Thursday, March 17, 2011
Chara should have been suspended
I am going to have my say on this. Yes, it might be a bit later but after watching this a few days ago over and over, this video has the best angle on a dangerous hit.
While Chara (probably) had no intention of hurting Pacioretty, watch the above video and look for Chara's left arm.
It was NOT a dirty hit. It was a typical hockey play gone wrong. However, Chara, at 6'9, should know better when he hit someone. Most of the time, his arms are at other player's head! So, when you know you have a height advantage on other players, you need to more careful on how you delivery the hits. Rmember the concussion Crosby got? Look at where Tampa Bay's Hedman's arm was when he hit Crosby! AT THE HEAD!
So, back to the hit. Chara knew what he was doing. He knew where he was. He knew who was on him. You can't argue the point that "he didn't know the stanchions were that close." That is not a good argument. If players do not know where stanchions or boards are placed, they would be running into the boards and into each other ALL THE TIME, like timbits hockey.
Chara KNEW the bench was there. He KNEW he could rub Pacioretty out of the play. He KNEW the stanchions were right there. He KNEW he could take advantage of his height. All Chara had to do in that hit was to use both arms and guide Pacioretty onto the ice or into the bench instead of one arm into the stanchions. But Chara took his one arm and RIDE Pacioretty into the stanchions and now he suffered a concussion and a broken vertebrae.
I would have suspended Chara 2-5 games.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A love letter from a Blackberry
Dear Owner,
I'm so lucky I'm your BlackBerry!
You hold me with both hands gently as you could be.
You ensure that I am always with you.
If I fall you are afraid of my injury.
I always have your undivided attention, you get upset if others disturb our time together.
You can never forget me in a taxi and you won't let me go unlike my old friends nokia, sony and sammy that u would proudly just hand over.
When you eat, I'm beside you. When you are on the toilet, I'm with you. When you sleep my head is by ur pillow.
When I scream you rush and pick me up like an egg.
When I feel low, you make every effort to recharge my battery. When I am hungry, you fill me with airtime. You buy me all sorts of clothes to cover my precious skin. And if I make you feel like a cowboy you strap me to your waist or jeans.
Every month you ensure that you set aside the money, to buy me bundles (of love).
You upgraded me from my friends nokia, sony and sammy to a curve, bold & torch. You rush home from work and spend quality time with me; not really bothered to make a conversation with those at home. You can sit up with me for hours and smile at me, yet I have no humanly emotions; sometimes I make u laugh that ppl think u are mad. I watch your wife/hubby or your bf/gf who envies our time together.
But dearie...
I appeal to you.
Your life is wasted because of me. Take some time, leave me aside and sort out issues that are important to you because I may love you as much as you do love me but I'm just a blackberry, nothing more!
Kind Pings,
Your Blackberry
I'm so lucky I'm your BlackBerry!
You hold me with both hands gently as you could be.
You ensure that I am always with you.
If I fall you are afraid of my injury.
I always have your undivided attention, you get upset if others disturb our time together.
You can never forget me in a taxi and you won't let me go unlike my old friends nokia, sony and sammy that u would proudly just hand over.
When you eat, I'm beside you. When you are on the toilet, I'm with you. When you sleep my head is by ur pillow.
When I scream you rush and pick me up like an egg.
When I feel low, you make every effort to recharge my battery. When I am hungry, you fill me with airtime. You buy me all sorts of clothes to cover my precious skin. And if I make you feel like a cowboy you strap me to your waist or jeans.
Every month you ensure that you set aside the money, to buy me bundles (of love).
You upgraded me from my friends nokia, sony and sammy to a curve, bold & torch. You rush home from work and spend quality time with me; not really bothered to make a conversation with those at home. You can sit up with me for hours and smile at me, yet I have no humanly emotions; sometimes I make u laugh that ppl think u are mad. I watch your wife/hubby or your bf/gf who envies our time together.
But dearie...
I appeal to you.
Your life is wasted because of me. Take some time, leave me aside and sort out issues that are important to you because I may love you as much as you do love me but I'm just a blackberry, nothing more!
