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Wednesday, July 12, 2023

News July 12, 2023

Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg - A Timeless Classic Revisited

Introduction :

In the realm of video games, certain titles hold a special place in the hearts of players, transcending time and captivating generations of gamers. One such gem is Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg. Originally released in 1997 by Gust Co. Ltd., this enchanting role-playing game (RPG) has recently gained renewed attention and admiration from both longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise. In this article, we explore the allure of Atelier Marie, delve into its unique gameplay mechanics, and highlight why it continues to resonate with players even after all these years.

Gameplay Mechanics and Alchemy : Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg revolves around the protagonist, Marie, as she embarks on a captivating journey of alchemy in the fictional town of Salburg. One of the defining aspects of the game is its intricate alchemy system. Players assume the role of Marie, a novice alchemist, and must gather ingredients, mix them in various combinations, and carefully manage time and resources to create powerful potions, items, and weapons.

The alchemy system in Atelier Marie is both intuitive and rewarding. Players must experiment with different ingredient combinations, take note of the quality of ingredients used, and consider external factors such as the time of day, weather, and even the moon phase to produce the best possible results. The sense of discovery and experimentation in alchemy adds a layer of depth to the gameplay, making each decision and outcome feel meaningful.

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Story and Characters : While alchemy forms the core gameplay mechanic, Atelier Marie also weaves an engaging narrative filled with charming characters. The game introduces players to Marie, a determined young alchemist eager to prove her skills and help her struggling workshop thrive. As Marie interacts with various townsfolk and fellow alchemists, players uncover personal stories, forge friendships, and undertake quests that shape the outcome of the game.

The character development in Atelier Marie is a standout feature, as each individual possesses unique personalities, motivations, and aspirations. Players form emotional connections with the characters, cheering them on in their personal journeys. The game beautifully captures the essence of personal growth, perseverance, and the power of human connection.

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Visuals and Music : Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg boasts a visually stunning art style that exudes a whimsical and fantastical atmosphere. The hand-drawn 2D sprites and vibrant backgrounds bring the game world to life, immersing players in a visually captivating experience. The attention to detail in character designs, environments, and item illustrations further adds to the game's charm.

Accompanying the visual beauty is a delightful soundtrack that enhances the overall immersion. The music ranges from soothing melodies during exploration to thrilling compositions during intense moments. The enchanting melodies stay with players long after they have put down the controller, creating a lasting emotional connection to the game.

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Legacy and Impact : After more than two decades, Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg has left an indelible mark on the gaming industry. Its innovative alchemy system and engaging narrative set the foundation for the long-running Atelier series, captivating players through subsequent installments. The game's enduring popularity speaks to its timeless appeal and the way it continues to resonate with fans.

Furthermore, Atelier Marie's influence can be seen in other RPGs that incorporate alchemy as a core gameplay element. Its success has paved the way for similar games to explore the joys of item crafting, experimentation, and strategic resource management. The game's legacy can be observed in the passionate fanbase it has cultivated over the years and the numerous accolades it has received.

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Conclusion : Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg is a game that has stood the test of time, enchanting players with its captivating gameplay mechanics, engaging characters, and visual charm. Its legacy and impact on the RPG genre are undeniable, inspiring subsequent titles and creating a devoted fanbase. Whether revisiting this timeless classic or discovering it for the first time, Atelier Marie continues to capture the hearts of players, reminding us of the enduring magic that can be found in gaming experiences.

Kishan Patel 0

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Tech February 03, 2018

Why Apple doesn't need to sell more iPhones anymore

There's a common misunderstanding that if a company doesn't sell more of something, it means the product is a failure.

Case in point: iPhone sales fell year-over-year, and because of it, people trotted back out the same old tired narrative that Apple is doomed...again. But for real this time! They claim the iPhone X is a failure because $1,000 is simply too expensive for a phone!

But this narrative couldn't be further from the truth. Apple doesn't need to sell a higher number of iPhones at lower prices in order to continue smashing revenue records and stomp out all the competition.

Fixating on a tiny drop in iPhone sales misses the bigger picture: Apple wants to sell additional hardware and services — Apple Watch, AirPods, iCloud, HomePod, Apple Music, etc. — so that people are locked into the ecosystem that only works with the iPhone. Apple's long-term strategy isn't eternally selling more iPhones, but rather locking users into its growing ecosystem.

There are so many ways Apple could have sold more iPhones last quarter. For one, it could have offered fewer options. One of the best things about buying an iPhone used to be that it was so easy to choose the right model. There used to be one new iPhone released a year, and you either bought it or didn't.

But last fall, Apple did something unusual: It released three new iPhones (8, 8 Plus, and X) and made choosing one more complicated than it should have been.

The 8 and 8 Plus are excellent phones — they have the same A11 Bionic chip and 12-megapixel camera as the iPhone X — but Apple missed a big opportunity to unapologetically ditch the past and kickstart a "super cycle" that could've pushed more people to buy the iPhone X and all of its futuristic offerings (edge-to-edge display, Face ID, Animoji, etc.)

