Reviewtime: Xbox 360

Okay, so I caved in to flatmate pressure and got myself an Xbox 360. What can I say? Overlord, Oblivion, Gears of War - over the last few months Microsoft and Xbox 360 have been doing a good job at being an enticing console purchase.

Now before some people decry "hypocrite" for my PC/Mac debate - this is a different issue. I'm looking at consoles, not PCs.

Well firstly, as much as I love Sony they have been just flubbing things up with the PS3. The long wait for decent games - still waiting - the high pricing and general lack of appeal has made Xbox 360 an attractive and affordable alternative.

So how is the Xbox 360? Currently, it is a lot of fun - but not without flaws. The first and foremost is the lack of proper instructions. The PS2 came with both a fantastic guide to how everything worked along with a very intuitive control interface.

Xbox's control interface isn't that difficult - but some things are just a little esoteric to understand, and the guide book is a bit light.

On the other hand, it is a very fun console gameswise. This is where Microsoft have really stepped up to the plate. They have clearly learnt a lot of lessons from the Xbox/PS2 battle, and by releasing the 360 a year ahead, it has had time to build up quite an arsenal of good games.

It is unusual to now, a year down the track, look in a games shop and find title after title of 360 games I want to play, but no ps3. Sony have better get their act together soon with their releases, or they may see themselves losing the console wars.

Not that I'm ruling the PS3 out, Metal Gear looks freaking awesome, and there is still Final Fantasy XIII to consider. (Although there are rumours that FFXIV will be on Xbox 360, and not PS3...)

In regards to games - I've been playing Overlord, which is a freaking fantastic little game. But more on that later. :)

Until then...

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: REIGN
Currently Playing: REIGN, WFRP
Mood: Loving my 360 fix!

Screw you EVE and COH!

Warning, this post is written by a filthy Mac user. For those of you who don't like hearing bad things said about PCs, move along... have a hot chocolate... download the update to your firewall and virus software... say hello to the spybots... For the rest of you, a rant follows...

So Jarrod came into work today to make a purchase and we got to talking about City of Heroes. He's absolutely enamoured with it. I have to admit, the idea of an MMORPG that lets you be a super or villain certainly has its appeal.

But it suffers from one fatal flaw - it is only available on PC.

It's EVE online for me all over again. A game I would happily spend large amounts of money - as would many other mac users - if it were on mac as well. WoW has shown that there is no excuse not to go dual platform. Blizzard manage to keep updates for both systems regular, and consistent. In fact, the mac version of WoW is graphically superior to the PC one - so suck on that! I remember when I saw friend playing WoW and I said "what game is that?"

He said "WoW. Don't you get this effect when you die?"

"Nup. We get all this phasey ghost lighting, and fancy sky effects and wisps and stuff."

And that was me using WoW on the medium graphic effects.

So when the single most successful MMORPG is going dual - why aren't others? How do they think that Blizzard makes so much money. There are a lot of WoW playing Mac users.

Further more, Macs are the fastest selling home computer these days. Recent figures showed that the pick up rate of mac-users is beginning to out-perform PCs.

Now I could go Boot Camp, and run CoH and EVE native on my duo-core Intel mac. But that would require me to get Windows XP, partition my drive and load up anti-spy and virus software.

Why the hell would I do that?

Macs enjoy a built in hard-wired Firewall, minimal virus risk, and a nice security system that keeps the OS nicely bug free. Sure, it's not perfect, and as macs increase in popularity the risk of viruses will increase. But Apple has shown time and again that they know how to keep their system secure.

So why the hell would I waste my time getting my mac sullied with stupid Windows software? Hell, even Office for Mac is better. :)

We still get some great games - Sims 2, Civ IV, Age of Empires III, The Movies - there are some great companies who do exemplary jobs of porting games over to mac. (The Movies port ended up being better graphically and operationally to the PC version)

Macs enjoy superior design and graphic software. The native Mac operating environment is even better for games than PC - as many Mac ports have proven.

The only benefit PCs have is that they are cheaper and have more games.

