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Sunday, February 11, 2007 |
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The Wrap - February 11th
What an eventful and slow week we’ve had. On one hand we had the biggest TV event of the year in Superbowl, but on the other quite a few shows were on hiatus this week. Missing was the entire Sunday line up with The Apprentice (NBC, Sundays at 9), Battlestar Galatica (Sci Fi, Sundays at 10) and Grease (NBC, Sundays at 7). But all was not wasted, because there were some delightful moments this week, as well as long overdue series Lost (ABC, Wednesdays at 10).
The return of Lost for me was extremely two fold. The episode was, in my opinion, a little over-hyped and too positively reviewed. I think it had more to do with the fact that people were easily pleased because its been a while, or my expectations are just too high on the show. While a lot of things were resolved, I already knew Sawyer and Kate would be making their way off the island, and therefore the entire story of the episode seemed to be going nowhere fast. There was some interesting things we learned and saw. Such at the facility where Alex’s (who is now apparently Bens daughter of all things), boyfriend was being held. In a rather excellent Lost moment, we had images flashed to the screen which will keep the screen caption junkies busy for days. Nothing too revealing, but we obviously know they were brainwashing him in some manifest.
Most people love or hate Juliet, I fall in the former category. I was excited to hear we’d be following Juliet, and hopefully, learning some big things. While her flashbacks weren’t bad by any means, and a lot of interesting things happened, I was expecting more. I was expecting her flashback would take place sometime right when she was recruited, and would focus a little more on the island and inner working of the others. No such luck yet. We do know the others wanted her badly, and we now know Juliet is indeed just another prisoner. Solid, but I always wish they would switch the focus from the flashbacks to flashbacks more to do with the island, or actually on the island. I understand the purposes of character development, and how it was used in the first season, but now that we have discovered much of what there is to know about these characters, I think the focus should switch from their pasts to their present.
Check out this cool quote from del.icio.us at the tail section: In LOST - Not in Portland, Juliet gives the exact amount of time she has been on the island. Some have traced this date back to 9/6/2001. I've been using archive.org to look at the front pages of popular news sites during that time to determine if an event on that day is a clue, or not.
So far the only thing that really jumps out at me is the fact that on that date, cosmologists and astronomers announced compelling evidence that the center of our galaxy was a super massive black-hole. If there were not copious appearances of black holes and galaxies (a milky way like galaxy appears in the brainwashing sequence interspersed with pics of a sail boat), I'd dismiss it. But it is safe to assume there could be meaning behind this.
Interesting stuff is coming this season, so it looks like I’ll just have to be patient and wait for it.
This week I also got around to watching Top Chef 2 (Bravo, Season Three Coming Soon). Watch I certainly did as I burnt my way through the entire season, loving every single moment of it. For those unfamiliar with the show, it’s divided into two challenges. The first is a quick fire challenge cook-off where chefs are given some gimmicky ingredient, and make a dish in a limited amount of time. The winner picks up immunity. The second is the elimination challenge, where the chefs work as individuals or teams and create dishes in a variety of challenges and are judged upon. The top three are choosen, with one winner, and the bottom three get one eliminated from their midst. It’s a simple formulaic concept, but with great results. The season was absolutely stellar. Lots of people to cheer for, and one great villain in Marcel who made it all the way until the final two!
Two people ended up quitting, one person was asked to leave the show by the producers after physically assaulting Marcel, and we even had a huge cheating incident early on which forced the judges to not eliminate anyone. That’s what I call reality tv, if you didn’t watch this show, do it from beginning to end. You’ll find it addicting and a real treat to watch. Top Chef is renewed for a third season, you’ll be I will be watching every moment of this great show. And unlike Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, Returns this summer you’ll find the chefs are completely incompetent and can really cook it up. Then again, it is the incompetent cast that simultaneously makes Hell’s Kitchen so great.
Survivor (CBS, Thursdays at 8) returned to some interesting results. Jeff talked about how one individual dropped out of the competition last minute. I’d wager money that it was a Caucasian person just because it feels like they are the one race that was cut one person short. Not only that, it felt like the producers didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t tell if leaving them for two days was on purpose, or because the producers had to go back and re-evaluate because they were one person short!
This week we say goodbye to Jennifer, pretty much the only redemption of true ‘hotness’. This is, after all, reality tv. This is survivor, the show which pushes attractive young females in bikini’s. There’s a reason survivor hasn’t taken place in a cold climate, and that’s because scantily clad people sell. Therefore, even more than before, this is a strange departure from the formula. (Where is our blonde bombshell?) Not that it is a bad thing, but its definitely a big jump for reality tv.
Dreamz already annoys the hell out of me. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. Even though I think I prefer the green tribe, I wish they would have lost just out of hopes I wouldn’t have to deal with Dreamz any longer. Seriously, he isn’t a person I love to hate, I just can’t stand him and its been one episode! With my luck, he’ll be in the finale, mark my words. I am so happy Survivor is back, even though I didn’t have very high hopes for this cast, I think they could potentially make for a good season. Time will tell.
