I'm done with Spore, and I'll tell you why once I get around to writing up that other Spore post I've mentioned, but first I wanted to just say this. I remember Will Wright promising that the Space stage would be the ultimate sandbox, where not only could you reshape planets and all that, but you could also revisit the other stages of the game, i.e modifying creatures and civilizations and whatnot. While that's technically true, all the tools required to do those things cost outrageous amounts of money, and like I mentioned before, you can't do them at your own pace. You'll always be getting called back to prevent pirates or enemy raiders from destroying your shit.
So here's my question: why isn't there a special Sandbox mode that's unlocked once you "finish" the Space stage? One where you can freely revisit any of the prior stages and do whatever you want however you want, with no limits other than your imagination? I should be able to get to play around with creature building, tribal wrangling, civilization expansion, and yes, even get to blow up as many planets as I feel like while cruising around the galaxy in my tricked out spaceship with no limits or restrictions.
If Spore's primary tagline is "Not really a game," it's secondary tagline should be, "Untapped potential."
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
I Hate Sheep
I want to talk a little bit more about Spore eventually, but I might end up doing that in a full fledged review over at Kitsune Games. Dunno, we'll see how it goes.
Anyway, right now, I want to talk about how much I hate sheep. No, not the fluffy mammals, the people who can't think for themselves. Those people who read things on the internet and take it to heart, with no regard to what they actually believe.
Take, for example, television, which is a subject near and dear to my heart. New shows will come out, and they'll be great. Everyone will love them. A couple years will pass (or sometimes just one), and then all of sudden you hear people say, "Oh, that show? The first few seasons were good, but it's terrible now." What happened? The internet happened.
Here's some examples.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is somewhere on my top 5 list of the Best TV Shows in the History of TV Shows Ever. However, I disliked the seventh season, for reasons that are my own. I really, really liked the fifth, and especially the sixth, seasons, though. Seemingly everyone else on the planet hated everything after the fourth season. Why? Because the internet says so.
Heroes. Not in my top 5, but certainly in my top 10. The first season was fantastic. The second season, while cut tragically short by the writer's strike, was equally so. Everyone else? The last episode of the first season was terrible, and the second season was a mess. So says the internet.
Veronica Mars. Perhaps the single best TV show I've ever seen. Three seasons was definitely not enough time to spend with Ms. Mars. I can honestly say I enjoyed each successive season more than the previous one. I'm definitely a minority of one, though, because everyone else says things started to go downhill with season 2, and season 3 was nearly unwatchable. Blame the internet.
What I'm trying to say is that when some idiot on the internet blasts a TV show for a supposed drop in quality (either real or completely imagined), everyone jumps on the bandwagon. This type of behavior probably leads to quality shows getting canceled. Basically, morons bleating about "bad" TV shows gather others to their cause, they all believe the rhetoric, stop watching, the ratings go down, and the shows get the axe. I don't actually have any data to support it, but that's my theory. Fucking sheep.
Anyway, right now, I want to talk about how much I hate sheep. No, not the fluffy mammals, the people who can't think for themselves. Those people who read things on the internet and take it to heart, with no regard to what they actually believe.
Take, for example, television, which is a subject near and dear to my heart. New shows will come out, and they'll be great. Everyone will love them. A couple years will pass (or sometimes just one), and then all of sudden you hear people say, "Oh, that show? The first few seasons were good, but it's terrible now." What happened? The internet happened.
Here's some examples.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is somewhere on my top 5 list of the Best TV Shows in the History of TV Shows Ever. However, I disliked the seventh season, for reasons that are my own. I really, really liked the fifth, and especially the sixth, seasons, though. Seemingly everyone else on the planet hated everything after the fourth season. Why? Because the internet says so.
Heroes. Not in my top 5, but certainly in my top 10. The first season was fantastic. The second season, while cut tragically short by the writer's strike, was equally so. Everyone else? The last episode of the first season was terrible, and the second season was a mess. So says the internet.
Veronica Mars. Perhaps the single best TV show I've ever seen. Three seasons was definitely not enough time to spend with Ms. Mars. I can honestly say I enjoyed each successive season more than the previous one. I'm definitely a minority of one, though, because everyone else says things started to go downhill with season 2, and season 3 was nearly unwatchable. Blame the internet.
