Monday 24 November 2008
Monday 3 November 2008
Site Update
Status: Rocking out to my awesome new electric guitar!Now listening to
Song: Desert Song
Artist: Hillsong
Obsession of the Week: Guitar Solos/Riffs
________________________________________________________________
So, i've decided to try something new on my blog. I've found all these cool penguin pics that seem to have an action for almost everything, so I'm going to try using them as and almost facebook like "status update" thing. That's in addition to the lastfm music profile and new look, which was a long time coming. Oh, and since I always seem to be fixated on some random crap, I thought I might share it for your amusement in the status update above.
Also, I have a new hobby/challenge - learning the electric guitar! I wasn't going to pick it up until after exams, but me being me, I figured I wasn't going to study much anyway, so I might as well do something productive when I procrastinate. As is clearly evidenced by this blog. After only an hour or so, I already have a few chords down, so here's hoping that it won't be as difficult as I thought it was going to be. It has been said by a lot of people that those who have learnt the keyboard or piano find picking up the guitar fairly easy. I have to say, suprisingly, it seems to be the case so far. While my playing is indeed awful at the moment, it's not taking me long to catch on to the basic, so I think I should be alright.
Now, obviously I couldn't put up a post without some kind of witty nerdy link/video thing. I seem to have developed an expectation for myself, so here it is. I'll let you read the story, but for those who don't read and need things simply explained, a scammer gets comically scammed. This should tide you all over until I make a real post later in the week, where I'll probably let my fustration out on Windows Vista. Enjoy.
Wednesday 22 October 2008
The Dark Side of the Force...
So, it’s exam time again – the inevitable conclusion of the university semester. This for me generally means one thing – an abnormal and probably unhealthy addiction to internet reviews of the latest gadgets and youtube videos. This is not my greatest cause of concern, though. It is instead my increasing interest in Apple technology, namely their new Macbook Pros.
Before I continue, I probably should point out that I’ve never had a real issue with the hardware itself. Just the seemingly gimmicky software and “Apple Tax” that seems to go up with every release. My first experience with computers was with Apple, and that was for a good 4 or so years before I got my first windows laptop for high school – which spent most of its time either under warranty repair or being reimaged to “fix” the many, many issues with windows 98.
To demonstrate the differences between Linux, Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX, I believe I’ve found several analogies that may fit the bill:
First up we have Linux. Linux is like the quiet child genius who sits up the back of the class avoiding class discussion. Sure, he’s brilliant at school work – and does it quickly, but he’s in a class of his own. Nobody seems to understand him.
Then we have Windows XP. This is like the 40 year old man who still lives at home with his parents. No matter how much Dad tries to push him out, Mum just doesn’t have the heart to let him go. Sure, it’s great having him around to open those sticky lids on the sauces, but really, it’s time to move on.
Windows Vista is next. Vista is pretty much that overweight know-it-all that always sits at the front of the class and keeps asking those questions that just don’t need asking. Everyone hates him for it – not to mention the fact that he struggles to keep up in the 100 metre dash.
OSX is... umm... like.... Darth Vader. Stick with me here – Sure, it started off good and honest, what with its unique use of the mouse. Then it started with the lawsuits, iTunes tie-ins, and iPods and became bent on world domination. But people still bought into it, because let’s face it, Darth Vader was clearly a pretty cool guy.
As you can see from my heavily stretched and butchered analogies, there is an issue. Darth Vader eventually comes back from the “dark side”. Now, I have a huge problem – I like Unix. A lot. And this is what OSX is based on. Compounding the problem is that XP is too old and clunky, while Vista is consistently persistent in its lack of usability options and attempts (badly) to look like OSX. It also has way too many editions.
The main problem probably is that Macs are no longer just for rich idiots. No question, they are more expensive than ever, but when you look at what’s on offer in competition, there’s little choice. Either you pay a premium for quality and OSX, or you save a few bucks and get a perfectly good laptop and spend 3 days trying to get it to connect to your wireless router. Only to discover that the hardware on the machine isn’t compatible with the OS it came with. But it will in the future. Maybe.
Not helping is the fact that the MacBook Pro would probably give my desktop a run for its money, even on lower specs. I can also use the spare XP licence I've got lying around for those games that won't cope with Crossover.
With full time work next year, I will have more disposable cash floating around, which means that I will be in a better position than ever to consider the evil corporation bent on world domination. Damn.
“Every value I’ve ever held is being questioned, and I’m loving it!” Moss, IT Crowd.
EDIT: I'm not sure if this vid relates... you decide.
Before I continue, I probably should point out that I’ve never had a real issue with the hardware itself. Just the seemingly gimmicky software and “Apple Tax” that seems to go up with every release. My first experience with computers was with Apple, and that was for a good 4 or so years before I got my first windows laptop for high school – which spent most of its time either under warranty repair or being reimaged to “fix” the many, many issues with windows 98.
To demonstrate the differences between Linux, Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX, I believe I’ve found several analogies that may fit the bill:
First up we have Linux. Linux is like the quiet child genius who sits up the back of the class avoiding class discussion. Sure, he’s brilliant at school work – and does it quickly, but he’s in a class of his own. Nobody seems to understand him.