Heroes (NBC, Mondays at 9) did not skip a beat this week. We continue to learn a good deal more about our invisible friend (better known as the 9th Doctor of Doctor who). We even meet up with Sulu (aka Hiro’s father) and Hiro’s sister. In a touching sequence Hiro evades his father, by suggesting that his sister become the new executive of the company. Let me go on record that if something ever happens to Hiro, I may be reduced to tears and slip into a fit of depression. Linderman has even released Nicky from prison. Its not going to be long before we finally unmask Linderman. The result should be exciting, I can only wonder if Linderman is actually a character we already know.
Unfortunately, a weekend exam has set me slightly behind my TV schedule, but expect more goodness next week, as we catch up on the happenings on TV. For now, here is what you should keep an eye out for this week.
What to watch this week!
Grease (NBC, Sundays at 8) tonight Andrew Loyd Webber joins the show as a guest judge. Tune in to see who the first eliminated by America will be. Following Grease is The Apprentice (NBC, Sundays at 9) for more Trump antics. We’ll see if Arrow can actually win another challenge, or if they simply had a lucky break.
Monday features the incredible Jack Bauer and unstoppable Sylar. 24 (FOX, Mondays at 9), Heroes (NBC, Monday at 9) Will a hero die this week? Probably not yet. Will Jack unfoil the mystery? Well, it’s not the 24th hour, so we can safely assume not.
American Idol (Fox, Tuesdays and Wednesday at 8) FINALLY is finished with the auditions. My favourite part of the show begins as Paula, Randy and Simon rapidly eliminate prospective singers through a variety of tasks.
Lost (ABC, Wednesdays at 10) gives us our first glimmer at the rest of the cast on the mainland. This episode focuses in on Desmond, its probably not one to miss as we unfoil just what exactly happened to Desmond in that hatch.
Survivor (CBS, Thursdays at 8) sees another person off to exile, another challenge and most likely another tribal council. I’ll continue to watch to see if this is the inevitable bad season after two stellar ones.
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Saturday, February 10, 2007 |
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Zoonami Behind new FPS IP on Wii?
I have to ask, what is up with Zoonami. I stumbled into the midst of the intrigue and drama today, and it has my interests peaked.
Zoonami is a UK based developer, founded by the guy behind Perfect Dark and Goldeneye, who left Rare to bask in the open seas of a new development company. Martin Hollis left may have left Rare, but he still has a strong solid relationship with Nintendo. He obviously has a strong history in FPS games, so what exactly has his company done since formation in 2000?
Well, not exactly much. They do have a sudukomania game coming out, yup that tops my most wanted list for sure. So why the spotlight?
Well, here is a little tidbit from 2004...
Got a case of the where's Rare blues, well this little bit of news should cheer you up. Zoonami, a relatively small development house in the UK, have recently partnered with Nintendo who will publish their upcoming title, codenamed Game Zero. Now this may not sound news-worthy but the head of Zoonami is one Martin Hollis, who was lead designer on both Goldeneye and Perfect Dark for the N64. As to what exactly Game Zero refers to, Zoonami are going extra lengths to ensure that the game will be both innovative and brilliant, and with Nintendo taking notice we're pretty sure it will be.
Game Zero has since been a little MIA. But to make things more interesting, take a look at the Zoonami site...
http://www.zoonami.com/
Spy themed. Really weird actually, it seems to have a weird aura of mystery surrounding the entire site, as well as two projects that aren't named. And moreover, they are looking for a Wii programmer on the site.
Well, why does your website have a spy theme?
Because.
Are you making a spy-themed game?
No. Unless we are. In which case this is exactly what we would say, isn’t it?
Something doesn't add up. Obviously there are two options one, the game zero was ditched a long time ago, or perhaps still in the works. The whole thing just smells fishy to me. Is there really anything behind Zoonami, or are they just toying with us.
Could this be one of the potential FPS new IP's that we 'forgot about'. (As hinted by Matt and Bozon) Could be. If any media outlet would have a relationship with Martin, you can bet it would be IGN, with Matt in the know.
I'm going to be keeping an eye on the entire matter. Maybe they are just toying with us, but perhaps we will see in time.
It's interesting though, for not pumping out any games, they sure have been staying in buisness for a long time...
What are your thoughts. I am fairly new to the controversy. Is there really something amazing behind this mess, or is it just a mess?
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Thursday, February 08, 2007 |
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Ubisoft to Make an Animated Movie Studio!
Its always nice to receive some home-brew news. Well... I'm not French, not do I live in Quebec. While they may seem more of a world away than some of our southern neighbours, we do still live within the same country.
It sounds like tomorrow is going to be a big day for the Montreal based (and hands down best) Ubisoft studio. I don't really have to point out how 75% of the awesome games you've played from Ubisoft are from the Montreal studio, and the steaming piles that are their sequels and much of their awful Wii ports are not.
Canada will be dishing out the cash, 8 million Canadian, which is a portion of the 454 million they are giving Ubisoft to create some more jobs for Quebecers. But what's really interesting is they will be taking the cool 8 million, and should be announcing tomorrow a new Animated Movie Studio, which will develop short films for the public.
I'm excited. Some of the stuff Ubisoft Montreal creates is so perfect for a type of short feature Pixar-esque movie studio. You only have to think of all their Rabbid shorts that we got throughout the summer to know this team seriously has some creativity. Obviously Pixar by no means will be shaking in their boots from the announcement, but it should be something to keep an eye out for.