What I'm trying to say is that when some idiot on the internet blasts a TV show for a supposed drop in quality (either real or completely imagined), everyone jumps on the bandwagon. This type of behavior probably leads to quality shows getting canceled. Basically, morons bleating about "bad" TV shows gather others to their cause, they all believe the rhetoric, stop watching, the ratings go down, and the shows get the axe. I don't actually have any data to support it, but that's my theory. Fucking sheep.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Spore (PC) Impressions
I've been playing Spore for the past week, and have put in around 10 or 12 hours, enough to reach the final Space stage (the five stages are Cell, Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and Space) and play around in it. My initial thoughts about Spore since I first heard about it (some 3 years ago now, at least) were that it isn't a game in the traditional sense, and those are still my thoughts. There's no ending, no goals besides advancing to the next stage, and no real structure or story.
The most interesting part, the space stage, is fatally flawed. The general idea is to take over the galaxy, either by force or by economic means. You can complete missions for other races, establish trade routes, terraform and colonize new planets, buy out existing colonies, or blast them all to hell. The fatal flaw that I've found in this game that is very clearly marketed at the "casual" gamer, is that you can't do anything at your own pace. Let's say you want to explore the galaxy and do missions, and that's all you want to do. That's fine. Until you meet a warlike race, however, and they declare war on you with no provocation other than the fact that you were in their system. After that, they will relentlessly and tirelessly attack your colonies until there is nothing left of them. Sure, you can put up meager defense turrets, but they'll be blasted all to hell in no time. Sure, your colonies will purchase attack vehicles on their own, but not nearly as many as are needed, or often enough to turn aside a single invasion. Whenever your colonies are attacked, you must immediately drop whatever you're doing and return in your ship to help defend. Even if you're in the system that is being attacked, by the time you get to the planet and defeat the invaders, they will have wrought heavy damage to your colonies. Any buildings or turrets that were destroyed will have to be replaced by hand. You can choose not to replace them, but that simply means the next time you're attacked, the invasion will be able to destroy everything that's left more quickly, not to mention that your colonies will not be at full operating capacity.
What this boils down to is a futile exercise in micromanagement, something no casual gamer would ever find fun or interesting. Even I, as a self-described hardcore gamer have no interest in micromanaging my colonies. I'm off exploring the galaxy, goddammit, my people should rebuild those turrets and buildings automatically, and there should be an option to create a standing army so they'll be ready for the next invasion and won't have to whine that they're being attacked and plead that I come help them. That way, even if I'm in a war that I didn't start and didn't want, I don't have to scurry back and forth across the galaxy just to keep from being wiped off the face of the universe.
At this point, I had a lot more fun reaching the space stage then actually doing things in the space stage. Messing around with my creature and doing all of the tribal and civilization stuff was surprisingly fun, although I'm not sure I would ever want to do it again. The space stage, however, has the potential to be really, really good, and it's not. Kind of a shame, really, because I would have gladly paid $50 just for the Space stage that incorporates all of the interesting ideas it has with none of the bullshit.
The most interesting part, the space stage, is fatally flawed. The general idea is to take over the galaxy, either by force or by economic means. You can complete missions for other races, establish trade routes, terraform and colonize new planets, buy out existing colonies, or blast them all to hell. The fatal flaw that I've found in this game that is very clearly marketed at the "casual" gamer, is that you can't do anything at your own pace. Let's say you want to explore the galaxy and do missions, and that's all you want to do. That's fine. Until you meet a warlike race, however, and they declare war on you with no provocation other than the fact that you were in their system. After that, they will relentlessly and tirelessly attack your colonies until there is nothing left of them. Sure, you can put up meager defense turrets, but they'll be blasted all to hell in no time. Sure, your colonies will purchase attack vehicles on their own, but not nearly as many as are needed, or often enough to turn aside a single invasion. Whenever your colonies are attacked, you must immediately drop whatever you're doing and return in your ship to help defend. Even if you're in the system that is being attacked, by the time you get to the planet and defeat the invaders, they will have wrought heavy damage to your colonies. Any buildings or turrets that were destroyed will have to be replaced by hand. You can choose not to replace them, but that simply means the next time you're attacked, the invasion will be able to destroy everything that's left more quickly, not to mention that your colonies will not be at full operating capacity.
