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Look Out 2011! Big Games Headed This Way

2011 looks to be one of the most entertaining video game years in quite some time. Over the course of this year we have seen very few smash hits in the gaming world aside from Starcraft 2, and a handful of other mildly successful titles; but next year developers look to change all that by releasing a library of highly anticipated sequels.

Here are just a few names you may have heard before. Look for all these titles to be released over the course of 2011.

Prototype 2


The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim


Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception


Batman: Arkham City


Mortal Kombat

Marvel vs. Capcom 3


Mass Effect 3


And that's only what has been announced so far! Look for more game trailers to be sprouting up around the net as the preparation for 2011 continues.

Movie Releases for December 2010

Sorry for the lack of posting, time has been really limited lately. Here are the upcoming movie releases for the month of December 2010. There's one I've been looking forward to for a long time (TRON :D)
I've listed my hype and interest levels in stars next to each movie. Rated 1-5 stars.


December 10th:

The Tourist * * *
Frank Taylor (Johnny Depp) travels to Venice to recover from a recent break-up, though he soon finds himself engaged by the beautiful and mysterious Elise (Angelina Jolie) -- who happens to be an Interpol agent with a dangerous connection to a fugitive criminal.

The Tempest * *
A power grab finds Prospera (Helen Mirren), the rightful Duchess of Milan, exiled to a remote island with her young daughter, Miranda (Felicity Jones). Asserting influence over the island, Prospera develops a new enemy: the slave Caliban (Djimon Hounsou), who looks to raise a rebellion against his foe.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader * *
Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace (Poulter) where they meet up with Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world.

The Fighter * * * *
A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his brother, Dick Eklund (Christian Bale), who helped train to become a pro fighter.

The Garden of Eden *
Based on Ernest Hemingway's posthumous novel and set in the jazz age, a successful young American writer David Bourne (Jack Huston) and his wife Catherine (Mena Suvari) on their extended honeymoon in Europe. Catherine's listlessness inspires her to fold the desirable Marita (Caterina Murino) into their relationship, raising the romantic and sexual stakes.


December 17th:

TRON: Legacy * * * * *
When Sam (Garrett Hedlund) investigates a signal sent from his father's old arcade, he's pulled into the digital world where his dad, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), has been trapped for 20 years. With father and son reunited, they team up with the warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde) on a life-or-death journey across the cyber universe Kevin created.

Yogi Bear (-5 stars)
A documentary filmmaker (Anna Faris) travels to Jellystone Park to shoot a project and soon crosses paths with Yogi Bear (voice of Dan Aykroyd) and his sidekick Boo-Boo (voice of Justin Timberlake).

How Do You Know *
Feeling a bit past her prime at 27, former athlete Lisa Jorgenson (Reese Witherspoon) finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis (Paul Rudd) competes with Lisa's current, baseball-playing beau (Owen Wilson).

Rabbit Hole
Life for Becca and Howie Corbett (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) spins off its axis after their son dies in a car accident.

Casino Jack * * *
Super lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Kevin Spacey) and his business partner Michael Scanlon (Barry Pepper) build an empire by dealing and scheming with some of the world's most powerful people, until a plot with a mob-connected associate (Jon Lovitz) brings scandal, headlines, and a prison sentence.

December 22st:

Little Fockers *
The Focker and the Byrnes families brace themselves for the arrival of a baby.

True Grit * * *
A young girl recruits a tough U.S. Marshall to track down the man who killed her father.

Gulliver's Travels *
Shipwrecked travel writer Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) finds himself transported to an island in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, where he's a giant among the natives, the Lilliputians. Initially taken prisoner, Gulliver becomes a favorite of the court and schemes for a way in which the Lilliputians can outwith their rivals, the Blefuscudians.

Country Strong *
A drama centered on a rising country-music songwriter (Garrett Hedlund) who sparks with a fallen star (Gwyneth Paltrow). Together, they mount his ascent and her comeback, which leads to romantic complications involving her husband/manager (Tim McGraw) and a beauty queen-turned-singer (Leighton Meester)

December 24th:

Somewhere *
A hard-living actor (Stephen Dorff) holed up in the Chateau Marmont gets a reality check when he's visited by his 11-year-old daughter (Elle Fanning).

The Illusionist (Animated) * *
Set at the end of the vaudeville era, a stage magician finds his talents less and less in demand. Performing at a village pub off the coast of Scotland, he encounters Alice, an innocent young girl, who will change his life forever.

December 29th:

Biutiful * * *
Uxbal (JavierBardem) is a dour man but a devoted husband and father who, thanks to his ability to read the minds of the recently deceased, ekes out a living in Barcelona.

Another Year *
A look at four seasons in the lives of a happily married couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen), and their relationships with their family and friends -- who are all quite miserable.

December 31st:

Blue Valentine *
A look at the idyllic past and troubled present of working-class couple Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams).

I may make this a regular thing every month, look for more information in January!

(excuse the corniness of this comment)
All credit for this idea goes to my dream girl Ashley, who has worked at a movie theater for over four years and has opened my world to the theater. You're the best!

Apple Black Friday Deals

Yes, you heard right! Apple is actually running sales on their products. Here are some of the discounts you can find on their website.

