Wal-Mart and Nintedo's Wii

Yesterday I went to the Kewanee [Illinois] Wal-Mart. I arrived at 5:15pm and was number 19 according to how many people in line. (This is the most important part of why I am so pissed.) Ok, I was told by other Wal-Mart's you can only buy ONE Nintendo Wii per household. I was also told, due to curfew issues, people under the age of 16 had to be accompanied by an adult. Then, I was told those people were one person and could ONLY get one. I was even told that they WILL NOT sell the system to anyone who leaves the line for more than 10 minutes per 90 mintues. First off, I thought the rules were REALLY fucked up... I was not even in line yet. I decided to get in line any ways.

Again I arrived at 5:15pm. AT NO POINT DID WAL-MART MANAGEMENT COME OUT AND ADDRESS THE CROWD!!! People were leaving the line ALL THE FUCKIN TIME!!! Here is what REALLY pisses me off. A group of people, who were not even there all the time, bought 8 Wii's. Huh, they left together and their kids EACH bought a Wii. I would say something about this group, but then people would think I am racist. Hmmm... Where was Wal-Mart's management team then? It seems to me that Wal-Mart just doesn't give a fuck about there customer's.

I know I wrote a paper on why Wal-Mart is the devil in college. I should actually try to get it published now. I can even add in the part about how Wal-Mart's management team thinks EVERYONE is below them. I just cannot type these words right now... I will update with an audio post later...

***UPDATE***
I wanted to let everyone know that my brother DID get a Wii at Walmart. I am VERY happy he, at least, was able to purchase a system. I was only 3 behind him...

A very pissed off,
Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Episode #0019 Released

Gotta love these shows!  I got 4 callers this week and one of them
is pretty famous.  Aaron did not have sex with her... yet.  Of
course I go over week #8 and I talk about the interdivisional play
over the next two weeks.  This would have been on of the best
shows I ever had done, but I decided to go on and on about Kevin
Smith coming back to Kewanee in November.  Do not forget about
the 2nd Kickoff party in Kewanee, IL at my parents place. 
(309) 761-4227.  Enjoy!!!
Check out the site for lots of updates!

http://podcast.86productions.com/ KSPL Episode #0018

Andrew

Vertebreaker! Episode #0006 Released

Oh my gosh, he actually updated VB! two weeks in a row.  WTF?
Why is the show so; short?  Enjoy!!!
Check out the site for lots of updates!

http://podcast.86productions.com/  VB! Episode #0006

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Episode #0018 Released

With all the excitement with week #7 (in more ways than one),
we talk a bit about the NFL.  I started a contest on who will be
the first one, not in the league, to call the hotline number.
(309) 761-4227.  Enjoy!!!
Check out the site for lots of updates!

http://podcast.86productions.com/  KSPL Episode #0018

Vertebreaker! Episode #0005 Released

After 2 months and a one week delay, VERTEBREAKER IS BACK AND
WITH WEEKLY UPDATES!  This first update talks about what has
happened in the last few months.  Enjoy!!! 
Check out the site for lots of updates!

http://podcast.86productions.com/  VB! Episode #0005

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Episode #0017 Released

What just happened week #6?  I cover the outcomes of week #6
and I also preview week #7.  That is about it...
What to talk some shit?  (309) 761-4227.  Enjoy!!!

Check out the site for lots of updates!
http://podcast.86productions.com/ KSPL #0019

Andrew

Vertebreaker! is coming Back

Vertebreaker is Coming Back... October 21st, 2006

http://podcast.86productions.com/

Andrew

Talk about a Game

I started watching the Bears game tonight and was pissed. The Bears were losing 20-0. I turned the game off because I was mad about the performance. I think the Bears were overlooking the Cardinals...

I started playing NHL 07 for the XBox 360. I needed to keep my mind off of the game. I will never watch a Bears game in Galesburg. You see, I usually watch ALL Bears games with my brother and father. Tonight I wanted to stay in Galesburg... I guess I should start watching all the games in Kewanee. I cannot take the stress of watching games by myself.

I know the whole thing about where I watch the games does not matter, but I guess as a fan, I need to support my team with my family. Well the next Chicago Bears game is not until October 29th. I hope I can get some people over for the game!

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0016 Released

What happened last week dumbass? Guess what? This is an extra long podcast. I am covering weeks 4 and 5. I am also giving a preview of week #6. I got a couple of calls this week and they are funny. Enjoy!!!
Lots of Smack talk! What to talk some shit? (309) 761-4227. Check out the site for lots of updates!
http://podcast.86productions.com/ KSPL Episode #0016

Andrew

Funniest Call I have heard!!!

Telemarketers Rule

Oh my gosh!!! This is what I need to do to the next telemarketer that calls me.

Telemarketers Rule

Andrew

Friday the 13th

I swear this entire week has been the 13th. Not only have we had a bad week, but we have to replace 3 engines in vehicles and 1 transmission. When it rains, it pours... I am getting REALLY pissed off about this... It is weird... I got 6 people approved for car loans and they do not want the car now... They do not even give me a reason... Ironically, this has been happening more and more.
Oh well, my closing ratio is still high and I still tell my customers the truth. I really like selling cars and helping people who had credit problems.

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0015 Released?

Due to a time problem, there will not be a show this week. I will have an extra long show next week. Lots of Smack talk! What to talk some shit? (309) 761-4227. Enjoy!!!

Check out the site for lots of updates!
http://podcast.86productions.com/ KSPL Episode #0015

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0014 Released

Week #3 was NICE! Who really cares about week #3? WHAT ABOUT WEEK #4 and #5? Division vs Division!!! Lots of Smack talk! What to talk some shit? (309) 761-4227. Enjoy!!! Check out the site for lots of updates! http://podcast.86productions.com/ KSPL Episode #0014

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0013 Released

If you thought that this is JUST week #2, you are WRONG! I talk about who won and who lost and some stat fuckups? I had to do this very fast because of a schedule conflict. Do not forget to make a call to the comment line. (309) 761-4227. Enjoy!!! Check out the site for lots of updates! http://podcast.86productions.com/ KSPL Episode #0013

Andrew

What has been going on?

This last week has been really weird. I had something come out of me... My father and I were talking and a name was sad that pissed me off... I seriously do not like this kid's name. You see, i made a mistake a long time ago by hiring a couple of people. Everything was going smoothly and then I started to make mistakes. I ended up making a mistake that hurt 9 lives. I nk about it very much, but sometimes I hope and sometimes know they are doing great.

I have been doing a tell all type of book over the last 2 years. I hope I can finish the book in the next year or so. I can then tell my side of the story. I just need some time to go by...

I am just glad I have not made the same mistake. I know I never will...

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0012 Released

With the season finally starting, I talk about week #1 and I also preview week #2. I also take phone calls from 6 people this week. Do not forget to make a call to the comment line. Enjoy!!! Check out the site for lots of updates! http://podcast.86productions.com/ KSPL Episode #0012

Andrew

Modding your XBox

Over the last few days I have been installing a modchip into my XBox. I had some issues with shipping, but that is not a big deal. I installed the chip with ease and should of had the entire project done in 25 minutes... TOPS! I cannot wait to do another one. Around 11:30am on Monday, I spent the next 8 hours trying to get the fuckin bios to work... Around 8:45pm, I found out the bios I downloaded was not good. I had to go do the ole IRC bullshit. I got the file and BAM!; ROX my BOX.

So why am I talking about this? I was VERY upset and no one could help me. I spent the better part of the day doing nothing. If any one has questions, I will answer some of them.

Now, I can play Halo 2, Madden 07, and more on the fly. PLUS, I can run DVD's. I can also stream movies (divx, xvid, avi, etc..) and music without a media center pc. Even when I do get a media center pc, I can then stream content from my XBox 360 and my XBox. One up stairs and one down stairs.

Can I play on XBox Live? Yes. I am using another one of my names and played Halo 2 for an hour. I am able to completely disable the mod chip. I just wish I could play the games from the hard drive on XBox Live.

I hope that you have a better time modding your XBox. I had some trouble, but I was able to use some of my smarts to work through the issues.

Andrew

What were you doing five years ago?

I can remember it like it was yesterday.

It was a Tuesday... I smoked a little the night before...
I woke up to Mancow and some of them where crying and yelling. I thought it was an act...
I looked at the TV and saw
Called Heather...
The day was just really weird...
I had to goto Bloomington, IL to drop off and pickup a film in the Daytona...
I talked to a friend of mine, who is in the service, just was getting pissed...
I got gas in Earlville, IL and I waited 30 minutes in line...
I sat there wondering what I can do to help out...

There is more to the story, but you can probably fill the rest in. The one thing that got me going was on Thursday. WWE Smackdown! was live. Vince came out and did his thing. At that point, I knew this country could get through anything. I just wish Austin, I do not care for him too much, could have stunned Bin Laden 10 times.

This is going to be a weird day tomorrow...

Andrew

Hog Days [SUCKS!] and more

What is going on peeps?