Kind Pings,
Your Blackberry
Monday, March 14, 2011
Mistaken Identity
Have you ever called a number and talked to someone only to realized they're not the person who you thought were talking to?
The following is an actual event... dialogue has been translated from original language conversation...
S: Hello? Winnie, please.
M: One second...
Background sound, "Winnie! Phone call for you!"
W: Hello?
S: Hey Winnie, how are you?
W: Oh good, good
S: How's your back and leg?
W: Huh? They are fine?
S: That's good, people at work wants to make sure you're ok
W: People at work? Who's this?
S: Your co-worker, Stephen.
W: I think you have the wrong Winnie because I don't work.
S: Oh... sorry.
What are the chance of accidentally calling a house who have someone with the same name and spoke the same language? It's still funny after all these times.
The following is an actual event... dialogue has been translated from original language conversation...
S: Hello? Winnie, please.
M: One second...
Background sound, "Winnie! Phone call for you!"
W: Hello?
S: Hey Winnie, how are you?
W: Oh good, good
S: How's your back and leg?
W: Huh? They are fine?
S: That's good, people at work wants to make sure you're ok
W: People at work? Who's this?
S: Your co-worker, Stephen.
W: I think you have the wrong Winnie because I don't work.
S: Oh... sorry.
What are the chance of accidentally calling a house who have someone with the same name and spoke the same language? It's still funny after all these times.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Work Week
I don't know about you but there are some days I just really hate and wish it would over and done with quickly.
I used to work in retails, so the concept of "work week" did not exist. However, it was more flexible then you think.
Since retails are open all 7 days, you need to be creative in how you take your days off. It created a perfect work and day off balance for me and I had never felt over burn or stress out (with the except of holiday chaos).
My schedule was to take Monday and Thursday off. I did enjoy working on the weekends because that's where the big money come from (I worked commission). After a successful weekend, I would have Monday off to spend time at home or shop. When I return to work Tuesday, I know that after working 2 or 3 days, I will have day off again. So, with the way I had schedule, I only worried about working 2 or 3 days before getting a day to recover or in some cases, "a day of nothingness."
However, most businesses do not work this way and the 5 day work week is a reason for lots of stress. Does anyone really recover over the weekend?
Monday:
It is not as bad as you think. I have noticed that Monday fly by pretty fast. It's true that time neither speed up or slow down but the perception on Monday is a pain, hence, "I Hate Mondays" and because it's the start of the work week... But if it flies by fast, it's not that bad.
Tuesday:
I have a dislike for Tuesday... for some reason, Tuesday moves slower and time seems to be at a snail pace and maybe because you realized the week has started and the grind is beginning.
Wednesday:
The "Hump Day." Wednesday is odd, it depends on how you look at it. "I have survived half the week" is looking at it positively but "Yuck, half more to go" is somewhat a negative view. But at least you're half done and only half to go.
Thursday:
I also found a dislike for Thursday. It is the "you are almost done but not yet" day. You know you're winding down to the weekend but there is still Friday waiting. Your body is already stressed out from Monday to Wednesday but you STILL have another day to fight through.
Friday:
I never understood the "TGIF" until I worked a Monday-Friday job. It is the last day of the work week and the good part, the time is ticking down to weekend. You are just waiting for that last minute and then you will speed out the door. It's like freedom from jail!
Why don't companies have stress-free days or some activities that help its employees?
Take a look at a hockey rink in the office. I think it's innovative and great way to build team work or relief stress.
You have no idea what a hockey rink in an office like this will do for productivity. I would love to strap on some skates and go for a 15min skate when at work.
If your company can't afford an artificial hockey rink (something like $20k for that size), why not spend it on a video game system like Wii, Xbox360 Kinect and/or Playstation 3 Move? It will cost less and with sports related titles, I'm sure your staff will appreciate the opportunity to de-stress.
I used to work in retails, so the concept of "work week" did not exist. However, it was more flexible then you think.
Since retails are open all 7 days, you need to be creative in how you take your days off. It created a perfect work and day off balance for me and I had never felt over burn or stress out (with the except of holiday chaos).
