHQ/webcam leakSnippet from the GCHQ/webcam leak

Probably the most sensational aspect of this story, though, is the inclusion of sexually explicit photos in GCHQ’s webcam haul. (Maybe Optic Perv was a better name for the program?) Any random assortment of webcam traffic will, unavoidably, carry a hefty number of sexy feeds — in a conversation between long-distance partners, for instance — and GCHQ does not have the technological ability to sift these out and exclude them from the reports. Agents are instructed to select these records for viewing purely through their metadata tags, and only when those tags implied that a particular webcam image was relevant to an ongoing investigation.

The documents do refer to a genuine effort to weed out sexually explicit images, and to keep them from the eyes of agents, but those same documents make it clear that the efforts fell far short of success. In an industry obsessed with analytic automation, one can only imagine the areola-recognition algorithms that arose to meet this challenge. The Snowden documents reveal no specific discussion of the legal or privacy implication of collecting and storing webcam information in the first place, however. (Read: How to use the 25% of the internet that the NSA doesn’t monitor.)

From basic privacy concerns to possible future blackmail, this is a revelation that strikes most internet users harder than metadata collection or Google cookie exploits. More than that, it is among the first pieces of direct evidence that substantive sharing of intelligence between Five Eyes countries could threaten privacy worldwide.

Tagged In securityprivacyNSAsurveillanceSnowdenukcanadayahooxkeyscoreEdward Snowdengchqvideo chatwebcamsintelligenceoptic nerveCSECgeorge orwell1984Share This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment Follow Follow @ExtremeTech
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Microsoft hints that DirectX 12 will imitate Mantle, but AMD insists its API has a bright future

Microsoft hints that DirectX 12 will imitate Mantle, but AMD insists its API has a bright future | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesZiff DavisHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeComputingMicrosoft hints that DirectX 12 will imitate Mantle, but AMD insists its API has a bright futureMicrosoft hints that DirectX 12 will imitate Mantle, but AMD insists its API has a bright futureBy Joel Hruska on February 27, 2014 at 1:23 pmCommentDirectX logoShare This article

Multiple sessions at the upcoming GDC (Game Developers Conference) are teasing the existence of a new, low-level series of APIs coming to both Direct3D and OpenGL. Nvidia has already given several talks on reducing driver overhead in OpenGL (a substantial example of one such presentation is available online), but the input from Microsoft is new.

In fact, as some of you may recall, an AMD executive publicly stated a year ago that there was no “DirectX 12” on the Microsoft roadmap. Microsoft responded to those comments by affirming that it remained committed to evolving the DirectX standard — and then said nothing more on the topic. Then AMD launched Mantle, with significant support from multiple developers and a bevy of games launching this year — and apparently someone at Microsoft decided to pay attention.

Note: Microsoft has not confirmed “DirectX 12” as an actual brand name for the next-generation of DX technology. It’s used here as the most logical version number.

The GDC webpage for one of the DirectX talks states ” You asked us to bring you even closer to the metal and to do so on an unparalleled assortment of hardware. You also asked us for better tools so that you can squeeze every last drop of performance out of your PC, tablet, phone and console. Come learn our plans to deliver.”

Sound familiar?

The Mantle Angle

We’ve spoken to several sources with additional information on the topic who have told us that Microsoft’s interest in developing a new API is a recent phenomenon, and that the new DirectX (likely DirectX 12) will substantially duplicate the capabilities of AMD’s Mantle. The two APIs won’t be identical — Microsoft is doing its own implementation — but the end result, for consumers, should be the same: lower CPU overhead and better scaling in modern titles.

AMD Mantle features

This has already been read in several circles as to be the death knell for AMD’s custom API, but such claims are short-sighted, for multiple reasons. First, there’s the fact that DirectX 12 is almost certainly 12-18 months away. Second — and equally important — there’s the fact that Microsoft has been locking DirectX releases to Windows versions. DirectX 11.1 is only available on Windows 8; DirectX 11.2 is only available on Windows 8.1. Microsoft has every reason to synchronize the launch of DX12 with its next version of Windows — and if it follows its typical MO, that means DirectX 12 will be most likely be a Windows 9 exclusive.

Microsoft, of course, doesn’t have to play its cards that way, but if it does, Mantle may remain relevant as a cross-platform alternative for extending close-to-metal benefits across the gaming stack. Of course, OpenGL may or may not be capable of performing the same tasks in the same time frame — but less is known on that front. Hardware support could also complicate matters — if DirectX 12 closely maps to Mantle, it’s possible that today’s GCN GPUs will still support it. Alternately, if it doesn’t, then Mantle may become the preferred option for ensuring broad backwards compatibility.

And if Mantle is ultimately subsumed by DirectX — so what? When I first talked to AMD about the next-generation API at APU13, the developers candidly told me that the long-term goal was to get Microsoft and the Khronos Group in charge of OpenGL to adopt a Mantle-like architecture. The entire point of Mantle was to spur game development and drive the adoption of a better standard.

AMD has released an official statement on the matter, saying:

Yesterday several articles were published that reported that DirectX and OpenGL are being extended to include closer-to-metal functionality and reduced CPU overhead. AMD supports and celebrates a direction for game development that is aligned with AMD’s vision of lower-level, ‘closer to the metal’ graphics APIs for PC gaming. While industry experts expect this to take some time, developers can immediately leverage efficient API design using Mantle, and AMD is very excited to share the future of our own API with developers at this year’s Game Developers Conference.

Tagged In softwareamdnvidiacpugpuPC gamingdevelopersdirectxMantleopengldirectx 12Share This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment pelov lov

So Microsoft has basically stated that they may or may not be working on something that has a less amount of overhead in a hypothetical future release that may or may not come to fruition with no insight as to how it works nor what it offers nor what OS/platform it will arrive on?