Then we have Windows XP. This is like the 40 year old man who still lives at home with his parents. No matter how much Dad tries to push him out, Mum just doesn’t have the heart to let him go. Sure, it’s great having him around to open those sticky lids on the sauces, but really, it’s time to move on.
Windows Vista is next. Vista is pretty much that overweight know-it-all that always sits at the front of the class and keeps asking those questions that just don’t need asking. Everyone hates him for it – not to mention the fact that he struggles to keep up in the 100 metre dash.
OSX is... umm... like.... Darth Vader. Stick with me here – Sure, it started off good and honest, what with its unique use of the mouse. Then it started with the lawsuits, iTunes tie-ins, and iPods and became bent on world domination. But people still bought into it, because let’s face it, Darth Vader was clearly a pretty cool guy.
As you can see from my heavily stretched and butchered analogies, there is an issue. Darth Vader eventually comes back from the “dark side”. Now, I have a huge problem – I like Unix. A lot. And this is what OSX is based on. Compounding the problem is that XP is too old and clunky, while Vista is consistently persistent in its lack of usability options and attempts (badly) to look like OSX. It also has way too many editions.
The main problem probably is that Macs are no longer just for rich idiots. No question, they are more expensive than ever, but when you look at what’s on offer in competition, there’s little choice. Either you pay a premium for quality and OSX, or you save a few bucks and get a perfectly good laptop and spend 3 days trying to get it to connect to your wireless router. Only to discover that the hardware on the machine isn’t compatible with the OS it came with. But it will in the future. Maybe.
Not helping is the fact that the MacBook Pro would probably give my desktop a run for its money, even on lower specs. I can also use the spare XP licence I've got lying around for those games that won't cope with Crossover.
With full time work next year, I will have more disposable cash floating around, which means that I will be in a better position than ever to consider the evil corporation bent on world domination. Damn.
“Every value I’ve ever held is being questioned, and I’m loving it!” Moss, IT Crowd.
EDIT: I'm not sure if this vid relates... you decide.
Tuesday 21 October 2008
LHC Rap Brings End to Universe, Doomsayers Rejoice
Ever wonder what those millions upon millions of dollars are spent on over in the Swiss scientific research community? Well, here's your answer. For all those people predicting the end of the universe with the switching on of the LHC, it seems these guys (I'm assuming they're scientists) really wanted to seal the deal...
Sunday 5 October 2008
R rated video games will turn children into rapists: Barnaby Joyce
I guess I have your attention now, right? So what would you say if I told you that a couple of Australian politicians were ignorant of the content that they pass laws on? Shocking, I know, but when a panel consisting of several Senators and influential community figures were asked about their opinions on the topic of video game censorship, it degenerated into what you see below...
Before I begin a whole rant about the stupidity of the whole stigma around the issue, let me first give two examples of OFLC censorship in action:
1) The last time I went shopping for a DVD (IT Crowd 2.0 - Awesome!) I stood in line behind a mother of several boys who could not be past the age of 11 - 12 years old. The youngest (around 8ish?) had selected a PS2 game called Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, that he was asking his mother to purchase for him. Note at this point that the cover has a large red MA15+ warning on it, and giving details of the content that the game involves. The mother proceeded to the counter with said software and purchased it without question.
2) The much anticipated "Fallout 3" was submitted to the Office of Film & Literature Classification in Australia several months ago to determine its rating upon release. The games was awarded the "RC - Refused Classification" due to its realistic depiction of drug use. The publisher changed the name of the drug from the real name Morphine to something more fictional, changed the animation a bit, and subsequently the classification has been reduced to the MA15+ rating for Australian shores. Please note at this point that despite the future worldwide release of the edited version, most countries have given the game the equivilent of the R18+ rating - 2 years above what Australia will have.
These examples are just the tip of the iceburg. People are still under the misconception that video games are just toys for kids, and that these games will harm them. Jack Thompson, a US lawyer, is a key proponent of this stance. Every time there is a school shooting, he'll come out and blame the latest violent game for the child's actions even though the child was too young to play it.
Which brings us to the point of example 1. No matter how much time Barnaby Joyce spends looking at Avatars who rape people (seriously, where'd he get that example?), the question still remains - how does this affect children? There are many arguments that can be used to refute an R18+ classification, but the ones that are used always revolve around children, even though it will be illegal for children to play them.
I myself believe that the R18+ classification is desperately needed. I no longer even bother checking a rating on a game or movie anymore, because it simply cannot be trusted. How is it that I can join an online game rated for adults, and yet get stuck listening to whinging 12 year olds on voice chat? The whole idea of a classification system is, in essence, to protect children from graphic violence and inappropriate content. So why is it that everyone seems to be opposed to doing just that?
I recently saw a movie called "The Bank Job". Those who have seen it will most likely recall many... "adult" scenes in the movie. It was rated MA15+ for "Corse Language and Sexual references". In my mind, sexual references are things such as a dirty joke, not nudity (which, incidently, I have seen on a rating before). Which is what was shown - had I known this before hand, I wouldn't have seen it. This, of course, wouldn't have bothered the lady in the video who believes that Bill Henson's child pornography is beautiful, but that video game violence will destroy our society. Don't worry - by her logic, if we keep pirating it, we'll be safe!
