Mw3 Reveal

MW3=WW3

Yes, yes, yes...on with it. Okay, so I think many people have a lot of mixed feelings about the game so far. However, after seeing the trailer, you can't help but feel a little confidence boost, like "yeah it looks like a Modern Warfare, bet it's good" or something along those lines. Obviously, like all of the others, the game has tons of potential. And, hey, a lot to lose as well since it carries a fanbase larger than any other game ever. Well, "fans" in the smallest sense of the word, as well all know, considering the majority of people who play CoD play it only because everyone and their mother is on. I myself am proud to say I have been with the series as my favorite FPS since CoD 1 for the PC, the very first installment, developed by Infinity Ward in its fetal stages as a development firm.

So, WW3. I'd give a "wow this is so unexpected" but honestly with so much war, I'm a little battle-hardened as far as storylines go. The CoD game of today isn't driven by the single-player at all, but by the mega-saturated multiplayer landscape. As far as I'm concerned, if the game follows safely in the footsteps of Mw2 without detracting too much, they really can't lose. Sure, people are going to get bored, but the initial appeal will be enough. And you know that's exactly what they're going to do, not risk anything as long as Infinity Ward is hurting for fresh talent following the mass-exodus of Zampella/West and Company. They don't want to give Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games any leeway, I'd wager.

I do hope they have a more dynamic sniper situation. The last two games the overwhelming favoritism has been evident. The Intervention dominated Mw2 due to it's "flashy" appeal and powerful stopping power (while the Barrett was classified as "nooby" and less powerful), and the L96 owned Black Ops for an obvious reason, the snipers in that game SUCK, and you can't afford to lose any of the precious miniscule strength offered to sniper bullets. So yeah, snipers, there's enough of them out there, make it a better selection.

Assault Rifles, really nothing to say about them. It's the same deal every year, this is like the Wal-Mart of weapons, has what everyone wants and you can't go wrong.

SMG's, please not another UMP 45. Or AK74u for that matter. Or Mp40..
come to think of it, what's the last CoD that didn't have a largely dominant SMG?

Call me cliche for giving this game more light, but I'm sorry, I love it. I love CoD, I've always loved their dedication to framerate/graphics and independent-based gunplay where I don't have to lose every match thanks to a crying 12-year-old. CoD owns the market for a reason, Halo/Battlefield/GoW fanboys.

I'll be playing until Mw33.

This is interesting, planets more than likely outnumber stars:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/05/110518-planets-jupiters-worlds-space-science-nature/

Maybe some of you already took this as a given. I certainly didn't, whenever I hear "billions and billions of stars in the Milky Way" I think stars, not planets. This fact also broadens the possibility of inhabitable, or life-sustaining planets out there like our own. Unfortunately, one can only dream as space technology seems to be going nowhere within our lifetime, we can't even get back to the Moon anymore.

On a different subject, I recently stumbled upon the old king of Youtube:

I can hardly believe this used to be the views leader. You know, before Youtube became overrun with little kids,  bored senior citizens, and tween girls (You know, to give Biebs over 500,000,000 views). I hate to say it, but this is when the 'net had class, you know, true style. Especially considering Youtube, since when did it become this big mega-channel for mainstream music videos and other shit. You'd think MTV would've taken that opportunity first. I disappoint myself in that I contribute by regularly supporting VEVO by frequenting its empire of songs on the Tube.

Nothing ever beats the classics though. And hey, maybe Numa Numa guy's spirit lives on, through the likes of Antoine Dodson and Double-Rainbow Dude.

Summer Movie Onslaught

It's inevitable. The perennial influx of summer movies is upon us and I'd like to speculate a little on a few:

I've always enjoyed the Pirates series, as I'm sure many others have as well. Being the 4th installment, however, carries many ramifications. This is usually the point in any long series of movies where it either completely fails or is reborn better. As far as I know, the original director Gore Verbinski wasn't at the helm this time around, and this movie operated on a significantly smaller budget as well, plus the axing of Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley's parts. Nevertheless, it looks like it could be a fun turn into a new direction, and let's face it, Pirates never get old, whether they reach the Fountain of Youth or not.

This one looks like it will probably be funny, but not comedic gold. As far as I can tell, it borrows largely from the original Hangover formula, except new characters and setting. That's all fine, but it doesn't usually warrant the same reception as the first time around. I'll still laugh hard anyway.

I have some serious doubts about this one. Of course the plot and dialogue couldn't be worse than Transformers 2, so what is there to worry about. All you need is plenty of explosions, hot babes, and a lovable lead character. Michael Bay, has budget, will travel. To the dark side of the moon and back.

