It’s that time again. 2010 is winding down and 2011 just around the corner. Every year I give a rundown of my favorite movies, tv series, and of course video games. Check out my 2007, 2008, and 2009 picks. Personally this year held some major changes. I used less free time for entertainment and more ... Read more]]> Posted in ReviewsVideo Games

It’s that time again. 2010 is winding down and 2011 just around the corner. Every year I give a rundown of my favorite movies, tv series, and of course video games. Check out my 2007, 2008, and 2009 picks. Personally this year held some major changes. I used less free time for entertainment and more time to spend with my 1 year old. WIth that being said I didn’t get a chance to play too many video games this year. However I will go ahead a weigh in on the best of the bunch from my perspective. Here they are in no particular order.

Movies

Inception

This movie is this years great cinematic achievement. Great Plot, and incrediable soundtrack! This story and idea is an instant classic.

Plot: Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime…More on IMDB

The Social Network

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history… but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications….More on IMDB

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Dark. Moving. The best of the series! I can’t wait till part 2.

Plot: Voldemort’s power is growing stronger. He now has control over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to finish Dumbledore’s work and find the rest of the Horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord. But little hope remains for the Trio, and the rest of the Wizarding World, so everything they do must go as planned….More on IMDB

Toy Story 3

This movies is hilarious, and yet strikes a deep emotional cord. Great movie in any category!

Woody, Buzz and the whole gang are back. As their owner Andy prepares to depart for college, his loyal toys find themselves in daycare where untamed tots with their sticky little fingers do not play nice. So, it’s all for one and one for all as they join Barbie’s counterpart Ken, a thespian hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants and a pink, strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear to plan their great escape…More on IMDB

True Grit

Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with “true grit,” Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her “grit” tested…More on IMDB

TV Shows

The Walking Dead

Almost as good as the comic…almost. Great series, short, but intense. Season 2 already has the green light!

Waking up in an empty hospital after weeks in a coma, County Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) finds himself utterly alone. The world as he knows it is gone, ravaged by a zombie epidemic. The Walking Dead tells the story of the weeks and months that follow after the apocalypse. Based on Robert Kirkman’s hugely successful and popular comic book series, AMC’s new original series, The Walking Dead, premieres with a 90-minute episode on Halloween night: Oct. 31 at 10/9c. Written and executive produced by three-time Academy® Award-nominee Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), who also directs the pilot, and executive produced by Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens), the series debuts during AMC Fearfest, the network’s annual blockbuster marathon of thriller and horror films….More on AMC

True Blood

The third season loosely follows the plot of the novel Club Dead, which finds Sookie teaming up with a werewolf named Alcide in Mississippi in order to track down Bill, who has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by a vampire King…more on Wikipedia

Sons of Anarchy

Days later, Gemma is hiding up north in Rogue River, Oregon with Tig, while the club tries to sort things out in Charming. The club tries to close in on Cameron’s trail, but find that he has liquidated his assets and apparently fled the country. Gemma and Tig visit Gemma’s father, Nate (Hal Holbrook) who suffers from dementia. At the end of Half-Sack’s wake, masked men commit a drive-by shooting. Deputy Hale is fatally run down by the vehicle.
Having fled to Belfast with Abel, Cameron confesses his sins to his cousin Father Ashby, an intermediary between Jimmy O and the Real IRA Council. Ashby subsequently has Cameron killed, and suggests he will give Abel up for adoption.

