Finally, a non-ugly Zune. Microsoft released Zune HD images and there are black and silver versions. This is the first time I’ve seen a Zune and saying “That looks good. I want one.” No, really.
Also, CNET was able to do a hands-on with the Zune HD, and I’ll let this picture speak for itself:
There isn’t much information about the Zune HD yet, but I’m hoping Microsoft keeps this up. This looks like a step in the right direction.
Sony has announced two smaller versions of its portable eBook reader: the Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition.
The Reader Pocket (PRS-300) features a smaller 5-inch display and comes in a range of body colors. Because it’s smaller it can be used one-handed and is a little easier to carry around. Its onboard memory will store around 350 books and has a two-week battery life. It will retail for an impressive $199.
Every home in the USA is up for a huge task ahead. Sure the fall brings in such cute colors that will make your emotions warm, but when the leaves actually do fall, it can become a huge nightmare. Specially if you’ve just got a rake at hand. Sweat work is OK, but for about $100 or so, you can turn a chore into something more fun to do.
This is a great time to consider purchasing Worx TriVac WG500 12-Amp All-in-One Electric Blower/Mulcher/Vacuum and it’s a good thing it’s available online as well thru Amazon.com. Currently on sale and comes with free shipping and handling. How’s that for a super-saver deal.
I’ve seen homes where the yard waste is almost a 3-foot mound. It’s a back-breaking job and while we can always call in the pros to do the job, you’d definitely want to make a family experience out of this season. It can be real fun involving the kids, teaching them the work behind the season. 🙂
I was thinking of how Animal Crossing gives you access to a persistent offline world to explore, but without any real people to interact with. In my opinion, there’s a good few reasons why you should play offline as well as online; and there are even occasions when it’s better to play on your own. So, lets take a look at these ten reasons why you should consider offline play, with an emphasis on Animal Crossing:
1. In your own AC village there is no bad language, nor racism or other stupidity.
2. There is far greater world control – this includes control over your house, your environment and of course what goes on when you’re not there. In the case of Animal Crossing things do develop and change, but that’s part of the experience and it is still fundamentally the same.
3. No noobs or experienced players – only you at your own level.
4. No stealing, hacking attacking or otherwise Pking during play. What happens is really in your control, and that’s the appeal.
5. The village can be developed as you like, and noone will disturb it – except that XXX Tom Nook!
6. We all have our ‘quirks’ – in your online village there isn’t anyone to see them unless you allow them into your space. Watch that they don’t steal anything though!
7. If you’re a girl, you can play without being harassed to death by teenage males giving you a/s/l every five minutes.
8. Peace is a rarity with online play, what with random texts of people selling things, voice chat and people saying rather odd things. In your own village of collections and cleaning up, you have full peace.
9. After reading this, would you really want to open your game to this?
10. You have your objectives – no one will hinder – or help. The will have will mould to you. 1up.com has a brilliant feature on it.
Overall, the level of control you have with your own village in Animal Crossing makes it something that you really should not miss if you have a DS and Nintendo would be stupid not to bring it to the Wii. Enjoy!
This isn’t a list of the best 5 games of all time. Rather, it’s a list of the top 5 games that consumed large portions of my life…whether they deserved the attention or not…they go it.
1. 1942
An old school “forward on rails” quick-twitch, 2-D sprite based World War II game that I just thought was too freakin cool. This is the only game that I literally played for more than 24 hours straight without sleep. A few bathroom breaks. A couple chugs of soda. I think my mom even brought me some pizza. But I just could get enough of the adrenaline pumping, quick maneuver airplane fighting.
2. Chrono Trigger
This was my first major forray into RPG territory. I’d played RPGs in the past, but this one made me fall in love with them. And it had a pretty kick ass story line too. But really I mention this game because of the memories I have of playing it with my best friend at the time Chris Collier. Haven’t seen him in over 10 years (a freakin decade!). Oh, yeah, we played this one through the night.
3. Faxanadu
This was the first action-adventure game that I got sucked into. And, it was the first game where I discovered the art of jerryrigging the controller to pick up resources while your away at school! I found this spot where enemies kept getting generated and walking towards me, and I just kept the slash button held down with a marble and some tape…it did the trick every time. I’d come home with more gold than I knew what to do with. And then I’d go kick some butt. Cheating…yes. Fun…oh, definitely.
4. Warcraft/Dark Reign
These were my college networking games. Way before World of Warcraft, and even back in the day when Ethernet wasn’t the only standard for wired networks (ever hear of coaxial chains?), my buddies and I would play 8 player games for hours and hours. Best multiplayer fun I ever had. Pure joy.
5. Sim City/Populous
I couldn’t decide between the two because I poured too many hours into both of them, but I sure liked playing God regardless. Building the perfect city was always my dream, but the damned citizen were never happy. Oh well.
As reported in Kotaku and BBC news, what used to be the extravaganza, the greatest show in interactive entertainment history is now no more – at least in the three day ‘mega-format’ show. That’s right – E3 is changing. If you ask me, this is really a backward step for the industry as a whole, for a good number of reasons.
Videogames generally get a bad press a large portion of the time. Whether it’s Hilary Clinton using them as a bandwagon for her campaign or the latest ‘Halo murder’ story, games quite literally get a thoroughly bad press. This is both unfair and unjust, and I think E3 goes some way to making games seem acceptable and exciting.
Samsung just released a mobile phone intended to be a gaming platform. Only intended for the South Korean Market (for now), the SPH-B3200 DMB packs a mean punch, with a 2.2-inch screen, 2 megapixel camera, satellite TV reception, video recording and playback, MP3 playback, TV output, EVDO, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, 80 megs of internal memory, and external storage thru miniSD. From Engadget mobile,
Samsung may not be going all N-Gage on us, but they’re still dipping their toes in the gaming space with their new SPH-B3200 DMB-enabled handset. The slider phone … has an 8-way d-pad and five dedicated gaming buttons, and the Bluetooth means you can hook up with others nearby for some instant multiplayer gaming action. Currently available in Korea only (through KTF), and for a hefty ₩600k KRW (about $631 USD).
Reference to the N-Gage kind of watered down our excitement, though. Isn’t the Nokia N-Gage supposed to have died as a gaming platform a while back?
We’re hoping the SPH-B3200 DMB does not go the way of the N-Gage. We are of the opinion that while having hybrid technologies is certainly interesting, mobile phones are not likely to succeed as gaming platforms given the prevalence of more powerful (and cheaper) standalone portable consoles, like the PSP. Then again, if you have six hundred bucks to spare and you’re in Korea, then go for it!
A few days ago, we suggested that shiny black is the new white. To confirm our hunch, Nintendo has announced a new shiny black design for its forthcoming DS Lite. Right now, shiny black is slated for a European release, but since black seems to be the new white, we bet that you’ll see this design in the states before long too.