This weekend is Hog Days... Yeah... Hog Days...

LAME!!!

Why do I dislike Hog Days? Well, I see people I never wanted to see again. Don't get me wrong, there are 15-20 people like seeing. I always run into Jacob and we drink some beers. I do like hanging out with him though. Good old friend; we can talk to each other like we hang out all the time.

But I always see that person who was "popular" in High School and they try to be nice to me. FUCK YOU!!! Just because you have 2 friends now does not mean you have to be nicey nice to me... AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Like I said there are lots people I like running into, but I think one year off is good.

So What am I doing tonight? Heather and I are going to relax for a while. Later in the evening, my best friend Brian is coming over so we can mod my XBox. Yes; we are modding an XBox. I will have to take pictures tonight.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Andrew

Posting... What Happened?

At some point in your life you have to start giving things up... I have not been posting due to the fact I have been really fuckin busy. I wish I could to continue to post everyday, but I will try to update my blog once a week from now on or until I do not have the time.

I just do not want to become that "guy" who posts nothing but shit on his /her blog. I feel I do not put the following:

I woke up. I am depressed. Why am I here. Ate pizza. So depressed.

I think I have a good blog. A good blog. I will continue to update everyone on my life including all the podcasts. It just will be here and there...

I know some of my good friends in Pekin are reading this everyday and I will still contact you guys and gals.

Andrew

Madden 2007

Well today is the day when I get my hands on Madden 2007. Within 12 hours I will be playing the newest installment of NFL Football.

I know I have not been posting, but I have been fucking busy.

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0011 Released

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0011 Released

Holy crap, another podcast? 3 so far this year? I cannot believe it either! This weeks special guest is none other than Aaron P Hughes aka "The Amazing APHughes". We are talking about current posts, the draft, and much much more in this one hour edition. Other guests include Kevin Smith, Brian Schoutteet, and Blake Clayton. Listen to the VERY end for some hidden messages! Enjoy!!! This show was taped on August 13th, 2006.

http://podcast.86productions.com/

Andrew

Wii is the only true next-gen console

taken from: Computer and Video Games .com

Renowned US games designer American McGee has spoken out in a forthcoming interview with CVG, to lambast Microsoft and Sony as 'focused on money' before going on to describe Nintendo's Wii as the only true next-generation console.

In an extensive and forthright interview which will be appearing exclusively on CVG tomorrow, McGee, who's currently in the throes of releasing Bad Day LA as well as working on movie projects Grimm and Oz, responded to our question about the prospects for the next generation race by saying, "The only truly next-gen console out there is the Wii. Everything else is just a video card and processor upgrade."

When quizzed further, McGee told us he thought that Nintendo would be the true next-generation champion for gamers adding, " I sense that Nintendo is going to capture the hearts of gamers while Microsoft and Sony stab each other in the neck for market domination. Nintendo is focused on innovation and games. The other guys are focused on making money."

Controversial views indeed, but McGee seems certain that Nintendo speaks to the true gamer's soul, while picturing the other two monolithic corporations as engaged in a massive bunfight not for gaming, but for cold hard cash. Harsh or right on the money? You can offer your own thoughts in our comments field, and be sure to tune back in tomorrow for the full and fascinating interview where McGee discusses US politicians' hostility to games, episodic content, outsourcing and where gaming's future truly lies.

taken from: Computer and Video Games .com

I think this is an awesome article!

Andrew

Diggtools

http://westoncampbell.googlepages.com/diggtools.html

This site has a list of digg tools. Lots of kewl ones in there.

Andrew

Draft results!

Here are my draft picks from last night:

1. (5) T. Barber
2. (12) Seattle
3. (21) Chicago
4. (28) B. Westbrook
5. (37) E. Manning
6. (44) T. Houshmandzadeh
7. (53) A. Crumpler
8. (60) D. Culpepper
9. (69) D. Davis
10. (76) Ro. Smith
11. (85) Mi. Clayton
12. (92) K. McCardell
13. (101) J. Elam
14. (108) I. Bruce
15. (117) C. Tillman
16. (124) R. Droughns
17. (133) A. Rolle
18. (140) C. Johnson
19. (149) M. Bradley
20. (156) M. Peterson
21. (165) K. Vanden Bosch
22. (172) A. Green
23. (181) A. Thomas
24. (188) A. Brooks

Andrew

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0010 Released

Kewanee Sports League Podcast #0010 Released

The 2006 Fantasy Football season have offically started! I am flying solo today. I am talking about the draft. Also, we had some interesting people leave some messages for the podcast. This show was taped on August 11th, 2006.

http://podcast.86productions.com/

Andrew

Fantasy League Podcast #9

The 2006 Fantasy Football season have offically started! I have Brian Schoutteet and Mike Smith in house on this... This... Well we really do not talk about the league. Listen if you must. THIS IS THE LONGEST SHOW I HAVE EVER DONE! This show was taped on August 4th, 2006.

http://podcast.86productions.com/

Andrew

The one about that Deal thingee

Well... It looks like we are going to be taking over a new car franchise in January! I know it sounds weird but I am 97% sure we are going through with the deal. I cannot give out the details of the deal, but I can say that they tried to scare us off. Actually they gave us fuel for our fire. I know we are going to be working hard to complete this deal. I cannot wait to be working REALLY hard for the next 30 years of my life and slowly walk away... or will I walk away.

Right now I want to learn the new car business and run the new car business. I then would like to sell pre-owned cars and have the option to sell the new ones. You see, I want to change the way we sell cars. I want EVERYONE who comes in to be treated like a 800 credit score. I want EVERYONE who comes in to be treated like they are buying a new car. I want EVERYONE who comes in to feel like they are buying a new car. I want EVERYONE who buys a car to leave happy. I know they are people who lie and lie and lie, but I want the people in our area to know we helping them out. I do not want to be a celebrity around town. I do not want ANYONE to think I am better than them. I do not want my customers to hate the car buying system. I want to be known as the guy who does EVERYTHING he can to get the customer the best deal.

I know some dealers are do somethings that are going to hurt them in a couple of months. I will not go into details about that... I just want customers to come in happy and leave happier. I know sometimes I make customers upset, but I am telling them the truth and helping them out in the long run. Granted you never want to tell a customer they got screwed on a deal, but sometimes you have to tell them in a nice way. I want all of our customers to know I will not fuck them over.

I want to be known as the guy who can get them the best deal for the customer and for the dealership. Sometimes you just need to break even.

Andrew

Madden 2007 Content

For the 1 person who does not know about this, xbox live marketplace is releasing Madden 2007 content EVERYDAY until August 22nd, 2006. This game looks excellent. At least rent the game to find out how it is. I need to spend more time talking about posts.

Andrew

Eighty Six Anyone?

Today is a wonderful day. It is 08-06. That is all...

Andrew

Jeff Hardy has Signed

Jeff Hardy has Signed a deal with the WWE. What is next?

Andrew

Street Fighter II - Hyper Fighting

Street Fighter II - Hyper Fighting for The Xbox 360 Arcade Is Offically Out!

Andrew

EA Drops Bombshell: Wii Games 'No More Than $49.99'

taken from :GWN.com

EA announced "...we have ramped up [game] production for the Wii and DS Lite' following significant excitement over the Nintendo-created consoles at E3." The spokesperson also went on to say that Wii games won't cost more than US$49.99 at launch. Well, we would hope not. After all, the lower price of the Wii has been one of it's strongest selling points. If games were to cost the same as Hi-def games on the 360/PS3 then that advantage could be eliminated altogether as quickly as you can say "new-gen"

taken from :GWN.com

Again... PS3 will fail and Wii will win!

Andrew

This Weekend has been Weird

My brother messed up, I won a game of hold 'em, and I my in-laws lost their central air... I am not evening including the fucked up Saturday that I had... Wow... wow.

Andrew

I am not Happy

I am not happy right now. My brother was arrested for ***. The reason I am pissed is because he is driving a dealer car... If he would have hit someone, we would be fucked... More later.

Andrew

Back to the Future Trivia?

I just found out that Michael J Fox is not the orginal Marty McFly. This guy named Eric Stoultz is the orginal. Check out BTTF.com . The site itself has lots of other information about Back to the Future too.

Andrew

Steph gives Birth to a Levesque or McMahon

During Monday Night Raw, Todd Grisham announced that Stephanie McMahon had given birth to a baby girl, Aurora Rose Levesque, weighing 8 lbs., 7 ounces. Grisham wished well to the McMahon-Levesque family. As noted, there was no mention of Trips being the father.

Andrew

Clerks. 2 Got Me Thinking

Last night marks the first time I have been to a theater in over a year. I thought about why I left and if I would go back. I know you never say never, but I think the business is none for me. I talked it over with a friend of mine and I decided to write a book or short story on the business. I had fun and enjoyed certain times in the business.

Clerks 2 made me want to finally do this. I guess I should start writing.