The Sons hire a bounty hunter to try and track down Abel, and they believe he and Cameron are in Vancouver. SAMCRO has a bail hearing for the weapons charges upcoming, but they agree to jump bail. SAMCRO receives an email showing Cameron dead in Belfast…more on Wikipedia

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Watch the story of history’s greatest gladiator unfold with graphic violence and explicit sex. This is Spartacus…more on IMDB

Lost

The sixth and final season of the American serial drama television series Lost commenced airing in the United States and Canada on February 2, 2010.[1] The sixth-season premiere was the first to climb in the ratings year-over-year since the second season, drawing 12.1 million viewers.[2] The series finale aired on May 23, 2010.[3] The finale ran two-and-a-half hours starting at 9/8c; pushing the local news back a half-hour, followed by the previously announced post-finale special, Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost, at 12:05 a.m.[4] The season continues the stories of the survivors of the fictional September 22, 2004 crash of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 on a mysterious island in the South Pacific. The survivors must deal with two outcomes of the detonation of a nuclear bomb on the island in the 1970s. While the on-island story continues, “flash sideways”[5] show a second timeline, in which Flight 815 never crashes…from Wikipedia

Honorable

Video Games

Mass Effect 2

This plot summary describes a non-linear game. The chronology of major events may differ. Mass Effect 2 begins in 2183, weeks after the ending of Mass Effect. On patrol to locate and destroy any remaining geth, the Normandy and its commanding officer, Commander Shepard, are attacked by an unknown starship. The ship inflicts heavy damage on the Normandy and the crew is forced to evacuate. Joker, the helmsman of the ship, continues piloting and Shepard is forced to rescue him. Before Shepard can board an escape pod with Joker, another attack by the enemy ship separates Shepard from the pod, forcing the Commander to launch the escape pod to save Joker. A subsequent explosion blows Shepard away from the ship and debris slices through Shepard’s suit, causing the Commander to die in the vacuum whilst entering a nearby planet’s atmosphere.

With the help of Liara T’Soni, one of Shepard’s former associates who survived the attack on the Normandy, Shepard’s corpse is retrieved by Cerberus, an extremist pro-human organization. Over the course of two years, attempts are made to bring Shepard back to life via the Lazarus Project. Shepard awakens in 2185 aboard a Cerberus space station that is under attack. After Shepard aids Cerberus agents Jacob Taylor and Miranda Lawson, Shepard is granted an audience with the Illusive Man, who explains that Shepard was revived and ‘upgraded’ so that the Commander could investigate and combat a new threat. Human colonies are being attacked, and their colonists are disappearing. The Illusive Man believes this is the work of Shepard’s old enemies, the Reapers, a race of sentient machines that periodically harvest all intelligent life in the galaxy once civilization reaches a certain point….on Wikipedia

God Of War III

In the opening sequence, Kratos stands on the back of the Titan Gaia, as she and the other Titans climb Mount Olympus to assault the Gods of Olympus.
The Olympian gods launch a counter-assault, and Poseidon was killed by the combined efforts of Kratos and Gaia- his death caused the oceans to flood. Kratos and Gaia attempt to attack Zeus, but are driven back and fall down Mount Olympus. Gaia clings to the side of the mountain and refuses to save Kratos, stating he was nothing more than a pawn.
Kratos falls into the underworld, losing the Blade of Olympus. Kratos lands in the River Styx, and the souls of the underworld weaken Kratos and ruin the Blades of Athena. After exiting the river, Kratos is confronted by the spirit of Athena, who provides him with the Blades of Exile in return for his trust. After several battles, Kratos locates the Three Judges of the Underworld and the Chain of Balance that maintains the equilibrium between the Underworld, Earth, and Olympus. After a conversation with the spirit of Pandora, Kratos recovers the Blade of Olympus…on Wikipedia

Heavy Rain

The game’s prologue opens with Ethan Mars, spending his life with his family. He later loses track of one of his sons, Jason, at a busy mall. Jason is soon found, outside on the street, and Ethan jumps to try to save him from an oncoming car. Jason is killed, while Ethan is injured and falls into a coma for six months. Two years after the accident, Ethan is suffering from depression, a fear of crowds, and blackouts that last for several hours. He is estranged from his wife, and his remaining son, Shaun, is distant with him.[15] While at a park with Shaun, Ethan has another blackout, and wakes to find Shaun missing.