My schedule was to take Monday and Thursday off. I did enjoy working on the weekends because that's where the big money come from (I worked commission). After a successful weekend, I would have Monday off to spend time at home or shop. When I return to work Tuesday, I know that after working 2 or 3 days, I will have day off again. So, with the way I had schedule, I only worried about working 2 or 3 days before getting a day to recover or in some cases, "a day of nothingness."
However, most businesses do not work this way and the 5 day work week is a reason for lots of stress. Does anyone really recover over the weekend?
Monday:
It is not as bad as you think. I have noticed that Monday fly by pretty fast. It's true that time neither speed up or slow down but the perception on Monday is a pain, hence, "I Hate Mondays" and because it's the start of the work week... But if it flies by fast, it's not that bad.
Tuesday:
I have a dislike for Tuesday... for some reason, Tuesday moves slower and time seems to be at a snail pace and maybe because you realized the week has started and the grind is beginning.
Wednesday:
The "Hump Day." Wednesday is odd, it depends on how you look at it. "I have survived half the week" is looking at it positively but "Yuck, half more to go" is somewhat a negative view. But at least you're half done and only half to go.
Thursday:
I also found a dislike for Thursday. It is the "you are almost done but not yet" day. You know you're winding down to the weekend but there is still Friday waiting. Your body is already stressed out from Monday to Wednesday but you STILL have another day to fight through.
Friday:
I never understood the "TGIF" until I worked a Monday-Friday job. It is the last day of the work week and the good part, the time is ticking down to weekend. You are just waiting for that last minute and then you will speed out the door. It's like freedom from jail!
Why don't companies have stress-free days or some activities that help its employees?
Take a look at a hockey rink in the office. I think it's innovative and great way to build team work or relief stress.
You have no idea what a hockey rink in an office like this will do for productivity. I would love to strap on some skates and go for a 15min skate when at work.
If your company can't afford an artificial hockey rink (something like $20k for that size), why not spend it on a video game system like Wii, Xbox360 Kinect and/or Playstation 3 Move? It will cost less and with sports related titles, I'm sure your staff will appreciate the opportunity to de-stress.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Question
Should someone, in a higher position, have a right to make financial and personale decision and take vacation when they claim to be on "stress leave" and only shows up for work once a week?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
O Noir
O Noir, "It's better in the dark."
Last night, I was invited to join a friend and some former co-workers to this restaurant. The concept of the restaurant is to eat in the dark.
Here's how it works:
You arrive at the restaurant and order, you have lead by a legally blind waitress to a pitch black room. You sit and let your other senses take over.
While we waited, there was large group in front of us. So, the 4 of us waited. T (just using initials instead of real name) had glow in the dark nail polish and was curious to see what it's like. When it was our turn, we gave our orders ahead of time.
My order was grilled octopus, fillet mignon medium-rare and the surprise dessert, and a bottle of Keith's.
Tracy, our waitress, led us to our table. In a single file, we placed our hand on the each other's shoulder. You had to trust the person in front and your waitress. I placed my hand on the chair and then placed my jacket and sat down. This is what you see...
Pitch black.
As we get comfortable with our surroundings and each other and our table, we saw T's finger nail glow, I thought that was neat and creepy at the same time. The table was a fold-in table with a place mat, a plate with a butter, a fork and knife on it. The other person's plate was at about 2 arm's length.
I believe the table we were at sits 8-10. I felt 2 more chairs to my right...
We were given bread to start and I had no problem cutting my bread and buttering it but it wasn't evenly spread. I think S had trouble since she said "I think I buttered my hand."
When our appetizer came, Tracy tapped me on the shoulder to let me know where the plate was coming from. I grabbed it and placed it on the table myself. The plate was 11" - 12" wide (yes, I measured) and began to feel my food. I didn't think there were any point in using utensils so, I used my hand and grabbed the salad and octopus and began eating.
