Video Games on TV

Well Spike TV is having their fourth annual Video Game Awards this Sunday December 9th. I haven't watched these awards in the past, but this year I have decided to check them out (likely days after on my TIVO). The reason I am interested though isn't to see who is going to win. I personally don't put a lot of stock in most awards shows because most of the time what really should win doesn't. My point in watching is to see what sort of production Spike pulls off. Since it is a show devoted to Video Games, my instincts tell me that it will be chalk full of corny clichéd punch lines and your standard stereo typical nerd fair.

Back when G4 was more about gaming, their shows were full of this type of nonsense that drastically degraded their product. Granted, I have watched my share of X-Play, but more because it was my best way to see games in action before they came out, not because I was enjoyed the show itself. The past few years however with the increasing quality of video podcasts, and websites centered around preview videos of games, I have seen no reason to watch G4 or any other show about video games on TV. Maybe, just maybe, Spike has learned from these mistakes and will provide a quality viewing experience more on par with the internet competition than the TV competition.

UPDATE: Long story short, I never watched the VGA Awards because my Comcast box decided to reset itself during the awards and my TIVO picked up a blank signal for two hours. I'm not sure if I should be mad at Comcast or thank them.....

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

Despite being 14 years later than most Castlevania fans would have liked, Konami has finally brought its classic PC Engine vampire hunter to the masses. Why it took this long to get new life outside of Japan is up for debate, but it was worth the wait. Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP reveals the entire story of Richter Belmont. Included on the disc are a 3D remake of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, the original 16-bit version and the follow up masterpiece Symphony of the Night.

Symphony alone is worth the price of admission, but it must be unlocked in the remake. This is not a bad thing however as it gives you even more reason to play at least part of Rondo of Blood, which is the classic Castlevania formula at its finest. Whether you are a Castlevania fan or not, if you own a PSP, you need to check this out. With three great games packed into one disc, this should really be a no-brainer. Go get it and thank me later.

Lost Mobisodes

When I heard last week about the Lost Mobisodes starting this past Monday, I was pretty excited. I have talked about Lost on this blog before and it is by far my favorite show on TV (even though it isn't currently on). After watching the first Mobisode I'm a little confused. The only thing it seemed to reveal is that Jack already knew that his dad really cared, which seems odd with the way things transpired following that event. What else does it mean if anything? I'm curious to find out what other people think. Check out a preview of the Mobisodes here.

Top 100 Video Games

Ok boys and girls, today is the day I reveal ProjectBWB. For those of you who have been wondering, it is a Top 100 Video Games list that I have created. But it is not your ordinary Top 100 list. Aside from compiling the information, I had nothing to do with the content of the list. Instead of putting together a list of games I think are the best, I compiled the list from numerous sources around the web. The result of that analysis is presented to you through ProjectBWB. Check it out and don't be shy, let me know what you think.

ProjectBWB

ProjectBWB is what I decided to name the project I have been working on for the past three months. I'm happy to say that I am 95% finished and should be unveiling the final product within this next week. I would have it finished sooner but I have visitors coming in for the weekend. Just to whet your appetite, I will tell you that this project is about video games. That's all for now.

Where have I been?

The past three months I have been working on a project in my free time. While I'm not ready to reveal it just yet, I am happy to say that I will be revealing it very soon. This blog will be the first place that I will release any and all news about the project until it is finished. What is it? Let's just say it is on topic with much of what this blog has been about. Back to work.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Reliant Stadium

Reliant Stadium is home to the Houston Texans of the NFL. The Texans debut in the NFL was a 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. They were are the first and only expansion team in league history to win their debut. Reliant Stadium seats ~70,000 people and is located Southwest of Downtown Houston.

I'm Lost....

It has been over three months since the exciting season finale to Lost. With the new Fall lineup of shows starting soon, I feel a little, well, Lost without Lost. I know it will be back in February, but that will be almost 9 months since the season finale aired. Because of the long overlay, I have begun re-watching the first season. My hope is to make it through the first three seasons by February and so far I'm on track. It is very interesting as you notice different things this time around. I don't really want to give away spoilers, but things like when Ethan shows up for the first time don't go unnoticed now. Most of what I have noticed in season one has been foreshadowing, which is cool to see that they are still on the same path three years later.

New Poll

Since Blogger has added a new poll feature I have decided to test it out. You will notice on the right nav-bar there is a poll about upcoming video game releases. Take a second and let me know what you think.

