In The Entire Known Universe!

Remembering The Dreamcast, 10 Years Later

2009-09-11T00:06:00.003-05:00

On September 9th ten years ago, Sega released a console here in North America that despite it's two year lifespan, would forever be cemented in gamers hearts as one of the best videogame consoles ever made. The successor of the Sega Saturn, it went by many code names at first, later to be branded as the Dreamcast. Certainly a name that was mocked at first mention by the enthusiast press at the time, but now has become gospel text in the literature of the gaming world.

It was a bumpy beginning, as the Dreamcast's original release date in Japan eight months before, had gone by with a resounding thud. Japan had held on to it's Sega Saturns with firm love unlike their counterparts in the United States. This ultimately pushed Sega to focus on the North American market.

With months to go, Sega was able to put together a strong line-up of launch games, and a launch date of 9-9-99 that provided people with the first taste of viral marketing. With campaign adds with mytersious and intense names such as Apocalipse or It's Thinking.

Intense indeed, but what really helped cynical gamers get on board was Sega's move to show off the Dreamcast's capabilities by displaying an impressive line-up of launch games in stores nationwide. Who could forget games like Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, NFL 2K, and Ready2Rumble; all instant classics that gamers had to have a Dreamcast in order to play.

At first it seemed the Dreamcast had beaten all the odds, in it's first two weeks Sega sold 500,000 units in the United States and looked like they could compete with juggernaut that was the Sony PlayStation 2. Yet this storybook would not have a happy ending, as Sega stopped production on the Dreamcast after 2 years on the market, beaten to a pulp by the mighty power of the aforementioned PlayStation 2 and a withering of third-party support from major developers.

But let's not ruin this day with memories of regret and sadness, let's remember what made the Dreamcast so great in the eyes of gamers. It was a console that pushed the realms of what could be done at the time, it was machine not tied down by the fears of taking risks. We wouldn't have the likes of Seaman or that crazy fishing rod controller; that we sometimes joked using for other things besides Sega Bass Fishing.

Of course I would be dumbfounded not to mention SegaNet, a feature to the Dreamcast that introduced on-line play to the console sphere, years before any of Microsoft's attempts with Xbox Live. Quake III Arena was a PC favorite that was now available for console gamers, something that was made even more assessable with the keyboard and mouse accessory that was released at that same time.

Truly the Sega Dreamcast was the first console to usher in the "next generation" of gaming. Graphics by that point where barely at the cusp of where they are now, but with the Dreamcast it gave an impressive starting point for what was to come, and what could be done.

So let us celebrate tonight. Pull out you Dreamcast. Go over to a friend who has one. Or buy one from the numerous retailers online that still sell them brand new. Let us all raise a controller to honor a great friend that is lost, but certainly will never be forgotten. Long live the Sega Dreamcast.

OH! While I still have your attention, check out the Official Sega Blog for more thoughts on the Sega Dreamcast from industry vets and fans alike.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Dreamcast! – [SEGA America Blog]

The Beatles Rock Band: The Next "Revolution?"

2009-09-03T19:04:00.009-05:00

Released on Wednesday, along side the compact disc stereo remastering of their impressive back catalog, was a videogame tribute to that legendary band from Liverpool, which by numerous accounts still has a firm grip on the collective pop culture universe. Of course I'm talking about The Beatles: Rock Band.

The Beatles: Rock Band is an interactive music game from Harmonix and MTV Games that uses pretty much the same formula in the two previous Rock Band games. But this time around the team has put it on themselves to create an all-mighty homage to the Fab Four; which takes gamers on a virtual musical experience through many of The Beatles' hits. There is so much that can go wrong when making such a transition from one media to the next, especially when it comes to videogames. Thankfully the game succeeds in every aspect.

But this should come to no surprise to anyone, considering The Beatles foothold on pop culture. Their music is still as ever relevant, even in age where making the best music single and milking the benefits of which, are more a priority than making the perfect album or crafting one's musical skill.

Playing though the game's story mode, all the poignant pop culture touchstones of The Beatles' ten year career are masterfully recreated and presented in an unique art style that does nothing but compliment the band's legacy. Scenes like their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show or their performance on top of the roof of their Apple Records HQ, all have been digitally detailed so finely that they perfectly represent their real life counterparts.

Remarkably The Beatles: Rock Band also immerses players into the game by sending them through eye capturing sceneries and out-of-this-world visual elements of the songs included in the game's track list. Helter Skelter, one of The Beatles rock classics from The White Album, blinds players with radical array of camera angles and lighting effects that gives off an attitude to match George Harrison's aggressive guitar chords. There probably is no song that won't make you get off your seat, tap your toes, or possibly even sing along.

Admiring the total package from a distance, it can be pretty evident the amount of passion and honest respect the Harmonix/MTV Games development team had for the original source material. Even the replica plastic guitars made for the game have an added appreciation and quality to them. Nothing is left cheap. Though many would argue the 45 track list could be longer.

Beyond the scope of the game itself, is The Beatles: Rock Band presence at every advertising avenue in the past few weeks. From television ads, music videos on VH1, game trailers, and web page banners from Kotaku to MSNBC. Though this should come to no surprise to anyone, considering The Beatles foothold on pop culture.

