Weekend Musings
So I’m in Nashville, TN for the summer on an internship. I have some free time on the weekends so I started watching Breaking Bad today. I’ve only watched the first two episodes, but so far it’s very cool. The series revolves around a 50 year old high school teacher turned meth-lab pharmacist. Definitely worth checking out.
So watching it on my laptop on the desk is pretty uncomfortable given the rather bone-crushing hardness of the chair. So I decided to watch it while laying on my bed but the heat from the laptop is annoying. Searching through my room for something to use as a laptop stand I found a piece of cardboard that came in the packaging for my bedsheets, and it turned out to be an amazingly perfect fit for my laptop.
Later today I’ll be heading to Rotier’s Restaurant to have some tasty burgers! Definitely looking forward to that.
I hear a lot of talk on these here Internets about the iPhone being a possible contender in the handheld video games arena, competing with the Nintendo DS and Sony’s PSP. I’ve been seeing a lot of very cool game ideas being implemented on the iPhone platform and it’s great but I don’t think it will ever be possible to offer a deep gaming experience like the PSP and DS. I’d like to clear up that it’s not a performance limitation, the games are just as pretty or prettier than on the traditional handhelds. It comes down to battery life. The iPhone is a communications tool. It’s your phone, your connection to your friends and family when you’re on the move. 3D games hit the battery life very hard, and if it comes to phone versus games as a priority, phone wins for most people. Integrating everything into one device is very convenient but battery life is the main issue here. You can’t sacrifice your cell phone’s battery to listen to music, play video games, or watch videos. Until there is a magical battery technology solution that makes this a non-issue, my opinion is that we can bring ourselves down to two devices. A communications device for phone, IM, texting, quick internet browsing, etc. and another device for entertainment like games, movies, and music. In this case I would say that yes the iPod Touch, not the iPhone would be a real competitor to the traditional gaming handhelds. With Microsoft just joining the fray announcing the Zune HD (which ironically isn’t anywhere near HD) as a games/music/video entertainment hub tied to the Xbox brand, the mobile gaming space could get very competitive, and that makes me very excited.
My Desktop PC Goes Kaput
So my desktop PC’s power supply had been acting up lately and I think it finally started to fail given the random freezes. Not turning it on again until I try a different power supply on it to test if that’s causing the crashes. Until then I’m using my Samsung Q1U with Windows 7 as my main computer. I can hook it up to desktop’s monitor and keyboard/mouse combo, but right now I’m feeling comfortable using it on the living room table with just the external keyboard (which has a touchpad). The Q1U is a really low performance device so I can’t do a lot at the same time. I’m trying to keep the machine as lean as possible so I only installed the necessities on it: Opera (which works as browser plus IRC, e-mail, and torrent clients), Evernote for taking notes in class, and Digsby for IM.
So far I haven’t missed much aside from being able to do photo-editing but that’s something I can live without for now. Using the external keyboard is a must since the Q1U isn’t really designed for extended typing. On a side-note, I’m using a 2GB SD card for ReadyBoost (basically turns external flash storage into extra RAM according to Microsoft, but personally I think it’s more akin to the paging file). Well I’ve been using the set up for like two hours and aside from a little back pain from slouching, the Q1U’s 7-inch screen hasn’t been a bother.
Quick How-To: Root Nautilus in Ubuntu
For the Linux newcomers who aren’t too comfortable with using the terminal yet, here’s a quick tip that’ll help you get around easier in Ubuntu. Sometimes you have to shuffle around some files or folders only to find that you need root (administrator) privileges to do it. You could go to the terminal and use the cp or mv commands to get your desired results but that isn’t as streamlined as you’re used to. What you can do is set up a shortcut to open an instance of Nautilus (the file manager in Ubuntu) with root privileges! This way you can do all that file shuffling without having to go to the terminal, and you’ll have quick access to it whenever you need it. Follow the instructions below and click on the pictures for more details.
First you’ll need to right-click the Applications button on the menu and select Edit Menus.