On the converse - the environment is shoddy and prone to inexplicable operating errors, spyware galore, viruses out the wazoo - oh - and there is the wonders of the new Vista OS. Ripped off the Mac OS X, by the way. Except without the security or bug free operation.

On the rare occasion I find Mac OSX might get a glitch. Reboot - and it disappears forever.

I have had my G4 Macbook inexplicably crash on me twice in two years. My new imac has yet to do anything other than work beautifully. It also loads up faster than a PC. The time between turning it on and going surfing on the net is pretty darn fast.

So screw you EVE online. City of Heroes. You will not see any of my money until you get with the times and go dual platform. Macs are a great operating system, and I am not about to spoil that with a sub-par OS!

Oh - and for those who claim that Windows allows them to have more control over their computers - MacOS comes with direct access to coding as standard, along with an automator for those of us who aren't good at programming. What this allows is for us dirty mac users to reprogram the entire OS to suit our personal needs. Kind of like a Linux lite. Furthermore, Leopard is going one step further by allowing us to programme our own fancy three-dimensional graphic interfaces in the same manner.

That means I will be able to open a folder and have all the contents spin around the screen while I chase them with my mouse to select the file I want, then the file can dance up to the front of the screen. If I was so pretentiously inclined. :D Best of all, it wouldn't have nearly the amount of memory consumption that Vista suffers just doing the fancy little line-up. (Which my mac does with less hassle. :P)

End of rant. :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Burning Empires
Currently Playing: REIGN, WFRP

Mood: Taking on MMORPGS that can't handle a REAL operating system! :D

Basketball, Test Analysts and Stuff

Before I begin, can I just say that the term "Skux" is the lamest slang word to make it out of New Zealand - especially as it seems to be unique to Wellington gangsta wannabes. So much so that a quick look over the Urban Dictionary shows only NZ posts regarding the word.

Just want to get that out there because it is such a dumb word for "good with the ladies."

Mainly because it sounds ugly and clumsy. Totally uncool.

*whew*

Now that is off my chest. :D

It has been a pretty cool few days. Lynn got tickets to the Tall Blacks vs Venezuela - who totally owned the Tall Blacks. But it was a very cool night out and loads of fun. The Tall Blacks had moments of brilliance, but the Venezuelans were very aggressive and more determined to win.

During the half-game break we were tormented by the hideous tones of the Beat Girls (or whatever they're called) who did the worst cover of Love Shack in the history of mankind, followed by a hideous rendition of Groove is in the Heart, with Scribe's "Not Many, If Any" rap mixed in. It was painful and shocking. Those girls need to be given a job where they never can sing again. For the good of all mankind!

Thank GOD the Venezuelans came out to practice and started playing on the side of the court. The audience cheered with joy when the Beat Girls left.

Tells you something, doesn't it. :D

In other news, I'm currently looking at getting work as a Test Analyst for software companies and IT businesses. I was chatting to Lynn about my degree and experience, she suggested that for me to get more work in IT then I would be well served taking that approach. All that Technocultural study is likely to pay off. I need an analysts job of some sort - that is my field of expertise, and I need to get out of retail. Soon. :D

The Project is moving along at a nice pace. We should have some interesting developments in that field soon too. :)

Anyhoop, time to dash. Catch y'all later!


Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Nobilis
Currently Playing: REIGN, WFRP
Mood: Perky and happy!

Wow - They've all growed up!

Yesterday I heard MmmBop play over the radio, and suddenly found myself wondering "whatever happened to Hanson?"

See, I remembered that they released a second album and then split with their label due to low sales - even though many of the songs on the second album were better than the candycane first.

Well, here's your answer!



Wow.

Now let's be honest here, while MmmBop is possibly the most derided song next to Wannabe by the Spice Girls, it is undeniable that this is likely because most people loved that song and simply didn't want to admit to it.

Because it is disturbingly cheerful and upbeat - and definitely not a nineties "feel" song. Remember when it came out?

Well it's great to see the guys have grown up and produce amazing music. This song is from their upcoming album - which will be apparently their sixth or seventh, I think. They went independent and their first album was the most successful independent album ever released! How's that for a twist.