What this boils down to is a futile exercise in micromanagement, something no casual gamer would ever find fun or interesting. Even I, as a self-described hardcore gamer have no interest in micromanaging my colonies. I'm off exploring the galaxy, goddammit, my people should rebuild those turrets and buildings automatically, and there should be an option to create a standing army so they'll be ready for the next invasion and won't have to whine that they're being attacked and plead that I come help them. That way, even if I'm in a war that I didn't start and didn't want, I don't have to scurry back and forth across the galaxy just to keep from being wiped off the face of the universe.
At this point, I had a lot more fun reaching the space stage then actually doing things in the space stage. Messing around with my creature and doing all of the tribal and civilization stuff was surprisingly fun, although I'm not sure I would ever want to do it again. The space stage, however, has the potential to be really, really good, and it's not. Kind of a shame, really, because I would have gladly paid $50 just for the Space stage that incorporates all of the interesting ideas it has with none of the bullshit.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Release Date Calendar
Rejoice! A comprehensive release date calendar, in easy to use calendar format complete with color coding!
I've been searching for something like this ever since Gone Gold went down, and the void it left was not sufficiently filled by the continuation of the community or the eventual resurrection of the sister site, Console Gold.
On a related side note, looking up Gone Gold for those links reminded me that it was at that site that I originally started reading Bill Harris' work, which he moved over to Dubious Quality just before Gone Gold closed. It's like six degrees of Kevin Bacon, or some shit.
I've been searching for something like this ever since Gone Gold went down, and the void it left was not sufficiently filled by the continuation of the community or the eventual resurrection of the sister site, Console Gold.
On a related side note, looking up Gone Gold for those links reminded me that it was at that site that I originally started reading Bill Harris' work, which he moved over to Dubious Quality just before Gone Gold closed. It's like six degrees of Kevin Bacon, or some shit.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
This is Why GameStop Sucks
If you've got some free time, please hit this link and watch these videos. They're made by a former GameStop employee who has decided to call out the retailer on all of their bullshit. For some reason, the first video ("01") has been removed, but the other 8 are still there.
Sad But True
Let me first make one thing perfectly clear: I am a die-hard Oakland Raiders football fan. I have been a member of the Raider Nation since I've known what football is. If you prick me, I'll still bleed red, but for metaphorical purposes, it is Silver and Black.
That said, this made me laugh uproariously, which is sad. But very true.
From the Shutdown Corner:
That said, this made me laugh uproariously, which is sad. But very true.
From the Shutdown Corner:
Don't Count On ... ... the Raiders continuing to be so tragic. Actually, you might be able to count on the Raiders continuing to be just that tragic. I don't know. What we witnessed from that morosely-dressed clown troupe on Monday night was almost unspeakable.
Things started well enough for them. They ran the ball. Justin Fargas found some holes, Darren McFadden had some success when he touched the ball. There seemed to be a shred of two of promise.
From there, I'd like to say that the wheels came off, but that wouldn't feel like an accurate description. The wheels didn't just magically come off, the Raiders all got out of the car (all 45 of them were in one Volkswagon; remember, this is a morosely-dressed clown troupe), shot the wheels off the own car, busted out the taillights, smashed the windshield and poured Splenda in the gas tank. Then they all piled back inside and started screaming, "CAR WON'T MOVE, ME SAD NOW!"
I just don't know how you can allow a performance like that to happen. Ninety-six penalty yards, most of them coming on ignorant personal fouls, a pathetic passing game in which Ashley Lelie was the star receiver, Eddie Royal consistently and viciously abusing DeAngelo Hall ... at no point were the Raiders anything but an ugly carpet for the Broncos to walk on.
You don't need talent to have discipline. You don't need a loaded roster to not be an embarrassment. The Chiefs found a way to take the field and not be a laughing stock, and they went out of their way this offseason to strip their roster of talent.