This will undoubtedly be a good movie. Now that that's aside, all factors point to this being a GREAT movie. Seems like it's only yesterday that the Sorcerer's Stone was released, with Harry being 11 at the same time roughly that I was. I have grown up with the movies, and they will undoubtedly come to represent something better in time to come. Forget the critics, the plots are enchanting, the characters easy to familiarize with, and the dream is there.

Another interesting movie of note is Captain America. However, considering the plethora of superhero movies  already available, I think it goes without saying that everyone knows what to expect.

Cheers, to another summer of popcorn and restroom breaks.

Random Week

First off:

Yes, I lol'd. I don't watch South Park much, but this is plain funny regardless. I especially love the "ooohh" "ooohhh" adolescents in the background, a regular staple in Mw2 search and destroy lobbies. We've all heard that before. And been a part of it...

Anyway, bullshit story of the week:

http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-06/yourtown/29517416_1_track-team-tom-davis-westwood-coach

I don't even know what to say about this. The state of this nation degrades every day, thanks to little crap like this chipping away at us. Really? Since when has shirtless men been a taboo topic? Anywhere you go guys have shirts off, and track practice in the hot sun seems like one of the most understandable scenarios. Regardless, the A.D. of that school can go eat a fat one.

It's Mothers Day

So what are you doing? As for me, my mom's in Denver right now with my Grandma. She's getting older so my mom felt it was a good time to spend a week with her.

So I herd you liek Blu-Ray sets

What's that, the new wave of full extended-cut sets return, fresh and ready for the battle of Blu-Ray? That's right, two of the longest and most acclaimed sagas of all time return, The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars!

Oh yes, were the original LOTR movies not enough for you? 3 hours didn't sate your appetite the first time around. Well here you go, pack on a cool extra 15 minutes of extended footage, turned into Hi-Def Blu-Ray by those magicians at Sony (hehe).

That's not all, it's also being re-released in select screenings at theaters nationwide. That's right, if the four bathroom breaks, kids crying, and prolonged mayhem wasn't enough the first time around be ready for more, and bring a diaper.

You can expect it to cost upwards from $50, mostly for that unnecessary bulk of a box containing irrelevant material like little informational pamphlets, advertisements, LOTR concept art, and finally the little disc actually containing all of the movies. Or maybe they'll make it 3 discs to make it look sizable.

Moving on, there's also more Star Wars to be had. It's been a few years since the last special edition box set, you better believe it's time for more. This time you get to notice the lack of wrinkles on Harrison Ford's face and Mark Hamill's lazy eye. Lucasfilm is ever flowing with new product concerning their flagship franchise.

I just can't wait to hear that grating, stringent THX intro for the billionth time. It's literally scared me every time since I was a kid.

Are these really worthy buys? I guess it depends on your loyalty to the series. For all intents and purposes, there's no need for any time to be added to the Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars has seen more set editions than any series out there.

But yes, I'll probably still end up slipping one into my PS3. So sue me.

Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is slated to release sometime soon. As much as I like the idea of a new Zelda entry, then again I don't. Looking at this trailer, there's obviously a lot you can retrieve. Firstly, it's cel-shaded. That in itself makes me apprehensive, I don't like the idea of another Wind Waker. I just don't like the cel-shaded style, period. Especially for this series, it pulls away from what is usually the best graphics on the Nintendo system of that generation (a la Twilight Princess Wii, Ocarina of Time N64). Maybe by using this graphical technique they are trying to recapture the magic of N64 era by means of a quainter style? I don't know, but as I said before, I by rule don't prefer it.

I have no fears about the soundtrack, even though they'll never top OoT. Never. Okay, maybe that's basically nostalgia, but I'm sorry tell me why I'm still listening to those songs every now and again. I'm not a Nintendo fanboy whatsoever, I primarily play Xbox, and yes I listen to garbage Rap and Rock nowadays, but I still go back to OoT. So GFY, lol. Lon Lon Farm 4 Lyfe.

Beyond the trailer, I didn't look for much information. I've truly gotten apathetic towards this series recently. The DS iterations are mediocre and uninspired. How much more can Link do? Who can even foresee an end to the games featuring these Nintendo legends, most notably Link and Mario. They've been around since the damn beginning.

If this game turns out to be an abysmal failure, which is highly unlikely, I say give the series a few years rest. Or more. If it turns out to be a decent game but not along the caliber of others, I say give the series a rest. Yes, give the series a rest. Everything spoils with too much use. Back on the topic of Mario, honestly who even noticed Galaxy 2 come out? It is time for Nintendo to develop something new, something they can roll with for a decade, and give these guys a break.