And for all you "Hanson are gay" detractors, sorry guys - the boys are all married. :D

So share in the Hanson Love. These guys impress me for having survived one of the toughest entertainment industries and then managing to forge a successful career of their own within it.

Go Hanson! :)

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Exalted: Lunars 2e
Currently Playing: REIGN; WFRP
Mood: Improving, and feeling good.

Meet Conan the Sneezy Giant

So I have another flu! This one is certainly more aggressive than the one I had a week or so back. I am currently shivering uncontrollably, all wrapped up and with the heater on full. :P

As it so happens, our Landlord has finally decided to have a flat inspection, three years since his last visit (apparently.) Which is a little stressful. I want to get a skip bin to throw out my crap sofas, but to be realistic, with the upcoming bills, I just can't justify the expense. Or more accurately, I can't afford it - because it would mean no food for Conan! (Well, very little food.)

I feel so under the weather - and I have to head into work tomorrow, because the manager has decided that he wants just one more day of his holiday - which leaves me doing the same as I did last week, coming into work even though I am seriously seriously ill.

It's pretty rough out there in the real world. ;)

I kind of need to go in anyway - I have a customer's order to send off by courier, and I have no lemsip at home. Or any other flu medication. *sigh*

Naturally all this is just temporary problems, they'll be dealt with and sorted out eventually - but I have been thinking about how it would be if I had to go back to Auckland to try and stabilise. It has been really difficult getting into a proper pattern down here.

I had finally started working things out up in Auckland before the A-bomb. Not that I'm blaming Alex, it was my decision to uproot and move down here. But I have kind of been seriously untethered since I got here.

There is Evin Shir Games, and that still is showing potential. As predicted, the sales are beginning to take an upturn again. But I'm not really satisfied. I don't want to be rich, but I would like to feel that I'm in a pattern that is going somewhere I want to be.

Project TWC is likely to be a good route - and it is something that is really keeping me focused at the moment. But it has meant that I'm over-extending myself somewhat, which is probably why I have caught two bugs in almost as many weeks. (By the way, when you're ill, your IQ drops by about 50%. Take that Dr Flynn! I have done so many silly things while I've been sick...)

I think the most tragic thing of all at the moment is that I want to just sit in front of my computer when I should be in bed. But I actually don't know what to do. :D

I could work on some scripting, but I want to wait for the Story Meeting next week. I could work on my novel, but my head is so clogged up I'm having trouble coming up with anything better than "It was a dark and stormy night..." and then having Snoopy show up and do something. :D

So I'll probably head to bed soon and hope that I have a better nights sleep than last night. I'd go out to get some lemsip - but finances and the biting chill prevent me. *sigh* As long as I can survive to Wednesday, it will be fine. :)

Update: Well I'm feeling worse today, and the manager at work asked *me* to call up a replacement because he's still on holiday until tomorrow. >:(

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Burning Empires
Currently Playing: REIGN, WFRP
Mood: Feeling very under the weather

The World: Terrorism

I can't write for too long today, but I really wanted to vent this today.

In the Dom Post today was an article about Al Qaeda attacks on small towns in Iraq, trying to prove the ineffectual nature of Iraqi Police to stop them.

Terrorism is often combined with the romanticised vision of Freedom Fighters, Guerillas and the like. Recently there have been a number of high-profile cases of kidnappings by "freedom fighters" hoping to gain some notoriety to their causes.

Here's a question...

How many of these activities actually achieve the desired goals?

What are the goals?

It seems to me that if you have been in a decade or century long fight against a perceived oppressor using the same tactics as other failed cells across the globe... something is wrong.

It's worth noting that Northern Ireland's long conflict didn't come close to a resolution until the terrorists got wise and started dealing with things politically and diplomatically. All the violence managed to do was eventually tire people out and bring unnecessary pain and suffering.

One can take a relativist argument and say "but you cannot know the pain and suffering that drives someone to fanaticism" but I will state this here now:

- Killing a person is rarely justified. If ever. What happens when you kill a bunch of people in an explosion? Your faction gets called savage or barbaric. Your enemy hardens their resolve to stamp you out. Death usually leads to more death. Why do so many people still have trouble understanding that? People die everyday from nature and disease - why add to the suffering when it does not work?