After you’ve done that, you’ll be presented with the configuration window for the Applications menu. On the left pane you’ll see Accessories, click on it and then on the column of buttons on the right, hit New Item. This will open up a prompt where we’ll configure our shortcut. The type field should say Application. In the name field we’ll call it Root Nautilus, but you can use whatever name makes sense to you. The command field is the important part and you will type gksudo nautilus in it. You can then type a comment in the comment field but it isn’t really necessary.
Hit OK, then close the configuration window, and that’s it. You’ve created your shortcut! Now when you want to open up a file manager with root permissions you make your way over to Applications>Accessories>Root Nautilus and enjoy.
Review: Lode Runner XBLA
On Wednesday, Microsoft released the newest incarnation of the classic game Lode Runner in celebration of the original’s 25th anniversary. I had seen a couple of screenshots and was moderately excited about the game since it’s an old school, 2D, puzzle platformer. It comes at a hefty price, 1200 Microsoft points ($15), but for me the cost was well worth it.
The gameplay consists of you, Lode Runner apparently since the game is devoid of story, running through different levels in various locales, trying to get a crapload of gold and then escaping with it. To impede you, there are enemies that follow you around the level, and you lose if caught. Your main, and only “weapon” is this hand cannon that allows you to destroy blocks on the floor in front or behind you. This is necessary for temporarily trapping the enemies (since they fall into the holes you created) and for reaching certain areas of the levels since you can’t jump. The game is very fast-paced as it has you thinking of ways to get around the level on the fly, while running away madly from the enemies. A good analogy that I can explain the gameplay with would be Tomb Raider meets Pac Man.
There are other game modes like Puzzle which has no enemies, just you versus the level, trying to find out how to maneuver from point A to point B. It’s more slow-paced compared to to the main Journey mode, but still very fun in the brain-teasing sort of way. Hang On is a type of survival mode that haves you competing in terms of how much gold you can collect before getting hit by an enemy.
The game features various multiplayer modes, which are all available online or offline. Journey and Puzzle modes are also available in two-player co-op with their own set of levels. This makes an already fun game into a glorious experience where you have to add communication and coordination into the equation, making for very hectic gameplay. Last Man mode supports up to four players being chased by enemies trying to sabotage each other to see who can stay alive the longest.
In addition to the 220 levels included in the game, a very complete level editor is included. It allows you to create levels just as complicated as the ones built by the developers, with all features available. You can share these online with friends or random folks. The only flaw is that in order to share them you have to be in the level sharing lobby, waiting for someone to stumble into it, and you can’t do anything in the lobby but wait. It’s a crappy implementation but I guess it’s the best the developer could come up with short of hosting them themselves.
In closing, the game is quite enjoyable and lengthy. I’m still a slightly bitter about the $15 price tag for a downloadable game, but the game is so fun that it’s worth it.
Events of the Now, Week of 4.12.09
So I’ll be doing this type of post where I discuss what I spent most of my time on during the week. It might be college work, what video games I played, movies or TV I watched, music I listened to, or random mundane (or not so mundane) adventures. Thankfully I didn’t have any tests or projects due this week so I was able to relax a lot.
Movies
On Thursday night, my friends and I saw Crank: High Voltage at the Caribbean Cinemas in Mayagüez. Starring Jason Statham and Amy Smart, the movie picks up exactlywhere the first Crank left off. The whole premise of the movie is that Chev Chelios (Statham) was kidnapped by the Triad (Chinese Mafia equivalent), who wanted to farm his organs. They took out his heart and replaced it for a mechanical, electrically-powered one. He wakes up, escapes, and is then on a mission to get his heart back. To keep his mechanical heart beating, he must receive electricity to his body. Much like the first Crank, the point of the premise is to create a situation where the movie becomes one long action scene. High Voltage takes everything over the top, becoming a comedy/action movie that will have you laughing as much as you are pumped by the fights and chases. That said, this is a guy movie. There’s killing, fighting, nudity, sex, car chases, and a very crude sense of humor. I’d say it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. It does what it sets out to do very well. There’s no pretentious social commentary, no deep character development, just a 96-minute long rush. If you’re easily offended by any of the aforementioned themes in the film, you might want to stay away. Otherwise, go watch it immediately.
