comparison posts

The basic argument in favor of entering 64 bit address space is simplicity itself -- absolutely ridiculous amounts of RAM can be utilized (16 exabytes; ie, ~16.8 million TB, or ~17.2 billion GB). More memory is, in the grand scheme of things, a fine and lovely thing. To anyone who can afford an exabyte or two of quality DDR3, my contact information is in the .sig at the bottom of this article -- I have a slightly-used New York bridge and some quality Florida swampland I'd like to gauge your interest in.

The current counter-argument is two-pronged, but fundamentally variations on a single theme -- sketchy driver support and a paucity of consumer applications (and, more to the point here, games) able to take advantage of the additional memory headroom. 64 bit operating systems have only recently begun to enter the mainstream, primarily courtesy of Vista Ultimate and various flavors of Unix/Linux-based OS (including Apple's Leopard).

DICE's Battlefield Heroes is many, many things all wrapped up in a bite-sized package. "Less is more," as they say. But here's one thing you'd think DICE wouldn't be happy about: constant comparisons to Valve Software's mega-hit Team Fortress 2. You'd think.

"If they want to keep comparing it to TF2, I think that's perfectly okay," said producer Aleksander Grondol to Shacknews. "It's an honor to be compared to a great game like Team Fortress 2, and I think the art style in TF2 is awesome." Okay, so ... maybe DICE is cool with it after all! Grondol did note, however, that Heroes' gameplay is nothing at all like that of TF2, artistic choices notwithstanding.

Welcoming comparison to a game as acclaimed and successful as TF2 is a cocky move. That sets the bar very high. Early impressions of Heroes have ranged from very positive to kind of lukewarm, so it's tough to tell whether or not those making the comparison are onto something with regards to the fun factor.

[Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]