I'm sure there were good reasons why Apple released the 8 and 8 Plus — to hit a lower price, stave off potential OLED shortages for the iPhone X, and prevent a bigger drop in sales from users waiting until November for the iPhone X. But had Apple only offered the iPhone X, it's highly likely that a good chunk of an estimated 350 million existing iPhone users who are "in the window of opportunity to upgrade," according to GBH Insights, would have felt more compelled to because it's so clearly the only iPhone that matters.

Another obvious way Apple could have sold more iPhones would have been to sell the iPhone X at a lower price. I've defended why spending $1,000 on a phone isn't as ridiculous as it seems, but for many budget-strapped customers, it's just not within their means, even with a monthly payment plan.

I don't have a crystal ball into the future — maybe Apple will sell more iPhones this year if it lowers prices or releases a cheaper iPhone X, or maybe it won't — but I can tell you one thing: It doesn't really matter if Apple doesn't sell more iPhones every quarter.

The smartphone market is extremely saturated with great choices across the entire price spectrum. You can buy a great smartphone for $150-200 (the Motorola G-series is great for if you're on a budget) or pick up the OnePlus 5T for $500.

With saturation comes natural decline. Global smartphone shipments declined 6.3 percent in Q4 2017 according to IDC. Everyone who needs a phone probably already has one. And with phone build quality getting better and better all the time, people are holding onto their phones longer (or getting battery replacements).

That said, none of these phones come with the kind of extended ecosystem that comes close to what Apple offers. This is an important advantage Apple has because it means it can offset iPhone sales with revenue from complementary devices and services.

It all comes down to: In Apple We Trust. This is what Apple's really selling.

"For us, it’s not the numbers. It’s customers satisfaction," Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company's Q1 2018 earnings call. "Customer satisfaction is off the charts for iPhone X."

It's your typical halo effect. Think about it: Happy iPhone X customers are more likely to "drink the Kool-Aid" and purchase more Apple products that work with their phones, even when those products have shortcomings because they're expecting the same level of satisfaction from them.

It all comes down to: In Apple We Trust. This is what Apple's really selling.

Customer satisfaction is what drives iPhone users to buy AirPods for their iPhones and Apple Watches to slap onto their wrists. It also sells people on iCloud and Apple music subscriptions.

I know, because I'm one of the many very satisfied customers. Year after year, I surprise myself whenever I pay for Apple stuff that I felt were non-essential at first.

I got AirPods and love using them because they're truly a joy to use. I bought an Apple Watch just to get notifications on my wrist. I paid $50-something for Apple's official leather iPhone X case. I caved a few weeks ago and finally forked over money for iCloud to backup my iPhone X.

I had plenty of alternatives for these extra purchases, but for every single one of them, they were largely driven by my iPhone. It's my most used device and it's the one I love using the most. I trust Apple's quality control (even when it messes up sometimes).

Instead of netting $1,150 from me on just my iPhone X, Apple roped me in for some $1,750 for all the aforementioned accessories and services. That's an extra $600 of revenue they made off me — nearly as much as an iPhone 8, which starts at $700.

Apple may not get everyone to buy an Apple Watch or AirPods with their iPhones immediately, but make no mistake, the idea's already been planted and it's just waiting to blossom. And there's a good chance it will.

Rather than sell more iPhones, Apple's playing the whole field, and squeezing more out of each customer through other products, and it seems to be working. On the earnings call, Cook said Apple Watch Series 3 were double that of Series 2 from a year ago. Though Apple doesn't break down how many units that is, it's still impressive.

It's hard to imagine Apple Watch would be doing as well if people weren't so happy with their iPhone purchases. After all, you need an iPhone in order to use Apple Watch. And if people hate their iPhones, why the heck would they like the Apple Watch?

Same goes for AirPods, Apple TV, Beats headphones, and all the other stuff that's lumped with Apple Watch in Apple's "Other" category. This category grew 36 percent year-over-year, raking in $5.5 billion.

And ditto for Services, which includes iCloud and App Store purchases, which was up 18 percent year-over-year.

Apple will continue to sell a lot of iPhones. Maybe not as many iPhones as it used to sell, but people will upgrade. Android owners may want to switch. There's still a lot of runway to grow iPhone sales.

But the future isn't a singular product. It's Apple's whole family of products. Building out reliable, trustworthy ecosystems that keep users deeply entrenched within the Apple sphere will be the gift that keeps on giving, so to speak.

Samsung's employing a similar strategy with its Galaxy phones, Gear VR, Gear 360, Gear smartwatches, and Gear IconX wireless earbuds. And Google's also trying to do the same with its Pixel phones and Pixel Buds. But neither company's phones have the same kind of satisfaction ratings that would make you want to buy more of their other stuff.

