product review: Creative Inspire A200 speakers

When do someone know that they need new speakers for their PC? When your current ones break or when you can not stand the cheap speakers that came with your pre-built. Well you can say both for me. When I bought my pre-built Gateway pc 5 years ago it came with some of the shittiest speakers I have ever seen but at the time the whole thing was only 500 dollars and I was in save money mode so sound quality was the last thing I worried about. Today those speakers are starting to go bad but hell they did last me 5 good years even though they are not even shielded speakers I was saddened by their passing. This is the time for me to pick out some relatively cheap yet good speakers for my pc.

I had my sights on the Altec Lansing speakers as they are known for good speakers but unfortunately for them they were sold out everywhere. Therefore I had to settle for the same priced Creative Lab Inspire A200 series. It is a 2.1 speaker system priced roughly around 30 dollars, so it's not expensive at all but is it a cheapo speaker? Previously I have never had any experience with Creative Lab products but my first impression is that these speakers are very stylishly design, a contrast to the often boring Altec Lansing speakers. The speakers sits on a nice stand and itself looking like a miniature version of much more expensive stereo systems. Another thing I noticed right away is how big the subwoofer is. It's so huge it would not fit the side cabinet on my computer desk which is kind of disappointing since I visually planned this lay out many times before the purchase, and so now it sits on the floor.

Onto the sound quality now. The speakers are loud and clear although it might just be a sharp contrast of how shitty my old ones are. One thing I didn't like on these speakers is not only the subwoofer is physically huge it's also a cannon. What I mean by that is the default bass is so loud that I can feel my floor shaking, almost like hearing some dumbass with their bass on full blast in their car driving past your house at night...do you know that feeling? Since the subwoofer itself doesn't come with any kind of physical volume control I am stuck playing around the Equalizer that came with my sound card until I find a suitable setting. So this is a great annoyance to me, but other than that the speakers look nice and sounds nice as well all I need to worry is how long they will last since I have had no experience with the Creative Lab brand.

epic rick roll video

would have been a lot more funnier if the guy actually knew what is happening to him.

Chevy Volt Presentation

This is how America will sell the cars of the future.



I actually quite like the video.  Its nice to have a presentation that doesn't involve someone literally fucking a car.  Quirky music and dancing actually works really well.  I'd like to see more..

AAAAaaaaHHHHhhh skeet skeet skeet!

Bioware is one of my all time favorite video game developer, there is no doubt about that. They are perhaps the lone bright spot in the industry's current state of fail, and to my likings they have been much more active in current generation than their previous ones. With one big title after another, taking gamers to glorious adventures to save the galaxy or save the kingdom of Ferelden while siphoning their hard earned money. But hey they deserve it, with all these endless shovel wares I am willing to give my money to Bioware.

Just when you thought you could take off your wizard hat and robe after saving Ferelden, Bioware's upcoming Mass Effect 2 has been gathering more and more hype in the community and I'm on the verge of exploding in my pants. They have just released a trailer revealing the voice cast for Mass Effect 2 and let me tell you something I have always been impressed by Bioware's dedication to story development and voice casts but this is just ridiculous. Martin Sheen? Seth Green? ADAM FUCKING BALDWIN??? AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH SKEET SKEET SKEET!!!!111!1 I didn't know we are casting for a high budget hollywood movie here.

Game review: Dragon Age: Origins

It has been awhile since we updated the blog with anything video game related but that is because I have been in a foul mood. Everywhere I go I see endless shovel wares being sold for millions of copies and every forum I visit I see endless deluded console fanboys fighting over games that has nothing to offer but pretty graphics. The casual movement angers me and the amount of casuals that are playing games now and pretending to be hardcore angers me even further.

Just as I thought that all hopes have been lost Bioware swoops down and saves the day again with the release of DnD based dark fantasy RPG Dragon Age. So does this game live up to the expectation of spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate? Or is it just another casual release by Bioware to garner more fanbase?

-Story
no matter how casual a game gets but as soon as Bioware puts their name on the box you know that its a game with story that will have you dreaming about it at night. Dragon age is a well crafted sword and magic RPG with a rich back story and lively fantasy world that will have you remember this title for a long time to come. In the Land of Ferelden you will meet many interesting characters each with complicated background history from many races, and all in you will become a hero to fight in a cause to save the world. This is Dungeons and Dragons at its best, Lord of the Rings esque at its best, Bioware story telling and creating a world at its best...
The game starts with you picking 1 of 6 different races and then a class, nothing new in the RPG genre. Then it moves on with a unique origins story for that race you have picked, a few hours of game play to get to know who is the character that you have picked whats his/her story, whats his/her situation like. It ranges from being a dwarven prince to being a lowly elf slave, but everyone has their own problems to deal with. In the end no matter what origin you pick it all end up at the same place where you have to save Ferelden by fighting an impending attack from the dark spawns. Personally I did not care for the setting much as Sword and Magic with medieval fantasy setting has been done to death. However I can not deny the fact that Bioware has done it again with the story, characters and the world. I much prefer Mass Effect with its refreshing Space setting even though the game is a lot smaller in terms of scale compare to Dragon Age, but Dragon Age is an epic adventure none the less.



-Graphics
Bioware games have never been known for their graphic achievements except for maybe Mass Effect, and they have always opt to spend time on the quality of the game, mostly story and presentation. This is true with Dragon age as well, its not a very good looking game by today's standards but it gets the job done. Out of all the version its no surprise PC version looks the best then PS3 and 360. The setting is blend and gloomy which fits the dark fantasy theme, and characters are detailed somewhat close to Oblivion rather than the extremely polished Mass Effect. One thing about the graphics is that after slaying enemies large amount of blood will show up on characters' faces and body making some conversations and cut scenes appear slightly awkward.