Shaun’s disappearance is soon tied to the serial murders of the Origami Killer. The criminal’s modus operandi is to abduct a young boy during the rainy fall season, after which their bodies are found several days later in a remote location, drowning being the cause of death, along with an origami animal figure in their hands, and an orchid on their chest. FBI profiler Norman Jayden, having come to assist the police with the Origami Killer, concludes that the child is locked in a location where, after 6 inches of rainfall, their bodies will be completely submerged and die from drowning. They realize that they have less than three days to find Shaun…on Wikipedia

Call of Duty: Black Ops

On February 25, 1968, SAD/SOG operative Alex Mason is strapped to a chair in an interrogation room. Unaware of his whereabouts, he is bombarded with questions by his unseen captors about the location of a numbers station. Most of the missions in the game are presented as flashbacks between 1961 and 1968.

In 1961, Mason, Woods, and Bowman attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro during the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba as a part of Operation 40. Mason apparently succeeds in the assassination, but their exfiltration goes awry, with Mason staying behind to protect the extraction plane. He is captured by the real Castro, having shot a double. Because of an alliance with the Soviet Union, Castro hands Mason over to General Nikita Dragovich. Mason is then held captive at Vorkuta Gulag for two years. During his imprisonment, Mason befriends Viktor Reznov, a former Red Army soldier. Reznov recounts to Mason the identities of those involved in Mason’s torture: Dragovich, Lev Kravchenko (his right-hand man) and Friedrich Steiner, an ex-Nazi scientist who defected to the Soviet Union. All three share a connection to Reznov: in October 1945, Reznov, Dragovich, Kravchenko, and Dimitri Petrenko were a part of a unit sent to locate Steiner, hiding with a unit of the SS in the Arctic Circle. During the operation, Reznov was betrayed by Dragovich, who used Steiner’s creation, a nerve agent known as “Nova-6″ on Petrenko. Reznov was spared the same fate when British commandos attacked the Russians. During the confusion, he destroys Nova-6. However, it was later recreated by Steiner and a British scientist named Daniel Clarke for the Soviets. Shortly afterward, Reznov is imprisoned in Vorkuta. Mason and Reznov spark a prisoner uprising to escape the gulag, but only Mason escapes…on Wikipedia

Red Dead Redemption

In the year 1911, John Marston, a retired outlaw formerly of a gang led by Dutch Van Der Linde, is taken away from his wife Abigail and his son Jack by government agents. The agents tell Marston that his family will be safely returned to him if he hunts down the remaining lead members of his former gang. Left with no choice, Marston travels to the territory of New Austin to capture or kill one of his old friends, Bill Williamson, who now runs his own gang of bandits out of Fort Mercer. Marston confronts Williamson at the fort, only to be shot and left for dead outside the fort. A rancher, Bonnie MacFarlane, finds him wounded, and brings him to a doctor to be treated.

After recovering from his wounds several days later, Marston begins repaying the MacFarlanes for their help. At the same time, he recruits help for a plan to attack Fort Mercer. Along with U.S Marshal Leigh Johnson of Armadillo, con man Nigel West Dickens, grave robber Seth Briars and drunken arms dealer, Irish, Marston uses a Trojan Horse strategy to breach the fort and massacre Williamson’s gang, only to find that Williamson had already fled to Mexico to seek help from Javier Escuella, another member of Marston’s old gang. Irish offers to take Marston into Mexico over the river border…on Wikipedia

Honorable

The site looks just as gorgeous as the app. Simple, but well designed. keypointapp.com

With the year winding down and 2010 just around the corner we are all looking back on our life in 2009. Many of us will set out to make changes and reflect on what was good about 2009. What better to reflect on other than great films, video games, and television. I did this last ... Read more]]> Posted in ReviewsVideo Games

With the year winding down and 2010 just around the corner we are all looking back on our life in 2009. Many of us will set out to make changes and reflect on what was good about 2009. What better to reflect on other than great films, video games, and television. I did this last year and I now think I will make it a tradition. Here they are in no particular order.