I only wonder if they will apply the studio to some of their games. It would be awesome to reap some really cinematic games as a side benefit. If nothing else I'll be keeping an eye on the studio to see what shorts they release.
I really must say I am proud of the Canadian government to hear they are supporting Ubisoft with the grants as well. Its great to see Canada having an active role in video games. Just looking at the Wii launch lineup, Canadian studios were responsible for Raving Rabbids, and Madden 07, arguably two of the top five launch titles. (Arguably, so you can easily disagree)
Now I'll just wait with baited breath to see what new project Ubisoft Montreal has in the works for Wii. Please let it be awesome!
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Thursday, February 08, 2007 |
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Phil Harrison on all things PS3 at DICE!
Right now Phil Harrison is giving a Q & A session at DICE. Naturally, members of the audience are jotting down everything live. Particularly Chris Kohler is doing a Live Blog right now. As I wait for the information to slowly trickle down, I’ll pull out some of the interesting questions and... well what else, but give you my opinions!
Q: Phil, you were in charge of third party relations. I've heard people say Sony's third party relations are now less effective -- the devs I reached out to to generate questions for this panel say that Microsoft's support is significantly better than Sony's. Proper documentation in languages other than Japanese. How do you want to narrow this gap?
A: If that's what people are saying, there has to be an element of truth to it. We can always provide better tools, better documentation, better service. It's a myth that we provide documentation in Japanese. It's not true. We did in the past in the original days of PlayStation One. But key parts of the PS3 were created in English speaking parts of the world. CELL, in Austin, Texas.
We have to take those comments on board. I think we've taken those kind of strides to improve, but it'll never be to everyone's satisfaction, I'm sure.
It’s a good start already, with a fairly down to earth honest answer. There has been a significant amount of buzz that the PS3 is quite hard to develop for, especially with the CELL processors. We all know Sony entered this generation a little cocky, so I expect they’ll play catch up a bit. Before developers would do whatever was in their power to find ways to develop for Sony, now I think we’ll see Sony putting in a bit more effort to keep developers making games for their systems.
There is a bit more that he has to say on the topic which is interesting.
Q: Devs feel that writing code for PS3 is "a pain in the ass" compared to 360.
A: PlayStation One was the first platform to ship with an integrated library and structure -- 3D0 had done that but PS1 was the first in a broad sense, and the developers all wanted access to the metal, to the chip set. And so with PS2 we gave them access to the metal. And they said, no, no, we want abstraction, we want libraries.
I think Dave Jaffe put it well: "You can have a dev environment that does everything for you but it will abstract you so much that you won't be able to get the full power of the machine."
We’ll have to see if Sony uses this a learning springboard. Their big competitor right now is 360. Nintendo is playing an entirely different game. They should at least be able to provide the same basic services if they want to succeed, which leads into...
Q: Integrated online experience of Xbox Live is better for devs and gamers. Why didn't Sony match feature set of Xbox Live out of box?
A: The software of PS3 is not a fixed specification when you buy the console. It's the start of a long relationship that'll evolve over time. We have an aggressive strategy of adding software and functionality over time. Look at PS3.
The services we have for online content today are free of charge. We will continue to refine, add functionality, add features not just for developer experience but gamers as well.
Sony is playing a continuous game of catch up. I think the year head start 360 had will be one of their hardest obstacles to overcome. Not only that, 360 has such a marginal advantage in the online sphere. That isn’t to say I don’t think Sony could create an equivalent or, less likely, better experience than Xbox Live, but its going to be a long time before that happens.
Q: Gabe Newell told Game Informer that PS3 is a disaster. They should cancel it and do a do-over and say we're sorry.
A: It's a great quote.
Q: I have to say that he isn't the only developer who wanted me to ask you this. Given low hardware supply and a launch lineup that was decent but not superlative, why wasn't the launch postponed until spring when these issues would be resolved?
A: I have deep respect for GN's output as a developer, but maybe not his comments in press. By what measure is PS3 launch not successful? We had people line up in three continents. We sell everything we ship into marketplace. We have supplied into the market more products in Japan, Asia, and US than we did for the launches of PS1 or PS2, and with more software. What's wrong with this picture? ... The PS1 and PS2 were quickly overcome and quickly forgotten. I think it'll be the same on PS3.
I’ll resist too much sarcasm here, without simply saying the problems they had with PS2 were a little different. Sony has had supply constraints in the past, but that isn’t quite the same issues they are dealing with now. Their primary issues are their tie ratio (number of games they are selling per console owned) and the fact that despite supply constraints, they aren’t selling fast. Phil is correct, most consoles they ship are selling, but they aren’t flying off the shelves. When they do manage to fix the problem of their supply constraints, they may quickly find themselves with a whole other problem... they aren’t selling.
I think Phil missed the point of the question. The PS3 did decent, but it is not doing amazing in comparison to its other consoles. The PS2 remained a much hotter item for a longer period of time. Granted the PS3 has greater supplies, but the overwhelming demand which drove high ebay prices for more than a week is not here.
The launch line up may have been decent, but Sony was first to the game last time, now they are tied for last. With Xbox having a full year of titles, and the Wii having easily one of the best launch line ups in console history, it just fell flat on its face.