Our current ratings system in Australia doesn't work. It is flawed due to inappropriate guidelines for classification, and bad parenting decisions. It is not the Government's job to raise children - it is, however, the Government's job to inform parents of what they are letting their children see.
For more info, wiki has the answer:
OFLC wiki page
Michael Atkinson - most public proponent of the anti-R18+ rating stance, and solely responsible for it not existing. Also is the 6th most hated man in Australia, according to the article.
Before I begin a whole rant about the stupidity of the whole stigma around the issue, let me first give two examples of OFLC censorship in action:
1) The last time I went shopping for a DVD (IT Crowd 2.0 - Awesome!) I stood in line behind a mother of several boys who could not be past the age of 11 - 12 years old. The youngest (around 8ish?) had selected a PS2 game called Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, that he was asking his mother to purchase for him. Note at this point that the cover has a large red MA15+ warning on it, and giving details of the content that the game involves. The mother proceeded to the counter with said software and purchased it without question.
2) The much anticipated "Fallout 3" was submitted to the Office of Film & Literature Classification in Australia several months ago to determine its rating upon release. The games was awarded the "RC - Refused Classification" due to its realistic depiction of drug use. The publisher changed the name of the drug from the real name Morphine to something more fictional, changed the animation a bit, and subsequently the classification has been reduced to the MA15+ rating for Australian shores. Please note at this point that despite the future worldwide release of the edited version, most countries have given the game the equivilent of the R18+ rating - 2 years above what Australia will have.
These examples are just the tip of the iceburg. People are still under the misconception that video games are just toys for kids, and that these games will harm them. Jack Thompson, a US lawyer, is a key proponent of this stance. Every time there is a school shooting, he'll come out and blame the latest violent game for the child's actions even though the child was too young to play it.
Which brings us to the point of example 1. No matter how much time Barnaby Joyce spends looking at Avatars who rape people (seriously, where'd he get that example?), the question still remains - how does this affect children? There are many arguments that can be used to refute an R18+ classification, but the ones that are used always revolve around children, even though it will be illegal for children to play them.
I myself believe that the R18+ classification is desperately needed. I no longer even bother checking a rating on a game or movie anymore, because it simply cannot be trusted. How is it that I can join an online game rated for adults, and yet get stuck listening to whinging 12 year olds on voice chat? The whole idea of a classification system is, in essence, to protect children from graphic violence and inappropriate content. So why is it that everyone seems to be opposed to doing just that?
I recently saw a movie called "The Bank Job". Those who have seen it will most likely recall many... "adult" scenes in the movie. It was rated MA15+ for "Corse Language and Sexual references". In my mind, sexual references are things such as a dirty joke, not nudity (which, incidently, I have seen on a rating before). Which is what was shown - had I known this before hand, I wouldn't have seen it. This, of course, wouldn't have bothered the lady in the video who believes that Bill Henson's child pornography is beautiful, but that video game violence will destroy our society. Don't worry - by her logic, if we keep pirating it, we'll be safe!
Our current ratings system in Australia doesn't work. It is flawed due to inappropriate guidelines for classification, and bad parenting decisions. It is not the Government's job to raise children - it is, however, the Government's job to inform parents of what they are letting their children see.
For more info, wiki has the answer:
OFLC wiki page
Michael Atkinson - most public proponent of the anti-R18+ rating stance, and solely responsible for it not existing. Also is the 6th most hated man in Australia, according to the article.
Wednesday 24 September 2008
More cringeworthy Christian gaming...
Yes, this is actually real...
Also, for that extra dose of family fun, why not try out "dance praise"?
The only thing I can think of that is worse than this is that Left Behind games from a few years back - it was so bad that I got it for free when work actually threw them out.
Nope, I've found one better: Super Noah's Ark 3D!!! Yes, that's right, back in the 90's we Christians got together and thought that it would be a great idea to hack no other than Wolfenstein 3D into a Christian game. It wasn't even sanctioned by Nintendo, so they had to hack the console to get it to bypass the security measures. It was so bad, that some speculated that id Software actually gave the developers the code as some kind of "revenge" for Nintendo censoring the content in Wolfenstein.
I think this comment sums it up best...
"Jesus saves...when he shops at Wal-Mart!"
Also, for that extra dose of family fun, why not try out "dance praise"?
The only thing I can think of that is worse than this is that Left Behind games from a few years back - it was so bad that I got it for free when work actually threw them out.
Nope, I've found one better: Super Noah's Ark 3D!!! Yes, that's right, back in the 90's we Christians got together and thought that it would be a great idea to hack no other than Wolfenstein 3D into a Christian game. It wasn't even sanctioned by Nintendo, so they had to hack the console to get it to bypass the security measures. It was so bad, that some speculated that id Software actually gave the developers the code as some kind of "revenge" for Nintendo censoring the content in Wolfenstein.
I think this comment sums it up best...
"Jesus saves...when he shops at Wal-Mart!"
Sunday 24 August 2008
Wednesday 23 April 2008
So much to do, so little time...
So Mario Kart Wii finally comes out tomorrow, filmguru has gotten me back into team fortress 2, and I've still got a stack of uni work to get through...