Yet will that foothold lend itself to the video game market? Already some in the industry have speculated the success of The Beatles: Rock Band, even predicting that it might have a bigger impact on the gaming mainstream than Nintendo's successful cash cow of game, Wii Sports. Sounds like a lofty praise to give a game; especially a game in a genre - the music gaming one, that has seen a sharp decline in sales recently.

Figuring in the over $50 million in royalties that where payed to use The Beatles catalog of music, one might wonder though if it really does need to make such sales in order make a profit back for the publisher involved, Electronic Arts. But then again, with Beatlemania once again raging around the country, making appearances from QVC to The New York Times... Tomorrow Never Knows...

THE BEATLES ROCK BAND - IN THE BEATLES - ROCK BAND, SGT. PEPPER TEACHES A DIFFERENT BAND TO PLAY - BY SETH SCHIESEL [THE NEW YORK TIMES]

PS3 Manufacturing Rises, Along With PS3 Slim Speculations

2009-08-04T18:09:00.005-05:00

Even before the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, numerous rumors have flooded the Internet about the unconfirmed "PlayStation 3 Slim" model, and to when it will see the light of day anytime soon. And to people's credit; from NeoGaf forum users to savvy gaming journalists, the well of buzz hasn't dried up at all. Now the latest information to be added to the already staggering amassed pile of speculations, is from a Taiwanese manufacturing source with close ties to Sony.

The manufacturer in question, has revealed that production for the PlayStation 3 might be on the rise. As production orders already placed for PlayStation 3 components, double the amount from that of last year around the same time. Is Sony amping up for a new console release, such as the aforementioned "PlayStation 3 Slim"? Or is it simple anticipation for strong demand for the fall and holiday season? As usual, this being a rumor and all, to use a tired cliche - only time will tell.

If you all want a backtrack of what's been discussed so far, IGN has a full length article about the PS3 Slim on their website. It's a pretty good read. - http://gear.ign.com/articles/100/1003580p1.html

From the people who brought you dumb crap comes...

2009-08-01T21:26:00.002-05:00

...Snuggies for dogs. What is a snuggie and why would a dog want one? Well a snuggie is the ridiculous hybrid between a blanket and a... something else. Well hells bells, I don't know! Just watch why your dog needs one so much.

As a pet owner myself, I feel terribly sorry for those dogs.

Conan And Andy Go To Bang Zoom

2009-07-25T20:42:00.006-05:00

I won't try to water down my love for Conan O'Brien or any of his zany antics, especially when he features (or in this case, makes fun of) one of my nerdy interests.

This time Conan, along with his partner in crime Andy, made a little Tonight Show visit to Bang Zoom! Entertainment, a production studio in Los Angeles, California that does voice dubbing work for much of the anime that comes stateside. As expected with any Conan O'Brien outing on his show, the usual hilarity and hi jinks come along as well.

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien - Conan & Andy Do Manga (07/24/09)

Read this and be ever terrified of moving to Japan

2009-07-18T16:52:00.007-05:00

Ever wish to visit the land of the rising sun? See the homeland of Otaku; birth place of crazy cartoons with robots, giant rubber monsters destroying cities, and Moe (pronounced "mo-eh") girls dressed in maid outfits around every corner.

Well you might to simmer down your optimism about thinking that the process is all Ramen noodles and Pocky sticks, cause it's not. Go ahead - IF YOU DARE - and read the blog of James Mielke, former EGM/1Up Editor-In-Chief, as he detailed his crazy adventure of trying to move to Japan. Facing the red tape madness which the Japanese have constructed not only for visitors, but also for themselves. Thankfully if you read through both parts there is a happy ending. (Yay happy endings!) I have to also agree with the blog author. It probably is, and in the end, worth it.

James Mielke's Blog On 1Up.com: Moving To Japan: A Newbie's Guide (Director's Cut)

Interested In a Interactive View of Gundam Statue?

2009-07-17T20:01:00.004-05:00

So as I've mentioned before a few posts back - there's this giant Gundam statue in Japan. I mean giant. Almost Jolly Green Giant - I'm talking here.

About 60 feet of metal make up the statue presently standing in Tokyo's Odaiba Island Park, and by look of these photos(thanks to the website Pink Tentacle), you can feel the massive height of these things. So awe inspiring and perhaps spooky...

Right now you can also check out this 360 interactive view of the Gundam statue in the following link. http://podcast.sankei.co.jp/panorama/pnrm090710a.html

Impressive indeed.

VG Tracks: Chill Remix Of Ice Cap Zone

2009-07-16T23:06:00.002-05:00

From covering the videogame landscape over the past couple of years, I have always found it amazing the amount of ways people express their love of gaming through many creative forms.

One of them being music - being an avid lover of music in my own right, this comes naturally. So I though every now and then I would share some intriguing video gaming related musical tidbits, in a blog feature simply titled: Video Game Tracks.