More on BioShock

Well it is official, the critics love BioShock. I was checking out Metacritic today and BioShock for the Xbox 360 has a metascore of 97 based on 42 reviews. That is the highest rated next-gen game to date. Now for me it isn't totally surprising. I follow the games industry fairly close and everything I knew about this game leading up to it's release indicated it would be impressive. But this impressive is a surprise. This is the kind of feedback you would expect from Halo 3 or GTA IV, but BioShock? How many people who aren't fans of the System Shock games or that aren't shooter fans even knew this game existed before now? Probably not very many. Great review scores don't necessarily translate into great sales figures though. It will be interesting to see what the overall sales for August look like.

Madden 08 MultiReview

Since my post a few days ago comparing the Xbox 360 and PS3 frame rates for Madden 08, some interesting things have happened. First, more reviews have been released which gives us an in depth look into what critics think of each game. Second, GamePro posted yesterday that EA is considering Xbox 360 it's top priority over PS3 and Wii. To delve a bit deeper into this I have posted review scores for both versions of the game to get a better idea of how they turned out.

Source
MultiReview Score	87								81
1UP	90								85
Cheat Code Central	92								92
Game Almighty	72								68
Game Informer	80								80
GameDaily	90								80
GamerNode	90								85
Games Radar	90								70
GameSpot	85								85
GameSpy	90								80
GameTrailers	90								90
IGN	87								77

BioShock

I downloaded the demo for BioShock on Xbox 360 last night and I was very impressed. If you have an Xbox 360 and an Xbox Live account I recommend downloading it right now. It isn't a very long demo, but what you get is a nice look at the potential this game has. The graphics alone on the game are amazing, especially the water effects which are by far the most realistic I have seen to date. Expect to hear more about BioShock soon.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Minute Made Park

Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX is home to the Houston Astros of MLB. Opened in 2000, the park seats just over 40,000 fans and is located just southeast of Downtown.

Madden 08

I haven't picked up my copy of Madden 08 yet, but I have already read a lot about it online. The thing that has caught my attention the most isn't the fact that the game is greatly improved over the past iterations, but the fact that the Xbox 360 version runs much smoother than it's Playstation 3 cousin. From everything I have read, the 360 version runs at a smooth 60 fps (frames per second), while the PS3 version is chugging along at 30 fps at best. While this same issue came up a month ago when NCAA Football 08 was released for both systems, it surprises me a bit how much more coverage this has received for Madden. If you are interested to see the difference check out the comparison video from GameVideos.com.

Movie of the Week 008

This week I have chosen 300 as the Movie of the Week. Adapted from the Graphic Novel by Frank Miller, the story follows 300 Spartan Warriors and their King Leonidas through the Battle of Thermopylae. For those of you who are unaware, the Battle of Thermopylae is a true story and it was part of the Greco-Persian War that started in 499 BC and lasted until 448 BC.

I have to admit that when the trailers for this began running on TV it looked like a mindless gore fest. But after hearing from numerous people that had seen it and enjoyed it I decide to give it a try. Unfortunately I missed getting to see it in the theater, but it looked pretty good on my 42" Plasma. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by both the acting and the story. Overall I would have to say that despite not having read any of Frank Miller's Graphic Novels, from what I have seen with this and Sin-City, they translate well into motion pictures.

Once

I'm disappointed to find out the I am unable to go see the movie Once here in Pittsburgh. I used to live in Madison, WI and was always able to see independent films such as Napoleon Dynamite and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Unfortunately Pittsburgh doesn't have a theater that carries independent films. To be honest I hadn't really heard of this film until recently but what I have heard has been very positive. Since I am forced to wait until it is released on DVD I encourage you to go and check this out if you are able.

Want to Make Your Own Website but Don't Know How?

Kind of a long title huh? Well I thought of a few others, but none of them made my point as well as this one. Anyway, you are here for a reason so I shall not drag on anymore. I recently discovered a few services that allow you to create your own website from scratch, without any experience. The first is called Weebly. This service allows you to create an account, build a page, host it with them for free or you can download the site and host it anywhere you like. You can do all this in a few simple steps that I guarantee anyone who has used the internet can figure out.

The second site is actually a Google service. It is currently still in the "Lab", but it is called the Google Page Creator. Much like Weebly, you can have a site up and running in a matter of minutes. While both are simple to use, I like Weebly's design better. My biggest issue with both though is a lack of good ad support. Weebly does have an AdBrite tool, but Google Page Creator doesn't have anything readily available. While I'm sure their are ways to edit the code to add this feature, it isn't something the average person is capable of.

So if you want to have your own website, but don't want to learn how to code HTML, or pay for the hosting check either or both of these services out.

