X Sucks - How Mircosoft threatens it's console legacy

Fuelled by the lack of any next generation console news in 2012 (no Wii U, you don’t count), 2013 has been rife with rumours, whispers and murmurs regarding the highly anticipated successors to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 4. Yet despite juicy tidbits such as the prophesised PS4 specs and potential hardware additions to improve Xbox’s Kinect peripheral, one topic disappointingly has broached the rumour mill of both consoles, the rumour of one time activation codes for games.

Speculation regarding one time use of gamers on the next generation of consoles isn’t a new topic to enter the fray in the next generation console debate. Mentions of one time activations have been milling around for years however, as with Edge magazines most recent unveiling of new integrated technology that will provide such a service to game developers from sources with “first hand experience” of the new console.

Reasons Why I Hate

Desirable Mantra

Society loves a bandwagon. Nothing like getting in a furore of moral indignation for a cause that cuts to the core of a persons sensibilities. The internet has to be the biggest tool in upstanding citizens shed in preaching the deplorable actions of a few against those who have suffered.

Most recently this has been seen in the case of Amanda Todd, a Canadian teenager who took her life after years of sustained bullying against her character after a single indiscretion to a stranger online came to haunt her.

Suicides are never the happiest of topics at the best of times, let alone including a young girl in the mix. The story of Amanda Todd has received massive attention in North America as a by-product youths out of control.

Career Opportunities

So, you know when banking institutions gamble and lose their money, only to grovel to their pet buddies in government to get every Tom, Dick and Harry taxpayer to help get them back on their feet, made ever more honest and genuine by threats to up sticks and take their business to some other economy that would treat friends like that or when labour intensive companies that cut thousands of jobs in the name of cost efficiency and smart spending, people get outraged?

Why wouldn’t they? What majority percentage of a population enjoys having their hard earned cash going to a minority who consider themselves above the law and legislation of government because of the services they provide, ballsing up more often than not, yet somehow indispensably necessary to the day to day function of our nation.

Trials Evolution Review

Nothing says adventure like a midnight dash across ancient ruins

Sequels are like superheroes, only appearing when the night is darkest; when all good in the world is obstruct by those who would rather us live in perpetual fear of banality. They are not the games we need, they are the games we deserve.

More often than not, the sequels we encounter are the ones we need, the ones that fund the industry. Observe the annual sprawl of Call of Duty titles. These games meet our basic needs. Short-term entertainment till the guaranteed next cash injection arrives.

Yet once in a while, a sequel emerges that we deserve, a sequel of such magnitude and genius that we can’t all but welcome its arrival with a bent knee and an oath of fealty.

SOPA vs The Internet

Today is a pretty apt day to write about this subject. On January 18th 2012, the internet is making a stand, a final stand, against a bill looking to get passed through the US congress, brought into existence with the express purpose of censoring everything people know, love and take for granted on the internet.

The Stop Online Piracy Act was introduced to the House of Representatives as a means of tackling the growing and leeching problem of piracy over the internet from sources outside of US jurisdiction.

If passed on January 24th, SOPA will essentially grant a dozen US corporations control over the internet so their profit margins take less of a hit. Under SOPA, US ISP’s will be forced to enact DNS (Domain Name System) blocking, the same tactic used by Iran and China to censor their people.

Dexter Season 6 - Those Kind Of Things Review

As autumn approaches and the days shorten, foliage flutters to the ground and temperatures creep lower and lower day by day, we can rejoice as this bleak time of year marks the beginning of new episodes of all our favourite TV series stateside.

Whilst a few have had me bouncing around like a Yorkshire terrier on hearing Pedigree being opened, waiting for one particular series to air again has kept me so eager, so agitated, so anticipated that with its sixth season hitting the screens next week, has brought music to my ears. Of course, I’m talking about Dexter, every-ones favourite serial killer.
This series promises to bring a big bang as opposed to the gentle drone that was last years series. Having found solace one year after cavorting with revenge driven Lumen Pierce, Dexter has now fallen back into his old habits, the kind that earn you the chair.

Bethesda vs Minecraft: Clash of the Titans

Big companies are regularly portrayed as archetype bully figures. They have the power and clout to make all beneath them tremble with fear at their demands. But just like David was to Goliath, independent game developer Markus ‘Notch’ Persson is standing up to Bethesda’s lawyers over the case of his next projects title.

Archer Review

Have you ever thought to yourself what would MI6 have been like if M spend every working day matching James Bond drink for drink? You haven’t till just now but would like seeing the ensuing clandestine chaos? Then FX’s Archer is the show for you.

Yes, I Am a Mac Convert, But The Grass Isn't That Much Greener on This Side

I’m man enough to admit it; I’m an Apple convert. For years I considered Mac bashing one of my personal favourite pastimes; “why are their close buttons on the wrong side?”, “Mac’s are overpriced computers for people with too much money and not enough common sense” and “Mac fanboys are the worst types of people” are a few examples of the remarks I’d frequently throw out amongst my PC using mates and oh how we would laugh, laughing at our own narrow minded naivety with hindsight.