The only way MS is ever going to release DX12 is by attaching it to a crappy new OS that will also require a monthly subscription to MS Office. And that DX12 will offer about as much as DX11 brought to the table.

The problem here isn’t the lack of development for DX, it’s that it’s being developed (read: held back) by a company who could care less about the PC gaming space and would rather force everyone to their locked ecosystems and consoles.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Joel Hruska

I assume, given Microsoft’s statements, that it *is* working on a new version of DX, but that the new version will almost certainly be tied to a specific version of Windows.

I mean look at this from Microsoft’s perspective. One of the problems with its past strategy has been that DX10 wasn’t really faster (even if it was prettier). DX11 got backported to Vista, so no help there. DX11.1 and DX11.2 didn’t get backported to 7, however.

If Windows 9 + DX12 = 10% faster in games, then Microsoft is going to punch that full throttle.

pelov lov

That highlights MS’s problem in the PC gamer // enthusiast space. They’ve lost a lot of good will because of things like stagnation (DX) or general ignorance and apathy (GFWL). They also refuse to port exclusives to Windows PC, instead favoring their dated consoles every step of the way.

It’s a company that treats a huge chunk of its user base as a proverbial cash cow instead of offering them something worth paying for. I guess that’s pretty much how MS treats Windows in general :P

Joel Hruska

There’s no alternative. I’ll never build a Steambox because that’s a second system with a limited subset of games. Since I game on more than just Steam and I play some titles that wouldn’t be brought to LInux, Gaben would have to offer me 8-10x better performance (or visual quality) in order to convince me to build a Steambox system or adopt that OS.

This is the same reason why Apple is a non-option for me.

Granted, I’m still on W7 — haven’t been tempted by the DX11 enhancements — but the point stands, MS has no competition here.

pelov lov

You can’t fix legacy, but then again you can’t fix legacy.

Legacy is what all of MS is built upon. Legacy is why there is no alternative. Legacy is also why developers have to target MS first and then weigh development costs versus market size with the other OSes.

Ironically, legacy is also why MS has thus far failed in mobile. They haven’t been able to leverage legacy in new devices, and have been trying to hide it and battle its effects — the huge install size of WinRT and the patches pushed and Metro are prime examples.

As much press as Mantle gets, it’s ultimately OpenGL which we should rest our hopes on. As mobile devices become more popular and present a huge new market for developers, hopefully the more we’ll see legacy and DX take a back seat. There’s a lot of money there and Microsoft has little-to-no sway. Yes, it’s OpenGL ES, but we’re seeing full-blown OpenGL compliance as well (nVidia K1, AMD’s SoCs, etc.)

If you’re looking at SteamOS and Debian-based Linux as the alternative, then you’re looking in the wrong direction.

Robert Foy

I agree on most of your points, but the SteamOS/Linux path is not bad, sure it has a ways to convince people that it’s a good platform, but the only reason why it ISN’T is because most people only stick with whatever is on their PC and the other argument of “not enough games on linux”. But Steam is proving that it’s a viable alternative, with a shitload of AAA titles being ported to it down the line.

As far as people’s concerns over the linux learning curve, it’s nothing to set up and run linux now. Ask anyone has Mint 15 about that, Mint 15 sets up smoother and gives more options than Windows ever did, even with Windows 8. You no longer have to be a command line user to use linux, it’s a no brainer now.

pelov lov

I’ve been using Linux for nearly a decade so it’s not me that Steam has to sway but rather the plethora of games that are listed in my Steam library :P

Robert Foy

Well I gotta say that Steam’s linux library has increased quite a bit. And I would like to see some linux support for games I have owned for awhile, but tbh, I am only interested in future releases and current games. I am currently at 187 games on Steam, about 30 of them are now linux-able. That’s a good start considering last year at this time it was maybe 10 if I was lucky.

Benny X

.. but pretty much every PC comes with Windows, and people like to use what everyone else is using. That’s either Windows or OSX. Linux still is not ready for prime-time and will never be, as long as driver support is almost nonexistent.

pelov lov

Driver issues have decreased tremendously over the recent years. The only exceptions would be printers and scanners, I’d say. GPU performance still isn’t as polished as it is on Windows, but definitely getting there.

Strangely, when it comes to drivers and support for legacy and obscure hardware the Linux kernel is actually better than Windows.

Robert Foy

Indeed, and if you want to use Windows just to use a printer or scanner, lol. Who uses those nowadays? Oh, and games do run better in my experience than they do with Windows, especially Metro 2033 and Team Fortress 2 (I get 190+ fps in matches on linux and around 100-140 under windows.).

Robert Foy

What driver support? My games that run on Linux run faster than they do in Windows (at least for nVidia users). 5 years ago your point might have stood. Now? No. Ask ANYONE who has installed Mint 15, I didn’t have to download a single driver. When I was installing it, I was able to get online AS I was installing, you have never had, nor will you ever get to do that with Windows. Unlike the inferior drivers for windows, my onboard LAN card was recognized OUT OF THE BOX without having to download later on. Windows 7 AND 8 didn’t recognize it even though it’s one of the most used LAN drivers in the world. AKA Realtek onboard which is one of the leading manufacturers of LAN onboard, which every single motherboard in existence today has onboard LAN.

Oh, and Mint recognized my 660ti and installed nVidia drivers straight away, show me Windows doing that. It never does. The FUD about Linuz and driver support is old and has no basis for modern hardware.