Flight of the Concords on NPR's World Cafe

A few weeks ago I posted about the new HBO Series Flight of the Concords. At the time I really knew nothing about the comedy duo aside from their upcoming show. For those who don't know they have been doing this routine for a number of years now as both a comedy tour and a radio show on BBC radio. Now today as I was driving home from work listening to NPR, I caught part of the World Cafe in which they were the featured artist. I have to say these guys are really starting to grow on me. If you haven't checked them out yet I suggest watching their show on HBO or if you don't have HBO listen to their appearance on the World Cafe. They also have an album that was released in 2002 and they are planning to release a follow up this August.

Curling

This weekend I participated in my first Curling Bonspeil (that is the name for a Curling Tournament). For people who haven't curled before, or don't even know what curling is (no it has nothing to do with hair) check out the US Curling Association Website or Wikipedia to learn more.

I had never taken part in an organized curling event before, but I had tried it a handful of times over the past few years. It ended up my Dad and brother were on a team that was participating in a local Bonspeil this weekend and needed someone to fill in. Since I had enjoyed what I had experienced in the past, I figured this was a good opportunity to see what true competitive curling was like. To be honest it is very enjoyable. I would highly recommend if you ever have the chance to check it out. It is a unique experience and I guarantee you will meet great people in the process.

Flight of the Conchords

Tonight is the premiere of the new HBO series Flight of the Conchords. Below is a clip of their music video "Robots" from the episode. If you enjoy it, or just want to see more, you can watch the entire episode right now. It has a unique humor too it and I feel it will be a good complement for Entourage on Sunday nights.

Movie of the Week 007

For this week's movie, I have selected Casino Royale, the newest installment in the James Bond franchise. The story takes place at the beginning of Bond's career as a 007 agent and shows a much darker side than we have seen before. With Daniel Craig stepping into the role for the first time, many people weren't sure what to expect ahead of it's release. But to the chagrin of many critic's he delivered above and beyond any expectations. My biggest gripe with this film was that it takes place in the post 9-11 era despite being a prequel to all the other films. Overall I felt refreshed by the changes made to the series. I look forward to what will come next now that Daniel Craig has redefined the franchise.

Sopranos Finale

Where does the time go? Things have been so busy lately I almost forgot I had a blog. And speaking of time flying by, this coming Sunday is the Series Finale of the Sopranos on HBO. It has been a long time coming, but the question of what is to come of Tony Soprano and his crew in Jersey will finally be answered. I have read numerous articles speculating how creator David Chase will end his tail. Ideas from almost every angle are being tossed around; from the almost too obvious Tony getting whacked, to Tony turning himself over to the Feds and entering the Witness Protection Program, to nothing much happening at all. Now Chase has been known to do the unexpected throughout the series, so I feel that some of these guesses may be close, but there will be some unforeseen event or character that will play a major role in the outcome. What that would be though, I can only speculate. All you can really do is sit back and enjoy one final episode of the Sopranos.

CBS Buying Wallstrip

Below is the latest Wallstip and today's company is....Wallstrip. CBS has decided to purchase the company and will be implementing it into their new internet strategy. From an entrepreneurial stand point this is a very impressive accomplishment for the guys and gals at Wallstrip. They have turned about 9 months of hard work into a major payday. And why exactly did this happen? I think it has a lot to do with the fact that CBS and the other major networks might finally be realizing that they are going to need some help in getting a handle around the internet. What better way to do that then to invest in companies that thrive in that medium. Congrats to the Wallstrip team on a great success and I look forward to seeing what changes will come under the new ownership.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Monster Park

Monster Park is home to the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. The stadium was originally named Candlestick Park and opened in 1960. An interesting fact about the stadium is that in 1966 the Beatles played their last concert for paying fans here.

I Got a Wii

Well I finally got my hands on a Nintendo Wii today. I called few stores yesterday and found that Toys R Us was expecting a shipment today so I made my way over to my local store first thing. Lucky for me they had about 35 to 40 in stock and I was one of the first 10 people into the store, so it wasn't a hassle at all. It is nice that the system is only $250 and that it includes Wii Sports, but what I didn't realize until today was that for each extra Wiimote you also have to buy the extra Nunchuck. The two combine are around $60 which is pricey for a game controller, especially when the only game on the Wii Sports disc that uses the Nunchuck is the Boxing game. I did suck it up and buy an extra one of each so that my wife can play too, but if I wanted to buy two more so that I had four total, I would have spent more than the system alone costs. Anyway, I guess I should just be happy I have a Wii finally, and maybe also that I don't have two more people to play with us on a regular basis.