Andrew

Clerks. 2

Last night, my brother, Aaron, went to go see Clerks. 2. Needless to say, we loved the film. The only problem we had was the "MARK" fans sitting behind us. They did not even get most of the jokes. I wish we sat somewhere else. The film was 9 out of 10.

Andrew

COMIC CON!

I hope all of my friends in San Diego are enjoying this years convention. I will see you guys in Chicago this year!!!

Andrew

Report: Developers are Steering Away from PS3

taken from: GameDaily.com

There's never been a company that has dominated the video game business for three straight console generations. Can Sony pull it off? It's not looking good as the high price seems to be putting off not only prospective consumers but also developers, and that could be a vicious circle.

Is Sony's PlayStation 3 in trouble before it even launches? Sony has been the undisputed champion of the last two console generations, towering over the competition, but now it seems like every analyst, developer and industry pundit is placing a laser sight directly on Sony's forehead.

The biggest problem would appear to be the pricing for the system. Even the lower priced $500 SKU is expensive, and $600 seems ridiculous to most. Ever since Sony revealed this pricing strategy at this year's E3, the company has been put on the defensive, arguing that it's a "computer" and that with the inclusion of a high-def Blu-ray player it's really a "bargain."

Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer himself has admitted that the console is expensive and that consumers are paying for its "potential." In the PS3's native Japan, the reaction has been less than pleasant, with more than 90 percent of developers in a recent survey stating that the price of the console is just too high. And indeed it seems that this high price is affecting whether or not certain developers decide to develop for the PS3. Sony's PlayStation business has always been backed by incredibly strong third-party support, but now for the first time that could be in jeopardy.

According to a BusinessWeek Online report, some developers are actually steering resources away from the PS3 in favor of the more affordable Wii from Nintendo and even the Xbox 360. Hirokazu Hamamura, president of publisher and game industry researcher Enterbrain, believes that Sony's next-gen console might not be a smash hit the way previous PlayStation systems have been. "Many developers think the console's initial high price will lead to slow sales and are holding off on creating games for Sony," Hamamura explained.

"At its autumn games preview on July 13, for instance, traditional Sony ally Electronic Arts spent far more time showing off innovative Nintendo games than it did titles for the PS3," emphasized BusinessWeek. "EA announced six Nintendo Wii launch titles and showed long working demos for two of those. But it offered only a short clip of a car-racing game for PS3. EA says it's still testing the potential of the PS3."

Ultimately, developers and analysts agree that in order for the PS3 to be a success in the long run, Sony will have no choice but to bring the cost of the system down as fast as possible. "It's likely Sony will have to discount more...and faster" than planned, commented JP Morgan analyst Hiroshi Takada.

taken from: GameDaily.com

Wii and XBox 360 is the way to go!

Andrew

Casino hackers?

taken from: CNN.com

The Chicago grandmother was seated at one of four chattering Wheel of Fortune games in the Big Apple-themed casino -- a rococo affair with a mock Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Coney Island roller coaster.

The gambling device in question is a fairly typical modern Vegas slot. Three spinning reels occupy the center of the machine. Players can wager as little as a quarter, and small jackpots -- a dollar or 10 -- come along frequently enough to keep the action going. But the huge bonus prize is the real draw -- announced by an electronic display that resembles the ticking wheel on the TV game show, placed just above eye level.

As her losses mounted to more than $200, Budz fed the machine $5 tokens, pressing the Spin button almost rhythmically -- no serious slot player touches the pull handle on a one-armed bandit. To Budz, a few hundred bucks on a Vegas visit is "just entertainment."

Then it happened: The symbols on the three reels matched, and the digital Wheel of Fortune began to spin, indicating a win. On the top of the machine, the jackpot was posted: $4 million. Budz couldn't read the total; she'd forgotten her glasses. But her husband, standing behind, did. "Seven digits," he yelled. "Seven digits!"

Not long ago, a scene like this would have been incomprehensible. No single slot could pay out $4 million. Not physically, and not practically. Even in constant use, it would be impossible for any single machine to collect sufficient incoming wagers to make such mammoth paydays happen.

What made Budz rich, and what has made casinos even richer in recent years, are new digital networks that connect virtually every slot machine in every casino in the country. Wheel of Fortune, for instance, is part of the MegaJackpots system, a network within 18 states and one Native American reservation that encompasses more than 8,000 machines, about half of them in Nevada.

Because all these slots are wired together, every coin and bill inserted is monitored and tallied by banks of central computers, often hundreds of miles away. The maximum jackpot, advertised in flashing digits above each cluster of machines, mounts identically and simultaneously with each spin. The networks behind these monster jackpots are the essence of modern Vegas, a city already so wired, and so primed for more, that it's become a proving ground for digital tech at the crossroads of money, profit, crime, entertainment, illusion, and delusion.

Please Read on @: CNN.com

I really have nothing to say but this article was VERY interesting.

Andrew

Wii could be first overall

taken from : EuroGamer.net

Electronic Arts' Jeff Brown has revealed the extent of the publisher's support for the Nintendo Wii, and believes that the console's place as second in line to either a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 could be very good news for Nintendo.

Speaking to Eurogamer during EA's summer showcase Brown, who is EA's corporate communications VP, noted: "everybody's saying that the Nintendo Wii is so unique that it's going to be the second system people buy, meaning if you own a 360 or a PS3, you'll probably also buy a Nintendo Wii."

"The funny thing is, some people say that discursively, like it's some sort of dig at Nintendo - and what they don't get is that if you're second on everybody's system, you're first overall."

Brown also revealed that EA plans to offer the Wii more support than it did the GameCube. "This is not a business plan, but there are a lot of people at EA who are walking around whispering: '40 / 40 / 20 per cent'," he said. EA has already pledged six titles to Nintendo's next-generation format, and Brown says that interest in the console internally has gone up after it received a spectacular welcome at E3.

"One of the things that we noticed after E3 is we thought, you know, we're going to support Nintendo, they've got an extraordinarily loyal base of consumers all over the world, and we had a number of games we planned to make for Nintendo Wii. That said, we were very surprised by the level of enthusiasm we saw at E3 and subsequently for the Wii," he told Eurogamer.

It's inevitable though, Brown said, that EA will direct its support based on market behaviour. Asked whether EA is equally committed to all three next-gen formats, he responded directly: "No."

"I don't want to be indiscreet, but the truth is EA is most committed to the platform with the biggest installed base. We've always been very practical and open about the fact that this is a business; if you do well in business, you get to keep making more games, and you can hire more people to make more different kinds of games - as long as you remember that this is a business first."

Brown also poured scorn on suggestions that the PS3 will be put in an impossible position by its unusually high price point.

"Everybody writes these big stories like 'Oh my God, what will this mean? Will they stumble for the next for years, can they recover?' When Sony first put out the PlayStation 2 there were hardware shortages, and some manufacturing glitches, and everybody was like 'Can they recover?'," he told us.

To read more of Brown's views on the next-generation formats, and EA's current direction, including questions of PS3 pricing and EA's commitment to new intellectual property, read the full Jeff Brown interview elsewhere on the site today.

taken from : EuroGamer.net

I am still a fan of playing games on the XBox 360. I doubt I will be playing Madden 08 ONLY on the Wii.

Andrew

Sore in Weird Places

Last night we decided to go bowling. All I can say is my right arm is sore as hell. I never realized how much the 10 pound balls can hurt you. I will say that everyone had fun and I doubt we will be doing it again anytime soon.

Andrew

Shift: Why Wii will win

taken from: SciFiBlog.com

The Nintendo Wii has surprised a lot of people, generating loads of buzz from its strange name, unique controller, and low price point. But are those things enough to topple the monster consoles from Microsoft and Sony? An admittedly underpowered machine, Nintendo has taken a very risky path, ignoring gamers' cries for cranked specs and flashy graphics, instead going after casual gamers and focusing on what made people gamers in the first place: fun. Will this risky strategy pay off, and will the Wii succeed in the face of super-charged, high-priced competition? For a number of reasons I think the answer is a definite yes.

Every generation of consoles has given gamers a vast improvement in graphical power, justifying a new investment in hardware and games. The jump in graphics from the NES to the Super Nintendo to the Nintendo 64 was drastic, making the older systems obsolete immediately. However, systems have reached a point where the graphics can't look much better on a standard-definition TV. That's the reason for the jump to high-definition for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which gives HDTV owners a lot more to play with, but for a huge jump in price. The fully-loaded PS3 will run gamers a gasp-inducing $600 ($500 for a lesser version), a price that cost Sony a boatload of gamer goodwill when announced. After all, the PS2 cost $300 when it was first released — people aren't used to spending that much on a game console. The Wii, on the other hand, is not HD-capable and barely upgraded the graphics from the GameCube, the previous console to come from Nintendo. Instead, the revolutionary changes come in the form of the Wii's controller, which looks more like a remote control than a video game controller and is motion-sensing. The cost, while not yet announced, is expected to be either $200 or $250, less than half that of the PS3.

