Daily Ramblings: Wii 2

Well with the announcement of the successor to the Wii. I have come up with five ideas that could become the Wii 2 (or U whatever Nintendo will call it).

1)Enhanced Wii

Ok so this isn’t the Wii 2, more like the Wii 1.5. It will come with all (or most) of the features that are currently available on both the PS3 (sans the high price) and Xbox 360 (sans the Red Ring of Death). Some of the features include 1080p support (hdmi and component), upto 7.1 surround sound (coaxial and s/pdif) and maybe the ability to play DVDs (or Blu-ray). It will also come with a hard drive of at least 60 GB. The Friend Code system will be thrown out and a new online play system will be incorporate that will use unique usernames. Also with more power, hopefully more game developers will adopt the Wii 1.5 (Resident Evil 5 anyone?).

2. The Customizable Controller

Instead of another new amazing controller scheme, Nintendo will play on the old and true to self handheld control. With the analog sticks, c-stick, a and b button, and whatelse there is. It will follow the idea of this keyboard. Instead of having set keys, all the buttons (and analog sticks) will be removable! The controller will be any standard shape (Gamecube?), but instead of having fixed keys, every button can be moved. This provides a more comfortable and customizing gameplay for the gamer. Also, game developers could worry less about controller configuration, because the players will be able to set the control scheme to anyway they want! This allows the developer to worry more about the game play and less on the controller scheme.

3. DS meets Wii; Makes DiiS

The next possible system is the DiiS. Its like if the DS and the Wii were to have a child, it would be the DiiS. Going for power, but also portabllity, the DiiS would be both your home console and portable console! Every DiiS will come with a docking station that connects to the TV, controllers, etc… When you want to play on your TV, just insert the DiiS into the docking station (which will double as a recharging station) and voila! You now have a home console! Does size matter? With advancing technology, by the time the DiiS is concocted, it will be able to have the power of the current Wii (and more) inside a console more or less the size of the current DS lite!

4. The DiiJay Mixer

Have that Super Smash Bros. Annihilation game you’ve gotten tired of and that Super Mario Twillight Zone game that you just beat? Well put it into the DiiJay Mixer! With this amazing new console from Nintendo, you will be able to mix games together and create new games. The possibilities are endless! Hate fighting in side-scroller? Pop into the DiiJay Mixer two disk tray both SSBA and SMTZ and now you’re fighting around in Peache’s Castle! Watch as the castle burns down in destruction as you fight it out in a 3D environment! Using advance algorithms (I’m BSing more then I should be now), the DiiJay Mixer will be able to mesh any two games together and spit out a game that has smooth gameplay. Each time you mix it, a new game will appear! Gamecube and Wii games will also be compatable. Wonder what would happen if FLUDD were to work in space? Why not try it! Insert SMS and SMG and watch as Mario spits water into the sky.

5. Nintendo On

Need I say more?

Daily Ramblings: The Secret Life Of Bees

Well, for our stupid school summer assignment (which won’t be checked anyway come this school year), we have to read The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Now I haven’t read the book yet; these are my initial thoughts from what I see.

Judging from the author’s name, Sue Monk Kidd, I can only come to two conclusions:

1) I pity her cause her parents must have been crazy to name their child that.

or

2) She must be crazy to pick such a horrendous moniker.

Other then that the cover looks nice. Theres a little painting bee by a window and a jar full of honey on the ledge. Oooo, there’s a sticker saying that it’s gonna be a movie. Too bad it won’t come out before school starts. Wouldn’t have to read this damn book.

Whoa, too much yellow on the back. There’s a little description of the soty in the back. Guess I’ll read it.

Okay, 30 minutes later and I still haven’t read past he first word…

Another 30 minutes…

2 hours later…

Okay finally I’ve finished reading it. I have summed up one thing. THIS STORY IS GONNA SUCK.

Lemme quote from the back “This remarkable novel about devi BLAH BLAH BLAH story that women will share and pass on top their daughters for years to come.”

Okay… WTF?

Are this implying that its a novel for women to read? I see nothing about fathers or men or sons in there. The Board of Crap (Education for those who dunno who i mean) gives us this crap like the other crap we got (Derek Jeter, Seabiscuit) and expects guys to read it? No offense to anyone but that is sexist! Giving a book for women to enjoy but not men! What the hell is that!