There's just no excuse for a team performing as poorly as the Raiders did on Monday night. I don't care if it's Week One or Week Seventeen.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Force Unleashed Demo Impressions (PS3)
Before I begin, let me preface my comments with a caveat: I am a huge Star Wars fan. I can't count the number of times I've seen the Original Trilogy, and I've even seen the Prequel Trilogy multiple times. I've read the books, I've had the action figures, hell, I even watched the Star Wars Holiday Special. (btw, if you're wondering if it really is that bad, the answer is yes. Yes it is) That said, I am not a George Lucas apologist, I think the Special Editions of the OT are awful, the PT is not as good as it could have been, and most things Star Wars that Lucas is directly involved in now are not the best.
Now, on to The Force Unleashed. In a word, awesome. In two words, fucking awesome. The basic idea is this: here's a lightsaber, here's the force, go have fun. See that window that looks out into space? Use the force to pick up that droid from across the room and hurl it through the window. See that TIE fighter? Use the force to snatch it out of midair and send it hurtling into a group of rebel soldiers. See that AT-ST? Force dash up to it, break it's legs with a Force blast, then cut it in half with your lightsaber. I did all that and more during the 10 minute demo.
I am so getting this game.
Now, on to The Force Unleashed. In a word, awesome. In two words, fucking awesome. The basic idea is this: here's a lightsaber, here's the force, go have fun. See that window that looks out into space? Use the force to pick up that droid from across the room and hurl it through the window. See that TIE fighter? Use the force to snatch it out of midair and send it hurtling into a group of rebel soldiers. See that AT-ST? Force dash up to it, break it's legs with a Force blast, then cut it in half with your lightsaber. I did all that and more during the 10 minute demo.
I am so getting this game.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Facebreaker Demo Impressions (PS3)
After I checked out these videos, I had to download the demo and try Facebreaker. After five minutes with the demo, I've made a buying decision.
That is to say, I definitely won't be spending a nickel on Facebreaker. I don't know where the comedy in those videos is in the game (probably no where, but it's certainly not in the demo), but without it, the gameplay in no way holds my interest. It's button mashing. It's not even good button mashing, because the computer button mashes, too. I could maybe forgive it if two player games devolved into button mashing, because most mediocre fighters do. But when the only legitimate strategy against the computer is to button mash? Fucking terrible.
I mean, shit, at least Fight Night Round 3 had good controls. The game still sucked, but it controlled well. Ever since the original Fight Night introduced Total Punch Control, there is no excuse for a modern boxing game, even an arcade one like Facebreaker, to not use that control scheme. For that reason alone (nevermind the others), Facebreaker = Fail.
That is to say, I definitely won't be spending a nickel on Facebreaker. I don't know where the comedy in those videos is in the game (probably no where, but it's certainly not in the demo), but without it, the gameplay in no way holds my interest. It's button mashing. It's not even good button mashing, because the computer button mashes, too. I could maybe forgive it if two player games devolved into button mashing, because most mediocre fighters do. But when the only legitimate strategy against the computer is to button mash? Fucking terrible.
I mean, shit, at least Fight Night Round 3 had good controls. The game still sucked, but it controlled well. Ever since the original Fight Night introduced Total Punch Control, there is no excuse for a modern boxing game, even an arcade one like Facebreaker, to not use that control scheme. For that reason alone (nevermind the others), Facebreaker = Fail.
Monday, August 11, 2008
I Hate Spoilers
Contrary to the latest Tensided Tales, I was, and continue to be, excited about the Olympic Games. Something about the very best athletes in the world coming together and competing against each other is extremely cool. Some of the sports are pretty lame (synchronized diving? rhythmic gymnastics? dressage? Come on), but for the most part, it's enjoyable. At least, it is when I can actually watch the contests without foreknowledge of knowing the outcome.
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I absolutely can't stand spoilers. One of the unfortunate things about living on the other side of the world from where the Olympics are being held is that pretty much everything is time-delayed. No problem, though, because I can easily avoid spoilers, right?
Wrong. Yesterday, I decided to check my email, and the "helpful" news update just happened to advise me that the US swimming relay team had won the gold medal in a race that would not be broadcast for four more hours. Great. Just great. It completely took all the excitement out of an event that for everyone that saw it unspoiled was incredibly exciting. Amazing. Spellbinding. Unforgettable. As long as you didn't know who won ahead of time.