Will casual gamers balk at lesser graphics, instead choosing to continue the pattern of upgrading the consoles purely for graphical enhancements? I don't think so. If a hardcore gamer really wants the hottest graphics and latest technology, they have a choice. They could invest $2,000 in a new HDTV, $600 in a PS3, and another $300 in a few games, or they could buy a high-end gaming PC for the same price. A gaming PC has the benefit of being upgradeable and never becoming obsolete, unlike the PS3, which will only become more outdated every day it sits hooked up to that flat-panel TV. While high-end gaming PCs have always been a niche market for gamers with a lot of cash to throw around, the Xbox 360 and PS3 demand a similar investment of money in order to get their full potential. They've thrown themselves into a much higher-end market, pitting themselves against products they just can't compete with. It's entirely possible that the relative success of the Xbox 360 so far (it was released last November) can be attributed to hardcore gamers who buy every console regardless of the price. Once they have all picked theirs up, the market for high-end consoles may shrink much faster than Microsoft and Sony expect.

The Wii, meanwhile, remains affordable and is meant to work on a regular old TV. It remains at the same price level people are used to paying for consoles, and a price that casual gamers will be willing to spend on something they use for fun on the weekends. After all, it's a video game console, not something you should be forced to consider as a serious investment. And that's the main reason I'm certain the Wii will do so well: it's aimed at casual gamers, a large group of people that Microsoft and Sony have pretty much ignored, instead greedily going after the smaller, more moneyed, hardcore-gamer market.

Combine these things with the unique, you-just-gotta-try-it controller and the new Virtual Console, which will allow people to play older games from the NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and TurboGraphix 16, and you've got a console people will be dying to get their hands on. Nintendo read the market, saw how the big guys were shunning a huge number of people, and created a product designed to give them everything they wanted and more. Mix that with a product unveiling by Sony so badly blundered Nintendo couldn't have written it better themselves and you have a recipe for underdog success. Mark my words: the Wii's gonna win.

taken from: SciFiBlog.com

Now if everyone realizes the Wii will suceed, then I can sleep better.

Andrew

EA announces six games for Wii, Praises the system

taken from: OnNintendo.com

It looks like EA is seeing the light, or is it Lite? Anyway, EA recently announced six games for Nintendo’s forthcoming revolution, the Wii. A couple of the games were already announced but a few were not. All the games will be custom-designed for the Wii and the WiiPointer by the dedicated Wii team at EA Canada. Here’s the list…

The Godfather
Harry Potter
Tiger Woods PGA Tou
SSX
Madden NFL 07
Need for Speed Carbon

Also, EA had some nice words for Nintendo’s latest innovation. John Schappert, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA, had this to say… "Once we started to experiment with Madden on Wii, there was an explosion of innovation. Everyone in the studio is energized by the creative opportunity afforded by both the hardware and controller. By reaching into our catalogue, we are able to bring a fresh and distinctive experience to some of EA's most popular franchises. Creatively, the game play possibilities are staggering and endless.”

EA has also revealed that more titles for the Wii are in development and will be announced at a later date.

taken from: OnNintendo.com

Ya See, Nintendo is going to win this war!

Andrew

Poor production to plague the PS3/Bluray?

taken from: Nextech News.com

Apparently the PS3 Cell processor is so big and complicated, they're having a hard time making enough to satisfy the demand. An IBM Semiconductor VP says they're "lucky to get 10 or 20 percent" out of a chip like the Cell. The other 80-90 percent aren't fit to be used in PS3s, meaning they either get used in another application or thrown away if they can't be. (Gizmodo)

Ok so now we have the cell processor one of those "new things that sony is taking a risk on" having horrible production runs... 10-20% is going to REALLY eat into sony, if they are only able to use 1 in 10 or 1 in 5 of the produced chips that means 4 of those chips atleast are scrap silicone and wasted cash... THIS IS NOT GOOD, especially considering that sony is taking at minimum 400$ [LOSS] on each ps3 console.

But that's not the end of the bad news, it appears Bluray diodes are also in very short supply as kotaku covered today and quoted below.

A Chinese newspaper is reporting that Sony's running into a brick wall with Blu-ray production. The paper says that production facilities have not been able to meet the demand for the diode that generates the blue laser that puts the blue in Blu-ray. Sony's own plants and those of Japan's Nichia Corp. have been having continued run-ins regarding supply shortcomings. This could not only delay production of Blu-ray DVD players, but also the PlayStation 3. (Kotaku)

The fact is as was feared by myself and MANY MANY others, the PS3 is based on untested, unproven hardware and is a HUGE risk, basically sony is betting their entire company on it. With such new drive and processor components and the shear complexity of the PS3, sony's not only going to take a HUGE loss on each console, but the fact is with these high failure rates, reaching any sort of demand levels for the PS3 let alone leaving enough diodes for "other" bluray products. If sony can't improve it's silicone yield and up the diode output drastically not only will they end up making an even bigger loss on each PS3 than was originally expected (which would lead to no price cuts as has been demanded by consumers and developers), but they will also could end up not meeting the demand as they have been promising.

Also another sad fact is Microsoft has a 2-3% failure rate on a proven silicone chip that they are already on their second revision and people are acting like thats a "high failure" when in fact its quite low... but as i was saying if they think this is bad god only knows what sony will end up having with all the production problems and the shear complexity of the system. For the sake of sony as a company i really hope they can fix things up because if you look back in the PS3 category you'll notice things for Sony haven't been looking good lately at all.

taken from: Nextech News.com

I wonder how much Sony is going to fail... This should be interesting.

Andrew

Microsoft going after iPod and Nintendo DS?

taken from: Joystiq.com

If Brier Dudley of the Seattle Times is to be believed (he seems like a nice enough fellow), Microsoft is not only poised to release an Xboy this Christmas, but will have it interacting with Xgirl, Xuncle and Xred-headed step-child, the latter of which will probably prove a formidable challenge to market. All part of Project Argo -- the name of the warship that carried Greek Mythology's Jason around -- the project jokingly dubbed Xboy seems to be a full attack on that popular, more fruitful music player and it is likely to be waged on multiple fronts. As Mr. Dudley writes, the project "being developed is actually a complete line of Xbox-branded digital-media products, including a device that plays media, a software media player and an online media service."

Under the leadership of General J. Allard, the branded media players will go to war with the iPod, the DS and the PSP with Wi-Fi at their disposal, as well as the backing of music companies, online media services and presumably, blitzkrieg marketing tactics. The article also mentions the support of the touted XNA platform, no doubt paving the way for easy support for existing Microsoft platform games.

What you can take from the Seattle Times article is this: Microsoft is pushing hard to release a killer portable device this Christmas, one complete with Wi-Fi capabilities and an online X-tunes service which may very well be home to familiar games and properties. We can only pray that the inevitable portable version of Halo isn't dubbed Hago.

taken from: Joystiq.com

I own an iPod, Treo 650, DS, Gamecube, and an XBox 360. IF I could get that ONE device to cut out my Treo, iPod, and DS, I might do it. I love my iPod Video. I think it was a GREAT buy [I actually won mine]. I can deal with my Apple/Nintendo/Microsoft/Palm connection!

Andrew

Finally I Start Posting Information

So what has been going on in my life these days. Nothing really new... I have been working and working. I did get an XBox 360. I bought a couple of games for it and that is about it.

I recorded 2 vertebreakers, 3 UCT, and 3 NC's. I am trying to edit them tonight and/or post them. I never realized how much time it takes to do a podcast. It takes a long time.

I do have some terrible news though. It turns out my uncle cheated on my aunt. I am pretty pissed off right now. I cannot believe it, but sometimes people change. If he was drunk, I might be like it was a mistake. He doesn't drink though. I feel bad for my aunt and cousin. I hope everything works out in the end. If I knew someone who was married and they were cheating on their wife, I would pressure that person to stop. If they were just dating... I have no idea.

Andrew

HAPPY BIRTHDAY G-MA!!!

Today my grandmother is 87 years young. I hope she is lovin' her 87th birthday!

Andrew

Madden 07 on Wii

more information @ Vggen.com

Under normal circumstances, I would not usually feel the need to preview the latest, greatest installment of a sports game, and certainly not Madden at that! Though some might disagree – and I am more than willing to concede that I am no expert on the series – it seems to me that there is rarely very much change from one game to the next, with perhaps the exception of graphics and updated team rosters. However, considering that the version of Madden NFL 07 at hand is headed to the Wii, Nintendo’s upcoming console, these are hardly what I would call “normal circumstances,” so a look ahead does seem apropos. Though still in its early stages, the game seems to have all that you’d expect from a Madden game - such as detailed graphics (which, even though they aren’t PS3 or even Xbox 360 quality, are still pretty decent), training camps and that sort of thing - and it is not as though the game itself will be too much different – I mean, after all, it is still football – but the way you will play the game is certainly something new.