Today I going to highlight a chilling (no pun intended) remix by Jamie Maxwell, known by the Youtube username "mymorningjackets." Jamie has just done an awesome classical guitar remix of Ice Cap Zone from the Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Whle really relaxing and featured at a more slower pace, the tune still holds on to the catcy-ness of the original. So much so, that you might opt. to hear it instead whenever you play that certain classic level. Check it out in the video below.

Thanks to guys over at Sega Nerds for this very cool find (I swear I don't mean these puns, sorry).

Lighten Up The Mood By Making Fun Of A Dictator

2009-06-30T19:34:00.004-05:00

If you all are a little bummed, myself included, over the last couple of days, with every celebrity you love dropping like flies. Well today I though I'd post some funny Photoshops, curtsy of Gizmodo, poking fun at Kim Jong Il, everyone's favorite crazy dictator. (And by favorite, I mean in a complete satrical way.)

Credit and much thanks for these Photoshops goes to their creators, which can be found, along with a hilarious assortment of more, on Gizmodo after the link.

Gizmodo - In Which We Provoke Kim Jong Il in 77 Offensive and Hilarious Ways

Special Comment: Sad news recently

2009-06-28T19:33:00.001-05:00

People really should stop saying that "Death comes in 3's." Ed McMahon was a bit upsetting at first, Farrah Fawcett was as well, yet Michael Jackson was just shocking and unbelievable, and finally Billy Mays was just depressing. The Announcer, the Pin-up, the King of Pop, and now the Pitchman - rest in piece, all of you.

Ed McMahon was truly a great veteran of TV, and the right hand man to the late legendary Johnny Carson. Some how his voice and smile made you at ease, whether he was selling life insurance or giving away a million dollar prize giveaway. Farrah Fawcett was a remarkable person in her own right. Let's not try to kid ourselves, her beauty was considerably one of the main reasons people watched Charlie's Angels in the first place. Yet that did not confine her into the usual blonde bombshell role that we see most people of such amazing beauty get stuck in, she also had her dramatic roles that won her many well deserved awards.

And Michael Jackson? As Dave Chappelle said in one of his Chappelle's Show skits - "No man. He made Thriller, Thriller." Say what you have to about his weird circus life and bizarre looks, Michael Jackson was a true musical genius before him. He impacted so many artists after him, and also made it possible for other African American performers to get mainstream attention on MTV and other media venues. His impact on pop culture; the moonwalk, the "Thiller" music video, his flashy wardrobe, Bubble's the Chimp, and his other side-show antics will always be a giant stone pillar to be remembered for a long time.

Finally Billy Mays, a man that worked hard to get where he was, but was probably the most humblest of men. Sure he was also an Internet joke filler, a 4chan laughing stock at times, but that only cemented how well known he was. Silly as it sounds, I'll probably never look at an infomercial without getting a little teary eyed.

R.I.P. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, and to anyone else I've forgotten. It's been a pretty rough year if you're someone in the public eye.

R.I.P. Moonwalker

2009-06-27T04:28:00.002-05:00

R.I.P. Michael Jackson 1958-2009

People who buy netbooks, don't know what netbooks are.

2009-06-24T20:11:00.004-05:00

Our friends over at the NPD Group, the same people who give us "video game nerds" the industry sales numbers for each month, have conducted a little research about netbooks, quite possibly one of the hottest types of computing electronics in the past couple of months.

Well after a polling consumers, the study revealed a most interesting fact: The average consumer cannot tell the difference between a netbook and a notebook. In fact, it was found that 60 percent of consumers who purchased a netbook instead of a notebook thought their netbooks had the same functionality as notebooks.

Quoted from Engadget.com and the NPD Group Study:

"NPD Finds Consumer Confusion about Netbooks Continues

Port Washington, NY, June 22, 2009 – Netbook, notebook – they sound the same. According to a new report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, many consumers believe the two have the same functionalities. NPD's Netbooks II: A Closer Look report, found that 60 percent of consumers who purchased a netbook instead of a notebook thought their netbooks would have the same functionality as notebooks.

That confusion about functionality is leading to some dissatisfaction. Only 58 percent of consumers who bought a netbook instead of a notebook said they were very satisfied with their purchase, compared to 70 percent of consumers who planned on buying a netbook from the start.

Satisfaction was even harder to ascertain among 18- to 24-year-olds, one of the main demographics manufacturers were hoping to win over with the new products. Among that age group, 65 percent said they bought their netbooks expecting better performance, and only 27 percent said their netbooks performed better than expected.

One marketing aspect that has interested buyers is the portability factor. It's been the key marketing tool for netbook manufacturers, and consumers agree that it is a great feature. Sixty percent of them said that was a main reason they bought their netbooks. However, once they got home, 60 percent of buyers said they never even took their netbooks out of the house.

"We need to make sure consumers are buying a PC intended for what they plan to do with it," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "There is a serious risk of cannibalization in the notebook market that could cause a real threat to netbooks' success. Retailers and manufacturers can't put too much emphasis on PC-like capabilities and general features that could convince consumers that a netbook is a replacement for a notebook. Instead, they should be marketing mobility, portability, and the need for a companion PC to ensure consumers know what they are buying and are more satisfied with their purchases."

Methodology
Nearly 600 adults from NPD's online panel who were identified as netbook owners completed this survey between April 27 and May 4, 2009."