Joel Hruska

For me, this always boils down to the need to re-learn things. Linux doesn’t interest me as an option for switching because, best-case, I’m looking at relearning a great many things I already know how to do.

Add to the that the fact that I can’t really get away from Windows, since I still work and write about Windows environments, and it’s a non-starter.

But just as a fun thought experiment: If every game I wanted to play ran on Linux, ran 20-30% faster, if SSDs were faster on Linux, if Linux driver support was faster, if the file system was superior — all by about 20% — then I might switch from Windows.

(That’s the same benefit I’d want to see from OS X to switch to that — just to be clear).

valentyn0

stop complaining too much, DX is still the most used and will be in the future for a long time, platform, for the rest of the gaming community.

standard

*couldn’t care less.
Sorry, pet peeve.

Singh1699

Please support Amd, I’m just a college student but I’ve been trying. Simply because, they want to make gaming better. Other companies just come as more greedy than anything.

Benny X

no, they just want to make money. Mantle makes their APUs a better sell. That window is closing fast, though. AMD’s only strength left is their integrated GPU, and that advantage is quickly eroding and will be gone by the end of the year.

Then they only have price to compete on. Seeing as they barely make money as it is, AMD will be history within a couple years.

Ravyu

You just started a flame war out of nothing.

Do a favour and just kill your internet conncection, if you really have nothing to say

valentyn0

U just spouted a big BS, do a favor and return to your cave.

Asad Omar

I support them have amd apu and gpu and my games run great.

Jessie Dixon

Okay Microsoft. Funny thing is Xbox and Sony are both using AMD APUs, and how can you talk shit to the hand that feeding your console? I own a Xbox 360 and Microsoft has pretty much shown me over the years…another re-skinned OS. Remember those 360 updates, guess they were preparing me for Windows 8. Seeing how they got a new head of Xbox Stephen Elop to take over…got me thinking yeah good call..not.

Open GL is easier to use. I think developers will go for the easier one to use. It started as a CAD process and got open ended. Microsoft, if you expect people to work with your stuff, send updates on time. My thing is, you like Mantle and are getting ideas, but don’t rip everything from them. Good thing is you are looking at what to fix.

But I’m looking at alternatives, not really supporting Microsoft like that. They’ve shown me how they feel about gaming. Could really care less.

Here’s my list of OS and system likes:

Android: Easy to use and lotta free apps, plus a clean OS
IOS: Sturdy
Linux: Open Source, and modifiable without having to state it.
Windows 95/98/XP/7
AMD: For changing the game with the first 64bit CPU (2003), and whooping Intel’s ass at the time, forced em to step up.
PS4: Developer friendly (always a plus)
Steam Box: another alternative THAT could work out…(sketchy on that).

Joel Hruska

The Xbox 360 cannot run Windows 8, or anything like it. I’m a bit confused as to what you’re referring to.

Jessie Dixon

No it cannot run Windows 8. I was talking about the tiled screen, it looks similar to Windows 8. No way the Xbox 360 could run Windows 8.

Joel Hruska

Ohh, ok. Now I understand you. Got it. ;)

standard

MS can go fuck themselves.
When was the last time they innovated, rather than sit on their hands until someone kicked them up the arse, then exploit their (dwindling) monopoly to shovel whatever inferior shit they created down everyone’s throat.

Benny X

Their monopoly dwindles while they’ve just had a record quarter..

I don’t think you’re griping loud enough!!

standard

Market share Profits

IKROWNI

This is great news to me. Just another thing consoles lost over pc. Before fanboys ranted “but we can get closer to the metal on consoles” well now that’s just another thing pc has. It’s really looking like the only thing a console provides anymore over a pc is price and size. But since you can basically build a pc for the same price as the console but get much better performance and many more possibilities out of the pc it still wins on price. I’ve also seen quite a few mini-itx builds that are smaller and much better looking than the consoles so that’s really not a win for them either.

Seeing how you can grab a mini-itx pc hook it up to a TV and grab a controller to play your games consoles are completely and totally useless. They only serve the purpose to break up platforms causing the developers more work porting between them. So once the consoles completely die we will get better games/better graphics/cheaper prices/and newer innovation along with a single platform to combine all users into one space. The only downside I can see out of the consoles dying out is the millions of kids that have screwed everyone’s mom coming over to pc.

Benny X

Consoles aren’t dying out, though.

One could argue it’s the consoles that get the better games, in the form of exclusives. PC’s are an afterthought these days. The money is made first on consoles.

Dozerman

I wouldn’t say that. Most people with consoles have a PC already (laptop usually) that can play simple Steam games pretty damn easily. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that PC gaming is still growing incredibly fast (I don’t know if it’s faster than consoles at this point in time- I don’t exactly have numbers sitting in front of me right now), and indie games are playing a big part in that.

Benny X

PC gaming is actually dying out. That is why consoles get the preferential treatment first. A good and recent example of this is GTA V.

There is no reason to go through the Steam hassle. What for? People will just go play on console instead of jump through additional hoops just to play the same game on PC.

RBH

Steam a hassle?

I’m sorry it doesn’t work for you but Steam is an absolute doddle to use. I’m sure if I was blind roaring drunk and paraplegic it would still be easier than purchasing/installing a game.

IKROWNI

Consoles are about to die out. Nintendo is on its deathbed, Sony is selling all there assets to keep from filing bankrupt, and investors and partners with Ms want the Xbox name sold since it’s nothing more than a money sink.

And the consoles don’t get better games. Are you kidding me? Consoles just get more expensive games with more money pumped into advertising them. You get a new call of duty every year and shite resolutions. If I wanted to play games with the same old stories and same old graphics from 7 years ago I would turn on my 360.