Movies

Moon

Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet’s power problems. via: IMDB

District 9

An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology. full summary >

Star Trek

A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members. full summary >

Avatar

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. full summary >

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince” and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort’s dark past. full summary >

Inglourious Basterds

I had to throw this one in.

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. full summary >

Video Games

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Five years after the events of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Russia is in political turmoil once again. Vladimir Makarov, a brutal leader and former associate of Imran Zakhaev, has set in motion a series of events that will threaten global security. After a series of vicious terrorist attacks, the situation is deemed dangerous enough for Task Force 141, led by Captain Soap MacTavish and Co., to be deployed all around the world, attempting to track down Makarov and restore peace. Written by David C. and callofduty.wikia.com

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Intrepid adventurer Nathan Drake seeks to uncover the mysteries surrounding Marco Polo’s missing ships.

Assassin’s Creed II

The game continues shortly after the events of Assassin’s Creed, where, in 2012, Desmond Miles (Nolan North) is still a prisoner at Abstergo Industries after searching the memories of his ancestor, the Assassin, Altaïr, in the Animus. Abstergo, the modern-day equivalent of the Knights Templar, had been using Desmond to locate powerful out-of-place artifacts called “Pieces of Eden”….More on Wikipedia

Killzone 2

Killzone 2 follows the events of Killzone and Killzone: Liberation, and is set entirely on the planet Helghan, the home-world of the Helghast who invaded an Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) colony. Two years after the Helgast assault on Vehkta, the I.S.A. had launched an assault on the enemy’s homeworld of Helghan….Read more on Wikipedia.

Left 4 Dead 2

Like Left 4 Dead, the sequel involves the aftermath of an apocalyptic pandemic. There has been an outbreak of a rabies-like pathogen that causes infected humans to behave like zombies. The four survivors have to fight their way through the hordes of infected, using safehouses along the way to rest and recover, in order to reach extraction points…More on Wikipedia

Television

Lost

After a mysterious and bloody airplane crash, 48 survivors are left stranded on a Pacific Island… miles off course. It soon becomes apparent that they will not have to cope only with the forces of nature, but with the island’s secrets, including the Dharma Initiative, the ‘Lost Numbers’, the “others” (or hostiles) and the strange black smoke- to name a few. There is also much more than meets the eye, as it becomes apparent that everyone is connected in some way and that everyone has a purpose to live on the island… and for some, to die.

Dexter

During the day, Dexter Morgan is a jovial employee in the Miami Metropolitan Police Department’s crime lab, but his meticulously crafted life masks his true nature. In reality Dexter is a disciplined and murderous psychopath (a self-admitted “monster”), and he slakes his blood lust at night by carefully killing the serial killers he tracks down during the day. Based on the novels (Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter and Dexter in the Dark) by Jeff Lindsay. Written by Clenching Teeth Toast Guy

True Blood

The series follows Sookie Stackhouse, a barmaid living in Louisiana who can read people’s minds, and how her life is turned upside down when the Vampire Bill, walks into her place of employment two years after vampires ‘came out of the coffin’ on national television. Written by Tommy Stewart

Fringe

The FBI teams up with a formerly-institutionalized scientist – who was performing experiments on the fringe of real science – and his son to investigate weird crimes that are seemingly part of a larger pattern, and may be connected with a global company called massive Dynamics. Written by Ron Kerrigan {mvg@whidbey.com}

Curb Your Enthusiasm

He’s got it all: a loving wife, good friends, a successful career, a great home..what could possibly go wrong for Larry David? Seinfeld co-creator Larry David stars as himself in this hilarious, off-kilter comedy series that presents an unflinching, self-depreciating depiction of his life.

Nice colors type and minimal design elements. freshnotcanned.com

I was watching The Totally Rad Show episode 95 where they discussed their top movies, video games, and TV shows of 2008. It seem relevant especially since the Golden Globes just happened. However I didn’t agree with all of the picks, so I wanted to weigh in on my to 5′s. So here they are, ... Read more]]> Posted in Home TheaterReviewsVideo Games

I was watching The Totally Rad Show episode 95 where they discussed their top movies, video games, and TV shows of 2008. It seem relevant especially since the Golden Globes just happened. However I didn’t agree with all of the picks, so I wanted to weigh in on my to 5′s. So here they are, my top 5 faves for Movies, Video Games, and TV shows for 2008.