Fast forward to today. I decide to avoid the internet like the plague, and watch the Monday Night Football game on ESPN. Yes, it's a sports news channel, but the game is shown live. They wouldn't ruin anything that anyone watching would have no chance of having seen, right? That would just be irresponsible, right?
Wrong. They broke in in the third quarter to "helpfully" announce that Phelps had won another gold during his individual race. That's right, the race would not be broadcast for four more hours.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people? If I want to know the news as soon as it happens, sure, I should be able to get it. But I should have to seek it out, it shouldn't be thrust upon me out of nowhere. It certainly shouldn't be handed out like candy when I don't even want it. What the fuck?
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I absolutely can't stand spoilers. One of the unfortunate things about living on the other side of the world from where the Olympics are being held is that pretty much everything is time-delayed. No problem, though, because I can easily avoid spoilers, right?
Wrong. Yesterday, I decided to check my email, and the "helpful" news update just happened to advise me that the US swimming relay team had won the gold medal in a race that would not be broadcast for four more hours. Great. Just great. It completely took all the excitement out of an event that for everyone that saw it unspoiled was incredibly exciting. Amazing. Spellbinding. Unforgettable. As long as you didn't know who won ahead of time.
Fast forward to today. I decide to avoid the internet like the plague, and watch the Monday Night Football game on ESPN. Yes, it's a sports news channel, but the game is shown live. They wouldn't ruin anything that anyone watching would have no chance of having seen, right? That would just be irresponsible, right?
Wrong. They broke in in the third quarter to "helpfully" announce that Phelps had won another gold during his individual race. That's right, the race would not be broadcast for four more hours.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people? If I want to know the news as soon as it happens, sure, I should be able to get it. But I should have to seek it out, it shouldn't be thrust upon me out of nowhere. It certainly shouldn't be handed out like candy when I don't even want it. What the fuck?
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Assorted Media Opinions
First, I want to link to this again because everyone needs to see it. Dr. Horrible. This is the one. Stops time. Dr. Horrible. Tell your friends.
Now on to the reviews of recent movies, TV shows, and internet...things.
Hancock, rated PG-13, starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron. I may have said this before, but Will Smith is incredibly entertaining, even in a bad movie. Not to say Hancock is bad, but it's made considerably better by the presence of Mr. Smith. Definitely not your typical superhero flick. Thumbs up.
The Happening, rated R, starring Marky Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo. Where to begin with this one? M. Night Shyamalan is an interesting guy. The Sixth Sense was amazing, Unbreakable was a new twist on an old story, and Signs was a mess. I didn't bother seeing The Village or Lady in the Water. So I approached The Happening with more than a little bit of trepidation. Ultimately, The Happening is just a bad movie. Bad plot, bad twist (if you want to call it that), bad acting, badly written characters. That flushing sound you hear? That's M. Night's career going away.
Mamma Mia!, rated PG-13, starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgard. Let me be up front: I'm not a fan of musicals. I've seen a handful, enjoyed a couple, but for the most part the musical, as a genre, is just beyond me. That said, I didn't hate Mamma Mia. The songs were good (it's ABBA. Hatin' on ABBA is like punching a kitten in the face. Normal people just don't do it), the actors were surprisingly good singers (for the most part, anyway. I'm looking at you, Pierce Brosnan), and the story, while a bit contrived, was decent enough. If you're a fan of musicals and/or chick flicks, you'll definitely enjoy Mamma Mia!
Hellboy II, rated PG-13, starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, and Jeffrey Tambor. Hellboy is another superhero comic book movie, but it's completely unlike any other superhero comic book movie. Hellboy's universe is an occult and supernatural one, and it makes for a very different experience. The first Hellboy film isn't required viewing before seeing the sequel, but since they're both excellent flicks, I recommend them.
Eureka, starring Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson, and Joe Morton. Currently in it's third season (which started tonight), Eureka is technically science fiction, but I'd say it bends genres. It's part comedy, part drama, part mystery. So far, I've only seen the first season, but it's definitely enjoyable. The first two seasons are on DVD, so Netflix em if you've got it.