Eibet Udlyektwono

I get what you’re saying, but I don’t agree with you. I have been an avid gamer for years and play across multiple systems including PC. I do agree that the PC platform is the optimum choice for premiere quality gaming but that comes at a cost. There are a small percentage of people that have upgraded to the latest and greatest consoles, the PS4, Xbone and WiiU but there are even LESS people that have upgraded their PC’s to current specifications. Most of which are actually running specs less than the Xbone (hard to believe, I know!).

Console gaming will not die for a while. It is easy to get into, easy to operate, and easy to own. PC’s require TLC which a large majority of gamers (casual especially) are not will to invest into.

Back in the day when the cream of the crop for online shooters was taking off, Counter Strike, the most popular game by far out of every shooter ever created was GoldenEye for a home console. Graphically inferior, yet highly regarded in gameplay, fun and convenience.

The home console may be technologically inferior to you and a number of other individuals, but as a whole, the gaming community is actually upgrading their existing hardware by purchasing a next gen console.

Phobos

Exactly, back in the day, pc games that were meant for the pc came first then consoles now it’s the other way around.

Robert Foy

The ONLY reason why Microsoft is even thinking of doing this is because they are finally realizing that they cannot set on their laurels with the XBOX 1 and Windows-gaming. This is the reason why they are failing right now: SteamOS will start to make inroads to gaming in a big way, more companies are jumping on the OpenGL/Linux bandwagon, PS4 is outselling XBONE big time and will continue to outsell it because no one wants an “entertainment center focused on :cable TV:” when they want a GAMING console first and foremost.

But I give them credit if they take gamers moving to other plantforms seriously, because it WILL hurt the bottom line of their Windows monopoly. Thanks to Android and iOS, people are finally seeing that they don’t need Windows to do every day tasks that they do. That is what is going to hurt Microsoft in the long run, not unless they start taking gaming seriously and I don’t mean just the consoles.

Think about it: what does the average PC owner use Windows for that can’t be done on Linux? Office? Most casual users don’t need it, nor do they use Photoshop. And why does the average PC gamers use Windows? Because in the past, if you wanted games, you could only get them on Windows platform. Now that games are being made to run on Mac and Linux, there most likely won’t need to be a reason to even have a Windows install. The only thing I do on Windows is play games, everything else I do just fine on Linux, if not better. With Mantle and OpenGL, DX is no longer the go-to for gaming development. Hell, the PS3 was OpenGL-based. Didn’t hurt them at all.

So, if Microsoft wants to survive long term in the gaming department, and that is a sizable chunk that will start the ship to sink, then they better up their game with the next iteration of Direct X. Because the rest of us no longer give a shit about DX and it’s lack of innovation and are looking elsewhere. OpenGL and the new Mantle got the attention now, and for good reason, because they are INNOVATING and we are getting PROGRESS instead of the DX9 monopoly that games have been under thanks to last generations focusing on consoles.

Benny X

Steam will accomplish about as much as Ouya or Nvidia’s Shield has.

The average PC owner prefers Windows or even OSX over Linux. That’s the way it’s always been, and always will be. The reason is obvious. Windows and OSX both have solid companies behind them, with a proven history, and there isn’t room for 3 players. It’s easy for a company to write drivers for two different OS’s. That covers pretty much all of the computing population, and that’s all that matters.

*also, games are still primarily found first on Windows, and maybe on Mac. Linux is an afterthought at best. Not much money in supporting such a miniscule market segment.

*also, most gamers are happy as long as their game works. They don’t give two hoots about DirectX or OpenGL or Mantle or whatever else. They want it to install properly and run. It’s only the minority population of gamers made up of people like yourself who get so religious about such things.

Robert Foy

And we are also the ones who spend $2000 to build a new PC all of the time, and the only reason they “prefer” Windows and iOS is because they have no choice. If they saw how good Mint 15 was, they wouldn’t care because it can do all of what Windows does, but without having to pay for it. And as far as “proven history” wtf? Windows has only proved that it will innovate if there is COMPETITION from the likes of linux and Apple. And it doesn’t cost much to port to linux if the game was already made with OpenGL, which is THE API used in the vast majority of gaming today. Android? Linux based. Mac? Unix based. PS3/4? Linux based. The only ones who support DX are XBOX and Windows. That’s it. And considering that a large swath of people are moving away from the desktop to mobile, that is REAL bad news for the Windows/DX platform.

Jessie Dixon

Second that motion.

Jessie Dixon

I’ve been like this, the market needs more than one OS to play with. PS4 proved my perceptions wrong and that is a good sign. It’s better to show and prove like ps4 did than talk about the tech. I’m all for being challenged and not one sided. Hell I play with Android more now so I can experiment with the system.

I think open systems and clean operating systems are in. Given how gaming has grown, I think we need more risk taking and innovation.
Paying for exclusives is like them Call of Duty xp points per Doritos bag. Cant spend your way prosperity.

symbolset

AMD and nVidia need to secure the ownership of the software stack to successfully move their hardware to new software platforms. Otherwise they are limited by Microsoft’s declining sphere of Influence and will not survive.

Dozerman

I like AMD’s stance on this. Very “good guy” of them, even if it is all marketing fluff. I think they really never thought Mantle would last very long and just wanted to “unstagnate” the market, so to speak.

fteoOpty64

Mantle is a clever strategy for AMD to give mid to low-end cpu rigs more frames to make games playable. Also, most importantly to help them sell mid-end to high-end GPU cards since it frees up CPU and let the gpu soar with its compute power without bottlenecks on draw-calls/sec. This is a win-win for AMD and their customers and it is the first time to ever happen to the GPU industry.
It exposes the weakness of DirectX in that high-end cards are not performing on mid-range cpu due to DX calls bottlenecking. SO in freeing up this bottleneck, the gpu gets the functions for it to work in time for the framerates it can do. The benchmarks shows the cheapest Core i5 cpu vs 4770K on 290x having almost identical framerates on ultra resolution. Hence, most would say I paid $150 extra to get nothing. If I had put that into the card, I would drum up even higher framerates!!!. Or put that money on a fast SSD and call it a day.