Minecraft Review

Minecraft is a difficult game to begin to explain. It has no clear story or narrative to carry the gameplay, it’s graphics aren’t up to the shiny standards of most PC titles, you have no (helpful) entourage of NPC’s in which to support your single player adventures and no two worlds are the same due to the game generating uniquely random maps.

Lucky 13 Challenge

As a member of the Student Blogger Alliance, this little slice of teenage, Myspace nostalgia has been set up to...well...im not really sure but hey, sharing is caring right? So yes, here are 13 facts about myself

Halo Reach Review

Where would Microsoft’s games console market gone if Halo hadn’t been one of their debut games? It’s been a decade since Halo: Combat Evolved burst through our CRT televisions and Master Chief John 117 became an icon of how the original X-Box didn’t flop.

The Expendables Review

Who would've thought it. After thirty something years in the industry, two hit film series' and the icon of at least two generations,
Sylvester Stallone is still going strong. The relentless actor/director/writer is still determined to create action films that involve two key ingredients for success - himself as the hero and gore by the truck load.

I Dont Wanna Be An American Idiot

As a domineering superpower, you would expect a country as vast and essential to world politics to go about solving problems in a civilised manner. Ah, ideal world, what a nice dream. Unfortunately the USA seems to be acting its age according to the rest of its considerably older brothers and sisters and has very quickly discovered that being a toddler in the eyes of the rest of your family means that crying and screaming loudly and often results in obtaining their desired object in a flash.

America has adopted the finger pointing culture to go hand in hand with their other favourite pass time, law suits. If stereotypes are the most accurate depiction of American life, it seems there is so much suing followed by counter suing and counter counter suing I am surprised American hasn’t become a giant patchwork quilt depicting Debbie Sue’s unfortunate trip to the floor because of an malicious, spiteful, despicable seventy something year old cleaner who intentional moped floors with an overly moist mop. Bastard.

You Musn't Be Afraid To Dream A Little Bigger, Darling - Inception Review

After months of secrecy surrounding his latest cinematic offering, Christopher Nolan gives the world Inception, his follow up to the critically acclaimed Dark Knight.

Inception focuses on Dominic Cobb, a professional thief who strikes where you are most vulnerable – your dreams. Here, your greatest secrets can be stolen, without you even knowing if the dream was real.

So Long Ninja, Thanks For The Memories

Bereavement is never fun. We know this because the thought of never seeing someone you cared about again is upsetting. As mere mortals we are aware that our lives are fragile and can end at any time, so mourning is a way to get out all the feelings of hurt and sadness that come with the initial shock of departure from this life.

Our culture has developed a number of ways with coming with the loss of a loved one. There first that comes to mind is the hysterical denial routine. Sobbing for hours on end, the occasional scream, denial of events that have happened. The second is a far quieter, less attention drawing. Thoughts are left spinning around the head of the individual. Coming to terms with knowledge that whomever they knew is gone forever, having now become a solid memory, the end of chapter in the book of life. This grieving process is far more personal and not so likely to make tabloid front pages.
The third is a quickly assessing the situation and deciding that sadness should reign for a few days but then normality must resume. However this routine, if American detective dramas have taught us anything, is the method used by the perpetrator responsible for cutting short the life of the loved/loathed individual on the autopsy slab.

So Long Ninja, Thanks For The Memories

Bereavement is never fun. We know this because the thought of never seeing someone you cared about again is upsetting. As mere mortals we are aware that our lives are fragile and can end at any time, so mourning is a way to get out all the feelings of hurt and sadness that come with the initial shock of departure from this life.

Our culture has developed a number of ways with coming with the loss of a loved one. There first that comes to mind is the hysterical denial routine. Sobbing for hours on end, the occasional scream, denial of events that have happened. The second is a far quieter, less attention drawing. Thoughts are left spinning around the head of the individual. Coming to terms with knowledge that whomever they knew is gone forever, having now become a solid memory, the end of chapter in the book of life. This grieving process is far more personal and not so likely to make tabloid front pages.
The third is a quickly assessing the situation and deciding that sadness should reign for a few days but then normality must resume. However this routine, if American detective dramas have taught us anything, is the method used by the perpetrator responsible for cutting short the life of the loved/loathed individual on the autopsy slab.

I start on a bleak note because I feel myself to be in the second stage of mourning for an old friend, someone who had been with me through thick and thin, long nights and early mornings. Made me laugh and sometimes made me feel like crying. My grieving is not for a relative or close friend. That wouldn’t make for entertaining literature. I find myself feeling sad for the passing of possibly the best online video streaming website in the deep binary sea of the internet, NinjaVideo.

I stumbled across NinjaVideo over a year ago. I was looking to get my high quality video fix and after a few minutes of interrogating Google to give up its best held secret, low and behold, it dished the goods. A website with an enormous collection of television shows from the USA and UK with new additions everyday with the option of watching in DVD quality or a lower quality flash. Series were immaculately complete. Every episode was available even if there was only a single choice. It was a beautiful thing. Beautiful times.