Generation Kill, starring an ensemble cast. This a new mini-series on HBO about a battalion of Marines (specifically, the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion) during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since the series is based on a book by an embedded reporter, it's essentially a first-hand look at the operation and the soldiers involved. Only 3 episodes (of 7) have aired so far, but as a fan of war movies and documentaries, I'm enjoying this bit of historical re-telling.
And last, but certainly not least:
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day. Yes, ok, it's a musical. But it's also a comedy, and a drama, and a superhero story with a love triangle and a supervillian who's also the protaganist. It defies convention. It's a must see (it can be streamed for free right here!), even if you're not a fan of musicals. That's about all I can say without spoiling anything. Go. Watch. Enjoy. Sing along.
Now on to the reviews of recent movies, TV shows, and internet...things.
Hancock, rated PG-13, starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron. I may have said this before, but Will Smith is incredibly entertaining, even in a bad movie. Not to say Hancock is bad, but it's made considerably better by the presence of Mr. Smith. Definitely not your typical superhero flick. Thumbs up.
The Happening, rated R, starring Marky Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo. Where to begin with this one? M. Night Shyamalan is an interesting guy. The Sixth Sense was amazing, Unbreakable was a new twist on an old story, and Signs was a mess. I didn't bother seeing The Village or Lady in the Water. So I approached The Happening with more than a little bit of trepidation. Ultimately, The Happening is just a bad movie. Bad plot, bad twist (if you want to call it that), bad acting, badly written characters. That flushing sound you hear? That's M. Night's career going away.
Mamma Mia!, rated PG-13, starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgard. Let me be up front: I'm not a fan of musicals. I've seen a handful, enjoyed a couple, but for the most part the musical, as a genre, is just beyond me. That said, I didn't hate Mamma Mia. The songs were good (it's ABBA. Hatin' on ABBA is like punching a kitten in the face. Normal people just don't do it), the actors were surprisingly good singers (for the most part, anyway. I'm looking at you, Pierce Brosnan), and the story, while a bit contrived, was decent enough. If you're a fan of musicals and/or chick flicks, you'll definitely enjoy Mamma Mia!
Hellboy II, rated PG-13, starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, and Jeffrey Tambor. Hellboy is another superhero comic book movie, but it's completely unlike any other superhero comic book movie. Hellboy's universe is an occult and supernatural one, and it makes for a very different experience. The first Hellboy film isn't required viewing before seeing the sequel, but since they're both excellent flicks, I recommend them.
Eureka, starring Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson, and Joe Morton. Currently in it's third season (which started tonight), Eureka is technically science fiction, but I'd say it bends genres. It's part comedy, part drama, part mystery. So far, I've only seen the first season, but it's definitely enjoyable. The first two seasons are on DVD, so Netflix em if you've got it.
Generation Kill, starring an ensemble cast. This a new mini-series on HBO about a battalion of Marines (specifically, the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion) during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since the series is based on a book by an embedded reporter, it's essentially a first-hand look at the operation and the soldiers involved. Only 3 episodes (of 7) have aired so far, but as a fan of war movies and documentaries, I'm enjoying this bit of historical re-telling.
And last, but certainly not least:
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day. Yes, ok, it's a musical. But it's also a comedy, and a drama, and a superhero story with a love triangle and a supervillian who's also the protaganist. It defies convention. It's a must see (it can be streamed for free right here!), even if you're not a fan of musicals. That's about all I can say without spoiling anything. Go. Watch. Enjoy. Sing along.
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Dark Knight...of Bad Math
So, The Dark Knight. I still haven't seen it. Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "You'll go see Mamma Mia! but you won't see Dark Knight? Exactly how much cock do you chug?" Well, the answer is none of your goddamn business. I will say that I fully intend to go see The Dark Knight, preferably when there aren't lines that wrap around the building. I'm thinking a weeknight.
Anyway, that's not what this post is about. I want to talk about something that really gets under my skin, and that's bad math. Specifically, when people talk about numbers with a time dimension in nominal terms. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me back up.