Joel Hruska

The debate over console vs PC gaming is orthogonal to the original topic, but for the record? If you pull the list of total game copies sold on both PC and console — and find a title where the manufacturer themselves includes online sales — PCs are always dwarfed by consoles.

There are only a handful of games on the PC side of the market that stack up against consoles. That doesn’t make consoles ‘better,” in any objective sense (die-hard PC gamer here), but the “money” on the PC side over the past 3-4 years has been significantly made by Facebook games and the like.

The PC market doesn’t drive enough sales in and of itself to keep most franchises afloat.

Jessie Dixon

I miss those Unreal 2004 mods. Ballistic Mod was my thing as well as the user map packs

Phobos

I miss the Unreal franchise, now its plague by CoD and BF games eww.

Jessie Dixon

Battlefield and Call of Duty been around for a while. Battlefield was str8 multiplayer from its beginning, Call Of Duty was about story, the it went to hell when it got Guitar Hero syndrome with a bad assed case of Doritos, brouhaha, and became on trope after another. I was like damn let a black dude lead…

Thing gaming used to take risks, and corporate heads stopped that. Boom Capcom axes Kenji Ifune. Bad sign, so developers are goin crowdsourcing. If it progresses large companies could lose pull.

Here’s what needs to happen: people need not to be so caught up in fanboyism. Plus it makes those who own a Xbox, Playstation, or WII U look bad. In the case of Microsoft, looking at them side ways.

The game’s been in need of a shake up

Jshdajhd Sdjhskadhqw

10% is absolutely NOTHING! I want 50% at very least.

Joel Hruska

And I’d like a pony.

Asad Omar

Looks like they have officially joined up to make our current cards outdated.

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NASA’s Kepler discovers 715 new planets, many of which are near-Earth sized

NASA’s Kepler discovers 715 new planets, many of which are near-Earth sized | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesZiff DavisHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeExtremeNASA’s Kepler discovers 715 new planets, many of which are near-Earth sizedNASA’s Kepler discovers 715 new planets, many of which are near-Earth sizedBy Sebastian Anthony on February 27, 2014 at 9:56 amCommentAn artist's concept of what multi-planetary systems look like...Share This article

Using a brand new and totally out of this world statistical astrophysical mathematical approach, NASA’s Kepler mission has announced the discovery of 715 new planets — almost doubling the total number of known exoplanets to nearly 1,700. These planets orbit just 305 stars, meaning they belong to multiple-planet solar systems just like our own — and, perhaps excitingly, nearly all of the planets are smaller than Neptune, which is only four times larger than Earth (most planets discovered before now have been much larger and not Earth-like).

Previously, discovering a new planet — or rather, verifying its existence — was a painstaking, planet-by-planet process. You basically had to watch the same star for a few years, and patiently wait for the planet(s) to pass in front of (transit) the star, creating a very small shadow. Now, a new statistical method that can watch for many transiting planets at the same time is being used. This new method was demonstrated by NASA’s Jack Lissauer in 2012, and after significant analysis and peer review, NASA decided that it was a valid way of discovering new stars. (Research papers: arXiv:1402.6352 & arXiv:1402.6534).

KeplerKepler

Now, if you’re a regular ExtremeTech reader, you’ll probably remember that the Kepler space telescope broke down, and after a few months NASA officially gave up on fixing it. Back in November, though, one scientist proposed a partial fix that would allow Kepler to continue looking for planets (though in a reduced capacity). NASA tested out the proposal, and it appeared to work — so, at least for the time being, it seems Kepler will remain on celestial planet spotting duty. (In this case, though, the 715 new planets were actually verified from data that Kepler captured between 2009 and 2011; Kepler’s observation of 145,000 stars generates more data than we can analyze in real time).

Scientifically, the discovery of these new multi-planetary star systems may help us understand more about planet formation in general. The research papers note that multi-planetary systems very rarely have planets with periods of less than 1.6 days, and a “shortage” of planets with periods over a few months (it would seem that Earth’s 12-month period is rather rare). Just four of the new planets discovered is Earth or super-Earth sized, orbiting in the planet’s habitable zone.

Hubble vs. James Webb Space Telescope, primary mirror sizeHubble vs. James Webb Space Telescope, primary mirror size. The JWST will be able to gather a LOT of light.

While finding new planets is nice — especially in the case of new, potentially Earth-like planets such as Kepler-296f — the real excitement will occur when the NASA/ESA James Webb Space Telescope launches in 2018. The JWST is Hubble’s successor, and its massive mirror should bestow it with the resolution to accurately analyze the atmosphere of remote planets. With the JWST operational, we will hopefully be able to discern which planets have environmental conditions suitable for extraterrestrial life.

“The Kepler team continues to amaze and excite us with their planet hunting results,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “That these new planets and solar systems look somewhat like our own, portends a great future when we have the James Webb Space Telescope in space to characterize the new worlds.”

Tagged In sciencespacenasaspace explorationkepleralien lifeESAexoplanetsJames Webb Space TelescopeShare This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment Heath Parsons

But they still can’t call Pluto a planet. Haha.

standard

That’s because Kuiper belt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuiper_belt

Art Faucett

Which is even more ludicrous considering it has 5 moons in orbit around it.