Also, the stupid wireless gateway that Telstra provided us with has the reliability of windows ME. Why do my network games keep dropping out?!?! Right now, blogger's telling me it can't contact the server. Cheap wireless router /= saving time and money. Not to mention the neighbours having a crack at it.
In addition, my useless programming lecturer is 3 weeks behind in lectures, meaning that the assignment will be released late. Which means I have less time to do it in. Which is harder than the labs. Which I can't do. Fantastic.
/rant
Feel free to rant yourselves in the comments. Except for filmguru. Yeah, I know you had been on TF2 for over an hour before I got on this evening.
Also, you thought the microsoft internal advertising was bad. Check this out. I introduce you to microsoft "BOB". This briliant piece of software was rated the worst of all time, and is the only product that microsoft have ever canned after one edition (1.0a). Several elements of which even seem to bear resemblance to windows XP. This is probably the source of the most annoying features in the history of Windows. You'll also be pleased to know that it can be run on XP for those really keen. Be sure to check out the review link at the bottom of the page.
That's it for now. Later.
Also, the stupid wireless gateway that Telstra provided us with has the reliability of windows ME. Why do my network games keep dropping out?!?! Right now, blogger's telling me it can't contact the server. Cheap wireless router /= saving time and money. Not to mention the neighbours having a crack at it.
In addition, my useless programming lecturer is 3 weeks behind in lectures, meaning that the assignment will be released late. Which means I have less time to do it in. Which is harder than the labs. Which I can't do. Fantastic.
/rant
Feel free to rant yourselves in the comments. Except for filmguru. Yeah, I know you had been on TF2 for over an hour before I got on this evening.
Also, you thought the microsoft internal advertising was bad. Check this out. I introduce you to microsoft "BOB". This briliant piece of software was rated the worst of all time, and is the only product that microsoft have ever canned after one edition (1.0a). Several elements of which even seem to bear resemblance to windows XP. This is probably the source of the most annoying features in the history of Windows. You'll also be pleased to know that it can be run on XP for those really keen. Be sure to check out the review link at the bottom of the page.
That's it for now. Later.
Thursday 17 April 2008
Microsoft internal advertising vid
I want to burn my eyes out... or buy a mac or something after watching this.
Tuesday 18 March 2008
News, News and more news...
Ok, maybe not, but at least I'm trying for once. By the way, I've got a week's break comming up, so if I can fit it in around moving house, I'll try and fix up the site template a bit so the images actually work...
I did promise news, so I guess I'd better provide. If you head across to eb games australian website, you will probably notice a few minor changes once you look around. For a start, we have an official release date for Wii Mario Kart - 24/04/2008. Bad news is that Brawl has been confirmed for June 2008, with no official day listed. Kinda crap, really, considering the game will have been available in Japan for more then 4 months by then.
Also, a bit on the unofficial side - well, actually a lot on the unofficial side, 'cause I don't even know who the source is. That is, I know what the source does, but have never met them. Make sense? Rumour has it that the Apple iPhone is being planned for release by Telstra in Australia some time this year. A friend of a friend, and all that crap. To be honest, it's the kind of info you could probably just make up and still probably get right, but it makes my blog feel that bit more authentic when you've got a hidden source. Despite the slight (ok, huge) flaw in the reliability, it's probably true. Feel free to guess away as to whether there will be an iPhone v2.0 with 3G, or whether Telstra will get screwed with edge.
So if I suddenly disapear, you'll know that Steve has sent Apple legal to "deal" with me :P
In terms of Apple - why can I not update to 1.1.4 of iPod Touch firmware? I've downloaded it 4 times now, and when it finishes downloading, it says "network timeout error" or some such crap and then itunes craps itself. What's with that?
Anyway, that should keep you update vultures off my back for a while :P
EDIT: And for all you nerdy arty types out there who want a change in windows decorations, check this out.
I did promise news, so I guess I'd better provide. If you head across to eb games australian website, you will probably notice a few minor changes once you look around. For a start, we have an official release date for Wii Mario Kart - 24/04/2008. Bad news is that Brawl has been confirmed for June 2008, with no official day listed. Kinda crap, really, considering the game will have been available in Japan for more then 4 months by then.
Also, a bit on the unofficial side - well, actually a lot on the unofficial side, 'cause I don't even know who the source is. That is, I know what the source does, but have never met them. Make sense? Rumour has it that the Apple iPhone is being planned for release by Telstra in Australia some time this year. A friend of a friend, and all that crap. To be honest, it's the kind of info you could probably just make up and still probably get right, but it makes my blog feel that bit more authentic when you've got a hidden source. Despite the slight (ok, huge) flaw in the reliability, it's probably true. Feel free to guess away as to whether there will be an iPhone v2.0 with 3G, or whether Telstra will get screwed with edge.
So if I suddenly disapear, you'll know that Steve has sent Apple legal to "deal" with me :P
In terms of Apple - why can I not update to 1.1.4 of iPod Touch firmware? I've downloaded it 4 times now, and when it finishes downloading, it says "network timeout error" or some such crap and then itunes craps itself. What's with that?
Anyway, that should keep you update vultures off my back for a while :P
EDIT: And for all you nerdy arty types out there who want a change in windows decorations, check this out.
Thursday 6 March 2008
First off, here's a little insight as to the reasons NOT to censor internet traffic. It doesn't work. Period.