-Game Play
on PC the game plays a lot like some MMOs with hot bars on the screen where you can put you skills onto. Character level up and will get stat points to spend on various stats and skill points to spend on their skill tree, so nothing is out of the ordinary. Combat starts like an MMO with all the point and click business but it soon transforms into the good old Baldur's Gate style tactical combat. You can pause the combat at any point and then plan the up coming strategy and since you will have control for all party members that presents a good amount of planning and playing around. You can also set behaviors for your party members if this gets kind of overwhelming so the party members will act according to the behavior sets rather than stand there until you take control of them. Bioware has gotten a lot of criticisms in recent years for lack of depth in their game play department. Most of are apparent in their Mass Market console movement games such as Star Wars Knights of the old Republic and Mass Effect. But have no fear, Bioware has been true to their words with Dragon Age, the game indeed plays like Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter nights. Its another master piece in their list of hardcore PC stategy RPG. So the game is hard and sometime overwhelming, but what is it like on consoles? Because the lack of some strategic advantages on console such as locked 3rd person view, the game is slightly easier and instead of hot bars you get to good old radio dial menu via Mass Effect.



-Presentation
Like all Bioware games Dragon Age is story and conversation heavy. But unlike some of the games this one does not have the good or evil paths, it does present you many different choices to have a conversation or solve a problem and they do lead to different results with different consequences. If the different classes combined with different origins stories weren't enough to warren countless replies then simply trying to see the result of one different choice will. Even if you don't replay the game for some reason this game is massive enough to take around 50 hours to beat. So take some time off and put on your wizard hat...maybe robe too and embark in the epic adventure to save Ferelden! And maybe get a piece of ass along the way, or two.

-Conclusion
So how good is Dragon Age? Is it really on par with some of Bioware's claims to fame? Or is it just another dumbed down game to the ignorant console audience? In my opinion Dragon Age is one of the best single player RPG in years, its game play and presentation surely will bring all Bioware fans to great memories of Baldur's Gate. It's an Epic game to every small detail as all Bioware game tend to be but in the end of the day I have to say it falls a little short to the greatness that is Baldur's Gate 2, however it does deserve the title of spiritual successor to the BG franchise.

Over 9000?!?!?!

Cats for Gold

Here is a great new way to turn that glitter into litter.  Do you have any old gold laying around?  Simply send it in a get some cats delivered to your door! http://www.catsforgold.com

Best Video I Have Ever Seen

This is the best video I have ever seen on YouTube.  It is truly epic.  Please watch the video in its entirety with sound:

What is Google Chrome OS?

Google has open sourced its new Google OS project today.  The open source Chromium OS webpage shows some of the inital designs for the new operating system.

Today we are open-sourcing the project as Chromium OS. We are doing this early, a year before Google Chrome OS will be ready for users, because we are eager to engage with partners, the open source community and developers. As with the Google Chrome browser, development will be done in the open from this point on. Link

The Google Chrome OS, will be an, "open source operating system for people who spend most of their time on the web."  Google posted a great video explaining exactly what it is they want Google OS to be and how it will work:



From the screen shots on the project page (Link) I think the OS looks really nice. Although you still wont be able to play video games on the OS from what I understand right now (other than games that can run on a web page.) But other than that it does look like it would be able to do everything you want it to do. The video game issue is a common problem to all Linux type operating systems unless you are willing to do a lot of complicated hacking stuff to get the game to sorta run.

Google OS Interface Screenshot:

The security features of the new operating system also sound very innovative.

Unlike traditional operating systems, Chrome OS doesn't trust the applications you run. Each app is contained within a security sandbox making it harder for malware and viruses to infect your computer. Furthermore, Chrome OS barely trusts itself. Every time you restart your computer the operating system verifies the integrity of its code. If your system has been compromised, it is designed to fix itself with a reboot. While no computer can be made completely secure, we're going to make life much harder (and less profitable) for the bad guys.

This will be something all consumers should keep their eye on.  Although in discussions with co-blog contributer XL, he suggested that no other operating system will be able to thrive as long as Microsoft is around.  Although I can see a market for the Google OS on netbooks that serve as peoples mobile laptop.  In those situations you want something light and fast that stores all your information on the internet.  I bet Microsoft is concerned about that.

I have read that there is already at least one netbook scheduled to be manufactured with Google OS as its native operating system.  I would much prefer Google OS on my netbook rather than Windows 7 aka Vista re-packaged.  You want something small, lite, and fast when you are on the go, not a dead elephant.

Big Bob and his cock meat sandwich not out of job..

Barack Obama, the US president, has admitted that his administration will miss the January 2010 deadline set for closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba.

Obama said on Wednesday that a new deadline would not be set for the facility, which still holds more than 200 detainees, but does expect it to be shut down at some point in the new year.

[...]

The White House has said that it will continue to push for the facility's closure, and is moving to repatriate some of the detainees who have been cleared for release, while seeking countries willing to provide asylum to others.

[...]

John McCain, a Republican senator and rival for the presidency, said the decision sent "a mixed message about America's resolve in the fight against terrorism".

"We are at war, and we must bring terrorists to justice in a manner consistent with the horrific acts of war they have committed," he said. Link

 Its too bad McCain didn't win the presidency.  I would love to see him line up all the prisoners from Gitmo on a tarmac and crash a plane into them.  I assume that is what he means by punishing the detainees that havent been found guilty of anything in a manner consistent with what they are accused of doing.  I love how it sounds like Sharia law. Ah-lalalala.

On another side note, Russia has now extended its ban on capital punishment, leaving America alone in the ranks along with North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, and Texas as countries that use capital punishment. Link  Remember life is only sacred if your a fetus or a rich white guy.

Ok, enough of my bitching.  I guess its just frustrating that the politicians who are supposed to fix things are pussies who cant get anything done (like healthcare reform.)  And the politicians who fuck things up can go all gang busters and do whatever they want when they are in power.  Basically if you live in America, you are fucked.