But hey, Skyward Sword is coming out, should be worth a look.

We Got 'im

So the sordid career of Osama bin Laden ends. Yes, I'm sure this is everywhere. Yes, we all know the details of how it went down. I'd still like to throw in my two cents.

Of course we have to be apprehensive about this announcement. There are many holes in the story, and the fact that the body was "buried at sea" and there is no video/images of deceased bin Laden or raid released as of yet, makes the story a bit muddled. So I take this news with a grain of salt.

Nonetheless, it is a relief, weirdly. This guy has kicked sand in America's face for so long now, he definitely had it coming. For those of you who are proponents of his fair trial here in the States, be assured he would have gotten nothing of the sort. A man who masterminds, or at least takes credit for, the murder of over 3,000 innocents has dug his own grave.

At least the raid sounded cool. Seal Team Six, moves in swiftly takes out tangos, neutralizes target, yeah it sounds like something out of SOCOM Fireteam Bravo. Yes, I deserve to be publicly stoned for comparing real life to a video game as if video games are the predecessors of real life. Regardless, the news that Osama purportedly grabbed a woman as a human shield gives me images of "Mile High Club". Alright, I'm done.

Rest in Pieces, Osama. Sharkbait, Ooh ha ha.

Sunday Recap

It's been a rough week. We did a lot of running, plus leg exercises such as squats and extensions. And I mean a lot. Plus, I strained my pectoral tendon so I have had to give benching a rest for the week, much to my dismay. Oh yes, I know, what a sad story. I figure what doesn't break you makes you stronger so hey, maybe I'll be pushing 300 Tuesday. Haha, yeahhhh, that's a stretch.


So I heard there's been a wedding?

Yeah, haha, I know no kidding. It's been on TV 24/7 here in the States so I can imagine Europe's having their fun.

In the meantime, I finished The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald this past Thursday. While I can imagine a lot of you have read it, it really struck a nerve for me. I could easily see myself in Gatsby's position, albeit to a lesser extent. Let's just say I knew (know) a girl like Daisy, and had some similar experiences. Damn, Fitzgerald, he was really writing to the point. It's always so interesting to me when a book set in a different time, different setting, can still resonate so well with you.

The cover art is gorgeous if you ask me. It really exemplifies the tone of 1920's America.

New Transformers Babe

I don't know whether to cry or smile. Yes, I did hear Michael Bay was dropping Megan Fox as his female lead due to her erroneous behavior on the set or something. Anyway, I'm still a loyalist for Fox. Cliche as it is, she's like the hottest woman in the world, minus the tats and stuff. And, after all, who else could bring that dynamic, fantastic Oscar-grade acting Fox possesses? Okay, maybe not so, but she does kind of remind me of Elizabeth Taylor.

So from this:

To this:

I guess it could be a hard one. What do you think?

Peyton Hillis Makes Cover of Madden 2012

Here's a story for reference:

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/04/browns_rb_peyton_hillis_to_app.html

In case any of you don't know, Hillis is a running back for the Cleveland Browns NFL team, and amassed over 1,100 yards rushing last year in his breakout season. In doing so, he also becomes the first white RB in a long time to successfully hold the position. Yes, astounding I know.

In all honesty, though, this guy is a beast and well deserving of the honor.

Hillis exemplified the image of the speedy, yet bulky and durable back during his 2010 NFL season. While the ending may have been a downer for Browns fans, they were certainly excited by the play of their star. It's not common to see a man with the speed to outrun the linebackers and the strength to beat down the DB's.

As a Packer fan myself, I can't be called out for bias on this one. No, Hillis is just a great role model (No arrests of note), and an inspiration for those facing adversity, especially in sports. He could have quit, being a no-name benchwarmer for the Broncos, but instead he used his trade to the Browns to make a new start.

Let's hope he continues to rise, regardless of the Madden curse.

PSN, Oh Boy.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8475728/Millions-of-Sony-Playstation-users-hit-by-massive-data-theft.html

"Tons of PSN Users Hit by Data Theft."

Millions in fact. All at the disposal of what appears to be a few hackers. This severely hurts the momentum Sony has had with the PS3 as of late, as well as almost destroys all remaining credibility pertaining to the strength of their online service as compared to Xbox LIVE.

What began as a simple shutdown of Sony's servers was revealed to be a full-fledged breach of their entire system. This is bad, really bad. Seriously, who has the resources to do this?