Dozerman

So do many asteroids…

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Only 0.15% of players account for half of free-to-play game revenue

Only 0.15% of players account for half of free-to-play game revenue | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesZiff DavisHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeComputingOnly 0.15% of players account for half of free-to-play game revenueOnly 0.15% of players account for half of free-to-play game revenueBy Joel Hruska on February 27, 2014 at 11:05 amCommentSteam F2PShare This article

Free-to-play gaming has always been contentious, and a number of high-profile flameouts have illustrated the difficulty of getting the model right. The recent re-launch of the cherished Dungeon Keeper franchise is an excellent lesson in how to treat a title. EA chose to morph its classic, beloved dungeon strategy game into an F2P abomination that practically required in-app purchases for something as simple as creating a new room inside the dungeon.

Unfortunately, a new report from industry analyst firm Swrve indicates that companies are far more likely to ramp up the pressure to buy in-game products rather than reduce it. The company’s data regarding in-app purchases indicates that while only a fraction of players actually spend money on a game, only a fraction of that fraction actually contribute significantly to the bottom line. Only 49% of players even make a single purchase in a game.

Gaming profits by price

Data also indicates that 60.2% of a player’s total spending occurs in the first 24 hours after downloading a game. Players who are going to make a second purchase typically make it an hour and 40 minutes after the first. By day three (of 14 tracked), players had already spent nearly 75% of the total money they’d spend in-game, assuming they spent any.

The downside of the microtransaction business model

I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of Swrve’s data, but the conclusions it leads to are rather depressing. Pick your favorite classic game — from Halo or Mass Effect, to Civilization, Final Fantasy, or Doom. Now imagine getting to your first boss and, instead of trying to figure out a strategy for killing it, getting pinged for your credit card number.

The problem is, according to Swrve’s data, these are the sorts of transactions that get people buying. Hit people once they’re engrossed, then hit them again a little farther on. The report recommends introducing products that cost more than $50 in game, because while only a tiny fraction of people buy them, they account for a whopping 9% of total revenue.

Dungeon KeeperSee this? This is what “fun” looks like.

There’s nothing wrong with microtransactions intrinsically, but the temptation to deliberately build not-fun gameplay that’s then alleviated by purchasing widgets is overwhelming. There’s no need to make the level grind balanced — not when players can buy 50% Bonus XP for $4.99. Are current weapons underpowered? Sell HyperPower Ammunition, or screen-clearing bombs for just 10 cents a shot. Gamers, meanwhile, have reacted poorly in a handful of truly egregious cases, but there’s no way to consistently ding players for money without constantly breaking the game’s overarching narrative.

This may not matter much in a game like Angry Birds, where every level can be beaten, but games that impose arbitrary time limits between rounds or only allow you to complete a single action at a time deliberately put enjoyment itself behind a paywall. Unfortunately, all of the data in this report points towards an engagement model that emphasizes short-term gain over long-term play. If you’ve already extracted 75% of the estimated value of your playerbase within three days, then you’ve got little incentive to work towards creating a better, more-balanced title.

That may be part of why the vast majority of mobile games offer forgettable, simple experiences. It’s hard to convince someone they’re an epic hero, evil villain, or world-conquering strategic mastermind if they have to buy power-ups every six hours for just $2.99.

The worst part of all this, though, is that such brittle reliance on a handful of people means that game developers have very limited freedom to explore or innovate within a model. If your revenue stream depends on a fraction of your players, then the desires of those players have to be catered to — even if they aren’t the group you intended to attract or push for game elements that you, the designer, don’t find attractive. The fire-and-forget mentality makes it more difficult to create long-term value around a game or IP — after all, who can risk innovating on a known formula when those innovations might damage the business model?

Tagged In game consolesPC gamingmobile gamingfree-to-playShare This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment darkich

Sigh..

I am just disgusted by the reasoning behind a typical successful freemium model..the whole thing is a very telling case in point about the shallowness and greed over vision and objectivity, of human nature.

The model is focused on the extreme minority of people crazy enough to pay beyond ridiculous sums for certain items..Instead of focusing on normal, reasonable users who WOULD pay a fair price for the given value.

Let’s make an alternative hypothetical assumption with a high quality free game that managed to do 100 million downloads.
Now let’s say the whole sum you can spend on the IAP within a game is around 5 DOLARS ONLY, with even one buck giving you total unlock of the game.

Now ask your self, would it be crazy to expect an average sum per player to reach half a dollar?
That’s already 50 million in revenue and tens of millions of grateful, happy players!

kroozin

I guess that would depend on the original intent of the game developer. We’re all capable of doing the math, but if everyone knew of a fail-proof business model then we’d all be rich. I think the stats are interesting. :)

SuperTech

I still laugh every time I read an article like this that refers to mobile gaming as ‘gaming’.
A true gamer’s primary platform is not a mobile one.
If more than 40% (or more) of your gaming takes place on a mobile device (looking at you smart phone users), and you think you are a ‘gamer’, you need to go to room and rethink your life.

Justin

I can see your point, but the world has migrated away from traditional PC’s. I see my 3 yr old going to town on his subway surfer game on his tablet and he’s competing vs other ppl I know through my facebook. Would I consider that gaming? I think the answer is yes. There are many different types of games, and I think you are caught up in the distinction in genres. Personally, I prefer strategy based games, but also enjoy some first person shooter.

darkich

So by your reasoning mobile games aren’t games.
Brilliant

SuperTech

I still laugh every time I read an article like this that refers to mobile gaming as ‘gaming’.
A true gamer’s primary platform is not a mobile one.
If more than 40% (or more) of your gaming takes place on a mobile device (looking at you smart phone users), and you think you are a ‘gamer’, you need to go to room and rethink your life.