Video Games

1 Gears of War 2

2 Left 4 Dead

3 Metal Gear Solid 4

4 Rock Band 2

5 Dead Space

Movies

1 Iron Man

2 Dark Knight

3 Doubt

4 Pineapple Express

5 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Movie that makes grown men turn into 5 year old sobbing girlsMarley & Me

Television

1 Lost

2 The Tudors

3 Weeds

4 Mad Men

5 Dexter

Honorable – Best TV Miniseries John Adams

It has been a while since I first got my iPhone 3G. Since first getting it I have downloaded a great amount of applications. Some of these applications have been awesome, or very useful, others have been stinkers. I started jotting down my favorite iPhone applications, the types of applications that are really rock. The ... Read more]]> Posted in AppleReviewsVideo Games

It has been a while since I first got my iPhone 3G. Since first getting it I have downloaded a great amount of applications. Some of these applications have been awesome, or very useful, others have been stinkers. I started jotting down my favorite iPhone applications, the types of applications that are really rock. The apps I’m highlighting today are:

• Toy Bot Diaries
• Aurora Feint
• Where
• Dizzy Bee
• Twitterriffic

Toy Bot Diaries

I’ve got to say that Toy Bot Diaries is my favorite iPhone game to date. It makes the best use I’ve seen of the iPhone’s touch controls in association with the built in accelerometer. Here is a brief description of the game.

Tiny Toy Bot has awakened within a strange machine and now he needs your help! Use Toy Bot’s handy grappling hook and magnet boots to navigate him through environments teeming with physics-based challenges as he plunges into an unfamiliar world. Search for Toy Bot’s lost datapads to recover his memory and guide him on his top secret mission.

A lot of the iPhone games that have come out have tended to be ports of other games that have worked on other systems. While I really like that these games have come out, they really weren’t built from the ground up with the iPhone in mind. Toy Bot Diaries is not one of these games. I believe, It is the first game to realize what iPhone gaming is about.

Toy Bot Diaries is a swing and cling platformer. You will navigate through the level using the robots electro grappling hook, magnetic boots and expert swinging skills.You will navigate three complete levels and one special boss level.

The gameplay is what amazes you, but the graphics are bad either. Everything seemed polished and finished. The sound also was very good, especially compared to other games for sale in the app store. I really can’t wait until the other episodes are released. At 3.99 this is a must have for any iPhone owner.

Aurora Feint

I have heard this game as being compared to Pokemon Puzzle League where the basic game play is to arrange three blocks in a row, either vertical or horizontal. I would categorize it as Bejeweled on steroids. Here is a description from the publisher:

Compete with your friends in an epic fantasy world. Play exciting puzzle games, level up your character, and collect magical items! Experience the world of Aurora Feint the Beginning is the first episode in what will become an MMO exclusively for the iPhone.

The unique part of Aurora Feint is the Role Playing elements. The game includes a World of Warcraft-esk character creator and allows you to level-up to useful skills such as "Time Stopper" and "Strategist". These level-ups help in the game play and keep you playing. I have to admit I haven’t gotten very far, but I have really enjoyed what I have seen thus far. This is a game I will definitely try my best to level-up to the highest I can. The best part of the game is it is absolutely free!

Where

Where is the perfect application to find out what around you when your out an about. Where plug into to great services to provide you with the information you want from what around you. Where uses: Eventful, Yelp, GasBuddy, Zipcar, ShopLocal, Starbucks, & Buddy Beacon. Here is a description from the publisher:

WHERE™ is a location-based application chock-full of widgets that deliver essential information about what’s around you. Are you looking for the hottest restaurants, jonesing for your next coffee fix, or running dangerously low on gas and need a cheap fill-up? WHERE delivers the best in local information from Eventful, Yelp, GasBuddy, Zipcar, ShopLocal, Starbucks, Buddy Beacon® and more.

