Evening Reading
by Steve Gibson, Dec 15, 2004 6:47pm PSTWell that was a fun trip. Congrats to all the winners of the VGAs. It was an honor to be nominated and perhaps in a year or two we may be a real contender ourselves. Also thanks to everyone who voted for us and said so many flattering things about our goofy website. Speaking of goofy...
- Sprint + Nextel - Wal-Mart electronics coming - Dead fly fuel - Hire a wingman, see boobiesLastly, Blockbuster realizes late fees suck!
Demon's Souls servers extended again
Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection coming in June
Sony patent would interrupt gameplay to display ad
Weekend Confirmed 114 - Diablo 3, Max Payne 3, Lost Planet 3
New Zone of the Enders project underway
So yah, you guys want Pix. (sorry no Divx. I don't have a movie camera.)
http://hizzow.net/images/we/box.jpg - Look it's a box from that strange land up north!
http://hizzow.net/images/we/all.jpg - Decent varitey of stuff. My g/f couldn't stop playing with the Whoopie cusion and Begged me to open the candy dispenser (more on this later..).
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This sucks.
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Athlon 64 +3200 (New Castle Core)
ATI Radeon X800 pro 256MB
MSI "K8N Neo Platinum" (MS-7030) 250 Chipset Motherboard
Two Geil Value Series 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS
NEC 8X Black DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model ND-2500A
Maxtor 250 gig Ultra ata 133 (7200 rpm, 8 meg cache, 9.3 seek)
Ten Best Games of 2004
1. Sid Meier's Pirates – While my initial impressions weren’t that great (Firaxis, hire voice actors, ok?), the underlying freeform game play took hold of me like no other game this year. I easily put in 80 hours of play in two weeks.
2. Thief 3 deadly shadows – Besides feeling really connect to the character through the story; I felt connected to the environment. Having a body and a shadow should now be a requirement for any FPS. Thief 3 edges out Far Cry because it’s good from beginning to end. Far Cry sort of sputters out towards the end.
3. Far Cry – In my opinion, this is the game Half Life 2 should have been. Good story line, excellent pacing, wide open environment, great all around graphics that sometimes boarder on amazing and AI that would do more than just stand there.
4. Simpsons' Hit & Run – I love GTA type games (wish they could just name the genre something) and while I’m not the biggest Simpson fan, Hit & Run makes Springfield a likeable game environment.
5. Sims 2 – I like the Sims, this was Sims on crack. Nuff said.
6. Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude – It was a funny game. I laughed harder at this game (and specifically the scene with the teddy bear) than any other game in the past 4 years or so.
7. Children of the Nile – Its Tropico, done right. Another feature I loved was there were no right or wrong game play choices, just consequences. It made even playing a bad situation fun.
8. Evil Genius – It was Dungeon Keeper meets Austin Powers and it worked very well. I would like to see more of this subgenre with Dungeon Keeper like games with different themes.
9. Doom 3 - Considering every single id software game done by id sucked when it came to single player, Doom 3 actually being an average single player game was an amazing victory.
10. The Political Machine – This game was just really different than anything else I’ve played in the past few years. At times it was a little too easy and simplistic. Basically pandering to the political right = the win all the time. The presentation and different game play were big hooks none the less.
Ten most disappointing games of 2004
1. Spider-man 2 The movie – Activision, please die. Love Rob. Really this was an amazing low. Activision had a good Spiderman 2 game on the Xbox. All indications were it was to be ported to the PC. Instead we got come kiddy crap that was barely functional as a game.
2. Half Life 2 – This game was supposed to replace slice bread on the inventions that helped man kind list. Instead we got a game with an install from hell, sub par short game play, linear levels with way too many cheap camp grounds for the retarded AI, and crap for story. But hey, it had nice textures and a few really good animated faces. Yes I do realize most people (especially other game developers) are crowning this game King of the Prom.
3. Rollercoaster tycoon 3 – I can’t wait to play this game once it reaches beta test stage.
4. City of Heroes – I had hopes that I could live the life of a Superhero. Unfortunately, you only got to live one half of that life in the game. Out side of beating people up, very little came over from the four colored pages and the game was a very shallow experience.
5. Singles – All I expected was the Sims meet porn. However they had to weld on a Japanese like dating system on top of it and the sex part was rather lame.