8gb iPod Touch: $209 (original $229)
16gb wifi iPad: $458 (original $499)
13 inch Macbook Pro: $1098 (original $1199)
13 inch Macbook Air: $1198 (original $1299)
21.5 inch iMac: $1098 (original $1199)

And plenty of other deals at: http://store.apple.com/us

Pokemon Black and White Starters

Here are the new starters for Pokemon Black and White. The English names for all three were just recently released. Look for both versions to be released in the US around spring 2011. They sure have come a long way from charmander and squirtle...

New iPad Game: Rage

Today John Carmack, the co-creator of Doom, released what appears to be the most graphically stunning iPad game to date. Rage is an on-rails first person shooter developed specifically for iOS and the iPad.

Rage is a standard zombie shooter, with a tap to shoot interface, using your left hand to aim. It offers one of the best, and most familiar first person shooter experiences on the iPad and iPhone.

The main reason Rage was put on rails was to keep the file size of the game down, the HD version already exceeds 1gb. However, control wise the automated walking benefits the game as the iPad has poor controls, and is very limited compared to a dual-analog or mouse and keyboard system.

Carmack explains that this game doesn't reach the full potential of the iPad, despite it's crisp appearance, and he hopes to develop further games to challenge even console gaming.

Here's a video demo I found, showing off both the iPad and iPhone versions.

Welcome Starcraft 2

I've finally caved! I decided Starcraft 2 was too great of a game to resist buying due to it's selfish $60 price tag.

Add me, my SC2 name is: Oleg
code: 706

Here's a little something to wet your taste buds, from the last Starcraft 2 GSL Tournament in Korea.

Two of the great Starcraft players: SlayerS_`BoxeR` and Fruitdealer

The iPad Dilemma

Yes, I am considering buying an Apple iPad. I already own an iPhone 3g. Despite going to college full time, I also manage 30-40 hour work weeks; this allows some disposable income every once in a while. I'm also selling my PS3 on ebay >_>

To begin, I am a devout PC gaming and computer enthusiast. I build all my own computers as many people do today, but the iPad has shown a few things which I covet in a portable media platform. I often look at a mac's specs and think overpriced, trendy, Starbucks going bullshit; with things like $200 for a 1gb ram upgrade coming to mind. But here, with the iPad, I see a platform that is not comparable to an Asus, HP or Dell device, and is reasonably priced at the lower models. Sure tablet PCs have been around for years, but in terms of the sheer usefulness to price/portability ratio, the iPad offers something new. Many people have argued it's simply a larger iPhone or iPod Touch, which in essence it is, but that's exactly what was needed to boost the value to the next level and invade netbook/laptop territory.

As someone with a powerful desktop which I already use for photoshop, illustrator, video editing and gaming, I need a portable device for the web and getting work done on campus or around the house. The iPhone is great in a pinch, but for extended work sessions away from home, the battery life runs thin and you run the risk of being without a phone (something we take for granted far too often).

Here are the pros and cons I have found when comparing an iPad to a laptop for mobile work.

Dell XPS M1530 Laptop -

Cons.

1. 15.6 inches, somewhat large
2. Is awkward to balance on lap and type
3. Burns my legs (almost)
4. Battery lasts 3-4 hours with regular usage (web, videos music)
5. Current battery I have doesn't even charge after 1 year of use. (longevity is weak)
6. My model's retail: $970

Pros.

1. Processing/video power and speed (Intel core 2 duo, 4gb ram, 8600m gt)
2. Full desktop workstation abilities
3. Mouse/touchpad/keyboard
4. USB ports, larger HDD storage


The iPad -

Cons.

1. Weak, single core processor
2. No raw file management system
3. Limited connection ports (actually only 1, the stupid charging port)
4. Apps limit full range of a normal computer's abilities


Pros.

1. Touch interface for quick actions
2. Book-like portability
3. amazing battery life (~10 hours of web browsing, more for music)
4. Expansive application list create ease of use
5. 16gb model's retail: $599

What experiences have other people had with the iPad?

The Future of FPS Gaming

First off: The preceding few days have been hectic in my work and school life, sorry for a lack of posts.
Now, here is something I hope to receive a little discussion about.


Today marks the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops. With the addition of yet another modern first person shooter to the gaming market; what can one expect going forward with the FPS genre?

Games like the Battlefield, Call of Duty and Medal of Honor installments have all brought popular periods of war to the home gamer, but the future of this product seems a mystery to me. How long will the rehashed, recycled first person war game dominate the FPS genre? Does anyone else wonder how long this trend will continue?
Personally, I satisfied my lust for war games just playing the battlefield series (1942, Vietnam, 2), and yet games continue to be released which replicate the same experiences(MoH and CoD: MW2 etc.). I understand the slightly different play styles of each game; vehicles vs. running, or large maps vs. small and concise. However, I still can't shake the idea that this cash cow is on it's last stand, particularly with the recent failure of reviving the Medal of Honor franchise.

Call of Duty: Black Ops will hopefully bring something new to the war FPS market, which has seen little innovation in the last few years. I'm looking forward to trying the game and reading reviews. Feel free to comment with your experiences on this subject.

More Digital Fun

A funky sig/image I made. Drew that squid all by myself in illustrator :D

Static Couch logo alternate one.
Alternate number two of the Static Couch logo. It's currently the one I decided on for the official site. Check it out at http://www.staticcouch.com/home