I have used the Starbucks finder and Yelp with-in where. It really is nice to have all of this location information within one application. With rising gas prices I am probably going to use gas buddy very soon as well. The app is totally free, so give it a shot.

Dizzy Bee

Dizzy bee is a very fun accelerometer based tilt game. This game functions much like speed race, amaze or labyrinth however the game play becomes much more interesting after enemies are introduced. Here is a description from the publisher:

Guide a friendly bee by tilting and turning the iPhone or iPod touch. Lead him through windmills, bumpy bumpers, avoid the baddies, rescue the fruits and bring them to safety.

You soon realize you’ll have to watch the enemies’ movements, which are also affected by the same tilting/gravity you use to control your dizzy bee. There is a free version of this game available. It has limited levels, but still packs a lot of fun. The full version is $2.99.

Twitterriffic

I have reviewed Twitter applications for the iPhone before, but I think my favorite now is Twitterriffic. Here is a description from the publisher:

A fun application that lets you read and publish posts (called "tweets") on the Twitter social network. Stay connected with friends, family, and co-workers through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

First off Twitterriffic looks gorgeous. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a glossy black interface. What I like about Twitterriffic is the readability of everything. The tweets are big and easy to read. Furthermore there is an item view mode that allows you to view tweets one at a time. This makes it really easy to read long tweets. Links will open directly in the application saving you the frustration of having to open Safari.

A landmark event has happened. For the first time ever we can see actual game play footage of Duke Nukem Forever. The game could hold a record as it has been in development for 12 years now. The game is begin developed by our own Dallas based 3D ... Read more]]> Posted in Video Games

Duke Nukem Forever: 12 years and still counting

A landmark event has happened. For the first time ever we can see actual game play footage of Duke Nukem Forever. The game could hold a record as it has been in development for 12 years now. The game is begin developed by our own Dallas based 3D Realms. I keep wondering how this company stays in business. I mean I know they released Prey a couple of years ago, but they don’t have regular release schedules like most video games companies.

About the footage

The footage is contained in the very first episode of The Jace Hall Show. The segment with 3D Realms begins at 2:33. Just fast forward trust me. I loved it when Jace asked them the hard question: “What the f*** is taking so long?” The actual game play footage begins at 4:18. From what I saw it looks to be alright initially. But who can tell this early on. You can judge for yourself.

Sony’s Qore starring Veronica Belmont

Sony announced Qore, an interactive, monthly original program that covers the world inside PlayStation. Sony Qore is only available on the Playstation Store for the Sony PS3.

I would have hoped for more portability, but not a deal killer. This is an awesome idea if it is don’t correctly. Let’s just get into the details shat we?

Qore episodes will be available the first Thursday of every month in coordination with the weekly PLAYSTATION Store update. Sony actually expects you to pay for this show. The first show sells for $2.99. An annual subscription sells for $24.99.

Errrr, what? They expect me to pay $25/year to view Sony promotional content? Am I missing something here?

Annual subscribers will receive thirteen episodes of Qore. In addition, for a limited-time-only, annual subscribers will also receive the Playstation Network game, Calling All Cars, for free. Sony Qore features exclusive multimedia news, developer interviews, in-depth game previews and behind-the-scene looks at the hottest PLAYSTATION games. Subscribers will also have special access to game demos, betas, add-ons and other downloadable and game-related content. Qore is the first in a series of planned original content for the PLAYSTATION community by PLAYSTATION Network. Via PS3 Fanboy.

Qore is ridiculous.

First off let me start out by saying Kudos to Sony for picking Veronica Belmont as the host of Qore. She is a brilliant personality and seems to draw a buzz wherever she goes. She was great on Buzz Out Loud, then Mahalo Daily, and now Tekzilla. I have subscribed and followed all of her podcasts as they have all been very entertaining. So let me leave her out of what I think about Qore.