No one can say the PSP isn’t doing well. No one can say Nintendo wasn’t making tons of money off Gamecube. But when the DS is outselling the PSP like crazy, or the PS2 put the Cube flat on its ass, you may be doing well, but you could be doing a whole lot better.
There is lots more going on in the interview as well.
Let me know your opinions on the matter, what did you think of what Phil Harrison had to say about the current state of PS3?
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Wednesday, February 07, 2007 |
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Blockbusters Next-Gen Games are Overpriced; Wario Ware Impressions!
I finally got a chance to pick up Wario Ware from my local Blockbuster yesterday. I had missed its initial stocking, so naturally their copies were already out. I was however a little shocked when getting to the register, and was told it came to 10.25. It sounds like Blockbuster has bumped up the prices of their next-gen games. Understandably, now would be the time to switch, but Blockbuster still hits me as being overpriced.
I come from a small town where we rented new movies for a dollar and change. I can appreciate the fact that obviously Blockbuster has far more stock, and now that they finally ditched (well, actually just extended) due dates, 5 dollars for a new rental is a little more in line. It’s kind of unfortunate that they bumped up the prices on game rentals (I assume the same applied for 360 and PS3). What merited a marginal increase over last generation, especially with a product like Wii which isn’t exactly the giant leap forward hardware wise? The price of games didn’t increase any, so why should the price of rentals?
Fortunately, I pleasantly found that I had a free rental on my rewards membership, which was quickly and efficiently used. I’ll have to save them from now on for the nearly doubled price of games over new release movies. My other small pet peeve is that they really don’t have any DS games for rental at either of two local stores. A bunch for sale mind you, but few for rent. DS is the most popular system right now after all. The one blockbuster has four different titles, the only decent one being Mario 64, I’m pretty sure the other location has none. (I’ll have to double check to make sure). For me at least, I am trying to move into renting Wii titles a little bit more instead of purchasing. I already have 7 in my library and mildly regret a few purchases. If I have played it all in two weeks, and pretty much left little to actually return to, might as well pay a fraction of the price and just rent.
Or buy used from the overpriced EB, who puts those damned stickers on the cases that I can’t get off properly… but that’s a different rant entirely.
The good news is that I brought home Wario Ware, and had a good opportunity to play it. By good opportunity I’ve played it for like 2 hours, and I’m pretty sure I’m nearing the end of the single player.
Wario Ware is a fun and gimmicky title. Having never really experienced any of the other titles, it’s been an interesting play-through. I love all the creative uses of the Wii-mote. I think they could have added a little more difficulty and introduced another ten or so ways of holding the Wii-mote.
Like I already mentioned however, it isn’t a very deep game. It probably takes about 3 hours to whip through, and I actually found having no prior experience with the game, I usually beat 90% of the minis on the first attempt. A few I catch on to right before the time runs out, and 1 or 2 still confuse me. There are tons of little extra features, and cool stuff to do, like that stacking game. But more or less, Wario Ware resembles a glorified Bop-it. Which is a fun see how long you can last as we speed up type of game.
The game is also quite funny. Nothing makes me giggle like getting the chance to push off a small Asian girl. Or alternatively, covering the IR sensor like a bottle top, shaking it, then pointing and spraying some trophy holders with a shaken bottle of Champaign. It whips through a lot of things, but there are some really cool little things I could see getting utilized in some full-fledged projects. Particularly when you lay the wii-mote upside down on a flat surface, pick it up like a telephone, and the voice comes through the speaker asking for help. I wasn’t expecting the voice and I naturally put it to my ear, and it sent shivers down my spine with how natural it felt.
Yes there is multiplayer, but I don’t think I could justify the purchase. Lets face it, the game is built so that those with a little experience with the game will win. I doubt anyone of my friends would touch me unless I gave them a few hours to play through the title themselves.
Wario Ware is worth a rent, thankfully I didn’t buy it, because I nearly did. An hour with this title is probably more rewarding than the first hour with Zelda, but you’ve pretty much seen all there is to do in that time. My only gripe is I wish it was longer, harder and just more of everything.
The creepy disco fro guy with the dancing cats is hilarious!
Let me know what you think. Are next-gen rentals a little overpriced, or worth the ten dollar price tag? And why doesn’t Blockbuster stock DS titles, there are so many I’d try, but don’t really want to buy!
Damn you and your stickers EB Games...
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007 |
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Lost 'Stravaganza! Everything there is to know about Part 2 of Season 3
The second half of season three starts tomorrow, and its time to get on the hype train if you already haven't been! There is plenty of information, both spoilers and non, so we'll play a little catch up. From my January 26th addition of The Wrap:
"...there was some big news announced about future seasons of the show a few weeks back. It would appear the shows producers are in discussion with network heads, on when to declare a solid end to the show. Producers have stated for a long time that they felt the shows concept had about 100 episodes of content. (Middle of Season 5). They have gone on the record to state they would like to declare an end to the show ahead of time, so fans know what to expect. They'd rather not have the show destroy itself (ala X-Files), but declare a solid ending to the series (much like Harry Potter ending after 7 books). Network heads seem to be in agreement. Early predictions are saying the show will probably end in its 7th season, or perhaps a bit earlier.