Main course was fillet mignon and it was already sliced. There was 3 items on the plate; potato, veggies (beans and green pepper) and my meat. The hard part was trying to fork the food. It was really about using your other senses to guide you. The fork became an extension of your hand. When I finished about 90% that was on the plate, I grabbed my fork and knife and began "stabbing" the plate, just in case i missed something on it.
During our dinner, T decided to yell, "MARCO!" To which someone from another table responded with "POLO." Not to mention K decided to splash water at me.
I had the surprise dessert... again, I decided to use my finger to do the exploring and well, it felt smooshy. I found my spoon and scooped. It was chocolate mousse!
As we finished, Tracy led us back to the entrance and proceed to pay for our meals.
The adjustment from complete darkness to light was as if you just woke up in the morning.
It's a very interesting dining experience. I would consider going again. And if you do go, bring someone you trust. The whole experience is about living without sight, about those who are blind or legally blind. They rely on their other senses and the trust of others in their everyday lives.
Now, is it better in the dark? It was definitely fun. I may have been able to use my other sense if I had concentrated on it. But good friends, good food, awesome service meant and excellent experience.
Last night, I was invited to join a friend and some former co-workers to this restaurant. The concept of the restaurant is to eat in the dark.
Here's how it works:
You arrive at the restaurant and order, you have lead by a legally blind waitress to a pitch black room. You sit and let your other senses take over.
While we waited, there was large group in front of us. So, the 4 of us waited. T (just using initials instead of real name) had glow in the dark nail polish and was curious to see what it's like. When it was our turn, we gave our orders ahead of time.
My order was grilled octopus, fillet mignon medium-rare and the surprise dessert, and a bottle of Keith's.
Tracy, our waitress, led us to our table. In a single file, we placed our hand on the each other's shoulder. You had to trust the person in front and your waitress. I placed my hand on the chair and then placed my jacket and sat down. This is what you see...
Pitch black.
As we get comfortable with our surroundings and each other and our table, we saw T's finger nail glow, I thought that was neat and creepy at the same time. The table was a fold-in table with a place mat, a plate with a butter, a fork and knife on it. The other person's plate was at about 2 arm's length.
I believe the table we were at sits 8-10. I felt 2 more chairs to my right...
We were given bread to start and I had no problem cutting my bread and buttering it but it wasn't evenly spread. I think S had trouble since she said "I think I buttered my hand."
When our appetizer came, Tracy tapped me on the shoulder to let me know where the plate was coming from. I grabbed it and placed it on the table myself. The plate was 11" - 12" wide (yes, I measured) and began to feel my food. I didn't think there were any point in using utensils so, I used my hand and grabbed the salad and octopus and began eating.
Main course was fillet mignon and it was already sliced. There was 3 items on the plate; potato, veggies (beans and green pepper) and my meat. The hard part was trying to fork the food. It was really about using your other senses to guide you. The fork became an extension of your hand. When I finished about 90% that was on the plate, I grabbed my fork and knife and began "stabbing" the plate, just in case i missed something on it.
During our dinner, T decided to yell, "MARCO!" To which someone from another table responded with "POLO." Not to mention K decided to splash water at me.
I had the surprise dessert... again, I decided to use my finger to do the exploring and well, it felt smooshy. I found my spoon and scooped. It was chocolate mousse!
As we finished, Tracy led us back to the entrance and proceed to pay for our meals.
The adjustment from complete darkness to light was as if you just woke up in the morning.
It's a very interesting dining experience. I would consider going again. And if you do go, bring someone you trust. The whole experience is about living without sight, about those who are blind or legally blind. They rely on their other senses and the trust of others in their everyday lives.
Now, is it better in the dark? It was definitely fun. I may have been able to use my other sense if I had concentrated on it. But good friends, good food, awesome service meant and excellent experience.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Nintendo, Xbox, Playstation, oh my!
There's an interesting articles at Globe and Mail regarding the current generation consoles. It's a very good read and intrigues some thoughts about the NEXT generation consoles.
The state of console gaming, part 1
The state of console gaming, part 2: Nintendo
The state of console gaming, part 3: Microsoft
The state of console gaming, part 4: Sony
I'll try to do a short recap, a little history of my gaming habits and why I went and purchased a Playstation 3 over the other 2.