Lordy Lord (As my friend would say)

Daily Ramblings: Wine

Have you ever seen or smelled a wine so amazing that you would have loved to take a sip? A wine so beautiful and vibrant in color that you just had to stare? A wine that just seem to take hold of all your senses and hold you there? Well if you have sipped such a wine, you are very lucky

I’ve come across many wines before, but there was none so that was as full as this. It had eveything, the smell, the color, even taste (though I never tasted it, i knew it had a rich flavor). It was all that I ever looked for in a wine. It was the epitome of beauty, scent, age and taste. I was left intoxicated by it, I never tasted it, yet it held me in its grasp. Like the Amontillado that drew Fortunato to his death, this wine drew me in too. (I’m pretty sure that it wouldn’t have been death at the end of the tunnel though )

It stayed in my thoughts for days, weeks, months. There was no other wine like this. I longed and desired to have that wine. I couldn’t do anything though, it never came to me and I couldn’t force it to come. Doing so would just be selfsh and not like me. For months I tried to get it but to no avail. The wine seemed to elude me.

Yes, I’ve come to a decision. This wine can never be mine to taste. It will never be held in my hand, nor will I ever taste it to really appreciate its beauty. After months of trying, I know that I can never have this wine so why live in agony? I’ll just let it go and move on…

Daily Ramblings: Happy Birthday Jill!

Well since, today is my friend’s birthday, I would like to give her a shout out:

Happy Birthday Jill!!

Daily Ramblings: The Videogame Delusion

Here’s something someone sent me:

“Casual. Hardcore. Two terms often heard since the start of the seventh generation of consoles. Many videogamers claim that Nintendo is the pioneer of “casuals” and the new face of the non-gamers. They claim that Nintendo forgot the people that originally made it successful. Back in 2004, the DS was the big handheld that could. For a while its lineup of games was atrocious, and pretty much everyone agreed that the PSP would obliterate the DS. Nintendo would be over. Anyone who would disagree was labeled with the fanboy stigma.

But that never happened and the DS took control. The PSP was a nice effort by Sony, but it wasn’t even close to usurping Nintendo’s unstoppable reign over the handheld market. Even nonbelievers started to believe when the DS Lite came out. Sexy, fun, great library of games, cheap… there were few reasons to own a PSP as a games console. The PSP Slim & Lite only sparked some interest, but that spark withered away. The DS did what the Gamecube failed to do: sell tons and tons of units. Both still made Nintendo money, but the DS did that better, too.

Back to the seventh generation. The Xbox360 was out for a year. The Gamecube sold less than expected. Nintendo knew that making a powerhouse would spell d-double o-m. They expected that their next console would sell worse than the Gamecube, so they couldn’t have made it expensive. Nintendo went minimalist with the Revolution, now known as the Wii. But something happened that no one predicted: the Wii was a huge hit. But with the Wii and DS came a change in the market. No longer were just gamers interested. Non-gamers were, too. The terms hardcore and casual were coined. Hardcore games referred to games like Mario, Zelda, Halo, Bioshock, Resistance, etc. Casual games were Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Wii Play, etc. The “hardcore” are annoyed at the Wii for offering too much casual and not enough hardcore. This is where the gamers fail.
What is a hardcore game, really? It’s a game that the heavy gamers enjoy. It’s a game that would scare off a sporadic gamer. Wii Fit sold incredibly well, but it’s a casual game and hardcore gamers hated it. Guitar Hero and Rock Band, two series that also sold well, are casual by definition but hardcore because the main gamers enjoy it. Likewise, the Brian Age series are fun, but casual. Gamers are terrible. They think the market must focus on them, even though the money is where the “casuals” are. Gamers don’t want newcomers to play games, even going so far to call casuals moronic and stupid. Well, gamers, remember that first time you played Super Mario Bros.? You died at the first Goomba in 1-1. Is that not a stupid mistake? Yet here you are, bashing newcomers for not possessing the skills to beat a lot of games.

The gaming market is changing and expanding; you either have a choice to stay behind or adjust with it. I would very much prefer games like Mario, Zelda, and whatnot over games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit. I played games since I was young, my first game being Super Mario World (best game ever.). I beat it over three thousand times, and I am the delusional definition of the “hardcore” gamer. But I am the true hardcore gamer: I enjoy games. I can enjoy a game like Wii Sports and Wii Fit. I don’t judge games by their graphics, sound, or difficulty: I judge them by their fun. Wii Sports is fun, but it’s a different kind of fun that many gamers are accustomed to. This is where the real test to differentiate the hardcore gamer from the whiner: the ability to adapt and change to gaming market trends. Nintendo realized it first, and even Microsoft wants to follow Nintendo’s footsteps. Sony is a little behind, however. It took them a while to realize that the gamers want games, not multimedia. The PS3 was marketed as a multimedia machine before a gaming console, and Kaz Hirai even admitted it was the wrong thing to do: “We focused too much on other aspects of the PS3 and there was confusion over what the machine was.” People even bought the PS3 as the cheapest Blu-Ray player, without intending to glance at its games. Even the PS2 in a way helped taint the gaming market, as many people bought it as a cheap DVD player as opposed to a videogames console. Sony, gamers don’t want Blu-Ray which has yet to prove its worth, we want games. We want function, not fashion. (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy VII suck)”

-EnnEnn

Daily Ramblings: Avatar: The Last Episode

Well today marks the end of one of the best cartoon series I have ever watched in my life. Avatar: The Last Airbender premiered February 21, 2005 and quickly became one of the best cartoons on the Nickelodeon television network and on Nicktoons Network. It follows the life of Aang, the Avatar and the last airbender and his friends as they try to stop the Fire Nation from trying to take over the world. Today Avatar: The Last Airbender will air its final 2-hour episode, when all will be answered and whether the Avatar will defeat the Fire Lord or FAIL.