Games
This week I finally finished Saint’s Row 2 on Xbox 360 which is a very fun alternative to the Grand Theft Auto series. The gameplay fundamentally the same as GTA except that the story in Saint’s Row 2 is more vulgar, crude, and silly in every way possible. I’ve heard some say it’s a poor man’s GTA, but I’d say it’s more akin to a GTA that doesn’t take itself seriously, and just goes for laughs. The game takes place in an open environment where you are free to roam the city and drive around aimlessly, follow the game’s story, or play diversions. The diversions are a very fun side-missions where you participate in certain tasks, be it a fight club, escort service, assassinations, races, insurance fraud (where you throw yourself in front of cars), and others. These unlock upgrades for your character such as infinite ammunition, reduced damage, etc. The only faults I found with the game are that the games is error-prone and will freeze pretty often, so you must save frequently to reduce the amount of rage this will cause you. Also, some missions feel as having unbalanced difficulty, since some are ridiculously easy and the next will be frustratingly hard.
GameStop has Tomb Raider Anniversary for Xbox 360 on sale for $15 and my friend Javi recommended I get it. I had never played a Tomb Raider game before so I was wary at first, but Javi sold me on it when he described it as “Prince of Persia with guns.” I’m a fan of puzzle-based platformers so I bought it immediately. The gameplay is quite fun; jumping around is stylish and cool, and the puzzles are tricky. A remake of the first Tomb Raider for PlayStation, the game features updated graphics. However, Tomb Raider Anniversary is a multiplatform game so it suffers in its looks. The graphics were slightly upgraded for the Xbox 360 version by running at a higher resolution, but the character models are relatively low-polygon and the textures and lighting effects aren’t that impressive. The game doesn’t look bad, it’s ok, but the framerate drops often which is unacceptable given the graphics aren’t getting pushed either.
Friday night, I had some friends over at my house and we played some In the Movies on the Xbox 360 and it’s a pretty fun party game. It uses the Xbox’s webcam and has you perform silly movements in the form of mini games (punching targets, running, swimming, etc.) for the camera. It then crops out the background and places you and your friends in movie trailers. It’s silly, fun, and gets big laughs.
Music
I found out about a band called Los Abandoned recently and I’ve been listening to their debut album Mixtape (2006) a lot this week. They sound similar to CSS, The Sounds, Superaquello, and Miranda! in certain ways. They have this cool quirk where the lyrics switch between English and Spanish at any moment. If you’re into upbeat indie rock you should give them a try. I really love the album, since it’s very catchy and the lyrics are funny. Sadly enough, the band broke up in 2007.
After going to the theater on Thursday, I went to the Pre-Justas Party at the Mayagüez Town Center, and reggaeton artist Tito El Bambino was performing. Frankly, I can’t see how this guy is so popular; his live performance was terrible. He looked like a nervous teenager at a high school talent show, awkwardly swaying left and right. The direction of the performance was horrible, with abrupt stops in the music every few minutes where he would ask the crowd to sing along with him. This completely broke the flow of the music and made him seem even more awkward given the crowd’s unenthusiastic response.
That’s pretty much it for opinions worth sharing this week for me. Maybe I forgot something and will update the post later. If you’ve got your own opinions on the topics, make sure to comment!
Seeing Through the OnLive Hype
If you follow the video game industry you have probably heard about OnLive. OnLive was announced at this year’s Game Developers Conference in March as a video game service to compete with video game consoles. The basic premise is that the hardware running the game is on-site at an OnLive datacenter and an audio/video stream of the game is sent to you via a low-cost console or straight to your computer; then, using a controller or mouse and keyboard you send your inputs back to OnLive and play the game in this way. What this means is that any old computer on a fast internet connections (they claim you will need a 1.5mb connection for standard definition and 5mb for high definition) can play the latest games. The advantage presented by this service is that the cost of high performance hardware (be it a console or a PC) is shifted away from the consumer. Also, the service will be based on a monthly subscription. I’m unsure if you will to pay for individual games, but I assume so. Another advantage that I’ve seen some sites raving about is that if this takes off, we will enter some kind of gaming utopia where there is only the OnLive platform and no longer will we have console wars and platform-exclusive games. Sounds nice doesn’t it?