JD Rahman

Does Swrves data consider games like TF2 or DOTA 2? Games where purchases are entirely aesthetic and don’t have an effect on gameplay?

I know people playing these games who continuously purchase items like hats and announcers. Is the Swerve data MMORPG specific? Games with an item and level grind.

Singh1699

Probably skewed by lol as well. Saw someone who spent over 1000 on it.

JD Rahman

Does Swrves data consider games like TF2 or DOTA 2? Games where purchases are entirely aesthetic and don’t have an effect on gameplay?

I know people playing these games who continuously purchase items like hats and announcers. Is the Swerve data MMORPG specific? Games with an item and level grind.

Phobos

I actually find those type of games disgusting, free to paly. Free my ass.

Phobos

I actually find those type of games disgusting, free to paly. Free my ass.

standard

What gets me down is that they feel the need to break their game and trick you into paying to fix it.
What gets me down more is that model exists because you can’t trust enough people ask them to contribute based on how much they’re enjoying your full free game.

Robert Foy

Play World of Tanks or War Thunder, they got the F2P model right. You can play just fine without spending money, its just slower to “progress”. Or Path of Exile or Guild Wars 2. Or even Mechwarrior and especially Planetside 2. They have the perfect F2p models. And none of them are losing money nor do they break the game to make you pay for it. And they are making money. All of the F2P models that are mentioned in the article are not making money because they lack the IQ to see the game from the perspective of the player OR to even look at the games that are F2P and are doing great.

But this is the subhuman, mentally inferior troglodytes of EA we are talking about here, the same mentally deficient incompetents who thought that SimCity fans wanted SMALL cities and not LARGE cities.

So yeah, fuck EA and all of the idiots trying to reinvent the wheel that was already invented by superior companies who make a superior product and result in superior money making and STILL letting the free players play just fine.

TL;DR: Look at the SUCCESSFUL F2P games, and copy that, because if your in a giant corporation like EA, you aint got any ideas of your own and you never will. The smaller game companies have the people with the higher IQs, the big corporations HEMORRHAGE the smart people and those people go elsewhere. You would think people would remember EA buying out Westwood (Command and Conquer) and Bioware (KOTOR and Mass Effect) and those studios going to absolute shit when the smart ones left (SWTOR anyone?).

Oh, and again, I reiterate: Fuck EA.

EDIT: as someone said in one of the other comments, TF2 and DOTA2 are prime examples of superior F2P games that don’t break the game, yet make SHITLOADS of money. As I said, the morons at the companies who keep trying to reinvent the wheel need to buy some IQ points and look at the game companies that are doing gangbusters.

darkich

Yeah but it must be said that you are wrong about the profitability..

Look at the App Store and Google Play revenues..90 % comes from freemium games.
Top freemium games such as Clash of Clans and Candy Crush have earned HUNDREDS of millions of dollars, multiplying their budgets by unprecedented amounts.

As for EA, all their high budget f2p mobile games are highly profitable, sadly.
I can tell you that FIFA 14 earned hugely on mobile, gaining more downloads than all previus FIFAS combined..Real Racing 3 earns about 5-10 million a month, and so is the Simpsons game.

AAA f2p titles of other studios such as Injustice God’s among us have also been successful

Robert Foy

Ah, I stand corrected. But bare in mind I was talking about PC gaming mainly. But it is sad the way you pointed out :-/

Dozerman

Has anyone tried a competition style system where you buy-in with virutal or real money and the player that wins gets a 90% (pick an arbitrary number above 50) cut of pay-ins while the dev keeps the rest? It seems like a style that would bring in more players with the allure of winning money and also spur on in-game purchases at the same time.

Joel Detrow

Digital Extremes has certainly not fallen prey to “the temptation to deliberately build not-fun gameplay that’s then alleviated by purchasing widgets” as the actual gameplay of Warframe is super fun. They started with a core model of “fun, varied gameplay” and have built up the leveling and lore around that model. It’s still technically in beta, as some elements are still placeholders, but it’s absolutely fun as hell. They’ve done free-to-play right, IMO – make a good enough game, and people will throw their money at it out of sheer gratitude (well, also to get cosmetic items, but mostly gratitude!).

Lazy Poet

This makes me so happy. Maybe this will kill F2P. Either way it’s a stupid move for game companies. People play F2P games primarily for two reasons. They’re cheap or their too rich to have time to play better games. As the article suggests most people are cheap. Those people aren’t going to play a game where they can’t have fun without spending money. I personally like models that make it so their game is completely beatable but much easier if you pay money. Then you get your money from the rich and the weak willed and people like me have more Mario-esque fun (back when games made you want to put your GB through the garbage disposal but got you so hooked that you’d keep playing the same level over and over trying to avoid that one pitfall.)