Through NinjaVideo I found myself discovering many new shows. It started with Battlestar Galactica and continued to True Blood. NinjaVideo gave me the chance to catch up with my old friends Greg House M.D and CTU Agent Jack Bauer. Doors of new shows to enjoy were opened to me and I found myself eagerly anticipating the next week’s barrage of shows like a dog who swore his master just mumbled walkies.

While fully aware that such actions are considered illegal by television studios in the US, I don’t get why. They produce so many shows every year which is fine, it needs to be done. But their arrival on UK stations is seriously delayed. It can be anything from two weeks to a year of waiting for the next exhilarating instalment of whatever show takes your fancy.
Again, fully aware that this is due to the UK’s television policy to limit the amount of imported US programming as to give home grown material a chance at becoming as popular as other names such as House and 24, it’s just not going to happen. The BBC and ITV wouldn’t consider funding a 21-25 episode series of shows. Far too expensive for companies trying to maintain a position as far away from the accounts red ink during this particularly time of financial...lacking. Plus, American accents and lifestyles are awesome compared to our meagre existences on this rock which could easily act as Texas’ shoe insole.

The US networks cry out that piracy is costing the entertainment industry millions upon millions every year. That may well be so. But do actors like Charlie Sheen REALLY need $825,000 dollars for completing one twenty one minute episode of a successful comedy.

It’s because of toddler tantrum that I write this. Last week the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Department of the US government shutdown 9 websites, including one who’s servers were abroad for intellectual property violation. NinjaVideo was one of the accused and executed.

What I really don’t get is how 100 US government agents can be used for shutting down a few websites doing a few naughty things where there are bigger problems to be caring about. Problems such as wielding illegally obtained automatic or semi automatic weapons roaming the streets for protection come to mind, Mr Highest Gun Crime in the World.
But alas, apparently people shooting each other isn’t nearly as important as keeping the TV networks from bawling their eyes out.

I don’t wish to come across as entirely supporting piracy. I don’t. Hypocritical, a little, but let me try and explain my position. America does make a fine range of television shows, shows wanting to be seen by a wide audience. An audience all the way over a tiny little puddle of water known as the Atlantic Ocean springs to mind.
The networks need people to pay for their cable subscriptions so they can fund shows. Now revisiting the case of Mr Sheen... I am a fan of Two and a Half Men. The show is well scripted, well acted and is a superb way of wasting a sunny day. But my problem is with actors demanding so much for a job that should be considered a privilege.

NinjaVideo and the eight other sites closed down by the ICE pulled in 6.7 million hits a week. That’s a lot of eyes. A lot of space for advertisements. I wish the US Networks had pulled themselves together and have seen the marketing opportunity they had before them that wouldn’t cost much but would spread to millions of people all over the world.

But what do I know, I’m simply a man with no idea of how the economics of the entertainment industry. I’m just upset that I have lost a source of great quality entertainment. A website that introduced me to a number of shows which I watched for free, but the ones I really enjoy, honestly and wholly, I splashed out the cash on buying the boxset so on the day of a power cut when the internet wasn’t an option, I still could have the company of my favourite shows on DVD.

Now I find myself back out in the wastelands of the internet. My home behind me burnt to a cinder, gone forever. Ahead I see the horizon with nothing on it. I have started my walk to find a new home, but nowhere even comes close to the feeling of community and enjoyment of television in all its forms that NinjaVideo offered me. My grieving is not over yet. My arrow has repeatedly found itself hovering over my NinjaVideo browser shortcut. It stays there, my eyes close, I pray, I click. Only to find a service provider error message. My heart sinks. I trawl on through the crud of the internet looking for something to replace the irreplaceable. Goodnight NinjaVideo. You were a good friend.

Electronic Entertainment Expo Goodies

E3 is evil. Not in a medieval lash-it-to-a post-and-purge-it-of-its sins kind of way. More of dangling an irresistible carrot in front of a particularly hard worked donkey that would like nothing more than to have its efforts appreciated. The donkey refers to us, the public; the consumers while the carrot of infinite desire is all trailers, clips and demonstration of all the gaming industry products that they intend to launch within the next twelve months.

True Blood Season 3 - Bad Blood Review

While a little bit cheeky, sneaky and somewhat questionable in the eyes of many media corporations, using the internet to view the first episode of the hit US drama/horror True Blood’s third outing was inevitable after having becoming a fan of the show during the last season. Well aware how this sort of behaviour can affect ratings of shows and break their duration on screens considerably, the time it takes the US to export these smaller franchise shows makes the OAP Olympics 100m sprint champion look like Usain Bolt after a dozen cans of Red Bull.

Red Dead Redemption Review

Every few years, a game comes along that causes a moral outrage. Scenes of graphic violence, foul language and depiction of hard drug use are the central areas that get overly sensitive people in a flap.
The crown for these types of games has traditional gone to game studio Rockstar, the creators of the infamous Grand Theft Auto series. However this year’s offering hasn’t pushed the censorship barrier further across the frontline and instead has settled down with a tar chewing, whisky swilling, revolver toting envisioning of the Wild West in its dying years.

Red Dead Redemption is set in the Frontier lands of the American mid west at the turn of the nineteenth century. The federal government is gaining strength and believes that the taming of the West is what is needed to bring stability and order to their great nation.