Well here’s why I think OnLive won’t live up to all the hype. First of all, the internet connection is a barrier. I’m sorry but standard definition doesn’t really cut it any more. I’ve gotten used to HD gaming and can’t go back my games being a blurry mess. If you have anything less than a 5 mb connection you would be downgrading from current consoles. The second issue with this is that most people share their internet with family members, roommates, etc. So it needs a dedicated 5 mb connection, which might be bogged down by others on your connection who are surfing the web, streaming YouTube videos, or using BitTorrent now you have lag while you’re playing. This could be alleviated by broadband speeds as a whole improving but in the current market, it is a problem. Yet another problem is that most ISPs are now implementing bandwidth caps on monthly billing cycles. So if you’re a hardcore gamer playing OnLive at high definition, you could be creeping up on that bandwidth cap pretty quick and end up paying quite a hefty fee to your ISP.
As for the gaming utopia of a unified platform, that is just wishful thinking. Say this does take off and takes traditional video game consoles off the market, then rival gaming services similar to OnLive will pop up and make deals with publishers for games exclusive to their services. It’s going to be the exact same thing.
I’m not really a fan of the whole cloud-based gaming idea period. Having my gaming service completely and depend on the Internet (not just for online multiplayer as it is now) makes me uneasy somehow. As if at any moment my games could be snatched away from me given a certain datacenter failure or my ISP crapping out… Regardless of all this pessimism I’m throwing around, this service as a whole is out of my reach given that a 5 mb connection in Puerto Rico is roughly $80 a month. OnLive looks good on paper, but is still ahead of its time. I see this service being more properly implemented in pay-by-play situations such as hotels instead of completely replacing your primary home console.
UPDATE: I’ve signed up for their summer beta since by that time I’ll be in Tennessee and with a suitable Internet connection. Hopefully I’ll get in and maybe they’ll change my mind about the service.
Read OnLive Press Release
Mobile developer, Apple hates you.
TechCrunch reports that Apple has revised their iPhone App Store refund policy to include a certain clause which developers may not be too happy with. When an application is sold on the App Store, the developer keeps 70% of the revenue, and the other 30% goes to Apple. Customers have 90 days to return this app for a full refund. Now the fun part is that the developer, who only received 70% of the sale, has to refund the customer for 100% so Apple can keep their stake of the sale. I think this is a bit unfair given that a lot of these developers are small-time startups that don’t have much funding to begin with. Personally I’ve never used the platform (Where’s my iPhone SDK for Windows? They can’t really expect me to buy a Mac just to code iPhone apps.), but I don’t think I ever will, considering how Apple treats their developers.
via TechCrunch
Free Software: XBList
Ever wanted to know what your friends are doing on Xbox Live, but you aren’t on your Xbox? XBList (Windows only) is a little app that shows a contact list with your Live friends, their status, and what they’re playing. It also has nifty little toaster popups that show when someone gets online even if you have the window minimized. XBList also shows you when new messages are received and will open them up in the browser for you. XBList accomplishes something really simple but useful if you don’t want to turn on your Xbox to see if there’s anyone online to play with. You could also see your friend list on Xbox.com, but you’d have to be refreshing the site constantly. I thought the app was quite cool and a fun distraction. On a side note, make sure to log in to xbox.com on Internet Explorer and make it remember your username and password to get XBList to work. Otherwise, you have to log in with Internet Explorer every time you want to use the app.
Download: XBList
Conductor Link?
Today at GDC 2009 Nintendo showed off The Legend of Zelda:Spirit Tracks, a new Zelda game for the DS. It looks to be very similar to The Phantom Hourglass, which was quite good. There is one noticeable change, though. For some reason Link has a train. Yes, a train. Why? Why why why? Did the Zelda universe just go industrialized on us? For me it just doesn’t fit in with the Zelda setting. It’ll probably be a good game like Phantom Hourglass, but did they really have to give Link this outfit?