As the second half of Season 3 starts, plenty of trailers have popped up. Like here, here, or several scenes here! If you weren't happy with the break, you may be excited, or perhaps more dissapointed to learn, that Lost will be taking a queue from Fox, and airing the fourth season in its entirety from January to May. It's going to be one hell of a wait between seasons, but at least we still have a huge portion of the 3rd season left before we concern ourselves with that."
ABC had been running in conjunction with Day Break (Lost's replacement while it was on hiatus, and quickly cancelled at that) some 'Lost Moments' which were basically sneak peeks at the upcoming episodes. I present the final two moments. Lost Moment 12 and Lost Moment 13. The first one is pretty funny exchange. It's a little spoilery though, although not as much if you just close your eyes and listen to the dialogue.
Some fun news today also about the new lost mobile game. I'll be honest, it probably won't interest very many people here, I doubt many of you are mobile game players. But if you are, and you happen to love Lost, check it out at www.gameloft.com. Here's a video of the gameplay and a synopsis of what they said about the game:
What if you woke up on the beach of this famous, mysterious island after your plane crashed? Try to save the lives of passengers at the accident site, set up a camp, learn to live among the rest of the group, explore the jungle, hunt, witness unexplained phenomena, and avoid the bizarre traps scattered around this hostile environment. In a word: survive... and attempt to crack the secrets of the island! That’s exactly what the official game of the series LOSTTM gives you the chance to do. Relive the unbelievable epic of the missing passengers of flight 815 through the eyes of Jack, the charismatic hero of this adventure.
Tomorrow is the episode Not In Portland which is going to be Juliet centric, and basically rotate completely around the Kate/Sawyer/Jack/Others story. Without giving anything big away, its been said that on the run, Sawyer and Kate will be stumbling upon some heavy mythology stuff. I wonder what they could find, but it should finally give us a good glimpse at the Alcatrez like island. If you are looking for a big episode, with a few wow moments, and even a few answers, this is the episode. Well, I really only have to think about finally getting a chance to see an others perspective at things to really get my mouth watering!
I'll end it off with some spoilers for the next four episodes. The text is white, so you'll have to highlight it to see it. Obviously look at your own descretion!
February 7th - LOST - Not in Portland
This is a Juliet-centric episode which will explain a number of things: how she came to be on the island, who brought her there, how long she has been there, and much much more. Like, did you know that Juliet once caused a male mouse to become pregnant? On the island side of things the revelations are oozing in this episode. Do the others care for the children that they 'acquire'? For sure! Seems Alex, for instance, is Ben's daughter. We meet up with Karl who is being reconditioned by the others in a smaller facility on the hydra island, it is a scene that is overflowing with mythos. basically he is watching a video that seems to be instilling a sense of guilt over mankind's impact on the planet, amongst other things. Simply awesome.
February 14th - LOST - Flashed Before my Eyes
Desmond centric episode which apparently alludes that the events of the present have somehow invaded the memories of his past. Supposedly this includes some very surreal flash-back sequences, along with the long awaited look at what exactly happened to Desmond when he turned that key. The catalyst for the plot comes in the form of Charlie and Hurley's determination to find out just exactly how Desmond is capable of seeing the future. Unfortunately, it's not good news for Charlie who finds out that Desmond has had a vision of his impending death. This is a plot device that is going to play out over several episodes, so don't think it is going to get resolved in this episode. (In other words, don't place bets on Charlie dying.)
February 21st - LOST - Stranger in a Strange Land
Jack centric episode is going to explain exactly why Jack got his tattoos and what they mean. A lot of people mock the importance of this flashback, personally I think being branded by someone who claims to be able to look into your soul has some pretty interesting possibilities as far as the island side of things go. Cindy, along with the rest of the tailsection folk that were kidnapped by the others, show up and seem to be pretty content. Are we going to find out why they are content? probably not. This episode closes the book on Jack for at least a couple of episodes so look for it end with a heck of a cliff-hanger as far as the good Doc is concerned.
February 28th - LOST - Tricia Tanaka Is Dead
Hurley centric. Basically, Hurley finds the Dharma party bus and tries to formulate a plan to get it back to the beach. Kate and Sawyer also arrive back in this episode. The flashback is rumored to feature an identical van (sans Dharma logo.) Cheech Marin plays Hurley's dad in this episode and the flashback will feature a younger Hurley for part of the story. The question of whether or not Skate can hold up without captivity will be answered. Danielle will also reappear in this episode which should be interesting since Kate and Sawyer are bringing Alex's boyfriend back to the beach camp. Will she get an update? That remains to be seen.
Have any predictions for what you think will happen in the show? I'd love to hear them!
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007 |
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Blizzard says PC to make Consoles Obsolete.
The VP of Blizzard, Itzik Ben Bassat, recently had a few things to say about the console market. It would appear the company has no plans of bringing World of Warcraft to the console market, and see PC's taking over consoles in a matter of years. Bassat had to say, "The PC is becoming an entertainment hub ... Maybe in five years you won't need a console because you'll have one PC which delivers content [including games] all over your house."
He elaborated that "...when we come to develop a new game we will look at the kind of opportunities that exist out there and what we want to develop, and if it could be interesting on console. We should remember that a 360 is just a sophisticated PC."
While all true, Bassat feels that the line between consoles and PC's is melding, but I question whether we will really see consoles or PCs completely replace one another in a matter of years. They are, after all, two different beasts entirely. One is built around gaming, the other built around functionality.