While governments around the world try to regulate internet access by enforcing ISP level filtering, Pakistan has taken it to a whole new extreme. It seems that the government decided that the content of youtube was too blasphemous to bear, and so had the country's largest ISP block access to it. Problem being, is that they simply redirected traffic to one of their own servers containing a more "appropriate" website.
So now you have the world's busiest website being redirected to some outdated computer server in the back room of a Pakistani ISP. What followed was what is know as a "Denial of Service", or DoS attack. There was so many requests for youtube that it crippled the ISP to the point where they had to be taken off the internet. From what I understand from the link above, they also managed to make youtube entirely disappear from the internet for an hour or so.
Also, in other news, I have just found that palgn have the much awaited smash bros brawl listed as a 9/07/2008 (Postponed) release. I swear I should have just imported a Japanese console. That makes the release MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER JAPAN!!!
Meanwhile Wii Mario Kart is down for a 1/5/2008 release date on the same site. Guess I'm glad I also own a 360, then. For those that are interested, Wii Fit is down for 28/5/2008.
I think Nintendo need to lift their game a bit. More and more consoles are being sold on ebay, for the simple reason that there's no games for it. If they don't bring some more stuff out soon, they'll find those console shortages will clear right up. Super Mario Galaxy is a brilliant games, but it does not have infinite replay ability.
Anyway, hopefully we'll see those games soonish.
While governments around the world try to regulate internet access by enforcing ISP level filtering, Pakistan has taken it to a whole new extreme. It seems that the government decided that the content of youtube was too blasphemous to bear, and so had the country's largest ISP block access to it. Problem being, is that they simply redirected traffic to one of their own servers containing a more "appropriate" website.
So now you have the world's busiest website being redirected to some outdated computer server in the back room of a Pakistani ISP. What followed was what is know as a "Denial of Service", or DoS attack. There was so many requests for youtube that it crippled the ISP to the point where they had to be taken off the internet. From what I understand from the link above, they also managed to make youtube entirely disappear from the internet for an hour or so.
Also, in other news, I have just found that palgn have the much awaited smash bros brawl listed as a 9/07/2008 (Postponed) release. I swear I should have just imported a Japanese console. That makes the release MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER JAPAN!!!
Meanwhile Wii Mario Kart is down for a 1/5/2008 release date on the same site. Guess I'm glad I also own a 360, then. For those that are interested, Wii Fit is down for 28/5/2008.
I think Nintendo need to lift their game a bit. More and more consoles are being sold on ebay, for the simple reason that there's no games for it. If they don't bring some more stuff out soon, they'll find those console shortages will clear right up. Super Mario Galaxy is a brilliant games, but it does not have infinite replay ability.
Anyway, hopefully we'll see those games soonish.
Monday 25 February 2008
June 6 for European version of Brawl
"June 6 for European version of Brawl
This had better not be true. Take note, we are part of the European release cycle. How hard is it to print a CD for crying out loud? Microsoft managed to get Halo 3 out on a world-wide release schedule, make a record profit, and still have LE copies spare. What the hell, Nintendo? Where's Brawl for Australia?
It's been out for nearly a month in Japan, and 1 million copies sold. Heck, mail me an "iso" and I'll do it myself. If my run of the mill DVD burner can burn DVDs within 1/2 hour, surely manufacturers can do better printing the discs?
While this week's "Disney Princess: Rainbow Peach" release has been long anticipated by the gaming community, I doubt this will hold off the tidal wave of annoyed Nintendo customers who have currently paid $400 for a virtual game of tennis.
Linky
In other gaming news, according to palgn (the site linked above), the PS2 is still to see new game releases well into May. That's 14 months after the release of the PS3. Goes to show you can't have everything - "but it's got Bluray & 14 cpu core & replaceable hdd!". Why would game developers bother with that when they can still make more money off a console that has a huge support base?
Wow, just snuck another post in before the end of the month.
Wiiz.fr is reporting that Super Smash Bros Brawl which was released earlier this month in Japan and will be out next month in America, will be out in Europe on June the 6th.
Apparently Nintendo Europe made the announcement at the Micromania Games Awards. Nintendo Australia still has not revealed a release date for the Australian edition of the game, we'll let you know when they do.
UPDATE: Speaking to VideoGamer.com, Nintendo UK quashed the suggested release date, saying: "This is a rumour and purely speculative. Nintendo is yet to confirm any release dates for Smash Bros." "
Apparently Nintendo Europe made the announcement at the Micromania Games Awards. Nintendo Australia still has not revealed a release date for the Australian edition of the game, we'll let you know when they do.
UPDATE: Speaking to VideoGamer.com, Nintendo UK quashed the suggested release date, saying: "This is a rumour and purely speculative. Nintendo is yet to confirm any release dates for Smash Bros." "
This had better not be true. Take note, we are part of the European release cycle. How hard is it to print a CD for crying out loud? Microsoft managed to get Halo 3 out on a world-wide release schedule, make a record profit, and still have LE copies spare. What the hell, Nintendo? Where's Brawl for Australia?
It's been out for nearly a month in Japan, and 1 million copies sold. Heck, mail me an "iso" and I'll do it myself. If my run of the mill DVD burner can burn DVDs within 1/2 hour, surely manufacturers can do better printing the discs?