Dragon Age Origins Review By The Escapist

Hitler finds out Michael Jackson has died

Hitler finds out about the DSi XL

Droid review

Last week I went out and bought the new Motorola Droid. I was a little skeptical because it was made by Motorola and for the last couple years they have made poor quality phones. But it seems they may have redeemed themselves with the Droid, although at first I didn't think so. When I first got the phone it was constantly freezing up, throwing errors, and restarting. I went back to the store on Monday and exchanged it for another Droid and this one has performed flawlessly. (Kudos to Verizon's service, it was a painless return process and I was in and out in under 15 minutes)

So before I get too in depth, I'll give you the TL;DR version:
Its a great phone, the screen is absolutely stunning, integration with Google services are amazing, and the voice search is the best I've ever seen. On the bad side, the camera, although 5 megapixels, is slow and a pain to use, the phone is pretty heavy (not bulky), and the lock button is annoying.

On to the in depth review:
The first think that struck me was the screen, it is gorgeous. The thing that impressed me the most was when it renders web pages there is no need to zoom. The text is crisp and clear and I have no trouble reading it. If you do have to zoom (usually to click on links that are too small) you can't use the iPhone's familiar pinch motion, you will have to double tap which may cause you accidentally click a link. As of right now the Droid does not support multitouch. The screen also has a sensor so it automatically adjusts its brightness depending on the ambient light. So it always appears very bright, even when outdoors. You really have to see the screen in action, the resolution on it is amazing for such a small device.

However, what it lacks in multitouch support, it more than makes up for it with the Google voice search that seems to be built into the OS. Need to get to Pittsburgh PA? No problem, just tap the microphone and say 'Navigate to Pittsburgh.' Want to browse to youtube.com? Beside the address bar on the browser is that microphone, and all you have to say is 'youtube dot com.' My brother was over last night and was trying to trick it. He tried such things as "shamalamadingdong" and it actually found a youtube video, and it seems to be a song from Animal House. Basically you won't need to type much on this phone. Its also interesting to point out that you cannot use voice search if you don't have service, so it seems that your voice is transmitted to Google and processed, and not processed directly on the phone.

Which brings me to the next item, the keyboard. This is probably a matter of personal taste, but I really can't figure out why the phone needed a physical keyboard. In landscape mode, the virtual keyboard actually has bigger keys and I can type much faster on it. It also has the auto correct ribbon which is basically a spellchecker. So this gets a thumbs down from me, I think this hardware was unnecessary and adds to the cost and weight of the phone. (This phone is pretty beefy, easily the heaviest phone I have held.) The other buttons on the phone are lacking as well. The volume buttons are on the right side of the phone, have become accustomed to them being on the left side. They also have some wiggle room and feel cheap. The camera button is two stage, but also has too much wiggle for my comfort. The only button that seems high quality is placed in an awkward position and that is the lock button. I wish it was placed right where the USB input was. The 4 'buttons' on the bottom of the phone are not physical buttons.

The next item on the list, is the camera. It is god-awful. Not because I think 5 megapixels is not enough. Its actually more than enough for a phone. But the camera is very slow, taking up to 5 seconds to take a picture, and another 5-15 seconds before you can try to take another picture. I found that many times it is out of focus. When it does focus, the pictures it takes are quite stunning when displayed on the screen, so it seems to be a software issue. Hopefully it will be resolved in an over-the-air update soon, but for now I would take a standard 3.2 megapixel camera over this.

Making phone calls on the phone is a breeze. You can either start the phone app, or go through your contact list. Calls sound good and I have no trouble hearing on this phone. The only complaint I have is that once you dial, the dialpad disappears so if you call your voicemail and need to put in your password there is an extra button you have to click.

Some other things of note: the app store is pretty good, and the voice search is integrated so you should have no trouble finding exactly the app you need. The battery life is decent. Over the past few days it seems to average 6-8 hours under heavy use and a full day under medium use. Whats nice is that you can use a computer's USB port to charge the phone. The USB cord actually plugs into the wall charger, its a pretty neat setup. The music player annoyed me, there is no stop button, only rewind, pause, and fast-forward. So once you start the music player, it will sit and take up system memory until you go into setup and kill the process. The ability to view running processes and kill them is a nice feature. You can also see how much of the battery is being used for what. About 70% of my battery use goes to the display. So I'm sure that if I changed a few settings I could extend the battery life, but honestly I just love the screen too much to dim it or have it time out any sooner. The integration with Google services is amazing, It receives mail from gmail, messages from google talk, and remembers my preferences in google maps. I also downloaded an app so I could write this blog from my phone.

Rage part 2

Today's games are so shitty I always hesitate when I want to buy a certain game even though the reviewers might be jizzing in their pants for it. It appears to all the reviewers have all been dumbed down a notch as well. They all act like nothing happened in this industry transformation to Mass mainstream, that or they are afraid of angering mobs of 12 year old fanboys/girls who just started playing games yesterday. After all those people seem to the target audience now. I on the other hand am not afraid of fanboys, I have been playing games since the late 80s, I have seen the top of the mountain...and it is good. So if you don't agree with me then Rage #2. Metal Gear Solid 4

The first MGS was great, it had everything. Good story, awesome characters, good stealth play, epic boss fights...you get the idea. It was a refreshing game in a stealth genre that hasn't been really explored yet at the time. Then there was the debacle known as MGS 2, the start of a movie franchise. MGS 2 had so many cut scenes and useless codex conversations it was mind numbing and thoroughly broke the pace of the game play. Also there was Raiden, for most part of the game play don't even play as the franchises hero Snake but forced to play this obnoxious, homosexual, whiny piece of shit. Just what in the sam hell possessed Hideo Kojima to do such a thing? Then again Kojima always thought of becoming a movie director rather than a game director, and his ambition/hallucination was at full fledge with the release of MGS 4. If you thought MGS 2 was bad, MGS 4 is 10 times worse. Here is exactly what happens at the beginning of the game and Im not making anything up. A long intro movie, which is nothing out of ordinary and then when I finally got hold of Snake I walked 2, count it, 2 steps toward a truck and then another long ass movie. After that I walked from one end of a corridor to another then you guessed it, movie time. In fact rest of the game takes similar pattern, you walk from one end to another it and watch a 2 hour long cut scene. I beat the game in 15 hours and I reckon I watched at least 12 hours of movies out of 15. When do you say enough is enough? Apparently that question never entered Kojima's mind when he made this game. As result the pace of the game feels very choppy and any reminging of my sanity has vaporized along the ridiculousness of the cutscenes.