The articles recaps the last 5 years of the current consoles and predicts where its going with the 3 companies. Since the first Nintendo in 1985, there have been a constant 5 years cycle.
Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985
Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991
Nintendo 64 in 1996
GameCube in 2001
Wii in 2006
"Sega, Sony, and Microsoft, have more or less adhered to this timetable through the years."
And since it's 2011, it seems it is about time the new console comes out.
(What?? I just bought my playstation 3!! There can't be a next generation already! I'm NOT ready!)
Personally, I don't forsee the next-gen console to come til 2015 (the writer predicts 2013).
My first console was the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 by NEC (it's still in my basement but unfortunately, not working)
I really enjoyed the console. It had better graphics then Nintendo and Super Nintendo due to the fact that the TurboGrafx actually had TWO 8-bit chips instead of one. Hence, TurboGrafx 16. There were plenty of games for the console but the most well-known was a little caveman named Bonk or PC Genjin. How can you not love a caveman who's weapon was HIS HEAD!
The console was also the first system to add a CD-rom. My favourite CD game (although was already in its 2nd or 3rd remake) was Ys I & II(pronounced "eese"). It's famous for its music and awesome boss fight. The game is due out Feb 2011 on the PSP, its 7th reincarnation. This video is from the TurboGrafx CD version.
While it does look outdated 20 years later, it was superior back then.
After the TurboGrafx, I got a GameBoy Colour... I only have about 3 games (Snoopy Tennis, Mr. Driller and Metal Gear Solid) and since everyone had one, I didn't fancy the system too much.
For about 5 years, I got into PC gaming... my game? Quake 2. The community was pretty big and was different then what it is today. Quake 2 had a mod community (that's now everywhere) and one particular mode that I loved playing was Loki's Minion CTF (Capture the Flag). It was quite different then the regular CTF; it had original graphics, an innovative offhand grapple and fun maps. But then Quake 3 came out and Quake 2 just died.
In about 1999, I purchased my first system the Playstation 2 (Yes, I skipped the original Playstation). It was Christmas and Best Buy was doing a promotion for it: console, memory card, extra controller and a game for about $200 (I think). This is where the floodgates opened. The titles available for the Playstation is MASSIVE. However, I am somewhat of a picky gamer.
1) hate buying games that are $50-$60 and find out they SUCK
2) $50-$60 for a game is quite expensive and they will drop in price eventually
3) prefer to let first-person shooters stay on PC
With that in mind, I don't have a big collection of games but my collection includes:
Ratchet and Clank series (who doesn't love the furball?)
Soul Calibur
Dance Dance Revolution (but later series had too many modern songs to my liking)
Kingdom Hearts
What was awesome about the Playstation 2 was, I would be able to watch DVD and play PS1 games... and so, I bought the Xena Playstation 1 game and then off ebay DDR Konamix and DDR Disney Mix. It was an entertainment system worth purchasing. The games on GameCube and Xbox really did not speak to me.
GameCube - more party-ish games: Mario Party, Super Smash Brothers etc
Xbox - geared more towards first-person shooters that as I mentioned, prefer to play on a PC. There were 2 titles that I liked: Fable and Thief: Deadly Shadows but guess what? They were also on PC too!
So, Playstation 2 won out and then I find out about "homebrew" and "hacks." When Final Fantasy XI came with a hard drive... hackers were smiling and users like me benefited. Yup, they found a way to store games onto the hard drive and play off it. This opened a WHOLE new world where I could download games and play. While it is illegal to download games, it gave me an opportunity to try the game out first. And if I liked it enough, I went and bought a copy. It certainly saved me from buying games that just wasn't worth it.
When Playstation 3 came out, I wanted it but I couldn't justify the $600 price tag. So, I let it go. Last year, I bought a Playstation Portable. I can play games, play music in the car (freeing my blackberry for phone calls) and play video/movies if I'm on the road. Oh yes and hackable too! But there's a reason why I have bought the handheld recently and not when it first launched. I couldn't justify buying a system that I won't play much of! Until...