6. True Crime – Its just like GTA, just without the fun.
7. Chris Sawyer's Locomotion – As much as I wanted to like this game, and I was fine with the graphics, there were too many problems the over all system
8. Star Wars Battle Grounds – Actually the game isn’t too bad but the online crowd that this game attracted (tiny as it was) was lame.
9. Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising – Look, I’m not a graphics whore but really, the mid 90s called Nova, they want their graphics back.
10. Catwoman – I know the movie was going to suck but I had hope that EA would provide a decent costume vigilantly game with some interesting stealth elements.
Ten games in 2005 I’m most looking forwards too
1. GTA:SA
2. Bards Tale
3. Freedom Force vs the Third Reich
4. KOTOR 2
5. Psychonauts
6. Stalker
7. Dungeon Siege II
8. The Movies
9. Dungeon Lords
10. FEAR
Ten games I hope are announced if not appear in 2005 for the pc
1. Fallout 3 (I know it’s a 2006 title but we should at least see something)
2. Sim something else that Sim City or Sims
3. Another Sierra adventure game brought back to life. Prefer Space Quest
4. More RPGs that aren’t Fantasy based
5. Sam n Max
6. A new X-Com game
7. The Syndicate remake currently known as Blue Vault
8. Xmen Legends
9. Fable
10. Duke Nukem Forever
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Anyone else here a fan of tactical knives? I've carried one everyday in my pocket religiously since I was a cop.
My favorite is a Benchmade CQC7, which my wife gave me our first xmas together:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~fburgers/images/benchmade_cqc7.jpg
I've also carried an Emerson Commander, but sold it after a while because it was just to large to carry comfortably:
http://www.emersonknives.com/Commander_BTS.html
A Spyderco Dragonfly in stainless, which I recently gave to my brother-in-law because he needed a good knife:
http://knifeoutlet.com/shop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=SPYC28
A lightweight Benchmade Ascent II with zytel handles:
http://www.pocketknifestore.com/images/knife_bm834.jpg
I need a new knife I think. What do you guys carry?
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http://www.caterham.co.uk/showroom/sevens/csr.htm
looks really sweet
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Ok you have big groups of diverse kids hanging out. Doing their thing. Going to the zoo and singing songs... etc. Subjects that teach kindness to wildlife and plants, conservation of water, sharing, interpersonal values...
Well half all of the children act like fucking numbskulls. They all act stupid, brainwashed, oblivous. I'm half afraid that my neice will want to hang out with losers like are on those shows. I remember, when I was her age, that, especially during lunch hour and shit, I'd make fun of kids like that, and they would never fuck with me. I really hated some of those guys.
I'm not liking these "Baby Einstein" vids either. Too narcotic and repetitious. Just, brainwashing almost. Whenever I'm at the discount shop (K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target) and I see some young parents buying that stuff for their kids, I'm like, "Don't don't it."
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I'd like to see a MechWarrior or HeavyGear Universe made.
or
X-com Style MMO maybe?
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Here's my opinion after using the Tivo for several months, and then switching to the free Time Warner HD-DVR box about 2 weeks ago. Hope this saves someone from blowing money on a Tivo.
TWHDVR
pros
- Allows you to record HD programs
-Allows you to record two different channels at the same time, while watching a third channel live.
-Picture quality is better because you no longer have to run through the Tivo box on top of the cable box.
-No monthly fees other then the normal cable bill.
-No delay in channel surfing.
-Did I mention its free?
cons
-No way to mod the box's (that I know of)
-no Wishlists
-Unsure about the hard drive size (hasn't been an issue yet though)
-not being able to type makes it harder to search for a show
TiVo
pros
-Wishlists
-Ability to type in the shows you want to search for
-Tivo Suggestions
-decent guide for channel surfing (if thats your thing)
cons
-channel surfing is unbearably slow
-picture quality ain't so hot
-unable to record or watch HD (my biggest gripe)
-must pay monthly fee
-can't watch another live channel while recording (couldn't believe this when I got mine)
-needs access to a phone line for initial setup
-must buy system
I have time warner road runner cable modem access, by the way. Things may be different for those of you with sattelite.