On the subject of net books as a whole, one might ask - Could the netbook be that of a passing fad? I'm not sure. They seem to be selling like hot cakes, because of their cheap price point, small size, and great portablity, the Asus Eee PC is a prime example of one.

Though now some netbooks are getting more bigger and being given more horsepower. So does that mean those are netbooks as well? It can be quite confusing. Yet if anything, I hope this will at least lead to lighter, more portable, electronics in the future.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/24/netbook-study-finds-that-netbook-buyers-dont-know-what-netbooks/#continued

Play Him Off Keyboard Cat: Super Mario Bros.

2009-06-17T01:58:00.003-05:00

The internet meme phenom that is the keyboard cat, know takes it's turn on Mario. Play him off!!!

He's (Hayao Miyazaki) Coming to America

2009-06-15T20:05:00.004-05:00

Hayao Miyazaki, the creative mind behind such animated films as Spirited Away, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, and many others, is coming to California to attend a tribute in his honor next month.

The event will be held on July 28 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, and better yet it's being hosted by Pixar's John Lasseter, chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and a devoted fan himself of Miyazaki-san's work.

Check out the full article on Anime News Network for the full details on this story. -

Anime News Network - Hayao Miyazaki to Appear in S. California on July 28

Gundam Statue (Mission) Complete

2009-06-11T03:08:00.005-05:00

Back in May I mentioned that in Odaiba's Shiokaze Park in Tokyo, construction of life sized replica of a RX78 Gundam to mark the Mobile Suit Gundam 30th Anniversary was being made. Well now that project is close to completion, really close. So close that it's looks done. Check out these pictures, I ain't lying.

To how the hell did they get the decals to look so perfect, I'll never know.

The 59-foot-tall Gundam statue will open in July and will stand tall for the duration of the summer until the 31st of August. If only I could be so lucky to see it myself. Thanks to Danny Choo, his blog, and his images for this post. Looks amazing.

Danny Choo's Blog: Moe Passion - http://punynari.wordpress.com/
Danny Choo's Website: DannyChoo.com - http://www.dannychoo.com/detail/mac/eng/image/20078/Assembled+Odaiba+Gundam.html

Offical Website for the 30th Anniversary Gundam Statue - http://recommend.yahoo.co.jp/silverlight/gundam/

'He Just Doesn't Give A F@#k'

2009-06-08T15:11:00.012-05:00

During Sony's E3 2009 keynote address, Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi, the studio behind the popular Gran Turismo series, came on stage to talk about Gran Turismo PSP, a portable version of Gran Turismo for the PSP coming this October first.

Now Mister Yamauchi-san is hardly an expert in the English language, so when he came on stage to talk about the game, he had a Japanese-English translator come on stage with him. Unfortunately for Mister Yamauchi-san, he was given at that very moment one of the most apathetic translators he could ever receive.

After every brief statement that Mister Yamauchi-san spoke, the translator would jot something down on his notepad very indifferently, and then after a short pause would repeat to the crowd what Yamauchi-san had said. As you can see in the following video, the on-stage speech came off quite awkward.

Now this scene has lead to one of the best memes coming out of E3 2009, as the internet has taken this particular moment and ran with it, especially on the gaming forum NeoGaf. Check out these hilarious photoshops of why Mister Yamauchi-san's translator 'simply doesn't give a f@#k.'

Thanks to NeoGaf for all these awesome photoshops, which you can see more of with the following link, and also for which I wouldn't be able to do this story about. - http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363806&page=3

Rest In Piece Grasshopper

2009-06-05T02:28:00.006-05:00

Recently to many, he stared in the role of Bill in the Quentin Tarantino action flick Kill Bill, but for those who followed his career well, he was also known as the lone wanderer in the classic TV series Kung Fu. A role in the early seventies, that instantly launched him to fame and was one of the key elements in the explosion of martial arts in the U.S.

Now at age 72, David Carradine has passed away of an apparent suicide in his hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand today. Currently Thai coroners are determining the cause of death, and police have started an investigation into the matter, as the death was a complete shock to his own family members.

For now, let us honor this man for what he meant to his family, friends, and fans. He will be truly missed.

Also thanks to Reuters for the story. - http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSTRE5534TM20090604

Gizmodo - "Old Feuds Reunite Between Nintendo And Sega"

2009-06-03T18:52:00.003-05:00

When will there be peace in this long standing rivalry?

Come on guys! Can't we all just get along?!

Picture brought to you by E3 2009 and Gizmodo - (Link)

I Post A Comic "All Is Forgiven"

2009-06-03T02:37:00.005-05:00

(*Click to enlarge)

Yeah, if you haven't noticed, I've been really busy with Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 coverage right now. (Which you might have already noticed if you frequent GamesAbyss.com)

So in the meanwhile enjoy a webcomic presented by the fine folks over at Penny Arcade.

Japan To Ban Rape Games

2009-05-29T03:08:00.004-05:00

What could perhaps be the most surprising news (considering the large amounts of weirdness collected there already), Japan is putting a ban on rape games into effect June 2nd. A huge decision, that not only will effect free speech in that country, but also force a large number of companies to stop producing said rape content. Resulting in those companies to either change the content they make, or just close up shop for good. Which many might end up doing, seeing as how the economic climate in Japan is in the pits.