I think the problems with PC ever taking over the console market has more to do with its variability. There are many makers of PCs, there are three main contenders for the console wars, and each is built with the same infrastructure. The problem for the general consumer ever fully adopting PC gaming is its variability. Its frustrating to see such rapid roll over, and requires consistent updates. Because they are also not as mass produced, it tends to drive the prices of PC's a little higher than what you can traditionally get out of a console for the same price.
If I am to go out and purchase a new console, I know I can expect 5 solid years of gameplay out of the console before the next version is released. A PC on the other hand can sometimes require constant updates. A very strong PC today may easily not be able to handle what developers throw at it in a few years, it’s a constant battle.
The same issues apply to the console end of things. Can a console, no matter how powerful, every replace the personal computer? The line is constantly being blurred between what a console can offer, and is creating more and more functionality, but at least for a while, I don't see a console being able to offer the exact same experience a PC can, and visa versa.
But back to the moral of the story, Bassat says WoW will not be coming to consoles. Unfortunately, I predict something a little different. It's only a matter of time before an MMO truly finds a place on consoles, and WoW is left dead in the water by the next big thing. It might not yet be this generation, but if Microsoft adopts more of a Wii control setup net gen, or Wii finally gets its online strategy up to par, we could very well see the first major console MMO which will rival the likes of WoW.
Let me know your opinions. Will PCs overtake consoles, visa versa, or will they both continue to have their own niche markets for a while to come?
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Monday, February 05, 2007 |
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Konami's premature release, and component cable woes!
If you were anything like me, you've been waiting with baited breath and just a hint of scepticism to find out the big "earth shaking" announcement Konami had been hyping for today. Well, hold your breath no longer, this is the classic case of hype gone a little astray.
Turns out Konami had already shown us all of its cards, but I don't think that was ever the intention. Their was no announcement to be found other than a news announcement of what they had already announced. Its pretty funny. Not as funny when Trump hyped a huge twist on his live show, and it never came because newly hired Trumpette told him he should not hire his other finalist. Whoops!
Konami had all weekend to cover its ass, so why not just admit to screwing it up ahead of time, instead of just making us wait for inevitably nothing. But I can't say I was surprised, I had speculated that they had already let everything slip accidentally, but still feel slightly misled. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Dewey's adventure is coming, but throw me a bone and promise another better one is coming Monday, and of course I'll be disappointed.
I also don't think it has been said enough, so I'll say it now. The Wii component cables are a bit of a let down. Infact progressive scan on a lot of launch titles are a let down. I purchased a Samsung tv, with all the fixin’s about a month ago. Component cables in hand, I plugged them in, and scratched my head.
It would appear most Wii games are in serious need of some anti aliasing. Sure the textures and colours and brighter and more vibrant, and the contrast is much better, but when you are contrasting something that's not spectacular, it sings the flaws more than anything.
Basically what happens is a lot of jaggies all over everything that stands in the foreground. For example the nice smooth lines of my Miis are really jaggy lines. Unfortunately it would seem the flaws sometimes are better left masked on a standard definition television.
Sometimes it bothers me more than others. Sometimes, unfortunately, I almost want to switch back to 480i, but usually don't because the colours, and crispness take a hit. C'mon Nintendo, (and other publishers for that matter.) If you are going to add 480p support, make sure you eliminate the jaggies first!
I knew what I was getting into with Nintendo, but it does sadden me when they don't put in the basic efforts. I spent good money on a nice tv, there is no reason I should feel like my games look worse for it (Wii Sports especially) for owning a nice tv.
At least this fan made commercial, which parodies people throwing their wii-motes gave me a good chuckle for what's otherwise been a slightly over-hyped day.
Let me know your thoughts, it you have any suggestions on settings to make the jaggies a little less noticeable I am all ears!
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Sunday, February 04, 2007 |
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Super Bowl XLI - Coke/GTA Commercial!
Its been a pretty busy weekend, but I did manage to attend a Super Bowl party and figured I'd quickly pop in to throw a blog out about it. I'm not a huge sports fan, but I watch the Super Bowl, and am usually entertained. It was a pretty action packed first quarter, lots of turnovers and the likes. Since I don't follow football I just randomly decided to cheer on the Colts (and it proved to be a good random choice).
My favourite part about the Super Bowl extravaganza actually tends to be the commercials. We were stuck watching Global which is a Canadian station, so I missed the majority of the good ones, but there were a few fun ones I caught.
Any fan of GTA will definately appreciate the Coke commercial, check it out!
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Friday, February 02, 2007 |
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The Wrap - February 2nd
Another week in TV has come and gone, and with it we near closer to some major series premieres this coming week! The American Idol (Fox Tues and Wed at 8) auditions continued, and fortunately, things were a little more tolerable this week. The contestants ditched the crazy, and took on a more polite approach. There were some pretty good singers that were put through, and some pretty funny auditions that I didn’t feel guilty for laughing at.
That’s discounting Big Bird woman who was a little off her rocker. I may have already sent away to receive a pair of her fashionable yellow clothes, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t a little crazy in her own right. There were a few tears like always, but it wasn’t too over the top. What’s up for the next week? More auditions... yay! I didn’t remember the audition process getting dragged on so long.