What's more surprising is the amount of people ready to crown this game as the second coming of Jesus, I don't know if its because they are ignorant kids brain washed by the mainstream media or they are just fanboys since this is a PS3 exclusive, either way MGS 4 has to be one of the worst game I have ever played. Worst of all the selling point to many people was the graphics and I thought it looked less than impressive. But since its MGS people were flocking the stores confessing their homoerotic desires for Kojima, and to that it just promises us there will be more MGS coming.

/Rage.

Biggest video game flops this generation? Rage part 1

Rage. As we move into the HD era I can't help but ask myself what's wrong with the video game industry? Games today don't have nearly the same feeling as yester year, all the games looks great but plays like shit. It seems what everyone is only concerned about how good a game looks in 1080p and a good looking game is usually being hyped to no end eventhough in some cases the game play has been proven to be below average (Killzone to Killzone 2). I guess that is what I am saying, when did we care so much about the graphics that none of the other elements which make a video game what it is such as game play matter anymore? This not only extent to the ignorant consumers but also the developers themselves, to which I can understand. Developers are here to make money so they will make whatever the consumers want even if its ultra flashy 1080p game that is literally a 10 hour long movie with 2 hour of game play....hmm they wouldn't go that low would they?

Well I can talk to no end how bad of shape the industry is in but for specific examples I will look at some of the highly hyped flops this generation in my opinion. So if you don't agree then I can only kindly to tell you to

with that said I will start my top 5 shit list.

Rage #1. Halo 3

I loved the first Halo, practically bought an Xbox for it. I remember having countless hours of fun on Co-Op and multiplayer, and it was one of the few FPS that I enjoyed playing on a console. It had the perfect setting, large, outdoor, planet that felt unlike any other FPS at the time which mostly had small corridors with predetermined path. It also had a good story whether you liked it or not, and the pace was right. It was not just another run and gun but it had the characters, the suspense, the plot twist...in the end it was more than a FPS, it was something much more epic. In coming Halo 2, where they scrapped everything that made Halo stand out in the otherwise numbing FPS genre and formed another generic piece of shit. So what made them think it was a good idea to have more Halo 2 in what essentially was Halo 3? More money. The game industry is rapidly moving towards mainstream media, its no longer a niche entertainment. So like all other forms of entertainment out there, developers decided to waterdown the contents to conform the idiotic mass. Therefore we have Halo 2 and 3, and it all worked according to the plan since original Halo left a mark now anything Halo is guranteed to sell billions.


In the End Halo 3 is mere shadow of its former self, the result of this massive mainstream movement. But whos fault is this? Is it the consumers fault for buying the shitty games? Is it the developers fault for wanting a bigger market? Or is it Capitalism at work just as usual? We shall see.


/Rage.

First look: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi

I don't know about you but when I see the name Suzuki I think of ATVs and dirt bikes kids ride on but once awhile I will see a very cheap looking "mini" SUV and say what is that? That is when I remembered Suzuki also makes cars. This just show the auto market that Suzuki has in the U.S., which is almost none existent.

So Suzuki has made a name for cheap cars with good all wheel drives in the U.S. that most people won't consider, but now they are ready to move to the next level and obtain more market share with the introduction of new 2010 Kizashi. On the exterior the first thought of Kizashi is very well build with nice slick styles that one would think it came from an European maker. In fact I had to do a double take since the Kizashi look so suspiciously like the new Jetta. Under the hood the Kizashi will sport a 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine that puts out around 180 hp with around 180 ft/lb of torque, and this is very much competitive to what the Kizashi's competitor bring out which is the mid-size sedans. Power is teamed with either a Manual or CVT transmission with paddle shifter, and the car will continue to have the Suzuki trademark to include optional all wheel drive. Whats interesting here is according to Suzuki it won't be just any all wheel drive in fact its an intelligent 4 wheel drive which you can turn on and off like something in a 4x4 truck. This is surprising since no other cars on the market will feature it. A 6 cylinder engine is also rumored in the works that is a good news since personally I don't feel including all wheel drive with a 4 cylinder engine is a good idea.

The interior of the car is also very high class like its exterior, which is made with all the quality materials. This obviously is a big change to what Suzuki currently offers but also stays true to what they are planning for the car. It is said that Suzuki is aimed to compete with the likes of Acura TSX and Lexus IS but how exactly does it plan to achieve these goals is puzzling to me. First of all the brand image conscious consumers in the U.S. will not pay luxury price for a Suzuki, so how will they compete for that market? Will they continue to use price as their means to gather market? But then how do they hope for compete with that entry luxury car segment with sustainably lower price? In the end they still have to worry about the brand image, after all Honda and Toyota had to change names for the U.S. since no one would pay for luxury cars from them. It has worked well for them as ignorant consumers still consider Acura and Lexus something that came out of Europe, so it will be interesting how Suzuki market this car. Personally I really like this car, people might have their opinions about how Suzuki is a motorcycle maker but they don't realize that Honda started out as one too and didn't start making car till the 60 or 70s. This is a big step for Suzuki in building this very good looking nice quality car for a change but they a lot time and invest to reverse their brand image in the U.S. than simply building one nice car.