What this means in a grander scope -- is that Japan has in a sense, thrown out the "free speech" side of the argument for the sake of getting rid of unsavory material. And though I personally find games of such subject matter to be really disgusting, I can't quite think of a bigger infraction against one of our most important rights in this ruling. The "freedom of speech."

Sometimes in order to have a fair and balanced world, you need both the good and the bad. If that allows us the fundamental right to speak our minds so clearly-- so honestly -- then that's how it has to be. Regardless if that invites the shifty ugly side into the equation. Yeah it's not exactly batting for the popular team- true enough. But as Thomas Jefferson, one of our principal founders of our constitution once said:

"That which is Popular is not always Right, what is Right is not always popular"

We can now only wait and see what else comes from this action. Hopefully no book burning will be involved. Hopefully.

Thanks to Japanator for the story. -- Japan bans rape games. All of them.

THE KOJIMA CODE

2009-05-24T19:51:00.006-05:00

I don't know about you, but all these cryptic messages from Kojima, about the next game from his production company, are really something else. From the video above, to full page advertisements featuring thunderous gray skies above murky fields of grass, laced with strange indeterminable symbols apparent and sublte. It almost seems you need a degree in cryptology to understand any of the subtle messages provided, if any.

It's quite amusing if you ask me, all the crackpot suggestions and speculations. If this time of the year weren't dominated by E3 rumors, you might think that there was a Kojima like flu about. Infecting thousands of gamers with tiny exclamation points on top of their heads whenever they're frightened. If this is the kind of hype Kojima wanted, then he sure did a grade A job.

Nice Legs, Gundam

2009-05-23T17:01:00.003-05:00

What you see here is a picture of the construction for the "life-sized" Gundam statue in Odaiba's Shiokaze Park, that will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the franchise. The 59-foot-tall statue will be completed in July; emits fifty points of light, shoot out mist out of 14 different points, and will also have an actual movable head. Too bad the statue will only be up for 2 months. Right now enjoy this picture of it's sexy robot legs.

Only Yesterday

2009-05-21T17:11:00.005-05:00

I remember one night, in my usual channel changing fever, coming across this unique film. Its bright colors and sharp animation caught the naive parts of my brain that thought, "Oh a cartoon!." Something that I would probably get bored with quick in my youth, but thankfully there was something else that pulled me along. And now thinking back to it, I'm pretty proud of myself for finding this film when I did. If only seeing it once since then.

Only Yesterday, or its Japanese title Omohide Poro Poro is a classic film, in an almost art-house quality way. Its a story about a young woman dealing with her past while searching for a happy future. The primise is simple enough, but is presented in such a beautiful way that you forget that you're actually watching something animated at all. If anything, this least appreciated Anime from Studio Ghibli, makers of Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, is probably one
of their best.

Right now on Anime News Network is an excellent piece on this film, which you should really check out. If you can find the film I totally recomend it if you were able to find an available copy anywhere.

Buried Teasure - Only Yesterday by Justin Sevakis

Prehaps we've taken this "multi-tasking" a bit too far?

2009-05-15T14:46:00.004-05:00

I'm sure he's a perfectly safe taxi driver despite his mobile phone addiction.

[Holygadzooks Flicker]

When Cosplay Goes Horribly Wrong: 5-13-09

2009-05-13T16:19:00.003-05:00

The title of this blog post is self explanatory.

Thanks to Japanator.com for the pictures.

Yo' Dawg, I Heard You Don't Like Faces On Your Watches

2009-05-12T19:53:00.004-05:00

I have an affinity with watches. Though I don't own many, seeing as my skin is as wimpy as tissue paper, I still can't stop myself from looming over the watch case in Dillards. For something that does the simple task as telling time, they sure do come in many complicated forms.

Case in mind this unusual watch from Diesel. What's so unusual about it? Well, it has no face directly on top of the watch. In fact the face of the watch is located in such a unqiue position, if not careful, it might appear to others that you are giving a Nazi salute when checking the time.

As you can see the top of the Diesel DZ9044 watch is blank, with the faces, which tell time in 4 separate time zones, located on the sides.

Hail indeed. Thanks to Gizmodo.com for the story

Sonic Sez: Use A Condom

2009-05-09T22:57:00.006-05:00

Before you judge too quickly, just hit play and watch. It's Jason Griffith the current next gen voice actor for Sonic the Hedgehog doing a condom commercial. Yes you heard right. And thanks to the internet the audio has been backtracked in a most hilarious fashion to a scene from the cartoon Sonic X. Enjoy... or not...

NEW PEOPLE J-Pop Culture Center

2009-05-08T02:07:00.005-05:00

Probably another reason to visit the western part of this country, specifically San Fransisco, California. For those who are unaware, San Fran. has a great amount of Asian culture infused into the city. Not only does the city have its own Chinatown but a Japantown too, and for anyone who is deeply crazed about Otaku culture, that's probably getting as close to Japan as some will ever get. There's restaurants, shopping centers, and even film centers all Asian focused, from actual Japanese companies themselves.