Movie of the Week 006

The movie of the week is Shaun of the Dead. I watched it for the first time tonight and enjoyed it thoroughly. I remembered it in the theaters a year or so ago, but I don't remember seeing much about it in the media at the time. There have been commercials out recently for the new movie from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright Hot Fuzz though mostly due to the success of this movie I would guess. The commercials I have seen for this movie intrigued me enough to check out Shaun of the Dead and I'm glad I finally did.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Petco Park

Petco Park is home to the San Diego Padres of MLB. Opened in 2004 this stadium seats 42,445 fans. It is one of the newer ball parks around and is similar to PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: AT&T Park

AT&T Park is the home to the San Francisco Giants of MLB. Opened in 2000 this is the first privately financed ball park since Dodger Stadium in 1962. The seating capacity is 41,503.

Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys new album Favourite Worst Nightmare was released today. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet but I have an 11 hour drive ahead of me tomorrow so I plan on listening then. I will post my thoughts once I get a chance to listen but I wanted to at least get the word out about the release (although I'm sure most people who are into them already knew that). If you haven't listened to them before check out this awesome live performance on NPR.org.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Honda Center

Formerly called Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, the Honda Center is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL. The building opened in 1993 and is host to many events including the John R. Wooden Classic. The arena is located northeast across CA State Route 57 from Angels Stadium of Anaheim.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Angel Stadium of Anaheim is our next stop on the Stadium Tour. It is home to the oddly named Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It seems to be a theme with teams from Anaheim as the Ducks were originally called the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The stadium opened in 1966 and was renovated from 1996-1998 to return it to a baseball only park. It had been modified during 1979-1980 to add additional seating for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL.

Marvel Comics

Today Wallstrip covers Marvel as there stock has reached an all time high. I have been very impressed with the company myself the past few years. Aside from Batman Begins, I can't think of any non-Marvel movies that were really worth watching in the past decade. In the past comic book adaptations generally seemed to get a campy treatment (not that Fantastic Four wasn't) but with the success of the X-men and Spider-Man movies in particular it seems that people are looking at comics differently these days.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Staples Center

The Staples Center is home to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. Opened in 1999 it is host to nearly 4 million visitors each year. Not only has it held sporting events and concerts, but it was the home of the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium is home to the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB. The stadium opened in 1962 and seats approximately 56,000 spectators. An average of 2.79 million fans have attended games each of the 46 seasons it has been open.

Modest Mouse

I have been listening to the new Modest Mouse album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank a lot over the past few weeks. This is a great album and as far as I'm concerned it is their best effort yet. They have such a unique sound that every time I listen to the album I wonder if there are any bands out there that have the same style?

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Gillette Stadium

Gillette Stadium is home to the New England Patriots of the NFL. Opened in 2002, this stadium has been the home of the Super Bowl Champions 2 of the 5 years it has been open. Interestingly enough 2 of the 3 AFC Championship games leading to the Super Bowl weren't played in Boston, but in Pittsburgh.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Fenway Park

Fenway Park is yet another classic baseball stadium rich in history. Home of the Boston Red Sox, it has been home to many disappointing moments, some exciting moments and tons of great players. Sporting a monstrous wall in left field appropriately named the Green Monster, Fenway has been around since the 1912 baseball season.

Movie of the Week 005

Well it has been a while since I have posted a movie of the week selection. But now it is back and better than ever (I've added a picture). This weeks movie is actually two movies: Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2. Since the story is not complete unless you watch both I felt it was only fitting to suggest it that way. Originally billed as the 4th Film by Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill follows the story of a former assassin named the Bride as she enacts her revenge on her former friends and co-assassin's. Her ultimate goal is to kill Bill, her former boss. Tarantino superbly blends several different stlyes including action, spaghetti western, and even japanimation to tell his tail of revenge. Starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox.

Funny or Die.com

There is an interesting new video site called Funny or Die. It appears to be a cross between YouTube and Digg. Viewers are given the choice to either immortalize a video, or to send it to its grave buy selecting from five different ratings. The site is a collaboration between Gary Sanchez Productions which is Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's company and as the About Us section states a bunch of Silicon Valley guys. It is meant to be a place that both established comedians and amateurs can post their videos. Hence the video titled The Landlord which stars Will Ferrell. Check it out below.

Windows Live Stadium Tour: Nassua Coliseum

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is home to the New York Islanders of the NHL. The arena opened it's doors May 29 1972. According to the official website the coliseum was the next place Elvis Presley was scheduled to play before he died.