While this week's "Disney Princess: Rainbow Peach" release has been long anticipated by the gaming community, I doubt this will hold off the tidal wave of annoyed Nintendo customers who have currently paid $400 for a virtual game of tennis.
Linky
In other gaming news, according to palgn (the site linked above), the PS2 is still to see new game releases well into May. That's 14 months after the release of the PS3. Goes to show you can't have everything - "but it's got Bluray & 14 cpu core & replaceable hdd!". Why would game developers bother with that when they can still make more money off a console that has a huge support base?
Wow, just snuck another post in before the end of the month.
Sunday 17 February 2008
It's been awhile...
Ok, so it's been, like, what, a month since I last posted anything? I don't know whether I, or anyone else, for that matter, can be bothered mainaining this blog for much longer, but for the hell of it I'll give y'all another post.
So, what's happened in the last month?
The Australia federal government officially apologised to the indigenous Australians for the "Stolen Generations", amongst other things. While I don't agree with apologising for the stolen generations in general, I do have to admit in some circumstances that Aborigonal children were taken from their homes without cause. In most instances, though, I believe that these occurances were no different to the Department of Children's Services taking children from dangerous living conditions. As for it never happening again? I think there's a problem with that. Parents that abuse their children should lose custody of them, no matter what race, creed or culture. Just sit back and wait for the lawsuits.
On the other hand, there is cause for apology based on other conditions the Aboriginal people endured, and that's an apology I support.
Anyway, I'm still waiting for Kevin Rudd to make a policy decision that does more than boost his approval ratings.
Enough of politics? Well, I bought an Apple branded product in the iPod Touch. I actually like it too.
A few good movies have come out. The Nintendo Wii game drought continues - PAL regions are still to see Brawl. It has now been pushed back to early March. What the hell?!?! Japan's been playing it since early Febuary!!! EB Games still don't know when the release will be.
In other news, it looks like the HD movie war has come to an abrupt (but not entirely unexpected) end. The internets are abuzz with rumor and speculation that Toshiba will dump HDDVD by week's end. This comes after Warner Bros defected for Bluray, and a large number of retail and rental giants in the US removed HDDVD from their shelves. While at the moment it is still unconfirmed, this news does come from a large Japanese media outlet, which makes the rumor 99% possibly true. Looks like I can finaly buy into that HD hype now without fear of throwing away hard earned cash.
Anyway, that'll do for now. I'll probably catch you all next month.
So, what's happened in the last month?
The Australia federal government officially apologised to the indigenous Australians for the "Stolen Generations", amongst other things. While I don't agree with apologising for the stolen generations in general, I do have to admit in some circumstances that Aborigonal children were taken from their homes without cause. In most instances, though, I believe that these occurances were no different to the Department of Children's Services taking children from dangerous living conditions. As for it never happening again? I think there's a problem with that. Parents that abuse their children should lose custody of them, no matter what race, creed or culture. Just sit back and wait for the lawsuits.
On the other hand, there is cause for apology based on other conditions the Aboriginal people endured, and that's an apology I support.
Anyway, I'm still waiting for Kevin Rudd to make a policy decision that does more than boost his approval ratings.
Enough of politics? Well, I bought an Apple branded product in the iPod Touch. I actually like it too.
A few good movies have come out. The Nintendo Wii game drought continues - PAL regions are still to see Brawl. It has now been pushed back to early March. What the hell?!?! Japan's been playing it since early Febuary!!! EB Games still don't know when the release will be.
In other news, it looks like the HD movie war has come to an abrupt (but not entirely unexpected) end. The internets are abuzz with rumor and speculation that Toshiba will dump HDDVD by week's end. This comes after Warner Bros defected for Bluray, and a large number of retail and rental giants in the US removed HDDVD from their shelves. While at the moment it is still unconfirmed, this news does come from a large Japanese media outlet, which makes the rumor 99% possibly true. Looks like I can finaly buy into that HD hype now without fear of throwing away hard earned cash.
Anyway, that'll do for now. I'll probably catch you all next month.
Wednesday 16 January 2008
Macworld 2008
Ok, so I'm more of a linux and windows nerd, but I wouldn't be a true nerd without keeping up with Macworld. If nothing else, it's something to laugh at.
They have some great new updates for the iPhone. Considering my $120 Nokia had the ability to send multiple SMS 4 years ago, what made Apple think this was an amazing new feature?
Also, what I found truely hilarious, they have decided to give the ipod touch users the apps they've been demanding since release - you know, the same ones on the iPhone. They've updated it for free on all new touch purchases, but are charging $20 for them for existing owners. What the hell?!?! Steve said just minutes before that it uses the exact same software. Why charge for something that has already been writen for the iPhone?
The new maps thing is alright, but probably is useless in australia, since we have no free wireless hotspots
But, I do have to admit that the Apple TV Take 2 has been properly fixed. It seems that you now don't need a computer to connect it to - everything can be done through the box itself. Aside from the lack of divx and other popular formats, it is a decent system. Even better, it's a HD device.
BUT, the most increadible thing that happened, was the amazing anouncement that the new "Family Guy" Blue Harvest DVD will come with a digital copy for the ipod. FREE OF CHARGE!!! It's about freaking time!!