Ys Seven
then came Ys Oath in Felghana
and in a few weeks from this post...
an adorable game called Gurumin
and of course, Ratchet and Clank and God of War... It would not make any sense to buy a console to play one game.
And here we come to why I went with the Playstation 3 when it's been out on the market for a while. After all the hacking of PS2 and PSP, I sorta wanted a hackable system but reading and googling and search resulted in too much effort in the Playstation 3 that could just screw it up. So, it was decided that hacking was not important. My cousins and friends have a Wii and played it for a bit. It was fun but the nostalgia of the wiimote wears off quickly and most of the game were similar to the selections for GameCube: party/group game. I also thought about the xbox 360 but I couldn't find ONE title that I would be interested and even if there was, it was available on Playstation 3 or PC.
Which brings me back to Playstation 3... I was looking for a blu-ray player but it did not make economical sense to spend $120 on a blu-ray player and $300 on a gaming console when I could get a gaming console AND a blu-ray player for $300. So after waiting and waiting, I found out Staples had a $20 off $200 purchase and they had lowered the Playstation 3 Move bundle to $350 (compared to $400 everywhere else). I could not pass up such an awesome offer. Staples had a paper schredder promo for $0 and I was sold! so, I spend $440 after tax and got a 320gig Playstation 3 with the MOVE bundle, an HDMI cable AND a blu-ray remote. And now, to go and start my game collection... The list of games I will be getting...
God of War 1, 2 and 3 (I've downloaded 1 & 2 for PS2 and will go and buy it for PS3 for the high-def version)
Assassin's Creed series (downloaded the PSP and really liked it... so, I bought and just finished the 1st game - though story sucked, gameplay was fun... especially throwing bad guys off the cliff!)
infamous (will be getting infamous 2 when it's coming out later this year)
Uncharted (I want it, I just haven't bought it)
Ratchet and Clank (can't say no to it)
Soul Calibur IV
I personally would like to see a Soul Calibur V that is move compatible.
So, the big question is where is gaming going next... and why 2015?
The console have also coincide with some "next big technology."
So, the TurboGrafx 16 coincided with CDroms then Playstation 2 coincided with the DVD... It was ironic that the next-gen (the current) consoles coincided with the HD DVD vs blu-ray war... we know who won... I think it was a smart move by Sony to include the blu-ray, even though it bumped the price of its system.
I predict that in 2012-2013 at E3 that we will hear something about the next generation console but the first console will not be on sale in the market until late 2014 or mid 2015. As the article stated, Nintendo will likely be the first console for the announcement as the Wii system, while revolutionized gaming, really lack the raw graphics and processing power like its competitor.
Another reason why not until 2015 it's because everyone is starting to get into the HD fanfare. Five years ago, 32" HDTV cost $2000 and not many people were able to afford it. Now? 50" LCD HDTV is only $1500 and blu-ray JUST started its popularity. Majority of the consumers does not care about the latest and greatest technology. They care more about cost and if it looked great that is a bonus. The industry have just started to shove 3D technology into our throat. I personally don't see the hoop-la of 3D. Some movies looked great in 3D but it is quite straineous on the eyes. While the Nintendo 3DS sounds interesting, I wouldn't be going out and buying it. Also, Sony has already been pushing out game updates for certain title and supporting 3D; Killzone 3 is available 3D if you have a 3DTV (which cost $2500 for a decent size). See where I'm going here?
It is 2011... 3DTV is just getting off the ground. In about 3 years, 3DTV will come down in price and maybe 80% of household will have it.
The next Wii 2, xbox 720 (I laughed when I read that) and Playstation 4 will be out with the next super revolutionary TV thinga-ma-jig. I know someone is already working and/or developing some holographic interactive project of some sort. This is probably about 5 years or so down the road...
CD -> DVD -> blu-ray (HD) -> 3D -> interactive holographic??
I know my PS3 will last me for more then 5 years anyway...