Kishan Patel 0

Tech February 03, 2018

Tesla is setting up shop at 800 Home Depot stores

Tesla is going mainstream. No, not the electric cars.

Elon Musk is bringing his solar panels and Powerwall batteries to 800 Home Depot locations in the U.S., Bloomberg reported this week. That's a big boost for the venture, previously known as SolarCity. The products, also available for sale on Tesla's website, will now be exposed to more customers' eyes.

The dedicated spaces inside Home Depot stores will be Tesla-branded and be staffed by Tesla employees. In some retail locations, the large installations will include a visual demonstration of how the devices work. According to Bloomberg's report, the new areas will arrive the first half of the year.

Tesla's solar products aren't cheap. Installations can cost between $10,000 and $25,000, not including the $7,000 battery, according to Tesla’s website.

Lowe's, Home Depot's top competitor in the U.S., also is in discussions to sell Tesla solar products in store, Bloomberg reported. Tesla, Home Depot, and Lowe's all declined to comment to Bloomberg on the plans.

This isn't the first time Home Depot has partnered with the brand. Prior to Tesla acquiring SolarCity in 2016, the company had pop-up shops staffed with SolarCity employees in some Home Depot locations. But at that time, the stores didn't feature the actual products.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk is also selling flamethrowers.

Kishan Patel 0

Tech February 03, 2018

Bitcoin Fell Off a Cliff and No One Knows How Far It Is to the Bottom

All good things must come to an end—and bad things, too. Bitcoin has had a hell of a ride over the last year, but that all seems to be over as almost 60 percent of its value has vanished in the last month. Enthusiasm in the cryptocurrency market is low as Bitcoin dropped below $8,000 for the first time since November.

According to the popular cryptocurrency app Coinbase, the price of Bitcoin slumped to $7,540 on Friday morning before picking up to around $9,000 a little before noon. The run of thousand-percent increases was never sustainable, and even the most dedicated believers in the cryptocurrency revolution didn’t think the high of almost $20,000 would hold in the short term. But the common belief among the community has been that $10,000 was as low as it would go. Irrational exuberance inevitably invites corrections, but it’s beginning to look like we’re witnessing a massacre.

In a matter of 24 hours, about $30 billion was wiped off of Bitcoin’s market cap. A look at the charts on CoinMarketCap shows that all but five of the top 100 cryptocurrencies are down, most by double digits. All told, Bitcoin has lost $177 billion from its high in December.

It’s not difficult to pin down why this is all happening. Even if you truly believe that blockchain technology is the future and decentralized currency will eventually find its footing, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that we’ve seen nothing but bad news for the whole crypto-sphere.

What’s perhaps the most troubling for long-time bitcoiners and newcomers alike is the almost daily developments in government regulations to address cryptocurrency. As financial analyst Nouriel Roubini, of Roubini Macro Associates, told Bloomberg, “Pretty much every G20 policymaker is talking about a crackdown.” This week saw officials in India indicate that they will be introducing regulations to completely eliminate payments with cryptocurrency in their country, and they made it official that India does not recognize Bitcoin as a legal tender.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said this week that he would like the members of the G20 group to discuss cryptocurrency regulations when its annual summit is held in March. The US has been mostly hands-off when it comes to cryptocurrency, electing to wait and see what happens. But the IRS still wants its cut, and investors are getting their first taste of what it’s like to pay Uncle Sam some of that free money. A visit to his accountant prompted one redditor to exclaim, “Fuck taxes man. This is so fucked it’s like I didn’t earn anything.” And it’s not just the federal government that wants its taxes; states are getting in on it, too. A bill in Arizona that would require residents to pay the state a portion of their earnings advanced toward becoming law this week.

While hugely successful companies like Facebook are trying to purge their services of cryptocurrency scams, floundering companies like Kodak have jumped at the opportunity to attract investors by slapping blockchain buzzwords onto their business plans. Kodak was supposed to launch its own initial coin offering (ICO) on Wednesday, but as more information was revealed about the company’s plans by the New York Times, Kodak said it needed more time to vet potential investors. Most of the gains that Kodak’s stock made after its blockchain announcement are now gone.

The most infamous company capitalizing on the frenzy, formerly named Long Island Iced Tea Corp, appears to have had a change of heart and on Friday it announced that it won’t be buying 1,000 cryptocurrency mining rigs after all. At the moment, the company’s name is still Long Island Blockchain.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller has insisted that Bitcoin will eventually “totally collapse,” even if it takes 100 years. At the moment, it’s on track to reach that goal much more quickly. Whether the “Bitcoin is bogus, but blockchain is real,” crowd will be proven right remains to be seen. Blockchain is, without a doubt, a unique technology, and lots of people are working interesting applications for it. The problem remains that the thousands of ICOs that have cropped up have their values inescapably entwined with Bitcoin. Maybe they’ll be able to disentangle that co-dependent relationship, but the expensive growing pains are certain to take a long time.

[Bloomberg]

Kishan Patel 0