Also, they announced the new laptop "Air". Looks good, but starting at $2500, it's REALLY expensive. Dare I say it, it's a marvel of modern technology. The only thing they seem to have compromised on is cd/dvd drive. Even then, they've made it possible to use a desktop drive through a network. I usually hate Apple and their gimicky products, but this is amazing. I'm speechless. It is the ideal laptop for business. And it even gets 5 HOURS BATTERY LIFE!!! They've even thought of the environmental impact of the machine. I neven thought I would be anywhere near as impressed by an Apple product as by this machine.
Just let it be known that it takes an awful lot for me to wonder anywhere near the "dark side", but this has got me close.
Anyway, thankfully it's expensive, which should keep me from any meanderings to the Apple stores anywhere in the near future.
So, that was Macworld. If it weren't for the Air, I would be regretting the waste of bandwidth the video was. Not to mention how the audio kept dropping out. Stupid quicktime. Feel free to discuss.
They have some great new updates for the iPhone. Considering my $120 Nokia had the ability to send multiple SMS 4 years ago, what made Apple think this was an amazing new feature?
Also, what I found truely hilarious, they have decided to give the ipod touch users the apps they've been demanding since release - you know, the same ones on the iPhone. They've updated it for free on all new touch purchases, but are charging $20 for them for existing owners. What the hell?!?! Steve said just minutes before that it uses the exact same software. Why charge for something that has already been writen for the iPhone?
The new maps thing is alright, but probably is useless in australia, since we have no free wireless hotspots
But, I do have to admit that the Apple TV Take 2 has been properly fixed. It seems that you now don't need a computer to connect it to - everything can be done through the box itself. Aside from the lack of divx and other popular formats, it is a decent system. Even better, it's a HD device.
BUT, the most increadible thing that happened, was the amazing anouncement that the new "Family Guy" Blue Harvest DVD will come with a digital copy for the ipod. FREE OF CHARGE!!! It's about freaking time!!
Also, they announced the new laptop "Air". Looks good, but starting at $2500, it's REALLY expensive. Dare I say it, it's a marvel of modern technology. The only thing they seem to have compromised on is cd/dvd drive. Even then, they've made it possible to use a desktop drive through a network. I usually hate Apple and their gimicky products, but this is amazing. I'm speechless. It is the ideal laptop for business. And it even gets 5 HOURS BATTERY LIFE!!! They've even thought of the environmental impact of the machine. I neven thought I would be anywhere near as impressed by an Apple product as by this machine.Just let it be known that it takes an awful lot for me to wonder anywhere near the "dark side", but this has got me close.
Anyway, thankfully it's expensive, which should keep me from any meanderings to the Apple stores anywhere in the near future.
So, that was Macworld. If it weren't for the Air, I would be regretting the waste of bandwidth the video was. Not to mention how the audio kept dropping out. Stupid quicktime. Feel free to discuss.
Monday 7 January 2008
Acheivement
I don't know whether it's because it's the beginning of a new year, the fact that I'm starting to feel relatively old, or (most likely), I'm getting bored now the work shifts are drying up, but I've been somewhat philosophical lately.
Quite a strange feeling for me, really, considering that my last philosophical mood led me to ponder why people say "tomato", "mall", and "castle" differently (yep, it's definitely boredom talking). Nevertheless, the current topic has at least some merrit:
During school, particularly in later high school, students are led to believe that they must be high acheivers. Not always the best, per se, as society wants to encourage children that it's "what we are on the inside that counts". Instead, it is generally assumed that each person's gifts and tallents are indeed capable of (to some degree), perfection, and as such should be clearly demonstrated. It is therefore assumed that should that person fail to acheive at least a reasonable level of standing, then they have either not put in enough effort or the system has failed them.
I bring this up because it occurs to me that this attitude has impacted a great deal of school leavers, myself included. By this I mean to focus on the pressure to choose a career. Throughout the later years of high school it is widely believed that the student should have an idea of where they are headed - ergo, their final year of study is supported with "advice" from people who are assumed to be knowledgable in such matters.
The problem with such a system is the presumtion that one knows the path of their career. In fact, having being raised in a christian school, we were frequently encouraged to "pray upon" the issue and talk it over with parents and careers counsellors. When these people are inexperienced, or the person involved is undecided, the course selections can go horribly wrong - like mine. While I have a very general idea of where I'm headed, I still don't have a clue about what the future holds tomorrow, let alone the rest of the year. Will I work? Will I study?
Ultimately the success or failure of such ventures are (I believe) not in the success or failure of the venture itself. Rather, without another's failure to compare it to, how do we know to which level we acheived? In a society that prides itself on high levels of acheivement, we almost take perverse pleasure in the failures of others.
In fact, the same applies to intelect. Take the Wright Brothers, for example. The managed to create the means of flight. This was not amazing simply because they did it - it was because everybody else failed to do it. A C average looks insignificant when another gets straight A's.
I believe quite strongly (to borrow a quote) "it's not what we are on the inside, it's what we do that defines us". There is no doubt that without the ambition of acheivement, our society would be no where near the same level of advancement today. Without our actions, belief and moral standing doesn't affect much at all. But, at the same time, I also believe that we have an unhealthy obsession with the failures of others.