Somewhere, Bill Gates is laughing and uncorking a fresh bottle of Dom Perignon.

Yes, there is indeed a shitstorm imminent. It's only a matter of time before the lawsuits emerge, and Sony has to scramble to save its house of cards. Maybe they should begin development of their new system, now?

End to the Lockout?

The NFL has been issued an end to the lockout by a U.S. Judge. They are going to appeal, but as it stands, Pro Football is back in business, baby! I'm extremely elated, I hope it lasts, but really I don't see the NFL doing much after this.

It angered me when the Packers, after over a decade of rooting for them finally, go back and win the Super Bowl, then suddenly, lockout? No, I don't think so.

I think it's going to be another Packers year...

Smosh Pokemon II

While most of the recent Smosh material has been mediocre, I actually enjoyed this one. Yes, once again they're satirizing Pokemon, but hilarious regardless.

As I'm sure all of you can attest, it was impossible to find a way around the annoying trainers who stood like stones waiting for you to walk by. It was probably the only thing the developers could do to prevent trainers from speed-running their worlds, however. In case you didn't notice, the Pokemon worlds were fairly small, and the only reason the games stretched on was due to the fact that Game Freak forced you to walk every acre of the bastard: paths, paths everywhere.

After Rock-Smashing, Fly-ing, and Surf-ing your way to victory, however, nothing could surpass that adolescent urge to...do it again!

Nintendo On The Offensive

This was obviously expected. I have heard that Nintendo would most likely make the first move in the next-gen console race (more like casual stroll at this point), mostly due to their outdated Wii hardware. Microsoft and Sony are sitting pretty on their high-powered HD systems, while the Wii flounders in its sea of mediocrity and crapware.

It is kind of funny. It's 2011 and there hasn't even been any official announcements regarding new systems. Isn't this the longest timeframe since the 90's? It seemed to have become standard 5 years of shelf life for the systems before a new announcement, at least, was made. Maybe it's the recent recession that has contributed to video game publisher's fear of another 1984 video game meltdown due to an over-saturated market.

And, hey, maybe for once Nintendo won't release a gimmicky, kiddish little toy, along the likes of the Wii, GameCube, and arguably N64. Hey, I loved the N64 too, but I WAS a kid back then. Come on, guys. The color schemes and controllers look like they're crafted from a melted down Lego set.

Nintendo finally gonna catch up in performance? I actually don't think so. They've been riding this little niche for a while now, the kid-friendly wave. I guarantee it's going to be another next-gen slugfest between Microsoft and Sony while Nintendo once again sits in the audience.

Help Me

www.nyan.cat

I'm sure you've all heard of this at some point or another.

I've been listening to it for an hour and for some reason it's still enthralling. What is so catchy about this? Damn you poptart cat. Or toast cat now.

FML

Why, Rockstar?

I've played a lot of Red Dead recently. I beat the game within a week and earned the Legend of the West outfit in two days. Yes, it's safe to say I'm loving the game. Unfortunately, I have to deal with a little problem, however. That problem is John "Jack" Marston Jr., John Sr.'s bitchy little son who seems to spit out annoying one-liners as fast as a 12-year-old on Mt. Dew. Plus, Jack seems to think about his dad in every instance.

"Just how you showed me, Pa."
"My Pa told me how to do this one."
"My Pa warned me about women like you."

Oh yeah, the last one annoys me the most. (btw, in case you didn't know, *spoiler--John Marston dies at the end of the game, so you have to play as Jack), Jack is timid around the ladies. Rockstar games are renowned for their liberal sexual themes and gritty realism, and that includes the universal truth that people have sex, a lot. You could understand John's case, he was married after all. But Jack? "You're a little too old for me, lady." Jack, you're 19 at least. Stop acting like you're still sucking Abigail's tit.

Honestly, Rockstar. You make the western landscape swarming with hookers, and give us a forever-alone, extremely beta character to deal with who can't even make moves with GOD, DAMN, HOOKERS.

Plus, what's up with Jack's whiny little bitch voice? I want John's rustic, grating tones back. He's a real man.

Jack can't stop being a boy. You want ideas for DLC, Rockstar? NEW CHARACTER.

Please..

Hello, Folks

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I will be taking a leave of absence due to the aforementioned masterpiece. It is beyond good. That is all.

Poor Sonic

As funny as I found this vid, it really makes me think. Sonic started out with fantastic momentum. I can remember playing the Genesis for hours, savoring every moment as I passed through zone after zone. All of the recent games seem stale in comparison, and there is no real sales when a Sonic game hits the shelves.