Internet Addiction

Over at Boing Boing there is a good post about internet addiction that appeared on their site today.  They talk to a psychologist at a rehab center who tells them that 20% of all addicts that check into the center are now checking in for internet addiction.  Internet addiction is sometimes a response to other mental illnesses like depression.  The biggest abusers now are World of Warcraft players and Everquest players.  Surprise, surprise huh?  A typical stay in a rehab facility is around 30-90 days and the cost can be around $1200 a day.  But some people insurance will cover part of it, of course that's only if you have good insurance.  If you are a normal person they probably won't cover a dime.  Some things to look for as warning signs of addictions are:

Are you getting in trouble at work? Is your partner leaving you? Are you forgetting to shower, eat, and pee? If so, you might want to consider getting help. "An addiction is an addiction," Young says. "It doesn't matter if it's porn or the Internet."

There is an addition test you can take HERE and you can read more about internet addiction at the website maintained by the psychologist that was interviewed for the article above, netaddiction.com.

Some of the questions from the test are real food for thought such as:

How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet?

Id recommend taking the test, many questions may not apply to you but it may give you an idea what to look for if you have friends or relatives that may have a problem.

Game Review: Uncharted 2

Things are looking better and better for Sony's beloved PS3 going into this year with slew of big name titles and each has been proclaim by the next PS3 lover as the second coming of Jesus. But the truth is quality exclusives on PS3 have been few and far between, even the most hyped titles such Killzone 2 and MGS 4 turned out to be garbage. So is the PS3 ever going to live up to its hype or is the ignorant community going to keep on crowning every exclusive the next Halo killer?

Incoming Uncharted 2, one of biggest PS3 titles that I was personally looking forward to. The original Uncharted was a sleeper hit when PS3 launched, and it received alot of praises from critics for the graphics and game play. Thus it is no brainer for me to check out what the fuss is about and why idiots are suddenly calling developer Naughty Dog the best thing since slice bread.

-Story

Game follows the adventure of treasure hunter Nathan Drake as he set foot on pursuing yet another artifact. But as the adventure continues Drake soon finds out the power within the artifact as he tries to stop some evil dude who has a Russian accent and unlimited supply of soldiers trying to get his hands on it. The story is pretty straight forward with few twists that you can see from a mile away, but it also reminded good old fashion Indiana Jones which is a good thing. Drake is a likable character with his charm and sarcastic comments with other characters in the game, however cheesy it may sometime be but it does make drake and most characters in the game very life like.

-presentation

The game is very good looking, there is no doubt about it. Naughty dog has really done a good job in the visual department making this one of the best looking title on any console to date. Story is told in various forms of CGI like cut scenes, that is until you realized that the cut scenes are the in game graphics! In fact the game looks so good sometimes you just want to stop and admire the environment.

-Game Play

So this game is supposed to be like what Tomb Raider was, alot of climbing, platforming, gun plays and puzzle solving...well its both true and untrue. Yes there are alot of climbing various buildings, mountains, trees alike but they all feel very scripted hence there is no way to explore but the rocks are pointing to the direction you need to go. I feel like they could have been so much more creative in this department seeing as the amount of awesome structures Drake end up climbing. As for puzzle solving I could count the number of puzzles in one hand, which doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing if these puzzles are anywhere near to the qualities one could find in other adventure game such as Soul Reaver, except these puzzles are so uncreative, uninspired, a blind folded 2 year old could solve them. Gun play on the other hand feels very solid with third person view and cover system combined with easy melee its like copied straight out of Gears of war, which is a good thing. The gun play system also makes Uncharted 2 have a pretty entertaining multiplayer mode and that's also a good thing seeing as the game is only about 10 hours long.

-Sound

I absolutely love the music in Uncharted 2, it feels right with the type of game it is and the mood of the game. The voice acting in the game is also done superbly.

-Conclusion

Uncharted 2 is a great looking game and a fun 10 hour ride all the way to the end, but it is also a prime example of what is happening to the gaming industry today. Video games has gone main stream like all other forms of entertainment and so it has been dumb down severely for the masses. The degree of easiness in this game is just absurd, Im not asking it to go where games like Soul Reaver did with puzzles around every corner and will frustrate you to no end but adventure games like this could be so much more then just a pretty face. In the end Uncharted 2 has very flashy presentation but failed miserably with the game play that has no real substance whats so ever.

How to Rick Roll Someone

Here is a good explanational video on how to Rick Roll your friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmPmIJyi0sc

Unfortunately the embedding was disabled by the video poster, so please click on the link.

And to end the post here is a video of Peter getting Rick Rolled on Family Guy:



Enjoy!

World of Warcraft Detox Clinic

Competitive prices for the total cure!

Yawning Cat Enterprises is please to announce a new service to be provided at the beginning of 2010.  Yawning Cat Detox Clinic and Addiction Recovery Program.  The aim of this service is for concerned parents, friends, and other relatives of WoW addicts to be able have their relative or friend taken to a secure rehabilitation center in Eastern Europe or Central Asia to be cured of their WoW addiction.

We have been able to recently purchase several compounds located in the regions above from the US government at a great price.  We pass the savings on to you.  With our licensed counselor we make sure your WoW addict is cured by whatever means necessary.

Some of the techniques we used are all authorized by the US government and are not torture!  Our facilities follow all local laws and regulations.  In fact many addicts are treated more humanly than their employers would treat them should their dark addiction be discovered.

Interested parties can contact us for further information.  Space is limited and there is an overwhelming interest for this new service.  We will offer a 100% satisfaction money back guarantee that one way or another your WoW addict will never want to play WoW ever again or will be unable to ever do so again.

