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
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
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
Andrew
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
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
Andrew
Monday, July 24, 2006
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
Andrew
Sunday, July 23, 2006
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 made me want to finally do this. I guess I should start writing.
Andrew
Saturday, July 22, 2006
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
Andrew
Friday, July 21, 2006
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
Andrew
Thursday, July 20, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
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
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
Monday, July 17, 2006
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
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
Sunday, July 16, 2006
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
Andrew
Friday, July 14, 2006
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
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
Thursday, July 13, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
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
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
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
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
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
Monday, July 10, 2006
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
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
Sunday, July 09, 2006
HAPPY BIRTHDAY G-MA!!!
Today my grandmother is 87 years young. I hope she is lovin' her 87th birthday!
Andrew
Andrew
Saturday, July 08, 2006
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!
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!
Friday, July 07, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
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
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
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Sunday, July 02, 2006
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
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!
Andrew
Saturday, July 01, 2006
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
Andrew
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