An Awakening

So at Microsoft's X10 convention there was some good news on a much anticipated video game; Alan Wake. Alan Wake was announced about five years ago by the same studio that made Max Payne, Remedy and has been set to release this May for XBOX 360. Remedy has come out with some quality video games and their flagship Max Payne was definitely an enjoyable game, although admittedly the movie was no good. Alan Wake is set to be a psychological thriller. The main character, Alan Wake, is a best-selling writer suffering from writer's block. To try and clear his head, he travels to the Pacific Northwest with his wife to a small, quiet town. But once he gets to the town things start to go wrong and he enters into some sort of nightmare dreamworld. The game has a very dark atmosphere and appears to be capturing a nice suspenseful feeling. There is definitely potential for a game that will make you jump out of your seat as you try and solve the mysteries of the small town. From the videos that have been shown the gameplay looks very good with a solid mix of action and story-telling going on. The only problem so far is that the PC release has been delayed, but if Alan Wake can deliver a truly thrilling game I may just need to get myself a 360.

First Fan Mail!

This is an email I got the other day:

"Hello from the Ukraine! I am love you comic! I make laughter with it everyday! I am love character, especial Angry John! He have anger at world, what we am share (but not when I am watch you comic LOL!)! When I see comic I tell all people of Ukraine, we all have love for you and you comic! I am showing my girl friend and she make sex with you face, I am called hero in Ukraine! So pride! Each day I have more joy in life from you comic! Each day I am better with English from you comic! Please make you comic for all time, so all will make love with you comic and you face! I am hope you read letter of me, but if no I am still make smile! I write more but I am force to stop boars from eat my garden (LOL go away boars LOL)! See you later my American friend!"

I am love you too Ukraine.

"Dicks on Dicks"

I want to make a movie called "Dicks on Dicks". It'll be all about the adventures of a brave young boy in a world that has gone completely, totally sour. This fact is going to be shown by the boy mournfully crying out at every downturn he faces, "Dicks on DICKS." He'll be a kid all alone in a world filled only with grownups, dick grownups. The movie will start with a very upbeat song but that will just be a trick. Not like an ironic trick but just a really good really magicky sort of trick. The boy will be cast by Miley Cyrus but in the credits the name will be Smiley Cryus, she'll be cool with this because she respects my artistic vision. The boy's major dilemma will be finding a space where he can practice his dance and party moves because in his heart that's all he's ever really wanted to do. The movie's antagonist will be a stodgy, crisp looking older man. He'll have some gray in his hair and in his gaunt handsome gentleman face. He will be cast entirely by Viktor from "Underworld". He will mainly watch the boy dance and make fun of him or more depending on how much Viktor gets into it (SPICY!). Movie-goers will be thrilled and chilled by the surprise ending where it is revealed Viktor's true name is DICK. Slated for a 2011 release.

AMD Strikes Again

AMD is releasing another graphics card in the Radeon 5000 line today. This new release is the 5570 card and will fall into a very reasonable price range of $75-$85. The 5570 features the same architecture as the higher end cards such as the 5800 series, but toned down to create a much smaller, less noisy card that runs on low power. Now the 5570 is a cheap entry into DX11 territory, however it would not be confused for a gaming powerhouse. As a budget card, the Radeon 5570 will run today's games at medium settings. Benchmarking has been done that shows it can run most games at 1920x1200 resolutions and still be at a playable state. I feel that the card will be much more suited to a HTPC and would work well in this regard. Video playback is great and the CPU isn't relied on heavily for DVD playing and the like. The power consumption is fairly low with the card using only about 40 watts at load. While the gaming capabilities are not the greatest, and there are cards that perform much higher only for a few dollars more, the Radeon 5570 has a much smaller size and uses far less power than those other cards. So if you are looking for a card capable of DX11 and want a small form factor, quiet card for a HTPC, I feel that the Radeon 5570 is a great value.

Aqua Teen, Assemble!