- Taking your own life is rarely a genuine solution. So you die and take fifteen people with you. What next? Someone else steps up to the plate with a bomb strapped to himself? When does it stop? If it hasn't stopped after so many years, is it possible that it is never going to stop?

These are not rational people, but so many of them start off rational.

I feel pretty confident when I say that neither the Universe, God or Allah approve of the actions that have been perpetrated in their names. It disgusts me that there a people out there with such a lack of respect and reverence for the world around them.

Just a general vent, really. The worst part is, how do you resolve the problem? A show of force merely justifies a terrorist's actions. A show of compassion? Unfortunately many fanatics see this as weakness.

I guess I can only trust in the universe to see that these people learn the error of their actions. At some point in our lives (or afterlives) maybe we become accountable to those we have caused to suffer.

Bringing it closer to home - violence against others and the police. This has been an increasing problem, with many teens showing a complete lack of respect to others. What is the cause of this? So many factors. What can be done?

That is a good question...

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Shock: Social Science Fiction
Currently Playing: REIGN: Resistance of Lamadad
Mood: Most definitely NOT impressed.

WebTV - Mr Deity

In my endless search for new ideas of what can be done with webtelevision, I stumbled across yet another brilliant comedy - Mr Deity.



Essentially the series follows the trials and tribulations of Mr Deity as he goes about handling the creation and running of the universe with the aid of his personal assistant, Larry.

I've only watched a couple of episodes so far, but I'm loving the irreverent and soft humour - and presenting Mr Deity in that Hollywood director manner is just brilliant. The episode I've linked to has Mr Deity trying to convince Jesus to go to Earth and fulfill the New Testament. I love how Jesus responds - especially when he says "Am I being Punk'd?"

Very clever show. Check it out! :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Reign
Currently Playing:

Mood:More Webtv Goodness - suffering from the flu though...

Dreams...

The night before I had the strangest dream.

I had moved into a place with some people - can't remember who now, but they were friends - in an area that was kind of like the rocky landscape around desert road. I went for a walk along the roadside and over a hill to see a bay with a city that seemed reminiscent of Auckland - while also a lot more complex at the same time.

I was walking with a chinese woman who I was saying to her "You used to be such a bitch when we first moved in six months ago, but you're not bad at all." We were getting along and talking when we came down into the bay and stood on a concrete footpath that was at the water's edge.

There was a railing, and people were standing around looking at the boats and others who were swimming in the water. I looked across the bay to a point that reminded me of the building near Kelly Tarltons in Auckland. A yellow rectangular object flew straight up into the air and then came across the bay towards it, it was like a mini-bus with a helicopter blade keeping it up in the air. I commented on how foolish it was, while my companion climbed onto the railing and then jumped into the water for a swim - smiling all the time.

Then I looked up as people pointed to the clouds in front of us. A black swirling mist roiled out of the clouds - people talked about a storm approaching. I thought it was best to get home to take shelter, as I moved away, I looked back at the city and saw a giant misty black shape reminiscent of a demon stalking through the stormclouds, then the shape changed into a cloud that looked like a detailed Zeus figure with glowing eyes that looked straight at me.

I fled, thinking I needed to get home before the storm struck. I started flying, feeling that sensation I often get when I dream of flying - a pressure at my temples as I literally will my body off the ground, the feeling of my feet pushing away from gravity. I lay horizontal and pushed at the earth with my hands, gathering momentum as I sped low across the ground, then gained some height - leaping over people and other obstructions, but as I gained height, a grey-haired guy dressed in a suit kept trying to grab my feet and pull me down.

He kind of reminded me of an evangelist, talking about god or christ or something like that. I avoided him, but lost control and started coming to the ground. The police showed up as I was trying to explain to them that his man was trying to stop me from doing what I had to. They were about to intervene to help me when I woke up...

It was a very potent dream, and I can still remember most of the details even now. It wasn't creepy as much as disturbing, like I'm missing something important.

Odd...

Hope you all have a good day!

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: REIGN
Currently Playing: Scion: Hero; WFRP: Paths of Darkness
Mood: Happy because I got my copy of REIGN!