The state of console gaming, part 1
The state of console gaming, part 2: Nintendo
The state of console gaming, part 3: Microsoft
The state of console gaming, part 4: Sony
I'll try to do a short recap, a little history of my gaming habits and why I went and purchased a Playstation 3 over the other 2.
The articles recaps the last 5 years of the current consoles and predicts where its going with the 3 companies. Since the first Nintendo in 1985, there have been a constant 5 years cycle.
Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985
Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991
Nintendo 64 in 1996
GameCube in 2001
Wii in 2006
"Sega, Sony, and Microsoft, have more or less adhered to this timetable through the years."
And since it's 2011, it seems it is about time the new console comes out.
(What?? I just bought my playstation 3!! There can't be a next generation already! I'm NOT ready!)
Personally, I don't forsee the next-gen console to come til 2015 (the writer predicts 2013).
My first console was the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 by NEC (it's still in my basement but unfortunately, not working)
I really enjoyed the console. It had better graphics then Nintendo and Super Nintendo due to the fact that the TurboGrafx actually had TWO 8-bit chips instead of one. Hence, TurboGrafx 16. There were plenty of games for the console but the most well-known was a little caveman named Bonk or PC Genjin. How can you not love a caveman who's weapon was HIS HEAD!
The console was also the first system to add a CD-rom. My favourite CD game (although was already in its 2nd or 3rd remake) was Ys I & II(pronounced "eese"). It's famous for its music and awesome boss fight. The game is due out Feb 2011 on the PSP, its 7th reincarnation. This video is from the TurboGrafx CD version.
While it does look outdated 20 years later, it was superior back then.
After the TurboGrafx, I got a GameBoy Colour... I only have about 3 games (Snoopy Tennis, Mr. Driller and Metal Gear Solid) and since everyone had one, I didn't fancy the system too much.
For about 5 years, I got into PC gaming... my game? Quake 2. The community was pretty big and was different then what it is today. Quake 2 had a mod community (that's now everywhere) and one particular mode that I loved playing was Loki's Minion CTF (Capture the Flag). It was quite different then the regular CTF; it had original graphics, an innovative offhand grapple and fun maps. But then Quake 3 came out and Quake 2 just died.
In about 1999, I purchased my first system the Playstation 2 (Yes, I skipped the original Playstation). It was Christmas and Best Buy was doing a promotion for it: console, memory card, extra controller and a game for about $200 (I think). This is where the floodgates opened. The titles available for the Playstation is MASSIVE. However, I am somewhat of a picky gamer.
1) hate buying games that are $50-$60 and find out they SUCK
2) $50-$60 for a game is quite expensive and they will drop in price eventually
3) prefer to let first-person shooters stay on PC
With that in mind, I don't have a big collection of games but my collection includes:
Ratchet and Clank series (who doesn't love the furball?)
Soul Calibur
Dance Dance Revolution (but later series had too many modern songs to my liking)
Kingdom Hearts
What was awesome about the Playstation 2 was, I would be able to watch DVD and play PS1 games... and so, I bought the Xena Playstation 1 game and then off ebay DDR Konamix and DDR Disney Mix. It was an entertainment system worth purchasing. The games on GameCube and Xbox really did not speak to me.
GameCube - more party-ish games: Mario Party, Super Smash Brothers etc
Xbox - geared more towards first-person shooters that as I mentioned, prefer to play on a PC. There were 2 titles that I liked: Fable and Thief: Deadly Shadows but guess what? They were also on PC too!
So, Playstation 2 won out and then I find out about "homebrew" and "hacks." When Final Fantasy XI came with a hard drive... hackers were smiling and users like me benefited. Yup, they found a way to store games onto the hard drive and play off it. This opened a WHOLE new world where I could download games and play. While it is illegal to download games, it gave me an opportunity to try the game out first. And if I liked it enough, I went and bought a copy. It certainly saved me from buying games that just wasn't worth it.
When Playstation 3 came out, I wanted it but I couldn't justify the $600 price tag. So, I let it go. Last year, I bought a Playstation Portable. I can play games, play music in the car (freeing my blackberry for phone calls) and play video/movies if I'm on the road. Oh yes and hackable too! But there's a reason why I have bought the handheld recently and not when it first launched. I couldn't justify buying a system that I won't play much of! Until...