There was a special guest judge on American Idol as well, Olivia Newton John. Wait, she was on American Idol, wasn’t she just on Sundays Grease: You’re the One that I Want (NBC Sundays at 8) as well? I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn’t accidentally catching a repeat. Obviously it was in the best interest of Grease who has featured Olivia sporadically throughout the show as it is, but it was kind of ironic she made her way over to the bigger competitor. I’m pretty sure Simon Cowell and a few other producers were sitting around in a meeting, "Hey, that Grease show is getting some attention, they have Olivia Newton John..." "I have an idea, let’s put Olivia on our show too!" It probably happened just like that, no doubt about it.
Grease seems to be taking a more, appropriate pace, and showcased the top 12 contestants for America to vote for. Whoops, did I say 12? I meant 14. Two contestants made a come back in a process I didn’t realize was going on. Was there a poll at NBC? There wasn’t much to vote on anyways, the two people were the only ones who really got screen time that didn’t make the final 12. The come-back twist doesn’t tend to work very well on a reality competition. Especially on a talent show. They weren’t good enough to make the top 12, what changed in a couple of weeks other than the fact America sort of likes you. To top it all off, they were the only two people whom I thought, wow, you can’t really sing, why did you come back again?
The contestants were really good though. Apart the Matt and Ashley that I am hoping will be quickly eliminated. The show does have some staying power, I said last week whether I would keep watching or not, but I will be. The only issue I have right now is that we were treated to a singing round. While I had no issues with this, are we going to get to focus more on dancing next round, or acting another? I think what this show needs to be not just an American Idol clone is to focus on these other features a little more. Sure Kelly Clarkson could ground some of the contestants to a pulp, but that doesn’t mean she can dance and act to the same caliber. Bring on some scene of Grease for the contestants to act out, dance to, and perhaps sing along.
Its funny, NBC was nearly dead in my mind a few years back, but its made one hell of a return to my tv schedule as I am slowly discovering. Big news for Last Comic Standing (NBC, 5th Season Summer 2007) fans. By big, that doesn’t necessarily mean good. Anthony Clark, who is quite possibly my list favourite host ever, is with us no longer. Remember how Jay used to warm up the audience, and he was actually funny? Anthony made me cringe all last season. Especially after watching his show directly after Hells Kitchen (Fox, 3rd Season Summer 2007) which wasn’t a comedy, but far funnier. Replacing him is Bill Belamy, former MTV host. I’m not familiar with Bill, but apparently he is one of the worst MTV veejays. Not a positive step forward.
Also with us no more are judges Bob Read and Ross Mark. They weren’t the most memorable judges, I had to look up their names, but replacing them are Alonzo Boden. Check. Kathleen Madigen. Check. And Ant.... Does anyone actually like Ant as a comic? It seems he finds a way to weasel into every single season, and now he is back again. If I didn’t hold onto memories of when Last Comic standing was great, I don’t think I’d even bother with this coming season. Some positives however are that the audition search will be hitting up Montreal (Canada home of Just for Laughs), London and Sydney. With Canadian’s on the show, I think I potentially forgive all of the other horrible shortcomings.
The Apprentice (NBC Sundays at 9) saw another easy firing. Marisa the motor mouth was sent packing. It’s always a smart idea to cut Trump off a few times while he is trying to defend you. Nothing like pissing the guy off who ultimately makes the decision. For the first time The Arrow corporation managed to make a win. They were also operating a fast food restaraunt, a job which most of that team are probably familiar with. (No insult to the fast food workers, please don’t spit in my food!).
Heroes (NBC Mondays at 9) continues to tickle my senses in the only way this program can. The mask is off from Claire’s mother, who seems to have powers similar to the human torch. Or perhaps she can only shoot fire from her fingers. There are some warning bells however, I don’t get the feeling she is completely trustworthy. We will see how it all plays out. George Takei even has a slight appearance as Hiros father. When I say slight, I really mean 2 seconds.
I think I’ve tooted the NBC horn a little too much, time to move onto some other networks. 24 (Fox, Mondays at 9) went head to head again with Heroes (sorry, couldn’t help myself) and continues to impress. The episode wasn’t exactly heart pounding, but we did have some fast action interesting moments. Jack is now in the hands of his father. The mildly interesting operation at one of the holding facilities is now over after it blew up in their face. Seriously, why did it take the guards a minute to arrive after everyone started fighting? One thing is certain, Ms. Palmer is going to be pissed, and we probably won’t hear the end of it until someone takes her out.
There is an interesting new show headed for ABC from the creator of Big Brother (CBS, Returns Summer 2007). Think Big Brother, ditch Julie Chen, and add just a touch of Unanimous. However this time there is no clicking clock. Contestants could stay in the house for months, or even years. Here’s a clipping from Variety:
'While elements of the game could change during development, current format takes 10 people and parks them in a luxury mansion in which they live like millionaires – think servants, lavish parties and, in the case of the current Dutch skein, prostitutes. The downside: They have limited contact with friends and family, winning visits or time out of the house via competitions.
Whoever can last longest wins the house, as well as a major cash prize.
Because they get to live a lush life, contestants could end up staying in the hour for months, if not years. The only way players are dismissed from the game is if they choose to leave, or if every other member of the house agrees to vote them off during twice-monthly "firings".'