Recently one of Viz Media's divisions, Viz by the way is one of the largest distributers of Anime, Manga, and Japanese entertainment in the World, is currently building a J-Pop culture center in San Fransisco's Japantown. A 20,000 square foot, three-floor glass building (pictured above) made to showcase Japanese pop culture expressed through film, art, fashion, botiques and more.

Here's a listing of what the center will feature from the Japanator article:

"The basement level floor will house a 143-seat high-definition THX certified cinema that will show films from Japan, anime, documentaries, and more. Another floor will be for fashion, housing several Japanese labels that will make their retail debut in the United States here. Several Harajuku imports are to be included. There will also be a cafe, Japanese delicatessen, a retail store, an art gallery and more."

Pretty awesome. The center is being named "NEW PEOPLE" and is expected to be open sometime this summer. If only I could muster up a nice road trip to visit the place myself. Hopefully one day.

You can check out the website here. Right now there's not much to go on, so we'll just have to wait for more information. Thanks to Japanator.com for the story.

[Insert Webcomic Here] - April 28, 2009

2009-04-28T10:48:00.005-05:00

This webcomic brought to by xkcd.

The Insides of a RedBox DVD

2009-04-26T18:05:00.004-05:00

Ever wondered what those stand alone RedBox DVD machines at Wal-Marts and grocery stores were made out of?

Behold! The inner workings of a RedBox DVD machine!

Thanks to Gizmodo for the picture and story.

King of Fighters Shump?

2009-04-23T15:58:00.012-05:00

About a couple of days a ago in Japan, there was a spring conference held by Microsoft. There the Xbox division of Japan announced a list of games to be released over in the land of the rising sun. One of those games, by SNK, caught my fancy for being quite unusual.

A 'King of Fighters' vertical scrolling shooting game called aptly enough, 'The King of Fighters Sky Stage.'

Now I loves me some King of Fighters. That I won't deny that. And SNK does have a well known pedigree for shoot'em ups. Arcade classics like Aero Fighters, where you pilot a fighter jet driven by a baby. It's just bizarre to see a mix-up of genres. But hey, it's Japan. They put mayo on pizzas for goodness sakes.

(Looks kinda tasty...)

Looking by the screen shots above, it seems like a simple shoot'em up using KOF charcters. SNK Playmore is releasing the fighting-meets-shooting game for Xbox LIVE Arcade sometime later this year.

Thanks to Kotaku for the story.

Stereographic Images of Tokyo

2009-04-21T20:40:00.008-05:00

Some awesomely cool pictures from Gizmodo.com that I stumbled into today. They're pictures hosted on users "heiwa4126" Flicker site using a cool picture capturing technique called Stereographic Projection. Where in the mapping function projects the image in a sphere-ish plane, in this case using a ultra-wide fisheye lens.

Cool huh. You can check out a ton of these by the link below. Thanks to Gizmodo for the story.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heiwa4126/sets/72157601616772815/

Now On GameAybss!!!

2009-04-16T16:09:00.003-05:00

Yup, In The Entire Known Universe is now on the gaming site Game Abyss.com. Well, not the blog itself, rather I am!

Game Abyss is a website that lets members report the daily news of the gaming world. It's a bold new concept that just started up recently and one I've decided to help contribute to, along with some other familiar faces (that One Bored Gamer blog guy).

What's most awesome about the site is that it's free to join. That's right, you too can contribute by simply signing up! So what are you waiting for, DO IT!

Bill O'Reilly Knows His Super Mario Brothers

2009-04-15T18:51:00.005-05:00

From the archives of news reports pasts comes this amusing video of Bill O'Reilly investigating the whole"Video Game Craze" of yesteryear. That and some handy tips from Billo himself on how to defeat those menacing Hammer Brothers! Thanks to our friends over at Gawker for this video.

For those who don't remember, Bill O'Reilly, host of The Bill O'Reilly Factor on Fox News, was on Inside Edition at the beginning of his career. Of course many of you probably remember this fact because of this video below.

FUNimation Streaming NEW "Full Metal Alchemist" Series

2009-04-12T21:38:00.007-05:00

If you're still behind in getting around to watching Full Metal Alchemist, you might want to hurry up. Because you might have a little company in which version to watch.

Right now in Japan the new take on the series, amply named, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, is beginning to air on tv. Compared to the 2003 series, this take on the franchise is more akin to the manga series counterpart by Hiromu Arakawa. Which takes a more different turn in how the story progresses in the 2003 animated series released by Bones/Aniplex.

For those of you in antcipation for the new series, good news everyone! The fine folks over at FUNimation, the same folks who also released the American version of the 2003 series, have decided to upload the series, subtitled, 4 days after the Japanese broadcast.

You can watch the first episode here as well as other FUNimation shows at http://www4.funimation.com/video/?page=show&b=280. Enjoy!

So I Heard You Like Bandwidth Caps?

2009-04-11T14:17:00.013-05:00

A couple of days ago, my friend over at the One Bored Gamer blog, posted a story about the recent announced bandwidth caps that Time Warner Communications would be implementing in several key cities.