Qore could be exactly what Sony needs. I mean when you compare PSN to Xbox LIVE there really is no comparison, other than the price. Microsoft is leading the online gaming space hands down. However MS charges a yearly fee for the use of Xbox LIVE. Sony’s PSN is free. The Playstation Network is not as feature rich as the well integrated LIVE service. Basically their store is a glorified web page that you have to navigate awkwardly on a game controller. When I go on the store I really don’t feel drawn to purchase any of the products like I do on the 360.

A free HD show/podcast could be exactly what Sony needs to help market the new products and games to their users. I know I would be very excited to what a show like this, IF IT WAS FREE. There is no way that I am willing to pay $25 for a season pass to this show. I feel that others will agree with me. I mean at than price you can almost by a season of Lost, or the Sopranos. You want to tell me that the same effort went into making Qore as a regular TV show? I don’t think so.

What do you think? Make up your own mind. The promotional video is below and you can see hi-res stills as well. Also, if you want a well produced video game show check out the 1UP show. Its is an excellent show, and yes its FREE.

If your an Apple fanboy/girl, you are aware that tomorrow Apple is holding a press conference. They are supposedly going to reveal (not release) the long awaited iPhone SDK (software development kit for you n00bs). Most iPhone users have been waiting for this since the iPhone was first released. This will allow third party developers ... Read more]]> Posted in AppleVideo Games

If your an Apple fanboy/girl, you are aware that tomorrow Apple is holding a press conference. They are supposedly going to reveal (not release) the long awaited iPhone SDK (software development kit for you n00bs). Most iPhone users have been waiting for this since the iPhone was first released. This will allow third party developers to create applications specifically made for the iPhone. There is already a method for getting an application on the iPhone, but it requires the user to jailbreak the iPhone. However with a jailbroken iPhone, you already have access to some great apps that are extremely useful in your day to day life. Now with the SDK in hand developers can make these apps and many more available to all users of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The announcement also brings speculation regarding gaming finally coming to the iPhone. Thus far gaming has only been allowed by Apple on the iPod classic and older models of the iPod. Needless to say the users are ready for Games on their iPhone. I have played several games on my once jailbroken iPhone. Many of these jailbroken games were sub par on graphics, but were extremely addicting and functional. Now that the SDK will be released it also allows the big studios to jump into the game. This could fix the problems with some of the sub par games as well has create a higher standard for independent developers to strive for. EA and id Games have been strong supporters of the Mac. You know they are anxious to get their games on the iPhone and iPod Touch. There have also been rumors around and announcement from EA. This is all speculation at the moment.

What possibilities lie in the iPhone? It has a gorgeous multi touch sensitive screen. The iPhone has several sensors in it, one to recognize when you have the phone next to your face, and the other is an accelerometer. The accelerometer can sense motion, and which way the device is begin held. The iPhone has a camera, speakers and a microphone. You add all of these together are you have the ability to have a highly interactive game in a small hand held device. Look at what the Nintendo DS is doing with their touch sensitive hand held.

I recently read a post highlighting an independent games developer that has made an iPhone game that uses some of the iPhone’s features. The game is called Trism. It’s a Bejeweled-like gem matching puzzle game. Pretty straight forward right? Take a closer look. This game uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to tell the gems which direction to fall.

This game is working on a Jailbroken iPhone. He mentions he wants to put it on the iPhone through the SDK.The game is still a work in progress, but shows you some of the capabilities for the iPhone in terms of gaming. Check out the video below, you will be amazed.

I wanted to write a post about gaming. Believe it or not. :) There have been so many great games that have come out and I’ve been so busy working and playing that I have neglected to talk about them. So without further exposition I present my mini review of my favorite games of 2007 ... Read more]]> Posted in ReviewsVideo Games

I wanted to write a post about gaming. Believe it or not. :) There have been so many great games that have come out and I’ve been so busy working and playing that I have neglected to talk about them. So without further exposition I present my mini review of my favorite games of 2007 as well as my vote for game of the year. These are in no particular order. FYI these will be all great scores because I loved these games.