Anyway, that's enough of my ranting. Any thoughts/conclusions?
Quite a strange feeling for me, really, considering that my last philosophical mood led me to ponder why people say "tomato", "mall", and "castle" differently (yep, it's definitely boredom talking). Nevertheless, the current topic has at least some merrit:
During school, particularly in later high school, students are led to believe that they must be high acheivers. Not always the best, per se, as society wants to encourage children that it's "what we are on the inside that counts". Instead, it is generally assumed that each person's gifts and tallents are indeed capable of (to some degree), perfection, and as such should be clearly demonstrated. It is therefore assumed that should that person fail to acheive at least a reasonable level of standing, then they have either not put in enough effort or the system has failed them.
I bring this up because it occurs to me that this attitude has impacted a great deal of school leavers, myself included. By this I mean to focus on the pressure to choose a career. Throughout the later years of high school it is widely believed that the student should have an idea of where they are headed - ergo, their final year of study is supported with "advice" from people who are assumed to be knowledgable in such matters.
The problem with such a system is the presumtion that one knows the path of their career. In fact, having being raised in a christian school, we were frequently encouraged to "pray upon" the issue and talk it over with parents and careers counsellors. When these people are inexperienced, or the person involved is undecided, the course selections can go horribly wrong - like mine. While I have a very general idea of where I'm headed, I still don't have a clue about what the future holds tomorrow, let alone the rest of the year. Will I work? Will I study?
Ultimately the success or failure of such ventures are (I believe) not in the success or failure of the venture itself. Rather, without another's failure to compare it to, how do we know to which level we acheived? In a society that prides itself on high levels of acheivement, we almost take perverse pleasure in the failures of others.
In fact, the same applies to intelect. Take the Wright Brothers, for example. The managed to create the means of flight. This was not amazing simply because they did it - it was because everybody else failed to do it. A C average looks insignificant when another gets straight A's.
I believe quite strongly (to borrow a quote) "it's not what we are on the inside, it's what we do that defines us". There is no doubt that without the ambition of acheivement, our society would be no where near the same level of advancement today. Without our actions, belief and moral standing doesn't affect much at all. But, at the same time, I also believe that we have an unhealthy obsession with the failures of others.
Anyway, that's enough of my ranting. Any thoughts/conclusions?
Thursday 3 January 2008
New Look
The astute of you will notice a new look for this blog. Being, as yet, an incomplete work, there will be issues - a few of which I know about which are:
1) The search bar doesn't work: not urgent, and will fix if I can be bothered.
2) The site is sometimes all in text.
Number 2 is a big one, and I only just noticed. It seems that the site I got the template from hosts all their pictures on a server somewhere, and it locks everyone out once it exceeds bandwidth. This means that during busy times, the site will all be in text! I'll work on it and see if I can fix it up ASAP.
Also, as a side note, I randomly signed up for a facebook account a week or two ago to see what it was all about. To be honest, I forgot all about it, but I opened my emails today and found that megan added me. I might as well keep going with it (after all, people keep pestering me to get one), so if you want to add me you can.
What is most important of all, beyond the importance of just about anything that I could think of to blog about (which, admittedly is a poor selection), I have big news. Awesome new. But it doesn't involve ninja's. How so, you say? Because "Prince of Persia" has come to Xbox 360 Live Arcade!!! That's right, the original Prince of Persia from the late 80's in all it's side scrolling briliance, has had a high definition makeover, and is available for 800 points. Which is equivilant to around $12. Which may sound expensive for a game that's been around for 2 decades, but it's still worth it. Because now you can actually see the cut scenes! The only down side is that the doors don't make the same clanking sound when they close. Strange thing to pick up on, I know, but I'm a stickler for detail.
Anyway, keep your comments/suggestions comming, and I'll do my best not to delete them (accidentally, of course).
1) The search bar doesn't work: not urgent, and will fix if I can be bothered.
2) The site is sometimes all in text.
Number 2 is a big one, and I only just noticed. It seems that the site I got the template from hosts all their pictures on a server somewhere, and it locks everyone out once it exceeds bandwidth. This means that during busy times, the site will all be in text! I'll work on it and see if I can fix it up ASAP.
Also, as a side note, I randomly signed up for a facebook account a week or two ago to see what it was all about. To be honest, I forgot all about it, but I opened my emails today and found that megan added me. I might as well keep going with it (after all, people keep pestering me to get one), so if you want to add me you can.
What is most important of all, beyond the importance of just about anything that I could think of to blog about (which, admittedly is a poor selection), I have big news. Awesome new. But it doesn't involve ninja's. How so, you say? Because "Prince of Persia" has come to Xbox 360 Live Arcade!!! That's right, the original Prince of Persia from the late 80's in all it's side scrolling briliance, has had a high definition makeover, and is available for 800 points. Which is equivilant to around $12. Which may sound expensive for a game that's been around for 2 decades, but it's still worth it. Because now you can actually see the cut scenes! The only down side is that the doors don't make the same clanking sound when they close. Strange thing to pick up on, I know, but I'm a stickler for detail.
Anyway, keep your comments/suggestions comming, and I'll do my best not to delete them (accidentally, of course).
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