WoW Addicts and Cocks Machine

WoW addicts, more of a threat to America than terrorists?

I would argue, yes, WoW addicts are more of a threat to America than terrorists.  Its an addiction harder to beat that crack cocaine.  I have heard so many stories of people dropping out of college because they are so busy playing WoW.  And from my own personal experience I know of someone who no longer communicates with his friends except in unusual circumstances because he is so glued to playing WoW.  Its a sad state of affairs indeed.

The real danger comes from the games ability to rob America of its youth and to dumb them down into mindless zombies.  So in this sense, yes they are a bigger threat than a clone army of Osama bin Ladens.  Why WoW is not regulated by the government, I dont know.  Its obviously an addictive substance, in fact they have even opened de-tox clinics for gamers in South Korea.  The threat is real rather or not people choose to admit it.  I suspect that WoW increases dopamine levels in the brain to a high level just as crack does and crystal meth does.  So while at first when people play it it is fun and adventurous it soon becomes dull and repetitive.  However they cannot stop playing it because when they are not playing it there are chemical signals in the brain screaming to be fired by playing the game.  The repetitive playing of the game only re-enforces this habit and need to play it.

One reason I think people dont give two shits about WoW addicts is because they are locked up in their dark damp dungeons playing WoW by themselves.  They arnt hurting anyone.  But this sedimentary lifestyle is only going to rip money directly out of our wallets to pay for their future medical costs.  Furthermore to think of a the detrimental effects the game has on the player bring to mind serious questions of ethical behavior and intervention.

I know that I would never hire a WoW addict, in fact once I found out they played WoW I would just tell them to GTFO.

Now visit the http://www.cocksmachine.com.  I would especially intrigued by the Double Cocks.  This website is definitely a pleasant surprise, not what you would expect.

Practical and Dream Car Round Up Time

Today I have a collaborative post from all of our blogs contributors. The question that was presented before us was this: "If you were to buy a reasonable car today (reasonably priced not extravagant etc) what car would it be? And if you could pick any super car in the world (disregarding all practical considerations, price, and devaluation) what car would you pick?"

XL:

1. Today realistically speaking i would try to find an Acura RSX type s. First of all its one of the best sport compact ever build known as Honda integra in Japan and it costs around 20k if i can find one that is as they are extremely rare. With 210 horsepower and 150 ft/lb of torq 2006 RSX has one of the most powerful 4 cylinder eng ever without the aid of a Turbo, and it has one of the highest regarded 4 cylinder eng in Honda's Vtec engine. Because it's so rare that you won't see another one on the road. All tech aside its just a good sport compact with lux options for around 20k.

2. As for a dream car i cant decide since there are so many choices out there.  I want to go with my gut and say the E92 M3 since it's just such a perfection when it comes to sport and practicality. However we are not taking practicality into consideration here so no matter how perfect of a car the M3 is, it is out of the question. With that said it would be a no brainer than to pick the best super car in today's market, and that means the Ferrari 458 Itallia. It's not a V12 Ferrari as its ONLY a V8 but it puts out 562 horses and drives exceptionally well, and did I mention it does 0-60 in 3.4 seconds? Plus its probably one of the best looking supercars today. I don't even want to go into the racing pedigree that Ferrari has, it is a company that makes best supercars period. If you want the closest feeling of what a F1 driver feels like, than buy a Ferrari. You guys thought I was going with a Bugatti didn't you? Nope. 

JT Snow Ball:

1. I would buy a 2010 mazda3. of all the cars that are under or around 20k this one doesn't look shitty and uninspired and it has the most options for the best price. im probably going to go with the s sport with the automatic transmission. i have to test drive it first though. (Ah yes, figures that JT would choose Mazda 3, it is less common that the Civic and Corolla, and drives better than those two while maintaining that Japanese name plate for absolute best quality. Except Mazda still has a strong tie to Ford and its not really not that uncommon to see a 3 on the road, at least he didn't pick a Nissan Sentra. -XL)

2. As for a super car i like the look of the mid engine cars but nothing beats a big front end. id probably go with a Mercedes SLR. (Lol figures a car noob would pick that idiotic SLR. It's got the power, looks and that intoxicating V8 from Mercedes but this is exactly what's wrong with JT's choice. It's got an identity crisis just like JT's confusion what is the best supercar. It's Mclaren so you know it's got that racing history and F1 side of it in this car, but at the same time it's a big, soft, luxurious Mercedes. So its the opposite of what a racing car should be, light, agile and difficult to drive for a novice driver. So instead of getting the best of both worlds by combining Bristish and German in this car, its obviously got the worst of both which is the extremely poor quality of an English Mclaren motor car and the extremely soullessness of a Mercedes. Good choice JT. -XL)

my 2nd choice would be (after being heavily influenced by the countless hours put into Need for Speed HP2) the Lamborghini Murcielago. (picking just like an American, big Lambos are great for a straight line but murderous in corners, that's why they tried for decades and still can't compete with Ferrari. -XL)

Noah:

1. For a practical car I would pick the Honda Fit. Simply nothing matching is offerings for its price. Besides having the reliability of a Honda its new styling is very easy on the eyes. It is also reportedly has a freakishly large interior compared with its relativly small looking exterior. This makes for plenty of leg and head room. I also like how the back seats of the car can be completely removed turning it into a flatbed. This just seems beyond useful. Combine all these features with the high score it received in its vehicles cost of life and you've got a great car. Of course this is all not even mentioning the usefulness of its small size when its comes to parking and its great MPG. (good pick, I was surprised how sporty the fit felt and the interior room it has. It is a good hatchback to buy but I was shocked to learn it gets worse MPG than the Civc which has bigger engine. -XL)