At first, the gameplay in Madden NFL 07 might seem somewhat traditional: when running the ball down the field, players will use the nunchaku attachment’s analog stick to control their athlete, Z to sprint and C to cover the ball and on the other hand (literally) using the Wii-mote’s A button to spin and B button to dive. Players will also use the Wii-mote D-pad to select receivers before passing...but this is where the game starts to get anything but traditional. As we discussed in our feature Control Issues: Examining the New Wii-Mote, it was revealed shortly before E3 that both the freehand controller and the nunchuk attachment have built-in accelerometers to give them motion-sensing capabilities, and both are put to good use in Madden NFL 07. To help guide you through this next section, we’ve composed a sort of playbook, if you will, of some of the new ways you’ll execute old moves.

Please read more @ Vggen.com

Please read the full article. There are even pictures!

Xbox 360 and Wii orders ramping up, say chip makers

taken from: Digitimes.com

While talk of an early launch of the Nintendo Wii game console circulates in the market, chip makers including, ATI and Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS), said orders for their chips used in game consoles, including the Wii and Xbox 360, are picking up.

The concrete release date of the Will is not yet finalized and Nintendo said it would announce the release date and pricing in September, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

ATI, which supplies the graphics chip for the Wii, reported that the contribution from its consumer electronics chips business this year grew to 20% from last year's 15%, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Pixart Imaging (PXI), an affiliate of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and the remote sensor chipset supplier for the Wii, was cited by the Commercial Times as saying that its shipments may reach a million units in August.

SiS, the southbridge chip supplier for the Xbox 360, is also cited in the report as saying that orders started picking up from July.

taken from: Digitimes.com

I know most SMART people love hearing about the 360 and Wii.

Andrew

XBox 360 Bad Hardware?

taken from: Magamanlive.com

OK as the title just read:
I have had my Xbox360 since launch. After 3 months I needed to have the system replaced and the system was replaced by Microsoft. Now the system is plagued by 3 rings of light. I call customer support and after being hung up I make sure to fire up the phone recorder; AUDIO with XBOX Support

Now the call is long but within the last five mins or so they supervisor walks me through a diagnostic test which he says is a hardware issue. Now inorder for me to use my XBOX360 I must ship it out and pay 100 dollars.

I cherish my systems and not a single one has been broken, my NES still works. Microsoft should be held responsible for these hardware issues and should not be charging gamers like myself extra money on fixing defective hardware.

I will not pay for somthing i did not break and everyone else should join this fight.

I will continue with updates including a shorter version of hte phone conversation so you don’t have to listen to the whole thing

**update 1** SO far this is getting some response on Digg thank you, now I got the end of the phone conversation edited down where the Rep admits “It is somthing specific with the hardware inside the console” Here is the link

Also I might have to move this to my blog since the godaddy.com site might max out.
**Update 2** I have now filed a complaint with the BBB, I have also tried to contact Microsoft reps. and will need to fax Robbie Bach the VP of the XBOX Divison in the morning.

**Update 3** Thank you for the support. I need to clear a few things up. First off I know the chain of command I spoke to two CSR’s before the CSR supervisor who told me the tests show “specific defective hardware” listen ot the shorter audio version. Two as far as dropping names and press, I am press I do internet radio I report on the industry weekly, I have the first amendment right, of freedom of speech and I will use my avenues to show people that Microsoft is really screwing over the consumer. As far as Larry Hyrb(major Nelson) I have emailed back and forth and talked with him, and I know he gets my emails and I right out told him in the email that this is not meant for him and that I would be very happy if he could foward it along to the correct people.
And I stand by my feelings that any product shouldn’t need to be replaced or repaired every 3-6 months, thats not right, and I wouldn’t be mounting this campaign if I was at fault but I treat my systems and other electronics very well and if this was my fault cuase I dropped it or did somthing to it then I would have no problem being a man and owning up to it.
Thanks again, and if this site crashes due to bandwidth which it might all this will be mirrored on my blog even though I never really use it.

**Update 4** Microsoft is now censoring my thread on the XBOX forums. I had a thread posted with this issue, with 4 pages of replys some peopel dissagreeing with me but many agreeing that Microsoft is wrong and should be replacing our broken systems.

taken from: Magamanlive.com

I hope my system does not goto shit like this guys.

Andrew

HAPPY Fourth of July!!!

HAPPY Fourth of July!!!

Andrew

Happy Golden Birthday!

Today marks my niece's 2nd birthday. It is ALSO her golden birthday. I doubt she will remember it, but she can talk about it later.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!

Andrew

CAC First Deal

Today is a good day. We FINALLY did a deal with credit acceptance. It took 2 full months, but I has paid off. Ironically we have had a lot of people come in, but most of them went to first rate financing. I am just glad we can offer people this program. It has helped lots of people out and will continue to do so. I feel EVERYONE deserves a second chance NO MATTER WHAT!

Andrew

Microsoft Sued? BUT for the Best Reason

taken from: DSL Reports and Seattle PI

The same lawyers that sued Sony over the rootkit CD fiasco have now turned their gaze on Microsoft, and its Genuine Advantage anti-piracy tool. The tool phones home daily via your broadband connection, activity Microsoft dubs "a safety measure designed to allow the tool - to quickly shut down in case of a malfunction." The lawyers disagree, and say the software is largely spyware that users were given no choice in installing, reports the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

taken from: DSL Reports and Seattle PI

Please check out the FULL article. I do not like the fact I am updating Genuine Advantage EVERY other day. I find that shit annoying. I hate it when Microsoft gets sued, but there has to be a better way.

Andrew

Pearl Jam Remembers...

taken from: Enquirer.com

During Pearl Jam's show Saturday in Cincinnati, frontman Eddie Vedder remembered the 11 people tragically trampled to death prior to a 1979 concert by the Who at the same arena, as well as the nine victims killed in a similar incident during PJ's 2000 set at Denmark's Roskilde festival. Vedder dedicated a song to "those who passed and all the survivors." In addition, the band closed its set with a cover of the Who's "Baba O'Riley."

taken from: Enquirer.com

Andrew

WWE Vengance 2006 Results

taken from: F4Wonline.com

1. Orton vs. Angle
Orton beat Angle after sending him into an exposed buckle and hitting the RKO. Good match, not great.

2. Umaga vs. Eugene
Umaga beat Eugene fast. Kamala, Hacksaw Duggan and Doink were there as well. Seriously. They are also teasing a future Umaga vs Kamala match.

3. Foley vs Flair
Best of three. Flair just won the first fall with a cradle as Foley tried a figure four. Flair beat Foley via DQ in the second, so he won 2 straight falls. Huge disappointment. Flair gigged a gusher after a barbed wire bat shot to the head.

4. Carlito vs. Johnny Nitro vs. Shelton Benjamin(IC Title)
Carlito reversed a Shelton Benjamin suplex attempt and applied the back cracker. Johnny Nitro pulled Carlito from the ring and pinned Shelton for the win and title.

5. RVD vs. Edge
RVD beat Edge with frog splash after Edge accidentally speared a chair. Good match. RVD is still WWE champ.

6. Fake Kane vs. Kane
Fake Kane beat Kane with a choke slam. This feud must continue!

7. Cena vs. Sabu
Cena beat Sabu with the S.T.F.U. in the Lumberjack Match. Both ECW headliners lost. Match was fine but ECW is in trouble.

8. DX vs. The Spirit Squad
DX beat the Spirit Squad with a pedigree and a superkick. Exactly what the people wanted.

taken from: F4Wonline.com

Another sub-par show from WWE.

Andrew

Party at Mike's

Tonight marks another party out at Mike's. The last few have been lame, but I think tonight's will be fun. I get to show off the 360 and Mike is the Man of the Hour and shit. Should fun!!! Come out or call his ass.

Andrew

Who has the REAL ECW Heavyweight Belt?

taken from Wrestlezone.com

For those wondering, the ECW Championship belt used on the debut edition of ECW on Sci Fi last week was a licensed replica belt that are sold commercially. WWE quickly replaced the belt with a professionally made one for this week's TV taping. Based on what is known, the original ECW World Heavyweight Title is still believed to be in possession of ECW's last champion Rhino.

taken from Wrestlezone.com

Rhino will not give that thing up without a fight.

Andrew

Tool Secret Song?

taken from http://spo0nman.blogspot.com/2006/05/more-on-10000-days.html

I didn't know if you people knew this. But, If you burn both Viginti Tres followed by Wings for marie .. Then, play that track as one with 10,000 days as another track and play both at the same time, Both Wings for Marie AND 10,000 days sync ! It is incredible ! It is like an 8 piece band but it all FLOWS ! It flows like one song.. It is the most unique and incredible thing I have ever heard in my life.. BadA$$ ! The vocals, drums, the guitar riffs, everything flows ! Both songs get heavy at the same point at 9 minutes and 14 seconds in, it is magical !

I gave it a try, and yes ... all the songs are in-sync, they are in the same key and it flows. It did not became a messy goo, which I expected it to, it sounds pretty good. tyr it.