Arranged in pricing tiers, the bandwidth caps would charge overages to anyone that exceeds the cap amount for that single month. A move that, Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt said in a interview for Business Week was made because, and quote:

"We need a viable model to be able to support the infrastructure of the broadband business. We made a mistake early on by not defining our business based on the consumption dimension."

Or for those who don't understand P.R. bullshit:

"WE WANT MORE OF YOUR MONEY, GIVE US MORE OF YOUR MONIES! RAWR ME ANGRY!!! ME SMASH!!! RAWR!!!"

...okay that last part was probably the Hulk on a angry spree, but you get my point none the less.

Basically from what I gather, the real issue here is that Time Warner is losing customers to services like Hulu and Youtube. People turning off their cable boxes and turning to their cable modems. I know several people who've done so in the past couple of years. (I'm looking at you One Bored Gamer.)

It's a logical stance. Why surf though the garbage of 300 channels when you can find what you want easily online. Missed an episode of your favorite show The Office? Found a long lost favorite episode of Chico and the Man?

BLAMO! Right there on your browser with no more than a simple click. Thanks even to services like ESPN360.com, you now can even watch live sports events that you couldn't before. Although cable has tried to catch up by having on demand services as well, they clearly fall behind to what the internet can provide in media.

So what do you do if you're the big scared cable company, watching your piles of money shrink faster than a guys' balls after a dip in a chilly pool? Easy! Clamp down the flow of bandwidth and charge those who go over limit! If you think about it, it's a pretty smart shrewd idea. One that if no one makes a fuss about, they could pretty much get away with.

Now I'm no true genius on this matter, and I'm pretty sure I'm skimming on some better well defined parts to this story. For that, I advise you all to go over and read the article, The Meter Is Running by Lara Crigger on the Gamers With Jobs website. It's an awesome and informative read. Don't forget to read the comments section afterwards. As understandably, a lot of people have voiced their disapproval about this recent series of developments and have brought up some well thought out interesting points.

Lastly, if you feel like you really want to "ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWA!!!" then head over to this website, Save The Internet. There you can sign the petition to protect internet freedom, as well to learn about Net Neutrality, find recent news and reports, and stories about the people fighting for you in congress for this very important cause.

I say "very important," mainly because this issue isn't just about the internet. It's about the freedom of information, one of our basic rights as an American. One right, that corporations nor the government should never impede on. (Forgive the liberal rant.)

THIS JUST IN! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP UP WITH A BLOG SITE!

2009-04-09T18:18:00.005-05:00

Unfortunately very true people of the internets. And for that...

But don't worry, after a friend started his own blog, which can be found here at the following link http://oneboredgamer.wordpress.com/, it gave me the much needed swift kick in the pants to start posting again. Which I hope to do regularly. Hopefully.

In the meanwhile I've been getting some games off my "pile of shame." Mostly Nintendo DS games that I've seen on the racks of stores, and been too on the fence to give pick up. I'm a very choosy buyer. I won't go into detail over them all, just a simple progress report.

Retro Game Challenge (Namco-Bandai/XSeed) - Excellent! Possible GOTY worthy!

Mega Man ZX (Capcom) - Good! Has a very similar Metroid/Castlevania play style!

Space Invaders Extreme (Taito/Square Enix) - Addictive and crazy challenging!

Sonic Chronicles: The Black Brotherhood (Sega/Bioware) - Very good! For those who enjoy their RPG's in a lite form.

Metal Slug 7 (SNK Playmore/Igniton Entertainment) - If you want your quick fix of side scrolling shooting to go, you could do no better for the Nintendo DS.

Again sorry for the absence in posting. I'll again, hopefully, contribute more to this blog, soon!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T22:24:00.002-06:00

Enjoy this delightful unassuming video from this years Macy's Day Parade!!!

Pwnd by the Darkside of Online Gaming.

2008-11-26T05:56:00.002-06:00

In the rapidly advancing age of online gaming, with activities such as Halo 3, World of Warcraft, or Left 4 Dead, we tend to forget the harsh risks that might come with each interaction. Blindside past the the signs that tell us we converse in a place where the people are faceless, and even worse so are their motives.

In an article he wrote for IGN.com, Dan "Shoe" Hsu, former editor-in-chief at Electronic Gaming Monthly, recounts his own personal story of having his Xbox Live Account stolen. Hacked right over the popular online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service XBox Live. A frustrating situation that happens so easily and so often than one might expect.

"A gamer's hell followed right after. Over the next two days, I learned the hacker dumped my entire friends list, changed my Gamertag, made purchases on my linked credit card (including a Phantasy Star Online Hunter's License), spent my Microsoft Points, and was actively harassing my industry friends and contacts on my attached MSN Messenger list."

Along in the article, there are insights from Stephen Toulouse, lead program manager for policy and enforcement on Xbox Live. Insights on how this form of identity theft happens, and how they as a team deal with the rising concern. Plus seven useful steps to protect yourself from getting hacked. It's a really informative read, that so happens to be just a click away.

Hacked on Xbox360: A Victim's Tale

And if you have nothing better to do after wards, visit Dan "Shoe" Hsu's, and one of his fellow former EGM cohorts Crispin Boyer, blog Sore Thumbs.

