• 24Feb 13

  Is Microsoft Still Relevant in Gaming?

               We are on the peak of the next generation of gaming , portables have already started it and after the recent announcement of ps4 and release of wii-u it has officially started. I have to say .. the PS4 looks pretty solid , more importantly it still shows Sony's concern in first party force and exclusives. After this announcement I started thinking... 3ds is to say the least a solid portable. After only 2 years on the market (correct me if I'm wrong about the time it's been out) it has a solid first party library , a very promising future first party lineup , some excellent 3rd party exclusives , an ever-improving online store . And look at Sony's current and upcoming systems , a multitude of EXCELLENT AAA first party titles and exclusives , you can buy and easily enjoy the system for the exclusives alone. I've arguably enjoyed Ratchet and Clank Future more than Mario Galaxy , Uncharted is the once in a lifetime style game I've never seen the likes of before , infamous , killzone , resistance , sly , the list go's on. Not only that but the fact it plays blu-rays is a massive benefit as a blu-ray player is not nearly as common as a dvd player in most houses.

                 Now starting up the next generation ps4 has caught up to the xbox in every way in online , it will still probably be free , and the playing field is even.. there is no more herd logic of buying Microsoft's system (no offense to those that bought the 360 , if you had valid reasons by all means I'm glad you bought the 360 , but most of the people I know that bought one never really had a good reason for buying one except that everyone else has one). It seems an awfully easy choice to choose Nintendo for default portable and Ps4 for default system.

                Before you pull out the anti-ms-fanboy attack I have nothing against Microsoft , I'm just confused by it. Because Microsoft has brought nothing new to the table this generation... the hardware is more or less equal to ps3 , online costs with few real advantages , the 360 ends up relying on really only 2 major exclusives , only one of which actually started this generation , Kinect had ''potential'' but ended up just being a $90 party trick. Yet has somehow not only kept up with ps3 but , in America , passed it in popularity. But now Sony has learned from their mistakes at launch that got Microsoft the advantage in getting that crucial first interest. It's likely Sony will go for the cheapest price possible for ps4 and is completely equal in online now and actually superior. So , unless Microsoft packs a punch with LOTS of new exclusive ip's or an extremely cheap price tag , I'm not sure how Microsoft will be as lucky this time.

  • Posted Feb 24, 2013 9:14 pm GMT
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• 25Jan 13

  Top 10 Movies of 2012

  2012 was a GOOD year for movies. A lot of brilliant works made their way to theaters. Here are a couple that stood out enough to become my favorites for the year and why.

  1. The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey

  
  

  

  The reason this is chosen as my #1 movie is probably maisnly out of bias. I'm a massive Lord of the Rings fan. But it should still be said this is an excellent movie. Fantastic filming and scenery , considerably funnier than the previous trilogy , and still feels fresh and new. It's a shame so many critics brought the score down based solely on the new fps rate.

  2. Les Miserables

  

  As I previously mentioned , I was biased towards Hobbit. But had I not been biased,Les Misérables would easily have topped my list. It is immensely touching , beautiful , artistic , well produced , epic , and a movie that will stay with you long after you've seen it. With ''Stars'' as the only exception almost every song here does a good job even held against the fantastic stage-productions before it. Everyone in the cast does a magnificent job of acting and play their parts very well. The true travesty here is that this work of art has received poor ratings overall almost solely for the reason it's a musical and , for whatever reason , most movie critics have a natural distaste for all things musical-related. Most definitely a movie worth seeing.

  3. Lincoln

  

  Most times I find myself naturally cynical of a critically acclaimed movie. Often times said movie's are praised by critics only for particular artistic choices that only a critic would appreciate , and thus often translate into a dry or stiff movie that is seldom as good as less-acclaimed movies. However Lincoln is the exception to that statement. Seldom have we seen such a gripping and historically accurate film. The trials of one of our most important presidents is shown in great detail. Spot on casting , powerful acting , and William's usual brilliant score make this an instant classic and beautiful masterpiece.

  4. Wreck-It Ralph

  

  I will admit when I first saw the trailer for Wreck-It Ralph I was skeptical , thinking it a bit on the bland side and an attempt for Disney to claim back the animated king title Pixar had ( I know Disney owns Pixar but that doesn't mean Pixar individually is known for making better kids fair) and I dare say now that Wreck-It Ralph is better than many of Pixar's recent efforts! Though many claim to be ''Fun for Everyone'' many fall short , this movie is not one of those. It remains accessible to kids , but smart enough not to insult the intelligence of adult viewers with TONS of both obvious and obscure refernces for gamers to pick up on. It manages both to be kid-friendly and funny with a hint of emotion and a bit of a tear-jerker for those more prone to cry.

  5. Pirates! : Band of Misfits

  

  Pirates Band of Misfits is one of those movies that slipped past most people's radars in 2012. At first look it seems like a lower-budget kids movi , however the opposite is true. The appeal of this movie is much more focused at adults. It is completely hilarious , witty , irreverent and absolutely brilliant. With so many details and witty humor it nearly requires a second watch immediately after the first.

  Well! These are my top 5! It should be fair to note , the movie that gets my honorable mention that nearly beat Pirates! out for #5 is Life of Pi , also highly suggested to watch. Let me know if any of my top 5 movies are yours as well and let me know if there are any of yours that I left out! Happy Blogging!

  • Posted Jan 25, 2013 9:39 pm GMT
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• 31Oct 12

  My Star Wars Rant

  If you've been on FaceBook or any news sourceAT ALLsince yesterday you've probably seen the news that Disney bought LucasArts and is now planning on releasing another Star Wars trilogy...and a LOT of people are freaking out (in a bad way) about it. Personally , I'm excited and quite optimistic. But if you're worried about it that's understandable , however what irritates me is WHY people are frustrated by it. I can't count the number of people so far that I've heard going off about how the new star wars will be stuffed with mickey mouses and how everything will be ''Disney-fied'' or the general idea that Disney will just ruin the movies.

  Don't get me wrong , there's a chance the movies will not be good , but it's not because of Disney. Disney didn't buy Star Wars , they bought LucasArts , there's a BIG difference between buying a franchise and buying a company. If anything we've seen that this will probably turn out being a good thing. 3 years ago Disney bought Marvel and , though it didn't create as big a buzz as Lucasarts purchase , I still heard plenty of people talking about how Marvel is ruined just like they're saying now with LucasArts. But you know what we've seen since then? Thor , Captain America , Avenger's ... many people now think Marvel's better than ever before , and most don't even know Disney owns Marvel. In 2006 Disney bought Pixar (this is much more well known than the purchase of Marvel since Pixar has well been incorporated into parks and merchandise though Pixar properties have never clashed with Disney's properties until the near future) , what have we seen since 2006? Up , Ratatouille , Wall.E , Toy Story 3 again.. what many people consider some of Pixar's best movies. It's fine if you're worried about the new movie's , but if it's because of Disney then you're worrying for the wrong reasons.

  • Posted Oct 31, 2012 3:09 pm GMT
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