So what is the root of the problem regarding stagnant Sonic? I will admit the games lack vision nowadays, they seem almost generic rehashes of previous entries. Unfortunately, I have no real idea as to how Sonic and Sonic Team could recapture his former glory and actually compete with the Mario mega-seller once again.

Sundays

Sunday always makes me pensive. It's a relatively lazy day, so you have a lot of free time on your hands. I spend that free time concocting some type of awesome scheme for life that usually gets lost in the confusion of Monday and then next Sunday I'm at base one again. I know one thing, though, and that is summer is fast approaching. That means about five straight months of:

Yes, another great season of football practice and play for me. Then I get winter to recuperate and gather my remaining brain cells, but that's another story. I've made great gains physically over the past winter, I've raised my bench to around 250, and that's pretty good for a skinny-built, 6' 2" teenager. I'm at 180 lbs. weight right now, from 155 in December, so I'm optimistic.

I've been playing Red Dead mostly. I go through many phases, and my chief ambition for the time being is to be a mysterious Cowboy. It tends to be a battle between that, a WWII soldier, and a member of the Italian Mafia. Haven't played Godfather for a few months, though. Black Ops has gone stale.

You guys play any sports? I played Soccer for a few years, and it was fun other than the continuous running that my Midfielder position required.

Battlefield 3

The game's going to be released November 2nd. I've got to admit, the graphics do look great, and from what I could hear from my dingy laptop the sound's good too. Digital Illusions is apparently taking Call of Duty head-on, and I've got to admit this game has the potential to unseat the CoD behemoth assuming that EA does its job and gets the publicity out there.

The game features DiCE's new Frostbite 2.0 graphics engine, so the look is revamped. I feel like the gameplay looks like a more-realistic take on CoD's High-Framerate style. We'll have to wait for the reviews..

3DS

So the 3DS was released on March 27th. The system is touted for its greatly improved hardware including 3D capability and an expanded memory cache. I really wonder if it's worth the $250 price tag, though.

After years of GameBoy, then DS, then PSP, I came to a realization: handheld games don't entertain me. I simply played them out of a necessity for stimulation rather than enjoyment. To be honest, any old iPod game today will do for me. So are handhelds still relevant?

I can't see much use for them other than to revisit old, favorite labels.

Impending Government Shutdown.

I think this whole thing is a joke. I'm an independent, but conservative-leaning, and I think both sides are screwing this shit up. The Republicans need to stop making this a big power-show, and maybe concede a little. I agree wholeheartedly that their original budget plan wasn't too drastic at all and basically a step in the right direction, but they didn't need to make it a virtuous struggle. The Democrats need to concede as well and stop being so spend-oriented. They already achieved their goals of the past two years and we have the deficits to prove it, so they could just as well have allowed for more of a balance.

In the end though, it's whoever gets the media fair winds to paint the hero, and the people are going to vote accordingly, very soon in fact. 2012 isn't too far after all.

Well...

It is snowing in Ohio. During Spring Break.

SPRING BREAK 2011 GREAT SNOWBALL FIGHT
Anyone?

But really, I absolutely despise this weather. Downright dismal.

New Old Republic.

Although I'm pleased the series is being revitalized, I honestly have my doubts about BioWare's handling. The character models appear so stiff and ungraceful (a la Bethesda), very unfitting for the lithe, incredible Jedi I know.

So I'm guessing they're going to sacrifice aesthetics for world size? Or deeper development?

Not sure if it's a fair trade-off. Especially when we're talking about goddamn Jedi here.

I think this could have been better, but funny nonetheless.
Black Ops is full of asswipes.

Just A Little Rant..

Thought I'd mention a little bit about Call of Duty today.

I know, it's a talentless game that has come to embody everything that is wrong with American culture, etc. Regardless, it is still among the more polished FPS titles out, mostly thanks to their framerate fixation.

Anyway, I think Activision execs need to be drawn and quartered. Their massacring the franchise, somewhere along the likes of Guitar Hero. A title a year, what is this Madden? How much more can you stuff into a game box. Why not include new content as DLC?

I fell in love with the series at CoD 1 for PC, and immediately realized it was superior to Medal of Honor and other competing franchises.

At this point, I think Modern Warfare 2/Black Ops are the climax of this hysteria. Mw3 will be the swan song, especially without IW.

Fuck you Activision.

R.I.P. CoD.

Laptop

Got an ASUS G73SW.

kicks ass.

Yo

I'd say Myspace has gone the way of Xanga.

Internet changes too much.