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2014 Toyota Highlander review: Great midsize SUV but limited tech under $45K

2014 Toyota Highlander review: Great midsize SUV but limited tech under $45K | ExtremeTech #colorbox,#cboxOverlay{display:none !important;}#leaderboard .lboard .topad{width:auto;}.article .title h2 ,.article{font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;}.extreme-share{float:left;margin:0 5px 15px !important;}.tags .taglist li a {font:12px/15px arial !important;}.tags .title {padding:3px 0 0 !important;}.tags li a {display:inline-block !important;}.visual .switcher li {overflow:hidden;line-height:17px;}.etech-newsletter .btn-signup {cursor:pointer;}.etech-newsletter span.message {font-weight:bold;}.article strong {font: 16px/22px ProximaNovaRgBold,arial,sans-serif;}(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6885615, c3:"", c4:"", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); ExtremeTechTop Searches:Windows 8AutosQuantumIntelTrending:LinuxWindows 8NASABatteriesAutomobilesZiff DavisHomeComputingMobileInternetGamingElectronicsExtremeDealsHomeExtreme2014 Toyota Highlander review: Great midsize SUV but limited tech under $45K2014 Toyota Highlander review: Great midsize SUV but limited tech under $45KBy Bill Howard on February 27, 2014 at 8:30 amComment2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid PlatinumShare This article

The new, 2014 Toyota Highlander SUV offers virtually every driver assistance technology, even adaptive cruise control. Combine that with a new infotainment system and the third-generation Highlander may be the best mainstream midsize SUV you can buy… if you could afford it. Toyota put a backup camera on the entry model, then forced virtually every optional driver assist and safety technology onto the priciest trim line. You’re looking at a fully-optioned SUV at $45,000, more than $50,000 for the Highlander Hybrid.

The rich man, poor man options strategy aside, the Highlander rides and handles well, tows up to 5000 pounds, and comes standard with three rows of seats for up to eight passengers. Even the most humble Highlander with a four-cylinder engine comes standard with USB, Bluetooth, a rear camera, and a small color LCD.

2014_Toyota_Highlander_Limited_Platinum_01

On the road: 8 passengers, 38 cans of soda, back seat PA system

The Highlander is in its element in the kinds of daily and weekend driving that most people do. That means getting from A to B, maneuvering around obstacles, keeping out road and wind noise, keeping four or more passengers comfortable on long trips. Others are sportier, cross deeper streams, climb steeper mountain passes, clear bigger boulders, and tow 7500-pound boats. Those are great, but most drivers don’t do that. This not a slur on Toyota for being hopelessly mainstream. They’ve identified how people really use cars.

2014_Toyota_Highlander_Limited_Platinum_12

Eight passengers can fit in the Highlander, seven in the top line Limited with middle row captain’s chairs. The second row passengers have reasonable legroom but not, at 191 inches long, the third row that is kids-only. If the crew gets thirsty, the massive center console stores 38 soda cans. Pull out the drinks and you can stash a couple iPads, flashlights, or a large purse. It’s huge. There’s a rubbery shelf across the middle of the dash. It’s a great place to store phones and sunglasses and a cutout lets you snake a cable to the USB jack. The Easy Speak feature lets the driver send an amplified message through the rear speakers telling noisy passengers to pipe down.

I drove both the 270 hp V6 all-wheel-drive Highlander and the 280 hp Highlander Hybrid that is equipped similarly to the top-of-the-line XLE. In a morning driving the hybrid, mostly city driving, we got 32 mpg. It’s rated at 27 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, 28 mpg combined. The comparable all-wheel-drive gas Highlander is rated 18-24-20, front-drive is 1 mpg better, the four-cylinder front drive is another 1 mpg better. Toyota sells more hybrids than the other automakers combined, but it’s unclear that the hybrid mpg advantage is worth paying $51,000.

The hybrid accelerated quickly. At times, the shift from electric to gasoline drive was noticeable, at others, not. The gas engine drives the front wheels only. The rear wheels are driven by an electric motor only. This is the coming way to provide all-wheel-drive on hybrids built off a front-drive platform, including the sporty Acura RLX.

2015 Toyota Highlander Charleston SC January 2014

The lane departure warning, in Japanese fashion, beeps at you. It’s quiet but it’s still audible throughout the cockpit. Most German and American cars are subtler, vibrating the steering wheel or seat. The adaptive cruise control disengages below 30 mph while others work down to 20 mph and higher-end vehicles have full range, stop-and-go ACC. If you tap a complex control, such as cruise control, the multi-information display briefly displays a pictogram showing which way to press the stalk to speed up or slow down. That’s smart.

The two rows of buttons just above the driver’s left knee, some light up when they’re pressed, some show up as icons in the instrument panel but don’t, annoyingly, also light up the button. Steering wheel buttons are the fairly common five-way rockers (up, down, left, right, middle button to execute), as on older smartphones.

Toyota’s 5,000 pound tow rating is a legit figure. The rest of the industry will finally follow Toyota’s lead to use an industry-wide towing standard, called SAE J2807, so you can directly cross-compare. 

Next page: The Highlander’s tech…

1 of 3 Next Tagged In automobilescarsautoshybridsnavigationlane departure warningadaptive cruise controlcar reviewsToyotablind spot detectionreviewsSUVssonarToyota HighlanderEntuneShare This Article .article {margin:0px !important;}.AR_1 {margin :0 0 20px 0 !important;}.AR_2 {margin:0 0 20px 0;} CommentPost a Comment billym67

“Other good choices include the Ford Explorer which matches Toyota on safety tech…” I own a ’13 Ford Explorer Limted and it has a lot of tech, but not the same build quality as Toyota (which I’ve owned in the past). I’ve had the Explorer in for warranty work 3 times in 18 months. Basically, first Ford and last Ford.

Bill Howard

In terms of features set, driver aids, general size, the Explorer is a competitor. Toyota sees Honda Pilot as a major competitor. I think the Hyundai Santa Fe is the closest competitor regardless of what’s cross-shopped. Somebody else cited woeful problems with a 2013 Ford Explorer in our Why Ford Dropped Microsoft article http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/177171-why-microsoft-lost-ford-sync – oh, wait, that was you, Billy. I’ve got a Volvo wagon review pending but I haven’t decided if I’ll mention any Fords as possible contenders. Keep watching; you’ve possibly got a chance for a threepeat.

ronch

That dashboard looks like it’s made for WInamp. :P

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