Halo 3

This was obviously one of the biggest game releases of 2007 if not ever. Halo 3 has a huge following around it because it pretty much is the grand daddy of first person shooters. Sure there are other shooters that are better out there, but none of them have a true whole package that is strong in every area. If you read my VS. post pitting Halo 3 against Orange Box you saw some of my gripes. However the fact is that Halo 3 will probably always dominate XboxLIVE usage. It has an unparalleled multiplayer that no one has in my opinion come close to replicating or beating. For me its a solid 9.5 out of 10

Bioshock

This is my pick for game of the year. I have never had more fun or passion for a games’ story-line more than I have for Bioshock. What some consider a sleeper success I consider "The best single player game I have ever played". The game dynamics were so rich that cut scenes were not needed. You experienced the world and story of Rapture by moving through the different environments, and finding small clues that help you gain an understanding of what is going on. The whole 1940′s art deco design paired with the insanely creepy splicers make for a truly iconic game that I’m sure many will try to mimic. We are already hearing rumblings of a Bioshock movie. Your first encounter with a big daddy and a little sister make for an internal moral battle that is hard to forget. I will continue to pick up Bioshock and play it many more time through. Its a 10!

Heavenly Sword

This is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played. This was just like watching a movie. The cites and environments were beautiful, and the Digital actors were better than I have ever seen. Andy Serkis made this game truly shine. He performed the motion capture and many of the voices in the game. Each character he voices felt truly real while some of the other voice actors really looked bad next to him. Time for the flaws. The game is too short. The game play consists of button mashing. While you can pull off some crazy moves when your mashing you felt less in control of what was actually happening on the screen. I love games that are precise like Halo, or GRAW. Still great story. I hope they make another one. 8.5 out of 10.

Orange Box

I still haven’t completed the entire Half Life series but I got to say, this is one of the best shooters of all time. This box is the best value in video game history. You are getting 5 games in 1. What I played of half life 2 & Episode 1 has been great. I’m really looking forward to playing Episode 2. Portal sells this game for me. This game was so much fun. I caught myself laughing out loud several times. Its very rare that a video game can make you laugh. I would have paid $60 to to play Portal. I haven’t got into Team Fortress 2 yet. I’m waiting for some of my other friends to get the games so we can all play together as noobs. Now for the downside. Portal is short, really short. Half life could use some more polishing graphics wise. I still can’t believe this all comes on one disc. It’s a 9.5 of 10.

Mass Effect

I don’t want to give a full review yet as I haven’t finished it. What I have played I have really loved. I really got to say that some of the games that have come out this year have been truly revolutionary. Mass Effect is one of them. I think its is really a hybrid of so many great games. It really gets its right. Downside so far, the combat is less responsive that I would have liked, and what is up with the lack of rumble. The interaction as another level in the game that you you don’t really get in any other games. However it’s really not a choose your own adventure because some of the responses lead to the same conclusion regardless of how your react. Right now its a 8.5 of 10. It is a long game and if you play it how I do you will stretch it out.

Call of Duty 4

This is Infinity Ward’s follow up to the critically acclaimed Call of Duty 2. Call of Duty 2 was the first title I picked up for my 360 on launch day. For being a launch title it was surprisingly a very well put together game. I even found myself going back to replay it later on in the year. Call of Duty 4 goes one step further. They get out the WWII era and move into modern combat. While the war games seem to dominate the market, most do not even come close to the almost perfect game that is Call of Duty 4. It has been reviewed by much more eloquent personally than myself so I will leave it for those guys. But let me just say that Call of Duty 4 came extremely close to becoming the game of the year for me. One of the best quotes I have heard describing the game is this, "This is not a game, it’s a bad ass simulator." – Jeff Cannada The Totally Rad Show. This game is a solid 9.9 of 10.