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Blizzard's original plan for Final Beta in europe was "december", so I decided to risk it and take a weeks (no pay!) vacation from work on 27.12 - 31.12, so I could get a good feel of the game before retail. Bought the beta box (which was not too easy to find in Finland because I didn't realize it was on sale early enough) and put in the paperwork for the vacation. And now Blizzard announces the beta is coming "late dec/early jan".
Seriously, wtf am I to do with a vacation without WoW? I haven't had a day of vacation in over a year, for reasons that would take too much explaining, and one would think I'd look forward to just chillin with friends or playing some other games. But I had put myself into a WoWish state of mind and now everything else feels like a waste of time. I suppose Eve Online, HL2 and an unreasonable amount of alcohol will have to do. Ridiculously Sad Panda.
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http://www.tivo.com/ilovetivo.asp
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damn, that's kinda cool, i've never been complimented on my shoes before.
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Definately one of my favorite musicals to listen to (i've never seen it). Some others i really like are Rent and Into the Woods. Both are definately worth a listen.
But, yeah....Tommy is good.
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Terrance ''Shotgun'' Chipp, 26; Alex DeJesus, 20; Noel ''The Boss'' Ryant, 21, all of the Bronx, N.Y.; and Louis ''Booger'' Colon, 16, of Springfield, Mass., all pleaded innocent Wednesday to five counts of kidnapping as well as weapons charges. They were jailed on bail ranging from $150,000 to $250,000.
WHy do they call you booger???
*finger in nose to the knuckle* I don't know...
Do you guys have any idea why we celebrate on christmas eve while everybody else seem to celebrate on christmas day?
Thanks,
Thomas
PS. Meet up at my place for mead-fest 2004 on Sunday
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Skeletal Club
http://www.thottbot.com/index.cgi?i=8664
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Here's the sony PSP doing an eels.mpg impression on the DS
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http://members.rogers.com/jspurs/pinchy.jpg
http://members.rogers.com/jspurs/pincherpg
pinchy died :(.... well pincher did too in the end.
I got a male masturbation kit
http://members.rogers.com/jspurs/cockboat.jpg
a cock shot glass
http://members.rogers.com/jspurs/cockglass.jpg
and some jizz cleaner
http://members.rogers.com/jspurs/jizzgoo.jpg
all in all a fun night... time to study for exam tomorrw and friday :(
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Camera Work and Style: excellent
Music: excellent
Acting: pretty darn good
Plot: I've got a FUCKING HEADACHE
#number of dumb rediculous moments: 3 3d holograms, julia roberts bullshit, lasers and the obsurb alien like acrobatics to get threw them (In order for me to really like a movie I demand 0 fucking dumb rediculous moments)
a meh movie for me, although good style and camera work usually make up for any meh feelings I have for a movie, I appreciate the professionalism of a well made film.
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On a dual channel motherboard, to get dual channel I should put the RAM sticks into the 2 blue slots close to each other right? not one into the yellow one a bit apart?
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A musician friend of mine sent me a new album of his that I'm aching to listen to, but it's unfortunately all OGGed up and my main listening rig is a pc with itunes and big speakers listening to the itunes library of another pc across a network. This way I get the same music on all computers. Since OGG support in itunes seems like a distant dream, I'll convert it at a loss instead. Recommendations?
/ V
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I use Cosmos, how do you upload your profile to thottbot?
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A couple of days ago I ate an clementine that had about 8 or 9 pips and it waas a truely horrible experience. Today I gathered all my strength and finally ate another. This one was free of pips and tasted totally amazing.
Haven't trusted an orange for years BTW...
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I picked up Mohoromatic: Automatic Maiden a bit ago on a whim, it looked fun. I like the funny/sexy/harem type anime series, like Love Hina, Onegai Teacher, Chobits, Ai Yori Aoshi etc..
Mohoromatic was a great and fun series. A little more nudity than the others mentioned above, but it's not tenticle rape.. the only thing that pissed me off about this series is the ending why the fuck did they end it like this. Mohoro blowing up in the end then Suguru becoming a Android hunter 20 years later. That was totally off base from what I thought would happen that it was a total shock and killed the whole series for me. I was expecting that someone would find a fix for Mohoro's internal clock and she would be able to go on living happily ever after style..
Other than that, a good, fun series to watch.
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http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/misc/fansitechat/04-12-13.html
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