In preparation of the finale, I have written a little something for each character (almost every) in the show.

Aang

With your bald, blue-arrow head, you always were more in touch with your philosophical side and feminine side then most guys (Uncle Iroh doesn’t count cause he wasn’t feminine.) You’re a 112 years old and still haven’t had any wrinkles. With your superior airbending skills, you’ll be missed very much. (Not really, I’m sure there’ll be reruns in the future )

Katara

You always were too annoying for me (sorry, but you were) with your goody two shoes ways. But you’ve been with Aang and friends throughout the entire series. You taught Aang waterbending and helped him when he needed it most. Oh and your healing abilities are kick-ass!

Sokka

The benderless guy of the party. You had the humor and wit that made you hilarious to watch. You had your ways with the girls. With your boomerang skills to help you in battle, you wasn’t all that helpless. Your plans were usually genius, but rarely ever worked out as planned.

Toph

Oh you were always the tomboy of the group. Loved to be tough, and always up for a fight. You were blind and small but that didn’t mean that you couldn’t kick ass! You used your feet to see the world and you could always tell if someone was telling the truth or not. You were much better than Katara. (Least you weren’t all goody two shoes)

Zuko

Ah, yes the angry firebender who always was screaming or firebending at someone. You’ve changed a lot since the beginning of the series. Before you used to firebend with your anger and kept your hair in that knot. Now you bend fire like the original Sun People did and keep your hair in that emo style (which suits you very well.)

Azula

Zuko’s sister and most evil person I ever seen. You introduced the blue fire and lightning bending. With your bad ass personality, you always had something wicked up your sleeve. Now you and Zuko will duke it out, and finally see who is better.

Daily Ramblings: First Edition E3

Welcome to the first of many (I hope) Daily Ramblings post! Everyday I’ll post up a new Daily Ramblings to just say whats on my mind. It could be about tech, games (blah, blah blah…) or other things on my mind. Each day will be something new and hopefully readers can input their thoughts too!

With E3 over I guess I’ll pour my thoughts over what i saw (or didnt see…).

Unlike previous E3s where tons of Game Developers (Ubisoft, EA…) showed up to showcase their games, this years E3 seemed much more dismal. Even Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello hated E3. Unlike E3s passed, this years turn out of gamers was a mere 5,000 unlike before when 60,000+ would show up! It felt more like a developers convention than an actual gaming convention. I mean what happen to the booth girls? And the big exciting games that are usually unveiled?

Here’s my breakdown of the Big 3′s (Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft) presentations.

Microsoft:

The first of the three to present what they had in store, Microsoft didnt seem to have anything dazzling or exciting. Sure Avatars and a new GUI is cool but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the Avatar concept used before and the new GUI looks like a step down from hard core gamer to casual gamer. The Netflix feature seemed cool, but how many people will set up a Netflix account just for the 360? (And the PS3′s video service seems much better.) I would have to say that Microsoft dropped the biggest bomb shell at this year’s E3. The inclusion of Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360. (Who would have ever thought of that?)

Nintendo:

My favorite and next in line at E3 was the worst of all three. Nintendo seemed like much of a letdown. I think I can even call it an EPIC FAIL. There was not one exciting thing in the whole damn conference. Okay, sure Wii Sports Resort, Animal Crossing: City Folk and GTA: Chinatown Wars seem cool, but that was it. Wiispeak was too long overdue and reviews of Nntendo’s MotionPlus were less then exciting. Wii Music looked interesting, but now I’m wondering if the only people who will play it are ten year olds. All in all, Nintendo really let me down this year. They tended to the casual crowd more then the hard core gamer. However the biggest announcement for me was that Pikmin 3 was coming out! WOOT!

Sony:

The best of the three, Sony was the killer at E3 this year. Showcasing new games like Resistance 2, God of War 3 and MAG (Massive Action Game). They also showed off new software for the PS3 like the video downloading service (which seems better than what Microsoft has to offer) and Sony Home, a new interactive world where you control a Avatar and meet other people online. Even PSP was included in the mix with new games and software. Even with the announcement of FFXIII for the 360, Sony still had a lot going for its system.

This year’s E3 FAILED. Not only did the turn out of games dropped but an overtone of gaming in general diminshed. It was more of a developers conference then a gamer’s. Hopefully next year’s E3 won’t be as dismal as this year’s.