Ys Seven
then came Ys Oath in Felghana
and in a few weeks from this post...
an adorable game called Gurumin
and of course, Ratchet and Clank and God of War... It would not make any sense to buy a console to play one game.
And here we come to why I went with the Playstation 3 when it's been out on the market for a while. After all the hacking of PS2 and PSP, I sorta wanted a hackable system but reading and googling and search resulted in too much effort in the Playstation 3 that could just screw it up. So, it was decided that hacking was not important. My cousins and friends have a Wii and played it for a bit. It was fun but the nostalgia of the wiimote wears off quickly and most of the game were similar to the selections for GameCube: party/group game. I also thought about the xbox 360 but I couldn't find ONE title that I would be interested and even if there was, it was available on Playstation 3 or PC.
Which brings me back to Playstation 3... I was looking for a blu-ray player but it did not make economical sense to spend $120 on a blu-ray player and $300 on a gaming console when I could get a gaming console AND a blu-ray player for $300. So after waiting and waiting, I found out Staples had a $20 off $200 purchase and they had lowered the Playstation 3 Move bundle to $350 (compared to $400 everywhere else). I could not pass up such an awesome offer. Staples had a paper schredder promo for $0 and I was sold! so, I spend $440 after tax and got a 320gig Playstation 3 with the MOVE bundle, an HDMI cable AND a blu-ray remote. And now, to go and start my game collection... The list of games I will be getting...
God of War 1, 2 and 3 (I've downloaded 1 & 2 for PS2 and will go and buy it for PS3 for the high-def version)
Assassin's Creed series (downloaded the PSP and really liked it... so, I bought and just finished the 1st game - though story sucked, gameplay was fun... especially throwing bad guys off the cliff!)
infamous (will be getting infamous 2 when it's coming out later this year)
Uncharted (I want it, I just haven't bought it)
Ratchet and Clank (can't say no to it)
Soul Calibur IV
I personally would like to see a Soul Calibur V that is move compatible.
So, the big question is where is gaming going next... and why 2015?
The console have also coincide with some "next big technology."
So, the TurboGrafx 16 coincided with CDroms then Playstation 2 coincided with the DVD... It was ironic that the next-gen (the current) consoles coincided with the HD DVD vs blu-ray war... we know who won... I think it was a smart move by Sony to include the blu-ray, even though it bumped the price of its system.
I predict that in 2012-2013 at E3 that we will hear something about the next generation console but the first console will not be on sale in the market until late 2014 or mid 2015. As the article stated, Nintendo will likely be the first console for the announcement as the Wii system, while revolutionized gaming, really lack the raw graphics and processing power like its competitor.
Another reason why not until 2015 it's because everyone is starting to get into the HD fanfare. Five years ago, 32" HDTV cost $2000 and not many people were able to afford it. Now? 50" LCD HDTV is only $1500 and blu-ray JUST started its popularity. Majority of the consumers does not care about the latest and greatest technology. They care more about cost and if it looked great that is a bonus. The industry have just started to shove 3D technology into our throat. I personally don't see the hoop-la of 3D. Some movies looked great in 3D but it is quite straineous on the eyes. While the Nintendo 3DS sounds interesting, I wouldn't be going out and buying it. Also, Sony has already been pushing out game updates for certain title and supporting 3D; Killzone 3 is available 3D if you have a 3DTV (which cost $2500 for a decent size). See where I'm going here?
It is 2011... 3DTV is just getting off the ground. In about 3 years, 3DTV will come down in price and maybe 80% of household will have it.
The next Wii 2, xbox 720 (I laughed when I read that) and Playstation 4 will be out with the next super revolutionary TV thinga-ma-jig. I know someone is already working and/or developing some holographic interactive project of some sort. This is probably about 5 years or so down the road...
CD -> DVD -> blu-ray (HD) -> 3D -> interactive holographic??
I know my PS3 will last me for more then 5 years anyway...
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