2. For a super car I would pick the Pagani Zonda. I would have to agree with the television show Top Gear where it was described as everything a super car should be. Its extravagant, totally impractical and would be a horror to drive in the city. Its styling would turn heads and its interior looks like something out of a future domestic space craft. Couple these things with its screaming performance and in my opinion its the perfect super car. (Interesting pick, but at least you went with a true Italian supercar rather than a botched experiment of England and Germany that JT picked. The Zonda looks great and sounds great, too bad it uses a Mercedes AMG engine but I won't hold that against it because how well it is put together as a package. Pagani came out of nowhere and really put a hurt on Ferrari and Lamborghini with the Zonda, too bad it's their only car and given the money, most people would buy a Ferrari or even a Lambo. -XL)

Top 5 Count Down: Part 5

The day is finally here for me to finish this countdown, it has been a long time since we arrived at end of this chapter but I promise it will finish with a bang. It was hard trying to fit so many great developers into the top 5 without leaving out a few but to me all the ones that made it had changed the industry one way or another. This is no different for me with the last spot remaining however I feel that 2 particular developers both had huge influences in the same genre so I am obligated to include both.

Number 5. Valve/Epic games

Today the first person shooter genre is ultra popular whether on PC or consoles. It has many multi-million selling hot franchises around the world and also used as the measuring stick in many competitive gaming events. But before you had a scream fest with the annoying 12 year olds on Halo or endured another nadefest by some noob in Call of the Duty there were Counter Strike and Unreal Tournament. No Valve and Epic games are not the ones that invented first person shooter but like my previous posts they are the most influential.

In the case of Valve, first person shooters were a very niche genre at the time with the likes of Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and a online sensation known as Quake. But one thing in common that made the genre not very popular was all these games were run around in a place that resemble a maze and shoot whatever that moves. In 1998 Valve changed that with the release of Half-Life, it offered an amazing story based experience and for the first time players felt like they were in the shoes of an action hero ridding world full of baddies rather than just a gun and point shoot. One could say if its not because Half-Life then there won't be any story based shooter such as Halo today. Oh and did I mention some of the mods that were made from Half-Life such as Counter-Strike became one of the most popular online game ever? Yeah those are minor details. Today Valve also operates one of the biggest digital distribution service of PC games in the world with Steam, but personally I think Valve needs to go back and develop good games rather trying to control the PC market like they are doing now.

Picture of Gabe Newell, head of Valve and someone every PS3 owner hates. Did I mention he makes millions? yeah he doesn't care what you think.

In the case of Epic Games they were definitely not the first or even the biggest name at the time. In coming Unreal Tournament in 1999 with refined game mechanics, balanced game play and new game modes that were not seen in any previous online multiplayer FPS. But rival ID software has been in the genre since the dawn of mankind with heavy hits such as Quake arena that offers virtually the same experience as Unreal, but something happened that made Unreal grab more popularity from the maker of games such as Wolfenstein and Doom. Maybe it was the new game modes that was finally different from standard death match or balanced game play, it is hard to explain what exactly happened that made Unreal series the standard for online FPS and Unreal engine the standard graphic engine. Just thinking about how many games that uses the Unreal engine is mindboggling, especially games you don't even think about such as RPGs and action games.

nothing beats Epic's director Cliffy B aka "Dude Huge" sawing someone with a chainsaw rifle.

with waves of waves of new FPS coming out each year its pretty easy to say that it has become one of the most popular genre out there but at the same time Unreal and Half-Life still measure up many of today's top games with their deep history. That concludes my top 5 countdown of 5 best video game developers of all time, it turned out to be 6 but whatever its my blog so deal with it.

honorable mentions: Sega, Capcom, Konami, Namco, Rare.

games to play by Valve/Epic games

Half-Life 1/2 (and the various mods)

Left for Dead

Unreal Tournament 3

Gears of War series

Top 5 Count Down: Part 4

It has been awhile since my last post in this countdown of top 5 video game developers of all time. But with only 2 spots left and many big names still out there I had to take some time sit back and think about which 2 developers really made a difference in the last 2 decades to make it to my list. For 2 straight choices I had 2 big name Western RPG makers and now its time to go back where many consider the birth place of video games.

number 4. Square Soft/Square Enix

When you think about the big name franchises that came out of land of the rising sun, it is almost impossible to ignor the likes of Mario, Zelda, Pokemon etc, but there is another enormously sucessful international franchise that also started on the Nintendo plateform. Square started out as a publisher and was on the verge of bankrupcy until they made what was suppose to be their last game "Final Fantasy", but what they didn't expect was it became a huge hit and thus saving the company all together. Now I like a developer that is verstile in making different games but if you are good at something like really really good then stick to it and that's what Square decided to do with the Final Fastasy franchise. The main line of titles didn't become popular in the west until the release of Final Fastasy 7 on Playstation and people were immediately hooked on this Japanese style of high fantasy RPG. With that they also opened doors for other JRPGs to follow into the west markets, so to call Square an influencial developer internationally is an understatement to what they have achieved. The final fatasy series are all big on story, character progression, deep game play and flashy presentation, each title leaving you the epic vibe after immersing yourself in a fantasy world that seemingly comes alive.

There are 12 main FF titles to date with 13 and 14 coming soon and to be fair if you haven't played them they are not all the same game with 12 milked sequels. Each Final Fantasy has its unique world, characters, story and game play but they do share common themes and motifs. After Mario FF is one of best selling franchises in the world and is often viewed as the pinnicles of RPG games regardless Japan or the west, and no game can bring out so many fanboys/girls like Final Fatasy do, just look the fiasco when Square Enix annouced FF 13 would be coming to Xbox 360. One of the most be-loved franchise, most talked about, most epic whatever you want to lable FF but it does propell Square Enix to the top of the food chain. Oh in case you don't know Square also has some other very highly acclaimed RPG games that doesn't have FF in the name and that just proves they are not good because the FF name but they do know how to make an RPG that will attract people.