0. Buy Tool's new album (10,000 days) ... rip track 3,4 and 11.
1. download/install audacity.
2. import all three songs (10,000 days, Wings for marie and Viginti Tres).
3. Adjust Wings for marie to start right when Viginti Tres ends. listen to the song and see if all songs are in key, the first two are already in-synch, you just need to shift Wings for marie a bit. you're done.

Listen. Have fun.

taken from http://spo0nman.blogspot.com/2006/05/more-on-10000-days.html

Now I do not really like Tool, but this is awesome!

Andrew

Happy Father's Day

I would like to take this time to say Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Yeah everyone talks about mother's, but I think you should take to time and thank the Father's as well. Make sure you give a gift to your Father!

Andrew

Where are!

Where the fuck are the updates for your podcasts? Ok... I have been super busy and I need at least 2 hours to spend on each show. Give me a couple more days to finish another one and I will start posting.

Andrew

Time Bomb of Her Life?

taken from: Q101.com

Green Day fan Ruby Wilson avoided disaster this past weekend courtesy of her American Idiot T-shirt. While raking leaves at home, the 12-year-old resident of Ovenden, England, uncovered a live hand grenade, which she identified from the cover art of the band's 2004 album. Examinations yielded evidence that the grenade dates from World War II, and locals say a munitions factory used to be located nearby.

taken from: Q101.com

WTF!!!

GMail Invites

I have a shitload of GMail invites still... IF ANYONE WANTS A FREE GMail ACCOUNT, EMAIL ME @ kewaneebulldogs@gmail.com. I have over 500 invites left.

Thanks! and enjoy
Andrew

Sony to offer free online play... Failure!

taken from: Arstechnica.com

Sony's online gaming service—which we believe will be dubbed HUB once launched—will feature free support for a number of online options, including online play, according to comments from Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi.

Speaking to Japanese-language site PC Impress Watch, Kutaragi suggested that because PC gamers are accustomed to being able to meet up and play online for free (presumably leaving aside subscription-only games), it doesn't make sense to charge for that functionality on the console.

"We don’t charge for the basic functions of the network like matching services. Things like that are taken for granted on a PC, aren’t they? There’s the feeling of why a game console gets to charge for a service that’s normal on a PC. So, we just made the basic services available, and based our business on the contents," he said.

Kutaragi's comments clearly suggest that online play will be free, up to and including meeting up with other users (the matching service). Voice and video chat, messaging, and ranking services are also expected to be available for free, stemming from comments made by Kutaragi in March. This does not rule out additional value-added services, however, and until the service is officially announced, we can only call these plans tentative.

Kutaragi also said that Sony has plans to sell "content" online, saying that they had wanted to do it as far back as 1999. He hinted that the American market was still too dominated by modems at the time, however, and so they had to cancel plans and wait for the opportunity to return with the PS3. In the meantime, he says, "Apple realized e-Distribution. So we figured it was about time for us as well." He added that, "In a year or two, I think everyone will just expect [commercial content distribution over networks]."

Yet it is unclear what Sony intends to sell. While the 60GB hard drive in the premium console is spacious, it would not be large enough to hold a collection of HD video, although the company could sell storage add-ons in the future. We believe that Sony will initially sell other content, including music and standard definition video, as well as gaming content such as that available today in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Kutaragi also took an opportunity to take a swipe at Microsoft, saying that the Redmond giant calls the Xbox 360 "just a game console"—a dig couched in Kutaragi's insistence that the PS3 is a computer. The rhetoric will only intensify as the PS3 launch draws nearer, and Sony appears to be ready to champion its online service over Microsoft's more mature Xbox Live.

The ploy could work. Such a service may sound tempting to many users who are otherwise put off by the PS3's price. With "free" online play rolled in, it could convince many gamers that the PS3's expense is more reasonable. By comparison, Microsoft's Xbox Live service has two primary levels of memberships: Silver and Gold. Silver memberships are free to all Xbox 360 owners, while Gold memberships cost approximately US$50 per year. Generally speaking, Gold-level access is required for gamers who want to square off against friends and others online, although the Silver membership allows for online gaming for MMORPG titles (that is, titles for which there is no other way to play except online). In short, it appears as though Sony plans to offer for free what Microsoft is currently charging for, and that could be a big plus.

taken from: Arstechnica.com

I hope they realize how much money Microsoft loses AFTER people pay $50 a year for an EXCELLENT service. I bet they are going to start having EQ2 for free too, since no one is touching that piece of shit game.

Andrew

Which will be out First? Wii or PS3

taken from: Wii.ign.com

At the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2006 last May in Los Angeles, Sony announced that its forthcoming PlayStation 3 console would debut worldwide on November 17 of this year. The company also revealed the console's two price points. Nintendo, on the other hand, was much vaguer about its new generation Wii console, choosing only to say that it would be less expensive than competitors and would arrive around the globe sometime in the "fourth quarter."

Despite what the Big N has said publicly, publishers and developers have prepping many of their Wii titles for an October release. This in of itself is not proof that Wii will also debut in October, but the data certainly doesn't conflict with the argument.

On top of everything else, this week industry sources have relayed that - in something of a surprise attack -- "Nintendo is planning to launch Wii before PlayStation 3." The latest word jives with publisher release calendars, whose Wii titles are scheduled in many cases for a mid-to-late October debut or, in some cases, very early November.

Unsubstantiated rumors around the Web have further suggested that Wii could debut on November 6 of this year. IGN Wii is unable to validate these reports.

Whether Wii launches in October or in early November, it seems clear that the system is on track to debut earlier than expected, and if the latest reports are to be believed, in advance of rival Sony's PlayStation 3. A two-to-three week headstart on PS3 could give the significantly cheaper Wii an even greater advantage.

taken from: Wii.ign.com

Andrew

ECW One Night Stand 2 Recap

BEST SIGN OF THE NIGHT GOES TO:

IF CENA
WINS
WE RIOT

1. Tazz vs. Lawler Tazz beat Lawler with a choke in less than a minute. You're stunned. Joey Styles was the distraction leading to the finish.

2. Angle vs. Orton Angle won with the ankle lock. This is a very rowdy crowd tonight, so God knows they might actually riot later. There was even a "BORING!" chant at one point.

3. FBI vs. Super Crazy & Tajiri. FBI has Big Guido in their corner. FBI got the win, but then Big Show came out and destroyed everyone, in particular Tony Mamaluke. Heat was good.

JBL made an unadvertised appearance. He came out and cut a promo burying the fans. His back is screwed up bad, so if he does anything, it'll probably be announcing.

4. Sabu vs. Rey The first time a WWE belt has been defended on an "ECW ppv" ended in a NO CONTEST. Fun match stopped by a doctor in a stripey bow tie after Sabu DDT'd Rey through a table to the floor.

5. Edge & Foley & Lita vs. Funk & Dreamer & Beulah Foley has a huge black eye. Foley cuts an "I Loved ECW" promo and dropped a Steph McMahon reference - long live the Alliance! Foley went through a barbed wire table after being hit by Funk by a barbwired baseball bat - on fire! Finish came with Edge spearing Beulah then pinning her.

6. Masato Tanaka vs. Balls Mahoney Balls wins. A quick match with some massive chairshots.

Eugene does a promo and Sandman - with new music - comes down and beats him with a Singapore cane.

7. John Cena vs. RVD RVD gets a great ovation, Cena gets booed to hell. RVD wins with a five star frog splash with a pin counted by Paul Heyman after EDGE speared Cena.

I actually borrowed the results from f4wonline.com. Go show overall; wish ECW guys wrestled and not WWE vs ECW.

Andrew

ECW!!! ECW!!! ECW!!!

Tomorrow, June 11th, 2006, ECW starts back up.

The PPV... Will suck.

PLEASE START WATCHING THE SHOW AND GIVE IT 6 SHOWS! That is all I ask for any one to do. Paul E is a genius.

Andrew

Podcast Galore?

What is a podcast?

iPod + Broadcast = podcast

Why am I talking about Podcasts? For the new people to my shitty blog, I have 4 podcasts. I try to release of them once every other week and the Kewanee Sports 2 times a week. Please take the time to listen to some of the NEWER shows I've done! Thanks for giving us a chance FOOLS!

Andrew

Talk about a Change

The last two days have been great. We have been REALLY busy! Today; Not so much. I have been really wondering why Monday and Tuesday? I think that some people get some free time and like to car shop. I noticed more and more people car shop on Mondays and Tuesdays. I always thought those would be the slow days. Who thonk it? This day has been good and bad for us so far. I hope I get more peeps in tomorrow. That would be fuckin kewl!

Andrew

06-06-06

666

Hide!

666

Hide!

That is all...

666

Andrew

Police seize violent games in shooting investigation

taken from: Gamespot.com


Acting on advice of Jack Thompson, sheriff's deputies search home of suspected Louisiana killer and confiscate M-rated games.

Last week, sheriff's deputies conducting an investigation into the murder of a 55-year-old Louisiana man seized a number of games rated M for Mature from the home of a 16-year-old suspect, according to a report in the Baton Rouge paper The Advocate. The action was taken at the suggestion of controversial Florida attorney Jack Thompson.