My thoughts? It has some promise, but much like Big Brother, it all comes down to the cast. If we are given a bunch of trailer trash, horny, douche bags, I don’t think my attention will be held for very long. The other major question is, how exactly do you plan for something like this? What exactly happens if the show gets cancelled somewhere in the middle. Do we just lock the door, walk away, and pretend those five people never existed. I certainly hope so!
BattleStar Galactica (Sci Fi Sundays at 10) brought Baltar back to the screen. After briefly dying, we’ve come to realize that Baltar is not a Cylon after all, but instead a chosen one. Chosen for what remains to be seen at this point in time. Apollo and Starbuck seem to have finally (crosses fingers) called it quits. Stupid love story out of the way, hopefully we’ll get back to the action as the third season wraps up.
Beauty and the Geek (CW, Wednesdays at 8) didn’t let go of my favourite team, Jenna Lee, but unfortunately we are still stuck with the less than loveable Ceci G. Who after terrorizing that poor puppy did manage to stick around thanks to Nate. This means the series if going to end one of three ways. The girl whose actually made an effort to change and even has fallen in love with one of the geeks. The girl whose a little dim, ok, really dim, but at least she has good intentions, or her. I kind of wish they pushed the girls a bit harder, because I feel like the team that wins should have undergone a major transformation, but I don’t see that from Ceci. And yet I wouldn’t be surprised if they picked up the win. I still crack up at multiple points through the show, even if my preferred beauty doesn’t take the title, all of the teams contain a decent geek.
What to Watch this Week
Superbowl, Superbowl, Superbowl (Sunday) is the biggest TV event of the entire year. Sports fan or not, 141 million views spoke for itself last year. If nothing else, it’s a fun reason to have a party and watch some pretty entertaining commercials. Sunday has become a big TV night recently, but it pretty much means all stations that aren’t running Super Bowl will be re-runs, so you might as well just give in and watch the damn game!
Heroes (NBC Mondays at 9) and 24 (Fox, Mondays at 9) may require setting of the VCR or TV, but you don’t want to miss either of these shows. If you aren’t fortunate enough to subscribe to any of these alternative viewing options, I say watch Heroes, and pick up the 24 DVD later. 24 is after all the best show on DVD, period. Sylar is heading Claire’s direction. With the looming main character death, and us now in the midst of February sweeps, lets all pray this isn’t the end of Claire Bennet.
Lost (ABC, Wednesdays at 10), returns to glory this week! We will be delving a little more into the Others minds, and exploring Juliet through the flashbacks. This has some potential to be one of my favourite episodes, or a bit of a wash up. My current issue is that I’ve felt like I’ve already seen a good ten minutes of the episode through all the promos ABC is running. I just hope they left some good stuff over for the actual episode. Make sure you set aside your Wednesdays from now on, because Lost is not going anywhere. Its about time that Lost truly makes its return to television!
The other big ticket that will be premiering is Survivor (CBS, Thursdays at 8) which might prove my point that the cast makes or breaks a show. This season has two hidden immunity idols, which have been reworked so that they are used right before Jeff reads the votes. I think the mentality is that people will be more likely to get an itchy trigger finger and use it when they don’t need to. We also see 19 contestants, which isn’t actually a twist, because this season someone quit just before they started filming and no back up was handy. We’ll also experience the very similar Apprentice twist where one tribe is living the life of luxury (for Survivor that is) and the other is in the slums (probably Trump’s backyard). Tune in and judge for yourself whether this will be a season worth watching.
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MeRob
Feb 11 '07 7:39 pm PST
The Race to $100,000,000 at the box office this year: Norbit? Probably!
Well, it's February, and there have been no stand out huge hits so far. But all that can...
AtownKED
Feb 11 '07 6:45 pm PST
The Sarah Silverman Program Pt. 2
Kinda late to be blogging about this, seeing as how the last episode came out last thursday....
doglikepaul
Feb 11 '07 6:24 pm PST
Vote for a new header for next month pretty please!!!
Well I just want to get this over with so if you can vote for a header pretty please with a...
ANBUKaptain
Feb 11 '07 6:21 pm PST
A genuinely interesting, albeit old, game, Manhunt is awesome.
On Friday five more games were added to my ever-growing list of games that I haven't played....
Next-Gen-Gamer
Feb 11 '07 3:59 pm PST
Desktop Sunday
Don't expect this to be a new feature. I just needed a title for this entry. Please feel free...
sng-ign
Feb 11 '07 3:12 pm PST
Classic cartridge cleaning
So the new guides guy -- who you all know as Andre 'Twilight Princess Wii Sucks Big Donkey...
Flash1103
Feb 11 '07 2:41 pm PST
I bought Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin today
Well since the results for the poll I had posted previously were overwhelming I went out and...
nehkid
Feb 11 '07 1:06 pm PST
Skill Stick Problems
I was over at my friend's place to play Gears of War. After a while, we had enough and decided...
backofthefridge
Feb 11 '07 12:35 pm PST
Microsoft, why hast thou forsaken me?
I own the following: Sony Bravia 20" LCD HDTV with 1 Component, 1 VGA, and 1 HDMI...
Mr.Solanky
Feb 11 '07 10:49 am PST
What did Nintendo do wrong?
Everyone knows that Nintendo is probably one of the biggest name in gaming. They lead the...
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