A new season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force has begun on Adult Swim. For those that do not know the show, it is about Meatwad(a wad of meat), Frylock(a box of fries) and Master Shake(a milk shake) living together in Jersey. The show runs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming with new episodes on at 12:00am Eastern and old episodes show at 12:00am and 12:15am Eastern Monday through Thursday. The new season started off with a new song for the intro and the Aqua Teens finding a new home, incidentally on the other side of Carl's house. Shake and Meatwad argue over who gets the bathroom as their room not realizing that it is actually a bathroom. Both assume the toilet, with fresh dookie, is some sort of a sponge bath and proceed to wash up. After seeing the toilet flush, Meatwad decides it has to be a portal to another dimension and Shake tries to flush him through to find out but only succeeds in clogging the toilet and flooding the house. Meatwad finds another room to call his own but once Shake sees that it is much better than the bathroom wants it for his own. Shake and Meatwad play Rock, Paper, Scissors for it and much to Shake's chagrin, Meatwad is a master of the game leaving Shake with the bathroom. A cameo from Rabbott is a major surprise for the Aqua Teens at the end of the episode. Definitely a funny episode with a few great lines in it. A strong start to the season in my opinion.

Super Sunday

Tomorrow is the 44th playing of the Super Bowl in sunny Miami, Florida. The last time the Super Bowl was played here the Indianapolis Colts won, beating the Chicago Bears 29-17. However, this year the Colts are playing a much more qualified team in the New Orleans Saints. Both teams have set up the potential for the highest scoring Super Bowl in the history of the NFL. A final score in the 40s for both teams wouldn't surprise me with these two teams because of the way they can move the ball at will.

Each team has a slew of weapons at their disposal, including their two quarterbacks who are, in my opinion, the number 1 and number 3 quarterback in the league. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees could be considered the two best QB's in the league right now and Manning is making a case for being the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. For Manning this is his second trip in four years and for Brees, he is taking the Saints to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Manning has numerous records and Brees has been putting up Madden-like numbers the past few years since playing with the Saints.

However, ultimately, the winner of the game will be decided by defense as it is with most games. The saying is defense wins championships but in this case neither defense is what could be considered a top-flight defense. Don't get me wrong, these are two good defenses but neither is a stifling defense that's going to hold a team to 10 or fewer points. Both are very opportunistic and can produce turnovers, but on a 3rd and 3, I'm not counting on them stuffing the run or batting down a pass. So, then how will the game come down to defense? Well, the best pass-rusher in the game, Colts' Dwight Freeney, is hampered with a torn ligament in his ankle. Like any all-star, he will try and go but will not be anywhere near the level the Colts' are used to seeing. If they can't get at Brees it could be a long night for the Colts. But on the other side, the Saints best defensive player, Darren Sharper, makes his plays with interceptions, which is just not something Peyton Manning does very often. And without a strong pass rush Manning will have plenty of time in the pocket to dissect the Saints' defense and that can only spell trouble for the Saints.

I expect a high scoring affair for these two teams and will not be surprised to see the QBs throw up huge numbers, but one of the intangibles of the game is the support for the Saints. After what happened in New Orleans, the Saints have completely energized the city and as the small underdog will inevitably have most of the country behind them. The Saints are a feel-good story that everyone wants to root for and see win because of how they have transformed the city of New Orleans. But I just can't go against Peyton Manning in a big game as he has just gotten better and better and is reaching a level attained only by a few of the greats. I think the Colts defense will come up with just enough stops to slow down the Saints and Manning will do what he has been doing all year, picking apart the opposing teams' defenses.

My Prediction: Indianapolis Colts 34 - New Orleans Saints 31

New Vegas

Bethesda announced that their new title Fallout: New Vegas would launch this fall. Fallout 3 was a fantastic game and I am sure Bethesda will deliver the same with New Vegas. Now there hasn't been much info released yet but the new trailer gives us a good tease. A lonely robot is seen picking through the debris outside of what is most definitely Vegas, which seems to be teeming with life. Apparently Vegas is apocalypse proof shown by the bright lights and activity in the background. Nothing like going to gamble away your hard earned caps in the post-apocalyptic Bellagio or putting up for a night in the burned out Mirage. I know I can't wait to hit up the New Vegas Boulevard and throw away the caps I earned from wasting renegades out in the wasteland.