Thompson told The Advocate that he suggested the sheriffs look for violent games in the youth's house because he felt the killings mirrored a scenario from Grand Theft Auto. The original reports indicated that the victim was beaten to death and shot in the face by the 16-year-old and a 17-year-old accomplice.

"Nobody shoots anybody in the face unless you're a hit man or a video gamer," Thompson told the paper.

While the police did seize the games, it's unclear exactly what role they will play in the investigation. West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Captain Spence Dilworth told the paper, "I think it goes beyond video games, but who's to say?"

taken from: Gamespot.com

Fuckin BULLSHIT!

Andrew

Wii's Super Secret

taken from Nintendo's Forums.com

"This article from the upcoming Game Informer magazine focuses on the pros and cons of the development environment of the upcoming Nintendo Wii. As well as revealing the last big secret concerning hardware functionality. Here are some summarizations from that article.

-Pros-

-Inexpensive graphics development.
-Developer-friendly “camera” program
-Will support HDR lighting, normal maps, bump-mapping, nurbs rendering, and panoramically-composted depth-composited cubemappng, ray-tracing.
-Chipsets are very inexpensive although EXTREMELY powerful, WILL incorporate many aspects of the Project Reality study.
-Nintendo is providing extensive documentation to ease the incorporation of the Wii-mote.

-Cons-

-Challenging to program effectively for the Wii-mote, due to it being very new to the industry.
-Marketing to be more challenging for bigger third-party franchises due to nature of the innovative qualities.
-The development cycle to possibly equal the time cycles of PS3 and Xbox360 due to the time needed to be innovative and effectively program for the controller.
-The challenge of marketing the Wii’s controller in ads and commercial may turn third-parties away from exclusivity. (The challenge to display through ads how “playing is believing”)
-The Final Secret/minor surprises also-
-Wii will include a built-in decent resolution camera that can be used to add your face to character models and add innovation to games. These snapshots can be tweaked as well. It is still being decided whether to allow camera to record and stream video. Mention made to have this feature be a strong feature in online play.
-A wireless headset will be made available at launch.
-SD cards will range from 2GB to 7GB and will be priced “within reason”.
-A new router technology is still in development and not yet available to developers. In the final product Nintendo hopes to be able to make every Wii a sort of “Wi-Fi hotspot” with each user connecting to that user and so on. They also want to be able to allow different users to share things and are thinking about setting up a pseudo-P2P network through Connect24, where users can share content and “other things”. This means that even if you have a dial-up connection or no internet, you can still connect to Wii Connect24.

-The Wii will indeed have a PPU included in final hardware. It will have only 32MB though, which will still take a considerable amount of pressure off of other chips.

-A still-in-development simple dev tool will be made available to users through the Connect24 network. It will allow users to create a simple game in 2D or simple 3D and share it with the world. This will hopefully be available on the network by launch.

-The last big secret is the “graphics solution”. It revolves around a whole lot of non-volatile RAM (opting out of HDD support, RAM is much faster than a HDD). And a development interface that centers on a AI-controlled command-line interface. This additional tech only included in final dev kits, while most developers don’t have access to final dev kits."
________________________________

So, what do you think?

taken from Nintendo's Forums.com


As I have thought ALL along, Nintendo knows what games want/need. Camera... Video Chat... The possibilities are endless!

Andrew

Peter Moore... Suck my dick.

taken from: Soft Pedia.com

Having numerous advantages over other consoles, one of the most important being the backwards compatibility, Xbox 360 has all the cards to become the most popular gaming platform in the world.

But since good things don’t last forever, Microsoft is about to commit a grave error and cancel their biggest advantage.

The statement made by Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division of Microsoft Corp, has sparked the gamers’ anger, who think they will end up with old titles ‘gathering dust’ on the shelves.

"Nobody is concerned anymore about backwards compatibility. We under promised and over delivered on that. It's a very complicated thing... very complex work. I'm just stunned that we have hundreds of games that are backwards compatible,"
Peter Moore said in an interview for Kikizo.

The editors at 1up.com, a famous gaming site, remind Moore of a statement made by Xbox PR manager Michael Wolf.

“At launch, Xbox 360 will be backward compatible with the top Xbox games. Our goal is to have every Xbox game work on Xbox 360. You will NOT need to purchase a new 'version', your original games will work on Xbox 360," Wolf told GamesIndustry.biz in 2005.

Most gamers have sold their old Xbox consoles in order to buy the new Xbox 360, and now they are finding out their game collections are almost useless.

Microsoft should also take into consideration Sony’s and Nintendo’s policies towards old titles, the two companies having the ability to rock Xbox 360’s temporary stability.

taken from: Soft Pedia.com

Nice.

Andrew

Sony... What will they say next?

taken from Koraku.com

Relations between Nintendo and Sony are turning into a downright pissing match in the U.K. First Nintendo's UK boss David Yarnton attacked Sony's new controller saying Sony "didn't innovate, they copied." Now SCEE's Phil Harrison denies that, saying they've been working on motion sensing for "a long time."

Hit the jump for the full load of Harrison BS.

In a way I understand why people say [we stole Nintendo's idea], but it is a little stupid, if you forgive the remark."

When we brought the PlayStation to the market in 1994, we introduced real time 3-D graphics for the first time," he noted. "When Nintendo launched its N64 in 1996 it also had 3D graphics, did we say, "Nintendo stole our idea!"? Obviously not. Such innovations become possible because of a combination of technology, cost and manufacture capacities.

We've been working on [motion-sensing technology] for a long time and Nintendo has certainly likewise already been working on something similar. The difference between our strategy and that of our competition is that our controller is still similar to the Dual Shock, the industry standard controller. I estimate that nearly 400 million Dual Shock controllers have been sold worldwide.

Weird, because I've been thinking about motion sensing controllers for a long time too. So there you have it, the motion sensing concept was invented by Nintendo, Sony and I.

taken from Koraku.com

What a stupid response from Sony. I could have thought of a better one.

Andrew

Happy Memorial Day!

Remember everyone who has died in any war/conflict today. Take a moment of silence at 7pm.

Andrew

The list of fines WWE has to pay Kentucky

taken from: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE has been charged with nine violations of Kentucky state law, stemming from some incidents that occured at their Backlash pay-per view on April 30 in Lexington. Kentucky state law prohibits usage of blood or blading in professional wrestling, and even in the case of accidental bleeding during a match the promoters are instructed to end that match immediately. What makes this interesting is that WWE was fully aware of the law as it's not uncommon, and even had a meeting to ask for special usage of blood since it was a pay-per view show, or at least permission to allow matches to complete if blood accidentally turned up. They were refused on both requests and decided to go ahead and have some color on the pay-per view regardless. The nine violations being charged against them include:

1. During the Vince & Shane McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels match, Michael S. Hickenbottom (Michaels) intentionally cut himself in violation of state law.

2. In the same match, Vince McMahon continued the match instead of haulting the action as required by state law.

3. Shane McMahon continued the match instead of ending it as required by state law.

4. During the Triple H vs. Edge vs. John Cena match, Paul Levesque (HHH) intentionally cut himself, violating state law.

5. In the same match, Adam Copeland (Edge) continued the match instead of ending it as required by state law.

6. John Cena continued the match instead of leaving as required by state law.

7. In the same match, Copeland competed outside the barricade, in violation of state law.

8. Rich Herring, the promoter of record, allowed wrestlers in the two matches to violate state law and failed to end the matches immediately as required by state law.

9. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) continued the event, having a new match before washing the ring mat of blood left from a previous match in the evening, violating state law.

When all is said and done WWE will likely pay about $50,000 in fines (state law is $5,000 per fine), however head wrestling inspector Tim Gonterman is attempted to get WWE banned from promoting events in the state of Kentucky due to the flagorance of their violations.

Andrew

the World of Halo 2 Cheating

taken from: Gamers First.com

A recent post on the Bungie.net official news blog by resident spokesperson, Frankie, made the rounds on the interwebs last week thanks to a posting on game blog Kotaku. Frankie's posting is entitled "The Bungie Waaahmbulance", and in it he posts several letters from users who have been banned from Halo 2. Why would you get permanently banned from Halo 2 Matchmaking? Cheating.

These letters are an absolute hoot to read. Many can be appreciated with little to no knowledge of Halo 2 at all, such as this letter from a turncoat cheater:

Please! I'll destroy my mods. i'll snich on some people that r getting away with mods on matchmaking! Just PLEASE appeal my ban. i want to play matchmaking again. i want to be clean for the arrival of Halo 3! c'mon! i didn't know what i was getting into when i got mods from my friend and from [website censored]! you have to believe me!!! (which i believe got resently shut down.) I'm really not the dirty, xbox live cheater that you probably think i am! im just a weeeee little 13 year old. (and very hansom at that might i add. any waay, it really sucks with no matchmaking and no stats or clan listings. I have learned the errors of my ways and wish to repent. please help me!!!
P.S. I haven't even turned on my xbox with the mods on it since i sent my first message a few days ago. infact, i unplugged it!