The Dark Knight has made a shit-ton of money in a short period of time. At last count, $313,781,677 domestically in 10 days. I'll grant you, that's a lot of dough. So much so, that there's chatter about it breaking Titanic's record. And that's when I get pissed off.
Here's the thing: Titanic doesn't have a record. $600 million is a lot of money, yeah, but a record it ain't. Even though this shows Titanic at the top, that doesn't mean anything. Why? Look at the number 2 film. Star Wars came out in 1977. Do you think you could buy as much with a dollar in 1997 as you could in 1977? No, you couldn't.
Which brings me to using nominal values to describe something with a time dimension. In this case, looking at box office receipts in terms of today's money becomes useless after only a few years, let alone a few decades.
So let's get the real value by adjusting for inflation. Oh ho, this paints quite a different picture, doesn't it? Titanic tumbles all the way to #6. Still respectable, but not nearly #1, not by a half a billion dollars. That's right, a movie released today would have to do 1.5 billion dollars worth of domestic business in order to break Gone with the Wind's record. Not likely. Possible, but I don't know if any movie ever again would sell that many tickets.
Oh, and The Dark Knight? $300 million in 10 days is impressive, but that doesn't even put it in the Top 100 on the all-time list. Too bad, Bats.
Anyway, that's not what this post is about. I want to talk about something that really gets under my skin, and that's bad math. Specifically, when people talk about numbers with a time dimension in nominal terms. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me back up.
The Dark Knight has made a shit-ton of money in a short period of time. At last count, $313,781,677 domestically in 10 days. I'll grant you, that's a lot of dough. So much so, that there's chatter about it breaking Titanic's record. And that's when I get pissed off.
Here's the thing: Titanic doesn't have a record. $600 million is a lot of money, yeah, but a record it ain't. Even though this shows Titanic at the top, that doesn't mean anything. Why? Look at the number 2 film. Star Wars came out in 1977. Do you think you could buy as much with a dollar in 1997 as you could in 1977? No, you couldn't.
Which brings me to using nominal values to describe something with a time dimension. In this case, looking at box office receipts in terms of today's money becomes useless after only a few years, let alone a few decades.
So let's get the real value by adjusting for inflation. Oh ho, this paints quite a different picture, doesn't it? Titanic tumbles all the way to #6. Still respectable, but not nearly #1, not by a half a billion dollars. That's right, a movie released today would have to do 1.5 billion dollars worth of domestic business in order to break Gone with the Wind's record. Not likely. Possible, but I don't know if any movie ever again would sell that many tickets.
Oh, and The Dark Knight? $300 million in 10 days is impressive, but that doesn't even put it in the Top 100 on the all-time list. Too bad, Bats.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
I was going to link to this earlier, but then I got distracted by something, probably boobs. Mmm, boobs....
No! So you need to check out Dr. Horrible. It's got Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day, and it's written and directed by Joss Whedon. It's a super-villain love story musical, and it is made of pure awesome. Go see it right now, because it ceases to exist on the internets in it's wild, free form as of Sunday night at midnight.
Go now.
No! So you need to check out Dr. Horrible. It's got Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day, and it's written and directed by Joss Whedon. It's a super-villain love story musical, and it is made of pure awesome. Go see it right now, because it ceases to exist on the internets in it's wild, free form as of Sunday night at midnight.
Go now.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
E3 Postmortem
Another E3 has come and gone, so I thought I'd give a rundown of what happened.
First up, Microsoft...ah, hell with it. This sums the whole thing up pretty nicely.
First up, Microsoft...ah, hell with it. This sums the whole thing up pretty nicely.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Another Post About Rock Band 2
Already? Yes, indeed!
According to Gamestop, the game itself hits the Xbox 360 first on September 14, then the bundle for both 360 and PS3, as well as the standalone game for PS3 hits on October 19. Wii and PS2 owners have the longest to wait, as the game and bundles don't hit for those platforms until November 18.
I can wait until October 19.
I think.
According to Gamestop, the game itself hits the Xbox 360 first on September 14, then the bundle for both 360 and PS3, as well as the standalone game for PS3 hits on October 19. Wii and PS2 owners have the longest to wait, as the game and bundles don't hit for those platforms until November 18.
I can wait until October 19.
I think.
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