IN 2009, VOLCANOES WILL BE DESTROYED!!!

2008-11-20T18:42:00.018-06:00

Well the first trailer for the big screen CG-animated version of "Astro Boy" is finally on the web. Check out the action packed trailer, which could possible sum up what the movie is about.

Brought to you by the fine people of "Imagi Studios", the same studio behind the recent CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, "TMNT," back in 2007. Set for an North America release in October 2009, the movie features the vocal talent of Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, Donald Sutherland, and Freddie Highmore a.k.a "the only child actor in Hollywood" as the lead role.

For those not in the know, "Astro Boy" is the 1951 creation of Osamu Tezuka, or as he is respectably regarded as "The Father of Anime" and "God of the manga(japanese graphic novel)." It is the story of a robotic boy with amazing powers and skills, that fights crime, evil, and injustice all why learning to become a real boy. And although a simple premise at first, the series takes on many mature themes such as issues of morality, responsibility, racism, prejudice, true heroism, and loss.

http://www.moviefone.com/movie/astro-boy/30167/main - Higher Resolution video

Meme of the Week! 11-19-2008

2008-11-19T04:11:00.013-06:00

Ah the Meme. Where would human society be without you. Probably more farther ahead in human advancement, yes. But really, we can order pizza from our T.V. remotes, I think that's the best of human advancement already, let's just call it a break people!

This week's meme is a pretty sweet lulz indeed. Brought by the wonderful site http://says-it.com/safety/index.php It's a Safety Sign Generator. Basically you fill in the blanks and create your own fun. Pick a caution sign, then enter your text to your liking. They even have a pretty wide image gallery to spice up your sign to your delight.

Some examples I personally found funny.

Have fun everyone!

Gundam 00

2008-11-08T15:41:00.005-06:00

I'll get this blog started by mentioning what I've been watching recently. I'm most assured you've probably heard of it. Unless you've been under a rock, thrown into the unknown depths of space, so far away from our planet, that we are nothing but a speck of light. Or not, people are busy and stuff.

The show is Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Now before you go hitting the comment button, I do know that the second season has already started as I type. Old news yes. Sadly, somewhere between new episodes of House and I dunno, not giving a crap, I forgot about the show. Which now has me having to speedily go through the first season, just to get caught up. Lame I know.

The year is 2307 AD, and the world is a much different one from today, especially when it comes to the terms of what powers it. Gone are the fossil fuels that power many a vehicle and home today. They are no more. In it's place, the people of this age have found solar energy. Solar energy waves collected by the means of a huge tower reaching into the atmosphere, towers called "orbital elevators." But unfortunately as much as technology has changed, humanities obsession with war has not.

The three orbital elevators which exist, are each owned by three separate global powers. Countries which have formed one unifying group in order to take advantage of the dominant power source. Leaving those who do not join, forced to survive on their own and crumble under the economic despair. Troubling most of all, is the arms race which the three main global powers gladly take part in. Undoubtedly pushing closer to the brink of global warfare.

This is when the group called "Celestial Being" suddenly appear. A private military force of unique and highly effective mobile suits (robots) known as "Gundams." They soon interrupt a Mobile Suit testing site and a surprise covert attack on a space station. After which they claim in a message to the world that their goal is simple. To rid the world of all war and conflict. Attacking any nation that supports the notion of arms racing or inciting global warfare.

As you might imagine this is where things get hostile very quickly, as no one honestly believes the group, and calls their stance of creating peace through violence quite hypocritical. How will "Celestial Being" and the three global powers react towards each other, and at the same time, deal with the powder keg that is the endangered stability of the world.

I'm not sure as to why I really stopped watching, it has quite a few things that make an interesting anime series for me. Large robots fighting in space, explosions, emo pilots, strategic battlefield tactics, social commentary about humanity and war. If your into some of same, then it's all good stuff, and animated pretty well too. Though this might be a bit too much for someone not familiar to the Gundam series iterations: Gundam Seed, Gundam Wing, G Gundam etc. Or someone not really interested in Mecha shows at all.

So judge by the first episode. If you want more after which, go for it, but if you're less than interested you might want to look else where. Right now the first season is 25 episodes, which will soon be aired on Sci-Fi channel later this November. Plus the first volume of episodes will be available from Bandai Entertainment some time soon. So be on the look out for those as well. The second season, which began a couple of weeks ago also seems quite promising.

Hello Hello.

2008-11-03T23:39:00.011-06:00

Welcome to this spiffy new blog. I am your host with the most, hungrywolf. I will be your guide though the realms of gaming, all things otaku, and nerdy obsessions.

I'm no journalist by any means, that I can a sure you I will never admit to be. I simply have a passion like many another person. A passion that so happens to be plumbers jumping on turltes, giant robots figthing other giant robots, japanese rockers, and Chuck Norris jokes*.

In simple terms that everyone can understand: I like things, you like things, let's just have fun! Whoopie! :)

*Though I'd never make a website with the main purpose of disgracing the all mighty Chuck Norris, not unless I want this to happen... You can run, but Chuck Norris WILL FIND YOU!