It's fitting that Frankie begins his catalog of inanities with this letter, since it sums up the stereotype of the Halo 2 cheater: some snotty kid who doesn't know much about the world. These are the script kiddies of online gaming; the Action Replay is the DDOS Script of the gaming world. Of course, those are the kinds of cheats gamers are used to dealing with, patches and mods often facilitated on home consoles by devices like the Action Replay. The mods and cheats that come from these devices are pretty easy to spot: god-mode, flying vehicles, etc. These and other console modifications are relatively easy to detect, and Bungie does a good job preventing these activities.

But read deeper into Frankie's gallery of stupid excuses and you notice some new terms coming into play: standby-ing, bridging and boosting. These are techniques, often performed in groups, that are used to help cheaters raise their ranking in Halo 2, and at the same time these methods are extremely destructive to the enjoyment of other gamers.

I dont understand, I admit that I have had cheaters on my team, but Ive never cheated more then 8 times that I can remember, Not even close. Is that a Major Offense? I would like to know Why I have been permanently from Halo 2 Matchmaking when I have Never Manipulated files on my Xbox ( Modding ) Never MYSELF Bridged people out ( 2 times I can remember my Teammate did when I didnt want to ) and have never Standbyed MYSELF ( 1 time Recently when I ALSO said not too. ) I would Like to have my account Unbanned or put onto a Suspension at the most, but Please, I was banned on a "Major Offense" that I did not commit.

To an uninitiated gamer, even a casual Halo 2 player, this letter to Bungie may seem almost unintelligible. "Bridged people out?" "Standbyed?" These are terms that hold little meaning for players, other than the fact that the worst matches on Halo 2 are often accompanied by accusations of such cheating, which is often team-based.

Read on @ :Gamers First.com

Andrew

VoIP on Wii

taken from: Joystiq.com

Nintendo has hinted that there are still Wii functions that have yet to be revealed. One of the latest rumors suggests that one of these functions is built-in microphone support.

We know that the Wiimote houses a speaker, but what if the controller also contains a microphone? And if that should be the case, could the Wiimote also double as a VoIP-supported communication device? Sure. Throw in a voice-activated phonebook and we're talkin' universal functionality (i.e. an incentive for "non-gamers" to buy in).

taken from: Joystiq.com

Again Nintendo will rule the market.

Andrew

XBox 360 Mod Chip Coming Soon!!!

taken from: Daily Tech.com

The friendly fellows from Team Xecuter thought that those hackers shouldn't be the only ones to be able to play backup games for the XBOX 360 game console, and has announced that the group is very close to releasing a first generation mod-chip for XBOX 360. The mod chip allows for two separate firmwares to coexist in the system allowing for hacked and non-hacked usage.

Unfortunately for the mod-chippers, there seems to be a major obstacle in the way -- epoxy. Epoxy surrounds the firmware chip making it firmly attached to the XBOX, thus hindering the chance to easily access the legs of the firmware IC. This leaves most people with two different options: try to remove the glue (which is next to impossible, short of breaking off the pins) or find alternative solder points. A member of the Xbox-Scene.com forums was able to post one possible guide to these alernate pin-outs, with a mere thirty solder points.

XBOX 360 got its first taste of firmware hacks just last week when the DVD firmware hack for the TS-H943 XBOX 360s was publically announced. The DVD-Firmware hack works by ignoring the non-present media flags on 1:1 game copies.

taken from: Daily Tech.com

Hacked? Right? What the fuck did I say 7 months ago? I thought so.

Andrew

Halo 3 Beta Out?

taken from Who Digs.com

In the latest Bungie Weekly Update, Frank O'Connor has revealed that they are already testing the multiplayer mode of Halo 3. Here is the excerpt:

Paul Bertone, one of our lead designers, let us play something that blew our minds. That was single player, and from a mission very early in the game. And one that takes place before the events seen in the E3 trailer, but Lars, one of the new(er) multiplayer designers, has a regular multiplayer test in session now - that happens every day - and with surprisingly polished-looking graphics, although I'm told a lot of the textures and decorator objects are just placeholder at the moment. Could have fooled me.

The multiplayer test lab is still packed full of old-school 4:3 480i NTSC TV sets, which tells you two things. One is that we're making sure this game looks awesome on non HD sets, and two, that there is always a crazy rush to get to the sets that are HD during those sessions.

taken from Who Digs.com

I hope my brother-in-law gets to beta test Halo 3. I need my fix!

Andrew

Video Games good for children?

taken from : The Observer

Playing computer games may actually be good for children, according to a government study that found no proof that even violent games triggered aggressive behaviour.

The games can improve children's decision-making and instil 'positive learning traits', some research suggests. At least one study argues that make-believe violence helps children 'conquer fears and develop a sense of identity', as gruesome fairytales once did.

The review was ordered by ministers over concerns about possible links between bloodthirsty games and real-life violence. The fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah, whose attacker was said to have been obsessed with a game called Manhunt, prompted a campaign by his mother to have violent titles banned.

The review concluded fears about violent games reflected deeper social concerns about 'the changing nature of childhood in a modern world'. Most research suggesting a link came from America and did not take into account the context in which children played.

Ministers have discussed age-labelling of games and are understood to be planning talks with the industry about helping parents choose titles.

taken from : The Observer

I friggin knew it!

Andrew

Nintendo: Sony steals our ideas

taken from: Computer and Video Games.com

Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton has lashed out at Sony's new motion sensing controller, suggesting that the PlayStation creator has copied Nintendo's ideas - past and present.

Speaking to MCV in the wake of Sony's E3 press conference last week, Yarnton was quick to point out Sony's change of attitude since Nintendo unveiled their motion sensing Wii Controller late last year. "I'd love to dig up some old Phil Harrison comments and say 'hang on a second - six months ago when we launched our controller you said one thing, and now why are you doing this?'" Yarnton thundered.

Yarnton also slammed the lack of force feedback in Sony's redesigned PS3 controller, blaming patent issues for the omission: "Historically we're always developing new things. We know Sony have had a lot of issues with their rumble feature and they've had to withdraw it - because they didn't innovate, they copied."

Yarnton went on to suggest that Sony has not only followed Nintendo's lead, but copied their ideas in the past: "I don't know what [Sony's] decision making process is but I think if you look back, any innovation that has come in gameplay has come from us," he said.

"With Nintendo, I'm trying to think of anything we've copied... but I can't," concluded Yarnton. We're sure you'll let him know if they have and what you think of his assertions in the comment section below.

taken from: Computer and Video Games.com

Wow... I am speechless.

Andrew

Nintendo OFFICALLY Announces Launch Titles

taken from: Wii Nintendo.net

The date may not be set and the price may not be known, but Nintendo fans across the globe are already beginning to rally as we near one of the most anticipated system launches our industry has ever seen. E3 was abuzz with activity as gamers rushed to get a first hands-on opportunity with the Wii. Whether you show allegiance to Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo, the Wii brings a new sense of gaming that’s so fresh and entertaining that it really has to be played, and people had a chance to do just that. With record-breaking lines, the Wii was the talk of the show. Now that E3 is over, we’re counting the days until its launch, and to celebrate the countdown we’ve compiled a list of every launch game we know about. Before we kick it off, we’d like to explain a few things. Listed below are the games already confirmed by Nintendo (or other publishers), though we will be adding or subtracting games as details arrive. In addition, there are other titles such as Final Fantasy and Excite Truck that we are simply awaiting official word on before adding. All things considered, this is shaping up to be a very strong launch for Nintendo, and we can’t wait to see how the world responds to the innovative gameplay Wii has to offer.Included with each game are the basic details, as well as a description of the play style. Below we’ve featured a key to the terms we’re using. Enjoy!

Remote:
wii remote
Players hold the Wii-mote with one hand like a remote. These games will use only one hand, often drawing, swinging or pointing the remote to interact.

Nunchuck:
wii nunchuck
This term refers to the nunchuck and Wii-mote combination. Players will make use of the analog stick and accelerometer of the nunchuck unit in addition to the Wii-mote functions.

Classic:
Wii Classic Controller
Wii-mote is turned on its side, used like a classic NES controller. These games make use of the 1 and 2 buttons primarily, as well as the tilt functions of the Wii-mote and D-pad.

Retro:
wii retro
These games will require use of either the GameCube controller or Virtual Console controller that was shown at E3 2006.

Light Gun:
wii light gun
This style of game will require (or best work with) the light gun peripheral announced at E3 2006. Aside from a main trigger button, the light gun also adds an analog stick to the mix.

Now on to the games…

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Wii Sports

Red Steel

Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam

Madden NFL 2007

Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

Metal Slug Anthology

Trauma Center: Second Opinion

Elebits

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Blitz: The League

Rayman Raving Rabbids

SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab

Disney/Pixar’s Cars

Please read the FULL article @ Wii Nintendo.net

Andrew