I am glad that Square stayed in a genre they know the best and now that they have merged with Enix second biggest RPG franchise in Japan Dragon Quest is also under their belt. Sure maybe they are a company that have not been taking many chances but the consistency they displayed on these FF game over last 2 decades is astonishing, therefore I have no choice but to put them in my top 5 developers of all time list. Until next time XL out.

Games must play by Square Enix:

Final Fantasy Franchise (why the hell not just play all of them assuming you can get your hands on the earlier titles)

Chrono Trigger

Chrono Cross

Kingdom Hearts

Dragon Quest 4

PC Unboxing Video

Today I have a computer un-boxing video for you.  The computer is from CyberPowerPC.com.  The ordering and shipping process was really smooth.  The order was also proceed very quickly.  There was however one snag that took place resulting in a couple weeks delay.  When we made the order the billing address was not the same as the delivery address.  Although an email was sent to us to inform us of this problem we never received it due to spam blockers so we only found out after contacting them.  However besides this one hiccup the whole process went very well.  Having used their customer service, I would have to say it is defiantly above average.  Also contacting a customer service rep while on the page shopping was very quick and easy.  If anyone were to order from Voodoo (HP) or Alienware (Dell), considering how over priced they are, I would have to say they either have a brain deficit or are stupid.  Probably both.

Here are the specifications of the computer ordered:

AMD Athlon X2 Configurator *Base Price: $385

-CD: LG 22X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Dual Layer Drive (BLACK COLOR)

-CAS: CoolerMaster Elite 310 Mid-Tower Case with See-Thru Side Panel

-CS_FAN: Extra Case Fans

-CPU: AMD Athlon™II X2 245 Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology

-FAN: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK

-FREEGAME_VC02: FREE GAME - Battle Stations ** Pacific **

-FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)

-HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD

-KEYBOARD: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard

-MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse

-MOTHERBOARD: Asus M3A76-CM AMD 760G Chipset DDR2/1066 SATA RAID PCIe Mainboard w/ATI 3000 Graphic,GbLAN,USB2.0,&7.1Audio

-MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)

-NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network

-POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts Standard Case Power Supply

-SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO

-SPEAKERS: 600Watts PMPO Subwoofer Stereo Speakers

-USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports

-VIDEO: ATI Radeon HD 4850 PCI-E 16X 512MB Video Card

-WNC: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card

Final Price= About $582 (Shipping was an additional $65)

Game review: Persona 4

Atlus is a relatively small RPG developer compare to the likes of Square Enix and Sega in terms of games that are released outside of Japan. Their main franchise Shin Megmi Tensai (SMT) is therefore a very niche franchise compare to Square's famed Final Fantasy series. SMT has many spin off series such as Digital Devil Saga, Devil Summoner, Nocture, and Persona, each having their own cult followings and Persona series being the most popular here in the States. Like other SMT titles Persona series is filled with heavy Japanese culture and lack in flashy presetation compare to other Japanese RPG titles that are released outside of Japan, but that's what is so refreshing about this series. Persona 4 is my first SMT game but I have long heard of the popular franchise from Atlus, too bad I never got the chance to play one until now.

-Story

Persona 4 like other Persona games puts you in the shoes of a Japanese highschool student who recently transferred from Tokyo to a little town, and strange things started to happen in the town as you try to make new friends, balance school work, find a part time job and trying to solve the mystery. I think thats about all I can say without actually spoiling anything, but overall the story is nothing like any Japanese RPG or any RPG period. Stories are told in some texts and conversations you will have with your friends and rarely cutscenes are ever used which is also different compare to other JRPGs.

-Presentation

The few cutscenes in the game that I have encountered are all animated as are rest of the game graphics. It fits the tone of the game perfectly as the game feels and plays like it was taken straight out of an anime series with modern Japanese look and some outrageous styles fit for an anime. The tone of the game is very lighthearted with some funny yet cheezy moments, and this is unlike the previous Persona games where the theme is much darker.

-Game Play

On the surface the unconventional game play is like a social simulation, taken the course of entire school year. Therefore you have to go through everyday on the calendar day by day as you go to class, make friends, get a part time job...oh and kill some demons at night.

As you go through you normal daily routine you will gradually increase your personal stats in knowledge, courage, dilligence, understanding and expression, depending what you are doing at the time. For example actually paying attention in class and answering questions right will increase knowledge and practice with your basketball team will increase dilligence. These stats are needed at points to unlock game events or simply have enough courage to talk shit to the teacher. One bad thing about some of these events is time will simply pass by where you do nothing, I would like maybe a mini game for the basketball practice or drama practice but you cant ask for everything.

As for the RPG part of the game you will go through different dungeons to save your friends and this is where it gets interesting. All the dungeons are formed differently based on that character's inner self, for example one of the girl we had to save scretely wanted to be a stripper so the dungeon was a strip club. All the dungeons are randomatized and you will have 2 weeks to progress through them. The fights are not random as you can pick wether to engage or not, and in the fights you can do your regular physical attack or summon your Persona to do magic damages. The main Charactor is the only one that can create different types of Persona and as all Personas come on a card it sort of reminded me Pokemon cards. The relationship you develop with others will determine how strong a particular school of persona you create and how good your friends perform in combat so social aspect is quite important in the games so you need to spend time and hangout with each friend.

-Sound

the background music are mostly J-pop which surprisingly doesn't get boring and fits the mood of the game well. The voice acting are top of the line as well and you can't say that with all J-RPGs out there.

-Conclusion

Atlus is one of the few companies that still releases their flagship franchise on the aging Playstation 2, but this game is definitely a good reason to turn on your PS2 again. With its refreshing formula and enjoyable story filled with down-to-earth memorible cast it is one of the best JRPG I have played in years.